Maisie stood on the balcony and was talking to someone over the phone. When she ended the call, a jacket was draped over her shoulders.She looked back at the man who hugged her from behind. “Why have you come home so early?”Nolan chuckled. “The company has nothing much that requires my attention today, so I’ve come back earlier.”Maisie turned to look at him. “Francisco and Naomi have gotten together for real this time around. It seems that the fake engagement was quite effective.”“You’re the only person in this world who would think of asking Jackie to help them out.” Nolan gently rubbed the tip of her nose and narrowed his eyes. “But judging from his personality, he wouldn’t help you out without asking for anything in return. So, how did you get him to say yes to your proposal?”Maisie sneered, stood on tiptoe, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s all thanks to you.”He frowned. “Thanks to me?”“You’re his cousin, so how can he not show you some respect? He wouldn’
Francisco reached out to her, and Anthony handed his daughter’s hand over to him. Naomi looked at Francisco and stood with him in front of the master of ceremonies.The master of ceremonies looked at Naomi. “Ms. Naomi Topaz, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"Naomi looked at Francisco and said with a smile, “I do.”The master of ceremonies then looked over to Francisco. “Mr. Francisco Boucher, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”Francisco did not hesitate. “I do.”He then lifted her veil gently, kissed her on the cheek, and the both of them exchanged rings amid the applause from the audience.The master of ceremonies smiled
“Ma’am, it’s me.”A wide smile appeared on Maisie’s face upon hearing the voice that came from the other end of the call. “Saydie?”Saydie had gone to Morwich for almost half a year, saying she had found her biological parents’ whereabouts. However, Maisie had not been hearing from her for a while now. She had finally gotten a call from Saydie after such a long time, so long that she was starting to think that Saydie had forgotten about her.“I’m sorry, Ma’am. It took me so long just to give you a simple call.”“No big deal, as long as you’re safe and sound.” Maisie leaned against the wall. “How are you doing in Morwich now?”“I’m fine, don’t worry. And I’ll be going back soon.”Maisie was startled. “Where are you going back to?”Saydie remained silent for a moment and said, “I’ve found my parents, but... But life’s not as good as I thought it’d be. So, I’ve decided to return to you.”Maisie did not speak. She could hear that Saydie was at a loss.‘She was looking forward to i
“She wants to know if her body is ready to get pregnant.” The nurse felt strange too. “She seems to be very eager to get pregnant, but it’s difficult for her to conceive a child because of severe anemia and inflammation.”Maisie pursed her lips tightly.‘The nurse claims that Pearl constantly has bruises on her wrist and suspects that Pearl is being abused, but she couldn’t wait to get pregnant...’Maisie had a feeling that it was not that simple, but these things had nothing to do with her, and she did not need to bother herself with these issues.She could not help but fall into reminiscence.‘Back then, Pearl was an arrogant and domineering lady. She’s the daughter of the La Perla Group and was very pampered and spoiled. She was an extremely lofty person who was fawned upon by everyone around her.‘In addition to being arrogant and condescending, she was also a little simple-minded. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been easily tricked by Willow into framing me.‘Speaking of which
It felt as if a long decade had passed before it ended. Tanner hugged Pearl from behind while his fingers twirled around the hair behind her neck. “Don’t even think of leaving me. Even if you hate me, we’ll have to torture each other.”Pearl didn’t respond, and her eyes were dead. The next day…Maisie sat drinking tea in her private room when the woman who had just walked in looked at Maisie curiously.After the server left, Maisie put down her cup and smiled. “Take a seat.”That woman carefully sat down across from her. “Why did you ask to meet me?”“You’re Ms. Santiago’s assistant, right?” Maisie poured her some tea. “I would like to know something about Ms. Santiago.”The assistant was a little surprised. “Do you know Ms. Santiago?”She answered, “We’re acquaintances.”The assistant had to be careful. “I’m not sure what you would like to know about her. Are you trying to investigate her through me?’Maisie scooped up some soup. “I’m investigating, but I mean no harm.”Se
Pearl beamed, then closed the door while deep in thought. After she came out of the bathroom, Tanner placed a glass of warm water on the table and left the bedroom. She sat on the bed and looked at the glass of water. She couldn't help but sense the irony as she took the glass and lay back down. When she woke up again, it was already afternoon. She felt better, and the heaviness lifted too.She walked out of the room and sighed in relief when she didn’t see Tanner around. She made some spaghetti in the kitchen, and since Tanner had taken her phone and there were guards outside, she hadn’t been able to speak to her family in more than a month. Even if she went out, he had to agree to it first, and someone would follow her. She lived in torture and faced nothing other than pain. The only time she could relax was when he wasn’t around. However, he returned very soon and saw that she was making food. He walked over. “Is your fever gone?”Pearl nodded. “Yes.”He loosened his tie.
Mr. Saldana was in a good mood, so he didn’t mind her request and gave her some wine. “We have plenty of alcohol. Drink whatever you want.”Tanner smiled, but his eyes weren’t smiling. “You seem happy with the woman I brought over.”“You have great taste. I’m happy with this one.” Mr. Saldana put his arm on the back of the couch and smiled. “I wonder if you’re willing to hand her to me?”Tanner’s hand that was pouring froze, then he put the bottle down next to his hand. “You like this one?”“Of course, she’s a pretty lady.” Mr. Saldana looked her up and down and touched his chin. “She’s different from the other girls I see here. She looks pretty decent. If she didn’t show up with you, I would have thought that she was from an affluent family. Where did you find her?”Pearl grabbed the wine glass tightly.Tanner looked at her, and his eyes grew dark. “As long as you’re happy with her.”He drank all the wine in his glass. At that moment, two girls who worked at the club walked in,
“Mr. Hannigan, I’ve followed your request—” Before Pearl could finish, he suddenly slapped her. Her face turned, and she stood there on the spot. The slap wasn’t too hard, but it hit straight into her heart, which was already shattered in pieces. Tanner grabbed her shoulder, pushed her against the wall, and looked toward a certain spot. He grabbed her face to force her to look at him. “Pearl, you’re just a broken shoe that nobody wants to wear, so don’t even think that you will ever escape me!”Pearl’s eyes welled up, but she held the tears back. Tanner looked away from her and pulled her into the elevator.The man who was hiding in the dark immediately walked back into the private room after they left. He walked to Mr. Saldana. “Sir, it looks like the rumors were true. The marriage between the two didn’t work out because he thinks that Ms. Santiago is unwanted. He’s too reckless to make her an escort and even assaulted her outside. He warned that she won’t be able to escape him.