”We’ll let the police look into it,” said Percy as there was no other way to go about this.They could have transferred Pierre if they had known earlier, but the Island of Despair did not give them that chance. Now that it was too late, none of their plans would work, and all their efforts would just be in vain.“No!” That was the word Karen repeated the most tonight. Unlike her ladylike self, she stood up and fiercely stared at Percy, “Percy Mallory, how cruel could you be to send Pierre in there to suffer? I won’t allow this!”She reckoned that Percy was trying to send Pierre in there so that he could seize all of the Mallory family’s assets with that woman.Nina, that bitch! Who did she think she was to take away everything the Mallory family owned? She would never let this happen!Percy’s expression was icy cold, and he did not say a word when he met Karen’s enraged face.The director stood aside as he wiped off his sweat. He had heard that the Mallory family was not happy ab
Karen refused to listen to a thing he said, but Percy’s last words made her panic.She knew deep down that there was a high chance of Pierre being found by the police. No matter how much she asked the hospital staff to cooperate, it would all be of no avail.Karen snorted. “You'd better not lie to me. If anything happens to Pierre, I won’t let you off the hook, and that bitch too!”Percy’s eyes turned gloomy when he heard her cursing the woman he loved.However, he suppressed it because arguing with her was the least important thing right now.Hearing the mother and son talk as if they were having a conference made the director's head ache. He looked at Percy, waiting for his final order.“We’ll leave now,” said Percy. The police were already downstairs, so they could not delay any further.Karen nodded reluctantly. After all, if this incident affected the Mallory family, it would be Pierre who would get the short end of the stick.Percy looked at the director. “Do you have a s
After Nina received a message from Percy, she quickly cleaned up a guest bedroom in the villa and laid out the beddings and blanket. She also prepared a new set of toiletries.Then, she nervously waited for Percy and Karen in the living room. She knew that Percy had gone to the hospital to deal with Pierre's matters, but she did not expect him to bring Karen back. Something must have happened.Nina grew anxious when it crossed her mind. She knew that Karen did not like her. Their previous meetings had always ended on a sour note. Facing her gave Nina a lot of pressure.However, Karen was Percy's mother, after all. There was no way she could refuse to meet her and get along with her. The moment she chose to marry Percy, she had chosen to stand by his side. No matter how difficult the Mallory family's matters were, she was determined to face them together.In marriage, it was not about the husband carrying the load alone, but it was about sharing the burden together.As Nina t
Karen furrowed her brows. She was about to give Nina a hard time, but then she heard Percy say, "I can send you back to Mallory Manor now if you’re not going to bed."Karen frowned, about to explode in anger. Then, she heard him continue, "You went to the hospital to visit Pierre without informing Grandpa. You almost caused a disaster. Let him handle the rest."Karen understood what he meant. She gave a cold snort and said, "Stop threatening me."Then, she rose to her feet with her chin slightly lifted. She looked at Nina with an arrogant look on her face. "Take me upstairs."Nina glanced at Percy. Then, she turned around and led Karen upstairs.When they reached the door of the guest room, Nina stepped aside and said, "Madam Mallory, this is your room."Karen let out another cold snort and pushed the door open with her fingertips. She did not even want to touch the doorknob, as if it was dirty.Nina noticed her disdainful behavior but chose not to comment. At first, she wanted
The hospital director wore a gloomy expression as he followed behind the police officers.The technician led them to the floor of the VIP wards, drawing the attention of many as they passed by the wards.When they reached the door of Pierre's ward, the technician turned to the police and said, "This is the ward he was registered in.""Open the door," instructed one of the police officers with a cold and unfriendly look on his face.Ever since Pierre had gone on the run and disappeared, they had put in a lot of effort to find him. However, they had not found any leads. Their superiors had become increasingly dissatisfied with their efficiency. They had handed down the task documents numerous times both openly and behind the scenes.Still, Pierre was nowhere to be found.They would not have found their way here if it were not for an anonymous tip-off email!The technician immediately pushed the door open when he heard that.The police officers entered the ward. The lead officer g
If the old master did not take the sleeping pills, he would probably have a sleepless night. Old Master Mallory took the cup of tea that was handed to him. He took a sip of it. Right now, he lacked the appetite to enjoy even the finest tea."Now, which hospital is Pierre in?" asked Old Master Mallory. After learning of the tip-off yesterday, even though he did not do much, he had people keep a close watch on the matter throughout.Now, his men were keeping a vigilant eye on Pierre's and the police department's every move."He's at Central Hospital now," replied Mr. Bennet. He took the tea cup handed by Old Master Mallory, which he only took a few sips from. Most of the tea was still there.What a waste of such good tea."What about Karen?" Old Master Mallory asked again, knowing that Karen did not come back yesterday.Mr. Bennet hesitated for a moment, knowing that the old master was furious since he called Karen by her name. Karen did not listen to his advice. She kept going t
"How dare you kick me out?" Karen's eyes were burning with anger. She believed that Nina asked him to do it.She wished she could drag Nina out and throw her out of the Mallory family at the thought of this."It's Grandpa's wish." Percy's eyes were cold. "You haven't gone back the whole night. I don't have the medicine you need here. That’s why he sent the chauffeur here early in the morning."The chauffeur had been sent from Mallory Manor by Old Master Mallory to take Karen back."Very well, Percy. No matter what happens in the future, that woman will never step into the Mallory family!" Karen gave her statement, turned around, and left.Inside the villa, silence filled the air.Percy furrowed his brows tightly at the thought of his grandfather asking him to take Nina back for dinner tonight. Even though it might mean Old Master Mallory acknowledgement of Nina's identity…It might also affect their relationship.Percy dialled his assistant's number. "Prepare two gifts for me."
Mo placed two cups of coffee and coffee creamer from the tray in front of both of them before leaving.After the door closed, Luca took a sip of her coffee before asking cautiously, “It seems like something is bothering you. Did you not get enough sleep last night?”“Yeah.” Nina did not try to hide it as she told her about Karen staying over at Percy’s place.Luca frowned. “She didn’t make things difficult for you, did she?”“No, I’ve done my homework. She has to find excuses if she wants to make things difficult for me, but…” Nina paused as she added creamer to the bitter coffee and took a sip. “But Old Master Mallory sent a message this morning telling Percy to bring me to Mallory Manor for dinner.”Although she was married to Percy, she did not think she was associated with Mallory Manor in any way.Besides, none of them gave their blessings to her marriage with Percy.Luca silently held the coffee in her hand for a few seconds before setting it down on the table. “Do you kno
After signing the agreement, Karen eagerly handed it over to the man she believed to be the lawyer.The moment the doctor took the shares transfer agreement, a syringe containing anesthesia slipped from his sleeve and was swiftly injected into Karen’s hand.“You...” Karen felt a sharp sting, but before she could speak, her consciousness faded.At the same time, the knife in her hand clattered to the floor.The doctor quickly steadied her to prevent her from hitting her head when she collapsed.“Luckily, the dose was strong enough, or she wouldn’t have been knocked out so quickly.” He gently laid her down, checked to make sure she was unconscious, and then hurried out of the office to notify the hospital director.Percy quickly stepped forward, gently lifting Nina’s chin to examine her wound.“I’m fine,” Nina said in a soft voice, lowering her head to hide the injury on her neck.“Let me take a look at you,” Percy insisted, gently lifting her chin again. After checking, he added
“Mr. Mallory, won’t you feel guilty if something happens to Nina?” Sue did not understand why he refused to call the police.“It won’t happen.” Percy furrowed his brows as his mind raced to find a solution.Sue was even more confused. “Just because you say it won’t happen, does that mean it won’t? Yes, Madam Mallory is your mother, but Nina is also your wife. If your mother harms your wife, shouldn’t you call the police? Instead of doing that, you’re leaving her in this dangerous situation. I honestly feel sorry for Nina.”Sue had always been straightforward. She thought Percy would protect Nina for life, but seeing him defend Karen at the cost of his wife’s safety, she was deeply disappointed.She felt she was in no position to feel sorry for Nina, but she could not understand Percy’s actions.Percy furrowed his brows. Calling the police was not an option.The Mallory family could not afford this kind of turmoil.If Old Master Mallory found out that he handed his mother over to
Nina trembled when she was touched. Her whole body was shaking.Karen’s touch was icy cold, and when her hand fell on Nina’s face, it carried a chill.“Don’t hurt her!” Percy’s voice was hoarse, his anger barely concealed in his eyes.He was furious but kept reminding himself not to provoke Karen.“Hmph, look at how nervous you are.” Karen's patience wore thin. Without another word, she laid out her conditions. “If you want me to let her go, fine.”“What do you want me to do?” Percy knew the conditions she was about to propose would not be as simple as keeping her out of the psychiatric hospital.It could involve Pierre.Perhaps even the company.Even though Karen had spoken to him about the high hopes she had for him, Percy did not believe a word of it. To her, from beginning to end, the only person who mattered was Pierre.Percy was merely a tool to secure her position in the Mallory family.“See? You still care about this woman. You’ve disappointed me!” Karen glanced at Ni
“Mr. Mallory, I didn’t dare to go in. Nina and your mother are still inside.” After Sue realized that Nina might be in danger, she had been waiting outside, unwilling to leave.She had been planning to rush in with the other employees if she heard Nina scream.Percy's expression darkened. He did not blame Sue for the situation, so he did not say anything. Instead, he quickly walked to Nina’s office door and pushed it open.The sight before him sent a chill through his veins, as though his blood had turned to ice.“You're here?” Karen fixed her eerie gaze on the person who had opened the door. A strange, sinister smile curved at the corners of her lips. She stood behind Nina with a knife tightly gripped in her hand.The sharp blade was pressed against Nina’s neck, already leaving a faint red mark.Sue gasped at the sight and instantly lost her composure.Karen frowned in dissatisfaction, moving the knife slightly and muttering, “Why is there another woman here? Tell her to leave!
“'ll contact someone in A City to investigate,” said Gale.“Let Percy know while you're at it,” added Luke. “He needs to be aware of this.”“Got it.” Gale hurried off to handle the matter.…After taking Gale's call, Percy hung up and stared icily at the middle-aged man standing before him.Under Percy's chilling gaze, the man nervously dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.“Mr. Mallory, my sincerest apologies…” The man, the director of the psychiatric hospital, had come to personally apologize to Percy today.Karen had escaped.Two days ago, Percy admitted Karen to the psychiatric hospital. After an evaluation, the doctors determined her condition warranted hospitalization, so she was admitted.Even though Karen was against it, given her mental state and with the consent of an immediate family member, the hospital was legally authorized to proceed.Percy had even informed the hospital to take special care of Karen. He had explicitly instructed them not to
When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened slightly.Luca mumbled, feeling the warmth beside her. She instinctively curled closer. “What time is it?”“It's a little past five.” Luke gently rubbed her back, offering a quiet comfort to help her feel at ease.Since he could not be there beside her, he could only make these small gestures to bring her some peace of mind.“An entire afternoon just passed like that…” Luca was reluctant to leave at the moment. Her slender fingers lightly pressed against his chest.Luke took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss, holding it as if it were something precious and tenderly stroking it.Luca's hands had once been delicate and smooth, but during their time in the small villa, they had become much rougher.“You've got calluses.” Luke felt sorry for her.Luca gently traced her finger over his lips, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on him. “It’s just from the needlework and the experiments I’ve been d
Luca walked over to another couch and sat down. “I think I’ll stay here. How about letting Luke come down so that we can all catch up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”Gordan’s face fell. “Ms. Craw, are you doing this on purpose?”Luca pretended not to know anything. “Doing what on purpose?”Gordan quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Just go upstairs already. Brother Luke’s been waiting for you.”Luca had intended to tease Gordan a little longer, but after not seeing Luke for the past few days, she found herself missing him deeply. Standing up with a smile, she said, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Oh, by the way, Mr. Gale, could you help me pick up a few things? Someone over there asked me to get them, and I couldn’t refuse.”“Sure, no problem. What do you need?” Gale agreed immediately.After handing him the list, Luca turned and headed upstairs.Gale watched Luca leave from behind, nudging Gordan’s arm. “Let’s go. We should leave and give the boss and Ms. Cr
The security guard remained completely unfazed.This was because the village chief was his uncle, and in their tight-knit community, they always stuck together and never favored outsiders.With directions from the people inside the ancestral hall, Hera found the village chief.“You’re the village chief, right?” Hera looked at the man in his fifties in front of her and spoke with an arrogant tone, completely unbothered.“And you are?” The village chief, seeing her attitude, was puzzled. He had no idea whether she was an investor or someone looking to discuss a major partnership to bring development to their quiet village.“It doesn’t matter who I am. I see you have surveillance here, and I need to review your footage,” replied Hera.The village chief was even more confused. “Are you a police officer?”“No.” Hera frowned. She thought reviewing surveillance footage was no big deal. Why was this village chief being so difficult?The village chief gave her a look as if she were a fo
“Wait a little longer. By the way, what kind of ancestral hall is this?” asked Hera.“It's a local family's ancestral hall. I heard it's been designed by the owner of a large company, and now it's also one of the tourist attractions.” The taxi driver was not from around here, so he did not know all the details, but he knew it had become a popular spot. “Now, thanks to the reputation of that boss, many architects come here as one of their reference points.”Hera frowned deeper. What was Luca doing here?The driver suggested, “If you're interested in sightseeing, the attractions inside are pretty good. But for outsiders, they charge an entrance fee. Maintenance costs a lot of money, so they charge tourists from outside.”“I'm not here for sightseeing,” replied Hera, “Don't worry. I'll pay you for however long I stay here. You’ll get your money.”The driver heard that she was paying, and did not press her further and remained quiet.Hera stared at the entrance of the ancestral hall,