A while later, Derek came to his senses first. Shoving Urma, he said, "Look what you did! Nancy left because of you."Urma's expression shifted. Refusing to admit to it, she said, "What does that have to do with me? H-How would I know that she would react like this?""You're her mom. Don't you even understand these things?" Derek shouted angrily."Why are you shouting at me?"Urma frowned. "I was just joking with her. How would I know that she can't take it?"Derek scoffed. "Did she even smile?""You—" Urma's face turned red, but she was at a loss for words.Just then, someone opened the door.Elated, Derek and Urma glanced at the door.When they saw that it was Harvey, their expressions darkened.Urma sighed as she sat back on the couch."Dad, Mom, what happened?"Harvey was already in low spirits, but when he went in and saw his parents like that, he still asked the question."Your mom drove your sister out." Derek glared at Urma.Urma instantly flew into a rage. She ro
In an instant, sobs resounded in the house.As Derek watched Urma and Harvey cry tragically, he slumped onto the couch as well. He felt like his head was throbbing.…Nightfall gradually approached.It suddenly started raining, and thunder roared across the sky.The sudden rain caught many pedestrians off guard, and they covered their heads as they started running.A single beautiful figure disregarded the pouring rain. She allowed the rain to drench her whole body as she slowly moved forward in despair.After leaving her home, Nancy didn't know where to go.She was like a wandering soul as she walked about in the city. When she grew tired, she would sit down and rest. After she had gotten enough rest, she would continue walking aimlessly.She had turned off her phone as well.Her heart had turned completely cold.She felt like she was in a living hell when she saw her parents' reactions.It was a pathetic thought to call that place her home.That place was no home at all.
That night, rain poured and thunder rumbled outside Collis Hotel.In the presidential suite, Nancy had a very long dream.She felt like she had returned to her childhood, and she was having fun at an amusement park. After trying out the bumper cars, she went on a roller coaster.She felt blissful as if she were a princess who was loved and pampered.She finally learned that the trope of the prince falling in love with Cinderella was adapted from real-life situations.When the rain receded, and the morning glow of the sun shone through the window, Nancy walked up to the large floor-to-ceiling windows and drew the curtains. She was wearing Mason's shirt.The warm and gentle sunlight enveloped her.Like a kitten, she stretched lazily and smiled.As she gazed at the slowly rising sun, she suddenly felt as if she was reborn.From the moment she encountered Mason last night, all her troubles had come to an end.Austin meant nothing to her.Now, Mason was her true love instead.Al
A blush appeared on Nancy's pretty face as she complained, "Come on, haven't you had enough?"Mason chuckled. "Let's go out for a walk, then."Smiling, Nancy nodded with a charming look on her face. Like a well-behaved child, she allowed Mason to take her hand and lead her forward.After checking out, they got into the Lamborghini.Nancy suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Can you take me to Heavensgate Residence for a look? I heard that the scenery there is wonderful."Of course, she wasn't there to admire the scenery.Instead, she wanted to go there because that was where Austin lived.Because of the recent huge changes in the family, she had lost all her pride. When she met Austin, she always humbled herself exceedingly.Now that she had encountered Mason, of course, she wanted to show off to Austin. She wanted to lift her head high again.But she obviously couldn't tell Mason that.After all, Nancy knew that this would affect her relationship with Mason."Sure."Mason started
The encounter in the rain last night had completely changed Nancy's life.She felt as if she had gotten out of hell and straight into heaven.She wanted to live a luxurious life too, and she also wanted to be above everyone else.But in the past, it was just a lofty dream for her.After she and Austin divorced, Austin underwent a huge change and even managed to move into Heavensgate Residence. Nancy regretted that deeply.But she didn't expect that now, she was also going to be a lady in Heavensgate Residence."Nothing stays the same forever, huh? You're nothing to me, Austin. I can live a wonderful life even without you!"That was what Nancy thought.The villas halfway up the mountain were the real top-grade villas. They had the highest housing prices in the city.This villa would cost more than 100 million!Nancy followed Mason, looking around at everything in the villa. She was pleasantly surprised at everything she saw. At one point, she even felt like she couldn't breath
Aldus' expression shifted when he saw that.In Aldus' impressions, Ezra had always been a gentle and kind man. He rarely looked so ferocious."Mason is dating Nancy now, and they even moved into a house next to sir's house? Is he playing with fire?"Ezra's voice was extremely cold, and when Aldus heard it, he felt as if he was trapped in a fridge.Aldus asked in terror, "Mr. Lockwood, what does Mason mean by this? Should we tell sir about this right away?""Mason is a cunning man, and he's much more calculative than that hotheaded Taylor. Other than mocking sir, he must have another motive for doing this."Ezra thought for a moment. Then, he said, "We'll have to tell sir about this eventually. Also, whenever Madam Emerson leaves the house in the future, make sure to be with her at all times. Never let her be alone, even if Raquel is with her.""Understood." Aldus nodded.There were many skilled people among the generation of elites in the Campbell family.Taylor was an elite,
Meanwhile, the Welch residence was filled with laughter and joyful conversation.In the afternoon, when Nancy and Mason left Heavensgate Residence, they didn't go home right away. Instead, they went to shop for stuff nearby.In Nancy's eyes, this was Mason's first time going to her house.Since he would be meeting her parents, they had to treat it seriously.Fortunately, Mason was very generous with his money.He bought expensive herbs and wine, and he even prepared an expensive bracelet for Urma.The price of all the gifts totaled up to more than a million.Nancy was elated because of this. She was even more convinced that she had found true love because of the encounter.When Mason drove into the residential area where the Welches lived, his Lamborghini drew the attention of everyone in the area.Derek and Urma were shocked when they saw Nancy getting out of the Lamborghini.They didn't know much about cars, but Harvey did.When Harvey said that the car cost at least 5 mil
"An Audi?"Mason frowned as his gaze darkened a little. "How much was it?"Harvey felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that. He wondered if he had said anything wrong.Still, he replied, "More than 300 thousand, I think."Derek and Urma were puzzled as well.But Urma reacted quickly. She gave Harvey a fierce punch on the arm. "What nonsense are you saying?"Harvey was bewildered.Nancy hurriedly tried to explain to Mason.She didn't know what went wrong for Mason to have such an expression on his face.But since Mason put on that look, Harvey must have said something he shouldn't!However, before Nancy could say anything, Mason suddenly smiled and said, "Harv, you're Nancy's brother. We'll be family in the future, so you're my brother too."Driving a car worth 300 thousand dollars must be tough for you. Come with me tomorrow, and we'll go get a new car. Don't even consider any cars priced less than a million."The whole Welch family was shocked.A million?Harvey didn't
Austin never expected that Nancy would come back.As he returned to the Tetra Club, he remained sullen, his eyes dark with unresolved anger.Seeing Austin like this, Cecily felt a pang of sadness.She gently tried to comfort him, "It's all in the past now, isn't it? I'm here with you, and we have our baby on the way.""I can't just let it go," Austin shook his head."The best I can do is not seek revenge against them, but to truly forgive and forget—I can't do that."The actions of Nancy's family were still fresh in his memory.Austin wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, but he was far from the kind of person who could simply forgive and forget, moving on with a carefree "Hallelujah."Dahlia's despair as she lay in bed, the arrogance and cruelty of the Welch family…In the eyes of the Welch family, Dahlia's life wasn't worth as much as Harvey's wedding.Even when the time had passed and he was about to finally be happy with Cecily, the Welch family not only dem
After leaving this city, Nancy put in a tremendous amount of effort to "rebirth" herself.Meeting Ethan had shown her a different side of life.While he wasn't part of the uppermost echelons of wealth and power, he had enough. Most importantly, he treated her with the utmost respect.She understood Ethan's background, which made that respect all the more valuable.A man of his stature could have any woman he wanted in his bed the same night.Yet Ethan had shown her incredible patience, making her question whether the rumors about him were true.Tonight, returning to this city was her way of bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future.After all, people need to look forward, don't they?Meanwhile, Ethan was feeling more dejected than he'd ever been.Lying in his luxurious bed in Brook Villa, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.He had hoped to establish a connection with Austin. A figure like him would be incredibly valuable to have on his side.He tho
The river breeze was cool, and the lights reflected on the water flickered softly.The figure in front of them wore a long black coat, standing quietly by the railing. Her fair, delicate profile, partially obscured by a few strands of windblown hair, carried a hint of melancholy."Sir, Mrs. Campbell, is something wrong?" Aldus noticed the change and quickly stepped forward to inquire."Let's go home," Austin suddenly said, his previously cheerful expression now somber, with a touch of disdain.Go home? They had just arrived.Aldus was surprised and quickly followed Austin's gaze. When he saw what Austin was looking at, he immediately understood.Without a word, he turned to leave with Austin.But a soft hand gently grabbed Austin's arm."It's been so many years, aren't you going to say hello?" Cecily asked."I have no desire to greet her," Austin said, his disdain clear and unhidden.Three years of marriage, filled with nothing but pain.Even when Dahlia was gravely ill, Nan
After a busy day, just as Austin was about to finish up, a new invitation appeared on his desk."Who delivered this?" Austin asked."Ethan," Wolf replied.Austin chuckled, didn't bother opening the invitation, and instead tossed it directly into the trash."I've got to get home to Cecily."When he returned to the Bamboo Parlor at Tetra Club, Raquel had already prepared a delicious dinner.The dishes were beautifully presented, with vibrant colors and enticing aromas.After dinner, Austin and Ezra stepped out into the courtyard."Mr. Lockwood, any news from the Campbells about my dad?" Austin asked, the text message from Walter still weighing heavily on his mind.Considering the Campbells' efforts to find Walter, and given their intelligence resources, they should have been some leads by now.But Ezra shook his head. "Nothing, Not a trace.""The Campbells' intelligence network has never been this weak, has it?" Austin frowned, speaking in a low tone.Ezra gave a wry smile. "
"Childhood?"Austin stopped his workout, wiped the sweat from his face, and smiled bitterly.His childhood had been bleak.Only Dahlia had brought some light into the darkness.Seeing Austin's pained smile, Aldus immediately realized his mistake.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I spoke without thinking. You don't need to answer that.""It's fine," Austin replied, gesturing towards a nearby bench, and inviting Aldus to sit with him.Once they were seated, Austin slowly began to speak. "There's not much to tell about my childhood. It was mostly just being called an 'illegitimate child' and living day to day, never knowing where my next meal would come from."If it weren't for my mom fighting tooth and nail to raise me, I'd probably be dead by now."With just a few simple words, he conveyed a world of suffering.Aldus felt a wave of guilt. He had only been trying to find clues from Austin's past that might explain his exceptional combat instincts and incredible physical
Austin's gaze softened as warmth flooded his heart.Who hasn't longed for a light left on just for them in a sea of lights? But in reality, how many actually have that?Cecily did that for him.Given her background, the fact that she went to such lengths truly surprised Austin.In the three years he spent in the past, he had never experienced something like this.His nose tingled with emotion as he pulled Cecily into his arms, speaking softly, "Thank you. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my life.""Alright, alright, I asked Raquel to prepare breakfast earlier this morning. You go to the dining room, and I'll have her bring it over," Cecily said as she gently slipped out of Austin's embrace, her graceful smile lighting up her eyes."Doesn't Bamboo Parlor have a kitchen?" Austin asked, curious.Cecily gave him a playful look. "The chairs in the living room are so hard, and you spent the whole night on one—how could you have slept well? If Raquel had been clattering around
The room fell into a heavy silence."Deactivating the phone number… was Dad trying to prevent me from tracking his location?" Austin murmured with a frown.Ezra pondered for a moment, his voice low and serious. "Perhaps he was more concerned about someone else tracking him."Austin's eyes widened in realization.Of course—if Walter could send him a message to let him know he was safe, he wouldn't be worried about Austin tracking himDeactivating the phone was likely to prevent others from tracing his location."But who is he trying to avoid?"Ezra shook his head, remaining silent.Having followed Walter for many years, he knew the man's temperament and habits. But this time, he was truly baffled.He couldn't even begin to piece together a clue.Taking a deep breath, Ezra forced a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss this time, sir. There's no sign of anything unusual from the Campbells either."This statement only deepened Austin's confusion.If there were anyone who cou
Austin knocked softly on the door.Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shuffling from inside.Ezra opened the door, his face full of curiosity. "Sir, what's going on?"Austin quickly made a shushing gesture, worried about disturbing Cecily.Then he gently pushed Ezra back into the room."Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Lockwood," Austin said.Ezra smiled. "It's no trouble at all. The older you get, the less you need. I was just reading."Austin glanced at the book on Ezra's bedside table and couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.This old rascal!Ezra blushed and quickly shoved the book under his pillow.Austin sat on the bed and pulled up the text message from Walter, showing it to Ezra."I just received this message."When Ezra read the text, his eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he was overjoyed. "This is from Mr. Walter!"Austin nodded, his expression serious. "But I've sent several messages back, and there's been no reply. I called twice—once it was immedi
"The underground king of Eastbrook bows down."This news swept through Eastbrook like a storm.Ethan knew that by doing this, he would become the laughingstock of the entire city. But he also knew he had no choice—he had to do it!Even if he became a joke, he would remain the underground king. But if he refused to lower his head, he would end up a dead man.He understood the situation perfectly.In fact, that very night, a message was released from Brook Villa.No one is to compete for the land!This is a clear warning to all real estate companies in Eastbrook. It was also a gesture of goodwill toward Austin.But Austin didn't pay it much mind.If not for Derrick's involvement, he had no idea how Ethan would have responded—but Austin knew his response would have been much tougher.A mere city's underground king? He didn't even compare to the richest man in Basin City or the capital—he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes!After leaving Brook Villa, Austin didn't linger