Gazing at her, Tobias crooned, "Don't worry, babe. How could I possibly marry someone when we're not even divorced? Bigamy is a crime!"He made a lot of sense, but Lucy still felt uneasy. "But why did you want to publicly announce that you're marrying the daughter of the Eberhard family?""Hush, don't worry. You'll find out in a few days," Tobias said, ruffling her hair. Lucy wanted to trust him, but she felt torn deep down. Sternly, she questioned him, "How many days to be exact?""It's the day after tomorrow. I'll have it taken care of by then."Drawing in a deep breath, Lucy replied, "Fine, I'll trust you…" She really hoped that he wouldn't let her down. She seemed conflicted as she hugged Tobias, but he failed to notice the look in her eyes. Instead, he asked tenderly, "You must be hungry. I'll have someone send dinner over.""Alright."Lucy's phone suddenly rang. "It's my parents. They've finally called…" Lucy murmured, her voice dripping with disappointment and an
"Why, you!"Furious, Howard pointed at Anna and gasped, "How dare you hurt us! Tobe will never let you get away with this!"He clutched onto his chest, his face contorting in agony. Anna scoffed, "I won't let him find out how you died!" Her bloodshot eyes turned crazed. Howard's hands quivered as he tried to retrieve his medicine from his pocket. But his hands shook, and the medication bottle rolled to Anna's feet instead. "Medicine… My medicine…" His breathing grew labored. Anna snickered. She kicked the bottle away and whisked his phone out of his pocket. She dragged his hand forward to unlock the phone. "You… You… What are you doing?""I'm going to end all of you who bullied me!"She texted Lucy with Howard's phone. "Come to Misty Summit at Route 216. Don't tell Tobe. I need to discuss something important with you!"Howard was already unconscious due to his heart attack when Anna had finished all her arrangements. Now, she just had to wait for news from Martin a
"Anna, what are you doing in my house?"Upon hearing Anna's voice, Tobias instinctively reprimanded her. But he quickened his pace and hurried to the parking lot. "Tobe, I came to bring some dessert for Joey. But who knew this would happen? And the ambulance still isn't here yet. What should I do…" Anna sobbed on the other end of the line. Looking grim, Tobias ordered, "Stay where you are. Don't you dare leave!"He revved his engine and sped back. His phone fell under his seat on his way back. He heard it ringing, but he had no time to answer. His car came to a halt at Ripley Residence after ten minutes. An ambulance was also parked at the entrance, and medical personnel had already moved Howard and Agatha into the ambulance. "Grandpa! Grandma!" Spiraling in turmoil, Tobias rushed toward them. Joey still felt sluggish, so she seemed utterly addled. "Joey, what did you do to my grandparents?" he snarled. "I've no idea what happened, Tobe. I dozed off. Howard and Agatha
Panting, they came to a halt halfway up the mountain. Gale shouted, "Stop right there, bitch!""How much did your boss pay you to do such a despicable thing?" asked Lucy. Gale snorted. "My boss didn't just give me money."Lucy was perplexed. What else was he promised, then? She racked her brains to figure out who she'd offended, and Anna was the first person that came to mind. "It couldn't be Anna who sent you to kill me, could it?"Gale's eyes flickered. "Is it really her?" Lucy certainly didn't expect Anna to be so wicked!Gale scoffed and said, "You're about to die soon anyway. Why do you have to know?"Noticing that she was standing at the edge of a cliff, he turned resolute and lunged at her. Lucy instinctively stepped back, but she suddenly lost balance. With a scream, she tumbled down the hill. At the same time, a series of barks sounded. Lion suddenly charged at Gale and bit him. Gale cried out in agony as blood gushed out from his arm. "Damn it! Where did
Tobias' eyes widened before the doctor could finish his sentence. "You have to save him! Please, I'm begging you!"To Tobias, his grandparents meant more to him than his parents. He'd never pleaded with anyone like this before. He might be powerful and wealthy, but he was utterly helpless in the face of death. "Mr. Ripley, please calm down. Mr. Ripley Senior's heart condition is quite severe. He can only last for a month if we can't find a suitable heart during this period. You have to be mentally prepared by then.""How about my grandmother?" Tobias asked. "Mrs. Ripley Senior suffered from severe fractures, but her condition is no longer fatal. She's still unconscious though."Tobias was relieved. "Thank you."The doctor turned and left, while Howard was wheeled out of the room. Noting his ashen complexion, Tobias felt guilty. His heart also ached upon Howard's ill state.Tobias took Howard's hand once they were back in the ward. Awash in guilt, he said, "Grandpa, it's my f
Tobias sneered. "Isn't it too much of a coincidence?"He was well aware that it couldn't be a mere coincidence. "Gather everyone. I'd like to have a meeting!""Alright, Mr. Ripley," Walter answered. He gathered all the maids in the hall. They stood in several rows, their numbers so large that it resembled a company staff meeting. "You've been working at Ripley Residence for a long time. I'm going to ask you a few questions now. If any of you dares to lie…" Tobias paused, his gaze turning cold. "I must remind you, the two beasts in the restricted area haven't had meat for a long time!"Everyone's breaths hitched, with fear written all over their faces. Two tigers were kept captive in the Ripley Residence's restricted area. Tobias loathed liars. He wouldn't hesitate to feed anyone to the tigers if someone dared to deceive him. "Who came to Ripley Residence today?"One of the maids replied, "Three groups of guests came. Mr. Hobson and Mrs. Hobson came with their third son, M
What Tobias didn't know was that something huge happened to Lucy today as well.Miles took his team and launched an investigation. He watched the security footage and saw that someone had carried an unconscious Lucy to the hospital. Miles gave a call to Faith. "I found Lucy, Ms. Parker. She's at Silver Oak Hospital.""Okay! I'll go there right now."Miles patted his team members on their shoulders and said, "Good work, guys. I'm going to the hospital now."…At the hospital, Axel took Lucy to the emergency room. He waited for more than an hour before she was rolled out."How is she doing, doctor?""The patient fell from height and has bone fractures on multiple parts of her body. She also suffered a head trauma. She is out of danger now, but we have to keep her for observation."Axel listened to the doctor and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor."The doctor asked, "Are you the patient's family? I think she has recently undergone a D&C surgery due to a miscarriage.
Tobias and Miles were friends. So, naturally, Miles was as angry as Tobias would have been if he had seen such a scene. Miles strode forward and pulled Axel away. He was so rough that Axel fell to the floor.Then, Miles saw that Lucy was crying her heart out, and her arms and feet were covered in casts. She looked downright pitiable.Axel got to his feet and questioned, "Who are you guys? What do you think you're doing?"Before Miles and Faith could respond, Lucy said, "I'm sorry about that, Axel. They're my friends."It was only when Axel heard Lucy that he finally relaxed.When Faith saw the state Lucy was in, she felt heartbroken. "What happened to you, Lucy?"Lucy sniffled and answered, "It's okay, Faith. I survived again."Then, she looked at Miles and said, "I can't get in touch with Tobias, Miles. Can you help me give him a call?""Sure thing." Miles pulled out his phone and dialed Tobias's number, but he couldn't reach him. "Is there still no answer?"Lucy frowned
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