Ginny went red with fury, and her eyes reddened. Colette was watching her. She understood very well what it felt like to be harassed and threatened by a scoundrel yet be left with no choice but to give in.Secretly, Colette rejoiced that she had been smart enough and led Paul to Ginny. Otherwise, she would be the one suffering. She asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"Ginny came to her senses and walked back to Colette. She picked up her handbag and wiped Colette's tear-streaked face. Putting on a brave front, she said, "It's nothing. I have some matters to attend to."Colette tugged on her as she looked up. She looked frail and reliant—just enough to arouse Ginny's pity. "What should I do if you leave me? I'm going with you.""No!" Ginny declined loudly. Then, she quickly explained, "About what happened today, you must hold the Harper family and Zachary accountable. You mustn't let them off the hook so easily."You should stay here. Your grandmother's still here, too. I'll call her. She'l
Logan pointed a finger at Yvette who was on the bed. He was glaring at her and looked like he was about to beat her up. "To think that I, Logan Smith, have a granddaughter like you! You've disgraced the White family!"I'll beat the living daylight out of you, here and now! I'll expel you from our family to save us from further humiliation!"Nicole stood in his way and shielded Yvette. "Let's talk nicely. Whatever happened, happened. Are you serious about beating her up? You raised her yourself. Trust me. You'll regret it! Zachary and Yvette aren't the type to commit such a mistake. There must be a misunderstanding!"Yvette and Zachary sat on the bed with blankets wrapped around them. There was a clear gap between them.Zachary's face was swollen, and several scratch marks could be seen on it.Yvette wasn't any better. A slap mark was evident on her cheek. Hanging her head, she was shivering all over.Candace demanded, "A misunderstanding, you say? Nicole Harper, my daughter is a
Clicking on the shutters, the reporters didn't care whether or not they could publish the photos they took. They could worry about that later.Logan and Nicole attempted to close the door, but it had already fallen off its hinges. There was nothing they could do.Yvette heard the shutters clicking as the camera flashes blinded her. She completely lost it and forgot she was utterly naked. She had only one thought, and it was to take revenge.She was in this state because of Victoria. She must get her revenge.Without hesitation, she propped herself up and pounced at Victoria.Victoria's lips curled in disdain and mockery. As though teasing a cat, she got Yvette to chase after her with nothing on."Mrs. B, this is an eyesore. I'm leaving before I go blind!" Covering his eyes with his hands, Yves ran out of the room. Ethan followed him out, along with many other men.Nicole was stunned. Frowning, she wondered if Yvette was not in her right mind because of what had happened.Logan
Colette shuddered in fear. Her reaction was more exaggerated than Yvette's. "What are you talking about? How could I have done such a thing? Why would I even do that?" Colette felt uneasy. She couldn't resist checking the others' reactions, and her palms were sweaty.Clutching her chest, she cried bitterly, "I love Zach wholeheartedly. Since childhood, it has been my dream to marry him. And now, it's finally coming true."I've been looking forward to this day for so long now. How could you say that I set you up with him at my engagement party? You're like a sister to me—my best friend—and Zach is my beloved. How can you do this to me?"Colette slumped to the floor as though her energy had been drained. She was so woeful she looked like she could faint at any time. Her act aroused sympathy.As Zachary looked at her, he suddenly found his conscience and felt guilty. Then, he glanced at Yvette and immediately looked elsewhere in fright.Yvette's face was bloody and horribly swollen
"I told you it wasn't me! Hah! Zachary Harper? Why would I sacrifice myself and the White family's reputation for him? Only a fool would adore him! No one decent will ever be interested in him."I came here because I trusted Colette. I was confident she wouldn't dare lie to me. She—" Like Yves, the others might think Yvette planned this to win Zachary over.The thought of that disgusted Yvette, and she almost blurted out her secret dealings with Colette.Frantically, Colette interrupted her by shouting, "Yvette!"Stunned, Yvette looked at Colette, who looked anxious. Yvette was satisfied with what she saw but came to her senses.She wondered if this had been Victoria's scheme to drive a wedge between her and Colette so that they turned on each other. If so, wouldn't she be falling for it if she told the truth? So, she stopped talking.Zachary looked at Colette thoughtfully.Several minutes later, the hotel manager brought the edited CCTV recordings to the room. Colette's makeup
Colette screamed, "You killed Yvonne, you murderer! What gives you the right to call me a pimp? You even planned to kill Victoria, but you were too incapable of carrying it out."You and your family are all murderers. All of you should pay with your lives. I'm telling the cops so they can put all of you in jail!""You bitch! I'll teach you for spouting nonsense!" Although Yvette was injured, she was well-trained. She was taller and stronger. After a while, she managed to hold Colette down.She covered Colette's mouth tightly with one hand and slapped her non-stop. She went all out, and Colette's dainty face started swelling within seconds.Colette tried to break free and retaliate with every ounce of strength. Veins bulged on her temple. Still, she failed.Yvette punched her, and Colette yelped in pain. At that instance, a sudden realization dawned on her. She opened her mouth and bit on Yvette's hand.She looked ferocious as she did so, and soon, her bite drew blood. Yvette's b
Elizabeth was glaring at Colette as well. Colette's heart sank deeper and deeper when she met her frosty gaze. As fast as she could, she crawled toward Elizabeth. She begged, "Grandma, although I'm not my mother's biological daughter, I see her as my mom all the same. You know how I've been treating her."Grandma, please. I've been calling you my grandmother for all these years. Mom wouldn't bear to be able to see me in this state if she were here!"Yvette didn't give Colette any chance to turn the tables. "Mrs. Warde Senior, don't be deceived. She's been obedient to Ginny, but it's not because she's grateful for Ginny's kindness. Instead, she's been using Ginny."She knows she's not related to the Warde family and only stands a chance if Ginny inherits the company. When she was detained for acting as a pimp, she asked me to go to Ginny so she could be released. For her sake, Ginny even knelt and begged me."Colette's head jerked toward her. "Shut up, Yvette White! Shut the hell
Benjamin had just left the room when he saw Elizabeth. She was standing near the window at the end of the corridor."Mrs. Warde Senior," he calmly called as he approached her.Elizabeth was wallowing in grief. She only came to her senses when Benjamin called her. Wiping her tears, she looked at him with her reddened eyes. She was weary and long past her prime.She seemed to have aged quickly within these few months. She looked older now compared to before Ginny and Colette returned to Youngville. Her lips quivered, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears. It was a heart-wrenching sight.However, Benjamin didn't feel moved in the slightest. "If Victoria were the one who came after you, would you've also put on this look so she softened and forgave you?"Elizabeth paused. Then, she replied woefully, "She's my only granddaughter. I'm old now and don't have many relatives left. So, of course, I hope she can forgive my mistakes. Otherwise, I'll have regrets when I die."
Victoria saw that Benjamin wasn't looking like he was kidding at all. She placed both of her hands on his chest and turned her head away when he leaned in to kiss her.She then pushed him away hard and changed the topic by saying, "I heard that Solomon was beaten up in his own house last night."Benjamin chuckled lowly and said, "There's no use changing the topic."As he was talking, he arched his neck and pressed his lips near Victoria's ear.Victoria's ears, especially her helix, were extremely sensitive. She subconsciously pulled her hands back and covered her ears with her palms.Benjamin took the chance to wrap his arms around Victoria's waist and pulled her close to him. His face was close to hers.Victoria could feel Benjamin's burning desire as she was pressed down onto his lap. She now knew better than to struggle.This was just shooting herself in the foot!It wasn't that she didn't know what he was like, but she just had to stir him up.Victoria felt uneasy when she
Victoria used her other hand to support her cheek as she blinked.She said, "How could someone who dislikes wasting words and unnecessary chatter nag endlessly over just a small wound?"Benjamin coldly asked, "Are you complaining that I'm long-winded and annoying now?"He looked aggrieved, as if he would be angry if Victoria were to answer "yes".Victoria laughed out loud again and replied, "I'm not!"She used her finger to poke at Benjamin's cheek.She was smiling when she asked, "Are you madly in love with me, Benjamin?"Benjamin looked at Victoria seriously as he crouched by her legs.If it was before this, he would've nodded and replied "of course" without hesitation. But now …Benjamin couldn't be as confident and sure when he recalled Wendy's previous words.Victoria didn't think much of it and took Benjamin's silence as affirmation.She continued, "I'm thinking that you're definitely madly in love with me. That is why you're so heartbroken and reacted abnormally even
"Where are we heading to now, Ben and Mrs. B? Why are the people here so weird? Why are they dressed up as if they're in a period drama?"What is this place? Why are the both of you here?"Yves was back to his lively self as soon as he got into the carriage. He started asking endless questions."You regained your memories now, Ben? I knew you'd never forget about Mrs. B no matter what. Even if you did, you'd definitely remember everything as soon as you saw Mrs. B!"Yves gushed on. It took him a good while to realize that Benjamin's expression had changed. Even the atmosphere in the carriage became strange.He asked, "Did I say something wrong?"Wendy laughed dryly and replied, "He's not as deeply in love with Victoria as you think he is. He didn't remember anything."Yves laughed awkwardly before pursing his lips.He started to butter Victoria up."How did you know Ben is here, Mrs. B? How did you find—"Victoria pursed her lips and glanced at Gwen who was driving in the fro
Yves stared at Anna. She started out mumbling, and her voice grew louder toward the end.He looked confused. "Ben, Mrs. B, what is she talking about?"He was sure she was speaking the same language but couldn't, for the life of him, understand what she meant.Upon listening to Anna, Wendy immediately felt she was too quick to agree to Yves' request because of the money. She wanted to push him aside.However, he was in a sorry state with his limp. His face was visibly thinner than before, and his eyes weren't as bright as they used to be. She found herself sympathizing with him.Victoria pressed her lips together, and her brows creased further.Benjamin turned to Silas. "Go and get Asher!"Anna didn't dial back on her arrogance. "Great idea. I'm looking for him, too."There was a horse race today, yet he locked me up in that cabin! I have a score to settle with him!"Victoria recalled Asher leaving the stables urgently during the day and had a hunch about what happened."If yo
Yves looked up with teary eyes and could vaguely make out Benjamin's sour face.He rubbed his eyes with all his might. Benjamin's face slowly became clear to him as his vision cleared."It's really you, Ben! Oh, Ben!"He was pleasantly surprised, as though he finally had someone to rely on. He teared up in excitement.The next moment, he became aggrieved again. He was just like a three-year-old who was bullied by a stray cat.He cried, "You're here, Ben. Why didn't you ask someone to look for me? You've no idea what I've experienced."I've been locked away in that shabby cabin and almost lost it. I miss you so freaking much!"Benjamin looked less sour now. He took out his handkerchief that he brought along wherever he went.He passed it to Yves, who had tears and snot all over his face. "Clean up. You're a grownup man, you know. Look at you."With one hand taking the handkerchief, Yves clung onto Victoria with the other.Benjamin stared at his hand that was holding onto her.
Asher felt his heart shatter. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I've already gifted it to someone else!"The person in charge felt his heart ache, too. "I wanted to inform you when you arrived, but you told me to talk to you after the race."You've always said that horse has a character and that you like it, no? I never expected you to give it away."Who did you give it to? Could you, perhaps, buy it back from him?"Asher was dispirited. "I can't."He waved it off and continued, "Forget about it. It belongs to someone else now."I'd been obliging to its every wish for all the time it had been here. Still, it never obeyed me."It's intelligent and chooses its own master. I can't tame it. It's no better than an average horse to me."Tell those who witnessed that incident that they shouldn't talk about it to anyone. You may leave."The person in charge glanced at him. Bowing, he acknowledged the instruction he received and left.Asher looked toward Sebastian and sighed dejectedly
Silas and Wendy immediately hurried over in excitement when they heard they were going to split the winnings.Wendy, who wasn't the best in maths, counted gleefully, "We bet one thousand gold coins. As the odds are at one to 246, we'll get … ten thousand, 200 thousand … 244600 gold coins. Am I right?"She surprised herself when she said that out loud. She and Silas exchanged glances and started hopping about in delight.That was a lot of gold coins! They were rich!"Ten percent of 244600 gold coins would amount to roughly 24 thousand gold coins, so 20 percent would make it about 50 thousand. Victoria—"Silas and Wendy were already dizzy. Turning to them, Victoria instructed, "Give us a moment, and take Onyx with you.""You …" Silas looked at her suspiciously. Was she planning to keep all the money to herself?She gave him a warning glare, and he and Wendy obediently led Onyx away.They shouldn't offend their moneybag right now.Victoria looked at Asher. "That's over 240 thousa
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. It was a teenager who was around 15 years old. Not bothering to keep up his image, he sat on the floor and clung to Sebastian's leg.Besides him, many others were standing around Sebastian. They all looked at Sebastian pitifully.Asher loudly asked the one kneeling, "Just look at you, Troy Lancaster! What happened to your enthusiasm?"It's only a meager sum. Do you really have to react this way?"Troy Lancaster? He was the Lancaster family's youngest son, Sebastian's younger maternal cousin.Victoria had a photographic memory. She saw his name when she skimmed through the log book earlier.He had bet 500 silver coins, which wasn't the least of all. It wasn't a hefty sum either, considering who he was.The Lancasters had very conflicting approaches in his upbringing. His mother pampered him, while his father was very strict toward him because he thought he was spoiled.Judging from his reaction, he must've been greedy and impulsivel
Once Roxy left, several women with ill intentions who criticized Victoria earlier became uneasy. They came up with excuses and left one after another.As the drama ended, everyone calmed down. Some were listless, while some were feeling down.There were also a few who approached Victoria, among whom were mainly men. They earnestly introduced themselves.Benjamin scanned the men who surrounded Victoria and somehow felt betrayed. Glowering, he seemed about to fly off the handle.His glare was too harsh, and many retreated after a short exchange with Victoria. She studied those who resolutely remained beside her.Compared to people from the outside world, the clan members had less desire for material possessions.Those who stood their ground didn't feel displeased at losing a hefty sum in the bet. They also withstood the pressure Benjamin's glare exuded.It was fair to say they were the best among the best.They were from decent families and had been receiving proper education sin