Gina and a few parents rushed over, and they were shocked to see Quinton strangling Joanne."What's… going on? Is he trying to kill her?""Is this what they meant when they said she has a troubled life? Her enemy even came to the school! They really should fire her.!""Hurry up and get the principal. We have to fire her today. We can't let her come near our kids!" The parents were shocked at first, but in the end, they decided she was something they had to eliminate.However, when Quinton heard their wicked words, his gaze turned cold and menacing. He let go of Joanne and faced the parents threateningly. "What did you say about her? Say it again, I dare you!""Who… are you?" One father boldly demanded."It doesn't matter. What I want to know is what you said about her." Quinton's tone wasn't loud, but it was threatening enough to scare the parents."She's the class teacher of our kids, but she doesn't have good academic qualifications or experience in teaching. Also, she's proba
"How brave!" Quinton let go of the man and sized Gina up. "If that's the case, why don't you come and take his place? I'll punish you instead for bullying Joanne.""Mister, what… what are you trying to do? Let's talk it out!" Gina retreated a few steps, looking at him in horror. He was handsome and dangerous… She was afraid of him, but also wanted to know more about him. "I'm Ms. Garcia's colleague and friend. I don't see her as my enemy," Gina said quickly, seeing how Quinton was defending Joanne.Quinton, however, could tell she was lying because she didn't sound sincere at all. He figured she was the reason why these people were attacking Joanne, and his lip curled in disgust. "Friend?" Quinton turned to Joanne. "Tell me… Is she really your friend?"Joanne smoothed her messy hair and glared at him coldly. "It's none of your business. Get out and stop making a scene; you're disrupting classes."Quinton turned back and spread his hands, a wicked grin on his face. "See? She didn't
Joanne knew Quinton was an utter maniac. He was reckless and impulsive, and he would go to extremes if he wanted to. She didn't like Gina, but she didn't want to see Quinton ruin her face. She took a deep breath and said to Quinton, "This is between you and me, so don't get others involved. Let her go!"Quinton turned around, satisfied that she finally gave in. "So, you guys are friends…" Quinton didn't believe it, but he just wanted to make use of this opportunity. "I won't let go of your friend with just that.""What do you want?" Joanne hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at him furiously."Come with me," Quinton ordered coldly."Why should I?" Joanne wanted nothing to do with him. She would break down if she was around him, so there was no way she would go anywhere with him. "If you don't, your friend's face will be ruined," Quinton reminded, pressing the blade into Gina's skin a little more.Terrified, Gina trembled and begged Joanne, "Please help me, Ms. Garcia. I'll lis
"Enough!" Joanne's eyes filled with tears as she said to Quinton reluctantly, "Let her go. I'll go with you.""You're being stupid again," Quinton scoffed. "This woman harmed you. If you were smart, you'd let me ruin her face so she would never bully you again... but you want to save her. You're even willingly putting yourself in danger for her. After all these years, how can you still be so stupid?" His expression was complicated as he spoke, and it was hard to tell if he was disappointed in her or just teasing.Joanne's hatred for Quinton burned in her, and she couldn't fathom how someone so cruel existed. "Cut the crap! Didn't you want to take revenge on me? Hurry up and do it! Also, I don't care about what you do to her; she's a stranger to me.""Yeah, she's right!" Gina's voice was shaky as she blurted out, "I was only hired this year, so I didn't have much to do with Joanne. We're not even close. If you ruin my face, it won't affect her at all…" After a brief pause, Quinton
"Yeah, I guess I overestimated myself. I don't know you well." Joanne gazed at the man she both loved and hated. "If I knew you well, I would have left you ages ago. I wouldn't have had to suffer, and that pitiful child wouldn't have had to die. I also could have been a mother, but it's impossible now…" "That child should have never been born. If you gave birth to the baby, it would have been torture for you. I saved you from that, so why do you hate me this much?" Quinton's gaze was icy, and there was no regret in his tone. If he did have any regrets, it would be that he didn't get rid of the child in a way where Joanna wouldn't have found out about it."Yeah, you're right. You're never wrong. Even now, you feel that you're just doing the best for me." Joanne closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks. She no longer wanted to talk about it because there was no right or wrong. She felt that abortion was murder, and now, she could never have children. It was a punishment for bein
"How fierce, Joanne. Do you really hate me that much?" Quinton shook his hand, wanting to grab Joanne again."Yes! I won't stop even if I die!" Joanne spat, and with a determined gleam in her eyes, smashed her head on the wall behind him.Quinton's eyes widened as Joanne's body slid down the wall limply, blood gushing from her head. "Joanne!" Quinton rushed forward and carried Joanne. She was light and soft in his arms, and his heart clenched. "Joanne, do you think you can leave me by doing this? You're too naive! Even if you die, your soul will still have to stay in my arms!" He roared as he carried her into the car. Initially, he wanted to rush her to the closest hospital, but after a brief hesitation, he reversed the car and called Renee. "Call Owen and ask him to wait in Everheart Manor now. Be quick!""What's the matter, Quinton? You—" Quinton hung up before Renee could finish, and speedily drove towards Everheart Manor. They had set up a clinic in Everheart Manor when Renee
"What happened? Why did you call me?" Owen had been at a place he had wanted to fish at for a long time, but just as he sat down to fish, Renee had called him. "I don't care! You'll have to compensate me if this isn't a life-and-death situation. You all owe me a deep-sea grouper!""Sure, you got it. Just stop talking and save her!" Renee urged Owen as they rushed toward the clinic.Quinton hugged Joanne tightly in the clinic, refusing to let go of her. He looked heartbroken. "Hold on, Joanne. You've got to survive. Do you think this will be over if you're dead? If you're dead, I won't let you rest in peace. I'll find a way to bring your soul back. You can never leave me… Never!"Owen walked in with Renee, and he got goosebumps when he heard Quinton say that. "Umm… Is your brother always this dramatic?" Owen felt like he was in an asylum. "He's usually quite reserved and indifferent, but he's suddenly talking so much. It's strange."Renee's eyes grew wide in alarm and she hurriedly
"What kind of logic is that?" Renee looked bewildered. "How did you bump into Joanne? Did you go to her school to meet her? What did you do to her? How did she get like this in such a short time?" "I tortured her, of course!" Quinton scoffed righteously. "I couldn't stand her shining so brightly while I was stuck in such a gloomy and cold place. I just wanted to pull her into my world, but she refused. She would rather die than submit to me, so she tried to kill herself. She wanted to use such a ridiculous method to torture me… How foolish! It doesn't affect me at all.""No way… You actually did go to her school?" Renee smacked her forehead, feeling regretful. She had underestimated his insanity and troubled Joanne. She had assumed that he would slowly open his heart when she told him about Joanne's current life, and he would forget about the past and make peace with Joanne. She had hoped they would lead a normal and wonderful life together, but unexpectedly, Quinton didn't want Joa
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St
Liam walked ahead of Amber, then turned to glance at her. He faked a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?" "No, of course not!" Amber quickly shook her head and pushed her scarf up. It had fallen a little. "I just find it improper," she answered softly.She looked like a typical woman from Southeast Aeos, petite and with a small face. Her skin was tanned, and her facial features weren't very distinct. She was charming and reserved, exuding a girlish pureness. She had put on her country's special traditional clothes. The thick clothes, embroidered with various patterns, wrapped around her petite body and gave her an exotic impression. From afar, she appeared like a colorful oil painting. "Hey, it's not improper. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done that long ago. I don't have to wait until now." Liam sounded relaxed and prudent to ease Amber's anxiety."Don't worry. I've always regarded you as my younger siste
Amber hurriedly turned Liam down. "You can't help with my affairs. I can handle it.""Well, tell me why I can't help you," Liam pressed. "I… I want to sew a wedding gown. And there are a lot of details that I need to add." Amber became competitive for no reason, and added stubbornly, "Your words aren't absolute. Yes, your business is important, but so is mine!""Oh, you want to sew a wedding gown. I can help you with that…" Liam said, relaxed. "Maybe I didn't get to tell you that I went to a small country in Southeast Aeos when I traveled around the world. I got to know a great sewing master. The pictures he sewed looked real like paintings! I found them interesting, so I learned from him. My sewing skills are probably better than yours. I can help you with that.""Really? You can sew?" Amber was full of surprise and admiration. Her eyes lit up. "I can't sew well. I want to learn from a great master too! If you can do it, can you teach me?""Of course!" Liam promised. "Can you he
"Uh…" Amber looked like she was being put in a difficult position. She found it impudent for a man and a woman to be alone in the dense orchard at night. "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" Liam frowned, puzzled. He felt that Amber was purposely avoiding him after expressing her desire not to marry him and making Mateo her groom instead.Before, she would always put on her favorite dress and stand at the entrance of the fort, looking eager no matter how late Liam and Benjamin returned from their work.Usually, she would carry a small bamboo basket containing the tea she brewed and dessert or food she had painstakingly prepared. When Liam returned, she would excitedly welcome him and inquire after him. Lately, she no longer did that. When Liam occasionally ran into her in the fort, she would bow indifferently at him and quickly brush past him as if they were merely acquaintances. They seemed distant.Honestly, Liam found it unfamiliar. He couldn't get used to the fact that Amber
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the guards to get us some fried chicken and French fries? Didn't Mateo say that we can ask the guards for food?" Renee said.Leia's anxiety eased as she relaxed. She turned around and got out of bed, then gestured at the guard and ordered quite a lot of food. Meanwhile, Liam accompanied Benjamin to West River in the morning for a negotiation that yielded a good result. Benjamin's attitude had improved. He didn't demand an explanation from Liam about the affairs between Liam and Amber, and didn't ask about Renee or Leia either. Liam was delighted. He carried the unique desserts he had bought at the local market for Renee and Leia to enjoy. Upon arrival, he found that they were not in the room. "Weird. Where did they go?" Liam looked around, but found no sign of Renee and Leia. He casually asked a servant, but the servant stammered and insisted on not knowing anything. Anxious, Liam kept looking for them in the fort. Coincidentally, he ran into