After Josiah finished talking, he gave Hudson a long, meaningful look and smiled.He turned to the other four and said, "I'm sorry for how I acted when I first got here. I've thought it over, and I'm really thankful you're all here for Hudson. He's always been a bit timid, and maybe it's my fault for how I raised him. "That's probably why he doesn't talk to me much. But I've thought it over, and now, I think it's actually pretty great that you four are together. Each of you will be there to help Hudson through tough times, and that makes me feel better. "I've got to go now, but I hope you three will keep looking after my Hudson. That's my final wish, and I don't want anything else."Josiah noticed the confused looks on their faces and quickly added, "I'm not here to complain or ask for sympathy. Don't worry about it, I've decided to face up to the wrongs I've done—not just for Hudson's sake but for my own peace of mind. "I haven't been able to sleep well for years. I'm always d
Hudson looked at his uncle and said, "Don't worry. When you're out, you'll still be my uncle. I'm sorry for my part in all this, but you have to face the consequences of your actions."Even if I were to let you off the hook, I think you'd still feel guilty. Once you're out and older, I'll look after you for life, and we can pick up where we left off!"Josiah listened, tears streaming down his face as he cried softly."Hudson, my dear boy, I can't believe how much you've grown. You were just a little kid back then, always tagging along behind me. I'm sorry if I was too hard on you. Now, you go on and be brave, do your own thing. "With those three friends of yours, I know you'll be fine. Just promise me, Hudson, that you'll come to see me once in a while in prison, or I'll miss you terribly!"Hudson, goodbye!" With those final words, Josiah was escorted into the police car.Cingen Gordon walked over to Matthew and said, "Mr. Leon, we've taken him away. Is there anything else you n
"Come on, relax. Would I ever get lost? And do you really think that I, a lawyer, don't know my way around? Are you pulling my leg? It's just that Moonstone Bar is new, so I'm not totally sure about the directions yet. It's my first time going, so how well could I know the way?" Charlie said, puffing up his cheeks and giving Koven, who was in the passenger seat, a look that was both proud and a little sassy.Koven was at a loss for words but did not say anything back to Charlie. After all, he had never won those little spats with Charlie. It was the first time someone had talked back to him, so he just stayed quiet.The four of them continued on their journey, a bit unsure, until they finally stood in front of Moonstone Bar."Alright, let's head in. Since it's our first time, let's just have a tiny sip to start. We'll see how it goes. If all four of us end up drinking too much, who's going to take us home? "We can't really expect Lucy and Selena to come get us, right?" Koven said,
"I understand, but after suddenly losing someone, I feel incredibly lonely inside," Hudson said and then looked over at Koven.Koven did not know what to say seeing him like this, so he just clinked glasses with him.By this time, Matthew was already dead drunk and slumped over the table.Charlie looked at him and mocked, "Matthew Leon, you can't even handle this? I remember you haven't had much to drink yet. This isn't like you at all." Although Matthew's head was spinning, he felt a surge of determination. "Let's keep drinking! No one leaves until dawn," Matthew said, glancing at Charlie."Fine, let's drink until dawn. Will that satisfy you, Mr. CEO?" Charlie said, raising his glass toward Matthew.Matthew rolled his eyes at him and said, "Come on, let's keep drinking."With that, Matthew and Charlie clinked glasses again...."Guys, I think that's enough. We should head back," Koven said, worried that all four of them were already too drunk."Let's go, let's go." Koven th
Selena laughed when she heard this. Hearing Koven’s anxious voice on the other end of the phone made her laugh even more. Next to her, Lucy and Chelsea were also laughing hysterically.“Alright, send me your location. Lucy, Chelsea, and I will head over,” Selena said before hanging up without any hesitation.Koven stared at the disconnected call, feeling a bit uncomfortable. However, he still sent his location to Selena. The four men then sat on the roadside, looking somewhat desolate. Although their car was right in front of them, they could not drive it. After all, they had to be law-abiding citizens, right?Half an hour later, Chelsea drove a van that could accommodate seven people to the entrance of Moonstone Bar. They had originally planned to call a driver but later decided it was too much hassle.“Stop, stop! Isn't that them? They're sitting by the roadside. Let's check if it's really them,” Selena said, pointing out the window.Chelsea saw the scene and could not stop laug
Lucy had heard Hugh's somewhat annoyed tone. Chelsea, who heard what Lucy said, had no choice but to agree.“Should we head back now?” Chelsea asked, looking toward Lucy in the back.“Let’s go back. What’s the point of staying out here?” Lucy responded, looking at her.Twenty minutes later, Chelsea and the group arrived at Lucy's place.“How are we going to get them upstairs?” Selena voiced the pressing question.Lucy, with a sudden thought, said, “I remember the last time Koven and Hudson were drunk, Matthew used a cart to get them upstairs. We could try that again.”Chelsea, considering this, responded, “Alright, let’s get it quickly before it’s too late.”“Okay, I’ll go get it now.” Lucy quickly walked toward the utility room.In a short while, she came back with a large cart.“This should work. Let’s load them up and put them in the guest room. We’ll sleep in a nicer room so that we won’t be overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol,” Lucy suggested to Chelsea and Selena.“Soun
The next morning, the four men in the guest room gradually woke up.“Gosh, I drank too much yesterday. My head is spinning,” Koven complained as soon as he got up.Hudson ignored them and went straight to the bathroom to freshen up. After everyone had washed up, they began preparing breakfast.At the dining table, Hudson said to Lucy, “In a while, Koven, Matthew, Hugh, Charlie, and I need to go handle some business. We might be away for a while because we’re going to participate in a project collaboration.”Hudson finished speaking and winked at Matthew.Lucy, curious, asked, “Don’t you all have different projects at your companies? What’s so important that it brought all five of you together? It’s quite rare.”Selena and Chelsea, who were next to her, were also curious.Hudson, unsure how to answer, quickly gave Matthew another wink.“There’s a big conference organized by a conglomerate coming up, so we all got connected through that…” Matthew awkwardly laughed after speaking.
Koven, who was standing aside, only realized now that Hugh had not been with them all along, so they had not informed him about this matter. Turning around, he addressed him directly."You must be aware of the notorious organization, Spades. They've had people tracking Lucy Quinn recently. I suspect it might be Charlotte from Charleston who sent Spades to deal with Lucy. After all, Lucy is a true princess, and Charlotte might fear that Lucy could threaten her position, hence her actions."So, Matthew, Charlie, and Hudson are preparing to go to Charleston. Meanwhile, the two of us will stay back to protect Lucy, just in case she comes to any harm," Koven finished speaking and then looked at Hugh, wanting to gauge his understanding.Hugh frowned upon hearing this and responded to them, "I know about Spades. Isn't their headquarters located in West Side City?"At this, the other four looked at Hugh in disbelief."H-How do you know where the organization's base is?" Matthew, with furr
As Gabriella examined the luxurious clothes, bags, shoes, and pants, she could not help but feel that Lucy was completely unappreciative of such treasures. She failed to utilize them to enhance her appearance! They spent quite a while going through the various garments and accessories, yet there were still items they had not finished checking out.Lucy gave an awkward smile, acknowledging her own laziness. After a long search, Gabriella finally found a piece that caught her eye. As she checked the tag, she was surprised to find that the dress was designed by a renowned French designer. It featured a V-neck, with simple yet elegant sleeves that revealed a hint of Lucy's arms, while the skirt was a refined and tailored fit.Gabriella held up the dress against Lucy, murmuring to herself, “Hmm, this one’s nice! You should try it on!” Even though she spoke to Lucy in a tone reminiscent of an older sister, she still maintained her authority as a mother-in-law. It made her words both
Since the previous incident, Lucy had become increasingly attentive to her children. She watched over them at nearly every moment. She feared that Charlotte might seize any chance to harm the children, so she remained vigilant and meticulous, avoiding any lapses. In her eyes, Matthew Leon and the children represented her entire world, and she could not afford even the slightest mishap.One day, Gabriella Sharpe visited their home. She arrived as lively as ever, wearing impeccably applied makeup that included an expensive shade of lipstick. Her appearance radiated the elegance of a woman of high social standing, making her stand out among the people on the street.Lucy welcomed Gabriella warmly, treating her with utmost respect. It created an atmosphere of family harmony. Gabriella settled into a chair, savoring the fruit that Lucy offered her. She held Johnny closely, reluctant to part with him. She showered him with compliments and laughter."Mom, you seem to be in a great mood l
Matthew noticed Lucy’s absent-mindedness and asked gently, "Lulu, what’s on your mind?"“Oh, nothing… I just think what happened to Charlotte is so sudden,” Lucy replied.“Don’t worry about it. It has nothing to do with us. She was always trying to harm you. Her fate is something she brought upon herself.” Matthew patted her head comfortingly.However, Lucy found it suspicious. Although the news reported Charlotte’s assassination and that the monastery had burned down to ashes, it did not mention her body. That kind of crucial detail would not have been overlooked by the media.Matthew had also considered this possibility, but he had kept it to himself to avoid alarming Lucy. Charlotte had been sent to the monastery because of him and Lucy, and she had to harbor a deep hatred for them. If she managed to orchestrate her own escape, what if she was now seeking help from Spades to target Lucy? That would be dangerous.“Lulu, don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or the ch
With nothing left to hold onto, Charlotte walked down the empty streets, her heart heavy with despair. She wore a black veil that covered her completely, revealing only her eyes. She even had on dark sunglasses. She dared not walk in the open or be seen, nor did she dare expose Juliana’s crimes to the world.She used to be a princess. Everything she had done, every privilege and indulgence, was backed by Arthur and Juliana’s love and permission. Now that her supporters had betrayed her, what right did she have to be reckless or demand anything? Surviving itself was a luxury. How could she even think of acting willfully?As she wandered in anguish, Charlotte found herself by the river. She remembered coming here with Arthur and Juliana when she was a child, laughing and walking along the bank. Now, each memory felt painfully ironic, and every kiss from Juliana seemed sickening. How could her world be so false? How could even the people she trusted most turn against her?Charlotte cou
Charlotte continued to hide within the castle, unwilling to leave and equally unwilling to let anyone know she was alive—unless they promised never to send her back to the monastery. However, she doubted that would happen, so she kept to the shadows. After all, the castle had plenty of food. It was far better than anything at the monastery.One night, Charlotte quietly slipped into Arthur and Juliana's bedroom. To her surprise, Arthur was not there, and only Juliana was present. 'Dad must be too upset to sleep,' Charlotte thought. She knew him well—whenever he was troubled, he would retreat to the study rather than go to bed.As she watched her beloved mother, a tiny bit of her resolve wavered. Juliana looked utterly exhausted, as if she had lost a lot of weight in just a few days. Charlotte had a sudden urge to go in and comfort her, but she knew that was impossible. Charlotte realized that seeing someone through a wall of separation was the most painful thing of all.Just as
The next morning, news of the assassination attempt on Charlotte was sensationalized across all media outlets. The internet was flooded with headlines about her close brush with death, sparking worldwide shock. No one could believe that Charlotte, notorious for her arrogance and harsh treatment of offenders, could have been targeted like this. Many who resented her strict, often cruel ways were both thrilled and stunned by the news. The royal family immediately tightened security at the monastery, dispatching a large police force to investigate what had happened. The monastery became a focal point of public intrigue.“What? That's impossible! How could there be no trace?” Juliana exclaimed in disbelief. Standing before her was the chief forensic investigator.“Yes, Your Majesty, there's no sign of Princess Charlotte’s remains,” the investigator confirmed firmly.“Fine, I understand. Leave me, and keep me informed if anything changes,” Juliana replied, pressing her fingers to her
As the footsteps came closer, Charlotte held her breath, not daring to make a sound. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared—it was clear they were targeting her. She watched as the figure approached the bed, moving so quietly it was as if they made no sound at all. What could they possibly be planning? Surely, the headmistress would not go this far?The figure drew closer to the bed, bundled up the pillows and blankets, and then doused something over them. Charlotte could smell it—it was gasoline! Was the headmistress planning to kill her to silence her? She froze, unable to move. The shadow struck a match and dropped it onto the bed. In an instant, flames surged up from the blankets.In the fire’s glow, Charlotte could make out that it was not the headmistress but a man. After setting the fire, he quickly slipped away without making a single sound. Charlotte crept out while stifling a cough, afraid he might hear and return. The flames grew quickly, engulfing the bed and spreading t
Over the past year or so, Charlotte had gradually come to understand that the world was not just about picturesque landscapes and lavish feasts. In the shadows, beyond her sight, lay a world full of schemes and deception. Despite her ongoing attempts to plot against Lucy Quinn, she had not noticed this aspect at all until she arrived at the monastery. Here, she realized how dark human nature could truly be.The women at the monastery constantly criticized and belittled her, while the headmistress was corrupt, using her position for personal vendettas. She was also driven by greed for wealth and status. All Charlotte wanted was to escape this dreadful place and return to her castle. She wanted to go back to her plush, comfortable bed. There, she led a life surrounded by maids tending to her every need.Thinking of this, she remembered Lucy and envisioned her seated in her rightful place, basking in the affection of Arthur and Juliana. She could see Lucy's haughty expression starin
In a moment of heat, Charlotte blurted everything out. Joan was dumbfounded! Was this really Charlotte? She usually did not talk this much, did she? It was not just Joan who was shocked; the headmistress across from Charlotte was equally taken aback. Charlotte was usually so obedient. How had her tongue turned so venomous today? The headmistress was left speechless as every word Charlotte said was so reasonable that no one could argue against it, and it even warranted some compliments! Although Charlotte was confronting the headmistress, each of her statements felt like a plea for justice.Charlotte was not done yet and continued, “Since you know I’m a princess, you should give me some consideration. Yet, in reality, I’m the one giving you all the consideration. Is that reasonable?” Charlotte’s arguments were layered and logical, her thoughts clear. It left the headmistress in a muddle while Joan looked on with envy! The headmistress glanced at Charlotte, feeling quite displease