Shoppers of Wave from outside Burlington still spent less than the original price, even after adding the price of their travel expenses.Within two days and night of the fight, Wave and Poulenc had similar numbers of sales. They were not far off.When one of them was winning, the other one caught up in no time. They were equally powerful!One hour before the end of the competition…Poulenc was still ahead of Wave by tens of millions, much to Waverly’s anxiousness. D*mn it. Poulenc did not even have a promotion and did not open 24 hours a day, yet they were still ahead!At this rate, she would lose!Amid her panic, Fredrick went to her side and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”Waverly turned to look at him. “Father, do you…have a plan? I already feel bad for making you lose so much money. If I lose the competition, I’ll be too ashamed.”“You won’t,” assured Fredrick gently. “With me around, how would I let my daughter lose?”When she heard how certain he sounded, Waverly l
“Hmm?” Anthony frowned suspiciously. “Why so?”Charmine remained calm. “Although Poulenc’s sales were lower than Wave’s, somehow, I won.”Her eyes darkened.Anthony still did not understand.Charmine reached out to hold his arm. “I’ll put on a nice show for you later.”“Look at you.” Anthony reached out to tickle her nose and cooed, “You like to be mysterious, too.”Charmine smiled. “Well, how else can I surprise you?”As the two of them talked, a luxury car parked outside. Bodyguards in suits walked around and opened the car door.Out came Waverly, dressed in an expensive long gown and high heels, and had an expensive bag at hand. Lips painted a red color, she exuded a euphoric vibe all around.It was as if she had won the world that even her delicate face had a high-above smile. After getting out of the car, Fredrick got out next after Waverly. He, too, was dressed lavishly, fitted into an expensive suit, his expression seemingly gentle.Waverly put her arm around her fat
All of a sudden, the door to the office opened abruptly.A tall, well-built figure stood inside of Poulenc’s office, his being emanating sheer ruthlessness. He was…Max D’Cruz!He walked out through the door coldly and fixed his stern gaze at Waverly.Waverly was stupefied at the sight of Max—who walked toward her, at that—and thought that she was hallucinating.Was he not in the mental hospital? Why was he…here?!Fredrick, on the other hand, was over the moon to see his son standing healthily in front of himself. "Max, how are you here?" he gushed excitedly. "Didn’t you—""It was my fault. I’m sorry to have worried you," said Max before he fixed his chilling eyes on Waverly. Waverly was still stunned, her delicate face paled like a ghost as she just could not register the sight before her. Max smiled coldly. "What? Surprised? Why does it seem like you’re not welcoming me at all, dear sister?""I…I…"Waverly was so anxious that she stuttered. She did not know what else to
"Heh! I knew you’d say that! Do you think I don’t have evidence?"Max slowly took out his phone from his pocket and played an audio recording, one that revealed Waverly’s malicious voice.…"This syringe contains an infamous drug!" "Max D’Cruz, time to die!"…Waverly staggered a few steps back as if she had taken a blow. Her legs went soft beneath her, too.Oh, no… Oh, no… Max had evidence!How could this be?!Fredrick, on the other hand, was in complete, sheer disbelief to have heard that recording, and he gaped at Waverly in disbelief.The Waverly who was so gentle to him…was this kind of woman?!Spine-chillingly sinister!Why… Why would she hurt his one and only son? The crowd was just as taken aback by this reveal."How can Waverly be so evil? She’d kill her own brother?!""She never changed!""Tiffany has always been like this, even now that she’s wealthier! I’d never expect a D’Cruz to be like this!""A woman like her will cause harm everywhere she goes! She
Even after everything he had done, this woman attempted to kill his own son!Tiffany was never his birth daughter; she had always been an evil woman!Noticing the pain in Fredrick’s eyes, Waverly grabbed his arm and cried in panic, "Father, don’t listen to Max—Charmine has manipulated him! He—"Slap!Fredrick slapped her forcefully before she could finish.Waverly, caught off-guard by the smack, staggered a few steps back and fell onto the floor.Fredrick stepped forward, his shiny leather shoe getting right before her face as he peered down at her, towering over her. "From now onward, Tiffany Jordan, I’ll no longer believe any word from you. From now onward, you’re kicked out of the family! You’re no longer my daughter, and you’ll no longer have anything to do with the D'Cruz family!"Tiffany trembled at his words, and her face turned pale.She would have nothing once he kicked her out of the D’Cruz empire!She sobbed and climbed to Fredrick’s side. She grabbed his ankle and
Waverly clenched her fists and walked away.However, just as she got to the door, the crowd saw her. Enraged, they threw eggs, rotten vegetables, and all kinds of things her way."Despicable woman! Get out of Burlington!""Yeah, get out of Burlington! You’re hurting everyone and yourself. A woman like you will not have a good ending!""It’s Burlington’s shame that we got a malignant cancer like you!""You’re such an evil woman. Get out!""The D’Cruz family may have forgiven you, but we won’t!""Call the police and have this woman apprehended. We won’t let her cause any more harm to anyone!"Thump! Thump! Things were thrown at her, littering her body with smashed eggs and rotten vegetables…yet she was resilient, still.She maintained her pride as she arched her chin and walked out.However, when she walked to the side of the road, police sirens were heard...and a police car was driving toward her.Tiffany’s heart plummeted at the sight. Not once hesitating, she ran backward
Tiffany, as though having met her savior, tossed the stick away and stood up from the bin, rushing toward Dr. Kaiser as she did.Dr. Kaiser frowned and eyed the woman before him before realizing who she was. This woman, who looked messier than a homeless person, was Tiffany?He looked at Tiffany coldly with eyes glinting with distaste. He took a few steps back instinctively.Tiffany arrived before him and gushed excitedly, "Dr. Kaiser, didn’t you say that you’d admire the lotuses with me once I win the bet?"Dr. Kaiser, having caught a whiff of the disgusting scent coming from her, felt like puking.He clenched his fists and frowned at Tiffany. Following that, he acted as if he did not see her and walked past her, much to Tiffany’s shock.She ran after him and pulled at his hand, but Dr. Kaiser swung her hand away in aversion, sending her stumbling back a considerable distance.After stabilizing herself, she looked at his cold figure incredulously. "Dr. Kaiser, even you treat me
Following that, an alluring figure got out of the car, fitted in a racing suit that clung to her shapely figure.When the woman proudly removed her safety helmet, her soft hair cascaded down her shoulders.When everyone saw her face, they were stunned. It was…The heiress of the Houston family, McKenzie Houston!The audience was taken by surprise at the sight. They came to place bets, yet they had the privilege to witness McKenzie’s racing skill.McKenzie was the heiress of the Houstons, heavily involved in the technology field. Wealthy she was, yet she was also a racer!Her skill was otherworldly!The audience cheered, "Ms. McKenzie! Ms. McKenzie!"McKenzie elegantly flipped her hair. She looked at the audience coldly and instructed her assistant, "Give each of them ten thousand bucks as a reward for supporting me.""Yes, Madam."After the assistant had left, McKenzie tucked her helmet in her arm and went to the resting lounge haughtily.She leaned on the sofa as her assist
There was an unnoticeable glint in Sonia's eyes. She nestled herself further into Harry's arms as she added, "Let’s go to Pares. We'll come back after I give birth to the baby.""Alright."Harry stayed by Sonia's side as he watched over her, cared for her, and talked to her until she finally slept in his care.He stood up tiredly and walked out of the room to sit in the living room.Thuck!Something fell out of his pocket.He narrowed his eyes to the source of sound and spotted a USB.Since when did he have a USB in his pocket?With a small frown on his face, Harry curiously picked it up and noticed the front side of the USB glowing. Something was carved onto its surface, too.[Granger].Was it Dior’s USB? Why was her USB inside his pocket?Harry’s clear fingers held on the USB tightly. He thought for a moment before he took out a laptop, turned it on, and plugged in the USB.A moment later, the screen showed what seemed to be peculiar surveillance footage with a descriptio
Dior was still lost in her storm of thoughts when a shadowy figure zipped past her and ran toward Harry.When she spotted this familiar figure, she reacted quickly and held onto him."Let go of me!" growled Guy. "How dare he slap you and misunderstood you? I have to beat some sense into him!"Harry broke free and chased after Harry.Dior, despite having lost all hope and life in her, mustered the last strand of her will to chase after Guy and reeled him back. "Brother, don't," she muttered, "spare your energy…" Her sorrow clouded her eyes as she mumbled, "He’s the man I love. Even though he hates me, I won’t allow you to hurt him. As for the explanation…"Dior smiled ironically. "Whatever. That slap decimated every beautiful daydream I have about him, anyway."She no longer expected anything from him.He had no trust in her, so what would it matter if she finally got him? He did not even love her, and he did not trust her either.Dior smiled elegantly, but her eyes were fille
Dior looked forward to that new shift.She watched as Harry made his way into the restaurant silently, unable to deter her mind from the daydreams she had of him, of the new chapter of their story they would have.He would apologize to her, trying to redeem himself, and kiss her dearly as he embraced her. Later down the line, they would have a child of their own, too.Harry's long legs walked in strides, his dark gaze trained on Dior.The bright light shone on Dior’s delicately stunning face, and she also wore a red dress.He remembered her wearing this back in Mount Village.He could remember how alluring she looked back then, how they stayed in the same room, how she put down her ego to treat him with so much gentleness.Harry’s cold face mellowed down, but recalling a certain memory, the vague wistfulness in him vanished and he sat in front of her.Dior looked at him fondly, like she always would. "Long time no see."Her eyes burned brightly as if she wanted to drink in his
Dior examined the footage the moment she received it.True enough, it showed Sonia and George talking about their little deal. It also showed how Dior was telling the truth while they both ganged up on her.Dior’s frail heart felt as though it was rejuvenated once more, feeling as though blood was once more pumped into her heart. Her dull eyes devoid of hope regained their lost luster once more.Not thinking twice, she dialed Harry's number with this evidence, though he had to be busy, seeing as he did not pick up even after the phone rang for a long while.Just as she was about to hang up, Harry picked up the phone."What do you want?"On the other end of the call was the voice that she had missed for so long. His low, hoarse voice sounded so cold and emotionless.Hearing his voice brought Dior back to the image of his handsome face, and her heart skipped a beat.She tried her best to restrain her fluttering emotions as she tried to speak calmly, "Do you have time? I’d like to
At Mount Village…Inside the elegant bamboo house was Dior, dressed in a beige dress. She sat in the front yard as she took sips of her wine.The sunlight shone past the leaves and illuminated her, yet she exuded an air of loneliness.She swirled the glass and could not help recalling the moments she spent with Harry.In the beginning, she was attracted by his looks; he looked so gentle and elegant.She gave him money, kept him company, and continuously showed up around him in hopes of conquering him.Alas, she ended up in this state.The time she spent with him in Mount Village was the happiest time she had ever had. They had lived inside the bamboo house together, where he took care of her and claimed her to be his woman.They even laid inside the same room.Everything was so beautiful.Cursed was her luck, however, that it was just an illusion. He had been using her from the start, while he chose to stay with the woman who lied to him and even hurt him!No matter how mu
"Although Susan was unhappy, she should've voiced out her displeasure instead of bottling things. Cheating is wrong, regardless. Furthermore, if she wanted a career, she didn't have to stay home and depend on her husband."Grandma Bailey halted.Was that what Charmine truly thought of?Grandma Bailey thought Charmine would find Susan too aggressive unto herself.Charmine glanced at Susan again and apathetically commented, "She doesn't want to make money on her own, but she wants to be rich while complaining about her man not making time for her and taking care of her? If a woman has no ability of her own and also blames others for her miseries, all she's worth is to sit quietly at home and wait for her husband to come home. She also has no right to cheat! This is how the world works."Charmine patted Grandma Bailey’s shoulder and held Anthony’s hand, her words met with everyone's evidently surprised gazes and their silence.Grandma Bailey was shocked. Sure, Charmine sounded rathe
The colossal cruise started to drift away from the pier.Eric stood on the cruise and let the wind blow at him, loneliness and hatred still oozing from his being.He stared at the blue ocean ahead of him as Charmine's words rang in his mind unceasingly.'Will you really feel good after you've killed them?''You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?'"Forgive them and yourself.'Deliberating everything carefully, his lips curled into a bitter smile.It was true, after all, that Charmine understood him the most.Eric poured himself another drink and downed it with loneliness as he allowed the cruise to bring him wherever it would take him.…Susan was still inside the operating room when Charmine and the rest of the Baileys rushed into the hospital.Darryl stood before the room, his expression blank, his figure lonely and helpless.So many things had happened in half a day.He found out about his wife's inf
"No one's stopping you now. Eat!"Anthony clenched his hands tightly and took another glance at Charmine. He was more determined than before, and he was close to eating the pills in the bottle.Charmine, who was held hostage, gradually opened her eyes at that moment. Her gaze drifted toward Eric before she asked, her tone challenging, "Will you really feel good after you've killed them? You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?"Eric halted, and his eyes darkened.Charmine had just woken up, yet what she said…He cast a cold glance at Charmine. "It's my business, and it has nothing to do with you!"They were his family, and he did not want a family like this!Charmine looked squarely at him. "Eric, I don’t care if you used me or plotted against me all these years; I've treated you like a true friend, nothing more nor less. You were the only person who stayed by my side in the past five years, so I hope that you
Anthony's breath hitched when he saw Charmine.He clenched his fists and, without doubting himself, relented "I can agree to your terms, so let her go right away. This has nothing to do with her; you only hate me after all. As long as you let her go, I'll take the pill. Everything will end right away."Susan shook her head. "We'll die after eating the pill. I’m not taking that!"She had just reunited with Eric, and she did not want to die yet. She looked at Eric and begged, "Please let Anthony be, why don't you? He’s your brother, after all, and he doesn’t even know about your existence. If you’re really angry, just kill Charmine, and I'll make it up to you—"Anthony's expression contorted in sheer fury upon hearing Susan's plea, and he glared at her with murderous intent."This was all your fault, so what right do you have to make Charmine take your blame?!""What on earth are you going on about?" snapped Grandma Bailey. "Charmine has been kidnapped because of you, yet you want