Caroline eased herself out of bed, massaging her sore chest. She stepped out of the room to check on her children, her heart finding solace as she saw them deep in slumber.Closing the door gently, Caroline settled into her children's bed. She tenderly kissed Tyler and Liora's foreheads, then embraced them snugly.Her dream reminded her that she had neglected her children's safety recently. After returning to the country, she focused on dealing with Daniella and ignored her children's safety in Angelbay. She thought about hiring some bodyguards to guard her children at all times. Tyler opened his eyes drowsily after Caroline shut her eyes. 'Why is Mommy in our bed all of a sudden? What's going on?' He recalled Evan mentioning Daniella at the villa's entrance. 'Does Mommy have a problem with her?'Tyler furrowed his brow and decided to investigate Daniella the next day.*Sunday arrived, and Caroline contacted Neil, recounting the previous day's incident and discussing the po
Caroline furrowed her brow, wondering how Daniella had found out she was at the kindergarten."Don't even have the guts to step out of the car and talk? You're a coward, Caroline," Daniella jeered.Caroline came to realize that Daniella had probably reported her to the police. This conclusion was drawn from Daniella's anxious behavior.'Is Daniella trying to trick me into leaving the car, so she can record my face and send it to the police again? I won't fall for her foolish scheme,' Caroline thought.Fighting with Daniella wouldn't resolve their feud, so there was no need for Caroline to exit the car.Caroline sent a text, and the bodyguards got out of the car to put an end to Daniella's harassment.Starting her car, Caroline drove away while observing Daniella being led off.*Anne Wislow, Caroline's secretary, knocked and entered Caroline's office. She handed over the schedule. "You have a meeting this morning and a factory visit in the afternoon due to the new machines, Ms.
Caroline struggled to cut through Alex's ceaseless chatter. She tightened her hold on the coffee cup as she unwillingly listened about Evan's matters.Believing Evan had sought her for five years was easier than accepting his two-year alcohol abuse."Do you know why Evan ended his engagement with Daniella?" Alex asked.Caroline replied, "Their relationship isn't my concern, Mr. Price."Alex took it upon himself to respond. "It's due to you. He discovered you saved him back then. He admitted this while drunk, regretting his past treatment of you. He even said he'd give his life for you if you returned."Caroline compressed her lips."Evan knows, I see. But knowing changes nothing. It's all in the past. Do you imagine the last five years have been simple for me?" Caroline concealed her pain and retorted icily, "My connection with him is severed, Mr. Price."Alex's expression grew colder. "So, you have no feelings left for him?"Caroline wouldn't be truthful if she claimed none, y
"You're crazy," Caroline remarked, unfazed, as she walked towards the kindergarten."You don't have the guts to admit it, huh? I can make you admit it willingly!" Daniella said confidently.Caroline's nightmare suddenly flashed in her mind, making her anxious. She turned to Daniella with a serious look. "What do you want?"Daniella smirked. "Scared I'll take the kids?"Caroline stayed composed. "You're not capable of that yet.""I decide what I'm capable of, Caroline. If I beat you once, I can do it again!" Daniella laughed wildly.Caroline was about to retort when she noticed a tall man nearby. She smiled and asked calmly, "So, you think you can handle me, Daniella? Planning to kidnap me again, stage another murder scene, and pin it on me?""Do you think I'd repeat the same trick?" Daniella laughed and whispered, "I'd hit where it hurts. You know who Axel Jordan is, right? I'm his mother now! Will you come if I take him? If you don't, I'll hurt Axel, and if you do, you'll go ba
Caroline headed to the alfresco restaurant at night for the appointment and found Kenny already waiting at the table. He pulled the chair chivalrously for her and said, "My dear G, please take a seat."Caroline took a glance at him in frustration. "Kenny, stop messing with me."Kenny sniggered. "How is my performance?"Performance?Caroline looked at him, confused. "What performance?"Kenny pouted his lips in a direction. "There, isn't that the man you love and hate?"Caroline was stunned and looked in the direction where Kenny was pointing. She saw Evan sitting at a nearby table with Alex, staring at her coldly. Caroline's lips twitched. She did not notice Evan when she entered earlier, or she would not have entered!Caroline braced herself to look away from them. "How do you know I love and hate him?" she asked.Kenny sat down, shrugged, and said, "You told it to me when you were drunk and made me look at his photos. It's not my fault."Caroline was rendered speechless
Kenny became emotional. "She is my goddess!"Alex said, "Tell us more."Kenny let out a sigh. "My dear Carol had a tough life. When I first met her, she hardly ate. She managed work and studies while raising two babies. She made sure her children ate well, but she mostly had just bread."I crossed paths with her at a fashion design contest. She offered to help me ensure a fair match for 1,500 Murician dollars. My reputation, earned through hard work, was on the line due to the competition."Honestly, I would have paid even 10,000 Murician dollars! She made some tweaks to my design and sample outfit, causing the person who copied my work to lose the contest. From that moment, my dear Carol became my goddess!"Evan and Alex fell silent. Alex eventually grasped the meaning of Caroline's earlier comment. Evan's suffering was minor compared to Caroline's tragic life.Evan was consumed by guilt. He suddenly stood and walked to the washroom.Caroline leaned on the basin to gargle aft
During their free period, Axel had Tyler review the information he had gathered.Tyler read silently, his eyes reflecting anger. "Is this all about the problems between Mommy and Daniella from before?"Axel nodded. "I'm not sure if I missed anything."Tyler's voice rose. "Daniella is awful! How could she replace Mommy and help that awful Daddy? She even pretended to be Uncle Neil's sister! And she took you!"Even though Axel was not talkative, his expression turned cold when he said, "That's not all."The scene on the laptop screen changed. Surveillance footage from five years ago showed up suddenly. Caroline entered a cafe and, within half an hour, was abducted by two unknown men. They took her out the back and into a black car.Axel pulled up the car's traffic surveillance. Its final location was the Redwood Neighborhood.The two men swiftly brought Caroline into an apartment complex, closely followed by Daniella.After five minutes, a man with short hair entered, smoking a
Evan picked up the wet towel on the table and wiped his hands slowly. "Axel is withdrawn because Daniella abused him.""Daniella abused Axel?" Draco was shocked. "How could she abuse Axel when she is his mother?"Evan glanced at the anxious Draco and said, "She hit and scolded him."Draco slammed the table and snarled, "I told you from the start that this woman was unworthy to be my daughter-in-law!"Evan appeared visibly agitated. "So, what is your purpose for asking me to come tonight?"Draco said, "Is your past mistress still alive?""How is that any of your business?" Evan asked. "Don't be with a murderer and ruin our family's reputation! You abandoned Otis' project and came rushing back to Angelbay because of her, right?" Draco asked sternly. Evan was ready to speak, but the noise of approaching steps interrupted him. He glanced up and saw a middle-aged man. Evan's expression turned serious in an instant.The middle-aged man glanced briefly at Evan before respectfully a
Reese winced in pain. "Alright, ma'am. I guess I can read your mind? Be gentle!"Liora relaxed her grip at last. "Right, when are we going to that place you mentioned previously?""There's no rush. Your body isn't up for constant actions now. What if you get hurt by those harmful spirits again? I've already committed myself to you out of guilt. If it happens again, I won't have anything else to offer."Liora chuckled. "You make it sound like I'm desperate for your compensation.""What's wrong with that? I'm a strong, handsome man, and everyone loves me!" said Reese, displeased.Liora was astounded by his narcissism.She took a deep breath and said, "Reese.""Hmm?"Liora said, "In truth, I'm not the best choice to be your partner because of my profession. Those spirits may bother me from time to time. I'm the complete opposite of Isaac because of my negative physique.""What happens when you have a negative physique?""Spirits will be drawn to bother me and might cause me a lo
Reese and Isaac couldn't perceive the spirit, but they witnessed a dark mist dissipating before them.Isaac asked in astonishment, "What's happening, Lia?"Liora turned and answered, "The female spirit didn't want to move on, so her soul has been dissolved.""Dissolved? Do you mean her soul has been destroyed?" asked Reese. Liora nodded and looked around. "Uncle Kenny, please help me find the six spirits."Kenny took on the task and brought those fearful spirits in just a few minutes. Liora asked, "Do you want to choose the same option as her or come with me to Cross Chapel?""Cross Chapel!""We would have left long ago if we weren't trapped here by her threats!""She wouldn't let us go even in death. Aren't our lives worth anything?"After Fiery Red was gone, these spirits began to complain in anger.Liora was infuriated by their complaints. "How dare you criticize her! She may be responsible for your deaths, but what about you then? Do you think you bear no responsibil
"That's easy for you to say! Those who caused my death may have become spirits, but I still want to stop them from moving on!" Fiery Red barked. Liora frowned. "So, you're implying that those six students caused your death?""Why would I kill them otherwise?"Liora said, "It's time to let them go now that they've faced your revenge. Keeping them trapped is like trapping yourself. Why bother?""Allowing them to move on is letting them off too lightly!" Fiery Red roared. Liora said, "Your obsession is too strong and is keeping you trapped here. You're constantly hurting yourself with painful memories. If you move on properly, it will be a kind of liberation from your past.""Don't preach to me! I'll make it simple for you. It's either you die or my soul gets destroyed!" Fiery Red snapped. She was about to attack Liora just as she finished her sentence. Liora was planning to call out to Isaac when a figure suddenly showed up. Kenny rushed over and blasted away Fiery Red."Y
Tyler did not comment further upon hearing Liora's reply. In the evening, Isaac returned home from school to find Liora already there. He hurried over, brimming with excitement. "You're back, Lia! How are you feeling? Have you recovered from your injuries?"Isaac's smile stretched from ear to ear.Liora glanced at Isaac meaningfully and said, "Please do me a favor tonight, Isaac."Isaac nodded repeatedly. "Sure, are we heading to the campus?"Liora looked at Isaac in astonishment. "Are you not scared anymore?"The smile on Isaac's face faded slowly. "Spirits are scary, but I don't want to see you bullied by them again, Lia. I wanted to destroy those spirits on the same day after seeing you suffer. However, they told me to respect your decision, so I didn't do that."Liora caressed Isaac's head affectionately. "You've grown, Isaac. You know how to look out for me now."Isaac took Liora's hand and held her hand tightly in his own. "Lia, I've always cared about you. Next time you
Reese said, "Yes, you have been in love with her for 15 years and have invested a lot of time for her. However, haven't you noticed that Lia is a very rational person? As soon as she figures things out, she can move on immediately."Chester's breathing became irregular. He took two deep breaths shakily while staring at Reese. "Yes, she is more sensitive and rational than anyone else."Reese said, "I'm going to give you another analogy. If Lia chooses to be with me, what are you going to do?""Nothing. I said before that I'd respect Lia's choice no matter what. Similarly, you don't have to worry about anything else. I won't harbor any resentment because of love," Chester replied. Reese said, "In other words, you'll continue to be friends with Lia even if we end up together, is that right?"Chester frowned. "Lia and I are friends. If we can't be together, our relationship will remain the same as before. You like Lia, but you can't stop me from being friends with her, Reese."Reese
Reese raised his right arm and said, "My entire right arm was covered in blood at the time. I watched the removal of rotten flesh from your back with my own eyes. I couldn't sleep peacefully for days.""That's easy! Just get the doctor to prescribe sleeping pills to you. You will be able to sleep better, right?" Liora said while giggling. Reese crouched down next to the bed, smiling. "Lia, are you mad at me?"Liora was confused. "Mad at you? For what?"Reese scratched his nose. "If I didn't take you there, you wouldn't have gotten injured."Liora took a glance at him, astounded. "This has nothing to do with you taking me there. It's the ignorant spirits. I'll deal with them all once I recover!""You still want to go back there?" Reese exclaimed. "Yes, of course! Hades will be delighted if I can send the seven spirits to him," Liora said. Reese looked at the joyous smile on Liora's face, feeling guilty. "I was hoping that you'd scold me instead of talking to me so casually."
Reese sent away Tyler and the other, surging them to get some rest while he remained seated, his gaze fixed on Liora.She slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. Meanwhile, a nurse approached. Reese noticed her and hastily stood up. "Hello, nurse."The nurse asked, "How can I help you?"Reese said, "May I inquire when Liora can be transferred out of the ICU?"The nurse said, "I'm not too sure about that. It depends on the healing of her wounds and vital signs. She has the most extensive wound that I've ever seen on a girl. She might end up with scars…"The nurse opened the door and walked inside upon saying that. Reese was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt as he thought of the debt he owed to Liora. He knew he could never fully repay it in this lifetime.-Three days later, Liora was transferred out of the ICU.After learning about the incident, Caroline and Evan rushed to the hospital. They were heartbroken to see Liora lying prone on the be
Fear and worry flooded Reese's mind, making it impossible for him to sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky through the skylight. Reese could not help Liora in her profession, so he wondered if he could help out in her safety. He thought about it before he grabbed his phone to text Tyler. Reese: [Can you tell me where Ms. Yelena is staying?]Soon, Tyler texted Yelena's hotel and room number. Reese: [Thank you, my friend.]Tyler sneered.Tyler: [I haven't settled the score with you over Lia's predicament.]Reese: [I'll accept any punishment you deem necessary. It was my mistake, and I'll take responsibility for it.]There was no reply from Tyler afterward.Reese did not send another text, so he started the car and drove to the hotel. -Half an hour later, Reese arrived at the door of Yelena's room. He pondered briefly before knocking on the door. Soon, he heard a response. "Coming."Yelena opened the door and was surprised to find Reese. "Are you the lad fro
Liora opened her palm. The outline of the charm was vague, but she could feel its intense energy. She took a deep breath and stood up. After sensing her movement, the spirits glanced at her. Liora turned to look at them and felt the same feeling that stopped her from leaving again!Suppressing the fear, Liora braced herself to walk out of the door.The closer she got to the door, the more intense the gloomy presence became—she felt as if her soul was being crushed. "Don't be scared, Lia!""Try to walk out, Lia! They won't hurt you!""Lia! Axel, Ty, Mr. Gates, and I are waiting for you!"Αfter hearing their voices, Liora shed tears. She gnashed her teeth and continued to stride toward the door, which seemed so close yet remained out of reach. She took a deep breath, raised her hand with the charm, and attempted to walk closer. This time, the spirits all turned to look at her. They rushed forward in unison when they sensed Liora was about to touch the door. Sensing t