No wonder Lucy had gone into the wrong hotel room. It had all been part of their plan!Also, did that man have a disease? And she wasn't the daughter of the Everhart family? The shocking revelations left her staggering."Lucy Everhart, you shameless woman!" A stern voice rang out.Lucy turned around to see her father, Alistair Everhart, with a furious expression on his face. He walked up to her and threw a stack of photos at her, sending them scattering onto the ground.Lucy's face paled. The photos were of her and the man exiting the hotel room. How had Alistair gotten them?"Your actions have brought shame to our family. Your engagement with Thomas is off. Lily is pregnant with his child. She'll be marrying him instead. Pack up and get out of here now!"Lily and Thomas heard Alistair's voice and came out of the room.When they saw the photos on the ground, Lily smiled smugly, while Thomas just looked on expressionlessly. "Lucy, why are you still standing there? You're not
Tobias was amused that Lucy was still putting on an act. He said, "Since you want to put on an act, fine! I'll play along!"Tobias' eyes were filled with rage. He grabbed Lucy's arm and dragged her toward his car.As she struggled, she said, "What are you doing? I don't want to get into your car! It looks so expensive. You probably conned a lot of women to be able to afford it. Let go of me, you bastard!"That goddamned Lucy! Didn't she read the news? How could she not recognize him as the renowned CEO of Ripley Group?For the first time in his life, Tobias' rage was invoked because of someone else. "Didn't you say I have an STD? I'd like to see how you can keep making things up when the results show that I'm clean."Women like you are so lazy. You don't want to work for a living, so you keep trying to approach me using these underhanded tricks!"His tone was very arrogant. He sounded like a king who felt like his subjects were plotting against him.Lucy didn't understand what h
Tobias didn't even wince, even though Lucy bit through his skin.Lucy suddenly went into a trance as she sobbed. "Someone, please save me…"Tobias noticed her irregular behavior and shook her by the shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"Lucy didn't respond. Instead, she passed out."Hey, why did you pass out? Is this another trick of yours?"The nurse asked, "Are you the patient's family member? She might have hemophobia. She needs to be hospitalized for further observation. Please take care of the admission procedures."Tobias cursed under his breath. He was a very busy man. Why would he waste his time here?Regardless, he still felt bad for Lucy, who had fallen into his arms when she had passed out. After he got her checked into the hospital, he rubbed his temples tiredly as he looked at her lying in bed. His phone suddenly rang. It was a call from his assistant, Finn Carter."Hello?""Bad news, Mr. Ripley! Photos of your squabble with a woman in the middle of the road
Lucy was clearly shocked. "Why are you everywhere? Are you this man's grandson?"Tobias looked at her icily and sneered. "You're the one who just shows up wherever I go. You're even scheming against my grandpa to get to me?"Lucy looked at him incredulously. "Is that how you show gratitude? I saved your grandfather. You didn't even thank me, and now you're accusing me of doing something I didn't do?"Tobias narrowed his eyes. "How could there be such a coincidence? Why did you help my grandpa and not someone else?"Lucy was perplexed. "So, you're saying I shouldn't have helped?"Tobias sneered. "Is it really fate that we've met so many times in a single day, or is it all part of your plan?"Lucy broke out into an angry laugh. "Grow a brain, you dumbass!"Tobias looked at her with scrutiny as he walked toward her. "Woman, my enemies don't live to tell the tale of their encounters with me."He exuded a chilling and commanding air, and his gaze was deep and mysterious. Lucy couldn
"Grandpa, you don't have to worry about that. I'll compensate her for her troubles," Tobias said as he gazed at Lucy coldly.Howard replied, "Even if you provide compensation, I still have to show my appreciation. Young lady, please give me your contact number. I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow."Lucy didn't want to have anything to do with Tobias anymore, but she found it hard to turn down Howard's enthusiastic invitation. So, she said, "Thank you for the offer, sir. This is my number. I'll be taking my leave now. I have some business to tend to.""Alright. See you tomorrow."Lucy turned around and left."Grandpa, you should rest for now. I'll be stepping away for a bit." Tobias wanted to question Lucy about what she had just said. As he was about to leave, Howard sensed what Tobias wanted to do. He stopped Tobias and said, "Stop right there. You're going to threaten that young lady, aren't you?""Grandpa?" Tobias looked at Howard with a puzzled expression. Howard grunted.
The following day, Lucy and Sienna went to look at some housing units for sale. They held hands as they walked to a sales office. A real estate agent, Kimmy Lind, asked, "Hi, are you here to look at some housing units? What type of units are you looking for?""I'll be living alone, so I don't need too much space. I prefer somewhere quiet. Please show me some recommendations.""Sure. Right this way."Kimmy led them to the second floor to look at some samples. One of her colleagues sneered. "She really doesn't know how to pick her clients. Those two are dressed so plainly. It's obvious they're just here to look. It's a waste of time to even talk to them."Then, that colleague noticed a couple walking into the sales office. Her eyes lit up when she noticed their expensive clothes. So, she immediately went to serve them. "Hi, are you here to look at housing units?"Lily held Thomas' arm and said sweetly, "Yeah. We're looking to buy a house to stay in after we get married.""Sir,
"Mr. Ripley, please make your way to our VIP room to view the units.""Sure."Tobias was following the manager to the VIP room when he heard a woman yell shrilly, "Lucy, how dare you steal so much money from my family? I'll call the cops on you!"Tobias froze in his tracks. Lucy looked at Lily coldly. "Sure. Will you be dialing the number now, or do you need me to do it for you? I'd also like to ask the police what the punishment for slander is."Tobias stopped because he wanted to see if anything interesting would happen. He didn't expect Lucy to stand her ground so firmly. Her attitude brought a smile to his lips."You!" Lily was agitated.Sienna retorted, "Lucy is a moral person. She will never do underhanded things like you.""You two…" Lily looked at Thomas and complained, saying, "Thomas, they're picking on me!"He said, "Lucy, you shameless woman! What's the point of you buying such a huge villa? Since you slept with a man with an STD, you don't have long to live. You
Lucy was stunned. She hadn't expected Tobias to say that. Tobias was amused by her stunned expression. Her act was very convincing. It was a pity she hadn't debuted as an actress.Lucy chuckled dryly. "Your grandfather would be so sad if he found out what you do for a living."Tobias said mockingly, "Well, I'm just trying to make a living. You seem to pity me. Why don't you become my sugar mommy? I'll be sure to serve you well."Tobias intentionally moved closer to Lucy when he said that. His face was right next to her ear, and his warm breath touched her ears suggestively. Lucy's face blushed instantly. Then, she glared at him and said, "I have a very strong urge to smash your shameless face in with my shoes."Tobias gave her a provocative look. She rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath, "Shameless!"She turned and left. Tobias sneered. Then, he followed the manager to the VIP room."Lucy, what were you talking about with that man? It seemed like you two have quite a
Lucy heard what Tobias said and didn't dare to look at him. She lowered her gaze, allowing tufts of hair in front of her forehead to conceal her emotions. "Why would I feel jealous? I don't love you."Tobias heard the last part of her sentence and felt as if countless insects were gnawing on his heart, making him feel itchy and painful. Both of them fell quiet, and things were a little awkward between them."The doctor's here, Prince Toddy.""Let him in."The doctor entered the bedroom and brought with him medical equipment of his own. He did a series of checkups on Lucy and said, "It's the same diagnosis as before, Prince Toddy. Her internal organs remain untouched, but she was wounded severely on the outside. "We need to apply a specialized ointment on her skin. Otherwise, she will have scars."Tobias said, "What are you waiting for, then? Get us the specialized ointment.""I've given you all of them, Prince Toddy. Use it wisely for now. The only person who possessed these sp
It seemed like Tobias was afraid that Lucy might reject him again. He added, "You haven't gone home for an entire night, Greta. Sully and Eli are extremely worried about you. I didn't want to alarm them, so I lied and said you're staying in the castle as a guest."If you insist on going back and letting them see you in this state, the twins would be worried and scared. Wouldn't you say?"Solomon and Elio were Lucy's weak spots. Initially, she was determined to leave. However, she hesitated when she heard what he said. Lucy lowered her head and looked at herself. Her limbs were injured, and her fingers were slightly bent. She was trembling ceaselessly as well. It looked as if her joints were distorted, giving off the impression that she was a disabled person. On top of that, Lucy's skin was cracked open from all the lashes. She looked absolutely terrifying. If she showed up in front of Solomon and Elio, looking like this, she would definitely traumatize them. With that said, Luc
Staying in the castle for the long term? Elio, who was a curious and mischievous kid, thought about the lavishing and magnificent castle, and his eyes sparkled. He responded to Tobias without any hesitation, "I do!"Meanwhile, Solomon wasn't interested in the castle that much. He wanted to spend some time with Tobias. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to see Noah anymore if he went to the castle. So, he stuttered and said, "I don't."Elio looked at Solomon in confusion. The latter seemed to see through the former's bewilderment, and he asked, "Do you honestly think we can do whatever we want in the castle, just like the way we lived at the farm? "Moreover, we won't be able to see Noah anymore once we move there."Noah might've been a stepfather, but he took a huge place in the twins' hearts. Tobias was disappointed when he heard what Solomon said. "Do you two care about Noah very much?"Solomon responded, "Of course!" He considered his stepfather to be a good father. Tobia
Tobias used the military authority to his advantage and swiftly subdued Killian and all the leaders of his faction. All of them were incarcerated by the royal guards, and the signals were jammed. Not even God himself could help Killian and his ilk now. All they could do was sit on their thumbs in their respective homes. Moreover, Tobias revoked Killian's dukedom and stripped the latter of his military authority over Killian's negligence in Marie's education. After all, she drugged a prince. Now, Killian was nothing but a loser.Killian flew into a rage. "Damn it. King Samson had to show me some respect, but Toddy just disrespected me. How dare he lock me up at my home and make me a laughingstock in front of the entire world?""Marie has been imprisoned in the dungeon for a long time now, Kilian. What if she can't take it?""I'll never let her die!" Killian bellowed. "Did they think I command only the factions in the castle? They have grossly underestimated me."Killian couldn't
Tobias accompanied Lucy and looked after her carefully. News of Marie's arrest quickly made its way to Samson. Once he knew what happened, he was enraged at her actions. Before he had time to comfort Tobias, Marie's father, Killian Lemoine, rushed into the castle in a fit of rage. "King Samson. Prince Toddy actually ordered his men to arrest Marie for the sake of a civilian. Do you have no respect for me as a duke?" Killian ordered angrily, "Release Marie at once. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it."Samson slammed the table. "Are you trying to launch a mutiny, Killian?"Killian responded, "All I want is for my daughter to be safe and sound. If someone so much as touches her hair, I won't mind going up against the throne to the bitter end!""Why, you!" Samson was agitated. "You are feeling heartbroken for what happened to your daughter, but Lucy was also her parent's sweetheart. Why haven't you thought about how poorly you've educated Marie while she did those heinous acts?""I
Lucy cried out, "Get away from me!"The royal guards acted like starving wolves. They pounced at Lucy and tore her clothes to pieces, making her look even more miserable. At the critical moment, a figure flashed past them. A thudding sound could be heard as one of the royal guards was sent flying into the air. Every time Tobias swung his fist, he sent another royal guard flying. He bellowed coldly, "How dare you lay your grubby paws on what belongs to me? Death has come for all of you!""Prince Toddy." The royal guards immediately felt that something was wrong and fell to their knees, their faces drained of color. "Take all of them away!"Lucy was downright miserable. There were filthy liquids and blood all over her body. On top of that, her hands and feet were covered in bloodied welts. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was pale. It felt as if she was one touch away from passing away.Tobias' heart seemingly stopped beating. He was so heartbroken that the veins on his fo
Someone stole Duchess Lemoine's necklace.Tobias felt that this was something fishy, but he couldn't be bothered by it now. His head throbbed as he thought about how he had forced himself on Lucy. He said, "Dante, do you think Greta will hate me?"Dante stuttered, "Ms. Everhart was f-furious when she left and asked you n-not to look for her. Otherwise…"He stopped himself from finishing his sentence.Tobias asked, "Otherwise?"Trembling, Dante said, "Otherwise, s-she would beat you up each time she saw you."Tobias massaged his throbbing temple. "Prepare all the shoes, clothes, and accessories any woman would like. They need to be the best in the world. I'll apologize to her when dawn breaks.""Okay."Tobias stood by the bedside, heavy-hearted.Outside the window, the guards were scouring high and low. When Tobias saw what was happening, his eyes twitched for some unknown reason, as if he had an ominous feeling that something terrible had happened.After finishing breakfast a
At 3:00 am, Lucy felt like her bones were about to shatter.That damned man! How long had he been starving himself? He had come onto her seven times, devouring her completely.Tobias was sound asleep. Lucy lost herself for a second as she stared at his handsome face. At that moment, her heart beat wildly. When she regained her senses, she was so furious that she cursed him out internally.She wanted to help out of kindness but ended up giving herself to him. Lucy didn't want anything to do with him anymore and only wanted to remember this as an unfortunate event.Lucy got up, but her legs were so weak that she collapsed on the floor with a thump. She was even more furious.She turned to look at Tobias, who was fast asleep. She conveniently took her clothes from the bed and left while supporting herself on the wall.The corridor was still empty, but Lucy noticed the guards surrounding the entrance when she arrived on the first floor. Dante was also there. He was dozing off from wa
"Hmm… L-let go."Lucy tried to resist, but Tobias' kiss was like an ever-burning flame. She felt uncontrollably weak in her knees. It was hard for her to breathe, as if her mind was foggy from the lack of oxygen. She even kissed him back fiercely.Her kiss, in return, was like a fuse being lit, igniting the burning passion in Tobias. He aggressively ripped open her clothes, but the intricate design of her gown made it difficult to tear off. Lucy regained her senses and forcefully pushed him away.Tobias was caught off guard. With a loud knock, he collapsed on the floor. He moaned in pain as the back of his head hit the floor hard.His face flushed with an unnatural shade of red. He curled his body up in agony, and his voice sounded gruff. He had the last ounce of rationality in him. "Help me…"Lucy was blushing as well. In shock, she exclaimed, "What's the matter with you?"She walked closer to him and realized something was wrong with Tobias, assuming he had eaten something upse