In the shadowy study, adorned with European-style furnishings, a bronze statue of Jesus with an integrated cross design took pride of place on a dark desk. Seated across from it, Riley Tillman, Fred's deputy, clutched a photograph. "Sir, tracking this guy down might be really tough—there's no cell service out in that area. But it's like this guy is onto us. We lost all our leads by the time our team got there—he'd vanished."Fred reclined in an armchair, playing with a small, ornate dagger. The blade gleamed sharply, complemented by the large, shining blue sapphire on its hilt. He asked, "What was his last known address?""Wrupant Village," Riley replied promptly. "Our guys showed up and he had vanished.""Tell them to round up a bigger team. I want him found, whether he's breathing or not.""Got it," Riley replied.A moment later, Fred's expression changed as a knowing grin took over. "On second thought, cancel that. I'm going myself. Get my car ready."Madelyn was jolted awake
Margaret, busy in the room with Dalton, noticed the sound of someone at the door. She knocked softly on the closet door. "Ms. Jent, Mrs. Jardin is back," she announced quietly.Madelyn, alerted by Margaret's gentle warning, quickly got up, tucked her cellphone into the box, and hid it back in its secret spot. Zach, overhearing the faint murmur of voices, gently opened the door and stepped inside. He scanned the room carefully but did not immediately see Madelyn.Margaret feigned surprise and said, "Oh! Ms. Jent is right in the walk-in closet, trying to pick out some clothes. She mentioned wanting to mix up her wardrobe with something new and lively."Zach did not question Margaret's made-up story. He valued her support for Madelyn and did not think it was right to scold her. As he opened the closet door, he saw Madelyn stepping out, holding onto some old pajamas. However, it wasn't the pajamas that grabbed Zach's notice; it was Madelyn's eyes, red and swollen from crying. Concerned,
On the dressing table, Madelyn's makeup was accompanied by an array of sparkling jewelry. Necklaces and earrings lay in perfect order — just the way Madelyn liked it. These pieces were not just pretty; they were expensive. Even the tiniest diamond earrings could have gotten you a big, fancy house in Ventropolis. Every item had a special code and Madelyn's name on it. If someone had tried to snatch one, any shop expert could have told it was hers in a heartbeat. No thief would dare lay a finger on them.In the study, Zach was deep into a transnational video conference, pouring over the details of overseas medical investment projects. He had also set up a foundation to back the medical researchers. The risk of the funds evaporating without a trace did not faze him; to Zach, the investment was completely justified.There was a photograph on Zach's desk: Madelyn in her Ventrocloud High School uniform. Her smile was wide, capturing the spirit of her first day at high school--a memory Zach
Kevin exited the elevator, and Blake was right on his heels, her arms laden with documents. Blake, serving as an intern in the secretarial department under Cecilia, had never before been involved in such a critical situation at the company. Since Cecilia had been absent from the office for an extended period, Blake was now answering directly to Kevin.Ever since Blake started working for Kevin, she had not enjoyed a single day of rest; it had been a grueling three months. The only thing keeping her going was the prospect of a hefty bonus come year-end; without that, she would have already left. Lately, she caught herself longing for the less hectic times.The bursts from the cameras were blinding, making it a challenge for Blake to keep her eyes open. Standing meekly behind Kevin, she observed him, noting with a mix of respect and envy how he managed to handle the reporters' relentless questions with such ease.One reporter asked, "With Zach Jardin now among the global top five rich
'I just knew things would go back to how they started. Zach, I knew you would be tired of me,' Madelyn thought. All she could do now was wait for Zach to show her the door. She wouldn't be free until she left the Jent residence behind. If not, she worried she might never escape being wrapped up in Zach's world.In the video, Zach was in the spotlight, and his influence in Ventropolis now overshadowed even that of the once-dominant Arnold family. The more Zach triumphed, the more Madelyn stewed over it. 'How did Zach get so much money and power? Did he do it at the Arnolds' expense, climbing over them ruthlessly to fulfill his ambitions? Is this the kind of conquest you wanted, Zach?' Madelyn pondered quietly, her eyes fixed on the horizon through the big windows of her studio. The setting sun bathed her in a warm golden light, contrasting sharply with the cool, detached gleam in her gaze.A maid climbed the stairs. "Mrs. Jardin, dinner is ready.""Okay," Madelyn replied.Zach sti
Zach rubbed his forehead and took a moment to rest in the passenger seat. Then, without saying anything to Cecilia, he quietly left the car. Carrying his black suit over his arm, he walked through the unlocked front door, heading straight for the foyer.Margaret had been half-asleep at the dining table when a noise made her jump. "Oh my... Mr. Jardin?" she said, wide-eyed.Zach hung his jacket on the coat rack without making a fuss. He glanced around the room. "Where's Madelyn?" he asked.Margaret said, "Ms. Jent spent the whole day drawing. I was making her supper for later, but I must've fallen asleep." Her words trailed off as worry etched her face. "Oh no, the creamy chicken soup!" Hastily, she made her way to the kitchen. Upon returning with a steaming bowl of soup, she noticed Zach was no longer there.Madelyn, yawning, emerged from Dalton's room and bumped into Zach, who was coming up the stairs. Their eyes met briefly, and then she averted her gaze. A gust of wind brought t
Inside a black velvet box was a unique ring, gleaming with a red gemstone as precious as any treasure and circled by 520 tiny diamonds glittering in the light. Each diamond was meticulously chosen to ensure a perfect fit within the setting. This red gem stood alone in its splendor, unmatched anywhere else in the world. Its worth was astronomical—over $3 billion in Venturian currency.Madelyn finally drifted off to sleep. But suddenly, she felt the bed dipped beside her, and her hand was grasped; something cold slid onto her ring finger. Her eyes snapped open to find Zach sitting next to her, a ring with a sparkling red gemstone now on her finger. She quickly withdrew her hand and bolted upright."What's going on?" she asked, struggling to remove the ring from her finger.Zach observed her attempt for a brief moment, then with a weary yet resonant voice, he said, "I'm proposing to you."Surprise washed over Madelyn, and her fingers froze.Zach's voice was gentle as he confided, "I'
Rapid footsteps approached the door, followed by a sharp knock. "Mr. Jardin," called a voice from the other side.Zach turned from peering at the door to Madelyn, noting her swollen red eyes and the tear tracks on her face. He softly brushed away her tears with his thumb. "I've got some things to take care of, but I'll be back soon," he assured her with a gentle tone.Zach stood up, and Madelyn, looking mad, chucked a pillow at him. He did not even flinch. Picking up the pillow, he put it back behind her."I'll never marry you!" Madelyn snapped, her eyes fiery.Zach smoothed her hair gently, "Hey, just be good, okay?"Zach exited the room and closed the door behind him. As he walked, he heard sounds echoing--a sign the hallway was not soundproof. Upon going one floor down, he asked his bodyguard, "What's the situation?"Speaking softly, the bodyguard replied, "We caught a paparazzi snapping photos."The warmth in Zach's eyes turned to ice, "Where is he?""He's detained in the l
Liam was standing in the rain, and though it hadn't been long, he was thoroughly drenched.Blake quickly pulled him close, her voice laced with concern. "Are you crazy? It's pouring rain! What if you catch a cold?"Liam's look was subdued, his face showing signs of fatigue. "I'm okay. This is for you; I didn't want you to have to come out in this weather."As Blake took in his forlorn appearance, her heart softened suddenly. 'Am I losing my mind?' she thought."Now you'll have to pay more attention to me, Blake... I was just so scared of losing you. I've put everything I have into getting you to agree to marry me; the idea of you walking away is unbearable."Overwhelmed with emotion, Blake locked eyes with him. "Did she teach you to say that too?" she asked, her hand moving on its own to brush away the raindrops from his hair.A maid nearby, observing the scene, rushed over with a blanket and an umbrella. However, Grace, fully grasping the gravity of the moment, halted her. Ackno
Cecilia said, "It's fine. Let's give them a week. Rearrange the flight and all the plans for the trip. This is Blake's first time getting married and going abroad for honeymoon. I want to make sure she has a good time."Susan nodded. "Okay, Ms. Samford."Not long after Cecilia left, three editors who used to work for Olivia's company entered her office. All of them spoke in panic, "Ms. Blue, what should we do? Ms. Samford already knows everything. If the legal department finds out about it, will we go to jail?"Olivia remained calm as she said, "Don't panic. Just focus on your work.""But we got into this company through you. What if they say we got into this company through the back door and then fired us?"Olivia sat at her desk, supporting her forehead with her hands. She was obviously panicking. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."You guys can leave now."Olivia did not expect this matter to be exposed so soon. She wondered how Cecilia found out about it. 'Could it be that she'
StartReading Literary was the last place Cecilia wanted to be. But she made an exception this time.Olivia had just finalized a cooperative copyright deal with another website company. Several editors from her own company were there at StartReading Literary. As she entered the office, she saw all the editors from StartReading Literary sitting upright, not daring to make a sound.She also saw her office door was wide open. She frowned as she walked into her office and was surprised to see an unexpected gust.Olivia put down the documents in her hand. "Ms. Samford, what brings you here?"With her legs crossed and Susan standing behind her, Cecilia stared at Olivia, who was in front of her.Cecilia sneered and stood up. She ran her fingers along the desk. "StartReading is actually the last place I want to be. I came here because I found out that you enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to see me."Olivia instantly looked wary. She remained s
Liam stood up. He watched as Blake, who looked weary, walked away. "Blake, what do you want me to do so you'll like me?"Blake did not stop walking. Instead, she took even bigger steps and left.She went to the Harper residence, which surprised everyone.Grace asked, "Blake? Why did you come back here? Where's Liam? Why didn't he come back with you?"Blake stuttered, unable to find the words. She just made up an excuse, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come back."After Hannah and Yael left the wedding last night, they went back to the research institute.As for Simon, he went to the farm to manage the business.After Blake went to her room, Grace became worried. She followed her and saw her sitting with a blank expression in the room, not knowing what to do.When Blake saw Grace, she quickly adjusted her mood. "Grace, why are you here?""I came to check on you. Blake, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Liam? You just had your wedding yesterday, and you're already
The pregnancy test report came out fifteen minutes after Blake did the test. She was indeed pregnant. She was even seven weeks pregnant.Blake had indeed been involved with Kevin while in Northern Myanmar over a month ago.She held the medical report while standing bewildered in the cold hospital corridor. Lights shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her body, but all Blake felt was the cold, which made her hands and feet numb.She was lost in her thoughts. 'I'm really pregnant. What should I do with this baby? I want it to be born more than anyone else. But now, everything has changed. This child shouldn't come into this world.'She wandered in the corridor. Suddenly, she saw someone coming out of another gynecological room.She thought, 'Some things are just destined by fate. When I long to see him, even catching a glimpse of him in a dream feels like a luxury, an unattainable wish. But now, when I don't want to see him, it seems he appears everywhere I go.'Kevin supp
Blake wondered, 'I'm now pregnant with Kevin's child. What should I do?'She woke up groggily when she felt someone carry her. She opened her heavy eyelids and asked, "What time is it now?"Liam responded, "It's four-thirty in the morning. It's still early; go back to sleep for a while more."Blake said in a hoarse voice, "I've made an appointment for an abortion at eight o'clock. Regardless of whether I'm really pregnant or not, I don't want to keep this child."She had thought about it all night and believed this was the best decision.Kevin was going to get engaged. Blake believed he would get married and Audrey would give birth to his children. There was simply no need for her to complicate things further.She thought, 'If I choose to be selfish and decide to keep this baby, and if people find out about it, my child will be treated as an illegitimate child. I don't even dare to imagine how badly the child will be treated.'If giving birth to the baby will bring it a lifetime
Blake continued, "What about you, Liam? Do you mind?"If you do, you can choose to divorce me. After all, I've wronged you. No one wants to marry a woman who's carrying someone else's child."Liam stepped forward on the shattered cup and hugged her tightly. "I don't mind. Blake, I love you, including everything about you. I don't mind your past. I just want to start over with you. I didn't tell you about the pregnancy because I was selfish; I wanted to keep you by my side."Blake, your child is my child. I want to raise the baby with you."Don't leave me, okay?"Blake did not know why, but she was not surprised by her pregnancy. However, she felt that there were still some things that she could not let go of, though she was unsure what those were.She was not as calm as she had imagined.She thought about her past events. Then, she indifferently said, "Liam, I don't want this child. Since I'm prepared to be with you, I won't keep this child. It wouldn't be fair to you."Liam di
On this romantic night, the moon was obscured by the clouds.Breathing heavily, Blake felt some pain in her abdomen. She asked to stop. "Liam, my stomach hurts. I think I'm going to have my period soon."Liam sobered up instantly. "I'll go get you some medicine."She peeked out from under the blanket as the bedside lamp turned on. She could clearly see Liam's naked upper body. Her face flushed as she averted her gaze. "It's fine. Just help me call the front desk and ask them to bring up a pack of sanitary pads. I'll go to the bathroom to deal with it."Liam replied, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Blake picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom. "It's okay. It's probably just my period."However, judging by the blood flowing out, it did not seem like menstrual blood to Blake. It looked like something else.Blake's voice came from the bathroom again. "I think we should go to the hospital."She sat on the toilet and watched the tall, slende
Blake had no bridesmaids, so she returned to the hotel room alone. As she stepped out of the elevator and was ready to use the room key card in her hand to swipe and enter the room, she suddenly saw a figure appear from the corner of her eye.She stopped her action and looked at the person who had left the wedding earlier.At that moment, Blake felt her breath catch, but it was only fleeting. She then quickly regained her composure and averted her gaze. She asked, "Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"Kevin replied, "Congratulations."Upon hearing his congratulations, Blake felt a mix of amusement and discomfort. "There's nothing to congratulate. If anything, I should congratulate you. You're soon to be the mayor's son-in-law. In the future, we won't belong in the same social class anymore."I'm tired and came back to rest. You should leave now before Liam comes up and sees you here."Don't look for me again. I don't want him to misunderstand."Kevin responded, "Audrey and