Santiago felt like Xavier was the most opinionated and arrogant man he had ever met. "Have you ever asked Lei what she wants? Who is the outsider here, you or me?" He approached Xavier angrily, wanting to take Leia from him.At that moment, Leia was feeling weak, and her lips were pale. She looked at them and groaned, "Can you two stop fighting? I'm dying here! Hurry up... and get me to the hospital!" Too weak to hold on, she blacked out and lost consciousness. When Leia woke up, she found herself lying on a hospital bed. Both Xavier and Santiago were sitting in front of her bed, and she could feel that the atmosphere between them was tense. However, the most important thing was that she was alive."Lei, you're awake! Are you thirsty? I'll get you some water." When Santiago saw Leia open her eyes, his eyes lit up."Of course she's thirsty, she's been in a coma for two days! If you didn't talk so much, she'd be drinking water by now," Xavier snapped as he handed Leia a cup of warm
"In two to three hours," Santiago replied. "The doctor said they'll put you under anesthesia to clear out the venom in your body, and you can't drink any more water after this until the surgery is done.""Well, there's still time left..." Leia looked around. "Where's my phone? I want to tell Ren I'm okay." However, Xavier gently pushed her back down onto the bed and said, "Don't worry about her, she'll be taken care of.""By whom? Don't tell me it's your scumbag buddy, Stefan!" Leia retorted rudely. "I'll be more worried about her if he's around!"Her words made Xavier snort. "Why do you hate Stefan so much? They're a match made in heaven, but they just have a lot of obstacles to face along the way. It's not fair to label Stefan as a scumbag, is it?""He obviously is!" Leia burst out furiously. "He cheated on Ren while they were still married to each other and got another woman pregnant! In the end, when he finally won Ren back, he got engaged to someone else. Isn't he a scumbag?
Santiago handed Leia her phone, effectively interrupting Xavier and Leia's argument."Thank you, Mr. Dalton. You're the best!" Leia stopped arguing with Xavier and beamed, then used her left hand to call Renee."If you really think so, stop calling me Mr. Dalton..." Santiago muttered unhappily, then said, "You can call me Santiago or even Santi.""Ah, I..." Leia could tell that Santiago was upset, and she didn't know how to respond."Mr. Dalton is how my fans address me, but you're not my fan anymore, so can you call me Santi from now on?" Although Santiago was asking Leia, his firm tone made it clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer."Okay... Santi." Leia turned beet red as she said it. Shyness overwhelmed her, and she felt like she was in a TV drama. Calling Santiago 'Mr. Dalton' was normal, but calling him 'Santi' suddenly seemed incredibly intimate.Xavier frowned and scoffed enviously, "Did you guys forget I'm here? And Santi... How disgusting! Don't tell me this is so
Renee woke up in a large bed in a strange white room. She looked around in confusion, wondering if she was in a morgue. "You're finally awake. You were in a coma for three days because the drug I used was too strong. I actually thought you'd stay that way forever..." A woman's indifferent voice came from the window, sounding as if life and death were nothing to her.Renee immediately turned towards the woman standing at the window, then frowned. "It's... you." It was the woman who had snuck into Renee's ward the other night."I'm honored you remember me," Eloise scoffed sarcastically, as she tended to a bouquet of sunflowers beside the window. She took a pair of scissors and cut the stems of the sunflowers she had just picked, carefully placing them into the vase. It looked very beautiful."The master said sunflowers are your favourite, which is why he ordered me to plant sunflowers in the garden. Now, they're all in bloom, but he can't even see them. It's just like his unrequited
"Hmm… You didn't have the time to look for my master, but you had the time to meet Stefan every night. You had the time to bicker with Mr. Baldwin and chat with Mr. Osborne. You were really busy... so much so that you forgot about my master," Eloise snarled, wrapping her fingers around Renee's pale throat and strangling her. "Did you know that my master came up with countless methods to kill himself while you were with Stefan? His wrists were full of cuts, and no matter where I hid the razor blades, he'd find them. He used to be so strong, but now he's weak and fragile. Do you even know what he's been through?"Renee's eyes widened in surprise, and she slowly stopped resisting. She stared up at Eloise solemnly as she strangled her, and her vision soon started to blur. "Hmph, I won't let you die so easily," Eloise let go of Renee and said coldly. "I brought you here to atone for your sins." Renee coughed as her lungs filled with air again. Gasping, she asked Eloise, "How... do yo
Eloise looked at Renee suspiciously, not believing that someone could be that foolish. "Are you really willing to give up your eyes for him and help cover for us?""Willing or not, I owe it to Jovan." Renee sighed and added, "I don't have to let them know if you don't trust me, but you'll just have to figure out how to deal with them when this becomes a bigger mess." Renee wasn't bluffing Eloise—she genuinely wanted to resolve this. She'd always felt guilty because of Jovan's sacrifices, and when night fell, that uneasiness would play on her mind. She always wondered if he was living in despair or had fallen into his enemies' hands… or if he was dead. Thinking of all those possibilities hurt her and gave her restless nights. She no longer wanted that kind of life; she wanted to repay Jovan."How are you going to tell them that you're safe?" Eloise asked carefully. "I'll post on Facebook..." Smiling, Renee explained, "People in danger wouldn't think of posting something on social me
"Okay, I'll post your status later. Log in to your account first." Eloise fished out her phone and let Renee log into her social account.After taking Eloise's phone, Renee logged in to her social account and gave her full cooperation. She could've easily called for help, but didn't feel like doing so.Eventually, Eloise grew to believe Renee, much to her surprise. "I didn't imagine that you would really give up your eyes. No wonder my master loves you so much… A woman like you really is worthy of the sacrifices he's made.""Is that a compliment?" Looking at Eloise, Renee smiled. "I'm not a good person—I just hate the idea of owing someone." "Maybe he wants that... but I won't let him be a fool any longer." Heaving a long sigh, Eloise continued, "It doesn't matter who owes who, he's the only one suffering here. If this surgery is successful, I hope he'll be more ruthless and force you to be with him. That was how he used to do things."Eloise had been trained by Jovan's parents s
Sadness engulfed Eloise at the sight of Jovan, and tears silently rolled down her cheeks. "You've changed so much because of that woman, Mr. Hunt. You weren't this pessimistic in the past...""No, I didn't change because of her. This is how I am, and I just became more like myself after I met her." Jovan's blank gaze seemed to soften at the mention of Renee. "You're wrong!" Eloise argued frustratedly, "You once said that love was the most meaningless thing in the world, that it would only tie you down and weaken you! You had actually defeated Stefan back then, and if you had just been more ruthless, you would have been heading Hunt Enterprise, but… you became a fool for that woman, and gave up your blood and eyes to Stefan. He's out and about now, but we have to cower in a corner and lick our wounds. Even something simple like looking at the moon is unobtainable, and it just makes me so mad!" Jovan slowly clenched his fists, unable to deny it. Eloise was right—in the past, he was
Amber took a deep breath, her eyes teary. She had long pondered over those words, but was too timid to say them aloud.She wanted to thank Liam for repeatedly insisting that she try to understand herself and reminding her not to take her marriage so callously. After some contemplation, Amber decided to not marry anyone."I won't marry you or Liam. I just want to marry someone I love and who loves me back. Only people who love each other can get married," she said firmly, looking dead serious. Both Mateo and Liam were stunned. Liam stopped acting weak; he held Amber's shoulders and stared at her carefully. "Is that what you truly think?""Yes!" Amber was shocked by the sudden change in Liam and subconsciously leaned backward."That's great! I didn't say those things for nothing. You're finally enlightened!" Liam nodded with gratification. "All I want is for you to understand yourself. There are many messy things and troubles in a marriage. If it isn't supported by love, you'll
Amber helped Liam to sit down before serving him water and rubbing his neck. She was full of anxiety.Mateo angrily gulped down a glass of wine, but the wine was so strong that he began coughing vigorously. It suffocated him. After helping Liam to settle down, Amber turned and glanced at Mateo, who was full of tears."Matt, why…are you crying? You strangled him, but you act like you're wronged!" "I…" Mateo pointed at his throat and the glass; he needed some water. Amber frowned and said solemnly, "You can't do that. You've repeatedly attacked Liam. You were over the line! Don't you know he thinks of you as his brother and values his friendship with you?"Mateo was flabbergasted to hear it. He knew nothing about that—it seemed Liam was even better at acting than him. While complaining about Mateo, Amber smoothed Liam's chest to make the latter feel better. "Liam always lets you have your way, but you target him. If I came late today, you might strangle and kill him."Mateo
Mateo swallowed. "Yes, I'm aware of that. The Stuart family has been investing in a lot of entertainment properties in Southeast Aeos in the recent few years. They're controlling more than half of the TV stations. Their power and influence are incomparable.""Looks like you keep up with the current events. Are you involved in the entertainment field too?" Liam asked.He had easily gained the result he wanted with just a few words. He faked a smile and looked at Mateo, who was panicking.Mateo glanced at him and said grumpily, "All that Master ever asks us to do is indecent. If we don't have any people in the media, we're doomed."The Triangle was never governed by the law, but public opinion was a dangerous weapon. If they went over the line and got reported by the media, international law would get involved. Naturally, it would affect their business.The Stuarts did decent business like the Osbornes and might appear easy to control. However, they couldn't be offended casually—a
Because of Liam's declaration, he and Mateo failed to reach a consensus.Mateo's gaze grew colder and more sinister, and he glared fiercely at Liam. "Fine. There's nothing to talk about between us.""No, you're wrong." Liam calmly swayed the wine glass. "You can get down on your knees and say sorry. Maybe I'll let you off by then!""How dare you!" Mateo could no longer take it—he pushed all the cutleries on the table to the floor and pointed angrily at Liam. "You refused my kindness. I won't go easy on you!""Just come at me. I'll wait," Liam shot back provocatively. He knew Mateo well—the man was wicked and cautious, but also cowardly. Under these circumstances, he wouldn't act recklessly. Hence, Liam wasn't afraid to infuriate him. Renee was right. Mateo had done so many things to control Liam. As long as Liam remained calm, Mateo couldn't do anything to Renee and Leia. "You think I won't do that?" Mateo clenched his fists and snarled fiercely, "I'll break one of their fing
Liam casually twirled the wine glass in his hand and asked Mateo coldly, "So, you won't stop until you marry Gem?""Not just that." Mateo tore off a drumstick and bit into it, then cracked a cunning sneer. "Marrying Amber is always in my plans. I'll marry her even if you're not involved. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the few territories in your hands.""The territories in my hands?" Liam frowned. Initially, he was confused—then, he understood it and chuckled. "What territories? I just work for Mr. Jenkins. The territories we took in belong to him. You'd better ask them from him instead of me. That's more straightforward."When Liam and Amber decided to fake their marriage, Benjamin focused on training Liam. In the process, he gave Liam a lot of power and authority.Liam didn't fail Benjamin. He did a great job even with his limited power. In half a year, he took three territories, namely the East River, West River, and South River. The three territories came with an importan
"Just forget about it?" Luneth fell into a daze when she heard Amber's words. She glanced at Amber darkly before letting out a twisted laugh. Then, she shook her head."No, I can't let it go just like that! Grady was hurt. How can I call myself a mother if I let it go like that? I must make the two people who hurt Grady pay dearly!"Luneth's expression shocked Amber. She subconsciously swallowed and asked, "Well, how will you handle it?" "I told Mateo to lock them up. When Grady's condition stabilizes, I'll make them pay!" Luneth's eyes shone with fury and vengeance, and she gnashed her teeth. "They hurt Grady, so I'll give them a taste of their medicine! I won't break their limbs or cut off their tongues. I'll just cut their foreheads and tear off their scalps! What do you think?""You want to…tear off their scalps?" Terror gripped Amber when she heard Luneth's plan. An awkward laughter escaped her. "Isn't that too ruthless? If they didn't do it on purpose, I don't think you sh
Amber grabbed some tissues beside her and carefully covered the scratch between her brows. She kept calm in hopes that she could make Luneth let down her guard. She knew very well that Liam, Renee, and Leia would be doomed if she didn't stop Luneth from telling Benjamin and Macsen about this incident. Although her face hurt badly from the teacup, it was nothing compared to their safety. "I'm sorry, Gem… I didn't do it on purpose. I was too angry and scared!" Luneth realized how aggressive she had been, and apologized to Amber in sobs. At the same time, she complained piteously, "You know how hard it was for me to get a child. Grady is very dear to Macsen and me. We don't even speak loudly to him or beat him up. But today, someone pressed him to the ground and beat him up. There's such a large hole in his head! The doctors told me that we needed to take good care of his wound. If it gets infected or he gets tetanus, the bacteria or virus might invade his brain and turn him mentall
Luneth was staying in the southeast of the fort. Her house was a uniquely styled traditional cottage. Upon arriving, Amber could hear a woman crying from afar. Many servants, doctors, and women were standing in front of Luneth's room. Amber walked toward Luneth's servant Jayna Bowie, and asked carefully, "Hello, is Aunt Luneth around?" "Ms. Jenkins, come another day. Mrs. Klein is crying sadly now. She's furious. I'm afraid you might be harmed if you go in," Jayna advised kindly.Those standing in a row at the door were trying to comfort Luneth. However, they were quickly rebuked and became too timid to approach her."It's fine." Amber was aware of her aunt's temper. Smiling, she kept moving forward. "I heard Grady got hurt. As his cousin, I need to see him. Plus, Aunt Luneth always treats me nicely. She won't be angry at me.""Ms. Jenkins, you don't know how serious this is. There's a big hole in the boy's head. The doctor said it might affect his intelligence. Mrs. Klein beca
After that, Amber looked at Liam, who kept silent the whole time. She tried to make Liam say something nice. "See, Liam? I told you, Matt's a great guy. He was just joking with us in the orchard to scare us. I'm sure he'll take our sides and protect us. Don't worry.""Is that so?" Liam glanced at Mateo and faked a smile. "Well, I should thank him properly."The air between them grew awkward, but Liam didn't care. He wanted to make Mateo uneasy and force the latter to expose his true self.Amber was simple, but Liam was no fool. Mateo's acting was smooth, but he couldn't trick Liam.Moreover, Mateo was the one who came up with that scheme. He wouldn't let anyone expose it—he wanted to be the one to do it."Okay, aren't we going to get a drink? Let's go. I'll make the chef cook us something nice." Mateo enthusiastically held Liam's shoulders and dragged him forward. At that moment, he turned icy. "If you're a man, stop involving Gem if you want to fight against me. Stop showing of