《He Stole Me From My Deadbeat Husband》


 Chapter 1: A woman who overcompensates

    Chapter 1 - 1: A woman who overcompensatesKate was on her way back to surprise her husband. Her business trip to London had ended a day early. She missed him, and couldn''t wait to throw herself into his warm, welcoming embrace.


    She was supposed to be free of work for at least three days, but she knew better than to count on that when she was holding an important position.


    Sure enough, her work phone''s ringing soon interrupted her quiet taxi ride.


    "Yes, Mrs. Cadwaller, I will be in office tomorrow. I will prepare all the reports for our new CEO. Yes, I will print them out."


    She remained professional throughout the call, but couldn''t help but roll her eyes over and over. This new CEO sounded so spoiled. But that was expected given that he was sent by the parent company. He must be one of those rich brats trying to prove his worth after begging daddy for a job.


    ''How pointless,'' she sneered at her heart.


    "..."


    "Yes, everything is under control. Yes, I will make it easy for the new CEO to evaluate the company."


    "..."


    "Good night to you too, Mrs. Cadwaller."


    Beep.


    Kate sighed before tossing her phone into her bag. She closed her laptop and leaned against the seat. Downtown Los Angeles at night was a beautiful, exciting place, but Kate could only look tiredly out of the window, registering nothing.


    She had lived in this bustling city for the past five years, and it was a far cry from the small rural town she came from.


    Kate didn''t like the rush and clamor of the big city, but she stayed because Matt, her husband, had said that he wanted to chase his dream here. That dream never took off. Now, she was the sole breadwinner of their small family, and had been for much of the past five years.


    The taxi driver checked on her through the rearview mirror before asking, "What do you do for a living, Miss? It''s almost midnight and your boss is still calling you."


    Kate took a while to reply as the brightly lit street turned into a gradual blur of light and color.


    She wasn''t the type of person that spoke often about her private life, but maybe the weight on her shoulders was pressing her down more today. "Editor. I work in a publishing firm. I''m the Chief Editor."


    "Sounds like a fancy job. Must be paying you a lot," the taxi driver commented. "But I must say, you look so tired. Is this job always like this?"


    Kate sighed, "I can''t, I need to support my husband''s dream."


    "Your husband''s not working?"


    "You can say that. He''s barely earning anything right now, so I need this job. LA is not cheap."


    "That''s true, everything''s so expensive these days," the taxi driver agreed. There was another round of silence before the taxi driver could no longer contain his curiosity. "What dream does your husband have?"


    "...Actor. He''s been trying for five years." Kate frowned as she thought about how many years had gone by, with nothing to show for it.


    "That''s a tough one," the taxi driver made a sympathetic sound. Everyone knew how hard it was to get into showbiz. "Has he been cast in any movie yet?"


    "A few times, but only as minor characters. Sometimes, he can only be an extra on set." Kate''s frown grew deeper and she scowled.


    "Sounds like a difficult job to do with low payment. Is it worth it?" The taxi driver finally asked, making Kate frown even more as she looked away, avoiding the man''s scrutinous gaze.


    "It''s not, but he''s too focused on it to get another job," Kate said.


    "So he''s basically unemployed?"


    There was a slight pause from Kate, and then she sighed, "He''s just chasing clouds at this point."


    "So, if his acting career is not taking off, and he refuses to find another job, why do you want to stay with him? He sounds like a burden," the taxi driver commented, waiting for the lady to reply.


    ...


    But there was only silence, and the taxi driver sensed his passenger''s dwindling mood and cursed his big mouth. He made his passenger unhappy with his questions! Ashamed, he kept quiet and focused on driving through the city to the lady''s apartment.


    Unbeknownst to the taxi driver, Kate''s mood did go down after talking with him, because the more she talked to him, the more she was reminded of how much of a deadweight her husband was.


    God knows how much time she wasted trying to persuade, prompting, and even pleading him to get a job while he was auditioning for many roles in the meantime, but the answer she got was always the same.


    -


    "Well, I''m sorry if the industry is so cutthroat. It''s not my fault I''m not successful! I have everything! I have the looks, talent, and discipline! The only thing I lack is the connections!"


    "If you''re my wife, you should be supporting me during this tough time! I''m not even asking you to help get connections for me, just your financial support. Do you think I don''t want to give you a good life as well? Just believe in me and I will make everything worth it in the end!"


    -


    ''Well, so far all I got is a deadbeat husband who has been refusing to find a real job for the past five years,'' she bitterly thought to herself, scoffing. ''At least he doesn''t cheat. If you can call that a positive quality.''


    She knew that a successful woman like her should have never let herself remain married to a deadbeat husband like Matt. She should have just divorced that useless stump so she could enjoy all the fruits of her labor .


    But there was a reason for everything, and the reason for her to stay was... her uterus.


    She was barren, infertile, or in the cutting words of Matt''s mother, "not a complete woman."


    Five years into their marriage, and she still couldn''t bear a child despite having unprotected sex with Matt religiously.


    She desperately wanted a child, but she had started to lose hope, and the pressure from Matt''s family wasn''t helping either.


    It made her feel inferior and useless. So everything she did to support him right now was an effort to compensate for her inability to conceive.


    That, and...


    ''I guess I''m just afraid to be lonely...'' Kate thought sadly to herself. ''I don''t know if I will find a good man once they know that I can''t give them a baby.''


    **


    Kate tipped the taxi driver extra for listening to her story and eagerly made her way back to the apartment, wanting to get some rest and to surprise her husband at the same time.


    Kate hadn''t told Matt that she returned home a day early from the London business trip. Not that it mattered anyway, since Matt would still be lying down on the couch, playing a phone game or just scrolling through Tik Tok.


    She unlocked the door without any expectation.


    But the moment the door swung open, Kate''s eyes widened and she dropped her bag in shock.


    Her husband was on the couch, but he wasn''t alone.


    Matt was sitting on the couch with only his briefs, a woman straddled him, grinding herself against him with her bra thrown away in the heat of the moment. The woman was moaning in pleasure as she pressed her breast inside Matt''s mouth. They were both in such bliss that they didn''t even realize that Kate had already walked in and witnessed everything.


    The woman finally looked up after sensing that they were no longer alone. She stared at Kate, and grinned at her big sister, "Hi, Sis. I didn''t know that you''d be home already." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2 - 2Kate staggered, almost fainting from shock. She quickly leaned on the nearest drawer to support herself. She refused to faint in front of these two cheating bastards!


    Matt finally stopped sucking on Erin''s¡ªKate''s sister¡ªbreasts and looked over his shoulder.


    "Ah, fuck..." he cursed lowly. He tried to push Erin from his lap, but Erin put all her weight on him and buried his face back between her breasts.


    She maintained this position while staring at her older sister, who was about to faint, "You look so pale, Sis. Are you okay?"


    ...


    Kate didn''t answer her question, which encouraged Erin to further torment her sister, "Don''t look so tense. Matt told me that you two are fine with this. So I''m doing you a favor while you''re working your ass off."


    Kate finally snapped. She clenched the house key in her hand and flung it towards Erin and hit her forehead.


    "Ouch!"


    "GET OFF HIM YOU BITCH!" Kate rushed towards them. She grabbed Erin by her hair and yanked her away from him.


    Erin fell backward and hit her head first. She cried out in pain, but Kate couldn''t care less for her sister.


    She raised her hand as she wanted to slap her bastard husband for cheating on her, but Matt caught her wrist and pushed her away, "Calm down, I can explain this."


    "Explain what? You''re cheating on me¡ªwith my sister too!" Kate yelled, her chest heaving with exertion. She was trying so hard not to claw the skin off Matt''s face.


    "Geez, why are you overreacting, Sis?" Erin said after she recovered. She was still rubbing the back of her head.


    "Yeah, you''re overreacting," Matt said calmly, as if this was just something casual happening on Friday night. "I''m just replacing you with your sister."


    "Yeah, I''m doing you a favor, Sis."


    "What in the¡ª" Kate felt sick. Were they trying to gaslight her? How could these two act so casually after they got caught cheating?!


    "Oh yeah? I''m overreacting? Then tell me what did you two do just now? Speak!"


    Matt scoffed, "I''m fucking your sister, is that not clear enough? But I''m not cheating, I''m just asking for a favor since you are¡ª"


    "¡ªbarren," Erin completed the sentence. She stood up and returned to her previous position on Matt''s lap.


    She did it in front of Kate and acted so casually.


    As if this was normal.


    As if Kate was the crazy one here!


    "Matt told me that he wants a baby, but you can''t give him any because you''re barren. So I thought, maybe I could help him," Erin grinned towards her sister. "I don''t mind being a young mother. After all, you will take care of me and the baby, right, Sis?"


    Kate froze, still trying to process what was happening right now. She could not comprehend how her husband would cheat on her with her little sister, whom she doted on.


    "Oh yeah, that''s true," Matt added. "Kate recently got a raise, so she''s earning a lot more! She''ll be able to support both of us and our baby, just like what she always does. She works for us," he said to Erin.


    That was sadly true.


    Kate was the breadwinner of this family. She was the one who worked nonstop to give a comfortable life for her deadbeat husband, who played games all day, and her little sister, who had just recently graduated and couldn''t find a job.


    She was the one who worked thanklessly for both of them...


    And they cheated on her so casually as a return? Oh, hell no!


    Kate darted her eyes toward Matt and yelled again, "I did everything for you and your dream. I become the sole breadwinner for this family so you can chase your useless dream, and this is how you repay me?!"


    "Yeah, you owe me this much," Matt replied condescendingly. "You can''t give me a child, and I''ve waited five years for it. You''ve failed as a wife and as a woman. Let''s just will open our marriage now on, I will fuck your sister or whoever I want, and you can do the same. Easy, right?"


    "Yup, it''s an open relationship, Sis," Erin added. "You can just work hard outside, while I help your husband achieve his dream of being a dad, sounds fair, right?"


    "Open relationship..." Kate was so speechless that she didn''t know what to say or do.


    She wanted to yell and beat them for cheating. They needed to be at least ashamed of what they did.


    But Matt and Erin didn''t seem to be bothered after getting caught. Matt even boldly claimed that they were in an open relationship without consulting her¡ªno, he shouldn''t even think of it as a possibility!


    "No, you have NO RIGHT to do this open relationship bullshit! You literally have no money. You can''t even afford necessities without my money!"


    "What? Just because you have money, now you can control my life?" Matt scoffed. "Come on, you''re just doing your job to compensate for your inability to get pregnant. It''s a bare minimum from you."


    "And what about you, you scum! What''s the bare minimum I get from you except having a deadweight as a husband!?"


    "Simple, you get to have me," Matt claimed confidently. "I am a healthy, handsome man with a good body and big dick. I''m an actor who''ll be famous in the future."


    "Besides, I''ve never hit you before. So I''m the total package."


    "He''s right, sis," Erin said as she leaned her head on his chest. "Matt is handsome¡ªhe''s always been handsome, and I''ve got a huge crush on him since I was young. Meanwhile you¡ªyou should look at yourself. You look like an average working lady."


    "Because I am a working lady! Unlike you two useless fucks!" Kate cursed them at the same time. She wanted to drench them in gasoline and burn them both, so she could have a good night''s sleep and acted like she never had a husband or a sister. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But she still had some rationality left in her.


    So she stepped back and clenched her fists to calm down, "I don''t want this open relationship bullshit, and I certainly don''t care if my deadbeat husband cheats with my equally deadbeat sister. You two can fuck each other on the street!"


    "Leave now! Get the hell out of MY HOUSE!"


    "Your house? This is OUR house. We''re married, remember?" Matt mentioned, thinking that Kate got brain damage because she couldn''t accept that he wanted something more than just a walking ATM machine.


    "Married? After all of this? HAH!" Kate snorted. "I''ll serve you a divorce paper tomorrow. You two will know how worthless you are without me!"


    "Divorce?!" Matt''s eyes widened. "You want to divorce me?"


    "Do you really think I''ll keep a useless cheating scumbag like you around? You have no worth in my eyes!"


    "Oh no, that''s no good, Sis," Erin pouted. She trailed her finger around Matt''s abs and muttered, "You shouldn''t divorce him, don''t you remember your promise to our dying mummy?"


    "That¡ª"Kate was reminded of the promise she had made.


    "Mhm, you told our Mom that you''re going to be a good wife for Matt. She is also expecting you to have a baby soon, because she wants a grandchild," Erin said. "Don''t you remember that she has a heart problem? What would happen if she knows that you''re divorcing Matt because he''s cheating with me?"


    "Yep, she''ll be dead," Erin sighed. "That''s why I''m okay sleeping with Matt. You need a baby to keep your promise. Besides, it''s an open relationship, right?"


    Kate felt the blood drain from her face as she turned pale. She got so worked up that she forgot about her mother and her promise.


    "Also, you need to remember that our parents have been best friends since we were babies," Matt reminded us. "Will you ruin the relationship between our families over a petty thing like this?"


    "Don''t be so childish, Sis," Erin continued lecturing. "I''m not trying to marry Matt. I''m just having sex with him, and giving him a baby. It''s like surrogacy. You can pay me like¡ªa million dollars if you want to claim the baby as yours, and I''ll be happy to give it to you."


    "Oh, don''t forget about our prenup. Don''t you remember that we split everything in half even if only one of us is working?" Matt smirked. "Well, guess this apartment is still mine in the end."


    Kate could debate no more. It was two versus one, and they kept bombing her with statements that only hurt her heart and confused her mind.


    She was still trying to process everything happening in front of her, and how these two tried to gaslight her, acting as if what they were doing was something trendy, something that had been done by many people, and Kate was the crazy one for not accepting this new concept.


    "So, still want to divorce me?" Matt asked with a malicious grin on his face. "Think again, Kate."

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 - 3Kate gritted her teeth in silence.


    She couldn''t wait to tear these two fuckers apart for cheating on her, but simultaneously, she realized she was being gaslit here.


    They acted as if this whole ''Open Relationship'' thing was very common, and Kate was the crazy one for not accepting it. Unluckily for them, Kate wasn''t fooled.


    Kate glared at Matt and pointed her finger at him, "This is NOT over yet, you useless bastard! I will divorce you, just wait ''till I serve you the paper!"


    Then Kate darted her eyes at her little sister. She felt terrible heartache as she was faced with her half-naked sister.


    She truly cared for Erin.


    She knew that Erin was the one who suffered the most when their family hit rock bottom. Erin was only eight years old, while Kate was already eighteen.


    Erin cried every day and night when she realized that her family was ruined after their father cheated on her mother and they got divorced soon after. Kate was left feeling helpless and tremendously guilty that she couldn''t do more for her young sister. Though Kate was already a young adult, she was still too young to know how to coax a child going through such a difficult phase. Hence when she began to earn more money, she was determined to give Erin a good life so she wouldn''t cry again.


    She told Erin to follow her to Los Angeles and find any university she liked.


    Kate paid Erin''s tuition upfront, so she was free from the unforgiving student loan debt after she graduated.


    Kate also gave her a monthly allowance to give her a comfortable life in Los Angeles. Even after she graduated, Kate allowed Erin to live in the apartment room next to Kate and Matt''s, so Erin could visit Kate''s apartment to help with the laundry and cooking while Kate was away to work.


    Which turned out to be a big mistake.


    ''Maybe I spoiled her too much,'' Kate thought. ''Maybe everything I did to make her happy only ended up ruining her life.''


    There was a moment of doubt in Kate''s heart. She stared wordlessly at Erin, and Erin simply scoffed in response, "What? You''re going to scold me now? Geez, sis, don''t act like a crazy bitch, will you? This is no biggie!"


    Kate choked up her own tears when she heard that. She steeled her heart and yelled at Erin, "You''re going to regret this, you ungrateful bitch!"


    Kate turned around and strutted confidently to the front door. She could feel the eyes of those fuckers staring at her back, probably waiting for her to fall and break down in tears.


    But Kate pulled all of her courage and kept on walking. She grabbed her bag on the floor and opened the door.


    Matt was silent until he saw her leaving, "Where are you going?"


    Kate did not bother stopping to reply. "Anywhere but here. I feel sick just looking at you two."


    BAM!


    Kate walked out, slamming the door behind her. She continued strutting through the corridor with confidence. But once she was about to reach the elevator at the end of the corridor, her legs suddenly gave up, and she accidentally tripped on herself.


    "Ah!" Kate fell to the cold floor face first. She grimaced in pain and tried to get up quickly before anyone saw her embarrassing state. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she tried to use her hand to prop herself up, she realized there was a drop of tears wetting her floor.


    "W¡ªWhy did I cry?" Kate asked herself. "Why do I have to shed tears for a useless bastard and my equally useless sister? They''re not even worth it!"


    She tried to wipe her tears repeatedly, but they kept falling. So she decided to ignore it, gather her strength, and get up.


    She couldn''t maintain her fearless, confident demeanor anymore. Her heart was too wounded to keep that persona.


    Thus, she lumbered towards the elevator, and leaned on the wall several times as she walked to avoid falling again. She threw her heels away to make it easier for her to walk until she finally reached the elevator.


    Kate entered the elevator that descended to the lobby. She didn''t know where to go but wanted to get as far as possible from Matt and Erin.


    Just imagining herself living with those two useless fuckers made her stomach turn.


    Thankfully, the lobby was empty when she passed, maybe because it was a Friday night, and everyone had already gone somewhere for the night, to parties or their own engagements to have fun.


    It was only her who never had any fun, not before she married Matt, and even more so after she married him.


    She left the apartment and walked aimlessly through the streets of LA. She saw her reflection on a store''s glass pane and almost laughed at herself.


    Her eyes were red and puffy from crying non-stop and her eye bags were darker than ever before from all the late nights at work. Her hair was unkempt, her blazer had seen better days, and her shoes were nowhere near her feet. She was a miserable sight.


    She scoffed, "Heh, I guess their gaslighting worked on me. Look at me now. I look like a crazy bitch."


    As Kate kept on walking, she saw a taxi approaching her. She squinted her eyes and noticed the familiar plate, as the taxi drew near, she realized that it was the same taxi that had driven her back to her apartment before.


    The taxi stopped in front of Kate, and the driver stuck his head out, "Miss, are you okay?" he asked concernedly. "I saw you walking alone. This place is not safe at night."


    Kate blinked a few times as she processed what the concerned taxi driver had said before opening the back door and getting in.


    She sat in the backseat and stayed silent for a while.


    The taxi driver got nervous, but he didn''t say a word, he just let her sit there for a bit. He was afraid he might be carrying a crazy lady who had a manic episode at night. After all, this lady looked so professional and well-maintained half an hour ago, and now all of a sudden she looked like a crazed woman, one you wouldn''t want to mess with at night.


    "M¡ªMiss, where should I take you?"


    ...


    "Just drive, take me as far from here as possible," Kate said coldly. "This place reeks of filth."

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4 - 4The taxi driver sensed the pain in her voice. She tried to sound cold, but her voice shook, proving that she was trying to mask her despair.


    The taxi driver was naturally able to draw a few assumptions in his head, but the highest probability was... heartbreak.


    ''Something must''ve happened when she returned to her apartment,'' he thought. But he dared not ask because when he glanced at her from his rearview mirror, he saw that the lady was staring straight with an empty expression on her face and her tears did not stop falling.


    He drove the car in silence around downtown LA. He didn''t dare speak to ask her questions nor stop anywhere. He just drove aimlessly avoiding the area they had come from.


    The lady suddenly opened her mouth as they passed a liquor store, "Go back to that store. I want to buy a few things first."


    "Y¡ªYes, Miss."


    The driver parked the car and watched the lady enter the liquor store. She was in and out quickly, it didn''t take her long to return with a bag full of alcohol, probably four or five bottles of booze.


    She returned to the taxi and said, "Drive, I''ll tell you where to go."


    **


    The taxi driver drove through downtown LA until they stopped in front of an office building. The building looked dark except for the lobby.


    The driver frowned, "Are you sure you''re going to stay here for the night, Miss?"


    "Yeah," Kate said. With work being most of her life, she had nowhere to go but her office.


    She opened the taxi door, bringing with her the bag of booze as she got out..


    She gave the taxi driver two one-hundred bills, she noticed the taxi driver''s hesitant expression,


    "What''s wrong with me staying here?"


    "I''m just afraid that you will..." the taxi driver stopped before he could say something horrible.


    "Kill myself?" Kate completed his sentence, and the driver nodded reluctantly.


    He thought it was offensive to assume, but the lady looked like someone who would kill herself after heartbreak.


    Kate scoffed, "Don''t worry, I''m not an idiot who''ll kill myself over a useless bastard like him," She turned around and stared at the office building. "My office is on the fifteenth floor, I''ll stay there for the night."


    Kate turned back, looked at the driver, and gave him a thin smile, "Thank you for helping me."


    The driver watched the lady walk into the lobby. He sighed, ''What a pitiful woman. I can see that she is in a lot of pain.''


    **


    Kate used her card to enter the elevator and pressed the button to the fifteenth floor.


    The whole floor was dark, it was late at night and no one would be working at this time. Kate used her employee card to unlock the door and enter her office. She turned on a few of the lights to guide her way.


    Of course, Kate knew she could just stay in a hotel or one of her other apartments if she wanted to calm herself down.


    But this office¡ªEmperor Books Publishing company¡ªwas the place she felt truly at home.


    This was the place where she started it all.


    She started her career because Matt''s acting career simply wouldn''t take off and couldn''t provide for them, so she worked here.


    She thought she''d work like a normal person, coming in at nine and leaving at five. But as her relationship with Matt deteriorated, she started working crazy hours until the late CEO, Mr. James Grant, recognized her talent and promoted her repeatedly until she became a chief editor at the age of twenty-eight.


    It was also around that time that she began to pay for her mother''s expensive medications and her sister''s university studies.


    She also had to support Matt since acting barely gave him any money, so she became the sole breadwinner for three people all at once.


    ''Well, I thought that giving Matt a comfortable life would be enough to compensate for the fact that I can''t give him a baby,'' Kate thought.


    ''How could I be so stupid? Of course it''s not enough for Matt. Nothing I did was good enough to him, meanwhile he is doing the bare minimum as a man.'' She ridiculed herself in her own mind.


    Kate walked through the empty hall, thinking about going to her office and staying the night there.


    But her attention was suddenly diverted when she realized the lights were switched on in the CEO''s office.


    ''Huh? I thought the CEO office has been locked since Mr. Grant''s death.''


    Kate frowned, immediately suspicious. Worried there might be a break-in, she took out a wine bottle from the bag as a weapon and sneakily walked towards the CEO''s office, trying to catch the intruder.


    The door wasn''t completely closed, so Kate grew more suspicious. She peeked through the gap and saw a man''s arm dangling at the end of the sofa. There was a striking black snake tattoo circling around the arm from his elbow down to his hand, and he was holding an almost-empty bottle of strong booze.


    Kate doubted this man was a burglar, especially after seeing a limited edition Parker''s Heritage bourbon in his hand.


    He was someone with money, at least. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, she felt braver, opening the door to learn more. Who was this man that dared to enter the office late at night?


    There, she saw a blond young man roughly in his 20s, lounging leisurely on the sofa, surrounded by two more bottles of the same bourbon he had drank. He didn''t react when the door opened, probably because he was half drunk at this point.


    "W¡ªWho are you? How did you enter this office?" Kate asked carefully, holding her wine bottle like a sword and the remaining bag of wine bottles in front of her like a shield. She was prepared to throw them at him and run if this young man suddenly pounced on her.


    The man finally turned his head towards Kate, and Kate''s heart skipped a beat when she saw the man''s face.


    She was taken aback by his handsome face that reminded her of a man she once admired, and eyes that could petrify anyone at sight.


    He had a set of deep green eyes that glinted dangerously as he peered at Kate in silence. It gave off the illusion of a green-eyed snake ready to strike and bite once provoked.


    Kate would be lying if she said she wasn''t scared. But she did not intend to leave her office, and the man didn''t seem hostile towards her either.


    She felt a chill crawl up her spine as he observed her with his viper-like eyes, and when he finally spoke her heart beat faster.


    "Which bastard dared to make you cry?"

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5 - 5"Which bastard dared to make you cry?"


    Kate''s jaw dropped as soon as the question left his lips.


    Where was the customary "Hello?" or "Who are you?" wasn''t that how you were supposed to greet someone you''ve never met?


    Heck, Kate wouldn''t even be surprised if this man started cursing at her out of the blue since he looked half-drunk already.


    ''Is this just him slurring out nonsense because he''s drunk?'' she thought for a moment, but then eliminated the idea. ''I don''t think so. He''s drunk, but not THAT drunk.''


    There was a long uneasy silence between them. The young man didn''t seem to care. He simply raised his hand and drank the remaining bourbon in the bottle.


    Once he realized there was no more left inside the bottle, he tossed it on the carpet under his shoes and started looking around for more.


    He clicked his tongue and muttered, "Tsk, should''ve bought more."


    The man''s eyes darted back to Kate, who was still standing at the door warily. His eyes lighted up as he saw the wine bottle Kate was holding in her hand. "Did you come to bring me some? Sweet!"


    Kate quickly put the wine bottle back into the bag, clutching it protectively. She was saving this for herself and had no intention of sharing them with a random drunkard.


    The young man chuckled when he saw her reaction, "So stingy. I can buy that from you if you want."


    Kate frowned. This man sounded way too casual. They didn''t even know each other! "You know this is private property, right? How did you get in?"


    The young man grinned¡ªstupidly, Kate might add¡ªand fished something out of his breast pocket.


    "I have this, obviously," the young man replied, dangling a ring of keys in front of Kate.


    She studied the keychain. "That''s the key from the head office. Who are you, really? What''s your name and how did you get that key?"


    "Hmm?" The man''s grin widened teasingly.


    He was in a playful mood, especially after successfully identifying the woman before him. "I''m also curious about that," he answered cheekily, his smile almost a leer as he continued looking at her mischievously. "Do tell me once you know my name."


    "Seriously¡ª" Kate''s head was starting to ache. She had had a rough day and an even rougher night. Now she had to face an unscrupulous young man who also happened to be half-drunk.


    "You can either leave of your own free will, or I''m going to call security to kick you out for trespassing," Kate said firmly. "I don''t have the time to deal with your bullshit, not tonight at least."


    "Hey, hey, relax," the man chuckled as he patted the spot next to him on the sofa. "Come here and chill with me. We can share those bottles of yours." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you take me for an idiot?" Kate scoffed. "We''re strangers. Don''t act like you know me."


    "Heh, really?" The man was now even more amused by her response. His gaze intensified, and Kate became keenly aware of how he was eyeing every small movement she made as though she was prey. "I think it is you who does not know me."


    Kate was getting nervous under his gaze. She put down her bag of wine bottles and grabbed her phone from inside her tote instead.


    "I''m calling security!" she threatened.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t do that if I were you," the man said, evidently unfazed by her words. "You''ll be kicked out of here instead of me. Wouldn''t that be an embarrassing sight?"


    The young man''s brazen boldness¡ªhe raised a brow teasingly at her¡ªleft Kate speechless.


    The confidence he exuded, even when half-drunk, was making her hesitate. Even the thought of being arrested by security didn''t bother him! He also likely had access to the CEO''s office as the place showed no signs of a break-in.


    He clearly was no ordinary person.


    "You¡ªwho are you? Were you sent by the head office?" Kate demanded.


    "Hmmm? Perhaps."


    "Or are you a new employee that I don''t know?"


    "Could be that too, heheh."


    Kate was starting to get annoyed. Her gut told her that he was someone important and that she shouldn''t mess with him, but she also wasn''t in the mood to cater to anyone right now.


    "Tsk, whatever, I''ll just find a hotel nearby," Kate grabbed her bag of wine and turned to leave when the man suddenly said something that made her stop in her tracks, "That''s too bad, Katherine Woods. You look like you need some comforting."


    "D¡ªDid you just...."


    "Call your name? Yeah, I did. So you can''t say that we don''t know each other. Because I do know who you are. I know you very well, Kitty."

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6 - 6Kate stopped dead in her tracks, her heart in her throat. She was terrified. How did this intruder know her name? He even called her twice! Was he a stalker? She would run, but her body seemed frozen in place. She couldn''t move a muscle, and could only stare helplessly at him as he¡ªshe was sure¡ªreadied to attack her.


    To her surprise he continued sitting lazily at the same spot, watching her with the same teasing glint in his eyes.


    There was zero hostility coming from him. At least for now.


    Kate wondered what he was thinking. His cheeky demeanor seemed at odds with the three empty bourbon bottles around him. No one truly happy would be drinking so much alone. Kate knew that for certain, because she was in the same position.


    With that in mind, her curiosity got the better of her.


    "H¡ªHow do you know my name?" Kate asked. "Did you stalk me?"


    The man didn''t answer. He continued observing her wordlessly until he let out a small snicker, "Why? Do you wish to be stalked?"


    "Stop playing around!" Kate snapped. She regretted starting this conversation. He had done her no harm, but she could not figure out what he was planning either. "Tell me how you know my name or I''m calling the cops!"


    "Pfft¡ªhahaha!" the young man burst into a hearty laugh, as if Kate''s panic was the funniest thing in the world. "Okay, okay, I''m sorry. I was just looking around the office and happened to see your name in a document on the CEO''s desk."


    Kate''s eyes darted towards the desk and saw an old proposal she had drafted for the late CEO. It had been left untouched ever since Mr. Grant''s sudden passing in a car accident.


    "Well, we know each other now. Why don''t you spend the night with me, Kitty? There is nothing wrong with letting your hair down and having fun every once in a while." The stranger''s invitation¡ªand his smoldering gaze¡ªsomehow sent Kate''s heart fluttering. She swallowed and finally gave the man a better look from head to toe.


    His blond hair was almost a gleaming gold under the office lights, highlighting his deep green eyes. There was a glint in them that made Kate think of dark emeralds in ancient crowns. The rest of him was just as mesmerizing. He had a perfect feature that Kate never found in another man¨C¨Chis sculpted aquiline nose, high cheekbone, chiseled jaw, and healthy tan were all befitting a supermodel. Not to mention, he seemed to have a well-toned body given how tight his suit was. His buttons looked like they were about to pop loose any moment. Kate found herself unable to turn away.


    This man was so good-looking that Kate suspected that he might be a model.


    After all, this was Los Angeles. Even among the throngs of attractive wannabe models and actors, he stood out. He could transform a street into his personal runway with his head-turning perfection. Compared to him, Matt seemed plain and forgettable, even ugly.


    The sheer difference between the two men made Kate realize what an absolute fool she was to waste the past five years on Matt. It shouldn''t take a genius to see why he never broke into the entertainment industry. Even on his best days, he couldn''t hold a candle against this half-drunk stranger''s effortless charm.


    ''And Matt has no talent or hard work to compensate for his plainness,'' Kate reminded herself.


    The man before her leaned back against the sofa, flashing a bit of muscle. One look at his smug smile and Kate knew he did it deliberately. He liked her staring.


    And so she kept staring. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his defined bronze chest. Her eyes greedily moved downwards before lingering on his strong thighs. She loved men with strong thighs.


    But something else made her weak all over, and it was taunting her like the snake tattooed on his arm.


    His legs were spread as if they were asking, no, daring, her to look between them. And Kate obliged. His bulge was enough to tell her that he was not just very much aroused, but that he was packing a python down there. It would probably get even bigger once freed of his tight jeans.


    And it was already much bigger than Matt''s.


    The man chuckled, "Enjoying the view?"


    His voice snapped Kate out of her daze. She shook her head immediately to banish that perverted idea out of her mind.


    "Just because you know my name doesn''t mean we are friends," Kate began with a confidence that she faked. "I don''t care whether you were sent here by the main office or are a new employee I don''t recognize. Hell, I don''t even give a shit if you''re a trespasser! I''ll just spend my night somewhere else!"


    "Alone?" The man finally showed a bit of frown. "Why would a sad lady want to spend the night alone? I can keep you company here."


    "I''m not sad! Don''t act like you know me."


    "Heh, sure," the man scoffed. "Your eyes are bloodshot, your hair and make-up are streaky mess, and your jacket is wrinkled. You also have no shoes on. I think it''s pretty obvious that you''re sad."


    Kate couldn''t refute his observations. She knew she did look like a disaster right now. But so what? She didn''t want his pity. She didn''t want any man''s pity.


    "Just because I''m sad doesn''t give you the right to act like a creep," Kate hissed as she was forced to recall the scene of Erin straddling Matt. The pleasure from her sister''s face was unmistakable and Kate couldn''t stop the contempt welling up in her. "I''m not a cheap woman."


    "Hm? Who said that I want to fuck right now? I just want to keep you company," the man replied in an easy-going manner. "We can spend the night drinking your wine and crying about our problems. When tomorrow comes, we''ll be strangers again." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate paused, skeptical of his words. They were too good to be true, but she also desperately wanted to believe in them. She craved to be heard, to be understood. To have someone¡ªanyone¡ªshare her grief and worries. To be given what Matt and Erin had so cruelly taken from her.


    It was as if the stranger could hear her thoughts. "Besides," he continued, "I think you need a listening ear, right? Your job as chief editor must be very demanding."


    He was giving her a reason to stay. Kate considered his offeras she continued eyeing him suspiciously in hopes of figuring out his intentions.


    Her gut feeling told her he wasn''t malicious. And he was right. She did want, no, need, to vent her woes.


    ''Ah, screw it, I''m not going to waste my last brain cells worrying about this guy.''


    And thus Kate gave in and walked towards the mysterious man. Before sitting down to face him, she placed her bag of wine bottles on the coffee table and said warningly, "I''m here to get drunk and rant about my problems. Nothing more, nothing less. Don''t get any funny ideas."


    The man grinned, "I won''t get any funny ideas if you don''t."

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7 - 7The young man got up and reached for the bag of wine that Kate had reluctantly shared. He pulled out one of the bottles, saw the label, and chuckled, showing his pearly-white teeth. "Heh, what a strong wine you''ve got here. You really want to get blackout drunk, huh?"


    He then opened two bottles of wine with practiced ease and handed Kate one bottle like a gentleman. "Here''s yours, I''m guessing you have a lot of reasons to drink right now. You must be exhausted from everything weighing on your mind. Get drunk with me and forget about all of it, alright?"


    Kate hesitated for a second. After all, getting drunk with a stranger was not the safest thing in the world. But the man''s gaze was reassuring, as if wordlessly telling her that everything would be fine. At least for tonight.


    Kate bravely grabbed the bottle and took one big gulp without even thinking twice. She winced when she felt the burn as the alcohol hit her throat. But that quickly faded and she was soon relaxed enough to continue drinking.


    This time, she savored the sweet and tangy flavors of the wine as it spread through her mouth before finally swallowing it.


    The mysterious man had been carefully watching Kate. As she started to slump into the sofa, he said softly, "There you go. We''re here to chill and talk about our problems after we get drunk enough."


    Taking his cue from Kate, he also leaned back against his seat before downing half his bottle in one smooth motion. "Ahh... that hits the spot, nice."


    Kate''s eyes instinctively wandered over him , admiring how inviting his stretched neck looked had it been planted with a few hickeys. Luckily she caught herself before he noticed. She determinedly warded off the erotic thoughts that had entered her mind¡ªshe was here to get drunk and vent about her problems. Nothing more, nothing less. She took another huge gulp of wine.


    This was her plan from the beginning, anyway. There was no difference whether this man was here or not.


    She stared at the ceiling, preoccupied with her own thoughts, clueless to the man sitting across from her, oblivious to how his powerful gaze was locked on her. There was long, understood silence between them until Kate finally had the courage to ask, "What''s your name?"


    The man broke into a cheeky smile. "Never thought that Miss Chief Editor would be interested in me. Do you really want to know my name?"


    "Tsk, forget it," Kate clicked her tongue and looked away. She wasn''t in the mood to play along.


    "Hey, don''t be so tense, I''m just fooling around," the man said. "I don''t think you need to know my name. It''s unnecessary."


    "Unnecessary? You already know my name and I''m not allowed to know yours?" Kate rolled her eyes. "I thought you wanted us to relax and talk about each other''s problems. But you can''t even tell me your name, how am I supposed to trust you to listen to my problems?"


    "You can tell me all of your problems without knowing my name. You just need a person to vent to, right?Besides, we will never meet each other again after tonight. There is a beauty in anonymity."


    When she didn''t respond, he continued, "In fact, it''s better if you didn''t know who I am. Because that means we will always be strangers, and why do you care about what a stranger thinks about your life?"


    Kate went silent for a moment and thought about what this mysterious man had just said. Somehow she agreed with him.


    It was better to let her problems out to a stranger she had zero connections with. Because all she needed was someone to listen to her woes right now, right at this moment. She needed someone to know that she had worked her ass off for Matt, that she had done her best as a wife to make him happy despite her infertility. And yet, that still wasn''t enough.


    Tomorrow she would go back to being the assertive and capable Editor-in-Chief who almost never showed any weakness in public or in private. She would be the independent Ms Katherine Woods again. But today the stone wall around her had broken along with her heart. She felt awfully vulnerable and worthless.


    Kate finally turned her head to the right towards the mysterious man and demanded, "Promise me that you will also tell your story after I have told you mine. I don''t want to be the only weak one."


    "Sure, I also need someone to listen to my woes anyway."


    Kate nodded slightly. She lifted her glass and took a large gulp of her wine, her liquid courage. She waited until her throat burned again and took it as a sign that it was time to pour out whatever pains she had been keeping buried deep down. Across from her, the man mirrored her actions.


    "Well, I don''t know how to explain my problem," Kate sighed. "I''ve never told others about my worries or my pains because I don''t want to appear weak."


    "Then let me guess what your problem is," the man said as he looked into her eyes, looking deep into her soul. "It won''t be difficult for you to speak once I know the problem, right?"


    "Guess?" Kate frowned. "How can you guess my problem?"


    "I can because it''s so obvious. You''re like an open book, Katherine."


    "Then do it."


    The man''s smile broadened.When he spoke it was with confidence, as if he already knew the truth and wasn''t simply speculating. "You are married to a useless husband who refused to find a job, so you have to work crazy hours to compensate for his laziness, right?"


    Kate''s eyes widened instantly. She almost dropped her wine bottle out of shock. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "H¡ªHow did you know?" Kate managed to ask. She was immediately on guard once more. "Seriously, are you my stalker or what?"


    "Heh, I don''t even need to stalk you to know." The young man lazily extended a finger to point at Kate''s hand. "That ring tells me everything."

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8 - 8Kate instinctively touched the ring on her finger. This man was surprisingly observant despite being drunk.


    "J¡ªJust because I''m married doesn''t mean that my problem stems from my marriage," Kate tried desperately to defend herself, she felt too exposed for her own comfort.


    Honestly, Kate still suspected that he was a stalker. But then again, what was the point of stalking her? She was neither an important person nor a beauty worthy of being obsessed with.


    She was just an ordinary working woman with too much stress weighing down on her shoulders.


    "That''s true," the man nodded as he took another gulp. "But relationships are often the main source of problems for a married career woman. Most of them are forced to choose between their husband or their job."


    "I know that you must be earning a lot from your job as the Chief Editor, but you also work crazy hours because of it," the man commented. "So the only reason for your meltdown must be a fight between you and your husband regarding your work hours and his uselessness."


    The man stopped to give her time to react. She raised a questioning brow as she waited for him to continue.


    "Why do I think he is useless? Well, no self-respecting man will allow his wife to work like a robot if he is rich enough to support them."


    Kate''s jaw dropped as this young man explained his accurate observation of her, and that last sentence was a nail in the coffin. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was true. No man would want his wife to work herself to the point of exhaustion if he was well off.


    "But, I don''t think you are crying just because you had a fight with him, right?" The young man said, pulling Kate back from her thoughts. "There must be something more. A deeper reason, a bigger problem."


    "And why do you think that?" Kate asked.


    There was a little uncertainty on the young man''s face for a second, "Because you look like a tough woman. You won''t cry over a small argument."


    ...


    Kate scoffed when she realized that she couldn''t hide anything in front of this young man. He looked like a university frat boy, the type of young adult who focused on partying all weekend and barely used his brain during classes.


    But he caught her off guard with how observant he was.


    "You''re pretty keen for a drunk frat boy," Kate commented sarcastically. "Not bad, not bad at all."


    "Heheh, I''m just drunk, not stupid," the man said. It seemed that he didn''t take offense from Kate''s comment. He was more amused instead, because it was the first time someone referred to him as a drunk frat boy.


    But that was fine, they were supposed to be strangers, so they weren''t supposed to know each other''s identities.


    "Well, if you must know, the answer is yes, it''s not just a fight. It''s..." Kate took a deep breath, wondering if she could really pour her heart out to this man tonight.. They were strangers, so there was no point hiding anything, they''d forget about each other tomorrow morning.


    She took a deep breath and dropped the bomb, "It''s because he cheated on me."


    Kate waited for a reaction from the man across the table. But he didn''t react, he stayed passive, as if he had predicted what she was going to say, as if it was something bound to happen.


    Kate was a little disappointed that he wasn''t at all surprised, but she continued nonetheless, "And he cheated on me with my own sister. The same sister I raised since she was a child."


    "Now that''s surprising," the man finally commented, shaking his head and taking another drink from the wine bottle. "I didn''t expect him to cheat on you with your sister, seriously, that''s messed up."


    "But you still expected him to cheat on me?"


    "Of course," the man said ruthlessly. "I mean, isn''t it bound to happen? A useless man who is a failure at life cheats on his highly successful wife out of spite or boredom, whichever suits him best, and then acts like he is the one who got hurt the most when caught. As if he was the victim and not the other way around."


    ...


    Kate sighed, "You''re right. It was bound to happen. How could I have not expected it?"


    "Still, it doesn''t make him right. Don''t worry, I''m on your side," the man reassured her. "So, what happened after you caught him cheating? Did he apologize?"


    "Hah! As if!" Kate snorted. "He told me that he wants an open relationship, and I that should accept that he is going to fuck other women because... well, because he wants to!"


    Kate was about to say that Matt cheated because she was barren, but that was something too personal and she was too ashamed to say it out loud. She didn''t want anyone to know, not even a stranger she would never meet again.


    "Unreasonable! don''t tell me that you''re accepting his open relationship bullshit," the man snorted in contempt. "Unless you want to do that open-relationship stuff as well. You don''t, right?"


    ...


    Kate stared at the man and almost said that she wanted to do the same.


    It wasn''t because she wanted it, no, she could never, but she wanted it as an act of revenge against that useless fucker called Matt. He cheated on her? Then she could do the same!


    But in the end, her logic stopped her from saying something stupid, it was a good thing that she wasn''t drunk as a dog right now.


    "No, I don''t want an open relationship. I just want to be in a relationship with one man that loves me, a normal loving relationship," Kate stated. But she was also unsure of her own statement.


    "And that man, your husband, will you stay with him?" The man asked.


    "Oh fuck no!" Kate denied vehemently as she shook her head, the thought of staying with him after that was outrageous. "I''ve already done so much for him and this is how he repays me? I''m not an idiot who would reconcile after he cheated and humiliated me!"


    "Well, what are you waiting for then?" The man got up from the sofa and walked up to Kate. He stretched his hand and opened his palm. "Give me your ring."

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9 - 9"Give me your ring."


    ...


    Kate blinked a few times at the man who opened his palm before her. She didn''t understand what he said just now.


    "What?"


    "I said, give me your ring. I will throw it away."


    "T¡ªThrow it away?!" Kate quickly pulled her hand away and covered it with the other. She became sober instantly. "Why would I throw away my wedding ring? Are you crazy?!"


    "No, I''m not," as the man spoke his voice didn''t falter. His deep green eyes looked into hers, reassuring her for some reason, telling her not to worry about anything. "You told me that you don''t want to reconcile with that scum, then let me help you move on by throwing that wedding ring away."


    "What the¡ª" Kate was startled by his sudden demand, she thought he was joking, but he looked serious.


    His palm remained open, ready to accept the ring from Kate.


    "Are you refusing because it''s expensive?" he asked.


    "No, I can buy ten or even twenty of this ring," Kate said, shaking her head. Indeed, the cost of the ring wasn''t the problem. But it was the memories that were attached to the ring that made it precious.


    She subconsciously caressed the ring on her finger, "But this is my wedding ring... it has a history and memories in it...."


    "I know, that''s why I want to throw it away," the man explained. "You told me that you don''t want to reconcile with him after what he did to you. But you will keep thinking about him and what he did to you as long as you have that ring. So, if you really want to leave him, to move on from him, then give me your wedding ring."


    Kate paused and thought for a moment. She''d be lying if she said that she didn''t treasure her wedding with Matt. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the beginning, she and Matt truly married for love. They were childhood sweethearts who grew up together from elementary up to high school. They had always been a couple, and she was over the moon when Matt proposed to her after they graduated from university.


    Who could have predicted that her marriage would crumble after just five years because Matt cheated on her... and also because she was infertile.


    Kate looked down and stared at her wedding ring. A memory flashed in her mind as she remembered the moment she began turning into a workaholic.


    It was around the time when she started working in this publishing company three years ago. She had invited Matt to go to the hospital to have their health and fertility checked together and see what they could do so she could conceive.


    But he scoffed and ridiculed her instead.


    -


    ''Why should I do a check-up when you''re obviously the one that''s barren?'' Matt asked.


    ''W¡ªWell, who knows there might be a problem for you as well. Let''s do a check-up together and see what we can do.''


    ''Hah, I''d rather save the money for my next casting rather than go for a check-up for something so obvious,'' Matt scorned. ''Just accept it, Kate. It''s the job of a woman to conceive a baby, and you have failed to do so, there is nothing to change about that.''


    ''Also, if you have the time to ask about something as useless as this, you have the time to work. Go to work and earn us some money. We''re on a tight budget this month after a nepo baby took the lead role from me!'' Matt complained. Kate was displeased and heartbroken at his words. She knew that Matt was nowhere close to being a lead actor. He was only good enough to play an extra or a one-episode character most of the time. But he had a point about their financial situation, so she worked harder. After all, if they had more money, Matt would be happier. So she worked her ass off until she got promotion after promotion, until she became the Chief Editor.


    She managed to give him a comfortable life, and yet he still wasn''t happy, wasn''t grateful and cheated on her.


    Kate''s tears threatened to roll down her cheeks, so she quickly wiped them away. It was ridiculous for her to cry for that deadbeat, especially in front of a stranger.


    "Kate?" The man called her name, pulling her out of her daze. "Give me the ring if you want to move on."


    "Mm, it can''t be helped," she said before she pulled the ring off of her finger.


    She felt liberated the moment that ring was off. She felt her burden had been lifted, and thus she believed that she had made the right choice.


    She put her ring on his palm and stared at him, "Please throw it away for me. I want to forget about him. I want to forget everything about us. I want to be free"


    The man cupped his hand and stared back at Kate. He noticed a tear at the corner of her eyes, and his conscience shook because of it, "You will find a man who will treat you much better than he ever did. You''re beautiful. You should know that."


    "Haha! Sure, whatever. Just throw that ring away," Kate instructed, feeling a little happier because of the man''s small compliment.


    She''d usually laugh when someone complimented her looks. She was plain Jane at best. Matt wouldn''t even think of cheating on her if she was truly beautiful.


    "Alright, let me throw this away," the man turned around and walked to the glass pane facing the city. There was a small window in the corner, and he opened it.


    The breeze of summer night hit his face in an instant. He clenched the wedding ring and threw it out of the window.


    Kate watched as the young man threw the ring away. Kate saw a glint of the diamond before the ring was swallowed by the darkness outside and disappeared from her sight.


    She felt as her heart was crushed and torn to pieces , but she also felt free at the same time.


    ''Goodbye, the love of my life. I hope I can forget you and move on.''

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Chapter 10The young man turned around to face Kate again. He leaned on the glass pane and put his hand inside his jeans pocket.


    He shrugged playfully, "He¡¯s gone now."


    Kate smiled and nodded, "Yeah, he¡¯s gone, thankfully."


    "And now it¡¯s just you and me," the man grinned. Kate didn¡¯t know if he really meant it or if it was just a friendly tease.


    Nevertheless, that sentence made her heart and mind go into a frenzied state.


    Her body heated up, and again, perverted thoughts came into her mind, and it was harder to push away now.


    Kate took a big gulp of her wine to ward off the thoughts. She seriously and honestly didn¡¯t know why she was feeling horny in front of a stranger.


    Thus, to make the situation less awkward for herself, Kate asked, "How about you? What¡¯s your problem?"


    The grin on the man¡¯s face disappeared almost instantly the moment Kate asked him the question. There was only silence as if he refused to share his problem.


    Kate clicked her tongue annoyedly, "What¡¯s with your silence? Didn¡¯t we agree to share each other¡¯s worries? That¡¯s why I told you mine!"


    "I know, and I¡¯m not the type that goes back on my word," the young man replied. He returned to his seat and grabbed his wine bottle. He swallowed a mouthful of the strong wine as he tried to get piss drunk and blank out, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He had an impressively high alcohol tolerance.


    He sighed and leaned on the sofa, "Fine, ask me whatever you want and I will answer it honestly."


    Kate contemplated for a while. She had so many questions, including how he managed to get the key to the CEO¡¯s office.


    But she felt that the question was unnecessary because they¡¯d be strangers after the night, so she just wanted to know what fucked up thing was happening to him.


    "Just tell me what your problem is," Kate said. "Since you¡¯re just like me."


    "Just like you?"


    "I mean, you brought your own booze, broke into an office to spend the night alone, and tried to get drunk enough to pass out just to forget your problems," Kate said. "We¡¯re pretty much the same, right?"


    "Heh, now that you mention it, I guess so," the man mumbled. He looked down at the wine bottle in his hand before muttering, "It¡¯s a family problem."


    "Family problem? What kind?"


    "All kinds," the man scoffed. "My family is shit, end of story."


    Kate watched as his playful mood suddenly disappeared. He became somber once they talked about his family.


    It must be difficult stuff to talk about, but Kate wanted things to be fair. She had told him about her woes. He should tell her as well!


    "Well, if you can¡¯t speak, then let me guess, just like what you did before," Kate said.


    The man was unresponsive, but he silently waited, wondering if Kate could get it right.


    "Is it about your father?" Kate guessed.


    The man lifted his head immediately. He was astonished, "How did you¡ª"


    Kate giggled, "Do you think you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s using your head? You¡¯re probably in your early to mid-twenties, and men that age usually have issues with their fathers," Kate explained. "Maybe about jobs, inheritance, or even potential marriage candidates."


    Kate saw how the man looked even more petrified each time she mentioned problems usually faced by young men his age. It seemed that she hit literally every mark possible.


    "Wait, don¡¯t tell me that you have all of those as your problems?"


    The man pursed his lips and nodded reluctantly, "I do."


    "Wow," Kate shook her head out of disbelief. "You sound like a rich brat. Are you President Grant¡¯s son or what?"


    "Fuck no!" the man retorted angrily. "Don¡¯t group me with that old scum!"


    Kate was surprised by his sudden outburst. She never expected him to be so angry because of a simple joke.


    After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to be a rich brat whose Daddy owned a billion-dollar company?


    But she didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood between them, so she just backed off, "I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be offended by that."


    The young man realized his mistake and apologized, "Sorry, I just have an enmity against that man."


    "You mean the man who owns this place?"


    "Owned," the man said. "Tsk, yeah, whatever."


    The more this young man tried to deny his connection and got angry whenever she mentioned President Grant, the more suspicious she got.


    There was no way he could get the office key if he was a nobody. Thus, her brain started connecting the dots, ¡¯Don¡¯t tell me that he is actually that rich brat who will be the new CEO, replacing Mr. James Grant?¡¯


    ...


    ¡¯Oh-ho, let¡¯s forget that idea, Kate,¡¯ she advised herself. ¡¯There is no way this guy is that spoiled brat. Based on what I heard from the other employees, the kid who is going to take over this publishing firm is a spoiled, cold, mean, and unpleasant person.¡¯


    ¡¯But this guy is not temperamental at all. He was very kind and respectful the whole time,¡¯ Kate tried her best to forget the idea that this guy might be her new boss, and the alcohol surely helped her quickly ignore this idea.


    The young man¡¯s mood turned sour after Kate talked about President Grant. He just drank in silence to forget about his worries.


    Then, out of the blue, he said, "My main problem is not about money and or my position. It¡¯s about what they told me to do this evening."


    "And what did they tell you to do?"


    "Fuck a woman they chose for me," the young man replied as he laughed sarcastically. "It¡¯s funny that they think they can control my life after the horrible things they did. I want to choose the woman I want to fuck and marry, rather than following the order of two hypocrites."


    "And the woman of your choice is?" Kate felt sympathy for him. This young man was most likely already attached to a woman of his age, so it was natural for him to reject another woman.


    The young man lifted his head a little until he could stare at Kate, who leaned on the sofa¡¯s armrest in front of him. She was already drunk, her cheeks were red with a gentle flush and she had an alluring misty gaze that would entice any man.


    So he replied without hesitation, "You."


    sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Chapter 11"ME?!" Kate flinched.


    This man was full of surprises, she didn¡¯t expect him to point at her as the woman of his choice.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the alcohol talking or if he was just teasing her.


    She peered at him with scrutinizing eyes and found that this man was dead serious, it seemed that he meant every word he had just uttered. He really wanted Kate as his woman, as for the reason she couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    The man chuckled as he watched Kate¡¯s reaction, "What¡¯s with that look? You shouldn¡¯t be surprised."


    "What the¡ªYou said that I¡¯m the woman of your choice. Of course I¡¯m surprised!" Kate snorted. "Don¡¯t mess with me! Seriously, I¡¯m not in the right mind to hear some bullshit."


    "I¡¯m not messing around," the man stated firmly as he kept his eyes locked on her. "And it¡¯s not bullshit."


    "Then you¡¯re dumb!" Kate shook her head and scoffed thinking that the whole thing was ridiculous. "And you probably have some stupid excuses to choose me."


    "My reasons aren¡¯t stupid. You shouldn¡¯t be looking down on yourself, Kate," the man said. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, and smirked as if he had gotten his answer.


    "I like a decisive woman. You threw that ring away and stood on your ground against his crazy open relationship idea. I like her gutsy, and I want her just like you."


    "Hah, how smooth!" Kate sneered. "Did you tell that to every woman you met?"


    Kate tried to be hostile to this man, she didn¡¯t want to be seen as an easy woman who could easily be won over.


    Surprisingly she was not mad at what he said just now. In fact, she liked it, mainly because Matt was the polar opposite of this man.


    Matt was a very stereotypical man who had, in the beginning, told her to be a good housewife and raise their children. But as time passed and he wasn¡¯t earning anything, it was at that point that he changed his mind. Then, he told Kate to be a good woman who obeyed her husband¡¯s order, and he ordered her to work her ass off so they could live.


    "Hahah! Well, you¡¯re not wrong," the man finally laughed. "I have been with a lot of women, I am quite popular. But I never told them that I liked them because of their personality."


    "Yeah? And what did you tell them? That they¡¯re sweet and cute?"


    "No," the man smirked as he eyed Kate¡¯s luscious lips and his attention wandered down to stare at her breasts. "I told them I like beautiful women with luscious lips and nice tits, and you just so happen to have both."


    "You¡ªPervert!" Kate yanked at her blazer to cover her chest. She tried to put up an angry expression for this unscrupulous man, but her body betrayed her.


    Her entire body heated up, including her face, which made her as red as a cherry. The man snickered as Kate tried hard to show how furious she was despite her cherry cheeks.


    "Hey, don¡¯t be so angry, I was just answering your questions, right?" the man teased. "Besides, I do have another reason to choose you."


    Kate said nothing, she simply crossed her arms on her chest as a sign that she didn¡¯t want to listen to his bullshit more.


    But he stared back at Kate with his deep green eyes and said, "Because you¡¯re here with me. You¡¯re the only one who has listened to my story, and I think I¡¯m also the only one who listened to yours. Wouldn¡¯t it be a sign that we should be together?"


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s the dumbest reason I¡¯ve ever heard!" Kate argued. But her mind also started wondering if this man was actually right.


    He was the only one who ever asked about her story. She didn¡¯t plan on telling anyone, not even her mother, because she had a weak heart and was on constant medication.


    Even more so she couldn¡¯t tell Matt¡¯s mother because that woman hated Kate the most because of her infertility.


    This man was the only one she could talk to. He was the only one that had even bothered to ask. Out of all the people in the world it was a stranger that had to ask.


    She also didn¡¯t need to worry about what he thought, because they were strangers who would forget each other tomorrow morning, and she assumed it to be the same for him.


    He must¡¯ve had many responsibilities on his shoulders since his parents could easily dictate who he should marry.


    So this whole meeting felt more like serendipity, she met him by accident, and fate intertwined them, two strangers, to be entangled with one another.


    ¡¯¡ªAt least for tonight,¡¯ she thought, not wanting to make things awkward with him.


    They stared at each other for a long time after their conversation, but it wasn¡¯t awkward.


    It was solace, she was at peace and they seemed to have a tacit understanding of one another¡¯s problems and how to solve it.


    The room stayed silent until the man broke it with a question that Kate never expected.


    "You¡¯re making it hard for me to resist when you keep staring at me like that. Why don¡¯t we just forget all of our problems for the night and do something crazy?" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Chapter 12[Song Recommendation: Justine Skye - Collide Solo version.]


    Kate squinted as she silently studied the man before her. Of course, she knew exactly what he was talking about. A glance at his crotch told Kate everything that she needed to know.


    She knew it wasn¡¯t right to instigate this conversation when she was already tipsy.


    But fuck logic and morality.


    She was here to get drunk, and vent her frustrations and sadness, she was not here to be a proper lady.


    ¡¯And why do I need to be a proper lady and a good wife when my husband can¡¯t even keep his dick in his pants?¡¯


    "And what do you mean by that, Sir?" the corner of Kate¡¯s lip rose to a smirk. It was a sarcastic remark knowing that he was all but a proper gentleman.


    "We¡¯re throwing Sir¡ªstuff now? Seems you know what I like already," the man teased. He patted his lap and said, "Why don¡¯t you come here and we can talk eye to eye, lips to lips perhaps?"


    Kate almost couldn¡¯t hold her smile. This man surely knew how to heat things up.


    But she wasn¡¯t going to play by his rule.


    She lifted her wine bottle to her lips and drank it all in one gulp. The burning sensation on her throat made her wince, but also great to give her the liquid courage she needed.


    She tossed the almost empty wine bottle on the carpet and got up from the sofa.


    The man thought Kate would walk towards him and sit on his lap like a cute obedient cat. To his surprise, she strutted past his chair and stopped in front of the late CEO¡¯s desk.


    She turned around, faced him, and leaned against the desk lazily. Kate grinned as she stared at the man and unbuttoned the first two buttons of her blazer, giving him a peek of her purple push-up bra.


    "I¡¯m not here to be your good, obedient woman," Kate told him bluntly. "So if you want me, then you need to follow my rules today, Mr. Mysterious."


    There was a sharp intake of breath from the man. Kate smirked.


    "Come here," she ordered.


    The man stared at Kate without blinking, as he thought it would be a waste to miss even a millisecond by blinking when such a gorgeous woman was in front of him.


    Kate grinned at him invitingly as she leaned on the desk. Her figure was on perfect display, silhouetted under the office lights and was further highlighted by the night stars that shone from the wide glass pane behind her.


    She looked like a painting that he would regret not buying¡ªor touching, in this case.


    The man took a deep breath and gulped, this was the first time a woman dared to lure and order him around like this. He thought he¡¯d hate it, but surprisingly it turned him on.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he was aroused by her domineering side, or her fucking innate sexiness, but regardless, he was more than willing to fulfil her every request.


    ¡¯Ah, whatever, I won¡¯t miss this chance.¡¯ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man tossed his wine bottle aside and got up. He swaggered towards Kate and stood right in front of her.


    Their eyes met, and Kate couldn¡¯t help but drown under his gaze.


    His green eyes were like a pair of dark emeralds that hypnotized her to abandon all her worries and problems tonight and just go wild.


    "You should probably turn the lights off first," Kate suggested.


    "Why?"


    "Because you might not want to see my face while we¡¯re having sex."


    "And miss the chance to see a beauty squirming beneath me? I¡¯m not an idiot," he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her hips towards him until she could feel his hard cock under his tight jeans. "Or could it be that you want the lights off so you can imagine me as your deadbeat husband, hm?"


    Kate scoffed. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled his shoulder down, "I want you because you¡¯re nothing like him. Turns out you¡¯re everything I need... for tonight at least," Kate said, emphasizing on the last part. She didn¡¯t want him to misunderstand if they bump into each other in future.


    The man grinned and leaned closer, "You¡¯re also everything I need," he whispered, but unlike Kate, he didn¡¯t add the last part. Kate¡¯s heart rate accelerated instantly at the realization.


    Kate wanted to make sure this was just a one time thing. But the man quickly kissed her on the lips, giving her no chance to ask.


    "Ah¡ªmmh..." Kate was surprised at first, but she soon drowned in ecstasy as he deepened the already passionate kiss, only giving her a brief moment to breathe before they continued.


    His kiss started to get even more intoxicating when he successfully coaxed her mouth open, making her dizzy. Kate was only used to Matt¡¯s boring five-second kisses, and his tongue certainly wasn¡¯t as skilled as this new man¡¯s.


    The man finally stopped.


    His lips parted from her reluctantly, and he leaned back to check on Kate¡¯s condition.


    Kate¡¯s eyes were hazy, her cheeks were flushed. But his eyes focused on her lips, which were slightly swollen and tinted red after his kiss.


    "I might¡¯ve gone a bit too far," the man said. "But I can¡¯t help it. Your lips just taste so good, Kate."

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: Chapter 13Kate¡¯s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. That single kiss was more passionate than anything she had experienced with Matt in the bedroom.


    It made her wonder if she might have bitten more than she could chew, but she couldn¡¯t turn back at this point. She wanted him badly, and judging by the intense look in his eyes, so did he.


    The man leaned in and kissed her repeatedly, barely letting Kate catch her breath.


    "D¡ªDo you want to suffocate me or what?" Kate protested as she shakily pushed him away to catch her breath.


    He chuckled, "Sorry, I got too excited."


    The man¡¯s hands began exploring her body, brushing her curvy hips and reaching for her breasts that were still covered by her purple bra. To Kate¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t even bother to unbuckle her bra, he pulled the straps to the side of her shoulder and yanked it down!


    Her breast jiggled in the process, giving a good view for the man in front of her.


    The man whistled and mentioned, "Didn¡¯t I tell you I have a thing for a woman with nice tits?"


    "Wha¡ªUhnn!" Kate moaned as the man suddenly went down and kissed one of her nipples. He didn¡¯t give Kate time to get used to his touch, he was too impatient and horny at this point.


    So he just went down and started kissing around her right breast while using his free hand to fondle the other.


    Kate slowly felt herself losing control. Her gaze soon became glazed out of indescribable pleasure.


    ¡¯Is this how it feels to be wanted by a man? Maybe I¡¯ve been missing so much when I was with Matt,¡¯ Kate thought, near delirious with pleasure. She looked down and saw the man¡¯s blonde hair ruffling around her breasts. She ran her fingers through his blond hair and then pulled him closer until he buried his face into her breast, "Umh¡ªah!"


    The man looked up, and like a viper eyeing his prey, he savored watching Kate drowning in pleasure as he sucked harder.


    He stopped fondling her breast, and his hand unbuttoned and pulled her skirt down. It wasn¡¯t long until Kate realized nothing was left on her except the bra that had been yanked down and her purple panties.


    The man lifted his head to marvel at Kate¡¯s body, especially her big, round breasts that glistened with his saliva. He clicked his tongue in awe and murmured, "This is dangerous."


    Kate¡¯s chest rose and fell with every breath as she stared at his bulge. She looked at his handsome face and asked with her soft, siren-like voice, "What are you waiting for?"


    The man swallowed his saliva. To say that he was horny was an understatement, he was rock hard right now. He couldn¡¯t wait to fuck her.


    Kate didn¡¯t know who this man was, or if she would regret her actions in the future. But the only thing in her mind was to release all her pent-up frustration with him tonight, even if that would be the death of her.


    The man leaned against the desk and put his hand in between their bodies, "You should think about this very carefully first, Kate. You don¡¯t know me, and you don¡¯t know the problems attached to me that you might have to face in the future. I am a very dangerous man with many problems of my own." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate knew that the man was being the logical one now, but she had already told herself to forget about all that, so she pulled him by the collar and gave him a quick kiss, biting at his lower lip, "Then show me how dangerous you can be, just for tonight."


    "... fuck, you¡¯re too brave for your own sake, woman," the man cursed in a low voice. He knew this wouldn¡¯t end well, and they would probably be entangled for life after this. Kate didn¡¯t know his identity, and if he were a better man, he would have told her before they proceeded.


    But no one ever described him as an honest man anyway. If he told her, Kate might leave, and he couldn¡¯t let this bold, alluring woman slip out of his grasp. He ran his finger on the hem of her panties and hooked the sides, ready to take it off. But before he did it, he mentioned, "I didn¡¯t bring any condoms."


    Kate wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her, feeling his hot bulge against her wet core, grinning, "Well, guess you¡¯ll knock me up tonight."


    Kate said it as a joke, of course. She was barren, it didn¡¯t matter whether they wore protection or not because she couldn¡¯t get pregnant either way.


    The man clicked his tongue again, and a smirk finally appeared on his face, "You will be my woman."


    "For tonight?" Kate asked, but the man didn¡¯t answer. His smirk grew deeper, and as he pulled her panties down, exposing her most intimate area to him.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Kate realized that she might have actually bitten off more than she could chew, her eyes widened when the man took off his pants and revealed his manhood. It was easily larger and thicker than Matt¡¯s, and her body trembled in excitement as he lined it up between her legs. Kate couldn¡¯t help but moan in anticipation, making the man smile.


    "There is no turning back, Kate," The man whispered as he pushed himself inside her without hesitation. Kate gasped in pleasure, it had surpassed her expectations.


    He was a beast, each time he thrust with his big, hot cock, she could feel her head spinning in pleasure, she was in pure bliss because he reached depths that Matt could never reach with his two-inch wonder. To think that Matt still thought himself as a king in the bedroom! He was nothing more than a mere footsoldier. Kate felt indignant for her past self.


    As she felt herself come undone on his cock as he whispered in her ear, "Remember my name, Kate. I am..."

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Chapter 14"Ugh, my head...." Kate groaned as she woke up the next morning with an awful hangover after drinking so much last night. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted when the sun from the glass pane hit her eyes.


    She looked around to see where she was right now and found that she was still in the CEO¡¯s office, lying on the long sofa.


    There were a lot of empty wine and bourbon bottles scattered on the carpet, proof that last night was real.


    "Haha, who am I kidding anyway? Of course, it really happened. His big cock is the most real thing I have felt in a long time," Kate chuckled. She began to get up from the sofa and realized she was fully clothed, complete with her blazer covering her upper body. It was obvious that the man carefully dressed her after she fainted from all the sex last night.


    Kate frowned, she didn¡¯t understand how that man could be so rough when they did it but so gentle afterwards. It wasn¡¯t a treatment that she used to get from Matt.


    Usually, he just fucked her for five minutes, then he fell asleep, not even caring whether she had already orgasmed or not, the only thing that mattered to Matt was his own pleasure.


    Come to think of it, Kate had never felt pleasure like she had last night.


    "Is this what they call after-sex treatment, or is it just because my standard for men is on the ground?" Kate wondered.


    She looked around again to see if that man had left something for her, maybe a number or a name card at least.


    But there was nothing in the room except for the wine and bourbon bottles and the empty feeling inside her that marked that man¡¯s presence last night.


    ¡¯He really wants us to stay strangers, huh?¡¯ Kate had to admit that she was a little disappointed. She had never felt so comfortable with a man before. At the very least they could have become friends with benefits, right?


    Sadly, the last thing she recalled from last night was that man whispering his name, but she was so overwhelmed by pleasure that she couldn¡¯t even remember it now.


    "Well, it can¡¯t be helped, I guess...." Kate sighed pitifully.


    She got up from the sofa, and her knees shook as she had just had her guts rearranged last night. She fell back down and sighed before trying to get up once more.


    She grabbed the furniture around her to help herself up as she walked to collect the alcohol bottles, erasing any and all traces of last night. She was lucky it was Saturday, so nobody caught her doing something this crazy in the CEO¡¯s office.


    It took her a while to collect everything, put it inside the wine bag, and walked out the office. She searched for her bag and found it on the CEO¡¯s table next to the late CEO¡ª Mr. James Grant¡¯s name plate.


    She stared at the name plate for a while.


    She forgot to tell the man from last night that his facial features reminded her so much of the man she had admired, her old boss, James Grant. Unfortunately, the man died at thirty-five, single and childless.


    He was the man who gave Kate this job when she was in dire need of money. He was also the one who kept on promoting Kate because he believed in her ability as an editor.


    She never saw him as anything more than a mentor despite his obvious interest in her, though, this was because she was already married. She never looked at another man when she committed to one, she had always been the loyal type.


    ¡¯Well, I should¡¯ve accepted Mr. Grant¡¯s advances since Matt destroyed our marriage by sleeping with my sister," Kate muttered to herself.


    She ran her finger on the bronze name plate and sighed, "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Grant. I was such a hot mess last night."


    Kate grabbed her bag and left the office. She threw the wine bag into the trash can in the lobby before calling an Uber to go to her other apartment not far from the office.


    She owned four apartments, two in Downtown Los Angeles and two she put up for rent in New York City. Thanks to her hard work, she was able to establish all of these assets, yet Matt never appreciated her for all the things she brought to the table.


    She entered her apartment and went straight to the bathroom to clean herself after such a sweaty night.


    Kate showered first before jumping into the bathtub to relax. She scanned her body and traced her finger on all the kiss marks the man had left¡ªmostly her breasts, waist, and inner thigh, it was as if he was desperate to mark her as his.


    "He was like a beast last night," she murmured. "I really didn¡¯t expect him to be so wild. Hell, I didn¡¯t even expect him to stay hard after the first round."


    Kate could feel her pussy starting to throb, longing for that man to touch her again. She felt her crotch dampening, causing her to quickly clamp her thighs together and take a deep breath, calming her mind.


    She leaned her back against the bathtub and submerged her body in the warm water. She stared at the ceiling, trying to break down and process everything that had happened last night.


    She vividly remembered Erin straddling Matt¡¯s lap, half naked. She remembered how her heart shattered into pieces when they told her they were doing her a favor since she was barren.


    She then entered the CEO¡¯s office late at night and met a mysterious handsome man that she could connect with on a whole different level. She told him her worries while they slowly got drunk and she ended up having the most pleasurable night of her life with that man until she passed out with him still inside of her.


    Kate felt this whole thing could have been avoided if Matt managed to keep his dick in his pants. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it really my fault that I¡¯m infertile?" Kate murmured. "Do I have no right just because I¡¯m not a ¡¯complete woman¡¯ like what Barbara told me?" Kate mentioned her mother-in-law who always blamed her for everything wrong with Matt, including his failed acting career. She even told everyone in their small town that Kate was the one who brought bad luck to Matt!

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Chapter 15"Of course, I want to give him a baby. I want a child of my own too!" Kate could feel her blood pressure rising over this topic. She could feel all the tears she had held back the whole night starting to collect in the corner of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.


    ¡¯No, I won¡¯t cry for a useless man like him. It¡¯s humiliating,¡¯ Kate thought to herself.


    She got up from the bathtub after she had enough. She grabbed the towel and then watched her figure in the large bathroom mirror.


    She¡¯d always thought that she had an average figure, but for some reason, something about her managed to seduce the young man in the office last night.


    Her eyes wandered from her full breasts to her curved hips and to her flat stomach which she worked hard to maintain. But still, in her eyes it was nothing seductive or alluring, not like other women.


    Her long, wavy ginger hair loosely fell, reaching her hips. She rarely kept it untied when she went outside, because she always wanted to look professional, she often kept it in a tight bun, especially at work. She knew that she had to look professional to be taken seriously by the people at work.


    She avoided wearing anything that could be misinterpreted as suggestive, she made sure to wear loose non-flattering clothes and rarely wore tight dresses or a suit. She tried wearing a tight one for a month when she first came to the office, because she also wanted to dress up for herself. But the men she worked with actually accused her of using her body to climb up the ranks as they looked at her with their lust filled gaze.


    "Gross," Kate shivered. She¡¯d usually feel disgusted when those men ogled at her body with their hungry eyes. But for some reason, she didn¡¯t have the same disgusted feeling when her boss, Mr. James Grant checked her out.


    She could see the fire in his eyes every time they talked, it was as if he was fighting his own demons, resisting the urge not to pounce on her. Fortunately, he was a proper gentleman, so he never actually tried to take advantage of Kate.


    As she remembered the late CEO, an image flashed in her mind.


    A pair of green, viper-like eyes devouring her body from head to toe.


    Unlike Mr. James Grant, that mysterious man didn¡¯t even bother to hide his lust. He didn¡¯t beat around the bush, whether it was his sheer audacity or the alcohol, she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡¯Those eyes... for some reason, I didn¡¯t feel disgusted as he stared at me ....¡¯


    Kate felt her body heat up again as she remembered what happened last night. She touched the marks he left all over her body, they were mostly on her collar and breasts.


    As she scanned her body her eyes dropped to her midrift, it seemed that man also gave her a few hickeys around her lower belly.


    Kate slowly caressed her stomach and sighed, and a strange feeling of hope popped into her mind, "What if I can actually get pregnant? Maybe it was Matt who is infertile. After all, we never took a proper fertility test, so we didn¡¯t really know for sure if the problem was in him or me. "


    ...


    "Okay, now I¡¯m talking crazy," Kate chuckled as she put the towel on and dried her hair. "Let¡¯s just forget about what happened last night, and find a way to deal with that useless bastard. I also have work to do."


    **


    Kate booked an Uber and went straight to the apartment she had purchased for her and Matt. All she was planning to do was to grab her possessions and completely move out of that place, because there was no way she¡¯d live with those two fuckers.


    "Okay, I can do this, just ignore those two and get what you need, Kate," Kate said to herself as she gathered the courage and stood before the apartment door.


    She used the spare key and unlocked the door. She didn¡¯t even bother to knock or ring the doorbell because this was her apartment in the first place. She was the one who had bought it with her own money.


    She expected to see Matt and Erin fucking like rabbits on the sofa as soon as she entered. But to her surprise, there was no sign of Erin anywhere in her apartment.


    All she saw was Matt sitting on the sofa, wearing a stained shirt and boxers, watching Netflix while eating his lunch. He was being his usual deadbeat self as if the whole cheating incident with her little sister last night was all a figment of Kate¡¯s imagination.


    Matt turned his head to look at the door when he heard it open and their eyes met.


    They stared at each other silently for a moment, then Matt shattered the awkward silence, "Erin went out to meet her friends."


    Kate ignored him and went straight to the master bedroom.


    Matt initially sat still, watching Kate¡¯s back as she disappeared into the room they once shared, but he couldn¡¯t help himself as he ended up getting off the couch to follow her.


    He leaned against the door frame and watched as Kate busy packed her things inside a big luggage. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He watched as she packed her work manuscripts, cosmetics, car key, and jewelry inside the hand bag. She also put her good dresses into the luggage. The only dress that was left untouched was her wedding dress.


    Matt wanted to keep silent, but he couldn¡¯t hold himself back when he saw that she was clearly leaving him.


    "Erin and I are just doing it so I can have a baby. You¡¯re still my official wife."

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Chapter 16Kate paused for a moment. Her heart was aching not because she loved Matt, but because of his casual tone. He made it seem as if cheating was an ordinary thing and that Kate shouldn¡¯t be upset about it.


    What made it worse was the way he tried to assure Kate that she would still be his "Official Wife."


    As if he thought it was what she wanted.


    Kate didn¡¯t turn around to confront him, she did not want Matt to see how much grief and pain his words gave her. So she simply continued packing her dresses and shoes inside her luggage and stayed silent, acting like she hadn¡¯t heard a single word coming out of his filthy mouth.


    Matt clicked his tongue, "Why are you throwing a tantrum like this? You know well enough that I¡¯m not sleeping with Erin by choice, right? This is all because of you, it¡¯s your fault, because you are barren and barely a woman!? You¡¯ve failed to fulfill your responsibility, it¡¯s natural for me to find another woman to have a child with."


    Kate clenched one of her dresses as she continued to ignore him. She knew that she¡¯d get even more upset if she responded.


    Matt¡¯s patience started to thin. He had been kind enough to explain their situation, and he thought that Kate should have at least understood his position.


    Matt marched up behind her and grabbed her arm. He stopped her from finishing packing her things, "You know there is a lot of pressure from my mom. She wants to have a grandchild, and you can¡¯t give her that one simple request. Besides, Erin is your sister, right? She¡¯s the best candidate for me to have a child with, being sisters, you both naturally look similar and share the same genes. You shouldn¡¯t be upset about this, at least I chose her amongst dozen of women who want me."


    Kate finally turned around and glared at Matt with her eyes red from holding back her tears.


    Matt was startled when he saw the tears in the corner of her eyes. He thought that Kate was unaffected by the whole thing because she always looked cold and distant towards him in the entirity of their marriage.


    But it seemed that he was wrong.


    Kate tried to swallow her grief because she had already told herself plenty of times not to cry for this bastard.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s my sister or a random hooker on the street. You still cheated. There is no justification in that," she replied with a hoarse voice.


    "I am justified in all of this, had it not been because of your infertility, we wouldn¡¯t have come to this situation," Matt insisted.


    "Oh yeah? What if you¡¯re the one who¡¯s infertile. We¡¯ve never been medically tested because you always refused to do so!"


    Matt¡¯s lips thinned, "You know it¡¯s your fault. When a married couple can¡¯t get pregnant, it¡¯s usually the woman¡¯s fault. Even everyone in our families is blaming you because you can¡¯t get pregnant."


    "Kate, you should compensate me for your inability to conceive by allowing me to sleep with some woman outside. It¡¯s the least you could do¨C."


    "THE LEAST?!" Kate raised her voice. But she quickly toned it down, knowing that getting angry at this ignorant man would be a waste of her time and energy.


    She pushed Matt away from her and said, "So we are going traditional shit now? Then compensate me for your inability to get money! You haven¡¯t earned a dime since last year!"


    Matt¡¯s eyes darkened, "You know that I¡¯ve been trying my best. Acting gigs are hard to get in LA. There are so many new actors with connections, and they¡¯re making the competition more and more difficult for me. You¡¯re nitpicking at this point."


    Usually, Kate would shut up after Matt mentioned that he had already tried his best. The excuse for why he failed was that the competition was fierce, or he didn¡¯t have any connections, or that the role was given to someone more popular, there was always an excuse.


    But then she remembered the mysterious man from last night.


    He was effortlessly handsome, unreal even, charming, and a total show-stealer even when he was already half drunk. That man reminded Kate that Matt was not on par in any aspect, and the probability of him succeeding in the entertainment industry was close to zero. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Matt was handsome in the traditional sense, he lacked the charisma that mysterious man had, and that was absolutely necessary when you were in the acting industry.


    Thus, Kate toughened her heart and finally answered back, "You know that you¡¯ve failed to break through the industry, yet you refused to find another job. You forced me to work my ass off, and I did. I wanted to be a good wife for you, Matt. But it¡¯s not enough, right?"


    Kate returned to her luggage and zipped it. All she needed was in her bag. She didn¡¯t care about most of her clothes because she could always buy new ones.


    Among the clothes she kept, however, were her dresses and evening gowns. Things that she wore only when she thought she could to impress her husband when they were having a night out and in bed.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough to keep him interested, it seemed.


    "So be it, I will just leave this apartment and we will live separate lives. If you want to fuck Erin¡ªor whatever hooker you may find, then do it. But I will not tolerate your bullshit, I¡¯ll begin to process the divorce. My lawyer will be in touch."

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: Chapter 17Kate dragged her heavy luggage out of the master bedroom. But was stopped at the door because Matt refused to move out of the way, blocking her from leaving.


    "Move," Kate said with a commanding voice.


    Matt¡¯s lips thinned as he thought hard about how to keep her in the room. He truly believed that Kate was just throwing a tantrum. She made this problem bigger than it actually was.


    "You¡¯re seriously throwing a tantrum over something so simple? Do you know how childish it is that you are leaving me because I slept with your sister once?" Matt scolded. "And don¡¯t get me started with that divorce bullshit. You know that you won¡¯t be able to divorce me."


    "Don¡¯t test me, Matt," Kate said. "You make it sound as if divorcing you is a difficult thing to do. You bring NOTHING to the table. You¡¯re not a good househusband, not a breadwinner, and you¡¯re not even loyal. I have 1001 reasons to leave you, but I don¡¯t, because¡ª" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because you still love me, right?" Matt completed her sentence confidently as he smiled knowing that he was right.


    Matt sighed and shook his head, he made it seem like he actually pittied Kate because of how she felt. "I know you¡¯re hopeless. Just stop this tantrum, okay? I know you love me too much to leave me."


    Kate gritted her teeth and pushed her heavy luggage, crushing Matt¡¯s toe with the wheel.


    "Ouch! Ouch! Urgh!" Matt fell on the floor, groaning as he felt a sharp, aching pain on his toe. "You¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t flatter yourself, Matt," Kate said as she pushed the luggage out the door. "The reason why I didn¡¯t leave you sooner is because of my mother. I don¡¯t want her to be sad. I didn¡¯t want her to know that I chose the wrong man to marry. I wouldn¡¯t even have dated you back then, if I had known that you¡¯d become a deadbeat who can¡¯t even keep his two-inch dick in his pants."


    "You!" Matt wanted to catch up to Kate, who was marching away from him, but his toe was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t even stand up. "You¡¯ll regret this, Kate! You know that you¡¯re the problem here! I wouldn¡¯t even need to sleep with Erin if you could give me a baby!"


    Kate stopped in her tracks and clenched her fist, she wanted so badly to punch that bastard for stupid stuff coming out of his mouth. But Kate was not an idiot, she knew he might charge her with domestic abuse as he fabricated some false charges against her.


    It wasn¡¯t worth the trouble in the end.


    So she tried to ignore him as she continued to walk across the foyer.


    Matt got angrier when he saw Kate seemed to be unaffected by his words. He was willing to be patient because Kate was the breadwinner, but she should also respect him!


    He was the man of the house! Of course, she should know her place as a woman and a wife!


    "You should know that I would never have cheated on you if you at least cared for me!" Matt yelled. "You¡¯re so busy with your job that you don¡¯t even have time to serve me anymore!"


    Kate felt like her heart had been stabbed by Matt¡¯s words.


    At the begining of their marriage she dedicated everything for him. She never had plans of working so much. Her plan was to be a homemaker while doing a part-time job on the side, so she could have time with her husband and, hopefully, her baby.


    But his career wasn¡¯t taking off. They were short of money because he refused to find another job. All he wanted to do was to attend auditions when he felt like it. Hence, she had to work like a dog to support the both of them. She was planning to work nonstop until she had saved enough for an early retirement to finally spend more time with Matt.


    But her dreams had been crushed by Matt and this deadbeat still had the audacity to blame her!


    So she finally turned around and glared at Matt, still kneeling on the floor as he nursed what was in reality just a small injury, "I did everything for us! I worked my ass off so I could give you a good life because you couldn¡¯t even find a job! God, why are you so entitled!?"


    "Entitled?! It¡¯s my right as your husband for you to serve me!" Matt yelled back. "It¡¯s your responsibility to become a good housewife after work, and you¡¯re still obliged to take care of your looks! Why do I have to see you looking like an old witch every time you return home? Do you think that even excites me?"


    "Oh my god! Have you ever looked in a mirror? Just look at your figure, you have a belly that makes you look like you¡¯re the one that¡¯s pregnant! And look at your clothes, all you wear is a stained shirt, you are always unshaved and musty as hell, and you still have the audacity to call me a witch? You look like a fucking gremlin!" Kate finally snapped. "Ugh, I¡¯m so done with you, Matt. Please just shut up before I fucking slap your musty-ass-face!"


    Kate quickly dragged her luggage away despite Matt¡¯s protest. He wanted to argue more because he thought Kate was being seriously unreasonable. But she kept ignoring him and slammed the door behind her as she left.


    "You bitch!" Matt shouted. But Kate was not there anymore to take the beating. "Urgh, just wait until I get my big break, you will regret ever saying those words to me, you ungrateful bitch!"

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Chapter 18Kate took a deep breath after she slammed the door of the apartment behind her. She was still trying to process what had just happened.


    She was furious with herself because, despite everything that had happened, everything that that man had done, she had to admit that she was still in love with Matt. Aside from her mother¡¯s weak heart that prevented her from hearing bad news, it was her love for Matt that made Kate stay for so long despite him being a useless man.


    All she ever wanted was to have a good life with Matt because he was her first in everything. Her first love, her first kiss, and the first and only man she gave herself to, at least until last night. In her mind, in the past, he was the ideal man, the man she dreamed to love and settle down with.


    Kate thought she¡¯d forget about Matt in just one night, but all those years spent together, the years they had been dating and later on the years they were married were simply too hard to erase.


    There would be traces of him in her heart forever, good or bad.


    "It¡¯s time to move on, Kate," Kate reminded herself as she toughened up and hardened her heart. "There is no turning back, and you don¡¯t want to tolerate his cheating. Don¡¯t let him stomp your dignity."


    Thus, Kate finally left. She put her luggage and bag inside her car and drove to her other apartment, where she would be staying from today until she decided to get a better place.


    The moment Kate caught Matt cheating she had already made up her mind about divorcing him, but she just needed to time things right, her mother¡¯s health kept getting worse each day and Kate wanted to protect her from the news.


    "I don¡¯t know what Mom will say if she finds out that Matt cheated with Erin. She might actually get a heart attack...." Kate murmured.


    Aside from that, she also didn¡¯t want to just hand over 50% of her wealth to Matt because he didn¡¯t do anything to earn it.


    He wasn¡¯t even a good househusband, he didn¡¯t clean or cook. He just called the housekeeping service once per three days, and ordered food through food delivery apps, all with her money, of course!


    "Maybe I should call the bank and cancel my credit card. I don¡¯t want to feed Matt¡¯s and Erin¡¯s filthy mouths with my hard-earned money," Kate wondered. She didn¡¯t know how they would react, especially Erin.


    Unfortunately, Kate had no one but herself to blame, she had spoiled Erin since she was a child. "I¡¯ll have to think carefully about this first...."


    Kate grabbed her phone and searched for the process for filing for a divorce, she then googled how to nullify a prenup since her marriage to Matt was bound by one.


    "Ugh, that stupid prenup. What was I thinking back then?" Kate blamed herself for being so gullible. She had no idea that a small prenuptial agreement that they had signed before marriage could potentially be used against her.


    According to the agreement, if she divorced Matt, he¡¯d get half of her assets, living his best life without doing anything. He was a freeloader and Kate didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    He didn¡¯t deserve to live a good life after cheating on Kate, she wanted him to be poor because he was not even capable of getting a proper job.


    Kate was well aware that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find a solution to her problems at the moment, at least not when her mind was in chaos..


    She decided to just put everything aside and chose to focus on working again. She still had a lot to do since her job as Chief Editor was demanding. The new CEO would come to the office in a month or two, so she had to help prepare everything he needed to know about the company.


    Mrs. Cadwaller¡ªthe higher-up from the parent company, kept nagging her to prepare everything because, apparently, this new CEO was a ¡¯very important young man,¡¯ which in Kate¡¯s mind translated into a spoiled baby born with a silver spoon.


    Working was also Kate¡¯s escape.


    In fact, the idea of working herself to death didn¡¯t sound too bad.


    ¡¯I¡¯d rather be numb from working than having to feel the pain of heartbreak,¡¯ Kate thought. Her fingers stopped typing when she realized that her gaze was slowly becoming blurry as tears fell from her eyes. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was this empty feeling in her heart right now. Though she could mask her sadness by working nonstop, the hole in her heart kept getting wider and wider until it was excruciating.


    "What to do to fill this hole in my heart?" Kate pondered as she placed her palm over her chest. She closed her eyes, and the image that appeared was that mysterious man she had met in the office.


    "I want to meet him again..." she murmured as she followed the voice in her heart.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Chapter 19A month and a half had passed since that eventful day, and things had not changed for Kate.


    She was still busy working, and Matt was still busy being his useless self. The only difference was in the status of their relationship. She had blocked Matt from her phone because that bastard kept texting and calling her, he kept asking her not to be a tantrum-throwing bitch, and telling her to return home as soon as possible because her decision to leave was ¡¯unreasonable and childish.¡¯


    Kate threw herself on the bed after a long day at work. She was in a constant state of exhaustion these days. She felt that her body had been significantly weakened at the start of the month, at first she thought it was because she was being overworked, but she wasn¡¯t really working more than normal. As a matter of fact, she had actually been sleeping more.


    "Am I sick?" she asked herself. "I don¡¯t usually get sick that easily. But maybe the stress is too much on me these days."


    She checked the calendar on her phone and frowned when she realized she hadn¡¯t had her period this month. She was over for a week delayed, making her anxious because this had never happened before, her period was always on time.


    "Huh, that¡¯s weird," She murmured. "I usually always get my period on time, even when I¡¯m stressed or sick. What¡¯s wrong with me?"


    She tried to recall everything that happened in the past month which might have placed her under too much stress and might have caused her to miss her period.


    There was Matt cheating on her with her sister, that placed her under so much stress, but Kate felt that it wasn¡¯t enough to make her miss her period. She felt there must be another reason.


    She pondered for a while until an idea popped into her head, and her face paled instantly, "Oh no, don¡¯t tell me¨C."


    Kate jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. She checked her face in the mirror and leaned in to zoom around her lips. She sighed in relief after finding no strangeness on her face, "Oh god, what if it¡¯s Herpes, or even worse, HIV?!"


    She might not be able to get pregnant, but that didn¡¯t mean she was immune to STDs. She had sex with that mysterious man without protection over a month ago, and based on her limited understanding, unprotected sex could have exposed her to a sexually transmitted disease.


    "What if the reason I feel so sluggish these days, and skipped my period, is because I contracted HIV? Shit!" Kate panicked. She began to regret having sex with that mysterious man that night. "You¡¯re such an idiot, Kate! Why are you exposing yourself to a man like that? He¡¯s so handsome and wild, of course, he must¡¯ve fucked so many random women. His dick must be riddled with STDs!" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate scolded herself for the stupidity he knew she couldn¡¯t let this go unchecked for long, "I have to get tested in the hospital. I don¡¯t want to die young because of that stupid man!"


    **


    Kate went to the hospital early in the morning after a night of tossing and turning in bed. She was so scared that she might not wake up the next day if she slept.


    "I swear to god if I got sick and died because of that man, I¡¯d haunt him for the rest of his life!" Kate cursed.


    She kept blaming herself because she actually fell for that man¡¯s charm that night and allowed him to do whatever he wished with her body. She even told him to go wild because she liked it, and now she had to pay the price of her wild night.


    Kate followed the procedure for the STD test and paid for the express service so she could get her result within a few hours of the test.


    She sat inside a doctor¡¯s office. Her eyes scanned around, and she saw a few posters of STD warnings, which scared her even more.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Woods," the Doctor greeted as he opened the door. He had a document in his hand, which Kate guessed to be her test result.


    "Good morning, Doctor," Kate greeted perfunctorily. "How¡¯s the test result? Am I alright?" She asked quickly as she felt antsy.


    The Doctor sat on the seat facing Kate and then opened the document. He gave it a brief read and frowned at the bottom.


    "Mrs. Woods, I see nothing wrong with your body," The Doctor said. "You haven¡¯t contracted any sexually transmitted disease."


    "Oh thank god...." Kate muttered spontaneously. "I really thought I¡¯d die...."


    The Doctor closed the folder and put it on the table. He rested his elbow on the table and cupped his hands, "This might be a little personal, but may I know why you did an STD test, Mrs. Woods? Are there any symptoms that made you come for a test?"


    Kate swallowed when she was confronted by that question. She felt a little ashamed because this was the first time she had had sex with a man other than Matt, and she had even done it without protection.


    But she knew the Doctor was just doing his job, so she answered him honestly, "I recently had unprotected sex with a man I had just met. This is my first time doing it with someone that isn¡¯t my normal partner, so, and I... I¡¯m just worried that I might¡¯ve contracted a disease from him."

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Chapter 20The Doctor seemed to have caught on to something she had said, so he prodded further, "And when did that happen, Ma¡¯am?"


    "About a month and a half ago," Kate replied.


    "Did you experience any changes in your body recently?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, yeah. I¡¯ve been feeling sluggish. I have been way more exhausted than usual, and I feel dizzy at times," Kate recounted to the doctor. "I also missed my period. It¡¯s been over a week, which is very strange for me because I¡¯ve never missed my period even when I¡¯m stressed with work."


    "I see..." the Doctor cleared his throat. "You should get yourself tested again, Mrs. Woods."


    Kate frowned, "I¡ªIs there something wrong with my result, Doctor? You said that my results were all negative, why do I have to get tested again?"


    "Not a test STDs, Mrs. Woods," the Doctor told her calmly. "You should get a pregnancy test. What you have been experiencing are the early signs of pregnancy, Ma¡¯am."


    "P¡ªPregnancy?!" That word sounded like thunder in a clear sky for Kate. She was dazed for a while before she chuckled because oh how ridiculous the doctor¡¯s words were. "Ah, pardon me, Doctor. I was just surprised by what you said just now."


    "May I know what¡¯s so surprising about it, Mrs. Woods?"


    Kate smiled bitterly at the doctor as she continued, "There is no way I can get pregnant, Doctor. I¡¯m infertile, that¡¯s why I had so confidently allowed that man to have unprotected sex with me."


    "That is a bold claim, Ma¡¯am. May I know if you have ever done a fertility test?"


    "W¡ªWell, no...." Kate replied. She wanted to do a fertility test years ago, but Matt always blamed her because she couldn¡¯t get pregnant, and each time she brought it up, he¡¯d say that kind of test wasn¡¯t needed when the result was obvious already.


    "Then there is no reason for you to claim that you¡¯re infertile, Ma¡¯am," the Doctor added. "But if you don¡¯t want to do a fertility test, you should just buy a pregnancy test kit in the nearest drug store and take the test yourself."


    "But I¡¯ve been trying to have a baby with my husband¡ªI mean, my ex-husband, and we always failed," Kate said.


    "Has he ever gone to a doctor for a fertility test?" The Doctor asked, and Kate shook her head.


    The Doctor sighed, "Ma¡¯am, there is also a high probability that your ex-husband might be the one who¡¯s infertile."


    Kate was silent as she processed the doctor¡¯s words. When he realized that she was deep in thought the doctor took the initiative and spoke first.


    "I highly recommend that you take a test first, ma¡¯am, because I truly believe that you¡¯re experiencing early symptoms of pregnancy, especially after you had unprotected sex with another man."


    Kate opened her mouth. She was thinking of a way to rebuke the Doctor.


    But then she realized the Doctor could be right.


    She always believed she was the barren one because she was a woman.


    Nobody ever questioned Matt. Everyone just assumed that Matt was fertile since he looked healthy and able. So the blame was put on her head instead.


    It made her feel hopeless and depressed, thinking that she had failed to be a good wife to Matt. Then she started working her ass off to support Matt during his struggle as an upcoming actor to compensate for what she lacked.


    The Doctor sighed when he saw Kate starting to blank space because of the news. It must¡¯ve been difficult to process since she was accustomed to thinking that infertility was always the woman¡¯s fault.


    "You may leave now, Mrs. Woods. Please get yourself tested for pregnancy."


    **


    Kate left the Doctor¡¯s office and drove back to her apartment.


    Her mind was a mess the whole drive back but she made sure to stop at the nearest drugstore and bought a pregnancy test kit.


    She returned to her apartment and went straight to the bathroom.


    Kate sat on the bathroom stool for a while, staring at the pregnancy test kit in her hand, "What if I¡¯m actually pregnant?"


    The idea of being pregnant made Kate excited but at the same time she feared it. She was excited by the idea that she could have a child of her own, a child she had wished for for so long.


    But she was also scared because the baby¡¯s father wasn¡¯t Matt.


    It was a random one-night stand.


    She felt it¡¯d be difficult for her to explain this whole predicament to her mother and probably Matt¡¯s family as well.


    She knew that everyone would call her a cheating whore because of this, even though she slept with another man only because Matt had been cheating on her with her own sister.


    But one thing was for sure.


    Even if everyone condemned her because she got pregnant by another man, she still wouldn¡¯t abort the baby.


    "No matter what happens, I will never abort it. Even if I have to be a single mother, I¡¯ll still raise it and give it a good life. This is my flesh and blood, the baby I¡¯ve been waiting for so long...."


    Thus, with a resolute will, she opened the pregnancy test kit and took a deep breath, "Here goes nothing."


    **


    Kate waited around five minutes to see the two blue stripes she had so desperately wished for for the past five years.


    Her hand trembled as she felt unprecedented joy in her heart.


    Tears slowly fell from her eyes as she murmured in her shaky voice, "I¡¯m going to be a mother...."

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Chapter 21Kate felt that her heart would burst out of her chest from sheer joy. She couldn¡¯t care less who the baby¡¯s father was right now. All she knew was that she¡¯d be a mother soon, and nothing was going to stop her from having this baby!


    Besides, she was already financially stable on her own, so she could raise the baby alone!


    In fact, she was delighted that Matt wasn¡¯t the baby¡¯s father, which meant the baby wouldn¡¯t have any bad seeds from him. The baby wouldn¡¯t have the seed of an entitled, useless man with an inflated ego, which was such a relief!


    Now, the only problem was how to tell her mother. Even if her mother had never told her, Kate knew that she had always hoped for a grandchild.


    Of course, she could tell her mother that she was pregnant, but then her mother naturally thought that this baby was Matt¡¯s, and Kate didn¡¯t want that.


    Kate fell into a trance as she stepped out of the bathroom, her mind occupied by the recent events.


    "Let¡¯s just forget about that for a moment. The baby is only one month old, I can tell my mom about the baby once I¡¯ve successfully divorced Matt," Kate told herself as she shoved the negative thoughs aside. "I think things would be easier to explain after we¡¯re officially divorced."


    After deciding not to tell her mother about the pregnancy just yet, Kate started researching about pregnancy.


    She had read a lot about the do¡¯s and don¡¯ts during pregnancy, but that was years ago before she had lost hope and tried to erase any sliver of hope that she could get pregnant from her mind.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that years later she¡¯d be reading about it again?


    When Kate tapped her office card to clock in and then walked through her office corridor, her mind was occupied by thoughts and worries about her pregnancy, so she ignored every coworker who greeted her.


    She had her face glued on the phone screen, searching through the food she shouldn¡¯t eat during pregnancy. She didn¡¯t want to mess this up, she wanted to do the best for her child even before he or she was born.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Woods."


    Kate lifted her gaze slightly upon hearing a familiar voice and then smiled at one of the editors who worked under her. She was a new employee, but she was diligent and so Kate had a good impression about her, "Morning, Mai. Did you finish checking the manuscript I sent yesterday?"


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am."


    "Good, then put the file on my desk, I¡¯ll give it a quick check," Kate told Mai.


    "Ah¡ªabout that, um...." Mai looked flustered and even blushed when Kate gave her insturctions. "I¡ªI already placed it on the CEO¡¯s desk. He said he wanted to read it himself...."


    "CEO?" Kate frowned. Her eyes darted to the CEO¡¯s office. The faint glow of the lights from inside made Kate nervous. Those lights had not been switched on since Mr. James Grant¡¯s death.


    Well, except for that one time when she slept with a mysterious man inside the CEO¡¯s office and got pregnant, of course.


    Kate blushed at the thought, if anyone in the office found out, she would be in a lot of trouble, and yet she had no regret of what she did that night, because it brought her so much joy.


    "The new CEO is already in the office, Ma¡¯am. He came early this morning," Mai informed Kate. She glanced at Kate¡¯s office and looked anxiously before whispering, "The Iron Lady is in your office, by the way. I just want to make sure you¡¯re ready because she doesn¡¯t seem to be very happy."


    Kate¡¯s brows creased deeper, "I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Mai."


    ** S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate put her phone inside her blazer pocket and headed to her office.


    She opened the door and was greeted by the sight of a woman in her fifties sitting on a chair in front of Kate¡¯s office desk. She was wearing a formal blazer. Her hair was bob-styled, and she wore glasses that could serve as a magnifying glass.


    Her face soured as Kate entered the office.


    Kate straightened her back and greeted the director from the parent company formally, "Good morning, Mrs. Cadwaller, may I know why you are here, in my office without prior notice or an appointment?"


    "Where have you been, Mrs. Woods?" the Iron Lady snapped. She pointed at the clock on the wall. "It¡¯s almost ten. You¡¯re late."


    Kate almost rolled her eyes at the woman before her. She was exhausted and barely slept a wink because she was busy worrying about STDs last night.


    Besides, she had nothing to do at the office except for a meeting at two in the afternoon. She deserved at least a break, she worked her ass off for the company.


    "Mrs. Cadwaller, I¡¯m not here to be lectured by you. I completed all my work last night, and I¡¯m the one that has been running this company for the past three months since Mr. Grant¡¯s death," Kate boasted about her achievement making sure that the Iron Lady knew how vital she was to the company. She wasn¡¯t the type to abuse someone with her position, but that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d let anyone stomp all over her without reason.


    Mrs. Cadwaller shrank back in her seat, slightly intimidated by Kate because what she had said was true.


    Kate was the one who had been running the company for the past three months, and it had been performing well even without Mr. James Grant¡¯s presence.


    She was also great at her job. She could always tell if a manuscript would become a best-seller that the company would profit highly from.


    Kate sat on her chair and leaned forward until her elbow rested on the desk, "So, may I know why are you here?"


    Mrs. Cadwaller turned around, stared at Kate for a moment, and then said, "The new CEO is here."

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Obviously, Kate already knew about this because Mai had informed her just now. She had seen with her own eyes the lit office that had been empty for months. But she acted surprised in front of Cadwaller


    "He¡¯s already here?" Kate asked. "I thought you said that he will be comingto the office next month. You know that I¡¯m not ready. I still have to prepare all the reports for him, right?"


    Mrs. Cadwaller clicked her tongue. As much as she wanted to scold Kate she knew that Kate wasn¡¯t the one at fault here.


    It was that damn brat! He just did as he wanted, he came and left on a whim.


    But she still had to put up with it because that young man held an extremely important position in the company.


    "You see, the new CEO is very... unpredictable," Mrs. Cadwaller said with a strong disapproving tone in her voice. "He is only twenty-four years old, fresh out of university¡ªGod knows how he managed to graduate on time¡ªand now he is treating this company like a playground."


    "So you¡¯re asking me to take care of this manchild, is that what you¡¯re saying?" Kate sneered. She already expected this from the moment Mrs. Cadwaller told her the new CEO would be twelve years younger than the late Mr. James Grant.


    "Yes," Mrs. Cadwaller said without hesitation. "You¡¯re going to take care of a manchild whose whim might destroy the company. But you can¡¯t do anything about him because he is...."


    Mrs. Cadwaller looked over her shoulder, making sure that Kate had already closed the door, and then lowered her voice, "Mr. James Grant¡¯s little brother."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened.


    "W¡ªWait¡ªyou never told me this before," Kate interrupted. "This man is the new heir of the Grant family¡¯s century-old businesses?!"


    "Sshh!" Mrs. Cadwaller put her index over her lips. "Don¡¯t let him hear you. He doesn¡¯t like it when you mention that in front of him!"


    "Huh, why? He¡¯s obviously the heir of a multi-billion dollar company. What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯d be happily flaunting it all over the world if I were him," Kate said carelessly. "Or could it be that his position is tentative? How many children does Marlon Grant have?" Kate asked, mentioning the president of Grant Industries and the patriarch of the Grant family.


    "Only two," Mrs. Cadwaller replied. "After Mr. James Grant passed away, this young man is the only surviving child and heir. So his position is unshakeable."


    "Then why does he not want to admit who he is and accept his position?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. Probably because he doesn¡¯t want to be seen as an absolute nepo baby," Mrs. Cadwaller replied.


    Kate felt contempt for this man despite never having met him. She came from a humble background, it wasn¡¯t easy for her to reach her current status. In fact, it took a toll on her physical and mental well-being, as well as on her marriage.


    And yet, this young man just breezed in without any problem in life and still refused to admit he was a nepo baby.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m in your office because the new CEO told me to ¡¯scold¡¯ you for being late to work. I know the others call me the Iron Lady, but I¡¯m not cruel enough to actually scold you without reason," Mrs. Cadwaller said. "I know you¡¯ve done a lot for this publishing company, Kate. This publishing company was dying before you joined in."


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile at the praise Mrs. Cadwaller had given her.


    "Thank you. I¡¯ll try my best to be a babysitter for this new heir," Kate sighed.


    "Mhm, good luck with him. I recommend that you stock up on anti-depressants, because this man was seriously¡ªhe isn¡¯t even 10% of Mr. James Grant," Mrs. Cadwaller said, but then she had a second thought. "He¡¯s much more handsome and charismatic than James Grant, though. He should¡¯ve been a supermodel or an actor. Being a CEO at Grant Industries is a waste of that face. Well, if you¡¯re into that kind of guy, of course."


    Kate scoffed. She remembered Matt, who was conventionally handsome but was useless as hell.


    "I¡¯m not into useless nepo babies, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m also not into a guy who¡¯s all looks but no skills."


    Mrs. Cadwaller shrugged before leaving Kate¡¯s office, giving Kate enough time to rest before she had to face the big bad manchild in the CEO¡¯s office.


    Kate took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and leaned back on her chair, "Great, the first day of my pregnancy, and I¡¯m already going to be tormented by a spoiled brat who can barely fend for himself. I hope my baby won¡¯t be born with anger issues because of this."


    Kate lowered her head and stared at her flat stomach. She had a thin smile as she slowly caressed it. She was excited to see her belly growing bigger soon. Maybe she could feel a kick or two from the baby later on. She truly looked forward to her pregnancy and motherhood. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate snapped out of her daze when she heard a knock on the door, "Who¨C?"


    "It¡¯s Mai, Ma¡¯am," Mai answered from outside. "Mr. Grant wants to see you."


    Kate took a deep breath and said, ¡¯You can do this, Kate.¡¯


    **


    Kate stood before the CEO¡¯s office for a moment as she gathered her courage and took a deep breath when she was ready she lifted her hand and knocked thrice.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    There was no answer from inside. Kate glanced at Mai, who was standing next to her. She had been turned into the temporary secretary by the new CEO without notice, which already showed what kind of man he was.


    "He told me to just let you in," Mai said.


    Kate nodded. She had rehearsed her introduction in her head one last time before she opened the door and walked in.


    "Good Morning, sir, I am Katherine Woods, the Editor-In-Chief of Emperor Publishing. I¡¯ve been in this position for the past two years. You said that you want to meet me¡ª"


    Kate stopped her introduction once she saw the new CEO. He sat on the same seat where the mysterious man from that night sat. He had the same striking blonde hair, but this time, it had been neatly combed back, magnifying his handsome features and making him even more pleasing to the eyes.


    He wore a fitting suit that perfectly framed the muscles hidden underneath. It also covered the snake tattoo on his arm to make him look more professional.


    He had the same deep green, viper-like eyes that gazed at Kate intensely that night. On top of all of that, he had the same evil grin as his eyes scanned Kate from head to toe as if she was prey he had caught during a night hunt.


    The new CEO was the same man she met on that fateful night.


    The man who gave her the best sex she ever had in life, the man who helped her release all of her grief and frustration, and the father of her baby.


    The man¡¯s grin turned deeper as he found Kate¡¯s shocked face to be quite funny. Then he said with his deep and alluring voice, "It¡¯s been a while, Kitty."

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Chapter 23"You¡ª"


    Kate was speechless and felt that her day had been turned upside down, it was as if the world wanted to play a joke on her. She got one surprise after another, from the pregnancy, to the fact that her new boss was the same man she spent the most amazing night with, which also happened to be the baby¡¯s father.


    "Hey, why do you keep making that funny face," the man chuckled. "Don¡¯t tell me that you actually had no idea that I¡¯d be your new boss."


    The man got up and swaggered towards his desk. He leaned on his desk and put his hands in his trouser pockets. He raised one brow and teased, "Seriously? No idea? Not a clue?"


    "How could I have known?" Kate defended herself. "You didn¡¯t act like a proper CEO that night."


    He shrugged, "Well, that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t need to act like one that night. But you should¡¯ve been able to figure it out right from the start when you caught me inside the CEO¡¯s office. How else would I have gotten the key to enter?"


    "I just thought that you were a new employee that I didn¡¯t know of," Kate said. "I don¡¯t keep track of new employees."


    "No regular employee would have access to the CEO¡¯s office," he said. "Besides, don¡¯t you think that I have similar features to my late big brother? Our only differences are our hair, his was black while mine is blond. And our eyes, his were black, and mine are green."


    Kate wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t true because the man was definitely a lot more handsome and charismatic than the late Mr. James Grant.


    Although he lacked the mature charm Mr. Grant had, thus giving him this rich frat boy aura.


    At least during that night.


    Now, he looked more like a rich and spoiled young master with a suit on.


    "Well, that doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m your new boss now, and you just had sex with your boss, Mrs. Woods, that should be a breach of company protocol, right? It¡¯s not only morally wrong, but it is also against company policy to sleep with your boss," the man said, teasing Kate even further. The man strode towards Kate with his long steps and then circled her. "Maybe I should give you a warning memo?"


    Kate was astonished by this man¡¯s boldness and how he simply acted on a whim. He threw threats such as ¡¯breach of company protocol¡¯ and ¡¯warning memo¡¯ as if they were just jokes.


    But he was right. He was her boss and a man. If he accused her of trying to manipulate him by having sex, people were more likely to believe him. Thus, knowing her place, Kate tried to patch things up, "I apologize for my unscrupulous behavior that night, Sir. I will do anything to make it up, I will accept a warning memo if it¡¯s necessary."


    "Really? Anything?" The man stood right behind Kate. He leaned and rested his chin on her shoulder. He whispered softly in her ear, making a bone-chilling sensation course through her body. "You sure are a tease, Kitty. You make me want more, and it¡¯s only our first day together at work."


    Kate almost gasped when he felt his breath tickling her neck. It reminded her of that night when he ran his hands and lips all over her body, especially around her neck and breasts.


    But she tried to stand her ground and nodded, "It is my duty as your employee to do what I can for the company." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man chuckled and then grabbed Kate¡¯s hand from behind. He intertwined their fingers and used his other hand to put his phone in Kate¡¯s palm.


    "Here, give me your number and I won¡¯t give you any more trouble."


    Kate looked down and saw that the man had already prepared for Kate to type her number under the name ¡¯Kitty¡¯ on his contacts.


    Kate frowned. She typed her number but then protested, "Sir, my name is Katherine Woods, not Kitty. This is very unprofessional."


    "So was the thing we did that night. It was very unprofessional."


    Kate choked on her own saliva after hearing his banter. He really had to be the one with the last word.


    The man saved her number and finally stepped away, giving Kate back her personal space, "Well, we¡¯re at work right now, so let¡¯s just go with all the perfunctory formality since that¡¯s what you want, right?"


    He returned to the desk and sat on his executive chair staring directly at Kate, whose cheeks had turned crimson from their encounter.


    "Come closer, Mrs. Woods," the man commanded.


    Kate took a few steps forward until she could read the nameplate made out of real gold on the desk.


    -


    Henry Grant.


    Chief Executive Officer.


    -


    That was the name of her new boss, a fitting name for a man born into a rich family, just like Mr. James Grant. But this one left a better taste in Kate¡¯s mouth as if she actually wanted to call him by his first name.


    ¡¯Henry...¡¯ Kate murmured his name in a very low voice, tasting that name on her tongue. How she wished she could keep on calling out that name.


    Henry smirked, "I thought we¡¯re in a professional sphere right now, Mrs. Woods, why are you calling me by my first name? Should I call you Kitty at work from now on?"


    "Ah¡ª" Kate didn¡¯t realize how loud she was uttering his name, too lost in the pleasure of speaking it. Nor did she notice how much attention he had placed into watching and listening to her. She thought she was being sneaky enough. "Pardon me, Mr. Grant."


    Henry chuckled, the more time he spent with this woman, the more interesting she became. She tried her best to keep this professional atmosphere between them, even though they literally had sex in this very office, on his desk too.


    But this was fine as well. He liked seeing Kate in her professional mode. It gave her a unique taste that Henry wanted to try.


    "I guess it¡¯s time for me to introduce myself properly," Henry said. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk, as he stared straight at Kate with his deep green, viper-like eyes.


    "I am Henry Theodore Grant, the second son of President Marlon Grant, the new heir of the Grant family businesses, and the new CEO of Emperor Publishing," Henry raised his brow as he finished his introduction. "And I expect a lot from you, Mrs. Katherine Woods."

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Chapter 24Kate was a tad surprised when Henry mentioned that he was the second son and also the new heir of the Grant family.


    Didn¡¯t Mrs. Cadwaller tell her just now this spoiled, giant nepo baby hated it when someone said that he was the new heir or even the son of President Grant? Did Mrs. Cadwaller intentionally give her the wrong information, or did this man spontaneously change his preference and now admit he was born with a silver spoon?


    ¡¯Wait, he was probably born with a diamond spoon instead of just a silver spoon. His family is THAT rich,¡¯ Kate thought.


    It also caught Kate off guard because she was mentally prepared to take care of a spoiled, lazy man who had no drive in life. Not this... intimidating and imposing young CEO who also, just so happened to be a big flirt.


    Thus, Kate played along with her professional demeanor and said, "Yes, Sir. I am the Chief-in-Editor of Emperor Publishing. I¡¯ve been in this position for two years, and I¡¯ve led the company for three months after Mr. James Grant¡¯s death. I will do my best to assist you with your work."


    "I heard a lot of good things about you, Mrs. Woods," Henry said. "You are revered by my Dad, and also by everyone in the main office. Because you¡¯re able to generate millions of dollars in profit for a previously-dying publishing company. You constantly found best-selling manuscripts. You have a keen sense of what would sell and what would not, even my late brother talked highly of your brilliance."


    "T¡ªThank you, Sir, I will continue to do my best to support the company," Kate said. She was quite flattered to hear that her late boss and everyone in the main office seemed to have a good opinion of her.


    Honestly, she was just doing her job.


    Of course, she knew the company was dying when she first came in, and she thought that she had to do her best or else the company would go bankrupt, and she would have to find another job again.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to lose a job back then because she and Matt really had no money left, they had depleted their savings, Matt was not getting hired, and their rent was already two months past due.


    Henry¡¯s smile deepened, and he said, "We will also need your brilliance for our baby."


    Kate lifted her head instantly, and she stared at Henry in horror. She took a step back and became rigid, her guards went up as she realized what he had just said. She hadn¡¯t told anyone about her pregnancy, and Henry shouldn¡¯t know about it either


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean by that, Sir?" she managed to say.


    "What¡¯s so surprising? You and I had sex that night without protection, it¡¯s only natural that you¡¯ll get pregnant sooner or later."


    Kate didn¡¯t know what his intention was when he mentioned her possible pregnancy. She also didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do if Kate admitted that she was pregnant because this man seemed very unpredictable.


    So she tried to defletct his suspicion, "Sir, I am married and also barren. There is no way I can be pregnant with your baby."


    "You¡¯re still married to that deadbeat, useless, infertile husband of yours? I thought you were smarter than this, Kate."


    Kate bit her lower lip as she felt she was caught between a rock and a hard place . She soon abandoned her formal tone and argued with Herny, "This could still be my husband¡¯s child. Why are you so certain that this baby is yours?"


    "Because you cannot get pregnant by that useless husband of yours! It¡¯s been five years and you haven¡¯t conceived a baby. Yet, one night with me and now you¡¯re miraculously pregnant with ours, isn¡¯t that literal proof that your husband is the barren one?" Henry said as he pointed out the obvious. He lowered his gaze, and stopped on Kate¡¯s belly, and said, "I know that baby is mine, Katherine Woods, and so are you." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate staggered where she stood. Her knees felt weak because she didn¡¯t expect things to develop to this point.


    She covered her belly with her hand protectively on instinct and asked, "W¡ªWhat are you going to do to my child then? You should know that I will NEVER abort my baby, Mr. Grant. I don¡¯t care if you want to have it or not, but I will keep my baby no matter what!"


    "Oh? That¡¯s a surprise, I thought you would be planning to abort it already," Henry said.


    "Never!" Kate snapped. Just thinking of losing her baby was enough to upset her. She could already feel a strong motherly bond between her and her child, and she¡¯d never allow anyone to harm him or her, not even her child¡¯s own father.


    "I¡¯ve waited five years for this baby, and I won¡¯t let anyone hurt my child!" Kate yelled. Her voice began to break and shake as held back her tears. "Mr. Grant, w¡ªwe can act like nothing happened that night. Let me at least keep mybaby for myself. I won¡¯t demand anything from you. You can pretend my baby never even existed."


    "And I don¡¯t want to pretend," Henry smiled, his deep green eyes watching Kate like she was his toy. He got up and walked around his desk to reach Kate, but Kate quickly retreated because she was scared Henry might do something to harm her child.


    Thus, Henry stopped in his tracks and stood in the middle of the room, three feet away from Kate.


    "S¡ªStay back or I will scream!" Kate threatened while she covered her belly, protecting her child as best she could.


    "Hey, don¡¯t get upset, okay? I never said that I don¡¯t want our child," Henry told her as he tried to get her to calm down. He took a step forward. "I thought I¡¯d have to convince you to keep our baby."


    Kate couldn¡¯t believe what she had heard. She was stunned because she thought she heard it wrong. This gave Henry the opportunity to finally wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space between them.


    Kate gasped when Henry pinched her ass cheek, making her body shiver from head to toe and forcing her to look up.


    Kate was paralyzed when Henry stared down at her with his deep green eyes, demanding all of her attention, the room around them vanished as Kate drowned in his eyes, "I want both you and that baby to be mine, so keep it, and I¡¯ll make it worth your while."

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Chapter 25Kate¡¯s first instinct as he said those words were to say yes. Kate had never felt so wanted in her life, she was basically starved of love at this point.


    This man really knew how to take her breath away with that flickering heat from his eyes. This man boldly said that he wanted her and her baby, as if he truly meant it.


    But at the same time, she had a feeling that Henry didn¡¯t have a good intention towards her. Her logic told her that something was amiss.


    Somehow, she couldn¡¯t identify this man as the same person who she spent the night with. Something about him felt insincere compared to Henry from that night. This Henry and that night¡¯s Henry were like two completely different person.


    So, she was left hesitating.


    But before she could say a thing, Henry suddenly pressed his lips on hers, it took a few seconds before she registered what was happening and began to struggle. She tried to push Henry away, but the man was too strong for her.


    Henry finally let her go after having his fill.


    Kate staggered and she grabbed the edge of the long sofa to keep herself from falling. She glared at Henry and yelled, "W¡ªWhat¡¯s wrong with you!?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t let your sweet lips parted like that, Kitty," Henry said. "It makes me want to taste you more."


    "You¡ª" Kate was speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to handle this man because he was like a hunter who kept stalking her like a prized game, making sure she was always in his grasp, and never allowing her to wiggle her way out.


    Kate took deep breaths to calm herself after he kissed her.


    She¡¯d be lying if she said her body didn¡¯t get excited. They were so physically compatible with each other that she felt comfortable whenever Henry held her in his arms, as if she belonged there.


    But that was also the reason why she was on guard.


    This man was young, rich, handsome, and very charismatic. He had everything that it took to make any woman fall in love with him. He must¡¯ve had a lot of sexual adventures out there with so many women, he probably then ditched them when he got bored, and Kate didn¡¯t want to be his next victim.


    Though, it was a little too late to be on guard now since she was already pregnant with his baby.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Grant. But I¡¯m still technically a married woman, and I don¡¯t trust you enough to be in a relationship with you," Kate said, full of contempt. "Besides, a man like you doesn¡¯t seem to be the type who¡¯d be in a committed relationship."


    Henry smiled meaningfully, "Do you want to try? I bet I can prove you wrong."


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned, and she shook her head, "Don¡¯t worry about the baby. I can take care of my child on my own. Let¡¯s just work as two professionals and forget about all the things we did that night."


    "Now, please excuse me, Sir," Kate turned around, intending to walk out of this office because she couldn¡¯t imagine what¡¯d happen if she stayed too long.


    Henry¡¯s eyes peered dangerously at Kate who was about to leave.


    He took long strides to pass Kate and stopped in front of the door.


    He blocked the door frame with his body, giving no exit for Kate. He looked down at Kate, and the latter was surprised by how pissed he was. As if he didn¡¯t take her rejection kindly.


    "I refuse to forget about what happened that night," Henry said, almost growling at this point. "You left a mark on me, and I left a mark inside you. I can¡¯t just act as if nothing happened between us."


    Kate clenched her fist, "Then what do you want, Mr. Grant? Just like I said before, I am already married, and I don¡¯t trust you enough to be in a relationship with you."


    "Your marriage already crumbled," Henry mentioned. "Do you really want to stay with that useless cheating bastard?"


    "That doesn¡¯t matter," Kate insisted. "I¡¯m still technically married to him. I can always return to him if I want to."


    Henry clicked his tongue. He knew that Kate wasn¡¯t an easy woman, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be this difficult. He should¡¯ve known better that a woman who didn¡¯t instantly fall for his money would be a bigger challenge to tame.


    "Don¡¯t lie to me, Kate. You¡¯re not the type of woman that would willingly tolerate a useless cheating bastard like him. That¡¯s why I offer myself, try me, you won¡¯t regret giving yourself to me."


    There was some truth to Henry¡¯s words.


    Kate would be an idiot if she insisted on staying with Matt. She was obviously lying, but she was just trying to protect herself and her baby.


    She didn¡¯t know what kind of man Henry was and what was his intention to keep the baby. For a man like Henry, Kate believed that he wouldn¡¯t want a baby to stop his wild adventure as a rich, young man. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate also had no idea about the problems that might follow him from behind. After all, he didn¡¯t come from a regular family. He was part of the 0.1%, the ultra-rich, that old money who had deep connections to the government and probably to a secret society as well.


    The late Mr. James Grant never spoke about his family, but Henry seemed to be angry at them when he shared some of his worries that night.


    He called his parents hypocrites and said they did terrible things.


    It was a clear sign of a red flag. Kate knew the logical thing was to be wary.


    Henry realized that Kate had a lot of doubts in her heart. Clearly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince her right now. So he decided to give her some space.


    He stepped aside and returned to his desk, "You can leave now, Mrs. Woods."


    "Ah¡ª" Kate was confused by his sudden lenience. He had been stubborn about wanting her to be his just now. But she didn¡¯t miss the chance, she quickly opened the door, and stepped out.


    Click.


    She felt a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders the moment she closed the door,


    "Goddamn, that man is definitely not the same giant nepo baby that Mrs. Cadwaller was talking about. He¡¯s so intimidating and domineering," Kate muttered as she composed herself.


    Honestly, Kate didn¡¯t know whether she should be happy about that fact. She knew her job would become much easier since Henry Grant looked competent enough to be a CEO.


    But he was also dangerous, Kate knew that Henry wouldn¡¯t let her off so easily. He was like a snake already coiled around her body, squeezing her tighter, waiting until she suffocated and gave in.


    "Ugh, I don¡¯t care about what will happen next. I won¡¯t give in to him. I can sense that he is dangerous, and I¡¯m not the one who plays with danger," Kate said to remind herself so she would stay safe, especially now that she was protecting another life inside her stomach.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Chapter 26"She will give in. I¡¯ll make sure she will," Henry said as he sat on his chair.


    To say that he was pissed was an understatement. He felt humiliated because Kate didn¡¯t seem to take him seriously.


    She even used such a pathetic reason as wanting to stay with her husband just to avoid Henry, which was pretty stupid in his opinion. Both of them knew it was a blatant lie.


    Henry tried to keep himself busy by checking some of the documents prepared by Mrs. Cadwaller about Emperor Publishing.


    He had already read it and remembered all the contents, but he tried to keep himself distracted so he wouldn¡¯t think about the rejection he just suffered.


    But he just couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    "Tsk," Henry clicked his tongue and put the documents on the table. "Well, this is annoying. I can¡¯t believe she just rejected me like that after what happened that night between us." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And she is pregnant with our baby...."


    Unable to stay still for a long period of time, he finally picked up his phone and dialed someone¡¯s number.


    He talked with this mysterious person on the other side of the call and gave an order, "Yes, make sure to watch her every move. I expect quality information regarding this."


    "..."


    "Don¡¯t do anything yet, I will handle this myself."


    "..."


    "Yeah, good, I¡¯ll send the payment after you¡¯ve done your job."


    Beep.


    Henry pocketed his phone and let out a deep sigh. He picked the gold-plated nameplate from the desk and leaned back on the executive chair.


    He lifted his nameplate and read it.


    "Henry Grant, Chief Executive Officer," Henry had a thin meaningful smile on his lips, followed by a scoff as he read his title out loud. "I have a vision bigger than this in my mind, and you, Mrs. Katherine Woods, will be part of my plan."


    "I can¡¯t just let you go after that night."


    **


    Kate entered her office and poured herself a glass of water before collapsing on her chair. Her brain malfunctioned once she was in the presence of Henry Grant, now she had to process everything that had just happened.


    She truly didn¡¯t expect her new boss to be the same man she spent that meaningful night with.


    She wished that that man remained a mystery to her, so she would have fond memories whenever she looked back at the only one-night-stand she¡¯d ever experienced.


    That man was charming, sweet, and had a very warm touch. He also seemed so genuine, which made Kate feel wanted and loved.


    But when the real person appeared before her, the beautiful image shattered.


    Henry was still as handsome and as charming as he was that night.


    But he was also dangerous. Everything about him screamed danger, waving a red flag at Kate¡¯s face. He was like a man that younger women would like because they thought they could ¡¯fix¡¯ him.


    But in the end, they¡¯d fall into his embrace and become one of his many victims.


    Kate didn¡¯t have time to be part of someone¡¯s game, to be a pawn in the game of love. She had a lot of problems of her own, and she did not want to add one more problem to her life.


    "Besides, his family is too much for me to handle," Kate murmured. She gently caressed her flat belly as she remembered the baby she had to protect. "It¡¯s better to just find a way to protect my assets after divorcing Matt and raise this baby as my own. I can¡¯t trust anyone right now."


    **


    Kate resumed her work as usual. She had a meeting with an author who would publish the sequel of the series.


    She summoned Mai to her office.


    "You called, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked as she entered the room.


    Mai was the newest editor that worked under Kate, and she was by far the most efficient and the most easygoing. So Kate liked to bring her around for meetings, like an assistant or secretary.


    "I have a meeting with Irene Banks, the author of ¡¯Thousands of Words With You.¡¯ We¡¯re going to talk about the second book, I want you to accompany me," Kate said.


    "Ah, about that, Ma¡¯am..." Mai gulped and nudged her head toward the door. "Mr. Grant asked for Irene Banks¡¯ contact number. He said he¡¯ll meet with the author and deal with her personally."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "And you gave the author¡¯s contact details to him?"


    "W¡ªWell, yeah, I can¡¯t do anything, Ma¡¯am. He has turned me into his new secretary. I don¡¯t even know what I should do as a secretary," Mai said.


    "That ass¡ª" Kat shut her mouth before she cursed the new CEO in front of her subordinate. She took a deep breath and asked, "Did the author agree to meet with him?"


    "Yes, Mr. Grant told me he¡¯ll be meeting the author at twelve o¡¯clock in The Penthouse, a cafe not far from our office, Ma¡¯am."


    Kate looked at her phone and noticed that it was only a few minutes before the disaster happened.


    She hurriedly grabbed her bag and put the author¡¯s manuscript and her phone inside, "I¡¯ll go to that cafe. I know the place."


    "W¡ªWhat are you going to do, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked nervously. Though Mrs. Woods was very professional, but she didn¡¯t seem to have a good opinion of Mr. Henry Grant.


    Well, nobody had a good opinion of him right now either.


    For now everyone just tried to suck it up to him since they had no power, unlike Mrs. Woods, who was Chief Editor, and the person who had taken charge of everything after Mr. James Grant passed away.


    "What am I going to do? I¡¯m going to tell him not to fuck this up! That author is very important to us!" Kate yelled.


    Mai almost jumped out of fright. She could feel the storm brewing, and she didn¡¯t want to be scolded because she caused a fight between the CEO and the Chief Editor.


    Kate glanced at Mai, who was terrified, and rolled her eyes, "No, Mai. I won¡¯t make a scene in the cafe. I just want to make sure that our BOSS does his job right. We really can¡¯t afford to lose this one. Irene Banks¡¯ book was one of our best-selling throughout the year last year."


    "Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some work to do," Kate said as she grabbed her car keys and rushed out of her office.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27Mai watched as Mrs. Wood¡¯s back vanished through the threshold of the door, then she remembered what Mr. Grant told her earlier, "Wait, Ma¡¯am your stoma¡ª" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate slammed the door shut before Mai could finish her sentence. She swallowed her saliva as she expected herself to get scolded by both Mrs. Woods and Mr. Grant.


    "Oh no, why am I trapped in this weird relationship happening between them? Why can¡¯t I just be a regular editor in this office?" Mai lamented her fate before she went out to chase after the Chief Editor.


    She wanted to clear things up, but when she reached the office lobby, Mrs. Woods¡¯s car was already gone, and she had to order an Uber to go to the cafe.


    "Oh crap, I¡¯m going to die soon."


    **


    Kate drove to The Penthouse, a high-end cafe not far from the office.


    She often visited this place to meet with authors that published under Emperor Publishing, but Irene Banks never liked going to such a public place to discuss her novel, so they always met inside the office to ensure privacy.


    "That rascal seriously lacks a brain!" Kate scolded. "What if we lose this author because she finds him annoying or bratty? Damn, we¡¯re potentially losing millions of dollars!"


    Kate parked her car and briskly walked towards the cafe.


    Her eyes scanned the dining area, trying to catch sight of a striking blonde-haired man with a woman in her late thirties.


    But she couldn¡¯t find either and was finally approached by a waiter when he noticed that she had been standing in the middle of the cafe for a while.


    "Can I help you, Miss?"


    Kate glanced at the waiter and asked, "I¡¯m searching for a man with blonde hair and green eyes, he should be with a woman in her late 30s, Mr. Henry Grant is the man¡¯s name."


    "One sec¡ª" The waiter checked her note and nodded, "Miss, the guest is in the VIP room. He booked the entire VIP room all for himself, and yes, he is with a woman."


    "Then bring me there, I¡¯m his secretary," Kate claimed. "We¡¯re supposed to attend this meeting together."


    "Sure, this way, Miss."


    **


    The waiter guided Kate to the VIP room and opened the door for her. Kate expected Irene Banks to make a scene and yell at Henry for being unscrupulous and mean-spirited, she braced herself for the worst.


    After all, Mrs. Banks was very sensitive and shy and definitely wouldn¡¯t want to talk to a rascal like Henry for long.


    But her expectations were shattered when she saw Mrs. Banks giggled as she sat across from Henry. They seemed to be having a proper discussion about the novel that Irene Banks had written, as if Henry had read her first book and the manuscript of the sequel.


    Henry noticed Kate in the corner of his eyes, and he looked at her, "Mrs. Woods, I thought you¡¯d never come."


    "Ah¡ª" Irene Banks turned her head and stared at the woman standing near the door. She got up while clutching her bag and approached Kate, "Mrs. Woods, thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestions and recommendations on what I should do for my manuscript. Mr. Grant told me that everything he said is based on your editing."


    Irene¡¯s cheeks reddened when she mentioned Henry¡¯s name, she looked over her shoulder, and Henry gave her a grin, which made her blush even more.


    And for some reason that disgusted Kate so much.


    ¡¯As expected, that man is a total playboy asshat. He¡¯s probably no better than Matt,¡¯ Kate assumed. ¡¯Why did I give my body to him that night? That goddamn wine must¡¯ve turned him into a saint in my eyes.¡¯


    "W¡ªWell, I¡¯ll leave first, I¡¯ll email you the edited version of the manuscript in a week, Mrs. Woods, now if you¡¯ll excuse me."


    Irene Banks left the VIP room without even letting Kate utter a word, as if everything she wanted to say had been delivered by Henry.


    Kate glared at Henry, who sipped on his coffee as if he had done nothing wrong and his meeting with Irene was all properly planned.. He tapped his finger on the table and said, "You¡¯re late, Mrs. Woods. Is this what I should expect from my competent Chief Editor? Good thing I came prepared as the CEO."


    Kate wanted to stay professional and formal in front of her boss, but she was so annoyed because this man suddenly changed the schedule of her meeting with one of their high-earning authors and risked it all to meet her himself without even consulting Kate first.


    She would¡¯ve slapped his smoldering face to hell if only this man wasn¡¯t the President¡¯s son.


    "What were you thinking, Mr. Grant?!" Kate asked. "Did you not know that Irene Banks is one of our most important authors? What if she got offended because of your carelessness?!"


    Henry smirked and then said, "I can¡¯t hear you. You should come closer, so we can talk about this. I naturally have my own reason."


    Kate clenched her fist. She didn¡¯t have time to play with this bastard, but she didn¡¯t want to make a scene either.


    Thus, she took a deep breath and walked towards the table. She stood across the table and crossed her arms, "I demand an explanation from you, Mr. Grant. Your actions almost jeopardized our entire company. We could have lost millions because of you."


    "I still can¡¯t hear you, Mrs. Woods. Why don¡¯t you sit here right next to me, so we can have a proper conversation?" Henry suggested as he patted the spot on the long sofa, inviting Kate to sit beside him.


    "This is getting ridiculous," Kate complained. They were only separated by a table, and yet this man acted like he was that Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.


    But Kate didn¡¯t care anymore. She walked around the table and sat beside Henry, "Now, tell me, Mr. CEO, what was running through your mind when you were about to risk the company losing millions of dollars?"


    "Well, I¡¯m just thinking that I¡ª" Henry skillfully slipped his hand behind Kate¡¯s back and wrapped his arm around her waist, then he pulled her closer until their thighs were rubbing. "¡ªShould help my woman."

 Chapter 28: - 28

    Chapter 28: [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 28"Your woman?!" Kate was reluctant to argue with her boss at first. She was a professional, after all, she would always try her best to separate her work and her private life. But this man didn¡¯t even try to separate those two.


    Look at him? He comfortably wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him as if they were actually dating.


    Did he not realize that he was acting recklessly right now?


    It infuriated Kate so much because she tried her best to keep the company afloat after his brother¡¯s death, but this man didn¡¯t even seem to give a flying fuck if the company crumbled because of his recklessness.


    "Mr. Grant, you really have the guts to call me your woman when all we had was a one-night-stand. Weren¡¯t you the one who suggested that we should just forget about all of our problems and have fun just for a night? Are you someone who can¡¯t even keep your word?" Kate sneered, thinking it would finally deter Henry.


    "I said we should forget all of our problems, but I never said that I wanted you for just one night. Maybe we should do it again, so that will jog your memory of that night?"


    Kate actually started to imagine what they did that night and her body heated up instantly. She quickly warded off the perverted idea before it went too far, Henry Grant was now her boss, it would be inappropriate to think of him in such a way.


    Thus, she changed the topic before the conversation got out of hand, "Mr. Grant, you still owe me an explanation for what you were doing meeting Irene Banks all by yourself? Why didn¡¯t you discuss your plans with me first? What you¡¯re doing might actually put us all in jeopardy!"


    "But we¡¯re not, right? I handled the discussion pretty well. You should ask that woman if my input for her manuscript is good or not," Henry shrugged. "Anyway, I don¡¯t really care if we lose a million, I can invest two million more."


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned. As expected, it was hard to deal with a giant nepo baby with no sense of the value of money.


    Kate knew there was no point in arguing with this man, so she asked about the manuscript instead, "What did you tell her about her story? Did you even read her first book and the manuscript of her sequel? I never gave you my notes either, so you have been bullshitting your way through the meeting."


    "Well, I guess so," Henry said. "I did a quick read of her first book, and then asked that girl¡ªuh, who¡¯s her name again... oh, Mai! Yeah I asked Mai for the second manuscript and I also did a quick read of everything. It¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t read the one with your edit and input, but it¡¯s not hard to spot the flaws in her second book and then from there I based my suggestions around the flaws I found."


    "..." Kate had to admit that she was impressed by this man¡¯s ability to quickly scan two books in such a short period of time and come up with a handful of acceptable suggestions for an author.


    Either he had a photographic memory, or he was just a genius.


    Or he could be both, and Kate didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡¯There¡¯s no way someone as unscrupulous and reckless as him could be that smart, life would just be too unfair,¡¯ Kate thought as she tried to keep her prejudice against him. ¡¯But at least, Irene Banks doesn¡¯t seem to be mad with his suggestions. She looked very happy instead. At least everything is under control.¡¯


    Henry raised his brow once he realized that Kate had relaxed after hearing his explanation. She seemed to be relieved, it was as if the company was her own, and her lifeline was at stake just because the company might lose millions.


    It was a notion that Henry found quite amusing, after all, getting a similar job with her skill set and work experience wasn¡¯t difficult.


    "Is this company that important to you?" Henry asked. "You know this publishing company isn¡¯t in the best shape, right? Despite all of your hard work, this company is still tiny compared to the giants such as Penguin Publishing. With all of your experience and highly-sought skill, you can just resign and become a Chief Editor in one of those giants."


    Kate rolled her eyes and replied, "You won¡¯t understand, Mr. Grant. When I was hired, the company was just a small publishing house with too many bad books in its portfolio that brought nothing but financial losses. Your Dad almost filed for bankruptcy of the company, but then Mr. James Grant replaced the old CEO and hired me as the first editor after a big reshuffle in the management."


    "Your late brother and I built this company from the ground up. Aside from my job as the Chief Editor, I also placed my heart and soul into this company. It¡¯s only natural that I have sentimental feelings for my job," Kate said as she used her index to poke his chest a few times. "And I won¡¯t let a man who lacks any semblance of a work ethic ruin the company I¡¯ve worked too hard to maintain. I don¡¯t want Emperor Publishing to be taken down because of a fool like you."


    "So, Mr. Grant, you need to care more about this publishing company or else¡ª"


    "Or else?"


    Kate gritted her teeth in silence after that. This man had too much power and was too irresponsible. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the company at all. Maybe he turned it into his playground because he knew he could just bail out anytime and could easily ask his Daddy to make him a new company for him to play with.


    "Or else I will fucking haunt you forever, Mr. Grant," Kate threatened, though she knew that it was an empty threat toward a man like Henry.


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but grin when he heard the threat. Again, he treated it like a joke,


    "Then, do you want me to take this inconsequential company seriously? I can do that, but you need to do me a favor, or else I might as well burn the company to the ground."


    "W¡ªWhat favor?" Kate asked. She felt that Henry¡¯s playful tone made his threat even more sinister. She became nervous, afraid Henry might actually ruin the company just because he was in the mood.


    Henry¡¯s smile deepened, and he leaned closer until the tip of their noses touched, and she could feel his warm breath on her lips, "You know what I want, Kitty." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Chapter 29Henry¡¯s deep emerald eyes were staring at her softly. A strange feeling began to brew in her heart as he held her gaze without pulling away.


    Being this close to Henry, Kate could smell the perfume he sprayed around his collar. It was a warm spicy scent combined with wood and amber. It was comforting for Kate, especially since she had a sensitive nose that made her hate Matt¡¯s musty and pungent scent due to his inability to practice even the most basic hygiene.


    In fact, Matt smelled more like burnt bacon and failure most of the time.


    Kate swallowed her saliva. She felt weak, especially when his arm slowly wrapped around her waist and pulled her deeper into his embrace.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t understand what you want, Mr. Grant...." Kate said.


    Of course she was not naive. She had a few dirty images of them together flashed through her mind that she would rather not tell because those images would embarrass her too much.


    "Guess," Henry said in a low voice, as his finger slowly slipped under the back of Kate¡¯s skirt, ready to unbutton it. "I think you know me well enough after that night."


    "H¡ªHow could that be? We only spent a night together, not a decade."


    Henry smiled mysteriously and then shifted the topic back, "Just guess what I have in mind, Kate."


    Kate¡¯s mind went wild. She started imagining different sex positions they could try after this. Maybe they could role play too. It would spice things up if they did it very often.


    ¡¯Goddamn, brain. This is NOT the time to be so nasty!¡¯ Kate scolded herself for being so perverted. She stared at Henry¡¯s deep emerald eyes, and her heart began to beat faster again, ¡¯But what if this man actually wanted to do those nasty things? After all, he¡¯s young and frivolous. Does he want to sleep with me just for fun?¡¯


    "Got your answer?" Henry asked.


    Kate swallowed her saliva for the second time as she tried to gather her courage, "Do you... do you want us to spend another night together in the hotel and..."


    "Go on," Henry said. He got excited as Kate started spewing those sweet yet luscious words.


    "And uhm... uh... d¡ªdo that thing?"


    "What thing?"


    "Y¡ªYou know, um... sex...."


    "Pfft¡ª" Henry bit his lip so he wouldn¡¯t burst out laughing in front of Kate.


    "W¡ªwhat¡¯s so funny? Isn¡¯t that what you want?" Kate asked as she felt a bit offended and her cheeks began to redden in embarrassment.


    "I just think it¡¯s cute for an adult like you to act as if sex is a big deal," Henry said. "Casual sex is a thing, you know."


    Kate wanted to say that sex was indeed a big deal for her, because she only had sex with Matt her entire life. Henry was the second man she had sex with, and Kate thought they would become strangers after that night.


    Who would¡¯ve expected things would develop to this point, and now she was pregnant with their baby?


    "I¡ªIs that what you want then?" Kate asked.


    "What? Are you excited about it?" Henry teased.


    Kate shook her head quickly, not wanting to be seen as a perverted woman.


    "Well, I¡¯m actually asking you a much simpler task since it¡¯s the first time," Henry said as he smiled at her. "I want you to call me by my first name, don¡¯t call me Mr. Grant when it¡¯s only the two of us in a room."


    "But that¡¯s not¡ª"


    "Professional?" Henry completed her sentence.


    Kate nodded.


    "I think you take professionalism too seriously, Kate. Nobody would dare to protest about me, I am the son of Marlon Grant, and I¡¯m his only living heir left," Henry claimed, though somehow Kate could feel there was a bit of indignation when he said it. As if he didn¡¯t even believe his own words. "I can turn this company upside down with a snap of my fingers. So if you really see the sentimental value of this company, surely calling me by my first name wouldn¡¯t be an issue, right?"


    Kate wanted to curse herself for exposing her weakness to Henry. She shouldn¡¯t have told him that she had sentimental feelings for the company. Now he was using it against her, and she couldn¡¯t fight back because this man actually had the power to destroy the company simply because he felt like it.


    "T¡ªThen, if I call you by your first name, will you actually work like a professional to maintain the company?"


    "Not for long," Henry replied. "That¡¯s just the first step."


    "Wait, there¡¯s the second step?!"


    "Third, fourth, and so on," Henry chuckled. "What? Why do you look so shocked? Do you think I¡¯ll be satisfied just because you¡¯ve started to call me by my first name?"


    "Kate, you should know that I want more than what you think you can offer," Henry said. "But we can save that for later. For now, why don¡¯t you call me by my first name."


    She tried to endure her embarrassment so much that her face was as red as a cherry right now. Her feistiness from before had disappeared instantly when he held her so close that they could feel each other¡¯s heat.


    Was it because she was a cheap woman? Or maybe she felt lonely because she had a deadbeat husband like Matt?


    Or maybe... just maybe... she actually felt a spark between them? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t want to think about that. All she wanted right now was to mutter his name without exploding out of shame.


    "Hen... ry..." Kate murmured so low that it was almost inaudible for Henry.


    Henry leaned his face closer and rested his chin on her shoulder. He said gently, "If you¡¯re too shy to say it, then at least whisper it to my ear."


    Kate tilted her head to the left, so her lips were almost brushing his ear, "Henry...."


    Henry took a sharp breath, he was suppressing his urge to pounce on her. He kept his arm wrapped around her waist as kissed Kate on her earlobe and then whispered, "You got me excited, Kitty. What should we do now?"

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30Kate gasped, she tried to fight Henry¡¯s strong embrace once she realized that they might actually go for it, in the middle of the day, inside a public space, the cafe.


    Even if this was a VIP room that Henry had booked, so there wouldn¡¯t be any other customers knocking, the waiters might still come to check or ask if they needed anything, and Kate didn¡¯t want to be seen in such a compromising position by someone else.


    "S¡ªSir¡ªNo, I mean, Henry, not here," Kate said.


    "Why not?"


    "Because someone might walk in on us!" Kate yelled as she tried to push Henry away. "We should do this somewhere private, like in a hotel, or my apartment, or at least in your office!"


    "I don¡¯t mind doing it here."


    "Goddamn it, are you an exhibitionist or something?!" Kate yelled frustratedly.


    "Hey, relax," Henry chuckled. "All I told you is that you are making me excited, it doesn¡¯t mean I want to have sex with you right now."


    "T¡ªThen, what do you want?"


    "Just a simple kiss on the lips would do," Henry said. He backed off until an arm¡¯s length away from Kate, he then gently pinched her chin. He rubbed her lower lip with his thumb, leaned forward, and kissed her.


    "Ah¡ªmmh¡ª" Kate closed her eyes as their lips met. She thought it¡¯d be a simple kiss lasting a split second.


    But she actually started to enjoy herself as Henry deepened their kiss and pushed his tongue between her lips and began to invade her mouth until a small kiss turned into a passionate tongue-on-tongue kiss, making her hot all over.


    Kate began to drown in her lust, abandoning any semblance of logic, forgetting that they were in a public space and that anybody could open that door and walk into their heated exchange.


    In the heat of the moment, Kate¡¯s thoughts were muddled and her tolerance for what was acceptable lowered.


    It was fine if someone walked in, no one knew her here anyway, as long as it wasn¡¯t someone from their office it would be fine.


    SLAM!


    "SIR, MA¡¯AM¡ªOh!" Kate and Henry¡¯s heads snapped towards the door at the same time, they were shocked to see Mai standing and staring at them in shock. Her chest raised and dropped as she took deep breaths, it seemed that she rushed to get to the cafe.


    Both Mai and Kate stared in shock at what had happened, Mai by finding Kate and Henry¡¯s compromising situation, and Kate by Mai walking into the room. Mai quickly covered her face with the document in her hand as she desperately tried to give the couple some privacy, while Kate pushed Henry away. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mai, it¡¯s not what it looks like!" Kate said in a panic.


    "N¡ªNo, it¡¯s fine, Ma¡¯am. I was just worried that you might cause a scene here, but it seems that you have a very good relationship with Mr. Grant," Mai said shyly as her cheeks turned red. "You two can continue doing whatever you¡¯re about to do. I will keep watch outside to make sure nobody sees this."


    "Wait¡ª"


    Kate was at a loss when Mai ignored her and closed the door.


    She was so embarrassed and angry that she turned around and glared at Henry, who was laughing as if the whole thing was a joke to him.


    "This is not funny, Henry!" Kate yelled. "What if Mai misunderstands the whole thing and starts spreading rumors about us?"


    Henry shrugged, "I see nothing wrong with that. I don¡¯t really care about what they say anyway."


    "But I care, I actually have a career and reputation that I need to protect! Ugh, you¡¯re unbelievable!" Kate grabbed her bag and stomped out of the VIP room.


    Henry kept his eyes on Kate¡¯s back as she left, and slammed the door shut.


    The mischievous grin on his face slowly turned into a malicious smile as he continued to watch the door.


    If Kate saw this malicious look of his, she wouldn¡¯t think this man was the same man she spent that amorous night with in the office.


    "Katherine Woods, 32, born and raised in Tennessee, moved to California to pursue higher education with Matt Woods, her then boyfriend and now her useless husband for the past five years. A successful Chief Editor and sole breadwinner of her family, and the mother of my child," Henry said. "I know more about you than you think, Kate. You¡¯re all that he wants in life."


    **


    Kate opened the door and saw Mai standing across the corridor, leaning against the wall while hugging the document in her arms. Her cheeks were still red as she quickly covered her face when she saw Kate leaving the VIP room.


    "Mai, let¡¯s¡ª"


    "Ma¡¯am, your bra," Mai mentioned.


    Kate looked down and found that the top two buttons of her shirt had been undone, exposing her ample cleavage and bra underneath.


    Kate cursed Henry in her head, he must¡¯ve unbuttoned her shirt when they were in the heat of the moment. That man surely didn¡¯t waste a chance to get what he wanted.


    After she made sure she looked proper again, she told Mai, "You can uncover your eyes now."


    Mai slowly lowered the documents she used to cover her eyes. Then she stared at Mrs. Woods, who had adjusted herself to look proper, but her smeared lipstick, red cheeks, and messy low bun told another story.


    Thus, Mai unlocked her phone and opened its front camera. She showed Kate the screen to see herself causing Kate to curse for the second time, "Damn it!"


    Kate grabbed Mai¡¯s hand and rushed out of the cafe. She dragged Mai into her car and then fixed her make-up with the rearview mirror while Mai sat on the passenger seat next to her, lowering her gaze as she avoided an awkward moment with Kate.


    It took Kate a while before she looked the part of the professional Mrs. Woods again. She drove them back to the office and spoke with Mai on their way back, "Don¡¯t misunderstand, Mai. It¡¯s not what it looks like."


    "Ah, it¡¯s alright, Ma¡¯am. Both of you are adults, I was just surprised by what I saw. I didn¡¯t think that you two can be so... bold," Mai said. "It¡¯s the middle of the day, in a VIP room of a cafe, a very public space. You two surely are passionate lovebirds."


    Kate clenched the steering wheel. She decided to stay silent until she reached the office basement and parked her car.


    She turned off the engine and turned her head towards Mai, "Listen, Henry¡ªI mean, Mr. Grant and I are not passionate lovers or whatever. There was an argument between us about Irene Banks, and you just happened to barge in the worst time possible."


    "Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t think an argument about work would lead to a hot kiss and a passionate embrace. I¡¯d argue with my coworker if that¡¯s all it takes to get a kiss from a handsome man," Mai said as she blushed once more when she remembered about her crush, a handsome man who worked in the marketing department. "It¡¯s okay, Ma¡¯am. I understand. Mr. Grant already told me that you¡¯re pregnant with his child."

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "What did he tell you?!"


    Mai flinched when Kate raised her voice. She instinctively scooted away from Kate until she reached the edge of the seat.


    "W¡ªWell, Mr. Grant told me that you¡¯re pregnant with his child, and that... your relationship with him has been going on for a while before he even entered the company as CEO, and it¡¯s going strong, he said that you even plan to live together."


    "That piece of¡ª" Kate shut her mouth before she said something vile. She was pregnant right now, and she didn¡¯t want her baby to hear vile words.


    She took a deep breath and stared at Mai, who had already hunched her back and lowered her head,


    "Okay, first of all, that¡¯s just not true. I don¡¯t have a relationship with him and we¡¯re definitely NOT going to live together, understand?"


    "Um, it¡¯s okay, Ma¡¯am," Mai said as she nodded her head. "Mr. Grant told me to keep it a secret because you¡¯re a very professional lady, and you don¡¯t want your relationship with him to disturb your work."


    "That¡¯s not¡ªugh, okay, whatever," Kate rolled her eyes. That bastard seriously had the nerve to give false information to Mai. "Just don¡¯t say anything to anyone about this, okay? I don¡¯t want this to affect our work," Kate said as she gave up on explaining the situation to Mai.


    It seemed that Mai trusted Henry more than Kate for whatever reason. So Kate couldn¡¯t do anything other than letting her go.


    Mai nodded, "T¡ªThen, please excuse me, Ma¡¯am. I have to talk to the HR department since Mr. Grant already changed my job from editor to his secretary."


    "Yeah, you can go now."


    Kate watched as Mai left her car and returned to the office.


    After making sure Mai was gone, she grabbed her phone and tried to find Henry¡¯s phone number.


    She then realized that she hadn¡¯t saved Henry¡¯s number at all. It was just he who had her number.


    "Ugh, I should¡¯ve asked for his number too!" Kate complained for a moment but quickly threw that idea out of her head. "Wait, why should I have to ask for his number? He¡¯ll think I¡¯m into him! That guy surely has the confidence and audacity to think that every woman is into him!"


    As Kate was busy groaning and complaining, her phone suddenly rang.


    She checked the caller Id, but it was actually an unknown number.


    Kate knew instantly the identity of the caller. So she took a deep breath and accepted his call.


    ¡ª


    "Didn¡¯t expect you to pick up the call so fast, Kitty. Did you miss me already?" The man on the call asked flirtatiously, much to Kate¡¯s disgust.


    "Mr. Grant, what did you tell Mai? How come she somehow thinks that we¡¯re dating?!" Kate asked straight to the point.


    "Hm? I just told her that we¡¯re a couple, and I¡¯m just here to help you to run the company," Henry said without a worry in his voice, as if being romantically involved with an employee had no repercussions whatsoever.


    Well, he wouldn¡¯t suffer from any repercussion because he treated this company like a toy castle he could crush if he wanted to.


    But Kate had suffered enough from malicious rumors in her office. For the past four years of her career in Emperor Publishing, she had endured enough of those evil gossips.


    "You¡ªDo you know how bad it might be if she told your lies to everyone?!"


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. I already told her to keep it a secret," Henry said.


    "That still doesn¡¯t guarantee that no one will find out or that Mai won¡¯t accidentally tell someone!"


    "You¡¯re overthinking, Kitty," Henry assured. "I won¡¯t let her do anything that will damage your career or reputation. I just needed something to convince her to let her guard down around me so that she would trust me enough to give me your schedule."


    "Besides, what did I tell you about calling my name?" Henry recalled.


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned, and she muttered, "You¡¯re crazy, Henry."


    "I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m always in your head, right?" Henry chuckled. "Anyway, I¡¯m still on the road, I¡¯m not going back to the office because it bores me to death. I¡¯ll call you later in the evening, don¡¯t miss me too much, okay?"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "That son of a gun!" Kate yelled as she threw her phone at the empty passenger seat next to her. "How could he treat his job like some kind of preschool gathering where he could come and go as he pleases? Does he not know anything about integrity and discipline?! Argh!"


    She finally took a deep breath and rested her head on the steering wheel, "Good thing nobody in the office knows about my current marital status. It¡¯ll be a huge scandal if Henry spreads false rumors about us and ends up becoming the trending topic for the gossip hunters in the office."


    Contrary to everyone¡¯s belief, Kate was actually not that close to the rest of her coworkers. She rose up in rank really fast because of her ability to spot best-selling manuscripts with a quick read, she didn¡¯t have time to mingle with others between her job and her chores at home.


    With her quick rise in ranks, many of those who worked in the office before he became envious and started spreading malicious rumors that she was using her body to seduce Mr. James Grant.


    Those malicious rumors hurt her at first, and Matt never really did anything to help her, "He didn¡¯t even try to comfort me when I told him about my problem, he kept telling me that his life was harder because he failed another audition... come to think about it, maybe I¡¯ve been tolerating him way too much...."


    Fortunately, the malicious rumors didn¡¯t last long when Kate managed to prove herself deserving of her position with all the merits and profits she gave the company. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But that rumor still damaged her relationship with her coworkers nonetheless. She became a recluse in her own office. So far, nobody in the office knew about her personal life, be it her husband¡¯s identity or even her address.


    "Just like how I became estranged at my own home with Erin replacing me to be Matt¡¯s new woman since I¡¯m too busy at work...."


    Kate tried to ignore the pain in her heart. She had been trying her best to give a good life to everyone around her, but none of them ever gave her credit for everything she had done and sacrificed for them.


    The only thing they had in mind was her inability to have a child, and they always put all of her achievements down because of that.


    Kate slowly put her warm palm on her stomach and murmured, "Now that I have a baby of my own, why don¡¯t I feel as happy as I thought I would be? Is it because the baby has no connection to my husband at all? Or is it because my baby was conceived over heartbreak that night?"


    Kate didn¡¯t understand either, but all she wanted was to protect her baby and to carry on with her life.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32Kate returned to her apartment after a long day at work. This was the first time that she struggled to drag her feet across the corridor from the elevator to her apartment door.


    "Ugh, I can¡¯t wait to just throw myself on the bed and sleep for a few hours," Kate told herself. "Wait, maybe I should order some healthy food first, I don¡¯t want my baby to starve, or eat some junk food. I¡¯m eating for two now, I need to think of my child too."


    Kate unlocked the door with her fingerprint. The first thing she did was to kick her heels away and then walk to the living room, where she could at least throw herself on the sofa.


    But the moment she walked into the living room, she saw a woman she couldn¡¯t face right now.


    Because she reminded her of all of her failures. All of those years were spent pampering and spoiling her which then turned her into an unbearable young woman. One who dared betray her own sister by sleeping with her brother-in-law.


    Kate¡¯s eyes peered at the sight of Erin sitting on the sofa. Her sister leisurely placed her feet on the coffee table while switching the channels on the TV, Erin acted as if nothing had happened between them.


    "What are you doing here?" Kate asked in a cold tone, not bothering to beat around the bush.


    Erin turned her head to the source of the voice and smiled when she saw her big sister, "Welcome back, Sis! How was work today? Did you bring something home for me?"


    Erin greeted Kate as if everything was as it once was and there was nothing wrong between them. It was as if Kate hadn¡¯t seen her with breasts dangling out while straddling Matt¡¯s lap like she was a whore he had picked up at a street corner.


    Erin didn¡¯t even bother to act ashamed or even conceal the fact that she was Matt¡¯s mistress and that he had been cheating on her own sister with her. It was a complete degradation to Kate, and Kate couldn¡¯t look at her little sister the same way anymore, she was a completely different person now.


    "Cut the crap, Erin. Why are you here and how did you get in?"


    Erin¡¯s big smile slowly subsided when she realized that her sister wouldn¡¯t forgive her for sleeping with Matt. She sighed and tossed the remote on the coffee table.


    She put her hands behind her head and slumped deeper into the sofa, "Don¡¯t be so tense, Sis. You told me the password to unlock the door. How could you forget that you basically allowed me to live in any of your apartments as long as it suited me?"


    Kate¡¯s jaw tightened. She forgot to change the password on all of her locks. She thought after that night, this little shit wouldn¡¯t dare to show her face in front of Kate anymore.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that Erin was such a bitch that she didn¡¯t seem to have a conscience at all?


    Erin glanced at her Big sis, who was obviously angry at her. The corner of her lips raised. She pointed down at the carpet, "I had sex with a man in front of that TV once."


    Then she pointed at the door leading to the second bedroom, "There."


    And lastly, she pointed at Kate¡¯s master bedroom, "And there. Oh, that one is for a threesome. I did it with two men at once, and that included Matt too."


    "I¡¯ve had sex with Matt here a total of three times, you should check some of your bedsheets, Sis. Maybe it¡¯s stained with something suspicious, haha~."


    "ENOUGH!" Kate snapped. She was so repulsed by her own sister, it was just too much to let her continue recounting her sex adventures in that very apartment.


    To say that she was disappointed was an understatement. Kate was so disgusted with her sister that she couldn¡¯t even see her the same way anymore.


    Erin was supposed to be a good girl. Though she might not be a virgin, at least Kate had expected her to stay with one man and NOT sleep with her own brother-in-law.


    "I don¡¯t know if you accidentally hit your head or something, but I do not want to listen to your repulsive stories. Get out!" Kate yelled. She pointed at the front door, waiting for Erin to leave.


    "..."


    Erin went silent for a long time while her eyes kept staring at her sister, but the grin on her face had slowly faded, leaving only a trace of a young woman in her early 20s staring uninterestedly at her sister.


    Eventually, Erin finally got up from the sofa, but rather than walk to the front door, she made her way towards Kate instead.


    She confidently strode towards Kate, each step making her heels click on the floor. Kate took a step back, making sure to maintain some distance from her sister, she was pregnant her first priority was her child now. She was afraid that Erin might actually attack her and possibly harm her baby in the process.


    "Stay right there and tell me what you want!" Kate yelled on full guard


    Erin halted, they were only two feet away. The corner of her lips rose again, "Let me show you something interesting, sis."


    Erin fished her phone out of her breast pocket and then scrolled through her gallery until she found one picture. Then she flipped the screen to show it to her sister. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate gasped the moment she saw the picture.


    It was an image of their mother lying unconscious on a hospital bed. A needle was injected at the back of her hand Kate could also see the many cables that connected her mother to a heart monitor on the left side of the hospital bed.


    Erin¡¯s lips perked up even more because her big sister was so shocked by the picture.


    "W¡ªWhat happened to Mom? How come nobody told me about this?!" Kate asked worriedly. "Is she alright? What did the Doctor say about her condition?"


    "Mary sent this picture about three days ago to Matt, but he couldn¡¯t contact you because you blocked him," Erin said as she mentioned Mary, Matt¡¯s mother. "Mom¡¯s heart condition is getting worse, Mary found her lying conscious in the living room. The Doctor said that she needs a lot of rest and shouldn¡¯t be given any news that might actually give her a heart attack. In short, she cannot hear anything that is too shocking."


    "B¡ªBut how did her heart condition worsen?! She was fine a month ago!" Kate clearly remembered that the medication her mother took at least helped to make her condition stable. She could even do house chores all by herself, which was already a huge improvement.


    So, seeing her mother on that hospital bed triggered the fear in Kate¡¯s mind. She began to worry if her mother could survive for another year.


    "Well, that¡¯s because I spoke to her and told her something very important," Erin said. The smile she had turned malicious as she continued, "You see, about three days ago, I told her that you hit me with a baseball bat, and kicked me out of the house."

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Chapter 33"What in the¡ªI never hit you with a baseball bat, and I never kicked you out of my house! What the hell, Erin!" Kate yelled as she realized Erin had slandered her in front of their sickly mother. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin giggled, "Well, technically, you did pull my hair when you found me enjoying myself on Matt¡¯s lap. But I get it, I may have exaggerated a bit."


    "What do you mean exaggerate a bit?! You fucking lied to her!"


    "Anyway, that¡¯s not the point," Erin said as she leaned on the wall and crossed her arms on her chest. She carried a taunting grin on her lips as if she was laughing at Kate for being so defenseless. "The point is, that a little lie can cause our oh-so-pitiful mother to get hospitalized due to her heart condition. Now imagine if I told her that I slept with my brother-in-law and about how my sister now planned on filing for a divorce? Can you imagine the shock she will suffer? Oh, she will definitely die!"


    Erin pretended to gasp and as she covered her lips with her fingers, mocking her sister¡¯s concern for their mother.


    "Erin! How could you say that so easily! She is our mother! Do you have no heart?!"


    Erin shrugged, "Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, right? She¡¯s already dying anyway."


    "You!" Kate raised her hand. She wanted to slap Erin for daring to speak ill of their mother. She also wanted to slap her for all the crazy things she did with Matt.


    But her hand stopped right before it touched Erin¡¯s cheek, and Erin didn¡¯t even budge despite the threat of Kate slapping her across her face.


    It was all because she knew that her sister would never really hurt her.


    Erin scoffed, "Why didn¡¯t you slap me, sis? Are you scared that I¡¯ll tell Mom that you slapped me? Well, I might just do that, honestly."


    Kate gritted her teeth. Her whole body trembled out of rage, but she couldn¡¯t do a thing because if Erin could just heartlessly lie about Kate beating her, she¡¯d definitely tell their mother about this and it might put their mother¡¯s health at risk again.


    "Why are you doing this, Erin?" Kate asked as she tried to calm herself down. "Is it not enough to hurt me by sleeping with Matt?"


    "Why are you overreacting? It¡¯s your fault, or are you too stupid to remember?"


    "My fault?!"


    "Yes," Erin rolled her eyes once she realized that her big sis didn¡¯t realize what she had done wrong. Erin took the wallet from her pocket and showed her a credit card.


    She waved the credit card in front of Kate, "This credit card you gave me¡ª," Erin dropped it on the floor and stomped on it. "¡ªhas been blocked."


    Kate went silent as she stared at the credit card on the floor.


    It was the credit card she had given to Erin when she first came to Los Angeles for university.


    Kate applied for a considerable credit limit for it, this was so Erin could live a comfortable life.


    In fact, that credit card was only her allowance. She didn¡¯t need to pay university tuition or for an apartment because Kate had provided her with everything she could want or need.


    But after what Erin did with Matt, Kate decided to just block them from using her credit cards as a punishment since Kate couldn¡¯t divorce Matt yet.


    As much as she wanted to file for a divorce, she was still consulting with the divorce attorney about the prenup and was worried about her mother¡¯s health as well.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that Erin lied to their mother, endangering her life just because she wanted Kate to unblock her credit card?


    "I want a new one," Erin said as she tossed the card on the ground, showing Kate how worthless the piece of plastic was now. She then opened her palm and waited for Kate to hand her a new credit card.


    Kate stared at Erin¡¯s palm and then at Erin herself. She just couldn¡¯t believe the audacity of this bitch.


    "Do you know why I blocked your credit card?"


    "Obviously, it¡¯s because you¡¯re a salty bitch who can¡¯t accept that Matt doesn¡¯t find you attractive," Erin rolled her eyes. "Ugh, just stop being salty and give me a new credit card now."


    "..."


    Erin grew impatient because her big sis stared at her in a daze for a long time. She knew her sister could be stubborn, but she should¡¯ve been smarter now.


    ¡¯Hmm, maybe seeing me sleeping with Matt made her stupid,¡¯ Erin thought.


    Knowing that her sister would continue to be like this, Erin finally scrolled through her phone and found the contact she wanted to call.


    She pressed call and flipped the phone to show the screen to her sister, showing the name of the person she was calling.


    ¡¯Mom.¡¯


    Kate¡¯s heart skipped a beat for a second, she tried to snatch the phone, but Erin dodged Kate¡¯s hand.


    "Erin, stop this! She is still recovering!"


    "Give me a new credit card then," Erin said.


    "You¡¯re despicable! Mom might actually die if you say something outrageous now!" Kate said as she kept trying to grab the phone. But Erin simply pushed her and walked away from her sister.


    "Erin!" Kate tried to catch up to her sister, but the moment she almost reached Erin, the call was connected, and they heard a weak voice of a woman.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Erin?"


    Kate felt that her blood had been drained out of her body. She was so pale and weak, scared that Erin might say something that would kill their mother with a heart attack.


    Erin smirked when she saw her sister¡¯s face. She put the call on loudspeaker, so Kate could also hear clearly.


    "Hi, Mom. How have you been? Are you recovering now?" Erin asked while her eyes were still on her big sis.


    Kate¡¯s body started to tremble, She didn¡¯t know what to do right now. Should she have snatched that phone from Erin and hung up the call? But what could she do after that? Erin could always call their mother again.


    Also, what if Erin decided to fight back? Kate had to protect her child at all costs.


    Should she just hand Erin the credit card that she wanted? If she just gave Erin a new card, then what was the point of her blocking Erin and Matt¡¯s credit cards in the first place?


    She didn¡¯t want Erin to win against her by using such a despicable threat!


    "I¡¯m okay now. I¡¯m still in the hospital because the doctor wants to monitor me...." Hilda, their mother, answered. She said she was okay, but hearing her taking slow deep breaths, and her weak voice made it easy to tell that Hilda was not okay.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34"Why did you call, dear?" Hilda asked, still trying to hold on despite the obvious difficulty she was facing just to speak louder.


    Erin smirked as she kept staring at her sister. She saw as beads of sweat glistened on Kate¡¯s forehead, and each time Erin would part her lips to speak, Kate would flinch, and her body would go tense.


    "This is about Kate, Mom," Erin cried out as she tried to garner her mother¡¯s sympathy.


    Kate reached for Erin¡¯s wrist, grabbed it as hard as possible while shaking her head. Kate felt that her world would crumble with just one sentence from Erin. One sentence would be all that it took to kill their mother.


    Erin was satisfied, she was happy tormenting her sister. But she wouldn¡¯t stop until Kate gave her a new credit card.


    "Kate? What¡¯s wrong? Did she do something? Did she... Did she hit you again?" Hilda asked.


    There was a hint of worry in the tone of her voice, which was already a red flag for Kate. She knew that if Erin told their mother what had actually happened, then their already sickly mother¡¯s heart would break and it could cause a relapse of her heart attack.


    Kate grit her teeth, her eyes were already glazed with tears as her head hung in defeat.


    The bitch who she loved and spoiled, the very woman who had fucked her husband, had won.


    She never expected that her sweet little sister, whom she raised, would turn into a monster that wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to kill their mother.


    "I¡¯ll give you what you want," Kate whispered in a quiet enough voice that she was certain her mom wouldn¡¯t overhear. "Just end the call, I¡¯ll give you a credit card."


    Erin smiled victoriously as she looked down and winked at her sister.


    "I just called to tell you that we¡¯ve made up. Kate said that she was so stressed out with work that she ended up taking it out on me by accident. Don¡¯t worry mom, she apologized to me."


    "Really? I¡¯m so glad..." Hilda let out a relieved sigh. "Please forgive your sister for what she did, okay? Kate is very busy with work, it must be very stressful, and she might be receiving pressure from Matt and his family as well because she¡¯s infertile...."


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry about that, Mom. Matt is like, su~per~ tolerant. He said he¡¯ll continue being a good husband to Kate despite her inability to give him a child," Erin said in a taunting tone as she looked her sister in the eyes and smiled. "And I will continue to sup~ port~ them."


    "Thank you for being kind to your sister, Erin," Hilda said.


    "Mhm, oh, I¡¯ve got to hang up now. I¡¯m still busy trying to find a job. I¡¯m applying online," Erin said. "Love you, Mom.¡¯


    "Love you too, dear."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin finally ended the call after getting what she wanted.


    Erin tilted her head and watched as her sister took deep breaths to calm herself back down.


    "See how easy it is for me to get what I want from you?" Erin finally said as she spoke to Kate. "Though, honestly, we don¡¯t need to go through that whole calling-mom fiasco if you just handed over your credit card when I asked."


    Kate gritted her teeth and snapped, "YOU, BITCH! YOU ALMOST KILLED MOM!"


    Erin covered her ears with her index fingers and rolled her eyes, "Well, she¡¯s not dead, yet. So you don¡¯t need to yell at me like that."


    "Oh, I think you have another credit card, right?" Erin asked. She opened her palm again and ordered, "Give it to me."


    Kate glared at her, "You idiot, you can¡¯t use a card with my name on it, I¡¯ll have to apply for a supplementary card for you."


    "I would tone down on the insults if I were you, big sister, after all I could always give mom a call again," Erin taunted. "And I need a second card."


    "What for? Isn¡¯t one card enough?" Kate asked as she fought every fiber in her being to curse at her own sister.


    "Oh, it¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s for Matt," Erin replied lightly. "You also blocked his card, remember? So he needs a new one."


    "Why the fuck would I give my credit card to a useless man like that?!"


    "Oh no, don¡¯t call him that. He¡¯s still your husband, remember?" Erin giggled. But her voice soon turned cold as she gave out an order, "Since I can¡¯t use your credit card, then call the bank now to make two supplementary cards for Matt and I, or I will call Mom and tell her that Matt cheated on you with me. Bet that old woman will die in less than ten seconds after having another heart attack." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate couldn¡¯t wait to rip Erin¡¯s mouth for all the horrible things she said.


    But Kate was hopeless against her, she had to think about the safety of her child as well.


    In the end, Kate begrudgingly called the bank and requested for two supplementary cards, one for her bitch of a sister Erin, and one for her impotent husband Matt.


    "See how easy things would be if you just gave me what I wanted?" Erin said happily. "Well, I¡¯m just here for your credit card, don¡¯t forget to hand it to me tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave now.."


    Erin patted Kate¡¯s cheek twice as she passed Kate.


    Kate turned around as she watched Erin make her way out of the apartment.


    "Why are you doing this to me?" Kate asked.


    Erin stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder, "Doing what?"


    Kate clenched her fists, "Are you fucking stupid or are you just trying to piss me off? You fucked my husband, endangered our mother¡¯s life, and are blackmailing me like this! You¡¯re despicable, Erin!"


    Erin was thinking for a moment and then shrugged, "No reason, really. I slept with Matt because I was in the mood for sex and he was a willing dick, and I¡¯m just threatening you because you blocked my credit card. I have no grudge against you, Sis."


    "Bullshit! If you don¡¯t have a grudge against me, you won¡¯t blackmail me like this!"


    "..." Erin was silent for a moment, and the corner of her lips began to perk up. "Well, shoot, I guess I can¡¯t lie that I do resent you. But you deserved it anyway, so you should know you deserve all the terrible things happening in your life."


    "Don¡¯t remember that you are the reason Mom and Dad are divorced? You¡¯re the one who caused Mom¡¯s deteriorating health, and you¡¯re also the one who refused to give me a job in your office because apparently, I¡¯m not good enough," Erin listed all Kate¡¯s wrongdoings, which petrified Kate in an instant. "Remember, Sis. You¡¯re not the victim here, I am. You¡¯re the reason behind our broken family and my broken life. And it is your obligation to make my life happy after what you did."


    "So, suck it because you deserve to suffer and I deserve to have a good life," Erin said. She then walked out and slammed the door behind her.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35Kate was speechless at Erin¡¯s accusations because she knew that her sister was not making it up, she knew that most of what Erin had said was true.


    She was the one who caused their parents¡¯ divorce. She always carried the guilt that she was the one who ruined her family, and she knew that Erin would forever resent her for it.


    "If only I could turn back time and¡ª" Kate stopped herself from completing the sentence before she said something she¡¯d regret. She shook her head and said, "No, he deserves it, and Mom deserves better than my Dad. I did the right thing back then."


    Kate wasn¡¯t sure as well, her tone still questioning what she did all those years ago. All she knew was that she always believed that what she did was right, even at the cost of ruining his perfect family man image. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate felt lightheaded after Erin left her apartment. It was the combination of both physical and mental exhaustion due to all the events of the day plus she was pregnant.


    Kate slumped on the sofa and closed her eyes as she wished things would be better the moment she opened her eyes again.


    **


    As Kate broke down in her apartment, Erin confidently walked out of the apartment humming a happy song as if she had done nothing wrong.


    ¡¯Well, I get what I want, it¡¯s her responsibility to make money after all,¡¯ Erin told herself as she tried to justify what she had done. She always reminded herself of what Kate had done whenever she felt she regretted her actions towards her sister and mother..


    She tried to keep herself distracted by calling her childhood crush and brother-in-law, Matt Woods.


    Once the line was connected, Erin¡¯s voice became a pitch higher, and she said, "Hi, Matt, so, we got our credit cards back. Sis will hand them to me tomorrow."


    "..."


    "Mhm, well, my sister is just being her bitch self as always. She tried to fight back, but I threatened her that I¡¯d call Mom if she refused to give me two supplementary credit cards," Erin replied.


    "..."


    "Hihi~ Sure, let¡¯s have some fun tonight!"


    As Erin made her way to her car she walked past a black Rolls Royce Ghost with tinted glass, that was parked not far from the apartment lobby.


    The car stuck out like a sore thumb for Erin, her sister might have lived in a more prominent part of the city, but not one prominent enough to have a Rolls Royce just loitering around.


    Sadly, due to the thick tint on the windows all she could see was the silhouette of the man in the backseat and a chauffeur at the front. Erin swallowed as she hastened her steps. She had always wanted to drive a luxury car.


    Unfortunately, her sister wasn¡¯t rich enough to buy Rolls Royce or anything at par with that, while Matt was just a failure of a man who had to rely on his wife to live.


    ¡¯If only I could date someone that rich. I wouldn¡¯t mind ditching Matt,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Hell, I wouldn¡¯t even mind ditching my entire family as long as I can marry a man that rich.¡¯


    Erin looked over her shoulder to take a final look at the black Rolls Royce before she walked away.


    Meanwhile, inside the car, two men kept an eye on Erin as she continuously lusted over the car and the lifestyle it symbolized.. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising to Henry, there were a lot of people like Erin.


    "That is the girl, Sir," the driver reported. "Erina Ross, Katherine Woods¡¯ little sister, 24, unemployed, she lives in one of the apartments that her sister owns, she relies on Mrs. Woods¡¯ money to survive. She is also the woman that Kate caught Matt Woods cheating with, though she is not the only one he sleeps with."


    "So basically, she is trash," the driver said with a disapproving tone. "Sir, I can¡¯t help but wonder why you asked me to look into this girl? Are you interested in her?"


    Henry chuckled from the backseat, "And why would you think so?"


    "It¡¯s very rare for you to ask us to investigate a girl¡¯s life."


    "Then do you think she and I would be a good match?"


    "Not at all," the driver replied coldly. "Sir, you deserve a woman who is on the same intellectual level as you. She needs to be capable, or else she will only drag you down."


    Henry was quite amused by his driver¡¯s take on Erin, Kate¡¯s little sister.


    Michael, the driver was one of his henchmen that was actually one of his best informants and had connections everywhere. He was more like a spymaster that drove Henry on the side.


    It was because of Michael that Henry could investigate Kate and her condition, he could also have everyone surrounding her investigated as well, including Erin.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to marry a stupid wench like that one. She has been nothing but a parasite to Kate, I¡¯m just thinking if I should use her or get rid of her."


    Michael checked on Henry from the rearview mirror and then asked, "If you¡¯re not interested in that stupid wench, does that mean you¡¯re interested in her sister, Sir?"


    "Interest is a very broad term, Michael," Henry replied. "If you consider interested as I¡¯m in love, then no. I do not love Kate."


    "But she has everything I need to execute my plan. She is also the perfect woman that I could use for my ambition. She is simply the woman that appeared at the right time, in the right place."


    Michael went silent for a moment, "Are you sure, Sir? Because I don¡¯t think we need to park in front of Mrs. Katherine Woods¡¯ apartment if she is just a woman you plan to use. You can just pay her to do your bidding."


    Henry smirked, "Unfortunately, she is not the type that can be bought. She is successful and capable on her own, she is also dignified and knows her boundaries. So I have to make her comfortable around me. I have to melt her ice cold heart so she will be willing to do what I want."


    "So, you¡¯re planning on making her fall in love with you?"


    "Yes," Henry said.


    "That shouldn¡¯t be a difficult task, right?" Michael asked. Knowing all the qualities that his boss had, no woman would be able to resist him

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36"It should be easy," Henry said, confident in his own skills.


    He took off his suit, ruffled his slicked-back hair, and rolled up his sleeve revealing the snake tattoo on his arm.


    He did all of this to give off that relaxed harmless playboy vibe. Something he often did in front of his family and friends, also women he fancied.


    He grabbed a few boxes of pizza right next to him and told Michael, "Stay here, I¡¯ll go up to check on her. I wonder if that stupid wench did something to Kate and the baby."


    Henry left the car and headed straight to Kate¡¯s apartment.


    Michael stared at his boss¡¯ back from the side-view mirror, then commented, "I wonder if you can keep your word, boss. My gut tells me that you¡¯re the one who will get burned instead."


    **


    Kate was drifting off to sleep when she was rudely awakened by the sound of the doorbell.


    She clicked her tongue, as she did her best to ignore the doorbell because she thought it was just Erin who wanted to torment her again.


    But the person on the other side of the door pressed the bell so ruthlessly to the point that it stressed Kate out so much.


    "Goddamn it!" Kate finally stopped and stomped her way to the front door. She didn¡¯t even bother to use the peephole to check because she thought it was just Erin again.


    Thus, she unlocked the door and snapped, "Just shut up and tell me what do you want?!"


    "What do I want?"


    Kate was stunned when she heard a man¡¯s deep and mellow voice. Kate looked up and saw Henry smiling from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat as he stood in front of her.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing his suit anymore, and his hair was ruffled, making him look less formal and giving him that handsome young model aura back.


    He was carrying three boxes of pizza and said, "Well, I want to stay here for dinner," Henry raised the boxes of pizza slightly. "I brought pizza for us."


    Kate¡¯s jaw dropped. There were a lot of questions in her mind regarding the man in front of her.


    But the first question that came out of her mouth was, "How do you know where I live?"


    "You told me that night, don¡¯t you remember?" Henry said looking bewildered as if he was just as confused as she was. "You told me your apartment address, and told me I can visit anytime I want."


    "Did I actually say that?" Kate wondered.


    "You did."


    Of course, Henry was lying. Kate never told him about her address.


    He had Michael dig for the information. But Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to tell because she was so drunk and horny that night.


    "Ugh..." Kate didn¡¯t remember most of the things that happened between them aside from the amazing sex. So it was possible that she actually told Henry her address, it was also highly likely that she invited him to come and visit especially after a wonderful night they had.


    So it wasn¡¯t his fault that he was here.


    "Fine, you can come in. But this will be the last time."


    "Great!"


    Kate turned around and walked into the living room, letting Henry invite himself in. He tailed behind her, his eyes scanned the living room and realized that Kate must be a very busy woman who rarely spent her days in her own apartment.


    Because everything felt untouched.


    It wasn¡¯t dusty, as the housekeeping service must¡¯ve often come to this apartment quite often. But every item around the house felt untouched and brand new.


    There was also no sign of modification around, not even a family picture hanging on the wall.


    Henry stared at Kate, whose body looked frail. She was paler, and it seemed that Kate sweated a lot because her back was damp, and Henry could see the bra strap.


    Henry swallowed his saliva. He had to admit that Kate¡¯s body was truly a marvel he wanted to taste again.


    He usually didn¡¯t like to taste the same woman twice. He had plenty of exes, one night stands, and women chasing after him. So if he was in the mood, he¡¯d just call one of them over, and they¡¯d come to his apartment like a female cat in heat.


    But that night was indeed wonderful.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it was the effect of the alcohol he consumed or if Kate¡¯s body was just very compatible with his, or it could be both.


    But he still couldn¡¯t forget what they did that night. As a matter of fact, it had been so good that he had been refraining himself to see other women, as he didn¡¯t want to waste his time with an inferior woman in terms of everything compared to Kate.


    Spending a night with Kate made him understand that he preferred a quality and wonderful sex rather than mindless dick-thrusting that would only give him a quick physical pleasure and made him hollow and depressed the next morning.


    ¡¯I guess our body is just very compatible,¡¯ Henry guessed.


    "You can sit there," Kate said while pointing at the sofa briefly before heading into the kitchen.


    "Huh?" Henry frowned. "You¡¯re not going to eat the pizza with me?"


    "I don¡¯t like pizza," Kate replied.


    "You don¡¯t like pizza? Seriously?" Henry asked. He was genuinely confused because he thought a busy career woman like Kate would resort to a diet of junk foods and soda.


    "I don¡¯t hate it, but¡ª" Kate stopped her sentence once she realized that she might¡¯ve accidentally said too many private things.


    She was about to say that Matt¡¯s diet consisted of nothing but junk food, So whenever Kate saw food like pizza, burgers, and french fries, she¡¯d be reminded of that slobbering mess of a man. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It made her sick. Failure made her sick.


    So she often went out to restaurants to eat.


    "I¡¯ll just cook for you," Kate said as she went to the kitchen.


    Henry followed Kate to the kitchen instead. He put the pizza boxes on a kitchen countertop and sat on a stool, watching Kate intently, all while she was busy checking the fridge.


    "What do you want to eat?" Kate asked as she rummaged through her fridge.


    "... Anything," Henry replied.


    "Good, I happen to have only a few ingredients left anyway," Kate said as she took out most of the ingredients left inside the fridge. "I¡¯ll make a Minestrone soup for dinner. Sorry if it¡¯s up to your standards, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re used to eating food by chefs."


    Henry shrugged, "I¡¯m not picky with my food. But are you sure that you can cook? We can just order food if you want to eat something."


    "Sure I can, what¡¯s wrong?" Kate asked as she put on her apron.


    "Because you look sick, you¡¯re so pale, Kate," Henry said. "You looked like you¡¯ve seen a ghost."


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened.


    Of course, she must¡¯ve looked pale and exhausted. Who wouldn¡¯t when their mother almost died just because Kate refused to give Erin her credit card?


    But she didn¡¯t want to talk about something like that with Henry. They were two strangers who happened to be entangled after one wild night, at best they were employee and employer and that¡¯s where their relationship ended.


    So she cleared her throat and replied, "I¡¯m just a little tired after work. It¡¯s nothing to worry about."

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37"Are you sure?"


    "Yeah, why do you keep asking about this anyway? Just go to the living room and turn on the TV and relax while I¡¯m cooking."


    ...


    Henry said nothing but stayed in the kitchen watching Kate¡¯s every movement as she busied herself chopping the vegetables she needed to cook a Minestrone soup.


    His gaze darkened when he saw her frail body, ¡¯That stupid bitch hurt my woman.¡¯


    Henry felt unprecedented fury gnawing inside him, like a hundred fire ants biting his heart, not letting go until he finished what he had to do. He knew well that he had to teach that bitch called Erin a lesson for hurting Kate.


    He didn¡¯t even know why he felt upset after knowing that woman hurt Kate. Erin was her sister, and he should be happy that Erin bullied Kate because that meant it¡¯d be easier for him to enter her heart and obtain her love. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was, in fact, would be the easiest way, as if the universe was working in his favor.


    Henry wasn¡¯t a stranger to the game called Love. He knew that it was easier to hook a vulnerable woman, enter her weak heart, and make her believe that you were meant to be with them, as if whatever god they believed in sent you as her man, until they were fully dependent on you and you alone.


    So the sentence that he should¡¯ve said right now was,


    ¡¯You look pale, come here and let me hug you.¡¯


    Not,


    ¡¯What did that bitch do to you? I will make her remember not to mess with my woman.¡¯


    But all of the perfectly laid out plans in Henry¡¯s head simply disappeared when he saw Kate looking frail and pale, with a forced smile as if she was holding a lot of emotional torment.


    And that second sentence almost slipped out of Henry¡¯s mouth plenty of times to the point that he had to bite his lip so he wouldn¡¯t slip and utter those stupid words.


    Besides, he couldn¡¯t bring up the topic of Kate¡¯s sister unless Kate told him about it. She wasn¡¯t a stupid woman, Kate would definitely realize that Henry had her investigated and spied on if he suddenly spoke of her sister and of issues he wasn¡¯t supposed to be aware of.


    ¡¯Then why is she not telling me about it? I thought she¡¯d be vulnerable enough to tell me everything, so I... I can do something to make that bitch pay for what she did to my Kate.¡¯


    Knowing that he was stuck in an infuriatingly useless position, all he did was stare at Kate with eyes that could burn a hole in her back.


    Kate felt a bit uncomfortable as Henry watched her like a predator stalking his prey. She glanced at him a few times and realized that he looked pissed for some reason.


    ¡¯Did I make him angry somehow?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯No, no, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve had any fights so far. So what made him angry all of a sudden?¡¯


    Kate wanted to ask Henry if everything was alright. But she decided to just shut her mouth and finished cooking.


    It was already an exhausting day. She wasn¡¯t ready for another argument.


    Kate poured the Minestrone soup into two bowls and told Henry, "Okay, it¡¯s done. Can you bring yours to the dining table?"


    Henry nodded and grabbed both of the bowls to the dining table, much to Kate¡¯s confusion, "Hey, you don¡¯t need to bring mine, the bowl is still hot," Kate said while chasing after him.


    But Henry said nothing, somehow, now he looked even more pissed. He put the hot bowls on the dining table and sat on the chair, waiting for Kate to join him.


    Kate was a little hesitant at first, but seeing that Henry got even more pissed as time went by she decided to sit with him.


    She braced herself and sat across from him on the dining table.


    Kate sipped on the soup and sighed in relief as her body felt warm. She was relieved that the Minestrone Soup she made tasted good. It had been a while since she cooked something.


    Had it not been for the Young Master in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t even think of eating anything for dinner because Erin¡¯s torment was enough to make her lose her appetite.


    Kate glanced at Henry to check on him. She was a bit worried that Henry would spit out the soup because he didn¡¯t like it.


    But he actually scooped the soup nonstop until he finished the whole bowl in less than five minutes.


    He burped a bit and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Kate rolled her eyes, ¡¯Why am I worried about him anyway? What young master? He¡¯s like a typical frat boy that would eat moldy pizza without any issue.¡¯


    ¡¯But... I¡¯m glad that he seems to be in a better mood after eating the soup.¡¯


    Kate smiled sarcastically at Henry and asked, "So, Young Master, what do you think about my cooking? Is it suitable for your palate?"


    "It was good," Henry said. He was in a better mood after eating the soup. His cheeks reddened a bit and added, "It¡¯s very good, in fact, have you ever considered a career as a chef?"


    "A chef? Pfft¡ªhahaha!" Kate laughed out loud when she heard that.


    "Hey, I¡¯m not joking!" Henry was a bit offended that Kate took his statement as a joke. "I¡¯m serious. This is very good. You can be a chef if you take proper training!"


    "Okay, okay, young master, thank you for your flattery, but it¡¯s just a regular soup that anyone can cook," Kate said.


    Henry clicked his tongue, "When did you learn to cook anyway? I thought you didn¡¯t cook since you¡¯re very busy at work."


    "Well..." Kate¡¯s wide smile faltered a bit. "I was raised in a small town, inside a conservative family. For a woman like me, the end goal is to marry a good man and support my husband at home. I was trained my whole life before I got married to Matt so that I could be the perfect housewife."

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38: Chapter 38"I thought that things would get better after I married him. I planned on just being a good wife at home and supporting him in his career while taking care of our children," Kate said. "But reality is often disappointing, and now I realize that my dream of becoming a normal housewife is impossible."


    "Impossible?"


    "Well, yeah. My marriage is done for. There is no way that I will ever return to Matt after what he did to me," Kate said. Henry almost said out of instinct that it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible for Kate if she still wanted to be a housewife.


    Because they could be together if she wanted to.


    In fact, that might be a good thing to say right now because it would definitely give him a plus point in Kate¡¯s eyes, even though he might be a bit insincere.


    But before he could say it, Kate added, "And I don¡¯t have any plan to remarry. It¡¯s too traumatizing."


    "..."


    Henry zipped his mouth after that.


    He thought it was foolish to almost say he wanted to marry her. Because he never promised something as serious as marriage to a woman before, what made Kate so special from any other woman to make her worthy of his commitment?


    Besides, Henry remembered his family and how marriage had ruined everything in their lives. He clenched his fist under the table and lowered his head, "You¡¯re right, marriage is traumatizing."


    Kate stared at the man in front of her in silence as she studied the pained expression on his face.


    Kate was a smart woman and she had honestly noticed that Henry didn¡¯t like to talk about his family.


    She knew that he wasn¡¯t on good terms with them, even then he only mentioned that he had a problem with his entire family because he was being forced to marry a woman of their choice.


    But based on his reaction just now, Kate believed that his problem with his family might be even deeper than an arranged marriage.


    Kate had no intention of prying any further because Henry didn¡¯t seem to be the type to open up easily.


    So she continued to smile, "Well, at least we are on the same page in that aspect. I think after I can secure my divorce from Matt, I will keep working and raising my child all by myself. Which is not bad, I have money to support myself and my child after I retire, and I will have my own freedom while raising my child."


    Kate was silent as she waited for Henry to say something, but it seemed like he was just listening to what she had to say.


    "It¡¯s just... sometimes... I wish I had a complete family...." Kate murmured. She felt somber as she realized that she never had a complete family of her own since the incident with her father.


    Her perfect family became a broken one when she was only around seven years old.


    Her marriage with Matt was broken because they were childless and he cheated.


    And now that she was finally pregnant, she was already on the brink of divorce with Matt. Soon her baby would be fatherless.


    Well, not completely fatherless, because...


    Kate stared at Henry for a moment before she looked away.


    A stupid idea popped up in her head telling her that maybe, just maybe, Henry wanted to be part of the small family she had, that he would want to give their child a complete family.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t even entertain those thoughts,¡¯ Kate scolded herself. ¡¯It¡¯s really not good for your heart.¡¯


    "It¡¯s fine though, my child will be safe with me. I¡¯ll raise him or her to be a good person," Kate said as she placed a hand on her still flat stomach.


    Henry frowned when he heard that, "Don¡¯t take me out of the picture. That¡¯s also my child, I also want to raise him or her as well."


    Kate scoffed, full of ridicule when she heard that.


    Of course, it was easy for him to say it now, but she knew men like him would eventually grow tired of his little family.


    It would only be natural for a young man like him to find another woman, another adventure that he could explore because his family at home was nothing special.


    ¡¯Ah, I should drop this conversation. I don¡¯t want to be reminded of my Dad again...¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Don¡¯t scoff at me," Henry protested. "I am serious about raising our child."


    "Sure thing, Big boy," Kate teased, much to Henry¡¯s annoyance.


    But he wasn¡¯t mad when Kate teased him, just because Kate was giggling after teasing him.


    It was better to see her giggling like a teenager and being happy rather than to see her looking pale and frail. She wore happiness well, it made her look more lively and lovely.


    ¡¯This isn¡¯t right,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Why do I get stressed just because she looks sad? This should be the right time for me to swoop her in and make her mine. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s sincere or not as long as I get what I want.¡¯


    Henry lowered his gaze to Kate¡¯s flat belly and made an assumption, ¡¯Must be because of the baby. I have to keep that baby safe, after all, so it¡¯s natural for me to get pissed when someone hurts my baby¡¯s mother.¡¯


    Coming up with his own conclusion, Henry felt more relaxed after knowing he was still in control of himself.


    He wasn¡¯t mad for Kate. He was mad for the baby inside Kate. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The atmosphere between them eased after dinner.


    Kate didn¡¯t know if it was because of the food or because she already opened up a lot about herself to this man. But she could tolerate Henry around her house, at least.


    "So, what are you going to do after this? Surely you won¡¯t stay the night, right?" Kate asked.


    "Oh? Is that an invitation?" Henry asked back. Kate¡¯s question roused the mischievousness inside him again. "I don¡¯t mind staying here. I¡¯d love to in fact."


    "Wha¡ªI¡ªI was just asking! Why are you so perverted!?"


    Henry chuckled. He got up, walked around the dinner table, and stood right behind Kate¡¯s chair. He leaned forward and rested his elbow on the dinner table right next to her.


    "My plan tonight is you," Henry said before he kissed her on the cheek near her lips. Kate jolted, but before she could react, Henry already took a step back and turned around.


    Kate looked over her shoulder, staring at Henry as he opened the front door, "Thanks for the food. It was great. I¡¯ll visit more often, Kitty," he said before leaving and shutting the door.


    Kate sighed, "He really just comes and goes as he desires. Does he not realize that I¡¯m also exhausted here? Why do I have to cook for two?"


    Kate leaned back and took a deep breath, letting her exhaustion take over.


    "But, I guess it¡¯s fun to have him around," Kate said as she glanced at the empty bowls on the dining table, making the corners of her lips rise to form a small smile.


    "Well, it¡¯s nice to have someone around after work. I guess we could be friends..." She murmured.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39: Chapter 39Kate quickly snapped out of her daze and shook her head instantly, "No, don¡¯t be stupid, Kate. Don¡¯t you realize that you¡¯re not supposed to be vulnerable in front of him? He¡¯s a charming, young man. The only thing he wants is to have some novelty sex with you and then ditch you."


    She sighed as a mental image of Henry¡¯s handsome and charming face flashed in her mind.


    "Don¡¯t get tricked by a pretty face. It will do you no good," Kate reminded herself as she thought about Matt.


    The only thing Matt ever had going for him was his good looks, and even those pales in comparison next to Henry¡¯s. It was even worse when his looks slowly faded because he didn¡¯t take proper care of his body and face after years suffering from a failed acting career.


    Now on the other hand there was Henry, a much more handsome and charming young man who was frivolous and irresponsible. Though, he seemed far more competent than Matt could ever be, which was already quite a low bar to set since Matt was incompetent and seemed to lack the word discipline in his vocabulary.


    ¡¯Well, both will be the death of me. Better not get entangled with Matt 2.0.¡¯


    **


    Henry¡¯s smile vanished the moment he closed the door behind him.


    A murderous aura engulfed his body as he used the elevator to go down, scaring everyone he passed.


    He was so pissed when he found out that Erin had done something to Kate and their baby. He was even more pissed, knowing he couldn¡¯t do anything to calm the fire in his heart until he avenged Kate and their unborn child.


    Michael saw that his boss was walking towards the car with a glare that could make anyone jump out of fright, "I was right," he murmured.


    Henry entered the car and sat in silence with his arms crossed.


    Michael checked from the rearview mirror and waited until Henry gave his next order. He knew his boss would definitely snap at him for just breathing too loud right now.


    After about thirty minutes of silence, Michael finally couldn¡¯t hold back and asked, "Sir, is everything alright?"


    "... do you know how to hide a corpse?"


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened, "What do you mean, Sir?"


    "I¡¯m so pissed, Michael," Henry replied. "I planned everything in my head before I even entered her apartment. I thought I could make her cry in my arms, allowing her to be vulnerable around me so that she would fall in love with me as soon as possible, and then she can do my bidding."


    "But the moment I saw the sadness in her eyes, my mind went blank and there was nothing but anger. I am furious at that stupid wench, Erina Ross," Henry said. "And I know that I will not rest well until I can avenge my child and his or her mother. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking if you can hide a corpse."


    Michael gulped nervously, "Sir, we¡¯ve never killed anyone before¡ª"


    "¡ªBut we already planned to do one. What¡¯s so hard about killing another?"


    "S¡ªSir, please calm down. There are worse ways to torment a woman like Erina Ross, some fates are worse than death," Michael said. He had never seen his boss be this rash in his judgment. He was usually very cool-headed and meticulous.


    "Then try to give me a suggestion of what to do with that wench, because the only thing I can think of is to permanently eradicate her from this life," Henry said in a cold tone as a murderous look flashed in his eyes. "I will give you a week to think about it."


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir. I will try to find a way," Michael nodded. He was relieved that at least they didn¡¯t need to kill anyone. It would be a pain in the ass to handle murder cases, especially if politicians and police were involved.


    "Sir, you should control your emotions as well. You¡¯re usually not the type who¡¯d make rash decisions," Michael reminded. "Are you that attracted to Mrs. Katherine Woods that she would make you unreasonable?"


    "Watch your mouth, Michael," Henry reprimanded. "I am not in love with Kate. I¡¯m angry not for her, but for the baby inside her. After all, that baby is still mine, and I don¡¯t want her to lose our child because of that useless wench. My child¡¯s life is worth way more than hers." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael shrugged, "Sure thing, Sir. I¡¯m just trying to remind you that your plan does not involve falling in love with Mrs. Woods."


    "I know," Henry had returned to his calm and composed self again. "I assure you that Kate will not change our plan. I will leave her once I get what I want."


    "I hope you can keep your words, Sir," Michael said. "Shall we go now?"


    Henry hummed lightly in response, and Michael drove away from the apartment.


    Henry stared at Downtown Los Angeles at night. In his mind flashed the image of that night when he was most vulnerable, drinking the night away. He simply couldn¡¯t ignore the pain in his heart, so he hoped to pass out and remember nothing by the next morning.


    Until that woman came to the office, she was just as broken and vulnerable as him.


    She joined him and drowned herself in red wine, trying to get drunk so she could forget about her problems, just like he did, so they started opening up to each other.


    That night they became the closest person to each other physically and emotionally.


    Henry clenched his armrest as he tried to calm his heart down.


    He knew that he might have overreacted a bit. But he thought it was justified because of the baby inside Kate¡¯s belly. He had to protect the baby because that baby was part of his plan.


    ¡¯This has nothing to do with my feelings for Kate,¡¯ Henry told himself. ¡¯She just happens to be the right woman at the right time, in the right place. So I can¡¯t just leave her be.¡¯

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40Kate woke up in the morning filled with dread.


    She hated the fact that she had to meet with Erin again today because she had to hand her the two supplementary credit cards to make up for the credit cards she had blocked.


    "In the end, I¡¯m powerless against those bastards..." Kate muttered as she stared at her bedroom ceiling. "How could someone be so vile, using her own sickly old Mom as a weapon against her sister? Where did it go wrong? Did I teach her to be so cruel?"


    A train of regret flashed through Kate¡¯s mind, "Does Erin hate me so much for sticking to the truth that our Dad is a bastard that has no right to be protected? He¡¯s a vile man and I refuse to protect the image of a bastard like him!"


    Kate felt emotional as she remembered all the vile deeds that her father committed behind his family¡¯s back. Who would¡¯ve expected that a religious man could be so debauched and disgusting?


    Kate remembered how the image of her good father shattered as she witnessed that moment when she¡ª


    Kate shook her head when that memory flashed again, "No, I don¡¯t want to remember that disgusting memory. It¡¯s not good to dwell in the past, especially since it brings me so much sadness when I¡¯m pregnant."


    Kate took a deep breath and got up from bed.


    Once more, she became the professional Mrs. Katherine Woods when she entered the building and strutted her way through the corridor as she headed to her office room.


    She was greeted by only a few staff, but that didn¡¯t matter. Kate didn¡¯t really care if they were scared of her or not. As long as they did their job well, there was no need for pleasantries.


    Well, maybe she would give an exception for the young woman in front of her.


    "Morning, Ma¡¯am!" Mai greeted her cheerfully.


    Kate smiled, "Good morning, Mai. Are you ready for your first day as a Secretary?" She asked while walking into her office.


    Mai tailed her from behind and replied, "Well, I guess. I mean, I asked the HR personnel about my tasks, since I¡¯ve never been a secretary before. But it seems manageable after they told me what to do."


    "Oh, really?" Kate put her bag on the table and then sat on the chair while Mai stood right across the desk. "Then why are you here, Mai? Shouldn¡¯t you be helping your boss now?"


    "Eh? I thought Mr. Grant already told you about this, Ma¡¯am," Mai was confused by Kate¡¯s question just now. "He told me that I should help you in case you need anything at work. So please, don¡¯t hesitate if you need anything, Ma¡¯am, even something as easy as buying your lunch, I will happily do it for you."


    Kate¡¯s lips twitched when Mai mentioned Henry again, "Henry¡ªI mean, Mr. Grant is your boss. Don¡¯t worry, I can handle everything myself."


    "Um, Ma¡¯am, but Mr. Grant said he doesn¡¯t need much. All I have to do is to make coffee every morning for him and send him his daily schedule. He doesn¡¯t need me to handle anything else, not even some documents he might need in a meeting," Mai said. "He told me that you¡¯re going to tell him everything anyway, because you two live together."


    "We¡¯re not¡ªugh¡ªwhatever," Kate had given up trying to convince Mai about it. "Tell your boss that I don¡¯t need anyone to help me. I¡¯m fully capable of my own."


    "But Ma¡¯am¡ª"


    "Tell him now!"


    "O¡ªOkay!"


    Thus, Mai left Kate¡¯s office and entered the CEO¡¯s office. Only to return to Kate with a massage, "Ma¡¯am, Mr. Grant told me that you¡¯re pregnant. So you¡¯ll need me to take care of your daily needs while you¡¯re working."


    "Hah, tell him that I don¡¯t need his help, and tell him to do his job, there are more urgent and important matters rather than pestering me!"


    Thus, Mai went back and forth, sending messages between these two people in power until she finally got frustrated. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a seventh visit to the CEO¡¯s office, Mai finally returned to Kate¡¯s office, with Henry following behind her.


    Henry wasn¡¯t wearing a suit right now. Instead, he wore a tight-fitting gray shirt that hugged his body, showing the perfect abs and pecs beneath it.


    He smirked amusedly in front of Kate as Kate glaring at him.


    They said nothing at first until Henry broke the silence, "Mai, tell our Chief Editor to stop being stubborn and cooperate with her boss. Her stubbornness won¡¯t do the company any good."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "Mai, tell our CEO not to barge in without permission into my office. Also, tell him that I¡¯ve been doing my job just fine without a secretary or his interference. I am professional, unlike him."


    "Mai, tell our Chief Editor that she can¡¯t be professional when she¡¯s not cooperative."


    "Mai, tell our CEO that I¡¯ve done so much for this company even before he joined."


    "Mai¡ª"


    "Mai¡ª"


    "Mai¡ª"


    "Mai¡ª"


    Mai got confused as both of them kept on debating non-stop while using her name. The situation frustrated her, and she snapped, "SHUT UP! YOU TWO!"


    Henry and Kate stopped arguing. They turned their heads and looked towards Mai at the same time, waiting for her to give them a piece of her mind.


    Mai knew that both of her bosses must¡¯ve expected her to take one of their sides. But she was already exhausted!


    "You two can have your lover quarrel without me, seriously! Why do I have to be in the middle of this fight anyway?" Mai protested.


    "But we¡¯re not lovers," Kate denied.


    "We are," Henry claimed.


    "We are not."


    "We should be then."


    "We should not."


    "AHH! LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS MESS!" Mai reached her boiling point and simply rushed out of the office room, leaving Kate and Henry staring at the wide open door where Mai had dashed out just now.


    "Look at what you did, Henry. What if Mai resigns because she can¡¯t handle your bullshit?" Kate said.


    "I think you¡¯re the one to blame. It¡¯s because you refuse to cooperate."


    "You¡ª"


    Thus, the lover¡¯s quarrel continued for at least another hour.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41: Chapter 41Henry and Kate had been arguing for over an hour. None of them wanted to give up on Mai¡¯s placement as Secretary.


    Henry wanted Mai to be the Secretary of two people, but mostly she had to help Kate with her busy schedule. His reason was Kate¡¯s pregnancy. He wouldn¡¯t allow Kate to be too busy and exhausted, which might endanger their baby.


    Meanwhile, Kate felt Henry was a busybody who simply wanted to control her life just because he donated his sperm.


    She refused to allow him to do this, she managed to do everything all by herself, and her pregnancy wouldn¡¯t stop her from doing so, at least not until the later stages of her pregnancy.


    With their current argument, they couldn¡¯t even be called friends, let alone lovers.


    Meanwhile, Mai had been peeking from the gap in the office door. She had been standing outside of the Chief Editor¡¯s office for about an hour, thinking that the argument should be enough to tire Mrs. Woods and Mr. Grant.


    Thus, she checked whether these lovebirds finally stopped arguing, but seeing that they weren¡¯t even close to an agreement, Mai knew she had to put an end to the argument and force a truce between these two lovers.


    Mai knocked on the door, which stopped the argument temporarily.


    Henry and Kate turned their heads towards the door simultaneously, waiting for Mai to speak.


    "Ma¡¯am, Sir, it is time for the meeting with the director from Netflix," Mai said timidly.


    "Meeting?" Henry¡¯s eyes peered at Mai suspiciously. "How come you didn¡¯t inform me about this?"


    "S¡ªSir, it is Mrs. Woods¡¯ meeting, not yours. This meeting was scheduled a month ago, and since the CEO¡¯s position was empty for a while, the one who is supposed to represent Emperor Publishing is the Chief Editor," Mai replied.


    Kate huffed, "Yes, it was my responsibility to handle everything in the office while the CEO¡¯s seat was empty. This is my second meeting with them, and I really don¡¯t like the direction this deal has taken." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry had no idea what the problem was and he didn¡¯t like being in this position.


    He didn¡¯t like the feeling of being clueless, so he asked, "Tell me what this is all about. I will help you."


    "No need," Kate rejected curtly. "It is something that has been put in motion even before you came to the office, Henry. It¡¯s best if you step aside and let me handle this."


    Henry clenched his jaw in silence. He didn¡¯t like to be kept in the dark like this. He was a man who needed to be in control, and if something wasn¡¯t in accordance with his plan or his prediction, then his mood would go south, and he would¡ª.


    ...


    Henry¡¯s eyes turned vicious, like a viper ready to strike for a split second before he tried to ward off the bad ideas that came into his mind, ¡¯No, don¡¯t be impatient. Kate is not them, she is not evil,¡¯ Henry told himself. ¡¯No need to be so on guard around her or you will look unnatural.¡¯


    "Alright, I will go now," Kate said as she got up and grabbed her bag. She walked around her desk and went to the door.


    But before she left, Henry suddenly grabbed Kate¡¯s wrist and said, "I demand you brief me about the meeting. I will be joining you."


    Kate stopped her step and looked over her shoulder with a glare that could kill Henry. Though, it didn¡¯t seem to intimidate him at all, "Just sit back and let me handle this. You can go do... whatever, I don¡¯t give a damn, just don¡¯t get in my way."


    Henry had a bad smile and then said, "This is an order from the CEO, Mrs. Woods. If you still uphold your professionalism, and respect me as the CEO, then you have to tell me."


    Kate glared at Henry again like a tiger about to pounce.


    But Henry was unbothered, "Go on, for the sake of professionalism, Mrs. Woods."


    "Tsk, fine, release my hand first."


    "Not until you tell me what this is all about."


    "Ugh, I will tell you in the car! Let me go!"


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, and his mood improved once Kate said she¡¯d bring him along. All he asked was about the topic, then he would slither his way with arguments that Kate could not refuse, so she was forced to bring him in.


    But it was nice that Kate actually took the initiative. It made him feel a bit closer to her, ¡¯Of course, it is all planned to make her fall in love with me faster,¡¯ Henry reasoned to himself, justifying his own actions.


    Thus, he released her hand, and they walked side by side out of the office, with Mai following behind them.


    Ding!


    Both of them went down to the lobby, and as they strode through the big office lobby, Henry pointed at a metallic dark green Ferrari parked in front of the lobby, "That¡¯s my car. Let¡¯s go."


    Kate looked at Henry¡¯s car, and her lips twitched, "Discreet much? You really don¡¯t try to hide your money, huh?"


    That metallic dark green Ferrari stuck out like a sore thumb between lines of less flashy cars parked in the VIP spots. She thought it looked tacky, but Henry seemed to be fond of it, looking at how polished and flashy his car was.


    Kate glanced at Henry and saw him puffing his chest, "Why should I? I have the money, so I can do whatever with it."


    "Huh... sure," Kate sneered. ¡¯What do I expect from a young man like him anyway? Of course he¡¯d love driving that kind of car, because women his age would flock to it instantly.¡¯


    Kate remembered the late Mr. James Grant, the previous CEO and Henry¡¯s older brother.


    Though he probably had all the money in this world, he still had that humble upbringing. He didn¡¯t like flashy things and always seemed modest with anything he did, including luxury purchases and even menial things like having lunch.


    Mr. James Grant never hesitated to eat in the office canteen downstairs or order food from a cheap, local restaurant. He was a man with virtue and was indeed a popular bachelor.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42: Chapter 42Back then, Kate wouldn¡¯t lie that she was also attracted to Mr. James Grant. No woman in and out of the office wasn¡¯t attracted to his handsome face, mature upbringing, and status.


    And Kate also knew that James had been feeling the same as hers. There were many instances where he was about to say something very personal, but decided to hold himself in the end.


    Kate was also the same. Her heartbeat would always speed up when James stared at her with eyes full of heat. He always did that when only two of them were inside a room.


    James also showed a trace of jealousy each time Kate mentioned that she had a husband.


    ¡¯Husband...¡¯


    The only reason that stopped her from going for James back then was her husband, Matt. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though he wasn¡¯t very useful, Kate was a loyal woman. She knew she and James weren¡¯t supposed to be together because of Kate¡¯s status as someone else¡¯s wife.


    ¡¯And I upheld my loyalty so much. Despite all the temptations, I still keep my devotion to Matt. Though, it didn¡¯t end well after all of my sacrifices....¡¯


    Now that she was looking for a good attorney to divorce Matt, James Grant isn¡¯t around anymore...


    Kate glanced at the man next to her.


    Henry was handsome. No, that was an understatement.


    He was so goddamn handsome that even James paled in comparison to him. Henry was simply a huge upgrade from Mr. James Grant if it was only about physical appearance.


    As Kate kept glancing at Henry, an idea was growing in her mind, ¡¯Now that I¡¯m about to be single again, should I...¡¯


    ...


    ¡¯No! Don¡¯t be stupid, Kate!¡¯ Kate scolded herself because, for a few seconds, she was thinking about what it would feel like to date a man that looked like Mr. James Grant. ¡¯How could you be so vile, wanting to date a man just because he reminds you of your deceased boss?¡¯


    ¡¯Besides, he is a frivolous playboy. All he will do is to fuck you until he gets bored, and ditch you no matter how much you try to please him,¡¯ Kate told herself. She clenched her fist as she remembered one man, ¡¯Just like Matt.¡¯


    "And we¡¯re here."


    Henry¡¯s voice snapped Kate out of her daze. She was in a daze for a while as she kept walking alongside Henry to his car.


    ¡¯Ah, darn it, I was thinking of refusing. I think I¡¯d be more comfortable driving my own car or at least use Uber.¡¯


    Henry took his car key and pressed a button to automatically open the door for Kate. With a proud grin, he invited, "Get in."


    Kate scoffed. She sat on the passenger seat. But as she sat down, she noticed the car didn¡¯t have a backseat. So it was only fit for two people.


    She frowned and protested, "There is no backseat for Mai. Let me just use my car and take her with us."


    Mai was about to nod, but her boss, Mr. Grant, suddenly eyed her with full hostility, indicating that he wouldn¡¯t be happy if Mai said yes. She gulped and refused, "I¡ªI think I will use Uber or Lyft, Ma¡¯am."


    "Huh? What for? Netflix¡¯s LA headquarter is quite far from here, you¡¯ll have to pay a lot for a Taxi," Kate said. "Let¡¯s just use my car¡ª" She was about to leave the car when Henry suddenly slammed the car door right in front of her face.


    "Mrs. Woods!" Mai was surprised when her CEO suddenly slammed the car door shut. "S¡ªSir, please let Mrs. Woods go. We can use another car!"


    "Stop being dramatic, I¡¯m not kidnapping her," Henry said without an ounce of smile or kindness in him. He took his wallet out and handed a handful of one-hundred-dollar bills to Mai. "Go take a Taxi. Don¡¯t bother us."


    Henry walked around his car and entered the driver¡¯s seat. He didn¡¯t even wait for his car to warm up before leaving the office as soon as possible.


    Mai could only eat dust as she stared at Mr. Grant¡¯s dark green metallic Ferrari leaving the office¡¯s driveway.


    "What¡¯s with him?" Mai asked herself. "Did I offend him somehow?"


    **


    Kate was annoyed that she had to spend the long drive alone with Henry since Mai was forced to use a Taxi instead.


    She stole a few glances at Henry, who seemed to be enjoying himself listening to music. He even increased the volume and said, "This is my favorite song, by the way."


    Kate could only listen to Henry, who hummed as the song blasted. She sneered after the song ended, "You seem to be awfully happy. I thought you wanted to ask me about the topic of this meeting."


    "Happy?" Henry chuckled. "Well, who won¡¯t be happy to finally have a beauty sitting by my side?"


    Kate couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes over that cheesy pick-up line, "Do you say that to every woman that sits in this car?"


    "No, you¡¯re the only one," Henry said while his eyes were on the road. "You are the first, and the only one to ride with me in this car."


    Though Kate didn¡¯t believe it, Henry didn¡¯t lie at all.


    He got this car from his late older brother a year ago for his 24th birthday as a gift. He liked everything about it, the color, the sleek design, and the engine. But he didn¡¯t like taking it out of his garage because it was a gift he treasured, and it was too flashy for a downtown LA drive.


    He also thought that none of his flings, nor those women he picked up for a blind date based on his parent¡¯s recommendation, deserved to be driven with a car he treasured.


    Well, except Kate.


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned as he drove the car fast through the city. Kate was the reason he took this car out of the garage.


    He wanted to use this car to impress Kate. He just thought that since he had to obtain Kate¡¯s love completely, he could start by showing some of his extravagant wealth.


    That... and also for another reason he didn¡¯t want to think of because it made him feel too evil whenever he remembered that reason.


    ¡¯It doesn¡¯t matter. I will compensate her with a lot of money after I get what I want,¡¯ Henry convinced himself to suppress the guilt sprouting in his heart.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43: Chapter 43The car fell still with a deafening silence, as both Henry and Kate seemed to be occupied with different thoughts. Kate¡¯s mind was occupied with thoughts about the meeting while Henry was trying to suppress the guilt in his heart.


    The car stopped at a red light in the crowded Downtown LA, and as expected, Henry¡¯s dark green metallic Ferrari became the center of attention as the metallic coating reflected under the sun, making the already flashy car even flashier.


    Kate watched as the people on the streets started taking pictures of the car, some even posed in front of the car to take selfies.


    "The glass is tinted, right?" Kate couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Of course," Henry chuckled. "I wouldn¡¯t want them to see us if we were doing something private."


    Kate glared at him, then scoffed, "This is why I don¡¯t like flashy things. You will attract unnecessary attention and that will cause you nothing but trouble."


    "You don¡¯t like attention?"


    "Not at all," Kate replied curtly. "I never wear anything flashy, but that¡¯s mostly because I was raised in a conservative family. My evening gowns were the only attention grabbing things I have."


    "Not even jewelry?"


    "I don¡¯t use jewelry that often," Kate replied. "I¡¯m just an office worker with a husband at home. My education molded me to be modest. I only use them for special occasions."


    Henry checked on Kate from the corner of his eyes. Kate sat straight while staring at the crowd of people taking selfies with his car.


    It surprised him how he hadn¡¯t noticed it in the past.


    She always wore modest clothing. Even now, she only wore simple things, an unassuming pair of small diamond earrings, a plain white top draped with a dark brown blazer, and a knee-length black skirt.


    She didn¡¯t carry a luxury brand bag that screamed the brand name with big bold letters and logos. Rather, she carried a rather simple unassuming one.


    However, with her current income, she should be able to buy at least a Chanel or a non-Birkin Hermes bag without any hesitation.


    Truthfully, style-wise, Kate was not Henry¡¯s type.


    He was used to being surrounded by women who dressed either provocatively to seduce him or the one who had a dedicated stylist to mix and match their clothing.


    Kate was, in a sense, a true career woman who cared about nothing but her job, and for many men, she¡¯d be considered boring.


    But Henry didn¡¯t see her as boring.


    In fact, the more he eyed Kate, the more he realized how beautiful this woman was.


    Even without wearing anything eye-catching or over-the-top, Kate already exuded the serene beauty that would last a lifetime. She didn¡¯t need to dress to impress, she simply was impressive in her own right.


    Even at the age of thirty-two, Kate still looked gorgeous enough to hook a twenty-four years old man.


    ¡¯I like her better like this, I wouldn¡¯t want other men eyeing what¡¯s mine. She¡¯s too gorgeous for her own good,¡¯ Henry thought subconsciously as he continued to watch her.


    Henry swallowed his saliva. He was suddenly overcome with a unique thirst, one that couldn¡¯t be quenched by just water. He opened his mouth and was about to mutter something.


    "Kate, I¡ª"


    HONK! HONK! HONK!


    The serene moment between the pair was broken as the cars behind them began blaring their horns. Henry checked the traffic light and clicked his tongue annoyedly when he saw it had turned green.


    Thus, he was forced to swallow his words and drive again. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate glanced at Henry, who was suddenly in a bad mood, "You know you can¡¯t wear that sour expression when we arrive at the Netflix headquarters, right?" Kate reminded him. "Why are you suddenly so annoyed anyway?"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Henry replied curtly as he sped up.


    Kate thought he was pissed because she hadn¡¯t told him about the key points for the meeting with the Director from Netflix.


    She sighed and then said, "We¡¯re going to meet with Jack Quinn, one of the directors of Netflix. Emperor Publishing had a licensing deal with Netflix regarding the adaptation of one of our highly popular books. The project is stalled because the Director doesn¡¯t like how the book ends and wants to change the ending, while the author refuses to sign the deal unless the Director keeps the original ending."


    "Oh? That¡¯s interesting," Henry commented. He tried to temper his annoyance. He went along with the conversation instead, "Who is this author we¡¯re talking about?"


    "Irene Banks, the book they want to adapt into a series is her first book, Thousand Words with You," Kate informed Henry. "She has been adamant about refusing the deal, she even walked out of the meeting when the Director said the original ending of the book was bad."


    "I see," Henry hummed for a while. He did a quick read of Irene Banks¡¯ first book and in his honest opinion the ending wasn¡¯t bad, it was a bit too tragic but not bad. The female lead died because of cancer, leaving hundreds of unsent letters to the male lead, who was too busy with his own life to care for his dying wife.


    It was a tragic story, and the sequel was supposed to be a second chance in life with a rebirth for the female lead to find a man who could treat her right.


    "Then what do you think? This is a big deal, will you support the author or the director?" Henry asked.


    Kate went silent for a while and replied, "The Director."


    "The Director? You don¡¯t like the ending of that book?"


    "Not at all," Kate replied. "The male lead is portrayed as an asshole in the end, even though that¡¯s not the case for those who read the full story. He is just too busy working, taking care of their kids, and also finding a suitable bone marrow match for his wife. He tried his best to live a balanced life, but he is just a human, of course, he has to prioritize a few things."

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44: Chapter 44"The female lead, his wife, told him to focus on their children rather than her. She knew well enough that he¡¯s doing his best, that¡¯s why she decided not to send those letters to him when she was in the hospital, because she wanted him and her children to move on from her eventual death," Kate said. "It¡¯s a tragic tale, but the male lead is not a scum, he¡¯s just misunderstood."


    "How about you? What do you think about the ending, are you with the Director or the Author?" Kate asked him back.


    Henry pondered for a while and then replied, "The Author."


    Kate¡¯s brows creased instantly, "That¡¯s surprising. I thought you¡¯d agree with me."


    "I understand your point, but I like the original ending more," Henry said. "If the male lead really loved his wife, then he would never have abandoned her. She was alone on her deathbed as she endured a lot of pain. The male lead in that story didn¡¯t try hard enough for his dying wife. He simply drowned himself in work to avoid depression from his wife¡¯s unsalvageable cancer. He gave up, and no man in love with his wife will do that, the female lead deserved better."


    Kate snorted, "I never knew that Mr. Henry Grant was a hopeless romantic, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the type that would insist that a man be loyal to his spouse. Though, I doubt you¡¯ll ever act on it."


    "I am the loyal type, I¡¯m a one woman man," Henry claimed with a serious expression on his face. "I will never cheat, nor leave the woman I truly love."


    "And have you ever done that?"


    "I¡¯ve never been in love with anyone in my life," Henry replied. "I¡¯ve had plenty of casual relationships, but I did not love any of them."


    "As expected," Kate shrugged. "I don¡¯t believe that you are capable of ever showing that kind of loyalty to any woman in your life."


    Henry glanced at Kate. He said nothing but clenched the steering wheel as he took a sharp turn as he entered the headquarters¡¯ driveway.


    Kate flinched because of the sudden sharp turn, she glared at Henry, but the latter only had a smug smile as he stopped his car in front of the lobby, "We¡¯re here, Princess."


    "You¡¯re seriously annoying, Mr. Grant," Kate said contemptuously. She opened the car door and exited the car, slamming the door behind her


    Henry parked the car in the VIP spot as Kate told the security guard that they were from Emperor Publishing.


    Henry joined Kate as they were escorted by a receptionist at the front desk to the meeting room where everyone was waiting for them.


    Kate and Henry entered the meeting room and were greeted by the sight of the Director, Jack Quinn, and the Author, Irene Banks, sitting across each other on the table, and both carried a sour expression on their faces.


    "Good morning, Mr. Quinn, Mrs. Banks," Kate greeted as she shook the Director and the author¡¯s hands. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Morning, Mrs. Woods, and this must be Mr. Grant I presume?" Jack Quinn said as he gave a respectful bow while shaking Henry¡¯s hand, much to Kate¡¯s surprise.


    She wondered how Jack Quinn knew about Henry, but this wasn¡¯t the time for that.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Woods, and uhm... Mr. Grant," Irene Banks looked a bit shy when she was shaking Henry¡¯s hand, much to Kate¡¯s annoyance.


    She didn¡¯t know what happened between Henry and Irene when they met without her in the cafe yesterday, but she definitely had to lecture Henry about being professional and how he couldn¡¯t just seduce any author they had with his good looks.


    Kate sat between Henry and Irene, fearing they might not focus on the meeting because they were busy getting intimate with each other.


    Henry gave Kate a questioning gaze when she told him to sit next to her instead of Irene, but an idea slowly formed in his mind.


    Jack Quinn cleared his throat to start the meeting. Just like what Kate told Henry in the car earlier, they were still debating about the ending of the book that was about to get adapted.


    Jack Quinn didn¡¯t like the original ending. He wanted the male and female lead to at least meet for the last time before the female lead died.


    In contrast, Irene Banks wanted to keep the original ending where the male lead completely drowned himself in work and focused too much on the children to the point that he didn¡¯t know about his wife¡¯s death.


    After a long debate between Jack Quinn and Irene Banks, they finally gave up and turned their heads towards Kate who acted as their mediator.


    "What do you think, Mrs. Woods? We need a third opinion in this," Jack Quinn asked.


    "Yes, Mrs. Woods, but you should know that I will never sign this if they decide to change the ending!" Irene Banks insisted.


    Kate has been faced with the same unresolved problem since the last meeting.


    Truthfully, she agreed with the Director on this matter, but she couldn¡¯t say that hastily because Irene Banks was her author, Irene was a person she shouldn¡¯t offend. She couldn¡¯t lose Irene Banks and all the profit she would bring with her next book.


    ¡¯Is there any other way for us to give a satisfying ending for the story without offending Irene?¡¯ Kate pondered for a while.


    Henry, who had been silent for the whole meeting, finally raised his voice, "I have an idea."


    Everyone¡¯s eyes darted towards Henry, both Jack Quinn and Irene Banks seemed to have a lot of expectations for Henry, either from admiration or love, which Kate couldn¡¯t understand at all.


    But she was also curious as to what Henry wanted to say next, so she stayed silent and waited for him to speak.


    Henry cleared his throat, "Why don¡¯t we make the female lead die without sending any of her letters, so the male lead still doesn¡¯t know about the unsent letters and his wife¡¯s death while he¡¯s busy with his life."


    Jack Quinn was about to protest before Henry quickly added, "However, do you remember that one nurse who personally takes care of the female lead on her deathbed? Let her send all of the letters to the male lead instead, so the male lead will visit his dead wife¡¯s body. Let him grieve while hugging her cold corpse because that¡¯s all he could do, a punishment fitting for a neglectful husband who by all accounts still loved the woman but failed her."


    "With that, we can keep the essence of the story from the original novel, while also giving a heart wrenching, tearful goodbye that the director wants for this adaptation," Henry explained.


    Henry was met with silence as all of them were stunned by his advice. Because that was what Jack Quinn and Irene Banks wanted!


    "Mr. Grant¡¯s advice is very good, I don¡¯t mind that ending for the adaptation," Irene Banks said.


    Jack Quinn nodded in agreement, "Yes, I don¡¯t mind that ending as well. It is a good way to end the adaptation as well."


    Henry smiled and stood from his chair, "So, when are we signing the contract?"

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45"So, when are we signing the contract?" Henry asked. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As soon as possible, Sir," Jack Quinn replied, not wanting to lose this opportunity to lock in the deal. "We have had the contract ready since the first meeting, all we need is yours or Mrs. Woods¡¯ signature as representatives of Emperor Publishing, and Miss Irene Banks¡¯ as the Author of the book to be adapted."


    Jack Quinn quickly left the meeting room to call several representatives of Netflix so that they could prepare and sign all the documents needed.


    While they were waiting for the Netflix team to return, Henry glanced at Irene Banks, whose face instantly reddened when he winked at her, "Um... Mr. Grant..."


    "Yes?"


    "Have you ever considered a career in acting?"


    "I¡¯ve been approached by different agencies plenty of times, but I have no intention of becoming an actor," Henry replied. "Why do you ask?"


    "W¡ªWell, I just think that you¡¯d be perfect to cast as the male lead for this Netflix adaptation. Oh, but you¡¯d be perfect as the male lead for any romance film!" Irene Banks praised as she got even more bashful when Henry smiled at her.


    "Then who would be the female lead of the film? Maybe Ms. Banks would consider being the female lead? I¡¯d love to work with you," Henry said frivolously.


    "Ah! T¡ªThat¡¯s too much, Sir! I¡¯m not suited enough to act in a film, I¡¯m not pretty enough!" Irene shook her head as she tried to act as modest as possible, but by how she behaved, it was apparent that Irene was giddy. She definitely wanted to spend some private intimate moments with Henry with the way she kept glancing at Kate, signaling her to leave.


    Meanwhile, sitting between them, Kate could only endure her two companion¡¯s flirtatious banter. She didn¡¯t care if Henry hit on random women outside, but Irene Banks was an important author for Emperor Publishing. The company would suffer if their relationship turned sour..


    Kate gave Henry a sidelong glance and glared at him as she tried her best to signal him to stop.


    When that didn¡¯t work, she tried to pinch the back of Henry¡¯s hand gently to warn him.


    Unfortunately, none of her warning cues worked on Henry. In fact, the harder she pinched Henry¡¯s hand, the bolder he got when it came to flirting with Irene Banks.


    "I think this adaptation will be a huge success, Ms. Banks," Henry predicted. "You are a great romance author. I suppose you have a lot of experience, right? Did you get inspiration from one of your exes or your current boyfriend?"


    "N¡ªNo, I was inspired by a historical figure," Irene Banks said bashfully. "I¡¯m still single, Mr. Grant."


    "Really? A woman as beautiful as you is still single? Maybe I can help with that," Henry said. "Would you like to go grab a lunch¡ª"


    "Mr. Grant, we have a meeting after this," Kate interrupted when she had had enough of Henry¡¯s frivolous banter with Irene. "Please refrain from making a promise you can¡¯t keep."


    Henry grinned as he leaned closer toward Kate until their thighs rubbed on each other, "I don¡¯t think we have a meeting after this, Mrs. Woods."


    "We have," Kate insisted. "We are going to the meeting together, Mr. Grant."


    "Only the two of us?" Henry asked. His voice became deeper and sweeter, like chocolate mixed with honey. He also sounded more affectionate than flirtatious when he spoke to Kate.


    Kate gulped, "Yes, just the two of us. This meeting is about the future of our company, Sir."


    "Ah, I see, then¡ª" Henry looked at Irene Banks, who sat next to Kate and smiled apologetically. "¡ªpardon me, Ms. Banks. I forgot I have a private meeting with our Chief Editor here. Not sure what it is, but it¡¯s definitely about work."


    Irene Banks was clearly disappointed based on her expression and she seemed a bit upset because it was obvious that Kate tried to stop her from spending time alone with Mr. Grant.


    But she also had a good relationship with Kate, so she couldn¡¯t just get angry at her.


    "Then, I hope we can go and grab lunch or dinner somewhere another time, Mr. Grant," Irene Banks said. "I¡ªI want to get more input from you about my new novel."


    "Oh, sure, Ms. Banks, I¡¯d love to," Henry said, but his eyes were glued on Kate, who looked pretty mad. "Only if I¡¯m not too busy attending meetings with our Chief Editor, of course."


    Irene was disappointed. After all, it was a clear rejection for her because it seemed that Mr. Grant had no interest in prioritizing her over Kate.


    Irene looked closely at Kate and Henry, who sat side by side. She noticed that the way Henry watched Kate was very different compared to the way he looked at her or at any other woman.


    Henry had that charming and frivolous look when having eye contact with Irene. It gave off the aura that he respected her and was willing to entertain her, but no more than that.


    But his gaze was deep, meaningful, and affectionate when he had his eyes on Kate, as if the only woman that existed around him was Kate.


    An assumption formed in Irene¡¯s mind, though she found it a bit weird because she knew that Kate was a very stern and professional career woman, but she couldn¡¯t deny that the chemistry between the pair was just too good.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t tell me that they are¡ª¡¯


    Knock. Knock.


    Everyone¡¯s attention quickly shifted to Jack Quinn, who knocked on the door as he entered the meeting room with the other executives of Netflix, bringing with them several documents that would seal the deal between two companies.


    One of the executives put the document on the table and slid it towards Kate¡¯s side, "You can read the contract first, Mrs. Woods, I¡¯m sure you want to be certain that everything is according to our agreement, then you can sign it. I just need the author and one representative from Emperor Publishing to sign the contract."

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46Kate was in charge of reading everything to ensure the contract was safe. She had already discussed this with their legal department and had seen the first draft of the contract in the past. When she was certain everything was correct and in order, she gave it a nod, she handed the pen to Irene first to sign and then to Henry.


    "Huh? You want me to sign the contract?" Henry asked as he was caught off guard.


    "Obviously, you¡¯re the one who came up with that brilliant idea," Kate replied. "Besides, you¡¯re the CEO, you have more right to sign this than I do."


    Henry didn¡¯t expect that Kate would easily give up the right to sign such an important document to him. After all, he genuinely thought that Kate did not respect him as the CEO and would try to dominate the company.


    Though Henry questioned Kate¡¯s decision, he obediently signed the contract with Irene Banks.


    Both parties were relieved that the adaptation could finally start after a long negotiation between the two parties.


    Jack Quinn personally escorted the three of them out until they reached the lobby. After a short conversation between them, Jack Quinn excused himself, informing them that he¡¯d be busy with the adaptation from now on.


    Kate, Henry, and Irene stood awkwardly in the lobby. Irene knew that Mr. Grant only had his eyes for Kate, so she felt awkward having to be the third wheel between them.


    "Um, then I will leave first¡ª"


    "No, please stay for a moment, I want to have a little chat with you, Ms. Banks," Kate said. She glanced at Henry and said, "You can leave now, Mr. Grant. I can take a taxi."


    Henry already guessed what Kate wanted to say, so he teased her and used her own words against her, "How could I let you leave in a taxi when we came here together in my car? Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Woods, I will wait for you in my car. After all, we¡¯re going to have a very private meeting, right?"


    "You¡ª!" Kate was speechless by Henry¡¯s shamelessness, but her being upset only brought joy to Henry. He laughed heartily as he walked out of the lobby first leaving Kate and Irene alone.


    Kate could only sigh as Henry was finally out of the picture. She looked at Irene, who looked sweet as always.


    Irene Banks was a shy woman. She didn¡¯t like meeting with too many people, and she didn¡¯t like crowded places.


    Kate had picked up on most of Irene¡¯s preferences after a year of working with her.


    She was a pleasant and kind lady, so Kate didn¡¯t want her to get involved with a playboy like Henry with whom she would only probably get hurt. She also didn¡¯t want Irene to get her heart broken as that might affect her future work.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t understand how a shy lady like Irene could become more open and aggressive when facing a frivolous man like Henry. Shouldn¡¯t she be repulsed by his superficial charm?


    ¡¯I have to straighten things up right now,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Ms. Banks¡ªNo, Irene, I¡¯m here as a friend to talk you, it seems that you are quite attracted to Mr. Grant. Please refrain from being close to him. Mr. Grant is not a good man for you, he will only break your heart," Kate said without hesitation, knowing that nothing would pierce through the thick skull of someone in love other than a cold, harsh truth. "He is a playboy."


    "Um, you don¡¯t need to tell me not to flirt him anymore, Mrs. Woods, I already guessed that he is not into me," Irene Banks replied. "I know that he is just trying to appease me in his own way."


    "Oh, you did?" Kate asked, relieved that Irene had figured it out on her own. She was actually surprised because she thought it¡¯d be harder for her to convince Irene, seeing how enamored she was at Henry.


    "Yes, I realized it just now when we were in the meeting room," Irene said. She had a bitter smile on her face as she spoke, "I think he is in love with another woman."


    "I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in love with anybody," Kate sneered. "However, I agree that you should not chase after him. I don¡¯t want him to hurt you."


    Irene wondered if Kate was just playing dumb or if she was actually that dense.


    Either way, she knew Henry had no interest in her, so it was best to curb her interest as soon as possible to avoid getting hurt.


    "Mrs. Woods, you seem to be quite close with Mr. Grant," Irene commented. "You two bicker a lot. It¡¯s so sweet to watch, really."


    "We¡¯re not bickering, we¡¯re simply discussing company matters and we don¡¯t always see eye to eye on things," Kate denied. "It¡¯s not sweet at all when you have to keep arguing with the same person over and over. It¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to a wall. Well, a beautiful wall, but still a wall."


    Irene giggled, "Oh well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Woods, I won¡¯t have any ideas about Mr. Grant anymore. But you two should bicker more, it can be the inspiration for my next novel."


    Irene excused herself and left Kate alone.


    Kate was glad that Irene was still reasonable, but she had to scold Henry.


    Irene was only one of many authors under Emperor Publishing. Since most of the books published under the company were romance, there were many female authors, young or old, single or taken, and Kate believed that none could resist Henry¡¯s charm.


    So she had to stop that man from peacocking around, charming every lady he met. It was too dangerous for the company if he kept acting that way.


    Kate marched out of the lobby, she couldn¡¯t miss that metallic dark green Ferrari in the VIP parking lot. She couldn¡¯t wait to have a stern talk with Henry about his behavior when she suddenly heard someone call her name. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mrs. Woods! Mrs. Woods, wait up!"


    Kate looked over her shoulder and saw Mai rushing towards her.


    Kate stopped in her tracks and waited for Mai to finally reach her. Mai caught her breath for a while before asking, "I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, Ma¡¯am. The traffic is really bad. How about the meeting, is it done already?"


    "It¡¯s done, and all went well," Kate replied. "It¡¯s fine, Mai. You can return to the office now."


    Mai was a bit disappointed that she missed the meeting. But since Mrs. Woods didn¡¯t seem angry, she offered, "Then let me find an Uber or taxi for us, Ma¡¯am. Please wait in the lobby first."


    "No need, I¡¯m going with Mr. Grant, you can go alone," Kate refused. "I have something to tell him."


    "A¡ªAre you sure, Ma¡¯am? I was so shocked when Mr. Grant suddenly slammed the car door. I thought he was mad at us for some reason...."


    "He¡¯s not mad at us, don¡¯t be dramatic," Kate said. She took out her wallet and placed a handful of hundred dollar bills in Mai¡¯s hand. "Here¡¯s money for lunch and a taxi, go on ahead to the office, Mr. Grant and I have things to discuss."

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47Mai¡¯s jaw dropped when she was handed a couple hundred dollar bills by Mrs. Woods. She got at least one grand from Mr. Grant earlier, and now she was handed more money by Kate.


    Of course, she liked the free two thousand dollars that had been so willingly given to her, but Mrs. Woods had never done this for anyone in the office. It seemed that she was really in a rush to meet up with Mr. Grant, that she couldn¡¯t be bothered by anyone.


    It was as if she was bribing Mai to give them some alone time.


    Mai stared at Mrs. Woods as she marched towards the dark green metallic Ferrari. The car door was automatically opened as Mrs. Woods approached.


    And just like that, Mai was left alone again.


    Mai sighed as she pocketed the hundred dollar bills, "Mrs. Woods keeps on denying that they¡¯re dating, but they¡¯re being too obvious. Their eye contact, body language, expression, quarrels, and everything else about them scream that they are madly in love with one another, and it doesn¡¯t hurt that they seem perfect for each other."


    **


    When Henry exited the Netflix headquarters¡¯ parking, he drove aimlessly, waiting for Kate to speak. She hadn¡¯t told him where to go, but since they were going to have a "private" meeting, he let her call the shots.


    Kate sensed their awkwardness, so she broke the ice and said, "Don¡¯t flirt with other women."


    Henry, who had been waiting for her to say that line for a while, couldn¡¯t suppress the happiness that had built up and exploded in his heart.


    He disliked Kate¡¯s indifference towards him. He thought that Kate would continue ignoring him, but his effort didn¡¯t seem to be in vain based on her reaction just now.


    "And why not? I¡¯m single, right?" Henry asked. "It¡¯s my right to flirt with any single woman I want."


    Kate found that sentence to be very distasteful and upsetting for some unknown reason.


    It irritated her so much, but she quickly tried to make a logical reason for her irritation. It must be because this involved their jobs and the company she treasured.


    "You can flirt with any woman out there, but not with any of the staff in the office, and certainly NOT with our authors," Kate scolded. "Did you not see how head over heels Irene is over you? What if she can¡¯t write after you break her heart? I get it, Mr. Grant, you¡¯re so charming and handsome, but you should never let that ruin our company!"


    Henry chuckled, "So you admit I am handsome and charming?" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Seriously? Out of all the things I said, that¡¯s the only part that registered in your dense brain? How are you so full of yourself?"


    "Can¡¯t help it," Henry shrugged. "I love to get validation from a gorgeous lady like you."


    "You¡ªyou¡¯re seriously annoying, you know that, right?" Kate rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I don¡¯t give a damn if you flirt with anyone outside the office or uninvolved with Emperor Publishing. Just don¡¯t let it affect our work, and don¡¯t flirt with our staff or authors, I don¡¯t want the company to be in trouble because you can¡¯t keep your dick in your pants."


    Henry laughed heartily. He was so happy teasing Kate like this, "Isn¡¯t that unfair that I¡¯m the only one who has to keep myself from flirting? How about you?"


    "Huh? Me?" Kate was bewildered. "What¡¯s wrong with me? Do you think I would flirt with random men? You¡¯re being stupid!"


    "You might not flirt with them, but they flock to you," Henry said. His smile disappeared as he imagined Kate being surrounded by a few men. She could¡¯ve dazzled all of them with her beauty and probably could have taken a few to her bed. He clenched his jaw in silence as he tried to erase that disgusting image from his mind. "How about we make a deal, Kate?"


    "What deal?" she asked, suspicious of his intentions.


    "I promise that I will not touch or flirt with other women. In exchange, you should do the same. You shouldn¡¯t flirt with other men," Henry said. "That¡¯s fair, right?"


    Kate scoffed, "That¡¯s not fair to you, Mr. Playboy. I have no intention of dating or getting entangled with another man anymore. I will devote myself to working and taking care of my child. But you? You¡¯re young, you¡¯re horny. I doubt you can hold yourself back."


    Henry smiled mysteriously, "Do we have a deal then?"


    "Tsk, fine, whatever, it¡¯s a deal then," Kate said, thinking that Henry would eventually slip up and break his end of the bargain by fucked one of his many female admirers.


    Henry was satisfied with the deal. After all, he actually had no plans of being entangled with another woman other than Kate. At least until he got what he wanted from her.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ve been wondering about one thing," Henry said. "Why did you give me the right to sign the deal?"


    Kate glanced at Henry. She sighed, "I give respect where it¡¯s due. You came up with a great idea. Besides, you¡¯re the CEO of Emperor Publishing, you should have the right to sign it more than me."


    Kate leaned on the leather seat and added, "I¡¯m not an ambitious person, Henry. I am satisfied with my job as Chief Editor, and have no intention to overstep you as you¡¯re the true leader of the company. I just want to make sure that you do a good job in replacing Mr. James Grant."


    "Am I doing a good job so far?"


    "You are," Kate replied without hesitation. "You¡¯ve exceeded my expectations so far. I will keep you in check to make sure that we can keep this company afloat, and if possible, make it thrive."


    "Well, if you think that I¡¯m doing a good job, why don¡¯t you reward me with a kiss?" Henry teased.


    "What in the¡ªWhy would I kiss you for something you¡¯re supposed to do? It¡¯s your job!" Kate protested.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48"Well, maybe a kiss will help me to focus more on the job, encourage me. Your kiss has a magical effect on me, you know?" Henry persuaded. "It will also put me in a good¡ª"


    "¡ªMood," Henry was in shock for a moment when the gentle kiss registered in his mind. He didn¡¯t actually think that Kate would kiss him, albeit only on the cheek. He couldn¡¯t focus on driving anymore. His mind was occupied with a kiss just now.


    So he parked his car at the side of the street and turned his entire body towards Kate instead, "You¡ªdo you know what you did just now?"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened. She crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed her breasts tightly with her arms as she tried to endure the embarrassment, "Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m doing that as a reward for doing a great job to encourage you. Next time, I won¡¯t¡ªAh¡ªmfh!"


    Kate was caught off guard when Henry suddenly kissed her on the lips. She struggled for a few seconds, but her defense quickly fell once she began to accept and simply enjoy the kiss.


    Their light kiss turned into a deep and passionate one, as his tongue pried open her mouth and explored her inside. Henry pressed deeper into Kate while the latter draped her arm around his neck, moaning as she drowned in the pleasure.


    Eventually their lips parted and they ended the kiss, their eyes met but they said nothing as Henry simply watched and marveled at his woman¡¯s skin that had turned peach pink after their passionate kiss.


    Kate¡¯s chest raised and fell as she took deep breaths. She was still trying to process what had just happened.


    "Do you want to take this further?" Henry asked. His eyes went down, and his hand started undoing the first two buttons of Kate¡¯s blazer, giving him an arousing glimpse of her white bra underneath.


    "It¡¯s been a while since the last time we did it," Henry said as he continued unbuttoning until Kate¡¯s white blouse was completely undone and her bare stomach and bra clad chest were exposed to him. He swallowed and leaned forward, peppering Kate¡¯s neck, collarbone, and the upper part of her breasts with kisses.


    He wanted to leave a mark on her body, he wanted to ensure that Kate knew that he had no intention of letting another man see or touch her sweet skin. He wanted Kate to remember what they had done every time she saw her body in the mirror.


    Kate snapped out of her daze when she realized Henry had started sucking the area around her breast, wanting to leave a hickey. She pushed Henry¡¯s head away and said, "Not now, Henry."


    Henry was annoyed when Kate suddenly refused. Obviously, both of them enjoyed being intimate with one another.


    Thus, he stopped nibbling and lifted his head, glancing at Kate, who was trying to push him away, "Why not?"


    "Why not? Because it¡¯s the middle of the day, we¡¯re in your car, and we are in a public place with a crowd outside! What if someone sees us like this?!" Kate yelled while pointing out the obvious. Henry finally looked around and saw that people had already gathered around the car as they were amazed by it.


    Henry clicked his tongue. He was visibly annoyed by the crowd around his car.


    Usually, he couldn¡¯t care less about the crowd as he got used to it each time he went out in his own car.


    But this was a different case. Though the windows were heavily tinted, he didn¡¯t want anyone to accidentally see his woman exposed like this.


    He quickly pulled Kate¡¯s blazer to cover her chest and then sat straight again.


    He tried to ignore the obvious discomfort on his crotch and slammed on the car horn a few times to disperse the crowd before driving off again.


    Kate straightened herself, buttoning up her shirt and sitting upright, acting as if nothing had happened.


    She wouldn¡¯t lie. She was actually in the mood right now, but her logic preceded desire.


    Her body felt so warm that she felt like melting each time his lips made contact with her skin and as his hands wandered all over her body. She didn¡¯t know if it was just the side effect of being overworked or because they were so physically compatible, or maybe it was the pregnancy messing with her hormones that a simple touch from him would send her into a heat.


    She glanced at Henry, who seemed to be annoyed because their intimate moment was cut short. He used his free hand to adjust his raging erection because it was starting to get uncomfortable down there. When Kate saw the obvious bulge under his pants, her cheeks reddened even more.


    "You should do something to that thing down there," Kate coughed. "It¡¯s too obvious."


    "And do you want to help me?" he said as he gritted his teeth.


    "N¡ªNo, you¡¯re on your own!" Kate yelled. She was scared they might go to the nearest hotel and do something very unprofessional.


    "You can drop me at the corner of the street, let me use Taxi instead," she told him as she tried to avoid such an incident.


    "Just tell me where you want to go. I¡¯ll drive you there," Henry offered. He thought that Kate wanted to have lunch together, so they could spend more time together.


    Surprisingly, she actually told him an address to a branch of Bank of America. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why do you want to go there? Is there something wrong with your bank account?" Henry asked curious as to why Kate had to go to a bank, but Kate returned the banter with a hostile tone instead.


    "It¡¯s none of your business. Just drop me there, and you can go your own way, I¡¯m sure you have other things to do."


    "Huh? Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to come along?"


    "No need, it¡¯s a private matter. You don¡¯t need to accompany me," Kate said.


    Henry found it weird that Kate was so defensive. But he said nothing after that, he knew that Kate would only get irritated if he insisted.


    Kate thanked Henry once they reached her destination, "Don¡¯t wait for me, just go," she said as a warning before she entered the building.


    Henry had no intention of leaving since his gut told him something must¡¯ve happened to Kate, so he parked his car quite far from Kate¡¯s drop-off location but close enough to watch the bank entrance from afar.


    He waited until Kate left the building not long after and hailed a taxi to take her to her destination.


    Henry tailed the taxi, though he had to be far enough so that Kate wouldn¡¯t notice his very flashy car.


    The taxi stopped in front of a popular restaurant in Downtown LA. Henry saw Kate entering the restaurant, so he parked his car and followed her.


    Since the restaurant was huge and quite crowded because it was lunchtime, Henry was able to sit in an obscured corner while he watched Kate, who looked around until she found the person she had been searching for for a while.


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped a beat for a second once he saw the woman Kate went to meet. It was actually Erina Ross, Kate¡¯s younger sister.


    Henry¡¯s eyes followed Kate as she approached Erin who was seated about three tables away from his table, he was close enough to listen to their conversation.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49: Chapter 49Kate watched the young woman sitting at a table in a posh LA restaurant. She was playing with her phone while the freshly cooked fish and chips and avocado juice she had ordered for lunch sat idly on the table.


    She looked like she belonged here, as if she came to this popular restaurant in Downtown LA on a regular basis, even though the truth was quite far from the image she projected. This woman had no more money in her wallet.


    Well, it no longer mattered if she had money or not, her older sister would bring her a new credit card anyway.


    Kate clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and walked towards Erin.


    Erin noticed her sister¡¯s presence as Kate approached. She looked up and grinned, "Took you long enough, Sis."


    Kate looked down at Erin in silence. She was so mad right now because things were not going her way.


    First, she had to make two supplementary cards for Erin and Matt, and then to make things worse she had to deliver these cards to Erin. Her sister was clearly taking advantage of the situation to humiliate her and break her spirit.


    They treated her like an ATM machine that they could withdraw money from at any time, and Kate couldn¡¯t do a thing against them. They had been so brazen as to use her own mother¡¯s life against her.


    ¡¯Just one call from Erin, and Mom could be dead...¡¯ Kate had to remind herself so that she would keep her temper in check and wouldn¡¯t punch Erin in the face.


    As she approached she fished two credit cards from her pockets and slammed them on the table.


    "Here¡¯s your credit card. I put it in the same limit as before, now leave me alone, and don¡¯t you dare do a stupid stunt to harm Mom¡¯s life again," Kate warned. She turned around, but as she was about to walk away, Erin suddenly reached for her wrist and gripped it tightly.


    Kate looked over her shoulder and saw Erin grinning at her, "Why are you in such a hurry, Sis? Why don¡¯t you sit and have lunch with me and I¡¯ll treat you, with the credit card you just give me, of course,"


    Kate gritted her teeth, but she tried to remain calm. She didn¡¯t want to make a scene, "I¡¯m not hungry. Please let go of me now, Erin. Just talking to you makes me sick."


    "Oh really?" Erin scoffed. "Do I make you sick? Let me tell you this, I had sex with Matt last night. We did it in your bed, the same one where you often spent the night with your husband, the same bed where you failed him as a woman."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, her blood began to boil as Erin recounted everything she and Matt had done in a low enough voice that only they could hear.


    "I don¡¯t care what you do with him. Now let go of me, you cheap whore!" Kate tried to jerk her hand away, but Erin¡¯s grip was so strong.


    Erin¡¯s smirk turned malicious as she pulled Kate towards her and then pulled the collar of Kate¡¯s blouse until Kate was forced to bend down, giving her a chance for Erin to whisper in her ear.


    At this point they had garnered quite an audience as the nearby tables turned and whispered about the commotion they had caused.


    "Did you know the best part was, Sis? We did it without a condom," Erin whispered, full of maliciousness. "Why? Because I am not an infertile bitch who is barely a woman, a whore that can¡¯t do her basic task of conceiving a child. You should try being a man instead, since you can¡¯t be a complete woman with your broken uterus."


    Kate felt like a knife had stabbed at her heart the moment Erin called her ¡¯infertile.¡¯


    She knew that she wasn¡¯t the barren one in the relationship. Because she was currently pregnant with another man¡¯s child after just one night with him. While she had countless nights with Matt with all their attempts in vain. Henry succeeded in doing something Matt couldn¡¯t do in the past five years.


    But the circumstances regarding her pregnancy saddened her.


    She was pregnant with another man¡¯s child, not her own husband¡¯s.


    Sooner or later, her Mom would find out about this, and she didn¡¯t know what would happen next, her pregnancy was like a ticking time bomb on her mother¡¯s life.


    Erin thought her sister was shocked and in a daze because of her hurtful words. She was satisfied and finally released her sister.


    She gave Kate a sweet smile and added, "Well, it¡¯s fine if I get pregnant with his child, right? After all, we have the reliable Katherine Woods to take care of all of us, including our baby."


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned, there were a lot of curses she wanted to throw at Erin, but the only words that came out of her mouth were, "I don¡¯t care if you have him. He¡¯s all yours with his laziness and that two-inch wonder."


    Erin¡¯s smile dissipated, knowing that Kate was right.


    Matt was so damn worthless. He was the definition of a deadbeat husband, and the fact that he sucked in bed didn¡¯t help at all.


    Erin had a big crush on Matt ever since she was young, she had always seen Matt as the template of a perfect man. He was conventionally handsome, tall, and athletic. He was popular among his peers, and had big dreams of becoming a popular actor.


    But that was all the past.


    Nowadays, he was just a jobless man with a fat belly that relied solely on his wife¡¯s money to survive.


    It was the reason why Erin wasn¡¯t loyal to Matt. She had been cheating on him with plenty of men outside as well because Matt¡¯s two-inch friend couldn¡¯t satisfy her. But she tried to mask her disappointment as she wanted to upset her sister, "Doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, I¡¯m the one who won, sis. He discarded you."


    "I¡¯m glad he discarded me," Kate replied. "It¡¯s very liberating to know that I don¡¯t need to take care of a manchild."


    Erin gritted her teeth, she had no more comebacks against her sister because Kate was right. Everything she said about Matt was right. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate scoffed, full of contempt. She turned around and was about to leave for real this time. But she was stopped by the sight of a tall and muscular man walking towards her.


    He was wearing a tight-fitting gray shirt that hugged his body perfectly, silhouetting his abs giving her a delicious peek of what was hiding beneath.


    The first two buttons of his shirt were undone, showing his healthy tan, and his striking blonde hair was something nobody could miss.


    His perfectly sculpted facial features gave him the aura of a model, turning the restaurant into his runway, and he easily became the source of attention of every woman in the restaurant.


    However, no matter how much attention he got, his emerald-like eyes honed on Kate as if she was the only person in the room.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50Kate held her breath as Henry approached her, he stopped right in front of her. He had his devilishly handsome smile pasted on his face, making every woman he met fall head over heels for him.


    "You didn¡¯t tell me that your sister was here, Kate," Henry said. He shifted his gaze towards Erin, who was in a daze as she stared at the absurdly handsome man before her.


    "Why... why are you here?" Kate asked.


    "Huh, we came here for lunch, remember? I¡¯ve been waiting for you by the corner. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve ordered your favorite food already," Henry said as he returned his attention to Kate.


    She didn¡¯t know what Henry was up to. She had already told him to leave after dropping her off at the bank earlier.


    It was either an improbable coincidence, or he had been tailing her the whole time.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main issue right now.


    Kate looked over her shoulder. As expected, Erin must¡¯ve been smitten by Henry¡¯s good looks and wealthy demeanor. She knew that Erin was weak to a handsome man, and Henry was the type of man that would make her crazy.


    She was afraid Erin might do something extreme to get Henry¡¯s attention, just like what she did with Matt.


    So Kate tried to push Henry away and said, "You need to leave now, Henry. people are staring."


    "And what¡¯s wrong with people staring at us?" Henry acted innocent as he looked Kate in the eyes. "Besides, I want to introduce myself to your sister."


    Henry wrapped his arm around Kate¡¯s waist while he extended his other hand over Kate¡¯s body towards Erin. He smiled charmingly at Erin and introduced himself, "Good afternoon, my name is Henry Grant, I am Kate¡¯s bo¡ª"


    "¡ªBOSS! He is my boss!" Kate interrupted before Henry said something that would bring nothing but trouble to her. She grabbed his arm and dug her nails into his skin as a warning, "And my BOSS has something to do. You have a meeting in ten minutes, Sir. You need to leave now."


    Henry was confused by Kate¡¯s reaction. Shouldn¡¯t she be happy about his presence? He had been watching from his seat and knew that Erin was bullying Kate.


    He didn¡¯t know why a young woman like Erin could bully a usually strong and composed woman like Kate, but he tried to keep calm as he listened intently.


    However, when he saw how Kate¡¯s body visibly trembled when Erin whispered something in her ear, Henry couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and got up to interfere.


    He thought that Kate would be happy and played along as he wanted to claim that he was Kate¡¯s boyfriend, and that he was ready to protect her in case Erin dared to hurt her.


    Since he hadn¡¯t come up with a good idea on how to kick Erin out of Kate¡¯s life, intimidating her was the only option Henry had for now.


    So he was visibly confused by Kate¡¯s strong reaction against him.


    "I don¡¯t have any meetings with anyone. We¡¯re here for lunch, remember?" Henry recalled. "Besides, I really want to get to know your sister. I want to leave a... good impression on her."


    He glanced at Erin, who was still in a daze. She was so star-struck by Henry that she was comically drooling, and when their eyes met, Erin showed that perverted grin as if she couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on Henry.


    Kate looked behind her to check on Erin, a feeling of dread came over her as she saw that same expression Erin had towards Matt.


    What she feared the most had happened. Erin would probably pester her nonstop after this, trying to find a way to date Henry. Kate feared that her sister may take extreme methods to get in contact with Henry. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing that she was screwed, Kate dragged Henry out of the restaurant without saying anything to Erin.


    Henry was confused as Kate dragged him out, but he followed her like an obedient dog when he saw that Kate¡¯s eyes glazed with tears that threatened to fall for an unknown reason.


    Meanwhile, Erin snapped out of her daze when Henry finally disappeared with her sister as they left the restaurant.


    She wiped the drool off her lips and then clicked her tongue in awe, "I didn¡¯t know that Kate has an absolute hunk of a boss. Why didn¡¯t she tell me sooner?" Erin wondered. "Hmm, could it be that they¡¯re actually dating? Maybe that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered knowing that Matt cheated on her with me. For a woman who has dedicated her life to Matt, my sis is surprisingly quick to move on.."


    Erin considered the possibility for a while and then scoffed, "Okay, that¡¯s just stupid. My sis is like¡ªso basic and ugly. A young, handsome, and rich guy, liking a plain jane that looks like she can be a background character? Hihi, that¡¯s impossible!"


    Erin giggled as she imagined Kate with that handsome man standing side by side like a couple. That image was so funny because Kate was so ugly and shabby in Erin¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t compare at all.


    But then, she sighed as she replaced Kate¡¯s position in the imagination. She stood side by side with that man, and he gently wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer.


    She still remembered everything about him: his striking blonde hair, green eyes that looked like a pair of emeralds, perfectly tanned body with nice abs, and perfectly sculpted face that could turn everything blurry around him because he had the permanent spotlight around him.


    "Ahh, I think I¡¯m in love," Erin gasped. "That man is more handsome than Matt. No, that guy is so much more compared to Matt in every way, I bet he¡¯s actually a model or an upcoming actor. It¡¯d be a waste to have that kind of face without showing it to everyone, right?"


    "I think it¡¯s time for me to find a better man than Matt," Erin thought. "Or~ he could stay in his apartment as my side piece, while I¡¯m having fun with this new man."

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51: Chapter 51"His name was Henry, right?" Erin asked herself. She grinned as she thought of her new target. "Well, it¡¯s not difficult for me to get in touch with him. He is Kate¡¯s boss, and Kate has an important position in the company she works at."


    "I can just tell her to give me a job in that publishing company, so I can start to get close with that man," Erin said. She leaned on her chair and imagined a hot office romance that awaited her with Henry. "Kate can¡¯t refuse what I ask for anyway. All I need to do is to give Mom another small heart attack to scare Kate again, and she will do everything and anything I say, hihi~."


    **


    Henry was confused when Kate kept dragging him until they were far from the restaurant, not that he wanted to complain, it was just very uncharacteristic of her to do this.


    He wanted to ask if he did something wrong because all he wanted was to intimidate Erin and show her that Kate had a man that could protect her. But it seemed to have the opposite effect on Kate instead.


    Kate suddenly stopped when she noticed that they were a healthy distance from the restaurant. She stood in silence and looked around for a few minutes before asking, "Where is your car?"


    Henry noticed her voice was shaky. Kate¡¯s extreme reaction worried him, "Kate, what¡¯s wrong? Did I do something that upset you?"


    "Where is your car, Henry?" Kate repeated, her voice shook even more breaking at some point.


    "Kate..." Henry tried to touch Kate¡¯s shoulder, but before he could touch her shoulder, Kate looked over and glared at Henry, her eyes pooling with tears.


    Henry¡¯s heartbeat skipped, the sight of Kate crying was like thunder in clear skies for him. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, he stopped questioning and held her wrist decisively. He led her into the car and drove away without uttering another word.


    Kate tried not to cry or sob, but her tears kept falling, dampening her skirt. She tried to wipe the tears with her sleeve, but each time she wiped her tears away, more would fall, so she gave up in the end.


    Henry drove in silence, but most of his attention was on Kate. He had a thousand questions running in his mind, but he knew one thing for sure.


    He was the reason for her tears.


    Henry looked around to search for tissue to wipe Kate¡¯s tears away. But this was a brand new car, so he stopped in front of a convenience store and rushed to buy Kate some tissues, chocolate, and a drink.


    He didn¡¯t know if it would work, but some of his friends at university told him that he could calm a woman down with chocolate, tissue, and time.


    Well, this would be the first time he genuinely tried to comfort an upset woman, so he did everything based on what other people said.


    He put the items he bought on Kate¡¯s lap and said, "I don¡¯t know if this will work, but my friends told me this is how you comfort a woman."


    Kate checked what Henry bought just now and commented, "Your friends are right."


    "Oh, thank God," Henry released a sigh of relief once he saw Kate wipe her tears with the tissue and began to eat the chocolate. He drove out of Downtown LA until they reached the long road between the cliff and sea.


    Kate watched the sea in silence while eating the chocolate Henry had bought for her. She seemed to be at peace, but when Henry saw her reflection in the car window, he saw the sadness in her eyes.


    It was as if she had been holding back a lot of emotional baggage, and Henry accidentally poked a hole in it until it burst.


    Henry bit his lower lip. He didn¡¯t know what he did wrong, which made it ten times more excruciating for him.


    He hated the feeling of being clueless and hated it more when his cluelessness caused his woman to cry.


    They drove for hours until it was almost dusk. Henry decided to slow down and stop at the side of the road where there was a good view of the sun as it set into the sea.


    Henry stepped out of his car and then walked over to Kate¡¯s side to open the door for her. He leaned in, and with a gentle smile, he extended his hand for Kate, "I want to watch the sunset with you."


    Kate was dazed as she stared at Henry from this angle.


    The sunset that shone from behind, combined with his handsome face making him look like he had a halo. Thus, Kate unknowingly lowered her guard and accepted Henry¡¯s hand.


    She came out of the car and gushed in awe because of the beauty of the sunset behind Henry. It was a beautiful golden sunset that she had never seen before. Even though she had lived in Los Angeles for the past five years, she had never spent a day exploring its world-renowned beaches.


    She was busy being a housewife and working. After all, she came here to support Matt¡¯s dream, not hers. So she couldn¡¯t care less about the golden beaches California had to offer.


    "It¡¯s so beautiful," Kate muttered as she stared at the golden sunset.


    Henry smiled and sneakily wrapped his arm around Kate¡¯s waist. Though the sunset was beautiful, an even more beautiful woman was with him captivating him and keeping his attention on her instead.


    Kate¡¯s wavy red hair swayed as the gentle wind blew through them. He also noticed that Kate¡¯s eyes were almost the same color as the sunset.


    ¡¯Even the golden sunset pales compared to you,¡¯ Henry wanted to say, but he refrained because he thought it was too cheesy.


    Besides, he brought her here so she could calm down. Kate was upset just now, and as much as he wanted to know what caused her to be upset, he knew that Kate needed time to collect herself and calm down.


    ¡¯Nevertheless, I am the one who caused her to cry. So I have to take the responsibility and calm her down,¡¯ Henry thought.


    Kate¡¯s eyes stared unblinking at the golden sunset, afraid that she might miss it if she blinked for too long. She then glanced at Henry, whose eyes were glued to her the whole time, and she elbowed his stomach, "Eyes on the beautiful sunset, Mr. Grant."


    Henry smiled and nodded, "My eyes are on the beautiful sunset right now."

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52[Song Recommendation: D4vd - Here With Me.]


    Kate couldn¡¯t help chuckling, "Cheesy as always."


    Henry¡¯s lips perked up when he saw her smile, ¡¯As expected, Kate is much more beautiful when she is relaxed and happy. What should I do to keep her in a good mood all the time?¡¯ He wondered.


    Kate returned her gaze to the sunset and muttered, "The sunset is nice," Kate said. "But isn¡¯t this quite far from Los Angeles?"


    Henry laughed lightly, "Well, we drove for about four hours. We¡¯re actually closer to San Francisco than to Los Angeles."


    "That long?" Kate was surprised. She thought they had been driving for an hour at best. But maybe because she was so deep into her sorrows that she didn¡¯t realize how long she had been sulking.


    It was very unlikely for her to be this dramatic. She was usually in control over everything in her life before, even when Matt and Erin broke her heart.


    ¡¯Could it be because of my pregnancy? Maybe there¡¯s some hormone that changes as I get pregnant,¡¯ Kate assumed.


    "I¡¯m sorry that you have to see me like that. It¡¯s very unlikely of me to cry," Kate said abruptly. "It must¡¯ve been a pain for a young man like you to handle a moody woman."


    Henry¡¯s smile dissipated. His lips thinned as he had a lot of questions in mind, but in the end, he simply asked, "Did I upset you?"


    "Huh? No, not at all," Kate replied, then she weighed her words for a second and revoked them a little. "Well, I¡¯m not mad at you, but I¡¯m mad at the circumstances around us. I¡¯m mad that I can¡¯t do anything against Erin..."


    Kate sighed. Her heart began to ache again as she recalled what Erin did to their mother and how powerless she was against her.


    After all, her mother always believed Erin more than her. Erin was the darling of the family, so every word that came out of Erin¡¯s lips would affect their mother in every way possible.


    One good news from Erin would bring countless joys to their mother.


    And one bad news would send her into constant worry and even weaken her already precarious health.


    Meanwhile, Kate was always expected to be the elder, more mature sister. She had to support everyone in the family since she was the oldest, and she was naturally a responsible woman who wouldn¡¯t let her family starve.


    Kate also wasn¡¯t as close to her mother, simply because she could feel her mother¡¯s disappointment whenever they met because Kate couldn¡¯t bear a child for her husband. It was like a shame that Hilda had to endure.


    "I was frustrated with my situation, and your presence only made it worse. That¡¯s why I got upset," Kate said, clearing her throat feeling a little embarrassed, "Sorry for making you worry, but thank you for trying to calm me down."


    "My presence only made it worse?" Henry asked. He got even more confused about the situation. He didn¡¯t know what the problem was between Kate and Erin, and Kate didn¡¯t seem to be open to discussing it, so it only frustrated him even more.


    Kate went silent after that. She was considering whether she should tell Henry about what was bothering her. She ought to keep this problem with Erin to herself since it was nobody¡¯s business.


    But maybe...


    Just maybe...


    She wanted someone who would listen to her, even if he wouldn¡¯t help, at least that someone could hug her tight and tell her everything would be alright.


    Kate looked up at Henry, and their eyes met as Henry hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off her since the beginning.


    Kate saw the usually deep and mysterious eyes brooding while waiting for her to speak. He seemed to be very concerned about her.


    ¡¯Just like that night,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯You¡¯re staring at me with a brooding look in your eyes, as if my problem is yours as well. As if the whole world didn¡¯t matter as long as we are together.¡¯


    ¡¯Just like that night, you will be the closest person in my life, Henry Grant,¡¯ Kate thought before she mustered her courage to open her mouth. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, you just made it worse," Kate said. "I never told you this, but Matt cheated on me with none other than my own sister, Erin. She is a sucker for a handsome face, and you, Mr. Henry Grant, just made the biggest mistake ever by showing your face to her. She will go crazy and start pestering me about you. She will start doing crazy things just to get your attention, and... and...."


    Kate got upset again as she imagined all the problems Erin would cause after this. She remembered how Erin literally drooled because she saw Henry. It was a red flag that shouldn¡¯t have happened if Henry didn¡¯t do stupid things, such as flaunting his charm everywhere like a peacock.


    "Then I will make sure to distance myself from her. Isn¡¯t that enough?" Henry said carelessly. This wasn¡¯t the first time a woman became crazily obsessed with him, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    Usually, he¡¯d ignore that woman completely or break her heart as cruelly as possible, so she¡¯d give up and move on with a grudge in her heart. So Henry thought this whole Erin problem wouldn¡¯t be such a pain.


    "You don¡¯t understand, Henry...." Kate sighed. "My sister is crazy. Do you know what she did to get a new credit card from me? She called our mother who has a heart problem, and told our mother that I beat her and kicked her out of the apartment."


    "She gave our mother a small heart attack that forced her to get treated in the hospital," Kate said. "She did the same thing again yesterday, calling our mother in front of me, and then threatened to say something absolutely shocking to give our mother another heart attack that could kill her. She did all that just because I blocked her credit card."

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53"So that¡¯s why you looked so sad yesterday..." Henry muttered.


    "Eh? Was it that obvious?" Kate asked, surprised that he had noticed so much. "I thought I hid it well."


    Henry smiled apologetically, "You do. But I¡¯ve come to know you quite well. So it¡¯s obvious only to me."


    "You¡¯re so cheesy, God," Kate couldn¡¯t help chuckling, "We¡¯re not that close, Henry. You can just say that I looked like crap yesterday so you assumed I was depressed, no need to lie."


    ¡¯But I¡¯m not lying...¡¯ Henry insisted in his heart, but he knew that she wouldn¡¯t accept it. Kate was a tough lady who rarely showed her true feelings.


    He doubted that anyone else could tell her true emotions. But Henry¡¯s full attention had always been on Kate these days, and the more he watched over her, the more he learned to read her body language.


    But he knew that Kate wouldn¡¯t believe him, so all he could do was to assure her that everything would be alright.


    Henry took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist. He pulled her closer to him until there was no space between them. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, searching for each other¡¯s true intentions.


    Until Henry finally said, "Look, I¡¯m sorry for giving you trouble. All I wanted was to show her that you have me by your side. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything that would hurt you."


    Kate sighed but shot him a smile in the end, "I understand. I¡¯m sorry for overreacting. I know you meant well."


    "However, that doesn¡¯t mean I will allow her to hurt you any further," Henry added as his face turned serious all of a sudden. "Tell me what I can do to help you get rid of her. I will do anything and everything for you."


    Honestly, Henry thought that he didn¡¯t need Kate¡¯s permission to do so. He wanted to get rid of Erin, whether Kate would agree or not. But he believed that Kate had the same idea as him. She would definitely ask for Henry¡¯s assistance to get rid of his sister.


    Though he didn¡¯t wear it on his face, his heart was filled with fury right now. He wanted nothing but to kick that woman away from Kate¡¯s life so that it would lessen Kate¡¯s burden.


    And, of course, he did all of this because Kate was pregnant with his child, not because of Kate herself. It was the reason he constantly used to justify all the things he had done for her so far.


    However, Henry was surprised when Kate shook her head gently, "Thank you for the offer. But Erin is my sister, and she is my problem. I don¡¯t want to complicate things by bringing in an outsider."


    Henry was offended when Kate considered him an outsider. He thought that they had a strong connection at this point.


    But then he snapped the idea out of his mind, he realized that he was being stupid.


    ¡¯Wait, what was I thinking? Why did I get hurt because she said I¡¯m just an outsider?¡¯ Henry asked himself. ¡¯Was it because I realized I haven¡¯t made meaningful progress to use her for my plan, or was it because....¡¯


    Henry tried to ward off the other idea that popped into his mind. He knew he was stepping in dangerous murky waters right now. He better not let himself drown in a moment of temptation when he had a plan he had to execute.


    "Then, if you don¡¯t need my help, can I compensate for my mistake in any other way?" Henry asked sincerely.


    Kate smiled at him. There was an idea that lingered in her mind.


    Since she had opened up about her problems to Henry, just like what they did that night, she thought it¡¯d be justified for her to ask for a kiss, right? It was the least they could do since she couldn¡¯t ask for something wilder.


    Thus, she lifted her hand, gently brushed Henry¡¯s lips with her finger, and said, "You can compensate me with a kiss."


    Henry was stunned by Kate¡¯s request, then a grin slowly formed, "Say no more."


    Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s hand and then lifted her by her waist effortlessly.


    Kate was a little surprised, but her surprise soon disappeared when Henry gave her a deep kiss that made her heart flutter.


    A gust of wind suddenly hit their body, making Kate¡¯s long red hair sway as they closed their eyes to enjoy the kiss even more.


    They finally stopped after they were both left breathless. Kate and Henry stared at each other for a while. Their eyes flickered with heat as both of them knew they wanted to take things further. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, at the same time, both were scared that they might have crossed the line far too often, to the point that things might actually get too serious between them.


    So Kate tried to shift the topic, "You know, with the long drive to San Francisco, golden sunset, the sea, and also the wind. It makes me feel like we¡¯re on vacation right now."


    Henry chuckled, "Your standard of vacation is a bit low, don¡¯t you think?"


    Kate giggled in response, "Well, I don¡¯t really know what vacation feels like. Never had one before."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "Wait, seriously?"


    "Mhm, I¡¯ve never been on a long and far vacation before. I came from a small town with little to no entertainment around. And after I got to California, the best I got was a trip to the nearest restaurant or spa," Kate replied. "Whenever I leave the country, it¡¯s just a busy business trip that doesn¡¯t give me much time to enjoy life."


    Kate saw that Henry was actually astonished by her answer, which was quite understandable. After all, Henry was born with a diamond spoon. He could go on a long vacation without any repercussions.


    "Well, Mr. Grant, if we have more free time later on, can you take me on a long vacation somewhere? It would be nice if it¡¯s only you and I."

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54: Chapter 54"Well, Mr. Grant, if we have more free time later on, can you take me on a long vacation somewhere? It would be nice if it¡¯s only you and I," Kate said.


    Of course, she was just teasing him. Though she had a bit of hope, she knew they couldn¡¯t take it too far. They were connected because of a steamy one night stand, and though she was pregnant with his child right now, she doubted that Henry was the type to settle down with only one woman.


    She didn¡¯t want to get her heart broken for the second time, so she tried to limit any kind of feeling sprouting in her heart.


    Though she couldn¡¯t deny that the chemistry between them was fantastic, after all, they were physically compatible in almost every way.


    She thought Henry would just laugh it off or joke about it, but he was actually serious. He stared at Kate with his emerald eyes and then shot her an assuring smile, "I will, don¡¯t worry."


    Kate¡¯s heartbeat accelerated instantly. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so serious about it, and his response made it awkward for her, but she tried to play it off and said, "Alright, Casanova, you should put me down now, your arms must be sore from lifting me up for a while now."


    "I¡¯m not," Henry denied. "You¡¯re as light as a feather."


    "Haha, sure," Kate didn¡¯t like to entertain anymore of his sweet talk, knowing that her heart couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    "I¡¯m not joking," Henry said. "I think your big butt and boobs are just for show since you¡¯re too light."


    Kate clicked her tongue and flicked Henry¡¯s forehead.


    "Ouch!" He grimaced.


    "Put me down. Now."


    "Alright, alright, jeez," Henry carefully put Kate down and rubbed his forehead. "You changed your mood so fast. I thought I could spend more time with you in that position just now."


    "Well, the sun has already set. There¡¯s no more romantic scene, it¡¯s just dark and cold now," Kate shot a cold, harsh truth at Henry, and he could only pout as he knew she was right. "Well, what should we do now? Should we drive back to Los Angeles or..." Kate left her words hanging as if waiting for Henry to say no so they could continue their sudden road trip.


    Naturally, Henry knew what Kate wanted, so he completed her words, "Or, we can just drive to San Francisco. It¡¯s closer to go there." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We have work tomorrow," Kate reminded.


    "We can stay at a hotel for the night, and then catch the morning flight back to Los Angeles," Henry suggested. "Don¡¯t worry about the car, I will have one of my friends drive it back to Los Angeles."


    "This friend of yours won¡¯t mind to drive your car back to LA?"


    "Oh, he won¡¯t mind," Henry had an image of Michael cursing because he had to catch a night flight to San Francisco, and drive six to seven hours back to LA, then snickered mischievously, "He won¡¯t mind at all."


    "Besides, I can take you to a restaurant in San Francisco and then stay in the hotel after that," Henry added.


    "Different room, right?" Kate said as she turned around and walked to the car.


    "I don¡¯t mind if we stay in the same room though," Henry said as he took a longer step to pass Kate and opened the car door for her.


    Kate entered the car and said, "It¡¯s a different room for each of us or we will return to Los Angeles immediately."


    Henry was helpless. He thought he could finally get some hot time with Kate, but it seemed that she wasn¡¯t in the mood. So he just nodded, "Alright, separate rooms it is."


    Kate smiled, "Good, I¡¯m so done today, I just want to rest, and I doubt I can get rest when I¡¯m with you."


    Henry chuckled. He didn¡¯t know if Kate was messing with him, but it was damn effective because she got Henry to expect more.


    Henry closed the door for Kate before returning to the driver¡¯s seat. He turned the radio as they headed to San Francisco. It took him another one-and-a-half-hour drive before they finally reached the city.


    "Let¡¯s have dinner first, okay? I¡¯m so damn hungry right now," Henry said.


    "Then let¡¯s just stop at the nearest restaurant," Kate suggested.


    "No, I¡¯m bringing you to my favorite restaurant in San Francisco. This is a semi-trip for you, you deserve nothing but the best," Henry said. "And you can¡¯t refuse, because this is me compensating you for my mistake today."


    "Is it fine dining?"


    "Hmm, you could say that," Henry replied.


    "Then we should just go to a nearby restaurant instead," Kate said. "I¡¯m not wearing my evening gown or dress. I¡¯m still in my work blazer right now."


    "That¡¯s fine, you¡¯re still beautiful nonetheless," Henry said lightly, which Kate thought to be his frivolous attempt to calm her down. "Besides, I¡¯m only wearing a gray shirt and pants right now. It¡¯s not that big of a deal."


    "Well, you fit those either way. Nobody will question you since you look like a model," she said. "I¡¯m too much of a plain jane to rock all kinds of outfits."


    "Kate, stop worrying about it and let me bring you there," Henry rolled his eyes. "You look perfect, don¡¯t worry."


    Kate wanted to protest again, but Henry suddenly stopped and parked his car in front of a restaurant called ¡¯Nightbird¡¯s Song.¡¯


    "This is the restaurant. You can¡¯t refuse me now," Henry said.


    Kate sighed and finally gave in. They went out and were stopped by the waiter outside.


    "Excuse me, Sir, Ma¡¯am, may I know your reservation name and number?" He asked politely, implying this restaurant was on a reservation basis only.


    Kate frowned.


    They came here abruptly, so it was impossible for Henry to make a reservation for them. She was about to tell him to find another restaurant, but he suddenly fished his phone out and quickly sent out a text.


    About five minutes later, the restaurant manager suddenly came down and told the waiter to leave because he would be the one who handled this important guest.


    "This way, Mr. Grant," the manager said as he led them to a good table upstairs with a magnificent view of the city. He helped Kate and Henry take their seats and then asked, "We only have one set of menu tonight, Sir, Ma¡¯am. Is that alright?"


    Henry nodded carelessly, "Yeah, just serve them to us. We¡¯re hungry."


    "Certainly, Sir, please excuse me."


    Kate was stunned by the sudden special treatment they got. She was certain someone else had reserved this table for the night. Yet the restaurant had the audacity to give this table to Kate and Henry.


    The restaurant treated them like a royalty, and Kate wondered what did Henry do to get them such special treatment.


    Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "This place is reserved by someone else, right? How did you get us a special spot like this? Are you friends with the owner?"


    "Not really a friend. But I¡¯m the owner¡¯s benefactor," Henry replied. "I invested some of my pocket money in this restaurant, so I have a big share, so it¡¯s only natural that they would give special treatment to their most important investor."

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55"Wait, you invested your pocket money in this restaurant?" Kate peered suspiciously at Henry. "How much pocket money are we talking about here?"


    Henry shrugged, "It¡¯s pocket money. A small investment of a million dollars."


    Kate¡¯s eyes almost popped from their sockets once Henry told her the number. It wasn¡¯t just ¡¯a small investment¡¯ for her. But of course, to a man born with a diamond spoon like Henry, a million dollars was probably something for him to scoff at.


    Kate tried hard to swallow the harsh truth that she and Henry had been born worlds apart, what was a small investment to him was a person¡¯s annual income to people like her.


    Henry noticed that Kate seemed to be troubled by his words just now. He knew that few people had as much money as him, "Don¡¯t worry, though I may not look like it, I¡¯m good at managing my money. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve invested in a company or a person. I¡¯ve been investing my pocket money in plenty of businesses around California and New York, and so far I¡¯ve been reaping the benefits from my investments."


    Henry smiled proudly, "So you don¡¯t need to worry about money when you¡¯re with me. Though, I don¡¯t think you need to worry about money at all since you are quite well off from your own successes."


    "You¡¯re still impressive nonetheless. You are only twenty-four and you¡¯re already capable of supporting yourself and more." Kate commented. "Did Mr. Marlon Grant teach you how to invest?"


    Henry¡¯s mood was dampened instantly the moment Kate mentioned his father. His smile faltered, and he shook his head, "It was my brother, James. He was the one who taught me to manage my finances properly at a young age."


    "Ah, no wonder...." Kate understood immediately.


    Honestly, the late Mr. James Grant also taught Kate how to manage her finances, how to grow her income rather than to frivolously allow Matt to spend it. He was the one who suggested that she buy a few apartments in New York and rent them out for extra money.


    He also taught Kate how to do long-term and short-term trading. Though, Kate only opted for the safer and simpler option of buying property instead.


    ¡¯It seems that Henry and James had a good relationship,¡¯ Kate assumed. ¡¯But why did James never tell me about Henry before? Did something happen to them?¡¯


    As much as Kate wanted to dig into Henry and James¡¯ relationship, she knew she shouldn¡¯t overstep her boundaries, especially when she knew Henry didn¡¯t have a good relationship with his family.


    They went silent for a while until the server came with the appetizer.


    Knowing they had nothing to talk about without touching the topic of Henry¡¯s family, Kate, and Henry decided to eat their dinner in silence.


    It took them at least an hour to finally finish the dessert and then sat idle for a while.


    Kate stared at Henry who wiped his mouth elegantly with the napkin, then commented, "I don¡¯t understand you, Henry."


    "How so?" Henry asked as he finished wiping his mouth.


    "You ate like a messy frat boy when I cooked dinner for you last night, but here, you look very refined and gentlemanly," Kate commented. "Is it because my food is too... homey?"


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened for a split second before trying to act naturally.


    "I prefer your homemade food," Henry said. "But we¡¯re in public, Of course I don¡¯t want to look messy. I don¡¯t want to embarrass my date."


    "Your date?!" Kate almost jumped out of her chair.


    "Of course, we went to San Francisco, in my car, and we¡¯re eating in a restaurant I picked. Isn¡¯t this basically a date?" Henry said, which Kate couldn¡¯t refute at all.


    Now that she thought about it, this whole thing really sounded like a date.


    "And after this, we are going to one of the best places in San Francisco to marvel at it¡¯s beautiful night view," Henry said. "So yes, this is a date."


    Kate felt that her soul had been yanked out of her body. She already told herself she shouldn¡¯t be entangled with Henry, but look at what she willingly walked into. She was actually on a date with Henry.


    Henry chuckled when he saw Kate¡¯s shocked expression. He reached Kate¡¯s hand on the table and held it gently, "Hey, you¡¯re offending me with that face you¡¯re making. Being on a date with me isn¡¯t that bad, right?"


    Kate hurriedly pulled her hand away. She lowered her head to avoid Henry¡¯s eyes because her cheeks reddened like peaches.


    "You¡¯re not a bad date," Kate said honestly. "I just don¡¯t want things to escalate, if you know what I mean."


    Of course, Henry knew what Kate meant. He thought it was unfortunate because he¡¯d be more than happy to take things further.


    "It¡¯s fine, you can treat this as a little trip to San Francisco," Henry said. "You deserve a break after all."


    "Will you treat this as a trip as well?"


    "Nope, I¡¯ll still treat this as a date," Henry stated. "And you can¡¯t refuse me, Kate. Remember, I¡¯m here trying to compensate for my wrongdoing."


    Kate could only sigh pitifully, wondering if her heart could survive a frivolous man like Henry.


    ¡¯He is such a smooth talker, too much for his own good,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯But he¡¯s right. I can treat just this as a little break from my hectic work and problematic family. It doesn¡¯t matter whether he treats this as a date or not, there will be nothing between us anyway.¡¯


    "Fine, I will treat this as a little vacation and break, and you can treat this as whatever you want it to be," Kate said. "I also need this break anyway."


    "That¡¯s what I want," Henry grinned. "We should go now. The place we¡¯re going to visit is great for sightseeing at around eight to ten in the evening."


    "Wait, the bill¡ª" Kate was about to rummage through her bag to find her wallet but then stopped when Henry chuckled.


    "What bill? I basically co-own this restaurant," Henry tilted his head, staring at Kate as if Kate was the crazy one here. "Besides, do you think I would let my date pay?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56"... it¡¯s normal to split the bill," Kate said as she tried to defend herself.


    "Split the bill?" Henry frowned. "What kind of man lets his woman split the bill?"


    "..." Kate zipped her mouth after that. She didn¡¯t know whether it was Henry or her that had no common sense.


    But then she realized maybe both of them had zero common sense.


    Kate remembered that Matt had always forced her to pay for everything on all of their dates. He would try to avoid being shamed and criticized by forcing Kate to give her wallet to him under the table, so he could take out her credit card before he called the server.


    Thus, he ¡¯paid the bill¡¯ with ¡¯his¡¯ credit card.


    He said it was a matter of a man¡¯s dignity, and Kate shouldn¡¯t embarrass her man, so she stayed silent even though she paid for everything every single damn time.


    Now she realized how much of an idiot she was back then.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s just go now. I don¡¯t want to be late," Henry said.


    Kate gave in and followed Henry as he took her hand and led her to leave the restaurant. As they passed the manager and servers smiled and said some pleasantries to them.


    Kate stopped in her tracks and smiled back at the manager, "Thank you for having us tonight. The food was fantastic."


    The manager was pleasantly surprised by Kate. He shook his head and bowed politely, "Not at all, Miss. We¡¯re happy to serve you and Mr. Grant, you¡¯re the first one to appreciate our food¡ª."


    The manager zipped his mouth when Henry glared at him as he stood behind Kate. The manager¡¯s face paled instantly, and he quickly excused himself, "P¡ªPlease excuse me, Miss. We still have other guests to serve."


    "Oh, sure, you can go now," Kate said. She felt Henry¡¯s warm palm wrapped around her wrist, and she got pulled out of the restaurant.


    Henry glanced away and though he tried his best to hide his annoyance, it wasn¡¯t that hard to notice.


    Kate chuckled. Of course, she knew why Henry was mad. That manager indirectly told Kate she wasn¡¯t the first woman Henry brought to this restaurant.


    "Hey, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯ve brought your other dates here. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re an exclusive thing," Kate assured. She knew that Henry was young and adventurous, so it was normal for him to have a lot of flings.


    "We are exclusive," Henry insisted as he opened the car door for Kate. "You are the last woman I will bring to this restaurant, I promise."


    "Careful, Mr. Grant, don¡¯t make a promise you can¡¯t keep," Kate joked, but the joke didn¡¯t translate well to Henry. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry got even more annoyed but decided not to show it as it might dampen the mood. He just fell into silence as he drove to their next destination.


    Kate sighed. She didn¡¯t know why Henry tried to deny the fact that he was a young and adventurous man. He should¡¯ve worn that like a badge and been proud of it.


    After all, it was a privilege to have fun in your youth without anything holding you back.


    Kate didn¡¯t have that kind of privilege when she was Henry¡¯s age. She was busy with university and the many part-time jobs she had to take because Matt always ran out of money and borrowed from her.


    But it seemed that Henry didn¡¯t like to be seen as frivolous and adventurous, though it was the most prominent quality he had been showing in front of Kate so far.


    Henry stopped the car in front of a pier that faced the sea.


    "We¡¯re here," Henry said. He exited the car and opened the car door for Kate as well.


    "What is this place?" Kate asked as she left the car.


    "This is Pier 14," Henry held Kate¡¯s hand and intertwined their fingers so they wouldn¡¯t lose each other. "It¡¯s a popular tourist spot in San Francisco. I like the night view of the city from the end of the pier. Just follow me, but don¡¯t look back."


    "Don¡¯t look back?"


    "Yes, just trust me, and don¡¯t look back."


    Kate followed Henry as he led the way by holding Kate¡¯s hand. They walked through the pier until the end, where they were facing the dark sea. Henry turned around to face Kate. He smiled and said, "You can turn around now."


    Kate followed his instruction and then turned around. She was stunned when she saw the beautiful view before her.


    She could see the glimmer of all of San Francisco¡¯s lights from this spot. The street was decorated by vivid yellow lamps that created a golden belt, and all buildings were brightly lit with mostly yellow and white color.


    The sky was full of stars, making the already perfect scenery even better.


    It was perfect, almost like a painting of a dream city.


    Henry was relieved that Kate seemed to enjoy the view so much. He wrapped his arms around her waist and then leaned on the railing, relaxing while they watched the city from the end of the pier.


    It took Kate a while to register that Henry was embracing her right now. She was a little embarrassed and said, "T¡ªThere are a few people coming this way, they will see us."


    "So what?" Henry asked boldly. "So what if they see us?"


    Kate was speechless but then realized that Henry was right.


    So what if someone saw them like this? It was supposed to be a popular tourist and date spot anyway.


    "Just enjoy the view, Kate, and let me embrace you," Henry said. "I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold."


    "I¡¯m still wearing my blazer right now, but you¡¯re only wearing a shirt. You¡¯ll be the one who might catch a cold instead," Kate said.


    Henry laughed as something warm engulfed his heart, "I won¡¯t catch a cold when I¡¯m with you. You¡¯re the warmth I¡¯ve been looking for a long time."


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened, her face heated up, but she quickly elbowed Henry on the stomach, "Shut up, Casanova. Your charm won¡¯t work on me."

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57: Chapter 57Kate and Henry spent at least an hour in solace, staring at the beautiful San Francisco skyline from the end of the pier. Henry tightened his embrace around Kate¡¯s waist and pulled her deeper into his chest, so Kate could be warmer.


    His palm accidentally touched Kate¡¯s belly, and his eyes widened when he remembered that Kate was carrying his child.


    "I think we need to go now," Henry said.


    "Eh? What¡¯s wrong?" Kate asked. "Did you actually catch a cold?"


    "No, it¡¯s our baby. I don¡¯t want you to get sick, it might harm our baby," Henry said. There was a clear concern in his voice. "Let¡¯s just go to the hotel."


    Kate chuckled, "So you care for the baby now?"


    "I¡¯ve always cared for our baby!" Henry insisted.


    "Fine, let¡¯s just go to the hotel," Kate agreed. She was also a bit worried about the baby in her belly. She didn¡¯t want to lose her baby over a small matter.


    Thus, Kate and Henry went to the hotel of Henry¡¯s choice. He booked two presidential suites for them, and they got escorted by the bellboy, security guard, and the manager, as they suddenly became the hotel¡¯s most exclusive guests tonight.


    As they opened the first suite, Kate was amazed by the luxury she got for free. She didn¡¯t like to waste money on things like this. Even during her business trip, she specifically asked for a standard room instead of an executive or a suite because she didn¡¯t want to be a burden on the company¡¯s expenses.


    Kate turned around to see Henry smiling at her, "Is this suitable for you?" He asked tentatively since all he wanted to do was please Kate right now.


    "Suitable?" Kate rolled her eyes. "This is too luxurious, Mr. Grant. You¡¯re wasting your money. We should¡¯ve just booked two standard rooms instead."


    "Hey, no need to worry about that," Henry said. "I have enough to sponsor you to stay here for months."


    "Mhm, I¡¯ll be sure to pay you back somehow," Kate said. "I don¡¯t like taking too much from a man that has no connection with me whatsoever."


    Again, Henry was hurt when Kate said they had no connection, it was as if the child growing in her right now was nothing. But he did his best to suppress the bitter disappointment growing in his heart and he simply grinned mischievously, "You know I don¡¯t need your money, right? But if you want to pay me back, you can give me a kiss."


    Kate smiled. She took a step forward and then gave Henry a quick kiss on the lips. It was so fast that Henry thought it was a feather that brushed his lips.


    He loved it, but he wanted more, obviously.


    "Kate, can we¡ª"


    "No, not at all," Kate teased. "You should go now, Henry. The staff are waiting to escort you to your room, and I need rest. You¡¯ve gotten enough kisses today."


    "But¡ª" Henry was helpless. He was like a kid that had gotten a sweet taste of lollipops but wasn¡¯t allowed to eat more. This was like torture for a young man with raging hormones like him, but knowing that he would get nothing for being forceful, he could only sigh and walk away.


    Kate closed the door and then leaned on it while she waited for her heart to calm down.


    "That should be the last kiss we share," Kate told herself. "I should distance myself after this. It¡¯s like playing with fire. This is too dangerous for me. Everything is too good to be true tonight, and I feel like I will only get hurt in the end."


    Kate went to the bathroom to wash her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and slowly noticed her many flaws.


    She wasn¡¯t pretty, nor was she ugly.


    She was average, and she believed an average, ordinary woman like her didn¡¯t fit with a much more charming and adventurous Casanova like Henry.


    "Henry must¡¯ve treated me like a game," Kate told herself as a way to stop her from feeling things in her heart. "He¡¯s not supposed to be with an older woman like me. He¡¯ll get bored and move on."


    "But me? I can¡¯t move on," Kate said, knowing full well that Henry was like a daydream, a man that wasn¡¯t supposed to appear in her reality. "I won¡¯t be able to move on from a man like him, and I... I don¡¯t want to get hurt again, not after Matt."


    "Wake up, Kate. Things won¡¯t end well if you let your heart take control."


    **


    Henry was dazed as he was escorted to the second presidential suite. The words from the hotel staff were like mosquitos buzzing around his ears, so he simply told them to leave him alone.


    Henry sat on a chair, staring at the view of the sea on the glass pane, and then muttered, "Goddamn it, I want more of her."


    He knew that he was treading on a dangerous path right now. The path he took was like a road full of quicksand. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he would get sucked in and fall into the deep pit called infatuation. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don¡¯t know if Kate teased me because she likes me, or if she¡¯s just playing with my heart right now. Why would she kiss me, but wouldn¡¯t allow me to do more?" Henry wondered. "Why is she leading me on like this?"


    "Wait, am I getting led on in the first place? I am supposed to be the one who seduces her and makes her fall madly in love with me, so I can use her and the baby for my plan," Henry told himself. "Kate and our baby are supposed to be my winning ticket."


    Henry sighed. He leaned on the sofa and was in deep thought as he was thinking of a plan to make Kate fall in love with him without falling for her as well .


    He had to make it one-sided, make her obsessed, so he could heartlessly ditch and sacrifice Kate and their baby for his own good without having too much guilt in his heart.


    "I miscalculated," Henry told himself. "I shouldn¡¯t have allowed myself to get too deep into Kate¡¯s personal life, including her problem with Erin."


    He told himself to ignore Kate¡¯s problem with Erin, but when he remembered the tears that fell from Kate¡¯s eyes, his heart would burn in a fury. He couldn¡¯t wait to snap that bitch¡¯s neck for making his woman cry.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58To him, it didn¡¯t matter if Kate said that Henry shouldn¡¯t even bother doing anything against Erin because she wasn¡¯t his problem.


    He knew it was her problem, but that problem made him restless. It made him unable to focus on his job or plan because he kept thinking about how Erin could bully Kate and make her cry again in the future.


    So, he should still do something against Erin. He just had to find an ingenious way to get rid of her without simply killing and ditching her so that Kate wouldn¡¯t notice that Erin¡¯s demise was his doing.


    "Maybe the problem was Erin all along," Henry guessed. "Maybe I should get rid of her first, so Kate can stop shedding her goddamn tears that could make me so restless."


    "Once things have been settled with Erin, I should be able to make Kate fall madly in love with me, so she would do everything I tell her later."


    Henry nodded in agreement with his own opinion. He was relieved that he was still in control of his own heart. He was a man that craved for control. Once things weren¡¯t going his way, he¡¯d become restless and irritable.


    As he was trying to calm his heart down, he heard the doorbell ringing.


    Naturally, he knew who his guest was, he told the hotel staff not to bother him so it was quite obvious.


    He opened the door, and the man in his late twenties bowed politely in front of him, "Good evening, Sir."


    Henry scoffed, "Come in, Michael. I have a few things to talk with you about."


    Michael followed Mr. Grant into the suite, standing straight as Henry returned to his previous seat.


    "Bring me a bottle of wine from the minibar," Henry ordered. Michael quickly brought a bottle of opened wine and a glass. He poured the wine into the glass and put it on the small table next to Henry.


    Henry picked up the wine glass and sipped it slowly. He glanced at Michael after he relaxed and asked, "Have you found a way to get rid of that woman, Erina Ross?"


    "Not yet, Sir," Michael replied. "It¡¯s only been a day since we talked about this. I also have other tasks to accomplish. Is the matter with Miss Ross urgent? Is it that much of a rush?"


    ¡¯Because that woman made Kate cry, and my soul crumbled when I saw her cry,¡¯ Henry wanted to say in reply, But that was too embarrassing, so he simply said, "I just want her dead as soon as possible."


    "Then forgive me, Sir, because I still haven¡¯t found a good way to get rid of her," Michael apologized, though he believed he was not in the wrong here.


    He believed that his Boss was too rash, and he had never been this rash. He was normally very patient with everything he wanted. As the second son of the Grant family, he wasn¡¯t allowed to show his ambition. So, Michael was still trying to fit in with his Boss¡¯ changes, including his impatience.


    "Tsk, then do your job and find a way to get rid of her," Henry said.


    "Understood, Sir," Michael nodded. "But did you really ask me to come to San Francisco just to say that? I believe we can talk about this on the phone rather than forcing me to take a flight, right?"


    "Hahah, you¡¯re right," Henry fished his car key out and threw it to Michael. "That¡¯s my car. You must drive it back home for me, I¡¯ll be catching the first flight out in the morning with Kate tomorrow."


    Michael¡¯s jaw dropped when he heard that, "Wait, Sir, are you telling me that you just took a six-hour drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco with Mrs. Woods?"


    "I did," Henry replied. "What? Why are you making that face?"


    "Is there any reason for it, Sir?"


    "... not really," Henry lied. "I just felt like bringing her here."


    "Sir, you¡ªyou¡¯ve never done that with any woman before," Michael said. "Not even with Miss Sarah." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, leave Sarah out of this," Henry clicked his tongue. "Kate is a special case. She¡¯s the key to my plan, remember?"


    "Even if you say that this is the first time you¡¯ve ever done so much for a woman, Sir," Michael warned. "I think you should be careful, you look and act like a man in love."


    "Don¡¯t exaggerate, Michael. You know it¡¯s all part of the plan," Henry said. "I will ditch her after I get what I want, but I¡¯ll make sure to compensate her enough so she will live a life of luxury."


    Michael didn¡¯t believe his Boss¡¯ words at all, not when he drove a woman for six hours to San Francisco just because he felt like it.


    His Boss was definitely whipped for Mrs. Katherine Woods. Whether he admitted it or not, it didn¡¯t really matter to Michael because the truth was right in front of him.


    "Sir, for all of your pain, did she at least give you... you know... that?"


    Henry frowned, "She gave me a kiss, why do you ask?"


    "Just a kiss?" Michael curled his lips as he tried not to laugh. "Then, do you need me to call an expensive prostitute, or you¡¯ll call one of your girls to come here, you have been with at least five girls in San Francisco before, right?"


    "What are you going on about, Michael?" Henry asked as he didn¡¯t understand what was so funny about that. "Yeah, I got a kiss from Kate, and I¡¯m happy about it."


    "Are you sure you¡¯re happy with just a kiss, Sir?" Michael said as he glanced down for a split second, signaling Henry that he noticed. He almost laughed in front of his Boss, but he didn¡¯t want to get a salary cut because of that. "She sure is a fantastic kisser," Michael teased.


    Henry looked down, and when he realized his bulge was too obvious, his face reddened out of shame. He glared at Michael, then yelled, "GET THE FUCK OUT!"


    Michael took a step back, still holding his laughter. He excused himself and left.


    "Urgh, fuck!" Henry was frustrated because he hadn¡¯t found a release since Kate refused to do more with him. "Fuck, why am I torturing myself like this?!"

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59[Warning: Self-gratifying Scene.]


    Henry finished a whole bottle of wine right before midnight. He tossed the wine bottle on the floor before jumping into bed.


    He got drowsier thanks to the wine that he drank. He wasn¡¯t a light drinker, in fact, he could hold his liquor and drink bottles of alcohol without losing consciousness.


    But the alcohol made him relax and that was all he needed right now.


    He needed to relax, to take it slow, because he knew that his relationship with Kate had developed way too fast and too far, to the point that he might actually end up falling in love with a woman in such a short amount of time.


    He had never been in love with anyone before.


    "Except Sarah, of course. But she is a special case," Henry murmured. "Kate is also a special case. I never knew I could be this eager for a woman before."


    Henry tried to sleep, he had to wake up early tomorrow morning. But each time he closed his eyes, an image of Kate would pop up in his mind, keeping him awake..


    He imagined her sitting on the CEO¡¯s desk, fully naked that night. She had that alluring smile as she invited him in.


    As Henry closed the gap between them, Kate would grab him by his tie and then pull him closer. She would give him a sweet yet luscious kiss on the lips before whispering, ¡¯What are you waiting for, Big boy? Don¡¯t you want me?¡¯


    Henry was a young man with raging hormones, the moment that imagination became too vivid in his mind, and he was forced to open his eyes and quickly look down.


    "Fuck..." Henry cursed at the big tent in his pants. He was so hard that it was actually painful to wear his pants, his dick needed to be set free. He quickly took it off and threw his pants and boxer aside, freeing his hard cock.


    He realized that the tip of his cock was red, and he had been leaking continuous precum that smeared around his tip and veiny shaft. He cursed himself for being so horny, yet he couldn¡¯t help himself, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get his much-needed sleep without doing something to calm his urges.


    So he held his cock with his right hand and then began to stroke it slowly.


    The precum helped to make his stroke smoother.


    "Urgh..." Henry grunted as he began to stroke faster. He closed his eyes, and his mind instantly traveled back to that night he had spent with Kate in the office.


    Kate was so alluring, her sweet voice was like a Siren that drowned him in a sea of lust, and her enchanting beauty lured him to jump into a world full of uncertainty.


    She confused him that night, and he willingly jumped in even though he knew he¡¯d be entangled with a woman who wasn¡¯t supposed to be there.


    "Ugh, Kate..."


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    Henry grunted as he could feel his dick beginning to throb the more he stroked it. The image of his dick thrusting into Kate¡¯s wet pussy was very vivid and real in his mind. Their physical compatibility was so amazing that when he was with Kate it was like nothing he felt before. The sheer pleasure of being in her as her pussy gripped him tight made him explode in so many ways he had never experienced with any other woman.


    As he stroked harder and faster, his imagination ran wilder, and he remembered that one sentence Kate said as he mentioned that he didn¡¯t bring a condom.


    Kate grinned at Henry and said boldly, "Guess you¡¯ll knock me up tonight, Henry." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Urgh! Fuck! FUCK!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Henry jolted as he ejaculated. He shot at least eight times, and each shot of his semen was thicker and hotter than the previous one. His abs, thigh, and around his bed were covered with his thick cum right now, but Henry was too exhausted to clean up.


    He covered his eyes with his arm, panting as he just let out three days¡¯ worth of cum. He didn¡¯t know if he should be happy with his jacking-off session or not. Normally he¡¯d call one of his many women to come and help him to vent his lust. There was no shortage of women that wanted to pleasure Henry Grant.


    But after he had sex with Kate, he realized he just would never experience the same pleasure he got from Kate with any other woman. Their compatibility was unmatched, and Henry wanted more of her and her body.


    No woman would ever be able to pleasure him the way Kate did, and he would never be satisfied by anything less again.


    Henry¡¯s body began to relax. He let out a sigh because he knew he just made a mistake by jacking off to Kate and the night they spent together again.


    "She will be the death of me," Henry murmured as he drifted off to sleep.


    **


    Kate woke up early the next morning.


    She didn¡¯t sleep well as she had Henry running through her mind the whole night. She was thinking of a proper way to avoid him, knowing she¡¯d fall deeper into the rabbit hole the more she spent time with him.


    "I should just focus on my job as Chief Editor. Since Henry is the new CEO, my workload has decreased. I only need to handle potential manuscripts and keep close contact with the company¡¯s top authors, while Henry handles the rest as the CEO," Kate said. "We don¡¯t need to meet that often since we have different offices and job desks. I¡¯ll only meet him during meetings, and I will act as professionally as possible."


    Kate was convinced that her plan would work. At least it would be enough to suppress the desire in her heart until that feeling finally disappeared.


    Kate looked down at her belly, and she smiled while caressing her belly gently, "Remember, Kate, you have a baby to protect. You can¡¯t let another heartbreak that might drive you into depression."


    Kate grabbed her bag and walked out of her suite. She looked left and right, and it seemed Henry hadn¡¯t woken up yet.


    So she went to the lobby and asked about his suite room and key card to wake him up or they would be late for the flight.


    "Pardon me, Ma¡¯am, but we can¡¯t just give the key of a guest without his permission," the concierge said. "You may contact Mr. Grant first, then we can hand you the key card once he gave permission to enter his room."


    Kate rolled her eyes, she didn¡¯t want to pull this stunt, but she believed Henry must¡¯ve been sleeping his ass off because he was uncontactable.


    So she leaned forward until she could whisper to the concierge, "I am Mr. Henry Grant¡¯s girlfriend. Can¡¯t you see that we booked the rooms together?"


    "I can see that, Ma¡¯am. I am the one who handled your book last night as well. but you booked two different rooms instead of just one, are you really his girlfriend?" the concierge asked as she gave Kate a suspicious look.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60"That¡ª" Kate blushed as she didn¡¯t want to tell the woman the real reason. So she lied instead, "We had a fight last night, so I didn¡¯t want to be in the same room as him. He¡¯s uncontactable right now because he must¡¯ve gotten drunk after our quarrel last night."


    When she noticed that the concierge didn¡¯t seem to be willing to give in to her request she added in a forceful tone, "Just give me the card key, I¡¯ll take responsibility if he gets mad at you or any other members of the staff."


    The concierge hesitated for a second, but she finally gave in to Kate¡¯s demands because she didn¡¯t want to get into trouble in case Kate made a scene here.


    She handed the key card and told Kate the room number, "Please don¡¯t make a scene outside the suite, Ma¡¯am."


    Kate nodded carelessly, She pocketed the key card and went to Henry¡¯s presidential suite.


    She believed Henry must¡¯ve been drunk and had fallen into a deep sleep, so she had to wake him up to catch up for their morning flight.


    Kate unlocked the door and then entered it without any hesitation. She strutted through the living room of the presidential suite and went straight to the bedroom, whose doors had been left wide open.


    Kate could see Henry¡¯s naked half-body as he slept peacefully, so peacefully, that he was snoring quite loudly.


    Kate chuckled. As she entered the bedroom, she called his name, "Henry, it¡¯s time to¡ªAHHH!"


    Kate covered her eyes immediately. She didn¡¯t expect that Henry would also be naked from the waist down, she stammered as she tried to wake Henry up, "Henry, Henry, wake up!"


    "..."


    Henry didn¡¯t respond. So Kate slowly sat at the side of the bed and shook his shoulder, "Hey, wake up, you fucking pervert! It¡¯s morning already!"


    To avoid seeing anything more than she should, Kate covered her eyes and avoided that general area.


    "..."


    Kate began to get annoyed, but she also wanted to see what was down there again. It was too dark that night so she didn¡¯t get to take a good look.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t peek, but...


    Kate slowly opened her fingers to peek at Henry¡¯s morning wood.


    She gulped when she saw that big, hard cock throbbing in the morning. The tip was big and thick, and the shaft was veiny and girthy.


    ¡¯Damn, how did that thing fit inside me? How did he not break me?¡¯ Kate wondered. She remembered how Henry shoved it all inside without any hesitation or desire to be gentle. Kate only felt a slight pain before Henry began to thrust faster, turning the pain into pleasure until he had her moaning beneath him. ¡¯I guess I¡¯m more capable than I thought.¡¯


    She never really knew how much she could fit in there anyway since she could barely feel Matt¡¯s dick and she had never had sex with anyone other than him in the past.


    But still, ¡¯I can¡¯t believe that fits inside of me, but I guess that means it won¡¯t be a problem if we have sex again,¡¯ Kate thought.


    Kate could feel a bit of dampness between her legs as she thought of that large dick fucking her again.


    She couldn¡¯t help it as her eyes began to wander around the man, leading her to inevitably notice plenty of suspicious dried white residue around Henry¡¯s abs around the dark bed sheet.


    His pants and boxer were thrown randomly and an empty bottle of wine on the floor.


    Kate slowly registered everything around Henry, and the first thing that popped into her mind was, ¡¯Did he invite one of his girlfriends or a prostitute over last night?¡¯ Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate wasn¡¯t at all that surprised, honestly.


    She knew Henry was a young man with a lot of libido to spare, so it was natural for him to hook up casually or simply find relief for the night, and Kate had no right to stop him.


    After all, they were just acquaintances, and simple acquaintances would not bother with the other¡¯s sex life.


    But that still didn¡¯t stop her from feeling an odd pang in her heart. She felt bothered and distressed just imagining Henry having sex with another woman, and she was old enough to understand what kind of emotions she was feeling right now.


    It was jealousy, and she didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡¯I have no right to be jealous of him when we have no real relationship, and honestly, it¡¯s better this way. He just treats me like a toy, so I should treat him as one as well,¡¯ Kate thought as she toughened her heart and tried to ward off the jealousy growing inside as she tried to nip it from the bud before it became too much to control.


    She took a deep breath and turned around so she wouldn¡¯t need to cover her eyes. She tapped Henry¡¯s cheek a few times to wake him, "Wake up! We¡¯re going to miss our flight."


    Henry grunted and tried to ignore whoever was trying to wake him up.


    Kate knew she needed to do more to wake him up, so she leaned deeper and whispered in his ear, "Wake up, Mr. Grant. We¡¯re going to be late."


    Henry finally opened his eyes when he could clearly hear the sweet voice of the woman that had been haunting his dreams.


    He turned his head to the left and stared at the beautiful lady on his bed.


    Henry¡¯s lips perked up. He couldn¡¯t help but caress her cheek and the corner of her lips and muttered, "Good morning, Kitty."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened when Henry treated her like this. Her heart beat faster for a moment before she suddenly pulled away from Henry and stood up, "You should wash up, we¡¯re going to catch a morning flight, remember?"


    Henry grunted again as reality hit him like a charging train, he wasn¡¯t in dreamland with Kate anymore.


    He opened his eyes fully as he felt the breeze below his waist on his bare skin. He looked down, and his eyes went wide when he realized that he had fallen asleep after cumming last night, and Kate must¡¯ve seen it all, including the evidence of his masturbation session that splattered all over his body and on the dark sheets.


    Henry quickly pulled the blanket to cover himself and pleaded to Kate, "W¡ªWait, this isn¡¯t what it looks like!"


    "No, no, I understand," Kate said as she suppressed the irritation in her heart after knowing Henry slept with another woman. "You don¡¯t need to tell me what you did last night. It¡¯s your choice to do whatever you want."


    Henry felt that something was amiss, it was as if they were talking about two different things entirely.


    But he was too ashamed to ask. He just got caught red-handed masturbating. It made him feel pathetic.


    "I¡¯ll be waiting outside, please clean yourself first, Mr. Grant," Kate said as she walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.


    Henry was dazed as he stared at the door, "Why do I feel like there¡¯s some misunderstanding between us?" He wondered but couldn¡¯t grasp what the misunderstanding was all about.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61Kate leaned against the door as she waited for Henry to finish getting ready.


    She felt weak, her knees were shaking and she felt that they might give up on her at anytime. She was upset, agitated, in fact, but she was trying her best to suppress this feeling in her heart. But the thing was Henry didn¡¯t seem to treat her seriously, not like he should.


    "This is for the best," Kate murmured. "It¡¯s better to treat this small San Francisco trip as a little break, then we can act like strangers once we arrive back in Los Angeles. I already have plans of my own, and I can¡¯t let this fleeting feeling disturb my long-term plan of becoming a rich single lady."


    After gathering enough strength to stand firmly on her own two feet, Kate decided to sit on the long sofa outside of the bedroom, checking her phone to see if she got an important text from one of her top authors.


    But her eyes were glued on one text sent last night.


    It was from a new number, but from the first line of the text, she already guessed the identity behind the owner of the number.


    ¡ª


    Sender: Unknown.


    It¡¯s been almost two months since you left the house. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Are you still going to keep up this stupid little tantrum of yours? Come on, Kate. You¡¯re not that petty, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡ª


    Kate rolled her eyes. Matt definitely used a new phone number to contact her because Kate already blocked his original phone number.


    "Why am I surrounded by trash men in my life? From my vile Dad, a deadbeat husband, and now a womanizer as the father of my child," Kate complained. "Why can¡¯t I get a decent man for once."


    Kate was about to block Matt¡¯s new number, but before that, she decided to text him back first.


    ¡ª


    To: Unknown.


    Wow, I guess I¡¯m the petty one after witnessing my deadbeat husband fucking my equally useless sister? I bet you think you make my sister feel so good with your micropenis, when she can¡¯t feel shit.


    ¡ª


    Kate giggled as she sent the text and then blocked Matt¡¯s new number.


    She had had enough of that man.


    After five years of trying to compensate, Kate realized she was an idiot for loving and staying with a man who couldn¡¯t even see her worth. It was about time that Kate valued her own worth and strived for more.


    Though, she doubted that she would ever find a man that could see her worth and still want her.


    After all, she would be a single mother with this baby in her belly, and it was quite rare for a man to settle for a single mother in her 30s.


    ¡¯I think it¡¯s fine. Maybe I¡¯m destined to be a single lady for the rest of my life...¡¯ Kate thought to herself as she bitterly tried to accept her fate, though in all honesty, whenever she thought of being single for the rest of her life it made her a little depressed.


    Kate lamented her fate for a while until the bedroom door opened. She lifted her head a little and saw Henry trying to button his shirt. He just took a quick shower with his hair still a bit damp.


    Kate wouldn¡¯t lie. Henry was definitely the most handsome man she¡¯d ever met in her life. But that was also the reason why Kate didn¡¯t trust him.


    A rich, handsome young man with a nice body, and a big dick, those qualities were the recipe for a womanizer, and Kate was done being played with by a man.


    "Let¡¯s go," Henry said. "We might be late for the flight."


    Kate nodded. She got up and walked out of the suite without saying a thing. She didn¡¯t even wait for Henry, so he had to run a little to catch her as she entered the elevator.


    They stood side by side in the elevator, no one dared to speak to initiate even a small conversation, they were both drowning in their own thoughts and own miseries.


    Henry repeatedly stole glances at Kate. He was nervous because he clearly saw that Kate was pissed for some reason. He had no idea what she was pissed about and he was too shy to ask because she caught him in a very compromising position as he was asleep.


    This awkwardness continued until they boarded the flight and landed in Los Angeles.


    Henry quickly called one of his drivers to pick them up at the airport.


    "Yeah, make it quick, I still have work to do in the office," Henry said, commanding his driver to reach the airport as soon as possible. He glanced at Kate, who suddenly took a turn in the opposite direction as they walked out of the airport. He frowned and ended the call when he saw Kate walking to a Taxi stand.


    "Kate¡ª" Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s arm to stop her from ordering a taxi. "I already called my driver to pick us up, no need to order a taxi."


    Kate looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were cold as she stared at Henry, "I have things to do on my own, Mr. Grant. Please let go of me."


    Henry was startled as Kate gave him the cold shoulder. He knew she saw him in a shameful position this morning, but was that enough to earn him the cold shoulder?


    "I¡¯m sorry for what you saw this morning, okay? Let¡¯s just move on and¡ª"


    "Sorry? What are you sorry for, Mr. Grant?" Kate interrupted. "It¡¯s your right to do whatever you want. We have no connection outside of the office."


    Again, Henry was offended by how Kate treated him.


    He thought that they truly formed some deep connection after last night.


    Henry never brought a woman on a six-hour trip to watch the sunset so she wouldn¡¯t cry. He never brought a woman to a restaurant and gave her the best seat, and he definitely never brought a woman to Pier 14 just to share with her the amazing view of the city at night.


    He did it all to make Kate happy because he accidentally messed up and made her cry.


    "How could you say that after what we did last night, Kate?" Henry said as he was hurt by her words. "I thought you enjoyed spending time with me."

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62: Chapter 62Kate¡¯s body stiffened.


    She couldn¡¯t lie. The day she spent with Henry yesterday was nothing but magical.


    She never had a vacation or any small trip with Matt before. She had never seen the sunset with a man, eaten dinner in a fancy restaurant without having to pay, or watched the city skyline while a man held her in his strong arms from behind.


    Though Henry wasn¡¯t her first love, he now held many of her firsts.


    So Kate felt like cold water was poured over her head once she realized she was actually falling in love with a womanizer who saw women as a game to be played and prizes to be won.


    She felt like shit knowing that Henry had no plans of ever fulfilling all the sweet promises he made last night. And Kate knew that she was an idiot for believing all of them.


    She was a fool to think that Henry would take her on a private and personal vacation with just the two of them. She was an even bigger fool for believing in his promise that they would be dating exclusively.


    "What happened last night doesn¡¯t change a thing between us, Mr. Grant. We just had a small break in San Francisco. Please refrain yourself from being too familiar with me," Kate said coldly. "We are just work colleagues, you are being unprofessional right now."


    Henry gritted his teeth. His heart was aching from the words she said.


    He spent the whole night thinking about Kate. Even in his dreams, he dreamed of nobody but Kate. She was the only woman occupying his mind, day and night.


    Yet, she treated him like a stranger after their date yesterday.


    "Please don¡¯t make a scene, Sir. You are embarrassing me," Kate said as people had begun to notice the arguing couple.


    Henry was pissed, he was so angry that he couldn¡¯t even formulate a proper complete sentence right now. So he released Kate¡¯s arm, turned around, and stomped away out of the airport.


    Kate could only stare at his back, feeling her heart sink as she realized this might be the end of their happy days together.


    Had Henry turned around, he would have seen the broken expression on Kate¡¯s face. If only he looked back, then maybe he would have seen that she cared more than she let on.


    ¡¯Last night was probably the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long time,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯But that¡¯s it. Don¡¯t let another man hurt you, he doesn¡¯t love you, Kate. It¡¯s not worth it.¡¯


    The Taxi concierge looked at Kate worriedly, especially seeing her eyes glazed with tears, "Ma¡¯am, are you sure you¡¯re okay? That man¡ª"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Kate replied as she quickly killed any questions he had about Henry. "He has his own life, and so do I. Please get me a Taxi, I have to go to work."


    Kate took the taxi and went straight to the office. She believed Henry wouldn¡¯t come to the office today, at least not after their little argument in the airport earlier.


    Truthfully, she also had nothing to do in the office today. Her workload had gotten lighter after Henry took over the CEO¡¯s position, and she didn¡¯t need to keep contact with the parent company every single day. All she had to do was to read a manuscript from one of her top authors, something she could do anywhere with an iPad.


    But she went to the office nonetheless. It was a way to knock some sense into her head. She had to realize that she needed to stay professional, or else she might lose her job and her child¡¯s future just because of a man.


    Kate clocked in and walked through the corridor to her office. But she was stopped by Mai, who stood in front of her office door with worry pasted all over her face.


    Kate frowned, "What¡¯s wrong, Mai? Why are you standing in front of my office?"


    "Ah, Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s... um... I don¡¯t know how to say this," Mai said. She glanced over her shoulder towards the door behind her and added, "Please don¡¯t scold me for this. She insisted."


    "What are you on about? What happened in my office?"


    "Um, there is a young woman named Erin who came to the office this morning," Mai said. "She said she is your sister, and insisted on staying. She showed me the picture of the two of you together, and then she even threatened me, saying you would fire me if I didn¡¯t let her in."


    Kate held her breath, she had a terrible feeling about this.


    She wanted to turn back and leave, but Erin would only return to the office again in the future and wouldn¡¯t relent until her demands were met.


    So she took a deep breath and said, "You can go now, Mai. I will handle this."


    "A¡ªAre you sure, Ma¡¯am? That woman doesn¡¯t seem to have good manners, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t trust her when she said that she¡¯s your sister...."


    "No, she is my sister," Kate confirmed. "But yes, she doesn¡¯t have good manners. It¡¯s partly my fault. Just leave me alone with her, I will handle this."


    Mai was still hesitant to leave Mrs. Woods alone because she noticed the nervousness in her eyes, something that was very strange for Mai, who was used to seeing the fierce and stern Chief Editor.


    But she could only step aside to allow Mrs. Woods to enter her office.


    Kate took a deep breath and then opened the office door as she was greeted by the sight of Erin, who sat behind her desk in her seat.


    Erin grinned at her sister and said, "I¡¯ve been waiting for hours, sis. You should compensate me with something for all the time I¡¯ve wasted."


    **


    Henry was in a terrible mood as he waited for his car to arrive, and once the car stopped right in front of him, he kicked the driver out and drove the car by himself as he didn¡¯t want anyone else to see him getting his heart broken.


    His mind was in chaos.


    His mind kept on replaying all the happy moments they had shared last night. Henry didn¡¯t even exaggerate when he said that he was actually considering settling down with Kate and their baby during their time at Pier 14.


    Everything about her was so beautiful and perfect, so when all that image of a perfect future with Kate was shattered, Henry couldn¡¯t help but get even more irritated.


    Kate¡¯s cold eyes and flat tone shattered his heart. She was like a beautiful angel who carried him to heaven, only to drop him once he was floating above the sky. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His heart ached so much that he wished he could just rip it out so it would stop bothering him.


    "How dare she give me a cold shoulder after everything that had happened between us last night. Can¡¯t she see that I¡¯m trying out new things for her, just to be with her?" Henry muttered. "She is the first woman to accompany me to watch the sunset, the first woman that I promised my loyalty to, she¡¯s also the first woman I spent the night with at Pier 14. She is my first real date!"

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63"I¡¯ve been waiting for hours, sis. You should compensate me with something," Erin said.


    Kate clenched her bag as she was trying to gather enough strength and self-control not to accidentally claw her bitch of a sister¡¯s face.


    She took a deep breath and walked towards the side of her desk. She stood right beside Erin, who was leaning back leisurely on her executive chair. "That¡¯s my seat. Get off."


    "Hm? Get off?" Erin smirked.


    She put her feet up on the desk and leaned to put more weight on her back, making her lean deeper into the seat. "This is just a chair, why are you being so petty?"


    "..." Kate went silent for a moment. She didn¡¯t want to fight over something as stupid as a chair, so she decided to change the topic before their arguments turned bad and Erin decided to threaten her again with her mother¡¯s weak hert. "Why are you here? What do you want?"


    "I mean, it¡¯s obvious, right? I¡¯m totally unemployed right now and have been jobless for quite a while since graduation. Don¡¯t you think I deserve to get a job? I mean, my SISTER just so happens to be the CHIEF EDITOR of a very successful publishing company. It shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to give me a job," Erin said, emphasizing certain words to get her message across.


    Kate already knew what Erin wanted.


    In all honesty, Erin was an open book. She was easy to read but also very reckless and ruthless. She stopped at nothing to get whatever she wanted even if that meant she¡¯d hurt one or two people along the way.


    "You are not qualified to work here," Kate said without hesitation. "We¡¯ve been through this before. I will give you a chance to do an interview without a test. I told you to study everything about the company¡¯s policy, vision and mission, and also to study at least four classical or contemporary works of fiction of your choice. You have it easy, and yet you still fail."


    "Well, that¡¯s because the interviewer is biased against me," Erin rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "She¡¯s probably jealous because she looks like a hippo while I look like a model. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t hire ugly people in this office, they¡¯re so jealous for no reason at all!"


    Kate¡¯s heart grew even colder as she saw Erin¡¯s blatant entitlement. She wasn¡¯t even ashamed after failing something as simple as an interview. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The interviewer said that you could not answer correctly any of the questions they asked you. You had no clue about the company¡¯s policy, vision and mission, you didn¡¯t even know a single book that we published," Kate said coldly. "You studied nothing and still expect us to accept you? We don¡¯t pay lazy illiterate employees."


    "Ugh, whatever," Erin shrugged. "I have the Chief Editor as my sister, shouldn¡¯t I just be given the job without that bullshit interview? I bet you even told that hippo interviewer to fail me because you know everyone will like me more once I start working in this office and you will be thrown away."


    Kate glared at her sister as she could feel the rage boiling in her heart.


    "You¡¯re just too plain, maybe even a little ugly," Erin commented as she looked at her sister from head to toe. "I bet I can come in here and replace you as the Chief Editor, prettier one, of course."


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned, "It¡¯s not an easy job."


    "Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s what they all say," Erin said as she waved her hand, rolling her eyes as if Kate was making things up to dissuade her. "What do you do on a daily basis anyway? You just read books, and get paid to read them, right? Even a primary school student could do your job."


    When Kate remained silent, Erin added, "So give me a job now, Sis, and make sure that I will have to work in this office, so I can always be around you~."


    "You just want to meet my boss, right?" Kate went straight to the point, knowing how much of a shallow social climber Erin was. "Did you fall in love with him after meeting him at the restaurant?"


    "Bullseye, maybe you¡¯re not so dumb after all" Erin giggled. "Yeah, you got me. He was so goddamn handsome. Have you seen Sean O¡¯ Pry? Your Boss has the exact same eyes, it¡¯s so deep, and sharp, and it makes me melt! OMG, everything about him just screams model¡ªno, Actor!"


    Erin behaved like a fangirl who had just met her idol. Kate knew that Erin was after Henry because Erin also behaved the same way with Matt when she was younger.


    Whenever she liked a man, she would act like that man was an angel who had fallen from heaven and then she did everything she could to have him, even if that man was already married or had a girlfriend.


    But Kate had never seen Erin this crazy for a man. The look in her eyes showed that she was rabid for Henry, making her obsession very obvious, which greatly concerned Kate.


    "He is off limits, Erin," Kate said.


    "Why? Because you like him too?"


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened, but she recovered quickly, hopefully Erin hadn¡¯t noticed any reaction from her, "I don¡¯t like him, but he is a very busy man. He won¡¯t have time for a lazy ass like you."


    Erin faked a yawn to mock Kate, "Ah, boring, you have no idea what a man will do for his woman if she¡¯s pretty, he will willingly do anything and everything for her. You¡¯re just too boring and ugly, that¡¯s why Matt cheated on you."


    "Anyway, why don¡¯t you serve me something? I¡¯m totally thirsty. Go tell that ugly woman outside to make me a coffee," Erin ordered Kate.


    Kate clenched her fists but gave up in the end. She walked to the door and told Mai, who had been guarding outside, "Go make two cups of coffee and bring it to my office."


    "For that woman¡ªI mean your sister, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked.


    "Yes," Kate replied. "I¡¯m sorry, Mai. She¡¯s just that unbearable."


    "It¡¯s okay, Ma¡¯am," Mai replied. "I¡¯ll make two cups of coffee then, please excuse me."


    "Oh, Mai¡ª"


    "Yes?"


    Kate glanced at the CEO¡¯s office right next to hers, "Mr. Grant hasn¡¯t come in yet?"


    "Not yet, Ma¡¯am."


    "Good, make sure that nobody comes into my office," Kate said. "Not even Mr. Grant."


    "But, what should I do if Mr. Grant insists on coming in to your office like yesterday, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked. "He can be very stubborn."


    "Just do whatever you can to stop him," Kate replied. "Besides, I don¡¯t think Mr. Grant will come to the office today, at least not after what happened between us yesterday."


    "What happened between you and Mr¡ª"


    SLAM!


    "¡ªGrant..."


    Mai was left with a lot of questions in her mind due to Mrs. Woods¡¯ last sentence. Something must¡¯ve happened between them, but they seemed to be in a good mood the last time Mai met them.


    "I¡¯m not sure either, but maybe it¡¯s just another lover¡¯s quarrel."

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64: Chapter 64Henry tried to calm down as his car entered the office¡¯s driveway. He knew that Kate must¡¯ve gone straight to her office and was probably there right now.


    She was probably reading a manuscript while sipping a cup of coffee, feeling no guilt in her heart after creating a storm in Henry¡¯s.


    He parked his car in his usual spot and clenched the steering wheel as he took a deep breath, "Calm down, Henry. You can¡¯t be agitated in front of her. You were just swayed by the idea of a loving family with her and our baby."


    Henry always believed that love was bullshit.


    He looked around his family and saw that people spouted that sacred word freely without consequence, and almost everyone in his family ended up in misery because of that word.


    Thus, despite all the flings he had in the past, he never said that word to anyone because he knew his heart was cold to all of them.


    "You don¡¯t love her. You also have no feelings for her," Henry told himself. "It¡¯s because of the baby. That baby changes everything, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t bear to see her cry."


    "But since she gave you the cold shoulder, that means you just need to return to your usual ways, you¡¯re just not used to being rejected, that¡¯s all. Charm her, get the baby, and kick her out of your life," Henry said coldly. His heart trembled when he said those words, making him unsure if he could do such a heartless thing.


    But he had to.


    He was taking things too seriously last night, every word that he said to her was true, and every promise he made was an oath for him.


    "Wake up, Henry. You¡¯re influenced by a woman, don¡¯t be stupid," Henry said before he readied himself and exited the car.


    He went up to the office by elevator. He walked through the office corridor, and the other staff stared at him as if he had done something wrong.


    He wasn¡¯t bothered by the stares. He used to be the center of attention. He wasn¡¯t bothered by any gossip as well since this company was basically his. He could fire everyone and make a new one without a problem.


    But he had two reasons to keep this company afloat and possibly thrive in the future.


    He stared at the CEO¡¯s and Chief Editor¡¯s office doors lined side by side. His lips thinned, and he clenched his fist as he tried to toughen his heart.


    As he approached the CEO¡¯s office, he suddenly bumped into Mai, who was carrying a tray with two cups of coffee on it.


    "Good morning, Sir...." Mai greeted her boss formally, but her smile disappeared once she saw that Mr. Grant clearly looked pissed for an unknown reason as if he could snap anytime.


    So she hunched her shoulder and said, "Please excuse me, Sir. I have to bring this to Mrs. Woods¡¯ office."


    Henry frowned, "Did she order two cups of coffee all for herself?"


    "Ah¡ªthat¡ªum...." Mai hesitated for a second until she replied, "There is someone else in her office, Sir."


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped for a second. His muscles tensed as he began to get even more peeved.


    He couldn¡¯t help but imagine Kate meeting with another man, maybe one of the coworkers he didn¡¯t know since he just came into the office recently.


    She was beautiful in Henry¡¯s eyes, too beautiful in fact, that Henry thought it was unfair he wasn¡¯t allowed to seduce other women, while she could seduce any man without even trying.


    ¡¯You told me not to play with other women yesterday, but now you want to play with other men instead?¡¯ Henry started running scenarios in his head, and the more ridiculous things he came up with, the angrier he got.


    Both his mind and heart were in chaos, and he couldn¡¯t think straight right now. All he wanted to do was find a reason to stop this wild feeling in his heart so he could be his previous coldhearted self.


    Thus, he decided to make a scene to teach her a lesson not to give him the cold shoulder.


    "Let me carry those trays to her," Henry said.


    Mai flinched. She paled instantly as she didn¡¯t want another trouble, "S¡ªSir, I don¡¯t think you should come in, it¡¯s a mess inside."


    "A mess? HAH!" Henry snorted angrily. "Then let¡¯s see what kind of mess they made in MY office."


    He took the tray from Mai forcefully and walked to the Chief Editor¡¯s office.


    Mai panicked. She tried to follow him, "Sir, p¡ªplease let me do it instead. It¡¯s really a mess and I don¡¯t want you to be involved!"


    "Did she tell you to keep me out of her business? Well, too late then, she does something inside my fucking office and I will catch her red-handed!"


    Mai was even more surprised by his sudden accusation. She didn¡¯t know what kind of scenario her boss was running in his head. Nevertheless, Mrs. Woods had already told her not to let anyone in, even Mr. Grant, in case he came to the office.


    ¡¯Oh, this is going to get messy,¡¯ Mai thought.


    Mai looked back and saw the other staff had already peeking from their desks since Mr. Grant¡¯s loud voice thundered across the quiet corridor.


    She didn¡¯t know whether she should help Mrs. Woods or stop the other staff from eavesdropping, but she knew that gossip was bound to spread anyway, so she decided to follow Mr. Grant.


    Henry stood in front of Kate¡¯s office. He couldn¡¯t hear anything from the outside, which infuriated him even more. He kicked the door until it slammed open and grinned maliciously, expecting to catch Kate having some fun with one of the men she managed to seduce.


    But all he saw was Kate sitting on the guest seat in front of her desk.


    She looked over her shoulder simultaneously as the door slammed open and stared at Henry in shock.


    Meanwhile, another woman was sitting on the Chief Editor¡¯s chair with her feet up on the table like she owned the place. Her face brightened instantly the moment she saw Henry¡¯s absurdly handsome face. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mr. Grant!"

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65: Chapter 65Henry was stunned when he saw Erin sitting behind Kate¡¯s desk on Kate¡¯s chair. She acted like she owned the office while the real owner sat as a guest across from her staring at him with the same dumbfounded expression that he made just moments ago.


    Erin jumped out of the seat and then confidently marched up towards Henry. She wore a thin, see-through blouse that showed her pink bra inside and a tight skirt that barely left anything to the imagination.


    She stopped in front of Henry, who was still at a loss by the situation they had found themselves in. He was still trying to process the whole scene in his mind.


    He was relieved that Kate wasn¡¯t spending her time with another man, but he was also confused about what this bitch was doing in their office.


    Erin on the other hand stared at the handsome man in front of her, practically drooling at what she considered a masterpiece by God.


    His face was truly exquisite, and his deep, emerald-like eyes staring down at her coldly made her heart flutter and ignited a heat between her legs. Combined with his deep pocket, Erin would love to have this man deep in her pussy.


    She had a blush on her cheeks as she acted shyly like an innocent cute girl, "W¡ªWhy are you here, Mr. Grant? My sister told me that you won¡¯t come to the office today."


    Henry chose not to acknowledge her as he continued to glare at her..


    Getting no response from Henry didn¡¯t discourage Erin from acting sweet. She quickly snatched the tray of coffee from Henry¡¯s hands and complained while putting it on the coffee table, "Why are you carrying the tray, Mr. Grant? Gee, you should find a better errand girl. She can¡¯t even bring two cups of coffee to the office, how stupid."


    "Excuse me?!" Mai reacted spontaneously from behind Henry.


    "See? She even has a bad temper," Erin sighed. She returned to stand before Henry and smiled, "I bet I can do a better job making coffee for you every day, Boss~."


    ...


    There was an awkward silence in the room after that. Henry stood still, unbothered by Erin, he had not yet reacted to any of Erin¡¯s attempts of sweet talk. All he did was glare down at Erin, who was still trying to charm him with her innocent and naive look.


    Henry was 6¡¯ 2 feet or 190 centimeters tall, he had a muscular frame, and this girl was even shorter than Kate, who rose to at least his shoulder level.


    It made Erin look so cute and tiny in front of Henry, but the latter felt nothing but disgust.


    He had no interaction with Erin yesterday because all he wanted was to intimidate this woman so she would leave Kate alone.


    But now that she stood in front of him, trying her best to pout and force herself to look like a doe eyed beauty even though she wasn¡¯t one almost made him gag. He couldn¡¯t believe that a woman like this could beat Kate and steal her husband when it was obvious which one was the much prettier sister.


    But then again, both Matt and Erin were quite worthless, so they were made for each other.


    It took a while but Erin eventually noticed the displeasure in Henry¡¯s eyes. She thought he was mad because she sat on Kate¡¯s seat, so she tried to reason with him, "Ah, p¡ªplease don¡¯t misunderstand, Mr. Grant. It¡¯s my sister who told me to sit there. She also told me to put my legs on the table and relax, I didn¡¯t know why she told me to do that. But she has always been overbearing and jealous, maybe she just wants me to look bad in front of you, Mr. Grant..."


    Erin pouted attempting to look cute so that Henry would take pity on her. She lowered her gaze like an abandoned bunny all while her eyes were checking on what Henry was hiding in his pants.


    She secretly marveled at his size based on the outline she could see. He wasn¡¯t even hard, and it was already quite obvious that he had a big dick, ¡¯Damn, he is perfect. He has everything a woman would want from a man. He is rich, young, handsome, tall, he has a good body, and his big dick is a nice touch. I HAVE to get this man!¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯My life would be so much easier if I had a boyfriend like this one. He would do everything for me, and I¡¯ll be one of those old money ladies!¡¯


    Henry was already fed up with Erin¡¯s cute act. He had faced so many women like her before, there was an abundance of them.


    They would act sweet and cute in front of him to ¡¯arouse¡¯ his protective nature as a man, too bad Henry¡¯s heart was always cold and devoid of the ¡¯protective nature¡¯ everyone talked about.


    He didn¡¯t care if a woman tried to act cute in front of him. He¡¯d use them for his pleasure, sleep with them if he was interested, and then dump them. How they felt or what people thought didn¡¯t matter to him. Why did he need to use his heart for them when they weren¡¯t doing the same for him?


    They liked him for his status, his money, face, and body.


    So he gave them a good night and ditched them quickly after that. It was a fair trade.


    And for this woman in front of him...


    Henry felt nothing but contempt, hatred, and fury. He knew what this bitch did to his woman, and he couldn¡¯t wait to get his hands on her and make her suffer.


    But of course, he had to be careful. He had to play this well.


    He shifted his gaze to Kate, who was still dumbfounded over the whole thing, and asked, "Why is she here?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate snapped out of her daze, "I don¡¯t¡ª"


    "My sister told me that she would give me a job, Mr. Grant!" Erin interrupted, not letting her stupid sister ruin her moment with the perfect man in front of her.


    Henry was surprised, and so was Kate.


    Basically, everyone in the room was surprised except for Erin.


    "Wait, I never¡ª"


    Erin looked over her shoulder and gave her sister a life-threatening smile. Silently signaling Kate to back off or their mother would die.


    Kate gritted her teeth and decided to keep her mouth shut instead.


    Henry¡¯s eyes grew colder. He hated playing this game, but this involved Kate, and he promised not to make her cry.


    So he continued, "Your sister promised to give you a job?"


    "Yes, Mr. Grant!" Erin said. "She said she will use her power as CHIEF EDITOR to get me a job. I told her not to do that because that¡¯s nepotism, right? But she insisted, telling me that she has more power than you as the CEO, Mr. Grant...."


    "She offered you a job just because you¡¯re her sister, and she also told you that she is more powerful than I?" Henry asked to make it clear. But his eyes were on Kate, who could only bite her lowe

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66Of course, Kate never said any of those things. She was quite idealistic. She wouldn¡¯t just hand out a job to her incompetent little sister just because they were blood related.


    Everyone knew that Kate only hired those who were competent and deserved the position, the company was that important to her. She wouldn¡¯t let it fall because of nepotism.


    She also never said she was more powerful than Henry and definitely not the Late James Grant. She knew her place and wouldn¡¯t overstep unless she had to.


    But what could she do? Of course, she couldn¡¯t give a bitch slap to her sister for slandering her when the life of their mother was on the line.


    "Yes," Erin sighed. "I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Grant. I know my sister can be very arrogant sometimes. I told her that I don¡¯t need the job, but she forced me to come, saying that she would tell me to give me a job or else she¡¯d create some problem in the company...."


    "Is that right, Mrs. Woods?" Henry asked.


    Kate gritted her teeth. She couldn¡¯t believe that Henry had fallen into Erin¡¯s stupid trick. Nevertheless, she had to obey Erin¡¯s words.


    So she nodded reluctantly, "Yes, Sir."


    Mai couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. She wanted to interfere because Mrs. Woods always treated everyone equally.


    She was firm and stern but also professional and was a good leader. She wanted to argue with Erin, but Henry gave her a warning glare, ensuring Mai kept her lips shut.


    Henry was so angry when he saw Kate¡¯s defeated face. She was enduring so much pain and humiliation because of this bitch. He didn¡¯t know why, but seeing her defeated face with eyes glazed with tears tugged at something deep inside Henry¡¯s heart. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a desire to protect.


    He had already promised himself not to make Kate cry, this included protecting her from other people who wanted to make her cry.


    So he took a deep breath and prepared himself and nodded, "I see, then let me make it clear to you...."


    "Ross. Erina Ross!"


    "Miss Ross," Henry said. "Mrs. Woods has been the Chief Editor of this company for over three years while I¡¯ve only been occupying the CEO¡¯s office for less than a week. She has a lot more experience than I do, and the other staff respect her a lot more compared to how much they respect me. It¡¯s not wrong for her to say that she has more power than I, because she does."


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t expect that Henry would actually agree with her accusation. She thought Henry would be angry at Kate because no man wanted to be seen as lesser than a woman, especially not from a woman who was at a lower position.


    Erin believed that all men had a huge ego, so she played with that ego, manipulating and using it to her own malicious intentions.


    Just as she did with Matt, she played around with his ego as the man of the house. She reminded him about how Kate had always looked down on him because he didn¡¯t have a job. It wasn¡¯t hard to influence and manipulate Matt.


    But Henry Grant¡¯s reaction caught Erin off guard.


    "A¡ªAh, Mr. Grant is so kind," Erin said as she tried to redeem herself. "It¡¯s okay to scold my sister a little. I¡¯ve been telling her not to be arrogant, but she¡¯s so stubborn. I think you need to knock some sense into her, especially after she wanted to give me a position, abusing her power. Isn¡¯t that nepotism?"


    "I think you missed one detail, Miss Ross," Henry smiled at Erin, making Erin¡¯s heartbeat accelerated instantly.


    "W¡ªWhat did I miss, Sir?" Erin asked.


    "You¡¯re talking to Henry Grant, the only heir of the centuries-old Grant family. I will inherit all the wealth of the Grant family, including various real estate, businesses, and partnerships," Henry claimed with a proud grin on his face. "So if you are talking about nepotism, I was born with a diamond spoon. I walked into this company without any test whatsoever, I¡¯m just the boss simply because my Dad ordered me to be so. I am the biggest nepo kid you will ever see in your life."


    Erin¡¯s body turned stiff immediately. She didn¡¯t understand why Henry would admit he was a big nepo kid, even though it was obvious. But she tried to play it off and said, "Ahahah, but that¡¯s fine, Mr. Grant. You must be very qualified to be the CEO! After all, you were born from a very rich and noble family, which means you had a good education, probably the best, and you come from a good family!"


    There was a glint of anger in Henry¡¯s eyes when Erin mentioned his family, but Henry quickly brushed the anger off his face to make himself believable as a handsome man that would save her.


    "I do believe that Mrs. Woods has more qualifications than I am," Henry said. "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t scold her. She is the heart of this company."


    Kate felt warmth spread in her heart as she understood that Henry was trying to defend her in his own unique way. She didn¡¯t know why he did this, especially after their fight earlier today.


    She thought that they¡¯d be walking on their own separate paths after this, but they kept getting pulled together no matter how hard she tried to stay away.


    Erin was finally speechless after realizing that none of her words could sway Henry Grant.


    She felt awkward and a little stupid because she couldn¡¯t use her charm as she always did.


    But she was Erina Ross, and Miss Ross would never back down until she got what she wanted!


    "I¡ªI see, then what should I do, Mr. Grant? My sister forced me to come here because she wants to give me a job. I¡¯ve been trying to find a job for a long time, I¡¯m trying really hard every day, but maybe I¡¯m just unlucky..." Erina said. "Since Mr. Grant values my sister¡¯s position a lot, can you help me, Sir?"

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67: Chapter 67"What kind of help are you looking for, Miss Ross?" Henry asked with a smile.


    "Um, give me a job. I am willing to do anything¡ª" Erin took a step forward until there was almost no gap between them, and she looked up at Henry, trying her best to make those doe eyes even though she physically couldn¡¯t. She clutched Henry¡¯s shirt with her two hands, grasping it desperately while secretly feeling the abs underneath. "¡ªanything for you, Sir! I just need a job!"


    Henry¡¯s heart grew colder the more this bitch spoke, "Are you that desperate? Doesn¡¯t your sister give you a monthly allowance?"


    Erin tried her hardest to cry, and once she got that droplet of tear at the corner of her eyes, she replied with a hoarse voice, "My sister gives me allowance, but she has always looked down at me for that. She also cut my allowance per month and she even blocked my credit card. I kindly asked her to give me a new one because I can¡¯t live in LA without a credit card while I¡¯m trying to get a job."


    "That¡¯s why I met with her yesterday at the restaurant. She finally returned my credit card, but she still whispered insults in my ears...." Erin buried her face in Henry¡¯s chest. Henry¡¯s two buttons were initially undone, so she buried her face right on his skin, sneakily sniffing and brushing her lips on his nice chest enjoying the sensation of touching Henry skin on skin.


    ¡¯Fuck, he smells so manly. His bronze skin is so hot too. Ugh, he¡¯s going to be the death of me!¡¯ Erin screamed internally, thinking of all the things they could do together. Since Henry was super rich, he would definitely be able to bring her on a luxury trip anywhere in the world, right?


    ¡¯Oh my god, my friends will be so jealous over this!¡¯


    "Is that so?" Henry asked while his eyes were on Kate who could only lower her head, holding her tears.


    She was so upset after her own sister slandered her in front of Henry. She knew that she wasn¡¯t the best sister.


    She also knew that she was the cause behind her own broken family.


    But did she deserve to be slandered like this? How long did she have to bear the shame and humiliation until Erin was satisfied with her revenge?


    Henry flinched as he saw Kate turn her back on him and silently wipe the tears with her sleeve. This scene reminded him so much of what happened in the car during their trip to San Francisco.


    Kate wasn¡¯t the type to cry dramatically for everyone to see and hear. She would cry silently, sometimes sobbing, and always wiping her tears away before anyone could see them. She was a tough woman who had suffered a lot over the years.


    Everything about this scene only cemented Henry¡¯s desire to protect her. He wanted to make sure that Kate was well-protected and lived a good life.


    He wanted Kate to smile all the time. She was very beautiful when she was happy and he always wanted to see that beautiful smile of hers.


    Thus, he proceeded with his plan.


    "I can help you, Miss."


    Kate¡¯s body froze instantly. Again, she didn¡¯t know what was running in Henry¡¯s head right at that moment. She wondered if he was on hers or Erin¡¯s side because if Henry was on her side, wouldn¡¯t he just kick her out? That was the easiest way to end this whole drama, at least for today.


    But she had no strength to look at Henry or Erin. She was truly exhausted, and with her dilemma, she wished that they would all just leave her alone.


    "Really? You can help me, Mr. Grant?" Erin looked up, full of hope.


    "Yes, I can give you a job. Why don¡¯t we go to my office right now and have a proper discussion, just the two of us," Henry offered.


    Erin felt tingles of excitement all over her body. She knew that must be an invitation to do something naughty in his office. She never had office sex before, mostly because she never worked a day of her life, and her friends were mostly college students and men who couldn¡¯t pull off a decent suit.


    "O¡ªOkay, Mr. Grant. I will do anything you want as long as you give me a job, I really need one, and please put me as close as possible to you, I really, really want to learn a lot from you!" Erin asked as she batted her eyelashes at him, making her look incredibly ridiculous..


    "Oh, you¡¯ll surely learn a lot from me," Henry smirked. He grabbed Erin¡¯s wrist and pulled her out of Kate¡¯s office. "Let¡¯s go to my office." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mai looked at Mrs. Woods with confusion, Kate on the other hand could only look down in silence. Her shoulder was hunched as she was clearly disappointed when Mr. Grant told that bitch to go to his office with him.


    She knew Mr. Grant had that womanizer aura to him, but she thought he was truly in love with Mrs. Woods because his voice and gaze would soften each time he mentioned Mrs. Woods¡¯ name.


    But it seemed that she was mistaken.


    That man was trash! He was a player!


    Thus, after gathering enough courage, she finally spoke up, "Mr. Grant, why would you bring that girl into the office? What about Mrs. Woods? Are you really going to leave her alone?"


    Henry glared at Mai. He sneered at her and said, "Stay out of this, Mai. Keep your mouth shut and do your job and help our Chief Editor."


    Erin was surprised by Mai¡¯s statement just now, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Mr. Grant, do you have any relationship with my sister? How come she never told me about you?"


    "We don¡¯t have any relationship whatsoever," Henry replied coldly. "We are just professional colleagues, nothing more, nothing less. Now let¡¯s go, I don¡¯t want to spend too much time here."


    "Hihi, I guess so..." Erin glanced at her sister, who looked pitiful and sneered. "I mean¨CIt¡¯s a little unbelievable that a Plain Jane like her could nab someone as perfect as you, Mr. Grant. That only happens in novels or movies!"


    "Hahaha," Henry put his arm over Erin¡¯s shoulder. Erin¡¯s heart fluttered when his strong and warm hand wrapped around her shoulder. "Yeah, that only happens in novels," Henry said as he glanced at Kate for the last time before turning his back on her to head to his office with Erin.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68: Chapter 68"Those two¡ªurgh!" Mai was infuriated with Mr. Grant and Erin, who simply waltzed their way out, leaving the broken woman sitting alone, crying as if she had just got dumped by the love of her life.


    Mai was so angry that she couldn¡¯t wait to slap some sense into Mr. Grant¡¯s thick skull for not defending¡ªand even worse, abandoning the mother of his child for her younger sister. She looked at Mrs. Woods, who was sitting on the chair pitifully, not saying a word as those two entered the CEO¡¯s office and did god knows what.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Mrs. Woods became so weak in front of her sister. She was usually very stubborn and argumentative.


    But when she was faced with Erin she just lowered her head and accepted every slander Erin threw at her even though both Mai and Mrs. Woods knew those were bullshit!


    Mai wasn¡¯t usually the type who would meddle in someone else¡¯s business, especially not the business of the two most powerful people in the company. But she also had the heart of a woman, and her heart was in pain seeing a kind woman like Mrs. Woods being slandered and hurt unjustly.


    Unable to hide her displeasure, Mai decided to close the door and speak to Mrs. Woods, who was still looking downtrodden.


    "Ma¡¯am, why didn¡¯t you defend yourself against your sister? She has been slandering you and you know all her words are bullshit!" Mai asked as she got fired up.


    ...


    Mai was met with silence, which made her even more furious.


    She walked towards her boss and stood right next to her chair, "Ma¡¯am, please say something. Do you want me to bust open that door so Mr. Grant will not do anything with your sister? Oh my god, I can¡¯t believe what he is probably doing in there with her! Why would he bring that kind of woman to his office except if he wanted to screw her?"


    ...


    Again, there was no response from Mrs. Woods.


    Thus, Mai decided to just complain as much as possible, maybe that would help her get up from her downtrodden state. It also helped Mai vent out because she was so angry at that stupid hoe!


    "I can¡¯t believe that Mr. Grant is such a bastard! I really thought that he was a good man, since he dated you and you got pregnant with his child. But look at him now, he took another woman into his office while dumping the mother of his child! What scum! I can¡¯t believe I have to work for a scum like him!"


    Mai knelt beside Kate¡¯s chair and held her hand, "Come on, Ma¡¯am, are you really going to leave them alone in that office? Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? At least tell me to check in there, I can help too!"


    Kate finally opened her mouth, which made Mai happy, but her words only disappointed Mai, "Go do something else, Mai. It¡¯s none of your business. I don¡¯t want you to get fired because of this. Let them be."


    "What do you mean let them be?!" Mai protested. "Ma¡¯am, you are pregnant! You can¡¯t let something like this stress you out, that might hurt your baby!"


    "I know..." Kate nodded. "That¡¯s why I need time alone. You can leave, Mai."


    Mai refused to leave Mrs. Woods alone, especially not when she was pregnant and devastated.


    "How could Mr. Grant say something so heartless anyway? Why didn¡¯t he admit that you two are in a relationship?"


    "Because we are not," Kate replied. "We¡¯re not in any relationship whatsoever. We are just professional colleagues. Whether I am pregnant with his child or not is not part of this discussion, it doesn¡¯t matter in the end."


    "But it matters! He is the baby¡¯s father!" Mai insisted. "He needs to take responsibility! Besides, he has been acting like a good husband to you. Though I don¡¯t know what you two¡¯s relationship behind closed doors is, the way he stares and talks to you made me believe that he is in love with you! I¡¯ve been fooled too!"


    Kate¡¯s heart was crushed when she heard that sentence from Mai.


    She also didn¡¯t believe Henry would do anything with Erin, or at least she wished he didn¡¯t do anything with her. But who could guess? He had sex with someone this morning in the suite after having a romantic date with Kate. Everything was possible at this point.


    She also didn¡¯t know whether Henry was on her side or not. Why didn¡¯t he just kick Erin out if he was on her side? That would definitely help Kate rest easy.


    If he wasn¡¯t on her side, why would he defend her when Erin slandered her just now? What was his true intention?


    ¡¯Maybe this is for the best. I was the first one to give him cold shoulder treatment. I¡¯m also the one who told him not to take things too far because we are just co-workers,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯But my heart hurts so much right now. I don¡¯t know what I should do to stop this excruciating pain.¡¯


    Kate was about to cry again but was too embarrassed to do it in front of Mai. So she told her to leave.


    Mai understood that her boss needed time and space to be alone, so she said, "Please call me if you need anything, Ma¡¯am. I will always be here with you!"


    "Thank you, Mai. You¡¯re far braver than I thought." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmph, of course I¡¯m scared, Ma¡¯am. I mean, I could lose my job if I say something wrong that might piss Mr. Grant off," Mai confessed. "But I won¡¯t let him hurt a kind and dedicated woman like you, Ma¡¯am. You truly deserve the best!"


    Kate gave Mai a thin smile as she watched her leave.


    When Mai finally closed the door, Kate couldn¡¯t help but let her tears wet her skirt again.


    "Why are you hurting me like this, Henry?" Kate asked out loud to no one in particular. It was then that she realized that she was ridiculous for crying over such a worthless man, "And why am I crying for you anyway? I should be happy if you treat me coldly, so I can lose this feeling before I become your plaything completely!"

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69: Chapter 69Amidst her conflicting mood, she also blamed herself for being weak, "Why are you so weak, Kate? How could you let your own sister trample all over your dignity like this? How long will you tolerate her?"


    Kate realized that Erin¡¯s greediness knew no bounds and nothing could satiate it. She continued to demand for more, using their mother¡¯s life as a threat that she would constantly hold over Kate¡¯s head. The only thing that Kate could think of that would combat Erin¡¯s cruelty was for Kate to call their mother herself.


    Kate quickly wiped her tears away. She gathered her courage and picked up her phone. She searched for her mother¡¯s contact information and gave her a call.


    Each time she heard a beep on the phone, her heartbeat would accelerate and beat harder like a drum to the point that she could actually hear her own heartbeat.


    After a few beeps, the line was finally connected, and Kate almost jumped out of fright when she heard her mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡ª


    "Good morning, dear, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you calling me?" Hilda asked worriedly over the phone.


    Kate felt disheartened as the first conversation they had in a long time was filled with her mother¡¯s worry. Sometimes Kate wished she could have a light conversation about random events happening in life or for them to even simply talk about the latest celebrity gossip, anything that didn¡¯t involve whether Kate was doing okay or if something was wrong with her or Erin.


    Unfortunately, Kate wasn¡¯t close to her mother. They became distant after Kate willingly reported what her father, the man of the house, did, which got him arrested and thrown in jail for a few months, something that ultimately led to her parents¡¯ divorce.


    Her Dad disappeared after the divorce, and her Mom became a single mother, she had to work to care for two daughters as the sole breadwinner of their household.


    Though she never blamed Kate for what she had done that ultimately led to the breaking of their family, Kate could still feel the resentment coming from her mother, and her blatant favoritism toward Erin.


    It was also why she went with Matt when he left their small town as soon as they graduated high school. Kate felt so much better after she went to university in another state far from her family.


    Kate clenched her fist, trying to gather enough courage to speak with her mother despite the stress she was under right now.


    But before that, she had to ensure that her mother wasn¡¯t in terrible health.


    "Hey mom, are you doing okay these days?"


    "Ah, yes, I¡¯m doing okay," Hilda replied. "I take my medication regularly, don¡¯t worry."


    "Mhm, that¡¯s good, because I... I wanted to tell you something," Kate said, preparing her mother before she dropped the bomb about Erin¡¯s behavior.


    "Oh no, is it about Erin again?" Hilda guessed. "Erin called me last night. She told me that you had a fight with her again because you insulted her for being unemployed."


    "Look, Kate, I know that she¡¯s currently unemployed, just like your husband. But they are trying hard to find a job, right?" Hilda said.


    "..." Kate was left in utter shock when she heard this. How many lies had Erin whispered into their ill mother¡¯s ear?


    "What did she tell you last night, Mom?" Kate asked.


    "Well, she was with Matt last night. I heard them panting, and they said they were doing some late night exercises because they had to keep their bodies in shape. They said everyone in LA has an attractive body, so it will help their chances of finding a good job," Hilda replied. She seemed completely clueless about what happened between Erin and Matt last night. "Erin said that she was substituting for you in doing house chores for Matt, since you¡¯re too busy at work."


    "..."


    "So please, Kate, don¡¯t be too harsh on your sister. She is trying her best," Hilda said in a gentle voice, like a mother who was genuinely worried about her daughters, but her words cut Kate deep because she knew that her mother was only concerned about Erin and not about her.


    In Hilda¡¯s mind, Kate was that dependable daughter, the breadwinner for the entire family. She had a good job and a good husband, so Kate wasn¡¯t supposed to be sad because she always had everything under control, right?


    "Anyway, what did you want to talk about, dear?" Hilda asked. "I¡¯m all ears."


    "Nothing, it¡¯s nothing, Mom," Kate replied weakly. "I just want to make sure that you¡¯re in good health."


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m recovering these days," Hilda said. "It¡¯s just... Please don¡¯t do anything to your poor sister. My heart can¡¯t handle it whenever I hear about you two fighting. I thought I¡¯d die when I got hospitalized a few days ago because Erin told me that you beat her up with a baseball bat."


    Kate bit her lower lip, resisting the urge to tell her motherthe truth, "It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, Mom. I¡¯ll hang up now, I have things to do."


    "Okay, good luck at work, dear."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate dropped her phone and leaned against the chair, staring at the ceiling with a depreciating smile.


    "Ah, this sucks," Kate murmured. "The only person I treasured in this world is not on my side. With whom am I supposed to share my worry? How can I get rid of Erin without hurting my Mom?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This whole thing was like a wake-up slap for Kate.


    If she kept babying Erin like this, Erin would turn into a monster that would harm everyone around her.


    Kate loved her sister so much. She was dear to her.


    But Kate also had her priority. So she had to get rid of Erin no matter what.


    ¡¯Then who can help me to take her down?¡¯ Kate wondered as she subconsciously rubbed her belly, feeling the baby that had become her top priority right now.


    A man¡¯s face flashed in Kate¡¯s mind as she was searching for a solution.


    Henry was the only one who could help her get rid of Erin before she could ruin everyone¡¯s life with her greediness.


    He had all the power and charm to fool Erin, and she couldn¡¯t wait to kick her sister out of her and her mother¡¯s life, knowing that Erin was nothing but a parasite in her family.


    But she didn¡¯t know what was on Henry¡¯s mind. He acted so sweet and reliable last night but still slept with another woman.


    Kate doubted that he would help her because Henry looked like the type of man that would get on his knees for a beautiful woman, and she had to admit that Erin was the cute girl type with an overly sweet character that most men liked.


    "I still have to try," Kate said as a determined look crossed her face. She would do everything in her power to get rid of her evil sister for the sake of her mother and the child growing in her womb. "I don¡¯t know if it will work or not, but I will ask him for help after this."

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70: Chapter 70As Kate sat, confused, broken, then determined, Henry and Erin entered the CEO¡¯s office.


    Henry closed the door and pointed at the guest chair facing his desk, "Sit there."


    Erin stared at the chair, pouted, and shook her head, "I don¡¯t like that chair, Mr. Grant, the cushion is so uncomfortable."


    "Uncomfortable?" Henry already knew where this conversation was headed. This bitch was really impatient. It made him nauseous just being in the same room as her. "Then you should sit on the long sofa."


    "I don¡¯t like it there either."


    "Then, where do you want to sit?" Henry asked. He lifted his hand from Erin¡¯s shoulder and walked to the CEO¡¯s chair.


    Erin grinned perversely as her eyes shamelessly landed on Henry¡¯s strong thighs. His pants fit him well, hugging his thighs as if they were made for him, they wrapped around his legs nicely, including the area around his crotch.


    And it was definitely the best place for her to sit on. Maybe she could get some chair action with Mr. Grant, it would be great if they could try many positions, because Erin believed that Mr. Grant must¡¯ve had a great stamina.


    She shamelessly pointed at Henry¡¯s lap and said, "I want to sit there, Mr. Grant."


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened for a split second. He already knew what she wanted, but he was still appalled by her perverseness and boldness. She didn¡¯t even hesitate to say it.


    Usually, when a woman tried to act coquettish like this, Henry would just let them do whatever they wanted since it was their way of seducing him.


    But he didn¡¯t want anyone else after he met Kate, there was a tint of guilt in his heart. He felt like he was cheating on Kate even though she just gave him the cold shoulder.


    ¡¯I know, I¡¯m an idiot,¡¯ Henry ridiculed himself for being chaste for a woman who didn¡¯t even want him.


    "Then it won¡¯t be an interview anymore, Miss Ross," Henry said. "We can always do it later, but aren¡¯t you here because you want to get a job?"


    "Ah, uhm, okay then," Erin was disappointed that Mr. Grant didn¡¯t want to do it right here, right now. She was already so horny that her pussy was already dripping for him.


    Just imagining Henry pushing her to the wall, forcefully undressing her, sucking on her breasts, and then plunging his big dick in and out of her waiting pussy was the ultimate fantasy that could make her melt!


    Unfortunately, she had to be patient because it seemed Mr. Grant had a lot more self-restraint than she expected. Erin actually thought Henry was one of those horny men who couldn¡¯t wait to eat her.


    ¡¯But this only adds to the thrill!¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯I can¡¯t wait to tame a handsome, rich, and cold man like Henry Grant!¡¯


    Left without a choice and taking on the challenge, Erin obediently sat on the guest seat facing Henry. She read the nameplate on the table.


    Henry T. Grant.


    Chief Executive Officer.


    ¡¯Damn, he¡¯s really the CEO of this company. This would be the first time I¡¯ll date a CEO, and who knows what would happen next? Maybe I can be the CEO¡¯s wife? Hihi~.¡¯


    Henry cleared his throat and asked, "So, you are for a job, right, Miss Ross?"


    "That¡¯s right, Sir," Erin replied. "Well, I originally came here because my sister forced me to come so she can give me a job. But since you¡¯re here, wouldn¡¯t it be more proper if I ask for a job from the most powerful man in the company?"


    Henry grinned.


    He had to admit this woman had a very sweet tongue . It was no wonder that many men must¡¯ve fallen for her charms. She was like every other woman who would act like she was so cute, tiny, and weak, so that men would flock around her to adore and protect her.


    But Henry was far more experienced. He had already had enough of this type of woman in university.


    "What kind of job do you want, Miss Ross? And what¡¯s your qualification?"


    "I am a fresh graduate with a Communication Degree. Well, I was a fresh graduate two years ago," Erin said shamelessly. She didn¡¯t specify her university, so Henry guessed she must¡¯ve come from a third-tier university that no one ever heard of.


    "Any work experience?"


    "Nope!"


    "Internship?"


    "None at all, Sir."


    "Clubs or any achievement during your time at university?"


    "I never joined any club. I was too busy with my friends." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "GPA?"


    "I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t really care. Who gives a damn about grades anyway when I have someone like you and my sister?" She said as she batted her eyes at Henry.


    ...


    Henry was speechless. He knew that he would hire her anyway because it was part of his plan to keep her in check. But he didn¡¯t expect her to be this awful.


    If she was this incompetent, then no wonder Kate didn¡¯t want to accept Erin in the company. She would do nothing but create unnecessary trouble. She might also create an internal rift between male coworkers because she would attempt to seduce them all, regardless of marital status.


    She basically had zero qualifications. She had no work experience, no internship, no clubs, and also she didn¡¯t give a damn about her GPA! Even Henry was appalled by how spoiled she must¡¯ve been.


    ¡¯This is bad,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Kate must¡¯ve spoiled her rotten. I need to tell her not to spoil our child too much. What if he or she grows up to be awful like Erin?¡¯


    ¡¯Wait, why am I thinking like I¡¯m about to start a family with Kate?¡¯ Henry tried to ward off that stupid idea from his head, thinking he was being stupid right now.


    Erin noticed the astonishment on Henry¡¯s face. She pouted and crossed her arms under her breasts. She pushed her breasts up with her arms until they looked so plump under her see through-blouse.


    "Why are you so surprised, Mr. Grant?" Erin asked as she got offended. "I mean, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have big qualifications, but I have something else that is bigger. I can assure you! I can do anything and anything you want all you have to do is to ask!" She said seductively.


    "Besides, I might not be good with academic stuff, but I¡¯m much better at doing practical work!" Erin said, licking her lips as if sending a secret message to Henry.


    "I would like to know what kind of practical jobs you can do, Miss Ross," Henry asked. He was actually serious about the answer to his question because he found nothing positive about her.


    "Well, I can... you know..." Erin bit her lower lip. At this point, Henry should¡¯ve pushed her to the ground and fucked her silly.


    She thought that Henry was asking her to get naked, so she began to get into action.


    "I can do this, Mr. Grant," Erin slipped one of her hands inside her blouse from below and pulled the bra. Her breasts jiggled as she pulled the bra down, and she exposed her plump breasts under her see-through blouse.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71: Chapter 71Henry was stunned when he saw Erin suddenly undressing herself. He knew she was a whore, but even Henry was caught off guard by her boldness!


    Erin smirked when she saw Henry was dazed as he stared at her exposed breasts. This was a good start for her, she read it as a good sign. Because of this, she knew that Henry wouldn¡¯t be able to resist her once she took the initiative.


    ¡¯In the end, he is just a man. He will be tempted by my body, and won¡¯t be able to resist when I ask him to give me everything he has,¡¯ Erin sneered. ¡¯I will bag him. I can¡¯t wait to post many pictures of my vacations on Instagram and Snapchat, maybe he¡¯ll even buy me vacation houses, my besties will be jea~lous~.¡¯


    Erin pushed all the documents and stationery off the table , she climbed on the table, crawling like a cat, eventually kneeling on the table. Her breasts under the see-through blouse were so close to Henry¡¯s face, waiting for the handsome man to pull her blouse and bury his face in her cleavage, they could even do more, much more.


    ¡¯My first ever office sex, and with a super handsome and rich man too! This is amazing!¡¯


    "This is all I can do, Mr. Grant," Erin said coquettishly. Her sweet voice was like a poison that slowly intoxicated Henry¡¯s brain. "You can do whatever with me, Sir. I will not fight back...."


    Henry was still dazed. His brain short-circuited the moment he saw Erin¡¯s breasts.


    His pants actually tightened as he kept staring at it but for a different reason.


    Erin was Kate¡¯s sister. They had similar breasts and similar nipples as well. Thus, Henry began to recall his fantastic night with Kate. Everything about Kate was amazing. The taste of her body was a masterpiece that lingered in his mind almost permanently, including her full breasts that he kissed and sucked that night.


    Henry almost acted out of instinct because Erin reminded him of Kate. But he snapped out of the temptation as he looked up and saw Erin¡¯s perverted grin.


    Kate didn¡¯t have that perverted grin, she was nothing like this woman. She had an alluring smile that invited Henry to go and explore her further, and Kate was generally much more subtle with her seduction, unlike this whore.


    Thus, Henry¡¯s eyes became cold instantly, and he replied, "Get off my desk, Miss Ross. You are disgusting."


    Erin flinched when Henry suddenly called her disgusting. She wanted to check whether Henry was hard because a man¡¯s mouth could be lying, but his dick would always tell the truth.


    But before Erin could check down there, Henry quickly got up from his chair and turned his back on Erin, staring at the wide glass pane with the city view in front of him.


    "I¡¯m here to give you a proper job. I don¡¯t need a whore in my office," Henry said.


    "B¡ªBut, Mr. Grant, this is all I can do!" Erin insisted. "You should try me. You won¡¯t be disappointed, I promise!"


    Henry clenched his fist. He couldn¡¯t wait to slap that bitch for daring to seduce him when he was actually craving for the touch of another woman, a woman a thousand times better than her.


    But he had to control himself. He took a deep breath and replied, "You can come back to meet me tomorrow. I¡¯ll give you a job when you are properly dressed. Once again, I remind you that I don¡¯t need a whore walking around my office."


    Erin¡¯s pride was crushed when she was kicked out by Henry. She was so mad that she couldn¡¯t wait to simply jump to him and ride his dick like there was no tomorrow, no matter what it took she would have him. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She bit her lower lip as she retreated and placed on her bra. She looked at Henry, still turning his back on her, "I won¡¯t give up until you give me a job, Mr. Grant! I will return tomorrow!"


    "Buy something decent from the Mall today, so you don¡¯t look like a whore any man can pick from the streets," Henry said coldly. He looked over his shoulder and taunted Erin, who was about to leave the CEO¡¯s office. "I have someone much better than you to spend my nights with and no one will ever take her place."


    Erin was holding her tears as she left the office and slammed the door behind her.


    She rushed out of the office. She didn¡¯t even care about her sister, who was still in the Chief Editor¡¯s office right now. She felt humiliated because this was the first time a man had ever rejected her like this, even after she had done so much to seduce him.


    But...


    She was also amused.


    Erin wiped her fake tears as she entered the elevator and went down to the lobby.


    She had a thin smirk as she remembered that man.


    Mr. Grant, the CEO of Emperor Publishing.


    A man with a god-like face, super handsome, deep emerald eyes that could melt her, striking blonde hair, super rich, tall, muscular, and most importantly, he had a big dick.


    ¡¯I think I just found the right boyfriend that I can finally show off in front of my friends,¡¯ Erin giggled as she was thinking of what her friends¡¯ reactions would be. ¡¯I bet they will try to snatch him from me. But there¡¯s a reason why I chose ugly women to be my friends. They¡¯re truly the best kind to keep the spotlight on me!¡¯


    "Oh, maybe I should also show him off to the people in my hometown. I bet they¡¯ll go crazy knowing I will marry a rich young man!"


    "Ahh... Henry Grant..." Erin muttered his name, and her smirk grew wider. "Mm~ even his name is so sweet on my lips. Moaning his name while we¡¯re having sex would be so fun and hot!"

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72: Chapter 72Erin strutted through the lobby, ignoring all the men who couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of her.


    She usually liked the attention and sometimes flirted with one or two of them. But now, since she had seen a real man, she refused to settle for less.


    It was either Henry or nothing!


    "Well, I will return tomorrow to get the job. Maybe Henry refused me today because I¡¯m too direct," Erin muttered. "I will try to make it more subtle tomorrow and every other chance I get! You can do this, Erin!"


    Erin ordered a Lyft for herself to get back home. She checked her inbox to see if her stupid piggy bank texted her. Maybe Kate wanted to lecture her about staying away from her office because it was a place for professionalism blah-blah-blah.


    Erin rolled her eyes, "Ugh, I¡¯ll call Mom again if she dares to text just to lecture me about how I acted today. She¡¯s so ugly, that¡¯s why she¡¯s never gotten the chance to get some action with Mr. Grant. Unlike me, he is in the bag for sure, hihi~."


    Luckily, there was no text from her sister, so she didn¡¯t need to listen to her mother sobbing on the phone and then get another small heart attack after she shocked her with a little lie.


    It was a bother to listen to her mother, not because she was pitiful, but because she was so stupid to fall for the lies Erin made over and over.


    "Oh well, she¡¯s my ticket to get everything from Kate anyway. So I guess I have to keep her alive, for now."


    **


    Henry took a deep breath as he repeatedly tried to calm himself. He glanced down to see if his dick was still hard, and to his disappointment and annoyance, he was still so fucking hard even after thirty minutes after Erin left his office.


    "Fuck, this is harder than I thought," Henry cursed. He had a plan in mind when it came to the kind of job that he would give to Erin, it would give him full control of her and keep her in check.


    But her boldness caught him off guard to the point that he was actually seduced¡ªwell, not by her, but by Kate indirectly.


    "That bitch will definitely return with something even more provoking than today, and I have to find a way to stop my urges or I might actually fall into her trap," Henry said.


    Henry had an idea of what to do to stop him from getting horny while Erin tried to seduce him, and that¡¯s by having Kate sitting here, in this office right with them, so he could spend his time staring at her rather than wasting his time trying to feel Kate through Erin.


    "But she wants to treat me like a stranger, what am I supposed to do? Urgh!" Henry ruffled his hair frustratedly. He checked his crotch again, and after realizing there was no end to this, he decided to grab the suit he had left in the office and hold it with one hand in front of his body, stealthily covering his bulge.


    He walked out of the CEO¡¯s office and bumped into Mai, who held another tray, now with a glass of tea.


    "Who¡¯s this tea for?" Henry asked.


    Mai gave her boss a cold stare. At this point, she didn¡¯t even care if her boss fired her. She couldn¡¯t turn her back on Mrs. Woods, who was suffering inside the Chief Editor¡¯s office.


    She knew a job was hard to come by for a literature degree like hers, but she refused to work for a scum who abandoned the mother of his child!


    "It¡¯s for Mrs. Woods, Sir," Mai replied curtly.


    Henry frowned, "Is she alright? Maybe I should check on her before I leave."


    Mai quickly blocked Mr. Grant¡¯s path, it would do Mrs. Woods no good if she saw him, "Sir, Mrs. Woods doesn¡¯t really want to get disturbed right now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise for you to come," Mai eyed her boss from head to toe, checking if he had some mark left by that bitch. But he was still neatly dressed, so she couldn¡¯t find anything around his visible area, much to her annoyance. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nevertheless, Mai would still defend Mrs. Woods to her last breath!


    Henry frowned as he realized the previously timid secretary of his suddenly turned cold on him.


    It annoyed him because Mai judged him without knowing the truth behind his actions, but she was Kate¡¯s favorite subordinate, so he couldn¡¯t just fire her.


    So he could only click his tongue annoyedly and said, "Tell her that I¡¯m free to talk if she wants."


    Henry decided to leave Kate alone for now since she needed time alone.


    Mai snorted as she watched Mr. Grant leave the office. She entered the Chief Editor¡¯s office and saw Mrs. Woods in a much better state.


    She wasn¡¯t crying anymore, and she was already on her usual seat, trying to busy herself reading the manuscript on her Ipad.


    "Ma¡¯am, I brought you some warm tea, I think this one will help you relax and make you feel much better," Mai said as she placed the tea on the desk.


    "Thank you, Mai," Kate smiled at her ever-competent assistant. She sipped the warm tea and asked, "Did you bump into Mr. Grant outside?"


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am," Mai confirmed. "I also saw your sister leaving first. She had a weird, perverted smile. It¡¯s so disturbing."


    Kate chuckled, "Well, that¡¯s her. She¡¯s always like that," she said with a sad look. "Anyway, did he say anything to you?"


    "Mr. Grant asked if you¡¯re okay. He wanted to check on you, but I told him that you needed some time alone," Mai reported. "But he told me that he is free if you need to talk to him."


    "I see..." Kate hummed. She looked down, staring at her tea for a while, seemingly considering whether she should call Henry.


    Mai watched Mrs. Woods for a while and asked, "Will you meet with him, Ma¡¯am?"


    Kate paused for a moment. She was also considering it and finally nodded after a while, "I have to."


    "But, Ma¡¯am, what if you get hurt..."


    "I¡¯m not meeting him because of love or any of those sappy crap, Mai," Kate said. "I know you don¡¯t believe me, but we are basically strangers now, at least I¡¯m trying to distance myself from him."


    Kate took a deep breath and steadied herself.


    "But the drama just now with my sister is a wake up call."


    "A wake up call?" Mai asked.


    "... Mai, what do you think about my sister?"


    "M¡ªMay I be honest about it then?"


    "Sure, you can, just speak the truth."


    Mai gulped and replied, "Ma¡¯am, she is a total bitch. It¡¯s obvious that she has zero respect for you. In fact, I can¡¯t believe that you two are even sisters, because you have a completely different personality."


    Kate had a self deprecating laugh after she nodded in agreement, "I spoiled her rotten. I know she has a bad personality, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this awful."


    Mai was dumbfounded with Kate¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Woods to blame herself for how her sister turned out.


    "Naturally, since I am the one who made her like this. I also have the responsibility to stop her, right?" Kate smiled mysteriously.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73: Chapter 73"To... stop her?" Mai noticed something off with Mrs. Woods¡¯s words just now. She smiled at Mai, but her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    Her eyes were filled with silent fury, like a snake ready to attack if someone dared to provoke her.


    "How will you stop her, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked.


    Kate¡¯s smile grew deeper, but her eyes grew colder as she stared at Mai with interest.


    "Mai, have you ever done something nefarious to someone before?"


    "N¡ªNot that I can think of, Ma¡¯am," Mai replied nervously. Somehow, Mrs. Woods suddenly got the same aura that Mr. Grant had, they seemed like the perfect match in Mai¡¯s mind right now.


    The aura would pressure people to look down and obey everything they said or else they would get punished.


    Mai was so scared when she met with Mr. Henry Grant for the first time because his aura made it feel like she was about to get executed even though she did nothing wrong.


    Kate sighed pitifully, "Well, I¡¯m about to do something nefarious to my sister. I just got a wake up call after I realized how crazy she has become. This has all gotten out of hand, at this rate, she will get everyone either killed or ruined because of her recklessness."


    Mai froze as she listened to Kate, she was still in shock over that aura, now even Mrs. Woods¡¯s words caught her off guard.


    "So I will do something to stop her," Kate said. "And I will need Henry¡¯s help for this."


    Mai swallowed her saliva hard. But she gathered enough courage to ask, "Ma¡¯am, you were crying about this a while ago, and now you suddenly changed your behavior. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?"


    ...


    Kate went silent at that question.


    Honestly, she also questioned if she was okay. She felt that she had endured too much for too long and these recent days were the worst, and all she wanted was to be at peace while she was pregnant with her precious child that she had been waiting so long for.


    But she knew her baby would be in danger if she was under too much stress. She might miscarry because of it, and she would never be able to forgive herself if that happened.


    Erin had already put her under so much stress that Kate had to choose between Erin or her baby and her own sanity. The answer was quite obvious, though.


    Erin was a spoiled brat that Kate tolerated for too long alongside Matt because Kate was scared that she¡¯d be all alone without Matt or Erin by her side. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had to admit that she was scared to be left alone. She wanted someone by her side to assure her that everything would be okay and that she wasn¡¯t disappointing them.


    ¡¯But I have my baby now. I¡¯m not so alone anymore....¡¯


    "Ma¡¯am?"


    "I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m okay or not, Mai," Kate replied. "But I¡¯m going to get rid of my own sister because she might endanger my baby. I have to do something, I can¡¯t just sit by the sidelines and watch her ruin everyone and everything in my life!"


    "Ah, so it¡¯s because of the baby," Mai nodded in understanding. "Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t know what you will do to your sister. But I support you one-hundred-percent!"


    "Really?" Kate was genuinely surprised by Mai¡¯s support. She thought Mai would think of her as crazy because she wanted to get rid of her sister.


    "Yes!" Mai was so excited that she vigorously used her entire body to nod. "Ma¡¯am, I know that protective feeling of a mother. I also don¡¯t want something to happen to you or the baby because of that reckless woman."


    "Thank you so much, Mai. I¡¯m glad that at least someone is on my side," Kate said gently this time, making Mai relax.


    "Tell me if you need help with anything, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll always help you to the best of my abilities!"


    "You actually can help me with something," Kate said.


    "I¡¯m all ears, Ma¡¯am!"


    Kate grinned. She hooked her index, signaling Mai to come closer so she could whisper her request.


    Mai got a little nervous. She wanted to help Mrs. Woods, but she also didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. What if what Mrs. Woods asked her to do was illegal? What if she ended up going to jail?


    But after she leaned and gave her ear, it turned out the request wasn¡¯t hard to fulfill.


    "Is that it, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked. "I thought you knew since you two are... you know..."


    "We¡¯re not that close, Mai. Don¡¯t believe everything he said," Kate rolled her eyes. "But yes, that¡¯s all I need. You¡¯re the only one with the information right now, so I need it from you."


    "Well, I do know his address because he asked me to send some of the work documents to his apartment before, Ma¡¯am," Mai said. "But will I get into trouble for giving you this information?"


    "You won¡¯t get fired, trust me," Kate assured.


    "I don¡¯t care if I get fired, Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t want to work for scum like him anyway," Mai replied curtly. "I just don¡¯t want to get into trouble with the police..."


    "Hahah, it¡¯s fine, Mai. You won¡¯t get into trouble, I will cover for you," Kate said. "Now give me his address, I have to settle something with him."


    "Okay, Ma¡¯am. But please, don¡¯t let your heart get broken again," Mai said as she frowned and looked pitifully at Mrs. Woods. "Seeing you cry is like... an earth-shattering sight for me. It made me panic."


    "He is a scum, but I do need his help. He is the only one who can fool my sister and also control her with a job and contract," Kate replied. "Don¡¯t worry, I have no feelings for him. We are... strangers now. I will reward him with something after he helps me."


    Kate¡¯s lips quivered when she said the last sentence. She zipped her lips, knowing that her next words might make her voice quiver because she was still trying to suppress her emotions.


    Unfortunately, Mai sensed hesitation in her last sentence. She knew that Mrs. Woods was also in love with Mr. Grant. It was too obvious, she was clearly just in denial.


    That¡¯s why Mai didn¡¯t believe it when she said that she had no feelings for Mr. Grant.


    But Mai knew that love was a difficult topic to discuss. People became crazy when they were in love, and they would act like a fool and even do foolish things just to be with the person they loved.


    "Just be careful, Ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t want you to get burned."

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74: Chapter 74"Humph..."


    "Mmph..."


    "Ugh..."


    "Argh! Fuck!"


    Henry panted.


    He was sweating all over, and his chest heaved up and down as he carefully lifted the barbell in its place. He was currently in his private gym in his apartment.


    He put more weight plates on the barbell, he had done many push-ups and pull-ups, destroyed the punching bag, and ran faster on the treadmill. He wanted to tire himself out so he¡¯d stop thinking about fucking Kate. That woman was like poison in his mind, refusing to leave and the thought of her only got him hornier as time went on.


    He already had his release last night, he felt so pathetic because he wanted to jack off again just to get her off his mind even if just for a moment.


    Henry checked his pants and was relieved he wasn¡¯t rock hard anymore. It was so uncomfortable.


    He drank a full glass of cold water before taking a cold bath to cool himself. His mind was finally cleared after two hours of heavy exercise and a cold bath. Unfortunately, he knew this was temporary, the only way for him to stop him getting these random, almost-permanent hard-ons was to have Kate by his side.


    He didn¡¯t know why his mind filled with images and thoughts of her when she wasn¡¯t around.


    But when she was around him, his mind would be full of even weirder things, such as... settling down, starting a family with Kate and their baby.


    Henry shuddered as he thought of himself as a Dad. It was so weird and disgusting, it sent shivers up his spine just remembering the thought of it.


    Whenever he imagined himself as a dad, he¡¯d be reminded of his own father, the famous Marlon Grant, and all the shitty things he did.


    "Urgh, I feel like I¡¯m going to be an even worse father than he is. So it¡¯s better to never let that happen," Henry told himself as he tried to discourage the thought of him becoming a dad.


    He dried his body and got busy checking the stubble that began to grow around his jawline. It wasn¡¯t obvious, but he preferred to keep himself well-groomed after he graduated from university.


    While drying his hair with the towel, he heard the doorbell ringing.


    He tried to ignore it because he thought it might be housekeeping lady.


    But it continued to ring and whoever was on the other side didn¡¯t relent, the ringing became forceful and annoying. Whoever was pressing the doorbell right now surely had zero patience.


    Henry clicked his tongue annoyedly, "That fucking housekeeper has the audacity to do this to me, is she fucking new?"


    He walked out of the bedroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist down to his knee. As he made his way to the front door he dried his damp hair with a small towel.


    He didn¡¯t need to check the CCTV to see who was outside, it was expected that the housekeeping service would be here today. It was part of the agreement he signed with them, they had to come to his apartment to clean it every two days.


    He opened the door and yelled, "Why are you ringing my fucking door¡ª"


    Henry¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw the guest who had been pressing the doorbell nonstop.


    Kate was wearing a simple black shirt and jeans. She had her wavy red hair tied up in a ponytail and she wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup.


    Yet, she looked even prettier without makeup, making Henry wonder if Kate was trying to seduce him right now.


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing here? How did you get my address?" Henry asked nervously. He tried to stay cool by leaning on the door frame while crossing his arms on his chest, subtly flexing his biceps.


    Kate was also stunned by Henry, who came out in only a towel covering his private area. The scent of soap and a manly musky scent mixed into one and wafted under Kate¡¯s nose, intoxicating her.


    Water droplets trailed from his neck, strong pecs, and abs, down to the trail leading to the treasure below.


    Kate gulped. She tried to dispel the perverted idea by looking away, "It doesn¡¯t matter how I got your address. But you should get yourself dressed first. I want to talk to you about something serious."


    Henry looked down.


    Honestly, he was a little unwilling to get dressed.


    Because he liked seeing Kate trying to look away shyly, but she still stole glances at his body.


    He built his muscle because he liked to exercise and to keep himself healthy. But now that she got her eyes on him, he realized that he liked the attention he was getting from this woman. In fact, her attention felt like an accomplishment for him.


    He wanted to show more of himself. He wanted Kate to see him and only him so she wouldn¡¯t use her beauty to seduce other men.


    He remembered the sweet night they shared two months ago and the sweet date they had last night. He wanted to repeat those two nights again and probably take it even further so that he wouldn¡¯t have to be so pathetic as to use his hand.


    But cold water was poured over his head once he realized that Kate could ditch him easily. Just like she did today as she gave him the cold treatment whenever she wanted to and without clear reason. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As if she just wanted him for the good times, but ditched him after that because it turned out it was him who was all over her. Unfortunately, it was one-sided, but on his part.


    "What do you want to talk about?" Henry asked, now with a much colder voice.


    "It¡¯s about Erin," Kate replied. "Let me in. I want to discuss her with you."


    The situation turned serious immediately. Henry¡¯s smile vanished the moment she mentioned that bitch.


    Kate already told him how Erin used her mother¡¯s illness to force her to do whatever she wanted. So he thought that Erin must¡¯ve used the same method to force Kate again, maybe telling Kate to beg him so that Erin would get a job.


    "Come in, we can talk inside," Henry said.


    Kate entered the apartment and followed Henry, who led her to the living room.


    Henry lived in a huge, two stories apartment directly facing the sea. This apartment was quadruple the size of what Kate lived in right now. She was in awe of his apartment but not jealous because she knew living in such a huge apartment alone must¡¯ve felt very lonely.


    "You can sit there," Henry pointed at the sofa that faced the giant window pane facing the beach. "I¡¯ll get dressed first."


    Kate sat on the sofa, staring at the beach.


    She made her visit in the late afternoon, right at the time when the sun was slowly setting, thus giving her a magnificent view from where she sat.


    "It¡¯s so beautiful," Kate murmured. "Does he watch this beautiful sunset every day all by himself? No, right? He must¡¯ve had a lot of women coming over to spend the night with him."

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75: Chapter 75"You¡¯re the first woman I¡¯ve allowed into my apartment," Henry replied from the side as he returned fully dressed.


    Kate jumped from surprise. She immediately looked to the left and saw Henry leaning on the wall. He wore an oversized shirt with a black boxer briefs covering only half his thigh.


    He crossed his arms and stared at Kate, who had been enjoying the view of the magnificent sunset for a while. His emerald eyes gazed intently at her and said, "You¡¯re the only woman I have ever allowed to enter this apartment."


    "Really?" Kate asked. She found that unbelievable. "Not even your past lovers?"


    "I lived in a dorm with my friends when I was in university," Henry said. His mood seemed to darken as he talked about this. "I purchased this apartment a year ago, and I don¡¯t bring any of my hookups here."


    "In fact, I never allow anyone except the housekeeping to enter this place," Henry added. His gaze softened as he stared at Kate. "I guess you could say you are my first guest."


    "That¡¯s unfortunate," Kate commented, returning her gaze to the window pane. "The view from this apartment is breathtaking. You should bring someone special here to spend the evening and watch the sunset with."


    ¡¯That¡¯s why I allow you in, Kate. I want to watch the sunset with you every evening,¡¯ Henry said in his heart but dared not to utter it because he didn¡¯t want her to give him the cold shoulder again, he hated every moment of it.


    Henry sat on a smaller seat, separating himself from Kate because he knew he couldn¡¯t control himself if they got too close.


    There was silence in the room for a while. Kate was still busy watching the sunset, while Henry was busy watching Kate.


    This moment reminded him of the sunset they had watched together yesterday. He wanted to repeat that moment every day.


    Having someone to spend precious time with sounded very tempting, especially for a man who had never felt love like Henry.


    ¡¯But you should keep yourself in check, Henry,¡¯ he reminded himself. ¡¯She¡¯s not into you.¡¯


    "So, what did you want to talk about?" Henry asked.


    Kate finally shifted her gaze back at Henry. She took a deep breath and replied, "First, I want to ask, what did you do with my sister in your office? Did you two... you know."


    Henry¡¯s thin smile vanished instantly. Just imagining him getting it on with Erin was a gag-worthy idea, it made him feel dirty even if he hadn¡¯t touched the woman. He didn¡¯t even understand why Kate would ask something that absurd when the answer was already obvious.


    Henry sneered, "What do you think? Did I or did I not screw her in my office?"


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned. She wanted to say that she desperately wished that he didn¡¯t fuck her. But knowing Henry, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine him bending Erin over his table and fucking her till her knees gave in just because he felt like it.


    "I prefer that you don¡¯t," Kate said. "But if you did, then it¡¯s fine. I know it¡¯s difficult for a man like you to resist a woman like Erin."


    Henry scoffed. Of course, he would never do that!


    In fact, he hadn¡¯t had sex with any other woman since the last time he had with Kate. As pathetic as it sounded, he simply couldn¡¯t let go of Kate and everything about her, so sex with another woman was off his list!


    "Will you believe me if I say that I didn¡¯t do anything with her?" Henry asked.


    Kate toughened her heart, knowing the truth might be difficult for her to accept, "Honestly, I won¡¯t believe you."


    "Heh, as expected. You don¡¯t need my answer then," Henry said.


    "It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you did it or not with my sister. What¡¯s important is that you have her in your grasp, so we can have her under our control," Kate said. Her voice got cold as she mentioned Erin. This was surprising for Henry because he thought that Kate must¡¯ve loved her sister so much to the point that Erin became a spoiled bitch.


    Henry frowned, "What are you on about, Kate?"


    Kate took a deep breath as she tried to calm her raging heart. She knew she had to be cold in front of Henry or else she might end up losing control and she might want more than just physical contact from him.


    ¡¯Remember, Kate. You have to convince him to be on your side completely, this is for your baby,¡¯ Kate chanted in her heart because this would be her first attempt to seduce someone other than Matt when she was fully sober.


    The last time she did it was that night with Henry, but she was intoxicated, so she didn¡¯t remember what she even did or said to seduce him.


    "Mr. Grant, do you like my sister?" Kate asked.


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned. He didn¡¯t want them to keep talking about that stupid bitch, "I don¡¯t want to talk¡ª"


    Henry¡¯s words hung in his mouth as he was stunned when Kate suddenly stood before him, gazing down at him with an alluring smile that reminded Henry so much of the night they had spent together.


    "Mr. Grant, I don¡¯t like how close you are getting with my sister," Kate said gently, yet her words cut deep into his conscience as she muttered her next words. "Frankly, I am very jealous right now."


    Jealous...


    That word was like an arrow that shot right to his heart.


    Henry gulped.


    His eyes were unblinking as he stared at Kate, who had that alluring smile only for him. He had been so starved of her and her alluring smile, that he refused to waste even a millisecond of it.


    His heart and mind were disconnecting right now. He was in chaos, not knowing whether he should pounce at her right now or to keep his hands to himself. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, Henry still had a voice of reason as he remembered what happened in the morning, so he replied with a hoarse voice, "It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t want me, Kate. You gave me the cold shoulder after our wonderful date. You ditched me after you gave me hope."


    Henry paused for a moment. He slowly reached Kate¡¯s hand and held it gently, "I feel like a fool when I¡¯m with you."

 Chapter 76: - 76

    Chapter 76: [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 76¡¯No, I am the fool here. You ditched me after you gave me hope, Henry Grant,¡¯ Kate protested in her heart.


    She was the one hoping they could take this further. In fact, during their sweet time on the pier she was actually thinking of giving this man a chance.


    After all, he was the father of her child. If he could maintain his gentleness and support, then Kate wouldn¡¯t have even minded starting a family with him once the baby was born.


    ¡¯But I caught you in your room, naked from the waist down. It¡¯s obvious that you just had sex with another woman, right after we had such a sweet date. Do you think I will settle down with a man who can¡¯t even keep his dick in his pants?¡¯


    ¡¯I don¡¯t want to be a victim of another man like Matt. I¡¯m too old to get my heart broken twice in a row.¡¯


    Kate was also frustrated by Henry, and her heart wanted more from him, but she had to suppress her heart¡¯s desires right now. All she needed to do was to get her message across and to get Henry on her side, so she could get Erin under control.


    "Then let¡¯s settle this today, Mr. Grant," Kate said. "I will tell you what I want right now after you made me very jealous."


    Henry didn¡¯t know what Kate would do. He had a few expectations, but he dared not wish for too much because Kate was full of surprises, good and bad.


    Kate used her finger to slowly push Henry deeper into the sofa.


    Henry obeyed.


    His eyes were watching her every movement no matter how big or small. He was antsy. He couldn¡¯t wait to wrap his arms around her waist, feel her body against his, and to kiss her soft lips.


    "Are you jealous just because I spent my time with Erin?" Henry asked.


    ¡¯I¡¯m also jealous of whoever had sex with you in the hotel suite last night,¡¯ Kate said in her heart. But she only gave him a smile before replying, "I am."


    As Kate instructed Henry to sink on the sofa, Henry also slightly spread his thighs. He finally released Kate¡¯s hand and put his arms on the armrests.


    This version of Kate and their position now reminded him so much of that night. They met when Henry was in this very same position, holding a bottle of almost empty bourbon as he tried to get drunk and forget the harsh reality regarding his and his late brother¡¯s life. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My sister has always been a seductress," Kate said. She lifted her leg and straddled Henry¡¯s lap. She sat on his lap, feeling his strong thighs as he propped her. She could also feel Henry¡¯s thick dick struggling under his boxer. "She seduced many men, including my deadbeat husband. I surely don¡¯t want you to fall for her tricks and become one of her victims as well, Mr. Grant."


    Though Kate never told him a thing about Erin and Matt¡¯s affair, but he knew, he already had his men investigate that matter .


    But he still acted surprised to spice things up, "Really? That bitch was able to seduce your ex-husband? That man really decided to downgrade, huh?"


    "And will you choose to downgrade over me as well?" Kate asked. Her heart was beating like crazy because this was the first time she made a move on a man other than Matt.


    Surprisingly, she actually liked it.


    Physically, everything about Henry checked all the boxes when it came to her taste. She got everything she didn¡¯t get from Matt, and she felt comfortable with the heat and scent emanating from Henry¡¯s body.


    He was so masculine, unlike her ex-husband, who smelled like burnt bacon and failure.


    Henry scoffed. Of course, the answer was obvious.


    But he also knew how to extend their game of seduction. So he answered, "It all depends on you, Kitty. Maybe you need to convince me first."


    Kate took the initiative to kiss Henry¡¯s freshly shaven chin, then pecked his lips for a second, "Is that enough to convince you, Mr. Grant?"


    Henry was stunned for a few seconds before his lips slowly perked up.


    "You¡¯re definitely a tempting, beautiful lady," Henry said. He placed his hands around each side of her waist, then grabbed and squeezed Kate¡¯s supple ass. He pulled her deeper onto him until Kate¡¯s pussy lips and his hard cock pressed onto each other, they were only separated fabric, but even then they could feel the heat on each other. "But you need to do more to convince me, Kitty."


    "Ah¡ª!" Kate gasped as she got caught off guard by his act. Henry returned the kiss without giving her a chance to struggle. Kate was shocked at first but soon gave into her own pleasure as their lips began to collide. She tilted her head and began to use her tongue to kiss him, as he gladly did the same.


    "Ah¡ªmmhh..." Kate moaned as she slowly rubbed her pussy against his erect cock. She did it out of instinct as she imagined how good it would be for her to to be fucked by the same dick that got her pregnant.


    Meanwhile, Henry¡¯s hand began to climb up her body, finding its way under her shirt and unclasping her bra. He was so skillful at it that Kate was surprised when her bra was stripped off her.


    Their lips parted not long after and the first thing that Henry did was to take off her shirt, exposing her hourglass figure, and finally completely take her bra off, exposing the breasts he had been wanting to kiss, suck, nibble, and mark every night.


    Henry marveled at the full breasts in front of him, "Do you remember all the marks I left all over your boobs that night?"


    Kate was a little shy that her body was exposed like this.


    This was different from what they did that night, because today she was completely sober. It felt embarrassing, yet strangely exciting, as she watched how Henry took in her figure, how much he was in awe of her body.


    It was definitely a novel experience for her because Matt never seemed to like her body, nor did he ever praise her for being sexy.


    "O¡ªOf course I still remember it clearly. Your hickeys lasted for days and I always saw it every time I took a bath."


    "That¡¯s good, I want you to always think of me, I want you to always remember me, every day, Kitty," Henry said. He lowered his head and kissed her upper breast before adding, "I will mark you as mine again today."

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77: Chapter 77[Song recommendation: Dj Khaled, Bryson Tiller, & Rihanna - Wild Thoughts. Love Riri!]


    [Warning: Mature Content.]


    Kate gasped when Henry suddenly kissed her shoulder. He didn¡¯t let her go, instead, he took it a step further and gave her shoulder a little nibble to make his first mark on her flawless skin after so long.


    Kate wanted to flinch as she felt a tingling sensation as Henry nibbled on her skin. No one had ever touched like this, at least not when she was sober.


    She was genuinely a ticklish person, so when Matt tried to do something other than kissing her lips or fucking her, she would struggle.


    Just like right now, Kate began to squirm around as she felt that tingling sensation, but Henry didn¡¯t give her a chance to escape. He held her close and tight with his strong arms, trapping her in his embrace while he had his fill of her.


    She was like a bunny trapped in a serpent¡¯s embrace. She was at his mercy, and yet she could feel as a heat began to pool between her legs as she was dominated like this.


    "Ah, H¡ªHenry, it tickles! Ahn!" Kate jolted when Henry stopped nibbling on her shoulder but then kissed her neck and left a mark there too, sucking and playfully biting her. "N¡ªNot there, what if someone sees the hickey!" Kate protested.


    Henry ignored her. He was like a hungry wild beast that could not be satisfied until Kate was completely his.


    After he finished making the mark on her neck, he finally replied, "That¡¯s good. You should wear this hickey proudly, so those men outside won¡¯t even dare to even look at you."


    "No man outside wants to even look at me the way you are thinking, damn it!" Kate cursed. "They don¡¯t want me!"


    Henry tightened his hold on her body. He stared at Kate¡¯s face with his deep emerald eyes savoring her in silence for a while and then finally said, "Men with taste will be all over you, and I don¡¯t want you to do this with anyone other than me."


    Kate was stunned by Henry¡¯s declaration. He looked so serious as he said it, as if he truly wanted their relationships to be exclusive even though they were basically just fuck buddies.


    But Henry didn¡¯t give her time to react. He went down and began kissing her upper breasts. He remembered every spot where he made his claim on her skin the last time they were together.


    So he started kissing, sucking, and nibbling on her breasts until Kate was adjusted to his touch. It wasn¡¯t long until Kate finally stopped struggling as she began to enjoy his skin on hers.


    She gasped and moaned whenever he made a mark, especially as he got closer to her nipples.


    "N¡ªNot the nipples, it tickles, it feels weird ...." Kate warned, but her sweet voice sounded more like an invitation to Henry¡¯s ears.


    He freed one of his hands from her ass and groped her free breast, fondling and teasing it. He then lifted it and kissed her nipple, making her moan sweetly in response. Henry glanced up, staring at Kate, whose cheeks were cherry red.


    ¡¯As expected, she¡¯s truly beautiful,¡¯ Henry thought. He wanted to do more for her, so he began to use his tongue to circle around her nipple, sending Kate to continuous waves of pleasure through her body which was so sensitive to his touch.


    Kate was out of breath after Henry had his way with her breasts. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch a breath.


    Meanwhile, Henry was marveling at his masterpiece. He left hickeys all over her breasts like he did that night, marking her as his.


    "Beautiful," He murmured.


    He gently wrapped his hands around her supple ass once more and gave it a playful squeeze. He then began to grind her pussy against his erect cock.


    "I see that you¡¯re dripping wet down there, Kitty," Henry smirked. "Why don¡¯t we move to my bed?"


    Kate gazed down at Henry, whose eyes had been tainted with lust. It was obvious that he also couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and she was already so damp down there.


    So she took off her hairband. She swayed her head left and right to let loose her long, wavy red hair.


    She looked like a goddess with the golden sunset shining from behind her, then said to Henry, "Let¡¯s see how good you actually are when you¡¯re not drunk, Mr. Grant."


    Henry felt his cock harden even more as it began to ache in arousal under his boxers. He couldn¡¯t wait to strip everything off and fucked her until she forgot even her own name.


    Henry got up and lifted Kate, who instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist while he supported her body with one arm.


    He walked to his bedroom and kicked the door open. He didn¡¯t even bother to close the door behind them since the apartment was empty, this whole place was just for them.


    Henry gently put Kate on his bed, and Kate felt warmth all over her body when she smelt the bed sheet.


    The bed smelled like Henry, a mix of masculine musk and warm spice. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It felt like she was being surrounded by countless Henrys who only had their eyes on her.


    Henry stood still, watching Kate, whose body was exposed from the waist up. He clicked his tongue as he admired the sight, "Now this is the view I want to see every day after work."


    Kate giggled, "That¡¯s not really impossible, especially if we¡¯re always on good terms, Mr. Grant," Kate said. She reached for her jeans and unbuttoned them. Giving Henry a slight peek of the lingerie she was wearing under her jeans. "We can always do this if you keep me happy."


    Henry took a deep breath as he tried to get a hold himself. He knew that Kate was trying to seduce him, but he didn¡¯t know why and what for.


    Was she jealous because he spent time with Erin? That sounded stupid because Erin could not hold a candle next to Kate.


    This woman.


    She was perfect.


    Henry took off his shirt eagerly, showing his well sculpted body that glistened with sweat as he felt the heat as well.


    "Then I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you today and every day," Henry said. He reached for Kate¡¯s waist and in one fluid movement pulled her jeans off until Kate had nothing but red lace lingerie that barely covered her pussy.


    Kate tried to cover her pussy with her thigh out of instinct, crossing her legs as she blushed even more. Though she was here to seduce him, she wouldn¡¯t lie that she was shy.


    Henry chuckled when he noticed that she was actually behaving quite shyly. She really went out of her comfort zone just to seduce him. She was bold, yet she acted like a virgin when they were about to do it for real.


    Not that he didn¡¯t like it.


    He liked everything she did. She could be hot and cute at the same time.


    Henry took off his pants, and his erect cock sprung up. Kate finally got the second look at his cock since this morning in the suite.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78: Chapter 78[Warning: Mature content.]


    It was thick, long, and veiny. The tip was red and had been leaking precum for a while. Kate could clearly see that his cock was throbbing, waiting for a release.


    "Are you going to bail on me now?" Henry asked with a grin on his face. "Too bad, Kitty. I¡¯m not going to let you go until I¡¯m satisfied."


    Henry crawled onto the bed, letting his hands wander over her inner thighs, eventually gripping it , and slowly parting her legs open, exposing her wet pussy in front of him.


    Henry¡¯s grin widened, and he gulped as he became thirsty for her immediately.


    "D¡ªDon¡¯t look at it like that. It¡¯s embarrassing," Kate said as she covered her face in embarrassment.


    "Why would you be embarrassed? I can¡¯t wait to feast on you, Kitty," Henry leaned forward and hooked the lingerie string, brushing his fingers on her wet pussy as they passed, sliding it off to expose her pussy completely.


    He stuck his tongue out and gave the lips a long lick from the bottom up to her clitoris, where he wagged his tongue around.


    "Ahhhnn!" Kate moaned out of pleasure.


    She could feel that her pussy was getting hotter as the same tingling sensation from earlier sent waves of pleasure through her body, and she must¡¯ve leaked even more juice. She opened her eyes and looked down, and her eyes met with Henry¡¯s, who was eyeing her as well.


    He winked at her and then got up, "I can eat your pussy next time. But I¡¯ve been too pent up now, I can¡¯t wait anymore."


    "W¡ªWait, before we do it, I want to ask you something," Kate interrupted. "Did you or did you not fuck my sister today? Because if you did, then I am honestly going to call this off. Just the thought of it is way too disgusting."


    Henry frowned. He was actually annoyed that Kate was still hesitating when they were this close.


    "Did you seriously think that I would actually fuck that whore?" Henry asked back as he got offended. "Let¡¯s set this straight once and for all, Kate. I did nothing with her. She stripped her clothes and exposed herself to me, and I was disgusted, that¡¯s why I kicked her out."


    "You should know that I will never choose her over you," Henry insisted. "So rest assured, I am exclusive to you."


    Kate didn¡¯t know whether to believe him or not right now, but she was at least assured that Henry seemed serious about not doing anything with Erin.


    It was a pet peeve at this point, and Henry would be off her list if he said he had fucked Erin.


    Henry saw that Kate gave him a light nod, giving him the green light. So he put Kate¡¯s legs over his thighs, giving him full access to her pussy. He rubbed his dick on her pussy lips, drenching it in her arousal. Kate began to feel the throb inside her. She couldn¡¯t wait as well.


    "G¨CGently, please? Remember our child, I don¡¯t want us getting carried away and hurting our baby."


    Henry grinned, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle."


    Thus, Henry slowly thrust his cock into Kate¡¯s pussy. She gasped as she could felt his cock filling her, "Uhmm! Ah! Ahh!"


    Henry gritted his teeth. Her pussy was so tight and hot. He was holding himself from going wild and not fucking her till all she could remember was his name.


    He made slow thrusts repeatedly, savoring every moment, sending both of them to heaven as Kate kept just getting wetter and wetter, and he kept on leaking precum, making the thrust smoother and even more satisfying.


    Kate was on cloud nine. She should¡¯ve told Henry to fuck her harder, not to hold back, because she wasn¡¯t satisfied with his slow moments. But she was worried about the baby.


    She wondered how she became so horny. Was it because of the hormones that came with her pregnancy, or had she always been this unrestrained? Maybe she hadn¡¯t found the right man to unleash her true nature before Henry.


    Nevertheless, she enjoyed this and wanted more of this.


    It took him countless slow thrusts until Henry felt he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    "Urgh, fuck!" Henry grunted as he pinned Kate down. He whispered in her ear, "Can I shoot it inside?"


    "Uhh, y¡ªyes, inside. I want to feel it inside me," Kate said.


    "Great, because I don¡¯t want to pull out as well," Henry said. He took a deep breath and made his last thrust. "Urgh! Cumming! Fuck! Fuck!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    "Ahhhhnn!" Kate almost screamed, it felt that her womb was melting as his warm liquid filled her. Henry shot thick hot cum so many times that it washed over her uterus¡¯s wall.


    She jolted each time she felt him shooting inside.


    After they were done, Henry pulled out his cock, and the cum slowly seeped out of her pussy. He dropped his body right next to her. Their chests heaved, staring at the ceiling, as they let everything seep in.


    They finally did it again, but this time, both of them were sober and realized that they didn¡¯t even need the alcohol to get together.


    They were naturally compatible with each other.


    Kate and Henry turned their heads to look at each other simultaneously. They gave each other a meaningful look, and Henry was the first to say, "I¡¯m still not satisfied. I want round two."


    Kate nodded, "I want round two too, but we shouldn¡¯t waste it all today."


    "Why not?" Henry asked. He was about to get up and do it again, so he was disappointed when Kate suddenly refused, even though both of them still wanted more.


    "Because you¡¯ll get tired of me," Kate said. She turned to his side and rested her head on his chest. She had a bit of clarity after having amazing sex with him. She knew that he was out of her league. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Men like you tend to get bored easily..." she murmured.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79: Chapter 79[Music Recommendation: Cuco - Lover Is a Day.]


    "Men like you tend to get bored easily...." Kate murmured. Her voice sounded heavy. Her eyelids drooped as she didn¡¯t want to stare at Henry as she was reminded that Henry could always cast her aside just like a used pair of shoes.


    "I wish I could get tired of people easily as well. I think it would be fun to change partners without feeling anything about it," Kate was the type of woman who¡¯d dedicate her life to the man she loved, and she naturally expected the same from her partner.


    "I wish I don¡¯t need to cling so hard to the person I love. Unfortunately, I¡¯m that type of woman who would give everything I have for people important to me, especially my husband." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don¡¯t mind if I have to get hurt if that¡¯s what will keep our relationship going, if that¡¯s what our relationship needs¡ªor if that¡¯s what he needs," Kate said.


    She remembered Matt and all the sacrifices she had made for him. She sacrificed her money, her energy, her sanity, and her love just to keep him satisfied.


    She was afraid of being lonely, scared that no man would ever accept her again if Matt decided to divorce her because she was unable to get pregnant.


    After all, she spent her entire life with the people around her telling her that she was a plain, average, run-of-the-mill small-town girl who was only worthy of marrying an insignificant man and becoming a good housewife.


    Everyone enjoyed reminding her that she was lucky that Matt chose to marry her.


    Meanwhile, Matt had always been the star of their school and their community. He was a heartthrob when he was young, admired by many women and the envy of many men, so Kate had gotten used to the sneer of people saying that she didn¡¯t deserve to be with Matt.


    -


    ¡¯I don¡¯t understand why Matt dated that girl. She¡¯s just so plain compared to him. They¡¯re not a match!¡¯


    ¡¯I know right! She should know her place. Does she not realize that everyone laughs at her for dating the hottest boy in town?¡¯


    ¡¯Maybe she already lost her shame after her father got arrested and went to jail!¡¯


    -


    Kate became emotional as her mind filled with her memories of Matt and their time together. She realized how much she was trying to keep him happy because she didn¡¯t know her worth.


    She just thought that Matt was her only ticket to happiness. She used to think that if she couldn¡¯t satisfy Matt she would be miserable for the rest of her life, childless and with a broken marriage, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to lift her head up if that ever happened.


    Her eyes began to glaze with tears, and her lips began to tremble as she held back her tears and sobs.


    Henry gently wiped the tear that fell from the corner of her eyes. He pinched her chin and lifted her face so their eyes could meet again, "My heart aches whenever I see your tears, but if you need a shoulder to cry on, then you can always use mine."


    Kate got even more emotional as he comforted her like this. She used to bottle up all her emotions, dealing with them all on her own. She never had a shoulder to cry on.


    But she refused to use Henry¡¯s shoulder to cry on.


    Because she knew that his comforting shoulder could disappear once he found his new plaything, and by that time, Kate would probably be too broken to properly function.


    "Why is it so easy for you to say such sweet words, Henry?" Kate asked with a shaky voice. "Do you not understand what kind of expectations I have when you say those words?"


    "I do," Henry said. "I understand how heavy my words are, that¡¯s why I only ever say those words to you. You are the first and only woman that I want to comfort and protect, Katherine."


    Henry was sincere with his words, he meant every single breath of it. He was a cold man who never felt an ounce of love in his life. So he was never interested in comforting any woman that cried in front of him.


    He never felt sad, nor did his cold, dead heart react when he saw those tears.


    But Kate was different.


    Anything she said or did had a great impact on Henry no matter how big or small.


    At first, he panicked when Kate said that a man like him tends to get bored easily because as guilty as he felt that was partly true.


    Before he met Kate, he would get bored with any woman he spent his night with. None of his relationships lasted longer than a month, they were all just ways for him to pleasure himself.


    He also panicked when Kate said she wanted to let go of a man as easily as well because Henry surely didn¡¯t want her to simply let go of him.


    Then his heart began to ache when she told him about bits and pieces of her life. She didn¡¯t say much, but even with just those bits of information, Henry already guessed that Kate was the type of woman he would strive to stay as far as possible from when he was in uni.


    He didn¡¯t like women who clung too hard. They were suffocating. He wanted to be free for the rest of his life.


    Strangely, he had this weird feeling of excitement in his heart when Kate indirectly said she was clingy. Because deep in his heart, he actually wanted Kate to cling on to him


    He wanted her to always have her eyes on him, just like how he always had his eyes on her over the past few months.


    ¡¯At this point, I don¡¯t even understand myself and why am I reacting this way,¡¯ Henry pondered.


    Kate¡¯s heart began to warm up as Henry gently wiped her tears and stared at her with an assuring gaze. His voice was deep, soothing, and gentle. His words were filled with nothing but assurance and sweet things.


    But that was also what Matt did to her back then when they were still dating and in honeymoon phase, the time when Kate thought nothing could come between Matt and her.


    He spoke to her in a sweet loving voice and said words that would make her heart flutter. He looked at her with gentle eyes and held her in a loving embrace. Yet, in the end, he cheated on her after gaslighting her for the past five years.


    Kate understood her heart quite well. She knew that she probably already felt something for Henry.


    Yet, her logic always told her to stay away, not to fall completely for him, because she had only recently gotten her heart broken and she wasn¡¯t ready to suffer the same fate twice.


    "I already told you that we are exclusive now," Henry said. "I won¡¯t touch other women, and I expect you to do the same."


    "..."


    "Henry, answer me honestly, have you ever had a long-term relationship with any woman before me?"

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80: Chapter 80Henry was stunned.


    He felt like this was a trap because he¡¯d be at fault no matter the answer.


    If he lied and said he had been in a long-term commitment before, Kate would say that she was probably just a rebound.


    But if he told her the truth that he was a playboy who changed his partner once every two weeks, she¡¯d probably leave him instantly.


    He was caught between a rock and a hard place,


    Kate could already guess his answer from his facial expression, "You switch your partner often, don¡¯t you?"


    Henry sighed. He wished she was easier to fool, so things wouldn¡¯t be so complicated. Though, he doubted he¡¯d be so interested in her like this if she was a foolish, easy woman.


    "Yes, I had a lot of flings and one-night stands before I met you," Henry admitted. He reached for Kate¡¯s hands and wrapped them tightly with his warm palm. "But you are different, Kate. I feel things I have never felt before, I only feel them when I¡¯m with you."


    "This feeling is so weird, and I¡¯m not used to it," Henry confessed as he opened his heart. "Is this what they call love? Or am I just so selfish that I desperately wish to have you by my side for a very long time? I¡¯m not sure either."


    "But I can assure you, as long as you¡¯re willing to have me, then I will be the most wonderful man you¡¯ll ever meet in your life."


    ...


    Kate was about to cry again. His sweet words tore her apart because she didn¡¯t know whether she should follow her heart, and give another man a chance, or let her logic rule her, so she wouldn¡¯t fall into the same trap like an idiot.


    "Henry, every man on earth can say those things, be it a good or a bad man," Kate said. "And I don¡¯t know if I can trust you or not."


    "Then what should I do to gain your trust?" Henry asked. He squeezed Kate¡¯s hands as he became serious. He wanted to know if there was a way to thaw her now ice cold heart.


    Kate shook her head, "I don¡¯t know. Maybe I just need time. After what Matt did to me, maybe I just can¡¯t trust men anymore."


    Henry¡¯s heart sank after he got his answer.


    He was actually eager. For the first time in his life, he was eager to date a woman of his choice. He actually thought of dating Kate and even marrying her someday, settling down with her and their child and maybe having more with her.


    "We shouldn¡¯t go too far, Henry," Kate said. "I just can¡¯t be complacent. I just can¡¯t trust you."


    Henry had a bitter smile on his lips. Obviously, he refused to end things just like this.


    He wouldn¡¯t give up once he had a goal, not until he got what he wanted. Since this was the first time he ever wanted a woman, he would do everything to have her.


    ¡¯Maybe I have to take things slow first. I¡¯ll let her know what kind of person I am, and show her that she can trust me,¡¯ Henry thought.


    "Then, let¡¯s keep things physical for now," Henry offered. "We can have fun, no strings attached since our bodies are very compatible. But you have to keep yourself exclusively for me because I will do the same for you."


    Kate paused for a moment, considering the idea, and then nodded, "Any of us can leave once we find the right person for ourselves. We should also forget about each other when that time comes."


    Henry clenched his jaw in silence.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine Kate with another man.


    His heart would burn in a fury, and he couldn¡¯t wait to punch whoever dared to stand by Kate¡¯s side except for him.


    But he still nodded to appease her, "Okay."


    Kate smiled.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t find another man after this. She already planned to live as a single mother, raising her child and cutting contact with everyone in Los Angeles after this. She wanted to move to another city, which could be New York, Boston, or even Chicago.


    Any place other than Los Angeles or Tennessee would be good because she was looking for a fresh start.


    But this was a good way to let go of Henry, eventually. She guessed that he¡¯d eventually get bored of their physical relationship soon anyway. Thus, rather than leaving her heartbroken for the second time, she should just let him go and continue on with her life without too much damage to her heart.


    However, Henry had a different idea in mind.


    He knew that he was being too much. Maybe his past self would call himself crazy for doing so much just to get a girl¡¯s attention.


    But he already planned to check on every man in the office and the people around Kate. He wanted to stop any potential threat. He wanted to monopolize her, making sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t see another man other than him. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯You underestimated me, Kitty,¡¯ Henry said in his heart while his deep viper-like eyes continued to watch her, savoring the sight of her. ¡¯My eyes have always been on you since my brother¡¯s death, and nothing will change. My eyes will always be on you, but I have a different idea about you now.¡¯


    ¡¯I don¡¯t understand why am I being so eager for you, and I don¡¯t know if I can keep this feeling forever. But I still desperately want to have you, and that is absolute.¡¯


    Knowing she couldn¡¯t keep showing this weak side in front of Henry forever, Kate decided to suppress her chaotic heart and return to her cold self.


    "Anyway, I think you already guessed why I¡¯m here, right?" Kate asked, snapping Henry out of his daze.


    Henry smiled, "No, I don¡¯t."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "Don¡¯t tease me like that. I came here to ask you something regarding my sister, Erin."


    "And what do you want me to do to her?" Henry asked.


    He expected Kate to say something along the lines like how he should forgive Erin for all the shitty things she did and give her a proper job even though she was incompetent and unqualified.


    After all, Kate spoiled her sister rotten to the point that she became unbearable.


    "I want you to keep her in check," Kate said.


    "Keep her in check?"


    "Yes, give her a job that will stop her from doing too much damage to the company, but satisfying enough so she won¡¯t report anything to my mother."


    Henry scrunched his brows. He was glad that Kate seemed to have had a change of heart. It was delightful to see her finally doing something against that bitch.


    But he was dissatisfied with her request because that was too mild!


    "You don¡¯t want me to get rid of her?" Henry asked. "I can do so much more than that."


    "Getting rid of her is the end goal," Kate confirmed. "But I want to get rid of her entirely, to the point that my sickly mother won¡¯t even think of her anymore. I want her to be completely forgotten."

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81: Chapter 81"To be completely forgotten?" Henry was genuinely surprised by Kate¡¯s statement because she sounded so cold, unlike the Kate from earlier who showed so much vulnerability to him.


    Not that he hated it.


    In fact, he was quite intrigued by the sudden change in demeanor.


    "Yes, I want her to be eradicated from everyone¡¯s memories, including our own mother," Kate said. "You should know that I love my mother. Despite our strained relationship, my mother has always been the source of my inspiration as a woman. She¡¯s the one who taught me to persevere through all the challenges in life."


    "So I want to protect her," Kate insisted. "I want to make sure that she lives a good life in her retirement years without having to worry about Erin."


    "... you know that your request doesn¡¯t make sense, right?" Henry rebuked. "Your mother seems to see Erin as her golden child, how could a mother forget her favorite child?"


    Kate grinned in response.


    She already had a plan in mind. She just wanted Henry to execute it as he was the best man for the job due to his position as the CEO and the man that Erin was currently obsessed with.


    "I have a plan, but I¡¯ll tell you the details later if things go my way," Kate said. "For now, you should just give her a job where we can keep her in check, maybe hire her as your secretary."


    "Secretary?!" Henry¡¯s eyes widened, and he quickly rejected the idea, "No fucking way! I don¡¯t want to work with her ugly boobs dangling around in my office!"


    Kate was not surprised that Erin might¡¯ve stripped naked in front of Henry in a desperate attempt to seduce him. It was very ¡¯Her.¡¯ S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it did satisfy her while keeping her in check. This was a temporary arrangement until she lowered her guard around Henry, thinking her position was secured and that she was irreplaceable.


    "Are you really that much against it?"


    "I am!" Henry was stressed out just thinking of how he had to deal with that bitch on a daily basis if he made her his secretary. "I can¡¯t make her my secretary. But I have another idea that can meet your requirements."


    "Oh? Then tell me what you have in mind."


    Henry grinned and leaned closer until she could feel his warm breath on her ear, then whispered his plan.


    Kate¡¯s expression changed from curiosity to shock, she grinned, full of satisfaction as she heard his plan, "That is good. That should be able to keep her in check for a while."


    "It¡¯s settled then, let¡¯s execute my idea," Henry said.


    They stared at each other for a while, the sky outside had gone dark, and it was a bit chilly. Yet, the atmosphere around them was very warm.


    "Hey, why don¡¯t you stay for the night in my apartment?" Henry asked. "I¡¯ll order food for us."


    "I don¡¯t like ordering food," Kate said. "Is your fridge stocked?"


    "Well, yes, it is. But I can¡¯t cook."


    "Then what¡¯s the point of having your fridge stocked?"


    "I don¡¯t know, maybe because I¡¯m waiting for you to use it?" Henry teased, to which Kate only responded by rolling her eyes.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll stay for the night. Show me the guest bedroom."


    "I don¡¯t have a guest bedroom," Henry replied. "I live alone, and have no intention of inviting anyone, so I don¡¯t need one."


    "But I saw three rooms in this apartment, surely one of them has a bed, right?"


    "I¡¯ve repurposed them all," Henry pointed to the ceiling. "The room above is my home office, the next room is storage, and the room near the entrance is my gym."


    "Are you serious? So you¡¯re saying that I can¡¯t sleep anywhere but in here, with you?"


    Henry nodded, "What¡¯s wrong with my bedroom? It¡¯s comfortable, right? You can also see the stars from the window."


    "Well, it¡¯s just¡ª" Kate hesitated. She didn¡¯t want things to develop further with Henry. Besides, this would be the first time since she caught Matt cheating that she would spend the night with a man on the same bed.


    "Come on, I promise I won¡¯t do anything," Henry said. He faked a yawn and added, "Besides, I¡¯m already sleepy. We should have dinner, clean up, and then go to sleep."


    Kate sighed, "Alright, you should clean up first. I¡¯ll cook something for dinner."


    "We¡¯re not going to clean up together? I can help you in the bathtub."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened instantly. She pushed Henry¡¯s chest away from her and yelled, "Pervert!"


    Henry only laughed as Kate got up from the bed and searched for her underwear but gave up when she couldn¡¯t find it, instead she simply wore her jeans. She then went out to find her shirt and wore it without bothering to put on her bra.


    She went to the kitchen and began preparing dinner while Henry took a quick shower since he was sticky and sweaty after such fantastic sex. As soon as he opened the bathroom door, he could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, this was a very rare occurrence since he usually only used the kitchen to drink some water or booze, and get some snacks.


    Henry walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but his boxers. As he arrived Kate was busy putting the food on the dining table.


    Her eyes landed on Henry, who had just walked into the kitchen. Her breath stilled for a moment as her eyes savored the view of the sexy man in front of her.


    She had already seen this view a few hours ago when he opened the door in only a towel tied around his waist but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t want to see more.


    In fact, the more she stared at Henry¡¯s body, the hornier she got.


    Kate quickly pushed away whatever horny idea she had in mind when Henry approached her, "So what do we have here, Kitty?"


    Kate was still a little embarrassed when he called her Kitty. It made her feel like she was being babied and adored, two things she had never felt in her life before.


    But as much as it embarrassed her, she did like it.


    ¡¯I guess even a woman like me still wants to be pampered....¡¯


    Thus, Kate decided to let it slip and replied, "Pan-seared Salmon with potato, tomato, and mushroom. I didn¡¯t want to spend too much time cooking our dinner, so this is the best I can do."


    "You should eat it first, I¡¯m going to take a shower," Kate added.


    She walked away from Henry, but the latter caught her hand, "Why don¡¯t we eat dinner first, you can take a shower later."

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82: Chapter 82"But I want to take a shower now," Kate argued. She glanced down, and her cheeks reddened again, "Y¡ªYou know, it¡¯s a little uncomfortable down there. It¡¯s sticky."


    Henry looked down and remembered how he had shot all his seed inside of her. His ears reddened in an instant, and gently released Kate¡¯s hand, "Then I¡¯ll wait for you to take a bath first, then we can eat dinner together."


    "It won¡¯t be as tasty if you eat it later."


    "That¡¯s fine. I know it¡¯ll taste good since you¡¯re the one who cooked it for me," Henry said. "I don¡¯t want to eat alone, I¡¯ll wait for you."


    Kate felt that Henry¡¯s words carried more meaning than he let on, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk, especially now when she desperately needed to clean herself.


    So she went to the bathroom and took a hot shower to wash off all the remaining sweat. It took her a while to clean things down there, and after she was done, she borrowed Henry¡¯s fresh towel to dry herself.


    She went out of the bathroom wearing onlyHenry¡¯s towel covering her chest and half of her thighs.


    She went to the kitchen to ask the man, "Henry, can I borrow your short pants? My jeans are soaked."


    Henry was stunned when she saw Kate wearing his towel. He was even more dumbfounded when Kate asked to wear his pants.


    His already reddened ears got even redder. He nodded and replied, "You can check my bedroom. There¡¯s a walk-in closet there."


    "Also, you should probably wear my shirt as well, I¡¯m sure you need a new shirt since yours must be soaked as well," Henry added. He already imagined how cute Kate would look wearing his shirt.


    "But my shirt is fine...."


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s definitely soaked and uncomfortable! Don¡¯t be shy about using my shirt, do it!"


    Kate didn¡¯t understand why Henry insisted on it, but she gave in and went to his bedroom.


    It took her a while to come out, but Henry felt he would jump out of excitement when she did.


    Kate was wearing his white shirt and boxers.


    She was quite tall, around 170 cm or 5¡¯ 5 feet. But she had a somewhat thin frame except around her breast and hips area, making his white shirt look huge and droopy on her body since Henry had wide shoulders. The white shirt fell beyond his boxers, giving the illusion that Kate wasn¡¯t wearing anything except the white shirt, showcasing her smooth and slender legs.


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue and commented, "It looks good on you."


    Kate was embarrassed when she came out wearing this shirt. She complained, "Your shirts are all too big for me, and you didn¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t have any short pants. All you wear are long trousers, jeans, and boxers."


    Henry chuckled, "It¡¯s fine, it looks good on you anyway," Henry praised. "You should wear my stuff more often. You look really good in it."


    "What do you mean I look good? I feel like I¡¯m wearing a bed sheet on my shoulder," Kate complained. "Besides, don¡¯t you use detergent on your laundry?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I specifically asked for non-fragrant detergent. I don¡¯t like the smell of chemicals on my clothes. I usually wear perfume before work," Henry explained. "Why? You don¡¯t like it?"


    "Well, all of your clothes smell like... you," Kate said.


    "They smell like me?"


    Kate nodded. She was fidgety, not wanting Henry to know that she had secretly sniffed the shirt because it smelled like him.


    It made her feel like she was being embraced by Henry the entire time.


    Henry didn¡¯t understand what Kate meant. He interpreted it as her saying he had a bad body odor, so he checked himself by sniffing his armpit, "Huh, it doesn¡¯t smell."


    "It¡¯s not body odor, idiot. It¡¯s... uh..." Kate wanted to say that Henry had a masculine scent to him. It didn¡¯t smell bad. It made her feel so comfortable and weak in the knees, wanting to fall into his embrace.


    "Ah, just forget it, let¡¯s have dinner before it gets too cold," Kate said.


    Henry grinned, "As you say, Princess."


    Kate and Henry ate their dinner in silence. Kate thought the dinner she had made was nice, but it was already a bit cold and too simple.


    Henry had a fully stocked fridge with so many ingredients that she never had before. She¡¯d experiment with those new ingredients if she had more time here.


    ¡¯Hmm, maybe I should come to his apartment often... just to cook for him and watch the sunset from his living room, of course. Definitely not for other things.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Henry was busy with his dinner. He was eating fast, and after he was done with it, he said, "Are you sure you don¡¯t have a culinary degree?"


    "Come on, Henry, the food is not that good," Kate said. "It¡¯s cold, and I think I overcooked the salmon a bit."


    "No, you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s perfect," Henry refuted. He glanced at the fridge and suggested, "Why don¡¯t you become my private chef instead? I¡¯ll pay you twice your salary in our company, all you have to do is to cook me my dinner every day. It¡¯d be even better if you could live here with me."


    "You don¡¯t need to pay me for that," Kate replied. "I can visit sometimes and cook for you. You have so many ingredients, yet you don¡¯t cook. You¡¯re wasting them, don¡¯t you know that?"


    "I mean, if you don¡¯t want it to go to waste, then you should just live with me here. You can use everything in this apartment for free," Henry shrugged as if he had no other choice, such as not stocking his fridge just to throw everything out a few days later.


    Kate was speechless over Henry¡¯s shamelessness, but she had gotten used to him for some reason, so she simply sighed and said, "I¡¯ll try to come here often to cook dinner."


    "And sleep on my bed too?" Henry grinned.


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s just for tonight because I don¡¯t have a choice!"

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83: Chapter 83Henry went to bed right after brushing his teeth. He waited for Kate while lying on his bed, staring at the stars above and watching the sea from his window. He had watched this view so many times before.


    In fact, the view was the reason he specifically bought this apartment, thinking he wouldn¡¯t get bored of this.


    Unfortunately, he was a man that quickly got bored over most things he owned, just like how he was with his toys when he was a kid. He¡¯d play with it for a day at most and then toss them away after he got bored and never bothered checking on them again.


    It was the same with his friends, family members, and even past lovers.


    After a while, he was bored of them and only kept in contact if needed. Michael was the only friend he had kept since he was in high school. But he wasn¡¯t bored of him because Michael was both his best friend and subordinate. They had the same necessary goals as well.


    Henry was nervous when Kate told him that a man like him tended to get bored eventually because it was true.


    Even now, Henry wasn¡¯t sure if he wouldn¡¯t get bored of Kate in the future.


    His heart told him that he would never get bored of her. Everything about her interested him so much that he desperately wanted to keep her by his side to see how their lives would turn out if they stayed together.


    ¡¯Do I love you, Kitty? I¡¯m not sure either. This feeling is so foreign to me,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I¡¯ve never been this eager, nor have I been this desperate. I also get anxious when you¡¯re not around.¡¯


    As Henry was deep in thought, he noticed one of the stars was shining brighter compared to the others, ¡¯Brother, are you watching me from above? If you are, then I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m going to hurt the love of your life. I have a feeling that things won¡¯t end well between us, but I can¡¯t stop myself from wanting her.¡¯


    Kate walked into Henry¡¯s bedroom and noticed that Henry had been staring at the window for a while. He seemed to be in deep thought. Kate wondered what was running in Henry¡¯s mind right now.


    As far as she knew, Henry seemed to be a man with a very easy life. He had everything he wanted and everything was looking good in his life, he belonged to a rich and powerful family, a lot of women flocked to him, and he had a shitload of money.


    Surely, life wouldn¡¯t be so hard on him, right?


    Or maybe not.


    Kate remembered how broken Henry looked that night in the office. He looked like someone who was enduring a lot of pain but always tried to mask it.


    ¡¯I wish I could read his mind. Maybe I would trust him more if he was just more honest or if I could at least read his intentions better.¡¯


    Kate joined Henry on the bed, he was still deep in his thoughts as she lay next to him, and Henry noticed immediately.


    He turned around, supported his head with his hand, and stared at Kate with softened eyes and a thin smile.


    Kate frowned, "Why are you staring at me? Go stare at your window. You¡¯ll miss the beautiful view."


    "I changed my night view to a more beautiful one just now," Henry replied. "You are the most beautiful one tonight. Why would I waste my time watching the stars when I can stare at you instead?"


    "Tsk, you¡¯re so cheesy. I¡¯m not a teenage girl, Henry. I won¡¯t fall for those high school pick-up lines!" Kate tried to mask her embarrassment. Honestly, she was lying when she said that his pick-up lines didn¡¯t affect her.


    It was because it made her feel skittish and shy, it made her feel young, but at the same time, it made her feel ridiculous because she was a thirty-two years old lady who actually reacted to a cheesy pick-up line.


    "Really? It has no effect on you at all?" Henry asked. He used his free hand to reach for a stray strand of hair and gently tucked the strands behind her ear. "Then why are you blushing?"


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s because it¡¯s warm in your room," Kate denied.


    "Is that so?" Henry gently brushed his thumb on her earlobe, then traced his fingers on her jaw before ending on her chin, pinching it lightly, "Is that why your ears are getting redder too?"


    The more Henry teased her, the more she blushed. She didn¡¯t know how to fight against his touch, and her body surely didn¡¯t want to fight it.


    She was, in fact, eager to get touched and caressed more, wanting to feel the warmth of this man tonight.


    Henry¡¯s eyes were on Kate the whole time. Back then, he wondered what this woman did to his late brother to make him reject all kinds of women just because he said he was already in love with his coworker.


    He thought that his brother was a fool for falling in love with Kate because she didn¡¯t seem to be anything remarkable, everything about her seemed ordinary aside from the fact that she was indeed very beautiful.


    But he was matched with many models and actresses whose beauty were ethereal, yet he stayed steadfast in his choice to wait for Kate.


    At first, Henry was curious about this woman named Katherine Woods, he investigated her, and had a plan on what to do about her after his brother¡¯s tragic passing.


    But he made a mistake after discovering something very nefarious about his family, which drove him to be so depressed that he went to his brother¡¯s office to apologize because he was taking everything that was supposed to be his big brother¡¯s. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who would¡¯ve expected that he¡¯d meet with Kate in the office? They became two broken-hearted souls in need of comfort.


    ¡¯I didn¡¯t plan on getting her pregnant. I just... I just thought that she looked so enchanting that night, and I couldn¡¯t help myself , I felt that we were made for each other,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯And even after that, I can¡¯t seem to find another woman that can hold a candle to Kate.¡¯


    Henry knew he was guilty of stealing his brother¡¯s woman, but as he spent more time with Kate, he realized that he was just the same as his brother.


    ¡¯A playboy who eventually wants to settle down for the right woman.¡¯

 Chapter 84: - 84

    Chapter 84: [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 84Kate woke up the next morning feeling something big and thick rubbing against her ass. She yawned, and as she regained some of her consciousness, she noticed that she was sleeping on Henry¡¯s arm while his other arm was wrapped around her waist.


    He was spooning her comfortably, which was weird for Kate because she remembered they had been sleeping with a pillow between them.


    She looked over her shoulder and saw Henry was still fast asleep.


    Yet his morning wood was so hard down there, and he kept rubbing it against her ass.


    "Mmh... Kitty..."


    "Oh, fuck!" Kate woke up instantly when she realized Henry might be having a wet dream about her. She quickly struggled and pushed Henry off of her. It took her a great deal of effort to escape his embrace. It seemed that even in his dreams he didn¡¯t want to let her go.


    After she successfully escaped, she realized that Henry frowned instantly. He grunted and began to look around for her.


    As he caught a pillow, he immediately embraced it and began humping the pillow in his sleep while murmuring her name sweetly again.


    "Hmm... Kitty...


    Kate looked at him with disgust, "What a horny bastard. He¡¯s already 24 and he¡¯s still acting like a teenage boy with a raging libido."


    Kate checked the clock on the wall, and after realizing she still had time, she went to the kitchen to prepare a simple breakfast for Henry before washing her face, and brushing her teeth with an extra toothbrush from Henry¡¯s vanity, and then grabbed her bag.


    She wondered about her shirt and jeans at first but then realized that she could just leave them here and retrieve them the next time she came to Henry¡¯s apartment.


    After all, she also wanted to wash the t-shirt and boxers she was wearing before returning them.


    Thus, Kate sent a text to Henry before leaving the apartment.


    **


    Henry woke up about thirty minutes later, he frowned when he noticed the ¡¯Kate¡¯ in his embrace didn¡¯t feel right.


    So he opened his eyes and realized he was hugging the pillow the whole time.


    Aside from that, he also noticed that his boxer was sticky inside.


    So he looked down and realized that he had a wet dream and actually shot his much-stored cum in the morning.


    "Oh fuck!" Henry cursed. "Did she see me having a wet dream? Oh fuck, that¡¯s so embarrassing, ugh!"


    Henry got up and rushed to the bathroom to wash his private area and replace his boxers. He then searched his apartment to see if Kate was still there.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find any trace of her anywhere, her bag on the living room sofa was gone, so she must¡¯ve left already.


    Henry returned to his bedroom to check his phone and saw a text from Kate.


    ¡ª


    I made you an avocado toast with a sunny side egg for breakfast. Don¡¯t forget to wash yourself, you horny bastard.


    ¡ª


    Henry laughed when he read the text. It seemed that Kate saw him having a wet dream.


    "Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m not satisfied with yesterday. I want more," Henry said. He texted Kate back and then went to the kitchen to eat the breakfast prepared for him.


    He was eating it with relish, and after he was done, he called Michael to meet him in the apartment lobby in about an hour because he had something to discuss with Michael before he reached the office.


    **


    Michael parked the Bentley he took from Henry¡¯s garage at the VIP parking spot and waited for his boss to arrive at the lobby.


    He was wondering if there was any problem because it was quite rare for Henry to meet him early in the morning. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry walked out of the elevator not long after, wearing a dark green suit with a black shirt underneath. He swaggered as he instantly became the source of attention from everyone in the lobby.


    Michael bowed politely and greeted him, "Morning, Sir, the car is parked in the usual spot."


    "Yeah, go drive it, Michael. You¡¯re going with me today."


    Michael frowned, "To the office?"


    "Yes, I need you for my plan."


    Michael wondered what kind of plan his boss had. Could he be bored with Katherine Woods after spending a night with her in San Francisco and was now searching for another woman to impregnate?


    ¡¯Hmm, why does that sound so scummy? But if that¡¯s true, I¡¯ll feel bad for Mrs. Woods. She doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad woman like what Miss Sarah and Mrs. Grant told us about her before.¡¯


    ¡¯But Henry is very unpredictable. I really thought that he had deviated from his original plan to use Mrs. Woods because he fell in love with her. But it seems that everything is just part of his plan, and he¡¯s still the same cold man I know.¡¯


    Michael and Henry left the apartment and headed to the publishing office.


    Michael kept checking on the mirror to see if Henry had something to say, and after a while, Henry finally opened the conversation, "I have a plan for that woman."


    "Sir, have you decided to use Mrs. Woods?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Henry frowned. "I¡¯m talking about Erin. I have a plan to keep her in check."


    Michael finally remembered Kate¡¯s worthless sister. It had only been four days since the last time they met with that woman, and his boss was already obsessed with taking down that wench.


    It made him wonder what kind of motivation his boss had to be so eager.


    "May I know what you have in mind, Sir?"


    "Yes, this is actually not my idea, it¡¯s Kate who wants my help in getting rid of her sister. But she said getting rid of her completely wasn¡¯t going to be easy, so for now, we should just keep her in check first. We can watch over her while letting her think she got what she wants, just enough for her to stop using their sickly mother as a threat to Kate," Henry said. "She told me that I should accept her as a secretary, but that¡¯s just so fucking gross."


    "Luckily, I got a better idea, and I need your assistance, Michael."

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85: Chapter 85"Luckily, I got a better idea, and I need your assistance, Michael."


    "My assistance?" Michael was genuinely surprised. "And what kind of assistance do you need, Sir? My skills are best suited towards gathering information about her, and I think I¡¯ve done that to the point that I can name you all of the men she slept with. And just so you know, it¡¯s a long list of married men."


    "I don¡¯t need that information," Henry said with disgust. He imagined how many married men that whore seduced and how many families she had ruined. "You¡¯ll be working in my office temporarily as a fake co-manager, and she will be your assistant."


    "Co-manager? So what exactly will my job be, Sir? And what¡¯s the point of making her my assistant?"


    "Because I want you to feed her false information about me. Fool her, satisfy her by making her think that she has me in the palm of her hand, and make sure you act like you¡¯re interested in her as well."


    "Wait, I have to act like I want her too?" Michael¡¯s eyes widened, he fervently shook his head, saying, "Anything but that, Henry. Goddamn, you¡¯re going to kill your only friend."


    Michael broke his mask of formality with his boss because of that. Just the idea of him having to fake his attraction to that woman made him shudder, and the thought that he would actually have to execute it made him want to throw up.


    "Tsk, come on, it won¡¯t be long, I swear," Henry promised.


    "No fucking way!"


    "Just help me as a friend, this is the best way for me to win Kate¡¯s heart," Henry continued as he tried to persuade, eventually Michael gave up after Henry mentioned Kate.


    Though he didn¡¯t like this plan of using Kate¡¯s baby as the bargaining chip, he had to admit that Kate was the best option for this mission, especially with her connection with the late James Grant.


    He considered it for a while and nodded, "Alright, I will do it, but this is so that you could win Kate¡¯s heart, right?"


    "Yes! This is for me to make her mine!" Henry said excitedly. He was thrilled, thinking Kate would finally open her heart to him once he helped her.


    "Then I will do it for our mission. We need her baby," Michael said.


    Henry, who was excited a moment ago, suddenly lost all of his vigor. He suddenly went silent. Michael¡¯s eyes peered at Henry. His boss and best friend seemed to be unhappy with what he said.


    "Sir?"


    "What?"


    "You¡¯re not in love with Mrs. Woods, are you?"


    Henry clenched his fist in silence and replied, "No, I¡¯m not."


    "... that¡¯s good, then. Please refrain from going too far, Sir. There is something more urgent that we have to do. Remember our initial plan, Sir. We¡¯re supposed to let her fall madly in love with you, take her baby, and kick her out of your life immediately."


    "You know her identity, Sir. It¡¯ll be dangerous if you fall in love with her," Michael reminded. "You will mess everything up, and may I say, it is not worth it to ditch our years worth of hard work just for a woman."


    "Besides, you already promised Miss Sarah that you will¡ª"


    "Can you shut your mouth?" Henry asked with a sharp tone. He was already in a terrible mood as Michael mentioned that he wasn¡¯t supposed to fall in love with Kate.


    But now that he also mentioned Sarah, he finally reached the boiling point and snapped, "I know what I¡¯m doing, Michael. You can shut your mouth and do as I say. I have everything under control."


    Michael zipped his mouth instantly. He knew nothing good would come out of this argument if he insisted on lecturing Henry.


    However, all of his words were true.


    It was obvious that Henry would end up the same as James. They were brothers who grew up together and tended to like the same things, so they must¡¯ve had the same taste as women.


    It was also why Michael initially disagreed with Henry¡¯s plan for Kate. Henry was playing with fire, and now it seemed he was about to get burned to ashes.


    ¡¯I will have to keep him in check,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯Henry would be in big danger if he got careless because of Mrs. Woods.¡¯


    Michael had nothing against Kate, but he also had his priorities, which was to ensure Henry got his revenge. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    Kate walked out of the elevator and headed to her apartment room. She was in a good mood thinking of what happened last night.


    She didn¡¯t expect things to be so smooth between Henry and her. She thought that she¡¯d need to work a little harder just to seduce him and to convince him to help her get rid of Erin.


    ¡¯I guess that means I can also ask him about other things in the future...¡¯ Kate thought, scolding herself for thinking that way. ¡¯Wait, Kate, what are you thinking? You¡¯re asking for his help because he has the most influence over Erin right now. You are supposed to cut things off with him after you¡¯ve successfully gotten rid of your sister!¡¯


    Kate was still reminiscing about what happened last night. Her mood was lifted whenever she recalled all the sweet things Henry said and did to her.


    But her mood was instantly ruined when she saw Erin standing before her door. She was leaning on Kate¡¯s apartment door, wearing a very tight white shirt without a bra, so her nipples were basically protruding and exposed for everyone to see.


    She also wore tight leather pants, showing off her figures, leaving nothing to the imagination.


    She was fully dressed yet she looked naked in Kate¡¯s eyes. Anyone would be ashamed wearing what she had on, but Erin was strangely proud of herself and her body, so she wouldn¡¯t even bother to dress modestly.


    Kate stood before Erin and peered at her suspiciously, "Why are you here?"


    Erin looked up and smiled at her sister, "Morning, sis. I¡¯m here for my second job interview with none other than Mr. Grant, of course!"

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86: Chapter 86"Second job interview?"


    "Yup~," Erin nodded. "Mr. Grant was so excited to meet me again, so he told me to return today for the second interview."


    "Guess what we did together in his room, Sis?" Erin teased. Of course, truthfully, she did nothing with Henry. She had been painfully rejected by the man, but she wanted to make her sister jealous, it¡¯s not like Erin thought Kate would have known the truth.


    After all, a plain woman like Kate would never have a chance with a man like Henry. It was her life mission to make Kate¡¯s life miserable, and she was enjoying every miserable moment of Kate¡¯s life.


    It was a good payback for all the misery Kate had brought to their lives when Erin was young. This whistleblowing bitch had to suffer for telling the truth about what their father did back then.


    Kate went silent after that. She felt nothing but hatred for her sister, which was sad because Kate had genuinely cared for Erin since she was little.


    She wanted Erin to grow up to be a successful woman and meet the right man that could make her happy.


    But life was full of surprises, and this was a bitter surprise she got for reporting their father to the police.


    "You won¡¯t be able to seduce him, Erin. He¡¯s not that kind of man."


    "Well, too bad, I successfully seduced him and we did it yesterday!" Erin claimed. She knew that Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to get the truth from Henry anyway.


    She expected Kate to look shocked, saddened, or at least lowered her head as she didn¡¯t want Erin to see her tears.


    But Kate was indifferent. She just stared at Erin coldly and replied, "Alright."


    "Hmm? You¡¯re not going to scold me for sleeping with your boss?" Erin asked. "I mean, if I can sleep with him, surely I can also tell him to fire you, right?"


    "I¡¯d like to see you try. I have more power than him," Kate said matter-of-factly . "Now get out of my way, I have to prepare to go to work."


    Erin pouted, seeing that Kate wasn¡¯t shocked by what she did. She moved aside allowing Kate to pass and enter her apartment. She then tailed Kate from behind.


    Erin finally noticed that Kate was wearing an oversized shirt that covered her like a bed sheet up until half of her thigh, giving the illusion that she wasn¡¯t wearing any pants.


    Obviously, Erin knew that it was a man¡¯s shirt, she¡¯d been in the same position before. The owner of that shirt must¡¯ve been a tall man with wide shoulders, probably muscular as well.


    Erin raised her brow and commented, "Wow, Sis, I didn¡¯t know that it¡¯d be easy for you to move on from Matt. Look at you, already wearing a man¡¯s shirt coming home from what must have been a wild night."


    Erin chuckled as Kate continued to ignore her.


    "Tell me, who is this unlucky guy? I mean, judging from the size of the shirt, it could be a fat fuck suitable for a documentary about obesity, or an ugly construction worker nearby. Those two would be the only ones willing to fuck you."


    Kate stopped her tracks and looked over her shoulder. She smirked as she stared at Erin, "What if I told you that I had amazing sex with Mr. Henry Grant last night?"


    "Pfft¡ªHahaha!" Erin laughed as she thought that was so funny. "Oh come on, Sis, no need to lie. We both know that you are too plain for him. He doesn¡¯t want an average spare tire like you. A man like him wants an equally amazing woman like me."


    "That¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t believe it. But don¡¯t you think this shirt will fit so well on his body?" Kate asked as she taunted Erin.


    Erin stared at the shirt Kate was wearing, and she gulped nervously.


    That shirt definitely would fit Henry¡¯s body so well. It seemed to be just right for his size.


    But that kind of white shirt was very common.


    ¡¯I must¡¯ve been a bit insecure because I couldn¡¯t bag Henry yesterday,¡¯ Erin thought to herself. ¡¯But no matter how crazy it is, there is no way that Henry would want to sleep with a woman like Kate. That¡¯s just unbelievable.¡¯


    Thus, gathering her confidence, she sneered, "Yeah, sure, Sis. You can keep dreaming. I know that you must¡¯ve been desperate to find a good man after Matt chose to be with me over you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re willing to let random men fuck you last night."


    "Well, that¡¯s up to you to believe or not," Kate shrugged. "Anyway, I¡¯m going to get ready for work. If you want to come with me, then you can wait for me, or else, scram."


    Kate walked to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin was stunned by her sister¡¯s harsh words. She wasn¡¯t this curt to her usually.


    ¡¯Hmm, could it be that I¡¯ve gotten soft with my threats?¡¯ Erin wondered. ¡¯Should I call Mom and tell her that Kate cheated on Matt by fucking a construction worker?¡¯


    ¡¯Eh, no, Mom will die,¡¯ Erin rolled her eyes. ¡¯I need her to stay alive, at least until Matt is obsessed with me, then I can tell her everything and let her get some cute heart attack and die. I don¡¯t care about Kate after that happened.¡¯


    Kate sat in front of the vanity mirror, applying her red lipstick skillfully. She wasn¡¯t a fan of red lipstick, especially not in the office. Because the last time she wore it, her coworkers gossiped, saying that she wanted to seduce Mr. James Grant.


    So when she went to the office she wore nude lipstick instead.


    But she wore this red lipstick as a reminder to Henry that they were in cahoots and he would be rewarded for helping her. Since the last time they did it, Henry kissed her fervently until her lips turned red.


    "I know that you¡¯re probably thinking about calling Mom again since I¡¯m not kissing your ass right now, Erin. That has always been your weapon against me, because you know I¡¯m not a heartless bitch like you."


    "But worry not. You will be super satisfied with your life. You will be the queen in my office," Kate said. Her lips perked up, giving her that enchanting look that made Henry crazy for her. "I will make sure that you will have everything while I have nothing, just like what you¡¯ve wanted all this time."


    Kate put the lipstick back into her bag and added, "Then I will throw you to the pits of hell, so you will know what kind of hell I¡¯ve experienced for putting up with your bullshit for so long."

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87: Chapter 87Kate went out of her room and was not surprised to see Erin waiting for her in the living room. She played with her phone leisurely, and once she heard the bedroom door opening, Erin dumped her phone into her bag and got up.


    "Let¡¯s go, sis. I can¡¯t wait for my second interview with Mr. Grant!" Erin said with a playful giggle as she tried to irritate Kate.


    Kate stared at Erin, who was busy checking herself in the full-body mirror in the living room. She did a little twirl and then intentionally pushed her hips to give that illusion of a sexy, perky butt.


    She also pushed out her chest to show off her braless breasts.


    Erin hummed for a moment and then unbuttoned the top two of her shirt, to emphasize her cleavage even though her nipples were already exposed under that tight, thin white shirt.


    Erin glanced at her sister, who had been watching her from the side. She smirked and raised her brow provocatively, "Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m very sexy, Sis? Look at my ass and my boobs. No wonder so many handsome men are into me, I¡¯m sure Mr. Grant won¡¯t be able to resist me again."


    Kate sneered in silence. It was ironic because Erin tried so hard to show off her body, forcing it even if the curves were barely present. Meanwhile, Kate was blessed with naturally plump breasts, a curvy body, and big ass, which most men liked, but she didn¡¯t want to show any of them off in public.


    Unlike Erin, who liked to show off, Kate was uncomfortable with the attention she got at work.


    Her male coworkers and higher-ups would stare at her body perversely, and the female coworkers would gossip about her out of jealousy.


    She wore more modest clothing so those people would see her for what she offered to the company, and not only because she had big boobs.


    "You¡¯re not going to make me jealous by acting like a slut, Erin," Kate said coldly.


    Erin rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever. Men like it, that¡¯s the important part," she claimed. "An opinion from a jealous, average-looking woman shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously, because I know that you¡¯re just salty that I can sleep with a man like Henry while you are stuck fucking random ugly fat fuck!"


    Kate decided to ignore Erin. There was no end to her insults, and she was running late.


    She breezed past Erin as she made her way out focused on getting to work on time and the latter could only grumble as she followed Kate to the basement parking lot.


    Kate drove Erin to the office.


    There was nothing but silence in the car because they despised each other.


    Erin was thinking of what other insulting words she could use to send her sister into a depressive state again. She loved seeing Kate being depressed because Erin believed that Kate didn¡¯t deserve to be happy.


    She wanted her to be depressed and hopefully, kill herself.


    ¡¯Honestly, that¡¯d be the best. Kate should kill herself for ruining our family. I¡¯d spit on her grave too!¡¯ Erin thought. She glanced at Kate, whose eyes were still on the road. ¡¯Now look at her. She still looks okay, and has a great job. Ugh, is there no justice in this world? I¡¯m the victim here.¡¯


    Kate parked her car in the usual parking spot and went straight to the elevator.


    She intentionally ignored Erin because she knew the more they argued, the harder it would be for Kate.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped at their office¡¯s floor. Erin took the lead and strutted through the office corridor confidently, attracting the attention of the male employees who couldn¡¯t help staring at her breasts.


    Those men wanted to approach Erin to get her number, but seeing that their scary Chief Editor was walking right behind her, everyone decided to refrain because they were afraid to get scolded or, even worse, fired for indecency.


    Meanwhile, Erin pretty much enjoyed all the attention she got. She came from a small town, and most people were conservative.


    Erin felt like she had been oppressed all her life, and she went wild as she left that damned small town for Los Angeles.


    Erin and Kate bumped into Mai, who had just served two cups of coffee for Mr. Grant and his guest inside the CEO¡¯s office.


    She smiled at Mrs. Woods as always, "Good morning, Ma¡¯am. Do you want me to make you a coffee or tea?"


    Kate smiled back as if there was a silent conversation between the two women, "Tea would be good, thank you, Mai."


    "Ugh, does this place only have coffee and tea? How boring," Erin said, rolling her eyes, as she mocked Mai who stood in front of her. "You, go buy me a mocha latte from Starbucks downstairs, add two pumps of raspberry syrup too. Oh! Don¡¯t forget a slice of red velvet cake."


    Mai¡¯s smile vanished instantly when she looked at Erin, "You can buy those downstairs. They come with discounts too if you¡¯re an employee in this building."


    Erin was visibly annoyed by Mai¡¯s treatment of her. She would be the second boss right after Mr. Grant here. How could a mere errand girl dare to mock her like this?!


    "Listen to me, you chink. I¡¯m going to be your boss¡¯ girlfriend soon enough. Naturally, I¡¯m going to be your new boss as well," Erin claimed. "So you better do what I say or I¡¯ll tell Mr. Grant to fire you."


    Mai¡¯s eyes widened, and Kate was also equally shocked by what Erin had said just now.


    She wondered what kind of people Erin mingled with for her to say something incredibly racist.


    "What did you call me just now?" Mai asked. Her face was red as she clenched her fist, ready to swing it at Erin any time.


    "Are you deaf or what? I said, you should listen to what I say because I will be your boss, Chink!"


    "You¡ª!" Mai raised her hand as she was about to slap the bitch. But Kate quickly stepped in and separated Mai and Erin with her body. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mai," she called her name with a stern tone. "Don¡¯t."


    Mai looked at her boss with disbelief, "But Ma¡¯am, she is¡ª"


    Kate shook her head. She mouthed something to Mai without voicing it, and Mai was dazed for a while. She gritted her teeth and nodded, "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am."

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88: Chapter 88"Yeah, know your place, chink. You are a mere errand girl, while I¡¯ll be your new boss!" Erin sneered.


    She patted Kate¡¯s shoulder and said, "Thanks for protecting me, Sis. Go scold that stupid Chinese errand girl. She should learn to know her place here."


    Kate took a deep breath and pointed at the CEO¡¯s office with her chin, "Go and meet Henry now. He must¡¯ve been waiting for you to arrive."


    "Correct~ Let me see Mr. Grant now, I bet he will be excited to see me today," Erin said. She swayed her hips left and right as she walked towards the CEO¡¯s office door with a spring in her step.


    Mai, who had been holding it for so long, finally snapped. She yelled at Erin, "He will kick you out, you racist whore!"


    "Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re just a Chinese errand girl. Go scrub the toilet or whatever," Erin replied without looking back.


    "I¡¯m Japanese, you fucking idiot!"


    "Whatever, you all look the same anyway," Erin replied. She stopped as she reached the door. She looked over her shoulder and taunted Mai with a grin, "When I walk back out of that door I will be your new boss, so you should kiss my feet after this or you¡¯ll lose your job, Chink."


    And with that, Erin pushed the door open and entered the CEO¡¯s office to meet with Henry.


    "That whore¡ª" Mai wanted to curse at Erin with all the curse words in the dictionary. She was so pissed that she couldn¡¯t wait to jump at Erin and rip her breasts so she¡¯d stop flaunting them like a whore!


    Mai looked at Kate and complained, "Ma¡¯am, can you believe that woman? Why would we accept a racist like her! Ugh, I¡¯m so mad!"


    Kate patted Mai¡¯s shoulder to comfort her, "I know, but you need to calm down, Mai. You will shoot yourself in the foot if you attack her now."


    Kate was also angry at Erin. She never taught her to be racist, and their mother definitely never taught her so either. She didn¡¯t know where Erin picked up that habit, but she must punish Erin for what she said to Mai.


    She stopped Mai from attacking Erin because Erin would be this office¡¯s new ¡¯queen¡¯ for a while. She could do whatever she wanted , and if Mai actually attacked Erin, then Erin would have a reason to fire Mai.


    Kate definitely didn¡¯t want to get Mai fired. She was a very good woman and assistant!


    Mai could only lower her head as she tried to contain her fury, "I trust that you have something in mind to punish that woman, Ma¡¯am."


    "I do, trust me, Mai," Kate said. "You will be satisfied if you¡¯re patient."


    **


    Michael and Henry sat on the sofa when Mai entered the office and served them two cups of coffee.


    Michael and Mai eyed each other for a split second, trying to find each other¡¯s intention and purpose in this office, and as Mai left, Michael couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Why is that little secretary of yours eyeing me suspiciously? What¡¯s her name anyway?"


    "That¡¯s Mai. Mai Ishikawa, 23. She¡¯s an employee hired by Kate and she is fiercely protective of her," Henry informed. "She¡¯s angry at me for taking Erin¡¯s side instead of Kate yesterday, so she¡¯s currently mad at me and definitely at you as well."


    "Hmm, I see, maybe because she¡¯s young, that¡¯s why she can¡¯t control her facial expression," Michael said. "She looks like she¡¯s about to strangle us both."


    Henry laughed, "You talk like an old man. She¡¯s only a year younger than me, and four years younger than you. Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re in your mid forties."


    "Can¡¯t help it when I had to babysit you since you were young," Michael said sarcastically, as he was in an argumentative mood right now.


    "Yet, I graduated high school before you," Henry said, mentioning the fact that he skipped grades.


    As they were bickering, they heard a commotion outside. Mai hadn¡¯t completely closed the door before so they could hear the voice of two women yelling at each other outside the CEO¡¯s office. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael frowned, "Should I go and check?"


    "No," Henry shook his head. "Let¡¯s just stay here and do our part. I¡¯m sure Kate has it under control."


    "You put too much trust in that woman."


    "As I should," Henry said.


    Michael sighed.


    They waited until the door was opened again, and this time, Erin came in.


    She was wearing a super tight, thin white shirt that looked suffocating. She had two buttons undone, so half of her cleavage was out for everyone to see, and she didn¡¯t wear any bra because Henry and Michael could see her nipples through the thin fabric of her top.


    She also wore tight leather pants that clearly outlined the shape of her butt. Erin was quite a beauty, but her vulgarity shocked Michael so much that he went pale instantly.


    He knew Erin wasn¡¯t the most modest woman, but her brazenness to show that much skin in a formal setting was too much for Michael. He couldn¡¯t wait to get the hell out because this type of woman was the most annoying to deal with.


    Henry smiled at Erin, who just walked in.


    "Welcome, Miss Ross, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for our second interview," Henry said.


    "Really?" Erin was surprised that Mr. Grant would accept her easily. After what happened yesterday, she thought that he would be defensive, even going as far as rejecting her as soon as she walked in through the door.


    So she had already planned a better way to seduce Mr. Grant more subtly than yesterday.


    ¡¯Good thing I don¡¯t need to seduce him. Turns out he¡¯s also into me,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Maybe he was just too shy yesterday, that¡¯s why he rejected me. Hihi, I knew that he couldn¡¯t resist me in the end.¡¯


    "Yes, really," Henry said. "I was too nervous yesterday, that¡¯s why I told you to come back today for your second interview."


    "Well, then I¡¯ll be honored to accept any kind of interview that you will give to me. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s hard... or long, hihi~," Erin giggled. She glanced at Michael, who was still staring at her with his jaw wide open in shock. That man must be fascinated by her as well!


    "So, Mr. Grant, are we going to do the interview in front of your guest?"

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89: Chapter 89"So, Mr. Grant, are we going to do the interview in front of your guest?" Erin asked in a seductive tone as she eyed Michael from head to toe and then licked her lips. " He can even join in if he wants. I don¡¯t mind, the more the merrier, right?"


    Erin already had plenty of experience with threesomes, and this man, though not as handsome as Henry, was still quite good-looking, above average at least.


    He had that military cut, his body was well-built just like Henry, and his rough facial features reminded her of a battle-hardened soldier. He was her type, and rough men were usually equally rough in bed as well.


    Meanwhile, Michael felt goosebumps all over his body. He was shuddering when he thought about sleeping with that woman. It was so gross that he couldn¡¯t wait to get the fuck out of Henry¡¯s office and take a shower to rid himself of her dirty looks.


    Michael glanced at Henry, who was grinning, and he cursed his best friend in his mind, ¡¯You goddamn monster! Why would you trap your only best friend in this kind of dangerous mission?!¡¯


    ¡¯I¡¯d prefer to get deployed in a real war again instead of having to handle this woman! Arrrghhh!¡¯ Michael screamed internally, but he was a professional so he kept his stoic expression despite the urge to shout and walk out. Since his boss ordered him to do this, he had to.


    Michael stood up and approached Erin whose cheeks reddened when she saw the man smirking at her.


    Michael gently took Erin¡¯s hand and held it with his coarse one and then kissed it like a gentleman, "My name is Michael Eckermann. I was sent by the parent company to help Henry run Emperor Publishing as a Co-manager until he successfully integrates into the system. I will be watching the interview today."


    Erin was surprised by his introduction. She didn¡¯t expect this man to kiss her hand so brazenly in front of Henry, who was obviously into her as well. She also noticed the interest in this man¡¯s eyes. He looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to strip Erin naked and touch her all over! She could feel her pussy getting damp just thinking of these two hot men sharing her.


    She looked at Henry, who didn¡¯t seem mad at Michael¡¯s advance toward her.


    "He is also my best friend. I told him to join the interview because he is eager to see what you have in store for us, Miss Ross," Henry said.


    "Yeah, I don¡¯t mind sharing at all," Michael added, allowing Erin¡¯s mind to go wild with assumptions based on his words. He leaned forward and whispered in Erin¡¯s ear with his gruff voice, "I don¡¯t mind interviewing a beauty like you in private either, if you are willing."


    Erin¡¯s body trembled all over when she heard that. Her pussy got even damper at the notion that she¡¯d be shared and thoroughly fucked by these two men, and these men weren¡¯t just insignificant people."


    They were both very handsome and powerful.


    Henry was an absurdly handsome hunk with a perfect body and a deep wallet. He could pamper her to the moon and back and still have more than enough money left over to buy her a huge mansion!


    Though she didn¡¯t know how rich Michael was, to be best friends with Henry, surely he must¡¯ve come from a rich family as well, right? He was also handsome, with a military-esque figure. She had always dreamed of getting fucked by a hot military man!


    ¡¯Damn, I never realized how sexy I was. Turns out, I¡¯m just so HOT that it¡¯s enough to hook these two! I bet I can seduce even more powerful men, and I will be surrounded and pampered by them!¡¯ Erin was excited but tried to conceal it in front of Henry and Michael. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wanted them to make the first move. She knew that most men loved a meek woman who would fall into debauchery after getting fucked!


    "W¡ªWell, I don¡¯t mind having an interview with both of you," Erin said. "But I¡¯m here for an interview with Mr. Grant, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I do it with him first, Mr. Eckermann?"


    "Hahah, sure, you can do an interview with her first, Henry," Michael said without hesitation. ¡¯In fact, you can do whatever to her, so I can get the hell out to find a mouthwash. God, why do I have to do this?!¡¯


    "Sure, it¡¯s me who initially offered her the job anyway, isn¡¯t that right, Miss Ross?" Henry walked to his desk and sat on his chair. He rested his hand on the desk and instructed, "You should sit in front of me, Miss Ross. We can continue where we left off yesterday."


    "Yes!" Erin intentionally made a small jump each time she took a step towards Henry to get that effect of bouncing breasts, which men usually loved. It was a fail-proof technique that Erin usually used to seduce men.


    She stole a glance at Henry, who couldn¡¯t help but to stare at her breasts, making her even more excited!


    ¡¯Heheh, I know from our last time together, Mr. Grant is definitely into my boobs. I know that he was trying his best to fight off the urge to suck on my tits yesterday. That¡¯s why I¡¯m using this kind of tight shirt, to accentuate my boobs until he can¡¯t resist them,¡¯ Erin was proud of her brilliant idea.


    Naturally, she knew that men were dogs. They might claim they were in a relationship or married, but once Erin showed how sexy and skillful she was, those men would quickly change their tune and cheat on their wives or girlfriends just to have a night with her.


    In fact, one could say that it was her hobby to become a homewrecker. She loved seeing those ugly women crying in pain because they got cheated on by their men.


    It would be a reality check to those ugly wives because they were nothing but ugly hags who thought they could keep their husbands with their sagging tits.


    ¡¯They have to be as good as me if they want to keep their husbands,¡¯ Erin thought with pride. ¡¯Unfortunately, I think that¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m too sexy, too cute, and just too perfect. I will absolutely crush the competition if I have to fight against those saggy-tited women, hihi~.¡¯


    Erin¡¯s little world popped when she finally sat on the seat facing Henry. She leaned forward and said, "I am ready for the interview, Mr. Grant. Just tell me what to do, I am sure you won¡¯t be disappointed after hiring me."

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90: Chapter 90¡¯Ah! Ahh! Mr. Grant, you¡¯re amazing!¡¯ Erin couldn¡¯t help but scream when Henry¡¯s big cock penetrated her pussy so deep. This was definitely the biggest she ever had, and it was AMAZING!


    ¡¯Oh yeah? Then I¡¯ll fuck you silly, you bitch! You dare to seduce me, then you have to pay for it!¡¯ Henry grunted as he began to thrust in and out of Erin¡¯s pussy.


    Meanwhile, Erin busied herself, stroking yet another thick dick on her hand. She looked up at Michael, who stripped himself naked, waiting for Erin to shove his dick into her mouth.


    Erin also praised, ¡¯Your cock so big, Mr. Eckermann!¡¯


    ¡¯Then tell me which one¡¯s bigger. Henry¡¯s cock inside your pussy, or mine inside your mouth?¡¯ Michael said before shoving his dick inside Erin¡¯s mouth.


    ¡¯Mmmhhh!¡¯


    ¡ª


    "Miss Ross? Miss Ross!"


    "Ah, y¡ªyes?!" Erin snapped back to reality from her daydream when Henry called her name.


    Henry raised his brow. He knew he was supposed to ¡¯interview¡¯ this bitch before giving her the job. But the level of disrespect was just too much, "Please focus on the interview. It¡¯s the third time you failed to answer my question properly."


    Erin pouted.


    She was upset because she had been fantasizing about all the naughty things she would do with Henry and Michael, and each time she was fantasizing about the best part, Henry would call her name and raise his voice to snap her out of that nice fantasy.


    She thought Henry would tell her to strip herself and lie on the desk. Then he¡¯d begin to ravage her body, kissing and touching her all over.


    Then, Michael would join, and they¡¯d begin their threesome.


    Unfortunately, all she got were questions¡ªreal and difficult questions about the job and her capability in handling the job that¡¯d be given to her.


    It was boring, so boring that she had to resist the urge to tell Henry to skip this part and fuck her already.


    ¡¯Why is he taking so long anyway? Is this interview part of his role play? Then it¡¯s definitely a boring one!¡¯ Erin protested.


    Unfortunately, all she could do right now was to patiently wait until Henry finished this boring interview role-play and went on with the main scene.


    Henry asked a few more questions and smiled at Erin, "Alright, that¡¯s all for the interview. You¡¯re hired, Miss Erina Ross. Congratulations."


    "Okay, so what kind of work will I do, Mr. Grant? I will surely do a very good job at it, even though it might be hard, thick, and long~," Erin asked. She tried her best to send a seductive smile at him to lure him in. But Henry was unaffected by it.


    In fact, he acted like this was a formal interview!


    "You will work under Michael as his assistant, he will tell you what you have to do as an assistant. But it shouldn¡¯t be hard, all you need to do is to accompany him while he¡¯s working," Henry replied. "Naturally, you have the power over at least 90% of the employees in this company, so you don¡¯t need to worry about them bothering or disrespecting you, okay?"


    "Aww, but I want to work with you, Mr. Grant!" Erin insisted. She looked over her shoulder and saw Michael smirking at her. "No offense to you, Mr. Eckermann. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also amazing. But I want Mr. Grant first!"


    "No, no, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m up for anything as long as it¡¯s Henry¡¯s command," Michael replied with a shrug, he seemed a little bit too happy to be letting Henry have her first.


    "I can¡¯t do that, unfortunately," Henry denied. "My work as a CEO is really exhausting. A lot of meetings, document works, and signing deals. It doesn¡¯t sound fun, and I don¡¯t want a beautiful woman like you to be exhausted from that kind of work. It¡¯d be a waste of your talent, Miss Ross."


    "Don¡¯t worry, you can try it out with Michael first, and once you¡¯re done with him. I¡¯ll call you and hire you to work under me, okay?" Henry said.


    He glanced at Michael, whose face paled even more, thinking of all the hellish days he¡¯d have in this office with that wench. "Don¡¯t forget to show Miss Ross all the things she has to do, Michael. She needs to learn a lot."


    Erin was at least compensated for the lack of dick in her with that statement. Though she didn¡¯t get to fuck Henry, at least she could be around him and Michael. She could always seduce them, she knew she was good at that. It was like playing a long game to seduce two powerful men, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that¡¯s the kink they were into.


    "Um, I guess..." she murmured. "Then, can I fire someone?"


    "Huh?" Henry frowned. "Fire someone? For what?"


    "For fighting back!" Erin pouted. "You know, that little Chinese girl outside. She refused to buy me my Starbucks coffee even though she¡¯s just an errand girl!"


    "Ah, Mai¡ª" Henry had heard the commotion outside. But he didn¡¯t know it was between Erin and Mai. He thought it was Kate who had argued with Erin.


    "Yeah, that girl. Can I please fire her, Sir?" Erin asked.


    "You can¡¯t, she¡¯s my secretary, she does her job quite well," Henry said. "Besides, you should be kind to her. Because Mai will be working with you from now on as Michael¡¯s assistant as well."


    "What?!" Erin¡¯s eyes widened. "You¡¯re telling me to work with that chink?!"


    Henry frowned when Erin called Mai a ¡¯chink.¡¯


    He wanted to call her out for making such a racist remark, but she was supposed to be the new ¡¯queen¡¯ of the office. She needed to be pampered and spoiled until she thought that she could do whatever she wanted without any consequences. It would be then that Michael would begin to feed her misinformation about Henry so she would be satisfied and stop threatening Kate with their mother¡¯s weak heart.


    And after that...


    Kate would then tell him what to do next to get rid of her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, Henry swallowed his disgust and stood up. He walked around the desk and stopped right beside Erin, who was still sitting on the chair.


    He knelt and held her hand. He kissed it and said, "Be patient, okay? I will make it worth your while as long as you¡¯re willing to put up with them."


    Michael also walked towards Erin on the opposite side of Henry. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently caressed it, eliciting a moan from her. He lowered his head till she could feel his warm breath on her nape, "Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ross. You are in good hands as long as you listen to everything I say."


    "..."


    Erin was at a loss for words, left silent by what the two men were doing to her. She bit her lower lip as her body began to tremble. She quickly squeezed her thighs together to stop her juice from dripping because she actually had a weird orgasm after these two powerful men touched her while promising a better future in the company to her.


    ¡¯Oh God, this is what I¡¯ve been looking for,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯I shouldn¡¯t have allowed myself to get fucked by a useless man like Matt. Why do I need to be with him when I can be with two powerful men like Henry and Michael? As expected, I¡¯m such a dangerous woman that can make all men fall on their knees and promise things to me.¡¯

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91: Chapter 91Erin felt like a queen as she was treated like this by two very capable and handsome men. She couldn¡¯t wait to see all the things she could do with these men when she finally made them completely hers, after she was done seducing them they would obey all of her commands and fulfill all her demands.


    Erin pulled her hand from Henry. She traced her fingers around Henry¡¯s defined jawline and pinched his chin.


    She forced Henry to look up to her, "Thank you so much for hiring me, Mr. Grant. I will make sure that you are satisfied with me, and you can also tell me to work in any position you want," she said in a seductive tone as she maintained eye contact with him. "Why don¡¯t you come up and kiss me on the lips. That would be a great welcome treat, right?"


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened instantly. He was already at his limit at this point. He already swallowed all of his disgust just to make it look convincing, but he began to think this plan wouldn¡¯t work in the long run because there was no way he¡¯d be able to pretend to like this woman for a long time.


    Erin translated his nervousness as a sign of embarrassment. She giggled, ¡¯So cute, he looks so domineering on the outside, but he¡¯s actually quite shy in private!¡¯


    "Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped," Erin lowered her back, leaning towards Henry, who knelt beside her. She was ready to kiss Henry, who was petrified by shock and disgust.


    But before Erin could kiss him, the office door was suddenly slammed open.


    SLAM!


    Erin, Michael, and Henry turned all of their attention to the door that had just slammed open and saw the Chief Editor cross her arms over her chest while Mai was standing right behind her, carrying a document.


    Kate was indifferent as she saw the scene before her where two men were treating a slut like Erin as their queen.


    Meanwhile, Mai didn¡¯t even bother to hide her disgust. She looked at them like they were a bunch of filthy bed bugs that didn¡¯t deserve to live.


    Erin smirked when she saw her sister, who had suddenly barged in.


    She knew that Kate must¡¯ve been so jealous of her because she could bag two handsome and powerful men at once with her beauty, while Kate was so ugly that she couldn¡¯t even keep her useless husband in check.


    "Why are you here, Sis?" Erin asked with a taunting tone. "Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy with these two handsome men?"


    Kate was indifferent. She looked ten times colder than usual, which sent shivers down Henry¡¯s spine.


    He didn¡¯t know if Kate was angry or not. She shouldn¡¯t be because he was just doing everything according to her plan.


    But from the looks of it, she looked pissed off for some unknown reason, maybe even jealous.


    "I don¡¯t care about what you¡¯re doing with them, Erin," Kate said coldly. "I¡¯m here to call Mr. Grant, we have a meeting with an author in thirty minutes. We can¡¯t be late."


    Kate¡¯s eyes darted at Henry, who flinched immediately. Though everything he did with Erin was just an act and she knew well enough that he was just pretending, somehow he got the feeling that he just got caught red-handed cheating with another woman by his wife.


    "How long are you going to kneel like an idiot there, Mr. Grant?" Kate asked sternly. "Get up and come with me, we have a meeting to attend."


    "Aww, but Mr. Grant wants to spend his time with me. Isn¡¯t that right, Henry?" Erin asked him, his name on her lips made Henry¡¯s skin crawl in disgust. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not everything is about your dirty vagina, Erin. I don¡¯t give a damn about what you¡¯re doing with them, but Mr. Grant needs to do his job as a CEO," Kate said.


    Erin was amused by her sister. Kate was definitely pissed off she couldn¡¯t wait to take Henry away from her.


    It was obvious that Kate was jealous because Erin was far more beautiful, sexy, and perfect in every way than Kate¡¯s average self.


    It was also apparent to Erin that Kate was interested in Henry. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a one-sided feeling because Henry was already on his knees for Erin.


    ¡¯Well, I guess I can let her have Henry for a little while. Maybe she will desperately cling to him because Henry doesn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings. But seeing her so heartbroken is also fun, I hope she will kill herself out of heartbreak,¡¯ Erin thought.


    "Well, that can¡¯t be helped then. Mr. Grant, I know that you want to spend more time with me, but you should do your job as the CEO...." Erin said to Henry.


    Meanwhile, Henry was dazed. He didn¡¯t even hear what Erin had to say because his attention was fully on Kate. He was petrified when Kate stared at him with her cold gaze.


    "Mr. Grant, let¡¯s go," Kate said.


    Like an obedient dog, Henry got up from where he knelt and quickly followed Kate. He ignored Erin and everyone else completely and only had his eyes on Kate, who had called for him.


    Henry stopped in front of Kate. He truly looked like a man who had just been caught cheating on his wife, but before he could say a thing, Kate quickly turned around and instructed, "Follow me, we can¡¯t be late for our meeting. Aren¡¯t you the one who said you want to be involved with our million-dollar authors?"


    "I am," Henry nodded obediently. All that was lacking was for him to stick his tongue out and wag his invisible tail.


    "Then let¡¯s go," Kate said. She glanced at Mai, who still eyed Michael and Erin like a pair of bed bugs, then Mai shifted her gaze to Henry and looked at him as if he was the biggest, stinkiest bed bug in this room. "Don¡¯t forget to put those documents on Mr. Grant¡¯s desk, Mai. I also want you to show those two their new offices. You will be assigned to watch over them."


    "Understood, Ma¡¯am," Mai nodded. "Please be careful on your way, and don¡¯t forget to tell me if you need help, in case you get treated unpleasantly by someone, Ma¡¯am," she said while eyeing the CEO.


    At this point, she already lost all her respect for Henry and only saw Kate as her boss. She continued working as Mr. Grant¡¯s secretary but just because Mrs. Woods told her to do so.


    However, Henry couldn¡¯t care less about Mai or anyone in this room aside fromKate. He was wondering if he had done something wrong because all he did was follow Kate¡¯s order to satisfy Erin¡¯s lust for men and power.


    Henry followed Kate, who walked out of the CEO¡¯s room. He quickly took a big step forward so they could walk side by side. He checked on Kate, who was still walking in silence, her arms crossed over her chest, her stilettos clicking on the hard floor whenever she stepped.


    Tap! Tap! Tap!


    Henry wondered if she was intentionally making that noise to show him that she was upset or was just THAT upset to the point that she didn¡¯t even know what she was doing right now.


    Each tap of her heel on the floor sounded like the ticking of a time bomb to Henry as if it were counting down to how much time he had left.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92: Chapter 92Either way, it was bad news for him. Because he was the reason she was upset, and he didn¡¯t even know what he did wrong.


    "Everything is according to plan, right?" Henry asked, like a dog asking his master for approval, as he needed assurance from Kate. "Did I do good?"


    Kate continued to ignore Henry until she stopped in front of the elevator. She pressed the button and entered, Henry quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind, he stood right next to her in the elevator, stealing worried glances at her.


    "Kitty..." Henry asked again, waiting for the pat on the head from Kate.


    "You did good," Kate replied, but her tone was bitter, it didn¡¯t sound like she was happy. "Too good in fact."


    "Too good?"


    Kate gave Henry a side eye, "You¡¯re too good at acting infatuated, Mr. Grant. I thought you¡¯d let yourself get kissed by her if I missed a second to barge into your room."


    Henry gulped.


    Of course, he had no intention of getting kissed by Erin. But he was so eager to impress Kate with the mission that he swallowed all his disgust.


    "You know just being in the same room with her is already disgusting to me. I¡¯m just holding my disgust, Kate. It¡¯s also difficult for me as well!" Henry said. "And please don¡¯t call me Mr. Grant. Nobody¡¯s around us right now, I prefer you to call me Henry."


    "Then you should definitely start a career in acting, Mr. Grant," Kate said, ignoring Henry¡¯s last sentence. "You¡¯re so convincing, even I was fooled just now. I really thought you were so infatuated with my whore of a sister that you¡¯re willing to kiss her."


    "It makes me wonder," Kate paused for a second. She kept her eyes on Henry, studying his expression, and asked, "Are you planning on turning me into a fool as well, Mr. Grant?"


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean?"


    "I mean, if you have a plan to use me for your own benefit, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for you, since you could¡¯ve fooled me plenty of times at this point," Kate said. She lowered her gaze, not wanting to study his face more.


    She was afraid that her suspicion might actually be true.


    Henry might have a plan to use and manipulate her, though she didn¡¯t know for what benefit.


    But imagining a young, handsome, and super-rich man like Henry becoming so infatuated with an average lady in her thirties like Kate sounded something too good to be true.


    So Kate suspected that Henry might have plotted something behind her back.


    Meanwhile, Henry was astonished. His body was frozen from head to toe. He didn¡¯t know if it was her suspicion or if she had already sniffed something from him.


    He knew he was guilty because the plan of using Kate¡¯s baby as a bargaining chip was still ongoing.


    But he didn¡¯t want everything to crumble before his eyes. He panicked when he thought of Kate finding out about the plan too early.


    So he tried his best to assure her, "You¡¯re overthinking, Kate. I acted like that towards Erin because I want your plan to go smoothly. Why would I choose her over you? You¡¯re perfect in every way."


    "Again with your cheesiness," Kate complained. But she actually felt assured and confident with where she stood because of his statement.


    ¡¯Yeah, I¡¯m definitely overthinking. So far, Henry has been nothing but good to me. It would be an insult to him if I keep suspecting him for things that came straight out of my nightmares.¡¯


    "Anyway, you shouldn¡¯t be too close to Erin," Kate said. "I told you to satisfy her, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you need to kiss or do anything sexual with her. Erin is a woman that wants to play a game of tug of war with her men. She needs a man that is challenging, so be challenging to her, but give her enough bait so she will think that you¡¯re into her."


    "Alright, I will do that," Henry nodded. "Anyway, I wonder how you could barge into my office at the right time, did you spy on me?"


    "I just told Mai to open the door a little and watch over you through the gap. She reported to me that you kissed Erin¡¯s hand, and I thought this was already going too far, so I had to stop you before things got out of control," Kate said.


    "What about Michael then?"


    "He can do whatever he wants with Erin," Kate replied. "I¡¯m just a little concerned about you since you barely have any self-control. I don¡¯t want you to do anything sexual with her, remember that, Henry."


    Henry knew that Kate was threatening him. She would definitely explode if Henry actually did something sexual with Erin.


    But that didn¡¯t scare him at all. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, his heart was filled with amusement and a hint of joy. He grinned as he tried to get close to Kate until their shoulders brushed.


    "So you¡¯ve been watching over that interview to make sure I didn¡¯t do anything to Erin, huh?" Henry asked.


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, "Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself. I¡¯m just making sure you don¡¯t fuck up."


    "Suuuureee," Henry teased. He chuckled when he saw that Kate became shy and blush when he began telling her of his suspicions. "You allowed Michael to do whatever he wants with Erin, but you don¡¯t allow me to? Does that mean you will get jealous if I kissed Erin or another woman?"


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t want you to kiss another woman because you¡¯re going to ruin our plan, or our company," Kate tried to defend herself from his accusation. "Just like what you did to Irene Banks and Erin just now. You¡¯re too dangerous."


    "But it¡¯s okay for me to kiss you, right?" Henry asked. His grin grew wider as he added, "Does that mean Mrs. Grant wants to have me as her exclusive boy toy?"

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93: Chapter 93Kate was dazed for a while until she snapped out of it when she noticed something was terribly wrong, "Wait, what did you just call me? Why are you calling me Mrs. Grant? We¡¯re not married yet!"


    "Haha, I guess I slipped," Henry winked. "My bad, I¡¯m just a boy toy anyway. I need a lot of guidance."


    "Boy toy¡ª" Kate was speechless. She turned her body to face Henry subconsciously as his words felt like a bucket of ice cold water was poured on her, she could not comprehend what he had said just now. "How could you say something like that? Are you not ashamed to be called a boy toy? You are Henry Theodore Grant, you are the owner of this company, and you are the sole heir of the Grant family multi-billion dollar businesses."


    She looked at Henry with a tender gaze, her heart broke for some reason as he called himself a boy toy.


    "Please refrain from using such a derogatory term for yourself, Henry," Kate scolded. She greatly respected James and Henry Grant as they were both very competent at their jobs. "You are worth way more than that."


    It felt weird to hear Henry calling himself a boy toy and to her, HER, a nobody who was simply an employee working in the company to keep herself afloat.


    Henry could see Kate¡¯s seriousness. She seemed to be genuinely concerned about him calling himself a boy toy.


    He called himself that as a joke to tease Kate, but it seemed that he offended Kate for an unknown reason.


    Henry grinned and gently held Kate¡¯s hand, "Why not? I don¡¯t really care about my family¡¯s name or reputation in the first place."


    Kate frowned, "Please don¡¯t joke about that again."


    "It¡¯s not a joke," Henry said. He lifted Kate¡¯s hand until it was on his lips, and he added, "I don¡¯t mind being your boy toy, spending time with you, and only you. We don¡¯t need to care about our jobs, position, or even family background. It¡¯s just you and me, Kitty."


    Henry kissed Kate¡¯s hand gently. He had done the same with Erin earlier, but with Kate, he craved for more, he needed to do more than kiss her hand, it just wasn¡¯t enough.


    He wanted to taste each of her fingers, then kiss his way up from her arm up her shoulder, her neck, and then her lips.


    The more he spent his time with Kate, the more he realized this unbridled feeling might be uncontrollable at some point.


    But he suppressed his urge for now, since they were about to arrive at the lobby.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped at the lobby, and Henry slowly released Kate¡¯s hand, "I¡¯m serious about you, Kate. Whether you believe me or not."


    As the elevator door slid open, Henry smiled at Kate and said, "Let¡¯s go and do our job, shall we?"


    Henry didn¡¯t wait for Kate. He simply walked out of the elevator, leaving Kate, who could only click her tongue in annoyance, as she followed him.


    She was upset that Henry could say those sweet words that created chaos in her heart and then walk away as if it didn¡¯t matter to him, just words, nothing more.


    Henry used the Bentley that Michael brought today and then asked Kate, "So where are we meeting her today?"


    "She¡¯s at the usual cafe, the Penthouse, not far from here," Kate said. "I¡¯ve booked the VIP room."


    Henry nodded as he drove the car. He remembered Mai, who caught them red-handed in the VIP room, so he asked, "About Mai, how much did you tell her about us and the plan?"


    "I didn¡¯t tell her much. She¡¯s a good assistant, but she¡¯s too feisty and spontaneous. If I told her that everything is all part of our plan, she might slip in front of Erin," Kate replied. "But I did tell her that I have everything under control, so she doesn¡¯t need to worry about Erin because she¡¯s dancing in the palm of my hand right now."


    "Wow, so that¡¯s why she looked at me like I¡¯m the most disgusting person in the world," Henry complained. "I want to fire her, but I know you won¡¯t agree."


    "Don¡¯t, she has a good heart. She just hates cheaters."


    "But I¡¯m not a cheater!"


    "In her head, you are," Kate said. "Don¡¯t fret about it, Henry. She¡¯s just trying to defend me."


    **


    Meanwhile, Mai was eyeing Michael and Erin in the CEO¡¯s office.


    Mrs. Woods told her about the man that stood behind Erin. He was Michael Eckermann, Mr. Henry Grant¡¯s best friend and a co-manager for Emperor publishing, he was here because Henry was still trying to integrate himself into the company.


    She had no strong impression of him except that he seemed very close to Mr. Grant based on how they talked and interacted, another thing that stood out was Mr. Eckermann¡¯s military haircut.


    He was more suited as a bodyguard or soldier than as a co-manager. But that wasn¡¯t really the concern that Mai had.


    She was annoyed by the fact that Henry and Michael were both fascinated with that slut. She didn¡¯t understand what was so good about Erin. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Obviously, Mrs. Woods was better in every way possible! She is beautiful, smart, capable, and also a professional! Unlike her sister whose only ability was to spread her legs to get men¡¯s attention!¡¯ Mai complained in her heart. ¡¯Now that Mr. Michael Eckermann is just as stupid as Mr. Grant, I guess I have to put him in the list of bed bugs I can¡¯t wait to squash. Ugh, these men are disgusting!¡¯


    Erin noticed the obvious disgust and anger on Mai¡¯s face. She must¡¯ve been angry at the fact that Erin got the job without much effort. This was all thanks to her absolute beauty that could make men fall to their knees.


    "Well, now that I¡¯ve been accepted to the Emperor Publishing, you should buy me my Starbucks mocha latte, errand girl," Erin sneered. "Don¡¯t be late, or you will get fired!"

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94: Chapter 94Mai rolled her eyes, "You need to get your brain checked. You are just a secretary, we have the same position."


    "Wha¡ªBut Mr. Grant told me that I am more powerful than most people here!" Erin insisted.


    "And that doesn¡¯t include me. I am technically your senior and have a better position than you," Mai said sarcastically. "You are just the secretary of a Co-manager, while I¡¯m the secretary of both the CEO and Chief Editor. If we¡¯re talking about power, then you should know your place, Miss Ross."


    Erin gritted her teeth.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to claw that chink¡¯s face for daring to talk back to her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t want to show her savage side, especially not in front of a man. She had to continue acting like a meek lady who couldn¡¯t even hurt a fly so that Michael would grow fond of her.


    Erin looked at Michael, who stood next to her like a bodyguard. She pouted and said, "Mr. Eckermann, look at that woman telling me to learn my place. She insulted me because I¡¯m your secretary, not Mr. Grant¡¯s. She¡¯s indirectly telling you that you¡¯re less than Mr. Grant...."


    "Mr. Eckermann, please do something about her. Maybe you can scold her, hit her, or even fire her, I don¡¯t know... I¡¯m not used to violence..." Erin said as she covered her eyes, acting like an innocent and meek woman.


    Michael went silent. He didn¡¯t want to be caught in the crossfire between these two women. He was here because Henry told him to keep seducing Erin, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d have to listen to all the bullcrap that Erin was spouting.


    He also didn¡¯t care if he was told he was less than Henry.


    Though they were best friends, he was still technically Henry¡¯s subordinate, so he couldn¡¯t even be compared to his boss.


    However, he¡¯d logically take Mai¡¯s side if he had to take sides between these two women. In fact, he was also quite impressed by how she could stare at Henry and Michael like they were filthy bugs. It was... bold, something that rarely happened.


    Erin pouted once she realized that Michael didn¡¯t react to her provocation.


    "Mr. Eckermann, we¡¯re going to work with that woman for a while. Don¡¯t you feel annoyed by her already?" Erin asked as she continued to try and get Michael to react and do her bidding.


    Mai rolled her eyes. She walked towards Erin and Michael.


    "Mr. Eckermann, if you still have a single functioning brain cell inside your head, then let me tell you something," Mai put the document on top of the CEO¡¯s desk and stood right in front of Michael.


    She was a petite lady, but she looked up at Michael without a glint of fear in her eyes. "Do not be an idiot and get seduced by this slut. She is not worth it. Who knows what kind of STDs are in her right now? Take your pick, it¡¯s like a menu, do you want to get Gonorrhea? Syphilis? Or even HIV?"


    "HEY! I¡¯M RIGHT HERE, YOU CHINK! I¡¯M FUCKING CLEAN!" Erin couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She might have wanted to look weak in front of Michael while continuously slandering Mai, but Mai was too much.


    She dared to spout shit about her in front of Mr. Eckermann. That bitch was waging war against her!


    Erin got up from the chair, she wanted to slap Mai for slandering her, but before she could do anything, Michael suddenly grabbed her arm and snapped, "Don¡¯t hurt her!"


    Erin turned her head at Mr. Eckermann. She was in disbelief, her new boss, who should be infatuated with her, tried to protect Mai.


    "Why are you stopping me, Mr. Eckermann? Don¡¯t you hear what she said just now?"


    Michael was also confused. He moved before he could think when he saw that Erin was about to hurt Mai.


    His first instinct was to protect the cute but feisty woman in front of him, not wanting anyone or anything to hurt her.


    But now that he finally got caught in the crossfire, he replied, "You shouldn¡¯t hurt her, Miss Ross. She is not worth your time. Plus you might just hurt your hand."


    "B¡ªBut..." Erin couldn¡¯t help but whimper when Michael spoke to her with that stern yet caring tone. "She is slandering me. It hurts my heart so much, Mr. Eckermann. Please let me punish her or you should punish her instead...."


    Michael hesitated. He definitely didn¡¯t want to hurt Mai, but he still had to stay by Erin¡¯s side because that was the mission given to him by Henry.


    So he had to helplessly nod, "Alright, I¡¯ll punish her later. But you shouldn¡¯t be too rash, Miss Ross. I don¡¯t want you to get caught in a worthless fight," Michael gently held Erin¡¯s hand and intertwined their fingers. "Your hand is so soft, why would you dirty your hand by fighting? Let me do all the dirty work, okay?"


    Erin blushed when she was treated like this. She knew that Michael was less domineering and handsome than Henry, so she thought he¡¯d be less interesting.


    But it seemed he was just as, or even more interesting than Henry.


    He was gentle, yet he was willing to do the dirty work to protect her.


    ¡¯Hmm, he can be my lover after I get bored with Henry, I guess,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯It¡¯d be nice if they were fighting over me too. It¡¯d be like a love triangle, kyahh!¡¯


    Erin leaned on Michael¡¯s arm and rested her head shyly, "Okay then, I trust Mr. Eckermann to punish that woman. Make her regret it, so she won¡¯t dare to offend me, okay?"


    "O¡ªOkay..." Michael¡¯s eyes were on Mai the whole time. He wondered what kind of expression Mai would make.


    And as expected, she made that disgusted face at Michael, as if he didn¡¯t deserve to breathe the same air as her.


    She wasn¡¯t scared of that threat. She knew that Mr. Eckermann wouldn¡¯t do anything to her because any kind of violence in the office was prohibited, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t want to lose his job.


    Mai simply turned around, "Follow me, you two. Mrs. Woods already showed me the assigned office for Co-manager and his oh-so-professional secretary," she sneered.


    Erin was fuming, but the more she tried to argue against Mai, the more she found herself at a disadvantage. That chink surely knew how to get the last laugh.


    So all she could do was lean on Michael, demanding the man to punish that bitch.


    Mai brought them to a room right next to Mrs. Woods¡¯ office. She unlocked the door and opened it wide, "This is the Co-Manager office, you can use it freely on your own, Mr. Eckermann. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I still have things to do, please don¡¯t bother me unless it¡¯s something important."


    Mai was about to leave Michael and Erin, just thinking about what these two would do inside that office made her want to vomit, so much so that she couldn¡¯t wait to get the hell out.


    But Michael suddenly grabbed her wrist as she walked past him.


    "Wait," Michael stopped Mai on her path. "Aren¡¯t you supposed to accompany me here?"

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95: Chapter 95"Accompany you?" Mai frowned. "And why should I do that, Sir? I think you¡¯re a fully functioning adult capable of doing things on your own, plus I¡¯m Mr. Grant¡¯s and Mrs. Woods¡¯s secretary, you have your own."


    Michael was caught off guard by her sharp words. He knew Mai disliked him because she didn¡¯t know he was involved with Erin because of a mission.


    "You¡¯re supposed to be assisting and monitoring me and my job here," Michael said. "That¡¯s what your boss, Mrs. Woods told us earlier."


    "Ugh..." Mai could only clench her jaw in silence. It was true. She was supposed to assist and monitor Michael¡¯s work as Co-Manager, but she didn¡¯t want to spend more time with Michael and Erin. She didn¡¯t want to see them being all cuddly and smoochy. It was gross.


    "And what do you want me to do, Mr. Eckermann?" Mai asked. "Do you want me to sit and watch you and that slut next to you fuck in the middle of the room? Do you think I don¡¯t have enough common sense to leave you alone? It¡¯s clear that she would want that."


    Michael opened his mouth, but Erin quickly interrupted before he could speak, "I don¡¯t mind if you watch us," she shrugged. "I mean, it should serve as a reminder so you don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re nothing compared to me. I bet Mr. Eckermann agrees with me, right?"


    Michael¡¯s body stiffened. He was in hell right now because he was caught between two women about to claw each other¡¯s faces.


    He was distressed as he watched Mai looking at him with hatred. It made him wonder what he should do to soften the feisty lady¡¯s stone heart.


    He didn¡¯t know why he felt distressed by a random woman¡¯s stare. But it bothered him so much that he wanted to change her view of him.


    This was the first time a woman ever looked at him with disgust. He might not be as rich as Henry, or as fortunate to be born to a rich and powerful family as Henry, but Michael was still a man born with a silver spoon.


    Since birth he had been praised for all his achievements and as he grew up, women naturally swooned over his good looks.


    As a decorated soldier, he was used to being praised for his upstanding behavior and definitely never expected to be looked down on with so much disgust by a petite woman four years younger than him.


    ¡¯Who knew I¡¯d be so bothered by a woman looking down at me? No woman has ever acted this way towards me before,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯I have to fix things between me and this woman. She needs to know that I¡¯m just acting.¡¯


    Michael knitted his brows as he looked at the petite woman before him.


    ¡¯Let me ask Henry later if I can tell Mai about our plan to trap Erin.¡¯


    "Please release my wrist, Mr. Eckermann. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re fucking that bitch, but I¡¯m not the type to watch two horny dogs mating in the office," Mai said.


    Michael prepared himself. He¡¯d need a lot of patience facing Mai, who completely misunderstood the situation.


    "I want you to stay with me," Michael said calmly, but his voice carried a lot of pressure. "You¡¯re not allowed to leave, and this is an order from the Co-Manager. I can report you to your Boss or the HR department for not fulfilling your duty to oversee me and my work."


    Mai was so angry right now, but she knew there was nothing she could do the moment Michael brought up Mrs. Woods and the HR department.


    So she took a deep breath to calm herself down and replied, "Fine, I will assist and monitor what you are doing today, Mr. Eckermann. But the moment I see you doing something with that slut right next to you, then I will not hesitate to leave."


    "Trust me, I won¡¯t be doing anything to Miss Ross as long as you¡¯re around," Michael promised. "In exchange, you should lessen your cursing towards me. It¡¯s... unprofessional and disrespectful."


    Truthfully, Michael wasn¡¯t used to hearing a woman swearing. He grew up in an environment full of women who watched their words, and when he entered the military, he was surrounded by battle-hardened men, so he didn¡¯t have much interaction with women in general.


    "Unprofessional?" Mai sneered. "If I may be honest, Mr. Eckermann. I have no respect for you or Mr. Grant. You two are idiots whose heads are so empty, you can¡¯t even see the walking STD in front of you."


    "YOU BITCH! THAT¡¯S IT, I WILL FUCKING RIP YOUR HAIR!" Erin was already trying her best to keep her temper at bay and not to attack Mai. But she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    "Watch out!" Michael yelled.


    Erin was about to pounce on Mai, but Michael quickly used his back to block the attack. Erin was stunned when she saw Michael, who was supposed to be on her side, suddenly protecting Mai¡¯s petite figure with his body, almost burying her in his embrace. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone in the room was stunned. Even Michael was stunned by what he had done just now.


    He simply stopped the attack out of instinct, mostly because he was trained as a soldier, so his protective instinct immediately kicked in, especially for a weak bunny he embraced just now.


    ¡¯Wait, weak bunny?¡¯ Michael quickly warded off that thought. ¡¯This woman is not even a weak bunny. She¡¯s too vicious to be one.¡¯


    ¡¯But still, why did I protect her? I should¡¯ve let Erin attack her, so she¡¯ll be happy.¡¯


    Mai was stunned for a while, and then her gaze turned sharp. She used all her strength to push Michael away, separating herself from the man who embraced her just now, but this man was like an immovable mountain.


    "Disgusting! Let me go, you asshole!" Mai yelled as she struggled to break free.


    "Ah¡ªSorry," Michael quickly released his arm around her petite body.


    Mai glared at Michael, who was dumbfounded by the situation he was in, and yelled, "Don¡¯t you ever do that again with your filthy hand, you animal!"


    Michael saw tears in the corner of Mai¡¯s eyes, and his heart ached when he saw it. Mai might spout many cruel words, but the moment they stared at each other like this, with tears at the corner of her eyes, he soon realized that she did look like a weak bunny when she was vulnerable.


    But before he could do anything, Mai suddenly rushed out of the room and didn¡¯t return, leaving Michael and Erin alone.


    Michael was still processing what happened. He didn¡¯t know why, but he had a feeling there was more than what meets the eye about Mai.


    She was struggling too much just to break free from him as if he was truly the most wretched thing on the planet. She also cried and trembled after he held her in his arms.


    Michael had a feeling that something deep and much more problematic had happened to Mai, which was why she had such a strong reaction against him.


    Behind those cold eyes and harsh words, Michael sensed a scared woman who didn¡¯t want to get touched, even in a non-sexual way.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96: Chapter 96¡¯What happened to her? Is she really okay?¡¯ Michael wondered. ¡¯She was trembling like a scared bunny. Her reaction is definitely unnatural since I didn¡¯t even hurt her, I think. I¡¯m not sure either, I might accidentally crushed her petite body with my hug...¡¯


    He worried that something might actually happen to Mai. He wanted to find her just to ascertain that Mai was safe, but before he could leave and follow her, Erin quickly hugged his arm and yelled, "Mr. Eckermann, I¡¯m so upset!"


    Michael gritted his teeth in silence. He was actually worried that something might happen to Mai, but this bitch was trying to stop him from going after Mai.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to push her away and find Mai, but then he realized he still had a duty to carry. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had to keep this wench by his side, so he could keep her satisfied and feed her with misinformation enough to make a fool out of her. She needed to be satisfied enough so she wouldn¡¯t call her mother just to threaten Mrs. Woods.


    ¡¯Fuck! This is excruciating!¡¯ Michael was so angry right now. ¡¯I can¡¯t wait to end this whole mission! I don¡¯t think I can handle this!¡¯


    Michael was cursing Henry, Erin, and even Kate in his mind for a good minute. Then his mind became occupied by that little bunny that looked so scared as he stared longingly towards the direction she had left.


    But in the end, he calmed his chaotic mind and heart. He knew that this mission for Henry was his priority. He couldn¡¯t abandon a mission given by his boss just because he was worried about a woman.


    ¡¯Besides, I shouldn¡¯t be worrying about that girl. She¡¯s a fully functioning 23-year-old adult. She¡¯s also been so harsh and disrespectful to me,¡¯ Michael thought as he tried to convince himself to calm down. ¡¯Why do I have to worry about her anyway? We are just coworkers at best, and I¡¯m just playing pretend in this office.¡¯


    It took a while until Michael managed to calm down, then forced a smile on his face as he looked at Erin who was still hugging his arm, "Didn¡¯t I tell you that I don¡¯t want your hand to get dirty?"


    "But you told me that you will punish that Chink in my stead!" Erin yelled. "Why don¡¯t you beat her already! If it¡¯s you who did it, of course, nobody would dare to apprehend you, right? Just tell Mr. Grant that you slapped that bitch because she¡¯s been slandering me!"


    ¡¯Slander? Heh, I¡¯m pretty sure Mai is right,¡¯ Michael sneered in his heart. ¡¯Do you think I don¡¯t know about all the men you¡¯ve slept with? At least four of them have a history of cheating with many women, and they were regulars in the red light district. Who knows what kind of STD you¡¯re carrying right now?¡¯


    But of course, he had to assure her, "Even with Mr. Grant¡¯s help, the parent company will not tolerate it if I hit a co-worker. I will get fired immediately. Do you want me to get fired?"


    "Well, no..." Erin lowered her head. She looked meek, but her nails were digging into Michael¡¯s skin, not wanting to let go until she got what she wanted. "But I still want you to punish her, Mr. Eckermann. I don¡¯t want her to get away without any repercussions!"


    Michael couldn¡¯t help but swallow his disgust over Erin as he watched her act like a meek doe.


    "Mr. Eckermann, if you really like me, you should be by my side!" Erin demanded. "Show everyone that you¡¯re interested in me and that you will protect me. Go do something to that Chink!"


    "... I am interested in you, Miss Ross," Michael lied through his teeth. At this point, he was doing all this just to protect Mai from this bitch. "But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to hurt her to show my interest to you, right?"


    "But that¡¯s what I want from you!" Erin began to demand even more. "Mr. Eckermann, you¡¯re a man, A MAN! Men are supposed to protect their women! If your woman told you to slap a bitch, then YOU SHOULD DO AS SHE ASKS! A man is supposed to do everything that his woman wants him to do!"


    "You NEED to treat me like a queen, to prove that you¡¯re actually serious about me!" Erin said. Her screechy voice filled the room, pushing Michael¡¯s patience to its limits.


    ¡¯Why would I treat an ungrateful whore like you like a princess? Do you think I don¡¯t know how horrible you are to your own mother and sister? You are blackmailing her even at her lowest with your sickly mother as you push the poor old woman closer to death with every call,¡¯ Michael mocked her in his heart. ¡¯You are truly a heartless bitch, Erina Ross.¡¯


    Erin noticed that Michael went silent as he stared at her. She thought Michael was stunned by her demand, probably realizing she wanted to be pampered and protected like a princess.


    ¡¯He must feel guilty because he can¡¯t fulfill my demand!¡¯ Erin thought. She squeezed Michael¡¯s arm between her breasts and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Eckermann, I¡¯m usually a very sweet and meek girl."


    "But that woman hurt me so much. How dare she call me a bitch, whore, slut, or whatever. You know, I¡¯m actually still a virgin!¡¯ Erin claimed. ¡¯"I kept my virginity all this time because I want to give it to a handsome and strong man who can treasure me."


    "So..." Erin tiptoed and pulled Michael¡¯s shoulder to ensure she could whisper at him, "If you want to take my virginity, why don¡¯t you go there and teach that girl something. If you don¡¯t want to beat her, then at least yell at her, scold her, or even just pour a hot tea on that stupid chink¡¯s face. You¡¯re a man, right? So be a man, Mr. Eckermann, don¡¯t worry, I will make it worthwhile for you."

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97: Chapter 97Michael was already at his limit. He didn¡¯t know what kind of power he had to be able to endure this bitch for long.


    But at this point, all he wanted to do was check on Mai to ensure the bunny was safe and secure.


    "Alright, I will do something to her," Michael said. "But you should wait here, Miss Ross."


    "Ehh? Why?" Erin pouted. "I want to see you teaching that bitch a lesson!"


    "Because it might involve violence, and I don¡¯t want you to witness me hurting a woman, you¡¯re too innocent and pure to see that," Michael said. "Besides, you might get fired for inciting violence."


    "So stay right here and let me handle it, got it?"


    Erin blushed as she realized that Michael was about to do what she wanted. She really liked this type of man. Handsome, strong, and did everything she wanted. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So she slowly released Michael¡¯s arm and patted his back, "Okay then, now go and do me a favor, Mr. Eckermann. Teach her a lesson!"


    Michael eyed Erin for a moment. He clenched his fists in silence and went out of the room.


    He searched for Mai in front of the bathroom, waiting for her to come out, but no one was inside.


    He walked around the office in search of her. He even checked in the CEO¡¯s office, and she was still nowhere to be found.


    Then, his eyes darted to the Chief Editor¡¯s office. That was the only place Michael hadn¡¯t checked yet out of respect for Kate.


    But there was a high possibility of Mai staying inside Kate¡¯s office. After all, she was Kate¡¯s number one supporter.


    He knew that Kate was out with Henry somewhere, so he simply stood in front of the door and knocked.


    Knock. Knock.


    ...


    There was no answer from inside, so he knocked again.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Michael could hear a footstep from inside approaching the door and heard a click as the door was unlocked from the inside.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. You may come in¡ª" Mai thought it was Mrs. Woods who had just returned from the meeting with an author. But she was shocked when she saw Michael standing in front of her.


    Michael noticed that her eyes were red, the area around her eyes was a little puffy as well. It was proof that she must¡¯ve been crying inside the Chief Editor¡¯s office, and Michael happened to be the one behind those tears.


    He knew it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault, but he still felt distressed, knowing he made a cute, helpless bunny cry because of his actions, good or bad.


    Mai quickly changed her tone and gaze when she saw Michael in front of her, "Why are you here, Mr. Eckermann? This is the Chief Editor¡¯s office, in case you can¡¯t read."


    Now that Michael already stood in front of Mai, he actually didn¡¯t know what to do. He tried to find her before because he was worried, but his worry seemed unnecessary.


    Mai cried, but she didn¡¯t seem to be in too much shock, which was a relief to him.


    "Look, I¡¯m sorry that I hugged you before. I just wanted to protect you from that... woman," Michael tried to explain. "Are you okay? Did I accidentally hurt you?"


    Michael had monstrous strength thanks to his training as a soldier, so he was worried that he might¡¯ve accidentally hugged her too tightly and hurt her.


    "What you did was unnecessary, Mr. Eckermann," Mai said coldly. "I can fight that bitch myself. And please, don¡¯t do that again, you¡¯re making me very uncomfortable."


    "Sorry..." Michael sighed. He really wanted to tell Mai that everything was just an act sent up by none other than her bosses, Henry and Kate, and they were just pawns used to make sure the mission was a success.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t say that. He was a professional. He wouldn¡¯t let his emotions jeopardize the mission given by their boss.


    Mai eyed Michael intently, searching for his intention. She didn¡¯t understand why this man suddenly searched for her, but she did have a theory.


    "You¡¯re here because that bitch sent you, right?"


    "... yes," Michael replied with the truth. "But I wont do anything to you, I promise."


    "Good, that means you understand how things work in a company, Mr. Eckermann, you will get fired for daring to raise your hand at your coworker," Mai sneered. "Now if you don¡¯t have anything to say, please excuse me, I still have work to do."


    Mai was about to close the door, but Michael quickly grabbed the door to stop her, "Wait! I want you to do something."


    Mai stopped closing the door and went quiet, waiting for Michael to say something.


    "I¡ªUh... can you try not to fight with that woman? We¡¯re trying to satisfy her here," Michael said, trying to throw hints at her without explicitly telling her about the mission.


    "That woman disrespected her own sister, Mrs. Woods. She blackmailed, cursed, and even pressured Mrs. Woods for the sake of entertainment. I have nothing but disgust for her," Mai replied. She added, "I also have nothing but disgust for you and Mr. Grant. You two are surely idiots for getting yourself hooked by her."


    "We are not¡ªugh!" Michael began to get frustrated. It was impossible to get into her good side, at least not until Mai knew the truth.


    Michael also didn¡¯t understand why he was so distressed because this woman failed to see the truth. They had no relationship whatsoever, and he didn¡¯t need to get on her good side.


    But he wanted to.


    He wanted to ensure that Erin didn¡¯t hurt Mai while he wasn¡¯t around.


    "Listen, you need to talk to your boss, Mrs. Woods, and ask her everything about Henry and I," Michael said. He wanted to say that he preferred NOT to stay by Erin¡¯s side, but he couldn¡¯t, so he thought about an alternative for a few seconds and reworded his sentence, "Rather than with Erin, I prefer someone like you, Mai."

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98: Chapter 98"Rather than with Erin, I prefer someone like you, Mai," Michael stated boldly, thinking it would help to show Mai that they were on the same side. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Little did he know, he just said something absolutely wretched for Mai.


    Her eyes widened, and she yelled, "YOU FREAK!"


    SLAM!


    Michael was dumbfounded when Mai slammed the door right in his face. He stared at the door in shock, wondering what he had said wrong. He didn¡¯t find anything wrong with his words that could incite Mai¡¯s anger.


    ¡¯What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯ He wondered.


    He knocked on the door a few times, but there was no answer from inside. So he quickly understood that the bunny had returned to her burrow, refusing to meet him.


    Michael sighed, "Well, at least she doesn¡¯t seem to be hurt, that¡¯s the most important thing."


    He returned to the office to meet with Erin, who sat on the executive chair that was supposed to be for him, the Co-manager.


    Erin¡¯s eyes brightened when she saw Michael had returned. He looked fatigued, so she thought that he had done his job to teach that bitch a lesson, something that he should¡¯ve done earlier.


    Erin got up from the chair and walked towards Michael. She hugged Michael¡¯s arm again, ¡¯This should be the arm that beat up that Chink. Michael must¡¯ve beaten that ugly woman to the point that she wouldn¡¯t even dare to raise her voice against me anymore.¡¯


    ¡¯Ah, now I feel bad because I can¡¯t give him my first office sex,¡¯ Erin was disappointed. ¡¯After all, I want my first office sex to be with the CEO. So he needs to wait until I have my first office sex with Henry before I can give him a turn.¡¯


    "Did you beat her for me?" Erin asked. Michael glanced down at Erin. His heart was burning with rage. He couldn¡¯t wait to smash this bitch¡¯s face for being so fucking horrible.


    He got even more mad at Erin, after finding out that Mai didn¡¯t even want to talk to him properly because of this woman.


    He thought he could handle this mission without encountering any issues. Aside from tolerating this woman, all Michael had to do was sit in the office all day, which was very easy.


    But he didn¡¯t know about Mai, and Henry never told him about Mai as well. And now he couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed whenever he remembered how Mai looked so scared when he hugged her.


    The fear and vulnerability in Mai¡¯s eyes lingered in Michael¡¯s mind, making him wonder if he could do something to discover what had happened to her and maybe help.


    ¡¯No, it¡¯s not about love. I¡¯m not interested in that petite woman at all,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯I just want to protect her, she looks like a lady that needs my protection 24/7.¡¯


    ¡¯But now...¡¯


    Michael turned his attention back to Erin and nodded, "I taught her a lesson, just like you wanted."


    "Great! That¡¯s what I call a real man!" Erin said. "A real man is a man who has what it takes to make his woman happy!"


    ¡¯A real man also wouldn¡¯t choose a wench like you, Erin,¡¯ Michael replied in his heart.


    "Anyway, when will Mr. Grant return to the office?" Erin asked.


    Michael didn¡¯t know the exact time, but he knew that Henry didn¡¯t want to meet her as well.


    So he replied, "I got a text from him just now. He told me that he¡¯d return late in the evening, so you¡¯d have to wait a long time if you wanted to meet with him."


    "Aww, that¡¯s too bad," Erin complied. "I really want to show him that I¡¯ve been working hard as the new secretary, and that I deserve a reward!"


    "What kind of reward do you want?" Michael asked.


    Erin grinned and whispered, "His dick would be nice."


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened. Before he could react, Erin suddenly tiptoed and quickly kissed Michael at the corner of his lips.


    "Though I can¡¯t give you my v-card now, I think I should¡¯ve given you a reward for doing what I told you to do," Erin said with a grin on her face. "Keep doing your best, Mr. Eckermann, who knows that you might rise up in favor and maybe I will give myself to you in the end."


    "After all, I am a great reward that¡¯s worth everything in this world, right?" Erin winked. She grabbed her bag and walked past a stunned Michael. She headed to the door and said. "Anyway, please tell Mr. Grant that I did my job properly, because I see there is nothing I can do right now."


    Michael said nothing, he couldn¡¯t wait to kick this bitch out anyway, so the fact that she took the initiative to leave on her own was bliss for him.


    "See you tomorrow, Mr. Eckermann, don¡¯t worry, I will keep giving you rewards as long as you are on my side," Erin said. "My kiss is pretty nice, right?"


    "... yeah, it¡¯s nice," Michael mumbled. However, he couldn¡¯t wait to wash his mouth because it was gross.


    Erin winked at Michael before she left, leaving Michael alone.


    Michael stood still for a while before he went to his executive chair and closed his eyes. He tried to calm the anger in his heart, but the more he tried to suppress it, the harder it got for him.


    He opened his eyes, and slammed the desk in front of him.


    "FUCK THIS!" Michael yelled, his voice echoed around the office. "I CAN¡¯T WAIT TO STRANGLE THAT BITCH!"


    He didn¡¯t know if he could actually accomplish this mission. He didn¡¯t expect Erin to be THAT unbearable and degenerate. It made him wonder how Kate could bear with her sister for so long.


    And now he also has a headache for Mai.


    He didn¡¯t have any interest in that woman, but he seriously couldn¡¯t bear to see such a petite and cute lady looking at him with so much hatred, as if he offended her by simply existing.


    It made him want to prove to Mai that he was a good man that wouldn¡¯t hurt her.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99: Chapter 99"I have to talk to Henry about this," Michael thought. "This is far worse than any military mission I¡¯ve gone on before. Who would¡¯ve expected that a woman like Erin existed in this world? I can¡¯t even believe that she is Kate¡¯s sister. It¡¯s unbelievable because they are so different in every way possible."


    Though, based on his investigation, it wasn¡¯t hard to see why Kate spoiled her sister to the point that Erin became unbearable.


    "Their father was truly vile, a bastard that deserves the death sentence, or at least got his dick chopped off. He was a monster in human clothing," Michael murmured. "Kate was very brave to be a whistleblower at such a young age."


    Of course, he pretty much knew about Kate and Erin¡¯s background. Their family was infamous in their small town because of the crime their father committed. He wanted to tell all of this to Henry, but he wondered if Henry would change his mind about using the baby after finding out how hard Kate¡¯s life had been since she was young.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t let Henry spare too much pity towards Kate. It would be disastrous if Henry ended up abandoning their mission altogether because of how he felt. They needed her baby as a bargaining chip.


    ...


    "Hah, what am I doing now? I¡¯m a fucking hypocrite," Michael sighed. "I¡¯m here thinking that I want to protect Mai because she looks like a scared little bunny, acting like a good man. While I¡¯m still hellbent about making sure that Henry¡¯s cruel plan on Kate is still intact." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael wanted to laugh at himself. He should¡¯ve known he would be one of those vile men in high society circles, manipulating everything and everyone around him just to get what he wanted.


    He lowered his hand and stared at his palms full of calluses. He was a soldier before he became Henry¡¯s right-hand man. He was Henry¡¯s childhood friend, but they were separated because he took the path to be a soldier, something he had been passionate about for a long time.


    Then he had to retire early despite his amazing career because of a disaster that had befallen his family, thanks to Marlon Grant, Henry¡¯s dad.


    His hand had been stained with blood in the war, and now he stained his hand in the nefarious life of America¡¯s high society.


    Michael scoffed, ridiculing himself, "No wonder that bunny is so disgusted with me. Turns out I¡¯m not really an honorable man."


    **


    Erin strutted through the corridor with this amazing feeling in her heart. She was satisfied with what she had done just now.


    "I¡¯ve become a queen," Erin murmured as she entered the elevator and went down to the lobby. "Henry and Michael are so obsessed with me, and this is only the beginning. They will continue to be so obsessed with me, and they will fight over me, hihi~."


    She was also satisfied that Michael actually proved his love to her by beating the fuck out of that Asian bitch.


    "That should serve her a lesson," Erin said maliciously. "She should know that I am the queen of this office, and I will soon become the queen of Henry¡¯s heart too, making him completely mine. Who knows that he might fall so deeply in love with me that he will get on one knee and propose?"


    Erin already imagined all the good things in life that she¡¯d get by marrying Henry.


    "Mrs. Erina Grant has a good ring to it," she giggled as she continued to daydream about marrying Henry.


    Since Henry was filthy rich, she could buy any designer bag she wanted and get all kinds of cars, mansions, and vacations!


    Who knew, maybe she could finally get the job she had wanted for a long time: Influencer!


    Erin giggled as she walked out of the office and waited for Uber.


    "Hmm, should I tell Kate about it? I feel like I should," Erin wondered. "I want her to know that she won¡¯t be able to catch up to me. I will soon be Henry¡¯s girlfriend, and I can tell him to kick her out of the company if I want."


    "Hihi, I bet Kate will get on her knees and beg me for forgiveness and for my favor because she wants to keep her job."


    Thus, Erin texted Kate with a malicious smirk on her face.


    **


    Kate and Henry had arrived in the cafe and they went straight to the VIP room to wait for the author she was supposed to meet today.


    She sat side by side with Henry and then got the text from Erin.


    Ding!


    Kate raised her brow amusingly. She then checked the text.


    ¡ª


    From: Erin.


    Hi, Sis.


    I¡¯m just wondering, what are you feeling right now after finding out that your CEO is very interested in me? Maybe you should beg me and kiss my feet. Who knows, I might kick you out of the company because your look is revolting.


    :kissemoji:


    ¡ª


    Kate scoffed when she read the text. She was glad that Erin was thinking like she already owned the world as early as now because that meant the plan was working in her favor.


    Henry peered at Kate, who smiled while looking at her phone. He wondered if she had another man messaging her on her phone. After all, for a beauty like Kate, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to find a man other than Henry.


    He knew that it wasn¡¯t good to peek, but...


    Henry stretched his neck a bit, just enough that he would be able to see whatever was on Kate¡¯s screen, and he was relieved to see that it was a chat from Erin.


    "That sister of yours, how long will you keep her satisfied with our arrangement?" Henry asked.


    "Surely, she won¡¯t stop until she gets what she wants, and I¡ª" Henry shuddered when he remembered that he had to keep pretending to like her "¡ªI don¡¯t think that I can continue this charade for long."


    "One month should be enough," Kate replied. "She¡¯s currently living with Matt, but that doesn¡¯t mean she is loyal. Make sure to make her think that you¡¯re into her, give her crumbs so she will leave Matt completely for you."


    "And will you return to Matt after that?"

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100: Chapter 100Kate frowned, "Why would I return to that deadbeat man? I thought you were smart, Henry. Why are you getting stupid ideas?" She asked.


    "... I¡¯m just a little suspicious," Henry said. "You¡¯ve been in love with that man for so long, it¡¯s not impossible for you to return to his useless ass for the sake of old love."


    Kate¡¯s gaze became cold instantly. She got pissed at Henry for accusing her of something so disgusting, "You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m not an idiot, Henry. That man has given me NOTHING but suffering and heartbreak for the past five years."


    "He doesn¡¯t do household duties, he doesn¡¯t have a job, and he leeches on everything that I own so far. Yet, he still had the audacity to cheat on me," Kate listed all of Matt¡¯s faults, though if she continued, it would be at least an hour of badmouthing.


    "Do you think Katherine Woods, a woman with a good career, investment, and even property of my own will keep a deadbeat husband like Matt?"


    Henry went silent after that. Then he slowly shook his head.


    "Exactly," Kate said. "I¡¯m still trying to find a way to successfully divorce him without having to comply with the terms of the prenup. I need a really good lawyer, and I¡¯m still searching for one."


    "What prenup?" Henry asked. "I can get you in touch with my lawyer. I guarantee he can rip through any prenup you have with the deadbeat Matt."


    "..." Kate sighed. She felt that she had involved Henry too much in her personal life, and now he even wanted to get involved with her divorce. "I can handle it myself. I just need time."


    "Are you sure?" Henry continued pressuring. He was eager to get Kate divorced because that meant she wouldn¡¯t need to see the man she had loved for so many years anymore and then she would be a truly free woman.


    Henry knew that Matt was no match for him, but the fact that he was Kate¡¯s first of many things made him insecure.


    "Yes, I can handle it myself."


    "... tell me if you need my help," Henry said. "I will do anything to help you, Kate."


    Kate scoffed but said nothing afterward.


    They fell into deafening silence again as they were still waiting for Miss Bonnie Harper to arrive because they would be talking about her new book that was about to be published.


    She was a fantasy romance author, mostly writing about vampires. Her writing was very controversial because it had plenty of thought-provoking moments about love that intrigued readers, urging them to read more.


    All in all, she was a damn talented author.


    "Have you read her book, Dance with the Ice King?" Kate asked Henry, who sat next to her.


    "No," Henry replied truthfully. "You pulled me to meet this author because you wanted to get me out of that sticky situation. I have no preparation for this meeting whatsoever."


    "If you have her book in your hand right now, you can give it to me, I can make a quick read. I can finish the whole book in thirty minutes."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "How could you do that?"


    "I can read very quickly, catching the essence of the story per page, and I can make a thorough review for it," Henry replied. "Do you know that I could have graduated summa cum laude if I was serious with my degree?"


    Kate wanted to say that she didn¡¯t believe that, she thought it was just boasting on Henry¡¯s part.


    But then she remembered that Henry was able to check on Irene Banks¡¯ thick book plus the sequel and made a good review of what she should do to improve her story in such a short time.


    So she had to swallow the bitter pill of the fact that Henry was also blessed with a marvelous brain.


    "And why weren¡¯t you serious in university?"


    Henry flinched, and he scoffed, "Things happened. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter, I don¡¯t really need the degree anyway."


    As they were chatting, someone knocked on the door, and a woman in her mid-twenties with dyed green hair came in. She smiled at Kate as they were already acquaintances at this point.


    "Kate!" Bonnie smiled and called her name.


    Kate had a big smile on her face, but her smile quickly faltered when a man followed Bonnie from behind.


    The man was in his mid-forties and looked like he came straight from dumpster diving.


    Bonnie noticed Kate¡¯s expression changed the moment the man came into her line of sight, so she tried to play it off, "Sorry, Terry said that he wants to tag in because he¡¯s bored at home. It¡¯s fine, right, Kate?"


    Kate switched her gaze from Bonnie to Terry respectively until she nodded, "Please sit, Bonnie, then we will begin with our discussion for your new book."


    Bonnie looked nervous when Kate mentioned her book. She sat in front of Kate while Terry sat facing Henry.


    Bonnie looked at Henry for a while and asked, "Who is this man, Kate? Your boyfriend?"


    "I am," Henry claimed, not wanting to miss the chance to intimidate another man in the room.


    Kate quickly elbowed him so Henry wouldn¡¯t dare to show any sign of unprofessionalism with one of their top authors, "This is Mr. Henry Grant, our new CEO. He¡¯s new, so he comes with me often to shadow me and learn about the job and the environment we¡¯re in."


    "I¡ªI see," Bonnie nodded.


    Unlike Irene and other women who had met Henry, Bonnie wasn¡¯t interested in his good looks. After all, she had the darling of her heart sitting right next to her.


    Kate usually didn¡¯t like seeing other women completely swayed by Henry¡¯s charm. But Bonnie was a special case because Kate wanted Bonnie to show some interest in Henry, even if it was just a little bit, so she could move on from that bastard sitting right next to her, Terry.


    Kate hated him so much. It took all of her energy to resist the urge to attack him. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because that man was a registered sex offender and had been arrested for other small crimes as well, and was only allowed to bail due to Bonnie¡¯s money since she made the bank with her book.


    Unfortunately, she had to stay professional and said, "Let¡¯s talk about your new book, Bonnie."


    "Um, Kate..." Bonnie winced as she gathered her courage to speak, "We have a problem because of Terry."

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101: Chapter 101[Chapter has been fixed, you can unlock now, thank you for waiting!]


    "Um, Kate..." Bonnie winced as she gathered her courage to speak, "We have a problem because of Terry."


    Kate peered suspiciously at Bonnie and Terry, "And what kind of problem did your boyfriend create this time, Bonnie?" She asked, this wasn¡¯t the first time Terry created a problem due to his bad temperament and his irresponsibility.


    "Uhm, I¡¯m not sure if I could say this without pissing you off, but this is not completely Terry¡¯s fault," Bonnie said as she presented Kate¡¯s anger at Terry.


    ¡¯It¡¯s definitely Terry¡¯s fault,¡¯ Kate said in her heart. "Just tell me what the problem is, I don¡¯t have all the time in this world, Bonnie."


    Bonnie gulped, she glanced at Terry, and the forty-year-old man held her hand under the table to comfort her and give her courage, "W¡ªWell, about a week ago, Terry confessed that he slept with a woman he met on Facebook. They hit it off instantly, and they did it without a condom."


    Kate clenched her jaw. She was ready to snap at Terry for being a cheating bastard. This man dared to cheat on Bonnie, who had been loyal and wonderful to him all throughout their relationship.


    She also couldn¡¯t believe that Bonnie still tolerated this useless skunk despite his criminal offenses and cheating.


    "But that¡¯s not the worst part," Bonnie said as she bit her lip and gave Kate a tentative look.


    Kate took a deep breath, she thought things couldn¡¯t get worse, but she was wrong, "Tell me everything, Bonnie. The more you hide things from me, the higher chances that Emperor Publishing will have to press charges against you later on."


    Bonnie nodded. She actually came here to come clean to Kate and inform her about everything because they had become friends over the years of working together, and she knew that the publishing company might bring her even more trouble later on if she hid this big problem.


    "You see, since Terry didn¡¯t use a condom when he slept with that woman, she ended up getting pregnant," Bonnie said. "And that woman was actually a fourteen-year-old girl. She told her parents everything and now her parents are trying to blackmail me."


    Kate froze at the news, she wanted to stand up and slap Terry for his stupidity, but she kept calm and waited for Bonnie to finish telling her the story.


    "They said that they want compensation of five million dollars or else they will bring this problem to court and also spread this online because they know that Terry is my boyfriend. Of course, I don¡¯t have that kind of money," Bonnie said. She made bank with her book but it wasn¡¯t on par with those big named authors. She earned roughly three million from her first book, and most of the money was already spent to bail Terry out of his offenses, and now she didn¡¯t have that much in her bank account anymore.


    "That¡¯s why, I¡¯m planning to hire a lawyer to help my boyfriend," Bonnie said determinedly. "I don¡¯t want him to get arrested because of statutory rape."


    Terry sighed, "Don¡¯t worry, even if I go to jail, you can bail me out again, right?"


    "But, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt in jail. You have a serious offense, Babe. Besides, it¡¯ll be even harder for me to bail you out if you are convicted of statutory rape," Bonnie said. "Anyway, I have to tell you this, Kate. Since I refused to pay five million dollars, the family of that girl already planned to publish everything on the internet, and I will soon get canceled by people, including all of my books as well."


    "You know it would be a lot easier if you just separated yourself from this pedo bastard, right?" Kate said crudely. She had had enough of Terry. "He fucked a fourteen-year old girl, a child for crying out loud! And he is forty, old enough to be her own father and what makes it worse is he got her pregnant!. Why don¡¯t you use your brain for a second and leave him? I¡¯m sure it will save you a lot of money and heartache."


    "But I can¡¯t leave my boyfriend, Kate," Bonnie insisted. "He¡¯s going through a tough time right now."


    "A tough time? HAH!" Kate scoffed. "He screwed a fourteen-year-old! ¡ªFOURTEEN! He deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life!"


    "That¡¯s not nice of you, Kate," Terry said casually. "I didn¡¯t know she was fourteen. She said she was eighteen."


    Kate glared at Terry, "You think I¡¯m stupid enough to believe your bullshit?! You bastard! You deserve the death sentence!"


    Kate glared at Bonnie and asked, "Are you stupid enough to actually believe this bastard?!"


    "I believe him," Bonnie stated without hesitation. "I know that my boyfriend is not evil, he is a good man and he loves me. That girl must¡¯ve tricked him, telling him that she¡¯s eighteen."


    "He cheated on you! Oh for god¡¯s sake, Bonnie, wake the hell up!" Kate yelled.


    "He cheated on me a few times, but I know that he will eventually change after we get married," Bonnie said. "He promised that he¡¯ll marry me if I can bail him out of this one last problem, that¡¯s why I refuse to back down."


    Bonnie saw that Kate had had enough of her at this point. She also didn¡¯t expect help from Kate, honestly. She just wanted to inform Kate to avoid any problems she may encounter with the publishing company.


    She was ready for anything and everything. After all, she¡¯d definitely marry Terry after things had been settled and she had successfully saved her man from this one last problem.


    Kate was speechless. She knew that Bonnie was also a victim in this situation, especially after she told Kate about her background with Terry because Terry also did similar things to her back then, this was definitely not the first time and Kate doubted that would be the last.


    Bonnie told Kate once that they¡¯ve already been dating for ten years, they started when Bonnie was fifteen and Terry was thirty.


    He was also the one who took her virginity at sixteen, and after that, Bonnie had been so devoted and crazy in love with Terry.


    This whole situation was so fucked up that Kate didn¡¯t even know what to do.


    But she knew one thing.


    She might pity Bonnie for getting herself groomed by this useless bastard. But she also did a horrible thing by being an accomplice to Terry¡¯s actions.


    She bailed him out so many times, and even now when her boyfriend cheated and impregnated a minor she still wanted to protect her boyfriend from being sent to prison, which he deserved. Bonnie should¡¯ve known better by this point.


    Kate shook her head, "I¡¯m done with you, Bonnie. Just so you know, this means the company will terminate all contracts with you¡ªBonnie Harper, and we will pull your book out because our company does NOT support the grave crime your man did."


    "That¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t expect your support," Bonnie said. "I just wanted to inform you about all of this because we are friends, and I don¡¯t want you to get into trouble because of me."


    Kate gritted her teeth and sneered, "I cannot be friends with someone who supported a groomer. Good day, Miss Harper."


    Kate glanced at Henry, who had been silent the whole time, and said, "Let¡¯s go, Mr. Grant, this meeting is over."


    Henry nodded. He kept his silence since he knew that Kate was agitated. He had been eyeing Terry the whole time instead, making sure this useless bastard wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to Kate while she was still yelling at Terry and Bonnie.


    Kate and Henry got up and walked out of the VIP room, but before they left, Bonnie suddenly called her name, "Kate!"


    Kate turned around instantly. She thought that Bonnie would have a change of heart and would tell her that she wanted to break things off with that useless Terry for good.


    But her next words broke Kate instead, "Please accept my choice. I¡¯m doing this because I love Terry. I know that he will change after we get married."


    "He¡¯s an adult, he can always change if he wants to, he doesn¡¯t need marriage to become better," Kate said.


    She remembered Matt as she glanced at Terry. Matt always told her that he would change and take responsibility and be a man and earn money, so that Kate didn¡¯t need to work so hard.


    But he never did. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He never changed and instead blamed everything on Kate and her supposed infertility.


    "Let me tell you something, Bonnie," Kate said. "I don¡¯t believe in second chances. Once someone disappoints me and hurts me, then I will never give them a second chance."


    Henry tensed immediately when Kate said that sentence. His heart beat like a drum and accelerated to the point that he started sweating on his back.


    "I did it with my ex-husband, and I will do the same to anyone who will hurt me in the future," Kate added, sending Henry to a silent panic.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102: Chapter 102"And now, I am disappointed in you as well. So don¡¯t you ever come to my office asking for help, Emperor Publishing will cross you out of our roster of authors. Goodbye, Bonnie."


    Henry watched as Kate opened the door. She held it, waiting for Henry to go with her.


    "Mr. Grant?" She asked since Henry simply stood there, watching her indescribable gaze full of meaning. "We¡¯re leaving now."


    Henry snapped out of his daze and nodded. He followed Kate as they left the cafe and went straight to Henry¡¯s car.


    Both of them said nothing as Henry drove the car back to their office. Henry tried to keep his mouth shut, but the restlessness in his heart made him uncomfortable, so he asked, "Kate, about the thing you told Bonnie Harper just now, are you sure that you don¡¯t believe in second chances?"


    "No," Kate replied curtly without giving it a second thought. "I don¡¯t believe in second chances. Everyone whom I¡¯ve given a second chance to has been nothing but a disappointment."


    "I gave so many people in my life a second chance, but all I got was pain in the end. They hurt me in so many ways," Kate added. "That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to give Matt a second chance even if he begs me for another chance."


    "But what if someone hurt you because of the situation he is in?" Henry asked. "Don¡¯t misunderstand, Kate. This is just a what-if scenario."


    She glanced at Henry, whose eyes were still on the road. Her heart ached as she imagined Henry hurting her as well.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she had a feeling that Henry was doing something that would only harm her in the end.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t want to get hurt anymore, Henry...¡¯ Kate said in her heart. ¡¯Please don¡¯t hurt me. I¡¯m not that tough.¡¯


    "I don¡¯t care even if he is forced. There is always an option, I don¡¯t believe that he doesn¡¯t have another option, yet he will still decide to hurt me instead," Kate said. "If that situation ever happens, then I will cut all contact with that man. My heart has been broken too many times, I can¡¯t handle another heartbreak."


    Henry clenched the steering wheel but tried his best to keep a straight face despite the chaos in his heart. He had been hesitating for a while now because he thought he could use their baby as a bargaining chip to proceed with the mission, and after that, he¡¯d try to beg Kate for her forgiveness.


    He would try to compensate her in any way possible. He would even marry her if that would quench her rage, even have another child with her if that¡¯s what she needed.


    But now he realized.


    Kate wasn¡¯t the type of woman who would forgive so easily. She had been hurt so many times by many people in her life, of course she would develop a steel heart, or else she would not be able to survive.


    ¡¯Who am I kidding anyway?¡¯ Henry ridiculed himself. ¡¯If Kate is the type who¡¯d forgive so easily she would still be with that useless ex-husband of hers. She¡¯d forgive Matt¡¯s cheating and give him a second chance.¡¯


    ¡¯Then what should I do now?¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Should I just take the baby and ignore her completely? Or should I abandon the mission that I¡¯ve worked so long, just because I don¡¯t want to lose her?¡¯


    Henry found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. He didn¡¯t want to lose Kate, yet he also didn¡¯t want to abandon the mission because he wanted justice for everyone hurt by his parents, including him and his late brother.


    As he kept thinking and thinking without finding an answer, he suddenly realized that they had arrived at their office.


    Henry parked the car in front of the lobby, as always. He wanted to talk more with Kate, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    Instead, she said thanks to him and exited the car immediately.


    Henry was sitting in his car, unsure of what to do next.


    "What should I do? I can¡¯t lose you," Henry murmured. "But I can¡¯t abandon this mission either. This mission is for me, my late brother, and everyone that my parents have wronged."


    Henry felt his stress level rise as he kept thinking about what he could do to solve this dilemma. He also didn¡¯t want to go back to the office because Kate would only remind him of the horrible things he already planned for Kate for the sake of his mission. It gave him a sickening feeling in his gut and only made him feel even guiltier than before.


    Thus, Henry decided to step on the gas and left the office with the Bentley that Michael brought today. He drove around Los Angeles, thinking of what he should do to stop himself from hurting Kate while progressing with the plan, he didn¡¯t want to lose either of those.


    "I don¡¯t want to hurt her...." Henry murmured as he drove slowly and aimlessly around the bustling city. He realized that he was driving around the area where Kate met with her sister, Erin, in a restaurant not far from his location.


    His mind then recalled the moment when he made Kate cry.


    He was trying to protect Kate by showing up in front of Erin so that bitch knew that Kate had a man who was strong enough to protect her from any harm, including Erin.


    But he didn¡¯t know what kind of deranged human Erin was.


    Thus, instead of helping Kate, he only made things worse for her, forcing the situation until they were stuck with Erin for a while, catering to her stupid and perverted demands just to keep her satisfied, so she wouldn¡¯t do something foolish and inevitably kill Kate¡¯s mother.


    Back then, Henry felt that his world had crumbled around him when he saw Kate cry, and even worse, when he realized that he was the one who made her cry. It didn¡¯t matter whether he did it on purpose. He was still the one who made her cry, which made him feel horrible.


    Henry felt that he was the worst human on earth. He was thinking hard about how to pacify Kate so she¡¯d stop shedding her tears, and he was so glad when Kate began to smile at him again.


    "Seeing you cry was the most horrible experience I ever had with a woman, Kate," Henry murmured. "I felt like a monster."


    He remembered his initial plan to take the baby and kick her out of his life.


    He then ridiculed himself for thinking that way, "How stupid, can I even do that? I already felt so horrible when I accidentally made tears fall from her beautiful eyes because of Erin. I can¡¯t imagine seeing her wailing in tears, begging in front of me because I took our baby."


    Henry bit his lower lip. The image was so horrifying in his head that he quickly stopped at a nearby cafe to avoid getting in an accident because of that disturbing picture in his mind.


    Henry exited the car and entered the cafe. He sat at the corner of the cafe and ordered a cold drink just to calm himself down. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Fuck, the image is still in my head,¡¯ Henry cursed himself. ¡¯No, I should stop thinking about it. I¡¯ll get nightmares if I keep thinking about what Kate would do if I take our baby.¡¯


    He sipped his drink from the straw as he stared at the beach in front of him.


    He remembered the sunset he watched with Kate before.


    The sunset was a beautiful sight, but there was someone even more beautiful than the sunset that day, which was a rare occurrence for Henry, because he enjoyed watching the sunset whenever he needed to calm his raging heart.


    But now, as he recalled the golden sunset that he liked, the only thing in his mind was the side profile of the beauty who watched the sea and stood before him. She had eyes that were more brilliant than the sunset and long, wavy red hair that swayed as the wind gently caressed it.


    She was exceptionally beautiful, and at that time, Henry wanted nothing but to have her by his side. In fact, as stupid as it sounded, he already had their whole life planned in his head, from the day they got married, had kids, and even after they retired, living together as one of old couples that made you smile.


    Henry always thought he was a cold-hearted bastard, and he already proved himself to be one for a long time.


    He never spared any pity to anyone, be it, a man or a woman. He had naturally been trained to be ruthless and unforgiving by the situation surrounding his birth.


    ¡¯Yet, I see the flash of a beautiful life when I¡¯m with you, Kate,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯You changed something in me, and I don¡¯t know if I want that.¡¯

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103: Chapter 103Kate was under so much stress right now. She was so angry at everything that¡¯s happening today to the point that she would yell at anyone who dared to breathe the same air as her.


    She wanted to be alone¡ªwell, alone with someone she liked. So she was saddened when she realized Henry hadn¡¯t come out of his car and decided to leave her alone.


    ¡¯Did I make him uncomfortable?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯I must have. I yelled at Bonnie and Terry, I also made plenty of sharp remarks, making me look like a vicious woman without pity.¡¯


    Kate was a usually very professional woman. No matter how severe the problem she faced at work, she would not let her emotions get the best of her most of the time.


    But this case was different.


    She was friends with Bonnie, and she also sympathized with her story.


    Bonnie was a girl unloved by her parents. She then found solace in a man fifteen years her senior and soon developed a deep and strong connection, she¡¯s also heavily dependent on Terry, even though Terry provided her with nothing but heartache. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯I want to help her, but I can¡¯t. It¡¯s none of my business and I would be overstepping. We¡¯re friends, but we¡¯re not close enough for me to help her to this level,¡¯ Kate thought. Her heart ached as she realized that Bonnie had become an easy woman who was satisfied with everything Terry did, whether good or bad.


    ¡¯And now, she went as far as trying to bail out her groomer boyfriend....¡¯


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Terry caused a problem for Bonnie, and Kate already hated Terry so much that she wished she could gouge his eyes out, so he wouldn¡¯t use those eyes to see another teenager he could fuck.


    But the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back was that Bonnie supported her boyfriend instead of leaving, or even better, helped put Terry behind bars, a place where he truly deserved to be.


    ¡¯She¡¯s just like my mother, she simply accepted everything that my father did, and she even tried to cover up the deranged things that he did just because she doesn¡¯t want her illusion of a perfect family to be shattered.¡¯


    Thus, Kate became the whistleblower that destroyed her family because she didn¡¯t want her father to find another victim. Enough was enough.


    "I fucking hate groomers," Kate murmured. She clenched her fist as remembered all the young girls her father had sexually assaulted in their house. She knew that blowing the whistle would ruin her family¡¯s reputation, and she wouldn¡¯t have the same comfortable life anymore.


    But she had a conscience that told her to tell the world about her father¡¯s heinous crimes, "I have no regret over destroying my own family. It¡¯s better than having another woman¡¯s innocence ruined and her future stolen."


    Ding!


    Kate exited the elevator and walked through the corridor to her office.


    She passed the Co-Manager¡¯s office, and through the glass pane, she realized that Michael had already occupied the office.


    They made eye contact for a second, and Michael quickly sprung up from his chair to chase Kate.


    "Wait, Mrs. Woods!" Michael called her name to stop her. "I have something to talk to you about!"


    Kate stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Michael, "And what would that be, Mr. Eckermann?"


    Kate didn¡¯t have any strong impression of this man. Henry simply mentioned that Michael was his right-hand man. He was very loyal to Henry, so Kate didn¡¯t need to worry.


    But then again, Henry had a lot of deep connections that were out of Kate¡¯s reach. She doubted that Michael was just an ordinary man, especially with his build that showed he definitely had a military career before working for Henry as his right-hand man.


    Michael was about to open his mouth but then noticed Henry was nowhere to be found. So he asked, "Where is Henry?"


    "... he left," Kate said, the disappointment clearly written on her face.


    "Huh? He left?" Michael checked his watch, and his brow creased deeper, "But it¡¯s still too early to leave."


    Kate felt guilty because she thought Henry must be feeling disgusted and disappointed after seeing Kate overly temperamental. After all, most men liked a woman who was obedient and sweet, and Kate was... well, she thought she could be sweet if she had to, but she doubted she¡¯d be able to be obedient, especially not when she was surrounded by assholes most of the time.


    "It¡¯s because of me," Kate admitted without hesitation, thinking Henry would probably talk shit about her with Michael behind her back.


    "Because of you? What do you mean, Ma¡¯am?" Michael asked. He wanted to know more, but Kate wasn¡¯t in the mood. She simply turned around and entered the Chief Editor¡¯s office.


    She slammed the door, just like how Mai slammed the door in front of him.


    Michael couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head and wonder, "What¡¯s wrong with the women working in this place?"


    **


    Kate entered her office and saw Mai, who was busy reading a manuscript to see if it was worthy enough to be given to her boss.


    Mai lifted her head when she heard the door open, and their eyes met. Both looked distressed and exhausted, so they had a tacit understanding not to disturb each other.


    Kate returned to her seat, busying herself, deleting all the manuscripts and documents regarding Bonnie Harper from her iPad and her mind.


    She wanted to call all the departments to terminate any activity regarding Bonnie Harper, halting the printing of her book, pulling out her books from the stores, and also taking down her book online.


    Unfortunately, that kind of authority was only available to Henry as the CEO. All she could do was to tell Henry to do it, though she wasn¡¯t sure if she could face¡ªor even call Henry right now.


    She was ashamed of showing such an unsightly side of her, snapping and yelling like a madwoman.


    ¡¯I do feel ashamed after showing that side in front of Henry. But still, I regret nothing, I stood up for what I think is right. This company will not support that kind of behavior from one of our authors.¡¯

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104: Chapter 104Michael wanted to find Henry as soon as possible since he didn¡¯t think he could survive in this office for a long time, especially not when Erin kept trying to get in his pants, and with Mai looking at him like he was a filthy bed bug, she couldn¡¯t wait to squash.


    The working environment was so hostile, and at this rate, he¡¯d rather go to a real war than deal with those two women. At least he could be himself as a soldier.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of fight happened between Henry and Kate, but it definitely wasn¡¯t their first fight.


    Since he only wanted to meet with Henry to get help, Michael grabbed his suit and phone from the desk and left the office. As he walked out of the lobby, he realized Henry had used the Bentley Michael brought to the office.


    He clicked his tongue and called Henry¡¯s phone to find out where his boss was, but to his surprise, Henry rejected the call.


    He called again, and Henry rejected the call again. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He did it three more times until Henry suddenly blocked his phone number.


    "What in the¡ª" Michael cursed. "What kind of problem did he have with Kate to reach the point that he would block me, his own right-hand man?"


    "When did Henry turn into such a moody person?" Michael wondered. Since he didn¡¯t know his Boss¡¯s whereabouts, Michael called a Taxi and headed straight to the apartment where Henry usually spends his nights alone.


    Henry had plenty of apartments and also a few villas that he rented. But he only had one retreat when he was too stressed or depressed.


    Michael remembered how Henry spent the whole month in his seaside apartment, locked up, as he got too depressed thinking about the death of his elder brother and how he was the indirect cause of it.


    ¡¯Well, it¡¯s not his fault,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯But Henry is still the main reason for his elder brother¡¯s death. So I know how hard it was for Henry at that time.¡¯


    As Michael walked towards the apartment, he saw that the door was open.


    However, he didn¡¯t intend to enter the apartment because Henry told him many times that he would NOT let anyone but himself and the cleaning lady enter this apartment.


    So he waited in front of the opened door until the old cleaning lady left the room and closed the door behind her.


    "Excuse me," Michael asked. "Is Mr. Grant in his apartment right now?"


    The cleaning lady shook her head, "The apartment is empty, Sir. I just finished cleaning everything. If you want to wait for Mr. Grant, you should probably come back tomorrow or just call him."


    ¡¯Yeah, that means I¡¯ll just have to wait here until he comes home,¡¯ Michael thought.


    Thus, he stood in front of the apartment for hours until it was almost midnight.


    Then, Michael saw the figure of his Boss walking out of the elevator. He swayed left and right as he tried to reach the apartment. His face was red, his previously neat hair was disheveled, and his eyes were a bit empty.


    It was obvious that Henry was drunk right now.


    Michael rushed to Henry and propped him up before he fell flat on the floor.


    "Sir! Where have you been?" Michael asked as he tried to help Henry reach the apartment door.


    Henry burped a few times as his stomach felt uncomfortable, and then he replied, "In a bar not far from here."


    "Why did you drink so much anyway?" Michael asked. "Mrs. Woods told me that you had a fight with her. Is everything alright?"


    Henry felt his gaze was blurry, and he could barely prop himself up. But his mind was still clear enough. So when he got the question, he quickly refuted it.


    "A fight? No, not at all..." Henry denied. "It¡¯s me. It¡¯s my fault because I am a horrible man who makes her cry."


    Michael frowned, "But Mrs. Woods said that it¡¯s her fault."


    "No, it¡¯s my fault."


    "But¡ª"


    "ARE YOU DEAF? IT¡¯S MY FAULT! EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT!" Henry suddenly snapped. He then began to ramble at Michael.


    Michael shut his mouth instantly, knowing he¡¯d only get yelled at if he dared to say anything else.


    They stopped in front of the apartment door, and Henry unlocked it with his fingerprint.


    He then sat in front of the door and said, "Let¡¯s talk here, Michael. You can¡¯t come in."


    "Sir, we are outside your apartment, in a hallway," Michael warned. "Someone might overhear us."


    "It¡¯s fine," Henry replied. "I bought all the apartments on this floor. So this whole floor is owned by me."


    "Then why don¡¯t we talk in your other apartment¡ª"


    "SHUT UP!" Henry snapped again, much to Michael¡¯s grievance. Henry burped again and said, "Nobody is allowed to enter any of my apartments except me and my woman."


    "Miss Sarah?"


    "KATE!" Henry yelled again. "WHY WOULD I GO WITH SARAH WHEN I HAVE KATE? SHE IS MY WOMAN! MY ONLY ONE!"


    Henry¡¯s loud voice echoed throughout the floor. It was fortunate that Henry already purchased all the apartments on this floor, or else everyone would laugh at this man¡¯s drunken slur.


    Michael should be holding his words, knowing Henry was drunk right now.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but argue with his Boss, "Sir, you already promised Miss Sarah...."


    "I DON¡¯T CARE!" Henry shouted. "IF I¡¯M GOING TO MARRY, THEN IT WILL BE WITH KATE! STOP SAYING SARAH¡¯S NAME, YOU FUCKING NUMBNUT!"


    Henry¡¯s mind began to recall the image of Kate. He vividly remembered everything about that woman. But the more he remembered her, the guiltier he felt.


    Henry suddenly lowered his head and said, "Michael, I¡¯m a horrible man."


    "And why do you think like that, Sir?"


    "I wanted to use Kate as a scapegoat. Even though I know that she is innocent," Henry said. "I don¡¯t think I can continue with our mission, Michael."

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105: Chapter 105[Song Recommendation: Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart.]


    "I don¡¯t think I can continue with our mission, Michael."


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened. Though he knew the mission was cruel, they couldn¡¯t afford to end things like this. They had planned this for years. Michael even resigned from his military career because he was eager to finish this mission.


    "Sir, you¡¯re too drunk to think clearly right now. Just get up and go to sleep in your bedroom, then we can talk tomorrow," Michael suggested, but Henry shook his head.


    "You know me, Michael," Henry said. "I might be drunk, but no matter how drunk I am, I can still think clearly. The alcohol only makes me bolder, so I can speak what¡¯s on my mind without any hesitation."


    Michael knew that, of course.


    Henry didn¡¯t get drunk easily, and even if he were, he would still be able to think straight. It had proven useful many times because many women wanted to get him drunk enough to sleep with them.


    But Michael still refused to believe what Henry had said just now.


    "Sir, you can¡¯t just terminate everything we¡¯ve worked years for," Michael said as he tried to remind Henry. "You know that we have put everything to get this mission in motion. You promised me, that¡¯s why I resigned from my military career. You also promised Miss Sarah."


    "Sir, I know this is hard, but you¡¯ve promised too many people. We¡¯ve gone too far with this mission, it¡¯s too late to terminate it," Michael said.


    Henry hung his head low and chuckled, "You¡¯re right. I already promised you, and also promised myself. I can¡¯t just abandon everything at this point."


    "But I can¡¯t hurt Kate," Henry said. His voice began to tremble as he mentioned her again. "I can¡¯t hurt her. I can¡¯t even imagine seeing her tears again, let alone intentionally hurting her."


    Honestly, Michael also felt pity for Kate.


    After getting to know her better, it seemed that Miss Sarah and Mrs. Grant had slandered Kate.


    It was mostly Mrs. Grant who said that Kate was a bitch who intentionally seduced James Grant because she wanted to get her grubby hands on the Grant family¡¯s fortune.


    But after seeing Kate with his own eyes, Michael knew that was a lie concocted by Mrs. Grant to help her achieve her own desires.


    Because Kate was a very domineering woman, she had her own money and was competent enough to gain and maintain her position as Chief Editor.


    Michael also pitied Kate for all the family problems that she faced. She was truly a good woman that was surrounded by evil people in her life.


    ¡¯And those evil people include Henry and I,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯We are the horrible ones because we¡¯re going to separate a mother from her baby.¡¯


    There was only silence for a while between them as they reflected on their own wrong doings and silently admitted that they were both horrible men.


    "You can leave now, Michael," Henry said. "You¡¯re right. I should just sleep and pretend that things are back to normal. Hopefully, I can control my heart when I have to take the baby from her."


    Michael knew there was no way Henry could take Kate¡¯s baby at this point. It was obvious that the mission would fail, and Michael didn¡¯t want that.


    He thought for a moment and then remembered that Henry and Kate had sex in the office. They were both drunk, and as their minds were filled with alcohol, both of them got bolder, and they did it without a condom.


    At least, that was what Henry told him back then.


    "Sir, I have an idea," Michael said. "But I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like this or not."


    Henry raised his head, staring at Michael in silence, waiting for him to speak more of his so-called idea.


    Michael took a deep breath and then explained, "Do you still remember when and how you did it with Mrs. Woods and how it ended up with her getting pregnant?"


    "Of course!" Henry replied. "It was that night after I discovered the reason behind my brother¡¯s death. I was in utter shock and beyond reproach, I was so depressed so I went to his office. I tried to get myself drunk so I could at least get through that horrible night." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But then, Kate suddenly entered the office. She looked just as broken as I was, she also brought her own bottles, so I know that she wanted to get drunk to release her sadness, just like I did," Henry said. "We both got drunk and bolder, so we did it that night without a condom."


    "Sir, you didn¡¯t have any intention of having sex with her before you got drunk, right?" Michael asked.


    Henry considered what Michael had said for a moment and then shook his head, "I didn¡¯t have intention of having sex with her at first, because I already knew her identity. But as she was intoxicated, she started to seduce me, and I couldn¡¯t control myself after that."


    "If only I didn¡¯t do it with her back then, I wouldn¡¯t have to implicate her in this mission," Henry regretted. He wouldn¡¯t lie that he felt so good that night. It was the best sex he ever had in his life. Kate was, in fact, the most compatible woman with him both physically and emotionally.


    But as he grew to know her better, he realized that Kate was so wonderful. Too wonderful, in fact, that Henry¡¯s heart broke when he realized their sweet moments were short-lived.


    ¡¯Had I known that loving you could be this painful, I would¡¯ve preferred not knowing you at all, Kate,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I don¡¯t mind if I have to be the same cold-hearted bastard for the rest of my life. I prefer that rather than having to hurt you....¡¯


    "Okay, Sir, then my idea should be good enough for our plan," Michael said. "I know that Mrs. Woods is the best candidate as the mother of your child, the child that we will use as a bargaining chip. But what if we used another woman instead?"


    Henry frowned, "Used another woman?"


    "Yes, I will find another woman, a woman that you had sex with before. And I will bring her to you," Michael said. "Since you¡¯re drunk as heck right now, you should be able to have sex with her, right?"

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106: Chapter 106"To have sex with another woman?" Henry frowned. "You want me to impregnate another woman and take her child so I don¡¯t have to hurt Kate that way?"


    "Yes, Sir," Michael nodded. "We both know that Mrs. Woods¡¯ status makes her the best scapegoat for our mission, but I also know that you won¡¯t be able to sacrifice her or your child with her."


    "So how about impregnating another woman, though it won¡¯t be as effective as taking Mrs. Woods¡¯ baby, but it should be enough as a bargaining chip, right?" Michael asked.


    He also felt horrible as he said those words. Michael wasn¡¯t evil, or at least he believed he wasn¡¯t.


    But this mission was all he had in his life right now, and he would do anything for them to succeed.


    Henry fell silent for a while as he weighed his options. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d enjoy sex anymore if it wasn¡¯t with Kate, but if this would help him avoid hurting Kate, then...


    Henry was caught up in his thoughts for a few minutes until he eventually nodded, "Fine, bring me a woman that you think can replace Kate and our baby, make sure that she has at least a similar features with her."


    Henry stood up and leaned against the wall as he tried to get into his apartment, "I won¡¯t lock the door. I¡¯ll be waiting in the living room for that woman," Henry said. "Let¡¯s get this over with, Michael."


    Michael gulped nervously. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt horrible thinking of using another woman to replace Mrs. Woods, "Understood, Sir. It won¡¯t take long."


    Henry turned around and slammed the door behind him. Michael stood in silence for a while before he picked up his phone and started to scroll through the list of women Henry had slept with for at least a week in the past, so at least Henry could feel something with this new woman.


    Michael kept scrolling to find the right woman with at least one or two physical features similar to Kate.


    But the more he scrolled, the harder it became.


    He began to sweat as he remembered two things that made him ten times guiltier.


    First was the desperation and sadness that Henry carried right now.


    It was obvious that Henry had fallen in love with Kate, just like how his late brother had fallen in love with the same woman, and truthfully Michael believed that Henry and Kate were a perfect pair.


    Unfortunately, the situation surrounding them was far from perfect, and no matter what Henry did, whether he decided to take Kate¡¯s baby or impregnate another woman, he would end up hurting Kate in the end because Kate was probably already in love with Henry as well.


    All Henry could do was try to hurt her less, and Michael knew this must be a very difficult decision for his Boss and best friend.


    Second, he kept remembering that bunny from the office. She looked innocent, cute, and harmless, but she stared at Michael like he was the worst human on earth who didn¡¯t deserve forgiveness.


    ¡¯I know, I¡¯m the worst. Please stop running through my mind, Mai,¡¯ Michael said in his heart. ¡¯I know that I don¡¯t deserve your pity, but you should also know that I have my own reason for doing this. So please, stop making me feel too guilty to execute what I have to do.¡¯


    Michael gritted his teeth as he realized the image of Mai would probably stay in his mind for a long time. So he tried his best to ignore the thought of Mai and how he felt about her until he found the right woman for his Boss.


    Michael called the number, and it wasn¡¯t long until the call was connected.


    "Hello, who is this?" The woman on the other side of the asked.


    Michael gulped. He clenched his fist to strengthen his heart, he knew that he would probably give his own Boss a series of nightmares for a long time.


    "Good evening, Miss Lydia March. My name is Michael, I am Mr. Henry Grant¡¯s assistant," Michael introduced himself.


    "M¡ªMr. Grant?! C¡ªCan I help with something?" Lydia got excited instantly. The days when she was with Henry Grant were short-lived, but it was amazing, and she would be happy if she could rekindle those same passionate nights with him.


    "Yes, Mr. Grant wants you, Miss March."


    **


    Henry sat on the sofa in the living room, he stared at the moon that hovered above the sea. He had a bottle of bourbon in his left hand that was already half empty.


    He couldn¡¯t get more drunk than this, but he continued to drink, hoping he would be drunk enough to mistake this new woman Michael would bring into his apartment as Kate, but he knew the truth. In his heart he knew that was impossible, there was only one Kate and no one could hold a candle to her.


    Henry clenched the bottle as he realized he was about to break his promise to Kate.


    He promised her to be exclusive only to her.


    He also promised her that this apartment was for the two of them, only for Henry and Kate because it was supposed to be a retreat for them, so they would feel safe without worrying about whatever happened outside.


    Henry gritted his teeth. He was disturbed by his promises to Kate.


    He knew that Kate probably didn¡¯t take his words seriously, but he did.


    "I can¡¯t keep my promise to be exclusive to her, but the least I can do is not to let another woman enter our paradise," Henry said.


    So he grabbed his phone and squinted as he tried to find Michael¡¯s number.


    Then, he dialed his best friend¡¯s phone, and the line was connected after a few seconds.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Henry?" Michael asked. "Don¡¯t worry about the woman. I found the perfect one for you, and she is with me right now."


    "Take her to another apartment on the same floor. You can pick any of those apartments I bought, but don¡¯t let her enter my place. This is supposed to be a paradise only for Kate and me." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "... understood, Sir. I will press the bell once she¡¯s ready in another apartment."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry continued to wait until he heard the bell ring. He took a deep breath and steadied himself enough to get up and walk towards the door.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Kate. Turns out, I can¡¯t be exclusively yours," Henry said to himself. "But I did this to pay for my sins, because I¡¯m a horrible man."

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107[Song Recommendation: Billie Eilish - I Love You.]


    "So let me return to my old self, just this once, how I was before our fateful encounter that night. When I was cold and unfeeling, so I couldn¡¯t care less about what people thought of me," Henry muttered. "So I can protect you from this mess completely." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry knew what he was risking, what he was putting on the line. He knew that whatever relationship he had with Kate right now would be done for the moment he slept with another woman.


    His heart told him not to do it, he could no longer even imagine a life without Kate at this point.


    "But this is the only way for me to protect her, the only way I won¡¯t hurt her. Someone else has to take her place or else Kate will be hurt so bad to the point that she¡¯d rather choose death."


    Thus, Henry walked out of his apartment staggering and swaying as he continued to feel the effects of the alcohol. Michael quickly ran to his side, keeping him steady, propping him up the moment he opened the door.


    "Sir, did you continue to drink while waiting for the replacement woman to come?"


    "Yes," Henry replied without hesitation. "I have to, or I don¡¯t think I can fuck another woman. My mind has been filled with thoughts of Kate and our time together whenever I think about the great crime against her I¡¯m about to commit."


    Michael nodded. He knew it must be hard for Henry.


    So he silently helped his Boss reach the apartment where Lydia March, the woman he was supposed to sleep with today, was brought to.


    Michael already told Lydia his Boss wanted to do something ¡¯unconventional.¡¯


    Though he didn¡¯t let her know that Henry wanted to impregnate her because Michael himself was unsure if his Boss would be able to do it or not.


    They stopped in front of the door where Lydia was waiting for Henry right now.


    Henry stared at the door in silence. His heart was aching so badly, it was as if his heart was being torn apart at just the thought of what he was about to do. He felt like he was about to collapse on the ground, writhing in pain as he didn¡¯t want to do this.


    Michael observed the change in his Boss¡¯s face and asked, "Sir, are you sure you can do this?"


    "...I don¡¯t know, Michael," Henry said, his voice already hoarse as if he was about to break down in tears. "I know I have to do it for the sake of our mission. But I¡¯m not sure if I can. My heart wants only one woman, and that woman is Kate."


    Michael could feel the sadness in his voice. He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel any pain, "I¡¯m so sorry, Henry. Had I known that you could fall in love like this, then I wouldn¡¯t have agreed that you should take that job as the CEO."


    "You think I fell in love with Kate after I replaced my brother?" Henry scoffed as he found what Michael had just said to be funny. "I fell in love with her since that night we spent together. She is the only woman with whom I can feel comfortable."


    "She has occupied my heart ever since she came into the CEO¡¯s office with the same heartbroken feeling as I had," Henry said. "We are two broken-hearted people clinging to each other as we find solace in each other¡¯s presence."


    "So you don¡¯t need to apologize, Michael. It¡¯s all my fault, and this is also my responsibility," Henry clenched his fist as he tried his best to ignore the terrible heartache he was suffering as they stood outside the door. "I will do this. I already promised too many people, you, my late brother, and also myself, I will finish this mission, no matter what."


    Thus, Henry moved himself away from Michael and walked towards the door. He held the door handle, before he pushed it open, he said, "Remind me not to talk to Kate again after I¡¯ve spent the night with this woman. I don¡¯t think I can face her anymore. I promised her many things, only to break all of them."


    Click.


    Henry opened the door and walked in.


    Michael stared at the door for a long time and slowly put his palm on top of his heart, "I¡¯m sorry, Henry."


    **


    Henry¡¯s gaze was getting blurry. It got increasingly hard for him to walk as well. It seemed that he was at his limit after drinking half a bottle of bourbon on top of all the alcohol he had drunk previously.


    But this was a good thing.


    Since his gaze was blurred, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference between this woman and Kate fully.


    Michael told him before that he chose a girl with at least some facial features similar to Kate¡¯s just as Henry had asked him to do, so Henry could at least manage to have sex with her.


    ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Kate. I¡¯m so sorry...¡¯ Henry repeatedly apologized to Kate in his heart as he entered the living room.


    He could see the figure of a woman sitting on the sofa. She was wearing a stunning evening gown.


    Henry squinted, he could tell that the woman had red hair, just like Kate. But other than that, there was nothing similar between the two women.


    Kate¡¯s eyes were brighter and full of sincerity. Her lips were luscious, tempting Henry to kiss her every time he laid his eyes on them when they spoke.


    Kate¡¯s smile was a lot softer too.


    In fact, even her hair wasn¡¯t as beautiful as Kate¡¯s. Nothing from this woman could compare to Kate. She was like a dim light next to Kate who shone like the golden sunset.


    ¡¯I should stop comparing her to Kate. Nobody will be able to hold a candle next to my woman. She is truly the most beautiful...¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯The only woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with.¡¯


    Henry stopped right in front of the woman named Lydia March.


    The latter looked up, staring at the drunken man who looked even more handsome now than when they first met. As they say, separation makes the heart go fonder, but this only applied to Lydia as her presence did nothing for Henry. "H¡ªHenry, do you still remember me? I¡¯m Lydia March. We were in a relationship for about three weeks¡ª"


    "Sssh," Henry told her to shut up. "You¡¯re not Lydia March tonight."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Lydia was confused. ¡¯Did his assistant call the wrong woman?¡¯


    Lydia knew that Henry had a lot of lovers. He was a playboy with a track record.


    But he was a man that would get bored pretty easily, so, despite her initial heartbreak, Lydia moved on quickly, knowing that Henry dumping her was only just an eventuality.


    He had a lot of women in queue, so she also believed that Henry could barely recognize her, though she always remembered their passionate nights together.


    "Your name tonight is Kate, Katherine Grant."

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108"Your name tonight is Kate, Katherine Grant."


    "Katherine Grant?" Lydia was shocked when Henry mentioned another woman, and was even more blown away by the fact that the said woman had the same surname as him!


    ¡¯Wait, does that mean he is already married?¡¯ Lydia wondered. ¡¯No, there is no way he¡¯s married. He is Henry Grant. He doesn¡¯t fall in love.¡¯


    "Yes, your name is Katherine Grant," Henry said. "And you are my wife."


    "Your wife?!" Lydia gasped. This one was the most unrealistic of all the kinds of made-up bullshit that Henry told her.


    There was no way that Henry Grant, the notorious playboy who couldn¡¯t even keep a relationship for more than a month, would suddenly be a married man.


    ¡¯Could it be that he is stuck in a political marriage?¡¯ Lydia wondered. ¡¯I know he comes from an old-money family. So political marriages like those on TV shouldn¡¯t be uncommon, right?¡¯


    Lydia thought about it for a moment and quickly rejected the idea, ¡¯No, that¡¯s not possible. If he¡¯s trapped in a loveless marriage, he wouldn¡¯t force me to use his wife¡¯s name.¡¯


    To be honest, Lydia was uncomfortable with the condition that Henry had just set. She felt Henry was only using her to vent his frustration for an unknown reason.


    But before she could voice out her disagreement, Henry suddenly held her chin. He leaned to check on her and said, "Yes, you¡¯re Katherine Grant tonight. You have eyes more brilliant than the golden sunset, flowing red hair that I sways when the wind blows gently through it, and a sweet and sincere smile that makes me fall in love every time I see it."


    "You are my Kitty, the woman I love..." As Henry said this his mind got blurry, and he began to imagine this woman in front of him was truly Kate.


    Henry smiled and then leaned down until their lips almost touched, "I love you so much, Kitty. I want to wife you up, and I can¡¯t wait to raise our baby together, just the three of us in our retreat."


    "Katherine Grant, my woman...."


    **


    Kate sighed as she sat on the sofa, watching a late-night talk show that didn¡¯t interest her at all.


    She didn¡¯t expect that something she used to routinely watch and enjoy to become so boring after meeting Henry. She would usually watch a late-night talk show after work to help her relax. Sometimes she watched it while eating her late dinner or simply eating popcorn if she was in the mood for a movie.


    Today it was one of her favorite talk shows being aired, but she didn¡¯t enjoy it at all.


    "It would be nice if I could spend the night with Henry," Kate murmured.


    She had an amazing night with him yesterday. After dinner, they slept on the same bed, staring at the night sky full of stars, and then they watched each other.


    It gave her a warm feeling inside, and it had been so long since she had felt that kind of warmth in her life. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her life was usually filled with nothing but work to the point that there was no difference between Monday and Friday because she would still be working anyway.


    Her relationship with Matt also soured because of how much heavier her workload got right after James Grant¡¯s death because she had to take the responsibility of the CEO until the new one filled the position.


    Now she was finally free from the responsibilies and workload that came with being the acting CEO. But she felt lonely instead.


    "Should I go to his apartment?" Kate considered. Then she laughed at herself because she sounded ridiculous, "No, what are you thinking, Kate? What kind of woman goes to a man¡¯s apartment in the middle of the night just because she feels lonely? That sounds like something Erin would do."


    Kate was laughing at the idea, it sounded silly, but she couldn¡¯t lie, that she was actually considering it seriously.


    She felt that she was in the wrong for showing a side of her that didn¡¯t seem to be so ladylike or mature.


    "Well, I don¡¯t really need to be so ladylike in front of random men, but I... I also want to impress him a little...."


    Kate had to admit that she¡ªjust like all women who were interested in a man, wanted to show this feminine side of hers.


    She wanted Henry to see her as a good woman.


    Kate sighed, "Well, I fucked up. What can I do anyway?"


    Kate turned off the TV, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and then tucked herself into bed. She stared at the ceiling, thinking it¡¯d be nice to have a man¡¯s strong arms wrapped around her with his warm body pressed against hers.


    She tried to close her eyes a few times in an attempt to fall asleep, but to no avail.


    She couldn¡¯t sleep as she kept thinking about Henry.


    "Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Let me just set this straight so I can go to sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow," Kate said.


    She grabbed her phone and then dialed Henry¡¯s number.


    **


    "Katherine Grant, my woman...."


    Henry¡¯s drunken haze had successfully fooled him. He actually saw Kate laying in front of him, smiling at him as she waited for Henry to kiss her.


    So he leaned forward to savor her lucious lips.


    But his concentration was soon broken when his phone began to ring loudly from his shirt pocket.


    Henry snapped out of his daze, and the image of Kate before him disappeared, and the face of the woman returned to her real self, making Henry quickly lose all interest in her.


    He pushed the woman back to the chair and checked the caller.


    He thought it was Michael, but he didn¡¯t need to call him even if he had something to say. He could¡¯ve just knocked on the door or simply stormed in.


    "Uhh..." Henry shook his head a few times to read clearly the caller ID, and his eyes widened instantly when he realized it was Kate!


    "Kate?!" Henry regained some of his sobriety instantly. He was about to answer the call, but then he heard the woman ask.


    "Is that your wife?"


    Henry glanced at Lydia and nodded, "She is the woman I truly love."


    "... then pick it up, Henry," Lydia said. "Wait, you should answer her call after I leave. So she won¡¯t get any wrong ideas about what happened between us."

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109Henry paused for a moment. He wondered what was running through this woman¡¯s head. But Lydia quickly added, "I do like you, Henry. I like you a lot. Any woman would be a fool not to like you, but seeing you try to turn me into another woman just so you can have sex with me, is a red flag for me."


    "Besides, that also means you are truly hopelessly in love with this Kate of yours, and I¡¯m not a woman who wants to fight over a guy," Lydia said. She got up from the chair and grabbed her bag. "Don¡¯t worry, your assistant already paid for everything. I will leave now. Goodbye, Henry."


    "..." Henry nodded as he remained silent, watching the woman leave the room. Honestly, he already forgot that woman¡¯s name. He had a lot of lovers before Kate, so their faces got a little blurry, merged and mixed most of the time.


    But that didn¡¯t matter because he had something more important to do: answer his woman¡¯s call!


    **


    Lydia walked out of the apartment and met Michael who had been standing in front of the door since Henry entered.


    He frowned when he saw her coming out early. She was still wearing the same dress, and there was no trace of lovemaking on her body. Michael also doubted that Henry would cum so fast.


    "Why are you coming out so soon?" Michael asked.


    Lydia sighed, "You didn¡¯t tell me that Henry is madly in love with his wife."


    "His wife?"


    "Yeah, the one called Katherine Grant. He told me that I will be his ¡¯Kate¡¯ for the night. It¡¯s ridiculous that I have to be someone else just to have sex with a man," Lydia rolled her eyes. "It¡¯s unfortunate, but I¡¯m not the type to fight with another woman over a man. I like him, but not to the point that I would be as pathetic as that."


    Michael had somewhat predicted that Henry would see this woman as Kate¡¯s replacement. He might be trying to imagine Kate when he had sex with another woman.


    But he didn¡¯t expect Henry to say it out loud, even proclaiming that Kate was Katherine Grant, thinking he already married her.


    Michael shook his head, "I¡¯m sorry, Lydia. He is going through difficult times right now. Don¡¯t worry, I will pay you for all the hassle you suffered tonight."


    Lydia smiled, "Thanks, please tell him not to waste that woman named Kate if he truly loves her, okay?"


    After Lydia left, Michael walked into the apartment and realized Henry looked so happy as he sat on the sofa.


    He was speaking to someone on his phone, and from his sweeter mood and the smile on his face, it was obvious that he was on the phone with Kate.


    ¡¯... I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future. But he already went through so much today. It¡¯s better to let him have his time alone.¡¯


    Thus, Michael turned around and left the apartment, allowing Henry to talk privately with Kate.


    **


    After ensuring that woman had left, Henry finally picked up the call and threw himself on the sofa.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, darling," Henry said as he answered the call.


    "Darling?" Kate was surprised. She really thought that Henry would be reluctant to answer her call, but it seemed that she had been worried for nothing.


    It seemed that everything was just fine, and she was simply overthinking things.


    "Yeah, my darling," Henry chuckled. The alcohol was yet to leave his system, so he got bolder and became unrestrained in his terms of endearment, just like he did that first night with Kate.


    However, his speech was also a little slurred, which made it easy for Kate to guess, "Are you drunk right now?" Kate asked.


    "Ehhh, I¡¯m not," Henry lied. "Tell me this is not just my imagination, and you¡¯re actually calling me right now. Because if it is, damn, I have to drink a lot just to get this kind of fantasy."


    Kate curled her lips. Henry was definitely piss drunk right now.


    But as Kate learned from the night they spent together, he was the type of drunk that would still have his mind intact. His whole body might shut down, but his thoughts and judgment were still logical.


    Though, Kate also remembered how Henry became bolder as he drank more and more throughout the night.


    "This is not your imagination, handsome," Kate teased him. "I was calling you just to make sure that you¡¯re doing just alright there."


    Kate didn¡¯t want to admit the truth that she felt lonely, that she missed him, and that she wanted to spend the night with Henry in his bed. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, are you alright? I bet there¡¯s something wrong, that¡¯s why you drank so much tonight," Kate guessed.


    Henry fell silent instantly.


    He didn¡¯t want to tell Kate about his whole ordeal with Michael. He was so close to coming clean, but the call from Kate was like a wake-up call for him, it felt like a bucket of ice cold water was poured on his head.


    As expected, he felt so much better when he could be with her.


    "I¡¯m not fine, Kate," Henry said. "I... I have a big problem that I can¡¯t solve."


    "Really?" Kate didn¡¯t know what kind of problem a rich and carefree man like Henry had, but she also didn¡¯t want to know. She felt that whatever his problem was, it must be dangerous.


    Kate was just a regular working lady. She could not join ¡¯that¡¯ kind of game full of schemes and betrayal.


    She simply believed that Henry was a good guy. At least, that was what she wanted to believe.


    But of course, she also wanted to help him the best she could.


    Henry had helped her a lot, it was the least she could do after everything. After all, that was the essence of being in a relationship, right? To help each other during hardships, a relationship wasn¡¯t supposed to be a one-way street, right?


    "Can I help you with something then?" Kate offered. "I can¡¯t do much, but you¡¯ve helped me a lot, it¡¯s natural for me to help you as well."


    ...


    ¡¯I prefer that you don¡¯t help me, Kate,¡¯ Henry replied in his heart. ¡¯I prefer you to stay as far as possible from me.¡¯

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110: Chapter 110¡ª


    "Do you want to help me?" Henry asked.


    "Uh-huh," Kate replied lightly. "I don¡¯t know what your problem is, but by judging based on how drunk you are, it must be something that you don¡¯t want to talk about, right?"


    "Yes," Henry replied. "I also don¡¯t want you to get involved with my problem, Kate. I want you... and our baby to be safe."


    "Yeah, is it possible that I can help you in some other way... you know... anything that will make you feel happier tonight?" Kate offered. She was hinting, hoping Henry would suddenly pick her up and bring her to that apartment where they spent last night together.


    Henry might be drunk, but his mind was clear enough to understand what Kate meant, "I want you to be here with me, Kate. I feel so lost when you¡¯re not around me."


    "W¡ªWell, then let me grab my bag and I¡¯ll go to your apartment," Kate said.


    "No, that¡¯s too dangerous," Henry refused. "It¡¯s already late at night, let me pick you up."


    "Henry, you¡¯re drunk, it¡¯s not only illegal but also dangerous for you to drive. You might get into an accident, or worse, die if you get behind the wheel," Kate said.


    "Well, I¡¯ll tell Michael to pick you up then. I will be waiting in our apartment, in our room, Kitty," Henry said with a big grin on his face.


    His aching heart gradually eased as he found comfort in the statement he had just uttered.


    Yes, all he wanted right now was to be in their apartment, snuggling in their bedroom, feeling each other¡¯s warmth. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Our room...¡¯ Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened instantly as she remembered what she did with Henry yesterday in that room. Her body began to heat up as lewd images appeared in her mind.


    She shook her head to ward off the thought and replied, "Alright, you can tell Michael to pick me up. I¡¯ll get ready."


    "Sure, I can¡¯t wait to be with you, Kitty."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry took a deep breath after they ended the call. The big grin on his lips became permanent as he felt so much joy. He knew this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. He wasn¡¯t supposed to invite Kate here, and they weren¡¯t supposed to spend more time together.


    But fuck that.


    He already had a long day today, and the fact that he almost fucked another woman was just something that came straight out of his nightmare.


    He walked out of the apartment and told Michael, who had been standing outside for a while, "Go to Kate¡¯s apartment. She will stay with me tonight."


    Michael was surprised, "Sir, what are you doing?"


    "What am I doing?" Henry frowned. "I just want to spend the night with my woman. Is that so wrong?"


    Michael¡¯s lips thinned. Of course, that was wrong! They weren¡¯t supposed to be together!


    The main reason why he contacted Lydia and brought her there was to separate Henry from Kate. It was he who agreed that he shouldn¡¯t be entangled with Kate or else that woman would get hurt.


    But now look at him.


    He made a big scene about leaving Kate and seemed determined, only to turn around the moment Kate called him.


    ¡¯At this point, there is no use trying to separate those two. Henry is obviously madly in love with Kate, and Kate seems to feel the same for him,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯But then what about our mission? Do we have to abandon it? Is this the end?¡¯


    Michael helped Henry until he reached his apartment and said, "I won¡¯t lock the door, just tell Kate to come in once you¡¯ve picked her up. Don¡¯t be late, I don¡¯t want her to get upset because she waited for too long."


    "... Yes, Sir."


    **


    Michael drove the Bentley to Kate¡¯s apartment and called her to tell her he was waiting outside.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kate to come out of the apartment building. She wore a long white shirt and men¡¯s boxers, which Michael knew belonged to Henry.


    ¡¯Huh, I guess they did that already,¡¯ Michael commented.


    Michael left the car and opened the door to the back seat, allowing Kate to climb in.


    "We¡¯re going now, Mrs. Woods," Michael said as he drove through the night with the lights of Los Angeles illuminating the road.


    There was nothing but silence between them. Michael and Kate barely knew each other, and of course, they weren¡¯t the social type like Henry.


    They preferred peace in the absence of noise.


    But Kate eventually grew uncomfortable because of the awkward silence between them.


    So she began to strike up a conversation, "Mr. Eckermann, do you know what kind of problem caused Henry to get so drunk? He¡¯s usually not this bad, right?"


    ¡¯You,¡¯ Michael replied curtly in his heart. Obviously, the problem was Kate.


    Henry couldn¡¯t revert to his old self because he kept thinking about Kate. He couldn¡¯t be cold-hearted and cruel because he was in love with her.


    All these facts only gave Michael a headache. He didn¡¯t know how to solve this problem, especially when they had limited time before Miss Sarah called and asked about the progress of their mission.


    "He had a family problem, Ma¡¯am," Michael replied. "He has a lot of family problems, and it¡¯s very heavy, so I suggest you not mix yourself into the dirty water."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not an idiot. I¡¯m not the one who would put myself in danger just for a man," Kate chuckled. "And you don¡¯t need to call me Mrs. Woods outside of the office, just call me Kate."


    "I can¡¯t do that," Michael refused. "Why not?"


    "Because you are with Mr. Grant right now. He is my boss, and that makes you my female boss," Michael replied. "Though, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to get entangled with him, Ma¡¯am. He has a difficult family situation."


    "I know, Henry already told me that his family is really problematic, but he doesn¡¯t tell me the details, so I reckon that he doesn¡¯t want me to know."


    "Yes, he doesn¡¯t want you to know anything about this grave problem," Michael replied. He checked on Kate from the rearview mirror and then asked, "Mrs. Woods, what kind of feelings do you have for Mr. Grant?"

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111"Mrs. Woods, what kind of feelings do you have for Mr. Grant?" Michael asked.


    "Huh? What kind of feelings do I have for him?" Kate repeated the question. She was caught off guard because she didn¡¯t expect Michael, of all people, to ask her something so private.


    "Yes, I know that you and Mr. Grant had done it, and you are currently pregnant with his baby," Michael said. "But I want to know whether you have a special feeling for him or not."


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s so sudden," Kate muttered. She was about to dodge the question, but Michael¡¯s eyes were on her through the rearview mirror. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t drop the question until Kate replied.


    She simply sighed, took a deep breath and nodded, "I don¡¯t know either, Mr. Eckermann. Things are moving so fast between us. We are connected because of a drunken one-night stand. We were both desperate for each other that night, and I gave in because I wanted to be held by a man to mend my broken heart."


    She gently caressed her flat belly and added, "I already planned to give birth and raise this baby all by myself. I also told Henry that he doesn¡¯t need to be entangled with me. It¡¯s okay to treat himself as a mere sperm donor for me, honestly."


    "Then, do you like him or not?" Michael asked again, just to make sure.


    "I told you just now, Mr. Eckermann. I don¡¯t know," Kate repeated. "I admit that I do have this budding feeling in my heart, but I feel like there is something more than meets the eye when it comes to Henry."


    "I feel like he¡¯s not being truly sincere with me," Kate said. "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t drop my guard when it comes to him."


    Michael clenched the steering wheel. He was a bit angry because it didn¡¯t seem that Kate would reciprocate Henry¡¯s feelings, even though Henry was already madly in love with her.


    If he didn¡¯t know any better, he would be the one who kicked Kate out of Henry¡¯s life because he¡¯d think this woman was a professional seductress that could hook both James and Henry.


    But he knew that Kate wasn¡¯t like that.


    She wasn¡¯t the seductress that Mrs. Grant told him about, and she was certainly not the evil woman who wanted to take a slice of Grant¡¯s generational wealth for herself.


    But that only made things even more complicated for them.


    Because Kate wasn¡¯t a seductress who only wanted money, there was no reason for Henry to leave her. Kate¡¯s vigilance towards Henry would only make him fall even deeper into this rabbit hole.


    "Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m not the right person to lecture you about love, because I don¡¯t have any good experience with love as well," Michael said. "But for this one, I have to tell you, my Boss is very serious about you."


    "He¡¯s serious about me?" Kate asked back. "Are you sure? I mean, he is a playboy, so he might be using a love bombing method on me because he knows that I¡¯m just an old lady who¡¯s lonely."


    "He¡¯s not like that," Michael replied. "He might be a playboy. But he doesn¡¯t use such deceptive techiniques, he doesn¡¯t need them."


    "In fact, he doesn¡¯t chase women at all, Ma¡¯am," Michael added. He felt obliged to fix his best friend¡¯s image in Kate¡¯s eyes because Henry¡¯s attitude would always rub people the wrong way. "He¡¯s usually the one surrounded by women who want a piece of him. He¡¯s also very selective of the women he decides to sleep with."


    "So please, Mrs. Woods, if you have decided to stay with him, then you have to endure the hardship that you may encounter because you are with him," Michael said. "Because Henry has a lot of problems that he needs to deal with."


    Kate looked hesitant, and Michael understood why.


    Of course, any woman would be hesitant and scared when the man she was interested in might be deep into some dangerous scheme.


    But Michael wanted to warn her at least beforehand because things would get super messy once Henry and Kate decide to go against the world.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t know why you are telling me this, Mr. Eckermann. I¡¯m not the type of person to back down when I commit to something or someone," Kate replied. She remembered everything she did for Matt just to satisfy him so that he wouldn¡¯t leave her. "So rest assured, if I decide to stay with Henry, then I will be by his side no matter what."


    That answer assured Michael. He could tell that Mrs. Woods was being sincere, and Henry needed a sincere woman who would stay with him through thick and thin. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then I don¡¯t have to worry that my best friend will be in the wrong hands," Michael said. "Please take care of him, Mrs. Woods."


    ¡¯Of course, I still want the mission to be completed. We have to find another way though, since Kate and any kind of entanglement with women is out of question for Henry,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯We can discuss it once things are settled. Maybe we should focus on taking down Erin first.¡¯


    ¡¯Oh, speaking about Erin....¡¯


    "Mrs. Woods, may I ask you to help me with something?" Michael brushed the topic about Erin. "This is about Erin... and Mai, but mostly Mai."


    "Mai?" Kate frowned. "What¡¯s wrong? Did she do something to you?"


    "No, she didn¡¯t, nothing is wrong, Ma¡¯am, but I was wondering if it¡¯s possible for you to speak with Mai about my position," Michael said. "She was very hostile to me today. She stared at me as if I¡¯m a filthy bed bug."


    "Ah¡ªWell, Mai seems to have a history that I can¡¯t really pry on," Kate replied. "She got hostile towards you and Henry because you are entangled with Erin."


    "I know that, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m just asking you if you can tell her about this whole ordeal, so she won¡¯t see me as something filthy anymore," Michael insisted. "It makes me feel so uncomfortable whenever she looks down on me."

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112"Can¡¯t you just ignore her?" Kate suggested. "I mean, pretend that you two are just coworkers, look at her as if she¡¯s just one of the employees that you don¡¯t need to be bothered with."


    Kate liked Mai a lot. She was sweet, diligent, and also a dedicated employee.


    But her major flaw was that she was also temperamental and sometimes she would say things that she would regret later, "I¡¯m not sure if Mai can keep this a secret from Erin. You know that Erin is infuriating, and Mai has a personal vendetta against a woman like Erin."


    "I¡¯m afraid that Mai will scream about the whole plan in Erin¡¯s face, and everything will be ruined," Kate said.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am. I will make sure to keep Mai in check in case she gets too angry at Erin," Michael assured. "I¡¯m unsure if I can continue working on this plan to take down your sister if I¡¯m stuck in a hostile work environment, Ma¡¯am. Mai¡¯s disgust over me has affected me tremendously."


    "Hostile work environment?" Kate paused for a while, and then she grinned mischievously. "Mr. Eckermann, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re interested in Mai¡ªAH!"


    Michael suddenly stepped on the breaks the moment Kate asked if he was interested in Mai. He turned around to talk face to face with Kate, who was still shocked at his reaction in the back of the car, "Ma¡¯am, please refrain from careless assumptions. I am not interested in Mai. I just don¡¯t like how she keeps giving me disgusted looks."


    Kate was shocked when Michael suddenly stopped the car. They were lucky it was midnight, so there were not many cars on the road and there were no cars behind them.


    It annoyed her that Michael almost gave her a heart attack, but it also amused her because she was convinced that Michael was interested in Mai.


    "Well, if you say so, Mr. Eckermann," Kate sighed. "But I still don¡¯t believe you. If you really aren¡¯t interested in Mai in any way, then you wouldn¡¯t even bother to fix her opinion of you."


    Michael gritted his teeth, "So can you help me or not, Mrs. Woods?"


    "Alright, alright," Kate sighed. "I will tell her about you and the whole mission. But you have to promise me to always keep her in check in case I¡¯m not with her, because this is the only way for me to kick my sister out of my life and I won¡¯t allow any kind of fuck up."


    Michael nodded again. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to agree to those terms because this was also a mission given by his boss.


    "Alright then, thank you Mrs. Woods. I¡¯m sorry for stopping the car abruptly, your question seriously caught me off guard," Michael said before he stepped on the gas again. "I hope you aren¡¯t injured."


    Kate curled her lips into a smile as she tried to hold her laughter. Who would¡¯ve expected a man like Michael to be interested in Mai?


    ¡¯He looks like a very serious and uptight man who wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye towards a beautiful woman trying to seduce him, but he¡¯s actually interested in Mai?¡¯


    Kate began to imagine Mai and Michael being together.


    Mai was even shorter than her, and Michael was as tall as Henry. So Michael and Mai would make a cute couple.


    ¡¯Well, I don¡¯t have any objection to it. But I wonder if Michael would be able to melt Mai¡¯s heart. That girl might look cute and harmless, but she has a heart of steel. She is tough.¡¯


    **


    Michael stopped the car in front of the apartment lobby, "We¡¯re here, Ma¡¯am," he said. "Do you know where his apartment is? Don¡¯t worry, the door is not locked."


    "I know where it is," Kate replied. "After all, I already spent my night with him once in his apartment. Thank you, Michael."


    Michael nodded. He waited until Kate entered the elevator. After he was certain that she had entered the elevator, Michael decided to drive away from the apartment building.


    He had had enough of Henry and Kate. He needed some time alone after such a difficult day. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, at least I got to talk to Kate about my problem," Michael said. "I just hope that she can actually help me, so Mai won¡¯t look at me with disgust. It¡¯s too unsettling."


    Then his mind returned to that question from Kate.


    "Am I interested in Mai?"


    ...


    "Maybe a little, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any form of romantic interest like she assumes," Michael denied. "She¡¯s just so petite and weak, just like a little bunny. I just want to protect her from any harm, of course, I don¡¯t want to be hated by such an innocent bunny."


    "This is because I¡¯m a soldier, of course, I have the desire to protect someone who is weaker than me, right?"


    **


    Michael had already told her Henry¡¯s apartment wasn¡¯t locked, so Kate simply knocked once and entered the apartment.


    She walked into the living room with the view of the sea. She stood in silence for a while, gazing at the stars that shone so beautifully tonight.


    She could only sigh as she stood in silence, ¡¯It would be amazing if I could live here with Henry. We can watch the sunset, sunrise, and also the night stars in our solace. We can also do uh... something else before we go to sleep.¡¯


    After she was satisfied watching the stars from the living room, she put her bag on the sofa and walked to the bedroom, where Henry said he¡¯d be waiting for her.


    "Well, he¡¯s probably sleeping right now," Kate thought as he entered the bedroom.


    However, much to her surprise, Henry was still wide awake. He had washed his face with cold water, which seemed to have helped him a bit.


    He leaned against his bedpost, putting his hands behind his head, as gazed at the stars from his window.


    It looked like he was dazed, probably thinking about his problems. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t realize Kate¡¯s presence until Kate called out his name, "Henry?"


    Henry turned his head and smiled when he saw Kate, "Welcome home, love. Thought it would take you longer to come."

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113Henry smiled at her, and she noticed the exhaustion on Henry¡¯s face. He looked sleepy and tired. It was probably because of the alcohol he had dreank as well, but he didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood.


    Henry patted his lap and said, "Come and sit here, accompany me, let¡¯s watch the stars."


    "..."


    Kate slowly approached Henry and then sat at the edge of the bed instead, "You look tired, Henry. I think you should just sleep."


    "I can¡¯t hear you, Kitty," Henry replied. "Come closer so I can hear you."


    ¡¯This trick again,¡¯ Kate rolled her eyes. She disliked having to beat around the bush anyway. So she got up and sat on his lap without hesitation.


    "Whoa¡ªwhoa," Henry reacts spontaneously. "Didn¡¯t expect you to actually sit on my lap like this."


    "What? You don¡¯t like it? Alright then," Kate was about to get up from his lap, but he quickly held her waist to keep her on him, so she wouldn¡¯t leave him.


    "I was just surprised, but of course, I don¡¯t want you to leave," Henry said. "Besides, I¡¯m very happy that you are by my side. It¡¯s really a lonely night without you."


    "Though, this night would be even better if you rest your head here," Henry patted his pec, "You can rest your head here and let me embrace you, Kitty."


    The alcohol had helped to make Henry bolder than usual, so he teased Kate, wanting to see to what extent Kate would accept his requests before she protested.


    He thought resting her head on his chest would be too intimate for Kate.


    He was caught off guard again when Kate slowly leaned until she basically rested her entire body on top of him and put her head on his chest, turning Henry into a human pillow.


    Henry was shocked at first, but then he slowly wrapped his arm around her hips and waist, pulling her deeper into his embrace.


    Henry kissed Kate¡¯s hair a few times and asked, "Why are you so obedient tonight? Did you do something wrong?"


    "I didn¡¯t, but you probably did, Henry," Kate replied. "Why did you drink so much tonight?"


    "I... I have a problem." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Family problem?"


    ...


    Henry wondered if he should say yes because, technically, the problem was Kate herself.


    But then he remembered how he wanted to ¡¯wife her up¡¯ when he was about to sleep with that woman from earlier. So he nodded slowly, "It¡¯s a family problem that I don¡¯t know if I can solve or not."


    ...


    "Are you not going to tell me about your problem?"


    "It¡¯s better for you not to know," Henry replied. "I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Kate."


    "Alright then, I¡¯m not the type to pry on something that¡¯s clearly a private matter," Kate said. "But you should know that I¡¯m always here if you need my help. You¡¯ve helped me to plan against Erin, it¡¯s only natural for me to help you as well."


    ¡¯Of course, I can¡¯t involve you, Kate. I don¡¯t know what you will do if you discover that I was planning on trading our baby for a position that I need. I wanted to use our baby as a bargaining chip against my own father,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯But now that I¡¯m with you, I realized that I¡¯m not so cruel. Turns out, I don¡¯t have a cold dead heart when I¡¯m with you.¡¯


    "Can you just stay with me like this?" Henry asked. "Just let me hold you, so I can be assured that everything will be okay, and you will still be by my side until the night passes."


    "I¡¯m not leaving you out of the blue, Henry," Kate assured. "Why did you think that I would leave you anyway? Did you do something wrong?"


    Kate thought that Henry would easily say no. After all, he had been nothing but fantastic to her. He was gentle, loving, and also protective of her. He had all the qualities that could sway any woman, including Kate.


    But she was met with silence instead.


    Henry neither confirmed nor denied it. As if he actually did something wrong to her.


    "Henry?" Kate called his name. "Did you... do something that might hurt me?"


    Henry bit his lower lip until it bled. His mind was in chaos right now.


    He was itching to confess everything to Kate, so Kate would know what kind of nefarious human he was and how she shouldn¡¯t be close to him because he would only hurt her.


    But at the same time, Henry was afraid of Kate¡¯s reaction. He didn¡¯t want Kate to hate him completely, leaving him because she knew that he was evil.


    He still wanted to extend their time together even though it had become a ticking bomb.


    Kate noticed the doubt in Henry¡¯s eyes and had a bad feeling about his problem and his reaction.


    "Henry, answer me, did you do something to hurt me?" Kate asked.


    Henry was in a dilemma as both choices pained him.


    Should he tell the truth and allow Kate to be free from his chain, with the price of her probably hating him forever?


    Or should he lie so Kate would stay with him even though she is blind to anything that Henry had planned for her?


    "Henry?" Kate called his name again. Kate was filled with dread as Henry kept his silence. She couldn¡¯t wait to pry whatever thoughts were running though his mind, just to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt.


    Henry gritted his teeth and replied, "I won¡¯t hurt you, Kate. But my family problem is so complicated, it makes me feel like shit sometimes."


    Kate noticed that Henry wasn¡¯t telling her the full truth. She knew he was hiding things from her, but Kate was too fond of Henry to leave him. So she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    "That¡¯s okay then. Geez, please don¡¯t scare me like that," Kate complained. "Henry, I¡¯m also not a good woman myself. I already planned an evil thing for my equally evil sister, so I¡¯m not one to talk about being good to people."

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114nove?.com"I also know that your family is not just any ordinary family," Kate said. "Working with your late brother already showed me enough to understand that your family is complicated and has a lot of secrets."


    "That¡¯s why you should understand that I will always stand by you no matter what you¡¯ve done, as long as you¡¯re not killing an innocent person, or hurting me," Kate assured.


    Henry felt like an asshole for lying to Kate. He thought he was ready to tell the truth, so Kate could leave him and live a better, more peaceful life all without him.


    ¡¯But I¡¯m selfish. I don¡¯t want to lose you no matter what,¡¯


    Henry gulped nervously and nodded, "I will never hurt you, Kitty. I promise."


    "That¡¯s good, then do you want me to do something to help you relax and forget your problems tonight?" Kate asked. She intentionally made her voice sweeter because she thought Henry wanted to do it.


    Henry chuckled and replied, "Just let me embrace you tonight. I don¡¯t need anything else."


    "... alright then, you should probably go to sleep. It¡¯s been a long night for you," Kate was about to get up, but Henry kept holding her in the same position.


    "Don¡¯t leave me. Let¡¯s just sleep in this position."


    "... but your back will hurt when you wake up tomorrow if we sleep in this position."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. I just want to hold you like this. I want to make sure that you¡¯re still with me when I open my eyes."


    Kate chuckled, "You¡¯re so clingy, what will you do if I have a business meeting outside of LA? Maybe I¡¯ll be out of the city for a few days, even weeks."


    "Then I will follow you," Henry said.


    "Don¡¯t say that, someone has to run the company."


    "I¡¯ll tell Michael to run the company when I¡¯m with you," Henry insisted. He wrapped his arm tighter around Kate¡¯s body, like a viper that coiled around his prey, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t escape. "Don¡¯t leave me, Kate. I don¡¯t know what I would do without you."


    Kate sighed helplessly, "I¡¯m not going to leave you. Stop overthinking, Henry."


    Kate gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "Now go to sleep and wake up better tomorrow. I¡¯ll cook breakfast for us."


    Henry was comforted after getting the kiss and promised breakfast from Kate. It acted like a guarantee that Kate wouldn¡¯t leave him when he opened his eyes again.


    "I love you, Kitty," he said before he closed his eyes.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to fall asleep. Kate smiled as she caressed Henry¡¯s blonde hair, "You¡¯re truly hopeless, Henry. Do you actually think that I will leave you just because you have a problem with your family?"


    Honestly, Kate also felt that she might be overstepping her boundaries.


    She didn¡¯t fully understand what kind of family Henry had, yet she was willing to jump into the fray to assure him that everything would be fine.


    "I know that I might¡¯ve turned into the same woman I was when I married Matt," Kate murmured. "Henry, if I can be honest, I¡¯m actually a very clingy woman who wants to please her man no matter what it takes. I crave validation from my man, and naturally, I want to give the same to him."


    "Since you¡¯re willing to go against my sister just to help me, then I¡¯m willing to go against whoever you¡¯re facing right now," Kate confessed. "You can call me an idiot, but for me, this is what love should be."


    **


    Henry grunted as he woke up the next morning after he felt that the warmth of the body he had been holding the whole night was gone. He winced and quickly massaged his temple the moment the headache hit him.


    "Ugh, how much did I drink last night anyway?" Henry complained as the hangover hit him like a truck. He remembered everything from last night, he remembered how he returned to his apartment in a drunken stupor, he remembered Michael who helped him find another woman to replace Kate, and then Kate herself, who came to his apartment to comfort him.


    He also remembered at least 80% of what they talked about last night, though he wasn¡¯t sure if he talked to Kate or another woman that looked like Kate.


    It took a while for Henry to process everything, and once he did, he opened his eyes immediately, "Kate!"


    Henry looked around his room in a panic. He said a lot last night and begged her to stay until he woke up.


    But then he realized he was alone in his room, "Fuck, she¡¯s not here. Does that mean, I¡¯ve been dreaming about her the whole time? Then who did I embrace last night?"


    The realization dawned on Henry like thunder in the clear sky. He panicked.


    He thought he didn¡¯t have sex with anyone last night, not even with Kate.


    But maybe everything was just his dream, and he did it with whoever woman Michael invited last night.


    Henry heard the clanging sound of utensils in the kitchen, and his fear worsened.


    He was afraid that the woman in that kitchen wasn¡¯t Kate.


    "If she¡¯s not Kate, then I fucked up majorly," Henry murmured. "I won¡¯t dare show my face in front of her if I had sex with another woman last night."


    He got up from the bed and prepared himself as he walked to the kitchen. He tried to ignore the headache because there was something more urgent than a mere migraine.


    As he approached the kitchen, he saw a red-haired woman who tied her hair in a ponytail, wearing his shirt, boxer, and also the apron that was usually left hanging permanently near the fridge.


    She hummed a song as she cut some vegetables for breakfast, then she felt that someone was watching her from behind.


    So she turned around and smiled at Henry, who stood like an idiot in the corridor, "Morning, Henry. Why do you wake up so early anyway? Go sleep some more, I will wake you up once I¡¯m done with our breakfast."


    sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115Henry stood in silence while staring at Kate, who smiled at him. He thought he was still dreaming, so he called her "Kate?"


    "Hm?" Kate raised her brow before she returned to her cooking. "You should go back to sleep, Henry. I know you must have a bad hangover right now. After all, you drank so much last night that you began to say crazy absurd things!"


    Henry worried he might have accidentally told Kate something about his plan to take her baby. But since Kate was in a good mood this morning, he reckoned that he still managed to keep his mouth zipped last night.


    It was a relief because Henry wasn¡¯t ready for Kate to leave him. Everyone could call him selfish, but Henry still wanted to live in this fake harmony he had created as long as he could stay with Kate.


    And for the problem about the mission that was bound to fail without Kate¡¯s baby? Well, he¡¯d try to find a way to solve it without involving Kate and their child.


    "I¡¯m not sleepy anymore," Henry replied. He walked into the kitchen and sat on a stool. He rested his elbows on the kitchen countertop and said, "I just want to watch you cook our breakfast, Kitty."


    ¡¯And make sure that I didn¡¯t fuck anything up last night,¡¯ he added in his heart.


    Kate sighed, "You¡¯re still cheesy as heck even when you have a bad hangover. No wonder you were a playboy."


    Kate put the knife down and opened the fridge. She took a bowl and put it on the countertop for Henry, "I made you a bowl of oatmeal with fruits and honey. You should be able to digest this even with a hangover while I¡¯m cooking our breakfast."


    "Wow, thanks, Kitty. I never knew that you cared so much for me," Henry said, to which Kate only replied by rolling her eyes.


    Henry grabbed the spoon and was about to eat it before Kate grabbed his wrist and said, "Drink water first. Seriously, are you still drunk?"


    Kate put a glass of water right next to the bowl before she returned to chop the vegetables.


    Henry stared at the bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey and a glass of water in front of him and then stared at Kate¡¯s back.


    He saw her ponytail of red hair sway left and right as she busied herself with cooking.


    Henry gulped.


    He got nervous instantly because his mind imagined something wild and inappropriate.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but when he saw Kate wearing that apron, he wanted to tease her. Explore her body and kiss her nape and her shoulder, until he could lift her up and fuck her on the countertop.


    Henry got hard instantly just by thinking about what he would do to Kate. He thought he could at least undress her, leaving Kate with only an apron, and they could do it.


    ¡¯Alright, fuck this. I may not have been in the mood last night, but I definitely am this morning!¡¯ Henry said. He finished his oatmeal and then got up to reach Kate.


    He made sure that Kate wasn¡¯t doing something dangerous before he gently caressed her shoulder and whispered, "Kitty, you look sexy right now. You¡¯re wearing my shirt and boxers, also a cute apron that fits you so well. Are you trying to seduce me?"


    Kate frowned and then elbowed Henry¡¯s stomach, "Go sit or go to the bathroom. Your breath stinks like hell, and I¡¯m more likely to get turned off by you instead."


    "But¡ª"


    "Go brush your teeth, Henry."


    Henry pouted. He was already excited and even began to rub his hard cock against her ass.


    But seeing how hostile Kate was, he could only go to the bathroom to brush his teeth.


    But the moment he returned, Kate was already done with breakfast.


    She already took off the apron and sat alone at the dining table eating breakfast.


    She looked so disinterested as she saw Henry walking towards her to show that she wasn¡¯t in the mood for whatever sexy stuff Henry was about to do.


    Thus, Henry could only resign to his fate and sit right next to Kate to eat breakfast together.


    He glanced at Kate many times before asking, "What did we do last night, Kate?"


    "We did nothing," Kate replied. "You were hugging me the whole night so tightly. You treated me like a comfort pillow. I feel so stuffy."


    Henry shrugged. That wasn¡¯t so bad, right? He felt very comfortable hugging Kate because she was the source of his warmth. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You were also rambling about being this horrible man with a lot of problems that you need to fix. But when I asked you what kind of problem you have, you suddenly zipped your mouth," Kate recalled. "It¡¯s confusing. But at least you were not in danger when I arrived."


    "In danger?" Henry tried to recall all the things he had done last night. "I don¡¯t think I¡¯d do something stupid like jumping from a building just because I¡¯m drunk."


    "Not that kind of danger," Kate said. "The danger I meant was to see you sleeping with another woman the moment I came in. Don¡¯t you remember that you did it with me that night when you were so drunk? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d do the same to someone else as well."


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped for a second. He swallowed the food in his throat with difficulty before he replied, "I¡ªI will never sleep with another woman other than you, Kate. I already told you that we are exclusive, right?"


    "Yeah, we are exclusive," Kate said. She glanced at Henry and then suddenly pointed her fork at his throat. "Make sure to keep yourself exclusively mine, Henry. I already told you that I¡¯m a very jealous woman, right?"


    Henry was so glad he hadn¡¯t done anything to that woman last night. He almost made a stupid decision because he was drunk and desperate.


    "But you should also remember, Kate. I¡¯m also a very jealous man," Henry said as he snatched the fork from Kate and kissed the back of her hand. "I will also get mad if I ever catch you with another man."

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116??"Me? With another man? pfft¨Cahahah!" Kate laughed heartily as if that was the funniest joke she had heard in a week. "I¡¯m not a rich, young, and handsome hunk who flirted with any living being on earth like you, Mr. Grant. Before you can catch me with another man, I¡¯d catch you with at least ten more women first!"


    Henry laughed as he found that joke funny, "You¡¯re underestimating yourself, Kitty. Who knows how many men you can seduce with your beauty? You¡¯re the most beautiful flower in a garden, and the bees can¡¯t help themselves to get closer so they can get your sweet nectar."


    "And you¡¯re one of those bees?" Kate teased.


    "No, I¡¯m the bee swatter. I swatted them all, so I can have all of you for myself," Henry claimed. "Hmm, maybe I should burn the beehive as well, just to make sure."


    They both laughed. This kind of cute tease, added with a ridiculous joke, thawed the awkwardness between them.


    Kate and Henry felt much closer after that, and Henry asked, "Seriously, did I do something that hurt you last night?"


    "Not at all," Kate said. "Don¡¯t worry, you will be the first one to know if you did something that hurt me."


    "I like that," Henry nodded. "Make sure to let me know if I accidentally hurt you. I want to make sure that you¡¯re safe from anyone, even from me."


    Kate felt that Henry¡¯s words were a little off. But she tried to brush it off and changed the topic, "By the way, do you know that Michael asked me to tell Mai about our plan?"


    "Michael?" Henry frowned. "That¡¯s unexpected. Is there any reason for it? I mean, you told me that Mai is a very emotional person. She might have accidentally told Erin about your plan."


    "He said he¡¯s unsettled by Mai¡¯s hostility towards him," Kate replied. She had a mischievous grin as she continued. "I think Michael is interested in Mai, that¡¯s why he¡¯s so unsettled by her hatred."


    "Michael and Mai... hmm..." Henry wasn¡¯t the one who would pry into his best friend¡¯s romantic life. But then again, he wasn¡¯t the type who¡¯d be easily swayed by a woman, and Mai was surely not the type of woman that would seduce a man.


    ¡¯I still remember how much hatred that little secretary showed when she saw me with Erin,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯If Michael is interested in that type of girl, does that mean he¡¯s a masochist that likes to get tormented by his girlfriend?¡¯


    "Then, will you tell Mai about it?"


    "I will," Kate said. "It¡¯s not only because of Michael¡¯s request. But I also realized that Mai might be burdened because of Erin¡¯s presence."


    "What if she got too angry and accidentally spilled everything to Erin?" Henry asked.


    "I already told Michael to keep her in check when I¡¯m not around, because I do not tolerate failure for this plan," Kate said decisively. "Also, you should probably prepare a small office in a faraway place."


    "A small office in a faraway place?" Henry frowned. "Yes, a small office in a place that cannot be reached easily, maybe somewhere in Greenland or even the arctic."


    Henry wondered what this was all about. Surely, Kate didn¡¯t want them to live in those places, right?


    "It¡¯s not for us," Kate replied. "It¡¯s for my dear sister. Didn¡¯t I tell you that I want her to simply disappear without making any kind of ripple? Make sure everyone thinks it¡¯s normal, as if she is just going for her... you know... first International business trip."


    Henry connected the dots instantly, and his lips also curled up once he got the idea, "Then when will we send her on this business trip?"


    "I mean the preparation will probably take a while, right? How fast can you prepare for her hotel?" Kate asked.


    "Three to four weeks maximum," Henry replied. "Then we can send her to her first business trip."


    "Great, then we don¡¯t need to keep her for too long. I can¡¯t wait to kick her out of my life," Kate said excitedly.


    Henry stared at Kate, who had just concocted a perfect plan to erase someone from existence without creating a mess. It was evil, but not more evil than what Erin did to her and their mother.


    "You know¡ª" Henry gently rubbed her palm with his thumb as he stared at her. "¡ªI¡¯m starting to think that you are not a kind person, Kitty."


    "I¡¯m not Mother Theresa, but I¡¯m also not Satan," Kate replied. "I just do what I have to do to survive. Erin has tormented me long enough and I don¡¯t want her to harm my baby because she got me too stressed out with her craziness. So I have to kick her out of my life."


    Kate raised her brow while she stared back at Henry, "Why? Do you not like it, Mr. Grant? I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not your cute, obedient, and sweet Kitty."


    "Who said that you¡¯re not my cute Kitty?" Henry leaned forward until his lips hovered near her ear, "You¡¯re so cute when you show your claw like this. You¡¯re truly tailor-made only for me."


    **


    Henry and Kate separated after breakfast as Kate used Taxi to return to her apartment.


    At first, Henry insisted on driving her back to her apartment. But Kate refused because there might be a chance of Erin showing up in her apartment.


    Thus, Henry had to agree reluctantly.


    Henry took a bath and got himself ready after a while. He then called Michael, telling him to pick him up with the usual Bentley.


    Henry walked out of the lobby and went straight towards his car.


    He opened the car door and sat comfortably in the backseat.


    "Morning, Mr. Grant," Michael greeted. "Did you have a good sleep last night?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry could sense the sneer on his best friend. So he chuckled, "Hey, don¡¯t be so hostile to me. Last night was a mess for both of us, okay?"


    Michael sighed, "Yeah, it¡¯s a mess. I really thought that you¡¯d fuck that woman and leave Mrs. Woods for good."


    "But who would¡¯ve expected that our infamous Mr. Henry Grant is actually so madly in love with his imaginary wife, that he forced the woman last night to pretend to be Katherine Grant?"

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117"I¡ªImaginary wife?!" Henry was shocked. He didn¡¯t remember this part during his drunken stupor. He remembered that Michael brought another woman who was supposed to look like Kate, though he doubted that woman was similar to Kate in any way.


    Because if she did, then Henry would be fooled and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do it with that woman.


    And he definitely didn¡¯t remember ever creating an imaginary wife.


    "Are you messing with me because I was piss drunk last night, Michael?" Henry accused.


    "I wish, Sir," Michael replied. "I brought you one of the women that you had a short relationship with named Lydia March. Though she¡¯s not 100% similar to Mrs. Woods, at least she¡¯s a redhead."


    Michael tried to recall everything that happened last night, adding, "She said that you demand her to play pretend. You want her to be Katherine Grant, or Kate. Your wife and the love of your life."


    "I... I did that?" Henry couldn¡¯t believe it, but then again, he knew he kept thinking about Kate when he was drunk, so maybe he did.


    "Yes, you¡¯re fooling yourself just so you can sleep with another woman," Michael snarked. "Honestly, this is so pathetic, Henry. I can¡¯t believe you can be this desperate for a woman."


    "S¡ªShut up, Michael!" Henry snapped. "And why did you suggest such a crazy idea anyway? You know I¡¯m drunk, of course I can¡¯t make a logical judgment!"


    "Bullshit, you still have a clear mind even when you¡¯re drunk as shit!" Michael yelled back. "And don¡¯t accuse me. Bro, you¡¯re quite literally yelling and crying while calling her name. You act like your world has ended because you can¡¯t hurt her."


    Henry couldn¡¯t lie that his world actually crumbled when the realization dawned on him.


    He knew that his beautiful days with Kate were numbered, and once it was over, all of these beautiful illusions would turn to dust, leaving both Henry and Kate heartbroken.


    And he didn¡¯t want that to happen, "But that¡¯s the fact, Michael. I really can¡¯t hurt her. There is no way I¡¯m going to sacrifice my baby with her as well."


    "Then what about our plan? Just like what I told you before, there is no way we can stop it at this point, everything¡¯s already going in motion," Michael said. Though he sympathized after what happened last night, he realized that they had to address this problem as soon as possible, or else everything they had done so far would just end in vain.


    "I¡¯m also thinking about it," Henry replied. "Don¡¯t worry, I will come up with a better plan that wouldn¡¯t involve Kate. Trust me, I will finish what I started."


    Michael zipped his mouth. He considered it for a while and nodded helplessly in the end, "Then what should I do with Miss Sarah? You know that she will start asking questions about the progress, right? She¡¯s the one who supported you the most through thick and thin."


    "I will deal with her," Henry said. His mood went down instantly the moment Michael mentioned Sarah. She wasn¡¯t really his priority after he met with Kate. But she was indeed very useful for the mission so far.


    "What do you mean to ¡¯deal¡¯ with her? She is your fia¡ª"


    "Stop mentioning her, Michael," Henry warned. "I¡¯m really not in the mood to talk about her."


    ...


    Michael understood why Henry became so hostile towards Miss Sarah after meeting with Kate, but he couldn¡¯t just ditch Miss Sarah because he found a new sweetheart.


    ¡¯Back then, I really thought that Henry had a huge crush on Miss Sarah. But it seems that he can change as well,¡¯ Michael thought.


    "Just drive to the office, I don¡¯t want to be late to meet with Kate," Henry ordered curtly. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, Boss."


    **


    Kate came earlier than Henry today. As usual, she was followed by Erin right behind her. She was wearing a tight skirt that barely covered half of her thighs, and she didn¡¯t wear panties, of course.


    ¡¯Just in case if Mr. Grant or Mr. Eckermann wants to fuck me in the office, sis!¡¯


    That was Erin¡¯s answer when Kate asked about her indecent outfit.


    Though she knew that Erin liked to show her body to everyone, she couldn¡¯t lie that she was embarrassed by her.


    ¡¯Am I just too old for that kind of fashion that Erin wears? Nevertheless, I still think it¡¯s pretty indecent for a work outfit,¡¯ Kate thought.


    She endured the stares from the other employees and then stopped in front of her office, "You should go to your designated office with the Co-manager, wait for him there and prepare everything he needs," Kate said. "You need to check on the documents that he has to read."


    "Ehh, but Mr. Eckermann said that he doesn¡¯t want me to work too hard," Erin shrugged. "Mr. Grant also wants to spoil me. I¡¯m not accustomed to work long hours like a dog, sis. I¡¯m not you!"


    "... then do whatever you want to do in his office, don¡¯t bother me here because I¡¯ve got work to do," Kate said.


    "Hmph, you dare to be so mean to me because I¡¯m just an assistant here. But you should know that I will rise on top after I fucked them both!" Erin proclaimed loudly, attracting everyone¡¯s attention, including two men who had just walked in.


    "Fucked us both?" Henry repeated what Erin had said just now.


    Erin jolted and quickly turned around. She saw Henry and Michael standing side by side, staring at her while waiting for her explanation.


    "I thought you¡¯re a good woman, Miss Ross," Henry said, though he just wanted to tease Erin a bit as a small revenge for being a horrible human to Kate and everyone around her."


    "Ah¡ªuh..." Erin looked over her shoulder, demanding help from Kate. But Kate said nothing. She just stared at Erin, also waiting for her to speak.


    "Uhh... umm..." Erin thought for a while and then said, "W¡ªWell, it¡¯s all because of my sister! She forced me to say those words or else she will bully me in this office, Sir!"

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118: Chapter 118Henry frowned. Surely that was so stupid and illogical. Even a little kid wouldn¡¯t fall for it.


    But Erin tried her best to show her doe eyes and her ¡¯cute pitiful kitten¡¯ look, just so Henry and Michael would believe her.


    Henry was about to call her out for being an idiot, but he saw Kate, who stood behind Erin and glared at him, warning him not to make a stupid move that would displease Erin.


    Henry gulped. He really disliked this kind of play and couldn¡¯t wait to throw that evil bitch into her arctic coffin. But of course, he had to follow her instruction, or things wouldn¡¯t go as planned.


    So Henry nodded, "I see. I believe you, Miss Ross."


    "R¡ªReally?" Erin couldn¡¯t believe that Henry had fallen for it. ¡¯It must be because of my charm! Yes, he must be willing to do whatever I want because I¡¯m so beautiful, sexy, and charming, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t resist me!¡¯


    "Mrs. Woods, please refrain from bullying Miss Ross in the office. She is our precious asset in the office."


    Kate snorted and turned around to walk into her office, ignoring them completely.


    "Mr. Grant, Mr. Eckermann, thank you so much for saving me from my evil sister!" Erin said as she threw herself into Henry¡¯s strong body. She hugged him tightly and added, "I don¡¯t know what I should do without you!"


    "Y¡ªYou can release me now, Miss Ross," Henry said as he didn¡¯t know if he should push her away.


    He looked at Michael, asking for help, and Michael sighed.


    "Miss Ross, why don¡¯t we go to my office now? You don¡¯t need to work, but I¡¯d love to have your company in my office," Michael said.


    "Oh, okay!" Erin quickly released Henry and hugged Michael instead, much to the latter¡¯s disgust.


    "Wow, it¡¯s quite early in the morning, and my eyes are already tainted," Mai came out of nowhere, bringing a tray of coffee and tea cups for her bosses, as it was part of her job. She looked at Henry, Michael, and then Erin, still hugging Michael, and commented, "Maybe you should get her to do something other than spreading her legs."


    Erin turned around and glared at Mai.


    Again, that bitch mocked Erin boldly. She dared to do it even in front of Henry and Michael!


    "Mr. Grant, Mr. Eckermann, don¡¯t you hear that? That woman is mocking me! Go do something for her! Punish her again!" Erin yelled.


    Michael was too stunned to speak. He got nervous when Mai stared at him with her eyes full of disgust. He wanted to change her view, though he knew only Kate could do that.


    Henry was also about to scold Mai to make it believable, but Mai quickly stopped him, "Before you say something to me, Mr. Grant. I want you to know that I only recognize Mrs. Woods as my boss, and I become your secretary because she told me to do it. I do not care if you fire me, by the way, I¡¯m staying because I want to help Mrs. Woods, not you."


    With that, Mai walked into Kate¡¯s office to help her as always, leaving Henry helpless against that feisty, petite woman.


    "See? She has no manners!" Erin yelled. "She needs to get fired too!"


    "I can¡¯t do that," Henry said. "As she said, she works with Mrs. Woods, and Mai is a very competent secretary. I can¡¯t fire her unless you want to take all of her jobs, because you¡¯re technically a second secretary here."


    Erin paled when Henry said that she¡¯d have to do all the things Mai did if Mai got fired.


    She wasn¡¯t good at managing. Nor was she good at assisting.


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t good at anything other than spreading her legs open, ¡¯But that¡¯s all you need as a woman! Let the men do the job, while I just rest and get pampered!¡¯


    "W¡ªWell, I guess we can keep her here for a while," Erin murmured. She looked at Michael again and smiled at him, "Mr. Eckermann, can you do something to punish her later?"


    Michael sighed again, "Yes, I will. Now let¡¯s go to our office, Miss Ross."


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Henry looked at Michael and Erin, who went into their office, and he could only shake his head in disbelief, ¡¯I have to quickly prepare the ice coffin for that bitch, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything stupid. I think I can finish it in two months.¡¯


    Henry wanted to come into Kate¡¯s office, but he was probably unwanted there, especially with Mai inside.


    So he entered the CEO¡¯s office and began to put Erin¡¯s first ¡¯international business trip¡¯ in motion.


    **


    Kate put the teacup on the coffee table and commented, "I can¡¯t believe that you can survive with that kind of sister, Ma¡¯am. She is crazy."


    Kate chuckled. She sipped tea and carefully put it on the table, "I tend to overcompensate, Mai. I feel indebted with something that I did when I was young, so I spoiled her rotten until she became like that."


    "That still doesn¡¯t excuse her shitty behavior!" Mai insisted. "Ma¡¯am, anyone might have had a terrible childhood, or even resentment towards someone, but you¡¯ve been nothing but good to her. If she is still a human, then she would at least try to forget about it, or even better, forgive you completely."


    "Clearly, she just wants to torment you for fun!" Mai accused. "So, Mrs. Woods, if you don¡¯t want to do anything against her because you¡¯re her sister, then let me do it. Let me find a way to kick help you!"


    "Ah, about that, I already have a plan in motion, Mai," Kate said. "And you happen to be the only one who doesn¡¯t know about it." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mai frowned, "Wait, you already did something? But why can¡¯t I see the difference in her, Ma¡¯am?"


    Mai smiled and sipped her tea again, "Before I tell you, promise me two things, Mai."

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119: Chapter 119"Before I tell you, promise me two things, Mai," Kate said.


    " What would I need to promise you, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked. She didn¡¯t suspect anything ill against her boss because she knew that Mrs. Woods was a good woman, and Mai would support her in every way possible especially if it was to get rid of that bitch.


    "First, you need to keep this a secret," Kate said. "No matter what, you NEED to keep this a secret and don¡¯t let Erin know about this, or the plan will fail, that is a guarantee."


    "Oh, that¡¯s easy Ma¡¯am," Mai said.


    "It won¡¯t be easy for you, Mai," Kate sighed. "I know that you¡¯re quite hot-headed, and I don¡¯t want you to say anything stupid when you¡¯re angry at Erin. So promise me."


    "I promise, Ma¡¯am!" Mai insisted. "I will keep my mouth shut in front of her, and I won¡¯t say anything to her!"


    Kate could sense the seriousness in her voice and was satisfied, "Alright then, the second one is, you need to stop being hostile toward Mr. Eckermann after I tell you the plan we¡¯ve concocted."


    Mai didn¡¯t say yes immediately. She disliked Henry and Michael so much that she couldn¡¯t stand the idea of trying to be kind to them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, they are also involved in this plan . Everything is going according to my plan and they are behaving the way I want them to," Kate said. "All you need to do is to promise me that you will try to be at least a little friendlier towards Mr. Eckermann."


    "Not Mr. Grant too, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked.


    ¡¯Well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s bothered by your hostility,¡¯ Kate thought. "Well, Henry as well. But you NEED to be especially friendly towards Mr. Eckermann. He¡¯s also a very important person in this mission."


    Mai clenched her fist. She hated that man because he looked like the type to act nice toward a woman, but he just wanted to have sex with her before leaving her broken hearted.


    It was the worst kind of man, a kind that Mai hated.


    But she had to agree, or else she couldn¡¯t help Mrs. Woods.


    So she nodded reluctantly, "Alright, Ma¡¯am. I will try to be civil with him, as long as he doesn¡¯t touch me, then we will be fine."


    Kate sighed, ¡¯Good luck, Mr. Eckermann. I hope you can figure out a way to melt Mai¡¯s heart.¡¯


    "Come closer, Mai, let me tell you the plan that I¡¯ve prepared for my sister."


    Mai walked closer to her boss and listened to the whole plan, including the part about Henry and Michael¡¯s involvement and what roles they had to play, as well as the ending that Erin deserved.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Mai¡¯s heart changed from worry to joy. She was so excited after learning the full story and also the inevitable end that would happen to Erin.


    "Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re a genius!" Mai chirped happily. "I can¡¯t wait to see her spend the rest of her life in an ice coffin! With that, she won¡¯t be able to ruin anyone¡¯s life anymore, and things will go back to normal in the office again!"


    Kate chuckled, "Don¡¯t you feel bad? Because she will suffer for the rest of her life."


    "Why would I feel bad? She brought this upon herself," Mai said. "Erin ruined so many lives, does she ever feel pity for the women whose husbands she ruined? As a matter of fact I feel your plan is well deserved."


    "I like the way you think, Mai," Kate complimented. "I thought you¡¯d refuse to help because you might think it¡¯s too evil."


    "I mean, I don¡¯t mind burning a witch if she¡¯s as horrible as Erin," Mai shrugged. "But, Ma¡¯am, do you really think that Mr. Grant and Mr. Eckermann are on our side?"


    "I do," Kate replied. "Why? Do you think they will turn their backs on me?"


    "Well, they act so well it is so convincing, I can¡¯t help but be fooled by them. I really thought that they¡¯re into Erin, Ma¡¯am," Mai said. "Especially Mr. Eckermann, I really thought that he¡¯s foolish enough to do it with Erin."


    Kate chuckled, "So, after listening to the plan, do you think you can at least be civil with Mr. Eckermann?"


    "Ehhh... I¡¯m not sure," Mai sighed. "I don¡¯t like him. Even after knowing that he is part of the plan, I still can¡¯t bring myself to like him. But I will try to, because he¡¯s clearly the worst victim here, he will have to suffer Erin the most."


    "Well, I¡¯m glad that you understand, Mai," Kate smiled. "You don¡¯t need to be so kind and all smiles toward him, just treat him like a normal coworker, okay?"


    "Okay, Ma¡¯am." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Go to his office and help him before Erin pounces on him," Kate instructed. "Don¡¯t forget to try to act pitiful in front of Erin too. Satisfy that bitch so she wont suspect a thing before we dump her into that ice coffin."


    "Understood, Ma¡¯am."


    **


    Mai walked out of the office and headed to Mr. Grant¡¯s office, "Your coffee, Sir," Mai said.


    Henry was busy in a call as he wanted the ice coffin for Erin to be ready as soon as possible, so that they wouldn¡¯t need to endure her bullshit for too long.


    He stared at Mai, who put the coffee on his desk. He didn¡¯t see hostility in her eyes anymore, so he assumed that Kate already spoke to her about their plan to eradicate Erin completely from everyone¡¯s mind.


    "I¡¯ll call you later, don¡¯t forget to find the best place where nobody can reach her," Henry said to the person on the phone before he hung up.


    He then stared at Mai and asked, "Did your boss already tell you everything?"


    "Yes, Sir," Mai said. She was ashamed that she got so hostile toward Mr. Grant. "I should¡¯ve known that you¡¯re not the type who¡¯d fall for Erin¡¯s seduction. I¡¯m sorry for all the harsh words I told you before, Sir."


    Henry shrugged, "I don¡¯t really mind. But you should be careful from now on, don¡¯t say anything stupid in front of Erin, or the plan will fail and all Kate¡¯s hard work will be useless.


    "Yes, Sir. I will make sure to keep my mouth shut," Mai said. "But Sir, I am still Mrs. Woods¡¯ assistant, not yours. So please understand this wouldn¡¯t change anything about my stance. I will always be on Mrs. Woods¡¯ side."

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120: Chapter 120"I know that and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way," Henry said, he then frowned, he felt that statement was off especially with Mai saying it out of the blue. "But why do you need to repeat yourself? Do you think I will betray your boss? You know that we¡¯re in a relationship and she¡¯s currently pregnant with my baby, right?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Sir. My gut feeling tells me that something about you smells fishy," Mai replied. "I genuinely hope that my gut feeling is wrong, but in case you actually betray Mrs. Woods, then you should know that I will be your first enemy."


    Henry was stunned by the fire in Mai¡¯s eyes. She was a petite lady, but the fire in her eyes told him she would do anything to protect Kate.


    It made him wonder if there was a story behind Mai¡¯s devotion to Kate.


    "Why are you so eager to defend her anyway? Did she ever do anything for you?"


    Mai went silent momentarily and then replied, "Mrs. Woods might not realize this, but she hired me during my lowest point, Sir."


    Mai tried to recall her experience of getting hired by this company, "I actually failed the interview with the HR department, but Mrs. Woods insisted on taking me in because she said that I have a lot of talent and that I should work under her."


    "She¡¯s like a mentor. She taught me many things on how to be an editor. I learned a lot from her," Mai said. "Naturally, I also admire her dedication and perseverance because she was under a lot of pressure when Mr. James Grant tragically passed away."


    "If you¡¯re so desperate about getting this job, then you¡¯re not the one to talk about resigning and standing up," Henry said. "You just need to suck up and do your job, no need to be so fired up about defending Kate."


    "I know that finding another job is difficult, Sir," Mai took a deep breath. She recalled her childhood and the trauma that haunted her every night. "But I¡¯d rather leave my job than betray a woman who¡¯s like a big sister to me."


    Henry couldn¡¯t believe that Kate got tremendous support from Mai. She always told him nobody truly liked her and she was nobody¡¯s favorite.


    But it seemed that Kate was wrong this time.


    Because two people treasured her so much already: Mai and Henry.


    ¡¯Of course, I love her more. I will do everything just to ensure that Kate is safe,¡¯ Henry declared. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt a little jealous thinking about Mai¡¯s dedication to Kate.


    "Now, please excuse me, Sir. I have to go to Mr. Eckermann¡¯s office. Mrs. Woods told me not to be hostile to him."


    "Oh, yeah, treat Michael well, and he will treat you even better," Henry said. He wanted to say that Michael was interested in her, but that would probably disgust Mai even more and possibly drive her away, ruining any chance Michael might ever have.


    Thus he allowed Mai to leave his office, and he sipped his morning coffee.


    "I think we will remove that bitch in two to three weeks. Maybe I should also prepare a trip for Kate and I, so we can enjoy our time together while that bitch is freezing in her ice coffin," Henry smiled as he imagined the image of them bundled together in a warm winter cabin, away from other people, especially from Erin.


    **


    Mai took a deep breath as she prepared herself to face the bimbo and Michael.


    ¡¯Okay, Mai, time to work. This is for Mrs. Woods, so she won¡¯t be tormented by that stupid sister of hers,¡¯ Mai convinced herself.


    She knocked on the door twice before she opened it, and the first thing she saw was Erin, who was already sitting on Michael¡¯s desk, trying to seduce him by lifting her mini-skirt a little to give him a teasing view of her pussy.


    Mai could clearly see the disgust in Michael¡¯s eyes as he tried to look away. But he still tried to act like he was into it.


    ¡¯It¡¯s so obvious that he¡¯s not into her. Is it just because I was so angry at Mr. Grant and Mr. Eckermann yesterday, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t notice his disgust at all?¡¯ Mai felt a little guilty, thinking that she had been harsh on Michael.


    "Why don¡¯t you touch me, Mr. Eckermann? I know that you want it, right?" Erin said with her sweet voice. She hadn¡¯t had sex with anyone for a while because she wanted to keep herself as clean as possible for Michael or Henry.


    ¡¯Ah, at this point, I think it¡¯s better if we just do threesome. It¡¯s faster and more satisfying,¡¯ Erin thought.


    "Please return to your desk, Miss Ross. We have a lot of work to do today," Michael said.


    "Awww, you don¡¯t need to worry about these papers. You can just give it all to that chink, let her do everything and we can have our fun," Erin said.


    "I can¡¯t do that, Miss Ross," Mai interrupted.


    Michael and Mai turned their heads to the door at the same time. They saw Mai strutting confidently with a stack of documents in her hand.


    She put the document on the table for Michael to read and said, "I also have my own job to assist Mrs. Woods and Mr. Grant."


    Erin scoffed, "Then go and help them, why are you here? Don¡¯t you see that we shouldn¡¯t be disturbed?"


    Mai ignored Erin and continued to speak with her eyes on Michael, "However, the CEO and Chief Editor told me to help you instead, Mr. Eckermann. So if you need my help for anything, I can stay in your office."


    Mai glanced at Erin for a split second, silently telling Michael she could help him as long as he wanted her around.


    "So what do you think, Mr. Eckermann?" Mai asked. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, of course he doesn¡¯t want you here! I¡¯m the only one he needs in his office!" Erin slowly ran her finger on his shoulder and whispered, "Isn¡¯t that right, Sir?"


    Michael ignored Erin completely. His eyes were on Mai as he kept staring at her without blinking, "I need you to stay by side, Mai."

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121: Chapter 121"I need you to stay by side, Mai," Michael said.


    Erin was caught off guard by his statement. She couldn¡¯t believe that the supposedly Mr. Eckermann who fell in love with her would want to keep this Chink around him!


    This was a betrayal for her!


    "Mr. Eckermann, how could you?! Can you not see that I don¡¯t like her?! I don¡¯t want to be in the same room as her!" Erin said. "If you want her to stay, then I will just leave!"


    Michael darted his eyes at Erin. His expression changed instantly the moment their eyes met. Michael tried to control his disgust, but everyone had a tipping point, and Michael was so close to his tipping point right now.


    "I can always kick Mai out of the room, Miss Ross. But we have so much to do, so if you want her out of this room, then you need to help me with all of those documents," Michael pointed at the thick stack of the documents at the end of the table.


    Erin gulped.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t do anything with those documents.


    First of all, she barely read. She graduated from university by ¡¯helping¡¯ the old male professor. So she wouldn¡¯t be able to go through stacks of nothing but words, not only would she be useless, but she would also be bored to death.


    Secondly, she was Erina Ross! She was used to having everything handed to her. How could she work like a corporate slave? Ew!


    "Ugh!" Erin glared at Mai, who seemed to be nonchalant around the whole conversation. "Fine, whatever, she can stay here. I¡¯ll just go to Mr. Grant¡¯s office, because you Mr. Eckermann chose to be with this chink over me, hmph!"


    Erin stomped out of the office with her arrogant strut, as always. She headed to the CEO¡¯s office because she refused to stay in the same room with Mai.


    Other than that, she also got a bit tired of Michael because Michael didn¡¯t seem to reciprocate her eagerness.


    She was thinking about giving her office virginity to Michael, but since he didn¡¯t seem to want it, she¡¯d rather give it to a more willing person, such as Mr. Henry Grant!


    ¡¯Hmph! Henry is also much more handsome and richer anyway. Michael can get my second or they can share!¡¯ Erin thought as she went to Henry¡¯s office.


    Meanwhile inside Michael¡¯s office.


    Mai smiled at Michael, who had successfully kicked that bimbo out of his office. She had to admit that her opinion towards Michael had changed, it increased just a little since it seemed he had some backbone.


    Michael felt a sense of accomplishment when he saw the smile on the little bunny¡¯s face. She looked ten times¡ªno, a hundred times more beautiful when she had a smile on her lips.


    Michael knew that he wasn¡¯t supposed to do that. He should¡¯ve kept Erin in this office because Henry told him he didn¡¯t want to be bothered by that slut.


    But he couldn¡¯t help it, especially when the idea of kicking Erin out of the office actually brought a smile to Mai¡¯s face. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did Mrs. Woods tell you everything about the mission?" Michael asked.


    "Yeah, and I want to apologize for being so harsh on you," Mai apologized, her cheeks reddened as she apologized to Michael. "S¡ªShe told me that I should treat you well, but I don¡¯t feel like it, Mr. Eckermann."


    "Why not?" Michael asked, tilting his head to the side. "Also, you can just call me Michael. Mr. Eckermann is too formal for us."


    "W¡ªWe are not that close!" Mai yelled, for some reason she was embarrassed by the intimacy of calling Michael by his first name. "And I still have to call you Mr. Eckermann, so Erin wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing."


    Michael was a little hurt when Mai said that they weren¡¯t close. Though it was true, he wished she¡¯d be more open and easily convinced.


    Unfortunately, Michael didn¡¯t have the same skills as Henry.


    Henry was a lover boy, a womanizer without any kind of hesitation, his aura oozed out charisma even without him trying. Once he liked a woman, he¡¯d charge and get close to her. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t hard for Henry to break down the walls that Kate had surrounded herself with.


    But Michael was different.


    He wasn¡¯t adept at talking with girls because he spent his teenage years until his twenty-fourth birthday in the military, working with mostly men. He was rigid and didn¡¯t know how to approach Mai, much to his disappointment.


    "..." Michael went silent for a while and then said, "We¡¯re working for the same bosses, and also for the same mission. I think we¡¯re more than just strangers, right?"


    Mai shrugged, "Can we just drop this conversation? I just don¡¯t feel like we¡¯re close enough to address each other on a first name basis, especially when we¡¯re at work."


    "... okay," Michael could only nod as he had no more words to persuade Mai.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean he had given up. He wanted to ask Henry for some tips since Henry was able to get any woman he wanted.


    "Besides, why did you kick her out of your office?" Mai returned to the topic of Erin. "You should be holding her, maybe embrace her as well. Our mission is to keep her satisfied, and you made her upset just now! At least go after her, she might end up bugging Mr. Grant or Mrs. Woods."


    Michael scoffed, "She¡¯s so disgusting. I don¡¯t think I can keep up this pretense for long," he replied. His eyes were on Mai, who stood in front of him and added, "I¡¯m also a little unwilling to do that kind of thing to Erin, especially when you¡¯re around."


    Mai didn¡¯t understand what Michael was trying to say. She translated his words as;


    ¡¯I don¡¯t want to pretend that I like Erin in front of someone else. It¡¯s too disgusting.¡¯


    So Mai nodded and offered, "Then, maybe I shouldn¡¯t stay here tomorrow. We need you to make her happy, Mr. Eckermann."


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened, "No-no-no, I prefer to have you by my side, not her!"


    "I can always help to do your job as Co-manager in Mrs. Woods¡¯ office while you¡¯re trying to contain that bimbo here in your office." Mai shrugged as she felt that Michael¡¯s reaction was exaggerated. "Besides, you should watch your words, Mr. Eckermann. The way you said that you prefer me by your side made it seem like you¡¯re interested in me."

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122: Chapter 122Michael was astonished when Mai mentioned ¡¯interested.¡¯


    It made his heartbeat accelerate instantly, and he got the urge to deny it immediately , or else there¡¯d be a misunderstanding.


    "No, I¡¯m not interested in you, at least not in the way you are thinking," Michael denied. "I just think that you¡¯re better fit to work with me than her."


    "Well, duh! You¡¯re comparing me to Erin, it¡¯s almost like an insult actually, anyone would work better than her," Mai rolled her eyes. "I¡¯m a very professional and efficient worker, don¡¯t worry, I will get things done even though I won¡¯t be in the same room with you."


    "N¡ªNo, it¡¯s not like that, I¡ªugh!" Michael began to get frustrated. It seemed that Mai had a permanent sense of hostility towards him even though he had nothing but goodwill toward her.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m going to take half of your documents and work on it in Mrs. Woods¡¯ office," Mai said as she picked up more than half of the documents on the desk. "I¡¯ll check on you if there¡¯s something important you need to sign."


    "And you will go back and forth for that?" Michael asked.


    Mai shrugged, "I mean, that¡¯s how it works, I guess."


    ...


    Michael began to worry.


    Obviously, this lady is very petite compared to him. Wouldn¡¯t it tire her if she walked back and forth from the Chief editor¡¯s office to his office just for him to sign a few documents? What if her feet got sore because she walked too much?


    Michael knew that he was being ridiculous. Mai was a grown woman. She was also very feisty.


    But something deep inside him whispered to him, telling him not to allow this woman to get hurt or to be in pain.


    ¡¯Ah, what¡¯s wrong with me anyway? Why do I feel like I want to spoil her? What¡¯s so good about this sharp tongued woman?¡¯ Michael questioned his stupidity.


    But in the end, he gave in to his desire and said, "Just give me your phone number. I will text you, and you can text me back if there¡¯s something you need to discuss with me. I¡¯ll come to you."


    "Uhhh..." Mai hesitated for a second. She usually gave her phone number to her co-workers without thinking twice. But somehow, thinking about Michael texting her gave her this uncomfortable feeling deep down in her gut.


    "Don¡¯t get any wrong ideas, Mai. This is for work," Michael assured, pushing away her doubts and worries. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡ªI know!"


    In the end, Mai gave her phone number to Michael, and then Michael texted her back so that Mai could save his number.


    She still felt a little uncomfortable with this exchange, so she quickly excused herself, "Um, I¡¯m going to work on these documents. Please excuse me, Mr. Eckermann."


    Michael nodded, his eyes glued on her back as she left his office.


    Michael intertwined his fingers, trying to hold off his excitement after getting Mai¡¯s number. He tried to keep his cool, knowing Mai might see him as a weirdo if he showed his joy.


    Michael tried to calm himself by reminding himself to take deep breaths, breathe in, breathe out, he chanted in his head. He checked his phone and renamed Mai¡¯s contact as ¡¯Bunny.¡¯


    **


    ¡¯What¡¯s wrong with that guy? I thought that he is supposed to be professional enough to make this mission a success,¡¯ Mai complained.


    She expected Michael to be a very cooperative professional who would try his best to satisfy Erin.


    ¡¯Though, I won¡¯t lie. It does feel satisfying to see that bitch getting rejected,¡¯ Mai thought. ¡¯I will have to tell him that he needs to play pretend better.¡¯


    Mai entered the Chief Editor¡¯s office and noticed that Mrs. Woods was absent. She frowned and wondered, "Huh? Where¡¯s Mrs. Woods? I don¡¯t remember her having any meetings today, or did she take a bathroom break?"


    **


    A few moments earlier, the same said Chief Editor was in the CEO¡¯s office. She was a little bored after reading all the manuscripts and correcting them, so she wanted to meet with Henry for a little chat.


    Or maybe more than just a chat...


    Kate stormed inside Henry¡¯s office without knocking.


    She saw that Henry was busy with his phone while reading a document on his desk simultaneously.


    Henry lifted his head, and his expression brightened instantly when he saw Kate, "Did you miss me, Kitty?"


    Kate closed the door behind her and sat on the sofa, crossing her legs as she stared at Henry before asking, "Have you planned everything for Erin¡¯s ice coffin?"


    "I did," Henry replied. He got up from his chair and walked towards Kate. He then sat right next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him so he could feel her warmth, "It should take two to three weeks to get everything ready for her first ¡¯international business trip¡¯ to Canada."


    "Canada?" Kate chuckled. "Because it¡¯s the closest to Greenland?"


    "Yeah, we can throw her there in the frozen tundra," Henry said. "She will spend the rest of her life living with the Arctic wolves, hahaha!"


    Kate and Henry laughed as they imagined Erin suffering alone there.


    "I couldn¡¯t do this without you, Henry. Thank you very much," Kate said. She put her palm on Henry¡¯s thigh and caressed the thigh area near his crotch gently, arousing the man instantly. "Maybe I should pay you back somehow. Do you have anything in mind?"


    Henry gulped. He looked down and realized he was already rock hard, even when Kate was only teasing him lightly.


    "I... I do have something in mind," Henry said. "You see, in Nuuk, Greenland, there is a northern light tour. We can see a beautiful aurora in a warm cabin, all alone just the two of us. It¡¯d be a great reward after I toss Erin in the frozen tundra."


    Kate grinned, "We can always do that, Mr. Grant. What I meant was..." Kate leaned and gave Henry a peck on the corner of his lips. "Do you have something you want that we can do right here, right now?"


    Henry¡¯s breath got heavy instantly. He lifted Kate easily and sat her on his lap. Henry rubbed his hard erection underneath his tight trousers against Kate¡¯s ass and whispered in her ear, "I wonder about something, Kitty."


    Kate bit her lower lip as she felt ticklish with his breath on her nape, "About what?"


    "I wonder how it would feel to fuck you again in this CEO¡¯s office when we¡¯re both sober."

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123: Chapter 123[Song Recommendation: Arctic Monkey - I Wanna Be Yours.]


    "I wonder how does it feel to fuck you again in this CEO¡¯s office when we¡¯re both sober," Henry whispered.


    Kate¡¯s mind instantly traveled to that fateful night when she came to the office in the middle of the night, heartbroken after finding out about her deadbeat husband and her sister¡¯s affair.


    To top it all off, they didn¡¯t even feel ashamed of what they were doing. Instead, Matt proposed to them to do this open relationship stuff where they could sleep with any man or woman they wanted.


    But Matt knew very well that Kate was the loyal type. She was the type who would only sleep with one man and wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye at another, no matter how tempting he was.


    ¡¯Heh, in the end, he¡¯s just using that open relationship idea as an alibi because he wants to cheat,¡¯ Kate sneered. ¡¯After all I did for him, he still cheated on me....¡¯


    Henry sensed that Kate was dazed, seemingly lost in her world. Of course, he knew that Kate must be imagining what happened, and she seemed to be thinking about Matt as she recalled the fateful night.


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened, and his heart felt uncomfortable¡ªno, it was more than that.


    He was angry and jealous that Kate still had that useless scum in her head.


    So he wrapped his arms around her waist tighter than before and asked, "Are you thinking about that useless bastard?"


    "Yeah," Kate admitted. "I remember how he had zero shame when I caught him red handed with Erin on the couch, in the apartment I bought for us. After all of my effort to keep him happy, he still feels entitled enough to cheat."


    "That¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t understand anything. He¡¯s a useless scum who can¡¯t even find a job, of course he deserves to be with someone like Erin," Henry said. "And you... you deserve to be with someone like me."


    "Someone like you?" Kate grinned as she wanted to tease him. "So you think you¡¯re better than him?"


    "Obviously, I am far richer than he¡¯ll ever be. I have a good career, and I¡¯m much better looking than him," Henry claimed. "And lastly, I¡¯m much better in bed, he can¡¯t give you a child after five years, but I knocked you up in just a night."


    Kate chuckled. Everything Henry said was right. He was a great upgrade compared to Matt.


    "Well, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re much better than him," Kate said. "So you don¡¯t need to feel jealous just because I remember that useless scum."


    "I don¡¯t want you to think about another man," Henry said. He was trying to suppress his possessiveness. But the idea of Kate thinking of another man, good or bad, was like torture to him.


    He had to eliminate that man as a rival as soon as possible because he¡¯d immediately see that man as a rival.


    "Think only about me, Kitty. You¡¯re mine, and you also bear my baby right now," Henry mentioned, thinking that bringing up the baby would stop Kate from looking at another man.


    Kate chuckled.


    "Hey, why are you so clingy? I thought I¡¯m supposed to be the clingy one here," Kate said.


    Henry said nothing, but he began to kiss her nape and the area behind her ear.


    Kate felt ticklish, and she began to moan, "Ahn! S¡ªStop kissing my ear and neck. It¡¯s too sensitive there."


    "Then I will kiss you more," Henry said. His hands began to crawl up, fondling her breasts from behind. Kate bit her lower lip, trying to muffle her nose. She was afraid she might be too into it to the point that she forgot where she was right now. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry rested his chin on Kate¡¯s shoulder and looked down while fondling Kate¡¯s breasts. He grinned as he began to take off the first two buttons on her shirt, exposing her bra instantly.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t lie that Kate¡¯s breasts were really tempting. He liked big boobs, and he liked it even more because it was Kate¡¯s.


    "H¡ªHenry," Kate called his name once she realized that his hand slid inside her bra and played with her nipples. "Ahn¡ªNngh!"


    Kate¡¯s body began to tremble as she felt the ticklish sensation on her nipples and the throbbing inside her panties.


    Her lust was ignited. She couldn¡¯t wait for Henry to fuck her.


    "Did I ever tell you that I have a thing for women with big boobs?" Henry asked.


    "P¡ªPervert!" Kate yelled.


    "Heh, I am a pervert. I love fondling your boobs, kissing you all over and marking you with my hickeys, and fucking you raw inside your wet pussy. But it¡¯s a bit too late for you to realize it, don¡¯t you think?" Henry chuckled. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only doing this with you."


    Kate got even more embarrassed when Henry said those dirty words lightly. She wanted to be as bold as him but then realized she still had that shyness.


    After all, she had been exclusive only to one man since high school, and Matt wasn¡¯t the kinky type.


    It was she who brought a few lingeries to spice up their dry sex life, but he didn¡¯t seem to be that interested as well.


    She always expected vanilla sex without too much dirty talking and foreplaying. So it always felt overwhelming for her whenever she was doing it with Henry because he liked to touch her all over before shoving his rock-hard dick into her pussy.


    Henry continued to rub his thick bulge on her ass, and Kate could picture the shape of his dick just by rubbing it like this.


    "Urgh, I can¡¯t wait anymore. It¡¯s getting painful down there," Henry said.


    "What are you¡ªAh!" Kate was shocked when Henry suddenly carried her bridal style effortlessly.


    Henry got up from the sofa and walked towards the CEO¡¯s desk, the same desk where they did it that night.


    He gently sat her on the desk and stared at the beauty with reddish cheeks and exposed breasts in front of him and commented, "Turns out you¡¯re still so fucking hot even when I¡¯m sober, Kitty."

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124: Chapter 124"D¡ªDon¡¯t say that!" Kate yelled. She quickly covered her face out of shame. But then she realized that her breasts were also exposed, so she quickly covered her breasts instead.


    Henry found it funny that Kate became shy even though they already did everything at this point. She was even pregnant with his baby right now!


    "Why are you getting shy anyway? This is not our first time, remember?" Henry said. He put his hands on her thighs and then slowly spread them open.


    Kate was wearing a knee-length skirt, so he rolled it up until the base of her thighs, where he could see her panties.


    Kate was already wet down there. She was so horny that she couldn¡¯t wait for Henry to fuck her.


    But at the same time, she also felt ashamed of herself because she had never been this hungry for a man before.


    Was it because of her hormones that got influenced due to pregnancy? Or was it because it was Henry?


    Nevertheless, she still felt that she had unreleased the restraint in her body and heart the moment she did it with this man.


    Only this man.


    Henry kneeled in front of Kate and began to caress and kiss her inner thighs before his lips reached her wet panties.


    "Ah! Ahnn! H¡ªHenry, stop! It¡¯s so dirty down there!" Henry ignored her completely. He pushed Kate until she lay flat on the desk while he rubbed her wet pussy with his index finger. He didn¡¯t remove her panties, so the already-damp underwear got even damper as he stimulated her labia.


    "C¡ªCan we just do it already? I can¡¯t wait any longer," Kate said. She was at her wit¡¯s end right now. Henry teased her enough that she was so ready for his cock.


    He clicked his tongue, "So impatient. I¡¯d love to touch you more, but I¡¯m also at my limit right now."


    Henry unbuckled his belt and then took out his rock-hard cock. The tip was red and throbbing, while the shaft was veiny. He hurriedly pulled Kate¡¯s panties down and spread her legs into an M-shape, making sure that he got full access to her wet pussy.


    "Fuck, I can¡¯t believe this is happening right now," Henry admitted. "I¡¯ve been dreaming about fucking you again in this place. I want to see you when you¡¯re sober, because we were so drunk that night."


    Kate¡¯s chest rose up and down. She stared at the ceiling and asked, "And have your feelings for me changed as we do it when we¡¯re sober?" Kate asked. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She knew that question was unnecessary.


    But she couldn¡¯t help wondering whether there was a difference between them having sex sober versus drunk.


    She wondered if Henry had the same excitement as she got right now and if Henry also felt this longing in her heart.


    "I feel exactly the same," Henry replied. He climbed the desk and lay on top of Kate. He used his elbow to support himself while aiming his cock at her pussy, "I have this intense warmth engulfing my heart when I¡¯m with you. I¡¯m longing for everything about you, Kitty, and I just know that you¡¯re the perfect woman for me."


    Kate smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper for a kiss, "I also feel the same, Mr. Grant. I¡¯ve been longing for everything about you ever since that night. You¡¯re the only one who could make me feel a certain way."


    Kate spread her legs wider and said, "So do me now, let me feel you inside me."


    Henry took a deep breath, he was about to slowly put his thick dick inside her pussy, but before he could do that, there was suddenly a knock on the door.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Mr. Grant, it¡¯s me!"


    Henry and Kate¡¯s bodies stiffened. They turned their heads at the same time toward the door and realized it was unlocked.


    That bimbo Erin could storm at any time and witnessed what Henry and Kate were doing.


    Kate panicked instantly. She wanted to get up and quickly fix her appearance to act like nothing was wrong.


    But Henry held her in place, stopping her from getting up, and said, "I don¡¯t want to stop here just because of that bitch."


    "Henry, she will find out about us!" Kate argued. "Our plan will fail!"


    Henry gritted his teeth. He was so angry right now that he could snap that bitch¡¯s neck just to make a point.


    "Yoo-hoo~ Mr. Grant, are you inside? If you¡¯re not, then I will open the door and sleep on your long sofa!" Erin yelled. "Naked, of course, hihi!"


    Henry clicked his tongue, "So fucking annoying. I can¡¯t wait to throw her into that frozen land!"


    "Henry..." Kate begged. She was also disappointed that she couldn¡¯t do it with him today, but the mission was far more important. "Please..."


    Henry took a deep breath. He got off the desk, but before Kate could get up, he told her, "Stay right there, and don¡¯t you dare to get up, Kitty. I¡¯m going to handle that bitch and we will continue where we left off."


    Kate could feel the pressure coming from him. He was furiously frustrated right now, and she wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle Erin since that bimbo was very pushy.


    But she also wanted to continue.


    She was eager to get fucked by him in this office.


    Kate swallowed her saliva. She was nervous, but in the end, she agreed, "Please do something against my bitch sister, so we can continue. I can¡¯t wait to have you inside me."


    Henry¡¯s whole body was trembling upon hearing the last sentence. Since she was just as eager as him, then they shouldn¡¯t stop.


    Henry tucked his erect dick inside his pants with difficulty because it was too big, and it was painful when he tried to stuff it in.


    He then fixed his belt and walked to the door.


    "Ugh, why is he not answering?" Erin pouted. "If he¡¯s not in his office, then I guess I can just surprise him by being naked on his sofa. Bet he wants to fuck me once he saw me!"

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125: Chapter 125Thus, motivated by the idea of surprising Mr. Grant by sleeping on his office sofa naked, Erin decided to open the door without waiting anymore.


    Click.


    Erin was surprised that the door wasn¡¯t locked. So Mr. Grant must be inside, or maybe he just forgot to unlock his door before leaving.


    Nevertheless, it was very exciting for Erin!


    Erin was about to push the door open, but before she could do it, the door was suddenly opened from the inside, and there she saw Henry standing tall with an ugly expression on his face as if he didn¡¯t even have an ounce of goodwill towards Erin.


    Of course, Erin didn¡¯t think she was the problem.


    ¡¯Hmm, could it be that he got mad at me for disturbing him somehow? No, right? After all, he¡¯s supposed to like me, of course he¡¯d tolerate everything I do!¡¯ Erin justified in her head.


    "What do you want?" Henry asked with a sharp tone.


    "Ah, Mr. Grant, I¡¯m here to help you in your office, because Mr. Eckermann choose to let that chink in his office!" Erin said. She rolled her eyes as she remembered about Mai again, "Can you imagine that Mr. Eckermann would let a woman like that little chinese doll around? It¡¯s like¡ªew, so gross, right?"


    ...


    Henry had no time and no intention to cater to Erin¡¯s bullshit. He just wanted to get over this and return to his beloved, who still lay flat on the desk, half naked.


    "You can go somewhere else, Miss Ross," Henry said. "I¡¯m busy with work in my office."


    "But I can help! I¡¯m a secretary, right?"


    "You can help Michael or scram," Henry said. "As I said, I¡¯m busy, and I don¡¯t have time to meet with anyone right now."


    Erin raised her brow. It was very rare for Henry to reject her advance. He was usually eager to be with her.


    Erin stared at Henry¡¯s face, which was a little reddish, and then her gaze went down, and saw that Henry¡¯s bulge was thick. It was obvious that he was rock hard right now.


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened, ¡¯Could it be that he¡¯s with another woman inside? No, right? I¡¯ve seen all the faces in this office, and no women are prettier than me!¡¯


    ¡¯In fact, nobody is prettier than me. Just look at Mr. Grant and Mr. Eckermann, they fall on their knees because of me!¡¯ Erin convinced herself. ¡¯It¡¯s only time when I will be a hot influencer that seduces all men!¡¯


    Though Erin was convinced that Henry wouldn¡¯t ¡¯cheat¡¯ on her, she was also curious as to why he was rock hard.


    ¡¯Maybe he has been thinking about me and decides to comfort himself during work? Hihi, so cute~,¡¯ Erin then brazenly put her hand on Henry¡¯s crotch and grabbed his dick. "I see that you¡¯re hard, Mr. Grant. Do you want me to help you?"


    Henry was shocked. It took him a while to register what Erin did to him, and his body trembled with fury instantly.


    He quickly grabbed her wrist and pushed her away until Erin almost lost her balance.


    "Wha¡ªMr. Grant, why are you rejecting me? Don¡¯t you want me?" Erin asked as she couldn¡¯t believe that she got rejected by a man. This had never happened before!


    Henry was at his boiling point right now. He almost exploded and slapped this bitch in the face for touching him, but he didn¡¯t want to disappoint his Kitty if he failed the mission just because he lost control over his emotions.


    "What you did just now is a sexual harassment, Miss Ross," Henry said, his voice a pitch deeper to the point that he almost grunted. "You can get fired for this."


    "Fired?" Erin got confused as she found that notion to be ridiculous.


    "Of course I won¡¯t get fired because you like me. You¡¯re the Boss, Mr. Grant!" Erin said. "Besides, I¡¯m not sexually harassing you¡ªPffth, there is no sexual harassment for men. They all like it when I touch their dick!"


    "Including you, Mr. Grant," Erin smirked. "Come on, don¡¯t be shy, I¡¯m curious about the taste of your dick as well~."


    Erin had zero idea that Henry was so close to snapping her neck in half. She playfully stretched her hand as she wanted to grab his crotch again. She salivated just thinking about that big dick inside her mouth!


    But Henry quickly gripped her wrist until Erin screamed in pain, "Ahhh! Ouch, ouch! It hurts, Mr. Grant. let me go!"


    Henry took a deep breath and released Erin¡¯s hand before he crushed her wrist. Erin quickly pulled her hand and checked on it.


    She was grieving when she realized Henry had gripped her wrist tight enough to make a bruise!


    "Leave now while I¡¯m still kind enough to let you go, Miss Ross," Henry said coldly.


    Erin pouted. Her guess must be true. Henry was cheating on her!


    "Mr. Grant, you don¡¯t happen to have another woman in your office, right?" Erin tried to peek to check if someone else was inside Henry¡¯s office.


    But Henry didn¡¯t open the door fully, and he filled the gap with his body, so Erin couldn¡¯t see anything inside Henry¡¯s office, much to her annoyance.


    "Mr. Grant, just tell me that you don¡¯t have another woman in your office! Why would you cheat on me? I¡¯m literally the most perfect woman you¡¯ll ever see in this office, and probably outside too! You¡¯ll regret it if I give my virginity to Mr. Eckermann instead!"


    The commotion already attracted other employees to the office. They peeked from behind the wall, doors, and cabinets. Almost all of them already disliked Erin for being a bitch, and now that she made a scene in the office, their dislike grew even more.


    Henry noticed all the eyes staring at them and was finally done for. Thus, he replied, "THEN GO AND FUCK ANOTHER MAN, I DON¡¯T FUCKING CARE!"


    "Wait, Mr. Grant, you¡¯re not¡ª"


    SLAM!


    Erin was shocked when Henry slammed the door on her face, hitting her forehead until she got dizzy and lost her balance.


    S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126: Chapter 126"Ouch! Owie..." Erin grimaced in pain as she fell to the floor. She rubbed her forehead and looked up at the name on the door.


    ¡ª


    Henry T. Grant


    CEO.


    ¡ª


    "Mr. Grant, you¡¯re so mean. You hit my forehead...." Erin murmured. She thought Henry was still behind the door and probably listened to her pitiful voice.


    But after realizing Henry didn¡¯t answer her, Erin could only get up and say, "Okay then, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re so mean to me. I¡¯ve been nothing but being a good girl to you."


    Erin got up and then returned to Michael¡¯s office.


    She noticed that Mai was nowhere to be found.


    She was a bit happy that, in the end, Michael still chose her over Mai. Though it was only natural for Michael to choose her, she was prettier, a lot prettier than Mai could ever be.


    She rubbed her forehead and went towards Michael¡¯s desk. She didn¡¯t shed a tear, but she tried her hardest so at least her eyes would glaze in tears before she faced Michael.


    "Mr. Eckermann, wuwuwu..." Erin intentionally made those cute sobs to attract Michael¡¯s sense of protection. He seemed to be a man who¡¯d never let the woman he was interested in be in distress.


    He would definitely give his utmost protection and comfort to the woman he loved.


    And who¡¯s the woman he loves?


    ¡¯Me, duh! It¡¯s obvious!¡¯ Erin thought.


    Michael wanted to ignore her completely. Mai had been occupying his mind all this time. He wondered if he might look too scary or intimidating or whether he did something wrong, so Mai still didn¡¯t like him even though she already knew the truth.


    "Mr. Eckermann... Michael!" Erin stomped her feet like a little girl who had lost her lollipop. She thought it¡¯d make her cuter in front of Michael. "Look at me, I¡¯m hurt!"


    Michael finally lifted his head a bit just to check on the bimbo, and he saw there was a bump on her forehead. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He almost burst out laughing, but he had to be professional.


    "What happened to you?" Michael asked.


    "It¡¯s because of Mr. Grant!" Erin said. "He got angry at me and slammed the door to my face and hit my forehead."


    "A¡ªAh, I see," Michael was trying his best not to laugh. Surely, it was refreshing to see this bitch get a taste of her medicine. Though it was only something as tame as hitting her forehead. "But there must be a reason why he did that, right?"


    "Well, I knocked on his door because I wanted to spend time with him. But when he opened the door, he told me to leave because he¡¯s busy," Erin recalled. "But I saw him having a bulge. Like, a big bulge. He¡¯s rock hard! Of course, me, being a good employee, want to help him. So I grab his crotch and tease him a bit. But that only makes him angrier!"


    "You... you touched him..."


    "Mhm," Erin nodded without hesitation. "Can you believe that he said it¡¯s a sexual harassment? Hmph, sexual harassment only happens to women! If a woman touches a man, then he should be grateful, especially when it¡¯s from a woman like me!"


    "Jesus..." Michael was astonished by this woman. At this point, he was convinced that Erin¡¯s mother might¡¯ve dropped her when she was a baby. That¡¯s why there was something wrong with her brain.


    "Now look at this, Mr. Eckermann. How dare he hurt me like this? Aren¡¯t you mad? You should be mad for me!" Erin insisted.


    Michael already got a text from Mai before. She told him that Mrs. Woods wasn¡¯t in the Chief Editor¡¯s office, and Mai assumed she would leave for another meeting she didn¡¯t know about.


    But it seemed that the answer was much simpler than that.


    ¡¯Henry and Kate must be in the CEO¡¯s office right now, having fun while I have to deal with a bunch of paperworks and one bitch. Though, this bitch gives me more headache than the paperworks,¡¯ Michael theorized.


    He sighed. In the end, he had to cover for his Boss¡¯ eagerness to have sex in the office.


    "Miss Ross, our CEO, is busy with his job," Michael said. "He has to deal with reshuffling of some staff, and he has a scheduled meeting with the parent company. Whether he is currently aroused or not, it¡¯s not important. He¡¯s just too busy to care for you right now."


    Erin was annoyed that Michael gave her a logical answer that completely annihilated what had happened to her.


    It makes sense that Henry must be very busy, and whether he was horny or not, that wasn¡¯t their problem.


    Erin understood everything, of course, because she was an adult. She acted like a child sometimes to garner sympathy from men. They usually liked it when she acted cute.


    But it seemed that Henry and Michael weren¡¯t affected by her cute acting today.


    Thus, she lost her will to play cute in front of Michael and said, "Huh, whatever, I don¡¯t really care if he¡¯s busy or not. All I know is that he doesn¡¯t have time for me."


    "Mr. Eckermann, you and Mr. Grant make me very unhappy today," Erin said. "But it¡¯s fine. Maybe you two are just too busy, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll just go home now to treat the bump on my forehead."


    "By all means, you can leave now, Miss Ross," Michael said eagerly. "All the paperworks had been done by me and Mai. You have nothing to do here."


    "Hmph, fine, whatever," Erin rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. She stomped her feet as she walked out of Michael¡¯s office.


    She didn¡¯t care about the stares that she got from other employees. She didn¡¯t care about these lowly shrimps who gossiped because she knew none had power over her.


    She was the most powerful in this office!


    ¡¯I thought I¡¯m the most powerful, but I guess I have to do something so Henry and Michael will have their eyes on me and cater to all my needs even when they are busy,¡¯ Erin thought.


    She was in deep thought for a while, and as she exited the elevator, she realized that she only had one way to cement her position in the office, and it was through her sister!


    ¡¯Ah, why do I have to worry? I can just use that idiot bitch sister of mine. After all, this office will not function without my sister, right? I will make them realize that I¡¯m very important in this office, hihi.¡¯


    **


    PS: Stay tuned, becuase you will see something REALLY fun about to happen with Erin ;)

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127: Chapter 127"Fuck!" Henry cursed as he slammed the door shut and locked it. He leaned on the door, ignoring the plea from that bitch outside. He then looked at Kate, who had already sat on the desk, half-naked but still had a smile on her face.


    Henry ignored Erin completely and returned to Kate with a face full of grief, "I¡¯m sorry, Kate. I messed up."


    "Messed up? I don¡¯t see anything wrong with what you did just now," Kate said as she tried to appease him.


    Henry gritted his teeth, "I tried to be nice to her, but she actually dared to grab my crotch and even wanted to do it twice! She made a scene in front of the other employee without any shame, and I... I just lost my composure."


    Kate sighed. She stretched her hand and gently caressed Henry¡¯s cheek and jaw. Henry closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek on her soft palm like a big dog searching for comfort.


    "I messed up badly," Henry admitted. "Since this plan has failed, then let me eliminate her myself. I will make it as quick as possible."


    Kate chuckled when she heard that, to which Henry responded with a displeased grunt. He opened his eyes and stared at Kate, who kept her smile, "What¡¯s so funny? You should be mad at me instead."


    "Why should I be mad? I¡¯d probably do the same thing to her if she dares to do that to me as well," Kate said. "You see, I already expected her to do that kind of stunt, and I already guessed that you¡¯ll get angry at it."


    Kate¡¯s smile turned malicious as she leaned forward and kissed Henry on his lips. She then draped her arms on his strong shoulder and whispered in his ear, "I am one-hundred-percent certain that she will use my mother again as a way to pressure me to do something. It¡¯s something she always does in a clutch."


    Henry clenched his fists as he got so angry with the idea that Erin would¡¯ve pressured Kate to do whatever she wanted or else their mother would die in shock, it was sickening, and he was even more upset knowing that Kate was pregnant with his baby.


    She needed to be protected at all costs.


    "Then let¡¯s just ditch this whole idea and let me end her. I have my own... brute way," Henry said. He had been playing along with Kate¡¯s plan, but he had a more brutal way to finish that bimbo, though it wouldn¡¯t be as smooth as Kate had planned.


    "No need," Kate replied. "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle this. I know what to do."


    "You know what to do?" Henry frowned. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been holding myself for so long because she was my sister and I feel guilty," Kate said. "But I don¡¯t need to hold on now, since you¡¯ve given me a child in my belly. I know my priority, Henry. I will make sure she wont do something extreme, at least not until we throw her out."


    "So, why don¡¯t we continue where we left off before, hm?" Kate¡¯s voice was like a feather that tickled his ear and heart. Henry soon forgot about the problem they got just now, and he was erect again down there.


    Kate helped Henry by unbuckling his belt and then took out his big and veiny cock. She gently stroked it up and down and asked, "Are you mad if I¡¯m the one who does this to you?"


    Henry smirked. He rubbed her thighs and replied, "You should do it more often. It makes me excited when you¡¯re the one doing it."


    Kate chuckled, "Well, what are you waiting for? Do me, Mr. Grant."


    Kate lay flat on the desk once more. She took the initiative to spread her thighs into an M-shape, exposing her wet pussy in front of Henry.


    Henry swallowed his saliva. He wanted to lick and suck her clit, but it seemed that both of them were already impatient.


    So he climbed to the desk and resumed where they left off. He supported himself with his elbow and then rubbed her pussy lips with the tip of his cock a few times before slowly entering her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ugh¡ªmmhh¡ªAh!" Kate was trying to hold her voice, afraid that someone outside might be listening. But the moment Henry shoved everything into her pussy, her eyes widened, and she moaned upon feeling that meat rod fill every gap inside her, giving her that shocking pleasure.


    "Urgh, so tight," Henry murmured. He was also controlling himself, knowing that Kate was pregnant. He had to be careful while fucking her.


    Kate was grasping air as she still tried to get used to Henry¡¯s dick. No matter how many times they did it, it still felt amazing. Their bodies were a perfect fit.


    Henry then used his one hand to intertwine his fingers with Kate¡¯s as he began to thrust back and forth.


    "Ah¡ªAhnn! Umh! Ahh!" Kate finally lost herself in pleasure. She didn¡¯t care if someone outside was listening to this, and with how Henry thrust inside her, it seemed that he didn¡¯t care as well.


    She stared at Henry, whose eyes were on her the whole time. Though Kate¡¯s gaze was blurred that night, she could remember this man was indeed very handsome.


    Everything about him was perfect, especially his viper-like gaze that always noticed every small change on Kate¡¯s face, giving her that feeling of constantly being cared for.


    "Ah¡ªAh! Mmh! H¡ªHenry..."


    "Yes, Kitty?" Henry responded. His voice was hoarse as he grunted in pleasure each time he made a push-and-pull motion. "Urgh, your pussy is so warm and wet inside."


    Kate gently reached Henry¡¯s cheek and caressed it, "Your dick is also big and warm inside me, Henry," she said. "You¡¯re still the same man I fell in love with that night."


    "Fuck, why would you say that? Now, I can¡¯t hold it anymore! Ugh! Argh!" Henry hastened his thrusts, and Kate let out a long moan as she felt his cum washed inside her womb.


    "Ahhhhhh!" The hot cum also stimulated her to the point that she also had an orgasm. Her body twitched as she squirted her juice while Henry shot his seeds inside her many times.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128: Chapter 128"Urgh!" Henry supported his body with both elbows to ensure he didn¡¯t accidentally press himself on Kate and their baby. He could feel the mess down there.


    But he was still rock hard. He was a man with a lot of semen to spare, he had a high libido, and it wasn¡¯t easy for him to calm down, especially when the one he fucked right now was the woman of his choice.


    "Uhh... hnnn..." Kate¡¯s gaze got blurry. Her chest rose up and down as she tried to catch a breath after wild sex in the office. She stared at Henry, who was still on top of her, supporting himself with his elbow.


    He was also in the same condition as her, sweaty and exhausted, but both felt good.


    However, she could feel that he was still hard inside her, "Henry?"


    "Yes, Kitty?"


    "Pull it out," Kate said.


    Henry grimaced, "Can we do it again? I¡¯m not satisfied yet. I can go for another round, really."


    "No, I still have to face my sister after this. I still need to save some energy or else I¡¯ll fall asleep for a long time if we do it again."


    "Like a sleeping beauty?" Henry chuckled. "Then maybe I should kiss you so you¡¯ll wake up."


    Henry kissed her on the lips and intended to do it again, but Kate quickly blocked her lips to stop him. She knew her body well, and if she allowed Henry to kiss her, she would probably give in and go for another round.


    "Pull it out, Henry."


    Henry clicked his tongue. He pulled his dick out of her pussy, and carefully climbed down from the desk. He then carried Kate to the bathroom and said, "We need to take a bath. Don¡¯t worry, the bathroom in the CEO¡¯s office has a shower."


    "Yeah, I can do it myself, why do you need to carry me like this?" Kate protested. She began to struggle to get out of his embrace.


    "Why not? It¡¯s easier if we shower together, right?" Henry said. "I can wash you real good, you know."


    "No, you¡¯re not," Kate refuted. "I know what you have in mind, Henry. So put me down now and let me wash myself!" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry sighed.


    He truly didn¡¯t want to incite her anger, especially not after he fucked up big time when he handled Erin before.


    So he carefully put her down and left the bathroom, allowing Kate to wash herself.


    Henry leaned on the door. He looked down and realized his cock was still erect, and it¡¯d probably take a cold shower to calm down.


    He then put his dick into his boxer while waiting for Kate.


    "I can¡¯t believe that I can be this excited when doing it with her," Henry murmured. "At this point, I don¡¯t think I can fuck another woman anymore. Our physical compatibility is amazing, there¡¯s no sex better than with her."


    It took Kate a while to wash, and she came out feeling refreshed. Meanwhile, it only took Henry a few minutes to wash, and then he walked out of the bathroom, only wearing his boxers as if they were actually in his apartment.


    Henry rubbed his hair with the spare towel and commented, "I don¡¯t know why my late brother has a shower set built in his office bathroom, but it¡¯s damn convenient."


    "It was because Mr. James Grant used to stay in the office overnight. He¡¯d work nonstop, sometimes even days because we¡¯re trying our best to keep the company afloat," Kate replied. "This company was in a bad state when he first came in. I was the first employee he recruited."


    "I see..." Henry zipped his lips instantly. He didn¡¯t like how Kate kept on talking about his late brother.


    Though he had a fond memory of James, Henry still took him as a rival when it was to Kate. Because it was very well-known throughout his family that James refused to marry another woman because of Kate.


    Unfortunately, Kate was already married, and she was the loyal type.


    ...


    Henry disliked thinking about his family, so he quickly changed the topic, "What are you going to do with your sister? I don¡¯t want her to keep stressing you out with her bullshit."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I already have her in my grasp," Kate replied. "Though I can¡¯t stop her completely, I can make sure that she will stay in her place until we throw her out."


    "Now please excuse me, I have a bitch to slap," Kate said.


    She got up and was about to leave, but then Henry quickly hugged her from behind and whispered, "Remember to call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll always save you, Kitty."


    Kate felt ticklish again. Her cheeks reddened, and she nodded slowly, "I¡¯ll keep that in mind."


    With that, Henry released Kate and then she resumed her work for a few hours before returning to her apartment.


    As expected, Kate saw her sister leaning on the door, still wearing the same slutty ¡¯office outfit¡¯ only suitable in a porn set.


    Kate knew she couldn¡¯t avoid Erin, so she lifted her chin and faced her sister.


    "What are you doing in front of my apartment?" Kate said coldly as she stood in front of Erin.


    "Hi, sis, took you a while to go home, geez," Erin complained. "And why did you change the password anyway? Now I have to wait for you to get into this apartment."


    "I already gave you another apartment all for yourself, Erin. Scram now while I still have patience for you."


    Erin had a provocative grin as she heard that sentence. Her sister needed a little lesson of humility, so she would know her place.


    ¡¯It¡¯s been a while since I saw her crying and begging anyway. It¡¯s time to give my mother a little shock, hihi~.¡¯


    "Alright, fine," Erin said. "Just unlock the door, so we can go in."


    Kate¡¯s gaze grew cold, "And what if I don¡¯t give you permission to enter my apartment?"


    "Oh? You dare to do that to me?" Erin chuckled. She took her phone out of her bag and said, "Do you want your mother to die?"

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129: Chapter 129Kate¡¯s gaze darkened when she saw the phone in Erin¡¯s hand. She was on it again, threatening Kate by telling lies to their mother, so she¡¯d get a small heart attack that might be fatal because she had a weak heart and a constantly weakened body.


    Kate didn¡¯t understand how Erin became this cruel to their mother. Erin never had to feel any grievance, except when Kate reported her father, who ended up with him spending time in jail, breaking their family apart in the end.


    She felt guilty for ruining their family. Kate understood that Erin needed to be comforted the most since she was the youngest, so Kate tried her best to fulfill any demand that Erin wanted, whether it was to do an easy task, such as bringing her a glass of water, to something harder like doing her homework or giving Kate¡¯s part-time salary for Erin because she wanted to buy a new toy.


    Kate spoiled her back then to compensate for the broken family, but she then came to the realization that Erin had been spoiled rotten by the time she was in high school.


    Erin became a mean girl that everybody was scared of, and she bullied a lot of students.


    But no matter how often their mother got called to the school for Erin¡¯s misdemeanor, she¡¯d always get out scot-free because their mother would always try to save Erin no matter what.


    ¡¯After all, she has always been the golden child...¡¯ Kate thought. Since Erin was just a toddler during their parents¡¯ divorce, their mother latched on to the toddler as an emotional crutch while completely ignoring Kate, who had destroyed their family and reputation.


    ¡¯In the end, my mother and I are both at fault for raising Erin like this. She turns from such a sweet little girl into a spoiled, bitchy monster that would stop at nothing until she gets what she wants,¡¯ Kate grieved in her heart.


    "So, what do you think, sis? Do you want to let me into your apartment, or do you want your mother to die of a heart attack?" Erin taunted. She made that exaggerated shocking face to taunt her even further, "Oh no, what would people say if Mrs. Hilda Ross, the old widow of that perverted priest died out of heart attack because her daughter abused her own poor little sister?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Maybe they will condemn her, saying that she deserves to die horribly because her ex-husband touched so many little girls for his evil desire," Erin chuckled. "Or maybe they will condemn you too, saying that you¡¯re evil, just like our father, hihi~."


    Erin noticed the heaviness in Kate¡¯s expression. Her taunt seemed to work because Kate had that expression as if she couldn¡¯t wait to kill her.


    Erin loved seeing that expression on Kate¡¯s face. It had become her habit to torment her sister so she could see that angry face. It was fun to see and even funnier to tease!


    "Meanwhile, me? People will see me as a pitiful beauty who got bullied by her sister and lost her mother. Ah, I¡¯m so sad, wuwuwu..." Erin faked her cries to the point that she actually had tears in the corner of her eyes. She looked so convincing, acting as a poor woman, even though she was the evilest bitch Kate ever saw in her life.


    Kate clenched her fist. She tried to regulate her breath as she got worked up and said, "Fine, you can come in, Erin."


    Erin stopped her fake crying act and followed Kate, who unlocked the door with a card and went in.


    Erin closed the door behind her as she entered the apartment. She followed her sister, who was silent the whole time.


    Erin wondered if she might have taunted her sister too far, which made her want to taunt her even more!


    "You know, Sis. I wish you¡¯re not a barren bitch sometimes," Erin said out of the blue. "I mean, it¡¯d be funny to see you getting pregnant and then hyperventilate because I torment you too much. You might be under too much stress and then... plop!"


    "You might get miscarriage because of stress and your fetus might just fall out of your vagina, hihihi!" Erin giggled as she found that image to be really funny. "I bet you will die of a heart attack because of that fetus. But oh well... you won¡¯t be able to do that since you¡¯re just a barren bitch, right?"


    Kate¡¯s body trembled as she actually began to imagine that situation. She was so angry that she almost lost it and lunged at Erin. Just the idea of losing her baby almost made her go crazy.


    Kate ignored her sister and continued walking until they were in the living room. She then halted her step and asked, with her back facing Erin, "What do you want from me, Erin?"


    "Oh~ I¡¯m glad that you finally know your place, sis. I know that you could be counted on whenever I¡¯m in a bad situation," Erin giggled. "Oh, what should I do without you, my dependable big sister."


    "Just say it, Erin. Stop trying to make me angry," Kate said curtly.


    "Gee, okay, so it¡¯s about Henry and Michael at work," Erin said. "I know that they are already in my grasp. They are crazy over me!"


    "Isn¡¯t that good?" Kate sneered. "You want the attention of all men around you, right?"


    "Yup, it¡¯s good. But then I realized that they¡¯re still prioritizing work over me," Erin rolled her eyes. "Can you imagine that? They have an absolutely beautiful girl waiting for them to fuck, but they choose work over me? Ugh!"


    "I know that you¡¯re the Chief Editor, so you naturally have a very strong position in the company, right? After all, you ran that company for months just to keep it afloat," Erin grinned as she finally mentioned her intention, "Sis, I want you to force them to give all their time for me, and if they refuse to do so, then you should threaten to resign so they will comply."

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130: Chapter 130"You... you want me to threaten to resign just because you don¡¯t get their attention all the time?"


    "Yup, don¡¯t worry about it, Sis. You are very important for that company, right? I bet Henry will stop you from leaving because you¡¯re the lifeline of the company as Chief Editor," Erin said.


    Kate was astonished by Erin¡¯s request. This had to be the most ridiculous request she ever had, and Kate had no intention of doing whatever Erin said.


    "And what if he decides to kick me out as a Chief Editor and hire someone else? Do you not realize that¡¯s my only work? Do you think it¡¯s so easy to find another job at my age?"


    "Oh come on, no need to be so dramatic," Erin huffed. "You are very smart and work very hard everyday to give me everything I want. It shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to get another job, right?"


    "Or, if you¡¯re that desperate for a job, then you should try to be a prostitute. Since you can¡¯t get pregnant, I bet you¡¯ll be in high demand in the red light district, hihi," Erin giggled. "I don¡¯t need your money anymore, by the way. I have a job now, and I will marry Henry Grant soon anyway, I will be so fucking rich! Whooo!"


    Erin noticed that Kate¡¯s body trembled all over. Now that she had done it, she made her angry to the boiling point.


    Erin guessed that Kate would say yes to every request that she had and then begrudgingly do everything.


    ¡¯Ah, it¡¯s so funny to see her struggling to contain herself like this,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯As expected, I¡¯m more suited to be the queen, while Kate deserves to be my slave. She¡¯s ugly and nobody wants her, while I am wanted by everyone around me!¡¯


    Erin took a step forward until she closed the gap between them. She stood right behind her tall sister and tiptoed to ensure that Kate would hear what she said.


    "So, sis, what do you think? Can you do it for me? Pretty please?" Erin asked.


    Kate clenched her fist so hard that her hand became white. She then asked, "If I say no to your request, will you call Mom and tell her that I beat you again?"


    "Oh yeah, I¡¯ll tell her that you beat me up until I¡¯m all blue and bruised, just because I ask for a bit of money so I can eat," Erin said. "It doesn¡¯t matter if I lie or not, since she will always believe me. I¡¯m her favorite daughter, remember?"


    "Then I will make sure you don¡¯t need to lie now."


    "Huh, what are you¡ª"


    Erin was too stunned when Kate suddenly turned around. She stared at Erin with eyes that could kill and then raised her hand before she swung it as hard as she could.


    PA!


    "¡ªAH!"


    Erin felt a stinging heat on her cheek, and she fell to the ground as she got dizzy. She could feel her ear ringing, and the right side of her face was in so much pain that she had never experienced before.


    Erin¡¯s gaze got blurry for a few seconds, and once she regained her vision, she saw her sister standing tall in front of her, looking down as if she was going to kill her now.


    For the first time in her life, Erin actually got scared of her sister, "Y¡ªYou just slapped me!" She yelled while holding her bruised cheek. "I will fucking tell Mom about this!"


    "You can try," Kate replied coldly. "Go and call her now, and see what will happen."


    Erin couldn¡¯t believe that her sister suddenly dared to slap her like this. Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone and quickly called their mother, "SHE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!"


    Kate didn¡¯t react as she waited for the call to connect, and once it did, she smirked.


    Erin didn¡¯t understand why her sister would smirk at this point. Shouldn¡¯t she get scared that their mother would die because of this? She had literal proof!


    ¡¯C¡ªCould it be that Kate has stopped caring for our Mom? What if she doesn¡¯t care if our Mom dies because of this?¡¯


    The idea scared Erin because she was so used to seeing Kate distressed over their mother¡¯s health.


    She realized she¡¯d lose control over Kate if that was true.


    ¡¯No, no way! There is no way that Kate doesn¡¯t care about our Mom anymore. She¡¯s supposed to be that stupid bitch who cares too much about other people!¡¯


    Once the call was connected, Erin quickly shouted in distress,


    ¡ª


    "Mom, she hits me! My own big sister hits me!"


    ...


    ...


    Erin was confused since there was no answer on the other side, "Mom?"


    "Good evening, this is Miranda. I am the caretaker of Mrs. Hilda Ross in the Nursing home."


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened, "N¡ªNursing home? How could it be¡ª"


    "She has been here for a few days," Miranda said. "And Mrs. Katherine Woods, your sister, already told me about the situation. Please refrain yourself from distressing your mother even more, her condition is not good and she needs a lot of rest."


    Erin stared at her sister in disbelief. She had a lot of questions in her mind, but judging from Kate¡¯s smirk, Erin had guessed that she must be the one who did all this.


    "W¡ªWait, I need to talk to my mother! She needs to know what Kate did to me!" Erin insisted. "She hits me! My sister hits me hard until I¡¯m bruised!"


    "She is already sleeping after drinking her medicine," the caretaker said. "You should also get some rest, Miss. Maybe drink your medicine as well, so you will have a clear head and stop making up stories." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You also don¡¯t need to call this phone anymore. This phone is in my hand until Mrs. Ross is in a good condition. She cannot be distracted with this kind of fake distress phone call that will only make her situation worse. Good day, Miss."


    "W¡ªWait¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131: Chapter 131[Warning: Violence.]


    [Song recommendation - Mia Rodriguez - Psycho.]


    Erin was astonished when Miranda, her mother¡¯s new caretaker, hung up the call without trying to understand Erin¡¯s situation.


    She didn¡¯t expect that things would turn like this. Now that she couldn¡¯t call her mother anymore, she felt exposed in front of her sister.


    "Are you done with your report to our mother?"


    Erin lifted her head immediately. She stared at her sister with fear as she didn¡¯t know what to do since she had been stripped of her only weapon.


    "W¡ªWhat did you do to Mom?" Erin asked.


    "I sent her to a nursing home," Kate scoffed. "Do you really think that I will let you step on me with that blackmail forever? I¡¯m not a helpless idiot, Erin."


    "After you forced me to get you another credit card, I realized that I have to do something to tackle this problem or else you will keep blackmailing me forever," Kate said. "So I began to prepare a nursing home for her with the help of a friend in our hometown, and I did everything without you knowing, so you won¡¯t make a scene."


    Erin was still trying to process the whole thing. This was definitely out of her calculation. She thought that she could do this for a long time, at least until the death of their mother, but by that time, Erin would¡¯ve been able to suck Kate¡¯s wallet dry, draining her out of her wealth and sanity.


    "B¡ªBut, that nurse doesn¡¯t give the phone to Mom! Be honest, sis, what did you do to our Mom?!" Erin yelled. "Why didn¡¯t the caretaker believe what I said? You literally beat me!"


    "That¡¯s because I told Miranda that you have schizophrenia. You often hallucinate and make up lies that harm others. Sometimes you can be so stubborn when I tell you to drink your medicine, that¡¯s why I told Miranda to ignore you in case you called," Kate replied. She raised her brow as she taunted Erin, "Do you think you¡¯re the only one who can lie?"


    Erin was scared, but she refused to back down.


    She knew that Kate always tried to show that strong woman image of her, but she was actually very fragile. Erin knew that Kate often cried alone in her room when they were young, and thus, Erin knew that her sister was also emotionally vulnerable, a trait that Erin had taken advantage of for years.


    "Y¡ªYou can¡¯t scare me like this, you ugly bitch! I can always go back to our hometown to find her and tell her everything that you did to me!" Erin felt a surge of power when she realized she wasn¡¯t completely hopeless. "You think you finally got me, sis? HA! Do you want me to return to our hometown and kill Mom with this news?"


    ...


    ...


    There was nothing but silence in the room, and Erin thought she had won. Kate must¡¯ve been shocked after she realized that her plan wasn¡¯t foolproof and Erin would always have the upper hand against her.


    "I¡ªIf you don¡¯t want her to die, then apologize and do as I say!" Erin yelled.


    Kate stared at her in silence for a while before her smirk grew even wider, much to Erin¡¯s surprise, "Can you tell me which nursing home it is?"


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened, "T¡ªThat¡ª"


    "Exactly, you keep spouting bullshit without thinking, Skank," Kate said. "You don¡¯t know where she is right now, how could you even reach her?"


    "I¡ªI will ask Aunt Mary!" Erin snapped back, mentioning Matt¡¯s mother because she was their mother¡¯s best friend.


    "You should call her now, but you should know one thing," Kate paused for a moment. She crouched in front of Erin and said, "Even Mary doesn¡¯t know where our mother is right now. I keep the place hidden, so roaches like you, Matt, or Mary wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her."


    Kate chuckled when she saw the fear in Erin¡¯s eyes. She wasn¡¯t a woman who liked hurting others, but she had to admit that looking at this nasty bitch who tormented her for so long finally showed some fears was like a cathartic experience that she had unknowingly craved for a while.


    She grabbed Erin¡¯s jaw and dug her nails into her cheek, "Aw¡ªOuch! S¡ªSis, it hurts so much! Your nails are digging into my skin!"


    Erin tried to struggle by pushing Kate¡¯s wrist away, but Kate was filled with so much repressed rage that she didn¡¯t even hold back at Erin, who was struggling pitifully.


    "Listen to me, you filthy bitch, I¡¯ve been enduring your torment for too long, and I¡¯ve had enough of it," Kate said in a low voice. "You¡¯re not the only one who can play with the devil. I can lie as much as you do, and I can do something even more malicious than this."


    "You have nothing to use against me anymore, take this as the last warning before I dump you into that red light district you talked about before," Kate said. "I bet you will be in high demand, Erina Ross."


    Erin was petrified by fear. She was so scared of her sister that she couldn¡¯t even move an inch.


    She began to cry and sobbed pitifully in front of her big sister, thinking that Kate¡¯s heart would soften as usual.


    But contrary to her expectation, Kate¡¯s gaze grew even colder. She stood up, "Leave now, this is my apartment, you¡¯re not welcomed here."


    "Wuwuwu..." Erin sobbed pitifully. "I will report what you did to the police then. You will be in jail for hurting me!"


    Kate scoffed, "Here, let me make it even worse than before."


    Kate raised her feet a little and then kicked Erin in the head with her stiletto. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "AH!" Erin screamed in pain when her other cheek was hurt by the kick. Kate truly spared her no pity. Erin held both sides of her bruised cheeks and said, "Y¡ªYou will pay for this in the police station! I will fucking report you!"

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132: Chapter 132"Go on," Kate said without fear in her eyes. "I will just tell them that you¡¯re trespassing. This is my apartment, understand?"


    "B¡ªBut you said I can stay here too!"


    "Not anymore," Kate grinned. "At best, I will just tell them that you are the one who attacked me first, that¡¯s why I¡¯m defending myself."


    "What in the¡ªYou¡¯re lying! You have no proof of that!" Erin yelled back, thinking that the cops would believe her because she had bruises on her cheeks.


    "Just like you, do you have proof that I am the one who did that to you?" Kate said, and Erin was stunned after realizing Kate was right. She also had no proof of what happened right now. "In fact, you¡¯ll always be the wrong one if we take this to the police. Because you¡¯re the one who trespassed into a private property."


    Erin gritted her teeth. She was angry with the fact that she couldn¡¯t do anything against her sister. She wasn¡¯t used to this feeling of defeat and wanted to get revenge on her sister.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m done with you. I will give you a minute to get up and leave," Kate said before she turned around. She ignored Erin completely and went to her bedroom to rest. Kate was certain that Erin wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything, at least for a good while until they could go with the plan to throw her into the frozen tundra.


    Erin could only admit defeat at this point. She got up and then walked out of the apartment with a stinging pain on her cheeks and also an awful headache due to a concussion after getting hit twice.


    She slammed the door shut as a sign that she was leaving.


    Erin was really upset with the idea that she had lost against her sister, ¡¯She¡¯s supposed to listen to everything I said! What makes her so brave now? Is it a man? Does she have a powerful man that will support her? That¡¯s impossible, she¡¯s so fucking ugly!¡¯ Erin cursed in her heart.


    Erin entered the elevator and went down. She stood in silence, thinking of a way to get her revenge on her sister, who dared to humiliate her like this.


    Erin¡¯s eyes were filled with fury whenever she remembered Kate, who slapped and kicked her ruthlessly.


    She was never humiliated in her life. She was always worshiped, adored, admired, and loved by everyone around her, and to think that her ugly sister was the first one to hurt her, Erin realized that she had to reclaim her throne as the queen!


    Erin scoffed while rubbing her cheeks, "It¡¯s fine, I still have my biggest weapon. I will tell Henry and Michael about this, I will make sure that they will pity me."


    "Just wait and see, sis. I¡¯ve turned those men into my slave, I can always tell them to do whatever I want," Erin said. "Including beating up an ugly bitch like you."


    **


    Kate sighed as she finished cooking her quick dinner and washed her hand before eating in front of the TV. She was still acting cool, but her body trembled as she tried to hold the excitement.


    "It¡¯s scary, but at the same time, it also feels good," Kate murmured. "For the first time in my life, I stood up on my own against Erin."


    Honestly, Kate regretted that she hadn¡¯t done this way earlier, probably when Erin was still a teenager and showed a sign of being a massive skank.


    She never got the idea of fighting back before.


    She thought it was her responsibility as the older one to support Erin no matter what because she was her only sister.


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t because of the baby in her belly, she would still do whatever Erin told her to do, simply because she had no reason to object. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate looked down at her belly and patted it gently.


    Of course, she still couldn¡¯t feel a thing since she was probably only a few weeks old.


    But she could feel the emotional connection between her and her child, "My baby, I¡¯m doing all this so you will be safe from the evils that surround us. I will protect you no matter what," Kate felt sentimental when she remembered how fragile a baby was. She didn¡¯t want to lose her baby due to a miscarriage because this baby was her treasure. Thus, she added, "So please, stay safe inside Mommy until the day you¡¯re born into this world. I will finally be a complete woman by then...."


    Kate remembered all the harsh words she got from everyone around her because she couldn¡¯t get pregnant.


    She was raised in a very conservative environment, where the women married very young, usually in their late teens to early twenties.


    Meanwhile, she got married at twenty-seven and couldn¡¯t get pregnant after a while.


    Everyone¡ªeven her mother¡ªalways talked about her in her hometown. They would usually accuse her of marrying too late. That¡¯s why she lost her fertility.


    Some said that Kate was unlucky, and others said that God did not bless her because of what her father did to the community.


    But in the end, they always agreed on one thing.


    -


    ¡¯She is not a complete woman. You can¡¯t be a true woman before you get pregnant and give birth to a healthy child.¡¯


    -


    It also didn¡¯t help that her husband didn¡¯t try to defend her.


    He¡¯d always silently agree with everything that his mother said, and Kate had to endure what Mary¡ªher mother-in-law said about her, from ¡¯stealing her son¡¯ to ¡¯manipulating him into marrying a woman with no use.¡¯


    Kate continued to rub her stomach. Her tears began falling as she knew she had become a completely different person after getting pregnant.


    She was far more ruthless and would do anything to protect her baby. It made her unsure if it was good or bad for her and the baby.


    "My baby, I truly have nothing but you in this world. I will never let anything or anyone harm you."

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133: Chapter 133Kate finished her dinner and returned to her bedroom. She washed herself before sitting on her bed, reading another manuscript that was submitted by one of the top authors this evening.


    She felt much more relaxed after hitting that spoiled skank in the face, so she could finally work in peace.


    But it wasn¡¯t for long because her phone rang just when she was about to get absorbed with the well-written manuscript.


    She checked her phone and rolled her eyes when she read the caller ID. Nevertheless, she picked up the call because she knew he must be worried about her.


    ¡ª


    "For the third time, I am fine, Henry. You should stop calling me. You¡¯ve called me at least three times after I left the office," Kate said before Henry could even say a thing on the phone. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry sighed, "You know I¡¯m worried about you, Kate. I don¡¯t know what will happen to you... and to our baby, since you¡¯re dealing with that wench."


    "We are doing just fine. I didn¡¯t tell you this before, but I found a way to stop Erin from doing whatever she wants, at least for a while until we throw her into her ice coffin," Kate said. "I sent my sickly mother to a good nursing home, with a competent caretaker. I realize that I have to hide my mother somewhere from Erin, and a nursing home is good since she also needs 24 hour care for her frail body."


    "Miranda, the caretaker, is the one who has my mother¡¯s phone, and I told her to ignore Erin¡¯s distress call completely because she has schizophrenia and often misses her medicine," Kate chuckled as she remembered that funny scene. "She¡¯s not the only one who can lie, after all."


    Henry was relieved that Kate was okay. He actually called thirty minutes after Kate left the office, an hour after that, and this was the third time he called.


    He wanted to follow Kate to her apartment just to make sure that everything was alright and to protect her if she needed assistance, but of course, Kate forbade him to do that because their plan would be ruined the moment Erin saw them together.


    Fortunately, it seemed that she had it all in control.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to go there? I can stay in your apartment for the night," Henry said. "Or you can stay here in our apartment, just to be safe."


    "Henry, we already did it in the office today," Kate said as she quickly caught Henry¡¯s hidden intention.


    "Darn it."


    Kate chuckled, "Well, I do need a bit of your help. But this is for tomorrow."


    "What is it? I¡¯m all ears."


    Kate put her iPad in the small drawer next to the bed. She rested her back on the bedpost, "You see, I slapped and kicked Erin in the face just now, and I think she will come to you tomorrow morning to report everything, saying that I hit her without reason and demanding you to punish me."


    Henry groaned in pain as he realized that Erin would definitely come to him tomorrow morning, "And what do you want me to do? You know that I won¡¯t punish you, right? I refuse to hurt you."


    "You just need to cater to her needs. Just try to pacify her, and act like you¡¯re angry at me," Kate instructed. "Remember, Henry, do not ruin our mission. I don¡¯t want you to give me the usual stare."


    "Huh? The usual stare?" Henry frowned. "What kind of usual stare did I give you?"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks blushed. She wanted to say that Henry usually stared at her as if she was his treasure. His eyes were deep, mysterious, and intimidating for many.


    He was like a viper that always had his eyes on his prey, and Kate wouldn¡¯t lie that she also sensed that the moment she reunited with Henry since the fateful night they had.


    But gradually, Henry began to feel less intimidating for her, and whenever he had his eyes on her, they would soften and whisper so many unspeakable love songs that wouldn¡¯t come out of Henry¡¯s lips.


    "J¡ªJust stop staring at me for too long when Erin is around us, you¡¯re too obvious!" Kate yelled. "Anyway, I¡¯m hanging up, I still have to read a manuscript. See you tomorrow."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry was left dumbfounded as Kate ended the call abruptly. He began to wonder what kind of stare he gave her every day.


    "I didn¡¯t stare at her like a pervert, right?" Henry began to worry. After all, he had to admit that his libido would rise whenever he stared at Kate. "What? Blame her for being too sexy!" Henry talked to himself as he got a little defensive.


    He got up and checked himself in the mirror. He had viper-like eyes, deep green like dark emerald, with deep eye sockets and thick brows.


    He could be seen as intimidating to many, though most women loved his eyes.


    But he didn¡¯t care about other women¡¯s opinions right now.


    He began making various kinds of stares in the mirror, checking if he accidentally made a perverted stare.


    But no matter how many expressions and stares he did, there seemed to be nothing wrong with him.


    "W¡ªWell, as long as she doesn¡¯t hate it, then it¡¯s fine I guess. Though I still don¡¯t know what kind of stares did I show whenever I¡¯m with her."


    **


    Matt was sitting on the same sofa he got when he married Kate five years ago, staring at the TV, playing his Playstation 5 that he recently bought with Kate¡¯s credit card.


    He had been doing the same thing for at least four years now.


    He woke up at noon and got his lunch with Ubereats or any food delivery.


    He took a bath if he felt like it, though it was usually a one-week thing for him these days.


    He then played games on his Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, computer, or phone.


    When he got tired of playing games, he would watch movies in the living room with the huge TV he bought with Kate¡¯s money.


    Well, he bought everything with Kate¡¯s money anyway.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134: Chapter 134He would continue this cycle until late at night, then he fell asleep comfortably after eating his midnight snack and woke up late the next morning.


    He was trying to find an acting gig until about a year ago. Then he gave up entirely, knowing he would never get a chance because he didn¡¯t have backing to support him.


    He had everything as an actor.


    He was handsome, charismatic, and had great acting.


    But he never got a big role because someone younger or with bigger backing would snatch the role first, giving him no way to prove himself.


    Matt scoffed as he pressed the buttons in the joystick harder, "Heh, I could be a great actor if not because of those nepo babies in the entertainment industry. They are taking all the good roles, leaving me only as forgettable supporting characters or an extra in one or two episodes."


    Matt was angry, of course.


    He deserved so much more. He came to Los Angeles with a dream, and now that he was already in his thirties, he realized that his dream had been crushed because of spoiled kids who took his roles.


    There had been a few criticisms about him by the directors, saying that his acting was unnatural and he had nothing but a pretty face.


    "As if I would listen to those freaks who gave me nothing but cheap roles," Matt murmured while his eyes were still on the TV. "They don¡¯t even give me a chance to prove myself as an actor, how could they tell that I¡¯m not good enough?"


    The more Matt thought about his failure as an actor, the angrier he got.


    He had been nagged by Kate many times that he had to find a job outside of his failed acting gig.


    But he knew that he was too good to work a normal job. He was handsome, and no handsome man would be flipping burgers or standing behind the register.


    He was fated to be a successful man with a lot of money and also plenty of side chicks, not some minimum-wage worker!


    Instead, he wanted to be an escort, a man who¡¯d ¡¯help¡¯ those rich and lonely old ladies.


    But his dick size was below average, so he had to bury that idea.


    "She¡¯s an idiot," Matt said. "Does she not realize how lucky she is to marry a handsome man like me? And now she wants me to work a regular job? Tsk, I really chose the wrong woman to marry."


    It also didn¡¯t help that Kate had abandoned her duty as a wife to serve her husband and always look pretty in front of him.


    She didn¡¯t even cook anymore, saying that she was too exhausted at work.


    "What¡¯s so exhausting about her job anyway? All she needs to do is to read books? Hell, even I can do that if I get her job," Matt sneered. "She¡¯s just lucky that she¡¯s a woman, so her boss would promote her as a Chief Editor."


    "I bet she used her pussy to get promoted anyway. Why would she get mad just because I slept with her sister? It¡¯s fair and square, right?" Matt mocked. He saw Kate¡¯s Boss once. His name was James Grant, and he was only a few years older than her.


    Matt had to admit that man was an absolute gentleman. He was tall and handsome, and his demeanor showed that he was definitely a man born and raised in an elite family.


    Which only proved Matt¡¯s theory;


    James Grant was probably an incompetent man who was appointed as a CEO because his parents were rich and had a connection, unlike Matt, who came from a small town and had to struggle all by himself just to find a decent acting gig that barely pays.


    "Good thing that man died, so Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to sell her pussy anymore," Matt chuckled as he knew that Kate was probably struggling with her new boss.


    After all, she was already thirty-two. She wasn¡¯t young and pretty anymore, so there was no way the new boss would want her as a side piece.


    "That¡¯s what you get for being a total hypocrite," Matt said. "You throw a childish tantrum just because I slept with your sister, but you don¡¯t want to admit that you slept with James Grant."


    Nevertheless, Matt could be angry all he wanted, but he couldn¡¯t divorce Kate.


    Because no matter how angry he was at her, he knew that Kate was the breadwinner in this relationship, and he hated that fact for a long time. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew that he would lose everything the moment Kate left this relationship. She would definitely kick him out of this house, stop him from using her credit card, and he¡¯d have nowhere to go.


    "Good thing we had that prenup," Matt sighed. He had her sign that prenup because he thought he¡¯d make a lot, and she was just a housewife.


    So he signed that prenup as goodwill towards her when they were still madly in love with each other.


    Who would¡¯ve expected that prenup to be his lifesaver?


    Matt thought that he¡¯d be able to live comfortably like this until Kate began to demand compensation for all the ¡¯hard work¡¯ she did for putting food on the table, even though it was actually her duty to prepare food in the first place.


    "She¡¯s a woman, and also my wife. She has the responsibility to keep me well fed and satisfied at home," Matt said while he kept playing his games. "I don¡¯t fucking care if she has to work twenty hours, or even working for more than twenty-four hours. She still had to do her wifely duty!"


    Matt laughed as he had just killed a female character in the game, "What¡¯s so hard about her work anyway? She was definitely fucking that James Grant in the office whenever she had that night shift."


    Matt tried to ignore the anger in his heart.


    But the more he tried to ignore it, the worse it got, to the point that he couldn¡¯t wait to slap Kate for cheating on him.


    Matt gritted his teeth and smashed his game controller to the floor until the parts were scattered around.


    "She¡¯s obviously the first one to cheat. Why does she have to get angry at me for doing the same?!"

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135: Chapter 135Matt still couldn¡¯t understand how Kate could blame everything on him, as if he was the one at fault even though she was the one who cheated first with James Grant.


    But whatever, Matt knew that he couldn¡¯t change Kate¡¯s mind, at least for now.


    "She is a stubborn woman. This is what will happen when a woman is allowed to work and earn their own money. Their heads will grow big and they think they¡¯re better than their own husbands!"


    Matt gritted his teeth.


    He was angry, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t do anything against Kate right now, because that woman had all the money to support herself without his help.


    In fact...


    Matt looked down and realized that he had destroyed his only Playstation 5 controller, which would cost him about seventy bucks to buy a new one.


    He sighed and opened Amazon to purchase a new one, of course, by using Kate¡¯s credit card.


    "Ugh, my life is ruined because of those directors and spoiled rich kids," Matt grumbled. "If only they give me a chance to prove myself that I¡¯m a great actor, I won¡¯t have to use Kate¡¯s credit card to pay for everything, and Kate would¡¯ve been a good housewife by now."


    "This is also because of her," Matt added his wife in his blame list.


    "If Kate understood my situation, she would still try to look beautiful in front of me. Why do I have to see an ugly hag everyday, just because she was too exhausted at work and had no more energy to doll up for me?" Matt complained. "She would still give me a smile every morning, and would definitely listen to everything I said like a good wife."


    "We might not have a child, because she¡¯s barren, but I can always borrow Erin¡¯s womb for that," Matt thought.


    Honestly, he already accepted the fact that Kate was barren, and they wouldn¡¯t have a child together. But the pressure from his mother, saying that Matt had wasted his life for a woman who couldn¡¯t give him a child was enough to push him to the edge.


    So he decided to make another woman pregnant, and that was by sleeping with Erin without a condom.


    They had done it at least a dozen times by now, but Erin was yet to get pregnant.


    "Could it be that both of them are barren? After all, they are blood sisters, it makes sense that maybe they¡¯re just born to be infertile," Matt sighed. "Well, that means I have to find another woman to give birth to my baby. So my mother will be satisfied."


    Matt looked down on himself and realized that he had been a lazy couch potato for a while. His stomach was bulging. He was fat, hadn¡¯t shaved for a while, and smelled awful.


    Though it shouldn¡¯t matter much.


    "I will just use Kate¡¯s credit card to pay for anything related to the new woman I will date. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of young and beautiful women out there who wouldn¡¯t care about my appearance as long as I have money," Matt murmured.


    He had no guilt of using Kate¡¯s money for another woman.


    After all, it was compensation because Kate was unable to get pregnant, so she had to support his new girlfriend, that would replace Kate to do her wifely duty to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy young baby. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt was busy with his plan until he heard someone unlock the door. He turned around, and his eyes widened when he saw Erin enter the apartment with bruises on both sides of her cheeks. She grimaced in pain as she entered the kitchen and walked into the living room to sit beside Matt on the sofa with a big bowl of ice in her hand.


    She winced as she tried to compress her bruises with ice, "Aw, aw, wuwuwuwu... it hurts...."


    Matt was too stunned to speak. He stared at Erin until curiosity got him, "What happened to you? Who dares to hurt you like this?"


    Matt didn¡¯t have a romantic feelings for Erin.


    To him, Erin was just a bitch he fucked so he¡¯d get a baby. She was the perfect candidate since Kate and Erin were sisters, so he¡¯d get a baby similar to Kate and himself.


    But of course, Matt still had some goodwill towards her. After all, Erin was the reason why he could still use Kate¡¯s credit card after she blocked it before, thanks to Erin¡¯s little blackmail that always worked on Kate.


    Erin gave Matt a side eye and scoffed, "It¡¯s your wife. She slapped and kicked me just because I lost my only weapon against her."


    "Your only weapon? You have a weapon to fight her? You shouldn¡¯t hurt Kate like that. She¡¯s our only moneymaker right now, what if she got hurt and stopped working?"


    Erin was already pissed at Matt for being slow.


    She idolized Matt when she was young because Matt was the most handsome man in their hometown. But as she moved into Los Angeles, she realized that Matt was just a regular man compared to the others.


    In fact, she still didn¡¯t understand why Matt insisted on wanting to be an actor. He wasn¡¯t even that handsome, to begin with.


    He could stand side by side with Henry Grant, and people wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye at him because Henry was definitely the eye candy that would steal everyone¡¯s attention.


    It didn¡¯t help that he had gotten uglier and fatter, making his already small dick even smaller, so it was almost impossible for Erin to get pleasure from Matt¡¯s micropenis.


    "You dimwit! My weapon is our sickly mother!" Erin yelled. "That¡¯s the only way for me to blackmail her, so she will give us a new credit card!"


    "Ah¡ª" It took Matt a while to connect. He then asked, "What happened then? What do you mean losing your only weapon? Did Hilda... you know... passed away?"


    "At this point, it doesn¡¯t matter if she dies anyway," Erin rolled her eyes. "Kate put her in a nursing home."

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136: Chapter 136"Nursing home?"


    "Yes, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t contact my mother right now. Kate told the caretaker to have the phone, so my mother won¡¯t get any bad news since she¡¯s still recovering."


    "The caretaker also refused to give the phone back to my mother, because Kate lied to her that I have a history of mental illness and often forget to take my medication," Erin gritted her teeth but then stopped after realizing that gritting her teeth only amplified the pain on her cheeks. "Since I can¡¯t threaten Kate to call our mother anymore, she dared to attack me, slapping and kicking me in the face. What a horrible woman."


    "I never knew that she could be that crazy," Matt murmured. "After all, you¡¯ve never harmed her, right?"


    "Yes, I never harmed her," Erin rolled her eyes. "All I did was just request her to do what I want. It¡¯s harmless, and it¡¯s her duty as a big sister to help me."


    Matt nodded in agreement.


    Kate always helped Erin no matter how small the task was, and she never complained. How could Kate change just because she caught them making out on the sofa?


    Did she need to be so vengeful toward them?


    Erin grew displeased as she realized that Matt was so slow. He should suggest something to her or at least try to do something to get revenge against Kate.


    But this dimwit did nothing!


    ¡¯Why is he so useless?¡¯ Erin wondered. She used to be so fond of Matt that she couldn¡¯t wait to snatch him from her sister and fuck him in front of her.


    But after she did what she wanted, Matt became less appealing. ¡¯Maybe because I¡¯ve been exposed to an ultra powerful, rich, handsome, competent man with a big dick like Henry and Michael, so a man like Matt looks like trash compared to them.¡¯


    "Why are you staring at me like an idiot? Go call your Mom! They are best friends, remember?" Erin groaned. "God, why do I have to do everything all by myself here!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt gulped nervously. He grabbed his phone and called his mother to confirm because he understood the urgency.


    Since Erin had lost the only way to blackmail Kate, they would also lose their only source of income. There was no guarantee that Kate wouldn¡¯t block the credit card.


    And if she did, then Matt would lose all of his money because Kate was his money machine.


    The phone rang for a while until his mother¡ªMary, picked up the call.


    ¡ª


    "What¡¯s wrong, Matt? Why did you call so suddenly?" Mary asked. She was surprised by the sudden call because Matt rarely took the initiative to call her first. Usually, she called him first to check on him and ensure that the barren woman didn¡¯t become a complete deadweight for her beloved son.


    "Mom, do you know what happened to Hilda?" Matt asked. "Kate said that she sent her to a nursing home."


    "Oh, yeah, she did," Mary recalled. "Hilda is in a terrible condition these days. She went back and forth to the hospital, and I have to call the ambulance often."


    "W¡ªWhy don¡¯t you stop Hilda from leaving, Mom?" Matt asked. He glanced at Erin, who gave him a deathly stare for no reason.


    "Because I got tired taking care of her," Mary sighed. "I may be her best friend, but I have my own life. I don¡¯t want to have to visit her every day just to make sure that she doesn¡¯t die in her sleep. She¡¯s better with someone who can take care of her every day."


    Matt gulped.


    His mother¡¯s reason was logical. Nobody wanted to take care of a sickly woman. Mary and Hilda might¡¯ve been best friends for decades, but she had her own life. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time on Hilda.


    "Do you know where that nursing home is?" Matt asked more, knowing it would help them.


    "No, I don¡¯t know and don¡¯t plan to ask," Mary chuckled. "I don¡¯t want to visit Hilda. I got tired of seeing her sickly, pale face for years."


    "Anyway, enough of her. I want to know when you will send me money, Matt," Mary said.


    "Mom, I already sent you three thousand dollars a week ago. It should be enough for you to live comfortably for a month, especially when you live in a small town," Matt said.


    Matt usually sent about three to five thousand dollars each month to his mother since she was a retiree.


    But her spending seemed to have increased as she got comfortable with her new boyfriend.


    "Oh come on, Matt. You know that my new man needs a lot of care," Mary chuckled. "He¡¯s young, and he needs a bit of maintenance, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been spending my money on him."


    "Mom, he¡¯s a deadweight. He doesn¡¯t even have a job," Matt warned, but his mother didn¡¯t care. He also knew that the man was only in it for her money since they had a thirty years age difference.


    His Mom¡¯s boyfriend was even younger than him!


    "He will find a job. He said he¡¯ll try to be a singer. I bet he will make it big just like you," Mary assured. Matt had fed her a lie for years that he had made it in Hollywood, though not as an actor, but as a director behind the screen. That¡¯s why she would never see his face in any movie.


    But he earned big bucks and frequently sent his mother money and lavish gifts as proof of his success.


    Of course, it was all lies.


    Matt always used Kate¡¯s money for everything, including pampering his mother.


    Meanwhile, he told his mother that Kate was a useless housewife who couldn¡¯t find a job or get pregnant and spent her days watching TV shows. Thus, Mary hated Kate for being a useless, incomplete woman who leeched on her son¡¯s success.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m hanging up now. Don¡¯t forget to send me money as soon as possible, love you, son!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137: Chapter 137Matt was dumbfounded after realizing that he was fucked.


    He had lied to his mother for so long, telling her that he had successfully become a director and had been raking in cash, even though the truth was far more pathetic.


    He had failed to be an actor and was now too old and unfit to become a fresh actor in Hollywood. He also couldn¡¯t hold a candle against so many fresh young faces with backing, ready to snatch any role he could land.


    And thus, he had been using Kate¡¯s money to pamper her mother, hiding the truth from her.


    "Haha, what a useless piece of shit," Erin rolled her eyes. "You seriously have no use, Matt. What are you going to do now? You know that Kate would definitely block our credit cards, right?"


    Erin sneered, "You¡¯re unemployed, and I doubt that you¡¯ll find any job anytime soon. So what are you going to do now?"


    Matt gulped.


    He had no weapon against Kate. In fact, he had been relying on Erin using the blackmail method to pressure Kate so they would do whatever they wanted her to do.


    "I¡ªI will try to find Kate and tell her to stop this tantrum. Of course, she won¡¯t be cruel enough to let me starve, right?" Matt said,


    Erin couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted by this pathetic bastard. She couldn¡¯t even understand herself.


    ¡¯Why did I let him fuck me before? He¡¯s too fucking pathetic!¡¯ Erin cursed. ¡¯Ugh, I can¡¯t wait to have my threesome with Henry and Michael. That would definitely erase all of his traces inside me! I deserve to be with a better man, a man who is powerful, rich, and handsome like Henry or Michael!¡¯


    Thus, Erin clicked her tongue and said, "Don¡¯t you see the bruises on my face? Kate is cruel enough to hurt her own harmless little sister who does no wrong. Do you think she will spare you instead?"


    "But you know that she won¡¯t be able to divorce me, right?" Matt insisted. "After all, she will have to split all of her assets with me fifty-fifty if she decides to separate!"


    "Well, she can always let you starve in here," Erin rolled her eyes. "Geez, you should be smarter like me. Do you think that Kate will be kind enough to you? She might just let you starve and die here, and you won¡¯t be able to claim any of her assets if you died, right?"


    Matt gulped nervously. He nodded helplessly, knowing that Erin was right, "T¡ªThen, what should I do, Erin? You know her the best, since you¡¯re her sister. Go try to persuade her to go back, or she can just find any men she likes. It doesn¡¯t matter to me as long as she will still give us money."


    Erin sighed, "Alright, I will find a way to help us both. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose our only cash cow."


    Matt was relieved because Erin seemed to be willing to help him. He was completely helpless right now, and he felt pathetic for it.


    He had been reduced from a prideful man to a pathetic, failed man who couldn¡¯t earn any money.


    Well, of course, he would have earned money by working a regular job.


    But why would he work a regular job when his wife¡ªwho was supposed to be lower than him¡ªhad a high-paying, prestigious job as a Chief Editor?


    He¡¯d feel even more degraded and didn¡¯t want a handsome burger flipper.


    "Thank you, Erin. I know that you always have your sister in check. You¡¯re a lifesaver," Matt said.


    Erin scoffed. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She looked down at Matt as she realized she had no use in keeping this kind of useless bastard.


    ¡¯Do you really think that I will save you? Hah! I will save myself instead!¡¯ Erin sneered in her heart. ¡¯I will definitely marry a handsome, rich man like Henry Grant, and live a life of the rich. I will use his money and power to become an influencer! I will be the next Kardashian!¡¯


    ¡¯And you? Well, you can stay with my sister. Though I doubt that she will take you back,¡¯ Erin couldn¡¯t help but grin as she imagined Matt dying alone in this apartment out of hunger. ¡¯Besides, once I married Henry, I would definitely fire my sister. It would be the best revenge, so you pair of husband and wife can die poor, while I will be the most popular influencer plus celebrity, complete with a handsome and rich husband and beautiful children.¡¯


    ¡¯Hihi, I know I¡¯m very smart.¡¯


    Erin imagined her life as Henry Grant¡¯s wife, living in a mansion, surrounded by maids who would do anything that she told them to do. She had investigated¡ªwell, used Google search to find Henry¡¯s family.


    There wasn¡¯t much information about himself, but his family was well-known as an old-money family since the 1800s. So Henry was guaranteed to be one of those men who was born as an elite.


    ¡¯Ah, Erina Grant, that¡¯s a good name to have,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Well, if he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, then I can always ask him to find me one of his friends. I bet he has plenty of young, rich, and handsome men who will be queueing just to spend a night with me.¡¯


    "Well, I¡¯m going to my bedroom to take a bath and rest. I have to keep compressing these bruises," Erin got up and went to her bedroom.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t really her bedroom.


    It was Kate and Matt¡¯s previous master bedroom. But since Kate left the apartment after catching Matt and Erin making out on the sofa, Matt had become a bit distraught and uncomfortable staying in the empty master bedroom, so Erin took the place for herself whenever she planned to sleep in this apartment, after all, this apartment was hers now, right?


    Fortunately, Kate didn¡¯t take everything in her closet when she left.


    So Erin could get some of Kate¡¯s expensive evening dresses and even a few pieces of jewelry she left.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138: Chapter 138Erin sat on the bed and chuckled as she took the box of jewelry she hid under the bed, making sure that pathetic man outside wouldn¡¯t find it and sell it for some extra cash later.


    Erin grabbed a handful of jewelry from the box and chuckled, "Hihi, I will shock her tomorrow with these. I bet she¡¯ll be mad and embarrass herself in front of Henry!"


    **


    Kate got up early in the morning. She had a good rest last night and couldn¡¯t wait to start another day at work.


    She hadn¡¯t felt like this for a long time, so she was definitely enjoying this feeling.


    Kate was relieved because she didn¡¯t see Erin standing in front of her apartment door as usual. It seemed that Erin understood her situation after a slap and a kick in the face.


    Thus, Kate went to the office and was greeted first by Mai, who met her by accident as she entered the main lobby.


    "Mrs. Woods, why are you so early today?" Mai asked. "It¡¯s only eight in the morning."


    Usually, the Chief Editor would come at nine or ten. It didn¡¯t matter anyway since all she had to do was read the manuscripts her subordinates had filtered and discuss them with the authors.


    Sometimes she had to do a meeting with the authors or accompany the CEO to sign a deal with a third party who wanted to adapt some of their best-selling novels.


    Kate had much more to do when the company struggled back then and when Mr. James Grant suddenly died.


    But after Henry took the role as CEO, he quickly lightened all the burdens that Kate carried. He ensured that the company was in a stable condition, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything other than doing her intended job as a Chief Editor.


    "I¡¯m feeling energized today, Mai. That¡¯s why I came to the office earlier," Kate smiled. "How¡¯s your work with Mr. Eckermann? Did you finish all the documents with him?"


    "Ehh... kind of," Mai shrugged. "I have to admit that he is a competent co-manager, so we can finish it before we clock out yesterday."


    "Competent, huh?" Kate raised her brow. She had begun to care about Mai a lot these days. Since Mai always supported her and wanted the best for her, Kate naturally wanted the same for Mai. "What do you think about him? He isn¡¯t so bad, right?"


    "He¡¯s not bad at all," Mai said. "But he¡¯s just uh... very awkward. I don¡¯t feel comfortable talking with him."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "Did he do something to you?"


    "N¡ªNo, not at all, Ma¡¯am," Mai clarified. "He didn¡¯t do anything to me. But it¡¯s hard for me to get close to any man in general because of... something."


    Kate could sense the heaviness in Mai¡¯s voice as she mentioned it.


    Kate sensed that Mai must¡¯ve had a story about this but decided not to ask because she knew it was a sensitive topic.


    ¡¯I would ask her later if she¡¯s ready about it,¡¯ Kate thought.


    Thus, they walked side by side in silence until they stopped when they were about to reach the Chief Editor¡¯s office door.


    They saw Erin standing in front of the CEO¡¯s office, wearing her usual slutty outfit, a very tight white shirt without wearing a bra, so her nipples were literally free for everyone to see.


    She was also wearing a tight red skirt that barely covered her butt, and Kate was 100% sure Erin didn¡¯t wear anything else down there.


    But that wasn¡¯t the surprising part.


    It was her face.


    She still had the bruises that Kate had inflicted last night, and she was currently wearing Kate¡¯s jewelry that she had left in her previous apartment with Matt.


    She left those jewelry on purpose, though. Those were actually her wedding gifts. It was a collection of her mother¡¯s and Matt¡¯s mother¡¯s old jewelry.


    But she didn¡¯t wear them because they were so old-fashioned, with super big gemstones and pearl, and also an old gold accent. It might look good if used by a woman from the 1950s, but for a working woman in the middle of Los Angeles, it actually looked ridiculous.


    And Erin indeed looked ridiculous right now, with a big emerald necklace, gold earrings, and stacks of bangles on her wrists.


    It also didn¡¯t help that she intentionally tried to show off all that flashy stuff to them, as if Kate and Mai would be envious of her right now.


    "Morning, Sis. I didn¡¯t know that you still have the face to show up in here after you beat me up last night," Erin greeted sarcastically. She raised her chin while looking down at Mai and Kate.


    Kate smiled at her sister and said, "Beating you? Oh no, why would I beat my own sister? Maybe that¡¯s just your imagination, Erin."


    Erin gritted her teeth.


    Her bitch sister was right.


    Erin had no proof of the assault that Kate did on her, so all she could do right now was to swallow her words and wait for Mr. Grant to come to the office, and then... things would be flipped, and she would be victorious!


    Mai laughed when she saw Erin¡¯s appearance, "You have that ¡¯Skank straight out of shady motel¡¯ look in you. The only thing that¡¯s missing is a needle in your arm."


    "Shut up, chink! You know that I¡¯m still more beautiful than you even with my swollen face!" Erin snapped.


    "It¡¯s not good to call someone with that slur, Miss Ross," Henry said as he interrupted the catfight between the ladies.


    His body naturally walked towards Kate out of instinct, but Kate glared at him and glanced at Erin, telling him to go by Erin¡¯s side, much to his grievance.


    Thus, Henry walked towards Erin and stood by her side. He gently pinched Erin¡¯s chin and checked on her swollen face. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wanted to laugh at her because she looked absolutely ridiculous, especially with whatever tacky jewelry she wore today. But he still had to play along.


    "What¡¯s wrong with your face? What happened, Miss Ross?"

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139: Chapter 139"What¡¯s wrong with your face? What happened, Miss Ross?" Henry asked with gentleness in his voice.


    His deep yet soothing voice was like a rain blessing Erin¡¯s dry heart. She felt so relieved and wanted to seek his protection since she got beaten by her sister last night.


    Thus, Erin tried her best to squeeze her tears and then pointed at her sister, "It¡¯s her, Mr. Grant. She assaulted me last night! She slapped me so hard, and then kicked me until I became like this!"


    Everyone was surprised by her statement, and Kate was no exception.


    She was surprised because she thought Erin would report everything when she was alone with Henry, but Kate had overestimated Erin this time.


    Of course, that bimbo wouldn¡¯t even wait a minute to report everything to her white knight in shining armor.


    Henry glanced at Kate, who was also caught off guard. They seemed to have the same idea in mind, so he improvised, "Really? Mrs. Woods did this to you?"


    Erin nodded like a little girl. She then hugged Henry shamelessly in front of Mai and Kate.


    Henry flinched, he was about to push her away, but Kate¡¯s glare stopped him from doing so.


    Thus, he begrudgingly allowed this skunk to hug him, "Did you have a fight with Mrs. Woods? I don¡¯t think Mrs. Woods is the type who would hurt others terribly unless she¡¯s provoked."


    Erin looked up and squeezed even more tears to make herself believable, "Mr. Grant, do you think that I¡¯m the type who would make trouble for others?"


    ¡¯Yes,¡¯ Henry replied in his heart. But what came out of his mouth was, "Then what¡¯s the cause of all this?" sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin glared at Kate and said, "My big sister has always been a bully, she¡¯s a mean girl. I just told her last night that our mother sent these jewelries I wear today as a gift for me, but she actually got jealous and started assaulting me because I refuse to give the precious jewelries to her!"


    Mai sneered. She was about to argue with Erin but stopped when Mrs. Woods gave her a side-eye. It seemed that she was serious about not letting anything ruin her mission.


    "I mean, I know the jewelries are very beautiful. But why would you hurt your own innocent little sister because of this?" Erin said. She tried to make doe eyes so Henry would pity her even more, "These are gifts from my mother, of course I will wear it! I love and appreciate my mother very much, unlike Kate!"


    "W¡ªWell, those gemstones and old gold accent suit you very much, Miss Ross. It makes you look... very vintage," Henry said. "You belong in a museum, Miss Ross."


    "Really? Oh, Mr. Grant, I know I look very classy," Erin giggled as she didn¡¯t catch the mockery in Henry¡¯s sentence just now.


    Henry cleared his throat as he tried to stop himself from laughing his ass off.


    He turned his head towards Kate and said, "I didn¡¯t know that you can be very malicious towards your sister, Mrs. Woods. You disappoint me."


    Kate¡¯s heart skipped for a second.


    Though she knew it was all just play pretend, she had to admit this made her uncomfortable. She disliked getting scrutinized by Henry and hated it even more when she saw Erin hug her man like that.


    After all, she had already told this many times to Henry that she was a clingy woman who wanted the attention of the man she loved all for herself.


    "This is none of your problem, Mr. Grant. It¡¯s a family problem between Erin and I," Kate said.


    "Oh yeah, then it¡¯s my problem now," Henry said. He suddenly wrapped his arm around Erin¡¯s hips and claimed, "Miss Ross is an important woman for me, of course I have to protect her from any harm!"


    Kate gritted her teeth. She actually got angry at Henry, who dared to wrap his arm around Erin¡¯s hips. She had already told him that he didn¡¯t need to go overboard with the touch because all he needed to do was convince Erin that he was in love with her with his sweet words and good luck. There was no need for touching.


    Henry realized that he had gone a little overboard. He gulped nervously when Kate gave him a death stare and quickly released his arm around Erin¡¯s hips.


    But that didn¡¯t stop Erin from feeling things.


    She swooned and began to create her own story in her head, thinking that Henry would marry her soon because he boldly claimed her in front of Kate and Mai.


    "I see, so Miss Ross is very important to you, huh?" Kate sneered.


    "No, I¡ªuhh¡ªThat¡ª" Henry stuttered for a moment. He was like a husband who got caught cheating even though it was all for the sake of their mission.


    "No need to explain, Mr. Grant. Now I know that you¡¯re into her," Kate said. She said those words calmly, but it was like a dagger that pierced straight into his heart.


    Erin was so proud of herself because she was able to hook a perfect man like Henry, "Of course he¡¯s into me, Sis. Do you really think that a man like Mr. Grant would be with someone like you?"


    Erin looked at Henry again and said, "Mr. Grant, do you know how heinous my sister can be? Our mother has a history of a weak heart. She is prone to small heart attacks, and my sister actually dares to provoke her many times with fabricated lies just because she likes to torment me!"


    "Kate knows that I love my mother so much, that¡¯s why she taunts me with our mother¡¯s health just to make herself happy!" Erin slandered Kate in front of Henry, knowing Mr. Grant was already on her side. She believed Henry would eat up anything she said, whether truth or lies. "She¡¯s a horrible woman, Mr. Grant! Please consider firing her, or at least punish her for assaulting me!"

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140: Chapter 140Henry silently clenched his fist. He got angry at Erin, who dared to inflict so much emotional trauma on Kate, who was so kind to her.


    Erin was the one who put Kate under so much pressure with so many unreasonable demands, and when Kate didn¡¯t comply with what she wanted, this bitch would send a threat by calling their mother, telling her lies that would give her a small heart attack and forced Kate to do whatever she wanted or else their mother would die.


    And now, she dared to slander Kate, switching the role between them and accusing Kate of doing all the shitty things Erin did to their mother. She even dared to squeeze some of her tears to make it believable, even though Henry knew she must be laughing evilly inside her heart right now.


    This skank was beyond shameless. Erin was so vile that she actually made Henry eager instead of feeling guilty to send her to the ice coffin he had prepared in the middle of the frozen tundra.


    Henry expected Kate to get agitated because of the slander.


    But Kate was calm.


    There was no trace of anger on her face. It wasn¡¯t even at the same level of anger that she showed when Henry hugged Erin to make things believable.


    Kate wasn¡¯t surprised by Erin¡¯s slander as well, as if she had already expected Erin to do this, and that only piled the anger in Henry¡¯s heart even more. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Kate must¡¯ve gotten used to Erin¡¯s bullshit, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t react with that kind of crazy accusation,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯She went through so much because of this bitch, so I will make sure to eliminate her, so nobody will harm my woman and our baby.¡¯


    Henry didn¡¯t know what had gotten into his head because he brazenly claimed Kate as his.


    But right now, he wanted nothing but to embrace Kate, telling her he would protect her from harm and ensure she was safe and secure.


    ¡¯But this bitch is still latching on me,¡¯ Henry thought, trying his best to hide his malicious intention towards Erin. ¡¯I don¡¯t understand how Kate could tolerate her for so long.¡¯


    "I see," Henry nodded. His voice was grim, and that made Erin excited, thinking that Henry was convinced about all the ¡¯evil things¡¯ that Kate did to her. "I will talk with Mrs. Woods privately in my office then. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ross. I don¡¯t tolerate a woman who plays with someone¡¯s life for fun, especially when it¡¯s her own mother," Henry said while staring at Erin.


    "T¡ªThank you, Mr. Grant, I know that you¡¯re a good man and I can always trust you to protect me and punish people who want to hurt me!" Erin said.


    Henry then pushed Erin away as he couldn¡¯t endure one more second of embracing a filthy witch. He stared at Kate and said, "Come to my office, Mrs. Woods. I want to have a talk with you about what you did."


    "... Understood, Sir," Kate agreed.


    Henry walked into his office first.


    Erin wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes while smirking at Kate. She waited until Kate walked towards the door before saying in a low voice, so Henry wouldn¡¯t hear her, "You should¡¯ve apologized and kissed my feet last night, look what you made me do. You¡¯ll lose your job soon, good luck finding a new job outside, you ugly bitch."


    Kate scoffed and decided to ignore Erin completely. She knew it wasn¡¯t worth it to fight with Erin right now. It was better to let her think she always got the advantage over Kate, just to get ditched in the frozen tundra later.


    Kate walked into the CEO¡¯s office. She saw Henry standing in the middle of the room with his arm crossed over his chest. His expression was grim as if he was holding a lot of rage in his heart.


    His eyes were deep and intimidating, but Kate knew those eyes weren¡¯t intended for her.


    Because the moment Kate closed the door and locked it, Henry¡¯s gaze subtly softened. Again, he showed the same gentle gaze special only for Kate.


    The gaze made Kate anxious because she was afraid Erin might¡¯ve noticed it when Henry became too obvious.


    Henry walked towards Kate and pulled her into his embrace.


    He wrapped her tight until Kate could not break free from his tight hug, even if she struggled a bit, "Let me embrace you, Kitty. This is my only way to calm myself down. I¡¯m holding my rage against that bitch right now."


    Thus, Kate stopped struggling.


    She sighed and wrapped her arms around his wide back, "I thought you¡¯d already gotten used to her being a waste of oxygen."


    "I know, but I still can¡¯t get used to her," Henry whispered. "Michael is absent today and for at least a week. He¡¯s currently flying to Canada and then to Greenland to make sure that Erin¡¯s first international trip is perfect."


    "That¡¯s good, thank you, Henry," Kate said.


    "It¡¯s not good. I¡¯m not good enough," Henry refuted. "I tried to make it faster, I want to ditch her this week. But there are plenty of things to prepare before we throw her away."


    "You already did great, Henry," Kate patted his back. "I should praise you for enduring this for too long. And I should probably praise you for being very believable. I couldn¡¯t believe that you dared to hug her like that."


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened.


    "You know that¡¯s just pretending, right?"


    "Yeah, you¡¯re so good at it. Have you ever thought of becoming an actor? You have the face and the skill, by the way," Kate sneered as her jealousy began to seep out.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t lie that he was nervous whenever Kate got angry at him. But simultaneously, he also had this indescribable itch in his heart because of her jealousy.


    Thus, Henry gently released his hug and leaned to kiss Kate on her lips. His gaze was gentle as always, and he said, "Are you jealous, Kitty? Do you know how cute you are when you get jealous?"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, "S¡ªShut up! Your sweet words won¡¯t work on me!"


    Henry chuckled as he got amused by Kate¡¯s shyness.


    ¡¯I was right. She¡¯s not supposed to live a difficult life, surrounded by someone like Erin and Matt around her. She¡¯s supposed to be pampered,¡¯ Henry thought. He grinned as he kept staring at Kate, who was still shy. ¡¯Just look at her being all shy because I told her that she looks cute.¡¯


    Henry realized that he was too fond of Kate to hurt her. That¡¯s why he had been trying to find a way for his mission to go into motion once more without using Kate as the sacrificing lamb.


    But for now, he had to kick Erin out of Kate¡¯s life as soon as possible, so Kate and their baby would be safe.


    "Kitty, I don¡¯t want you to deal with that bitch every day in the office. We have one week before we ditch her into her ice coffin. So how about you take one week off?" Henry suggested. "I¡¯ll tell Erin that you¡¯re on a temporary layoff. So you can get away from Erin for a week, and this convince Erin that I¡¯m madly in love with her."

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141: Chapter 141[Song Recommendation: King Mala - Cult Leader.]


    "Mad enough to ditch a brilliant woman like you, just for a skank like her, of course, hahaha!" Henry couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The notion was ridiculous, but he knew Erin would be 100% convinced that Henry was crazy for her.


    After all, that woman was so delusional and stupid. She really thought that all men would fall on their knees for her.


    She wasn¡¯t even beautiful, and based on Michael¡¯s investigation, all of the men that slept with Erin were failed men.


    They were the same type as Matt.


    Either a deadbeat, or a bastard, or both.


    Henry thought that Kate would agree to his suggestion immediately. After all, she needed the one-week vacation away from that bitch.


    But Kate didn¡¯t even smile.


    She frowned and asked, "So you can cheat on me with Erin?"


    "Huh?" Henry¡¯s eyes widened. He got a little annoyed, as if Kate had offended him badly. "Cheat on you? With that skank? Are you serious?"


    "W¡ªWell, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just a little worried...." Kate muttered. She knew that she was being unreasonable here.


    But she couldn¡¯t shake off this uneasiness in her heart. She believed in Matt for five years, working herself to the bone to ensure they lived decently in Los Angeles.


    But he still cheated on her even though she gave him everything he needed.


    -


    ¡¯Why do you think that I will cheat on you? You know that I¡¯m not that type of man, right? I¡¯m a good man that takes my marriage vows seriously!¡¯ Matt claimed back then when Kate got a little worried about him cheating behind her back while she was so busy working.


    He got so defensive and started gaslighting Kate even more, saying that Kate should be glad that Matt was a loyal man despite not earning money.


    ¡¯And you should be thankful that I didn¡¯t demand more from you. All you need to do is to hand over your salary, this is compensation, since you can¡¯t even give me a child!¡¯


    ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, as long as you bring me enough money, you will be the only woman in my heart.¡¯


    -


    Unfortunately, Kate didn¡¯t have the same right over Henry.


    Henry was a powerful man himself. He needed nothing from her. So she just thought it¡¯d be easier for him to cheat than Matt.


    ¡¯This is why I don¡¯t want to fall into another man¡¯s embrace. I get so clingy and suspicious...¡¯ Kate regretted it.


    "Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I was being unreasonable just now," Kate said. "I will take your suggestion, but I don¡¯t want to take a complete vacation. I¡¯ll keep working remotely, contacting the authors I need to work with and reading manuscripts as always."


    "That¡¯s good, but don¡¯t overwork yourself, Kitty," Henry said. He gently caressed her belly and said, "I don¡¯t want our baby to get hurt because you¡¯re stressed out. Don¡¯t forget to eat healthy, and don¡¯t stress about gaining weight, okay?"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, "S¡ªStop caressing my belly!"


    Henry chuckled, "Alright, alright, then how about we make a bit of a noise. I bet that skank is eavesdropping, waiting for something to happen."


    Kate chuckled. She sat on the sofa and crossed her legs, "Sure, go slam the desk, kick the chair and even punch the door. Erin likes that kind of exaggeration." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then, I can finally release some of my pent up anger I¡¯ve been holding for a while because of her," Henry said.


    Thus, Kate picked a magazine on the table and read it as Henry began to kick, punch, and slam the furniture around the CEO¡¯s office. He made sure it was loud enough so Erin could hear it outside.


    BAM!


    CLACK!


    CRACK!


    Erin flinched each time she heard noises as she put her ear close to the wooden door. She couldn¡¯t help but grin as she imagined that Henry must¡¯ve been fuming, yelling, and cursing at Kate because she assaulted Erin.


    ¡¯Ah, he is the type of man that I want. A powerful, yet obedient man, who will do anything I want and won¡¯t question it,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯After all, that¡¯s the point of being a man, right? He needs to obey everything I said! He¡¯s not a man when he starts hesitating just because I told him to beat up some bitch.¡¯


    Erin couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes when she remembered one embarrassing moment in her life.


    It was when she was in high school. She had a boyfriend named Hector.


    He was a member of the rugby team. So he was all burly and strong, a lot stronger than a regular high school kid.


    He said that he¡¯d protect her from any harm.


    But his reaction was different when a scrawny nerd reported to the teacher that Erin threatened to kill him if he didn¡¯t do her assignment.


    It was true. Erin threatened to kill him if he didn¡¯t do her assignment. But she couldn¡¯t believe that nerd had the audacity to report her to the teacher, which landed her a week worth of suspension.


    Thus, she decided to teach that nerd a lesson. She told Hector everything but spiced it up, telling him the scrawny nerd was catcalling her, even trying to touch her inappropriately.


    But Hector didn¡¯t believe her.


    Because he said he knew that nerd well. That nerd wasn¡¯t the type to catcall or touch a girl inappropriately.


    ¡¯Well, I did lie about everything, but that was not the point!¡¯ Erin couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter about it. ¡¯He was my boyfriend, he should be listening to everything I say and believe it! He has to do everything I told him to do! What¡¯s so hard about that?!¡¯


    Erin couldn¡¯t help to cringe when she remembered Hector broke up with her just because she insisted that Hector should teach that scrawny nerd a lesson by beating him until he broke a bone or two.


    ¡¯Just because I told him to break a bone or two. He said that I¡¯m a crazy bitch,¡¯ Erin rolled her eyes. ¡¯If only every man I met is just like Henry. My life would be so much easier!¡¯

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142Erin regretted not meeting Henry earlier in her life.


    But that was alright.


    At least she had the opportunity now. She would be Mrs. Grant soon!


    ¡¯I mean~ it¡¯s obvious that Henry will be mine in the end,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Just look at him. He believes me instantly without questioning even though I lied about everything, hihi~.¡¯


    ¡¯I bet he¡¯s beating Kate inside, hopefully he will slap and kick her just like what Kate did to me last night. That would be the best!¡¯ Erin cheered. ¡¯Hmm, maybe a punch on her gut would be good too. It¡¯d be a good reminder that she¡¯s just a barren bitch.¡¯


    Mai had been standing in the corridor, watching Erin, who giggled like a crazy witch while eavesdropping on what was happening inside the CEO¡¯s office.


    Mai already knew that Mr. Grant was probably making noises to convince Erin that he was actually hurting Mrs. Woods.


    It was obvious, just from his eyes, that Mr. Grant would NEVER hurt Mrs. Woods. If only Erin was a little bit sensible, she would realize that Henry only had his eyes on Kate the whole time.


    "You look like an idiot, you know that, right?" Mai commented. "I mean, you already have that ¡¯skank out of motel¡¯ look, no need to be greedy and claim that ¡¯Mother Gothel on meth¡¯ look as well."


    Erin stopped giggling and glared at Mai, who dared to mock her, "You should shut your mouth, chink. You know that I can fire you easily, right?"


    Erin was in the mood to taunt Mai. This petite woman never intended to bend under Erin¡¯s rule, even though she was just a secretary that could be replaced easily.


    "Let me tell you something, chink. I lied about everything. Kate did assault me last night, but that¡¯s because I tormented her," Erin admitted. "I am the one who calls our mother often, making up lies just to give her small heart attacks, so Kate will do everything I say. It¡¯s a neat little trick, don¡¯t you think?"


    Mai gritted her teeth. She already knew that Erin was slandering Mrs. Woods. She was a cruel bitch who had no heart for her sickly mother.


    Mrs. Woods already told her she should not respond to Erin¡¯s taunt because Mai might have accidentally spilled their mission to Erin.


    But she couldn¡¯t help but get really angry at Erin.


    "Do you think I don¡¯t know?" Mai snarked. "Do you really think that a woman like Mrs. Woods would be so vile to do that? I know you¡¯re the one who can do that kind of horrible thing, Erina Ross."


    "Hehe, of course, you know, but what are you going to do?" Erin giggled. "Which one do you think will Henry trust¡ªa random chink like you, or an absolutely stunning beauty like me? You know the answer is obvious, right?"


    Mai was so angry at this bitch that she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She opened her mouth, but when she was about to say something, the door suddenly slammed open, and Erin was hit on her forehead yet again.


    "AUH!" Erin fell on her back. She grimaced in pain for a second. She was about to yell to whoever dared slam the door on her already swollen forehead.


    But her anger dissipated when she saw Kate, who was in tears.


    Erin¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw the tears.


    Kate cried.


    That cold-hearted bitch actually cried!


    Mr. Grant was so amazing. She made her sister cry!


    Kate bit her lower lip while staring at Erin hatefully for a few seconds before she stormed into the Chief Editor¡¯s office.


    Mai was caught off guard by Mrs. Woods¡¯ tears. She ignored Erin and rushed to follow Mrs. Woods into the office.


    Erin was still dazed thinking about her crying sister.


    It was so amazing.


    This feeling was so amazing! It made her want to do more!


    Henry walked out of the office soon after.


    He was sweating all over. His chest heaved as he tried to control his anger.


    He clenched his fists, and the veins in his strong arms made him scary and sexy at the same time.


    He stared at Erin, who was still sitting on the floor, trying to recover from the second door slam on the forehead.


    "Where is Mrs. Woods?" Henry asked.


    "A¡ªAh, she¡¯s in her office. She has been crying, Mr. Grant..." Erin replied softly. She kept staring at Henry without blinking. She almost drooled, thinking about what this man did to her sister.


    "I see," Henry nodded. "Are you satisfied with what I did?" He asked.


    "Y¡ªYes!" Erin replied enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, Mr. Grant! I¡¯m satisfied!"


    "You should know that Mrs. Woods will be on temporary lay off for a week to see if the company will be able to run without her presence," Henry said. "In short, I¡¯m about to fire her, but I have to ensure the company won¡¯t be in a bad condition after she leaves. I hope this will make you happier, since you got assaulted by her."


    "I am happy, Mr. Grant!" Erin said. "Thank you so much!"


    "Good, I¡¯ll leave now. I still have things to do. You should also go home now, Miss Ross. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re fit to work when your face is badly bruised."


    Henry then walked away from her. Erin kept staring at Henry¡¯s muscular back, and her heart was beating rapidly as if she had fallen in love with a man for the first time.


    ¡¯Oh my god, he is perfect,¡¯ Erin said. ¡¯He does everything I ask him to do. He doesn¡¯t question me, and he even fired Kate, who has been an important Chief Editor in this company, everything just for me!¡¯


    ¡¯I know that I have such an undeniable beauty that no man can ignore!¡¯ Erin claimed confidently.


    She got up after a while and patted her skirt. She stared at the Chief Editor¡¯s office and grinned maliciously, "This is what happens when you try to fight me, Sis. You should know that I have beauty and brain." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143Erin wanted to see more of Kate¡¯s crying face.


    She wanted to torment her big sister even more because this was the first time her sister ever showed her crying face in front of someone else.


    All this time, Erin never saw Kate crying in front of her.


    She would always try to put up a tough persona. No matter how agitated she was, she would never cry in front of Erin and their mother, and Erin assumed that Kate never cried in front of other people as well.


    "Damn, she must be devastated because she got fired from a job that she¡¯s been dedicating her life into for the past four years, hihi," Erin couldn¡¯t help but giggle, thinking that Kate must be wailing like a baby in her office right now.


    "Ahh~ should I come in to torment her even more, or should I leave her alone for now?" Erin considered it for a while and then decided to leave, "Oh well, Mr. Grant told me to leave for now. So I guess I should obey my future husband, hihi."


    And thus, Erin grabbed her bag and strutted in the corridor confidently as she left the office.


    Little did she know, Mai was peeking from a small window, watching over Erin, making sure that whore left the office so Mrs. Woods would stop her play pretend.


    "She¡¯s gone, Ma¡¯am," Mai reported as she saw Erin¡¯s back disappearing from her sight.


    "Good," Kate said. "She pointed at the tissue on the desk and said, "Give me that, Mai."


    Mai grabbed the tissue box, and Kate pulled out a few sheets. She wiped the tears that streamed down her cheek. Her eyes were puffy when she cried a lot to make it believable.


    Mai observed her boss and then commented, "I was shocked when I saw you coming out of Mr. Grant¡¯s office with tears, Ma¡¯am. I really thought that he made you cry."


    Kate chuckled, "Does that mean you got fooled by my tears as well?"


    Mai nodded, "I was panicking. So I followed you into the office. But I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re just pretending to make it believable for Erin." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She is not the only one who can squeeze out some tears to fool others," Kate said. "Well, now that the plan has been on the motion, you can expect that bitch to disappear in about a week from now."


    "Great! Oh, I can¡¯t wait for this office to go back to normal!"


    "Really? You can¡¯t wait?" Kate grinned. "If things go back to normal, then Mr. Eckermann might leave since he came here to divert Erin¡¯s attention."


    "Eeeeh, hmm..." Mai hummed for a while and then shrugged, "Oh well, that can¡¯t be helped, I guess."


    "You won¡¯t feel sad?"


    "I mean, he¡¯s a great co-manager, he¡¯s efficient and professional at handling so many documents. But I know that he has something else to do outside as Mr. Grant¡¯s bodyguard," Mai said.


    Mai¡¯s answer made Kate a little sad for Michael.


    Kate knew she and Mai could connect easily because, deep down, they had the same method of stopping themselves from unnecessarily getting involved emotionally with someone else.


    They would build a wall around their heart, ensuring everything was strictly ¡¯work-only.¡¯


    Unfortunately, Kate¡¯s wall crumbled when she met with Henry, who had all the weapons in his arsenal to break down her wall.


    ¡¯Michael has to work hard to tear down her wall,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Good luck, Michael.¡¯


    "By the way, starting from tomorrow, you don¡¯t need to come into my office anymore," Kate said.


    Mai gasped. She paled instantly and asked, "M¡ªMa¡¯am, did you... fire me?"


    "Huh? No, of course not," Kate said. "Don¡¯t you hear what Henry told Erin just now? I will be on a temporary lay off for a week. Well, it¡¯s more of a vacation for a week so I can get away from that bitch¡¯s torment until her international trip to Canada and then Greenland will be finalized."


    "But I will still read manuscripts that the editors sent to me, and also contact a few authors that I¡¯m interested in," Kate said. "I will also contact you for a few document works as well, Mai."


    "Okay, Ma¡¯am, that¡¯s relieving," Mai sighed. "You really need to get away from that bitch. I can¡¯t imagine having to endure her presence for so long."


    "But where are you going to stay, Ma¡¯am? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for you to stay in your apartment for now. Since Erin could always come and torment you there."


    "Henry already prepared a presidential suite for me in one of the hotels he invested in," Kate mentioned casually. "It will be in San Francisco. So I have to go now and prepare my luggage. He will pick me up and drive me to the airport."


    Mai was relieved that Mr. Grant cared so much about Mrs. Woods.


    "That¡¯s good, Ma¡¯am. Please take care of yourself for a week. Don¡¯t worry about the office, Ma¡¯am. I will take care of everything."


    "Mhm, oh, I do have a request, Mai," Kate leaned forward to whisper at Mai, who was a head shorter than her. "Can you help me by watching over Mr. Grant?"


    Mai frowned, "Watching over him?"


    "Yes, make sure that he doesn¡¯t bring another woman into his office, and make sure that Erin will not try to do anything to him."


    "But, I don¡¯t think Mr. Grant is the type of man who would cheat on you, Ma¡¯am," Mai said assuringly. "He seems to love you so much."


    ¡¯Love, huh?¡¯ Kate sneered. She knew it was unfair for her to be so suspicious and vigilant towards Henry, who was nothing but great to her so far.


    But she was traumatized by what Matt did.


    She trusted that bastard so much. She gave everything she had for him, only for Matt to break her heart.


    "We don¡¯t know, Mai. Men are fickle, they can love you for a night, only to forget you the next morning. They can say that they only have you, but they will still find a mistress outside."

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144"I don¡¯t want my heart to be broken again," Kate said. "So help me here, watch over him and make sure that he won¡¯t do anything while I¡¯m away."


    Mai was stunned by her boss¡¯ possessiveness.


    All this time, she always thought Mr. Grant was the more possessive one. After all, Mai often noticed that Mr. Grant would watch Mrs. Woods¡¯ small gestures as if his world would crumble if she was out of his sight for a while.


    But their clinginess and possessiveness seemed equally on the same ground.


    Mai didn¡¯t expect the usually cool and composed Katherine Woods to have this side of her.


    "I understand, Ma¡¯am," Mai nodded as she took the task seriously. "I will make sure that Mr. Grant won¡¯t do anything while you¡¯re away."


    "Thank you, Mai. I will make sure that your position in this company is well protected," Kate said. "This is the least I could do for you."


    ¡¯You did more than that, Ma¡¯am,¡¯ Mai replied in her heart. ¡¯You just don¡¯t realize it.¡¯


    "Well, I have to go now. See you in uh... probably more than a week, Mai," Kate said. "Don¡¯t worry about your work. Mr. Eckermann will be here to help you. You should spend more time with him, by the way. I believe you two are very professional at work, right?"


    "We are, Ma¡¯am," Mai assured.


    ¡¯... I feel like, the more I speak about Michael, the harder it will be for him to approach Mai. It¡¯s best to shut up now,¡¯ Kate thought.


    She grabbed her bag and then walked out of the office.


    She drove her car to her apartment and stuffed her luggage with her clothes. She then dragged her luggage and walked out of her apartment, only to find Henry waiting for her at the door.


    "Why are you here?" Kate asked as she closed the door and ensured it locked properly with a new password, so Erin couldn¡¯t break in.


    "You¡¯re carrying luggage, do you think I will let you carry heavy stuff while you¡¯re pregnant?" Henry snatched the luggage from Kate¡¯s hand and then began to walk to the elevator.


    Kate pouted and followed him from behind, "I¡¯m pregnant, not dying. I can carry my luggage all by myself."


    "And I¡¯m the father of the baby, it¡¯s my responsibility to keep you safe," Henry said. "Especially from a bitch like Erin."


    Henry and Kate entered his car, and they drove to the airport.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to go with you?" Henry asked. "I mean, our last trip to San Francisco is a blast, right?"


    "You can¡¯t. You need to work, remember?" Kate reminded him. "I know, but Erin, ugh! I can¡¯t imagine what kind of thing she would do to me after what happened today."


    "You can find a reason to get out," Kate said. "Say that you have a meeting outside, or tell Mai to accompany you. She can repel Erin from doing something."


    Henry stopped his car at the departure gate. He took out the luggage from the trunk and stood in front of Kate before she entered the departure gate, "See you next week in Toronto."


    Kate saw that Henry looked sad just because she would be in San Francisco for a week. So she tiptoed and kissed his lips, "Don¡¯t be so sad, handsome. It¡¯s just a week."


    Henry was stunned by the kiss because this was the first time Kate actually kissed him in public.


    But before Henry could react, Kate already left him alone as he tried to recover from the kiss.


    Henry gently traced his lips with his thumb and murmured, "Damn, she has gotten more courageous. She got me excited in the middle of the day."


    Thus, Henry entered his car and called Michael as he drove out of the airport.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Michael to pick up the call.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Boss?"


    "Where are you now, Michael," Henry asked.


    "I¡¯m in Nuuk, Greenland," he replied. "And yes, it¡¯s so fucking cold in here. I prefer California¡¯s weather."


    Henry laughed. He never went to Greenland before and had no intention of doing so. But since Kate wanted to throw Erin into a frozen tundra, Greenland is the best place for it.


    Besides, he also wanted to enjoy his first time watching Aurora with Kate.


    "We¡¯re going to Canada first so it won¡¯t rouse her suspicion, and then we will go straight to Greenland after that," Henry said. "Make sure that everything has been prepared in a week."


    "Yeah, yeah," Michael said. "Don¡¯t forget about your promise."


    "I know. I will make you a permanent co-manager in the office in exchange for handling this, right?" Henry said. "Don¡¯t worry, you will have all the time in your life to talk with Mai. The only problem is, can you even talk to her properly? Hahahah!"


    Michael was already too exhausted with so many things he had to do in Nuuk. So he said, "Yeah, tease me like that and I will cancel your aurora trip with Kate. I know that you¡¯ve been looking forward to it, Henry."


    Henry stopped laughing immediately, knowing that his trip with Kate was in danger, "Alright, alright, just do your job properly. We have to make this plan perfect, so we will get what we want, Michael."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Michael hung up the call. He put his phone inside his pocket and then turned around to talk with the middle-aged man in front of him.


    Michael spoke in Danish with the middle-aged man, "I want to prepare for a cabin in the middle of nowhere, possibly a few kilometers away from the nearest village. I want it to be isolated as much as possible."


    "Oh?" The rugged middle-aged man raised his brow. "This is the weirdest request I ever had. Young man, you will be in a lot of danger if you¡¯re isolated in the middle of nowhere, especially in the frozen land during winter. It will be so dark and bone-chilling cold that you might die if you get sick during a snowstorm, nobody will be able to help you if that happens." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s what I want," Michael replied. "I want her to suffer."

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145[Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    The rugged man was surprised, "So this place is not for you?"


    "No, it¡¯s for a terrible woman who ruined the life of my female boss," Michael replied without hesitation.


    "A mistress, huh?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..." Michael didn¡¯t know how to explain the current situation. So he just shifted the topic back, "I want this cabin to be placed in the middle of nowhere. She¡¯s a spoiled woman, so don¡¯t expect her to hunt seals or fishes. Just give her food and let her cook it by herself."


    "So you want us to take care of her? I thought you just wanted her to die in the middle of nowhere," the rugged man said.


    "... my female Boss said not to kill her too soon," Michael said. "Let her suffer the bone-chilling coldness, and try to keep her alive as long as possible until she either becomes insane because of the isolation, or dies out of hypothermia."


    "Damn, your female boss is so ruthless," the rugged man commented. "But I do have a perfect place for that mistress."


    The rugged man took a step forward and whispered the confidential information, "There are a few scattered islands around the coast of Greenland. The place is entirely covered with ice by the time the summer ends, and it¡¯s very harsh during winter."


    "I know of one settlement on a small island. There are only ten people living there, and they live mostly by hunting seals and fishes by the end of summer," the rugged old man said. "They are all my family, and we can ¡¯take care¡¯ of that mistress. We will feed her with our catch, and we will make sure that she won¡¯t die easily."


    "But of course, we can¡¯t just take care of her without money. You know that, right?"


    The rugged man signaled that they would need monetary compensation for taking care of Erin, and Michael nodded without hesitation, "Don¡¯t worry, my boss will compensate you and your family. Just make sure that she suffers enough, but don¡¯t let her die too soon."


    "Great, it¡¯s a deal then," the rugged man shook his hand with Michael¡¯s. "I usually reach the island by boat, but you can also reach it using a helicopter if you can hire one. I assume that your boss must be rich enough to do that, right?"


    Michael scoffed, "He will personally ditch that bitch in the frozen wasteland. Don¡¯t worry about that."


    "Alright, then everything is settled. You said that you need it in a week, right? Then I can build a small cabin for only one person in a week with the help of my family there," the rugged man said.


    "Good," Michael nodded. He took an envelope from his jacket and added, "This is the first payment. It has the equivalent of twenty thousand dollars. We will do more in the future."


    "Thank you, kind man. Please deliver my gratitude to your female boss as well."


    **


    Erin was so happy with what happened today, so she went straight to her favorite restaurant to celebrate Kate¡¯s tears by ordering her favorite food and cake, of course by using Kate¡¯s credit card.


    She also called Matt, telling him to take a bath and get his stinky ass to this restaurant because she had good news for them.


    It took about an hour for Matt to arrive at the restaurant. He wore worn-out jeans, a stained black shirt, and a university jacket. He was unshaven and never groomed his beard, so he looked grimy even after he took a bath.


    Erin rolled her eyes. She began to regret inviting Matt to the restaurant. She hoped that none of her friends were in this restaurant, so she wouldn¡¯t be caught sitting at the same table with this gross man.


    Matt sat facing Erin and asked, "So, what¡¯s wrong? Why did you ask to come here?"


    "Relax, there is nothing wrong," Erin chuckled. "I just want to celebrate a good day with you. After all, my celebration involves you wife, hihi~."


    Matt frowned.


    He had a talk with Erin last night about Kate since Erin got assaulted by Kate because she lost her only weapon against her.


    But it seemed she had done something to flip the situation, much to Matt¡¯s relief.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to lose his only source of income right now.


    "What happened to Kate?"


    "Mm, I reported her to the new CEO about the assault she did, and she got fired just now," Erin said. She giggled as she remembered the tears, "Did you know, for the first time in my life, I actually saw her crying!"


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened, "S¡ªShe cried?"


    "Of course! She just lost the job she dedicated her life into for the past four years," Erin giggled. "She must be devastated. She¡¯s probably crying like a baby right now."


    Erin kept on giggling mischievously, as if the image of her sister in a desperate situation, crying about her dire situation, was entertainment for Erin.


    But Matt didn¡¯t laugh after getting the news. His gaze darkened while he stared at Erin.


    Erin noticed it immediately. She raised her brow and stared back, "What¡¯s wrong? Why are you giving me that stare? Are you angry that I make your wife cry?"


    "No, it¡¯s not that," Matt said. "I¡¯m worried about her job instead. What would happen to me if she lost her job? You know that I rely on her, right?"


    "Pffth¡ªoh, Matt. I thought you got angry because I made her cry. Turns out you just don¡¯t want your cash cow to die," Erin sneered. "Okay, I¡¯m sorry for that one. I¡¯m just too happy seeing her cry, it¡¯s an accomplishment for me!"


    Matt didn¡¯t share the same excitement at all. He was worried about himself. He just sent five grand to his mother using Kate¡¯s card. But there was no way his mother wouldn¡¯t ask for more next month.


    And what would happen to his reputation if Kate couldn¡¯t support him anymore? His mother would be disappointed in him because he couldn¡¯t show his ¡¯wealth¡¯ to her anymore!

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146Besides, Matt was also trying to find dates on a few dating sites. Since he believed that both Kate and Erin were barren, he knew he had to find another woman willing to bear his baby.


    Matt used his old pictures about six years ago, when he was still very handsome, with abs, chiseled jawline, and all.


    He knew that he got all the stuff needed to attract many women in dating apps, but he needed the most important one: money.


    He planned to max out Kate¡¯s credit card to treat those women he¡¯d go on a date with, buying them gifts so they would think he was rich.


    So he seriously would NOT let Kate fall and lose her job. She was his cash cow!


    "I¡¯m not joking, Erin. I really need the money," Matt insisted. He lost his meekness after realizing that he would be broke soon.


    Erin sighed, "Alright, don¡¯t worry. If my sister can¡¯t find a job anytime soon to support you, I can always do it for you."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened, "Are you serious? You¡¯re going to support me? How would you get the money?"


    "Oh, I found a new sugar daddy. He is young, but very, very rich!" Erin said. She didn¡¯t mention that her new sugar daddy was Henry Grant, Kate¡¯s new CEO. But that wasn¡¯t important, right?


    "Is he richer than Kate?"


    "Oh, Kate is nothing compared to him!" Erin said. "Trust me, I can give you twice the amount of Kate¡¯s credit card limit!"


    Matt got excited thinking about what he could do with twice the amount Kate usually gave him monthly.


    He got greedy, thinking that since Kate was a useless woman without any redeeming quality right now, it was time for him to rely on Erin.


    "T¡ªThen go for that man, make sure that you can date him for a long time, or even marry him," Matt suggested. "Then you can send me money every month, right?"


    "Of course!" Erin agreed. "You¡¯re not jealous, right? After all, I won¡¯t have time for you anymore after this."


    "No, it¡¯s fine," Matt replied. After all, he had also lost interest in Erin. This bitch was equally barren as her sister, so both of them were not good enough for him.


    But of course, he had to squeeze as much money as possible, "But you should compensate me with a monthly allowance, okay? After all, I still love you."


    "Oh, dear, yes, I still love you too, that¡¯s why I will send you money later," Erin smiled. But she was sneering in her heart, ¡¯You bastard, do you really think that I¡¯m an idiot? Why would I give my money to someone with no use like you? And you allow me to be with another man as long as I compensate you with money? HAH!¡¯


    Erin had no intention of sharing anything with this deadbeat man. She invited him to the restaurant because she wanted to celebrate Kate¡¯s tears together with Kate¡¯s husband. That would be the biggest humiliation that her sister could get.


    ¡¯See? This is what you get for not fulfilling all of my wishes, Sis,¡¯ Erin rejoiced as she imagined the suffering of her big sister. ¡¯You should realize by now what kind of power I have over MEN!¡¯


    **


    Henry was still in the office late at night. He was accompanied by some employees who also took overtime as they weren¡¯t done preparing a few documents.


    They were forced to work overtime because they were notified that their CEO put Mrs. Katherine Woods¡ªthe reliable and brilliant Chief Editor¡ªunder a temporary layout.


    So they had to do the Chief Editor¡¯s job desk for a week until Mr. Grant decided to permanently fire Mrs. Woods or let her stay.


    They didn¡¯t understand why Mr. Henry Grant would fire Mrs. Woods. She was an important asset to this company. Without Mrs. Woods, this company wouldn¡¯t become one of the most promising publishing companies.


    She simply had the instinct to find which book would sell and which would not.


    So everyone was panicking with the sudden decision, but none dared to protest to the CEO because they knew that Henry Grant owned the company because he was the only heir of Grant¡¯s many businesses.


    He was ultra-rich, and he could just burn this company to the ground without giving a damn.


    Henry sighed as he continued working on documents he had to handle so Kate wouldn¡¯t be burdened with so many things once she returned to her position.


    He agreed to do whatever Kate planned but wouldn¡¯t let her exhaust herself. She was pregnant, and she should always be in good health.


    Henry¡¯s focus was disrupted when he heard his phone¡¯s ringtone.


    He checked and realized that it was from Kate.


    His face brightened instantly as he picked it up.


    ¡ª


    "Why are you calling at this hour, Kitty? Do you miss me already?" Henry asked as he was in the mood to tease Kate.


    "Hmph, you sure know how to talk sweet, Mr. Grant," Kate said, but she couldn¡¯t help but get a little shy. "I just want to tell you that I¡¯m all set in this suite for a week, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me."


    "That¡¯s good. Be sure to tell me if there¡¯s something wrong there. I will call the hotel manager to fix it for you," Henry said. "By the way, Michael called me about an hour ago. He informed me that everything is set, and we will bring that bitch to Canada, and then Greenland. Though, I have a question for you. Why do we have to do two trips instead of one? Why don¡¯t we just go straight to Greenland."


    "It¡¯s to make Erin less suspicious. Besides, I want to make sure that my mother thinks everything is alright. I want her to think that Erin is in a good condition until the end of her life," Kate replied.


    Henry still didn¡¯t understand why Kate tried so hard to save her mother because it seemed her mother was biased towards Erin.


    But maybe it was a mother-daughter bond that Henry didn¡¯t understand, ¡¯After all, my mother is a piece of shit. She¡¯s no different than Erin. Maybe I would be able to connect to Kate¡¯s parental bond to her mother if my mother raised me better.¡¯


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll be waiting for us to reunite in Canada," Henry said. He went silent for a while before murmuring a sentence he had wanted to utter for a while when he was sober, "I love you, Kitty."


    ...


    That last sentence stupefied Kate. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was ready to say ¡¯love¡¯ to him right now because that meant they would be officially dating.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to start another official relationship when her life was still a mess right now, with Erin and Matt as the main problems. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides, she was unsure if Henry would stick with her for a long time. In short, she wasn¡¯t ready to fully reciprocate his feelings as she felt Henry was rushing things.


    So she tried to ignore it, "Don¡¯t forget to rest after you finished your work, Henry. You shouldn¡¯t get sick when we have a big day coming. Good night."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147Henry sighed when Kate hung up the call after he said, ¡¯I love you.¡¯


    He often threw those three words around like it was easy to say to plenty of his romantic escapades in the past, and all of them would reciprocate instantly.


    But Kate was different.


    She was very vigilant and was yet to lower her guard no matter how hard Henry tried to make her happy.


    "Is this karma for me?" Henry wondered. "I threw those words cheaply in the past to many women I don¡¯t like. But now I can¡¯t even get Kate to reciprocate my feelings."


    Henry wanted to laugh at himself.


    He knew that he was being desperate.


    He shouldn¡¯t have said those words just now, but he couldn¡¯t help it.


    There was this itchiness in his heart, telling him to say it with the hope that Kate would say the same words casually as if they were an old married couple.


    "I guess that means I still have to work harder so she will accept me," Henry said. "Maybe she¡¯ll finally trust me after I kicked Erin out of her life, and helped her to get a fair divorce from her deadbeat husband."


    He knew in the corner of his mind that he still had many problems and a mission to deal with, and it might endanger Kate¡¯s life if he continued to pursue a relationship with her.


    But he couldn¡¯t help it.


    Kate was like a drug that he accidentally consumed, and now he got addicted and ignored his mission so that he could be with Kate.


    Henry put his phone on the desk and leaned on the desk, staring straight in a daze and murmuring, "Look what you did to me, Kitty. You messed me up so bad, and now we are hellbound in this dangerous game."


    **


    Kate hung up the call as soon as possible.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down, but no matter how hard she tried to relax, her heart kept beating like a drum. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time for Henry to say ¡¯I love you,¡¯ but this was the first time he said it while he was sober, making it ten times heavier for Kate.


    She had to admit that his casual love declaration made her panic because it made it seem like they had been a couple for a long time, or at least that was the illusion Henry tried to portray.


    "But I can¡¯t..." Kate murmured. "I¡¯m just... not ready..."


    Kate wondered if she might¡¯ve been too capricious to Henry. After all, it was obvious that they were attracted to each other, physically and romantically.


    But she was scared to go deeper into this relationship.


    She kept hesitating because she didn¡¯t want to get hurt twice. She often put up that tough and cold persona in front of others, but she was still a woman who longed for love.


    She wanted to devote herself to a man who loved her back, and frankly, her experience with Matt traumatized her enough not to put too much hope in men.


    "What if Henry betrays me after I give my heart to him, just like what Matt did?" Kate considered. As she began to imagine it, she bit her lower lip and wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes before warding that thought away from her mind.


    Just the thought of his betrayal was enough to make her cry.


    "I won¡¯t be able to love again if he breaks my heart," Kate murmured. "And I¡¯m scared that he will hurt me."


    **


    Erin spent Kate¡¯s money in the mall, buying a few things to treat herself since today was such a special day.


    She then went to her sister¡¯s apartment, wanting to ¡¯surprise¡¯ her a little and torment her so Kate would cry even more, ¡¯I want her to beg, but I don¡¯t think she will beg for now. Maybe after she lost all of her fortune because she can¡¯t find a job, hihi.¡¯


    Erin knocked on the apartment door a few times, but she didn¡¯t get a response. She then blasted the doorbell by pressing it repeatedly, ensuring her sister inside would hear it.


    But there was no answer.


    "Huh..." Erin raised her brow. "Maybe she¡¯s not in her apartment yet? But why? Shouldn¡¯t she cry like a little bitch in her room right now?"


    Curious, Erin finally called Kate, and to her surprise, Kate picked up the call in less than ten seconds.


    ¡ª


    "Where are you, Sis? I¡¯m in front of your apartment, but it seems that you¡¯re not in here," Erin asked.


    "I¡¯m staying in a place far from you. I don¡¯t feel like seeing a whore¡¯s face right now," Kate responded curtly as she picked up the call. "Are you calling me just to taunt me even more because I just got fired?"


    Erin was still annoyed that Kate didn¡¯t even try to be nice to her after what happened last night. She got used to the ¡¯kind¡¯ and ¡¯loving¡¯ sister that would do absolutely anything Erin told her to do.


    And if she didn¡¯t want to? Well, threaten her with their mother¡¯s health, or tell her she didn¡¯t deserve happiness because she destroyed their family.


    Though, Erin herself didn¡¯t care about her father. She was too young to remember her father¡¯s face back then.


    But she knew that Kate was surrounded with guilt, and Erin used that as a way to put her sister to use.


    ¡¯Well, I¡¯m a smart woman, after all. Of course I know what to do!¡¯ Erin claimed in her heart.


    But Kate was right. Erin wanted to taunt her even more.


    But since she could only do it on the phone right now, then so be it.


    "Aww, that¡¯s right, Sis. I really want to see your ugly crying face again. You look much better when you stop acting like a tough woman," Erin sneered. "Sadness fits you better. You should be sad for ruining my family."

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148¡ª


    Ruining my family.


    That sentence had been used by Erin so many times in the past.


    Kate had to admit that she felt very guilty. She knew she could stay ignorant just like her mother, hoping that her father would change to be a better man and try to cover up for all his crimes of being a child predator.


    But Kate still had a conscience in her heart. She tried to follow what her mother said and stayed silent after discovering what he had done.


    She felt the pressure from both her father and mother to keep it a secret despite her conscience telling her this was wrong.


    But when he began to molest an underage girl inside the house boldly, she knew there was no help from this man.


    His father was a sick bastard, and she¡¯d rather have her family destroyed than see other girls¡¯ lives ruined instead.


    So she became a whistleblower, and Erin had been clutching her neck with the fact that she decided to save many girls¡¯ life in their community.,


    Kate thought as long as she gave Erin a good life, she would grow up to be a good person, but it seemed to have the reverse effect.


    So she did not need to be nice to this bitch.


    "So what?" Kate asked. "Yes, I destroyed our family to save many girls¡¯ life, so what?"


    Erin was caught off guard by the response. She thought that Kate would stay silent and then told her to stop because it would put Kate in a depressive mood. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin gritted her teeth, "You know that you¡¯re guilty, right? I fucking hate you because you ruined my family life, and you deserve to be ruined as well."


    "And you did," Kate said. "You ruined my marriage, my career, and my mental health. We are more or less equal right now, Erin."


    Kate scoffed as she knew that Erin wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with that answer. She wanted Kate to cry and beg so she would be satisfied.


    "But I know that you¡¯re a psycho, that¡¯s why you keep tormenting me for your pleasure. So let me set this straight¡ª," Kate¡¯s voice was cold and unfeeling, something that Erin felt unfamiliar with. "¡ªI don¡¯t give a shit about you anymore. If you want to give me hell, then I will drag you into the same hell, Erina Ross."


    "From now on, we are not sisters anymore. You¡¯re nothing but a filthy bitch to me, good bye."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin was caught off guard by her sister¡¯s boldness to fight back. She even dared to declare war against her and disown Erin as her sister.


    Erin¡¯s body trembled with rage. She clutched the phone until her knuckles were white. She had a crooked smile as she tried to hold herself from screaming like a mad woman, "How dare she challenge me when she¡¯s already in a bad situation like this? Does she not realize that she has already lost against me?"


    "Just you wait, Sis. You can¡¯t just ¡¯disown¡¯ me like that. I¡¯m not done tormenting you. I will make sure that you will never find a job anymore!" Erin vowed. "And don¡¯t you think that I don¡¯t know how to do that. I have a powerful man ready to do anything I want, including destroying your life completely."


    **


    A week had passed since Kate flew to San Francisco to rest and escape from the neverending torment that Erin did. She had been in a great mood for the past week. She could finally focus on reading the manuscripts she had to evaluate and had a good night¡¯s sleep as she didn¡¯t need to think about that bitch Erin or deadbeat Matt.


    But Henry wasn¡¯t so lucky.


    His days were filled with torture as he was really busy without the presence of a Chief Editor to help him, and he still had to cater to Erin, who kept on pestering him, wanting to have free time together.


    Unfortunately, Michael was taking his time in Greenland. It seemed that he preferred the cold temperature rather than staying with this cold bitch.


    Fortunately, Henry could always use the reason that he was very busy with work, so he couldn¡¯t cater to her useless need for being a whore.


    "Mr. Grant~ Come on, why are you still in the office at this hour?" Erin complained as she checked her watch. "Nobody is in the office anymore at this point, let¡¯s just go to your apartment or one of your very expensive mansion, and do somethinggg!"


    Erin tried to hug Henry, who was still busy reading a few documents stacked on his desk. He sighed and replied, "I still have a lot to do, Erin. You can go home now."


    Erin pouted, "Come on, it¡¯s been a week since my sister left. Why don¡¯t we celebrate it with a hot night together?"


    Henry clenched the document in his hand but tried his best to stay calm. He tried to ignore Erin as much as possible since it was difficult for him not to snap at her now.


    Erin kept pestering her boss, but her seduction was cut short when Mai suddenly appeared in front of them and put another stack of documents for her boss, "There is more?!" Henry asked as he got shocked.


    "Yes, Sir. Since Mr. Eckermann has been out of the office for the past week alongside Mrs. Woods, then you have to handle the job of Chief Editor and Co-Manager at the same time. There is a lot to do, Sir."


    Henry felt that he could faint right now. But he could only sigh and continued to read the document he had to check.


    Erin glared at Mai, and the latter said, "Leave Mr. Grant alone to do his job. He doesn¡¯t need to be pestered by a rat like you."


    "Rat? Hah! Are you talking about yourself?" Erin sneered. "You are small and ugly, just like a real rat."


    "And you belong in the street, just like a real rat," Mai said with a bad smile.


    Henry was trying to focus on his documents, but these two were too annoying, so he snapped, "Can you two fight outside? I¡¯m trying to work here!"


    Erin flinched when she heard Mr. Grant yell at her, but Mai didn¡¯t seem surprised. Instead, She shifted her gaze at Mr. Grant and said, "Sir, I also want to remind you about your business trip to Canada. Mr. Eckermann has prepared everything you need and you need to go as soon as possible."

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149"Oh?" Henry¡¯s mood eased when he heard the good news. He had been so busy with work that he lost his sense of time. He didn¡¯t realize that it had been a week since Kate left.


    All he remembered was that he felt very lonely without seeing her and kept video calling her each night, just to see her lovely beauty before surrendering himself on his bed.


    "Have you booked my flight, Mai?" Henry asked.


    "Yes, Sir. I¡¯ve booked your flight to Canada. All you need to do is to go to the airport before ten, because your flight will be at eleven sharp."


    "Got it," Henry nodded. He was happy he could finally ditch this bitch in that frozen wasteland after enduring her bullshit for a whole week. She had been so insufferable that Henry wished he could throw her out of the window and let her die like a squashed rat.


    But, of course, this was the perfect opportunity to bait Erin.


    "But who will accompany me to Canada? I mean, of course, the business trip will be for a week, but you don¡¯t expect me to go on a business trip alone, right?" Henry asked Mai but kept eye contact with Erin, silently inviting her to participate. "I will be very lonely in my super expensive hotel suite, alongside plenty of formal parties I have to attend."


    Mai grinned and replied, "But I¡¯m swamped with paperwork in the office, Sir. What will I get if I go with you to Canada?"


    "Well, first, I will pay for all of your accommodation, and you will get financial compensation for accompanying me," Henry said.


    Erin was shocked when Mai said Henry had an upcoming business trip to Canada. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity to spend time alone with Henry.


    It was even more exciting when Henry said he would be staying in a super expensive hotel suite, with plenty of formal parties and lots of money to compensate for all the ¡¯works¡¯ she had to do for him.


    ¡¯Hotel suite... parties... lots of money and sex with Henry...¡¯ Erin began to imagine the HEAVEN she would get for a week staying with Henry. ¡¯Maybe Henry will truly fall in love with me once we¡¯re in Canada. Maybe the romantic atmosphere will make him want to marry me! OMG! Kardashian¡¯s life, here I come!¡¯


    "Hmm, but I don¡¯t want to fly in Economy class, Sir. If you want to bring me in, then you have to book me a first class ticket just like you. I want the best accommodation for my comfort," Mai continued to entice Erin, knowing that greedy bitch wouldn¡¯t be able to resist so many temptations of a good life.


    She already had everything given by her big sister.


    Kate gave her a lot of money for her monthly allowance.


    She gave Erin an apartment to stay in and even paid for her university tuition upfront, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about student debt after she graduated.


    Yet, she still wanted more.


    This bitch was greedy beyond comprehension, and it wasn¡¯t hard to make her fall into their trap.


    "Of course, a first class ticket is guaranteed. You will fly in the most comfortable seat," Henry promised. "So, do you want to go with me or not, Mai?"


    "Hmmm, I think, I¡ª"


    "She¡¯s not good enough, Mr. Grant!" Erin interrupted before Mai could say yes. She didn¡¯t want to miss this golden opportunity to this chink!


    Henry acted as if he was surprised and then asked, "Why do you think she is not good enough, Miss Ross?"


    "Well, you said that you have to attend plenty of formal parties. Obviously, you need a beautiful woman to stand by your side," Erin said. She sent a mocking gaze toward Mai, observing her from head to toe.


    "Do you think this chink is good enough to represent you? I don¡¯t think so, Sir. You need an absolutely gorgeous woman to be by your side. She needs to be a stunner who will attract so many gazes," Erin grinned as she coquettishly tried to seduce Henry with her half-opened breasts. "And I don¡¯t think anyone other than me is better than that, Sir. I will attract everyone¡¯s attention, no doubt."


    ¡¯With your slutty dress? Sure, everyone¡¯s eyes will be on you in a real formal party,¡¯ Henry commented. ¡¯Then they will kick you out for inappropriate attire.¡¯


    But of course, he had to put up a considerably excited response, "Well, I can¡¯t lie that you will be able to attract many eyes, Erin. I think you will be the best candidate to accompany me on this trip."


    "Of course I will! I won¡¯t disappoint you with my skill, Sir!" Erin claimed with ambiguous words. "Please just let me go with you, I will be a good girl!"


    Henry chuckled. He glanced at Mai and asked, "What do you think, Mai? Are you okay with her replacing you for this Canada trip?"


    Erin thought that Mai would not give up, so she was ready to fight that small bitch for this position.


    However, to her surprise, Mai nodded and said, "Sure, she can replace me on this trip. I still have a lot to do in the office, Sir."


    "Good, then I will go with Miss Ross," Henry said. "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be alone for a long time. Michael will return soon, he will come to work with you for a whole week."


    "I know, Sir," Mai said. She naturally knew about it. After all, she was the first one to get a call from Mr. Eckermann, and the last thing he said before they ended the call was.


    ¡ª


    ¡¯Wait for me. I will be there soon, Mai.¡¯


    ¡ª


    Mai found it weird that Mr. Eckermann had to say those words. After all, it didn¡¯t matter whether he was in this office. Mai was sure she could handle the paperwork while Mr. Grant and Mrs. Woods were away to ditch this witch.


    ¡¯It¡¯s been settled then," Henry turned his head towards Erin and smiled, "You will come with me for the business trip to Canada, Miss Ross." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150Erin thought this was a dream come true. She wanted to jump out for joy, thinking it must be her lucky day because she would finally spend a week alone with her dream man.


    ¡¯Ah, this must be my reward for being so patient with him. I can¡¯t imagine what kind of luxurious stuff I will be getting after a wild night with Henry!¡¯ Erin thought.


    She began to think that Henry might be preparing a surprise for her. Maybe they could go for another trip after Canada, somewhere with a warmer climate like Hawaii!


    ¡¯Ah, and then we will spend another sweet, and wild moment with him fucking me every single night. Hihi, I don¡¯t even mind getting pregnant by him. I will sell the baby so I can get a lot of money, in case Henry doesn¡¯t want to marry me,¡¯ Erin thought.


    She had never been pregnant before because she always used condoms and birth control to ensure she didn¡¯t get pregnant.


    She tried to get pregnant with Matt¡¯s baby, as she planned to sell the baby to Kate and Matt. The baby would be her ticket to an easy life because she could¡¯ve forced Kate to do everything if she didn¡¯t want the baby to die.


    ¡¯Well, Matt¡¯s micropenis can¡¯t get me pregnant. But I think with his big dick, Henry would be able to get me pregnant in one try, hihi~.¡¯


    Henry already knew what was in Erin¡¯s mind, and he could only sneer, knowing this bitch had nothing but dirty thoughts about him. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Granted, she wasn¡¯t the only one who did that. But she was the first to make him disgusted by her dirty thoughts.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, Erin. I will make sure that you will have a wild night with those seals, hahah!¡¯


    "Thank you so much, Mr. Grant! I will make sure to be the prettiest woman in the party! Everyone will have their eyes on me!" Erin was so confident with herself. After all, there had never been any man who could resist her charm.


    She was a natural beauty that would make all women envious!


    "Good, then you should go now, Miss Ross. We will go tomorrow, of course you have to prepare yourself, right?" Henry said. "I suggest you bring many warm clothes. Summer¡¯s almost over, it will get really cold there."


    "Yes! I will leave now, Sir!" Erin wanted to steal a kiss before leaving, but Henry quickly turned around and busied himself with documents before she could do it.


    Erin pouted, thinking Henry must¡¯ve been shy because this tiny chink was still in the office.


    Thus, Erin simply grabbed her bag and gave Mai a side eye before she left the CEO¡¯s office.


    Henry waited until Erin left, and he finally let out a relieved sigh, "I can¡¯t believe that I have to stand that bitch for too long. Ugh, this is torture."


    Henry shifted his gaze at Mai and asked, "Do you have everything covered? What about the flight tomorrow?"


    Mai smiled mysteriously and nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, Sir. I¡¯ve got everything covered. After all, you¡¯re not the only one who wants her dead."


    "Not dead, Mai. Stranded in the middle of a frozen island," Henry scoffed. "I think she might have tried to seduce those seals or polar bears when she got too desperate later on."


    **


    Erin was so happy today. She entered her apartment and began to pack for tomorrow. She took out her biggest luggage and began putting many dresses, jewelries, and winter jackets into the luggage.


    She realized that some of her clothes were a little outdated and decided not to bring that many casual clothes. After all, she would be naked inside Henry¡¯s expensive hotel suite most of the time.


    "Besides, I can always ask him to buy me clothes. Henry has a lot of money, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if I waste it all on buying branded clothes," Erin murmured.


    It took her at least two hours to finish packing everything she needed for her first overseas business trip, though this wasn¡¯t the first time she had gone outside the country.


    She visited Europe a lot with her girlfriends, of course by using Kate¡¯s credit card, or if Kate said was too much, she would usually tell Mom that Kate threatened her with something. It was so easy to get money from her sister.


    "Hmm, maybe calling her right now would be great. I can¡¯t imagine how devastated she would be knowing that I succeeded to be Henry¡¯s favorite woman in no time."


    Thus, Erin dialed Kate¡¯s phone and waited for her to pick up.


    Fortunately, her sister was still kind enough to pick up the call. She thought that Kate had blocked her after disowning her a week ago.


    ¡ª


    ...


    There was no voice from the other side, so Erin took the initiative to greet her sister, "Good evening, Sis. You know¡ªI¡¯m surprised that you still have my number unblocked. I thought you¡¯d block me after disowning me last week. Hihi, just say that you can¡¯t stand leaving me, Sis. I know that I¡¯m too good to be disowned."


    "Do you want me to block you now?" Kate responded.


    "Hey, relax, sis. Why are you so pressed anyway?" Erin rolled her eyes. "I have good news for you."


    ...


    Since there was no response from Kate, Erin decided to just go with it and tell her sister, "Do you know that Mr. Grant will be having an overseas business trip to Canada for a week?"


    "I know," Kate said. "I was supposed to be with him for that overseas trip before he fired me."


    "Aww, that¡¯s so sad for you, sis. But that¡¯s good for me, because he offers me to accompany him for this trip!" Erin said. "He even begged me to stay with him in the same presidential suite, and also told me that we will have many wild nights together."


    "Oh, he also said that we will have an amazing dinner and party together. He can¡¯t wait to fuck me after work, Sis!"

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151¡ª


    "Oh, really?" Kate raised her brow with a taunting tone on the other side of the call. "Did he really say that?"


    Erin got annoyed by her sister.


    Of course, it was all a lie!


    It had been a week since Kate left, but Erin was yet to get fucked by Henry. Her pussy was itching for his big dick, but Henry was so busy with work that he didn¡¯t even have time to talk with Erin most of the time.


    But that didn¡¯t stop her from lying.


    After all, her lies would soon come true anyway.


    "Of course! Why would I lie about that? Don¡¯t you realize how hot I am? Of course a man like Mr. Grant will have the hots for me!" Erin insisted. "I¡¯m literally gorgeous, sis, unlike you!"


    "Mhmmm, I see..." Kate was grinning the whole time.


    Of course, she knew Erin was lying because Henry was on a video call with her on her iPad, and he desperately tried to deny whatever bullshit Erin was spouting.


    His panicked look was cute for Kate. It made her want to bully him even more.


    "Good luck with him. I hope you have a fantastic trip with Mr. Grant," Kate said. She kept her eyes on the iPad screen and almost laughed when she saw Henry pulling his hair as he got frustrated because of this. "Don¡¯t call me anymore. I don¡¯t need to listen to your sexcapades. I have things to do, such as talking with my man."


    "Your man?" Erin frowned. She knew that Kate had a little wild trip one night, but she was so ugly. The only one who wanted her must be one of those poor construction workers or delivery boys.


    Or maybe...


    "Heh, are you that desperate sis? Is that why you¡¯re hiring an escort just to make yourself feel wanted?" Erin sneered. "It¡¯s okay, Sis. Life is indeed unfair. Life is easy for an absolutely gorgeous girl like me, it¡¯s not hard for me to attract any man that I want. But for you... well, I guess you can hire a gigolo for a while before you run out of money, hihi."


    Kate smiled and glanced at the iPad screen again, "Mhm, I guess I can hire a gigolo instead in case I feel lonely here. Enjoy your time in that cold wasteland, bye."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin frowned when Kate said she should enjoy her time in a cold wasteland.


    Canada might be cold, but it shouldn¡¯t be that cold, right?


    Besides, it didn¡¯t matter because she would be inside the hotel suite most of the time, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about being cold.


    Erin was a little worried by Kate¡¯s statement just now but then realized there was no use in worrying. Kate¡¯s words had no power. She was just a failed woman who wouldn¡¯t be able to find a job once Erin demanded Henry arrange for her to be jobless for the rest of her life.


    "It¡¯s better for me to focus on how to seduce Henry while we¡¯re in Canada. I want him to go crazy over me completely."


    **


    Kate hung up the call and grinned at Henry, who looked frustrated as he tried to defend himself while Kate put their call on mute. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He listened to Erin claiming this and that as if Henry was so horny her, while the truth was, he couldn¡¯t even stand staying in the same room with that bitch.


    "Well, well, well, what do we have here, Mr. Grant?" Kate teased. "It seems that you give my wench sister plenty of promises. You know that a man has to keep his promise, right?"


    Henry was fuming on mute, so Kate turned off the mute button, and she could finally hear him rambling.


    "Is that bitch sane? I never said any of those words! What the fuck is wrong with her?!"


    Kate laughed.


    She found it funny that Henry tried his best to refute everything, though Kate already knew Erin was the master of fabricating and exaggerating.


    "Kate¡ªno¡ªKitty, you have to believe me. There is no way that I will say those words to her. I already promised you that I will keep my guard even if I have to act like I¡¯m madly in love with her," Henry said seriously. Kate found it even more comical seeing Henry get so serious about this.


    Maybe she put too much pressure because she got jealous when Henry almost allowed Erin to kiss her back.


    But that didn¡¯t stop her from teasing him.


    He had been calling her every night and insisted they had at least an hour¡¯s worth of call. He said it was compensation for getting him stressed in the office on top of dealing with that wench.


    They mostly did nothing but talk, but that seemed to be enough for Henry.


    ¡¯Though, I doubt he¡¯ll be satisfied with only a kiss once this mission to ditch Erin is over,¡¯ Kate thought. She continued teasing him, "Well, I want to believe you, Mr. Grant. But I know that you have a history of being a playboy. It¡¯s kind of hard to believe a man when he can charm every woman he meets."


    "But I told you that I¡¯m only exclusive for you, E-X-C-L-U-S-I-V-E!" Henry insisted. He almost grunted as he got frustrated. "And I fucking mean it!"


    Kate finally laughed when he began to spell, "Alright, alright, why are you getting worked up over her anyway? You know that I won¡¯t believe what she said, right?"


    "I just can¡¯t imagine having a fight with you because of that stupid bitch," Henry sighed. "By the way, everything has been arranged, we will fly to Toronto, Canada, tomorrow morning."


    "Mhm, see you tomorrow," Kate said. She smiled when she saw that Henry wasn¡¯t happy with her indifference. So she added, "I can¡¯t wait to meet you. I missed you for the whole week."


    Henry finally reacted positively, "Me too. I can¡¯t wait to meet you again, Kitty. This past week has been a torture for me."


    Kate giggled, "Then go to sleep now, Henry. You have a morning flight to catch."


    "But I still want to talk to you," Henry sighed.


    "You can talk to me all day once we met," Kate assured him. "So go to sleep now."


    "Alright, good night, Kitty."


    "Good night, Mr. Grant."

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152Erin woke up in the morning feeling energized. She had a big day today and didn¡¯t want to miss it!


    It took her at least two hours to get ready because she wanted to look perfect in front of Henry!


    After all, they would be on the same first-class flight, probably sitting very close to each other, with only a partition separating them. She didn¡¯t want to stink in front of her future husband, or at least a future sex slave!


    Erin called a taxi and then called Mai, as she was the one who handled her flight.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mai to pick up the call.


    ¡ª


    "What?" Mai opened the conversation with hostility, much to Erin¡¯s annoyance.


    "Don¡¯t just ¡¯what¡¯ me, where is my flight itinerary? You know that you¡¯re the one responsible to handle my flight, right, Chink?"


    "Your flight itinerary has been sent to your email. Be a little smart, will you, wench?" Mai snarked back.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mai hung up the call abruptly as she didn¡¯t want to listen to this bitch¡¯s ramble while she was still busy working in the office, dealing with all the paperwork while waiting for Mr. Eckermann to return to the office.


    Erin gritted her teeth. No matter how many times she argued with this little chink bitch, she would always be on the losing side for some reason.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    Once she became the queen of Henry¡¯s heart, he could tell him to do whatever she wanted, or else she would leave him!


    And the first thing that she wanted to do was to make sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to find another job and to fire Mai and do the same to her. So those two bitches would regret ever facing her, Erina Grant.


    Erin arrived at the airport and checked her email.


    "Huh?" She frowned when she read her ticket. "Economy? What the¡ª Why do I get economy seat flight?!"


    Erin knew that Mai must be messing with her. So she called that bitch to ask why in hell she got an economy seat while she was supposed to get the first-class one?!


    And as expected, it didn¡¯t take long for Mai to pick it up.


    ¡ª


    "Is there anything wrong, Miss Ross?" Mai taunted as she already knew what had caused Erin to call her again right now.


    "Chink! How dare you give me an economy seat on this flight? Do you want me to tell Mr. Grant that you¡¯re messing with me?!"


    "Oh, I¡¯ve already consulted with Mr. Grant yesterday. I cannot get a first class ticket because it¡¯s all fully booked, and it¡¯s not possible to get you another day, because you¡¯re supposed to accompany him on this trip," Mai said professionally, giving no chance for Erin to refute her. "And Mr. Grant already said yes that you should fly in economy if that¡¯s the only one available."


    Erin was so angry at Mai, and she was even angrier knowing that she couldn¡¯t do anything against this chink right now.


    "Then I will call and find Mr. Grant in this airport. I know that he will be able to do something so we can get the same first class flight," Erin said. "Do you think you can sabotage me? Hah, I am much smarter than that."


    "Sure, you can try to call Mr. Grant right now. But I don¡¯t think he will pick it up, because he¡¯s already on another flight," Mai sneered.


    "Huh? What do you mean? He¡¯s supposed to fly with me!"


    "True, but he had something to do in San Francisco, so he took an early flight to San Francisco and will fly from that airport to Toronto." Mai chuckled. "You¡¯re all alone on this flight. Enjoy your economy cramped seat, hope you get unlucky by sitting beside someone whose armpit smells like a death sentence."


    Beep. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ª


    "THIS CHINK BITCH! ARRRGH!" Erin was infuriated beyond reasoning at this point. She was so angry at everyone, including Mr. Grant, for letting her take an economy flight.


    She tried to call Henry¡¯s phone many times, but none went through. It seemed his phone was in airplane mode, much to her annoyance.


    Everyone around looked at her as if Erin was mentally insane for throwing an adult tantrum in a public space.


    But Erin couldn¡¯t care less about that right now.


    "Ugh, I will make sure to demand so many things from Henry later. He has to compensate me for making me fly alone in the economy seat!"


    **


    Meanwhile, Henry had just landed in San Francisco airport. He texted Kate, asking where she was, and she simply replied.


    ¡ª


    Meet me once you board the flight to Toronto.


    ¡ª


    He was a little annoyed and impatient because he couldn¡¯t wait to meet with Kate. It had been a grueling week for him without her, and now he had to wait even more.


    Thus, Henry quickly rushed to register and board his flight to Toronto. He got his first-class ticket and hoped nothing went wrong because Mai said she had already prepared a little surprise for him and Kate.


    He entered the plane and was escorted by a flight attendant to his first-class seat.


    "Pardon me, Sir. But your seat is in the middle row. There is already someone else next to your seat. This partition can be rolled down with a button in case you know the person next to you, but if you don¡¯t, please don¡¯t touch the button to ensure privacy."


    Henry frowned. Of course, he knew all of this. He had been doing this first-class flight since he was seven years old.


    But he was still searching for Kate right now. There was no way he¡¯d spend another five hours without her.


    Henry sat on his seat and closed the small door to ensure privacy. He was about to call Kate to ask where she was right now.


    But the partition in the middle suddenly rolled down, and he immediately turned his head towards the seat next to him.


    There he saw a woman with luscious, long and wavy red hair. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, and Henry knew her eyes were even more beautiful under her shades.


    Kate took off her shades and glanced at Henry. Her sweet red lips curled at the corner, "Are you looking for someone, Mr. Grant?"

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153[Song recommendation: Everybody Loves an Outlaw - I See Red.]


    "Are you looking for someone, Mr. Grant?" Kate asked with her lips curled up at the corner. She was teasing Henry, knowing the man must be desperate to find her.


    Henry took a sharp breath as he tried to savor the beauty who sat next to him. It was only a week, but it felt like a month for Henry, and he couldn¡¯t wait to taste her lips, run his fingers on her hips and waist, and ram his cock inside her hot pussy.


    Yes, this woman was so tempting for him that he almost lost his control to kiss her.


    Kate glanced at Henry, who got tense immediately. She glanced down, and her grin got wider, "Mr. Grant, this is a public space," Kate said. She leaned towards him and whispered, "You don¡¯t expect me to suck you off here, right?"


    "Spare me, Kitty," Henry begged in a low voice. "I¡¯m trying my best here."


    Kate chuckled, "Alright, alright, I¡¯m just messing around with you. Why are you so aroused anyway? It¡¯s only been a week since the last time we met, it¡¯s not that long."


    "It feels like a month to me," Henry replied. "You¡¯d be surprised how pent up I am right now."


    "Well, since we can¡¯t do anything here, why don¡¯t we talk about our plans instead? Think about Erin, so you won¡¯t be horny anymore," Kate instructed.


    Henry began to think about that filthy whore who kept latching on him for the whole week, and his body shuddered from head to toe.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to lose all of his appetite.


    Henry sighed, "Well, it worked. Now what?"


    Kate chuckled, "I want to know if you have everything set for our plan, including the Canada business trip and then to Greenland."


    "Everything is according to plan," Henry said. "I already prepared everything, including three days of our business trip in Canada before we go to Greenland. But I have a question."


    "A question?"


    "It¡¯s about your mother. What will you say to your mother after he dumped that bitch in that frozen wasteland? Of course, you won¡¯t just tell your mother that we basically let her suffer, right?" Henry asked. He didn¡¯t understand Kate¡¯s bond with her mother, but it seemed to be strong enough, so he knew that Kate definitely didn¡¯t want her mother to know the truth.


    "That wench will dig her own hole. Don¡¯t worry, my mother will be happy and in peace without knowing a single damn thing about her golden child," Kate said.


    Henry stared at Kate, who looked so angry when she mentioned her mother. So he reached her hand and gently intertwined their fingers, "Hey, don¡¯t get too worked up, okay? Everything will be over soon, and we will have your peace."


    Kate smiled and nodded, "Yes, we will have our peace."


    Kate and Henry stared at each other for a while, and the atmosphere got warmer. Henry took the initiative to lean towards her and give her a quick kiss on the lips.


    He then placed his other hand on Kate¡¯s thigh, slowly caressing her inner thighs, and whispered, "You know that I want a reward, right? I¡¯m not a goody two shoes who would do something like this without any benefit."


    "Of course, Mr. Grant," Kate replied. She caressed his jaw with her finger and added, "You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s hungry for more."


    The sexual tension between them got so tense that they began considering whether they should join the mile-high club by doing it in the first-class bathroom.


    But the good atmosphere ended briefly when they saw a flight attendant walking towards them. So they had to separate and act like they weren¡¯t doing anything now.


    Kate winked at him to tease him even more, and Henry had to endure five grueling hours of trying to hide his boner.


    **


    Meanwhile, Erin felt like she was in hell right now.


    She got an economy seat, and to make it even worse, she got the one at the back! She was the closest to the smelly toilet, and as if it wasn¡¯t torturous enough, she was sitting in the middle of two men who didn¡¯t seem to take a shower regularly.


    They had that grimy look, and their armpits did smell like a death sentence.


    She tried to make it clear to these two smelly men about their deathly armpits, even going as far as saying, "Wow, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m stuck between two homeless people."


    But these two men ignored her completely. They just wore their headphones and didn¡¯t even try to cater to her needs.


    ¡¯Ugh, I¡¯ve been spoiled by my sister and Mr. Grant a lot, I can¡¯t believe I have to be stuck in four and a half hours with these two grimy men in the economy seat! Why is the world so unfair to me? Why do I have to suffer like this?!¡¯


    Erin could finally breathe after escaping the grueling four and a half hours. It took her another hour to get her baggage since she had to queue with these peasants from economy class, and she still had to get her own Taxi!


    Luckily, that chink was kind enough to give her the hotel itinerary, and it seemed that she got it right this time. Erin would be staying in an expensive hotel suite for three days.


    She tried to text Mr. Grant to see if he could accompany her.


    After all, he was the MAN in this relationship. He needed to escort her, cater to all her needs, and even accompany her to shop and pay for everything. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He would be less of a man if he didn¡¯t do anything she wanted!


    She was a high-quality woman. Of course, she deserved to get all of those queenly treatments!


    Unfortunately, no matter how often Erin spammed him with texts, Henry wouldn¡¯t reply.


    Erin shrugged, "Oh well, he¡¯s probably busy with those tedious business meetings. I guess I could surprise him later with my body, hihi."

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154: Chapter 154Erin checked into her hotel and got the promised expensive suite. She couldn¡¯t help but be awed by the luxury treatment she got.


    Erin dropped her luggage and then made a twirl in the middle of the huge presidential suite. She stared at the chandelier on top of her and admired, "Oh My God! Henry didn¡¯t lie when he said that he would give me the expensive suit! This is truly a dream come true!" Erin cheered. "I am definitely the first woman to ever get this special treatment from him, and I will be the last! Mrs. Erina Grant, here I come!"


    Erin knew that she had to ensure that Henry would only love her. Thus, she kicked her heels and jumped to the bed.


    She grabbed her phone and tried to call Henry. The call went through, but Henry didn¡¯t pick it up.


    Erin clicked her tongue as she got annoyed by his unresponsiveness.


    "Come on, Henry. I know that you¡¯re busy. But you want me, right? Then you should drop whatever busy thing you¡¯re doing and come to me!" Erin complained while she tried to blast Henry¡¯s phone with spam calls. "I am a very expensive woman! What if I got mad and stopped you from doing anything to me?!" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin kept spamming calls until the call was connected after ten missed calls.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Miss Ross?" Henry asked on the phone. His voice was heavy, almost like a gruff right now, as if he was doing something vigorous, such as having sex or getting himself serviced by another woman.


    But that was impossible, right?


    Henry had nobody else except her, ¡¯And I don¡¯t think he will be able to find someone sexier and prettier than me. I¡¯m like a total catch that he can¡¯t just ignore!¡¯


    "What are you doing right now, Mr. Grant?" Erin asked with her sweet, seductive voice, thinking she undoubtedly enticed him.


    "I¡¯m uh... busy with a lot of meetings right now. I have no time for you. I¡¯ll talk to you later, Miss Ross."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin¡¯s jaw dropped when Mr. Grant hung up the call as if she wasn¡¯t important enough compared to his job.


    "Well, that¡¯s annoying," she complained. She realized that Mr. Grant often ditched her for his work. It was annoying because she wanted him to prioritize her no matter what happened.


    "Maybe he still doesn¡¯t know what kind of treasure he is missing right now, so I better show him what I can do."


    Erin jumped out of bed and checked her luggage.


    She didn¡¯t bring much because her regular clothes were a little outdated. But she brought a few sexy lingeries for Henry.


    She had decided that they MUST have sex in Canada to ensure that Henry couldn¡¯t escape her anymore.


    "Ah, this one should be perfect," Erin said after finding a lingerie set that she liked the most. "This should be enough to seduce Henry until he will be madly in love with me. Oh, maybe I should make a sex tape with him later, and then spread it on the Internet, I bet I will be super popular, hihi~."


    **


    Henry hung up the call as fast as possible and threw his phone into the drawer. He looked at Kate, who was lying next to him. Her hand was busy down there, stroking his erect cock.


    Kate gave him a handjob while he was on a call with Erin.


    "You should talk to her more to make it believable," Kate said while her hand stroked his cock up and down. It was smooth because Henry had been leaking precum before she touched him.


    "Are you serious?" Henry was so annoyed that he had to pick up the call because Kate told him to do so. It ruined his mood completely hearing that wench¡¯s voice as she tried to seduce him. "Spare me, Kitty. You know that I¡¯m trying my best here. I would¡¯ve blocked her if not because you said I should pick up the call."


    Kate chuckled, "Okay, I¡¯m sorry. But the mission is important, you know."


    She lowered her gaze and then commented, "Though, I could feel your disgust, your dick actually got a little soft when you picked up the call."


    "Of course, you know how much I hate her," Henry said. He then used his hand to reach her supple ass and gripped it, "How about you compensate me tonight? You know how pent-up I am, and you know how much I want you."


    Kate smiled. She continued stroking Henry¡¯s cock up and down until Henry grunted out of lust, "Would a handjob be enough?"


    "Urgh, no," Henry replied curtly. He liked how her soft hand and long fingers played around his rock-hard cock. But it was definitely not enough. He wanted more.


    "A blowjob?"


    "No."


    "Just the tip?"


    Henry grew increasingly frustrated with how Kate tried to reason with him while her fingers kept stroking his cock. She even went as far as using her thumb to play with his tip, making his already sensitive cock even more sensitive.


    Thus, Henry got up and put his hands between her shoulder and his legs between her thighs, ensuring that Kate couldn¡¯t escape him anymore.


    His rock-hard cock rubbed her smooth thighs as he said, "You know I want you more than anything right now, Kitty. I want all of you."


    He was staring at her like a wild beast in heat, his snake-like gaze also grew increasingly dangerous, but that didn¡¯t scare Kate at all.


    She knew that he was a wild beast, and he might lose control if she teased him too much.


    But that was the fun of this game.


    Kate realized that a man like Henry could grow bored easily, and she didn¡¯t want him to get bored.


    So she would use their physical attraction as a weapon, even though she was also in the mood right now.


    "Be patient, handsome. You know I want it too."


    "Then what are we waiting for?" Henry asked impatiently. "We both want it, let me do you, Kitty."


    "I don¡¯t feel safe until you finally take care of that bitch. Ditch her off in the frozen wasteland, and I will make sure it will be worth your time."

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155Henry was frustrated with how Kate tried to withhold his reward. He was pent up, and he refused to masturbate right now, not when he had a woman he wanted to fuck all day and night.


    He was a hot-blooded young man with a high libido. If Kate allowed it, he¡¯d be fucking her for as many rounds as possible until his balls were empty.


    Kate continued to tease him but always stopped him before he could do more.


    Henry ruffled his hair frustratedly as he walked out of Kate¡¯s room into his room. They stayed in two presidential suites with a connecting door, so they could visit each other at night, even when naked.


    At first, Henry wanted them to live in the same suite since they had nothing to hide anyway.


    But Kate insisted on a separate room because...


    -


    ¡¯I know what you¡¯re going to do, Henry. Just like what I told you before, I will let you fuck me when you¡¯re done taking care of that wench. Be patient, will you?¡¯ Kate said while pushing Henry away before he could kiss her.


    -


    Henry clicked his tongue annoyedly as he entered his suite, "You really know how to pull me by my nose, Kate. It¡¯s crazy how much power you have over me," Henry complained.


    But in the end, he couldn¡¯t do anything to protest.


    He threw himself to the bed, but his eyes were glued to the connecting door, hoping that a miracle would happen and Kate would walk into his room and change her mind.


    Unfortunately, such a thing never happened, and Henry was left getting blue-balled once more.


    He decided to close his eyes and tried to go to sleep. But it wasn¡¯t even five minutes in, and he already got a call.


    He already knew who was calling him late at night and was about to ignore her completely.


    But Kate might scold him for ignoring that bitch.


    So he took a deep breath and picked up the call.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Miss Ross?" Henry asked. "Don¡¯t you see that it¡¯s almost midnight? I have a meeting tomorrow morning."


    "Mr. Grant, can you please come to my room? I¡¯m a little lonely, wuwuwu~," Erin said with a cute voice. She raised her pitch to make herself sound baby-like, thinking that Henry must be into a woman that acted cute and weak, ready to get touched by him.


    But that actually gave Henry a completely different effect. He was disgusted with Erin trying to speak cutely, like a child.


    "I¡¯m exhausted," Henry replied curtly. "I don¡¯t have time for you right now, Miss Ross."


    Erin was so annoyed at the other side of the call.


    She knew Henry must be exhausted, but that didn¡¯t matter to her! She was HIS woman. He needed to cater to everything she wanted if he called himself a man!


    After all, everyone was supposed to cater to her needs, but her boyfriend was different from regular men.


    She might have sex with plenty of men out there, but those men were married, Henry was the first unmarried man she dated, so she wanted him to be serious with her!


    "Alright, if you¡¯re so tired, then tell me your room number, Mr. Grant I will go there and sleep with you tonight!" Erin said determinedly.


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped for a second. He panicked because there was no fucking way he would want to sleep with that filthy bitch!


    "I don¡¯t want to see you right now, Miss Ross. My patience is wearing thin. I¡¯ll hang up now.


    "W¡ªWait!" Erin didn¡¯t want to miss this golden chance. If she failed to seduce him today, she wanted to seduce him as soon as possible!


    "W¡ªWell, I guess, if you¡¯re too tired to have sex with me right now, then you should compensate me...."


    Henry frowned, "Compensate?"


    "Yes, accompany me to go to the mall tomorrow. I want to buy many things. There are plenty of branded bags that I want to bring home, and of course you will pay for them all, right?" Erin asked.


    Henry was so disgusted with this woman. If it was Kate who asked him to buy her anything, then he would do it in a heartbeat.


    Heck, Kate could ask him to empty a store, and he would do it without thinking twice since he wanted to spoil her.


    But this wench was different.


    He felt unwilling to spend a single dime on her.


    ¡¯But giving her money so she won¡¯t disturb me is better. I don¡¯t care how much she will spend. As long as I can get my time alone with Kate, then it was worth the cost,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Besides, I should let that wench satisfy herself before I ditch her into that frozen wasteland. She won¡¯t be able to use whatever bags she bought anyway.¡¯


    Thus, Henry decided, "I can¡¯t accompany you tomorrow because I still have things to do. But I will send you money to your bank account. Twenty thousand should be enough for a day, right?"


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. Henry would send her twenty thousand for a day?!


    Wasn¡¯t that too much?


    At most, what she got from Big Sis was ten thousand in a month, and their mother had at least three mini heart attacks in a month, so Kate would finally give up and give Erin what she wanted.


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s only for a day? Are you serious?" Erin asked, her voice trembling slightly as she couldn¡¯t believe what she heard just now.


    "Yeah," Henry thought twenty thousand might be too low to stop Erin from pestering him. After all, it was more like pocket money for him. But hearing her response on the phone made him realize he was probably giving this bitch too much.


    "Then it¡¯s a deal, Sir!" Erin cheered. "Send me twenty-thousand dollars to my bank account and I will be very happy!"


    ... Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I will send it after you end the call. don¡¯t bother me tomorrow, Miss¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156Henry was caught off guard when Erin ended the call abruptly. She didn¡¯t even wait for him to finish his sentence because she was really impatient to get the money Henry promised.


    He scoffed and then sent twenty thousand dollars to her bank account.


    A mere twenty thousand dollars wouldn¡¯t make a hole in his wallet. But he couldn¡¯t help sneering, "And you really think that you¡¯re better than your sister. Erina Ross, if you use your brain just once, you will realize why you¡¯re surrounded by married deadbeat bastards."


    "But I suppose, that¡¯s just how you function, you don¡¯t use your brain," Henry said before putting his phone on Airplane mode and falling asleep in less than ten minutes.


    **


    Erin continued refreshing her internet banking to see if she got the money promised by Henry.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for her to see that big number in her bank account.


    "OH MY GOOODDD!" Erin was screaming out of joy. She didn¡¯t expect Henry to be so generous to her. She thought she¡¯d have to sleep with him first to get the money. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can get twenty thousand just because I called him late at night? Imagine what will happen after he fucked me. Maybe he will send me one million dollars!" Erin said. "I can¡¯t believe that life can be so easy for a beautiful girl like me. My sister would be fuming if she knew that I can get twenty thousand easily!"


    Thus, Erin decided not to disturb Henry tomorrow morning. She didn¡¯t want to get stuck in a boring board meeting. She¡¯d rather spend her day shopping, buying lots of branded stuff, and then show it to her sister and friends.


    "Yeah, Henry can work his ass for me. I¡¯ll just be his good woman who would spend all of his money to buy branded stuff, hihi~."


    **


    Henry woke up early in the morning.


    Though he wanted to sleep longer, he didn¡¯t want to miss his date with Kate today.


    Yes, he had no meeting whatsoever in Canada.


    After all, this entire overseas business trip was a fake scheme set by Kate to fool her sister.


    Thus, Henry demanded Kate to at least go on a date with him to compensate for his patience.


    He checked himself in the mirror. He meticulously combed his hair to ensure he looked handsome for his date with Kate.


    It had been a while since they spent time together.


    The last time they had a date was in San Francisco.


    He brought her to his favorite sunset viewing spot and then to Pier 14, where they watched the beautiful night in San Francisco together.


    "Okay," Henry said as he put down his comb. Henry was wearing a casual black tee and trousers. He also wore a gray overcoat because Toronto was colder than California. "I look dashing as always. I think I¡¯m ready."


    He then entered Kate¡¯s room through the connecting door and saw Kate, who was getting ready for their date.


    She was wearing a white turtleneck and a shin-length brown skirt. She was wearing a low-rise heel, and she let her hair loose, unlike her usual bun-style hair.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup and looked so casual, yet she was so gorgeous that Henry was breath-taken by her.


    "Good morning, you look so casual today, Henry," Kate smiled. "It suits you."


    "And you¡ªwow¡ª" Henry was at a loss of words to comment on Kate¡¯s appearance.


    Kate was a little insecure because she only covered her face with a thin foundation and nude lipstick, and that was it.


    She wasn¡¯t a fan of wearing makeup in a casual setting, and she was usually confident with herself.


    But today was different.


    This would be the first time they had a proper date since their date in San Francisco was unplanned, and Kate¡¯s heart was a mess back then.


    So she was worried that Henry might not like her almost-bare appearance.


    "Am I too ugly to go with you without makeup?" Kate asked frankly. "Then please wait for a minute and let me touch up."


    "No, you don¡¯t need to do more," Henry said. "You¡¯re just so beautiful with this casual outfit. I just realized that you look my age when you¡¯re not in your formal outfit at work."


    Kate chuckled. There was a tint of red on her cheeks as she got a little shy, "You really know how to charm a woman, Sir Casanova. Should I be worried that you¡¯d find another woman during our date?"


    "I will never," Henry replied without hesitation. He approached her and then wrapped his arm around her waist, "You are the hottest date I¡¯ve ever scored in my life."


    Kate raised her brow, "Oh really? I¡¯m the hottest? Then I guess I fit your taste, hm?"


    "You do," Again, Henry replied without hesitation. "You¡¯re truly gorgeous from head to toe.


    "In fact, as shameful as it sounds..." Henry leaned and whispered into her ear, "The sight of your ankle makes me think I might¡¯ve developed a foot fetish just now."


    Kate began to feel the heat all over her body. Henry was truly a man with eloquence in his seduction. He knew how to make a woman feel good, and Kate... she was no different.


    After all, she was still a woman, and to be treasured by the right man was something she wanted.


    "W¡ªWell, we should go now. I¡¯m hungry, and I want to grab a bite in the high rated restaurant in Toronto," Kate said as she tried to escape Henry before things got wild in the morning. "Besides, we should go as soon as possible before Erin sees us together. I don¡¯t want to jinx our date today by seeing her face."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I already made sure that Erin wouldn¡¯t disturb us today," Henry assured. "I already sent her twenty-thousand dollars to her bank account last night. She will be busy in the mall while we¡¯re having our date somewhere else."

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157[Song Recommendation: Merry Go Round - Howl¡¯s Moving Castle¡¯s OST.]


    "Twenty thousand dollars?!" Kate¡¯s jaw dropped when Henry mentioned that number casually. "Did you just send twenty thousand to that bitch last night?!"


    "H¡ªHey, calm down," Henry tried to take control of the situation before Kate misinterpreted his action. He didn¡¯t want to fight with her, especially not during their supposed date. "She called me last night, demanding that I go to her room for, you know¡ªsex. I don¡¯t want to cater to anything she says, so I shut her up with money."


    "So you sent her twenty thousand?"


    "Well, yeah," Henry admitted. "And it works. At least we will have a peaceful date, right?"


    Kate sighed.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t blame Henry here. He must be frustrated with her withholding his reward and Erin for being her bitchy self.


    Thus, she nodded, "You should¡¯ve just given her five thousand at most, and she will shut up. But I get it, I know you¡¯re trying your best to help me."


    "I know, I regret it so much," Henry said. "I just thought twenty thousand should be enough to stop her. After all, it¡¯s mere pocket money for me."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "I will transfer the same amount to you later. She¡¯s my responsibility after all."


    "Oh, come on, why are we fussing over a mere twenty thousand? Let¡¯s just go now and forget about our problem," Henry said. He rubbed his belly like a kid and added, "I¡¯m starving."


    Kate chuckled, "Alright, big boy, let¡¯s go out and have brunch first."


    **


    Henry had already coordinated with the hotel staff the moment he arrived yesterday, and he had booked a car plus the driver from the hotel to give them a tour around Toronto for their date, so they wouldn¡¯t need to be worried about getting lost in this new city.


    They had brunch in the recommended cafe with a city view and then went to their first destination, which was Casa Loma, the popular Castle in Toronto that had been the setting of many popular movies.


    Kate was excited when she saw the big and beautifully decorated gothic castle. Her eyes glimmered as if the castle was the best thing she ever saw.


    "Oh my god! Look at the garden, Henry!" Kate said even before they entered the castle. "It¡¯s gorgeous! It gives me that Victorian garden vibes, complete with the fountain!"


    The air was a bit chilly right now since it was the start of autumn, yet the air around them was very warm.


    Henry smiled when Kate rushed to the garden and made a little twirl as if she was a princess in the middle of a Disney movie.


    She seemed so happy now that Henry didn¡¯t have the heart to break her immersion. So he just gazed at her in silence and huffed as his heart beat faster when she smiled at him.


    ¡¯She seems to like this kind of garden, maybe I should build her one later,¡¯ Henry thought. He then scoffed as he found himself ridiculous.


    But he had to admit that spending time with Kate gave him many ridiculous ideas.


    Just like what he experienced right now, seeing her in such joy just because of a garden made him think that he should build her one, so she would be happy every time.


    Kate blushed when she realized that she had broken her character just now.


    She returned towards Henry, who was watching her the whole time, and said, "S¡ªSorry, I got carried away with the garden. It¡¯s just so beautiful and I... uhm... let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve been a fan of historical romance for so long."


    Henry chuckled, "Oh really?"


    "Y¡ªYeah," Kate nodded. Her cheeks reddened even more as she realized that Henry might find her weird and too ¡¯nerdy.¡¯


    She has been a bookworm since she was young. She read many books as an escapism because the reality of her life wasn¡¯t so lucky.


    Her favorite had always been historical romance, mostly the romance with a Prince or Duke, and she had been a fan of Jane Austen since she discovered Pride and Prejudice at such a young age.


    She often fantasized about what it felt like to be loved by a Duke or a Crown Prince and imagined life would be if she lived in a castle, wearing dresses of the said era and socializing with other nobles.


    She had diversified her taste once she became the then Chief Editor. After all, she knew that people¡¯s tastes varied, and she had to ensure that she could reach as many audiences as possible with the book the company published.


    But historical romance was still her favorite, and she still fantasized about having a heart-wrenching romance with a handsome but mysterious Duke.


    "I see, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re so good at finding a good book to publish," Henry commented. He went quiet for a moment and added, "Since you like kingdom romance so much, does that mean you have the idea of marrying a Duke?"


    Kate was so embarrassed and nodded shyly, "W¡ªWell, we all have a fantasy, right?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s true, we all have a fantasy," Henry said. He had a mysterious smile and grabbed her hand, "Then, why don¡¯t we go inside the castle and explore. I¡¯m pretty sure it will relive your childhood fantasy of marrying a Duke."


    "C¡ªCan you stop talking about that? It¡¯s a bit embarrassing if you keep mentioning it."


    "Hey, it¡¯s fine, I have a childhood fantasy too," Henry said.


    "Then, what kind of childhood fantasy do you have?" Kate asked. "It¡¯s not fair that I¡¯m the only one who gets exposed here."


    "Hahah, well, my childhood fantasy is not quite simple," Henry leaned towards Kate and whispered in her ears. "My childhood fantasy is to have a complete family of my own. I want a wife, and a few kids, and I want to be a responsible man for the woman I love."


    "What do you think, Kitty? Can you help me to make that fantasy come true?"

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158Kate was stunned by the sudden confession. Her body stiffened when Henry¡¯s warm breath tickled around her earlobe and neck.


    She was caught off guard by his indirect confession, and she didn¡¯t know if it was right for her to say yes, though she wanted it.


    The idea of having a complete family was also in her mind, but that was more like a teenage dream.


    She was raised in a conservative family to be a traditional housewife, and she thought she could have it with Matt.


    She¡¯d be lying if she said that Henry¡¯s invitation didn¡¯t lure her. But she still thought that Henry was rushing things. Henry¡¯s love and affection felt so dreamy that it seemed unreal to Kate, especially after she got hurt by a man with zero quality.


    Henry felt like a daydream, and she feared he¡¯d leave her after she decided to give in.


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened once he realized that Kate didn¡¯t seem to reciprocate his indirect confession. What he said was true.


    He never had a complete family for so long, and his status didn¡¯t help either.


    Whenever he saw what his father did, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That irresponsible, heinous, lecherous bastard didn¡¯t deserve happiness for what he did to his mother and late big brother.


    So he always dreamed of having a complete family and visioned himself to be a good man, loyal and loving to his wife, and responsible to his children.


    ¡¯Is it still too fast for me to say it to her?¡¯ Henry asked himself. ¡¯As expected, staying with her gives me strange ideas.¡¯


    Henry chuckled and pinched Kate¡¯s cheek lovingly, "Hey, why are you so tense? I¡¯m just kidding, alright. My fantasy when I was young was to be one of those Power Rangers. I want to be a Red Ranger and lead a transformation to fight crimes."


    "Oh¡ªhaha, okay then," Kate tried to laugh it off, though she was still awkward. "Well, why don¡¯t we go inside and explore the castle? It must be even cooler inside!"


    Henry smiled and nodded. They held hands as they entered the castle and began exploring around.


    Kate tried to curb her enthusiasm, but she couldn¡¯t help it once she realized that Casa Loma was precisely the kind of castle she had in mind when she imagined herself as a daughter of a marquess or a viscount, crying in her room as she got forcefully betrothed to a mysterious Duke that she barely knew, only to find that Duke to be the man she truly wanted her whole life.


    Kate couldn¡¯t hide her excitement anymore as they entered the ballroom area and were awed by how beautiful it was.


    "Oh wow, look at this place, Henry!" Kate said as her eyes stared at the beautiful chandeliers. She released her hand from Henry and walked into the middle of the ballroom.


    She twirled again, imagining herself as the noble young Lady dancing with her betrothed.


    She was glad nobody except Henry was around to see her twirling like an idiot.


    ¡¯Ah, is it wrong for me to imagine myself as a noble lady at this age? I feel like it¡¯s fine for me to fantasize,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯After all, I will never meet the mysterious, yet handsome Duke in my life. It¡¯s all just a harmless fantasy.¡¯


    Kate was enjoying herself, so she didn¡¯t realize when Henry gazed at her for a while. He mustered his courage to approach her and stood about two feet away from her.


    He bowed while stretching his hand, "Milady, may I have this dance?"


    Kate gasped when she saw Henry waiting for her to accept his invitation to a dance. He acted just like the mysterious Duke in her fantasy, and the thin smile full of secrets, alongside his handsome face, only made it even more believable!


    But Kate quickly snapped out of her daze and looked around in panic. She was scared someone else might visit this area and laugh at them for being childish.


    Luckily, it seemed that they happened to be the only couple that visited Casa Loma right now.


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing, Henry? Someone might see us!" Kate said as she tried to scold Henry.


    But Henry was still in his character. His posture, gait, appearance, and courtesy were similar to a noble from hundreds of years ago.


    So he repeated his question, "I saw you alone in this ballroom, Milady. I have been enchanted the moment I saw you. So I am here offering myself, may I have this dance, Milady?"


    "Henry..." Kate was surprised by how in character he was. It seemed that Henry wanted her to relive her childhood fantasy, and this was the perfect time for her to do so.


    Kate swallowed her saliva, and she mustered her courage.


    Maybe it was the right time for her to ditch all of her bitter life, just for a few minutes.


    She wanted to be a child again without any burden. She wanted to live in the fantasy that she had long ago.


    So she made slight curtsy and put her hand on top of his as a sign that she was willing, "Pardon me, Your Grace, I didn¡¯t realize that you¡¯ve been here the whole time. I should¡¯ve been more polite to my betrothed."


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped for a second, ¡¯My betrothed....¡¯


    Henry took a deep breath to calm himself, and his smile deepened, "I¡¯m glad to be betrothed to you. Lady Katherine, you¡¯re truly a marvel, a work of art that I will treasure for the rest of my life."


    Henry pulled Kate towards him and said, "You¡¯re even more beautiful up close, Milady."


    "And you are truly the most dashing man I¡¯ve ever met, Milord," Kate replied. They began their slow dance, and Kate was a little surprised by how natural Henry was. It was rare for a man these days to know how to do an old-fashioned slow dance.


    "Are you surprised by the way I dance?" Henry asked. He grinned and said, "To tell you the truth, I am even more surprised by how you can match my step. You are truly a noble lady that befits to be my wife, Lady Katherine."

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159[Song Recommendation: Elvis Presley - Can¡¯t Help Falling in Love.]


    Henry and Kate continued dancing in the middle of the ballroom of Casa Loma.


    They were the only visitor right now, But Henry still looked around, ensuring that nobody except for them was in the ballroom before he said, "Do you want to know a little secret about my family, Lady Katherine?"


    "Would that put my safety into jeopardy, Your Grace?" Kate asked.


    Henry chuckled. He looked at Kate again and leaned closer until their foreheads touched, "How could I harm you, Milady. You are my betrothed, and you are currently bearing our child, are you not?"


    "I am," Kate replied. "I bear our child right now, and I want you to take responsibility, Your Grace."


    "Yes, that is why I have no hesitation to make you my wife," Henry claimed. "Well then, ready for the little secret that I want to tell you?"


    "Yes, Your Grace, I am ready to know your little secret, and as an exchange, I will tell you a secret as well," Kate said.


    Thus, motivated by Kate¡¯s promise, Henry helped Kate to make a beautiful twirl in the ballroom and then caught her as she finished the third turn.


    Kate rested her back on Henry¡¯s strong arm, trusting him to support her so she wouldn¡¯t fall.


    She looked at the beautiful chandelier again, and this time, Kate truly felt like she was reliving her fantasy of dancing with a handsome Duke.


    She kept staring at the chandelier until the handsome face of the mysterious Duke covered the light as he leaned towards her face. Even from this angle, Henry was still handsome without any flaw in Kate¡¯s eyes. He was truly the befitting man to play a mysterious Duke in a movie.


    "Let me tell you something, Kitty," Henry said. His emerald eyes were deep and, honestly, a little scary. But he kept staring at Kate with such gentleness that Kate soon discarded the idea of his menacing eyes.


    "My Great Great Grandfather was a young Duke of a Duchy in Ireland before he fell in love with a common lady when he already had a fiance from the royal family."


    "His engagement was a political marriage, but this common lady was indeed his true love. Knowing that the common lady¡¯s life might be in danger because of this, he abdicated from his position and gave it to his younger brother."


    "He then took his share of inheritance and brought the common lady to the United States to avoid the Royal Family¡¯s wrath. He married her legally and then began his family here," Henry said. "Though he lost his status, he was still close to his brother in Ireland, and often sent letters to each other and the duke often sent aid to make sure that my Great Great Grandfather have a good life in here. In exchange, his brother asked my Great Great Grandfather to keep the family tradition and taught all of his descendants on how to be a noble and never forget about our roots."


    "Though it¡¯s rarely used in this era, James and I learned many things about being a noble since we are still noble kids, and ballroom dance is one of them," Henry stared at Kate and grinned. "My family line from Northern Ireland has no male descendant, so they want me to take over the family legacy."


    "So, Lady Katherine, your fantasy of marrying a Duke might not be too far off."


    Kate was stunned by the sudden revelation. She knew Henry came from a long line of affluent families. He was part of the classic old-money family, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be connected with a real duchy in Ireland.


    And yes, since James passed away, Henry was left to be the only inheritor of his family legacy.


    ¡¯If I marry him, does that mean I¡¯m basically marrying a young Duke?¡¯


    The idea blew her mind completely. She didn¡¯t know how to process it because she didn¡¯t expect Henry to be part of a noble lineage. She just expected him to be a rich himbo most of the time.


    Henry chuckled when he saw Kate¡¯s expression. He knew the truth would shock many people, but this was the first time a woman didn¡¯t seem too happy with the revelation.


    "What? Are you not happy with the idea of marrying a young duke?" Henry asked. His smile deepened, and he added, "Don¡¯t worry, if you don¡¯t want to marry a young duke, how about marrying a rich CEO? Or maybe you want someone younger? Then how about marrying a frat boy? I mean, I was in a fraternity when I was in university."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Kitty, I can be your fantasy. I can be all the kind of man that you want," Henry said. Then he added in his heart, ¡¯As long as you¡¯re willing to be with me, then I regret nothing.¡¯ Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate didn¡¯t understand why Henry was so adamant about marrying her.


    It was true that she bore his baby, but the baby was conceived after a drunken night with them so desperate to find comfort.


    She loved the baby in her stomach to death, and she was ready to raise it without a father because she knew the chance for the father to take responsibility was very small.


    Yet, Henry came to her, telling her to keep the baby and trying to obtain her heart.


    ¡¯Which he succeeds...¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯He has successfully throw me into this dilemma. He gives me a fantasy that I¡¯ve never realized I could get, yet I¡¯m too scared to go further knowing that Henry might leave me.¡¯


    Kate stared at Henry for a while. Her eyes were pooling with tears as she tried to keep herself from falling in love too far for this man.


    ¡¯But what if... everything is just my paranoia?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯Maybe Henry truly has no vile intention to me. Maybe he truly loves me and is willing to marry me because of love and adoration instead of a hidden scheme.¡¯


    ¡¯Maybe... just maybe... I can finally find a man who will treasure me...¡¯

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160: Chapter 160"So, what secret do you have, Kitty?" Henry asked as they continued their slow and intimate dance with no gap between their bodies. "You promised me that you¡¯ll tell me a secret in exchange for mine."


    Kate was thinking about it for a moment.


    She hesitated because what she wanted to say might give too much hope for Henry.


    But she had promised, so she took a deep breath and uttered, "Henry, I¡¯ve been thinking that I should finally reciprocate your feelings after we¡¯re done with Erin¡¯s problem."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened. His body turned stiff instantly, and he missed a step, so Kate accidentally stepped on his shoes.


    "Woah¡ªAH!" Kate lost her balance and was about to fall because of the misstep, but Henry quickly caught her and stared at her with eyes full of hope and love.


    Kate could see herself in his deep emerald-like eyes as if she was the only one in his heart and mind right now.


    "Promise me, Kitty," Henry said. His voice was a little shaky because he was trying to hold his excitement. "Promise me that you will date me after I¡¯m done with the mission you gave me."


    Kate swallowed her saliva. She felt like she was drowning in this atmosphere that they created.


    And she wouldn¡¯t lie that she was excited about the idea of dating this man.


    Because this man never hurt her and hopefully would never hurt her.


    Thus, Kate put her hand on Henry¡¯s Chest, and she could feel his quickening heartbeat. He must be so excited right now, yet he still tried to be gentle, knowing that Kate was pregnant with his baby.


    "Yes, I promise, Henry," Kate said. "I can¡¯t help falling in love with you, so I... I wish that you can treasure my fragile heart."


    "I will, I will treasure you," Henry promised with all the fiber in his heart. He then leaned and kissed her on the lips. He deepened his kiss when he realized that Kate didn¡¯t fight back.


    Instead, she put her hand on the back of Henry¡¯s head, pushing him so he would kiss her more.


    The trip to Casa Loma ended with this warm feeling in their hearts. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had another destination around Toronto, and they had a blast as long as they were far from any Mall to avoid Erin, who was probably still busy trying to spend twenty thousand dollars in a day.


    And thus, they conclude their date as they stop at their last destination before having a reserved guest-only fine dining.


    They entered the Hockey Hall Of Fame, and this time, Henry was trying his best to hide his excitement.


    "Wow, they have the helmet of every popular hockey player from Canada!" Henry commented as he admired all of the helmets mounted in a one big wall.


    Kate didn¡¯t know much about sport, her family was never fond of any sport. She often visited Matt in many of his attempts at sports, from American football, soccer, baseball, and basketball.


    But he sucked so bad at all of them, so he ended up being benched most of the time before leaving and tried another sport to find his true calling.


    Unfortunately, he was not athletic enough to excel in any of them.


    Thus she asked, "Were you a fan of hockey?"


    "Well, I played a bit of hockey when I was in high school," Henry replied. "I got into the regional, but decided to drop it in the end."


    "Before James¡¯ death, I had no intention of following his path to be a businessman," Henry sighed as he recalled his not-so-fond childhood experience. "I¡¯ve always been the athletic one in the family. I liked so many sports, and excelled in almost all of them. I got qualified for so many competitions, but I would usually quit before I could be serious in any sport. Now I¡¯m doing sports as a recreational activity, and often watch basketball, hockey, rugby, and baseball matches on TV or in the stadium."


    "And why is it so?" Kate asked. She observed Henry from head to toe and commented, "I mean, from your physique, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯d excel in many sports."


    "My parents always told me there is no future in sport, that I should not disillusion myself to think that I will make it big in sport," Henry said. "They said that I should just focus on becoming the spare tire for my Big brother."


    Henry clenched his fist as he stared at the helmets on the wall. There was a fire in his heart as he got angry, knowing that he would never be one of these legends.


    His dream had been crushed even before he could prove to his parents his worth.


    Kate realized Henry was upset, so she gently covered Henry¡¯s fist with her soft palms and tried calming him down, "Take a deep breath, Henry. Should we go out first so you can relax? I don¡¯t want you to get more upset."


    Henry nodded, "Sorry that I ruined the good atmosphere."


    "Not at all. We all have bad memories, and I don¡¯t want you to recall about bad memories when we¡¯re supposed to be happy right now," Kate smiled at him as she led him out.


    Henry could finally breathe normally after they left the Hockey Hall of Fame.


    He felt a little guilty because the real reason that he got agitated wasn¡¯t actually about his crushed dream.


    True, he might feel like he missed something because he couldn¡¯t be a pro athlete, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to make him emotional. After all, he could still sponsor some of his favorite Hockey or Rugby teams, hoping that they would win so he¡¯d get more money. It was also a way to satisfy his thirst to dominate the sport.


    But he was more upset knowing only two people in his life supported his dream of becoming an athlete back then.


    ¡¯And now James is dead, and she... she¡¯s in a mental institution right now....¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯And they are the reason why I am adamant to do this mission to destroy my own family.¡¯

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161: Chapter 161Henry knew his two beloved people¡¯s demise was arranged by his bastard father and mother. James¡¯ death was not accidental, and that woman¡¯s insane behavior was definitely exaggerated so she would be thrown into an asylum even though she had never acted feral before.


    Henry clenched his fist again. He was so angry, knowing that he couldn¡¯t do anything to help them. He was powerless, and it was stupid for him to believe that he should be good even if people were bad to them. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After he saw what happened to his beloved people¡¯s life, he realized that he had to be cruel to fight those equally evil bastards.


    ¡¯And for my Kitty...¡¯ Henry looked at Kate, who was looking at him with concern. He had terrible intentions for Kate before. With her status as James¡¯ infamous succubus, he could use her baby as a bargaining chip to get his father¡¯s approval.


    He¡¯d trade the baby for complete power over the Grant family and then destroy them all from the inside.


    ¡¯After all, I never think that I deserve anything from this family,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯It¡¯s James who¡¯s supposed to have everything. I¡¯m just a shameless thief who was born to ruin James¡¯ life....¡¯


    ¡¯So if James dies because of me, then I will just burn it all,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I won¡¯t carry the legacy of a murderer.¡¯


    Henry was adamant about finishing his personal mission before, but he fell in love with Kate at the worst time possible.


    At first, he thought that she was a greedy bitch who seduced his late brother for money.


    However, Kate turned out to be a competent woman of her own. She didn¡¯t even want Henry to take responsibility for the baby.


    She wanted Henry to go away and leave her and her baby alone, which intrigued him so much.


    So Henry took Kate as a challenge, thinking he could make her fall in love with him and hand her baby willingly before ditching her. He¡¯d then paint her as an irresponsible whore of a mother and give the baby to Marlon Grant.


    He didn¡¯t know nor care about what would happen to the baby after he handed it to his father.


    But he knew that his father kept on obsessing over the idea that Kate was the one who caused James to derail from his ¡¯pure noble line¡¯ and latched on to a common woman instead.


    Marlon wanted a perfect heir who would obey everything he said, since his sons, James and Henry were both defiant. So Henry guessed that Marlon would train his grandchild to be his puppet, a tool that wouldn¡¯t dare to argue or fight back.


    Henry thought he could get revenge if he got his father¡¯s approval and had full control over the family¡¯s decision.


    And for Kate? He¡¯d just compensate her with money and throw her away.


    It was downright cruel, indeed.


    But Henry wasn¡¯t a good man to start with.


    He was softening because Kate turned out to be an amazing woman, far from his expectation, and now, he felt so guilty for having the idea of hurting Kate before.


    He even went as far as wanting to compensate her with his life if that was all he needed to pay for the heinous plan he had against her.


    ¡¯I have to find a way to get my father¡¯s approval without hurting Kate and our baby. Though I¡¯m still yet to find a way to do it.¡¯


    ¡¯I might have been too deep into this. There is no way I¡¯d cheat behind Kate¡¯s back,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Heck, I can¡¯t even sleep with Sarah. Anything other than Kate is just out of the question to me.¡¯


    Kate realized Henry was still upset, so she patted his back and asked, "Henry, should we go back to our hotel?"


    "... Yeah, we should," Henry said. "I¡¯m sorry, Kitty. I¡¯m just feeling too upset right now."


    "It¡¯s alright, I had fun today. I should thank you for bringing me on a date. I never realized that a date can be very enjoyable before," Kate said as she tried to soothe Henry.


    Thus, they returned to the hotel, and Henry kissed Kate¡¯s forehead before entering his suite. Kate sighed as she stared at the door.


    "I don¡¯t know why, but I feel so guilty because I can¡¯t do more to help him," Kate murmured. "He helps me so many times, yet all I can do is to be his woman. I know he doesn¡¯t demand more than that, but I still want to do more to help."


    "Maybe there¡¯ll be time when he will finally open up to me and ask for my help," Kate said. "Whatever it is, I will help him as long as it won¡¯t harm our baby."


    Thus, Kate returned to her suite to rest after a long date.


    **


    Henry sat on his bed, staring at the wall as he was in dilemma about getting his father¡¯s approval without hurting Kate and their baby.


    Since Marlon already knew that Kate was pregnant with Henry¡¯s baby, he already gave an ultimatum to Henry.


    He would approve Henry to take over the family, if;


    He could hand over Kate¡¯s baby to Marlon. So Marlon would raise and shape his grandchild as his loyal tool, and it¡¯d also be a little revenge to satisfy Marlon¡¯s anger against Kate who dared to seduce both of his sons.


    Or, if Henry was unable to bring Kate¡¯s baby to him. He could just get a baby from Sarah, so that would ¡¯purify their noble bloodline.¡¯


    Both of them were a no-no for him obviously.


    He sighed and rested on the bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to find a way out.


    But his long daze was interrupted when his phone rang.


    He checked the caller and rolled his eyes to hear this bitch¡¯s voice again.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, Miss Ross."


    "Good evening, Mr. Graaaanttt!" Erin replied with that childish cheerfulness that grossed him out so much. "Mr. Grant~ I want you to know that I spent twenty thousand dollars today! Can you imagine? Gosh, this is the first time I spend so much in a day!"


    Henry curled his lips. He tried to act nice even though his mind and heart were in chaos.


    "Really? Good for you, Miss Ross," Henry replied unenthusiastically. "So why are you calling me now? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy with whatever you bought today?"


    "Well, I¡¯m currently trying to pick which bag I would use tomorrow!" Erin replied. "Mr. Grant, you sound tired, do you want me to service you? I mean, for twenty thousand dollars, you can even fuck me raw tonight, hihi~."

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162: Chapter 162"No need," Henry rejected as soon as possible. The idea was too much for him to stomach.


    "Aww, but I feel like a good blowjob will make you feel better, Mr. Grant," Erin kept trying to seduce him. "Why don¡¯t you try it? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very good at giving a blowjob."


    "O¡ªOf course, I¡¯m still a virgin! I just learned how to give a good head by watching a lot of porn!" Erin added. She knew that virginity would add more thrill of the conquest.


    Henry wasn¡¯t amused at all.


    He took a deep breath to calm his rage and said, "Miss Ross, you should prepare everything tonight, because we will fly to Greenland tomorrow at noon."


    "Huh? Greenland?!" Erin was surprised. "Where is Greenland?"


    "... it¡¯s a country up north. It¡¯s a cold place surrounded by ice most of the time."


    "Ice? Then what are you going to do there? Oh, Mr. Grant, you surely know how to joke, hihi," Erin giggled.


    "I have another meeting there. We¡¯re going to start another publishing house based in Nuuk, Greenland," Henry said.


    It was all bullcrap, of course. But Henry knew Erin was so stupid. She¡¯d just believe everything he said anyway.


    "Oh, I see...." Erin wasn¡¯t interested in the business stuff that Henry was talking about. After all, why would she care about business, finance, and whatsoever?


    She was so beautiful; that was all she needed to have a good life.


    She¡¯d marry a man like Henry, handsome, rich, useful, and gave her everything she demanded.


    She was a woman. All she needed to do was to be cute and spread her legs wide so a powerful man like Henry could fuck her every day. In exchange, Henry would spoil her for the rest of her life!


    Erin had that idea in mind, and it was proven true so far!


    "So, what¡¯s the good stuff in there, Mr. Grant?" Erin asked on the phone. "Is there a mall? I mean, it¡¯s a place covered in ice, maybe they still live in that igloo, hihi!"


    "They have a mall," Henry replied. "In fact, I want you to follow me because I want to see the northern lights or aurora with a special woman, and that woman is you, Miss ross."


    "Whoa, aurora?!" Erin saw an aurora on Youtube before, and it looked so beautiful!


    Of course, she wanted to see it in real life, but she didn¡¯t like the cold.


    "But it¡¯s too cold there, Mr. Grant, are you going to warm me up every minute?" Erin hinted.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we will stay in a warm cabin while watching it, and you know what we will do in the cabin, right?"


    Erin¡¯s cheeks reddened. She was so excited thinking that she could finally have sex with Henry.


    She could vividly imagine the size of Henry¡¯s cock, and couldn¡¯t wait to have it all inside her pussy.


    "So, Miss Ross, do you want to go with me to Greenland or not?"


    "Yes! Please take me with you, Mr. Grant! I will go anywhere as long as I¡¯m with you!" Erin said. She was so happy knowing that she¡¯d get even more money after marrying Henry.


    Since twenty thousand dollars was like pocket change for him, he shouldn¡¯t worry if Erin asked for a hundred thousand dollars daily!


    "Good," Henry smirked as he knew the plan had been set. "Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ross, this time, we will be on the same flight. Though we¡¯re not going to be sitting in the same seat, everything has been prepared by Mai beforehand, so I can¡¯t change anything, unfortunately."


    Erin wanted to get angry at Henry because they weren¡¯t together during the flight.


    But she felt like she had to be a little patient for now.


    After all, if she kept demanding stuff from Henry, he might find her annoying.


    ¡¯I need to act like I¡¯m a good girl. A girl who¡¯s all forgiving and loving, so he thinks I¡¯m a marriage material, hihi,¡¯ Erin had no intention of marrying Henry before. But after knowing Henry didn¡¯t hesitate to spoil her, Erin decided to change her tactic to impress Henry so he¡¯d be madly in love with her, wanting to marry her no matter what.


    ¡¯OMG, we will be like Cinderella and Prince Charming!¡¯ Erin thought. But then she quickly rebuked her idea. ¡¯Wait, but I¡¯m not poor like Cinderella. I¡¯m also rich and smart!¡¯


    "Okay, Mr. Grant! I will see you tomorrow at noon then!" Erin said. "Good night, sleep well, my rich daddy. Lots of kisses, smoooochiee!"


    Henry was cringing from head to toe. He would be ecstatic if Kate was the one who said those words.


    Unfortunately, Erin was the last person on the planet that he wanted to hear saying those words to him.


    So he just hung up the call before he died out of cringe.


    Beep.


    ¡ª S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh God, I hate that woman so much," Henry said. "But it¡¯s good that she¡¯s so clueless of everything that¡¯s going on in her life. I will allow her to be happy with the money I gave her. After all, she¡¯d be sleeping with seals and polar bears for the rest of her life later, hahah!"


    Henry was in a good mood as he carried the good news for Kate.


    He walked towards the connecting door and knocked on it a few times, "Kate, I have good news for you," he said. "Can I come in?"


    Kate¡¯s side had the connecting door lock because Henry knew she needed her privacy.


    "Come in! It¡¯s not locked!" Kate shouted at the other side of the door.


    Thus, Henry pushed the door open and was greeted by Kate wearing a white night dress.


    She looked exquisite and also alluring at the same time, which stunned Henry.


    Kate quickly covered her body with the blanket to stop Henry from salivating and then asked, "What¡¯s the good news, Henry?"


    Henry snapped out of his daze and replied, "Erin suspects nothing and has agreed to come with me to Greenland. We will go tomorrow at noon, and don¡¯t worry, we will be sitting next to each other again in the first class seat."


    "And Erin?"


    "Economy."

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163: Chapter 163Erin woke up the next day in a perfect mood.


    She had breakfast at the hotel¡¯s restaurant and returned to her suite to prepare for her next trip to Greenland.


    She didn¡¯t know where Greenland was. She googled the country to see if something was amazing in it.


    But it seemed like a regular place, just very cold most of the time.


    Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many tall buildings there, which diminished the joy that Erin experienced right now.


    "Ugh, it looks like an ugly small town," Erin complained. "I don¡¯t think they have a Mall. So I guess I¡¯ll just tell Henry to keep sending me money everyday and spend it all in LA! Hihi, I wonder if I can spend a hundred thousand dollars in a day, that would be my biggest challenge!"


    Erin didn¡¯t forget to take a selfie and post it on Instagram for her friends to see.


    She didn¡¯t have that many followers right now, and most of those who commented on her pictures were jealous bitches whose men had sex with Erin once or twice.


    Usually, Erin just blocked them because they were just haters!


    "Hmph, haters gonna hate! It¡¯s not my fault that they are all so ugly compares to me, that¡¯s why their boyfriends fuck me instead of them!"


    Erin wanted to be an influencer and celebrity in her life. She dreamed of the life of the Kardashians because they seemed to do a bare minimum of work and got a lot of money.


    "I will use my status as Influencer to fuck with so many handsome and popular men! I bet they will flock to me because I¡¯m so rich and beautiful! Hihi~."


    It took Erin a while to pack up. She bought way too many branded bags yesterday during her shopping hauls, but she forgot to buy new luggage to pack them all up.


    "Ugh, should I just go back to the mall to buy new luggage?" Erin considered, but then she ditched the idea because she didn¡¯t want the hassle. "I¡¯ll just throw all of my winter jackets whatsoever and demand Henry to buy me one once we arrive in Greenland! There is no way I¡¯m leaving all of my brand new bags behind!"


    Thus, Erin threw away all her ugly winter jackets and kept her branded bags, shoes, and dresses.


    It took her a while to finally get ready with everything. She then called Henry because they would be on the same flight.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Miss Ross?"


    "Mr. Graaannttt, I¡¯m all done with my preparations, when will we go?" Erin asked. "Also, can you call the bellboys? I can¡¯t carry my stuff, they are too heavy!"


    "You can call the bellboys yourself, Miss Ross. I just got my flight rescheduled because the client wants to meet me today, so I have to get an early flight," Henry said. "I¡¯m already boarding right now, I¡¯ll put my phone on Airplane mode soon, see you there, Miss Ross."


    "W¡ªWait¡ª" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin was stupefied when Henry hung up without giving her time to speak.


    Her hand was shaking as she got angry at Henry, who dared to leave her like this.


    Erin clenched her phone, and her previously good mood was ruined, "THAT FUCKING BASTARD! HOW DARE HE LEFT ME ALONE?!"


    "DOES HE NOT REALIZE THAT I¡¯M A TOTAL CATCH? HE SHOULD WAIT FOR ME, AND DO EVERYTHING THAT I TOLD HIM TO DO!"


    Erin lost her composure after missing the flight twice with Henry. She felt like Henry didn¡¯t do his duty as her boyfriend.


    "He should do anything I say! If he needs to get an earlier flight because he has a meeting? THEN CANCEL WHATEVER BUSINESS HE HAS! DOES HE NOT REALIZE THAT I CAN¡¯T WAKE UP SO EARLY?!"


    She didn¡¯t care if Henry might lose business deals whatsoever. It was his obligation to spoil her as her man.


    "Ugh, he is rich, but he is not a man enough," Erin rolled her eyes. "I can¡¯t believe that he still prioritizes whatever business he has over me, ME! I don¡¯t fucking care if he lost some money whatsoever. Nothing is more important than ME!"


    It took a while for Erin to get in a better mood. She couldn¡¯t wait to yell at Henry for prioritizing business over her.


    But she had to stay calm.


    "Okay, okay, deep breath, Erina Grant, deep breath," Erin chanted as she tried to calm herself down. "If you want Henry to kneel before you and do everything you want, then you must be patient. He needs to see you as a cute girl who¡¯s weak and likable, then you can start dominating him later."


    "You¡¯ve slept with so many men before, and you¡¯ve become a homewrecker of many families. You are FANTASTIC, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to get this man," Erin convinced herself before she called the room receptionist to bring her a bellboy to carry her big luggage.


    **


    Beep.


    Henry hung up before Erin could say a thing. It was mostly to stop her from ranting and force her to accept the situation.


    The other reason was that he couldn¡¯t listen to her ¡¯cute¡¯ voice without cringing to death.


    "You should try to pacify her a bit. She¡¯s definitely raging like a madwoman right now," Kate said as she was still busy sitting on the vanity table, skillfully applying her red lipstick.


    Henry sighed. He approached Kate gently, running his finger on Kate¡¯s nape. "I¡¯m at my limit, Kitty. You know I¡¯m trying my best not to snap her neck whenever I meet her.


    "You don¡¯t need to be so violent towards her, Henry," Kate advised. "After all, death is too kind for her. My punishment is ten times more painful than death."


    Kate finished applying her lipstick. She stared at herself in the mirror and smiled maliciously, "I want her to feel so hopeless that she might think about ending her life with her own hand, just like how she tormented and taunted me for so long until I feel suicidal."

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164: Chapter 164Henry clicked his tongue in awe. He was admiring Kate¡¯s beauty.


    She was the most gorgeous woman he ever met, and she got even more beautiful when she smirked with her red lipstick.


    It turned him on so much that he wondered if Kate had put a spell on him that turned him into a horny love fool.


    "You know, after meeting you, I just realized that I have a thing for¡ª"


    "A redhead?" Kate guessed before Henry could finish his sentence.


    Henry chuckled. He leaned and kissed Kate on the cheek before replying, "Partly, but more than that, I think I developed a fetish for a merciless beauty like you."


    "A merciless beauty, huh?" Kate didn¡¯t know if she liked that title or not. She was never cruel before. All she did was endure Erin¡¯s torment while fulfilling all of Erin¡¯s crazy demands.


    But she somehow changed after she was pregnant with Henry¡¯s baby.


    Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe the realization that she had to protect her baby flipped a switch on her. That¡¯s why she became extreme and would do absolutely anything to protect her precious baby.


    "You should know that I¡¯m not usually like this, Henry," Kate defended herself. She lowered her head and patted her belly. "But I promised myself that nothing and no one will be able to separate me with my baby. I will be the cruelest witch if that means I can protect my baby."


    "That¡¯s even better," Henry said. He circled his arms around her stomach and hugged her from behind before kissing her repeatedly on the cheek and neck, "That means you are protective of OUR baby. You¡¯ll make a fantastic mother."


    "And I? Obviously, I will be a fantastic father, hahahah!"


    **


    Henry and Kate boarded the same flight with Erin. The difference was they were in a heavily private first class at the front, while Erin was sitting far back, getting all the turbulence. She also sat near the toilet, so she had to pinch her nose many times to cover up the stench. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry and Kate were enjoying the first-class treatment. They were currently eating their delicious lunch on this 12 hour trip to Nuuk, Greenland when they suddenly heard a commotion from the economy class.


    "I DON¡¯T WANT TO SIT BETWEEN THESE PEOPLE WITH SMELLY ARMPITS! I ALSO DON¡¯T WANT TO SIT NEXT TO THE TOILET, IT SMELLS LIKE HELL!"


    "Miss, calm down, the seat that you have has been pre-booked before the flight, please sit down," the flight attendant said. "You¡¯re making other passengers uncomfortable with your tantrum."


    "TANTRUM? THIS IS NOT TANTRUM! DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW I AM? GIVE ME THE FIRST CLASS SEAT NOW OR I WILL SCREAM HARDER!!"


    "Miss, calm down!"


    Then there was a scuffle with plenty of screams from Erin. In the end, the other passengers clapped and cheered at the flight attendants because they had successfully subdued the troublemaker.


    Henry and Kate looked at each other. They were holding their laughs. They were very amused by the fight at the back of the plane.


    "I didn¡¯t expect her to actually make a scene in a 12-hour flight," Henry commented. "I keep overestimating her intelligence."


    "She is a spoiled girl who will make a tantrum if she can¡¯t get what she wants as soon as possible," Kate said. "As she grows older, her demands get crazier, and she begins manipulating and threatening me in various ways so I will do anything she demands me to do."


    Kate and Erin were raised differently since they were young.


    Erin was the youngest, and everyone in the family doted on her. She could do no wrong, and they would give her everything she wanted. She had always been given the princess treatment since day 1.


    Heck, Erin failed almost all of her classes at school, and her mother simply told her everything was alright and Erin could make a living being a model or actress when she was older.


    Meanwhile, Kate...


    She was raised to be responsible and good. Her parents demanded the best from her. They punished Kate if she got a bad grade when she was in elementary school, forcing her to study hard because she wasn¡¯t the ¡¯prettier¡¯ sister.


    Sometimes she wished she was the prettier sister, but each time she tried to doll herself up, her sister would always laugh at her, telling Kate that she looked like a female Shrek and shouldn¡¯t try to do something she wasn¡¯t used to.


    Her mother was conservative and strict regarding Kate but too lenient for Erin. She¡¯d scold Kate for dolling herself up because she would attract unwanted attention from men, but would encourage, even bought a lot of makeup for Erin since she was in middle school.


    "Well, it¡¯s about to end soon," Henry assured. He held her hand gently and said, "It will only take me two days in Greenland to finish everything, and then we can enjoy the rest of our trip without intervention from that bitch."


    **


    Erin suffered for twelve hours. She had a fight with the flight attendants. They ganged up on her because she punched one of the flight attendants in the face until she got a nosebleed.


    Then the rest of the flight attendants ganged up on her, shoving her around until she fell to the ground and got bruises all over her body and face.


    She screamed at them, telling them that she would press charges, but the other passengers laughed at her instead, telling her that she was a crazy bitch.


    ¡¯Hmph, these peasants flying in economy, they don¡¯t know that I am going to be Henry Grant¡¯s wife! He is so fucking rich, I bet he can buy me a private jet later! None of you poor people will have a life like me!¡¯


    Erin cursed at everyone in this plane and even cursed at Henry for allowing this to happen.


    If he was a good man, he would abandon his business matter, book an entire flight for them, and cater to her other needs!


    In exchange, Erin would allow Henry to fuck her at night!


    It was a fair deal!


    ¡¯I will force Henry to send me a hundred thousand dollars for compensation for this! I will also tell him to buy me a private jet, so I won¡¯t be flying economy anymore!¡¯

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165: Chapter 165?§Ôeew§×bnovel.comErin continued yelling like a madwoman after the airport landed at Nuuk International Airport.


    For twelve hours, she was tied to her seat. She couldn¡¯t break free from the rope because the flight attendants feared she might punch someone again.


    "I WILL MAKE THIS VIRAL! I WILL PRESS CHARGES! YOU DON¡¯T KNOW THAT I¡¯M GOING TO BE AN INFLUENCER SOON!" Erin yelled at the top of her lung towards the airport security, that escorted her out of the plane.


    She was taken to the airport security office to get questioned, and she was like a rabid dog that would snap and yell at anyone in front of her.


    "Give me my bag, I will call my boyfriend! You will fucking regret giving me bruises like this!" Erin yelled.


    The officers looked at each other and then handed her bag.


    Erin tried calling Henry many times, but no matter how many times she dialed, Henry was unreachable!


    Even all the texts from her were put on unread by Henry!


    ¡¯That fucking bastard must be busy with his work again! Argh! I¡¯m so fucking angry at him right now!¡¯ Erin cursed Henry in her heart. ¡¯He¡¯s not as useful as I want him to be!¡¯


    In the end, Erin was forced to leave without being able to do anything.


    She couldn¡¯t press charges because this was Greenland, not California, and she didn¡¯t have her strong backing, aka Henry Grant, on the spot right now.


    She also couldn¡¯t make this viral because, well... she wasn¡¯t an influencer or celebrity yet!


    She only had 100 followers right now, most of which were her friends or strangers¡¯ fake accounts.


    ¡¯Ugh, I will buy followers later! I want at least twenty thousand followers!¡¯ Erin thought as she entered the Taxi and headed to her hotel. ¡¯Hmm, but what would happen if my friends know that I buy followers for my Instagram? That would be so embarrassing!¡¯


    Mr. Grant was yet to be contactable, and she began to suspect that he might¡¯ve abandoned her here in Greenland.


    "Eh, that¡¯s impossible," Erin rolled her eyes as she ridiculed her stupid idea. "Why would he abandon a beautiful girl like me in this cold place? He has been so in love with me so far, even went as far as giving me twenty thousand dollars!"


    "It¡¯s just my paranoia. He¡¯s just too busy with work, that¡¯s why I have to make sure that he will prioritize me over anything!"


    Erin checked into her hotel, and just like the previous one, she got the expensive suite all for herself. She was in a better mood once she threw herself on the bed. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The suite wasn¡¯t as great as the one in Toronto, but at least it was good enough for her taste.


    Erin checked her wound using the front camera. She got bruised because she was shoved around by the flight attendants who tried to subdue her on the plane.


    They were rough, especially the female flight attendants, who seemed ready to fight her.


    "Those economy class flight attendants are so unprofessional, just because I punched them in the face, that doesn¡¯t mean they can shove me around like that! I¡¯m a paying customer!"


    Erin huffed as she was frustrated by the whole thing, she knew that Henry would probably get grossed out with the bruises on her face, so she had to cover it with her makeup later once they met.


    "Speaking of that man...." Erin decided to call him again, and Henry finally picked up the call.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, Miss Ross. Are you in your suite right now?" Henry asked with his deep yet mellow voice.


    Erin quickly hid all of her anger toward Henry. She knew she had to act cute and girlish in front of him, so he would think she was a woman worth marrying.


    Usually, she would throw a tantrum even to men that she liked.


    But Henry was a different case.


    She was after his generational wealth, so she had to be the perfect woman!


    "Mr. Granttt, where were you all this time? Why can¡¯t I call you before? I got bullied during the flight!" Erin tried to make that grieving voice as if she was suffering. "I¡¯m in so much pain, Mr. Grant, wuwuwu..."


    "Bullied?"


    "Yes! I was just sitting on my seat, minding my own business when the flight attendants suddenly bullied me! They shove me around until I got bruises all over my body!"


    "Really? They did that to you?!"


    "Yes! Please do something, Mr. Grant. You don¡¯t want to see your babygirl getting hurt, right?"


    "Oh, certainly not! I will call my lawyer later. I won¡¯t let them get away with this!" Henry said. "I won¡¯t let anyone who hurt you free, trust me, Erin."


    Erin was glad that Henry was on her side. She thought she had to fake a tear or two to make it even more believable.


    But it seemed that Henry would believe her nonetheless.


    ¡¯Ah, good thing we¡¯re on a different flight, so he doesn¡¯t know about the fight in detail,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Well, he doesn¡¯t need to know either. All he needs to do is to listen to everything I say and take it as the truth, even if a few things have been fabricated.¡¯


    "Thank you so much, Mr. Grant," Erin said. "But I feel sad. You allowed me to sit in economy, it¡¯s a twelve hour flight too and I got bad treatment even though I¡¯m completely innocent."


    "Mr. Grant, please compensate me with something. After all, I feel so wrong because you choose your job over me," Erin said. "I¡¯m your girl, right?"


    Henry sneered in his heart, ¡¯Do you think I don¡¯t know that you make a huge scene? You¡¯re the one who yelled like a madwoman, yet you act like you did nothing wrong to gain my sympathy.¡¯


    ¡¯Kate is right. This woman is absolutely spoiled and insufferable. She doesn¡¯t understand¡ªor probably doesn¡¯t want to understand that not everyone lives to cater to her needs.¡¯


    Henry smirked as he already imagined the shock on Erin¡¯s face once she got the punishment she deserved.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166: Chapter 166"You¡¯re right, I should compensate you because I got so busy with work today," Henry said. "I should¡¯ve abandoned my million dollar business deal so I will be by your side whenever you feel like it, right?"


    Henry¡¯s voice had a hint of sarcasm in it, but Erin didn¡¯t even catch it.


    "That¡¯s right! You need to be by my side whenever I want, Mr. Grant!" Erin said. "I¡¯m your girl, right? That means I¡¯m far more important than anything in this world for you!"


    Henry¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡¯The audacity of this bitch is staggering,¡¯ he thought. He was trying to calm himself down so he wouldn¡¯t snap, but he got annoyed when he saw Kate holding her laugh on the other side of their bed.


    The phone was on loudspeaker, so she could hear Erin¡¯s voice as well, and Kate kept that amused look while Henry was suffering right now.


    "Look, Miss Ross, I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t accompany you today. I was so busy that I couldn¡¯t even check my phone," Henry said. "But I¡¯m free tomorrow, and I will make it up for you."


    "How are you going to make it up for me, Mr. Grant?" Erin asked with her baby voice. "You know, Ewin is bewwy huwttt."


    "Ugh¡ª"


    Henry comically fell on his knees when Erin mimicked how a baby talked.


    "Pfft¡ª" Kate couldn¡¯t hold her laugh, so she rushed to the bathroom and closed the door to laugh her ass out without making it suspicious for Erin.


    "Mr. Grant?" Erin frowned when she heard that Henry seemed to be hurting. "What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to you?"


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s nothing, Miss Ross. I just tripped and fell," Henry said. He was cringing from head to toe and became physically weak after hearing Erin¡¯s baby voice. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had never felt like this before.


    Who would¡¯ve expected Erin¡¯s baby voice to be ten times more potent against Henry? He preferred getting into a bloody fistfight over listening to that baby voice one more time.


    "Oh, okay then, be careful Mr. Grant, I don¡¯t want my man to get hurt!" Erin said.


    "A¡ªAnyway, I promised that I will compensate you, so how about a special dinner with me tomorrow?" Henry said. "I can¡¯t accompany you to the mall because I have things to do in the morning, but we can have a romantic dinner in a cabin, only the two of us, if you know what I mean."


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She got excited thinking that she¡¯d get more money, "Mr. Grant, since you can¡¯t accompany me to the mall tomorrow morning, then will you send me money again?"


    "Yes, I will send you another twenty thousand dollars," Henry said.


    Erin was a little disappointed.


    She expected Henry to give her a hundred thousand at least as compensation.


    But if she begged him for more right now, he might see her as a greedy woman.


    So she said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Grant! Then I will go shopping before dinner. I want to look ab-so-lute-ly stunning for you!"


    "Good, my men will escort you to the cabin where we¡¯re going to have dinner together, we will also spend our night together while staring at the northern light. It will be beautiful."


    Erin began to imagine all the hot sex she would get after dinner.


    It had been a while since she had sex.


    The last time she had one was with Matt, and Matt¡¯s two-inch wonder was barely functional, so she wanted the real thing.


    The big gun that would fill her pussy completely.


    "I can¡¯t wait to spend a night with you, Mr. Grant!"


    "Me too, Miss Ross," Henry said. "You should rest now. It¡¯s already late and I know you¡¯re tired."


    "Okay, wuv you so much, wuvv-wuvv!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry felt sick in his stomach when he heard Erin continue using that baby voice. He was so disgusted that he lost his appetite instantly.


    Kate walked out of the bathroom and laughed loudly, "HAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD, THAT¡¯S SO GROSS!"


    "It¡¯s not funny, Kate," Henry said bitterly. "I¡¯m trying my best not to cringe to death just now."


    Kate snickered. She tried to hold her laugh and approached Henry, kneeling defeatedly on the floor.


    She kneeled before him and said, "I know. Thank you so much for your hard work, Henry. Only one more day before we can throw that bitch away."


    Henry nodded, "Just one more day and we will be free from her torment."


    Kate smiled and added, "Though, I still have one thing to do before we ditch her."


    "What thing? Is there something missing within our plan?"


    "No, nothing is missing, this is just my way to make sure that my mother won¡¯t ask about Erin anymore. Just like what I told you before, Erin will disappear without people knowing."


    **


    Erin had a great morning despite what happened yesterday.


    She checked her bank account and saw another twenty thousand dollars.


    "Ah, twenty thousand is too low," Erin complained. "But it¡¯s alright. I can ask for a million dollars after we have sex tonight."


    She went to the mall and tried her best to spend it all.


    The mall in this city wasn¡¯t as big as the one in Toronto, and not all the luxury brands had a store here, so she had to spend the money buying clothes from cheaper brands.


    But of course, she just purchased it, tried it once, and took a pic with it before tossing it away. She didn¡¯t want to return to the hotel wearing cheap stuff.


    But she still felt happy to waste all of Henry¡¯s money. It felt liberating to waste away all the money he had just for shopping.


    She only bought one winter jacket because she thought Henry would warm her up with his hot rod anyway, so there was no need to buy some ugly winter jackets!


    Erin ended her shopping spree by sipping her favorite mocha drink in Starbucks. She was scrolling through all the pictures she got after the shopping spree, "Hmm, which one to post on Instagram, choice, choice~."


    As she was enjoying her time, her phone suddenly rang, and her eyes peered suspiciously when she saw the caller ID:


    Barren Bitch is Calling...

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167: Chapter 167Barren Bitch is Calling...


    "She¡¯s definitely calling me for something related to our Mom," Erin murmured. She had plenty of scenarios in her head explaining why Kate would call her again after literally beating her.


    "Could it be that Mom is searching for me and pressuring my sister to get in touch?" Erin wondered. She then smirked as she thought that was the most plausible explanation. "There is no doubt about it. My mom must be worried about me. She always does, after all, I¡¯m her favorite child, hihihi~."


    Erin was in a good mood, thinking that Kate¡¯s pride must¡¯ve been hurt right now.


    ¡ª


    "Why are you calling me, Sis? Need something?" Erin asked provocatively.


    "Erin, I¡ª" Kate murmured. She sounded troubled, and that put such joy in Erin¡¯s heart.


    Her sister could fight back all she wanted, but as long as their mother still saw her as the favorite child, there was no use in her struggling.


    "What is it, Sis? Did Mom call you because she missed me?"


    ...


    "Erin, I need your help."


    "After what you did to me? HAH!" Erin scoffed. "I¡¯ve been nothing but a good sister to you, but you punched and kicked me in the face! You are an evil bitch!"


    Erin yelled on the phone. She didn¡¯t care if other customers were giving her side eyes. These peasants could leave Starbucks all they wanted, and Erin would buy everything in this place with her money.


    "Look, I¡¯m sorry for everything that I did before. I was just stressed out and I¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have hurt you," Kate said. "You¡¯re right, you¡¯ve been nothing but being a good sister to me."


    "Mom called me last night, asking me so she can get in touch with you. Her health keeps on deteriorating and I¡¯m scared that she might die if she can¡¯t talk to you," Kate said.


    "Hmm~ So you want me to call our Mom, right?"


    "Yes, but please, I¡¯m begging you, Erin. Please don¡¯t say anything bad to her," Kate said. "I know what I did to you was wrong, that¡¯s why I will compensate with anything, and I mean ANYTHING! Just make sure you can pacify Mom."


    "Anything?" Erin raised her brow as she got interested. "Hmm~ How about all of your assets, Sis?"


    "All of my assets?!" Kate was shocked. Her voice trembled as she feared losing everything, "Y¡ªYou want everything?"


    "Yes, your apartments, savings, cars, and investment. I. Want. Everything."


    "But I worked so hard for all of them. You know how many sleepless nights and exhaustion I get just to make sure that I can afford those apartments so I can rent them out!" Kate yelled as she got emotional. "Erin, please, don¡¯t do this to me!"


    "Well, it¡¯s not really my problem, isn¡¯t it?" Erin said while checking her freshly manicured nails. "You should¡¯ve thought twice before hitting me before. It would be easier for you to just listen to all of my demands before."


    "Now look at what you did to yourself, sis," Erin grinned maliciously as she imagined Kate¡¯s pale face right now. "You only have two options now, Sister. Give me all of your assets, or you will see your mother die because of heartbreak."


    "You¡ª!"


    Erin chuckled when she realized that Kate must be so angry right now.


    She wanted to hurt her sister even more as a payback for what she had done to her before.


    "Look, Sis, I don¡¯t give a shit if Mom dies."


    "You know that you will lose control over me if Mom dies, right?" Kate tried to reason. "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will beat you up again?"


    "Oh, I don¡¯t really care about you anymore. I don¡¯t even need your money now," Erin said. "You see, I¡¯m currently on a business trip with Mr. Grant. We¡¯re having fun in Toronto, Canada, and now Greenland. We flew first class side by side, and we are staying in the same expensive suite. You know, sis, his dick is just ahhh¡ªso long and thick!" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone around Erin was so disgusted by her explicit depiction, and she was so loud that the other customers couldn¡¯t help to eavesdrop.


    "He spoils me by giving me a hundred thousand dollars every single day! Do you think you and your pitiful salary can be compared? I don¡¯t even need your measly five grand now."


    Kate wanted to laugh at Erin¡¯s blatant lies. Obviously, she knew that all of them were false because Kate was the one who enjoyed all the things that Erin mentioned just now.


    "If you already have him and all of his money, then why are you still asking for my assets? Erin, my assets are just child¡¯s play compared to Mr. Grant¡¯s net worth! He is a literal multi-billionaire if you count his family wealth!"


    "You¡¯re right, your assets aren¡¯t important to me," Erin admitted. "But I want to see the anguish in your face. I want to see you cry as you lost everything that you worked so hard for. I want you to be so fucking poor that you will beg on the street, with Matt, of course, since I have no use of that deadbeat bastard as well."


    "You¡ªYou¡¯re beyond vile, Erin!" Kate yelled on the phone. "Why are you doing this to your own sister?!"


    "Hmm, I don¡¯t know," Erin shrugged. "I think it¡¯s because you¡¯re just so easy to bully. It makes me want to do something even worse to you. Maybe that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t be kind to me in the first place."


    "Now it just makes me happy to see you suffer, Sis!"


    "Anyway, enough talk," Erin faked a yawn to make it look like she was bored with this conversation, even though she was actually enjoying every second of Kate¡¯s suffering.


    "So, do you need my help or not? You know that I¡¯m her golden child, right? If you want her to live, then promise me that you will give me all of your assets."

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168: Chapter 168There was a long silence on the other side of the call. Erin knew that Kate must be fuming right now, angry at Erin for being so vile towards her.


    But that was fair for Erin.


    That bitch dared to kick and slap her just because Erin asked for a small favor. All Erin wanted was for Kate to threaten to resign in exchange for him to give Erin all of his undivided attention!


    What¡¯s so hard about that anyway?


    "What took you so long to decide, sis? Do you want Mom to die?"


    "... fine, I will give you all of my assets," Kate said. "I will make a three-way call with Mom, I want you to tell her that you¡¯re doing just fine¡ªgreat even. I also want you to tell her that she doesn¡¯t need to worry anymore."


    "Hmmm, sure, I don¡¯t mind," Erin said. "But you got to remember, Sis. If you dare to lie to me and back off from your promise to give me all of your assets, then I will tell Mr. Grant to hunt you down, and I will make sure that you won¡¯t be able to get any job after you get fired from the publishing company."


    "I¡¯m not the one to back down from my promise. I will give all of my assets to you, and then leave you alone. I will start a new life working another regular job while you¡¯re staying with Mr. Grant," Kate promised. "But please, just don¡¯t let Mom die, I¡¯m begging you."


    "Begging, huh? Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Since I¡¯m a kind girl, I will try to be civil and help you in this, sister," Erin said. "Now go merge the call and bring Mom into this phone call. I don¡¯t have that much time. I¡¯m so busy with Mr. Grant right now."


    "O¡ªokay."


    Kate then made a three-way phone call with Erin and Hilda¡ªtheir mother.


    ¡ª


    "Erin?" Hilda¡¯s sweet yet weak voice vibrated in Kate¡¯s heart, and she quickly responded.


    "Mom, are you alright? You¡¯re in good health, right?"


    "I¡¯m fine, Kate," Hilda¡¯s voice sounded more formal when talking to her. But it became softer when she talked to Erin, "Erin, are you doing alright there? Kate put me in an expensive nursing home, so it¡¯s hard for me to contact you."


    Erin rolled her eyes. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was annoyed by her mother, who latched on to her. Her mother called her at least twice a week before, and she found her sickly mother detestable.


    She wanted to block her mother¡¯s phone, but she was afraid it would give her another mini-heart attack that would kill her.


    She didn¡¯t want to kill her mother just yet. She wanted to ensure she could squeeze all the benefits out of her dying mother before she sent her to the afterlife.


    But now that she had Mr. Grant, she didn¡¯t need both Kate and Hilda.


    But of course, she¡¯d rather see her sister lose all of her assets that made her act so high and mighty.


    Because at least she could witness Kate¡¯s downfall firsthand.


    ¡¯Hmm, it doesn¡¯t matter in the end. Hilda will be asking about me again sooner or later, and Kate will have to give something else in exchange for her mother¡¯s safety, hihi,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯First, I will make Kate lose all of her money, and then I will ask Henry to send as many thugs as possible to rape and beat her until she¡¯s half dead! I bet she will still forgive me as long as Mom¡¯s life is on the line!¡¯


    "Yeah, Mom, I¡¯m in a very good mood today," Erin replied. "You don¡¯t need to worry about me, because I recently got together with a handsome, and rich man. We¡¯re currently on an expensive vacation, and he has been spoiling me with lots of money and gifts."


    "Oh, that¡¯s really good!" Hilda was so happy and relieved knowing her youngest daughter was doing great. "Are you going to marry him? If you do, don¡¯t forget to go straight into the pregnancy program, consult an experienced doctor so you can get pregnant as soon as possible."


    "You want me to get married and get pregnant as soon as possible? But I¡¯m only 24, Mom," Erin said. But she wasn¡¯t upset at all. She was amused, knowing that Kate must be hurting right now with this conversation.


    "You should, after all, it will get increasingly difficult to get pregnant if you¡¯re trying to get pregnant past thirty, like your sister," Hilda said. She then quickly pacified her oldest daughter, "No offense, Kate. I¡¯m just making sure that Erin won¡¯t make the same mistake as you. I don¡¯t want her to marry late."


    "It¡¯s okay, Mom..." Kate said dejectedly.


    Erin couldn¡¯t hold her laugh as she was happy to hear Kate getting herself cornered like this, "Hihi, don¡¯t be so mean to my sister, Mom. She might not be a complete woman, but she¡¯s at least working hard."


    "You¡¯re right. I¡¯m so sorry, Kate," Hilda said. Again, her voice sounded formal, as if speaking to a stranger. But she would always sound doting whenever she was talking with Erin. "Dear, can I call you again later? I miss you so much, and I¡¯m scared that something might happen to you."


    Erin rolled her eyes again, "No, Mom. You don¡¯t need to call me too many times. I will call you when I feel like it, and don¡¯t worry about me, I am doing GREAT!"


    "By the way, I said I¡¯m on vacation. But it¡¯s only for me. My man is currently working hard while giving me money everyday just to spoil me," Erin said. She didn¡¯t mention Henry¡¯s name because she thought there might be a better option after marrying him.


    After all, some extramarital affair wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    Erin didn¡¯t want her mother to latch on to her. So she added, "I¡¯m accompanying my man during his long business trip. So I¡¯m going to be uncontactable most of the time."


    "Remember, Mom. Don¡¯t call me, and don¡¯t think about begging Kate to call me, I am BUSY!" Erin raised her voice. "I will send pictures, voice mail, or gifts to you, so you will know that I¡¯m doing good. Got it?

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169: Chapter 169"But... I will miss you..." Hilda was sad when she heard that she couldn¡¯t contact her youngest daughter anytime soon.


    Erin held a special place in her heart. She was the emotional crutch that Hilda clung to for years after her husband was jailed for plenty of child rape. She wanted to get close to her oldest daughter, but she simply couldn¡¯t do it because she kept resenting what Kate did to their family.


    Kate ruined their family and destroyed her reputation by reporting what Hilda¡¯s husband did to those young girls, so Hilda had to work two low-paying jobs out of town while raising two girls because everyone simply closed their doors on her.


    They shunned her and refused to help even though Hilda was in a difficult situation.


    And it was all because of her oldest daughter.


    Of course, she knew what Kate did was morally correct, but was it worth all the embarrassment, shunning, and pain she had to endure?


    Why couldn¡¯t Kate simply walk away and pretend she didn¡¯t see anything that her Dad did to those girls?


    They truly had an amazing life before Kate called the cops.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t care if you miss me or not, you old bitch. You can rot in that nursing home. Just stop bothering me!¡¯ Erin said in her heart. But she knew her mother might die because of it, and she couldn¡¯t torture Kate anymore.


    So she replied, "It¡¯s okay, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. I will send you gifts, pictures, and even souvenirs whenever I feel like it."


    "Anyway, I am very busy right now," Erin said. "Bye Mom, I¡¯ll talk to you later."


    Erin hung up the call first. She knew that Hilda and Kate were feeling awkward right now. Kate felt so guilty about what she did to destroy her own family, and Hilda was too resentful of it.


    "Hihi, I want to know what kind of face Kate makes right now. I bet she¡¯s in tears because she knows that she¡¯ll lose all of her assets."


    **


    Kate and Hilda went quiet instantly when Erin hung up the call abruptly. They were still on the call, but none wanted to start a conversation due to awkwardness.


    But Kate knew that her mother would probably just hang up on her. So she said, "You heard it yourself, Mom. I don¡¯t have a fight with Erin. She¡¯s just busy with her own stuff. She found a new man, and that means she will be very busy with her new man and ignore you instead."


    Hilda sighed, "I don¡¯t know if I can survive through this, Kate. Why are you sending me to this nursing home? I¡¯m doing just fine in my home."


    "You¡¯re not doing fine, Mom. You could get a mini heart attack any time, and you passed out in the bathroom at least twice this month. You need a dedicated caretaker," Kate insisted. "And you don¡¯t need to worry about Erin. I will call her often and ask her to send me souvenirs, photos, and even voice mails." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It can¡¯t be helped in the end..." Hilda murmured. "Thank you for allowing me to call her Kate. I know that we don¡¯t have a good relationship, but I¡¯m asking you as your mother. Please treat Erin well, make sure that she is happy."


    "Oh, she¡¯s such a sweet precious child of mine. Now she has grown up and forgets about her own mother...." Hilda said.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, Mom, I will take care of her. You don¡¯t need to worry about her ever again," Kate said. She had a big grin as she said the last sentence because the call just now would be the last call between Hilda and Erin.


    "Thank you, Kate."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    After she was done with her Mom, Kate called Erin back to ¡¯seal the deal.¡¯


    ¡ª


    "So, how was it, Sis? She didn¡¯t get another mini heart attack just because I hung up the call, right?" Erin rolled her eyes. "Seriously, that old bitch is just so dramatic for no reason at all!"


    "She¡¯s doing fine now," Kate said. Her voice became colder after they ended the call with their mother.


    Erin could sense the nonchalant and coldness in Kate¡¯s voice. But Erin brushed it off, thinking that it was just her paranoia.


    ¡¯Heh, there is no way Kate would be able to fight back now. She can¡¯t do anything since Mom is always on my side, and she¡¯ll lose all of her assets,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯And soon, she will find herself unable to find a job afterI told Henry to help me. I want her to suffer for the rest of her life!¡¯


    "Don¡¯t forget to give me all of your assets once I return to America, Sis. I want literally everything, you know."


    "Why are you doing this to me, Erin?"


    "Ha? Didn¡¯t I tell you before?" Erin sighed. "It¡¯s simply because you¡¯re too kind and stupid. It¡¯s the perfect recipe for someone to get bullied, hihi."


    "... alright, I will give you all of my assets once you return to America, I promise," Kate said. She paused momentarily and added, "I doubt you¡¯ll ever return to America, though."


    "Hah? What do you¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin clicked her tongue when Kate hung up the call.


    She knew that Kate must¡¯ve been crying in her room right now, and she couldn¡¯t wait to see her cry until her tears ran dry!


    "Hihi, it feels so good to see her suffering. I mean, no offense, it¡¯s just kind of my hobby to see her feeling burdened with everything," Erin said. "It¡¯s her fault that she¡¯s just so stupid."


    **


    Kate was finally finished with Erin. She smirked as she knew that Erin wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore.


    "With this, my mother will not ask about Erin anymore. I can just send her fake letters, souvenirs, and even fake voicemails just to keep her happy," Kate said. "Now everything depends on Henry. I hope there¡¯s nothing wrong with our mission."

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170: Chapter 170Kate called Henry soon after, telling him she was done with her plan, and now it all depended on him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, love. I¡¯m currently setting everything up. I will make sure that everything is according to plan," Henry assured. "But you know that I¡¯m not doing this for free, right? I demand something from you as well. I expect you to get ready the moment I open that door."


    Kate chuckled. She glanced at the recently bought lingerie on the bed, "Yes, you¡¯ll find a sweet surprise waiting for you, Mr. Grant."


    Henry¡¯s breath began to heave as he imagined many wild things. He had been acting like a hungry beast this whole time, constantly salivating over Kate¡¯s body, patiently waiting until Kate exposed herself, so he could ¡¯taste¡¯ her again.


    Her body was an addiction that he could never forget, and he would do anything just to have her for one night.


    "You got me riled up, Kitty. You really know how to lead me on," Henry said.


    "Well, then you should do your job well, Mr. Grant. See you tonight."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    **


    Erin returned to her hotel after she had lunch in the mall. She wanted to go and visit some of the local attractions, but there wasn¡¯t much, to begin with, and it was too cold!


    However, she was confused when she saw two burly men standing at her door as if they had been waiting for her the whole time.


    She got cautious, thinking those two might be bad guys who wanted to kidnap her.


    ¡¯Oh my god, does this mean someone wants to kidnap me? I mean, it¡¯s not really impossible, right? I¡¯m a total catch, and I¡¯m just too hot to handle!¡¯ Erin thought. She got excited thinking about the identity of the man who would kidnap her.


    Since those two burly men were neatly dressed in suits, she guessed that her kidnapper must be one of the richest men in this country!


    ¡¯Could it be that the Prince of Greenland wants to marry me because I¡¯m just so gorgeous? Wait, does this country have a prince? I¡¯m not sure,¡¯ Erin wondered.


    But in the end, she fearlessly approached the two burly men and asked, "Excuse me, who are you two? And why are you standing in front of my door?"


    "Good afternoon, Miss Ross. We¡¯re just following Mr. Grant¡¯s order. He wants to bring you to the cozy cabin to watch the northern light while having dinner together," one burly man said. "We¡¯re here to pick you up."


    "Ah!" Erin got excited, thinking that Henry must¡¯ve been waiting for her. He must¡¯ve been antsy, thinking about the hot night they would spend together.


    "Okay, you two should wait, I¡¯ll get ready first. It¡¯ll take... eh... probably two hours at most." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The burly men looked at each other and then nodded.


    She said that she¡¯d be ready in two hours at most. But she actually spent three hours there. She was busy taking a shower and then choosing the dress she wanted to use to impress Henry.


    She was wearing a very revealing short dress.


    The ¡¯dress¡¯ could barely cover her butt, and she didn¡¯t wear anything underneath.


    But that didn¡¯t make her uncomfortable at all. She knew what would happen the moment she walked into the cabin anyway.


    It would be far more convenient when Henry could just rip through her dress and fuck her right away!


    "Hihi, I can finally have sex with him after waiting for so long, and I know it will be GREAT!" Erin then applied her makeup before opening the door, allowing the two burly men to see her.


    Those men were eyeing her from head to toe, and Erin realized it. But she didn¡¯t feel ashamed.


    Instead, she smiled at them and said, "No, boys. This is for your boss. He will be the first one to take my virginity. Let¡¯s go now, I don¡¯t want him to wait."


    The burly men looked at each other in disbelief and whispered, "Virginity, can you believe that?"


    "Oh hell no, she¡¯s for the street. It¡¯s so obvious."


    The burly men told Erin to check out first, which confused her a little, "I should check out now? But why? What about my clothes?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Miss. We will take care of it," they said. "Mr. Grant told me that you should check out because he will take you to the most amazing place after dinner. That¡¯s why you should check out now."


    "Hmmm, okay then!" Erin didn¡¯t suspect a thing and did a check-out before leaving with the two burly men. She entered the car, and they drove to their destination, a cabin far from the city center.


    Erin suspected nothing. All in her mind was about the money she would have after this, the dream wedding, and the status when she married Henry soon after.


    ¡¯Hmm, maybe I should beg Henry not to use a condom, or should I poke a hole in it? Hihi,¡¯ Erin giggled. ¡¯It would be useful to have a baby with him. I can blackmail him, threaten him to marry me or else I will put the baby on the news for everyone to see!¡¯


    ¡¯Hmm, but Henry doesn¡¯t seem to be a cruel man. So I guess, I can just threaten to kill the baby if he doesn¡¯t do what I say,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Ah, it will be so convenient to use that baby for what I want.¡¯


    The car drove for hours until the sky was dark and stopped once they entered the area with a spacious cabin that was beautifully lit. It seemed to be part of a resort. The cabin was on top of a hill, and the northern light was indeed beautiful.


    Even now, Erin was amazed by the beautiful aurora in the sky.


    "Wow, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before," Erin murmured.


    "Miss, you can come out now, just walk into the cabin, Mr. Grant is waiting for you."

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171: Chapter 171[Song Recommendation: Billie Eilish - All the Good Girls Go to Hell.]


    "He¡¯s not going to carry me?" Erin asked. "I mean, I¡¯m barely covering myself right now, and I¡¯m using a high heel! Do you think that I¡¯m going to walk to that cabin? Oh hell no!"


    The burly men looked at each other and replied, "How about I carry you inside, Miss? Surely you don¡¯t mind, right?"


    Erin looked at the burly man who offered to carry her.


    He wasn¡¯t bad looking at all.


    In fact, his strong arm must¡¯ve felt good for her.


    So she nodded, "Alright, carry me to the cabin. Don¡¯t worry about Mr. Grant, I will tell him that you two are just doing your job. He¡¯s 100% obedient to me."


    "... sure, Miss."


    Henry was sitting at a mahogany table with a private candlelight dinner set prepared for Erin. He wanted it to be perfect so Erin wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing.


    ¡¯Ah, I can¡¯t wait for this to be over with. I want to spend the night with my Kitty. Maybe we should spend a few days more in the cabin, just the two of us,¡¯ Henry thought.


    He imagined all the good things he¡¯d do with Kate, which got him antsy.


    His beautiful imagination was soon shattered when the cabin door opened, and he saw Erin being carried by one of his bodyguards. She was wearing nothing but a piece of dress that was so short it served more as a bikini.


    And he knew that Erin wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath.


    How would he know?


    Well, her dress was lifted when she got princess carried, exposing her bare butt, much to Henry¡¯s disgust.


    "Okay, put me down now," Erin said.


    The burly man put her down and excused himself, giving time for Mr. Grant and this bitch, knowing that her fate had been sealed the moment she sat on the same seat with the boss.


    Erin grinned when she stood in front of Henry. She noticed his eyes were looking at her from head to toe, and she thought he must be hungry to have sex with her.


    "Mr. Grant, why are you looking at me like that?" Erin asked. She blushed as she rubbed her thighs together, ensuring Henry knew what she wanted.


    Henry kept silent for a while before he pointed at the chair at the other side of the table, "Please sit, Miss Ross. I¡¯ve prepared a romantic dinner for us. We can do what you want later."


    "Um, okay," Erin sat at the chair and lifted the food cover. She saw a warm steak, and she couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    "A steak?" She asked.


    Of course, she loved a good steak.


    But this was supposed to be a romantic dinner. It would be hard for her to act elegantly while eating a big steak.


    "Yes, is there something wrong, Miss Ross?" Henry asked. "Do you not like the food that I prepared myself?"


    "Y¡ªYou can cook, Mr. Grant?"


    "Grilling is every man¡¯s specialty. We are all good at it," Henry replied. "That¡¯s why I want to make this special. It¡¯s a steak that I made with my own hand, and I also prepared a wine that I¡¯ve been saving for a while just for the two of us."


    Erin glanced at the glass of wine next to her plate.


    "You¡¯re doing so much for me, Mr. Grant," Erin murmured. She never knew there would be a perfect man like Henry Grant, who went as far as preparing everything just for their romantic candlelight dinner.


    ¡¯He¡¯s also listening to everything I want, and gave me a lot of money! Oh gosh, I MUST marry him no matter what. I think I can at least stay one year without cheating on him! He should be grateful for that!¡¯ Erin thought.


    Thus, Erin and Henry ate the steak in silence.


    Erin kept stealing glances at Henry, who was busy with his steak. Her cheeks reddened, seeing how handsome Henry was.


    The light around the room was dimmed to give that intimate feeling, but the candle in the middle of the table was enough for Erin to draw out Henry¡¯s facial features.


    He was truly a man personally sculpted by God. His facial feature was enough to smite everyone, including Erin.


    And the fact that he was filthy rich made him even more handsome.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t wait to have him,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯I will be the next Kim Kardashian, hihi.¡¯


    Thus, Erin tried her best to eat the thick steak elegantly.


    Erin didn¡¯t know why her steak was well-done because it was difficult to cut. But she guessed that Henry also had the same well-done steak as her.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Miss Ross? Is there something you don¡¯t like?" Henry asked. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Um... Mr. Grant, do you like a well done steak?" Erin asked.


    "Indeed, I like my steak properly cooked, and I expect my girlfriend to enjoy the same taste as I do," Henry said. However, he was currently eating medium-rare steak.


    He just wanted to ridicule her a bit since he couldn¡¯t do anything to hurt her right now.


    "Do you not like what I make, Miss Ross?"


    Erin¡¯s lips twitched, and she replied, "I¡ªI like it! I will eat anything you make, Mr. Grant!" Erin insisted.


    Thus, she struggled to cut a very chewy and thick steak.


    She ate at least half of it until she gave up because her jaw was aching after chewing so many times.


    Henry finished his steak first. He put his utensils down and stared at Erin, whose face was red because she had munched on chewy steak for too long.


    "You can stop eating now, Miss Ross," Henry said. "It seems that you don¡¯t enjoy it much."


    "I¡ªI enjoy it! I swear!" Erin insisted. But then she choked on the meat and quickly drank the wine, much to Henry¡¯s satisfaction.


    Erin drank until the wine glass was empty. She felt her throat burning, but it was a normal reaction after drinking a lot of strong wine for a short time.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172: Chapter 172Erin coughed a few times as her throat was still burning.


    It took her a while to return to normal, and she looked at Henry, who had been watching her with amusement on his face.


    She thought Henry must¡¯ve seen her as quirky and cute because she accidentally choked on the meat and emptied the full glass of wine.


    Thus, with her cheeks that had been tinted red, she lowered her head shyly and said, "I¡¯m sorry that I don¡¯t look elegant, Mr. Grant. I¡¯m not like the other girls in Los Angeles. I come from a small town and we¡¯re not taught to act elegant and pretentious."


    "Oh really? You¡¯re not taught to act courteously? I thought a woman from a small conservative town must¡¯ve been taught to be an elegant woman her whole life," Henry sneered. "Are you sure it¡¯s not just you? Because I had breakfast, lunch and dinner with Kate many times before, and she is pretty elegant and neat."


    "In fact, she¡¯s still looking elegant when she wakes up in the morning," Henry said. "She sleeps like a sleeping beauty on my bed after a wild night together."


    ¡¯What is he talking about? Kate? Elegant? She¡¯s on his bed after a wild night together?¡¯ Erin was confused by what Henry had said just now.


    "Haha, that¡¯s funny, Mr. Grant," Erin said. "I thought I heard you say that you had a wild night together with my ugly sister, Kate."


    "Why do you think it¡¯s funny, Miss Ross?" Henry asked. His grin widened as he realized that the drug¡¯s effect began to affect Erin.


    "Because you¡¯re Henry Grant! Why would a man like you, who is like¡ªso handsome, cool, rich, and PERFECT, would sleep with an ugly bitch like her? It¡¯s fucking impossible!" Erin¡¯s mind began to weaken. Her gaze got a little blurry, so she shook her head a few times to keep herself awake. "Don¡¯t joke like that, Mr. Grant. Just imagining you and that ugly bitch doing it makes me want to puke."


    Henry chuckled, "But what if it¡¯s true? Maybe Kate and I are truly in love, and we¡¯ve been tricking you this whole time."


    Erin shook her head again to keep her consciousness. Her gut feeling told her that Henry was serious just now, and she just found it too weird to be true.


    "You¡¯re not fooling me, Henry. Why would you downgrade yourself to date a woman like Kate? Don¡¯t you see that you have a total catch in front of you?" Erin protested. "I¡¯m much better than her!"


    "Because she is an amazing woman. She¡¯s everything I ever want from a woman," Henry replied without hesitation. "She is smart, capable, loving, and she¡¯s so fucking gorgeous. Do you seriously think that you¡¯re better looking than her? You surely delude yourself enough."


    Up to this moment, she thought that Henry was joking. But his seriousness got her panicking.


    "H¡ªHenry¡ªYou¡¯re not serious, right?" Erin asked to clear up her doubt. But Henry¡¯s smirk already answered everything that she feared. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With only the candlelight to help her, she saw that Henry had a malicious smirk. He stared at her with his viper-like eyes full of hatred and disgust. He looked like a handsome devil who couldn¡¯t wait to drag her to hell.


    "Do you really think that I have interest in you? Erina Ross, you¡¯re a whore," Henry said coldly. "Touching you disgusts me."


    "N¡ªNo, there¡¯s no way that you¡¯re disgusted with me. Then what¡¯s the point of you giving me twenty thousand dollars per day, an expensive suite, and even following my demand to fire Kate?!" Erin yelled. "Henry, this is NOT funny!"


    "It¡¯s all Kate¡¯s plan," Henry replied. "She wants me to treat you like a princess. Acting like I¡¯m actually interested in you, so you will think that you always get the upper hand."


    "Do you think I actually fired Kate because of your demand? Hahahahah!" Henry laughed freely. It had been a while since he wanted to laugh in front of Erin, laughing at her stupidity because she was truly the stupid bitch that deserved everything so far.


    "Let me tell you something, Miss Ross," Henry smiled at Erin as he felt really good. "Kate is with us during the whole faux business trip. I¡¯ve been staying with her in the hotel this whole time. There¡¯s no business trip, it¡¯s all just a lie to fool you into thinking that you get the special treatment."


    "I¡¯ve been staying with her the whole time. We had an amazing date in Toronto before, and we will have an amazing night in Nuuk as well," Henry said. "She¡¯s currently staying in a cabin not far from this place, waiting for me to finish you off so we can have a fantastic night together."


    Erin was finally in alert mode after realizing that Henry wasn¡¯t joking at all.


    She also realized Henry must¡¯ve spiked the wine with a drug because her gaze was blurry, her body was weak, and her head spun like she was about to faint soon.


    "Do you feel it, Miss Ross?" Henry asked. "I spiked your drink with a potent drug that would weaken your body. You won¡¯t be able to fight the effect, and you will be unconscious for a long time."


    Erin panicked.


    She didn¡¯t understand why would Henry choose her over Kate, and she still couldn¡¯t believe what she heard just now.


    But she had one thing in mind right now.


    She had to escape!


    She¡¯d be happy if Henry spiked her drink and then proceeded to rape her in her sleep. It would be one of her dirty kinks.


    But his hateful gaze, cold voice, and hostility towards her were enough for Erin to realize that Henry wouldn¡¯t fuck her when she was unconscious.


    She was afraid that Henry would kill her out of Kate¡¯s order.


    So she tried her best to get up and walked to the door.


    Henry chuckled, "Are you trying to run away, Miss Ross? You can¡¯t even walk straight right now."


    Erin gritted her teeth as she pushed to her limit to fight her weakening body.


    But she felt like she had been bitten by a venomous snake, and now the venom was working inside her body.


    Just when she was about to reach the door handle, her body finally gave up on her, and she fell face-first.


    Her body was completely paralyzed from head to toe, but she could still maintain her consciousness.


    She saw the man walking towards her and standing straight before her. He looked down at her. Erin didn¡¯t know what kind of face he was making, but she knew it was unpleasant.


    Erin tried her best to maintain consciousness and started begging, "Henry, please... Please save me. I will give you everything! Please don¡¯t hurt me, I¡¯m not used to get hurt!"


    "I know that you¡¯re not used to get hurt," Henry said coldly. "Because you¡¯re the bully who hurt my woman for years."


    Erin wanted to continue begging so Henry would spare her, but she soon found herself unable to speak, and her mind began to float away.


    "Sleep well, Miss Ross. I¡¯m going to drag you to hell."

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173: Chapter 173[Song Recommendation: Halsey - Gasoline, Slowed Ver.]


    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    Erin knew that her end was near. She never thought that Henry would do something so heinous towards her. It just didn¡¯t make sense for a man to hurt her because she spent her entire life being pampered by so many other women¡¯s husbands and boyfriends.


    So for a man to be so malicious towards her, she knew Henry must¡¯ve been manipulated by that ugly bitch Kate.


    ¡¯This... is not right...¡¯


    That was her last thought before she finally lost consciousness.


    Henry waited until the drug had a full effect on Erin. He used the tip of his shoes to lift the wench¡¯s face a little, ensuring she had fainted.


    "Good, we can proceed with the plan now," Henry said. He opened the door and called the two bodyguards outside.


    "Yes, Sir," the bodyguards bowed respectfully at Henry.


    Henry pointed at the woman on the floor and said, "Carry this bitch to the helicopter. We will leave as soon as possible," Henry ordered. "Have you prepared her luggage?"


    "Yes, everything has been prepared, Sir."


    "Let¡¯s go then," Henry said as he stepped over Erin¡¯s unconscious body and walked towards the helipad not far from their cabin with his car.


    The two burly men looked at each other and then carried Erin as they headed to the isolated tundra on an unreachable small island without a helicopter.


    The two burly men entered the helicopter while carrying the unconscious Erin. Henry gave Erin a quick glance before instructing the pilot, "Go now, I don¡¯t want to waste too much time handling this bitch."


    **


    Erin was unconscious for a long time. The sleeping drug was proven to be very effective.


    But no matter how sleepy she was, she could feel the cold that pierced through her skin as she wore a sexy dress that barely covered anything.


    Erin continued feeling uncomfortable with the sharp cold but couldn¡¯t move her body. She began to regain consciousness, but she couldn¡¯t open her eyes, let alone struggle.


    She heard a long conversation between two men in a foreign language she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡ª


    Henry told one of his bodyguards to speak in the local language with a man named Faro. Michael told him this man was the one who would ¡¯take care¡¯ of Erin as she would live in this isolated place for the rest of her life.


    "Good evening, gentlemen, my name is Faro, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been paid by Mr. Eckermann to make a wooden hut for a woman," Faro said in his local language. He eyed Erin, who was still unconscious in one of the bodyguard¡¯s arms. "Is that the bitch?"


    The bodyguard nodded and replied in the same foreign language, "This is the bitch that my Boss wants you to take care of. Remember not to touch her inappropriately unless she¡¯s the one who desperately offers it, and remember not to kill her."


    "Yes, the main idea is to let her suffer in here for the rest of her life until she dies due to hypothermia or went insane due to extreme isolation ," the other bodyguard added. "Just give her enough food to survive. You can even give her a freshly caught fish so she will be forced to cook or eat the fish raw."


    Faro nodded, "Alright, alright, Mr. Eckermann already told me everything in detail before. All I need is the money that is promised to me every month for taking care of that woman." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bodyguard handed the first ten thousand dollars to Faro, "This is the amount that has been promised. Our Boss will send the same amount every month. All you need to do is send a video of this bitch barely living in this frozen wasteland once every month. As long as you can keep her alive with bare minimum help, our Boss will continue to send you money."


    Faro snatched the money from the bodyguard¡¯s hand, "Good, good, this is what I want. Well, what are we waiting for? I will show you the way to the hut that I built for her."


    ¡ª


    Erin¡¯s body began to tremble as she was unable to withstand the cold. It was an extreme cold that could make her bone shatter. She naturally wanted to snuggle to find warmth but couldn¡¯t find anything to warm herself up.


    In fact, the more they walked, the colder it got for her, to the point that her body began to pale and turn blue.


    "Let me carry her," Henry said as he personally carried Erin when they were near the hut that was supposed to be Erin¡¯s new house from now on.


    It was a hut in the middle of a frozen island with nothing but ice surrounding it. It would take about thirty minutes with the ice sled for Erin to reach the ¡¯civilization,¡¯ which was just four houses consisting of no more than ten people, including Faro.


    Erin could feel the warmer body that carried her, and she thought this must be Henry because she could only feel this warmth from Henry.


    ¡¯Am I just dreaming the whole time? There is no way that Henry would hurt me, right?¡¯ Erin wondered as her consciousness was still floating.


    She nestled on Henry¡¯s face, feeling the man¡¯s heartbeat. She knew that Henry would never hurt her. They were supposed to be a pair of lovebirds, and Erin was supposed to be the next Kim Kardashian by using Henry¡¯s immense wealth.


    However, her relief didn¡¯t last long when she heard the sound of a door being slammed open, and the next thing that got slammed was herself.


    Henry threw Erin like a sack of garbage until she screamed in pain and rolled on the wooden floor.


    "AHH!!" The shock woke Erin up completely. She looked around to see what was happening, and the first person she saw was the handsome devil who stood at the door.


    Henry stood tall like a wall that would never let her escape. He looked down at her as if she was just a piece of shit that deserved no pity.


    "Welcome to your new home, Miss Ross."

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174: Chapter 174"Welcome to your new home, Miss Ross," Henry said coldly. "You will be here for the rest of your life."


    Erin looked around in panic. She noticed she was trapped in a small hut with nothing but a small bed and a fireplace in the corner.


    The extreme cold began to attack her again. She didn¡¯t know where she was right now, but this was definitely not a place for a barely clothed woman like her.


    Henry scoffed when she saw Erin in panic like this. It had become his personal vendetta to see her suffer.


    He was so angry knowing that Erin had been bullying Kate relentlessly for years, so this was his revenge because Erin dared to hurt his woman.


    "You¡¯re currently on an isolated island. This place is unreachable all year except during summer. No ship can reach this place because the area is completely frozen, and there¡¯s no place to land a jet here," Henry explained.


    He grabbed Erin¡¯s luggage and kicked it until it rolled near Erin, "That¡¯s your luggage. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside, but I don¡¯t think you have anything that can fight off the cold. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die here. All I want is for you to suffer for the rest of your life in this isolated tundra, eating nothing but fish and seals."


    Erin finally snapped after she realized that Henry wasn¡¯t joking at all.


    This whole thing was real, and she would be trapped in this shabby place for the rest of her life!


    Thus, Erin tried her best to crawl and reach Henry. She wanted to beg him so she would be saved.


    "Henry¡ªMr. Grant¡ªmy man, please save me...." Erin used all of her strength to open her mouth while crawling towards Henry. Though she regained consciousness, the drug still affected her, which left her partially paralyzed.


    "Please... I will do everything for you..." she added.


    Henry¡¯s eyes grew colder at her. The moment she was about to grab his trouser, Henry quickly kicked her until she fell back.


    "AHH!" Erin felt that her body had been battered so much at this point. She finally shed off all of her pretenses and glared at Henry, "Why are you doing this to me!? Henry, you¡¯re a fucking idiot! Why would you side with that ugly bitch?!"


    Henry wasn¡¯t reacting at first, but he snapped when Erin called Kate an ¡¯ugly bitch¡¯ again. It seemed that Erin still didn¡¯t understand the situation she was in right now.


    "You have the answer already. It¡¯s because Kate, my woman, told me to do so," Henry replied. "I want to crush your head with my bare hand, but she told me to be patient and go on with her plan instead. You should be grateful for her kindness, Miss Ross. Because what I have in mind is much more painful than this."


    "W¡ªWait! Henry, listen to me first!" Erin insisted. She panicked after knowing that she was doomed. "I¡¯m far more useful than Kate will ever be. I will allow you to fuck me everyday for the rest of your life. You can even shoot it inside me without using a condom! I don¡¯t care! Just take me out of here!"


    Henry scoffed, "All you have in mind is about your infected vagina. Do you really think that you¡¯re hot stuff? Erin, you are a whore and will be one for the rest of your life. Go seduce a seal or polar bear, maybe they are willing to be your sex slave."


    Henry took out a phone from his pocket and tossed it on the floor before kicking it towards Erin, "I¡¯ve confiscated your phone, but I give you that one because there is a good bye video from Kate. She said it¡¯s a heartfelt message from a big sister for her little sister whom she loved so much."


    Erin was still unable to process the crazy idea that she would stay in this cold tundra for the rest of her life.


    She had a lot of things she wanted to achieve! She was very young, beautiful, and HOT!


    She deserved to be placed on the highest throne, not in this shabby, cold place!


    "Good bye, Erina Ross. May we never meet again," Henry said.


    "W¡ªWAIT, HENRY! DON¡¯T LEAVE ME ALONE¡ª."


    SLAM!


    Henry slammed the door shut before Erin could reach him. He locked the door and then turned around to face Faro, who was laughing as he witnessed what had happened.


    He heard the scream and plea from Erin, who tried to break the door open. But he scoffed and ignored that bitch completely.


    He threw the key towards Faro and then told the bodyguard to warn Faro about Erin in the local language.


    "That bitch will continuously try to seduce you. She is ridden with STD, so if you want to experience the pain of Gonorrhea, then you can try her," the bodyguard translated what Mr. Grant wanted to say. "My work here is done, I will never return to this cold place anymore."


    "I see. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Henry Grant, I will take care of that wench. I will teach her how to use the spear to hunt seals and fish. I¡¯ll also teach her how to wrestle with the bear! Hahaha!" Faro laughed as he found the idea of a woman like that surviving in this almost-impossible tundra funny. "I will also make sure to lock her when the summer comes, so she won¡¯t be able to escape. Well, not that she can escape anyway. There are only ten people on this island including me, and they are all my family."


    Henry nodded and then returned to his helicopter with his two bodyguards.


    He told the pilot, "Return to that same hill as soon as possible. I have to meet with my woman."


    **


    "HENRY! MR. GRANT! PLEASE DON¡¯T DO THIS TO ME! I CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER BLOWJOB! I AM MUCH BETTER THAN KATE!" Erin yelled desperately as she tried to break open the door.


    The cold finally got her again. Her body shivered from head to toe despite the fireplace being lit.


    She quickly looked around and saw her luggage. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She opened it and rummaged through everything but ended up getting even more frustrated, "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY WINTER JACKET? WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY USELESS BAGS?!"

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175: Chapter 175Erin was frustrated and began to get desperate as the cold was too much for her to bear.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find a single winter jacket in her luggage. It was all a bunch of useless branded bags and shoes.


    The only saving grace she had was a bunch of expensive sexy dresses she had prepared for her blissful sex life with Henry.


    Erin gritted her teeth, knowing she wouldn¡¯t survive this cold. She quickly pulled out all of her sexy dresses and covered her body from head to toe with it. She didn¡¯t even care if she had to tear them apart. All she needed right now was warmth so she wouldn¡¯t die from hypothermia!


    Erin wore one of her shoes and used all her branded bags to cover any part of her exposed body. She then pulled the bed sheet and covered herself with it to get even more warmth because it wasn¡¯t enough.


    All she needed right now was a winter jacket, a thick one, instead of whatever dresses and bags she had right now.


    She then grabbed the phone from the floor and sat beside the fireplace to warm herself up.


    Her body was shaking, but she was trying her best to survive.


    "Please, there must be something I can do," Erin murmured. "I hope there is a reception, so I can call... call the cops or something. I don¡¯t want to die here!"


    Erin turned on the phone, and her hope was soon squashed when she realized Henry had given her a phone without a sim card, thus stopping her from calling anyone.


    In fact, there were not even any useful apps, and the phone battery was only ten percent. It was only enough for her to watch whatever video Kate had prepared.


    "Fuck! Fuck!" Erin kept cursing as the cold was too much for her. She got desperate and tried to scroll through anything on the phone just to find help.


    Ultimately, she knew this phone¡¯s sole use was for her to watch the video.


    Erin gritted her teeth. She was so angry at Kate for being so fucking vile to her even though she had been nothing but a good sister to Kate.


    Thus, she opened the video and watched it.


    ¡ªVideo¡ª


    Erin saw Kate sitting on a luxurious red sofa, the same sofa used for all the expensive suites in the hotel in Toronto before.


    It was proof that Henry wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was staying with Kate the whole time during the Canada and Greenland trip.


    Kate smiled at the camera and said, "Hi, Sister. I hope that you¡¯re in good health the moment you watch this video, because I truly don¡¯t want you to die before suffering on that cold deserted island."


    "You must be wondering, why am I cruel enough to plan out the whole thing, including tricking you into believing that Henry is in love with you to the point that he¡¯s willing to fire me." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, the reason is simple, it¡¯s because I want to get rid of you and your toxicity out of my life," Kate looked down and rubbed her slightly bulging belly. "You see, I am currently pregnant. Yes, pregnant¡ªwith a real baby. I had a one-night-stand with none other than Henry Grant, the man that you think loves you so much."


    "I am currently pregnant with his baby after just one night," Kate couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit and added, "So you now know that all this time, the problem is not with me. It¡¯s Matt with his micropenis and weak swimmer that can¡¯t even knock me up for five years straight."


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t believe what she heard just now.


    Matt was the infertile one this whole time?


    But all this time, Erin and the rest of her family always believed that Kat was the infertile one!


    After all, the problem of failed pregnancy was always on the woman¡¯s side!


    Erin also couldn¡¯t believe that THE Henry Grant was actually the one who knocked her up, not some random ruffian or a homeless man on the streets of Los Angeles!


    "No, no way! How could that be!? Why can¡¯t it be me!" Erin yelled as she got angry and frustrated. She had dreamed of becoming Henry¡¯s wife, having his baby, and using that baby to get everything she wanted.


    And now, her ugly sister robbed all of her dreams!


    "I¡¯ve always been tolerant of you, Erin. You¡¯ve been a huge bitch since you were a child, but I thought you will grow out of it eventually," Kate said. "But once I realized that your bullying has only gotten worse, to the point that you keep endangering our Mom¡¯s health and putting me under so much emotional stress, I realized that I have to kick you out of my life for the sake of my baby."


    "So I concocted a plan to make you think that you have it all, until you agreed to call Mom and tell her that you¡¯re just fine," Kate chuckled. "Now she will think that you are living a great life with your man. She will think that you don¡¯t want her to call anymore, and I will continue to fool her until her timely death."


    "Oh, I know you¡¯re thinking that I¡¯ve robbed you out of your dream to marry Henry, right? Well, let me show you something," Kate then looked to her left and smiled as the tall and handsome man approached her.


    Henry leaned and kissed Kate on the forehead and sat right next to her on the sofa. They were both staring at the camera, smiling maliciously at Erin.


    "Wake up, Erina Ross, Henry has never been into you the whole time. In fact, he¡¯s the one who always voiced out his disgust about you," Kate said. Her voice was cold and held a lot of hostility. "This is your end, my dear little sister. It¡¯s sad that we¡¯ve come to this point, but your life is worth less compared to my baby¡¯s life. So enjoy your stay there until you die out of cold, or went insane because of the isolation."


    Henry scoffed, adding, "I hope you rot in that cold hell, skank."


    ¡ªVideo End¡ª

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176: Chapter 176"AAARRRGGGHHH!"


    The video from her sister finally ended, and the hatred and rage inside Erin¡¯s heart exploded as she screamed and threw the phone into the fireplace.


    She didn¡¯t know what hurt more at this point, that she got tricked by Kate like an idiot or that she had lost Henry Grant to an ugly bitch like Kate.


    Nevertheless, she felt so humiliated now that she couldn¡¯t wait to strangle Kate to death!


    "I WILL FUCKING KILL THAT BITCH! I WILL PUNCH HER BELLY UNTIL SHE LOST HER BABY! AAAAAHHHHH!" Erin screamed at top of her lung to express her anger.


    Fortunately, there was nobody to hear her scream.


    Because she was stuck in the middle of nowhere, without anything to contact the police or call for help, and nobody to warm her up.


    Her teeth began to chatter as the extreme cold was too much to handle. So she scooted closer to the fireplace to get some warmth.


    And now, she had another worry.


    The fireplace was still brightly lit, but she saw no small logs or charcoal to keep the fire. She panicked as she looked around and saw nothing, not electricity, a toilet, or running water.


    It was just a small wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere.


    Erin began to wonder if she would freeze in this place. But she quickly shook her head, "No, I don¡¯t want to die! I refuse to die until I can kill that bitch who dares to toss me in the middle of nowhere!"


    As Erin cursed Kate with all kinds of degrading names, the door was unlocked from the outside and slammed open.


    Erin quickly turned around, and there she saw a middle-aged man carrying a big fish in one hand and a polar bear pelt in another.


    "W¡ªWho are you? Are you here to save me?" Erin asked. She thought this man was here to save her. She tried to get up and walked towards him, but before she could reach him, he flung the big fish on her face until she fell on her back.


    "Ouch!" Erin grimaced in pain. "What are you doing?! That fucking hurt!"


    The man didn¡¯t seem to understand what she was saying, and she realized that they were still in Greenland, so this man was probably the local tasked to take care of her while she was here.


    Erin looked at the man from head to toe. He was probably in his early 40s. He looked like an average man, which was not the type of man that Erin would fuck in a normal situation.


    But this situation she was in was far from normal. She didn¡¯t have anyone to save her except this middle-aged man in front of her, so she had to do the extreme despite her disgust.


    Erin clenched her fist as she tried to stomach her disgust. She began to take off the bedsheet on her body and everything else until she was naked in front of this local man. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat on the floor near the fireplace, fighting the cold, and then spread her legs wide to show her pussy in front of the man.


    She couldn¡¯t speak whatever local language he had, but she pointed at her pussy and said, "You fuck. You help me."


    The man looked at Erin for a while before he chuckled and threw the bear pelt to cover Erin¡¯s body, "Sleep," he said, indicating that Erin covered herself with the polar bear pelt, complete with the head still intact to warm herself up.


    He pointed at the fish on the floor and said, "Eat."


    He went outside, returned with a bunch of logs, and put them at the corner of the cabin for Erin to warm herself up, so her fire wouldn¡¯t die out.


    Lastly, he gave Erin a steel pot, a bucket of ice water, a match, plus a container of gasoline.


    "Me, Faro," Faro said while pointing at himself. He looked kind, but his nonchalant behavior proved that the guy didn¡¯t care about her. He was just doing everything that he was told to do by Henry.


    "Good bye," Faro said.


    "W¡ªWAIT!"


    Slam!


    Faro slammed the door shut. Erin got up and tried to open the door but realized that she had been locked again in this cabin.


    She looked around and realized that she was given primitive stuff to survive in this place as if she was some kind of icy country bumpkin that could eat raw fish, sleep inside a bear pelt, and drink with only a bucket of water.


    Erin dug her nails into her palm until there was blood trickling down. She didn¡¯t know how to unleash her anger right now.


    "Are you fucking kidding me? Why should I live in this place? This is not fair! THAT BITCH IS CRAZY! I WAS NEVER A BULLY, SHE¡¯S JUST FUCKING CRAZY AND MANIPULATIVE!" Erin cursed her sister again and again.


    But in the end, her body got cold because she was naked. So she hurriedly covered herself with everything she took off her just now and then completed it by draping the polar bear pelt on her body.


    She threw a log into the fireplace and then poured the ice water into the pot so she could boil it in the fireplace.


    She looked at the big fish. She wasn¡¯t barbaric enough to eat raw fish, but she also never cooked her entire life, so all she could do right now was to use her freshly manicured nail to dig into the fish¡¯s skin and throw them into the boiling pot to eat them later.


    She sat in front of the fireplace, staring at the pot that began to boil.


    She began to realize this wasn¡¯t a dream and was forced to live like this for the rest of her life.


    But that didn¡¯t stop Erin at all. She didn¡¯t lose her anger, nor did she lose her willpower to live.


    Because she was naturally a vengeful woman who would stop at nothing, she believed she could escape this cold hell somehow. She just needed to find the right man to fuck, a man that would actually save her.


    "Just you wait, Kate. I swear that I will return to kill you and your baby! I will fucking choke your baby and throw your baby in a sewer. JUST YOU FUCKING WAIT!"

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177: Chapter 177Kate poured the warm tea she just brewed into her glass. She preferred wine for this beautiful night, but she was pregnant and wanted ZERO harm for her baby.


    People might call her paranoid, but this baby was the miracle baby that Kate had wished to have for years. So she would not let anyone or anything hurt it.


    She walked across the wooden cabin barefoot, only wearing the lingerie that she bought to surprise Henry by the time that man entered the cabin.


    It was warm in this cabin because the heater was on, so Kate didn¡¯t need to worry about feeling cold wearing thin gauze.


    In fact, this cabin was very luxurious and spacious, complete with all the amenities, 24-hour food service, and also a voice activated google home assistant.


    She sat on a sofa that faced the big window.


    Kate sipped the tea while staring at the beautiful northern light. She marveled at how the colors of the aurora seemed to mesh together in perfect harmony. She scoffed as she found herself ridiculous, "Why am I talking about harmony and stuff, when I¡¯m staying in this cabin, waiting for my man to destroy my own little sister."


    Kate sighed.


    "I don¡¯t want things to end like this. But Erin is beyond saving, she will ruin me if I don¡¯t ruin her first," Kate murmured. She tried to find all kinds of justification, but in the end, she accepted that she was also at fault for Erin¡¯s behavior.


    Kate spoiled Erin rotten to compensate for the damage she caused to the family. Despite it being morally right, she still robbed a little girl out of her father.


    But it turned her into a huge bitch who felt entitled to everything in this world. She thought she could get away with everything because Erin and their Mom had been excusing her behavior for years.


    Kate looked down and gently rubbed her slightly bulging belly. She planned to begin having a pregnancy check-up after this. She would have to do it at least once a month for the first trimester, then twice per month until she had to do it every week for the final trimester.


    "My baby, don¡¯t worry about everything, Mommy will protect you, no matter what," Kate murmured.


    She smiled as she imagined holding her baby for the first time.


    "I wonder if you¡¯ll look like me, or your baby daddy," Kate chuckled as she thought that small version of Henry would be so cute.


    Kate¡¯s smile slowly dissipated as she remembered Henry again.


    She would be lying if she said she had no worries about him.


    He was eight years younger than her. He is very handsome and rich, with a charming personality that would definitely hook many women in the future.


    She could swear his oath of fidelity so many times, but that wouldn¡¯t change the fact he could just grow bored and walk away.


    "And if he leaves..."


    Kate imagined the situation for a moment and then shook her head quickly. She didn¡¯t want to cling too hard to someone because she knew she¡¯d lose him in the end.


    Ultimately, Kate used the voice assistant to play a song that befitted her mood while waiting for Henry to arrive.


    **


    [Song Recommendation: Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing.]


    It took a while for the helicopter to land. Henry jumped out of the helicopter and ran back to his car, ignoring all of his subordinates, who were surprised by his rush.


    Henry drove his car to the cabin where Kate was staying right now. He stopped quickly once he reached the front door.


    He stared at the door for a while, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and then opened the door.


    The first thing he saw was Kate, who leaned on the sofa, watching the northern light with a cup of tea in her hand. She was wearing sexy purple lingerie. The lingerie was thin, almost transparent even, which boosted her allure even more.


    Henry had never seen her wearing something so sultry, and the fact that she stretched her legs lazily got him riled up.


    Henry quickly closed the door so nobody, not even a passing animal, could see the beauty he would enjoy tonight.


    "I¡¯m home, Kitty," Henry announced his arrival. He removed his jacket, scarf, and jeans, wearing only a thin black shirt and briefs. "Erin is done for, and I¡¯m here to collect my reward," he added to assure her.


    Kate finally turned her head towards Henry and had a thin smile on her face, "Thank you so much, Henry. Come here, you can collect your reward now."


    Henry was eager at first. He had been thinking about Kate the whole time and that he would finally get what he wanted. He had been enduring jacking off for so long. It was time to release all of his pent-up frustration. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he soon changed his mind when he noticed that Kate had a trace of melancholy hidden beneath her sultry grin and gaze.


    He soon realized that a song was playing from the speaker in the cabin, and it was that classic love song. I Have Nothing on repeat.


    He didn¡¯t know if this was just a coincidence or if Kate had something to say, but he didn¡¯t want to hurt her no matter what.


    So he approached her carefully and picked her up gently. He sat on the sofa and allowed Kate to sit on his lap.


    He wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist but did nothing after that.


    ~Take my love


    I¡¯ll never ask for too much


    Just all that you are


    And everything that you do.~


    The silence between them got Kate a bit uncomfortable. She thought that Henry would just ravage her without thinking twice.


    "W¡ªWhat are you waiting for, Henry? Just do me already," Kate said.


    "I won¡¯t do anything to you until you tell me what¡¯s weighing your mind," he replied. He tightened his arms around her and asked, "What¡¯s wrong, Kitty?"

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178: Chapter 178Kate¡¯s lips curled instantly. She didn¡¯t expect Henry to realize the change of mood in her.


    She thought she had been doing a good job hiding her true feelings.


    "It¡¯s nothing. Why don¡¯t we forget our problem and continue what we¡¯re about to do instead? I know that you want it as much as I do," Kate said. She grabbed Henry¡¯s hand on her waist and guided his hand to reach around her pussy. She was still wearing the lingerie, so she expected Henry to actively remove her garments before they did it.


    But Henry didn¡¯t react.


    It was confusing for Kate because she knew that his cock was obviously rock hard right now. In fact, he kept on rubbing his cock on her ass, waiting to get released.


    Thus, Kate looked over her shoulder to check on Henry.


    The man¡¯s eyes were gentle as usual, but there was a trace of worry on his face, much to her confusion.


    "I¡¯m doing fine. Let¡¯s do this. Don¡¯t worry about me," Kate insisted. She just wanted to get over this and discarded her feelings completely.


    She knew she was falling too deep and was afraid there was no way out with Henry anymore.


    If one loveless sex was enough for her to discard her feelings for him, so be it.


    Again, Henry refused to do anything.


    "I won¡¯t do it if you¡¯re not enjoying it with me, Kitty," Henry said. "I want you to give your everything to me, and including your heart and I will do the same to you." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So tell me what¡¯s wrong, and then we can continue," Henry insisted.


    Kate bit her lower lip. She was holding her emotion so much that it upset her.


    Despite her distress, the song continued to play, which only heightened the sensation.


    ~I won¡¯t hold it back again


    This passion inside


    Can¡¯t run from myself


    There¡¯s nowhere to hide.~


    Knowing they¡¯d be stuck in this situation for a long time until she confessed, Kate finally mustered enough courage to utter her worry, "I want this to be a loveless sex, Henry."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened. He instinctively tightened his arms around Kate¡¯s waist to ensure his woman wouldn¡¯t escape, "A loveless sex? But why?"


    "Because you make me feel things," Kate replied. Her voice began to tremble as she tried to repress her emotion. "You make me feel wanted and loved. Every time we had sex, I felt like I could give my everything to you, including my love and hope."


    "Isn¡¯t that good?" Henry asked. He truly didn¡¯t understand the problem here. "I¡¯ve never once had loveless sex with you. I pour my heart out whenever we¡¯re doing it, and I will continue doing it for the rest of our lives."


    "You truly have a sweet tongue, Henry," Kate said. "And I know that you can always use your sweet tongue to charm another woman when you grow bored of me."


    "Kitty..." Henry didn¡¯t understand why Kate repeated the same question and accusation. "I already told you so many times that you¡¯re the only one in my mind and heart."


    "Because you¡¯re still passionate about me. Your love is so hot, like a wildfire that burns my entire being," Kate said. "But what would happen once all of that fire has been extinguished? Would you continue to love me, or would you leave me?"


    "Kate..."


    "You¡¯re eight years younger than me, you¡¯re damn good looking and rich. You have everything that a woman wants, and I... I¡¯m old, hideous, and would be a divorcee soon," Kate¡¯s tears began to drop as her emotion took control of her. She kept telling herself that everything would be alright. Henry would continue to love her no matter what, and this wasn¡¯t just a passionate one-night stand that went on for too long.


    But she couldn¡¯t lie to herself.


    She grew up being told by everyone that she was ¡¯lucky¡¯ to have Matt since he was out of her league.


    Then what about Henry? He was a hundred times better than Matt. If a useless stump like Matt was already out of her league, then she shouldn¡¯t be in this position with Henry right now.


    She didn¡¯t deserve to be with him.


    Henry didn¡¯t realize that Kate could be insecure about her age and appearance because Henry didn¡¯t care about her age at all because she aged gracefully.


    She was fresh and beautiful even in her 30s and was NOT hideous.


    In fact, Henry wondered if he had to do something to ensure that Kate wouldn¡¯t attract other men while he was away. She was too beautiful for her good.


    ¡¯Could it be that the pregnancy hormone is affecting her mood?¡¯ Henry wondered. Nevertheless, he had to appease her because she wasn¡¯t in the right mood and mind. "Calm down, Kitty. I¡¯ve never once thought about leaving you. Don¡¯t get too agitated, it might harm our baby."


    ~Don¡¯t make me close one more door


    I don¡¯t wanna hurt anymore


    Stay in my arms if you dare


    Or must I imagine you there.~


    Kate tried to calm down, but she could not.


    She kept thinking that she would be hurt for the second time and didn¡¯t want to get hurt anymore.


    She spent 32 years of her life as nobody¡¯s favorite, not even her husband.


    Her parents despised her for standing up for her morality.


    Her sister was a huge bitch who liked to bully her, and her husband leeched on, treating her like a cash cow.


    But she accepted all of those hardships because she thought it was normal.


    She wanted to return to her previous self, where she would work herself to death. She would be free of heartbreak by closing her heart to any man.


    Kate wiped her tears. She wanted to get up and distance herself because she felt weak when Henry embraced her like this.


    Unfortunately, Henry wouldn¡¯t let her go, no matter how hard she struggled.


    "I should have found someone else," Kate said. "A man on my level. A man who¡¯s not handsome, not rich, and not complicated. A man who has no chance to hurt me. A man who is not you."

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179: Chapter 179[Warning: Mature Content.]


    Henry¡¯s gentle eyes instantly turned sharp when he heard the last sentence. He tightened his arms until Kate had no way to escape him anymore.


    He had been calm and collected the whole time because he didn¡¯t want to scare or force himself on her.


    But she kept pushing his buttons, and her last sentence was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    "Scrap that idea. You¡¯re not allowed to find someone else other than me," Henry said. His eyes were deep and full of possessiveness, much to Kate¡¯s surprise. "You really think that you can escape me after I pour all of my heart into you."


    "H¡ªHenry?" Kate didn¡¯t know what happened to him. She thought he¡¯d just stay there and allow her to vent.


    "You don¡¯t know how far I am willing to go just to embrace you, Kitty," Henry said. "You own my heart now, why can¡¯t I own yours as well? Do I lack something? Why do you keep doubting me?"


    "It¡¯s just... I don¡¯t know what I should do with this growing feeling," Kate said. "You are too much for me, Henry. I don¡¯t want to fall in love, only to get hurt later. I can¡¯t trust you and I don¡¯t know how to trust you."


    Henry began to get swayed by Kate¡¯s emotions as well.


    He knew he was partly guilty because his first intention wasn¡¯t out of love.


    He wanted to make Kate a scapegoat and get the baby to get his father¡¯s approval. He was cruel and had always been so until he met Kate and somehow developed this strong bond with her and their unborn baby.


    He knew it¡¯d be hard for him to gain her trust, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so conflicted about it even though Henry had done his best to convince her he was in love with her.


    "What should I do to make you trust me, Kitty?" Henry asked.


    Kate went silent for a while, and then murmured, "Promise me one thing, Henry. Promise me that you will never find another woman after you have me. I will hold to your words, and if you break your promise, then you will never be able to see your child for the rest of your life."


    Kate knew that promise was very heavy, and she knew she was being selfish.


    But for once in her life, she wanted to be selfish.


    She wanted Henry all for herself, and if he wasn¡¯t willing to do it, then it was better to get this over with.


    Henry stared deep into Kate¡¯s eyes as she looked over her shoulder. There was no hesitation as he opened his mouth, "I promise that I will never find another woman, you¡¯re my only one. But you have to promise me the same, Kitty."


    Kate chuckled as she found that ridiculous, "You think that I can emotionally recover after two failed attempts of finding love? I¡¯d live the rest of my life as a nun if we crash and burn."


    Henry had a sense of ease after Kate had the same idea.


    Because all in his mind right now was settling down, despite his young age, Henry thought that Kate would be his only one and they would build a happy family together.


    ¡¯You will be the mother of my children, the mistress of my house, and the love of my life, Katherine Woods,¡¯ Henry swore in his heart.


    Kate began to calm down once they made the promise.


    Though a promise could be broken anytime, Kate still wanted to believe him.


    ¡¯Please don¡¯t break my heart, Henry. My heart is fragile,¡¯ Kate said in her heart.


    They were staring at the northern light in silence. Henry embraced her tightly, allowing Kate to sit comfortably in his arms while he embraced her.


    They were in this position for a while until Kate felt the big stick under her ass. Henry must¡¯ve been horny right now, but because of her emotional outburst, he had to stop himself from getting his reward.


    So Kate took a deep breath to prepare herself and then put her hand on top of his strong and big hand.


    She guided his hand down and said, "Touch me, Henry." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry paused for a moment before he used his middle finger to hook the lingerie away and exposed Kate¡¯s pussy. He began by fiddling with her clit while kissing her nape repeatedly.


    Kate bit her lower lip to hold her moan, but the constant stimulation finally washed her away.


    "Ahnnn..." Kate moaned as Henry continued to play with her clit. She instinctively rubbed her thighs together, but Henry used his other hand to spread her legs open, making sure that he had full access to her dripping pussy.


    "H¡ªHenry, more... I want more..." Kate said.


    "Yes, my lady," Henry used two fingers to enter her, in and out. He then realized that her inside was already wet. She was ready to get fucked just with a quick touch from him. Henry couldn¡¯t help but tease her for it, "You¡¯re much more honest down there, Kitty."


    Kate was so embarrassed by how horny she was, but there was no turning back at this point, so she looked over her shoulder again and said, "What are you waiting for? Just fuck me already."


    Henry licked his lips as he kissed Kate on the cheek, "This is the best reward you could give to me, Kitty."


    Henry pulled his brief to finally release his fully erect cock. Henry sighed as he was relieved. His dick had been hurting because it hadn¡¯t been released.


    Since Kate was still sitting on his lap, he positioned his erect cock in between Kate¡¯s inner thighs, directly rubbing against her wet pussy lips.


    Kate stared at the huge, veiny cock that would ram inside her anytime soon. She swallowed her saliva. No matter how often they did it, his cock was still magnificent and somewhat scary.


    She still couldn¡¯t believe that she could eat that thing completely.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180: Chapter 180Henry chuckled when he noticed Kate¡¯s nervousness, "You took it all plenty of times before, you can do it again, Kitty. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle."


    "Um..." Kate nodded.


    Henry then lifted Kate by her waist and began to slowly thrust inside her pussy.


    Kate gasped when half of it was inside her, and she moaned sweetly when Henry¡¯s cock was finally deep inside her.


    "Ahhhhhnn!" Kate stretched her neck like a swan as the shocking pleasure completely washed her away.


    "Hrrm..." Henry grunted as he felt that his cock was wrapped inside a hot and tight tunnel. He kissed Kate¡¯s nape a few times to calm her down and said, "As I expected, we have a perfect compatibility. You and I are meant to be together, Kitty."


    "Ahh... uhhnn..." Kate¡¯s body squirmed as she felt the hot and throbbing dick inside her. But Henry quickly put her in place by holding her waist. He then lifted Kate up and down effortlessly while gently moving his hips.


    They started slow at first, but as Kate got wetter down there, Henry began to lose himself and hastened his thrust.


    "Ah¡ªahh! Ahnn! Uhhh!" The mind-numbing pleasure also washed away Kate¡¯s consciousness. She could only moan as she lost strength each time Henry thrust his big dick inside her.


    He occupied every inch inside her pussy, his cock made her feel full, and he satisfied her.


    "Ah¡ªUhmm! Y¡ªyeah, Henry, fuck me hard! Ahhh!"


    The pleasure was proven to be too overwhelming for Kate. She felt that her body wasn¡¯t her own anymore. She reached her orgasm and squirts uncontrollably.


    "Ahhhhhhnn!"


    Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!


    Henry gritted his teeth, "Fuck! Ugh, I can¡¯t hold it anymore! UGH!"


    Henry grunted as he hastened his thrust, and he shot all of his thick and hot cum inside her.


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    "Uhh Nnn!"


    "Urgh! FUCK! ARGH!"


    Henry and Kate took a short break after their first orgasm. Kate rested her entire body on his strong chest while Henry tightly wrapped his arms around her waist to ensure she wouldn¡¯t slip and fall since they were both sweating.


    Henry hadn¡¯t been masturbating for at least a week just for this special night. He shot so much that Kate complained, "Uhh, my inside... it¡¯s so hot...."


    "Hahah, I¡¯ve saved it up for a special occasion," Henry replied. His cock was still rock hard inside Kate¡¯s pussy, a sign that one round wouldn¡¯t satisfy him. "Ready for the next round?"


    Usually, Kate would refuse Henry¡¯s advance because one round was enough for her.


    But her emotion was at its height tonight, and she wanted nothing but to spend her energy on Henry.


    Kate swayed her hips left and right, squirming as she wanted to continue playing with Henry¡¯s cock inside her, "I am all yours, Mr. Grant."


    "That¡¯s what I want, Kitty," Henry said. "We will spend at least a week here."


    "A week? Isn¡¯t that too long?" Kate didn¡¯t object to the idea of spending a week on this vacation, but she thought they still had work to do.


    "Not really, it¡¯s my promise to Michael as well," Henry said. "He¡¯ll take care of the office for a week. He also wants to get closer with his Bunny."


    "Bunny?"


    "It¡¯s the nickname he gave to Mai. Though he hasn¡¯t told her yet about it," Henry chuckled. "Let¡¯s hope they get along while we¡¯re away."


    "I sure hope so," Kate nodded. She silently prayed for Michael, knowing Mai was such a hard-headed woman. She had a trauma she didn¡¯t want to discuss, and it¡¯d take a while for her to open up.


    "Well then¡ª" Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s inner thighs and opened it wide, "Let¡¯s go for another round, Kitty."


    **


    Meanwhile, Michael and Mai were busy in the office while their bosses were away to ditch that bitch and have a romantic vacation in Greenland.


    Since there was no CEO or Chief Editor, Michael and Mai were tasked to handle their jobs together. It was exhausting, but none of them were complaining, especially Michael, who was enjoying his time alone with Mai without that filthy bitch ruining it and without having to run errands for Henry or Kate.


    Unfortunately, despite all the chances that he got, he still faced another problem.


    "Mr. Eckermann, this is all the documents you have to check today," Mai said as she walked into Michael¡¯s office and put a stack of documents on his desk.


    Michael sighed as he saw those documents.


    He never expected Henry and Kate to do so much at work. He seriously thought that all they did was having a wild office sex inside the CEO¡¯s office all day.


    ¡¯I underestimated Henry. He¡¯s really a changed man,¡¯ Michael thought.


    Mai noticed the exhaustion in Michael¡¯s eyes, which was understandable since he had to substitute for the CEO and Chief Editor¡¯s job.


    "Mr. Eckermann, if you¡¯re too tired, then you should just rest. I will finish reading the documents for you and summarize each of them. All you need is just signing them in the end," Mai offered.


    "No, no, I can do this. I am a very capable man," Michael claimed. He didn¡¯t want to be seen as unreliable by Mai.


    Mai shrugged, "Alright then. I¡¯ll make you a coffee, since I think we will be here for a few hours more." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mai was about to leave when Michael suddenly stopped her, "Wait, Mai."


    Mai turned around and raised her brow, "Yes, Sir?"


    "I... uh... I had a little souvenir for you. I bought them when I was in Greenland before," Michael said. He took something from his briefcase and handed it to Mai.


    Mai frowned when she was given a cute doll wearing a traditional Greenland costume.


    "Why are you giving me a doll like this? It¡¯s for little girls," Mai said. She glanced at Michael and added, "Do you have something specific in mind when you¡¯re gifting me a doll for a little girl?"


    "Ah¡ªI¡ªUh... nothing in particular, it¡¯s just... I don¡¯t know what kind of stuff would impress you," Michael replied. He had no idea because he had never had to impress a girl.


    He didn¡¯t want to give Mai expensive stuff because Mai didn¡¯t seem to be the one who liked that kind of luxury.


    So he just used his heart and picked something he thought looked cute, just like her.


    "I swear I didn¡¯t mean to insult you," Michael murmured. "It just looks cute..."


    Mai noticed that Michael looked guilty. She sighed, "Don¡¯t make that face, Mr. Eckermann, you make me feel like a mean bitch who hurts a man with a good will."


    "Anyway, thank you for the gift, I like it."


    "Really?" Michael asked. He lifted his head, and his eyes were full of hope.


    "Yeah, I actually collect dolls," Mai said, then blushed. "Don¡¯t tell that to Mrs. Woods, it¡¯s a little embarrassing."


    "I¡¯m just glad that you like my gift. I really thought I offended you."


    "Hahahah! No need to be so nervous around me, Sir. I¡¯m not a beast or anything," Mai chuckled. "Anyway, I don¡¯t want to feel indebted to someone. Do you want me to buy or do something to pay this back?"


    Michael was stunned for a moment, and then his cheeks reddened, "Y¡ªYou can start by calling me by my first name. Call me Michael."


    "Hahaha¡ªNo," Mai refused. "You¡¯re my Boss, and it¡¯s so unprofessional for me to do that. Tell me if you need something else later."


    Michael watched her back as Mai walked out of his office. He sighed, pitying himself, "You really suck at this, Michael. I should¡¯ve asked Henry for some tips."

 Chapter 181: A woman who loves too much

    Chapter 181: Chapter 181: A woman who loves too muchKate and Henry sat side by side in front of the obstetrician, who returned to his seat with the report about her pregnancy.


    A month and a half passed since they kicked Erin out of their lives, but they didn¡¯t have the freedom they wished for because the moment they returned to the office, there were TONS of documents and reports to do, making them busy for the whole month without doing much.


    This was their first visit to the obstetrician. Kate was anxious about the result since she had been experiencing a constant headache and weakened body and always felt sick every morning.


    She tried to endure it, acting like she was alright because they had A LOT to do at work.


    That was until Henry noticed that she looked pale and frail, as if she could faint anytime soon, so he insisted they come to the obstetrician for a check-up.


    "How is it, Doctor? Is she alright? Is the baby alright?" Henry asked as he also got anxious. He was holding Kate¡¯s hand as he kept giving her emotional support. He also wanted her to know that he would always be there during her pregnancy.


    "Mrs. Katherine Woods is ten weeks pregnant, the fetus is healthy, but you shouldn¡¯t overwork yourself, Ma¡¯am," the obstetrician said. He then glanced at Henry and asked, "Sir, are you her¡ª"


    "Husband," Henry said without hesitation. "I¡¯m the baby father."


    "Alright, then you should watch over her, Sir. The reason why she feels weak is because she is exhausted and stressed out, a pregnant woman should have a proper rest," he said. "And you shouldn¡¯t be wearing constricting clothes, Ma¡¯am. Though the baby bump is still not too big, constricting clothes might hurt the baby."


    "But, Doctor, I have a tight schedule. Is there any medicine that I can drink to help my weakened body?" Kate asked.


    Henry turned his head at her and frowned, surprised by her question, "No, you don¡¯t need any medicine. You should just rest."


    "But we still have a lot to do in the office..." Kate said. She felt bad for Henry because he was already exhausted with so many things to do, and now he had to do it alone.


    "No, I can just force¡ªI mean, tell Michael to work overtime," Henry said. He put his warm palm on her baby bump and added, "What¡¯s important is the safety of you and our baby."


    "Your husband is right, Ma¡¯am," the obstetrician suggested. "You should take a rest, lessen your burden and try to get yourself fit by doing something like yoga under the right practitioner to calm your mind and strengthen your body."


    "Um... okay then."


    Ultimately, Kate couldn¡¯t fight back when Henry and the obstetrician teamed up against her. She had to rest, or the stress might harm the baby.


    Of course, she loved her baby, but she just thought it was too early for her to rest from working hard.


    She wasn¡¯t used to this because she had dedicated five years of her life to work like a dog every single day without a break.


    The obstetrician prescribed a few vitamins for Kate and allowed them to leave.


    But before they left, Henry asked, "Doctor, when will we know about the gender of our baby?" S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ten weeks from now."


    "Okay, thanks, Doctor."


    Kate raised her brow, confused because she didn¡¯t expect Henry to be so eager to know the baby¡¯s gender.


    Surely, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem whether the baby would be a boy or a girl, right?


    **


    Kate and Henry left the obstetrician¡¯s office and headed to the pharmacy to get her medicine.


    Kate was dazed the whole time, which got Henry worried again, "Are you still feeling ill? Okay, hug my neck, I will carry you to the car."


    "No, no, I¡¯m doing alright..." Kate replied. "I¡¯m just worried about your question to the doctor just now."


    Henry tried to recall what he did wrong but didn¡¯t seem to find anything, so he asked directly, "Did I say something wrong?"


    Kate glanced at Henry and then looked down to check on her baby bump, "You asked the Doctor about our baby¡¯s gender. I don¡¯t know why, but it feels off to me, do you have a specific preference for it?"


    Kate knew that Henry came from an old money family, and they¡ªdespite the modernized era¡ªstill had more favor towards a baby boy than a baby girl.


    "Could it be that you prefer a boy because of your family¡¯s lineage?" Kate asked. "To tell you the truth, Henry, I don¡¯t care if your family doesn¡¯t accept me and my baby, and I don¡¯t care if I will get a baby boy or girl."


    Kate had this conversation a few times with Matt before.


    That bastard was a total woman-hating douche that would not accept a baby girl in case they had a baby. Because in his eyes, a baby girl wouldn¡¯t be as useful as a boy, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to connect with a daughter.


    ¡¯Heh, he said that girls are useless, but he is the most useless man I¡¯ve ever known in my life,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Not at all, I don¡¯t mind having a baby girl," Henry replied as he tried to straighten this soon-to-be misunderstanding. "In fact, I prefer baby girls."


    "You prefer a baby girl?" Kate asked. "Why?"


    ...


    There was a long silence as Henry¡¯s lips thinned. He was about to say the truth, but he knew it would upset Kate so much, so he replied, "I grew up with my brother. We never have a sister, and even my cousins, all of them are boys. So I want a daughter instead."


    "Ah, I see..." Kate sighed in relief. "I grew up in a sister-only family, and it¡¯s not as good as it looks. Well, that¡¯s because my sister is Erin."


    "If we have a daughter, I will make sure not to spoil her rotten, so she won¡¯t grow up like Erin," Kate promised.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182: Chapter 182Henry sighed.


    He knew that Erin must¡¯ve left a bitter taste in her mouth. But it was true. Even Henry had to admit that it was partly Kate¡¯s fault for spoiling that woman rotten until she turned into a huge mean bitch.


    "Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s surviving by eating fish and seals right now, probably. I think she hasn¡¯t died yet, since that Faro guy always sent me an update of her eating boiled fish miserably," Henry said.


    Kate chuckled, she didn¡¯t want to sound mean, but the idea that her sister was suffering in isolation was enough to put a smile on her.


    "Besides, I also want a daughter because I thought she would look like you," Henry said. "She will look very cute and beautiful. I¡¯ll play with her every day."


    "And what¡¯s wrong with having a baby boy? I bet he will look like you," Kate said. "I¡¯ve always wondered how cute it is to see the mini version of you."


    "Haha¡ªNo," Henry laughed dryly. "I was a menace when I was a kid."


    "Oh? So you¡¯re one of those troubled kids?"


    "Pretty much," Henry admitted. "I was a little monster that wrecked everything I touched. If my son is a mini version of me, then he would turn your life upside down. He¡¯d turn your life into hell."


    "So yes, it¡¯s better to have a baby girl," Henry assured. "She will be easier to take care of, and... she will make my life easier."


    Henry had a bitter smile as he said the last sentence, and Kate felt something was off with it, as if there was a hidden meaning behind it. But before she could ask, Henry quickly diverted the topic to make Kate less suspicious.


    "I know it¡¯s a little sudden, but I want to know how¡¯s the progress of your divorce? Where is the lawyer that will help you to annul the prenup?" Henry asked.


    "Ah¡ªthat¡ª"


    Kate was caught off guard because, honestly, she hadn¡¯t been searching for one for a while.


    She was busy with Erin before, and after successfully ditching Erin in the frozen tundra, she got too busy with her work at the office to the point that she had forgotten about it completely.


    On top of that, Matt hadn¡¯t even tried to call her anymore or at least tried to find her after she blocked the credit card again, making sure that the bastard wouldn¡¯t be able to leech off her any longer.


    ...


    "Kate, do you want a divorce or not?" Henry asked. He got serious instantly, thinking that Kate still had some feelings for that useless stump.


    "I do, I just got too busy with work after Erin¡¯s situation, and my soon-to-be ex-husband hasn¡¯t called me at all after I blocked the credit card," Kate said. "Don¡¯t worry, I will start looking for a good lawyer."


    "I know it¡¯ll come to this," Henry said. "That¡¯s why I have prepared a lawyer of my choice." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯ve prepared a lawyer for me?" Kate was surprised. "But why? It¡¯s my problem, and I will do it myself."


    "That¡¯s what you said, but it¡¯s been a month and a half since we ditched that bitch in a frozen land, and you still haven¡¯t done anything yet," Henry insisted. "I want you to divorce him as soon as possible, Kitty. You don¡¯t know how much I want to have you."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened. She looked around and was glad they were the only ones in this area.


    She elbowed Henry and scolded him, "Sshh, don¡¯t be so loud. You¡¯re embarrassing me."


    "What¡¯s so embarrassing about wanting to marry you? Do you want me to make a public proposal as well?"


    "Oh hell no," Kate refused. "W¡ªWe can talk about this later, okay? Slow down, don¡¯t rush things."


    Kate was a little scared because Henry was so adamant about starting a family with her. She was flattered but at the same time, also scared because Henry was so impatient.


    He was too eager, and she had never seen this kind of man before.


    She always thought that men didn¡¯t want to marry too soon because it would ¡¯rob¡¯ them of their freedom. It was also the same reason she married at 27 despite wanting to marry much earlier.


    Matt said that he was still young and tried his best to get an acting and modeling gig, so if he got married early, it would decrease his value.


    "We will talk about the divorce lawyer right after we get your meds. I already have a divorce lawyer perfect for this," Henry said. "I specifically brought him from his office in New York just to handle this."


    Kate had a light bulb on her head when Henry mentioned New York because it seemed he had a competent divorce lawyer for her.


    "Are you sure this divorce lawyer of yours can annul the prenup? I mean, it¡¯s a hard one to annul..."


    "Trust me, he is the best for this," Henry assured.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t understand why Kate was adamant about keeping all that money.


    Henry knew it was her hard-earned fortune, and Matt deserved nothing.


    But Henry could give her ten times the amount she lost from her divorce from Matt.


    "Kitty, why are you so dead set on getting all of your fortunes? You know I can give you much more than what you¡¯ve lost, right?" Henry offered. "In fact, we can get this over with quickly if you just comply with the prenup."


    "It¡¯s not about the amount," Kate sighed. "That stump hasn¡¯t worked his entire life. All he did was leech on me for years, and I am too petty and childish to be the bigger person and let him walk away with half of my hard earned money, not after he cheated on me with my own sister."


    Henry laughed. He held Kate¡¯s hand and nodded, "Alright, alright, I will help you on your path of being petty and childish. I can¡¯t wait to get this over with, so we can officially be together."

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183: Chapter 183"Yo, are you sure you want to sell this Playstation 5? It looks brand new."


    "Yes, I bought it about two months ago. I need quick cash, so there¡¯s nothing else I can do," Matt replied.


    He was currently meeting the potential buyer of his two-month old Playstation 5. He didn¡¯t want to sell it at first since he loved playing on it, but he was in a difficult situation right now, and since he couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t want to find a job, then selling his stuff was the only thing he could do to get money.


    It had been a month and a half since the last time he got news from Erin.


    Erin told him the last time that she would be on a long and steamy journey with her new man, who would give her all the money she needed.


    Matt didn¡¯t care who she was sleeping with as long as she would send him a lot of money in exchange for him allowing her to sleep around.


    To think about it again, it sounded more like prostitution, but Erin was willing to do it anyway.


    Unfortunately, Matt hadn¡¯t heard anything from Erin for a while and was running out of money.


    Kate had somehow blocked his card again a month ago. She already blocked his number, and she simply ignored him.


    She didn¡¯t come and demand this apartment even though it was under her name, and she was the one who fully purchased it. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She simply left him to rot in this apartment without money.


    "So, how much are you willing to sell this? Since it¡¯s two months old, I can pay 300 bucks," the potential buyer offered.


    "Bro, please make it 400 at least, I¡¯m in a dire need of cash," Matt begged. He was so hungry because he had been eating cheap meals these days. Since he lost his main source of income and couldn¡¯t cook at all, he was forced to eat instant food, which made him suffer for the past one and a half months.


    "Hmm, fine, I will take it for 400," the buyer said. He handed the money to Matt and went out with a box of almost brand-new Playstation 5. It was a steal!


    Matt sighed as he closed the door.


    He looked at the 400 bucks in his hand, and his hand trembled, knowing he had so little money right now.


    "Damn it, how come things went to this point? What did I do wrong?" Matt wondered. "I¡¯m used to wasting at least five thousand a month with Kate¡¯s credit card, but now I can barely live with hundreds of bucks in my hand."


    He didn¡¯t know how Kate could best Erin. He always thought that he had Kate under his thumb as long as Erin was around since that mega bitch could manipulate Kate to do their bidding.


    In fact, it was the other reason why Matt decided to cheat on Kate.


    Kate was infertile, and she was very obedient to what her little sister demanded. So if he cheated on Kate with her little sister, he could fuck a younger and fresher woman, get a baby from her, and used Kate¡¯s income so his life would be perfect.


    A younger woman as his side chick.


    A baby of his own.


    And a cash cow that would continue making money for the rest of her life.


    Unfortunately, his plan crashed and burned when Kate walked away from their lives as if she was serious about cutting contact with her husband and sister.


    Matt walked back to the living room and looked around.


    "Fuck, how many things had I sell anyway?" He asked himself. "I remember I still have plenty of stuff in the living room, but now...."


    He stared at the empty rack in front of the sofa.


    It used to have many of his game consoles, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and he also had a PC to play other games.


    He also had a 60-inch TV for his enjoyment, but he sold it all within a month because he was so fucking broke.


    He refused to get a job.


    "I¡¯m goddamn handsome. Why would I work as a burger flipper? Even if I have to work in an office, I have to be at least the manager, or even better, the CEO," Matt murmured. He complained about so many bad things happening to him right now, and he blamed it all on Kate, who blocked the credit card again.


    "Damn it, where is Erin anyway? Don¡¯t tell me that she dares to ditch me just like that after we had an agreement," Matt grumbled. He checked his phone and scrolled through his contact to find Erin¡¯s number


    He tried to call her again, but she did not answer as usual. He had been calling her for at least a week straight to no avail.


    Maybe Erin had also blocked him after realizing she didn¡¯t want to sleep with him anymore.


    "Fucking bitch! How dare she leave me when I need money the most?! She¡¯s just as ungrateful and bitchy as her sister!" Matt threw all kinds of curses at Erin and Kate, but in the end, he stopped when his stomach began to make noises.


    He was hungry, but when he checked the fridge, there was nothing but cola there. He also ran out of instant noodles, so he had to go to the nearest minimart to buy them.


    "Tch, why do I have to suffer like this? Kate should¡¯ve been grateful that I¡¯m at least loyal to her after we got married!" Matt complained.


    He grabbed his jacket and was about to leave the apartment when he got a sudden call from none other than his mother, Mary.


    He knew Mary must want to ask for money because she had been wasting it all on her boy toy.


    He wanted to reject the call but accidentally pressed the green button.


    "Oh crap!"


    And the call was connected.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184: Chapter 184¡ª


    "Matt? Are you there?" Mary asked as the call was connected.


    Matt cursed in his heart, but he still replied reluctantly, "H¡ªHey, Mom, what¡¯s up?"


    "Oh thank God, you¡¯re there. I was worried for a while since you haven¡¯t called me," Mary sighed in relief. "What¡¯s wrong, Son. Why haven¡¯t you called me for almost a month now? Is there something wrong with your job?"


    "It¡¯s all fine, Mom," Matt replied, not wanting to tell his mother about his real situation. He wasn¡¯t a renowned director who directed so many movies and TV shows. He was just a deadbeat who relied on his wife¡¯s credit card.


    "Are you sure it¡¯s fine? Because you haven¡¯t been sending me any money for a while," Mary said. "You know that my living cost is a lot right now, I need a lot of money to make sure that Harry has a good life."


    Matt couldn¡¯t help clicking his tongue annoyedly when his mother mentioned that useless bastard who lived with her now.


    She had been infatuated with a young man in his early 20s who contributed nothing except being a parasite.


    "Mom, why are you still keeping him in your home?! Don¡¯t you realize that he doesn¡¯t love you? He just wants you because you keep giving him money!"


    "Oh, don¡¯t say that, Matt. He does love me, I know he does. He keeps telling me how much of a wonderful and youthful woman I am," Mary said.


    She sounded so confident, and that infuriated Matt even more.


    "You know that Harry is young and he¡¯s a struggling artist. He will be a big star soon, all you need to do is send me at least three thousand a month. Isn¡¯t that so hard? I know that you earn a lot as Director, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you, right?"


    "It is a problem for me, Mom," Matt refuted. He was so angry at that bastard for tricking his mother into a love scheme, but at this point, without money in his hand, he couldn¡¯t just let this slide because his mother¡¯s retirement fund would be drained as soon as possible.


    "I lost a lot of money," Matt said. He was thinking as he spoke, trying to find a good reason to let his mother know he had zero money.


    "L¡ªLost a lot of money?! What happened?!" Mary asked as she was panicking. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if she couldn¡¯t give Harry the money he needed, he might leave her!


    "I invested 90% of my money in a company, and the company is going downhill right now, there is no way I can recover my money there."


    "90%?! Why would you do that!?"


    "Because I thought it¡¯s a safe investment since it¡¯s a long-standing generational company," Matt said. He remembered one recent news story about the fall of a powerful company and lied even more, "I invested 90% of my money in the Gray company. But after the scandal of the CEO, the company¡¯s stock went downhill and well... I¡¯m broke now."


    Mary was devastated when Matt said that he was broke. She always thought his son was destined to be a great man who wouldn¡¯t lose money. That¡¯s why she already blew half of her retirement fund just to persuade Harry so he would fuck her.


    "B¡ªBut you will still earn money after this, right?"


    Matt wanted to say no, which would stop his Mom from asking me for money. But he didn¡¯t want to be disappointed, so he said, "Yes, I will get more money, but it will take about half a year, because my next movie project will be five months from now."


    "Then how will you survive five months from now? What about your wife? Did she save some money?" Mary asked. "She must be, right? She¡¯s a stay-at-home wife!"


    Matt didn¡¯t want his mother to find Kate because that would be a whole new problem, so he said, "No, Kate didn¡¯t save anything. We¡¯re living frugally right now using the money I have left. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t give you money for now, Mom."


    Matt thought that would be enough to fool her mother and stop her from asking for money.


    But she snapped instead, "That useless woman! How come she hasn¡¯t saved a dime for an emergency situation like this?!" Mary yelled. "She can¡¯t get a job for herself, she can¡¯t cook well, can¡¯t even give you a baby. She is so useless!"


    "Hold on, son, I will call your wife and let her know how much of a useless bitch she is! Oh my god, what kind of stay-at-home wife is she? How come she wasted all of your money on useless stuff!"


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened, "W¡ªWait, Mom! Don¡¯t call her¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Matt was speechless when his mother hung up on him. He panicked and quickly dialed Mary again.


    Unfortunately, Mary was uncontactable. She must be busy blasting Kate¡¯s phone right now.


    "Fuck! Fuck! What should I do now?" Matt paced back and forth. He didn¡¯t want his secret to be found. Usually, Kate would be very cooperative. She would just ignore when Mary insulted her for leeching.


    She would also stay silent when Mary said she wasn¡¯t fit to be his wife because she was useless and barren.


    Kate agreed to play along to save her husband from embarrassment.


    But now that they weren¡¯t together anymore, the chance of her telling the truth to his mother was significantly higher! What if she actually dared to do that!?


    "Crap! I have to stop this! I have to meet her, so she wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything!"


    Matt dashed out of the apartment and called Taxi to go to Kate¡¯s apartment. Since the sun was already setting, he figured that Kate must be at her other apartment right now.


    **


    Meanwhile, Kate was busy reading a manuscript in her apartment. Since the pregnancy check-up yesterday, Henry insisted on her working from home because it would be less exhausting for her. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she was reading the manuscript, her phone suddenly rang, and she checked the caller.


    "Huh, Matt¡¯s mother? What does she want from me?"

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185: Chapter 185"Huh, Matt¡¯s mother? What does she want from me?" Kate wondered.


    She picked up the call without thinking much. She knew that Matt and Mary relied on Erin¡¯s threat to kill her mother if she didn¡¯t comply with every one of her stupid requests.


    Now that Erin was out of the picture and had already sent her mother to a professional nursing home, she had nothing to fear.


    ¡ª


    "Hello?" Kate opened the conversation. "Do you need anything, Mary?"


    "You¡ªYou¡¯re such a useless woman!" Mary snapped.


    Kate was caught off guard because she didn¡¯t expect Mary to yell out of the blue.


    "Huh? What are you on about, Mary? Why are you cursing me out of the blue?"


    "Do you think I don¡¯t know that you fucked over my son¡¯s saving?" Mary began to lash out, thinking it was all Kate¡¯s fault for not being a good wife to her son. "He has been working hard as a director, and he must¡¯ve given you a lot of money, yet you saved NONE of it?!"


    "Oh my god! How can you be so fucking careless! Look at what you¡¯ve done now! Matt lost all of his savings from a failed investment and he said that you don¡¯t save even a dime!" Mary continued yelling since Kate didn¡¯t try to fight back. She thought all those accusations must be true because Kate stayed silent.


    "Look at how useless you are, you didn¡¯t even work, you can¡¯t cook for him, and you can¡¯t even save money!" Mary accused. "On top of that, you are not a complete woman! How can you be so selfish!"


    ...


    ...


    "Speak! Why are you keeping your mouth shut? Are you still trying to dodge your accountability?!"


    It took a while for Kate to process the whole thing. She knew that Matt lied about a lot of things to his mother. He didn¡¯t want his mother to know that he was a useless stump who couldn¡¯t find a job and had been leeching on Kate pretty much during their entire marriage.


    In fact, if Kate would stretch it even further, he had been using her money since they were still in university and after graduation.


    Kate had been working part-time since she was in university and then got a permanent job as an admin in a small company for a few years before Matt forced her to resign as they were about to marry.


    He had this grandeur vision that Kate would be a stay-at-home mom, taking care of their children while he was venturing to become a successful actor.


    ¡¯I should¡¯ve known back then that it was all bullshit. He has been using my money even before we got married. Things wouldn¡¯t change just because we exchanged our vows.¡¯


    Now, she could always let herself be a punching bag, which she did when she was still married to Matt. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She would let herself be a punching bag, accepting all the insults hurled towards her by her mother-in-law.


    She just thought it was an effort to persevere her husband¡¯s dignity in front of his Mother.


    But not anymore.


    They were about to get a divorce, and Kate had no obligation to hide things.


    "That¡¯s true, I didn¡¯t save a single dime for that useless bastard," Kate said rudely, much to Mary¡¯s shock.


    Mary always thought that Kate was useless, but at least she wasn¡¯t defiant.


    So this only ruined her image in front of her mother-in-law even more!


    "How could you say that?! He has been working so hard just to give you a good life! You ungrateful wench!"


    "Haha, working so hard? Do you know what kind of job he has?"


    "He¡¯s a director! He has made a lot of movies and also a lot of money! Don¡¯t you realize that he is too good for you?!"


    "He is too good for me, huh?" Kate scoffed, full of ridicule. "Then tell me, which movies or TV series he has directed? Surely he will tell you if it¡¯s a big movie, right?"


    "T¡ªThat¡ª"


    The question soon cornered Mary because she didn¡¯t know what kind of movie or TV series Matt had directed. She asked a few times, but he said it wasn¡¯t all that important.


    He had a lot of money because he worked hard, that was the only important thing to know.


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s not important. What¡¯s the point of knowing his works? The point is, he brought money to the family, and you spent it all because you¡¯re so selfish!"


    "You have no idea, right?" Kate taunted. "He never told you any of his directed works. Why? Because it¡¯s all bullshit."


    "Y¡ªYou! How could you¡ª"


    "Shut up, Mary, let me tell you the truth before you hurl me some baseless insult," Kate interrupted. She was tired of this old woman cursing at her every time. "Matt has never worked in his entire life. He has been leeching off from me ever since we got married."


    "He can¡¯t get a job as an actor. He refused to find another job, that¡¯s why I¡¯m forced to work my ass off while he¡¯s staying at home, doing nothing other than playing video games," Kate said. "He¡¯s a total useless stump."


    "But of course, Mummy¡¯s little boy wouldn¡¯t dare to tell the truth to her. Since you don¡¯t see him on the big screen, he can¡¯t lie that he¡¯s an actor. That¡¯s why he said he¡¯s a successful director," Kate sneered. "Oh, jolly, how good of a son he is, sending money to his mother every month, claiming that it¡¯s his money and saying that I¡¯ve done nothing to contribute to your little rotten family."


    "H¡ªHow could you know¡ª" Matt told her many times that Kate didn¡¯t know he was sending money to her because she was an absolute bitch who would yell at him if he sent so much money to his mother.


    That¡¯s why Mary thought Kate was an ungrateful, selfish, greedy, barren woman.


    "Are you surprised because I know about it?" Kate chuckled. "Because he¡¯s using my card to send you money every damn time, you dumb bitch. Of course I know everything."

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186: Chapter 186Mary felt like her world had begun to crumble right now. She didn¡¯t want to believe all this because her son told her a different story.


    Kate was supposed to be this useless and barren woman that got lucky because she married a perfect man like her son. She should be grateful that Matt hadn¡¯t divorced her yet, because he definitely deserved someone better.


    "Y¡ªYou liar! How could you slander your own husband like that?! Don¡¯t you see that he is too good for you? You ungrateful wench!"


    At this point, Mary was also unsure of herself.


    She wanted to keep thinking that Matt was the family¡¯s breadwinner and that Kate was just a leech.


    But the confidence in Kate¡¯s voice actually began to shake Mary¡¯s belief about her son.


    "Hm? Still don¡¯t believe me? Well, how about I mention every single transfer that he made to you. It¡¯s not hard for me," Kate said. She opened her mobile banking app and then mentioned the recent transfer. "Four thousand dollars in May, five thousand in June, six thousand in July, four thousand in August."


    Mary¡¯s head spun as she realized that Kate might have said the truth up until now.


    But she still didn¡¯t want to believe it because her son was destined for greatness. There was no way her successful son would leech on a woman like Kate!


    "Oh, he didn¡¯t send you money at all last month, and definitely won¡¯t send another this month and in the future. Do you know why?"


    "It¡¯s because of a failed investment, and because you can¡¯t save his money!" Mary continued yelling.


    "Oh really?" Kate chuckled. "I think it¡¯s because I¡¯ve blocked his card completely, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t send you money anymore. Heck, I doubt he can even afford his own groceries, let alone sending money."


    It had been a while since Kate blocked his credit card. She thought Matt would come crawling and beg for money since she doubted that man could fend for himself.


    But he hadn¡¯t come knocking on her door, which Kate suspected that Matt must¡¯ve been selling all the stuff in their old apartment to continue living.


    Though Kate didn¡¯t mind, it would be better if he sold everything before he left because she also planned to empty that apartment and fill it with new furniture that didn¡¯t smell like burnt bacon and failure.


    ¡¯Luckily, the apartment is under my name. I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t get tricked into putting his name back then, because I am the one who fully purchased that apartment anyway,¡¯ Kate thought.


    There had been a few arguments with Matt in the past because Kate kept purchasing properties using her name instead of his, and he even went as far as giving Kate the silent treatment for a while because she refused to put Matt¡¯s name on the legal certificate.


    Mary felt that her view of her son had been shattered. She always saw him as a good and successful man that could do no wrong, but with how confident Kate was and how she had all of the proof of the bank transfer record, Mary began to think that maybe she had been fooled this whole time.


    But how could Kate¡ªa woman from their small town¡ªland a job that could give her enough money to buy so many luxurious things? Surely she wasn¡¯t an actress with her basic look.


    "You know, Mary, I¡¯ve been dying to tell you about all this," Kate said. "I have always been the breadwinner of the family, and the only reason why I never say anything against Matt¡¯s slander was because I want to protect my husband¡¯s dignity in front of his own mother."


    "But not anymore, because we¡¯re in the process of divorce," Kate said coldly without hesitation. She was done with this shitty family who always tried to hurl insults at her while still treating her as a cash cow.


    "DIVORCE?!"


    "Hey¡ªhey, don¡¯t be so surprised, Mary. Do you really think that I stay by his side when he does NOTHING all the time?" Kate said. "For the past five years, he refused to find a job and relied on me to buy everything he wanted. I¡¯ve been enduring it until I saw him with my sister on the couch."


    Mary almost got a heart attack after hearing the last sentence. She never expected that the religious son she thought was too good for Kate actually dared to cheat.


    "What¡¯s with the silence, Mary? Are you surprised that your oh-so-perfect son is actually a useless man who lies to you and even went as far as cheating on his wife with his own sister-in-law?" Kate taunted. "Awww, are you having a mini heart attack because the reality is just too much for you? Well, that¡¯s what my mom felt when your son and my sister used Hilda¡¯s weak heart to blackmail me into giving all of my money."


    There was no more answer from the other side of the call, and Kate knew that Mary must have a mental breakdown right now. She had always believed that her son could do no wrong, so this was a huge punch in the face.


    Kate was enjoying the silence. She had always dreamed of this moment when she could finally be the one to have the last words.


    They were in this silence for a while. Kate allowed Mary to process everything because she knew her mother-in-law must be in too much shock.


    "Well, since you already know everything, then I will let you think about all the lies that Matt had spouted all this time, maybe he finally has the balls to admit¡ª"


    Ding¡ªDong!


    Kate paused for a moment. She got up from the chair and walked towards the door. She checked using the CCTV camera and saw none other than her soon-to-be ex-husband standing at the door.


    He looked nervous, and it seemed he came here in a hurry, probably because he knew his mother must be calling Kate right now. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate grinned as she had an amazing idea, "Well, Mary, since your son is here, why don¡¯t we let him confess his lies."

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187: Chapter 187"Well, Mary, since your son is here, why don¡¯t we let him confess about his lies," Kate said.


    "Kate, Stop¡ª" Mary was about to stop Kate because she wasn¡¯t ready to talk with her son right now. She was so distraught with the idea that Matt wasn¡¯t the perfect son she had.


    But Kate ignored Mary completely. She opened the door and finally saw Matt in person after a while.


    He still looked the same, stinky and unkempt.


    He had an untrimmed beard that hadn¡¯t been washed for a while. He was wearing a stained white shirt that Kate suspected was also unwashed for at least a month, seeing how yellow it had become.


    On top of that, his belly had gotten even bigger than before, to the point that his body slouched a bit, making him look shorter than usual. He always told Kate he wanted to keep himself in shape because a movie director might call him and ask him to play in a rom-com movie.


    But it seemed that he had given up completely on becoming an actor.


    Kate smirked as she faced Matt, and the latter looked at him with eyes full of worry.


    He wanted to distract Kate, and if his mother called her, it was better to stop her as soon as possible before Kate said unnecessary things.


    But now that he saw the phone near her ear, Matt knew he was too late.


    Kate put the call on loudspeaker and greeted Matt with a poisonous smile, "Good evening, Matt. It¡¯s been a while since the last time I caught you fucking my sister. What¡¯s the matter? Are you here to ask for money?"


    Matt clenched his fists. He was angry at Kate, who dared to spill everything to his mother, even though he had tried his best to hide his failure all these years.


    "Matthew..." Mary murmured her son¡¯s name. She was unsure of how to ask him if everything was true.


    "End the call now, Kate," Matt said as he repressed his anger.


    "Why? Your mother was the one who called me first. She hurled insults at me, saying that I¡¯m useless and all. Do you really expect me to continue lying?" Kate scoffed. "I¡¯m not some weak maiden from the medieval era, you skunk. Tell me, what control do you have over me?"


    ...


    Matt couldn¡¯t answer that question because it was true. He had no power against Kate because Kate could do everything all by herself.


    He wished that he was the more successful one in this relationship, so he could tell Kate what to do every single time without her arguing back


    "As expected," Kate sneered as she was met with silence from Matt. "Now that your Mom is on the call, why don¡¯t you tell her about everything? Hmm, to start with, why don¡¯t you tell her that you¡¯re not a director or whatsoever. You¡¯re just a useless stump that refused to find another job after realizing that your acting career will never take off."


    "Son, is that true? After all this time, you¡¯re using her money for everything?" Mary asked. "But you said that you¡¯re a director, right? Please just tell me that she is lying, and I will believe you, I promise!"


    "I will call you later, Mom. Just hang up the call first," Matt said.


    "No, I want to know now, Matt. You¡¯re going to kill me with worry!" Mary refused. "Just tell me that Kate is lying!"


    Matt gritted his teeth. Since he was cornered, there was nothing else he could do except, "Mom, do you really think that Kate is a sane woman? She¡¯s a barren bitch who can¡¯t even give me a baby. Do you really believe that a woman like her can get a high paying job, high enough to earn crazy six figures every year?"


    Kate wasn¡¯t surprised that Matt would chicken out and lied to his mother. He always ran away from reality, a loser who wouldn¡¯t even take responsibility for his actions.


    But she didn¡¯t expect Mary to have the same cowardice as Matt.


    "Y¡ªYou¡¯re right, Son. How could she earn that much in a year?" Mary said. "S¡ªStop talking bullshit, Kate. I know that you¡¯ve failed to save my son¡¯s money, that¡¯s why you¡¯re throwing blame and fabricating stuff!"


    Matt was so released that his Mom was on his side. He knew that his blatant lie wasn¡¯t convincing, but this was all he could do to save his dignity from being destroyed in front of Kate.


    "Tsk, tsk, you two," Kate rolled her eyes. This was out of her expectation. It wasn¡¯t fun to see both of them trying to deny reality.


    But in the end, she knew nothing she could do against them except for divorcing Matt and cutting contact.


    "Well, I expect no less from a pair of useless mother and son," Kate said. "But it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s see who will have the last laugh. Let¡¯s see if Matt can find a job before he¡¯s done selling all of the furniture in our apartment."


    "And for you, Mary..." Kate chuckled. "I know that you¡¯re currently keeping a boy toy, that¡¯s why you need constant money from your oh-so-successful son. But it¡¯s all over now, Mary. You won¡¯t be able to afford him anymore."


    "Mark my word, Matt will not be able to send you any money from now on. Because I¡¯ve blocked his card, I am not your goddamn cash cow."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate finally ended the call after saying what she had wanted to say for so long. It felt liberating because she didn¡¯t need to act nice in front of her mother-in-law anymore.


    All this time, she repressed the urge to snap at that old woman who acted like Kate was the worst woman to ever live on earth.


    Kate leaned on the wall lazily. She crossed her arm while staring at Matt, still with the same taunting smile on her lips, "So, what¡¯s up, Matt? Are you here just to stop me from spilling the truth?"


    S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188: Chapter 188"How could you, Kate," Matt muttered. "How dare you tell the truth to my mother. Don¡¯t you see that she has high hopes for me? How cruel can you be!"


    "Then you should meet her expectations rather than blatantly lie by using me as a shield," Kate rolled her eyes. "Do you expect me to lie all the time? Oh come on, you¡¯re not that stupid, Matt."


    "But you just broke an old woman¡¯s heart!" Matt yelled. "You¡¯re also hurting me. Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m trying my best here? How can you be so heartless to someone who¡¯s working on his dream like me?!"


    "I¡¯ve never seen a woman as cruel as you, Kate," Matt said. "What if my mom got sick because of the shock? Will you take responsibility if my mom dies because of the news?"


    "Will you take responsibility if MY mom dies after you and Erin keep giving her mini heart attack?" Kate retorted.


    "Of course I don¡¯t want your mother to die! I did it because you¡¯re the one who blocked my credit card!" Matt said. "It¡¯s all your fault. If you hadn¡¯t blocked our cards, then I won¡¯t allow Erin to do that kind of extreme thing!"


    ¡¯Ah, there you go, the pro gaslighter is never wrong,¡¯ Kate was so fed up with Matt¡¯s gaslighting. She knew there was no end when arguing with Matt. He would be able to twist her words and make it sound like Kate was the wrong one all the damn time!


    "Oh well, I don¡¯t really care whether your Mom will die or not at the end," Kate shrugged.


    "How could you¡ªshe is your mother-in-law!"


    "She won¡¯t be soon," Kate said. "Do you think that I will keep your useless ass to be my husband? Don¡¯t dream, Matt, I can do so much more without you."


    "You¡¯re such a villainous woman, Kate," Matt said. "You left me when I¡¯m on the rock bottom. I thought we¡¯re supposed to be together through thick and thin. And now you want to divorce me? Are you going to let me rot?"


    "First of all, I don¡¯t give a fuck whether you will rot under the bridge or in hell. Second, there has never been a ¡¯thick and thin¡¯ in our relationship. You¡¯ve always been on the thin side, and I¡¯ve been supporting you for five years straight!" Kate yelled. "So save your gaslighting for yourself, because your gaslights won¡¯t work in front of the fucking judge!"


    "You¡¯re really going to divorce me? Don¡¯t you remember about our prenup? We will have to split OUR money," Matt said. He had a smirk as he imagined the defeated expression that Kate would make. "I mean, I don¡¯t mind at all, since I will get a lot of money by doing absolutely nothing."


    "Oh let¡¯s see who will have the last laugh this time," Kate said. She turned around and was about to slam the door shut. But Matt quickly used his hand to stop the door from closing. Kate¡¯s eyes peered suspiciously. She was on guard immediately, knowing that Matt could assault her. "What do you want? Go away, Matt."


    "Kate, I know that you still have a good heart inside. I¡¯ve been selling my game consoles and TV to live for the past two months. Why don¡¯t you be a good woman to me and unblock my card, or at least give me enough money to survive," Matt said. "Surely, you won¡¯t be heartless enough to let the man of your life starve and die, right?"


    "The only thing that you¡¯ll get if you don¡¯t leave now is a visit to the police station. So step back and turn around," Kate threatened.


    "I will have to sell everything in our apartment if you don¡¯t give me any money. I might as well sell even the furniture to keep living. You don¡¯t want to return to an empty apartment, right?"


    "Oh, that¡¯s what I want. Go sell everything in that apartment, you¡¯re doing God¡¯s work by emptying that apartment, I don¡¯t want to return there with anything that smells like you."


    "Smells like me?"


    "Yes, burnt bacon and failure." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    SLAM!


    Kate slammed the door as hard as she could and forced Matt to back off, or he¡¯d get hurt.


    Matt could only stare at the door with fury in his eyes. He had been so kind towards Kate because he thought that Kate would eventually return after going through her tantrum.


    But it seemed that she was dead set on divorcing him.


    "Fine, if that¡¯s what you want, then I will sell everything in our apartment. I will make sure to empty everything, including your dresses and old jewelry from your mother!" Matt threatened.


    But there was no answer from Kate.


    Matt clenched his fists before he turned around and left, knowing he could do nothing against her for now.


    But he knew that Kate would NEVER divorce him because Matt would get half of her assets and savings.


    "I will target her old jewelry first, I know they are all important jewelry from Hilda. I¡¯m sure that Kate would be begging once she realized that she¡¯d lost her beloved mother¡¯s old jewelry."


    **


    Kate chuckled as she knew that Matt must be targeting her Mom¡¯s old jewelry to threaten her.


    She entered her room and opened the drawer, staring at a box she had recovered from Erin¡¯s apartment.


    "It¡¯s so funny that he thinks he has control over me," Kate murmured. She opened the box, showing all the old jewelry she wouldn¡¯t wear but still treasured nonetheless. "I should thank Erin because she took it all from the master bedroom. So I don¡¯t have to retrieve it myself. Oh, I can see the disappointment on his face when he couldn¡¯t find these jewelry anywhere."


    Kate didn¡¯t expect things to develop this fast. She didn¡¯t really care about Mary because that woman was just Matt¡¯s burden.


    But now that Matt was brave enough to find her, she had to find somewhere else to live before Matt came to her every single time asking for money.


    "I have to ask Henry about finding a new residence, so Matt won¡¯t be able to find me."

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189: Chapter 189Henry was busy weightlifting in his gym when he heard a commotion downstairs. He frowned and finished his gym session as soon as possible, thinking there might be an intruder.


    Only three people had access to this apartment: the housekeeping service, himself, and Kate.


    He handed Kate the key to this apartment because he already told Kate many times this apartment was their home, but she insisted on staying in her apartment, much to his grievance.


    Since this wasn¡¯t the housekeeping service schedule, could it be...


    "Is it Kate?" Henry murmured as he wiped his sweaty face with a small towel and opened the door. He thought it was impossible for Kate to suddenly change her mind, knowing how stubborn she could be.


    But when he saw his beloved woman dragging her huge luggage with difficulty, his eyes brightened, and he rushed to grab the luggage.


    "Let me do it, it¡¯s too heavy for you!" Henry said as he snatched the luggage from her.


    Kate released it and watched as Henry easily pulled the super heavy luggage and put it inside his bedroom.


    "Kitty!" He rushed out of his bedroom wearing nothing but a brief. His muscular body glistened with sweat, and his face beamed with joy as he opened his arms and hugged her.


    "What¡¯s gotten into you, honey? Why are you here?" Henry asked as he hugged her tight.


    Kate was usually grossed out with sweat. Matt would sweat a lot, and because he rarely took a bath, he would always smell horrible.


    But when Henry hugged her with his fresh out-of-gym body, Kate felt that she had been attacked with a strangely alluring scent.


    Henry smelled musky and masculine, making her want to sniff even more.


    It took a while for Henry to release her. He grabbed Kate¡¯s hand and asked again, "Are you here to stay? Will we live together from now on?"


    Kate stared at Henry for a while.


    For some reason, in her mind she imagine Henry who begin to wag his tail, and he had a pair of dog ears on top of his head.


    She smiled and nodded, "I¡¯ll have to stay in here for a while. Is it okay for you?"


    "It¡¯s more than okay! Don¡¯t you see this apartment is supposed to be for us! This is OUR home!" Henry claimed.


    Kate heard him saying that many times but was still unsure how it could be.


    Because in her mind, she still imagined Henry bringing women into his room and having wild sex in this place. It was hard to believe when he said this apartment was untouched except by the two of them and the housekeeper.


    Nevertheless, she wanted a place to stay to avoid Matt, and this place was the safest, of course.


    Matt couldn¡¯t access this place, and he had a big, strong man to punch that bastard in the face if he dared to do something to her.


    "But, is there something that caused you to move?" Henry asked. Of course, he was so happy that Kate moved in with him, but he wanted to ensure everything was alright because this event was very unlikely unless something big happened.


    Kate sighed, "It¡¯s Matt. He came to my apartment and we had an argument. I don¡¯t feel safe in my own apartment because he could come anytime he likes, that¡¯s why I decided to move, so I can get better protection."


    Henry¡¯s bright and joyous expression vanished instantly the moment Kate mentioned Matt.


    He thought that the bastard wouldn¡¯t dare to come because, based on the report from Michael, Mattew Woods was the type of man who was both lazy and spineless. He was a chicken that often complained but wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything.


    Some nepo babies indeed stole some of the acting roles he got, but he didn¡¯t even dare file a protest, so he was left to dust most of the time.


    In the end, it was his fault on why he failed his acting career, he didn¡¯t dare to fight for his right, and he was also lazy because he didn¡¯t even want to find another less competitive job.


    "Did he hurt you?" Henry asked. His voice deepened, and he began to inspect Kate¡¯s body to see if there was a visible bruise on her exposed skin.


    Luckily, she seemed unharmed. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He didn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t want to risk myself, especially when I have our baby in me," Kate replied. "Since I want to stay here, I will be cooking for you everyday. But there is a question I need to ask."


    "What is it? Do you need something? Just tell me, I will buy it for you."


    "It¡¯s not a ¡¯thing.¡¯ I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯ll be inviting another woman in this apartment. Because it will be super awkward if I accidentally meet with your side chick."


    Henry¡¯s expression turned ugly. He was actually offended by Kate¡¯s words just now, "Why do you keep thinking that I have a side chick? Didn¡¯t I tell you so many times that we¡¯re exclusive to one another? I will never find another woman, you¡¯re the only one for me, Kitty."


    "I just want to keep my expectations low. There¡¯s no guarantee that you will keep loving me after a while, Henry," Kate admitted. She knew Henry must be annoyed by her hesitation, but she didn¡¯t want her feelings to get out of control.


    Henry was irritated, knowing that Kate didn¡¯t seem to take him seriously. After all the things they went through in Greenland, she still thought he could cheat with any other woman.


    Henry didn¡¯t know what went wrong, because he never break his promise. But since Kate didn¡¯t believe him, he ought to continuously prove his seriousness until Kate was fully convinced that she was the love of his life.


    "Kitty, the divorce lawyer that I¡¯ve promised you has finally arrived in Los Angeles. He¡¯s here solely to handle your case. So let¡¯s meet him tonight."

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190: Chapter 190"Eh? The divorce lawyer is already in LA? That¡¯s so fast..." Kate said. "Are you sure we can do that? I mean, based on the trust you put in him, he seems to be a renowned divorce lawyer. It¡¯s impossible for him not to work on anything except for my case, right?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, he comes here solely for your case," Henry insisted. "So let¡¯s meet him tonight, or tomorrow morning. We have to handle your divorce as soon as possible."


    "You are so impatient, you know that, right?" Kate said. "Are you going to marry me right after I get a divorce?"


    "Obviously," Henry replied without hesitation. "I already have everything planned in my mind, I just need to make it a reality."


    Kate was still appalled by Henry¡¯s rashness and assurance. No matter how many times Henry kept telling her that he would marry her no matter what, she still felt that his love was too sudden and too passionate for her.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t enjoy his company.


    Henry was a passionate man who would burn you with his hot love, and for now, Kate wouldn¡¯t ask for more from a man.


    ¡¯Though, that passionate fire might die out anytime soon, but I still have to appreciate how he treats me very well all this time,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Alright then, let¡¯s go and meet that man tomorrow morning before you go to the office," Kate said.


    "Why don¡¯t we meet him tonight? I can set up a nice dinner for us as well," Henry asked, half begging.


    "I... I am too exhausted after fighting with Matt and his Mom today. I¡¯d prefer to rest."


    "I will order a dinner for us. You shouldn¡¯t cook if you¡¯re too exhausted," Henry said. His smile beamed again, knowing that Kate would live with him starting from now. He already imagined many sweet nights they¡¯d have and also all the fun they would be having.


    Kate rolled her eyes and walked towards their bedroom, "I will make a schedule for that kind of stuff. Remember not to get too rough with me, I¡¯m still pregnant with our baby."


    Henry made a few hasty steps to catch up with Kate and said, "Yes, Madam."


    **


    Michael sat in the car, staring at his latest chat with Mai while waiting for Henry to get ready for work.


    He sighed as he kept reading the depressing chat.


    ¡ª


    Michael: Good evening, Mai. Since we are done with the documents, and I have free time right now. How about we go out? Let¡¯s have a dinner at a restaurant nearby.


    Read.


    Michael: Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all on me.


    Read.


    Michael: How about we go to the Cinema?


    Read.


    ¡ª


    "She literally ignored me. Even Henry¡¯s eager and passionate method didn¡¯t work on her," Michael complained. He didn¡¯t know what to do anymore, because Mai was such a cold person when talking to men, especially muscular and intimidating men like him.


    As always, he became his driver and bodyguard and became co-manager. At this point, Michael felt that his entire life had been dedicated solely to working with Henry.


    But he didn¡¯t feel heavy at all. They were doing good.


    Aside from the ever-growing problem of Henry ignoring the turmoil in the Grant family, of course.


    Henry had been absent from many of the family meetings and had been ignoring all the calls from his father, Marlon Grant. Both of them knew that Marlon wanted to know the fate of his soon-to-be grandchild because Henry had promised him about the baby.


    "Grandchild, hahah..." Michael scoffed. "That bastard wants that child as his new toy, abusing that child as revenge because Kate ruined his eldest son. He also wants to make the child a tool, making sure to keep Henry in check. I can already sniff all of his malicious plans, but at the same time, I can¡¯t think of a way to break free from him."


    He had his personal grudge against Marlon Grant because that bastard was the one who destroyed his family in the name of business, despite their long family-friend connection.


    It was also the main reason why he resigned from his military career and became Henry¡¯s bodyguard instead.


    ¡¯But I can¡¯t let him suffer. My brotherhood with Henry comes first no matter what,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯We will find a way to bring down Marlon without using Kate and her baby.¡¯


    "Let¡¯s go, Michael," Henry said as he opened the door for Kate and sat beside her in the backseat.


    Michael looked at the pair of lovebirds from the rearview mirror, "I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re staying with Mr. Grant, Ma¡¯am."


    "I¡¯ll be in his¡ª"


    "Our."


    Kate clicked her tongue, "I¡¯ll be in our apartment for a while. I need a safe place, away from my soon-to-be ex-husband."


    "Understood, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m glad that you made the right choice," Michael said. He glanced at Henry sitting beside her and added, "I think Mr. Grant is very happy with your decision as well."


    Henry chuckled and then instructed, "Go to Lafayette, I have an important meeting with Graham."


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened, "Graham is already in LA?"


    "Yes, and he¡¯s here as Kate¡¯s divorce lawyer."


    "I see, that means it will be done sooner than I expected," Michael said. "Though, I didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d actually take this case. It¡¯s been a while since we met, I thought he had already forgotten about us."


    Henry laughed in response, "He won¡¯t forget about us, not after what I did to help him."


    He drove his boss to where Graham had been waiting for them.


    Kate glanced at Henry and Michael simultaneously. She knew that Michael wasn¡¯t just a regular driver. Michael was definitely from a similar background as Henry.


    ¡¯It seems this divorce lawyer is one of his close friends. No wonder he can summon a divorce lawyer from New York just to handle my case,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Maybe I should ask a few things from him regarding Henry. Since Michael always shut his mouth whenever I ask about the situation in Henry¡¯s family.¡¯

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191: Chapter 191She wasn¡¯t a nosy person most of the time, but she had so many questions regarding Henry.


    And all of those questions contributed significantly to her trust issue.


    Sometimes Kate asked about his family, whether his family would accept them if they were together or not, but his answer would always be.


    -


    ¡¯I will make sure they will accept us,¡¯ Henry said. His eyes then darkened with hatred, and he added, ¡¯Even if they don¡¯t, let¡¯s just ignore my bastard family.¡¯


    -


    Henry¡¯s words didn¡¯t appease her at all.


    In fact, it only put her into an even worse feeling of self-doubt because she knew very well that she would be the ¡¯bad influence¡¯ on Henry, and Henry¡¯s family would definitely hate her.


    She was exhausted by all the family drama. She was exhausted with Hilda and Erin, so if she planned to remarry, she wanted to find a man whose family would accept her wholeheartedly.


    She wanted to know if she could help mend the relationship between Henry and his family.


    After all, unlike her, whose family had been destroyed since she was a teenager. Henry still had a father and mother, even though they might be estranged.


    The car stopped at a cafe.


    Henry and Kate walked in. Henry looked around until he saw a man sitting at the corner of the cafe.


    Kate followed Henry¡¯s line of sight and saw the man that should be Graham, the divorce lawyer for her.


    He was sitting alone, crossing his legs elegantly while looking out the window, staring at the garden area next to the cafe.


    "Graham!" Henry called, and the man turned his head towards them.


    He had brown hair, just like the late Mr. James Grant, that he combed to the back with pomade. He was clean-shaven, even cleaner than Henry, who was sometimes in a rush and left with stubble on his chin and jaw.


    He had brown eyes behind the rimless glasses, and his eyes were filled with unspeakable pain as if he was a man who already went through a lot.


    He was definitely older than Henry, probably in his early to mid-30s, just like her. Graham was handsome, but not the one with a million-dollar face like Henry, who could turn heads everywhere he went.


    The other thing that Kate noticed was his solemnity and calming aura around him. He was mature and collected, unlike Henry, who was very rash and passionate.


    Graham smiled thinly as he saw Henry and Kate walk towards him. He got up to greet them, and Kate was surprised by his height.


    He was at least as tall as Henry, probably a bit taller. But he was quite slim, unlike Henry, a hunk with well-toned muscle.


    Henry and Graham opened their arms and hugged like close-bonded friends or brothers.


    Henry patted Graham¡¯s back and said, "Thanks for coming, man. I really need your help here."


    "It¡¯s my responsibility as your friend to help," Graham said. Kate stood in silence beside Henry, waiting for him to introduce her.


    Henry grabbed Kate by her waist as if claiming her in front of his friend, "This is my wife, Katherine Woods."


    "I¡¯m not your wife."


    "Not yet," Henry chuckled. He glanced at Kate to see if Kate was upset by his claim, but she looked shy instead, which made him even happier than before.


    Graham eyed Kate from head to toe, and Kate did the same as she was also gauging the man¡¯s intention by his appearance and gesture.


    Their eyes met for a few seconds, and there was an indescribable sense of mutual understanding between them, as if they knew they would click immediately. Graham stretched his hand for a handshake, "My name is Graham Hubbard, I¡¯m a divorce lawyer from New York, and if Henry hasn¡¯t told you yet, I am James¡¯ childhood friend."


    Kate was surprised when Graham introduced himself as James¡¯ friend instead of Henry¡¯s, which meant that Graham was much closer to the late CEO than Henry.


    Kate had a lot of questions in mind. Mostly she wanted to know more about Henry¡¯s family from Graham. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But she had to stay calm for now and introduced herself, "I¡¯m Katherine Woods¡ª"


    "Pardon, Mrs. Woods, but you don¡¯t need to introduce yourself. I¡¯ve gotten all of your information from the data that Henry sent to me before."


    "Ah¡ªokay," Kate felt a little awkward, but she tried to brush it off and sat next to Henry, facing Graham, who fixed his rimless glasses before saying, "I¡¯ve read all the problems that you have about this divorce, Ma¡¯am. But before we start discussing about this¡ª"


    Graham looked at Henry, who was eager to start the conversation about divorce, and then he told the young man, "¡ªYou need to leave, Henry. Go to your car or go to work. This conversation will only be about Mrs. Woods and I."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened. His sunshine-like face vanished instantly, replaced with his darkened gaze and clenched jaw as he was holding his anger, "What¡¯s wrong with me staying in here? I want to be by her side."


    "Don¡¯t tell me that you also want her, Graham?" Henry began accusing him. Usually, people would be scared if they get intimidated by Henry like this. After all, Henry¡¯s vicious green eyes were enough to terrify anyone.


    But Graham didn¡¯t even budge. He simply replied, "The case is about her and her husband. I want her to tell me the details in person, so I will find a way to help her to annul that prenup."


    "Remember, Henry, I am here not because I want to get paid. I don¡¯t care how much money you have, I don¡¯t need it," Graham stated firmly. "I¡¯m here because I want to help you and James. So you should leave now if you want me to continue with this case."


    Henry was angry after getting threatened by Graham. As expected, Graham was still the know-it-all, cold man, just like what he was when they were kids.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192: Chapter 192[Music Recommendation: Jacob LaValle - Somewhere in Between.]


    Kate sensed the tension between Henry and Graham for no apparent reason. She didn¡¯t want them to make a fuss in public, so she patted Henry¡¯s chest and assured him, "You should go to work now, Henry. You still have plenty of things to do in the office."


    "And leaving you alone here? Heck no," Henry insisted. "I will be by your side."


    "Henry..." Kate sighed. "This is for the sake of my divorce. Don¡¯t worry about me, I can just use Uber to go back to the apartment."


    "But¡ª"


    "Henry," Kate¡¯s voice became stern, knowing Henry wouldn¡¯t give up.


    Kate shook her head, signaling Henry to leave, or they would be in this meaningless stall for too long.


    Henry gritted his teeth and glared at Graham, "Don¡¯t you fucking dare to do anything to her, Graham."


    "Aren¡¯t you overreacting?" Graham said. "This is in public, and I¡¯m not some kind of thug who would touch your partner."


    "But I get it. This is your first true lover. Of course your emotion will be uncontrollable," Graham said coldly as if he was judging Henry¡¯s hot-blooded temper, "But this is for the best of us all. Calm yourself down and go to work, Henry."


    "Tsk, fine, I will go now. But Michael will stay here, I¡¯ll use Taxi instead."


    Henry got up. He turned around and stomped his way out.


    Kate watched as Henry finally left the cafe and turned around to face Graham again, "I expect you to have something important you want to talk about, Mr. Hubbard. I know that you have an idea in mind."


    "Indeed, truthfully, I¡¯ve known you much longer than you expected, Mrs. Woods."


    "Please just call me Kate, we¡¯re not in a working condition right now, at least not for me," Kate said.


    "... then you can call me Graham as well," Graham said. "Let¡¯s have a talk because I have many questions about you."


    Kate asked, "Is it about the divorce?".


    She had a gut feeling that Graham had a lot of questions for her, and many of them weren¡¯t related to her divorce case.


    "It¡¯s... much more than that, Kate," Graham said. His brows furrowed as if he had a lot in his mind. "First of all, I want to ask you a question regarding Henry. Do you love him?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That question caught her off guard. She didn¡¯t expect Graham to ask something so personal.


    Graham realized he might sound too fussy but couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity. So he opened up immediately, "Forgive me for prying, Kate, but I see Henry and James as my family, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t help to be a bit more personal when it¡¯s a problem that involves them."


    "As you see just now, Henry is overly protective, and very possessive of you. Believe it or not, despite having many flings before, he has never been this crazy over someone," Graham said. "You turn him into this new person, Kate, and I am afraid he¡¯ll be absolutely heartbroken if you¡¯re not in the same ship as him."


    Kate swallowed her saliva as she got nervous.


    She had the answer in her throat already. She wanted to say that she loved him, but she was unsure if Henry could maintain his passion for a long time since he was young and impulsive.


    But she couldn¡¯t open her mouth.


    She felt strangely nervous as if this man would completely reject her case if she said the truth.


    Graham sighed, "You don¡¯t need to be nervous around me, Kate. I¡¯m not going to use your words as a weapon. I¡¯m just asking out of genuine concern."


    Kate took a deep breath to calm herself down and then replied, "I do love him, but I¡¯m not sure if I should put all of my heart to him, because he is young and impulsive, there is no guarantee that he will stay with me after a while. Men tend to get bored easily."


    "Fair answer," Graham said. "Truthfully, I was shocked when he said he needs my help to divorce your husband, because he wants to marry you legally."


    "He has been telling me the same thing over and over, as if he actually wants to marry me after I got my divorce paper," Kate said. "But then again, I¡¯m unsure if he will stay true to his words or not. I¡¯m too old for him, and I can¡¯t believe how rushed he is."


    "He is impulsive, indeed. But you should know that he is not the type to break his promise," Graham assured. He observed Kate¡¯s expression. He also had a lot of curiosity towards this woman because James loved this woman so much. She was actually James¡¯ only one in his heart.


    And now, Henry was also infatuated, just like his Big brother. He got so possessive and rash. Henry lost some of this cunningness, and Graham thought it could be dangerous for that young man since his family wasn¡¯t exactly the kindest.


    Graham thought this woman must be some kind of slut who lured both James and Henry with her body.


    But she dressed properly, had the aura of a professional lady, well-spoken and grounded.


    ¡¯But I think I understand James and Henry...¡¯ Graham thought as he stared at Kate¡¯s brilliant eyes.


    There was a phrase that eyes were the window of the soul, and that couldn¡¯t be more true for Kate.


    She had this sharp look, giving her a tough persona of a cold lady.


    But if someone stared at her eyes longer, they would soon realize she had a lot of vulnerability behind her toughness. She looked like a lady that you wanted to protect, a lady that you wanted to love.


    She made you want to spend more time with her, know her better, and give your shoulder for her to cry on.


    She wasn¡¯t a woman for those weak men because those weak men wouldn¡¯t even be able to break through her tough exterior. So for a man like James and Henry, who were both powerful and willful, a woman like Kate would be their perfect match.


    ¡¯On top of that, she is gorgeous,¡¯ Graham thought. ¡¯So this is what James and Henry see... no wonder they fell in love with her, because I might¡ª¡¯

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193: Chapter 193Graham kept on staring and staring until Kate got a little uncomfortable, "Graham? Mr. Hubbard?"


    "Oh¡ªPardon me," Graham shook his head a little to wake him from a daze. His face got a little hotter for an unknown reason. He murmured, "Now I understand their fascination."


    "Fascination?" Kate didn¡¯t know what was in Graham¡¯s mind right now. He stared at her for a while without saying anything until Kate snapped him out of his daze.


    Graham fixed his glasses and said, "It¡¯s nothing, Kate. Thank you for answering my question with truth. Your worry about Henry is valid, he is young and impulsive. But please trust him a bit more, he will show you how dedicated he can be."


    "And how¡¯d you know that?" Kate asked. "You¡¯re his friend, right? It¡¯s not impossible if you¡¯re just covering up for him."


    "He is not exactly my friend, just like what I told you before, I am James¡¯ best friend," Graham claimed. "He and I were best friend since we were toddler, and Henry, he¡ª"


    Graham stopped when he realized he almost spouted the truth that shouldn¡¯t be revealed. He knew that Henry would be furious if he told this secret to Kate, so he did a quick thought to shift his words and continued, "¡ªhe was just a willful little boy. James and I are fond of him, but his friend was not us, Michael is his childhood friend."


    "So I don¡¯t have much emotional connection to him, but I respect his late brother a lot, so I know I must help him," Graham said. He lowered his head and murmured, "This is also my way to cope, since James treasured Henry a lot, just like how he treasured you."


    "Mr. James Grant treasured me?"


    "I thought it¡¯s fairly obvious that he is into you," Graham said. His gaze deepened as he stared at Kate. He didn¡¯t expect Kate to look surprised by his statement just now. He wondered if she was pretending or if she was really dense. "He was in love with you."


    "I¡ªI know he was into me, but I thought it was only for those one-night stands. I was loyal to my husband for years, so I try to act like I don¡¯t know anything, even though James¡¯ eyes made it so obvious,¡¯¡¯ Kate said. "But treasured is a heavy word, Graham. I don¡¯t think his interest lies further than just wanting to spend a night with me once or twice."


    ...


    Graham wanted to tell the truth that Kate was partly the reason for James¡¯ demise. He refused to marry someone else and waited for Kate to leave her deadbeat husband.


    He actively went against his family and got killed in an ¡¯accident.¡¯


    Graham was worried that Henry might meet the same demise as his Big brother. That¡¯s why he wanted to see this woman first before helping him. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯I guess their attraction towards this woman is unavoidable. Because I too¡ª¡¯ Graham quickly dispelled that idea in his mind. He refocused himself on considering whether to tell the truth or not.


    But in the end, he decided not to tell Kate about James¡¯ demise.


    ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, James. I cannot tell your beloved about your love or her. I know you¡¯ll agree with my decision as well, because both of us want the best for Henry,¡¯ Graham thought. ¡¯She is with Henry right now, and I will make sure to support them as long as they are still in love.¡¯


    ¡¯I hope he doesn¡¯t have any ill intention towards Kate, because I know James will be heartbroken knowing that Henry would hurt his beloved woman....¡¯


    Truthfully, Graham was also trying to convince himself that Henry was a changed man now.


    Henry was uncontactable for a whole month after the death of James Grant, and when Graham met with him again after James¡¯ death, he somehow became gloomier, and his eyes were filled with hatred.


    Graham got some information from Michael and Henry that they were planning something against the family who had killed James, but they didn¡¯t spare any detail.


    ¡¯Whatever their plan is, I just hope it won¡¯t hurt Kate. It¡¯d be stupid to avenge James¡¯ death by hurting the only woman he ever loved.¡¯


    He remembered how awful his life had turned when he knew James died in a car accident. He was grieving for weeks because he also saw James as his brother.


    James was a good man, probably too good for this world...


    Even now, I am still grieving for his death. How can someone kill a good man who has never hurt anyone before? He got killed just because he refused to marry a woman prepared for him? What a ridiculous and backward family,¡¯ Graham cursed.


    He was James¡¯ best friend, and even when they were young, Graham already knew that James¡¯ family was dysfunctional.


    ¡¯And now, I have to help his little brother to have his own happiness. To let him have his own choice, and to give him independence from that bastard family.¡¯


    Thus, considering the decision, he replied, "He treasured you a lot... as a coworker."


    "Ah¡ª" Kate was relieved. She felt guilty a few moments ago because she thought the Late James Grant was in love with her. "Honestly, I feel awful because I can¡¯t grieve for him. When I got the news that Mr. James Grant passed away, I was not allowed to visit him in his family house, because I¡¯m just a regular coworker, while he¡¯s basically an untouchable noble for me."


    "On top of that, the management quickly put me under so much pressure to start working as both the CEO and Chief Editor to keep the publishing company afloat," Kate said. "I don¡¯t know what to feel about Mr. James Grant and his death. All I know is that he is a great man who helps me through so much, and also helps me to get the experience needed, so I can stand on my feet."

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194: Chapter 194"Sometimes I wonder if I am too heartless because I didn¡¯t grieve for him for too long...."


    "You don¡¯t need to grieve for him. I¡¯m sure that James doesn¡¯t want you to grieve as well. He¡¯s not the type that wants to be a burden in anyone¡¯s heart," Graham assured.


    Since they grew up together, he knew James so well that it wasn¡¯t difficult for Graham to imagine what James would say and do in a certain situation.


    "To me, Henry is a little brother that I need to guide. Since he dares to show how interested he is about you, then I will help him to get what he wants," Graham said. He cleared his throat and shifted the topic, "How about we have a light bite first before discussing the prenup annulment."


    Graham called the waiter and ordered a few things, but Kate noticed how he ordered at least three portions of macaroons.


    When the orders were served, and Kate ate one, she noticed that the macarons variant was less of the chocolates and more of the berries.


    "Do you like macaroons?" Graham asked before he sipped his tea.


    "I do," Kate said. "I¡¯m not sure if this is just a coincidence, but macaroons are my favorite, and I like the ones with more of the berries flavor than the chocolate ones. Just like what you ordered, Graham."


    "Hahah, it¡¯s a funny coincidence then," Graham said.


    Though, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    James was always enthusiastic when talking about Kate. Since they spent four years working together closely, James began to pick up many of Kate¡¯s traits, such as her favorite out-of-work activity, her family background, and even some miscellaneous stuff, such as her favorite food and random hobbies.


    Graham thought nothing of it. He thought James was just seeing things with rose-colored glasses because he was infatuated, so he said many ridiculous things.


    But now that he sat in front of Kate, Graham realized that James didn¡¯t even see things from rose-colored glasses.


    Kate was currently picking the macaroons that she wanted to eat first. She looked cute as she couldn¡¯t hide her excitement when picking the color, and a pure and gentle smile bloomed when she enjoyed the taste.


    ¡¯She does have a sweet tooth, huh? Cute,¡¯ Graham grinned thinly while staring at Kate in silence. He didn¡¯t like sweet stuff, but seeing Kate enjoying her sweets gave him this fuzzy feeling that Graham never felt before.


    ¡¯She¡¯s already thirty-two and a tough lady at that, but she¡¯s actually a lot cuter when she lets go of her cold persona and just be herself,¡¯ Graham thought. ¡¯No wonder James is fascinated.¡¯


    After eating at least four more macaroons, Kate realized that Graham had been staring at her. Her cheeks reddened a little, and she quickly wiped her mouth with a tissue, "Pardon me, I got a little excited with the sweets. Maybe we should discuss the prenup now."


    "I don¡¯t mind at all," Graham chuckled. "But if you want to discuss it now, then I want to ask you about the general content of the prenup, or maybe you already have the prenuptial agreement paper from the attorney?"


    "I retrieved it already," Kate said. She grabbed a document from her bag and handed it to Graham.


    Graham skimmed the prenuptial agreement and nodded, "It seems that you and your husband were in love when this prenup was made. Splitting everything by 50:50 after a divorce is not uncommon, but what makes it hard to annul is the fact that you have to split everything even if one party doesn¡¯t contribute at all."


    Kate sighed, "When I married him, I already had a hunch that it won¡¯t end well because he¡¯s pretty much unemployed since the day he entered university up until now. He used my part time and then full time salary for various things, but he promised that he will earn a lot of money after we get married."


    "And you believed him?"


    "I did not," Kate replied. "I didn¡¯t believe him. But I was already twenty-seven at that time. I came from a conservative town where marrying at twenty-seven is not ideal for a good woman. So when he proposed and said that he will earn a lot of money after we got married, I just said yes without thinking much."


    "After all, I¡¯ve been dating him for more than a decade, I just want a happy ending for my love story at that point and to finally stop all the mockery about me being an old virgin in my small town," Kate didn¡¯t try to hide anything from Graham because the Divorce Lawyer needed to know about everything, and she also felt comfortable with this man.


    It was probably because of his upbringing, but Kate didn¡¯t feel unsafe with Graham. He was older than her and had a similar temperament to James Grant, her boss whom she respected so much.


    Both James and Graham were serious and stable. They were mature, so they knew how to take things seriously and how not to confront a problem with overwhelming emotion.


    She had been with Henry and his impulsiveness and passion for too long that she had forgotten how comfortable it was to find someone with the same vibes and wavelength as her.


    ¡¯It is unfortunate that James is too late to be with Kate. If only he entered her life a few years before she got married....¡¯


    There were many what-ifs that Graham regretted. He knew how much James loved Kate and how hard it was for him to go against his family¡¯s wishes.


    Sometimes he wished he could sacrifice himself if that was what it took for James to return, so his best friend could have his happy ending.


    "Did he ever do something to physically hurt you?" Graham asked.


    "Not at all," Kate said. "He yelled often, and cheated on me first, but he isn¡¯t an abuser." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see..." Graham found himself in front of a big wall. He hummed momentarily and asked, "Is annulling this prenup an absolute necessity for you?"

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195: Chapter 195"Is annulling this prenup an absolute necessity for you?" Graham asked. "You don¡¯t seem to be the type to lack money, Kate. You have a high paying job, and if you decide not to work anymore, Henry could always support you financially, you can live the life of a crazy rich man as long as you stay with him."


    "This is also the same question that Henry asked," Kate admitted. "And the answer is still the same. It¡¯s not even about the amount, but my husband cheated on me first after I am nothing but loyal to him, and he contributes NOTHING to the family. He¡¯s not even trying to be a househusband."


    "So, I will never let him walk out with half of my hard-earned money and assets after ruining my life, cheating, and also leeching on me," Kate stated. Graham could see the determination in her eyes. It seemed that she would accept nothing but the annulment of the prenup.


    She didn¡¯t care if someone called her petty or stingy, but she would not allow Matt to enjoy the fruits of her labor when he did nothing to deserve it.


    Graham had a little grin as he found her very interesting. It was quite rare to see a woman who would openly admit that she was out for blood. She was fierce against someone she disliked but showed bits of her sweetness and cuteness to someone she liked.


    Thus, Graham nodded, "If that is your decision, then I will try my best as your divorce lawyer. I will have to consult about this with my team, though I think we can put emotional distress and abuse as a reason to annul the prenup, though it¡¯s not really a valid reason in the court."


    "May I take this prenup, Kate? I need to study it first," Graham said.


    "Yes, please help me with this, Graham. I¡¯ve been enduring this for years, I want to leave him and start anew," Kate said.


    "I will try my best. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve never disappointed any of my clients before," Graham smiled. He got up and put the prenup in his briefcase, "I have to leave now, Kate. It¡¯s very nice to meet you. Now I understand the fascination with you. I have to say that you are the perfect fit."


    Kate still didn¡¯t understand what Graham meant when he kept mentioning ¡¯fascination.¡¯


    But she got up and shook his hand out of respect. After all, she also enjoyed conversing with him, "Likewise, Graham. It¡¯s nice to meet and converse with you. I¡¯d love to spend more time talking with you."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah," Kate replied. She had no other intention than the fact that they connected easily. She wanted to make a new acquaintance or, even better¡ªa friend.


    She only had Mai as her friend, but Mai saw her more as a role model than a friend on equal terms.


    She wasn¡¯t close to Michael and Henry¡ªwell, a boyfriend could be your best friend, but that wasn¡¯t the case when most of their activities ended with cuddling and making love.


    Henry was a passionate, hot lover you¡¯d spend your life with, but she wanted a friend on equal terms, a regular, likeminded friend you could hang out with on the weekend, and she thought that Graham could be her good friend.


    "I will invite you to a coffee break like this sometimes," Graham said. He didn¡¯t know why, but he was eager to talk with Kate more, probably because she was James¡¯ darling. She gave him the nostalgia of talking to James.


    Besides that, she was very mature and civil, a great pair for him.


    Meanwhile, Henry was reading some documents in the office, but his mind wasn¡¯t there. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He kept thinking about Kate and what happened between Kate and Graham.


    Well, of course, Graham wouldn¡¯t do anything. He was James¡¯ best friend, they had been close friends since they were young, and Graham already said many times that he saw Henry as his little brother.


    But he still couldn¡¯t ease his heart.


    Ultimately, Henry put the document down and ruffled his hair frustratedly as he couldn¡¯t hold it.


    He called Michael to ask what was happening there.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Sir?"


    "How¡¯s the conversation between Kate and Graham?" Henry asked. "Did they say something... or do anything?"


    "Sir¡ªDude¡ªAre you jealous just because Graham and Kate are discussing the divorce?" Michael accused. He couldn¡¯t believe that Henry could be so childish. "I¡¯m currently sitting far away from them, Sir, and I¡¯ve been observing them for a while. They aren¡¯t doing anything, all they did was having a conversation and Kate has just handed the prenup document to him. Nothing more than that."


    "Are you sure?" Henry asked. "Maybe I should go back to the cafe to protect Kate¡ª"


    "Dude, don¡¯t be a kid," Michael complained. "You act like an insecure teenager about to get his girl stolen. She is not some kind of unstable teenage girl. Just focus on your work in the office and let me handle the situation here."


    "Tsk, fine, just make sure that Graham wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything while I¡¯m away," Henry said before he hung up the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "How lovesick can you be?" Michael complained as he pocketed his phone again. He returned his gaze towards Kate and Graham¡¯s table and saw them shaking their hands and walking side by side towards him.


    Michael shook his head because, for a second, he thought that Graham and Kate looked so harmonious together.


    They also seemed to have similar personalities, which wasn¡¯t surprising because Graham and James had a lot in common. That¡¯s why they became best friends since they were young.


    ¡¯Now I understand Henry¡¯s worry,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯They actually look good together, a mature couple in their 30s. But I doubt that Kate is the type who would cheat. She has declared her love for Henry, so she shouldn¡¯t sway easily, right?¡¯


    Michael wasn¡¯t sure either, but he didn¡¯t want to be the one who started the wildfire, so he just tried to think positively.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196: Chapter 196Michael got up once Kate and Graham approached his table. He stretched his hand for a handshake with Graham, and Graham shook his hand without hesitation.


    "It¡¯s been a while since we talked, Michael. I hope we can meet more often in the future," Graham said.


    "Likewise."


    Michael and Graham weren¡¯t close, mainly because Michael was Henry¡¯s best friend, while Graham was James¡¯.


    But they had tacit respect for each other, and Graham knew that Michael had resigned from the army because he wanted to help Henry in his endeavor against his family.


    ¡¯Whatever their plan is, I want to make sure that Michael has no ill intention towards Kate,¡¯ Graham thought. "Make sure that you protect Kate well, she is precious... to all of us."


    Michael couldn¡¯t help to raise one brow but said nothing. He just nodded and watched as Graham smiled at Kate.


    "Let¡¯s meet more often, Kate," Graham said. He took out his phone and handed it to Kate, "Can you give me your phone number?"


    "Phone number? Wait¡ª" Michael tried to stop this suspicious exchange. There was no sign of interest from Graham because he looked magnanimous as usual. But he didn¡¯t want things to go out of hand.


    "Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Michael?" Graham asked.


    "You don¡¯t need her phone number, if you want to meet, then Henry will be the one to call you," Michael said. "And I don¡¯t think having brunch together is necessary."


    Kate seemed to catch Michael¡¯s worry. She sighed and snatched the phone from Graham¡¯s hand. She typed her number and gave the phone back to the owner. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can call me if you want to have a brunch or coffee break together. I can bring Henry as well," Kate said.


    "That¡¯s good for me," Graham nodded. He smiled thinly and added, "But I don¡¯t want to be a hassle since Henry is so busy these days. If he can¡¯t make it, then let¡¯s just have a brunch for the two of us."


    Graham then gave Michael a thin smile before leaving.


    Kate stared at Michael, who was dumbfounded at what just happened and said, "No need to overthink about it, Michael. I am not interested in him romantically. I¡¯ve promised Henry that he will be my last, and that will never change."


    "But, Ma¡¯am, this is not about you giving him your number," Michael insisted. "Mr. Grant will be angry if he knows about this."


    "Then I¡¯ll be the one who tells him about it later," Kate insisted, still taking things lightly, "I want to go back to the apartment, can you drive me back?"


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m tasked by Mr. Grant to escort you back to the apartment," Michael said.


    They drove back to Henry¡¯s apartment.


    Kate sat at the back, reading some manuscripts on her iPad to keep herself busy, but she noticed that Michael kept checking on her from the rearview mirror.


    She knew Michael was worried about her meeting with Graham, but she thought his worry was ridiculous.


    They were both adults. They knew not to misplace their hearts, ¡¯And I doubt Henry is that insecure and childish.¡¯


    Honestly, Kate didn¡¯t understand why she would need to tell Henry about her conversation with Graham, but since Michael looked genuinely anxious about it, she better tell Henry.


    She and Michael weren¡¯t close. They genuinely respected each other but treated one another as acquaintances at best.


    But she acknowledged his sincerity in chasing Mai, so she kept supporting him until Mai could finally realize how good Michael was.


    Michael dropped Kate in front of the apartment and warned, "Ma¡¯am, please be sure to tell Henry about this. As his best friend, I¡¯ve known him since he¡¯s just a kid, and he is far more possessive than you¡¯d expect."


    Kate didn¡¯t take the warning seriously because she would tell Henry about everything anyway. She knew that communication was the key to a good relationship.


    So she returned to the apartment, leaving Michael alone.


    Michael took a deep breath. He tried calming himself down, knowing the storm was brewing.


    "She doesn¡¯t take me seriously. She doesn¡¯t know how bad Henry¡¯s childhood was," Michael sighed. "I want to tell her about his childhood and how he became extremely possessive. But Henry said to never tell the secret of him growing up to Kate, because it is shameful."


    In the end, Michael could only hope there¡¯d be no bloodshed when those two fought. He had to tell Henry not to get too harsh on Kate because she was pregnant.


    **


    Henry was still busy thinking about Kate and Graham in his office when his phone suddenly rang.


    He saw the caller ID and picked it up immediately.


    ¡ª


    "Graham, what did you do with Kate just now?" Henry asked without even saying hello.


    He was worried that Graham might try to seduce his beloved and Kate might abandon him for someone more stable and older.


    "Whoa¡ªrelax, Henry, why are you thinking about the worst?" Graham chuckled as he found Henry¡¯s jealousy to be quite cute. Childish but cute.


    It reminded him that Henry, in the end, was just a young man with almost zero love experience. He had a lot of flings, but none were romantic except for his crush on Sarah.


    "You weren¡¯t this obsessive when you had a huge crush on Sarah before," Graham teased. "Did you finally move on? Or did you get your heart broken so you try to find another woman?"


    Henry gritted his teeth and refuted immediately, "They are different. Kate is very special to me, and I won¡¯t let anyone take her away."


    "Okay, bud, don¡¯t go all territorial on me now," Graham teased even more until he decided to let his little brother¡¯s heart rest. "We had a talk about small things between you two, and then we talked about the prenup. The prenup is a hard one to annul, but it is not impossible. Just give me time for me to discuss it with my team first, I will tell you and Kate the right time to file for divorce to the court."

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197: Chapter 197"Okay, I trust you and your best judgment, Graham," Henry said as he tried to reassure himself.


    But somehow, he still couldn¡¯t wave off that worry in his heart. He was worried that Graham might be seeing Kate as a potential date, or even wife, because Graham was already in his mid-30s.


    He knew that his worry was unfounded, and it was all in his head. But he just couldn¡¯t rest right now.


    "It won¡¯t take long, I promise," Graham assured. "But I have a question for you, Henry."


    "What is it?"


    "About Kate, are you sure that you¡¯re going to marry her?" Graham asked. His voice got colder and more serious as they were talking about Kate. "She is in her early thirties, and soon-to-be a divorcee. If you just want to play around with her, then maybe you should just distance yourself away from her, Henry."


    "No, I want to marry her no matter what," Henry insisted without a sliver of hesitation in his heart. "Why are you asking the obvious? The reason why I called you is to specifically fulfill her wish to annul the prenup, so we can be done with this divorce, and then I can marry her."


    Henry¡¯s statement assured Graham. There was no trace of hesitation, and he was so eager to marry her as well.


    "Keep your words, Henry. You know how much your late brother loves her," Graham warned. "Don¡¯t break her heart, or I might have to step in."


    Henry quickly caught the warning and scoffed, "You really thought I¡¯d get bored of her, didn¡¯t you?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s not impossible. Other than your huge crush on Sarah, you¡¯ve never liked any other woman romantically."


    "Tsk, stop talking about Sarah! She¡¯s not part of my life anymore!" Henry insisted. But the more he tried to deny it, the more he realized that Sarah had a big impact on him. Even now, she still has a huge influence on his life.


    "But Michael told me that she is your fiance¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry hung up abruptly, not wanting to hear that god-forsaken word because he knew that it would be difficult for him to explain everything to Sarah.


    After all, Sarah had done a lot to help him in his current endeavor, ¡¯But she¡¯s not in love with me. She becomes my fiance because she wants to avenge James¡¯ death as well, right?¡¯


    Henry wasn¡¯t sure either, but he had to clarify it with Sarah later. He wanted to tell her about his entanglement with Kate after Kate got her divorce.


    Henry decided to focus on his work and then went home after four. He couldn¡¯t wait to meet with his beloved again because he kept thinking about Kate and Graham together, eating at the same table.


    Even he had to admit that they looked good together because they were of the same age group and, thus, naturally had respect for one another.


    Sometimes he felt that Kate treated him like a child because he was young, which only put even more insecurity in his heart.


    He unlocked the door and saw Kate sitting while drinking tea while staring at the sunset from the living room. She was in a trance, and her eyes showed a trace of sadness.


    Henry stood a bit far from her, staring at her as his racing heart began to calm down.


    He was so worried that Kate and Graham might feel something for each other that he forgot the whole point of their meeting.


    It was to separate Kate and her deadbeat husband, and it must¡¯ve been difficult for Kate.


    One thing that Henry knew well about Kate¡¯s personality was how fiercely loyal she was. She stayed with Matt for so long despite him doing absolutely nothing.


    ¡¯Then why am I questioning her loyalty?¡¯ Henry questioned himself.


    He felt like a fool, so he slowly approached her and called her name, "Kitty...."


    Kate turned her head towards Henry and had the most serene smile Henry ever saw, "Welcome home, handsome. Do you want to accompany me here?"


    Henry took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down.


    Right now, Kate looked absolutely ethereal.


    She sat leisurely, wearing a loose shirt and long skirt. She had a cup of tea in her hand, and she let her long, red hair loose, giving her that lazy beauty look.


    She smiled at him with a gentle smile, definitely not something she¡¯d show everyone, which made him feel special.


    Henry sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist to embrace her.


    Kate didn¡¯t fight back, she took the initiative to sit closer to him until there was no gap between them, and then Kate gave Henry a light kiss on the corner of his lips.


    It was so fast that Henry had no time to react.


    By the time the quick kiss was over, Henry was left with a lingering sweetness on his lips and heart.


    Kate chuckled. She put the teacup on the small table and asked, "Why are you shocked just because of a kiss? Aren¡¯t we dating? Or do you not want me to kiss you anymore¡ªmmfh!"


    Now it was Kate who was surprised when Henry suddenly kissed her, and his kiss wasn¡¯t a light peck that Kate did.


    Henry¡¯s kiss was deep and full of longing, as if being separated from her for a few hours felt like an eternity for him.


    Kate didn¡¯t struggle when Henry gently pushed her to lie on the long sofa, "Why are you so active today, Henry? Remember this isn¡¯t our time to do it, right? We¡¯ve done it last night. I don¡¯t want to exhaust myself."


    "I know, I just want to kiss you, honey," Henry replied as he continued to kiss Kate¡¯s lips, the tip of her nose, her hair, the corner of her eyes, and her cheeks, and then went down to kiss her neck and cleavage.


    "Ah! Uhm¡ªd¡ªdon¡¯t make a mark, okay?"


    "Why not? We¡¯re dating, right?"

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198: Chapter 198f?eewe?n?ve?.com"Why not? We¡¯re dating, right?" Henry asked, thinking what he did was absolutely appropriate. He wanted everyone in this world to know that they were dating, and he wanted to make his mark on her body, to make sure that Graham¡ªand all other men out there, wouldn¡¯t dare to steal her.


    He didn¡¯t care if Kate would call him possessive or childish, but he just wanted to make sure. He wanted to rest his heart, so he knew she would always be his, just like he promised he¡¯d always be hers.


    But he didn¡¯t get the reaction he wanted because Kate tried to dodge him and said, "No, Henry, don¡¯t make a mark, at least don¡¯t make it too obvious on my neck!"


    Henry stopped kissing when Kate told him off. He stared at her with a deep frown, "Kitty, you aren¡¯t working in the office for now, you should be just fine in here."


    "But I have a meeting with Graham tomorrow, and it¡¯ll be hard to cover up if the mark is too obvious," Kate complained.


    Like thunder on a clear sky, Henry lost all his joy just now and asked, "Why do you need to meet him tomorrow? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?"


    "I was just about to tell you, but you keep kissing me," Kate said. "It¡¯s just a small coffee break to discuss the divorce progress. He called me a few hours ago about it."


    "... did you give him your number?"


    "Yes, what¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s easier if he has both of our numbers, right?" Kate replied lightly as if she didn¡¯t just put a dent in Henry¡¯s pride just now.


    Henry was still trying to keep his positive mind despite his heart having turmoil right now.


    He was crazy jealous thinking that Kate would spend her time with another man, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t scare Kate with his anger, especially when she was pregnant.


    But he still wanted her to know his displeasure.


    "Then I will join as well," Henry said.


    "No need," Kate refused. "He said he¡¯s free around nine, and you have to go to work by then. I¡¯ll just tell you if there¡¯s any update about it," Kate said.


    She said it all logically, but she was also nonchalant. She didn¡¯t realize that Henry was upset right now.


    Henry scoffed and sneered, "Why are you stopping me? Are you afraid to get caught?"


    "Huh? Get caught? For what?" Kate asked. She truly didn¡¯t understand what was in Henry¡¯s mind right now and why he looked angry just because she would have a meeting with Graham.


    "Don¡¯t play dumb, Kate. Just tell me that you¡¯re interested in him," Henry accused. "He is older than me, more stable, calmer, and whatever your type is. He¡¯s just like my brother, while I¡¯m young, impulsive, and unfaithful, right?"


    ...


    "Just admit it, Kitty. Tell me that you like him and you want to cheat on me," Henry accused even further. He wanted to snap at her but still didn¡¯t want to scare her, so this was the only thing he could do.


    Kate went silent for a while, not because she was scared or offended.


    She didn¡¯t expect Michael to be right when he said Henry was far more possessive and insecure than she thought.


    "Henry, calm down, stop acting like a kid¡ª"


    "A KID?! YOU CALLED ME A KID?!" Henry finally snapped when that word finally came out of her lips. He got up and stood like a mountain in front of Kate, blocking the sunset from the glass pane.


    "Henry¡ªcalm down¡ª" Kate tried to diffuse the situation because she knew she screwed up. "I just want to be friends with Graham, because I think he¡¯s a like minded person. But I have no intention to be more than that."


    "There is no way you two can be friends," Henry said sharply. "Do you think I¡¯m a fucking idiot who would believe that? There is no way a man and woman can be close friends without one of them developing attraction."


    "Your late brother and I are good friends," Kate said. "It¡¯s possible¡ª"


    "Are you that dumb or you¡¯re just trying to ignite me right now, Kate?" Henry mocked. "You and my brother? Good friends? HAH! HE¡¯S FUCKING WHIPPED FOR YOU!"


    Kate was shocked when Henry suddenly snapped at her.


    There was a wave of guilt that washed Henry¡¯s heart right after he shouted at Kate. He was agitated and knew he didn¡¯t do the right thing right now.


    But he couldn¡¯t help it.


    The fact that Kate failed to see Graham¡¯s interest upset him so much, because Kate didn¡¯t seem to take him seriously.


    Kate got a little scared by Henry¡¯s scary appearance. His eyes were dark, and his imposing figure made him even more intimidating.


    She got up and tried to stand in front of Henry to make him less intimidating in her eyes, "Yes, I know that he¡¯s interested in me. But James never crossed the line, and we remain good friends. I can¡¯t control what people feel about me, Henry."


    "And things might be the same for Graham too. Even if he¡¯s interested in me, I will keep my distance from him and we will remain good friends!" Kate insisted. "Why is it so hard for you to understand? I already said that you will be my last love, I will never put my heart to someone else if we crash and burn. Why do we have to fight over this?"


    "Because I can¡¯t trust you, Kate," Henry said. "You told me that I am your last love. But you went so far to set up a meeting with Graham without telling me first, and even when I want to go with you, you push me away!" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more Henry imagined Kate and Graham or any other man, the angrier he got. He clenched his fist and tried his best not to scare Kate, but he was at his limit now, "Just tell me that you¡¯re interested in him. So I can beat him up and send him back to New York. I will find another lawyer for you."


    "You¡¯re mine, Katherine, and I will not let you find another man! I will fucking hunt whoever man you have an affair with!"

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199: Chapter 199[Song Recommendation: Taylor Swift - Style.]


    "Oh, don¡¯t you dare to beat him up, Henry. You know that Graham is innocent in this!" Kate tried to defend an innocent man, knowing that Henry might beat him up for no reason.


    "See? Why are you defending him? It¡¯s because you like him, right?"


    "I¡¯m not! I don¡¯t love him at all! Oh god, Henry, do you really think that my love is so cheap?!"


    "I just can¡¯t trust you, Kate," Henry said coldly. But he had that bitter expression on his face as if he was really hurt by their argument right now. "Why do you keep defending him? Aren¡¯t I the only one?"


    "Then what should I do to make you believe me?" Kate asked. "I keep telling you that you¡¯re my only one, and I have no romantic feelings whatsoever with Graham. But you don¡¯t¡ªNo, you refused to believe me!"


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened, and he said decisively, "Cut your contact with him. You¡¯re not allowed to speak with him or anyone else without my supervision. Don¡¯t worry about work, I will do everything for you."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened when she heard that.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that Henry would try to imprison her just because of this stupid shit. She liked to be pampered by him, but not to the point that he treated him like a porcelain doll in his house.


    He had no control over what she wanted to do, at least when Kate didn¡¯t do anything wrong!


    "Why would I cut contact with him just because you¡¯re jealous? Why should I stop working just because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll be in contact with another man? How insecure can you be, Henry?" Kate scolded.


    She knew that Henry¡¯s action stemmed from his insecurity and crazy jealousy, but she knew if she didn¡¯t stand up for herself in this situation, Henry¡¯s controlling behavior might be too much to the point that he¡¯d treat her like a pet.


    Henry was angry that Kate argued back and called him insecure.


    Though it was true that he felt insecure right now, being called out made the feeling ten times worse!


    "Why do you need to meet with another man when you have me? You only need me, and I will make sure to give you a comfortable life, Kate!" Henry insisted. "Am I not good enough? Or you just want to collect all the men you found just because you¡¯re beautiful? Hah?"


    "You¡ª" Kate was tired of his endless accusation. No matter how hard she tried to explain the problem, Henry would accuse her of infidelity.


    "¡ªOkay, fine! I give up. I need time alone for now," Kate said. She turned around, but Henry grabbed her wrist.


    "WE¡¯RE NOT DONE YET!"


    "I want to leave and take a breather outside! Leaving is better than having to argue with you nonstop for the rest of the night!" Kate yelled back, and Henry softened immediately, knowing that Kate was pregnant and she shouldn¡¯t be too stressed.


    But he still couldn¡¯t put his pride down. He wanted Kate to know that he was extremely jealous and felt that it was unfair for Kate to keep seducing every man outside.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to leave. You¡¯re pregnant!" Henry yelled. "What if something happens to you and our baby?"


    "Do you think something won¡¯t happen to me and our baby if you keep yelling at me like this? I don¡¯t want to spend my night being miserable because you¡¯re such an insecure little man!"


    "No, I¡¯ll leave instead," Henry said as he began to worry when Kate kept on shouting.


    "This place is yours, I¡¯ll just go back to my apartment." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It¡¯s not safe. What if Matt suddenly comes and attacks you?" Henry insisted. "Come on, don¡¯t make this hard for me. My mind and heart is about to explode right now."


    Henry¡¯s last sentence finally stopped Kate from resisting. They stared at each other silently, and Henry took a deep breath to calm himself down.


    "Look, I¡¯m sorry that I get angry, but you should also know that I feel really bitter and jealous right now," Henry admitted. "You¡¯re too good for me, and I¡¯m scared that you will leave..."


    "But you should know one thing, Kitty, that I¡ªHenry Grant¡ª" Henry pinched Kate¡¯s chin and lifted her head. He leaned down and gave her a deep kiss on the lips.


    Kate was stunned but didn¡¯t fight back.


    She closed her eyes and circled her arms around Henry¡¯s neck to continue their deep kiss.


    She was truly exhausted from fighting with Henry. She knew that fights were meant to happen in a relationship, but she never felt such exhaustion when fighting with Matt.


    She was also hurting inside when she saw Henry, who shouted at her, and this pain was ten times more excruciating than her fight with Matt.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t want to fight again. This is exhausting...¡¯ Kate thought.


    They finished their kiss after a while, and Henry continued, "I will never hurt you, Katherine. I¡¯m sorry."


    Henry gently pushed Kate back to the sofa and grabbed a car key from a drawer near the corridor.


    Kate¡¯s eyes followed Henry¡¯s figure as he walked towards the front door and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "Out. Just sit there or rest in our bedroom when you¡¯re sleepy. I¡¯m going to drink first to relax," Henry said. "I can¡¯t stand this, Kate. Fighting with you hurts me so much."


    Kate wanted to say that she felt the same. Fighting with Henry hurt her so much.


    But she swallowed them and simply said, "Don¡¯t get too drunk, and call Michael or me if you¡¯re too drunk to drive."


    Henry had a thin smile before leaving.


    Kate was all alone in the apartment, and she was thinking about the fight just now.


    She knew that she wasn¡¯t at fault for setting a meeting with Graham, it was all professional, and at best, it was a friendly meeting between them.


    But she shouldn¡¯t have called Henry childish just because he got jealous. He was voicing his genuine concern, after all.


    And even if he did act childish, she could¡¯ve defused the situation.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200: Chapter 200"Maybe the fault is not only in him," Kate sighed. "It¡¯s not easy when you date someone younger than you, I guess."


    Kate began to wonder what she should do in this situation.


    Obviously, she wouldn¡¯t submit and let Henry control her life just because he got jealous and insecure. But she should also find a way to appease his bitterness.


    Kate stared at the dark sea after the sun had set. It was quite windy outside, and Kate wondered if Henry would be alright since the storm was coming.


    "I need to call Michael, just to make sure that he watches over Henry. I don¡¯t want him to get in trouble or an accident because he got drunk."


    Thus, Kate grabbed her phone and searched for Michael¡¯s contact number, but before she could call him, she suddenly got a text from none other than Graham Hubbard.


    ¡ª


    From: Graham.


    Just want to remind you that we will meet during brunch in La Fayette. I¡¯ve discussed your case with my team and have a good idea.


    I can¡¯t wait to meet you again, Kate.


    ¡ª


    Kate gulped after she reread the text.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was intentional or not, but Graham¡¯s text, despite sounding professional enough, had a flirtatious undertone beneath it.


    "No, this is just a coincidence, I don¡¯t think Graham intentionally sent a flirty text to me. Maybe it¡¯s just me who overthinks," Kate tried to deny. "After all, there is no way a man would fall in love after just one meeting, right? That¡¯s just crazy."


    But Kate understood that she might be the cause of the rift between Graham and Henry, even though they were supposed to be old friends.


    "No, I have to fix this. I don¡¯t want to be the woman who ruined a long friendship between them," Kate said.


    She was thinking of a good answer, and after a while, she finally texted back before calling Michael.


    **


    Henry drove to the nearest bar but then changed his mind halfway, thinking he needed to go far to find peace for himself.


    He was afraid that he¡¯d change his mind once his mind got a little hazy after many drinks, and then he¡¯d return home and confess how insecure he was to Kate.


    His pride told him to at least swallow what his heart desired for now.


    He ignored the heavy storm announcement from the radio and then drove downtown to one of his favorite bars downtown, Spyre 80.


    He parked his car and went up for a drink.


    The guard at the front stopped him first and asked, "Membership, Sir."


    Henry sighed and gave his membership card for this exclusive bar. He disliked having to keep so many cards in his wallet, but this one was important because the place was quiet, which he preferred.


    He liked a quiet place when his mind was troubled.


    The guard nodded and handed the membership card back to Henry. He gave the way for him, "Welcome, Mr. Grant."


    Henry ignored him. He walked into the bar. He saw at least three young men that he recognized, they were all the young masters of their respective families, and just like Henry, they were usually careless with their spending.


    They had a lot of generational wealth and an elder brother or sister who took care of the family business while they partied and threw their money in an expensive bar like this, surrounded by at least two women on their sides.


    ¡¯Too bad, I can¡¯t be like them anymore...¡¯


    Henry¡¯s life turned upside down when he learned that his Big brother had died in a car accident. He thought he¡¯d spend his whole life partying with his friends and vacationing around the world.


    And now... he was forced to have the role he didn¡¯t want.


    ¡¯I love you, Big bro. But I can¡¯t help feeling a bit bitter knowing that you left me in this mess,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Now I can¡¯t let go of your death and what our Dad did to Mom. I¡¯m not as amiable and kind as you, I want their blood because they killed you.¡¯


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned. He ignored all of those ¡¯friends¡¯ and told one of the staff to give him the VIP room, so he could be all alone.


    "This way, Sir."


    The staff guided Henry to one VIP room that would cost him at least ten grand just to stay for the night with all the drinks. But he didn¡¯t care. Money was never a problem for him.


    Henry sat alone in the VIP room, waiting for his ordered drink. He rested on the long sofa and looked up, staring at the dim, purple light.


    "I knew it, I shouldn¡¯t feel sad," he murmured. "Because whenever I feel sad, all those bad memories and this fury in my heart would burst open, and I can¡¯t wait to stab my father for killing James who just wanted to be with the love of his life, Kate."


    Henry¡¯s mind then tracked back to Kate and their fights today. He sighed, "Am I too harsh on her? But I don¡¯t think so. She is beautiful, she attracts so many men, especially the ones who know her worth. If she keeps in contact with all of those bastards, sooner or later, she will fall into their embrace."


    There was no way Henry would allow that to happen. He had already promised to be Kate¡¯s only one, so he also demanded the same from her.


    He wanted Kate to be his only one as well.


    Henry clenched his fist, thinking about Graham, who dared to set up a date with Kate behind his back.


    "Heh, I guess I¡¯m the idiot here. How come I fail to see that he will be interested in her? Graham is just like my brother. They have similar tastes, of course he will fall in love with Kate." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Henry was busy cursing Graham in his head, the door was suddenly knocked, and a sexy woman wearing a black dress walked in.


    She was carrying a tray with a bottle of whiskey he ordered and a glass with an ice ball in it


    "Here¡¯s your drink, Sir. Do you want me to do anything else?"


    Henry was stunned by the woman who came to his room, it had been a while since he last saw that familiar face, and he subconsciously muttered her name, "Mindy?"

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201: Chapter 201"Mindy?"


    The server, who wore a black dress, was surprised when Henry called her name, "Wait, you still remember my name?"


    "Huh? Why wouldn¡¯t I? We dated for a while in uni," Henry raised his brow.


    "I don¡¯t know, I mean, you had a lot of girls back then, I thought I¡¯m just one of your side pieces, that¡¯s why we broke up, right?"


    "Oh, that¡ªhaha¡ª" Henry felt awkward after realizing that he was the one who fucked up.


    Mindy was one of his ex-girlfriend back in university. She was a shy girl who didn¡¯t have many friends. They met at a house party held by one of Henry¡¯s friends. Like a wallflower, she stood at the corner of the room, drinking the soda alone.


    She looked uncomfortable and was busy on her phone, so Henry approached her out of goodwill, thinking it was quite weird that kind of awkward girl would attend this kind of crazy house party.


    He still remembered the sentence that came out of Mindy¡¯s lips the moment he approached her.


    -


    ¡¯Henry Grant, I know that you have a lot of pretty ex-girlfriends, and I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t lower your standards to date me.¡¯


    -


    Henry found her interesting and dated her for about four months.


    He had to say that dating Mindy was different because she was much more reserved and less crazy than many of his ex-girlfriends.


    She was stable, and Henry found peace in her.


    Of course, not for long, because he eventually grew bored of her and dated another woman before breaking up with her, putting Mindy on the list of many ex-girlfriends he had.


    "Sorry for what I did to you before, Mindy. I was such an ass," Henry apologized, knowing how cruel he was in university.


    "It¡¯s fine, I know the risk and still dated you back then," Mindy shrugged. "Anyway, I¡¯m here to be your hostess, but if you don¡¯t want me, I can call someone else."


    Henry wasn¡¯t interested in touching any hostess because his mind was full of Kate. But sitting in this VIP room alone sounded too depressing for him, so it was better to be accompanied by someone you knew than a stranger.


    So he patted the seat next to him and said, "Just sit here and accompany me to drink. Maybe we can talk about some funny stories on campus. I missed them."


    "Henry, it¡¯s only been a year since you graduated. There¡¯s nothing much to miss, really," Mindy said. But she obediently sat next to Henry as ordered.


    When their thighs touched, Henry quickly scooted further from her and warned, "Not too close, I have a soon-to-be wife, I don¡¯t want to hurt her, even when she¡¯s not here."


    "Oh, you¡¯re going to marry Miss Sarah soon?" Mindy asked. "Never thought that you¡¯d settle down."


    Henry¡¯s mood turned gloomy instantly, "It¡¯s not her. I don¡¯t have any feelings for her. Not anymore."


    "Are you sure? I remember how whipped you were when she came to the campus," Mindy tried to remember the big scene in the university. She then chuckled, "I mean, I know that you come from a rich family, but I never expected the member of a real noble lady would come just to fetch you and claim that you¡¯re her boy."


    "I also remember how red your face was at that time, but you still followed her as you two left the campus."


    "Ok, stop right there," Henry didn¡¯t want to hear an even more embarrassing story about himself on campus. "Sarah isn¡¯t in love with me, she¡¯s just joking about me being her boy. She just likes to tease me."


    "Well, based on your reaction back then, you seem to enjoy her attention," Mindy said.


    Henry was out of words because what Mindy said was true. He enjoyed that attention from Sarah, but it was a feeling that was long gone, and luckily, Sarah wasn¡¯t interested in him either.


    Mindy opened the bottle of whisky and poured it into Henry¡¯s glasses for him to drink.


    Henry drank the iced whiskey, or ¡¯on the rocks¡¯ as it was called, and his mind began to relax a bit.


    "So, who¡¯s your fiance right now? She¡¯s not Miss Sarah, right?"


    ...


    Technically, Sarah was still his fiancee. They even had all that fancy engagement show just to appease his father, but they agreed to do it because Sarah was in cahoot with him.


    They were in this together, so Marlon would lower his guard while Henry tried to find a way to obtain all of Marlon¡¯s family assets.


    He had considered sacrificing Kate before, but now that things had spiraled out of his control, he had to find an alternative.


    Luckily, with Sarah¡¯s help as his fiancee, his father hadn¡¯t demanded much, but not for long.


    He might want to force Henry to marry Sarah sooner or later, and he had to find another way to transfer all of Marlon¡¯s generational wealth to him before his marriage with Sarah happened.


    But Mindy didn¡¯t need to know all of that.


    Kate didn¡¯t need to know all of this as well. All she needed to know was how much he loved her and how much he wanted to protect her. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Her name is Katherine, but I called her Kitty," Henry said. His smile bloomed as he imagined the woman of his life, and Mindy caught on to it quickly.


    "Oh? You look so happy when you say her name. It seems that you¡¯re very much in love," Mindy mentioned.


    "Hahah, you can say that," Henry said. He drank his iced whiskey and continued as he got more relaxed, "I know it sounds stupid. But I met her when both of us were in our lowest state, and we embraced each other that night. I can feel her warmth, and she can feel mine,"


    "I told her that I have a lot of problems, and we should stop before it gets too complicated. But she said that she¡¯s fine with everything as long as I embraced her that night."

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202: Chapter 202"I know that it was just a drunken and horny talk from her. But I can¡¯t simply shrug it off. Her words pierced deep into my conscience."


    "That fateful night becomes an event I can¡¯t forget. She becomes my white moonlight, the woman that I want to spend my life with," Henry confessed. His voice began to tremble as he muttered a simple yet powerful sentence;


    "She shakes the cubicle in my heart."


    "Cubicle?" Mindy asked, as she didn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    "Yes, I have always trapped my heart within this small cubicle, making sure that nobody can touch it, that¡¯s why I have so many ex-girlfriends, yet loved none of them."


    Mindy already knew that fact. So she wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    Henry had so many lovers before, but he always felt distant. Even during sex, he was a great bed partner, but he lacked a touch of love.


    He felt more like a sex machine than a human in Mindy¡¯s eyes.


    So she was genuinely happy to know that the sex machine was actually a human who could feel love.


    "And Katherine is the one who broke that cubicle?"


    "Yes," Henry nodded. He stared at the ball of ice floating on his whiskey and added, "That night, she assured me that everything will be okay, that I am her only one, and she will accept me and all of my problems. We¡¯re two broken humans embracing each other tightly, and that¡¯s the happiest moment in my life."


    "Despite knowing that it¡¯s a drunken talk, by the time I reunited with her and embraced her again, I could feel all of those lingering feelings flooding inside me. I lost all of my will to hurt her, and falling deeper as I know her better when we¡¯re both sober."


    "I took her to my favorite sunset watching spot, and I fell in love even deeper because of how gorgeous she is. Her red and wavy hair swayed as the wind blew it gently. Her eyes are the same color of the sunset, it¡¯s brilliant and soft at the same time. She is tough, yet so serene when you take a closer look," Henry said as he described Kate¡¯s beauty.


    Mindy was stunned by how much love Henry emanated as he kept talking and talking about Kate. For an unknown reason, the usually impulsive, rash, and good-for-nothing handsome man became some sort of poet when he described the love of his life.


    "Oh, did I ramble too much? Sorry, imagining her gives me this joy, so I can¡¯t help to keep praising her," Henry chuckled lightly. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡¯re so in love, Henry. I can¡¯t believe this," Mindy said. "I really thought that you¡¯re a bastard without a heart."


    "Hahah, even I thought so too before I met her," Henry said. "Sorry for being an ass when we dated before, Mindy."


    "No need to say sorry, just like what I told you before. I dated you knowing all the risks," Mindy shrugged it off. "But I wonder, if you¡¯re so in love with Katherine, then why are you here, accompanied by a hostess like me? Shouldn¡¯t you be with her? I¡¯m pretty sure she will get jealous if she sees us together."


    Henry¡¯s mood turned somber instantly. He had a bitter smile as he replied, "We had a fight, and I¡¯m here to relax because I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s me or her who¡¯s in the wrong."


    "Ah, then do you want to talk about it?" Mindy asked. "I mean, it¡¯s up to you, but maybe you can get an outside perspective if you talked to me or with someone else."


    Henry was considering it for a moment. He wasn¡¯t the type to share his personal life with a random hostess.


    But Mindy wasn¡¯t ¡¯random,¡¯ and she didn¡¯t seem to hold any grudge against him.


    So he drank the entire whiskey from the glass to muster his courage, "I recently introduced her to one of my business partners and friends. I thought that he would be able to help her sort out her problem."


    Henry didn¡¯t want to share the detail of Kate¡¯s divorce and Graham¡¯s involvement, but this should give enough insight for Mindy.,


    "I didn¡¯t expect them to click so quickly, and they get close in less than a day," Henry said. "They are like minded, in their 30s, and both are mature, while I¡¯m just an impulsive, rash, and insecure kid in Kate¡¯s eyes."


    "I know I am insecure, I mean, she is absolutely gorgeous, and I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯d attract too many men who want her," Henry said. "So when she told me that she set up a brunch with that friend of mine without inviting me or asking for my opinion, I exploded."


    "And you accused her of cheating, right?" Mindy guessed.


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "How did you know?"


    "Because it¡¯s obvious that¡¯d be your next step," Mindy replied. "You said that you¡¯re insecure, and I know you¡¯ll begin accusing her of infidelity because in your mind, you think she sees you as inferior, not good enough for her."


    "But maybe it¡¯s all just in your head, Henry," Mindy said. "Maybe she is really just having a normal meeting with your friend. You said to yourself that a business friend of yours can help her problem, right?"


    "But you don¡¯t get it, Mindy. I can see it in his eyes, he is interested in my woman!" Henry insisted. "And Kate doesn¡¯t even understand how beautiful she is. She doesn¡¯t understand how many men want her, and I won¡¯t let her leave me!"


    "Look, Henry, you can¡¯t control someone else¡¯s desire. That friend of yours might be in love with your fiance, but as long as she stays true to you, then she will never cheat."


    "But how can I be sure if she¡¯ll stay true to me?"


    Mindy rolled her eyes. She thought she was teaching a teenage boy how to process his feelings right now.


    But she got it. Henry must¡¯ve been overwhelmed by his feelings since this was the first time he fell in love so deeply.


    "How can you be sure? Treat her right, and she will show you how deep her love can be."

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203: Chapter 203[Song Recommendation: Jimin BTS - Serendipity.]


    "But I treat her right, I never hurt her, I give her everything and will continue doing so. I want to help her in any way possible, and I... I just expect her to love me back..." Henry said.


    "I mean, I don¡¯t think you treat her right if you can¡¯t even trust her," Mindy said. "Trust is the basis of a relationship. It gets frustrating when your significant other can¡¯t trust you enough."


    ...


    The word ¡¯frustrating¡¯ hit Henry in his heart. He knew that he didn¡¯t trust Kate enough. Deep down, he knew that it was because they got together after Kate got her heart broken by Matt.


    What if Henry accidentally broke Kate¡¯s heart, and she left him for another man?


    Henry might as well crush his heart because his world might end at that point.


    "Look, Henry, I can¡¯t speak for all women out there, but I think most of us want to be treated right," Mindy said. "To be loved, respected, and pampered, most women want to settle down faster than men as long as we feel safe and loved by our man."


    "So if you want her to step up from a fiance to a wife, then you have to make her feel safe in all aspects, and trust is like¡ªthe basis of a relationship," Mindy said.


    ...


    There was nothing but silence from Henry.


    He was thinking about it and realized he got so possessive of her because he was scared.


    "I know what I did isn¡¯t right, but I can¡¯t stop being overprotective of her," Henry admitted. "She doesn¡¯t have anyone in her life that¡¯s kind to her, and I feel awful thinking that someone else might hurt her again."


    "Being overprotective is different from being crazy possessive," Mindy said. "You can still watch over her, make sure that she¡¯s alright, but still trust her enough that she¡¯ll make the better judgment, and what you do right now is being controlling, you treat her like a pet or a doll instead of a lover."


    "I¡ª"


    Henry was speechless when Mindy called him out for treating Kate like a pet or a doll.


    She was right.


    When he was mad at Kate, he was thinking about locking Kate in their apartment, making sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave him. He¡¯d feed her daily and buy her everything she wanted.


    But she wasn¡¯t allowed to leave or have contact with someone outside. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was about to execute that crazy plan in his mind until Kate suddenly shouted at him, threatening to leave because she was too exhausted to fight with him.


    He worried about her and their baby since she wasn¡¯t supposed to get stressed.


    Mindy didn¡¯t know what was going on in Henry¡¯s mind right now, but she could guess that Henry was contemplating everything he had done to his poor fiancee.


    "Ah, I start to pity your fiance a little," Mindy sighed. "I mean, it must be hard for her to be with someone with barely any understanding of his own feeling like you."


    Mindy¡¯s insult didn¡¯t offend Henry because he knew it was true. This was the first time he fell in love so deeply, much deeper than his crush on Sarah when he was young.


    "Also, you should pay me more for being a love counselor for you and your fiance. That¡¯s a harder job than being a hostess," Mindy jokes.


    Henry got serious and asked, "What are you doing here anyway? You attended a prestigious university. Shouldn¡¯t you be working in a fancy office?"


    "I got laid off from a startup company that went bankrupt. I¡¯m currently trying to find a job, but I can¡¯t seem to find a suitable one," Mindy replied. "I got approached by the manager of this bar when I was applying as a staff in this hotel, and here I am."


    "Did you¡ª"


    "No, I didn¡¯t prostitute myself," Mindy denied. "All I did was accompany the guest, if they dare to touch me inappropriately, they will get kicked out."


    "Do you like this job though?"


    "I mean, the pay is nice, but I still want to have a proper office job. I like it better when I don¡¯t need to be close with too many strangers," Mindy replied. She stared at Henry and then asked, "I heard that you¡¯re working in your family business now. I mean, who doesn¡¯t know how many businesses your family has, the Grant family is really rich after all."


    Henry easily caught on to her intention and asked, "Do you want a job from me?"


    "You have a lot of businesses, it¡¯d be great if you can give me a job in one of them," Mindy persuaded. "Come on, Boss, it should be a good payment for being your love counselor, right? Or at least, treat this as compensation for cheating on me back then."


    Mindy didn¡¯t care much about Henry leaving her for another woman back then. She knew really well about his reputation, and she knew that Henry was just playing with her.


    But if digging up the past would give her a good job, then so be it.


    Henry was thinking for a while until he nodded, "Alright, I will give you a job, but not in the same office as mine. I have a few companies which I invested heavily in. I¡¯ll give you a job in one of them, and don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be given a good job based on your resume."


    "Wow! Thank you so much, Boss!" Mindy was excited, thinking she didn¡¯t need to climb the corporate ladder. She wanted to hug Henry for being so kind to her, but Henry quickly pushed her away and warned;


    "I have a fiance, Mindy. I don¡¯t want to touch another woman."


    "Oh, sorry, Boss. I was just too excited!" Mindy said. "Ah, I can finally get a proper job, my parents won¡¯t be mad anymore. We fought a lot because of my current job as a hostess."


    Henry smiled, "Glad to help, and thank you for helping me as well."

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204: Chapter 204Henry took out his phone and handed it to Mindy, "Give me your phone number, I¡¯ll call you later once I get a suitable position for you."


    Mindy quickly typed her phone number and handed the phone back to Henry.


    She was glad that she could get a job simply by becoming a love counselor for her ex-boyfriend. It gave her a sense of accomplishment that she helped a man in his first pursuit of love.


    "Thanks in advance for helping me, Boss," Mindy said half-jokingly. "When I know that you¡¯re going to be the guest of this VIP room, I thought that I have to face an ass who would fuck any woman without a sliver of love in him. But you¡¯ve changed, or maybe your fiance changed you."


    Henry smiled, "I think both. She changed me, and I willingly changed for her. Which is funny, because I thought no woman could change me before I met her."


    Mindy shrugged, "Well, that¡¯s just how love works. When you fall in love with someone, you¡¯re going to twist your body into a new shape just to fit her preference, and she will do the same for you as well."


    "You¡¯re right, and now I want to meet her again," Henry said. "I want to apologize for being immature when we had a fight before."


    He slapped his knee as he got up from the sofa. He was about to grab his phone and car key and leave, but when he saw the thunderstorm from the window, he stopped.


    Mindy followed him behind and said, "I think you should just wait back in the VIP room until the thunderstorm subsides. I mean, I think your fiance also needs her own time, right? Come on, Boss, I can pour you another whiskey."


    Henry stared at the window for a while and sighed.


    Mindy was right.


    They needed time alone. Maybe Henry should¡¯ve just spent his night in the hotel after this and returned when they were ready to talk it out tomorrow morning. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew that Kate must¡¯ve been stressed out because of him.


    Thus, Henry turned around and returned to the VIP room, drinking iced whiskey with Mindy.


    **


    Kate was anxious.


    She kept staring at the glass pane where flashes of lightning followed by rambling thunderstorms raged outside.


    She didn¡¯t know where Henry was, she tried calling him nonstop, but none of her calls went through. Either he turned off his phone, or his phone battery died.


    "Or maybe... he gets into an accident and his phone has been destroyed..." Kate didn¡¯t like to think about bad things because she thought it might bring bad luck. But at the same time, she couldn¡¯t stop worrying about Henry.


    He left in an awful state after their fight, so she was worried that his mood might make him do something rash like speeding up on a slippery road and crashing straight into the open ocean¡ª.


    "Oh God, I better stop before I get crazy!" Kate yelled at herself.


    She tried texting and calling Henry to no avail, and Michael was uncontactable when she blasted his phone a few hours ago.


    So she tried calling Michael again because he was the one who knew Henry¡¯s whereabouts right now.


    Kate thought that Michael wouldn¡¯t pick up the call again, but the call surprisingly connected, and Kate soon realized that Michael had been sleeping the whole time, just listening to him yawning.


    ¡ª


    "Pardon me, Ma¡¯am. Is there any problem?" Michael asked as he rubbed his eyes. He slept comfortably because of a thunderstorm, so he panicked when he saw how many times his boss¡¯ wife blasted his phone.


    "Michael, do you know which bar Henry visits often?"


    Michael frowned. He soon regained consciousness and asked, "There are two bars he often visits, The Bahamas, a bar near his current apartment, and Spyre 80, a bar downtown. It¡¯s an exclusive bar that¡¯s only accessible with a membership," Michael replied. "Ma¡¯am, please tell me if there is any problem. So I can help."


    Kate initially didn¡¯t want to tell Michael about this problem, thinking it was personal stuff between Henry and her.


    But then she realized that Michael might¡¯ve had more information regarding Henry than her since he had been friends with Henry since they were young.


    So she told the truth, "We had a fight about Graham about two hours ago, and he left to cool off. He said that he¡¯s going to get a drink in a bar, but I don¡¯t know where it is."


    Kate stared at the thunderstorm from the glass pane, and her anxiety heightened, "We¡¯re currently having a severe thunderstorm. I don¡¯t know what is happening with him since I can¡¯t reach his phone. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll try to go home when he¡¯s half drunk during a severe thunderstorm."


    "Oh God, I¡¯m panicking again," Kate said as her heart felt stuffy.


    "Ma¡¯am, calm down, take a deep breath," Micheal said. "Mr. Grant is not a careless person when driving, he won¡¯t drive alone when he¡¯s drunk in a severe thunderstorm."


    "But I can¡¯t just rest like this, Michael," Kate insisted. "Anyway, thank you for telling me bar names, The Bahamas and Spyre 80, right? I will drive with my car, good bye, Michael."


    Kate was about to hang up when Michael stopped her, "WAIT, MA¡¯AM!"


    "W¡ªWhat?"


    "We¡¯re in a severe thunderstorm right now! It¡¯s very dangerous to drive!" Michael said. He raised his voice because he panicked, thinking Kate would be reckless enough to drive alone now.


    "I can¡¯t just leave him alone, Michael! What if Henry¡¯s in danger? I don¡¯t want him to get hurt!"


    Michael didn¡¯t want to get involved in the fight between these two because he knew what caused the fight.


    But he was tasked with protecting Kate from harm. It would be a disaster if Kate drove alone during a thunderstorm with improper car tires, "Just stay in the apartment, Ma¡¯am. I will pick you up and drive you to search for Mr. Grant, okay?"

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205: Chapter 205¡ª


    "Just stay in the apartment, Ma¡¯am. I will pick you up and drive you to search for Mr. Grant, okay?"


    "You don¡¯t need to accompany me, Michael. The thunderstorm is severe, it¡¯s too dangerous," Kate said without thinking about her safety. All she had in mind right now was to ensure Henry was safe and secure because that guy might drink too much because he was upset. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ma¡¯am¡ªthat¡¯s the point! I have to go there to pick you up, because we have a bad thunderstorm right now!" Michael insisted. "Mr. Grant instructed me to keep you safe, so if he knows that I allow you to go in this weather alone, then he will definitely kill me!"


    "So stay right there, Ma¡¯am! I will be there as soon as possible!"


    "Wait¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate was speechless when Michael hung up the call before she could say no as if his whole life depended on whether he could safely escort Kate to the bar to meet Henry.


    "Maybe I should just go alone. I don¡¯t want to implicate someone else in this problem between Henry and I," Kate murmured as she stared at the thunderstorm from the glass pane, but her body froze when there was a bright flash from the lightning, followed by the deafening strike of the thunder.


    "Ah!" Kate jolted when she heard the loud rumbling sound of the thunder. Her legs became weak because she was scared.


    She sat back on the sofa, trying to calm herself down before getting the hell away from the living room.


    "M¡ªMichael is right, I don¡¯t think I can drive alone," Kate told herself. "I can¡¯t even stop shaking right now."


    She had a fear of thunder when she was young. All of those flashes and loud rumbles scared her. But she wasn¡¯t allowed to go to her parent¡¯s room because they didn¡¯t want to get disturbed by her presence.


    Her parents would always say that Kate was making a ruckus and she should suck it up and stop being a kid when she was only four.


    ¡¯Which is funny, because Erin also had a fear of thunder when she was a kid, but Mom and Dad always cuddled with her whenever there is a thunderstorm like this....¡¯


    Eventually, Kate got used to fight her fear of thunder.


    But that didn¡¯t make her immune to it.


    When the thunder was so loud, her body would froze for a while, and she¡¯d feel weak all over.


    It took a while for Kate to recover from the shock. She then grabbed her phone and wallet and wore a windbreaker as she left the apartment.


    She went to the lobby and waited until she saw Michael¡¯s car parked in front of the lobby.


    Michael opened the door for Kate, and Kate sat in the backseat while Michael returned to the driver¡¯s seat.


    There was silence as Michael drove the car to The Bahamas, the bar near the apartment. Michael was fully focused on the road because the heavy thunderstorm made it hard for him to drive faster.


    "Sorry for forcing you to drive me during a thunderstorm like this, Michael," Kate sincerely apologized, thinking she was being a burden. "I had a fight with Henry about my meeting with Graham, and I¡¯m so scared that he might drive drunk in a thunderstorm."


    "You should¡¯ve listened to my warning before, Ma¡¯am," Michael said while his eyes were still on the road. "I¡¯ve known Henry since we were toddlers. He was a kid who would punch other kids in the face for touching his toys or any of his belongings. He¡¯d constantly pick a fight with other kids even if they were bigger than him just because that kid touched his favorite thing."


    "He was a little monster back then, indeed," Michael murmured as he recalled his childhood memories with Henry. "And though he has matured a lot, that doesn¡¯t mean that he lost all of his childhood traits."


    "What I mean is, Henry is extremely possessive, Ma¡¯am," Michael said. He scolded Kate for triggering Henry, but he knew Henry was also at fault for overreacting and probably said some fucked-up things to Kate during the fight.


    "I know that you¡¯re not cheating on him, nor are you trying to trigger his anger, but I think you should understand that you¡¯re partly responsible for this meltdown."


    Michael had no intention of trying to be gentle with Kate.


    He thought the entire situation was stupid and easily avoidable, but these two were idiots with big egos.


    ...


    Kate sighed.


    She knew that she didn¡¯t handle this well.


    She should¡¯ve talked to Henry first about her meeting with Graham.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t try to push him away from joining the meeting with Graham. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to set up a meeting according to Henry¡¯s schedule as well. They could always set the meeting during the lunch break, so Henry could come in.


    "I didn¡¯t try hard enough to understand him," Kate said. "I should¡¯ve listened to his plea first."


    "Ma¡¯am, I know it¡¯s not my right to say this, but..." Michael took a deep breath as he was about to lecture a woman who might be his female boss in the future. "You should realize that you¡¯re committed to a relationship right now. Henry is not a pushover like your soon-to-be ex husband. He is stubborn and can be immature at times."


    "I think, when you¡¯re in a relationship with someone, he will be part of your everyday life, including all the decision making that you do," Michael lectured.


    He didn¡¯t know if Kate would take his advice nicely, but he just wanted her to include Henry in her life, "Henry puts you in basically every part of his life right now, Ma¡¯am. You are a huge change in his life, and I expect you to do the same for him."


    "I know that you don¡¯t believe him everytime he mentions how important you are in his life. But I hope you believe me, Henry is truly in love with you, Ma¡¯am."

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206: Chapter 206"Henry is truly in love with you, Ma¡¯am," Michael said. "You¡¯re the only one who makes such drastic change in him."


    Kate leaned on the backseat as she tried to let everything seep in.


    The truth was truly a bitter pill that was difficult to swallow.


    What Michael said was true. She didn¡¯t integrate Henry into her life. They were dating, but most of the time, Kate would do her own thing without Henry, even though that shouldn¡¯t happen, especially when it was an activity that greatly concerned Henry.


    Kate stared at Michael, who was still trying to drive in this bad weather. She could sense that Michael was upset with the fight, probably because he was Henry¡¯s closest friend.


    "I think it¡¯s because of my habit with Matt," Kate confessed. "When iI was with him, I simply did my own thing. My ex-husband is the type who¡¯d ignore me completely unless he needs something. So I feel like we¡¯re just roommates instead of a husband and wife."


    "He never cares whenever I get sick or exhausted because of work. He also never tries to call me¡ªnot even once¡ªwhenever I have to take an overtime at work," Kate sighed. "All he asked was if I make enough money by working overtime."


    "So I always do my own thing without thinking twice or waiting for someone¡¯s opinion," Kate said.


    She forgot one thing about being in a real relationship; Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had her man¡¯s heart to keep. She had to make sure that her decision wouldn¡¯t hurt Henry, and if it did, then they should¡¯ve discussed a way to solve the problem.


    "Well, Matt is a leech, a deadbeat, obviously," Michael commented. "But Henry is not like that, Ma¡¯am. He has the whole life planned for his small family. He¡¯s just struggling to find a way to put it in motion."


    "He wants to give you a great life. Honestly, I even found his idea of being a family man to be naive, but it also shows his sincerity towards you, Ma¡¯am," Michael said.


    ...


    ...


    Michael stopped the car in front of a bar with a big sign on top.


    The Bahamas.


    The heavy thunderstorm hadn¡¯t subsided yet, so Michael looked over his shoulder and said, "Stay in here, Ma¡¯am. I will go out and ask them about Henry."


    "Okay, thank you, Michael."


    Michael rushed into the bar, but it only took him ten minutes to return to the car.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am, but he¡¯s not in here," Michael said. "He should be in Spyre 80. It¡¯s an exclusive bar on top of a hotel in downtown LA."


    "Then let¡¯s go," Kate said worriedly. "I can¡¯t rest until I see him in person."


    Michael gulped as he knew what kind of bar Spyre 80 was.


    It was an exclusive bar only for the richest, and there were so many gorgeous ladies ready to accompany you for a drink or two in the bar. Some of those ladies were also open for a sexual favor if they got paid high enough.


    Michael knew that Henry didn¡¯t like fucking a high-class prostitute because he already had a lot of girlfriends queueing, and he stopped visiting Spyre 80 entirely after meeting with Kate.


    But Michael wasn¡¯t sure now, since Henry fought with Kate just now, so he might actually release his frustration by fucking a woman there.


    ¡¯Oh boy, this will turn into a bigger mess if Kate caught him cheating....¡¯


    "Ma¡¯am, how about I drive you back to the apartment and I¡¯ll go to Spyre 80 alone? It¡¯s too dangerous with this thunderstorm, and you¡¯re pregnant as well."


    "Michael, I¡¯m pregnant, not dying," Kate said. "Now let¡¯s go to the next Bar."


    ...


    ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Henry. I just hope that you¡¯re not cheating on Kate right now,¡¯ Michael said as he nodded and drove the car downtown to Spyre 80.


    **


    It took at least two hours to get there because of the thunderstorm. When they got there, it was already ten at night.


    Michael guided Kate as they went up to the hotel¡¯s top floor, where the bar was located, but they were stopped by the bodyguard, who was about the same size as Michael.


    "Members only, Sir, Ma¡¯am," the guard said.


    Michael was relieved that Spyre 80 still used the membership-only restriction. This should be enough to deter Kate from entering because he was afraid that Henry might fucked a woman in this place.


    Of course, Michael would scold Henry as his best friend for cheating on Kate and should be given a punishment for his infidelity, but Kate shouldn¡¯t know about this too early since she was pregnant.


    Michael looked at Kate, who stood beside him, and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. But we can¡¯t go in without a membership. Let¡¯s go back. I will drive you to your apartment, Ma¡¯am."


    Kate ignored Michael completely. She kept staring at the bodyguard in front of her and said, "I lost my membership card. But I can give you the membership number, you can check it on your computer."


    "Sure, Ma¡¯am," the bodyguard walked to the computer behind the desk and fiddled on it for a moment before glancing at Kate, waiting for her to mention the membership number.


    Kate paused momentarily, trying to remember the number, "A8735JG. Under the name of Katherine Woods."


    The guard¡¯s eyes were on the computer screen until he got the confirmation he needed, "You may come in, Ma¡¯am. Please tell us if you want to get a new membership card."


    "Thank you," Kate nodded. She glanced at Michael and said, "I have a feeling that Henry is in here. Let¡¯s go, Michael."


    Kate walked into Spyre 80¡ªa bar supposed to be a promiscuous entertainment area for the super-rich.


    After the initial shock, Michael had a lot of questions in mind, so he asked while following Kate from behind, "I didn¡¯t know that you have a membership here, Ma¡¯am. Did you come here often?"


    "No," Kate replied curtly while looking around, trying to find the sight of her man. "Mr. James Grant signed me up for many clubs and bars in Los Angeles under the same name and membership ID number. He visited this kind of bar because the Grant family business is not only in Emperor publishing."


    "Since he signed me up to almost every elite place he visited, so I guessed this place is one of them," Kate glanced at Michael with a malicious smirk. "Why are you nervous, Michael? Are you afraid that I might catch your best friend doing something dirty?"

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207: Chapter 207"N¡ªNot at all, Ma¡¯am. I believe in my best friend. He is very dedicated to you and will never cheat on you!" Michael insisted although he wasn¡¯t sure of his own words.


    He knew that Henry was definitely in love with Kate, but people could change when drunk. Who knew Henry might¡¯ve been sexually pent-up and wanted an escapade after a fight with Kate?


    Kate grinned.


    As she looked around, she noticed this place wasn¡¯t exactly a formal bar for business talk. Many young men around Henry¡¯s age sat while surrounded by plenty of beautiful ladies who¡¯d pour them drinks and shower them with mind-numbing amounts of empty praise.


    Of course, these rich young masters took all the praises seriously because none of them got any approval or compliments from their families, this place was a perfect escapade for them.


    Kate knew that most of them were failures in life, as they could only spend their money but had no idea how to generate one. Unless they changed their way of life, they¡¯d only bankrupt their family business with a series of bad decisions.


    Kate imagined her man was being surrounded by two or more women on his sides, enjoying their attention while she was worried sick about his safety.


    ¡¯I won¡¯t forgive him if he dares to cheat on me just because we had one fight. Even a useless trash like Matt won¡¯t cheat that easily,¡¯ Kate thought.


    She searched for Henry to no avail until one of the waiters approached her and asked, "Excuse me, Ma¡¯am, may I help you with something?"


    Kate looked at the waiter and asked, "I¡¯m searching for my husband here."


    "H¡ªHusband?" the waiter was shocked. Most of the guests here are young masters in their 20s. It was rare for an old married man to be in here because of the open area unless he was ultra-rich and could rent the VIP room.


    "Yes, he¡¯s in here. He said I should pick him up," Kate continued.


    The waiter¡¯s body shuddered when this woman was staring at him.


    She was gorgeous, but the stillness in her eyes scared him. It showed she was ready to strangle her husband to death if she caught him cheating.


    The waiter regretted approaching this woman, but he knew he couldn¡¯t escape, so he said, "I haven¡¯t seen any middle-aged man entering the bar tonight, Ma¡¯am."


    "He¡¯s not a middle-aged man. He¡¯s a 24-year-old man, and his name is Henry Grant."


    The waiter¡¯s eyes widened. Of course, he knew who Henry Grant was and where he was right now.


    He didn¡¯t expect Mr. Grant to get married at such a young age, nor didn¡¯t expect his wife to be very fierce.


    The waiter was afraid he¡¯d get fired for leaking the activity of the important guest. So he was thinking of a way to dodge the question.


    Unfortunately, Kate caught the hesitation on his face and quickly attacked with her cold and sharp words, "I see that you know where he is. Now lead me to him, I have to make sure he is doing alright."


    The waiter paled instantly, "I¡ªuh¡ªn¡ªno¡ªI¡ª" he stuttered, and in the end, he admitted, "M¡ªMa¡¯am, I can¡¯t leak the member¡¯s privacy to an outsider. It¡¯s against our code."


    "I am also a member of this bar, and I am also the wife of Henry Grant. So, I am definitely not an outsider you need to stay away from," Kate insisted. "Tell me where he is now, or I will file a complaint to your manager because you¡¯re obstructing me¡ªhis wife¡ªto meet my own husband."


    Kate saw the name tag on his chest and smirked, "Naturally, I am the one in charge in this relationship, my husband wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything if I told him not to. Instead, I can put some good words about you to the manager as long as you¡¯re being helpful, Martin."


    The waiter, named Martin, gulped. He was so scared that his knees trembled slightly upon facing this intimidating woman.


    Michael looked at the poor waiter and then at Kate in silence.


    He was quite shocked seeing how ruthless and intimidating Kate could be.


    All this time, he always thought that Kate was just an honest working lady that could do no wrong, which was quite the opposite of the ever-callous Henry. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now he understood why Henry was crazy in love with this woman.


    She was very tough despite her beauty, she was the kind of woman Henry needed in his life, the type who would tie him down and ensure that Henry was always on the line.


    "So, tell me now, Martin, or I will make sure you¡¯ll get fired," Kate said.


    She pitied this man a bit, but this was necessary to get the help she needed to find Henry.


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am, I¡ªI will show you the way," Martin said.


    "Good, now lead the way."


    Kate and Michael followed Martin to the VIP area of the bar. It consisted of many small, soundproofed rooms on each side. There were about ten VIP rooms, and all were wide open as a sign that it was unaccommodated, except for one room at the end of the corridor.


    Martin stopped as they reached the last room and said, "This is where Mr. Henry Grant stays, Ma¡¯am. Um... I¡ªI¡¯m sorry to ask this, but please don¡¯t let them fire me, Ma¡¯am. I really need this job.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will put some good words about you, and I will make sure my husband won¡¯t complain as well," Kate smiled. She grabbed four hundred dollars from her wallet and handed it to Martin. "This is a token of my gratitude."


    Martin was less tense after getting the money. He bowed respectfully, "T¡ªThen, please excuse me, Ma¡¯am."


    As Martin left, Kate and Michael stood side by side in front of the closed door. Michael glanced at Kate a few times, waiting for her to do something as his nervousness was through the roof right now.


    He just silently prayed that whatever Henry was doing inside, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    ¡¯I just hope he¡¯ll be fully clothed when we bust this door open,¡¯ Michael prayed.

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208: Chapter 208"Ma¡¯am, do you want me to open the door for you?" Michael asked.


    Kate crossed her arms, not because she was confident, but because she wanted a bit of comfort for herself. She was actually hugging her elbows right now.


    She knew that nothing good came from this kind of place, and she 100% expected Henry to be naked with a woman or two... or probably more than that.


    She didn¡¯t know how to react. She wanted to get angry and punch Henry in the face for cheating on her while she was pregnant with his child.


    But she wondered if she could actually do that.


    Kate hugged her elbows tighter and toughened herself, ¡¯No matter what kind of abomination I see. I have to make sure I¡¯m strong enough to leave him. He is my last chance, and if he breaks my heart, then I will just work for the rest of my life, away from any men and raise my child all by myself.¡¯


    Kate took a deep breath to brace herself and nodded, "Push the door, Michael."


    Michael also braced himself as he put his palm on the door and pushed it until it was wide open.


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened when she saw what was inside.


    She saw Henry, who was still fully clothed on the long sofa. He closed his eyes, and it seemed that he fell asleep because he got exhausted and drunk, proven by so many whiskey bottles and glasses on the table.


    Kate saw a woman also asleep at the other end of the sofa, making sure they had a huge gap from each other. She was wearing a sexy black dress, and judging from her red face. It seemed she had drunk enough to make her pass out.


    They were still fully clothed and not in a compromising position because they were at each end of the sofa, so Kate couldn¡¯t rule them as guilty of cheating.


    But she didn¡¯t know what happened before Henry and this woman passed out and guessed they must¡¯ve done intimate things.


    Michael was slightly relieved because, at least, it wasn¡¯t as bad as he expected.


    He glanced at Kate, and as expected, Kate looked hurt.


    She looked like she was about to cry but tried to toughen herself. Her body trembled, but at least she didn¡¯t get hysterical.


    But she said nothing. She just stood there, clenching her elbows tighter, staring at Henry and this mysterious woman simultaneously.


    "Ma¡¯am, this is not what it looks like," Michael said. "He¡¯s just being accompanied by the hostess here, and there is a rule that no hostess can be touched."


    "Don¡¯t try to shield your best friend, Michael," Kate said coldly. She tried to act tough, but her shaky voice said otherwise. "I saw that hostess outside getting rubbed by the guests, and this is a VIP room. I¡¯d praise him if he didn¡¯t do something to this woman while he was drunk."


    Michael zipped his mouth instantly, knowing there was no saving in this. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate stepped into the room. She stared at the empty whiskey bottles on the table. She checked the TV on the wall. It seemed that they were watching a movie before they fell asleep.


    Kate looked at the woman¡¯s face. She looked like a good and smart woman, probably around Henry¡¯s age. She was still fully clothed, and there was nothing out of the ordinary except that she definitely passed out because of too much drink,


    She then turned her head towards Henry, who slept at the other end of the sofa.


    Her heart was aching right now, and she bit her lower lip to ensure she didn¡¯t cry.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t believe that I was worried sick about you. I shouldn¡¯t have wasted my energy for you, bastard,¡¯ Kate said in her heart. ¡¯How come you cheated on me just because of one fight. Is it so hard for you to stay faithful? We¡¯ve only been officially dating for two months right now....¡¯


    Kate wasn¡¯t a stranger to infidelity.


    Matt cheated on her with Erin and definitely cheated on her even more with plenty of women before Erin.


    She was hurt, she cried, but at least she moved on not long after.


    But the idea of Henry cheating on her gave her tremendous pain worse than Matt, so much so that her heart became numb.


    All she wanted to do right now was to return to their apartment and let Henry rest properly. She also wanted to rest as she was so exhausted right now.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t even be mad at you, Henry, knowing that I might¡¯ve been partly responsible for our meltdown,¡¯ Kate thought.


    She didn¡¯t want to blame herself because she felt no fight or argument was worth cheating.


    But at the same time, there was this hesitation in her heart, thinking there must be something wrong with her that made two men she loved to cheat on her.


    ¡¯Ah, I don¡¯t care at this point. I just want to rest. I¡¯ve been stressed out and I don¡¯t want anything to happen to our¡ªno¡ªMY baby.¡¯


    Michael was worried about Kate.


    But knowing how obsessed Henry was with Kate, he believed his best friend didn¡¯t cheat.


    But he had no way to prove it.


    "Ma¡¯am, do you want me to wake him up? I can slap him," Michael offered. He didn¡¯t even care if Henry would be mad at him for a face slap because Henry definitely deserved it.


    "No need to hurt him," Kate said. "Can you carry him back to your car? I just want things to end, I¡¯m so tired...."


    "... understood, Ma¡¯am."


    And with that, Michael carried Henry by giving him a piggyback. Kate stared at the woman who accompanied Henry, and her lips thinner.


    She wasn¡¯t mad at this woman because she knew this woman was a hostess. She was just doing her job.


    But she couldn¡¯t help to study her appearance and concluded, ¡¯As expected, Henry still prefers a young beauty around his age instead of an old woman like me.¡¯

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209: Chapter 209Michael put Henry on the bed and wiped the sweat on his forehead.


    Henry was a big man, about 100 kilos or 220 pounds, and Michael had to carry this man for a while.


    He looked at his best friend, who was still in a deep sleep, not knowing what kind of fuck up he just did.


    Michael pitied him a little, but he wouldn¡¯t try to defend him anymore, ¡¯It¡¯s up to you, bud. Hopefully, you can give a good explanation to your woman because you deserve a punch in the face.¡¯


    Michael looked at Kate, who stood at the side of the bed in silence, staring at sleeping Henry with complicated eyes. He could feel her pain and thus decided not to speak about this anymore.


    He bowed respectfully to his future female boss and said, "I¡¯m leaving now, Ma¡¯am. Do call me if you need any assistance."


    Kate nodded, but her eyes were still on Henry, "Thank you so much for your help, Michael. I won¡¯t be able to find him without your help."


    "It¡¯s my responsibility, Ma¡¯am," Michael obliged. "Henry told me to keep you safe in case he¡¯s not around or if you need anything."


    Kate smiled bitterly, "Well, this might be the last time we meet. I know we¡¯re not close, but it¡¯s been nice to know you, Michael."


    "... it¡¯s been nice to know you too, Ma¡¯am. Please excuse me," Michael bowed again before he left.


    Michael felt like total crap right now. He felt so bad for Kate because he knew that Kate must¡¯ve been hurt by what Henry did.


    "Ah, this is bad. He¡¯s going to lose a woman he truly loves because of one stupid mistake," he murmured as he entered his car. He sat inside the car for a while, trying to see if he could salvage anything from this mess.


    But the more he thought about it, the more depressed he got.


    In the end, Michael could only sigh and leave the apartment building.


    Kate stared at Henry, who was still fast asleep. She took a deep breath and sat on the bed. She gently reached Henry¡¯s cheek and murmured, "Let me hug you, Henry. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be this close with another man after you, so let me have your touch before I leave."


    Kate didn¡¯t want to think about what Henry did in the bar. She thought it was all over and had no more reason to stay. She refused to be trapped in a loveless marriage, just like what Matt did to her.


    Thus, Kate took off her windbreaker and joined Henry on the bed. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and closed her eyes.


    ¡¯I will miss you, Mr. Grant...¡¯


    Kate bit her lower lip. She tried to hold the tears that were about to fall but couldn¡¯t hold it in the end. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, a single tear dropped from the corner of her eyes down to Henry¡¯s chest.


    **


    "Urgh..." Henry groaned in pain as he felt his head had been hammered repeatedly. He winced and shook his head a few times to gain some of his consciousness.


    He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the familiar ceiling. He turned his head to the right and saw the view of a sun rising over the sea.


    Henry tried to recall what he had done before he passed out.


    ¡¯Am I still dreaming? I was clearly in that VIP room with Mindy before, watching a movie while eating a snack and drinking iced whiskey,¡¯ Henry thought.


    He had a habit of drinking nonstop whenever he was in the mood for a drink. He didn¡¯t remember how much he had, but he passed out in the end, which was rare for him because he usually had a strong tolerance for alcohol.


    He was about to close his eyes again, thinking that he must be in dreamland and he¡¯d wake up in that VIP room in the bar.


    He planned to go home as soon as possible and talk to Kate. He wanted to apologize and set things straight, talking heart-to-heart with his beloved.


    But before he closed his eyes, he felt a weight on his chest. He looked down and was stunned by seeing his beloved resting her head on his chest, sleeping peacefully.


    Kate looked so soft and fragile when she cuddled with him like this. It also made her look cute.


    So Henry smiled and muttered, "Even in my dream, you are still as beautiful as always, Kitty."


    Thus, Henry closed his eyes, but his hand reached around Kate¡¯s ass and squeezed it tight.


    Little did he know, this wasn¡¯t a dream, and Kate wasn¡¯t sleeping peacefully. She woke up instantly when the familiar big, strong hand squeezed her ass.


    She opened her eyes, and quickly realized that she screwed up.


    She quickly jumped out of bed and took two steps back to distance herself from Henry.


    Her exaggerated movement woke Henry up. He stared at Kate with hazy eyes and smiled, "What¡¯s wrong, love? Did you have a bad dream? Then come here. I will hug you tight."


    ¡¯Henry thought they were still in a dream, but the dreadful expression on Kate¡¯s face gave him a slap in the face, telling him this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    "Kitty?" Henry asked. "Are you alright?"


    Kate cursed herself in her heart. She didn¡¯t expect herself to fall asleep in his embrace for the whole night. She thought of resting on his chest before packing and leaving because that would be the last time she¡¯d ever embrace him.


    Kate and Henry were staring at each other. Henry looked puzzled, and Kate looked at him with panic.


    Henry didn¡¯t know whether this was a dream or not. But even if this was just a dream, that didn¡¯t stop him from worrying about Kate¡¯s safety.


    Thus, Henry tried to get up from the bed and fight off the headache while trying to approach Kate.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210: Chapter 210"Kate, what¡¯s wrong?" Henry asked again as he tried to reach her.


    "Stay back," Kate instructed. She made a gesture that she¡¯d take a step back in case Henry tried to approach her again.


    Henry halted his step but got confused instead by her reaction. He also had a lot of questions lingering in his mind, mostly about how he could be in this room, as he was a hundred percent sure that he was sleeping in that VIP room in the bar.


    ¡¯Could it be that Mindy somehow contacted Kate and told her that I got wasted?¡¯ Henry guessed. ¡¯Or maybe she got into contact with Michael, and he carried me here. No way Kate could carry me, especially when I¡¯m drunk as fuck.¡¯


    They were stuck in this position for a while. Henry tried to approach his beloved, but each time he got closer, Kate would retreat for one step as if she wanted to keep a safe distance from him.


    "Can you explain what is happening here?" Henry asked. He tried to shake his head again to relieve his dizziness and the feeling of a bad hangover. "I remember being in the VIP room inside Spyre 80 with Mindy. I got wasted last night, and I¡¯m already in our apartment when I wake up."


    "Mindy..." Kate¡¯s heart sank to the deepest pit when Henry mentioned the woman¡¯s name. "I see that you¡¯re very familiar with that hostess, huh?"


    Henry was still trying to recover from the hangover. Added to his confusion, he was clueless as he dug himself deeper into the pit.


    "Yeah, we dated in Uni," Henry said without hesitation, as he saw Mindy as a friend after thoroughly discussing how to be a better man for Kate. "She accompanied me throughout the night, and we watched movies and drank iced whiskey. Guess I had too much of that."


    Kate couldn¡¯t believe how aloof he was after admitting everything. It made her feel stupid for feeling sorry because of their fight before.


    "It¡¯s good that you admitted everything, Henry. I commend you for that," Kate said. She clenched her fist as she tried to stand on her ground.


    "Uh-huh," Henry said. He scratched his head confusedly, "So, can you tell me what happened when I passed out? Who carried me here?"


    ...


    "Do you remember that we had a severe thunderstorm last night?" Kate asked, and Henry gave a nod as an answer. She scoffed as she found herself ridiculous, "I was so worried about you. I feared you¡¯d drunk drive in the middle of a bad thunderstorm. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, so I called Michael and asked him which bar you frequently visit."


    "I wanted to check and fetch you to ensure you¡¯re safe, and Michael accompanied me," Kate said. "Then I saw you in that room, wasted with a girl you called Mindy."


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, knowing Henry would eventually choose someone younger than her, "You surely have great taste, Mr. Grant. Mindy is a beautiful girl. She¡¯s young and fresh, a woman who fits you better than I do."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened. He finally caught on to what Kate had in mind, "W¡ªWait, this isn¡¯t what it looks like. We didn¡¯t do anything, I swear!"


    "I saw those hostesses getting groped by guests around your age, and they¡¯re in the open area," Kate sneered. "You¡¯d be a saint if you didn¡¯t do anything to Mindy when you¡¯re under the influence in a private room."


    Henry soon realized the severity of this misunderstanding. So, he tried to backtrack, "Calm down, honey, let me explain this first."


    "HONEY?! You called me honey after I caught you cheating?! Oh, Henry, you¡¯re too fucking bold!" Kate turned around and stomped her feet as she left the room.


    "W¡ªWait, Kate!" Henry rushed to catch her. But the headache made him lose his balance, and he tripped, hitting the floor face-first. "Urgh!"


    Kate stopped when she heard the sound of a big thing hitting the floor. She looked over her shoulder and saw Henry, who grimaced in pain. He propped himself up, and Kate could see blood running from his nostril. On top of that, his forehead was bruised because of the impact.


    Kate flinched.


    Her instinct told her to help him because he looked pitiful. Kate had a soft spot for Henry, who showed a bit of his frail side.


    But she had to toughen herself right now, or else she couldn¡¯t leave him. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate gritted her teeth and tried to leave, but Henry quickly grabbed the hem of her shirt and asked pitifully, "Kitty, I¡¯m hurt. Can you help me first before we continue our fight?"


    "You can help yourself. Now let me go. I want to leave," Kate said coldly, but her eyes couldn¡¯t lie. She was concerned about the nosebleed. ¡¯I hope he doesn¡¯t have a broken nose because I¡¯d have to take care of him.¡¯


    Henry noticed her concern and used it to his advantage.


    He kept using his puppy eye to weaken Kate¡¯s heart. He knew it¡¯d be difficult to set things straight if he let her leave this apartment.


    He had to clear this misunderstanding as soon as possible, and if acting cute was enough to force her to stay for a moment, then so be it.


    Thus, Henry discarded all of his pride as the heir of the Grant family for now and pouted cutely. He clenched Kate¡¯s hem tighter and muttered, "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to treat me? I¡¯m very clumsy, and I have a bad headache right now. What if I hurt myself even more?"


    "Honey, are you cruel enough to leave me alone like this? I am heartbroken right now..."


    Kate was trying to fight her urge to take care of him. She had to leave no matter what. She didn¡¯t want to give a chance to a cheater!


    But when she saw the nosebleed that kept getting worse, she gritted her teeth and said, "Let me go first. I¡¯ll take the first aid kit."


    "Y¡ªYou won¡¯t leave me, right? I might bleed to death if you leave!"


    "Tsk, stop acting like an idiot. Let me treat you before that nosebleed worsens!"

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211: Chapter 211Henry was finally assured once he saw the seriousness in Kate¡¯s eyes. He slowly released his grasp on her hem and watched her intently, ensuring she didn¡¯t leave through the front door.


    Luckily, she went to the bathroom and returned with the first aid kit.


    Kate was horrified by the amount of blood dripping from Henry¡¯s nose. She yelled at him as she tried to open the first aid kit, "Go pinch your nose and open your mouth, Henry! Your nosebleed is bad!"


    "Oh¡ªokay¡ª" Henry followed Kate¡¯s instructions. He pinched his nose and opened his mouth to breathe. He went to the kitchen sink and spat out the blood that collected in his mouth. Kate then told him to sit, and she treated him with antibiotic ointment inside his nostril and then used an ice pack to compress his nose bridge.


    Since his forehead was also bruised, Kate grabbed another ice pack and gave it to Henry, "Here, put this on your forehead to reduce the swelling. You can do that, right?"


    "Mhm," Henry hummed. He eyed Kate, who was busy holding the ice pack on his nose bridge.


    She looked so worried as if he was in grave danger.


    Truthfully, other than the initial pain, Henry truly felt nothing. He knew he was exaggerating his injury, but if that was enough to keep Kate by his side for now, so be it.


    "Ouch, it hurts, Kitty..." Henry acted pitifully, much to Kate¡¯s distress.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she muttered. "You¡¯re lucky that it¡¯s just a bruise. I thought we had to go to the ER to treat a broken nose."


    "Well, I would demand you to stay with me if I get a broken nose. I want to look at my beauty first before I die."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened. She pressed the ice pack on his nose bridge, "S¡ªStop saying stupid stuff! You¡¯re injured. Why do you still have time to flirt?!"


    Henry chuckled, "Seeing your rosy cheeks makes me feel better, that¡¯s why."


    "You¡¯re unbelievable, Henry."


    "Unbelievably in love?"


    ...


    Kate decided not to say anything and focused on treating Henry instead. Henry kept his eyes on her for a while until he asked;


    "Why don¡¯t you believe me when I said I didn¡¯t cheat on you?"


    "... it¡¯s hard to believe. I¡¯m not an idiot, Henry. You passed out on the sofa with a woman, in a private room, and many whiskey bottles. I¡¯m not an idiot. Of course, I connect the dots," Kate said. "But it¡¯s okay. I know that you¡¯re young with a lot of vigor. You¡¯re better with someone young."


    Henry felt hurt when Kate simply pushed him away without listening to his explanation first.


    He spent the whole night trying to devise a good method to apologize to Kate because he felt responsible for their fight last night.


    But now he had to discard everything he planned last night because of this stupid misunderstanding.


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned as she tried to endure the heartache, "Or maybe this is your way to show that you¡¯re angry at me for setting up a meeting with Graham without your permission. That¡¯s why you slept with another woman."


    "Either way, I understand you just want to hurt me, and I realize we can¡¯t be together if we¡¯re only going to be toxic to each other like this," Kate murmured.


    She was actually in pain as she imagined the idea of leaving Henry.


    She was genuinely in love with him. Henry was like a huge vortex that sucked her in, drowning her in the sea of passion until she couldn¡¯t escape.


    There was a lot of hesitation in her heart about Henry, but she finally believed him when he went as far as ditching Erin in the middle of a frozen wasteland.


    So she decided to dedicate her love to this man, only to get heartbroken in two months.


    "I will leave after this, Henry. I just can¡¯t handle too much heartbreak," Kate said.


    Henry allowed Kate to speak everything in her mind, and then he asked a simple but effective question;


    "Do you want me to bring Mindy here?"


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "I¡ªIf you want to bring that girl to replace me, then at least have a little heart and let me leave first. I don¡¯t want to see her face."


    "No, not for that," Henry said. His smile faltered when Kate kept on accusing him of cheating. "This apartment is OURS, nobody can live in this place except for us, and I won¡¯t allow anyone to enter."


    "I bought the whole floor all for myself, so we have a few other apartment rooms we can use to host her," Henry said. "Wait¡ªbefore you accuse me of cheating again. I want to invite Mindy so she can tell you directly about what happened between us in the bar."


    Kate frowned. She stared at Henry and realized there was no fear in his eyes, as if he was 100% sure he didn¡¯t do anything to Mindy, even though the evidence said otherwise.


    Kate was thinking about it for a while, and then she nodded, "Alright, I want to listen to her story directly. Go call her now."


    Thus, Henry picked up his phone and returned to the kitchen seat. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With his hand still compressing his bruise, he called Mindy.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mindy to pick up the call, and Henry put it on loudspeaker to ensure that Kate listened to the conversation.


    ¡ª


    "Good morning, Boss. Sorry that I didn¡¯t wake you up last night. I also passed out because we drank too much," Mindy said before Henry could say a thing.


    She reckoned it was her fault because Henry was so excited about going home and talking with his beloved. He told her to wake him if he passed out, but she couldn¡¯t handle the alcohol either.


    Kate was surprised by Mindy. She thought Mindy would call him honey, love, or whatever sweet name call for a lover out there.


    Henry smirked and said, "Mindy, I need your help now."

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212: Chapter 212¡ª


    Henry smirked and said, "Mindy, I need your help now."


    "What kind of help do you need, Boss? I¡¯m ready to assist!"


    "You see because you failed to wake me up last night, my fiancee now thinks that I cheated on her with you. So why don¡¯t you come here and explain everything," Henry said. "And please hurry. I¡¯m about to die from a heartbreak because she keeps telling me she wants to leave me."


    "O¡ªOn it, Boss! I will be there! Just tell me the address!"


    "I¡¯ll text you my address," Henry said.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate¡¯s jaw dropped when she heard the conversation between them. This was not her expectation because she expected them to go hush-hush as they had just had a wild night.


    Henry raised his brow provocatively, "Do you believe me now? Well, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t because you¡¯ll trust me again after Mindy tells you everything."


    **


    It only took about forty-five minutes for Henry to get a text from Mindy saying that she was already in the apartment¡¯s lobby.


    Henry told her to go to the designated floor and enter room 12.5.


    Henry and Kate waited inside room 12.5. Henry was so confident and relaxed, which in turn, made Kate nervous.


    She began to doubt herself, ¡¯Did I see the wrong thing? Or maybe I jumped to the conclusion with a muddy mind?¡¯


    Kate glanced at Henry and wondered, ¡¯Maybe he didn¡¯t cheat. Maybe it¡¯s all in my mind."


    Henry held Kate¡¯s hand and gently caressed her palm with his thumb, "I know you¡¯re doubting everything. That¡¯s why I want to assure you," Henry said. He stared at Kate with deep yet soft emerald eyes, "I am yours, and you¡¯re mine. No one can come between us, Katherine."


    Knock. Knock.


    Henry and Kate turned their heads to the door at the same time.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Henry? Mr. Grant? Boss? Are you there?"


    Henry released Kate¡¯s hand and got up from the sofa, "Stay in here, Kitty. I will let her in, and then I¡¯ll be waiting outside, so you two can have a private conversation without me."


    Kate nodded, and her eyes followed Henry and walked to the front door.


    "Boss, oh god, I¡¯m sorry for last night!" Kate could hear Mindy¡¯s voice as Henry opened the door. "Wait, what happened to your forehead and nose?"


    "It¡¯s fine, but you should tell my fiance. She is upset, and I feel like an ass because of this," Henry said before he allowed Mindy to enter the apartment while he left and closed the door.


    Mindy walked to the living room and bowed politely in front of Kate, "You must be Katherine, right? My name is Mindy. Nice to meet you."


    Mindy stretched her hand. She had a friendly smile while doing so, and Kate couldn¡¯t help to feel a bit weirded out since she remembered this woman to be so alluring when she passed out.


    She was still beautiful and youthful. No wonder she could be a hostess in an elite bar serving the elites.


    But when she didn¡¯t wear that black dress and wasn¡¯t drunk, she looked like a cheerful, pretty woman in her early 20s.


    Thus, Kate shook her hand and smiled thinly, "Yes, I¡¯m Kate. You must be Mindy. I saw you passed out on that sofa last night, by the way."


    "Ahahaha..." Mindy laughed awkwardly. She sat on the seat facing Kate and said, "I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re much younger than I expected, Ma¡¯am. Henry told me that you¡¯re in your early 30s."


    Kate¡¯s lips twitched. Usually, she didn¡¯t mind telling others about her age, but now that she saw this woman as a potential threat, she saw it as a subtle mockery that she was old.


    Mindy quickly realized that she had accidentally offended Kate, so she apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way. I just expected you to look a little older, but you are very youthful."


    "Just call me Kate. It¡¯s fine," Kate said. "And yes, I¡¯m in my early 30s."


    Mindy had a completely different expectation about Kate.


    She thought that Kate was an old lady. Henry said she was in her early 30s, so she expected Kate to look old.


    But she was actually quite youthful and was very beautiful. Even Mindy, a woman, got a little tempted by her beauty, and her aura was also oppressive, which made Mindy a little nervous.


    "Well, I¡¯m here to straighten things up about what happened to Henry and me last night," Mindy said. "First of all, Henry and I dated briefly in college. We bumped into each other in the bar last night and began talking about each other¡¯s life."


    "He then told me the real reason why he was in the bar, and he told me all of his problems after a glass of ice whiskey," Mindy began retelling last night¡¯s event. "He told me that he fought with his fiance because you set up a meeting with a divorce lawyer."


    "So I told him that he¡¯s being so childish for jumping into the gun without thinking twice," Mindy said, and she shrugged lightly. "Only an idiot would accuse his beloved of cheating without even listening to her reasoning first, right? I told him he was an idiot for hurting the woman he loved, and told him to go and apologize to his fiancee and make up for all the crazy things he said to you."


    "But he said that he needs to gather his courage. That was why he drank a lot of ice whiskeys, and I accompanied him," Mindy said. Her cheeks reddened as she got embarrassed. "Well, we passed out after too much whiskey, and I guess that¡¯s the start of this misunderstanding." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate felt like she had been stabbed in her conscience because what Mindy said to Henry could also be applied to her.


    She refused to listen to Henry¡¯s reasoning and simply thought he was cheating on her, and now she was 99% sure she was being too dramatic.


    ¡¯But I still have to make sure...¡¯


    Kate took a deep breath and finally asked the most important question, "Be honest with me, Mindy. Did he touch you?"

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213: Chapter 213"Be honest with me, Mindy. Did he touch you?"


    "Hm? Not at all," Mindy replied. She remembered how Henry acted last night and responded with embarrassment, "If I may be honest, he acted hostile towards me each time I try to sit close to him, so we have to sit at each end of the sofa."


    "He keeps telling me that he has a fiance, and he doesn¡¯t want to hurt her, so he keeps himself away from any other woman¡¯s touch," Mindy said. "Honestly, I applaud you for turning him into a completely different person."


    "He was an ass in uni. He had a lot of girlfriends, and he never cared about any of them," Mindy said. She was thinking of telling Kate about Henry¡¯s huge crush on an elegant lady called Miss Sarah and how Miss Sarah made a big scene in front of many students by dragging the wild young man into her car like an obedient puppy.


    But she thought Henry must¡¯ve already told her about Sarah, so talking about Sarah would be unnecessary.


    "He dated me when he was bored and cheated on me for the same reason," Mindy said. "But I understood the risk when I dated him back then because I know Henry didn¡¯t have even a speck of love to spare. He was a cold man."


    "Kate, you should realize how much of an impact you have on him. So please, trust me on this one. He has never thought about cheating on you. For the whole night in the bar, he kept talking about you nonstop, and the drunker he got, the more he acted like a lovelorn man," Mindy tried to convince Kate because she knew her new job depended on whether she could fix this misunderstanding between them or not. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In fact, there is a CCTV in the VIP room, so if you need it, you can always request the footage and watch it yourself," Mindy said.


    Kate went silent after that.


    Mindy didn¡¯t hesitate to tell Kate everything in the VIP room. Besides, Kate found them right at each end of the sofa and still fully clothed, so she had no more ground to suspect Henry.


    "Kate, I¡¯m sorry if I pry too much, but Henry told me that you¡¯re very insecure about your age," Mindy said. "It¡¯s not my place to judge, but I feel like the insecurity about your age affected this relationship so much."


    Kate smiled bitterly. She intertwined her fingers as she tried to curb her anxiety, "I can¡¯t lie that it does put a strain on our relationship. He is handsome, young, and rich. He had no reason to stay with me when he can just leave and find a better and younger woman out there."


    "But he showed you that he never cheats, right? He¡¯s very dedicated to you," Mindy said. "You¡¯d be surprised how many times he tried to tell me he loves you so much."


    ...


    Kate said nothing.


    Mindy wasn¡¯t the first to tell her about how much Henry loved her.


    Michael also said the same, and it was just her who got insecure.


    "What do you think about it, Mindy?" Kate asked. "Do you think I deserve to feel insecure about this?"


    "I think it¡¯s normal," Mindy shrugged. "You¡¯re older, and most men get bored easily especially the younger ones."


    "But continuously getting insecure about this wouldn¡¯t fix anything," Mindy said. "Rather than fighting over and over for the same problem, why don¡¯t you focus on seeing all of his devotion instead? I see that Henry is the pampering type when he finally falls in love with someone. He has never been this affectionate before with many of his exes."


    ¡¯Not even with Miss Sarah, though I don¡¯t know what happened between them behind closed doors,¡¯ Mindy added in her heart. ¡¯But that doesn¡¯t really matter, since Kate is his fiance, not Sarah. So Sarah won¡¯t be a trouble, right?¡¯


    Kate was pondering for a while and agreed in the end, Mindy was right.


    Kate often thought about the bad thing that might happen between them, but she rarely cherished all the sweetness that he showed.


    Henry was indeed a very upfront and passionate man. He didn¡¯t feel shy to profess his love and would do many things to ensure that Kate understood how much he treasured her.


    But her?


    ¡¯Ah, I feel a little guilty now,¡¯ Kate blamed herself. ¡¯I barely do anything for him while he has done so much for me.¡¯


    Mindy observed Kate¡¯s expression while still blaming herself for her attitude toward Henry. Mindy smiled and said, "Why don¡¯t you start by being more lenient and understanding towards him? I¡¯m sure that Henry will greatly appreciate your affection as well."


    Kate nodded firmly.


    She didn¡¯t expect to get lectured by a woman around Henry¡¯s age, but she had to admit this woman was brilliant and understanding. She was also beautiful and eloquent, a perfect woman for a good and successful man.


    But that man wasn¡¯t Henry. Kate wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    When she said that she was clingy, she meant it. She thought she could be the bigger woman and allowed Henry to find his love.


    But now that both of them were clinging to each other, then Kate would never let him go.


    "Thank you for clarifying everything, Mindy. I¡¯m sorry for roping you into this problem," Kate apologized. "I don¡¯t feel comfortable not giving you anything, so if you want any help, just tell me, okay?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s also partly my fault because I¡¯m supposed to stay awake and tell him to go home," Mindy said. She was thinking about something momentarily and asked, "Uhm... well, I do have a favor to ask."


    "Do ask out. I will help."


    "So, uh, I told this to Henry before. But I really need a new job," Mindy said. "The startup company that I worked for before went bankrupt, so I work as a hostess to get by, but I don¡¯t like working as a hostess. I prefer to work a normal job."

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214: Chapter 214"So, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could persuade Henry to give me a good job in one of his companies since his family has a lot of businesses, right?"


    "Oh? I can do that," Kate nodded. "Do you have any qualifications in literature?"


    "Unfortunately, no, Ma¡¯am," Mindy replied. "I worked as an accountant for my previous job, and if possible, I¡¯d want to be in the same position after I get hired."


    "Hm, alright then. But that means you won¡¯t be able to work with me," Kate said.


    "Thank you for your offer, Ma¡¯am. But I have zero interest in literature. I prefer to work as an accountant," Mindy said.


    Kate was satisfied with her answer and added, "Well, if that¡¯s your final decision, then I will tell Henry to give you a proper position. Take this as a gratitude from me because you¡¯ve helped me to sort out my feelings."


    Kate got up from her chair and walked towards Mindy.


    Mindy also did the same, and she replied with a sincere smile, "It¡¯s my pleasure to help, Kate. I¡¯m actually happy that Henry finally found the woman he truly loved, so he wouldn¡¯t be trapped in so many loveless relationships."


    Henry was waiting outside, leaning on the wall while staring at the door of Apartment 12.5, hoping that Mindy would do her job well so Kate could finally let go of her suspicion.


    He disliked having to prove his innocence like this because he expected Kate to believe him no matter what, just like how he wanted to believe her no matter what.


    ¡¯But I guess this insecurity and suspicion is mutual,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I also can¡¯t trust her when she said she wants to meet with Graham without my presence. I keep thinking that they¡¯d do something behind my back.¡¯


    This was the first time Henry ever cared so much for someone else¡¯s opinion. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye when one of his ex-girlfriends threatened to kill themselves if Henry broke up with them.


    But with Kate...


    Even a frown from her was enough to make him restless.


    Click.


    The door was finally opened from the inside, and he saw Kate and Mindy, who seemed to be in perfect condition.


    Henry was glad that they could solve this problem civilly. He walked towards Kate and stood before her, staring at her silently while the latter did the same to Henry.


    They were in this position for a while, trying to pry on each other¡¯s feelings as they had their suspicions before. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uh, I¡¯ll leave now. Goodbye, Kate, Boss."


    "Hm," Henry nodded. He glanced at Mindy for a split second before gazing at Kate. "Did you tell my fiance you¡¯ll work in one of my companies?"


    "Yes, Sir. I asked her to persuade you, so I can also get a better position," Mindy confirmed.


    Henry smiled as his gaze softened toward his beloved, "Well, there is nothing you need to do now. You can leave, Mindy. Don¡¯t worry about your job."


    "Thank you, Boss."


    Henry waited until Mindy entered the elevator, so only two of them were on this floor.


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened when Henry stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Do you believe me now, Kitty?"


    Kate sighed, hugged him, and buried her face in his strong chest, "I¡¯m sorry, Henry. I accused you without listening to your explanation at all. I should¡¯ve understood that you¡¯re different from Matt. I know that you¡¯ll never hurt me, right?"


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned as Kate threw such a difficult question.


    He didn¡¯t know what would happen in the future.


    Maybe things wouldn¡¯t be as smooth-sailing, and problems might arise later.


    He couldn¡¯t promise that everything would be smooth and problem-free, not when his family was still watching his every move, and he had to gain Marlon¡¯s approval without involving Kate.


    But he still wanted to protect her with all his heart, so he promised, "I will protect you, no matter what, Katherine. Mark my words."


    "Mm," Kate nodded lightly. She clutched Henry¡¯s shirt and asked, "Can we stop this fight? I am too tired. I want to have a good and comfortable life with you."


    "I also want to stop fighting with you. My mind is about to explode whenever we argue," Henry agreed. "Since you want to meet with Graham, so be it. You can go. I won¡¯t disturb you."


    Henry said that to Kate to appease her because he didn¡¯t want to fight with her again.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d let her go completely. He¡¯d try to intimidate Graham first, and if it didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d dispatch Michael to watch over them.


    And if Kate refused to be accompanied by Michael, he¡¯d contact La Fayette cafe and ask them for CCTV footage to ensure they weren¡¯t doing anything intimate.


    Henry knew that he was being possessive and unreasonable again.


    He believes that Kate wouldn¡¯t try to do anything with Graham, but what about that bastard? Henry didn¡¯t trust him.


    As a man, Henry knew what kind of dirty mind Graham had for his beloved. Kate¡¯s charm enamored Graham, and it was obvious he was thinking about slowly crawling inside Kate¡¯s heart, knowing Kate must¡¯ve preferred a stable man around her age.


    "Actually, I¡¯ve been thinking about meeting with Graham after our fight before," Kate said. "He texted and asked me about the meeting, and I told him we will reschedule lunch instead of brunch, so you can join us."


    "If you still can¡¯t join us for the meeting, then I will reschedule it again to seven, so we can have dinner first before we meet him, right?"


    Henry was stunned by Kate¡¯s initiative. He didn¡¯t expect her to take him seriously after their fight.


    "So, what do you think, Henry? Can you go during lunch with me?" Kate asked in a low voice. "I won¡¯t go if you can¡¯t."


    "Kitty..." Henry hugged her tighter and kissed her hair, "Thank you for listening to me. I am more than willing. Let¡¯s go and meet him together."

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215: Chapter 215"I don¡¯t know why we need to meet as three, but if Mr. Grant requests us to do so, then I suppose I am obliged to comply," Graham said sarcastically as he sat facing Henry and Kate, who looked like a couple in love.


    Kate was more reserved and tried not to show too much public display of affection, but Henry was different.


    His gaze, gesture, and soft words, everything that he did showed that he was madly in love with this woman.


    "S¡ªSorry, Henry wants us to go together, and I don¡¯t want him to get restless when we are discussing this prenup annulment," Kate said. She tried to pull her hand because Henry held her hand tight, making their palm sweaty.


    Yet, Henry didn¡¯t even feel grossed out by it, not the slightest bit.


    Graham noticed how much Henry tried to exert pressure on him, and his lips twitched as he got annoyed by Henry¡¯s blatant show of possessiveness, "You¡¯re already with us right now, Henry. No need to hog her all by yourself."


    Henry, who had been ignoring Graham the whole time, finally darted his eyes at him.


    He didn¡¯t have many good opinions about Graham, mostly because Graham was his late brother¡¯s best friend, not his.


    He asked Graham to come and help because Henry acknowledged this man¡¯s capability as a divorce lawyer, but that didn¡¯t mean they had to pin all their hopes on him.


    "Just do your job, Graham. Tell us what plan you have in mind. I can¡¯t wait to fire you once you come up with a stupid idea," Henry said with a little threat.


    "Henry!" Kate snapped at him. She knew he was still jealous, but treating their divorce lawyer like this was uncalled for. Thus, Kate tried to apologize on behalf of him, "I¡¯m sorry about him, Graham. He doesn¡¯t mean it."


    "I do mean it."


    Kate glared at her boyfriend, but the latter didn¡¯t even care.


    Graham sighed, dismissing the unpleasantness of this young man, "It¡¯s fine, Kate. I know what kind of boy he is. I pity you even more," he had a mocking undertone in his words, but Henry didn¡¯t budge. "Alright, let¡¯s just talk about the prenup."


    "Y¡ªYeah, let¡¯s talk about the prenup. Is there a way to annul it?"


    "Before that, I want to ask you, are you willing to be portrayed as a weak lady during the divorce trial?" Graham asked.


    "Huh?" Kate frowned. "What does that mean? A weak lady?"


    "Annulling this prenup is a challenging task, Kate, and there is only one way to do it, especially because your ex-husband has never been physically aggressive to you," Graham said. "We can use mental incapability and coercion as two valid reasons to annul this."


    "You see, if you portray yourself as a weak woman coerced by your ex-husband, then we have a key for success," Graham said. "You can tell the judge that Matt coerced you to sign the prenup, that he was unwilling to provide for himself and his family, and that he tried to guilt-trip you many times into submission, so you comply with whatever he desires, including being the sole breadwinner of the family."


    "Is that even a valid reason?" Kate asked as she got hesitant.


    Graham nodded, "Our ground might not be the strongest, but the fact that he has been fully financially dependent on you for five years should be logical enough for the judge to consider annulling the prenup."


    "Just add a touch of spice in it, telling them that Matt manipulated you into signing the prenup," Graham tried to convince Kate. "The only downside is to be seen as a weak-willed woman manipulated by a lazy bastard. Well, it¡¯s all up to you, Kate."


    Kate went silent after that, still considering whether to go with Graham¡¯s plan.


    But before she could voice her answer, Henry gritted his teeth and snapped, "I don¡¯t agree."


    "Pardon?"


    "I said I don¡¯t agree with that plan," Henry repeated, ensuring that Graham could hear him clearly. "Kate is a tough woman. She knows what to do and has been doing everything on her own this whole time. Why would you let her be humiliated in court?


    "Can¡¯t you come up with a better idea?" Henry asked. He then scoffed as he already lost his respect for Graham after knowing that Graham was coveting his woman. "I brought you from New York to California to solve this case without hurting her."


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, Henry. I know that she is a capable lady, but it is difficult to annul a legal prenup with solid ground," Graham insisted. "This is the only way, and I assure you, no matter how many divorce lawyers you call, they won¡¯t be able to find a better option." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You really think that you¡¯re the best of the best, huh?" Henry sneered.


    "Because I am," Graham replied coldly. "I am far more qualified than any of the expensive lawyers you can find."


    Kate kept her silence, ignoring Henry and Graham, who were still arguing. She was in full focus, thinking about what she should do next.


    She understood that Henry wanted to protect her dignity in court, and Kate also wanted to keep her tough persona in front of Matt because of her pride.


    But at the same time, Graham¡¯s words got her thinking.


    ¡¯Am I really the tough lady I portray myself as?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯I mean, the reality is far from that. He blackmailed me because I was barren. He guilt-tripped me into thinking that I¡¯m worthless, and if I want him to stay, I need to work my ass off to compensate for my inability to give him a child.¡¯


    ¡¯I keep asking him for a fertility test together. But he¡¯d guilt trip me every time I asked, saying that the result is obvious and a waste of money...¡¯


    ¡¯It was Henry who opened my eyes, showing that the barren one is Matt this whole time.¡¯

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216: Chapter 216Of course, after knowing she could get pregnant, Kate stood her ground and divorced Matt without thinking twice because she had no more reason to stay. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was pregnant with the baby of a smart and handsome man.


    She had her own money and was also pampered by the baby daddy, who had an absurd amount of wealth Matt would never see.


    Lastly, she didn¡¯t need to worry about her mother anymore. She had already admitted Hilda to a nursing facility for the elderly and also threw her bitch sister to the frozen wasteland. However, Henry said that Erin was barely alive because she was suffering every day.


    But in the end, she was still the same stupid woman who her husband fooled into blaming herself for his infertility.


    ¡¯Katherine Woods, the idiot mentally incapable of making her own decision because she thought she could make it work with Matt.¡¯


    ¡¯Haha, this is so ridiculous,¡¯ Kate laughed at herself. ¡¯Graham told me to act like a dumb, pitiful wife that got coerced into signing a prenup and worked to the bone as the sole breadwinner.¡¯


    ¡¯But I don¡¯t need to act. I was the dumb wife in this relationship.¡¯


    Kate felt disgusted at herself because Matt had taken advantage of her for so long, yet she was still trying to forgive him despite his many faults.


    "Tsk, this is going nowhere," Henry said as he kept arguing with Grahan. "I don¡¯t want my woman to look dumb before the judge!"


    "Henry, I have my decision now."


    Henry and Graham turned their heads toward Kate at the same time. Henry was the first to frown and ask, "What do you mean? Surely, you won¡¯t agree with his suggestion, right? That idea is ridiculous! I will find another lawyer that is much better than Graham!"


    "No, I accept the idea. I will do that," Kate said firmly, much to Henry¡¯s shock.


    "W¡ªWhat?" Henry couldn¡¯t believe what he heard just now. "Don¡¯t be silly. You know that¡¯s a stupid idea. Why would you lower yourself like that? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find you a new one. Many lawyers will take this case as long as I pay them handsomely."


    "There is no other way, Henry. Just let Graham handle this case, and if he wants me to act like a dumb wife to convince the judge to annul the prenup, then so be it," Kate insisted.


    Graham smiled at Kate¡¯s decision, "You¡¯ve made the right choice, Kate. I won¡¯t disappoint you, I promise."


    Kate stared at Graham coldly and replied, "I did this because I am petty enough to get all my assets. I don¡¯t care even if I have to look weak."


    Graham¡¯s eyes got soft as he stared at the vicious lady.


    ¡¯James is right. Kate is a gentle lady who gets pushed to the edge. She has nobody to rely upon except herself, ¡¯Graham thought. ¡¯Ah, what to do? It only makes me want to explore her more. I want to see her vulnerable side and pamper her...¡¯


    Henry noticed Graham¡¯s softening gaze toward Kate and snapped, "Stop looking at my woman!"


    His voice was loud enough to get the attention of other tables.


    Graham sneered at Henry and said, "So uncivilized and rough. I thought you were better than this, Henry. Don¡¯t you see that you¡¯re embarrassing Kate right now?"


    "Don¡¯t put words into my mouth, Graham," Kate said before Henry could react. She held his hand tight, assuring Henry she was on his side. "I don¡¯t want any infighting here. Let¡¯s proceed with the prenup annulment and the divorce."


    Henry glared at Graham with eyes that could kill. He was furious at Graham, who tried to mock him to make him look better in front of Kate.


    He respected Graham as his late brother¡¯s best friend, but if he dared to touch his woman, then he didn¡¯t need to give him respect.


    Henry would be the first one to punch him in the face for that.


    "You¡¯re right, pardon me," Graham cleared his throat. "Then I will take your answer as a yes, and with that, I will contact the local court first to see if I can do something to make it even easier for you to process the divorce. I will notify you at the right time to file for divorce in court."


    "Yes, please notify me. I will file it myself once you give me the sign to go," Kate said. She couldn¡¯t wait to shove that divorce paper to Matt¡¯s face, and if he refused to comply?


    Well, there was zero chance of him refusing to comply because he had nothing, no backup, and no money to hire an attorney.


    But if he miraculously tried to challenge her?


    Then she had all the evidence to slam him to the ground.


    "Good, then I will return with good news," Graham said. He got up and grabbed his briefcase. He smiled amicably at Kate and stretched his hand for a handshake, "It¡¯s nice meeting you, Kate."


    Kate shook his hand and showed a thin smile, "Likewise. Are you not going to stay for lunch?"


    "I am not hungry," Graham replied. He glanced at Henry, who was about to kill him, and added, "Tell me if you need any help. I will always protect you from any harm¡ªand an overly emotional man."


    "You¡ª!"


    Kate giggled, "I¡¯m sure that overly emotional man won¡¯t hurt me. But thank you for the offer."


    "See you later, Kate."


    Graham finally walked away without worry, unlike Henry, who was still trying to control himself not to lunge at him.


    "That bastard..." Henry murmured while staring at Graham¡¯s back.


    Kate sighed. She gently patted his chest, "Babe, calm down. I¡¯m still in here, by your side."


    Henry¡¯s heart felt warm when Kate patted his chest and called him babe.


    Though he was at ease with her by his side, he still didn¡¯t understand the reason behind her willingness to be a dumb and weak wife in the court.


    "Kitty, why did you listen to Graham¡¯s stupid idea? You know I can find a much better lawyer, right?"

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217: Chapter 217"Kitty, why did you agree with Graham¡¯s stupid idea? You know I can find a much better lawyer, right?"


    "We both know that¡¯s not possible," Kate said. "He is the best in his field. You said it yourself before."


    "Tsk, I didn¡¯t search far and wide enough. Let me ask Michael and some colleagues to find me the best. I will not allow you to be humiliated in the court!" Henry insisted. "I can¡¯t do this, Kate. I get angry when I think everyone will look at you with pitiful eyes. You¡¯re my woman and deserve to be praised and hailed, not pitied!"


    "Calm down..." Kate continued tapping Henry¡¯s chest to soothe him. "This is my choice, Henry. I did this to annul the prenup and get all the assets I¡¯ve worked hard for."


    Henry clenched his fist. He wasn¡¯t angry at Kate, but at her decision and why they had to go through this, "Kitty, can¡¯t you just let go of those assets? I can give you ten¡ªno, a hundred times the amount of assets you have to share with that deadbeat bastard," Henry persuaded. "For that small apartment, you have to give to him, I will purchase a mansion under your name, and for a car you have to give, then I will buy you a yacht to match that. It¡¯s a great offer, right?"


    "Henry, this is not about the money. This is about my pride," Kate said.


    "And this is about my pride as well!" Henry was frustrated because they had to argue about this. "I can¡¯t let you look pitiful and poor in front of others. It¡¯s my pride as a man to protect my woman. You¡¯re supposed to have everything in life!"


    Kate stared at Henry, who got agitated by this argument between them.


    She found him quite funny because he made such a big fuss about his pride as a man, even though Kate never asked for his money.


    "Why don¡¯t you put aside your pride and let me act like a poor and dumb wife in court? I¡¯m sure you can put up with it, right? You can put up with Erin for so long. You have the mental fortitude," Kate said, but Henry didn¡¯t seem to agree.


    "This is a different case. This involves your dignity and my pride. I can¡¯t let you look poor and dumb, not when you¡¯re a very capable woman on your own."


    ...


    "Henry, I am that dumb woman," Kate murmured.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Henry got confused by her statement just now. "You are a smart and tough woman. Why are you degrading yourself like that?"


    ...


    Kate didn¡¯t like telling her weakness to someone else. She always saw herself as a fragile woman on the inside, easy to get manipulated and taken advantage of once she got vulnerable.


    Thus, she always put on that tough exterior to ensure she wouldn¡¯t meet the second Matt or Erin in her life.


    But Henry was different.


    He wouldn¡¯t try to manipulate Kate, or so she believed. So it should be okay for her to be completely vulnerable to him, right?


    "But I was truly that dumb woman who gets manipulated by my useless husband," Kate admitted. "Matt had never worked all his life. He was always busy chasing his unreachable dream. He¡¯d use my money, and things worsened after we married."


    "Since we couldn¡¯t have a baby, he¡¯d constantly blame me. Telling me that I am stupid and useless," Kate recalled. The wave of pain began to wash over her heart. She truly had no good memories of Matt.


    All she remembered was how he mocked her because she was infertile.


    "He told everyone in our family about my infertility, and thus, I became the laughingstock of many of them," Kate said. "He told me that I should just work and earn a lot of money to compensate for my inability to have a baby."


    "And so I did. I worked so hard to give us a good life. I was scared that he¡¯d leave me for another woman. I was scared to be alone," Kate laughed mirthlessly when she remembered her pitiful self. "After all, who would want to marry a barren divorced woman in her 30s? No high-quality man would do that."


    "I would," Henry interrupted without hesitation. "Even if you are actually barren, I¡¯d still marry you."


    Kate smiled. She felt loved by this man and was forever grateful for that, "But I didn¡¯t know you back then. I just thought I had nobody except Matt, so I must satisfy him no matter what."


    "That¡¯s why I willingly manipulated myself into thinking that Matt and I could work on our problem. I allowed him to do whatever, including giving me a prenup that was disadvantageous." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You know what¡¯s the funniest part?" Kate asked. She then chuckled as she got no reaction from her man. "The funniest part is... I could always go and have a fertility check myself. But I kept asking him to come with me many times, and he refused with the same answer. There is no use in checking when the result will be the same. I am the woman. Therefore, I must be infertile because it¡¯s a woman¡¯s job to bear a baby."


    Kate remembered how she was depressed because, for five years, she really thought that she was barren. She was not a complete woman and didn¡¯t deserve to marry even a failed man like Matt because of her condition.


    "I could¡¯ve break free from his chain if I¡¯m not stupid enough to listen to everything that Matt said," Kate tried to smile at Henry to hide her pain, but the bitter smile couldn¡¯t fool him at all.


    "So, if you really think I¡¯m a smart woman who wouldn¡¯t make a mistake, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken," Kate said. "I made a lot of mistakes, and I was dumb for taking Matt¡¯s words as the absolute truth."


    "Well, I should thank you for proving Matt wrong. It turns out I am not the infertile one in that marriage."

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218: Chapter 218Henry calmed down once Kate told him her reason. But that still didn¡¯t give him an ease of heart.


    He still felt that Kate deserved the best, even in court. She went through so much, only to get humiliated when she wanted to claim what was hers.


    All of those assets were the fruits of her work. She earned them fair and square, and that useless bastard wanted half of it because couldn¡¯t move his ass to get a job.


    "You¡¯re punishing yourself, Kate," Henry said. "You¡¯re not dumb. You¡¯re just desperate because that bastard manipulated you into thinking that everything is your fault. So was your family. You have nobody to help you."


    "But you have me now. You don¡¯t need to feel desperate for anything. I will protect you."


    Kate chuckled. She gently rubbed his chest, which felt like an electrifying sensation that made him blush. He lowered his voice as he didn¡¯t want other tables to know what he was talking about, "W¡ªWhat are you doing? We¡¯re in public. If you want to do it right now, let¡¯s go back to our apartment or the nearest hotel if you can¡¯t wait anymore."


    Kate¡¯s light chuckle turned into a mischievous laugh, "Hihi, I just thought you¡¯re so cute and adorable, Henry."


    "H¡ªHuh? Cute and adorable?"


    Henry never expected Kate to address those two words for him.


    People called him a troublemaker, a monster, a bastard, or the best compliment he could get was handsome or tough.


    Never did once anyone, not even his parents, call him cute and adorable.


    "Mhm, you¡¯re so cute when you try to protect me. Your fierceness is also very adorable. That only makes me like you even more," Kate said lightly, not realizing what an impact she made for Henry.


    Henry was stunned. He was speechless, and his heartbeat raced until he thought his chest would burst.


    Kate¡¯s words really caught him off guard. This was the first time someone called him cute and adorable, and that was from his beloved woman.


    He knew that wasn¡¯t a suitable compliment for an athletic 6¡¯3" man with muscle and intimidating eyes. In fact, he would absolutely hate it if someone else called him adorable.


    But somehow, his heart felt so warm when he was with her.


    "Y¡ªYou really know how to make me feel something, Kitty," Henry said softly. His cheeks got even redder until he looked like a tomato with a blonde wig. "How am I supposed to argue when you call me cute and adorable?"


    Kate chuckled as she noticed Henry¡¯s resolve began to weaken, "Then how about you listen to me for this one and allow me to act pitiful in the court so I can get that prenup annulled."


    "Ugh, I still don¡¯t agree with it. But if you insist, promise me you will ditch Matt completely after you get all your assets."


    "Isn¡¯t that obvious? I thought you were planning to propose after my divorce," Kate smiled. "And you don¡¯t need to tell me. Matt is already out of my mind."


    "H¡ªHey, don¡¯t make it too obvious. I¡¯m still planning a good proposal," Henry said. "But I¡¯d be more than happy if you decide to ditch this idea of acting pitiful. I will compensate for all your lost assets with everything you want, okay?"


    "Not a chance. This is my fight, and I will get what I deserve."


    Henry sighed.


    He loved Kate¡¯s fierce nature. She knew what she wanted and would not back down when she deserved it.


    But at the same time, Henry hoped that she could relent after a few persuasion because Henry still hated the idea of seeing pitiful and vulnerable Kate in front of the others.


    ¡¯There must be another way. I have to talk with Graham about this,¡¯ Henry thought. He was still pissed at that bastard who wanted his woman, but since Kate didn¡¯t plan on switching lawyers, then he had to cease their argument and work together to help Kate.


    "Well, since we¡¯re done with the prenup stuff, why don¡¯t we have lunch instead? I¡¯m starving." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    Erin was sitting alone in front of the fireplace. She covered her body with everything she had and used the bear pelt to warm herself. It was her last line of defense because she could bear this cold anymore.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had been trapped in this frozen wasteland, but she knew it had been long.


    She became so thin after living in such a harsh condition, and she hadn¡¯t ever taken a bath.


    She lost all of her vigor as a young woman, and now she looked pale, unkempt, and gross.


    The door was opened when Erin was busy putting her hand near the fire. She turned around and saw Faro bringing the meat of a seal.


    Faro threw the food next to Erin and said, "Eat."


    Erin stared at the seal meat in silence.


    All this time, she had been eating nothing but fish and seals. Sometimes she grilled it. Sometimes she boiled it.


    There was no fruit, no snacks, and, worst of all, no Starbucks.


    She felt so sick eating the same thing over and over, so she glared at Faro and asked, "More."


    "More?" Faro chuckled and shook his head. "No more. No food."


    Erin gritted her teeth. She opened the pelt that covered her chest area, showing her breasts that hadn¡¯t been touched for so long, "You can suck me. I want more."


    Faro stared at Erin¡¯s breasts and laughed even harder, "Ugly. Not good. Bye."


    With that, Faro turned around and slammed the door shut.


    Again, that was the answer Faro gave whenever Erin used her body for a favor. It was very frustrating because no man dared to call her ugly all this time, and no man would reject her!


    But now.


    This middle-aged, average-looking man who wouldn¡¯t even hold a candle against Erin¡¯s previous affairs didn¡¯t want to touch her. It was so frustrating for her!


    "Ugh, this is all because Kate is such a bitch!" Erin yelled. "I never hurt her, and I¡¯ve always been a good sister to her, but this is what she did to me!"


    Erin imagined Kate, who must be living the dream life with Henry, and her heart burned with fury, "Just you wait, you ugly bitch!"

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219: Chapter 219Two weeks had passed since their last meeting with Graham, and Kate had been impatiently waiting for the good news.


    Graham promised to make things easier for her, and though she didn¡¯t know what kind of help he could give, she was already impatient to file for divorce. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kitty, you don¡¯t need to cook for breakfast. Let¡¯s just order it," Henry said as he saw Kate prepare the ingredients for breakfast.


    He was worried that Kate would push herself too much and harm their baby in the process.


    "This is the fifth time you said that this week," Kate mentioned. "Don¡¯t worry, Henry. I¡¯m pregnant, not dying. I won¡¯t die just because I cooked some light breakfast for us."


    "But still..." Henry walked towards his woman and hugged her from behind. He kissed her earlobe and continued, "I just don¡¯t want anything bad happening to you and our baby."


    Kate smiled, "Well, me and our baby are hungry right now. So if you don¡¯t mind, release your tight hug and let me cook breakfast."


    Henry sighed.


    He released his hug and sat, staring at Kate, who was busy preparing a few ingredients.


    He felt a burden in his mind because he had been withholding information about Kate¡¯s divorce from Graham.


    He was still waiting for Kate to relent and change her mind, thinking that acting pitiful and dumb in the court was not worth the assets because all the money that Kate would lose if the prenup didn¡¯t get annulled was laughable in Henry¡¯s eyes.


    He could give her a hundred times her lost assets.


    But Kate was very stubborn, much to his grievance.


    "So, what do you think? Do you still want to annul the prenup?" Henry asked.


    Kate paused for a second before continuing her cooking preparation, "Obviously. I¡¯m waiting for Graham to come with the good news. I can¡¯t wait to divorce that useless man as soon as possible."


    "Kitty, can I do anything to make you forget about the prenup?" Henry asked. "I still can¡¯t allow you to be pitied in court..."


    ...


    "This is my fight, Henry. You can¡¯t change the decision I made," Kate said. "After five years of feeding that useless bastard, I can finally leave and find a better man who¡¯d love me wholeheartedly."


    ...


    "Alright, since you¡¯re so stubborn about it, I guess I can¡¯t do anything to stop you," Henry said pitifully. "I already got the news from Graham. I met him a few days after our last meeting to ask about another way to get your prenup annulment."


    Kate¡¯s body moved on its own when Henry mentioned the divorce, "Is it my time to go to the court?"


    "Yes, today is the right day for you to file for divorce because he has been working in the background to make the divorce favorable on your side," Henry said truthfully, knowing hiding it would only hurt Kate in the long run. "I will accompany you if you want to go today."


    Kate noticed the bitterness in Henry¡¯s eyes. He had been truthful about it, but that didn¡¯t mean he completely agreed with what Kate was doing.


    Kate didn¡¯t understand this pride of a man Henry had been preaching about for at least a week. He insisted that his woman shouldn¡¯t be perceived as weak by anyone, especially in public.


    Shouldn¡¯t Henry be happy if Kate wanted to handle her divorce in her way without giving him a headache? She thought most men wanted their wives to be independent and relied less on them.


    ¡¯Or maybe because I grew up surrounded by incompetent men my whole life. My dad was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He was a predator, and I got him arrested because I refused to play along with my Mom¡¯s blind act.¡¯


    ¡¯My first and only boyfriend was Matt, and he is a walking disaster. He is selfish, lazy, and manipulative. He never said anything about pride for a man or acted on it. After all, he leeched on my money for five years without feeling ashamed...¡¯


    Kate wondered if she was being unfeeling and insensitive towards Henry again.


    ¡¯Ah, as expected, I am unfit to be a good housewife for someone like Henry,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯I¡¯m not meek and sweet and way too stubborn for my good.¡¯


    Kate also felt distressed knowing that she couldn¡¯t be the dream ¡¯woman¡¯ that Henry wanted, even though he was actually her dream man.


    But she didn¡¯t want to ruin the joyous occasion by fighting with Henry in the morning. Thus, she turned around and began to cook for breakfast again.


    They finished their breakfasts and prepared themselves to go to the court.


    "Kitty, are you ready?" Henry asked as he combed his hair to the back.


    Since there was no answer, Henry walked into the room and saw Kate checking all the documents required to file for a divorce.


    There was a bulk of documents, and Kate was sorting them out.


    "Wait, you have everything prepared this whole time?" Henry asked.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment, Henry. I¡¯ve prepared everything since the moment I packed up my stuff and left the old apartment where Matt and I lived before," Kate replied without looking at Henry as she was busy putting all the documents needed in her bag.


    After she was done, she grabbed the bag and turned around, smiling at Henry with an assuring smile, "Let¡¯s go. I can¡¯t wait to break free from that useless bastard."


    **


    They drove to the state court that Graham had pointed out. He said he had done something in favor of the speed of the divorce.


    Henry parked the car and was greeted by the sight of Graham¡¯s car parked not far from their position.


    "Hmph, it seems that he already expects us to be here today," Henry sneered, still having a feud with that bastard who coveted his woman.


    Kate chuckled, held his hand, and said, "Can you be civil with him just for today?"

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220: Chapter 220"Tsk, I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve failed to find a better lawyer than him," Henry complained. "Even Michael and my connections can¡¯t help much either."


    "Well, he is the best in his field. Let¡¯s just be professional for now, okay?"


    "... I will demand compensation later," Henry said before finally agreeing to be civil with Graham.


    Kate giggled. She now found Henry¡¯s overprotectiveness and jealousy very cute, especially when he got annoyed by Graham, who simply offended him by existing.


    Kate and Henry walked side by side as they approached Graham, who was waiting at the front of the court.


    Graham smiled at Kate and took the initiative to approach her first.


    He stretched his hand for a handshake and said, "Good morning, Kate. Are you ready to file for your divorce?"


    Kate was about to shake Graham¡¯s hand, but Henry quickly snatched it, so it was him who shook Graham¡¯s hand instead.


    "Yes, she is ready for this," Henry replied sarcastically. "It seems that you¡¯re far more excited about this than we do."


    Graham¡¯s lips twitched out of annoyance, but he still acted professional and replied, "That is right, Mr. Grant. Kate is my client. Naturally, I want to accompany her for her divorce process."


    Kate stared at these two grown-up men who acted like teenage boys. She rolled her eyes and sidestepped them, walking all by herself to enter the court building.


    "W¡ªWait, Kitty!" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kate!"


    Henry rushed to catch on, followed by Graham, who did the same. They were fighting to stand side by side with her.


    But Kate ignored them completely and entered the divorce court alone.


    **


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kate to finish the administration for the divorce and return to Henry and Graham with a copy of the divorce petition.


    She talked to Graham first as her divorce lawyer, "I¡¯ve filed for everything, and since it¡¯s a one-sided divorce, they said they will send a notice to Matt in about a week and wait for his response for at least a month."


    "Good," Graham nodded. "I will talk to the higher-ups about this. Just like what I promised you before. I can help with the speed of the divorce. I will change the time of response from a month to a week for Matt, so he has no other way out and no time for him to find an attorney in such a short period of time, especially not with his financial condition."


    "Thank you so much, Graham. I know you¡¯re truly the best in this field," Kate smiled.


    Graham¡¯s cheeks reddened a little as Kate gave him a sweet smile. He didn¡¯t know when he started feeling infatuated, but the less he met with Kate, the more beautiful she was in his mind.


    "It¡¯s my job to assist you with this," Graham said. "Though, you can always thank me by having lunch together somewhere, only the two of us."


    "Yeah, that¡¯s not going to happen," Henry interrupted. He wrapped his arm around Kate¡¯s waist and pulled her closer to his side. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Hubbard. But we still have things to do. See you later once we get more news about the divorce process."


    Henry walked out of the state court with Kate.


    They returned to their car, and the first thing Henry said was, "Don¡¯t give Graham your sweet smile. You¡¯re only enabling him even more."


    "I can¡¯t control how people feel about me," Kate shrugged. "He might like me, but I only want you. Is that enough to assure you about my heart?"


    "Besides, I can¡¯t wait to have a new ring on my finger," Kate said as she showed her fingers to Henry, mentioning that space that should be adorned with a beautiful diamond ring.


    Again, the fury and jealousy in Henry¡¯s heart were washed over once Kate began to show this kind of attention towards him.


    ¡¯As usual, she knows what to say to make me fall in love deeper,¡¯ Henry thought.


    He kissed Kate¡¯s hand softly, "I can¡¯t wait to put a ring on your finger as well. You should be my Mrs. Grant."


    **


    "Oh, come on, is this all you can give me this month?" Harry¡ªMary¡¯s boy toy, complained as Mary gave his allowance. "A thousand bucks? Are you serious? Do you think I can live with this money? Didn¡¯t I tell you how much I need to buy a new guitar?"


    Mary was distressed over his complaint.


    "I¡¯m sorry, honey. Matt is in a difficult situation, so he can¡¯t send me money," Mary said as she tried to calm her young man.


    "Then use your retirement fund!" Harry insisted.


    "I can only draw so much. I need to live as well..." Mary said. "Don¡¯t worry. I will try to get more money from Matt. I will tell him to sell the apartment he lives in right now."


    Harry rolled his eyes, "Isn¡¯t he a director? There is no way a director could go broke. They earn millions whenever they direct a movie or a show! He is just fooling you because he prefers to pamper his useless wife than to feed his mother!"


    Mary went silent after that.


    She didn¡¯t know what to answer because she was still in denial, even after a phone call with Kate.


    Harry picked up his old guitar and stood up. He stared at the old woman with disgust, "Remember, Mary. I love you, but you have to pull your weight. You need to give me money to support me, or else I¡¯d rather stay with another woman who can help me realize my dream."


    Mary¡¯s face paled once she realized that her relationship would be ruined because of money, "H¡ªHoney, please don¡¯t say that. I will find a way to get more money, I swear."


    "Don¡¯t you see how much of a good deal I am? Do you think you¡¯ll ever get a man as good as me for the rest of your life? I bet not," Harry sneered. "So get the money from your son, or you¡¯ll see me sleeping with another woman next week."

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221: Chapter 221Harry left the house and slammed the door shut, leaving Mary in peril as she was scared that her beautiful love life with this young man would be destroyed.


    "Oh no, no-no! I don¡¯t want this!" Mary panicked. "Our love has been strong for months. How could it get destroyed just because of money?! What am I supposed to do without Harry?!"


    Mary had been a widow about five years ago and felt lonely without a man by her side. Unfortunately, she was too old, and thus no young man wanted her.


    She thought she would never find a replacement for her husband in her senior year.


    But then, Harry came into her life. He said he loved her, which was love at first sight.


    He was romantic, sweet, and vigorous.


    But he was just a young man struggling to find a job and building his music career.


    Thus, a month into their relationship, Harry began to ask for a lot of money.


    Of course, Mary, who had been madly in love with her young and handsome lover, couldn¡¯t refuse and began giving him all the money needed to build his music career.


    "I¡¯m so broke right now. I can¡¯t even feed myself at this rate. How am I supposed to make him happy?!" Mary asked herself. She looked around her house and noticed a few things that could be sold.


    The TV, computer, piano, couch, bookcase, ornaments, et cetera.


    "Should I do a garage sale for all of this?" Mary thought.


    She considered it but decided not to because she knew it shouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Besides, she still loved many of her furniture.


    "Should I just give up on Harry then? Since my son can¡¯t send me money anymore..." Mary asked herself. "There is no way I can earn much money in a week. So, maybe I should just break up with him..."


    Mary was thinking for a long time until she sighed in the end and shook her head lightly, "I can¡¯t. I¡¯m in love with him. I can¡¯t bear to see him sleeping with another woman!"


    She realized that she couldn¡¯t part with Harry. So she had to find a way to earn as much money as possible in a week.


    Mary looked around her house again to see which one she could sell. But her eyes stopped at the window and saw Hilda¡¯s house across hers.


    It had been a few months since the last time Mary saw Hilda.


    She was too busy making love with her young boyfriend when an ambulance escorted Hilda, and she never returned after that.


    Kate said that Hilda had been admitted to an expensive nursing facility where she would be cared for for an indefinite amount of time since Hilda¡¯s health often deteriorated.


    And thus, that house was left untouched and uncared for months.


    It was dusty, and the weeds were overgrown. Hilda¡¯s house was basically abandoned.


    Mary¡¯s lips thinned as she stared at the house.


    Hilda was her best friend since they were young, and she continued to be best friends after Kate and Matt married. Things soured because Matt said that Kate was barren, but they remained a good friend.


    Mary often visited her to see if Hilda was still alive since she was sickly.


    But she couldn¡¯t care less now that she had a new boyfriend.


    She was busy with her boyfriend. She didn¡¯t have time to take care of her dying friend.


    "Oh, Hilda..." Mary murmured. "I know you will hate me if you find out. So please, die peacefully in that nursing facility, so you will remain clueless about what I will do in your house."


    Mary got up from her couch and then walked towards Hilda¡¯s house.


    She paced through the overgrown weeds and used the spare key to unlock the door.


    She had a spare key for easier access because she was the one who¡¯d help whenever Hilda needed it in an emergency.


    Mary grabbed the door handle and took a deep breath before entering the house.


    She coughed several times and flailed her hands in front of her nose because of the dust.


    "Goddamn, this place is abandoned!" Mary yelled.


    She quickly opened all the windows and doors to get some air into the house. She then turned the lights on to better look at her surroundings.


    Just like what she expected, this place was untouched after a long time, everything was dusty but still fully functioning, and with only a few wipes, everything was brand new and could be sold for a high price.


    Hilda also had a lot of expensive furniture and electronics because Kate sent her a lot of money. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Back then, Mary thought that Kate was being too wasteful for using Matt¡¯s money, but now that she finally knew the truth...


    ...


    Mary shook her head, "No, it¡¯s still her fault. So what if she earns a lot of money? And what¡¯s the point if she earns so much but still is not contributing to the household?"


    "She is the so-called modern woman, right? Then she should work to provide for my son! That¡¯s her responsibility now!" Mary huffed as she still couldn¡¯t blame her son, thinking that Matt did nothing wrong.


    After all, unlike this small town, they lived in Los Angeles, a huge city.


    So Kate, who became the sole breadwinner, shouldn¡¯t be weird there.


    "And she dares to mock my son when she is still the same barren bitch! She doesn¡¯t deserve to mock my perfect son when she can¡¯t even give birth!"


    Mary kept on throwing a hissy fit because she couldn¡¯t accept that Kate¡ªwho had always been the punching bag of their family¡ªsuddenly turned the entire narrative towards her favor, and now, that barren bitch was suddenly the real breadwinner and her perfect son was just a deadbeat man? BULLSHIT!


    Mary was used to insulting Kate for the slightest inconvenience, so she had to find a way to keep that status quo no matter what!

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222: Chapter 222Mary rubbed the new 60-inch smart TV in the living room, and a greedy grin appeared.


    "Hm, a bit dusty, but I can sell this for a high price," Mary said as she began to estimate the price of the TV.


    She turned it on, and it was in a perfect condition, much to her delight.


    She then looked around to find other things she could sell, realizing that everything she could see was a fortune waiting to be cashed out.


    It seemed that Kate had been secretly pampering her mother by buying her many expensive pieces of furniture, including a TV, grand piano, an Italian-made sofa, an authentic vase from China, et cetera.


    "Hmph, look at her, trying to pamper her mother, even though Hilda is sickly and probably will die soon," Mary sneered at Kate. "If she is truly a good woman and daughter-in-law of mine, she would give me all of this expensive furniture and electronics. She should be fair since we are a family now."


    Mary was envious because she had never gotten so many expensive things. All Matt did was send her money, even though he could ask for more when she was still under his feet.


    "Had I known that Kate is the real breadwinner the whole time, I would¡¯ve treated her right, so she can give me stuff like this too," Mary said as she patted the exquisite Chinese vase with a beautiful crane artwork on it.


    Mary never really saw the value of the furniture in Hilda¡¯s house because they were best friends, and she had never considered selling Hilda¡¯s stuff.


    But now that she was at her wit¡¯s end, then she had no choice but to sell her expensive furniture, so Harry would stay with her.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Hilda. Treat this as a payment because I¡¯ve been caring for you for many years, okay? I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind," Mary said. "Besides, you shouldn¡¯t blame me. You should blame your daughter for refusing to send me money, even though I¡¯m her mother-in-law."


    Mary then listed all the things she wanted to sell. Her eyes darted at the grand piano at the corner of the foyer.


    It actually looked expensive and exquisite, but left untouched for so long because Hilda couldn¡¯t play the piano.


    It was only Kate who could play the piano in this family. She happened to be the young pianist in the local church before she left with Matt to Los Angeles. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mary wiped the dust from the lid of her grand piano and smirked, "I can sell this for more than ten thousand bucks. I will be so rich, and Harry will stay with me."


    After listing all the things she wanted to sell in the living room, she walked into Hilda¡¯s room. The room was dusty, as expected, so Mary opened the windows to get some air.


    She looked around and darted at the drawer next to the bed. She had seen Hilda taking money from the drawer a few times, so she expected a bulk of cash inside.


    She pulled the drawer, and much to her disappointment, there was no money inside


    It seemed that Hilda didn¡¯t forget to bring her money as she was escorted to the nursing facility.


    "Tsk, why does she need to bring her money anyway? Kate already paid for everything in that nursing facility! She could¡¯ve left some cash for me, so I can use it to make Harry happy!" Mary complained.


    She got up and then walked to a wardrobe to check.


    She was searching for a jewelry box. She knew that Hilda must be hiding it somewhere.


    She pulled all of the remaining clothes inside the wardrobe until it was half empty, and then she saw a jewelry box in the corner.


    Mary smirked and picked it up.


    She opened the jewelry box. She expected a lot of jewelry she could sell. It would be great if Hilda left everything intact and in good condition. She could definitely sell them all and satisfy Harry with so much money while Matt was still trying to find a way to get money from Kate.


    Unfortunately, she felt nothing but disappointment when she opened the jewelry box.


    There was nothing. The jewelry box was totally empty, not even small jewels left for Mary to loot.


    She gritted her teeth and smashed the jewelry box, "You¡¯re so fucking useless, Hilda!" Mary cursed as she got frustrated. "Why would you bring your jewelry? Do you want to be buried with so much gold and diamonds? I should¡¯ve let you die out of a heart attack back then, so I can take those jewelry before you!"


    Mary knew there was no use in complaining right now since Hilda wasn¡¯t here anymore.


    She looked around the room, trying to find something else that should be good enough for her to loot.


    But other than a couch and a small coffee table near the window, there seemed to be nothing extraordinary that she could sell, much to her annoyance.


    Mary sighed. She sat on Hilda¡¯s bed, staring in a daze as she estimated how much she could get by selling every piece of furniture in this house.


    But then, her eyes noticed a small newspaper clipping framed on the wall. She squinted and then got up and walked towards it to see what it was all about because Hilda didn¡¯t seem to be the type who would clip newspapers for novelty reasons.


    She read the clipping and then remembered the most obvious case she could use to blackmail Kate.


    ¡ª


    A local priest has been arrested after molesting ten children. Police are investigating his family.


    ¡ª


    "Oh god, how could I forget about Hilda¡¯s husband¡¯s case!?" Mary yelled. "This was big news back then! People have been alienating Hilda¡¯s family for years because she was the wife of a pedophile!"


    "Oh-ho, I know Kate must¡¯ve been embarrassed by her father. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t hesitate to move to Los Angeles before," Mary smirked maliciously. "I have to call Matt. We can use this to blackmail her."

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223: Chapter 223Thus, armed with her new weapon, Mary called her son, who was probably busy selling stuff in his old apartment.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Matt to pick up the call.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Mom..."


    From Matt¡¯s tone, Mary already knew that the call probably pissed her son.


    He must¡¯ve thought she was asking for money, and Mary wouldn¡¯t lie that it had been like that for the past three years or so.


    She always asked for money from Matt every month, whose job was as a director, and thus earned a lot of money.


    But now that the reality had been flipped towards Kate¡¯s favor, she began to wonder if a child of a rapist could actually work.


    After all, she must¡¯ve had some of her father¡¯s blood, so she probably used her body to get a lot of money.


    She worked as a chief editor in a big publishing company, but that was very weird.


    What kind of woman could have such a high position unless she used her body to seduce those high-ranking men?


    "How are you, Son?" Mary asked gently, knowing that Matt was stressed out.


    Matt went silent for a moment and then replied, "I¡¯m struggling to live. I don¡¯t have money for food, and I¡¯ve been selling literally almost everything in this apartment. I even sold all of Kate¡¯s dresses in her wardrobe until it¡¯s empty."


    "How about her jewelry? Surely she has a lot, right?" Mary asked.


    "Heh, I found none of them. I think Erin took it when I wasn¡¯t looking, and I don¡¯t know where she is right now. She¡¯s uncontactable," Matt said. "I¡¯m so fucking broke, Mom. Don¡¯t ask for money for now."


    "Tsk, those two women are the same. Erin and Kate are just bitches. That¡¯s why they make our life miserable," Mary complained. "You¡¯ve been doing great as a loyal husband, but Kate still left you. If she¡¯s truly for that emancipation woke bullshit, she should¡¯ve just let you sit back and relax while she does everything!"


    "I know. But reality hits differently. She left me because I¡¯m not good enough," Matt said.


    Kate already told Mary before that Matt cheated on her with Erin. But Matt said that Kate was exaggerating and slandering. He has always been a faithful husband to her, and of course, Mary took her son¡¯s side instead of an infertile skank who happened to be an ungrateful bitch.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Son. I know you¡¯re innocent, and we¡¯re currently in peril because of Kate. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve found a way to extort some more money from her, ensuring that she will provide us with a monthly allowance again. I¡¯m desperate for more because Harry threatened to leave me if I didn¡¯t give him money."


    Matt rolled his eyes.


    His mom kept on talking about that useless bastard Harry.


    He didn¡¯t know what made his mom so infatuated with Harry.


    He couldn¡¯t find a job, fend for himself, and leeched on Mary all day.


    The only redeeming quality of him was his slightly above-average face which would deteriorate in ten years at most.


    ¡¯What¡¯s the point of keeping a useless man like that?¡¯ Matt asked himself. ¡¯He only preys on desperate and naive women. Damn it, my mom is so stupid!¡¯ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt cursed Harry and Mary in his heart but said nothing as he waited for his mom to tell him her plan to get more money from Kate.


    "So what do you have in mind, Mom?" Matt asked.


    "Do you remember the case about Kate and Erin¡¯s father?"


    "Oh, David Ross?" Matt tried to remember as that case was long ago. "You mean, the one when he got arrested for pedophilia and child molestation?"


    "Yes! Oh, that news was big back then. People were alienating her and her family because they didn¡¯t want to be involved with a family of pedophiles," Mary recalled. "Don¡¯t you remember how much Hilda and her family hate that man? I bet they are ashamed of him."


    "Uh-huh..." Matt still didn¡¯t get what his mother intended to do with this old information.


    Yes, Kate and Erin¡¯s father were arrested back then because of child molestation. But that was long ago. There was no use in bringing up the past.


    Mary facepalmed as she realized Matt didn¡¯t understand her intention, "Matt, I have the newspaper clipping of David Ross¡¯ arrest. I found it in Hilda¡¯s bedroom. I will take a picture of the newspaper clipping, and you can use this to blackmail Kate. Of course, a high-ranking working lady wouldn¡¯t want her family¡¯s secret to be out in public, right?"


    "Oh, you¡¯re right, Mom. We can use that to blackmail her!" Matt agreed. "I know that Kate is very respected in her office. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want her family¡¯s filthy secret to get out!"


    "You tell me, son!" Mary grinned as she imagined the panic in Kate¡¯s eyes.


    All this time, she always hated Kate¡¯s guts.


    She always thought that Kate had always looked down on her and Matt. She thought that the infertile skank was just naturally a snob, or maybe she tried to cover her infertile insecurity by acting arrogantly.


    Nevertheless, Mary disliked that woman!


    How could she act like she owned the apartment and fed them daily?


    ¡¯Even if it becomes true in the end, she should still be an obedient wife to my son!¡¯ Mary thought.


    "I know that Kate is not that good. She must¡¯ve been using her body to get such a high position in her office," Mary said. "I mean, she is a woman. Do you really think a woman can earn a high position with hard work? Hah, my foot!"


    "Hehe, rather than hard work, it¡¯s more like... hand work, hahaha!" Matt laughed with his mother as they mocked Kate.


    They still didn¡¯t believe that Kate was that good to the point that she could earn six to seven figures a year in her office. She must¡¯ve used her body because she was born into a filthy family!

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224: Chapter 224¡ª


    "Okay, Son, go and do it for me. Try to get as much as you can. If possible, continue blackmailing her until we get about ten grand a month! We can split the money in half!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Got it, Mom. I¡¯ll try to get as much money as possible. But promise me that you will still have enough for yourself. Don¡¯t give everything to Harry. That useless bastard will keep on leeching on our hard-earned money!" Matt scolded his mother, who had been blinded by love.


    "I¡ªI will, Matt. Don¡¯t worry. I will try to stop giving too much. I also need to live..." Mary promised though both of them knew that she would break that promise the moment Harry returned to her and asked for more.


    Matt sighed and ended the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mary grinned as she stared at the newspaper clipping. She took it out of the frame and took a close-up picture, making sure it wasn¡¯t blurry, so everyone who saw the picture could read the news.


    "I¡¯m sorry that things have come down to this, Hilda," Mary murmured. "But this is all of your daughter¡¯s fault. She¡¯s too snobby. She looked down on my son as if he¡¯s a worthless man, even though he has been kind enough to stay with a barren woman like her."


    "So what if he cheated? He cheated because he wanted a baby! Do you think my son doesn¡¯t deserve to be happy after all of his sacrifices? He¡¯s handsome. He deserves so much better than Kate!" Mary yelled. "So if you want to pin the blame, pin it all on Kate. Your first daughter is truly a disgusting skank."


    "She is arrogant, disobedient to her husband, and unable to provide for him when he¡¯s at his lowest. So ungrateful!"


    Mary continued to slander Kate until she was satisfied and then went to the kitchen to see which one she could sell for extra cash.


    ***


    Matt waited until his mother sent him the picture of the newspaper clip. He smirked when he read the clip.


    ¡ª


    A local priest was arrested after molesting ten children. Police are investigating his family.


    ¡ª


    "Ah, how can I forget about this news? It was so big when we were in high school. Everyone in the school basically isolated Kate. Nobody wants to be her friend or talk to her unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary because they don¡¯t want to be associated with a pedophile¡¯s daughter," Matt recalled. "Well, I was different. I still admit to everyone that I¡¯m her boyfriend, and people applaud me for staying with an ugly pedophile¡¯s daughter like Kate."


    Matt recalled all the fun he had until they left for Los Angeles after graduating high school.


    He was always the golden child in the community. He was handsome and charismatic. Though he didn¡¯t excel in sports or academics, he was handsome, and that was all he needed.


    In fact, it was Kate who excelled in everything.


    She was good at sports, and she was also very smart. She always scored top in almost every subject, so she entered many academic competitions and won most of them.


    To the teachers, she was the honor student that brought pride to the school.


    But to her peers, she was a nerdish, stiff, and awkward freak. They also called her teacher¡¯s pet because every teacher in school always praised her. The news that her father was a pedophile only worsened her reputation, and nobody wanted to talk to her.


    But she was still the same aloof girl, not caring about what people said.


    She was accustomed to being alone, and Matt didn¡¯t want to break up with her.


    Why?


    Because Kate was very useful to do every homework he had to do.


    She always did his homework. Thus, even when he never studied, he could get a high rank, at least high enough for his parents to be satisfied.


    Of course, he took credit for everything.


    Why would he give the credit to Kate? He kissed her, which was the biggest reward an ugly duckling like Kate could get from a handsome boy like him.


    He liked her because she was easy.


    She was obedient and obeyed everything he told her to do.


    She was sweet. Even though she wasn¡¯t as beautiful as other girls in high school, she was sweet and caring.


    Lastly, her body was a bomb.


    She had nice tits, nice hips, and a nice ass, all the things that a man wanted.


    "Heh, too bad that obedient woman is long gone now. She left me just because I can¡¯t give her the life she wants," Matt sneered. "A woman like that doesn¡¯t deserve to be pitied."


    He began to think of a good way to threaten Kate.


    "I know she¡¯s not in her old apartment anymore. I visited it twice after our last fight, and that apartment is shut. There is no sign of anybody there."


    Matt knew that Kate was in hiding. He checked his chat with Kate to see if she still blocked his phone number.


    But surprisingly, she had already unblocked him!


    "Hah! This is so convenient!" Matt cheered. "I don¡¯t know why she unblocks me, but this is my chance to contact her and start threatening her with the newspaper clip!"


    Thus, Matt texted her first before attaching the picture.


    ¡ª


    Matt: Hey, Kate, look at what I found. I bet you¡¯ll love this, knowing you must¡¯ve cared so much for your reputation.


    Matt: *Picture attached*.


    ¡ª


    Matt smirked as he waited for an answer from Kate.


    He expected Kate to respond immediately, begging him to delete the picture because she couldn¡¯t get her reputation at the office smeared.


    Ding!


    Matt didn¡¯t expect an instant response.


    It seemed that Kate feared the news so much that she couldn¡¯t wait to beg.


    ¡ª


    Kate: Matt, please delete it. Don¡¯t tell anyone about it. I¡¯m begging you!


    ¡ª


    Matt¡¯s smirk grew wider until it reached ear to ear.


    "Finally, I can¡¯t wait to buy my game consoles back."

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225: Chapter 225Matt got confident after knowing that it was so easy to blackmail Kate, "Heh, no wonder Erin is so happy whenever she blackmails Kate. Turns out this woman, who acts arrogant and snobby, is actually a big coward who would cower in fear just because of a small threat."


    Matt didn¡¯t understand why he often got intimidated by Kate.


    True, she was very cold to him many times, especially when Matt asked for more money to buy more games for his consoles.


    True, she often yelled at him, telling him to do the dishes or at least clean up his couch.


    True, she often nagged him to get a job when he was in full focus when playing online games.


    Kate was a dominating wife that wouldn¡¯t stop nagging and nagging just because he was unemployed.


    "But why am I scared of her? What makes that ugly nerd freak from high school any different just because she gets her own money now?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt found himself ridiculous.


    He should¡¯ve been taking control of the household before. So what if Kate was the sole breadwinner of the family? He was still the man. Therefore, he was the head of the house!


    Matt¡¯s breath became heavy as he imagined how that arrogant face would cover him. It was a power fantasy he never got in his married life with Kate.


    She had never been submissive to him, making him resent Kate so much.


    So now that he finally had the upper hand against her, he would abuse this advantage as much as possible!


    Armed with his confidence, Matt decided to call her.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kate to pick up the call, and his breath heaved as he imagined her fear.


    Damn, this power surging inside him was amazing!


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello?"


    Matt could hear Kate¡¯s soft and meek voice as she picked up the call. She had always been condescending when they talked before as if she didn¡¯t want to waste her time with him.


    But now, he wanted to make sure that he got ALL of her time. She HAD to handle this problem and constantly think about him!


    "Did you see the picture I sent you before?" Matt asked.


    "I¡ªI did," Kate said pitifully. "Please, Matt, you¡¯re my husband. Why would you threaten me with the news of my father? He got arrested when I was a teenager. I have nothing to do with him. In fact, I was the one who reported him to the police. You know this already..."


    "Oh, I do know that you were the one who reported him. I also know you don¡¯t want to be associated with him," Matt smirked. "But what¡¯s that got to do with me? I don¡¯t care if this news breaks out and everyone in your office knows that you¡¯re a daughter of a child rapist. I bet everyone will look down upon you, huh?"


    "Please... I¡¯m begging you, Matt. Please don¡¯t do this to me..." Kate sounded so pitiful, as if she was choking on her tears, much to Matt¡¯s joy.


    ¡¯Now I understand what makes it so delightful. I never understood why Erin tormented her sister before. But now that I am in control, I can feel the joy,¡¯ Matt thought. ¡¯Hm, this is right. She has been an arrogant woman for so long. It¡¯s time to pull her down until she realizes she is still a woman, and no woman deserves to act like she¡¯s higher and better than me!¡¯


    "If you don¡¯t want your father¡¯s criminal record published in your company, then I want you to send me money. Send me at least ten grand as soon as possible, and your secret will be saved."


    Kate gasped, "You... you¡¯re blackmailing me? Matt, I¡¯m your wife! Why would you blackmail me like this?!"


    "Shut up, bitch. You haven¡¯t given me any money for over two months, how do you think I will survive? I¡¯ve been selling literally everything in the apartment, and I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end right now," Matt cursed.


    He was frustrated with his problem because he didn¡¯t expect his life to turn upside down just because he decided to sleep with Erin.


    He thought that Kate would eventually accept him sleeping with Erin. She could be the breadwinner of their family while he had a blissful life being serviced by two women and having a child without having to work at all.


    Unfortunately, this bitch decided to leave him.


    He was frustrated and angry, but he was happy that Kate was still weak-willed, at least weak-willed enough for him to get free ten grand.


    "I¡ªIs this a one-time thing?" Kate asked. Her voice began to tremble as she held out her sobs. "If I give you ten grand, will you stop blackmailing me?"


    "Heh, don¡¯t dream. I want you to send me ten grand every single month. I also want you to give me the key to your other apartment because this one is already empty, and I¡¯m too lazy to fill it with furniture," Matt laid out all of his demands, thinking that Kate wouldn¡¯t dare to object to him anyway. "Lastly, I want you to return to me. I can¡¯t cook at all, and ordering delivery every day is sickening. I need a maid."


    "I¡ªI can¡¯t transfer you ten grand, but if you want to meet me in an hour, I can give it to you in cash," Kate said. "I¡¯m sorry, Matt..."


    "Why can¡¯t you just transfer it?" Matt rolled his eyes. He was not in the best physical appearance right now. He was unwashed, and his beard was dirty and messy. He also smelled horrible.


    He couldn¡¯t take a bath for at least four days because they cut the water after Kate stopped paying for the water bill, and he prioritized food more than the water bill.


    "Please, let¡¯s just meet in a restaurant. I want to talk to you as well..." Kate said. "I¡ªI will pay for your lunch too, if that¡¯s what you want."


    "Tsk, fine. Just tell me where you want to meet. I will be there. Don¡¯t forget to bring ten grand, or else...."


    "I¡ªI know. Don¡¯t worry. I will text you the address..."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226: Chapter 226Matt hung up the call, and a big grin appeared when Kate sent the text.


    He was so satisfied with this newfound power that he couldn¡¯t wait to abuse it, "Ah, this feels so good. I can¡¯t imagine I finally have my turn to dominate her. She has been a nagging bitch for so long. It¡¯s my turn to be the stronger one in this marriage!" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt was in euphoria for a while until he calmed down and looked at himself in the mirror, "Damn, I look horrible," he murmured. "I don¡¯t know why Kate wants to meet in person just to send me ten grand. I know she has so much more in her account, and she can transfer me the money just like she usually does."


    "But oh well, I don¡¯t really care. Maybe she actually misses me? I know I¡¯m still the same handsome actor Matthew Woods on the inside. I just happen not to be in my best condition because I haven¡¯t played any roles for a while," Matt said confidently.


    He tried to puff his chest to look manlier, but his big belly made him look weird because the more he puffed his chest out, the more obvious his protruding belly got.


    Matt clicked his tongue. He changed his clothes and brushed his teeth with a bottle of water in the fridge since he hadn¡¯t paid the water bill yet.


    He then wore his washed-out gray jacket and hat and used Uber to a designated place where he would meet Kate for that ten grand.


    It had been a while since he used Uber or a taxi because he was too poor to use one.


    But he doesn¡¯t care now.


    He was about to get that ten grand and would continue to be supplied with the same amount per month. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to worry about money anymore.


    "Hehe, I can¡¯t wait to get everything back. Life will be good once more."


    **


    Kate waited until Matt hung up the call. She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She wanted to save them for later when she would meet Matt.


    "Recorded and saved," Kate muttered as she saved the phone call recording just now.


    A thin smirk appeared on her face as she listened to the conversation to check if she was convincing enough. She wanted to ensure she sounded like a desperate and mentally abused wife.


    "Technically, I am a mentally abused wife. Matt manipulated and gaslighted me for five years. I just don¡¯t have that pitiful look. I always put up a tough front so he wouldn¡¯t see me as weak, or else his abuse would probably turn from gaslighting to physical abuse."


    Kate knew her divorce case needed strong proof to guarantee the prenup could be annulled.


    She kept thinking about it to this day. Graham already told her to act like a pitiful wife, but without strong proof, she wouldn¡¯t be believable in front of the judge, right?


    "Fortunately, Matt throws himself at me, making a stupid decision by trying to blackmail me, his oh-so-pitiful wife," Kate chuckled. She listened to the recording on her phone again, "Well, this proof should be more than enough to help me in court. But I can¡¯t wait to get even more damning proof of his blackmail and gaslight behavior."


    Kate checked the picture that was supposed to be the crime that would ruin her reputation. Her eyes grew cold as she read the title of the newspaper clip.


    ¡ª


    A local priest was arrested after molesting ten children. Police are investigating his family.


    ¡ª


    "I think I know where he got this," Kate remembered this newspaper clipping in her mother¡¯s bedroom. She didn¡¯t know why her mother had to frame that newspaper clip because it was like opening a wound on a daily basis.


    Every time she woke up, she would see this news, and that would definitely hurt her.


    Kate had already asked her so many times to remove it. She even tried to remove it herself, but her mother screamed at her, telling her Kate had no right to do anything to her room.


    And thus, Kate had to return the framed newspaper clipping and allowed her mother to wail in self-pity.


    "She probably misses my dad so much..." Kate¡¯s lips thinned. She disliked that her Mom still wanted to be with Dad even after he was arrested.


    He divorced her soon after he was free from jail. He refused Hilda¡¯s attempt to rekindle their marriage as she didn¡¯t want to get divorced.


    But he was firm on his decision and left the state to start anew somewhere, leaving the house for Hilda and the kids.


    It was sad, but Kate didn¡¯t understand why Hilda still tried to reconcile with a child molester who dared to touch an underage girl in front of her.


    Kate shook her head as she realized this topic might be too heavy for her. She didn¡¯t want to think too much about it because it might stress her out and affect her baby.


    "Now, let¡¯s just forget about that and think about how the hell he could get this newspaper clip. Matt would never return so far to our hometown without a car. I also doubt he has enough money for a paid trip," Kate thought. Since her mother was in the nursing facility, the house was naturally locked, so nobody should be able to enter the house.


    "Unless..."


    ...


    Kate gritted her teeth.


    "Mary definitely keeps the spare key to my house. After all, she is Mom¡¯s temporary caretaker, so she is the only one who can enter Mom¡¯s room and send the picture of this newspaper clipping to Matt."


    She wanted to rule out the possibility. Even though her mother-in-law, Mary, never stopped to insult her, she had been watching over her mother¡¯s health for years.


    So Kate had been grateful to her for that and said nothing when Matt slandered her in front of Mary just to compensate for her effort to keep Hilda safe.


    Besides, Mary and Hilda had been best friends since they were young, and their houses were sitting next to each other.


    "It¡¯s sad that I have to go against her as well. Truly, nobody in this world is sincere towards me..."

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227: Chapter 227Kate was disappointed but not surprised.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t surprising for the mother of a lazy and manipulative asshole to be in cahoot with her son. Matt must¡¯ve gotten those traits from somewhere, and definitely not from his father.


    Kate remembered Matt¡¯s late father.


    He was an honest man, a bit plain and awkward, but he was a hard worker that was well-loved by the community.


    But his wife?


    "Heh, I should¡¯ve known..." Kate sneered.


    Mary always had a bad reputation in their small community. She was overbearing and entitled. She often had a scuffle with fellow moms and was a gossip monger.


    Of course, Kate willingly looked over her flaws and tolerated Mary because she happened to date Mary¡¯s son. However, she had always hated her mother-in-law to the bone since day one.


    Kate had a small guess of why Mary would break into her family¡¯s house when her mother was hospitalized. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There is no way Mom can contact her. I already told the nurse to confiscate the phone and stop her from making any random contact with Matt and Mary because they are bad news," Kate murmured. "So if the motive is not Hilda¡¯s request, then it must be about money."


    "Since Mary is a retiree and relies on Matt to send her money, which ultimately leads to me since I¡¯m the sole breadwinner of that damned family," Kate rolled her eyes, tired of the idea that she had to feed that lazy bastard who couldn¡¯t get a damn job. "But is she desperate enough for money that she would steal from my family¡¯s house? I remember she has a retirement fund that should be enough to last until she is in her 90s."


    Kate didn¡¯t know the true motive behind Mary¡¯s action, but she still wouldn¡¯t let that greedy old bitch take anything from her home.


    So she called her good friend, who happened to be the community police officer in her hometown, Bernard.


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello, Kate, why are you calling me? Is there anything I can do to help?" Bernard asked nervously. They had been good friends since high school because they were on the same team during a math olympiad. He was a weak, scrawny kid before, so it was surprising for Kate that he actually became a cop.


    ¡¯Well, he still doesn¡¯t seem to lose his nervousness. It¡¯s cute,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Hi, Bern. It¡¯s been a while since we talked," Kate said. The last time she had contact with Bern was when she asked him to help escort Hilda out of the house, so she could be transferred to the nursing facility that Kate had appointed, far from their small town.


    "Y¡ªyeah, it¡¯s been a while..." Bernard agreed. "Uh... are you doing well, Kate?"


    "I¡¯m doing well," Kate replied perfunctorily. Not wanting to delay this further, she asked, "Bernard, can you check on my family house?"


    "I can, but what¡¯s wrong with your house? Nobody lives there, right?"


    "I¡¯ve gotten a report from my neighbor that Mary is breaking into my house and starts taking out many expensive pieces of furniture," Kate said. Of course, she had no proof that happened. But it was better to give Bernard a bigger motive to come and check, and since Mary¡¯s reputation was bad in the community, any reports about her would be taken more seriously.


    "Mary? You mean your mother-in-law?"


    "Haha... yeah," Kate rolled her eyes. She couldn¡¯t wait to take that title out of their relationship. "She is my mother-in-law, so I don¡¯t want to trust that report yet. But if you see her trying to take out any furniture and sell it, you should know that neither I nor my mother give her permission to sell our furniture."


    "Are you saying that she is stealing your house¡¯s furniture?" Bernard asked as he got serious. He thought it was bizarre for a mother-in-law to steal all of her daughter-in-law¡¯s possessions, but Mary was an exception.


    She had always been the public enemy because of her antics of being a huge bitch, so Bernard wasn¡¯t all surprised about getting a complaint about her.


    But not to the extent of stealing.


    This would put a big dent in Mary¡¯s already low reputation.


    "She¡¯s the only one who has the spare key. She has all the ability to trespass and steal," Kate said. "Look, I don¡¯t want you to arrest her without proof. But if you caught her red-handed, would you be kind enough to process it at the police station? Because it is trespassing and thievery."


    "I can do that. I¡¯ll check your home and see if I can catch her red-handed," Bernard agreed. "I will also bring a partner in case she resists."


    "That would be great. Thank you so much, Bernard. I know I can rely on you."


    Bernard, at the other end of the call, blushed when he got a compliment from Kate.


    He had seen Kate before when she visited her mother¡¯s house about a year ago, and she looked gorgeous. It was unfortunate that she got married to her childhood sweetheart.


    But still, Bernard felt something when Kate talked to him with her gentle yet commanding voice. She became a completely different person once she left their small town to Los Angeles, which was a good thing... and a bad one, since Bernard couldn¡¯t see her more often than he wished.


    "It¡¯s my pleasure to help you," Bernard replied meekly. "I... uh... I should get going now. Don¡¯t worry, I will check on your apartment today¡ª"


    "¡ªNot today, tomorrow morning," Kate interrupted. "Check it tomorrow morning. I¡¯m sure she would¡¯ve cleaned some of the furniture before selling it."


    "Got it. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow," Bernard said.


    "Mhm, thanks, Bernie."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "And done. I¡¯m sure Bernard will call me with good news tomorrow," Kate smirked. She wondered what kind of face Mary would show when she got caught red-handed. "I should probably send Bernard something as a sign of gratitude. He has done so much for me."


    "Okay, since the mother is done for. It¡¯s time for me to handle the son."

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228: Chapter 228But before she left the apartment to meet Matt, she had to call her man first to ensure there would be no misunderstanding between them later.


    After all, Mister possessive wouldn¡¯t be like it if she suddenly met with her soon-to-be ex-husband without informing him first.


    Kate worried a bit, since she always had to tell Henry about her activity.


    "I don¡¯t know if this is a healthy relationship or not. But it¡¯s much easier to tell Henry about everything rather than having a huge fight with him later on."


    Thus, Kate got up from the sofa and decided not to dress up. She only wore a plain white shirt, a jacket to cover her slight belly bump, and a skirt to give that meek lady vibes.


    She drove her car to the nearest bank, as she didn¡¯t have ten grand cash. While in the car, she finally called Henry.


    It only took about two minutes for Henry to pick up, which was a surprise, because he¡¯d usually answer in less than thirty seconds.


    ¡ª


    "Do you need anything, love?" Henry asked. His tone was gentle, but Kate could sense that he was in a hurry for some reason.


    "Where are you right now, Henry?"


    "I¡¯m in a meeting with the executives in my dad¡¯s office. I¡¯m presenting the project that will get the publishing more capital injection," Henry replied.


    Kate had to admit that Henry had proven himself a competent CEO.


    At first, she thought Henry would be that snobby rich kid who wouldn¡¯t survive a month as the CEO of a busy publishing company. But he proved her wrong.


    He was efficient and smart at handling every business deal.


    He also came up with a new project that would help to boost their sales and increase their capital injection from the parent company.


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I just want to tell you that I¡¯m meeting Matt right now. I have a plan that will definitely help me in the court," Kate said lightly. "I¡¯m still on the road, talk to you later, honey. Bye."


    "WAIT¡ªWHAT?!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate chuckled as she saw that Henry began blasting her phone with calls. She wanted to ignore him, but she decided to pick it up again after the fifth call.


    ¡ª


    "Kate, what are you planning?! Where are you right now? Tell me, and I will be there soon!" Henry asked as he panicked.


    "I don¡¯t want you to go with me, Henry. I know you won¡¯t be able to hold yourself to punch him in the face, and you are honestly too eye-catching to watch over me," Kate said truthfully.


    Henry was a very handsome hunk. He was tall, with an imposing figure and intimidating, emerald eyes. He would instantly become the center of attention in the whole area, and Kate didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    "What in the¡ª" Henry was speechless. Kate suddenly planned something without consulting him first. He was in the middle of a meeting with the executives now, but he was afraid that Kate would be in danger, so he wanted to postpone the meeting.


    Besides, this company would be his sooner or later. There was no need to cater so much to these executives when he¡¯d be their boss in the future.


    But before he could say anything, Kate suddenly said, "And don¡¯t think about postponing your meeting."


    "Wha¡ªHow did you know?!"


    "I know what¡¯s on your mind, Mr. Grant," Kate said calmly. "Go do your job as a good CEO and get us some capital injection. I¡¯m doing this myself."


    "No, I won¡¯t allow it," Henry insisted. "What if that bastard did something to you? And why the hell did you not tell me about your plan before?! I would¡¯ve postponed this meeting from the beginning!"


    "Well, this idea comes up because he tries to blackmail me as well. I will use this as my weapon," Kate said lightly. "It¡¯s going smoothly right now, and I won¡¯t let your flashy ass ruin it!"


    Kate was about to hang up the call, but Henry quickly stopped her, "Wait! I promise I won¡¯t come, but you must promise me a few things first!"


    "What is it?" Kate asked.


    Henry was relieved that Kate would at least listen to him first.


    Since he knew he couldn¡¯t stop Kate and her pride and courage, all he could do was take preventive measures.


    "First, you have to tell me everything after you¡¯re done with whatever plan you have," Henry said. "Second, I will still send a bodyguard to you. How about I send Mai and Michael to follow you? They can act as a couple sitting not far from your seat, so Matt wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing. This is the only guard I can provide since you don¡¯t want me there."


    Kate considered it for a moment, then replied, "Alright, I will send the cafe address to Mai. You should tell Michael about it, so they can stay there before Matt and I."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll call him now," Henry said. "... be careful, Love. I don¡¯t want you and our baby to get hurt." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate chuckled, "Don¡¯t be such a worrywart, honey. I¡¯m not going to war. I¡¯ll tell you everything once I¡¯m done."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "So cute," Kate smiled. She had to admit that it felt good to be pampered and protected because she had never felt that when she was with Matt, not even when they were dating in high school.


    He was always the same lazy and insensitive prick, and his insensitiveness rubbed on Kate, making her numb and, thus, forcing her to put up a tough upfront so she wouldn¡¯t get hurt.


    Kate parked her car in front of the bank. Before she walked in, she texted Mai first.


    ¡ª


    To: Mai


    Kate: *Lombard Cafe address sent*


    Kate: I¡¯m in the bank right now. Go to that cafe with Michael, and pose as a couple having lunch together. Book a seat at the corner of the cafe, the area with less noise. I will be there soon.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229: Chapter 229Mai was still busy in her office, replacing Mrs. Woods to do the menial paperwork. Of course, she would still ask Mr. Grant or call Mrs. Woods to confirm many big decisions, but she didn¡¯t want to clutter her pregnant boss¡¯ mind with too much unnecessary information.


    Nevertheless, she was BUSY and somewhat irritated towards Michael because that manager was always dazed whenever she came into his office.


    He would stare at her without blinking and look at her in awe as if she was a goddess.


    "Yeah, the only goddess in this office is Mrs. Woods. Too bad she won¡¯t be around for nine months or so, since she¡¯s pregnant, and still has to take care of the baby later," Mai rolled her eyes. "Ugh, he can spend all of his useless musing time for something more useful, such as finishing all the paperwork on his desk." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mai was disappointed that Mrs. Woods didn¡¯t allow her to work close to her boss. She was so used to work near the Chief Editor that being surrounded by the ever-domineering Mr. Grant and ever-foolish Mr. Eckermann made her feel uncomfortable.


    She kept busying herself until she got a text.


    Mai thought it was Michael again since that man somehow had difficulty talking to her in person.


    But it was actually from Mrs. Woods!


    ¡ª


    From: Mrs. Katherine Woods


    Kate: *Lombard Cafe address sent*


    Kate: I¡¯m in the bank right now. Go to that cafe with Michael, and pose as a couple having lunch together. Book a seat at the corner of the cafe, the area with less noise. I will be there soon.


    ¡ª


    Mai¡¯s eyes widened.


    She didn¡¯t know what Mrs. Woods was doing right now, and she definitely didn¡¯t want to work with Mr. Eckermann, knowing how absentminded he could be.


    But it seemed urgent, and Mai never doubted Mrs. Woods.


    "Crap, is she in danger?" Mai panicked. She decided to go blind in this and do whatever task Mrs. Woods gave her.


    She got up and grabbed her bag.


    But before she left the Chief Editor¡¯s office, the door was opened from the outside, and she saw Mr. Eckermann with a phone in his ear.


    He looked serious as he glanced at Mai.


    Mai was actually quite surprised because she was used to seeing the dumb-looking Mr. Eckermann, not this serious one.


    "Yes, Sir. I¡¯m on it," Michael said while staring at Mai seriously. He hung up and told Mai, "I got an order from Mr. Grant that we need to help Mrs. Woods. Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have much time."


    Michael turned around and walked first, leaving Mai, who was stunned.


    She snapped out of her daze after Michael walked far enough from her. She rushed to catch up to him, "W¡ªWait for me, Sir!"


    Michael stopped before the elevator and waited until Mai caught up to him. He glanced at Mai, making sure she was okay. He was worried about her, but he needed to be serious right now because it was a mission given by his boss.


    Mai tried to calm down first before asking, "What will we do now? Mrs. Woods texted me the address of a cafe. She said she¡¯s still in the bank but doesn¡¯t specify what kind of plan she has."


    "Mr. Grant said she has a plan to help with the prenup annulment. She will meet with her soon-to-be ex-husband, and she needs us to watch over her, ensuring she is safe," Michael explained. "You have the address, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir!" Mai nodded vigorously. She didn¡¯t know that Mrs. Woods was going through a divorce. In fact, she didn¡¯t know that she had a husband who wasn¡¯t Mr. Grant because Mrs. Woods was very private.


    So everything that Michael said just now shocked her to the core.


    Michael glanced at Mai and said, "I know it¡¯s a shock to you, but I have no right to tell you everything unless Mrs. Woods gives me the right to."


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s okay, I get it," Mai said. "That means you are a professional, Sir."


    "A professional, huh?" Michael went silent for a moment until he grinned a little. Of course, he was happy that Mai praised him. But he had to be professional now, and when he was in full focus, he discarded any of his feelings and focused on finishing his mission, like a true soldier. "Glad you like that side of me."


    Mai was dazed when she saw this part of Michael. Her heart was beating harder for an unknown reason, so she quickly looked away to ensure that Michael didn¡¯t see the tint of red on her cheeks.


    Michael and Mai entered his car, and Michael drove to the Lombard Cafe, where they had to watch over her.


    There was nothing but silence inside the car. Mai felt awkward. Usually, Michael started the conversation first, followed by Mai who¡¯d answer curtly or ignored him completely.


    But he looked so cold and hyper-focused, ¡¯Which made him look cool. I can¡¯t lie,¡¯ Mai thought. ¡¯He looks so... professional...¡¯


    "By the way, we are going to act as a couple in the cafe," Michael mentioned. "You need to hold my hand, and act naturally, especially when Mrs. Woods¡¯ husband comes. Can you do that?"


    Mai¡¯s reddening cheeks turned even redder until she looked like a tomato. She didn¡¯t understand why she got so excited. She was usually disgusted by any advances from men.


    Getting no answer from Mai, Michael added, "I will keep my boundaries from touching you unnecessarily and excessively. But I need your professionality in this, Miss Ishikawa. This is for the sake of the mission."


    Mai was surprised when Michael called her ¡¯Miss Ishikawa¡¯ instead of ¡¯Mai.¡¯


    It was like a switch that indicated he was in his hyper-focus mode.


    "I¡ªI understand. This is for the sake of the mission," Mai agreed, though she couldn¡¯t hide her shyness. She lowered her head, trying to hide her shame as much as possible. "Yes, we should act like a couple, Mr. Eckermann. Just promise me that you won¡¯t touch me excessively."


    Michael smiled, "I promise. Thank you for being cooperative, Miss Ishikawa."

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230: Chapter 230There was a silence between them after that.


    Mai watched Michael¡¯s right hand, who was on the gearshift. His hand looked very strong, with the veins popping out as if he could crush anything.


    Mai shuddered.


    She had a bad experience with a strong man. She knew that men were physically stronger than women, which scared her so much.


    The helpless feeling of being pinned down by a man traumatized her to the point that she hated all men with this military-style, strong body type.


    The red tints on her face vanished, and she became pale as she imagined that hand crushing her petite body.


    Her heartbeat began to race, but not in a good way. She swallowed her saliva a few times to calm herself down, but it only scared her even more, each time she tried it.


    Michael shifted the gear to drive faster since this Lombard cafe was actually not in downtown Los Angeles. It was quite far.


    Mai could see those veins on his hand bulging as he held the gearshift and shifted it. She got so uncomfortable that she couldn¡¯t wait to throw herself out of the car.


    She felt unsafe as the bad memories were flooding her mind.


    But then, she remembered that she had to be professional. Her parents had always taught her to discard any of her personal problems when she was working.


    ¡¯I¡ªI can¡¯t keep being like this. Michael has promised me that he will not touch me inappropriately. I have to be professional!¡¯ Mai tried to encourage herself as she adhered to her ideal of discarding her fear in exchange for her professionalism at work.


    Mai clenched her fists, her heartbeat raced to the point that it might pop out of her chest, and she carefully put her hand on Michael¡¯s.


    Michael¡¯s heartbeat skipped for a second. He glanced at Mai¡¯s hand laid on top of his, and he gulped as he got nervous instantly.


    He was trying his best to stay professional because he had to finish what he was told to do. He adhered to his military code despite not being in the military anymore, and that was never to let his personal feeling distract his mission.


    But Mai¡¯s palm was very warm, smooth, and soft.


    It felt amazing when Mai touched him like this, and he was afraid that he might lose his focus.


    So he asked, "What are you doing, Miss Ishikawa?"


    "I¡ªum... you told me we should act like a couple. Is this wrong?" Mai asked nervously. "This is for the mission, Sir."


    Michael was stunned.


    He clenched the steering wheel in one hand and replied, "We¡¯re still inside the car, so you don¡¯t need to act like a couple now. We should do it once we arrive in the cafe, though."


    "Oh¡ªS¡ªSorry!" Mai quickly lifted her hand, but before she could pull her hand away, Michael caught her wrist and gently wrapped her hand inside his big and strong hand, which emanated constant heat.


    "I never said that you¡¯re wrong," Michael said. He glanced at Mai and smiled at her, "Let¡¯s hold hands for now, so you won¡¯t be nervous when we have to act later. Remember that we need to be convincing, so we wouldn¡¯t draw any suspicion."


    Mai gasped when Michael wrapped her hand inside his big strong hand. She tried to pull her hand and expected Michael to clench her hand so tight that he would almost crush her hand.


    It was what men usually do.


    When Mai got uncomfortable, she would try to pull her hand out of those men¡¯s grip, but they would clench her hand or wrist so tight that she would wince and scream in pain.


    But contrary to her expectation, Michael didn¡¯t try to clench.


    When Mai pulled her hand away, he let her go but still frowned and asked, "What¡¯s wrong? Did I hold you too tight? Or are you feeling uncomfortable?"


    Mai stared at Michael with eyes full of confusion. She didn¡¯t know why Michael didn¡¯t clench her hand so tight. She thought it was just the male instinct to grip and grasp until it hurt.


    But Michael was gentle despite his strong exterior. He showed concern and asked again, "Miss Ishikawa? Did I make a mistake?"


    "N¡ªNo, not at all..." Mai replied.


    "Oh, good," Michael let out a relieved sigh. "I thought I held your hand too tightly. I don¡¯t want to hurt you accidentally."


    Michael ignored Mai after that. He focused on the road, with one hand on the gearshift in case he wanted to accelerate or decelerate. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mai stared at Michael¡¯s side profile.


    She never liked a strong military type. She had plenty of bad experiences with strong men in general.


    That¡¯s why her office crush was actually a very meek, thin, and somewhat feminine guy who worked in the accounting department.


    But at this moment, Mai felt that Michael Eckermann was less menacing.


    He looked like a good and gentle man beneath that tough and stern face.


    ¡¯He doesn¡¯t look cruel...¡¯ Mai thought. ¡¯It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯d hurt me.¡¯


    She looked down at the strong hand with bulging veins holding the gearshift. Mai didn¡¯t know if it was just her imagination, but somehow that strong hand didn¡¯t look as intimidating anymore.


    So she asked, "Mr. Eckermann, can you hold my hand again? T¡ªThis is for our mission. I am a professional and want to ensure we look convincing enough when we arrive at that cafe."


    "Okay," Michael said with his eyes still on the road.


    He wrapped Mai¡¯s hand and intertwined their fingers together. It looked so natural, and he was so gentle that Mai had no reason to pull away.


    Mai could feel the heat on his palm spread to her, making her feel warm and safe.


    Mai took a deep breath as she tried to let the feeling seep in. She closed her eyes and leaned back.


    ¡¯It feels nice that he doesn¡¯t try to crush my hand...¡¯ Mai thought. ¡¯I feel safe.¡¯

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231: Chapter 231Mai was enjoying the warmth that surged through her body.


    It was truly a novel experience for Mai, as she had never felt comfortable around men before, and since Michael was the first one, she felt comfortable enough to close her eyes and fell asleep while holding his hand.


    Michael glanced at Mai a few times to check on her. He was relieved when he saw that Mai didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable.


    In fact, it looked like she was sleeping peacefully.


    Michael stopped at the red light and stared at Mai who was sleeping peacefully.


    He checked the GPS and realized they were already close to the cafe. So he took his time staring at Mai, who was sleeping while holding his hand.


    She always had that fierceness when she faced him before as if she couldn¡¯t wait to tear him apart.


    "Well, at least this is a good start for us," Michael murmured. Knowing how fragile this fierce petite bunny was, he didn¡¯t try to clench her hand. She might look mean, but even Michael could see that Mai was a good woman based on how much she stood her ground, even when facing someone as intimidating as Henry.


    "She did all that just to make a statement that she will always be on Kate¡¯s side. How courageous..."


    He didn¡¯t know if he loved her sweet and bunny-like face, petite figure, or fierce personality. This was the first time he truly fell for someone, and that also confused him because he couldn¡¯t point out what interested him the most.


    "Ah, what am I talking about? I don¡¯t need to point out what makes me love her. The point is, I am simply falling for her."


    Michael kept staring at Mai¡¯s peaceful sleeping face, and his heartbeat raced. He wouldn¡¯t lie that, as a man, he wanted to do more for her.


    She was so cute and beautiful in his eyes that he tried his best to hold his desire. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t expect himself to be just as promiscuous as Henry, who never seemed to hold back on his desire.


    As he kept staring at her, he didn¡¯t realize that he had leaned towards her, so close that their lips almost touched.


    But he stopped and quickly returned to his seat, "I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to touch her when she¡¯s unconscious. I don¡¯t want to scare or hurt her right after she gives me a bit of trust..." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, Michael tried to distract himself by focusing on the road when the traffic light turned green. He drove to the designated location and parked in front of the Lombard Cafe.


    He turned off the car engine and patted Mai¡¯s shoulder gently, "Miss Ishikawa, we are here."


    "Huh¡ªOh¡ª"Mai blinked a few times. She stared at the building with a ¡¯Lombard Cafe¡¯ sign in a daze until she realized what she just did.


    Mai gasped and quickly pulled her hand away, "S¡ªSorry, Sir. I didn¡¯t expect myself to fall asleep."


    "Haha, it¡¯s fine," Michael smiled. "It¡¯s almost lunch anyway, so I know you must be hungry and sleepy."


    Mai was so embarrassed, but Michael didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.


    "Let¡¯s go now. Mrs. Woods will come soon, and we need to book a seat with less noise. I think she wants to put it on record to turn this event into solid proof in the court," Michael said.


    He left the car and walked around the car to open the door for Mai, much to her surprise.


    "Y¡ªYou don¡¯t need to do that, Sir," Mai said meekly.


    Michael smiled. He stretched his arm and opened his palm, waiting for Mai to take his hand, "We¡¯re doing a mission to be a couple. It¡¯s just right for me to treat you as my girlfriend, right?"


    Mai felt that her head could explode out of shame.


    Michael was very professional, and she was being so shy and meek.


    ¡¯Pull yourself together, Mai! You can¡¯t be like this! Look at him being so professional at his job. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?!¡¯ Mai scolded herself so she would stop blushing like an idiot.


    "Miss Ishikawa?" Michael called her again, and Mai subconsciously nodded.


    She took his hand and hopped off the car. She didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable when Michael held her hand.


    In fact, she actually felt something more, though she quickly dispelled that thought in favor of the mission.


    Mrs. Woods needed her, so Mai had to do whatever it took to assist her!


    Thus, discarding her nervousness, Michael and Mai walked side by side as they entered the Lombard Cafe.


    As expected, this cafe was full of young office workers spending their lunch breaks with colleagues.


    Michael didn¡¯t know why Mrs. Woods asked them to go to this place instead of a regular cafe downtown, but they had no right to ask.


    Mai and Michael looked at each other and nodded in unison. They began to act like a couple and walked around the cafe to find an empty spot.


    They saw a perfect spot that should be good for Mrs. Woods, but a tired middle-aged man occupied it.


    Michael and Mai had the same idea in mind, so they approached the middle-aged man and asked, "Pardon me, Sir, can we sit here? This is our usual dating spot, so it feels weird if we don¡¯t sit in here."


    The middle-aged man lifted his head and looked at Michael and Mai simultaneously. From his gaze, it was obvious that he hated couples for an unknown reason. He then sneered, "Go kiss somewhere else. You two are disgusting freaks with no public decency."


    Instead of being angry, Michael and Mai fetch an emergency plan. They leaned closer to each other, and Mai rested her head on Michael¡¯s arm, "Darling, I feel sad now. I really want to sit in our usual spot. I don¡¯t want to eat unless we sit here!"


    Michael smiled and rubbed Mai¡¯s head gently, "Don¡¯t worry, love. I will find a way. But before that, why don¡¯t you kiss me first? A man needs a healthy boost of loving kiss to function, you know?"

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232: Chapter 232Mai¡¯s body tensed immediately. She was shocked by the request because she never expected that they had to kiss when they were on the mission.


    But she was far too deep into this that she couldn¡¯t just back down, not when Mrs. Woods¡¯ request was on the line. She could feel the pressure coming from that bitter middle-aged man waiting for her to kiss Michael.


    She wanted to curse Michael for making her kiss him, not because she didn¡¯t want it.


    She just thought a kiss should be a private thing, not in a public place like this, and definitely not while being stared at by a bitter middle-aged man.


    "Love? Can you kiss me now? I will talk to him after that," Michael said.


    Mai clenched her fist. She tried her best to act natural and then tiptoed to kiss the corner of his lips.


    Michael¡¯s heart was about to explode out of joy. He was also trying his best not to scream out his excitement.


    "Thank you, Love. Your lips are soft as always," Michael said before he shifted his gaze back to the bitter man. "Sir, I don¡¯t mind if you want to stay here, but we will keep kissing like this unless you leave."


    "Tsk, these fucking freaks are ruining my lunch!" The man got up and stomped his way out. Mai and Michael kept their intimacy until the man left the cafe, and after they made sure he was out of sight, Mai quickly pushed him away with all of her strength.


    Michael felt that his heart had been washed with a bucket of cold water. He thought Mai genuinely kissed him out of her free will for a moment because that kiss electrified his entire body.


    Michael released Mai and apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Miss Ishikawa. I just want him to leave without having to use my hand. I will compensate if you don¡¯t like kissing me."


    Mai rubbed her lips and lowered her head, "Not at all, Sir. I¡ªI don¡¯t mind kissing you, but it should be a private thing rather than doing it in public."


    Mai¡¯s voice got lower and lower until it was barely audible to Michael, but this cafe area wasn¡¯t as crowded, and thus he could hear every single word coming out of her mouth.


    Ba-dump.


    Michael felt that his heartbeat raced once more, and this time, he didn¡¯t feel any hesitation.


    Because the fact she didn¡¯t hate the kiss was an assurance that Michael still had a chance to be with her, he just needed to be more tactful in his approach.


    ¡¯Maybe I¡¯ve been too eager and somewhat creepy in my approach,¡¯ Michael thought. ¡¯I keep following Henry¡¯s idea because he always gets any woman he wants, including Kate. But it seems that I don¡¯t need to listen to any of his advice anymore.¡¯


    ¡¯I will just be me.¡¯


    They sat in the seat intended for Mrs. Woods and her soon-to-be ex-husband.


    "You should text her in case she needs to move away," Michael said.


    Mai nodded and texted Mrs. Woods that they had booked the seat intended for her and her husband.


    There was no reply from Mrs. Woods, but Mai got a call instead.


    ¡ª


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m already in Lombard Cafe, and we are sitting in the seat that you want to use," Mai replied to her boss while glancing at Michael.


    "Good, I¡¯m about to reach the Lombard Cafe. Have you seen an unshaven man with a fat belly in his 30s, wearing a dirty gray jacket and washed-out jeans inside the cafe?" Kate asked.


    Mai stood up and looked around, and they found none of the customers matched her description, "Nobody is looking like a hobo in here, Ma¡¯am. It¡¯s filled with nearby office workers having lunch with their friends and colleagues here."


    "Good. Make sure to keep an eye in case he comes before me."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mai frowned when Mrs. Woods hung up the call. She looked at Michael and asked, "Sir, do you know why Mrs. Woods described a hobo-like person when talking about her husband. Surely she won¡¯t marry a hobo, right?"


    Michael¡¯s lips thinned. He didn¡¯t want to talk too much about it because it was privacy for Kate.


    But they would see that deadbeat man in person soon anyway, so there was no point in hiding it.


    So Michael replied, "Because he is a hobo right now." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Huh? You mean... Mrs. Woods actually married a hobo?!" Mai¡¯s eyes widened. "But she is very smart and elegant, how could she marry a homeless man?"


    "Not exactly a hobo. He is a man without a job. He aspired to be an actor, but he is not good-looking enough to land a main role without a good acting skill," Michael replied. "He refused to find another job after his failed acting career, so he has been leeching on Mrs. Woods for the past five years."


    "So, Mrs. Woods is the sole breadwinner of the family?"


    "Yes, she is," Michael nodded. "In fact, she is the sole breadwinner for two big families. Based on my investigation, she has been giving her money to her mother and bitch of a sister, Erin. And she¡¯s also forced to give her ungrateful mother-in-law a monthly allowance."


    Michael had a bitter smile as he listened to all the stories from Henry, who was so angry at Kate¡¯s family.


    "She gives them everything, yet they keep taking advantage of her. They are blackmailing, pressuring, and insulting her for many things."


    Mai was attacked from one shocking information to another.


    She always saw Mrs. Woods as a strong woman that wouldn¡¯t allow any man to stomp on her dignity. She idolized Mrs. Woods so much because Mai aspired to be just like her.


    Michael sighed, "I¡¯m sorry you must know this, Mai. But you should know that Mrs. Woods is trying her best to get out of this shitty and sticky situation."


    "Alright, you two, enough gossiping about me."


    Michael and Mai turned their heads simultaneously when they heard a familiar voice.


    They saw Kate with her not-so-dignified look, wearing a jacket and long skirt. She looked like a regular woman instead of the dignified Chief Editor that Mai usually saw.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233: Chapter 233"M¡ªMa¡¯am!" Mai stood up out of reflex. She was surprised by her Boss¡¯ current appearance, but that still didn¡¯t make her lose her respect for Mrs. Woods.


    "Sshh, not so loud, Mai," Kate smiled. "I¡¯m going to meet my soon-to-be ex-husband here. I want you two to sit in that spot."


    Kate pointed at the spot right next to her designated seat, "I will make sure that Matt will sit with his back facing you two, so you can record the whole conversation without him noticing."


    "And don¡¯t forget to zoom in on my face. Ensure the judge will see my pitiful face clearly."


    After getting instructions from Mrs. Woods, they moved to the next seat and acted like a couple again.


    Kate sat facing them, who still acted like a couple naturally. The corner of her lips perked up, ¡¯I didn¡¯t know they looked so good as a couple. I hope Michael can finally break down that wall inside Mai¡¯s heart.¡¯


    "Mai," Kate called her assistant¡¯s name before Matt walked into the cafe.


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am?" Mai responded. She looked as meek and sweet as always in front of Kate, but they all knew how snarky she was in front of others, especially to men.


    "I want to talk to you after this. There is something I want to tell you."


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am. D¡ªDon¡¯t worry, you¡¯re still my idol!" Mai claimed, and Kate chuckled because of that.


    Thus, Kate waited another fifteen minutes until she heard a gasp from the front of the cafe. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stretched her neck to peek at who walked in, and as expected, Matt looked like a real hobo.


    He was unshaven. His hair was unkempt. He wore a stained jacket and also washed-up jeans. He was wearing a flip-flop. Kate suspected that he also sold his expensive shoes in desperation.


    Kate watched the commotion at the front of the cafe. Two waiters quickly stopped Matt on his track and said, "This place is prohibited for the homeless. Go away."


    "What the¡ªI¡¯M NOT A HOMELESS!" Matt snapped when he was called homeless. He might not be much right now because he hadn¡¯t showered for a while. But he was still a customer here!


    "I¡¯M HERE TO MEET SOMEONE!" Matt said. But the waiters didn¡¯t even budge, they kept blocking his path, and after a few pushes, Matt snapped again, "I HAVE A HOME! I HAVE AN EXPENSIVE APARTMENT DOWNTOWN! I¡¯M FUCKING RICH!"


    His voice grabbed the attention of everyone in the cafe. They all looked at him as if he was a really crazy hobo who stormed inside the cafe.


    They also gave the waiters a judgmental side-eye, indirectly telling them to get rid of that disgusting hobo or they would be the ones who left the cafe.


    "I¡ªI¡¯M AN ACTOR! I WAS HANDSOME BEFORE!" Matt exclaimed loudly.


    Kate¡¯s lips curled as she watched Matt¡¯s desperation for some acknowledgment.


    Mai stared at her boss, who had a smile as she watched the hobo husband arguing at the front of the cafe. It seemed that Mrs. Woods enjoyed it so much.


    ¡¯Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡¯


    Mai had guessed something, and Kate glanced at her.


    Kate gave Mai a wink before she got up and walked towards her hobo husband before a fight broke out.


    "Do you get her plan?" Michael asked.


    "I¡ªI guess..." Mai murmured. "Did she intentionally take her hobo husband to this cafe because it¡¯s full of proper customers?"


    Michael nodded.


    "She wants to embarrass him, so he would be emotional and clouded his judgment. So we will get an even more authentic shot of the emotional husband and poor wife dynamic," Michael said. He stared at Kate¡¯s back with admiration. "Her family indeed abuses Mrs. Woods. She became their cash cow for years. But Kate always looked strong and dominating despite her status as a woman, which challenged the court norm."


    "After all, they want the stereotypical sad wife there, not the strong one like Kate," Michael added.


    Mai stared at her boss¡¯ back in silence. Despite her effort to wear simple clothing, Kate couldn¡¯t hide that powerful step and imposing figure, and Mai knew that many men, even those in court, didn¡¯t like a woman who could fend for herself.


    Mai sighed, "I can¡¯t imagine all the weights on her shoulders. She needs to manage a whole company after Mr. James Grant¡¯s death, and her leeching family still burdens her."


    "Maybe it¡¯s true that we, women, will always be the wrong one in every relationship," Mai murmured. "I bet that hobo husband called her nagging or ungrateful, even though it looks like he doesn¡¯t even give her anything in return."


    Michael glanced at Mai. He studied her expression and noticed there was a deep sadness in her.


    He didn¡¯t know what happened to her before because Mai was a very private person. But he knew that he had to heal whatever scar Mai had if he wanted to chase her seriously.


    **


    "I AM AN ACTOR! AN ACTOR!" Matt insisted while yelling in front of the waiters.


    The waiters¡¯ faces paled as they couldn¡¯t handle the bad breath from this man. It smelled like a bunch of skunks having an orgy inside his mouth.


    One turned around and rushed to the bathroom immediately as she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    The other one pinched his nose but still did not back down.


    Kate sighed. She stepped in and patted the waiter¡¯s shoulder.


    The waiter looked over his shoulder and saw a beautiful lady wearing simple clothing. But she didn¡¯t look like a hobo. Instead, she looked like a lady who just got out of bed and decided to have lunch here, which was greatly appreciated as long as they looked clean enough.


    But this hobo with bad breath... the waiter never saw someone as smelly as this one.


    "I¡¯m sorry, this is my friend," Kate said, not wanting to be associated with Matt as husband and wife.


    "R¡ªReally?" The waiter was astonished. "But he is..."


    "Yes, he has a bit of a problem with that. That¡¯s why we will sit at the corner, ensuring nobody else will be disturbed by his smell."

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234: Chapter 234The waiter hesitated.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t his right to stop someone from eating in there, especially because customers with money were their highest priority.


    But he wondered if this dirty hobo would also dirty the seat and table. It would be hell for him to clean up after his shit, figuratively and literally.


    "Ma¡¯am, he is too..."


    "What? Are you calling me dirty again? YOU BASTARD!" Matt snapped again, and both the waiter and Kate held their breaths subconsciously to stop themselves from fainting due to his bad breath.


    Kate glared at Matt, who only made the situation worsen. She then smiled at the waiter, took out five hundred dollars from her pocket, and put it in his pocket.


    "I know it¡¯ll be hard for you to accommodate him, but please take this as my upfront tip. Take this as a payment for the hard work since I know it¡¯ll be difficult to clean his mess later."


    The waiter finally wavered once he got the five hundred bucks. He stared at the lady who was just as tall as him. She seemed like a proper lady on her holiday, so he nodded, "Thank you, Ma¡¯am. You can scan the menu from the barcode at the table with your phone. We will process your order after that."


    Kate smiled, "Thank you so much. Pardon the disturbance just now."


    The man finally allowed Matt to enter the cafe.


    Matt followed Kate, who led the way to their table. He felt uncomfortable because everyone was staring at him like he was some kind of dirty pest they couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of.


    It was so humiliating that he wanted to bash Kate¡¯s head. After all, she was the one who forced him to come in here just for the money. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate could feel his stare on her back, but she didn¡¯t care because Matt couldn¡¯t do anything in here anyway. The reason why she took this deadbeat bastard into this place was to humiliate him, so he would be angry.


    The more uncontrollable his emotion could be, the better it was for her when she presented the video to the court later.


    Kate sat first and forced Matt to sit on the only empty seat facing her. His back was facing Michael and Mai, which was a perfect opportunity for them to record the whole thing and focus on Kate¡¯s ¡¯pitiful¡¯ face.


    Kate gave Mai a quick glance, signaling her to start recording now.


    Mai aimed her phone at her boss and started video recording.


    After making sure that everything had been set up perfectly, Kate began her act;


    "Why didn¡¯t you bathe or brush your teeth before coming here? I have to give that waiter five hundred bucks just so you can come in..." Kate complained, but there was no sign of condescension on her face. She grieved more about the money given to the waiter instead.


    Matt clicked his tongue, "This is your fault! Why did you invite me to this kind of cafe? You can just transfer me the money!" he snapped without caring whether the others were listening to him. "Besides, I haven¡¯t showered or brushed my teeth correctly because of you."


    "Me?!" Kate gasped. She perfectly portrayed that innocent wife image. "W¡ªWhat did I do wrong?"


    "Because you haven¡¯t given me money at all for the past two months! Goddamn it, do you not realize how fucked that is? Do you want me to die and rot in that apartment?"


    Kate replied in her heart. But she gave a different answer to him instead, "M¡ªMatt, it¡¯s not my responsibility to keep giving you money. You¡¯re not disabled or sickly. You¡¯re healthy and able. You¡¯re still in your mid-thirty."


    "Tsk, and so what?" Matt snarked. "You have a good-paying job enough to support us and our big family. Why do I need to work when you can do that for me instead?"


    "But you haven¡¯t worked since we married five years ago!" Kate pushed her tears out to make herself look distressed enough. This wasn¡¯t a hard task because she needed to channel all the desperation and depression she felt when she lived with Matt for the past five years. "Why don¡¯t you find a regular job instead? At least I can help you find a regular job, uhm... in the fast food industry."


    "Don¡¯t you dare to mock me, you bitch. I don¡¯t want to work a poor people job. You know that I am still an actor, and I refuse to go to work unless it¡¯s about acting," Matt insisted.


    "So you want me to keep supporting you for the rest of your life?!" Kate asked as she got desperate. "Matt, it¡¯s been five years. You did NOTHING to contribute to the household. You don¡¯t work and never take care of the house while I¡¯m busy working and taking so much overtime just to feed us!"


    Matt shrugged, "So what? You¡¯re that strong, independent woman, right? That means you have to feed me and give me money every month. I thought you women like having money," Matt sneered. He felt this power surge when he saw the desperation on Kate¡¯s face.


    "Yes, I can tolerate being the family¡¯s sole breadwinner, but..." Kate paused and bit her lower lip as she tried her best not to cry. "But I don¡¯t want to do it anymore, not after you cheated on me with my sister!"


    Matt rolled his eyes, "This thing again. Why are you being such a selfish bitch, Kate? I didn¡¯t cheat on your sister. I often slept with her to get us a baby since you¡¯re a useless barren woman. It¡¯s called an open relationship!"


    "And I never agree to such a thing!" Kate insisted. "You¡¯re still cheating on me!"


    "Do I need your agreement on that?" Matt sighed. "Okay, whatever. I don¡¯t care if you called it cheating. But I am still justified to sleep with other women because I am a man with needs. You¡¯re barren, too busy working overtime, and you look like a half-baked hag every time you return home! Do you think I will get turned on by an ugly thing like you?!"

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235: Chapter 235"Why aren¡¯t you dolling up for me?" Matt asked, but his tone sounded more like a provocation. "I wouldn¡¯t cheat if you were still beautiful and sweet in front of me."


    "Do you really expect me to doll up to a huge turd like you?!" Kate lost her control when Matt blamed her. She got up and pointed her finger toward Matt. "I worked so fucking hard for both of us! All you need to do is sit back and NOT cheat on me! Is that so fucking hard for you?!"


    Matt was caught off guard by his wife¡¯s outburst. He thought that he got Kate under control, but he was actually scared every time Kate yelled at him like this.


    It made him feel small, and his pride as a man was insulted, but at the same time, he also didn¡¯t dare to fight back.


    Kate had this oppressive aura around her when she was mad, and Matt was too much of a wimp to stand toe to toe against her, especially when, deep down, he knew that he was the loser in this relationship.


    Kate realized that she screwed up. She shouldn¡¯t have snapped in front of him because she was supposed to act like a pitiful, powerless wife who wouldn¡¯t do anything even if her husband insulted her.


    She had a quick thought and began to squeeze even more tears.


    Her eyes were red, and she covered her face with her hand while slumped back on the chair. She sobbed and said, "I just don¡¯t know, Matt. I¡¯m sorry for snapping at you, but I can¡¯t take this anymore." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt was relieved because it seemed that the outburst was just fleeting anger. He was glad that Kate was under his control again.


    ¡¯Besides, I don¡¯t need to act so kind and nice towards her. I have my weapon to make her submit!¡¯ Matt thought.


    Thus, he puffed out his chest and said, "I don¡¯t give a damn about you anymore, Kate. Heck, I don¡¯t even love you anymore. But I still need you as my cash cow. I need someone who can supply me with a constant flow of money every month."


    "Y¡ªYou can¡¯t force me!" Kate said. She wiped her tears and stared at him courageously but cowered again when he scrolled through his phone and showed the picture of the newspaper clipping about her father¡¯s crime.


    Matt smirked when he saw the fear in Kate¡¯s eyes. As expected, Kate was still the same spineless woman when it came to her family.


    Just like how Erin always threatened Kate by giving their mother a series of mini heart attacks, Matt also threatened Kate by using her father¡¯s crime.


    And it seemed that it would also work on her because Kate looked terrified right now.


    ¡¯Heh, serve you right, you prideful witch. You deserve this because you keep looking down on your husband just because I don¡¯t want to work!¡¯


    "You said that I can¡¯t force you? I thought you were smarter than that, Kate," Matt smirked. "Do you want everyone in your office to know about this? I¡¯m sure all of your subordinates will lose respect once they know that their oh-so-empowered Chief Editor has a child molester as her father."


    "I reported him! I am the one who reported his deed, and he got arrested and jailed for that!" Kate said desperately. "Why are you doing this to me?!"


    "Because I need your money," Matt said without hesitation. "Why should I get a job when I can get ten grand from my wife? Why would I need to suffer when you can take the suffering instead?"


    "Ten grand is too much. I don¡¯t have that much money..." Kate bit her lower lip. "I have it in cash right now, but I can¡¯t keep giving you ten grand every month."


    "Oh, don¡¯t lie to me, Kate. I know you earn six figures minimum, which doesn¡¯t include all the bonuses you get each time a book becomes a bestseller. I know you earn a lot, and it¡¯s so unfair for you to have all of that money while I get nothing."


    "But I worked so hard for them! Why aren¡¯t you working as hard as I am? At least try to take care of the home when I¡¯m away, and don¡¯t cheat on me!" Kate looked so convincingly desperate that Michael and Mai got agitated as well.


    They couldn¡¯t wait to beat this nasty, deadbeat bastard who refused to find a job and spent his days leeching on Kate. Both Michael and Mai didn¡¯t have any expectations about Matt before.


    But now that they had witnessed his nastiness firsthand, they were both in a silent agreement that they would beat up this bastard in case he dared to touch Kate.


    "Well, I don¡¯t care if you worked hard for everything. I am still entitled to your money since we are husband and wife," Matt sneered. "You can always divorce me if you want, but that prenup can¡¯t be annulled, and you will have to share 50% of your assets with me. Hehe, glad we had that prenup before we got married. It was a lifesaver for me."


    "But you didn¡¯t contribute to any of those assets I earned!"


    "Not my problem," Matt shrugged, enjoying every second of Kate¡¯s desperation. "If you don¡¯t want to divorce me, just give me ten grand each month. I will keep your family secret safe as long as I see those numbers in my bank account every month."


    Kate clenched her fists. She was so angry but also very helpless.


    In the end, Kate takes an envelope containing ten grand and smacks it on the table, "This is the money you want. I¡ªI don¡¯t have much for next month. You need to wait for a while if you want more."


    "And please don¡¯t tell anyone that my Dad is a child molester. I tried so hard to get this job, and it¡¯s so hard to gain respect..."


    Matt took the envelope and started counting the money. He had a big smile when he got the ten grand as promised.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236: Chapter 236"See? It¡¯s not so hard to be a little cooperative with me, right?" Matt sneered. "Ah, finally, I can buy my games again. I sold many game consoles and cartridges because you refused to give me money."


    Kate lowered her head, clenched, and squeezed her skirt as she tried to contain her anger.


    Her action didn¡¯t escape Matt¡¯s eyes, though, which made him even happier knowing that Kate was powerless before him.


    He got up and put the ten grand into his pocket, "I have nothing to do with you now. Don¡¯t worry about your father¡¯s crime. I will make sure that nobody except us knows about it. After all, I don¡¯t want to lose my monthly allowance from you, hahaha!"


    Matt walked away with ten grand in his pocket, leaving Kate heartbroken. She wiped her tears that dropped and wet her skirt, trying to calm down as she didn¡¯t want to break down in public.


    She covered her face and sobbed until Matt left the cafe.


    Mai and Michael looked at each other and then stopped the recording, "It¡¯s all done, Ma¡¯am."


    Kate¡¯s body stopped shaking once she got the cue. She sat straight again, pulling a few tissue sheets, and wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes. She didn¡¯t look sad, nor looked heartbroken.


    She looked nonchalant and cold, as if her whole banter with her soon-to-be ex-husband was nothing but a farce.


    ¡¯But maybe it is really just a farce...¡¯ Mai thought.


    Kate smiled at Michael and Mai and asked, "Did you record everything just now?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am," Mai nodded.


    "Good, I want you to send me that video later. It would be great proof in the court later," Kate ordered.


    She stared at Mai, who seemed to have a lot on her mind. Kate understood that Mai must¡¯ve been in shock because she was given so much important and dark information after being kept in the dark for so long.


    Thus, Kate decided to talk with her.


    "Michael, can you leave and stay in your car first? I have a few things I need to talk about with Mai," Kate said.


    Michael nodded, "Yes, Ma¡¯am, I will be in my car. Please call me if you need anything."


    After Michael left, Kate got up and joined Mai at her table. She didn¡¯t want to use the same table because she could still smell the disgusting stench coming from the seat where Matt had sat before.


    Kate put her bag on the table and sat straight like before, "First of all, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into such a difficult situation. I know that I¡¯ve kept many things in the dark before, and I think you have the right to know, especially when you¡¯ve been working hard to support me in and out of the office."


    "So, ask me anything, and I will answer it," Kate said calmly, but Mai got nervous by that offer instead.


    She always thought that Mrs. Woods had a beautiful life with Mr. Grant. They were a beautiful couple with a great and healthy dynamic.


    But the existence of that hobo-like husband of hers completely flipped Mai¡¯s view upside down.


    So she started with the most obvious question, "Ma¡¯am if that is your husband, what are you doing with Mr. Grant? Are you cheating on him with Mr. Grant?"


    Kate chuckled mirthlessly. She recalled the night she met with Henry, "I met with Henry after I caught Matt cheating on me with Erin. They were doing it on the couch after I returned from a strenuous business trip to London."


    "He proposed an open marriage because I was barren. He wants a child but doesn¡¯t want to work for it. He wants me to provide for them all. I am nothing but a cash cow in my own family, Mai," Kate lamented. "I was heartbroken that night, and I went to the office because I felt the office was the place I truly belonged. After all, that office is where I reach my dream of having my own money, but also crush my dream of having a good family life."


    "I met Henry in the CEO¡¯s office, intoxicated, and we talked about our problems. We both got drunk, and the rest is history," Kate said.


    "But, if you want to ask if I cheated on Matt with Henry? Then I guess the answer is yes," Kate replied without hesitation. "But I had stayed true and faithful to Matt for five years. Even when Mr. James Grant showed his strong interest to me, I still stayed faithful to that bastard."


    "I thought our marriage life would be okay as long as I earned a lot of money. I worked extra hard until I could afford to buy many apartments on my own," Kate¡¯s smile became bitter as she remembered all the sacrifices she made for Matt. "But he¡ªjust like the rest of my family¡ªis an ungrateful prick. He cheated on me just because I can¡¯t get pregnant, even though the truth soon came out once I slept with Henry once."


    ...


    Mai stared at her Boss, who tried to hide her bitter smile. Mai could sense that Mrs. Woods faked the heartbreak she had in front of Matt, but this time, she could see the pain in her eyes.


    She was still heartbroken by the whole ordeal.


    "Ma¡¯am... Do you regret everything up until now?" Mai asked.


    "I regret wasting my years with someone who doesn¡¯t treat me as a human being," Kate replied. She then remembered the handsome face of her young boyfriend and added, "But I don¡¯t regret my meeting with Henry during that fateful night. He proves to me that I am not the barren one, and he also proves to me that I can live without my bloodsucking family." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unfortunately, Matt trapped me and his prenup that said we would split the assets no matter what the circumstances if we get separated," Kate said. "The video I asked you to record just now is to prove to the court that I have been mentally abused and manipulated by Matt."

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237: Chapter 237"As proof?" Mai asked. "Do you have to act like that, Ma¡¯am? No offense, but I know you are far tougher than that, and you will degrade yourself to be an abused wife in court later?"


    Kate smiled, but her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes, "Yes, I must."


    "You see, Mai. Because of that prenup I stupidly signed before I married him, he will get half of my assets without putting any work into it. I know our married life is no longer traditional since I am the breadwinner. I can tolerate giving that much if he is willing to do house chores like a househusband, or at least, just the bare minimum, NOT cheat on me."


    "But here we are, about to get divorced because he thought he¡¯s entitled to everything I worked hard for and thought I wouldn¡¯t fight back once he slept with another woman," Kate laughed lightly, but she was only ridiculing herself. "That¡¯s why, I want to show him how petty I could be. I will NEVER let him leave with my money, not after what he has done to me!"


    "Actually, your question is similar to what Henry asked me before. He disapproves of my fight to annul the prenup because he doesn¡¯t want me to be reduced to this weak, mentally abused woman who can¡¯t get her shit together," Kate said. "In his mind, I am far tougher than that, and I think you have the same idea, right?"


    Mai nodded.


    She genuinely thought that Mrs. Woods was strong, professional, and domineering. After all, she could take the mantle as temporary CEO for three months and did the job perfectly.


    In fact, everyone in the office has nothing bad to say about Mrs. Woods because they know she made a huge contribution to helping the company thrive.


    Kate sighed.


    She held Mai¡¯s hand and stared at her, "Mai, you should know, no matter how much I try to look cold and unfeeling, I am still a woman at heart."


    "I cried myself to sleep, sometimes in the bathroom, so my husband wouldn¡¯t hear me crying," Kate admitted. "My families are conservative. They pressure me to get pregnant. No matter my achievement and how much money I earn, I am not a complete woman as long as I stay childless."


    "I may look like I don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s thoughts. But I cried, I cried a lot whenever those relatives left a scathing comment about my infertility."


    "Funny thing is... I¡¯m not even infertile," Kate scoffed. Tears welled up and was about to drop from the corner of her eyes. But Kate quickly wiped it. "It¡¯s Matt who¡¯s actually barren, but because of my family, they simply think the whole problem is in me. Why? Because I am a woman and the only one responsible for this childless stuff!"


    Kate got worked up thinking about all her wasted years with Matt. She kept asking him to go and have a fertility test, but that bastard refused and always blamed her for it.


    Mai could feel that her boss was upset, and she understood it well.


    She was also a victim of a stigma regarding women in her country, but she didn¡¯t want to talk about it because it was far too traumatizing for her.


    Ultimately, all she could do was lower her head and act like nothing was wrong because she shouldn¡¯t speak about it, or she¡¯d be branded as a dirty woman.


    Kate lowered her head. She felt ashamed that she had told too many things to Mai.


    Of course, she wanted Mai to keep her good image of Kate as the Chief Editor.


    But at this point, Kate knew that she couldn¡¯t hide the secret much longer, "And about what I talked to Matt just now. Yes, my dad was a child molester. I reported him, and he got arrested and jailed for it. He¡¯s free now, though I don¡¯t know where he is, but the news broke out in my small town, and the local newspaper put it as a headline."


    "Matt is holding that newspaper clip and blackmailing me into giving him ten grand each month so that newspaper clip won¡¯t spread," Kate said. She scoffed again, but this time, she did it to laugh at herself and the circumstances surrounding her family.


    "I know I¡¯ve crushed your idealized image of the Chief Editor in your mind, Mai. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not as good and tough as you think. I¡¯m the daughter of a child molester, and my marriage is a mess," Kate lamented. "I suggest you not look up to me too much, Mai. I don¡¯t want to ruin your expectations even worse."


    Kate thought that Mai would leave her alone, probably disappointed that Kate wasn¡¯t the idol she wanted.


    But she actually felt Mai squeeze her hand tight and raise her voice, "What are you saying, Ma¡¯am? Do you think that revealing all of your struggles would make me lose my admiration for you?!"


    Mai¡¯s words just now caught Kate off guard, "I just thought that you expect me to be perfect."


    "No, Ma¡¯am. I idolize you because you¡¯re a strong and professional leader. But I also know you¡¯re just a human in the end," Mai said. "I didn¡¯t expect you to have so many awful experiences in your life, but now I know you¡¯re a human, just like me. So, I admire you even more now." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For what exactly?" Kate asked. "I don¡¯t have any qualities that you can praise."


    Mai sighed, "Ma¡¯am, stop downplaying yourself. You¡¯re still an amazing woman. You are able to keep your sanity even after so many things are happening to you. I think you should praise yourself for that."


    "Besides, now that I know your backstory, I feel much closer to you, Ma¡¯am," Mai said. She got a little shy, and her ear reddened, "I¡ªIf it¡¯s okay, I want to be your friend outside of work. O¡ªOf course, I will still be your dependable assistant at work! But, um... maybe we can be friends outside of work too?"

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238: Chapter 238Kate was a little surprised.


    Being friends was not inside her dictionary because she had never had friends before.


    Most people simply thought that Kate was too much of a nerd, and her family reputation in her small town wasn¡¯t helping either.


    So she was always alone or with Matt. She also never intended to make a friend because she thought she didn¡¯t need one when she could do everything all on her own.


    "Friends, huh..." Kate murmured. She was considering it for a while. She was thinking of any benefit she could get by befriending someone, and unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find one.


    She was the type of ride-or-die person in any relationship. She would be ready to sacrifice everything about her as long as her beloved would be safe.


    But because of that, she also became very vulnerable to people she trusted so much.


    ¡¯Should I trust her then?¡¯ Kate asked herself while staring at the shy Mai. ¡¯I mean, she has never hurt me. She¡¯s also adamant about standing by my side no matter what, even if she would lose her job before.¡¯


    Kate wanted to refuse, thinking that befriending someone would only put her in an even worse spot.


    But at the same time, she couldn¡¯t bear to break Mai¡¯s heart.


    She took a deep breath and replied, "Alright, let¡¯s be friends, Mai. But you should know that I won¡¯t always be available to you. I have my own life outside of work."


    Mai nodded vigorously, "I understand, Ma¡¯am. Honestly, in my home country, befriending someone is a big deal. I don¡¯t ask you for anything. I want you to know that you mean a lot to me, Ma¡¯am. This is not some meaningless banter we have here."


    Kate didn¡¯t know friendship could mean so much to Mai, but that was good because she knew she would eventually treat Mai like a sister from another mother. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She just wished Mai wouldn¡¯t betray her just like Erin did.


    Kate and Mai were in a more relaxed mood after Kate told the whole story.


    "Mai, can you call Michael to have lunch with us? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s also very hungry. I doubt he had his lunch yet," Kate said.


    "Ah¡ªuhm, sure, Ma¡¯am," Mai¡¯s cheeks reddened as she texted Michael and asked him to join them again.


    "Hm? Why are you blushing like that when I talk about Michael? Do you feel something about him?" Kate teased, and Mai panicked instantly.


    "N¡ªNot at all, Ma¡¯am! Nothing happened! I feel absolutely nothing!" Mai denied vehemently, and the more she denied, the funnier it got for Kate.


    In the end, she just chuckled as she got entertained by Mai¡¯s panic.


    **


    She returned to Henry¡¯s apartment after having lunch with Michael and Mai. She threw her bag onto the sofa and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.


    When she returned to the living room, she saw the front door was opened from the outside, and Henry walked in with panic in his eyes


    That panic was soon replaced with relief when he saw Kate standing in the corridor, drinking a glass of water before leaning on the wall.


    "Henry? What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you stay in your Dad¡¯s company for the meeting?"


    Henry ignored Kate¡¯s question.


    He strode towards her and then took the half-empty glass from Kate¡¯s hand. He drank it all and then put the glass on the small table before kissing Kate on the lips.


    "Mmh!" Kate was caught off guard, but before she could struggle, Henry quickly wrapped his hand around Kate¡¯s body to stop her from struggling and pressed his lips deeper into hers, ensuring that Kate knew the pressure he had all this time.


    Henry finally stopped once he felt Kate¡¯s body weakening, indicating she needed to breathe. He stared at the woman who was out of breath in his embrace, "Don¡¯t you dare to do that kind of stunt without me by your side. Do you know how worried I was when you said you would face Matt alone?"


    After that long kiss, Kate took a deep breath to recover and then replied, "Relax, handsome. Everything is under control."


    "It¡¯s not under control when I can¡¯t be by your side!" Henry insisted. "Goddamn it, Kate, why can¡¯t you rely on me a bit more, so I can be at peace in my heart!" Henry complained. "I¡¯d be far happier if you could take me seriously."


    Kate sighed.


    She somewhat understood Henry¡¯s concern.


    Meeting Matt today was indeed a plan that came out of the blue because Kate realized this was a golden opportunity she couldn¡¯t miss.


    "I do take you seriously," Kate admitted. "I told you not to come because I know you¡¯re working to give the company a huge capital investment."


    "Do you think that capital investment bullshit is far more valuable than you and our baby¡¯s safety?" Henry¡¯s gaze darkened. He got offended in the process. "I can inject that amount myself with my savings. I just thought that I should make you proud by earning the capital investment fair and square."


    "Did they approve the investment, though?"


    "Of course, they did. But it¡¯s not¡ª" Henry stopped talking when Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper, kissing him on the corner of his lips.


    "You did a great job, babe. Now, let¡¯s calm down, so we can talk about the result of my plan, okay?" Kate said gently as she tried to persuade Henry.


    Henry tried to keep a straight face, but after Kate kissed him again, he could only sigh and kiss her back, "You can¡¯t keep giving me a kiss just to calm me down. It¡¯s not fair because I will always be at a disadvantage."


    "It¡¯s all fair in the game of love," Kate teased, and Henry¡¯s raging heart eventually melted into a puddle.


    "Alright, I will forgive you. But please don¡¯t do this again, Kitty. You¡¯re going to kill me with anxiety."

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239: Chapter 239Kate chuckled, "Well, the good thing is, I got solid proof that I need to annul my prenup. With this, Matt wouldn¡¯t be able to get fifty percent of my assets."


    "Okay, let¡¯s hear what you get after a life-threatening mission you did just now," Henry said.


    Kate grinned. She grabbed Henry¡¯s hand and led him to the sofa, they sat side by side, and Kate rested on Henry¡¯s strong chest as she unlocked her phone.


    First, she opened her file and allowed Henry to listen to the phone recording between Kate and Matt.


    Henry listened seriously, and his expression quickly turned from curious to furious.


    "That bastard!" He cursed. "How dare he blackmail you with something absolutely out of your control?!"


    Kate raised her brow, "Hm? You won¡¯t persecute me because my dad was a child molester? I mean, many people would probably think that I¡¯m also as bad as my father."


    "Nonsense!" Henry denied vehemently. "A child does not bear their father¡¯s sin! "


    ...


    Kate didn¡¯t know why, but somehow she felt there was something deeper when Henry said the last sentence. But she didn¡¯t think much about it.


    She then opened her gallery and played the video that Mai recorded this noon for Henry to watch.


    Again, Henry¡¯s expression turned from anger to absolute rage. Kate thought he was exaggerating, but when he saw his face turn red because of anger, she held his hand after the video ended, "Henry, are you okay?"


    "Am I okay?" Henry scoffed as he found the situation ridiculous. "Do you think I will be okay to see my woman crying while getting blackmailed? Do you think I¡¯m a heartless sadist?"


    Kate sighed, "Hey, calm down, okay? It¡¯s all just pretense."


    "BUT IT LOOKS SO REAL TO ME!" Henry snapped. "Besides, did you actually give him ten grand?"


    "Yes."


    "What in the¡ªWhy would you do that?!"


    "Because ten grand is far cheaper than half of my assets," Kate replied as she was firm in her decision. "I have to make it believable, so I¡¯m using real money. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s my money, not yours."


    "I¡¯d be happier if you used my money instead of yours," Henry complained.


    "But we got the video we needed. I will send this video to Graham later, so he will see that I have a solid ground to annul the prenup," Kate said.


    "Tsk, I can¡¯t argue with that," Henry admitted. "It¡¯s hard proof that can¡¯t be denied in the court. That deadbeat bastard¡¯s demise has been sealed."


    Kate saw that Henry was still angry about the whole thing, which was understandable. He mentioned many times that he wished Kate would rely on him more. Maybe it was the man¡¯s pride he talked about before.


    Other than dealing with Erin, Kate was very capable of dealing with her problem all by herself. So it might make him feel less important.


    Thus, Kate snuggled on Henry¡¯s chest and sniffed to get the smell of her man. She didn¡¯t know if this was just the pregnancy hormone or maybe she got a little crazy.


    But she liked Henry¡¯s masculine body scent and constantly craved to snuggle with him.


    "Babe, don¡¯t be upset, okay? We get everything we need. Besides, I also have a little surprise for Matt."


    Henry gently caressed her hair and kissed the top of Kate¡¯s head, "What kind of surprise? I hope it¡¯s a bad one."


    "Oh, sure is," Kate giggled. "Hihi, you will see that ten grand will pop like a bubble, leaving nothing for him to spend."


    Henry didn¡¯t know what was on Kate¡¯s mind, but whatever that was, he trusted that Kate must have a brilliant idea.


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but get fascinated and also frustrated.


    He was fascinated by how amazingly crafty Kate could be, but he was also frustrated because he wanted to do more for Kate.


    He wanted Kate to know that he was always ready to do whatever she wanted had she asked.


    ¡¯I guess I have to be more active from now on,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I can¡¯t just wait for her to give me a command. I have to be more active to protect her and our baby.¡¯


    Henry rubbed Kate¡¯s belly and yapped, "Don¡¯t stress yourself too much. You might hurt yourself and our baby!"


    "Yes, darling. I will be more careful from now on, so rest assured, okay?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry¡¯s cheeks reddened when Kate kept on teasing him with sweet calls. It made him feel so fuzzy all over, "You¡¯re so unfair."


    **


    Matt was so happy that he got the ten grand as promised by Kate. The first thing he did was to go to a game shop and buy a PS 5 alongside a few games he wanted.


    Second, he paid the utility bills. Third, he went to his favorite restaurant and ordered an expensive lunch.


    He returned to the apartment after he had his fill. He still had a lot of money left, enough for him to stay until next month.


    "And by that time, I will threaten her again, so she will give me ten grand," Matt said. He threw his old jacket to the sofa and began counting the money again. "Haha, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so easy to blackmail her. I should¡¯ve done this way sooner!"


    Matt knew that his mother must be craving the money as well. So he called her while counting the money.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mary to pick it up.


    ¡ª


    "How was it, Son? Did you get the money from her?" Mary asked.


    "Yes, Mom! I got ten grand!" Matt replied honestly, like a good, obedient son. "Damn, I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so damn easy to blackmail her. We could¡¯ve done this way sooner!"


    "Hehe, that¡¯s good, Son. I¡¯m currently busy cleaning every valuable piece of furniture in Hilda¡¯s house," Mary said. "This could take the whole night, but I¡¯m willing to do this for extra money!"


    "Oh?" Matt had a guess in his head, but he wanted to know more. "What are you going to do with Hilda¡¯s furniture, Mom?"

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240: Chapter 240¡ª


    "Sell them, of course!" Mary replied. "That cash cow wife of yours actually bought a lot of expensive stuff for her mother. Can you believe she bought an Italian-made sofa, an authentic Chinese vase, and a grand piano? There are also many other things in this dusty house worth a lot of money!"


    "Damn, really?!" Matt was surprised by the revelation. Kate never talked about buying anything expensive for her mother all this time. She simply said that Hilda got an allowance from her because she was old and didn¡¯t have enough pension money, unlike Mary.


    "Yes! God, I¡¯m so angry at her for hiding this stuff from me!" Mary yelled. "How come she sends a lot of money to her Mom but not to her mother-in-law? I am her dying mother¡¯s caretaker. I should be paid at least ten grand per month too!"


    "That¡¯s why, Son. You shouldn¡¯t hesitate when you ask for more money from her!" Mary encouraged her son even more. "She never shares money with us, so it¡¯s time for us to take our rights! She needs to send us as much money as possible as compensation for five years of financial damage!"


    Matt got encouraged by his mother¡¯s words.


    ¡¯She is right. How come I have to beg or even blackmail her so that she could give me my money? How come Hilda gets everything she wants? It¡¯s unfair!¡¯


    Matt felt guilty when he asked for more money from Kate, especially when she was crying in front of him.


    But now, he could freely shed those guilt as he was claiming his rightful money!


    "You¡¯re right, Mom. You should empty Hilda¡¯s house. After all, there is almost zero chance that Hilda will ever return. She was sent to a nursing facility far from us, and nobody knows except Kate," Matt said. "So sell everything and leave nothing behind. It¡¯s your right!"


    "I will sell all of this expensive stuff tomorrow morning, son! Your Mom will have a lot of money!" Mary said. "Though, I still want you to send money to me, okay? Just send me four thousand. That should be enough since I¡¯m also selling the furniture."


    Matt was a bit relieved that his Mom didn¡¯t ask for more. After all, he used at least a grand just now to buy the game, pay the utility bills, and eat in his favorite restaurant.


    "I will send four grand into your account tomorrow, Mom. Then, I will send the same amount next month, okay?"


    "Sure! Thank you so much, Matt. I know you¡¯re still my amazing son!" Mary said proudly. "Don¡¯t listen to what others say, okay? Even if you¡¯re not a successful actor or director, as long as you can give me monthly money through whatever means, you¡¯re still my great son!"


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened.


    He got a bit teary because he felt relieved.


    All this time, he was scared that his mother would not accept him because he wasn¡¯t the successful actor or director he claimed to be.


    He was just a useless man who couldn¡¯t find an acting gig, and he refused to find a regular peasant job that would dirty his handsome and expensive face.


    But now that his mother finally accepted him, he had nothing else to hide.


    He would get all the money he deserved from Kate!


    "I¡¯ll talk to you later, Matt. I¡¯m still busy cleaning these things. I might not be done by evening at this point," Mary said. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mhm, goodbye, Mom."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "YES!"


    Matt celebrated his newfound freedom. Now he didn¡¯t need to hide anything. He could return to his old lazy life of playing games all day and watching movies or anime.


    He also didn¡¯t need to worry about money because everything was back to normal, with Kate as his money making cow.


    "I am finally free!"


    **


    Mary finished cleaning everything by dusk. She wiped the sweat on her forehead and looked at everything she wanted to sell tomorrow.


    "Should I sell them somewhere or put them in a garage sale? I¡¯m sure many will buy these expensive things without thinking twice."


    Mary began to weigh the good and bad and decided to hold a garage sale for them all, "I¡¯ll call Harry and his friend to come and move everything to my garage tomorrow morning, then I will put up a garage sale sign and announce it on Facebook too!"


    Mary thought that her plan was perfect. She imagined all the money she could get by selling Hilda¡¯s stuff.


    Little did she know Officer Bernard and his colleague had been parking his non-police car near Hilda¡¯s house. They had been spying on Mary, who came in and out of Hilda¡¯s house. She was so busy cleaning so much furniture that she didn¡¯t notice their car.


    Just like what Kate said on the call today. She got a report about a break-in, and Mary was the one who trespassed the whole time.


    "Do you think we should arrest her now?" Bernard¡¯s colleague asked as she watched the movement inside the house.


    "Now is not the right time," Bernard said. "Mary has always been a problematic woman in this town. But we can¡¯t just arrest and accuse her of trespassing and stealing. She will defend herself by saying that she¡¯s Hilda¡¯s friend and just doing a clean-up for Hilda¡¯s home."


    "We need to catch her when she sells all those expensive furniture. Hilda¡¯s house has too many big and expensive things, so I think Mary will open a garage sale."


    The colleague nodded but asked, "But what if she said Hilda asked her to sell those furniture?"


    "She can¡¯t use that alibi because that house belongs to Kate now, and as the rightful owner of the house, Kate told me to arrest Mary in case she got caught selling the furniture. Because Kate never gives her consent."


    Bernard continued spying and chuckled as he imagined Mary¡¯s face when she got arrested later, "Let¡¯s see if she can pay the bail."

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241: Chapter 241Mary called Harry and told him to bring one friend tomorrow, and when he asked what for, she simply said


    -


    "I want to give you the money you want. But you have to work a little for me."


    -


    Harry was a little confused by the request but was actually short of money.


    He also had a girlfriend outside named Shea, and his girlfriend was very needy. She was beautiful but spoiled and somewhat of a ditz.


    "Did Mary call you just now?" She asked as she lay on the bed with Harry.


    "Yes, that old hag called me. She has the money for me, but I must do something first. She also told me to bring a friend with me," Harry replied. He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out the window.


    "Well, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it, as long as she gets us the money, right?" Shea said. She giggled as she found it funny. "That old woman is such an idiot. Does she think that you¡¯re actually in love with her?"


    "I think she knows that I¡¯m not in love with her. But she loves me, and that¡¯s the only important thing in her head," Harry said. He also chuckled as he thought how stupid Mary was. "Can¡¯t lie, though. She¡¯s such an idiot. She still believes I¡¯m using her money to fund my music career." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Muahahaha! Okay, that¡¯s just so funny!" Shea laughed as well.


    Harry had long abandoned his dream as a musician. He was never serious about it in the first place, it was more like a passion project in high school, and once he graduated, he simply lost interest.


    He was thinking about going part-time in a fast food chain until he got a proper job somewhere because he had no money to go to college.


    But his life had become very easy with that old Mary who suddenly fell in love with him.


    "We still have to thank her, though. She is the one who gives us this comfortable life," Harry said.


    He had been using Mary¡¯s money to fund his life with Shea. They went on a vacation to many countries using that money, though Harry always told Mary that he was busy because he attended a concert booked there.


    "Can you believe she only gives me a grand and a half this month? Her son is a director in Los Angeles," Harry complained.


    "Yeah, that doesn¡¯t make sense at all. A director must¡¯ve earned a lot!" Shea said. "You should squeeze her for more money tomorrow! I want to have a trip to Paris next month!"


    Harry smiled, "Sure, I need at least six thousand from her this month. I¡¯ll just say I need to record my album or whatever."


    "Yay! You¡¯re the best, babe!" Shea kissed Harry¡¯s lips before snatching the cigarette from his fingers. She sucked on it and blew the smoke into the air, creating a haze inside the room.


    They giggled as they kissed again before doing fun stuff while imagining their trip to Paris.


    **


    Mary woke up the next day feeling energized. She was ready for the big day because she would earn a lot of money today.


    She spent the whole night posting some of the more expensive stuff, such as the grand piano, on social media because she knew there weren¡¯t many rich people in this community who would willingly buy a grand piano.


    Luckily, she got a buyer who said they¡¯d go for a two-hour drive with a big box van just to carry that grand piano.


    "Ah, this is going to be a beautiful day," she murmured as she washed herself and dressed up. She wanted to look perfect while earning all the money she deserved.


    She opened the door and saw Harry and his male friend parked their car in front of her house.


    Harry approached Mary and asked, "What¡¯s the deal here? You said you would give me money if I did something for you."


    Mary felt hurt because Harry didn¡¯t apologize for yelling at her yesterday. But she understood that Harry wouldn¡¯t treat her well until she gave him money, it had become a norm in this relationship that it didn¡¯t shock her anymore.


    Unfortunately, Mary was willing to spend as much money as possible in exchange for his affection. She didn¡¯t care if her son kept calling her out for her ridiculous behavior. She was just a woman in love and willing to give it all for her man.


    "Good morning, handsome. Yes, I will give you the money you want, but you have to help me with a small task," Mary said with a smile.


    "And what is it? Hurry up, you know I need the money to fund my album release," Harry pressured.


    Mary pointed at Hilda¡¯s home and said, "You know Hilda, right? She¡¯s currently in the nursing facility indefinitely and told me to sell every piece of furniture in her house. I want you and your friend to go there and take everything out. I already cleaned them all last night and will open a garage sale."


    Harry frowned, "Are you telling me to do some hard labor for cheap stuff? That house looks old. I doubt there¡¯s anything expensive there."


    "Oh, trust me in this one, Harry. I guarantee you will get at least seven thousand from me," Mary said. "There is a lot of expensive stuff there. It¡¯s a gold mine waiting to be discovered."


    Harry¡¯s eyes widened, "Seven thousand?!"


    "Yes, I can give you seven thousand as long as you help me to move everything into my garage. All of the customers will come soon, so you should hurry, okay?" Mary said. "I will put the garage sale sign in my garden."


    Harry salivated as he imagined seven grand¡ªor probably even more than that as long as he could force Mary to give him more!


    He looked at his friend and said, "Let¡¯s go, Mark. I¡¯ll give you a cut later!"

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242: Chapter 242Harry and his friend, Mark, worked together to move many pieces of furniture from Hilda¡¯s house to the garage. It was almost winter, so the weather was quite cold, but that didn¡¯t stop them at all.


    Harry¡¯s mind was filled with the idea of seven or even ten thousand bucks! He imagined he didn¡¯t need to meet Mary for at least two months with that money!


    He could spend his time with his real girlfriend, and they could go on a road trip this weekend, then they could either go to Paris and enjoy the beautiful winter there or go to Hawaii for warmer weather a month from now.


    Mary got consecutive calls from potential buyers that saw her listing on Facebook and other online sites. She got busy telling them her exact address, and it only took about an hour for her first customer to come.


    It was a woman who wanted to buy an authentic Chinese vase. Mary didn¡¯t know the exact price, but when she said she would sell it starting from five grand, the buyer said yes immediately.


    Thus, Mary guessed the vase must¡¯ve been worth a lot more.


    Well, she didn¡¯t care, though.


    She needed to sell them all quickly to get the money and resume her life with Harry.


    The woman parked her car behind Harry¡¯s car and came out with a big smile, "I¡¯m here for the vase," she told Mary.


    "I just cleaned it. You can check it first. This way, please," Mary said as she led the woman into the garage. They talked about the price, and as promised, the woman paid 5500 grand for the vase without question. Since the vase wasn¡¯t big, Mary and the buyer could easily carry it together and put it in the backseat of the buyer¡¯s car.


    The woman gave her the amount needed, and Mary counted the money in front of the buyer to make sure. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Little did they know the whole transaction had been witnessed by Bernard and his colleague, who had been spying on them from afar. They waited for the transaction to be done and then took a picture because they needed solid proof of Mary¡¯s trespassing and thievery.


    "Okay, let¡¯s arrest that old woman," Bernard said. He looked at his colleague and said, "Try to stop that woman who bought the vase just now. We need her testimony as well."


    "Got it."


    Mary was enjoying the fruit of her labor for a few minutes, but that joy soon vanished when she saw a police car approaching her house and Officer Bernard walking out of the car with a gesture that indicated he came with aggression.


    Mary quickly shoved the money into her pocket and walked towards him with a smile, "G¡ªGood morning, Officer. Can I help you with something?"


    "Uh-huh," Bernard said. He looked around and inquired, "Are you doing a garage sale?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir, I need to get rid of a few things."


    "I see..."


    Bernard walked into the garage uninvited, traced his finger to an Italian-made couch, and then to the antique grandfather clock with intricate design and gold dial inside.


    "You¡¯re going to sell this expensive stuff in a garage sale? Are you sure?" Bernard asked more.


    He knew the answer anyway but wanted to see how long Mary would stay strong until she broke down in tears.


    "Yes, Officer, I¡¯m sure," Mary tried to convince Bernard, though she doubted he would believe her so easily.


    Mary wasn¡¯t blind, she knew that her reputation in this small town was probably the worst, but she didn¡¯t care. What was the point of listening to the neighbor¡¯s gossip? When they couldn¡¯t feed her stomach and make her boyfriend stay?


    "I see," Bernard smiled. He turned around and faced the old lady who was hated by the community for various reasons. "Have you asked for the permission of the owner?"


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened.


    Her body trembled nervously, but she tried her best to look normal.


    She nervously smiled and acted clueless, "W¡ªWhat are you saying, Officer? This is all mine. Why do I have to ask for permission from others?"


    "Don¡¯t lie to me, Mary. We both know you don¡¯t have the money to afford this," Bernard said.


    "My son is a director! He has the money to buy me these!" Mary insisted.


    Normally, Bernard wouldn¡¯t say anything after that because everyone in the community knew that Matt was a director. At least, it was what Mary claimed.


    But Bernard already knew the full truth because Kate called him last night to inform her in case Mary tried to bullshit her way through the law.


    "You also don¡¯t need to lie, Mary," Bernard said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Your daughter-in-law confirmed it to me. She said you and your son earned money by blackmailing her with David Ross¡¯ newspaper clip from years ago. I have solid proof of everything, and though I cannot charge you for blackmailing because the one who did it is your son, I can arrest you for other crimes."


    Bernard swept his gaze across the garage and pointed at Hilda¡¯s house, "Everything comes from that house, right? Kate is the one who bought everything to decorate her mother¡¯s house."


    Mary¡¯s face paled instantly.


    She didn¡¯t expect Kate to be in cahoot with the Officer. She must¡¯ve planned everything just to trap Mary.


    Mary didn¡¯t know how Kate found out that she was selling her house¡¯s furniture, but she had to find a way out of this sticky situation! She didn¡¯t want to get arrested!


    "H¡ªHilda is old. She told me to sell everything but probably forgot to tell her daughter about the garage sale. It¡¯s not my fault that Hilda starts to get dementia!" Mary said.


    "Kate also told me that you have no contact with her. She restricts Hilda from being in contact with anyone, so there is no way she permits you to sell everything," Bernard took the handcuff from his back pocket and declared, "Mary Woods, you¡¯re under arrest for trespassing on private property and thievery."

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243: Chapter 243"W¡ªWait, this is unfair!" Mary yelled. She took a step back as she wanted to avoid the handcuff. "K¡ªKate told me to sell everything! I¡¯m just doing what she wants me to do!"


    "You keep changing your alibi. You said everything is yours, then it¡¯s Hilda who told you to sell these, and now it¡¯s Kate¡¯s order? It would be best to keep a linear alibi in the police station later," Bernard said while unlocking the handcuff.


    Mary was so scared. She was an old woman with a clean record. She had a few offenses, but never enough to warrant her arrest.


    If she got arrested and jailed, what would the neighbors say about her?! They would be gossiping about the old lady who was a thief!


    Bernard was about to grab her hand, and she pulled it immediately. She then turned around and ran as fast as she could.


    Unfortunately, she was old and somewhat overweight, making it hard for her to run. Bernard clicked his tongue in annoyance and grabbed her by her arm. Though he was annoyed by this old woman, just like the rest of the community, he still had to use less force because she was an old lady.


    He quickly handcuffed her hands and pulled her by her arm to sit on the Italian Made sofa she was about to sell.


    "AHHH! WAIT! THIS IS UNFAIR! YOU CAN¡¯T ARREST ME LIKE THIS!" Mary yelled as she struggled to break free. She didn¡¯t care if her wrists would be bruised because of the friction with the steel handcuff. Her mind was now preoccupied with the idea of escaping jail time!!


    "LET ME GO! LET ME GO, OR I WILL SCREAM HARDER!" Mary threatened, but Bernard ignored her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stay right here, Mary. The more you try to fight me, the harder it will be for you once we bring you to my turf," Bernard warned.


    Mary calmed down after getting threatened, but her eyes were still rage-filled. She was so angry at this whole thing because she felt that Kate had trapped her.


    After ensuring that Mary wouldn¡¯t struggle, he darted his eyes back at Hilda¡¯s house and saw two young men lifting a Grand Piano together. It looked so heavy that their faces got very red, and veins popped out of their temples.


    "HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Bernard yelled.


    Harry and Mark jolted at the same time. They saw a burly police officer rushing towards them.


    They panicked and ran to their car as quickly as they could.


    Mary saw Harry and his friend running away from the officer and yelled, "HARRY! SAVE ME! TAKE ME AWAY! I DON¡¯T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!"


    Harry looked at Mary for a moment. She was also desperate and was on the verge of tears. But Harry didn¡¯t care about that.


    He already guessed that Mary must¡¯ve broken into Hilda¡¯s house to steal all of these, but he thought as long as nobody knew about this, then they would be safe.


    However, since the cop was involved today, he didn¡¯t want to go to jail because he got arrested once for drug possession.


    He probably had to serve real jail time if he got arrested for the second time.


    "Harry? HARRY!" Mary shouted when she realized that Harry would leave without her.


    Harry said nothing. He quickly turned on the car engine and pressed the gas pedal before Officer Bernard could reach him.


    "Ah, damn it!" Bernard cursed when he saw the car drift before he could catch them.


    But he wasn¡¯t worried, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to locate those two, because he had the girlfriend tied up.


    Bernard turned around and sighed at Mary. He put his hand on his hips and said, "Well, it¡¯s only you and I now, Mary. Why don¡¯t we talk at the police station? I¡¯m sure that you have a lot to say."


    Mary said nothing to Officer Bernard.


    She was too shocked to see Harry, who didn¡¯t even say anything to her.


    He just ran away with his friend, leaving her alone to deal with this mess.


    It was like a huge wake-up slap for her because she at least expected Harry to help her in a dire time.


    "Wait, why are you making that sad face?" Bernard asked. "Surely, you don¡¯t think that guy will fall in love with you, right? No offense, Mary, but I saw that guy in the local Sunday market with his girlfriend. She was around his age, and they looked fine together."


    Mary bit her lower lip. She lowered her head and muttered, "Just bring me now, Officer. No need to rub the salt on my wound."


    "Heh, I don¡¯t understand you and your infatuation, but alright," Bernard helped Mary stand up, then slowly escorted her to the police car that had just arrived after chasing the woman who bought the vase.


    The colleague exited the car to help Officer Bernard, "The woman is coming with us to the police station. But those two men who worked with her are nowhere to be found. They are too fast."


    "Don¡¯t worry about that one," Bernard said. He stared at Mary, who was still in shock. "I¡¯m sure Mary here will help us find those two men. After all, she doesn¡¯t want to end up in jail alone, right?"


    Mary said nothing, nor did she make a gesture that showed she agreed with Bernard¡¯s remark.


    But Bernard knew it shouldn¡¯t be hard to pressure her. After all, the rumor of Mary getting heads over heels for a young man had been circulating for a few months, and it seemed to be true.


    Officer Bernard smiled and told his colleague, "You should stay here, Officer Mckinney. Call for support because we need another officer to watch over this area. Each of these pieces of furniture is expensive. Some people might steal them while we are away."


    "Got it," Officer Mckinney nodded. She looked around the area and commented, "Maybe you should call for Mrs. Katherine Woods later. Her house definitely needs some security measures, maybe CCTV or something."

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244: Chapter 244Officer Mckinney glanced at Bernard and grinned, "You should call her later. You two are quite close, right?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah¡ªhaha¡ª" Bernard felt shy instantly. He would be lying if he said he had no interest in Kate.


    After all, Kate was absolutely stunning. Aside from her beauty, she was also brilliant and showed her capability to be able to earn a lot of money in Los Angeles. She was a complete package for a woman.


    Bernard had his eyes on her since they were in high school, but he was a nerd that no girl liked, and Kate was already dating the most popular boy in the school, so he had no chance.


    He thought he had no chance for the rest of his life, but things were much different now.


    Kate gave him a hint that her marriage was on the brink of divorce, and she and Matt had been separating.


    On top of that, Matt¡¯s absolutely shameless and cruel behavior to blackmail her for the sin that her father did already burned all the remaining love she had left for him.


    ¡¯I think I have a chance,¡¯ Bernard thought as he imagined Kate again. She must¡¯ve looked even prettier now.


    Unfortunately, his imagination was short-lived when Mckinney elbowed him, "Hey, now it¡¯s not the time. You need to bring her to the station," she said while pointing at Mary, who was too shocked to function right now.


    "Oh, okay. Don¡¯t forget to call for help to secure the area. Mary will go with me."


    **


    Mary didn¡¯t do much when she was shoved into the police car.


    Officer Bernard tried to talk to her a few times, but she didn¡¯t respond. She simply lowered her head like a meek old woman, and stayed silent until they reached the police station.


    Bernard pushed her into the interrogation room, and much to his surprise, she didn¡¯t fight back at all. She was interviewed by himself, and she was finally honest with everything.


    "I only have two thousand dollars for this month, but I have a boyfriend that wants at least five thousand every month. I could do that before, because my son always sent me money. But because he stopped working as a director, I lost my only source of big income," Mary admitted.


    Bernard already knew from Kate that Matt did not work at all. He refused to work and hadn¡¯t been earning significant money since the day they married.


    So Bernard could easily connect the dots.


    Matt must¡¯ve threatened Kate, so Kate was forced to give him money every single month. But now that they were separating, Kate must¡¯ve broken free from the restraint and refused to give more money to her deadbeat husband.


    But Bernard didn¡¯t want to refute Mary now. She was in limbo. She must¡¯ve been heartbroken seeing her boyfriend leave her as if she had no worth.


    "So you break into Hilda¡¯s house to check on her furniture to sell?" Bernard asked.


    Mary nodded, "I was just trying to steal anything valuable that I can sell. But I didn¡¯t expect her to have a lot of expensive furniture. I never checked her furniture before because I was busy watching over her poor health."


    "So you decide to sell all of that expensive furniture," Bernard wrote in his note. "Did you check her room as well? Kate told me you sent a picture of a newspaper clipping about her father, and she said her mother had it framed in her room."


    "I need money so Harry can be happy and stay with me," Mary said. "I was so desperate for extra money that I turned a blind eye to everything."


    Bernard sighed.


    He pitied the victims of the love trap.


    Usually, those young and attractive men and women would seduce the lonely elderly with sweet words and false hope, and thus, make those elders fall in love.


    In the end, they were just leeches who would guilt the elderly into draining their retirement savings, and once those elderly had nothing left, they just left to find other old people to trap.


    There had been so many cases similar to Mary, but Bernard couldn¡¯t stop them.


    Love was a complicated matter, after all.


    "You know that he is just taking advantage of you, right?" Bernard reminded me. "Look at him running away when I was about to arrest them. He left you without a second thought."


    "I know..." Mary murmured. "I know he doesn¡¯t love me. I was just lonely, and I thought I could do anything as long as I could spend my time with him."


    Bernard had no more things to say about this.


    He knew no matter how hard he tried to shake some sense into her, she would still love that man.


    "I can turn them into your accomplice as long as you give me a statement that they are in cahoot with you. I also need your help regarding their personal information, such as their full name and other means of identification."


    Bernard thought that Mary would refuse.


    But she actually mentioned his full name, "Harry Arnold Mann. That is the name of my young lover. I want him to be charged as my accomplice. I don¡¯t know his friend, though. I don¡¯t want to charge him because he¡¯s just helping Harry. He knows nothing about my break-in and stealing."


    Bernard was caught off guard, but he quickly noted down the name. It should be easy to identify that young man.


    "Thank you for your cooperation, Mary," Bernard said. "Unfortunately, I still have to process your crime. You have been charged with trespassing and thievery."


    "It¡¯s all up to Kate since she is the homeowner, and she told me to arrest you in case I caught you red-handed," Bernard said. He took out his phone and showed the phone screen with ¡¯Katherine Woods¡¯ as the contact name. "I will call her now. If you beg her enough, she might drop the charge, and you will be free to go."

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245: Chapter 245Mary stared at the phone screen shoved to her face. She saw ¡¯Katherine Woods¡¯ name on it, and the call was connected after a few rings.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Officer Bernard. Is there any update regarding my home?" Kate¡¯s gentle yet firm voice filled the small interrogation room. Mary didn¡¯t know why, but she felt the pressure from Kate¡¯s voice even though Kate wasn¡¯t talking to her on the phone.


    "Good morning, Kate¡ªI mean, Mrs. Woods," Bernard panicked. He was so used to being called Benny by Kate. So he talked informally with her by default.


    He wanted to call her Kitty, but he thought that was way too intimate because nobody in high school ever called her Kitty, while many people in high school back then called him Benny.


    "We checked your house this morning and found out that your mother-in-law, Mary Woods, has been breaking in and putting all the furniture you have on sale."


    Kate gasped, acting as if she was surprised even though she already guessed so. How else would Matt be able to get his hand on the newspaper clip?


    "Oh my god, really? But I gave Matt at least seven thousand dollars each month, and I know he has been sending half or even more of that money to Mary. How could she suddenly need money when she doesn¡¯t need much to live there?" Kate asked. "Besides, I stopped giving Matt money for about two to three months at best. There is no way Mary would blow up all of the money Matt gave, right?"


    ...


    Bernard stared at Mary, who was unresponsive. She didn¡¯t answer and simply lowered her head while murmuring about something inaudible.


    Thus, Bernard took control of the conversation and replied on behalf of Mary, "She has a boyfriend that demands her at least five thousand a month. She is in a desperate attempt to make her boyfriend happy, and robbing your house is the way to go, apparently."


    "That is sad," Kate sighed. "All of the money goes to waste just because Mary dates someone who can¡¯t even find a proper job, just like her son."


    Mary felt that she had been shot when Kate said that. She knew that Kate must be grinning like a madwoman, probably laughing at Mary¡¯s misery, knowing that her plan to trap Mary succeeded.


    "Well, she is still your mother-in-law, and you are the homeowner, not Hilda. So I give her a chance to plead, so maybe you will be kind enough to forgive her and drop the charge," Bernard said.


    "Hmm, but where is she right now, Officer? I haven¡¯t heard her voice at all."


    "Oh, she is sitting right in front of me. She¡¯s still mentally shocked because her boyfriend ran away without even trying to help her," Bernard replied. He put the phone on the table and slid it in front of Mary so they could speak, of course with the speaker on, so Bernard could listen to what they were talking about. "It¡¯s your chance, Mary. Go and talk to her."


    "Mary?"


    ...


    There was no answer from the other side. It seemed that Mary had already guessed Kate was behind her arrest.


    "Are you seriously not going to ask for my forgiveness? I¡¯m not that cruel, Mary. It¡¯s you who started it," Kate said.


    After a while, Mary finally opened her mouth, "You could¡¯ve just called me and said that you knew everything. Why are you making a show of me? Everyone in the neighborhood will call me a thieving old lady now."


    "Is it really my fault?" Kate taunted. "I¡¯ve been giving your son at least seven to ten grand every month. He sent at least half of it to you. But where is the money now? Do you give everything to your boy toy?"


    Mary was triggered when Kate called Harry a boy toy, and she denied it vehemently, "Harry is not a boy toy! We¡¯re in love, and I¡¯m just trying to support his music career! You just need to wait, and he will be an extremely successful musician!" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hm, sounds familiar," Kate taunted. "Oh, I remember a man who is just like your boy toy, Harry. His name is Matthew Woods. Five years ago, he told me he would be an amazing actor whose face would decorate Hollywood. He forced me to give him as much money as possible, and what did I get after five years?"


    Kate chuckled as she found the whole situation so comedic and karmic.


    "Nothing, exactly," Kate said. "I get nothing other than disappointment after funding him for five years, keeping up with his fragile ego, and saying nothing when you cursed me just because I¡¯m barren."


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened, she opened her mouth, but no voice came out. She didn¡¯t know how to refute Kate because what she said made sense.


    As much as she hated to admit it, Harry and her son were exactly the same.


    They were both useless men who relied on their women for money. There was no denying that.


    "Actually, I wouldn¡¯t know about your plan to sell my house¡¯s furniture because I have no security system. But you got greedy, took pictures of the newspaper clip in my mother¡¯s room, and told your son to blackmail me with it."


    "So I know you must¡¯ve broken into my house, possibly selling everything inside just to fund your boyfriend so he wouldn¡¯t leave you," Kate said with certainty.


    Mary curled her lips. She had no objection because Kate already knew about everything anyway. In the end, she just admitted, "Alright, I admit that I got greedy thinking I could get a lot more from you and your house. But this is because you stopped giving money to Matt, so I got desperate."


    "Why would I give money to a cheating bastard who can¡¯t even hold a job?" Kate said coldly. "I tolerated him many times, and all I asked was his loyalty. But he cheated. He slept with my sister. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot who would tolerate that?"

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246: Chapter 246"Everything I did up until now is a response to what you did. It is also a defense mechanism because why would I be the idiot who allows my equally leeching mother-in-law to steal from my house? You won¡¯t get arrested if you¡¯re not greedy."


    Again, Mary had no way to debate Kate because everything Kate said was true. It was also partly Mary¡¯s fault for thinking she could get much more.


    "I already admitted everything, Kate. What else do you want?" Mary said. "I¡¯m sorry that I blackmailed you, and I¡¯m sorry that I wanted to steal things from your home. Why don¡¯t you drop the charge now? Surely you don¡¯t want an old lady like me to be thrown into jail, right?"


    "Drop the charge? Of course not," Kate refused lightly.


    "YOU¡ª!!"


    "But don¡¯t worry, Mary," Kate said. "I think your offense is not that big. Besides, you haven¡¯t sold anything from my house, right?"


    "Unfortunately, she did," Bernard interrupted. "She sold an authentic Chinese vase with dragon carving on it. I don¡¯t know how much it cost originally, but Mary sold it for 5500 dollars."


    "Ouch, what a steal," Kate said. "It¡¯s indeed authentic, and I bought it as a collector¡¯s item. It was fifteen thousand dollars when I purchased it through bidding."


    Both Mary and Bernard were in shock when Kate gave the original number.


    No wonder that lady would buy that vase for five thousand dollars without trying to haggle. It was a damn steal!


    "Well, since the woman has purchased the vase for five thousand bucks, then I guess she is entitled to it," Kate said. "I don¡¯t want my mother-in-law to be in jail, but I know things would stay the same if she is given another chance. So I will not drop the charge."


    Mary felt that blood had been drained out of her body. She didn¡¯t expect Kate to be that cruel to her old mother-in-law.


    "But her crime is not severe. Surely she can be bailed out, right, Officer?" Kate asked.


    "Indeed, she can be bailed out. We will determine the bail amount later, but I¡¯m unsure if you want to bail her out."


    "Me? Why would I bail her out?" Kate chuckled. "She has a son that loves her so~ much. I gave him ten grand yesterday because he blackmailed me with that newspaper clip. Though I won¡¯t drop the charge, I know Mary¡¯s action is not severe, and she should be able to get bailed out of jail. Now you know what I¡¯m saying, right, Officer?"


    "Yes," Bernard replied. He knew what Kate wanted to do. She silently demanded Bernard post a bail that should be enough for Matt to afford with that ten grand given by Kate yesterday.


    It was a very cruel way of shattering someone¡¯s hope.


    Kate gave Matt that ten grand to make him happy, thinking he would have a happy life by blackmailing his wife.


    But Kate got her revenge by jailing Matt¡¯s mother, forcing him to pay for the bail that would drain all of that money in a blink of an eye.


    It was cruel, yet it fascinated Bernard so much.


    It showed how brilliant she was and how vengeful she could be against those who wronged her.


    Bernard¡¯s heartbeat started racing, but he kept his composure as he still had to maintain professionalism at work.


    "Well, I think that¡¯s all. I¡¯m waiting for good news from you, Officer Bernard," Kate said. "And for you, Mary. I hope your son loves you enough to drain all that money from blackmailing me to bail you out. Remember that I will not hesitate to put you into an even worse situation if you dare to do this kind of bullshit to me again."


    "Goodbye, Mary."


    Beep.


    ¡ª Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bernard pocketed his phone and stared at Mary, who was shocked by Kate¡¯s cruelty just now.


    "You got your answer, Mary," Bernard said. "She won¡¯t drop the charge, but she is right. This is not a severe crime. So I can set up a bail that your son can pay to let you out. Let¡¯s just hope that your son is filial enough to pay it."


    Mary lowered her head again. She clenched her skirt with rage accumulating in her heart.


    She knew that Kate wasn¡¯t a good woman for her son, but she didn¡¯t expect Kate to be so cruel to punish Mary like this just because of small blackmail.


    Besides, Kate must¡¯ve earned more than just ten grand per month. She did not have to be so petty for such a small amount of money!


    Officer Bernard got up and said, "Another officer will escort you. You will be in jail just for a while. After that, I will post the bail and call your son, ensuring you won¡¯t suffer too much."


    "How about Harry?" Mary asked. "Will you arrest him too?"


    "Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re still searching for his whereabouts right now. But I can¡¯t guarantee that we can catch him soon. He¡¯s currently on the run because he must¡¯ve realized that he¡¯ll serve a jail sentence, even if only for a few weeks," Bernard replied. "Don¡¯t think too much about him, Mary. You know he is the main cause of everything."


    "You went as far as stealing your daughter-in-law¡¯s furniture just to appease him. But look at what he has done to you."


    Bernard finally left the interrogation room, and the old Mary simply sat silently, reflecting on what she had done that put her in jail.


    Officer Bernard was right. Things turned from bad to worse because of Harry and her desire to make him stay.


    "Maybe this is the end of my love story with Harry..." Mary murmured. She was disappointed because her love for Harry crashed and burned. "But that doesn¡¯t mean I will stop searching for love. I know a handsome young hunk out there must want a piece of me. All I have to do is search more, and I will be loved again."

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247: Chapter 247Kate hung up the call with a feeling of satisfaction in her heart. She was so glad that everything went according to her plan, and thus, she didn¡¯t need to worry about Mary for a long time.


    And for Matt?


    "Graham said the court has sent a divorce notice to Matt¡¯s¡ªI mean, your apartment," Henry said as he put the boiled bitter gourd on the table before sitting next to Kate. He put his hand on her head and gently pushed her to lay on his chest, which Kate liked doing during her pregnancy.


    She began to crave Henry¡¯s natural masculine scent, and she was 100% sure this must be due to hormones because she never liked anything that didn¡¯t have jasmine tea or lavender scent before she got pregnant.


    "That¡¯s good," Kate grinned. "Ah, I want to see Matt¡¯s face when he got the divorce notice and the news about his mother in jail. Must be epic."


    Henry said nothing.


    He heard everything on the call between Kate and the Officer just now because Kate put it on loudspeaker. He felt that Kate was being very lenient to those ungrateful leeches.


    He could¡¯ve done something far more heinous than that, but he didn¡¯t want to interfere with Kate¡¯s joy.


    She liked doing things her way, and as long as it didn¡¯t clash with his principle and didn¡¯t harm her and their baby, he would rather just watch over her silently, ensuring she was safe.


    Though, he had to admit that Kate had gotten even more fascinating in his eyes.


    ¡¯She is truly a brilliant but cunning woman. She knows what she wants. She is perfectly tailored for me, and I will make sure no man is better suited for her than I am,¡¯ Henry thought.


    "Matt has about a week to answer the divorce notice and summon. But I think with his desperation for extra money, he will accept the divorce as soon as possible," Henry mentioned.


    Kate grabbed a boiled bitter gourd and began eating it like the tastiest food on earth. Henry shuddered, seeing her eating the gourd, "Why do you want me to boil a bitter gourd again? Isn¡¯t it... well, very bitter?"


    "Hm? Kind of, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s THAT bitter," Kate replied. "And I don¡¯t know why I suddenly crave this food. I never liked it before. Maybe this is a pregnancy craving?"


    "... I googled about pregnancy craving since last month, and most pregnant women crave sweets or something very caloric like pizza," Henry mentioned. "You¡¯ve been craving many weird things, Kitty. You craved boiled bitter gourd, cold paprika, and extremely sour orange. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?"


    Kate shrugged, "Well, I don¡¯t know. Ask the baby, or maybe we could ask your Mom. Go ask her what food she craves when she got pregnant with you back then."


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened instantly, and his good mood soured, but he tried not to show it in front of Kate.


    He would meet with his father tomorrow and eventually meet his mother. He hated both of them for what happened to James and preferred not to meet them.


    But he had to find a way to save Kate and their baby, so he was going to propose another way to get Marlon¡¯s approval without handing Kate¡¯s baby to that twisted old man.


    His mother told him to bring Kate so they could meet her in person, but there was no way in hell Henry would ruin his budding love life with Kate.


    "I haven¡¯t even talked to her for months," Henry lied. "But it¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t need her opinion. I will just help you with every pregnancy craving you have, okay?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate sighed.


    She often brushed up on the topic of family, and it always caused a bad reaction from Henry.


    He did not like his family, and it was a problem for Kate.


    Unlike her, whose family was nonexistent right now, Henry still had a complete family. So if they wanted to get married, surely they wouldn¡¯t exclude Henry¡¯s family, right?


    "You can¡¯t keep ignoring them, Henry," Kate advised. "You¡¯re the next heir of your family. You have a lot of responsibility. Besides, I saw Mr. Marlon Grant a few times in the main office, and he looks like a good and upright old man. Reminds me of you, though."


    "He reminds you of me? How?!" Henry subconsciously raised his voice, feeling offended when he was compared with a literal monster.


    "Just your face structure. You look like your Dad," Kate said lightly. "And why are you yelling at me? Did I upset you?"


    ...


    Henry said nothing but muttered in the end, "I hate him. Please don¡¯t lump me with him."


    "Henry..." Kate pushed herself away from him, and he felt at a loss when he couldn¡¯t feel Kate¡¯s body near him. She sat straight and stared at her boyfriend, "Do you want us to get married?"


    "Obviously."


    "Then we can¡¯t ignore your family," Kate said. "Do you really think we can get married without your family¡¯s blessing? I¡¯m not some kind of mistress, Henry. I want to be recognized by your family, and I want them to know about our baby as well. You should introduce me to your family, or you will never put that ring on my finger."


    Henry was put on the spot, and he hated it.


    He wanted to tell Kate the truth about his family and the heinous plan that his father had, but it was so twisted that it would only scare Kate to death. She might actually run away and leave him alone.


    But Kate was right.


    His parents only acknowledged Sarah as his fianc¨¦e, so if he wanted to marry Kate, he had to introduce her to the family, even if he had to bear all the risks.


    ¡¯I will have to talk to them first, making sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t get hurt,¡¯ Henry tried to remind himself because this involved his beloved and their baby.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248: Chapter 248Kate got no answer from Henry, which somewhat annoyed her, "Henry, do you hear me?"


    "Hm..." Henry nodded, but he didn¡¯t seem in a good mood.


    Henry mentioned a few times how bad his family could be, and she understood that well because she also had a bad family.


    ¡¯But no matter how bad they are, they won¡¯t do something extreme. Of course, they won¡¯t rip my stomach open and take the baby away, right?¡¯ Kate guessed. "I don¡¯t need your parent¡¯s inheritance money. I have my own, and I am certain I can get another job in case I have to resign from the publishing company."


    "I just want recognition. At least let them know they have a grandchild and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law," Kate said. "Simple as that. I won¡¯t ask for anything more."


    "... I will think about it," Henry said half-heartedly. He tried to appease Kate, but it didn¡¯t seem to work because Kate could read him easily.


    Kate got up from the sofa and said, "Remember, Henry, I¡¯m not your secret mistress, and I don¡¯t want to be treated as such. If you want to marry me, you must be serious about me, including introducing me to your family."


    "If you¡¯re not serious about me, then..." Kate paused for a moment. She curled her lips. She felt hurt just by imagining Henry, who didn¡¯t want her. She turned around so Henry didn¡¯t see her dramatic tears. "Then we can just part ways. I never expect you to take responsibility anyway."


    Kate stood in silence for a while. She could feel Henry¡¯s eyes staring at her back with such intensity. She wished Henry would hug her, embrace her from behind and kiss her.


    She wanted Henry to assure her that everything was alright. But she met with nothing but silence.


    Henry didn¡¯t try to assure her, nor did he try to embrace her.


    Kate felt wronged but knew she shouldn¡¯t make a ruckus over something trivial. So she just walked into the bedroom and closed the door.


    Henry stared at his beloved¡¯s back until she entered the room. He sighed.


    He closed his eyes and rested his head on the sofa.


    He tried to regulate his breath because he was so nervous when Kate brushed up on the topic of his family.


    "This is bad," Henry murmured, just enough so Kate wouldn¡¯t accidentally hear his voice. "How am I supposed to tackle this problem?"


    Henry had been thinking hard about a way to escape his family with Kate, and one of his most prominent ideas was to move to another state¡ªor even better, to another country and start anew there.


    James had already taught his little brother so much about money management and investment, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to maintain a lavish lifestyle for his small family in another country.


    But now Kate demanded the recognition of his family...


    "That¡¯s just impossible," Henry muttered. "My family hates Kate so much. They can¡¯t wait to rip her stomach open and take the baby. They blamed her for James¡¯ death, even though it was their undoing. They called her a poisonous lady."


    "Besides, they only recognize Sarah as my fiancee, but I don¡¯t think that would be a problem," Henry thought. He had a huge crush on Sarah back when he was just a child, up to his early university life. But that feeling vanished years ago because he realized it was just puppy love.


    It shouldn¡¯t be a problem because Sarah didn¡¯t like him at all. She was willing to be his fianc¨¦e after James¡¯ death because it would help convince Henry¡¯s parents to give him a part in the family business.


    After all, Sarah and James were best friends before his untimely death. So she was also willing to help Henry to get revenge on his parents.


    ¡¯She¡¯s a kind woman. She¡¯s just helping me...¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I feel sorry because I can¡¯t do more to pay her back, but she didn¡¯t seem mad when I said I will break off the engagement if I find a woman I truly love. Since it was all just a play pretend.¡¯


    "So the problem is just my parents..." Henry opened his eyes and stared at the high ceiling. "If I can¡¯t change their mind, then the worst I would do is kill them and tell Kate a fabricated story of how they died, just like what they did to my Big brother."


    "And with that, I will be able to live happily ever after with my woman and our child...."


    Henry¡¯s eyes darkened when he was thinking about James¡¯ death. His heart was gnawed by the fury of vengeance, knowing how unfair it was for James. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Big bro. If I can¡¯t avenge you by destroying the family¡¯s company, I will kill them in the most brutal and backward way possible."


    **


    Kate closed the door and walked to the bed. She passed the full-body mirror and halted her step, turning around just to see her reflection in the mirror.


    She didn¡¯t realize the baby bump had become obvious. She looked pregnant instead of just looking fat.


    Many women might have hated the process of pregnancy due to weight gain and overall bloated body sensations.


    But Kate enjoyed it because this was a very novel feeling for her.


    "Though, I can see why some women don¡¯t like this," Kate said as she lifted her shirt and saw a bit of stretch marks begin to appear around her waist.


    Henry liked to slip his hand under her shirt and rub her waist, so he must¡¯ve noticed the stretch marks earlier than her.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. He was still the same horny dog that he was most of the time.


    "What can I say? Henry loves my body just like I love his," Kate smiled while staring at the mirror. But that smile soon faltered after their conversation just now. "But what if everything was just an illusion? What if he has another woman outside? His social circle is so big, unlike me, whose friend circle consists of Mai and only Mai."

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249: Chapter 249Kate hated this insecurity in her heart.


    No matter how often Henry tried to convince her that he only had her in his eyes, Kate couldn¡¯t shake off this eerie feeling in her heart, as if her heart was telling her that Henry had lied to her.


    And he had someone else, another woman that he loved more out there.


    She was naturally a clingy and jealous type. Just imagining Henry embracing another woman was enough to burn her heart. She was also a very insecure, and no matter how hard she tried to act cool about it, she just couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous whenever she remembered all the women Henry could seduce.


    "Ah, this is not good. I¡¯m going to burn myself at this point," Kate sighed. "But what¡¯s with his secretive behavior? How am I supposed to be assured when he tries hiding me from his family? What¡¯s the point of marrying me if he treats me as if I¡¯m the side-chick in this relationship?"


    Kate had no answer about many things regarding Henry.


    He already knew her messy family, including the secret that her father was a child molester. But aside from the shallow surface of what was happening in Henry¡¯s family, she was blind.


    Kate finally walked to the bed and laid on it. She stared at the ceiling while rubbing her baby bump, "I just hope my fear is unfounded, and he is not the asshole that treats me as a side-chick."


    **


    Matt burped after having a fulfilling lunch in one restaurant he liked. He wiped the sauce stain on his shirt and stared at the window.


    He could see the sight of the bank he would go into right after he left the restaurant. He needed to put all his money into his bank account because Kate was stupid enough to give him cash rather than just transferring it directly into his bank account.


    "Tsk, even after we separated, she is still a pain in the ass," Matt complained.


    He also had to send money to his mother as promised.


    He disliked sending money to his mother, only for her to give it all to that useless bastard. That man was a failure in life, but his mother always defended him, saying that he was an aspiring artist who would make it big once he released his music.


    "He is a total failure, but what can I do? My mother loves that useless bastard so much," Matt complained.


    He asked for the bill and gave a generous tip of a hundred bucks.


    Kate often complained because he always gave generous tips ranging from a hundred to a thousand bucks to waiters. She said that he didn¡¯t need to give that much because, in the end, it was her money that he was using.


    But Matt always accused her of being a stingy bitch who couldn¡¯t sympathize with the waiters.


    Matt was naturally a man with good virtue. As long as he had money, he would help others, even if that money came from his wife, but they were married. His money was hers, and vice versa, right?


    ¡¯I¡¯m a good person, so I give them many tips. That terrible bitch is cold-hearted. She should be grateful that I¡¯m willing to be her husband because no man would want to marry a stingy woman like her," Matt cursed. "If only our financial situation is flipped, I would¡¯ve divorced her as soon as I got rich."


    Matt finally left the restaurant after having his fill. He crossed to go to the bank.


    But before he entered the bank, his phone suddenly rang from an unknown number.


    Matt frowned.


    But he didn¡¯t think much about it, so he picked it up.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, who is this?" Matt asked as he opened the conversation.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Matthew Woods. I am Officer Bernard J. Loch from the St. Lucie County Police Department. I am here to inform you about your mother, Mrs. Mary Woods."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened. His mind instantly traveled to what they were talking about before.


    Mary wanted to sell the furniture in Hilda¡¯s house for extra money, and she said she could get ten thousand dollars from everything.


    ¡¯Did she get caught? How? There¡¯s nobody in Hilda¡¯s house, right?¡¯ Matt wondered. "Y¡ªYes, Officer. What happened to my mother?"


    "She¡¯s currently in our police station. She has been arrested for trespassing and thievery in the private property owned by Mrs. Katherine Woods."


    Matt knew that Hilda¡¯s house was basically Kate¡¯s.


    A few years back, Kate bought the house from her mother, so her mother could get extra income.


    Of course, Kate had no intention of kicking her mother. It was just a way to give Hilda money without making it sound like a charity because Kate and Hilda had a strained relationship.


    ¡¯So she did get arrested,¡¯ Matt thought. ¡¯But it should be fine. Kate wouldn¡¯t be evil enough not to drop the charge, right? Mary is my mother, and she is an old woman.¡¯


    "Officer, Katherine Woods is my wife. There must be some misunderstanding here," Matt said. "Let me call her and tell her to explain everything."


    "No need, Mr. Woods. I¡¯ve talked to Mrs. Woods before, and she said she would not drop the charge regarding Mary Woods. She wants you to pay for the bail instead," Officer Bernard said.


    "She what?!"


    "Yes, she will not drop the charge," Officer Bernard repeated. "Though Mary Woods¡¯ crime is small, she requested you to pay for the bail. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Woods, your wife doesn¡¯t demand a huge bail and even allowed the buyer to own a fifteen thousand dollars worth of authentic Chinese vase."


    Matt was panicking.


    He had just gotten the money from Kate yesterday. The bail would make him broke again!


    ¡¯Wait, calm down, Matt. Maybe the bail is not that much. Maybe it¡¯s just five hundred dollars, right? The officer said it¡¯s just a light crime,¡¯ Matt tried to stay positive, so he asked, "How much is the bail, Officer?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250: Chapter 250"Eight thousand dollars."


    "EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS?!" Matt yelled spontaneously. He got stares from the startled passerby around him. But he didn¡¯t care.


    Because eight thousand dollars was basically 90% of his money right now!


    He had already used a thousand dollars for many things in just a day. If he had to send eight grand for his mother¡¯s bail, then he¡¯d only have one thousand for the rest of the month.


    That was insane!


    He had to sell his newly purchased PS 5 again and eat cheap food that was barely edible!


    "I¡ªIsn¡¯t that too expensive, Officer? Eight thousand dollars for a misdemeanor is..."


    Officer Bernard chuckled, "Mr. Woods, it¡¯s not a misdemeanor. It¡¯s a crime, but not heavy enough to get her to trial immediately. Besides, Mrs. Katherine Woods already said she doesn¡¯t mind the expensive vase and simply wants you to pay for the bail if you want your mother to get released."


    "Eight thousand dollars is not much considering her crime. Or if you want, you can send fifteen thousand dollars to Mrs. Katherine Woods herself, and she might drop the charge after that."


    Matt gritted his teeth, "She is my wife, Officer. I have the right over her opinion. My voice matters more compared to hers."


    "No, you don¡¯t," Bernard said. He got a bit angry when Matt said something offensive about Kate. But he had to uphold his professionalism as a police officer. "Mrs. Woods already told me before that you two are separating."


    "That¡ª"Matt didn¡¯t expect Kate to think that far to the point of explaining their current condition.


    "Mr. Woods, all you need to do is send eight grand to one of your relatives that can cosign the bail," Bernard said. "Or you can come by yourself to visit your mother."


    "I... I don¡¯t have that much money, Officer..."


    "You do," Officer Bernard refuted. "She told me that you blackmailed her with her father¡¯s crime. You earned ten grand yesterday through that blackmail, so you should have eight grand to pay for your mother¡¯s bail."


    "I don¡¯t have time to debate with you, Mr. Woods. We will be waiting for the bail for about three days at most. Though I suggest you not wait for that long, Mary Woods is old. She won¡¯t survive in the county jail."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Matt was speechless with the call just now.


    Just when he thought he finally had his previous easy life back, Kate fucked him over with this.


    He couldn¡¯t accept his condition. He had to save his money no matter what, even if that meant he had to blackmail Kate again!


    He gritted his teeth as he called Kate¡¯s number. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But then, he heard the familiar automated line for ¡¯the number is unavailable,¡¯ meaning that Kate had blocked him again.


    "GOD DAMMIT! THAT BITCH!" Matt cursed as he realized Kate had screwed him over.


    It seemed that she had planned everything until now because the police officer was ready to refute every statement.


    Matt knew he had no way out now. He must pay for the bail, or else his mother would suffer.


    "Fuck! I will not let this slide, Kate!" Matt cursed. "I will come to your office and tell your new boss about this! Your career is done for!"


    Thus, Matt spent his whole afternoon trying to contact a few of his estranged relatives in his hometown to help with the bail.


    Their family had been estranged from the others because Mary wasn¡¯t exactly the most pleasant old lady you could spend time with.


    Thus, none of his family wanted to help with the bail.


    But one of them, his aunt, at least would help to cosign, so Matt would send the money to his aunt, and the aunt would free Mary with the bail.


    Matt could only grieve as he saw eight thousand dollars being sent to someone else. He already imagined a good life for the entire month because he had four thousand dollars left.


    But now he only had a thousand, and he was unsure if he could go by without selling his game consoles again.


    He left the bank and checked his phone.


    He called Kate again and was still blocked. At this point, he guessed that Kate had blocked him permanently because everything was already part of her plan.


    "That woman is seriously sly. She is so evil," Matt murmured. "All I did was ask for ten grand, and she actually went so far as planning the arrest of my mom, her mother-in-law. What a poisonous woman."


    Matt didn¡¯t dare to use Uber anymore. He used the subway instead as he headed toward the area where Kate¡¯s office was located.


    He scrolled through his phone gallery and stopped at the newspaper clipping of Kate¡¯s father¡¯s crime more than a decade ago. He was planning to use this to continuously blackmail Kate for easy money.


    But now that he realized Kate was playing with him, he realized he had to do something to fight back! He had to retaliate so she knew that he wasn¡¯t someone to mess with.


    Thus, he headed to Kate¡¯s office and stood before the big office building.


    He didn¡¯t know which floor was her office, but he knew her company¡¯s name was Emperor Publishing, so he could¡¯ve just asked.


    He wanted to meet with the new CEO that replaced James Grant because he knew that James Grant was not someone he could mess with.


    "Emperor Publishing? It¡¯s the fifteenth and sixteenth floor, Sir," the front desk in the lobby replied.


    "The CEO¡¯s office is in the fifteenth or sixteenth?" Matt asked, as he wanted to meet with the CEO directly.


    The front desk opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a big shadow loomed behind Matt, and the front desk receptionist zipped her mouth instantly.


    "Fifteenth."


    Matt heard the heavy voice of someone behind him.


    He turned around immediately and looked up as he faced a man a head taller than him.


    Matt was shocked because of this man¡¯s beauty.


    He had deep emerald-like eyes that were intimidating yet mysterious.


    He also had striking blonde hair and a face that should¡¯ve filled the billboard ads.


    Even Matt, a man, wouldn¡¯t dare deny this man¡¯s actor-worthy handsomeness.


    The man looked down at him as if he saw him as a mere ant and asked, "Why do you want to meet the CEO?"

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251: Chapter 251"Why do you want to meet the CEO?"


    It took a while for Matt to recover from his shock. He shook his head slightly and replied, "I need to meet with the CEO of Emperor Publishing. I¡¯m going to report the crime that the Chief Editor committed."


    Henry raised his brow.


    Of course, he knew who this hobo-looking man was.


    This was Matthew Woods, Kate¡¯s useless husband, and he already had a guess the moment Matt said he wanted to report the ¡¯crime¡¯ that Kate committed.


    Maybe this was his way to avenge what Kate did since Kate threw Matt¡¯s mother in jail.


    Nevertheless, Henry wanted to see what kind of man Matt truly was. He needed to assess whether this man was a danger he needed to prevent.


    But before that...


    Henry took a step back to distance himself a bit from Matt, this man¡¯s breath was foul, and his stench was also horrible. He didn¡¯t understand how a perfect woman like Kate could tolerate this bastard for five years.


    ¡¯By god, I can¡¯t imagine what kind of hell Kate put herself through for living with this man,¡¯ Henry thought. He tried his best not to wave his hand in front of his nose just to get rid of the horrid smell. ¡¯I have to always smell nice in front of her. I don¡¯t want her to remember about this man when she¡¯s sleeping with me.¡¯


    Thus, by barely holding himself, Henry asked, "A crime? My Chief Editor did something criminal?" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, her father did!" Matt insisted. "And I will show him that Kate needs to be fired because of this! Thank you for giving me direction. I will meet him now!"


    Matt intended to storm inside Kate¡¯s office and meet the supposed CEO without an appointment.


    It was funny, but Henry had to understand this man a little.


    He hadn¡¯t worked in a professional field his entire life. After series of failed acting gig, Kate said that Matt simply gave up and refused to get any normal job. So he didn¡¯t know some formalities regarding meeting the highest order in a company.


    "Alright, if you want to meet me, then let¡¯s go to my office," Henry said.


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Y¡ªYou are¡ª"


    "Yes, I am Henry Grant, the CEO of Emperor Publishing," Henry confidently introduced himself. He disliked having to crush another man¡¯s confidence, especially when that man was nowhere near his level, both in looks and wealth.


    But this guy was Kate¡¯s first love, so he still had a sense of rivalry with Matt.


    Henry turned around and said, "Come with me. We can talk in my office. I¡¯m also very curious about this crime you mentioned before."


    Henry then walked back to the elevator.


    Matt was still stunned by what happened, and the receptionist snapped him out of his daze, "You should follow Mr. Grant now, Sir. He is indeed the CEO of Emperor Publishing."


    "O¡ªOh, yes, thank you."


    Matt followed Henry as they went to the fifteenth floor. Henry led him to the end of the corridor where his office was.


    Henry and Matt entered the CEO¡¯s office, and the former pointed at the chair directly facing the desk.


    Matt obediently sat there, and the first thing he saw was the gold nameplate on the desk.


    ¡ª


    Henry T. Grant


    Chief Executive Officer.


    ¡ª


    The second thing he saw was the beautiful sight of downtown Los Angeles from the wide glass pane.


    And the third incredible thing was the sight of Henry Grant, the CEO, sitting right in front of him.


    Matt had no romantic nor sexual interest in a man, but he had to admit this man¡¯s gorgeousness.


    This was good because he was far more good-looking than James Grant, so the mid-looking Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to seduce him, as he must¡¯ve had a lot of women lining up for him.


    Henry put his hand on the desk and stared at Matt with deep green eyes. He tried to hide his hostility because he was in a bad mood.


    He argued with Kate about meeting with his family, and the work in the office wasn¡¯t forgiving either. He was exhausted, so he wanted to go and have an early dinner and drink with his best friend, Michael, to rest a bit.


    But this man came when he was about to leave, and of course, he would not let Matt wreak havoc in the office. He had to protect Kate¡¯s reputation because Kate was the heart of this company.


    ¡¯And she¡¯s also in my heartbeat...¡¯ Henry thought.


    "You can introduce yourself first," Henry ordered.


    "Y¡ªYes, my name is Matthew Woods. I¡¯m Katherine Woods¡¯ husband. I¡¯m here because I want to report the crime that my father-in-law committed. I bet you will fire her after knowing this!" Matt said confidently.


    "Oh?" Henry raised one brow full of interest.


    Of course, he already knew what this secret was all about. While Henry thought it was ridiculous how Matt and his mother would blackmail Kate for a sin that her father committed, he realized that Kate¡¯s reputation would be affected.


    Just like him.


    His father sinned and was a madman, but Henry was also affected, and now he was scared that Kate would run away from him after knowing what kind of heinous plan his father had for their baby.


    "Tell me then, what kind of secret does Mrs. Woods have?" Henry asked.


    Matt was excited to see that Henry was on the same page as him. He thought Henry disliked Kate for her arrogance too, so he scrolled through his phone and showed his phone screen to Henry.


    Henry acted surprised in front of Matt after seeing a picture of a newspaper clip regarding Kate¡¯s father¡¯s crime. He even had it on his phone after Kate sent it to him.


    "Wow..." Henry muttered. "So her father is a child molester?"


    "You¡¯re goddamn right!" Matt said. "She is the daughter of a child molester. Don¡¯t you think everyone in your office will be disgusted with her if they know?"

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252: Chapter 252"Hmm, they surely will freak out about the news," Henry said. "But I¡¯m not sure about the disgust. Mrs. Woods is a very vital part of this company. Everyone in this company knows how important she is since she can find any manuscript that could make us hundreds of millions."


    Matt didn¡¯t believe that Kate was THAT talented. She was a woman who came from a small town. All she did was study and read random books. She shouldn¡¯t be as good as many professionals out there.


    But he understood there must be many men whom she had seduced in this place. She was a woman who climbed the ranking so fast there was no other way other than using her pussy.


    ¡¯Maybe Mr. Grant right here is intimidated by her because she has a lot of support. He must¡¯ve been fed up by that bitch as well,¡¯ Matt concluded. ¡¯He must be James¡¯ little brother since they have the same surname and similar-ish face, though this man is a lot more handsome.¡¯


    Thus, confident with his assessment, Matt said, "Oh, come on, Sir. We can be honest here. Kate is just a country bumpkin. She is not smart nor a capable woman."


    "Oh, really?" Henry¡¯s smile was crooked. This man¡¯s statement pissed him off. "Then please explain how she could become a Chief Editor. She is also the one who found many new best-selling novels as well."


    "How could someone with no taste like her become a great Chief Editor of a publishing company? Of course, with her pussy!" Matt said without a filter. "There must be someone in the company, a man much more capable than her. She must¡¯ve used his skill to find good books and took all the credit for herself." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened.


    Veins began to pop out from his neck and temple. He was so angry at Matt that he was ready to pummel this bastard to death.


    He put his hands under the desk. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails almost dug into the skin.


    Unfortunately, Matt was so busy thinking up many possibilities of slandering Kate in front of her CEO, so Henry would get on his good side and fire Kate.


    Besides, this man seemed young and inexperienced despite his good look. Matt thought that he could at least get some compensation out of this.


    Matt shifted his gaze back at Henry after thinking up for too long. Thus, he didn¡¯t notice Henry¡¯s anger just now.


    "Mr. Grant, I know that you¡¯re a new CEO. But you shouldn¡¯t be seduced by my wife. Your Big brother ended up getting hopelessly seduced by that slut, and look what happened to him?" Matt said.


    Henry was barely hanging to his last thread of reason right now. He took a deep breath to calm down and said, "This scandal is surely a big one that might affect our sales and company¡¯s morale, so what do you think I should do? Do you think I should fire her because of this?"


    "Mr. Grant, we both know reading some books is not hard at all. That¡¯s why even someone as incompetent as Kate could work here. Why don¡¯t you hire someone else, preferably a young woman whose body you can use in the meantime? That¡¯s the main function of a woman, right?"


    Matt was satisfied with Henry¡¯s reaction. He looked like someone who had been so triggered and was about to unleash his rage. He didn¡¯t understand why, but he knew his advice was good, and Mr. Grant would take it.


    "Your suggestion is great. I need to fire my amazing Chief Editor for a mere scandal that her father did more than a decade ago, right?"


    "Yes, Sir," Matt didn¡¯t know what was happening in Henry¡¯s head right now. But he began to feel hostility from the CEO for no reason. "She needs to be fired and stopped from getting a job elsewhere. So she will know that she shouldn¡¯t be messing around with me¡ªI mean, with men, and she should be less arrogant!"


    "Heh, I can¡¯t stop her from finding another job. She can even open her own publishing house if she wants, and she will find huge success," Henry sneered. "But let¡¯s just say that she will be forced to resign today, so what kind of reward do you want from giving me this information regarding his father¡¯s sin?"


    Matt was pleasantly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect Henry to be so cooperative.


    He looked around the CEO¡¯s office and noticed how lavish this place was. Matt didn¡¯t even need to be an interior design connoisseur to know that every piece of furniture in this office must¡¯ve cost a fortune.


    He then looked at Henry Grant, who was obviously a super-rich kid. He must¡¯ve been born with a diamond spoon.


    ¡¯I need to set a high price for this information! This is my only chance to be a millionaire without working!¡¯ Matt thought. Thus he took a deep breath and named his price, "One million dollars."


    Henry was appalled by the request. Of course, he had that kind of money in his account. He had a lot more than that, actually. But he was appalled by this hobo-like guy¡¯s shamelessness for asking one million dollars for practically worthless information.


    "Do you think the newspaper clip is worth one million dollars?"


    "Yes, Sir. Kate has seduced your brother and must¡¯ve done something to kill him. I think ruining her life is worth one million dollars," Matt said confidently.


    Matt was about to say something even more scandalous about Kate, but Henry suddenly slammed the table before he opened his mouth. Matt jolted out of shock and fear, especially when Henry stared at him with anger glinting in his eyes.


    SLAM!


    "S¡ªSir? D¡ªDid I say something wrong?" Matt asked as he tried to bury his neck like a terrified turtle.


    Henry smirked, "No, you¡¯re not wrong at all. But I need to call my girlfriend first. I need to hear her opinion about her own layoff."

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253: Chapter 253"I need to call my girlfriend first. I need to hear her opinion about her layoff," Henry said, catching Matt off guard.


    He thought he heard it wrong.


    But Henry said he needed to hear his girlfriend¡¯s opinion about HER layoff.


    Matt might not be the brightest bulb, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. His deadly premonition told him Henry subtly wanted to tell Matt that Kate was his girlfriend.


    But that was simply impossible.


    ¡¯Am I dreaming? There is no way that Kate could seduce this man, right?¡¯ Matt pondered. ¡¯First of all, he is damn handsome. James was good-looking, but not to the point that he should be in Hollywood¡¯s hall of fame.¡¯


    ¡¯Second, this man is young. He should be more than five years younger than Kate. He has a lot of options. How could an ugly, loose bitch like Kate seduce him?¡¯ Matt wondered.


    He always felt that Kate was very loose, though he dared not to say it to her face because she would ridicule his very small penis, saying it was his fault for having it micro.


    And for a man like Matt, being ridiculed for the size of his penis was a huge hit on his pride.


    Matt tried to eliminate all possibility that Henry might be dating Kate and thus asked, "W¡ªWhat do you mean, Sir? Surely you¡¯re not talking about Kate. She is an ugly loose bitch. You can do better."


    "What do you think, Mr. Woods? Do you think a man like me would date Kate?" Henry grinned mysteriously as he tried to provoke Matt. "Well, I don¡¯t need your opinion anyway. I¡¯ll just ask her directly."


    Henry grabbed his phone and opened his contact.


    He called his beloved and turned on the loudspeaker so Matt could hear it.


    Henry put the phone on the desk, so Matt could read the name Henry registered in his contact.


    -


    Kitty <3.


    -


    Matt shuddered a little when he saw the love emoji right next to ¡¯Kitty.¡¯


    It was already a sign that Henry was infatuated with his girlfriend, and based on Kitty name, Matt guessed the girlfriend¡¯s identity. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The call was connected after a few beeps.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, darling?"


    Matt¡¯s heart jumped when he heard the familiar voice.


    It was none other than Kate!


    Henry was satisfied when he saw that blood had been drained out of Matt¡¯s body. He looked pale, and his eyes showed a hint of fear.


    "Where are you now? I¡¯m waiting for you at home. I¡¯m cooking dinner for us."


    "I¡¯m sorry, babe. But I¡¯m still busy with a guest who came to my office just now. He has been spouting interesting news, by the way," Henry replied.


    Kate immediately understood who this guest was.


    Of course, after she trapped Matt into giving almost all of his money to bail Mary out of jail, his next step must be to avenge the injustice he felt.


    Matt had always been like that.


    He wouldn¡¯t give a damn if his action would hurt others, but once he was the one who got hurt, he would find his way to get his revenge.


    He was so predictably petty that Kate wasn¡¯t even surprised.


    Thus, Kate played along with Henry to intimidate Matt.


    "A guest? Is he hobo-looking, gross, dirty, and smells like a trash can having sex with a dumpster?" Kate asked.


    Henry almost laughed at her description of Matt, but he tried to hold his laugh and answered, "You described him perfectly. It makes me wonder if I should wash the chair after this."


    "Wash? No, replace it," Kate sneered. "I feel bad for whoever has to clean the chair. It¡¯s better to toss it and buy a new one. It shouldn¡¯t be too expensive, right?"


    "Not at all," Henry replied. "It only cost me ten grand. But it¡¯s custom-made, so the carpenter¡¯d take a while to make a new chair for me."


    Matt felt so small right now.


    He wanted to shrink and disappear as he got so embarrassed by the conversation between Kate and Henry.


    "How about you tell your guest to pay for the chair? I¡¯m sure he has ten thousand dollars in his pocket."


    "That¡¯s a good idea. So, what do you say, Mr. Woods?" Henry asked. "Can you give me ten thousand dollars to replace that custom-made chair you¡¯re sitting on?"


    Matt quickly got up from the chair and distanced himself from it, "I¡ªI don¡¯t have that kind of money, Sir."


    "Oh, so it¡¯s my ex-husband?" Kate giggled. "He definitely has ten grand in his pocket. Honey, he blackmailed me yesterday. Telling me that he would spread the newspaper clip about my father¡¯s crime over a decade ago. So I¡¯m forced to give him ten thousand dollars."


    "I see, so you¡¯re the bastard who threatened my girl yesterday," Henry smirked. After trying to hold it for so long, he could finally show anger towards Matt. "He also told me to fire you because of that newspaper clip. Honey, do I need to pummel him to death? I¡¯m more than willing to do it."


    "Oh, please do," Kate replied without hesitation. "Please punch his gross face until his teeth fall out. I want him to be unrecognizable, so even the police will think he is just a hobo who died randomly."


    "Your wish is my command," Henry said. He clenched his fists in front of Matt, and Matt could clearly see Henry¡¯s powerful and muscular arm.


    He knew that he would die if Henry actually punched him.


    Matt¡¯s body shook from head to toe, and he shook his head in panic, "P¡ªPlease don¡¯t hurt me, Sir. I¡ªI won¡¯t tell anyone about the newspaper. I swear!"


    "It doesn¡¯t even matter if you spread the news anyway. I can just refute it or fire and replace anyone who dares to spread the gossip in this office. Do you really think I lack the resources to do that?" Henry said. He took a step towards Matt and warned, "Stand still. I¡¯m going to punch your ugly teeth out."

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254: Chapter 254Matt¡¯s entire body trembled when he saw the strong fist that would crush his face. He couldn¡¯t even step back to avoid him because he was scared shitless.


    Matt¡¯s eyes began to redden, and tears began to pool in his eyes.


    He started crying and sobbing out of fear, like a kid that had been wronged.


    Henry prepared his stance and was about to do an uppercut on Matt¡¯s jaw to knock all his teeth, "DIE, YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!"


    "IIIEEEEK!!!" Matt shrieked and closed his eyes when that fist was about to hit his face.


    Henry stopped his fist once it was about to touch Matt¡¯s face.


    He wanted to punch this man, of course.


    But he was so much of a coward that it didn¡¯t feel good for him anymore.


    "Tsk, what a coward," he clicked his tongue. "Stop crying, you little bitch. I didn¡¯t even hit you."


    Matt opened his eyes slowly and stared at Henry with absolute terror.


    Henry stared at him like he was an ant, and then he looked down. The big guy scoffed when he saw Matt¡¯s wet jeans, "Seriously? You¡¯re pissing yourself just because I scare you a little?"


    Matt looked down and couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes.


    He was pissing himself. No matter how hard he tried to stop, he just couldn¡¯t control his bladder.


    His body was broken due to fear, and his piss wetted the carpet.


    "Tsk, do you know how expensive this carpet is? I¡¯ll have to replace it as well," Henry complained.


    Kate, who had been listening the whole time, laughed when she heard Matt piss himself, "Did you not punch him, honey?"


    "I don¡¯t feel like it, Kitty. He is too dirty and a coward who wet himself just because of a small threat. I don¡¯t want to stain my hand," Henry replied.


    "That¡¯s good. I also don¡¯t want to touch your stained hand," Kate said. "Why don¡¯t you kick him out? I¡¯m afraid he would stain even more furniture in your office. He¡¯s too gross."


    Henry smirked. He intimidated Matt with his scary viper-like glare and said, "You heard what my woman said just now, right? Scram and never come back. Don¡¯t you dare to do this stunt anymore, or I won¡¯t hesitate to ruin your life. I can kill and dump your body somewhere, and the only one who will question your existence is your poor mother in jail."


    Matt stood still like a stone. He stared at Henry in a daze as his fear had taken over his body.


    Henry clicked his tongue again and raised his fist, ready to punch Matt for real.


    Matt screamed out of terror and rushed out of the office. He ran through the corridor as fast as possible, not minding the drops of urine that dropped on the corridor floor.


    Henry saw the trail of urine and sighed, "Goddamn it, he stained everything!"


    Kate laughed at Henry¡¯s distress on the phone and gently encouraged him, "Thank you so much for helping me, handsome."


    Henry returned to his desk and grabbed the phone, "It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my responsibility to protect you. But I still demand compensation for this."


    "Compensation? You mean for the chair and the carpet?" Kate asked. "I will send you the money needed, okay?"


    "Tsk, why are you talking about some pocket money," Henry said as he got annoyed. "I¡¯m talking about emotional compensation! Don¡¯t you think I deserve a kiss, at least for having to stand that stinky bastard? He literally smelled like garbage. I don¡¯t understand how you could tolerate him for five years."


    "I guess desperation plays a part in my tolerance for him," Kate sighed. "But that¡¯s the past. You give me confidence that I need to stand my ground."


    "Also, about your compensation, you should come home now and eat the dinner that I prepared. Maybe we can do something more tonight, hm?" Kate chuckled and hung up the call abruptly.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry¡¯s heartbeat began to race as he imagined everything they could do in their bedroom. It had been a while since they last did it because both of them were very busy, and the whole thing about Kate¡¯s divorce was taking up their intimate time.


    ¡¯This is also because of Graham, that damn bastard is still trying to get with my wife,¡¯ Henry complained. ¡¯This is the last time I¡¯ll ever work with him again. I don¡¯t want him to be around Kate for too long.¡¯


    Henry had this insecurity in his heart regarding Kate.


    Even though Kate tried to convince him he was the only one, he still couldn¡¯t shake off this fear.


    Kate was an independent woman to a fault. Sometimes Henry felt that Kate could be so cold and uncaring towards him, and whenever Henry talked to Kate about it, she would always say that Henry was exaggerating.


    "Please don¡¯t leave me, Kate. I don¡¯t know what would happen to me if you left."


    **


    Matt ran out of the office as fast as he could. His gaze was blurred as his sole focus was escaping with the elevator, and he left the office building.


    He kept crying out of fear. He was so scared that he couldn¡¯t even control his own bladder. He was like a broken faucet that kept leaking, leaving a trail of wet and smelly marks on the office carpet. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Scary. So fucking scary!¡¯ Matt thought, imagining that pair of viper-like eyes looking down at him like he was about to get swallowed whole.


    Matt¡¯s instinct told him Henry Grant was dangerous and shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. He should distance himself, or else Matt would be dead meat!


    He finally stopped running after he left the office building completely. He sat on the sidewalk, looking down as he realized his jeans were drenched with urine.


    He was still unfocused, thinking about the danger he barely evaded.


    "I can¡¯t. There is no way I will return to that office again. That man will not hesitate to kill me!"

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255: Chapter 255Matt lamented over the fact that he had been targeted by Henry, so there was no way he would be able to blackmail Kate anymore. He was also unable to get his revenge because Henry was actually Kate¡¯s new boyfriend!


    "How is it possible anyway? How come that stupid, ugly loose bitch is able to hook a handsome man that¡¯s younger than her?!" Matt yelled as he found it so frustrating.


    Deep in his heart, he already knew the answer. It was because Kate had the quality that no other woman had. She was mature, beautiful, and stable. She also had that soft charm that made you want to get closer to her.


    But Matt didn¡¯t want a reason. All he wanted was to vent his frustration!


    "Aarrgghh! Fuck you, Kate! You loose bitch!" he yelled freely once he was far from the office building because he didn¡¯t dare to do it with Henry nearby.


    He didn¡¯t have money to go home by Taxi. He only had one grand left in his pocket, so he used the subway.


    He ignored all the frowns and obvious disgust people made when he entered the subway. He had gotten used to the stares and frowns anyway.


    He knew he wasn¡¯t exactly the cleanest man on earth, but giving him such a strong reaction only gave Matt the illusion that everyone was just envious of his handsomeness, like he was Keanu Reeves who was very down to earth.


    Sometimes when you are too good, you will be met with people who want to knock you down.


    Matt lowered his head to avoid making eye contact with any of the passengers on the subway. All on his mind right now was to go home and rest.


    This had been such a long day, and he wanted nothing but to take a warm bath and do nothing to recharge for the rest of the week.


    As he reached his apartment, he was greeted by the security guard who called him, "Mr. Woods. Mr. Woods!"


    Matt stopped on his track and looked toward the security guard.


    The man frowned for a few seconds when he noticed the smell, but he quickly fixed his face as he didn¡¯t want to be met with a complaint for rude and unprofessional behavior at work.


    The security guard handed a document to Matt, "Mr. Woods, you get an important document from the state court."


    "State court?" Matt asked back. "What is it all about?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Sir. I don¡¯t dare to pry," the guard replied. He couldn¡¯t stand Matt¡¯s smell for a long time, so he shoved the document to his chest and said, "E¡ªExcuse me, Sir. I still have things to do."


    ...


    Of course, Matt knew why the guard was in a hurry. But he tried to ignore it because he could do nothing right now except go up and take a bath.


    Matt entered his apartment and bathed first before opening whatever document he had from the state court. He needed to clear his head.


    Unfortunately, as he closed his eyes under the shower, the lovely conversation between Henry and Kate lingered in his mind.


    ¡ª


    ¡¯Did you not punch him, honey?¡¯


    ¡¯I don¡¯t feel like it, Kitty. He is too dirty, and he¡¯s such a coward who wet himself just because of a small threat. I don¡¯t want to stain my hand.¡¯


    ¡ª


    Matt gritted his teeth. He was angry at Kate and Henry, who dared to look down on him.


    He opened his eyes and stared at the white bathroom tiles in front of him. He then clenched his fist and punched it.


    "Ouch! Aw! Auuhh!" Matt rubbed his knuckles after the punch. He didn¡¯t know that it was so painful. He watched some movies, and the main character often punched the bathroom wall to appease his anger.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work for him, and now he was left with aching knuckles.


    Matt used his freshly laundered shirt and boxer. It was a nice feeling because it had been a while since he wore a clean shirt. However, he doubted that he could pay for VIP laundry service anymore.


    He would have to go and carry his laundry to the nearest coin laundry.


    He picked up the document and stared at the seal.


    "It really comes from the state court," Matt murmured.


    He got nervous, thinking it might be an eviction notice because this apartment was still under Kate¡¯s name.


    He had been persuading, intimidating, and even tried to guilt trip Kate into putting his name whenever she wanted to buy an apartment. So in case there was a fallout between them, Matt could have an apartment of his own.


    Unfortunately, Kate was firm on her decision. She didn¡¯t care whether Matt gave her a silent treatment. So everything, including all the apartments that Kate purchased and rented, was under her name.


    She also put a lot of money into the stock market, giving her a nice passive income.


    It was Matt who thought that Kate was being extremely petty by cutting his and Erin¡¯s credit cards. After all, they would only be using up to twenty grand each month from her bank account.


    She had a lot more going for her anyway.


    "Please, don¡¯t let it be an eviction notice. Please, please, please!" Matt prayed as he opened the document and read its first sentence.


    -


    Divorce Notice.


    - Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt was stunned.


    He quickly read the whole document, changing his expression from tense to joy.


    He was so happy that he could cry right now!


    "OH FUCK!! YES! YESSSSS!" Matt yelled happily as he read the divorce summons from the court. He danced around like an idiot as he finally got his free out-of-jail card!


    "Finally! I thought that bitch wouldn¡¯t divorce me after so long!" Matt wanted to hug Kate right now, not because he still loved her. That love had been long gone after he realized that Kate couldn¡¯t get pregnant, and she also didn¡¯t give him all the money she earned.


    But with this divorce, his good life was finally guaranteed!

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256: Chapter 256fre¨¥w¨¥b¦Çovel.c?mBecause this divorce would be his ticket to getting half of Kate¡¯s assets, he would get at least two million dollars in liquid asset.


    Kate might not look much, but she was super rich. She was a millionaire with a lot of proper investment in property and stock.


    She also had a high-paying job that gave her six to seven figures depending on whether the book her company released would explode in the market.


    However, Matt still didn¡¯t understand because he firmly believed she became a Chief Editor by using her pussy to seduce James¡ªand now Henry Grant.


    He also didn¡¯t believe that Kate was actually working hard in a difficult job. All she had to do was to read books. How hard could it be?


    Matt always thought he could earn millions if he got Kate¡¯s job. Though he didn¡¯t like reading, he could always ask his subordinates to read it for him, and he could just decide whether the book was good or not.


    It was THAT easy.


    "Ah, who cares about that? The main point is... I WILL BE RICH! RICHHHH!" Matt yelled happily, imagining all the money and assets that would come to him after his divorce.


    Kate had a few properties under her name, and since the prenup dictated that they would split the money 50:50, he ought to get at least three apartments.


    He would also get many of her liquid assets. So if he maintained his lifestyle of about five grand a month, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life!


    "Oh, the dream finally comes true! I can be rich without having to work and I don¡¯t need to listen to that ugly loose bitch¡¯s yapping!"


    Matt cheered for his divorce by going out to buy a pack of beer for himself. He didn¡¯t need to save up right now because he knew he would get Kate¡¯s money soon anyway.


    **


    "Honey, I¡¯m home."


    Henry put his coat on the hanger and switched his shoes to house flip-flops. He checked the living room and then the bedroom but didn¡¯t find her anywhere.


    "Honey, why don¡¯t you answer me¡ª" Henry¡¯s jaw dropped when he walked into the kitchen. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He saw Kate, who had just finished cooking their dinner. She put the plate on the dining table and smiled at him, "Welcome home, darling. Sorry I was just busy with dinner, so I didn¡¯t hear you."


    Kate looked beautiful as always, with her long wavy red hair tied up in a ponytail. She was slightly more plump than before due to her pregnancy, but what attracted him the most was the fact that Kate wore a pink apron and... nothing else!


    She was naked, with only an apron barely covering her private parts.


    Henry was stunned, and his heart beat like a drum instantly.


    He never expected Kate to be this bold and never expected his brain to short-circuit the moment he saw this delicious woman waiting to be eaten in front of him.


    Kate smirked when she saw the blush on Henry¡¯s cheeks.


    "What¡¯s wrong, husband? Why are you stunned like that? Is there something wrong with me?"


    Kate intentionally did a quick twirl to show her sexy curve and plump butt that Henry couldn¡¯t wait to pinch and spank. She then turned around again to hide the back of her body.


    "C¡ªCould you turn around again? I think there is something wrong with your ass¡ªI¡ªI mean, your back."


    "Oh really? Hmm, alright then," Kate grinned. She gave another twirl to expose her butt, and Henry¡¯s chest began to heave as he got hard instantly. "Did you see anything wrong, or do I need to do another twirl?"


    "Yes, something is wrong. I need to do a closer check-up," Henry said. He walked towards Kate with a sure step, though he was already holding back so much right now because he only wanted to pounce on her and fuck her right on the spot!


    Kate stopped Henry on his track by pushing his chest away gently.


    "Not so fast, Mr. Grant," Kate said. She took a step back and hopped on the kitchen countertop. She sat there and crossed her legs, basically showing her smooth thigh and butt but still covering her pussy with the apron. "Do you know why I gave you the reward today?"


    Henry¡¯s mind was already muddled. He was like a hungry beast who couldn¡¯t control himself.


    His eyes kept staring at Kate¡¯s full breasts and then her ass.


    Kate chuckled.


    She used her toe to lift Henry¡¯s chin, so he would look up until their eyes met, "Eyes up here, Mr. Grant. I¡¯m not done with my question yet. Do you know what you did right to get this reward?"


    "I¡ªuhh¡ªbecause I scare that stinky bastard off?" Henry answered in a daze. He was unsure of his answer because he kept trying to look down to check on her body. "Would I get a better score if I just punched him?"


    "Maybe," Kate smiled.


    "Okay," Henry nodded without hesitation. "I will drive to your apartment and punch him in the face later. But please, can we do it first? I can¡¯t wait anymore."


    Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s other foot and put it on his thick bulge, "Can you feel it? I¡¯m about to explode here."


    "Oh, I can feel it, for sure," Kate giggled. She pressed her feet on his bulge, making Henry groan. "It¡¯s thick and hard. This is the tool that got me pregnant, is it not?"


    Henry was at his wit¡¯s end, he had enough of playing around, "Yes, and this tool will fuck you again tonight."


    Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s legs and stretched them apart, finally giving him full access to Kate¡¯s body.


    He stepped forward and caressed her thighs, "This is what I like about you the most. You¡¯re full of surprise, honey."


    Kate lowered her head and kissed Henry on the lips, "This surprise is because you¡¯re doing a great job, darling. Thank you for protecting me from that bastard."

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257: Chapter 257[Mature Content.]


    [Song Recommendation: Two Feet - Lost in the Game.]


    "Full of surprise? Do you think I¡¯m only interesting because I¡¯m full of surprises?" Kate continued playing around. She allowed Henry to pinch her thighs, letting him rub his thumb around her inner thighs. "How about my body? Do you not like it?"


    "You can¡¯t keep teasing me like this, Kitty. I love everything about you, and your body is the hottest. I can¡¯t get enough of you," Henry said, his voice grunting at this point. He caressed her inner thighs deeper until this thumb reached her wet clit.


    Kate bit her lower lip. She didn¡¯t want to moan too quickly, "O¡ªOh yeah? What do you like about my body?"


    Henry smirked, "Everything. But if I have to choose, then I have two.."


    Henry used one hand to pull the string behind Kate¡¯s back and another hand to take off the apron completely.


    He scrunched the apron and threw it to the side. Now he had the full view of Kate¡¯s naked body. She was like an Aphrodite, sitting on the kitchen countertop, waiting to be touched.


    Kate closed her thighs subconsciously as she was shy upon being stared at by her lover.


    "S¡ªSo, what do you like about my body?" Kate repeated her question. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "First, I like your tits. They¡¯re so soft to fondle," Henry answered without shame. "Second..." Henry opened her thighs with his hands again, showing her wet clit. "I can¡¯t wait to fuck your sweet pussy."


    Kate felt like her body would explode by his unbridled words. She was the one who initiated the play, but she was also the one who couldn¡¯t handle the dirty talking.


    "I¡ªI think I had enough dirty talking," Kate said with a red hue tinting her cheeks.


    "Oh really? But you¡¯re the one who started the fire," Henry wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her to the edge of the countertop.


    "Ah¡ªHenry¡ªmmfh..." Kate was caught off guard when Henry suddenly kissed her, but she soon drowned in pleasure.


    Henry continued fondling her breasts while Kate helped him unbuckle his belt and unzipped his trousers.


    The moment they ended their kiss, Henry had already pulled his trousers down and slowly rubbed his cock on Kate¡¯s labia.


    They stared at each other, and Kate said, "I¡¯m ready, do me, darling."


    "As you wish," Henry kissed Kate again, slowly entering her with his big dick.


    "Mmhh!" Kate groaned as she could feel a bit of pain due to Henry¡¯s size, but her pain was soon washed away with pleasure as Henry buried his whole shaft inside her.


    "Ugh, it¡¯s so hot inside," Henry grunted. He waited for a while to let Kate prepare herself for his size. After all, it had been a while since they did it.


    They were staring at each other, searching for each other¡¯s assurance, and Kate gave him the green light, "Y¡ªYou can go on now, darling. Remember not to go too hard. I¡¯m pregnant with your baby."


    "I won¡¯t hurt you, I promise."


    "Ahn! Ummhh!" Kate stretched her neck as she felt Henry¡¯s cock move in and out of her warm pussy. Her gaze began to blur as she saw nothing but this handsome man in front of him.


    She took the initiative to kiss him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him deeper into her.


    "Ahh! Ahnn!" Kate¡¯s sweet moan filled the air as Henry thrust got faster and faster, and the more Kate moaned, the prouder he got. He gritted his teeth and continued thrusting nonstop for about ten minutes until he shot his thick cum inside her.


    Kate could feel the heat inside her body, and they stared at each other with tacit understanding.


    "Let¡¯s continue this in our bedroom," Henry said.


    "Y¡ªYes, but you have to carry me. I¡¯m too weak..." Kate said.


    "With pleasure, my Kitty," Henry put his hand on her ass and carried her without trouble.


    They spent their night in the bedroom, completely forgetting about the cold dinner that Kate made for them.


    **


    Kate woke up quite late in the morning while being spooned by Henry. They were naked after having a wild night together, and there were a lot of traces of their lovemaking.


    Kate could feel Henry¡¯s morning wood rubbing on her pussy lips. He was still sleeping, but his body moved on his own.


    Kate rolled her eyes when she could feel that thick cock was about to enter her again, even though the owner was still in a deep sleep. She struggled and pushed Henry away from her.


    "Hrm..." Henry grunted when he felt the struggle from his woman. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Kate, who looked at him with pouty lips.


    He smiled and kissed her forehead, "Did you sleep well last night?"


    "Not really, we did it for hours, and you didn¡¯t stop at all," Kate complained. But she didn¡¯t deny the pleasure she felt. "I¡¯m hungry. Let me go now. I¡¯m going to make breakfast for us."


    "We can always order food for our breakfast. Let¡¯s spend more time in this position, okay?" Henry persuaded, but Kate didn¡¯t seem to be interested.


    "You¡¯re hard, and I know you want to do it again," Kate said. "Also, I don¡¯t want to eat random food. I need to eat home-cooked healthy food for our baby."


    Henry clicked his tongue.


    He reluctantly released his arm around Kate¡¯s waist, letting her break free.


    Henry stared at Kate, who was butt naked as she got up from the bed. He could see all the traces of their night on her body, and he whistled, "You¡¯re so sexy with all of those traces."


    Kate blushed.


    She remembered everything that happened last night and quickly grabbed Henry¡¯s tee and boxer to cover herself up.


    "Good thing I¡¯m not going out today, or else someone else might see the hickeys you make on my neck," Kate said. "Go rest a bit more. I¡¯m going to cook us breakfast."

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258: Chapter 258Henry and Kate ate their breakfasts quite late in the morning. Henry wanted to spend more time with Kate, but Kate demanded him to work hard.


    "Honestly, why do I have to work?" Henry asked. "My passive income as the main investor of many businesses is enough to give us luxury living for the rest of our life. Can we just spend the rest of our lives by doing nothing together?"


    "Can¡¯t do," Kate shook her head. "I know that you¡¯re rich and will stay rich without working. But you will eventually take care of your family¡¯s business sooner or later. Besides, I like a man who works."


    Henry then remembered Kate¡¯s deadbeat husband, Matt.


    He smelled like a skunk having diarrhea, his breath was foul, and he was an absolute lazy opportunist who preferred to cheat to get easy money rather than work.


    ¡¯No wonder she said she likes a man who works,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I have to ensure that Kate doesn¡¯t see Matt in me. I have to differentiate myself from Matt as much as I can.¡¯


    Thus, Henry got his newfound motivation to work. He got up after breakfast and exclaimed, "I will show you how much of a hard worker I am!"


    Kate smiled at Henry, who looked determined. She held his hand and encouraged him, "Go work hard, darling. Earn a lot of money for us."


    "I will!"


    Kate helped Henry to prepare his suit for today¡¯s activity and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "Work hard, Mr. Grant."


    Henry was at a loss for a moment, but his determination to show his hard work gave him the boost he needed to get through the day.


    "I will be home before dusk. Take care, and call Michael or Mai if you need anything. You need a lot of rest after last night," Henry said out of concern.


    Kate smiled, "I will, don¡¯t worry."


    Henry finally left the apartment, leaving Kate alone.


    She had nothing much to do right now. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, she grabbed her iPad and sat on the long sofa. Since Henry had taken over most of her administrative job as Chief Editor, all she needed to do was to read the manuscripts sent by Mail and other editors in her email to determine which one would be good enough.


    Reading manuscripts could be a hit or miss. Sometimes she wouldn¡¯t even get one good manuscript to process.


    Kate was very selective about the book that Emperor Publishing would publish. She wanted to build trust with the avid readers until they always thought of good books when they saw Emperor Publishing¡¯s brand stamped at the top right corner of a book.


    And Kate, as Chief Editor, always had to be neutral and professional. If she only followed her whim and played favorites, Emperor Publishing would publish only historical romance books.


    As Kate was busy reading a slightly interesting manuscript on her iPad, her phone suddenly rang.


    Kate grinned when she saw the name.


    ¡¯Graham Hubbard is calling.¡¯


    Kate picked up the call as she was already expecting good news right now.


    -


    "Good morning, Graham. I hope you¡¯re calling me with good news," Kate said.


    Graham chuckled, "I do. I want to tell you that your soon-to-be ex-husband has answered the divorce summons and notice. It seems that he is very eager to get a divorce."


    "Really?" Kate grinned. She leaned on the sofa. Her grin got wider as she imagined Matt jumping around like a clown as he thought he had won the lottery of life. "He will use that prenup to get half of my assets. He will get at least four million dollars for half the assets I own."


    "It¡¯s like winning a lottery," Kate said. "But the difference is, he doesn¡¯t need the luck to win it. All he needs is a perfectly gullible but hardworking wife willing to work like a dog just to make him happy."


    Kate made fun of herself. But she still felt sad about it.


    She didn¡¯t know why she was so blind for the past five years, giving Matt everything just to make him happy, even though he hadn¡¯t done anything.


    She looked down and saw many hickeys around her upper breasts and thought, ¡¯Even sex with Matt is awful. Why did I stay with him?¡¯


    Graham wanted to comfort Kate, hoping that Kate would find him pleasing and give him a chance. Frankly, he didn¡¯t believe that Henry would be a good choice for Kate because that fuckboy was too young and too impulsive.


    ¡¯Kate is better with me. We are both adults, stable and mature, unlike that boy,¡¯ Graham thought. But he didn¡¯t dare to say it to Kate because Kate wouldn¡¯t be happy if he talked shit about her boyfriend.


    "Anyway, please inform me about the progress of the divorce case. Tell me once the court has set up the date for the trial because there is no way in hell I would give him half of my hard-earned money."


    "Got it," Graham said. "Also, are you alright? You sound hoarse."


    "Oh, uh... I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just tired," Kate lied. She was embarrassed. Because the truth was she gave Henry a blowjob last night, and because of his size, the tip hit her throat a few times.


    "Take care, Kate," Graham said. "I hope we can meet again to talk about the divorce trial soon¡ª"


    "¡ªwith Henry," Kate added, just to be sure Henry would not misunderstand.


    "Yes, with Henry. I will also call him after this," Graham gulped. "Please send me all the recordings between you and Matt. I will make sure all of them are good enough to be presented during the trial to annul the prenup."


    "Mhm, I¡¯ll send it right away. I appreciate your help, Graham."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate put her phone down, and her grin turned into a chuckle as she imagined that stinky clown dancing in her hand, "Go celebrate your false victory, Matthew Woods. You would be left with NOTHING after the trial ends."

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259: Chapter 259About a day after her relative bailed her out using Matt¡¯s money, Mary was released.


    She went home feeling dejected because she had lost everything.


    She lost her reputation, boyfriend, and, most importantly, a lot of money.


    "How much did Matt pay to free me?" Mary asked her relative.


    "Eight grand," she replied. Her eyes were still on the road, "Don¡¯t do shit like this anymore, Mary. You¡¯re only going to create even more problems. Do you not realize that you are already living comfortably? What more do you want?"


    Mary went silent after that. She knew that she fucked up, but she felt it was a bit unjust to blame everything on her. They should also blame Kate for intentionally trapping her.


    But she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, nor did she want to argue. All she wanted was to return home and rest.


    Mary was dropped in front of her house.


    She could see the yellow police lines around Hilda¡¯s house, and all the furniture she was about to sell this morning had been returned.


    Mary¡¯s lips thinned.


    She tightened her wrinkly fists as her anger towards Kate surged up again.


    "That ungrateful barren bitch. She dares to hurt her mother-in-law like this," Mary cursed. But in the end, she knew she couldn¡¯t do anything. So she just dejectedly entered her house.


    She grabbed her phone, and the first thing she did was call Harry.


    She wished that Harry still had some good feelings for her because she still wanted to give him a second chance.


    "Come on, Harry, pick it up. I just want you to answer me, so I can be sure you still care for me."


    Miraculously, the call was connected after a few beeps.


    Mary¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Harry, love. Where are you? Why did you leave me when I got arrested by the cop!?" Mary wanted Harry to say that he got scared and left her behind. At least with that answer, Mary could justify that Harry still loved her.


    Unfortunately, what she got was the voice of a young woman.


    "Hey, Granny. It¡¯s his girlfriend, Shea," the girl on the phone replied. "Harry and I are on the run because of your stupidity. We will go somewhere far. Thanks for the money, though. Now we don¡¯t need to worry about money for a while."


    "Bye, Granny!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mary¡¯s heart was crushed.


    She already expected that Harry was cheating on her.


    But she didn¡¯t expect him to actually leave with this younger woman when Mary had been nothing but loyal to him during their entire relationship.


    She wanted to cry, but her tears were already dried up after she cried too much in the county¡¯s jail.


    "This is too painful," Mary murmured. "Why did I get hurt like this? I¡¯ve always been nice to others before..."


    Mary felt wronged, and all she wanted right now was to rest.


    But before that, she had to call her son first. She had to apologize and asked for more money because she was unsure she could survive until next month without selling HER own furniture.


    The call was connected soon after, and the first thing Mary said was;


    ¡ª


    "Son, I¡¯m so sorry for getting caught," Mary apologized. "I didn¡¯t expect Kate to trap me like that. She is truly vile."


    Matt was ready to get mad at his mother for making him lose eight grand in one go.


    But all of his anger had dissipated now.


    Because he was about to get four million dollars!


    "Oh, it¡¯s alright, Mom. It¡¯s not that much money," Matt replied lightly. "But I want you to lay low. Don¡¯t make trouble anymore. It¡¯s already hard for me to persuade Aunty to bail you out when I¡¯m not there."


    Mary was actually surprised that her son didn¡¯t blame her for this.


    She was mentally prepared to get blasted by Matt because she knew it was her fault for being naive, so it was easy for Kate to trap and humiliate her.


    "R¡ªReally? You¡¯re not angry?" Mary asked. "But you have to pay eight thousand dollars to bail me out. You¡¯re broke now!"


    "Mhm, I am broke now, Mom," Matt replied. "But not for long because your son is about to win a huge lottery!"


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened.


    She never knew that Matt was into gambling. She was worried that he would spend all of his money on gambling at first, but when she heard that he was about to win a huge lottery, her worries disappeared.


    "What do you mean, Son? What kind of lottery did you participate in?"


    "It¡¯s called the lottery of life, Mom," Matt chuckled. "I married a gullible but hard-working woman. Do you know how much Kate¡¯s entire net worth is?"


    Mary didn¡¯t really understand what net worth was all about. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But she knew that woman had a lot of money, so she made a wild guess, "A hundred thousand dollars?"


    "More than that."


    "Huh? Really?" Mary didn¡¯t know there could be so much money in this world owned by a woman from a small town. "A million dollars?"


    "More, Mom!"


    Mary¡¯s eyes widened, "F¡ªFive million dollars?"


    "No, TEN! Kate¡¯s entire net worth is ten million dollars! She is a millionaire!"


    "TEN MILLION DOLLARS?!"


    Mary was about to get a heart attack. She couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard, "Y¡ªYou mean, that ugly girl. The barren bitch you married to actually has ten million dollars?!"


    "Well, she earns at least a million dollars annually, and that¡¯s not including bonuses from successful books," Matt tried to recall all the things Kate had told him before. Back when their relationship was still somewhat tolerable, Kate willingly told everything about her income and assets.


    "She could even earn up to two million dollars a year just from a few successful books as she is a chief editor," Matt said. "She said that her then-CEO taught her to start investing in stock, and he also taught her personally how to analyze the stock market."

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260: Chapter 260¡ª


    "She also has a few apartments she rented in Los Angeles and New York. So, her assets, stock, and earnings give her ten million dollars in net worth!"


    Mary was shocked at first, but her shock turned into anger once she realized how petty Kate was. "That bitch! How come she never told me about any of this?!"


    Matt wanted to say that he deliberately told her to shut up about all of her achievements and wealth, so Mary would see him as the successful one.


    But that didn¡¯t matter now.


    Because of that prenup, they would have the same wealth after their divorce.


    "I know, Mom. That¡¯s why I said she is so fucking evil!" Matt whined. "All I ask is ten thousand dollars, and she went all in just to humiliate us! Ten grand is like... ten days¡¯ salary for her!"


    Mary was so mad. She felt that she had been unjustly attacked by that bitch for no reason at all. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, what¡¯s this lottery you¡¯re talking about, Son? Does it have a connection with her?" Mary asked, thinking it could be a good way to avenge the injustice.


    "Yes, it does, Mom," Matt proudly replied. "You see before I got married to her. I set up a prenup, so if we got divorced, we would split half of our entire asset. So even if she is the one who worked for everything to get that ten million dollar asset, I will still be able to get half of it! That means I will get four to five million dollars, Mom!"


    "F¡ªFIVE MILLION DOLLARS!? WE¡¯RE GOING TO BE RICH!" Mary¡¯s awful mood cheered immediately after realizing she would be rich by doing nothing.


    "So when will you get the divorce? Go divorce her as soon as possible, Son! I don¡¯t want us to lose money!" Mary supported.


    "Hehe, don¡¯t worry, Mom," Matt sneered. "You see, Kate is actually a dumb slut. Do you think a woman like her can earn ten million dollars with her brain? She is seducing her bosses to get rich. She is nothing but a kept woman, a prostitute."


    "That¡¯s why she just made a dumb decision by filing for divorce," Matt said. "I got the divorce summons notice from the court yesterday. I answered it as soon as possible and will go to court tomorrow morning."


    "I will make sure to get the divorce as soon as possible and get that four to five million dollars! We will be the first millionaire in our family, Mom!"


    "Yes! Oh my god, I¡¯m so happy, Son. I really thought that our life had been unjustly ruined by that bitch. But God is still with us. We will prevail!"


    After a few laughs between mother and son, Matt finally excused himself and hung up the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mary began to cry again after her call with her son.


    She really thought that the world was unjust to her, but it turned out God still loved her.


    "Oh, Thank God! I know you will never abandon a good woman like me. I¡¯ve been nothing but good and faithful. I¡¯ve never hurt others. I even cared for my sickly friend before her bitch daughter ruined my life. Thank God that you¡¯re still giving me justice!" Mary prayed as she was grateful for the blessing she got today.


    And thus, Mary took a bath before going to bed.


    She was in a good mood now. Since she knew she¡¯d be a millionaire soon.


    "I will shut those yapping neighbor¡¯s trashy mouths for talking shit about me. I will show them how rich I am!" Mary said before that she had a good night¡¯s sleep with a sweet dream.


    In her dream, she was surrounded by many handsome young men ready to serve her because she had a lot of money.


    **


    Matt woke up feeling energetic today.


    Because this would be the day of his freedom! He could finally get at least four million from the divorce settlement, thanks to that prenup he signed with Kate five years ago!


    He cranked up the volume of his TV and played music from youtube, "Alright, let¡¯s start this beautiful day by playing this one!"


    [Matt¡¯s music Recommendation: Pharrell Williams - Happy.]


    Matt began to sing along as he finished brushing his teeth and ate his breakfast.


    He didn¡¯t try to discount himself now since he would have all the money he needed for the rest of his life.


    "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth~," Matt sang along as he put on the cheap suit he recently bought online. He didn¡¯t like how bad the fabric quality was, but it didn¡¯t matter because he would be able to afford an ultra-expensive suit after this anyway.


    "Clap along if you know what happiness is to you~," Matt continued. He put on his loafers and then combed his hair in front of the mirror.


    Also, after so long, he finally shaved his unkempt beard for the first time. He looked fresh right now.


    Though, admittedly, he wasn¡¯t as good-looking as Henry Grant. He was quite fat now, but he still had that leftover charm from ten years ago when he was still young.


    "Clap along if you feel like that¡¯s what you wanna do~."


    Matt raised his brow and winked like he was the most handsome man on earth in front of the mirror.


    His confidence soared today because he was about to become a millionaire.


    "By the time I get that divorce settlement money from the prenup, I will be the most handsome man for many women," Matt sneered. "Women love money, and now no woman on Tinder can reject me as long as I can show them my money!"


    Lastly, Matt texted his Mom, who had been texting him since early in the morning, so he wouldn¡¯t be late for the trial.


    ¡ª


    To: Mom.


    Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I am ready to get what we deserve to have. We will be super rich, and as long as we get that money, we can do whatever we want!


    ¡ª

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261: Chapter 261Kate was busy picking proper clothes for today¡¯s trial.


    Her baby bump had gotten a bit too obvious, and it might be a dangerous cause that would change the result of the trial. So she tried to find anything that could cover it.


    Thus, Kate decided to use a dark green sweater owned by none other than Mr. Grant. She covered it with a black coat for protection and a gray corduroy.


    She looked like a woman ready to work during the cold season. Luckily, it was already the start of winter, so nobody would question her dressing choice.


    "Honey, we¡¯re going to be late. Are you ready?" Henry asked as he checked his watch. He entered their bedroom and was surprised by Kate¡¯s choice.


    "I¡¯m ready," Kate replied while looking in the mirror. She then turned towards Henry, "What do you think? Do I look proper enough for the court today? I can¡¯t wear my regular working outfit because it is unsuitable for a pregnant woman. The baby bump will get too obvious."


    Henry stared at Kate from head to toe. She looked gorgeous as always, but what caught his attention the most was how sweet she looked wearing his sweater.


    "Is that my sweater?" Henry asked to make sure.


    "Uh-huh, your sweater is warm and loose enough for me to cover the bump," Kate replied. "Why are you asking? Do you not want me to use your stuff?"


    Henry leaned at the door and shook his head, "Not at all. I just found you cute. You should wear my stuff more often."


    Kate chuckled.


    She took a step forward and fixed Henry¡¯s tie. They had been dating for a while, and Kate realized how messy and disorganized he could be, just like how he failed to tie properly.


    "If you want me to wear your stuff more often, then make us official," Kate said as she fixed his tie and collar.


    Henry wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her lightly, "Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re going to the court today? You need to get that divorce paper first."


    Kate nodded, "And don¡¯t forget to introduce me to your family. I am not a mistress, Henry."


    Henry felt that his heart had been washed over by cold water. He lost his joy instantly after Kate talked about his family.


    He was scheduled to meet his father yesterday, but he just pushed it until the trial ended, as he wanted to focus on Kate and her case.


    So he planned to meet his father next week instead.


    He didn¡¯t know what would happen, but he would NEVER allow that old crook to take his baby and hurt his woman.


    "Well, it¡¯s time to go. We don¡¯t want to be late for the big day," Henry shifted the topic as soon as possible as he didn¡¯t want to argue with Kate at such a critical time.


    Thus, Kate grabbed all the necessary documents and went with Henry¡¯s car to the state court.


    There was nothing but silence as Henry drove the car to the court.


    He had been glancing at Kate, who looked very calm as if it wasn¡¯t a big and important day for her.


    "You look confident and calm about going to the trial today," Henry finally opened his mouth.


    Kate smiled, "Obviously, because I will be free from that bastard. It has been five grueling years having to babysit a lazy, dirty man-child like him. I¡¯ve had enough."


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned as Kate mentioned the word ¡¯man-child.¡¯


    He firmly believed that he was not that kind of man. He made his own money, and he had been living independently since he was eighteen, with the help of his late brother initially, of course.


    But deep down, he still felt somewhat insecure that Kate would always see him as a baby.


    ¡¯I guess only time will tell,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I will keep showing her my quality, so she will truly see me as a formidable man to pamper and protect her and our baby.¡¯


    Henry parked the car in front of the state court and walked into the lobby side by side with Kate.


    "Good morning, Kate," Graham approached them and smiled at Kate. He intentionally ignored Henry as his eyes were only on her. "We have everything set up, and the trial should start in an hour. All you have to do is to wait, and I¡¯ve prepared a room for you. Follow me."


    Henry said nothing, as he wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight with Graham on such an important day, but he wrapped Kate¡¯s hand tightly, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be separated.


    Graham¡¯s gaze darkened when he saw Henry¡¯s gesture but he said nothing as he led them to a waiting room.


    Graham smiled at Kate as he chivalrously pulled the chair so Kate could sit.


    Kate was amused by the gesture, "Thank you, Graham."


    "My pleasure," Graham said. "I haven¡¯t seen Matthew Woods anywhere yet. I¡¯ll try to stop him from entering this room so you don¡¯t need to argue with him before the trial."


    "Actually, could you do me a favor and lead him to this room to meet with us?" Kate asked. "I want to argue with him a little before the trial starts. I want to ensure he thinks he¡¯s confident enough to get the divorce settlement. It¡¯ll be easier for him to make a blunder in the court."


    Kate¡¯s request caught Graham off guard, "Are you sure? I don¡¯t want you to be distressed by him."


    "It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t be distressed by that useless man," Kate replied firmly. She raised her hand to show that she was holding hands with Henry. "I have my man here. He will protect me in case Matt wants to hurt me." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry was caught off guard by Kate¡¯s declaration. She didn¡¯t even hesitate to claim him in front of Graham.


    He turned his head towards Kate and stared at her without blinking.


    Kate glanced at Henry and grinned, "You will protect me, won¡¯t you?"

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262: Chapter 262"I will," Henry replied firmly. "I will protect you and our baby. I promise."


    Graham felt that a knife had stabbed his heart. He was pissed to see Kate and Henry looking so harmonious.


    He silently hoped that Henry would eventually show his true skin to Kate.


    ¡¯That time for me to get close to Kate will come,¡¯ Graham thought. ¡¯Henry is an immature kid who can¡¯t hold a relationship for too long. He will eventually leave her or cheat on her. And I will be the man by her side when that time comes.¡¯


    Thus, Graham left after excusing himself.


    Kate sighed as she saw Graham leave the room.


    She liked Graham as a friend because he seemed a mature and stable man who could connect with her.


    But she had zero romantic interest in him. Because Henry was a fantastic man and full of passion, he knew how to surprise her, and he was also great in bed.


    As a woman who had never experienced good sex for her entire life before she met with Henry, she couldn¡¯t help but get addicted to his touch.


    "Thank you, Kitty," Henry said. His emerald-like eyes were still staring at her intensely.


    "Hm? For what?"


    "For choosing me," Henry said. "I¡¯m super pissed off at Graham for trying to steal you, but I hold back because I don¡¯t want to stress you out during an important day."


    Kate chuckled, "You don¡¯t need to thank me for that. I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for him. I just want to ensure he knows I won¡¯t leave you."


    Henry was still amazed by Kate¡¯s gesture just now.


    He knew it was just a small gesture to show Graham she was HIS woman.


    But it created a huge tidal wave in Henry¡¯s heart; he felt he had been recognized, and thus, he had to treasure their relationship seriously.


    Henry kissed Kate¡¯s hand and whispered, "I love you, Katherine."


    Kate felt a jolt of electricity rushing under her skin. She lowered her head out of shame and murmured, "I love you too, Henry."


    The air around them got hotter, Henry was about to kiss Kate¡¯s lips, but Graham walked in with Matt by his side before he could do that.


    Kate quickly pushed Henry before he could get the kiss he wanted, much to Henry¡¯s annoyance.


    "Mr. Grant, please don¡¯t touch my client before the trial. It¡¯s inappropriate," Graham said out of pettiness. "I¡¯m here with Mr. Matthew Woods, as requested."


    "Yo," Matt smiled from ear to ear as if he had already won the case. "Is this the waiting room for us? I thought this was a hotel room since you two are making love here! Hahahah!"


    Henry glared at Matt, and the latter stopped laughing immediately.


    After what happened two days ago, Matt¡¯s body had been conditioned to fear Henry. His instinct already told him NOT to mess around with Henry, or else he would get hurt or die and ditch in a random place. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate smiled at Graham, "Thank you for bringing him in, Mr. Hubbard. You can leave now."


    The room was filled with only three people now. Kate and Henry sat on the chairs while Matt stood near the door like a student being punished by his teacher.


    Kate understood that Henry must¡¯ve spooked Matt enough until he didn¡¯t even dare to open his mouth.


    She tapped Henry¡¯s thigh to stop him from glaring.


    "Why don¡¯t you sit here and talk with me, Matt? After all, we are about to get divorced soon. It¡¯d be nice to have a chat before I completely cut you out of my life," Kate said. "Besides, I¡¯m sure you must¡¯ve been angry about me setting up a trap for your mother, right?"


    Matt finally raised his head after Kate mentioned his mother.


    Indeed, he was so angry at Kate, who dared to trap his innocent old mother until she got arrested.


    "You went too far, Kate," Matt said. "My mother is innocent. She did nothing wrong!"


    "Nothing wrong?" Kate raised her brow. "You think selling my house¡¯s furniture is not wrong?"


    "You earned way more than that!" Matt insisted. "Why are you so stingy and petty to your mother-in-law? So what if she wants to take a few pieces of furniture and sell them? You can just buy more, right?"


    Matt shifted his gaze at Henry, hoping Henry would take his side after knowing Kate¡¯s bad side, "Mr. Grant, you should know that Kate is cruel enough to let the police arrest my mother, an old woman in her sixties! She is so fucking vicious!"


    "I know," Henry replied curtly. "I¡¯ve been watching over my woman¡¯s activity. I know fully well what she¡¯s doing. That¡¯s why I already predicted you¡¯ll meet me at the office."


    "You should thank her. If she doesn¡¯t stop me from hunting you down, you¡¯d be dead meat in a dumpster by now."


    Matt shuddered. He knew Henry was dangerous, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be extremely vicious like Kate.


    He was very different from James, whom Matt met and talked to once.


    He was very amiable and kind. He also didn¡¯t even try to argue with Matt.


    Heck, he even gave Matt a thousand dollars to buy a new TV so Matt would let Kate go with him to an office party once!


    "Don¡¯t be mean to him, darling," Kate patted Henry¡¯s thigh again. "I am truly sorry about what I did to your mother. How about I compensate for the damage I caused? I will give you one million dollars, but in exchange, you have to annul the prenup."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened.


    Kate actually dared to offer him one million dollars in exchange for the prenup annulment.


    ¡¯But why would I do that? I will get literally four to five million dollars as my divorce settlement!¡¯ Matt thought. So he shook his head vehemently, "No way. I will not annul that prenup!"


    "Really? How about two million dollars then?"

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263: Chapter 263"T¡ªTwo million dollars?!" Matt¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t expect Kate to offer huge money just to annul the prenup.


    But he was still adamant about the prenup. He knew that Kate was worth so much more than just four million dollars in total.


    About six months ago, Kate laid out all of her assets and income to Matt so he knew that she had a net worth of about eight to ten million dollars.


    To give him two million dollars meant she was scared of the prenup!


    "Yes, I will give you two million dollars, and you can request whether you want an asset, bank transfer, or a cheque for it," Kate said confidently. She offered it like two million dollars was just pocket change for her.


    Matt¡¯s mouth began to drool, thinking about two million dollars he could have. He wouldn¡¯t need to worry about money anymore for the rest of his life. He didn¡¯t need to pay for rent as long as he got the money AND a free apartment.


    But Matt quickly shook his head to snap himself out of that dream, ¡¯No, Matthew! Don¡¯t fall into her trap! She is worth so much more than that! You will get at least four million from the divorce settlement!¡¯


    "I¡ªI won¡¯t accept it. I will keep the prenup!" Matt insisted. "Remember, Kate, you¡¯re the one who signed that prenup. It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯re forced to give half of your money to me!"


    Kate could tell that Henry began to get irritated by Matt. It was apparent by how he kept shaking his leg impatiently.


    Thus, she had to defuse him by gently caressing his thigh. She didn¡¯t want Henry to lose his patience and jumped on Matt. Things would be more complicated if Henry couldn¡¯t control himself.


    "You won¡¯t accept two million dollars? Hm... then how about four million dollars?" Kate kept on increasing her offer without hesitation, and it gave the illusion that Kate had so much more than that.


    Thus, Matt refused as he knew he would get more than four million!


    "I refuse!"


    "Really? You will refuse four million dollars?" Kate raised her brow. "Are you sure?"


    "I am so fucking sure!" Matt said confidently.


    Kate went silent after that. There was a trace of hesitation in her eyes, and Matt could notice it.


    "How about I give you six million dollars to annul the prenup? Surely you won¡¯t reject that, right?"


    Matt didn¡¯t outright reject it this time.


    The offer caught him off guard because six million dollars was more than he had predicted.


    He predicted he would get about four to five million dollars since Kate told him her net worth before.


    But if she was bold enough to offer SIX MILLION DOLLARS, her net worth must¡¯ve increased significantly!


    Truthfully, Matt didn¡¯t expect Kate to thrive after their separation a few months ago. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought that she would be too heartbroken to work and function correctly. But it seemed that she truly had no feelings for him because she didn¡¯t seem affected by the separation.


    Matt clenched his fist. He didn¡¯t understand why, but he felt slightly annoyed by the fact that Kate didn¡¯t care about him that much.


    ¡¯Ah, stop thinking about it, Matt. Why would you care about what Kate thinks? She is a condescending, barren, loose cunt. Her worth is within her money, and you¡¯re about to earn your share soon,¡¯ Matt convinced himself.


    Matt then looked at Henry, who had been glaring at him for the whole time. It was obvious that Henry was about to jump on him and probably smash his head. That¡¯s why Matt had been standing near the door the whole time to avoid accidental death by that guy.


    But Matt had guessed the reason why Kate could accumulate so much wealth in such a short time.


    ¡¯Heh, as expected. There is no way she can get more after the death of James Grant. She is a woman, so she¡¯s inherently incompetent. It¡¯s all James¡¯ effort that made her rich before.¡¯


    ¡¯But since he died, she decided to seduce Henry Grant, and now she gets another rich man ready to supply her with an endless stream of money,¡¯ Matt sneered. ¡¯Once a cheap whore, always a cheap whore.¡¯


    Thus, Matt was convinced that Kate got a lot of money from Henry. Her net worth was probably more than twenty million right now. So he would¡¯ve gotten at least TEN MILLION DOLLARS instead of four!


    ¡¯Goddamn, I am so happy right now. I almost fell into Kate¡¯s trap and got myself six million dollars instead of ten! This woman is seriously cunning and vicious!¡¯


    Thus, with ten million dollars in mind, Matt replied, "No, I still won¡¯t take it. I just want my divorce settlement!"


    "Really? Are you seriously rejecting six million dollars?" Kate asked. She took her phone and said, "I can call the bank now so they can prepare a six million dollar cheque for you if you want. It¡¯s not that hard for me to do."


    Matt gulped as he got nervous.


    His logic told him to take the damn six million dollars and annul the prenup. He would be so fucking rich that no woman wouldn¡¯t dare to reject her anymore!


    But his heart told him that Kate had a lot more, and he had to be greedy to get what he wanted. Why would he settle for six million when he could get at least ten? He was not an idiot!


    "Stop trying to trick me, Kate. I know what you¡¯re planning!"


    "Hm? What do you mean? What kind of plan do I have, really?" Kate asked back. She acted oblivious, and of course, Matt could read through her.


    "Heh, do you think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re using your body to get into his bed?" Matt pointed at Henry. "I bet he gives you soooo much money in exchange for your service. That¡¯s why you dare to offer me six million dollars because you have much more than that!"

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264: Chapter 264?reeweb?ovel.comKate was startled, and then she shut her mouth instantly as if she had been caught red-handed by Matt.


    Matt felt like he had hit the jackpot now. As he expected, Kate really had way much more than just ten million dollars in net worth. That¡¯s why she was so desperate to buy him out to annul the prenup because she didn¡¯t want to lose too much money.


    "Heh, you fucked up, Kate. Do you think I will get tricked by you?" Matt said with a smirk. "I am not an idiot. I may be lazy, but I am way smarter than you. You should be thankful that I didn¡¯t divorce you first!"


    "You little shit¡ª"Henry got up from his chair but was forcibly stopped by Kate.


    "Sit down, Henry."


    "Yeah, sit down, Mr. Grant," Matt mocked as he finally realized that Henry wouldn¡¯t dare to do a thing as long as Kate forbade him. And he knew that Kate wouldn¡¯t do anything because she was at risk of losing even more money. "I must admit, though, you must be so good in bed for James and Henry to get addicted to you. But for how long?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt laughed before he walked out, leaving Henry, who was fuming as he tried his best not to attack him.


    "That little shit! I¡¯m going to ask Michael to do something later," Henry cursed as he sat back.


    Kate chuckled and patted his chest, "Calm down, Henry. Everything is according to my plan. You don¡¯t need to hurt him. It¡¯s no use to hurt a useless man."


    Henry glanced at Kate, who looked very calm.


    Of course, he knew what Kate was planning with all the offers she had given Matt just now.


    But he was still annoyed because Kate¡¯s acting boosted Matt¡¯s confidence.


    "I don¡¯t like it when people look down on you. You¡¯re supposed to be a woman respected by everyone. You are MY woman," Henry claimed. "I can¡¯t keep letting you act dumb, Kate. It hurts my pride."


    Kate sighed, "I promise this will be the last time. I will be free from that guy soon, and we no longer need to worry about anyone on my side of the family."


    "You see, what I did just now is to give him a confidence boost to increase the chance of him making a blunder during the trial," Kate said. "On top of that, I am petty enough to see him getting heartbroken after knowing he could¡¯ve bagged six million dollars easily."


    Henry nodded lightly, "Though he¡¯s not wrong about one thing."


    "About what?" Kate asked.


    "That you own way more than just ten million dollars in net worth," Henry said. "Have I ever told you I can get annoyed by your independence sometimes? Why don¡¯t you ask me for something expensive? Why don¡¯t you ask me for diamonds, a penthouse, a yacht? Heck, I can just give you a few of my assets, anything you want, really."


    "Because I don¡¯t want it? Besides, if I want to buy an expensive diamond for whatever reason, I could¡¯ve bought it myself," Kate tilted her head. "I don¡¯t understand you, Henry. Do you actually want me to spend millions of your money?"


    "Yes," Henry replied without hesitation. He covered Kate¡¯s hand with his and stared at her earnestly. "What is the point of earning so much money if I can¡¯t enjoy it with my woman? Why don¡¯t you spend my money instead?"


    ...


    Honestly, this wasn¡¯t the first time they were arguing about this.


    Since they lived together, Kate had been managing the apartment they lived in. She often bought furniture and even went as far as restocking the groceries all by herself with her own money.


    She always rejected Henry¡¯s request to use his money for everything, and it became a troublesome argument between them.


    Kate was just not used to relying on someone for money.


    In her whole life, she had always been the lady who took care of everything and everyone.


    She was the older sister who did house chores 90% of the time. She cooked, cleaned, and even went as far as taking many part-time jobs to get her own money without asking her mother, so she could go on a date with Matt.


    Even when she went on a date with Matt, she always paid for everything with her part-time money.


    And she had gotten used to that norm.


    ¡¯He did say that I hurt his pride by not letting him pay for everything. It¡¯s too weird for me,¡¯ Kate sighed. ¡¯Is this what they call a man¡¯s pride?¡¯


    Henry already guessed that Kate wanted to refuse.


    It had always been like that, which was hugely demotivating for him. He always thought that Kate didn¡¯t appreciate him enough as the man willing to provide for everything for him.


    Henry sighed and said, "Alright, let¡¯s just forget about this first. I don¡¯t want you to think of unnecessary things when you have a big trial coming."


    ...


    "Don¡¯t pout like that, honey," Kate said. "How about this? After I get my divorce, we can plan a trip to Hawaii or somewhere warmer. I will allow you to use your money entirely. I will uh... max out your card."


    "But my card can¡¯t be maxed out..." Henry murmured.


    "Alright, I will just use as much as I want during the trip. Is that good enough for you?"


    Henry¡¯s mood finally improved after getting the things he wanted. So he nodded and said, "Promise me that you won¡¯t back out from that deal, Kitty. I want to spoil you."


    "I won¡¯t back out, I promise," Kate smiled. "You know that you¡¯re weird, right?"


    "Weird?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s weird that you want to waste your money on me."


    "... I think you¡¯re the weird one, Kitty," Henry refuted. "You refused to let your man spoil you. I get pleasure seeing you happy with the money I earned after a hard day¡¯s work."


    Kate and Henry stared at each other for a while before they laughed at each other. They looked so harmonious, but it didn¡¯t last long because Graham suddenly walked in and cleared his throat to announce his presence.


    "Kate, the trial will start soon. Follow me."

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265: Chapter 265Henry¡¯s good mood was ruined again when that bastard Graham walked in. They glared at each other with obvious contempt, and Henry began to regret every second of his decision that led to him hiring Graham for this job.


    He knew that Kate was very attractive to those who knew her worth, but he didn¡¯t expect Graham to be so hostile and persistent in getting Kate¡¯s attention.


    Kate sighed. She patted Henry¡¯s chest before getting up, "Let¡¯s just focus on the trial first."


    Henry nodded but said nothing while his eyes were still on Graham. He got up and walked with Kate as Graham led them to the courtroom.


    The courtroom was surprisingly empty, thanks to Graham and Henry, who had to unwillingly work together to make sure nobody knew about Kate, who would divorce her husband.


    On top of that, both Kate and Matt unsurprisingly did not have many friends and families who could attend, but for a different reason.


    Kate was always busy with work and had no time to make friends.


    While Matt was just lying in front of the TV, playing games like there was no tomorrow.


    Michael and Mai wanted to attend, but Kate and Henry told them not to because they still had a lot to do at work since they would be handling many documents while Kate and Henry were absent.


    Kate followed Graham to sit on the seat reserved for her, and Henry sat right behind them as the only audience.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Matt to enter the courtroom, and was greeted with the vicious eyes of three people.


    Usually, he would be scared when he was confronted by someone who looked stronger than him. But not today. He was exceptionally confident after talking with Kate before.


    Because he knew these three people were just trying to intimidate him because he would be getting more than ten million dollars after the divorce was finalized.


    He swaggered to his seat and looked at Kate with a smirk, "I should thank you in advance, Kate."


    "Hm? Thank you. For what?" Kate asked.


    "For giving me more than ten million," he sneered. "That prenup cannot be annulled. Thanks for all of your hard work for the past five years. Now I can be a millionaire without working my whole life."


    Matt was poking fun at the fact that Kate was an idiot who married him and got ten million dollars stolen from her after the divorce.


    But strangely, Kate didn¡¯t look upset at all.


    Matt expected her to at least curse at him, but he sensed no trace of anger from her.


    She smiled at him instead and replied, "You are welcome. I hope you can get that ten million dollars that you wished for. It¡¯s a pity because you refused my six million dollar offer before."


    "Heh, I¡¯m not an idiot. You can¡¯t trick me," Matt tried to act tough to hide his hesitation. He was confused about why Kate didn¡¯t seem bothered at all, but he quickly denied his own worry.


    ¡¯She is just bluffing. Don¡¯t get tricked by it, Matthew!¡¯ Matt convinced himself. ¡¯I will show her that I am not an idiot. I will show her what kind of powerful and smart man I am, and she will know how much she misses my quality!¡¯


    Kate saw the determination in Matt¡¯s eyes and knew that Matt had fallen into her trap once more.


    She was happy with the progress of her plan, of course.


    But at the same time, Kate wouldn¡¯t lie that she had this bittersweet feeling in her heart.


    ¡¯Ah, so this is the end of us, Katherine and Matthew Woods,¡¯ Kate lamented. ¡¯You should know, Matt. You are the first man I fell in love with. You are also the only man I have dated for the past thirty-two years.¡¯


    ¡¯You know how hard it takes for me to make you happy? I¡¯ve tried my best in everything just to make sure that you won¡¯t leave me,¡¯ Kate felt her heart crushed as she recalled everything she had done for Matt. She was an idiot who fell in love. She was also desperate to be loved.


    ¡¯I know you are destined to fail because you¡¯ve always been lazy your whole life. But I keep clinging to the idea that you would eventually become a better man after we married.¡¯


    Kate questioned whether she still had a bit of love for Matt.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for her to answer.


    She had lost every bit of her feelings towards him after he dared to cheat on her with Erin.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t love him anymore. I just... feel sad for myself. Because never have I ever thought that I would be a divorcee,¡¯ Kate thought.


    She soon snapped out of her daze when the bailiff announced the judge¡¯s arrival and told everyone to stand up.


    Kate looked at the judge and saw a woman in her mid-fifties. She was short and slightly hunched, but she carried the air of an honorable judge with her fierce eyes.


    "Please be seated," The bailiff ordered before they started the trial.


    The judge reviewed the divorce case for a moment before she opened the trial for the divorce.


    "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are here for the divorce trial between Mr. Matthew Woods and Mrs. Katherine Woods. My name is Judge Christy Cassidy, and we will start with the opening statement from the plaintiff of the divorce."


    Judge Cassidy looked at Kate¡¯s side and said, "The attorney from Mrs. Katherine Woods¡¯s side, please make an opening statement for your client." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Graham Hubbard stood up and truly showed his capability as a top divorce lawyer. He was smooth, and the judge seemed to understand everything he mentioned.


    "Mrs. Katherine Woods has always been the one and only breadwinner in the family. She got no financial help from anyone, especially from her husband. She is requesting the annulment of the prenup," Graham said.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266: Chapter 266"The annulment of the prenup?"


    "Yes, Your Honor," Graham replied. "My client has signed an unfair prenup under extreme pressure and manipulation. She has been unfairly treated by her husband."


    "Heh, unfairly treated," Matthew sneered.


    The judge glared at Matt, "Stay seated and silent, Mr. Woods. You may speak once I order you to."


    Matt zipped his mouth instantly.


    He had no idea what the court was about. After all, he had always been a good and lawful citizen. He never broke the law and thus never had to be in this position his entire life. "I¡¯ve read the prenup. It is written that you will split every asset you have in a fair 50:50 in case of divorce. This doesn¡¯t seem to be a problematic prenup in my eyes."


    Judge Cassidy then shifted her gaze towards Kate, saying, "Mrs. Katherine Woods, come to the front and tell me about the reason for the annulment and why you stated you¡¯ve been put under extreme pressure and manipulation to sign it."


    Kate looked at Graham, and the latter nodded, assuring her that everything would be fine.


    Kate got up and walked to the podium, directly facing the judge as she opened her statement about the prenup, "Your Honor, I have been manipulated into signing a prenup. I... I am infertile, Your Honor, and my husband used my condition and forced me to sign the prenup before we got married."


    "He then forced me to work my bones off after we got married. He never contributed to the household¡¯s finances for the past five years. Your honor, you may retrieve his tax record, and you will see he has never been registered to work anywhere."


    Matt felt wronged when Kate said that he had never worked for the past five years.


    He did work as an extra in a few TV series, and he got paid about two to five hundred dollars for his appearance. Though, it was only once every three months or so.


    But at least he worked!


    He contributed to the household finance by using it to buy his own game console, so he didn¡¯t need to pester Kate about it.


    Judge Cassidy was convinced after Kate said she could look through Matthew Woods¡¯ tax record to see whether he had been paying taxes.


    Because if he had been unemployed for the past five years, he didn¡¯t need to pay any employment tax.


    "Has he ever been abusive towards you?" the judge asked.


    "Physically, no, Ma¡¯am," Kate replied truthfully. "But mentally, I have been subjected to constant torment because of my infertility. I worked so hard and gave him a good life to compensate for my inability to give him a child, but he..."


    Kate¡¯s eyes began to pool with tears. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief. The judge stayed silent, but deep down, this woman¡¯s situation saddened her, "He cheated with my sister. That¡¯s why I filed for divorce and requested the prenup annulment."


    Graham and Henry might have thought that she was just acting right now. But her tears were real.


    She recalled all the hard work and stress she had to endure to show her worth in front of Mr. James Grant.


    She thought that giving him a good life would be enough to keep Matt loyal, but not.


    "Pardon me, Your Honor, I can¡¯t control myself," Kate said as she continued crying.


    "I understand, Mrs. Woods," the judge said.


    She could connect with Kate because she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her mid-thirties, thus making her infertile as well.


    But she was lucky because her husband stayed loyal.


    Unfortunately, she handled many divorce cases when the wife was infertile due to a condition or an illness, and the husband divorced her because of it. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this case was quite unique because Kate was the family¡¯s breadwinner and worked so hard to keep her man happy to compensate.


    ¡¯It¡¯s so tragic...¡¯


    "Thank you for your statement, Mrs. Woods. You may sit down now."


    "Wait, Your Honor, I have proof of a blackmail my husband did to me not long ago," Kate said. "I want to show what kind of mental abuse I went through daily."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened. He had a bad feeling about this, "W¡ªWait, I never blackmailed her! You shouldn¡¯t trust her, Ma¡¯am¡ªI mean, Your Honor!"


    Judge Cassidy glared at him again, and Matt cowered in fear once more.


    Judge Cassidy noticed that Kate looked very confident with whatever proof she had, so she nodded, "Let me see it."


    Kate gave a flash disk containing the video of Matt¡¯s blackmail to the bailiff, and he played the video using a projector.


    Everyone in the court saw the scene between Kate and Matt sitting at a cafe table. They were facing each other, and though they couldn¡¯t see Kate¡¯s expression, they could clearly see the maliciousness in Matt¡¯s eyes.


    -


    "You said that I can¡¯t force you? I thought you were smarter than that, Kate," Matt smirked evilly in the video. "Do you want everyone in your office to know about this? I¡¯m sure all of your subordinates will lose respect once they know that their oh-so-empowered Chief Editor has a child molester as her father."


    Kate¡¯s shoulder began to shake in the video. She was obviously distressed, but the more Kate showed her distress, the more malicious Matt got.


    "Why are you doing this to me?" Kate asked with her weak voice.


    "Because I need your money," Matt replied without hesitation. "Why should I get a job when I can get ten grand from my wife? Why would I need to suffer when you can take the suffering instead?"


    -


    Matt paled when he watched the whole video.


    He didn¡¯t know that he was being recorded. He also felt so powerful at that time that he didn¡¯t even care about his surroundings.


    The video ended with him leaving Kate alone, sobbing like a poor woman abused by her husband. And Matt finally realized something;


    ¡¯Fuck, I have been duped.¡¯

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267: Chapter 267[Song Recommendation: June - A Little Messed Up.]


    Matt didn¡¯t know to what extent Kate tricked him. The more he was thinking about it, the more terrified he got.


    ¡¯Fuck, what if everything is planned since the very start?¡¯ Matt asked himself as he began to doubt himself right now. ¡¯What if she is the one who intentionally puts the newspaper clip in Hilda¡¯s room? Maybe she already knows that my Mom would break into the house and search for valuable things.¡¯


    ¡¯Maybe she has been colluding with the cops from the get-go. Cops are always corrupt, after all. She could always bribe them to do her bidding,¡¯ Matt swallowed his saliva hardly. He was so scared that his mind began to cloud with fear. ¡¯She tricked me into saying crazy stuff when I asked for money. She also tricked my mother until she got arrested by the cops. What else does she have in her arsenal?¡¯


    Matt¡¯s mind began to wander as he tried to count every possibility of Kate¡¯s tricks, and he began to recall the offer that Kate offered before the trial.


    ¡¯With that kind of video evidence, she must be extremely confident to win the case and annul the prenup. So what¡¯s the point of her offering me up to six million before?¡¯ Matt wondered. Somehow, he had gotten an answer, but he was unsure if it was right.


    ¡¯No way, there is no way that she offered me six million just to taunt me before the trial. She is not that petty, right?¡¯


    Unfortunately, the more he thought about it, the more certain he felt that Kate was just being petty and cruel.


    It also scared him so much that his back began to sweat. He didn¡¯t expect that Kate could be that cruel and cunning. For the past five years of marriage and more than a decade of dating, Kate had never shown any sign of cruelty or deceit.


    She was always that meek and silent girl nobody wanted to touch. Even when she got a job as the Chief Editor, Kate maintained her upright and honest nature.


    So this caught Matt off guard and terrified him, knowing that Kate was out to get his blood.


    ¡¯W¡ªWhat if she has another plan in mind? What if she still wants to get revenge on me even after we get divorced?¡¯ Matt¡¯s mind began to make up a scary scenario, and the worst scenario he made was the idea of Kate going to kill him and his mother in an act of revenge and in the worst possible way. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt¡¯s body began to tremble out of fear of his own soon-to-be ex-wife. He glanced at Henry, who sat right behind Kate, and his heart almost jumped when he saw the deep emerald eyes were actually looking at him the whole time.


    Henry grinned as their eyes met, he raised one brow to taunt Matt, and it seemed that Henry could read Matt¡¯s mind simply by looking at his facial expression.


    ¡¯Holy shit! Holy fucking shit! They are out to get me!¡¯ Matt panicked. ¡¯No wonder Kate and Henry are so close together. They are the same monster! They are evil beings!¡¯


    Judge Cassidy took off her glasses and rubbed her nose bridge. The content of the video shown by Katherine Woods was damning evidence that her husband was indeed a manipulator and mental abuser.


    How else could a man blackmail his wife with her father¡¯s crime he committed more than a decade ago? She was just a teenager then and had no control over her family.


    "Thank you for the video evidence, Mrs. Woods. You may return to your seat," Judge Cassidy said.


    Kate wiped her tears before the judge and nodded, "Thank you, Your Honor."


    As Kate turned around, she glanced at Matt, who looked so pale, and she winked at him as if everything was just a game, and Matt had been cluelessly pulled into this game with no escape.


    Judge Cassidy shifted her gaze towards the nervous Matt and said, "Please come to the podium and give your statement, Mr. Matthew Woods, because it seems that you are not being represented by any lawyer."


    Matt almost shrieked out of fear. He had lost all of his confidence the moment Kate smirked at him. It gave him the feeling that Kate had truly prepared everything up to his demise, and he could do nothing to avoid it.


    "Matthew Woods? If you¡¯re not going to give your statement, I will finalize my verdict without hearing you," Judge Cassidy said. "That video is damning evidence that you have abused your wife mentally."


    Matt understood that he would lose his ten million dollars if he didn¡¯t do anything. So he pushed through his courage and got up from his seat.


    He walked to the podium and felt that was the longest walk he had ever done in his entire life. His gaze got blurry as fear and nervousness had taken his entire body.


    He stood in front of the judge and felt that the short, middle-aged lady looked like a monster in his eyes. His knees began to shake, but he hurriedly gripped the podium so he wouldn¡¯t faint.


    He knew that Kate had trapped him, but that didn¡¯t mean he would go down without a fight.


    ¡¯Pull yourself together, Matt! Don¡¯t get scared, or you will lose ten million dollars! It¡¯s now or never!¡¯ Matt tried to encourage himself.


    "You may speak now, Matthew Woods," Judge Cassidy said.


    "W¡ªWell, uh... t¡ªthat¡¯s fake, Ma¡¯am¡ªI¡ªI mean, Your Honor," Matt stuttered as he tried to find a reason to debunk Kate¡¯s damning video evidence just now.


    "Fake? Please elaborate."


    "Uh... w¡ªwe are just... uhm... a¡ªacting, Your Honor," Matt said. After he found his reason, he became less nervous, "I am an actor, and I asked my wife to help me practice because I will play an evil scumbag."


    "An actor? Is that true, Mrs. Woods?" Judge Cassidy asked for confirmation from Kate. "You told me that he has no job just now."

 Chapter 268: Divorce Verdict

    Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Divorce Verdict "Actor is a stretch, Your Honor," Kate replied. She looked at Matt with her eyes glazed with tears as if she had been wronged here. "He barely gets any acting roles. He was at best cast as a forgettable one-episode character that got killed off the next episode, and as much as I remembered, he got one thousand dollars for it."


    "As you see, Your Honor. He earns roughly two hundred to one thousand per acting gig, and he gets an acting gig once every three months or so," Kate said. "And he never gave his money to me. He usually spent it all on himself and his gaming hobby."


    "That¡¯s what I call contributing to the household," Matt couldn¡¯t help to retaliate, seeing that Kate was trying to slander him. "I used that money to buy a brand new computer, so I didn¡¯t need to ask you for money. Isn¡¯t that enough?"


    "I¡¯m not getting your logic, Mr. Woods," Judge Cassidy interrupted. "You can¡¯t call that as contributing to the household. You¡¯re fulfilling your selfish desire without considering your wife¡¯s hard work."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened when he got lectured by the judge. He then realized what kind of idiotic thing he said just now.


    Kate zipped her mouth again because she knew she didn¡¯t need to say anything else.


    The judge was already on her side right now, and the more Matt tried to defend himself, the more obvious how useless and selfish he was.


    "I think I¡¯ve heard enough from you to get my verdict," Judge Cassidy said as she realized Matt was being authentically stupid.


    It was indeed unfair for Katherine Woods to have a leech of a husband and still had to lose half of her money because of a prenup.


    ¡¯Besides, Matthew Woods is obviously a cruel man. No good man would blackmail his own wife for ten grand. That¡¯s beyond evil,¡¯ Judge Cassidy thought. "You may return to your seat, Mr. Woods."


    "W¡ªWait," Matt felt like this was his end. His gut feeling told him that he would lose his potential ten million dollars because of this blunder. "Your Honor, please don¡¯t annul the prenup! That prenup is valid. I deserve half of the asset!"


    "Please sit down, Mr. Woods. I will read my verdict after you are seated," Judge Cassidy said.


    "N¡ªNo! Wait, listen to me first before you read the verdict!" Matt insisted.


    "Bailiff," Judge Cassidy called. "Put him back on his seat. I want to read the verdict as soon as possible."


    The Bailiff walked towards Matt, who was still protesting, but Matt instantly cowered when he was faced by the Bailiff, who had a much more muscular body than him.


    The Bailiff only needed to glare at him for Matt to return to his seat, clenching his fists after knowing he had lost the trial he thought he¡¯d win by default.


    Judge Cassidy sighed.


    She wrote a few notes before reading the verdict with a clear and slightly louder voice;


    "After a thorough review of the divorce case between Katherine Woods and Matthew Woods, we have found that Matthew Woods has been mentally abusive towards Katherine Woods. We have the damning evidence of a video that shows him blackmailing Katherine for ten thousand dollars."


    Matt felt his world was about to crumble because he knew his end was near. He could not win it, and that prenup was bound to be annulled.


    "We have recognized that Matthew Woods has never contributed to the household income, solely relying on Katherine Woods for everything."


    Judge Cassidy was quite relieved this soon-to-be-divorced couple had no child. Though it was sad for Kate to be infertile, the fact that she had no child was a huge advantage in simplifying the divorce verdict. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing stopping her from getting a divorce except that prenup.


    Judge Cassidy took one long breath to finally read the verdict.


    "Therefore, I, Judge Christy Cassidy, grant the divorce between Katherine Woods and Matthew Woods."


    Kate finally looked at Matt, whose face was so pale someone could identify him as a corpse.


    Their eyes met after a few seconds, and Kate mouthed a sentence silently.


    ¡¯You. Poor. Idiot.¡¯


    Kate smiled at Matt after that and continued listening to the judge¡¯s verdict.


    "I also grant the plaintiff¡¯s request to annul the prenup completely, and thus no divorce settlement is needed between both sides," Judge Cassidy stated. "This verdict is final."


    She grabbed her gavel and knocked on the wooden surface three times to finalize her decision.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Matt¡¯s heart thumped for each gavel knock, and by the time he heard the third knock, he had lost half of his life.


    He stared at the judge emptily, feeling that he had been wronged but powerless to fight back.


    Matt¡¯s eyes began to glaze with tears. He regretted speaking dumb shit in front of the judge. He regretted blackmailing Kate for a mere ten grand even though he could¡¯ve gotten at least 10 million dollars from the divorce settlement.


    But what he regretted most was how he denied Kate¡¯s six-million-dollar offer.


    "This is so unfair..." Matt murmured.


    Judge Cassidy got up after a while with the Bailiff and left the courtroom, allowing Kate to finally shed her sad persona and return to her real self.


    The first thing she did was to turn around and hug her boyfriend.


    "We did it, Darling!" Kate said happily.


    Henry embraced her and kissed her forehead, "What do you mean by ¡¯we¡¯? It¡¯s all you. You are the one who did such an amazing job to convince the judge."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, she was usually not a fan of public displays of affection, but she was so happy that she just wanted to hug her man right now.


    "Do you think I don¡¯t know that you intentionally set up the suitable judge for the trial? I know that you¡¯ve been supporting me from behind."


    Henry smiled, "I¡¯ll do anything to make you happy. As long as you¡¯re not harmed, I will not interrupt your fun. Are you having fun now?"


    Kate giggled, "I am."


    "Fun?" Matt finally got up from his chair and looked at Henry and Kate, who looked so harmonious together. His emotion was at its peak, and he had this uncontrollable bitterness in his heart right now, "You think this is all just for fun?! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269: Chapter 269Matt¡¯s chest heaved as he was so angry at Kate.


    "It¡¯s so easy for you to hurt me because a powerful man supports you. It must¡¯ve been good having a pussy," Matt sneered. "I am all alone. I¡¯m a good man who has been wronged because you¡¯re too petty and heinous!"


    Kate humiliated him so many times to the point that he refused to back down now. "You tricked my Mom until she got arrested. You tricked me into blackmailing you, so you could use the video evidence in court, and you also taunted me by intentionally offering six million dollars, knowing I would lose this case!" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Look at me now. I¡¯m broke! I don¡¯t even have ten dollars in my wallet right now because the prenup has been annulled," Matt said. He raised his voice and pointed at Kate, "YOU ARE A FUCKING HEARTLESS BITCH! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"


    "Heh, I can finally beat the shit out of you now," Henry cracked his knuckles.


    Matt got scared instantly.


    Henry was too scary for him, so Matt would subconsciously hunch like a scared turtle and take a step back to avoid conflict.


    But then, he realized this was a courtroom, and knowing Kate, she definitely didn¡¯t want Henry to get arrested for assault and battery.


    So he tried to muster his courage and puffed his chest, "Go on and punch me! I will report this to the authorities instead!"


    Henry gritted his teeth. He was already pissed.


    He didn¡¯t care if he had to handle a few thousand dollars for an assault case. But he didn¡¯t want to give any compensation to Matt.


    Fortunately, Kate also had the same idea. She grabbed Henry¡¯s arm to ensure he didn¡¯t lose control.


    "Don¡¯t do anything, Darling. This is just his trick to squeeze some money since he already lost ten million dollars after the prenup was annulled," Kate said.


    "But¡ª"


    "Stay still, and let me handle this," Kate said confidently. Thus, after ensuring Henry wouldn¡¯t jump on Matt, Kate took a step forward toward Matt, and the latter quickly took a step back out of fear.


    Kate raised her brows, "Seriously? I get that you might be scared of Henry because he is very intimidating. But I didn¡¯t expect you to be scared of me as well. Do I look like a monster to you?"


    Matt said nothing, but he was still on guard against Kate.


    Kate¡¯s awful plan that cost him his ten million dollars was enough to imprint such a terrible image of Kate in his head. He felt this woman wasn¡¯t the same woman he married because the Kate he married was gentle and sweet.


    She might be a hardworking lady, but she would never fight back when Matt yelled at her.


    At most, she would just pretend to be deaf if she didn¡¯t want to argue with Matt.


    But this woman...


    "You¡¯ve changed, Kate," Matt said. "You¡¯re not the same Katherine that I dated and married five years ago. My Katherine is a sweet girl, unlike you."


    "That sweet girl is dead," Kate smiled. "You killed her."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened, "What do you mean?"


    "You heard it right. You killed her," Kate repeated. "You mocked her every day because she cannot get pregnant. You squeezed her money dry to fulfill your hobby and desire while she worked her bones off. You also squashed the last hope of that sweet girl by sleeping with her sister."


    "If you have a remaining brain cell in your head, I think it shouldn¡¯t be hard to see why that sweet girl you dated finally gives up on wishing that her husband would improve," Kate said. "Besides, she was not ugly. Far from it. She just hadn¡¯t found the right man yet."


    Matt swallowed his saliva when he saw a looming figure behind Kate.


    His deep emerald eyes were like those of a viper, ready to strike him in case he dared to do anything to Kate.


    Kate smiled after seeing Matt¡¯s fear.


    As expected, she truly had no more feelings for Matt. Because the only feeling she had when she saw his fear was joy. She was happy seeing him terrified.


    ¡¯Ah, this is not good for the baby, though. I shouldn¡¯t go too far. I don¡¯t want my baby to think that they have an evil mother,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "I did not ruin your life, Matt. You did it yourself," Kate said. "Your mother entered my Mom¡¯s house and took a picture of that newspaper clipping, knowing well that my Mom kept it because she missed my bastard Dad."


    "You blackmailed me, knowing fully well that I¡¯m not the one at fault for the whole thing. But you just want a quick ten grand, and you see me as nothing but a cash cow you could squeeze dry," Kate sneered. "You two are a pair of lazy and greedy mother and son. All I did was to act accordingly to protect my dignity and my family¡¯s property."


    "And all you do right now is trying to find someone else to shift the blame. You don¡¯t want to be blamed becuase you¡¯re too much of a coward to take responsibility for yourself."


    Matt was left speechless when Kate said those words to him.


    Deep down, he knew that he was being extremely greedy.


    But he never really thought there would be a repercussion of his greed because he had never experienced any setback for the past five years.


    All he had to do was ask Kate for money, and if she refused, he¡¯d ask Erin to do it for him.


    Usually, Erin would threaten Kate by calling Hilda and lying about a few things, such as Kate beating her up, so Hilda would get a heart attack.


    Hilda had an obvious favorite child and didn¡¯t care much about Kate, especially after Kate reported her father¡¯s crime and ruined their family¡¯s reputation. She would always believe Erin¡¯s words no matter what because Erin was her emotional crutch.


    This trick worked for years, allowing Erin and Matt to enjoy a lavish lifestyle without having to work at all.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270: Chapter 270Kate smirked when she saw Matt¡¯s dazed expression, "Do you suddenly remember about Erin? You must¡¯ve been wondering where it is now, right?"


    Matt said nothing, but his eyes told Kate everything.


    It was true. He was worried about Erin, but not because he cared about her.


    He was worried because Erin was his only ticket to get free money. She told Matt she would be on a business trip to Canada but never returned.


    Kate smiled. She took a step forward so she could whisper in Matt¡¯s ear, "Well, she has been such a problematic sister to me, so I realize that I have to get rid of her to be happy."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened.


    He guessed that Kate must¡¯ve killed her, that¡¯s why Erin suddenly vanished into thin air without any news.


    Matt shuddered, thinking that Kate must¡¯ve targeted him next.


    He could¡¯ve died anytime soon. Who knew what kind of crafty trap Kate had set for his demise?


    Kate sensed Matt¡¯s fear and chuckled lightly, "Oh, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t kill her. I just make sure that she spends the rest of her life in a living hell, thinking she has a chance to escape someday, only for her hope to be crushed."


    "I also have a plan for you, Matthew Woods," Kate said.


    Matt¡¯s face paled once more. He didn¡¯t know how to react, knowing that Kate had also planned a terrible demise for him.


    "But... I will give you a chance," Kate said. She finally leaned back to separate herself from Matt. She took five 100 dollar bills from her wallet and put them inside Matt¡¯s suit pocket. "Here is five hundred dollars. If you want to escape your death, you must go back to our hometown and start living with your Mom. Find a job there, and never return to Los Angeles. Got it?"


    Matt wanted to refuse because Los Angeles was his home, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life here. But before he could say anything, Kate already interrupted him.


    "And don¡¯t think about staying because I will send an eviction notice to you as soon as possible. You will be forced to leave anyway."


    Matt realized he had no way out.


    He hated to admit it, but Kate was right. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He should¡¯ve returned to his hometown and lived with his mother because he didn¡¯t have enough money to rent in Los Angeles.


    He stared at Kate with pain in his eyes, "Just wait and see, Kate. You¡¯re not the only woman in this world. I will find another woman and have her pregnant with MY child!"


    "Oh, good luck with that. I doubt you will ever have your child," Kate chuckled. She unbuttoned her blazer and showed her baby bump in front of Matt.


    She took another step back until her back bumped against Henry¡¯s warm and strong chest, and Henry naturally wrapped his arms around her belly.


    Matt was astonished.


    He shook his head and muttered, "No... there is no way."


    "Yep, bummer, right? Turns out I¡¯m not barren at all," Kate said lightly. She raised one hand and caressed Henry¡¯s jaw behind her. "I did it once with him, and he got me pregnant instantly."


    "B¡ªBut you have always been¡ª"


    "That¡¯s because you refused to go to a fertility check, you idiot," Kate¡¯s voice turned cold instantly. "If we go at least once to have our fertility checked, we would¡¯ve known that I am not the barren one, you are."


    Matt felt his already crumbling world finally came crashing down. He stared at Kate¡¯s obvious baby bump and realized she wasn¡¯t lying.


    She was pregnant.


    And it wasn¡¯t his.


    Matt felt that he had been attacked by one bad news after another. He had lost his ten million dollars, apartment, and Erin as his only way to squeeze his cash cow dry.


    On top of that, he also got the news that he had a weak swimmer.


    It was too much for him to handle that he didn¡¯t even want to listen to anything else, knowing that Kate must¡¯ve had another ammo just to hurt him.


    Kate was satisfied with Matt¡¯s expression. It was a mix of shock and grief.


    "Well, we don¡¯t have anything else to do here. She looked up and caressed Henry¡¯s defined jawline again, "Honey, why don¡¯t we go and celebrate my newly found freedom somewhere else? I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be better if I didn¡¯t have to see this loser¡¯s face anymore."


    "Sure thing, Love. I¡¯ve booked fine dining for us. Let¡¯s celebrate this with an exquisite wine toast, shall we?"


    Kate giggled.


    She looked at Graham, who had been standing in silence the whole time, observing everything with a frown. Obviously, he disliked Kate and Henry¡¯s interaction and how harmonious they were.


    But Kate didn¡¯t mind about it.


    This might be the last time he would ever meet with Graham anyway, so she smiled at him, "Thank you so much, Graham. I couldn¡¯t get the prenup annulled without your help. You can call me if you need my help."


    "That last line is unnecessary," Henry interrupted. He glared at Graham, but the lawyer didn¡¯t even budge.


    He ignored Henry completely and smiled back at Kate, "My pleasure. I will call you in case I have a client in Los Angeles. I¡¯m sure a brunch wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?"


    "Mhm, I wouldn¡¯t mind grabbing brunch with you," Kate said. "With Henry, of course."


    Henry scoffed before he grabbed and walked out of the courtroom with Kate. They looked so good together, and it was a thorn in both Graham¡¯s and Matt¡¯s eyes.


    Matt lowered his head and clenched his fists as he suppressed this overwhelming grief and rage that mixed into one in his heart.


    His heart was burning, yet he had no way to avenge this anger, knowing that Kate was invincible as long as she was with Henry.


    Graham watched this loser who made a fool of himself during the trial.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t believe Henry had to call him to deal with this idiot.


    But that didn¡¯t mean this idiot had no use.


    "Do you hate to see them together?" Graham asked.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271: Chapter 271"Do you hate to see them together?" Graham asked. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt looked at Graham, the divorce lawyer who helped Kate get the divorce and annul the prenup.


    Obviously, he hated this man by default, especially after realizing that he was also one of Kate¡¯s men.


    ¡¯Heh, I bet Kate also used her pussy to seduce this man. It¡¯s amazing how these powerful men easily bend their knees to a loose bitch like her. I guess she is only interesting to the blind or sexually deprived men,¡¯ Matt sneered. "Of course, I hate to see them together. What kind of stupid question is that?"


    "But you don¡¯t hate them together because you¡¯re still in love with Kate, right?" Graham asked again.


    "No, I have no love for her at all," Matt replied without hesitation. It was true that he had a love for Kate until the first year of their marriage because he thought he could become successful as an actor and give her a good life.


    But after his acting career flopped, Kate got a job and became the family¡¯s sole breadwinner. Matt began asking for money daily and felt that he slowly lost control over the situation, especially losing control over Kate.


    She became cold and cared more about her job than him, so his love vanished in the end.


    ¡¯This is all her fault. She is the one who ruined our marriage. Why am I the one blamed in the end? Why do I suffer because of her mistake?¡¯ Matt asked himself as he was faced with injustice.


    "I see. That¡¯s good," Graham murmured.


    He didn¡¯t like having to compete with another man for Kate¡¯s attention. It was already difficult enough against Henry, who had a ton of resources and influence compared to him.


    "Why do you ask? I thought you were on Kate¡¯s side," Matt asked back.


    "I am on Kate¡¯s side but not Henry¡¯s," Graham sneered. There was a trace of hatred in his eyes when he mentioned Henry, and it was so obvious even an idiot like Matt could notice it.


    He wanted to ask more about it, but Graham suddenly took out his wallet. He handed Matt ten 100 dollar bills and also his business card.


    "Use this to get you back to your hometown. This is my business card. Text me your bank account. I will send you some more money."


    Matt didn¡¯t understand the reason behind his kindness, but he was so desperate for an extra income that he tried to lighten his speech in front of Graham, "T¡ªThank you so much, Mr. Hubbard. How much will I get? Do you want me to do anything?"


    "I won¡¯t give you much for now," Graham said. "I will just send you roughly a thousand dollars each month and continue to do that until I tell you to do something."


    "What is this something, Sir?" Matt was excited. He didn¡¯t care what he should do next, but as long as he got money without working hard, he would do it!


    After that, Graham went silent and said, "I will tell you later. For now, just make sure you look good, lose weight, and exercise more. There is no use of an ugly, unkempt bastard for my plan."


    Matt didn¡¯t understand why he had to do that. He looked at Graham from head to toe.


    He had a feeling this man wasn¡¯t gay, and he was obviously whipped for Kate.


    But a thousand dollars a month meant he didn¡¯t need to put on extra hours when he had to work in his hometown later.


    ¡¯Besides, I think I will get extra money after getting fit again. I¡¯m sure he will give me at least ten thousand dollars if I return to my actor-like body,¡¯ Matt thought. And thus, with a new determination, he nodded vigorously. "Understood, Sir! I will try to exercise again! I will give you an update on my body later!"


    Graham frowned.


    He didn¡¯t need to see Matt¡¯s body. But if that was needed for the next plan, so be it.


    "I¡¯ll leave now. Don¡¯t ever tell Kate that you and I have this deal," Graham said while subtly threatening this coward. "The consequence will be severe."


    "U¡ªUnderstood, Sir! I will never tell Kate about this! Just make sure that I get my money every month, hehe."


    Graham scoffed, and he finally left the courtroom.


    Kate and Henry were nowhere to be seen, they probably had that sweet divorce celebration with fine dining, so it was left for Graham to handle the administration and give Kate the divorce paper she needed.


    So Graham quickly handled everything and returned with a divorce paper for Kate.


    He wanted to see her again, but knowing Henry, that bastard would probably try to stop him from seeing Kate for the rest of his life.


    "What asshole dares to say that he loves Kate," Graham muttered. He returned to his car and sat silently for a moment before calling a woman he knew quite well.


    The call was connected after a few beeps, and the sweet voice of an elegant lady greeted Graham;


    ¡ª


    "Good afternoon, Graham. Did you finish the divorce case yet?"


    "I did. Kate is officially divorced from her useless husband," Graham replied. But his voice was still heavy, like he had a lot of conflict in his mind.


    "Oh that¡¯s good. That poor woman must¡¯ve suffered under her husband¡¯s manipulation," the lady sighed pitifully. "How about Henry? Did he come to support her too?"


    "He did," Graham said, and just like before, he had a trace of hostility whenever the topic was about Henry. "He looked so in love. He even dared to kiss Kate in front of her deadbeat husband after the trial had been finalized."


    Graham expected this woman to be angry because Henry touched another woman, but she giggled instead, "Oh, he never changes. Always a playboy ever since I rejected him when he was in high school."


    "You¡¯re not angry about it?"


    "Hm? Why should I?"


    "Because he is your fiancee, Sarah."

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272: Chapter 272¡ª


    Sarah chuckled, "Well, he is still young. He is eight years younger than me. So it¡¯s natural for him to go wild with women outside."


    "Besides, I do like Kate. James told me many things about her. She sounds like a delightful woman," Sarah said. "So if Henry is also attracted to her, he can treat her as a working wife." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A delightful woman whose baby would be taken away from her?" Graham sneered. He felt that Sarah was just as fucked up as Henry. No wonder they were engaged. "Why don¡¯t you tell me about this whole crazy plan that you and Henry cooked for Kate? I just want to ensure I didn¡¯t mishear it the first time."


    "You heard it right the first time," Sarah said. "But if you want a recap, let me tell you the plan. Henry told me that he accidentally got Kate pregnant after a one-night stand, and Marlon already knows about this."


    "Marlon demands Henry to get that baby and ditch Kate as he is still mad that James chose Kate over their whole family. He said that he would hand over full control of the company if Marlon had the baby," Sarah sighed, "You know, Marlon is a psychopath. He has a few screws loose. I told Henry not to agree, but maybe James¡¯ death shook him so much that he said yes without thinking twice."


    "Well, I agreed to be his fiancee to convince Marlon that he would ditch Kate soon after he got the baby," Sarah said. "I mean, I still don¡¯t agree with his method. But it seems his plan works since you said they look so harmonious together."


    Graham gritted his teeth.


    He was so angry at Henry and Marlon, who dared to plot such a heinous idea. Marlon was a psychopath, but Henry was also a greedy psychopath who would do anything to get what he wanted, including hurting an innocent woman and her baby, whom she treasured so much.


    He was also angry at Sarah for allowing everything to happen.


    He also didn¡¯t expect Sarah to be evil because they were used to being friends of three, James, Graham, and Sarah, and James acted naturally as the leader of their small friend group.


    "They are both evil bastards, but you¡¯re no different than them, Sarah," Graham accused.


    "Hm? What do you mean? What did I do wrong?"


    "What did you do wrong? Kate is James¡¯ true love! He will crawl out of his grave right now if he knows that his beloved has been used and discarded by his own little brother!" Graham raised his voice. He got worked up thinking about his best friend who died in a freaky car accident. He was also sad about Kate.


    After knowing everything, he wanted Kate all for himself.


    Because if nobody wanted to love her, then Graham would.


    He would devote his life to Kate because he was attracted to her and knew she had to be protected at all costs.


    Sarah went silent for a while before she replied, "Graham, just like you, I am also devastated by James¡¯ death. Henry told me that he will avenge his brother¡¯s death, so I will try to help him as much as I can."


    "Even if that means hurting the woman James loves, huh?" Graham sneered. "I¡¯ve heard enough from you. I will tell Kate about everything."


    "I suggest you not do that," Sarah said. "It¡¯s not wise to oppose Henry. He has a lot of influence that will tackle you. Besides, I don¡¯t think Katherine will believe you when she is in love with Henry right now."


    "Then I will find another way, goddamn it!" Graham got frustrated. His heart was aching when he imagined how devastated Kate would be once her baby was taken away.


    He wanted to protect her. He truly did!


    But Sarah was right.


    Henry had a lot of influence. James was a powerful man before his death, and now that Henry was the sole heir of the Grant family, he naturally inherited all of the influence James had before.


    "Oh, Graham..." Sarah sounded sad. However, he didn¡¯t know if she was truly sad or just pretending.


    After all, if she truly sympathized with Kate, she wouldn¡¯t even think about agreeing to Henry¡¯s plan. In fact, she should actively try to stop Henry from executing his plan if she had a bit of sympathy for Kate.


    "Henry talked to me a few days ago," Sarah mentioned.


    "And what did you talk about?"


    "He said that he has successfully got Kate under his thumb. She is in love with him, and he said Kate would completely trust her after she gets the divorce," Sarah sighed. "I¡¯m not sure how I should handle this. I want to tell him to stop, but you know Henry, right? He has always been stubborn and wilful. Do you not remember how much of a menace he was when he was young?"


    Graham clenched his phone until his veins popped out. He was so angry that he couldn¡¯t wait to find Henry and punch his pretty face until it was unrecognizable, "Did he really say that to you? He really wants to continue even after Kate shows her love?"


    "One-hundred-percent," Sarah confirmed without hesitation. "I asked him if this is really okay since Kate doesn¡¯t seem bad."


    "And what is his answer?"


    "He said he doesn¡¯t care about her and only approached Kate to get the company transferred to him, so he would get his revenge on Marlon."


    "BASTARD!!!" Graham cursed spontaneously. His chest began to rise up and down as he got so worked up. It took him a while to calm down.


    "Heh, that¡¯s what you get if you¡¯re born from the belly of a prostitute," Graham sneered, and Sarah went silent after that. "I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re doing, Sarah. You¡¯re no better than them. But I should thank you for telling me the truth."


    "I will find another way to protect Kate. I will do it no matter what," Graham stated firmly.


    There was no answer from Sarah, but before Graham hung up the call, she suddenly suggested, "How about we work together?"

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273: Chapter 273"Work together? What kind of cooperation do you want?" Graham frowned. Based on his conversation with Sarah just now, it was obvious that Sarah was a passive woman who wouldn¡¯t do anything even when her fiancee was about to ruin an innocent woman¡¯s life!


    "I swear to God, Sarah. If you think about stopping me from protecting Kate, then we are done as friends. You don¡¯t need to talk to me anymore, and I certainly won¡¯t mind if I don¡¯t need to talk to an evil woman."


    "Don¡¯t be so hasty, Graham. I¡¯m not trying to stop you," Sarah sighed. "Look, I¡¯m also sad about Kate¡¯s situation. That¡¯s why I¡¯m considering working with you to stop Henry and protect Kate. I¡¯m still a woman who wants to protect other women too."


    Graham eased up instantly when he realized that Sarah was on his side, "Really? I thought you were supporting Henry¡¯s heinous idea."


    "I was passive, not supportive. But I can¡¯t turn blind eyes over this problem," Sarah said. "But you should know that Henry is not someone you can mess with. He has his late brother¡¯s influence and power. He also knows about many things thanks to his brother¡¯s knowledge."


    "On top of that, you know that he is... a child of a prostitute. He doesn¡¯t have the same moral compass as James. He will do everything it takes to get what he wants. So we have to play it smart."


    Graham was surprised by how adept Sarah sounded as if she had planned the whole thing.


    In fact, he suspected that Sarah might¡¯ve been baiting him into working together in the first place.


    ¡¯But what does it matter? The point is Kate and Henry must be separated at all costs. I will be the one who protects Kate, and I will show her what kind of man I am,¡¯ Graham told himself. ¡¯I don¡¯t care if Sarah has a hidden agenda. As long as Kate and her baby are safe, I¡¯ll do anything.¡¯


    "Alright, tell me your plan. I¡¯m listening," Graham said.


    "Mhm, first, did you talk to Kate¡¯s ex-husband? We should have him under our control. He is quite important for this." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I did," Graham replied. He had that initiative because he also thought Matt would be important if he wanted to separate Kate and Henry, though he had no concrete plan yet.


    "Oh, that¡¯s good! You¡¯re really serious about this, huh?" Sarah praised, but Graham could sense the mocking undertone. "Well then, if you have that useless man under your thumb, then it¡¯s time for me to handle the other one."


    "The other one? Who are you talking about?"


    Sarah paused momentarily and then replied with a cold yet firm voice, "A woman currently stuck in a frozen wasteland."


    **


    Kate celebrated her freedom by spending Henry¡¯s money to buy a few luxury items. Henry had repeatedly complained in the car about her not using his money.


    "The total is twenty thousand dollars, Sir," the clerk said as she registered the luxury bag and heels that Kate bought today.


    "Twenty thousand dollars?" Henry frowned. He looked at Kate, who didn¡¯t seem too excited to see her new bag and high heels.


    Kate raised her brow and asked, "What? Is it too much? It¡¯s okay. Just use my card."


    Kate was about to take out her wallet, but that offended Henry. He pouted in front of her and said, "It¡¯s too little."


    "What?"


    "You spent too little. Why don¡¯t you buy something else? At least make it up to fifty grand, then we can leave."


    The clerk gasped spontaneously and quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late because Kate looked at her instead.


    "P¡ªPardon me, Ma¡¯am."


    Kate smiled at the clerk and teased Henry even more, "Look at what you did. You surprised her too much," Kate sat on a chair and patted her baby bump. She was a bit exhausted after so much walking in the mall. "I don¡¯t need to spend fifty grand on random luxury stuff. I have nobody to impress anyway."


    "I want to impress you," Henry sighed. He felt defeated because he got his expectations too high.


    He was so happy when Kate finally agreed to use his card to buy something expensive. He gave her his black card, thinking that Kate would blow at least a hundred thousand dollars while celebrating her newly found freedom.


    But she only used twenty thousand, and it was to buy one of the most expensive bags in this luxury store, and also another expensive heel.


    It made him feel defeated, but he couldn¡¯t force Kate to spend more.


    Thus, Henry defeatedly paid for the bag and the high heels before they left the store.


    Kate glanced at Henry, who still looked downtrodden. So she elbowed him, "Hey, stop sulking. Why are you sulking over trivial things?"


    "I don¡¯t know what to feel since you don¡¯t seem to like my effort. You see, I pride myself as a man with money, and I thought you¡¯d like to be pampered with my money."


    "I did."


    "For twenty thousand dollars? Come on," Henry rolled his eyes. "It¡¯s just not enough. You shouldn¡¯t doubt my financial capability."


    Kate giggled, "I never doubted you. I just don¡¯t feel like spending on random stuff that I don¡¯t like."


    "Besides, if you want to buy me something expensive, why don¡¯t you do it for something more... meaningful? Why don¡¯t we go to a jewelry shop for a ring? After all, you said that you want to propose, right?"


    Henry¡¯s cheeks reddened, and he shook his head, "That¡¯s a surprise. I will be the one who picks and chooses which one suits you the best for the proposal. All you need to do is to wait and enjoy your free time before we get busy again."


    "About that... when will you introduce me to your family?" Kate brushed up on the topic that Henry avoided many times before.


    Henry¡¯s mood soured instantly, but he kept his straight face, "I will talk to my parents first. Then I will introduce you to them, okay?"


    "Alright, as long as you¡¯re not taking too long," Kate said as she looked down, rubbing her belly lovingly.

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274: Chapter 274nove?.comMatt returned to the apartment with a crushed heart.


    He didn¡¯t expect himself to lose all of his early retirement plans because the prenup got annulled.


    He also didn¡¯t expect Kate to be THAT much of an evil. He was used to seeing the meek and obedient Kate, who would not talk back to him.


    "Life is really unfair for me," Matt muttered, kicking his shoes randomly and taking a can of Cola in the fridge.


    He sat on the sofa and stared emptily at the TV he hadn¡¯t turned on.


    He didn¡¯t want to turn it on because he might have to pay the electricity bill before he left, and he had no more money now. It was better to pack up and return to his hometown as Kate had already prepared the eviction notice.


    "Ah, this sucks," Matt said. He drank the Cola before fishing his phone out of his pocket. He got three missed calls from his mother. She was probably excited about the money he was about to get with the prenup.


    Matt smiled bitterly.


    He didn¡¯t know how to break the bad news, but he knew it was better to do it sooner.


    So he called his mother back, and she picked up after the first beep.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Son? How was the trial? Did you get a divorce? How much did you get? Four? Five? SIX MILLION?!"


    Mary sounded so excited, and Matt couldn¡¯t blame her for doing so.


    Mary had just been arrested, and they lost eight grand after he had to bail her out.


    But they thought their suffering was only temporary because Kate filed for divorce, and Matt would naturally get half of her money, or so he thought.


    Matt took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, the divorce has been finalized, Mom."


    "Great! You¡¯re finally free from that witch!" Mary cheered. "So, how much did you get? You told me that Kate has a net worth of eight to ten million dollars. Maybe she¡¯s worth a lot more now since she keeps working, right?"


    ...


    "We don¡¯t get any money, Mom. The prenup has been annulled."


    "WHAT?!" Mary almost got a heart attack after hearing that. "Wait, don¡¯t joke about this, Son. You know that we desperately need that money, right?"


    "I¡¯m not joking," Matt replied weakly. "The prenup has been annulled. I don¡¯t get any money from the divorce."


    "HOW COME?! HOW DID IT GET ANNULLED?!" Mary was screaming on her phone, frustrated after realizing she had lost her potential million dollars.


    "Kate tricked us both," Matt said. "She has been planning the divorce for a while. She tricked you into Hilda¡¯s house and took a picture of that newspaper clipping. She also recorded when I blackmailed her about the ten thousand dollars in exchange for her father¡¯s secret."


    "She used my blackmailing video in the court and acted as if she was the one who got hurt!" Matt got fired up again. He was still upset that Kate tricked him until he lost millions of dollars. "She even cried in front of the judge. She never cried in front of me and never in front of others. She¡¯s a heartless witch. How could she shed a sincere tear?"


    Mary was still frustrated by the idea that she wouldn¡¯t be a millionaire.


    She had been considering using the money to find a new man who would love her back. If her love life with Harry crashed, she could use that money to seduce another young man to date her. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, she was broke again for a long time until she found another way to get rich.


    "That bitch! She must¡¯ve lured me into Hilda¡¯s house by buying expensive furniture. She knows I¡¯m in a bad financial state, so I got tempted when I saw those furnitures," Mary cursed.


    "Yes, Mom. She said that Hilda was the one who put the newspaper clip in her room. But do you believe that?"


    Deep down, Mary had to admit that it was believable.


    Hilda was deeply in love with her husband; even after knowing the truth, she still tried to protect him.


    And when Kate reported her father to the police, Hilda became distant and cold towards her daughter.


    But she didn¡¯t want to admit it vocally. She had to find a scapegoat to blame for her trouble right now, and Kate was the perfect woman for it.


    "Son, you have to find a way to hurt her back! I don¡¯t care! We need to ensure she suffers after ruining our life like this!" Mary yelled viciously, thinking that Kate must¡¯ve been laughing at their misery right now.


    Matt suddenly remembered Mr. Graham Hubbard, Kate¡¯s divorce lawyer.


    He was obviously whipped towards Kate, just like Henry, and it seemed that he wanted Kate all for himself.


    Matt guessed that Graham wanted to use him for his plan, whatever that was. And he didn¡¯t mind at all.


    He didn¡¯t mind breaking Kate and Henry¡¯s relationship as long as he got the money. So he said, "Don¡¯t worry, Mom. We will get rich in probably a few months. We just have to be patient."


    "Really? How?"


    "Someone wants me to ruin Kate¡¯s relationship with her new man. He will pay me a lot for that, and I¡¯m ready," Matt said. He didn¡¯t want to tell Mary about his one thousand dollars a month from Graham because he knew his mother would ask for it. "But I have to return home for now. Kate will send an eviction notice, and I can¡¯t find a job here."


    "But I¡¯m also broke! How am I supposed to feed you?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll find a job in our hometown. It should be easier. I just want a place to stay for now."


    "... promise me that we will become rich soon, Son," Mary sighed. "I¡¯m so tired of this. I just want to be rich, so I can find my handsome and young soulmate in my old days."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Your son never lies. We will be rich no matter what."

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275: Chapter 275Kate and Henry had fine dining and returned to their apartment late at night.


    After a long day, Kate took a hot shower and wore her pajamas. She looked around for Henry and saw him in the living room, busy on his phone, texting someone.


    He seemed hyper-focused, so Kate snuck right behind him and hugged his neck.


    Henry jolted. He quickly flipped his phone so Kate wouldn¡¯t see his text and look over his shoulder, "You startled me, Kitty."


    "You look so serious, so I got a bit mischievous," Kate chuckled. "By the way, who are you texting on your phone? Your second girlfriend?"


    Henry clicked his tongue annoyedly, "It¡¯s my Mom."


    "Oh? Can I see them? She¡¯s going to be my mother-in-law, right?"


    "No," Henry replied curtly. "It¡¯s privacy."


    Kate could sense the hostility when he rejected her request, and her mood went down instantly. She released her arms from Henry¡¯s neck and stepped back, "Well, sorry then. I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad."


    "No¡ªI mean¡ªit¡¯s nothing important. She¡¯s just asking about my health," Henry said, but it was easy for Kate to notice the lie. She had lived with Henry for a few months and began picking up many of his habits. It was obvious that Henry was lying when he subconsciously swallowed his saliva repeatedly.


    "No need to lie to me, Henry," Kate said. "You¡¯re being too obvious." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry was caught off guard when Kate called him out. He thought he was a good liar, "K¡ªKitty, it¡¯s nothing serious. We just had a little argument," Henry said as he tried to salvage himself.


    "Mhm, it¡¯s alright," Kate didn¡¯t want to argue with Henry during a joyous day, and she definitely didn¡¯t want to stress herself with Henry¡¯s mother¡¯s text.


    His mother probably hated her because Kate wasn¡¯t exactly a good marriage candidate, not when her son was qualified to date and marry a younger woman with higher status.


    "Well, you should continue your chat with your Mom. I¡¯m going to rest first," Kate said calmly.


    She turned around and left Henry alone.


    Henry stretched his hand, ready to grab her wrist, as he was scared this might become a prolonged understanding.


    But he stopped midway because it would be worse if Kate continued prying about his text with his mother. Thus, he allowed Kate to go to their bedroom.


    He stood in the middle of the living room alone, frustrated, as he got another text from his mother.


    ¡ª


    From: Mom


    I heard that she lives with you in your exclusive apartment right now. That¡¯s surprising because you never allow any woman, not even Sarah, into that apartment.


    I wonder what kind of love spell this witch has put on you. You are becoming an idiot, Henry, just like your dead brother.


    ¡ª


    Henry gritted his teeth.


    As expected, he couldn¡¯t hide anything from his parents. He didn¡¯t know how they discovered Kate¡¯s existence in his apartment, but this was not a good sign.


    Thus, he texted back;


    ¡ª


    To: Mom.


    Shut up and tell me what you need.


    I don¡¯t want you to talk shit about my woman.


    ¡ª


    Right after that text, he suddenly got a call from his mother.


    Henry knew this would be a problem if Kate heard his conversation with his mother, so he quietly left the apartment and answered the call outside to make sure Kate wouldn¡¯t overhear him.


    ¡ª


    "What?" Henry asked if the call was connected.


    "Don¡¯t be so rude to your mother. Do you not understand that I¡¯m just looking out for you?" Penny Grant, his mother, said on the phone. "You said that you¡¯re going to trap her to fall in love with you, but you¡¯re doing too much! You neglected Sarah for that witch!"


    "STOP CALLING HER A WITCH!" Henry yelled.


    He hadn¡¯t told his parents that he wanted to find another way instead of hurting Kate.


    In fact, he had no plan of telling them.


    They only agreed on his plan because they hated Kate so much, especially Marlon. So they couldn¡¯t wait to get the baby and let that witch suffer for seducing their dead son.


    So if Henry told them that he truly fell in love with Kate, they would probably attack Kate and kill her just like they killed James.


    "Why are you upset that I called her a witch? She IS a witch! She seduced your brother until he refused to marry anyone on the same level as him! He even said that if he gets the inheritance, he will patiently wait for that woman to divorce and marry her. If that¡¯s not a love spell, then I don¡¯t know what else," Penny complained.


    Henry could only grit his teeth as he was trying not to say more. Because the more he tried to defend Kate, the more suspicious they would be.


    "Just tell me what you need. It¡¯s been a tiring day. I don¡¯t want to talk about unpleasant stuff with you," Henry said curtly.


    "Fine, your father has been asking about you. He wants to meet you and ask about the progress. He said he couldn¡¯t wait to have his grandson," Penny said. "So why don¡¯t you come to the mansion tomorrow and talk to him. I¡¯m sure he would be happy if you can give him an update of your plan."


    Henry knew that he had to meet with his parents again eventually. They had been demanding his presence in the mansion for a week now.


    He was reluctant, but he knew it was inevitable. So he replied, "Alright, I will come. But stop texting and calling me again. I don¡¯t want her to hear our conversation."


    Penny chuckled, "You¡¯re getting too comfortable with that witch. Be careful not to get too attached. Remember that you¡¯re only with her to get that baby and kick her out. You are still Sarah¡¯s fiance, and you WILL marry her."


    ...


    "I¡¯m hanging up now. Don¡¯t forget to come tomorrow to the mansion. Your father misses you, and I miss you too. Bye, son!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276: Chapter 276Henry felt that blood had been drained out of his body right after he had a call with his mother.


    He crouched and looked down as he felt defeated.


    He looked at his phone screen as he got another text from his mother, reminding him that his father would be angry if he didn¡¯t come.


    And right after he read the text, he stared at his phone wallpaper. It was a picture of Kate looking serene as she stared at the sunset.


    Her face was exquisite, her eyes were brighter than the golden sunset, and her red hair swayed as it got caressed by the wind.


    He had a mocking scoff, but not for his beloved.


    He was scoffing and mocking himself for being an absolutely pathetic man.


    "Ah, this sucks," Henry muttered. "You are the only one I want to protect, but why can¡¯t I do the bare minimum for you? Why am I such a loser?"


    Henry felt that he had been trapped between a rock and a hard place. He didn¡¯t want Kate to get hurt, but he also couldn¡¯t find a way to appease his crazy father and get the full right for the company.


    "Should I just kill him?"


    That question popped into his head from time to time.


    He felt his problems would be solved if he just paid someone to kill Marlon, probably using one of the maids working there to poison his food.


    But the problem was...


    Marlon hadn¡¯t fully rewritten his inheritance will to Henry until Henry gave him the baby. So if he died, it would automatically transfer to Penny first, not him.


    And knowing his mother, a former stripper, and prostitute, she might as well marry another man and use Marlon¡¯s money for themselves, kicking Henry out of her life.


    "Then maybe I need to kill that whore too," Henry said. He was thinking about it, but James¡¯ kindness might¡¯ve rubbed on him, so he just couldn¡¯t do it.


    He couldn¡¯t kill the woman who had given birth to him, no matter how despicable she was.


    Henry kept on staring at Kate¡¯s picture as his phone wallpaper and muttered, "I¡¯m sorry, Kitty. I will find a way to protect you. I promise."


    **


    Kate sat on the bed, staring at the dark sea from the window.


    She felt that Henry¡¯s parents didn¡¯t like her, and it was quite understandable.


    "After all, it must¡¯ve been a shock for his parents to have a thirty-two-year-old lady as their son¡¯s girlfriend. Especially when their son is a highly valued young man like Henry," Kate told herself. "But he should¡¯ve been more open about it to me. I¡¯m old enough to understand my shortcomings, so we must find a way to convince his parents about us."


    Kate wouldn¡¯t lie.


    No matter how often Henry professed his love, she still felt insecure whenever she remembered their age. It was also bad knowing she was divorced from a problematic family.


    Knock. Knock.


    Kate darted her eyes towards the door and saw Henry walking in with a heavy expression.


    She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he must¡¯ve fought with his mother if she could guess.


    "Oh¡ª" Henry was surprised. "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping at this hour, Kitty? It¡¯s already past midnight."


    Henry sat beside her on the bed but didn¡¯t try to embrace or hold her hands like usual.


    "I can¡¯t sleep," Kate replied. "I keep thinking about what kind of conversation you have with your mother just now and why you must hide it."


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened, "It¡¯s... nothing. It¡¯s just a small argument."


    "That involves me, right?"


    ...


    Kate sighed. She took the initiative to hold his hand and rest her head on his shoulder, "You don¡¯t need to hide it from me, Henry."


    "A¡ªAbout what?" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "About your parents¡¯ disapproval of our relationship," Kate said. "I know that they don¡¯t like me¡ªus to be together¡ªbecause I¡¯m already thirty-two, and you¡¯re only twenty-four."


    "I come from a problematic family, and I am a divorced woman. You have many better options out there, but you stick with me," Kate said. "It¡¯s understandable that they don¡¯t like me."


    "You are the best and the only option for me, Kate. I don¡¯t want anybody else," Henry tried to comfort Kate. But he was also comforting himself because he was relieved that Kate didn¡¯t suspect anything about his fucked-up parents.


    "You can say that, but what about your parents?" Kate sighed. "But it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not unnatural that they don¡¯t approve of our relationship. When I was dating Matt, his mother disapproved of the relationship, saying that her son was too good to end up with me."


    "But we worked through it together until we convinced Matt¡¯s mother to give her blessing, though she never warmed up to me even after we got married."


    Kate looked up to stare at Henry, whose eyes had been staring at her the whole time, "We can work together to convince them that we¡¯re meant to be. So you don¡¯t need to hide something like this, okay?"


    "... okay," Henry nodded. But his heart was aching so badly right now.


    He didn¡¯t know how to tell the truth.


    It¡¯d be far easier if they just didn¡¯t like her.


    But his parents, Marlon and Penny, hated Kate to the bone. They couldn¡¯t wait to rip her stomach, take the baby, and throw her in the dumpster.


    ¡¯My love, I really want to tell you everything about my family, including James¡¯ planned accident, my parent¡¯s secret, and their viciousness, and also my plan to seduce you and take your baby.¡¯


    ¡¯But I don¡¯t want to lose you. I know you will hate me when you know the whole truth.¡¯


    Henry let out a deep sigh. He lifted her and let her sit on his lap. He finally wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist and hugged her from behind, burying his face on her shoulder.


    "I don¡¯t know, Kitty. I don¡¯t want to tell you everything because I¡¯m afraid I will lose you."

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277: Chapter 277[Song Recommendation: V - Rainy Days.]


    "Why would you say that?" Kate asked. She didn¡¯t know why Henry kept on his insecurity about this problem. "I told you just now that we should work together so your parents will accept us."


    "I also told you many times that I trust you. I¡¯m not a kid, Henry. I won¡¯t get mad because your parents can¡¯t accept me."


    Henry wrapped his arms tighter around her waist as if not wanting to let her go, "I wish the problem was that simple. But it¡¯s not. It¡¯s much more serious."


    "Then tell me what it is so we can solve it together!" Kate continued pressing, feeling a bit annoyed because Henry was being confusing right now. "Communication is the key to a relationship, Henry. How can I trust you if you can¡¯t be honest with me?"


    Henry felt an unprecedented amount of pressure as Kate kept on pushing him to tell the truth. But he knew.


    He knew that Kate would curse him to hell if he was honest.


    "What if the problem is really bad? Will you still love me?" Henry asked, trying to gain some courage.


    Kate chuckled, "Don¡¯t be silly. As long as you¡¯re not trying to betray or hurt me and our baby, I will always be by your side," Kate said. She ran her hand across his strong arms and added, "And I believe my man is not that kind of scum."


    Henry shuddered as he could feel the bad omen.


    He was thinking about telling Kate the truth about his plan, but now that Kate already listed out her restriction, Henry realized there was a fine line he shouldn¡¯t cross.


    ¡¯Thank God I haven¡¯t told her the truth. She would hate me if I did, and I... I cannot afford to be hated by my beloved,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I don¡¯t care if I have to lie to her. I will solve this problem myself and keep her in the dark. I will keep her calm, especially when pregnant and vulnerable.¡¯


    "So, can you tell me what the problem is?" Kate repeated, hoping to finally find closure.


    "I will tell you later. I will meet with my parents first," Henry dodged the question. "Besides, you shouldn¡¯t think about this. You¡¯re still pregnant. You¡¯re supposed to be stress-free."


    "I will be stress-free once we solve this problem," Kate insisted.


    ...


    "We should sleep now, Kitty. It¡¯s been such a long day. It¡¯s not good for your health," Henry said.


    Kate knew that he just wanted to dodge the question. She didn¡¯t understand why Henry made such a big deal about this. They weren¡¯t the only couple with this problem.


    But she knew that she couldn¡¯t press him further. He looked like he was under a lot of pressure right now.


    So she just nodded and lay on the bed, closing her eyes despite the question lingering in her mind.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kate to fall asleep, but not for Henry.


    He stared at the ceiling, and his mind was filled with fear. He was so scared of the idea of Kate hating that he left after knowing the truth.


    ¡¯There is no doubt that she will never let me see our baby if she knows...¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯I can¡¯t live bearing the shame of not being able to see my wife and daughter. I¡¯d rather die.¡¯


    Henry knew this was his karma.


    He was thinking about deceiving Kate and taking the baby with him to get full control over the Grant businesses and inherit everything. He wanted to avenge his brother¡¯s death by burning everything to the ground, ensuring nothing was left for that awful family. It would be best if Marlon and Penny were still alive and witnessed how the long-standing family with a rich history got destroyed by its heir.


    He was so depressed when he knew his brother had been killed just because he was in love with a woman from a bad background. He didn¡¯t blame Kate because he knew that Kate had nothing to do with this, but he couldn¡¯t help to feel resentful at that time, thinking that his brother wouldn¡¯t die if he didn¡¯t fall in love with Kate.


    He was so engrossed with the idea of revenge that he thought he had the heart to deceive Kate and steal her baby. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯And now, I have fallen in love with you. I¡¯m so in love with you that I feel like shit whenever I remember about my previous plan...¡¯


    Henry turned to the right and gently spooned Kate, who was already sleeping peacefully. He kissed her nape and shoulder repeatedly.


    "I will protect you and our daughter. I will find a way, I promise."


    **


    "Don¡¯t forget to update me about Irene Banks¡¯ Netflix adaptation progress, okay?" Kate reminded Henry as she followed him to the front door. "Or maybe I should just accompany her to the Netflix headquarters. It¡¯s easier to do that, right?"


    "I will tell Mai and Michael to accompany Irene," Henry said. He kissed her forehead and smiled, but his smile looked a bit forced. "Just rest at home, or if you¡¯re bored, you can buy anything you want to make yourself feel better."


    Kate sighed, but she said nothing, watching Henry enter the elevator and go downstairs.


    "Will he be okay?" Kate murmured. Henry told her during breakfast that he¡¯d meet with his parents today, and it looked like he was about to face his execution.


    "What kind of person Marlon and his wife are? Are they truly that cruel?" Kate remembered her conversation with James back then. He mentioned that his father was an asshole. But said that his mother was an angel.


    ¡ª


    ¡¯And angel married to an asshole. Can¡¯t believe my Mom puts up with his bullshit,¡¯ James said back then.


    ¡ª


    "Am I underestimating the scale of the problem?" Kate asked herself. "But I feel we can do anything as long as we are together."


    Kate stared at the elevator for a while and lowered her head, staring at her belly, "I just hope he can be truthful about it. I will stick with him as long as he doesn¡¯t have the intention to hurt me and our baby."


    Kate turned around and entered the apartment as she felt she was getting nowhere with this problem.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278: Chapter 278Henry turned on the car engine. He sat silently, staring emptily at the front, and then clenched the steering wheel. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can do this, Henry. You have to protect your woman and your baby no matter what," Henry tried to encourage himself as he had to meet his parents today.


    He drove his car out of the apartment building and took a different route from usual. He drove quite far as his family mansion was on top of a hill.


    The moment the mansion gate opened, he saw the signature classic gothic-style mansion. This was the Grant estate and had been so for the past three centuries.


    Just like he told Kate before, The Grant family was a noble who migrated to the United States to avoid civil conflict between the brothers.


    But they were always on good terms and always kept their communication. Their relationship was very well-maintained. Henry might become the next Duke because his branch family didn¡¯t have a male heir.


    "Heh, what does it matter anyway?" Henry sneered. "I am a child of a prostitute. I don¡¯t deserve that kind of title. Only James deserves that."


    Henry never planned to usurp control over the Grant family¡¯s wealth and power from his Big Brother.


    He admired his brother so much and planned to work under his brother¡¯s order. He even planned to step away from the Grant family if that would help James.


    "Brother..." Henry bit his lower lip.


    He didn¡¯t want to cry, but his tears were like a broken damn whenever he remembered about the kind Big Brother who accepted an illegitimate son like him into the family.


    He wiped his tears and stopped the car in front of the main door of the mansion.


    Six maids and two butlers greeted him. The door was opened, and he saw his mother, Penny, smiling at him. She looked youthful, even at the age of forty-five, thanks to the many Botox she had.


    Henry got out of his car and ignored the maids and butlers. He headed straight to the main door.


    "Oh, it¡¯s been a while, Henry! Look at you. You look so handsome and dapper with the suit on! I totally don¡¯t miss your jacket and washed-up jeans era a year ago!" Penny joked. She wanted to hug her son, but Henry grabbed her by her shoulder, staring at her coldly, and asked, "Where is my father? I want to get this over with."


    "Come on, Son. Don¡¯t be so cold to Mommy," Penny pouted. "Why are you so cold to me but not to Dahlia? I¡¯m your mother, remember?"


    "I don¡¯t give a damn," Henry said. He clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Just tell me where Dad is. I don¡¯t want to be in here for too long."


    "He is near the fireplace. It¡¯s been cold this winter. He¡¯s not in good health," Penny said.


    Henry wanted to say, ¡¯Good, I hope he dies soon.¡¯


    But he didn¡¯t.


    He kept his silence and ignored his mother. He went to the foyer to meet with his father sitting near the fireplace, reading a book while sipping a morning coffee.


    Marlon was already in his mid-sixty. He was old, though he still looked vigorous enough.


    Marlon looked up when he heard the sure step of his son and stared at Henry with his green eyes.


    Henry silently cursed in his head after realizing that Kate was right.


    Aside from the blonde hair he inherited from his mother, he was an exact copy of his father.


    ¡¯No wonder I hate myself so much. Who wouldn¡¯t hate the face of a man who killed his son just because he fell in love with a woman he deems as dirty and unworthy?¡¯


    "You look good with that suit, Henry," Marlon praised. But Henry didn¡¯t feel happy at all.


    In contrast, he couldn¡¯t wait to burn this suit because he felt disgusting wearing it now.


    "You remind me of my old days when I was young and handsome. You are truly my son, unlike James, who looks like his mother instead of me," Marlon added.


    "Just tell me what you need. Why do I have to meet you today."


    "I got the news about what you did yesterday. It seems that you¡¯ve helped her a lot," Marlon mentioned. "From throwing a woman in the middle of a frozen wasteland in Greenland to manipulating the state court just to make sure your bitch girlfriend got the result she wanted for the divorce."


    "So what? It¡¯s all part of the game," Henry said. He clenched his fists and felt hurt thinking about Kate and their baby. He never knew that lying could be so painful.


    Marlon stared at his son coldly and asked, "Are you sure you¡¯re not interested in her? Remember, Henry, don¡¯t be the second James. Your brother died in a car crash because of his fault."


    "You mean because you tampered with his car and drugged his drink? That¡¯s why he had a car crash, right?" Henry sneered. "No need to hide it from me, Dad. You and Mom killed him."


    "It¡¯s because he has been disobedient!" Marlon raised his voice. "Do you think I like to kill my own son? He is the best! James is talented, smart, and can lead the family and company! I am the first to grieve knowing my best son is dead!"


    Henry couldn¡¯t hold his anger anymore. He raised his voice before his old father and yelled, "So you killed him just because he fell in love with Kate?!"


    "That bitch has brainwashed your brother!" Marlon snapped. "Don¡¯t you hear what kind of bollocks he told us that night? He said he would find a way to marry that bitch, and he will devote his life to her! He said he would give EVERYTHING he had if Kate wanted it."


    "What do you think will happen if we let him marry that woman? They will destroy our family legacy!" Marlon looked angry when he mentioned about his family legacy, as if his love and dedication for his family status far outweighed the love for his son.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279: Chapter 279"What will our branch family members say if they know that the heir of the Grant family married a divorced country bumpkin with a suspicious family background?" Marlon gritted his teeth.


    Just like many old families, The Grant family had a lot of branch families that were still tightly connected even though they didn¡¯t like each other.


    "Do you care that much about what others say? The Grant family is filthy rich! We don¡¯t need their fucking approval to do anything!" Henry insisted. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "THIS IS NOT ABOUT MONEY!" Marlon finally snapped. His chest rose up and down, and he quickly clenched his chest as his heart started to hurt.


    Henry did nothing. He stared down at his father with merciless eyes, and Marlon didn¡¯t expect help from his second son because he also didn¡¯t have a strong connection nor pride for Henry.


    It was James who was supposed to lead this family and all of the businesses. But he had been bewitched, and he would ruin the family image because of that bitch named Kate.


    "Don¡¯t you see what Dorothea¡¯s family looks like now?"


    "Don¡¯t bring Aunt Dorothea into this," Henry said as she remembered the problem with his aunt¡¯s family. He knew Marlon would keep bringing up the Gray family to justify his action.


    "Why not? Dorothea allowed Vincent to marry a dirty peasant raised by a single mother, and look what happened? They got a divorce, and now that dirty peasant woman is fucking Vernon! This is what happens when you¡¯re marrying a lowlife. Your family will be ruined!"


    "That¡¯s because Vincent is an abusive asshole!" Henry yelled back. "Why would she stay with a bastard who beat his wife? Just so you know, Dad. I talked with my cousin a few days ago, and Vernon said he already proposed and would marry Chloe in a month!"


    "Heh, your cousins are just as screwed up. I shouldn¡¯t have allowed James to mingle with Vincent and Vernon when they were young," Marlon sneered. "They had influenced your brother until his taste for women changed."


    "Dorothea has also screwed up. How come she decides to turn her back against the heir of her family and side with Vernon and that bitch named Chloe instead?" Marlon commented. "My little sister has always been a stupid, emotional woman. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be married off to the Gray family."


    "In fact, she doesn¡¯t deserve to live if the only thing she brought was shame."


    "So you think she should¡¯ve just turned a blind eye to my cousin beating his wife numerous times?" Henry asked.


    "If that¡¯s what it takes to keep your family image, then so be it," Marlon replied. "What¡¯s the importance of one peasant woman when the family¡¯s image is on the line?"


    The more he listened to Marlon¡¯s complaints, the more Henry couldn¡¯t control his anger.


    His father only cared about the family¡¯s image and reputation. It was also what killed James.


    Marlon felt that James would bring shame to his family by marrying a divorced country bumpkin, and he couldn¡¯t bear the same, especially after he mocked her sister, Aunt Dorothea, for allowing her son, Vincent, to marry Chloe, a regular woman who was raised by a single mother.


    Unlike Vincent, who was an abusive asshole that tried to hide Chloe¡¯s identity, James was a very loving man. He often proclaimed that he wasn¡¯t ashamed of falling in love with Kate.


    And yes, that night during the family dinner, he told everyone at the table that he would marry Kate no matter what and gave her everything she wanted, even if she wanted a noble title of her own.


    It sealed his demise, so Henry had to be careful, or Marlon might also do the same to him.


    "Then what¡¯s the importance of your own heir when family reputation and image are on the line? Nothing, right? That¡¯s why you killed my Big brother and put Dahlia in the mental facility just to save your face."


    "YOU BASTARD!" Marlon couldn¡¯t handle the disrespect, especially not when he had no way to defend himself.


    He lashed out by throwing the thick book in his hand to Henry¡¯s face, and Henry caught it with one hand.


    "See? I did nothing, and you¡¯re already attacking me," Henry mocked. "I wonder what you would do if you killed me too. Since you¡¯ll run out of heir at your disposal."


    Marlon gritted his teeth. They glared at each other full of hostility until the screechy voice of Penny interrupted the fight.


    "Jeez, you shouldn¡¯t taunt your father like that, Henry," Penny said while bringing a tray full of freshly baked cookies. She served it in front of Henry, forcing him to take one.


    Henry took one cookie but asked sarcastically, "Did you put something in this cookie just like what you did to my brother¡¯s drink, too?"


    "Oh, I¡¯m not that cruel to you, darling," Penny winked at Henry. "Your father loves you. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t do anything to you. But you shouldn¡¯t be trying out your luck like that."


    Penny served the cookie to Marlon and said, "You shouldn¡¯t get worked up over him. You know Henry is a rebel. You need to be more gentle towards him, just like I did!"


    Marlon took one cookie and snorted, "Hmph, why don¡¯t you teach your son how to behave in front of his own father? He would be nothing without our family money. He¡¯s not even as good as his dead brother in university."


    Henry wasn¡¯t offended by the last sentence.


    Indeed, he wasn¡¯t as good academically as James, and he had no resentment.


    But he was angry at Marlon when he said Henry couldn¡¯t do anything without his help.


    It was a direct blow to his pride.


    But he said nothing.


    He knew the more he fought him, the harder it was for him to get the approval needed for that inheritance.


    ¡¯Calm down, Henry. This is all for Kate and James. You shouldn¡¯t be rash when fighting against this old bastard.¡¯

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280: Chapter 280"Just tell me why you need me here, Dad," Henry said as he tried to get straight to the point before they fought again.


    "I¡¯m just making sure you are still on track, Henry," Marlon replied. "You told me that you will take Kate¡¯s baby and give it to me. But it¡¯d still take a few more months, and I¡¯m not sure you won¡¯t fall in love with her if you stay with her for so long."


    ...


    Henry clenched his fist, trying to suppress the guilt in his heart, and replied, "You don¡¯t need to worry about trivial stuff like that. I¡¯m not going to fall in love with her. You know that all of my girlfriends in the past are around the same age as me."


    Marlon nodded, "Good, I don¡¯t want you to be influenced by that witch as well."


    "... what will you do if I fall in love with her, though?" Henry asked, then added, "Just in a what-if situation. Will you kill me too?"


    Marlon closed his eyes. He looked a bit annoyed that Henry would think he was that cruel.


    "I¡¯m doing everything necessary to maintain our family image and reputation. I am not a cruel bastard," Marlon said, though Henry doubted that claim. "If you actually fell in love with her, I will do it with my hand."


    "By killing me?"


    "No, by killing her," Marlon replied coldly. "I can¡¯t lose another heir from that witch. So I will kill her instead. If it¡¯s possible, I want the baby to survive so I can raise it, but if it dies with the mother, then so be it."


    Marlon sighed, "I really want that grandchild, though. I want to train him to ensure he will be my obedient dog. So after you retire from the company, my grandson will take care of the company and handle it perfectly."


    "So you just want a dog in the end?"


    "You could say that," Marlon replied. "I can¡¯t do the same if you have a child with Sarah because she is a noble herself and will protect her baby, but I can definitely train that bitch¡¯s son like a dog after I killed his mother. Who cares about a peasant dog¡¯s feelings anyway?"


    "You should see that I am not an evil man, Henry," Marlon said. "I will never hurt an innocent child coming out of an innocent woman¡¯s belly. But any child from that witch will be impure from birth, so I should get some of my revenge on that baby."


    Henry felt cold all over.


    His body felt light, as if blood had been drained out of his body.


    He didn¡¯t care if his father threatened to kill him. He had no self-preservation as he felt that James deserved to live much more than him.


    But he didn¡¯t expect his father to attack an innocent woman and her baby just because his sons were in love with her.


    "Son?" Marlon called him as Henry was standing in a daze.


    Henry clenched his fist.


    Right at this moment, Henry wanted nothing but to punch Marlon until his brain burst out of his skull.


    He had to protect Kate and their baby no matter what!


    But Penny suddenly nudged him with her elbow before he could do anything rash and said, "No need to be so tense, honey. You should be glad that you won¡¯t be killed. You will be guaranteed as the heir of the Grant family, isn¡¯t that amazing?"


    Henry glared at his mother, who didn¡¯t seem to mind Marlon¡¯s crazy talk just now.


    In fact, she seemed to be genuinely happy knowing that an innocent woman and her child would die because of this.


    "That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t screw up like your brother, okay?" Penny warned. "Besides, you already have Sarah, right? She is a perfect woman who was born and raised as a noble lady. She is P-E-R-F-E-C-T¡ªPerfect!"


    "Sarah doesn¡¯t seem to like me," Henry said as he tried to dodge the eventual wedding with Sarah.


    Sarah also didn¡¯t like him. They were just good friends at best.


    She agreed to be his fiancee because she also wanted to avenge James¡¯ death, and the engagement helped Henry to appease Marlon¡¯s demand and gave him a leeway to execute his plan to seduce Kate and take the baby.


    "Sarah doesn¡¯t like you? Nonsense! She told me that she can¡¯t wait to marry you!" Penny pouted. "You should meet her later. Maybe try texting her more? Or you two can have a fun time on a romantic vacation! Oh, I totally remember my vacation with your father back then! It was amazing that I got pregnant in the end, right, hubby?"


    "Hmph," Marlon snorted. He had to admit that he liked Penny¡¯s body more because Dahlia was already around his age, saggy and old. She was also a lot more reserved and smarter than the ever-bubbly Penny.


    So, he didn¡¯t mind getting rid of Dahlia after James¡¯ death. It was far better to stay with a woman whom you could control.


    "Besides, Sarah is already thirty-two years old. You need to marry her soon. She¡¯s waiting for the proposal," Penny urged, but the more she urged, the more reluctant Henry got.


    He had a crush on Sarah when he was a child and confessed.


    But Sarah rejected him, and he moved on quickly.


    That feeling never returned. Now, he already had Kate, whose presence filled every empty space in his heart until he could think of nobody other than her.


    "I will talk to her later," Henry said to appease Marlon and Penny. He stared at his father and added, "If that¡¯s all you want to say, I will leave now. I don¡¯t want to be stuck in this place for too long." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This place is your home! You grew up here!" Marlon snapped.


    Henry scoffed in response, "A home is where I can feel safe and at peace, and frankly, I¡¯m not getting it in here. I can only feel dread and hatred when I see your face."

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281: Chapter 281"Oh no, did I ever do something to make you uncomfortable, hun?" Penny asked. "Mommy has always been good to you, right?"


    Henry glared at his mother and replied, "Your mistake is giving birth to me. You should¡¯ve aborted me back then."


    "That¡¯s so mean! I love you so much, Son!" Penny wept. She tried hugging her son, but Henry dodged.


    Penny was in disbelief when her son didn¡¯t even want a hug from her. He was always cold to her, but he was never this rude!


    "You can¡¯t say that you love me when you only brought me into this world to suck on Marlon¡¯s money. Just admit it, Penny. You and I know that you are only after his money."


    Penny finally stopped her sweet and lovely mother act.


    She glared back at her son and then darted her eyes at Marlon, "Dear, did you hear what he said just now? Our son doesn¡¯t love us!" Penny threw herself into Marlon¡¯s embrace and sobbed dramatically. "After twenty-four years of raising him, he doesn¡¯t love me, huhuhu..."


    Marlon stared at his son coldly but still patted Penny¡¯s back to appease his mistress, "Just leave, Henry. Come home once you bring me good news or a baby from that witch."


    "What kind of good news do you want? I think I¡¯ve done a great job maintaining the Emperor Publishing and semi-monitoring Grant¡¯s main company."


    "I never said that you¡¯re lacking in that," Marlon said. "You are my son, just like James. I expect you to be at least capable of leading a multi-billion dollar corporation."


    "What I mean by good news is you marrying Sarah, or you accidentally killing that witch Kate."


    ¡¯And I will never do both,¡¯ Henry replied in his heart. But he didn¡¯t want to argue with his father any longer. He just wanted to get out.


    So he turned his back and walked away, "I will not return until I get something. I don¡¯t like it here."


    Penny continued weeping on Marlon¡¯s chest as they watched their son walk out of the mansion¡¯s main door.


    Penny continued weeping and sulked, "What should we do, Hubby? Our son doesn¡¯t like this. What if he decides to kick us out once he controls the company? I don¡¯t want to spend my day living in poverty. Oh, my nails and hair will be ruined!"


    Marlon was actually quite pleased by how Penny acted in front of him.


    She was ditzy, stupid, and vain.


    It was all the traits of a weak woman that he wanted, unlike Dahlia, who was very modest and also capable and smart.


    Sometimes, Marlon felt that Dahlia was trying to take control of many situations with her hand. She stepped out of the line as a woman many times, making him feel emasculated.


    "Don¡¯t worry about him. He is just confused with the whole thing," Marlon said. "I killed James, my best son because I know he will betray the family. He will bring shame to us. But Henry is not as willful as James. He can be swayed and persuaded. We just need the right time to do that."


    "Well, if you say so..." Penny nodded. "Besides, he has Sarah, right? Sarah is a beauty that will easily sway Henry once she makes a move."


    "You¡¯re right. Sarah is an elegant and noble lady. She¡¯s not a slut like that woman who seduced James. She won¡¯t do anything rash unless she has been threatened."


    **


    Henry returned to his car and left the mansion gate immediately.


    He felt so sick having to stay in that mansion for over a second. It was sickening to see Marlon and Penny, his brothers¡¯ killers, able to live guilt-free while Dahlia and him were suffering because of their heartless actions.


    Henry wanted to drive to the Emperor Publishing¡¯s office, thinking he could¡¯ve just busied himself with work and forgotten about his problem.


    But then, he took a detour and went to the mental facility where a special person was locked because she was deemed ¡¯insane and violent.¡¯


    Henry went inside the facility, and the nurse recognized him instantly.


    "Good morning, Mr. Grant. Are you here to see Mrs. Dahlia Grant?" The nurse asked.


    Henry nodded without saying a word. His heart felt heavy whenever he entered this mental hospital. This place was the proof of his failure because he failed to protect the one and only person who had truly cared for and accepted him since the day he was born.


    She was the angel that shouldn¡¯t be hurt.


    But she was here now, locked up in a mental hospital because of a made-up mental illness.


    Henry followed the nurse as they walked through many wards for each person with a severe mental health condition and stopped at room 410.


    The nurse turned her head and blushed a bit when she saw Henry¡¯s absolutely stunning face, "Oh¡ªUhm... Mrs. Dahlia is inside. She is in good physical health these days. But still not in good mental health. She still screams and gets violent whenever she hears about her husband..."


    Henry had listened to that information each time he visited this ward. So it wasn¡¯t a surprise for him.


    No treatment worked for Dahlia. She was mentally ill, insane, and violent.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve been here many times anyway," Henry said.


    "Alright then, I will let you inside. Just scream if she gets violent¡ª"


    "You know she has never been violent towards me, right? I¡¯m her son," Henry claimed.


    "Y¡ªYes, she has never been violent towards you, Mr. Grant. She is only violent to your father..." the nurse said before excusing herself and left.


    Henry stared at the door for a while. He braced himself knowing there was nothing but sadness every time he walked in.


    After he gathered his courage, Henry opened the door.


    Henry saw a woman sitting on the bed, staring emptily at the garden outside of her window, and looked over her shoulder once she heard the door open.


    She smiled when she saw Henry, "It¡¯s been a while, Henry."


    S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282: Chapter 282Henry forced a smile in front of Dahlia. He didn¡¯t want to make it unnatural, as Dahlia was in constant sorrow.


    He didn¡¯t want to make her even sadder each time he visited, even though his heart was bleeding.


    "How have you been, Mom? Are you doing well?" Henry put the fruit basket he brought to the table near the bed. He grabbed a stool and sat near Dahlia, who didn¡¯t move from her current position.


    They stared at each other with a smile, but both knew they were hiding a lot of pain behind their smiles.


    Dahlia had long, brown hair, just like James.


    She also had the same kind of eyes as James. It was obvious that James took more of his mother¡¯s appearance and personality than his father.


    Which was good.


    Because Henry hated himself, knowing that he was basically Marlon 2.0 based on both appearance and behavior.


    Henry reached and held Dahlia¡¯s wrinkly but soft hand and rubbed it gently, "It looks like you¡¯ve gotten thinner, though. Do you not like the food here? I can tell the nurse to change your diet. Just tell me what you want."


    "I want to be free," Dahlia replied without a filter. "It¡¯s been many months since I was put in here, and I hate every single second of it."


    Henry lowered his head. Dahlia always repeated the same answer each time Henry came to visit her.


    He visited the ward at least twice a week during the first month she was admitted to the mental facility. His visits lessened as he got busy with work and Kate, so he only visited her once a week now.


    However, workload and Kate weren¡¯t the main cause of his lessening visit.


    He rarely visited Dahlia these days because he felt depressed each time he visited.


    She had gotten thinner and thinner for each of his visits, and she would be less lively each time he greeted her to the point that she would only speak when he asked a question.


    ¡¯And all of her answers have gotten depressing too.¡¯


    "I¡¯m sorry about that, Dahlia. I¡¯ve been trying to get you free, but you know Marlon. He has influence to manipulate the data about your mental issue," Henry murmured. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve failed you... and James."


    Henry had tried so many ways to get Dahlia out of this prison. But he couldn¡¯t.


    One of Marlon Grant¡¯s best friends was an important person in the health ministry, and it was easy for him to pressure the doctors to manipulate Dahlia¡¯s mental health results so she¡¯d be forced to stay there.


    All because she attacked Marlon when she discovered that Marlon had killed their son. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia sighed.


    Of course, she knew that it wasn¡¯t Henry¡¯s fault.


    She pulled his hand and patted his head, "No need to beat yourself over this, Henry. It¡¯s never your fault."


    "It¡¯s my fault, Mom. If only I was never born, Penny couldn¡¯t take your position as Marlon¡¯s mistress..."


    "Haha, it doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s Penny or another woman out there. He will cheat on me nonetheless," Dahlia sneered. She had lost the gentleness she once had.


    She was nothing but a broken woman now.


    "... I¡¯m sorry for ruining your life, Dahlia¡ªMom..." Henry murmured. He looked like a child who had been punished by his mother, even though Dahlia never blamed him for it. "I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have called you Mom. It¡¯s not my right to be so daring when my biological Mom is the one who killed your son."


    "You are my son," Dahlia claimed.


    Henry raised his head, his tears streaming down his cheeks, "But¡ª"


    "There are no buts. You are my son. That¡¯s all you need to know," Dahlia insisted. "Stop punishing yourself for the crime you don¡¯t commit. You are an innocent man, and I know you are as grieving as I am, knowing that James died unfairly."


    Henry nodded.


    He was the one who locked himself up after discovering that James died after getting killed by his father.


    He was so depressed and thought that he might as well join his big brother so he could beg for an apology, knowing that his biological mother had taken part in the murder.


    Dahlia had been so kind to him as he accepted the five years old Henry into the Grant family after knowing that her husband had an illegitimate child from a prostitute he fucked during one of his work trips.


    She even allowed Henry to call her Mom and became James¡¯ little brother.


    James and Dahlia could¡¯ve bullied him since he was a kid, mocking him for being the son of a bitch. He could¡¯ve planned a horrible death for the vulnerable little boy.


    But they didn¡¯t.


    They were the first who actually accepted him as part of the family. Even Penny loathed him so much, at least until Marlon finally bestowed the Grant family name to Henry.


    So he felt nothing but gratitude and devotion towards Dahlia and James, only to realize that he was the indirect cause of their awful demise because Penny wanted Henry to be the heir to secure her position.


    Dahlia wiped the tears on Henry¡¯s cheeks, "You are an amazing young man. Don¡¯t burden yourself over the sins of others, okay? Besides, why don¡¯t we talk about your new style? Look at you wearing a suit. You look handsome and dapper!" Dahlia said as she tried to shift the topic to make the mood happier.


    She was already glad that Henry came to visit. It wasn¡¯t good to make him sad because of things he couldn¡¯t control.


    Henry chuckled when Dahlia cheered him up. He was happy whenever Dahlia praised him. It felt like getting praise from your mother.


    Penny did the same, but he only felt disgust toward her.


    "Thank you, it¡¯s my girl who prepared the suit today," Henry said without thinking twice, as he thought he just wanted to share the happy moment.


    But then, his eyes widened, and he zipped his lips instantly.


    "Oh? You finally got yourself a girlfriend?" Dahlia raised her brow. She grinned mischievously. "So, who is the lucky girl? Can you bring her to me?"

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283: Chapter 283"So, who is the lucky girl? Can you bring her to me?"


    "I¡ª"


    Henry was speechless. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He got too relaxed in front of his mother until he accidentally spilled the secret. All this time, he thought that he was a good secret keeper, but it seemed that he had his vulnerable moments when he was close to the people he loved the most, such as Kate and Dahlia.


    Dahlia saw the shock and giggled, "Boy, what¡¯s with your reaction? What¡¯s wrong with your mother wanting to see my future daughter-in-law?"


    "N¡ªNo, there is nothing wrong with it," Henry replied. "It¡¯s just..."


    "Just what? Is she not from a noble or rich family?" Dahlia started listing any possibility of his hesitation. "Or is she not from our country?"


    "Wait, maybe your girlfriend is a ¡¯he¡¯?" Dahlia looked surprised but soon fixed her reaction. "Don¡¯t worry, Son. I know that love is love. If that¡¯s your choice, I will not¡ª"


    "She¡¯s a woman, Mom," Henry clarified. "I just don¡¯t know how to tell you about our complicated relationship. I don¡¯t want you to hate me."


    "Hate you? Why?"


    Henry stared at Dahlia and then lowered his head again.


    He was battling whether he should tell Dahlia about Kate or not.


    Dahlia knew about Kate¡¯s existence, and he knew that James was in love with her. After all, James was also very close to Dahlia and told everything about Kate to her.


    Unlike Marlon, who openly opposed the idea of James marrying a divorced country bumpkin with a bad family record, Dahlia openly encouraged James to go and find his true love.


    Why?


    Because Dahlia was a product of the old time.


    She was married to Marlon because they were from similar rich backgrounds. She didn¡¯t particularly like Marlon because he was not the gentle soul she was searching for, but she still tried to be a good wife and mother to their son.


    Dahlia understood really well that loveless marriage was a hell on earth. So she wanted James to find the woman he truly loved rather than marry Sarah because they had similar family backgrounds and prestige.


    "Hold on, you won¡¯t marry Sarah, right?" Dahlia asked worriedly.


    "I¡¯m engaged to her just like Sarah was engaged to James before. But I¡¯m not in love with her," Henry replied. "I have my own choice, and my choice is a woman far better than her."


    "Oh, thank god," Dahlia let out a relieved sigh. "I¡¯m so glad that you didn¡¯t end up with her. I know you had a teenage crush on her, but you¡¯ve moved on after so long, right? I don¡¯t want you to get trapped into a loveless relationship."


    Henry chuckled.


    He was relieved because it seemed that Dahlia had forgotten about her question just now, and to further shift the topic, he asked, "Do you want anything else from me then? I can¡¯t get you out of this place for now, but I will find a way. Please wait for it, okay?"


    "Oh, my son, you don¡¯t need to promise me over an impossible thing," Dahlia said. "It¡¯s impossible for you to get me out unless you have all the power and influence that Marlon has. You probably need to wait until he passes away, and I doubt that bastard will die anytime soon. He is so sinful that God won¡¯t accept his soul now."


    Henry shook his head, "I will find a way no matter what. I promise."


    Dahlia couldn¡¯t do anything when Henry was so determined to help her.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t want to burden him. He was such a sweet boy who had been thrown into an awful situation.


    Dahlia still remembered how five-year-old Henry was so scared on the first day of his arrival in the mansion. He didn¡¯t even dare to look at her and was afraid of getting touched, so it was obvious that Penny had been abusing the little boy as a way to vent her frustration.


    She was so sad knowing that Henry wasn¡¯t raised properly by Penny. So she vowed to become the real mother of this boy.


    James was also understanding.


    He hated his father for what he did, but he knew the boy did nothing wrong. Henry didn¡¯t bear the sins of Marlon and Penny, so he quickly accepted Henry as his little brother.


    Well, Henry turned out to be a mischievous little devil once he was under the right protection from Dahlia. But it only made Dahlia and James love him even more.


    Because no matter how much of a menace Henry was, he would never try to hurt them with his pranks. At least, it was a sign that Henry loved them.


    ¡¯Even now, you still love and care for me,¡¯ Dahlia thought. ¡¯You are truly my good son. You have such a pure heart, only to get tainted by those bastards Marlon and Penny.¡¯


    "Well, don¡¯t push yourself too much, Henry. It¡¯s not good if you keep getting stressed out because of me," Dahlia said. "I know you must¡¯ve gone through a lot right now."


    Henry felt comforted by her words, but it also put an even bigger burden on his heart.


    He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to break Dahlia free from Marlon¡¯s shackles if he didn¡¯t get Marlon¡¯s power right now.


    Dahlia¡¯s problem was also one of the main reasons he was cruel enough to initially think about taking advantage of Kate.


    He thought he would be able to do the worst thing possible as long as Dahlia was saved, even if that meant tricking an innocent lady and forcefully taking her baby.


    Dahlia realized that Henry was sad again, so she returned to the previous topic, "So, will you tell me your girlfriend or not? You know that I didn¡¯t get much entertainment in this place other than TV and books. I¡¯d be happy to see my future daughter-in-law."


    "Mom, she is..." Henry choked on his words again. He was thinking about it for a while and said, "She is a perfect woman for me... and for James."

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284: Chapter 284"For James?" Dahlia¡¯s eyes widened. "Henry, that woman is¡ª"


    "Yes," Henry nodded. "That woman is Kate. Katherine Woods¡ªWell, Katherine Ross now. She just got a divorce from her husband yesterday and will resume using her maiden name."


    Dahlia¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Out of all the guesses she had in mind, this was the possibility she never thought of, simply because she thought Henry couldn¡¯t have contact with Kate after James¡¯ death.


    Dahlia went silent for a while and then asked one simple question, "Why?"


    ...


    "Why would you fall in love with the woman who caused the terrible fate of your late brother?"


    Henry raised his head immediately. He loved Dahlia but never allowed her to talk shit about Kate.


    But before he could say anything, he was astonished when he saw Dahlia¡¯s eyes pooled with tears, "My son, why her? Did you not see what happened to your brother?"


    "Mom..." Henry was lost for words.


    Why?


    He didn¡¯t know why.


    All he knew was how much he loved Kate.


    Sometimes, he also felt that his attraction towards Kate was dangerous and near obsessive. He also understood that he had been suppressing his urges many times.


    What kind of urge?


    The urge to completely stop Kate from leaving the apartment. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Basically imprisoning her forever, making sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to know about the truth, and lived a happy life with him as a pair of married couples for the rest of her life.


    He was so scared of separation that the thought of it was enough to drive him mad.


    "Henry, answer me!" Dahlia snapped. She began to cry, but she still looked stern.


    "I... I don¡¯t know..." Henry replied in a low voice.


    "What do you mean you don¡¯t know?"


    "I don¡¯t know why I love her. I could say that she is beautiful, sweet, smart, capable, and fits me perfectly. But I also know that¡¯s not what makes me fall in love with her," Henry said. "I just love her, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s all."


    "Henry, this is not right," Dahlia said. "You have the same reply as your brother. I asked him what made him in love with Kate, and he also said that he didn¡¯t need any reason. He just loves her, that¡¯s all."


    Henry could clearly see the worry in Dahlia¡¯s face. His gaze darkened.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that NONE of his family members actually supported his relationship with Kate.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t expect support from Marlon and Penny because those two shitheads were eager to kill Kate.


    But he didn¡¯t expect Dahlia to hate her as well.


    He was angry at Marlon, Penny, and Dahlia now.


    He was also angry at anyone surrounding Kate¡¯s life, from Erin, Hilda, Mary, and Matt.


    Nobody loved Kate except him, and nobody loved him except Kate.


    ¡¯We are truly meant for each other...¡¯ Henry thought. His heart was in so much pain, knowing that he might need to stop visiting Dahlia after this because she would not support his relationship with Kate.


    ¡¯Why do I have to choose between my mother or my lover? This is unfair. I am not supposed to pick one and ditch the other!¡¯


    He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself before leaving Dahlia for good.


    His heart was being torn apart right now, but he kept thinking about Kate, and he just couldn¡¯t leave her alone. His heart refused to.


    "Mom, do you really hate her?" Henry asked. "Even after you know I love her just like James?"


    "Hate is a strong word, Henry," Dahlia replied. "I do not hate her. I know she indirectly caused your brother¡¯s death. But it¡¯s not her fault that James fell in love with her."


    "But I¡¯m worried sick right now," Dahlia added. "It doesn¡¯t make sense how you and James fell in love with the same woman. How could you not realize the danger after seeing your brother¡¯s death?!"


    "Marlon said that woman is a witch who used a love spell to seduce James. I thought it was just him talking nonsense, but now I¡¯m afraid she is also doing the same to you..."


    ...


    "Mom, do you hate her or not?"


    "Henry, Son, I don¡¯t hate her or blame her for what happened to James. That is entirely Marlon and Penny¡¯s fault," Dahlia replied. "But I¡¯m afraid that Kate is not as good as what James told me before."


    "Maybe she is also an evil woman with a hidden intention. Maybe she¡¯s here to get something," Dahlia continued theorizing out of fear. "I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, and I definitely don¡¯t want you to leave me alone."


    ¡¯Oh, thank god!¡¯ Henry was so relieved.


    He thought that Dahlia hated Kate for what happened to James. It was unfair for Kate, who hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, to deserve the hatred.


    James hadn¡¯t even told Kate directly about his feelings, so she had no idea she was involved.


    "Then, will you change your opinion once I bring her to you?" Henry asked.


    "That depends, Son," Dahlia said. "I want to meet her. I will judge her and see if she is a good woman."


    Henry nodded, "Fair enough. I will bring her to you. You will see how amazing she is."


    Henry finally stood up in front of Dahlia and hugged her, "I¡¯m sorry for giving you too much shock, Mom. But you are the first¡ªand probably the only family member I can be truthful with."


    "Yes, I love Kate, and I am dating her. I even plan to marry her as soon as possible," Henry said without hesitation. "I just hope you can understand my choice."


    Dahlia patted Henry¡¯s back, "Bring her to me. I will judge her myself. Do not worry, Son. I just want the best for you. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt."


    Henry finally excused himself after that, determined to bring Kate to Dahlia to ensure that Dahlia knew Kate¡¯s quality as the woman of his choice.


    Dahlia stared at Henry¡¯s back until he closed the door behind him, and a simple yet sad smile appeared on her face.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285: Chapter 285"Henry, you are still too naive. I¡¯m afraid people will take advantage of you..." Dahlia muttered while staring at the door.


    Of course, she already knew that Kate wasn¡¯t a bad woman. She acted as if she didn¡¯t accept Kate as Henry¡¯s new girlfriend because it would incite his urge to bring Kate here.


    Dahlia had been dying to know what kind of woman Kate was.


    James told her that he was madly in love with her but dared not confess or court her openly because of her status as a married woman, and she was very loyal to her husband despite him being a useless man with no redeeming qualities.


    Dahlia knew how hard it was to stay with a man with no redeeming quality. Though she felt that Kate was stupid for staying with her husband, Dahlia still acknowledged her dedication and faithfulness to her husband.


    "It¡¯s good that she finally got a divorce," Dahlia smiled. "She deserves so much more. If only James was still alive. He¡¯d marry her in a heartbeat."


    "And now Henry is also madly in love with her..." Dahlia had no bad thoughts about Kate, but she had grown wary. She didn¡¯t want Henry to end up like James, who died just because of love.


    "I have to see Kate myself. I want to see if she is truly a good woman for Henry and if she loves him the same."


    Dahlia shifted her gaze back at the window, staring at the tree that had lost all its leaves in winter.


    "James, I hope you are okay with your little brother dating her. They deserve to be happy."


    **


    Henry walked through the corridor and left the mental hospital with one determination in mind.


    He had to bring Kate to this place, allowing Dahlia to see what kind of amazing woman she really was, and finally gave her blessing for them.


    Henry knew that they didn¡¯t need a blessing from anyone.


    Kate had no more family on her side. Her mother was in a care facility indefinitely, Erin was stuck mating with a seal in the frozen wasteland, and her father was nowhere to be seen.


    Meanwhile, Henry still had a complete family, but none felt like a family.


    In fact, he hated his father and mother so much he wished he could kill them and get the inheritance.


    "But I still need one person¡¯s blessing, and I know Kate also wants that," Henry muttered. "If I can¡¯t get a blessing from my real mother, then I can get it from my stepmom."


    **


    Kate continued reading a book on her iPad while checking her phone nonstop to reply to Mai¡¯s text.


    She was accompanying Irene Banks in Netflix Headquarters right now, and she needed Kate¡¯s constant approval because there were too many important things that she couldn¡¯t miss out on.


    She got tired of this eventually and got up.


    "Okay, I can¡¯t stay like this forever. I have to work!"


    Kate went to the bedroom and changed into a comfortable semi-casual winter office attire. She wore Henry¡¯s coat, which was too big for her, but felt warm and comfortable, and then went down to drive.


    She didn¡¯t want to go to the office because Henry would probably drive her back to their apartment.


    So she went straight to Netflix Headquarofter.


    She called Mai while on the road.


    ¡ª


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am? Oh, the Netflix office is asking you again about the adaptation of Irene Banks¡¯ book. They want to ask if you will allow Ms. Banks to pick every cast of the series or whether the publisher will have a say in this."


    "The publisher will have a say in which actors and actresses will play in this adaptation," Kate replied without hesitation. She knew well that Irene Banks had a weakness for a handsome man. She might pick the actor only based on looks. Of course, they didn¡¯t want to have a handsome male lead with totally flat acting.


    "Got it, Ma¡¯am," Mai was about to hang up the call when Kate suddenly interrupted.


    "Wait, Mai!"


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am?"


    "You are still in the Netflix headquarters, right? Wait right there, I¡¯ll arrive soon. Delay any agreement because I will handle it myself," Kate ordered.


    "W¡ªWait, Ma¡¯am. Aren¡¯t you supposed to rest in the apartment? Mr. Grant told me that you¡¯re not feeling well after yesterday¡¯s court," Mai asked.


    "Huh?" Kate frowned. "Why¡¯d he say that? I¡¯m perfectly fine. Anyway, I¡¯ll be right there. Just tell Irene not to sign anything yet."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate parked her car and entered the headquarters. She was greeted by Mai, who had been waiting in the lobby.


    "Ma¡¯am!" Mai rushed to Kate and asked, "Ma¡¯am, is it okay for you to come? I can handle it, I promise."


    "You can¡¯t. There are too many things I need to handle myself. You¡¯ve been on the phone with me nonstop for about an hour, remember?"


    "But, your body, Ma¡¯am..."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "Mai, I¡¯m pregnant, not dying. Besides, why would Henry say that I¡¯m sick? I¡¯m not sick at all. I¡¯m perfectly healthy!"


    "I... I¡¯m not sure, Ma¡¯am. He told me on the phone to go to the Netflix office with Irene Banks," Mai said. "He also said he wouldn¡¯t be in the office today because he had another meeting in the main company."


    ¡¯That¡¯s a lie,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Henry will always tell me if he has another meeting in the main office because it¡¯s always a nerve-wracking experience having to face many executives, including his father, in a work situation. But he said nothing to me today.¡¯ S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate knew that Henry was probably meeting with his parents right now. But why would he need to hide things from her?


    Kate was the most eager to meet with Marlon Grant and his wife, hoping they could form a connection and get their blessing.


    ¡¯I have to talk with him after this. I don¡¯t want another fight because of a misunderstanding between us. I don¡¯t want unnecessary stress.¡¯

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286: Chapter 286"Oh, Ma¡¯am, the director is asking for your presence since you said you will take over today¡¯s meeting," Mai reminded.


    Kate pushed aside all of her worries and questions. She nodded and said, "Alright then, let¡¯s go now."


    Kate walked into the meeting room, and her commanding presence stopped any kind of conversation in the meeting room.


    Irene was so glad when she saw Mrs. Woods because that meant she wouldn¡¯t be pressured by the director anymore.


    The director had been trying to force Irene to make the decision, so it would be easier for them because they knew how difficult and firm Mrs. Woods could be.


    Kate handed her bag to Mai and sat right next to Irene, "Apologies for my tardiness. We can start the meeting again."


    **


    Kate showed her true grit once the meeting restarted. She knew the director wanted to cut corners by hiring a handsome actor with a somewhat bad track record to save money, but Kate knew that would be a huge mistake.


    "The male lead needs to have an amazing acting and good track record. The female lead spends at least fifty percent of the story in the hospital bed as her illness worsens."


    "But the male lead doesn¡¯t have that many scenes, Ma¡¯am," the director persuaded.


    "It still matters because every small scene is important for the male lead. He will start changing from a kind and generous man into a man filled with greed. He will be too busy with work until he neglects his beloved and ends up regretting everything once she is gone. He is meant to be that man who sacrifices his woman for money that won¡¯t make him happy."


    "So there is no point in this adaptation if you pick an actor with bland acting right here," Kate said. "I know that you have the best intention for this adaptation, and that means you will pick the best for the male lead, right, director?"


    Kate pressured him back, and the director gulped nervously.


    Truly, there was no point in arguing with Mrs. Woods because she would just slam everything until the deal was in her favor.


    "Alright, the budget for this adaptation is not big because it¡¯s a romance movie. So if you want to have a good male lead with a great track record, then we need to cut corners by hiring a new female lead actress."


    "That¡¯s alright," Kate said. "The female lead is supposed to be a sweet girl. This would be a good opportunity to debut a young talent because young actresses tend to be good at acting as a sweet girl."


    After reaching the deal, they handed the contract, and Kate finished the meeting with her signature on the paper.


    She had a few small talks with the director before leaving, with Mai and Irene tailing behind.


    She walked to the lobby, intending to leave after getting the job done, but Irene quickly hogged her hand, "Kate! OMG, thank you so much!"


    "Hm?" Kate smiled. "What¡¯s wrong, Ms. Banks?"


    "You don¡¯t know how much of a lifesaver you are. Mai and I are getting obliterated by the director because he has so much to say. Good thing he finally shut up after you came!"


    "Ah, he is just trying to intimidate you into agreeing with everything," Kate said. "This is the third time we got an adaptation on Netflix, so I know him quite well. He will respect my words because the previous adaptations are successful."


    "Phew, I was scared that the adaptation would turn shit because of this," Irene said. "I told my family about the adaptation. I don¡¯t want them to be disappointed."


    "Don¡¯t worry, it will be great," Kate assured. "You have me as your Chief Editor. That¡¯s why you have to keep publishing in Emperor Publisher, and I will take care of the rest."


    "Sure!"


    Mai listened to the conversation and felt that her respect for Mrs. Woods had increased. Mrs. Woods knew what to say in certain situations, and with this, she had already ensured that Irene would stay and write in their company for a long time.


    After parting with Irene, Kate and Mai entered Kate¡¯s car, and they drove back to their office. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is Michael in the office right now?" Kate asked.


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma¡¯am. He is busy with office work because Mr. Grant is not coming today," Mai replied. She glanced at her boss and added, "Um, Ma¡¯am, I want to say congratulations on your divorce. That bastard doesn¡¯t deserve anything after being a failure of a man."


    "Thanks, Mai," Kate smiled. "I am free now, and you should call me Mrs. Ross now. But, I won¡¯t be going to the state administration to change my name back to Katherine Christa Ross for a while."


    "Huh? Why? Do you still like the surname of your ex-husband?"


    "No, it¡¯s just going to be a hassle because I¡¯m going to be Katherine Christa Grant soon anyway," Kate replied.


    Mai¡¯s eyes widened, "Ma¡¯am, did Mr. Grant¡ª"


    "Not yet, he wants to propose. But I told him no, not until we talked with his parents," Kate replied. "I don¡¯t want to marry without his parents¡¯ blessing. I¡¯m not a mistress."


    Mai went silent instantly.


    She got some gossip that Marlon Grant was not the kind of man you wanted to get along with. He was cruel, and his mind was occupied with either business or his family status.


    Mrs. Woods¡¯ background might not be good for Marlon Grant.


    But she was right. At least they needed the acknowledgement from Henry¡¯s parents because she didn¡¯t want to be treated like a mistress.


    "What if you don¡¯t get the blessing you want, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked.


    "Then I will find a way to get it. I¡¯m not giving up," Kate insisted. "Unfortunately, Henry doesn¡¯t share the same willingness as I do. He¡¯s unhappy about it and wants to just wed me without introducing me to his parents first."


    Kate clenched the steering wheel and murmured, "I don¡¯t know, Mai. But I feel like a hidden mistress right now. I feel like Henry has another woman outside, which has been acknowledged by his parents before me."

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287: Chapter 287fr§×ewebno?¨¥l.com"I think you¡¯re just overthinking, Ma¡¯am," Mai said. "It¡¯s obvious that Mr. Grant is very much in love with you. I¡¯d probably get a heart attack if we caught him two-timing you with another woman."


    Kate chuckled, "I thought you didn¡¯t like men that much. Is Henry and Michael an exception?"


    "It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t like men, Ma¡¯am, I just..." Mai paused for a moment. "I¡¯m just extra careful because I don¡¯t want to get hurt."


    "And do you think Michael will hurt you?"


    "N¡ªNo. I don¡¯t think so," Mai¡¯s face heated up as she had a planned date with Michael in three days. "He looks like a brute, but he is very gentle. I¡¯m so glad since we will work together for a long time."


    "Mhm, if you say so," Kate chuckled. She felt less tense after talking with Mai. "I hope you¡¯re right, Mai. Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking. Henry seems so in love with me, so there is no way he will cheat on me, right?"


    "That¡¯s just outrageous, Ma¡¯am!" Mai declared. "Maybe he¡¯s hesitant to introduce you because of a family problem? Maybe he just doesn¡¯t want the hassle? I don¡¯t think Mr. Grant is close to his family."


    "Yeah, he¡¯s not close to his family at all," Kate said. "At least that¡¯s what he told me."


    "Then he just doesn¡¯t want you to get stressed out!" Mai said. "You¡¯re pregnant, Ma¡¯am, and this is your first pregnancy. My Mom told me that the first pregnancy is usually the hardest, especially when you¡¯re not used to the mood swings."


    Kate chuckled, "I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not used to mood swings. Henry and I fought a lot because of it. Sometimes I feel really bad for him."


    Kate was in a much better mood after talking with Mai.


    Maybe she was right. Kate shouldn¡¯t be too stressed out about it.


    She believed in Henry, and that man had proven himself as a capable man many times.


    ¡¯I guess I just need to sit back and relax.¡¯


    Thus, Kate went to the office, surprising the other staff, who thought their Chief Editor wouldn¡¯t be working for a few more months.


    Kate bumped into Michael, who just walked out of his office.


    Michael paused for a moment before greeting his female boss, "Good afternoon, Ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d go to the office today."


    "Did Henry tell you that I¡¯m sick as well?"


    Michael said nothing.


    Of course, Henry didn¡¯t say that.


    He told Michael that he was meeting with Marlon and Penny today and had been trying his best to keep Kate clueless about the problem because he didn¡¯t want Kate to get hurt.


    Michael didn¡¯t agree with how Henry handled this problem, but he had no say because he also had no idea how to tackle it.


    "Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯re not feeling well, you should just rest at home. We can handle everything just fine here."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "I am perfectly healthy, and I can¡¯t just sit in my room like an idiot for weeks. I am used to work."


    "Now step aside, Michael. I¡¯m going to my office."


    Michael had no choice but to step aside, allowing Kate to enter the Chief Editor¡¯s office.


    Mai followed her boss and looked over her shoulder to shrug at Michael.


    Michael shrugged back, acting as if he was innocent about all this.


    He watched as Kate and Mai entered the office and hurriedly called Henry, who had just left the mental facility.


    ¡ª


    "What is it? Is there something happening in the office?" Henry asked.


    "Yes," Michael replied. "Your wife is here."


    "WHAT?!" Henry¡¯s heartbeat beat fast the moment he got the news. "But nothing is happening in the office, right? My parents¡ªor Sarah, are not in there, right?"


    "No, they¡¯re not," Michael said. "But you probably should handle Sarah as soon as possible. She texted me a few hours ago, casually asking about your situation since she worries about the plan."


    "Why didn¡¯t she text me instead?" Henry asked.


    "I don¡¯t know. I just want to make sure that you are prepared. It¡¯d be a disaster if Kate and Sarah accidentally bumped into each other."


    "I¡¯ll call Sarah after this. Thanks for the heads up, Michael. Make sure that you keep my woman safe. She is pregnant with my baby," Henry instructed.


    "Got it, Sir."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry parked his car at the side of the street to calm himself down.


    He didn¡¯t want Kate to go to the office because of the risk of her accidentally meeting Marlon, Penny, or Sarah.


    Sarah might not be malicious, but she could create a misunderstanding between them because Henry hadn¡¯t told Kate about his fake engagement with Sarah yet.


    Henry quickly called Sarah, and she finally picked up the call after the third ring.


    ¡ª S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Finally, Henry, it¡¯s been long since the last time you called me. Do you not miss me at all?" Sarah opened their conversation with a small joke. She was always very lax and kind, and her soft voice was enough to make any man¡¯s heart waver.


    But not with Henry.


    He was panicking right now, scared that Kate might be mad if she discovered he had a fake fiancee.


    "Sarah, I heard from Michael that you texted him a few hours ago. Is there something you want to talk about?"


    "Something? You mean a lot of things, right? Henry, you haven¡¯t called me for months! I know I¡¯m just a small part of your big plan, but I am still part of it, and I¡¯ve been worried sick since Penny complained to me that you¡¯ve disowned her as a mother."


    "Oh, come on, you know that¡¯s just an exaggeration," Henry said. He finally had a thin smile after talking with Sarah.


    Sarah was the closest woman to Henry. He had a childhood crush on her up until his teenage years. But after Sarah rejected him, Henry had turned that crush into a friendship.


    Now that James wasn¡¯t here anymore and Graham was against his relationship with Kate, he only had Michael and Sarah as his friends.

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288: Chapter 288Sarah chuckled, "Well, I know your mother is very dramatic, so I didn¡¯t take her seriously. But you should be more informative regarding your plan¡¯s progress to me. You know I am on your side, right?"


    "Naturally," Henry replied. "You are the most trustworthy accomplice for me, alongside Michael."


    "Good," Sarah said. Henry felt one word had a deeper meaning but didn¡¯t want to think much about it. "By the way, Henry, I just heard you finally helped Kate with her divorce."


    "How did you know this?" Henry asked back hurriedly.


    "From your parents, of course," Sarah replied lightly.


    Henry gritted his teeth silently.


    He really wanted to catch that bastard who dared to leak Kate¡¯s divorce case to his father. He thought he¡¯d get an answer from Sarah, but her answer didn¡¯t help.


    If Sarah got the information from Marlon and Penny, who told them about it?


    Unfortunately, Henry might never know because Marlon refused to tell him who the informant was.


    "Anyway, I want to congratulate Kate because she went through a lot," Sarah said softly. "I hope to meet her soon if you don¡¯t mind."


    "I can¡¯t, at least not so soon. I haven¡¯t even told her about our fake engagement."


    "It¡¯s not fake," Sarah reminded. "We are officially engaged right now, Henry."


    "I know, but we don¡¯t love each other, right? It¡¯s just a pretense to appease Marlon."


    Sarah didn¡¯t reply after that, but Henry was too convinced in his mind to suspect anything.


    "So what¡¯s your next step? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve visited the Grant mansion, right?" Sarah asked. "Do you still want to proceed with the plan or find another way to appease your father?"


    "Find another way. There is no way I¡¯d sacrifice Kate and our baby," Henry replied without hesitation.


    "Oh my¡ªthat is surprising, Henry. Even after meeting your family, will you still protect Kate?"


    "Yes, I love her."


    "Wrong answer," Sarah said coldly.


    Henry¡¯s heartbeat skipped a second because that sentence was so out of character. It gave off the idea that Sarah was an evil woman who craved absolute control over everything.


    "Sarah?" Henry asked. "Are you alright? Why did you say it¡¯s the wrong answer? Did you not like the idea of me finding my true love?"


    "Oh? Haha, it¡¯s not like that," Sarah returned to her usual self. "I mean, it¡¯s the wrong answer if you say that in front of your parents. Kate might be in danger."


    Henry sighed in relief, "You don¡¯t need to remind me of that. I know what kind of monsters Marlon and Penny are. I won¡¯t risk Kate¡¯s life for it."


    "Sadly, I still have no idea how to appease my father without sacrificing Kate. I¡¯ll find another way later."


    "You should tell me once you get a way out. Maybe I can help," Sarah offered. "You know that I¡¯m always on your side, right?"


    "Right..."


    Honestly, Henry still couldn¡¯t shake off this eerie feeling in his heart. He felt something was off with Sarah after she said he had the wrong answer.


    His gut feeling told him that Sarah was hostile towards him and a lot more hostile to Kate.


    But it was just a gut feeling. Of course, he couldn¡¯t accuse Sarah of such a thing because that would make him unreasonable.


    ¡¯Maybe I shouldn¡¯t tell Sarah if I find a good plan to save Kate. I can¡¯t trust her completely,¡¯ He thought. ¡¯Maybe I shouldn¡¯t tell Michael too, just to make sure.¡¯ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll hang up now. I¡¯m still busy at work," Henry lied.


    "Mhm, I¡¯ll talk to you later, bye Henry."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah put her phone on the table and sipped her tea.


    She had a seemingly permanent smile on her face, even after she knew that she fucked up by accidentally showing a bit of her true self.


    "Ah, this is not good," Sarah said. "That boy is not going to obey me anymore, huh? Well, I guess it¡¯s time for him to grow up. He¡¯s already twenty-four years old."


    "I screwed up, but I just can¡¯t help it," Sarah sighed. She snapped when Henry said he was in love with Kate, and he declared it without hesitation.


    "My man has found another woman he loves other than me," Sarah lamented. She opened her phone and scrolled through her gallery.


    She stopped at the picture of young Henry in his high school uniform.


    He looked handsome from day one. Henry had always been the head-turning beauty that would make any woman and plenty of men drool with both admiration and envy.


    Even Sarah had to admit that she was attracted by his face as well.


    But something far more sinister made her interested in that rebellious, naive young man.


    "This is not good, Henry. You¡¯re going to make me do things I don¡¯t want to do," Sarah smiled, her eyes filled with maliciousness. "But it¡¯s okay, I will make this game interesting. You will find yourself alone, and I will teach you how to be obedient and devote yourself to me, or else everyone you love will die, including that baby."


    Sarah chuckled, but her chuckle felt so malicious.


    Sarah continued scrolling through her gallery filled with pictures of Henry. From the teenage Henry to the adult Henry, she had all the pictures of him growing up to be a very handsome young man.


    Her immersion finally broke when she got a call from her new accomplice, Graham.


    ¡ª


    "I hope you bring me good news, Graham," Sarah said.


    "I do. It¡¯s about Matt, Kate¡¯s ex-husband," Graham replied. "I¡¯ve instructed him to leave the city immediately and return to his hometown. I told him that he has to exercise every day and look good. We can use him to destroy Henry¡¯s company in case he doesn¡¯t back down with the media play."


    Sarah got the gist of the plan immediately, "Interesting. I¡¯ve never known that you can be so cruel to your best friend¡¯s little brother."


    "My best friend won¡¯t trick an innocent woman and plan to steal her baby. Henry is a bastard that deserves to die."

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289: Chapter 289Sarah sighed, "How could you become so cruel to Henry? You know that I just want to separate them, right? Henry has been out of control, so I want to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t do something that would hurt an innocent woman like Kate."


    "Your dedication and gentleness are admirable, but frankly, I don¡¯t give a damn," Graham said coldly. "Your fiance wants to hurt the woman I love, and I will not let that happen. I will destroy his public image if that¡¯s all needed to separate them and save Kate."


    "This makes me sad, but... it can¡¯t be helped, I guess," Sarah said. "You know, I am in a bad mood today. This is connected to Henry."


    "Did you call him?" Graham asked.


    "Yes, I did, and the result is not what I hoped for," Sarah replied. "I called him, asking him to stop the plan to take Kate¡¯s baby. I even tell him I will help him find another way to appease his father."


    "But he refused?" Graham sneered.


    "Yes, he refused, saying there was no point in starting from the bottom when he was so close to getting Kate¡¯s love completely. He even wants to propose to her, cementing Kate¡¯s trust."


    Graham¡¯s eyes widened, "THAT FAST!?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s why I will find another way to stop him. I don¡¯t want to hurt another woman," Sarah said.


    "Alright, I will talk to Kate¡ª"


    "No!" Sarah interrupted. "Don¡¯t tell Kate anything. She cannot hear this bad news now. She is pregnant, remember? What if she gets too shocked until she has a miscarriage?"


    "Then what should I do?!" Graham yelled as he got frustrated by the whole thing.


    "Let me handle everything, okay? Just make sure that you have control over Kate¡¯s ex-husband."


    Graham still felt that he should¡¯ve done more because this involved the woman he loved, but in the end, he decided to just trust Sarah for this, "I trust you, Sarah. Do tell me if you need anything."


    "I will, bye, Graham."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah smiled after she hung up the call, "Who would¡¯ve expected that it¡¯d be so easy to trick the most renowned lawyer from New York. I guess it¡¯s true that you become irrational once you¡¯re in love. That¡¯s why I never loved anyone in my life," she chuckled. "Well, do I love Henry? I wonder about that. But it doesn¡¯t matter in the end because I¡¯m doing this to ensure Henry knew what kind of game he was in."


    "If he doesn¡¯t obey me, then he will see that woman¡¯s stomach ripped open and her baby thrown into the sewage," Sarah knew this would be a risky game. But it was what made playing with Henry to be so much fun. "James got bored, so I ditched him. And now it¡¯s time to play with Henry."


    **


    Kate began to work on the documents previously handled by Mai. It was tiring, but it still felt refreshing for her because it had been a while since she worked again.


    Henry didn¡¯t allow her to even think about going to the office with the opinion that Kate shouldn¡¯t be exhausted or stressed out by what was happening in the office.


    But she didn¡¯t feel exhausted or stressed out. She was in perfect condition now!


    As she was getting busy with the documents, she heard someone knock on the door.


    She lifted her head and stared at the door, "Who is it?"


    Click.


    The door was opened from the other side. Henry walked into her office with a worried face, "Why are you here, Kitty? You know you can¡¯t get exhausted by work, right?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate sighed, "I¡¯m not exhausted at all. Why are you keeping me from working in the office? Did something happen while I was away?"


    "Not at all!" Henry denied vehemently. Then he cleared his throat to fix his tone. "Office work is generally stressful. Come on, Kate, you know this already. I¡¯m working my ass off here so you won¡¯t be stressed out during pregnancy. Why won¡¯t you relax at home..."


    Kate finally put the document in her hand on the table and stood up to face her man, "I don¡¯t know what makes you think that I will be stressed out at work. You DO realize that I¡¯ve been spending the past five years working my bones off, right? Pregnancy wouldn¡¯t affect my productivity. Well, maybe later, when I¡¯m around six to seven months pregnant. But definitely not now. I can still work without a problem."


    Kate crossed her arms and stared at Henry with eyes full of suspicion, "Now the question is, where were you, Mr. Grant? You told Mai that you have a meeting in the main company, but I know it¡¯s a lie."


    "A lie? But I¡¯ve been in the main company the whole time!" Henry stated. Though it was an obvious lie, he wished that Kate couldn¡¯t read through his lies.


    ...


    Kate continued staring at Henry without blinking, and then she ordered, "Mai, leave now. I will have a private conversation with our CEO."


    Mai looked at Mr. Grant and Mrs. Woods, who were about to have a face-off. She gulped and grabbed her documents and bag. She didn¡¯t want to get involved in this couple¡¯s fight, so she dashed off and closed the door.


    Henry stood still, staring back at his beloved, but deep down, he was so nervous. He was not ready to get Kate directly involved with his problem, especially not about Marlon, Penny, or Sarah.


    If he could, he wanted Kate to stay ignorant and happy. He¡¯d deal with this problem all by himself, and once he was done, Kate wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing, and they¡¯d live happily ever after.


    ¡¯Is that really a difficult thing to do?¡¯ Henry asked himself. "Just like what I told you just now. I was in the main company. My Dad wants me to do a presentation, and I was right there busy with a meeting."


    Kate sighed, "Why do you need to lie, Henry?"


    "I¡¯m not lying," Henry insisted. "I¡¯ve been trying my best to keep the Emperor Publishing thriving during your absence since you need to rest, and I¡¯m doing it fairly well. You can even ask the finance department about our recent

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290: Chapter 290"I know," Kate affirmed. "I always contacted the finance department to monitor the growth, and you are indeed doing a great job as the new CEO. You¡¯re smart and capable. Nothing can deny that."


    "Then why don¡¯t you believe me when I said I had a meeting in the main company?"


    "Because that¡¯s straight-up bullshit," Kate replied firmly. "Henry, I¡¯m not a regular office worker without connections. I¡¯ve worked in this company five years earlier than you, and I know the ins and outs of both Emperor Publishing and the parent company, Silver Line, Inc."


    "I have been a well-known asset for the parent company because your late brother directly recommended me as a Chief editor who brought multi-million dollars for the company. The executives highly respect me," Kate listed her achievements and importance. "So why did you think that I can¡¯t just ask the staff there?"


    Kate sighed.


    "I called the parent company, and they said you have been absent from meeting with the executives for at least a week. They are inquiring about you since you¡¯re not answering their calls."


    "So, care to explain about your lies and where the hell have you been?"


    Henry was caught off guard.


    He was so occupied with his family¡¯s problem that he had forgotten how capable Kate was. He thought that Kate would trust him unquestioningly. He was trying to capitalize on her blind faith.


    Henry went silent instantly. He didn¡¯t know if he should tell the truth or not.


    "Henry?" Kate called his name. "Are you here? Hey, say something."


    "I don¡¯t know what to say," Henry replied truthfully. "Yes, I haven¡¯t visited the main company for a week. I don¡¯t want to."


    "Is it because of Marlon?" Kate asked.


    ...


    Henry said nothing, but he nodded in response.


    "My God, Henry, why do you need to hide something like this?" Kate sighed. She finally sat back, "You visited your parents¡¯ mansion today, right?"


    "Yes..."


    "And they don¡¯t like me?"


    ...


    Again, Henry didn¡¯t want to answer because he didn¡¯t want to hurt Kate with reality.


    "How often do I have to tell you we can work this together?" Kate said. "I¡¯ve eaten so much bitterness in this world, it¡¯s not a big deal if your parents didn¡¯t accept us. Let me meet them, and I will try to convince them that we¡¯re a good pair."


    "It¡¯s not that simple," Henry replied. "Can we just ignore them instead?"


    "I don¡¯t want to," Kate said firmly. "Either we get their blessing, or we won¡¯t marry."


    "This is frustrating, Kate..."


    "No, YOU are frustrating, Henry," Kate said. "What¡¯s the point of a relationship when you keep hiding stuff from me? Do you even take me seriously? Do you know that you¡¯ve known EVERYTHING about me?"


    ...


    Again, Henry was tongue-tied.


    He knew that Kate was a firm lady, but he didn¡¯t expect himself to be speechless against her. He was powerless against Kate and didn¡¯t know whether he should admire her confidence or worry about their power dynamic later on.


    "Again, with the silence. Are you going to stay silent forever? Fine then¡ª" Kate was hurt that Henry didn¡¯t want to talk with her. Henry hid so many secrets that she felt like a naive idiot who knew nothing about her future husband. She felt played.


    "¡ªIf you don¡¯t want to tell me anything. Then, I guess there is no point in this relationship. I will¡ª"


    "¡ªWAIT!" Henry interrupted the moment he knew there was no turning back. Kate¡¯s threat was proven effective because he had no time to weigh the pros and cons of telling the truth.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t ¡¯twist¡¯ the truth for his own gain. All for the sake of keeping Kate¡¯s trust and maintaining his agenda.


    "Fine, I will tell you the truth," Henry said. He boldly walked towards Kate and held her hands, "But you have to promise you won¡¯t question me more, at least for a while. I need time to prepare myself, Kitty."


    Kate stared at Henry and noticed his determination. She curled her lips and nodded.


    At least she needed to know why Henry refused to let her meet his parents.


    Surely, his parents weren¡¯t two terrible people who would kill her and her baby, right? Then, there was nothing to be scared of.


    "I hate my father because of what he did to my mother," Henry said while his brain processed a perfect lie that would fool Kate enough to stop her from asking. "He has always been a bastard, but I didn¡¯t expect him to find a mistress and throw my mother into the mental hospital."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "MENTAL HOSPITAL?!"


    "Yes, My Mom was depressed because of my brother¡¯s death, and my father used her deteriorating condition to put her into the mental hospital due to insanity and violence," Henry said. There was a flame in his eyes despite him telling half-lies. "He is using his influence even though my Mom is perfectly healthy, she is just depressed. And now, he is living a perfect life with his whore mistress. I hate that bitch so much I wish I could do something." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry tightened his grip on Kate¡¯s hand, scared that Kate would leave him, "Now you see why I don¡¯t want to bring you to my family. I¡¯m ashamed that my family is ruined, and I don¡¯t want you to meet my bastard father and his bitch mistress. I fucking hate them."


    "Henry, I¡¯m sorry..." Kate felt guilty when she realized Henry had a lot of emotional baggage. He was hiding this because he felt ashamed. She decided to hug and comfort him, "I didn¡¯t know the situation was so severe. I¡¯m so sorry."


    Henry closed his eyes as he hugged her back. He knew he was wrong for lying to Kate, but he didn¡¯t want her to find out about the truth of his plan.


    ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, my love. But this is the only way for you to stay. I can¡¯t lose you, I will die if I do.¡¯

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291: Chapter 291"It¡¯s okay, Kitty. I know you mean well," Henry said. He put truths into his words despite slathering them with lies. "If the situation is ideal, I¡¯d love to bring you to my family. In fact, I would¡¯ve introduced you to my family the moment we started dating."


    Kate understood the situation well.


    She had no good memories with her family, and after she reported her father to the police, which got him arrested, she tried to steer away from any discussion regarding her family life.


    She never mentioned anything about her family to any of her old friends back in university, and sometimes, if they pressed on and asked about it, she would say that her father passed away long ago and she was raised by a single mother who never remarried.


    Kate could feel Henry¡¯s body trembling in her embrace. The big man¡¯s body was tense, and he hugged her even tighter as if not wanting to let her go.


    "I¡¯m sorry for hiding the truth from you," Henry whispered, but Kate didn¡¯t understand that Henry was half-lying the whole time. So she thought he was just ashamed of his family.


    "It¡¯s okay. I understand," Kate said. "I should be the one who said sorry..."


    Henry felt this was the right time for him to propose his idea. So he whispered, "I know I can¡¯t bring you to my father. But I still want to fulfill your wish of getting a blessing. So, if you¡¯re willing, you can visit my mother."


    Kate frowned.


    Of course, she was happy to hear it because she still wanted at least a blessing from one family member.


    "Is it okay? After all, your mother is in¡ª"Kate halted her speech immediately, not wanting to offend Henry, who must¡¯ve been in deep grieving knowing her mother had been unjustly put into the mental hospital.


    "It¡¯s alright. My mother is not insane. She is just depressed over my brother¡¯s death," Henry assured. "In fact, you two might click, so if we can¡¯t get a blessing from my father, how about we get one from my mother instead? With that, it should be enough for us to get engaged, right?"


    "Right," Kate agreed without suspicion. "As long as we get a blessing from one of your parents, it¡¯s good enough."


    Henry was relieved that he had successfully fooled Kate.


    His heart was still ridden with guilt, so much so that he tried his best to ignore the discomfort, trying to justify his action with logic.


    ¡¯This is the best way. This is the only way for us to be together.¡¯


    "By the way, I still don¡¯t want you to work. You¡¯re going to be exhausted. I don¡¯t want to harm our baby," Henry said.


    "... let me work until I reach six months of pregnancy, then I will stay at home, deal?"


    "Deal."


    Henry began to plan a change in the Emperor publishing to ensure that Kate had no contact with Marlon, Penny, or Sarah.


    ¡¯All for you. Please forgive me, my love...¡¯


    **


    Thus, things went back to normal for about a week.


    Kate returned to work but wouldn¡¯t stay the whole day. She would come with Henry in the morning and go home right after having lunch together with the CEO.


    But it didn¡¯t matter since Kate was always a quick worker. She would ensure everything was done before lunch break so she could return to their apartment feeling satisfied.


    Henry had done a bit of change within the company to make sure that Kate stayed clueless, though he wasn¡¯t sure how long this secret would last.


    And after a week, Henry finally dropped the bomb, "I told my Mom about you, and she said she is willing to see you whenever. So, are you ready to meet her today?"


    Kate was a little surprised, but she was also excited.


    "Alright, let me dress up first. I want to look good in front of your mother¡ª"


    "N¡ªNo! Don¡¯t do that!" Henry stopped her.


    "Huh? Why?" Kate frowned. "Don¡¯t you want me to look proper in front of your mother?"


    "Yeah, but she is a very modest lady. Rather than dressing up for this occasion, I¡¯d prefer you dress casually in front of her. Besides, it¡¯s winter. Just get covered up so you won¡¯t get sick, okay?"


    Kate considered it for a moment before nodding, "I guess you¡¯re right."


    Kate went to their bedroom to change her clothes. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry sighed in relief, ¡¯Thank God, she doesn¡¯t want to dress up in front of her. It¡¯d be a disaster,¡¯ he thought.


    Dahlia already had a bad perception of Kate, thinking she was a seductress since both sons fell in love with her.


    While in fact, both Henry and James not only fell in love with her beauty, but also with everything about her.


    ¡¯Ah, so this is why James told me once that it was difficult to describe why he fell in love with Kate. I don¡¯t know how to describe it well enough,¡¯ Henry thought.


    It took a while for Kate to open the bedroom door. She walked out wearing a casual sweater, jeans, and winter coat.


    She wore light makeup, just enough to cover some blemishes and moisturize. She also let her red hair loose, making her effortlessly beautiful.


    "What do you think? Is this proper enough?" Kate asked.


    "I... I don¡¯t know," Henry hesitated. "Why are you still looking gorgeous with this kind of setup? Are you sure you¡¯re not trying to seduce me right now?"


    "S¡ªStop with the meaningless compliment," Kate scolded, but her cheeks heated up in the process. She grabbed Henry¡¯s hand and said, "Let¡¯s go. I can¡¯t wait to meet your Mom."


    "Have I ever told you that she is the best Mom in the world?" Henry said while they were in the elevator heading to the basement parking lot.


    "Not yet, but based on your expression, she seems to be a lovely lady," Kate mentioned. It was refreshing to see Henry showing some vulnerability regarding his family.


    Henry¡¯s smile grew wider, and he nodded, "She is the best. You will like her, just like I do."

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292: Chapter 292Henry drove to the mental hospital where Dahlia stayed for months, holed inside her ward, forbidden to go to the hospital garden unless a nurse and a security guard accompanied her.


    They both knew that Dahlia was not crazy, but they got paid for doing their job, so they said nothing and simply guarded her when she went for a short walk around the garden.


    But not during winter. Her body wasn¡¯t in the best shape, so she preferred to stay inside during autumn and winter, which was very beneficial for Henry.


    After all, seeing her getting chained like some kind of dangerous criminal while being guarded by a nurse and a burly security guard would cast doubt in Kate¡¯s mind.


    They walked into the mental hospital and were greeted by the same nurse who always smiled at Henry.


    "Good morning, Mr. Grant¡ªOH¡ª"the nurse paused when she saw a woman walking right by his side. They were holding hands intimately, a sign this woman held a special place in Henry¡¯s heart.


    The nurse was disappointed because she thought that Mr. Grant was still single. But she also knew that was impossible to happen.


    A man like him had many women lining up to be his girlfriend, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to date the most suitable.


    ¡¯Well, at least they look good together,¡¯ the nurse thought. She then resumed her smile and asked, "Are you here to meet with Mrs. Grant again? And may I know who this woman is?"


    Henry frowned, and the nurse quickly fixed her tone, "I¡¯m sorry, Sir. I just want to make sure that Mrs. Grant stays safe. After all, you are the only person who ever visited her..."


    "I¡¯m his fiancee," Kate claimed with a smile. "It¡¯s okay. I understand that you need to be safe with any visitor here."


    "T¡ªThank you, Ma¡¯am!" The nurse was relieved that Kate wasn¡¯t easily offended. "Then, please follow me. I will lead you to the ward."


    Henry and Kate followed the nurse until they stopped in ward number 410.


    She unlocked the door and allowed Kate and Henry to enter the ward.


    Kate took a deep breath and braced herself as she was about to meet with Henry¡¯s mother. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had no expectations regarding Henry¡¯s mother, but at least she knew his mother wasn¡¯t crazy.


    As Henry opened the door and Kate walked in after him, she saw a woman sitting on a chair, cutting an apple while watching a show on the TV.


    Dahlia stopped cutting the apple once Kate walked in. She wiped her hands and smiled at them, "Good morning, Son. Is this the woman you¡¯ve been telling me all day?"


    Kate took a good look at Henry¡¯s mother.


    She had shoulder-length brown hair and a very pale complexion.


    When she smiled at Kate and Henry, Kate was instantly reminded of James.


    That sweet smile with lips curled was the signature smile that James had. It made him approachable and kind.


    Unlike Henry, who had a chiseled diamond-shaped face that made him intimidating, Kate could feel the warmth from Dahlia. It was the exact same feeling she had when she first met James.


    ¡¯If someone told me this woman is James¡¯ mother, I¡¯d believe it instantly, but Henry...¡¯ Kate glanced at Henry and made her opinion, ¡¯I don¡¯t think so.¡¯


    Henry had a big and proud smile. He draped his arm over Kate¡¯s shoulder, then wrapped her closer to his embrace, "This is Katherine Ross. She is the girl I¡¯ve been talking about, Mom."


    Kate was shy when Henry claimed her as his. He didn¡¯t even shy away from a display of affection, as if he was ready to tell the world that Kate was his beloved.


    Her cheeks visibly reddened, and she bashfully bowed a little, "Good morning, Mrs. Grant. My name is Katherine. I am... Henry¡¯s girlfriend."


    Dahlia had a thin smile as she observed Kate from head to toe. She looked shy, but it was quite obvious that Kate was definitely not shy when it came to a relationship.


    Why?


    Because no woman would be able to make Henry listen to her demands unless she knew what to do.


    ¡¯Do I have to be on guard or not with her?¡¯ Dahlia asked herself. ¡¯She doesn¡¯t seem to be the type who schemes. But I¡¯m not sure since she can get both Henry and James¡¯ hearts.¡¯


    ¡¯On top of that, her beauty is extraordinary. She could¡¯ve just used her beauty to seduce my sons, and they¡¯d be madly in love with her.¡¯


    Dahlia knew that her sons had a very high standard because they had been exposed to many kinds of girls since they were young, but she had to admit there was something about Katherine that just made Dahlia understand Henry and James¡¯ attraction.


    Dahlia had a lot of questions and suspicion in mind but decided to give this woman a chance because she might be different from the woman who had been slandered by Sarah, Marlon, and Penny before.


    "Can I call you Kate instead? My son always called you Kate in front of me," Dahlia said while glancing at Henry, forcing him to shut up and play along. "I am curious about the woman who has stolen Henry¡¯s heart. You are the first one that could make him go this far, you know?"


    "R¡ªReally?" Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened even more until her face looked like a big tomato. She didn¡¯t know why her body froze out of shyness in front of Dahlia, even though she was the one who told Henry she could handle anything.


    Nevertheless, she was glad that Dahlia wasn¡¯t hostile towards her. She spent the whole night mentally preparing herself in case Dahlia cursed at her for dating Henry, who was obviously out of her league.


    "Yep, and I¡¯m dying to know more about you," Dahlia said. "Besides, I know you also have a lot of questions about me, right? It must¡¯ve scared you to think you¡¯re going to sit with an insane woman trapped in a mental hospital."

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293: Chapter 293Kate wouldn¡¯t lie that she had a lot of questions regarding Henry and James¡¯ mother. She had a fear of the unknown because she thought she¡¯d get persecuted, but this old woman in front of her looked very civil and elegant.


    Dahlia smiled and said, "Come closer, dear. Let¡¯s have a small chat."


    Kate nodded. She approached Dahlia, and Henry quietly followed from behind, to which Dahlia reprimanded, "Go outside, Henry." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wha¡ª" Henry was caught off guard. "Why do I need to go outside? I¡¯m here to introduce my girlfriend!"


    "I don¡¯t need you to introduce her. She can do it herself," Dahlia said firmly, not listening to Henry¡¯s reasoning. "This will be a talk between women. You¡¯re not allowed to be involved."


    "But¡ª"


    "Henry..." Kate patted Henry¡¯s chest and smiled at him. "It¡¯s okay. I also want to have a private talk with your mother. She looks like a pleasant lady to talk to."


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned, and he shifted his gaze at his mother and Kate before nodding reluctantly. "Fine, just call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll be guarding outside."


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, Son. I¡¯m not going to hurt your girlfriend. I am just curious about her, that¡¯s all."


    "Don¡¯t be too harsh on her, Mom," Henry said, but it was also a warning because Kate still hadn¡¯t known about Penny as his biological mother. He believed that his mother was smart enough to understand what he meant.


    "I won¡¯t. Now, leave."


    Henry finally left Dahlia and Kate alone and closed the door.


    Dahlia gently held Kate¡¯s wrist with her weak hand and guided her to sit beside her on a couch.


    "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be more proper when greeting an important guest, but let me reintroduce myself in case he hasn¡¯t told you everything," Dahlia said. "My name is Dahlia Grant. You can call me Dahlia. I am the official wife of Marlon Grant, and I¡¯m also Henry and James¡¯ mother."


    The word ¡¯official wife¡¯ clicked in Kate¡¯s mind instantly. Henry told him about the whore who seduced his father and plotted together to throw Dahlia into this mental facility.


    She was basically the worst victim here because she lost her first son, her husband, and her status as a free woman.


    But she looked surprisingly calm and civil despite all her hardships, which gave Kate an impression of a strong woman stuck in an unfavorable condition.


    ¡¯I guess I can connect with that,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯I¡¯ve been stuck in unfavorable conditions so many times in the past.¡¯


    Dahlia studied Kate, who seemed to be lost in her world. She patted Kate¡¯s hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry about me. I am still completely sane. I asked Henry to bring you here so I can see you myself. After all, you¡¯ve successfully stolen both of my sons¡¯ hearts."


    Kate¡¯s heartbeat skipped for a second when Dahlia put James into the conversation, "I¡ªI never knew that Mr. James Grant was into me. We had a bit of flirting here and there, but never more than that. Because I was still married back then."


    The more Kate remembered about James, the guiltier she felt, "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Dahlia. I never knew¡ª"


    "Stop, you don¡¯t need to explain anything," Dahlia sighed. She clearly saw the guilt in Kate¡¯s face. "I never blame you for it. James also told me he hasn¡¯t confessed because you¡¯re still married. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could tell you his true feelings, but at least now you know how much he adored you."


    Kate nodded.


    She lowered her head, unable to stare at Dahlia¡¯s eyes because they reminded her so much of James.


    James had the same kind eyes, a sweet smile, and even the same way of speaking.


    James wasn¡¯t rebellious and passionate like Henry.


    He was well-educated, soft-spoken, respectful, and a man raised to be a good leader overall.


    Kate knew she had no romantic feelings towards James because she was busy with work and Matt¡¯s antics back then.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she had no feelings towards him at all. She admired and respected him so much to the point that she¡¯d boldly claim they were best friends.


    "But I do have a question for you, Kate," Dahlia said.


    Kate lifted his head and waited for the question. Dahlia¡¯s smile deepened as she was ready to start dropping bombs at Kate.


    "I know you don¡¯t have a feeling for James, but what makes you interested in Henry?" Dahlia asked. "Henry is not a stable young man. He doesn¡¯t have the same qualifications as James. On top of that, he had a bad reputation with so many women when he was in university. What makes you think you¡¯re special enough for him not to leave you?"


    The question immediately put Kate on the spot. Dahlia didn¡¯t hesitate when she asked it because it was a test to see what kind of woman Kate truly was.


    Kate went silent for a while.


    She wasn¡¯t trying to arrange and prepare her answer. She was merely thinking about the reason why she was attracted to Henry and not James and why she believed Henry wouldn¡¯t cheat on him.


    But no matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t find a solid answer, "I... I don¡¯t know how to answer your questions."


    "Hm? Isn¡¯t it an easy question? You just need to list me the qualities in Henry that make you attracted to him."


    "I can¡¯t list it. Because I don¡¯t know either," Kate said. "We met in the office late at night during the lowest point of our lives. We shared our stories, and we connected instantly. From that day onward, I just know there is no other man like this. This is my man. He is the one."


    "Maybe that fateful night is the only reason why I am in love with him. Nevertheless, I love him. That¡¯s all I can say," Kate stated.


    "Really? Not because of his money or looks?" Dahlia asked more.

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294: Chapter 294"Let¡¯s just admit that Henry is very good-looking and now the sole heir of the Grant family businesses. Maybe that¡¯s what makes you interested to be with him?" Dahlia had a slightly depreciating look as she mentioned Henry¡¯s quality. "It¡¯s okay to admit, I won¡¯t judge you."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, "I can¡¯t lie that I¡¯m also attracted to his looks. He is so handsome that sometimes I feel a little uncomfortable by the amount of attention he gets. But I¡¯ve never been attracted to his money."


    "Really? Not his money?" Dahlia sneered. "You know that he is going to be extremely rich. We are talking about billions here."


    "I know, and even if he is just a regular man, I¡¯d still fall in love with him," Kate said. "I¡¯m sorry if I may sound arrogant. But I am a renowned editor. I¡¯ve accumulated a net worth of almost ten million dollars by my capability. I¡¯ve discovered dozens of talented authors who racked up millions of dollars for Emperor Publishing. I¡¯m sure you have heard about it at least once."


    Dahlia nodded.


    James told her about Kate¡¯s capabilities and achievements.


    He said she was astute and capable, which was why James fell in love with her.


    "James also taught me about the investment and real estate market. Thanks to his teaching, I have my own investment portfolio and several apartments which I put on rent," Kate couldn¡¯t help but list her achievements. She wouldn¡¯t mind if someone accused her of loving Henry for his looks.


    Because it was partly true.


    Henry was so handsome that it was impossible for Kate not to be attracted, but if someone accused her of loving him for his money, she would deny that.


    Dahlia was quite amazed by Kate¡¯s achievements.


    Unlike Dahlia or Sarah, who came from a rich background, James told her that Kate came from a humble family, but she was far more brilliant than anyone he ever met.


    Kate thought she had spoken too much and was about to apologize, but Dahlia chuckled instead.


    "I¡ªIs there something funny?" Kate asked nervously.


    "Oh dear," Dahlia covered her mouth until she stopped chuckling and replied, "You and Henry have the same answer. He also told me that he doesn¡¯t know why he loves you. But his feeling is legit. So, I guess you two are truly meant for each other."


    Dahlia was relieved that Kate didn¡¯t seem to be a scheming woman. She was just an innocent woman who got pulled into a difficult situation and fell in love with the right person at the wrong time.


    Unfortunately, Dahlia couldn¡¯t help much since she was trapped in the mental hospital.


    Kate was also relieved.


    She was trying to get Dahlia¡¯s blessing, and it seemed to be going well seeing how she was happy to hear Kate¡¯s answer just now.


    Kate wanted to ask many more things about Henry. But she refrained herself from doing so.


    Henry¡¯s family was complicated, and she didn¡¯t want to be the asshole who ripped open the old scar.


    ¡¯It¡¯s better for Henry to tell me everything once he is ready. Our initial plan here is to get a blessing from his mother after all.¡¯


    Kate cleared her throat and began uttering her true intention, "So, um... I¡¯m unsure if Henry already told you about this, but we¡¯re here because we need a blessing."


    Dahlia¡¯s eyes widened, "A blessing?"


    "Yes, Henry already told me about the situation of his parents," Kate said. "Since I won¡¯t be asking for a blessing from his father, we decide to ask his mother instead."


    "You two are going to marry?" Dahlia was still stunned. "Isn¡¯t that too fast?"


    "W¡ªWe decide to marry as soon as possible because¡ª" Kate put her hand on her belly out of reflex, then quickly tucked her coat to hide the pregnancy. "¡ªWe think it¡¯s just the right thing to do."


    Dahlia glanced at Kate¡¯s belly and noticed how she tried to hide it.


    She was shocked at first but soon realized she could not scold Henry since he was already a grown-up.


    "Did you already pass the first trimester?" Dahlia asked.


    "Pardon?"


    "Your pregnancy. Did you already pass the first trimester?"


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened. She paled instantly, knowing that her secret had been discovered.


    "No need to be scared, dear. You and Henry are two adults who made love and got you pregnant. Though I prefer Henry to marry first before knocking his woman up, I guess it can¡¯t be helped," Dahlia sighed. "Besides, Henry seems eager to marry you, so he must¡¯ve known about the pregnancy, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, I told him that I didn¡¯t need him at first," Kate replied. "But he insists that the baby is also his. He is the baby daddy, and he wants to be involved. He wants to take responsibility."


    "That is surprising because he told me once that he would never marry. Unlike his late brother, who wanted to get married and have a child, Henry said he didn¡¯t want one and would never settle down."


    Kate didn¡¯t know that Henry had that kind of idea before he met her.


    In her mind, Henry seemed to be the type who¡¯d want to settle down early. He seemed to be a very responsible man.


    Could he have a hidden agenda, so he became a completely different man for Kate?


    Kate had suspicion in her mind but decided to push it aside, knowing she¡¯d get nowhere for suspecting Henry.


    "That means you¡¯ve changed him for the better, and I am forever grateful," Dahlia said.


    "S¡ªSo, will you give us your blessing?"


    ...


    Dahlia didn¡¯t answer immediately. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Partly because she knew one woman that might ruin Kate and Henry¡¯s relationship:


    Sarah.


    Dahlia already got the news that Sarah and Henry got engaged months ago.


    Henry already told her that his engagement with Sarah was a mere convenience to appease Marlon¡¯s demand. They did not love each other and would call the engagement off once Sarah or Henry found their loved ones.


    But how come Henry hadn¡¯t broken off the engagement when he and Kate were already asking for a blessing from her?

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295: Chapter 295Dahlia felt there was something terribly wrong with this arrangement by Henry.


    She sensed that Henry didn¡¯t tell her the whole truth because there was no way in hell a woman like Kate would be willing to marry Henry while being treated like a mistress.


    Why? Because Dahlia already concluded that Kate was a woman with principles in life.


    She ignored James¡¯ advance and stayed loyal to her husband despite her husband being useless.


    She also began asking for marriage blessings from Dahlia after she got divorced. It proved that she preferred a clear relationship over acting like a mistress.


    So Dahlia guessed that Kate must¡¯ve been clueless about Sarah.


    ¡¯Should I tell her about Sarah?¡¯ Dahlia asked herself. But in the end, she refrained from doing so. ¡¯She has the right to know about Sarah, but I must talk with Henry first. Maybe it¡¯s all just a misunderstanding.¡¯


    "Dahlia?"


    Dahlia snapped out of her daze as Kate called her name. She smiled at Kate and asked, "Yes?"


    "So, um... will you bless us for our engagement and eventual marriage?" Kate asked politely. She got a little nervous because Dahlia didn¡¯t seem excited about the good news.


    Kate thought that Dahlia hesitated because Kate didn¡¯t come from the same family background as Henry, so she said, "I assure you that I¡¯m not after his money. I don¡¯t need him to buy me anything, nor do I demand an expensive wedding. Just a simple ring exchange with an Officiant or priest is enough for me." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia sighed, "There is no problem with you wanting money from him if he becomes your husband. He is obliged to pay for everything."


    "It¡¯s just¡ª" Dahlia felt there was a lump of dough in her throat. She didn¡¯t know what to say as she knew it might break Kate¡¯s heart. "¡ªI can¡¯t give you my blessing, not yet."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "W¡ªWhy? Did I do something wrong?"


    "Not at all. You are an amazing woman," Dahlia assured. "But I need to talk to Henry about it first. I want to discuss the whole ordeal with him before I can give you two my blessing."


    Kate was at a loss.


    She thought that it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to get Dahlia¡¯s blessing, seeing how she didn¡¯t seem to be mad about Kate¡¯s pregnancy and didn¡¯t care about Kate¡¯s background.


    "I¡ªI hope I didn¡¯t say anything wrong just now," Kate said. "I apologize if I did."


    "No, no, you are perfect for him. The problem is with him, not you," Dahlia assured. She couldn¡¯t wait to interrogate her son, wanting to get the full truth because she felt he had been duping every woman around him: Dahlia, Sarah, and Kate.


    "I hope the baby in your belly stays safe. Henry must¡¯ve been waiting to see his first child," Dahlia said while holding Kate¡¯s hand. "I will talk to Henry now. Would you mind telling her to come in?"


    Kate zipped her mouth and nodded in response.


    She got up awkwardly and walked to the door.


    She opened the door and saw Henry leaning on the wall right next to it, texting someone on his phone, probably Michael or Mai.


    He quickly hid the phone in his pocket and smiled at Kate, "Did it go well? Did you get her blessing?"


    Kate stared at Henry silently, thinking of what Dahlia said just now.


    -


    ¡¯The problem is with him, not you.¡¯


    -


    Kate didn¡¯t know what that meant.


    Henry seemed to be a perfect prince charming for her. He was responsible and hard-working. He could be stubborn at times, but he had a good heart.


    It was just his family that was fucked-up.


    So she shouldn¡¯t worry about anything, right?


    ¡¯I want to believe that. But why would Dahlia say there¡¯s a problem with Henry? And what kind of problem would stop us from being engaged?¡¯


    Kate buried her suspicions and said, "Your Mom wants to talk to you."


    "Okay!" Henry thought that everything went well. He got happy thinking he could finally marry the woman he truly loved.


    In fact, he texted one of his friends just now, asking about the best custom jeweler in Europe.


    Henry walked into the ward and sat right next to Dahlia. Kate stood in silence, staring at Henry and Dahlia.


    "Love? Why are you standing there like a lamppost?" Henry patted the seat beside him and said, "Come here and sit with us. We will talk about our engagement."


    "She can¡¯t," Dahlia interrupted. She didn¡¯t smile anymore, which was surprising for Henry. "I want to talk with you privately, Henry."


    Henry lost his smile immediately.


    He frowned, feeling their atmosphere became bleak instantly, "What¡¯s wrong? I thought it went well. Is there any problem with our relationship?"


    ...


    Dahlia smiled at Kate and said, "Kate, can you wait in the car or maybe take a cab to go home?"


    "Wait, Mom¡ªwhat the hell is happening here?" Henry sensed the seriousness of this unknown problem. "She is¡ª"


    "¡ªPregnant, I know," Dahlia said. "That¡¯s why I told her to take a cab and rest at home. She¡¯s not supposed to be in this place."


    Kate knew that Dahlia wanted her to leave because she didn¡¯t want her to eavesdrop on the conversation, "Alright, I will call Mai to pick me up."


    "Wait, I will drive you home," Henry said as he got up and grabbed Kate¡¯s wrist.


    Kate looked over her shoulder and stared coldly at Henry, "No need. Go solve the problem with your mother first, then you can go home."


    Henry was worried about Kate¡¯s health, but Dahlia reprimanded him, "Stop acting worried to her, Henry. Let her go. We have unfinished business here."


    ¡¯Acting?!¡¯


    Henry felt that he had been stabbed in his conscience.


    Thus, he let Kate go and watched as she walked out of the ward and closed the door.


    Henry turned around to face his mother. He didn¡¯t know what was happening during the conversation between his mother and Kate, and he demanded an explanation;


    "What¡¯s wrong with you, Mom? Why would you kick her out?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with YOU?" Dahlia argued. "Why did you knock her up and say you¡¯d take responsibility?"


    "Because I love her," Henry claimed brazenly. "I love her and want to settle down with her in our small family. What¡¯s wrong with that?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with that? Henry Theodore Grant, you are engaged to Sarah!" Dahlia raised her voice. She didn¡¯t understand the thought process behind Henry¡¯s oblivious decision.


    Henry clicked his tongue, "I told you that Sarah and I are engaged for convenience. She helps me to appease Dad, or else he¡¯d never allow me to work in his office. You know how he only cares about his family reputation."


    Dahlia¡¯s lips thinned, "Did you already annul the engagement with her?"


    Henry went silent instantly.


    The truth was...


    He didn¡¯t think it was an important thing to do.


    After all, Sarah would happily annul the engagement anytime he asked because she didn¡¯t love him. She was helping him cope with the grief, so he wanted to annul the engagement after receiving a blessing from Dahlia and a yes from Kate.


    "Henry!"


    "It¡¯s not important," Henry replied. "Sarah and I don¡¯t love each other. I¡¯ll annul the engagement right after I get a yes from Kate."


    "Really? Do you think it¡¯s that easy to annul an engagement?" Dahlia asked. "Do you not understand Sarah¡¯s family background? She is a real noble lady! Her family already recognizes you as her fiance!"


    "Sarah will help me explain to them," Henry replied lightly, still not acknowledging the problem.


    Dahlia was speechless. She didn¡¯t understand why her son could be so ignorant. She wanted to scold him nonstop for playing with two women¡¯s hearts, but she knew it was a waste of time since he didn¡¯t realize his fault.


    "If you think it¡¯s that easy, why don¡¯t you tell Kate about Sarah?"


    Henry finally reacted once Dahlia brought Kate into the conversation, "Did you tell her about Sarah?"


    "No, but I want to after realizing I have a lying bastard for a son!" Dahlia mocked. She loved her son so much, so it frustrated her knowing that Henry made such a big mistake.


    "Please don¡¯t tell her anything. She is pregnant. Our baby might be in danger if she gets stressed."


    "Then maybe you should think of that before you say you want to take responsibility," Dahlia said. "What will you do now? Will you keep her clueless about your engagement with Sarah? Do you not realize what bad situation you put yourself into?"


    ...


    Henry couldn¡¯t answer that because deep down, he knew he was stuck in a terrible situation. But even he couldn¡¯t tell Dahlia about his whole plan, afraid she¡¯d also be disgusted with him.


    "My god, Henry. You can hide such dirt from the woman you claim to love. What more do you hide from her? From us?" Dahlia asked. "Tell me now before I despise you. This is a demand from your mother."

 Chapter 296: A Confession

    Chapter 296: Chapter 296: A Confession[Music Recommendation: Toshifumi Hinata - Reflection.]


    "This is a demand from your mother."


    That one sentence was enough to shake Henry to the core.


    He was ready to stay silent, or if Dahlia continued pressing him about the matter, he¡¯d lie just so that Dahlia wouldn¡¯t hate him for the heinous plan he hatched.


    But that single sentence was enough to rip his conscience in half, forcing him to tell the truth or die full of guilt.


    Dahlia was peeved by Henry¡¯s silence, "You know that silence won¡¯t help, right? The more you shut your mouth, the more I suspect you to be a lying, heartless bastard."


    "If I told you the truth, you would hate me even more," Henry muttered. He reached Dahlia¡¯s hand and held it tight.


    He had already lost his beloved brother. The brother who accepted him as his little brother and taught him many things growing up became a capable young man despite his lack of interest in the family company.


    He didn¡¯t want to lose the stepmother who nurtured and loved him properly, unlike his biological mother, who hated his existence until he got acknowledged by his father.


    Dahlia had a terrible feeling about this.


    She sensed that Henry was serious about what he said just now.


    That Dahlia would hate him even more once she knew about the truth.


    She took a deep breath and replied, "You should tell me everything before I find out terribly. I am your mother, Henry. No matter what you do, I will at least try my best to stay calm."


    Dahlia didn¡¯t know the severity of Henry¡¯s secret, but as long as he didn¡¯t plan on killing Katherine or the baby, she would try to forgive him."


    Henry stared at his mother for a while, searching for the assurance that he needed to come clean.


    He braced himself and confessed;


    "I was depressed when James died in a car crash and was even more heartbroken after knowing that you got thrown into a mental facility," Henry couldn¡¯t help but get bitter each time he remembered the pain his loved ones felt.


    "I locked myself in my apartment for a month until Marlon and Penny called me. They told me about James¡¯ case and openly admitted to orchestrating James¡¯ death. They murdered him just because James was in love with a regular woman. Not the ones they chose."


    "I was so angry at them, thinking I might as well grab a gun and shoot them in the head before killing myself. Marlon told me that I will be the next heir, but I¡¯m still unsure whether I¡¯m good enough or not," Henry said. "I was disgusted when they made me their new heir. It feels like hundreds of street rats munching my skin."


    "I never want to be an heir because it¡¯s James¡¯ right. I begin to hate the Grant family and all of the businesses that we have. Because Marlon said that James is a disgrace that will ruin the family¡¯s reputation and business prospects."


    "So from that moment on, I have one goal in mind," Henry¡¯s green eyes flickered with intense hatred. Even Dahlia was taken aback by the amount of hatred Henry bore inside his heart. "I will destroy the Grant family. Once I take control of the family businesses, I will burn them all to ashes alongside myself. I refuse to be associated with the family of a cold psychopath who had no remorse for killing his son."


    Dahlia¡¯s heart was tight.


    She wanted to tell Henry not to do this because she knew nothing good would come from revenge, especially when the revenge was self-destructive like Henry¡¯s.


    But she also understood his rage, especially against Marlon and Penny, who had no remorse after killing James.


    "Alright, I understand that part," Dahlia said. "I know that you¡¯re angry at Marlon and Penny and want to avenge James¡¯ death. But that doesn¡¯t mean I support what you¡¯re doing. It¡¯s best to let go, Son. There is nothing good coming out of this."


    "I can¡¯t let go," Henry refused. "I need that power to avenge James¡¯ death and get you out of this place. Mom, you¡¯re unjustly thrown into this mental facility with Dad¡¯s influence. You need to get out."


    Dahlia smiled bitterly, "But I don¡¯t want my freedom at the expense of your suffering."


    Henry zipped his mouth after that, knowing fully that Dahlia was right. Her freedom was at the expense of Henry¡¯s suffering, and he should let go.


    But the fire in his heart burned so brightly and painfully that he had to get his revenge no matter what.


    "I get that you want revenge, but what¡¯s the connection between your revenge and Kate?" Dahlia asked. "We both know that she is an innocent woman. She didn¡¯t lead James on or have an affair with him."


    ...


    Henry lowered his head.


    He gripped Dahlia¡¯s hand, afraid that Dahlia would pull her hand after he told the truth.


    If he had a choice, he¡¯d rather fool Dahlia as well. He wanted to fool everyone around him so nobody would know how much of a horrible human he was.


    But there was no going back.


    He had to own his mistake.


    Thus, Henry took a deep breath and braced himself, "The night after I knew about what Marlon and Penny did, I went to James¡¯ office. I sat there and drank a lot of liquor to drown myself in sorrow."


    "I kept apologizing to James for I have taken the position that he had," Henry admitted. "And when I was already half drunk, Kate walked in with a bag of wine. She was as messed up as I was because she just found out about her husband cheating on her sister."


    "I know who she is, and my conscience told me to leave the office and avoid her. But I was half drunk, and we are two souls drowning in sorrow," Henry recalled what happened that night. Though the alcohol had blurred his logic, the beautiful sight of Kate¡¯s body lingered in his memory permanently. "We talked about our life, and as we kept drinking and drinking, we started feeling the heat."


    "So you fucked her that night?" Dahlia shot the most important question. "With no condom?"


    Henry shook his head, "No condom. I knocked her up that night."


    ...


    "After realizing what I¡¯d done, I asked Sarah¡¯s opinion about this, and she said I should make the best of the situation. You know, typical of her, being so positive," Henry said. "So I¡ª"


    ...


    ...


    "Henry?" Dahlia called her son. "Tell me everything, Son. Don¡¯t make this more difficult for yourself."


    "¡ªI got an idea, a cruel one," Henry said. "Marlon hates Kate so much and blames her for James¡¯ death even though she¡¯s innocent. So I told him I¡¯ve got her pregnant with my child, and to get the petty revenge he wanted, I will make Kate fall in love with me and take the baby."


    "Dad said that he will train the baby, teach it until he becomes an obedient dog, so he wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey him again like James did."


    The more Henry told his plan, the guiltier he felt. He wanted to shoot himself for even thinking about doing something so heinous to an innocent woman who was so happy with her pregnancy.


    "In exchange for the baby, Marlon will finally rewrite his will and put me as the sole inheritor of everything. He said he would step down from the company and put me in charge of everything as well. Because handing out the baby proves that I am dedicated to the family." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Henry waited for Dahlia to respond, but she said nothing.


    So he lifted his head, staring at Dahlia, who stared at him coldly. His heartbeat raced out of fear that his mother would abandon him.


    "M¡ªMom?"


    "You are disgusting," Dahlia said coldly, and that simple sentence was enough to destroy Henry from the inside. "I never know that I¡¯ve raised a monster all this time. Did I ever do something to you? Did I ever abuse you to the point that you have that sickening thought in your head?"


    Henry paled instantly. His eyes were filled with fear, and his body trembled, "M¡ªMom, my mind was clouded, and I was full of anger at that time. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly."


    "Of course you aren¡¯t. And apparently, you¡¯re also not thinking with your conscience," Dahlia said. "If you release my hand right now, I would¡¯ve punched you, Henry."


    "I¡ªI¡¯ve abandoned that idea now that I fell in love with Kate," Henry kept trying to save his relationship with his mother. "I¡¯m trying to find a way to appease my father and marry her. I truly want to settle down with Kate!"


    "So please, please don¡¯t hate me, Mom," Henry begged. His eyes began to pool with tears as he desperately begged for mercy, "I¡¯m sorry for being so cruel. I¡¯m trying to fix everything and save her."

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297: Chapter 297"Why are you begging for my forgiveness? I am never involved in your heinous plan, and I have nothing to forgive," Dahlia said coldly. But Henry knew how much Dahlia was hurting right now.


    Dahlia wanted to slap her son for being a cruel monster. She never expected him to have that kind of idea in his mind.


    "If you want to beg, then you need to do it for the one you hurt the most," Dahlia said. "If you are truly remorseful for what you planned, then go and fix it. Annul the engagement with Sarah, and come clean to Kate."


    "She might hate me if she knows the truth," Henry murmured. "Mom, I don¡¯t want to lose her. I can¡¯t."


    "So you will keep her in the dark about your initial plan to take her baby away?"


    ...


    Henry responded with a nod.


    Dahlia took a deep breath. The more she talked with Henry, the angrier she got. She never knew that her son could be this much of a scum.


    "Listen to me, Henry, this is the last advice I can give," Dahlia said. "Tell her everything about your sin, and tell her that you have a change of heart. It¡¯s better to be honest now than later when everything is already too far between you two."


    "And if she left me?"


    "Then there is nothing you can do about it. You deserve it, Son," Dahlia bit her lower lip. "Let her go if she wants to leave. It¡¯s better than making her suffer for what you did."


    Henry knew that was the best way to fix everything. Let Kate go and start anew somewhere so she wouldn¡¯t be in danger against his crazy father.


    But his heart couldn¡¯t do it.


    He could not let go.


    Henry admitted that he was very selfish, especially when it was about Kate.


    Dahlia sighed, seeing the reluctance on Henry¡¯s face.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t want to let her go. She was his first and probably only true love. Separating them would be like tearing his heart apart.


    Nevertheless, he has to take responsibility for the situation. If he wants to keep Kate, he must be honest and ask for her forgiveness,¡¯ Dahlia thought.


    She gently pulled her hand, but Henry tightened his grip on them, afraid that he¡¯d lose his mother as well, "Release me, Henry, it¡¯s no use trying to beg in front of me. You are still my son, and that will never change despite your sin."


    Henry was relieved after knowing that his mother wouldn¡¯t disown him.


    He released her hands and said, "I will try to annul the engagement first. I¡¯ll talk with Sarah before being fully honest with Kate."


    "That¡¯s good," Dahlia smiled. "You are not allowed to come and visit me after this, not until you tell Kate about everything, and if you¡¯re still trying to hide the truth from her... then I will be the one who told her everything."


    "Trust me, Son, you don¡¯t want Kate to learn this from other people¡¯s mouths."


    "I know. I understand, Mom."


    Henry got up from the sofa, staring at his mother for a while before he said, "I will return to you with Kate by my side. I promise."


    "Then go, don¡¯t worry about me."


    Dahlia watched as Henry walked out of her ward. She had a bitter smile as she felt complicated.


    Of course, she was angry at Henry for having that malicious idea and executed it for some time until he fell in love with Kate.


    "But I can¡¯t blame him entirely. He is just a young man with no responsibility or burden on his shoulder," Dahlia reminisced about Henry before James¡¯ death.


    Henry was indeed a playboy with a reputation.


    But he never bore malice to anyone, not even his father, who didn¡¯t care about whatever he was doing.


    He was rash, mischievous, and frivolous but was also good-hearted.


    And it all changed after James¡¯ death... Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Henry, my son, I¡¯m sorry that you have to endure so many things at such a young age. I know you are young, but please don¡¯t do anything that would make you regret it."


    **


    Henry left the room and found out that Kate had left.


    He asked the nurse at the front, and she replied, "Oh, she left about thirty minutes ago. Someone picked her up at the lobby."


    "Is it a short woman?" Henry asked.


    "Yes, a short Asian woman."


    Henry nodded. At least Kate was safe with Mai.


    He returned to his car and sat silently while holding the steering wheel, staring at the empty parking lot in front of him.


    "Mom is right. I need to let go," Henry muttered. "Kate is better off without me. I can send her as much money as she wants monthly as child support if she needs it. She will be safe from Marlon or Penny in that way."


    "But can I do that?" Henry asked himself even though he already knew the answer. He scoffed, mocking himself, "Of course, I can¡¯t. There is no way in hell I¡¯d let her go. I¡¯d turn insane if I did that."


    Henry was stuck in such a difficult position right now, so he decided to do the easiest thing first: break off the engagement with Sarah.


    It might only be a formality, but he needed to be 100% out of any relationship with Sarah before proposing to Kate.


    Henry grabbed his phone and called his soon-to-be ex-fianc¨¦, and it didn¡¯t take long for Sarah to pick up:


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Sarah?"


    "Hm? It¡¯s early morning, so I guess you have something important to tell, correct?" Sarah responded. "Whatever that is, I hope it¡¯s not something dire. It¡¯s too early for me to panic."


    "Where are you now?" Henry asked without dilly-dallying.


    "In my apartment, I had my breakfast just now," Sarah answered. "Do you need something? Just tell me. You know you can always count on me."


    "Yeah, I can always count on you..." Henry had no suspicion towards Sarah, who had always been good to him.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298: Chapter 298Since he was young, Sarah was like a big sister who would protect him. Sarah would watch over Henry whenever they were together, no matter how menial his activities were.


    She would also control whatever he was doing. Sometimes, she also reminded him of what to eat.


    Sarah was indeed very controlling but in a good way.


    It had become a habit for them to be together that at some point, Henry began to develop a crush on Sarah, only to get rejected when he was in high school.


    But it was understandable, and Henry moved on quickly because he knew that Sarah wasn¡¯t interested in him romantically.


    ¡¯I guess this one will be easy,¡¯ Henry thought.


    "Can we meet? I want to talk about an important matter," Henry requested.


    "Oh? Important matter? Is this about you and your family? Or maybe about Kate?"


    "No, it¡¯s about us," Henry cleared. "I want to talk about our engagement."


    Sarah went silent instantly.


    If Henry could see Sarah¡¯s face right now, he would see the darkened gaze full of anger from the woman who was supposed to be an angel gracing the earth.


    Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself down. She disliked this feeling of losing control.


    ¡¯This is why I should¡¯ve watched over him when he said he wanted to take Kate¡¯s baby. He is an obviously hopeless romantic. Of course, he would fall in love just like his brother,¡¯ Sarah recalled how James brazenly told her that he was deeply in love with Kate and would never let go of his feelings. ¡¯These two brothers are a bunch of idiotic horny dogs I should¡¯ve trained better.¡¯


    Sarah was pissed off right now, but she tried to hide her hostility, "Really? Hmm, I guess the engagement is pretty important, huh? After all, I already introduced you to my family and friends."


    "Yeah..." Henry knew it might be embarrassing for Sarah to get her engagement annulled. But this was for the best because it was an engagement of convenience in the first place.


    "Alright, come to my apartment. Let¡¯s talk about this in private."


    "Thanks, Sarah, you are the best."


    "And you still want to find another woman?" Sarah joked. "I¡¯m kidding. Come here, and we can clear up everything."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah had a crooked smile as she hung up the call.


    To say that she was pissed off was an understatement. She was incredibly angry at Henry for betraying her after they got engaged.


    "I should¡¯ve put him on the leash. Why did I allow him to get close to that bitch? She seduced James, and of course, she would seduce Henry as well."


    She gritted her teeth as she imagined Kate with a smug smile, rubbing her pregnant belly. She couldn¡¯t wait to rip that bitch¡¯s stomach open! She wanted Henry to know there was always the risk of playing around with her.


    "Okay, okay, calm down, Sarah. The angrier you got, the uglier you look," Sarah took a deep breath. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t look angry in front of Henry.


    She needed to keep that elegant and calm facade in front of him¡ªand everyone else. Because she was a born noble, she needed to always look prim and proper.


    "Henry is just a lost boy. He might be twenty-four years old but still very immature and pampered. That¡¯s the way it should be," Sarah said, her eyes growing cold as she remembered that cute, stupid boy when they were young. "I will make sure that he will stay stupid so he won¡¯t question a thing."


    **


    Henry went up with the elevator to Sarah¡¯s penthouse. She recently purchased the penthouse, saying that she preferred to stay in Los Angeles, mostly because of the weather and also because she didn¡¯t want to leave Henry alone at his lowest moment.


    Henry felt extremely guilty, knowing that he had repeatedly bothered Sarah. He was the one who requested the engagement of convenience, and he was the one who asked to annul it.


    ¡¯She is too kind to me. I don¡¯t know how I could repay her kindness.¡¯


    Henry pressed the bell, and the door was opened from the inside.


    "Hi, Henry¡ªOh, what¡¯s with your face? Why do you look so sad?" Sarah asked out of concern.


    Henry smiled bitterly, "Things happened, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here to... you know."


    "I know," Sarah smiled back. She grabbed Henry¡¯s hand and pulled him to walk in. "Just come inside and talk about it."


    Henry entered Sarah¡¯s apartment. He looked around because it was his first visit to Sarah¡¯s penthouse.


    He was so busy with work and Kate that he didn¡¯t have much time to spend with Sarah. Though, it didn¡¯t matter much since they were just friends.


    Or so Henry thought.


    "You can sit there¡ª" Sarah pointed at two rattan chairs with a small, round coffee table. "¡ªI¡¯ll make tea for you."


    "Thanks, Sarah. I¡¯m sorry that I bothered you so much."


    Sarah rolled her eyes, "Come on, Henry, you act like we¡¯re strangers. We¡¯ve been friends since you were just five years old. We stayed far longer than many married couples."


    Henry had a dry laugh at Sarah¡¯s joke because that small joke only made him even more guilty of what was about to happen. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He sat on the rattan chair, waiting for Sarah, who brought a tray of brunch: Two cups of fragrant ginger tea and a plate of biscuits.


    She served it on the table and sat directly facing Henry.


    Sarah sat straight and sipped the tea elegantly, showing that she was indeed educated in etiquette, "So, where do you want to start?" She asked.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t lie that Sarah was indeed a woman who was perfect to be Mrs. Grant, replacing Dahlia. She was a noble-born, and she was highly educated and smart.


    If he hadn¡¯t met the love of his life, Kate. He might end up marrying Sarah, and though he wouldn¡¯t love her, at least he would be at peace together since they had mutual interest and understanding of each other.


    But he met with Kate, and there was no other woman who would occupy his heart as much as her.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299: Chapter 299"As you know, we¡¯ve been good friends since we were just a kid, and at some point, I had a crush on you," Henry said as he opened the conversation with Sarah. "You also helped me through hard times. I am forever grateful for your kindness, Sarah."


    "Just go straight to the point," Sarah said. "Seeing you trying to act formal and kind is actually creepy since I¡¯m used to seeing you being straightforward."


    Sarah looked relaxed, which baffled Henry because he was nervous right now.


    Henry clenched his fist as his heartbeat continued beating rapidly. He felt so guilty, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    He took a deep breath and said clearly and firmly, "I want to annul the engagement."


    Sarah sighed, "As expected, you will eventually annul our engagement the moment you meet with the love of your life. Oh, poor me, what should I do without you?"


    ... S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sorry.¡¯


    That was all he could say.


    "I know you¡¯ve done so much for me, so you can request me anything in exchange. I will grant it for you," Henry added.


    "Really?" Sarah raised her brow. She picked up the biscuit and munched it slowly while staring intensely at the handsome man before her.


    She wouldn¡¯t lie that Henry was indeed much more handsome than James. He was also well-built, with obvious muscles hiding beneath his suit.


    On top of that, his mesmerizing, deep, emerald-like eyes made him look magnetic, a feast for any woman who scored with him.


    Of course, Sarah could¡¯ve fucked Henry long ago. She could¡¯ve been his first time, too, since Henry had a crush on him when he was in high school.


    But she rejected him at that time because she knew it was better to do that, so Henry would forever think of her as an unreachable woman and chase her to the moon and back.


    ¡¯Well, unfortunately, it didn¡¯t turn that way,¡¯ Sarah thought. ¡¯Instead of chasing over me, he became a playboy instead, and now ended up with Kate and wants to settle down. Oh, how fate is so cruel to me.¡¯


    "Anything?" Sarah asked.


    "Yes, anything," Henry nodded without hesitation, thinking Sarah probably wanted a part of the company once he succeeded.


    Sarah picked another biscuit and munched it slowly. Her eyes looked at Henry from head to chest, down to his crotch area. She licked the crumbs on her lips and said, "Spend a night with me, and I will annul our engagement."


    ...


    "P¡ªPardon?" Henry thought he misheard what she said. "Did you just¡ª"


    "Do I have to repeat it?" Sarah chuckled. "Spend a night with me, and I will annul our engagement. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Kate about this, it¡¯s just a one-time thing, and you will be free to do whatever you want with Kate."


    Sarah sipped her tea and smiled at Henry, "How about it? A fair trade, right?"


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened.


    He opened his mouth immediately, but no word came out of it.


    He was speechless because he never expected that kind of sentence to come out of Sarah¡¯s mouth.


    In the end, he simply muttered, "What?¡¯


    "You don¡¯t need me to repeat it for the third time, right? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re deaf."


    "No, I heard it clearly..." Henry confirmed. "But why?"


    "Why not?" Sarah giggled. "Don¡¯t make it hard on yourself, Henry. What¡¯s so hard about sleeping with me at least once? Surely, you¡¯ve slept with so many women before Kate, right?"


    Sarah leaned on the rattan chair, crossing her legs, and subtly allowed Henry to check out her body.


    She was pretty confident with her figure. She always exercised and kept her body in top shape, unlike Kate, who was busy being a corporate slave, so she must¡¯ve been really flabby and ugly, probably with stretch marks everywhere.


    "I know that you had a huge crush on me when you were in high school. So why don¡¯t you want to fulfill your teenage fantasy?" Sarah continued seducing, and Henry kept on observing her body silently. He swallowed his saliva but said nothing.


    Sarah thought that she had successfully seduced Henry and wasn¡¯t surprised by it.


    ¡¯As expected, Henry is still a young man with zero self-control over his lust. He might say that he loves Kate to death, even going as far as wanting to settle down with her. But what would happen if he got seduced by a much more delicious woman?¡¯ Sarah smirked. ¡¯Surely he can¡¯t resist. He is just a horny animal, after all.¡¯


    Sarah thought it¡¯d be more difficult to seduce Henry after he went all the way to annul their engagement, but she didn¡¯t need to do much.


    ¡¯Had I known it¡¯s so easy to seduce him, I would¡¯ve done it this way.¡¯


    Sarah stood in front of Henry. She traced her fingers on his shoulder, and Henry¡¯s cheeks reddened instantly, "So, how about it? You can compensate me for all the hassle I¡¯ve gone through in one night. After all, it¡¯s not cheating when you¡¯re doing it with your official fiancee, right? I should¡¯ve been the one who has the right over your body, not Kate."


    Sarah looked down and saw that Henry had a hard-on. Obviously, he got aroused by this, which was natural for a man. After all, men always liked eye candies, and women like Sarah were the best of the best. Henry should be on his knees because he can spend a night with her.


    "S¡ªSarah, this is¡ª"


    "Do you want to reject me? Oh, Henry, you are so cruel," Sarah put up a sad face. "How could you cheat on me with Kate and refuse my advance? I am your official fiancee, remember? Before she came along, we¡¯ve been good. Am I too ugly for you?"


    "N¡ªNot at all, you are an amazing woman, but¡ª" Henry paused, trying to find a good way to reject her.


    "But what?" Sarah caressed Henry¡¯s thigh and whispered, "How about we take this to my bed? I¡¯m sure you want to do it, right?"

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300: Chapter 300Sarah¡¯s hand traced inside his inner thigh and grabbed his bulge underneath his trousers.


    Henry jumped immediately. He distanced himself from Sarah by taking a few steps back.


    His heart was racing, and he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t aroused, especially after being touched by Sarah. He was, after all, a former playboy with a high sex drive who would jump from one woman to another.


    His mind was clouded the moment Sarah seduced him, but the moment he was about to lose control, the image of Kate smiling at him instantly cleared the cloud in his mind.


    Sarah was caught off guard by Henry¡¯s reaction. He distanced himself, acting like Sarah was just a lowly brothel whore who tried to seduce him.


    It was not a pleasant feeling.


    "Oh my, what¡¯s with your reaction? Am I that disgusting to you?" Sarah kept her calm, even though she was raging inside her heart.


    "No, you¡¯re not disgusting, but I¡ª"


    "Come on, Henry, just one time..." Sarah took a step in to close her gap with Henry. She stretched her hand, wanting to caress Henry¡¯s jaw.


    But Henry caught her hand quickly and said firmly after he had enough of her crazy advances, "No, you can¡¯t touch me, and I will not touch you, Sarah."


    Henry didn¡¯t know what had gotten into Sarah. He had always seen her as a level-headed, elegant, noble lady who would do no wrong.


    She seemed to always have everything figured out, and she would never allow any man to touch her because of her background. So this was a huge surprise for Henry, and it wasn¡¯t a pretty one because now Henry began to suspect that Sarah might not be as elegant as he thought.


    "Why not? Is it because of Kate?" Sarah asked.


    "Yes, "Henry replied firmly. "I already told you that I love her and am serious about it. I will not touch another woman except for Kate. She is my only one."


    "Even after your body gives me an honest reaction?" Sarah smirked. "Let¡¯s face it, Henry. I know you want me. I am exactly your perfect type, correct?"


    "I am a normal man with a normal reaction," Henry wouldn¡¯t deny what was innate to him. "I also admit that you were my type when I was in high school."


    "Then why are you¡ª"


    "But that was long ago. You are no longer the woman I want. I¡¯ve found my true love."


    "Your body says otherwise," Sarah sighed. "You don¡¯t need to fight off your desire. You are naturally a promiscuous man. What¡¯s wrong with a little fun? Will you stay with Kate without messing around with another woman for the rest of your life? Can you really do that after she gets old and all wrinkly and flabby?"


    "I can, and I will," Henry insisted. He was steadfast and sure of his choice. "I will fight off this promiscuous desire I had as a uni student. I have decided to be with her for the rest of my life, and we will grow old together."


    Sarah was beyond pissed right now.


    She had been amiable, trying to hook Henry so he knew what he had missed.


    But now that Henry had disrespected her, he even spouted bullshit like spending his life together with that ugly bitch.


    Obviously, he was just romanticizing his awful relationship with Kate. He would eventually cheat on her, probably one or two years after their honeymoon phase ended.


    But Sarah was angry at Henry, who dared to act like a saint who refused to do anything with a demoness. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I thought you said that I can ask for anything..."


    "Anything but sexual favor," Henry replied. "I thought you wanted a share in the Grant businesses or real estate. I can give all that."


    Sarah chuckled, "You are so funny, Henry. My dad is an Earl, and we have been as rich, or probably richer than your family. The only difference is because your main family comes from a duchy, while mine is just an earl."


    "Do you really think a soon-to-be countess like me wants a piece of real estate under your family business? Oh, don¡¯t joke, I have castles."


    Sarah sat back in her seat and continued ridiculing Henry, "Besides, do you not realize the position you have right now? What would my family think about you when they know you annul an engagement just because of a divorced peasant lady? You lack critical thinking, Henry."


    "So, it¡¯s up to you. Let¡¯s spend the night together if you want to annul the engagement. That is the only way to do it peacefully," Sarah threatened. "Or else, I can always say bad things about you to my father. Let¡¯s see if you can handle what would happen next to your family business."


    She finally removed her mask in front of Henry after he rejected her.


    For the first time in her life, she got rejected by a man, and that man was the son of a street whore. It was so ridiculous, and she felt extremely humiliated.


    Henry went silent after getting threatened.


    He stared at Sarah coldly as if she was nothing but dead meat.


    She had lost all of his respect for her, so it didn¡¯t take long for him to shed all his hesitation and say, "I don¡¯t care."


    "Huh?"


    "I said, I don¡¯t fucking care!" Henry repeated. "I will do anything to have a happy life with Kate and our baby. I will ensure she has the happy and peaceful life she deserves, even if that means I will go through hell and back!"


    "I don¡¯t need your permission to annul our engagement, Sarah. It was nothing but a convenience in the first place. I have no debt to repay you!" Henry said. His heart was aching badly, thinking about another good friend he lost after Graham. But there was nothing he could do.


    "And you don¡¯t care what would happen next if you annul our engagement?"


    "I know, but I don¡¯t care. Everyone in this world can hate me for all I care. I won¡¯t feel lonely if Kate is by my side."


    He would trade the world if that meant he¡¯d be at peace with Kate and their baby.


    "I think we¡¯re done here, Sarah Lancer. Goodbye."

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301: Chapter 301Henry was sad that his long-lasting friendship with Sarah ended this way. He didn¡¯t know what had gotten into her mind that made her ask for something so outrageous.


    He couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of having sex with another woman apart from Kate right now because no woman came close to Kate in almost every aspect.


    Now that he thought about it, he remembered that he disliked the idea of Kate spending time with Graham. He was so angry when Graham looked at her with such lustful eyes, as if he was waiting for the right time when they were separated, and then pounced on his woman when he wasn¡¯t looking.


    So Henry had always been extra possessive when it came to Kate because he didn¡¯t want Kate to be looked at nor touched by a bastard like Graham.


    But what about him?


    He was currently stuck inside Sarah¡¯s apartment, sitting still before allowing Sarah to caress his shoulder and thighs, whispering sweet words to his ear, and got his crotch grabbed by her.


    ¡¯Fuck, now that I think about it. Aren¡¯t I too selfish to be in this situation when I¡¯ve been telling Kate to stay away from any man?¡¯ Henry had a quick self-reflection after knowing that he was no better than the bastard Graham.


    He was still the same young man who would get excited easily and hopped from one woman to another. He¡¯d say sweet pillow talk with one woman and forgot about everything the next day.


    ¡¯I... I want to be my best self for Kate. She is the best for me, so I want to be the best for her as well...¡¯ Henry thought.


    Sarah saw that Henry seemed to have other things in mind, as if he had completely forgotten that Sarah was still in this apartment with him, enticing him to spend the night together.


    "Goodbye? You know that you can¡¯t just leave, right? Do you not understand the severity of the situation? Please, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re ignorant or just plain dumb."


    Henry snapped out of his daze, and his eyes were getting colder at Sarah, "I understand the risk, and I¡¯ll take it. My decision won¡¯t change, Sarah. I will be loyal to Katherine."


    "This conversation is going nowhere. I¡¯m done with you," Henry turned and walked away with hasty steps.


    He grabbed the door handle, ready to open it and leave.


    But before he did that, Sarah suddenly giggled behind him, "Hihi¡ª"


    Henry gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t know whether Sarah was just laughing at his inability to protect Kate or laughing at his own hypocrisy.


    But he turned around swiftly and glared at her, "What¡¯s so funny? Why are you laughing?"


    "Pfft¡ªhahaha!" Sarah cackled in front of Henry. She was usually well-mannered to the point that she only giggled and covered her mouth when doing that.


    But now, she looked like a completely different person.


    Sarah finally stopped laughing after some time and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, "Oh, Henry, why are you so gullible?"


    Henry frowned, "What do you mean?"


    After recovering from her cackle, Sarah smiled amiably, "Do you not realize that I was just testing you?"


    ...


    "Testing me?"


    "Yes, oh god, I didn¡¯t know you could be so naive, Henry," Sarah said. She leaned on the wall and crossed her arms. "Do you think that I am actually interested in you? Oh come on, I see you as my little brother, of course I will not try to fuck you."


    "But¡ªjust now¡ªyou¡ª"


    "I was just tricking you. I want to see if you¡¯re truly dedicated to Kate or not. I don¡¯t want you to toss our bright future as a married couple just because of a woman you might get bored of in less than a year," Sarah explained. "After all, you are really serious about our engagement annulment. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re just doing this based on impulse, and you¡¯ll regret it."


    Henry was still confused about why Sarah would do such a ridiculous trick to him, "I won¡¯t regret this in the future. I respect you, but I have a lover to protect."


    "You know the consequences, right? I will try my best to protect you, but I can only do so much," Sarah sighed. "Honestly, I prefer to keep our engagement until you find a way to appease your father without hurting Kate. It¡¯s too rash, and it might incite your father¡¯s wrath."


    "... you can help me to cover this up from my parents, or you can tell them that I annul the engagement. I will handle the rest," Henry said confidently. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah¡¯s lips twitched. She didn¡¯t understand why Henry was so confident even though he obviously had no way out.


    But she had to act amiable and sweet anyway, "I will try to hide our annulment from both my family and yours. I will keep it a secret until you tell me what you will do next."


    "Though, I have a question about this crazy idea. Who told you to annul the engagement? It¡¯s definitely not Kate, right? I doubt she knows about our arrangement."


    ...


    "I want to do it myself," Henry lied. "I feel like in order to be official with Kate, I need to break things off with you."


    "Really? This is all your idea?"


    "Yes."


    Henry could¡¯ve told her the truth that it was Dahlia who asked him to annul the engagement first before chasing Kate.


    But he didn¡¯t trust Sarah.


    Even after she said she was just tricking and testing him, making sure that he was serious with Kate, Henry wasn¡¯t a kid who could be fooled so easily.


    He obviously saw the lust in her eyes. She was serious when she invited him to her bed. She checked on his body and definitely wanted more.


    If Henry said yes, they would probably do it all night.


    So, either she was a really good actress, or she was thinking about sleeping with Henry.


    And Henry is inclined to believe in the second possibility.

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302: Chapter 302¡¯I can¡¯t trust her when she¡¯s lying to me. It¡¯s definitely not a test just now. She wants to fuck me,¡¯ Henry thought. But he knew better than to show his hostility towards Sarah. She still held power over the situation with their engagement and family power.


    The only one who would explode was probably Marlon because he wanted Henry to marry Sarah so they could take over the duchy because they had no male heir.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t give a damn at this point. He can do whatever. I¡¯ll protect Kate first in any way possible,¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯Maybe we can run away? No, maybe SHE can run away somewhere while I¡¯m fighting for my life against my father.¡¯


    Sarah obviously knew that Henry was lying. There must be someone who told him what to do. Henry had always been a naive boy who acted tough.


    He was free from any worry before James¡¯ death, and now that he threw himself into the fray, he would make many mistakes.


    Especially when Sarah had been the silent driving force behind all of his decisions before.


    Well, before this one, of course.


    Because engagement annulment was definitely out of her expectation and calculation.


    ¡¯I will find whoever dares to give him the idea of annulling our engagement. I will slice that fucking bastard¡¯s head myself,¡¯ Sarah cursed in her heart while keeping an amiable smile in front of Henry.


    "Well, if you say so. You can leave now. Don¡¯t worry. I will help you hide the truth from our families, at least for now."


    ... Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry said nothing, not even thanks.


    He simply left because he felt uncomfortably suspicious of Sarah, so he began to think Sarah might be doing something else behind his back.


    But he had no proof and something much more dire that needed to be solved.


    Sarah kept her amiable smile until Henry closed the door.


    Her sweet voice turned into a demonic screech as she kicked the big vase near the door until it was shattered into pieces.


    "WHO THE FUCK DARE TO CONTROL HENRY?! HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE MY PET! AAAAAHHHHH!" Sarah¡¯s screech echoed inside her penthouse. She was so angry that she began kicking everything breakable near her.


    He needed to unleash her anger because her pet had been stolen from her! He had taken orders from someone else who wasn¡¯t her and did something out of her calculation!


    It was so infuriating that Sarah couldn¡¯t wait to kill that bitch!


    It took a while until Sarah calmed down. She looked at the mess she had made in her penthouse.


    Her chest heaved, her eyes were bloodshot, and her beautiful straight auburn hair was a mess. She was ashamed of herself, not for the mess she made, but for losing her grip over her pet.


    She had planned a life with Henry.


    He was a handsome, savvy businessman just like James and also had great stamina during sex with a big dick, proven by how many women went crazy over him after they spent the night together.


    The only¡¯ weakness¡¯ that Henry had was his naivety and probably also his impulsiveness. Which was perfect for Sarah who looked for a perfect man that was easy to control.


    She might not be able to love, but at least she could be at peace knowing that Henry would always do stuff based on her calculation, so she could always prepare an adequate response.


    Now that plan was shattered into pieces...


    Sarah stared at the broken porcelain vase on the floor. She then took a deep breath, "Okay, calm down, Sarah. You need to be sure that you¡¯re always under control. After all, it¡¯d be hard to discipline a bad dog if you¡¯re also panicking."


    "Let¡¯s list all of the possibilities first. Who are the people likely to suggest that idea to Henry?" Sarah began to recount all the friends that Henry had.


    Henry still had plenty of friends from his university life, as he had just recently graduated. But she also went through all of them, and they didn¡¯t seem fussy.


    Besides, Henry and Sarah¡¯s engagement was to appease their families. It wasn¡¯t for public consumption, so it was very unlikely for Henry¡¯s friends to suggest such an outrageous thing.


    Sarah narrowed her search to Henry¡¯s office subordinates.


    She had inquired about every person who had contact with Henry. After all, you had to know where your dog went and what he did the whole day, right? It was just normal to watch over your dog.


    "Let¡¯s see... Kate, Mai, Michael, and nobody else," Sarah murmured. "Although I want to rip Kate¡¯s stomach and throw that baby into a pond, Henry hasn¡¯t told her about our engagement yet. Mai is equally clueless."


    "That leaves Michael..."


    Sarah had a somewhat good relationship with Henry because Michael thought Henry and Sarah looked good together.


    So she doubted that Michael would suggest that, especially knowing the risk. Michael was much more level-headed than Henry.


    Finding no suspect, she remembered about his family members.


    Henry wasn¡¯t so close with many of his cousins, except for one, Vernon Phoenix Gray, who was in New York right now.


    "Vernon is very busy with his wedding and also his ever-growing business. There¡¯s no way he had time for this."


    Sarah knew she almost ran out of options because her only possible suspects were Marlon, Penny, and Dahlia.


    Marlon and Penny were on her side. She fed them constant information about Kate and Henry¡¯s relationship, and of course, she sprinkled it with lies to make them hate Kate even more, to the point that Marlon wanted Kate to suffer.


    But Dahlia...


    "Oh? Could it be that insane bitch who dared to tell him to annul the engagement?" Sarah suspected. She knew the tight mother-son bond between Dahlia and Henry, and Henry cared for Dahlia more than he cared for Penny. He was also more obedient to Dahlia¡¯s words.


    In fact, if not because of their natural bright blonde hair, people wouldn¡¯t expect Henry to be Penny¡¯s son.


    ...


    Sarah paused for a moment before she began laughing for five minutes straight. She squeezed her cramped stomach after laughing too much and said, "Oh my, why am I so dumb? It¡¯s obviously Dahlia who told him to break the engagement!"


    Sarah finally recovered after a while. She curled her lips and muttered, "I¡¯ve been keeping her alive for too long. It¡¯s time to kill that insane old bitch."

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303: Chapter 303Mai drove her car around downtown Los Angeles. She drove in silence. She didn¡¯t even dare to turn on the radio because her boss was in a terrible mood.


    Mai glanced at Kate at least once every few minutes to see if her mood had improved, and she was ready to tell what happened in that mental hospital and how the hell she ended up in that place.


    ¡¯Surely, Mrs. Woods has no mental issues, right?¡¯ Mai guessed. ¡¯Wait, I heard pregnant women¡¯s hormones could make them hysterical. Is that true? Maybe baby blues?¡¯


    ¡¯Ah, what am I saying? The baby hasn¡¯t been born yet. How could she get baby blues or postpartum depression?¡¯


    Mai thought that Kate went with Henry to the mental hospital because they had been so sticky these days. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But she didn¡¯t see Mr. Grant anywhere, so she guessed Mrs. Woods must¡¯ve gone to that mental hospital alone.


    Unable to contain the silence much longer, Mai finally opened her mouth and asked, "Um... Ma¡¯am, are you alright?"


    "No," Kate replied curtly but didn¡¯t try to explain more, and Mai was too scared to ask, afraid that she might infuriate Mrs. Woods even more with her questions.


    Kate glanced at Mai, who was tense because of her curt response. She chuckled and said, "Sorry for ruining the atmosphere, Mai. Relax, I¡¯m not mad at you."


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s okay, Ma¡¯am. I know you¡¯re not mad at me, but I just don¡¯t want to make you feel even worse," Mai replied. "Especially since I don¡¯t know what happened to you in that mental hospital and why you were there in the first place."


    Kate sighed.


    She turned on the radio to ease the mood in the car, and the music played a soothing song.


    [Song Recommendation: Sarah Kang - Once in a Moon.]


    Kate listened to the song, it was a sweet song, but her heart felt so sour right now.


    She leaned on the window, staring at the snowfall outside, and somehow felt nostalgic.


    She remembered about James. Out of all people, she remembered the good man who died months ago.


    She remembered spending night after night during winter just to finish the yearly report and release the sequel of their author¡¯s best-seller novel.


    It was a tiring week, but James and Kate were happy with how everything wrapped up right before Christmas.


    They spent the last night before they had a full week break by eating out in a restaurant with the staff, then James and Kate ended up walking side by side in Downtown Los Angeles, staring at the beautiful night lights.


    Kate remembered how she felt cold because she wasn¡¯t wearing a coat or winter jacket, so James draped his coat over her body, giving her the warmth she needed.


    They continued walking while talking about random stuff. Kate¡¯s mind began to recall everything about James.


    After all, she had never paid too much attention to him, in fear that she might end up having an affair with him while she was still married to Matt.


    But that night, she remembered how James held her hand in the guise of warming up their hands together during a cold night.


    ¡ªFlashback¡ª


    "Sir, are you okay not wearing your coat right now? It¡¯s cold. I don¡¯t want you to get sick because of me," Kate said as she wanted to remove the coat.


    But James refused, "I¡¯m fine. Besides, you should worry about yourself first. You¡¯ve worked so hard. I don¡¯t want you to get sick."


    Kate stared at James¡¯ eyes, and her heart began to race as he smiled at her. She had to admit that James was very sweet and caring. He was also quite handsome and charming.


    He was a perfect bachelor that no woman would be able to resist.


    And now here he was, spending a cold night with his coworker, walking in downtown Los Angeles.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Sir."


    "Huh? Sorry for what?"


    "For holding you here," Kate replied. "You should¡¯ve spent your night with a girl of your choice. But you¡¯re stuck with me now."


    "Uhm, do you have a date with someone tonight?" Kate asked as she checked her watch. "It¡¯s still quite early. Maybe you can catch up."


    "What makes you think that way?" James frowned. "I have no date with another woman. Besides, I like spending time with you, Katherine."


    "Well, I saw that you keep texting someone during our dinner with other staff. So I thought you must¡¯ve another date tonight," Kate said.


    "Oh¡ªhahaha! That¡¯s my younger brother," James said. "He texted me because he got into trouble."


    "Trouble?"


    "Yeah, one of his exes is crazy obsessed with him. She tried to break into his apartment, and he caught her before she broke in. But he still feels unsafe because this is not the first time. So he asked me to get him a new apartment."


    ...


    "Is it wrong to say he sounds like a spoiled baby boy who hooked up too many times?"


    James laughed at Kate¡¯s blatant insult. It was funny because it was kind of true.


    "I think it¡¯s my fault that I¡¯ve spoiled him too much when he was young. But it can¡¯t be helped. My mother and I love him too much," James said. "Besides, he is still a good young man, just a little too handsome for his own good."


    Kate couldn¡¯t hide her contempt, thinking of Matt, who was handsome back when they were still dating but ended up being a fat, deadbeat husband right now.


    "Handsome, huh? I hope he has another skill other than that," Kate sneered.


    James smiled. He wasn¡¯t mad at Kate¡¯s insult because he already knew Kate¡¯s life with Matt, "Maybe I should introduce you to my younger brother later. He is not as bad as you think. He is just in his wild phase right now."


    Kate wanted to refuse, but she knew that would be rude, so she nodded reluctantly.


    "Did you buy him a new apartment?" She asked to divert the topic.

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304: Chapter 304"He has his own money, but I still did. It¡¯ll be his Christmas present this year," James replied. "He¡¯s already twenty-three years old and is still being spoiled by the family. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll have a hard time when he starts working later."


    Kate could imagine what hell would be unleashed by that spoiled brat by the time he entered his father¡¯s company.


    "I hope he won¡¯t work in Emperor Publishing," Kate murmured slowly, but James could hear it, and he laughed again.


    "Now that I think about it, maybe I should let him work as an intern in our company later. He¡¯ll learn a lot from you since you¡¯re not as merciful," James said.


    "That¡¯s too much of a hassle, Sir. You know we¡¯re swamped by so much work," Kate said, trying to save herself from the headache.


    James was in a great mood as he kept on teasing Kate. He never said it, but he found Kate adorable when she was being honest to a fault.


    "You¡¯re too honest. My little brother will cry if he has to face you," James said.


    Kate chuckled, "Well, I guess I can discipline him with an iron hand."


    The atmosphere around them became warmer as they stared at each other. It had been a while since they had such intense yet warm moments together.


    They had been so swamped with work for months that their faces were glued to the computer screen for hours daily.


    Kate would lie if she said that she wasn¡¯t attracted to James.


    He was a stable, mature man who was dedicated to his job. He was also kind towards his staff, sometimes too kind that Kate had to be the one reprimanding the staff who made mistakes.


    He was also handsome. Of course, Kate was still a normal woman who liked to see eye candy, as long as that eye candy wasn¡¯t a lazy, useless, deadbeat husband.


    "Katherine, have you ever thought of your life if you haven¡¯t married your deadbeat husband?" James asked while staring at Kate with eyes filled with hope and expectation.


    Kate briefly thought about it and nodded, "I¡¯d dedicate my life to work and stay single. Maybe I¡¯ll find a man while at work, but I won¡¯t bet my luck since I have the worst luck ever, and for a woman like me, my choice is limited to idiots who¡¯d date an ugly career woman."


    Kate said it half-jokingly, self-deprecating herself because she knew she wasn¡¯t beautiful. She just looked decent at best, though with how many documents piled up on her desk, she didn¡¯t even care for her appearance.


    James smiled, "I guess that means I¡¯m an idiot. But that¡¯s fine because..." Henry leaned until his chin rested on Kate¡¯s shoulder and then whispered. "Because this idiot thinks you are the most beautiful woman in his life. You shouldn¡¯t make fun of yourself, especially when it¡¯s not true, gorgeous."


    ¡ªFlashback end¡ª S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate had a thin smile as she remembered James.


    Now that she thought about it, he was very obvious about his attraction. He showed it many times, and Kate wasn¡¯t an idiot. Of course, she knew about his attraction.


    But she was married to Matt, and she would never cheat on her married spouse unless he was the one who did it first. Then, the best they could do was to divorce, and she might end up with James after that.


    ¡¯Oh, fate is so cruel for James...¡¯


    Kate sighed.


    There was no point in recalling the past when the man already passed away. But she couldn¡¯t help it.


    She was thinking about Henry and how he seemed to hide many secrets from her, even though Kate already exposed everything about her in front of him.


    ¡¯Maybe he doesn¡¯t see me as an equal partner. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t trust me,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Dahlia definitely hides something from me as well. Her expression changed drastically when I asked for her blessing, even though she seemed to be supportive of my pregnancy.¡¯


    She was kept in the dark for so long that she got tired of it. Henry didn¡¯t seem to trust her even if she wanted to help.


    "So, um... "What are you doing there, Ma¡¯am?" Mai asked.


    Kate glanced at Mai and thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell Mai about it.


    "Henry and I visited his Mom."


    "Mr. Grant¡¯s mother is in the mental hospital?"


    ...


    "Yes," Kate replied. "But she¡¯s not crazy. It¡¯s... a long story. I don¡¯t want to get into detail because it¡¯s Henry¡¯s privacy."


    "I understand, Ma¡¯am," Mai replied. "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone about this."


    "Thanks, Mai."


    "Though, I¡¯m curious about Mr. Grant¡¯s mother," Mai said. "I mean, we met with Marlon Grant a few times in the main office, right? He is tall, and Mr. Henry Grant looks very similar to his father. I wonder what his Mom looks like."


    "She looks more like James. She has light brown eyes and hair," Kate replied. "She has a kind smile and is also level-headed, just like him."


    Mai frowned when Kate described Dahlia¡¯s physical features, "Eh? She¡¯s not a blonde?"


    "No."


    "That¡¯s weird. Marlon Grant has dark brown hair, so I thought James Grant has his father¡¯s hair color, while Henry Grant has his mother¡¯s hair," Mai said. She started theorizing. "Hmm, maybe the bright blonde comes from one of his grandparents? It can be inherited from them..."


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened upon the realization.


    She was so busy with the whole conversation with Dahlia and the secretive attitude from Henry that she missed such an important detail until Mai called it out.


    Mai was right.


    Kate saw Marlon Grant many times in the main company, and he had dark brown hair. Henry looked almost like a perfect copy of his father. The only difference was their hair.


    Henry had eye-catching platinum blonde hair that didn¡¯t seem to be dyed because they had been living together for months, and Henry always had that hair color.


    ¡¯If Marlon and Dahlia have brown hair, how could he get his blond?¡¯

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305: Chapter 305¡¯If Marlon and Dahlia have brown hair, how could he get his blond hair?¡¯ Kate pondered. She continued pondering and came up with a few answers, but only two stood out in her mind.


    1. Just like Mai said, maybe Henry¡¯s grandparents were bright blonde like him. The blond gene didn¡¯t fall to his parents but to him instead.


    2. Dahlia was NOT Henry¡¯s real mother.


    ...


    Kate swallowed her saliva hard. She felt a lump of dough stuck in her throat as she kept thinking about the second possibility.


    If someone told her that Dahlia was James¡¯ mother, then Kate wouldn¡¯t even think twice to say yes. They looked very similar and even had similar eyes and smiles.


    But Henry, on the other hand. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked so much like his father except for the hair, so there was no doubt Henry was his father¡¯s son.


    ¡¯But what about the mother? What if... Henry and James were born from different mothers? Maybe the mistress he told me about is actually his real mother?¡¯


    After all, there was no shortage of women for powerful and rich men like Marlon, James, or Henry. It didn¡¯t help that both Marlon and Henry were very handsome on top of their power.


    So, keeping one mistress or two could be a norm for Marlon. Henry could be born from one of Marlon¡¯s mistresses.


    ¡¯Saddening, but not surprising,¡¯ Kate thought. She wondered if there would be a time when Henry started to find a mistress after they got married.


    But if that happened, then Kate would swiftly leave him.


    She had too much on her plate that no man was ever worth the mental abuse and unhappy marriage.


    ...


    Kate took a deep breath at the possibility of Henry being an illegitimate child.


    Her heart felt heavy, and she sympathized with Henry if he was truly an illegitimate son from a mistress.


    Because that meant his life would be in constant danger, and James and Dahlia might¡¯ve bullied him as the real wife and son.


    ¡¯Good thing James and Dahlia seem to spoil him so much. They are indeed good people,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯But how am I supposed to ask him about this? I¡¯m sure he must be ashamed of his status, even though I see nothing wrong with it.¡¯


    ¡¯After all, the parents did a terrible thing, not the son. Henry didn¡¯t ask to be born from an affair...¡¯


    Kate understood that Henry hid this fact from other people because he was ashamed of it.


    But they were a couple and already planned an engagement and marriage. Why didn¡¯t Henry open up to her when she told him everything in her life?


    ¡¯Does he not believe me? Do I look like a cunning and cruel woman?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯Maybe he found me untrustworthy after the plan I concocted to trap Erin in a frozen wasteland and annul the prenup between Matt and I.¡¯


    ¡¯But I was just doing whatever it took to survive. My family was out to get me. They wanted to squeeze me dry because to them, I was nothing but a cash cow...¡¯


    Kate knew that was unlikely to be the real problem. Henry¡¯s love for her was real, she could feel it with all the fiber in her body.


    But she was still concerned...


    Mai glanced at her boss as she drove near Mr. Grant¡¯s apartment. After driving around downtown Los Angeles aimlessly, she decided to drive her boss to her home to have peace of mind.


    "Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ve arrived in the apartment. Do you want to go somewhere else?" Mai asked politely.


    "Hm, you can just drop me here. I have nothing else to do," Kate said. She opened the door and, before leaving, turned around to face Mai again, "Mai, do you think Henry is a good man?"


    Mai was caught off guard by such a heavy question.


    She wasn¡¯t close to Mr. Grant. They only kept everything strictly professional. They were nothing but a boss and secretary.


    But Mai noticed that Mr. Grant was so different when Kate was around him.


    When Kate wasn¡¯t around, he was very serious, even downright intimidating. He was a no-nonsense type that got the job done. He was a professional despite some staff calling him a trust fund boy.


    But when Kate was around, he became an entirely different man.


    Henry wasn¡¯t as strict and intimidating around Kate. He could also not get any work done around her because he¡¯d focus everything on her and her needs.


    It might sound mean, but Mai preferred to work with Mr. Grant when Mrs. Woods wasn¡¯t around, solely because he got the job done much faster.


    But that was also proof that Henry was hopelessly in love with Kate.


    "Mai?"


    "Um, I don¡¯t know much about him, Ma¡¯am," Mai replied. "I don¡¯t know if he is a good man or not. "After all, for someone like Mr. Grant, he must be under so much pressure from his family. Who knows what happen behind closed door? But I know for sure that he is very much in love with you. It¡¯s obvious from how he stares at you when you aren¡¯t looking."


    "And I know that he will treat you right if you give him a chance," Mai said.


    "Give him a chance..."


    That sentence stuck in her mind as she pondered, ¡¯Did I ever give him a chance to talk? Or maybe I¡¯ve been pushing him too much without a marriage and proposal agenda. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t get the right time to tell me everything?¡¯


    Kate wasn¡¯t sure if she was in the wrong here, but Mai¡¯s opinion was enough of a wake-up slap for her to care more about Henry and his condition.


    He must¡¯ve been under tremendous pressure because of his family.


    "Thanks, Mai. You¡¯re such a great help."


    "I am? What did I do?" Mai asked back, feeling that all she did was tell something that Mrs. Woods already knew.


    "You told me that I should give him a chance. So I will," Kate said. "I will give him a chance to prove he is a good man."

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306: Chapter 306[Music Recommendation: Jordan Critz - Starry Night.]


    Kate thanked Mai again before she left the car. She used the elevator to their apartment and fished her phone out to call Henry.


    She didn¡¯t know if Henry was still in the mental hospital, but she just wanted to ensure he was alright. After all, he must¡¯ve been under tremendous stress right now.


    Kate had a feeling that Henry¡¯s secrets must¡¯ve been weighing him so much to the point that he might snap, so she wanted to help, even though she didn¡¯t know how.


    The phone rang several times, but Henry didn¡¯t pick it up.


    Kate began to worry. She entered the apartment and took off Henry¡¯s coat. She sat on the sofa and continued calling Henry¡¯s phone.


    So far, she had already called him five times, and none was connected.


    "Come on, Henry, you¡¯re going to make me die out of worry," Kate muttered.


    The call was finally connected after the sixth call. Kate gasped and quickly asked;


    ¡ª


    "Henry, where are you?! Are you alright? Are you still in the mental hospital with Dahlia?"


    ...


    "Henry?"


    ...


    There was no answer from the other side of the call. Kate was worried that Henry might be in a dire situation, whatever that situation might be.


    "Henry, answer me!"


    "... Sorry, Love. I was driving, I put the phone on mute," Henry replied. His voice sounded heavy as if he was carrying much mental burden.


    "Oh, thank god. I thought something happened to you," Kate let out a relieved sigh. "Where are you right now? Can you go home as soon as possible? We have to talk about... everything."


    ...


    "I don¡¯t feel like going home today," Henry replied. "I don¡¯t want to meet you."


    Kate¡¯s heart sank when she heard that sentence coming out of Henry¡¯s mouth. Her heart was aching, and she was speechless.


    The only word that she could let out was, "Why?"


    "Because I¡¯m ashamed," Henry said. "I brought you to my mother because I want to introduce you and get her blessing so we could get married. But she doesn¡¯t give you one because of... a reason I can¡¯t say."


    Kate had never felt such pain in her life. She wanted to beg Henry to return so they could talk about it.


    "No, I¡¯m not mad at you because of what happened today. I was just disappointed that I didn¡¯t get her blessing today," Kate said. "But how about we try again tomorrow? Maybe next week? I¡¯ll try to bring something to make her feel better, so we can¡ª"


    "Enough, Katherine."


    Kate noticed the exhaustion in Henry¡¯s words.


    She zipped her mouth instantly and felt she could get a panic attack soon.


    Henry sighed.


    "She won¡¯t change her mind. The fault is not in you. It¡¯s in me. You are all great¡ªthe perfect woman for me, but I... I am not a perfect man, not yet," Henry said. "I will try to solve a few things first. I won¡¯t go home for... I don¡¯t know, probably a week or a month."


    "What is the problem, exactly?" Kate asked. "Why do you keep me in the dark like this? I told you often that I am willing to help you, right?"


    ...


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle this myself. You just need to rest. You¡¯ve already done so much work by carrying our baby. I love you, Katherine."


    "But I want to help¡ª!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "Hello? Henry? Hello!?" Kate tried calling Henry again, but he blocked her this time!


    "Damn it!" Kate threw her phone to the floor. She covered her face as she felt tears pooling in her eyes rapidly.


    "Why can¡¯t you trust me? You¡¯re sticking by my side when I need help. Why would you think I wouldn¡¯t do the same for you too?!"


    Kate was frustrated.


    She wanted to find Henry and tell him how much she loved him and wanted to help, but Henry shut the door for her.


    "You are so frustrating, Henry. Why can¡¯t you see that I am also hopelessly devoted to you..."


    **


    Henry blocked Kate¡¯s number and continued driving his car. He had ignored Kate¡¯s call five times because he thought she¡¯d give up.


    But she didn¡¯t, and that put a lot of burden on Henry¡¯s heart.


    He gripped the steering wheel tightly, thinking about how cruel he was towards his beloved.


    He knew that she wanted to help. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But she¡¯d only put herself in danger if she tried to help me," Henry said. "Besides, she would find out how much of a horrible person I was. I¡¯d rather solve everything myself than harm her and our relationship."


    "Well, at least I¡¯m done with Sarah. I broke our engagement, so Mom wouldn¡¯t be able to use her as a reason not to give us a blessing," Henry said. His gaze darkened as he remembered clearly what Sarah tried to pull off just now.


    She tried to seduce him, and if it was the old him, he would definitely fold and fucked that woman.


    But he had Kate now, and he would never cheat on her.


    "She can lie that it¡¯s just a test or whatever. But it¡¯s obvious that she wants to do it with me," Henry muttered. "Now, there is no way I can trust her anymore. I don¡¯t know what else she could do. Maybe she will tell everyone about our annulment, but that¡¯s not the problem. I don¡¯t care if Marlon is mad at me. He can pull me out of his company. I don¡¯t give a damn."


    "But what about Kate¡¯s safety?"


    Henry knew that Marlon would target Kate when he heard about the annulment. Henry gritted his teeth, "All I can do is wait. If Sarah said nothing to Marlon, I could find another way to take control of the family business without following his insane request."


    "But if she told Marlon about it, I must save Kate no matter what."


    Henry knew that the die had been cast the moment Kate met with Dahlia. He had to move, or else he would never get the happiness he wanted.


    Thus, Henry started his preemptive measure by calling Michael.

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307: Chapter 307¡ª


    "Yes, Boss? How¡¯s your visit to the mental hospital with Kate? Is everything going well?" Michael asked as he picked up the call.


    "Not good," Henry replied. "Everything went wrong, and I must take a preemptive measure right now. Let¡¯s meet in the Golden Sand Club in about an hour.


    Michael felt the pressure immediately.


    Golden Sand Club was one of the beach clubs that Henry developed himself. It was a bustling club with tons of visitors each day, but it also served as Henry¡¯s safe space if he needed to meet with Michael regarding his plan.


    "I knew it was a bad idea to let her meet your mother," Michael muttered. "But let¡¯s find a way to salvage this. I¡¯ll be there in an hour."


    "Good."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Michael sighed.


    "This is why I told him not to give Kate some empty promises. She is not with him for money. You can¡¯t just feed her with a comfortable life and call it a day," Michael complained. He had already told Henry not to do it, but he was stubborn.


    On top of that, he could not say no regarding Kate¡¯s request.


    "Alright, time to clean up some mess, I guess," Michael grabbed his car key and left his office.


    He told a few staff to take over because he¡¯d have a meeting and then went down with the elevator.


    As he paced through the lobby, he bumped into Mai who had just arrived after taking care of Mrs. Woods.


    "Ah¡ª" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡ª"


    They stared at each other for a while.


    Michael and Mai had been in such a good relationship these days. After their mission to record Matt¡¯s blackmail, Mai realized that Michael was indeed a professional and a gentleman despite his brutish appearance.


    They even planned another date, no mission, no work.


    Just a date.


    Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t been able to go on a date yet because they were so busy in the office with Mrs. Woods and Mr. Grant having their problems.


    "Bunny¡ª"


    "Michael, where are you going?" Mai asked. She tilted her head as she noticed that he was bringing his briefcase and also the car key, so he definitely would go somewhere even though it was still office hours. "Do you have a meeting somewhere?"


    "Y¡ªYeah¡ª"Michael dodged Mai¡¯s eyes. He might be mocking Henry for being powerless in front of Kate.


    But he was no different.


    For some reason, his body gestures became so stiff and unnatural around Mai, so he couldn¡¯t just lie in front of her since she could read him well.


    "Really?" Mai frowned. "I read the schedule today, and there is no meeting."


    "I have a meeting with Mr. Grant. It¡¯s urgent," Michael said. "I¡¯m in a hurry, I¡ªI¡¯ll see you later, Mai."


    "Mr. Grant?!" Mai¡¯s eyes widened. She grabbed Michael¡¯s arm as he walked past her. "Wait, Michael, I want you to tell Mr. Grant."


    Michael looked over his shoulder and stared at Mai silently, waiting for her to speak more.


    "You see... I¡¯ve been taking care of Mrs. Woods today. She seemed to be sad after visiting Mr. Grant¡¯s mother. So, can you ask him if everything is alright? At least tell him that Mrs. Woods has been thinking about him nonstop. Maybe that would help."


    Michael didn¡¯t know what was happening in the mental hospital either, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t good.


    So he nodded, "I¡¯ll tell him. Don¡¯t worry."


    With that, Mai allowed Michael to go and sighed as she returned to the office, "I hope everything is alright. Mrs. Woods had it so bad before she met with Mr. Grant. I don¡¯t know what will happen if he is not a good man."


    **


    It took exactly an hour for Michael to drive his car to the Golden Sand Club.


    He parked his car in the VIP section and saw his boss¡¯ car already neatly parked there.


    He asked the security guard, who knew them well, "Where is our Boss?"


    "He¡¯s inside, Sir," the security guard replied. "He seemed in a bad mood, but when I asked if everything was right, he only gave me a short, sharp glare. So I didn¡¯t dare to ask more."


    Michael sighed, "This is more serious than I thought."


    Michael entered the club and headed straight to the special room for Henry. He saw that the door was opened and walked in with a tray full of various booze.


    Michael gritted his teeth and rushed inside. He saw Michael sitting on a sofa, with two more hostesses pouring drinks for him.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was on Michael the moment he barged in. Of course, all the hostesses knew about his identity. He was Henry¡¯s right-hand man.


    He would usually watch in silence as Henry drank his worry through, but not this time.


    "All of you, leave now," Michael said.


    The hostesses were hesitant, they looked at Mr. Grant, waiting for his order, and Henry nodded, "Fine, you girls can leave now."


    The hostesses left the room and closed the door, knowing that Henry and Michael probably had an important topic to talk about.


    Henry sighed and rolled his eyes, "You really have to come at the worst time possible. You should¡¯ve waited about three hours until I was relaxed enough to talk."


    Michael crossed his arms. He was usually poker-faced over everything that Henry did. But not this time because Henry couldn¡¯t escape his problems.


    "Do you really want to drink over your problems like this? What¡¯d Kate think when she sees you being surrounded by hostesses?"


    "I didn¡¯t do anything to them. I just told them to pour me drinks. Do you expect me to bring the hosts instead of the hostesses? Come on, Michael, live a little," Henry scoffed as he tried to defend himself. "The situation is severe, Michael. I want to relax a little before talking to you."


    Henry grabbed the glass before him and was about to go for a bottoms-up, but Michael quickly snatched the glass from him.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308: Chapter 308"You can drink after we¡¯re done with whatever problem you caused this time," Michael said. He wanted to scold his friend at this point, but he also knew that Henry was carrying a big burden. He was always under pressure, so getting wasted was his way of coping with the stress.


    But he wasn¡¯t a uni student anymore. He wasn¡¯t a playboy who would jump from one woman to another just because he was bored.


    "You are an adult now, Henry," Michael reminded. "You often told me that you want to settle down with Kate. You want to be the man of the house and protect her and your child. So you have to man up for that."


    Michael¡¯s words were like a slap in the face for Henry.


    He stared at the bottles and glasses on the table before him and scoffed, "I wouldn¡¯t drink if I could just go to her and hug her. Staying by her side is the best remedy for my stress."


    "But I can¡¯t. I know I will break down the moment I see her," Henry said. He lowered his head. His shoulder dropped as he felt sad about the situation they were in. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened first? What happened between Kate and Dahlia?"


    "I thought Dahlia would give her marriage blessing instantly after meeting Kate and knowing how wonderful she is," Henry said. "Well, my Mom found her charming and sweet, but she refused to give us her blessing."


    "Why? I thought she would be more lenient compared to Marlon," Michael asked.


    "Because she knew that I was still engaged to Sarah. She told Kate to leave first and then interrogated me," Henry replied. "She forced me to admit everything, including my plan to trick Kate into falling in love with me and take the baby away to appease Marlon."


    "Did you... actually tell her everything?"


    Henry lifted his head, staring at Michael for a moment, and nodded.


    "Shit..." Michael cursed slowly. "Why¡¯d you tell her everything?"


    "Because I can¡¯t lie when she pressured me like that," Henry replied. He gritted his teeth as he realized how fucked up his plan was. "My own mother hates me. She said that she wanted to punch me for what I did. But thankfully, she hadn¡¯t told Kate about Sarah."


    "She told me to annul the engagement with Sarah first, then come clean to Kate, and then she will give us the blessing Kate wants," Henry said. "So I did."


    "You did what?"


    "I went to Sarah¡¯s apartment and told her I want to annul the engagement."


    Michael fell into a long silence.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing or not.


    He knew that Sarah didn¡¯t have any romantic love for Henry, and she was level-headed, so she wouldn¡¯t do anything rash.


    But he also sensed that Sarah¡¯s thought was deep. She was unreadable, so Michael always kept a lukewarm conversation with her.


    "Did it go well?"


    "I wish," Henry said. He remembered what Sarah did, and his body shuddered, "I thought Sarah wouldn¡¯t mind if I annul the engagement. At least, even if she is a little bit pissed off, she would still keep it civil between us."


    "But no, she actually dared to seduce me. She told me to spend the night together before annulling the engagement. She wants me to cheat on Kate."


    "That... that is impossible," Michael said. "She doesn¡¯t seem to be the type."


    "She grabbed my crotch. Is that enough proof to you?" Henry sneered. "When I rejected her, she told me that she was just testing whether I am truly faithful to Kate, and I call that bullshit."


    Henry leaned on the sofa as he relaxed, recalling what happened today, "I can see the lust in her eyes. She was not testing when she touched me."


    "I don¡¯t know what she will do after this. Maybe she will keep the secret of the engagement annulment just like what she told me. But my gut feeling told me that she will do something else."


    "Such as?" Michael asked.


    "Telling the whole world about our engagement annulment and enraging my father. Marlon will go absolutely nuts knowing I annulled the engagement with a noble family of their choice. He would think that I was just as crazy as my late brother."


    "Now, I don¡¯t give a damn if Marlon is targeting me. I already know all the tricks they used to kill my brother. But I¡¯m afraid that he will target Kate instead," Henry said. "On top of that, I also don¡¯t know what kind of person Sarah truly is."


    Michael frowned as he remembered all of his interactions with Sarah.


    "You¡¯re right. Sarah is too unreadable. She might look and sound nice and mature. But if she is, she wouldn¡¯t try to seduce you."


    "That¡¯s why we must take preemptive measures," Henry suggested. "If Sarah decides not to tell anyone about the annulment, we can find another way to appease Marlon."


    "But if Marlon knows about this and wants to hurt Kate as a response, we have to do three things."


    Michael could sense the seriousness. So he stood upright, "I¡¯m ready to do whatever it takes, Sir."


    Henry¡¯s eyes deepened as he began to lay out his preemptive plan in case Sarah dared to do something.


    "These measures are only doable if Sarah decides to tell Marlon about the engagement annulment," Henry said. "First, we need to find a way to protect Kate at all costs. We might have to ask her to go somewhere safe, so Marlon couldn¡¯t do anything to her."


    "Second, we need to find a way to protect Dahlia."


    "Dahlia? I don¡¯t think that Marlon will do anything to her. After all, he already succeeded in his plan to put her into the mental hospital. She is trapped there forever until Marlon is dead."


    "I know Marlon won¡¯t do anything to her," Henry¡¯s gaze darkened as he imagined Sarah¡¯s face. "But Sarah. My gut feeling told me Sarah would try to murder my mother."

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309: Chapter 309"Murder?!" Michael was caught off guard by that. He didn¡¯t know if Henry was serious or not about the possibility of Sarah murdering Dahlia. "I mean, I know that woman has deep thoughts and is very unreadable. But murder is a serious crime. I don¡¯t think a noble lady like Sarah would do such a thing that¡¯d put you in jail."


    "It¡¯s exactly because she is a noble lady that a murder wouldn¡¯t be so difficult," Henry refuted. "Do you think the police don¡¯t know about Marlon and Penny¡¯s action to drug James and tamper with his car the night he died? Oh, they might be cruel, but they are awfully obvious."


    "The police got plenty of evidence inside James¡¯ body and the car, but no arrest warrant was given for Penny and Marlon. Why? Because Marlon used his connection to one of the higher-ups in the police department to halt the investigation immediately and bribe them to keep the police shut."


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened. He clenched his fist as he remembered the grim detail of James¡¯ murder.


    "He was killed the day after he declared his refusal to marry Sarah because he was in love with Kate and would never marry another woman other than her."


    "I don¡¯t know what caused Marlon and Penny to suddenly go on a crazy streak, but later that night, my father told one of his drivers to tamper with the brake line system of James¡¯ car while my mother put a sleeping drug in his drink not long before he drove away from the mansion."


    Of course, Michael already knew all of this. It was Michael who helped to uncover the truth, and he also watched as Henry broke down in tears the moment he knew his brother was murdered by his own parents.


    It was a great hit to his conscience, and the naive young master turned into a new man overnight.


    Michael shook his head lightly. He didn¡¯t want to remember that moment when Henry broke down in tears. It was so painful to remember knowing Henry had completely lost his joy.


    Until he met with Kate, of course.


    "You get what I mean?" Henry asked. "If my father can do something so heinous and cover it using his influence and money, do you think Sarah won¡¯t do the same?"


    "Does that mean we have to protect Kate as well?" Michael asked. "After all, if your prediction is correct, Sarah might go to hurt Kate as well."


    "I will protect Kate myself, but you have to find a way to protect Dahlia," Henry said. "You don¡¯t need to stay with her. Just make sure that she is well supervised. Try to bribe the security guard or the cook so they would watch over her condition every day. Don¡¯t go for the nurse. Marlon has paid them all."


    "Understood, Sir," Michael nodded as he put it as a mental note. He was silent for a while and then asked, "You said that you¡¯d protect Kate yourself, but with your current condition and the fact that you¡¯re not coming home to meet her, I don¡¯t know what kind of protection you could offer..."


    Henry lowered his head as he realized that Michael was right.


    He dared not face Kate right now, so he couldn¡¯t be by his side. He couldn¡¯t give her any protection while he was like this.


    "Then, I want you to move in with her."


    "W¡ªWHAT?!" Michael took a step back, and his face paled instantly. He was ready to send his subordinate to watch over Kate but not live with her!


    "H¡ªHenry, is this a trap? What has gotten into your mind to put me with her? I think you¡¯ll kill me if I actually slept in the same room with her."


    Henry laughed as he found the situation ridiculous.


    "You idiot, I mean, you need to live on the same floor! You know that I bought the whole floor, right? Then you should just live in one of those empty rooms. Bring Mai as well, so you two can fit in two rooms... or one," Henry smirked, knowing Michael¡¯s attraction towards Mai. "Whichever you want, I just want you and Mai to be there for her."


    Michael¡¯s face changed from pale to reddish quickly. He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement, thinking he¡¯d live in the same apartment with Mai.


    But he understood that Mai hadn¡¯t opened up much to him, and they weren¡¯t a couple yet.


    Hell, they hadn¡¯t even done with their first date because it was so busy in the office.


    But at least this would benefit him because it meant Michael had more time to spend with Mai after work.


    "Alright, Sir. I will tell Mai about this good¡ªI mean, important news," Michael bowed deep as he found a new respect for Henry for setting him up with Mai despite their busy schedule in the office.


    "Thanks, Michael. I know I can count on you."


    "Then, what are you going to do next, Sir?" Michael asked. "Do you want to wait until Sarah does something? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s productive. Why don¡¯t you go back to the office? Mai and I have been overwhelmed with so many things."


    "I can¡¯t. I might bump into Kate in the office," Henry refused. "I have decided to contact my cousin. He is far more successful than I am. Well, at least he can stand his ground compared to me, who cannot even fight for the justice my brother and mother deserve."


    "You mean, your relatives in the UK? The ones from the noble family?"


    "No, my cousin is in New York right now," Henry said, and Michael understood who that person was.


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray?"


    "Yeah, my cousin. Henry said that he has successfully broken free from his toxic family, so I want to see if I can do something similar to stand by myself and beat Marlon¡¯s influence and power." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s why I need you and Mai to be with Kate and watch over Dahlia as well. It might take me a few weeks... or even months to stay there."

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310: Chapter 310Michael got tense knowing Henry would be absent for weeks or even months.


    He might be able to handle Sarah because he believed that she would probably act more subtly even if Sarah turned out to be evil.


    But Marlon was a whole different difficulty.


    Because Marlon was very aggressive and somewhat unpredictable, who knew what would happen next if he decided to go and kill Dahlia or Kate?


    "I can handle Sarah, Sir. But I don¡¯t think I can handle Marlon," Michael replied honestly, knowing it was better to be honest rather than overestimate himself and end up putting Kate or Dahlia in danger. "He is crazy and crafty at the same time."


    "Don¡¯t worry, even though I won¡¯t be with Kate physically, I will reinforce the security around her. I¡¯ll make sure to surround her with plenty of invisible bodyguards. I will also change the usual cleaning lady to a trained woman enough to subdue a man in case she gets attacked."


    "I¡¯ll also put CCTV in every spot I can imagine, inside and outside the apartment. I have to ensure that Kate and our baby are completely safe."


    Michael was not surprised by Henry¡¯s dedication, but he was still amazed by how much Kate had changed Henry for the better.


    He had such a destructive and nihilistic view of what would happen in the future before he met with Kate and realized he wanted to settle down with her and their baby instead of sacrificing them for power.


    "Then, there is nothing I can suggest, Sir. I will protect Kate and Dahlia with my utmost strength. Good luck with your trip to meet with your cousin in New York," Michael said. "Though, before you leave, I think you should do something important first."


    "And what is it?" Henry thought that he had set up everything to protect Kate. The only thing he hadn¡¯t done was to call his cousin for the second time to check if he was available. After all, he was so busy, and he¡¯d spend it with his pregnant wife when he wasn¡¯t.


    Which was completely understandable in Henry¡¯s perspective. Because he¡¯d also do the same, he¡¯d rather spend his free time with Kate.


    "You haven¡¯t told Kate you¡¯re leaving," Michael said. "You can¡¯t keep her in the dark like this, Henry. She is carrying your baby. What if she got too stressed and had a miscarriage?"


    Henry¡¯s face paled the moment Michael mentioned miscarriage.


    He might be trying to hide from Kate right now, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted her to get too stressed out and end up hurting herself and their baby.


    "But she will ask me many things, and I¡¯m not ready to tell her about all the shitty things I planned for her before," Henry said.


    "You don¡¯t need to tell her everything, just enough to make her feel safe and loved," Michael suggested. "I¡¯m not sure which one would give her that safe and secure feeling, but that is what you must think about before you leave, Henry."


    Henry knew that Michael was right.


    He had to do something before he left so Kate wouldn¡¯t be distressed. Even if it was just a few weeks or months, it would be hell for Kate because he would be absent in her life.


    "Trust me, Michael. It also pains me knowing that I can¡¯t be with her for the time being," Henry said. "But I get it. I will do something. You can leave now."


    Michael nodded, but before he left, he confiscated all the alcohol bottles, filled glasses on the table, and put them on the food trolley.


    "Hey! Those are my drinks!"


    "I forbid you to drink anything until you¡¯re done talking to your woman," Michael said, acting like a good friend in front of Henry. "The last thing I want to do is to drag the drunk you to the apartment, only for you to blabber about unnecessary things in front of Kate... or Mai. I don¡¯t want more problems. We have enough."


    Michael opened the door, and before he left, he said, "Remember, Henry, this is advice from a friend. I want you to tell Kate anything that is enough to give her peace of mind. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be distressed because of the shitty thing you planned before."


    Michael walked out of the room and closed the door, allowing Henry to think about what he should do next to appease Kate.


    "Ah, should I just meet her? But even if I do, how could I answer many of her questions?"


    Thus, Henry decided to spend the night in his club, doing nothing but thinking. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    Kate spent the whole day getting distressed about what happened in the morning. After she failed to get the blessing she wanted from Dahlia, Henry simply refused to talk to her and hadn¡¯t come home yet.


    Kate checked the clock on the wall.


    "Almost midnight," she murmured. She began frantically calling Henry¡¯s phone again, but Henry blocked her, and none of her texts went through.


    "Oh, Henry, why are you doing this to me? You¡¯re going to make me cry..." Kate said.


    It took an hour of nonstop texting and calling until she gave up. She was tired of many things that happened today and didn¡¯t want to harm her baby by getting overly stressed by things she couldn¡¯t help.


    So she went to bed at one o¡¯clock, thinking about Henry repeatedly until she got drowsy and fell asleep.


    Kate was in a deep sleep until she felt a big body lying right next to her, and a strong hand gently wrapped around her stomach, intertwining his fingers into hers.


    Kate gasped as her heart jumped for a second but soon recognized this feeling of familiarity as Henry began breathing on her nape and ear.


    "Are you awake, Love?" Henry asked.


    "Henry, you¡ª!"Kate wanted to turn around and face Henry, but her man quickly buried his face on her shoulder and locked her in place, ensuring that Kate couldn¡¯t see his expression right now.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311: Chapter 311[Song Recommendation: Rosenfeld - Till Death Do Us Part.]


    "Don¡¯t move, Kitty. Let¡¯s stay this way for now," Henry said.


    Kate wanted to check on him because she was so worried about Henry. She thought something happened to him and wanted to check his condition, "No, I¡¯m worried that you are hurting somewhere. You¡¯ve been missing for the whole day. I am worried sick, you know that?!"


    Henry smiled while burying his face on Kate¡¯s shoulder, "I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t want to make you think I¡¯ve abandoned you."


    "Of course, you won¡¯t abandon me," Kate said. "I know that you won¡¯t. I believe in you."


    Honestly, Kate wasn¡¯t sure about that as well.


    She had been assured many times that Henry wouldn¡¯t leave her, nor would he harm her.


    But deep down, she always felt that Henry kept way too many secrets. She had a gut feeling that one of those secrets would end up separating them.


    Henry¡¯s heart ached as Kate uttered her belief.


    Unfortunately, he wanted to harm her before, and he had to leave her now. He was never a good man, even for the woman he wanted to spend his life with.


    It might only be a month at most, though he wasn¡¯t unsure what would happen next. It all depended on his cousin, who¡¯d help him.


    Vernon might tell him to start anew, building his own company that would be able to rival Marlon.


    Or, he¡¯d tell Henry to take over one of his companies as CEO or manager since he had so many under his wing.


    Nevertheless, Henry knew that he needed a way out. Even if he had to face his crazy father, he had to be ready.


    And he was here for a goodbye.


    "I¡¯m sorry that I blocked you today. I was not ready to talk about what happened," Henry said. "But I am ready now. You can ask me anything, and I will answer it."


    Kate had a lot on her mind.


    She wanted to ask many things that could clear her doubts, but first, she asked, "Are you okay?"


    "I¡ª" Henry was caught off guard by that simple question. Of course, he wasn¡¯t okay. He had so much burden that he could explode right now.


    "Be honest with me, Henry. I am your girl. You told me so many times."


    Henry sighed, "I¡¯m not okay," he replied. "I¡¯m far from okay. But embracing you right now makes me feel infinitely better."


    "You really know how to say cheesy things," Kate complained, but her heart felt warm, and she buried her body deeper into her man¡¯s embrace. "But I¡¯m glad that I can be your home. Let¡¯s just sleep now, I¡¯m tired."


    Henry frowned, "You¡¯re not going to ask me anything?"


    "I want to, but let¡¯s do it tomorrow, okay?" Kate said.


    Deep down, she feared Henry wouldn¡¯t be here by the next day, so this was her way to seek assurance from him.


    ...


    "Ask me now, Kitty. I might change my mind by the morning," Henry urged, and Kate increasingly worried.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean with that? You¡¯re going to leave me?"


    "I will never leave you," Henry replied. He didn¡¯t lie. He would never leave Kate permanently. "I just... want to be honest with you right here, right now. It took me a while to gather my courage." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So don¡¯t make me feel weak, Kate. Ask me so I can let out this burden," Henry said. ¡¯Before I leave,¡¯ he added in his heart.


    Kate didn¡¯t respond at first but finally asked the second question after thinking about it for a while, "I don¡¯t know why Dahlia refused to give us a marriage blessing. She told me that it was your fault, not mine. So I want to know, what kind of fault do you have?"


    ...


    Henry knew this question would come sooner or later.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he was prepared for it.


    He rehearsed his answer many times in the club before going home, but now that he faced the question, he felt tongue-tied.


    ¡¯Should I lie again?¡¯ Henry asked himself. ¡¯I can lie again and keep her in the dark, I can¡ª¡¯


    Henry stopped his train of thought when he realized Kate put her other hand on his, gently caressing his fingers to calm him down.


    He bit his lower lip, ¡¯I can¡¯t lie. I don¡¯t want to lie anymore to my beloved.¡¯


    So he tightened his embrace and replied, "Do you remember that night when we met? I told you I was forced to be with a woman I don¡¯t like, right?"


    "Yes," Kate nodded. She seemed to have guessed the answer already.


    "After my brother¡¯s death, I was forced into an engagement with a woman to appease my father. But both me and her were on it just to appease my father, not because we are in love," Henry confessed. "I thought it was no problem because I can always annul the engagement anytime I want, but it is a problem for my mother. That¡¯s why she told me to annul the engagement first before asking for a blessing."


    "She also told me to come clean in front of you, so I did," Henry said. "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Kate. This whole time, I was engaged with another woman while being with you..."


    Henry felt that his stomach churned the moment he confessed.


    He wanted to see Kate¡¯s reaction but was too scared she would dump him.


    So they were stuck in silence for a long time.


    Henry couldn¡¯t handle the nerve-wracking situation he was in, so he called her name, "Katherine?"


    "So, I have always been the other woman," Kate murmured. Her body trembled as she was holding the ache in her heart. "All this time, I have always been the clueless other woman who ruined the engagement between you and your real fiancee."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened.


    He sat on the bed and tried to console Kate, "No, baby, you¡¯re NEVER the other woman!"

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312: Chapter 312"But I am the other woman," Kate said. "You were engaged with that woman when you did it with me. You showered me with love until I was intoxicated, thinking that you were in love with me."


    "You said that I am your only one and you¡¯d marry me as soon as possible," Kate said. "You said so many sweet words from your lips and fooled me up until this point."


    "B¡ªBut the engagement is all just a facade!" Henry said. "My father, he¡ªhe is a crazy old man with so much ego. He wants me to marry a noble lady so it will continue our family legacy as a noble family from long ago. I was never in love with her, and she was never in love with me."


    Henry remembered what Sarah had done to seduce him. He was disgusted, but at the same time, he was thankful for what she was doing because it was a wake-up call.


    Now he realized that he couldn¡¯t trust Sarah.


    There was no way he¡¯d trust a woman who lusted over me after telling herself that she liked James more than him.


    "Did you exchange an engagement ring with her?" Kate asked, still turning her back against Henry. She held back her tears as she knew she had been unreasonable.


    Her logic told her that it wasn¡¯t Henry¡¯s fault because he was being forced into the engagement.


    But her heart was hurting so bad that no logic could rationalize the pain.


    She was the other woman, end of the story.


    Henry fell into another silence, knowing Kate checkmated him.


    Indeed, he exchanged an engagement ring with Sarah, but he only used it in front of his parents, so they were still convinced that they were still engaged and in a good relationship.


    "You did, right? You have a ring for her," Kate sneered. She held her tears because she didn¡¯t want to look pathetic. "You make me a mistress, Henry. All this time, I¡¯ve always thought that I am a high-valued lady, earn my own money, and try my best to steer clear from unnecessary relationships, especially love."


    "But you brought a new passion to me," Kate said with a shaky voice. "You make me dream that we are meant to be together, and you see me for my quality."


    "But you turned me into a mistress. I am nothing but a kept woman you fucked and knocked up because you aren¡¯t in love with your soon-to-be real wife," Kate said.


    "Kitty..."


    Henry wanted to touch her shoulder, but she quickly brushed it off and said, "We¡¯re done, Henry. I refused to be a homewrecker and a mistress. I¡¯m not a trash woman... that¡¯s what I believed before you completely fooled me."


    "I will leave your apartment tomorrow morning. But if you want me to leave now..." Kate was about to get up from the bed, but Henry pulled her back, ensuring she stayed.


    "Don¡¯t do this, Kate. This is our home. You¡¯re supposed to stay here," Henry said.


    "As your mistress? No, I refuse," Kate said. "I will never be a kept woman, no matter what. What."


    "N¡ªNo! You¡¯re mistaken!" Henry thought he could speak slowly with Kate, allowing her to let the information sink in before he continued.


    But seeing Kate¡¯s reaction, he decided to come clean as soon as possible.


    "Look, I went to her today and officially annulled the engagement. We are no longer engaged and are free to do whatever we want according to our wishes, and I wish to marry you, Katherine," Henry said, wishing this would be enough to make her feel at peace in his heart.


    ...


    "I... I never touched her during our entire engagement, and I¡¯ve never touched another woman after getting with you. You are truly the only one."


    ...


    "P¡ªPlease understand, Kate. I was stuck in a hard place. I was under enormous pressure, and after James¡¯ death, I lost my track," Henry said. "I don¡¯t know what am I doing, I¡ª"


    "So you don¡¯t know you are getting engaged with another woman after knocking me up with a baby?" Kate sneered. "Oh, Henry, I really want to trust you but can¡¯t. This is too much for me."


    "But you promised that you¡¯d accept me no matter what..." Henry began to panic after realizing that Kate was about to slip from his grasp. He was so scared that he began hugging her even tighter. "Please, I am doing this for you. I do everything because I want to be with you..."


    ...


    Kate realized that he was right.


    She promised she would accept him no matter what, as long as it didn¡¯t harm her and their baby.


    And by all meant, he claimed that he had annulled the engagement of convenience. So, nothing else could stop them from getting a blessing from Dahlia.


    But she still had one question left for that.


    "Who was your ex-fiancee? Did she accept the annulment? Is she okay with it?" Kate asked. "I don¡¯t want to be a woman that hurts other women and steals her man."


    "Her name is Sarah, and it¡¯s... an engagement of convenience," Henry replied. "We were childhood friends and got engaged because of family pressure. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at that time. All I wanted was to appease my father and stop him from pestering me." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sarah and I decided to put everything as a mere official title, but we are finding love outside the arrangement. We¡¯ve promised to break off the engagement once we found our loved ones, and I found you. That¡¯s why I broke the engagement this noon after visiting the mental hospital with you."


    "So you don¡¯t need to worry, Love. I am free from any entanglement now. I am yours completely."


    "You haven¡¯t answered my other question, Henry," Kate wasn¡¯t appeased yet, knowing Henry was hiding many things from her. "How about your fiancee? Did she accept the annulment without any protest? I doubt she will let you run free so easily, especially with the family status between you two."

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313: Chapter 313"She¡ª" Henry swallowed his saliva hard. His train of thoughts ran crazily as he kept thinking about the possibility of him lying or saying the truth.


    He could lie and say it was all good, and Sarah moved on easily.


    Or he could tell the truth and say that bitch was crazy and would probably hurt Kate and Dahlia. Sarah was an important but unpredictable factor in their fate right now.


    Whether they could stay in their shell forever or not depended on that woman, if Sarah told Marlon and everyone about the annulment... Henry had to prepare for the worst.


    "Henry, answer me," Kate demanded.


    ¡¯I should lie, I need to lie...¡¯ Henry told himself. But then, he realized that Kate¡¯s safety was at stake. If she didn¡¯t know how dangerous Sarah was, she might have gotten too vulnerable if Sarah somehow got close to Kate.


    Henry gritted his teeth.


    He knew that Kate would hate her for this, but this was for her safety.


    So he gathered his courage, ready for Kate¡¯s outburst, and replied;


    "She... is not okay with it."


    Kate¡¯s heartbeat skipped for a second after hearing that.


    She had guessed it.


    Of course, who would¡¯ve been happy knowing that her man had been stolen from her by a plain-looking woman in her 30s? It must¡¯ve been a humiliation.


    "She tried to seduce me after I said I wanted to annul the engagement," Henry recalled. "She wanted me to sleep with her at least once before we annul it, but I refused, and she... she showed hostility."


    "I didn¡¯t expect her to act like this. She has always been a good friend of mine since we were young," Henry said.


    "Maybe she has been loving you since you two were just a child. She might not show it because she thought you were not going anywhere after you got engaged," Kate bit her lower lip, feeling the pain and guilt of stealing another woman¡¯s man. "Who would¡¯ve expected you to knock another woman instead."


    "K¡ªKitty, please don¡¯t portray her as if she is a good, pitiful woman. She is not, I swear!" Henry got desperate, trying to convince his beloved. He tried to hug Kate again, but each time he tried to, Kate would struggle. So he decided not to do it, afraid that too much struggle might hurt the baby.


    "She will eventually try to find you. She might want to hurt you as well. That¡¯s why you have to be careful!"


    "That¡¯s for me to judge by myself if we ever cross paths," Kate said. "I can¡¯t trust you with your words, not after you make me a cheap mistress that ruined another woman¡¯s life."


    Henry was finally beaten down.


    He knew that Kate was right.


    She was not obligated to trust him after he hid such a crazy secret from her for so long.


    "You can leave the room now, Henry. I don¡¯t want to do anything with you," Kate said. "I need time alone to let this sink in."


    "But I¡ª" Henry wanted to say that he wanted to spend the night with her. Because they would be separated for a month or even more, he would miss her and dream of her every night.


    "Leave now, Henry. Or I will leave."


    Kate got up from the bed, but Henry did it first before saying, "Just stay and rest, Love. I don¡¯t want you to get sick by sleeping outside."


    Kate returned to her position, lying on the bed while turning her back on Henry. Henry walked to the door. He opened it and stood at the door for a while, staring at Kate, who looked lonely on the bed.


    "Katherine... Baby..." Henry called her for the last time, hoping that Kate would answer her calling and forgive him for what he did. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But she didn¡¯t respond.


    She kept her silence, probably falling asleep after some time.


    Henry stood for about an hour, staring at Kate while enduring his heartache.


    "I love you, Katherine. I love you so much," Henry uttered before he closed the door and left.


    ...


    ...


    "I love you too, Henry. I love you so much," Kate replied after Henry had left. She didn¡¯t want Henry to hear it because it would show her weakness to a man who tricked her.


    She knew that, eventually, she would forgive Henry for this. It might be as short as a week, a day, or even tomorrow morning.


    After all, she could clearly feel the love that emanated from him.


    "But would I stoop so low for a man who turned me into a mistress?" Kate asked herself. "All this time, I claimed I would not be a kept woman. If I can¡¯t find a good man, then so be it. But why is my resolution falling apart in front of Henry? Am I that weak?"


    Henry said that she should be careful of Sarah, the name of his ex-fiancee, because she might do dangerous things to her, and Kate had been so used to getting threatened by Erin that she wouldn¡¯t even be scared if Sarah threatened to kill her.


    "If she is truly a vicious woman like what Henry claimed, then I probably can forgive him. But for now, I can only give him the benefit of the doubt."


    Kate believed that she would eventually meet with Sarah sooner or later because no woman whose fiance had been stolen would do nothing against the mistress.


    And once that time came, Kate would decide whether she should forgive Henry.


    Kate closed her eyes, trying to sleep through this painful night. She planned to move out tomorrow morning.


    "I will have to move back to my old apartment. I can¡¯t stand staying in this place. It makes me feel like a real mistress."


    **


    Henry gazed at the moon from the living room, knowing he was about to leave this apartment.


    "This is hell," Henry muttered. "But I¡¯m willing to go through hell if that means I can be with her in the end."

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314: Chapter 314Henry didn¡¯t pack anything as he prepared to leave for New York.


    He simply grabbed his car key and left the apartment. He wanted to check on Kate again, but he was afraid that he had no strength to say goodbye.


    So he opened the door and was greeted by Michael at the front.


    "Did you tell Mai about it already?" Henry asked.


    "Yes, she already moved in with me¡ªin a separate room, of course," Michael said. His cheeks slightly reddened as he couldn¡¯t hide his joy. But he cleared his throat and tried to fix his expression, knowing that Henry must¡¯ve gone through so much right now. "Did you tell Kate?"


    "I told her about Sarah and the engagement," Henry replied. "I also told her about Sarah trying to seduce me and possibly going to find her and attack her."


    "And her response is?"


    Henry scoffed, "Do I really need to say it? She said that I made her a mistress."


    "A mistress..." Michael sighed. "As much as I hate to say this, you should¡¯ve known she is right."


    "I know she is right, and I¡¯m not trying to defend myself," Henry said. "Though the circumstances are different, she is still the mistress, and no matter how much I tried to coax her to forgive me, she simply turned her back on me. I don¡¯t know if she will ever forgive me."


    Henry got depressed, thinking that Kate would never forgive him.


    But he believed that he could melt her heart eventually. He just needed time to prove to Kate how much she meant to him.


    "... I¡¯m so sorry, Henry," Michael sympathized.


    "No, don¡¯t feel sorry for me," Henry refuted. "I did wrong by keeping her in the dark. That¡¯s why I will meet my cousin to make things right. And for the time being, please protect my woman. I will forever be indebted to you if you did the job right, Michael."


    "I will ensure she won¡¯t get hurt," Michael assured. "You should leave now. The more you spend here, the more you may change your mind."


    "Yeah, you¡¯re right."


    Henry walked out of the apartment and went down with Michael.


    Michael drove his boss to the airport for an early flight, and Henry departed at around four in the morning.


    **


    Kate woke up feeling groggy the next morning. She grunted as she yawned a few times, processing what happened last night.


    And once her brain woke up, she turned around to check the empty spot next to her on the bed and muttered, "Henry..."


    Kate wished everything was just a bad dream. She wished that Henry was still sleeping next to her, probably with his mouth open and snoring on top.


    Henry was kind of goofy-looking when sleeping, but it was like a good thing to start a day for Kate.


    Unfortunately, what happened last night wasn¡¯t a nightmare. Henry tricked her this whole time.


    She thought she was the only woman he had, and she was nothing but a mistress.


    It took a while for Kate to process everything that happened last night, and once she was done with it. She got up and grabbed her belongings in Henry¡¯s closet.


    She stuffed it all inside a suitcase.


    After making sure that everything was packed, she went to the bathroom and washed her face. She threw her toothbrush standing next to Henry¡¯s, and threw away all of her body care. She checked around the apartment and tossed every small thing she had until the apartment felt empty, just like the first time Kate entered this apartment.


    Unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t find Henry anywhere inside the apartment. He was probably in the other apartment room, as he told her he bought the entire floor just for them so nobody would disturb them.


    "It¡¯s better to just call him later. I don¡¯t want to have another fight with him in the morning," Kate said as she returned to the bedroom.


    She dragged her suitcase to the front door and halted her step once she saw the overcoat that Henry often used.


    She stared at it for a while and decided to grab it.


    She sniffed the coat, and her heart felt warm, "It¡¯s his scent, and his warmth too..."


    Thus, Kate decided to wear the coat, a little souvenir from her man, before she got a break from Henry for at least a week or even a month, depending on whether she could forgive Henry for lying to her.


    Nevertheless, she knew that she would return.


    "I promise that I will be by your side for anything, as long as you¡¯re not trying to hurt me or our baby. So..." Kate took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, staring at the apartment and murmuring. "I will return once I¡¯m ready."


    Kate opened the apartment door and walked to the elevator.


    Ding!


    The elevator door was opened, and she was shocked to see the man standing inside the elevator.


    "Michael?"


    "Ah, Kate, good morning," Michael greeted. He bowed a little and noticed the suitcase behind Kate. "Where are you going?"


    "... I¡¯m going to return to my old apartment," Kate said. She wondered if Henry had told Michael about what happened last night or maybe Michael was just as clueless as she was.


    ¡¯No, that¡¯s not possible,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Michael and Henry are best friends from similar backgrounds. They must¡¯ve known each other for so long. He must¡¯ve known about Sarah too.¡¯


    ¡¯So, in the end, Michael is no better than Henry. They are working together to fool me,¡¯ Kate sneered in her heart. ¡¯I feel bad for trying to match him with Mai. She deserves much better.¡¯ Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Move back?" Michael frowned. He stepped out of the elevator and blocked the way out for Kate, so the elevator door was closed, and it went down. "I don¡¯t think you should be leaving, Ma¡¯am. This place is the safest for you."


    "Says who? Says the bastard who lied to me and made me his mistress?"

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315: Chapter 315"Says who? Says the bastard who lied to me and made me his mistress?"


    Kate¡¯s words were like a sharp dagger stabbed straight into Michael¡¯s conscience. He was ready to say many things to convince his boss¡¯ lover to stay, but he was caught off guard by how direct she was.


    "M¡ªMa¡¯am, you should calm down first and let me explain."


    Kate rolled her eyes, "Step aside, Michael. I don¡¯t want to argue with anyone in the morning. I had enough from last night." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can¡¯t, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m tasked to protect you. If I allow you to leave, then I¡¯m subjecting you to many dangers outside," Michael replied, not budging from his spot.


    "Tsk, step aside!"


    Unfortunately, Michael was strong, and no matter how often Kate tried to push him to the side, he wouldn¡¯t budge.


    "Ma¡¯am, you need to calm down," Michael repeated. "You aren¡¯t thinking clearly. Please understand that Henry is also trying his best right now."


    "His best?" Kate sneered. "He is probably sleeping in one of the rooms on this floor, right? He can sleep soundly while I spent the whole night hoping this is all just a nightmare!"


    "Henry is not in here, Ma¡¯am," Michael said, his gaze deepened as he got more serious. "He left this morning. His flight was at four o¡¯clock."


    Once she got the information, Kate stopped struggling, "What do you mean? He flew somewhere?"


    "He went to New York to find his cousin because the situation was not favorable for him," Michael answered. "He wants to protect you but has no power against his father and Sarah. So he wants to ask for support."


    ...


    "How long would that be?"


    "... probably six months or so," Michael replied. It was only a month, probably three months at most because Henry didn¡¯t want to leave Kate for too long. But Michael said that for dramatic effect so Kate would feel at least a bit guilty for ignoring Henry last night.


    "Half a year?!"


    "Yes..."


    "Why wouldn¡¯t he say that last night?"


    "Because... well... you were mad at him, Ma¡¯am. He wanted to tell you he¡¯s leaving, but the situation is not good. So he told me to tell you in the morning once you¡¯re feeling better," Michael lied through his teeth, thinking this was the best way to coax Kate.


    After all, Kate wouldn¡¯t even listen to Henry at this point, so it depended on Michael or Mai to put some guilt inside Kate¡¯s heart.


    Kate went silent after that, staring at Michael, trying to gauge whether Michael was lying or not.


    Unfortunately, Kate didn¡¯t know that Michael had been military-trained since he was a teenager. Mental pressure didn¡¯t work on him, and he looked calm and convincing in front of her.


    Kate couldn¡¯t find the lie in Michael¡¯s eyes, so she muttered, "I will call him later. Now step aside. I want to move back to my apartment."


    "I can¡¯t, Ma¡¯am. I will allow you to go out to get a drink or somewhere else. You can always ask me to drive you or Mai. But I can¡¯t let you live alone."


    "I¡¯m already living alone right now," Kate said. "There¡¯s nobody on this floor."


    "There are Mai and me," Michael said. "We¡¯ve been living here since last night."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "You what?!"


    "Uh, Henry told me to live here with Mai. We live in separate rooms, of course. But we will live here until his return," Michael said. "So please, Ma¡¯am, please understand that we¡¯re also roped in this problem, so if you have to move out, we have to find a way to live close to you as well."


    Kate didn¡¯t know whether she should be happy that Henry was so protective of her or be mad because of his insanity.


    To pull Michael and Mai together into this mess was unnecessarily dangerous.


    Though Kate was still pissed off at Henry, she didn¡¯t want to put a burden on Michael and Mai. They had been doing so much in the office it wasn¡¯t fair for them to get into trouble just because of her fight with Henry.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t leave this apartment, but I want to find another room," Kate said.


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am! I will ask the cleaning service to clean up a room first," Michael was relieved that Kate had finally calmed down. He snatched Kate¡¯s suitcase and dragged it away from the elevator, just in case Kate would change her mind.


    Michael quickly called the cleaning service to clean up the room, and as they stood side by side waiting for the cleaning service to be done with her job, she said, "Michael, I will go to the mental hospital again today."


    "Pardon?" Michael thought he heard it wrong. "You want to return to the mental hospital?"


    "Yes, I want to meet with Dahlia," Kate said. "I want to talk to her again since I know everything now."


    "Alright, Ma¡¯am, I will prepare a car for you after lunch¡ª"


    "No, I don¡¯t want to go with you. You might have ended up trying to manipulate something there," Kate replied harshly, reminding Michael that he was still Henry¡¯s right-hand man. "I cannot trust you about this."


    "But you need protection, Ma¡¯am..."


    "If I need one, let me go with Mai."


    "But Mai won¡¯t be able to protect you if you get attacked, Ma¡¯am," Michael said. He was also worried that Mai might get hurt if random assailants sent by Sarah attacked these two powerless women.


    "Do you think I will get attacked in the middle of the day? Come on, now, you¡¯re just paranoid at this point," Kate crossed his arms and stared at the cleaning service, who was done with her duty just now. Kate grabbed her suitcase and added, "I will go after lunch. Tell Mai to get ready. If you insist on accompanying me, I will go with my car or Uber. So don¡¯t even try, Michael."


    Kate dragged her suitcase and entered the new apartment room she¡¯d use until Henry returned.

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316: Chapter 316Dahlia stared at the window again. It was still winter, and there was nothing to see except the snow, but it was better than watching TV sometimes because there was nothing outside her window.


    Every time she watched TV, she would see people doing many activities outside. Having freedom had become such an envious thing for Dahlia that she couldn¡¯t stand it most of the time.


    Other than that, she liked reading books.


    She actually kept many of the novels given by her late son before.


    James always gave her the books that became national best sellers after being curated by Kate. He wanted to show that Kate was such an amazing woman with a talent for picking the best stories.


    She was the lifeline of Emperor Publishing. She was the one who revived the dying sub-company into a flourishing publishing house worth multi-million dollars.


    In fact, James boldly claimed that she could run her own publishing house and would be as successful. She was THAT good.


    Dahlia scoffed, "Of course, I know she is good. I won¡¯t deny that since both of my sons have fallen in love with her." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In fact, I¡¯d be happy to have a grandchild from her. She is a brilliant woman, after all. She will be a great mother too. I can see it instantly."


    Dahlia remembered how Kate tried to adjust how she sat a few times to ensure she wouldn¡¯t hurt her baby. It might come out as paranoid, but for Dahlia, it showed how careful Kate was for her baby.


    At first, Dahlia wanted to let Henry do whatever with Kate, thinking he would eventually get bored of her.


    But once she realized that Kate was pregnant, and with how sweet she was, Dahlia realized that she was also responsible for protecting her soon-to-be grandchild and daughter-in-law.


    "I guess Kate and Henry won¡¯t come here for a long time since they are probably busy dealing with Sarah," Dahlia sighed. "I miss them already."


    Dahlia didn¡¯t know whether her son would be able to keep his relationship with Kate.


    But if Kate decided to end their relationship, Dahlia couldn¡¯t blame her. It was all on Henry, who hid a big secret from Kate.


    As Dahlia was busy spending her time staring at the snow, the door was knocked, and the Nurse walked in.


    "Good morning, Ma¡¯am. You have a guest."


    Dahlia looked over her shoulder, "A guest?"


    "Yes."


    "Is it my son?"


    "No, it¡¯s a woman, but she doesn¡¯t want to give her name. She just said that she is very close to your son."


    "Very close to my son?" Dahlia immediately thought of Kate. "Does she come by herself?"


    "Yes."


    "Let her in!" Dahlia said without hesitation. She got excited because if Kate wanted to return in just a day, Henry could solve the problem with Sarah.


    Maybe Sarah still had a bit of kindness in her, maybe Dahlia¡¯s suspicion about Sarah being an evil contributor to James¡¯ death was just a mere suspicion.


    Nevertheless, she wanted to talk with Kate, and if Kate decided to forgive Henry for lying to her, then Dahlia would be more than willing to bless their marriage.


    The Nurse excused herself, and the woman walked in carrying a basket full of fruits.


    Dahlia¡¯s smile faltered once she saw the woman who walked into her ward.


    No, it wasn¡¯t the beautiful and kind Kate.


    This was an evil dressing herself as a good and elegant woman.


    She had a smile as she closed the door behind her, giving the illusion that Dahlia was trapped in this ward with an evil witch.


    "Good morning, mother-in-law. Are you doing well these days?"


    "Why are you here, Sarah?" Dahlia asked as she sat on her bed. She wasn¡¯t even interested in getting up and greeting her. "I thought you wouldn¡¯t visit me."


    Sarah knew that Dahlia was suspicious of her.


    After all, Dahlia was the first one to suspect her involvement in James¡¯ murder. So Sarah quickly suggested to Marlon how to discard Dahlia without actually murdering her.


    So, Sarah was indirectly the person who put Dahlia into this mental hospital even though she wasn¡¯t really mentally ill.


    She was perfectly healthy, though she wished that spending time in this ward for a long time would be enough to drive this old bitch crazy.


    Nevertheless, Sarah wasn¡¯t bothered by Dahlia¡¯s hostility. This old bitch couldn¡¯t prove that Sarah was involved in James¡¯ murder, so Dahlia couldn¡¯t act fully hostile towards her either.


    "What do you mean, Dahlia? You¡¯re always on my mind. I just can¡¯t visit you because of Marlon," Sarah said. She put up a sad act and added, "I¡¯m really worried about you since I know that you¡¯re not insane at all. It¡¯s all just a plan to trap you here while Marlon spent his days with that prostitute."


    "Do you think Henry will be happy if you call his biological mother a prostitute?" Dahlia scoffed.


    "Oh, I¡¯m pretty sure he doesn¡¯t care about Penny anymore," Dahlia chuckled. She put the fruit basket in the drawer next to the table. "See? I will bring you a fruit basket full of fruits that you like. How about I peel you one while we talk about what happened?"


    "What happened? You mean about Kate and Henry, right?" Dahlia went straight to the point. "I know that Henry must¡¯ve talked to you about an engagement annulment. I know that boy so much. He is very rash and sometimes lacks better judgment. He can¡¯t wait to marry Kate. That¡¯s why he annulled your fake engagement."


    Sarah stiffened instantly. Her smile faltered as she said, "Oh? You know about everything already, how come? Did Henry tell you about it?"


    Dahlia smirked as she was proud of what she was about to say next, "No, they came in here, asking for my marriage blessing, and naturally, I am the one who told my son to annul his engagement with you first before marrying his dream woman."

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317: Chapter 317Sarah was provoked instantly.


    She thought that Dahlia would try to keep a somewhat peaceful conversation with her. Though Sarah already knew that Dahlia was the one who suggested the annulment, she expected her to act like she did nothing wrong.


    But this was out of her calculation.


    This old woman was far more arrogant than she thought.


    "Really? Why would you do that?" Sarah acted oblivious. "I mean, I understand Henry will eventually try to find a woman he likes other than me. But he can always keep Kate as a mistress while I am the official wife, right?"


    "Besides, I¡¯m not a super strict woman. I will allow him to run free. He can even father a few illegitimate children and bring them home," Sarah said.


    Dahlia sneered in her heart.


    No wonder she got a bad feeling from this woman.


    Sarah might try to paint herself as a good but powerless woman while Henry was the evil cheating bastard who didn¡¯t appreciate their relationship.


    "Do you not realize what you said just now? You¡¯re basically telling my son to suffer for the rest of his life and for him to become a scumbag who fathered so many illegitimate children," Dahlia accused. "Why don¡¯t you just let him go? Surely, you can find someone else to marry, right?"


    Sarah sighed, "I can¡¯t do that. We¡¯ve been together for so long. So my mind is fixated on him and only him."


    "You¡¯ve been together with him and James as friends. What kind of fixation do you have, Sarah? Don¡¯t tell me you are obsessed with Henry," Dahlia guessed.


    "Obsessed? I am not," Sarah denied. "I just want him to be a good and successful man. You know he¡¯d replace Marlon as soon as he married me and worked hard in the office, right?"


    "What you did was just jeopardizing his fate, Dahlia," Sarah said. "Now, Marlon will be angry if I ever tell him about the annulment."


    Dahlia understood the threat immediately.


    Sarah indirectly told her that she had a card against Henry. She could simply tell Marlon about the annulment, and that crazy bastard would definitely try to do something.


    Dahlia doubted that he would hurt his last heir, but he could be going to someone else to appease his anger.


    Sarah smirked, "Do you get it now? Marlon won¡¯t do anything against Henry since he is the Grant family¡¯s only heir. But what about Katherine? He hates that woman for causing James¡¯ death. He might as well kill her and end the problem."


    "And you... You will be blamed for causing this. If only you hadn¡¯t told Henry to annul the engagement, we could¡¯ve salvaged the situation..." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "What do you want me to do?" Dahlia asked.


    "Oh, simple," Sarah was happy that it wasn¡¯t hard to talk with Dahlia. She might be hostile, but she still had a functioning brain, unlike Henry, whose brain shut down the moment he met with Kate.


    Truly a waste of a great man, it was Sarah¡¯s job to ensure Henry wouldn¡¯t make a stupid mistake.


    After all, a master should be responsible for her dog.


    Sarah fished out her phone and scrolled to find Henry¡¯s contact, "It¡¯s simple. I will call Henry now, and your job is to convince him not to annul the engagement. As long as he changes his mind, I will not tell Marlon about the annulment. Do we get a deal here?"


    "... alright, call him now. I¡¯ll talk to him."


    Sarah called Henry, and it didn¡¯t take long for Henry to answer.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, what do you want, Sarah?" Henry said coldly.


    "Oh, why do you sound so hostile to me, Henry?" Sarah sighed. She glanced at Dahlia and decided to just go straight to the point before Henry got pissed. "I¡¯m visiting your mother in the mental hospital right now."


    Henry was shocked by what he heard and snapped, "What did you do to my mother?!"


    "Hey, relax, I¡¯m not doing anything. We¡¯re having a nice chat, but she said that she wants to call you for something."


    Henry was on guard right now. He didn¡¯t expect Sarah to make a move so quickly. She didn¡¯t even take 24 hours to start doing her move.


    But he couldn¡¯t accuse her of anything dangerous, at least not yet, "My Mom wants to talk? Then give the phone to her."


    "Sure."


    Sarah turned on the speaker to hear the conversation between them and then gave the phone to Dahlia.


    "Good morning, Son," Dahlia greeted.


    "Mom! Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"


    Dahlia glanced at Sarah and replied, "No, she didn¡¯t hurt me. She came to visit me, and we talked about the engagement annulment."


    "Y¡ªYeah, after what you told me about being serious with Kate, I decided to break the engagement with Sarah. I am ready to face any kind of repercussions from my father in case she tells him about the engagement annulment."


    "Are you sure about what you¡¯re doing, Son? What you did is very risky, you know that, right?"


    "I know, but I still won¡¯t change my mind," Henry insisted. "A lifetime is too long to spend with someone I don¡¯t love. If I¡¯m going to marry someone, then it MUST be Katherine. There is no other option."


    "I see, so you¡¯re already 100% ready with your decision."


    "Yes, Mom, I am ready for anything. I will marry Kate no matter what. That is my goal," Henry assured. He wanted to tell his mother about his trip to New York. But this phone call was probably on speaker, knowing how controlling Sarah could be.


    So he decided not to say it.


    "Anyway, what do you want to say, Mom?" Henry asked.


    "That¡ª"Dahlia glanced at Sarah, who kept her smile, but that smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She looked furious as if she was about to tear Henry in pieces for his statement just now.


    Dahlia grinned and replied, "I fully support you, Son. Go do what you think is right, and if I die, you know who did it, right?"


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318: Chapter 318Dahlia hung up the call before she could hear Henry¡¯s answer. Knowing her son, he would probably find a way to protect her from this woman.


    But it would probably take a few hours for Henry to dispatch someone to protect Dahlia.


    So now she was trapped in this place with Sarah, and she had to defend herself somehow if Sarah dared to attack her.


    Dahlia returned the phone to Sarah and said, "Here¡¯s your phone. I¡¯ve made my statement, so you can¡¯t use me against my son anymore."


    "You¡ªDo you know that Henry will be in a lot of trouble because of this?"


    "Naturally," Dahlia nodded. "But he has made his choice, so I know he will do his best to get what he wants. Who am I to stop him?"


    "Marlon will not like what he heard."


    "Good. I hope he dies of a heart attack because of this news."


    "Dahlia, you¡¯re fucking insane!" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am. Isn¡¯t that why you put me in a mental hospital?" Dahlia sneered. She leaned on the bed and tucked her blanket. "You, Marlon, and Penny killed my first son, the jewel of my life. I have nothing to lose, so I might as well give you a headache in this mess."


    "YOU¡ª!" Sarah was speechless. She thought this old woman had no more fighting spirit. So, a bit of intimidation would be enough to scare her until she begged Henry to stop the engagement annulment.


    Unlike Penny, who was so stupid, so it was easy to manipulate her, Dahlia was still the same stubborn bitch who might be able to find enough proof to put Marlon, Penny, and Sarah in jail for James¡¯ murder.


    So it was a good call for Sarah to quickly put Dahlia in the mental hospital, so this old bitch wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to ruin her moment.


    Or so she thought.


    ¡¯This bitch... she can still ruin my plan even if she¡¯s inside a mental hospital. As expected, I should¡¯ve asked Marlon to kill her before. She should be in that car with James, and Henry will be mine.¡¯


    Sarah was furious because of Dahlia¡¯s stubbornness. But she still couldn¡¯t kill her right now. She didn¡¯t bring any weapon, and now that Henry was on full guard, Michael would probably come as soon as possible.


    ¡¯Good thing I¡¯ve come prepared.¡¯


    Sarah changed her tone quickly, knowing she had no more patience against this old bitch, "I didn¡¯t mean to get so worked up, I¡¯m sorry. I was just worried about Henry."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about him. He is a grown man. He can take care of himself," Dahlia said. She peered at Sarah suspiciously, "You just want to control him, right? It¡¯s quite obvious that you don¡¯t like him. I¡¯ve never seen you taking a liking to him before, and you even rejected his confession back then."


    "Well, everybody changes, including me. I started developing feelings for him after James¡¯ death," Sarah said. She picked an apple from the fruit basket she brought and took the fruit knife from the table. She started cutting the apple while continuing the conversation with Dahlia;


    "So I was actually looking forward to our engagement and marriage. I can¡¯t wait to start a family with him, and I am genuinely sad after knowing he fell in love with Kate."


    Dahlia wasn¡¯t convinced at all, "If you¡¯re truly in love with Henry, then you wouldn¡¯t even think of allowing him to take a mistress and fathered illegitimate children. All you want is just status and reputation, right?"


    Dahlia sneered, "You¡¯re no better than Marlon and Penny. You care too much about reputation."


    "If I just wanted a reputation, I would have marry James instead. After all, he is far more deserving than Henry, right?"


    "Not after you realized that he won¡¯t marry you at all. He announced that he would not marry you or anyone of Marlon¡¯s choice. He will only marry Kate," Dahlia accused. "That¡¯s why you plotted to kill him in a freak car accident. Because you know that you cannot control James, unlike Henry, who had a history of falling in love with you before."


    Sarah¡¯s hand began to tremble as Dahlia had successfully guessed everything right.


    It was terrifying because Sarah felt exposed for the first time in her life. Nobody was able to read her mind as accurately as Dahlia, and she couldn¡¯t wait to choke this bitch to death.


    Dahlia grinned once she saw the expression of shock and anger mixed into one on Sarah¡¯s face, "What? Do you think I don¡¯t know how your brain works? I also come from a similar background as you. I¡¯ve met with so many women with similar thoughts as you are."


    "So if you think you are the smartest woman on earth, then think again," Dahlia scoffed. "You are just one of those vile bitches that will end up dead under the sewer."


    Sarah was so angry that she wanted to stab Dahlia with the fruit knife. But it wasn¡¯t sharp enough and had no sharp tip, probably to avoid Dahlia killing herself or injuring the nurses with it.


    "Have you ever thought that maybe Kate is the real problem? After all, James and Henry fell in love with her unnaturally. She must¡¯ve done something to them."


    "She is a wonderful woman. I met her yesterday, and I understand why both of my sons are in love with her," Dahlia replied firmly, cementing that she was on Kate¡¯s side.


    "If¡ªif you say so," Sarah said. Her voice trembled out of anger, but she maintained her composure. She finished cutting the apple and handed a small plate full of neat apple slices. "Here¡¯s your apple. You should eat it for your health."


    Dahlia stared at the apple in silence and then accepted it, "Is this another trick, Sarah?"


    "Another trick?" Sarah acted surprised.


    "Don¡¯t act dumb. Did you put poison in this apple?"


    "Oh, I think you¡¯re getting too old, Dahlia. Did you think this is Snow White with the poisonous apple? I just thought I could get some of your goodwill by bringing you a fruit basket and cutting an apple."


    Sarah smiled sweetly and grabbed another apple from the basket. She took a bite and munched on it without problem, "See? No problem. You¡¯re just too paranoid."

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319: Chapter 319"See? No problem. You¡¯re just too paranoid," Sarah said, ensuring she didn¡¯t poison the apple.


    Dahlia stared at the plate full of sliced apples again and then grabbed one slice.


    She opened her mouth, and her eyes continued peering at Sarah, who seemed a little too excited to see her eating the apple


    So she stopped before the first bite.


    Sarah frowned. She was so close to finally killing this stubborn old bitch, "What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t I show you the apple is safe? Do you really think that I¡¯m so evil to poison you?"


    "Besides, I don¡¯t want to get jailed for murdering anyone," Sarah said. "You¡¯re hurting my heart, Dahlia."


    Dahlia smiled and squeezed the slice of apple in her hand, "I would be more than willing to eat a good ol¡¯ fresh apple in the morning. In fact, I like to eat at least one for breakfast."


    "So what¡¯s the problem?"


    "Because this thing that you give me¡ª" Dahlia dropped the apple and rubbed her thumb and index, feeling a foreign liquid on her fingers. "¡ªIs not just an apple."


    Sarah was shocked that Dahlia called her out, "W¡ªWhat do you mean? I ate one just now, and it¡¯s just a normal apple."


    Dahlia sniffed her thumb and index finger and deducted, "The apple you gave me has a weird texture, probably coming from whatever poison you injected into the apple."


    "I don¡¯t know what kind of poison this is, but knowing that you¡¯re brave enough to poison me with so much CCTV around the mental hospital, I guess this poison will act fast and dissolve fast after being ingested. So the police won¡¯t have enough evidence to arrest you, right?"


    Sarah¡¯s face paled instantly.


    This old bitch.


    She was so accurate with all of her answers that Sarah started to get terrified of her.


    Sarah knew that she had been defeated this time, and the best thing she could do was to leave and try again somehow, probably with the help of Marlon, so Dahlia would no longer be an obstacle.


    "Y¡ªYou¡¯re just accusing me without any proof," Sarah defended herself. "Your imagination is running wild, Dahlia. I suspect that you¡¯re seriously going insane now. Maybe a lobotomy would help."


    "Oh, I don¡¯t mind if you can find anyone who¡¯d give me a lobotomy, but before that, why don¡¯t we make a deal?" Dahlia smirked. She picked a slice of apple from the plate and handed it to Sarah. "Eat this, and once you do, I will be at your mercy."


    "Heck, you can even call Henry again, and I will tell him to stop the engagement annulment."


    ...


    "So, how about it? You will solve all of your problems with just a slice of an apple," Dahlia offered.


    Sarah stared at the slice of apple in Dahlia¡¯s hand. It was a tempting offer, but Sarah already knew what kind of poison she injected into the apple, and it was deadly enough for her just from a slice of an apple.


    So she shook her head, "I won¡¯t do it."


    "Why?" Dahlia asked.


    "Because you¡¯re being insane, Dahlia! You¡¯re accusing me of crazy stuff!"


    Dahlia clicked her tongue, "Enough of your drama. This apple is poisoned, and if you want to kill me¡ª" Dahlia dropped the plate on the floor until it shattered into pieces. "¡ªYou have to do more than this childish trick."


    Sarah stared at Dahlia in disbelief, still thinking she could somehow fool her. But Dahlia made sure that Sarah shed off her last ¡¯elegant woman¡¯ act with;


    "Did you wear black today to mourn my death? I guess you need to wear another one tomorrow because I¡¯m not going to die before you end up getting pimped in a brothel, you filthy whore." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "YOU BITCH!" Sarah finally snapped. She raised her hand that was holding the fruit knife. She was so blinded with rage that she wanted to stab Dahlia in the eyes.


    But Dahlia caught her wrist. She snatched the fruit knife from Sarah¡¯s hand and pointed it at her eye instead. Sarah gasped when that knife was only an inch away from her eye.


    Sarah tried to pull her hand away from Dahlia, but for some reason, Dahlia was a lot stronger than she expected.


    "If you want to act primitive, then I can do it better than you, Sarah," Dahlia said. "I can stab you right in the eyes and claim that I had a hallucination and general insanity. They would probably lock me in here forever, but it¡¯s worth it in exchange for making you blind."


    "Let me go! LET ME FUCKING GO!" Sarah struggled as she got scared by the idea of being completely blind. Besides, that knife had been coated with poison after cutting the apple. It would probably cause more than just blindness.


    Dahlia rolled her eyes, "You act so tough, but you¡¯re not as good as I thought. I don¡¯t need to be worried about Kate and Henry. They will eventually find a way to beat the shit out of you."


    Dahlia finally released Sarah¡¯s wrist, and the latter fell on her back, "Ouch!"


    Dahlia repeatedly pointed the knife at her and warned, "This is your last chance. Leave now, or I¡¯ll kill you with this poisoned fruit knife."


    Sarah paled.


    She never expected this old woman to be this tough and scary. Sarah quickly retreated and dashed out of the ward.


    Dahlia scoffed as she watched Sarah, who ran with her tail tucked between her legs.


    "Look at her, acting like she is some kind of brilliant mastermind," Dahlia muttered. She stared at the knife in her hand and rubbed the poison coating the knife, "You need much more than that to kill me, you pretentious, greedy witch."


    Dahlia opened her window and threw the fruit knife away. She wanted to ensure that no nurse would use the same knife to serve anyone, including her.


    She got up and picked up the poisoned apple slices. She crushed and flushed them all in the toilet and washed her hands at least three times.


    She returned to her bed and read one of the books that Kate curated, "And now, I am at peace once more."

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320: Chapter 320Sarah hastened her steps as she walked away from Dahlia¡¯s ward. She wanted to get out of this mental hospital as soon as possible after facing the real Dahlia.


    All this time, Sarah always considered Dahlia as a slightly smart woman who didn¡¯t fit in the cutthroat world of the rich. She didn¡¯t seem to have any ambition and even taught James and Henry many useless things, such as compassion and love.


    She had power sitting right under her heel, yet used it for nonsensical stuff to teach her sons the value of money or whatever.


    It was ridiculous in Sarah¡¯s eyes because she knew the Grant family businesses were deeply rooted for centuries. They wouldn¡¯t be poor for centuries to come. What was the point of teaching Henry and James about financial literacy?


    Nevertheless, Sarah knew that Dahlia didn¡¯t like her that much, so Sarah was happy after Marlon brought Penny into the house. Because that street whore actually had a barely functioning brain, it was so easy to control her.


    "I need to get rid of her as soon as possible. That old witch is still able to do so much damage even though she¡¯s trapped in this hospital full of lunatics," Sarah wondered if the other lunatics had influenced Dahlia in this place or if she had simply shown her true self in front of Sarah. Still, in the end, she had become a much bigger threat than Sarah had anticipated.


    As Sarah hurried into the long corridor, she bumped into the previous nurse who escorted her.


    The nurse was escorting another guest, and it was none other than Katherine Woods.


    Kate didn¡¯t know who this woman was, so she gave her a perfunctory smile and a quick nod before walking past Sarah.


    Sarah turned around and raised her voice, "Wait!"


    Kate and the nurse halted their steps and turned around to face Sarah.


    "Yes, Miss?" The nurse asked. "I suppose you¡¯re done visiting Mrs. Grant, right? Is she doing okay inside?"


    Kate was surprised. Henry said he was the only one visiting Dahlia, but he never told her another woman existed.


    ¡¯Is this Sarah?¡¯ Kate pondered, but she said nothing while continuing to stare at Sarah.


    Sarah was, in any way possible, a beautiful, mature lady.


    She got the air of elegance in her, or so Kate thought. Because that air of elegance was currently nowhere to be seen, leaving a lady who was so pale, it made her look like she had just seen a ghost. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wore a somber black dress, a weird choice for visiting someone in the mental hospital. But Kate wasn¡¯t exactly a fashion icon either, so she couldn¡¯t judge too much.


    "Really? It¡¯s very strange for Mrs. Grant to sleep in the morning. She usually has a very linear schedule and would only rest at night," the nurse said.


    "She... she said that she wants to rest after chatting with me a bit. That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaving early," Sarah said. She then looked at Kate and observed her from head to toe.


    Sarah had seen Kate¡¯s picture many times but was never in person.


    Though Sarah didn¡¯t like her for their situation, she was still objective when assessing the strengths and weaknesses of her enemy.


    Katherine was indeed beautiful. She was tall, with flowing, wavy red hair. She also had sharp but somewhat flirty eyes that could make many men weak on their knees.


    She hated to admit it, but Sarah wasn¡¯t surprised that James, Henry, and Graham were in love with this woman. Because the picture did her no justice, she was much more stunning in real life.


    And that was a problem for Sarah.


    Sarah knew that she wasn¡¯t as pretty as Kate, and for a man like Henry, who had two brains, one in his skull and one in his crotch, a woman¡¯s beauty was important.


    ¡¯Hmm, I think it¡¯s obvious that Henry is just in love with Kate because she is gorgeous. He would move on quickly if this gorgeous lady turned into a rotten corpse. He is a man, after all. He is an animal who can¡¯t control himself,¡¯ Sarah assessed.


    "Really? Well, she has another guest today, so I still have to wake her up," the nurse said. She glanced at Kate and said, "Let¡¯s go, Miss."


    "Wait¡ª" Sarah stopped them once more. "I actually want to have a quick conversation with you, Katherine Woods. May I have your time?"


    Kate stared at Sarah as she was also measuring the danger in front of her.


    Henry already told her to be careful with Sarah because she might do something dangerous. But this was in the middle of the day, with surveillance cameras everywhere. Kate doubted that Sarah would be stupid enough to do anything in here.


    ¡¯Besides, I also want to hear her side of the story. Maybe after knowing what kind of woman Sarah is, I can finally forgive Henry for lying to me this whole time,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Miss?" The nurse called Kate.


    "I will talk with her first," Kate said. "But, Nurse, would you mind checking on Dahlia as well? Make sure that she is okay. If she is sleeping, make sure that she is breathing."


    Sarah¡¯s body stiffened the moment Kate instructed the nurse. She guessed that Henry must¡¯ve talked about a few things with Kate, maybe told her that Sarah was a dangerous woman, so she should be careful.


    But that didn¡¯t matter, because Sarah wanted to talk with Kate not to become friends, but to plant a seed of doubt in her heart until she hated Henry and dumped him.


    It was the easiest way possible, so she didn¡¯t need to kill this slut.


    ¡¯Though, I still have to prepare for that one. Maybe I¡¯ll tell Erin to stab her belly later. I bet that crazy girl will be happy tearing her sister¡¯s belly.¡¯


    "So, let¡¯s have a talk, Miss Sarah," Kate said. Her tone was firm, and she showed no weakness in front of Sarah. "I also have a lot of questions for you."

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321: Chapter 321The nurse got confused by these two beautiful ladies, looking like they were about to have a boxing match.


    But she nodded at Kate¡¯s request as Mr. Grant had given her authority to visit Dahlia.


    "Alright, Miss, I will check on Mrs. Dahlia Grant first. I¡¯ll inform you later," the nurse said.


    Sarah glanced at the nurse who walked towards Dahlia¡¯s ward. All nurses in this mental hospital had been paid to watch over Dahlia and always reported that Dahlia was still clinically insane and should not be discharged.


    So she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the nurse at all.


    Sarah returned her eyes to Kate and said, "Where do you want to talk, Miss Katherine?"


    "Near the front desk," Kate replied. She didn¡¯t want to risk being completely alone and isolated with Sarah in a room. Though she didn¡¯t believe Henry¡¯s words completely, she was still responsible for protecting her baby from harm.


    "Sure," Sarah knew that Kate was fully on guard against her. Too bad she didn¡¯t have that fruit knife coated with poison. She might as well poison this pregnant bitch if she couldn¡¯t kill the old one.


    ¡¯Well, I have no more weapons now. So I guess we must be civil to each other,¡¯ Sarah thought. She walked side by side to Kate and glanced at her a few times.


    She expected Kate to fear her a little. After all, she was the official fiancee, while Kate was no more than a mistress.


    But Kate did not show any reluctance or fear. She kept her head high, staring straight at the long corridor heading to the hospital¡¯s front desk.


    Sarah wondered if Henry had given her a pep talk enough to make her think she was above Sarah, but she couldn¡¯t wait to break that confidence until she knew her place.


    They returned to the empty front desk and were surprised by the sight of Mai, who rushed towards them immediately. She stood between Kate and Sarah and glared at the latter even though Mai was very short and small compared to both ladies.


    "Mai? What¡¯s wrong? I thought I told you to wait in the car or have breakfast somewhere," Kate asked.


    "Ma¡¯am, I just got a call from Michael, and he got an instruction from Mr. Grant to protect you because this woman in front of us tried to do something to Mrs. Dahlia Grant just now."


    "Do something?"


    "He didn¡¯t specify, but you should leave now, Ma¡¯am. We don¡¯t know what she will do next," Mai said as she stretched her arms to ensure Sarah couldn¡¯t reach Kate.


    Sarah chuckled as she stared back at the overly cautious petite Asian girl.


    "He didn¡¯t specify? Oh well, let me tell you," Sarah took a deep breath and confessed. "I tried to murder Dahlia Grant with a poisonous apple and a fruit knife coated with poison. Too bad I couldn¡¯t do it because that old bitch is too smart. It doesn¡¯t matter now since I lost interest in her anyway."


    Sarah confessed to her crime with a smile. She didn¡¯t show any fear, hesitation, or remorse, "You should¡¯ve set a recording device when I confessed to my crime just now, though. Sadly, you can¡¯t use the same trick you did against your ex-husband."


    Kate was actually shocked by how indifferent Sarah was.


    She was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking that Sarah might not be the evil witch Henry described her as.


    But seeing how easy it was for her to admit her crime, Kate wondered if Sarah was the same case as Erin, a crazy woman who had no brain.


    Sarah grinned as she understood that Kate was trying to read her, "Don¡¯t overthink it, Katherine. I told you everything because there is no reason to hide it anyway."


    "Henry already told Michael, and that nurse you sent to check on Dahlia will probably report the same thing. Rather than getting caught red-handed like an idiot, I¡¯d rather admit everything so we can move on from the shock factor and focus on our conversation."


    "After all, you still want to talk with me, right?"


    "Talk? There is no need to talk!" Mai denied. "Let¡¯s go, Ma¡¯am! We need to leave this place as soon as possible!"


    Mai grabbed Kate¡¯s arm and wanted to drag her out of the mental hospital, but Kate didn¡¯t move. She kept her stance while facing Sarah.


    "Ma¡¯am?"


    "You can wait for me in the car, Mai. I have a few things I want to ask this woman."


    Mai¡¯s eyes widened, "Ma¡¯am, she is dangerous! I can¡¯t let you put yourself in danger!"


    "Oh, come on," Sarah giggled at Mai¡¯s reaction. "I have no weapon at all. I¡¯ve wasted it all to kill Dahlia. I¡¯m also a regular woman, just like you. Do you think I have enough strength to choke her to death? Katherine is taller than me, don¡¯t you see?" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you think I¡¯ll believe in your bullshit? You¡¯re trying to poison a powerless old lady!" Mai yelled back. "Let¡¯s go, Ma¡¯am!"


    "So noisy," Sarah shifted her eyes back at Kate and smiled, "Why don¡¯t you kick your Japanese chihuahua out, Kate? She keeps on barking unnecessarily."


    "Watch your mouth, Sarah," Kate warned. "I am ready to talk, but I won¡¯t let you insult my subordinate like that."


    "Oh my, where is my manner?" Sarah exaggeratedly gasped and said to Mai, "I¡¯m sorry for what I said just now. It¡¯s all just a harmless joke. You can go. The adults want to talk."


    Mai gritted her teeth. She was about to snap, but Kate warned her, "Wait in the car, Mai. Don¡¯t worry. There is surveillance everywhere. She won¡¯t be able to hurt me."


    "Ma¡¯am¡ª"


    Kate gave Mai a suppressing gaze, telling her to leave immediately.


    Mai was worried, but seeing how stubborn her boss was, she decided to leave them alone. She¡¯d rather call Michael as a backup.


    "There are only the two of us now," Kate said. "And my first question is..."

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322: Chapter 322"And my first question is..." Kate took a deep breath and readied herself for the answer coming from Sarah. "Did you accept the engagement annulment from Henry?"


    Sarah raised her brows, "You¡¯re very audacious, Katherine. Are you seriously asking me¡ªthe official fiancee of Henry Grant¡ªif I accepted an engagement annulment or not?"


    ...


    Kate stayed silent while waiting for Sarah¡¯s answer, which infuriated the latter.


    "The answer is obvious, right? Of course, I did not accept the engagement annulment," Sarah replied. "You see, unlike you, whose family is completely broken, with a child molester father, a dying mother, and a spoiled, narcissistic bitch as a sister. Henry and I have great families."


    "The Grant family has a long history of old money in the state. Henry will eventually be given the noble title sooner or later because of his deeply rooted noble family in the UK."


    "Meanwhile, I¡ªSarah Stone Lancaster¡ªam the only daughter of the House of Lancaster. Our engagement has brought two important noble families together, and our union will signify a strong and powerful bond for centuries to come." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And you¡¯re ruining everything, Mrs. Kept woman," Sarah sneered. "You just jeopardized the union of two important families because of your selfishness. Do you know this will also affect Henry? He will get into a lot of trouble by annulling this engagement."


    Sarah wanted Kate to understand that she was nothing but a whore who ruined a political union. This bitch needed to know shame!


    Kate listened to everything, including Sarah¡¯s insult towards her family, and nodded silently.


    Of course, she understood that her family was basically nonexistent. She stood on her ground, all by her ability. Though she knew that many women aspired to be like her, none of them realized how much Kate longed for a good family that loved her.


    That¡¯s why she kept telling Henry the importance of a family.


    "Hey, are you listening to what I said?" Sarah asked annoyedly.


    "I did," Kate replied. "Sounds to me that your engagement with Henry was truly an engagement of convenience."


    Sarah frowned, "What do you mean? Do you think there is no love between Henry and me? Henry was in love with me when he was in high school!"


    "I don¡¯t care about his past relationship. People moved on, just like how he moved on from you. Besides, you kept mentioning your family and his family repeatedly. You didn¡¯t even talk about him as a person, not even once," Kate said. She raised her chin slightly, looking down at Sarah as if she was nothing in front of her. "You don¡¯t love him at all. All you want is reputation, position, and title."


    Ba-dum!


    Sarah could feel her heartbeat accelerating unnaturally once she got called out by Kate. She wasn¡¯t surprised when Dahlia called her out for her ambition because she expected that sly old fox to know what kind of game Sarah was playing right now.


    But Kate...


    This peasant was supposed to be a regular woman who knew nothing. She was supposed to be a 9-5 worker who couldn¡¯t beat Sarah in any way possible.


    ¡¯But how could she read me so clearly? Was it on my face? Am I not subtle and elegant enough?¡¯ Sarah began to question herself.


    "You are not the only one who can guess, Sarah," Kate said. "I also can read you clearly. You are an open book to me. So you don¡¯t need to lie."


    "You¡ª"


    "Now, for my second question..." Kate interrupted, refusing to listen to Sarah¡¯s nonsense. "You don¡¯t seem to lack money and are not in love with Henry. So why are you trying to do so much just to keep the engagement? Do you not realize you will be trapped in a loveless marriage?"


    Kate remembered about her marriage life with Matt.


    Though they were initially married out of love, everything turned bitter in just a year after knowing that Matt refused to find a job and guilt-tripped her for everything, even went as far as saying that he was cursed because he married Kate.


    As if Kate was the only reason why Matt failed in his life.


    After years of mental abuse, Kate finally depleted all of her love for Matt, and the only reason why she stayed with him was because she truly believed she would never find another man if she divorced him.


    "Trust me, a loveless marriage is not something you want to have," Kate said bitterly.


    Sarah scoffed, "Stop giving me that sob story about you and that useless husband of yours. Our lives are vastly different," she said. "You have to work your bones off just to earn a decent living, while I am naturally gifted with riches since I was born. All I have to do is to get richer and more powerful, and I can get that by marrying Henry."


    "Katherine Woods, you will never understand what it feels like to be born with a silver spoon like me, James, or Henry," Sarah said. "And you should know your place. You will suffer because of your low status, peasant."


    "Is that how you answer my question? With meaningless insults?" Kate rolled her eyes. "I asked you why you are so stubborn in keeping the relationship with him, even going as far as trying to murder Dahlia."


    "Because you won¡¯t understand my ambition in the end," Sarah said. "I don¡¯t want to waste my breath talking to a poor peasant like you. You should listen to my warning instead: Break off your relationship with him, or I will also have to do something very unpleasant to you."


    "Really? Is that the best threat you can come up with?" Kate chuckled.


    Sarah¡¯s gaze darkened, "Why are you laughing? I am serious."


    "And I am seriously laughing right now," Kate said between her laughs. She stopped laughing after some time and smiled at Sarah, "You can¡¯t even kill an old lady trapped in a mental hospital. Why would I get scared of a pathetic woman like you?"

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323: Chapter 323"PATHETIC?!" Sarah had depleted all of her patience towards Kate. She had been so kind and nice towards this bitch, but Kate really had no sense of self preservation because she kept provoking the wrong person.


    "You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re risking, Katherine. I will fucking end you sooner or later for provoking me, you slut!"


    "Oh? You¡¯ve finally shed off the fake gentleness and elegance you have. It feels very liberating to throw curses and insults, right?" Kate chuckled. She crossed her arms and kept her head high against Sarah, making sure this woman knew that Kate had no fear against her. "I¡¯d love to see you try. I wonder what kind of stuff you can come up with."


    "You really have no fear, huh? You don¡¯t know how dangerous I am, Katherine. You will regret ever provoking me like this!" Sarah understood that Kate was just playing with her. She was ridiculing her while Sarah tried her hardest to scare this bitch to no avail.


    But she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    She was so angry that she wanted to claw this bitch¡¯s face.


    Now she understood why Erin was so hostile towards her sister. That bitch might be crazy, but she could be ten times more hostile because Katherine looked at people as if they were nothing but bugs.


    "If you think my failed plan against Dahlia makes me less worthy of a threat in your eyes, then you are completely wrong," Sarah smirked. "A simple-minded peasant will only understand once you get hurt."


    ...


    "Since you already mentioned Erin just now, I guess you already know what I did to Erin and Matt," Kate said. She took one step towards Sarah, and the latter took a step back subconsciously.


    Kate grabbed Sarah¡¯s collar and yanked her so she couldn¡¯t escape. Her eyes were cold, and she showed no remorse as she confessed, "I am a woman who was cruel enough to throw my mother to a nursing home for the rest of her life. I threw my crazy bitch of a sister in the middle of a frozen wasteland.


    "I hatched a plan to arrest my mother-in-law and also divorced my deadbeat husband while keeping all of my wealth intact," Kate mentioned all of her crimes. "Who are you to call me a simple-minded peasant? Do you think I will not do anything if you dare to hurt me?"


    Sarah¡¯s face began to pale as Kate looked down at her at such close range. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You spoiled little princess, I¡¯m going to tear you apart if you dare to attack me first. You¡¯ll be surprised at how crafty I can be."


    Sarah didn¡¯t know what was happening with her body, but she could feel a crazy pressure coming from Kate as if she actually meant all the threats just now.


    Sarah clenched her fist, gathered her courage, and pushed Kate away until she released her collar.


    Kate released Sarah¡¯s collar and took a step back. She stood tall before Sarah, who had lost some courage.


    "You are going to cry, Sarah Stone Lancaster," Kate said. "And once you dare to go against me, I will make sure your tears will run red."


    Sarah got goosebumps all over her body, "YOU WILL REGRET THIS, YOU BITCH!"


    Sarah ran towards the exit, leaving Kate alone as she stared at the woman who lifted her skirt a little while running away.


    Kate scoffed, "So funny, she is trying to intimidate me. I can do so much worse if she dares to hurt my baby."


    Unfortunately, Kate was unsuccessful in getting what she truly wanted.


    She wanted Sarah to blurt out whatever plan she had. She already knew about Erin and Matt, so she must¡¯ve been planning something using Erin and Matt.


    Unfortunately, Sarah was not as stupid and rash as Kate thought. That woman knew she shouldn¡¯t tell Kate about her future plans.


    ¡¯I need to tell Henry about this later. I don¡¯t want to risk anything,¡¯ Kate thought while caressing her belly.


    The nurse returned five minutes later and reported to Kate, "Mrs. Dahlia Grant is alive and well. You can visit her now."


    Kate smiled, "Thank you, I¡¯ll enter her ward now."


    Kate entered Dahlia¡¯s ward and saw her sitting on her bed, reading a novel from Emperor Publishing, a book that Kate had curated herself.


    "Uhh, good morning, Dahlia. Sorry for disturbing you," Kate said.


    Dahlia put her book down and smiled at Kate, "Come in, Kate. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. The nurse told me that you¡¯re visiting."


    Kate entered the ward and looked around to check on her surroundings, making sure that Sarah didn¡¯t plant anything dangerous that might harm Dahlia.


    "Are you looking for crime evidence?" Dahlia chucked. She pointed at the fruit basket in the drawer near her bed. "That basket is full of poisonous fruits. It might kill anyone in one bite. Would you mind crushing everything and throwing it in the trash can later?"


    Kate was relieved.


    "Thank God, I thought that woman had done something to you," Kate said. She sat beside the bed with a stool and asked, "Did you get hurt somewhere? She confessed everything in front of me. She doesn¡¯t even seem to look guilty."


    "Oh, dear, there is no way someone like her can feel guilty," Dahlia chuckled mirthlessly. She wanted to tell Kate more about Sarah and her crime, but then again, she felt that Henry was responsible for being honest with Kate.


    "She needs to do something more than just use a cheap poison trick on me," Dahlia said. She stared at Kate, who didn¡¯t seem to get hurt. "I knew it. You¡¯re no different than me."


    "P¡ªPardon?" Kate was caught off guard by that statement. "I don¡¯t understand."


    "Oh, you don¡¯t need to," Dahlia said. "I¡¯m just glad you will be able to handle Sarah in case she wants to pull a dangerous stunt."


    "Now, I want to ask you about a very important question, Kate," Dahlia paused for a moment and continued. "Did Henry told you everything about his relationship with Sarah?"

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324: Chapter 324Kate¡¯s lips thinned as Dahlia asked her a hard question.


    She nodded in response, knowing she didn¡¯t need to hide anything from Dahlia.


    "Ah, thank God. I thought that boy would chicken out again and lie to you about it," Dahlia sighed in relief.


    "Were they really¡ª"


    "Engaged? Yes," Dahlia replied. "They were engaged under convenience. Henry told me that Marlon pressured him to do so. After all, Sarah was supposed to be engaged with James before his untimely death..."


    Dahlia looked sad whenever she mentioned James, and that made Kate guilty.


    "Dahlia, I¡ª"


    "No, no, it¡¯s fine, dear. It¡¯s normal to mourn about the loss of your loved one," Dahlia put her sadness aside and continued her story, "Anyway, Sarah and Henry had an agreement to be engaged, but they will break off the engagement once they find their true love."


    "Well, Henry fell in love with you, but Sarah showed her true nature," Dahlia said. Her gaze darkened as she glanced at the fruit basket full of poisonous fruits. "I think Sarah didn¡¯t expect Henry to fall in love with you so easily. Henry is probably Sarah¡¯s real target since the beginning." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But not for love, right?" Kate asked. "I talked with her just now, and from our conversation, I can sense that she has no love for Henry."


    "No, Henry is young, naive, and inexperienced compared to James. He is easier to control. Sarah basically wants a lap dog," Dahlia replied. She grabbed Kate¡¯s hand and squeezed it, "That¡¯s why you need to be careful, okay? I don¡¯t want her to hurt you while Henry is away."


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, Dahlia. I can take care of myself," Kate assured. "Besides, I scared her just now."


    "You scared her? Oh my, what an achievement!" Dahlia praised. "Sad that I can¡¯t witness it firsthand. It must be funny."


    Dahlia and Kate laughed together as the atmosphere around them started getting warm. They were like a pair of mother and daughter-in-law having a chat in the morning.


    It was obvious that Dahlia was very fond of Kate and preferred her to marry Henry since Kate became the source of light for Henry, giving him the courage to do dangerous things for the sake of their relationship and their baby.


    But of course, Dahlia knew that Henry and Kate¡¯s relationship wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    They had so many people coming for their heads. On top of that, Dahlia felt that Henry must¡¯ve been hiding so many things from Kate, so their relationship had a rough start from the very beginning.


    "So, what do you feel after knowing the truth about Henry and Sarah¡¯s relationship? Are you mad at him?" Dahlia asked.


    Kate¡¯s smile faltered.


    She sighed deeply and replied, "I was heartbroken after knowing Henry basically kept me as a mistress the whole time."


    "All this time, I thought that I was the only one for him. He assured me many times that he had no other women outside and even went as far as claiming that he only had his eyes on me," Kate replied. "Even after he told me that his engagement with Sarah was not based on love, I still felt betrayed."


    "After all, they have a pair of rings for their engagement. Whether it¡¯s an engagement of convenience or not, it is still an official one," Kate said. "So I¡ªI told him to leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to see his face because I feel like I¡¯ve been fooled."


    Kate lowered her head and confessed, "I am a prideful woman, Dahlia. I can¡¯t handle being fooled, especially by a man I trusted."


    ...


    Dahlia sighed deeply.


    Now, she understood it would be extremely difficult for Henry to have his happy ending.


    Dahlia knew that he must¡¯ve been hiding so much, and each of those secrets would be enough to destroy Kate¡¯s pride.


    Dahlia wished everything would work out in the end, with Kate and Henry ending up at the altar, speaking their vows before being tied with a pair of wedding rings.


    But knowing this situation regarding them...


    ¡¯I have to prepare myself in case it doesn¡¯t work out in the end,¡¯ Dahlia thought. ¡¯Kate has all the right to leave if she finds Henry repulsive for making a fool out of her for so long...¡¯


    "Dear, what you feel is normal," Dahlia said. "I know about it. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t give you my blessing yet. I want him to break off the engagement first before marrying you."


    "And so he did, right?" Dahlia said, putting good words for her second son in front of Kate, hoping that Kate would accept him back. "He is serious about you. That¡¯s why he immediately breaks the engagement with Sarah after having a serious talk with me."


    "I know it¡¯s messy, but if you want to hear my opinion, my son has shown how serious he is," Dahlia said. "Breaking off the engagement means that he will face Sarah and her family. On top of that, it will ignite Marlon¡¯s anger."


    "He is facing the world for you. So if you can, please give him a chance..." Dahlia said. "I know I¡¯m biased because he is my son. But he has never shown this amount of dedication and courage to anyone. You are truly his beloved woman."


    ...


    Of course, Kate knew that Dahlia was trying to influence her into accepting Henry back.


    And though it was hard, Kate already made a promise to Henry anyway.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Dahlia. I already have a promise for him."


    "A promise?"


    "Yes, as long as he doesn¡¯t try to harm me or our baby, then I will stand by his side no matter what," Kate said.


    Dahlia felt that her heartbeat skipped for a second. She gulped, knowing this might be the inevitable end for Kate and Henry.


    Because Henry¡¯s initial plan was to hand the baby to Marlon in exchange for the whole company, it was heartless and cruel, and no mother would be willing to be put in such a position.


    ¡¯Oh no, my Son. What have you done? How am I supposed to help you?¡¯

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325: Chapter 325"So, you don¡¯t need to worry about us. I just need time to process the whole thing," Kate assured with a smile, completely oblivious that Dahlia was pitying her in her heart right now.


    "Is that so?" Dahlia smiled. "I hope that you and Henry will stay strong together. Because I feel like you two will have to pass a huge storm ahead."


    "Well, I can¡¯t guarantee that everything will be okay in the future, but I can guarantee that I will never leave," Kate assured again.


    Dahlia felt a lump of dough in her throat, stopping her from speaking too much in front of Kate.


    She didn¡¯t want to ruin Kate¡¯s joy because it seemed that Kate truly loved Henry despite all the challenges.


    Dahlia was giving it enough time, maybe through some miracle, Kate would fully accept Henry after all he had planned in the past.


    The door was knocked not long after and opened abruptly before Dahlia could give permission.


    Michael and Mai stood at the door. They were still catching their breaths as they looked inside the ward.


    "Michael? Mai? Why are you here?" Kate asked.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. I just got a call from Henry. He told me to check on Madam Grant in case something happened," Michael reported. He shifted his gaze at Dahlia and asked, "Madam, are you hurt?"


    Dahlia chuckled, "No, I¡¯m not hurt at all. It will take more than just a poison to kill me."


    "By the way, Michael, come in and let me talk to you for a bit," Dahlia said.


    Michael glanced at Mai, and the latter nodded.


    He entered the ward and closed the door behind him, "Do you need something, Madam?"


    Before Dahlia spoke to Michael, she asked Kate, "Dear, I¡¯m sorry I cannot talk to you more today. I am truly exhausted after handling that evil woman. Is it okay if you come tomorrow or maybe next week instead?"


    "Oh, that¡¯s alright," Kate said. She understood that Dahlia must be tired, so she planned to come and visit her again next week.


    After all, she also needed a break from all the things happening in her life right now.


    "I¡¯ll leave with Mai. You should stay and talk to Dahlia first, Michael," Kate instructed.


    "Understood, Ma¡¯am."


    "I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll see you next week, Dahlia," Kate got up from the stool. She kissed Dahlia on the cheek as if Dahlia was her mother and left.


    Dahlia was dazed for a while.


    She didn¡¯t expect Kate to kiss her so naturally as if they were already a pair of mother and daughter-in-law.


    ¡¯Ah, she really knows how to steal her in-law¡¯s heart,¡¯ Dahlia sighed adoringly.


    Michael kept silent while his eyes checked the surroundings, ensuring nothing dangerous was around.


    Dahlia pointed at the fruit basket, "That fruit basket is from Sarah. Every fruit in that basket is poisoned. Crush them and throw them away later."


    "Understood, Madam," Michael picked up the fruit basket so he wouldn¡¯t forget about it.


    "I think you already know about Sarah¡¯s case, right?"


    "Yes, Madam. I heard everything from Henry. I didn¡¯t expect her to be hostile," Michael admitted. "It is an oversight on my part. I am sorry for my incompetence."


    Dahlia smiled bitterly, "Oh, Don¡¯t be sorry, Michael. I know that you¡¯re trying your best to help Henry."


    "Besides, neither you nor Henry would predict Sarah becoming hostile, right?"


    "Yes, I... I thought it was just Henry being dramatic. But now I believed it when you mentioned the poisoned fruit basket," Michael said. He lowered his head full of shame for his cluelessness. "I may have been biased, Madam. I¡¯ve been with Henry since I was a kid, and Sarah has always been our dependable older sister."


    Dahlia sympathized with Michael very much.


    She had seen Michael, who grew up as Henry¡¯s best friend. They were very close until high school when Michael decided to serve in the Military after graduating.


    Unfortunately, he had to resign from his promising career in the Military to protect his family after knowing that his father was betrayed and Marlon usurped his family¡¯s fortune.


    Dahlia had a huge fight with Marlon over this, thinking that man¡¯s greed had no bounds and that he¡¯d betray his long-time business partner and family friend.


    So, it was natural for Michael to work with Henry right now, trying to find a way to avenge the betrayal from Marlon while assisting his best friend.


    "Henry already told me everything, and he asked me to make sure you are well protected, Madam," Michael said. "Marlon has paid the nurses in this place. I cannot do much against them, but I can make sure to control the cook, so you will get good and healthy food every day, Madam."


    "Also, I know that you can¡¯t have a phone because the nurse will constantly check your ward, but if you have any request, you can tell the cook, and the cook will relay the message to me."


    "Thank you for your help, Michael. Marlon indeed paid the nurses. They are constantly watching over me," Dahlia said. "But it¡¯s okay. Nothing will change for me, after all."


    "Madam..."


    "Anyway, I¡¯m just glad you seem to care for Kate¡¯s well-being. After all, you must¡¯ve been involved in Henry¡¯s heinous scheme before he fell in love with Kate, right?"


    Michael felt that Dahlia had called him out.


    He gulped and nodded, "Yes, Madam. I helped Henry. I did not pity Kate at that time because I... I thought any mission given by Henry must be executed perfectly."


    "I knew it was in the past, but don¡¯t you dare to hurt my daughter-in-law," Dahlia warned. "She is a good woman. If my son failed her, I¡¯d rather take her as my daughter instead."


    "Madam..." Michael was astonished. He had never seen Dahlia get so worked up over someone who wasn¡¯t her son. "I¡ªI will do my best to protect her, Madam. It is also what Henry told me to do." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326: Chapter 326??"Good, because you two are seriously so screwed up for planning to take her baby away and give it to Marlon," Dahlia scolded. "Do you not realize that baby would probably die in his hand? He just wants to justify James¡¯ death by pinning all the blame on Kate!"


    Michael lowered his head.


    He truly felt remorse for Kate, especially after knowing from Mai that Kate intentionally set them up together. So Kate must¡¯ve realized that he had feelings for Mai and actively tried to help.


    "All this time, I¡¯ve been fed misinformation by Sarah, Marlon, and Penny. Just like Henry, I really thought that Kate was the one who intentionally derailed James," Michael confessed. "So I thought there is no point in trying to help a... whore..."


    Dahlia was angry at Kate.


    Whether it was Henry or Michael, they were the same shitty men who did not pity an honest woman like Kate.


    "Well, glad you know you¡¯re wrong, protect her at all cost. This is not an order from Henry. Instead, this is an order from ME," Dahlia stated firmly, and Michael nodded obediently.


    "I will protect her, Madam. Do not worry."


    "Good, and before you leave, I have a question for you."


    "What is it, Madam?"


    "Did you tell Kate about anything regarding Henry¡¯s previous plan? Is she still completely oblivious about it?"


    "She..." Michael paused for a moment and continued after gathering enough courage. "She has no idea, Madam. Henry told me to hide everything because we both know that Kate will hate him when she knows about the baby plan."


    "As expected," Dahlia muttered. "Keep her in the dark for now. She is pregnant. I don¡¯t want her to get stressed out because of Henry¡¯s stupid idea. Make sure to keep her away from Sarah as well. That witch will try to ruin Kate¡¯s life from now on."


    "Madam, about Kate¡ª"


    "If she knows in the end and decides to leave, then I want you to stop Henry from going crazy," Dahlia instructed coldly. "He has no right over her, not after what he planned to do before."


    "Understood, Madam."


    "You can leave now."


    Michael finally excused himself from the ward while carrying the basket filled with poisonous fruits.


    He felt conflicted after getting an instruction from Dahlia.


    Deep down, he knew that Kate had the right to leave Henry if she found out about it, but he also couldn¡¯t imagine how broken Henry would be after Kate left.


    "Is this a punishment for his heinous plan? Do I have to punish him as well?" Michael wondered. "After all, I am no less of a sinner than him."


    As Michael walked in the corridor alone, his phone vibrated in his pocket.


    He checked the caller ID and picked it up;


    ¡ª


    "Michael! How was it? Is everything okay? How about my Mom and Kate?!"


    "Calm down, Boss. They are all fine," Michael replied. "But your fear turns out to be true. Sarah is actively trying to kill Dahlia. I¡¯m currently holding a basket full of fruits that have been injected with poison."


    "That bitch!" Henry couldn¡¯t control himself, knowing that his mother was close to meeting her end because of Sarah. "I can¡¯t be right there for now, Michael. But you HAVE to protect my mother and Kate from her. I will handle Sarah once I get help from my cousin."


    "I don¡¯t think they need my protection, but got it, Boss," Michael said. "Especially Dahlia. She is fully capable of protecting herself."


    "Sarah is crafty. Who knows what will happen in the future? It¡¯s best to prevent any risk from now on."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Michael and Henry fell into silence after that. Henry was about to hang up the call, but Michael suddenly asked a question that had been bugging his mind ever since he left Dahlia¡¯s ward.


    "Henry, what will happen if Kate leaves you?"


    "... what?" Henry was astonished. "What the hell are you talking about, Michael? Did something happen to my woman?"


    "I just had a conversation with Dahlia. She asked me whether Kate knew about your previous plan to take her baby, and I said no," Michael said. "I thought it was the right thing to do. We need to hide that because naturally, Kate will be furious after knowing what kind of heinous plan you had for her before."


    "But what would happen if she knew?" Michael asked a rhetorical question. "We both know it won¡¯t end well, right? Kate was truly angry at you for hiding your engagement with Sarah. Imagine what would happen if she got an even worse shock?"


    "I¡ªI¡ªuh¡ªI¡ªdon¡¯t¡ªknow¡ª"Henry stuttered as the mental image of Kate hating him and leaving him forever was enough to make his brain stop functioning.


    His heart began to sink to the deepest point where he couldn¡¯t find any light.


    The idea of being abandoned by Kate was enough to make him insane.


    There was a long silence from Henry. He couldn¡¯t answer such a simple question, which confirmed Michael¡¯s fear.


    Henry would 100% lose his mind if Kate left.


    "Just focus on whatever you¡¯re doing there, Henry," Michael suggested. "I¡¯ll keep your secret safe, but you have to make sure that Kate understands your effort and worth. Because I don¡¯t think Katherine is an easy woman that will forgive you so easily."


    Henry took a deep breath to calm himself.


    Michael was right.


    He already stopped that plan to take Kate¡¯s baby long ago and decided to find another way to take control of his father¡¯s company, or at least destroy it somehow.


    So, all he could do right now was to do his best to make a safe haven for Kate and their baby. Kate needed to know that he was serious about her.


    "Thanks for your advice, Michael. You¡¯re right. I will go through hell and back just for her. I will make her understand how serious I am," Henry said. "I¡¯ll meet with my cousin soon. Please protect them for my sake, Michael."


    "Got it, Henry."


    Beep. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327: Chapter 327Henry hung up the call with Michael after getting the assurance he needed.


    ¡¯Thank God nothing happened to my mother and Kate. Everything I do will be entirely meaningless if they are hurt or... dead,¡¯ Henry thought.


    Henry scrolled through his phone and realized he still blocked Kate¡¯s number.


    His thumb hovered above the ¡¯unblock¡¯ button on the screen, but he decided not to. He knew that Kate must¡¯ve been sending him so many texts and missed calls it would only lower his resolution and make him want to go back and hug him.


    ¡¯I have to harden my heart. This is for her, for our baby, and our future,¡¯ Henry thought.


    He was waiting until his cousin was done with a morning meeting. He was currently in the Secretary¡¯s office.


    After an hour of waiting, the secretary walked in. She was a black woman with looks and a figure that belonged on the runway. It was fairly obvious this secretary was a former model.


    Henry saw the ID tag on her chest;


    Diamond Johnson.


    Diamond stood before Henry and bowed politely, "Sir, Mr. Phoenix Gray has just finished his meeting. He told me to escort you to his office. Please follow me."


    "Hm."


    Henry got up and followed the tall secretary to his cousin¡¯s office and opened the door for him.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray has been waiting for you, Sir."


    "Thank you."


    Henry walked in and saw his cousin, Vernon Phoenix Gray, the powerful CEO of the Golden Star Company who had acquired the Gray company, sitting on the sofa with a table full of homemade food in front of him.


    Vernon smiled at Henry as he entered the CEO¡¯s office and said, "It¡¯s been a while, Henry."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s been a while... Vernon," Henry said while staring at the food on the table.


    "Hey, hey, don¡¯t look at the food. This is my wife¡¯s lunch for me. I just can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s been a while since my wife cooked. She¡¯s in her late stage of pregnancy right now."


    Henry knew the wife that Vernon referred to.


    Her name was Chloe Phoenix Gray, and she looked very warm and soft, the complete opposite of Kate, who was domineering and somewhat cold to others.


    Henry attended their wedding in the summer but had no time to talk with either Vernon or Chloe. He texted Vernon that he was leaving right after the wedding ceremony because he still had a meeting.


    "I¡¯ve told Diamond to buy you lunch. So wait for a moment, okay? Now, let¡¯s just sit with me for now."


    Henry nodded.


    He sat facing Vernon, who was busy eating all by himself.


    Henry observed his cousin.


    Vernon was the only cousin he and James genuinely befriended outside any big family gathering.


    He was the son of Aunt Dorothea, Marlon¡¯s sister.


    Vernon and Henry were similar in age, with Henry being two years younger. They also had similar personalities. But what differentiated them the most was how their parents brought them up.


    Vernon was abused nonstop by Uncle Vaughn and Aunt Dorothea. While that bastard Vincent Gray was coddled by his parents, Vernon had to suffer mental and physical abuse from his parents.


    So it wasn¡¯t surprising when Vernon decided to leave the family at the young age of fifteen to go to Europe to continue his studies.


    Meanwhile, Henry had been spoiled by Dahlia and James since he was young. He had a good childhood despite being a little devil. So, he didn¡¯t have the independence that Vernon had.


    After James¡¯ sudden passing and Dahlia¡¯s imprisonment in the mental hospital, Henry felt that his world had crumbled in front of him, making him vulnerable and lost for a while until he met with Kate and thus found his new guiding light.


    Now, at the age of twenty-six, Vernon already had everything. He had a business empire that was much bigger than his late father¡¯s, and he also had a beautiful wife, a daughter, and currently expecting another one.


    Vernon had everything now. Meanwhile, Henry had lost everything.


    He lost his real family and his stability, and now he was at risk of losing his woman and baby.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t lie that he was slightly envious of Vernon¡¯s achievement. But he knew that everyone started at a different pace in life, and they were living a completely different life anyway.


    Henry watched as Vernon ate everything at the table and burped. He drank banana milk as dessert and leaned on the sofa. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, that¡¯s a good lunch," Vernon said. "Tsk, where is Diamond? I¡¯m telling her to buy you lunch, and she¡¯s not here yet."


    "It¡¯s okay, Vernon. I¡¯m not that hungry anyway," Henry replied.


    "Huh? Do you think I don¡¯t know how much of a glutton you are?" Vernon frowned.


    "I¡¯m not hungry because there¡¯s a more pressing matter right now," Henry said as he went straight to the point. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I need your help."


    Vernon¡¯s smile faltered, "I think you need to tell me about what truly happened, Henry, especially about James¡¯ murder and the circumstances behind it."


    Henry took a deep breath and told the truth in front of Vernon, including Marlon and Penny¡¯s involvement in the murder, with Dahlia thrown into the mental hospital for a ridiculous reason to silence her, and about Kate.


    "This is about Katherine..." Henry said. His lips thinned, and his gaze deepened as he thought about his woman again. "James was in love with her, and before his death, he announced to everyone in the family that he would never marry unless the bride were Kate. That announcement was the moment when his fate had been sealed," Henry said. "You know how crazy my dad could be. He killed his son because he didn¡¯t want the family reputation tainted."


    "Marlon and Penny blamed Kate for James¡¯ death, saying that Kate had seduced James until he forgot his roots," Henry lowered his head, clenching his fist as he felt so guilty.

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328: Chapter 328"Kate and I had a fateful night. We had sex in the office and ended up knocking her up. So I thought I should just fool Kate into falling in love with me so I can take the baby and hand it to my father," Henry confessed. "With that, Marlon will give me complete control over the company."


    "And what will you do if you have that Grant company?" Vernon asked.


    Henry paused for a while before saying, "I will burn it down to the ground. I will ensure that everything in that family will be destroyed, including myself."


    "Including yourself?"


    "My real mother¡ªthat street whore, Penny¡ªwas the one who spiked a drug into James¡¯ drink that caused the crash. I have to bear the sin as well," Henry said. He clenched his fists even tighter until his hands trembled. "Penny wants me to be the sole heir of the Grant family so she will forever live a luxurious life. That¡¯s why she happily murdered James."


    "How am I supposed to live knowing all of this, Vernon?" Henry asked though it was mostly just him pinning the blame on himself. "How am I supposed to take all of James¡¯ birthright and be happy when I know that I had indirectly murdered my own brother!?"


    Henry got worked up every time he remembered about his circumstances.


    He never had any big ambition in his life and certainly had no ambition to ruin James¡¯ life.


    James was such a great brother to him, and Henry would support him 100% if James got all the Grant inheritance while he got nothing.


    After all, he was never the one who had a birthright for such wealth. He was the son of a prostitute who got conceived after drunken sex.


    For him, as long as he could live comfortably, then he needed nothing else.


    Vernon listened to everything and sighed, "You are just like me before I reunited with my woman, Henry. I was also destructive and wanted to burn it all because I thought the only woman I truly love in this world hated me."


    "But after everything has been cleared and the misunderstanding has been solved, I know there is a family that is worth living for, and now here I am," Vernon said. "If you want me to support you through this destruction, then you can turn around and go back to LA. My wife would kill me if she knew I supported your heinous plan."


    "I wouldn¡¯t have to meet you if I just wanted to take Kate¡¯s baby and give it to Marlon," Henry said. "It is exactly the opposite of that. I want to protect Kate, and I need your help."


    "You... want to protect her?"


    "Yes, Katherine is... my light..." Henry said. "I thought I could play a love game with her without falling in love. But I was wrong. I am now hopelessly, madly in love with her."


    Vernon was dazed while listening to Henry¡¯s story. Somehow, the story hit a bit too close to home, "So you are in love with your late brother¡¯s girlfriend?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, they weren¡¯t in a relationship back then because Kate was married to someone else before that, and she didn¡¯t want to cheat," Henry said. "It¡¯s a long story, but... all I want to say is... I have a change of heart."


    "I want to protect her and the baby in her belly. We have too many enemies right now, my parents and my ex-fiancee, Sarah Lancaster, because I annulled our engagement yesterday."


    "You annul the engagement with her? Lady Lancaster has a deep-rooted family background, you know that, right?" Vernon asked.


    "I know, but I realize that Kate needs assurance of our relationship. So I decided to end things with Sarah because it was a mere engagement of convenience in the first place."


    "You¡ª" Vernon was speechless over Henry¡¯s series of bad decisions. But he couldn¡¯t get mad at Henry because he didn¡¯t grow up like Vernon.


    Henry was spoiled to death. He was the darling in his family. His bad decisions were a product of depression and a destructive mind, which Vernon also had before meeting his beloved.


    On top of that, Henry fell in love at the worst time possible. It was as if God made fun of Henry by putting all the odds against him.


    So Vernon couldn¡¯t abandon his cousin for something he had little control of.


    "What kind of help do you want?" Vernon asked while counting all the possibilities to salvage his cousin out of the hellhole.


    "I don¡¯t want to work under my father again. I know that¡¯d only make a toy for him to play with. He will control everything about my actions," Henry said. "I need to gain independence, but Sarah and her family had too many connections. If I don¡¯t have my backing, I won¡¯t be able to succeed."


    "So you want me to be your backing?" Vernon asked, straight to the point.


    Henry nodded.


    "I need someone powerful enough to deter everyone from Sarah¡¯s family from causing trouble," he said. "I also need someone with enough connections to get an alternate after Sarah¡¯s family blocked every business option from me."


    "I don¡¯t need your money, Vernon. I have money to start a company, but I need your backing."


    Vernon crossed his arms.


    He hummed for a while, wondering if this would be a good idea because he had gotten too relaxed after having a blissful married life with his wife.


    But he wouldn¡¯t abandon his cousin, who needed help, especially since Henry and Vernon were close in the past.


    "Alright, I will help you," Vernon said. "I will be your backing, and I will also aid you to start your own company. You can use all of my company¡¯s connections to start whatever you want."


    "Vernon..." Henry was speechless by his cousin¡¯s kindness. "Thank you, thank you so much, Vernon."


    "Oh, don¡¯t thank me, you should thank James," Vernon replied. "When I first started a company in the UK, he was the one who funded everything. He helped me through my hard times, so I naturally have to help you."

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329: Chapter 329"My late brother was the one funding you before?" Henry asked. He had no idea that James backed Vernon¡¯s struggle as he developed his first business in Europe.


    He heard of it from Vernon but never about James¡¯ involvement.


    "Well, I can¡¯t get any funding from my bastard brother, Vincent, and it¡¯s really difficult to start without any family backing," Vernon told the truth. "So I reached James, who sent me all the money I needed to start a company. He also helped me to get in contact with many of his business partners."


    "He didn¡¯t ask me for any repayment for what I borrowed. All James said was to stay sane despite all the challenges in my family," Vernon said. "So, it¡¯d be very ungrateful of me not to help you the way James helped me before."


    "And you don¡¯t need to pay me back for anything. I just want you to stay sane, because I know you will face a huge challenge in the near future."


    Vernon¡¯s words were enough to assure Henry.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but feel sad, knowing that his brother could still help him even after his death. He had so many good legacies behind him, people who adored and admired him and remembered him as a great person. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, Henry brought nothing but pain and suffering in this world.


    He was born under a dirty circumstance. He was the son of a filthy whore who ruined the perfect life of his big brother and stepmother.


    He had indirectly killed James and threw Dahlia in that mental hospital because of his whore mother¡¯s greed.


    And now that he was in a relationship with Katherine¡ªthe woman that James loved¡ªhe still brought suffering to her and their baby.


    He could¡¯ve stopped by not dating her at all. She would be happy being a single mother with the baby she had been waiting for five years.


    But he was selfish enough to implicate an honest and kind woman into this mess of a family matter.


    ¡¯Ah, I truly deserve that title... the son of a filthy whore...¡¯ Henry mocked himself in his heart. ¡¯I never brought happiness to anyone in this world...¡¯


    Henry felt that everyone was so kind to him, but he was unable to give the same happiness back to any of them.


    ¡¯... this only makes me feel so shit...¡¯


    Vernon sensed that Henry was sad after hearing about James.


    He didn¡¯t know what was in Henry¡¯s mind, but he interrupted the long silence between them, "You shouldn¡¯t dwell too much about what happened in your family, Henry, at least not now when you have no capital power on yourself."


    ...


    "Yeah, you¡¯re right," Henry nodded. "I need to have my capital before I can do something. It¡¯s the only way I can protect Katherine and our baby."


    Vernon nodded as he approved of that mindset because he was in a similar situation of wanting to protect his beloved woman, and he needed a capital of his own before he could do any of that.


    "Alright, let¡¯s talk about the company you want to start," Vernon straightened the topic. "My company has branched out in almost every sector. Just name the sector you have the most confidence in."


    Vernon thought Henry would start his company in the processed steel sector because the Grant family got ultra-rich from investing in the railroad and branching out to manufacture steel.


    Nowadays, the Grant family was one of those old money families that not many people remembered, but still held prominent wealth and influence who branched out to many areas, and the Emperor Publishing was just one of the more modern ones.


    In fact, Henry could as well be as rich, or even richer than Vernon, as a multi-billion dollar businessman if he took over the mantle of his father¡¯s legacy, Marlon Grant.


    However, Henry¡¯s answer caught Vernon off guard;


    "Media."


    Vernon frowned, "You want to start a media company?"


    "Yes, but I want to focus on two things: a publishing house and an advertisement agency," Henry said. "I can focus on the advertisement while Kate can focus on the publishing house, so the company would grow at a fast rate, and I can branch out in other sectors as well."


    Vernon went silent momentarily, rethinking Henry¡¯s decision, "So you basically want to move the Emperor Publishing by bringing the heart of the company with you?"


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "Wait, you already knew about Kate before this? Because I haven¡¯t told you about her being the heart of the company."


    Vernon chuckled, "Whenever I had a conversation with James, it would always be about Kate this and Kate that, of course, I know."


    Henry¡¯s cheeks reddened. He forgot that James was also infatuated with her. Of course, he¡¯d talk about Kate every time, just like what Henry was doing right now.


    "Well, I have no problem with that. If you can convince Katherine to follow you to New York and start a new publishing house, I will definitely help you with all the legal stuff," Vernon said. "It shouldn¡¯t be hard for that publishing house to rise up with her. I¡¯ve heard many good things about her ability to spot million-dollar books."


    Henry¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope as he got a positive response from Vernon, "Oh, she is truly the best! You need to see how she can read a book and notice many small details! None of the books that she curated failed in the market! She¡¯s truly gifted!"


    "Hahahah! Now I can¡¯t wait to meet her in person," Vernon laughed heartily as the mood became less somber around them. "Well, the publishing house is not a problem, but how about the advertising company? Are you sure about that one? It¡¯s not easy."


    Vernon had a long history of working in advertisement, and it was indeed quite tricky to master.


    "Trust me on this one. I can manage it," Henry said confidently.


    "If you say so. I will give you all the advertisement contracts I have for the next three months to see if you can handle it," Vernon said. "But I don¡¯t think you will end with that, right? Publishing house and advertisement won¡¯t give you enough capital to fight the Grant company."

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330: Chapter 330"Of course not! I¡¯m seeking stability first. I want to make sure that Kate would have a stable company she could call a second home," Henry said. "Kate is dedicated to her job. She is a hard worker, so working on something becomes a habit she can¡¯t get rid of. I want to ensure she feels comfortable enough since she needs to move from a long, stable job to a new one."


    "The advertisement agency might help her later since we need to promote the books she had curated," Henry added.


    "You seem to love her so much, Henry," Vernon said. "All you did was cater to her needs."


    Henry had a thin smile as he imagined about his beloved, "Naturally, I want to make her happy and safe. Everything I did right now is solely for her and our baby."


    Vernon nodded. He was glad that Henry had a fighting spirit.


    Vernon initially worried that Henry would not stay sane through the death of James, knowing how close these brothers were.


    "Well, you keep telling me about all your plans for Kate, but what about yours? What will you do after your advertisement agency and publishing house stabilize?"


    "I will start an investment company," Henry replied without hesitation as if he had everything planned in his head already.


    This answer obviously astonished Vernon, "Investment?"


    "Yes."


    "Henry, that¡¯s very risky work, you know that, right?" Vernon warned. "Even I don¡¯t dwell on it too much because it¡¯s too risky."


    "Trust me in this, Vernon," Henry said firmly. "I know what I¡¯m doing. Just like how Kate can turn any book into a million-dollar profit, I can do the same with any investment I make."


    ...


    Vernon sighed.


    Truly, they were only two years apart, but Henry still had that youth recklessness.


    He doubted that Henry had the capability, but Vernon would never shut down such ambition, ¡¯I guess it¡¯s fine,¡¯ he thought. ¡¯If he needs money, I can just pull some from my own company. James had done so much more than this. I want to repay him for all the help.¡¯


    "If you say so, then I will help you," Vernon said. "We need to get to the legal proceeding first, and it would take months. So I expect you to always be ready in New York for at least two months. You need to focus on the company before you can return to Los Angeles."


    Henry¡¯s heart felt tight as he heard, ¡¯at least two months.¡¯


    That meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Kate for that long, and it would be absolute torture for him.


    In fact, he already missed her just after one night, thinking about what she was doing right now and wondering if Kate was also thinking about him.


    "This is serious, Henry," Vernon warned. "You can¡¯t be weak, nor you can¡¯t sway just because you miss your woman. You need to step up and suppress your feelings for now, or Katherine will never get the safety she needs."


    "You need to be a true machine, working to death until you feel everything is stable enough," Vernon said. "This is how real life works."


    Vernon¡¯s words were like a wake-up slap for Henry.


    He was right.


    Henry had to steal his heart to give Kate and their baby the safety she deserved.


    Henry clenched his fist and nodded, "I will stay in New York for two months. I have to get everything done before I bring her here."


    "Good," Vernon nodded. "Don¡¯t worry about the legal stuff. I have enough connections to make things fast. I just want you to get used to all the work you must do next. This is for your own good, Henry."


    Henry said nothing, but he nodded without hesitation.


    He already promised to do anything for Kate and their baby, even if he had to go through hell and back.


    ***


    "Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t forget to call me if you need anything. I have to go back to the office again, "Mai said as she dropped Kate in front of their apartment.


    "Thank you, Mai. Sorry for giving you trouble," Kate said. "I¡¯ll stay in the apartment for now. I¡¯m too tired after facing that woman."


    Mai nodded and said, "Stay safe, Ma¡¯am. We don¡¯t know what that woman is planning."


    "I will now go and work. I know you have a lot of documents piling up," Kate smiled, and Mai excused herself.


    She watched as Mai¡¯s car drove out of the apartment parking lot, and she entered the apartment.


    He reached the eleventh floor and headed to the room she was currently living in because she refused to stay in Henry¡¯s huge ocean-view apartment.


    But as she reached the corridor leading to her room, he stared at the door at the end.


    She promised herself not to walk into Henry¡¯s apartment.


    But this longing lingered in her heart, subconsciously pulling her into that door, and she finally unlocked it with her spare key.


    Kate entered Henry¡¯s apartment and walked in.


    She had cleaned all of her belongings in this place. Now, this place felt more like an untouched property, with everything still somewhat brand new.


    Kate sat on the sofa directly facing the wide glass pane with an ocean view.


    She sighed as she remembered Henry, "I don¡¯t know what I want, Henry."


    "I keep asking you to be honest with me, but now that I am facing the truth, I don¡¯t feel so good anymore..." Kate murmured. "Should I stay oblivious the whole time? Perhaps. But it¡¯d be even more painful if I knew about you and Sarah later in our relationship."


    Kate fished her phone out of her bag and started texting Henry again despite her blocked number.


    - Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate: I feel betrayed, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t forgive you, Henry.


    Kate: I love you more than you expect.


    -


    Kate pressed send. She thought it wouldn¡¯t deliver because Henry blocked her.


    But to her surprise, there were two ticks on the text, and soon after, she got a call.


    -


    Henry is calling...


    -

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331: Chapter 331[Song Recommendation: Cigarettes After Sex - Sweet.]


    -


    Henry is calling...


    -


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened. She held her breath subconsciously, staring at the phone screen for a while to make sure that she wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    Her phone continued ringing until she pressed the green button, and the call was finally connected;


    ¡ª


    ...


    ...


    There was nothing but silence on both sides, but Kate could clearly hear Henry¡¯s heavy breath. A sign that he was unable to control this overwhelming feeling in his heart.


    "Henry?" Kate opened the conversation, hoping to listen to his voice because she had already missed him after they fought last night.


    "Kitty..." Henry murmured. "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry for what I did. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you."


    "I never want to trick you with my engagement with Sarah. But at that time, I thought it was not a big deal because Sarah and I were engaged out of convenience..."


    "But I realize that you¡¯re a woman worth fighting for. You have so much pride in yourself, and I shouldn¡¯t have made you feel like a mistress. That¡¯s why I decided to break off the engagement with Sarah."


    "But you should know that annulling the engagement will open many problems in the near future. I think you already know after you talked with Sarah today..."


    Kate sighed, "I didn¡¯t expect her to be very hostile. But I get it. I can sense the danger coming from her, and she even confessed about her failed assassination attempt to Dahlia."


    Henry gritted his teeth when he remembered how Sarah could do something so heinous, such as poisoning a defenseless old lady. She also did it in less than twenty-four hours, completely catching Henry off guard.


    But Michael already worked on Dahlia¡¯s security, so she should be safe now.


    "Sarah will do more in the near future. So I want you to stay guarded while I¡¯m out of the state," Henry warned. The last thing he wanted to see was Kate and their baby getting hurt by Sarah. He would go insane if that truly happened.


    "Also, the engagement annulment means that... my father will go against me," Henry said. "Marlon is an evil bastard. He¡ª"


    Henry paused.


    He wondered if Kate should know about the conspiracy behind James¡¯ death.


    But he decided not to tell too much because Kate already had so many new hard ideas to swallow. He didn¡¯t want to stress her out.


    "¡ªHe wants me to marry Sarah no matter what. I don¡¯t know if Sarah already told him, but to be safe, you should refuse any invitation from the parent company and also try to limit your visitation to the publishing office. I need you to be as guarded as possible," Henry said calmly, but his voice contained woe.


    Henry felt so guilty for giving so many restrictions to Kate. If he could, he wanted Kate to be free and ignorant. He preferred Kate not to know any of this and live her life as it was.


    He also wanted Kate to focus on her pregnancy rather than fighting against Sarah and Marlon.


    It was his fault. He was truly the son of a whore.


    He thought Kate would be angry at him for dragging her into this mess, but he didn¡¯t expect her answer;


    "I understand. After talking with Dahlia and facing Sarah myself, I realized the severity of the situation. I will limit going to the office for now. I¡¯ll try to work from home, making everything completely online."


    "I also don¡¯t know what Sarah will do next, but it¡¯s better to stay safe," Kate said. "You should also tell Michael to be careful about Sarah and your father."


    "Kitty¡ª" Henry choked on his saliva. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He really thought that Kate wouldn¡¯t cooperate since she got pulled into this mess.


    Henry¡¯s lips trembled as he kept imagining about Kate¡¯s beautiful smile right now, "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry."


    "For what?"


    "For everything," Henry said. "I should¡¯ve told you about Sarah long before we were in a relationship. I should¡¯ve warned you about my father as well."


    "I feel guilty for dragging you into this mess," Henry confessed, pouring out the burden in his heart. "You are my beloved woman, yet I... I can¡¯t protect you completely. All I did was drag you into this mess and leave you alone." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I feel like shit. I feel useless."


    "I should¡¯ve been a good man for you and a good father for our child, yet here I am, trying my best to salvage the situation I created myself. I¡¯m sorry for how everything turned out, Katherine."


    "But... if you allow me to utter my truest feeling once more, then I will say that I... I love you. I¡¯m doing everything for you and our child. I will go through hell and back to give you peace and safety."


    Henry knew that all of his words meant nothing in the end because action spoke louder than words, and so far, he hadn¡¯t been able to show Kate the dedication and love she truly deserved.


    Kate chuckled as she found that Henry¡¯s seriousness was adorable.


    "I believe in you, Henry," Kate said. "I didn¡¯t ask you to be the super powerful man that could protect me in only one day. I know there¡¯ll be a process you need to go through. So you don¡¯t need to worry about me."


    "I will protect myself and wait for you. I will support you through your endeavor, and..." Kate took a deep breath as her heart felt so warm. "I love you too, Henry. I love you more than you expect. I will never leave you just because of this."


    "So, do whatever you think is necessary for us, and I will help you in any way possible," Kate said. She rubbed her belly, feeling warm and sweet all over as she got the assurance she needed. "So, how long are you going to leave? A month, right? Michael told me you¡¯ll stay in New York for a month."

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332: Chapter 332¡ª


    ...


    "I wish it¡¯s only a month, but it will probably take two to three months or even more..."


    "Three months?!" Kate¡¯s heart jumped. "What do you mean three months? Michael told me only a month?!"


    "I... I need to prepare everything here. I need to focus on all the legal documents in New York. I get help from my cousin, so everything should be smooth sailing until I can get what I want."


    "What are you doing in New York, exactly?"


    "I¡¯m going to start my own media company, Kate. It will be a publishing house and also an advertising agency. They require a lot of legal proceedings, but if everything goes well, I... I can bring you to New York to start anew."


    "Start anew..." Kate processed Henry¡¯s words briefly and asked, "Do you want me to resign from Emperor Publishing and move to New York for that new company you want to build?"


    "Yes," Henry replied firmly. "This is exactly how I want to protect you. I can¡¯t keep you safe while we¡¯re under my father¡¯s company. I need to be independent from him first."


    "Henry, this is a big and risky step, you know that, right?"


    "I¡ªI know that you love that publishing company so much. But this is the ticket to our freedom," Henry said. "Please, give me a chance, Kate. I promise that I will give you the good life you deserve."


    "Henry, I¡¯m not talking about myself," Kate sighed. "I love that company because Mr. James Grant and I built it together. But now that he is gone, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m obliged to stay, especially after knowing that company will tie you down."


    "But I¡¯m worried about you..."


    "About me?" Henry frowned. "Why?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because uprooting me from that company will alert everyone in the parent company. You know how valuable I am in that publishing company. If I leave, it will probably go down in less than a year," Kate said. "You know why. All the popular authors I curated are loyal to me, not the company. If they know that I¡¯m leaving, they will try to follow me to the new company."


    "If your father knows you¡¯re opening a new company to uproot me, he will be furious. Because it¡¯s a sign that you want to fight him," Kate said. "I am fully capable of doing everything myself. Even if I resign today, I can still continue with my daily life using the dividends from my investment portfolio. But what about you? I¡¯m worried about you, Henry."


    "Kitty..." Henry didn¡¯t know how to utter the amount of gratitude he felt right now. He was so happy that Kate was on his side. Even after he was about to uproot her from her comfort zone, she still cared about his wellbeing more than herself.


    She was truly the woman of any man¡¯s dream, which only made him want to protect her even more.


    He wanted to give his life to her, making sure that she became the happiest woman on earth.


    This feeling was so overwhelming that Henry wondered if he could fall in love even deeper than this.


    "Trust me, I will make you happy, no matter what," Henry said with solemnity in his words.


    Kate could feel how sincere he was.


    She had never seen a man be this serious to her, and the feelings also swept her away. It gave her enough strength to trust her man.


    "I believe you. We can pass this storm together, Henry," Kate said. "So, work hard, and hopefully, I can see you after three months."


    Kate lowered her head, staring at her baby bump, adding, "Once we meet again, I will tell you our baby¡¯s gender. Three months should be enough to get an ultrasound for the gender reveal."


    "Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?" Kate asked.


    "I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl," Henry said. "I will love our baby no matter what. Though, if it¡¯s a girl, I might see a mini version of you."


    "Or a mini version of you if it¡¯s a boy."


    Henry and Kate laughed together. If someone saw Henry or Kate on the phone right now, they¡¯d never think this couple fought last night as they were so harmonious.


    "You should end the call now, Henry," Kate said. "Don¡¯t forget to block me again."


    "But why?" Henry asked. "I want to call you every day."


    "You need to focus on what you¡¯re doing there. I know we will talk for hours daily if we keep our contact," Kate said.


    "But I will miss you every day..."


    "Can¡¯t do. Focus on your job. You can meet me after three months," Kate said.


    People said that longing creates fondness, and Henry wondered if he could get even more fond of Kate. He felt that Kate had completely stolen his heart. There was no more escape.


    "You can ask Michael or Mai if you want an update about my wellbeing," Kate said, giving closure to Henry as she knew Henry would be thinking about her for hours.


    "If you say so. But don¡¯t forget what I said. Avoid contact with Marlon¡¯s company for now, and stay away from Sarah. We don¡¯t know what she will do next."


    "Yes, Boss," Kate giggled. "You should hang up now."


    "I don¡¯t want to..."


    "Henry..."


    "Kitty, I¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate finally hung up on the call because she knew there would be another long bickering between them.


    She leaned on the sofa, staring at the ocean, and a smile slowly bloomed on her lips.


    "Is this what it feels like to be loved and treasured by a man?" Kate asked herself. "All this time, I thought I didn¡¯t have the right to be loved by anyone. But now that Henry shows me how love truly feels, I don¡¯t think I can go back anymore."


    Kate looked around the apartment, and her lips curled up, "I guess I have to move back. This is our home, after all."

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333: Chapter 333Sarah entered her apartment after a long day outside. She was exhausted after a failed assassination attempt on Dahlia and an encounter with Katherine.


    She didn¡¯t know what was going on with that pregnant bitch, but somehow Kate had successfully intimidated her and siphoned all of her strength, making her feel like a piece of crap right now.


    Sarah slumped on the long sofa, staring at the high ceiling of her apartment. She clenched her fist when she remembered that arrogant smirk coming from both Dahlia and Kate.


    "Those two bitches are surely brave," Sarah muttered. "I¡¯ve been going easy on them. Maybe it¡¯s my fault to underestimate them so much. I didn¡¯t expect them to be so resilient."


    Sarah scoffed, "Heh, what do I expect? Of course, they are resilient. None of the women around Henry is a weak lady. They are all cunning in one way or another."


    Sarah understood that Henry had a taste for cunning and cold women. Sarah and Kate had a few similarities that showed Henry¡¯s type of woman.


    "So if we are similar, why can¡¯t he just choose me?" Sarah wondered. "What¡¯s so great about her? Is it because she¡¯s pretty? Oh, come on, I am still prettier. On top of that, I am also a noble-born. I am clean and a virgin, unlike her, who has been fucked by a dirty, useless bastard like Matt."


    Sarah still had no idea how Kate bewitched Henry, James, and Graham. Sarah refused to believe her beauty was enough to hook three high-quality men.


    After all, James, Graham, and Henry had been exposed to so many beauties since they were young. They should grow some resistance from getting bewitched by a pretty face.


    "Speaking about Graham..."


    Sarah grabbed her phone and decided to call Graham. She wanted to know the progress of their plan.


    The call was connected not long after.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Sarah?" Graham asked coldly.


    Sarah clicked her tongue, "Your tone is really unpleasant. Do you have to be so hostile towards me? We are a team, remember?"


    "... what do you want?" Graham asked again, not wanting to have an unnecessary conversation with Sarah.


    As much as he wanted to trust her completely, he had a gist that Sarah was not as kind as people expected, especially not when she was involved in this kind of plan with him to separate Henry and Kate.


    They were both terrible people, but they had a good intention to stop Henry from hurting Kate.


    "I just want to tell you that Henry officially annulled the engagement with me," Sarah said lightly as if it wasn¡¯t big news at all.


    "WHAT?!" Graham¡¯s heart almost jumped out. "What do you mean with annulment? Did you agree with it?"


    "Yes."


    "You fucking¡ªArgh!" Graham ruffled his hair frustratedly. His day was ruined instantly after knowing this news. "Why did you say yes to the annulment? You are the key to stopping him from marrying Kate!"


    Sarah grinned.


    She really liked this.


    ¡¯Good, the more distressed he is, the more extreme he will get. I want Graham to hate Henry completely to the point that he wants to stab Henry to death,¡¯ Sarah thought. ¡¯Graham will be my obedient dog once he hits the breaking point.¡¯


    "Well, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not strong enough to resist him," Sarah sighed. "You don¡¯t know how abusive Henry could be. He met me yesterday, and once we were alone in my penthouse, he suddenly told me that he wanted to annul the engagement."


    "I told him no, fearing he would marry Kate after that. I don¡¯t want Kate to get hurt because of my lenience!" Sarah said. She tried to sound grieving, to help that pitiful, powerless woman facade. "But he actually shoved me around and strangled me."


    "He said he would kill me if I didn¡¯t annul the engagement. I feared for my life, so I was forced to say yes," Sarah started sobbing. She didn¡¯t know if Graham believed her sob story, but Graham was already biased against Henry, so he should believe her more.


    "I tried to stop him by saying that he shouldn¡¯t marry Kate just to take her baby, but he slapped me and said I have no right to say anything."


    Sarah twisted her story even worse since she sensed that Graham was buying her story, "Just so you know, I went to the mental hospital to visit Dahlia today. I want to tell her everything, and hopefully, he can stop Henry with his evil plan." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But do you know what she said?" Sarah paused for a dramatic effect. "She said that Henry¡¯s action is normal. Katherine is just a peasant girl with no family. Dahlia even told me that Henry should kill Kate as well to avoid any kind of problem in the future."


    Graham frowned, "Dahlia? But she shouldn¡¯t be that cruel. I¡¯ve known Dahlia since I was young."


    Sarah stopped sobbing for a second and quickly twisted her story even more, "Don¡¯t you remember that she went insane after James¡¯ death? Henry is her only son now. Of course, she will do anything for him. I think Dahlia would kill Kate if given the chance."


    Graham went silent while listening to Sarah¡¯s story.


    He didn¡¯t want to believe her because he thought Henry was still a naive young man who wanted to do anything possible for his beloved.


    But once the truth had been revealed, Graham simply couldn¡¯t ignore Henry¡¯s disturbing plan.


    The young man that Graham saw as his little brother had turned into a monster who wanted to take Kate¡¯s baby and kill her just to get approval from Marlon.


    That was beyond insanity.


    Graham gritted his teeth. His heart ached, knowing that he had to stop Henry from hurting Kate no matter what, even if it might sadden him.


    "Thanks for informing me. I can¡¯t speak about our plan for now. I need time to swallow this hard pill," Graham said before hanging up.


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334: Chapter 334"Pfft¡ªAHAHAHAH!" Sarah couldn¡¯t hold her laugh after Graham ended the call. "Oh God, he is supposed to be the best lawyer in New York, yet he is so gullible!"


    Sarah mocked Graham, but she understood really well how Graham got swept by her words.


    He was taken over by his emotions. He had gotten so emotional that he tossed his logic.


    If he was calm enough, he could see through Sarah¡¯s bullshit easily.


    "This is why you shouldn¡¯t fall in love, Graham," Sarah smirked. "Look at you, getting baited with everything I told you."


    Sarah opened her phone again and scrolled through her gallery. She found a picture of Henry when he was still in high school.


    Even when he was young, he was handsome, and that handsomeness only improved as he aged. It was a pity he would waste his good looks on a worthless woman like Kate.


    "Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll let them have their fun for a while. It¡¯s better to destroy their relationship once they are close to getting married," Sarah said. "I want to see the anguish in her face once she knows Henry is a heartless bastard."


    Sarah chuckled. She was in a better mood right now. At least she had obtained control over Graham.


    "Ah, as expected, I am much better off with a dumb man. I need to find a way to make Henry dumb and naive again so we can get married," Sarah said. "I shouldn¡¯t have agreed when he said he wanted to date Kate. That bitch definitely did something to him until he dared to fight me."


    **


    Graham was stressed out in his office.


    He tried to pass the day by working on many legal documents as much as possible. But this rage dripping in his heart had become unbearable. It had been hours since he talked with Sarah on the phone, and his heart was still restless.


    He was worried sick about Kate. He kept thinking about her safety, and each time he imagined Kate¡¯s face, Graham¡¯s heart would beat uncontrollably.


    "I need to save her, but how? How am I supposed to save her when Henry always has her in his grip?" Graham asked himself.


    Of course, he already had a plan with Sarah to bring Erin and Matt back into Kate and Henry¡¯s life, but they needed the correct time to be used.


    He couldn¡¯t just sit still and wait, right?


    Thus, as Graham kept worrying, he decided to muster his courage and called Kate.


    He didn¡¯t know if Kate would listen to him. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if Kate would pick up the call.


    But it was better than doing nothing.


    Kate ignored the first two calls but finally picked it up on the third call.


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Mr. Hubbard?" Kate asked perfunctorily. She didn¡¯t even want to use Graham¡¯s first name to keep things professional with Graham. "I thought I already told you not to call me when it¡¯s not necessary."


    "I know, but¡ª" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then don¡¯t call me. You know that Henry will be angry at me every time you try to call," Kate sighed. She wished she could be closer to Graham because they could become good friends with their like-minded personality.


    But Henry was a jealous man, and Kate was also a jealous woman. It was better to keep things only in a small circle.


    Besides, Kate knew that Graham harbored romantic feelings for her for absolutely no reason whatsoever.


    Graham was hurt when Kate tried to avoid him just because of Henry. She had no idea Henry was the evil bastard who tried to hurt her and steal her baby while Graham was just trying to protect her.


    Graham felt wronged, but he understood that Kate had no idea about the monster she was dating.


    "Kate, where are you right now? Are you alone?" Graham asked.


    "I have no time to answer that trivial question, Graham. I¡¯m sorry, I have no ill feelings towards you, but I don¡¯t want to fight with Henry," Kate said. "Please don¡¯t call me again, goodbye¡ª"


    "WAIT!" Graham shouted before Kate hung up. "I called you because I want to help you."


    "... help me?" Kate frowned. "I don¡¯t need any help. I am officially divorced and retain my wealth, thanks to you. But I don¡¯t need any more help from you, Graham."


    "This is not about the divorce," Graham¡¯s tone became solemn. He wanted Kate to know the severity of the situation. "It¡¯s about Henry."


    Kate finally went silent, signaling Graham to continue because she was willing to listen right now.


    Graham took a deep breath and said, "First of all, you should know that he was not single before he met you. He was engaged to a woman named Sarah, and they were going strong until he annulled the engagement with her before."


    "He told me that last night," Kate said. "It was an engagement of convenience, and he annulled it because he wants to be serious with me."


    Graham¡¯s eyes widened.


    This only angered him even more because he didn¡¯t expect Henry to be so crafty.


    He must¡¯ve expected Sarah or Graham to tell the truth to Kate sooner or later, so Henry confessed earlier to gain Kate¡¯s sympathy.


    ¡¯What a fucking monster!¡¯ Graham cursed in his heart. ¡¯He really knows how to play with Kate¡¯s heart.¡¯


    "He doesn¡¯t want to be serious with you, Kate," Graham decided just to open the whole truth, or else Kate would never be able to escape Henry¡¯s grasp. "He just wants to take your baby and give it to Marlon. He wants Marlon¡¯s approval."


    "Henry and Marlon have an agreement that involves you. He will take the baby from you and give it to Marlon. Marlon will kill that baby, and in exchange, Marlon will give him full control of the company!"


    ...


    "You need to get the hell out of that relationship, Kate. Tell me your location. I will fly from New York to Los Angeles. I will be by your side!"

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335: Chapter 335Graham got worked up imagining Kate would get hurt because of Henry¡¯s malicious plan. He was thinking of many ways to protect her, whether it was out of pity or love; he didn¡¯t really care. As long as Kate was safe, then Graham would be at peace.


    Kate went silent after that, and Graham was relieved, thinking that Kate finally took his side after he told her everything. He had been hesitating at first because he didn¡¯t want to break Kate¡¯s heart, and he still had a brotherly bond towards Henry. But this might be the end of everything...


    "Kate?"


    "What nonsense are you spouting about, Mr. Hubbard?" Kate asked.


    "N¡ªNonsense?!" Graham was stunned. "I didn¡¯t speak nonsense! It¡¯s all true! I¡¯m not lying to you!"


    "Is this the real capability of the best divorce lawyer in New York? You¡¯re making up stuff just to slander my man?" Kate rolled her eyes. "Listen, Mr. Hubbard, Henry is trying his best to break away from his family. He annulled the engagement of convenience, and he also went to New York to¡ª"


    Kate was about to say that Henry tried to start a new company to break free from his family. But she felt it was supposed to be a secret.


    She didn¡¯t know if Graham was on their side or not, especially when he could create some ridiculous story of Henry trying to take her baby away. So it was better to keep it to herself.


    "Anyway, he hates his family and doesn¡¯t want anything to do with them. So please, stop trying to make up some lies to slander him. Henry has suffered enough," Kate defended her man boldly. "I think our conversation should end here, Mr. Hubbard. The more I talk to you, the worse your slander gets. Goodbye."


    "W¡ªWait, Kate, he¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Graham gritted his teeth. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He sensed that Kate was about to say something, perhaps a secret between her and Henry, and backtracked before she leaked it.


    He wanted to know what that secret was. Thus, he called Kate¡¯s number again, but the call didn¡¯t go through.


    "Did she block me?" Graham repeatedly called Kate¡¯s number, and none of the calls went through.


    He got so angry at Kate and smashed his phone.


    "FUCKING BULLSHIT!"


    Graham ruffled his hair as he got stressed out. He didn¡¯t expect Henry to be so crafty that he would tell Kate about Sarah.


    "He probably begged Kate to forgive him, that sly bastard!" Graham cursed.


    Graham wanted to do more; unfortunately, aside from the slip-up from Kate that Henry was doing something in New York, he had no idea how to reach Henry.


    "No, I cannot give up," Graham told himself. "If Henry is in New York right now, then he must be doing business. I have a lot of connections in this city; I can find him and stop whatever he is doing."


    Graham knew this was merely a vain effort. It was impossible to stop a man who had nothing but ambition and greed in his head. So, if everything that he did failed, he would have to be cruel to Henry... and to Kate.


    "So in the end, all I can do is use that useless Matt, huh?" Graham¡¯s gaze darkened. "I¡¯m sorry, Katherine. I may have to open your old wound and shame you in public, but this is for the best. I can¡¯t let you get hurt by that piece of shit."


    Kate blocked Graham¡¯s number and tossed her phone onto the sofa.


    "What is wrong with him? Why would he slander Henry like that?" Kate grumbled.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t stand still listening to another man trying to slander Henry! Kate understood Henry¡¯s pain really well. She might not be able to read what was in his heart, but she could sense the moral burden that Henry was carrying right now.


    She didn¡¯t understand why there were so many people who tried to hurt them: Erin, Matt, Sarah, Graham...


    "Ah, whatever. I don¡¯t want to think too much about those people. All I need to do right now is to stay on guard, so Henry doesn¡¯t need to worry about my safety."


    Kate took a deep breath; she tried to convince herself that Graham was just slandering Henry. There was no way in hell Henry planned to take her baby and hand it to Marlon just for the company, right? No man in his right mind would do that to his own baby...


    But Kate¡¯s mind kept creating a what-if scenario.


    What if Graham was telling the truth?


    What if Henry was tricking her the whole time, waiting for her to give birth and then stole the baby in exchange for the company¡¯s ownership? It might sound ridiculous, but if it were true...


    "Then I will leave him," Kate stated firmly. "I won¡¯t get swayed by my own heart. If I find out Henry had that kind of plan, then I would bring my baby and escape. He will never find us for the rest of his life."


    Kate had such a deep trust and love for Henry, so if he betrayed her, then she would never be able to fall in love again. But that should be alright.


    As long as her baby was safe, Kate didn¡¯t mind sacrificing her selfish desire to be loved by anyone. She would rather be alone for the rest of her life than hurt her baby.


    "But of course, this won¡¯t happen right? It¡¯s just a ridiculous what-if scenario after all," Kate convinced herself.


    Thus, armed with her trust in Henry, Kate decided to busy herself by cooking dinner. It was the least she could do to get her mind off the scary possibility.


    Kate shook her head a few times as she tried to ward off the bad thoughts, "Stop thinking badly about him, Kate. Henry is trying his best to give us a good life; the least you could do is not burden him with unnecessary stuff."

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336: Chapter 336A week had passed since Henry stayed in New York to handle legal documents to start his company. He had come up with a clever name for the advertising agency and the publishing company.


    "So, what¡¯s the name that you want to register for the advertising agency and the publishing house?" Vernon asked during one of their coffee breaks.


    "Emerald Star Advertising Agency," Henry replied. "And Empress Publishing."


    "Ho? Empress publishing? Do you want to directly challenge Emperor Publishing?" Vernon asked.


    "No, I¡ª"Henry lowered his head, his cheeks reddened as he sheepishly replied, "I think Kate is the heart of the company, and she is my E¡ªEmpress too, so uh... I just think it¡¯s a befitting name for the company."


    "Hahahah!" Vernon laughed freely when he saw how meek Henry got when he talked about Kate. It reminded Vernon so much of his relationship with his wife.


    "I get it, don¡¯t be embarrassed," Vernon said. "Go and register it tomorrow, bring my secretary with you. Diamond will be a great help."


    **


    Henry was looking forward to the progress he made. He asked Michael about Kate¡¯s well-being everyday and was always happy knowing that Kate was in good health and safe.


    It became a habit for Henry to wake up early in the morning, text Michael about his woman¡¯s health and safety, and then start his day.


    People might think he was obsessed with Kate, but that was untrue.


    He was so in love with her that thinking about Kate was enough to boost him through the whole day.


    Henry was having a great time setting up his company and had discussed with Vernon about the good location for the office.


    Vernon offered to start the company in the Golden Star building. Henry didn¡¯t need to pay for anything because Vernon simply wanted to help his cousin and repay his debt to the late James Grant.


    Thus, Henry registered his company¡¯s name to the state business bureau, and with Vernon¡¯s connection, the verification should take less than a week.


    Things went smoothly for Henry but not for Graham.


    **


    "He is registering a company name?!"


    "Yes, He registered an advertising agency and publishing house. We are in the process of verifying everything."


    Graham was having lunch with his colleague, a man working in the state¡¯s business bureau. He informed Graham immediately because Graham personally asked if Henry had come to do something in the business bureau. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Graham was astonished.


    Amongst all the possibilities he could think of, the idea of Henry starting a company was out of his expectation.


    "That kid is too young and has no experience starting a company. Does he think that he will succeed without his father¡¯s help?" Graham muttered. He shifted his gaze back at his colleague and asked, "Can you try to stop the verification process?"


    "Huh? What do you mean? You want me to stop Henry Theodore Grant from registering his companies?"


    "Yes," Graham nodded. "It shouldn¡¯t be hard, right? Think of any reason that can halt the process."


    "I don¡¯t think I can do that. An important businessman backs him. I don¡¯t want to take a risk."


    "Important businessman?"


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray. Surely you know him, right?"


    Graham went silent instantly. Of course, he knew who that man was. Vernon was the new multi-billion dollar businessman who had acquired the Gray company. He was a very powerful man despite his young age.


    But Graham also knew that Vernon and Henry were cousins.


    He scoffed, "That bastard is playing dirty, using his cousin¡¯s influence to make sure that nobody can stop his plan."


    ...


    "Graham, why are you so hostile towards that young man? All he wants to do is start a business and it¡¯s a harmless advertising agency and publishing house. He also has no criminal record. Is there something personal I do not know of?"


    "It¡¯s a long story, but I don¡¯t want to implicate you further," Graham sighed. "For the last request, can you give me his company address?"


    "Uh, I guess. But don¡¯t tell anyone that you know it from me. I¡¯ll send you the company address once I return to the office."


    "I will handle him myself. Thanks for the help," Graham sipped his coffee before excusing himself to leave.


    Finally, after a week of searching for Henry¡¯s intention, he got the information that Henry was starting a business.


    He didn¡¯t know the intention behind it, but he guessed it must be related to Kate since the publishing company was Kate¡¯s professional skill.


    ¡¯What does he want to do with the company? Will it hurt Kate as well?¡¯


    Graham¡¯s mind was infested with fear and suspicion. Everything that Henry did sounded suspicious to Graham to the point that he couldn¡¯t think straight.


    Talking to Sarah didn¡¯t help either.


    Graham got the feeling that Sarah was fueling his worry. Whenever Graham asked whether she had found a way to reach Kate, Sarah would say that Michael had stopped her from seeing Kate.


    -


    ¡¯Kate is being locked up in that apartment all by herself. Henry is a monster. He doesn¡¯t want Kate to run away, and still tricked her into thinking she¡¯s being loved,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡¯Please do something, Graham! I have no power against him. But I sympathize because Kate and I are both women. I don¡¯t want her to get hurt.¡¯


    ¡ª


    The more Sarah added fuel to the fire, the angrier Graham got.


    He was not in control of himself. He was driven by fear and worry. But he just couldn¡¯t stop.


    He wouldn¡¯t stop until he could save Kate from the clutch of that bastard.


    After he got the location of Henry¡¯s new company¡¯s office, Graham drove his car straight to the office building.


    He wanted to meet with Henry and talk to him. That bastard already blocked his number way before Kate did, so he could not contact Henry.


    "Come on, Henry, show me that you still have a sliver of kindness in you. You cannot be this cruel, right?" Graham said while entering the office building¡¯s parking lot. "Surely, you won¡¯t let Kate get hurt, right? She is an innocent woman."

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337: Chapter 337Henry was busy reading through many documents he needed to start his business. He also needed to check some of the recommended workers from Vernon.


    Since starting a business requires a few talented people as the higher-ups, Vernon decided to help by recommending all the potential executives in his company. It was such a great help because in a regular situation, there was no way for Henry to gather these professionals at such a short time.


    "How about the secretary position, Sir?" Diamond asked as she put another stack of documents on the table. "Mr. Phoenix Gray told me that you might hire someone you know better as a secretary because a secretary handles a few private matters."


    Henry nodded, "I actually have someone that I prefer."


    "Is it Mrs. Katherine Woods?" Diamond inquired. "I¡¯m sorry, Sir. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to let a million-dollar Senior Editor be your secretary."


    "No, it¡¯s uh..." Henry paused for a moment, thinking if Diamond would get the wrong idea. "I have a friend of mine in university, her name is Mindy, and she is a professional."


    ¡¯Besides, I also promised to give her a job, but I was too caught up with everything. I guess this is the best way to repay her for the help.¡¯


    "If she is currently unemployed, then please get her to work as soon as possible, Sir. I can¡¯t handle working under two companies at the same time," Diamond said firmly. After all, she was the secretary of Vernon Phoenix Gray, not Henry Grant. Just the idea of working with these two men at the same time was nightmarish already. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sorry, and thanks for the help. I will tell her to come as soon as possible," Henry said.


    "Alright, Sir, I will have lunch first. Please text me if you need lunch as well," Diamond said before turning around and leaving.


    Henry said nothing. He probably won¡¯t have lunch today either.


    It had been a week, and his eating schedule had been irregular. He kept thinking about Kate, and always remembered the simple dishes Kate made at home. It might be simple, but it was so delicious that Henry had lost his appetite whenever he had to eat some restaurant lunch.


    ¡¯It¡¯s okay, I will fatten myself up after reuniting with her. I think eating with her is enough to help my appetite,¡¯ Henry thought.


    As he busied himself in the office, the door was suddenly slammed open, and Diamond showed up again with a tense expression.


    Henry frowned, "What¡¯s wrong, Diamond?"


    "Sir, it¡¯s Mr. Graham Hubbard, the renowned divorce lawyer in New York. He suddenly entered the office and demanded to meet you in person."


    "Graham?" Henry¡¯s frown grew deeper.


    He had blocked Graham¡¯s phone after the divorce between Kate and Matt was settled. Henry didn¡¯t want to do anything with Graham because that bastard was coveting Kate. He didn¡¯t want an unnecessary rival when his love life with Kate was already complicated.


    "Yes," Diamond nodded. "Sir, do you want me to call the security or do you want to meet him?"


    Henry sighed.


    He didn¡¯t know what Graham wanted to do right now, but it was better to clarify whatever problem he had.


    "Let him in, I will have a talk with him."


    "So, this is the office of your new company," Graham commented as he entered Henry¡¯s CEO office. Henry sat and stared at Graham solemnly, "I don¡¯t know how the hell could you get my new company¡¯s address, and I don¡¯t know what you want to do. But whatever it is, make it quick, I¡¯m busy here."


    Graham¡¯s lips twitched. He had expected Henry to be unpleasant, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so obvious about it.


    ¡¯He truly shed all of his fake acts of kindness when Kate wasn¡¯t around. What a phony,¡¯ Graham sneered.


    "I¡¯m here to talk¡ª" Graham said. He walked to the sofa and sat leisurely while facing Henry. "¡ªAbout you."


    "About me? What¡¯s there to talk about?" Henry asked while on full guard. He could sense the hostility coming from Graham, so he didn¡¯t want to make any slip-ups. "You know that all I¡¯m doing is just trying to start a company, right?"


    "... Henry, be honest with me. What do you want from Kate?" Graham asked. "And don¡¯t act dumb in front of me, I know what you are scheming."


    Henry¡¯s eyes peered suspiciously, "What scheme? You¡¯re accusing me of random stuff now, huh? But if you really want my answer, then I want to be happy with Kate. I want to have a good life with her, safe and secure from any danger and hostile people."


    "I¡¯m starting my own company right now to start my effort to give Kate a good life," Henry said truthfully. "I love her. I¡¯m doing everything for her and our baby."


    "Bullshit," Graham called out instantly. He clenched his fist, he couldn¡¯t wait to punch Henry for acting like an angel when the reality was far from it. "I know that you want to take her baby and give it to Marlon in exchange for power, right?"


    "You are so greedy that you would take Kate¡¯s baby and let it die in Marlon¡¯s hand just because of a company," Graham gritted his teeth. "You¡¯re a piece of shit who tricked an innocent woman to bear your child, only to separate her from her baby later on, right?!"


    Henry¡¯s gaze deepened. He observed Graham from head to toe; it was surprising that Graham would know about his previous plan, but he had a guess of the one who leaked it.


    "Did Sarah tell you about this?"


    "So what if she did?" Graham sneered. "Don¡¯t try to avoid accountability, Henry Grant. She has nothing to do with your crazy plan!"


    "She does," Henry said. "I already annulled my engagement with her. So she becomes very spiteful. She even tried to murder Dahlia a day after I broke off the engagement."


    "You¡ª" Graham was speechless. "You really went as far as trying to frame an innocent lady to avoid accountability?!"

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338: Chapter 338"First, she is far from innocent," Henry refuted immediately. "Second, there is no need to be so hostile towards me. I never tried to avoid accountability."


    Henry raised the document in his hand and said, "This¡ªI have been doing all of this paperwork to start a company. I AM taking accountability here."


    "I trust Sarah more than you because she has no ulterior motive," Graham said. "Just admit it, Henry, say to my face that you planned to take Kate¡¯s baby and give it to your father in exchange for the company¡¯s ownership."


    "I also heard from Sarah that you strangled her when she refused to annul the engagement," Graham parroted Sarah¡¯s words. "You are truly a despicable bastard, Henry. James will be disappointed."


    Henry slammed the table and stood up. He glared at Graham, who sneered at him.


    "DON¡¯T YOU DARE BRING MY BROTHER INTO THIS!" Henry shouted. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW!"


    Graham was glad that he finally got some reaction from Henry. As expected, Henry wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with his calm and collected charade the moment he brought James to the table. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, Henry was still the same naive young boy who lurked under his late brother¡¯s shadow.


    Thus, Graham continued to incite his anger. The angrier Henry got, the more prone he was to admit everything.


    "Did I say something wrong? Your brother will be disappointed knowing you tried to hurt his beloved woman!" Graham said. He got up from the sofa once he felt that Henry was too intimidating. As they stood facing each other, Graham continued. "Kate should¡¯ve been with me instead. I know how to treat her right, and more importantly, I won¡¯t try to hurt her and steal her baby!"


    "YOU¡ª!" Henry rushed towards Graham and grabbed his collar. "Say that again, I will fucking kill you!"


    Graham grinned, full of satisfaction, "This is the real you, right? Come on, Henry, I¡¯ve known you since you were just a child. You were the little devil that made everyone¡¯s life miserable, and now that you¡¯re an adult, you are still the same devil who made James and Kate¡¯s life miserable."


    Graham¡¯s eyes turned cold as he imagined how Henry would do this to Kate eventually. He might snap and get angry at her, and he might abuse her.


    After all, Henry wasn¡¯t the best at anger management.


    "You are a son of a whore. You shouldn¡¯t have been born," Graham said cruelly. "You never bring joy to anyone in this world, Henry Grant."


    Henry couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. It was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. He clenched his fist and punched Graham in the face.


    "ARGH!"


    Henry released Graham¡¯s collar, and the latter fell to the sofa with a nosebleed. He felt the stinging pain, followed by dizziness.


    Never in his life had he expected Henry to punch him.


    "BASTARD!" Graham got up and prepared to punch Henry as payback, but Henry was stronger than him. So Henry simply grabbed Graham¡¯s arm and flung him to the side.


    Henry took a step back, staring at Graham, who grimaced in pain as he got punched. The nosebleed continued to flow nonstop, but Graham didn¡¯t try to block his nose.


    Henry¡¯s mind got hazy for a moment.


    He cursed himself as he knew that he fucked up.


    Graham tried to get up and attack him again, but this time, Henry grabbed his neck to keep him in place and said, "Stop this, Graham. I don¡¯t feel good beating my brother¡¯s best friend."


    "Hahah! That¡¯s so rich coming from you, Henry!" Graham said. "You are the vilest person I know in this world. You tricked a good woman to bear your child, take the baby, and let it die in your father¡¯s hand! You also strangled Sarah just because you wanted to annul the engagement!"


    "You are so fucking selfish! Just like your whore mother!"


    Graham¡¯s words hurt so much that Henry was about to lose control once more.


    He clenched his fist again, ready to give Graham another punch, until his phone suddenly rang.


    Graham and Henry turned their neck to the table at the same time, and they could read the caller ID.


    ¡ª


    Kitty <3 is calling.


    ¡ª


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened.


    After another long, sweet call with Kate, Henry realized he couldn¡¯t just block her phone number. He craved her too much.


    So Kate was the one who blocked Henry¡¯s phone number instead.


    Who would¡¯ve expected her to unblock Henry¡¯s number and call him now?


    It was simply the worst time he could ever think of.


    Graham scoffed, "Come on, answer that phone call. Let me hear what kind of sweet lies you¡¯ll tell her."


    Henry gritted his teeth, "She doesn¡¯t need to know about this. I had a change of heart, so I¡¯m starting a company on my own. I want to give her the safety she needs."


    "A change of heart? HAHAHAHAH!" Graham laughed loudly as if it was the funniest thing he heard for a while. ¡¯Come on now, a change of heart? How could a greedy bastard like you have a change of heart?"


    "I¡¯m doing this for her! I fell in love with her, so I want to protect her! Stop accusing me when you know nothing!"


    Graham¡¯s eyes grew increasingly colder and scarier, as if he saw Henry as the worst scum on earth, "If you had truly fallen in love with her, then you would¡¯ve left her alone."


    "She is fine by herself, or you would let me be her man instead. I will protect her much better than you could ever do."


    "I can¡¯t do that! Didn¡¯t you fucking hear what I said just now? I¡¯m in love with her!"


    "Then your love is selfish!" Graham yelled back. "You are a selfish bastard who would implicate an innocent lady into your messy life! Stop with this act, Henry Grant. Tell Kate everything and leave her! Let me be her man that will protect her!"

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339: Chapter 339Here¡¯s a proofread version of the continued text:


    Henry had no more words for Graham. No matter how many times he tried to convince Graham that he was in love with Kate and tried to fix things, he would NOT believe him.


    Maybe it was because Henry had a bad reputation, so it was easier to believe a snake like Sarah.


    Maybe because Henry was a child of a prostitute, so Graham instantly saw him as a lesser person and thus could not be trusted.


    Or maybe because Graham was obviously in love with Kate as well, so he tried to separate Henry and Kate in any way possible just to have a chance with her.


    Either way, Henry had enough.


    There was no pleasure in beating his late brother¡¯s best friend, especially when Henry had known Graham since he was just a child.


    Graham¡ªin any way possible¡ªwas Henry¡¯s second big brother. Though they weren¡¯t as close as he was with Michael, Henry still saw Graham as family nonetheless.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Why do you stop hitting me?" Graham taunted Henry even further. Henry began to question whether Graham intentionally tried to piss him off. "Go on, hit me, you son of a bitch! Let Kate know what kind of monster she has been in love with."


    Henry¡¯s heart was crushed from the inside.


    He felt so terrible right now, and yet the ringing phone on the desk did not help him at all.


    Graham was right to some extent.


    Kate shouldn¡¯t be dating someone with an anger issue, someone who would beat anyone so easily and mercilessly.


    So Henry tightened his chokehold on Graham¡¯s neck and dragged him out of his office.


    Diamond was waiting outside anxiously. She could hear the fight between those two, Graham Hubbard and Henry Grant.


    It was worrying because she knew a simple fight between them would lead to a long court battle, and her boss would not like that.


    ¡¯Ah, why am I roped into this mess?¡¯ Diamond lamented her fate as she was dragged here and there into this family drama.


    She was not unfamiliar with such, but of course she preferred to keep any problem minimal.


    As she waited anxiously, the door was slammed open from inside, and Henry flung Graham out of his office until his back hit the ground.


    "Mr. Hubbard¡ª!"


    Diamond instinctively tried to help the weaker one in this fight.


    Just from the bloodied nose, shirt that was stained with blood, and bruised cheek, it became obvious who was the winner in this fight.


    "Diamond, bring him to the hospital if necessary, pay for all kinds of hospital bills," Henry said. He looked cold, but from the way he spoke, Diamond sensed that Henry was also heartbroken.


    Thus, she decided not to pry too much into what just happened.


    "Heh, are you not afraid that I will press charges for assault and battery? I can ruin your new company with my connections! I will make sure that you will not succeed, you son of a bitch!"


    "You can try that. If I don¡¯t get any help from Vernon, then I will build my company in another state. I can also build the company under Michael¡¯s name," Henry said calmly, but his heart was aching when Graham threatened him.


    "I am done with you, I have lots to do other than punching the life out of you," Henry turned around and slammed the door shut. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He locked the door and ignored Kate¡¯s phone call.


    He went straight to the bathroom and washed his hands. He made sure there was no more blood spot on his hand; it made him feel dirty because he was about to answer his beloved¡¯s call after punching someone until he bled.


    Henry returned to his desk and finally picked up his beloved¡¯s phone call.


    ¡ª


    "Oh, thank god!" Kate exclaimed once the call was connected. "Where were you? I called you like... four times already!"


    Henry¡¯s lips curled up, forming a smile as soon as he heard Kate¡¯s voice.


    Truly, the voice of an angel was enough to dispel the looming darkness in his heart.


    Yet, there was also a growing guilt that began to eat him from inside.


    To some extent, Graham was right.


    He was selfish.


    If his love was truly pure, he would have released Kate from his grip and let her live a secure life with their baby. Henry might not be able to see Kate for the rest of his life, and it would surely be torture.


    But at least, Kate and their baby wouldn¡¯t get hurt.


    But he was so selfish and egotistical, he still tried to find a way to fix the mess he created in the hope that Kate wouldn¡¯t know how horrible he was.


    "Sorry, I had a meeting with my cousin just now," Henry lied through his teeth as he wiped his damp hands with a tissue. "Why do you call me? Is there something wrong?"


    "Nope, everything is just as usual," Kate replied. She sighed and leaned on the sofa, staring at the sea while still on call with her man. "I just miss you. That¡¯s all."


    "I miss you too, more than anything," Henry murmured. "I hope you can be here with me; things have been... unpleasant."


    "Unpleasant? Did something happen?"


    "I... I am just tired," Henry replied as he tried to backtrack from his previous statement. He could not let Kate know the struggle he faced right now with Sarah and Graham trying to make him fail.


    Henry knew that Kate would help him immediately through many means. Kate was a woman with lots of wits, and she might come up with a good but gruesome idea just like what she did to Erin.


    But Henry didn¡¯t want Kate to build such an idea.


    He wanted to coddle her, making sure that she stayed ignorant and happy with their relationship and her pregnancy.


    "You are not ¡¯just tired,¡¯ Henry Grant," Kate said with a trace of worry in her voice. "Your voice is hoarse and trembling when talking to me just now. I can sense the grievance in you."


    "You can¡¯t lie to me, Henry. So tell me your problem; maybe I can help."

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340: Chapter 340"You can¡¯t lie to me, Henry. So tell me your problem. Maybe I can help."


    That offer surely sounded very tempting. It would be great if Henry could just cry in front of Kate, telling her everything that happened and begging her to stay with him despite his mistake.


    He wanted to bawl out like a baby while hugging his beloved, and after that, things would be sunshine and rainbows for them.


    ¡¯Heh, that¡¯s just an impossible dream at this point,¡¯ Henry thought. He had gotten such a strong reaction from Kate after the truth regarding Sarah and his engagement was revealed.


    If the truth regarding Henry¡¯s plan was revealed as well, he might as well jump from this building and leave this world because he knew Kate would leave him knowing that horrendous truth.


    Henry cleared his throat, ensuring he didn¡¯t sound whiny or weak while talking to Kate, "I¡¯m just tired about a few problems I faced while starting my own company. I didn¡¯t realize it would be so difficult. But don¡¯t worry, I can manage."


    "Ah, so that¡¯s why..." Kate nodded. She was relieved. "I really thought that you were facing a dire situation."


    "Haha! Me? Oh, come on, Kitty, you know how capable I am. I will maneuver myself out of any sticky situation!"


    Kate giggled, listening to how confident Henry was.


    He sounded so confident that Kate thought she was overthinking when she heard his trembling voice at the beginning of the call.


    "Alright, alright, but if you¡¯re facing a dire situation, don¡¯t forget to call me. Even if I have to go to New York, I will go there and help, understand?"


    "The only reason I want you to be here is to embrace you," Henry said. "I miss you so much, Kitty..."


    "It¡¯s been a while, not a year," Kate said, but she also shared the sentiment. She missed him a lot. She had recently realized how hard it was to be separated from a man you loved. "But I cannot be there, at least not for a simple hug. You need to focus on yourself."


    "I am. Everything should be ready for you to move in three months. I guarantee it will be more secure in this new company."


    "Mhm, I trust you, Henry."


    Henry and Kate talked about trivial stuff for a while until Kate hung up the call.


    Henry flipped his phone on the desk, making sure he couldn¡¯t check the phone screen. He swallowed this growing uneasiness in his heart and returned to work, reading documents about legal preparation and a few contracts.


    **


    "Mr. Hubbard, can you get up on your own?" Diamond asked. She tried to help Graham, but he was too heavy.


    On top of that, she was somewhat reluctant to help him because Graham definitely brought this upon himself.


    Henry looked twice stronger than Graham, and the result of the fight was obvious.


    Graham gritted his teeth while staring at the CEO¡¯s office door. He wiped the blood dripping from his nose and said, "I will ruin this bastard¡¯s life!"


    He got up on his own, completely ignoring Diamond, who stood next to him.


    "Mr. Hubbard, let me bring you to the hospital. You need to be treated," she offered.


    "I don¡¯t need your help. You¡¯re his lackey," Graham accused. "I¡¯ll go to the hospital myself. I¡¯ll make a record of all the wounds and sue him for assault and battery."


    Diamond stopped worrying about Graham¡¯s condition when she knew Henry¡¯s company was in serious trouble.


    Graham had a lot of connections with the court. It was particularly impossible for Henry to avoid the lawsuit.


    Knowing his cousin was in trouble, Diamond knew how furious Vernon would be, "I suggest you not do that, Sir."


    Graham turned his head towards Diamond and realized she had been glaring at him the whole time, "Shut up, you lackey! You don¡¯t know what kind of person he is! He is a piece of shit who tricked a woman into bearing his baby. Then he would take the baby to his father to get killed!"


    "All that cruel act just because he is greedy. He is exchanging the baby for the complete takeover of the Grant family¡¯s company!"


    ...


    Diamond knew that was not the case.


    If Henry truly wanted to steal his girlfriend¡¯s baby just to take over the Grant company, he wouldn¡¯t bother himself starting an advertising agency and publishing house.


    Henry probably already said it in front of Graham, but this man was just blinded by his illogical rage that he couldn¡¯t swallow such simple logic.


    "You are going to face Vernon Phoenix Gray if you dare to sue him," Diamond continued. "Trust me, Henry and Vernon are very close. You¡¯re making an unnecessary enemy."


    Graham went silent for a while. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His resolution faltered once Vernon¡¯s name was brought up.


    Vernon had a big influence that would be enough to shut him up. On top of that, Henry might be twisting his words just to get Marlon¡¯s support.


    Fighting against the Gray and Grant family was like a death sentence. He might as well hang himself after he filed a lawsuit.


    Diamond smirked as she had successfully slapped Graham with reality, "You¡¯re committing a career suicide, Mr. Hubbard. What can you do to retaliate if you don¡¯t even have the necessary capital?" Diamond said. "If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be so rash to report this. What kind of punishment would Henry get? Probably a fine and not even a ten million dollar fine would be enough to scare him."


    ...


    "This is not over yet. Tell your boss I¡¯m not done with him," Graham said. "I will find a way to protect her, even if it would cost my life!"


    Graham left in a hurry. Ignoring his appearance, he went down with the elevator.


    Diamond sighed as she watched the elevator and glanced at the CEO¡¯s office door.


    "Up to a rocky start. I hope it¡¯ll be worth it for you, Henry Grant."

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341: Chapter 341Graham returned to his car, ignoring the blatant stares from people who passed him. The stinging pain on his body was nowhere near the pain in his heart. He kept thinking about Kate, who had been fooled by Henry, and he was also thinking about how powerless he was against Henry and Vernon.


    "Truly a family made in hell," Graham muttered. He pulled a tissue to wipe the blood on his face and then called Sarah.


    The call was connected not long after, and Sarah immediately bombarded him with questions.


    "How was it? Did you find him?" she asked.


    "I did," Graham replied. "Henry is trying to start a business under his name. He said he is doing that to separate himself from his family and to give Kate a secure life, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true."


    Sarah¡¯s lips thinned when she heard the news. Truly, Henry had so many surprises for her. He actually dared to start a company on his own.


    ¡¯It seems that I have underestimated his stubbornness,¡¯ Sarah thought. ¡¯He¡¯s more reckless than I expected.¡¯


    "What do you think he will do with this business?" Graham asked. "Surely, you don¡¯t think that he has good intentions, right?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, I don¡¯t know..." Sarah sighed. "I mean, Henry is a good man. But he is blinded by greed right now. He probably wants to start his own business so he can persuade Kate to leave Emperor Publishing and go with him."


    "He just wants to make sure that Kate has nowhere else to go, so when she has been uprooted from the company that she loved, she would be forced to do whatever Henry wants," Sarah said, continuing to pour negative emotions into Graham¡¯s mind. "And since Kate is so foolishly in love with Henry, she would be willing to abandon everything just to be with him."


    "Damn!" Graham cursed as he swallowed every word that came out of Sarah¡¯s mouth. "He beat me up as well. That bastard needs to die!"


    "He beat you up? Why don¡¯t you file a lawsuit for that? It¡¯s considered assault, right?"


    "I want to, but he is backed by Vernon Phoenix Gray, his cousin. If I sue Henry for this, Vernon would be my enemy, and I don¡¯t want to take that stupid risk," Graham said.


    Sarah rolled her eyes while on the call. Graham wasn¡¯t as stupid as she expected. It would be nice if Graham would do anything she said, but he still had a few brain cells left, it seemed.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean he was out of usage for Sarah.


    "Alright, then let¡¯s just focus on Erin and Matthew. They are our two best bets," Sarah said. "Of course, this would be a long project, but this will hurt Kate really bad and shame Henry until he can¡¯t even show his face in public."


    Graham shuddered. He sensed a malicious intention coming from Sarah. She might think that she was slick and subtle, but Graham was a lawyer for almost a decade now. It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to sense if someone truly had a bad intention.


    He knew this plan would definitely hurt Kate, but he had no other way.


    Graham imagined the tears of anguish that would stain Katherine¡¯s beautiful face, and his heart ached whenever he realized that he was involved in this evil project.


    ¡¯But that would be a temporary pain. Kate will realize that she cannot be with Henry or she would be shamed by people. She will have nowhere to go, and when that time comes... she will find me,¡¯ Graham thought, suppressing the guilt in his heart.


    ¡¯I will treat her right. I will show her how good of a man I am.¡¯


    "When will you tell Marlon about his son¡¯s doings?" Graham asked. "Surely, that old crook will be furious knowing that he annulled the engagement with you, right?"


    "Oh, he will be furious, for sure," Sarah confirmed. "I have been thinking about keeping it to myself, hoping that Henry would still have some kindness in his heart to let go of Kate, and we will find another way to appease Marlon, so he will still transfer the company to Henry."


    "But Henry is very impatient. He is greedy and selfish, so I might have to tell Marlon before it¡¯s too late..." Playing with her sweet and caring card, Sarah continued to fool Graham who was still surrounded by negative emotions. "Do you think it¡¯s too evil for me to ruin his life? I mean, I just want things to return to normal..."


    "No, it¡¯s not too evil," Graham tried to justify their action. "We are trying to protect Kate from Henry¡¯s greed; we are doing the right thing."


    Sarah smirked. She was trying her best to hold her laugh. "You are right, we are doing the right thing, Graham."


    Graham nodded, feeling at ease knowing that he was still the good guy in this uphill battle against Henry and his family.


    "For now, I will monitor Matt¡¯s progress. I have to make sure that he looks good, so he will be convincing enough in front of the camera later," Graham said.


    "I¡¯m thinking of the correct time to retrieve Erina Ross from that frozen wasteland. I¡¯ll think about it after having a talk about Henry¡¯s behavior with Marlon," Sarah said. ¡¯After all, I want that crazy bitch to lose her mind completely first. I want her to be insane, so she might actually kill Kate¡¯s baby in a fit of rage.¡¯


    Sarah¡¯s smirk grew wider as she imagined Erin, Kate¡¯s crazy sister, stabbing Kate¡¯s belly. Or, maybe if the baby was already born, then Erin would strangle that kid as revenge after tossing her in the middle of the frozen wasteland.


    ¡¯Hmm, I will let her stay there for a while. She needs a year to be completely insane. Let her be my craziest puppet, hihihi~.¡¯


    "You should get yourself treated, Graham. I know that Henry is a good fighter; he must¡¯ve beaten you badly," Sarah suggested.


    "He did..." Graham gritted his teeth. Never in his life did he expect himself to get beaten by a thug. It was humiliating, to say the least.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342: Chapter 342¡¯I will get even with him for this humiliation,¡¯ Graham vowed in his heart. ¡¯He will regret everything once he sees me with Kate, happily married.¡¯


    Graham and Sarah ended the call after agreeing to proceed with Matt¡¯s plan first, then consider Erin later. Matt was easier to reach and easier to control than the unpredictable Erin.


    Sarah chuckled after ending the call, "Oh, Graham, you are so stupid when you¡¯re in love. It¡¯s so obvious that Henry is trying to protect Kate from his father. But you¡¯re too blinded with jealousy and rage."


    "But it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s very beneficial for me. The angrier you are, the more predictable you get."


    Sarah got up from the sofa, sauntered to her bedroom, and started taking off her dress. She was wearing a colorful dress adorned with diamonds, flashy and fitting her body very well, but she needed something less eye-catching.


    "Hmm~ Hmm~," Sarah hummed a song while looking through her dresses in her dressing room. She picked the one with the least adornment. It was a plain white dress that looked modest, though the price was far from it.


    "This is perfect for Marlon," Sarah nodded. "I need to show him how modest and sweet I am, a perfect woman for the ever haughty and reckless Henry."


    Sarah made sure that she wore barely any makeup and even went as far as sabotaging herself, making sure she looked beat up and tired. She had to be convincing to play the heartbroken ex-fianc¨¦e in front of her future father-in-law.


    It took her a while, but once she was done with her face, she nodded approvingly, "Perfect, now let¡¯s make sure that old crook will be on my side."


    The Grant estate was grand yet empty, as usual. There were a few maids, butlers, and security around the estate, but it was far from the bustling castle that Sarah¡¯s parents owned.


    There were no garden parties and no visitors during the usual day. Even during Christmas, the Grant family usually spent it together as a small family or kept fewer than twenty people at the table.


    Marlon was old and creaky; he got annoyed by many things, loud noise being one of them.


    Since Dahlia was out of the house, the previously quiet estate became even quieter.


    Penny was a prostitute who climbed the social ladder by trapping Marlon after a one-night stand. Her reputation was known across the old-money circle, to the point that nobody wanted to side with her. The men didn¡¯t want anything to do with that kind of dangerous snake, while the women despised the mistress.


    So Penny was all alone. Nobody wanted to talk to her, nobody wanted to invite her to any tea party or gathering. So she spent her life lavishing herself with diamonds that barely suited her at all.


    "And those two people are the easiest to manipulate," Sarah said. She parked her car and went inside the mansion.


    The butlers and maids were already familiar with Lady Lancaster. When she asked Marlon and Penny¡¯s whereabouts, one of the butlers replied, "They are in the study room, Milady."


    All the butlers and maids in this mansion had been trained to understand the etiquette when facing a noble, something that Sarah really liked. After all, she would be Henry¡¯s wife in the future, so they had to get used to it.


    ¡¯Especially when he will be a Duke if his branch noble family can¡¯t have a male heir. He is literally the perfect husband for me,¡¯ Sarah walked through the corridor leading to the study, imagining herself getting the title of a Duchess.


    "Duchess Sarah Stone York, from the House of Lancaster, betrothed to Duke Henry Theodore York, from the House of York," she murmured. The title felt nice on her tongue, especially after knowing she didn¡¯t need to bear the surname of Grant.


    It was a good surname, but not better than York. It was truly the title she wanted, and Henry had to replace his surname if he had to be promoted as the duke.


    All this time, she had always imagined herself marrying a prince, but the current prince did not like her. So if she could not be a queen, then she would be a duchess, at least.


    She did not like Henry, at least not romantically. But she had never loved anyone, not even her parents. She was incapable of feeling such a thing, and the only thrill she could get was from looking down on other people.


    Henry was simply the right man at the right time. She was his stepping stone to be even more powerful, so she could look down at those powerless, poor peasants. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯And I will do anything to achieve that thrilling sensation.¡¯


    Sarah stood in front of the study room. She knocked on it a few times, and then opened it. As she expected, Marlon Grant was sitting in his wicker chair, reading a book while Penny was trying her best to entertain herself with her phone.


    She had been desperately trying to get Marlon¡¯s attention, but the creaky old man was ignoring her completely. After all, he had a good life with Dahlia until he realized that he had gotten older, and Dahlia¡ªdespite getting older as well¡ªbecame even more influential than him.


    Marlon realized that Dahlia might overpower him in the near future, which was bad because his pride as a man wouldn¡¯t let that happen. So he decided to go with Penny, a whore with barely any connection, nor competence to lead a rich mansion.


    Marlon and Penny lifted their heads at the same time, and a small smile appeared on their faces when they saw their future daughter-in-law.


    "Sarah! Oh my, why didn¡¯t you text me before you came?" Penny rushed to hug Sarah. "I miss you!"


    Sarah frowned a little, but she quickly hid it in front of Penny.


    ¡¯Ugh, why do I have to hug a whore? This is so disgusting!¡¯ Sarah cursed in her heart. But her lips were very sweet. "I wanted to surprise you! I miss you too!"

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343: Chapter 343Penny was so happy seeing Sarah because she thought that Sarah had accepted her as her future mother-in-law. She was still a human, after all. Despite her lavish life after baby-trapping Marlon, she still wanted to get a bit of validation of her existence.


    Marlon tried to get up, but Sarah rushed towards him and gently pushed the old man back to his seat, "No need to stand up to greet me, Marlon. I¡¯m here just for a visit."


    Marlon¡¯s smile got wider. He wouldn¡¯t lie that he was very proud of his future daughter-in-law.


    Why?


    Because she was simply the type of woman that all father-in-laws wanted.


    Sarah was sweet, caring, well-educated, and also came from a noble background. Unlike Katherine, who was a daughter of a child molester, Sarah had everything that Kate didn¡¯t have.


    So Marlon often wondered why James fell in love with such a low-quality woman when Sarah was already here, waiting to be betrothed.


    "I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, Sarah," Marlon said while holding her hand. "Everything has been very dull in this mansion. You will be a great mistress of the house once you are married to Henry."


    "Yes, you will light up the house!" Penny followed enthusiastically. "Besides, you should be calling us Mom and Dad at this point, right?"


    "That¡¯s right," Marlon nodded. "You should be calling us your Mom and Dad since we will be a family."


    Sarah¡¯s sweet smile dissipated.


    She looked sad while pulling away her hand from Marlon gently. She stepped back and said, "I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot do that, Marlon. That would be an overstepping on my part."


    Marlon frowned, "Overstepping? Of course not! I allow you to call me Dad or Father!"


    "Me too! I want to be called your mother! After all, you¡¯re going to marry my son, right?"


    Sarah lowered her head, playing as a pitiful sweet lady, and she replied, "I can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t marry Henry anymore."


    Marlon and Penny were shocked.


    Sarah didn¡¯t seem to mind being engaged with Henry all this time. After James¡¯ death and she was grieving, Henry suddenly proposed to Sarah in front of Marlon and Penny, and they were ecstatic seeing that Sarah and Henry would be together, replacing James, who had failed to be a good heir for the Grant family.


    "What happened? Did he annoy you?" Penny asked. "Oh dear, men are like that, especially a young man like Henry. He might say a few wrong things, but that doesn¡¯t mean he hates you!"


    Penny tried to salvage any kind of discord between Henry and Sarah as much as possible. She didn¡¯t want to lose the chance of being the mother-in-law of a woman from a noble background.


    Sarah shook her head, "It¡¯s way worse than that. But I¡ª"Sarah looked up, staring at Marlon and Penny, who looked anxious, and continued, "¡ªI don¡¯t know how to fix our relationship anymore."


    Marlon went silent for a while, listening to Sarah, and then said, "Just tell me what¡¯s wrong, Sarah. Let me beat that boy if he dares to hurt you."


    Sarah swallowed her saliva and muttered in a low and pitiful voice, "He annulled the engagement between us."


    "HE WHAT?!"


    Marlon almost jumped out of his wicker chair. He thought he heard it wrong, "He annulled the engagement with you?!"


    Sarah nodded reluctantly. She was so good at playing as a sweet, innocent young lady who could do no wrong, and these two old people ate it up easily.


    "He came to my apartment about a week ago. He told me he fell in love with Kate and decided to annul the engagement..." Sarah said. She covered her face and started sobbing. "I don¡¯t know what I did wrong, but Henry suddenly slapped me when I said no to the annulment. He even went as far as strangling me."


    "He forced me to accept the annulment, and fearing for my life, I had to say yes," Sarah said. She continued sobbing, adding, "Of course, I don¡¯t want our engagement ruined. I love him! I have genuinely planned to marry Henry by summer next year!" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah looked so convincing when she hunched her shoulder and continued crying while covering her face. Little did Marlon and Penny know Sarah was trying to hide her smile as she continued the fake cry.


    After all, who wouldn¡¯t laugh when facing two old people so easily fooled? Sarah would die laughing if she saw Penny¡¯s stupid face getting distressed over the fake news.


    "D¡ªDear, you know that Henry is just pretending to like Kate, right? After all, your father-in-law wants to have her baby in exchange for the company¡¯s ownership," Penny said as she tried to salvage the situation.


    "If he is just pretending, he wouldn¡¯t strangle me for it!" Sarah yelled back. She was like a pitiful woman who was desperate after getting her heart broken, and knowing that Penny was as useful as a used peanut shell, she decided to put all her energy towards Marlon instead.


    "Marlon¡ªno¡ªFather-in-law, I¡¯m sorry that I cannot be the woman who will marry your son. I haven¡¯t told my family about the engagement annulment yet, but I will leave this country and return to the UK. I must tell them directly so they can marry me off to someone else."


    Marlon took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t believe Henry would be foolish enough to turn like James after Marlon murdered his first son in cold blood just to set an example.


    "Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves here, Sarah. Don¡¯t tell your parents yet. They will be even more upset."


    "But Henry strangled me. He seems to have been truly enchanted by Kate, just like what happened to James..."


    "He¡¯s not like James. He is much more obedient!" Penny tried to defend her son. "T¡ªThere must be a misunderstanding here. Why don¡¯t I call him and tell him to come? Let¡¯s solve this problem as a family, okay, Sarah?"


    Sarah smirked, covering her face, ¡¯Time to strike while the iron is hot.¡¯

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344: Chapter 344"I don¡¯t think you can force him to come in here as well," Sarah said.


    "What do you mean? I can just call him now and tell him to come. He still lives in LA, right?" Penny grabbed her phone and was ready to call her son when Sarah replied.


    "No, he is not in Los Angeles. He is in New York right now."


    "New York?" Marlon frowned. "I don¡¯t remember sending him there for a business trip. Is it for a holiday?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah was actually quite annoyed by how calm Marlon sounded. He should¡¯ve been angrier, probably having a small heart attack after learning that Henry broke the engagement. But he was still somewhat composed, unlike the time James declared his love for Kate and that he would only marry her.


    ¡¯Could it be that he still thinks it¡¯s just a misunderstanding between us?¡¯ Sarah guessed. ¡¯Then I will make him realize the severity of the situation.¡¯


    "It¡¯s not for a holiday. For the past week, he has been contacting his cousin, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Sarah said. "Henry is trying to build his own company in New York City."


    Marlon was astonished by the news. He paused for a second, staring at his future daughter-in-law with a serious tone, "Don¡¯t play with me, Sarah. I never told him to start a branch company. Are you implying that Henry is trying to separate himself from the Grant family?"


    Sarah finally lifted her hands from her face, showing a tear-streaked face, and nodded reluctantly.


    Marlon closed his eyes, looking calm, but the vein on his forehead showed otherwise. He threw his book towards Penny and hit her forehead.


    "GO CALL YOUR SON NOW! THAT SON OF A BITCH BETTER HAVE AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THIS!"


    Marlon¡¯s thundering voice echoed in the study room, and Penny shrieked out of fear.


    "Y¡ªYes!" She quickly found her son¡¯s phone number and tried to call him.


    She put it on loudspeaker and gave it to her husband. Unfortunately, no matter how many times Penny tried to call her son, Henry would straight up ignore the call.


    Marlon slammed the phone to the floor and clenched the wicker chair, "IF HE IS TRYING TO SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM HIS FAMILY, THEN I WILL DRAG HIM BACK! THAT UNGRATEFUL BOY NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED!"


    Penny took a few steps back out of fear. Her legs were shaking as Marlon continued cursing Henry, so she grabbed the nearest drawer to support herself.


    She had been beaten by Marlon a few times for ¡¯disobedience¡¯ and most of the time, she tried to endure it because Marlon was her moneymaker.


    But this anger he showed was different.


    This was the same anger that he showed when James announced his love for Kate.


    It was the wrath that led to James¡¯ death.


    Penny turned pale, thinking that her son might be killed in the fit of rage by his own father.


    Marlon got up from his wicker chair and said to Sarah, "You can leave now, Sarah. Don¡¯t worry about that stupid boy; I will make sure that he will pay for what he did."


    Sarah wiped her tears and asked, "Don¡¯t be too harsh on him, father-in-law. I still love him and still think of him as my fianc¨¦. Despite him annulling our engagement..."


    Marlon sighed, "You¡¯re truly an angel sent by God for my son. He doesn¡¯t deserve you, but if you really want to be with him, then I will bring him back at least."


    Sarah finally had a sweet smile after getting the assurance she needed. But that didn¡¯t mean she was done playing with Marlon and Penny, "I¡¯ve tried to contact Katherine as well. As a woman, I want to have a conversation with her about Henry. I want her to know that Henry is my fianc¨¦."


    "But she is well-protected inside the apartment that Henry lived in before. I can¡¯t reach her when Michael is trying to protect her."


    "So, even Eckermann¡¯s son is trying to help Henry, huh?" Marlon sneered. "I¡¯ve ruined his father¡¯s life; I can do it again to his son."


    Sarah was trying her best not to laugh in front of Marlon. Just as she expected, Marlon would believe everything she said. After all, who wouldn¡¯t believe the words coming from a sweet young lady from a noble background? Henry was the son of a literal prostitute, known to be promiscuous, truly befitting of a mother-son duo.


    ¡¯See what I can do with your life, Henry? You will see what kind of hell I can put you in just because you refused me.¡¯


    Marlon took a deep breath. Truly, having two disobedient sons was not good for his heart.


    But he could not kill Henry just like what he did to James, because Henry was the only heir he had left, and he was eleven years younger than James, making him a perfect young man to be controlled.


    But who would¡¯ve expected him to retaliate as well? Was it in his blood?


    ¡¯Or was it because of that bitch?¡¯ Marlon pondered. ¡¯After all, James and Henry had always been obedient until they met Katherine. Maybe that woman put a spell on them, making them madly in love with an average lady.¡¯


    "I suggest you leave for now, Sarah. It will be very unpleasant for a while. I can¡¯t help being ashamed of what my son did to you," Marlon said.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m reporting everything because I want this family to prosper. After all, it would be great if the Grant family is married to the House of Lancaster, right? That means Henry will be able to claim the dukedom of York," Sarah said.


    She understood that title and reputation were also very important in Marlon¡¯s eyes, so it was the best way to ensure that Marlon would take action.


    "I understand. You should rest for now, and I will give you some good news soon."


    "Thank you, father-in-law. I will leave now, please take care of your health," Sarah said. ¡¯After all, I have no use of you if you die. So do something before that heart burst out of your chest, Marlon Grant.¡¯

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345: Chapter 345Sarah walked out of the study room and closed the door behind her. She walked through the corridor, holding a big grin on her face. To say that she was satisfied was an understatement; she was extremely delighted with the progress she made!


    Sarah couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit, thinking of Kate and Henry who would be busy handling Marlon¡¯s rage. They might be forced to move out, especially Kate since Marlon might actually target her life now.


    Of course, she knew that Henry wouldn¡¯t end up like James. He was the last heir that Marlon had; if he killed that young man, then the Grant family bloodline would cease to exist.


    "Well, I don¡¯t think that Marlon will be effective in killing Katherine either. I can see that she is far more resilient and cunning than what I¡¯ve expected before," Sarah said. "But, at least Kate and Henry will be busy trying to fight Marlon. I can just sit back and relax for a while before I retrieve that crazy woman from a frozen wasteland."


    Sarah chuckled upon imagining what kind of mess Marlon would create in Kate¡¯s life. Her eyes glinted with cruelty as she imagined the worst thing that could happen.


    "Serve you right, you arrogant bitch. Now you will understand not to mess with me and my man," Sarah murmured before leaving the mansion.


    Marlon lost the last trace of his kindness the moment Sarah left the study room. He darted his deep green eyes towards his prostitute mistress, and the latter shrieked immediately.


    Penny lost all of her strength, and her feet wobbled the moment she became a target. She took a few steps back and tried to defend herself, "I¡ªI don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening with that young man. I never taught him to betray you!"


    "You don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening? Hah! It¡¯s obvious that the son of a bitch has his whore mother¡¯s blood in him!" Marlon snapped. He grabbed a glass on the table and threw it towards Penny. The glass missed and hit the wall behind her, shattering it to pieces.


    Penny stepped away from the shattered glasses and rushed towards the door, trying to escape from her enraged husband, but Marlon grabbed her wrist and threatened, "Don¡¯t you dare to run away, you whore! I paid you to be my replacement wife, so you have to take Dahlia¡¯s role in everything!" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But I don¡¯t know what to do! What should I do so you¡¯d spare my life? I can¡¯t bring Henry in here, you know he is not going to change his mind!"


    Marlon gritted his teeth.


    Penny was right.


    Even if he called that son of a bitch, Henry wouldn¡¯t budge, especially when he already had his own capital.


    Marlon knew that James taught him how to invest efficiently since he was sixteen years old, and now that Henry was twenty-four, he could start his own business from all the money he had.


    On top of that, he also got the backing of his nephew, Vernon Phoenix Gray, a notably powerful man after he acquired his father¡¯s company.


    Henry got everything he needed in New York; there was no reason for him to go back to Los Angeles and beg for their help.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have allowed Henry to learn how to invest from James," Marlon said. "No, I shouldn¡¯t allow him to study at all. That son of a bitch is supposed to be my good son that would not question anything! He is supposed to be obedient!"


    Penny could feel that Marlon tightened his grip on her wrist. If this continued, she guessed that Marlon would unleash his rage on her, and that might be her end. So she quickly shifted the blame onto someone else, "It¡¯s that bitch! Katherine Woods!"


    "Katherine Woods..."


    "Yes!" Penny nodded desperately. "It¡¯s her! She seduced James and ruined his life by making him crazy in love with that mediocre woman. She did the same to Henry too! She is the real monster!"


    Marlon finally released his grip on Penny¡¯s wrist. The woman rubbed her bruised wrist and tried her best not to sob because of the pain. She knew that Marlon had a temper, and that temper was the cause of many bad things, including James¡¯ death.


    Penny was happy that Marlon directed his anger towards James, but she couldn¡¯t say the same when he was mad at Henry. After all, if Henry died, then Penny would most likely end up dead or trapped in a mental hospital for the rest of her life, like Dahlia.


    "Katherine Woods, that woman is surely dangerous," Marlon murmured. "I shouldn¡¯t have killed James before. But I thought the fault was in James. Turns out the fault was in that bitch."


    "Y¡ªYes, you should¡¯ve killed that woman first. Or at least trap her in this mansion and make sure she can¡¯t escape. Let her give birth to her baby and take it," Penny suggested. Her heart was beating abnormally; she constantly thought of any provocation she could say as long as Marlon would direct his anger to someone else.


    "Since Henry is already in love with that bitch, then let¡¯s just bring her here. Of course, Henry will try to save his girlfriend, right?" Penny said. "Especially once she has her baby, it would be so easy to control Henry."


    Marlon scoffed while looking down at Penny, "You are very fast at pointing your finger to someone else. Are you really that scared your son will end up dead?"


    Penny wanted to say that she was more scared of her own life. But Henry¡¯s death would be the end of her life as well, so she nodded.


    "Please spare my son¡¯s life. We can do anything to that woman Katherine Woods, but at least spare Henry!" Penny begged. "He will never do something like this again! He will be willing to marry Sarah!"


    Marlon closed his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.


    Though he was furious at his son for trying to betray him, Marlon knew the real cause was that woman, Katherine Woods.


    If she was gone, then none of this problem would be here.


    "Alright, let¡¯s meet that woman. I want to see what kind of slut has successfully seduced my sons."

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346: Chapter 346"He is not okay," Kate thought as she hung up the call with Henry. She already guessed there might be something happening during Henry¡¯s business development. After all, for a man like Henry, he must¡¯ve had a lot of enemies in the past and present.


    "Could it be that Sarah is trying to mess him up? After all, that vengeful woman must be thinking of a way to ruin his life," Kate guessed.


    She was thinking about it for a second and shook her head, "No, I don¡¯t think Sarah has any kind of influence in New York. Besides, Michael told me that Sarah has been inactive, as if she suddenly found peace and decided to not do anything."


    "But if it¡¯s not Sarah, then who else?" Kate wondered. "Graham? But I don¡¯t think Graham will be cruel enough to try to stop Henry from working as an honest man... right?"


    Kate spent her day thinking about Henry. She wanted to ask him directly what was weighing on his mind, so they could work on something together. But Henry was still prideful; even though Kate sensed his distress many times, he still said that he was alright and nothing was wrong.


    ¡¯Should I just let him be or pressure him to tell me everything?¡¯ Kate asked herself.


    She finished her dinner at around eight at night and went to bed early. As she was about to close her eyes, the doorbell suddenly rang.


    Kate frowned. She thought she heard it wrong and closed her eyes again. But the doorbell rang for the second time, and this time, Kate finally realized that she didn¡¯t mishear it. Someone was outside, pressing the apartment doorbell, which shouldn¡¯t have happened since the whole floor was owned by Henry.


    If it was Michael or Mai, they would¡¯ve called or texted her first. Kate tried to stay silent, and the doorbell rang again for the third and fourth time as whoever was outside began to get impatient.


    Kate swallowed her saliva. She didn¡¯t know who was outside, but she had to confirm. Kate got up and grabbed her sweater. She walked towards the video intercom and then checked the screen.


    To her surprise, the screen showed nothing; whoever outside must¡¯ve cut the cord or destroyed the camera.


    The doorbell rang for the fifth time, and Kate¡¯s heart jumped.


    "W¡ªWho¡¯s there?" Kate asked as she leaned on the door, waiting for someone from the other side to answer.


    "We are here to escort you, Katherine Woods. Mr. Grant wants to talk to you," the man with a heavy voice replied from outside.


    "Which Mr. Grant you are talking about? Henry or Marlon Grant?" Kate inquired further. "Because if you¡¯re talking about Henry, then I can just call him now to verify your identity."


    ...


    There was a long silence at the other side before he sighed, "Come out, Mrs. Woods. It¡¯s easier for you to just give yourself up and follow me to the Grant estate. Master Marlon Grant wants to have a word with you."


    Kate¡¯s face paled instantly. She already knew this day would come, but she didn¡¯t expect Marlon to act so fast. It was only about eight days since Henry left; he shouldn¡¯t have known, especially when Michael and Mai were covering his job as a CEO in the Emperor Publishing.


    Unless... S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯That witch!¡¯ Kate clenched her fist as she knew that Sarah must¡¯ve played the pitiful card and reported about what Henry was doing to Marlon. So now Marlon must¡¯ve been furious about her ¡¯derailing¡¯ his son.


    Kate didn¡¯t know what would happen if she went to the Grant estate, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t end well. Kate instinctively covered her stomach with her hand and replied, "I¡¯m not going! Leave now before I call the cops!"


    "The cops aren¡¯t going to help you, Mrs. Woods. I don¡¯t want to go the hard way with you, since you¡¯re still pregnant. But if you still insist on refusing the invitation, then I will have to break in."


    Kate gasped. She checked the lock. Unfortunately, the door of this apartment was not equipped with a manual lock. Everything was automated, so if the man outside had the access key from the receptionist, then he could break in without any problem.


    "I will give you five minutes to open the door, Mrs. Woods. I will have to be rough and unpleasant after five minutes," the man outside warned.


    Kate quickly scrolled through her phone to find Michael¡¯s number. She called Michael while looking around in panic, trying to find anything that could stop the man from breaking in.


    The phone kept on ringing, but Michael didn¡¯t pick it up.


    "Oh, for fuck sake, pick it up, Michael!" Kate muttered in panic as she grabbed a broom near the kitchen and used it to block the door handle.


    She also tried to push a chair to strengthen her makeshift barrier even more. She could find a way to escape to another state and went into hiding after she could get out of this sticky situation first.


    She kept calling Michael, but none of the calls went through. She then tried to call 911, but once Kate told her address to the operator, the line was suddenly disconnected. Thus, proving the man¡¯s words to be true. Marlon must¡¯ve done something with his money and power to tamper with the police, making sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t get any help by now.


    The last person she could call right now was Henry, but what could he do anyway? She couldn¡¯t reach Michael, so Marlon¡¯s men must¡¯ve incapacitated him already.


    "Oh God, I hope he is breathing at least," Kate said while she was busy pushing anything into the door in five minutes.


    Thus, the last person she could call was none other than Mai. Of course, a petite lady like Mai wouldn¡¯t be able to help her overpower a probably big and burly man outside, but she might be able to find help somewhere.


    So she called Mai and the call was connected after a few seconds.

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347: Chapter 347"Yes, Ma¡¯am? Do you need something?" Mai asked.


    "Mai, where are you now?" Kate asked, her tone urgent, and Mai turned serious immediately.


    "I¡¯m in my room, Ma¡¯am. Is there something wrong? Did something happen to you?"


    "Listen to me¡ª"


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    "Mrs. Woods! You have thirty seconds left! I will have to break in!"


    Kate gasped, "¡ªMai! Stay in your room for now, and check if there is anyone waiting for you outside. If you can, find someone outside to help."


    "Ma¡¯am, who¡¯s banging the door?!" Mai asked in panic when she heard the loud bang from the phone.


    "It¡¯s Marlon¡¯s man! He is trying to catch me and bring me to his mansion!"


    Click.


    Kate darted her eyes and saw the door had been unlocked from outside. The man must¡¯ve used an access card from the receptionist, probably after delivering a threat.


    Beep.


    Kate quickly ended the call and pocketed her phone. She rushed to the second floor when she saw that the man outside began pushing his way through the makeshift barrier she made.


    She looked around and tried to find a good hiding spot, and went inside the storage room instead.


    "Tsk, what an annoying woman," the burly man muttered as he forced his way through the stuff Kate used to block the door.


    This would¡¯ve been faster if he was with his three other partners. But they were busy trying to incapacitate Michael Eckermann on the lower floor.


    That man was a skilled military combatant that they couldn¡¯t defeat unless they went as three.


    They tried to use a gun with a silencer against Michael, so they wouldn¡¯t make too much of a ruckus, but that man was able to use his surroundings to dodge bullets. Truly a monster that shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    So now the man was left alone handling one pregnant woman while his partners were struggling to defeat Michael.


    "It¡¯s okay, I can handle this myself. What can a pregnant woman do anyway? Making a children¡¯s pillow fort?" The burly man chuckled when he saw the chairs that Kate tried to use to stop him.


    He used his strength and pushed the door as hard as he could, and the barrier that Kate created crumbled.


    He closed the door behind him and looked around the dark apartment. He didn¡¯t see anyone around, so he guessed that his target must¡¯ve been hiding somewhere.


    The burly man licked his lips, "I¡¯ve never played with a pregnant woman before. Can I do her before I give her to Mr. Grant? Surely he won¡¯t be mad, right? After all, this woman will be killed soon."


    The burly man flipped the switch to have a better look at his surroundings.


    This apartment was indeed luxurious, a proper apartment for the mistress of the Grant family¡¯s heir.


    "Heh, that young master is stupid. He has so many girls wanting him, but he chose to go with an old, average woman instead."


    The burly man walked around the first floor, and didn¡¯t see any sign of the pregnant lady. He tried to search around the bedroom where a stupid woman would hide, but his search was in vain.


    "Well, there is no way she would jump out of the window. So she must be hiding somewhere," the burly man looked up, and grinned. "Playing hide and seek, huh? Oh, let me mess you up before they kill you, you witch!"


    He rushed upstairs and looked around the corridor. There were about three rooms on the second floor. He checked the first and second ones, and it turned out it was just a gym and a second bedroom that was unused.


    So there was only one room left that he hadn¡¯t checked, a small room that was definitely a storage.


    The burly man smirked, he scratched his crotch and muttered, "Hiding in the storage, huh? What a dumb idea. But I didn¡¯t expect much from a woman who became a mistress and got pregnant. She will end up in the street anyway."


    The burly man walked towards the storage room and twisted the knob.


    Much to his pleasure, the storage had no lock, so he slowly opened it with a perverted smirk on his face.


    The storage was dark, so he couldn¡¯t see anything, but someone suddenly punched him before he could find the switch.


    "Urgh!" He covered his nose that must¡¯ve been bloodied right now. He was caught off guard by the strength of the punch. This wasn¡¯t supposed to be a punch coming from a pregnant woman.


    He took a step back, but the woman in the dark elbowed his chest and rushed out of the storage room.


    The burly man took a second to balance himself. He saw a woman wearing pajamas and a sweater running towards the stairs.


    Her long red hair was eye-catching, and she looked beautiful when the man caught a glimpse of her side profile.


    He was glad he¡¯d mess with a beautiful woman tonight, but he was also angry because this woman dared to struggle.


    "YOU WITCH! I WILL CATCH YOU!"


    The burly man ran towards Kate, who rushed down the stairs. She looked up and saw the man coming down the stairs at such a terrifying speed.


    Kate gasped and was ready to leave the apartment.


    She dashed as fast as she could to grab the door handle and leave, but the burly man caught her wrist before she could do so.


    Kate turned her neck and saw a terrifying man, probably around six feet tall, with a big grin and a perverted gaze looking down on her.


    "Where are you going, Ma¡¯am? How about we have some fun first before we meet with Mr. Grant? I¡¯m sure that you must¡¯ve been itching down there without that arrogant bastard Henry around, right?"


    Kate gritted her teeth, she grabbed something from her pocket, and said, "Don¡¯t you dare call my man a bastard, you filth!"


    Kate took a screwdriver from her pocket and stabbed the man¡¯s stomach as deeply as possible.


    "URK!"

 Chapter 348

    Chapter 348: Chapter 348"FUCK!" The man cursed out loud.


    He was shocked by the pain but more shocked by how savage and dangerous this woman was. He expected her to be a meek woman who wouldn¡¯t do anything, and this enraged him even more.


    "YOU BITCH!"


    The man flung Kate back into the apartment. Kate hit the apartment floor face-first and was positive that she got bruised.


    "Ugh!" Kate grimaced in pain, but she was glad that she could cover her stomach during the fall, so her baby should be fine.


    She tried to stand up and saw the burly man pull the screwdriver from his stomach. He gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain while glaring at Kate.


    "You are more annoying than I thought, Mrs. Woods. I¡¯m not going to spare you any more. I doubt I can bring you to Marlon alive if you keep struggling like this," the burly man said.


    Kate mustered all of her strength to get up and ran to the kitchen.


    The man couldn¡¯t run anymore, not with the open wound in his stomach. But he was positive that Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to run away, especially not with her stamina.


    "Don¡¯t play with me, Mrs. Woods. I¡¯m not a patient man!" the burly man yelled as he entered the kitchen.


    He saw Kate holding a frying pan as a weapon comically, it was so funny and ridiculous, "Hahah! Do you really think that you can beat me with that? Are you stupid or desperate?"


    "Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m desperate enough after I do this¡ª" Kate turned off the switch so the burly man couldn¡¯t read her attack. But unlike the storage, which was completely dark, the kitchen still had a window and ventilation, so the light from the outside was enough to give a glimpse of the pregnant woman¡¯s sluggish movement.


    The burly man scoffed and grabbed Kate¡¯s wrist when she tried to smash the pan into his head.


    "I finally got you, Katherine Woods. Now it¡¯s time for me to play with you," the man said.


    "Not yet!" Kate took out the knife she secretly equipped with her other hand and thrust it into the man¡¯s chest.


    But the man saw it beforehand, quickly released Kate¡¯s hand, and jumped back, barely missing the fatal stab wound.


    "Ah!" Kate lost her balance and fell to the floor after the failed attack. She tried to get up immediately, but the man grabbed her hair and pulled her up.


    "AHH!" Kate screamed when her hair was yanked. She tried to struggle but to no avail. The burly man already understood all the tricks she had.


    So when Kate was about to use the same knife to attack him again, he grabbed her wrist and clenched it as hard as he could until Kate dropped the knife.


    Now, she was completely powerless against this man.


    The man grinned when he saw the weak beauty in his mercy, "You punched and stabbed me, so I want to make sure I get the compensation I want before I give you up to Marlon."


    ***


    Mai was worried after the call with her Boss ended abruptly. She quickly rushed to the front door and opened it.


    She followed what Mrs. Woods told her to do. She checked her surroundings, and after she made sure there was nobody in the corridor, she went out.


    Mai ran towards Mrs. Woods¡¯ apartment and tried to open the door.


    Unfortunately, it was locked, and she had no access key.


    The one that had it was Michael, and the receptionist was in the lobby, so she rushed with the emergency stair instead of using the elevator in fear that she might get caught by Marlon¡¯s men on her way.


    As she descended one floor below, she heard a ruckus on the floor, so she came to check for a bit.


    As she walked out of the emergency door, she was faced with a man wearing all black, about ten from her. He pointed a gun toward her and shot immediately.


    Mai froze on the spot and thought it was her end when she heard a man yell, "MAI!"


    Michael quickly grabbed Mai¡¯s hand and yanked her to his side, and the bullet barely missed her.


    "Are you alright?" Michael asked as he hugged Mai tightly.


    It took a while for Mai to register what just happened.


    Michael¡¯s heartbeat was racing, and he was covered in sweat. He was still wearing his suit as his body trembled because of adrenaline.


    Mai¡¯s eyes widened, and she said, "Mrs. Woods! She is attacked by Marlon¡¯s man! Please save her!" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can¡¯t. You see those three men?" Michael pointed at three men who stood about ten to fifteen away from them. "They are all Marlon¡¯s men; they are trying to kill me, and I¡¯ve been fighting against them for the past thirty minutes."


    One of those men aimed his silencer gun toward Michael again and shot without hesitation.


    Michael swiftly ducked while holding Mai and dodged the bullet without a problem.


    "Listen, I can¡¯t help Kate right now, so I want you to help her instead," Michael said. He fished the access card to Kate¡¯s apartment out of his chest pocket and handed it to Mai.


    "M¡ªMe? But I¡ª"


    Another bullet was shot in Michael¡¯s direction, and the battle-hardened soldier tilted his head to avoid it.


    "You¡¯re the only one I can trust right now, Mai. Please help Kate. She is in danger right now," Michael pleaded.


    Mai looked at Michael with worry in her eyes. She had a traumatic experience fighting against a man much stronger and bigger than her, but when she heard that Kate was in danger, she mustered her courage and pocketed the access key.


    "I got it. I will help her, but what about you? You have to fight three men with guns at once."


    "Me? Hahah!" Michael looked at those men with bloodshot eyes. "I can¡¯t wait to break their necks for daring to attack you and Kate."


    "Now go and save Kate. I can handle this myself."


    Mai clenched her fist and left using the emergency door again. She rushed back to her floor to help Mrs. Woods.


    "Wait for me, Ma¡¯am!"


    ...


    Michael faced three burly men with silencer guns in their hands. He cracked his knuckles and said, "You are all so clumsy using those guns. I bet you didn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve run out of ammo."


    The man tried to shoot Michael again, but he was right. Their guns already ran out of ammo.


    Michael scoffed. He clenched his fist and readied himself for a three versus one fight.


    "I will send your heads to that old crook."

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349: Chapter 349Mai hastened through the stairs and rushed towards Mrs. Woods¡¯ apartment. She was worried that something might have already happened, so she didn¡¯t think twice about using the access key and opened the door as hard as possible.


    SLAM!


    There, she saw her boss, whose hair had been yanked up by the assaulter. The man was burly and was taller than the three people Michael fought in the floor below.


    He also looked a lot stronger with the obvious muscle on his biceps. He turned his head to the door when someone else broke in.


    "Oh? What do we have here? A small woman trying to save the day?" The burly man sneered when she saw Mai standing at the door. He shifted his attention back to Kate, who struggled to break free. "Who is that little woman? Is she a friend of yours?"


    Kate looked at Mai and noticed she didn¡¯t bring any reinforcement.


    She gasped after realizing Mai¡¯s intention.


    "No! Mai, get out of here! Run!" Kate yelled. She knew this problem was between her, Henry, and Marlon. Mai was not involved in this, and Kate definitely did not want her to get involved.


    Mai clenched her fist. She was actually scared by the imposing figure of the intruder. Flashes of bad memories from the past came into her head and persuaded her to get the hell out.


    Mai would be the first to leave if this was a normal situation. She knew her limitations as a small lady and couldn¡¯t put up a meaningful fight against that man.


    But seeing Mrs. Woods struggle to protect her baby while that burly man was pulling up her hair incited rage in Mai¡¯s heart.


    She had to fight her fear to help the woman she idolized and cared for as her best friend.


    "Oh? So your name is Mai?" The burly man observed Mai from head to toe and chuckled, "Your friend is right. You need to get the fuck away before you become my second playmate today."


    Mai gritted her teeth. She looked at the scattered stuff around her and saw the bloodied screwdriver. Seeing the blood mark on the man¡¯s stomach, it was obvious that Kate used the same weapon to attack the intruder.


    Mai picked up the screwdriver and clenched it in her hand.


    "You¡¯re going to attack me with that screwdriver? HAH!" the burly man scoffed. "You¡¯re going to hurt yourself, little girl."


    "We will see about that," Mai said before she prepared herself and dashed towards the burly man.


    The man read the attack pattern easily and grabbed Mai¡¯s wrist without much problem with his free hand.


    He clenched her wrist just like he did to Kate and forced Mai to drop the screwdriver.


    "See? It¡¯s so easy to catch you two," the burly man said. "There is no way women like you two could overpower me. But it¡¯s good. Now I can play with two women at once."


    "Not yet, you bastard!" Mai used her other hand to grab the man¡¯s collar and kicked the burly man¡¯s nuts as hard as possible.


    "AAAHHH!" The man felt an unimaginable stinging pain in his crotch. He lost his strength immediately and dropped both Mai and Kate.


    "Urk! Urgh!" The burly man tried to recover from the awful agony. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ma¡¯am!" Mai tried to help Kate, who had lost her strength after fighting against a man much stronger than her for a while. "Are you alright? Let¡¯s go now!"


    "Y¡ªYeah, I¡¯m alright, let¡¯s go," Kate got up and tried to escape with Mai.


    The burly man realized that he was about to lose his target, so he tried to endure the pain and get up to catch Kate.


    "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU WHORES!" The burly man¡¯s thundering voice shocked both Kate and Mai.


    They looked over their shoulders and saw the man charged towards them like a bull.


    "Ma¡¯am!" Mai pushed Kate away to avoid the charging bull, and she was the one who got punched in the stomach instead.


    "Urk!" Mai almost lost her consciousness upon receiving the blow. The burly man looked at the petite woman who lay weak on the floor.


    "Tsk, I will deal with you later, you pesky bitch!" The man turned his head towards Kate, whose bed had been significantly weakened due to distress. "And now, for the main course..."


    The man walked towards Kate with a perverted gaze, especially when he saw that Kate¡¯s first pajama button had snapped off, slightly showing her luscious cleavage and bra.


    Kate quickly retreated towards the living room, looking around her to see if there was any weapon she could use to defend herself.


    Unfortunately, there was no sharp object she could use, so she kept retreating until her back hit the glass pane.


    "Stop struggling, Katherine Woods. I don¡¯t want to hurt you further," the burly man said. "I just need to fuck you one time before I give you to Marlon Grant, okay?"


    "I would rather die than get touched by a dirty man like you," Kate said firmly.


    "Heh, I guess I understand why Henry is interested in you. You have no fear," the burly man said. "It makes me want to fuck you to death and listen to your scream!"


    The man lunged towards Kate, and Kate tried to hold him off by kicking his beer belly. The man caught her ankle and was ready to do more when he suddenly felt another pain in his back.


    "Argh!"


    Mai stabbed the burly man in the back and pulled the knife again. She was still in tremendous pain after getting punched, but her adrenaline kicked in, giving her the strength to fight back. She was ready to stab his back again, but the man turned around and ready to catch her, "You pesky little insect!"


    The man lunged at Mai, but Kate quickly jumped to his back and put all of her weight until the man lost his balance and fell to the floor face first.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350: Chapter 350"I won¡¯t let you hurt my best friend, you pervert!" Kate yelled. She sat on the man¡¯s back and stepped on his neck, pressing it hard until he couldn¡¯t do much.


    Kate looked at Mai who was still breathing heavily while holding the kitchen knife and said, "What are you waiting for? Stab him!"


    Mai looked down at the man under Mrs. Woods. She could¡¯ve stabbed his neck, skull, or back repeatedly.


    But she hesitated.


    She remembered the man who had become a nightmare in her head and trembled in fear.


    "Mai?"


    "I¡ª"Mai tried to muster her courage, but her nightmare consumed her. "I¡ªI can¡¯t kill someone, Ma¡¯am. I¡ª"


    Kate soon realized that Mai wasn¡¯t as cruel as she was. If Kate held the knife, she would stab this bastard¡¯s neck and kill him without hesitation.


    But Mai was a good woman. She wasn¡¯t cruel even to this perverted bastard.


    So Kate said, "Then stab his leg. We need to run away. The best we can do is to ensure he can¡¯t catch us anymore! Quick!"


    Mai was more accepting of the new instruction. She nodded and stepped on the man¡¯s feet.


    "You bitches! What are you going to do!" The man yelled. He tried to overpower Kate, who was sitting on his back, but Kate quickly pressed his neck further and inserted her fingers into the fresh stab wound on his back, making him wail in agony.


    "Shut it, you asshole. This is what you get for attacking us," Kate said coldly.


    Mai took a deep breath and stabbed the man¡¯s thighs and calves at least three times each.


    She ignored the man¡¯s scream and kept stabbing until she made sure this man couldn¡¯t walk anymore.


    She stabbed the man¡¯s thigh for the last time and left the knife stuck on it.


    "I¡¯m done, Ma¡¯am!"


    "Finally," Kate got up from the man¡¯s body. She checked all the stabs on the man¡¯s legs and nodded in approval, "You did great, Mai. Let¡¯s go!"


    Mai and Kate walked past the man who could not chase them anymore, but the man didn¡¯t give up. He grabbed Kate¡¯s ankle and yelled, "YOU BITCHES WILL PAY FOR HURTING ME LIKE THIS!"


    Kate looked down and stomped on the man¡¯s face a few times until the man was forced to let go.


    "You should be grateful that I didn¡¯t kill you, you perverted bastard. I will tell my man about this and he will be the one who finish you off," Kate said coldly and spat on his face before leaving with Mai.


    She grabbed her phone and wallet, and they left the apartment.


    "Ma¡¯am, we need to hurry! What if Marlon sent even more people to kidnap you!" Mai begged. She tried to pull Kate to run, but Kate was already at her limit.


    She pushed her body to the brink of exhaustion after fighting against that intruder. If not for her desire to protect the baby in her stomach and to protect Mai, she would¡¯ve been captured by now.


    Kate¡¯s legs wobbled, and she fell, "I¡ªI can¡¯t..." Kate muttered. "I¡¯m too tired..."


    "Oh no, Ma¡¯am! Please, pull yourself together!" Mai begged. She tried to support Kate¡¯s body, but Mai was also wounded after getting punched in the stomach by that perverted bastard, so she had no more strength left to support another person.


    "Mai, go... you should go now..." Kate said. She leaned on the wall in the corridor, trying to catch her breath while holding her stomach. "I can¡¯t go on anymore. I¡¯m too exhausted."


    "I¡¯m not leaving without you, Ma¡¯am!" Mai yelled desperately. "Michael is still fighting Marlon¡¯s goons down there. We should be able to hold hem off for a while since he is strong!


    "Marlon will send another man to capture me, and I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. You shouldn¡¯t be involved."


    "Ma¡¯am, you are my best friend! You are the woman I admire and care for! I also promise Michael to save you!" Mai insisted. She tried to support Kate again but to no avail.


    "You need to check on Michael and run away with him," Kate said. "He... he is also innocent. You two aren¡¯t supposed to be involved..."


    Mai began to tear up, seeing Kate¡¯s condition. She looked worn and weak, yet she still covered her stomach to ensure her baby was safe.


    She must¡¯ve fought against that man for a while before Mai helped her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I won¡¯t leave you, Ma¡¯am. If Marlon captures you, he will have to capture me too!" Mais said. She began to sob and hugged Kate¡¯s arm tightly, ready to sacrifice herself for her best friend.


    Kate sensed that her consciousness slowly drifted away. She patted Mai¡¯s head gently and said, "You are a good girl, Mai. If I can request God to give me a better sister, I want you to be my little sister instead."


    Mai¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. She lost her big sister to that bastard stepfather a decade ago, and when Kate said Mai was the little sister she wanted, it broke her heart to pieces.


    Because now, she would lose her big sister again if Marlon captured her.


    "Now go, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just going to... rest..." Kate said before she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.


    Mai realized the hand that patted her head suddenly stopped. She checked on Kate and panicked, "Mrs. Woods? Ma¡¯am? Kate?!"


    Mai put her finger under Kate¡¯s nose and was relieved that Kate was at least breathing.


    But this was also a sign that Kate was too exhausted and vulnerable. So she hugged Kate¡¯s arm tighter and vowed, "I will never leave you! I want you to be my sister as well! And I won¡¯t make the same mistake! I won¡¯t leave my sister alone!"


    "If I die protecting my big sister, then so be it!" Mai yelled as a declaration, ready to protect Kate in case another of Marlon¡¯s men came in trying to take her.

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351: Chapter 351Mai continued hugging Kate while on guard of her surroundings. She didn¡¯t want her big sister to get hurt, so she would fight anybody who dared to touch her, even with the cost of her own life.


    The corridor was in complete silence until she heard a footstep reaching from the end of the corridor.


    She darted her eyes and became fully guarded. She didn¡¯t know what happened to Michael, but she knew that Michael was a strong fighter, so she believed Michael could handle those grunts.


    But what if he failed? After all, fighting three armed men was difficult.


    So if the person who burst out of that emergency door wasn¡¯t Michael, then...


    Mai stood up, enduring the pain in her stomach. She shielded the unconscious Kate from whoever walked in.


    "Even with my body..." Mai murmured.


    She remembered her big sister, who passed away about twelve years ago. They were so close, yet her sister told her to run when they had to fight against the monstrous man in the past.


    Thus, Mai ran away when she was only ten, saving herself while leaving her sister to die at the hands of that monster.


    So she didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake.


    She gritted her teeth and stretched her arms as her last attempt to shield any bullets that might have shot Kate.


    The big man burst out of the emergency door and was relieved to see Mai standing on guard.


    "Mai!" Michael ran towards Mai, who was still on guard, and hugged her tight. "Thank God, you¡¯re alright. I was so afraid that something happened to you!"


    It took a moment for Mai to register the hug. She then reciprocated it by hugging him back and sobbing, "Please help my sister first."


    "Sister?"


    "Kate!" Mai snapped. "She is unconscious!"


    Michael checked on Mrs. Woods and sighed in relief, "She is just exhausted, probably after an adrenaline rush. Did you kill the intruder?"


    "I can¡¯t..." Mai said. "Kate told me to stab his legs many times so he can¡¯t chase us anymore. He is still inside the apartment now."


    "That¡¯s better. I also incapacitated those three men, but I didn¡¯t kill them because Marlon might use their death against us¡ªor against Henry," Michael said. He scooped the unconscious Kate on his arm and asked Mai, "Can you walk on your own?"


    "I can," Mai said, trying to ignore the pain because she didn¡¯t want to worry Michael even more. "We should go now. Let¡¯s go to the hospital to check on Kate¡¯s¡ª"


    "No, we can¡¯t go to the hospital," Michael said as he used the elevator down to the basement parking lot.


    "Why not?! She is unconscious! Something might happen to her baby!"


    "We can¡¯t do it in Los Angeles, Mai," Michael replied seriously. "Marlon will send a bunch of thugs to capture Kate, and he will send more after knowing that Kate has escaped. We need to drive away from Los Angeles, probably the closer city, and we can get her checked there."


    Michael and Mai left the elevator and went straight to Michael¡¯s car. He carefully put Kate on the backseat, and they sat on the front seat. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael waited no more. He drove out of the parking basement and left as quickly as possible.


    They sat in silence for a while until Mai asked, "Where are we going?"


    "San Diego," Michael replied. "I can go to San Francisco, but Henry has a lot of investments and business partners there, and Marlon knows at least half of them. So he must be chasing us to San Francisco after knowing we¡¯ve escaped, thinking it¡¯s a safe space for us."


    "So I¡¯m going to San Diego. Henry has very little connection there," Michael added.


    "But where will we stay? In the hotel?"


    "No, Henry has a beachside apartment there."


    ...


    "If Mr. Grant has all of these investments, and even apartments and houses, why would he start a new business in New York?" Mai asked. "He doesn¡¯t lack anything, right? Then why would he start a fire and end up hurting Kate?"


    Mai looked at the backseat and saw Kate was still unconscious. Her heart was aching seeing Kate in such a situation. If she could, she¡¯d prefer to be the one unconscious instead.


    Mai couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter for Henry.


    None of this would¡¯ve happened if Henry hadn¡¯t deliberately tried to fight against his father.


    "Why is he so selfish?" Mai asked. "If he truly loves Kate, he should¡¯ve thought about her safety first..."


    Michael took a deep breath.


    He understood that all of Mai¡¯s questions were logical.


    Kate was in danger because of Henry, and Henry never lacked anything.


    But she missed one important thing...


    "Henry was born rich," Michael said. "He has always been rich and spoiled since he was a baby and never lacked anything in his life... maybe except validation. When he was around sixteen, his late brother taught him how to invest in businesses and the stock market efficiently, and Henry picked up his big brother¡¯s talent quickly."


    "He was already very rich in university and expanded all of his investments here and there."


    "Then why would he need to start a new company? He already has a comfortable life with Kate!"


    "Because all those businesses are heavily surveyed and controlled by the Grant estate. Henry is a successful investor, but he would forever be under his father¡¯s watchful eyes," Michael replied. "What he wants is to give Kate a good and secure life. What¡¯s the point of having a stable life when his beloved will suffer?"


    "Henry knows all the risks he would face if he dared to ask his cousin for help," Michael said. "But Sarah is already angry because of the engagement annulment, even if Henry does nothing, Sarah will still find a way to incite Marlon¡¯s anger, and that old crook will do this."


    Michael clenched the steering wheel as his gaze darkened, "In fact, I can bet a hundred percent that Sarah must¡¯ve said something to Marlon until that old man decided to kidnap Kate."

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352: Chapter 352"Whether Henry started a business in New York or not, this attack is inevitable, it will happen eventually," Michael said. "That¡¯s why he wants Kate to stay inside the apartment under my protection because we don¡¯t know when Marlon will strike."


    "And about the business he wants to make... he simply wants to be fully independent from Marlon. So Marlon, Penny, or Sarah won¡¯t have power over him," Michael explained. "Though he has a lot of money, he lacks the needed influence. That¡¯s why he asked for his cousin¡¯s help to help him with legal procedures and getting all the connections needed to push his new company fast."


    Michael glanced at Mai, who listened carefully. She was full of worry and grieving, which also hurt Michael.


    Because he was supposed to protect Kate at all costs, but he had to send his beloved sweet bunny to help Kate and fight an intruder instead.


    He felt pathetic.


    "He wants to start his own family with Kate and their baby. So he tried his best to separate himself from his constricting, crazy family," Michael said. "This is all for Kate¡¯s safety and happiness, whether you like it or not."


    "But..." Mai lowered her head. She fiddled with her hands, still reluctant to concede with her protest. "If he truly loves her and knows his family is full of assholes, he shouldn¡¯t have dated her and knocked her up..."


    Michael couldn¡¯t think of any good reply for that one, simply because he and Henry decided never to tell Kate and Mai about the bitter truth of Henry¡¯s initial plan to take Kate¡¯s baby and ditch her. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was too cruel, and they knew Mai and Kate would hate them for the rest of their lives.


    Michael sighed, "I have to admit that Henry is selfish. He can¡¯t let go of Kate. Even though that¡¯s the best for her."


    "But what can I do? Love is blind, and I have no right to judge..." Michael said and glanced at Mai again. ¡¯Because I am also selfish.¡¯


    Michael knew that he shouldn¡¯t have involved Mai in this.


    In fact, he should¡¯ve told Henry to fire Mai or give her a job in another company. She was a good young woman who deserved peace of mind.


    But he wanted her and allowed Henry to involve Mai in this mess.


    Honestly, Mai wanted Mr. Grant to let go of Kate completely. She wanted Kate to have a good life somewhere else in peace with her baby. Mai would be willing to follow Kate, even if she had to start anew and work somewhere.


    After all, she had always been alone for the past decade, and now that she had found someone she wanted as a family, she couldn¡¯t let go so easily.


    But she also realized that Kate loved Henry as much as Henry loved her. She was willing to put up with all the mess involving Henry¡¯s crazy family as long as they could end up together.


    ¡¯They are truly a pair of lovebirds that met at the wrong place and wrong time...¡¯ Mai thought.


    "Shouldn¡¯t we tell Mr. Grant about what happened?" Mai asked. "He¡¯s the main cause of this. He needs to know, right?"


    "Yes, but not now," Michael said. "If we called him right now, he would immediately ask about Kate¡¯s condition, and if we tell him the truth that Kate fainted after fighting against an intruder, it would send his mind into complete chaos."


    "Henry will act upon his impulse after knowing that his woman is in danger. He might even have gone as far as flying back to Los Angeles to gun down his own father," Michael said. "Once Kate wakes up and in good condition, then she will be the one who tells Henry about everything. Only Kate¡¯s voice can appease that man."


    Mai nodded.


    Though she resented Henry for not knowing what happened, she knew Michael¡¯s suggestion was reasonable.


    So she simply zipped her mouth and tried to close her eyes, ignoring the pain in her stomach.


    She had never been punched so hard before. She really thought that punch would make a hole in her stomach.


    "Mai, are you alright?" Michael asked as he realized that Mai¡¯s expression was unnatural.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m okay," Mai said. She didn¡¯t want to make Michael worry even more.


    "You¡¯re not okay. You¡¯re holding a lot of pain right now," Michael called her out. "I¡¯ve been in the military since I was a teenager, so tell me, what happened when you fought against the intruder with Kate?"


    ...


    Mai sighed, "We tried to run away, but that intruder charged in like a raging bull. I pushed her away, and that man punched me in the stomach instead..."


    Michael gritted his teeth, "Show me your wound."


    "B¡ªBut¡ª"


    "Show me your wound!" Michael raised his voice impatiently. He stopped and parked the car at the side of the road, waiting for Mai to show her bruise.


    Mai reluctantly rolled half of her shirt and showed the purplish bruise on her stomach. It looked even more obvious because of Mai¡¯s pale skin.


    Seeing the bruise on his bunny enraged Michael immediately.


    He couldn¡¯t help to smack the steering wheel to let go of his anger, "FUCK!"


    Mai was startled by his cursing. Michael was always well-spoken and controlled most of the time. So, it was shocking to see him getting angry.


    "I should¡¯ve killed that bastard before we left," Michael muttered. He looked at his beloved with regret in his eyes, "I¡¯ve failed to protect you. Mai, I¡ª"


    "No, you did a great job protecting me from gunshots while fighting against three men," Mai said as she tried to comfort Michael. "Remember that we¡¯re here to protect Kate."


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d want to put you in danger!" Michael yelled frustratedly. "I should¡¯ve been more careful. Why am I so slow? I should¡¯ve put even more bodyguards in the lobby just to make sure."


    Michael really didn¡¯t expect Sarah to move so quickly, catching him off guard and making it difficult for him to assemble good protection for Kate and Dahlia in a week.


    Mai knew how difficult it was for Michael to protect Kate alone, so she put her hand on his and said, "Michael, I regret nothing. I¡¯m happy that I can protect Kate even if it costs my life. So let¡¯s go to San Diego and treat her."


    Michael gritted his teeth and pressed on the gas, "Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Mai. I also care about you, so you two will be treated together in the hospital."

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353: Chapter 353It usually took two and a half hours to reach San Diego from Los Angeles, but Michael reached the city in just one and a half hours.


    He pressed the gas like there was no tomorrow, worrying about Kate and Mai¡¯s condition. He drove the car to the nearest hospital once they reached San Diego.


    He went straight to the ER and told the nurse, "An intruder had attacked them; one is pregnant, and one is wounded in the stomach! Treat them quickly!"


    Mai thought that Michael was overreacting just because she got punched in the stomach, but she still went to the ER with Kate while Michael sat outside, waiting for the nurse to say everything was fine.


    He clenched his thighs, trying to calm his heart after seeing Mai with such a grievous bruise on her stomach.


    "I should¡¯ve been more aware of the situation..." Michael blamed himself.


    After Sarah attacked Dahlia in the mental hospital, Michael had been busy trying to set up a dedicated team to protect her.


    Since the nurses had been bribed, he ensured the cooks were on his side so Dahlia wouldn¡¯t be poisoned in the mental hospital.


    It took him a week to handle it, and he thought that Kate¡¯s protection would come second since Michael believed that he was enough to protect Kate.


    But he underestimated Sarah¡¯s pettiness and Marlon¡¯s craziness.


    "I am the one to be blamed in the end. I was too arrogant, thinking I could protect Kate myself," Michael muttered. "Kate and Mai ended up in the emergency room because of me."


    It didn¡¯t take long for the doctor to come out and say, "The pregnant lady is still unconscious, but she is alright. She¡¯s just exhausted."


    "We give pain suppressant for the smaller lady and cream to soothe the pain," the doctor added. "I¡¯m concerned about the pregnant lady. Would you mind if she rested for one night in the hospital? At least we can monitor her condition until she wakes up."


    Michael nodded, "Then let both of them stay in the same VIP ward. So I can guard them together." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael handled the administration for the VIP ward; thus, Mai and Kate stayed together in the same room.


    Michael quickly approached Mai¡¯s bed and held her hand, "Are you alright? Does it still hurt?"


    "I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s not like¡ªI¡¯m dying or anything," Mai replied. "Besides, why are we still in the hospital? I¡¯m alright¡ªouch!"


    Mai winced in pain when she tried to get up.


    She didn¡¯t know the pain would be ten times more painful once the adrenaline went down. Now, she felt pain even at the slightest movement.


    "You¡¯re still hurting, and Kate needs to be monitored until she wakes up. We can leave tomorrow morning," Michael said.


    Mai looked to her left and saw that Kate was still unconscious, "Is she alright?"


    "She¡¯s just exhausted, so she should be alright after having enough rest," Michael pacified. "Well, you need to rest as well. I¡¯ll guard you two."


    "Michael... you¡¯re the one who needs rest the most," Mai said. "You fought against three men and drove us to San Diego. You can¡¯t push yourself like this."


    "I can¡¯t," Michael shook his head. He lowered his head out of shame and muttered, "I won¡¯t let those bastards hurt you two. I¡¯ve made a mistake once, and I won¡¯t make the same mistake again!"


    "Michael..."


    Mai sighed.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t force Michael to rest. He said that he grew up as a soldier and must have a strong sense of duty.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll make sure he will rest after Kate and I get discharged,¡¯ Mai thought.


    Thus, she decided to rest on the hospital bed and close her eyes. It was truly a long night for them.


    **


    "WHAT?! YOU FAILED?!" Marlon¡¯s voice filled the room with dread. The leader of the gang that Marlon hired had returned with an empty hand.


    They dispatched four men to kidnap Kate, but they all failed and were gravely injured.


    "YOU SENT FOUR PEOPLE AND STILL FAILED?!"


    "My apology, Master. But Michael Eckermann is a trained soldier. He is the greatest fighter in his platoon, and he can easily fight with three men armed with guns. It only took him thirty minutes to subdue them all."


    "The biggest fighter went up to capture Katherine Woods alone but failed. He was gravely injured with many stab wounds," the leader replied. "He said the two women¡ªKate and her friend¡ªattacked him repeatedly and stabbed him in the legs many times until he couldn¡¯t stand up anymore."


    Marlon tried to control himself by taking deep breaths to no avail. He was so angry at their incompetence that he wanted to kill them all!


    But of course, he wasn¡¯t crazy enough to do that.


    "Then, where are they now?"


    "We don¡¯t know, Master. The leader reported that they drove away out of the apartment, presumably out of Los Angeles," the leader reported. "We are trying to find them. We¡¯ve dispatched all the men we have to search through Los Angeles¡¯ hotels, motels, and San Francisco since you said that¡¯s where Young Master¡¯s second home is located."


    Marlon clenched his cane but said nothing as he looked down at the gang leader he hired.


    It was a pressure that was enough to kill a man. The gang leader thought he would die from a heart attack until Marlon ordered, "Find them. I want Katherine Woods to be in this mansion as soon as possible, no matter what it takes!"


    "Understood, Sir."


    The gang leader finally excused himself and left the room.


    Marlon sat on his wicker chair. He opened his book again and started reading, ignoring Penny, who had been sitting like an obedient wife on the sofa not far from him.


    "H¡ªHusband..." Penny tried to act sweet in front of Marlon, but it didn¡¯t work well enough.


    "Husband..."


    Marlon sighed and closed his book, "What?"


    "I wonder if that pregnant bitch had called Henry already," Penny uttered her concern. "What if Henry got angry at us for attacking his mistress?"

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354: Chapter 354Marlon scoffed, "Then what can he do anyway? He won¡¯t be able to do anything just because I attacked his mistress."


    "But Sarah said he is already starting a business backed by Vernon Phoenix Gray. What would happen if he becomes extremely successful and tries to destroy all of Grant¡¯s family businesses?"


    The smirk on Marlon¡¯s face disappeared instantly.


    He would lie if he said he wasn¡¯t concerned about Henry¡¯s effort.


    He saw Henry as lesser James.


    He was less smart, brave, and skillful at managing business. Henry was also easier to control than James simply because he was the son of a prostitute. He understood his position and, thus, had lesser self-confidence and self-worth.


    That¡¯s why Marlon didn¡¯t hesitate to kill James when he knew he had a dumber son he could control.


    Unfortunately, he began to lose his grip over Henry. Although Henry wasn¡¯t as good as his late brother, he still inherited Marlon¡¯s savvy business talent, and Vernon¡¯s backing didn¡¯t help either.


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to capture Kate. That disobedient son of a bitch will do anything as long as we have Kate here. I can also order him to betray his cousin and destroy the Gray company from inside," Marlon said.


    "And if we can¡¯t capture her?"


    "Then I will use all of my connections in New York to make sure that Henry will fail whatever business venture he has," Marlon replied. "He is supposed to be the heir of the Grant family. He would also be the Duke of York if everything went well since the noble family has no male descendants."


    "He will be married to Sarah, and the House of York and Lancaster will reunite under their marriage," Marlon said. "Sarah is extremely beautiful. I don¡¯t know why he can¡¯t see it with his eyes."


    "He has everything that any man wants in this world. Yet, he chose to start a new company from the ground, abandoning all the privileges I gave him. He also chose to be with an average woman who is eight years older than him, came from a bad family background, and is also a divorcee!"


    Marlon couldn¡¯t fathom what was in Henry¡¯s mind, but if he could pin the blame on someone, then he would point it at Penny.


    He raised his cane and smacked Penny on the arm until she screamed in pain.


    "This is because of you!" Marlon yelled.


    "W¡ªWhat did I do wrong?!" Penny yelled as she tried to shield herself.


    "It¡¯s because you gave birth to a piece of shit like Henry! You should¡¯ve aborted him or at least killed him when he was just a baby!" Marlon yelled. He raised his cane again and smacked Penny on the thigh. "Look at what your whore¡¯s son did. He tried to fight his own father!"


    Penny couldn¡¯t do anything except shield herself. She had no strength against the abusive Marlon.


    She could¡¯ve just overpowered him and choked him to death, but she¡¯d also be killed because of that.


    She also resented her son so much.


    Henry was given such a comfortable life, and Penny even went as far as helping Marlon in his plan to kill James so her son could have a great life.


    Only for Henry to ditch everything.


    "It¡¯s because of that woman! If Katherine doesn¡¯t exist, Henry won¡¯t be derailed!" Penny yelled as she tried to blame someone else.


    It was proven to be effective because Marlon stopped hitting her.


    "That girl killed James and now ruined Henry as well! That woman is the true culprit!" Penny said. "If you want to beat someone, then beat her, not me!"


    Marlon finally took a deep breath and leaned on his wicker chair, "Don¡¯t tell Sarah about this. She doesn¡¯t need to hear such bad news. She suffered enough because of Henry¡¯s derailment."


    ** S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They failed, huh?"


    "Yes, Miss. Kate is on the run with Michael and Mai, her assistant."


    "I see. Keep me updated about everything."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah rolled her eyes when she got the news.


    "Of course, they will fail. They underestimate what kind of woman Kate is. She is obviously vicious and cruel," Sarah said. She leaned on her bed, eating ice cream while watching a movie.


    She was annoyed at the failure but not mad.


    She had expected the failure, but at least Marlon¡¯s attack was enough to force Kate away from the city, and she probably would be fired from her job.


    "See what will happen if you dare to fight me? Katherine, if you are smart enough, you would¡¯ve let Henry go and saved yourself," Sarah talked to herself. "But I guess you¡¯re too stupidly in love to understand the risk."


    "Let¡¯s see what you would do, Henry Grant. I will make sure you regret ever replacing me."


    **


    Kate floated inside her dream as she lay unconscious on the hospital bed. She floated in nothingness until the scene changed, and she found herself standing at the CEO¡¯s office of Emperor Publishing.


    It was late at night, and they were the only two doing overtime.


    She was holding a stack of documents intended for her boss, James Grant, to sign.


    She put the documents on the desk and said, "You need to check everything before dawn, Sir."


    James sighed. He dropped his pen and stared at Kate, who was equally tired, and said, "You need to rest. Go home and take a day off. You¡¯ve been accompanying me since yesterday."


    "I can¡¯t," Kate refused. "I won¡¯t leave you alone while you struggle with your workloads. "


    "Your job is done as a senior editor. You don¡¯t need to help me."


    "I feel obliged to," Kate insisted. "Besides, I don¡¯t like going home. You know... my husband..."


    James clicked his tongue. He was obviously displeased when Kate mentioned her deadbeat husband, Matthew Woods.


    "Why don¡¯t you divorce him already?" James said. "You know there are so many men out there waiting for you to be single."


    Kate smiled bitterly. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to divorce Matt because she knew no man would accept a barren woman like her.


    "No man will accept me if I get divorced. I¡¯m barren, Mr. Grant."

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355: Chapter 355"No man will accept me if I get divorced. I¡¯m barren, Mr. Grant."


    James was visibly frustrated each time Kate mentioned her infertility. She always wailed in self-pity, thinking no man would accept her if she divorced Matt just because she couldn¡¯t give birth.


    The fact was James had a hard time trying to block his business partners and employees to make a move towards Kate.


    She never realized how attractive she was, no matter how often James told her about it.


    "So what if you can¡¯t conceive a baby? Your worth is not solely dependent on that," James said. "You have so many achievements in your life; you inspire many women, and so many men admire you. You are perfect, Katherine..."


    "Ahaha... you¡¯re really good at pep talking, James," Kate laughed awkwardly. "But in the end, all men want is a family. Most men see my infertility as a deal breaker. That¡¯s why I¡¯m stuck with Matthew."


    "I¡¯m not one of those men," James claimed.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean?" Kate was surprised. She stared at James with cheeks that began to get hotter.


    "I will marry you even if you can¡¯t give me a baby. You are more than enough for me, Katherine," James said.


    Kate gasped.


    This was the first time James ever confessed his feelings towards her.


    All this time, they had been in this somewhat ambiguous relationship. They didn¡¯t do anything because Kate was big on monogamy and marriage loyalty, but even she couldn¡¯t deny how close they had become to the point that they were better off as a couple.


    "James..." Kate murmured his name. "Do you think there is a chance for us to be... together?"


    James gritted his teeth, turned around, and looked at the city below, "We don¡¯t. I¡¯m no longer with you, Kate."


    Kate felt that her heart had been crushed. She didn¡¯t understand her own feelings. She knew it was too late because Kate was conscious this was just a dream, and James died in a tragic car accident.


    "But... you will have someone that will love you much more than I will ever do," James said. "He is reckless and immature at times. But he has a good heart."


    "He is braver than me, and he will take the risk I won¡¯t take just to have you," James said. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Kate. "He is my little brother, Henry Grant."


    Kate gasped again.


    Her heart began to feel warm when James mentioned Henry. Up until this point, deep in her heart, Kate still wondered if she truly loved Henry or because Henry had the remnant of James inside her.


    But his name was enough to warm her heart and give butterflies in her stomach.


    "You might like me at some point, but I doubt it¡¯s the same kind of like you have for Henry, correct?" James asked. "You obviously love him for all the good and bad in him."


    Kate bit her lower lip.


    Kate began to cry as she had never felt this vulnerable in her life.


    She hated being vulnerable, but whenever she remembered about Henry, she wanted to feel vulnerable in front of him.


    She wanted to be loved by him only.


    She nodded while crying, "I want to fight for him, for us. I will go through hell and back if that means I can be with him in the end."


    James was satisfied with Kate¡¯s answer, "Please love him back, and he will protect you until his last breath. I give you two my blessing."


    "Goodbye, Katherine."


    Kate saw James slowly vanishing into thin air, and the area around her crumbled into pieces.


    Kate gasped, and she opened her eyes immediately.


    Her chest heaved, and her body was sweaty. She stared at the ceiling and wondered where she was right now.


    She remembered passing out after escaping from that perverted intruder with Mai. She didn¡¯t know what happened, but seeing that her body was still intact and she felt no pain in her stomach, she assumed she was somehow saved.


    Kate looked around and saw the morning sun basking in Michael¡¯s face, who slept on the couch. He frowned a few times, and when Kate made the slightest move, he opened his eyes immediately.


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Kate staring back at him. He got up from the sofa and rushed to Kate¡¯s bed.


    "Kate! Are you alright? Do you feel any pain somewhere? Let me call the nurse to check on you!"


    Kate didn¡¯t even have a chance to speak before Michael dashed out of the ward to find a nurse.


    "What¡¯s wrong with him? I¡¯m perfectly fine. I was just exhausted before," Kate said. She sat on the bed, took another good look around her, and was positive she was in the hospital.


    She saw another bed beside hers and wondered if Mai was hospitalized here as well. After all, she was the one who received a painful punch in the stomach.


    "Where is she anyway? Is she alright?" Kate wondered. "But seeing how Michael seemed normal, she thought Mai must be doing just fine."


    As she was thinking about Mai, the woman walked out of the bathroom, and her eyes glimmered instantly when their gazes met. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "KATE!" Mai tried to run towards Kate but stopped halfway after feeling terrible pain in her stomach.


    "M¡ªMai, don¡¯t rush. You¡¯re still wounded!"


    "Ahaha... you¡¯re right," Mai walked slowly towards her bed and sat on it while facing Kate. "How are you feeling right now? Good? Okay? Bad?"


    "I¡¯m just fine," Kate replied. "You should worry about yourself. After all, You¡¯re the one who was most wounded by that attack."


    "Oh, I¡¯m just fine. It¡¯s just a small scratch," Mai said, but Kate knew that was a lie.


    "Really? Let me see your wound."


    "You don¡¯t need to¡ª"


    "Mai, let me see your wound."


    Mai pouted.


    She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Michael and Kate and why they were so worried about her. She might be small, but she was tougher than she looked.


    But Kate¡¯s urging eyes forced Mai to roll her shirt again and showed the wound that had been treated with a cream from the doctor.

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356: Chapter 356[Warning: Upsetting Content.]


    Kate took a deep breath as she saw the wound.


    It was terrible, and the bruise looked so big since Mai had a small figure. Kate was visibly wincing when she saw the bruise.


    Seeing the pity in Kate¡¯s eyes, Mai was uncomfortable, so she quickly covered her stomach again and said, "Don¡¯t worry about this. It¡¯s just a normal wound. It¡¯ll get better."


    "Mai..." Kate was speechless after realizing Mai was much more stubborn than she thought. She also had resistance to pain since Kate would definitely pass out after that kind of punch, even if she weren¡¯t pregnant.


    She also had one question lingering in her mind, "Why?"


    "Huh?"


    "Why would you go so far just to help me?" Kate asked. "You could¡¯ve died just from helping me. You should¡¯ve saved yourself!"


    Kate didn¡¯t like this feeling of vulnerability in front of someone. She felt this in front of Henry and thought she would form any meaningful connection only with Henry.


    But she also didn¡¯t expect to feel such a strong bond with Mai.


    "Mai, you¡¯re too reckless..." Kate said.


    "If I didn¡¯t get involved, you would be captured," Mai said. She reached Kate¡¯s hands and held them gently. "Besides, you should understand I¡¯m doing this based on my free will. I admire you so much, so I want to protect you."


    "Admiration doesn¡¯t mean risking your life for me, Mai," Kate muttered. "I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if you got killed because of me."


    "And I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if you get killed," Mai retorted. "Besides, my admiration is not the only reason."


    Mai smiled at Kate, who looked so distressed over her wound, and said, "I don¡¯t know if you remember this, but you told me that if you can make a choice, you¡¯d want me to be your little sister instead."


    Of course, Kate remembered that vividly, and what she said was true.


    Mai was truly a good young woman. She was around Erin¡¯s age, but they were very different in personality.


    Erin was a total hellhole bitch that Kate wished to drown under the sea if she had time to go to Greenland again.


    Meanwhile, Mai was a good young woman who worked hard to get the work she wanted and was honest. She appreciated Kate¡¯s help and admired her.


    It might sound a little selfish, but getting admiration from Mai made her feel good.


    So, she wanted to protect and cultivate Mai¡¯s talent even more.


    After a long-awaited response, Kate finally nodded.


    "Aha, I wish you¡¯d forget about it instead. It¡¯s embarrassing because I was so happy when you said you want me to be your sister," Mai said. "I feel like I could do everything after you said that."


    "But that¡¯s not enough for you to go so far just to protect me," Kate insisted. "I¡¯m glad and thankful that you helped me, Mai. But you¡¯re risking your life for me!"


    "Besides, you should¡¯ve just called someone to save me and run away. So you can start your life normally without implicating yourself in this horrible situation!" Kate yelled frustratedly.


    Mai went silent after that. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself to reveal the traumatic past event that she tried to bury deep inside.


    Because she had nowhere and nobody she could trust and talk to.


    But now that Kate saw her as the little sister she wished for, Mai decided to put all her trust in Kate.


    ¡¯As it should¡¯ve been since the day she accepted me in the office despite the HR¡¯s rejection,¡¯ Mai thought.


    "I still want to save you no matter what because you remind me of my sister, who passed away when I was only ten," Mai said. She looked down, staring at Kate¡¯s hand, and rubbed it gently. "She died after trying to protect me from a monster."


    "... a monster?"


    "My stepfather," Mai replied. "My mom remarried after my dad died, and my stepfather was an asshole who would beat me and my older sister. He¡¯d also starve us and even went as far as trying to molest me."


    "My mother was a coward in love. She didn¡¯t do anything even if my stepfather hit us in front of her eyes. She¡¯s more scared of losing her new lover than her daughters."


    "So that night, when that monster was so drunk, he went into our bedroom and tried to touch us..." Mai began to clench Kate¡¯s hand as she told the traumatic event that ruined her life.


    Kate knew that she needed strength, so she reciprocated and intertwined their fingers instead, holding Mai¡¯s hand tightly to make sure that Mai knew Kate was there for her.


    "I cried when he tried to touch me, and my sis rescued me. She fought against that big man and told me to run away."


    "I was... only ten. I didn¡¯t know any better. So I ran away..." Mai said. Her heart was hurting, and she was holding her tears. "I went to the neighbor and begged them to call the police, but it was too late. My big sister was killed."


    "That man was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter, but he died after the first year in prison. They said the prisoners ganged up on him after they knew what he did." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I was still grieving, but my mother went crazy after that. She kept screaming at me, crying and cursing, saying that her husband shouldn¡¯t have died if not because of me calling the cops."


    Mai scoffed, "It¡¯s so ridiculous. Because she didn¡¯t even cry for her daughter¡¯s death, but she cried for that trash man¡¯s life."


    "My mom became mentally unstable after that, and I was sent to live with my distant relative until I was eighteen."


    "I¡¯m doing much better now, thanks to you giving me a good job. I should¡¯ve forgotten what happened in the past, but I can¡¯t¡ª"Mai looked up with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can¡¯t forget how my sister sacrificed herself to protect me from that monster."


    "If I could turn back time, I would¡¯ve sacrificed myself instead," Mai said. "But I can¡¯t return to the past. So I can only lament about it every day."


    "That was... until I met you, Kate," Mai said with utmost sincerity. "I see my late sister in you."

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357: Chapter 357"You see your big sister in me?"


    "Mhm, she is reliable, smart, and also somewhat bossy. She always ensures I am well taken care of," Mai said. She had a thin smile as she imagined her sister in Kate¡¯s body.


    "If she were still alive, she would be around twenty-eight years old, probably working as a literary agent or a writer," Mai muttered. "I picked up my reading hobby because I admire her talent."


    "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you die or be captured under Marlon¡¯s hand. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt," Mai stared at Kate earnestly. "I deeply regret running away back then because I feel like my sister should¡¯ve lived, or at least I should¡¯ve died together with her."


    "But I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake with you. I will protect you, even if that will cost my life!"


    "Mai!"


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice when Mai raised such a ridiculous notion, "You¡¯re not going to die. None of us will die! Stop saying that you will protect me with your life!"


    Kate took a deep breath to calm herself, and realized the situation was deeper than expected. She liked Mai as her little sister, but she didn¡¯t expect Mai to develop such a dependency on her long before she knew it.


    "You could¡¯ve said this sooner, Mai. I am more than happy with what you think of me, and I also feel the same."


    "R¡ªReally¡ª?!"


    "But you¡¯re not allowed to do dangerous things like last night, got it?" Kate said. She let go of Mai¡¯s hand and patted her head gently. "After all, I see you as my little sister. I don¡¯t want her to get hurt because of me."


    Mai was stunned by the head pat.


    As expected, it truly felt like she was being patted by her late sister a decade ago.


    Mai wiped her tears that kept falling as she reminisced about her sister and asked Kate, "Is it okay for me to call you Kate instead of Ma¡¯am or Mrs. Woods?"


    "Sure, but of course not when we¡¯re at work, okay? But outside of work, you are my little sister, so you can call me Kate."


    Mai nodded happily. She opened her arms and asked again, "Can I hug you, Kate?"


    Kate chuckled. She took the initiative to hug Mai first and patted her back, "You¡¯ve worked hard. Thank you for saving me, sister."


    Mai closed her eyes and rested her head on Kate¡¯s shoulder. She remembered about her sister again, but she didn¡¯t reminisce about the moment they fought with that monster.


    She remembered when her sister comforted her after their father¡¯s death and whispered the same sentence in her ear;


    "Everything will be just fine. I won¡¯t let you get hurt, Mai," Kate whispered, calming down the trembling petite woman.


    Kate sighed.


    She truly wanted to do this with Erin, too. She loved and cared for her little sister since she was just a baby.


    After all, her dysfunctional family was not fit to raise Erin, so Kate made sure that Erin was well taken care of. Their mother only started to cling to Erin after their father got arrested and soon blamed Kate for everything.


    She wanted to say those words to Erin, but that bitch was unbearable and spoiled, so Kate had to shed all her pity on Erin and did the right thing to protect her baby.


    ¡¯Maybe I will have a second chance with Mai...¡¯


    Kate and Mai hugged until they heard the door slammed open, and Michael came in with the nurse.


    The nurse checked on Kate¡¯s condition and nodded, "You¡¯re doing just fine. I will send breakfast and vitamins. Please take them, and you will be ready to get discharged."


    "Thank you, Nurse."


    The nurse left, and Kate quickly asked Michael, "So where are we currently?"


    Michael stood leaning on the wall, staring at Mai and Kate solemnly, "We¡¯re in San Diego. I was thinking about bringing you to San Francisco, but my informant told me that Marlon¡¯s men are currently doing a manhunt on us in both San Francisco and Los Angeles."


    "I see..." Kate wasn¡¯t surprised by the information. She knew that Marlon was trying to hunt for her life. "Sarah must¡¯ve said something that triggered this."


    "Surely," Michael scoffed. "That bitch has no physical prowess nor enough shady connection to do a dirty deed like this herself. But her mouth is so poisonous that she can actually influence so many people around her."


    "So we will stay and hide in San Diego for a while. Henry has a beachside apartment with enough rooms for three of us. Marlon and Sarah also have no idea about this one because it¡¯s his most recent purchase," Michael said decisively. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But what about Henry? We should¡¯ve called him, right?" Kate said. She looked around her bed to see if she had her phone somewhere. She remembered carrying her phone and wallet before leaving the apartment. "I should call him now. I need to tell him about the attack, and he should also be careful."


    Michael gritted his teeth.


    He didn¡¯t want Henry to know too early because he still felt like a failure. He wasn¡¯t ready to face Henry, realizing that he failed to protect Kate and put her in a harmful situation.


    In fact, if he could, he wanted Henry to stay blind about this situation first. After all, Henry also had a lot to deal with in New York.


    "Michael, where is my phone?" Kate asked.


    Michael went silent for a while and sighed.


    He took the phone out of his pocket and handed it to Kate, "Tell him everything, but please be careful with your words. You know what kind of man he is. Your condition will put him in paranoia. Who knows what kind of crazy shit he will do in that paranoid and hysterical state?"


    Kate nodded.


    Of course, she knew how rash and impulsive Henry could be, so she prepared her speech while pressing the call button.


    And the call was connected in about five seconds.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358: Chapter 358"Urgh..." Henry grunted in the morning. He woke up feeling like shit because he had a terrible nightmare that gave him restless sleep all night long.


    In that nightmare, he saw Kate getting captured by Marlon and was subjected to various torture until she had a miscarriage and died soon after.


    "Is it because I¡¯m too stressed out?" Henry asked himself. He knew that Kate was doing just fine right now. She was in their apartment, probably sleeping soundly while caressing her belly, a habit she picked up after she got pregnant.


    Then she would wake up at about six in the morning, do a little stretching, and start cooking for breakfast. Henry had picked up all of Kate¡¯s habits after they lived together for a while.


    He sat on the bed, hovering his finger on the call button of Kate¡¯s number. He hesitated because he was afraid that Kate would notice his grievance.


    After all, Kate was very perceptive. Henry felt like an open book in front of her.


    As he was busy thinking about calling her, he suddenly got a call from none other than his beloved.


    He was stunned for the first five seconds before pressing the green button on the screen.


    ¡ª


    "Good morning, Love. How are you doing today, good?" Henry asked. He cheered up instantly with just the thought of talking with his beloved.


    Little did he know, his beloved had just experienced a life-threatening night against a perverted bastard.


    ...


    There was a long silence on the call, and Henry¡¯s smile slowly dissipated, "Kate? What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?"


    "Where are you now, Henry?" Kate asked.


    "I¡¯m at my apartment. Tell me what¡¯s wrong. You¡¯re going to kill me with worry!" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, I need you to calm down first and promise me not to do anything impulsive after this, okay?"


    The more Kate tried to comfort Henry, the more paranoid he got. He began recalling everything that happened to him that might have affected his beloved.


    Then he remembered his fight with Graham yesterday.


    ¡¯Did he tell Kate I punched him?¡¯ Henry¡¯s eyes darkened. He had been extra careful not to hurt Graham yesterday. He could¡¯ve beat the life out of that cocky bastard, but he knew Kate wouldn¡¯t like to marry a killer.


    Besides, he still respected Graham as his late brother¡¯s best friend.


    But if Graham kept tampering with his relationship with Kate... then he might have to do the unthinkable.


    "Henry?"


    "Yeah," Henry took a deep breath. He sounded calm, but a storm began to brew in his heart. "Okay, I promise I won¡¯t do anything rash. Just tell me what happened, Kitty."


    "Well..." Kate looked at Michael and Mai, who nodded in unison, encouraging her to talk. "I am currently in San Diego with Mai and Michael."


    "San Diego?" Henry frowned. "Why?"


    "Because we got attacked last night," Kate said.


    "WHAT?!" Henry¡¯s eyes widened to the point that they almost popped out of the sockets. "Attacked?!"


    "Y¡ªYeah, Marlon sent his men to attack the apartment. Michael had to fight three armed men while Mai and I had to fight a big pervert," Kate reported. Before Henry could react, she quickly added, "I¡¯m just fine¡ªwe are all doing fine¡ªbut we are in hiding right now. We will live in your apartment for a while since Marlon is doing a manhunt in Los Angeles and San Francisco."


    Henry gritted his teeth. He jumped out of his bed and grabbed his wallet. He was ready to book a plane ticket back to Los Angeles, "THAT OLD BASTARD WILL PAY!" Henry yelled as he rushed out of his bedroom.


    "Henry, stay right where you are," Kate said in a firm tone, and Henry halted his step immediately. "You promised me not to act rashly, remember?"


    "But¡ª"


    "No, buts, I don¡¯t want you to discard all the hard work you put into your new company just because of this small problem."


    "Small problem? Small problem, you said?!" Henry got frustrated, realizing how little Kate valued herself. "You and our baby are my life! I¡¯d rather kill that bastard and kill myself if you died!"


    "Goddamn it! Let me find that bastard! I want to break his legs, at least!"


    "Henry!" Kate raised her voice. "If I hear another footstep from you, I will never call you again."


    Henry felt hopeless.


    He was so angry that the only thing on his mind was to be even with that old man, either by breaking his legs or punching him until he got hospitalized.


    It was the only way for him to feel at ease, knowing he wasn¡¯t entirely useless!


    "Then give the phone to Michael. I¡¯m going to fuck him up for being absolutely fucking useless!" Henry yelled.


    "I can¡¯t do that either," Kate sighed. He glanced at Michael, who lowered his head subconsciously. "He fought against three armed men at once and then drove us to San Diego. He has done more than enough."


    "DAMN IT!" Henry yelled out of frustration. He leaned on the wall as he tried to take a deep breath a few times to no avail. He was still angry at Michael, and he was angry at himself for not being there when his beloved was attacked.


    "If you stopped me from finding Marlon, what should I do!? Do you think I should just sit down and relax?"


    "You can go to the bathroom, freshen up, and go to work today," Kate said. "Hmm, make sure to clear your head first. Maybe exercise first before doing that?"


    Henry felt humiliated by how casual Kate sounded just because she wanted to protect him. He wanted to do more! He wanted Kate to see that he was a reliable man!


    He had a lot to say to Kate but zipped his mouth before saying any of it because he knew it would only lead to a fight between them.


    Ultimately, he could only mutter, "I¡¯m sorry..."


    "For what?"


    "For being useless," Henry muttered. "I¡¯m so shamefully useless that I want to kill myself."

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359: Chapter 359Henry realized the tears pooled in his eyes as he was so frustrated with the situation. He wished he could¡¯ve done more.


    If he could, he wanted to be the strongest man in this world to ensure that Kate and their baby were well protected. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But look what he was doing right now.


    He was across the country, trying to start anew while he let his beloved get hurt.


    He wanted to cry because it made him realize how much of a failure he was.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯t do anything right. God, I don¡¯t know why I am so weak," Henry muttered. His voice began to get hoarse and shaky, so he swallowed his sadness before Kate noticed how pathetic he was.


    Kate looked at Mai and Michael and signaled them to get away for a moment because this would be a private talk.


    He turned off the loudspeaker, so Mai and Michael wouldn¡¯t hear Henry sobbing.


    She knew that Henry was having a mental breakdown.


    He tried his best, but he was still human in the end.


    With all the odds stacked against him, he was facing tremendous pressure, and Kate understood it well. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t go into detail about what happened during the attack because she didn¡¯t want to distress him even further.


    Henry was a young man who had been spoiled since he was just a baby. He had never experienced hardship for the past twenty-four years, but he dared to turn his life upside down just for Kate and their baby.


    He might be treading on a path full of needles right now, but Kate admired his bravery so much.


    "You are not weak, Henry," Kate said. "You are the bravest and strongest man I¡¯ve ever met. You discard all the comfort that your father gave you solely for me and our baby. I have never been given so much love in my life, and I feel grateful for you."


    The more Kate tried to comfort him, the worse pain he felt in his heart.


    He wanted to drown in self-pity, but Kate continued to talk without giving him a chance to speak, knowing it would only depress him even more.


    "Don¡¯t blame yourself for what happened right now. I know some are just out of your control," Kate said. "I never blamed you for this."


    "But I am the one who caused you pain! If not because of me, Marlon won¡¯t target you!"


    "And I¡¯m more than willing to fight, as long as we will be together in the end," Kate continued with her unwavering faith. "I will go through hell and back just to be with you. I love you more than you expect, Henry!"


    Kate¡¯s last sentence knocked some sense in Henry¡¯s head. He stopped crying but continued his muffled sob, "I want to do more for you. I¡¯m supposed to protect you from any harm..."


    Kate smiled upon hearing how innocent Henry sounded just now.


    He sounded like a teenage boy trying to sound tough.


    She leaned on the hospital bed and said, "You can protect me once you have enough strength. Now, get up and stop crying, honey. Go freshen up and promise me that you will make an empire bigger than the Grant family will ever have."


    Henry got up subconsciously under Kate¡¯s encouragement. He finally stopped his muffled sobs, "I promise that I will have a business empire bigger than the Grant family, and I will protect you from any harm. I promise that you won¡¯t regret choosing me."


    "That¡¯s my man!" Kate chuckled. "I will be hiding in your San Diego apartment for now. Don¡¯t worry about me. Ignore all the taunts from Marlon or Sarah, and focus on your work."


    Henry gritted his teeth, "Please wait a little longer, my love. We will be together in the end. It will be my promise as your man."


    Kate and Henry had a small talk after that, and Kate hung up the call after making sure Henry wouldn¡¯t do anything rash.


    ¡ª


    "Okay, Michael, Mai, you can return to me now."


    Michael and Mai returned to Kate¡¯s side, and Michael asked anxiously, "So, how was it? He won¡¯t go to Los Angeles just to meet with his father, right? You know it¡¯s a trap set up by Marlon and Penny."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I made sure he is focusing on his new business," Kate assured. "But that means we must go into hiding for a few months. I¡¯m sorry, Michael, Mai."


    "No, no, it¡¯s alright, Kate!" Mai held her hand and assured Kate. "I am more than willing to follow you. Hiding for a few months doesn¡¯t sound too bad either."


    "Heh, I am your bodyguard, so naturally, I will be by your side as well," Michael assured. "Though, I wonder if you will be okay with not doing anything for a few months. After all, you were a workaholic in the Emperor Publishing, and we are all basically fired from that company."


    "Or the Emperor Publishing could be abandoned. I don¡¯t think Marlon wants to care about the remnants from Mr. James and Henry Grant," Mai added.


    "Oh-ho, don¡¯t worry about that," Kate grinned. "I have a lot of connections with authors. I will start contacting them one by one and check their non-sequel book drafts. I will offer them to join the new company instead."


    "They are more connected to me than the company, so even if we get fired, I will ensure the new publishing company will have a stellar line-up of top authors."


    Mai and Michael looked at each other, and Mai shrugged.


    They already knew that Kate was a shrewd businesslady. She was the lifeline of Emperor Publishing.


    And now that it lost the heart of the company, the Emperor Publishing was deemed to crumble and die soon.


    "Well, how about we start by contacting the top authors who hadn¡¯t had any release for years? They must be preparing for their new book, and we can direct them to the new company," Mai suggested, and Kate nodded.


    "Great idea. Let¡¯s go to Henry¡¯s apartment and start working."

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360: Chapter 360Henry went to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and realized he had been crying until his eyes were red.


    For the first time in his life, he hated seeing his own pretty face.


    The face that scored him so many ladies in the past, the face that got him street casted or scouted by movie talent.


    He hated it now.


    Why?


    Because this pretty face couldn¡¯t do anything when the woman he truly loved was in danger, he regretted not using his brain more when he was still in university. He was swayed by the crazy sex and party life back then, and his looks and status were enough to get him many women he wanted.


    He should¡¯ve focused on learning many things from James and Vernon instead of fucking around like an idiot.


    "Ah, there is no use regretting now," Henry washed his face and stared at himself in the mirror again. His beautiful emerald eyes glinted with hostility, "I will protect my woman, no matter what. Even if I have to take the biggest risk possible."


    **


    Henry went to Vernon¡¯s office in the morning. He talked to Diamond on the phone, and she said that Vernon would be free until lunchtime when he would have lunch with a business partner.


    Thus, Henry waited inside Vernon¡¯s office earlier. He wanted to beg, even if he had to bow down in front of his cousin. He had to do whatever possible to protect Kate.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he had to toss his pride. He had no pride anymore the moment Kate got hurt by that old man.


    Vernon opened the door and was surprised by Henry, "Henry? What¡¯s up? Why are you here in the morning?"


    Henry said nothing, so Vernon sat on the sofa and stared at Henry. He frowned when he noticed something.


    "Why did you cry so much? Your eyes are puffy," Vernon asked. But still no answer from Henry, "Tsk, don¡¯t kill me with suspense, Henry. You know I will help if you have any problem."


    Henry gritted his teeth. He was trying to muster up his courage.


    He took a deep breath and said, "I need your help again, Vernon."


    "Sure, what do you need?"


    Vernon¡¯s casualness was like a thorn for Henry. He realized that he had been helped way too many times by Vernon, and it began to feel embarrassing.


    But he slapped some sense within himself and remembered about Kate hiding because of him.


    "My father sent four men to attack Katherine and kidnap her. She survived and escaped. She is currently hiding in San Diego for an indefinite amount of time since Marlon is doing a manhunt to find her."


    Henry put his hands on his knees and clenched them hard, "I¡ªI can¡¯t do anything. She told me not to find Marlon, and she told me to work hard."


    "I can¡¯t bear to see her in hiding, fearing for her life like this. I stole her freedom and peace. I ruined her life, so I must protect her, no matter the cost." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry stares at Vernon with earnestness combined with desperation in his eyes, "I am begging you, Vernon Phoenix Gray, please give me all the resources you can use so I can develop my new business as fast as possible. I can¡¯t bear to torture my woman like this."


    Vernon¡¯s expression turned solemn, "You¡¯re treading on a dangerous path, Henry. I¡¯ve given you enough resources to get you started. It might be a little slow, but you won¡¯t have to face many dangers."


    "I don¡¯t care about dangers. I can¡¯t wait half a year!" Henry insisted. "I don¡¯t want to see my beloved suffer because of my doing."


    "So please, Vernon, give me all your resources. You can bind me into a contract. You can force me to pay a crazy amount of money for the rest of my life. But I can¡¯t wait any longer!"


    Henry was like a wild bull that ran rampant, stomping and crushing everything in his path. Vernon was worried that he might be too impatient and would make stupid decisions.


    But he also understood Henry¡¯s chaotic mind right now.


    If his wife experienced the same thing that Henry¡¯s girlfriend experienced right now, he would turn insane as well.


    ...


    "I can give you all the resources you need. Your new businesses will skyrocket into unicorn status in just a month. But I have one requirement for you."


    "I will fulfill whatever requirement you give me!" Henry said without hesitation. He was ready to offer his life if that was the requirement to bring safety to Kate and their baby.


    "Hey, don¡¯t be so eager," Vernon chuckled. "I¡¯m not going to bind you with a life-crushing contract. My requirement is to be involved within your company. I want to be the biggest shareholder of your company, and I want to have a voice in every big decision you make."


    Henry¡¯s body tensed immediately. If he let Vernon be the biggest shareholder, that meant he was under his cousin¡¯s mercy.


    He promised himself he wouldn¡¯t work for anyone anymore because he wanted Kate to feel true freedom. It would be his joy to see Kate feeling like she could rest well and at ease.


    But, of course, he had to be realistic.


    Vernon was offering business rather than help. He probably knew Henry¡¯s talent and wanted to make more money.


    Henry, on the other hand, was so desperate to find any way possible to protect Kate that he didn¡¯t care what would happen to him in the future.


    ¡¯Ah, fuck it! I will think about Vernon¡¯s problem later on. The most important thing is to get Kate out of her hiding!¡¯


    Thus, armed with desperation, Henry nodded, "You will be the biggest shareholder of my company. But in exchange, I want my new company to be a unicorn-level startup in just a month. I can¡¯t afford to let Kate suffer more than this!"


    Vernon smiled meaningfully, "It¡¯s a deal, Henry Grant."

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361: Chapter 361Vernon yelled Diamond¡¯s name, and the secretary walked in. She was surprised to see a big smile on her boss¡¯ face. It made her wonder if something good happened just now.


    "Do you need something, Sir?"


    "Prepare all the documents between my cousin and I. He wants me to inject a huge investment into his new company. He also wants me to give all of the connections I can get. In exchange, I will be the biggest shareholder for his new company," Vernon said.


    Diamond paused for a moment. She glanced at Henry, who had a solemn expression.


    She didn¡¯t know if Henry understood the risk or not because Vernon was a shrewd businessman, and it might affect Henry in the future.


    "Do it, Diamond," Henry nodded.


    "... okay, I will contact the head of the finance department first. Please excuse me, Sir."


    As Diamond left the office, Vernon¡¯s focus returned to Henry, "You¡¯re not going to regret this, right?"


    "No, I will sell my soul to protect Kate from harm," Henry replied firmly.


    Vernon nodded approvingly.


    Honestly, he had no intention to make things difficult for Henry. He was very proud of his cousin, who dared to take such a big risk for his woman. It reminded Vernon of all the risks he took with the help of James Grant.


    He wanted to be the biggest shareholder in Henry¡¯s company to oversee the growth of the company. He wanted to ensure Henry succeeded, just like James did to help Vernon back then.


    Whether he would transfer the stock to Henry or not in the end depended on Henry¡¯s performance as the CEO.


    "Well, buckle up, cousin. You¡¯re going for a rough ride."


    **


    Marlon had a stressful morning. He didn¡¯t sleep well and had no appetite for breakfast.


    He kept thinking about Katherine, who slipped out of his grasp like a slimy eel.


    He clenched the spoon and threw it at Penny, who hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    "Ah!" Penny shielded herself when the spoon hit her forehead. She stared at her husband with a wrong expression but dared not to say anything, fearing that he would do something even more extreme.


    "Did you call that son of a bitch already?" Marlon asked.


    "He blocked me..." Penny replied as she rubbed her forehead. "The call was connected about an hour ago, but before I could say anything, he just cursed at me and blocked me."


    "Isn¡¯t he afraid that his mistress will get hurt?"


    "Michael probably already informed him about everything. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t find Katherine anywhere," Penny said. "And Henry knows there is nothing we can do about it."


    Marlon knew that was likely the case, but he was still angry at everyone¡¯s failure.


    "I will fire that bitch from that publishing company," Marlon murmured. "Without a job, she won¡¯t be able to sustain herself."


    Penny opened her mouth but decided not to say it.


    Marlon might not know, but Penny heard enough from James.


    She knew that Katherine was the publishing company¡¯s lifeline, that the publishing house was as good as dead once Kate left it to rot and die.


    Marlon found himself facing a dead end. He couldn¡¯t find Katherine, and Henry didn¡¯t give a damn about this.


    So he only had one last thing he could do. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Get ready after breakfast, we will visit that dying bitch in the mental hospital today," Marlon said.


    **


    Dahlia had just finished a book that Kate curated. She sighed, full of awe. Kate really knew what kind of fiction that would sell.


    Even Dahlia, an old woman who rarely read any modern fiction, was still awed by the book she read just now.


    She heard a knock on the door, and the cook walked in with her lunch, as always. The cook had informed her that he was Michael¡¯s subordinate, so Dahlia didn¡¯t need to worry about getting poisoned by the food in here.


    It was a relief since Dahlia rarely ate much because she feared getting poisoned.


    As the man put all the food on the bedside table, he suddenly put a small knife next to Dahlia.


    Dahlia peered at the cook, who explained, "I got the news that Marlon Grant is going to come for a visit. The head of the hospital is busy briefing people to make sure that nobody screws up today."


    "I don¡¯t know what he will do, but I know he won¡¯t be pleasant," the cook said. "So you can keep this knife as self-defense in case you get attacked. This is the least I could do, Ma¡¯am. I have no way to give you a gun."


    Dahlia nodded. She picked up the knife and unsheathed it. She inspected it and nodded, "This should be sharp enough to slice someone¡¯s neck in one go. Thank you for your help."


    The cook nodded, "Stay safe, Ma¡¯am. I will leave for now."


    Dahlia sheathed the knife and hid it under her blanket, "Ah, this would be the first time that bastard visited me after he threw me here. I bet he came to visit because of Henry and Kate."


    Dahlia knew that she would be in grave danger. Knowing Marlon, he would probably bring his men to threaten her.


    But she would NEVER comply, even if it¡¯d cost her life.


    She had failed to protect James, so the least she could do was to protect her second son and his woman.


    Dahlia turned her head and stared at the snowfall outside. She missed the times when she spent Christmas with teenage James and toddler Henry.


    Henry had always been a menace to the maids and butlers in the mansion. But he was very obedient in front of James and Dahlia, especially with James.


    That boy really admired his big brother, and in exchange, James also adored his little brother. They were truly a perfect pair of brothers.


    Too bad Marlon¡¯s greed for reputation and noble title blinded him. He killed his own son just to make sure James wouldn¡¯t ruin the family¡¯s reputation.


    "I can¡¯t protect you, James. So I will protect Henry, no matter what."

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362: Chapter 362Marlon and Penny walked into the mental hospital lobby. They were greeted by the head of the hospital, a woman in her late forties.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Grant. Are you here to visit Mrs. Dahlia Grant?"


    Marlon scoffed, "Quit the pleasantries. I¡¯m here to visit my wife. How is she?"


    The head was surprised that Marlon still considered Dahlia as his ¡¯wife¡¯ even though he was the one who told the head to forge all documents so Dahlia would be forced to be admitted to this mental hospital.


    Penny also had the same reaction.


    She felt so wronged when Marlon claimed Dahlia as his wife, even though Penny was the one who had been so patient, catering to all the abuses from Marlon.


    She should¡¯ve been the real wife, not a mistress anymore!


    But she dared not to voice her discontent, fearing that Marlon would simply ditch her out of the mansion, especially now that Henry had turned his back on them. Marlon had little to no reason to keep her around.


    "Please follow me, Sir."


    The head of the hospital led the way to Dahlia¡¯s room, and she opened the door for him, "Mrs. Grant is inside. She had just finished her lunch about an hour ago."


    Marlon nodded, entered the room, and saw Dahlia sitting on the bed, reading a book and ignoring Marlon, who had just walked in.


    Penny followed behind and closed the door. She looked at Dahlia and gritted her teeth subconsciously. She bore hatred towards Dahlia because her life was so unfair compared to Dahlia.


    Penny came from a broken family and left her home when she was eighteen.


    She had nowhere to go and had no skill whatsoever. So, she utilized the only good thing about her: her beauty.


    She became a hooker for years until she found a handsome drunk, middle-aged man in a club she worked in. She checked his identity and decided to seduce him into fucking her until she got pregnant.


    And after that? She brought the baby to the Grant estate.


    Marlon wanted to kick her out, but Dahlia was kind enough to acknowledge the baby because the baby had no sin.


    Penny had always envied Dahlia all these years because that woman didn¡¯t seem to have any flaws. Aside from her crumbling marriage with Marlon, she was always at peace and joy.


    Even Henry called Dahlia his Mom and latched onto Dahlia more often.


    Penny was unneeded and unwanted in the Grant estate, and she held a grudge toward Dahlia, who made her feel unimportant.


    So when James made the mistake that would cost his life, and Sarah provoked Marlon to do something to James, Penny quickly took Marlon¡¯s side and helped him to put drugs into James¡¯ drink that night, making him sluggish and unable to make a quick decision when the car crash happened.


    She also encouraged Marlon to throw Dahlia into the mental hospital, thinking she would be the queen of the house.


    But she was still the same bitch that everybody in the mansion looked down upon. Even the maids and butlers didn¡¯t try to hide their hatred towards her.


    ¡¯Life is so unfair to me. Dahlia was born into a rich family, never experienced any pain, and was married to a handsome, rich man,¡¯ Penny complained in her heart. ¡¯Why can¡¯t I get my own victory, even when this old bitch will spend the rest of her life in this place?¡¯


    Dahlia put the book down and smiled at Marlon as if it was just another day of visit, even though this was the first time in more than six months since Marlon came for a visit.


    "It¡¯s been a while. You look well, Marlon."


    Marlon gritted his teeth.


    He disliked how Dahlia replaced the word ¡¯husband¡¯ to just ¡¯Marlon.¡¯


    He still saw Dahlia as his wife, even after all that happened.


    He was angry at Dahlia for not supporting his action to kill James in the name of the family¡¯s reputation. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason.


    The main reason why he decided to put Dahlia here was to suppress her influence.


    Unlike Penny, who was just a lowly bitch.


    Dahlia was a woman with power and influence. She had always been a woman who knew her worth, and her power threatened Marlon, who began to get older and older.


    It scared him that someday, Dahlia would strip him of the wealth they built together and throw him to the retirement home.


    So he did it to her first by throwing her in this mental hospital.


    However, even after all that happened, he still loved Dahlia.


    She was still the same beauty as she was decades ago, and Marlon was still pretty much in love with her.


    Though, his love for reputation and noble title might outweigh his love for her.


    Marlon walked towards Dahlia and tried to grab her hand, but Dahlia quickly slapped his hand, "I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t hold your hand, Marlon. I have an allergy to a bastard."


    Marlon stared at his empty palm and clenched it tight. He decided to go straight to the point, seeing how Dahlia was so hostile towards him.


    "I¡¯m here to see if you can help me to shake some sense into Henry¡¯s head," Marlon said. "That boy is blindly in love with an average woman. He will waste his years on her!"


    "Oh, you mean Katherine?" Dahlia¡¯s smile widened. "Why not? She is a wonderful woman. I¡¯ve met her several times, and she is nothing but pleasant to me."


    Marlon¡¯s eyes widened. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nobody had ever reported to him about Kate visiting this mental hospital! All this time, he thought that Dahlia was isolated to the point of her becoming insane.


    Who would¡¯ve expected her to have a nice conversation with Kate?


    "YOU¡ª! Do you not know she is the one who ruined James¡¯ life?!" Marlon raised his voice, trying to intimidate Dahlia. But Dahlia was not like Penny. Her smile didn¡¯t falter, and she kept her head high as she replied;


    "Hm? I thought it was you and the bitch behind you who ruined our son¡¯s life."

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363: Chapter 363Dahlia darted her sharp gaze toward Penny, and the latter felt unprecedented fear as she could feel Dahlia¡¯s hostility.


    Penny had to admit that she would never stand toe-to-toe against Dahlia.


    She might be street smart, but Dahlia was noble smart. She was crafty and tactful.


    In fact, one of the reasons why Penny resented Dahlia was because this woman seemed to be able to capture Marlon¡¯s heart despite constantly berating him for all of his misdeeds.


    Dahlia grinned at Penny, "Do you think I don¡¯t know that you spiked my son¡¯s drink, street whore?"


    "Y¡ªYou are speaking nonsense! Why would I do that to James!"


    "Because you want what I have," Dahlia replied. "You want to be born from a good family, to be raised right, and to have a perfect family of your own."


    Dahlia sneered at Penny as if the whore was less of a human being than her. Which infuriated Penny even more, "Oh, pity you. Are you mad because Henry chose to call me Mom? Maybe if you are a better mother, he¡¯d call you that instead."


    "ENOUGH!" Marlon raised his voice, seeing Penny was influenced by Dahlia¡¯s mockery. "Listen to me, Dahlia. I¡¯m not here to play games. You know that Henry is my only son right now, and I need him to marry Sarah and become the Duke of York."


    "So if you still have some kind of honor for your family, then you should help me to convince Henry to ditch that woman," Marlon said.


    "Honor? You¡¯re asking a woman trapped in a hospital full of crazies about honor? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too old for drugs?" Dahlia mocked her and found it to be ridiculous.


    "Do you not care if our family is shamed because of Henry¡¯s choice?! They will laugh at us because our only son is trying to marry an average divorced commoner like Katherine!"


    "Then let him be," Dahlia shrugged. "Both James and Henry love her, so there must be something good in her. And I will tell you, letting Henry marry Katherine is a much better choice than seeing him suffer in the hands of a sociopath like Sarah."


    Dahlia glanced at Penny again, and the latter could only take a step back and grieved because she had no way to fight against Dahlia.


    "Sarah will be part of our family soon. Don¡¯t you dare to slander her like that!" Marlon reprimanded.


    "Oh, really? She visited me about ten days ago with a basket full of poisonous fruits. She was trying to poison me because I support Henry¡¯s decision to be with Katherine," Dahlia said blatantly without any filter. She saw that Marlon opened his mouth again, and she interrupted, "Shut it, don¡¯t try to defend her, Marlon. We all know damn well that she is the one who gives you the idea of killing James."


    Marlon¡¯s words stuck in his throat, and he slowly closed his lips.


    It was true.


    It was Sarah who told him that James would bring shame to the Grant family and should be eliminated as soon as possible before he brought Katherine to the family gathering.


    "I don¡¯t want to argue with you, Dahlia. You just refuse to lose whenever we argue," Marlon said bitterly. "If only you were more obedient as my wife, I would¡¯ve treasured you much more."


    "I don¡¯t want to be treasured by a bastard like you," Dahlia smiled. "You, the man who cheated on me with so many women out there and pressured me to stop talking with my friends and family because of your insecurity."


    "You are the man who killed my son. I¡¯d rather worship a stray dog than be obedient to you, Marlon Grant."


    Marlon had no more words to say to Dahlia.


    She was just too stubborn. Their marriage cracked because Dahlia refused to be an obedient wife and gave up all sorts of political connections she had.


    Marlon slept with women outside because Dahlia refused to sleep with him after she caught him sleeping with another woman once.


    It was only one mistake that derailed their entire marriage.


    "I have had enough of you. Are you going to help the family or not?" Marlon asked.


    "No," Dahlia replied curtly. "And not even my freedom will convince me to ruin Henry¡¯s life."


    "Then I have no other choice," Marlon¡¯s face turned solemnly. He tapped his cane three times, and the door was opened from outside. Five big men wearing black walked in and stood imposingly behind Marlon.


    They glared at Dahlia as if they were about to kill her in less than five seconds.


    "I¡¯m sorry that I have to do this, but I need you to cooperate, Dahlia," Marlon said. "These men behind me can snap your neck in one second. Your only choice is to help me or die."


    "Oh really?" Dahlia grinned. She didn¡¯t look scared at all in front of those burly men.


    In fact, she looked entertained by it, which spooked Penny so much.


    She wondered if Dahlia was just trying to act tough or if she was really insane after staying in here for too long.


    Dahlia sighed, "Hm, there is no way I can fight against five big men. After all, I¡¯m just a meek old lady that wouldn¡¯t pose any harm." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia¡¯s hand slipped under the blanket, and she said, "Strangely, I don¡¯t even feel intimidated."


    "Don¡¯t try to act tough, Dahlia. I know you¡¯re scared," Marlon said.


    "Let¡¯s see which one of us will face true fear," Dahlia suddenly grabbed Marlon¡¯s hand, holding the cane, and yanked him towards her.


    Marlon lost his balance immediately, and Dahlia pinned him down by pressing his head and pointing the knife at his nape.


    "Urgh!"


    "Master Grant!"


    "Darling!"


    Marlon¡¯s face was buried in the blanket, and with Dahlia pinning his head down, he had no way to break free.


    He felt the cold tip of a knife at his nape, making him shudder.


    Dahlia smirked when she saw Marlon at her mercy, "My dear husband, I wonder if you feel fear right now."

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364: Chapter 364Penny and the five big men wanted to save their Master, but Dahlia glared at them and yelled, "Stay where you are, or this old man will die!"


    The five big men quickly stayed on their spots, knowing their Master¡¯s safety was the most important.


    But Penny didn¡¯t listen. She tried to reach for Marlon, but Dahlia quickly slashed the air in front of Penny¡¯s face and scratched Penny¡¯s cheeks.


    "AH!" Penny fell back instantly. She grabbed her cheek and stared at Dahlia in shock. Dahlia chuckled when she saw the blood on her knife.


    "Oh no, your biggest asset has been scratched. I bet this old crook won¡¯t love you anymore, don¡¯t you think, Penny?"


    Penny¡¯s breath stifled. She checked her palm, and her body trembled when she saw the blood in her hand.


    She looked at the mirror next to her and saw the fresh wound on her.


    Penny¡¯s face paled instantly, to the point that she thought she¡¯d pass out.


    Dahlia chuckled when she saw Penny¡¯s reaction, and the latter glared at her, "YOU BITCH! YOU RUINED MY FACE!"


    "Who told you to play hero just now?" Dahlia pointed the tip of the knife on Marlon¡¯s nape again. She smiled at the five big men in the room, "Don¡¯t you see? I¡¯m not joking at all. One step, and Marlon Grant will be a corpse."


    Marlon tried to pull himself away from his crazy wife, but Dahlia had a surprisingly powerful grip on the back of his head. He could barely breathe, let alone struggle.


    The leader of the men tried to reason with Dahlia, "Mrs. Grant, please drop the knife before we have to do something unpleasant to you."


    "Like what? Shooting me?" Dahlia scoffed. "I can see you¡¯re trying to reach the gun on your back. Remember, the moment I see any gun pointed at me, this man will die."


    The men in black decided to stop before the inevitable happened. They began to reason again, "You¡¯re going to jail if you kill him, Mrs. Grant."


    "But I¡¯m already in jail. Do you think I¡¯m staying in a five-star hotel right now?"


    "Madam, you will destroy the Grant family if you kill Master Marlon Grant."


    "Oh, good, I¡¯ve always want to see Marlon¡¯s estate turned to dust," Dahlia chuckled maliciously, seemingly taking joy in the possibility.


    The men in black looked at each other after realizing they had no way to reason with Dahlia.


    Just like what Master Grant said, winning an argument against her was impossible.


    "Then, what do you want us to do, Madam?" The leader asked. "We will do anything as long as you set him free."


    Dahlia shrugged, "You can turn around and leave my room and shut the door now. I will set him free after I have a talk with him."


    The men in black wanted to ask Marlon¡¯s permission at first, but seeing that he could barely breathe, they decided to leave the room and closed the door, just like Dahlia instructed.


    Penny was still holding her bleeding cheek. She took a step back when Dahlia shifted her attention to her and smiled, "Why are you still in here? Do you want me to carve your face?"


    Penny shook her head immediately. She glanced at her man and said, "I will leave, but please don¡¯t hurt him."


    "Because you¡¯ll be back on the street if I kill him, right?" Dahlia scoffed. "Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of killing anyone, at least for now. Maybe I will consider stabbing this old crook to death if you don¡¯t leave in five... four..."


    "I¡ªI¡¯m leaving!"


    Penny rushed out of the room and shut the door, leaving Dahlia and Marlon alone.


    "Well, you¡¯re at my mercy now, Marlon Grant," Dahlia grabbed Marlon¡¯s white hair and pulled him up.


    Marlon sucked all the air he could get as he had been suffocating in the blanket for a while. His face was red, and he looked like a fish out of the water.


    Dahlia kept the knife at his throat and smiled, "Do you feel fear now, husband?"


    Marlon swallowed his saliva while staring at Dahlia.


    He knew Dahlia wasn¡¯t a damsel in distress, but he never expected her to be this vicious.


    "You¡¯ve turned insane, Dahlia."


    "Just like what you want me to be," Dahlia replied. "Listen, Marlon, I will not play games with you and Sarah. That bitch tried to poison me before, and I won¡¯t let Henry marry a monster like her."


    "This is our only way to have an official noble title! Don¡¯t you want that glory? You will be honored by everyone in our circle as the mother of a Duke!"


    "Screw that title, you old bastard! You killed our son just for that meaningless title! Do you not know what kind of sin you¡¯ve committed?!" Dahlia was trying her best to refrain from slicing Marlon¡¯s throat right now.


    She had all the power to kill this bastard and then kill herself. So Henry and Kate¡¯s suffering will be over.


    But at the same time, she had never stained her hand with blood and didn¡¯t want to stoop so low to be on the same level as Marlon, Penny, or Sarah.


    Dahlia¡¯s hand trembled while holding the knife. Whenever she revisited her son¡¯s death, her heart would burn with fury and vengefulness.


    But she knew that James was such a kind-hearted boy. He wouldn¡¯t agree if Dahlia killed his father despite his sin.


    "You killed our boy, spiking his drink and tampering his car. You killed him just because that bitch Sarah influenced you," Dahlia muttered.


    "I did everything for us, for our family."


    "It¡¯s for your own greed. Do you take me as an idiot?"


    "Then my greed is what¡¯s the best for us. I am the patriarch of the family. I made the decision because James dared to say something ridiculous such as marrying that bitch Katherine!"


    "YOU OLD BASTARD!" Dahlia raised the knife. She was ready to stab Marlon¡¯s neck but stopped at the last second and pushed him until her scum husband fell on his back. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365: Chapter 365Marlon grimaced in pain as he felt pain in his back.


    He was an old man who needed a cane to walk. He also had a back issue, so he probably needed a hospital visit after this to see if he had an internal injury.


    Marlon tried to grab his cane, but Dahlia quickly got off the bed and snatched it.


    Marlon saw his wife holding the cane and intended to use it to beat him.


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing?! I can put you in jail for hurting me!" Marlon yelled.


    "But I am already in jail. I don¡¯t give a damn about getting stuck somewhere else when you already trapped me in this room for half a year!" Dahlia yelled.


    She clenched the cane and started beating Marlon¡¯s body with it.


    The old man cowered as he tried to shield himself. He was at the mercy of his wife. It was a humiliation he never expected from the usually elegant lady like Dahlia.


    Dahlia made sure not to spare any spot on Marlon¡¯s body. After being satisfied with beating her bastard husband, she lifted the old man by his collar and grabbed the knife on the bed.


    "Listen, Marlon Grant, I have had enough of playing passive against you. The more I let you off, the crazier you get."


    "P¡ªPlaying passive?" Marlon couldn¡¯t fathom what he heard just now. Because as much as he remembered, Dahlia was never a woman who would bow down to her husband. "What do you mean playing passive?"


    Dahlia¡¯s lips thinned. She clenched Marlon¡¯s collar and the knife on her hands.


    "Do you really think imprisoning me in this mental hospital means you¡¯ve successfully stripped me of my influence?" Dahlia sneered. "I¡¯ve been passive all this time because I thought I had nothing else to fight."


    "My son is dead, and you ruined everything I had," Dahlia said. "So I thought I¡¯d just rot and die in this place, forever grieving over James¡¯ murder."


    "But when I saw Kate and talked to her, I realized that girl truly has something in her. Talking with Kate filled me with hope," Dahlia muttered as she recalled how Kate sheepishly smiled at her while trying to hide her pregnant stomach.


    Kate¡¯s eyes were brimming with happiness as if she had so much joy she could share with people around her.


    Katherine gave hope to Henry, who had lost his way after James¡¯ death, and Dahlia felt the same.


    She began wishing to be free from this shackle and met with Kate more often.


    She wanted to see how Henry grew from a spoiled and naive young man to a great man full of wisdom and cunning.


    She also wanted to attend Kate and Henry¡¯s wedding in the future and be there as a family when Kate gave birth.


    She wanted to see her first grandchild and watch that child grow in a healthy environment under Kate and Henry¡¯s guidance.


    She might lose hope with James¡¯ death, but she regained his hope when imagining about her grandchild.


    "Hope? Hah, what a load of bullshit. Why are you trying to defend a commoner like Katherine?" Marlon said coldly. He might be beaten and battered right now, but he still maintained his arrogance. "A commoner woman like her is a dime a dozen. I can grab any random woman in the street and shove it to Henry and James. Bet those two sons of a bitches will fuck her anyway."


    Marlon scoffed, "I¡¯ve always wondered why James and Henry could fall in love with a commoner like her. But I guess it¡¯s because of you two."


    "You and Penny have bad gene. I would¡¯ve gotten a perfect son if I married a woman from a higher noble rank or a better background."


    Marlon¡¯s harsh words pulled Dahlia back to reality.


    She stared at this frail old man. He might¡¯ve lost his ability to stand straight without his cane, but his arrogance remained.


    He was still the same man that Dahlia mistakenly married decades ago.


    "I guess you will never have a change of heart, huh?" Dahlia gently pressed the knife on his neck until the cold tip pierced his skin.


    A drop of blood streamed down Marlon¡¯s neck, and the man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed nervously.


    "Maybe I should¡¯ve killed you now so my youngest son and his wife won¡¯t suffer," Dahlia said.


    "Y¡ªYou won¡¯t be spared if you kill me," Marlon threatened. "Those gunmen outside will kill you."


    "You¡¯re right," Dahlia grinned. "Of course, I¡¯m not going to kill you. Not when I have something else to do." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia had another plan after thinking about her future grandchild. She wanted to see her son and his wife to be happy, and she wanted to see her grandchild. That would definitely heal the heartache she experienced.


    "Then how about we make a deal? Tell all of your gunmen outside to leave this hospital, and I will let you go. Promise me that you will never come to this place again."


    Dahlia pressed the knife deeper until Marlon was scared out of his wits. With a shaky voice, he replied, "A¡ªAlright, that¡¯s a deal. Now let me go."


    Dahlia chuckled.


    She walked to the door while dragging Marlon. She opened the door and pointed the knife back at Marlon¡¯s neck when she heard the gasp from the street whore.


    She also used Marlon¡¯s body as a shield when she saw the guns pointing at them.


    "Honey!" Penny was panicking when she saw blood trickling from Marlon¡¯s wrinkly neck. Penny wanted to reach him, but Marlon yelled;


    "STAY BACK!"


    Penny halted her step as Marlon yelled. Her body had been trained to react accordingly when Marlon raised his voice in fear that she would be beaten with the cane again.


    The five men in black were still on guard, with their weapons drawn this time. But nobody dared to shoot when they saw blood trickling on Marlon¡¯s neck.


    "Go on, tell them," Dahlia instructed. "We don¡¯t have all the time to be stuck in this situation."

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366: Chapter 366Marlon gulped, "All of you, except Penny, turn around and leave this hospital now."


    "But, Master¡ª"


    "This is an order," Marlon said. "Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t kill me. If she did, you could hunt her down and cut her to pieces."


    The leader of the gunmen looked hesitant at first, but when he saw how that vicious old lady twisted the knife a little on their Master¡¯s neck, he decided to retreat.


    "We will be waiting outside, Master Grant," the leader finally signaled his men to retreat, leaving Penny alone with Marlon and the crazy old bitch behind him.


    Dahlia waited until those men in black were out of her sight in the corridor, and he finally pushed Marlon towards Penny.


    "Kyah!" Penny fell on her butt as she tried to catch Marlon. Dahlia returned to her room and grabbed Marlon¡¯s cane.


    She giggled when she saw Penny struggling to help Marlon to get up. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, she threw the cane towards Penny and said, "Leave now. You two ruined my peaceful afternoon."


    Penny glared at Dahlia for a second, but when Dahlia glared back at her, she quickly lowered her head.


    "That¡¯s more like it," Dahlia scoffed and slammed the door shut, returning to her bed to read more of Kate¡¯s curated books.


    She was waiting for the cook to serve her dinner so she could have an important talk with him.


    **


    "Fuck, fuck!" Marlon continued cursing as he limped while walking through the long corridor. He held his cane in his right hand and gripped Penny¡¯s shoulder with the other hand to support himself.


    He felt pain all over his body and definitely needed a hospital visit after leaving this wretched place full of insane people.


    "D¡ªDear, look what she had done to you..." Penny said while helping Marlon to walk. "You¡¯re hurting all over because of her. I think you should do something before she becomes completely insane and hurts even more people..."


    Penny was trying to push Marlon further, hoping that Marlon would finally shed the last trace of love for Dahlia and kill her.


    Marlon clenched his cane harder.


    He hated Dahlia and his disobedience so much. He also hated how Dahlia always seemed to get the upper hand against him.


    But no matter how much he hated her, deep down, Marlon still had a trace of love for Dahlia and hoped that Dahlia would see he was right all along.


    He did everything in the family¡¯s honor, yet nobody seemed to be on his side.


    But after seeing how crazy Dahlia could be, he realized it was time to end her.


    Just like how his heart was in pain when he murdered James, his heart was also in pain when he had to carry the order to murder Dahlia.


    But it was all for the greater good.


    "You¡¯re right. I have to kill her before she becomes an even bigger nuisance," Marlon said.


    Penny¡¯s eyes brightened, "Really? You will do that?"


    Marlon glared at Penny, who seemed too happy with it, even though his heart was hurting, knowing the wife he loved would die soon.


    "Don¡¯t you dare to fucking think about it, Penny. Even if she dies, I will not marry you," Marlon said. "I will never marry a street whore. You should be grateful that I allow you to live in my estate."


    Penny¡¯s smile dimmed once more.


    As expected, Marlon could not relinquish his love for Dahlia. No matter how hard Penny tried to become the obedient wife he wanted, his heart seemed to harbor completely on that crazy woman.


    "I have to kill her to save my family¡¯s name. She will thank me in her grave for bringing honor to the family," Marlon said.


    Finally, after pacing through a long corridor, he successfully walked out of the mental hospital.


    The gunmen¡¯s leader rushed towards his Master and offered to carry him, "Master, you have been wounded. I will carry you to the hospital!"


    "Tsk, no need to bother with that. I can still walk!" Marlon said while knocking the cane on the leader¡¯s head. "I would¡¯ve beat all of you for being so incompetent. You can¡¯t even stop me from getting hurt by Dahlia!"


    The five big men said nothing. They simply accepted all the scoldings coming from their Master because it was their fault. They couldn¡¯t read Dahlia¡¯s crazy ideas, so Marlon got hurt instead.


    Marlon knocked their heads one by one with his cane and said, "I want to fire all of you, but I will give you one more chance."


    "We will do anything, Master."


    Marlon went silent after that. He looked over his shoulder and stared at the long corridor of the mental hospital.


    He wanted to just burn the whole mental facility with Dahlia stuck inside, but it might attract too much attention from the government and police department.


    So, he had to be more discreet.


    "Find a way to kill Dahlia Grant tonight. Don¡¯t make too much fuss about it, I don¡¯t want the police department to know about her death. I want the picture of her corpse before dawn," Marlon carried out the order. "You can dispose of her body after that."


    His heart kept on aching no matter how many times he tried to ignore it.


    But this was necessary.


    The gunmen¡¯s leader paused for a moment, then he nodded solemnly, "I will do as you say, Master Grant. She will be done before dawn."


    "Good, I will go to the hospital. My body is hurting all over," Marlon said. He entered his car and told the driver to go straight to the real hospital.


    He was accompanied by Penny, who kept yapping about her worry, but Marlon¡¯s mind wandered.


    He recalled all the sweet times he had with Dahlia back then.


    Dahlia was a perfect woman. She was smart, came from a great family background, and was a good mother to James and Henry. She was also very adept at carrying her air of elegance. She was a woman that many men wanted.


    She was perfect.


    But she was also too perfect to the point that Marlon began to get insecure about his existence as the patriarch of the family.


    Marlon closed his eyes, ignoring Penny¡¯s endless chatter. He remembered how Dahlia said she wished to grow old and watch their grandchildren together.


    ...


    Marlon wondered if he had made the wrong choice by murdering James and Dahlia, two people who were very important in his heart.


    He had a trace of regret but then tried to justify his action so he¡¯d stop feeling guilty, ¡¯They brought it upon themselves. If only they listened to me. We would have a complete and honorable family with a noble title.¡¯

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367: Chapter 367Dahlia waited until around six when the cook finally arrived with her dinner. The cook was relieved to see Madam Grant in good condition. He really thought that he would see a bloody scene the moment he entered the ward.


    The cook closed the door behind him and pushed the food trolley to the bed, "I¡¯m glad you¡¯re able to protect yourself, Madam. When I saw Marlon Grant with his men, I thought he¡¯d finish you off."


    Dahlia chuckled.


    She returned the knife to the cook and said, "It will take him much more than that to kill me. I¡¯m more resilient than you thought."


    The cook nodded.


    Honestly, he found it impressive that Madam Grant could still maintain her sanity after being unjustly thrown into this mental hospital and trapped in this small prison, completely isolated from the outside world even though she was not insane at all.


    She was also thrown out at the worst time possible because she was still grieving her son¡¯s death.


    That¡¯s why the cook finally agreed to help the old woman, thinking she deserved to be happy and safe.


    "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be much help, Madam. All I can do is ensure you don¡¯t get poisoned."


    Dahlia smiled. She stared at the young man in front of her.


    He looked like an honest young man, probably got this job to fend for himself.


    He also had a good heart, seeing that he would rather take Michael and Dahlia¡¯s side rather than follow a blind order from the head of the mental hospital.


    "Tell me your name, young man," Dahlia asked with her kind smile.


    The cook was caught off guard, "Uh, m¡ªmy name is Howard, Madam..."


    "Howard, I see..." Dahlia maintained her smile and composure despite knowing death was looming behind her. "Howard, I know it sounds sudden, but could you get me out of the mental hospital?"


    Howard¡¯s eyes widened, "What¡¯s wrong, Madam? Do you need anything? I can give it to you tomorrow if you need something."


    "No, I don¡¯t need anything. But I need to get out of this mental hospital because Marlon threatened to kill me," Dahlia said.


    Of course, Marlon didn¡¯t say such a thing in front of her. But Dahlia already guessed that Marlon must¡¯ve dispatched his men to assassinate her at night.


    So she couldn¡¯t wait any longer if she wanted to live.


    "He will kill me before midnight, and you are my only way out, Howard," Dahlia said firmly.


    But Howard began to hesitate.


    He agreed to help Madam Grant because he pitied her fate, but this might be too much for him to handle.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t know, Madam. As much as I want to help you, it is very risky..." Howard said. "What if they are coming after me after I take you out of the mental hospital?"


    "That¡¯s why I will offer you a new job," Dahlia said. "I will run away to my private villa in Michigan, and I want a close confidant and cook. I will pay you about one million dollars annually for your service."


    Howard gulped.


    The offer was very tempting. He had been living paycheck to paycheck in the mental hospital, to get one million dollars a year was a great way to escape poverty and have a comfortable life.


    Howard was almost convinced, but he still had one more question;


    "Madam, if... if I agreed to help you escape the hospitals, would you mind protecting me in case I got attacked by your husband¡¯s men?"


    "Oh, don¡¯t fret about that. If you helped me escape this hellhole, I will reward you and bring you under my protection," Dahlia assured.


    Howard didn¡¯t know if it was because of the money or because Madam Grant was too convincing. Howard finally nodded, "Alright, Madam. I will help you escape, but this is our only chance, so please cooperate with me, okay?"


    Dahlia nodded, "I have nothing to bring, so don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s leave now before anyone notices."


    Howard began to help Dahlia by throwing all the food into the toilet and putting the dirty dishes on the trolley.


    He told Madam Grant to sit at the trolley¡¯s lower compartment, covering it with a dirty curtain so nobody would suspect anything as Howard left Dahlia¡¯s room.


    He continued pushing the trolley, talking to a few nurses, security guards, and fellow cooks on his way to the pantry while Dahlia sat inside the food trolley.


    It took an hour until Howard raised the curtain and whispered, "Madam, we can leave after all the cooks have clocked out. I will give you the ID card of an absent cook, and you can use it to pass the security. Don¡¯t forget to wear a face mask."


    Howard helped Dahlia to hide in the storage room while all the cooks were still busy, but before Howard left to pretend that he was still working, Dahlia asked.


    "I need to contact Michael. Give your phone and let me call him," Dahlia said.


    Again, Howard hesitated at first but still gave in. He unlocked his phone and called Mr. Eckermann¡¯s number.


    "Please wait in here for a moment, Madam. It¡¯ll take another thirty minutes before all cooks finish their shift."


    Howard finally left Dahlia alone in the dark storage room, the air was uncomfortable, and the narrow space was suffocating.


    But Dahlia wasn¡¯t scared.


    This place was much better than the ward she used to stay in for the past seven months or so.


    Her mind had never been clearer as she was determined to save her son, daughter-in-law, and her grandchild.


    Dahlia called Michael with Howard¡¯s phone, and Michael picked it up in about thirty seconds.


    ¡ª


    "What is it? Did something happen to Madam Grant?" Michael¡¯s solemn voice was like a relief for Dahlia. Because she knew from this point onwards her escape was guaranteed.


    "Michael, it¡¯s me," Dahlia said.


    "M¡ªMadam Grant?! How did you¡ª" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have no time to explain, but tell me about Katherine¡¯s condition first. Is she alright?"

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368: Chapter 368¡ª


    "She is alright, Madam. Marlon ambushed us last night, and we barely escaped. We¡¯re staying in San Diego right now, in one of Henry¡¯s newest apartments," Michael replied. "Madam, how did you convince the cook to hand you the phone? Is something wrong?"


    Dahlia took a deep breath and muttered, "Marlon planned to kill me tonight. That¡¯s why I¡¯m escaping from the mental hospital before it¡¯s too late."


    "Then, I will dispatch my subordinate to bring you to San Diego¡ª"


    "No, I have my own people," Dahlia said. "Besides, Marlon is after my head right now. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll find out about the hiding spot if I join you and Kate."


    "I can¡¯t risk Kate¡¯s safety, so I will move out to my villa in Michigan," Dahlia said. "Marlon doesn¡¯t know about this villa, and it¡¯s far from California. So it¡¯ll be out of his radar."


    "I will send the location once I¡¯ve arrived in my villa. I want you to drive to Michigan with Kate. That would be the safest place for all of us," Dahlia instructed.


    Michael sensed that Dahlia would not take no for an answer, but he still wanted to debate his case, "Madam, a flight would be too dangerous. Marlon¡¯s men might find us in the airport."


    "Then drive to Michigan. This is an order, Michael. I guarantee you, this will be the safest place for her," Dahlia assured. "Besides, it¡¯s closer to New York, so Henry could visit her anytime."


    Michael was finally convinced after weighing the pros and cons. It was obvious that Henry was madly in love and could be lovesick if he couldn¡¯t meet Kate for a long time. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So this was the best option to give Kate a secure place and allow Henry to visit her sometimes.


    "Alright, Madam. Call me if you need help, and please inform me once you¡¯re on your way to Michigan."


    "I will, please, keep my daughter-in-law and my grandchild safe, Michael. Thank you for your service."


    "It is my duty, Madam."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Dahlia was relieved that Kate was doing well. She had guessed that Marlon must¡¯ve sent his men to capture Kate before going after her.


    Dahlia was not supposed to be on the hit list, but because she began to fight back and pose a threat, Marlon wanted to eliminate her before becoming a big threat.


    ¡¯I would¡¯ve allowed him to kill me if I hadn¡¯t met Kate,¡¯ Dahlia thought. ¡¯Well, too bad for him, now I won¡¯t allow myself to die before I can see my grandchild.¡¯


    Dahlia then called her people, who had always been on guard, waiting for her to leave the mental hospital.


    Once the call was connected, Dahlia said.


    ¡ª


    "This is me, Dahlia Hawthorne, daughter of Jonathan Hawthorne. I¡¯ve decided to leave the mental hospital and request your aid."


    There was a slight pause before the man on the other side answered, "Madam Hawthorne, it¡¯s been a while. We are ready to listen to your request, Madam."


    These men were Dahlia¡¯s people serving her real family. She had always been the one with the higher family status than Marlon as the only daughter of Hawthorne.


    She married Marlon because of love back then, but her love didn¡¯t pay off, especially seeing how Marlon became so insecure just because she was far more influential than him.


    "I want you to pick me up from the mental hospital right now and drive me to my villa in Michigan. Don¡¯t let my husband know about this."


    "Understood, Madam. Please wait for us."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Howard opened the storage room not long after. He looked nervous, but he carefully helped Dahlia to get out of the storage and handed her an ID card.


    "Please use this ID card, Madam. This will be your ticket to freedom," Howard said. "We are the last cook in the mental hospital right now. We can leave through the backdoor to be safe."


    Dahlia nodded, "Thank you for your help, Howard. You¡¯re coming with me, right?"


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t have anywhere to go after this, Madam. I¡¯ve been renting a small apartment, and I don¡¯t have a girlfriend or wife," Howard said. "So please take me with you."


    "You won¡¯t regret it, young man."


    Dahlia and Howard left through the backdoor. They tapped out their ID cards and walked out of the mental hospital.


    Dahlia saw a man wearing a suit standing next to his parked car. The man quickly identified the old lady and rushed to guard her.


    "It¡¯s been a while, Madam Hawthorne," the man said, leading Dahlia to the car. "I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve changed your mind."


    Dahlia chuckled, "We will see a new heir of the Hawthorne family soon. So I¡¯ve decided to fight back."


    She sat in the backseat and glanced at Howard, who was intimidated by her subordinate.


    "That young man is my new confidant and cook. He will come with me," Dahlia said.


    "Understood, Madam, he will sit at the front with me," The man said. "Are we going to Michigan right now, or do you want to go somewhere else first, Madam?"


    "Just go to Michigan. Marlon¡¯s men are after me," Dahlia instructed coldly. Howard was shocked by how cold Madam Grant looked right now.


    She didn¡¯t look like a feeble old lady anymore.


    She looked firm and even somewhat arrogant, a trait that Dahlia kept hidden for more than six months inside the mental hospital.


    ¡¯No wonder they said Master Grant hated his wife because she is too influential. The rumor turns out to be true...¡¯ Howard thought.


    "Do you want me to dispatch our men to do something to Master Grant, Madam?" The man asked while he drove away from the mental hospital.


    "Oh, no need, our priority right now is to save my daughter-in-law and grandchild. Marlon¡¯s head is not worth it... at least not now," Dahlia smirked. Dahlia leaned on the backseat and added, "Besides, I have a little surprise for him in my hospital ward. I¡¯m sure he will be fuming once he realizes I¡¯ve escaped his grasp."

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369: Chapter 369It was midnight, and the temperature was colder than usual.


    There was only silence in the dimly lit corridor of the mental hospital, as there was only one guard and a nurse at the front desk, drinking coffee while watching the late-night TV show.


    Everything was normal, until three men dressed in all black and wearing a mask that only showed their eyes entered the hospital.


    The nurse gasped, and the security guard quickly stood before them with his hand ready to grab the gun on his waist, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"


    The men in black quickly defused the situation, "Calm down, we are Marlon¡¯s men. We¡¯re here to do our job."


    The nurse and the guard looked at each other. They had been notified of what would happen next. They just didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    For a husband to kill his defenseless wife in a mental hospital...


    But they were paid by Marlon Grant to do whatever he wanted, so the nurse put her phone down, and the guard took a more relaxed stance.


    "Then, I will bring you to her ward," the security guard said. "But please, don¡¯t make it messy. My boss doesn¡¯t want the police department to know."


    The men in black nodded, "Don¡¯t worry. We are going to make it quick and depose her body ourselves. Just make sure nobody calls 911," the leader said while glancing at the nurse.


    The nurse shook her head and raised her hand, "I¡ªI haven¡¯t called them yet!"


    "Good. Now, let¡¯s finish the job as quickly as possible."


    The security guard led the executor to Mrs. Dahlia Grant¡¯s room and used the key to unlock the door from outside.


    "Please make it quick. I will be waiting here," the security said before opening the door.


    The hired thugs rushed into the room with their weapons drawn; they were using three guns with silencers so they wouldn¡¯t create too much noise.


    They pointed their gun at the bed but were shocked when they saw the bed was empty.


    The leader glanced at the bathroom and signaled his men to break the door open.


    But once the bathroom door was slammed open, they found nobody.


    This ward was empty.


    "Sir, there is no trace of her anywhere," one of them reported. "And this is not the ground floor. There is no way she can jump out of the window."


    The leader sensed something was amiss, "Continue to search around. Maybe she is hiding somewhere."


    They began searching through the ward, checking every empty space that might be used as a hiding spot, but they didn¡¯t find her anywhere.


    The leader then noticed a classic novel; ¡¯To Catch A Mockingbird,¡¯ on the drawer near the window, with a letter on top;


    ¡ª


    To: Marlon Grant.


    Do you take me for an idiot?


    I¡¯ve been staying passive inside that damned mental hospital because I have no will to live.


    But I¡¯ve regained my hope and can¡¯t wait to see you ruined.


    When your men read this note, I knew they must be searching for me in my room at midnight because they can¡¯t wait to get the job done to kill me.


    So, I will give you my very first payback for your cruelty.


    I will call the cops at midnight. They will be on their way.


    Good luck dealing with them.


    ¡ª With malice, Dahlia Hawthorne.


    ¡ª


    The leader¡¯s eyes widened when he read the letter¡¯s last paragraph.


    The guard outside then stormed in. With horror in his eyes, he said, "The cops are here!"


    **


    It took the whole night for Marlon to handle the problem caused by Dahlia.


    That old bitch actually put a trap on his men, so they got stuck in the police department for a long time until Marlon was forced to use his connection to free them.


    It was already dawn, and the three men kneeled in front of him. They were already beaten and battered by the police, but they had expected another beating from their Master.


    Because they knew they screwed up.


    Next to his subordinates was a woman who also kneeled in fear. She was the director of the mental hospital.


    Marlon read the letter written by Dahlia and ripped it in front of everyone. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to kill everyone in this room. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon raised his cane and hit the director on the arm until she winced in pain, "You¡¯ve got a lot of explaining to do. Tell me where the fuck is my wife, and how did she escape?"


    "I¡ªI¡¯ve checked the CCTV in the corridor since you left her ward until midnight, and there is no sign of her leaving, Master Grant," the director replied weakly. "It¡¯s also impossible for her to jump out of her window..."


    "Then how could she escape? She can¡¯t just vanish into thin air, you numbnuts!" Marlon yelled. "Who is the last person she met?"


    The director flinched and muttered, "T¡ªThe last person who visited her ward is the cook who delivered her dinner. He left not long after..."


    "Call him, get him in here, and let me interrogate him!"


    The director went silent after that. She lowered his head and replied in an even weaker tone, afraid that she would incite Master Grant¡¯s anger.


    "H¡ªHe is uncontactable, Master. I tried to call the landlord where he was renting a small apartment, and he said the cook hadn¡¯t returned since he went to work yesterday¡ªOuch!"


    Marlon smacked the director¡¯s head with his cane, "You fucking idiot! That goddamn cook helped her to escape! Now go and search for that cook, or I will cook your hearts instead and feed it to the guard dogs!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    The battered men got up quickly, ignoring their pain. They quickly set off to find the man who helped Dahlia to escape.


    The director tried to get up, still rubbing her head, and asked, "Master Grant, I don¡¯t think they can go far away, maybe they are still hiding somewhere near the hospital area. Mrs. Grant has no money and nobody to rely on, right?"

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370: Chapter 370Marlon scoffed, "I¡¯ve read her letter. She used Hawthorne instead of Grant as her surname. That means she doesn¡¯t see me as her husband anymore."


    "She also dares to call the cops on my men. She means war," Marlon said. His gaze turned solemn as he realized the severity of the situation. "I never expect she would contact the Hawthorne family after so long."


    "Hawthorne?" The director wondered. "Isn¡¯t that the old money family that had fallen out of grace because all their businesses are failing?"


    "No, they never fall. They simply hide themselves because they have such a deep connection with everything in this country," Marlon replied. "There is a reason why I put my wife in the mental hospital. She is far more influential than me because she is still the Matriarch of the Hawthorne family."


    "The Hawthorne family are waiting for her return, but Dahlia refused to do anything because she had lost her will to live after James¡¯ death... until that bitch Katherine came to her ward with a baby in her belly."


    Marlon had to admit that he felt fear whenever he imagined what kind of brutal fight Dahlia would put up against him.


    He might still win against her as long as he got support from the House of York and Lancaster, but he didn¡¯t know what kind of damage would Dahlia do to him.


    Nevertheless, he had to be on guard.


    "You can leave now. Find that cook and get him here," Marlon said, and the director finally left.


    Marlon sighed.


    He doubted that any of them could find the cook who helped Dahlia escape, knowing how smart she was to convince people to join her side. That cook was probably under her order right now.


    ¡¯So there is nothing I can do, huh...¡¯ Marlon thought.


    He sat in a daze, thinking of his next move. Penny walked in with a cup of tea as Marlon was busy thinking of a way out. Wearing her sweetest smile, she put the tea on the small table beside Marlon.


    "Take a deep breath, honey. I know that you can solve this problem," Penny said. "At least now you know she is not a good woman. She is an evil woman that needs to be killed. I will always be by your side."


    Penny thought that Marlon could finally let go of Dahlia after realizing that Dahlia had fully antagonized him. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon stared at the street whore in front of him.


    The more she smiled, the angrier he got.


    He felt that he had accidentally traded a pearl for coal.


    "What¡¯s with your stupid smile? And why are you serving me tea? I didn¡¯t ask you one," Marlon said harshly.


    Penny was caught off guard, "I¡ªI just thought you need one. You got so stressed because of her..." Penny muttered. She pouted cutely, hoping that her man would show her a bit of warmth, "She has no good feelings for you. No wonder you don¡¯t love her anymore. I bet she is having an affair with the cook who helped her to escape."


    The veins on Marlon¡¯s head popped out. He grabbed the hot tea and threw it into Penny¡¯s pajamas.


    Penny shrieked when the hot tea was staining her pajamas. She could feel the burn on her stomach, "AHHH! IT¡¯S BURNING!"


    Penny wanted to rush to the bathroom to pour cold water into her stomach, but Marlon grabbed her arm and warned, "Don¡¯t you dare to say something like that again. She is still my wife. She is the most perfect woman I¡¯ve ever seen, and she is mine."


    "You are just a street whore, Penny, know your place."


    Penny bit her lower lip. The burning pain in her stomach was terrible, so she nodded hastily and rushed to the bathroom after Marlon released her.


    Marlon leaned on his chair, closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself down.


    He was furious because Penny dared to say that Dahlia was messing around with the cook who helped her.


    Dahlia was always loyal to him.


    She was an expensive lady, an upright woman, and a good wife. She never cheated on him, and Marlon himself could vouch for that.


    It was him to blame.


    He was the one who cheated on her and continued cheating even after getting caught.


    He loved her deeply and never planned to divorce her, even though Dahlia already asked for a divorce years ago.


    ¡¯Why are you making this complicated, Dahlia? Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m doing everything for us? I want us to be even more respected and powerful,¡¯ Marlon thought. ¡¯If only you¡¯re more obedient, I¡¯d forever treasure you as my only woman.¡¯


    ¡¯I love you so much, but you¡¯re never on my side,¡¯ Marlon lamented.


    He sighed.


    Of course, he knew he could do nothing about Dahlia¡¯s escape. If she was truly getting help from the Hawthorne family, it would be impossible for Marlon to do anything for her.


    His heart was aching when he thought that he would be facing his wife just because of a bitch named Katherine.


    "Sarah was right. I should¡¯ve killed Katherine together with James back then. So they wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to my reputation," Marlon said.


    He clenched his cane, "It¡¯s not too late. I¡¯ll do an even bigger manhunt to find Katherine and end this madness. Henry MUST marry Sarah and become a duke. It¡¯s for the best of the family¡¯s interest."


    Meanwhile, Penny was washing her belly with cold water. She was lucky that she didn¡¯t seem to get badly burned, but the boiling water still left a red mark on her stomach.


    She began crying because of the pain, but the pain in her stomach was negligible compared to that in her heart.


    She was hurting because she truly fell in love with Marlon after spending time with him for so long.


    She truly wanted to have a good life with Marlon, but he never let go of his love for Dahlia, no matter how bad things have become between them.


    "Is this my fate? To be with a man who doesn¡¯t love me back?" Penny lamented. "Why can¡¯t I be happy?"

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371: Chapter 371Michael rushed to the apartment once Dahlia told him she finally arrived at her villa in Michigan two days after escaping. She implored Michael to tell Kate about the whole plan and bring her to Michigan for better safety.


    He unlocked the apartment door and saw Mai and Kate busy with their laptops in the living room. They had busied themselves since yesterday to start checking all the novel drafts sent by the authors who had worked with Kate before.


    Many of them were great, but Kate made sure that she only picked those who had more connection with HER rather than the Emperor Publishing.


    "We should find someone like Irene Banks, right?" Mai asked while her eyes were still glued to the laptop screen.


    "Yes, I already contacted Irene Banks about it, and she said she would send her new story to me. But she can¡¯t send the sequel of her previous book because it¡¯s tied to Emperor Publishing."


    "That¡¯s a pity. I wish we could contract Irene Banks with her ongoing story, but I believe she can create another hit," Mai said.


    "Oh, she will," Kate chuckled lightly. "I¡¯ve read the draft of her new story. With enough promotion, I guarantee it will turn into a hit movie."


    Michael stood at the door while staring at Mai and Kate.


    He sighed in awe, seeing how excited they were to break free from Marlon.


    ¡¯That¡¯s right. I¡¯m here to protect them. So I have to do the job well so they won¡¯t get hurt again,¡¯ Michael reminded himself. ¡¯This... is the closest I can have as a family after my real family was ruined by that old crook years ago.¡¯


    Michael knocked on the door to alert them, and Kate was the first one to respond, "Oh, welcome home, Michael. Where have you been? Mai said she¡¯s worried about you. She thought you¡¯d leave her."


    Mai¡¯s cheeks reddened instantly. She lowered her head and elbowed Kate, "T¡ªThat¡¯s a lie!"


    Micheal laughed heartily. He wished to have more time alone with Mai, but he understood this wasn¡¯t the time and place to be intimate.


    So he went straight to the point, "Ma¡¯am, I think we will have to move out by tomorrow morning."


    "Huh?" Kate frowned. "Why? Did Marlon discover our hiding spot?"


    "No... at least not yet," Michael said. "But I¡¯m afraid he will sooner or later. I learned that he is doing an even bigger manhunt against you. So we need to move fast."


    "But we¡¯ve only been here for a few days," Kate said. "We shouldn¡¯t be hasty, right?"


    "Yes, but... Dahlia wants us to leave as soon as possible. She said the severity from Marlon¡¯s manhunt is too worrying," Michael said.


    "Dahlia?" Kate frowned. "How could you get in contact with her? Is she alright? I really want to come and check on her, but I know Marlon¡¯s men must be guarding around."


    Michael closed the door behind him to make sure and replied, "She escaped that mental hospital, Ma¡¯am."


    ...


    "WHAT?!" Kate and Mai reacted at the same time. And Kate¡¯s big reaction signified her relationship with Dahlia, "W¡ªWhat happened? How? Where is she now?!"


    "She escaped because she knew she was about to get assassinated by Marlon¡¯s men. She is safe now, and she hides in her secret villa in Michigan," Michael said. His tone turned solemn as he wanted Kate to know the severity of the situation;


    "Ma¡¯am, this is a life and death situation. Dahlia warned me about Marlon¡¯s insanity. That old crook targeted his own wife because she dares to fight back." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Now that she slipped away, Marlon is targeting you next," Michael said. "He¡¯s not playing around, Katherine. We need to move. Dahlia said her villa in Michigan is safe, Marlon, Penny, and Sarah have no idea about it, and it¡¯s closer to New York."


    Kate finally realized the severity of the situation. She didn¡¯t expect Marlon to target Dahlia. After all, no matter how cruel you were, you wouldn¡¯t kill your spouse, who was just trying to defend herself.


    She closed her laptop and nodded, "Alright, let¡¯s pack up and start moving at dawn. We¡¯re not flying to Michigan, right? I¡¯m afraid Marlon¡¯s men will be there as well."


    "We¡¯ll have a two days trip to Michigan with the car. This is the only way to escape that old crook."


    "Good, we need a rest then. It will be a long trip, after all."


    **


    Michael¡¯s car drove out of the apartment before dawn. He made sure to change his license number with a fake one for this long journey, at least until they left California, so Marlon¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t find them.


    There was nothing but complete silence inside the car. Everyone was nervous as they left San Diego and started their long journey to Michigan just to escape the crazy old man.


    Michael got a call from Henry a few times, but he didn¡¯t dare to pick up, at least not until he left the state of California. The pressure to escort Kate to safety was too much for Michael, so he solely focused his attention on the road.


    It took hours, but after the car entered Nevada, everyone finally let out a relieved breath.


    "Give me your phone, Mai. I want to call Henry. He must¡¯ve been worried sick since Michael didn¡¯t pick up his calls before."


    Mai handed her phone, and Henry picked it up without a second thought.


    ¡ª


    "Mai, where is Kate? Where are you all? Did something happen?!"


    "Honey, relax, it¡¯s me..."


    Henry let out a deep, relieved sigh.


    His heart beat so fast as if it would explode by the second since Michael was uncontactable.


    "Where are you now? Where is Michael?"


    "He is driving. We¡¯re leaving California because Marlon is going crazy," Kate said. "It¡¯s a long story, but to summarize it: He tried to assassinate Dahlia, but she escaped and went into hiding."


    "HE TRIED TO ASSASSINATE MY MOM?!" Henry yelled spontaneously.


    "Relax, she is alive and safe. She¡¯s hiding somewhere, and we will join her in her hiding place," Kate said, trying to appease Henry, who got agitated.

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372: Chapter 372Henry was frustrated by the lack of protection he could do to his dear mother and beloved woman.


    Again, this pathetic feeling began to surge inside him. He began to think of himself as useless and pathetic.


    But he remembered what Kate had said before.


    She said that he should work hard and become a powerful and influential businessman if he wanted to protect her.


    There was no point in getting agitated and dying in vain under Marlon¡¯s hand.


    So he took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "So where is this hiding spot? I will be there as soon as possible."


    "I can¡¯t say it," Kate said. "Marlon might¡¯ve traced your phone, and I don¡¯t want to leak crucial information that will endanger us."


    "Oh... you¡¯re right..." Henry blamed himself for falling to the simplest trick. Though the chance of Marlon getting hacked and traced by his phone was close to zero, he shouldn¡¯t be lax.


    "Alright, just tell me once you are there. I will find another way to get to your hidden location," Henry said solemnly. "Be careful on your way, Love. Be safe. We will reunite soon."


    Kate chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry about me. I believe in you, Henry."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate returned the phone to Mai, and the latter asked, "So, are we good now, Ma¡¯am?"


    "Yes, I didn¡¯t tell Henry about the specific location because his phone might¡¯ve been hacked or traced, but I assured him everything would be just fine."


    "Thank God you can pacify him," Michael said. "If it¡¯s not you who pacified him before, I bet he already flew back to Los Angeles just to fall into Marlon and Sarah¡¯s trap."


    "Speaking about Sarah..." Kate finally brought up the elephant in the room. "Why is she so obsessed to marry Henry? I know that she doesn¡¯t love Henry, and she is also rich, probably even richer than the Grant family if we¡¯re only talking about assets."


    Michael had been holding this information for so long, but since Kate asked, he was obliged to answer because she had the right to know what kind of mess she jumped into.


    "You know that Sarah is a noble-born, right? She comes from the House of Lancaster, a marquis house in the old British Empire. Her family has been stripped of the title but still pretty influential."


    "I don¡¯t know if you already know about this, but the Grant family is actually the branch family of the House of York, a highly prestigious duchy."


    "The current Duke of York has no child, and therefore nobody to inherit the huge dukedom," Michael said. "So the Duke wants the son of the Grant family to inherit it since they are still tied by blood and good relationship. James was supposed to be the new Duke after the current Duke passed away, but since James had an inevitable death, the new Duke will be¡ª"


    "¡ªHenry," Kate murmured.


    Michael nodded, "Yes, Henry will be the Duke of York."


    ¡¯So he wasn¡¯t just playing around when he said he would be a Duke in the future...¡¯


    Back then, Kate thought Henry was just playing around as they danced in the castle¡¯s main hall in Canada.


    Turned out he was serious.


    But there was something she didn¡¯t understand.


    "I mean, I understand being a Duke is an extraordinary achievement, and becoming a Duchess must be prestigious," Kate said. "But this is not the medieval era anymore. The Duke and Duchess are mere titles, right? They have no power to rule anymore."


    "The prestige is enough to drive people to do anything," Michael replied. "Sarah is already rich but wants the prestige of becoming a duchess. To the rich, reputation is equally, if not more important than wealth. Money comes easy for them, so the next thing they want is a prestigious title and acknowledgement."


    "So that¡¯s why Sarah is so desperate to marry Henry?"


    "Yes."


    ...


    Kate tried to swallow this information, but she couldn¡¯t.


    She was so astonished by the reason. Because she couldn¡¯t believe someone would plan a murder just to get a title.


    Kate also sometimes fantasized about being a Duchess or a Queen, but she never expected herself to be one because she thought it was meant to be just that¡ªa fantasy."


    "What about you, Ma¡¯am?" Michael asked. "Do you also want to marry Henry because of his title?"


    "Well, being a Duchess sounds nice and somewhat of a fantasy for many women, but... I will still love him even if he is not a duke. I will still love him even if he is just a regular working man," Kate said. "As long as he works hard daily, I will still marry him."


    Kate leaned on the backseat, staring at the long road ahead, "I have never been a woman with a taste of luxury. I have money to be fully independent, yet I rarely spend it on luxury. His title, wealth, and handsome face come second."


    "Then what¡¯s the main reason for you?" Michael inquired deeper.


    Kate went quiet for a second. She rubbed her pregnant belly, which had gotten more obvious as days passed. "Because he loves me, our baby, and he is doing his best to protect us despite his shortcomings. He is THE responsible man I¡¯ve been waiting for."


    Michael was satisfied with Kate¡¯s answer.


    Of course, he already knew that Kate didn¡¯t care much about Henry¡¯s title and wealth.


    After all, James had the same, and probably even better, title and wealth since he was supposed to be the official and legitimate heir of the Grant family and House of York.


    Yet, when James was obviously trying to get her heart, she kept her loyalty to her deadbeat husband. She had a strong sense of loyalty despite her ex-husband doing absolutely nothing. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her patience and ingenuity were the main qualities that made James fall deeply in love with her.


    But it was Kate¡¯s decisiveness and fortitude that made Henry madly in love with her.


    Despite his bossy and reckless personality, Henry were still a young man that lacked stability and assurance, and he found everything he needed with Katherine.


    Nevertheless, the brothers were in love with her, and Michael wanted to ensure Kate¡¯s safety so Henry wouldn¡¯t fall into deep depression again.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am. I will protect you with my life. After all, you¡¯re Henry¡¯s love and hope. I can¡¯t let him destroy himself if you get hurt."

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373: Chapter 373It had been two days since Marlon did a massive manhunt across California to find Dahlia or Katherine. He spent a lot of money to do this, but money was negligible compared to the benefit that he would reap after murdering Dahlia and Kate.


    With them dead, Henry would have nobody except him, and Henry would finally listen to his words.


    This was the best he could do for his family and reputation, and while he felt a bit guilty of murdering his family members, he still thought it was a necessary sacrifice.


    He was sitting in his study room, reading another book while waiting for good news to come.


    Until the door was knocked, and his subordinate walked in with a face as pale as a ghost.


    Marlon took a deep breath as he prepared himself, "Looking at your face, it seems that you have bad news for me."


    The leader kneeled in front of Marlon. He knew that he fucked up real bad and would be fired after this.


    In fact, it was better if he got fired because the pressure from this old man was way too much for his pitiful heart.


    "My men tracked Michael Eckermann¡¯s license plate, and the CCTV footage found him entering a beachside apartment building," the leader reported. "The apartment building¡¯s manager said Henry Grant recently purchased and owned an apartment there."


    "So they have been hiding in that new apartment?" Marlon asked, and the leader nodded. "Then why don¡¯t you raid it? Catch them now!"


    "M¡ªMaster, we raid it immediately, but... they already left at dawn," the leader said weakly. "They barely escaped us."


    "Then track Michael¡¯s license plate! Goddamn it, why do I have to give you every order like a baby?!"


    "W¡ªWe can¡¯t do that, Master..."


    "Why not?!¡¯


    "Because Michael Eckermann changed his license plate before leaving, and the parking lot CCTV is too blurry for us to identify the fake license plate number."


    After many of his mistakes, Marlon had been too patient towards this incompetent fool. He raised his cane and hit him right on the skull.


    "Ugh!" The leader covered his head spontaneously. "I¡ªI tried my best, Master! I really do! It¡¯s just impossible to track them down now!"


    "Then think of another way to catch them! Why are you so incompetent? I paid you thousands of dollars weekly just to do your job!" Marlon scolded. "Go now. I don¡¯t want to see your goddamn face until you give me some good news! I don¡¯t even care if you capture those bitches alive or not. Just do your fucking job, you useless retards!"


    The leader could only grieve as he left the study room. As expected, he got a beating from his Master. Unfortunately, he was bound by contract to serve Marlon for the rest of his life.


    He got paid handsomely, but it was still work that would drive you insane.


    Marlon took a deep breath to calm himself. He got too agitated just now. It was frustrating because he thought he would have finished Dahlia and Kate easily, and now they escaped and posed an even bigger threat to him.


    "Dahlia must¡¯ve done something. It¡¯s obvious that she is aiding and protecting Kate. So if I can catch one of them, I can capture the other one."


    As Marlon was busy with his idea, the door was knocked again, but the knock was gentler this time.


    "Come in."


    Sarah walked in with a sweet smile on her face. She held a tray with a cup of coffee and a plate of honey biscuits for Marlon.


    "I¡¯m here to bring you the honey biscuit I made myself," Sarah said as she put the coffee and the plate on the table.


    Marlon smiled at his daughter-in-law. He felt guilty knowing he hadn¡¯t done anything significant to their plan because of his men¡¯s incompetence.


    "You don¡¯t need to do this for me, Sarah. You are a noblewoman. Just let Penny or the maids bring it to me," Marlon said.


    Sarah sat facing Marlon and replied, "It¡¯s okay. I just feel like giving you a snack so you can relax. You¡¯ve been so stressed out these days."


    "Hahah, is it too obvious? It can¡¯t be helped. I have been trying to capture Katherine and Dahlia. I need to take them hostage, or if the situation is dire, kill them," Marlon said. He sipped the coffee and ate one biscuit. "Unfortunately, my men are incompetent fools. They can¡¯t even catch the old or the pregnant woman."


    Sarah looked sad as Marlon told her about his plan, "Do you think it¡¯s really necessary to kill Kate or Dahlia? They could be spared somehow, right?"


    "We can take them hostage, but knowing Dahlia and the Hawthorne family, I doubt they will go down without a fight," Marlon said. "I know that you are a good woman, Sarah. You don¡¯t have any malicious ideas. But this is for the best of us. We need them dead so Henry will have no way out other than returning to me and obeying my orders."


    "Okay then, I believe in you, Marlon," Sarah said. "Though, I wish I could be more helpful somehow."


    "This is a messy problem, Sarah. You should stay back," Marlon suggested. "You¡¯ve done a great job by staying loyal to Henry even though that son of a bitch betrayed you."


    "Of course, I will stay with him no matter what!" Sarah stated. "But I still want to help. I recently heard a rumor about Katherine." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Rumor? What kind?" Marlon got excited, thinking he could use this rumor to blackmail Kate or to snap Henry out of his stupidity.


    "There is a rumor that Katherine has a little sister. That little sister of hers is better than her in every way, so Kate got jealous," Sarah said. "I heard she seduced Henry to help her get rid of her innocent sister, and he did. Henry helped Katherine to toss her sister in the middle of frozen tundra in Greenland."

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374: Chapter 374"That innocent young lady has been stuck in that frozen wasteland for four months. She is surviving by eating fish every day," Sarah said. Her voice began to crack as she tried not to cry. "She is still alive, but in such a pitiful state..."


    Marlon clenched his cane, "Did you confirm it already?"


    "I did. That¡¯s why I brought it up. I just can¡¯t stand to see an innocent woman suffer just because of Katherine¡¯s jealousy," Sarah muttered.


    "That bitch!" Marlon yelled. "I know that bitch is seducing Henry and James for our family wealth and title, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so heinous!"


    "C¡ªCalm down, Marlon, please mind your weak heart..." Sarah said.


    Marlon took a deep breath, but his mind was flooded with rage as he kept thinking about the story told by Sarah just now.


    "There is no forgiveness for a bitch like that, Sarah. She has gone too far!" Marlon continued yelling. "And my son is also a stupid son of a bitch! How could he be so heartless just for an average commoner like Katherine? I don¡¯t understand his way of thinking!"


    "Well, he has been bewitched. Of course, he will forget about humanity and compassion once he gets together with Katherine, "Sarah said. "And I¡¯ve been thinking about saving her, actually. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a helicopter to fly me from Nuuk, Greenland, to a desolate place where she is currently trapped."


    "Then you can use my family private jet to get straight to Nuuk, and then about the helicopter, I¡¯ll ask my men to accompany you there," Marlon volunteered without hesitation.


    He was still a good man. At least, he believed so. Seeing how treacherous and evil Kate could be, he decided to do good to an innocent person occasionally.


    Sarah gasped, as if she hadn¡¯t already predicted the result of this conversation, "I¡ªIs that really okay?"


    "Yes, Katherine is a madwoman who has no pity. We have to save that poor young lady in Greenland and kill that cruel woman, Katherine," Marlon said.


    "W¡ªWell, I don¡¯t advocate for violence, but I guess it¡¯s inevitable that you must end that cruel woman¡¯s life..." Sarah lowered her head. She was trying to hide her grin as she found the situation funny.


    Of course, she knew damn well that Erin was a total psycho bitch that would bring pain everywhere she went.


    But that kind of psycho bitch was what Sarah needed. She needed someone who would murder Kate without hesitating just because she was pregnant.


    ¡¯I think Erin would take pleasure stabbing that pregnant belly and rip the baby out. Hihi, how fun...¡¯ Sarah thought.


    "Yes, I have to kill Katherine, just like how I killed James for being an insolent bastard," Marlon vowed. "They are pests on earth. I¡¯m just doing humanity a favor by eliminating unneeded trash."


    Sarah raised her head and showed enthusiastic eyes brimming with hope, "T¡ªThen, I will prepare myself and go to Greenland to save that woman! "


    Marlon nodded approvingly, adoring his daughter-in-law, who had such a good heart despite how badly Henry treated her, "You are a goodhearted woman, Sarah. Henry had lost his mind to replace you with a useless, crazy bitch like Katherine."


    Sarah¡¯s cheeks reddened, "I¡ªI am just doing my best to save the people that Kate had hurt. She must¡¯ve manipulated Henry to do her bidding as well. So, I can¡¯t really blame Henry. Once Katherine is dead, I¡¯m sure Henry will return to normal and marry me." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah got up from the sofa and patted her skirt, "I¡¯m going now. I have to prepare myself to go to Greenland. It¡¯s still winter and must be extremely cold there, so I have to be fully ready."


    "Thank you so much for your help, um... father-in-law..." Sarah muttered before rushing out of the study room.


    Marlon was stunned by Sarah¡¯s last word.


    His heart felt warm when he heard her calling him ¡¯father-in-law.¡¯


    Though he wished her to refer him simply as ¡¯father¡¯ or ¡¯dad.¡¯


    But it was good enough for Marlon. It made him feel like he had a daughter he always wanted before.


    It also motivated him to do better, "Ah, I have such a good daughter-in-law. I have to help her at all costs! I will cut that pregnant bitch¡¯s head myself! This is no longer about the baby she has. I don¡¯t give a damn about that baby anymore!"


    And thus, with a fiery drive to kill Katherine, Marlon grabbed his phone and began to make a few calls to his friends in New York.


    **


    Sarah smirked as she left the study room.


    "That old man is so fucking gullible," Sarah muttered as she walked through the corridor. "Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. He is desperate to get that title as the official member of the Duchy of York."


    Sarah thought that she had to assemble a team just to rescue Erin from the frozen wasteland in Greenland, but with only a bag of biscuits she bought from a cake shop and a cup of coffee, Marlon would do all the dirty work to assemble a team for her.


    "Ah, it¡¯s so easy to trick a desperate old man."


    Sarah looked at her reflection on the window. She was wearing a long-sleeved dark green midi dress and a cream-colored sweater to give the touch of a soft and gentle lady.


    She truly looked like a perfect lady who was modest and kind. She didn¡¯t seem to like luxurious things in life, basically a perfect woman for any man to marry.


    Too bad this kind of dress didn¡¯t work on Henry. No matter how she dressed, that man didn¡¯t seem to like her.


    "I don¡¯t need to care about how I present myself in front of Henry after I deliver Kate¡¯s head to him. That would teach him that he can¡¯t escape me," Sarah chuckled as the idea of Kate¡¯s head getting chopped was quite amusing. "You will not make it alive once you provoked me, you bitch."

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375: Chapter 375After two days of journey, Michael, Mai, and Kate finally entered Michigan. They slept in two motels on the road because sleeping in a hotel might cause Marlon¡¯s men to discover their route.


    They also strictly used cash for every transaction. They basically acted like fugitives. But this was to protect their safety because Marlon was just too dangerous, and once they were discovered, that would be a death sentence.


    Once they entered Michigan, Michael called Dahlia with a new number, asking for the exact location of her villa so they could finally finish this grueling trip from California to Michigan.


    Once Dahlia shared the location, Michael pressed the gas pedal, and they went straight to Dahlia¡¯s villa.


    "Wow, this place is fantastic. I never knew Madam Grant had such a beautiful villa hidden in the woods," Mai commented as the car turned and entered the villa¡¯s gate.


    Kate also looked around and noticed the lake right next to the villa. This place looked hidden and serene. There weren¡¯t many villas around the area. Even if there were a few, Kate could see that most of them were empty.


    So, it was a perfect hiding place.


    Dahlia stood in front of the main door with Howard, her new henchman and cook, and a bodyguard. She was wearing a long skirt and a warm sweater. She was also wearing a warm scarf, indicating she wasn¡¯t good with cold.


    Nevertheless, her smile widened when Michael¡¯s car parked in front of her.


    Kate was the first to open the car door, and Dahlia opened her arms immediately while walking towards her future daughter-in-law, "Welcome to my villa, dear. It must¡¯ve been a difficult day for you. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you against Marlon¡¯s men."


    Kate hugged the old woman back and replied, "It¡¯s fine. At least we¡¯re all here, safe and secure, right? Besides, you should¡¯ve cared more about your body. Escaping from his grasp must¡¯ve been difficult."


    "Oh dear, don¡¯t underestimate this old lady. I know my way around. I was just counting the day when I finally had to break free," Dahlia giggled. "I¡¯m impressed with you instead. You¡¯ve successfully escaped an ambush by Marlon¡¯s men."


    Dahlia and Kate experienced a similar awful situation at the hands of Marlon Grant, the selfish old crook who brought pain and suffering to everyone around him.


    So they sympathized with each other deeply


    "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be of much help, Madam," Michael apologized, lowering his head. "Marlon and Sarah move so fast. It¡¯s hard for me to predict what they will do next."


    Dahlia released her hug on Kate and looked at Michael, who was obviously exhausted. Dahlia might not be as harsh as Marlon, but she wasn¡¯t lenient to mistake


    But at least Michael truly did his best, and she appreciated that.


    "You¡¯ve done your best to protect Kate, so you¡¯re forgiven. I just wish you¡¯d be more careful in the future, Michael."


    "Yes, I will," Michael nodded seriously. "I will never make the same mistake again, Madam."


    Dahlia smiled, "Howard will help you to your bedroom. You must be exhausted."


    Michael nodded and followed Howard into the villa. It had been two days since he had a proper sleep. He didn¡¯t want to risk getting attacked while sleeping, so he had a few light sleeps here and there.


    Mai had been standing awkwardly as Michael left, and Kate was still reuniting with Madam Gray.


    Dahlia glanced at Mai and asked, "And who is this, Kate?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, this is Mai!" Kate grabbed Mai¡¯s hand and introduced her to Dahlia. "She is my assistant at work, but also my best friend. She helped me to fight that man who ambushed me."


    "Oh? What a brave woman!" Dahlia smiled at Mai and shook her hand, "Thank you for protecting my daughter-in-law. I owe you a lot."


    "N¡ªNot at all, Madam. Kate and I are like... uhm..."


    "Sister," Kate completed her sentence. "We¡¯re like sisters."


    "Then I must treat you with honor!" Dahlia called her butler and told Mai, "My butler will show you the room. You should rest as well."


    "T¡ªThank you, Madam."


    Kate, Dahlia, and two bodyguards were the only ones left. Dahlia asked, "You must be tired. Do you want to rest now?"


    "I¡¯m not tired at all. I rest a lot in the car. Michael and Mai are watching over me and guarding me in the motels. They worked really hard."


    Dahlia nodded, "Well, they will rest for now, but since you¡¯re not tired, why don¡¯t we have tea first? I have something to talk about with you."


    "Sure, I also have a question for you, Dahlia."


    **


    Dahlia and Kate are in front of a large window with the lake as a view. They could¡¯ve gone to sit on the balcony, but it was too cold for the old Dahlia and might be dangerous for pregnant Kate.


    They sat side to side on the sofa, staring at the lake while sipping their tea.


    There was nothing but complete silence and serenity between them until Dahlia asked, "Katherine, are you sure you want to give birth to your baby?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I¡¯m just making sure," Dahlia muttered. "You know being a mother is a lifelong task, right?"


    Kate didn¡¯t understand why Dahlia suddenly asked such a weird question, but she answered, "This is the baby I¡¯ve been waiting for five years. I¡¯ve been careful with everything that I eat, and always make sure to check up. This baby is precious to me."


    "In fact, even without Henry¡¯s presence in my life, I would still give birth to my baby," Kate said. "I will raise this baby no matter what, whether Henry would take responsibility. I have enough capital to live a comfortable life with my child."


    Dahlia clenched the teacup in her hand. She didn¡¯t react much, but Kate¡¯s answer brought a storm to her heart.


    Kate was right. She had the capital on her own. Although she wasn¡¯t as rich as Henry or the Grant family, she could live a comfortable life without their help.


    And that was what scared Dahlia the most.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376: Chapter 376Dahlia had grown attached to Katherine and her future grandchild. She wanted to live with Henry and Kate as a small family.


    But at the same time, she feared that Katherine would despise all of them once she knew Henry impregnated her just to use her baby as a bargaining chip for Marlon.


    It was so heinous that Dahlia would have to let go of Katherine and her grandchild if she decided to leave, she had no way to defend Henry for what he did.


    Dahlia remembered her last conversation with Henry about Kate.


    ¡ª


    ¡¯She doesn¡¯t need to know, Mom. W¡ªWe are in love, and I abandoned that plan long ago!¡¯ Henry defended himself after Dahlia called him out for his cruelty. ¡¯I want to have a family with her! She is the only woman I want to marry!¡¯


    ¡¯She deserves to know, Henry. You told me I should keep this a secret, but frankly, it is also not my right to expose your sin,¡¯ Dahlia reprimanded him. ¡¯But you need to admit it yourself. Tell Kate about what you¡¯ve done and your plan.¡¯


    ¡ª


    Unfortunately, her argument with her son went nowhere each time she brought up Katherine¡¯s problem.


    Despite his dedication to Kate, Henry was still very defensive and refused to admit his mistake to Kate. He still tried to paint himself as a good man, even though he had an evil intention before.


    Kate might¡¯ve changed him, but he still needed to be honest with her.


    ¡¯Well, I can¡¯t really say anything to Kate about it. That¡¯s Henry¡¯s job, to be honest. All I can do is pray that I can still see her and my grandchild once the truth has been revealed.¡¯


    "Why are you bringing this up, Dahlia? Is there something wrong?" Kate asked. "Did something happen to Henry?"


    "No, he is alright, just very busy with his new company," Dahlia said. "I¡¯m just... wondering about what the future holds for you two. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be too burdened with so many conflicts in my family that you decide to abandon everything and leave."


    Dahlia sighed, "I¡¯m sorry, Kate. The Grant family is so messy. There is no way out other than facing all the troubles head-on."


    "I understand that," Kate said. She sipped her tea again to calm herself down and continued, "Even when I was still working with James, I already knew that the Grant family had a lot of conflicts. James told me that he often refused to meet with his father because they would always fight."


    "That¡¯s true," Dahlia nodded but didn¡¯t specify more because the main source of the fight sat right next to her. All of Marlon and James¡¯ fights were about Kate.


    "So, I know the risks I must take to be together with Henry. You don¡¯t need to worry about me, Dahlia," Kate tried to appease the old woman. But when she glanced at Dahlia, she noticed a tinge of sadness on her smile. "Dahlia? Is there something you want to talk to me about? You look... sad..."


    "Oh, not at all," Dahlia quickly fixed her expression. "The whole problem with Marlon just stresses me out. I can¡¯t believe I have to fight against him just to get our freedom."


    "I didn¡¯t expect him to be cruel enough to send an ambush to his own grandchild either..." Kate sighed.


    "He planned to kill us both, or at least take us hostage, so Henry will do everything he told him to do, including marrying Sarah," Dahlia said. "That old man is obsessed with the title of House of York."


    "Even if that means sacrificing his entire family?"


    "He doesn¡¯t care. To him, family is dispensable. As long as he gets what he wants, then everything is a necessary sacrifice," Dahlia¡¯s gaze darkened, which surprised Kate because she didn¡¯t expect Dahlia, amongst all people, to make such expressions full of hatred. "Do not worry about him, Katherine. As long as you are here with me, we will be safe."


    "I don¡¯t think I won¡¯t stay long here though..."


    "Hm? Why not?" Dahlia frowned. "Do you need anything? My bodyguards can help with whatever you want." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I promised Henry I would work in his new company. I want him to succeed, and I¡¯ve been working to recruit as many top authors I¡¯ve worked with in the past as possible," Kate replied.


    "Can you work remotely for that?" Dahlia suggested. "Surely, you don¡¯t need to be in New York, right?"


    "I can... but many of my authors are living in New York. Signing a deal also needs me to be physically present because they trust me, not Henry," Kate shrugged. "Don¡¯t worry about it, Dahlia. I will be fine."


    "And when will you leave?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, probably after one or two months? I¡¯m waiting for Henry to prepare everything so I can start working immediately."


    Dahlia wanted Kate to stay hidden in her villa until she gave birth just to be safe.


    In fact, she wanted Kate to raise her child here. She knew how crazy Marlon and Sarah could be, especially now that they really wanted Kate dead.


    But Dahlia also understood that being confined would not make Kate happy.


    Dahlia had experienced being confined in that mental hospital for more than seven months, and the only saving grace that made her stay sane was Henry, who still visited her and apologized each time they talked.


    As much as Dahlia wanted to protect Kate, she didn¡¯t want her to get stressed out.


    ¡¯Well, I must mobilize my people to guard Kate from afar. So she can still work without being disturbed,¡¯ Dahlia thought. ¡¯I lost my son because I was careless. I don¡¯t want to lose another son and daughter-in-law, not when they are my only family left.¡¯


    Dahlia finally put her teacup on the small table and told Kate, "Well, you should relax for now. I guarantee this place is safe. I¡¯ll tell Henry about your arrival and let him visit the villa once he has more free time."


    "Thank you, Dahlia. But I told him to focus on his project first before meeting me. I don¡¯t want him to get distracted."


    "Oh, dear, you can¡¯t be so hard on him. Despite his reckless and devil-may-care attitude, he is actually very spoiled and clingy. So you should keep assuring him and show him your love," Dahlia took her phone out and handed it to Kate, "Go on, call him now. It will make his day."

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377: Chapter 377Kate accepted the phone reluctantly. She stared at Dahlia, who gave her an encouraging smile, which was more like pressure to Kate.


    She wasn¡¯t really the lovey-dovey person. She could encourage but not act spoiled to her boyfriend, especially not when her future mother-in-law was in front of her.


    "I¡¯ll call her, but can I go somewhere a bit more private?" Kate asked. Her cheeks reddened as she got even more embarrassed. "I¡¯m not used to talking with him when there¡¯s someone around."


    "Oho~ things must¡¯ve heated up between you two," Dahlia chuckled. She pointed at the empty bedroom near them and said, "You can talk to him inside that guest room. I¡¯ll be waiting here, okay?"


    "Okay, thanks, Dahlia."


    Dahlia helped Kate unlock her phone, and the shy woman entered the guest room and hurriedly locked it.


    Dahlia stared at the door and chuckled again, "What a cute couple. They are surely making me envious."


    Dahlia leaned on the sofa and stared at the window. It was the same mundane routine she did in that mental hospital too.


    She had grown to enjoy this idle activity because she had nothing going on in her life. Other than protecting her small family, Dahlia had no motivation in life.


    She was a shell of her former, glorious self.


    "Isn¡¯t that right, husband?" Dahlia smiled as she talked to herself. "I remember how romantic you were when we got married. You were dashing and whipped for me. I couldn¡¯t help falling into your embrace and accepted your proposal."


    "But what went wrong? Where was that handsome, dashing, charming man I married decades ago?" Dahlia asked herself. "My hair has turned white, my body has become weak. But I never change, my feelings never change too. I just decided to discard everything because you¡¯re harming our son and grandchild. You are blinded with greed."


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean our sweet times in the past have no worth for me..." Dahlia muttered. "If only you didn¡¯t listen to your greed. We could¡¯ve our first grandchild from James and Kate instead."


    **


    Kate made sure the door was locked and then sat on the bed. She called Henry¡¯s number and waited thirty seconds until Henry picked it up.


    ¡ª


    "Come on, Mom. I told you I don¡¯t want to tell¡ª"


    "Henry, it¡¯s me."


    Henry paused instantly. He was still busy with a document that he simply thought his mother called to urge him to tell Kate about his previous plan.


    But his heartbeat accelerated instantly once he heard his beloved woman¡¯s voice.


    He immediately abandoned his work and held his phone near his ear, "Kitty, my Love! Are you in my Mom¡¯s villa now? Did you arrive safely?"


    Kate was a bit weirded out by what Henry was about to say before she interrupted. But she decided not to think too much about it and replied, "I arrived about an hour ago. Michael and Mai are resting since they are exhausted, but I was had a teatime with Dahlia just now."


    "Oh, thank god. I was stressed out by your trip that I have to swamp myself with work to get that paranoia out of my head," Henry admitted.


    "Um¡ª" Kate hummed. She sensed that Henry didn¡¯t seem to require her encouragement. But it was her who felt weak when listening to his voice. So, she wanted Henry to comfort her instead. "Henry, I want¡ª"


    "But I¡¯m glad that you are in good condition. Stay there for a while, okay? It¡¯s the safest place for you. If you need something, just tell my Mom."


    "Henry, I¡ª"


    "I¡¯m still very busy here. Everything is going at a great pace. We can definitely start a big project in just one month!" Henry stated confidently, as he seemed enthusiastic about reporting his progress.


    Kate listened to Henry and realized he didn¡¯t seem clingy like Dahlia claimed him to be.


    Kate knew that Henry was clingy before, but maybe because of the drastic changes in their lives, he became more independent.


    And she felt awkward, unsure of how to tell Henry how much she loved him.


    With the way he spoke, Kate also realized that she might be the one who currently needed the warmth from Henry the most.


    She wanted to feel his breath caressing her nape and shoulder again. She wanted to feel his hands wrapped around her waist while his lips kissed hers deeply, full of longing.


    "Henry¡ª"


    "Oh! My cousin gave me my very first advertisement project yesterday! If this does well, I will get a big project!" Henry was like a teenage boy who kept rambling about his achievements to his girlfriend nonstop, hoping that would impress her.


    And Kate was very happy, of course.


    After all, she was also committed to supporting Henry in his endeavor. She wanted him to succeed and prove himself.


    After all, she wanted to start a family with him.


    Dahlia told her to give him loving encouragement or simply show her affection, but now she felt awkward and out of place.


    "Good for you, Henry..." Kate replied dimly, as it was the only thing that popped into her mind.


    Henry sensed her disinterest and frowned, "What¡¯s wrong, Kitty? You don¡¯t sound happy," he asked. "Look, I know this is not a huge progress. But I promise I will give my best, okay? I will show you the fruit of my hard work after a month!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more fiery he got, the more detached she felt.


    ¡¯Ah, what¡¯s wrong with me? Shouldn¡¯t I be happy? I don¡¯t want to be a mood killer...¡¯ Kate asked herself. She looked down and rubbed her stomach, which began to show signs of the second trimester of pregnancy.


    She wanted her man to embrace and comfort her. After all, she had experienced a traumatic event and a long, arduous trip from California to Michigan.


    "I know you can do it," Kate continued giving dull encouragement.


    "No, seriously, what¡¯s wrong?" Henry began to worry as he realized something was amiss when he finally stopped rambling. "Did I make you mad?"


    "No, you didn¡¯t," Kate dodged. "I¡¯m just... tired, I guess. It¡¯s a long trip, after all. Maybe I do need a rest."

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378: Chapter 378"Really?" Henry hesitated. He felt that he had done something wrong, but he didn¡¯t know what and why. "You can tell me if you need anything. I¡¯ll be there for you, alright?"


    ¡¯I want you here. I want to be embraced by you after going through hellish days. I need you to be the source of my safety,¡¯ those words were stuck in Kate¡¯s throat. She couldn¡¯t utter anything because she didn¡¯t want to sound clingy and needy.


    Ultimately, she only sighed and ended the call without saying goodbye.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Kate lay on the bed after the dissatisfying phone call with her man. She stared at the ceiling and muttered, "Why did I suddenly turn into a spineless woman? I could¡¯ve told him that I wanted him here. In this villa with me, so he can embrace me, even just for one night, it would be more than enough for me."


    Kate put her palm on her chest and added, "Or maybe it¡¯s because I want him to take initiative? I want him to continue asking about my condition and reassure me. He is not the only one who needs it, right?"


    The more Kate thought about it, the worse she felt because she began to think that maybe Henry didn¡¯t care about her as much as she thought.


    Maybe he simply wanted to break free from his family, but he used Kate and their baby to get Kate¡¯s approval and support.


    "Ah, I think I¡¯m getting too dramatic," Kate tried to stop the ridiculous thought about Henry. She knew he was working hard for them; that was all she needed.


    She got up after some time and returned to Dahlia, who had just finished her tea. She smiled at Kate, "So, how was it? Do you feel better now? I bet your voice is enough to give him the strength to go through difficult projects."


    "I hope so," Kate smiled bitterly, and Dahlia noticed it immediately.


    "Did you two fight?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No."


    "Then why do you look sad?"


    "I... I¡¯m just tired, I guess. Uhh, can I go to my room now? I¡¯m getting too sleepy..." Kate said.


    Dahlia knew that wasn¡¯t the case because Kate had been energetic before the call.


    But she didn¡¯t want to push her daughter-in-law more, so she told Howard to show Kate her room.


    "What happened on the call? Did Henry do something that hurt her?" Dahlia wondered. "But he is madly in love with her, no doubt about it. So what makes her sad?"


    Dahlia couldn¡¯t figure out the problem and didn¡¯t want to involve herself too much, "Ah, I hope they can sort out whatever fight they had. I don¡¯t want them to end up like me and Marlon in the end."


    **


    Meanwhile, Henry couldn¡¯t focus on his work after having a call with his beloved.


    He didn¡¯t know why but felt he had done something wrong. He was, however, still wondering what the mistake could be.


    As he pondered about his mistake, Mindy, Henry¡¯s new secretary, walked in with another document her boss needed to read and sign.


    She smiled as she entered Henry¡¯s office, but her smile vanished in less than a second when she saw the scattered documents on the CEO¡¯s desk, and Henry was spacing out.


    "Sir! We still have a lot to do!" Mindy raised her voice. She wanted this new company to prosper because this was the dream job she had been searching for after working as a hostess in a VIP bar for almost so long.


    Henry snapped out of his daze and stared at Mindy, who put another document on the table, "Oh, sorry, let me check on them."


    Henry grabbed the document, but he couldn¡¯t focus, and the words on the paper became incoherent.


    "Sir? What¡¯s wrong?" Mindy asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing¡ª"


    "Oh, come on, Sir. We need to sort out whatever problem you have right now. We are swamped with work! If you can¡¯t function, the project will be doomed!" Mindy put pressure on her boss out of concern for his well-being and her salary.


    Henry paused momentarily and sighed deeply, "I just had a call with Kate."


    "Oh?" Mindy was surprised. "Then I guess you two had a fight, right?"


    "I don¡¯t know¡ªI don¡¯t think so," Henry said. "It had been a few days since we had a call, and I told her all the progress I made in the company. I made sure that she knows I¡¯m doing great here and promised to bring her here in about a month."


    "And?"


    "I told her that we¡¯re having an advertisement project."


    "... and?"


    "That¡¯s it, we¡¯re just starting our first project, Mindy. I don¡¯t have much else to talk about," Henry said. "I don¡¯t know what went wrong, but she seemed upset after I told her my progress."


    Henry rested his elbows on the desk, intertwining his fingers, and pondered, "I wonder where I went wrong. Was she not satisfied with my work?"


    Henry couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated with the possibility. He scratched his head frustratedly, "I know I¡¯m just starting, and I¡¯m yet to prove my worth. But I¡¯m doing my best. I¡¯m taking a huge risk here."


    "I allow my cousin to take a chunk of the company¡¯s stock, all for her and our baby! Why can¡¯t she see my effort?" Henry said as he got more irritated. "I thought she would encourage me after all I¡¯ve done. But is this not enough? Am I not enough for her?"


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but feel shitty about himself, thinking that Kate probably expected him to be as successful as his late brother in such a short time.


    But unlike James, Henry wasn¡¯t raised to be a businessman. He was basically a spoiled rich kid who did nothing but being a complete waste up until James¡¯ death. Everything was new to him, and he took all the risk for his small family!


    ...


    Mindy¡¯s eyes got colder as she stared at her boss, "Henry, why do you keep talking about yourself? What about her?"

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379: Chapter 379"Henry, why do you keep talking about yourself? What about her?" Mindy asked.


    "What about her?" Henry frowned. "She is safe and secure in my mother¡¯s villa right now. She is doing just fine."


    "That¡¯s so generic, you know that, right?" Mindy rolled her eyes. "I mean, do you know her current condition? You told me that she is pregnant, and I feel like, for a pregnant woman, there should be a lot more that she thinks about."


    "... I don¡¯t get it. She is safe and secure. She can rest well while I¡¯m working here. What problem does she have?"


    "Oh God, I think I¡¯m going to snap at my own Boss," Mindy facepalmed. "A pregnant woman tends to be more emotional and clingy to her partner. So, I doubt she will say anything after not meeting you for a while."


    "So, let me ask you again, Boss. What about her? What did she say to you except that she is in your mother¡¯s villa right now?" Mindy asked again, and this time, Henry truly had no answer.


    Because he just realized that he knew nothing about Kate¡¯s current condition. Of course, she would say that she was all right. That¡¯s what she always said to pacify Henry.


    Even if she was in a dire situation, she always said that everything was just fine and he needed to focus on his job so they could have the future they wanted.


    But what about her?


    Was she really okay now?


    "Do you get it?" Mindy asked as she noticed that her Boss was pondering. "It doesn¡¯t take a genius to see that she has things that weigh her mind. You should¡¯ve kept your mouth shut and allowed her to speak."


    Henry lowered his head.


    He felt ashamed because he had been so occupied with work that he neglected his beloved¡¯s needs. She must¡¯ve been stressed out and lonely as well.


    Mindy let out a relieved sigh after seeing the regret in Henry¡¯s face, "Look, I know it¡¯s not my place to tell you what to do. Even if we¡¯re friends, you are still my Boss¡ª"


    "Let me listen to your suggestion," Henry said.


    "Well, I suggest you give her a chance to talk. She will appreciate it," Mindy said. "I know money is important in a relationship, but what¡¯s the point of having so much money when you have a dead heart?"


    Mindy finally stepped back because she had said enough, "Well, if you need me for anything, just use the intercom. Remember, Boss, all these big projects and the money you will earn won¡¯t mean anything when you have a dead heart. I¡¯ve met enough rich men as a hostess to know how sad that life is."


    Henry nodded. He waited for Mindy to leave his office and then called his Mom¡¯s number again.


    Dahlia picked up the call after ten seconds;


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Son? Do you need something?" Dahlia asked.


    "Mom, is Kate with you right now? Please give the phone to her. I want to talk," Henry said.


    "Well, she is resting in her room. I don¡¯t want to disturb her, especially after you break her heart and make her cry," Dahlia said straight to the point... with a bit of exaggeration.


    Just as she expected, Henry must¡¯ve done something ignorant that made Kate sad. Her second son could be a jerk sometimes, even if he didn¡¯t mean it.


    So he needed a constant smack on his back.


    Henry felt that his heart had been stabbed with a knife called guilt. He didn¡¯t know his ignorance could cause his beloved to cry.


    "I¡ªI was too excited talking about my progress, so I ignored her and kept rambling. I want to apologize. Can you give the phone to her?" Henry asked.


    "No," Dahlia refused. "It¡¯d be disingenuous of me to give the phone to her. It¡¯d make it as if I am the one who forced you to apologize."


    "Besides, I think Kate needs more than just an apology. She went through a lot of difficult stuff just to be with you. You should¡¯ve done more for her, Son."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Dahlia hung up the call, indirectly telling Henry to do whatever he thought was right.


    She couldn¡¯t help but pity Katherine because she sometimes had to deal with Henry¡¯s ignorance and childishness.


    ¡¯But he has a good heart. He will learn, eventually.¡¯


    *


    "Tsk," Henry was annoyed that his mother refused to cooperate. But he knew that she was right.


    He had to do more than just give a call. She went through so much just to support him. The least he could do was to be with her.


    Not long after the call ended, Dahlia pinpointed a location for Henry through a message, so if he wanted to go there, he could.


    Henry quickly called Mindy with the intercom and told her, "Book me a flight ticket to Michigan right now. I want the fastest flight."


    "Wha, Michigan?" Mindy was shocked. "Are there any important business meetings in Michigan?"


    "No, but this is much more important than business," Henry said.


    ** S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate slept through the evening. She didn¡¯t have the motivation to do anything. She was hungry but did not intend to get up and eat something for dinner.


    She just wanted to close her eyes and get rid of all the ridiculous thoughts in her mind, mostly about how Henry didn¡¯t seem to care much about her well-being.


    All he wanted to talk about was his achievements and progress. Though Kate was proud of him, she just felt abandoned.


    As if she was just a doll with a voice box that had to encourage him constantly, but he would abandon her after he got too busy.


    ¡¯Will it be like this until the end? Once he succeeded, he might forget about me and our child. He might drown himself with work and wouldn¡¯t come home anymore," Kate muttered.


    Kate knew that she was being too unreasonable. So, instead of arguing with Henry, she decided to stay silent.


    She closed her eyes again, wishing enough sleep would wash away the bitterness in her heart.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380: Chapter 380fre§×webno?el.comAs Kate began to lose consciousness, she suddenly felt a strong arm wrapped around her pregnant belly, engulfing her in a warm embrace from behind.


    Kate gasped and opened her eyes instantly. She was about to struggle before the man whispered, "Kitty, it¡¯s me."


    Kate stopped struggling and looked over her shoulder. She saw the blonde hair of her man as Henry buried his face on her shoulder.


    Kate was still trying to process the idea of Henry, who suddenly popped out right on her bed. She thought he was just a fragment of her dream since she often dreamed of him.


    But the touch and the warmth he brought was real.


    So it wasn¡¯t a dream, but why would Henry waste his time here when he had so many things to do?


    "H¡ªHenry, why are you here?" Kate asked. "You have a lot to do at work! You told me about the big ad project. You¡¯re going to risk it!"


    "Sshh... relax, Kitty, everything is under control... well, except one thing..." Henry replied.


    "And what is it? I¡¯ll help you as much as I can," Kate took the initiative. "Just tell me."


    Henry felt hurt. He felt his pride had been crushed after knowing how much Kate cared for him, even though she must be upset now.


    She was willing to abandon whatever bitterness in her mind just to help him.


    And he took everything for granted.


    "I don¡¯t need any help from you. I want you to stay like this," Henry said. "I¡¯m sorry, Katherine."


    "Sorry?"


    "Yes, I¡¯m sorry for neglecting you," Henry muttered. "I should¡¯ve known that you also need me as much as I need you. I¡¯m sorry for being ignorant."


    Kate was speechless by Henry, "Did you fly from New York to Michigan only to find me?"


    "What else?" Henry retorted. "I want to meet my beautiful woman. I want to embrace her and apologize for how ignorant I was to her."


    "But your work..."


    "I¡¯ve everything taken care of. Stop talking about work, Kitty. Let¡¯s enjoy this moment for now," Henry said. "Besides, I want to listen to what¡¯s in your mind right now."


    Kate bit her lower lip. She wasn¡¯t used to getting all the attention like this. She also felt guilty because she might¡¯ve made him worried and forced him to ditch his office just to appease her.


    She wasn¡¯t a spoiled girl. She never was.


    But right now, her heart told her that she desired nothing but to be spoiled by her man.


    "I¡ª" Kate hesitated briefly before continuing, "I miss you so much, Henry. I went through a lot. I almost got murdered by an intruder sent by your father. I had to run away to San Diego to hide, then went on a long journey to Michigan to get closer to you."


    "I¡¯ve done so much, but why don¡¯t you care?!" Kate began to raise her voice subconsciously. She got emotional thinking about her hardships, only for Henry to ignore her and get busy with himself.


    "The least you could do is to take the initiative to welcome me in here, or at least call me first! I¡¯ve sacrificed so much for you. All I want is for you to make me a priority!"


    Henry said nothing, listening while burying his face on her shoulder.


    He knew he was wrong and allowed Kate to vent her frustration.


    "That company you¡¯re developing¡ªI know that you work hard for it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m contacting all of my authors to move to the new publishing company."


    "But is it so hard for you to care about me for a moment? Am I that replaceable to you?" Kate asked. She began to cry, and her body began to tremble. "I feel like you¡¯re starting this company not for me but for yourself. You¡¯re just using me and our baby as an excuse. We are disposable, right?"


    "NO!" Henry finally reacted when Kate began to speak nonsense. "I did everything for you, our baby, and our small family! I will walk through hell and back to make you happy!"


    "And I¡¯m not happy now, Henry..." Kate murmured. "My gut feeling told me that you will eventually replace me with someone else. You might see me and our kids as a nuisance at work, and you¡¯ll find someone younger and more beautiful later on."


    Henry began to panic as Kate kept on spouting nonsense. He turned Kate¡¯s body and forced her to face him. Kate obliged, but she couldn¡¯t hide her tears anymore.


    She kept crying while staring at Henry, who looked worried, "I don¡¯t know why I am like this. I¡¯m sorry, Henry. I¡¯m just scared that maybe my feelings are exaggerated. Maybe I¡¯ve poured too much into our relationship when you don¡¯t feel the same about me..."


    Henry wiped Kate¡¯s tears with his thumb and caressed her cheek. She kissed her softly and replied, "You should know that all the terrible ideas in your mind right now are not true. I do love you. I love you so much that I might get crazy thinking about it."


    "I risked everything so we can have a good life. I turned my life upside down for us! I¡¯m not good at assuring, but please trust me on this one," Henry said earnestly. "I did everything for you, Katherine. I promise that things will get easier after a while." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate hated that Henry always looked and sounded so convincing when he talked to her, and she couldn¡¯t help but fall for it.


    "You could be a good love scammer, you know that, right?" Kate muttered. "I can¡¯t help falling into the same hole and trust you again..."


    Henry chuckled, "Don¡¯t be mad, okay? I know I¡¯m wrong. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to make up for my mistake."


    "So, what do you want to do next? I¡¯m yours for the night," Henry said.


    "Nothing," Kate replied. She hugged her man tight until there was no gap between them, "I just want to sleep with you by my side. It¡¯s been a while since we slept together, Honey."

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381: Chapter 381Erin was huddled near the fireplace with a stinky bear pelt that hadn¡¯t been washed since the first time she got it from Faro.


    She stared at the fire that began to die down, so she grabbed another log and threw it into the fire.


    She didn¡¯t know whether it was morning or night in this place because the sky was mostly dark, and the temperature had gotten so cold.


    She hadn¡¯t left the cabin since the first time she was trapped here. She didn¡¯t bathe because there was no warm water for a shower, but she still washed her face with a towel dipped in boiling water, the same boiling water she would use to boil the fish she usually ate.


    She threw a dump in a bucket outside, using the snow to wash the dirty bucket before reusing it.


    She was dirty and smelly, but she did everything she could to survive this harsh situation.


    "How long has it been?" Erin asked herself.


    Days?


    Weeks?


    Months?


    Erin had lost count of how long she had been stuck in this frozen hell. She would¡¯ve gone completely insane if not for her desire to get revenge on Katherine.


    Erin gritted her teeth whenever she remembered how Kate seduced Henry and manipulated him into doing her cruel bidding.


    Kate told Henry to throw Erin into this frozen wasteland over what? A harmless prank?


    "Tsk, it¡¯s normal for sisters to do harmless pranks, right?" Erin rolled her eyes. "I¡¯ve never hurt Kate. All I did was play a little prank and have fun by myself. She is a bitter old bitch who can¡¯t accept that I am far more beautiful than her!"


    Erin still firmly believed that as long as she got a second chance, she would seduce Henry to her side. After all, Henry was just a man, all he wanted was to get some pussy and he¡¯d be satisfied.


    "That bitch seduced him way earlier than I did until she got pregnant! Henry must¡¯ve done all her bidding because of that goddamn baby!" Erin cursed. She was ashamed to get beaten by her average-looking sister.


    She should¡¯ve been the one bearing Henry¡¯s child! She must be!


    "If only I get my second chance, I will take my revenge on her..." Erin murmured. She imagined all the nasty and cruel things she¡¯d do to Kate and her baby, and her lips curled up, forming a wicked smile.


    Her body got warm, not by the fire, but by the wonderful feeling of strangling that goddamn baby that ruined her life.


    She grabbed another log and stared at it for a while. Her eyes began to trick her, and she began to see not a log but a crying baby in her arm. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Erin¡¯s wicked smile got even creepier as she talked to the log, "You ruined my life, you little shit, and I will do the same to you. I will kill you first, then I¡¯ll kill your bitch mother!"


    Erin threw the log to the fireplace, and the fire consumed it. She began to hallucinate, thinking the baby was screaming as the fire burned its body.


    "Oh, so wonderful..." Erin muttered.


    Erin was busy imagining all the horrifying things she would do to the baby who ruined her life until the door was slammed open from the outside, and Faro walked in with a freshly caught fish, as usual.


    "Food," Faro said.


    Erin stared at the middle-aged man in front of him. She tried to seduce this bastard many times, but he had zero interest in her.


    She even deliberately tried out many positions when he walked in the hope that Faro would eventually fuck her and rescue her from this cold hell.


    But he only laughed every time she did it, and she finally stopped when Faro walked in with her wife, a fat, middle-aged lady who was better off as an emergency food than a wife.


    But Faro and his wife dared to laugh at the naked Erin together, giving her too much embarrassment until she decided to stop seducing him entirely.


    Faro grinned at Erin, who had become very unkempt and disgusting. He had done a good job making sure this bitch continued to suffer for the rest of her life, just like what Mr. Grant told him to do.


    Of course, it was an easy task, especially with the money he got, he could keep this bitch suffering for eternity!


    Faro kicked the fish towards Erin and said, "Eat."


    Erin said nothing at first. She stared at the fish and felt nauseous because she had been eating this damn fish every day!


    "Give me meat," Erin said. "Or bread. Anything other than fish!"


    "Meat? Bread?" Faro laughed heartily. "No, Boss said... you eat fish."


    "Your Boss is being manipulated by that bitch called Katherine! Free me from this place, and I ensure you will get even more money!"


    Again, Faro didn¡¯t seem to listen to her. He just laughed it off and turned around, "Bye!"


    As usual, Faro ignored Erin¡¯s plea. He had no intention to ever help this bitch because he knew better not to jeopardize his stable source of income for a woman who could only offer a sex service.


    As Faro walked to the door and was about to close it, they heard a loud gunshot from outside. Erin gasped as she saw a bullet hole in Faro¡¯s head before he fell like timber.


    Erin quickly crawled to the corner of the room like a rat. She was so scared because she thought Henry and Kate must¡¯ve sent an executor to kill her.


    After making sure that Faro was dead, a man walked in and noticed Erin, who acted like a cornered rat. She looked so unkempt and gross that the man couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    He turned around and signaled the person outside to enter the cabin once everything was safe.


    Erin focused her attention on the door, and the person she saw was a woman wearing a long winter coat. She looked astonishingly beautiful even in this dimly lit cabin, Erin could still see her beauty.

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382: Chapter 382The woman walked over to Faro¡¯s corpse and intentionally stepped on Faro¡¯s face as she entered the cabin.


    She frowned when she smelled the putrid smell all around the cabin and pinched her nose immediately.


    "Oh God, what is this place?" She complained while looking around the cabin. "It looks and smells more like a barn." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man approached the beautiful lady and pointed at Erin, huddled at the corner, "Miss Lancaster, that is Erina Ross. Katherine¡¯s sister."


    Sarah darted her eyes towards Erin, and her frown grew deeper, ¡¯She looks uglier than I expected. Even if we clean her up, she won¡¯t hold a candle against Katherine.¡¯


    ¡¯Seriously, how delusional can you be? To be the uglier sister and still think you¡¯re going to seduce Henry,¡¯ Sarah laughed in her heart, but she fixed her expression and began her mission to rescue the crazy bitch.


    "Erina Ross, correct?"


    It took a while for Erin to register what she heard, and she nodded reluctantly. "W¡ªWho are you?"


    "My name is Sarah Lancaster. I¡¯m here to rescue you."


    "Rescue me?" Erin¡¯s eyes began to brim with hope. "R¡ªReally? You¡¯re going to rescue me from this hellhole?!"


    "Indeed, I¡¯ll bring you back to the United States."


    "Oh, Thank God!" Erin lunged towards Sarah, intending to hug her savior, but the man quickly pushed her until she fell on her back.


    But that didn¡¯t deter Erin at all.


    She sat in front of Sarah and said, "Thank you! Thank you so much, Miss Sarah! I¡¯m forever grateful for your help!"


    "Oh, you know it won¡¯t be free, right?" Sarah smirked. "I want you to do something in exchange for your rescue."


    "I will do anything, Miss!" Erin said. "I can handle three men at once! Don¡¯t worry!"


    Sarah frowned again. She was disgusted by this woman who had no dignity. She could only use her vagina as an exchange and thought all men wanted was just that.


    Sarah was a noble-born. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want to be associated with this street whore.


    Hell, she didn¡¯t even want to touch Erin, fearing that her noble status would be ruined because of Erin.


    But she still needed this bitch to make Kate¡¯s life miserable.


    "Tell me, who did this to you?" Sarah asked.


    Erin¡¯s smile faltered, and her eyes changed to that of an unhinged woman. She was full of hatred when she muttered, "Katherine, my sister. She is the one who ruined my life!"


    Sarah smiled, "You know that Kate is pregnant, right?"


    Erin nodded, and her eyes were fueled with even more fury.


    "I want you to help me kill that baby in her stomach. It serves no more purpose for me, and if you can, I want you to kill Kate as well."


    Erin nodded happily. She also had the same idea in mind.


    First, she would rip that belly open and take the baby. Then she would slit Kate¡¯s throat and take her man. It was the befitting punishment for the cruel thing Kate had done to her.


    "I will do it, Miss!" Erin said. "But who are you? Why do you want her dead?"


    "I am Henry¡¯s fiancee," Sarah replied without hesitation. She wanted to gauge the reaction from Erin.


    Erin was obviously shocked, but she rationalized it quickly, "Of course, a handsome and rich man like Henry would be engaged to someone! That old bitch Kate is seriously shameless!"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Miss! I will kill her and her baby! I can¡¯t wait to get my revenge!" Erin said. "And after that, I will continue with my life."


    "Good, I¡¯ll pay you a million dollars if you can kill Kate," Sarah said carelessly, as a million dollars was nothing compared to Kate¡¯s head.


    But Sarah knew that Erin was a greedy and delusional woman. Sarah could read her in less than five minutes after talking with her.


    Sarah could even predict what was in Erin¡¯s mind right now.


    ¡¯Oh, I don¡¯t fucking care if she is Henry¡¯s fiancee. I am still much more beautiful than her. I can hook him and get pregnant with his baby instead,¡¯ Erin thought. ¡¯Then I will tell Henry to kill Sarah, and then I have no more competition. Happy ending for me!¡¯


    Erin was trying her best to hide her smile. She had everything planned out. She was ready to claim the luxurious life she had dreamed of for so long.


    Of course, Sarah knew about all this, but she kept her silence. It was better to allow Erin to run rampant and make Kate¡¯s life difficult, and if this deranged woman could actually kill Kate, then Sarah would execute her as well.


    ¡¯Everything is still according to my plan. Everything is under my control, as always.¡¯


    "Okay, come with me. We will fly back to Nuuk to get you cleaned up, then we can fly back to the United States," Sarah said.


    "Y¡ªYes, Miss!" Erin got up and followed Sarah as she finally left this awful place.


    She stopped when she was about to walk over Faro¡¯s dead body.


    She looked down at the face of the man who gave her fish and logs everyday, and the hatred in her heart began to burn.


    Erin gritted her teeth and kicked Faro¡¯s face repeatedly, "Take this, you ugly bastard! How could you refuse my pussy so many times! You laughed at me even though I¡¯ve lowered my standard for you! I hope you rot in hell, you asshole!"


    Sarah looked over her shoulder, and her gaze turned even colder. Erin was seriously a deranged woman with no manner or self-control. It was a miracle that Kate could be patient with her for a long time.


    If Erin were her sister, Sarah would stab her as a child just to make sure that she didn¡¯t need to handle Erin when she got older.


    ¡¯But that¡¯s what differentiates me and Katherine. I am a smart and decisive woman. I know what I want,¡¯ Sarah thought. ¡¯I want Henry and the title as Duchess of York. I will be a perfect woman with a perfect husband. Nothing and no one will get in my way.¡¯

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383: Chapter 383A month had passed since Kate stayed in Dahlia¡¯s villa. She was safe and secure while continuously contacting all of her authors. So far, Kate had enough contact with popular authors to start a publishing company that would have 100% guaranteed success.


    She could work in peace because Dahlia and her subordinates ensured that Kate was well protected while Henry was busy developing his business.


    Of course, after having a private talk, Henry decided to spend at least once a week in the villa to visit his beloved. Even if he could only be there for one night, it was enough for the pregnant Kate to feel better about herself.


    Just like tonight, when Dahlia hosted a dinner to celebrate the growth of Henry¡¯s company.


    Mai and Michael joined as they sat together at the dinner table.


    "Okay, we¡¯re past Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the spirit is still with us, right?" Dahlia chuckled as she told Howard to put the Thanksgiving turkey on the table.


    Kate and Henry sat side by side, and their hands were intertwined under the desk.


    Kate was actually awed by the delicious Thanksgiving turkey and commented, "Oh, this brings back memories."


    "Memories?" Dahlia raised her brows. "It¡¯s just a Thanksgiving turkey, honey."


    "Well, it¡¯s still a memory for me," Kate replied. "The last time I had a Thanksgiving dinner with my family was when I was uh... sixteen years old."


    "Wha¡ª!" Dahlia was shocked; she wanted to question more, but Henry shook his head, telling his Mom with his eyes that the topic shouldn¡¯t be brought up today.


    Dahlia quickly fixed her expression and said, "Then I hope you¡¯ll like my Thanksgiving turkey recipe."


    "Oh, I will," Kate nodded. "It looks delicious."


    Howard began cutting the turkey and sharing it to the five people at the dining table: Michael, Mai, Kate, Henry, and Dahlia.


    Michael and Mai were sitting across from Kate and Henry, and while Mai seemed to be happy with their late thanksgiving dinner, Michael was far from it.


    He frowned, and each time he tried to smile, it looked forced.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Michael?" Kate asked out of concern.


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Ma¡¯am," Michael lowered his head, realizing he might¡¯ve been too obvious.


    Kate glanced at Henry and elbowed him, to which Henry responded with an ignorant shrug.


    "Alright, let¡¯s have dinner together before we think of something else, okay?" Dahlia said to warm up the mood, and thus, they decided to put whatever problem they had aside and ate the dinner prepared by Dahlia and her cook.


    **


    It was already late at night, and Kate slept peacefully in Henry¡¯s embrace.


    She was already six months pregnant and had become very clingy. She always wanted to be with Henry, and this was a once-per-week situation that she had been waiting for. Though, if she could, she¡¯d want Henry to hug her every night.


    Meanwhile, Henry woke up right in the middle of the night.


    He checked the clock on the wall and carefully rolled to the edge of the bed.


    Henry got up, but before he left, he kissed Kate and whispered, "Sleep well, my Love. I still have things to do."


    Henry left the bedroom and went to the kitchen to talk with Michael, who had been waiting there the whole time.


    "So, what do you want to talk about, Michael?" Henry asked. "I hope this is important because you¡¯re disturbing my once-a-week time with Kate. You don¡¯t know how important my time with her is, it¡¯s my only anchor before I go insane with my workload"


    "This is a critical and dire situation, Sir," Michael replied. "It¡¯s about Erin."


    "Erin? The bitch?" Henry frowned. "And what about her? Did she die? Well, it¡¯s understandable if she died of hypothermia."


    "I wish she¡¯d just die," Michael sighed. "But I don¡¯t know her fate right now. Faro and his wife are uncontactable."


    "Uncontactable?"


    "Yes, usually they would give me a monthly report of what happened with Erin. Their reports are mostly the same, but it¡¯s an assurance that Erin is still under control," Michael said. "Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get any report from them since last month, and when I tried to contact them, they were simply unreachable."


    "It¡¯s still winter, and they live on a small island outside of Greenland¡¯s main island. Maybe their connection got cut off because of the harsh winter," Henry tried to rationalize the missing contact. "Besides, we don¡¯t need to worry much about that bitch. She is living with the walruses right now. She can¡¯t do anything." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s right... I¡¯m just worried another surprise might be waiting for us," Michael said. He leaned on the wall and sighed, "You don¡¯t understand the guilt I felt when I saw Mai and Kate get hurt because I got careless. I never expected a sudden ambush from Marlon¡¯s men."


    Henry¡¯s expression turned heavy in an instant. He had been trying to forget that harrowing phone call from Kate because he didn¡¯t want to lose control and fly to Los Angeles just to punch his father into the afterlife.


    Busying himself with work and spending blissful time with Kate were the only two things he could do to distract himself from going crazy and vengeful over his father.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t let go of his grudge.


    Marlon Grant would eventually pay for what he did to his family. Henry just needed more time to build his company and influence.


    "I will try to contact them again later. I can¡¯t let this slide, "Michael said seriously. "And you shouldn¡¯t relax too much, Henry. You know how crazy your Dad and ex-fiance could be."


    Henry clicked his tongue, "Everything is according to plan. The business begins to thrive, and if my projection is right, Marlon won¡¯t be able to do anything about it."


    "I¡¯ll contact my connections in New York. I¡¯ll make sure Kate and Mai will be safe and secure in this new apartment," Michael said.


    Henry looked at Michael, who seemed so serious. He was grateful that Michael took his job seriously. Though he was wondering about one thing, "How¡¯s your relationship with Mai?"

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384: Chapter 384"Wha¡ª" Michael was caught off guard by the question. His cheeks visibly reddened, and he began to stutter. "I¡ªWe¡ªuh... we¡¯re doing great. We bonded so much for a month. This villa is basically our dating spot."


    Henry chuckled, "That¡¯s good. At least you¡¯re enjoying your time here. But you can¡¯t relax. Things will get very difficult once we¡¯re out of this villa."


    Michael nodded.


    They discussed a few more topics before Henry finally returned to his room. He couldn¡¯t wait to snuggle with Kate and kiss her while she was asleep. He developed a new habit as he spent more time with Kate.


    As Henry opened the door, his heart jumped when he saw Kate sitting on the bed with her arms crossed. She peered at Henry and said, "Where were you?"


    "Uh... toilet?" Henry replied quickly to make it less suspicious.


    "We literally have a toilet in this room, Henry," Kate rolled her eyes.


    Henry closed the door behind him and kneeled in front of his beloved. He put his hands on her knees and said, "Well, I talked with Michael just now."


    "About?"


    ...


    Of course, Henry didn¡¯t want to tell Kate about the lost contact between them and Faro. Kate was already six months pregnant and didn¡¯t need any added stress.


    So Henry replied, "I was just talking about your safety since we... we are about to move out."


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened, "Is it the time already?"


    "Yes. It¡¯s been a month since you¡¯re here. And the situation in my new company has stabilized. You can go to New York with me, though I still want you to be careful and not to leave the penthouse."


    "Do you plan to lock me up in the new place until I give birth?"


    "... is it wrong if I say yes?" Henry asked. He looked up to Kate. His eyes were glimmering with hope as he continued to persuade his beloved. "Kitty, you know how dangerous it is out there. Marlon¡¯s men will continue trying to find a way to hurt you, and even with my protection, you need to watch your back as well."


    "But I need to handle the author signing process," Kate sighed. "You can¡¯t just keep me cooped up for three more months. I will get too stressed out."


    ...


    Henry sighed. As expected, it was difficult to change Kate¡¯s mind.


    She was stubborn, and he didn¡¯t know why she got even more stubborn once she reached the late stage of pregnancy.


    Was it hormones?


    Perhaps.


    Nevertheless, Henry didn¡¯t want to fight Kate when she got upset easily. He didn¡¯t want to distress her.


    "Alright, but I won¡¯t let you work nine-to-five in the office. You can only go to the office when an author is present, either for signing a contract or for contract discussion. The rest can be done online, got it?"


    "Got it," Kate smiled. "But what should I do if I want to go somewhere in Downtown New York while you¡¯re still at work?"


    "Then you¡¯ll be accompanied by Michael or Mai¡ªor both," Henry said firmly. "There is no way I¡¯ll let you go out without supervision."


    "You¡¯re treating me like a baby..."


    "But you are my babe, right?" Henry said playfully. He got up and kissed Kate on the lips. "Besides, you¡¯re carrying our child. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt."


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but melt over Henry¡¯s attentiveness. She allowed her man to kiss her lips, cheek, neck, and cleavage.


    Kate bit her lower lip, trying to stop her moans, "W¡ªWe need to tell Dahlia about us leaving tomorrow. Since she¡¯ll be all alone in this villa again..."


    "I already told her yesterday. She already prepared everything for us to leave," Henry said.


    His hands began to crawl on her hips, and he unbuttoned her pajamas. He stared at Kate¡¯s stomach, which had gotten bigger as her pregnancy grew.


    She looked ravishing, even more so when she was pregnant.


    He breathed deeply to calm himself, "Have I ever told you that you look so beautiful?"


    "Y¡ªYou said that many times," Kate replied.


    "Well, you¡¯re going to hear it again. Because damn, I never knew I had a thing for the pregnant you." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry began kissing Kate¡¯s belly, and his lips went up to her breasts. Kate gasped. She tried to hold her voice to no avail.


    "H¡ªHenry, slow down. I don¡¯t want to make too much noise," Kate pleaded.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Love," Henry unbuttoned his trousers while staring at Kate¡¯s body with lust in his eyes. "Let¡¯s just hope the wall is soundproofed."


    **


    Dahlia stared at Kate, and Henry stood in front of her, ready to leave the villa after staying here for a month.


    They were already well-dressed, but Dahlia couldn¡¯t help remembering how she woke up in the middle of the night after hearing loud moans from Kate¡¯s room.


    "I hope you two have a good soundproofing in the new apartment," Dahlia said. She looked at Henry and added, "You need to be more careful. Sex might not hurt the baby, but you might hurt Kate if it¡¯s too rough."


    Kate felt like she wanted to jump into the lake and drown herself. She was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t look Dahlia straight.


    Meanwhile, Henry grinned proudly from ear to ear until his teeth were showing.


    "Sorry for the noises last night, Mom. It¡¯s hard to hold it when we haven¡¯t done it for a while."


    Dahlia sighed, "Still, I will be lonely again in this villa. Do come and visit; don¡¯t forget me here."


    "Why don¡¯t you come with us, Mom?" Henry offered. "It¡¯s not like you¡¯re trapped in this villa alone."


    "I¡¯m way too old to spend time in that busy city. I¡¯ll die out of stress there," Dahlia replied. "But worry not. I¡¯ve dispatched half of Hawthorne¡¯s subordinates around your apartment. They will keep Kate safe."


    "T¡ªThank you, Dahlia," Kate said.


    "Things will be difficult in New York. But as long as you two are still in love, everything will be fine," Dahlia said while staring at Henry with warning. "Now go."

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385: Chapter 385Kate and Henry went inside a car with Michael as the driver and Mai sitting next to him. Their suitcases were in a different car with Dahlia¡¯s subordinate, Dahlia insisted that half of her men needed to follow them to New York for a just in case situation.


    Dahlia stood at the main door, staring at Kate and Henry¡¯s car that was about to leave. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she felt sad knowing she¡¯d be all alone again, just like when she was in the mental hospital.


    She had grown really fond of Kate. She was truly a perfect daughter-in-law.


    Katherine was attentive, smart, and polite without any hint of mockery underneath. Unlike Sarah, Kate was genuinely a good wife material.


    On top of that, Katherine could hold any conversation with Dahlia. A big plus because Sarah seemed to only show interest when Dahlia talked about high society social gatherings and business.


    ¡¯Maybe one day, when everything has been settled, with Marlon and Sarah gone, we can finally live in one big mansion together,¡¯ Dahlia imagined a good life where she could play with her grandchildren.


    Yes, grandchildren, not just one.


    She just knew if Henry and Kate ended up together, they would have many children. She based her prediction on how wild the noise Kate and Henry made when they had sex last night.


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡¯Well, I¡¯ve always wanted to have a lot of grandchildren.¡¯


    **


    "So, everything¡¯s ready, right?" Henry asked Michael to make sure.


    "Yes, Sir. Hawthorne¡¯s subordinates will drive this car from the airport straight to New York. Madam Hawthorne said the subordinates will find their own housing near the apartment building we lived in, so they will be ready to protect Kate if there is an emergency," Michael replied. He intentionally used Madam Hawthorne instead of Grant because Dahlia claimed she wasn¡¯t part of the Grant family anymore.


    "Henry, are you sure it¡¯s safe for us to go on a flight?" Kate asked. "I¡¯m worried Marlon¡¯s men might be in there."


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve cleared everything before I bring you to the airport," Henry replied to calm her down. "Marlon may have a lot of influence in California. But he is not all-powerful. He has no contact in Michigan, and his search scope in New York is limited."


    "R¡ªReally?" Kate remembered the scary pervert who had ambushed her before. It was so traumatic that she became anxious whenever she remembered about Marlon.


    "Trust me," Henry said while holding her hand. "Take a deep breath and relax, Kitty. I am here with you. I won¡¯t let you get hurt."


    Kate followed Henry¡¯s instructions. She took a deep breath and relaxed.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go then. I¡¯m ready to start a new life in New York," Kate said. She looked at Henry as if she was clinging her hope to him. "I¡¯m ready to start a new life with you, Henry."


    **


    The flight from Michigan to New York only took one and a half hours, and it took two hours for them to reach their new apartment.


    Kate stayed silent the whole time as she entered the private elevator with Henry, going straight to the highest floor.


    As they walked out of the elevator, she realized she would live in a penthouse. Thus, Kate couldn¡¯t help but comment, "Wait, I thought we would live on the same floor as Mai and Michael."


    "Oh, they are living three floors under," Henry said. He grabbed Kate¡¯s waist and unlocked the penthouse door with his other hand. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry grabbed the door handle and smiled at Kate before he opened it, "And we will live in this penthouse, for now."


    Henry pushed the door open, giving Kate a full view of the luxurious penthouse they would live in.


    "Wow¡ªthis is amazing," Kate murmured while looking around the penthouse. She wasn¡¯t exactly a woman who demanded luxury. But she couldn¡¯t help being awed by the penthouse.


    It was spacious with all the top-quality build materials and furniture. The penthouse also had a big balcony with downtown New York as view; it was beautiful, and Kate couldn¡¯t wish for more.


    But this kind of view, and a penthouse in the middle of New York...


    "So, do you like it?" Henry asked. "This is Phoenix Tower, in the heart of New York. It¡¯s a great spot and very safe too, since reaching the penthouse requires an access card, and the security is much better than our previous apartment."


    Henry looked so proud as he listed all the benefits of this penthouse they would live in. It was indeed a big achievement because not many young men could achieve this kind of success.


    But Kate was still worried, "Did you buy this penthouse?"


    "Oh¡ªwell¡ªuh..." Henry looked guilty. "I¡¯m renting it, for now..." Henry thought that Kate wouldn¡¯t like how he needed to rent the penthouse. After all, he bought all of his apartments in California. Unfortunately, he had drained most of his savings to help expand his new company, so he was left with very little and could not buy this penthouse immediately. "D¡ªDon¡¯t worry, Love. I¡¯ll purchase this penthouse as soon as possible. I just need more time."


    Kate sighed, "That¡¯s not what I mean, Henry. I¡¯m just wondering how much you must pay to rent or buy this luxury. This luxury is unnecessary."


    "The cost is nothing compared to your safety!" Henry claimed, not wanting his beloved to worry. "Don¡¯t worry about this, Kitty. This penthouse is just pocket change for me."


    "... if it¡¯s just pocket change, you would¡¯ve bought it, not renting it," Kate said. "Just tell me how much you have to pay for it. I will cover the cost per month. I have enough savings in me as well."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened when Kate offered to pay the monthly rental fee. He was hurt, but not because he got offended.


    But because he felt so useless.


    Henry wrapped his hands around Kate¡¯s waist and pulled her closer. He stared at Kate, who didn¡¯t seem to mind spending so much money just for them to live.


    "I won¡¯t allow that," Henry stated firmly.

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386: Chapter 386"I won¡¯t allow that," Henry stated firmly.


    "Why not?" Kate asked. "I haven¡¯t contributed anything to our relationship. I think I should have my fair share of burden, right?"


    "And I won¡¯t allow it!" Henry raised his voice. He lowered his head and kissed Kate on the lips. It was gentle at first, but it became heavier and more possessive as he hugged her even tighter.


    Henry finally let go of Kate¡¯s lips once Kate began to struggle to get some air.


    "W¡ªWhat has gotten into you?!" Kate yelled while she tried to inhale deeply. Her face was red. She was caught off guard by Henry¡¯s sudden kiss.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Kitty. But I... I can¡¯t allow you to pay for anything," Henry said. "It¡¯s a matter of pride!"


    "Pride?" Kate frowned. "Did your pride get hurt because I wanted to pay?"


    "Obviously!" Henry nodded. "I want to prove myself worthy to you. I want to be your man, and naturally, I want to make sure you don¡¯t need to do anything!"


    "But my contribution¡ª"


    "My God, Katherine, you¡¯re carrying our baby. You are my anchor in life! You¡¯ve contributed enough for me!" Henry insisted. "So please, don¡¯t embarrass me any further. Giving you a comfortable life is the least I could do for all the things you¡¯ve done for me."


    "I am your man. I¡¯m responsible for your safety and everything else," Henry said. "Just sit back and relax, okay?"


    ... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate didn¡¯t expect Henry to have such a traditional view of relationships; frankly, she wasn¡¯t used to it.


    She had to be the breadwinner for Matt for five years straight and was also the one taking care of the house and her sister when she was a teenager.


    She had never been spoiled like this, ¡¯And it feels good, surprisingly,¡¯ she thought.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to pay¡ª"


    "Ssh, let¡¯s drop this conversation about money," Henry interrupted. "I want you to relax here. You went through a lot, I don¡¯t want to burden you with more problems."


    ...


    Kate sighed.


    As she expected, Henry was actually very prideful and stubborn. He still had that youthful recklessness, and Kate couldn¡¯t blame him for thinking that way.


    Henry was just trying to be the man of the house. It was part of his pride, after all.


    ¡¯But still, I have to maintain my savings and investment. Just in case Henry gets into trouble with his company, I have to support both of us in a dire situation,¡¯ Kate thought.


    "Alright, then, how about you show me our bedroom?" Kate asked as she shifted the topic. "I really need to sleep right now."


    Henry had a perverted grin as Kate mentioned bed. They had fun last night, and he wouldn¡¯t mind repeating that again.


    In fact, he could spend every day and night fucking Kate.


    ¡¯Ah, that would be an amazing life, indeed,¡¯ Henry thought before replying, "Let¡¯s go to bed, Kitty."


    **


    Henry woke up feeling refreshed in the morning, while Kate was a bit groggy because Henry rammed her so hard last night.


    "Good morning, love," Henry kissed Kate¡¯s cheek and tucked the blanket until it covered her neck. It must¡¯ve been cold, after all, since they were naked. "It was good last night, right?"


    Kate clicked her tongue, "No more sex for the whole week."


    "What¡ªwhy?!" Henry panicked. "Did I do something wrong? Was it not good last night?"


    "It¡¯s good, but you¡¯re making me sore! Don¡¯t you remember you have a big one!?" Kate yelled. She pulled the blanket over her face and said, "And you should go to work, Henry. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t cook breakfast for you today. I don¡¯t think I can get up."


    Henry chuckled.


    This place was like a small heaven for him, with his beloved on his side and no need to worry about Marlon and Sarah attacking them.


    If he could, he wanted to stay like this for the rest of his life, probably with two or more kids with Kate.


    ¡¯How wonderful would it be to spend a life with you, Katherine,¡¯ Henry smiled while hugging Kate.


    ...


    ...


    "Henry, you need to work," Kate reminded. "You¡¯ll be late for work. It¡¯s New York. You know the traffic will be bad."


    "Just five more minutes, Love..."


    "You said that five minutes ago."


    "And I¡¯ll say it again five minutes from now."


    "Henry..."


    "Give me a morning kiss, then I¡¯ll wake up," Henry said. He pouted his lips, waiting for Kate to kiss him.


    "Are you Sleeping Beauty?" Kate rolled her eyes. But she did what was requested. She gave Henry a peck on the lips and said, "There you go, wake up, princess."


    "Hehe," Henry chuckled. "By the way, I¡¯m not a sleeping beauty. That would be you because you looked so beautiful last night, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help kissing your tits."


    "S¡ªShameless!" Kate yelled spontaneously.


    Henry jumped out of bed and avoided the pillow throw from Kate.


    He continued laughing as he went to the kitchen for a glass of water and prepare himself for the day.


    "Ugh! Why am I with him again?" Kate grunted. She kept complaining, but her heart was telling her the opposite.


    She was actually happy spending her time with Henry. She wished it would stay this way for eternity, maybe with two or more children.


    "How wonderful would that be to spend the rest of my life with you, Henry," Kate murmured.


    Of course, she knew they had to work hard to achieve the freedom they truly wanted.


    ¡¯As long as you don¡¯t try to hurt me and our baby, I will stay by your side, Henry. No matter what kind of storm awaits us,¡¯ Kate told herself. "Just please, don¡¯t lie to me anymore, and don¡¯t hurt me and our baby."


    Kate gently rubbed her pregnant belly. It was a reminder that she was carrying the fruit of love between them, "Please don¡¯t let me close my heart completely. You are the only one I have, Henry."

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387: Chapter 387Kate got up from the bed about twenty minutes later, wearing nothing but a bra and panties, and left the bedroom. She saw Henry was ready to leave, but he kept messing his tie so that he clicked his tongue out of annoyance.


    Kate sighed.


    She approached Henry who was standing in front of a full-body mirror, and pulled his tie so he¡¯d face her instead.


    "It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve fixed your tie. How did you do it when I wasn¡¯t around?" Kate asked as she leisurely fixed Henry¡¯s tie.


    "I never use one when you¡¯re not around. It¡¯s too much of a hassle," Henry replied. His eyes observed his beloved, who looked so gorgeous in front of him. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her lips, neck, and cleavage.


    Henry swallowed as he suddenly felt thirsty.


    "Really? Then how come you suddenly want to use one now?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because I know you¡¯ll fix my tie," Henry said. He wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist and gently rubbed her tailbone.


    Kate shivered, but she tried her best not to respond to Henry¡¯s touch as she knew he¡¯d be late if they did it again in the morning.


    "Hands off, Henry. You need to go to work."


    "It¡¯d be quick, I promise."


    "There¡¯s never a ¡¯quick¡¯ one with you. Besides, you¡¯d be asking for more. I know you will," Kate said. She pushed him away once she was done fixing his tie.


    Henry was at a loss when he was separated from her warmth, "Kitty..."


    "Go to work now," Kate insisted. She stepped back to avoid Henry doing anything that¡¯d arouse her even more.


    Henry was about to kiss Kate, but Kate avoided him again, "Not even a kiss?" Henry asked.


    "No, we know how it¡¯ll end, Henry."


    Henry sighed, and Kate couldn¡¯t help but giggle, "I¡¯ll give you a surprise later, so stop making a long face at me."


    Henry¡¯s mood was lifted once he heard the word ¡¯surprise,¡¯ like a kid who was about to get a birthday present, he said, "Then I¡¯ll wait for it."


    Kate watched as her man left the door and went to work.


    After a long and vigorous night with Henry, she returned to the living room and stretched her body. It was still winter, so she dared not go to the balcony to watch the view.


    But she stared at downtown New York from the window and sighed, "And here I am, in New York, abandoning my stable life in Los Angeles, my apartments, my job in the Emperor Publishing, and my safety just to be with Henry."


    Whenever Kate thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel ridiculous about herself.


    "Never in a million years would I imagine myself doing something so insanely brave... or stupid," Kate murmured. "Yet, I regret nothing. As long as I can stay with him, everything will be fine."


    ...


    Kate contemplated whether abandoning everything to be with Henry was a wise move because she feared he might get bored of her and ditch her after she gave everything she had.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to prevent this fear. Only time would tell whether Henry would be loyal to their commitment.


    "O... okay, there is no point in worrying about something in the far future," Kate told herself. "I still have a lot to do, and first... I have to take a bath, it¡¯s too sticky and slimy..."


    **


    Henry lost his smile once he entered the office. He got busy again with everything he had to do, and his mood turned sour instantly when he saw Mindy bringing a stack of documents to his office.


    "Do we need to finish everything today?" He asked.


    "Oh, definitely, Sir," Mindy replied with an empty smile. She had been working overtime for three days straight because her boss was enjoying his time with his woman. The pay was amazing, but Mindy wanted nothing except to sleep peacefully for the whole day. "You¡¯re uncontactable for three days. You have a lot to catch up on."


    Henry sighed, "Alright, go get me a coffee. I¡¯ll need a strong one to get through these."


    "Yes, Sir¡ªOh, Secretary Diamond called me just now. She said Mr. Phoenix Gray will come to the office today."


    Henry frowned, "What for? Is there any problem? I think we did the advertisement project well, right?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Sir. He said he¡¯ll come at lunchtime."


    Henry wondered if there was something wrong with his project. Vernon¡¯s first big ad project was difficult, but Henry thought he handled it pretty well, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.


    ¡¯So what¡¯s the problem...¡¯ Henry began to think about whether he made a mistake and found none. ¡¯Ugh, I hope it¡¯s not a difficult problem. I¡¯m yet to be over my three-day honeymoon stage with Kitty.¡¯


    Henry waited until lunchtime when his office door was knocked, and Vernon walked in with none other than his wife, Chloe Phoenix Gray.


    Vernon had a big smile as he saw Henry busy with his documents.


    "Working hard, I see," Vernon commented.


    Henry got up from his chair. He tried to smile, but it looked forced because he was nervous about what problem he had this time.


    He shook Henry¡¯s hand and said, "Well, I have to impress my biggest investor, right?"


    "Hahahah!" Vernon laughed freely. "Well, you¡¯re right, but you should loosen up a little, and don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not here because of any problem. I¡¯m here with my wife to congratulate you on your first big project! It¡¯s a huge success!"


    Henry let out a relieved sigh after he was assured. Truly, doing business with your cousin was even more nerve-wracking than working with a complete stranger.


    "You should¡¯ve told me on the phone, damn it! I thought I made a mistake!" Henry said frustratedly, and Vernon simply laughed about it.


    "Well, I was about to invite you to my home for dinner together. But I know you¡¯re too busy, so I came here with my wife, who cooked an extra meal for us," Vernon said proudly. He wrapped his arm around his wife¡¯s shoulder and asked, "You¡¯ve seen her before, right?"

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388: Chapter 388Henry shifted his gaze at the small lady next to Vernon. She was probably around 160 cm or 5¡¯ 2".


    She had chestnut hair and looked astonishingly beautiful, even in her mid-thirties.


    Of course, Henry still remembered about Chloe. After all, Chloe was the wife of Vincent Gray, Vernon¡¯s big brother, before they got a divorce. Then, she married Vernon, her brother-in-law turned husband.


    They had a long story together, but Chloe looked genuinely happy with Vernon compared to her life with Vincent, so Henry knew that Vernon was treating her right.


    "It¡¯s been a while, Henry," Chloe said with a meek smile.


    Unlike Kate, who was fierce and tough to most people, Chloe was meek and more feminine. She was also gentle, ¡¯Perfect for a man with a lot of bitterness in his heart,¡¯ Henry thought as he glanced at Vernon.


    Henry smiled at Chloe and nodded, "Been a while, indeed. The last time I saw you was at a wedding in the early summer. You were pregnant at that time."


    Chloe chuckled, "The baby was born in November."


    "It¡¯s a girl!" Vernon added. He looked so happy talking about it. "I named her Valerie Phoenix Gray, and she looks exactly like Chloe."


    "Once we have another baby, it would be my turn to give them a name, right, husband?" Chloe asked.


    "Then the next one will be me again!"


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but be a bit envious seeing how Vernon and Chloe laughed together without worry. They were having such a wonderful time together as a married couple.


    Meanwhile, Henry was suffering because he couldn¡¯t even marry Kate. He was working his bones off to ensure he had all the resources needed to be fully independent from his father.


    Vernon stopped laughing gradually once he saw the sadness in Henry¡¯s eyes. He had a thin smile and glanced at his wife, telling Chloe to give Henry a pep talk.


    Thus, Chloe patted Henry¡¯s shoulder, "Oh, don¡¯t be so sad, Henry. I know your struggle. Vernon told me about the whole situation."


    "My love with Vernon was not a smooth sailing one. We went through a lot to be together, but it is worth it in the end," Chloe said. "Besides, I¡¯m sure Katherine is grateful for what you did for her."


    Henry nodded.


    He imagined his Kitty waiting for him in the penthouse. He wished he had a fast-forward button until he was off work and a pause button once he was in the penthouse.


    "Well, enough pep talk, let¡¯s have lunch," Vernon said. He raised his hand and showed a bag of home-cooked food made by his wife.


    Henry nodded, "I didn¡¯t know I needed this small celebration. Work has been crazy."


    As Henry, Vernon, and Chloe were about to sit on the sofa, the door was knocked, and this time, Mindy walked in with another woman wearing a black winter jacket that she couldn¡¯t zip because of her pregnant belly.


    Kate looked around and saw two foreign faces in the room with Henry, "Did I disturb a meeting? I¡¯m sorry¡ª"


    "KITTY!" Henry¡¯s eyes brightened instantly. He rushed to hug his beloved. "Is this a surprise you talked about in the morning? A surprise visit?"


    "L¡ªLet go, Henry, there are so many people here..." Kate said awkwardly.


    Mindy chuckled, "Well, I¡¯ll be outside if you need something, Mrs. Ross."


    Mindy closed the door and left Kate to join Henry and the guests.


    Henry released his hug after a while. He wanted to go for a kiss, but Kate dodged, "T¡ªThere are guests!"


    "Oh¡ªsorry, I almost forgot," Henry chuckled. He held his woman¡¯s hand and introduced her to his guests. "Vernon, Chloe, meet Kate, my wife. Kate, this is my cousin and his wife."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened when Henry blatantly claimed her as his wife, even though they hadn¡¯t tie the knot yet.


    But it felt good nonetheless, so she let it slide.


    Kate removed her gloves and stretched her hand, "Hello, I¡¯m Katherine, Henry¡¯s... wife."


    Vernon and Chloe chuckled. Vernon was the first to shake Kate¡¯s hand, "I heard a lot about you from Henry. I guess, Henry and I are truly cousins because we both like beauties," Vernon said while pulling Chloe closer.


    Chloe shook Kate¡¯s hand and said, "Oh, don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s just saying that you are pretty. But that¡¯s true! You are stunning. You even have that pregnancy glow! No wonder Henry is so in love with you!"


    "You¡¯re still prettier, honey," Vernon assured. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Only in your eyes," Chloe giggled. "I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t mind my husband. He doesn¡¯t mean to be offensive."


    "Oh, no offense taken, don¡¯t worry," Kate smiled. She was actually amazed by how harmonious they were. Just from one look, it was obvious they were soulmates. "So, did I disturb a meeting here?" Kate asked again.


    "Not at all. We¡¯re here to celebrate Henry¡¯s success with his first big project. That¡¯s why I¡¯m cooking extra for lunch to celebrate."


    "Oh, what a coincidence because I¡¯m here to deliver his lunch," Kate said while lifting her hand, showing the food she made for her man.


    "Kitty... I think I¡¯m in love..." Henry said as he had his eyes on her the entire time. He stole a kiss on Kate¡¯s cheek, and Kate gave him a side-eye. "Sorry, can¡¯t help it. I just... I¡¯ll prepare a ring soon."


    "Ugh, stop talking, will you? It¡¯s so embarrassing," Kate said, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel joy. It was a strange feeling because she thought she disliked how sappy Henry was.


    Turned out she actually liked that embarrassing part of him as well.


    Vernon was amused by how Henry showed his love so blatantly. Henry was never like that to any of his ex-girlfriends, he was never the one who¡¯d say such cringy stuff so shamelessly.


    ¡¯Love really changes a man, huh?¡¯ Vernon glanced at his wife, and his lips curled up. ¡¯Yeah, she changed me as well.¡¯


    "Well, since you also cooked for Henry, how about we prepare all of our food on the table," Chloe said as she pointed at the long table. "And then the two of us can leave to have lunch together outside. What do you think, Kate?"

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389: Chapter 389"Lunch together? Well, I only made enough food for Henry, so I don¡¯t mind having lunch outside," Kate accepted the offer easily. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What a coincidence! I also made enough lunch for my husband!"


    Vernon frowned. He wanted to say that Chloe made enough food for three people. There was no way he could eat three portions all by himself, and judging by how Henry was drooling while looking at the lunchbox from his woman, Vernon was sure that he¡¯d have to eat everything alone.


    "But, wife you made¡ª"Vernon stopped speaking when Chloe pinched his back, signaling him to shut up, and thus, Vernon zipped his mouth and wondered whether he should just go home and have a sleep after lunch.


    "So, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s unpack the food and let these boys eat their lunch!" Chloe said cheerfully.


    Chloe and Kate unpacked all of their food on the table, and once they were done, Kate wondered, "Uhh, are you sure this is all for your husband? Looks like three to four portions, honestly."


    "Oh, don¡¯t sweat it. My husband is a big eater. He will surely eat everything, riiiight?" Chloe smiled at her husband, and Vernon could only sigh and nod.


    Chloe chuckled. She grabbed Kate¡¯s wrist and told Henry, "I¡¯ll borrow your wife for lunch. You boys go have your lunch, bye!"


    Henry smiled at Chloe and Kate. He was actually glad that Chloe took the initiative to get closer to Kate, after all, they would be a big family soon since Vernon and Henry were more like brothers than cousins at this point. It would be difficult if Chloe and Kate didn¡¯t have a good relationship.


    "Please take care of my pregnant wife," Henry said.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I already gave birth to two girls, so I can give her tips."


    Thus, Kate and Chloe left the room, leaving Henry and Vernon alone.


    They sat on the sofa, facing each other while looking at the food on the table.


    Vernon gulped, "I can¡¯t eat everything alone. Maybe I should give some of it to your secretary outside."


    "Uh-huh, just tell her to come in. I don¡¯t think I can eat your wife¡¯s food. I¡¯m going to eat everything that Kate made for me," Henry said while looking at all the food Kate had prepared. He was salivating as he couldn¡¯t wait to dig in. "Man, is this how it feels to be married? I¡¯d marry her in a heartbeat if she cooks for me every day."


    "Well, that depends on the type of woman you¡¯d marry," Vernon commented. "Chloe is a homemaker. She has always been one from her first marriage. She is a perfect fit for me, and her life is blessed."


    "She would cook three times a day, manage the household, and take care of the kids," Vernon said. "Well, being a full-time homemaker is definitely a tiring job. That¡¯s why I supply her with maids, butlers, and nannies. But she is still the one managing everything while I¡¯m at work."


    Vernon leaned on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, and muttered, "Married life is bliss, but there are still challenges. Your problem won¡¯t disappear just because you got married to your loved one."


    "But it¡¯s still better than living a lonely life," Henry commented. "I told Kate I can face any problem as long as she is by my side, and I¡¯m still faithful to that idea."


    "Oh, definitely, Chloe and my children are the reason why I¡¯m still working my ass off right now. I want to keep giving them a comfortable life," Vernon smiled. "You and I are similar, Henry. We get motivated by our loved ones, and we strive to be our best for the happiness of our wives and children."


    Henry nodded, "That¡¯s why I¡¯ll keep working hard for her. Even if I must topple this world for her, I will do it."


    **


    Meanwhile, Kate and Chloe went to the office ground lobby.


    Despite her gentle and sweet appearance, Chloe was quite talkative and cheery, so Kate kept silent while listening to Chloe¡¯s stories and comments on random things.


    It was actually fun to accompany someone who didn¡¯t seem to have any burden on her. It was a nice change of pace after going through a difficult situation.


    "How about we use my car?" Chloe offered.


    Kate nodded and followed Chloe as she called her driver. Thus, they went to Chloe¡¯s favorite restaurant for lunch and got a VIP seat without booking, much to Kate¡¯s surprise.


    "Are you a regular here? How come they give us VIP seats during busy lunchtime?" Kate asked.


    "Well, my husband invested a lot of money in this restaurant. That¡¯s why I bring you here. This is also a promotion, so I hope you can come here often with Henry," Chloe giggled. "I¡¯ll tell the manager to give you a family member discount."


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile, seeing how sweet and cheery Chloe was. She seemed to live a good and problem-free life, something that Kate wished to have.


    "Thanks, I¡¯ll come here with Henry," Kate said. "Though, I don¡¯t think I can come often."


    "Hm? Why not?" Chloe asked.


    Kate opened her mouth but closed it before she could say anything. She began to question whether it was a wise move to tell Chloe all of her problems.


    She thought that Chloe might be scared of her story, or she might feel uncomfortable.


    ¡¯I guess I shouldn¡¯t overshare. Chloe is so kind that I can¡¯t help wanting to tell her my woes,¡¯ Kate thought as she prepared a lie to dodge the question.


    But before she could say a thing, Chloe¡¯s smile deepened, and she said, "It¡¯s okay, Kate. I already know everything."


    "... excuse me?"


    "I know you are running away from Los Angeles to New York. I also know about your story with Henry. I know every detail, including Sarah and Marlon," Chloe said lightly. "So you don¡¯t need to keep a secret from me."

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390: Chapter 390Kate gasped.


    "You know about Sarah and Marlon too? D¡ªDid Henry tell you everything?" Kate asked as she couldn¡¯t believe how easy it was for Henry to tell such a secret.


    What if Chloe couldn¡¯t keep a secret? What if she decided to turn her back on them?!


    Chloe gently put her hand on Kate¡¯s to calm her down, "Relax, Kate, you shouldn¡¯t be too stressed when you¡¯re pregnant, and no, it¡¯s not Henry who told me. It¡¯s my husband."


    "Then, did Henry tell everything to Vernon?"


    "He did," Chloe nodded. "But you shouldn¡¯t worry about it. They are cousins and have a close bond, almost like brothers. Henry trusted us, so I hope you can trust us as well."


    Kate knew there was nothing wrong with trusting Chloe and Vernon. But she couldn¡¯t help feeling nauseous, thinking the secret might get leaked out even more.


    Chloe noticed that Kate¡¯s face began to pale visibly. So she quickly handed a glass of water to her, "Drink first and calm down. Let me tell you one thing.


    Kate drank the water given to her and sat silently while staring at Chloe, "I¡¯m sorry, Chloe. I was just shocked. He should¡¯ve asked for my permission before telling your husband about it."


    "Besides, I don¡¯t think we should talk about this publicly. What if Marlon¡¯s men are around us?"


    Chloe shrugged.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. This place is packed with people, but if you pay attention to at least half of them, you¡¯ll realize they have their eyes on us," Chloe glanced at the table next to her, telling Kate to go and check.


    Kate turned her head and saw a middle-aged woman who gasped as she was caught off guard listening to Chloe and Kate the whole time.


    "Do you think Vernon and Henry would let us leave without supervision?" Chloe smiled meaningfully, indirectly telling Kate she wasn¡¯t just a simple woman. "I brought you here because this restaurant is heavily supervised, and my driver has notified the manager about our arrival."


    "Half of the guests in this restaurant are my husband¡¯s subordinates, and the manager has informed me that Hawthorne¡¯s subordinates are guarding the restaurant building as well," Chloe informed. She leaned on the chair leisurely and added, "We are involved with the elites, Katherine. You know they don¡¯t play by the rules. They will have at least a group of bodyguards somewhere, watching us while we¡¯re outside as a source of protection."


    ¡¯And because both of them are overly possessive, jealous men,¡¯ Chloe added in her heart.


    Kate was caught off guard by how different Chloe was compared to her expectations.


    Chloe had that sweet and gentle look and didn¡¯t seem to have any problems in life.


    Kate looked around the restaurant and realized that Chloe was right. At least half of the people here were looking at their table with a watchful gaze.


    "So, you don¡¯t need to worry about telling your story to me. Like you, I also went through a lot of pain and suffering to be with Vernon. I understand your feeling," Chloe assured.


    Kate was shocked by the realization, but she still didn¡¯t feel any hostility from Chloe.


    ¡¯She is similar to Dahlia, I guess. They are both sweet ladies that have been pushed to the edge, so they become much more cautious and scheming when needed,¡¯ Kate theorized. ¡¯But in the end, they are still good people who must position themselves.¡¯


    Thus, after concluding, Kate finally relaxed her guard and said, "I¡¯m sorry for being cautious. I just... went through a lot to escape. It¡¯s become a traumatic event for me."


    "It¡¯s okay. I also went through the same thing," Chloe said, but she didn¡¯t specify. "I just want you to know I¡¯m here to support your endeavor with Henry."


    Kate nodded, and things became awkward after that because she had nothing to say. She was still trying to digest that Chloe was basically the younger version of Dahlia.


    It made her wonder if she would end up just like them, though she believed she wasn¡¯t as sweet and kind as Chloe or Dahlia.


    "Anyway, this is just an introduction, a soft warning of what kind of life you will lead with him," Chloe said. "Let¡¯s just have our lunch for now. I¡¯ll give you my contact later and drive you home, okay?"


    "Yeah, thanks for the heads up. I guess I¡¯ve yet to understand what kind of family Henry has," Kate muttered. "But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give up on him."


    "I¡¯ve never regretted all the time I spent with Vernon, so I hope you have the same wonderful life with Henry in the end," Chloe smiled.


    The waiter finally arrived with their food, and they began to eat their lunch in silence.


    Kate glanced at Chloe, who had returned to her happy and sweet persona again. It was shocking how easy it was for Chloe to change her personality, ¡¯But I guess I have to be flexible as well. I don¡¯t know what kind of people I have to face in the future. It¡¯s better to stay guarded."


    ** sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chloe drove Kate to the Phoenix Tower, and before she left, they exchanged contact.


    Chloe jokingly asked her, "Do you live in the penthouse now? Everything looks good and brand-new, right?"


    "Yep, just Henry and I," Kate replied. "Why do you ask? Is there anything wrong with the penthouse?"


    "Well, let¡¯s just say the landlord¡¯s wife told him to replace everything with brand new materials and furniture, so the new resident will stay for a long time," Chloe giggled before she closed the car door and drove away.


    Kate wondered how Chloe knew that kind of information. It took her a while until Kate connected the dot.


    "Oh!" Kate had a lightbulb moment and then laughed freely as she found it funny. "No wonder it¡¯s called Phoenix Tower. The owner is none other than Vernon himself. No wonder Henry said this place has the best security in New York!"

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391: Chapter 391A week had passed since Kate and Henry lived together in the penthouse of Phoenix Tower. Mai and Michael had reintegrated themselves into Henry¡¯s office. Michael was working in the advertisement company, while Mai began to work in the new publishing company.


    Of course, Kate also wanted to go to work, but Henry forbade her to go 9 to 5 every day. He only allowed Kate to come to the office to deliver his lunch or if something critical needed to be taken care of in the publishing company.


    So, Kate had been trying to get herself busy by having lunch with Chloe, her new friend, and contacting her authors.


    And today would be the first time she would meet with one of her authors, and it was none other than Irene Banks!


    Kate was currently in the penthouse, twirling in front of the full-body mirror, "Hm, is this too casual?" She asked herself. "I mean, I want to meet her in my usual work attire, but I¡¯m too pregnant to fit into any of those fitting blazers and pencil skirts."


    "Tsk, is getting fat also another side of pregnancy? I don¡¯t understand how Henry could get so turned on for... this," Kate commented on her own body. She knew that she was getting fatter, and she had begun to do stretching as it was the closest she could do as an exercise.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t do much about her weight gain, so she simply tried to live with it for the next three to four months.


    ¡¯And I will hit the gym like an addict after that,¡¯ Kate planned.


    Knowing she had no choice, Kate finally gave in and used the long dress with a sweater and a coat for warmth.


    She had already called Irene and planned to go to a new restaurant that Chloe recommended, "I guess I don¡¯t need to worry as long as bodyguards are watching around."


    Thus, Kate called a Taxi and went to the restaurant.


    She arrived about an hour earlier than the schedule because she wanted to mentally prepare herself. After all, it had been a while since she worked as a professional, and inviting a top author like Irene Banks would make a bank for the new publishing company.


    She opened her iPad and began to check Irene¡¯s draft again to ensure she made the right decision to invite Irene into the company.


    Kate was so absorbed in her work that she didn¡¯t notice a man sitting at the corner of the restaurant staring at her with yearning in his eyes the whole time.


    He was at the edge of his seat, wanting to approach Katherine just so he could look at her from a close distance.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t because that bastard Henry had her in his grip. Graham noticed at least four suited men sitting at various restaurant spots, silently watching over Kate in case someone dared to get close to her.


    ¡¯Tsk, that bastard seriously has Kate in his hand. What a cruel monster,¡¯ Graham cursed Henry repeatedly as he couldn¡¯t get close to Kate. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nevertheless, Graham was glad that Kate was doing well.


    ¡¯Ah, she is so beautiful, even more so than the Katherine in my dream...¡¯ Graham sighed. ¡¯If only I am by her side, I want to hug her.¡¯


    He had had many dreams of Katherine, probably because he worried about her situation. He was afraid Henry would just snap one day and kill Kate while he couldn¡¯t do anything.


    But he was glad that Henry seemed to let her live. It was the least Henry could do.


    Graham didn¡¯t understand why he began to grow even fonder now that Kate was in her mid to late stage of pregnancy, but he couldn¡¯t help but wish that he was the father of that child.


    ¡¯If only I could be the one she loves. I will treat her right. I¡¯ll be a good husband for her, not that scum who just wants to take her baby...¡¯ Graham lamented. His heart began to burn with fury again as he was powerless against Vernon Phoenix Gray. ¡¯Life is unfair for you... for us, Katherine...¡¯


    Graham tried to stop talking too much with Sarah because the more he talked with her, the more paranoid he got.


    He knew that Sarah meant well. She was also a woman who wanted to protect Katherine from that scum.


    But listening to Sarah, who always thought of the worst scenario possible, only added to his anxiety.


    "Katherine..." Graham murmured her name, wishing she would turn around and look at her. "How can I tell you how much I care for you and how much I want you to be safe?"


    "Henry has brainwashed you. He is not a good guy..."


    Unfortunately for him, Kate was oblivious to his presence. She could feel that someone was watching her attentively, but she was being watched by at least four people, including the restaurant manager, so she thought Graham was just one of those men Henry and Vernon paid to protect her.


    Thus, Kate continued editing Irene Bank¡¯s draft until she saw a lady wearing a baby pink coat entering the restaurant.


    She looked around and saw Kate waving her hands at her, and Irene¡¯s face cheered instantly, "Oh my god! Katherine!"


    Irene rushed towards the table and hugged Kate, who just got up from her chair, "Oh, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright! I really thought that you just got fired and went MIA!"


    "Hahah, I¡¯m not fired. I¡¯m just resigning and have a month of vacation before returning to work," Kate lied, not wanting to drag an innocent woman into her problem.


    "In another company?" Irene asked.


    "Yes, I get a better offer with less work and less stress. So I have to take it," Kate said.


    Irene grabbed Kate¡¯s shoulder and pushed her to arm¡¯s length. She observed Kate from head to stomach, and her smile broadened, "I see. That¡¯s why you must resign and take a less stressful job. You¡¯re pregnant!"

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392: Chapter 392"I¡ªIs it so obvious?" Kate asked. She got a bit insecure, thinking she had become fatter these days.


    "Aside from the belly, I won¡¯t say obvious, you¡¯re still the same pretty woman. You just get more feminine," Irene said without hesitation.


    "Feminine?"


    "Mhm, you were a scary lady before, beautiful but scary. You were like a hungry wolf that would eat me if I make a mistake in my draft," Irene complained. "But I guess your motherly instinct awakens once you get pregnant."


    Kate didn¡¯t know if Irene was just being polite or if she was serious about Kate being more feminine.


    ¡¯Have I been so intimidating this whole time?¡¯ Kate wondered. ¡¯I mean, I can be stern at times at work. But surely, I¡¯m not that scary, right?¡¯


    Kate had no time to ponder more about this when Irene leaned closer to her ear and asked, "So, who¡¯s the baby daddy? Is it Mr. Grant?"


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened, and she nodded shyly.


    Irene giggled. She released her arms on Kate¡¯s shoulder and sat at the table, "Come on, tell me about what happened, Kate. I want to hear your story with Mr. Grant!"


    "Why do you want to know?" Kate asked as she sat facing Irene.


    "Why? For my next novel, of course!" Irene replied excitedly. "Oh, I can¡¯t wait to start a new novel about an office romance!"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks turned even redder until she looked like a tomato, "I¡ªI guess you can say that we¡¯re getting a bit too close to the sun and were burned together for one night."


    Of course, Irene understood what Kate was saying. She grinned mischievously and leaned closer towards her, "So, you two do the deed inside the office then?"


    Kate felt like she began to melt out of embarrassment when facing Irene¡¯s question. She cleared her throat and returned to her work persona, "This is not the right time to talk about my personal experience, Miss Banks. We¡¯re here to talk about your draft."


    "Can we not talk about it in here? I¡¯m exhausted," Irene sighed. She lost her brightness immediately. "You don¡¯t need to worry about the contract. I will follow you even if you jump to another publisher again."


    "Well, this is for your own good, Miss Banks. I have noticed the inconsistency in your new novel. It¡¯s telling me that you have a lot of distraction when writing it," Kate said.


    "Well, of course, I¡¯m so stressed out with the problem in Emperor Publishing," Irene complained. "I doubt that publishing company will last long. It doesn¡¯t have a chance to survive without you."


    ...


    Kate put her iPad down and focused on Irene, "Actually, I know nothing about Emperor Publishing after I resigned. What happened?"


    Irene rolled her eyes. It was even more obvious when she scoffed, "That company is doomed to fail. After you left, they told the authors that you got fired for unprofessional behavior, which is a huge shock because all the top authors know you¡¯re the lifeline of that company."


    "They have a new chief editor who takes care of us. But none of us like him," Irene said. "I don¡¯t understand how the company could hire a man who has no idea how to write a romance novel as a chief editor. All of his ideas are terrible!"


    "Terrible? Did he give you a bad recommendation?" Kate asked.


    "Oh, more than that, actually. He told me that the male lead of my book shouldn¡¯t cry in the sequel because it¡¯s not ¡¯manly.¡¯ Can you believe that?!"


    Irene got increasingly irritable once she began to ramble about all the problems in Emperor Publishing.


    They replaced the Chief Editor with a completely new person that Kate didn¡¯t know, so the parent company probably thought her job was simple, even though it was very complicated.


    Reading and editing a book required a lot of effort, especially when Kate had to deal with many popular authors and their egos, and see it from the marketing perspective.


    They also replaced the CEO with someone else from the parent company who had no idea how to run a publishing company.


    So Emperor Publishing was doomed the moment Kate left.


    Kate sighed.


    She was sad, of course.


    After all, she had an emotional bond and many memories in that company. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That publishing house was the job that propelled her career. She became the breadwinner of her family and was also able to find her true passion as an editor.


    ¡¯Also, that company is where I met with both James... and Henry...¡¯


    Kate began to recall the countless days she spent with James. There were many sweet memories that she shared with James.


    ¡ªFlashback¡ª


    "Mr. Grant, are you alright?" Kate asked as she saw James sleeping on the long sofa during one of their busy overtime.


    He was heaving, and looked pale.


    "I...I¡¯m alright, I just need rest," James replied, but it didn¡¯t convince Kate. So she put her palm on his forehead, and her breath stiffened.


    "Sir, you have a high fever. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!"


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s just a slight fever. I need ten minutes rest, and I¡¯ll be alright..." James tried to get up, but Kate pushed his chest until he was forced to lay on the sofa.


    "Nonsense, you¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t have a good rest. Let me go to the convenience store in the office lobby. I think it¡¯s still open before midnight."


    James had no chance to refuse as Kate rushed to the office lobby. She bought a fever med, vitamins, and a cold pack.


    She put the cold pack on his forehead and then asked him to drink the fever medicine and vitamins.


    "Now that you¡¯ve drunk the medicine, you should sleep until tomorrow morning, okay?" Kate said.


    "No," James shook his head. "That¡¯s impossible. We still have a lot to do."


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I will make sure to finish everything before morning. I think I can rush it if I don¡¯t take a break," Kate said. "Now, go to sleep so you can work tomorrow."


    As Kate got up from the sofa and wanted to leave, James suddenly grabbed her wrist and muttered, "Katherine, don¡¯t leave me... please."

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393: Chapter 393"Katherine, stay with me... please."


    Kate¡¯s body visibly stiffened as she heard that sentence coming out of his mouth. She turned around to face her boss and saw James staring at her with such a deep gaze.


    "Katherine... please..." James pleaded. He knew it wasn¡¯t proper to say this to a married woman. But even he couldn¡¯t hold his feelings.


    "But, Sir¡ª"


    "Call me James."


    Kate swallowed nervously. She felt the atmosphere around them was a bit wrong, and she would be an idiot if she didn¡¯t notice how much love was pouring from James.


    But she didn¡¯t want to think about it. She wanted to keep that ambiguous atmosphere around them at most. She didn¡¯t want to delve further into the rabbit hole and ruin her marriage.


    It wasn¡¯t a good marriage, but she was still married and vowed to be with her husband through thick and thin.


    "... I still need to work, James. This is an important project, remember? If I can¡¯t finish this before tomorrow¡¯s meeting, the company will suffer losses," Kate said.


    James scoffed, "This company... I don¡¯t need it, Katherine. Losing one or ten million dollars won¡¯t change anything for me."


    "I know, but..."


    "But this company is your livelihood. You dedicated your life to turning this small publishing company into a thriving one, and you succeed," James said. "That¡¯s why I decided to stick and work in this company rather than take over my Dad¡¯s parent company. I want to be with you."


    Kate knew James was on the verge of confessing his true feelings to her, maybe because he was having a fever and thus clouded his judgment.


    Or, maybe he simply couldn¡¯t hold his feelings anymore.


    "James, you... you¡¯re talking nonsense right now. You need rest..." Kate said. She dodged his eyes because she was afraid she couldn¡¯t hold her feelings for him.


    After all, she had been living with a total deadbeat husband who spent the day complaining about not having a job and doing nothing about it.


    Matt even went as far as complaining about Kate, who took too much overtime at work and was too tired to have sex when she was doing all this for the sake of their future!


    "I¡¯m well aware of what¡¯s coming out of my mouth," James said firmly. "You know what I feel, Katherine. You know how useless your husband is. Why can¡¯t I be your husband instead?"


    "Because that would be cheating, James," Kate said. She knew she would regret not divorcing Matt and went with James. "You can call me old-schooled, but when I vowed to stick with him through thick and thin, I really meant it."


    ...


    "What will make you change your mind?"


    "Only if he cheats first. Then that means he is the one breaking our vows, and I will divorce him."


    James chuckled.


    He finally let go of Kate¡¯s hand and rested on the sofa. He still had his eyes on her and muttered, "Life is truly unfair, Kate. I¡¯ve never felt this way towards another woman before. It¡¯s so deep that I don¡¯t know if I can ever forget about you."


    "James..." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But your ingenuity, dedication, beauty, and loyalty to your deadbeat husband. Those qualities only make me want you more," James finally covered his eyes with his arm to block his sight from his beloved. "I hope I can live long enough until the day you divorce your deadbeat husband. I will marry you in a heartbeat, Katherine."


    ¡ªFlashback end¡ª


    "Kate? Kate!"


    "Oh¡ª!" Kate snapped out of her daze. "Sorry, I was thinking of something."


    Irene sighed. She sipped her tea and added, "I hope the new company will thrive. I don¡¯t want to get stuck with Emperor Publishing for too long. I refuse to."


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. I am basically the one in control of everything in this new publishing company. I¡¯ll make sure your new novel will be another best-seller."


    "Thank you, Kate. I¡¯ll tell other top authors about this as well. Some are doubtful because they fear Empress Publishing won¡¯t promote them well."


    "It¡¯s backed by the Golden Star company owned by Vernon Phoenix Gray. We have all the money to promote an author into a millionaire," Kate said confidently, ensuring that Irene was convinced. Thus, other top authors will come to her company and abandon the old company.


    "Wow, backed by Golden Star? That would seal the deal for other top authors!" Irene said cheerfully. "I¡¯ll also tell that to other top authors. Everyone will be happy to leave Emperor Publishing!"


    ¡¯Emperor Publishing...¡¯ Kate couldn¡¯t help but get sad knowing that she would bury all of her memories with James in that company.


    That company wouldn¡¯t survive without her, but this was for the best. After all, her baby¡¯s safety was the priority for Kate right now.


    ¡¯I have to move on from Emperor Publishing and all my memories about James Grant...¡¯ Kate thought. She tried to imagine James¡¯ face, but her imagination began to distort as she saw another man instead.


    She saw her man, Henry Grant, smiling at her with his signature wide smile. His eyes were deep and somewhat intimidating, but to Kate, he looked like a young man with a lot of willpower to prove himself.


    Kate¡¯s lips curled, ¡¯Goodbye, James Grant. You are an amazing man, but I can¡¯t reciprocate your feelings. We are simply not fated to be together.¡¯


    ¡¯But I¡¯ve met with the man I truly love, and he is your little brother. The spoiled little brother you told me many times about,¡¯ Kate¡¯s smile bloomed even more as her imagination began to portray Henry vividly. ¡¯Turns out he is not as bad as I thought. He is an amazing young man. He has a kind heart and is very dedicated.¡¯


    Kate gently caressed her stomach as she knew she had to protect the baby at all cost, ¡¯He is willing to go through hell and back, leaving the future his father has set up for him so that we can be together, and I will support him no matter what.¡¯

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394: Chapter 394Kate and Irene finished their lunch together and parted ways as they finished their meeting. Kate came to the office with a Taxi, so she asked the manager to call one for her before leaving.


    As Kate left the restaurant, Graham walked out, silently following her, hoping he would get a chance to talk with her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew there were a lot of bodyguards watching Katherine, making sure that she was untouchable, but even if he had to risk getting beaten up, so be it.


    This was for her safety, after all.


    Kate saw her Taxi and was about to open the door when she sensed a man rushing towards her from behind.


    She turned around and gasped when she saw Graham trying to reach her, "Kate, wait¡ª!"


    Unfortunately, before he could reach her, two bodyguards grabbed his shoulder from behind and pinned him down to the snow-covered ground, "Urgh!"


    Graham tried to struggle, but he was no match for the two bodyguards.


    "Stay down!" One of the bodyguards yelled. "What were you going to do to Mrs. Ross?! Answer me!"


    Kate stared down at Graham, who looked up at her with a plea in his eyes.


    "I¡ªurk¡ªI just want to talk with her," Graham said.


    "Mrs. Ross doesn¡¯t need to talk to a stranger!" The bodyguard said. He then shifted his gaze at Kate, "Ma¡¯am, you must leave now! This man is dangerous!"


    "No..." Kate shook her head. "He is not dangerous. He is the man who helped my divorce. He¡¯s my divorce lawyer, Graham Hubbard."


    Kate thought that the bodyguard would let him go after she mentioned his identity.


    But nope.


    He kept pinning him down and replied, "Yes, Ma¡¯am. We are well aware of his identity. He is one of the people listed by Mr. Grant as someone who can¡¯t get close to you."


    ¡¯Oh, I almost forgot how unreasonable Henry can be with his jealousy,¡¯ Kate thought.


    Graham got even angrier after knowing that Henry put him as one of the people that Kate had to be protected from, even though he was probably the only man with good intentions for her!


    He wanted to save her!


    Thus, Graham mustered all his strength to raise his voice so Kate could hear him loud and clear, "Henry doesn¡¯t want me to get close to you because I know the truth, Katherine!"


    "Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t listen to this madman. You should leave now!" The bodyguard interrupted, thinking this man must be on the list for a reason. So Mrs. Ross shouldn¡¯t be listening to his bullshit.


    Kate hesitated for a moment. She grabbed the Taxi door handle, ready to leave, but seeing how much Graham tried to struggle, it made her wonder if this was an important thing she needed to know.


    Thus, following her instinct, she told the bodyguards, "Get him up but keep him in place. I want to know what he wants to say."


    The bodyguards looked at each other. Of course, they couldn¡¯t deny the order from their Boss¡¯ wife.


    So they allowed Graham to get up but grabbed his arms tightly, ensuring he couldn¡¯t jump on Kate again.


    Graham¡¯s apparel was disheveled after he got shoved to the ground. He seemed angry for the treatment he got, but he kept his eyes on Kate.


    "I don¡¯t have much time, Graham. You only have five minutes to tell me what you want to say," Kate said.


    "Oh, I don¡¯t need five minutes because you already heard it from me before," Graham said. "Leave him, Kate. Henry doesn¡¯t love you. He just wants to have your baby and give it to his father in exchange for all of Grant¡¯s company and asset ownership! He is a fucking scum!"


    ...


    Kate rolled her eyes, "You already told me this lie before? Do you have proof, or does this slander just come out of your ass?"


    "This is not a slander! I have proof¡ª" Graham paused after realizing he had no proof.


    Besides Sarah¡¯s words that he had taken as the truth, he had no way to prove his words.


    But he knew that he was right because he preferred to believe Sarah than Henry. That bastard wanted to ruin a good woman¡¯s life.


    Kate waited for five seconds of silence from Graham and sighed, "I know you don¡¯t have proof, Graham, because it¡¯s simply not true."


    "It¡¯s true! Please trust me, Kate. It¡¯s not too late for you to leave. We can leave, and I will protect you!"


    "Thanks for the offer, but no. I have a good life with Henry in New York, and to tell you the truth, Henry starts a new company just to break free from his father," Kate said. "If he wants to take my baby and give it to Marlon, then why would he go through all the pain of starting a new company all by himself?"


    "That is to trick you into believing him completely! Don¡¯t fall for his lie, Kate! He just wants your baby for Marlon to kill!" Graham retorted. "Besides, he is a good-for-nothing son of a whore! Do you really think he can be successful without his father¡¯s help?!"


    "You¡ª!" Kate had been patient the whole time, thinking that Graham was just delusional. But she couldn¡¯t control her anger when she heard Graham insult Henry.


    Henry was HER man! He worked hard for their small family!


    So Kate walked towards Graham and¡ª


    PA!


    Graham was left shocked when Kate slapped him.


    It was painful but even more painful after Graham realized how madly in love she was with Henry.


    "Don¡¯t you DARE to insult my man like that! He is working his bones off so we can have our freedom!" Kate said. She got emotional thinking about how exhausted Henry was from working every day. Yet, some people really had no sympathy for that honest, hardworking young man. "He abandons his crazy family so we can start a life together!"


    "That¡¯s all part of his lie," Graham repeated like a broken radio. "He is greedy and coldhearted, Kate."


    "Listen, Graham Hubbard. I will let you off because you helped me during my divorce trial. But this will be the last time," Kate said coldly. "I¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense. Goodbye, Mr. Hubbard. Don¡¯t stalk me anymore."

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395: Chapter 395Graham went silent after the slap. But he kept staring at Kate, who was tearing up, probably because she was so angry at him for cursing that bastard Henry.


    Graham felt even more bitter. He could sense how deep Kate¡¯s love was for Henry.


    He was jealous because he wished Kate would direct that massive amount of love to him instead, a man who truly loved her and wanted her to be safe.


    He would be the luckiest man on earth to have such a dedicated and beautiful wife like Kate.


    ¡¯Reality is harsh...¡¯ Graham thought. ¡¯How could a heartless bastard like Henry get to be with a good woman like Kate when all I want is to give her the safety and love she deserves...¡¯


    Kate had no more energy to deal with Graham, so she turned around, wanting to return to her penthouse, and reported the bullshit she had to deal with today with her man.


    But as she stepped away from him, Graham said, "James told me once that you are a good woman who deserves to be protected at all costs."


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened when Graham mentioned James, "You have no right to involve him in this. He is in a better place now."


    Graham ignored Kate¡¯s words and continued with his monologue, "He told me if he died earlier, he wanted me to protect you from any harm and to love you just like he did."


    Kate clenched her fist.


    She had a lot of memories with James, and though they couldn¡¯t be together, she didn¡¯t want Graham to use James¡¯ name to influence her decision.


    "And I¡¯m doing just that. I¡¯m trying to protect you and your innocent child from any harm," Graham said. "I naturally fell in love with you once I realized you are truly a fascinating woman. Your dedication and love has truly shaken me. Falling in love with you is as natural as breathing to me."


    "Stop it, Graham!" Kate raised her voice. His words didn¡¯t move her, but she was disturbed by how Graham could say he was in love with her but still refusing to let her live happily.


    "You can return to Henry again, Kate. But time will prove my words, eventually," Graham said firmly. "And by the time you discover the truth, you should know that I am always here. I will accept you, protect you, no matter what."


    "That time will never come because I know Henry is a good man," Kate retorted. She opened the Taxi door and slammed it shut as she told the Taxi driver to leave immediately.


    Graham had his eyes on the Taxi until it took a sharp turn and left his sight.


    He looked at the bodyguards who were still holding his arms and said, "Let me go. Kate is out of my reach now."


    The bodyguards naturally let him go, as it was instructed by Mr. Henry Grant not to do anything to Graham unless he tried to touch Kate.


    After all, Henry knew that Graham was a famous lawyer with many connections, and it might bring him trouble if Graham wanted to sue.


    Graham fixed his coat and went to his car with cold eyes. He sat inside his care for a while, closing his eyes as he kept imagining how good it would be to be loved by such a sweet and dedicated woman.


    "And I will not give up. Time will prove me right, eventually," Graham said.


    He took his phone out and called Matthew Woods, who currently lived in the small town with his mother.


    The call was connected shortly after, and Matthew greeted his new boss cheerfully.


    ¡ª


    "Good day, Boss. What¡¯s up? Do you need another picture of me?" Matthew asked.


    Graham¡¯s face turned grim. He really disliked this useless guy who had no job and no willingness to find a job.


    He also cheated on a wonderful woman like Kate and became her burden for five years before they divorced.


    But Sarah was right.


    Matthew was one of the keys to create more rift between Henry and Kate, and also ruined Henry¡¯s business.


    "No, I don¡¯t need more of your picture," Graham said. "You are in good shape right now. Keep it up."


    "Are you sure, Sir? I mean, I¡¯m not into a fellow man, but if you insist, we can probably spend a night together," Matthew said lightly. "But of course, with upfront payment."


    Graham was so disgusted thinking of how cheap this man was. Matthew was willing to throw away all of his dignity just because he got paid three thousand dollars a month, pocket money for Graham.


    ¡¯This man doesn¡¯t deserve Kate, neither does Henry. Only I can treat her right," Graham thought.


    "I just want to tell you to keep up with your appearance. I paid all that money to ensure you still look your best," Graham said. "Once I see you getting fat again, I¡¯ll cut the funding immediately." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡ªI will make sure to stay in shape, Sir!" Matthew said. Graham Hubbard was the only source of income from him since he got divorced. So, to lose Graham meant that he would have to find a normal job.


    He hadn¡¯t worked a normal job since the day he was born. How could he lower himself and work like a normal person when he had such a handsome face? That was simply unfair!


    "You need to leave that shabby town of yours by March. I¡¯ll give you a flight ticket back to Los Angeles," Graham said.


    "Eh? But I don¡¯t have money to be in there, Sir," Matthew said. "I can¡¯t live in one of Kate¡¯s apartments anymore since we were divorced, and three grand a month won¡¯t cut it."


    "I¡¯ll rent you an apartment and also give you five thousand dollars every month once you are in Los Angeles," Graham said without hesitation. He continued following Sarah¡¯s plan as he had Kate in mind.


    He had to protect Kate no matter what, even if it would hurt Kate temporarily.


    ¡¯It will hurt her, but this is for the best. I will treat her right once she¡¯s by my side,¡¯ Graham thought.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396: Chapter 396"Damn, then what am I going to do there, Sir? Surely you won¡¯t let me idle, right?" Matt asked though he wished that Graham would just let him idle. He didn¡¯t want to go to work after all. It would be a waste of his handsome face.


    He just wanted to work out, earn money, and play games.


    What a blissful life he had.


    "You¡¯ll still need to keep your shape and appearance. But I will also send you to a professional acting coach," Graham said. "I want you to learn how to become a better actor from scratch."


    "Eh? But I¡¯m already a good actor, Sir," Matthew claimed proudly. "I just don¡¯t have the opportunity to prove myself. I can be the next big star if not for those nepo kids who took all the good roles from me!"


    "Those kids have better acting than you," Graham said coldly. "Accept it, Matthew. You have no talent to become an actor. You are not good enough to make it to Hollywood."


    Matthew got defensive since he always believed he was a great actor whose roles had been stolen by those useless kids born with silver spoons.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to argue with his new boss because Graham could easily cut off his only source of income.


    "But why do you want me to learn acting again, Sir?" Matthew asked. "I¡¯ve given up on that dream long ago."


    Graham sighed. He leaned and stared straight at the road. He began to imagine Kate again, and his heart was aching, knowing that Kate should¡¯ve been with a good man like him, not a bastard like Henry.


    ¡¯This is all for her happiness,¡¯ Graham convinced himself, even though he knew how painful it would be for Kate.


    "I will make you a real actor. You will star in great movies that will boost your popularity," Graham said. His gaze darkened as he muttered. "I will make sure you have enough popularity to create a buzz in the media, and you WILL tell everyone about the truth."


    ...


    "Uh... alright, whatever, you are the boss," Matthew said carelessly.


    He didn¡¯t know what Graham wanted. But by becoming a movie star, that meant he could finally have all the money in this world, and he could fuck as many women as he wanted!


    ¡¯Finally, it¡¯s my time to be the rich and handsome playboy!¡¯ Matthew told himself.


    "Stay in shape, and I don¡¯t want any problem coming from you. You need to have a clean record when you re-debut later," Graham said.


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Graham hung up the call, and he clenched his phone.


    He had a tinge of doubt as he wondered if this was the correct choice.


    After all, Kate hated Matthew to the bone, and if she knew that Graham funded the same man who hurt her, then Kate would be angry at him as well.


    But this was all Sarah¡¯s idea, from A to Z. It was all Sarah¡¯s.


    Graham was following her order because he wanted to save Kate.


    "I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Katherine. I want you to be happy and healthy by my side," Graham said. "But you refuse to listen. Rather than listening to me, you listen and believe that monster who wants to take your baby."


    "So I have no other choice," Graham muttered. "But don¡¯t worry, by the time you leave him, I will be the one who embrace you."


    **


    Kate told the taxi driver her destination, Phoenix Tower.


    She was so exhausted after arguing with Graham. Not physically, but mentally.


    It was unfortunate because she believed they could be good friends if not for his nonsensical slander about Henry and the out-of-the-blue love confession to her.


    "It¡¯s a wasted opportunity..." Kate murmured. "I see James in him, but James won¡¯t do something heinous like slandering his little brother just so I will leave him."


    Kate rarely showed it to Henry, but she truly loved him. She was so touched seeing how hard Henry worked in the office.


    She also got an update from Mindy about all of his schedule.


    Kate was a woman who valued a hardworking man more than a rich one. Even if Henry started as a regular office worker from the bottom, she would still love him completely.


    But then...


    She also wondered about what Graham said before she left.


    -


    ¡¯But time will prove my words, eventually.¡¯


    -


    Though Kate didn¡¯t believe most of his words, she actually began to doubt Henry as she heard that line.


    Why?


    Because Graham said it with unwavering faith, as if it was the truth, and Kate would eventually know that he was right.


    ...


    ¡¯What if he is right?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯What if Henry truly wants to take my baby and give it to Marlon?¡¯


    Kate knew that imagination was ridiculous, but if it was true...


    Kate winced.


    She could feel the baby kicking inside her, probably angry at Mommy, who dared to think of such a heinous idea while Daddy was working hard.


    But Kate still couldn¡¯t let go of that idea.


    ¡¯If he truly has that kind of evil intention towards me and our baby, then I...¡¯ Kate swallowed her saliva hard. She was on the verge of crying and had never felt so betrayed in her life.


    Just imagining it was enough to drive her insane. It was even worse than when she got betrayed by Erin and Matt.


    ¡¯Oh God, I can¡¯t¡ª¡¯ Kate shook her head. ¡¯I shouldn¡¯t imagine it. It¡¯s not good for my mental health. I will go insane because of that stupid idea.¡¯ S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate tried to ignore the growing doubt in her heart, but the more she tried to ignore it, the more worried she got.


    ¡¯Okay, this might be because of my pregnancy hormone. But I NEED to get an assurance from him. As long as he assures me that he has no evil intention towards me, I will completely forget about Graham¡¯s words.


    Thus, Kate planned to ask Henry about it after he returned from work in the evening.

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397: Chapter 397Henry sat in his car that he just parked in the apartment basement. He slammed the dashboard as he got angry at the situation.


    "FUCK!" he cursed at the sticky situation he put himself in. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His men informed him that Graham was trying to touch Kate, but she was lucky because the bodyguards pinned him to the ground immediately.


    He knew that Graham was dangerous, especially with his status as a famous lawyer, which meant Henry couldn¡¯t intimidate him with his subordinates.


    He got even madder once he was informed that Graham tried to tell Kate about his old plan to exploit Kate¡¯s love and take the baby.


    He had long abandoned that plan but didn¡¯t want Kate to know!


    "Surely, Kate wouldn¡¯t believe him, right?" Henry tried to convince himself. "Kate loves me. She won¡¯t question my intention at all. I¡¯m sure of it."


    It took almost thirty minutes for Henry to finally get out of his car and use the elevator straight to the penthouse.


    He unlocked the door with his fingerprint. He grabbed the door handle but paused for a while.


    He stood like an idiot as he began to hesitate.


    He wondered if Kate would blast him with many questions regarding Graham¡¯s words, and he was afraid that he couldn¡¯t answer any of them because lying in front of Kate was mentally and physically difficult.


    ¡¯Maybe I should return to the office and pretend I¡¯m working overtime. I¡¯ll wait until she forgets about what happened today,¡¯ Henry planned.


    As he contemplated it, the door suddenly opened from inside, and Kate looked at him with confusion, "What are you doing outside, Henry? I¡¯ve made dinner for us."


    Henry was stunned by how casually Kate acted as if she hadn¡¯t had any fight with Graham today. So he let go of his guard immediately, thinking that Kate simply thought of Graham¡¯s words as complete lies and wouldn¡¯t question him further.


    A smile bloomed on his lips, and he opened his arms. He hugged his beloved and said, "I missed you, Kitty."


    ...


    They were in this position for a while, and the smile on Henry¡¯s face gradually faltered once he realized that Kate wasn¡¯t hugging him back or responding to his sentence.


    "Kitty?"


    Kate pushed Henry¡¯s chest until he was forced to separate himself. He looked at Kate at a loss, "What¡¯s wrong, Kitty?"


    ...


    "I think you need to have your dinner before we talk about it, Henry," Kate said. "You must¡¯ve known I had a conversation with Graham today."


    Henry¡¯s body stiffened, but he still tried to act natural, "Well, I got informed by my subordinates. I will make sure to tighten the security around you so he won¡¯t be able to go near you again," Henry said.


    "Henry, that¡¯s not what I meant," Kate said. "Don¡¯t try to dodge it. Your men must¡¯ve also informed you about what he said to me."


    ...


    Henry closed the door behind him. He took off his coat and hung it near the door.


    He tried to hug Kate again, but Kate stepped back and avoided him this time.


    Henry stared at her with shock, "Kate?"


    "Answer me, Henry," Kate repeated. "Is it true that you just want to take my baby and give it to Marlon?"


    Henry¡¯s heartbeat began to accelerate when he saw the seriousness in her eyes as if Henry¡¯s answer would determine whether they could be together or not.


    Henry could¡¯ve easily said no, but when he opened his mouth to say it, he felt a lump of dough inside his throat, stopping him from lying.


    ¡¯Why can¡¯t I lie? It was so easy to lie to her before, but why not now?¡¯ Henry wondered.


    Henry sighed.


    "You know it¡¯s ridiculous," Henry said. "He is just a madman who gets obsessed with you. You are so beautiful, it can¡¯t be helped that many men want you."


    Henry wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist, "But I am the luckiest man because I can embrace you."


    Kate¡¯s gaze grew colder. She pushed Henry away and walked to the living room, leaving Henry stunned by her rejection.


    She had never rejected him before, and his hands began to tremble as he imagined the worst thing that could happen between them.


    He followed Kate into the living room and saw her leaning on the wall, crossing her arms with her eyes darted towards him.


    She didn¡¯t have that smile she usually had, and there was no sweet kiss for him, which he usually got as he went home after a long day at work.


    "Katherine..."


    "You haven¡¯t answered my question, Henry."


    Henry tried to approach Kate again, hoping his touch would calm her down and fix everything, but it seemed that Kate had read through his scheme.


    "Stay right there. You¡¯re not allowed to move until you answer my question."


    "Your question is weird. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to answer it," Henry said. "You are just talking about the obvious, Kitty..."


    The more Henry began dodging the simple question, the more pain she experienced.


    Kate wondered if Graham was right that she had been tricked the whole time.


    Kate had her eyes on Henry without blinking; she wanted to see some truth in his eyes, but Henry kept dodging her gaze as if he was nervous about something.


    ¡¯No, that can¡¯t be. He is a good man and has been working so hard to give us a good life. He won¡¯t betray me like this, right?¡¯ Kate tried to soothe herself.


    She was going crazy over the idea of Henry betraying her, so the more Henry tried to dodge the question, the hungrier she got for an answer and assurance.


    "Answer it, Henry. It¡¯s a simple yes or no question," Kate said firmly. "Did you ever have a plan to give our baby to Marlon, yes or no?"


    ...


    Henry lowered his head. He was still trying to find ways to dodge the question, but it was like a death sentence for Kate.

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398: Chapter 398"Please tell me that you don¡¯t, Henry, because you¡ª"Kate¡¯s voice began to shake. She clenched her arms as she tried to hold herself. "You may think my question is stupid and ridiculous, but you don¡¯t understand how important this is for me."


    Henry noticed that Kate¡¯s body began to tremble.


    "Kate!" Henry rushed towards Kate, intending to carry her to their bedroom so she could rest.


    "Stay right there! Don¡¯t you dare to come closer!" Kate yelled, and Henry stopped immediately. He saw that Kate¡¯s legs began to tremble, and he got worried about her condition.


    But each time he took one step forward, Kate would raise her voice, yelling at him until he stopped approaching her.


    "I SAID, STOP RIGHT THERE!" Kate¡¯s voice filled the living room, and Henry was too scared to go further, thinking he might aggravate her too much.


    "Kitty¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t call me Kitty! You have no right to call me that when you can¡¯t even answer a simple question!" Kate snapped. She began to cry and winced when she felt pain in her stomach.


    "Katherine, our baby¡ª"


    "This is MY baby! Mine, until you answer the damn question!"


    Henry bit his lower lip until it bled. His heart was crushed, knowing he had to lie before his beloved.


    So before he answered the question, he asked, "What would you do if I said yes?"


    Kate gasped. She almost fainted, thinking of the possibility of Henry betraying her.


    But she clenched her fist, gathering all her strength, and replied with certainty, "Then I will leave you. As much as I love you, I will never let you hurt our baby. Henry Grant, I will despise you as much as I can. I will curse you on my deathbed if you dare to betray me just like them all!"


    Henry felt that he had been struck by thunder.


    He lost all of his strength immediately.


    Just the imagination of Kate leaving with their baby, cursing him until the end of her life, was enough of a nightmare Henry did not want to visit.


    He would rather jump from this damn penthouse and plummet to his demise than spend the rest of his life in agony.


    So Henry rushed towards Kate without hearing any of her warning, "DON¡¯T COME CLOSE¡ª"


    Kate was caught off guard when Henry suddenly hugged her tightly, and no matter how hard she struggled, Henry did not budge.


    "Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!" Kate yelled hysterically, and she struggled to break free.


    "Stop this, Katherine! You are going to harm our baby!" Henry finally raised his voice, and it was enough for Kate to stop struggling as she feared the worst that might happen to their child.


    Kate lay powerlessly in Henry¡¯s embrace. She began to sob while hitting his chest weakly, "Why are you doing this to me, Henry? I love you. I love you so much that you will never be replaced in my heart. But why are you betraying me like this? Why aren¡¯t you a good person?" Kate said. "Am I truly a worthless woman who doesn¡¯t deserve a good man?"


    Henry felt that he had lost all of his strength as well. He was forced to sit on the floor while still hugging his beloved.


    Kate¡¯s words cut deep, and he didn¡¯t know if he could ever recover from the immense guilt he experienced.


    "You deserve love. You deserve every best thing in this world, Katherine," Henry said as he gently caressed the back of her head. He let her bury her face on his chest. This was the best thing he could do to dodge Kate¡¯s eyes.


    Because once he saw her eyes again, he wouldn¡¯t be able to lie anymore.


    "Then why are you betraying me like this? Why are you cruel to me?" Katherine asked. "I¡¯m not a bad woman, Henry. I¡¯ve been hurt so many times in my life. Why can¡¯t I find my peace!?"


    "I haven¡¯t answered your question yet," Henry said. He hugged her tighter, ensuring that Kate couldn¡¯t lift her head, then continued, "I never had that kind of plan. I never planned to hurt you, not in the past, present, or future."


    "Then why is it so hard for you to answer before? What¡¯s holding you back?!"


    "I just... "Henry swallowed his saliva again. "I was just shocked. I didn¡¯t expect you to believe Graham instead of me..."


    "If I really want to take our baby and give it to Marlon, I wouldn¡¯t go as far as starting a new business across the country just so we can have a fresh start together," Henry said.


    This time, he didn¡¯t lie at all.


    He started a new company because he wanted Kate to be safe from Marlon. He didn¡¯t want to be a puppet of a monster, so he broke free from that old crook.


    Henry was trying to measure the situation before. He wanted to know if Kate would forgive him if he said yes, but seeing how hysterical she got basically validated his fear.


    ¡¯Kate should never know about the truth,¡¯ Henry told himself. His gaze dimmed as he wondered whether he made the right decision. ¡¯She has to stay ignorant of this. I don¡¯t want her to leave me. I can¡¯t live my life without her by my side.¡¯


    Kate stopped struggling and hitting him after getting her answer. But she continued to sob in his embrace, "Please don¡¯t scare me like that. I truly love you, Henry. I love you so much that I won¡¯t be able to recover if you break my heart."


    "Kitty... I love you so much that I can¡¯t bear to see you cry. How could I betray you?" Henry asked back. "I would be the first to cut myself if I ever hurt you."


    Henry knew that he was half-lying at this point. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Back when he got all the information about Kate based on the lies that Sarah fed him, he thought that Kate was just a slut who ruined his family.


    So he wanted to ruin her as revenge by taking her baby and burning the Grant family to ashes after he took control of the family¡¯s inheritance and businesses.


    But now...


    Henry kissed Kate¡¯s head lovingly and whispered, "I¡¯m willing to die for you. I¡¯m serious, Katherine."

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399: Chapter 399"I¡¯m willing to die for you. I¡¯m serious, Katherine," Henry said without hesitation, but that sentence was enough to send Kate into a frenzy.


    Because it sounded too serious for her liking, as if he would truly die for her.


    "I don¡¯t like lies, Henry..." Kate said.


    "No, I¡¯m not lying," this time, he relaxed his arms around her body, allowing her to look up and stare at his deep green eyes.


    He didn¡¯t lie this time.


    He was serious about his words, "I cannot imagine the idea of living without you by my side. So if you leave me one day and tell me to die, then I will die."


    After all, Henry worked hard for everything because he wanted Kate and their baby to be safe. He wanted to have this small family with them.


    So, one day, if this small family was broken, he had nothing else to look for.


    He¡¯d rather leave this world and beg for Kate¡¯s apology in the afterlife once they reunited.


    Kate began to feel the fear creeping inside her heart.


    Of course, she still loved Henry deeply. Even if she discovered Henry truly betrayed him, she still didn¡¯t want him to die.


    So Kate shook her head, "Please don¡¯t say that, Henry. I want to live with you. I want us to be happy. I just... I don¡¯t want to be betrayed..."


    Henry smiled, gently wiping the tears on her cheeks, and assured her, "Just like what I told you before if there will be a time when you find out that I betrayed you, then you can punish me."


    ¡¯If death is my atonement, then so be it,¡¯ Henry cemented the will in his heart as he was serious about his words.


    Kate shook her head, unable to hear such cruel words from Henry¡¯s mouth.


    "Please don¡¯t betray me, Henry. I truly have nothing except you..."


    "I will never... I will never betray you..." Henry assured. ¡¯Not anymore,¡¯ he added in his heart.


    Thus, Kate and Henry embraced each other on the floor until Kate got too weak.


    Thus, Henry carried her to the bed and allowed her to rest.


    He kissed her and whispered, "You are my one and only, Katherine."


    Henry left the room and closed the door. He leaned on the door, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down.


    But no matter how many deep breaths he took, he still couldn¡¯t extinguish the fire in his heart.


    He was furious at Graham for bringing his past sin to Katherine.


    He was angry at Sarah for suggesting such a crazy idea and feeding him all the false information about Kate.


    He was angry at Marlon for entertaining the idea of taking Kate¡¯s baby and unleashing all his rage on the innocent baby.


    Lastly, he was angry at himself for concocting such a terrible plan for a good and kindhearted woman like Kate.


    Now that he was hopelessly in love with her, he couldn¡¯t even lie while staring into her eyes.


    "What have I done? Why did I sabotage my only chance to find true happiness?" Henry asked himself. He walked to the dining table and saw all the food that Kate had prepared for him.


    Henry wasn¡¯t exactly a picky eater, as long as the food was good, he would eat it.


    But living with Kate changed his palate. It made him very picky about what he ate, mostly because all of Kate¡¯s food tasted amazing, so he always felt the other food was simply inferior.


    Henry scoffed.


    He remembered his latest argument with Vernon.


    -


    ¡¯What do you think? My wife¡¯s food is the best, right?¡¯ Vernon asked after giving Henry a taste of Chloe¡¯s cooking. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯Well, it¡¯s good, but it¡¯s clearly inferior to my wife¡¯s cooking,¡¯ Henry claimed. ¡¯Kate is a clear winner here.¡¯


    ¡¯What!?¡¯ Vernon acted as if Henry had offended him. ¡¯I tasted Katherine¡¯s food. But it¡¯s not that good compared to my wife!¡¯


    This time, it was Henry who got offended, ¡¯There must be something wrong with your tongue!¡¯


    -


    Henry chuckled, "Well, I guess both of us are pretty biased."


    Henry sat at the dining table and began eating the food Kate had prepared. It was already lukewarm, but it was still the best dinner that he had eaten.


    He finished his dinner with a bittersweet feeling in his heart.


    He kept blaming himself, thinking there would be a time when pandora box finally opened, and Kate would leave him.


    Thus, unable to contain his nervousness, Henry grabbed his phone and called Michael.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Boss?" Michael answered the call. "Do you need anything?"


    "Did you get the information from Kate¡¯s bodyguards just now?" Henry asked.


    "I did. It¡¯s about Graham, isn¡¯t it?"


    "... can you find a way to kill him?" Henry asked. "I will allow any method as long as he won¡¯t disturb our peace."


    "I can¡¯t, Henry..." Michael sighed. "I¡¯ve investigated this since a week ago, and it seems that Graham has expected us to ambush him, so I heard that he already told many of his lawyer colleagues that if he disappeared, they should quickly investigate Henry Grant and Michael Eckermann."


    Henry gritted his teeth.


    Of course, Graham would¡¯ve thought about that. He was a lawyer. He had everything prepared for the worst possible scenario.


    "While I can¡¯t do anything about him, I will make sure to ban Graham from entering any of the restaurants and shops you or Vernon partly own. So it will limit his movement."


    Henry sighed, "Is that the only way to stop him?"


    "For now? Yes," Michael confirmed. "We can¡¯t do much until you have enough influence to completely topple Marlon Grant. You know, once you are around Vernon¡¯s level, you should have complete freedom to do ¡¯extra¡¯ things, right?"


    "Right..."


    Henry clenched his phone, knowing he simply had to work harder. He had to work like a madman if he truly wanted that freedom to wipe all of these insects out of this world


    "Then keep an eye on Graham and also on Marlon. Make sure to tell me if Marlon does something."


    "Got it, Boss."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400: Chapter 400A month had passed since their last fight. Kate hadn¡¯t seen Graham anywhere, so she simply believed that Henry must¡¯ve done something to Graham until he didn¡¯t dare to show up.


    Which was great because Kate didn¡¯t want to see that face anymore.


    She was already seven months pregnant, and her belly had gotten so big. She had to basically abandon all of her old clothing and opt to use loose dresses.


    Luckily, spring was around the corner, so she didn¡¯t need to wear too many layers of coat just to warm herself.


    Kate had just finished cooking breakfast, and went to the bedroom to wake her man.


    She shook his body and said, "Honey, wake up. Breakfast is ready."


    "Mrhmm? Huh?" Henry squinted as he heard the word ¡¯breakfast.¡¯


    He opened his eyes slowly and saw his beautiful woman smiling at him.


    Kate repeated, "Breakfast is ready. You need to wake up now. Don¡¯t you remember that we have an appointment with the doctor for an ultrasound?"


    Henry¡¯s eyes were wide open immediately. Kate¡¯s words were like a strong caffeine that instantly got him wide awake.


    "Damn! Are we late for the appoinment?" Henry asked.


    Kate chuckled, "Not at all. But you need to eat breakfast and freshen up. The appointment is at eleven."


    "Okay, let¡¯s eat breakfast together!" Henry said. But Kate refused;


    "You know I don¡¯t eat breakfast, right?" Kate said. "I ate three boiled bitter gourds in the morning. So it¡¯ll be fine."


    Henry shuddered when he heard bitter gourd again.


    For some reason, Kate¡¯s pregnancy cravings were either bitter like a bitter gourd or sour like sucking a lime.


    Henry was worried about their baby once it was born since Kate seemed to hate anything sweet when she was pregnant.


    ¡¯What if the baby turns out to be grumpy because Kate doesn¡¯t like sweet things?¡¯ Henry wondered.


    But he didn¡¯t think much about it and went out to eat his breakfast.


    Kate was already fully prepared for their doctor¡¯s appointment, when Henry had just finished a quick shower in the morning.


    "What do you think our baby¡¯s gender would be?" Kate asked.


    "A girl," Henry replied without hesitation. "I hope it¡¯s a girl." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh? Why?" Kate raised her brow. "A boy would be cute, right? I bet he will look like you."


    "Oh, he will, and I don¡¯t want that," Henry said. "I¡¯m afraid if it¡¯s a boy, you will have to raise the child version of me. Trust me, you don¡¯t want it. I was a little demon that created havoc everywhere."


    "Were you that naughty back then?" Kate asked.


    "I was spoiled rotten. James was a good big brother, but he would find all of my pranks to be fun, even protecting me from my parent¡¯s scolding at times. He wasn¡¯t strict at all."


    "Nor did Dahlia?"


    "My Mom adored me so much that each time she scolded me, she would apologize the next minute," Henry sighed. "That¡¯s why raising a dedicated and studious daughter like you would be better, right? Besides, I also want to care for a child version of you, who must be very cute."


    Kate and Henry had differing opinions on this. Kate wanted a baby boy because it¡¯d be cute to see young Henry, while Henry wanted the opposite because young Kate would be the most precious little princess ever.


    "Well, in the end, whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, we still have to be great parents for our child, right?" Kate warned, worried Henry wouldn¡¯t be happy if it were a boy.


    "Of course! I will be the luckiest man on earth as long as the baby is born healthy and you¡¯re in a good condition after labor," Henry assured. "Now let¡¯s go. We might be late if there¡¯s traffic."


    **


    Kate and Henry arrived at the hospital and met with the doctor to do an ultrasound.


    Kate lay on the hospital bed while Henry stood beside her, holding her hand.


    The doctor rubbed a gel around Kate¡¯s pregnant belly and used the machine to create an image of the unborn baby on the monitor.


    The doctor had a big smile when she saw the baby and said, "The baby is healthy, no complications, no congenital disabilities."


    Kate and Henry looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Though they were curious about their baby¡¯s gender, they cared more about the baby¡¯s health.


    After all, Kate had many traumatic experiences during pregnancy and also endured stress that would usually result in miscarriage if not handled well.


    But Kate¡¯s willpower to bring the baby into this world was amazing. She was like a fortress that wouldn¡¯t crumble even after getting hit by the storm and earthquake.


    All because she really wanted a baby of her own.


    "Then, what about our baby¡¯s gender, Doctor?" Kate asked.


    The doctor pointed at something in the monitor and said, "Do you see that? It¡¯s a boy."


    Kate was so happy that she almost jumped out of bed, "Henry, do you hear that? We¡¯re going to have a son!" Kate said excitedly.


    Kate thought Henry would be as excited as her, but he did not respond.


    She turned her head and saw that Henry was dazed while staring at the monitor, "Henry?"


    "Oh¡ª"Henry snapped out of his daze and smiled at Kate, "We¡¯re going to have a son. I¡¯m so happy, Kitty."


    "You don¡¯t look too happy," Kate frowned. "Do you really want a daughter?"


    "N¡ªNo, a son or a daughter, I will love them equally," Henry said. "I was just surprised because I thought we would have a daughter."


    The doctor sensed the discord between the husband and wife and thought it was normal.


    Many couples often fought about whether they wanted a son or a daughter, and the doctor always had a way to appease them, "Congratulations on your son, but if you want a daughter, you two can try it again next year, right?" The doctor winked, obviously joking, but that didn¡¯t help Henry.


    Henry wasn¡¯t happy. Not because he hated a son, but because a son meant Marlon would go even crazier to take the baby since he wanted a new heir that he could control like a puppet.


    Henry¡¯s gaze darkened as he saw the unborn baby on the monitor, ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, Son. Papa will protect you from that monster. Even if it will cost my life.¡¯

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401: Chapter 401Henry and Kate went silent after she had an ultrasound. Henry drove the car in silence while he glanced at Kate, who was in a bad mood next to him.


    "Kitty, I¡ª"


    "You don¡¯t want a son, do you?" Kate asked straight to the point.


    Henry winced, and he shook his head, "No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯d love a son. I¡¯m just afraid that we won¡¯t be able to take care of him."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a very strict mother," Kate said. She remembered how she spoiled Erin so much that she became a total entitled bitch. "I won¡¯t make the same mistake as I did with Erin."


    Henry wanted to say that being a boy meant he¡¯d be more prone to danger because of Marlon¡¯s extreme craziness of wanting to have a male heir that he could control.


    A perfect male heir who wouldn¡¯t disappoint him, unlike Henry and James.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t say it because that might become a chain of questions about his true intention that would end their relationship.


    Just like what he told her a month ago, if their relationship ended, then he preferred her to order his death so he would atone for his sin.


    Henry put his hand on her belly and caressed it gently, "Don¡¯t worry, Son. Papa love you, and will protect you from any harm," Henry said. He then looked at Kate, who was stunned by what he did, "And I hope you won¡¯t annoy your Mama too much, or I¡¯ll have to give you a time-out."


    Kate slowly thawed once she saw how sincere Henry looked.


    She wondered if Henry didn¡¯t want a son simply because he was afraid of creating a little demon or because of something else.


    Nevertheless, Kate believed that Henry was true to his words.


    "Well, I¡¯m just happy that the baby is healthy. As long as he is born healthy, then I¡¯m more than grateful," Kate said.


    "Me too. Our lives will be perfect with our baby," Henry said. He grinned and added, "More babies would be nice, though. We have to give him little brothers or sisters."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened.


    Of course, she already imagined a lively house with at least four or five children. She was raised with only a sister who wasn¡¯t grateful for everything that Kate did for her.


    ¡¯I will teach my children to be grateful and to keep a tight bond between themselves. It¡¯s really sad to have a fight with your family...¡¯ Kate sighed.


    "Well, I¡¯m sure that Theo will be happy to have little brothers and sisters," Kate said. "Three or four more, if you want."


    "Theo?"


    "Yes," Kate caressed her belly and smiled, "I¡¯ve decided on his first name. It would be Theodore."


    Kate looked at Henry, and her smile bloomed even more, "I want him to be a great man, just like his father, right, Henry Theodore Grant?"


    Ba-dump.


    Henry felt like his body exploded, and a bunch of firecrackers were popping into his brain.


    His heartbeat began to accelerate until he was forced to park his car on the side of the road.


    "Henry? What¡¯s wrong?"


    Henry said nothing, but he pinched Kate¡¯s chin and forced her to turn her face towards him and then kissed her lips possessively.


    Kate was shocked at first but soon indulged herself as she also liked the kiss from her man.


    It took a while until Kate began to push himself away.


    "W¡ªWhat has gotten into you?" Kate asked while taking a deep breath.


    "I¡¯m just... so happy. My heart is pumping, and my brain gets all fuzzy. I don¡¯t know what I should do to help myself," Henry told the truth. "I¡¯m so happy that you want our baby to have my middle name because it¡¯s the name given by Dahlia. I treasure my middle name so much."


    "I¡¯m also happy that you want him to be like me. It makes me want to do even better. I want to be the best husband for you and the best father for our son," Henry said.


    There were millions of words left inside his brain. He wouldn¡¯t get bored telling Kate how much he loved her.


    Because he truly loved her more than any words could ever convey.


    He held her hand tight and put it on his chest right when his heart was beating, "Do you feel it? My heart is beating so fast right now. I¡¯m too happy that I might explode."


    Kate nodded.


    She could feel his heartbeat that sounded more like a drum, "Our son will become a strong and responsible man like you are. I know he will because he has you as his father."


    "And he will be smart, loyal, and kind-hearted because he has you as his mother."


    Kate and Henry kissed for the second time, but this time, it was much gentler, and Henry finally knew this was the joy he wanted for so long.


    He wanted to be with the woman he loved, with children they had together and was safe from any harm.


    It might be a simple wish, but it was a very difficult one for Henry to achieve.


    But he would never give up.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t give up now. I have two precious gems I have to protect no matter what,¡¯ Henry told himself. ¡¯This is the life I want, and I have to work hard for it.¡¯ Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    Sarah was sitting on a chair, drinking her evening tea while snacking on some biscuits.


    Meanwhile, Erin was busy at the corner of the room, busily checking all the hands-down dresses that Sarah gave her.


    Sarah had to get rid of all of the unnecessarily flashy and tacky dresses that she had, either a gift from a random acquaintance or a dress she bought out of boredom. So she gave it all to Erin.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t do it out of kindness.


    She had constant contact with Marlon right now, and the representative from the Duchy of York had been visiting the Grant estate a few times to ask if they could meet with Henry since he was the future Duke.


    Unfortunately, since Henry was running away, Marlon had to come up with lies and said that he was too busy in his office, and the representative understood.

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402: Chapter 402But those people sent by the Duchy of York would return and, eventually, asked for Henry¡¯s presence as the sole heir.


    ¡¯Naturally, I have to get rid of those tacky and flashy dresses if I want to be a Duchess. I don¡¯t want to be seen as a stupid and vain woman by the other nobles,¡¯ Sarah thought.


    She glanced at Erin, whose eyes were glimmering once she tried on one of the dresses


    Thus, Sarah handed them all to Erin. Erin was a woman of no class who simply wanted to attract the attention of everyone in the room with the flashiest and tackiest dress ever.


    "OH MY GOD! It¡¯s so amazing!" Erin said while playing with the dress. She raised her leg a little to show her new wheel that had diamonds all over it.


    She then turned around towards Sarah and asked, "Are you sure I can have all this, Miss Sarah?"


    "Of course, I think those dresses and heels fit you better than I do," Sarah smiled. ¡¯After all, your existence is embarrassing. You are so average. That¡¯s why the only way for you to attract men is by wearing that tacky stuff or offering your pussy to them. What a whore.¡¯


    ¡¯But, it¡¯s so easy to satisfy you. I¡¯m glad that I can kill two birds in one stone. I can get rid of those tacky dresses and gain even more of your loyalty, Erina Ross.¡¯


    "Thank you so much, Miss!" Erin said. She looked so grateful, but Erin sneered in her heart, ¡¯Heh, what a stupid bitch. She gives me all these expensive dresses. Does she not know that I¡¯m an amazing beauty? I will steal the spotlight from her and get all the men on every occasion!¡¯


    Of course, Sarah could read all the ideas in Erin¡¯s mind. Erin was very simple-minded. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess her schemes.


    But rather than calling Erin out and controlling her like a pet, Sarah preferred for Erin to run wild like a savage animal and continued letting her do destructive things so someone else would do the job to kill this bitch once Erin had gotten out of control.


    Thus, she continued influencing Erin, "Do you know why I gave you all those dresses?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Miss."


    "Well, I¡¯ve visited the Grant Estate, Henry¡¯s house, and his father told me the representative from the Duchy of York came a few days ago to check on Henry."


    "Duchy of York?" Erin tilted her head. "What¡¯s that, Miss?"


    "It¡¯s a powerful, old noble family. They have a massive amount of influence and wealth, and they want Henry to be the next Duke," Sarah said. "And that means Henry will be Duke of York once he gets the title."


    Sarah glanced at Erin, who didn¡¯t seem to understand much about nobility, which was understandable knowing she barely had a functioning brain, "That means Henry will become a really powerful rich man in the United Kingdom, surrounded by elite people, and his wife would become the luckiest woman on earth."


    Erin had that lightbulb once she heard Henry, powerful, rich, and elite.


    Of course, she wanted all that! sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah sighed, "Henry once told me he liked those dresses, but he didn¡¯t like it when I was wearing them. I don¡¯t know what that means, though..."


    ¡¯That means you¡¯re an ugly freak. That¡¯s why Henry doesn¡¯t want you to wear these beautiful dresses,¡¯ Erin sneered. ¡¯He would be head over heels, salivating over me since I¡¯m way more beautiful than you. I fit these dresses better!¡¯


    Sarah held her chuckle as she could clearly read what was in Erin¡¯s mind, "I think it fits you better. That¡¯s why I give it to you. Naturally, I don¡¯t want it to go to waste."


    "Thank you so much, Miss!" Erin smiled wide. But her smile began to falter once she remembered about her bitch sister, Kate. "But Henry is with Kate right now, Miss. I don¡¯t agree with their relationship. Henry should¡¯ve married m¡ªI mean, you! He should¡¯ve married an amazing lady like you!"


    "Of course, isn¡¯t that why I brought you here?" Sarah smirked. "To get rid of Kate and that damned baby."


    "Oh, I will," Erin grinned. "Just tell me when I should go to New York. I will kill that bitch and rip the baby out of her stomach myself."


    "Well, unfortunately, you can¡¯t, for now," Sarah sighed. "Henry and Vernon have put a crazy amount of protection around Katherine. There is no way for you to do anything without getting caught."


    "So what should we do to separate Henry and Kate?" Erin asked.


    Sarah didn¡¯t answer immediately. She just smirked and grabbed her phone. She called Graham to get the required information that would help her progress.


    ¡ª


    Graham picked up the call and asked, "What?"


    "Graham, it¡¯s been a week since you told me that Kate did an ultrasound. Why don¡¯t you tell me her baby¡¯s gender."


    ...


    Graham went silent for a while. He wondered if it was the right choice to continue believing in Sarah, especially since all she did was just order him around.


    But then, he remembered how the doctor said that Kate was so happy knowing she¡¯d have a baby boy, not knowing that the baby boy would be robbed of her by the time he was born.


    Graham couldn¡¯t imagine the anguish on Kate¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t want to see his beloved woman cry because of that bastard, Henry.


    So he decided to tell Sarah, "It¡¯s a boy. She is going to have a son."


    "A son?!" Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. "Oh my, that¡¯s horrible! Marlon wants to have a new male heir! He will go crazy if he knows about this!"


    "I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying hard to separate them. I will bring Kate to a safe place where she is far from Henry!" Graham said frustratedly. "But Henry is keeping her on a tight leash. I have no way to approach her."


    Sarah smirked ear-to-ear as she finally found the right moment to use her ace card.


    Of course, everything was according to plan up until this point, "Worry not. I have something that will eliminate all risk. Henry won¡¯t be able to be with Kate for the rest of his life."


    "I hope it won¡¯t hurt Katherine..."


    "Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Graham. You know that¡¯s inevitable, right?" Sarah chuckled and hung up the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403: Chapter 403"Oh! We¡¯re finally doing something against that bitch! I¡¯m so excited~!" Erin cheered as she imagined the pain that Kate would experience.


    Sarah was a dangerous woman, and Erin understood that very much. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t dare to hurt Sarah for now.


    She preferred for Sarah to eliminate Kate first, then Erin would stab this arrogant bitch while she was asleep.


    ¡¯And I will have Henry for myself, hihi~.¡¯


    "I have an ace card that will not fail. I¡¯ve been saving this for the right moment, the moment when they are so in love with each other," Sarah said. "This will break them off and hurt Kate until she can¡¯t face Henry anymore. Then I will send you to kill that bitch, since Kate will be vulnerable."


    "Perfect, I can¡¯t wait!" Erin said. "Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I went through a cold hell because of that ugly sister of mine. I will make her pay no matter what!"


    ¡¯And I will let Henry kill you after that. It¡¯s so easy to play with all of you,¡¯ Sarah grinned, feeling that everything was according to her plan and the title of Duchess of York would be hers.


    **


    "Okay, so that¡¯s a wrap for today. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t attend the meeting physically because I¡¯m already eight months pregnant. I have to stay in my apartment," Kate said in front of her iPad.


    She was having an online conference call with four of the top authors who were supposed to meet with her in the Empress Publishing office.


    Unfortunately, Henry forbade her to leave the apartment when she was in the late stage of pregnancy, so she asked Mai to represent her and set up a Zoom meeting with the projector.


    "My secretary will hand the contract to each respective author. Please read it carefully and email me if you find something not to your liking. Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry for my absence," Kate apologized again. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Ross. I know pregnancy is hard. You shouldn¡¯t push yourself too much!"


    "Yeah! Don¡¯t worry, we trust you with the contract. You¡¯re the one who helped us to get our first big break!"


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile when she heard the encouragement from these authors she contracted.


    She had plenty of support from her authors. They were already happy to leave Emperor Publishing and found a new home.


    "Thank you, everyone. But please check the contracts nonetheless. I don¡¯t want to leave a bitter taste in our partnership," Kate warned as usual.


    After she turned off the Zoom call, Kate closed her iPad and lay on the sofa leisurely. She texted Mai and told her to send all the reports from the meeting.


    "Ah, I feel bad for Mai..." Kate sighed. "She worked so hard, we didn¡¯t even have time to spend a weekend together."


    Kate also felt guilty because she knew that Michael and Mai wanted to go on a date, but they were so busy with work that they had no time to set up a nice Saturday night date.


    "I should tell Henry to let them have a break on the weekend," Kate made a mental note to ensure she didn¡¯t forget it.


    She stared at the window and smiled peacefully.


    A month had passed since she had an ultrasound. Her belly had grown so big that it was difficult for her to move around, so Henry usually helped her to dress or shower.


    Unfortunately, she also lost her ability to cook.


    Well, she could, and there should be no harm. But Henry was too much of a worrywart. He even wondered if they could dismantle the whole kitchen set and throw it away so Kate couldn¡¯t cook.


    People might find him excessive, but it was actually a love language that Kate liked since she had grown very attached to her man when she was pregnant.


    She was so attached that she thought their perfect relationship could be shattered anytime soon.


    "Everything is going too well. I¡¯m not used to being happy. What if I get too relaxed and something bad happens?" Kate wondered.


    But she soon shook her head to avoid overthinking. The doctor already told her not to overthink because it might harm her condition, as she was very prone when she was already eight months pregnant.


    Unfortunately, since Kate was forced to stay home for a month, she was bound to get bored.


    She began calling Dahlia and Chloe at least once every day to find someone to talk to while Henry was working.


    They promised they¡¯d come when she was in labor.


    Dahlia wanted to visit the new penthouse, but Kate forbade her because she was also still being targeted by Marlon, so it was better to stay hidden unless she had an important thing to do.


    Kate rubbed her belly and muttered, "Just a bit more. I have to be prepared for the sake of my baby."


    Kate had gotten sleepier as she waited for Henry to return home. She glanced at the clock on the wall and grabbed her phone to call her man.


    As she unlocked the phone and searched for his contact, her phone suddenly got a notification, and it was an email from an unknown sender.


    She frowned. It was also sent to her work email, so Kate couldn¡¯t miss it.


    Thus, she clicked on the email to check it, and the unknown email wrote;


    ¡ª


    Do you want to know the truth about Henry Grant? Do you want to know what kind of monster he truly is?


    Katherine, you are a fool.


    Don¡¯t believe me? Listen to the recording.


    ¡ª


    Within the email, the unknown sender attached a file that seemed to be an audio recording.


    Kate gulped, "W¡ªWhat is this? Is this a scam? Or maybe a scheme to separate me and Henry?"


    Kate had guessed the sender must be either Sarah, Marlon, or Graham.


    She was about to ignore it, but the audio recording attached was too tempting for her to ignore.


    Kate took a deep breath and told herself, "Henry won¡¯t hurt me. He is a good man, so I shouldn¡¯t doubt him."


    Thus, Kate downloaded the audio recording and played it.

 Chapter 404: The Truth

    Chapter 404: Chapter 404: The Truth"Going home, Sir?" Mindy asked as she saw Henry leaving his office with his briefcase.


    As usual, Henry had a big smile as he left the office. He was always happy whenever he went home, which meant he would be reunited with his beloved after a grueling day at work.


    "Sure is," Henry replied with a wide smile. "You should go home too, Mindy. I think we have the job done, right?"


    "Oh, don¡¯t lie, Sir. You know we still have much to do," Mindy smiled sarcastically. "That¡¯s why I have to work overtime three times this week."


    "Hehe, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t miss spending time with my wife when she¡¯s pregnant. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll go into labor when I¡¯m in the office," Henry said.


    Mindy nodded.


    Of course, she understood that Henry would prioritize his wife over work. So Mindy didn¡¯t mind taking overtime as long as Kate had a safe delivery for her baby.


    ¡¯Well, Henry is also much faster at work now, so I guess it¡¯s not really bad for him to clock out at five. He¡¯s the Boss, after all,¡¯ Mindy thought.


    Henry drove to the Phoenix Tower and hummed a love song while using the VIP elevator straight to the penthouse. He had been expecting his beloved to smile at him and give him a welcome kiss, a perfect appetizer for a blissful life for Henry.


    He unlocked the door with his fingerprint and opened it without hesitation. He had a big smile as he called his beloved woman, "Kitty! I¡¯m home!"


    ...


    Henry¡¯s smile faltered. He hung his coat and entered the living room, but didn¡¯t find her anywhere, "Kitty? Where are you?"


    Henry began to worry. He was afraid that Kate might¡¯ve gone into labor earlier than expected. He began panicking.


    "Kitty? Kate? Katherine!"


    Henry got no answer, but he heard a noise in the bedroom. So he rushed to the bedroom, and the first thing he saw was her tears.


    Kate was crying while shoving all of her clothes into a suitcase. Her eyes were puffy, but her tears wouldn¡¯t stop even if she tried to hold it back.


    Kate felt pathetic to cry over this bastard who had tricked her!


    "K¡ªKatherine?" Henry tried to call her, but Kate ignored him completely. She simply went back and forth, shoving all her clothes into the suitcase and grabbing her tote bag.


    She put all of her belongings, wallet, iPad, phone, car key. She basically made sure that she left nothing in this damned penthouse!


    "Katherine, stop this! What¡¯s wrong?!" Henry tried to stand behind Kate and talk things out.


    He feared the worst might¡¯ve happened, but it shouldn¡¯t be because he had specifically protected Kate from anyone for the past month.


    She wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the penthouse at all. She wasn¡¯t even allowed to cook because it might tire her out.


    He ensured that Kate was in her best condition before going into labor, so he didn¡¯t understand what she was doing.


    Kate didn¡¯t answer. She simply treated Henry like air while busying herself with her belongings.


    Henry began to panic. He grabbed Kate¡¯s arm to stop her from putting everything into her bag, "Katherine! Answer me! What happened?!"


    Kate finally stopped. She turned her head and glared at Henry, who still dared to act clueless.


    "Let me go, you filthy scum," Kate said coldly.


    Henry felt that his body had turned cold instantly. He was at a loss, "W¡ªWhat happened? What did I do?"


    "You know what you did," Kate scoffed. "You know everything. I was the only one who got fooled. Congratulations, Mr. Grant, you¡¯ve done a great job fooling a stupid, average-looking bitch like me."


    Henry¡¯s hand trembled when he heard the familiar last sentence. He connected the dots instantly but still denied it because he refused to let go of their beautiful lives.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean? I don¡¯t understand. We have a good life, right? Are you upset about something?" Henry began to act like he was completely clueless. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn¡¯t ignorance. He was just in denial.


    He refused to accept that his relationship with Kate ended today because once she truly left him, his life was done for.


    "Katherine, I¡ª"


    "STOP PLAYING DUMB!" Kate snapped. She had enough of this bastard who had played her heart for so long. "Don¡¯t you dare to deny it, Henry! You¡¯re a fucking monster!"


    Henry shook his head. He continued denying, "I¡ªI don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand what you mean. W¡ªWe have a great life together, Katherine. I¡¯m working hard for us. I¡¯m doing everything so we can be happy!"


    "So YOU can be happy. You have no pity for me, Henry Grant!" Kate yelled. She grabbed her phone and unlocked it. "If you continue to act like a dumb bastard, then this will wake you up!"


    Kate played the voice recording she had been listening to the whole evening.


    Henry stared emptily at the phone screen with the text written as.


    ¡¯The truth of the love scammer.¡¯


    ¡ªAudio¡ª


    ¡¯Are you sure you will be able to execute this?¡¯ Marlon asked in the recording. ¡¯James has been tricked by that woman, and look at what happened to him. He ended up dead because he dared to disobey me.¡¯


    ¡¯You don¡¯t need to worry about me, Dad,¡¯ Henry¡¯s familiar voice was undeniable in the recording. ¡¯I already have Sarah as my fianc¨¦e. I will marry her in the end. I just can¡¯t accept my brother¡¯s death. That woman, Katherine Woods, has derailed my brother, so I will get my revenge on her.¡¯


    ¡¯Isn¡¯t she a beauty? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get enchanted with her as well,¡¯ Marlon asked.


    ¡¯I fucked her once and got her pregnant. She is just an average-looking bitch, she is not that beautiful, and she doesn¡¯t hold a candle against Sarah,¡¯ Henry said.


    He remembered that part. He had to lie because if he could be honest, Katherine was such an enchanting beauty that Henry actually fell in love the first moment their eyes met in person.


    But Marlon would hate to hear that, so he had to lie.


    ¡¯So, what¡¯s your next step?¡¯ Marlon asked again.


    ¡¯I will make her fall in love with me until she divorces her husband, abandons her job, and leaves everything behind just to be with me,¡¯ Henry said confidently and cruelly. ¡¯Then I will take her baby and give it to you. You can do whatever you want. In exchange, I want the complete transfer of ownership for the Grant Family¡¯s assets and businesses.¡¯


    ¡¯Hahahah, alright then, I guess I can use that baby as a tool to raise a good dog. It¡¯s a worthless child of a whore, after all. I¡¯ll have fun beating that child in my old days,¡¯ Marlon said coldly. ¡¯We have a deal, Son.¡¯


    ¡¯Thank you, Dad. You can trust me with this job. I will ruin that woman¡¯s life.¡¯


    ¡ªAudio end¡ª

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405: Chapter 405[Song Recommendation: The Weeknd - Call Out My Name.]


    Henry felt that his world had been shattered into pieces. He opened his mouth, trying to find a way to defend himself, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He simply stared at Kate dumbly. He wanted to cry but knew it would only make him look even more insincere. So he held his tears and tried to pacify his beloved.


    "Katherine, we... we can talk about this¡ª"


    "Talk? What¡¯s there to talk about? You tricked me this whole time! I foolishly abandoned everything because I love you! I foolishly thought that you truly want the best for us!" Kate¡¯s lips trembled. Her eyes began to pool with tears again. "You are wretched, Henry. You¡¯re even more wretched than Matthew."


    Henry couldn¡¯t handle any more cruel words coming out of Kate¡¯s mouth. It was like a barrage of knives that stabbed his heart repeatedly.


    He dropped to his knees and grabbed Kate¡¯s hand tightly, looking up at her, "Kate, please, I can explain this! We can fix this! I wasn¡¯t thinking straight at that time! I was overcome by grief, and thought that you caused it! It was Sarah who fed me with lies!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate¡¯s heart began to waver when Henry fell to his knees to beg her. His eyes were so desperate and sincere as if he was truly at a loss right now.


    But she quickly denied the feeling and told herself, ¡¯This man has tricked you for almost a year. Don¡¯t you realize this is just one of his tricks to make you do what he wants? He even throws the blame to someone else even though he is the main culprit.¡¯


    "There is nothing to fix, Henry," Kate said coldly. "I¡¯m not going to be fooled by you again."


    "I¡ªI¡¯m not fooling you. My love is real! I am truly, hopelessly in love with you, Katherine!" Henry said.


    Kate¡¯s body began to tremble when Henry delivered such a desperate confession.


    She began to cry, thinking that all of his words were fake and this was just a trick for him to steal her baby.


    "Real? Then explain that goddamn audio recording if your love is real!" Kate yelled. "How dare you play with my heart like this! You don¡¯t know how much I love you, Henry!"


    Kate was unable to control her emotions anymore. Her tears streamed down her cheeks and dropped on Henry¡¯s face.


    "I love you. I love you so much that I can¡¯t even express myself," Kate said with a shaky voice. "I planned to spend the rest of my life with you, and I was happy thinking I would marry you, eventually."


    "Katherine..." Henry murmured. He was speechless as he finally realized the irreparable damage he had done to his beloved.


    "But you lied to me!" Kate snapped. "Do you not realize how much I love this baby? I¡¯d rather die with the baby than let him suffer in the hands of your bastard father!"


    "NO!" Henry denied instantly. The idea of Katherine dying with their baby was enough to turn him insane. "You¡¯re not going to die, and I¡¯m not going to give our baby to Marlon! I had a change of heart long ago!"


    "A change of heart?"


    Henry nodded without hesitation, "I had a change of heart after realizing I¡¯ve fallen for you. That¡¯s why I started anew in New York, so I can give you the freedom and safety so we can marry and start a life together!"


    "Don¡¯t lie, Henry. You forced me to move to New York so you can uproot me from my stable life," Kate said sarcastically. "I bet you colluded with Marlon to fake that ambush in Los Angeles!"


    Henry was speechless. Never in his mind had he ever got the idea of hurting Kate. He shook his head fervently to deny it and continued trying to persuade his beloved, "Trust me, Katherine, I¡¯m begging you!"


    "How am I supposed to trust you after all this, Henry?" Kate asked.


    ...


    "If you really love me, then why didn¡¯t you tell me about this plan of yours before? Why did you hide it until someone sent me a recording?" Kate inquired even more.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m scared, Katherine," Henry said truthfully. "I¡¯m scared that you¡¯re going to leave me. I¡¯m scared you will abandon me if you know about what I planned to do before. That¡¯s why I thought I could keep you in the dark."


    "Do you not trust me enough? How many times did I tell you that I love you unconditionally?" Kate stated. "If you truly have a change of heart and love me earnestly, you would¡¯ve told me about this earlier!"


    "W¡ªWe can fix this. I will tell you EVERYTHING about my previous plan. I will tell you anything you want to know!" Henry begged. "Please, give me a chance to fix this. I don¡¯t know how to live without you!"


    "Oh, you will live," Kate scoffed. "I know you will because, to you, I¡¯m just an average-looking bitch that killed James, right?"


    "It¡¯s all in the past! I am truly in love with you, Kate. Please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t leave me alone in this world!"


    Kate looked away because she knew she¡¯d fall for him again if she kept an eye contact with him.


    "You are so good at lying, Henry. I almost fell for it again," Kate sneered. "But not anymore. I¡¯m done with everything."


    Kate kicked Henry¡¯s shoulder repeatedly until the latter was forced to let go of Kate¡¯s hand. Henry could only kneel on the ground helplessly, staring at Kate, who grabbed her suitcase and bag and left the bedroom.


    Henry watched Kate¡¯s back and went further and further from his gaze. He felt empty, as if he had lost something precious. He also lost his willpower to live instantly.


    He got up and followed Kate, who struggled to push the heavy suitcase into the living room.


    "Katherine¡ª"


    "Shut up, Henry!" Kate snapped. "I won¡¯t be fooled again, no matter how many times you try begging on your knees! I¡¯m not going to give my baby to you!"


    Each of her words was like a death sentence to Henry, whose mind began to muddle as he kept thinking about ending his life to atone for his sin.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406: Chapter 406[Warning: Violence.]


    So he stopped following Kate and went to the kitchen instead.


    He grabbed a kitchen knife and shouted, "KATHERINE!"


    Kate turned around spontaneously and gasped when she saw Henry with a kitchen knife. His eyes were devoid of emotion.


    Henry aimed the kitchen knife to his throat and said, "I am serious, Katherine. I truly love you. I am hopelessly, ardently in love with you. That¡¯s why I abandoned all of my old schemes, and inheritance for you."


    "I start anew to give you and our baby the freedom you deserve. I want to have a family with you..."


    "You... you are my one and only, and if you leave, then there is no point in living anymore," Henry said. He began pressing the tip of the knife to his throat until a drop of blood leaked out.


    Strangely, he didn¡¯t feel pain at all.


    He was just happy because Kate finally listened to him.


    So if his death was the way for her to listen, then so be it.


    "I told you once, if you ever caught me betraying you, then you can just order me to kill myself, and I will do it," Henry said without hesitation. "So give me the order now, Kate. Please tell me to kill myself. This way, you will finally trust me, and I will atone for my sin."


    Kate stared at Henry, who looked unhinged.


    She thought Henry was just trying to appease her when he said he¡¯d die for her, but it seemed more serious than she expected.


    Maybe Henry truly had a change of heart, and he simply hid this because he was afraid that Kate would leave him.


    ¡¯But what¡¯s the point? Even if he has a change of heart, it doesn¡¯t guarantee he wouldn¡¯t sell me out in the future,¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯Even if he is loyal to me, can I live with a man who initially schemed to take my baby?¡¯


    ...


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned.


    She knew her answer already.


    Henry saw the coldness in her gaze and smiled helplessly, "It can¡¯t be helped. You don¡¯t trust me at all. Then, if this is truly the end, I want you to know that you are truly my one and only Katherine. I love you."


    "I think you¡¯re a coward, Henry," Kate finally replied.


    "A... coward?"


    "Yes, what you¡¯re doing right now is cowardly," Kate said. "So what if you truly had a change of heart? Do you expect me to trust you immediately? Do you expect me to give you a second chance, knowing you may change your mind again in the future?"


    "And don¡¯t you dare to try to kill yourself. That¡¯s a pathetic excuse for a man whose baby I¡¯m carrying right now," Kate added.


    "Then how am I supposed to atone for my sin? What should I do to make you believe me?!" Henry asked desperately. "I¡¯m at a loss, Katherine. I don¡¯t know what to do to convince you!"


    "You want to atone for your sin, you say?" Kate¡¯s eyes peered, and she said softly yet cruelly. "Then continue living. I want you to live the rest of your life knowing that you¡¯ve ruined your only chance to be happy. I want you to never feel happy until your last breath."


    "Then you will die knowing that I¡¯ve moved on from you completely, Henry Grant," Kate said. Though she knew this was a lie.


    Henry was her one and only too. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to move on from him, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to find another man.


    She would spend the rest of her life working and raising her son. But it was fine for Kate as long as her son was far from his father because Henry was not a good influence.


    Henry was a monster who schemed to take his own child and give it to that old crook to get tortured.


    All for the sake of money.


    Henry¡¯s hands began to shake.


    Kate¡¯s words completely turned his words upside down.


    He dropped the knife and used the kitchen counter to prop himself up because he had lost all of his strength.


    Kate didn¡¯t want him to die.


    But she wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life to atone for his sin.


    Unfortunately, death sounded more like a mercy for him because he couldn¡¯t imagine seeing Kate with another man.


    His heart would burn in fury, and he might do something unspeakable to Kate¡¯s new man.


    "That is the befitting punishment for the man who ruined my life, Henry," Kate turned around while dragging her luggage.


    "W¡ªWhere are you going?" Henry asked as he tried to stop her. "It¡¯s too dangerous outside!"


    "Dangerous?" Kate looked over her shoulder. She chuckled and said, "And you think living with you is safe? Who knows, you might set up another ambush while I was asleep. Besides, you should bring Sarah to live with you instead. I think she will be more than happy to stay with you."


    "After all, she is your true fianc¨¦e that you will marry, right?" Kate shrugged carelessly as she kept stabbing Henry with his own words. "I¡¯m just an average-looking bitch, Henry. You don¡¯t need to care about me at all."


    "And don¡¯t worry about child support and whatsoever. I don¡¯t need any of that," Kate scoffed. " If I ask for child support, then you¡¯ll have a claim on him. I don¡¯t even want my son to know his biological father. Maybe I should marry another man immediately and lie to my son about it."


    Of course, at this point, Kate was just being petty. Everything that she said was a lie. She just wanted to keep hurting Henry because her heart was bleeding right now and would continue to bleed for the rest of her life.


    "Goodbye, Henry Grant. I hope you will never find happiness for the rest of your pathetic life." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate finally left the penthouse and slammed the door behind her, leaving Henry alone.


    Henry began to have difficulty breathing. He felt that his life had been taken out of his body.


    "Katherine... Theodore..." Henry murmured the names of his treasured ones that he lost because of his own mistake.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407: Chapter 407Kate stood outside of the penthouse door for a long time. She was still trying to swallow the bitter pill that Henry faked his affection for a long time.


    He just wanted to get her pregnant and then give the baby to Marlon to get tortured to death just for money.


    "No matter how many times he told me he had a change of heart, his initial intention was still heinous..." Kate murmured. She winced as she felt a slight contraction. She rubbed her eight-months belly and muttered, "I can¡¯t guarantee my baby¡¯ safety when he¡¯s around. I don¡¯t feel safe."


    Of course, Kate felt a tinge of guilt for being petty and continued to stab Henry with all the hurtful words she could imagine.


    She was also sad when she saw the anguish on his face. If she had followed her heart¡¯s desire, she would have run towards Henry again and hugged him tight, probably also begging him not to hurt her anymore, because she had been heartbroken far too many times.


    But her logic told her no. She couldn¡¯t be weak, not when she had a baby she had to protect with her life.


    So she took a deep breath. She was ready to enter the elevator and left.


    But before she could do that, Henry suddenly opened the door and grabbed her arm, which forced Kate to turn around to face him.


    Kate was shocked when she saw his tears.


    Henry couldn¡¯t control his tears and looked desperate as he clenched Kate¡¯s arm.


    "You can¡¯t leave, Katherine. It¡¯s too dangerous outside!" Henry raised his voice, desperately hoping that Kate would listen to him at least once. "This must be a trick Sarah, Marlon, and Graham used to separate us because you will be vulnerable outside!"


    "Don¡¯t touch me, you bastard!" Kate yelled and pushed Henry away spontaneously. But again, Henry didn¡¯t let go, and Kate began to struggle.


    Henry realized the harder he tried to stop Kate, the harder she struggled, which might hurt their baby. So he tried to tell her as gently as he could, "You can leave me. You can leave this penthouse as well. But you NEED to tell me where you want to go."


    "So you will be able to stalk me and take my baby?!"


    "NO! I HAVE TO PROTECT YOU NO MATTER WHAT!" Henry yelled back, thinking that Kate was being too stubborn. His gaze softened once he realized that Kate had stopped struggling and said, "I promised I would protect you. I won¡¯t let you get hurt, Katherine..."


    Kate began to heave after she struggled too much. She peered at Henry, searching for a bad intention coming from him, but he truly looked like someone who had accepted his fate.


    "I... I know you don¡¯t want to see my face. I know you hate my guts, but... I can¡¯t let you leave without protection. I¡¯d suffer thinking that I¡¯ve failed to protect you," Henry said. He was hurting so much while saying all of this because, in his heart, he still didn¡¯t want to let her go.


    But if he desperately tried to imprison her in the penthouse right now, she would only despise him even more.


    So he had to let go, temporarily.


    "You can hate me all you want, but I don¡¯t want anything to happen to our¡ª" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "MINE! MY BABY!" Kate snapped as she claimed her baby immediately. She didn¡¯t want Henry to have a claim on the baby. "You don¡¯t deserve to claim him as your baby, Henry!"


    Again, Henry was at a loss, knowing he couldn¡¯t even claim his treasured son.


    But he had to swallow the bitter pill and nodded reluctantly, though his whole body tensed when he did that.


    "We have to keep your baby safe..." Henry said weakly. "So please, just tell me where you want to go, and I will escort you on your way."


    "Escorting me? Oh, please," Kate sneered. "I feel nauseous just thinking about staying in the same room as you are. I can¡¯t imagine myself sharing a ride with you."


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned, but he didn¡¯t want to argue with Kate.


    He simply wanted her and their baby to be safe and said, "Tell me where you want to go. I¡¯ll ask Michael to escort you."


    "Michael? Hahahah!" Kate laughed at the ridiculous statement. "Why do I need the help of YOUR subordinate? Do you think I don¡¯t know that Michael must¡¯ve also assisted you since the very start? You two are assholes!"


    Kate used her phone to call Mai, and the call was connected soon after.


    ¡ª


    "Y¡ªYes, Kate?" Mai asked. She was just having a simple dinner with Michael in their apartment. It was the closest they could do as a date since they were so busy in the office these days.


    "Where are you right now?" Kate asked.


    "Uhh... in my apartment," Mai said. She glanced at Michael, who had stopped eating, ready to go if needed. "I¡¯m with Michael as well. Do you need anything?"


    "Heh, come to the penthouse with that piece of shit as well. I have a surprise for you," Kate said.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mai¡¯s heartbeat skipped for a second when Kate called Michael ¡¯a piece of shit.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but Kate wouldn¡¯t say such a mean thing to a man who had saved their lives.


    "What did she say? Is there anything urgent?" Michael asked worriedly.


    Mai stared at Michael hesitantly. She wondered if this man had done something absolutely heinous to make Kate turn her back on him.


    "Kate said we need to go to the penthouse immediately. There is something urgent."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go now."


    **


    Mai and Michael went up and reached the penthouse in less than two minutes. They were still in their work clothes and about to start dinner before Kate called.


    They were shocked to see Kate standing at the penthouse door with her luggage. While Henry was clenching her arm tightly, it was obvious that he had been crying.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408: Chapter 408Mai was absolutely shocked by the sight of crying Mr. Henry Grant.


    She knew Henry had a soft spot for Kate, but seeing him cry was a whole different level.


    She also realized that Kate¡¯s eyes were puffy, so she had been crying earlier.


    Nevertheless, the situation didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡¯Did they have a fight?¡¯ Mai wondered for a second. ¡¯Even if they did, I don¡¯t think it could turn this bad. Kate would not prolong an argument or a fight without reason.¡¯


    So she approached Kate and Henry with Michael behind her and asked, "What is happening here, Kate? Mr. Grant?"


    Henry ignored Mai, but he glanced at Michael, and Michael went pale instantly.


    So Mai was the only one left in the dark, not knowing what everyone was thinking right now.


    "Kate?" Mai called her name. She put her hand on Kate¡¯s luggage to stop her and asked, "I need you to tell me the problem, please."


    Kate scoffed, "I think the scum behind you knew about it. Why don¡¯t you ask him?"


    Mai turned around and saw Michael, who looked pale. He got stiff, and his lips were zipped tight.


    "Michael? What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    ...


    Michael didn¡¯t reply. He lowered his head, feeling a great amount of burden on his shoulders as he realized his beautiful life with Mai was about to end.


    "Michael?"


    "Heh, of course, he would stay silent. After all, he assisted a monster to fool a woman just so he could trade a baby for money," Kate said. She clicked on the recording on her phone and told Mai, "Listen to this, Mai. You will know that we have been fooled the whole time."


    Mai didn¡¯t expect anything bad and thought it was all just a misunderstanding.


    So she listened to the recording, and her expression immediately turned from worry to shock.


    She stared at Kate while shaking her head slightly, "T¡ªThis can¡¯t be¡ª"


    "Yes, you heard it right, Mai," Kate pointed at Henry and said, "This man knocked me up just so he could fool me into abandoning everything in Los Angeles and run away with him to New York. He made me fall in love with him so he could take the baby and give it to his crazy father just so his father would transfer all of the Grant family assets to his name."


    "And that man behind you..." Kate scoffed at Michael, who hung his head low. "He assisted Henry in everything. Who knows, maybe the dangerous ambush that we experienced before was just a scheme so we would abandon everything in L.A."


    Both Michael and Henry knew that wasn¡¯t the case. But they also knew there was no point in arguing with Kate.


    She was blinded with rage and resentment. If they dared to say anything to refute that claim, it would only make her explode.


    Meanwhile, Mai was too shocked to react. She turned around and glared at Michael, "Was that true? Did you help Henry to take Kate¡¯s baby just for money?!"


    ...


    Michael nodded weakly as he accepted his death sentence, "I¡¯m sorry..." he murmured.


    "Sorry? Is that all you want to say?!" Mai began to raise her voice as well. But rather than arguing endlessly with Michael. She simply grabbed Kate¡¯s hand and said, "That¡¯s it, we¡¯re leaving!"


    Mai glared at Henry, who was still holding Kate¡¯s arm, and yelled, "Let her go, you asshole! I don¡¯t want my sister to be touched by a bastard like you!"


    Henry didn¡¯t falter even when the two women glared at him simultaneously. He repeated his statement, "I can¡¯t. I have to keep Kate and... her baby safe, no matter what."


    "You¡ª!"


    "Just tell me where you want to go, Katherine. I will not stop you, but I have to escort you because Sarah and Marlon are waiting for an opportunity to attack you," Henry said seriously. "Please trust me, just this once, Kate."


    Mai gritted her teeth. She did not trust this sneaky scum at all, not after what he had done to Kate, and she knew that Kate had the same idea as her.


    "Kate, we shouldn¡¯t¡ª"


    "Okay, I will tell you where I stay with Mai," Kate said. "But I don¡¯t want to be in the same car with you. I feel nauseous. Mai will drive to our destination, and you can follow my car or tell your subordinate whatsoever. I don¡¯t care anymore, Henry."


    Henry nodded. He slowly released Kate¡¯s arm and said, "Michael and I will follow your car from behind."


    Kate ignored Henry and stared at Michael, who stood like a statue in front of her, "Move, you scum. You are no different than him. You two deserve to rot in hell."


    Michael didn¡¯t respond until Mai was the one who snapped, "MOVE!"


    ...


    Michael finally moved to the side, staring at Mai and Kate, who walked to the elevator and went down to the basement parking lot first.


    Henry patted Michael¡¯s shoulder, and Michael quickly brushed it off, "You¡¯ve done it, Henry. You ruined everything," Michael said coldly. "I already told you many times that you should¡¯ve been more honest with her. I told you yesterday that you should tell Kate about our initial plan, but you kept delaying."


    Henry was already accepting all the blame pointed at him. He scoffed and said, "Yes, I did. I ruined my only chance to be happy."


    "You don¡¯t seem regretful for what you did."


    "No, I have no time to regret," Henry said calmly, though his heart already sank and spiraled out of control. He had to keep his straight face because he didn¡¯t want to look pathetic in front of anyone but his beloved. "We need to protect them. You know Marlon and Sarah¡¯s men are lurking around. They sent that recording, so Kate and I will be separated. It¡¯ll be easier to attack her when she¡¯s unprotected."


    "You can punch me later, Michael. But we need to escort them to safety. That¡¯s our priority."


    Michael still had a lot to say.


    But he knew that Henry was right. Thus, they waited until the VIP elevator went up again and used it to go down to the basement parking lot. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409: Chapter 409Kate and Mai entered Kate¡¯s new car that he bought a week ago, though it was rarely used since Kate spent most of her time in the penthouse anyway.


    "Maybe we should just use Taxi," Kate said with a frown. "I don¡¯t want to use a car he bought me."


    "But you earned this yourself," Mai said. "Just from all the ten top authors you contracted, Empress Publishing has earned a total investment of ten million dollars in just a month from other investors not named Vernon Phoenix Gray. You have done so much for him."


    "Only for him to fool me like this," Kate sighed. "I was such an idiot."


    "Oh, don¡¯t say that, Kate..." Mai sighed. She helped Kate to put on the seatbelt before putting one for herself. She turned on the engine, ready to leave, "You¡¯re a brave woman who fights for what you want. You sacrificed many things for that scum, whether he appreciates it or not, then it¡¯s his choice in the end." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate smiled bitterly.


    She knew Mai simply wanted her to feel better, but it didn¡¯t make her feel better.


    It only made her feel even more shitty, knowing that she had sacrificed so much only for Henry to betray her like this.


    While talking about Henry, the villain came out of the elevator with Michael behind him. His eyes darted at Kate¡¯s car, and he seemed to have a relieved sigh.


    He was scared that Kate would just dash out without waiting for him. He would be worried sick knowing that Kate escaped his sight.


    He rushed towards Kate and knocked on the window, so Kate rolled it down and stared at her man with reluctance.


    Kate didn¡¯t understand why she still claimed him as her man, but it was just the right thing in her heart.


    Besides, she would never fall in love anymore after this...


    "Where do you want to go? Michael and I will follow you from behind," Henry asked gently.


    ...


    Kate wanted to go to Dahlia¡¯s mansion in Michigan. But it was too far, "I¡¯ll find a hotel," Kate replied.


    Henry shook his head, "The hotel is too dangerous. I would have to book all the rooms around yours, and it might be impossible."


    "You¡¯re exaggerating. Nothing is going to happen to me," Kate said. "YOU are the biggest threat I have to face, Henry."


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned, but he didn¡¯t argue, "Please listen to me, Katherine. Sarah and Marlon are far more heinous and scheming than you¡¯d expect. We can¡¯t let our guard down."


    Kate wanted to argue again, but Henry wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight her. He looked somewhat complacent and empty.


    So she refrained and grabbed her phone.


    She called someone while staring at Henry, and the call was connected not long after.


    Kate also put it on speaker so Henry knew about the woman she called.


    ¡ª


    "Hi, Kate! What¡¯s up?"


    "Chloe, can I stay in your house?" Kate asked straight to the point.


    Henry was shocked because Kate called Chloe, and he felt ashamed knowing that Vernon would also find out about Henry¡¯s heinous initial plan.


    "Eh? Hah? What¡¯s wrong?" Chloe asked. She was surprised because she knew that Kate wouldn¡¯t leave Henry¡¯s side unless it were really urgent. "Did something happen between you and Henry?"


    "Oh, a lot happened, alright," Kate chuckled. "I will tell you once I meet you. But please, I need a place to stay for the night."


    "Oh no..." Chloe sensed that something big had happened. "Alright, I will send you my location. You can come in here and stay as long as you want. My door is always open for you, Kate."


    "Thank you. I owe you a lot..."


    "But you must tell me what happened. This sounds serious."


    "I will."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "You heard it from her. I¡¯ll stay with Chloe and Vernon for a while," Kate told Henry. She smirked, wanting to insult him even more, "But what should I do, Henry? She wants to know what happened, and I¡¯m sure Chloe will tell her husband about it. What would you do if Vernon knew how scummy you are?"


    "I will accept whatever punishment or judgment. I will accept anything," Henry said calmly. "I just want you and the baby to be safe."


    Kate¡¯s smirk faltered instantly.


    She hated that Henry didn¡¯t seem to be affected by her taunt. She wanted Henry to cry and beg even more, but he didn¡¯t give her what she wanted.


    "Just do whatever you want, Henry. You¡¯re a stranger to me now. We¡¯re done," Kate said before she rolled the window up and looked away, ignoring Henry, who looked so hurt by what she said just now.


    Mai noticed that Henry looked hurt, and she somehow sympathized a bit. After all, Kate was really harsh with her words.


    "Don¡¯t sympathize, Mai," Kate said coldly. "He fooled me for almost a year with his fake affection."


    "But he looks real, Kate..." Mai said. "What if he truly regrets everything?"


    "That¡¯s what he did to me. He was so good at acting that I fell for all of his tricks," Kate insisted. "So stop worrying about him and drive away from this wretched place."


    Ding!


    Chloe sent the location of her mansion, and Kate used the GPS to go there, "Let¡¯s go, Mai."


    Mai nodded and drove out of the basement parking lot.


    Michael and Henry tailed Kate¡¯s car. Michael drove in silence, glancing at Henry a few times, who was in a daze.


    He began to feel bad for his best friend since Henry looked so powerless right now.


    Of course, Michael was also hurt. His relationship with Mai had progressed a lot, but because of this, he doubted Mai would want him anymore.


    He¡¯d be lucky if she didn¡¯t detest him.


    But Henry...


    Kate¡¯s departure truly left a huge hole in his heart. He looked so lost and empty.


    "Henry, are you sure you want to follow her?" Michael asked. "I don¡¯t think you can handle another humiliation from Kate in front of Chloe and Vernon."

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410: Chapter 410"That¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all my fault," Henry said weakly. "I fucked up so bad, so I¡¯m willing to be shamed in front of Chloe and Vernon if that would make her feel better."


    ...


    "You are speaking depressing stuff, Henry. I think I have to take out all the sharp objects in the penthouse and lock the balcony so you won¡¯t kill yourself tonight," Michael said.


    "I¡¯ve threatened to kill myself in front of her so that she would listen. But you don¡¯t need to worry about that, because Kate said that I have to suffer the rest of my life knowing that I¡¯ve ruined my only chance of being happy," Henry said. "So I will do that. I will live even if I have nothing to look up to in the future."


    Michael shuddered, he knew that Kate could be cruel.


    But he didn¡¯t expect her to be so cruel to say that.


    She basically broke Henry to pieces, and even Michael began to sympathize with him.


    ¡¯But I can¡¯t blame her as well. I knew what we planned for Kate was truly terrible...¡¯


    Michael could only sigh, facing such a difficult situation. He continued tailing Kate¡¯s car.


    It took about an hour and a half until they reached Vernon and Chloe¡¯s mansion in the suburbs of New York. It was a long drive, but also gave Kate peace of mind.


    She got calmer as she could take a breather. She was still angry at Henry and doubted she¡¯d forgive him anytime soon, but less stress was always good for her baby.


    "Wow, I can¡¯t believe they have this kind of big and luxurious mansion outside of New York," Mai commented as she entered the main gate of Chloe¡¯s mansion.


    As they reached the main door of the mansion, they saw Chloe and Vernon standing at the door with a few butlers and maids around.


    Kate opened the car door and stepped out of the car carefully because of her big belly.


    Henry hurried to help her, but Kate quickly slapped his hand, "Don¡¯t touch me, you scum!"


    Henry was at a loss but said nothing as he stood like an idiot while Mai helped Kate instead.


    Vernon and Chloe saw this and glanced at each other, knowing that something terrible must¡¯ve happened between Henry and Kate.


    Kate walked towards Chloe and Vernon. She tried to smile, but it didn¡¯t help, "Sorry for disturbing you, but I need a place to stay for one day."


    "Oh, dear..." Chloe hugged Kate and patted her back. "It¡¯s okay, you can stay as long as you want. We have a lot of empty rooms anyway."


    "We should talk inside. I¡¯ll tell the maid to make tea for all of us," Vernon said. He glanced at Mai, Michael, and Henry, who stood silently behind Kate. "You guys should come in as well."


    **


    Kate, Chloe, and Mai sat in a row on a sofa while Vernon and Michael sat on the opposite side.


    While Vernon was observing everyone, Chloe told the maids to prepare tea for everyone.


    Michael hung his head low while Mai looked to the window, ignoring Michael, who obviously sat in front of her.


    Meanwhile, Henry kept staring at Kate with a sad and desperate gaze while Kate ignored him completely. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sometimes, she¡¯d look in Henry¡¯s direction and put up a disgusted expression as if she had just seen a filthy rat that should¡¯ve been exterminated.


    Vernon cleared his throat to get everyone¡¯s attention and asked, "So, maybe we should start by addressing the problem here. Someone should tell me what caused this whole thing."


    "It¡¯s me. I caused everything to fall apart," Henry said calmly. "I ruined my only chance to be happy."


    "He¡¯s right," Kate added. "He fucked up his own life, and I am happy to see him suffer."


    "Okay, this is going nowhere," Vernon sighed. "Please tell me the root of the problem. So we can solve it."


    "I don¡¯t think it can be solved, but if you want to know..."


    Kate put her phone on the table and turned the recording audio in full volume.


    Chloe and Vernon listened to the recording, and Chloe gasped immediately.


    She shook her head while staring at Henry, "You¡ªhow could you¡ª"


    Henry lowered his head slightly, "I know. It¡¯s all my fault."


    "It is. Everything is your fault," Kate continued, stabbing him with her sharp words. "I hope you suffer for the rest of your life, Henry Grant."


    ¡¯Just like how I will suffer for the rest of my life as well,¡¯ Kate said to herself, knowing there was no winner in this conflict.


    "Okay, I think you need rest, Kate, Mai. Right, dear?" Vernon said while looking at his wife, signaling her to separate Kate and Henry before they had another fight.


    "Y¡ªYeah, we have a lot of empty rooms. Let¡¯s go, Kate, Mai. I¡¯ll show you," Chloe said while holding Kate¡¯s hand. They left soon after, so there were only three men in the foyer right now.


    There was nothing but silence. Henry wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk, and Vernon was still trying to process what he heard in the recording just now.


    He crossed his arms and asked, "Do you have anything to say? Surely there must be a mistake, right?"


    "No, there¡¯s no mistake," Henry shook his head. "I planned to fool Kate into falling in love with me and then take the baby and give it to Marlon in exchange for the company¡¯s ownership."


    "And you did that because?"


    "Because I want to burn everything. I was in a dark place after James¡¯ death, and Sarah kept on feeding me with lies about Kate. So I thought I¡¯d get revenge on everyone, including Kate and Marlon. I will take over the company and burn it to the ground because Marlon killed my brother and threw my mother to the mental hospital."


    "You¡ª"Vernon didn¡¯t expect his cousin, whom he saw as a little brother, to plan such a heinous idea. "You are really reckless, you know that?"


    "I know. I was blinded with rage and hatred at that time," Henry said. "But I had a change of heart. I fell in love shortly after. I love her so much that I am willing to abandon everything just to give her freedom and safety. That¡¯s why I came to you, asking for your connection and financial aid to open my own company."


    Vernon nodded.


    He acknowledged Henry¡¯s earnestness. Even if Henry never said it, his actions showed he was serious about being a successful and influential businessman.


    He truly worked his bones off for Kate.


    "Then why didn¡¯t you tell Kate about all this?" Vernon asked. "Surely, she will understand that you had a change of heart, right?"


    "Hahahaha!" Henry suddenly laughed like a madman. He laughed at the notion of forgiveness because he knew Kate had closed her heart for him. "I tried my best to convince her that I¡¯ve changed my mind, but she refused to listen."


    "I think that¡¯s because she¡¯s still very angry and disappointed. She must¡¯ve felt betrayed," Vernon said. "Give it time. She will forgive you, eventually."


    "I doubt that," Henry said. He smiled at his cousin and added, "Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done to help me, Vernon. But I will transfer the new company and everything in it to you since you¡¯ve invested so much money."

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411: Chapter 411"WHAT?!" Vernon¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t believe what he heard just now. "How could you do that? You worked hard for it. You deserve to succeed with that new company of yours!"


    Henry showed a self-deprecating smile and replied, "Because I see no point in working on it anymore. I begged for your help to get a head start to give Kate a comfortable life. I want to guarantee her security too. That¡¯s why I want to be fully independent from Marlon." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But she hates me now. She wants me to suffer for the rest of my life. She doesn¡¯t even want to see my face," Henry said. "What¡¯s the point of me working my bones off when I¡¯ve been abandoned?"


    Vernon saw the deep sadness in Henry¡¯s eyes, something that he never saw coming from his cousin.


    Henry was always lively, reckless, and somewhat of a daredevil. Yet when his beloved left him, he lost his vigor instantly.


    And Vernon understood that feeling of defeat because his love life with Chloe wasn¡¯t as smooth sailing as what people thought. He also had that moment when he felt he had lost everything after Chloe left.


    Vernon took a deep breath. He tried to maintain his calm as he didn¡¯t want his cousin to go on a dark and destructive path after this, "Then what are you going to do next after you transfer your company to me?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Henry replied. "Kate told me to live and suffer. So, I¡¯ll probably spend the rest of my life in seclusion or as a homeless. I don¡¯t really care."


    "That¡¯s pathetic, you know that, right?" Vernon warned him. He just couldn¡¯t accept that his cousin would give up so easily.


    "But I am pathetic. I lost everything, Vernon..."


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He finally lost his patience and stood up in front of Henry. He grabbed Henry¡¯s collar and pulled him up, "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, HENRY GRANT!"


    Henry was dazed when he saw his cousin¡¯s glare and yelled at him. He kept his silence and allowed Vernon to yell at him even more.


    "Why are you giving up on everything just because Kate is mad at you? Will you do the same in the future if you have a fight with her again? Man up, Henry!"


    "My mistake is irredeemable..." Henry finally replied. "There is no way I can convince her to accept me again. It¡¯s over."


    Vernon gnashed his teeth out of frustration, "Listen to me, Henry Grant. There is no such thing as ¡¯over¡¯ when you¡¯re chasing for your true love. Falling in love has never been easy, and you must sacrifice many things to be with the one you desire."


    "Now tell me, cousin. Do you love Katherine or not?" Vernon asked.


    Henry nodded without hesitation. His heart never changed. Even in such a depressing situation, he still loved her with every fiber in his body.


    "I love her. I love her so much that I would die for her," Henry replied. "I told her that I¡¯m willing to kill myself if that would grant me her forgiveness."


    "Heh, I doubt that," Vernon sneered. "I don¡¯t think you love her that much."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, his blood boiling instantly because he felt that his love for Kate had been challenged, "Listen, Vernon, I see you as my second brother and respect you for all of your achievements. BUT DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING DARE TO QUESTION MY LOVE FOR HER! I WILL GO THROUGH HELL AND BACK FOR KATHERINE!"


    Henry¡¯s voice echoed around the house. There was no way Kate wouldn¡¯t hear Henry¡¯s voice just now.


    But that was what Vernon wanted.


    He wanted to stimulate Henry enough so that he would snap out of his hopelessness.


    "And what are you doing right now? Exactly, nothing! You want to give up immediately after knowing that Kate would leave you," Vernon said. "You want to abandon everything and drift away like an idiot while Katherine might fall into another man¡¯s hand in the future if you let her go."


    Vernon remembered how he had to let go of Chloe because she married his brother, Vincent.


    He had to spend a decade knowing that his loved one was out of his reach, and he spent all those years as a complete mess.


    He was still successful, but it was a suffering he didn¡¯t want to repeat, and he didn¡¯t want his cousin to experience the same thing.


    "Don¡¯t do this to yourself, Henry. I know how seeing your beloved fall into another man¡¯s arms feels. Our brains are wired similarly, and I know you will never accept the idea of Kate loving another man after you," Vernon said. He finally let go of Henry¡¯s collar and sat on the chair.


    Vernon took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm down, "I am disappointed, Henry. I didn¡¯t know you could be this weak just because of this problem."


    Henry slumped on the sofa, stared at the ceiling, and his eyes began to pool with tears.


    But he quickly wiped it because he didn¡¯t want to cry in front of anyone but Kate.


    "I don¡¯t want to give up as well, but Kate¡¯s words really hurt me," Henry murmured. "They hurt so much that I lost all of my confidence after she kept telling me many cruel things."


    "She is feeling betrayed, Henry. That recording is so vile, I¡¯d kick you out of my house if I didn¡¯t know about your seriousness towards her," Vernon said. "Her reaction is very human, and now that she is pregnant, she would become overprotective of her baby."


    Henry was also angry at himself for speaking such vile things about Kate in the recording as well. If he could turn back time, he would just chase Kate without having to appease his father and Sarah.


    But reality was so cruel to him.


    The woman he thought was a heartless slut turned out to be the most amazing woman he ever met in life.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412: Chapter 412Now that he was already at this point, he knew Vernon was right. There was no way in hell Henry would allow another man to stay in Kate¡¯s heart.


    He didn¡¯t care if people would call him selfish or greedy, but he might do something very dangerous or even downright psychopathic if he saw another man right beside Kate.


    He glanced at his cousin and wondered if he had the same idea. After all, Vernon claimed their brains were wired similarly. They must¡¯ve had similar ideas about a few dangerous things.


    Vernon finally shifted his gaze to Michael, who kept silent the whole time. He also looked defeated, but Vernon couldn¡¯t really blame Michael because he was only following orders from Henry.


    "And for you, Michael..." Vernon said, and Michael turned his head towards Vernon. "I know you also regret involving yourself in this mess. But I can¡¯t exempt you from responsibility as well. You must stay by Henry¡¯s side to assist him even in his darkest days."


    "I understand," Michael nodded. "I already told Henry that I¡¯ll support him no matter what. After all, we have the same goal in mind."


    Vernon didn¡¯t question further. He simply nodded and returned his attention towards Henry, "Henry, I refuse to accept that new company of yours. All I did was invest money, which I got profit in return. It was you who worked hard on it, and you have the talent to become a billionaire in the future."


    "And don¡¯t you dare to use Kate as a reason to drop everything and leave. You¡¯re a weak man if you give up now," Vernon said. "Take this from a man who ran away after knowing his beloved woman married another man. I spent a decade regretting every life decision I made. Don¡¯t make the same mistake as me."


    Honestly, Henry doubted that Kate would forgive him. He was so cruel and malicious towards her that he deserved to be punished for it.


    But he also knew that Vernon was right.


    He¡¯d spend the rest of his life regretting everything if he abandoned everything.


    Vernon got up and patted Henry¡¯s head, treating him like his little brother, "Admit your fault to her and give her space. I¡¯m sure Kate will eventually understand your earnestness if you try hard enough."


    Vernon finally left the foyer and headed to the master bedroom. He told a butler on his way to prepare empty rooms for Henry and Michael.


    The butler approached Henry and Michael and bowed, "I will show you the room, Sir. Do you have any luggage?"


    "No, we came here to escort my... wife, originally," Henry hesitated a little, but he decided to claim her in the end. Again, Vernon was right. He could not let go of Kate, even if she despised him. "Before we go, can you show me Kate¡¯s room? I want to tell her a few things."


    "Yes, Sir."


    **


    Chloe led Kate and Mai to two empty rooms on the east side of the mansion, and she followed Kate to her bedroom.


    She wanted to accompany Kate for a while to make sure she was alright.


    Chloe and Kate sat on the bed, with Chloe patting her back a few times, and said, "I¡¯m sorry that you have to find out like this, Kate..."


    "Well, it was nice while it lasted," Kate said with a self-deprecating smile. "I fell in love with a monster who wanted to take my baby. I was such an idiot."


    Chloe had nothing to say. She wanted to tell Kate that maybe there was some misunderstanding, but the damning audio recording was such a solid proof that no one could refute.


    Nevertheless, Chloe¡¯s gut feeling told her that Henry¡¯s love was real. So she simply stayed silent and comforted Kate, "Take a deep breath, Kate. You¡¯re pregnant. It¡¯ll be dangerous if you get overly stressed."


    Kate took a deep breath a few times to calm down. Chloe was right, she had to relax, or the baby might be at risk because of this.


    It took a while for Kate to cool off. She caressed her big belly, hoping that her baby would be alright.


    "Feeling a bit better?" Chloe asked, and Kate nodded in response.


    "Thanks for letting me stay for the night, Chloe," Kate smiled. "I will leave by tomorrow morning."


    "And where would you go next? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d return to Los Angeles..."


    "I... I don¡¯t know, probably hopping from one hotel to another after I find a new apartment," Kate replied. "But I definitely won¡¯t return to Los Angeles. It¡¯s too dangerous."


    "Then it¡¯s best for you to stay here," Chloe said. "This mansion is the second safest place after the Phoenix Tower Penthouse. Marlon and Sarah won¡¯t be able to reach you."


    "Do you believe that too?" Kate shook her head. "Marlon and Sarah probably colluded with Henry. Henry is the most dangerous man in here."


    "No, I don¡¯t believe in Henry. I believed in my husband¡¯s report," Chloe said unwaveringly. "Vernon told me that Marlon has been trying to sabotage Henry¡¯s new company in various ways. But Vernon always protects him from Marlon¡¯s intervention. That¡¯s how I know that Henry and Marlon don¡¯t work together."


    Kate went silent instantly.


    She was convinced that Henry was colluding with Marlon all this time to uproot her from her stable life, but it seemed that she was wrong.


    Kate¡¯s heart began to soften, but she quickly denied it in her heart, ¡¯So what if they don¡¯t work together? He still had a bad intention towards me! He might do that again in the near future!¡¯


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you you should stay in my mansion for now. You¡¯re eight months pregnant, Kate. You cannot be stressed out or get harmed. This is for the sake of your baby!" Chloe continued persuading Kate, and the latter began to falter.


    Thus, after a few minutes of consideration, Kate slowly nodded. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Though, I will move out after I give birth. I want to start anew, Chloe," Kate said. "Away from him and all the problems behind him."

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413: Chapter 413"... are you sure about that?" Chloe asked. "You know the scope of Vernon¡¯s protection will be limited once you are far from us."


    "I understand the risk. But I¡¯m just... tired. I¡¯m tired of risking my baby. I¡¯m also tired of being in constant danger," Kate paused momentarily and added, "I¡¯m also tired of being lied to. This is not the first time Henry lied to me. He also tried to hide Sarah¡¯s identity before."


    Chloe wanted to convince Kate to stay, but after knowing that Henry had also tried to lie to Kate before this, she realized there was no point in trying to persuade her, at least not now, because Chloe understood really well how painful it was to get lied to by the man you loved.


    "Well, if that¡¯s your final decision, then I can¡¯t stop you," Chloe said. "I¡¯ll tell the butler to bring your luggage inside, make yourself at home. You¡¯re part of my family too, Kate."


    Kate sneered.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t part of Chloe¡¯s family. It was Henry and Vernon who happened to be cousins, so it was Henry who was part of her family.


    ¡¯Henry and I have nothing to do anymore. I¡¯m not part of this family, neither am I part of Dahlia¡¯s family,¡¯ Kate thought, which got her depressed.


    She had come to like both Dahlia and Chloe.


    In her imagination, she saw Mai and Chloe as her sisters and Dahlia as her mother-in-law. They would often visit each other to chat or have a picnic somewhere.


    She also imagined seeing their kids playing together, and hopefully, they could stay this close until their hair turned white with their respective husbands.


    Of course, it was all just an imagination now because there was no way she would stay with Henry.


    "You should rest for now. I know you have no appetite, but if you¡¯re hungry at midnight, just use that telephone and press one to call the cook. They will prepare something for you," Chloe said. She got up and opened the door. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chloe gasped when she saw a man standing at the door with his head hung low. His blonde hair was messy, and he looked so downtrodden.


    "H¡ªHenry?! How long have you been at the door?!" Chloe asked.


    "Sorry, I just don¡¯t want to disturb your time with Kate," Henry replied. "But I¡¯m here to have a small talk with Katherine."


    Chloe hesitated. She wanted to tell Henry not to approach Kate for now because Kate was not in the best state to converse.


    "Let him in, Chloe," Kate said coldly. "I want to hear what kind of bullshit he will spout next."


    Chloe looked over her shoulder and saw that Kate¡¯s tears and vulnerability had vanished instantly. She looked so cold and detached, though once Chloe took a closer look at her, she realized that Kate was holding her tears.


    She was in a lot of pain but still acted distant in front of Henry.


    Chloe sighed and gave way to Henry, "Just don¡¯t stimulate her too much. She is under too much stress, Henry."


    "I¡¯ll be careful. Thank you, Chloe."


    Henry entered the bedroom, and Chloe left. She closed the door and let out another sigh, "Please stay strong, Kate."


    **


    Kate sat on the bed, crossing her arms while eyeing Henry from head to toe, "So, what do you want to talk about?"


    Henry said nothing, but he dropped to his knees again. He tried to kiss Kate¡¯s feet as an apology, but Kate kicked his shoulder before he could do that.


    "I don¡¯t want you to do something pathetic, Henry," Kate said. "Now, tell me what you want before I kick you out."


    Henry resumed kneeling and muttered, "I¡¯m just hoping there will be some way¡ªany way possible for you to forgive me."


    "You know that¡¯s impossible," Kate shot him down quickly. "I have no intention to forgive you. This is not the first time you lied to me. Remember how you tried to hide Sarah¡¯s identity as your fiancee before?"


    Henry zipped his mouth.


    He knew that it was mostly his fault. He was the one who lied too much because he was scared to lose Kate.


    But now that everything had been revealed, he truly had nothing left. He lost Kate and all of her trust.


    "Heh, I should¡¯ve figured the red flag back then," Kate scoffed. "You are the most untrustworthy man I¡¯ve ever met, Henry. Even if you apologize and we resume our lives, what will happen next?"


    "I will not lie or hide anything from you anymore," Henry said seriously.


    "There is no guarantee for that. You can say anything you want, but I¡¯m not buying it," Kate sighed. "Is that all you want to say? Then you can leave. I¡¯m too tired to deal with this. I¡¯m too tired to see your face, Henry."


    Henry shook his head. He looked up and stared at Kate¡¯s eyes with strong determination, "Since I can¡¯t get your forgiveness now, then I will continue trying until you fall in love with me again, Katherine."


    "What in the¡ªI will never fall in love with you again!" Kate raised her voice, thinking that Henry was spouting nonsense right now.


    "You told me to live, so I will live. But that also means I¡¯ll never give up on reuniting with my small family," Henry said in full determination. "I will continue to protect you and our son. I will forever be your guardian, even if you don¡¯t want me."


    "You¡ª" Kate was speechless. She didn¡¯t know what Vernon did to Henry until he suddenly got a shot of courage and determination. She stared at his eyes and saw the love and overflowing sincerity from Henry¡¯s beautiful green eyes.


    Kate¡¯s heart began to beat faster. She knew this wasn¡¯t good because she might actually fall into this scum¡¯s trickery for the third time.


    So she looked away to dodge his eyes and said, "I have had enough of your babbling. Leave now, Henry."


    Henry smiled when he saw Kate¡¯s avoidance. That avoidance was enough proof that she still had a lingering feeling fo

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414: Chapter 414"I will leave, don¡¯t worry," Henry said calmly. "Thank you for staying in Vernon¡¯s mansion for our baby¡¯s safety, and please don¡¯t forget that I will continue my endeavor so we can reunite¡ª"


    "That will never happen," Kate interrupted, hoping all kinds of rejection would be enough for Henry.


    But he was far more stubborn than she thought.


    "Only time will tell," Henry said with a confident smile, which caught her off guard. Henry took the chance to grab Kate¡¯s hand and kissed it gently. "Katherine, you are my one and only. Please remember that."


    It took a moment for Kate to realize what just happened. She quickly pulled her hand and yelled, "Leave!"


    Henry got up and smiled at his beloved, "Take care of yourself here. I will handle the work in our companies. After all, I built it for us, so we can have a great future together."


    Henry turned around and left the room, leaving Kate speechless by his boldness just now.


    Kate gritted her teeth as she felt her heart becoming warm again, something that she dreaded because that meant she was still in love with him.


    Henry¡¯s words lingered in her mind.


    -


    ¡¯Katherine, you are my one and only. Please remember that.¡¯


    -


    Kate bit her lower lips, "You are also my only one, Henry. You may not be my first, but you are the last. I¡¯ve never fallen this deep for a man, and I know there is no going back."


    Kate hated that she had become too weak. She was such a tough lady who worked tirelessly and devoted her life to the office, and now she had been reduced to a stupid woman who fell for the same trick used by Henry three times in a row.


    Kate lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and murmured,


    "I have to leave after I give birth. I can¡¯t stay in here, knowing that I will become the same stupid woman who will fall for the same man over and over."


    **


    Henry didn¡¯t plan to stay in Vernon¡¯s mansion after having a conversation with Kate. He knew that Kate, and to some extent, Mai as well, needed to rest.


    So he told Michael that they were leaving, only for Michael to shake his head, "If you want me to leave tonight, then you have to wait because I¡¯m going to talk with Mai. You know this doesn¡¯t only affect you, Henry."


    "I understand. Go and talk with Mai. I¡¯ll wait in the car."


    Michael thanked him, then went to Mai¡¯s room and knocked on the door a few times without an answer.


    It was after five minutes that Mai finally opened the door.


    Mai¡¯s eyes were puffy, proofing that she had been crying the moment she was alone in her room.


    "You¡ªwhy did you cry so much?" Michael asked out of worry, but that only got Mai angrier.


    "Why are you asking a stupid question? Why would I not cry when my sister has been fooled all this time? Do you not know how much she loves Henry?!" Mai yelled. She glared at Michael, but her glare quickly weakened as she saw Michael making that regretful expression. "And don¡¯t think that I will forgive you so easily. Who knows to what extent you have been helping that bastard!"


    "I have helped him since he was young. We have been best friends since we were just a child," Michael replied. "I protected him and became his most trusted confidant when we were teenagers. We only separated because I entered the military until I resigned about a year ago and returned to him."


    Michael had no intention of hiding anything from Mai.


    He wasn¡¯t romantic like Henry, who would say many sweet words that would melt a woman¡¯s heart. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was a military man who had been hardened by war. So, being truthful was the only way for him to repent in front of Mai.


    "Then you went on to help Henry with his malicious plan, right?" Mai accused, to which Michael nodded without hesitation.


    "Yes, I helped him with many things. It all changed after Henry realized that he fell in love with Kate," Michael replied. "So we changed our plan. Rather than trying to take Kate¡¯s baby, Henry went to New York to start anew to protect Kate from any harm, and I was tasked to protect both of you."


    "Hah, if he truly loves her, he wouldn¡¯t lie about this!" Mai insisted.


    "Henry is a young man who fell in love for the first time in his life. He was scared that Kate would leave, so he kept the secret of his previous plan," Michael took a deep breath as he basically opened his heart and mind for Mai to read freely. "I told him many times to tell Kate about all this because I¡¯m sure Kate will forgive him. But he said he doesn¡¯t want to risk it."


    "And now it got revealed in the worst way possible," Mai sneered. "He fucked up real bad."


    ...


    Michael nodded, silently agreeing.


    "I¡¯m here to apologize¡ª"


    "¡ªFor being a piece of shit?"


    "... for assisting Henry," Michael said calmly. His eyes were steady. He didn¡¯t get angry no matter how much Mai tried to make him mad. "I also want to apologize to you. Because I know you are also hurt when you see Kate getting hurt like this."


    Mai couldn¡¯t believe that she entertained this bastard, but Michael was truly a fortress that didn¡¯t crumble even when facing the storm. He was calm, and his attitude also calmed her down.


    She lowered her head and murmured, "I¡¯m also hurt because you¡¯re not as kind as I thought..."


    "I¡¯m not kind, Mai. Never have been," Michael said. "But I am kind to Katherine and Henry because I see them as my family. I am also kind to you because I... I love you."


    Mai gasped. She raised her head and stared at Michael, whose cheeks began to redden slightly, "D¡ªDid you just¡ª"


    "Yes, I love you. I know it¡¯s not the right time. But I¡¯m afraid we might not talk anymore after this," Michael said, hiding his pain. "I love you. That¡¯s all you need to know."

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415: Chapter 415Mai went silent as she also had nothing to say after the sudden confession. She knew they had things going on but didn¡¯t expect him to confess at the worst time possible.


    Michael felt awkward because Mai didn¡¯t respond. He scratched the back of his head and said, "I have to go back to the apartment. I can¡¯t leave Henry alone. I¡¯m afraid he might do something stupid. Goodbye, Mai, please take care of yourself."


    Michael turned around and was about to walk away when Mai finally opened her mouth, "You can¡¯t just leave after saying that."


    Michael halted his step. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mai staring at him intensely.


    "I want to do more," Michael said. "But I can¡¯t, because you need time for yourself. I know that you don¡¯t want to see my face."


    "If you truly love me, why didn¡¯t you tell me about Henry¡¯s plan?" Mai asked as she felt wronged. "What¡¯s the point of being in a relationship when you can¡¯t even trust the one you love?"


    "Because I am bound by duty," Michael said firmly, even though he was grieving in his heart. "As much as I want to tell you and Kate about his previous plan, I can¡¯t say it unless he confesses first. I am bound by duty to keep his secrets no matter what. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love you."


    "Are you not afraid of losing me?" Mai asked again. "What do you think will happen now? How am I supposed to be in a relationship with a man who hides too many things from me?!"


    Michael smiled helplessly as he turned towards Mai and stood in front of her again.


    Michael leaned down and kissed Mai¡¯s lips for a few seconds. Mai was shocked, but she didn¡¯t resist. She just closed her eyes as tears began to flow.


    Michael let go first because he didn¡¯t want to get addicted, "There is a line between duty and love. I love you, but I¡¯ve been trained in the military for so long. Once I make a promise, I cannot break it, and I promised to help Henry so he would become a great man in the future. That promise includes keeping his secrets."


    "Then what about us? Will you just forget about me?" Mai continued asking. She grabbed Michael¡¯s jacket hem, hoping he wouldn¡¯t leave. "Will you choose your duty over me?"


    "I will never forget about you and our beautiful moments together. I love you, and forgetting you might take a long time, if not forever, but..." Michael had a sad smile as he took a step back from Mai. "If my duty burdens our relationship, we can¡¯t be together. I¡¯m sorry, Mai. I hope you will find a man better than me."


    "W¡ªWait¡ª"Mai was at a loss when Michael finally left her. She stared at his back and kept getting further and further.


    There was an urge in her heart to chase Michael and beg him to stay because Mai also shared the same feeling with him.


    Unfortunately, she could only stand and watch as he left because she knew Michael was right.


    They couldn¡¯t be together when they obviously had a very different standard of having a spouse.


    Mai wanted her boyfriend to be transparent in everything, while Michael couldn¡¯t give her that.


    Mai bit her lower lip as she slowly closed the bedroom door. She threw herself onto the bed and buried her face with the pillow.


    She let the pillow absorb her tears as she felt very conflicted.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t blame Kate for what happened, but...


    "I wish everything could be solved peacefully. Why must I choose between my sister or the man I love? Why can¡¯t I have both?"


    Unfortunately, even Mai herself couldn¡¯t get an answer to her question.


    Because the fight between Henry and Kate might last forever, and Mai would rather stay with the woman she saw as her big sister.


    After all, she could guarantee that Kate wouldn¡¯t betray her, but she couldn¡¯t guarantee that Michael would stay loyal, not when he put his duty over his love.


    "I cannot stay with a man who helped to scheme against Kate and her baby, not until Kate forgives them."


    **


    Michael returned to the car and saw Henry sitting in the passenger seat, staring emptily. He snapped out of his daze when Michael slammed the door shut.


    Henry stared at his best friend, who looked like he could kill a bear right now.


    Michael drove out of Vernon¡¯s mansion, and they went silent until Henry scoffed and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"


    "I have a lot," Michael replied. "But if I say what¡¯s on my mind, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d jump out of this car and die like an idiot."


    Henry chuckled. He didn¡¯t seem to be burdened at all because he had accepted his fate as the only one to blame in this situation. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just say it. I¡¯m fine."


    "... I told Mai that I love her, but I still can¡¯t abandon my duty to assist you, including keeping your secrets. I promised you that I would help you in your endeavor to destroy the Grant family, and as a friend, I also want you to succeed," Michael said. "But if I can turn back time, I wish I¡¯d never promised such an idiotic thing to you, Henry."


    Henry lowered his head, but he still maintained his light smile.


    "I will find a way so you two can reunite again¡ª"


    "The only way for Mai and I to be together is by getting Kate¡¯s forgiveness. Mai sees Kate as her sister and the most important person in her heart. Kate is her family," Michael said. "She will forgive me if Kate forgives you first."


    Michael glanced at Henry, who looked way too relaxed for his liking, "I hope you know what you¡¯re doing, man. I¡¯ve made a difficult decision to leave her for now."


    "I will find a way. We just need time, Michael," Henry said. "For now, let¡¯s just focus on working in the company. We must turn that company into a giant to protect them in the future."

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416: Chapter 416Kate woke up after she heard a knock on the door, "Kate, this is Chloe! Come in and have breakfast with us!"


    Chloe¡¯s lively voice in the morning was like a shot of energy, "Be ready in a second!" Kate replied. She called Mai, telling her to go out and have breakfast with the rest.


    Kate and Mai joined the Phoenix Gray family, which consisted of Vernon, Chloe, and her daughters.


    The oldest one was very cute and lively. She somehow resembled Vernon so much, but Chloe told her once that she had a child from her previous marriage before Vernon.


    ¡¯If Chloe never told me that, I would¡¯ve thought this girl is Vernon¡¯s daughter,¡¯ Kate thought.


    Chloe pointed at Kate, who sat at the end of the table, and told her daughter, "That¡¯s Aunt Katherine, go and say hi."


    "Oh!" The girl, who seemed to be around eight, hopped out of her chair and walked towards Kate. The girl was cute, and with a wide grin, she stretched her hand, asking for a handshake like an adult. "Hello, my name is Mackenzie Phoenix Gray. Just call me Mackie. I will be nine in two months and in third grade right now!"


    Kate was pleased by Mackie¡¯s politeness. She shook Mackie¡¯s hand and replied, "I¡¯m Katherine. Just call me Kate or Aunt Kate. You¡¯re a well-mannered child. Your Dad must be so proud of you."


    "Nah, Daddy said I shouldn¡¯t smile at people I barely know. But you¡¯re my aunt, so I can smile all I want, right?"


    Kate glanced at Chloe, and the latter glared at Vernon, who quickly busied himself reading an article on his phone.


    Mackie then shifted her attention to Mai, who sat next to Kate. She approached her and asked, "And you are?"


    "Oh, I¡¯m Mai," Mai smiled and shook the polite girl¡¯s hand. "I¡¯m Kate¡¯s secretary."


    "No, she¡¯s my sister," Kate corrected.


    Mackie was confused at first until she realized something, "Oh! Are you like Diamond? Diamond is my Daddy¡¯s secretary, but she is also like a sister to Mommy."


    "Mhm, something like that," Mai giggled. "So just call me Mai, okay?"


    "Yes! Nice to meet you, Mai!"


    "Alright, go eat your food first, Mackie. You¡¯re going to be late," Chloe said as she prepared the food for baby Valerie.


    Mackie nodded but still tried to talk to Kate, "Aunty, you are pregnant just like Mommy before! Do you think it¡¯ll be a boy or a girl?"


    Kate chuckled, "Why do you want to know?"


    "Well, if it¡¯s a girl, I can include her in my squad! Powerpuff Girl! We will be a trio!"


    "And if it¡¯s a boy?"


    "Then he can be Mojo Jojo!" Mackie said innocently, which got Kate to burst out laughing.


    "Well, I guess you must wait until Mojo Jojo is big enough, okay?"


    "Oh!" Mackie nodded happily. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of him until he¡¯s big enough to be my rival!"


    Mackie happily skipped back to her chair and began to eat her breakfast. Chloe shook her head helplessly, "I¡¯m sorry for that. She means no harm. She¡¯s just easily excited."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. Mackie already makes my day," Kate giggled. She grabbed the utensil and began eating the breakfast that Chloe made by herself.


    "Thank you for letting me stay in here, Chloe, Vernon," Kate said after she finished her breakfast.


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re my family as well," Vernon replied without hesitation. "You can order the maids and butlers around. I can¡¯t be here most of the time because of work, but this mansion is the safest place for you. So don¡¯t worry."


    "I spent most of my days taking care of Valerie now, so a friend to chat with wouldn¡¯t hurt at all!" Chloe added, hoping it would make Kate even more comfortable around them.


    Kate smiled, "Mai and I will continue to work remotely in Empress Publishing, at least maintaining the relationship with the authors."


    "Oh, really? But I thought..." Chloe stopped before she accidentally talked about Henry again.


    "I have a problem with him, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will jeopardize those authors who have joined the company. I don¡¯t want to ruin their careers because of personal reasons. That would be very selfish."


    Chloe and Vernon looked at each other, and Vernon said, "Then I will make sure the company is well-maintained even without your physical presence. Don¡¯t stress yourself. You¡¯re going to give birth soon."


    "Thank you, I¡¯ll be careful."


    **


    Vernon and Mackie left right after breakfast, leaving Chloe busy with her five-month-old baby.


    Kate glanced at Mai, who seemed to be spacing out, and asked, "Mai, are you okay? You look pale..."


    "Oh, uhm, I¡¯m just exhausted after what happened last night," Mai faked a smile. "Well, I guess I¡¯ll take a bath first."


    "You can wear my clothes since you didn¡¯t bring yours. It¡¯s all in my luggage," Kate said.


    Mai nodded and left her with Chloe, who was busy putting on a new diaper for baby Valerie.


    Kate observed Chloe, who was gentle yet quick at putting on the diaper and distracting the baby. Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile and commented, "You¡¯re so good at this. Maybe you should tutor me on how to become a good mother."


    "Oh, sure! You can ask me anything," Chloe smiled. "Though, I think you¡¯d become a great mother yourself." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Me? Oh, come on, this is a miracle baby for me. I always thought that I was barren, so I just worked my ass off in the company to escape reality," Kate began caressing her belly. "I don¡¯t have a good mother either, so I¡¯m unsure how to be one."


    "The maternal instinct will guide you," Chloe said. "I was also in the dark when my first child was born. There was nobody to help me take care of her, but I loved her so much. That¡¯s why I tried my best to take care of Baby Mackie."


    Chloe turned her head to Kate and noticed that she was caressing her belly, "And I¡¯m sure you have so much love for Theodore."

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417: Chapter 417Kate jolted the moment Chloe mentioned her son¡¯s name that she planned with Henry, "H¡ªHow do you know about my son¡¯s name?"


    "Henry asked me last night to take care of Katherine and Theodore. So I asked who Theodore was, and he said it¡¯s the baby¡¯s name you planned with him," Chloe smiled. "I think it¡¯s a beautiful name. It¡¯s derived from his middle name, right?"


    ...


    Kate didn¡¯t want to answer that.


    She didn¡¯t know if she should keep the name or not because Theodore¡¯s name came from the bastard who fooled her, but she also felt that name was very befitting for her son.


    So she just went silent and smiled bitterly.


    "Well, I won¡¯t stop you if you want to change your son¡¯s name. After all, Henry and you are... never mind, I¡¯m not here to get you stressed out," Chloe carried her baby and put it on the baby walker.


    Baby Valerie looked overjoyed when being placed in her baby walker, and she began to try circling around the living room.


    Kate was in awe, seeing Chloe glancing at Valerie a few times to check if the baby didn¡¯t go too far from her. She was very watchful despite looking relaxed.


    "By the way, I haven¡¯t introduced you to my mother-in-law. She will always come here to check on her granddaughter, and she said she will bring an important guest that will make you feel better," Chloe said.


    "Make me feel better?" Kate frowned. She didn¡¯t even know who this mother-in-law that Chloe talked about. But she said nothing and simply nodded, curious about the important guest.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the butler to approach the Mistress of the house and tell Chloe that Dorothea had arrived with another old lady.


    "Oh! Let them in! We¡¯ve been waiting for them!"


    They got up, and Chloe picked Valerie from the baby walker and carried her to the main door, where they stood to welcome Dorothea.


    The first one to get out of the car was Dorothea, an old lady who should be around Dahlia¡¯s age. She looked like a typical gentle old lady, which was surprising for Kate because she thought Vernon¡¯s mother must¡¯ve been domineering just like him.


    Chloe greeted her mother-in-law happily. She lifted baby Valerie¡¯s arm and waved it towards the old lady, "Val, that¡¯s your Granny!"


    "Uu? Aaa!" The baby didn¡¯t really understand what her mother was talking about, but seeing Dorothea made her happy. She leaned towards Dorothea, wanting to be carried by her Granny.


    "Oh-ho, someone misses Granny already?" Dorothea chuckled. She carried the baby without a problem despite her age.


    Dorothea then glanced at Kate, who stood behind Chloe. Kate snapped out of her daze after seeing such a happy family. She quickly introduced herself, "My name is Katherine Woods, I am uh... uhm..."


    Kate didn¡¯t know how to make a connection between Chloe and her.


    Should she call herself Chloe¡¯s sister-in-law?


    Or should she call herself Chloe¡¯s friend?


    But she had no time to think about it because Dorothea already had the answer beforehand, "I knew about you, Kate. I knew a lot, actually."


    "Huh? But this is our first time meeting each other..." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, Dahlia told me many things about her daughter-in-law," Dorothea said. She turned around and told the woman who came with her. "Come on, Dahlia, how long will you stay inside that car?"


    There was a moment of pause until a woman came out of the car, she was the same woman that Kate hadn¡¯t met for more than a month.


    "Be more patient, will you? I¡¯m unsure if Kate wants to see me right now," Dahlia smiled bitterly. She shifted her gaze to Kate, who was too shocked to react. "Is it okay for me to come, Katherine? If you don¡¯t like it, then I can leave now."


    Kate shook her head, "I don¡¯t mind at all. I miss you so much."


    "Oh, Kate..." Dahlia saw that Kate was about to cry. She approached her pregnant daughter-in-law and hugged her. Dahlia patted Kate¡¯s back and said, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here just to ensure you¡¯re alright. That¡¯s the most important thing."


    "I¡¯m not okay, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here," Kate said.


    Chloe allowed Kate and Dahlia to reunite momentarily and then said, "Okay, let¡¯s talk inside. I¡¯ll tell the maid to serve us tea."


    They returned to the living room; Kate and Dahlia sat on the same sofa, while Chloe and Dorothea sat together, with Valerie sitting on Granny¡¯s lap.


    Kate held Dahlia¡¯s hand tightly. She wanted to tell everything to Dahlia and cried on her lap like a little girl wanting to be comforted by her mother.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t do that. So she just lowered her head and held Dahlia¡¯s hand tighter, "Did he tell you everything?"


    "He did," Dahlia sighed. "Though, I¡¯ve known about this long ago. I knew about his previous plan. That¡¯s why I told him to draw the line and do the right thing. Because if he truly wants to have a happy life with you, he has to work for it."


    As Kate guessed, there was no way Dahlia didn¡¯t know about Henry¡¯s secret.


    After all, Dahlia was a smart lady, unlike Kate, who was fooled for one year by a man who had a malicious intention towards her and her baby.


    "I told him many times that he should be honest with you because if he is honest, you may forgive him for his initial plan, and you two can work on it together," Dahlia sighed. "Unfortunately, he is stubborn as always. He gave me various reasons to delay telling you the truth, and now it¡¯s just too late."


    Kate nodded, "It¡¯s too late. I shudder thinking about what he planned against me when we first met..."


    Dahlia observed her daughter-in-law and was heartbroken after seeing such a beautiful and tough lady reduced to a sad woman who could only weep as the image of her good-natured and loving husband had been shattered.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418: Chapter 418fr§×ewebno?el.?o?"I¡¯m not here to persuade you to forgive him. What he did is unethical. But if you can¡¯t see me as your mother-in-law, then please see me as your mother instead," Dahlia said. "You are such a good daughter, Kate. Whether I can be your mother-in-law or not, I still see you as my family."


    Dahlia expected Kate to accept her request, but Kate didn¡¯t say yes, neither did she say no. She seemed to hesitate about accepting Dahlia because of her connection with Henry.


    Dahlia was heartbroken as she saw the hesitation on Kate¡¯s face, but she understood her position. Kate¡¯s world turned upside down because of Henry; she got the ultimate betrayal from the man she loved, making it hard to forgive Henry.


    "It¡¯s okay if you need more time. Besides, you¡¯re going to stay with Chloe for a long time, right?"


    "No," Kate replied. "I will go after I give birth. I can¡¯t stay here for too long."


    "Huh? Why?!"


    Kate¡¯s answer was out of her expectation, "It¡¯s dangerous out there, you know that, right? Marlon and Sarah are still trying to catch you."


    "But I also can¡¯t hide here forever. I just..." Kate slowly let go of Dahlia¡¯s hand and scooted away from her. She realized that Dahlia truly wanted them to stay in contact, while Kate realized if she stayed in contact with Dahlia, that meant she also stayed in contact with Henry.


    After all, they were mother and son.


    "Kate?" Dahlia tried to grab her daughter-in-law¡¯s hand, but Kate pulled it away immediately. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I want to start anew, Dahlia..." Kate replied. "So I want to let go of everyone except for Mai, since we will go together."


    "You want to cut contact with me as well?" Chloe couldn¡¯t help but barge in. "But I thought we¡¯re close already..."


    Kate smiled at Chloe and nodded, "I really like you, Chloe. You are an amazing woman, and I wish I can visit again in the future. But I¡¯ve made up my mind to start anew somewhere after I give birth. Maybe I will change my mind after a few years."


    "But, Katherine..."


    Kate got up after telling everyone what she had in mind, "Thank you for allowing me to stay. But I have to say it so nobody will get the wrong idea. It¡¯s not your fault, but I just can¡¯t imagine myself with Henry anymore. I am sorry for being selfish."


    Kate turned around and returned to her bedroom, leaving Chloe, Dorothea, and Dahlia in the living room.


    Dahlia lowered her head and wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, "I¡¯m sorry, I just can¡¯t hold it. I¡¯m heartbroken knowing that Kate doesn¡¯t want to do anything with me as well. I thought I could be an exception."


    Chloe got up and sat beside Dahlia to comfort her, "I think all we can do right now is to protect her once she moves out. Time will heal and she will return to us, hopefully."


    Dahlia nodded, "I can¡¯t believe I will be separated from my daughter-in-law and grandson. I¡¯ve been wishing that we can stay together."


    Kate entered her room and saw Mai crying alone while reading something on her phone. She was so sad that she didn¡¯t realize Kate entered the room. Kate quickly sat on the bed and tapped Mai¡¯s shoulder, "Mai, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Oh¡ª" Mai flipped her phone and wiped her tears. "Nothing, I was just watching a sad video and crying."


    "Mai, you can¡¯t lie to me. I know when you¡¯re not telling the truth..."


    ...


    Mai bit her lips, trying her best not to wail, but she couldn¡¯t. She burst into tears and hugged Kate tightly. She confessed everything to her sister because Kate was the only one she could talk to right now, "Michael told me last night that we can¡¯t be together because he values duty over me. He is loyal to Henry, so he can¡¯t be with someone he loves if his duty clashes with his love."


    "I feel abandoned and betrayed. I want to be with him, I love him, sister!" Mai confessed desperately. "I was looking at my selfies with him and realized we are truly in love. But why does it come to this point? Why do we have to choose?"


    "Why did I fall in love with a man who won¡¯t choose me over his job?!"


    Kate could feel Mai¡¯s heartbreak. She truly loved Michael, and to be honest, Kate also realized that Michael loved Mai more than what he showed. They were a great couple, and it was tragic that they couldn¡¯t be together just because of her.


    ¡¯I am really selfish, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Kate blamed herself. ¡¯Mai will support me no matter what. But she will sacrifice her own happiness just to drown in misery with me, and I don¡¯t want my sister to have a tragic life just like me...¡¯


    Kate began to remember Michael. Michael was a good man, she knew that after their interaction. He was true to his duty and loyal to Henry. He was also very gentle and kind towards Mai. He just happened to be stupidly loyal to Henry, so he couldn¡¯t tell them about Henry¡¯s secret.


    ¡¯It¡¯s so selfish of me for separating these two just because of my problem with Henry...¡¯ Kate began to think of a way to give Mai peace of mind. ¡¯She shouldn¡¯t have been involved in this situation. She¡¯s supposed to work in Emperor Publishing as a new editor. She is just roped into all of this because of her fondness towards me.¡¯


    Kate began to imagine the good life that Mai could have if they weren¡¯t involved. She then imagined the miserable life that Mai would have if she went with Kate to leave New York and start anew somewhere.


    Mai might say that it was all fine and she would be fine as long as she could stay with her sister. But even Kate knew that Mai had a hard time processing everything that happened right now.


    Thus, after a moment of consideration, Kate had made up her mind. She patted Mai¡¯s back to comfort her and said, "Mai, I don¡¯t think you can follow me anymore."

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419: Chapter 419"Mai, I don¡¯t think you can follow me anymore," Kate said.


    Mai held her breath instantly. She didn¡¯t know if she heard it right and asked, "W¡ªWhat do you mean? Did I do something wrong?"


    Mai hugged Kate as tight as she could and said, "I don¡¯t know what I did wrong, but please don¡¯t say something like that to me, Kate. You know that I see you as my sister. You are my only family!"


    "We are a family, Mai, will always be," Kate smiled. "But you¡¯re not going to be happy following me around like this. It¡¯s my fight with Henry. You shouldn¡¯t be involved in the first place."


    "But¡ª"


    "Mai, listen to me," Kate grabbed Mai¡¯s shoulder and pushed her up to her arm¡¯s length. She stared at the woman whom she saw as her little sister. Mai was crying, thinking that she had been abandoned.


    "Please don¡¯t abandon me. I¡¯ve been abandoned by so many people in my life. I don¡¯t want to be alone..." Mai begged. Her tears streamed down freely from the corner of her eyes.


    "I¡¯m not abandoning you. But I want you to find your own happiness. I want you to be happy without clinging your hope to me," Kate said. She knew she was harsh, but she didn¡¯t want Mai to sacrifice everything for her. "I will spend the rest of my life in misery, Mai. But you... you shouldn¡¯t suffer just because of me. You deserve to have a fulfilling life."


    Mai shook her head, "But I still want to follow you..."


    "We will stay in contact," Kate said. "I just want you to find your own path, to be with someone you love. What you¡¯re doing right now is not healthy, Mai."


    Mai¡¯s mind was buzzing. In her head, she was basically abandoned by Kate, just like how she abandoned her sister back then.


    Kate realized that Mai wasn¡¯t listening to her anymore. So she shook Mai¡¯s body, "Pull yourself together, Mai! I¡¯m not abandoning you! I just want you to be more independent!"


    "Then what should I do to be more independent?" Mai said. "Just tell me what to do, okay? I¡¯ve been drifting, surviving all by myself until you hired me and even accepted me as your family. You can¡¯t just let me drift without purpose again..."


    ...


    Kate lowered her head. She wondered if it was alright to ask Mai about this, but in the end, she asked, "I can¡¯t let you go back to Los Angeles because you might be in danger. In fact, I can¡¯t let you leave New York because Marlon and Sarah will target you."


    "So I want you to return to the office and work in the Empress Publishing in my stead," Kate said. "I¡¯ve promised a lot of authors who trusted me, so I can¡¯t abandon them."


    "But I don¡¯t want to work for Henry! He is an asshole who hurt you!" Mai refused. "I... I can¡¯t meet with Michael either. I¡¯m afraid I may fall in love even harder for him..."


    "You don¡¯t work for him. You work for me," Kate said. "Henry already transferred all of his ownership of the Empress Publishing to me, and the rest of the stocks are from investors."


    "You also don¡¯t need to meet with Michael. I¡¯m sure Michael won¡¯t bother you again after this. He is fiercely loyal to Henry," Kate added. "So I want you to maintain the company. If you¡¯re afraid of losing contact with me, then this will guarantee that we won¡¯t be separated, at least not with our communication. Because I will be observing daily, you must call me for every important decision."


    Mai was still reluctant. She wanted to follow her sister no matter what because she simply didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    But Kate was also correct. They had to maintain Empress Publishing because many authors relied on them.


    They were fiercely loyal to Kate, and to disappoint them again was not something that Kate would do.


    "This is the stability that you need, Mai. You need to focus on work; you need to be surrounded by work that will take your mind off this mess," Kate said.


    Mai slowly let go of her resistance. She began to think that maybe Kate was right.


    She wanted to be with Kate, but that meant she would be in constant turmoil. She would find no peace in doing that.


    "But where will you go after giving birth?" Mai asked. "I know you won¡¯t stay here forever, right?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate smiled helplessly, "Well, I don¡¯t know. But I just want to leave. I want to start anew."


    "But you¡¯ll be in danger too. Marlon and Sarah will continue to hunt you down!" Mai said. "This is what I mean, sister. I have to protect you no matter what."


    "I can protect myself. Besides, I¡¯m sure Henry wouldn¡¯t let me go so easily. He will continue to surround me with his subordinates. Dahlia and Vernon would do the same, it¡¯s inevitable," Kate sighed. "But at least I won¡¯t have to be with them. It¡¯s the only way for me to have a normal life, for me, and for Theodore too."


    Mai nodded.


    She finally let go of her sister and asked, "I have a question, and it¡¯s my last one, Kate."


    "Go on, tell me."


    "Can I come for a visit to your new place? At least once every month or two. I can¡¯t bear not seeing my sister and nephew for a long time," Mai said. "I¡¯m sorry that I can be clingy. But I really see you as my sister, Kate..."


    "Well, once a month should be alright. You will be busy in the office, so it can¡¯t be too often," Kate said. "This is for the best, Mai. Return to the Phoenix Tower, get all your belongings, and move out. Find a hotel, then rent an apartment near the office. You can just use my card for everything you need, got it?"

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420: Chapter 420"I¡ªI have to leave now? Right now?"


    "Of course, you must prepare to move out, right? And don¡¯t forget to contact the staff at Empress Publishing. They must be confused because of your absence."


    Kate got up and pulled Mai from the bed, "Come on, Mai. It¡¯s time to work. I don¡¯t want a lazy sister."


    Mai nodded, "I¡¯ll grab my wallet in my room and leave. I¡¯ll call an Uber."


    "I don¡¯t think an Uber will be around here. I¡¯ll tell Chloe to get a driver for you."


    **


    Marlon sat in the study room. He clenched his cane as he was on the call with his friend from New York.


    ¡ª


    "Marlon, your son is protected by your nephew, Vernon Phoenix Gray. He is THE big shot in New York. It¡¯s impossible to sabotage his new company with that man¡¯s constant intervention."


    "Is there no way you can work around this? Surely you also know how to sabotage Vernon¡¯s company, right?" Marlon asked.


    "I don¡¯t want to risk it. That man will obliterate my company if I dare to step out of the line," the man on the phone said. "Honestly, why do you need to sabotage your son¡¯s new company? Isn¡¯t it good that he is becoming more diligent? I bet he will be great, just like his late brother."


    "HE WILL NOT BE LIKE JAMES!" Marlon snapped, which shocked his friend. "He will be a good son of mine. He will become my pride, and he will inherit everything! I will be the father of the Duke of York! That woman won¡¯t be able to influence him anymore!"


    ...


    "Are you okay, Marlon?" His friend asked. "You sound a bit unhinged just now."


    Marlon realized he was blabbering and said, "Sorry, I was just angry at Henry. I want him to be a good son and inherit my business. But he got bewitched by a woman and began to get rebellious. He¡¯s too old to be in his rebellion phase. He needs to settle with a good woman.


    His friend sighed, "Your son is only in his early twenties. He still has those young bones. Give it time, and he will eventually realize he¡¯s in the wrong."


    Marlon didn¡¯t want to talk much about his private life, so he thanked his friend and hung up.


    He took a deep breath to calm down. He had been on edge since his nephew, Vernon Phoenix Gray, intercepted all his efforts to sabotage his son¡¯s company.


    He even tried to make some ripple by using the media to shame Vernon, but Vernon¡¯s connection was proven to be too much for the old man.


    So he became a sitting old duck right now.


    Penny walked in with tea for the man. She looked scared after she kept getting abused by Marlon.


    Marlon had grown increasingly abusive and unhinged after his failed attempts to ruin their son¡¯s life.


    On top of that, he kept talking about Dahlia.


    That bitch lived rent-free in his head and heart. It made Penny burn in jealousy each time Marlon mentioned Dahlia.


    Unfortunately, she had no guts to argue against Marlon. She didn¡¯t want to get beaten again, so all she could do was wish Henry would become a good boy and do whatever Marlon said.


    Marlon would naturally be more lenient and happy around her if Henry had become obedient.


    ¡¯That bastard has no pity for his own mother. I¡¯m here getting beaten every day while he is just running around like a wild young man,¡¯ Penny complained. ¡¯I brought him here so WE can have a good life. Why do I have to suffer after giving him a chance of becoming the son of a billionaire?¡¯


    Penny put the tea on the small table next to Marlon and stepped back, "Do you need anything else, husband?"


    Marlon glanced at her once and scoffed in displeasure, "Don¡¯t call me husband, not until you can convince your son to come in here and take my mantle."


    "You know I can¡¯t do that..." Penny replied. "I¡¯ve been blocked by him as well..."


    "Then get out! I don¡¯t need a useless woman like you!" Marlon yelled, and Penny quickly left, scared that she¡¯d be beaten by him again. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon drank the tea and called his subordinate to come in for a report.


    "Sarah told me last night that she sent damning evidence of the recording between Henry and I to that bitch Katherine," Marlon said. "I heard the recording, and I know it should be enough to break them apart, right? So where is she now."


    The subordinate paused for a moment. He was nervous to the point that his back was sweating. He knew Marlon would explode once he reported what he found.


    "Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s still with Henry. That bitch would be so cheap to stay with a man who planned to take her baby before," Marlon said.


    "No, Master. They have been separated since two days ago. They lived in a completely separate place as well," the informant said.


    Marlon¡¯s lips slowly perked up. He was relieved that bitch was finally out of the way, "Then where is she now? Send as many men as possible to kill her. I want her dead by tomorrow."


    "Master, we... cannot do that..." the informant said.


    "Why not? Are you scared of Dahlia¡¯s men? They might be military-trained, but there aren¡¯t many of them. You can kill them all with sheer numbers."


    "No, the Hawthorne¡¯s subordinates are the least of our worries," The informant gulped as he continued, "Katherine Ross is currently residing in Vernon Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion. We haven¡¯t been able to spy on her because the mansion is heavily guarded. So there is no way we can penetrate their defense."


    "So we can¡¯t touch her at all?" Marlon asked. His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a grim frown.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Master. But that is impossible to do. No matter how many men we dispatch, there is no way we can touch her. Not until she is out of that mansion."

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421: Chapter 421"So what you¡¯re saying is that I¡¯m going to be a sitting duck until that bitch gets out of that mansion?" Marlon asked grimly. But it sounded more like a statement than a question, and the subordinate understood it.


    He nodded solemnly and closed his eyes, waiting for his Master¡¯s punishment.


    But the blow didn¡¯t happen. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that Marlon was in a terrible mood. He said nothing, but it was obvious Marlon could kill a man right now if someone triggered him.


    "Leave now," Marlon said, and the subordinate left immediately.


    Marlon clenched his cane until his hand trembled. He grabbed his phone and called his daughter-in-law.


    He was ashamed, but Sarah should know about his failure so they could plan further.


    After all, Sarah was a good and smart woman who could create some elaborate scheme. She was a perfect daughter-in-law for him and a perfect wife for Henry.


    The call was connected soon after;


    ¡ª


    "Hello?"


    "Sarah, I... I want to tell you the progress to kill Katherine," Marlon said straight to the point, knowing prolonging it would only make him sound even more cowardly.


    He was supposed to be the pillar of his family, so everyone would look up to him and find him reliable.


    Instead, he repeatedly disappointed his daughter-in-law because of his incompetence and his family members¡¯ rebelliousness.


    "Oh? How was it? Did you finally kill Katherine?" Sarah asked. She had begun to shed some of the kindness and innocence she portrayed before because she knew there was no point in doing that when Marlon had been less than useful to her.


    "My subordinate told me that she resides in Vernon¡¯s mansion. That mansion is heavily guarded. There is no way we can penetrate it and kill her," Marlon said. "Not until we can get her out of that mansion," he added, hoping it would appease his daughter-in-law.


    ...


    There was no answer for a long time, and the old man got worried, "Sarah? Are you alright?"


    "Oh, I¡¯m alright, Marlon," Sarah said calmly, but there was a trace of sarcasm in the last word. "But I¡¯m just sad because I¡¯ve been hoping that you can kill her somehow. After all, Katherine has been the parasite that ruined your family and your chance to become a part of the noble family."


    "That¡ª" Marlon had been trying to stop thinking about Dahlia, James, and Henry. At least he didn¡¯t want to think about his once-happy family ruined by Katherine.


    "I¡¯m just here helping you because I want you to be happy with your family. Surely you don¡¯t want to spend your final days alone in your room, right? That¡¯s why Katherine needs to die. It¡¯s her who killed James, and it¡¯s also her who derailed Henry," Sarah had a vicious grin as she continued to influence the old man to do her bidding. It was so fun knowing that Marlon would continue to do whatever she said in the guise of making a happy family. "Oh, don¡¯t get me started with Dahlia. She took Henry¡¯s side because Kate has influenced her¡ª"


    "ENOUGH!" Marlon couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. He was already on edge, knowing that none of his family members were here to comfort him, and he was already aging. It might not be long until he kicked the bucket, and he¡¯d die alone.


    He refused to die alone. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wanted to die surrounded by his loved ones.


    Marlon took a deep breath as his heart began to race, "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t do much, Sarah. I will try to find a way. Trust me, we will become one big family."


    "Mhm, I trust you, Marlon," Sarah said lightly before she hung up without saying goodbye.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Marlon was at a loss. He put his phone on the table and looked around the study room.


    This was the place where he spent most of his time, surrounded by old books, drinking tea or coffee, and sometimes staring at the window where he could see the garden.


    He closed his eyes, remembering that Dahlia would often come to the study room to check on him or bring him tea when he was still in his forties.


    They would usually talk about random things.


    Honestly, conversing with Dahlia was always an amazing experience for Marlon.


    Dahlia was a beautiful and smart woman. She was also well-spoken and well-mannered, thanks to the strict teaching of the Hawthorne old-money family.


    She was still graceful even if she was already aging, ¡¯So why did I replace her with Penny?¡¯ Marlon pondered to no end.


    No matter how much he tried to justify it, he knew Penny held no candle against Dahlia except that she was younger.


    Dahlia was much more beautiful and elegant in her prime. She was the eye candy for every man who wanted her, but Marlon was the lucky one she chose to marry.


    They had James, a bright son who was also a prodigy in almost every subject. His life was perfect...


    Until he cheated once and got that whore pregnant, then that whore came to his door asking for a place to stay with his son, Henry.


    Of course, Dahlia, being a good person, accepted Henry as her own son, but it was also the start of their broken marriage.


    The realization that he was all alone scared him so much that he shook his head and said, "I may not have a happy family with James and Dahlia anymore. But I will make mine with Henry and Sarah. They will become duke and duchess, and I will die as a proud man whose family is both noble and rich."


    Marlon¡¯s determination was unmatched in this. He refused to die alone, and there was no turning back. So he began to make a few more calls with the hope he could find a way to kill Katherine and the baby.


    He didn¡¯t even need that baby anymore. That baby could die with his mother for all he cared for!

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422: Chapter 422Sarah hung up the call. Her malevolent smile slowly vanished, leaving the frown of a woman who was already on edge, ready to murder anyone in front of her right now.


    She was furious at Marlon for being absolutely-fucking-useless.


    "That fucking stupid old man can¡¯t even do anything. He can¡¯t sabotage Henry¡¯s company, and he can¡¯t even kill a pregnant woman!" Sarah yelled.


    Erin stared at Sarah, who was venting out her frustration, "So, can I go and kill her now?" Erin asked. She already knew the answer since Sarah looked so scary. But she just wanted to make sure. "I can¡¯t wait to gouge her eyes out."


    "I will gouge your eyes if you don¡¯t shut up," Sarah said coldly.


    Erin knew her limit already. After being tricked by Kate and thrown into the frozen tundra in Greenland, she realized she needed to be more careful of what she said.


    Sarah crossed her arms as she began to fiddle her fingers around the screen. She texted someone and then glanced at Erin, "Do you know what happened?"


    Erin shook her head.


    "That bitch sister of yours left Henry but is currently hiding in Vernon Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion. That place is basically impenetrable, and we can¡¯t do anything as long as she¡¯s there."


    "That bitch is just a parasite to everyone," Erin complained. "She latched on to Henry like a whore, and then manipulated him to hurt me, a totally innocent woman. She then latched into that old woman you mentioned... uhm... Dahlia. Now, she latched on another billionaire. What a shameless bitch."


    Sarah scoffed but said nothing in response, feeling that Erin would eventually come up with something useful with her twisted yet simple mind if she kept her silence.


    Erin leaned on the wall and then asked, "Miss, what if you told Vernon Phoenix Gray¡¯s wife that Kate is having an affair with her husband? Surely Kate will get kicked out because of that, right?"


    "That won¡¯t work," Sarah rejected the idea. "Vernon has a very specific taste. His story with Chloe is actually quite well known. A mere gossip wouldn¡¯t affect them at all."


    "Well, then, do they have a child?"


    Sarah turned her head towards Erin. She peered suspiciously, "Yes, they have two daughters. One is from Chloe¡¯s previous marriage, an eight-years-old, and the other is a baby born five months ago."


    "Then what if we just kidnap the little girl, like... we can kidnap that child and threaten to kill her if her parents refuse to give up Kate."


    As expected, Erin¡¯s idea was reckless and crazy, but it was also interesting because Sarah would never have thought of such a stupid idea before.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t just kidnap the child out of the blue. Vernon had many people guarding around the girl, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    ¡¯But I can probably kidnap her during her free time, maybe in the mall,¡¯ Sarah thought. ¡¯I¡¯ll have someone to stalk them first to see the pattern of the little girl¡¯s schedule and kidnap her at the right time. I can use that girl as a useful bidding tool.¡¯


    Sarah began to think about Vernon¡¯s influence.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray was young, but by no means he was inexperienced. Vernon was only two years older than Henry, but he was probably at the same level as James at this point. They were both very resourceful and influential.


    ¡¯Well, Henry has never been the best at becoming a shrewd businessman. He uses his heart way too much. He¡¯s too emotional to be a successful businessman,¡¯ Sarah sighed. ¡¯But he will be a Duke. His influence would rival or surpass these business moguls in America.¡¯


    ¡¯Maybe I should snag this man called Vernon Phoenix Gray instead?¡¯ Sarah considered. ¡¯He is very handsome, though not as breathtaking as Henry.¡¯


    But then, she quickly rejected the idea, ¡¯I want to be with Henry because he will be a Duke. I want the noble title. A mere businessman won¡¯t suffice.¡¯


    Thus, Sarah grabbed her phone and began to call her informant, ensuring the informant would get all the necessary information about Vernon and Chloe¡¯s daughter.


    **


    It had been two weeks since Kate stayed in Vernon¡¯s house. Though she preferred to stay alone, she enjoyed spending time with Chloe¡¯s family.


    Mai had already moved out of the Phoenix Apartment and lived in a new apartment not far from the Empress Publishing office building. She had been taking the role of Kate¡¯s stand-in and only called Kate when it was an important decision she needed to handle.


    Dahlia visited three times in two weeks, and Kate always accepted her, but no matter how hard Dahlia tried to persuade Kate to stay in contact, Kate wouldn¡¯t budge with her decision.


    Meanwhile, Henry tried to visit her a few times, but she always hid in her room and refused to see his face, let alone talk to him.


    So Henry could only leave with heartbreak.


    "Kate, are you sure you don¡¯t want to meet him at all?" Chloe asked while they had their late noon tea together. "Has the flame been extinguished in your heart?"


    "No, I still love him and will forever love him," Kate replied without hesitation, knowing that was the truth. "But I just can¡¯t imagine myself with him anymore. It¡¯s too painful."


    "So you¡¯re just going to ignore him for the rest of your life?"


    "... maybe there will be a miracle in the future when I forgive him. But for now, I plan to stay single for the rest of my life. I¡¯ve been hurt by too many men in my life, Chloe. I can¡¯t bear it," Kate said weakly.


    Chloe sighed. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chloe had also been hurt by many men in her life, but she understood that people were different. Kate had such a strong pride in herself and had all the requirements to be fully independent.


    So none of them could stop her from leaving.


    Kate knew her refusal was always the mood-killer in any situation. So she shifted her attention by looking at the clock and said, "I think you should go and pick up Mackie. She just finished her club at this hour, right?"


    "Yup, we¡¯re going to the mall after that. Do you need anything from the mall? I can buy it for you."

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423: Chapter 423"Ahaha, no need, I don¡¯t need anything in particular," Kate smiled. "Now go. Mackie must be waiting for you."


    "Alright, do text me if you need anything, okay?" Chloe got up and grabbed her bag. She made quick steps to the main door where her bodyguard, Meyer, waited for her.


    "Let¡¯s go, Meyer. Mackie would sulk if we¡¯re late to pick her up," Chloe said.


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am."


    **


    "Mommy!" Mackie¡¯s face brightened when she saw her Mommy picking her up today. Usually, it was only Meyer who¡¯d pick her up after club, but her mother promised to bring her to the mall today.


    So she hopped into the backseat of the car and put her bag in the front passenger seat.


    "We¡¯re going to go to the mall today, right?" Mackie asked.


    Chloe chuckled, "Why are you so excited? We visited the mall once a week at least."


    "Yeah, but I want to give something nice to Aunt Kate," Mackie said. "She looks so sad these days. So I¡¯ll use my pocket money to buy something to cheer her up!"


    "Aww, alright then, let¡¯s go."


    **


    Chloe and Mackie walked around the mall with Meyer guarding them from behind. He made sure to have a bit of a gap so it wouldn¡¯t be too obvious to other mall visitors and to give the mother-daughter a space of their own.


    Sometimes Chloe told her husband not to send a bodyguard for every daily activity she had, but Vernon insisted because of the unknown danger lurking around.


    "Mommy, let¡¯s go get a Teddy!" Mackie said. "I¡¯ve saved enough pocket money to buy a small Teddy!"


    "Teddy?" Chloe raised her brow. "Do you want a Teddy? I thought you said you¡¯ve grown past that."


    "It¡¯s not for me, Mommy," Mackie pouted. "It¡¯s for Aunt Kate¡¯s baby! I saw that Valerie likes Teddy so much, so Aunt Kate¡¯s baby will like it too!"


    Chloe had a faint smile, knowing that Mackie had grown up to be such a sweet little girl. She was still somewhat naive, but it was for the best, knowing she had grown up in such a difficult situation.


    A child¡¯s innocence should be protected at all cost, that was Chloe¡¯s personal opinion.


    Thus, Chloe and Mackie entered the Build-A-Teddy store and got one for Kate¡¯s baby.


    Mackie picked Teddy with a superhero cape and named it, ¡¯Superbear.¡¯


    "I thought you said you wanted Aunt Kate¡¯s baby to be Mojo Jojo," Chloe chuckled as she remembered the funny moment when her daughter saw Kate for the first time.


    "Oh, yes! But Mommy, Mojo Jojo needs protection too. Superbear will protect him until he¡¯s old enough to be a supervillain!"


    "Alright, I¡¯m sure Aunt Kate will be very happy knowing Superbear will protect her son," Chloe said. "Let¡¯s go. Mommy wants to buy a few things before we buy gelato and then go home."


    "Un~!"


    Chloe and Mackie easily went around the mall and stopped at the ice cream shop.


    They went to the restroom before going home. As usual, Chloe told Meyer, her bodyguard, "Stay here, Meyer. Surely, you don¡¯t want to be called a pervert by anyone inside, right?"


    Meyer¡¯s cheeks reddened, "Yes, Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll be guarding outside, make sure to scream if you get attacked."


    Chloe sighed, "The only dangerous thing in a mall restroom is probably a roach, but alright."


    Chloe handed all of their shopping bags to Meyer and grabbed her daughter¡¯s wrist as they entered the restroom


    The female restroom was surprisingly empty, with all the stalls wide open and very clean as always.


    Chloe let go of her daughter¡¯s hand and said, "Stay in here, Mackie. I¡¯m going to use the toilet first, okay?"


    "Mhm~," Mackie nodded lightly. She saw her Mommy enter the furthest stall and close the door, leaving Mackie alone in front of a big bathroom mirror.


    Mackie stared at herself in the mirror and began playing with her hair. She leaned on the sink and murmured, "Maybe I should ask Mommy to go to the salon. I want to cut my hair. It¡¯ll be so hot when summer comes..."


    She tiptoed as to lean closer, hoping to take a better look at her split ends as well. Her female friend told her that she should use a hair conditioner.


    Mackie was still too young to really understand what was the use of a conditioner because she never had any problem with her hair before, but she saw the bottle in Mommy¡¯s bathroom once.


    It was mostly comments from her friend that made her begin to grow some consciousness about her appearance.


    As Mackie was busy staring at herself, she noticed a woman walking into the bathroom.


    The woman was in her mid twenties. She was wearing jeans and a jacket. Mackie had a weird feeling when the woman turned her head and stared at the mirror. Her eyes showed a certain malevolence that even a little girl noticed, but Mackie stayed silent as she kept checking herself.


    Mackie was naturally a bright girl who was friendly to everyone, but her Mommy already told her many times not to talk with strangers, so she just zipped her mouth and tried to dodge her eyes.


    The woman smiled at Mackie, and the little girl shuddered. She sensed something bad from this stranger.


    "Mackenzie, right?" The stranger mentioned her name.


    Mackie jolted.


    She had never met this woman before. How could she know her name?


    "Y¡ªYes, how do you know¡ª"


    "Your name? Well, I happen to be Aunt Kate¡¯s sister and she told me about you," the woman grinned. "My name is Erin." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aunt Kate¡¯s sister?" Mackie began to loosen her guard when the woman named Erin seemed trustworthy. "Really? How come she never talked about you? I only know Mai," Mackie asked.


    "Oh-ho, she actually wants to introduce me to you today. Kate is already waiting in a restaurant in this mall, so she told me to come here to pick you up," Erin persuaded. She grabbed Mackie¡¯s wrist and said, "Let¡¯s go, Mackenzie."

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424: Chapter 424[Warning: Violence.]


    Mackie got excited, thinking she could hand Aunt Kate the Teddy bear right now, but she knew she couldn¡¯t leave her Mommy.


    She turned her head and pointed at the only stall with the door locked, "Let¡¯s wait for my Mommy first."


    Erin glanced at the toilet stall, and her grin widened, "Aunt Kate already called your Mommy. She said we should go first, and she¡¯ll come with us later."


    Mackie shook her head, "I¡¯m not leaving without Mommy."


    "Eh? Why? You¡¯re an eight-year-old, right? A kid your age should be brave enough without her Mommy around her. I bet if your friends know about this, they will call you Daddy¡¯s little princess."


    "But I am Daddy¡¯s little princess," Mackie replied without hesitation. "Oh, he told me we will go on a trip to Disneyland on my ninth birthday! He said he¡¯ll buy me everything I want!"


    Erin¡¯s lips twitched.


    This seemingly innocent little girl had actually offended her because she never had a father figure growing up.


    She only had a mother who used her as an emotional crutch and was literally the most annoying old bitch on the planet.


    The other one was her pushover sister, who spoiled her so much that Erin felt it was so boring. Unfortunately, Kate began to get arrogant just because she worked as a Chief Editor in a successful publishing company, so Erin stole her sister¡¯s husband to make sure that Kate knew who was the boss in the house. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, hearing a little girl who had a perfect childhood got her heart boiling instantly.


    "Oh, really? Your Dad seems to love you so much, huh?" Erin sneered. "But do you know that your Dad is secretly cheating on your Mom with my Sister?"


    ...


    Mackie¡¯s eyes widened, she opened her mouth, but no words came out of it. She was too speechless to react.


    Erin was satisfied seeing the little girl¡¯s reaction, "That¡¯s right, do you know the baby inside Aunt Kate¡¯s belly? That¡¯s your father¡¯s baby. He is cheating on your Mom, and he will divorce your Mom soon after."


    "Oh, he will also beat your Mom until she is dead. So your Dad can marry Aunt Kate, hihi~," Erin had abandoned her plan to kidnap this girl. She knew it was impossible to do, knowing this girl wouldn¡¯t leave without her Mommy.


    But at least she got the last laugh when she saw tears in Mackie¡¯s eyes.


    "If you want your Mommy and Daddy to stay married, you have to stab that bitch Aunt Kate¡¯s stomach. Pull the baby out and stab it! I have a knife for you."


    Erin pulled out a pocket knife and pointed it at Mackie¡¯s face, "With this, you can kill Aunt Kate, and your Mommy and Daddy won¡¯t be separated. How about it? Do you want to help me?"


    Mackie¡¯s face turned pale when she saw the knife. She remembered how her biological Dad often pulled a knife in front of her Mommy, and she screamed.


    "MOMMMYYYYYY!!!!!"


    Erin was shocked when Mackie suddenly screamed. It didn¡¯t take long for the stall door to slam open, and a tall and muscular man stormed inside the female restroom.


    "MACKIE!!" Chloe and Meyer yelled at the same time when they saw an unknown woman pointing the knife at the little girl.


    They rushed towards Mackie, but Erin quickly grabbed her by the collar and pointed the knife at her neck, "DON¡¯T MOVE OR I WILL KILL THIS LITTLE SHIT!"


    Meyer and Chloe stopped their track instantly. They panicked, and Mackie began to cry.


    "Now, take a step back!" Erin said.


    Chloe and Meyer took a step back, but Meyer slowly reached for a handgun on his back.


    Chloe glanced at Meyer and realized what he was doing. So she tried to distract Erin.


    "W¡ªWho are you? What do you want?" Chloe asked. "If you want money, then I¡¯ll give it to you. But please let go of my daughter!"


    "Let go of this little shit? Hihi, of course, but I don¡¯t need your money," Erin said. "I can easily kill this little girl if I want to, so if you want her to live, call Katherine right now, and let her come."


    "Katherine?" Chloe was shocked when Kate¡¯s name was brought up. "How do you know about her?"


    "I¡¯m her sister, duh," Erin rolled her eyes. "Anyway, call her now, or this little shit is dead!"


    As Erin talked with Kate, she didn¡¯t notice Meyer¡¯s hand grabbing the handgun from his back. The moment Meyer reached the gun handle, he quickly pointed it at Erin and didn¡¯t hesitate to shoot.


    Erin noticed the gun at the corner of her eyes, and the moment there was a loud bang, she quickly ducked.


    BANG!


    "Ah!" Erin ducked, and the bullet narrowly missed her head. She let go of Mackie, so Chloe rushed to grab Mackie¡¯s hand and pulled the little girl to her side.


    Erin was still ducking as she was still shocked by the gunshot that almost killed her.


    "Meyer, arrest her!" Chloe commanded, and her bodyguard rushed towards Erin.


    He clenched Erin¡¯s hand as hard as possible so she wouldn¡¯t escape, and Erin screamed painfully, "Aw! Ouch! My arm!"


    "You have a lot to explain, you bitch!" Meyer yelled. He was angry when he saw Mackie crying because of this woman and blamed himself for being inattentive.


    He never expected a seemingly normal woman to be completely deranged.


    Erin glared at Meyer and put her hand in the jacket pocket, "Explanation? Kate has made my life a complete mess. She is a bitch who deserves to die!"


    Erin grabbed the pepper spray in her jacket pocket and sprayed it right in front of Meyer¡¯s face.


    "Urgh!" Meyer had to let Erin go because the pepper spray blinded him.


    Erin turned her head towards Chloe and Mackie, who hid behind her mother. She smirked and said, "This is just the beginning, Chloe Phoenix Gray. I will make your life miserable if you let that bitch Katherine stay in your house."

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425: Chapter 425Erin rushed out of the restroom, taking the chance before Meyer recovered from his blindness because of the pepper spray.


    Meanwhile, Chloe stood in silence while guarding her daughter behind her. After making sure that everything was alright, he helped Meyer to the sink so he could wash his face.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t know that seemingly ordinary woman is¡ª"


    "It¡¯s okay," Chloe said calmly. "But I have to talk about this with Vernon. They already made their move, so we have to be extra guarded, especially for Mackie. We need to tighten the guard around her."


    Chloe looked at her daughter, who was still shaken. This wasn¡¯t the first time they experienced stuff like this, and it definitely wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    So she crouched and patted her daughter¡¯s head, "Dear, you have to tell me what that evil woman told you, okay? Tell me everything in the car."


    Mackie nodded, and they hurried to the car.


    Mackie told everything, including about Erin as Aunt Kate¡¯s sister and how Daddy was cheating on Mommy with Aunt Kate.


    Chloe shook her head, "Ridiculous, don¡¯t believe that. That woman is evil. She just wants us to kick your pregnant aunt out of the house. I know your Daddy. He is loyal, and he won¡¯t hurt us."


    "Unlike Daddy Vincent?" Mackie asked, mentioning her biological father, who cheated on Chloe and abused her.


    "Yeah, unlike him," Chloe assured. "Let¡¯s just go home, okay? You should rest."


    Mackie closed her eyes and rested on her mother¡¯s lap. She was too tired after listening to all the scary lies the evil woman had said just now.


    Chloe caressed her daughter¡¯s hair and then texted Vernon, telling him he should return home early.


    **


    Vernon arrived earlier than Chloe after he got the text. He rushed because he was afraid that something had happened to his wife and daughter.


    But he didn¡¯t see them anywhere, there was only Kate who sat in the living room, busy with her iPad as she was sending an email to one of her authors.


    "Kate, where are Chloe and Mackie?" Vernon asked as he looked around.


    "Huh? Chloe said she¡¯d go to the mall with Mackie after school. What¡¯s wrong? You look like you¡¯ve just seen a ghost," Kate asked.


    "It¡¯s... nothing," Vernon didn¡¯t know what was happening, so he sat on the chair directly facing Kate and took a deep breath.


    He was sweating because of nervousness, afraid the worst had happened to Chloe and Mackie.


    Kate observed Vernon and then asked the maid to give him a glass of water, "Do you want me to call Chloe?"


    "No need, they¡¯ll be home soon," Vernon said.


    It took about ten minutes when another car entered the driveway.


    Chloe and Mackie entered the mansion, and Vernon quickly got up to check on them, "What¡¯s wrong? Were you hurt? Did something happen?!"


    "Relax, honey. We are safe now, but I have something to tell you," Chloe glanced at Kate, who was still clueless about the whole thing. Chloe didn¡¯t want Kate to know about this because it would definitely stress her out. "We will talk about this in our room. I¡¯ll help Mackie first. She¡¯s the one who got threatened."


    Vernon was dying with anxiety, but he nodded and patted his daughter¡¯s head, "Are you okay, Princess?"


    "Mmm..." Mackie nodded, but her eyes were on Aunt Kate the whole time.


    She had doubts in her mind but still walked towards Kate and handed her the Teddy she had bought.


    "Aunty, this is for you..." Mackie said.


    "For me?" Kate was surprised. She saw the hesitation in Mackie¡¯s eyes. "Are you sure?"


    "Mhm, this is Teddy, his name is Superbear. I bought it with my pocket money for your baby. My sister loves her Teddy so much, so your baby will like it too," Mackie said innocently. "It will protect him from any harm."


    Kate opened the paper bag and saw Teddy with a superhero cape, "Aww..." Kate was delighted by her gift. "Thank you so much, darling. My son will love it. Come, give me a hug."


    Kate hugged Mackie and patted her back, "Are you alright? You look pale."


    ...


    Mackie had been trying not to say anything to Aunt Kate, but she kept thinking about what Erin was saying, and in the end, she asked, "Auntie, you are not doing anything with my Daddy, right?"


    "W¡ªWhat?"


    Chloe¡¯s eyes widened, "Mackie!"


    "I met with this evil woman named Erin in the restroom in the mall today. She told many evil lies, like... she said you and my Daddy are cheating on Mommy. I know it¡¯s a lie, but please don¡¯t do that, okay? Please don¡¯t hurt my Mommy..."


    "Mackenzie!" Chloe panicked. She rushed to Mackie and grabbed her by the arm. "Mackenzie, go to your room! This is an adult talk!" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, and she began to tear up again, "Why are you grounding me? I¡¯m just asking Aunt Kate nicely..."


    "Mackenzie!"


    It took a while for Kate to register what happened, and before the flood of emotion took control of her body, she smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be too harsh on her, Chloe. She¡¯s just a child."


    "I¡ªI know, I¡¯m just¡ª" Chloe looked at Kate¡¯s big pregnant belly. She panicked, thinking Mackie¡¯s words might be too much for Kate. "It¡¯s all a lie, and that woman, Erin, told all the lies to Mackie."


    Kate nodded. She patted Mackie¡¯s head and said, "Don¡¯t worry, dear. I¡¯m not doing anything with your father. I have a man that I love too."


    "R¡ªReally?"


    "Yep, he is Uncle Henry, you¡¯ve met him before."


    "Mmm..." Mackie nodded. She was relieved because Aunt Kate didn¡¯t seem to lie. "Uncle Henry told me that he loves you as well..."


    "Yes, that¡¯s why. I¡¯m staying here because Uncle Henry is very busy, and I¡¯m very pregnant. I will leave after I give birth."


    Mackie shook her head, "Why do you need to leave? Why can¡¯t we stay together in this place? Uncle Henry can come too!"

 Chapter 426

    Chapter 426: Chapter 426"We can talk about that later. Now, go to your room and rest. Your Mommy is right, this is an adult talk," Kate said calmly, and the little girl was finally appeased.


    Mackie looked up to her Mommy and apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I¡¯m just scared..."


    Chloe took a deep breath to calm herself, "It¡¯s okay, dear. I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you too. Let¡¯s go to your room."


    "Un..."


    Chloe sent Mackie to her room and called a few maids to take care of Mackie. She also checked on Valerie, who was still with her Nanny.


    After making sure the baby was also doing fine, she finally returned to the living room with Vernon and Kate. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat right next to Kate, who kept her smile, but Chloe knew that Kate must¡¯ve been tearing inside.


    "You don¡¯t need to think too much about this, okay? This is not your fault," Chloe tried to pacify Kate.


    Vernon had guessed what just happened. He crossed his arms and nodded, "I will tighten the protection around Mackenzie as well. It seems that Marlon and Sarah have made their move to target Mackie now."


    Kate stayed silent.


    Her mind was in chaos because she truly didn¡¯t expect Erin to return and be on Sarah¡¯s side. Sarah must¡¯ve known about Erin¡¯s whereabouts after spying on Henry for a long time and rescued that spoiled bitch when Kate¡¯s life was in chaos.


    ¡¯Or could it be that Henry got angry at me for leaving, so he gave Sarah the location where we trapped Erin?¡¯ Kate began to theorize. But she quickly rejected the idea. Henry might¡¯ve betrayed me, but he is not that evil. So this must be Sarah and Marlon who colluded to find Erin and bring her back to haunt me.¡¯


    Nevertheless, this also proved one thing;


    Kate must leave no matter what after she gives birth. Erin could easily lie to a little girl, slandering Kate and making up stories that Kate and Vernon were cheating. Imagine what would happen next.


    Maybe she would keep targeting Chloe and Mackie until they were too traumatized to leave the house, and Kate didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    Chloe and Vernon glanced at each other, and they seemed to have the same idea in mind.


    Vernon cleared his throat and said, "This is my first time hearing about this woman named Erin. Is she really your sister?"


    "Yes, she was my sister. But I cut contact with her because she slept with my ex-husband," Kate replied. "She is a spoiled girl and a narcissist. She can¡¯t take no as an answer, and after I had enough, I just kicked her out."


    ¡¯In the middle of a frozen wasteland,¡¯ she added in her heart.


    "And she is out here for revenge, huh?" Vernon hummed. "She¡¯s siding with Sarah, so that means we have Marlon, Sarah, Graham, and Erin. This will be quite troublesome."


    Chloe patted her husband¡¯s thigh to warn him not to babble about stuff like that because she knew that Kate was sensitive about this problem, but Vernon didn¡¯t seem to catch it.


    Kate smiled and nodded, "I understand. There are too many people who want me dead. That¡¯s why I said I will leave after I give birth."


    "W¡ªWait, that¡¯s not what I mean!" Vernon panicked. "I¡¯m just thinking of a way to take them down. Since there are many of them, I need a thorough plan, which means I will have to discuss this with Henry."


    Kate sighed, "Thank you so much for your help, Vernon. But I know that I¡¯ve become a danger magnet. This is just the beginning. Erin will get crazier as time goes on."


    "This is just a minor threat for me," Vernon said.


    Kate shook her head, "It¡¯s definitely not a minor threat, and I don¡¯t want Mackie to be a victim because of this. It shouldn¡¯t be long until I give birth."


    Kate knew the more time she spent with Chloe and Vernon, the harder they tried to persuade her to stay.


    So she got up, grabbed her iPad and the Teddy Mackie bought for her, and returned to her room.


    Chloe and Vernon looked at each other, and he said, "I need to tell Henry about all this. I¡¯ll also send a female bodyguard to assist Meyer. Since he wouldn¡¯t be able to go to the female-only section."


    Chloe nodded, "I will check on Valerie and then on Mackie. I think Mackie is still shaken about the whole thing.


    Vernon gave Chloe a quick kiss on the lips before letting her go. He grabbed his phone immediately and called Henry.


    The call was connected not long after, and Vernon described everything in detail, making sure that Henry knew about the current situation since he had been busy in the office.


    ¡ª


    "I get it. Thanks for informing me, Vernon," Henry said on the phone.


    "I need your help to tackle this problem. We have too many people wanting her dead," Vernon said. "But I also want you to calm down. We can¡¯t cooperate without a clear mind."


    "I understand," Henry said coldly.


    Vernon doubted that Henry actually listened to him. He felt with Henry¡¯s personality, he¡¯d do something stupid again.


    But all he could do was trust in his cousin.


    "I¡¯ll call you again once I get to find a way to stop them," Vernon said. "Don¡¯t worry, Kate is safe... as long as she stays in this mansion."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry¡¯s hands trembled as the phone call ended. His eyes were bloodshot as he couldn¡¯t handle his unbridled fury.


    He smashed the table until the loud slam shocked Mindy, who still worked at the secretary¡¯s desk outside.


    She stormed in to check, "Sir, what just happened¡ª"


    Mindy was shocked when she saw Henry, who looked furious, but his eyes were actually pooling with tears.


    "S¡ªSir?"


    "Mindy, book me the fastest flight to Los Angeles."


    "L¡ªLos Angeles? But why would you¡ª"


    "NOW!"


    Mindy was too scared to question further. She grabbed her phone and began to find a plane ticket for her boss.

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427: Chapter 427Mindy successfully found one that would board in about four hours. But she booked two instead of one because Henry needed someone to accompany him.


    Not her, of course.


    Mindy sympathized a lot with Henry and Kate¡¯s condition, but she was not going to risk her life for it.


    So she texted Michael, telling him what just happened and how she had booked two plane tickets for them.


    She returned to Henry and said, "I¡¯ve booked the flight, Sir. It¡¯ll leave in four hours, so if you hurry¡ª"


    "Text me the flight code," Henry said as he grabbed his suit. "I¡¯ll use a Taxi to the airport."


    "Um... Michael already prepared a Taxi for you two," Mindy said.


    Henry stopped and frowned, "Michael?"


    "Yeah, I booked a flight ticket for two. You need someone to accompany you in Los Angeles."


    "Mindy, you¡ªurgh!" Henry was frustrated. His emotion was out of control right now. He might snap in front of an innocent person because of this.


    "Alright, fine, let him come with me." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    **


    Henry and Michael used the Taxi to reach the airport and boarded the flight not long after.


    There was only silence between them, so Michael finally asked during the flight, "Why are you going to Los Angeles? Did you leave something in the apartment?"


    Henry glanced at Michael and replied, "Vernon and Chloe¡¯s daughter, Mackenzie, was attacked by Erin."


    Michael¡¯s lips thinned once Henry mentioned Erin. As expected, Marlon and Sarah must¡¯ve found the place where they hid Erin in Greenland and probably killed Faro and his wife. That¡¯s why Faro had been uncontactable for so long.


    "That bitch works for Sarah and Marlon now, and I¡¯m going to confront them," Henry said coldly.


    Michael understood that Henry was very emotional right now. No matter how much Michael tried to voice his reason, Henry wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Because in his mind, he was to blame for everything that was happening right now, and he knew if he kept his silence, then Kate and everyone around him would suffer.


    "You know that¡¯s a death sentence, right? Marlon might trap you once you arrive at the Grant estate," Michael reminded, though he doubted that would convince Henry to back off. "Maybe everything is a trap at this point."


    "Who cares? What will he do to me? Lock me up like I¡¯m a kid?" Henry denied. "I just want to confront them. This is MY problem with them, no need to bring harm to others, especially to a child."


    Michael sighed and decided to keep his silence after that. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop Henry at this point.


    "Just so you know, I will stay by your side even if you get caught," Michael said. "Kate would be even sadder if she knew that you died like an idiot."


    "I hope Mai will be sad once she knows about my demise..." Michael added. He lowered his head as he thought of Mai.


    Mai had returned to Empress Publishing and had been working as a stand-in for Kate, the one who¡¯d handle most of the work unless it was an important decision that only Kate could make.


    Michael had been trying to get close to her again, but Mai simply ignored him completely, as if she had made up her mind to move on from him.


    Which made sense, since Michael was the first one to choose his duty over Mai.


    But that still made him upset, knowing that he couldn¡¯t be together with the woman he loved, and he continued hoping there was a way for them to reconcile.


    Henry ignored Michael¡¯s complaint and stayed silent as they flew to Los Angeles.


    It took almost six and a half hours to reach Los Angeles, and they arrived at three in the morning.


    Michael fell asleep after a while, but Henry was still wide awake. He couldn¡¯t sleep knowing that Sarah might¡¯ve done something even more heinous to his family.


    His heart was burning with anger. He couldn¡¯t wait to find that rat-faced bitch and strangle her to death.


    Henry and Michael left the airport at four in the morning and headed straight to the Grant mansion. Henry was especially eager to find his father, the man who had killed his brother and put his mother in the mental hospital.


    Once they arrived at the Grant estate, they were stopped by the security guard.


    Henry rolled the window down and glanced at the security guard, who went pale instantly, "Y¡ªYoung Master?"


    "Open the gate. I want to meet my father," Henry said. "Surely, he already wakes up at five in the morning, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Young Master," the guard worried something might happen, especially after seeing Henry¡¯s intimidating gaze.


    But he also couldn¡¯t reject Young Master¡¯s request.


    So he opened the door and allowed the Taxi to enter the main gate.


    Henry looked around the morning in the Grant estate¡¯s big yard. The gardeners, butlers, and maids were busy in the morning, and Henry remembered how he often pulled up some pranks on them, only to get scolded by Dahlia later on.


    Of course, the fondest memory was that of him and his brother.


    James was such a sweet brother who would play with him whenever he was free. James also had a lot of advice as a man on acting and being responsible.


    ¡¯And all that sweetness finally disappeared once Marlon killed him. Life is so unfair,¡¯ Henry thought.


    The Taxi parked in front of the main door. Henry and Michael left the Taxi and bumped into his old maid.


    "Oh, Young Master!" The old maid rushed towards Henry and bowed politely. "Thank God, You¡¯re finally back! Master Grant needs you the most right now!"


    Henry was ready to fight whoever was dispatched to attack him. He knew that Marlon had a lot of men ready to capture him.


    But to his surprise, there was nothing.


    Even the security guard didn¡¯t seem to be watchful over him, and it confused him, ¡¯Why¡¯s everyone so relaxed? Shouldn¡¯t they gang up on me by now?¡¯

 Chapter 428

    Chapter 428: Chapter 428"Where¡¯s my dad? Surely that old crook was already wide awake by early morning, right?" Henry asked straight to the point.


    The old maid¡¯s grateful smile slowly dissipated, and she shook her head, "Master Grant has been sick. It¡¯s been two days."


    Henry frowned, "Sick? That old bastard can be sick?"


    The old maid disliked how the Young Master was very disrespectful to his father.


    But she also knew their relationship had been strained after Young Master James¡¯ death. So she simply replied, "He has been secluding himself in the study room for weeks, only coming out to eat. He even sleeps in the study room."


    "Your mother found him unconscious two days ago, and we brought him to the hospital," the old maid explained. "The doctor said he is under too much stress and needs rest."


    Henry scoffed, "That¡¯s disappointing. I wish he had a heart attack instead."


    The old maid frowned, "Please check on him, Young Master. Knowing you¡¯re here to visit him, I know he will be happy."


    Henry wanted to say that he was here to kill that old bastard. But he knew the old maid was innocent. So he better keep his intention hidden until he meets Marlon.


    He walked to Marlon¡¯s room and told Michael to stay at the door in case they got ambushed.


    "I don¡¯t think that bastard will ambush you here, especially after hearing what that old maid said," Michael commented.


    "We don¡¯t know, Michael. That old fox has so many tricks in his sleeves. He killed his own son. Who knows what kind of trap he has next?"


    Henry opened the door and entered the room. The first thing he saw was his father, Marlon Grant, lying on his bed with a blanket tucked until his chest level.


    He closed his eyes and looked very fragile right now. It was easy for Henry to just walk up to him and strangle this bastard to death. It would only take a minute at best since he was just an old crook.


    Henry walked towards Marlon and watched him sleep.


    This brittle old man was once a high and mighty man who had the world in his hand.


    He was rich, influential, and powerful to the point that he could bend the law in California, especially in Los Angeles.


    But just like everything else, he eventually had his twilight days when everything didn¡¯t matter. After all, he¡¯d probably die soon. What was the point of more money or power?


    Henry knew that he should¡¯ve at least a bit of filial piety to his father, but after what Marlon did to James, Dahlia, and Kate, he lost all of his kindness towards this old bastard.


    He kicked the bed and yelled, "WAKE UP, YOU OLD BASTARD!"


    Marlon gasped when he awoke suddenly. Opening his eyes, he saw Henry standing beside his bed.


    "H¡ªHenry?" Marlon called, wondering whether he was dreaming or not. "Is that really you?"


    "I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid enough not to notice me," Henry sneered. He looked down at Marlon with eyes that could kill, "That old maid told me you just got hospitalized after enduring too much stress."


    Marlon stared at his son for a while, and his eyes began to pool with tears, "That¡¯s right, Son. I was too stressed out with everything, and my body became weaker each day. I got hospitalized when they found me unconscious."


    Marlon got up and sat on his bed. He looked up to his son and tried to hold his hand, but Henry quickly slapped Marlon¡¯s hand, "No need to act like a sweet old man. I know what kind of monster you are, Marlon Grant."


    Marlon was at a loss, but he quickly hid his sadness with a smile and said, "Are you here to visit me? It¡¯s still very early in the morning, so you should get some rest. I will tell the maids to prepare your bedroom again."


    Henry couldn¡¯t believe what he heard.


    "Are you having dementia, or you¡¯re just trying to fool me right now? Do you think I¡¯m here to visit my father?" Henry scoffed again. "I¡¯d do that if you¡¯re a good father."


    Marlon¡¯s smile dissipated, "Then what are you doing here?"


    "To kill you," Henry said. "I know what you¡¯ve done, you slimy old bastard. You rescued that hellbitch from Greenland, right?!" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon was still clueless, so he continued asking, "What are you talking about, Henry?"


    "Don¡¯t act innocent, you bastard! Erina Ross, Katherine¡¯s sister!" Henry yelled.


    It took a while until Marlon registered the name in his mind. He remembered how he helped Sarah rescue someone in Greenland. She said that woman had been unfairly treated because of Kate¡¯s evil nature.


    Marlon shook his head, "I helped that woman because she is a good woman who got trapped because of Kate¡¯s evil ambition. You¡¯re also the one at fault for helping her even though you know it¡¯s wrong."


    "Wrong? Do you know what that hellbitch did? That woman, Erina Ross, attacked Vernon¡¯s daughter! You put a child¡¯s life in danger just because of our problem!"


    Marlon was astonished when he heard that. He shook his head vehemently this time, "That¡¯s not possible. Sarah told me that woman is a good woman."


    "And you believe that rat-faced bitch as well, huh?" Henry sneered. "I think something must¡¯ve been wrong in your mind. Why would you listen to her words like she¡¯s some kind of messiah?"


    "She is your fiance, Henry. Besides, she is a noble-born, you know they are very polite and well-educated. They are the pinnacle of the human race. They can¡¯t do no wrong," Marlon said.


    Henry was astonished by what he heard just now.


    He knew that his father had an inferiority complex about this whole noble-born bullshit.


    They were supposed to be that of a noble-born as well, but since their great-grandfather handed the title to his brother and left for the United States back then, Marlon became obsessed with gaining that title back.


    "I don¡¯t understand you, Marlon," Henry said. "What¡¯s the point of those titles?"


    "It¡¯s for our prestige, Henry. We are destined for greatness, and you will soon be the Duke of York. You need a perfect woman to marry, and that spot is only for a fellow pure noble like Sarah."

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429: Chapter 429Henry felt he was talking to a man from the seventeenth century who valued title, prestige, and family reputation more than his family members.


    When Marlon was born about seventy years ago, they were already at the point where the noble titles didn¡¯t matter much.


    Henry knew many things regarding their connection with the Duchy of York from his late brother, and even James believed there was no point in trying to be a noble when they were already in a modern society.


    "We are rich even without those titles, Marlon," Henry said. "We are what people call ¡¯Old Money.¡¯ We have everything, and I know for a fact that you don¡¯t need to prove anything to those people in the Duchy of York."


    "You don¡¯t understand, Henry. Being rich is just part of daily life for us. We are born rich and will continue to be so until the end of time. Earning those noble titles has nothing to do with earning even more money," Marlon said. "It¡¯s all about being part of an even more powerful society."


    "Is that it? You just want more influence?"


    "And honor," Marlon added. "Once you become a Duke, we will be bestowed with honor, and I will die as an honorable man, surrounded by my equally prestigious family members. I will be a great man remembered by many."


    ...


    "You just said things that James could¡¯ve fulfilled had you not killed him," Henry mentioned. "You don¡¯t need ME to do that."


    "James is a better candidate than you, indeed," Marlon said without hesitation. "He is much smarter, born from the womb of an equally noble lady, and also better than you in every way possible except for his appearance. But that¡¯s expected from the son of an attractive whore, you have nothing but your looks, just like your real mother."


    Henry wasn¡¯t upset by what he heard just now.


    He already knew that he was an inferior version of his late brother. In fact, he admired James so much that he didn¡¯t mind having to live under his brother¡¯s shadow, as he had also made peace with his identity as the son of a whore.


    He was already grateful that James and Dahlia took him as part of the family.


    "Then why? Why would you kill my brother just because he refused to marry anyone but Kate?! Why are you going to the extreme just because that rat-faced bitch asked you to do so?!" Henry began to get upset thinking about his late brother, who died in vain. "He could¡¯ve fulfilled your stupid noble fantasy better!"


    Marlon¡¯s gaze turned cold when Henry kept on mentioning James.


    "You shouldn¡¯t think too highly of him. He is not one of us. He is a bastard who abandoned his family just so he could marry a bitch who holds no value and contributes nothing to the family," Marlon said. "Katherine has poisoned James¡¯ mind, and now, you are being poisoned by her as well." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry snapped when Marlon brought Kate to the conversation and slandered her. His body moved before he could think.


    Henry grabbed Marlon¡¯s collar and lifted him up with one hand. He clenched his fist, ready to punch his father and probably kill him in one hit.


    "Don¡¯t you fucking dare to slander her. You don¡¯t know her, you old bastard," Henry said in a low but threatening voice. "She is the kindest woman I¡¯ve ever met. She trusted me all her life, yet I... I betrayed her."


    Henry began to weaken for a few seconds. He always weakened whenever he was thinking about his beloved.


    His body instinctively softened when he thought about all the horrible things he said to her before he even knew her.


    Marlon smirked, "Good, now that she is gone. You can focus on becoming the heir of Grant¡¯s family businesses. I will call those people from the Duchy of York so they will handle the document for you to become the new Duke probably ten years from now."


    "YOU¡ªYOU¡¯RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!" Henry raised his voice. He regained his wrath after a moment of weakness when thinking about Kate. "Do you think I will magically marry Sarah after I broke up with Katherine? I would rather live and die as a single man until I can meet her again in heaven! I will... I will beg for her forgiveness in the afterlife. I will never marry someone else!"


    "You are speaking nonsense," Marlon said. "Love will grow over time. You might not love Sarah now, but after a few children, you¡¯ll eventually learn to love her."


    "Bullshit! I will never be in love with a monster!" Henry denied. "Why does it have to be her? I will accept your requirements as long as I can marry Kate. I will be a Duke as long as she can be the Duchess."


    "That¡¯s impossible. I won¡¯t allow that, Henry," Marlon rejected the idea. "Katherine is no better than your real mother. She is a whore with no social standing, a woman with a messed-up family, and a divorcee that brings nothing but harm to our family reputation."


    Marlon remembered how his colleagues sneered and laughed at him for bringing a whore into his estate. He already told them many times it was Dahlia who wanted that whore to stay, but none of them believed it.


    It was the start of their cracked marriage because, in his eyes, Dahlia was just trying to shame him for an accidental mistake that he made years ago.


    He knew that nothing good would come out of Henry and Kate¡¯s relationship, so he just wanted to protect his sons.


    "A whore like Kate would only ruin your life in the future, you might find her attractive and sweet now, but in ten or twenty years, she will morph into someone like your disgusting mother, with no dignity, no education, no eloquence," Marlon said coldly. "I tried to save James because I know he was a great man to inherit everything, but he was too far gone."


    "He loved that bitch so much that he had been blinded. So I had to take Sarah¡¯s advice and kill him," Marlon admitted without feeling an inch of remorse. "I did everything to save him, and I¡¯m trying to save you as well."

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430: Chapter 430Henry could not believe what this old man spouted just now. He said it as if it was something as normal as breathing. He lumped Katherine, an obviously beautiful and independent lady, together with a whore who drugged a man into having sex with her, so she could have a better life.


    Marlon knew Henry¡¯s patience was already thin, and his words were too much for him.


    But Marlon knew he needed to get his points across, or else Henry would fall deeper into his mad love.


    "I get it. You are still young and inexperienced, so it¡¯s easy for that cunning bitch to manipulate you into devoting yourself," Marlon said. "That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been going easy on you. You are still redeemable compared to James, who will ruin the family¡¯s company and reputation just for her."


    "Redeemable?"


    "Yes, I can still teach you to be a good heir. But first, you must stay far away from that woman, and then you will inherit the business," Marlon explained. "In fact, I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t need her useless baby to torture. Just ditch her completely, and I will transfer everything to you."


    Henry¡¯s hand began to tremble as he realized that he was also part of the heinous plan to hurt Katherine.


    He was blind and depressed back then, so he also believed what Sarah said about Kate.


    That she was a seducer who manipulated James into loving her for money.


    And she was going to find another way to get into Henry¡¯s pants just so she could find a replacement for James.


    It was such a huge shock for Henry because he treasured his brother a lot, and to see him die because of this particular woman was too much for him to bear.


    "Son, it¡¯s not too late. Once you inherit everything and become a Duke, I know you will be good at running the businesses," Marlon tried to convince his son.


    "Pfft¡ªhahaha!" Henry began to laugh as he kept staring at his bastard father, who seemed so confident that he would inherit everything and his family would be just fine.


    Marlon frowned, "Why are you laughing?"


    "Oh, I¡¯m just laughing at you for being so naive!" Henry laughed harder as he found the situation to be ridiculously stupid. "Do you really think I will work to better that company? I think your mind has caught up to your age, Marlon."


    Marlon¡¯s frown grew deeper, "I don¡¯t follow you. What do you mean, Son?"


    Henry stopped laughing when Marlon called him his son. His eyes deepened, and Marlon noticed the maliciousness hidden beneath those green eyes that Henry inherited from his father.


    The corner of Henry¡¯s lips tilted up, and he replied coldly, "The only reason for me to accept that ridiculous agreement we had back then was so I could inherit everything from you, and I will burn it to the ground."


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean? Why would you¡ª"


    "I don¡¯t think you understand, Marlon. I fucking despise you," Henry added. "I despise you and Penny so much for killing my brother. I also despise you for throwing my real mother, Dahlia, to the mental hospital."


    "I despise you so much, and I can¡¯t wait to burn everything to ashes," Henry grinned as he was satisfied seeing his father¡¯s cold expression begin to crack. "That¡¯s why I agreed to get Kate¡¯s baby because I want to see you crumble after witnessing the destruction of a long family heritage and businesses. You will be the one who gets nothing in the end, and I wish I could see you die out of a heart attack because of that."


    Marlon could not fathom the idea that Henry said just now. His already pale face began to get even paler, "Y¡ªYou, you mean that you have been¡ª"


    "Yes, I have been planning this for a long time," Henry said. "It was through Katherine that I realized there is no point of revenge when I have her as my utmost priority. Also, my brother won¡¯t be happy knowing that I am hurting the woman he loves, and Dahlia had grown so fond of Kate that she even took Kate¡¯s side right now. She even prefers to visit Kate more than me."


    "Dahlia is fond of that bitch?!" Marlon¡¯s eyes widened. He missed his beloved Dahlia a lot. He was old now, and the only woman that lingered in his mind and heart was Dahlia.


    It would be a blessing if Dahlia could come and visit him.


    In fact, Marlon would be happy to get a call. It was the least he could get in his twilight days.


    Henry knew that his father had a weak spot for Dahlia, his real wife, the woman he truly loved, not the whore he accidentally impregnated.


    So Henry wanted to torture him with the reality, "Dahlia treats Kate as part of the family already. She wants Kate to be her daughter, even if Kate and I can¡¯t be together. Maybe it¡¯s because she longs for a daughter who can understand her?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon was attacked by one bad news after another.


    First, the last son had told him that he had no intention of taking care of the family¡¯s businesses after inheriting it.


    Second, Henry told him Dahlia preferred Kate so much, even though Dahlia had never shown any interest in Sarah.


    Dahlia always treated Sarah in a lukewarm manner. She treated Sarah like she was another noble lady from a faraway place who needed to be shown respect and courtesy, but not more than that.


    No matter how hard Sarah tried to impress Dahlia, she would never change her opinion.


    ¡¯And he¡¯s telling me this bitch Katherine could steal Dahlia¡¯s heart?!¡¯ Marlon was still shocked by the revelation. There were only two possible answers for this: either Kate was a master manipulator, or she was truly a good woman.


    ¡¯No, what am I thinking? How could I think of that bitch as a good woman?¡¯ Marlon blamed himself for being gullible. "Sarah warned me many times there is this type of woman who acts like she is the purest maiden, even though she is a wretched woman who deserves to rot in hell, and I know damn well Katherine is that type of woman."


    "Did Sarah really tell you that?" Henry chuckled. "Then let me call Dahlia now, see what she has in mind about Katherine and Sarah."

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431: Chapter 431Marlon¡¯s eyes widened. He opened his mouth but stopped before he could say anything. He hesitated because he wondered what kind of reaction Dahlia would say to him.


    He was scared that Dahlia would absolutely crush him, even though he knew that was guaranteed.


    After all, he was the one who killed their son, put her in the mental hospital, and forced her to escape because he planned an assassination for her.


    He had done all the terrible things and was afraid of the repercussions.


    Things had been clearer after he fell unconscious due to too much stress. He had been living under tremendous stress since he was young, but never to the point that he would faint.


    He was always strong, which was a wake-up slap because now he realized he was already old and sickly.


    Henry found Marlon¡¯s expression to be funny, "What¡¯s wrong? Scared that she will spit on you?"


    Marlon shook his head, "Dahlia and I are not husband and wife anymore. There is no point in calling her right now," he said. However, he was also the one who kept on trying to reach Dahlia somehow since she had no phone while she was in the mental hospital and escaped with no contact whatsoever.


    "Well, I¡¯m still her son, so I have the right to call her," Henry said lightly. He released Marlon¡¯s collar and let him drop on the bed while he reached into his pocket to call Dahlia, his mother.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Dahlia to pick up;


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Son?" Dahlia asked, though her tone didn¡¯t seem to be friendly. "You know you shouldn¡¯t call me too often, right? I¡¯m still grieving over your broken relationship with Kate."


    Henry¡¯s smile faltered, but he turned on the loudspeaker and quickly shifted the topic, "Mom, I¡¯m here with your husband. I¡¯m in the grant estate."


    "I don¡¯t have a husband," Dahlia replied coldly. "He died when he heartlessly murdered our son." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon¡¯s heart was aching when he heard that. Because Dahlia said similar things back then, it was the reason why Marlon got so mad that he kicked Dahlia out of the estate and threw her into that mental hospital.


    -


    ¡¯I don¡¯t have a husband. He died, and a monster was born from his corpse.¡¯


    -


    "Why are you calling me when you¡¯re in that wretched place? I thought I made it clear that I have no connection with the devil inside that place," Dahlia asked. "Why are you there in the first place anyway? You should¡¯ve worked your ass off in that company or spent your time trying to get back with Katherine. You know you¡¯re in the wrong, right?"


    Henry smiled.


    He knew his mother was still upset about his son¡¯s undoing, but she cared enough to scold him. Because Henry knew Dahlia so much, if his mother hated someone, she¡¯d ignore that person completely, just like Dahlia ignored Marlon right now.


    Marlon had been listening to everything, and his heart was itching to at least have a conversation with the love of his life.


    How desperate he was to find a way to contact Dahlia. He even went as far as calling the people in the Hawthorne family just to find a way to contact Dahlia again.


    Unfortunately, everyone chose to stay silent.


    All of them refused to have anything to do with the man who wanted to assassinate their matriarch.


    "Yeah, Mom, I¡¯m working on my relationship with Kate," Henry smiled bitterly. "But I¡¯m here because this dead husband of yours rescued a bitch that I threw in the middle of a frozen wasteland for hurting Kate, and now that bitch ran freely and attacked Mackenzie, Vernon and Chloe¡¯s daughter."


    "So I¡¯m here to snap his neck and throw him out of the balcony," Henry said. He looked down on Marlon, who looked fragile and somewhat thin, and sneered, "But I don¡¯t think I need to kill him. He¡¯s dying of old age right now."


    "Is that so?" Dahlia hummed for a moment and added, "Then you need to leave, Henry. Maybe his body will explode after he dies. After all, he will rot in hell for eternity."


    Marlon¡¯s lips began to tremble as he couldn¡¯t believe the woman who was always soft-spoken in her entire life could say something so crass and disgraceful.


    "H¡ªHow could you say that, Dahlia?" Marlon couldn¡¯t help but respond after her words hurt him. "How could you wish for your husband to die and rot in hell?! Do you have any conscience?!"


    "I do have a conscience, Marlon," Dahlia replied on the phone. "But that conscience is not for you, not when you tossed your conscience first."


    "Dahlia, I... I have never lost my love for you. I was hospitalized a few days ago, and the doctor said I¡¯m getting too old to be stressed out," Marlon began to rumble about his problem. He had been suffering because he kept missing the touch of his beloved. "Penny is not good enough. She doesn¡¯t know how to make me feel better. She doesn¡¯t know how to treat me well. Only you can do that, Dahlia..."


    "And do you expect me to care if you¡¯re hospitalized?"


    "Dahlia, you¡¯re my wife! We are not divorced!" Marlon insisted. "Where is your conscience of your old husband? I took care of you for decades, I give you everything you want, and this is how you repay me?!"


    "I think you forgot how you¡¯ve been using my family¡¯s influence to boost your business back in the day. Without the Hawthorne family¡¯s assistance, you wouldn¡¯t be as rich and powerful as you are now," Dahlia replied coldly. "Just like I told you, my conscience is not for you. Not when you murdered our son, threw me to the mental hospital, tried to assassinate me, and even tried to ambush Katherine, a lady who¡¯s pregnant with OUR grandchild!"


    Dahlia listed Marlon¡¯s sins, although it was nothing compared to all the heinous things Marlon did when he was young.


    It was only through Dahlia¡¯s family¡¯s influence that he could do so many illegal things without repercussions.

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432: Chapter 432"If only I knew you¡¯d end up like this, I would cancel our marriage back then," Dahlia said. "You bring nothing but pain and suffering to the family that I love, Marlon Grant."


    Dahlia¡¯s words were proven to be too much for Marlon. His breath began to get disordered, and he looked pale.


    "D¡ªDahlia, I¡ªI have been thinking about my days, and I realized that I¡¯m already old and sickly," Marlon said. "I can¡¯t function well out of my bed now, and I keep wishing you could be here with me. So please..."


    "Please come home and spend our twilight days together. I don¡¯t want to die alone, please..." Marlon kept on begging, wishing one of his efforts would be able to gain Dahlia¡¯s sympathy.


    "So you will be able to plot an assassination on me again?" sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, I¡ª"Marlon shook his head desperately, even though Dahlia couldn¡¯t see him right now. He was washed away by his emotions, which rarely happened.


    But listening to Dahlia¡¯s voice made him realize that all he truly wanted right now was to be with his loved one.


    He wanted Dahlia to sleep next to him, and they could talk about anything that they wanted, something that had been lost after Marlon cheated on Dahlia back then.


    He wanted the good old days when they were still very much in love and felt like he was in heaven every day.


    He didn¡¯t even mind retiring completely and did nothing for the rest of his elderly days as long as he could be with Dahlia right now.


    "I will abandon everything for you, Dahlia. I will pull all of my subordinates from New York. I will stop trying to sabotage Henry¡¯s company. I will stop everything!" Marlon said. "So please, please come back so we can start anew."


    "But will you accept Katherine as your daughter-in-law?" Dahlia asked the million-dollar question. "If you can¡¯t accept her as your daughter-in-law, there is no point, Marlon."


    "That¡ª"Marlon choked on his saliva. He imagined that woman who had ruined James and Henry¡¯s chance to be great people. That succubus was the source of all evil for their family!


    Dahlia sighed, sensing the hesitation in Marlon¡¯s voice, "As expected, you won¡¯t accept Kate. You don¡¯t like her, even though she is the perfect wife for either James or Henry. They both fell in love with her for a reason."


    "It¡¯s because she¡¯s a succubus! A witch! A whore who has no shame! She will ruin our family!" Marlon yelled. "Anything but that. I will do anything but to accept her!"


    "Unfortunately, that is the most important thing I want you to accept," Dahlia said. "What¡¯s the point of reuniting when we can¡¯t make our son happy? You are selfish, Marlon."


    "S¡ªSelfish?!" Marlon was astonished. "How am I selfish? I¡¯ve been sacrificing everything so our family can get better! I¡¯ve dedicated my life to our family! I¡¯m not selfish at all!"


    "Everything you do is based on your own desire. You don¡¯t give a damn about any of us," Dahlia said. "So I¡¯m not going to return to you until you accept Katherine to our family."


    "Katherine..." Marlon gritted his teeth when that name was mentioned again. He was fuming because Kate had been ruining his life.


    That bitch manipulated Henry, James, and now, Dahlia! That bitch stole everyone from him!


    "Sarah told me everything about that bitch, Dahlia. She has tricked all of you. She is a manipulative succubus that just wants our family¡¯s money!" Marlon yelled.


    "Sarah? Do you still believe that snake after everything that she has done?" Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle because she found Marlon ridiculously stupid.


    "Why not? Sarah is a noble-born. She is smart, beautiful, and kind. She is a perfect wife for Henry!" Marlon insisted.


    "And that bitch tried to kill me before," Dahlia interrupted. "She told you to kill James to save our family¡¯s dignity, to send me to a mental hospital because I will ruin your reputation, and to ambush Kate because she said Kate is a witch. Do you see the pattern now? You are a goddamn fool if you don¡¯t see it, Marlon Grant."


    ...


    Marlon fell into silence after that. Because he knew that all of those were correct. Sarah was the one behind every decision that Marlon made. She had always been the mastermind the whole time.


    It was just Marlon who foolishly followed orders because Sarah was a noble.


    "Oh yeah," Henry finally broke his silence after getting entertained hearing the fight between his parents. "I called you because this man told me Kate is an evil bitch, so what do you think, Mom? Between Kate and Sarah, which one do you prefer?"


    "Is this a genuine question, or are you making fun of me right now?" Dahlia was offended by the question. "I may be old, but not old enough to have dementia and blindness, Henry."


    "Just answer it, Mom. I¡¯m sure this old crook will be surprised by it," Henry insisted.


    "Your father is an idiot, but maybe because he cheated on me with a woman who brings no value to the house," Dahlia complained. "Katherine is ingenious, independent, and pleasant to be around. She might not come from a prestigious family, but she can fit right now. She is also very caring and protective of her child, an important trait for a mother."


    "Whereas that snake Sarah, she has been trying to get close to me for a long time. But as a fellow noblewoman, I know for a fact that she has never been interested in any of our sons. I can see how she looks down on all of us."


    "So I don¡¯t want to spend my old days with a daughter-in-law who won¡¯t appreciate me," Dahlia stated firmly, which was like a death sentence for Marlon. "Do you know why I¡¯m upset with you because of this whole thing, Henry?"


    "Because I planned a heinous thing for her?" Henry admitted.


    "No, it¡¯s because you are a coward who run away from your sin by lying to your beloved. It was the same thing that Marlon did to me," Dahlia said firmly. "So if you don¡¯t want to end up like that bastard, you have to mend things with her, Henry."

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433: Chapter 433"Yes, Mom. I sure don¡¯t want to end up like this man," Henry said. "An idiot who can¡¯t differentiate between right and wrong. A father who killed his son, and a husband who betrayed his wife."


    Marlon was angry when he was mocked by his son, whom he took to his house because of pity. He pointed at Henry and yelled, "You son of a bitch! You should be grateful that I took you in! You and your whore mother would live in the street if not because of my kindness!"


    "Is it your kindness or Dahlia¡¯s?" Henry sneered. "I knew that you wanted to kick me out because you see me as a sin that you need to bury. It was her kindness that forced you to accept me, Marlon."


    "YOU¡ª!!"


    "Let him be, son," Dahlia interrupted. Her words were like cold water poured on his head.


    "D¡ªDahlia, please¡ª"


    "Let him grovel and blame us all for his unfortunate demise. Once he is on his deathbed, he will realize that he has nobody on his side. His sons leave him, his official wife ignores him, and he will never see his grandchild."


    "Meanwhile, I will stay with my son and daughter-in-law. I will visit and play with my grandchildren often. I will see them getting bigger and surrounded by my loved ones on my deathbed," Dahlia said. She made it sound like it was an undeniable fate. "He will see who is wrong after he realizes nobody will visit him when he¡¯s dying."


    Marlon was too stunned to speak. He knew that she was right. At this rate, he would probably die alone, Henry wouldn¡¯t visit him, and Sarah wouldn¡¯t care about him once he was old and incapable of assisting her.


    Dahlia would not return to him, and the only person that might be waiting for him was Penny.


    But he had zero love for Penny. He never loved her in the first place. It was one mistake. Just because he fucked the wrong woman that night, that bitch ended up latching on his thigh for the rest of his life.


    "If you have nothing to talk about anymore, then I¡¯ll hang up. I¡¯m not in the mood to talk, not after everything that happened, Henry," Dahlia said.


    "Sure thing, Mom," Henry replied. "I will try my best to win her back.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    It was Dahlia who hung up first. She was already tired and stressed out because of Henry and Kate, and she had no more time to think of her useless husband who planned to hurt their own grandchild.


    Henry shrugged and said, "You heard that right, Marlon. You will end up alone in your last days on earth.


    Marlon¡¯s heart was shattered into pieces. He shook his head in denial and tried to act tough instead, "Don¡¯t fuck with me, you bastard! Sarah will find a way to fix this. She is a smart noblewoman who knows what to do!"


    "Then you should go and talk to her. I¡¯m sure she can turn the table and force everyone who despises you to come and coddle you before you die," Henry sneered, knowing full well that rat-faced bitch, Sarah, would be stuck with an old man who had no use anymore.


    Henry looked down on his father and realized the last trace of pity that he had for this man was long gone when Marlon ambushed pregnant Kate.


    She was just a defenseless pregnant lady, yet this bastard sent a bunch of armed men to hurt and possibly rape her.


    Henry¡¯s gaze turned cold as he was reminded of all the horrible deeds that Marlon did.


    "Marlon Grant, just because you¡¯re old and dying right now doesn¡¯t mean that I will forget all the heinous things you did. I will not forgive you," Henry said. "But killing you with my own hand will be a chore and boring. After all, it¡¯s much more interesting to see you suffer for the rest of your twilight days."


    Marlon saw that his son turned around and walked away from him. There was a sense of urgency in his heart, telling him to stop Henry from forever leaving, or else he would be cursed with loneliness for the rest of his twilight days.


    So he opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Henry suddenly halted his step and said, "Don¡¯t beg, Marlon. You don¡¯t pity my woman when you ambush her, so I will not pity you as well."


    That last sentence sealed his fate.


    Marlon was heartbroken now, knowing that everything that he had done was for his family, and yet none of his family stayed for him. Everyone left him when he was old and no longer useful.


    Marlon had a lot of bitterness in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but curse at everyone, even Dahlia, for betraying him, "TRAITORS! YOU ARE ALL TRAITORS! I¡¯VE DONE SO MUCH FOR YOU!"


    Henry ignored the old man¡¯s tantrum. There was no point in feeding his delusion anyway.


    So he opened the door and left.


    Michael was leaning on the wall next to the door and asked, "Are you sure this is the ending you want?"


    "No," Henry replied after he closed the door, ignoring Marlon, who kept yelling nonsensical things like a madman. "I prefer to have a complete family, with James still alive right now. But once that old bastard set up the flame, there is no turning back."


    Michael nodded and crossed his arms as he also had a dilemma in his heart, "Call me horrible, but I¡¯m happy that he will die alone with bitterness in his heart. He betrayed my family just for the sake of more profit. He destroyed decades of great relationship between two families for fleeting things that he couldn¡¯t bring to his grave."


    "Hahah, if you call yourself horrible, then that that makes me a monster. He sent his men to ambush Kate. I will not forgive him, not in a million years," Henry said. "I¡¯m just glad that he will have a slow and excruciating death by loneliness." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434: Chapter 434Henry was in a much better mood after talking with Marlon. He came with a desire to kill, but he got something much more cathartic than seeing Marlon¡¯s skull getting crushed.


    To die alone without your loved ones waiting for you, to be abandoned by everyone in your family, and to never see your grandchildren.


    It was such a slow torture that only the most horrible people deserved.


    Besides, he also knew that Sarah was the one behind everything.


    Marlon was a bad father, but he was not villainous until Sarah came into their family after being introduced once, and after that, things went out of control in the Grant family.


    Henry and Michael paced through the corridor, intending to leave and find Sarah. Henry wanted to end this by uprooting the main problem.


    As they walked through the corridor, one door was suddenly slammed open, and they saw a woman who looked like she had been trapped inside a mental hospital for hundreds of years.


    Penny looked haggard and bewildered. She looked around in panic as if searching for someone, and once she locked in on Henry, she rushed to hug him.


    "SON! HENRY!" Penny yelled as she opened her arms and ran towards him.


    It took a moment for Henry to register this woman who was hugging him because Penny didn¡¯t look like her usual self.


    Henry looked down and saw his biological mother looked rugged. Her blonde hair looked unkempt and dirty as if it hadn¡¯t been washed for weeks.


    She wore an old shirt and jogger pants that smelled vile to the point Henry had to push her away.


    Penny was shocked when she realized what he had just done, "W¡ªWhat are you doing, Henry? Why would you push your mother away?!"


    "Because you smelled rancid, like a rotten egg mixed with cow dung," Henry said while stepping back. He observed his mother from head to toe, and his frown grew deeper, "What happened to you? Why do you look like a disgusting hobo?"


    Henry knew well that his biological mother always tried her best to look great, even when she wasn¡¯t doing anything for the whole day.


    Penny always tried to compete with Dahlia to get Marlon¡¯s attention, even though Dahlia never paid her any mind.


    So it was a shock seeing her like this.


    "It¡¯s these maids and butlers in this mansion! All of them ignored me!" Penny reported, hoping that Henry would pity his mother. "After your father fell ill, they refused to take care of my stuff! They treat me like a ghost here! I don¡¯t want to wash my laundry or cook my own food! I¡¯m the Mistress of the house!"


    Henry had a smile after listening to her complaint. He was actually happy hearing that his biological mother was suffering.


    He knew that he was a horrible son for doing so, but Penny was also a horrible mother.


    She never cared for Henry¡¯s existence and kept shoving the five-year-old boy to Dahlia while she tried to fawn over Marlon, who was still handsome and strong back then.


    It was so bad to the point that Henry began to lose any kind of affection from his birth mother. Penny treated him like air and never had a good face whenever she had to take care of Henry.


    So when Dahlia realized that Henry was starving to be loved, she accepted the boy and taught James to love him as well, so they became brothers with a close bond.


    Henry never looked back after that. As long as he was with Dahlia and James, everything would be fine.


    He didn¡¯t care if Marlon and Penny abandoned him because he never saw them as his parents after all.


    "So the butlers and maids here treated you like air, huh?"


    "Yes! They don¡¯t accept me as the new Mistress of the house!"


    "But you are never the Mistress of the house, Penny," Henry said with a malicious grin. "It has always been Dahlia, and that status will never change. I¡¯m glad, though. She is a better mother than you could ever be."


    "How could you¡ªI¡¯m your real mother, Henry!" Penny yelled. "Please help me, Son. You will be the Master of the house after your father dies. Tell those ungrateful servants to stay on their line and serve me!"


    "Why should I?"


    "Because I¡¯m your mother! I told you many times already!"


    "No, you¡¯re just a street skank whose baby trapped a man and used her son as a ticket to get a better life," Henry said. "And what did you do after you won the lottery? You ditched him, pushed him to Dahlia, and ignored him for two decades until you need his help now."


    "That¡¯s not true. I care for you as well!" Penny claimed. "You are my only son, the one that helps me through my hard times¡ª"


    "¡ªBy using him as a golden ticket?" Henry sneered. "Let me ask you, ¡¯Mom,¡¯ do you know anything about me growing up? Do you know that Dahlia took care of me when I was sick? She came to the school for every parent-teacher meeting and kid¡¯s performance. She also listened to my problems as a teenager. You didn¡¯t do any of that because you¡¯re busy spreading your legs for a man who never loved you."


    ...


    Penny fell into silence after that. Because what Henry said was the truth.


    She never cared for her son because Henry was just a means for her to enter high society and have a prosperous life like Mrs. Penny Grant, which never happened.


    After Henry had done his job as her ticket, she just ditched him and hoped she could get another baby with Marlon to cement her position.


    Penny began to tear up, not because she regretted her action, but because she was trying to squeeze that last drop of pity in his son¡¯s heart, "It¡¯s Dahlia! Dahlia threatened to kill me if I didn¡¯t ignore you back then! That woman is the source of our suffering!"


    The veins on Henry¡¯s neck popped. He grabbed Penny¡¯s arm and dragged her. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "H¡ªHenry, where are we going!?"


    "To Marlon¡¯s room," Henry replied. "I want you to repeat what you said just now in front of him."

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435: Chapter 435"M¡ªMarlon?!" Penny got scared when her son mentioned that name because she had been abused by that old man each time she tried to open her mouth.


    It was so bad that she decided to act like a robot. She knew there was no point in flattering him anyway since Marlon would probably die soon.


    "Yes, you¡¯re going to meet him and tell him what you said just now. I want to see the anguish on his face," Henry said.


    He kicked Marlon¡¯s door open and saw the old man was still sitting on the bed with terror lingering on his face. He seemed distracted because it took him a moment to lift his head.


    He was in for another surprise when Henry stormed in while dragging Penny, who looked unkempt and gross. She was so filthy that Marlon thought Henry was bringing a hobo from outside.


    Henry smirked when he saw Marlon¡¯s reaction, "What¡¯s with your reaction, Marlon? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost. This is your Mistress, remember?"


    "Why did you bring her in?" Marlon asked while frowning. "I don¡¯t want anything to do with her. She should¡¯ve been grateful that I let her stay in this place, at least."


    Henry¡¯s grin turned malicious as he knew he¡¯d have a fun thing to do now.


    He might not be able to hurt these two because killing Marlon and Penny would be more trouble than they were worth.


    But it¡¯d be great if they fought to death themselves.


    So he looked at his biological mother and said, "Go on, tell him what you think about Dahlia."


    "B¡ªBut¡ª" Penny hesitated. Of course, she knew what would happen after she told Marlon what she thought about Dahlia.


    After all, this old bastard never moved on from Dahlia. No matter how much Dahlia had ignored him, she even went as far as attacking him.


    Even after all of their dangerous fights and schemes, Marlon was still deeply in love with Dahlia and would continue to be so for the rest of his life.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea..." Penny said. She tried to pull her arm away, but Henry¡¯s grasp was so strong that she was stuck.


    "Why are you scared? Don¡¯t you see him? He is just a brittle old man now. He can¡¯t do anything," Henry said.


    "But he is still the Master of this house. I don¡¯t want to get kicked out..." Penny said honestly. "Please don¡¯t put me on the spot like this, Son. This is about my life and death..."


    "Then how about this? Tell him what you think about Dahlia, and in exchange, I will send you to one of my apartments. It will have a housekeeper who will do your laundry and a chef you can call to cook your food daily. I will also give you my credit card. I¡¯ll supply you with fifteen thousand dollars a month," Henry offered. "I promise." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "R¡ªReally?!" Penny began salivating, thinking about all the good things she would get from her son.


    Even though she had been with Marlon for two decades, Marlon didn¡¯t give her a lot of money to shop. She was only given five thousand dollars in pocket money, and it was Dahlia who coaxed Marlon to give her allowance.


    Fifteen thousand dollars might not be much for her, but it was much better knowing that her son would become the Master of Grant estate soon, and that meant she would become the Mistress of the house until he married someone.


    ¡¯I think if he marries Sarah, I will be given a hundred thousand dollars a month for allowance, right? That would be great!¡¯ Penny thought. ¡¯I can finally live my life freely without having to endure the abuse of this old bastard!¡¯


    Penny stared at Marlon, who was still bewildered by the whole situation. The more she stared at him, the more annoyed she became.


    She had lost all of her attraction towards this man after he got white hair and had to use a cane because he got weaker.


    He was abusive, and never once did he ever appreciate any of her acts of service. He was always circling around Dahlia.


    He would think about Dahlia the moment he woke up and thought of her before he slept.


    Sometimes, she could also hear him murmuring Dahlia¡¯s name when he was taking an afternoon nap.


    It was always about Dahlia, even though she was already old and sagging, while Penny was still fairly young and gorgeous.


    Penny began to accumulate all of her grudges for the past two decades. She had been holding it off and enduring all of her heartache because she didn¡¯t want to get kicked out of the house.


    This was her only way to live, and she knew she had nobody else to rely on.


    Now she had her son, Henry, who would give her all the good life she had been missing out on for so long.


    Penny clenched her fists as she gathered her courage and grudges, "Listen to me, you old bastard!"


    "You¡ª!" Marlon was shocked when the usually docile Penny suddenly shouted at him.


    "I¡¯ve been enduring your bullshit for twenty-fucking-years. I thought you would eventually forget about that woman who doesn¡¯t love you anymore."


    "But you keep mulling over and over about her," Penny began to pour out all of her emotion. After all, this would be the last time she faced this bastard. "I don¡¯t give a damn about you anymore, Marlon Grant. I don¡¯t give a shit even if you die because I¡¯ve never loved you in the first place. All I want is your money, and now that you¡¯re dying, you don¡¯t have any use for me anymore."


    Penny hugged her son¡¯s arm and continued, "Thanks to you, I have my son who will take care of me after you die. I don¡¯t need to put up with your abuse, and I don¡¯t need to act desperate to you anymore. Isn¡¯t that right, Son?"

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436: Chapter 436[Warning: Violence.]


    Henry nodded, "You¡¯re right, Ma. Tell her everything in your mind. Let him know how much you despise that woman."


    Penny felt the rush all over her body when she was encouraged by Henry. This was her time to finally get the life she deserved.


    "Marlon Grant, I fucking hate that bitch you called wife. Dahlia is a witch who ruined my life. She acts so kind even though she¡¯s actually evil."


    "Really? How come?" Henry kept instigating as Penny was out of control, which was what he wanted. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How come? Heh..." Penny sneered. "Isn¡¯t it obvious? How could this old man still love Dahlia when she¡¯s already sagging? How come none of the servants working in this estate want to talk to me? How come you, as my son, hate me, your mother?"


    "Because Dahlia must¡¯ve set everyone up! She acted so kind, like Mother Theresa, and manipulated all of you to be on her side! I know it! No woman should be so kind when her husband brought a woman with an illegitimate child!" Penny insisted, which confirmed everything that Henry was thinking.


    No, Dahlia wasn¡¯t a manipulative woman. He could differentiate real kindness from fake one. He could feel the kindness and sincerity from both Dahlia and Kate while he felt nothing but disdain from Sarah.


    But Penny¡¯s accusation confirmed this whore was just accusing without basis. She always had that cruel outlook towards other women that mostly stemmed from envy, especially when the other woman was loved by many.


    Penny had never felt so alive before. She was heaving as she saw Marlon¡¯s expression change from bewilderment to anger.


    He grabbed his cane and ready to hit Penny with it, "COME HERE, YOU BITCH! I WILL FUCKING BEAT YOU UP TO PULP!"


    Penny flinched when she saw the cane. She had been beaten by Marlon so many times that she had developed a fear of it.


    She took a step back and hid behind Henry¡¯s back, "L¡ªLet¡¯s go, Henry. I don¡¯t want to get beaten by that cane."


    Henry had a meaningful smile, "Are you scared, Mom?"


    "O¡ªOf course! I think he¡¯ll kill me if I don¡¯t run away, and I don¡¯t want to die!" Penny begged. "Let¡¯s go, Son. You don¡¯t want your mother to die, right?"


    "So you¡¯re scared to die, but you¡¯re not scared to kill someone?" Henry asked.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean? Why would I kill someone?"


    "Don¡¯t act dumb, Penny. I know that you drugged James during that dinner. That¡¯s why he lost control of his car after the dinner party."


    "T¡ªThat was a year ago, and it¡¯s not my plan! It¡¯s Marlon¡¯s plan! He told me to help him, so¡ª"


    "So you helped him, right? If only James didn¡¯t get drugged, even if Marlon tampered with his car, he should be able to survive somehow," Henry always had this ¡¯what if¡¯ scenario in his head about James¡¯ death.


    To him, James was truly the big brother that should¡¯ve survived. He was a great man. He had much more value than Henry, who was a waste before getting roped into this mess.


    His voice became shaky as he kept thinking about James, "I know that you want James dead because that means I will inherit everything, right? I was your reason to kill James."


    "Penny, I wish I was never born so I won¡¯t be used as a weapon to hurt my brother," Henry said.


    His gaze darkened when he knew he was about to do something horrible. He grabbed Penny by her arm and yanked her to stand right in front of him, directly facing angry Marlon.


    "H¡ªHenry, what are you going to do?! You¡¯re not going to kill your mother, right? I will die if you leave me alone with him!"


    "That¡¯s what I want you to feel," Henry said coldly. "I want you to die under the person you trust the most for twenty years. So you will know what my brother felt when you killed him."


    "But you promised to take me out of this place!"


    "I lied, of course," Henry said lightly. "Why would you believe me in the first place? Because I¡¯m your son?"


    "But you are!"


    Come on now, I have never been your son since the day I was born," Henry said. "To you, I was just a ticket for a better life, and once I¡¯ve been used, you toss me out."


    "So I¡¯m going to toss you out as well, Mom," Henry said. He pushed Penny towards Marlon, and the old man quickly swung his cane and hit her shoulder.


    "AH!"


    Henry chuckled when he saw the pain on her face, "This might be your end. I hope you don¡¯t mind getting beaten to death, Penny."


    "No! Don¡¯t do this to me, Henry! SON!" Penny tried to get up and reach Henry, but Marlon hit her again with the cane.


    "DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING RUN, YOU BITCH! YOU¡¯VE INSULTED MY WIFE! DAHLIA IS MILES BETTER THAN YOU, YOU ARE JUST A WHORE THAT DRUGGED ME FOR A NIGHT!" Marlon was like a crazy old man who was blinded with rage. It made Henry wonder if Marlon truly loved Dahlia because sometimes his actions didn¡¯t match his words.


    He said he loved Dahlia, but he killed their son.


    He said he wanted to spend his old days with Dahlia, but he was about to assassinate her once.


    Unfortunately, Henry would never understand Marlon because he never had that kind of idea in mind. He didn¡¯t even dare to get too rough when having sex with Kate because he was scared it might hurt Kate and their baby.


    He was also constantly in a state of emptiness because he was separated with Kate.


    ¡¯But I will never get the answer because Marlon and I are not the same...¡¯ Henry thought. He turned around and left the room, ignoring Penny¡¯s desperate plea.


    As he walked out, he saw four butlers and maids standing outside, curious about what was happening inside.


    Henry closed the door and said, "Don¡¯t open it until that bitch stops screaming. This is my first order as the future Master of the Grant Estate," Henry ordered. "Surely, all of you want to get rid of her, right?"

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437: Chapter 437"Surely, all of you want to get rid of her, right?"


    Half of the servants were finally appeased when their future Master told them to get rid of that bitch. Indeed, none of the servants here liked Penny.


    Everyone knew her background, and while they adored Henry, they never felt the same about Penny.


    In their eyes, the Mistress of the house was always Dahlia Grant, and even if Dahlia refused to come back home, they still had their loyalty to her.


    But the rest of the servants were scared of the repercussions when hearing the shriek of horror coming from Marlon¡¯s bedroom, "What if she died, Young Master?"


    "Then get rid of her body. She has no family, so nobody will care if she disappears. Either bury her somewhere in our estate or just put her in a cemented bag and toss her in a lake."


    The servants were looking at each other, and the head butler said, "Understood, Young Master, we will follow your instruction."


    Henry was satisfied.


    He knew that his father would still become the Master of Grant¡¯s estate for a while. He doubted that old man would kick the bucket in ten years, but that was perfect.


    Because by the time he took over the Grant estate, he could merge his new company with Grant¡¯s businesses.


    "I will leave now, let them be until my father is satisfied beating that bitch," Henry said.


    "Yes, Young Master."


    Henry and Michael walked out of the Grant estate, and though Henry was satisfied with what happened to Penny and Marlon, deep down, he was also sad, knowing that he would never have a normal family, at least not until he could reconcile with Kate.


    Henry told Michael to use Henry¡¯s spare car in the Grant estate¡¯s garage, and they drove out of the mansion.


    Henry sat on the backseat, staring emptily at the window as he was thinking about Kate.


    "Michael, do you think I¡¯m cruel?"


    "... you are," Michael replied. "But I support your cruelty. Don¡¯t worry, Henry."


    "Will Katherine support what I did as well?" Henry asked. "She is a kind woman. I don¡¯t want her to hate me even more."


    "She is kind but also cruel," Michael said. "Don¡¯t you remember what she planned for Erin? That kind of elaborate, no-escape scheme was proof that Kate can be cruel as well."


    "Yeah," Henry smiled. "She can be cruel, but that makes her even sweeter for me. Because she did it to protect her baby... our baby."


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but sigh, drowning himself in self-blame and self-pity, "What should I do to reunite with my real family?"


    Michael said nothing, knowing that Henry would only drown himself in sorrow. He shifted the topic, "Are we going to Sarah¡¯s apartment now?"


    "We should," Henry¡¯s expression turned solemn instantly. "I can¡¯t wait to stop that rat-faced bitch to do something even worse."


    "You know it won¡¯t be easy, right? Unlike Penny, who has nobody in her life, Sarah¡¯s family cares a lot about her. She is the darling in everyone¡¯s eyes."


    "Except me," Henry claimed. "I was an idiot for having a crush on that woman as a teenager."


    "It¡¯s not entirely your fault," Michael commented. "As you grow into your teenage period, I can sense that Sarah has gotten a bit too controlling over you, to the point that we can¡¯t hang out without her around us, right?"


    "Right."


    Henry began to recall all the crazy things that Sarah did when he was in high school.


    Henry had a lot of secret and not-so-secret admirers growing up, but for some reason, he never really dated any of them because of the constant intervention from Sarah.


    She was eight years older than him, so she was the only female ever close to him.


    ¡¯Naturally, I had a crush on the only girl I was close with when I was young...¡¯ Henry thought.


    The more he pondered about it, the sickening it was, thinking that Sarah had groomed him.


    Henry simply stopped responding to Michael¡¯s commentary and busied himself reminiscing about a paradise called Katherine.


    **


    It took about an hour for them to reach the apartment.


    Henry didn¡¯t wait long as he rushed to Sarah¡¯s apartment floor and repeatedly banged on the door while yelling, "Sarah! Sarah Lancaster! Open the fucking door!"


    ...


    Henry got impatient when he got no answer, thinking that Sarah must¡¯ve tried to hide because she knew her end was near. Thus, Henry kicked the door a few times until the door was opened from the inside.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t Sarah. It was an old cleaning lady who looked distraught by Henry¡¯s scary eyes, "S¡ªSir, Miss Sarah Lancaster is not here. She already left the apartment a week ago."


    Henry peered his eyes suspiciously. He ignored the old lady and entered the apartment.


    He looked around and found that everything had been emptied. This apartment looked brand new now.


    The old lady followed Henry, saying, "Just like what I told you, Sir, she¡¯s not here. But Miss Sarah told me if a handsome blonde man with green eyes comes, I should hand this letter to you."


    The woman gave Henry a letter before continuing to clean up the apartment. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry opened the letter and read it;


    ¡ª


    Impressive, you¡¯ve come so far from New York to Los Angeles just to find me. I didn¡¯t know you had so much love and dedication for me, Henry, your ex-fiancee.


    I know what you want once you catch me, but I¡¯m still quite entertained with a game of cat and mouse with you. I¡¯m currently in New York, and guess what? Erin¡¯s attack is just the start. I will terrorize Kate and that little girl until you surrender.


    If you¡¯ve decided to give up, all you need to do is unblock my phone and beg for my forgiveness. You will need to kiss me in front of Katherine and marry me. It¡¯s easy, right?


    With love,


    S.L.


    Future Duchess of York.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438: Chapter 438Henry crumpled the letter and dashed out of the apartment room immediately. So, there was no point in him going to Los Angeles other than witnessing Penny¡¯s demise and Marlon¡¯s slow and excruciating death.


    He rushed back to the parking lot where Michael was waiting. Michael¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Henry, "So fast, did you choke her to death or something?" He asked.


    "No, she¡¯s not here," Henry replied. "She escaped to New York, and now we don¡¯t know where she is."


    "I¡¯ll send my friends to start looking around New York if we can see her, but this is serious, Henry. Sarah knows you¡¯re also targeting her, so she won¡¯t hold back anymore. You need to be careful."


    "I don¡¯t give a damn about myself. I just don¡¯t want that rat to hurt Kate while I can¡¯t protect her right now.


    "Well, all we can do right now is to wait, and hopefully, we can locate Sarah," Michael said. Though he knew the chance was slim to none.


    Sarah was a very slimy woman. She would¡¯ve expected this kind of reaction from Henry, so she moved out immediately to avoid his rage.


    Since Sarah had been friends with Henry for a long time, she must¡¯ve known that Henry¡¯s rage could be uncontrollable at times.


    But this was the only way to appease Henry, who must¡¯ve felt unsatisfied with how Sarah had escaped.


    "Let¡¯s just go back to New York, Henry. We have nothing else to do here," Michael suggested. "Unless you want to stay and wait for your father to die so you can take over his company."


    "No, I want him to feel lonely. That¡¯s his punishment for the rest of his twilight days," Henry replied. "Let¡¯s go back to New York. I have too many things to do, and I want to make sure to be there in case Kate is about to give birth."


    "Do you think she will allow you to see your son?" Michael asked.


    "I can always check on my baby when she¡¯s asleep. In fact, it¡¯d be great to see her embracing our child and fall asleep," Henry¡¯s lips curled up as the imagination was far more fascinating than he expected. ¡¯That would be a lovely image to see my wife and son sleeping together.¡¯


    **


    Sarah had been busy moving out from Los Angeles to New York. She disliked New York because the weather and atmosphere were similar to London¡¯s. She preferred to live in Los Angeles, where it was more sunny.


    Unfortunately, she had no choice, not when Henry was hunting her down.


    She sipped her tea while the bellboys were busy putting all her stuff into the huge dressing room. She was currently living in one of her father¡¯s colleague¡¯s penthouse in New York. She could easily afford a luxury suite in a five-star hotel here, but that also meant there was even more room for error. Who knew what kind of sly trick Henry or Michael would do to find her?


    As Sarah enjoyed her brunch, she suddenly got a call from a servant who worked in the Grant estate.


    She couldn¡¯t influence the old servants because they were all fiercely loyal to Marlon¡¯s main family, so all she could do was install a new, young maid who would constantly send information about Marlon, who was currently bedridden.


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello, Miss?" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, tell me everything. I wonder what Henry is doing there," Sarah asked. She had gotten the information from this maid about Henry and Michael, who suddenly walked into the mansion in the morning.


    All the servants were caught off guard by his presence, but almost all servants were very glad to see Henry again after he disappeared for months.


    "Uhm, I... I don¡¯t know how to say this, but... Penny is dead," the maid said.


    Sarah flinched when she heard that. Her heartbeat began to race because she imagined that Henry must¡¯ve killed his own mother with his bare hands.


    She was scared that she¡¯d end up the same, so she had to tame this wild beast before she got killed.


    "Did Henry kill her?"


    "No, Miss, Young Master simply grabbed Penny and pushed her inside Master Grant¡¯s room. We don¡¯t hear much of the commotion inside, but Henry walked out alone and closed the door. He told us not to open it until Marlon calmed down," the maid informed. "He left after that, and we opened that door after Master Grant yelled at us for being slow."


    "And you see her dead body?" Sarah asked.


    "N¡ªNot really. She wasn¡¯t dead yet, she was badly beaten and barely breathing, though. That old man really beat her senseless," the maid said. Her voice sounded shaky because she was scared whenever she remembered the ruthless eyes of that old man. "The head butler asked what happened and what they should do to help Penny."


    Sarah could faintly guess what happened, knowing how predictable that old man was, "Was it because of Dahlia?"


    "Yes, Penny insulted Madam Grant in front of Marlon, and he went insane," the maid confirmed. "The old man told us not to help her. She was breathing so weakly, and her face was unrecognizable. She writhed in pain, begging to be saved, but since Master Grant told us not to help her, we simply carried her out of the room and let her die near the stairs due to blood loss while we got busy doing housework as always. She died about thirty minutes ago, and the head butler is busy trying to find the best spot to bury her."


    Sarah wasn¡¯t all that surprised by how cruel Marlon could be, but Penny¡¯s death was really ironic, considering that she spent half of her life trying to get Marlon¡¯s attention.


    And now that she had his full attention, she ended up dead.


    "Well, good grief," Sarah shrugged. "That whore is already way past her expiry date. She¡¯s better dead than becoming a burden for everyone around her. Thanks for informing me. You should continue to watch over Marlon¡¯s health. I can¡¯t wait to see Henry finally becoming the Master of the Grant family and the Duke of York."

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439: Chapter 439"Yes, Miss. Please be careful yourself. I¡¯m afraid that Young Master might find you and kill you. He¡¯s cruel enough to shove his own birth mother to get beaten to death by his father. Who knows what he¡¯d do to you," the maid warned.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I know what I¡¯m doing," Sarah said lightly. "Just do your job, and I¡¯ll pay you handsomely."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah hung up the call after she lightly replied to the maid¡¯s concern. She acted like a tough tree that wouldn¡¯t shake even in front of a giant monster.


    Sarah acted like she knew everything. But she began to have doubt in her heart because she realized the scale of the conflict kept on getting bigger and bigger.


    "It will be a lot messier if Henry becomes a Duke without getting tamed first," Sarah thought. "He can use his power to stomp over my family, so I have a limited time until I can get him down and be obedient."


    Sarah didn¡¯t like this feeling of urgency and desperation. She was used to being in control of everything, but Dahlia¡¯s intervention and Vernon¡¯s involvement made everything ten times harder than she expected.


    It was almost impossible to reach Katherine right now, even if she used Erin, that crazy bitch would only be good for a shock factor.


    "Ugh, Miss, they ruined some of the dresses you gave me before!" Erin complained as she stormed out of her bedroom. She pouted like a little girl while holding a ripped dress.


    Sarah didn¡¯t seem to mind at all since all of those tacky dresses were meant to embarrass Erin in the future had she become a threat.


    But Erin¡¯s tacky dresses weren¡¯t the only ones that got ruined. One of the gifts from Henry when he was a teenager, a Birkin bag, was scratched because of the rough handling by the movers.


    Henry had saved up his allowance for four months and used Dahlia¡¯s connection just to get a Birkin bag for Sarah when the boy had a huge crush on her. Thus, although Sarah had plenty of even more expensive bags in her collection, she still valued that Birkin the most.


    After all, that bag was a gift from her soon-to-be husband, the future Duke of York.


    ¡¯Tsk, that doesn¡¯t matter. I can get so much more than a bag once we become a Duke and Duchess,¡¯ Sarah thought. She glanced at Erin, who was still complaining about her dress, and commented, "Maybe that¡¯s your punishment for being careless."


    "C¡ªCareless?"


    "Yes, I told you to kidnap that little girl or at least hurt her. But all you did was pepper spraying that bodyguard¡¯s face," Sarah rolled her eyes. "I brought you from that frozen wasteland to be useful, not to be a deadweight."


    Erin felt wronged because she tried her best, but that little girl, Mackenzie, was just too smart to get tricked.


    Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t dare to fight back because she knew that Sarah had control over her for now.


    ¡¯Just you wait, you bitch. Once we can get rid of Kate, I will get rid of you and have Henry all for myself!¡¯ Erin cursed in her heart, and Sarah could read that easily. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She just rolled her eyes and said, "Don¡¯t bother me for now. I¡¯m not in the mood to talk with you."


    "But, Miss, what should we do next? Do you want me to attack that kid again?"


    "That¡¯s impossible," Sarah replied. "After the first attack, Vernon must¡¯ve tightened the guard around his daughter and wife. We can¡¯t do much for now, at least not until Kate leaves that mansion."


    "And how do we do that? You know Kate is a shameless bitch, right? She might actually seduce Vernon Phoenix Gray and kick the official wife out of the mansion!" Erin said.


    As much as Sarah wanted to believe in Erin¡¯s words, she knew that was simply impossible.


    Based on her observation about Katherine, she was not the type who would betray her loved one. She stayed with that useless ex-husband for five years straight and even went as far as overworking herself just to give them a good life.


    She was also fiercely loyal to Henry, even going as far as tolerating Henry¡¯s many mistakes until the last one, ¡¯Luckily, I recorded Henry¡¯s conversation with Marlon back then. I just know that idiot will eventually betray me. He is young and reckless, after all.¡¯


    "Just wait until Kate has to give birth, probably in a month from now. That¡¯s our only opening to wreck her life even more and possibly kidnap the child," Sarah said. She actually still had a plan with Matthew Woods, who was under Graham¡¯s watch right now, but she didn¡¯t want to tell Erin about it, so this useless bitch could be more serious about doing her job.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best to stab Kate¡¯s belly and kidnap her child. I can¡¯t wait to finally get what I want!" Erin said with full spirit.


    The resentment in her heart had grown to unbelievable hatred. She was angry at her sister for having such a wonderful life while she was suffering in that frozen wasteland.


    She was well-loved by a handsome man, given everything she wanted, and pregnant with his baby, while she spent months shitting in a bucket and eating fish every day.


    Sarah smiled, seeing that Erin was already on her side no matter what, "I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want as a reward for kidnapping that baby."


    "Oh? Really? Then, can I raid a Hermes store? I want to buy all of their bags!" Erin said.


    Sarah almost rolled her eyes after hearing Erin¡¯s shallow request, but that was a small price for Kate¡¯s baby.


    So she nodded, "Sure, why not."


    Erin looked happy as she returned to her room, thinking about the expensive stuff she could get from there to fulfill her thirst for luxury items. After all, she ripped all of her expensive bags when she was forced to stay in that cabin for too long.

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440: Chapter 440Sarah waited until Erin returned to her room before she grabbed her phone and walked to her room. She had to call Graham because he was her last hope in case this baby kidnapping plan failed.


    The call was connected not long after;


    ¡ª


    "Graham, how¡¯s Matt? Did he show any progress so far?" Sarah asked.


    Graham didn¡¯t answer her immediately. He clenched the phone as he had a lot of repressed rage for Sarah, whose action made things worse for everyone, including him.


    "Graham?"


    "You still have the gut to call me after what you did, huh?" Graham sneered. "Did you think I don¡¯t know you sent Kate something that destroyed her completely?"


    Sarah couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes this time. She was also annoyed by this man who was such a hypocrite.


    He acted as if he cared so much for Katherine, even though he had done more harm than good to her. He was no better than Erin, but Sarah had to keep feeding his delusion that he was actually saving Kate from that monster called Henry.


    ¡¯Love is truly blind, huh? Even a renowned lawyer could become a fool just because he falls in love,¡¯ Sarah thought.


    She took a deep breath and began her act to convince Graham, "Yes, I sent her the recording between Marlon and Henry, the proof that they are in cahoot to take Kate¡¯s baby."


    "And why would you send that?! Don¡¯t you know that she is in the late stage of pregnancy? What if she had a miscarriage due to shock!" Graham yelled. "I will never forgive you if Kate got hurt because of you, Sarah. I don¡¯t give a shit about this coalition between us when you¡¯re going extreme to hurt Kate."


    "I¡¯m not hurting her, Graham," Sarah sighed. "All I did was tell her the truth. You know she will not leave Henry without that kind of solid evidence, right? Just like what you said just now, she is in her last stage of pregnancy. What would happen if she gave birth while she was under Henry¡¯s complete control? He would take the baby and ditch Kate immediately!"


    Graham began to hesitate once Sarah spouted some facts about their situation. He was truly powerless to help Kate because Kate hated him for telling the truth.


    Sarah¡¯s method was ruthless and cruel, but it was also effective because now Kate and Henry were separated, though he was still unable to contact Kate because she lived in Vernon Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion.


    Sarah smirked when she realized that Graham was hesitating. It was very easy to influence him because he was naturally impatient and illogical when it came to Kate¡¯s fate.


    ¡¯But I¡¯m also quite jealous. How come Kate gets to have three powerful men devoting their lives to her, James, Henry, and Graham,¡¯ Sarah pondered in her heart. ¡¯Must be nice to have that princess treatment, huh?¡¯


    Sarah felt there was an itch in her heart, but she quickly ignored it, thinking that she was just being silly for wanting to be loved by three powerful men at once.


    ¡¯I¡¯m not a damsel in distress like Katherine. I can do everything on my own, including choosing my own partner in life,¡¯ Sarah told herself. ¡¯I¡¯d feel humiliated if I had to rely on men.¡¯


    Sarah sneered at Katherine as she kept bringing her down, ¡¯What a pathetic excuse for a woman. She thought she was smart and tough. Oh, I might barf now.¡¯


    Graham went silent for a long time before he asked, "Then what would you do next? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯d just ignore them once you¡¯ve successfully separated them. I need a way to contact Kate now since she knows the truth; I will come to her and save her."


    "I¡¯m still waiting for a chance to meet her as well. Vernon colluded with Henry, and now that she is out of Henry¡¯s apartment, she hides in Vernon¡¯s mansion. Kate is so pitiful, right? She doesn¡¯t know that Vernon only wants to help his cousin, not her."


    "Yeah, I can¡¯t imagine the pain she went through..." Graham sympathized. He kept thinking about Katherine repeatedly, hoping that Kate would reach out to him first.


    He would do everything as long as Kate asked for it.


    He¡¯d even spend all of his fortune just for her to get out of that prison. After all, he could always get more money by handling cases. It might be hard, but as long as Kate was with him, he would be fine.


    In fact, he would be the happiest man on earth if they lived together, as he knew that Kate would be a wonderful wife. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That¡¯s why I need your constant help, Graham. I¡¯m just a woman with limited connections here in the United States. You are the reliable partner that I need," Sarah said. "How about Matthew? How¡¯s the progress?"


    Graham¡¯s mood went down once they talked about Matthew Woods, "That bastard is completely useless. I paid an expensive acting coach to give him a private lesson, and that coach told me this man needs a complete fresh start. His acting is no better than a middle schooler."


    "Really? Hahahahah!" Sarah couldn¡¯t help but laugh freely, knowing how pathetic that must¡¯ve been.


    "Don¡¯t fucking laugh! Why do I need to babysit this useless man?"


    "Oh, you know we need him as our last resort, right? We can use him to ruin Henry¡¯s public image. I¡¯m sure he will be a great asset if we train him right."


    "Then you need more time because I don¡¯t see him making it to the big screen anytime soon," Graham complained. "It might even take him years until he can be used."


    "That¡¯s fine, he is our long term investment," Sarah smiled. "Remember, Graham, we have the same goal in mind. I want to protect Kate from that monster and his family while you want to have her. So let¡¯s continue this cooperation, right?"


    "... okay, I trust you, Sarah. This is for Kate¡¯s sake."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441: Chapter 441fr§×e¦Øeb?ovel.comTwo weeks had passed since Erin attacked the little girl. Everyone was worried that Mackie would be traumatized and needed a psychiatrist¡¯s help.


    But once she was sent to the child psychiatrist, the latter said that Mackenzie was in good health, physically and mentally. She was a tough girl who had been well-positioned to endure mental shock. Chloe was ashamed to tell the truth to Kate because it was a traumatizing event for her and her daughter back then, but it was Vernon who hinted something at Kate.


    "Chloe and Mackie went through a lot before... and after meeting me," Vernon said. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to spend the rest of my life making sure they¡¯re happy and healed."


    Chloe elbowed Vernon, "D¡ªDon¡¯t talk too much about it. I don¡¯t have many fond memories of that man."


    Vernon smiled, wrapped his arms around Chloe¡¯s waist, and pulled her closer, "Good, he is the past, I am your present and future."


    Chloe panicked, she tried to separate herself from Vernon because there was Kate sitting in front of them. They were watching TV after dinner. Chloe ensured that Valerie slept in her crib while Mackie was studying in her room.


    "T¡ªThere¡¯s someone else here. You¡¯re so shameless!"


    Vernon laughed freely, "Surely, you won¡¯t mind, right, Kate?"


    Kate smiled, seeing Chloe and Vernon looking so harmonious, "You two are a perfect couple. I¡¯m glad Mackie and Valerie have parents who love them so much and rarely fight."


    Kate said the last one because she was projecting.


    She wished that her relationship with Henry could be as harmonious as Chloe and Vernon¡¯s. Based on her stay in this mansion, Vernon and Chloe rarely argued. Even if they did, it¡¯d be solved in less than five minutes with just a warm kiss or a hug.


    ¡¯If only things would get better between Henry and I with just a simple kiss, life would be so much better...¡¯ Kate thought while caressing her belly. She missed her man a lot and dreamed of Henry a few times in the past month. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate glanced at the empty spot next to her on the sofa and sighed.


    She wished that Henry would be here, hugging her and sharing his warmth. She had been feeling cold lately because she got used to Henry¡¯s natural body heat.


    Chloe and Vernon glanced at each other when they saw Kate¡¯s sad expression while caressing her belly.


    She was probably only a few days before going into labor, and Chloe noticed that Kate had grown increasingly depressed.


    She smiled a lot less even though she was expecting the birth of the baby she waited for so long.


    Chloe had also seen her spacing out on many occasions, sometimes murmuring the name of the man she vowed to hate for the rest of her life.


    Unfortunately, as a fellow woman who was already giving birth to two daughters, she understood Kate¡¯s feelings.


    Chloe also experienced growing uneasiness when she was in the late stage of pregnancy. She kept thinking of her man, wishing he could always be with her. She craved the safety that Vernon provided.


    So Kate must¡¯ve desperately wished for Henry to embrace her by now.


    They focused on the lighthearted rom-com on the mansion¡¯s mini theater until someone opened the door without knocking first.


    Kate, Chloe, and Vernon turned their heads at the same time, and Kate¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the intruder.


    "Whoa, am I too late for the movie?" Henry smiled wide until his teeth were showing. He was carrying four pizza boxes and entered the mini theater as if it were his house.


    He put the pizza boxes on the small table and sat right next to Kate without hesitation.


    Vernon and Chloe smiled at Henry and said, "We¡¯re just starting. You¡¯re not too late."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since we had a movie night together, right?"


    "Oh, is it a rom-com this time? Damn, maybe we can watch horror after this," Henry said while looking at the big screen.


    Kate glared at Henry the whole time. Her lips thinned, and she tried to scoot away from him.


    But Henry quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, "Where are you going, Kitty? Need something? I¡¯ll do it for you."


    "Why are you here?" Kate asked ruthlessly. She tried to push him away, but Henry was strong, so she stopped struggling once she realized that it might harm her baby instead.


    Henry smiled at Kate when she finally stopped struggling, "Calm down, okay? You might hurt our baby."


    "Stop acting like a clueless idiot, Henry. What are you doing here?"


    "What am I doing here? To watch movies?" Henry continued his relaxed and casual act. He pointed at Vernon and Chloe. "We do movie nights at least once a month. Did they not tell you?"


    "S¡ªSorry, Kate, I forgot to tell you today," Chloe said, though that was just a lie. She planned this because she knew that Kate felt lonely, so she hoped that Kate would accept Henry, even just for one night, to ease her loneliness. "Why don¡¯t we let him stay for a night? I mean, he¡¯s just here to watch a movie, right?"


    "Yeah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll kick him out personally if he dares to do something that will upset you," Vernon added, hoping it would ease Kate as well.


    Kate looked at Vernon, Chloe, and Henry, respectively. She couldn¡¯t believe that everyone in this room colluded just so she couldn¡¯t reject the idea.


    Kate understood that Chloe must¡¯ve noticed her loneliness and her constant craving for Henry¡¯s presence.


    But she never told Chloe about this and never planned to because she knew Henry¡¯s presence would only weaken her resolve to leave after giving birth.


    She stared at Henry, who stared back at her with hopeful eyes. He said nothing, but his eyes told her everything about his desperation and how much he wanted Kate to give him a second chance.

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442: Chapter 442"Katherine, please..." Henry finally murmured. His casual act began to crack when he realized that Kate kept staring at him with that cold gaze as if she was ready to kick him out herself.


    "This is for our baby. Do you know how worried I am? You¡¯re probably only a few days before going into labor. I can¡¯t leave you alone," Henry said.


    ...


    Kate said nothing but began to feel the love and hatred brewing in her heart, making a poisonous mix that only corroded her heart even more.


    Her eyes began to pool with tears as she kept staring at that pair of desperate and vulnerable emerald eyes.


    "Katherine..."


    "Chloe, Vernon, I will have to return to my room now. I have something to talk to with him," Kate said.


    "No need. You two can talk here. We will wait outside," Vernon said. He grabbed the remote and turned off the home theater.


    They got up and left. Chloe was worried that something might happen if they left Henry and Kate alone, but she couldn¡¯t do much when Vernon firmly pulled her out of the home theater and closed the door.


    Kate and Henry stared at each other for a long time, no words came out of their mouths, but their eyes were communicating with the same notion that didn¡¯t change.


    Henry was desperate, wanting to be with Kate, wanting to protect her. He couldn¡¯t spend another second not knowing the fate of his beloved.


    "Katherine, please let me stay by your side until you give birth to our baby. I don¡¯t want you to suffer alone," Henry said. His voice began to get shaky as he tried his best to control his emotions. He slowly reached Kate¡¯s belly and caressed it, "I promised you that I will protect our son."


    Kate grabbed Henry¡¯s hand and brushed it off, forbidding him to caress her belly, "This baby is mine, Henry. You have lost the right to call yourself a father since the day you wanted to give it to Marlon in exchange for wealth and power."


    Henry truly regretted his actions back then.


    He was blinded with rage, grief, and desperation. He lost his way when two of the most important people in his life were suddenly taken away from him, and Sarah¡¯s words only made things worse.


    He became a monster that followed Sarah¡¯s words without question, taking her poisonous statements as the truth.


    "I already told you many times about my position back then, so I won¡¯t repeat myself, Katherine," Henry said. He gently held Kate¡¯s hand and asked, "But I want redemption. I am begging for your forgiveness. Is there a way for me to make up for everything?"


    Kate looked down, staring at their hands, and she couldn¡¯t help but shed tears again. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She remembered how he held her hands when they first met. They got drunk together and told their life stories.


    Henry held her hand before he made his advance. It was the warmest and gentlest touch she had experienced from a man.


    She was washed by grief, lust, and desperation.


    That night, she became a completely different person. She became her true self, a vulnerable woman who wanted to be loved because she had never been loved in her life before.


    Everyone never loved her, but they needed her.


    But this man didn¡¯t need her, but he was willing to touch her that night.


    "Why are you doing this to me, Henry?" Kate murmured. "Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone? You¡¯re opening my wound again..."


    "Because I¡¯m selfish," Henry replied. "I can¡¯t bear to part with you. I will go crazy, Katherine."


    "Do you think parting with you is easy for me?" Kate shook her head. "I am also hurting, Henry. I... I love you. Just because I know the truth doesn¡¯t mean my love for you will suddenly disappear."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, he tightened his hand around Kate¡¯s and said, "T¡ªthen, let¡¯s start anew and¡ª"


    "But staying with you hurt me even more," Kate said. "Staying with you reminds me of all of my failures in the past. I trusted my mother, Matt, his mother, and Erin, yet all betrayed me. I put all my love and trust into you, yet you keep hiding the truth from me repeatedly until I have to know it this way."


    "Katherine..."


    "Henry, I love you, and if that selfishness in your heart still wants more, then I will be honest, I will never fall in love with another man after you," Kate said. "You are the last man I fall in love with because now I realize I¡¯m not worthy of any man¡¯s true love. All of you simply want to use me or play with my heart."


    "I¡ªI am not going to play with your heart! I changed my mind a long time ago!" Henry said. He put Kate¡¯s palm on his chest where his heart was beating and said, "Katherine, feel my heartbeat. Can you feel how fast it beat?"


    Kate nodded.


    "I... I am nervous yet excited at the same time. I keep dreaming about you, to the point that my heart will beat faster every time I see your face, even in my dream," Henry uttered everything that he had been experiencing these days. He had never been so in love with a woman before to the point that he might die because of it.


    Of course, Kate would melt when Henry said such a sweet thing. She wasn¡¯t a strong lady when it came to love.


    She was weak to physical touch, even weaker when the man she loved uttered how desperately he loved her.


    Yet, at the same time, her heart kept on denying it.


    Not because she didn¡¯t believe in Henry. Everything about him already confirmed that Henry was true to his words.


    But because she was too afraid to give her everything for Henry, only to be betrayed again. Her heart had been shattered into pieces, and even if he glued it back, the cracks would never disappear.

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443: Chapter 443"You should leave now, Henry," Kate said as she looked away. She knew she would drop all her resolutions if she stared at his desperate eyes now. "I need time to forgive you."


    "T¡ªThen, how long do I need to wait? I need closure, Katherine," Henry said. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A lifetime," Kate replied. She gently pulled her hands from Henry and got up. "I need a lifetime to forgive you. Maybe if the concept of reincarnation is real, then I will forgive you in my next incarnation."


    Blood quickly seeped out of Henry¡¯s body. He got dizzy thinking he had to spend the rest of his life longing for the woman he loved.


    He was far too selfish and impatient for that. He was already suffering so much from being separated from his wife and child.


    Henry shook his head vehemently. He got up and blocked Kate¡¯s escape route, "No, I can¡¯t let that happen. There is no way I¡¯ll wait for a lifetime."


    Kate looked at Henry¡¯s eyes, which showed extreme desperation. It was too much for Kate to bear, so she quickly averted her gaze.


    Henry noticed that Kate was trying to dodge him, so he squeezed her shoulder. His emotion was uncontrollable. He was afraid that Kate would truly leave him forever.


    He would die if she did.


    And if he didn¡¯t die of a heart attack, he¡¯d make sure to die through other means.


    "Don¡¯t avoid me, Katherine!" Henry snapped, and his loud voice shocked Kate, who stood like a statue in front of him.


    She didn¡¯t expect Henry to raise his voice on her. Henry grabbed Kate¡¯s jaw and forced her to look up so their eyes could meet.


    They were locked in this position for a long time, with Kate forced to see the tears that streamed freely from the corner of his eyes to his cheek.


    "I can¡¯t do this, Katherine. I told myself every night that I would bear your hatred, and we would reunite after a while. But the more I try to deny it, the more excruciating it feels to be separated from you," Henry confessed. "Please don¡¯t do this to me."


    Kate gritted her teeth. She could feel herself weakening against Henry, who kept pleading, "Don¡¯t do this to me, Henry. You know I¡¯m weak for you. You¡¯re not making this fair for me..."


    "Because I am selfish!" Henry admitted. "I¡¯m egotistical, greedy, inconsiderate, and I don¡¯t care if my presence makes you weak! I can¡¯t do this anymore!"


    Kate kept staring at Henry, and she felt like she had lost all her strength. She wanted Henry to weep and become miserable after she left, but now that she was faced with Henry, who looked so miserable, she wondered if she had gone too far with her wish.


    Because she didn¡¯t want him to suffer like this, she realized that she didn¡¯t find the satisfaction of seeing him at his wit¡¯s end.


    But she still needed time.


    She knew she would eventually return but still needed time to let go of the past and start anew.


    So Kate shook her head again, "Give me time, Henry. I¡¯m not ready."


    "Then when are you going to be ready?!"


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t know..."


    "You¡ª"


    Henry became frustrated. Kate kept going on and on about how much she loved him, which gave him hope.


    But whenever she said she needed time to forgive, yet not giving him closure, he felt that he had been pulled into a deep and depressing abyss.


    He was continuously being tortured and healed by Katherine until he had become too desperate to think clearly.


    "You can¡¯t keep doing this to me, Katherine. I may go crazy..." Henry said. "Please spare me a pity..."


    "Henry, I... I don¡¯t hate you anymore, but I need to collect myself first. Time will heal us and open a new Chapter of our lives..." Kate said. She stepped forward to close the gap between them and hugged him first.


    Henry flinched. He had expected Kate to hit him. He also expected her to curse him for his mistake, and he was ready to be beaten to half-death if that would reunite them again.


    But she hugged him and rested her head on his chest.


    Kate could hear his accelerating heartbeat, and she smiled as she murmured, "Don¡¯t let me go, Henry. I will be honest now, I have been wanting to embrace you like this for a long time. If you¡¯re feeling tortured by our separation, then you should know that I also feel the same."


    Henry slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, but not too hard because of her big pregnant belly. He made sure that she was comfortable while they were embracing each other.


    Henry gently kissed the top of Kate¡¯s head and muttered, "You are the only reason I can continue surviving, Katherine. You don¡¯t understand how much control you have over my heart."


    Kate felt at ease.


    Finally, after a month of suffering, she could rest for at least one day with her man. Of course, this wouldn¡¯t last long.


    She still needed to distance herself for a while but knew she¡¯d eventually return to him. Everything was just a process she had to endure if she wanted to be happy with the man who loved her back.


    She closed her eyes and rested on Henry¡¯s chest for a while. As they continued to embrace each other, she suddenly felt a strong contraction and winced. She thought it was just one of those episodes, but this contraction was a lot stronger than usual, and it gradually began to get even more painful as time passed until she couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore.


    She then felt something underneath. Kate looked down, and her eyes widened in horror when she saw water trickling from inside her skirt.


    Henry sensed something was wrong with Kate, "What¡¯s wrong, Kitty?"


    With this bewildered expression, Kate looked up and replied, "My water just broke."

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444: Chapter 444"... What?"


    "My water just broke!" Kate repeated desperately. "Do something, quick!"


    Henry gasped. He crouched to check and saw the water trickling down from inside Kate¡¯s skirt.


    He quickly swept Kate¡¯s feet and carried her in his arms.


    He kicked the mini theater door open and looked around. He didn¡¯t find Chloe and Vernon anywhere, so he simply rushed to the main entrance because he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    As he entered the living room, he saw Chloe and Vernon watching TV.


    "Vernon! Chloe!" Henry¡¯s voice shifted their attention towards them instantly, and Chloe gasped when she saw the dampness on Kate¡¯s skirt and how Kate was writhing in pain.


    "Oh god, Oh god! Let me call the ambulance!" Chloe panicked. She tried to find her phone, but Vernon quickly replied, "This place is too far to call and wait for an ambulance. There¡¯s a small hospital around the area. Let¡¯s just go there. I¡¯ll tell my men to escort you."


    "Okay, let¡¯s go!" Henry said. He was panicking when he saw Kate trying to endure the pain.


    Chloe was about to follow them, but Vernon said, "Stay in here, Chloe! You need to watch for the kids!"


    Of course, Chloe wanted to be there to support Kate. This was Kate¡¯s first labor, and it was usually the most painful. But she realized Valerie might cry in the middle of the night, so she nodded, "I¡¯ll be right here! Be careful, and tell me once you¡¯re there!"


    Vernon led the way as he called everyone around the mansion to start preparing all the cars and drove out of the mansion.


    Henry and Kate sat in the backseat while Vernon sat next to the driver. Vernon looked at the backseat to check and saw Kate clenching Henry¡¯s arm tightly.


    Her expression twisted as she endured the extreme pain, and she gnashed her teeth continuously.


    "Urgh! Henry, it hurts!"


    Henry tried to calm her down. He allowed Kate to claw his arm until it bled. He didn¡¯t care, but that hurt less compared to the pain that she was experiencing right now.


    "We will be there soon. Take a deep breath, in and out..." Henry continued to act calm, knowing that panicking would only worsen things.


    He raised his head to look at Vernon, silently telling him to get faster.


    Vernon nodded and told the driver to start going faster.


    The cars drove through the empty roads leading to a hospital near the gated community. Once they arrived, Kate was quickly put on a stretcher and was pushed by plenty of nurses to enter the delivery room.


    Henry followed them, but once they entered the delivery room, the doctor told him to go, "You can sit outside, Sir. The labor will take a while."


    "No, I will be with her! My wife needs me!"


    "But¡ª"


    "Henry! Argh! Henry, please hold me!" Kate yelled desperately as she was scared to be left alone.


    The doctor saw the woman kept calling on her husband, so he had to allow Henry to stay. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to warn him, "Remember not to faint. We don¡¯t have enough people to take care of you if you pass out seeing uncomfortable things."


    "I won¡¯t faint! I¡¯m here for her!" Henry insisted. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright then," a nurse helped the doctor to put on his gloves, "I¡¯ll prepare everything."


    **


    Vernon was sitting outside of the delivery room. He texted his wife, telling her that everything would be alright because Kate was a strong lady.


    He clenched his phone, thinking of what Chloe went through when she was pregnant with Mackenzie. Vernon¡¯s blood ran cold when he saw Kate writhing in pain.


    ¡¯Chloe must¡¯ve experienced the same, and I wasn¡¯t there for her...¡¯ Vernon thought. He seldom envied Henry, but this time, he envied him because Henry could be there to support his woman¡¯s first pregnancy.


    Vernon sat in silence for a while until two people rushed to him. He lifted his head and saw Mai and Michael. They looked panicked, so he smiled and said, "Calm down, Kate is inside with Henry. It¡¯ll take a while, though."


    "C¡ªCan I come in? I want to be there to support her!"


    "No, you shouldn¡¯t," Vernon said. "It¡¯s crowded inside. Besides, all Kate needs is Henry¡¯s support for now."


    "Yeah, we should stay here and pray everything goes well," Michael added.


    Mai was reluctant, but she knew they were right, so she sat silently, fiddling with her fingers, hoping that Kate would have a safe delivery.


    Michael glanced at Vernon and said, "Sir, I think you should go home for now. I¡¯ll protect Katherine in case those people plan to attack her at her weakest."


    Vernon nodded, "I will let my bodyguards stay around the hospital just to ensure that everything is secured. I don¡¯t want a similar accident that happened to my daughter."


    "Thank you, Sir."


    Vernon got up and left, knowing Henry and Kate were well protected.


    Michael and Mai sat on the long bench, staring at the wall in a daze until Mai asked, "Do you think Kate will be okay?"


    "She is a strong woman. She will be just fine."


    "But she went through a lot of stress because of Henry. What if she¡ª"Mai didn¡¯t dare to continue her words, afraid that she might put a curse on her sister.


    Michael touched Mai¡¯s hand gently, "You should put more trust in her. If Henry is allowed inside, she wants him to be there."


    "Mm, you¡¯re right..." Mai nodded.


    **


    Meanwhile, Sarah almost dropped her phone when she heard the information from her mole inside the hospital.


    She knew that Kate would go to that smaller hospital to give birth because it was closest to Vernon¡¯s mansion, so she put a mole there just in case.


    ¡ª


    "How long has it been since she entered the delivery room?" Sarah asked.


    "About an hour ago, Miss," the mole replied. "It seems to be a difficult labor since her scream is so loud and sounds painful."


    "Good, I need her to be very weak and vulnerable," Sarah approved. "And how many bodyguards are there to protect her?"

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445: Chapter 445"I don¡¯t know, Miss. But I saw many cars parked in front of the hospital and at least five men dressed in black suits standing near the entrance. They look intimidating," the mole said.


    "Damn it, must be Vernon¡¯s men," Sarah cursed. "Alright, keep watching your surroundings. I will contact you if I need more information."


    "Yes, Miss, um... but please don¡¯t implicate me when you get caught. This is Vernon Phoenix Gray we¡¯re talking about. I don¡¯t want to get on his bad side. He is dangerous," the mole said. "Oh, there¡¯s another man that came with her as well. He even accompanied Kate into the delivery room!"


    "Another man?" Sarah frowned. She guessed it might be one of Vernon¡¯s bodyguards, but that was impossible when her mole said he had also entered the delivery room. "Who is he?"


    "I don¡¯t know his name, Miss. But gosh, he looks so dreamy! He has emerald eyes, blonde hair, wide shoulders, and is very tall! So handsome and manly!" the mole gushed over his look, and Sarah could easily identify the man with those striking features.


    She clenched her phone and ended the call instantly.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Erin heard the conversation just now, though she didn¡¯t hear the full conversation, but she was already excited, knowing this must be the day Kate is giving birth!


    "Should we go now, Miss? I can¡¯t wait to claw that bitch¡¯s face!"


    Sarah glared at Erin¡¯s face, and the latter quickly deflated, seeing Sarah¡¯s fierce gaze.


    Sarah had always been calm and collected, so seeing her like this was ten times scarier.


    Erin backed off instinctively and asked, "M¡ªMiss Sarah? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you angry? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy that we finally have our moment to beat that bitch to a pulp and kidnap her baby?"


    Sarah gnashed her teeth. She couldn¡¯t believe that Kate and Henry would makeup so easily after such a huge fight.


    She expected Kate and Henry to be separated for at least a year, or even more because it was such a huge revelation.


    That was her trump card. It wasn¡¯t supposed to fail!


    "Miss?"


    "SHUT UP!"


    Erin¡¯s heart jumped when she heard Sarah yelling at her. This was the first time she ever yelled.


    In fact, this was the first time Sarah actually lost her cool.


    "I¡ªI¡¯ll be inside my room. Tell me if you plan to go to the hospital, Miss," Erin said before she dashed back to her room and locked it. She had never been this scared, not even with Henry and Kate, because she could truly sense terrifying rage from Sarah.


    Meanwhile, Sarah began to get consumed by rage and jealousy. She was angry because Kate and Henry¡¯s bond seemed unbreakable even though she had exhausted her trump card.


    She was also jealous because Kate was always surrounded by too many people with good intentions: James, Henry, Vernon, Chloe, Dahlia, Mai, Michael, and even Graham.


    "This is so stupid, I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about that bitch?" Sarah murmured while cursing Kate in her head. "I¡¯m obviously a noble born, highly educated, and way more beautiful and know etiquette! Why would everyone surround her, and why the fuck would Henry get so desperate just for that old sagging bitch?!"


    Sarah began to lose control over herself when she realized that none of her plans went according to her expectations. She expected by this point, Henry and Kate wouldn¡¯t even talk to each other, but how could everything turn out this way?


    At this point, I will be left with nothing while that bitch gets to become the Duchess of York! FUCK! ARGHHHHH!"


    As her frustration grew, Sarah shed all of her ladylike behavior and began to look unruly. She didn¡¯t give a damn about acting with noble etiquette if her title as a Duchess was at risk.


    "Should I just send all of my people and kill that bitch while she¡¯s pregnant? Once she is gone, Henry will eventually understand that he cannot let go of me and will be forced to marry me," Sarah thought.


    But before she did something irreversible. She took a deep breath and slumped on the sofa, "Okay, calm down, Sarah Lancaster, you are a lady. You should always be in control of yourself no matter the situation," Sarah told herself.


    After she calmed down, she began to assess the situation.


    Kate must¡¯ve been fully protected right now, Vernon sent all of his men, and there was Henry and Michael, too. It was practically impossible for her to storm in and kill Katherine.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t put pressure on Kate. Sarah had a bad smile as she found a way out of this problem, "Hehe, of course, why would I panic just because she¡¯s with Henry? Since everyone is so focused on Kate, I can just focus on hurting the one closest to her, right?"


    She grabbed her phone and called her subordinate;


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Miss?"


    "Check Vernon Phoenix Gray¡¯s car tomorrow. It seems he sent all his men to guard Katherine in the hospital. If he is unguarded in his car, then attack him."


    "Got it, Miss."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah chuckled after getting her way out, "Oh, Katherine, do you really think I can¡¯t do anything now? This will never end until your death. Henry is mine, and I WILL be the Duchess of York!"


    Sarah began laughing maniacally as she imagined how heartbroken Kate would be after knowing that she was the cause of everyone¡¯s pain. She was the parasite.


    Sarah got up and knocked on Erin¡¯s door. The latter opened the door quickly and asked, "Miss, should we go now?"


    "No, we should let her give birth first," Sarah replied.


    Erin pouted, "But why? It¡¯s so annoying to know that bitch will have successful labor..." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because it¡¯s plain foolish to attack her now," Sarah said. "Don¡¯t worry. I will disperse those pesky guards by tomorrow morning, and we can attack her immediately."


    Sarah stared at Erin, who looked excited, and her smile bloomed, "You hate her, right? Then you should be able to kill her and her baby without hesitation."


    "Yes, Miss! She put me through that cold hell for months! I want my revenge too!"

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446: Chapter 446Kate felt that her body was ripped in half as she tried to push the baby out. She didn¡¯t know how many hours it had been, and she was exhausted.


    She stared at the ceiling, and her gaze blurred as her body weakened. She wanted to give up because she felt that no woman should have experienced this extreme pain.


    But then, she remembered the baby she had been waiting for years.


    "Honey, you got this. I¡¯m here with you," Henry whispered, giving Kate moral support.


    He held her hand tightly, ignoring how many times Kate had clawed his hand and arm during labor. He knew that Kate was experiencing a life-and-death situation right now, and staying by her side was the least he could do.


    Kate turned her head towards Henry. She stared at him, who was sweating as much as she did. He had been standing for hours, holding her hand tightly. He looked so distressed seeing Katherine in such terrible pain, making Kate realize that Henry was truly in love with her.


    ¡¯Ah, that¡¯s right. I promised him we would raise our children as a husband and wife. I promised him I would be a good mother for Theo...¡¯ Kate thought. She soon regained most of her strength. She knew she couldn¡¯t give up now. She had to stay strong because Henry believed in her.


    So she continued pushing until the doctor said, "Okay, continue, Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s almost done..."


    "Uuunngghh!" Kate groaned in pain as she made her last push using her remaining strength.


    She was relieved when she heard the cry of a baby, and she slumped on the hospital bed after that. Her chest rose up and down as she was exhausted after a long and difficult labor.


    Henry wiped her forehead and cheek with a handkerchief and kissed her forehead, "You did great, Kate. You¡¯re a mother now."


    The doctor and nurses handled everything after a successful labor, and after it was done, the doctor told Kate and Henry, "Congratulations, you have a healthy boy."


    He carefully put the baby boy on top of Kate¡¯s chest, and miraculously, the baby stopped crying when he was with his mother.


    Henry crouched so he could see his son¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t help but comment, "He has my hair."


    "Mhm," Kate smiled while caressing the baby¡¯s head. "He has your hair, lips, nose, and probably your eyes too. I think he will be a carbon copy of you."


    "Oh, haha, I hope you¡¯re not as naughty as Daddy. Your Mommy has done so much for us," Henry said adoringly.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, he will be a good boy," Kate smiled. "Right, Theo?"


    "Theo..." Henry hesitated for a moment. "Kitty, are you sure you want to give my name to him? After all, we..."


    Henry wanted to say that they had a fight before, and he felt ashamed because he hadn¡¯t done so much to make Kate happy.


    But Kate assured him with a smile, "I promised to name him Theodore, but I want his middle name to be my pick."


    "And what middle name do you have in mind?" Henry asked.


    "James," Kate replied. "Theodore James Grant. We will call him Theo, of course."


    "Katherine..."


    Kate smiled as she reminisced about her boss, Henry¡¯s brother, who helped so many people in the past, "Your late brother is a good man. I hope our son can have some of his quality as well." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry nodded, "Yes, I hope he can have some of James¡¯ qualities."


    "I want him to be brave, strong, and handsome like his father but also kind and gentle like his late uncle," Kate said.


    Henry kept staring at the baby and Kate respectively and then kissed her hand lovingly, "Thank you, Katherine. Thank you for everything. You make me a man and a father today," Henry muttered.


    "You also make me a mother. Henry, I..." Kate hesitated for a moment. She wanted to say that she wished they could end their fight and live together again.


    She changed her mind after giving birth. It was such a painful process, yet the support from Henry gave her strength.


    She also realized that Henry¡¯s presence would be important for their son. So, maybe she had to open the door earlier for Henry.


    "Yes, Kitty?" Henry asked. "Do you need something?"


    Kate shook her head, "Maybe a glass of water would do. How long has it been since I entered the delivery room?"


    Kate decided not to tell Henry about it, at least not now. She wanted to wait until she was all alone with him and their baby because there were still a few nurses that walked back and forth.


    "Five hours," Henry replied while helping Kate to drink mineral water. "I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re able to push through. I was so scared and thought maybe you should do a c-section instead."


    "Hihi, I was about to give up until I saw your anxious face," Kate giggled. "I didn¡¯t want to make you worried."


    Kate stopped giggling when her baby began to wiggle around and cried again.


    "Oh, he¡¯s hungry. You should breastfeed him now," the nurse mentioned. They helped Kate to sit on the bed to begin breastfeeding the baby.


    The baby was eager, and Henry kept on staring at the mother and son.


    He had become a father at the age of twenty-four, something that he had never thought was possible before he met Kate.


    But now that Theo was born, he felt joy and a bit of expectation for himself.


    He knew he had to work extra hard to give Kate and Theo a safe and comfortable life.


    He wanted to be a fortress for his small family.


    Henry offered his finger, and Theo grabbed Henry¡¯s pinky with his hand. "Oh, look at him. He is so small."


    "That won¡¯t be long. I bet he will grow up quickly and become big, just like you," Kate said while breastfeeding Theo.


    Theo¡¯s eyes twitched, and the newborn slowly opened his eyes for the first time.


    His eye color was gray, but Kate and Henry noticed the green pigment behind the gray, confirming Kate¡¯s curiosity about her son.


    "You¡¯re right. He has my eyes as well," Henry muttered.


    "Told you," Kate giggled. "Welcome to the world, Theo. I¡¯m your Mommy, and this handsome man is your Daddy."


    "You have a loving Mom and a strong Dad," Henry added. "So don¡¯t worry, Son. You are well-loved by your parents."

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447: Chapter 447Vernon returned to his mansion about two hours after he left. He saw Chloe standing in the foyer room with a worried look.


    Seeing his wife, Vernon smiled and asked, "What¡¯s with your face? You should¡¯ve trusted me more."


    "Husband!" Chloe rushed towards Vernon and hugged him, "How was it? Are they doing alright? Why are you here so early?"


    Vernon kissed Chloe¡¯s forehead before replying, "Kate is still in the delivery room with Henry. I went home earlier because Michael and Mai came and took over to guard Kate," Vernon replied. He noticed the overly worried expression on Chloe¡¯s face and assured her, "Don¡¯t worry, I stationed all of the guards we have in the mansion to protect Kate until she gets discharged. She will be just fine."


    "I hope so. It¡¯s her first labor, and having your first labor in your thirties is usually a lot harder," Chloe said. "And I hope Kate can get discharged soon with a healthy baby."


    Vernon nodded, "Let¡¯s just rest for now. I think they will call us in the morning once the baby has been born."


    **


    Vernon and Chloe woke up in the morning and did their usual morning activity, alternating between freshening up and taking care of baby Valerie. After they were done with the baby, Chloe went to the kitchen to cook breakfast with the help of the maids.


    Mackie woke up after she smelled the delicious stuff from the kitchen and sat next to her father.


    Mackie noticed the empty seat in front of her and asked, "Mommy, Daddy, where¡¯s Aunt Kate?"


    Chloe and Vernon glanced at each other, and Vernon replied, "Your Aunt is giving birth in the hospital right now."


    "Really?! Then let¡¯s go and see her! Maybe the baby is already born by now!"


    "Well, maybe we can¡ª"


    Before Vernon could finish his sentence, his phone suddenly rang, and when he saw the caller ID, he quickly picked it up;


    ¡ª


    "Henry? How was it? Is Kate still in labor?"


    "She gave birth to a healthy baby boy five hours after we entered the delivery room. Kate is still sleeping right now, and the baby is with her," Henry reported. "She will be staying in the hospital for two more days, though. She is doing well, but she can¡¯t seem to stand on her feet right now, so it¡¯s better to watch over her condition in the hospital."


    "Yeah, take your time in that hospital. My bodyguards are around you, so everything should be just fine," Vernon assured.


    "Thank you... brother," Henry said with a little hesitation at the end of his sentence. "You helped me so many times, I don¡¯t know how to repay you."


    "Work hard and protect your family. That¡¯s how you repay me," Vernon said. "But don¡¯t worry about it too much. I¡¯m also repaying my debt for your late brother, and I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve seen me as more than just a cousin. We¡¯re brothers, Henry."


    "Yes, thank you," Henry repeated. He glanced at Kate, who was still sleeping, and said, "Chloe and you should visit the hospital. I¡¯m sure Kate will be happy being surrounded by her family."


    "Oh, definitely! We¡¯ll be there after Mackie finishes school today," Vernon said.


    "Mm, we¡¯ll be waiting."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe and Mackie were looking at Vernon with excitement. Vernon smiled at his family and nodded, "Kate has given birth to a healthy baby boy."


    "Really? Oh, thank God!"


    "Whoo! Baby cousin!" Mackie cheered happily. "Mommy, Daddy, let¡¯s visit them in the hospital today! I can¡¯t wait to see my cousin!"


    Vernon nodded, "We should, but you must go to school first. We¡¯ll come together in the evening, right?"


    "Got it!" Mackie nodded happily.


    "Well, finish your breakfast, all of you," Chloe said while checking the clock. "You¡¯re going to be late, Mackie."


    "Un!"


    After what happened to the little girl in the mall, Vernon didn¡¯t want to repeat the same mistake. So he dispatched a pair of protectors for Mackie, Meyer working as a driver and male bodyguard, and also a new female bodyguard.


    Mackie kissed her parents¡¯ cheeks before waving goodbye at them as she had to hurry to school, leaving Chloe and Vernon alone in their mansion. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chloe was carrying baby Valerie and asked her husband, "Are you sure you want to go to the office alone?"


    Chloe was worried because usually Vernon would be accompanied by one other car, which had at least two bodyguards in it, but because he sent all of their bodyguards to protect Kate, he became vulnerable.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t even have his usual driver. So he had to drive the car on his own.


    "I¡¯m worried that something might happen to you..." Chloe said.


    "I will be fine. It¡¯s been a while since the last time I drove this car by myself," Vernon said while patting the car¡¯s roof. "You shouldn¡¯t worry too much, Chloe. The storm has passed, Kate has given birth to a healthy baby boy, and they seem to have reconciled. We will become a big family again soon."


    "I hope so," Chloe said, but she bit her lower lip as her intuition told her that something bad would happen soon.


    She wanted to tell her husband about her worry, but she was prone to overthink, so she decided to keep silent as Vernon kissed her lips and entered the car.


    Chloe stared at the car as it drove away from the mansion. She patted baby Valerie on her arm and sighed, "I hope everything will be fine. But I¡¯m scared that my gut feeling might be right..."


    **


    Vernon drove his car through the road in the morning. The road near his area was still quite empty at this hour, but he had to go early if he didn¡¯t want to be late for a morning meeting with a business partner.


    "Maybe I should use the heli later," Vernon murmured. He had a helicopter, complete with a helipad, in the mansion and on the office building¡¯s rooftop, but he seldom used it because he thought a helicopter was unnecessarily flashy.

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448: Chapter 448Nevertheless, he was in a great mood today. Kate had a successful delivery, and she seemed to have forgiven Henry.


    "That guy should¡¯ve been grateful that Kate is a lot more softer than she looked," Vernon commented. He and Chloe truly thought that Kate wouldn¡¯t forgive Henry no matter what because that audio recording was truly vile.


    But just like how Chloe forgave Vernon for his mistakes, Kate ultimately had more love than hatred towards Henry.


    "All ends well," Vernon smiled. "I can¡¯t wait to finally have a big family, with Kate, Henry, and their children included."


    Vernon always dreamed of having this one big loving family with a tight bond that would visit each other each week and gather during the holidays. It might be a simple dream, but it was difficult to achieve.


    "Well, I think Henry has the same idea as I do," Vernon said. "He lost his family when James died, so he must¡¯ve wanted to create a new family that will make him happy."


    Henry told him about the representative from the Duchy of York, and it was confirmed that he¡¯d receive a noble title and eventually become the Duke of York. So if that happened, Henry would probably be as powerful, if not more powerful than Vernon.


    "This is perfect. We will be able to protect our big families," Vernon approved. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he was in a good mood, he turned the radio on and listened to a few good songs along the way.


    As he enjoyed his trip to New York City, which would take roughly an hour and a half, the raindrops began to wet his windshield, and the drizzle turned into heavy rain in less than five minutes.


    "Tsk, morning rain, the traffic will be bad today," Vernon complained. But he didn¡¯t have time to slow down. He kept his speed while driving through the heavy morning rain.


    His sight began to get limited due to the heavy rain, but he knew there was rarely a car around this suburban area, so he didn¡¯t mind his speed until he was shocked when something hit the back of his car.


    "What the¡ª"


    Vernon checked the rearview mirror and saw a black car tailing. Vernon couldn¡¯t identify anything else because of the rain.


    He clicked his tongue. He thought the person behind him was just not paying attention due to the heavy rain, so he tried to ignore the car damage because he was in a hurry.


    But when the black car hit him again for the second time until he almost lost control of his car, he realized it was intentional.


    "Fuck, am I being followed? Did Vincent send his men to attack me? Or is it Sarah?"


    Nevertheless, Vernon sensed a terrible danger looming behind and had to escape immediately.


    He turned on the GPS to check his current location and then called the leader of his bodyguards.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Where are you?" Vernon asked hurriedly, and the leader immediately noticed something was wrong.


    "We are still in the hospital, Sir. Just like what you instructed."


    Vernon knew this must be a deliberate attack to disperse the attention of his guards so Kate would be vulnerable again, so he wanted to split them in half. So half of the bodyguards could reach out to him while the rest protected Kate.


    "Listen, I¡¯m being chased by unknown attackers right now. They are using a black car, and I can¡¯t see anything due to the rain!"


    The leader got stiff instantly, "Tell me your location, Sir. We will be right there immediately!"


    Vernon checked his GPS and told the leader his exact location, "Remember, you must prioritize¡ªArgh!"


    Vernon was hit again by the car behind him, and this time, they hit so hard that Vernon lost control of his car on the slippery road.


    "ARGGGHH!"


    A loud screech from the tires on the call before a loud crash petrified the leader. After that, there was nothing but dead silence.


    ...


    ...


    Beep


    ¡ª


    The leader paled instantly, knowing something had happened to their boss. He called all of his subordinates and said, "Mr. Phoenix Gray has been attacked! All of you, let¡¯s go and save him!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    As they were ready to go, one of them asked, "Sir, but how about Mr. Grant and his wife?"


    "They are well protected by Michael Eckermann. I know him. He can handle at least five of us at the same time, even if we ganged on him. So let¡¯s go now. Mr. Phoenix Gray needs us!"


    With that, all of the bodyguards left the hospital to the coordinate that Vernon sent, leaving Kate vulnerable with only Michael and Henry as her bodyguards.


    Meanwhile, Kate woke up after hearing her son start crying, "Are you hungry, Theo?" Kate asked as she unbuttoned her hospital gown and began breastfeeding her son.


    She saw Henry dozing off on the sofa and said, "Henry, you must¡¯ve been tired after staying awake for the whole night. Why don¡¯t you go home and rest first?"


    "I can¡¯t do that," Henry shook his head to dispel his drowsiness. He got up and approached Kate. He gently massaged Kate¡¯s legs and asked, "Do you feel better now?"


    "Much better," Kate replied. "Maybe I can get discharged by tomorrow morning after I regain my strength."


    "Hopefully," Henry nodded. "Then uh... will you return to Vernon¡¯s mansion or..."


    Though Henry wished that Kate would stay with him in the Phoenix Tower, he realized that Kate needed time to process everything, so he didn¡¯t want to force her.


    But Kate sighed, "Don¡¯t forget to tell the housekeepers to clean everything today. I don¡¯t want to return home with litter on the floor."


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "W¡ªWait, does this mean that you¡ª"


    "Yes, Henry Grant, I forgive you," Kate stated firmly, ensuring Henry would listen to every word that came from her lips. "I realized I can¡¯t be separated from you for too long, especially now that we have a baby."


    "Katherine, I¡ª"


    "¡ªBut," Kate interrupted as she stayed firm. "I will leave and never return if you have another secret or if I feel that you might threaten our baby. Understand?"


    Henry nodded. He held Kate¡¯s hand and stared at her with eyes full of hope, "Yes! I will prove that I am a changed man! I will protect you and Theo!"


    "Thank you for giving me a chance. You give me a fulfilling life, a goal to achieve for the sake of our small family," Henry added. He leaned on and kissed Kate on the lips, "I love you, Katherine. Please don¡¯t leave me again. I don¡¯t know what will happen if you and Theo disappear from my sight."


    Kate smiled and took the initiative to kiss him. She noticed the worry in Henry¡¯s eyes as if he could really snap if Kate and Theo left, so she had to pacify him;


    "Henry, as long as you don¡¯t lie to me, I won¡¯t leave," Kate assured.


    "I have no more secrets! You know everything about me already!" Henry insisted, he began to get desperate again, just the idea of being separated was enough to drive him into frenzy. He tightened his grip on Kate¡¯s hand, "So please..."


    "Then it¡¯s settled. We can start anew," Kate said. "Well, I might leave if your action threatens our child, but as long as it doesn¡¯t involve our son, I will stay by your side no matter what."

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449: Chapter 449Henry felt a relief that Kate had truly forgiven him. He kissed her for the last time before picking his phone from the table and suggesting, "Why don¡¯t we call my Mom? I¡¯m sure she will be happy knowing her first grandchild has been born."


    Kate chuckled, "You make it sound like we¡¯ll have more children in the future."


    "Of course we will!" Henry exclaimed. "We will marry once everything has been settled, and I¡¯m going to buy a mansion not far from Vernon¡¯s so our children can play with their cousins.


    Henry¡¯s idea entertained Kate, so she let it slide and smiled.


    Henry scrolled through the number to find Dahlia¡¯s number and called her;


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Son, do you need something?" Dahlia asked on the phone.


    "Mom, I have good¡ªno, great news!" Henry said excitedly.


    "Great news? Did you finally reconcile with Kate? You know that¡¯s the best news you can give me, right?"


    "Not only that, I have something even better," Henry said proudly. He placed the phone near Kate¡¯s ear and nodded at her, telling his beloved to tell Dahlia about the great news. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good morning, Dahlia," Kate said on the phone, and Dahlia gasped instantly.


    "K¡ªKate? Katherine? Are you with Henry right now?" Dahlia asked as she thought she must¡¯ve been dreaming right now. She had been spending so many nights pondering how amazing it would be if Kate and Henry could reunite so Dahlia could visit Kate without feeling guilty.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m with him," Kate replied. She glanced at her son in her arms and added, "With Theo as well."


    "Theo?"


    "Your grandson, Mom," Henry replied. "We¡¯re in the hospital right now. Kate just gave birth to a healthy baby boy."


    Dahlia¡¯s eyes widened, "I¡ªIs that true? You¡¯re not joking, right, Henry? You know I¡¯ve been waiting for my first grandchild."


    "Of course not, Mom. I¡¯ll send you a photo and the hospital location after this. You can come anytime you want."


    "Oh, send it to me, I¡¯ll go immediately!" Dahlia said excitedly.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Henry was happy with his mother¡¯s excitement. He hung up the call and stepped back to take a picture of his beloved.


    "Smile to me, honey," Henry said while aiming the camera at Kate who was still breastfeeding their son.


    Kate smiled at the camera. She looked exhausted but also had a certain charm that made Henry swallow his saliva.


    ¡¯Is it wrong if I¡¯m already thinking about our second child right now?¡¯ Henry wondered as he pressed the shutter.


    He sent the picture to his Mom and then sent the location of the hospital, expecting her to come immediately.


    Henry pocketed his phone when a flash of lightning stunned them for a second, followed by a loud thunder.


    Kate turned her head and saw the heavy morning rain. Her VIP ward was located on the ground floor, so she could see the flowers getting washed by the rain.


    Kate sighed, "Can you close the window, Henry?"


    "Sure," Henry slid the window shut. But he forgot to lock it when Kate had a request out of the blue;


    "Henry, I want to eat a medium-rare steak with barbecue sauce," Kate said. "Oh, and boiled bitter gourds."


    "Eh? Steak?" Henry shifted his attention immediately. He checked his watch and showed it was only seven in the morning. "I can call my friend who owns a restaurant in the downtown area to prepare a steak in the morning, but you might need to wait for at least an hour or more because it¡¯s very early, and this hospital is a bit far from New York City."


    "That¡¯s fine," Kate nodded. "I¡¯m just hungry and craving for steak right now."


    Henry scratched his head. He didn¡¯t know if Kate¡¯s craving was because she had just given birth or if she simply wanted a steak early in the morning.


    Nevertheless, Henry was more than eager to make her happy, so he opened the door and told Michael, who stood on guard outside, "Michael, I want you to go downtown right now."


    "Huh?" Michael frowned. "What for? You know it¡¯s quite far from here, right? I¡¯ll have to drive for about thirty minutes to reach downtown."


    "That¡¯s fine, now go to Paul¡¯s restaurant. I¡¯ll contact him while you¡¯re on your way," Henry said.


    Michael looked at the window and saw the heavy rain, "The heavy rain will slow me down even more."


    Michael didn¡¯t want to leave Kate alone for a long time. He was worried that something might happen, just like how they got ambushed by Marlon¡¯s men before.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here with her," Henry said. "This is for her, not for me. She wants a steak in the morning."


    "Alright then," Michael nodded, knowing it was Kate¡¯s request. He dared not argue more because Kate had just given birth and probably craved something.


    "Where¡¯s Mai, by the way?" Henry asked as he stuck his head to look around the corridor.


    "She left at midnight after seeing the baby. She said she still has a lot to do in the office and will visit after work," Michael explained.


    "Okay, you should go now. I don¡¯t want Kate to wait for too long."


    Michael excused himself and left Henry and Kate alone. Henry closed the door and returned to Kate¡¯s side.


    "Michael is on his way to the steakhouse. It¡¯ll take a while, but maybe we can reheat the steak in the hospital somehow," Henry said.


    "I don¡¯t mind a cold steak, really. I¡¯m just craving for it for some reason," Kate giggled. She leaned on her bed while breastfeeding Theo. "Henry, I think you should get yourself a coffee. Maybe talk to the nurse at the front desk if they have a pantry for it. You look exhausted."


    It was true that Henry hadn¡¯t slept since yesterday. He was on guard because he was scared that Erin or Sarah would pop out somewhere and attack Kate and their baby.


    "I will stay here with you. I don¡¯t want to lower my guard¡ª"


    "¡ªdarling, it¡¯s fine," Kate assured, patting Henry¡¯s chest. "Go and get yourself a cup of coffee, at least. I don¡¯t want you to faint while I can¡¯t even get up and walk to help you."

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450: Chapter 450[Warning: Violence.]


    Henry hesitated for a moment, but Kate¡¯s assuring gaze made him a bit more lenient.


    He sighed, "Alright then, but I won¡¯t be long. Stay right here, and if there¡¯s something urgent, don¡¯t forget to call me or press that button," Henry said while pointing at the orange button on the wall to call the nurse.


    "Mhm, I know," Kate smiled. "Don¡¯t be such a worrywart. Go and treat yourself to a cup of coffee, will you?"


    "... I¡¯ll be quick," Henry said before he left the ward.


    Kate chuckled when she saw Henry take a few steps back while his eyes were glued on her until he reached the door, "Don¡¯t forget to tell me if there¡¯s something wrong."


    "Yeah, yeah," Kate rolled her eyes jokingly. "Go now."


    Henry closed the door and dashed to the front desk to get himself a cup of coffee, leaving Kate alone in her ward.


    Kate stared at the heavy rain, enjoying the serenity for a while until a flash of lightning blinded her for a second.


    She closed her eyes, and once she opened it again, her eyes widened in shock. Because she suddenly saw a woman standing outside of her window.


    The loud thunder only added the shock factor in Kate¡¯s heart to the point that she froze on the spot like a statue.


    Erin grinned ear-to-ear from the window. She was like a psychopath from a horror flick that was ready to kill, especially when she lifted her hand a bit, showing the sharp knife that she carried.


    Since Henry forgot to lock the window, Erin got full access to the ward. She slid the window open and hopped into the ward.


    Erin¡¯s grin turned even more malicious as she greeted, "It¡¯s been a while, Sis."


    Kate couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She knew that Sarah already rescued Erin, and she roamed free, but she didn¡¯t expect Erin to be able to reach her when Vernon¡¯s bodyguards were around.


    "What? Did it surprise you that I can survive being thrown into that frozen wasteland?" Erin rolled her eyes. "Come on, I have the main character¡¯s energy. I won¡¯t die so easily. Besides, Miss Sarah knows I don¡¯t deserve to be hurt by you, especially since I¡¯m an innocent girl caught in your trap just because you¡¯re jealous of my beauty!"


    "How could you get in here?" Kate asked. "There are so many bodyguards outside."


    "Oh, not anymore," Erin shrugged. "Miss Sarah is super smart. She caused Vernon¡¯s car to derail and crash, so all of those bodyguards leave the hospital building and try to save him."


    "WHAT?!"


    "Hihi, that¡¯s right. Who knows what will happen to him next? But that¡¯s okay. That¡¯ll teach them that you¡¯re just a parasite, and as long as you¡¯re alive, nobody can be happy."


    Erin enjoyed the terror in Kate¡¯s face. When she was trapped in that cabin, all she fantasized about was how good it would be to see Kate crying and screaming, begging for her forgiveness.


    Well, of course, Erin wouldn¡¯t forgive her for what she did. She wanted Kate to suffer an even worse fate after all.


    "But this innocent lady is going to stab you and that demon child now," Erin giggled. "Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see Henry¡¯s anguish once he sees your dead body. That will teach him not to mess with me."


    Kate gritted her teeth. She tried to protect her baby. She could die getting stabbed here, but she absolutely will never allow anyone to hurt Theodore.


    "So prepare yourself, Sis. I¡¯m here to rip your stomach and crush your child¡¯s head. Then I¡¯ll kill Miss Sarah and become Duchess of York myself!" Erin claimed.


    Kate¡¯s gaze darkened, "Had I known that you¡¯d become a huge bitch like this, I would¡¯ve starved you to death when you were a child, Erina Ross."


    Kate didn¡¯t wait anymore. She glanced at the orange button and smashed it with her right hand, alarming the nurse and possibly Henry as well.


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t know what that orange button was for, but judging by Kate¡¯s calm gaze, it seemed to be something that would save her.


    Erin gritted her teeth, "I have no more time then. Goodbye, Sis."


    She raised her hand, ready to plunge the knife into Kate¡¯s chest, but Kate grabbed Erin¡¯s wrist to stop her.


    "You¡ª!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m not going down without a fight, you spoiled filthy skank," Kate said while glaring at her sister. Theo began to cry, sensing that his mother was in danger, but that also alerted Erin.


    Erin shifted her target and saw the vulnerable baby in Kate¡¯s arm. She tried to reach Theo, but Kate quickly bit her hand. She bit Erin as hard as she could until Erin screamed in pain.


    "ARRRGHHH! LET ME GO, YOU BITCH!" Erin yelled.


    Kate exerted all of her strength, but she had just given birth, and her body began weakening when Erin continued struggling.


    It didn¡¯t take long until Kate lost her grip on Erin¡¯s wrist. Erin quickly pulled her hand and slapped Kate¡¯s face as hard as possible.


    PA!


    ¡¯No, I... I can¡¯t give up now,¡¯ Kate tried to maintain her consciousness. ¡¯Theo... Theo needs me...¡¯


    Kate was dizzy when she got slapped, her gaze blurred out and she slumped on the bed while trying to hug her crying baby.


    Erin knew she had no more time, so she raised her hand again, and before she could stab Kate, the door was slammed open. Henry¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot instantly when he saw Erin ready to stab Kate.


    "STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE!"


    Like a tiger, Henry jumped and lunged toward Erin, pushing her down and pinned her to the ground.


    "Argh!" Erin grimaced in pain when Henry sat on top of her, preventing her from moving.


    "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL WHORE!" Henry lost control over himself. He was blinded with rage when he saw his wife and son¡¯s life were in danger.


    He punched Erin¡¯s face repeatedly until her face was swollen and unrecognizable.


    But Erin didn¡¯t want to give up, not when she was so close to her victory. Her adrenaline kicked in, and she clenched her knife again.


    Thus, when Henry was busy punching her face, Erin stabbed him on the shoulder.

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451: Chapter 451"ARGH!" Henry screamed in pain when Erin stabbed his shoulder and pulled the knife quickly.


    She didn¡¯t miss the moment of his weakness. She quickly stabbed his arm, then his torso, and his stomach.


    Henry was overwhelmed, the stab wounds were shallow since Erin had lost most of her strength after getting punched repeatedly, but she stabbed in every spot she could reach until Henry¡¯s shirt was dyed red.


    Kate regained her strength and opened her eyes when she saw her man bleeding while Erin stabbed him repeatedly, "HENRY!"


    She put her crying baby carefully on the bed while trying to get up. Her legs were still very weak, but she couldn¡¯t just watch Henry getting hurt by Erin.


    Erin turned her head when she heard Kate¡¯s voice. She saw that Kate was trying to get up to save Henry even though her legs were wobbly, and blood began to flow from her inner thighs.


    Erin grinned. She pointed her knife right on top of Henry¡¯s chest where his heart was beating and said, "Oh, are you trying to save your man? Look at him, Sis. He is bleeding all over his body, and he will die soon, just like Vernon."


    "Stop this, Erin! If you want to kill me, then just kill me! Don¡¯t hurt everyone else!" Kate yelled as she tried her best to reach Erin and Henry.


    "Tsk, didn¡¯t I tell you before? Sarah and I did this as a punishment. This is their punishment for helping you out. You¡¯re a parasite, Sis. As long as you¡¯re alive, everyone around you will suffer," Erin raised her chin and said arrogantly, "So why don¡¯t you kill yourself? Surely it¡¯s better for a burden like you to die than let everyone suffer, right?"


    Kate¡¯s face paled. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her mind, but Erin¡¯s words actually got into her mind.


    She realized that she brought nothing but pain to Henry, Vernon, Chloe, Mackenzie, Michael, Mai, and even her baby, Theo.


    These insane women would never stop as long as Kate was still around the people she loved.


    In the end, was it even worth it to protect her small and insignificant life? These crazy women attacked a little girl, Mackie, and an old, defenseless lady, Dahlia. They also attacked Vernon and Henry, who just wanted to protect their family.


    They attacked everyone around her.


    ¡¯Am I truly the parasite of everyone around me?¡¯


    That moment of silence was enough to influence her mind until she fell into a daze, which was a perfect time for Erin. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her main target was Kate and her baby in the first place. Even if she died here, she wanted to bring Kate down with her to hell!


    So Erin got up instantly. She was ready to stab Kate and kill her.


    But Henry pushed through the pain, knowing that his wife was in danger. He grabbed Erin¡¯s arm before she could do that and yanked her down.


    "AH!" Erin screamed when her head hit the floor. Henry didn¡¯t waste his time. He clenched his fist and said, "Die, you hell spawn!"


    Henry gathered all of his remaining strength and punched Erin in the throat as hard as he could until he crushed her neck.


    Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She struggled for a few seconds before she closed her eyes.


    Henry didn¡¯t want to lower his guard. He grabbed the knife in her hand and stabbed her in the chest just to make sure that Erin was truly dead.


    "Urk!" Erin¡¯s eyes opened wide again. She thought she could fake it and attack him when he turned his back, but a knife on her chest turned out to be fatal, she stared at Kate for the last time and muttered with her remaining strength;


    "Sister... help... me..."


    "I have no sister like you, Erin," Kate replied while maintaining her gaze on Erin. "I hope you rot in hell with that child rapist of a father."


    "Just die already!" Henry yelled. He gritted his teeth and stabbed her again in the same spot until Erin let out her last breath.


    Kate watched everything in silence. She didn¡¯t feel sad about Erin¡¯s death. In fact, she was relieved that spoiled bitch was done for.


    Kate felt that she had given everything to Erin when she was young. Perhaps she had given too much to Erin until she became way too spoiled.


    Henry stood up. He stayed strong even though his body was in terrible pain due to the many stab wounds on his body.


    He turned around and walked towards Kate with a pair of deep and meaningful eyes as if seeing her as his only source of light.


    Henry stood in front of Kate, and his eyes trailed down, "I... I will call the nurse. You are hurt..."


    "No, I will be fine, but you¡ª!" Kate panicked. She realized that Henry was bleeding too much, and his life might be in danger. She was scared, thinking that Henry would die because of her. So she got even more anxious and said, "Go sit on the chair! I¡¯ll call the nurse!"


    Henry didn¡¯t budge no matter how much Kate tried to push him to the chair. He kept staring at Kate and slowly reached Kate¡¯s cheek.


    He caressed Kate¡¯s cheek with his bloodied hand and muttered, "I¡¯m glad that you and Theo are safe... I won¡¯t make the same mistake, Katherine. I¡¯ll die with pride knowing that I¡¯ve protected my family."


    "No, don¡¯t say something like that! You¡¯re not dead yet!" Kate struggled, but Henry suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, locking her on the spot. "Henry! Let me go now. I¡¯ll call the nurse!"


    Henry chuckled.


    He had so many stab wounds that he expected himself to die soon. After all, his consciousness was already fleeting at this moment.


    He tightened his hug on his beloved, feeling the warmth of her body. He truly missed her to the point that he wouldn¡¯t mind dying while embracing her.


    Katherine was truly the woman who changed him for the better.


    "Don¡¯t listen to that witch. You are never a burden," Henry assured. "Don¡¯t leave me, Katherine, you are my only home."

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452: Chapter 452With that, Henry lost consciousness while embracing Kate.


    Kate¡¯s body stiffened when she felt Henry¡¯s weight on her, "Henry? HENRY!"


    Kate panicked. She pushed Henry to sit on the sofa and began crying when she saw all of the stab wounds that completely dyed his shirt red.


    "NO, DON¡¯T YOU DARE TO LEAVE ME!" Kate screamed hysterically. She smashed the orange button repeatedly and screamed even harder, "HELP! HELP!!!"


    It took a while until the nurses and doctor arrived, and they were shocked seeing the gruesome sight of a dead woman on the ground and Henry Grant, whose shirt died red because of his blood.


    "What happened here?!" The doctor asked while rushing to their side.


    "Henry! Please save my husband!" Kate yelled. She ignored the awful pain under her belly and grabbed the doctor¡¯s collar. "He got attacked by that crazy bitch! Please save him! I don¡¯t want him to die!"


    The doctor was overwhelmed by Kate¡¯s hysteria. He called the nurses to help separate them. Then he told the other nurses to come immediately and send this man to the Emergency Room because the doctor already knew Henry was in a critical condition without checking him further.


    "Let me accompany him! I want to be by his side!" Kate said as she struggled to break free from the nurses who tried to hold her down.


    One of the nurses carefully picked Baby Theo up and put her in front of Kate. The crying baby finally snapped Kate out of hysteria.


    Kate carefully held her baby to calm him down, and baby Theo slowly stopped crying and slept on her arm.


    The nurses put Kate on her bed again, and one of them intentionally blocked the sight of the dead woman on the floor while waiting for other nurses to come to help them move Kate to the other room.


    There were a lot of questions in their heads, but for now, the nurses needed to calm her down, or else she might hurt herself.


    "Take a deep breath, Ma¡¯am. Mr. Henry Grant will be just fine," the nurse pacified, though she was also unsure about Henry¡¯s fate.


    Kate was still in a daze. She didn¡¯t say anything when more nurses gathered, pushed her hospital bed out of the VIP ward, and moved her into the next room.


    They had already called the police, and the police told them not to touch the corpse because they had to identify it first.


    Kate stared blankly while gently patting her son to make him sleep better through this ordeal. Her mind repeated Henry¡¯s words just now.


    -


    ¡¯Don¡¯t listen to that witch. You are never a burden," Henry assured. "Don¡¯t leave me, Katherine, you are my only home.¡¯


    -


    Kate bit her lower lip, ¡¯How am I supposed to stay by your side when you¡¯re on the verge of death for protecting me? Don¡¯t give me false hope, Henry...¡¯


    Kate¡¯s mind began to swirl into a spiral of grief. She began to think about what would happen if Henry died because of her.


    Would she be able to keep her head straight and stand firmly while Henry¡¯s casket was buried six feet under? S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No, she might as well jump and join him inside that casket!


    "Will he be alright?" Kate snapped out of her daze and asked the nurse standing before her. "He got so many stab wounds, and I... I can¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m powerless while my man is fighting for his life..."


    The nurses looked at each other anxiously. They were curious about what happened, but none dared to inquire because it might trigger Kate¡¯s hysteria again.


    "He is in the ER with our best doctor. He is still breathing, Ma¡¯am. He will be alright," one nurse said, trying to soothe her.


    "But what should I do if he dies? What am I supposed to do knowing that I have killed my husband?!" Kate panicked.


    "M¡ªMa¡¯am, please calm down, you¡¯re also hurting yourself," the nurse said. "You have vaginal bleeding. We need to treat you first."


    "I don¡¯t give a damn about myself. Please treat my husband first. I¡¯m afraid he will¡ª"Kate lowered her head as she realized she was about to cry. But once she lowered her head and stared at her sleeping baby, the tears began to stream down from her cheek and dropped on Theo¡¯s face. "Forgive me, Son."


    **


    The police officers arrived not long after, and they rushed in because they just heard it was a murder, "Where is the crime scene?" The officer asked as they stormed inside the hospital.


    "This way, Officer," the security guard guided the officers into the VIP ward. "We have to move Mrs. Katherine Ross out of the ward because she got hysterical, but the corpse is still inside, Sir."


    The officers looked at each other, and one of them opened the door slowly.


    They thought they¡¯d see the gruesome corpse that the nurse and security guard described on the phone.


    But they saw nothing.


    "Huh? Where¡¯s the body?" the security guard muttered spontaneously. "I swear the body was here twenty minutes ago, Officer!"


    The VIP ward was empty, but the blood pooling on the floor was enough proof that a gruesome corpse had been lying there before.


    The window was wide open, and the officer had a faint guess of what was happening.


    "Get us to the surveillance room. There is a CCTV in this VIP ward, right?"


    "Yes, Officer! This way!" The security guard led them to the surveillance room, which was empty in the morning. The officer told the guard to show them the recent recording of the VIP ward.


    They took a deep breath to calm themselves when they saw a female assailant open the window and break into the ward.


    She was holding a knife and tried to attack Katherine, in which Kate fought back even with her current weakened body.


    Kate pressed the orange button to alert everyone, but the nurses didn¡¯t notice the alert since it was too early in the morning.


    It was Henry Grant who stormed in and fought against the female assailant. It was also obvious that Henry and Kate were just defending themselves because that assailant was acting feral.


    After the VIP ward was emptied, two men wearing black hoodies and masks entered from the window and carried the corpse out of the ward through the same window.


    The officer gritted his teeth and used his transceiver to alert all police officers near the area, "We have a premeditated attack in the hospital. Search around the area and stop any suspicious cars!"

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453: Chapter 453Michael returned to the hospital two hours later. The heavy rain really slowed him down, and Henry hadn¡¯t told the steakhouse owner about his order, so he had to wait an additional hour.


    "That idiot," Michael complained. He parked his car and walked into the hospital.


    He was in a somber mood because of the rain, but his somber mood turned into fear when he saw plenty of police officers walking around the hospital corridor and outside of the hospital building as if they were patrolling to find something.


    Michael sensed a bad omen had befallen Kate again, so he rushed into Kate¡¯s VIP ward and saw two police officers guarding the door taped with police lines.


    "What is this¡ª" Michael¡¯s face turned pale instantly. He stood in front of the police officers, intending to enter the ward to check on Kate and Henry, but the police officers stopped him.


    "Don¡¯t you see the police line? It¡¯s off limits, Sir."


    "Where are Kate and Henry? I¡¯m their friend! I was with them the whole night until Henry told me to go downtown!" Michael panicked. As expected, he shouldn¡¯t have left Kate alone because Sarah and Erin would always find a way to hurt her.


    The police officers looked at each other and replied, "There was a premeditated assault resulting in the death of one woman and left a man severely injured and in critical condition. Henry Grant is currently in the operating room because of the grievous stab wounds all over his body."


    Michael almost lost his strength when he heard the death of one woman and also Henry, who was in a critical condition.


    "K¡ªKatherine, she¡ª"


    "No, Sir, the one who died is the assaulter. Mrs. Katherine Woods is in the next ward. She is still recovering."


    Michael didn¡¯t waste his time. He rushed to the next VIP ward, which a police officer also guarded.


    "Sir, Mrs. Katherine Woods is still recovering. No one is allowed to enter except family members," the police officer said.


    "I am a family member! I was with them until Henry told me to go somewhere!" Michael stated. He was desperate to check whether Kate was truly alright or not.


    He was scared that Kate was hurt because he knew that Kate was basically the lifeline for Henry and Mai, two of the most important people in his life.


    They might not be as close, but Michael respected Kate and understood that Kate was basically the knot that tied his small family.


    The police officer hesitated. As he was about to reject Michael¡¯s entry, the door was opened from the inside, and Dahlia stuck her head out, staring at Michael and the police officer.


    "This man is our family member. Please let him in," Dahlia said.


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am."


    The police officer gave way to Michael, who was a head taller than him. Michael entered the room and saw Kate sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the wall while carrying her baby.


    "Kate, Michael is here," Dahlia said.


    Kate turned her head, and her eyes met with Michael¡¯s.


    "Kate, I¡ª"


    "I¡¯m sorry, Michael," Kate murmured. Her eyes began to glaze with tears again as the train of regrets flooded her mind. "I shouldn¡¯t have told Henry that I wanted to eat something. I was attacked by Erin soon after you left, and Henry fought her until he got stabbed multiple times..."


    Michael was able to connect the dots easily. Erin must¡¯ve died after having a bloody fight with Henry.


    Henry was a good fighter with his brute force, but he was not on par with Michael, who was military-trained to fight against strong or reckless enemies.


    So, knowing how crazy and vengeful Erin could be, it must¡¯ve been a hard fight.


    But alas, he won and killed that bitch for good.


    Though Michael was relieved that Kate was unharmed, part of him also felt guilty because he couldn¡¯t protect Kate at such a crucial time.


    He knelt in front of Kate¡¯s bed and said, "I am the one to blame, Kate. I shouldn¡¯t have left you no matter what, not even under Henry¡¯s order. I was lenient because things have been too peaceful lately."


    Dahlia sighed. She patted Michael¡¯s shoulder and calmed him down, "There is no point in blaming yourself, and you too, Kate. The one at fault is that woman, Sarah Stone Lancaster, and the people she manipulated."


    ¡¯Including my ex-husband...¡¯ Dahlia thought. She heard the news of Penny¡¯s death after she was beaten to death by Marlon the same day Henry called her.


    Though she wouldn¡¯t forgive Marlon for what he did, she also understood that Sarah had gaslighted him into doing the unthinkable.


    Marlon had always been proud and somewhat of an elitist, and Sarah¡¯s words only turned him into the worst version of himself.


    And she expected her to do the same to this woman named Erin.


    Kate stared at her mother-in-law and asked, "How about Vernon? Is he alright?"


    "He is in another hospital. I got the news from Chloe that his condition is not critical, but his shin bones got fractured on both legs, so it would take months for him to be able to walk normally again," Dahlia informed, knowing hiding information from Kate would only exacerbate her anxiety.


    Kate was relieved that Vernon was at least not in a critical condition. She wouldn¡¯t dare to face Chloe, knowing that she had caused her husband¡¯s demise.


    Dahlia approached Kate and held her hand, "Katherine, you shouldn¡¯t burden yourself like this. This is none of your fault."


    ...


    "Michael, can you guard the door outside for a moment?" Kate requested. "I have something to tell Dahlia in private."


    "But¡ª"


    "Michael, I¡¯m not asking you to leave me alone," Kate said and pointed at the window, "The window is firmly locked, so nobody can enter this VIP room anymore. Just wait outside, it won¡¯t be long."


    "Go, Michael, give us a moment," Dahlia added.


    Michael hesitated for a moment before he reluctantly nodded, "Scream if you get attacked again. I won¡¯t leave your side this time."


    S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454: Chapter 454Michael guarded the door alongside the police officer. He looked steadfast, like an impenetrable fortress. He didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake twice.


    Dahlia sat on the bed near Kate¡¯s leg and gently held her daughter-in-law¡¯s hand, "What do you want to talk about, Kate?"


    "I¡ª"


    "¡ªIf you want to blame yourself again, then I¡¯m not going to listen to any of it," Dahlia interrupted. She arrived about an hour ago and was as shocked as Michael when she found out what just happened.


    It took a while until Kate told her everything, and she could only stay by Kate¡¯s side while hoping that her son could pass through his critical state.


    After all, though they were not blood-related, Dahlia truly saw Henry as her own son. She couldn¡¯t imagine the devastation knowing that she lost both of her sons caused by the same woman:


    Sarah.


    Kate shook her head, "I know blaming myself won¡¯t do anything to ease the situation, and I know that it¡¯s all Sarah¡¯s fault."


    "Good, then you don¡¯t need to worry about anything else. Just rest for now. You can¡¯t be in distress when you just gave birth, Kate," Dahlia said. She looked at Theo, who was sleeping peacefully in Kate¡¯s arms. "Why don¡¯t you give him to me for a while? You¡¯ve been carrying him for hours."


    Dahlia wanted to take Theo from Kate, but Kate retreated subconsciously, "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Dahlia. I just don¡¯t feel safe giving my baby to anyone, not even you."


    Dahlia sighed. She knew that Kate must¡¯ve been traumatized because of this, on top of that vile audio recording of Henry and Marlon¡¯s plan.


    So Dahlia didn¡¯t push her further, "That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just worried about you. You went through a lot, Kate." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not as much as Henry," Kate downplayed her pain. "He risked his life to protect me while I can only sit and watch. I feel so useless, Dahlia..."


    Again, Dahlia felt that Kate kept trapping herself in this cycle of self-blame. It was actually quite similar to Henry. They both often dwell in their cycle of self-blame, which makes them depressed.


    Not wanting to let Kate drown in her sadness, Dahlia shifted the topic, "So, what do you want to talk about?"


    ...


    Kate lowered her head. She finally smiled when she saw Theo, who was sleeping peacefully. Theodore truly had his father¡¯s facial features, from his hair, eyes, nose, and even lips. He was basically Henry 2.0.


    And it also made her extremely protective of Theo, thinking how much Henry had sacrificed for their safety.


    "Dahlia, I don¡¯t want Henry, Vernon, and everyone else to keep risking their lives to protect me," Kate said. "I can¡¯t imagine having to see this horror over and over. It¡¯s a nightmare I don¡¯t want to repeat."


    Dahlia had a bad feeling about this, so she tried to soothe her, "They are risking their lives because they love you, Kate. You should know that you are well-loved by everyone. That¡¯s why they don¡¯t mind all of this."


    "But I mind," Kate said. "Even if they are willing to go through hell just to protect me, it doesn¡¯t mean that I will just stand and watch. I love them, I love you as well, Dahlia. I don¡¯t want to see you getting hurt because of me."


    "Katherine¡ª"


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking about running away," Kate said firmly as if she had made this decision before talking with Dahlia.


    "Running away?!" Dahlia shook her head vehemently. "No, why would you run away when everyone tries to protect you?!"


    "I don¡¯t want to be protected," Kate said. "Everything that is currently happening feels like a nightmare," Kate muttered. "Do you think I feel happy knowing that Henry and Vernon are hurt because of me? Let alone Mackenzie, a little girl who has no fault. I was devastated knowing Mackie¡¯s life was in danger."


    "Katherine..." Dahlia felt that none of her words could get into Kate¡¯s thick skull. The more she tried to reason, the more Kate denied it.


    "I know it¡¯s not my fault, but I also know it¡¯s wiser for me to remove myself from this family," Kate insisted. "With me out of the picture, Sarah will have no reason to hurt anyone. I am her main target, after all."


    "This is too extreme, Kate," Dahlia continued reasoning. "Of course, we want to get rid of that vile woman, but there is always another way¡ª"


    "She is beyond cunning, Dahlia," Kate said. "This is a premeditated attack. She attacked Vernon first to disperse his guards, then she sent Erin to attack me, and once she failed, she had two men remove Erin¡¯s body from the crime scene so the police wouldn¡¯t be able to find a clue about her."


    "How many victims do we need until you realize that catching Sarah right now is almost impossible?" Kate said coldly. "And don¡¯t say that I gave up fighting against her. I will stay if it¡¯s just between me and her. But I have Theodore now."


    ...


    Dahlia shifted her gaze at her grandson again, "If you run away, you¡¯ll separate him from his father. You know how damaging that could be, right?"


    "I know..." Kate nodded. "But I¡¯m running away because of Theodore. I know Sarah will target Theo, and I don¡¯t want him to be in constant distress growing up. I also want him to grow up like a normal kid, with no bodyguards lurking around him and strict security just to make sure he is alright. It feels like I¡¯m trapping my son in a cage, Dahlia."


    "Then how about you live in my mansion in Michigan? Theo should be safer that way, right? Henry will be able to visit as well."


    "That would ruin the point of disappearing," Kate said. "If Henry could visit me and Theo, Sarah would detect our location sooner or later. I want to disappear with my son. I don¡¯t want anyone, not even you or Henry, to know where I will be going."

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455: Chapter 455free????ebnovel.comDahlia was left speechless for a while. She didn¡¯t expect Kate to have such an extreme idea of solving her problem.


    Unfortunately, she knew that Kate¡¯s decision was already final since Kate kept on refuting her reasoning, so Dahlia offered the last reason she could come up with;


    "Henry needs you, Kate," Dahlia said. "He risked his life to save you. Don¡¯t you see how broken he was when you two got separated? I can¡¯t imagine how heartbroken he¡¯d be if you left him again."


    ...


    "Do you not love him anymore?"


    "I love him," Kate replied without hesitation. "I love him so much that I can¡¯t bear seeing him getting hurt like this, wasting his life to protect a weak woman who can¡¯t do anything..."


    "Get that self-blame out of your head, Katherine. You are the most important person in his life. He will be broken without you. God knows what he would do if he found out that you vanished out of thin air with your son," Dahlia shook her head, "Besides, you shouldn¡¯t worry too much about Sarah. Henry is doing his best to be a powerful businessman of his own. Once he becomes as powerful and influential as Vernon, you don¡¯t need to worry about a thing."


    "I know he will be heartbroken, but that heartbreak will be temporary Dahlia," Kate insisted. "I want him to grow into a strong and fully independent man, out of the shadow of his father and late brother."


    "Then why don¡¯t you support him¡ª"


    "But I know my presence will only hinder him," Kate said. "How could he focus on becoming that influential and powerful man when all he does is linger around me? His focus has always been split between work and protecting me."


    "So I¡¯m going to do my part, Dahlia," Kate added. "I will remove myself from his life so he will focus on bettering himself. He will be the great man that he wants to be, and hopefully... he will move on."


    "And what if he doesn¡¯t?" Dahlia asked. "What if he doesn¡¯t want to move on from you? Do you not realize how much you meant to him?" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Kate nodded.


    Of course, she understood the chance of Henry moving on from her was close to zero. They were too deeply in love with each other, and now that they had a child together, there was no way Kate and Henry could forget each other.


    Kate had resigned to her fate that she would never fall in love again for the rest of her life.


    But what about Henry?


    Dahlia was relieved that her words seemed to get into Kate¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t want to waste her chance and added, "Are you cruel enough to separate Henry from his son and soon-to-be wife? What kind of pain does he need to bear because of your decision, Katherine?"


    "That..." Kate paused. She bit her lower lip once she realized she had no answer. Because she knew Henry would be in tremendous pain after her departure, he would also be broken.


    ¡¯Am I cruel enough to leave him a broken man?¡¯ Kate asked herself. ¡¯I want to stay if only we are stronger. If only Sarah is taken care of, if only...¡¯


    There were so many possibilities in Kate¡¯s mind. She regretted their current condition, but she knew she couldn¡¯t be selfish and expect Henry to put his life at risk every time Sarah attacked them.


    So she had to make a sacrifice that would hurt them all at first, but it would be good in the long run.


    Kate took a deep breath and, after she calmed down, replied, "I have no intention to tie him down. I would be glad if he can move on as soon as possible. It¡¯s best if he forgets about Theo and I..."


    "You know that¡¯s just impossible, Kate," Dahlia sighed. "He won¡¯t forget you. And I don¡¯t think he will ever move on."


    "If fate allows us to reunite in the future, I will eventually return to him with our son," Kate said. "I don¡¯t know how long it would take, maybe five, ten, or even twenty years. But if we are meant to be together, and all of those hazards have been cleared, then I will return."


    Dahlia felt her heart sink to the deepest sea, knowing that Kate¡¯s decision could not be refuted anymore.


    She had exhausted all of her reasons, and Kate still had her mind fixed on this extreme decision.


    Dahlia lowered her head, staring at Kate¡¯s palm, which was wounded because Kate clenched her fist until her nails dug into her palm.


    Kate truly went through so much, too much in fact, that Dahlia was surprised Kate was still sane and stable.


    Dahlia remembered how she became a broken woman after she lost both her husband and son. She lost James because her first son died in a premeditated accident, and she also lost her husband because Marlon was the one who executed their son.


    All because James refused to take any woman other than Katherine. He was so hopelessly in love with Kate that he gathered his courage to refuse his father¡¯s order for the first time in his life.


    Unfortunately, his first refusal led to his demise.


    Dahlia blamed herself for her inattentiveness. If only she was just a bit more careful, she would be able to spot Penny and Marlon¡¯s scheme earlier and prevent James¡¯ death.


    There were also many what-ifs in her mind, hoping there was some kind of way to save James even though he was already gone.


    Now, all she could do was to protect and support Henry, Kate, and her grandson, Theodore.


    "You know you¡¯re going to break a lot of hearts, right?" Dahlia muttered. "You¡¯re breaking my heart right now, Kate. I keep thinking how harsh life would be for you and Theo without us. You will be exposed to constant danger as well."


    "I am well aware of the risk," Kate said. "I won¡¯t tell anyone about this, not even Mai. I only told you because I know you can keep a secret."

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456: Chapter 456"Don¡¯t say something like that, Kate. You break my heart enough," Dahlia said. "I don¡¯t know how to face my son, knowing I allow his beloved woman and son to leave. I will be the worst mother ever..."


    "... Dahlia, this is my decision. You can¡¯t hold me down, and you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself for this," Kate assured. "This is my last effort to save everyone."


    "Then, can I at least have your address after you leave?"


    Kate shook her head, "That would defeat the purpose. I want to vanish. I have no more things to ask other than that."


    "Oh, Katherine..." the old woman was about to cry. The last time she cried was during James¡¯ funeral. Now she cried again because she couldn¡¯t stop Kate.


    Kate began to feel a bit of pity for Dahlia, so she said, "Then how about I allow you to know the state where I will stay? But that¡¯s it. I will not give you my exact address, not even the city I¡¯m staying in."


    Dahlia thought it was unfair for her because she wanted to check up on Kate at least once a week to see if she was alright.


    She also wanted to send as many bodyguards as possible around her, but just like what she said.


    She wanted to disappear...


    Dahlia held Kate¡¯s hand tighter and said, "In five years if Henry can give you true freedom in five years, would you take him back and return to us?"


    Kate smiled and nodded, "I¡¯m doing this so everyone can be safe. I¡¯m also doing this so Henry won¡¯t need to split his focus on his work and on me. So if there is a time when everything has been solved, I will return."


    "Promise?"


    "I promise, Dahlia," Kate said. "I know you don¡¯t want to be separated from Theo for too long as well, right?"


    "I want to see him grow. I don¡¯t want to spend my old days without a happy family," Dahlia said. "Don¡¯t worry, Kate, I will make sure Henry will solve everything before five years. I will make you return and we will reunite again."


    "I know," Kate nodded with a smile. "I believe in Henry. He just needs time to focus on whatever he is doing."


    **


    Mai went to the hospital after the rain subsided and checked on Kate. She tried to make Kate feel better, but she couldn¡¯t help but blame herself, knowing that she wasn¡¯t there to protect Kate again.


    Kate smiled strongly for the whole day until everyone but Michael was in the hospital.


    Michael kept on guarding outside of Kate¡¯s VIP ward. He was steadfast. He kept thinking about all his mistakes that almost killed Henry and Kate.


    Dahlia returned from Vernon¡¯s mansion with Kate¡¯s luggage and tote bag in the car. She prepared everything for Kate to leave anytime she wanted.


    "Everything is ready inside my car, and I bought all the baby¡¯s necessities with you. I was about to book a flight ticket for you, but I can¡¯t bring myself to allow you to fly alone just two days after giving birth. So I will be the one who escorts you to Maine with my bodyguards," Dahlia said. "This is the only compromise I will do, Kate. You¡ªYou can request to be dropped anywhere in Maine, and I will leave."


    Dahlia wished that Kate suddenly had a change of heart and then canceled her plan.


    But Kate thanked her instead, which felt like a knife stabbed on Dahlia¡¯s chest.


    Theo was sleeping again after he got fed just now. The baby was surprisingly very calm as long as he was in his mother¡¯s arms.


    "Henry had passed his critical state. He is now still unconscious in another ward. You can visit him if you want..." Dahlia signaled.


    "Yeah, I want to say goodbye to the man I truly love. The man who loves me with all of his heart," Kate got up from her bed and walked slowly to Henry¡¯s VIP ward. She was exhausted but kept on her strong appearance because she didn¡¯t want Dahlia to worry about her wellbeing.


    Michael followed Kate as she went to Henry¡¯s ward, "Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t you use a wheelchair? Do you want me to bring you a wheelchair?"


    "No need, Michael," Kate refused., "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hurt at all. It was Henry who got hurt."


    Kate entered Henry¡¯s ward, and her heart was crushed seeing Henry in such a terrible state.


    He had been bandaged around his torso and stomach. He also had stitches in different spots. He lost so much blood during the fight because he wanted to protect Kate and Theo.


    Kate sat next to the hospital bed and glanced at Dahlia and Michael, "Can you give us a moment? I want to be with Henry and our baby for a while."


    After Dahlia and Michael left the room, Kate shed her pretense of being tough and let her tears drop on Henry¡¯s body. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Henry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t stay by your side," Kate muttered. "I kept thinking about what happened today and realized I can¡¯t stand idle. I can¡¯t let you risk your life like this. I¡¯m not that cruel."


    Once she realized what she said just now, Kate chuckled, "But I will be cruel enough to leave you broken. I guess that makes me a total hypocrite... I¡¯m sorry..."


    Kate gently put their sleeping son on Henry¡¯s arm.


    "This might be the last time you will ever carry Theo. I think our son will not be a little devil like you thought," Kate said with a forced smile. "He is very calm as long as he is well-fed and taken care of."


    Kate began to imagine all the wonderful things she would do with Henry and Theo as a family. They would take care of the baby together, watch him grow every day, and maybe have a picnic once Theo was old enough.


    It was such a sweet imagination that crushed Kate¡¯s heart. She began crying nonstop as she knew she¡¯d regret her decision later;


    "I¡¯m sorry, Henry. I¡¯m sorry for being selfish and unfeeling. I¡¯m sorry for being a hypocrite. I¡¯m sorry for leaving you. I¡¯m sorry for everything."

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457: Chapter 457[Music Recommendation: Akane - Color Me Blue.]


    Kate was unable to control her emotions. She knew she would regret everything she did that led to her decision to leave Henry.


    But she was just too desperate to protect her beloved husband and son.


    Disappearing without anyone knowing was her only option because it would free Henry from the shackles of love. He would be able to focus on himself and his career. He would become a powerful man in the future.


    "And hopefully, you will find another woman who will love you much more than I do," Kate said.


    Theodore would also be freed from the fear surrounding himself. He would grow up as a normal kid and didn¡¯t need to be constantly watched because his life was always in danger.


    "This is for the best. This is the best I can do. Please forgive and forget me, honey," Kate grabbed Theodore from Henry¡¯s arm and leaned to kiss him on the forehead before she left.


    But as she wanted to pull her hand, Henry suddenly tightened his grab on her wrist.


    Kate gasped, thinking Henry woke up and listened to everything she said.


    "H¡ªHenry?" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Henry was still in a deep sleep due to the anesthesia, so his movement just now was probably just a muscle reflex.


    Kate was relieved. She really thought that her plan would fail before she could even execute it. She struggled to pull her arm away, but once she was able to break free, Henry suddenly grunted and muttered a word in a soft, almost inaudible voice.


    "Ka... the... rine..."


    Kate took a few steps back. Her heart began to waver when she heard him calling her name even in his sleep.


    But she shook her head immediately, "You can¡¯t back down now, Katherine. This is your only chance to redeem yourself."


    Thus, Kate decisively left Henry¡¯s ward and then told Dahlia, who sat on the bench with Michael beside her.


    "Dahlia, I want to go home now," Kate said.


    "Go home?" Michael was surprised by the request. He glanced at the baby and asked, "Ma¡¯am, you just gave birth yesterday. Isn¡¯t it too early to go home? Maybe you should stay here for a while."


    "I... I want to go home," Kate repeated. "This hospital distresses me. I¡¯d rather go home and rest. Vernon¡¯s mansion is much safer, right?"


    "That¡¯s true..." Michael had to admit that no amount of protection he could do would surpass the strict protection in Vernon¡¯s mansion. So Kate had much better security there.


    After weighing it for a moment, Michael slapped his knees and got up from the bench, "Alright, I will drive you back to Vernon¡¯s mansion. Let¡¯s go, Ma¡¯am."


    "No, I will do it," Dahlia volunteered. "You should stay here, Michael. Henry needs protection. He is literally incapacitated right now."


    "But Kate¡ª¡¯


    "I have at least eight bodyguards with me. We will be fine," Dahlia said. "Now stay right here and protect my son. Kate is safe by my side, and you should protect Henry instead."


    ...


    "Understood, Madam," Michael begrudgingly stood in front of Henry¡¯s ward while eyeing Kate and Dahlia, who went to finish all the registration to get discharged.


    It took a while, but Kate entered the car with Dahlia eventually. They sat in the backseat, and the chauffeur asked, "Do you want to return to Mr. Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion, Madam?"


    Dahlia didn¡¯t reply.


    She turned her head and looked at Kate with a plea, still hoping that Kate would change her mind eventually.


    But Kate shook her head gently and replied, "Take us to Maine. I¡¯ll tell you when you should drop me off."


    "... Madam?"


    Dahlia bit her lower lip. In the end, no matter what she did, Kate wouldn¡¯t change her mind, "Drive to Maine right now."


    "Understood, Madam."


    **


    Dahlia kept holding Kate¡¯s hand on their way to Maine. It would take at least eight hours for them to reach Maine from New York City using a car, but it was the safest way, knowing a flight might also be dangerous for the newborn.


    Kate stayed silent throughout the whole journey, only speaking when Dahlia asked something. They took a rest a few times in the rest area before continuing on their journey.


    Surprisingly, Theo was also at peace throughout the journey, only crying when he wanted to be fed or when he peed or pooped.


    As they were reaching their destination, Dahlia grew increasingly wary. She began to regret her decision to help Kate disappear.


    "Katherine, this is a bad idea¡ª"


    "No, this is the best idea, Dahlia," Kate resisted. "This is the best I can do to help Henry."


    "What if Sarah starts searching for you? I can¡¯t guarantee your safety if I don¡¯t even know when you will stay!"


    "That is the point. Without any lead, we will be just fine, right?" Kate smiled. She placed her hand on Dahlia¡¯s lap to calm her down, "It¡¯s fine, Dahlia. I¡¯ve survived long enough by myself. This is just a change of pace for me."


    Dahlia felt that Kate was way too calm for what she was about to do. After all, she would discard everything she had right now, including all the people who loved her.


    Kate stared straight at the road and patted her baby once she realized she had entered Maine.


    "Go to Portland and drop me in one hotel there. That is my last request," Kate said.


    "Madam?" The driver waited for the command.


    Dahlia felt that she had become a villain today, or at least a henchman of a villain, because she would break a lot of hearts, including her own.


    It was already dawn by the time they reached Portland. Dahlia told the driver to go to the best hotel in Portland and parked their car there.


    Dahlia and Kate stayed inside the car while the driver put all of Kate¡¯s luggage and bags into the hotel lobby.


    Dahlia couldn¡¯t believe this might be the last time she could meet with such a wonderful daughter-in-law like Kate.


    She held Kate¡¯s hand tightly and said, "This is the last time I will ask, Katherine. Please change your mind. Henry will be broken without you."

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458: Chapter 458"My decision is final, Dahlia," Kate insisted. "This is a goodbye."


    Dahlia was about to cry again. She shed so many tears during the trip that her eyes became puffy.


    "Then, can I at least hold my grandson for a while? I know I can¡¯t carry or see him grow for a long time."


    Kate handed the baby to Dahlia, allowing Dahlia to hold her grandson, "He truly has Henry¡¯s features. It feels like I¡¯m seeing baby Henry."


    Henry came into her life when he was already five years old, so she never knew what Henry looked like when he was a baby.


    But seeing Theodore was enough for Dahlia to imagine how cute Henry was as a baby.


    "My grandson, wait for your Dad, okay? Granny will make sure your Dad will become a powerful man, powerful enough to protect you and your Mom. It won¡¯t take long, I promise," Dahlia said. "Granny loves you, Theo."


    Dahlia reluctantly handed Theo back to Kate and smiled at her sadly, "You can leave now if you want."


    "Thanks for everything, Dahlia. I will never forget you," Kate said before opening the car door and entering the hotel lobby to check-in.


    Dahlia sat in silence inside her car for a while until her driver asked, "Madam, are you sure you¡¯re going to leave her alone in Maine? She just gave birth and had a baby. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to do that."


    "I know," Dahlia confirmed. "That¡¯s why I already told one bodyguard to linger around Kate. He is my best fighter, on par with Michael, so he would be able to protect Kate even against many attacks. He was also really good at blending in. They will be friends in no time without her suspecting about anything." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia wept her tears. She was grieving for what happened but couldn¡¯t force Kate to stay because she was simply too traumatized and thought this was the best way to help Henry.


    "... Madam, do you think she is wrong for doing this?"


    "She is wrong. Henry will be a broken man when he wakes up knowing Kate left with their baby," Dahlia replied without hesitation. "But I can¡¯t really blame her. She is overprotective of her baby and her man. She has been pushed to the edge, and this is her way of survival. Punishing her by putting her under house arrest would only aggravate her even more."


    "Then why would you let her go like this? Even helping her in the process," the driver asked. "Your son will be angry at you for helping her."


    Dahlia¡¯s eyes turned cold, and her lips thinned as she knew she was guilty. "Since I can¡¯t stop Kate from running away, the only thing that I can do is to use the situation to help Henry."


    "Help him?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve been talking with the representative of the Duchy of York. They are desperate to contact Henry because their Duke, Lord Mountvarn, has no heir to inherit the Duchy, and he is already in critical condition due to his old age. He doesn¡¯t want the Duchy to fall into a non-relative hand, so he wants Henry to inherit everything."


    Dahlia remembered her conversation with the representative. He tried to reach Henry by contacting Marlon, but that bore no fruit.


    It took him a while until he could get in contact with Dahlia, and by this time, all he wanted was for Henry to come to the Duchy and handle the transfer of power.


    "Unfortunately, Henry, being Henry, refused to accept it because he thought he could do everything by himself. He said he¡¯s not ready to accept that title yet," Dahlia sighed. "Well, I believe he will accept the title now since he will do absolutely everything to reunite his family."


    "I... I understand, Madam, but isn¡¯t it a bit too cruel to put him through such mental torture?"


    Dahlia closed her eyes.


    "I can¡¯t justify my actions," Dahlia said. "But if he doesn¡¯t do this anytime soon, we won¡¯t be able to touch Sarah. Remember, Sarah is the daughter of an Earl. She has a crazy amount of connections behind her, and she won¡¯t stop until she gets what she wants."


    "This pain will be the drive for Henry to let go of all of his reluctance," Dahlia said. "Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure Kate is well protected. She just needs time to calm down and raise her baby while Henry crushes that rat bitch until she can¡¯t do anything."


    ...


    The driver felt that everything was justified, but at the same time, it was very cruel to a man who obviously loved his woman.


    "Let¡¯s return to New York," Dahlia said. "My bodyguard is currently staying in the same hotel. She will be just fine."


    "Understood, Madam."


    **


    Sarah walked into an abandoned building where her subordinates were already gathering inside to find a way to dispose of Erin¡¯s body.


    Once they saw their Mistress, they bowed respectfully and asked, "Miss, what do you want to do with her body?"


    Sarah ignored the question. She walked towards Erin who was nothing but a cold corpse with gruesome stab wounds on her chest. Henry seemed to take his time because he also punched her face repeatedly until she was unrecognizable.


    "Did she kill the baby at least?" Sarah asked.


    "No, Miss. Katherine and her newborn son are unharmed, but Henry Grant was stabbed repeatedly until he has to undergo intensive surgery," the man replied.


    Sarah clicked her tongue. She kicked Erin¡¯s face and stepped on it repeatedly to vent her anger, "FUCKING USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!"


    Everyone around her shuddered, seeing how Sarah kept on stomping on the dead woman¡¯s body with her high heels. She was like a madwoman who should be put in a mental institution, but none dared to say anything because they were scared of her.


    Sarah was relieved after she finished stomping Erin repeatedly, "I rescued her because I want to use her to terrorize Kate, but look at this, this is bullshit!"

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459: Chapter 459Sarah glanced at her informant, who worked in the hospital as a janitor, "How¡¯s Kate¡¯s condition right now? Don¡¯t tell me that she is not even hurt." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The informant gulped nervously, "Um... the last time I checked, she was shaken by the incident. She was put in another ward and guarded by so many officers and a man with a military cut. I want to keep watching, but my shift as a janitor only lasts until evening, so I can¡¯t stay for too long or the cops will get suspicious of me."


    Sarah got increasingly anxious, feeling that none of her attacks worked. It was always small hindrances here and there that stopped her from achieving her goal.


    ¡¯At this point, I won¡¯t be able to separate Kate and Henry. I don¡¯t want my dream to get destroyed at this point. I¡¯ve sacrificed too much. I HAVE to be the duchess no matter what!¡¯ Sarah thought.


    "Call your friend and update me on Kate right now," Sarah ordered. The janitor quickly called her fellow janitor, who worked on a different shift and then relayed the message to their boss.


    "Miss, Katherine has left the hospital. She¡¯s being escorted by an old lady with plenty of bodyguards."


    "Dahlia," Sarah gritted her teeth. "That bitch always finds a way to ruin everything. I should¡¯ve helped Marlon to kill her back then."


    Sarah¡¯s day was ruined, knowing that Kate probably hid in Vernon¡¯s mansion again, a place she could never reach.


    But she believed that Kate would eventually return to that hospital to visit Henry since Henry was still hospitalized after his bloody fight with Erin.


    "Keep your eye on Henry, inform me if Katherine comes to check on him," Sarah ordered. She turned around and was about to leave when one of her subordinates asked;


    "Miss, what should we do with this corpse?"


    "Strip her naked, make sure she has nothing that will implicate us, and then burn her," Sarah replied lightly before she left.


    She returned to her car and drove back to her penthouse. The fact that she had lost two important pawns, Marlon and Erin, worsened her mood.


    Marlon had been too sickly to do anything. He spent most of his time in his bedroom, lamenting about Dahlia and how they could¡¯ve started anew somehow.


    Unfortunately, after what Marlon did to James, Dahlia never wanted anything to do with him anymore.


    "Well, I don¡¯t give a damn about them anyway. I killed James because he was too smart. He knew what I wanted, and he was devoted to Kate. His death is justified," Sarah muttered as she opened the penthouse door.


    Now, the only way for her to reach Kate was to bait her out of that mansion, probably attacking Henry since Kate would do anything for him.


    Sarah¡¯s lips thinned when she realized how devoted Henry was to Kate. He even sacrificed his own safety just to protect Kate and that goddamned baby.


    ...


    Sarah felt a sting in her heart, imagining how Henry was so in love with this one random woman who actually hurt her.


    Was she jealous? No, she didn¡¯t really care when Henry fucked those women when he was in university.


    In fact, she encouraged Henry to be promiscuous because that meant he was predictable. It was easy to control a man whose urge was so primitive.


    But once Kate entered his life, everything spun and flipped upside-down.


    The Henry that Sarah knew disappeared, leaving nothing but a shell of a once innocent boy who would blush when he looked at her.


    Now, he became a love fool who would do anything as long as he could be with the woman he loved.


    Sarah clenched her fists as she couldn¡¯t handle the heartburn. She was jealous, but not for his love.


    "I guess I¡¯m just jealous because Kate is one step closer to becoming the Duchess of York. I refuse to bow down to a low-born woman like her. It¡¯s so humiliating!"


    Unfortunately, Sarah couldn¡¯t do anything for now, but that didn¡¯t mean she was out of options.


    She still had Graham. It should be easier for Graham to inquire about Kate since his movement wasn¡¯t as limited as Sarah¡¯s.


    Thus, she called Graham, and the call was connected not long after;


    ¡ª


    "Graham, I¡ª"


    "Fuck you, Sarah," Graham suddenly snapped and it shocked Sarah.


    "What was that for? Why would you curse at me?"


    "Oh, don¡¯t play dumb, you fucker! Did you send someone to attack Kate in the hospital? I will fucking kill you if you do!" Graham yelled. He was like a madman who lost control just because the woman he loved was hurt.


    Sarah clenched her phone so tight that her hand trembled. It was so upsetting knowing that these men loved Kate so much. It was also ridiculous because no matter how beautiful Kate could be, there was no way she was THAT attractive to blind these men.


    ¡¯That bitch must¡¯ve used some kind of charm, or maybe magic? I can¡¯t fucking believe she could seduce James, Henry, and Graham at the same time.¡¯


    Sarah knew she would lose an important ally if she reacted badly to Graham¡¯s accusation. So she took a deep breath a few times to calm down before she replied, "I don¡¯t understand why you would suspect me of that, Graham. I have done nothing but care for Katherine."


    "Then who the fuck sent someone to attack Kate? It¡¯s only you and I who know about the birth of her son outside of her family."


    "It¡¯s Marlon," Sarah threw the blame without thinking twice. Sarah sighed to make herself even more believable, "Believe it or not, I investigated everything myself and got the news from my informant that Henry and Marlon actually staged everything."


    "... staged?"


    "Yes, Henry told Marlon about Kate¡¯s baby and then staged the attack so Henry would come to save the day. They want Kate to be impressed by Henry, so she would give her baby to Henry and Marlon. After all, it would be more painful to be betrayed by someone you love, right?" Sarah said. "What Marlon wants is to ruin Kate¡¯s life. He is a mad old man."

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460: Chapter 460"Then how come Henry got injured until he had an intensive surgery? If it¡¯s staged, then he should be unharmed for doing so," Graham continued asking as he found Sarah¡¯s story didn¡¯t add up.


    "It¡¯s because Henry went all-in, and the attacker felt threatened; that¡¯s why she fought back, and the staged play became real," Sarah continued lying, hoping that Graham would eat her lie as usual. "Anyway, it¡¯s all Marlon and Henry¡¯s fault. There¡¯s no point in you wanting to put the blame on me."


    "... I still think everything doesn¡¯t add up. If it¡¯s staged, then Marlon would be the one who panicked because he accidentally hurt his only son. But based on what I heard in the Grant estate, Marlon is still bedbound and doesn¡¯t seem to do anything noteworthy," Graham said.


    "Tsk, why are you inquiring about useless details?" Sarah rolled her eyes as she got impatient. "Kate has a baby now, and it¡¯s a boy. You know Marlon and Henry have all the opportunity to hurt her and her baby, right?"


    ...


    The more Sarah spouted concerning stuff that would usually cloud Graham¡¯s mind, the more he became aware of how her story didn¡¯t add up.


    He still hated Marlon and Henry for what they did, but he also began to wonder what Sarah¡¯s true intention was. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you want from saving her, Sarah?" Graham asked out of the blue.


    "Huh? What¡¯s with that stupid question? Of course, I just want to help!" Sarah insisted. "Stop doubting me, Graham. I¡¯m having a bad day."


    ...


    "What is your intention, Sarah? I don¡¯t believe you want to do so much just for her. You barely know Katherine, after all," Graham repeated.


    Sarah was already at her limit. Everything she planned today was ruined, and she was so close to snap in front of Graham, the only partner she had.


    So she took a deep breath and said, "I don¡¯t have time to listen to your doubts. I desperately want to protect Kate no matter what. She is an innocent lady, and we must do something before Marlon and Henry ruin her life."


    "Then we don¡¯t need to talk now," Graham said. "Frankly, my doubts are getting bigger because you keep deflecting, Sarah."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah was speechless when Graham suddenly hung up the call. She was disrespected by a man who should¡¯ve been fool enough to eat all her lies!


    "What did I do wrong? Did that stupid bastard suddenly grow some IQ? This is so fucking frustrating! Arrrggghhhh!" Sarah threw her phone and ruffled her hair as she couldn¡¯t help but throw a temper tantrum.


    She had never been cornered, so this was already too frustrating to handle by herself.


    Her chest began to rise up and down as she had abandoned all of her gentle persona. She was ready to kill Katherine no matter what.


    "Okay, I guess it¡¯s time for me to give up and call Daddy," Sarah muttered. She glanced at the family picture on the desk and began to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "That¡¯s right, why do I have to stress myself? I am Sarah Stone Lancaster, the daughter of Earl Klaus Lancaster. I will find a way to kill that pesky bitch."


    Thus, Sarah got up and picked up her phone again. She clicked her tongue, feeling annoyed that she had to give up and ask her father.


    "Just you fucking wait and see, Katherine. I will find you and slit your throat myself. Maybe I should snap your son¡¯s neck first before that," Sarah said maliciously before she called her father.


    The moment the call was connected, Sarah¡¯s maliciousness disappeared instantly, as if she had always been Daddy¡¯s little girl despite being in her 30s.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, my daughter, Sarah. It¡¯s been a while since you called your Dad. I forgot about your face already, hahahah!" Klaus laughed heartily as he was happy with the call. "So, how¡¯s New York? Do you like it? If you don¡¯t, maybe you should return to London. I find London¡¯s weather to be more comforting."


    Sarah giggled happily, acting like the spoiled princess that she was.


    "I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t called for a while, Dad. I was busy trying to help Henry with all his business stuff here..." Sarah said.


    "Tsk, what boy is no good for you, Sarah," Klaus said. "He is not as good as James and won¡¯t be. Why don¡¯t you come home and let me introduce you to my friend¡¯s sons? They are more than eager to know you better."


    "But they are not nobles, are they? Henry will be the Duke of York soon..."


    "And that¡¯s not important," Klaus shrugged. "I mean, we are already as honorable as we can get. You can be well acquainted with him. You don¡¯t really need to marry him, right?"


    Sarah rolled her eyes. Her father was a ¡¯humble¡¯ man. He wasn¡¯t ambitious about his noble prestige and thought his birthright was already enough.


    ¡¯This old man has no taste. Why would you settle as an earl when his daughter can be the next duchess? Does he not realize how amazing and powerful we will be?¡¯ Sarah cursed her Dad in her heart but still acted sweetly on the phone.


    "Well, I¡¯m also in love with Henry. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been focusing on helping him and his new company," Sarah said. She sighed and added, "Unfortunately, he broke my heart when he had an affair with someone else."


    "An affair?!" Klaus¡¯ eyes widened. "He had an affair when you¡¯ve done so much to help him? What an ungrateful scum!"


    "Don¡¯t blame him, Dad. It¡¯s not Henry¡¯s fault," Sarah sighed. "It was me. I allowed him to work in his father¡¯s publishing company, and he cheated on me with the Chief Editor."


    "Just leave him, Sarah. You don¡¯t need a man like that!"


    "No, I want to be with him. Please give him a chance, Dad," Sarah begged. "But I also need your help to get rid of his Mistress. She is nothing but a parasite."

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461: Chapter 461"Parasite..." Klaus sighed. "I know you¡¯re angry at that woman for taking Henry away from you. But it takes two to tango. Maybe they like each other."


    Klaus simply disliked Henry because he had seen that man before. Compared to James, Henry was a waste that couldn¡¯t do anything. That Duke title would be wasted on him since he¡¯d use it to sleep with even more women.


    After all, Klaus knew that Henry was the son of a lowly street skank. He was very handsome, so handsome, in fact, that he should¡¯ve directed all of his energy to becoming an actor in Hollywood rather than to play around like a wasteful young master.


    As a father, Klaus wanted the best for her sweet daughter, so this sounded more like Sarah being jealous because Henry chose another woman.


    "Sarah, why don¡¯t you just let him go? He is a good-for-nothing man. He will only hurt your heart in the future," Klaus tried to persuade her daughter.


    Unfortunately, Sarah had always been stubborn with what she wanted. Ever since she was a child, she got everything she wanted, and even if she didn¡¯t, she could throw a temper tantrum, and Klaus would give in.


    So she did exactly that.


    "Just say it if you don¡¯t love me anymore, Dad," Sarah said. "I¡¯m heartbroken because Henry cheated on me. Do you want to break my heart too?"


    "That¡¯s not¡ª"Klaus sighed. "Fine, but promise me that you won¡¯t hurt this woman. I don¡¯t want to deal with dangerous problems, okay?"


    "Okay, Dad," Sarah giggled. "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt her. I just want her out of Henry¡¯s life."


    ¡¯By killing her and her goddamn baby, of course,¡¯ Sarah added in her heart. Maliciously plotting about what she should do with all the connections she would get from her father.


    Her father might not be as rich as Henry¡¯s family, but Klaus had a lot of connections she could utilize to find and ambush Kate.


    She could even go as far as completely disturbing Henry¡¯s new company. As long as Vernon didn¡¯t do much against her, sabotaging Henry¡¯s business was easy.


    Klaus hesitated for a second but finally gave in, knowing that Sarah might hate him if he didn¡¯t do what she said, "Just remember that you¡¯re my daughter, Sarah. Don¡¯t bring shame to our family by doing the extreme."


    "Oh, you know me, Dad. I¡¯ve always been a good girl, have I not?"


    ...


    "Yeah, I guess so. Once you¡¯re done, don¡¯t forget to return home. I miss you a lot."


    "I miss you too, Dad. I will return¡ª"Sarah said. ¡¯As a Duchess, of course.¡¯


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah finally let go of her sweet act. She was annoyed having to use her final trump card. But this was for the best.


    "I will do what it takes to become a prestigious Duchess. I will enter that society and live as a super rich, prestigious lady with a handsome husband. Every woman will envy me."


    Sarah imagined how all of those women would look at her with envy. That would be her true victory.


    "You are my only obstacle, Katherine. So you better be ready because I¡¯m not going to play anymore."


    **


    Kate sat in her hotel room, staring emptily at the view from the window.


    She picked Maine out of convenience. It was far enough from New York City but not far enough that it was unreachable with a car.


    On top of that, Maine had a lot of small towns that should be good as a hiding spot.


    "I wonder if Henry is alright now. Maybe he woke up by now," Kate wondered. She checked her phone but saw no text or call from Henry, so he was probably still recovering.


    She began to miss her man, wondering how amazing it would be if they could be together again.


    ¡¯I¡¯m going to regret my decision...¡¯ Kate told herself as she lamented.


    But she quickly shook her head, knowing there was no turning back, "You have to stand strong, Katherine. There¡¯s no point in regretting your decision now."


    Baby Theo woke up not long after and wriggled around, wanting to be fed again. So Kate began breastfeeding him again while checking her phone.


    She had gotten a text from Mai and Michael, asking if she had arrived at the mansion safely. She also got a text from Chloe that she hadn¡¯t read for a while.


    So she clicked on it to read;


    -


    From: Chloe


    Vernon is okay. He will use a wheelchair for a few months. But other than that, he is doing fine. I will take care of him.


    Don¡¯t blame yourself, Kate. We know it¡¯s not your fault, and we will never stop to protect you.


    We are families, and families stick together through thick and thin.


    -


    Kate¡¯s hand trembled after she read the last sentence.


    "Families stick together through thick and thin..." Kate muttered. After that, she bit her lower lip and realized that Henry would probably hate her after she left him like this.


    Kate took a few deep breaths to calm down and realized that leaving without any message was too cruel.


    Besides, she also wanted to say goodbye to these people who saw her as a family despite how she betrayed them in the end by running away.


    Thus, she made a voice memo for each of the people that she saw as a family member;


    The first one was Mai and Michael, as she saw them as a couple despite their on-and-off relationship.


    -*-


    Michael, thank you for protecting me for so long. I know you¡¯ve done your best, so don¡¯t blame yourself for what happened.


    But you don¡¯t need to protect me anymore, so please protect Henry and Mai for now. They are the most important people in my heart.


    Once again, thank you for everything. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t repay you for all the good things you¡¯ve done for me.


    I hope you and Mai can reunite. I know you two love each other. Please put aside all the problems between Henry and me. This is not about him or me. This is about you and your loved one.


    -*- sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462: Chapter 462Kate took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the second voice message. After all, she knew that Mai would be heartbroken, knowing that Kate would leave her alone after they had taken each other as sisters.


    -*-


    Mai, my sister from another mother... and father.


    I¡¯m sorry, but I must leave a message rather than meet you personally. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say goodbye if I have to say this in person...


    I have decided to leave it to my own decision because I think this is the best thing to do. I don¡¯t know what crazy thing Sarah would do, and I feel like leaving would save both Henry and Theo¡¯s life.


    I know it¡¯s selfish and cowardly of me, and I will probably regret it later. But this is the choice that I take nonetheless.


    Mai, ever since I interviewed you back then. I already know you have the talent to be like me, even better if you honed your instinct.


    That¡¯s why I entrusted you with everything in the company. You can make up for any reason for my absence, but for now, everything is in your hands, and I believe in you.


    Please put aside all the problems between Henry and me and ask yourself, do you love Michael?


    Because if you do, then it¡¯s time to be a bit more selfish and accept him as your heart desires. You have the right to be happy as well, Sister.


    -*-


    Kate was done with Michael and Mai. She pondered for a moment. She had already told me everything, so she didn¡¯t need to leave a voice message.


    Thus, she sent the last two voice messages to her direct family, Chloe & Vernon, and her beloved Henry Grant.


    Kate took a deep breath as she recorded a voice message for Chloe and Vernon.


    -*-


    Chloe, first of all, I¡¯m sorry for what happened to Vernon. Although you said it¡¯s not my fault, I still feel partly responsible because Sarah¡¯s main target is me, not Vernon or Mackenzie.


    I know you don¡¯t feel burdened by my presence. I can feel your sincerity, Chloe.


    But I just can¡¯t bear the burden in my heart that I caused so much harm to everyone around me. I cannot bear fearing that Sarah would attack your family again.


    That¡¯s why I decided to remove myself from this family I treasured. So Sarah would stop harassing your family.


    Chloe, imagining what it would be like if we had a joint family has been fun. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if our children played with each other as cousins? I wish we could enroll our children at the same school too. Theo and Valerie were born with only a four-month gap; maybe they can be best friends...


    Thank you for everything that you¡¯ve done for me. We might never meet again, but I will forever remember you fondly.


    Goodbye, Chloe.


    Goodbye, Vernon.


    -*-


    Kate grew increasingly depressed the more voice notes she had to make. She had saved all the necessary voice notes, ready to send tomorrow morning when Dahlia would be out of Maine at that point.


    But there was one person left for her to make a voice note to, and it was none other than her beloved, Henry Grant.


    Kate¡¯s hand was shaking as she pressed the record button repeatedly, but every time she opened her mouth, no voice came out of it.


    As if she had been forbidden to send a goodbye to her man.


    Deep down, Kate had faith that they would reunite eventually. Whether it was because Sarah moved on or Henry had successfully eliminated her.


    "No, I shouldn¡¯t wish for that. I hurt him enough by leaving him with our son. He is probably heartbroken enough and moved on eventually," Kate nodded as she tried to convince herself. "He is handsome, young, and rich. It won¡¯t be hard for him to find someone else that will love him dearly."


    "I shouldn¡¯t tie him up with hopes that will never be realized, so let¡¯s just get this done and move on," Kate gathered her courage before she pressed the record button again.


    -*-


    To the man who stole my heart, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be with you when you¡¯re awake. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love you.


    I love you.


    I love you so much that I can¡¯t bear seeing you getting hurt just to protect me.


    That¡¯s why I...


    -*-


    Kate paused the recording as she was trying to collect herself. But her emotions ran wild as she kept thinking about Henry.


    Knowing that her tears wouldn¡¯t stop anytime soon, she continued regardless.


    -*-


    That¡¯s why I decided to leave.


    I don¡¯t want you to keep wasting your life trying to protect me from Sarah or any other danger. You have your own life, and I want you to be a successful man in the future. You have the talent to be great.


    Henry, if you ever think you¡¯re lesser than your late brother, remember that I fell in love with you, not him.


    I fell in love with my Henry Grant with everything he has and has not. I love him so much that I made a few stupid decisions along the way to protect him, including this one.


    Seeing you getting hurt after fighting against Erin made me realize that Sarah won¡¯t stop until she is satisfied. You might think that you will be able to face everything, but I can¡¯t.


    I refuse to see you getting beaten and battered because of me. I want you to focus on yourself, Henry. You deserve a life that doesn¡¯t involve protecting me.


    As for our son...


    I will be a good mother to our son. He will know that his father is a good man. I promise that he will be a great man in the future.


    -*-


    Kate pressed the pause button again. At this point, she had already bawled her eyes out. Her voice was shaky, but she persevered because she had to finish what she started.


    -*-


    Please forget about Theo and me.


    You deserve better, Henry. You deserve a woman who can love you better than I do, and you deserve to have a bright future to start a family that will make you truly at peace.


    Goodbye, my one and only. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -*-

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463: Chapter 463Kate saved the recording for Henry and put her phone on the table. She patted her baby¡¯s back while allowing him to feed until Theo was full.


    He stopped sucking and fell asleep again.


    Kate smiled at her very obedient son. She wondered if Theo was emotionally connected with her so he didn¡¯t cry that much on the road.


    She carefully put Theo on the bed, then checked her bag.


    Dahlia had prepared all the baby necessities, so she didn¡¯t need to worry, and she also ensured that Kate had everything she needed for a while.


    "Thanks for everything, Dahlia," Kate murmured as she walked to the bathroom to take a shower. It had been two days since her last bath. It made her wonder how Henry could kiss her when she was very dirty and sweaty after labor.


    Kate turned on the shower and closed her eyes as the water washed over her grief. She wondered if she should send the voice notes she made just now.


    She thought disappearing without a trace and news might be good, but Henry would go crazy thinking that Kate had been kidnapped, so she had to clarify her departure.


    ¡¯Henry, please don¡¯t try to find me. I don¡¯t know how to face you after what I did,¡¯ Kate wished, though she knew deep down that Henry would find her eventually.


    She just had to prepare herself when that time came.


    Kate finished her shower after a while and rested right next to her son.


    She caressed her son¡¯s cheek and whispered, "Theo, I¡¯m sorry I stripped you away from your father. Please don¡¯t hate me once you know the truth. Mom just wants the best for all of us."


    Kate closed her eyes and fell asleep soon after. She woke up at dawn when she heard Theo¡¯s cries. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She took care of her son first before she checked her phone.


    As expected, she had a lot of calls and texts from Chloe. Chloe was worried that something had happened to Kate because Kate usually replied to her texts in less than five minutes.


    Kate smiled bitterly and nodded, "It¡¯s time to end it all."


    Kate sent all of the voice messages she prepared last night but not to Henry.


    Her thumb hovered above the send button. She kept thinking and thinking until she finally pressed it after realizing it was too late to turn back.


    She ensured that all the voice messages were sent before she took out her SIM card and flushed it to the toilet.


    Now, she could start anew without having to read all the messages from her family that would make her hesitate.


    "This is it. I have to start anew now."


    **


    Kate didn¡¯t want to dilly-dally. She knew it was only time until Henry woke up and inquired about her location.


    Who knew whether Dahlia would falter or not? She might pity her son and decide to tell Henry about Kate¡¯s whereabouts.


    So she packed up everything again and checked out of the hotel.


    She ordered a taxi early in the morning and decided to plan her escape route.


    As for now, she would hop from one hotel to another until she could find a place to rent in a smaller city, and from then on, she would continue hopping until she found a good city where she could stay for a long time.


    Of course, she should also be careful because this was a new city, and she had nobody here except her newborn. So, she emphasized the safety of her new place.


    But, in the end, the choice had been made.


    She would be gone forever, away from Henry and her family.


    **


    There was a commotion in the hospital where Henry was hospitalized. He was still sleeping due to the heavy anesthesia injected into his body, but everyone gathered at the door, anxiously waiting for confirmation while Dahlia stood on her ground, guarding Henry¡¯s door.


    "What is this, Madam? You told me you would escort Kate to Vernon¡¯s mansion, but why did she send me this voice message?!" Michael asked as he panicked. He couldn¡¯t imagine how broken Henry would be after he woke up and realized Kate and Theo were nowhere to be found.


    ...


    Dahlia kept her silence despite facing Chloe, Mai, and Michael at the same time.


    "Dahlia, I¡¯ve checked the mansion¡¯s CCTV and saw you packing all her stuff before leaving. There is no sign of Kate returning to the mansion after that," Chloe said. "Please tell us where she is."


    "Yes, Madam! We¡¯re worried sick here!" Mai raised her voice, thinking about how vulnerable Kate was with her baby right now. "Oh God, what if something happened to her?!"


    Dahlia could vouch that Kate was safe. Her bodyguard followed her closely and reported that Kate was driving around Maine to find another hotel she could stay at.


    If her guess was right, Kate would probably continue to jump from one hotel to another until she found a suitable place to stay.


    "Madam, please answer us!" Michael pressed. He rarely panicked, but after listening to Kate¡¯s voice message, his heart was crushed, knowing he couldn¡¯t protect Kate enough to give her the safety she needed.


    Probably, a mix of shock and fear made her do this.


    "I don¡¯t know," Dahlia replied calmly. Her eyes were still as if she was just talking about casual stuff. "She begged me that she wants to leave, and no matter what I do to persuade her, she said this is the best way to stop Sarah."


    Dahlia knew that Kate wouldn¡¯t simply leave. Kate wanted to ensure her family wouldn¡¯t be worried about her.


    "She doesn¡¯t want her child to be constantly surrounded by bodyguards, constantly being watched, and in fear. She wants Theo to grow as a normal boy," Dahlia said. "On top of that, she wants Henry to focus on bettering himself rather than always protecting her. It¡¯s her wish, and you know how stubborn she can be."

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464: Chapter 464"But this is too dangerous!" Chloe said. "What if something happened to her?"


    ...


    Dahlia didn¡¯t want to say she had a man following Kate closely, so she stayed silent instead.


    Michael became impatient and asked, "Just tell us where she is now. I will go by myself."


    "I don¡¯t know," Dahlia said.


    "What do you mean you don¡¯t know, Madam? She ran away because you let her!"


    "She told me to drop her in the airport. So I don¡¯t know where she went," Dahlia lied. She turned around, feeling awful after lying to these people who cared so much for Kate. "This is what she thinks is right. This is her choice, and I can¡¯t do anything to stop her. I will stay in my son¡¯s ward. Please don¡¯t disturb us. I will deliver the news myself."


    With that, Dahlia entered the ward, leaving Chloe, Mai, and Michael confused and worried. She sat right next to Henry¡¯s bed.


    He was still unconscious, but based on the doctor¡¯s prediction, he should wake up anytime soon.


    So she patiently waited, knowing that the first two people Henry searched for were Kate and Theo.


    **


    Henry frowned as he had a strange nightmare.


    In his nightmare, Kate and Henry were in a train station, with Kate standing inside a train while Henry stood outside.


    The door hadn¡¯t closed yet, but Henry couldn¡¯t move his love for some reason.


    Standing next to Kate, Henry saw a boy who looked exactly like when he was only five years old, tightly holding his Mom¡¯s hand. It was definitely Theo as he grew to be a cute five-year-old.


    Henry heard the announcement that the train would depart soon, so he began to panic because he couldn¡¯t lift his leg.


    ¡¯W¡ªWait! Don¡¯t leave me here, Kitty, Theo!¡¯ Henry said as he tried to move his legs.


    Kate smiled sadly at him and asked, ¡¯Honey, you are meant to stay here, not with us.¡¯


    Henry¡¯s face paled, ¡¯What do you mean? Don¡¯t say scary stuff like that. I saved you from Erin, so you should be fine, right?¡¯


    ¡¯Yes, I am fine, so does Theo,¡¯ Kate said. ¡¯But we still have to leave.¡¯


    ¡¯WHY?!¡¯ Henry began to panic. ¡¯No, don¡¯t leave me. I will do anything as long as we can be together!¡¯


    ¡¯Henry... Do you really love us?¡¯


    ¡¯I do! I love you and Theo! So please, don¡¯t leave me. You can¡¯t do this to me, Kate!¡¯ Henry said desperately. ¡¯We love each other, and we have a family together!¡¯


    ...


    There was a long pause until Kate¡¯s tears began to drop.


    ¡¯Even if we love each other, are we truly happy?¡¯ Kate asked. ¡¯This world is too dangerous for our love and even more so for our son. We are surrounded by people who want to kill us. We are constantly being targeted by many people who don¡¯t want us to be together.¡¯


    ¡¯K¡ªKatherine...¡¯


    ¡¯So maybe we shouldn¡¯t be together,¡¯ Kate said. ¡¯You should continue with your life. You have a lot going on for yourself in the future. Find a woman who can love you better than I do, and forget about us. Don¡¯t worry about Theo. I will make sure he knows how heroic his Dad is.¡¯


    ¡¯What the hell did you say just now? Find another woman? The only woman I have is YOU! You are my woman, my one and only!¡¯ Henry insisted. ¡¯Is this because I¡¯m not good enough? Am I not strong enough to protect you?¡¯


    ¡¯You did your best, but you shouldn¡¯t waste your life for a woman who¡¯d only hinder your life,¡¯ Kate said. ¡¯My presence is hated by everyone, Henry. I bring nothing but misery for you.¡¯


    ¡¯My love is enough! I love you, and that¡¯s the most important thing!¡¯ Henry insisted. The train door started closing slowly, and Henry began to connect the dots. ¡¯It¡¯s them, right? Will you stay with me if I get rid of all of them? Will you be my wife if I kill them all?¡¯


    Henry didn¡¯t specifically mention who the people included in ¡¯them,¡¯ but in his mind, anyone who dared to hurt Kate was part of ¡¯them.¡¯


    ¡¯Then I will get rid of them all! I will be strong! I will clean all the mess I made, but promise you will return!¡¯ Henry yelled as the train door was about to close completely.


    ¡¯... I love you, Henry. Goodbye.¡¯ S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry began yelling like a madman as the train door closed, ¡¯Wait! Don¡¯t leave me! At least answer me first, Katherine!¡¯


    Henry screamed Kate¡¯s name at the top of his lungs as the train left the station. He became even more desperate as he didn¡¯t know where Kate would go.


    ¡¯KATHERINEEEE!!!!¡¯


    Henry jolted, and he finally opened his eyes. That dream felt so real, and his heart was beating rapidly as the thought of Kate¡¯s disappearance was enough to send him into a frenzy. He stared at the ceiling for a while until he glanced at his left.


    He saw his mother, who was dozing off, and muttered, "Mom..."


    "Ah¡ª" Dahlia snapped out of her drowsiness. She saw Henry staring at her, and she was trying her best not to hug him immediately. "Son, you¡¯re finally awake. Thank God..."


    "Mom, where is my wife and my baby?"


    ...


    As expected, Henry would immediately ask Kate and Theo, "Why are they not here? Did they get hurt?"


    Dahlia sighed, "Calm down. You shouldn¡¯t move too much. You just had an intensive surgery since you were stabbed in many vital parts. They are fine. They¡¯re not hurt."


    Henry was relieved. The most important thing was Kate and Theo¡¯s safety, "Please tell them that I¡¯m okay and I¡¯ll recover soon. Erin is dead, so we can rest assured."


    ...


    Before Dahlia delivered the bad news, she allowed the doctor to check on Henry first while forbidding Chloe, Mai, or Michael to enter. She was scared that Henry would be in too much shock that he would bleed out of his freshly stitched wounds.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465: Chapter 465"He is in good condition but still needs plenty of rest," the doctor said after examining Henry. "Let him stay in the hospital for a few more days so we can observe his condition, then he can get discharged after that."


    "Thank you, Doctor."


    As the Doctor left, Henry kept on staring at the door. He hoped that Kate would storm in while carrying Theo. He couldn¡¯t wait to embrace his beloved.


    Unfortunately, his wish never came true. The door remained shut, and he was stuck in the hospital bed with his mother sitting next to the bed.


    "Where is she, Mom?" Henry asked.


    Dahlia sighed.


    She picked up Henry¡¯s phone, which she had fully charged. She already expected Kate to send a similar voice message to Henry since he was the reason for her departure.


    "Take a deep breath, son, calm yourself first, and then unlock your phone. There is a voice note from Kate," Dahlia said while handing the phone to her son.


    Henry clenched the blanket as he had a bad feeling about this. He took the phone and unlocked it.


    Just like what Dahlia said, there was a voice note from his beloved. He swallowed his saliva. He had a hunch, but he still hoped this was some kind of misunderstanding or a bad joke.


    After he prepared himself, Henry pressed the voice note from his beloved and listened carefully.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    There was no reaction from Henry. He looked calm after listening to Kate¡¯s voice message.


    He repeatedly clicked the replay button and listened to Kate¡¯s sweet yet sorrowful voice for an hour as if he was obsessed until Dahlia couldn¡¯t handle it anymore.


    "Son, she leaves willingly..."


    "Do you know where she is right now?" Henry asked. "You are the only one who can help her to leave, Mom."


    ...


    "Yes, I know where she is," Dahlia felt that lying to Henry at this point would only aggravate him. But if Henry wanted to hunt Kate right now, she had to resist because Henry would only damage his relationship with Kate even more. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is she safe with my son?"


    "Yes, she is safe, I... I have someone who follows her around to protect her," Dahlia said. "Henry, please don¡¯t blame her. She is stubborn, but she thought it necessary for Theo¡¯s survival and your future."


    "I¡¯m not blaming her," Henry said while staring at his phone. "It is all my fault, after all."


    "It¡¯s not your fault either. You¡¯ve done your best..." Dahlia said.


    "My best is not enough, Mom," Henry insisted. "If it¡¯s enough, then Kate wouldn¡¯t feel threatened until she had to leave just because she doesn¡¯t want our son to get hurt or live under constant fear."


    "Henry, don¡¯t blame yourself like this. She left because she wants to support you in her own way," Dahlia tried to soothe her son, whose mind must¡¯ve been brewing with darkness right now. "I will keep her safe, so focus on yourself first."


    "Yeah, I need to focus on myself first," Henry said. His gaze became cold as he imagined how scared Kate must be right now, probably feeling guilty for running away.


    Though Kate tried to keep her facade, her sadness was loud and clear in the voice note. She was grieving as much as he did, and this was a decision she made because she was traumatized and scared of what would happen to everyone around her.


    "I should¡¯ve dealt with all of them sooner. Now that things have to end this way, I don¡¯t have anyone but myself to blame," Henry said.


    "... you¡¯re not mad at Kate, right?"


    "Mad?" Henry glanced at Dahlia, and his lips thinned as he clenched his phone. "I am mad at her, Mom. I love her and did everything for her. But she left after all I¡¯ve done to protect her. I am angry as much as I am disappointed at her and myself."


    Dahlia gulped, "Then I can¡¯t tell you where she is until you¡¯ve quenched that anger."


    ...


    Henry didn¡¯t say anything for a while. He replayed the voice note, and after he listened to it, he said, "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me where she is. I just realized that I need an overwhelming power to give her the safety and security she needs," Henry clenched his phone again until the veins around his hand popped. "By the time I gain that overwhelming power, I will find her myself. Nothing can stop me."


    Henry had a bitter smile as he asked his mother, "Isn¡¯t this what you want, Mom? You want me to get my shit together, so you helped Kate to escape. You know I will keep hesitating unless you pull a stunt like this."


    As expected, it wasn¡¯t hard for Henry to read her intention. So she shed all of her reluctance and nodded, "This is for your sake as well, Son. You can¡¯t protect her if you¡¯re not even on par with Vernon. Katherine is a good woman, a great mother even, but so many people are targeting her. You need to be strong, Henry."


    "I understand, but while I am busy with this, please keep my wife and my son safe," Henry said. His gaze darkened as he was battling between anger and grief in his heart. "I will tie her with our official marriage once everything has been settled. So she won¡¯t run away from me anymore."


    Dahlia could sense the overwhelming anger from her son. She wondered if that rage would eventually dissipate once she saw Kate again, but for now, she could only support him, making him a powerful man, enough to protect everyone in his family.


    She failed to protect and support James, so she didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake.


    ¡¯This pain is temporary, Henry. You will eventually become a mighty man, a true fortress for your wife and children,¡¯ Dahlia thought. "Well, for a start, why don¡¯t we get rid of your father first? He has been living for too long, don¡¯t you think?"

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466: Chapter 466"He¡¯s the one who started the mess," Henry replied. "If not because of him pulling the trigger by killing my late brother, things wouldn¡¯t derail like this."


    Dahlia didn¡¯t know if she was projecting her grudge against Marlon or if she genuinely wanted to support her son.


    But right now, all she wanted was for Marlon to die. It was revenge that she wanted for killing James.


    After all, Dahlia might be a patient woman and a great wife and mother. But she was a woman who bore a grudge and would not let go of her grudge unless it had been satiated.


    "I will help you, Son," Dahlia said. "This is just the start, but if you want to get rid of your true enemy, Sarah Stone Lancaster, there are a few more steps you need to do. But you must know you¡¯re entering a darkness you won¡¯t be able to leave."


    "The woman and child I love the most have left me, Mom," Henry said. "It cannot get darker than that, so I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t care what I will do as long as I can reunite with Kate and Theo."


    ** Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The doctor told Henry to stay for at least two more days to ensure he would be fine without medical supervision.


    While Dahlia wanted to ensure that Henry wouldn¡¯t meet with Mai, Chloe, or Michael, he invited them one by one inside his ward.


    The first one was Michael, and Henry asked Dahlia to leave as he wanted to talk to them individually in private.


    Michael stood next to Henry¡¯s bed, and they waited until Dahlia closed the door before Michael said, "This is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have allowed Dahlia to bring Kate out of the hospital."


    "It¡¯s not your fault. You can¡¯t stop someone who wants to leave," Henry said. "But it¡¯s okay. I already know where she is right now¡ªat least my Mom knows where she is."


    "R¡ªReally? She told me that she doesn¡¯t know where Kate is after she helped her to reach the airport," Michael said. "Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go and find her so we can drag her back in here."


    ...


    "Did you not hear what I said just now? Kate left because she wanted to. Even if we find her, there¡¯s no way she will return with us, not when my condition is like this," Henry looked at the stitched wound on his chest. It didn¡¯t hurt that much, but he understood that he wasn¡¯t good enough if he could let himself get incapacitated for a long time. "Kate is safe under Dahlia¡¯s protection. That is what I want to believe. But we can¡¯t be lax, Michael."


    Michael sensed that something was wrong with Henry¡¯s eyes. His eyes seemed to have lost their luster, making him dark and somewhat uncomfortable.


    "I need to get stronger, more powerful and influential. I want to become a fortress that protects her... and also imprisons her inside. So she won¡¯t run away anymore," Henry said coldly.


    Michael gulped as he felt something was wrong with Henry.


    He sounded like he was losing it and was obsessing over the idea that he would get together with Kate and Theo again.


    "We will start by eliminating that bastard Marlon Grant. He was the one who started everything. He killed my brother, threw my mother into the mental hospital, and ambushed my woman, harming her and my child. He deserves to die first."


    While Michael agreed to take down Marlon for good, he still couldn¡¯t shake off this unsettling feeling from Henry, so he had to ask, "Henry, are you sure you are okay?


    "I will never be okay, not until I take them down and reunite with my wife and child," Henry said. "Remember, Michael, I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat this. I will do whatever it takes to meet Kate and Theo."


    ...


    Michael took a deep breath.


    Since he vowed to be Henry¡¯s right-hand man from the start, he had already signed himself to all the shady stuff in Henry¡¯s family.


    Henry turning ruthless was inevitable the moment he met with Kate while carrying all the dangerous baggage behind him.


    "Understood, Sir. I will support you as a right-hand man and your best friend."


    **


    After Michael left, Mai was the second one to enter the ward.


    Mai and Henry didn¡¯t have much in common. They also weren¡¯t that close. They were only connected because of Kate, so Mai felt awkward having to talk privately with Henry.


    "Did Kate entrust the Empress Publishing to you, Mai?" Henry asked.


    "Yes, she sent me a voice message and entrusted me with everything," Mai replied. "But I¡¯m not good enough to handle such a big business. I will only ruin it."


    "I trust her and her judgment," Henry said. "She is the best in her field, and to have her recognition means that you must have what it takes to take over her position."


    "But it¡¯s Kate¡¯s right to be the Chief Editor..."


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong. Kate is still the owner of that publishing company. It is her right. But I will pay you well for your hard work," Henry assured.


    "R¡ªRather than trying to put me in that position, why don¡¯t we try to find her and bring her back?" Mai said, still feeling uncomfortable with her situation.


    "It was Kate¡¯s decision to leave. She feels unsafe because I¡¯m not good enough. So I¡¯ll make sure that I will be the man she wants," Henry said. "Don¡¯t worry about Katherine. She is safe, but you need to do your part, Mai. Take over her job as a Chief Editor until she returns."


    Mai wanted to ask if Henry knew where Kate was, but she sensed something wrong with Henry.


    This version of Henry was calm, too calm, that it scared her so much. She felt like she was talking to a man with no soul.


    Thus, she excused herself and left.


    The last one was Chloe, who walked in with tears in the corner of her eyes, "We need to bring her back no matter what, Henry."

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467: Chapter 467"We need to bring her back no matter what, Henry," Chloe said. "I¡¯ve talked with Vernon over the phone, and he said he¡¯ll start dispatching all of his subordinates to find Kate and bring her back. We need your consent since you are Kate¡¯s boyfriend and Theo¡¯s father."


    ...


    Henry stared at Chloe, who was fired up. She looked really determined to find Kate even though Henry hadn¡¯t asked her and Vernon to do so.


    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t what he wanted.


    "You don¡¯t need to do that. She left by her own accord. She won¡¯t be happy if we drag her back," Henry said.


    "H¡ªHow could you say that, Henry? Kate is not in the right mind because of her baby!" Chloe insisted. "I have two children, and I know what she is experiencing. It¡¯s a mix of trauma and overprotectiveness. We need to bring her back and snap her out of it!"


    "... she has that trauma because of me," Henry blamed himself. "If only I¡¯m strong enough, I would¡¯ve cleaned them all and given Kate the security she wanted."


    "Henry, you¡¯re too harsh on yourself. This is not your fault, not after what you¡¯ve done to protect Kate," Chloe sighed. "Listen, Kate simply needs time to calm down. She will return if we persuade her enough."


    "And let her get targeted again?" Henry retorted. "I heard from Dahlia that Vernon got hurt as well. Do you not see Kate¡¯s perspective here? She is mentally burdened because Sarah can attack us like this with no repercussions. She thinks that she brings misfortune to our family. That¡¯s why she removed herself."


    "Vernon and I don¡¯t mind protecting Kate..." Chloe said.


    "So do I," Henry added. "I don¡¯t mind sacrificing my life as long as my wife and son can live. But Kate doesn¡¯t think that we should do it. She has never been put in a position where she caused harm simply by existing. That¡¯s why she removed herself."


    Chloe went silent after that.


    She understood what Henry said about Kate¡¯s motive, but she refused to accept it.


    Chloe simply thought that Kate would eventually falter if we kept persuading her every day.


    "So you¡¯re not going to give your permission to find her?" Chloe asked.


    "Don¡¯t worry about her. She is safe with my mother¡¯s protection," Henry said. "Though, after this, I don¡¯t think we can talk anymore, Chloe."


    "Why not? Are you going to leave as well?"


    "No, but I will do heinous things that you and Vernon won¡¯t like," Henry said. "I don¡¯t want to implicate Vernon in shady stuff that would ruin his reputation. So I will detach myself from your family."


    "Henry..." Chloe became worried, sensing that something was terribly wrong with Henry. Henry¡¯s eyes emanated a deep desire that she couldn¡¯t fathom. "You... You¡¯re not going to hurt Kate, right?"


    "Of course not," Henry replied without hesitation. "She is my soulmate, my half. I will never hurt her. But I will do absolutely anything to get her."


    ...


    Chloe sighed as she realized that she couldn¡¯t reach Henry anymore. This man was losing it, but she couldn¡¯t blame him.


    Kate¡¯s departure with her son in the critical situation was enough to make Henry snap.


    Chloe wasn¡¯t a stranger to the shady stuff behind the elite businessmen. Vernon wasn¡¯t exactly clean either. She was just worried that Henry might be too inexperienced and make a terrible mistake along the way.


    "Watch your step, Henry. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt," Chloe said out of concern. "Vernon and I can¡¯t stop you, but as long as you don¡¯t hurt Kate and Theo, we will step aside and do what you want. We will be watching, Henry Grant."


    Henry nodded, "Thank you for everything, Chloe."


    Chloe reluctantly got up and left the ward. After meeting with them all, Dahlia entered the ward again and said, "While you¡¯re recovering, I will check what is happening in the Grant estate. I will support you no matter what." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you, Mom," Henry muttered. "I feel like I¡¯ve wronged you so much since my biological mother killed James, yet you still took me as your son."


    "Henry..." Dahlia gently patted her son¡¯s head and said, "I am your mother. I raised you and watched you grow to be a handsome and strong young man. James also saw you as his direct brother, not a half-brother. So you don¡¯t need to worry about it."


    **


    Marlon stared emptily at the ceiling of his bedroom. He had lost his vigor completely. He probably spent all of his remaining energy beating Penny to death for slandering Dahlia, his beautiful wife.


    The doctor had checked on him and said there was nothing wrong with his body except that he was still under too much stress.


    "Have you done anything that is stress-inducing, Master Grant?" The doctor asked.


    Marlon shook his head. His trusted director was running the company. Now that Penny was out of the picture, he didn¡¯t have to listen to her crazy yelling as well. He shouldn¡¯t be stressed, so he had no idea what was happening to his body.


    "Have you been thinking about anything that might cause stress?" The doctor inquired more. Since he knew about James Grant¡¯s death and Madam Dahlia Grant¡¯s mental illness, he thought that Marlon was thinking about them.


    "Master Grant, I suggest you not think about your deceased son and Madam Dahlia," the doctor advised. "A heartbreak can cause stress and depression. It will do you no good if you keep thinking about them."


    "Then you want me to forget about them?" Marlon asked while glaring at the doctor.


    The doctor stepped back as he sensed hostility from Marlon, "I don¡¯t wish you to forget them, Master. I know they are dear to your heart, but constant reminders of them would only damage your mind. You¡¯ll die while remembering them."


    "Then let me die thinking about them," Marlon insisted. "If I die thinking about how good life would have been with my beloved wife and sons, then I don¡¯t mind at all."

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468: Chapter 468The doctor was taken aback by Marlon¡¯s answer. He knew that Marlon was already old and close to his death, so he wished nothing but to be reunited with his wife and sons.


    The doctor could only prescribe vitamins and antidepressants since Marlon was too old and weak to take any strong medication.


    "I just want to remind you that your problem is not a physical problem, Master Grant. You may be old, but that¡¯s not the biggest factor that deteriorates your health at such terrifying speed," the doctor took a deep breath as he was about to drop the truth. "It¡¯s your constant longing."


    The doctor excused himself and left Marlon alone, thinking about what the doctor had just said.


    Never in his life had he ever expected himself to have these kinds of feelings.


    Longing? Heartbreak?


    The ever-powerful Marlon Grant would never long for anyone¡¯s company, not even his wife.


    He also never experienced heartbreak because he had a loving wife who would never leave him, or so he thought.


    He was still powerful now with his accumulated wealth and influence. He had a lot of maids and butlers who helped him in his old days as well, but he would trade everything so that he could be with his family for a day.


    "Everything was perfect before. How did it go wrong?" Marlon asked himself. Though he knew what caused it, he didn¡¯t want to admit it, knowing that he was the one who pulled the trigger that shattered his family.


    Marlon closed his eyes, slowly drowning in his fantasy that he would eventually reunite with the family he had neglected for so long.


    **


    Marlon woke up in the middle of the night after he heard the door open from the outside. The caretaker would usually check up on him in case he needed something.


    As he opened his eyes, he saw the usual caretaker walking in, followed by two people he missed so much, Henry and Dahlia. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon¡¯s eyes widened. He tried his best to get up and sit on the bed because two family members finally visited him.


    He had a big smile on his face as he thought things would get better for him.


    The caretaker smiled at Marlon and said, "Master Grant, Madam, and Young Master, come to visit you today."


    Marlon nodded, "You can leave me. I want to have a private time with my wife and son."


    The caretaker excused herself and left. She closed the door for the small family to reunite. Though, she already had a glimpse of what would happen next.


    Marlon had a smile on his face as he stared at Dahlia and Henry. He ignored their blatant hostility, thinking they could talk things through and forgive each other.


    "I¡¯m so glad you two came here," Marlon smiled. "I was desperate to contact both of you, but now that we are together, we can start anew, right, Dahlia, Henry?"


    ...


    Henry and Dahlia said nothing. They glanced at each other, and Dahlia tilted her head slightly, signaling her son to speak first.


    Henry stared at his father, who smiled dumbly and said, "We¡¯re here to seal the deal, Marlon."


    "Seal the deal?" Marlon frowned. "What do you mean?"


    Henry flipped the switch, and the room was brightly lit. Marlon squinted for a moment before he opened his eyes slowly.


    He finally saw Henry and Dahlia¡¯s grim expression; there was no trace of kindness in them.


    Henry tossed a document he carried on Marlon¡¯s lap and said coldly, "Read it."


    Marlon¡¯s frowns grew deeper. He grabbed his reading glasses and started reading the content of the document.


    His expression turned from frown to shock in less than a minute, "A transfer of all assets?!"


    "You haven¡¯t changed the inheritor of your assets from Dahlia to me. This document is to stop further headaches since you¡¯re going to die soon," Henry said.


    Marlon looked up to his son with disbelief, "I¡¯m not dead yet, you ungrateful son of a whore! You can¡¯t force me to sign this!"


    "We don¡¯t actually need your signature. Since everything would fall into the hands of my mother after you died anyway, but I want to make it quick as those pesky directors and investors you have would pester her after you died," Henry said. "This is to cut her some slack. I don¡¯t want Dahlia to be bothered by business in her twilight days."


    Dahlia crossed her arms and kept her lips shut while looking down at her ex-husband. She looked unfeeling but silently clenched her arms as she felt uncomfortable in her heart.


    "No, I refuse to sign this. I¡¯m not dead yet! I will live a thousand years, so you will know how ungrateful you are!" Marlon insisted. "Your father misses you a lot, and now that you¡¯re here, you¡¯re telling me to change my will and expect me to die soon! You should be ashamed!"


    "Why should I be ashamed?" Henry asked back. "The doctor said that your health is deteriorating because of heartbreak and longing, and whose fault was that? Who gives you a heartbreak and longing, father?"


    ...


    Marlon couldn¡¯t answer that because he refused to admit his mistake. He was ashamed because his pride and greed took control of his body until he did the unthinkable.


    Henry scoffed, "We didn¡¯t even do anything, and you¡¯re dying because of your mistake. If only you hadn¡¯t killed James, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way."


    "I killed him because I want to protect this family! Do you know what he will do? He will marry that filthy woman and introduce her to our big family! She will be the bane for all of us!" Marlon kept insisting as he didn¡¯t want to admit his mistake. "James will shame the family if he introduces that woman to our colleagues and family members! You should be grateful that I protected your reputation!"


    "And you did so by killing our son?" Dahlia finally opened her mouth. "I never knew you had such violent thoughts, Marlon. Had I known that you¡¯d kill our son, I wouldn¡¯t have married you back then."

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469: Chapter 469"Dahlia, I¡ª" Marlon gulped nervously. His insistence and stubbornness faltered once Dahlia confronted him. "I did it for us. He is your son, and you come from such a prestigious family. Wouldn¡¯t you be ashamed knowing that you will have a woman with a shady background and no manners to continue your legacy?"


    "I like her," Dahlia said. "Despite her flaws, Katherine is exactly the kind of woman that I want to be as my daughter-in-law. She is as kind as she is strong. She is a great mother as well. What more do you need?"


    "She¡¯s not like us. She¡¯s born as a commoner," Marlon scorned. He had no intention of changing his way because this was the idealism that he held since he was young. "Have you seen what happened to our family? We got ruined because of Penny. That low-born street skank ruined everything for us, and Katherine will also do the same."


    "Is it really Penny¡¯s fault that you can¡¯t control your penis back then?" Dahlia rolled her eyes. "As much as I hate her, it still takes two to tango. You fucked her, and she gave birth to your son. I won¡¯t abandon an innocent child just because of two irresponsible pieces of shit."


    Henry scoffed and added, "Besides, don¡¯t you see that your actions ruined your family? You killed James, put my mother in a mental hospital, ambushed the woman I love, and still expect us to be a family? Don¡¯t joke, Marlon. I¡¯m not a braindead idiot that will accept all the abuse from you."


    Marlon felt that he had been persecuted and wronged by the two people he wanted to see the most. In his mind, he did everything to protect the dignity of his family, yet everyone saw him as this ruthless man.


    But he was truly so exhausted right now. He had been fighting with so many people for so long, and all he wanted was peace while surrounded by people he loved.


    "So this is how you repay me?" Marlon asked. "After all I¡¯ve done for the two of you, you¡¯re just going to force me to sign this and let me rot in here?"


    "Yes," Henry said without hesitation while Dahlia said nothing. "Come on, Marlon. Why don¡¯t you make it easy for all of us? You¡¯ve been a shitty father for so long. This is how you redeem yourself."


    "You!" Marlon wanted to get up and beat the shit out of this ungrateful son. But his body was weak, and he could only glare at Henry without doing anything.


    It was actually comical for Henry. He remembered how he was scared of his father because Marlon always had that disgusted face when looking at young Henry.


    Henry knew his presence was unwanted, so he clung to Dahlia as she was the only one who accepted him.


    Now that the situation had flipped, he felt nothing but anger towards the man who had neglected him for so long.


    "I¡¯m not signing this! You two can fuck off and leave me alone!" Marlon yelled with all of his remaining strength.


    Henry¡¯s smirk disappeared, and his eyes showed a deep hostility towards the man who brought him into this world, only to scorn him since he was just a child.


    This was the same man who killed his brother, imprisoned his mother, and ambushed his lover.


    This bastard needed to die.


    "Are you really going to kick us out?" Henry grinned again, but this grin was malicious. Even Dahlia was taken aback.


    "I don¡¯t need both of you! I am Marlon Grant! I will fucking buy you two if I want!" Marlon yelled. He continued to get worked up until he felt severe pain in his heart.


    He winced and held his heart. His gaze began to blur as he was enduring an excruciating pain. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dahlia clenched her arms even tighter than before. She was a loyal woman at heart. She only fell in love once in her life, and it was for Marlon Grant.


    She hated him now, but that didn¡¯t mean the love had completely vanished.


    After all, they had been together for more than four decades. She would be lying if she didn¡¯t have a hint of sympathy.


    Marlon stared at Henry and Dahlia and realized how cold they were even though he was really near the death door.


    He wouldn¡¯t live for a long time. He knew that. So he just wished that Dahlia and Henry could show a little bit of pity for this old man at least.


    "I won¡¯t show you pity, Marlon," Henry said coldly. "I¡¯m just telling you to sign it before you make it difficult for my Mom because she will have a headache having to handle everything while slowly transferring the asset to me instead. I think you love my Mom enough not to give her a hard time."


    Faced with the pressure coming from Henry, Marlon took a deep breath until his chest didn¡¯t hurt as much. He turned his head towards Dahlia, trying to gain her sympathy by saying, "I don¡¯t know if I can last to see the dawn, so can you at least forgive me for what I¡¯ve done wrong, at least just for a few moments?"


    "Please embrace me, Dahlia. I am just a lonely old man. I want to be with my wife before I die..."


    ...


    Dahlia clenched her arms even tighter until she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She took a deep breath to calm down and said, "Sign everything Henry gives you, then I will accompany you for the night. You can¡¯t do anything sexual to me, nor can you kiss me. I can only hold your hand until you fall asleep, Marlon."


    "Mom, you don¡¯t need to do that!" Henry raised his voice once he realized his Mom was about to compromise.


    He wanted to grab the document from Marlon¡¯s hand, but the old man clenched it as hard as he could, "You piece of shit! Give it back to me!"


    "No! I will sign it! I will sign everything!" Marlon insisted. "I will give anything as long as my wife can stay with me!"

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470: Chapter 470"You don¡¯t have the right to be with my mother after what you¡¯ve done, you bastard!" Henry raised his hand. He was about to beat this old man to death for yearning for something he didn¡¯t deserve.


    "Son..." Dahlia patted Henry¡¯s shoulder to calm him down. "This is not only because of the will. I also want to spend some time with him. This will be the last after all, right?"


    "Mom..." Henry was speechless. How could Dahlia forgive Marlon after what he had done? This old man might look frail now, but he was absolutely ruthless and unfeeling. He treated them all like disposable toys while still young and strong.


    "Sign it now, Marlon. This is your last chance if you want to talk with me," Dahlia pressured.


    Marlon nodded and signed the document just like she had said. He still didn¡¯t want to transfer everything to his ungrateful son.


    But the idea of reuniting with Dahlia quenched his rage and unwillingness. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He meant it when he said that she would trade everything he had so Dahlia could accompany him.


    After Marlon had signed everything, he handed the document back to Henry, and the latter could only frown as Marlon tried to reach his wife¡¯s hand.


    "Wife, please hold me, I... I really don¡¯t know how much time I have before I pass away in my sleep. All I want is just a little bit of peace with you..."


    "Mom, we have what we want. You don¡¯t need to follow his wish," Henry said as he tried to persuade Dahlia out of this.


    But Dahlia shook her head, "This is a goodbye between me and him. Leave us alone, Henry."


    Henry grunted as he was dissatisfied by how this ended. But in the end, he turned around and left the room, "I will be outside. Scream if he does anything to hurt you," Henry said before he closed the door.


    Dahlia smiled.


    She grabbed a stool and sat right next to Marlon¡¯s bed.


    "Why don¡¯t you sit here with me on the bed? This was... and still is our marital bed..." Marlon said.


    "Trust me, Dahlia. I¡¯ve never brought anyone to sleep in this bed except you. Not even Penny is allowed to sleep in here."


    "I don¡¯t want to sleep next to you because we¡¯re not a husband and wife anymore, Marlon," Dahlia said as he crushed Marlon¡¯s hope immediately, stopping him from wishing too much.


    "W¡ªWhy would you say that? I¡¯ve never divorced you..."


    "But you killed our son, threw me into that mental hospital, and eventually sent people to kill me. Wouldn¡¯t it be hypocritical of you to see me as your wife?" Dahlia smiled. "I don¡¯t think a good husband would do any of that to his ¡¯beloved¡¯ wife."


    Marlon didn¡¯t dare to dwell deeper into this problem. As much as he wanted to defend his action, he knew it would only ruin the mood, and Dahlia might leave before they could spend more time together.


    So he held her hand tight and tried to shift the topic, "Dahlia, do you remember the good old times when you were just a young woman? Every man around you wanted you, and I am just one of your suitors who came from a mediocre family."


    Dahlia grinned, "Yes, your family was mediocre. You have money, but so did the rest of my suitors. You were handsome, but many of them were also as dashing as you were. On top of that, your family didn¡¯t have any meaningful title yet."


    "Then why did you choose me back then?" Marlon asked.


    "Simply because I fell in love with you," Dahlia replied. "It was love at first sight. I first saw you standing near the balcony at a party, staring at the lake while the cold autumn wind blew your hair."


    Dahlia couldn¡¯t help to sigh as she remembered that good man she fell in love with back then, "I thought that handsome man would be an asshat, but once you court me, I realized you were a serious man. You worked hard and had a big dream of your own. You were perfect."


    "That¡¯s why I went against my father¡¯s initial wish and married you instead," Dahlia¡¯s smile faltered as she remembered how much she tried to defend Marlon back then. "I tried my absolute best to ensure you look good in front of my father. I regretted all of my decisions, unfortunately."


    "Dahlia..." Marlon felt hopeless. His heart was stabbed by guilt repeatedly because he didn¡¯t know how to defend himself either.


    "I... I fell in love with you at first sight as well. You were and still are the love of my life. The night with Penny was a mistake, but that doesn¡¯t make me love you less," Marlon said. "But you kept distancing yourself from me. You stopped me from trying to mend my mistake and refused to spend time together. How am I supposed to be happy with it?"


    "Because I can¡¯t embrace you knowing that you¡¯ve touched another woman and got her pregnant while we¡¯re still married," Dahlia said. "I am a selfish woman, Marlon. The moment my husband cheated on me, then he lost his right to touch my body."


    "Is there no forgiveness for me?" Marlon begged. "I have been trying to mend our relationship. I love you, and I keep dreaming about you, Dahlia..."


    "I gave you so many chances back then," Dahlia sighed. "You might not be able to touch me, but I gave you a chance to get closer to our sons. Yet, you saw James as a mere tool to achieve your ambition to get richer, and you simply saw Henry as a son of a whore with no redeeming quality. A mother¡¯s second life lies in her children, Marlon, and you failed to show that you care."


    "I gave you a chance, hoping you would support James for his love for Kate, but look at what you did. You murdered him. You continuously made mistakes that I can¡¯t forgive."

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471: Chapter 471"You¡¯ve turned your back on your family, so we turned our backs on you," Dahlia gave the death penalty to Marlon for all the things he had done before. He could only sit weakly as blood was drained out of his body.


    "Is there really no way you can forgive me? I will do anything..." Marlon continued begging. "I don¡¯t want to die while being hated by my wife. I can¡¯t bear it."


    "Unless you can resurrect our deceased son or go back in time to mend your mistake, then I will never forgive you, Marlon," Dahlia said. "You murdered my son. You also did so many things to ruin my second son¡¯s happiness. You are a terrible man, and nothing will change that."


    Marlon lowered his head.


    Now that Dahlia had dropped the bomb, he finally realized how much irreparable damage he had done to his family.


    Dahlia saw how Marlon was heartbroken after she dropped the cold hard truth. She was satisfied seeing his regret. It was a cathartic experience as Dahlia wanted Marlon to understand that his action had a consequence.


    "Tell me, Marlon. Why do you think it¡¯s a good idea to murder our son?" Dahlia asked. "He is a perfect heir. He is very smart, and he knows how to lead the company. Just because he fell in love with a common woman wouldn¡¯t make him less of an heir."


    Marlon closed his eyes. He was so blinded with pride that he didn¡¯t really understand what pushed him to the point of murdering James.


    Marlon also saw James as his pride.


    He was smart, had great leadership skills, and was a talented businessman.


    He had a lot of suitors, but he fell in love deeply with Katherine.


    At first, Marlon simply frowned upon it but still kept his silence because he thought James would get bored of Kate eventually.


    Unfortunately, four years had passed, and his love was so deep that James didn¡¯t hesitate to say that he would marry nobody but Kate.


    At first, Marlon was angry at his son and yelled at him, and James simply ignored his old man¡¯s opinion.


    Marlon was infuriated that night and went to the study room to calm himself.


    At that moment, the door was opened, and the woman he wanted to be his daughter-in-law, Sarah, came to talk with him.


    Marlon took a deep breath as he finally realized how provocative Sarah was.


    "It was Sarah," Marlon replied. "When I was angry at James for going against my will, Sarah came into the study room and talked to me about James¡¯ problem."


    "Did she tell you that the only way to save the family¡¯s reputation was to kill James?" Dahlia asked.


    Marlon nodded, "She told me that she¡¯s heartbroken, but she doesn¡¯t mind if I kill James because he will only bring shame to all of us, and everyone in our family circle will laugh at us for accepting another street skank."


    "So you believed her and planned the murder?"


    "I didn¡¯t plan..." Marlon defended himself. "It was all Sarah¡¯s idea, from tampering with James¡¯ car and telling Penny to spike his drink. It was all her plan, and we just executed it."


    Marlon watched how Dahlia was dazed for a while. He thought Dahlia would eventually forgive him since he wasn¡¯t planning everything.


    "I was complicit because I thought it was the best for all of us," Marlon said. He tried to hold Dahlia¡¯s hands tighter, but she immediately pulled out and got up.


    "D¡ªDahlia?" Marlon was at a loss when he lost her warm hand. He looked up to her with a plea in his eyes, "What¡¯s wrong? I thought you¡¯d spend more time with me."


    "I will spend more time with you, but I don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hold your hand, Marlon," Dahlia said.


    "Why?"


    "Because you are a monster!" Dahlia accused. "You have all the chances to ignore that sly bitch¡¯s idea to kill James, but you still did it anyway!"


    "But it¡¯s not my idea..." Marlon said weakly.


    "You are still an accomplice!" Dahlia got even more worked up. She couldn¡¯t believe that her son would die because of an idiot man who couldn¡¯t think straight. "Then how about throwing me into the mental hospital? Was it her idea as well?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marlon nodded reluctantly, "Sarah said you¡¯re going to be a threat to our family since you had turned into a madwoman after James¡¯ death. I tried to talk to you, but you attacked me with a knife..."


    "That¡¯s because I was grieving!" Dahlia yelled. "My husband murdered my son. Any sane mother would be hysterical!"


    Dahlia held her tears. The more she remembered about Marlon¡¯s cruelty, the more upset she felt.


    This man was frail and hopeless now, but that didn¡¯t erase all the terrible things he had done before.


    In fact, it only exacerbated the wounds in her heart, knowing the series of disasters could¡¯ve been avoided had Marlon thought about the consequences of his action.


    "Dahlia..." Marlon had given up asking for forgiveness. The more he confessed, the angrier Dahlia got.


    Dahlia¡¯s chest rose up and down as she was agitated. She leaned on the wall, crossing her arms again, and asked, "Then how about your ambush to Katherine? Did you do that because of her idea as well?"


    ...


    Marlon nodded.


    "Sarah said Henry¡¯s only weakness is Kate. So if I abduct that woman, then Henry would return eventually," Marlon confessed. "But she¡¯s alive, right? She¡¯s safe. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t be too harsh on me."


    Dahlia¡¯s body trembled as she held a lot of rage in her heart. This was the same feeling she experienced when she found out that James was murdered by Marlon back then.


    "Then let me ask you one question, Marlon. Will you give your blessing to Henry and Katherine?" Dahlia asked. "They will eventually marry in the end, but giving them your blessing will make Henry feel better about himself."


    Marlon¡¯s face soured again, and he vehemently shook his head, "I will never give my blessing to that bitch who seduced both of my sons."

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472: Chapter 472"Why not?"


    "Because if I give my blessing, I basically admit that woman has won," Marlon said bitterly. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, even after all of this, you still think that what you did is not wrong?!"


    "... what I did is cruel and might be unnecessary, but it¡¯s not wrong. I don¡¯t want either James or Henry to make the same mistake as I did with Penny," Marlon insisted.


    And with that, Dahlia felt her heart was shattered for the fourth time.


    This man broke her heart when he impregnated another woman. He broke her heart again when he killed James, then broke her heart for the third time when he put her inside that mental hospital and staged an assassination for her.


    She kept wondering if there was a way she could forgive him for what he had done. But each time she gave Marlon a chance, he would only miss the chance and hurt her.


    Marlon knew forgiveness was not an option, so he said, "Dahlia, even if you can¡¯t forgive me, please fulfill your promise. Please accompany me until I fall asleep. This is my one and only wish."


    Dahlia¡¯s body trembled even more. She was ready to slap the fuck out of this old bastard and leave.


    Yet, her conscience told her to fulfill his last wish.


    So she slowly sat back and held his hand just like what he wanted.


    Marlon smiled, "I know you hate me, but if I can¡¯t get your forgiveness, then this is the least you could do for me, Dahlia."


    Dahlia said nothing.


    She was just too fed up with Marlon.


    Even when he was already at the death door, he was still arrogant, cruel, and unfeeling. His regrets were merely because he realized he would die alone without the love of his wife and son.


    "No matter how many times you try to convince me. I regret marrying you, Marlon," Dahlia cemented her opinion. "I wish I could turn back time and marry someone else. You are a monster."


    Marlon¡¯s heart was crushed hearing all that coming from the woman he loved the most.


    Strangely, he still felt an immense amount of love for Dahlia. No matter how much she hated him, he still deeply loved her.


    "I don¡¯t mind," Marlon lied to himself. "I did my job well as the patriarch of this family. I am a good man, Dahlia."


    Dahlia wanted to pull her hand again, but Marlon clenched her wrist as tight as he could, "I know you hate me. But please fulfill your promise as a Hawthorne lady and as my wife that I love dearly."


    In the end, Dahlia could only sit in silence, enduring the excruciating pain while Marlon kept reminiscing about their past.


    It was a slow torture that made her nauseous, hoping this bastard would just die so she could move on.


    Marlon¡¯s strength began deteriorating as he got so worked up for the whole night. He slowly closed his eyes to rest and said, "It would be nice if you could just stay with me forever, Dahlia. I will treat you well. I love you, I love us..."


    Dahlia didn¡¯t answer his statement, and Marlon had accepted his fate.


    The fact that Dahlia still fulfilled her promise to stay with him for a while was enough for him to pass away peacefully.


    Dahlia waited until Marlon finally fell asleep. She pulled her hand and got up, taking a few steps back from Marlon.


    There was a mix of anger and disappointment in her heart. She stared at Marlon for over ten minutes before murmuring, "I hope you rot in hell, Marlon Grant. I, Dahlia Hawthorne, wish to never meet you, even in my next life."


    With that, Dahlia shed the last trace of sadness in her heart and walked out of the room.


    As she opened the door, she was surprised by the amount of people waiting for her.


    Henry, Michael, and at least six butlers and maids waited in case Marlon did something to Dahlia.


    But she came out unscathed, pale, but at least she didn¡¯t look hurt.


    Dahlia closed the door behind her, and Henry quickly asked, "Mom, are you okay? Did that old scum hurt you?"


    Dahlia shook her head, "He didn¡¯t do anything to me. He just forced me to sit and have a talk. He¡¯s already asleep, so let¡¯s leave him like that."


    Henry¡¯s eyes darkened, "We can¡¯t just leave like this, Mom. You know what I want to do. I already told you before."


    Dahlia¡¯s body stiffened.


    Henry told her that he already prepared a poison that would kill him quickly.


    Dahlia didn¡¯t say anything when Henry said it because she thought Henry would hesitate once he saw Marlon again.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    He still wanted to kill Marlon even though he was already old and feeble.


    "You don¡¯t need to stain your hands like that, Henry," Dahlia said. "He will die sooner or later. We just need to wait."


    "We don¡¯t have more time, Mom," Henry insisted. "I want to make his death quick so I can immediately take control over the Grant family. So I can expand as much as possible and get qualified enough to become the Duke of York."


    ...


    "Madam, you don¡¯t need to be scared of him. We want a leadership change after so long," the head butler persuaded her.


    "Yes, Madam. We are on your side. It¡¯s better to have you or Young Master to lead the Grant estate!"


    "Yes, Madam!"


    "Madam, that man will only hinder Henry¡¯s progress. We need to act fast," Michael also helped persuade Dahlia.


    Dahlia began to falter.


    Logically, she should agree with Henry¡¯s idea, but it felt too disturbing for Henry to kill his father. He should at least keep his hands clean for family members.


    Dahlia stared at her son, whose eyes were full of cold ambition. He lost his boyish brightness immediately after Kate left him.


    He was an adult now, very serious and morally gray.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t stop him from walking into this path. But in Marlon¡¯s case. Let me take the blame.¡¯

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473: Chapter 473Thus, Dahlia took a deep breath and asked, "Do you carry the poison with you?"


    "I give it to the head butler. What¡¯s wrong?" Henry asked back.


    "Then give it to me. I will be the one giving him the poison," Dahlia volunteered.


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "No, you don¡¯t have to do that. This is between Marlon and I!"


    "You may enter the world where it¡¯s kill or be killed. But I do not allow you to kill your own father. I don¡¯t want you to regret what you¡¯ve done in the future," Dahlia insisted. "So I will carry out the job. This is also a personal problem between Marlon and I. He murdered my son with poison, so I will do the same."


    Henry hesitated. He wanted to reject his mother¡¯s suggestion, but before he could say a thing, Dahlia suddenly turned her head towards the butler and said, "Pour the poison into a glass of wine and give it to me."


    "No, I haven¡¯t given you the order yet!" Henry yelled at the head butler, which made him tense.


    "Henry, I have more authority than you for now. This is my personal revenge on him. Don¡¯t try to stain your blood for unnecessary kill," Dahlia insisted. "Besides, Kate would be disappointed knowing you can do something as cruel as killing your father."


    Henry finally gave in once Dahlia mentioned Kate.


    Kate was his weak spot because now, he could only nod a little when Dahlia told the butler to bring the glass of wine laced with poison.


    Dahlia walked back into Marlon¡¯s room and closed the door behind her, stopping Henry and the others from joining.


    She saw that Marlon was still sleeping soundly with a smile. It felt weirdly unsettling for Dahlia because, in her mind, this man should¡¯ve been dying out of regret, not satisfaction.


    Dahlia sat on the same seat, holding the wine glass in one hand, and shook Marlon¡¯s shoulder with the other.


    "Wake up, husband."


    "Uh... huh?" Marlon regained his consciousness quickly when Dahlia called him husband. He looked at Dahlia with confusion, "D¡ªDid you just call me husband?"


    "Yes, I did. You fell asleep while you held my hand, remember?"


    "Y¡ªYeah..." Marlon told himself not to fall asleep because he thought it would be a wasted opportunity, since this was the last time he could meet with his wife.


    Marlon noticed the glass of wine in Dahlia¡¯s hand and asked, "Did you ask for a glass of wine while I was asleep?"


    "Yes," Dahlia¡¯s grin grew wider. "But it¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s for you."


    "For me? But I¡¯m already too old and weak. I don¡¯t think I can drink anything other than tea..." Marlon sighed.


    "Oh, come on, this is our last meeting, right? Why don¡¯t you help me a little here," Dahlia said as she handed the glass of wine to Marlon.


    Marlon stared at the glass of wine and then glanced at Dahlia, who smiled sinisterly.


    He gulped as he sensed something was wrong.


    Dahlia didn¡¯t smile at all during their whole interaction before he fell asleep. What had changed her now?


    Marlon wasn¡¯t a stranger to poison. After all, he murdered his son by giving Penny the strong sleep pill so she could lace James¡¯ drink.


    So he thought this one must¡¯ve been laced with poison as well.


    Marlon became fearful. He asked Dahlia, "Wife, did you put poison in it?"


    Dahlia¡¯s smile faltered instantly. She bit her lower lip, trying to maintain composure despite the storm in her heart.


    The hatred in her heart was awful, but she also felt guilty because this was once the man she loved, and he had to kill him with her hand.


    "This is your only chance of redemption, Marlon. Drink it, and I will finally forgive you," Dahlia said.


    "W¡ªWill you really?" Marlon knew that he wouldn¡¯t live long anyway, so if this poisonous wine were all it needed to get the redemption he needed, he would be more than willing.


    Dahlia nodded, "Drink it, and I will finally get justice against the man who murdered my son. This is your karma, Marlon."


    Marlon stared at the glass of wine and chuckled, "You¡¯re right, this is my karma. I killed James, so I will die, poisoned by my wife. It¡¯s ridiculous for me to think that you¡¯ll forgive me easily."


    Dahlia also didn¡¯t feel good about this, ¡¯But this is also probably the best. I keep thinking about James every day and how I wish I could save him and avenge his death. Now that her vengeance was about to happen, she should be happy, right?¡¯ S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, the overly complicated feelings in her heart were hard to describe, and she couldn¡¯t decide whether she should be joyful or sad right now.


    Marlon kept on staring at the glass of wine before muttering, "Dahlia, please give me a proper burial after I die. Bury me in our family cemetery so maybe we can reunite in the afterlife, and I can apologize to James for what I did. I don¡¯t agree with his love for Katherine, but I also know I¡¯m wrong for ending my son¡¯s life."


    "I promise," Dahlia said. However, she also promised herself not to be buried next to Marlon. She preferred to be buried in the Hawthorne family¡¯s cemetery or maybe in another place where she could reunite with Henry and Kate after their passing.


    Marlon had a sad smile as he drank the glass of wine in one gulp. He closed his eyes, and soon, the excruciating pain ate him up from head to toe. He writhed in pain, and soon, he dropped his glass of wine.


    Dahlia watched everything before closing her eyes when she saw how Marlon¡¯s face turned purple. She waited for at least ten minutes of Marlon writhing in pain before everything turned silent.


    Dahlia opened her eyes and saw the lifeless body of her husband. He looked horrendous, with bulging eyes and purple skin.


    "Goodbye, husband. I forgive you, but I still refuse to be with you even in the afterlife."

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474: Chapter 474Henry walked back and forth as he was worried about his mother. He didn¡¯t know what happened inside. Maybe his mother had successfully forced Marlon to drink it.


    Or maybe she was hesitating because of her past relationship with Marlon.


    Maybe she decided to drink it with Marlon because she couldn¡¯t handle the heartbreak.


    ¡¯No, the last one can¡¯t happen. My Mom had already moved on from Marlon. There is no way she would feel sad about his passing,¡¯ Henry thought.


    The door was finally opened after at least an hour. Dahlia walked in with red eyes. She wiped her tears and said, "He¡¯s dead. Give him a proper burial with a closed casket, and announce to family members, his business partners, and subordinates about his death."


    "Yes, Madam!"


    The butlers and maids scurried around as they were prepared to announce the death of their old Master and also inform the family members about it.


    Henry stared at his Mom and asked, "Have you been crying, Mom? Did you cry for that old scum? After all he had done to you?"


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, Henry. I despise him as much as you do, but I¡¯ve also been in love with him for two decades, and was still his legal wife for two more decades. As much as I want to be unfeeling about his passing, I still can¡¯t help but feel sad," Dahlia said.


    "But¡ª"Henry still didn¡¯t understand his mother. In his mind, a bastard like Marlon didn¡¯t need to be pitied. Feeling grief for him would be a waste of energy.


    Unfortunately, there were many things in this world that he didn¡¯t understand, including how Kate still decided to leave him after all he had done to protect her. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter how much justification he made in his head about her departure, he was still feeling bitter deep in his heart.


    She patted her son¡¯s shoulder and said, "You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Just focus on building your company and merging it with the family business. This is your opportunity to be a powerful man. You need to be at least at the same level as Vernon before accepting that Duke title, Son."


    Henry nodded.


    He could accept the Duke of York title today if he wanted to, but Dahlia told him the hungry wolves in that circle were even more vicious. So, he had to be mentally and financially prepared.


    ¡¯Especially the Earl of Lancaster, Sarah¡¯s father...¡¯ Henry remembered. ¡¯I have to be careful.¡¯


    Henry told the head butler to gather everyone in the mansion¡¯s foyer, and in less than ten minutes, at least thirty people were standing in the foyer with neat formations.


    Henry walked down the stairs, followed by Dahlia and Michael behind him.


    His aura was dark and suppressing, and the Young Master with beautiful emerald eyes and boyish attitude they knew had disappeared overnight.


    He became much colder, more mature, and also extremely intimidating.


    Henry stood in front of the workers. His timing was perfect, as everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. He looked down at them and said in a slow yet sure voice.


    "My father, Marlon Grant, has passed away peacefully in his sleep. My mother, Dahlia Grant, has given me the right to rule the Grant estate, including every business we have. I expect all of you to work as usual and make sure everything is well-controlled," Henry emphasized the last word because he didn¡¯t want to be bothered by people accusing him of murdering his father.


    He had other more important things to do than caring for that old scum¡¯s death.


    The head butler tapped his shoes a few times, the indirect sign for everyone to bow politely in front of the new Patriarch, and they chanted at the same time;


    "May the Grant Estate flourish under your order, Master Henry Grant!"


    Henry looked down at them solemnly. He clenched his fist because he wished Kate was here with him. She was the only woman who deserved to be by his side.


    "My mother will manage the household. She is your Madam Grant until I bring back my wife," Henry stated without hesitation, making sure everyone knew that he already had someone in his heart.


    He turned around and returned to the study room, where his late father kept all the business documents. He didn¡¯t want to slack when Kate and Theo were out there.


    Dahlia stepped in and began coordinating the workers in the Grant estate while Michael followed Henry inside the study room.


    Michael saw Henry rummaging through the documents Marlon stored, probably making sure he didn¡¯t miss anything before he officially took control of everything.


    Henry glanced at Michael, who became tense when being stared at by those snake-like eyes.


    He was military-trained, well-adapted in combat, and could beat Henry in probably ten minutes if he didn¡¯t struggle much.


    He often sparred with Henry because the young Master didn¡¯t want to be a weak man. Henry was a good fighter, but not on the same level as Michael.


    Yet, Michael felt unprecedented fear when facing Henry.


    This man was dangerous, and his mind was deep and unreadable. The only thing left of the old Henry was his deep love for Kate and Theo.


    Other than that, Henry Grant had become an entirely new man.


    "What do you want, Michael?" Henry asked.


    "I¡¯m just making sure you¡¯re not shaken after Marlon¡¯s death," Michael said honestly. "After all, he was still your father."


    "He lost the right to be my father when he ignored me when I was young. I never emotionally bonded with him enough to be sad about his passing," Henry said lightly. "Rather than sad, I¡¯m relieved because there¡¯s one less threat now. That bastard won¡¯t be able to do anything to hurt my beloved when he is six feet under."


    Henry scoffed as he continued reading the document in his hand, "I should do the same with Graham and Sarah. They need to be six feet under before I can be rest assured."

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475: Chapter 475Sarah walked into the somber funeral ceremony where all the guests wore black and tried to squeeze any kind of tears to make it look like they sympathized with the man who was buried today.


    She wasn¡¯t sad; rather than grieving, she was annoyed instead.


    The old bastard inside the casket could¡¯ve done so much more for her, but he died so abruptly, and now she had nobody but herself to do the job to eliminate Kate and her son.


    Dahlia made her speech as she acted like a grieving widow. Since it was a closed casket funeral, everyone could only stand in front of the casket and give their parting message before approaching Dahlia, the sorrowful widow, to give their words of condolences.


    As everyone did it one by one, it was finally Sarah¡¯s turn to give her parting message in front of the casket.


    She had no tears. She couldn¡¯t cry, no matter how much she tried to squeeze it.


    She had no sympathy for a stupid old man who killed his own son with a simple persuasion.


    So Sarah said her parting message in her heart to make sure nobody knew how annoyed she was at Marlon¡¯s funeral.


    ¡¯You are a wasted opportunity, Marlon. You could¡¯ve become a bigger pawn for me. You could¡¯ve killed Kate and her baby with your hand, but your body gave up on you in the end,¡¯ Sarah said in her heart. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯But I¡¯m not really sad at your death, with your deteriorating mind, you¡¯ll only be a hindrance by how incompetent you¡¯ve become,¡¯ Sarah added. ¡¯Though, I wish you could be more useful before your death. Now I¡¯m stuck trying to find Kate after she left.¡¯


    Sarah had gotten the information using her Dad¡¯s new connection that Kate didn¡¯t return to Vernon¡¯s mansion after she was discharged from the hospital.


    The informant had no idea where Kate went. But she had the identity of the one who helped Kate to escape, Dahlia Grant.


    Sarah put the flower on top of the casket before turning around and walking towards Dahlia, who was wiping the tears with her handkerchief.


    Her grieving looked much more convincing compared to Sarah¡¯s, but Sarah knew that Dahlia didn¡¯t feel sad, at least not as much as what she showed to the public.


    "I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Dahlia," Sarah said out of courtesy, though she couldn¡¯t wait to roll her eyes. "I hope you can still find happiness after his passing."


    Dahlia put down her handkerchief and had a mysterious smile in front of Sarah. Her eyes were hidden under the mourning hat¡¯s veil, so Sarah couldn¡¯t see her true intention well.


    "I do find my happiness, finally," Dahlia whispered. "Sometimes you must do the unthinkable to reach that peace and joy."


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. She sensed a heinous aura coming from Dahlia, "D¡ªDahlia, you¡ª"


    "Ssh, it¡¯s a closed casket funeral for a reason, Sarah," Dahlia put her index on her lips and added, "Why are you shocked? I think you¡¯re the vilest villainess between us. After all, you¡¯re the one who manipulated Marlon into killing James, throwing me into that mental hospital, and ambushing Kate."


    Sarah was frozen like a statue when Dahlia aired all of her dirty laundry without hesitation. She looked around and realized that almost all the guests had left, leaving only a few.


    She didn¡¯t know what would happen if she stayed for too long. Maybe Dahlia already set up a trap that would kill her, so she had to escape as soon as possible!


    She turned around, ready to leave when Dahlia suddenly grabbed her wrist and asked, "Where are you going? I thought you want to see Henry. After all, you¡¯ve been so in love with him that you staged another attack against Kate and her newborn, right? So let me guide you to my son."


    Sarah¡¯s face turned pale. She wasn¡¯t ready to face Henry when he became the new Master of the Grant family.


    He was much more powerful now, and who knew what he would do once he got his hand on Sarah?


    "N¡ªNo need, I don¡¯t want to see him," Sarah tried to keep her composure while facing this creepy old lady. She raised her voice, so other people could hear her, "Madam Grant, please release my wrist. I know you want me to marry your son, but this is not the right time!"


    Everyone darted their eyes at Dahlia and Sarah as they got curious about what had happened to them. Dahlia smirked when she saw this staged play. As expected, a rat like Sarah would always find a way to escape.


    But of course, even the smartest rat would eventually fall into a trap. Dahlia simply needed to be patient.


    Thus, she leaned forward and whispered in Sarah¡¯s ear, "I know you¡¯re here to find information about Kate¡¯s whereabouts. If you want to know, come to the Grant estate with me. I will tell you where she is before Henry crushes your head."


    Sarah felt goosebumps all over. She didn¡¯t understand why things hadn¡¯t gone her way since Kate entered Henry¡¯s life.


    Even Dahlia, a woman who should¡¯ve rotted in the mental hospital, suddenly escaped and stood on her ground against Marlon.


    She even went as far as murdering Marlon in retaliation, or so Sarah thought based on her assumption.


    "N¡ªNice offer, Dahlia. But I¡¯m not an idiot. You should know what kind of powerful backing I have," Sarah tried to intimidate back, not wanting to be defeated by an old woman.


    Unfortunately, Dahlia had experienced life as a noble lady way longer than Sarah. So she wasn¡¯t fazed, "Let¡¯s see if that backing will help you if they know all the cruel things you¡¯ve done. I¡¯m sure Earl Lancaster would be happy to know about it."


    "And you have no proof for that."


    "Who said I don¡¯t have it?" Dahlia grinned. "Maybe I do, and I¡¯m ready to tell Klaus about it."


    Dahlia¡¯s intimidation was proven to be extremely effective for Sarah. She stepped back after Dahlia released her wrist, staring at the old lady in disbelief for a second before turning around and leaving.


    Dahlia smirked while watching Sarah¡¯s back, "Your end is not in my hand, Sarah Lancaster. "

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476: Chapter 476"Your end will be so painful that you won¡¯t wish to live anymore. So you better run like the rat you are... at least for now," Dahlia shrugged before she resumed acting as the grieving widow at her husband¡¯s funeral.


    Sarah rushed back to her car. She was afraid that Dahlia had someone ready to ambush her, so she quickly drove away from the cemetery.


    She called Graham as she drove away, and the call was connected shortly after.


    ¡ª


    "What do you want this time, Sarah? You know that I won¡¯t do anything to help you anymore, right?" Graham said on the phone. He sounded bitter because he was still unable to meet with Kate after she gave birth.


    Sarah ignored his displeasure and asked, "Do you know that Marlon is dead?"


    "Yeah, I know it from my friend who attended the funeral, and what about it?" Graham asked nonchalantly. "Why should I care about that old man who murdered my best friend?"


    Sarah gritted her teeth. She was the one who told Graham that Marlon and Penny were the ones planning James¡¯ murder, and Graham ate it up without thinking twice.


    She was glad that Graham ate her lies easily, but now she wished that Graham would at least care a bit for Marlon so she would have at least one ally here.


    "You should know Marlon¡¯s death means Henry will be the new Master of Grant Estate. He will use his influence to ruin Kate¡¯s life!"


    ...


    Graham knew that was likely the case because now Henry had all the resources to torture Kate.


    But at the same time, he had exhausted all his trust in Sarah, feeling that Sarah was lying to him all this time and used him as one of her pawns.


    So, rather than trusting her or taking Henry¡¯s side. He preferred to be independent and try to find a way to contact Kate.


    "Graham?"


    "Just like what I told you before. I can¡¯t trust you, Sarah," Graham said. "You are not the type who would do so much to protect a woman you barely know. I know you want something else, yet you refused to tell me your true intention. So I¡¯m not going to work with you."


    Sarah clenched the steering wheel, "Do you know that Kate ran away? I don¡¯t know where she is right now, but she¡¯s not in Vernon¡¯s mansion. My informant told me that she had never returned to Vernon¡¯s mansion after she got discharged."


    ...


    Graham finally listened when Sarah dropped the bomb, much to Sarah¡¯s relief, "I want to find her and protect her, but I still need your help, Graham."


    "... thank you for the information, Sarah, but I still won¡¯t work with you," Graham said decisively.


    "What?! WHY?!"


    "Because I¡¯m afraid you also have a bad intentions towards Kate. So I will find her myself. But thank you for the information."


    "YOU¡ª!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Sarah stopped her car abruptly. She threw her phone and screamed like a madwoman as she cursed Graham.


    "You ungrateful prick! I helped you so many times, and this is what you do to me?! ARGHHHHHHH!"


    Sarah continued screaming as she was throwing a temper tantrum inside the car. She ignored all the honking behind her as she was busy murdering Graham in various ways in her mind.


    **


    Graham hung up after getting the information he needed. His expression was solemn, but he was glad he could squeeze all the information from Sarah before he hung up.


    ¡¯That woman is not to be trusted. Not after I realize that I¡¯ve been steered by her the whole time,¡¯ Graham told himself.


    He sat in his office in Los Angeles, staring at the cloudy morning, when he heard a knock on the door.


    Graham got up and opened the door. He put up his smile immediately, knowing he was facing the politician who was involved in a big corruption scandal.


    The politician shook his hand, and with a sly grin, he said, "Thank you so much for clearing up my case, Mr. Hubbard. I would¡¯ve rot in jail without your help. I¡¯m here to pay for the bonus that I¡¯ve promised."


    "It¡¯s no problem, Mr. Toch. You can always recommend me to your colleagues. I will take up any case as long as the payment is adequate."


    Graham might have been the best divorce lawyer in New York before, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t handle other non-divorce-related cases.


    He simply worked on divorce cases because he wanted to help women who were abused by their husbands.


    Unfortunately, he could only earn so much as a divorce lawyer. So, he had to shed his idealism and take up expensive cases. He didn¡¯t care even if he knew the defendant was guilty. He would work on it as long as he was paid good money.


    This politician in front of him was guilty of corruption and bribery. As Graham handled his case, he realized he was helping a corrupt politician walk out of the courtroom scot-free.


    He was hesitant at first, but thinking that he needed a lot of money to fight against Henry to protect Kate, he simply discarded his morality for money.


    He also expanded his law firm, telling his juniors to start taking up more cases, not only divorce cases.


    Even if they had to handle a divorce case, they need to squeeze as much money as possible from it.


    ¡¯It¡¯s all for you, Katherine,¡¯ Graham thought as he got obsessed with the idea of protecting Kate. ¡¯I did everything because I don¡¯t want you and your son to get hurt. I don¡¯t even mind taking up that son of yours as mine. Maybe we should dye his hair black or red so he matches mine or yours. I don¡¯t want him to look like that bastard Henry Grant.¡¯


    Graham¡¯s eyes darkened as he got the news that Kate¡¯s son was basically Henry 2.0. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked exactly like a copy of Henry in the hair, the facial features, and even the eyes.


    ¡¯I take back my words. I can¡¯t stand having to have that kid between us. Maybe we have to give your son to his father, then we can start anew, Katherine.¡¯

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477: Chapter 477Graham finished talking with Mr. Toch after receiving the money the politician promised. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only benefit he could get as his lawyer.


    He specifically targeted Mr. Toch¡¯s case because he was known to be quite an influencer in his circle. He could influence his friends to use Graham¡¯s law firm if they got caught in a court case.


    Graham checked his watch and then walked out of his office. He drove his car to an apartment that he rented for that useless man, Matthew Woods.


    He had a spare key, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to unlock it with the key and found Matthew trying to fuck a prostitute on the couch.


    The prostitute looked so bored because of Matt¡¯s small dick, but she still acted as if she enjoyed it because she got paid quite a lot by this man.


    That was until she noticed the tall man standing at the door with a cold expression. She stopped humping Matt¡¯s hips and got up immediately.


    The man¡¯s scrutinizing gaze scared her, and Matt, who was enjoying his five minutes of bliss, was annoyed when Graham entered his apartment without knocking first.


    "Tsk, this is your payment," Matt said while giving the prostitute ten bucks.


    "Only ten bucks?! You told me that you will give me two hundred!" The prostitute protested.


    "That¡¯s because you can¡¯t make me cum! Why would I pay you more than that!"


    "Do you think I enjoy fucking you? Your dick is so tiny, I could barely feel a thing!"


    "You bitch!" Matthew raised his hand, but Graham stopped him. He couldn¡¯t let his last resort weapon go to waste just because he got caught abusing a prostitute.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay you," Graham said as he gave the prostitute an extra five hundred. "Make sure you don¡¯t tell anyone about this."


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir," the prostitute accepted five hundred dollars from Graham. She glanced at him and blushed. This man was tall and somewhat lanky but still quite good-looking and rich. "I can always play with you if you want, Sir. This man is no good. Yours is definitely better than his."


    Graham looked down at the prostitute with eyes that could kill, "I have a woman that I love. Scram before you regret it."


    The man sent shivers down her spine. The prostitute quickly grabbed her dress and rushed out of the apartment.


    Matt scratched his head and wore his boxer. He looked at Graham with a sour expression, "Try to knock next time. It¡¯s annoying that you keep unlocking the door with a spare key."


    "This is the apartment I pay for," Graham said coldly. "And I am your boss. I told you not to mess with those prostitutes while you¡¯re training to become an actor."


    "Dude, I¡¯m a man too. Of course, I still need to vent!" Matt got frustrated. He tried to hook up with some girls he met online. But they all refused him once they saw the size of his penis.


    So, the only way he could get real sex was by paying prostitutes.


    "You can use your hand," Graham said. "Remember, Matthew Woods, I will bring you back to Los Angeles, give you an allowance and an apartment, and pay for your expensive acting coach. I do it all to ensure you become a well-known actor, at least enough to ripple in the news. If you fail to do that, I¡¯ll just send you back to your small hometown and let you rot there."


    Matthew got scared when Graham threatened him. After all, what Graham said was true. He was living off Graham¡¯s money all this time.


    He could send money to his mother with Graham¡¯s allowance as well. The better acting report he got from the acting coach, the more money Graham would pay him.


    Matthew still didn¡¯t understand why Graham would do all this to debut him. He was already thirty-three. He wasn¡¯t young anymore and had given up his acting career five years ago.


    But he didn¡¯t mind doing whatever as long as he could get easy money.


    Matt didn¡¯t even mind if Graham swung that way and wanted to have a night with him as long as he got good money for it, of course. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Boss. I was just frustrated. I¡¯ve been practicing my acting and going to the gym every day. Yet you haven¡¯t sent me to any casting, so I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll do while I¡¯m idle here," Matt said.


    "I¡¯ve contacted my friend who¡¯s a director for an indie film. I will put you as a second male lead in that film. If you do well there, I will give you a bonus," Graham said. "But if your acting is still shit, then I will send you back to your hometown."


    "I¡ªI will try my best, Sir!" Matt said. He was both scared and excited at the prospect of playing as the second male lead.


    All this time, he only played as an extra or a supporting character in a dying TV series that only lasted for one or two episodes.


    ¡¯Man, if this one is a success, Mr. Hubbard might give me an even better role. I might play in a big movie and become a superstar. I¡¯ll finally have so many girls sucking my dick. Fuck yeah!¡¯


    Meanwhile, Graham looked down on Matthew, whose perverted mind was very readable. He couldn¡¯t believe that Kate could stand this man for five years straight.


    ¡¯Kate has many bad experiences with men, from this deadbeat bastard to that scum Henry. And when she found a good man like James, he died abruptly without ever confessing his love for her...¡¯ Graham sympathized. ¡¯She needs a lot of healing from her trauma. No wonder she ran away with her baby.¡¯


    Since Sarah said that Kate ran away, Graham imagined that Kate must¡¯ve been living in a difficult situation right now, trying her best to avoid Henry. She was a good mother. She probably did everything she could to escape after finding out that Henry would take her baby.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about a baby that looks exactly like that scum. But I still have to save her no matter what.¡¯

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478: Chapter 478Graham glanced at Matt again and thought, ¡¯This man is my last resort in case I can¡¯t do anything anymore. I may not work with Sarah again, but her idea is brilliant.


    ¡¯This useless man will be my ticket to destroy Henry¡¯s reputation. No matter how much he tries to protect himself, nobody will like a rapist who forced a woman to carry her baby,¡¯ Graham smirked as he utilized Sarah¡¯s idea.


    It was cruel, but it was effective. Something that only Sarah could come up with.


    ¡¯I hope I can find you before he does, Kate. I will do everything to protect you. You are James¡¯ beloved, and I understand why...¡¯ Graham and James were best friends who had similar tastes in women as well. ¡¯Because you¡¯re my beloved as well.¡¯


    Kate embodied everything Graham and James liked: ingenuity, discipline, and toughness like a diamond.


    ¡¯Unfortunately, no matter how tough you are. A diamond would eventually break if it kept getting pounded by one problem after another. She¡¯s at her wit¡¯s end, and I will give her a fresh start.¡¯


    **


    "Thank you very much," Kate smiled as she handed a paper bag with cheesecake inside to an old lady who was a regular in her bakery.


    "Oh-ho, I love this cake so much. Thank you for making it less sweet," the old lady said.


    "You¡¯re welcome. I made one specifically for the elderly every day. I added a bit of lemon in the recipe and reduced the sugar for the cheesecake," Kate said, making sure the old lady knew she was a well-appreciated customer.


    "Aw, you¡¯re such a sweet young lady. You¡¯re new around here, right? Are you married?" The old lady asked out of curiosity. "I mean, there are plenty of young men in this town. I could introduce you to my grandson if you want." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahahaha... I¡¯m already in my thirties right now. I think it¡¯s a little weird if I date someone much younger than me," Kate said as she softly rejected the suggestion.


    "Wait, really?" the old lady looked genuinely surprised. "You¡¯re already in your thirties? I really thought you were in your early twenties! I was ready to introduce you to my twenty-year-old grandson!"


    "He can always come to buy cake or bread here," Kate joked.


    "Oh, I don¡¯t think he minds a mature lady," the old lady chuckled. "Especially when the lady is so gorgeous!"


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened. She helped the old lady walk out of her bakery and waved goodbye.


    Kate stared at the empty road as she breathed the morning air of Maine.


    After she ran away from New York, Kate jumped from one hotel to another until she settled in a town called Camden in Knox County, Maine.


    It was a resort town with a peaceful community and fresh air near the sea. It was a perfect spot to start anew while raising her boy.


    Three months after she stayed in Camden, she opened a bakery, and three months after that, the small bakery business finally took off. She had many regulars as well. It was a life that Kate wanted.


    Kate wasn¡¯t a good cook, but she was a great baker since she helped her mother a lot in the kitchen when she was young, so starting a bakery wasn¡¯t a difficult task for her, especially with all the money she had.


    Of course, with her passive income, she could always retire and not do anything except raising her son.


    But Kate had been conditioned to work nonstop. Her body felt so sluggish when she wasn¡¯t busy, so she had to work no matter what.


    Thankfully, opening a small bakery that employed two workers was enough to keep her busy while she cared for her six-month-old son, Theodore, who was still sleeping upstairs.


    "Kate, we¡¯re running out of flour and chocolate chips!" Maya, her bakery assistant, said from the kitchen.


    "Oh yeah, Tom will return with my orders soon! Just wait!" Kate replied.


    As she expected, Tom, her other employee, came with two bags of flour and a bag of chocolate chips.


    "Oh, you¡¯re finally here!" Kate cheered as her savior came to save the day. "You should bring those flours to the kitchen. Maya has been waiting for it."


    Tom smiled at his boss and easily carried two bags of flour on his shoulders.


    Kate stared at Tom¡¯s back and remembered how she met this man.


    Kate met Thomas, or Tom, as he preferred to be called, only a week after she opened her bakery.


    He was young, probably around Henry¡¯s age, tall, and strong despite his thin figure.


    Kate was awry at first, thinking this man might be someone sent by Dahlia or, worse, Sarah to spy on her.


    But she lowered her guard after she listened to his story.


    Thomas was a broken young man who was kicked out of his family after he reached the age of eighteen. He was lost and drifted around until he found himself in Camden, working odd jobs to fill his stomach.


    He had no family that accepted him, and when he saw the bakery, he asked if he could get a job to fill his stomach.


    Kate pitied him and gave him odd jobs by cleaning up the bakery after closing hours and buying supplies for the kitchen.


    Thomas proved himself a reliable worker and a good man who always protected Kate since many men, young and old, tried to hit on her in the new city.


    So she hired him as a permanent employee, even went as far as helping him to find an apartment, and paid a year upfront for the rent.


    Of course, she said she¡¯d deduct his monthly salary, but it was mostly a ruse to make him feel less reluctant about the situation.


    As he was done putting the ingredients in the kitchen, Tom returned to Kate and asked with a big smile on his face, "So, I¡¯ve cleaned the floor, wiped the window, cleaned the glass display, and stocked the ingredients. Is there something else I need to do?"


    "No, you did everything already," Kate smiled. She grabbed a piece of cheese bread and handed it to Tom. "You haven¡¯t had any breakfast yet, right? You should eat this."


    "But this is for sale..." Tom was reluctant to accept it. "Could you deduct my salary for this piece of bread?"


    "Hahaha, sure, I¡¯ll deduct your salary for that as well," Kate smiled. She watched Tom eating the bread and remembered about her man again.

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479: Chapter 479Kate couldn¡¯t help remembering Henry whenever she saw Tom.


    After all, they were around the same age, and he had green eyes just like him.


    Of course, Henry was a lot more charming and handsome. But seeing Tom was enough to pull Kate into the nostalgia train.


    She missed Henry a lot but knew she couldn¡¯t return, not when Henry probably hated her for what she had done.


    Thus, Tom had become a channel for her to let go of her guilt. Helping this young man will give Kate the illusion that she tried to mend her mistake of leaving Henry.


    But it was all just an illusion in the end.


    She pulled the trigger by leaving, and there was no turning back.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t forgive her, and it was probably for the better because she didn¡¯t want to be the thorn in Henry¡¯s life.


    Henry could focus on his new company with Kate out of his life. He could be just as great as Vernon and move on after some time since he was still young and had a lot of suitors.


    It¡¯d be even better if he finally found another woman he loved and then married her and had many children.


    ¡¯I should be happy if that happens, but... I feel very bitter when I think about Henry with another woman,¡¯ Kate smiled bitterly. ¡¯I guess I really am a selfish woman. I left him, and yet still expect him to remember me just like how I keep remembering him.¡¯


    Tom ate the bread reluctantly and stared at Kate, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts.


    "You¡¯ve been working in the kitchen and the bakery since dawn. You need some rest, Kate," Tom said. He looked up and added, "You should check up on Theo."


    Kate wasn¡¯t worried about Theo. She knew Theo¡¯s schedule. Her son spent most of the time sleeping or crawling around the big crib.


    Theo was a sensible child; even when he was only six months old, he knew that his Mom worked hard, so he rarely made that sound-shattering cry unless he was really upset.


    But Tom was right. She needed some rest and to play with her son, "Well, maybe I should make some coffee for myself," Kate nodded. "Please stay behind the counter for a while."


    "You got it, Boss," Tom said while munching on the bread.


    He watched as Kate turned around and walked away. Her red hair swayed beautifully, and he could only sigh as he felt something that he shouldn¡¯t have deep in his heart.


    Kate checked on Theo and saw her baby rolling around, then sat inside the big crib with curiosity, touching everything he could get his hands on.


    The baby looked up when he noticed his mother, and babbled happily, "Mamamama..."


    Kate¡¯s heart melted when she saw Theo. Her baby was like an energy shot that gave her purpose.


    Kate lifted her baby and rubbed their noses together, "How¡¯s my big boy doing? Are you bored without Mama?"


    The baby laughed happily whenever he was with his Mom. Sometimes, Kate wanted to carry Theo around all day, but she knew the bakery was not suitable for a baby because she often went in and out of the baking kitchen, which was dangerous for a baby.


    Thus, she took Theo for a walk near the coast and the woods every weekend instead.


    Theo always looked around in wonder. Sometimes, he would cry if Kate left him, so she had to ensure he slept before she went downstairs.


    Kate checked the clock on the wall and said, "Oh? Look at that, Theo. It¡¯s time for a snack!"


    The baby babbled as he always enjoyed the time for a snack. Kate washed her hands first and then prepared a few slices of avocado as Theo¡¯s finger snacks.


    She also made herself a coffee.


    Kate put Theo on her lap; she helped Theo grab the avocado slice while sipping her coffee.


    She turned on the television, and it was a news channel talking about the death of an old billionaire, Marlon Grant.


    Kate¡¯s heartbeat skipped when she heard about Marlon¡¯s death. She had been off social media for a while, only browsing the internet for work stuff and baby problems.


    So Marlon¡¯s death was unexpected because Kate thought that the old man would live forever.


    Kate saw a reporter standing in front of the Silver Line office building, Grant¡¯s family¡¯s main company.


    The front lobby was filled with many reporters wanting to see Henry Theodore Grant in person because his father¡¯s sudden passing meant Henry would inherit everything.


    As Henry walked out of the lobby, dozens of reporters surrounded him, wanting a piece of an interview with him.


    "Mr. Henry Grant, what is your next step after inheriting all the family businesses?"


    Henry continued walking firmly. Michael and one other bodyguard protected him from the front and the back.


    He was still as handsome as before, though, in the past six months, he seemed to have lost the luster in his eyes because he looked too intimidating, even for Kate, who had made love with him so many times in the past.


    Henry ignored the question, but with so many reporters, he was forced to answer, "I will run the company efficiently and expand based on my plan. My father gave me everything under my name after my brother¡¯s death. I cannot disappoint them."


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but notice that Henry¡¯s jaw was tight, a sign that he was lying. Kate and Henry lived together as a couple for a while, and she naturally learned most of his body gestures and reactions to a certain mood.


    "Mr. Grant, you¡¯re still twenty-six years old and already became the owner of such a big corporation. Do you have someone in your heart, or are you still searching for one?" The reporter from Gossip News asked.


    Henry halted his step for a second. He stared at the camera with his deep, snake-like eyes and replied, "I have someone in my heart, and I will never let her go."


    S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480: Chapter 480Kate¡¯s heart felt tight as guilt began to encroach on her.


    She quickly turned off the TV and lay weakly on the sofa. She stared at the ceiling, and the image of Henry telling her that he would never let her go was enough to send her heart into a frenzy.


    ¡¯Why did you say that, Henry? Why can¡¯t you let me go?¡¯ Kate pondered. ¡¯It¡¯s better if you move on as soon as possible so we can close this Chapter between us and have a fresh start away from each other, both body and heart.¡¯


    ¡¯How am I supposed to forget when our hearts are still connected?¡¯


    "Mamama..." Theo turned his head to look at his Mom. He seemed to notice the distress that his Mom experienced.


    Kate tried to ward off the distress on her face by smiling at her son, "Mama is okay, Theo. That man is not your Papa, so you don¡¯t need to think much about it, okay? Your father was a brave and honorable man who died after protecting us."


    "Ba... ba..."


    Of course, Kate knew that her baby still had no consciousness to understand about all this. But this ensured that Kate didn¡¯t misspeak once Theo got older and started questioning his father¡¯s identity.


    Kate didn¡¯t want Theo to grow up thinking he had a chance to be part of Grant¡¯s family. That family was rotten to the core.


    Kate wanted Theo to grow up as a normal young man, work a regular job, find a girl he liked, and marry. Hopefully, she would live long enough to see her grandchildren.


    There was beauty in a normal life, so Kate wished Theo would never find out about his father.


    Kate tried to ignore the growing uneasiness in her heart as she tried to busy herself by changing Theo¡¯s diaper and then making lunch for her and the employees downstairs.


    Meanwhile, Maya and Tom were still busy during lunchtime because many customers walked in to buy their quick lunch before returning to work.


    By the time they were done, it was already two-thirty.


    Kate went down with two plates of fried rice she had made by looking at a recipe. "Sorry for the late lunch. I need to make sure Theo falls asleep first before cooking."


    "Wow, thanks, Kate!" Maya accepted her lunch happily. Kate always cooked them lunch even if they never asked. She simply said it was her duty as an employer. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, Maya wouldn¡¯t decline a free lunch!


    But Tom was different. He accepted the plate but said, "Please deduct my salary for this fried rice."


    "Well, you wouldn¡¯t get paid by the end of the month if I had to do that," Kate shrugged. "It¡¯s fine. I have a lot of ingredients in my fridge, and the only one who eats is me since Theo is still eating puree."


    Again, Tom reluctantly accepted the plate and ate with Maya in the kitchen while Kate talked with the customer who just walked in.


    Maya glanced at Tom, who ate the fried rice slowly as if he was trying to enjoy the simple fried rice.


    "Hey, it¡¯s just a simple fried rice. I can cook it for you if you want," Maya offered.


    "No need," Tom replied curtly.


    Maya sighed.


    She had a crush on Tom for a while until she realized that Tom only saw her as a coworker.


    He was obviously crushing on Kate, and it was understandable since Kate was the picture of a perfect woman.


    Smart, independent, gorgeous, kind, and on top of that, motherly.


    She was really a man¡¯s daydream.


    "Tom, have you told Kate about your feelings yet?"


    "Uhk!" Tom choked on the rice when Maya asked that question. He drank a glass of water and stared at Maya as if she just said something ridiculous. "What on earth are you talking about? My feelings?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s obvious that you have a crush on Kate., So why don¡¯t you tell her about it? Maybe she¡¯ll be interested in you as well," Maya shrugged. "You two look good together, you know."


    Tom shook his head, "Don¡¯t say weird things. My love is not on par with his love for her."


    Maya frowned, "He? Who¡¯s this ¡¯he¡¯ are you talking about? Is it Kate¡¯s ex? The baby daddy?"


    Maya had a lot of questions in her mind, but the most important was, "How do you know about this information? Did Kate tell you about it before?"


    Tom¡¯s body stiffened instantly. He panicked when Maya casually called him out for his feelings, and he blurted something he shouldn¡¯t have said.


    "Yeah, she told me once. She said she¡¯s still healing from a bad breakup. It¡¯s better not to pester her about this," Tom lied to cover up for his mistake. He blamed himself for being vulnerable. It was all because he felt something other than a sense of duty for Kate.


    ¡¯Love is truly a weakness,¡¯ Tom thought.


    "Oh? Really? Damn, she¡¯s closer to you than I thought," Maya complained. "Well, I can¡¯t do much. I joined a month ago, so she probably doesn¡¯t trust me as much."


    "She will trust you eventually," Tom said. He did a background check on Maya and was assured this girl wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt Kate. She was here to work as a breadwinner for her old mother.


    Maya and Tom finished their late lunch and returned to their workstation to help Kate. They got busy until seven, when they closed the store.


    Maya was the first to leave as she had to check on her mother while Kate and Tom prepared the ingredients for tomorrow.


    There was a radio in the kitchen, so they could listen to music and make some noise, but when the music stopped, the radio began to enter the gossip session.


    -


    "And today, we are going to talk about that hottie, Henry Theodore Grant! Oooh~ Don¡¯t you see how handsome he is?" The host asked her partner on the radio.


    "Oh, he is a 100% pure-grade hottie! I wonder if he¡¯s still single."


    "Apparently not, because they said he already has someone in his heart and will never let go! Oh, so romantic!"


    -

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481: Chapter 481Kate clicked her tongue and switched the radio channel, "Trashy gossip news, we¡¯re here to listen to some music, not listening to worthless gossip.


    Tom stopped his activity and glanced at Kate, who had a sour face. It was rare to see Kate looking so distraught.


    Kate continued to busy herself, trying to get her mind off the image of Henry. She didn¡¯t want to regret her decision, not when there was no turning back.


    At first, Tom kept silent, but he finally asked, "Are you really okay, Kate?"


    ...


    "Why would you think that I¡¯m not okay?" Kate raised her brow. "I just don¡¯t like listening to gossip."


    "You look distraught, so I thought that gossip news upset you," Tom mentioned. He already knew all the information regarding Kate and Henry from his Mistress, Madam Hawthorne. But he wasn¡¯t allowed to disclose his identity, so he could only nudge on the topic, hoping that Kate would eventually open up to him.


    Kate went silent for a moment and then sighed, "You¡¯re thinking too much, Tom. I think you should go home now."


    "But I¡¯m not done yet," Tom said.


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll finish all the preparation myself," Kate insisted. She pushed Tom to the door, hoping he understood Kate wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk with anyone right now.


    "... okay then," Tom took off his apron and hung it. He opened the door and turned around before leaving, looking at Kate, who looked lost, "You should know that I¡¯m always here if you need someone to talk to."


    Kate smiled bitterly, "Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯m fine. I will always be fine. Goodnight, Tom."


    Kate hurriedly closed the door and locked it. She leaned on the door as her heartbeat began to accelerate.


    She wanted to find any information regarding Henry on social media or the news outlets.


    She missed Henry so much, and sometimes, the fleeting idea of returning to his side was enough to distract her for the whole day.


    But she quickly shook her head as she tried to convince herself, "You shouldn¡¯t try to find any information about him, Kate. The more you think about him, the harder it is to move on."


    Meanwhile, Tom leaned on the wall next to the bakery¡¯s back door. He sighed, hoping that Kate would eventually open up to him.


    He never wanted to confess his growing feelings for her, nor did he want Kate to suddenly like him.


    He knew from Madam Hawthorne about Kate and Henry and realized he would never be on par with that man.


    Henry went through the storm just to be with Kate, only for her to run away under tremendous guilt and pressure.


    "I just hope I can help her, just a little..." Tom said before he walked to his apartment.


    On his way back, his phone suddenly rang, and he quickly picked it up when he saw the caller ID.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, Madam," Tom said respectfully.


    "Good evening, Thomas," Dahlia greeted back. She sounded calm, but she was actually concerned about Kate. "You¡¯re still working with Kate now, right?"


    "Yes, Madam," Tom nodded. "I¡¯m working closely as an employee in her bakery. Everything is going well, and your grandson is in good health. Kate is a great mother."


    Dahlia was relieved that Kate and Theo were doing well. But that was within her expectation because Kate was an independent lady.


    "Why do you call, Madam? Is it time for you to leak her location to your son?" Tom asked. He was momentarily worried, "Madam, I¡¯ve watched your son¡¯s interviews. I feel like he has a lot of repressed anger towards Katherine. He might do something unthinkable if you let them meet right now."


    "No, reuniting still takes a long time," Dahlia assured. "I want Henry to be a powerful man first before he can reunite with Kate and Theo."


    ...


    "Madam, I wonder why you helped her escape," Tom asked. "Kate doesn¡¯t seem to be a weak lady. She can hold her ground..."


    "It¡¯s because their relationship is filled with schemes and lies, Thomas," Dahlia sighed. "They love each other, but if I let them stick together in the current situation, I¡¯m afraid their relationship will eventually deteriorate, especially for Kate, who¡¯s on the verge of a mental breakdown when she asked for my help to escape."


    "They said longing creates fondness, so I hope by the time they reunite, they can fall in love all over again," Dahlia added.


    "And if they move on?"


    "... then they¡¯re not meant for each other," Dahlia sighed. "Just focus on protecting Kate and Theo, make sure to give me a constant update of their lives, and remember not to fall in love with her."


    Madam Hawthorne always reminded Tom about that part, as if he had a chance to date Katherine.


    Tom took a deep breath and replied, "I won¡¯t fall in love with her, Madam. I know your son will kill me if I dare to do something."


    "It¡¯s good that you know your boundary, Thomas," Dahlia approved. "I know that you have a lot of self-control, but Katherine is objectively a beautiful lady with all the qualities most men like. It¡¯s not impossible for you to fall in love with her, just like Henry, James, and even Graham Hubbard."


    "Rest assured, Madam, I understand my place," Tom said, though he knew that he was lying.


    "Okay, thank you for your hard work."


    Beep. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ª


    Tom pocketed his phone as he was done with his report. He halted his step and stared at the coast. The sky was clear tonight, and the bright moon reminded Tom of Kate¡¯s beautiful smile.


    Unfortunately, Madam Hawthorne was right. Even Tom was not immune to Kate¡¯s charm. The more he spent time with Kate, the more he realized that he might eventually cross the line and confess.


    Tom clenched his fist and blamed himself for this growing feeling, "I shouldn¡¯t have taken the job had I known it would be this difficult."

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482: Chapter 482Six months had passed since Henry took over as the Master of Grant Estate, and it had been a year since Kate left him after giving birth to Theo.


    Henry talked with a few business partners as they gathered in The Grant mansion, celebrating his twenty-seventh birthday.


    He had a thin smile as he replied to all the questions about him, whether personal or business.


    He didn¡¯t mind any personal questions as he could always pad them with lies or fabricate a little story to appease these curious foxes.


    But he would never lie about the woman occupying his heart.


    "Mr. Grant, are you sure you don¡¯t want to meet with my daughter? She is around your age, and she is well-educated and well-mannered. She won¡¯t disappoint!" One of his business partners offered.


    "I already have a woman in my heart," Henry replied without hesitation.


    "Oh? Then how come we¡¯ve never seen her in any event? I¡¯m sure she is gorgeous since Mr. Grant has an expensive taste!"


    Henry grinned as he remembered about his beloved Katherine. He nodded and replied, "Yes, she is gorgeous. The most gorgeous woman I¡¯ve ever met, my one and only."


    Whenever Henry described his beloved woman, most of his business partners eventually stopped introducing their daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, etc.


    From how he described her, it was obvious Henry was deeply in love with his woman, so there was no point trying to date a man whose heart had been fully occupied.


    Henry continued conversing with his business partners when he noticed a pair of loving couples entering the ballroom.


    Henry¡¯s smile turned sincere as he excused himself and approached his cousin, "Thank you for coming, Chloe, Vernon. You two look lovely today."


    "Happy birthday, Henry! You¡¯re twenty-seven now, huh? How does it feel? Do you feel some aching bone already?" Vernon joked.


    Chloe giggled, listening to her husband¡¯s joke, "That¡¯s just you. I told you to do five minutes per two hours at work! Now you have a back problem at twenty-eight!"


    "Hey, don¡¯t say that in front of him!" Vernon protested as he got embarrassed.


    Henry felt warm whenever he was with Chloe and Vernon. They were a harmonious couple that didn¡¯t seem to have any life-altering fights between them.


    They were always warm and solved the conflict as soon as possible.


    Henry glanced at the empty spot right next to him, ¡¯It would be nice if Kate stayed here with me, standing by my side as my wife...¡¯


    Chloe noticed that Henry seemed to be sad, so she elbowed her husband to go through the main topic.


    "I¡¯m going to have a cake. You two should talk, okay?" Chloe said before she left Henry and Vernon.


    "Henry, why don¡¯t we talk on the balcony? I have a business deal that can help boost your new company even further," Vernon said.


    Henry nodded, "Sounds good."


    Henry and Vernon walked to the balcony. There was a long silence between them before Vernon asked, "Do you know where she is?"


    "My Mom said she¡¯s in Maine," Henry replied curtly. He stared at the moon, wondering if Kate was staring at the same moon right now.


    "And you¡¯re not going to find her?" Vernon frowned. "If you can¡¯t find her, you can just tell me to dispatch my subordinates. We can find her in no time." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Rather than sending people to find her. You should send your people to distract Sarah," Henry said. "Kate is safe under my Mom¡¯s protection. But we need to ensure Sarah won¡¯t be able to find her."


    "I¡¯m doing that just like you ordered," Vernon replied. "But why in hell don¡¯t you want to reunite with Kate? Do you think you¡¯re still not powerful enough?"


    Vernon turned around and pointed at the guests inside the ballroom, "Look at those people. They are all important businessmen gathering in one place just to celebrate your birthday. You are as powerful as I am, Henry."


    Henry shook his head, "I need more than that. Sarah is still running around, and we can barely control her movement because of her father, Klaus Lancaster. That old man spoiled his daughter until she became unbearable."


    "... then what is your endgame, Henry?" Vernon asked. "Will you move on from her?"


    "Move on?" Henry scoffed. "I¡¯ve dreamed of her every single night. Even when I am exhausted, I still think of how to return to her. She is always in my mind, Vernon."


    "Then how come you can wait this long?!" Vernon was frustrated by Henry¡¯s passiveness. "We could¡¯ve raided her hiding spot and brought her with us. She is safer here with us!"


    Henry stared at his cousin coldly and replied, "She left of her own free will and will return of her own free will as well. I want more influence, power, and wealth to make sure she can¡¯t escape by the time we meet again."


    "You..." Vernon was hopeless. "I don¡¯t understand you, Henry. She made a mistake by leaving. All we need to do is to convince her to return..."


    "... I will decide when is the right time for us to finally reunite," Henry said coldly. "I appreciate your help, Vernon. You are the closest I have as my brother after James¡¯ death. But please, don¡¯t ask me about this again. Talking about Kate will only hurt me, especially when I know I don¡¯t have enough capital to give her the safety she wants."


    "Now excuse me, I will talk with the other guests. Enjoy the party, and if you have a business cooperation proposal, send it to my secretary. I am more than happy to work with you, Cousin," Henry said before he returned to the ballroom, leaving the helpless Vernon on the balcony.


    "This is not the real you, Henry. You¡¯ve lost your kindness after Kate left, and I don¡¯t even know if we should blame Kate for that, because you still hold her dearly after what happened," Vernon sighed. He wanted to help Henry, but Henry refused his help. "How long do you want to punish yourself, Henry?"

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483: Chapter 483Henry secretly left the party earlier than the rest of the guests. He was exhausted and even more exhausted after talking with Vernon.


    However, instead of returning to his bedroom, he returned to the study room, where he met Dahlia, who was reading a book in the middle of the night.


    Dahlia glanced up briefly before returning to her book, "You should be at the party, Son. It¡¯s good to know those businessmen that will help you."


    "I¡¯ve talked to them enough. I don¡¯t need to talk to anyone, especially the ones who won¡¯t benefit the business in both short and long term," Henry said coldly. He sat at the desk where Marlon usually worked and then began checking all the business documents he had missed since he was busy with the party.


    Dahlia looked at her son, who looked and acted exactly like the splitting image of Marlon. If he had the same black hair as Marlon, then Dahlia would have mistaken him as her dead husband.


    She began to worry about her son. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because Henry became colder with each passing day and acted more like a robot, he lost his soul when Kate left, and she wondered if she was too harsh on her son.


    "Well, it¡¯s your birthday. What do you want as a gift from me?" Dahlia offered. "I can grant you anything you want."


    Henry lifted his head and stared at his old mother for a while, "Then contact the representative of the Duchy of York, and let me meet with the Duke."


    Dahlia took a deep breath, "Do you think you are good enough for it, son?"


    "I¡¯ve maintained the Grant Estate for a year and boosted the sales of many subsidiaries. My new company soars. My wealth and influence are on par with Vernon Phoenix Gray. What more do you need, Mom?" Henry asked back. "Tell me what I should do next to get your approval. You know that I¡¯m the one who suffers the most here."


    Dahlia thought that maybe Henry wanted something more personal. "Do you not want to see the picture of Katherine? Or maybe Theo? He¡¯s twelve months old now."


    "And what will I achieve by doing so? Seeing them right now will only carve an even bigger wound in my heart," Henry gritted his teeth. "I don¡¯t want to see their picture. I want to see them in person, and I want to do it as soon as possible! Don¡¯t fucking taunt me when you know it¡¯ll only hurt me!"


    Henry¡¯s chest began to heave and after he realized what he had done, he apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I was just a bit upset tonight."


    Dahlia was caught off guard by Henry¡¯s emotion. It had been a while since he showed his raw emotion, and to see him in such a state was proof that maybe she was too harsh on him.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Son..." Dahlia lowered her gaze slightly, unable to see her son in such a tragic condition. "You¡¯re right. It¡¯s better to hasten things up when you¡¯ve fulfilled the requirement to be a Duke."


    Dahlia got up and patted her long dress, "I will call the representative from Duchy of York tomorrow. You should rest soon, Son. It¡¯s not good for your health," she said before leaving Henry in the study room.


    Henry gritted his teeth even more, "How am I supposed to rest after you taunted me like that, Mom? Of course, I will work even harder knowing I¡¯m one step closer to reuniting with my wife and son."


    **


    Henry entered an old mansion where the Duke of York currently lived. He was greeted by the knights who served the Duchy for generations, though these days, they mostly worked as guards and butlers.


    "Good morning, Master Henry Grant. The Duke has been waiting for your arrival," the man said while bowing politely. "Please follow me. I will bring you to him."


    Henry followed the knight to a room at the end of a long corridor. He opened the door and allowed Henry to enter.


    "I will be guarding outside. Please take your time with the Duke. He is very excited about your arrival."


    Henry thanked the knight and walked deeper into the big room with rows of open windows.


    At the end of the room, he saw a man sitting on a chair facing the fireplace. He could see the smoke coming from him, so Henry guessed he was probably smoking a cigar.


    Henry stood in the middle of the room and announced his arrival, "Your Highness, Duke George of York. I am Henry Theodore Grant, the son of Marlon Grant. I¡¯ve come as per your invitation."


    The old man got up from his chair slowly. He was already in his twilight years, probably in his eighties. Yet he still looked vigorous.


    Duke George turned around and put down his cigar as he greeted his descendant from another side of the family, "So you are Henry Grant. You look exactly like your late father in his prime, except for the hair. I hope you don¡¯t have Marlon¡¯s behavior."


    Henry¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It seemed the Duke had an animosity against Marlon, though judging from how conceited Marlon could be, Henry wasn¡¯t surprised if the Duke hated his father.


    "Come here, Son. I can¡¯t see you clearly," Duke George said.


    Henry walked a few steps forward and stood before the old man.


    The old man squinted and asked, "I see you are a dashing and charming young man. I know you liked many women in the past, and I do not judge that. But I hope you don¡¯t father any illegitimate children."


    "And what if I do?" Henry asked.


    "It would be a problem," George sighed. "Especially if it¡¯s a boy. Even if you don¡¯t like his mother, you must marry her because she has your son."


    "And what if I want to marry her?"


    The old Duke frowned, "What do you mean by that? Based on the information that I got, you¡¯re still unmarried, right?"


    "I... I am unmarried for now, but I have a woman I¡¯ve been deeply in love, and I have a son with her," Henry replied.

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484: Chapter 484"And you haven¡¯t married her yet?" The Duke seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before inquiring further, "Is there something that stops you from marrying her? Is she still tied to another man?"


    "She is divorced," Henry said. Though he entertained the idea of becoming a Duke so he could be even more powerful to fight against Klaus Lancaster, if he was forced to marry someone else, then he would rather find another way to kill that bitch Sarah.


    "We haven¡¯t married yet because my woman has been traumatized by an attack staged by someone right after she gave birth to my son," Henry said. "She ran away with my son after she gave birth, and she is in hiding right now. I only decided to accept your invitation because I want to give her enough security and safety so she will return to my side."


    Duke George seemed surprised by this information, "This is a rather peculiar situation. I never knew that you have a complicated relationship with a woman."


    Duke George returned to his seat as his leg made him unable to stand for too long. He sat while facing Henry, "I was thinking about marrying you to the daughter of Earl Klaus Lancaster. He has a daughter who seems well-mannered and well-educated, perfect as a duchess named Sarah Lancaster."


    Henry clenched his fist. He couldn¡¯t hide his anger when Duke George mentioned Sarah Lancaster.


    "That woman¡ªthat god-forsaken rat bitch is the one who attacked my woman who had just given birth. Sarah Lancaster traumatized her until Kate left me," Henry said without a filter. He refused to entertain the idea of marrying Sarah.


    Duke George was shocked by how Henry worded his hostility. From his first impression, Henry seemed to be a well-mannered young man until the old Duke mentioned Sarah, and he immediately turned hostile.


    "I see you have a deep-rooted hostility toward her," Duke George said.


    "I would end her with my hand eventually," Henry said. "That bitch staged my brother¡¯s death, threw my Mom into the mental hospital, ambushed my woman, attacked her when she was giving birth, and many more. All because she wants to be Duchess of York. I can¡¯t forgive her."


    Duke George went silent after that, and Henry had guessed that the old Duke probably thought Henry was too dangerous to be the next ruler.


    "Pardon my hostility, Duke George. But I am not going to hide my hatred for that woman in front of you, not when I¡¯m thinking of using your power to suppress her family so I can bring my woman back and marry her," Henry said calmly. "That divorced woman who has my son, her name is Katherine Ross, and she will be the next Duchess if you want me as your Duke."


    Henry never wanted to hide his intention. He knew that Duke George must¡¯ve had his own expectations for Henry, and the latter could compromise.


    But when it came to the woman he loved, he would never lie.


    The Duke closed his eyes, thinking hard for a while, and then asked, "Do you not realize that it¡¯s unwise to tell all this in front of me? What if I refuse to give you the title?"


    "I can hide my true intention to other people, naturally. But you will entrust your legacy to me, and I don¡¯t want to lie to you about my intention," Henry replied.


    "I cannot say that I agree with your plan to suppress Earl Lancaster. He is an old friend, and he¡¯s a good man," Duke George said. "Though, I can see that his daughter might be insufferable. After all, she is the only daughter pampered since she was a kid."


    Henry nodded, "Then please excuse me, Duke."


    Henry was about to leave when Duke George asked, "Where are you going?"


    Henry halted his step and replied, "I¡¯m going to leave. I assume you won¡¯t bestow your title to a man who will suppress your good friend¡¯s position."


    Duke George chuckled, "Young man, I am acquainted with Earl Klaus, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to turn blind eyes to what his daughter did to your lover. If everything you said is true, then it¡¯s better to stop her before it¡¯s too late." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Duke glanced at a small framed photo on his desk, "Do you know why I don¡¯t have a child of my own to inherit the Duchy?"


    Henry shook his head.


    "I married the wrong woman," Duke George said. "I already had a girlfriend back then and wanted to marry her. But my late father told me to marry someone else that could help the duchy, so I have to abandon my loved one and marry a woman that I don¡¯t love."


    Duke George pinched the cigar in his hand, "My official wife was a good woman. But I felt nothing towards her and neglected her. I only slept with her once and ignored her completely."


    "When she was pregnant with my child, I still ignored her. I busied myself with work, intentionally making many business trips to avoid my wife," Duke George said. "I wasn¡¯t there when she was in labor and thought everything would be just fine until my butler told me that my wife passed away with my newborn son."


    "The doctor said that my wife was under too much stress and depression. The pregnancy and the neglect took a toll on her body until she died during labor," Duke George didn¡¯t like to recall his past sins. But he thought it should be a good lesson for the future Duke. "Though I never loved my official wife, I keep thinking... if only I was brave enough to reject my father¡¯s demand back then, I would¡¯ve married the right woman. I don¡¯t need to hurt two women at the same time."


    "It was entirely my fault, so I don¡¯t want the next Duke to repeat the same mistake," Duke George said. "If you love that woman who bore your son, marry her."

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485: Chapter 485Henry¡¯s eyes widened, "D¡ªDoes that mean you¡ª"


    "Well, I still won¡¯t allow you to hurt Earl Klaus. I highly doubt he knows what his daughter does behind his back," Duke George said. "Don¡¯t worry, Henry. You will be the next Duke, and I will support you through your endeavors to stop Sarah Lancaster from hurting your woman."


    "But I forbid you to hurt Klaus Lancaster, and I also forbid you to kill Sarah," Duke George said. "You should show me all the evidence about her activity and planned attacks, and I will show it to Klaus so he will pull out all the support that Sarah has and punish her for being vicious."


    ...


    Henry nodded.


    Of course, he still wanted to kill Sarah later.


    But for now, stripping Sarah of the aid that she got from Klaus Lancaster should be more than enough to alienate Sarah completely.


    ¡¯Then, once she is unguarded and vulnerable, I will kill that bitch with my hand,¡¯ Henry schemed in his mind.


    Duke George¡¯s eyes peered at Henry suspiciously. He was old enough to know what was in Henry¡¯s head, but he couldn¡¯t stop him even if he wanted to kill that woman.


    He hadn¡¯t done any inspection of that woman, Sarah Lancaster. But if what Henry said was true, then all George could do was to ensure Klaus wouldn¡¯t know that Henry was the real culprit.


    Henry bowed deeper than before, "If you still want me to be the one who inherits the Duchy, please give me your blessing to marry Katherine and allow her to be the Duchess. I will forever be grateful."


    "Well, you need to bring her here first so I can at least see her in person," George chuckled. "But it¡¯s fine, take your time. You can scheme all you want to gather all the evidence so Klaus will stop all the support for her daughter. It¡¯s better to be well prepared than to rush and obtain nothing in the end, right?"


    Thus, after getting the blessing he needed, he said, "I will make sure that everything is well-prepared for her downfall. I can¡¯t wait to finally reunite with Katherine and make her the Duchess of York."


    Duke George was awed by Henry Grant¡¯s bravery in claiming the woman he loved. George felt that he was a coward for following his father¡¯s wish and ended up hurting two women at once.


    ¡¯If only I could be braver back then...¡¯ George thought. ¡¯Henry shouldn¡¯t have made the mistake that I did. So I have to protect him even after I retire as a Duke.¡¯


    **


    Sarah felt awkward as she entered the Glassmist Castle ballroom, where the Duke of York lived.


    Based on her father¡¯s insistence, she had to attend this party because the old Duke George had officially bestowed his title as Duke of York to Henry in a ceremony yesterday, the old Duke officially retired due to old age and health issue.


    Since Sarah refused to come during Henry¡¯s ceremony, she had to attend the party instead.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s just hope that he won¡¯t notice me during the party. I will stay at the corner of the ballroom before leaving,¡¯ Sarah thought.


    Though she was excited to be the Duchess of York, her current situation seriously forced her to stay still, or else she would be killed.


    Just like what her father promised, Sarah had been granted full access to all her father¡¯s connections. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t even move from her position in New York because Henry and Vernon already found her hiding place and intentionally limited her movement by constantly spying on her.


    So there was no point in getting all the connection when she couldn¡¯t even leave the penthouse to search for Kate¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡¯How am I supposed to be a Duchess when Henry keeps on getting stronger and stronger in such a short time? How am I supposed to intimidate him?¡¯ Sarah gritted her teeth.


    She hated that everything seemed to go out of control after Kate left. Everything she did became a mess, and now she became a prisoner in New York under Henry and Vernon¡¯s constant watch.


    Sarah walked into the crowd. Everyone was so busy chatting with each other that they didn¡¯t realize the daughter of the Earl of Lancaster was passing them.


    Sarah saw the man standing near the stairs. He wore the Duke of York¡¯s official attire while talking with the previous old Duke, Lord George, and the other lower nobles and elites. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah clenched her fists.


    Deep in her heart, she wished she was standing by Henry¡¯s side right now, wearing similar attire to what Henry wore.


    She would be hailed as the Duchess of York, and everyone would fawn over her.


    It was the glory that she wanted.


    ¡¯Not now, Sarah. Calm yourself. You are a lady who is always in control of yourself,¡¯ Sarah chanted in her head. ¡¯Henry will eventually get busy with his life as the Duke of York and also going back and forth working in the Grant Estate. I can take that chance to dispatch all of my subordinates for a headhunting mission to find Kate.¡¯


    Sarah leaned on the wall, drinking a glass of wine while staring at the people who walked past her.


    It was true that she wished nobody would recognize her, and she could leave stealthily. But she was used to being the center of attention, that soft and sophisticated lady that everyone liked. So, it was quite upsetting for her to be a wallflower that nobody looked at.


    ¡¯Just wait until I become the Duchess. All of you will fawn over me. Everyone will eventually realize what kind of mistake they made for not flattering me before,¡¯ Sarah said in her heart.


    She was so busy with her fantasy that she didn¡¯t realize a handsome man slowly approached her, stood in front of her, and asked, "Do you have no companion, Milady?"


    Sarah looked up, and her heartbeat skipped for a second.


    Her face went pale instantly when she saw Henry smirking at her. Henry was an open book for Sarah, so she could read his maliciousness easily, "Are you the daughter of Earl Lancaster? Lady Sarah Lancaster, correct?"

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486: Chapter 486Sarah¡¯s body stiffened. She could feel the suppressing aura coming from Henry. She wondered what kind of heinous plan he had in mind but dared not to ask as they were still in a formal situation.


    It seemed that Henry was acting as if they hadn¡¯t met with each other before, her lips twitched, but she played along in the end when she realized that everyone¡¯s eyes were on her now.


    "Yes, that¡¯s right. I am Sarah Lancaster, the only daughter of Earl Klaus Lancaster. Congratulations on your new title, Duke Henry of York," Sarah said. She leaned forward and whispered softly, afraid that someone else might hear her, "What do you want, Henry?"


    Henry¡¯s smirk widened as he couldn¡¯t wait to choke this bitch to death. He replied with the same soft voice, "I¡¯m surprised that you dared to come, Sarah. But since you¡¯re here, I will gladly torture you. Your pain will be an entertainment for me."


    Sarah¡¯s lips twitched. She was terrified, thinking about what Henry would do next. So she tried to reject it by speaking loudly, "I think the Duke should find someone else to talk to. I¡¯m sure other ladies will be more than happy to be your partner for the night."


    The other ladies around them continued listening attentively. They acted as if they didn¡¯t care that the new Duke was talking to the Lady of Lancaster, but they had been eyeing Henry¡¯s movement for the whole night, hoping they could get a chance to be close to the rich and powerful young man.


    Henry smiled, but even his smile couldn¡¯t hide his anger, "But I fancy Lady Sarah right now. Do you not want to spare your time for me? Am I not good enough for you, Milady?"


    Henry¡¯s question was cornering Sarah since Henry said that in a loud voice, everyone around them waited for Sarah¡¯s response.


    Unfortunately, there was no way she could reject that invitation because she would be seen as rude and arrogant, and the only thing that Sarah feared the most was being hated by everyone in her circle.


    She MUST be that beautiful and well-mannered noble lady.


    "So, how about it, Lady Sarah? I would be really sad if you reject my invitation," Henry said. He opened his palm and asked, "I heard that Lady Sarah is a good dancer. Maybe we can dance together? I¡¯m sure you will find me desirable after that."


    Sarah couldn¡¯t handle the pressure anymore. So she had to agree and accept Henry¡¯s hand, "I hope that Duke Henry won¡¯t hurt me while we¡¯re dancing."


    "Oh, I will try my best, Milady. It¡¯s my first time doing a ballroom dance, but I¡¯ve practiced enough," Henry smiled.


    As they walked to the center of the ballroom, the music started playing, and Henry Began by holding Sarah¡¯s hips while she draped her hand on Henry¡¯s shoulder.


    They looked so intimate together, but only Sarah and Henry knew how much tension they had against each other.


    They began to dance as the music continued playing, and Henry suddenly asked, "Do you enjoy this, Sarah? Everyone¡¯s eyes are on you, and we look so intimate together, you can claim that you¡¯re my wife and nobody here will suspect you."


    Sarah was so tense that she made a few missteps while dancing, "W¡ªWhat do you want to do, Henry? You know you can¡¯t kill me here."


    "Kill you? Why do you have such violent thoughts about me?" Henry acted as if he was wronged. "Since this will be the last day for you to be happy, I just want to pamper you, to make you feel like you¡¯ve become a Duchess for one night before you suffer for the rest of your worthless life."


    Sarah¡¯s heart began to beat rapidly. She was so scared that she almost pissed herself.


    "Just because you¡¯re a Duke now doesn¡¯t mean you can do everything without repercussions. My father is the Earl of Lancaster. If you dare to touch his only daughter, then you will face a heavy punishment, Henry," Sarah didn¡¯t know how effective her threat could be.


    After all, her title as the daughter of an Earl would be powerful enough to give her a free pass over many problems.


    But a problem with a Duke might be too much for her father to handle.


    "Is that so?" Henry smirked. "We will see who will have the last laugh, Sarah. But if you beg hard enough, I may let you live to see Katherine standing by my side as the Duchess of York."


    "I never beg, Henry," Sarah insisted. "And I will find a way to become your wife. I will be the Duchess no matter what. Don¡¯t underestimate me."


    "Oh, I¡¯m not underestimating you, Sarah Lancaster. In fact, I am worried that you might find a way eventually, so I will crush you before that happens," Henry said before he stepped on Sarah¡¯s toe and crushed it with his shoes until she screamed.


    "AH!"


    The audience gasped when Sarah fumbled in front of Henry, and Henry acted shocked, "What¡¯s wrong, Lady Sarah? Did I make the wrong step? I think the ballroom dance tutor isn¡¯t doing me any favors. Maybe I should fire him. What do you think?"


    Sarah was in so much pain that she was positive that he did it intentionally. But she pushed through with a smile as she didn¡¯t want to be seen as a petty noble lady who would punish a ballroom dance tutor.


    "It¡¯s not your fault. I was not in good health, so I lost my balance," Sarah said as she had to reluctantly protect Henry.


    "Is that why you were reluctant to accept my invitation for a dance before? I¡¯m sorry, Milady. It was very insensitive of me," Henry stopped the dance, and the music gradually stopped. "Should I bring you one of the empty rooms in the castle?" sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah didn¡¯t know what Henry would do if they were to be left alone. She wasn¡¯t a crazy, horny bitch like Erin, so she guessed that Henry might have strangled her while she was asleep.


    "No need. But I have to excuse myself because I¡¯m not feeling well. Thank you for your invitation, Duke Henry."


    Sarah tried to maintain a normal walking posture despite the throbbing pain in her toes. She could feel Henry¡¯s snake-like eyes staring at her back, waiting to launch an attack when she was vulnerable.


    For the first time in her life, Sarah finally realized that Henry wasn¡¯t the same stupid boy from ten years ago.

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487: Chapter 487Everyone in the ballroom began whispering as they gossiped about Sarah Lancaster, the daughter of Earl Klaus Lancaster.


    In their minds, Sarah was an ungrateful woman who didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to talk to such an amazing young Duke.


    If only one of them had the chance to dance with the Duke, they would try to charm Henry as much as possible because a marriage with Duke Henry of York would change their life for the better.


    Henry returned to Lord George¡¯s side, and the old man warned, "Your hostility towards her is showing. You should be more careful."


    "Pardon me, Sir. I¡¯ll be more careful next time," Henry apologized. But you should know I have no intention of entertaining the idea of marrying her."


    "I can see why you don¡¯t like her," Lord George said. "I have enough experience to see she is one of those people who will do anything for her goal, even if it means harming others."


    While Lord George decided not to bother with Henry¡¯s problem, he still had to warn him again, "Gather enough evidence against her, and I will come with you to meet Klaus."


    "Don¡¯t worry, if things are going according to my plan, then I could find all the hard evidence alongside all the people who have worked with her in roughly six months," Henry said.


    "That¡¯s quite a long time. Are you sure you can contain her while searching for all the hard evidence?" Lord George asked.


    "I¡¯ve got tremendous help from my cousin, Vernon Phoenix Gray, to ensure we can limit Sarah¡¯s movement. As long as she still uses all the facilities that her father gave her, she has no chance to escape," Henry said. "Six months is necessary because I want to make sure that sly rat will not slip away this time."


    Lord George nodded. He was quite happy with how Henry seemed to be very decisive.


    After all, becoming a Duke meant he had to make hard decisions, whether financially or politically.


    **


    This was the first time in her life that Sarah felt so unsafe. She, the noble lady who was always in control of everything, was scared of Henry, the foolish boy who was an obedient dog ten years ago.


    It was unbelievable in Sarah¡¯s mind, and she couldn¡¯t accept that her chance to become a Duchess was close to zero now with the amount of hostility Henry had.


    Sarah told her driver to return to her father¡¯s mansion. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell her father about everything... with a bit of favorable twists.


    Sarah walked out of her car and acted as if her toes had been cut off. She writhed in pain as she approached her father, who sat alone in the living room with a dark expression.


    ¡¯It seems that he is in a bad mood now. This is the best time to fish for sympathy. I can¡¯t be the one on the losing side as long as I have my father¡¯s support,¡¯ Sarah thought.


    Thus, she limped towards her father and sat on the sofa beside him. She leaned on her father¡¯s arm and cried in pain, "Daddy, look at what Henry did to me!"


    Sarah lifted her leg to show her swollen toes.


    Klaus glanced at his daughter¡¯s swollen toes but said nothing, which aggravated Sarah, who expected her father to start asking many questions about her well-being like he always did.


    "Don¡¯t you see this, Dad? This is what happened when you sent me to come to the party! That man attacked me!"


    "By crushing your toes?" Klaus asked.


    "Yes! Ugh, what a vile bastard!" Sarah pouted. "Dad, why don¡¯t you look upset? Don¡¯t you love me? You should be angry that that man has hurt your daughter!" she demanded even more.


    Klaus went silent for a while. Though he looked calm, there was a brewing storm deep in his heart.


    "I just got a call from my old friend, George. He apologized for what happened. Henry tried to dance with you, but you seemed pissy, which got him nervous, so Henry accidentally stepped on your toes," Klaus said. "I thought you were the one who wished to be the Duchess, so I pushed you to meet him. But look at what you did right now. Do you know how disrespectful you are, Sarah?"


    Sarah was shocked by what her father said.


    Pissy? S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nervous?


    What the fuck was this?!


    "Dad, you know that I¡¯m always well-mannered! Everyone knows that! Why would I intentionally look pissy in front of him? Henry is the one who intentionally stepped on my toes!" Sarah yelled at her father.


    She understood the situation was severe, which might lead to her father¡¯s annoyance. She was already at enough of a disadvantage since she got heavily surveilled by Vernon and Henry, so she couldn¡¯t lose her father¡¯s support!


    "Then do you think my old friend is lying?"


    "Of course, that old man is lying!" Sarah got worked up. She had been frustrated for so long because so many things went out of control, and to control her father was the least she could do. "That old man must¡¯ve been pressured by Henry to say those words because that bastard hates me!"


    "Hates you?" Klaus frowned. "What did you do, Sarah? How could Henry hate you when he was in love with you before?"


    "Ah¡ª"Sarah was speechless as she accidentally misspoke. "T¡ªThat woman, Katherine, has been poisoning his mind. She keeps painting me as the bad woman in front of Henry, and Henry is a weak-minded man. He gets influenced by that mistress of his..."


    "Mistress, huh?" Klaus¡¯ brows relaxed a bit after getting the explanation he needed. "I still don¡¯t think my old friend will lie to me, and I know he has integrity and honesty. That¡¯s why we became long-time friends and business colleagues."


    Klaus leaned on the sofa and glanced at Sarah¡¯s swollen toe, "You should get that treated. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this problem. But remember, this is the last time I¡¯m covering for you, Sarah. You are a mature lady and should act like one in public."

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488: Chapter 488Sarah wanted to roll her eyes but nodded and muttered, "I promise I won¡¯t bother you too much, Dad." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good, because I¡¯ll have to pull out all of my support if I find out you¡¯ve brought great shame to our family," Klaus said.


    "Isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh? All I did was leave after Henry stepped on my toes!" Sarah insisted.


    "Indeed, what you did is a small mistake. But you¡¯ve become the center of attention amongst the other guests who attended the party today. Their eyes are on you, Sarah," Klaus warned. "If you make another misstep that will shame our family, I will have to force you to marry one of the men from a count or baron house."


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened.


    There was no way she¡¯d agree to that because marrying a man from a count or baron house meant she was marrying down. She would be a laughingstock to everyone!


    "I will rest first. You should call the maid to treat your swollen toes. Goodnight, dear," Klaus said before he got up and left Sarah alone in the living room.


    Sarah said nothing but clenched her fist as the accumulating rage and frustration were enough to make anyone snap.


    Sarah gritted her teeth while staring at her father¡¯s back as he entered his bedroom.


    "I guess I have no choice. If I can¡¯t find Kate now, then I¡¯ll have to torture the person who helped her escape until she tells me Kate¡¯s location," Sarah murmured. "And once I can locate that bitch and her son, I will kill her immediately."


    **


    "Mama, acado... acado!"


    "Avocado? You want your snack already?" Kate chuckled. She cleaned Theo¡¯s hand with baby wipes before giving him his favorite snack, avocado and banana.


    Theo sat beside his Mama as they were having a picnic under a tree. He was tired after running around the three and playing with the bugs that he encountered under Kate¡¯s supervision.


    Theo is eighteen months old now.


    He was a kid with high energy. Sometimes, he would run around their living room nonstop, doing push-ups like what he saw on TV and tried his tricycle inside their house.


    Henry told her back then that he was a little devil when he was a kid; he had high energy, was mischievous, and threw a lot of tantrums.


    In a sense, Theo was quite similar to his father, but he wasn¡¯t a troublemaker or mischievous.


    Theo was understanding, even since he was a kid. He often saw his mother looking exhausted and would sit or sleep next to her in silence.


    Sometimes, Theo would hand his favorite doll, a teddy bear with a cape called Superbear, a gift from Mackenzie, to his mom.


    In Theo¡¯s small mind, Superbear should be enough to make his Mama feel better, and Kate did feel better whenever Theo tried to comfort her with Teddy.


    "Mama, anana!" Theo asked for a banana after he was done with avocado.


    "You¡¯re not supposed to eat it too fast. You¡¯ll have a bellyache," Kate sighed as she gave Theo a small slice of banana.


    She kept telling Theo to eat slower, but this boy seemed to inherit his father¡¯s trait a bit too much. Because he was also a big eater who would constantly ask for snacks. The pediatrician said this was to compensate for his high energy, and there was no problem with Theo¡¯s digestive system.


    So Kate could only slow him down by giving him small bites each time.


    Kate ate her snack while watching the lake in front of her. Theo kept on snacking and asked for more until he was full, sat for a while, and then ran around the tree for the third time.


    Life had been so good for her.


    Her bakery business was doing well, and her investment portfolio was doing great as well, so she had a lot of cushions in case the bakery went out of business.


    She was very busy during the weekdays, so she compensated by going to the park every weekend with Theo.


    Of course, nobody here knew about the baby daddy¡¯s identity because Kate lived an unassuming, simple life as a single mother in Camden, Maine.


    "Henry..." Kate murmured that name again.


    Eighteen months had passed since Kate left, and though she enjoyed her unassuming life. She couldn¡¯t help but miss the man that stole her heart completely.


    She knew from an interview on TV that Henry had become Duke Henry of York, making him part of the nobility. Since he was still young and a successful businessman, he was destined for greatness in the future.


    Kate smiled, ¡¯Well, good for him. As expected, the moment I left, nothing was holding him back. I am the deadweight that stopped his development. I¡¯m glad my decision to leave gives him the growth he deserved.¡¯


    Kate stared at her son, who just found a grasshopper. He looked exactly like Henry, and as he grew up, Theodore would become a carbon copy of his father.


    So, there was no way Kate would ever forget Henry since the fruit of their love was always with her.


    ¡¯Does he still remember me?¡¯ Kate thought. ¡¯I doubt that, actually. He is living his best life as a successful young businessman and a Duke. He probably forgot about me and moved on with another woman in less than a month.¡¯


    Deep down, Kate still believed that Henry still loved her, or at least remembered her every night, just like how she remembered him every night.


    But at the same time, she knew Henry shouldn¡¯t remember her. It would be better if he completely forgot about Kate¡¯s and Theo¡¯s existence so he could marry a woman and lead a happy life with a family with the same social status as him.


    ¡¯I¡¯m glad he¡¯s doing great, but sometimes, I can¡¯t help but wish he could be here with me. At least for a few seconds, so my longing will be appeased...¡¯ Kate thought.


    As she was busy with her mind, a man approached her and greeted her, "Good morning, Katherine."

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489: Chapter 489Kate turned around spontaneously and saw Tom standing behind her.


    He wore his casual smile, wearing jogger pants and a sweatshirt.


    "Tom? Out for a morning walk?" Kate asked.


    "Yeah, as usual," Tom replied. "And you¡¯re here having a picnic with Theo, I see."


    "As usual," Kate smiled. "You know Theo can get antsy if we don¡¯t go to the park or the riverside at least once a week. He is very active."


    "Mhm, but it¡¯s good that he is very active, right? That means he is a strong and healthy child. My Mom said I was like that too when I was around Theo¡¯s age... before she kicked me out, of course," Tom¡¯s smile wore out the moment he mentioned his family since he was kicked out when he was eighteen.


    Kate could sense the sadness from Tom, so she called Theo immediately, "Theo, come here. There¡¯s Tom!"


    Theo, who was busy with grasshoppers, turned his head. His cute face brightened when he saw Tom, and he dropped the grasshopper immediately, "Tom! Tom!"


    "Morning, Theo," Tom greeted. He watched how the baby approached him and lifted his arms. "Tom! Tom!"


    "You want to fly again? Okay, buckle up!" Tom grabbed Theo¡¯s torso and lifted him up in the air.


    The child screamed excitedly as it was more exciting to fly with Tom than with his Mama since Tom was taller.


    Kate allowed her son to play with Tom first and for a while until she warned, "Okay, that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want you to get dizzy, Theo."


    Tom carefully put the baby down and stepped back, "Well, I¡¯m going to continue my morning jog. Have fun, you two. See you in the bakery tomorrow."


    "Bye, Tom. Have a good weekend!" Kate said while Theo waved his hand happily.


    Tom turned around, and his smile faded instantly. He continued jogging until he saw an old lady wearing a classic floral dress that befitted her so much.


    The elegant old lady glanced at Tom and waited until Tom stood in front of her before saying, "You did a good job. Too good, perhaps."


    Tom bowed politely in front of his Madam, "According to your wish, Madam. You told me to check on Kate and Theo, and I did. I just made it less obvious by conversing with them for a moment."


    "I told you to make it natural, not to play dad with my grandson," Dahlia said. "Remember, Tom, no matter how good she is, Kate is taken, and Theo still has a father. Henry will kill you if he sees what you did just now."


    "I never meant to play dad with Theo, Madam. I worked with Kate in the bakery, so I naturally met with Theo often," Tom humbled himself. "I am no match for Master Grant. I understand that."


    Dahlia sighed, "I hope you really do, Tom. You know my son, he is now too strong for me to contain, and his mood is always bad because of Kate¡¯s absence. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to do anything if he wants to execute you."


    Tom nodded again, "If he constantly longs for Katherine, then why won¡¯t he come here to see her?"


    "What do you think will happen if they meet right now?" Dahlia asked.


    Tom went silent instantly, but so did Dahlia.


    She already knew the answer, and she hoped that it was just her anxiety talking.


    "Henry loves her deeply. So deep that he went crazy just to reunite with her," Dahlia said. "But at the same time, he still resents her for leaving when he needed her the most."


    "Meanwhile, Kate will probably hide if they meet again, simply because she feels a crushing remorse and guilt for Henry."


    ...


    "We never know if they never met, Madam. Maybe they will forgive each other right after they reunite," Tom said.


    "I truly hope so," Dahlia sighed. "Well, Henry will eventually visit his wife and son after Theo turns two."


    "That would be six months from now, Madam."


    "Indeed," Dahlia nodded. "As for now, he is still busy trying to finally catch that slimy bitch Sarah Lancaster. My trip to Maine is also part of his plan."


    "Part of his plan?"


    "I can¡¯t explain much," Dahlia said. She got up and patted her dress. "Anyway, please watch over my daughter-in-law and my grandson while I¡¯m away. I¡¯m so glad I can see them today."


    Dahlia wished she could do more. She wanted to sit together under the tree with Kate and play with Theo. She wanted to have lunch with them. She wanted to have a complete family once more.


    But not now. It would have been better if all of Henry¡¯s enemies had been cleaned up first, so there wouldn¡¯t have been any problem.


    Tom helped his old Madam to return to her car and watched as her car drove away from the park.


    Talking with his Madam made him wonder what kind of deep love Henry had for Kate.


    Tom knew it must be excruciating because to love someone so deeply meant he was ready to bear all kinds of heartbreak.


    "I know my place, Master Grant. My love for Kate is no match against yours. I just hope that you won¡¯t hurt Kate."


    **


    Sarah parked her car in front of an abandoned building. She came here because her subordinate contacted her and informed her they had successfully kidnapped the old snake, Dahlia.


    Sarah stayed inside her car for a while until one of her subordinates approached the car and knocked on the window. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah slid the window down and asked, "Did you capture her?"


    "Yes, Miss. We tied Dahlia Grant inside."


    "Is it really her?" Sarah asked again just to make sure. She found it almost unbelievable because Henry usually had strict protection over Dahlia, so to find a blind spot and kidnap Dahlia was an amazing feat worthy of good pay. "It could be one of the old maids who works in the Grant Estate."

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490: Chapter 490"I assure you, Miss. This is Madam Dahlia Grant. We even took a picture of her inside," the man said, showing the picture on his phone.


    Sarah saw Dahlia sitting on a wooden chair with her legs and arms tied. She looked scared, as she should because Sarah would do absolutely anything, even torturing an old lady so she could find Kate and Theodore and kill them.


    Sarah knew that her plan had become entangled and messy right now.


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t sure what she would do after she killed Kate because Kate and Theo¡¯s death meant that Henry would go absolutely crazy and probably kill her.


    But she was like a cornered rat that couldn¡¯t do anything, and all she could do was bite as hard as she could.


    All her plans disappeared when Kate entered James¡¯s and Henry¡¯s lives. She lost her chance to become the Duchess completely after Kate gave birth to a healthy baby boy, giving her all the right to become the new Duchess.


    ¡¯Can you imagine? A filthy commoner becomes a Duchess. That¡¯s so disgusting. I don¡¯t want to bow down to that thing and her filthy-blood son!¡¯ Sarah thought. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah nodded with a satisfied smile, "You did a good job. I¡¯ll reward you later. Now let¡¯s go in and let me have a look at that old woman. I can¡¯t wait to make her scream until she tells us where Katherine and her son are."


    Sarah left her car and followed her subordinates, who led her inside a big abandoned shed.


    Sarah stood in front of the rusty door and said, "Open the door. I want to see that old bitch¡¯s face," Sarah ordered, and two of her subordinates grabbed each side of the big door and opened it slowly, giving a grand opening for Sarah.


    Sarah had a terrible smirk plastered on her face. She was so excited that she could barely contain herself, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the person sitting on the chair directly facing her.


    It was not Dahlia.


    In fact, it was not an old woman at all.


    It was an old man that Sarah recognized immediately, "Dad?"


    Klaus¡¯ eyes darkened when he saw his daughter in front of him. He crossed his arms and asked, "What are you doing here, Sarah?"


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing here, Dad?" Sarah tried to change the topic. "Why are you here in the abandoned shed with my subordinates?"


    "Your subordinates? They are all mine to begin with. I simply allow you to use their skill to protect you and push Katherine away from Henry, just as you told me. But how come you¡¯re here expecting them to kidnap an old lady?" Klaus interrogated.


    "Kidnapping an old lady? W¡ªWhat are you talking about, Dad?" Sarah continued playing dumb. Deep in her heart, she knew it was over for her, but she tried to calm down and find a way to fool her father again.


    It worked every single time, but now, she was uncertain.


    "You don¡¯t need to hide anything, Sarah. Your father already knows everything."


    Sarah darted her eyes at someone who walked out of the darkness to approach her father. It was none other than Duke Henry of York, smirking at her while casually patting the Earl of Lancaster¡¯s shoulder, "Earl Klaus knows that you¡¯re the one who helped my late father and biological mother murder James, threw my mother into that mental hospital, and also persuaded my father to ambush Katherine."


    Sarah gulped, she knew that she was screwed, but at the same time, she had to fight this because Klaus was her only savior right now.


    "And what kind of proof do you have, Henry? Do you think my father will believe your words over his daughter¡¯s?"


    "He has surveillance cameras, prescription, multiple eye-witnesses, including all the people that worked to cover the case, such as the head of the mental hospital, the detective that helped cover James¡¯ death, and also all of my subordinates that you used to kidnap an old woman," Klaus replied instead. His face was full of wrath, looking at his daughter, who stood like an idiot in front of him.


    When the old man George and the young Duke came to him with all the evidence, Klaus was still doubtful that his little princess could do so many heinous things. After all, Sarah had been well-mannered, albeit somewhat spoiled, since she was a kid.


    But with all the hard evidence pointing at her, Klaus only needed one more push to finally believe Henry.


    After Henry got insider information about Sarah¡¯s plan to kidnap Dahlia, he staged this fake kidnapping with all of Sarah¡¯s men who had turned on her and had Klaus witness everything firsthand so he knew how vicious his sweet daughter was.


    Henry was satisfied with the shock and fear in Sarah¡¯s eyes. He wished that Kate was here with him so she could witness the fate of the woman who ruined their lives.


    "I¡ªIt¡¯s all part of his plan, Dad!" Sarah pointed at Henry. "This man and that bitch, Katherine, planned to ruin my life. They forged everything!"


    "ENOUGH, SARAH!" Klaus¡¯ voice was like thunder in a clear sky for Sarah. This was the first time Klaus ever raised his voice against her. "I¡¯ve had enough of this. I can¡¯t let you walk around free, but I also can¡¯t marry you of to anyone because you might ruin his life as well. So you will stay inside our mansion for the rest of your life; even after my death, I will arrange for people to watch over you!"


    Sarah knew that was her life sentence. She would spend the rest of her life as a prisoner in her mansion.


    She shook her head vehemently as she couldn¡¯t believe that she had been defeated by Henry. She stepped back and muttered, "No, I don¡¯t want that! NO!"


    Sarah wanted to leave, but Klaus quickly ordered his men, "Arrest Lady Sarah! Don¡¯t let her escape!"


    Sarah was pushed to the ground as these men who once worked for her suddenly turned against her.

 Chapter 491

    Chapter 491: Chapter 491"AH! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE YOU HURT ME LIKE THIS!" Sarah began to lose grip over herself. She screamed like a madwoman and glared at Henry, who stood behind Klaus, grinning maliciously as he enjoyed the sight of Sarah¡¯s struggle. "JUST WAIT AND SEE, HENRY! I DON¡¯T FUCKING NEED THAT TITLE ANYMORE. ALL I WANT IS TO KILL YOUR SON! I WILL SNAP THAT KID¡¯S NECK WITH MY OWN HANDS!"


    Henry¡¯s grin faltered a bit when he heard that. He knew that Sarah had been stripped of her power entirely, but that didn¡¯t mean he would be happy hearing all those threats. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m sorry that you witnessed this, Earl Klaus. I want to have a peaceful life with my future wife and son. I don¡¯t want her to interfere," Henry said to Klaus.


    Klaus looked at his daughter and clenched his fists.


    His heart was burning with rage and guilt. He blamed himself for everything that had happened, "This is my fault for spoiling her rotten. I shouldn¡¯t have given her all my power and connections. I simply thought she could make good use of it," Klaus turned his head at Henry and said, "I¡¯m sorry for everything my daughter did. I know what she did is unspeakable, but if Duke Henry still has some kindness in your heart, I hope you can let me handle her. I will make sure she can no longer step out of her room."


    "As in for the damage that had been done, if you want to hurt her, please hurt me instead. I will pay for her sins," Klaus offered.


    Henry was still unsatisfied, obviously.


    He wanted Sarah to get guillotined if it was possible. Unfortunately, he already promised the old man that he wouldn¡¯t kill Sarah or hurt Klaus.


    So he nodded reluctantly, "I will let bygones be bygones because my late brother won¡¯t want me to stain my hands with blood. But, this is your last chance, Earl Klaus. If I saw Sarah¡¯s face again after this, then I will be the one who executed her."


    Klaus nodded heavily, "I understand, please forgive me. I will bring her back to the UK and imprison her in her room."


    "No, you can¡¯t do this to me, Dad! How dare you take his side instead of mine? Am I not your daughter!?" Sarah yelled.


    "Shut up, Sarah! You should¡¯ve been grateful that he allowed you to leave. If I were him, I¡¯d kill you with my own hands!" Earl Klaus yelled back. "So shut your mouth. We will fly to London by tomorrow morning!"


    Henry watched as Sarah was forcefully dragged by Klaus¡¯ subordinates and returned to their penthouse before leaving tomorrow.


    Of course, Henry wouldn¡¯t be assured until they returned to London. So he sent his men to guard the penthouse, ensuring Sarah and Klaus returned to the UK.


    Henry stood in the middle of the abandoned shed. He took out his wallet to see the picture of a pregnant woman smiling at the camera.


    It was Kate when she was six months pregnant. He took her picture and put it in his wallet as a reminder of the woman who owned his heart. Many emotions were clashing in his mind whenever he saw her face. Nevertheless, he wanted to meet her to make it clear that she couldn¡¯t run away from him, "Soon, Katherine, Theodore," Henry murmured.


    **


    Sarah was forced to enter the car, and they drove back to the penthouse in New York City. She tried as hard as she could to break free from the men who gripped her wrists, "You can¡¯t do this to me, Dad. I¡¯m an adult. I have all the right to do whatever the fuck I want!"


    "You¡¯re not an adult when you can¡¯t think like one," Klaus said. "You act like a kid who will throw a dangerous tantrum when you don¡¯t get what you want, so I will treat you as such. I will ground you inside your room for the rest of your life, Sarah Stone Lancaster."


    "Do you believe everything that he said? He has a grudge against me because I want to kick his Mistress! This is all because Katherine wants him all for herself!"


    "So you staged an attempted murder on her? When did I ever teach you to do that?"


    "I just did what¡¯s necessary!"


    "You are too extreme. I never expected my sweet daughter to turn into a deranged psychopath," Klaus said. Again, he was hurt knowing that he had failed as a father, but he couldn¡¯t do much now that his daughter had claimed the lives of many people. "I¡¯m disgusted and angry with you, Sarah."


    Sarah gritted her teeth. She finally hit rock bottom now. She could not escape her father¡¯s judgment, "So you¡¯ve turned against me as well, huh? Do you like that bitch Katherine too?"


    "I¡¯ve never even seen her in person. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s innocent or not, but I know for a fact that she¡¯s not a deranged psychopath who will destroy a family just because she doesn¡¯t get what she wants," Klaus replied. He looked over his shoulder, staring at Sarah, who looked resentful. "And wipe that resentment off your face, Sarah. You did this to yourself. I¡¯m also protecting you from Duke Henry¡¯s wrath because I still care about your life as my daughter."


    "Haha, if you care about your daughter, you should¡¯ve taken her side no matter what," Sarah said.


    "I want to, but your crimes are so cruel that my conscience told me not to," Klaus said. "Now shut your mouth, and let¡¯s go back tomorrow."


    Sarah stared at her father, who was sitting at the front. She never really liked her father because he wasn¡¯t as ambitious as she wished him to be.


    Now that he had turned his back on her as well, she wished nothing but to put a bullet hole at the back of his head, probably more than two, just in case this fat man survived.

 Chapter 492

    Chapter 492: Chapter 492Earl Klaus entered the penthouse, followed by Sarah, who was still being restrained by two men.


    Unfortunately, no matter how much she struggled, she was no match against them, so she simply followed inside the penthouse.


    Klaus sat on the sofa and looked at his daughter, who was still looking at him resentfully. His lips thinned, knowing he was to blame for what happened to Sarah.


    "I don¡¯t know what I did wrong until you turned out to be like this, Sarah. I feel ashamed thinking that I¡¯d meet with my wife again in the afterlife, telling her that I¡¯ve failed as a father," Klaus murmured.


    Sarah¡¯s mother, Nathalia, died when Sarah was only three.


    Klaus didn¡¯t want to remarry out of heartbreak, so he vowed to raise Sarah himself, hoping to be a good father who taught his daughter to be a great lady in the future. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And now he realized that he had failed.


    "Don¡¯t bring my mother into this. I fucking hate her," Sarah said.


    Klaus¡¯ eyes widened, "How could you say that to your own mother?! She loves you until her last breath!"


    "And do I need to reciprocate her love?" Sarah sneered. "That woman is a lowborn. You married a commoner woman with filthy blood. That¡¯s why I have to marry up. I have to be a Duchess so I can be a true noble. I did everything because you decided to be a selfish asshole!"


    Klaus gritted his teeth, "What has gotten into you, Sarah Stone Lancaster? Did I ever teach you to care about this? There is no point in worrying about a noble title. There¡¯s not much you can do with it anyway!"


    "That noble title will make me a better woman than my mother will ever be! I will be a great lady praised by everyone!" Sarah yelled. "My mother must be rotting in hell right now because she doesn¡¯t know her place as a commoner!"


    Klaus had had enough of Sarah¡¯s antics. He thought Sarah would eventually learn the error of her way, but looking at her reaction, it was fairly obvious that she wouldn¡¯t change.


    "Your mother was an amazing woman. She was kind and gentle. She was a great mother until her passing, and I will never forget how she told me to look after our daughter after her passing," Klaus recalled about his wife. His eyes began to pool with tears as remembering Nathalia reminded him of the good life he once had.


    "And she was a commoner," Sarah rolled her eyes. "I don¡¯t give a damn whether she was kind or whatever. The most important thing in this world is status. You cannot do anything without your status, EARL Klaus."


    Klaus wiped his tears and said, "Put her inside her room and lock it from outside. She¡¯s not allowed to leave until tomorrow when we have the earliest flight back to London."


    Sarah glared at her father and said, "You will regret this, Klaus. I will fucking kill you in your sleep."


    "You are not a kid anymore, Sarah. Stop acting like a child and take responsibility for your actions," Klaus replied.


    He watched as the men pushed her into her room and locked it from outside so she wouldn¡¯t be able to harm others anymore.


    "You two should guard outside. Just in case Henry wants to kill her," Klaus said, as he knew Henry was still bloodthirsty.


    They were lucky enough that Duke Henry didn¡¯t unleash his rage on all of them because even Klaus wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if Sarah was killed by Henry.


    Klaus glanced at Sarah¡¯s room. There seemed to be no struggle from the other side, which was relieving.


    He thought he had to tie her up so she wouldn¡¯t escape, "I guess she has resigned to her fate."


    Honestly, Klaus was also hurting when he treated his sweet daughter like this, but all the hard evidence Henry presented couldn¡¯t be ignored, "I¡¯m sorry, my sweet little princess. But this is for the best. I don¡¯t want you to hurt even more people for your ambition."


    **


    Sarah had been sitting on the bed for the whole time. She kept checking the clock on the wall, counting every second.


    She clenched her fists as she bore a grudge against her father.


    "You pulled all of my support and said you would lock me up inside my room in the mansion for the rest of my life, heh," Sarah scoffed. "Dad, I am a woman of ambition. If I don¡¯t get what I want, I will just bring everyone down with me, starting with you."


    Sarah grinned as she waited until it was midnight. Then she got up, took a spare key from inside the drawer, and easily unlocked the door.


    She opened the door slowly and peeked around to make sure that nobody was inside the penthouse. When she saw an empty living room, she was convinced that her Dad¡¯s subordinates were guarding outside.


    It might seem impossible to escape, but Sarah had a lot of ideas in her mind. Her ambition won¡¯t be quenched so easily after all.


    Thus, Sarah went inside her father¡¯s room and saw Klaus sleeping soundly on the bed under a dim light.


    Sarah raised her brow and muttered, "I thought I should¡¯ve kept you alive since you¡¯re my father. But I know if I let you off right now, you will help Henry to catch me again. I¡¯m sorry, Dad, but you¡¯re a pest for me right now."


    Sarah went to the kitchen, grabbed a sharp kitchen knife, and returned to her father¡¯s bedroom.


    She approached the bed and sat next to her father.


    Sarah aimed the knife right at his chest and stabbed his heart without mercy.


    "Urk!" Klaus opened his eyes instantly when he felt that sharp pain. He saw his daughter looking at him with a smirk, then looked at the knife planted on his chest.


    "Sa...rah?" He called her name, confused of what was happening.


    "It¡¯s your fault that you¡¯re not useful anymore, Dad," Sarah said as she made the second stab in his throat and let him die on the bed.

 Chapter 493

    Chapter 493: Chapter 493[Warning: Violence/Disturbing scene.]


    Sarah left her father bleeding to death on his bed while she looked around, trying to find a way to escape the guards outside.


    She was currently inside a penthouse, so she could not jump out of the window.


    She needed something to distract those guards, and as she looked around, she noticed the stove in the kitchen.


    Sarah smirked as she found her way out, "As expected, I will not be defeated, not when I haven¡¯t gotten my revenge on her."


    Sarah went to the kitchen, turned on the stove, and put all kinds of easily flammable material around the penthouse. She wanted the smoke detector to ring. It would be even better if the whole apartment building burned to the ground, as it would be easier for her to escape if everyone was so distracted.


    She didn¡¯t care for the lives of everyone in this building. The most important thing right now was to escape no matter what!


    The fire quickly swallowed all the flammables that Sarah threw, and as the fire got bigger and bigger, Sarah hid in the small storage room near the entrance and waited until the smoke detector rang.


    The door was slammed open, and the guards panicked when they saw the thick smoke inside the penthouse.


    "Lord Klaus! Lady Sarah!" They yelled as they rushed to save their master and mistress.


    Sarah knew that was the cue for her to escape. She opened the door slowly and realized the thick smoke had filled the room.


    She didn¡¯t waste her chance. The moment the smoke swallowed the guards, she dashed out of the storage room, grabbed the key, and locked the door from outside, making sure the guards would also die in the smoke.


    Sarah smirked as she pocketed the key, "This is what happens when you betray me, father. You will burn in hell with those subordinates of yours while I can have a fresh start somewhere."


    Sarah knew she didn¡¯t need to worry about the guards chasing her. The whole floor was covered with smoke already, and it was enough distraction for her to escape smoothly.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t use the elevator because the fire would swallow the whole building eventually, so she used the emergency exit. She pushed herself to her limit, and her adrenaline kicked in as she descended twenty floors until she found the exit door.


    She heard all the screams coming from each floor she passed, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    However, she had to admit a scream from a child made her stop for a moment, not because she pitied them. She was just amused by his scream and wondered how good it would be once she could finally get her hands on Kate and Henry¡¯s son.


    Sarah left through the exit door directly connecting to the small alleyway next to the apartment building.


    As she stepped out, she realized someone had called the fire brigade shortly after she had escaped the penthouse. Many fire trucks lined up outside the alley, with their deafening siren to warn everyone around. So there was a big chance almost everyone would survive the fire she had set.


    "Who the fuck called the fire brigade so early?!" Sarah complained as she realized that her plan might fail.


    "I called them."


    Sarah turned her head once she heard a man¡¯s voice in the alleyway.


    There, she saw Henry wearing a black trench coat. He leaned on the wall while crossing his arms, staring straight at Sarah with his snake-like green eyes.


    The alleyway was dark, but the light from the fire trucks gave her a glimpse of his appearance.


    He still looked handsome, but he had completely lost his youthful glimmer.


    He looked grim and hostile.


    For a split second, Sarah thought she was staring at Marlon.


    Sarah was caught off guard by Henry, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t run away, knowing Henry must¡¯ve prepared his subordinates to trap her escape.


    "H¡ªHow could you¡ª"


    "Find you here?" Henry scoffed. "I knew that you¡¯d pull a stunt like this, so I called the fire brigade and the policemen in case you escaped," Henry said. "You can¡¯t leave through the main door, so the emergency exit door is the only place you can use to escape."


    Henry took a gun from his coat pocket and pointed it towards Sarah, "You must¡¯ve known that my aim is very good, Sarah. You saw me in the shooting range when I was in university before. So I won¡¯t miss this shot."


    Sarah swallowed her saliva nervously. Her life was in his hands right now, so she wanted to find a way to escape before she got killed first.


    "Do you not realize what you¡¯re doing right now, Henry? Killing me won¡¯t give you any benefit," Sarah said. "I¡¯ve killed my father, and I have nobody to rely on. There¡¯s no way I can touch Kate and your son anymore."


    "You¡¯re right. You won¡¯t be able to touch Kate and Theo," Henry said grimly. "But killing you will give me peace of mind, knowing the rat who ruined my family is dead."


    "Will you stain your hands with blood? I¡¯m sure Kate will be sad knowing that her man is a murderer," Sarah continued to manipulate the situation, hoping that Henry would hesitate.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work against Henry as he held the gun tighter. He put his finger on the trigger, ready to shoot anytime soon.


    "What do you know about us, Sarah," Henry said. "Katherine won¡¯t hate me just because I killed the bitch who planned to hurt our son. She will be relieved hearing about your death, and there¡¯s nothing to worry about. She will return to me."


    Though Henry said it with utmost persistence, Sarah could pick up the moment of doubt from him. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sarah knew that Kate was Henry¡¯s biggest weakness, and as much as she hated that fact, she knew it was a key to her successful escape.


    "And what if she doesn¡¯t want to return at all? Maybe she¡¯s fed up with you and everything around you. Isn¡¯t that why she left?" Sarah taunted.

 Chapter 494

    Chapter 494: Chapter 494"Honestly, what¡¯s the point of doing this anyway? You worked so hard to build your company, merging it with Grant Estate, and even went as far as accepting the title of Duke of York," Sarah continued. "But even with all those achievements, are you really sure that Kate will return?"


    "She left because of you. You traumatized her during the most important moment in her life. You threatened her and her son¡¯s life," Henry said. "As long as you¡¯re dead, then she will return."


    "What if she already has someone else? Maybe she already replaced you," Sarah said.


    "She doesn¡¯t have anyone else," Henry continued denying. He relied on all the information his mother gave because he didn¡¯t want to inquire further, knowing it would only hurt him. "Even if she does, then I can just kill that bastard who dares to touch my woman, and bring my family back."


    "You¡¯re doing too much for a woman who doesn¡¯t love you, Henry," Sarah continued her method to shake Henry¡¯s belief. This man might look intimidating and strong, but he was still fragile, especially after Kate left him.


    With only a small persuasion, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to make Henry give up his meaningless chase over Kate and finally accept her as a Duchess.


    "If she loves you, she wouldn¡¯t run away with your son. She¡¯s a selfish coward who¡¯s not suitable to stand by your side. She¡¯s not meant for you," Sarah said. "But I am. Don¡¯t you see how desperate I am? I may not be a kind woman, but I¡¯m sure as hell to stand by your side no matter what. I¡¯m not a coward like Katherine."


    "Killing my brother, throwing my mother into a mental asylum, ambushing my woman and my child are not cowardly moves to you?" Henry snorted. "You make me laugh, Sarah. Besides, Kate went through hell to carry my baby. She IS my only one. There¡¯s no one else."


    "But you¡¯re not her only one, Henry!" Sarah insisted. "She¡¯s gorgeous, I admit that. She could seduce you, James, and even Graham. What makes you think that you¡¯re special? She can just seduce another rich man and move on!"


    "She won¡¯t do that," Henry¡¯s gaze turned cold instantly. "Katherine is a loyal woman. Even if we¡¯re separated right now, she still keeps herself away from another man."


    "That¡¯s what YOU want to believe. But you don¡¯t know what¡¯s in her heart. She left you when you were in a critical condition after saving her, what makes you think that she can¡¯t betray you twice?" Sarah asked. She noticed the hesitation in Henry¡¯s face, followed by his silence as he had no way to refute her claim.


    It was like a poison that was injected inside his body, eating him from inside and making him doubtful whether Kate had truly moved on from him or not.


    He did everything for Kate and Theo, and if Kate already moved on, then there was no point in living anymore because everything he did was in vain.


    "That¡¯s right, Henry," Sarah tried to approach Henry slowly, thinking she had successfully poisoned his mind with doubt. "You should forget about Kate. She is not good enough for you. She will only betray you again. She is a skank¡ª"


    BANG!


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened, her mouth was wide open, and she gasped when she realized what had just happened.


    Henry shot her right on her chest, and she slumped to the ground, spasming while looking up at Henry, "H¡ªHenry, I... We..."


    Henry aimed his gun at her head and...


    BANG!


    He shot her right on her forehead, killing her immediately.


    "You talk too much," Henry said coldly. "You have no right to question Kate¡¯s heart when you¡¯re the reason why she left. I should¡¯ve killed you long ago, Sarah Lancaster." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry spat on the corpse before he pocketed his gun. Everyone was so busy trying to control the fire and help the victims escape the burning building, so nobody noticed the murder in the alleyway.


    Henry made sure that Sarah would lay dead for a while, probably getting chewed by many rats in the process, before someone finally discovered her rotten corpse.


    It was the justice that she deserved after being a rat who brought the plague into his family. Henry¡¯s family wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was still livable for Henry until Sarah came and ruined everything just for her weird ambition to be a Duchess, which Henry found utterly foolish.


    ¡¯I¡¯ve become a Duke simply to destroy her noble house. To show her that none of this matters in the end...¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯But Kate said that she read a lot of royal romance as a teenager, so she once daydreamed of becoming a Queen or a Duchess. I hope my status will be enough to interest her...¡¯


    Henry might look unfeeling and rigid from the outside, but he was still the same young man who fell in love deeply with Katherine almost three years ago.


    He had his insecurities, and after Kate left, his insecurities only worsened.


    Other than for her security, he piled up all of this wealth and status to convince Kate that he was now a capable man.


    They didn¡¯t need to worry about anything now, and Kate could spend the rest of her life at ease.


    She didn¡¯t need to work and could spend her life wasting as much money as she wanted, though Henry knew that Kate wasn¡¯t that type of woman.


    She was an independent lady who didn¡¯t need to rely on anyone. Even now, his mother told him that Kate had a comfortable life in Maine with all her money.


    She was rich and would continue to be rich for the rest of her life.


    And that was also one thing that gave him doubt.


    ¡¯Kate doesn¡¯t need my money. I have a lot of it, yet she can live comfortably on her own...¡¯ Henry thought. ¡¯What should I do if she rejects me because I offer nothing but money?¡¯

 Chapter 495

    Chapter 495: Chapter 495Henry was so anxious that he didn¡¯t realize Michael was standing at the other end of the alleyway, waiting for him to finish the job.


    "Did you do it?" Michael asked, snapping Henry out of his daze.


    "I did," Henry replied lightly. "That bitch is dead, finally."


    Michael nodded.


    He clenched his fist as he felt he should be the one who killed Sarah. He was Henry¡¯s right-hand man, after all, and he also had his grudge against that cunt.


    But Henry insisted, saying that he should be the one to end it all.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have stained your hand with her blood," Michael said as he felt guilty. "It¡¯s my job."


    "And it¡¯s also your job to obey my command," Henry rebuked. "Kate doesn¡¯t need to know about what I did. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t hate me for it. She was the one who meticulously planned Erin¡¯s frozen hell. She is far more than just a sweet lady."


    Henry glanced at Michael, who still looked guilty, and said, "Besides, you have something else to worry about."


    "Something else?"


    "Yes, Mai," Henry said. "Kate told you to follow your heart¡¯s desire, right? Then why haven¡¯t you dated her? It¡¯s been two years, and you¡¯re not making a move yet?"


    Michael sighed; he opened the car door for his boss and walked around the car to the driver seat.


    They drove away from the crime scene as they were done with Sarah.


    "You haven¡¯t given me an answer, Michael," Henry reminded.


    "Mai said that she will not be in a relationship for the time being," Michael replied. His eyes were still on the road while he thought of his cute yet fierce bunny. "She¡¯s too busy handling all the workload in the Empress Publishing. But Kate was right. Mai really has the talent to be just like her. She has successfully maintained the publishing company, even went as far as handling all the top authors that Kate had before."


    "You know Kate will most likely retire from her position in the publishing company after we reunite, right?" Henry warned.


    "I know. I think Mai is just finding a reason to reject me. But she once told me that she can¡¯t date anyone, not when she doesn¡¯t know about her sister¡¯s fate."


    ...


    Henry could only lean on the seat while staring at the city lights, "Mai is very attached to Kate. I understand her."


    "You do?"


    "Yeah," Henry nodded. "Because I am also attached to Kate. I once told myself that maybe I didn¡¯t need her. Maybe I should move on, just like she wished, and find another woman who will stay by my side and love me back."


    "Yet, when I went on a formal dinner date with another woman once, I felt like a shit husband," Henry scoffed. "I felt like I¡¯ve cheated on my wife even though Kate and I aren¡¯t officially tied yet, and that shitty feeling lingered for at least a month; after that, I just cut all contact with other women completely and focused on my work so we can reunite."


    "Maybe it¡¯s my fault that I can¡¯t let go," Henry said. "But she owns my heart completely. It¡¯s unfair that she just left, carrying half of my soul."


    ...


    Michael listened to Henry¡¯s ramble and could sense his fragile heart.


    Henry was very intimidating and unfeeling to other people outside. But Michael knew well that Henry was still the same.


    He simply lost his ability to care for anything other than his beloved, which showed how ruthless he was in business.


    He said that he loved Kate, but at the same time, Michael could hear him cursing Kate for leaving once or twice when he was super stressed out.


    So he was worried that Henry might burst when he finally reunited with Kate.


    "What will you do once you meet her, Henry?" Michael asked.


    "... I don¡¯t know," Henry replied. "There are too many conflicting emotions in my mind right now."


    "Whatever you will do next, I hope you won¡¯t hurt her," Michael suggested, and Henry gave a scoff and a sneer as a response;


    "Hurting her? I¡¯d kill myself first before I hurt her. I am angry at her, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will hurt the love of my life," Henry said. "Don¡¯t ask me about this, Michael. This topic is not something I¡¯d like to talk about with anyone, not even you or my mother." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Michael nodded and went silent after that, focusing on the road.


    Henry removed his wallet and stared at the picture of pregnant Katherine again.


    He clenched his wallet, unable to discern his feelings.


    ¡¯What will I do once we reunite, Katherine? Will I forgive you? Or will I lash out at you for leaving me?¡¯ Henry asked himself.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t know what will happen. I resent you so much, yet I still love you dearly. But, this is a torture that you put me through, so I can finally get my shit together, right, Katherine?¡¯


    The more Henry remembered what Kate did, the more resentful he felt.


    Yet simultaneously, he couldn¡¯t ignore the excitement and joy he felt with the idea of reuniting with Kate and Theo.


    Thus, Henry put his wallet inside his suit and grabbed his phone.


    He called his mother, and the call was connected soon after;


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Son?"


    "It¡¯s done, Mom. That rat is dead," Henry replied grimly. "I shot her twice."


    ...


    "You know what that means, right?" Henry said. "You promised to finally let me see Kate after I killed that bitch."


    ...


    Dahlia was honestly surprised by how scarily efficient and cold-blooded Henry was.


    But she was the one who promised him that she would finally reveal Kate¡¯s location once he did the job.


    So she couldn¡¯t back down now.


    "Before that, promise me that you will never hurt Kate or force her to return if she doesn¡¯t want to," Dahlia said.


    ...


    "We never had that deal before, mother. Don¡¯t try to change the requisite now," Henry insisted. "Tell me where she is."


    Dahlia sighed.


    Ultimately, she could only hope that Henry was calm and sane when facing Kate.


    "She is in Camden, Maine."


    ¡ª

 Chapter 496: Reunion, Rage, and Resentment

    Chapter 496: Chapter 496: Reunion, Rage, and Resentment"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, dear Theodore... happy birthday to you!"


    They were celebrating Theo¡¯s birthday in the bakery. It was Saturday, Kate closed the store for a day and decorated the bakery with all sorts of birthday decorations for her son.


    But Kate still opened the door in case a customer came. She didn¡¯t want to sell anything today, but she already prepared a bag of sweets for every customer that came as a way to celebrate Theo¡¯s birthday.


    Theodore stared at his Mom, Tom, and Maya standing before him. They all cheered for him, and the toddler laughed happily as it was natural for him to do so when everyone he loved gathered in one place.


    Theo was even happier when he shifted his gaze at the cute birthday cake with a number ¡¯2¡¯ candle.


    "You can blow it now, Theo!" Kate said as she saw Theo excitedly blowing out the candle and got even more cheers and applause from his Mama, Tom, and Maya.


    "Thank you, Mama, Tom, Maya! Cake!" Theo said excitedly as he dipped his hand inside the cake and ate it without asking.


    "Wait, you need¡ªOkay, guess we don¡¯t need the paper plate," Kate could only sigh and shake her head. But she kept her smile as she found her son¡¯s demeanor amusing.


    Theo was now two years old, very athletic and intelligent. Yet, he seemed to have little to no self-control, even going as far as ignoring his mother¡¯s warning or instruction when he wanted to do something he liked or ate his favorite food, such as cake.


    In a sense, he was becoming more like his father, Henry.


    Kate found it funny, but she was also slightly concerned as Theo might have trouble paying attention in the future if he kept ignoring everything that he disliked.


    "It¡¯s okay, Kate. It¡¯s his birthday," Maya comforted. "Though, you should probably teach him more restraint in the future."


    Kate nodded while watching Theo happily dipping his hands into the cake and eating even more chocolate, "He has trouble focusing and staying calm. Maybe he has ADHD. I have to get him diagnosed when he¡¯s older."


    Theo finally stopped eating after a while, grabbed a handful of cake, and shoved his hand to his Mom¡¯s face, "Mama, cake!"


    "Remember what I told you, Theo. You can¡¯t do that, right?" Kate said as she gently handed a paper plate to her son. "Put the cake here and give it to me."


    "Un!" Theo dropped the cake in his hand to the paper plate and smiled proudly as he offered the cake again to his Mom. "Mama, eat cake!"


    Kate smiled and ate the cake with a small wooden spoon. Of course, she had to be patient to teach her son. He was only two years old, and Henry had warned her about how much of a little devil he was growing up.


    "Well, why don¡¯t you give some to Tom and Maya?" Kate said as she handed two more paper plates, telling her son to drop two more pieces of cake for them.


    "Give Papa a slice, Theo."


    Everyone in the bakery turned their heads at the same time when they heard a deep voice from the door.


    They saw a tall and menacing man standing at the door with a grim smile as he looked down on everyone.


    He scanned everyone inside the store, and his gaze turned icy when his eyes met with Kate, whose face instantly turned pale.


    Henry scoffed, "What¡¯s wrong, Katherine? Am I not welcomed here? It¡¯s my son¡¯s birthday. I¡¯ve come to see him."


    Henry turned his gaze at the little boy. He tried to smile, but it had been a while since he had a genuine smile. So it came off as scary, "Come here, Son. I¡¯m your Papa."


    Theo looked at the big and scary man in front of him, and his eyes pooled with tears instantly.


    "M¡ªMama! Mama!" Theo jumped out of his chair and ran towards Kate. He hid behind Kate¡¯s thighs as he got scared.


    Kate tried to cover Theo with her body. She stood bravely in front of Henry even though her legs were shaking out of fear and guilt.


    "Maya, take Theo upstairs," Kate said.


    "Okay," Maya glanced at the scary man at the door. His gaze sent a chill down her spine. He was like a snake that would kill if you weren¡¯t careful.


    She grabbed Theodore and tried to carry him upstairs, but Theo began to struggle, "No! Mama!"


    Kate smiled at her son to appease him, "Don¡¯t worry, Theo. Mama will talk with this Uncle, okay?"


    "... un," Theo nodded and went upstairs with Maya.


    ¡¯UNCLE?!¡¯


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened. He clenched his fist as he was having difficulty controlling his rage.


    After two years of separation, Kate hadn¡¯t told their son the truth?!


    ¡¯Could it be that my fear was right? Another man has replaced me. She moves on, and I¡¯m the only one stuck in the past.¡¯ S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both sorrow and rage began to consume him, but before he could do anything, Tom suddenly blocked the path between him and Kate.


    He said nothing but stood firmly, ensuring Henry would not do anything crazy to Kate.


    "You need to leave, Tom. This has nothing to do with you," Kate said.


    Tom looked over his shoulder and shook his head, "I can¡¯t leave you alone here. Not when he¡¯s looking at you like he¡¯s going to kill you."


    "You should do as she says, ¡¯Tom,¡¯" Henry sneered. "Step aside before I put a bullet hole in your forehead."


    Tom shook his head, "I¡¯m sorry, Master Grant. But I cannot do that. I can¡¯t let you hurt her. I¡ªhurk!"


    Tom was caught off guard when Henry suddenly stretched his hand and strangled him.


    Henry tightened his hand around Tom¡¯s neck and said, "I won¡¯t hurt her, but I can kill you instead."


    "H¡ªHenry, let him go!" Kate yelled as she was scared that Henry would actually hurt Tom.

 Chapter 497

    Chapter 497: Chapter 497Kate stood between Henry and Tom. She tried to push Henry away so he would let go of Tom before the latter died out of asphyxiation.


    Henry glared at Kate, who desperately tried to break them off, "Is this the man who has replaced me?" Henry scoffed out of irony. "You had moved on after two years, huh? Do you know what kind of hell I went through so I can meet you again, Katherine?!"


    "He¡¯s just my employee! Oh God, Henry, stop this! You¡¯re going to kill him!" Kate got hysterical as she saw Tom begin to struggle to break free, but Henry was so immersed in his anger that he didn¡¯t listen.


    "You¡¯re protecting him! You wouldn¡¯t protect him like this if he¡¯s just an employee!" Henry yelled back. "How could you do this to me, Katherine? I spent two years in hell for you! And you replaced me!"


    "No!"


    "Did you sleep with him already? Does he live with you right now? Katherine, you¡ª!"


    PA!


    Henry was caught off guard when Kate suddenly slapped him. He was dazed for a moment and released Tom.


    Tom fell on the floor, blood gradually rushed into his brain, and he coughed a few times as he thought he was a goner a few seconds ago.


    Henry stared at Kate, who glared back with tears, "Never in my mind had I ever thought of replacing you, Henry Grant."


    "Katherine..."


    "You can be angry at me. You can hit me if you want, but I won¡¯t let you hurt an innocent man!" Kate stated firmly. "This is between you and I."


    ...


    Henry didn¡¯t budge but kept staring at Kate, who was glaring at her.


    Finally, her eyes were on him again for the first time in two years.


    Her lips called out his name, and her tears dropped because of him.


    Kate had become a ravishing, mature lady. She was gorgeous and looked even more so after she was free from the terror and exhaustion when she was with Henry before.


    Two years had passed, and it looked like she hadn¡¯t aged one bit. It made him wonder if he was the only one suffering the whole time.


    Nevertheless, they finally reunited after two grueling years, and Henry wanted nothing but to feel her. Henry slowly melted out of lingering fondness as he could finally embrace his beloved again.


    "Kitty..." he murmured.


    Rage and resentment continued to battle each other inside his heart, but he knew for sure that he would never hurt his beloved woman.


    Henry opened his arms, and Kate flinched for a second, afraid that Henry would actually hit her for running away.


    So she closed her eyes and waited for her judgment.


    But she didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    Instead, she felt warmth as Henry hugged her and pulled her deeper into his chest.


    "Katherine, I missed you..." Henry murmured while kissing Kate¡¯s hair repeatedly.


    Kate was stunned for a while, unable to process what was happening.


    She had a lot of questions in her mind, especially about how Henry could find her again after two years.


    But she was more confused with their current situation with him embracing her.


    Shouldn¡¯t he hit her back? Maybe slap her for running away with their son. It was a fitting punishment for a coward like her.


    Henry embraced her in silence for a while until he heard a footstep, followed by the voice of an old lady, "I think you two need a space to talk privately. This area will get crowded soon."


    Henry looked over his shoulder and saw his mother smiling at him.


    Kate also tilted her head to check on Dahlia and got even more confused.


    How could they know about her location when she had been jumping from one hotel to another when she ran away two years ago?


    "Oh, don¡¯t give me that questioning look, Kate. I will tell you everything in detail once the situation has been settled," Dahlia said. "But for now, I think you two need to talk privately. Henry must¡¯ve been trying hard to control his emotions right now. I suggest you two go somewhere quiet."


    Kate shook her head, "I can¡¯t leave Theo alone."


    "I¡¯ll be here to take care of my grandson. It¡¯s been two years since the last time I saw him. He must¡¯ve looked like Henry when he was a toddler," Dahlia volunteered, but Kate shook her head again.


    "I¡ªI can¡¯t entrust him with you. I¡¯m sorry, Dahlia..."


    "Oh? Do you not trust me?" Dahlia sighed. Though she wanted to spend time alone with her grandson, she understood Kate¡¯s vigilance. "Then how about this... we will bring Theo with us, and we can drive somewhere quieter. You can talk with Henry outside of the car while I sit with my grandson. You don¡¯t need to worry about that, right?"


    Kate hesitated for a moment before she nodded.


    She knew that Henry wanted to talk to her, and she also had a lot of questions regarding Henry.


    She wondered how Henry could still remember a woman like her when he had a bright future in front of him.


    "Let me take Theo with me," Kate said as she tried to break free from Henry.


    Unfortunately, Henry didn¡¯t even give her a chance to separate herself. He tightened his hug and kept acting out of instinct because getting separated from Kate, even for just one second, was too painful for him.


    "H¡ªHenry, I need to take our son with us..." Kate said.


    "You might run away again..." Henry said.


    Kate sighed, "Then let¡¯s go up and take him with us together. Would that give you peace of mind?"


    Henry nodded, and he slowly released Kate from his embrace.


    He glared at Tom, who was watching the whole time, and said, "Leave now before I strangle you again."


    Kate smiled apologetically at Tom, "Don¡¯t worry, Tom. They are my family."


    Tom nodded; he looked at Henry and Kate, who quickly warmed up to each other after Henry¡¯s outburst just now. It was so obvious they were meant for each other.


    Tom clenched his fists and bowed politely, "I will return to Madam Grant after this. Thank you for your kindness and hospitality for two years, Ma¡¯am. I will never forget you." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 498

    Chapter 498: Chapter 498"Huh? What do you mean, Tom? How could you¡ª"


    "I will also explain that to you later," Dahlia interrupted. "Quick, take Theo with you, and we shall go somewhere less crowded."


    Kate nodded, though she had a lot of questions in her mind. She knew her priority.


    She went upstairs with Henry and saw Theo crying while being carried by Maya.


    "Thank God you¡¯re here, Kate," Maya said. "Theo has been crying nonstop."


    Theo struggled to break free from Maya as he was worried about his Mama¡¯s safety, "Mama! Mama!"


    Maya handed Theo to his mother, and Theo finally stopped crying. Though, he was still sobbing in his mother¡¯s arms.


    Kate patted Theo¡¯s back and said, "Maya, you must leave with Tom now. I¡¯ll have to go somewhere with Theo."


    "But, Kate, he is..." Maya glanced at the intimidating man standing right behind Kate, and her legs began to tremble. "A¡ªAre you sure you¡¯re okay?"


    Kate chuckled, "It¡¯s fine. He is Theo¡¯s... you know..."


    "Oh¡ª! Really?"


    "Mhm, he¡¯s here to talk with me after two years..." Kate said.


    Maya was finally convinced. She glanced at Henry for the last time before she went downstairs and left immediately.


    Theo looked at Henry, and he was about to cry again, looking at the scary man.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t want to hide anymore. So he tried to reach Henry and hit him with his small hand, much to Henry¡¯s amusement.


    "So, do you want to talk here or somewhere else?" Kate suggested. "You can talk here, Henry."


    "Let¡¯s go out. I want to go for a long drive to calm myself down," Henry said. "Everything is overwhelming for me, Katherine, and I¡¯m still trying to decide whether I should forgive you for running away." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate sighed.


    Of course, she had no intention of getting Henry¡¯s forgiveness. They were pretty much over the moment she left, and she had to live with the consequences.


    Though she wished deep in her heart that they could reunite as a family, her decision was too much to be forgiven.


    "Sure, I know a place in the city where we can talk quietly. I¡¯ve been here for two years, after all," Kate said.


    The last sentence stung Henry badly.


    He wanted to say that shouldn¡¯t have happened in the first place if she didn¡¯t run away.


    But he also knew if he let his emotions get the better of him, he¡¯d scare Kate and Theo, and it would only ruin his only chance to be with his family once more.


    ¡¯At this point, I don¡¯t understand why she doesn¡¯t show remorse after leaving me for two years. Has she moved on?¡¯ Henry had a lot of doubts in his heart, but he dared not to say it out loud, at least not when Theo was around, because his son was already quite hostile to him.


    They went downstairs and saw Dahlia standing alone with no sign of Tom and Maya, "They already left," Dahlia said with a mysterious smile. "So, why don¡¯t we go on a family trip together? It¡¯s been two years, right?"


    Kate peered suspiciously at Dahlia.


    The moment Tom addressed her as ¡¯Madam Grant¡¯ rang a bell in Kate¡¯s head.


    Could it be that Dahlia didn¡¯t keep her word and sent someone to spy on her for two years?


    Kate felt betrayed, but she also knew she had no place to point a finger when she betrayed Henry.


    So she simply nodded in silence and followed them into the car as they left the bakery.


    Kate sat at the back with Theo, while Dahlia and Henry sat at the front.


    "Tell me the location where we can have a level-headed conversation, Kate," Henry said with his eyes on the road. "I hope it¡¯s quite far from here because I need to cool down as well."


    Kate gave him the direction, and they drove away from the heart of Camden.


    Kate often went for a walk around the town on the weekend and found secret spots nobody knew about.


    One of them was a hidden path that led them to the other side of the river where she could spend her time in peace with Theo.


    Henry parked his car near the river and looked at the back seat, "I don¡¯t think we should take Theo with us. I don¡¯t know what will happen during our conversation."


    Kate nodded.


    This was her problem with Henry, and her son shouldn¡¯t know about it. She glanced at Dahlia and then patted Theo¡¯s head, "Theo, do you remember how you once asked about your Granny?"


    "Granny?"


    "Yes, your Granny is here to play with you," Kate said gently to soothe her son¡¯s uneasy heart.


    She pointed at Dahlia, who smiled at them and said, "That¡¯s your Granny. So, why don¡¯t you play with her first while Mama talks with your... Papa..."


    Theo was still scared to see his Papa, but he didn¡¯t seem to show any kind of fear towards his kind and sweet-looking Grandma.


    "Yes, Theo. Granny is here to play with you," Dahlia said. She carefully lifted Theo and put him on her lap. "Your Mama and Papa need to talk for a moment. So stay with me for a while, okay?"


    "Mama, no..." Theo looked at his mother worriedly, and Kate gave him an assuring smile.


    "Mama will return soon, so sit still with Granny, okay?"


    "Un," Theo looked at his Mom and muttered, "I love you, Mama..."


    "I love you too, Son."


    Kate and Henry finally exited the car and walked side by side to the river¡¯s edge.


    They stared at the river in silence for a while.


    Henry expected Kate to apologize immediately, while Kate expected Henry to spout all his anger and hatred before they completely moved on from each other.


    After all, they weren¡¯t meant for each other.


    The atmosphere around them was choking as neither wanted to start the conversation until Kate couldn¡¯t handle it anymore.


    She took a deep breath and stated, "If you want to hit me, then do it quick, Henry. Our son wouldn¡¯t be able to see us now. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity for you to unleash your rage and hatred," Kate said, clenching her fist as she braced herself. "I don¡¯t want Theo to hate his father because of this."

 Chapter 499

    Chapter 499: Chapter 499Henry turned his head towards Kate and stared at her in disbelief, "Is that what you think of me? A brute that will hurt his own woman and son just because I was angry?!"


    "No, I just..." Kate hesitated as she felt she was trying to compensate for her cruel act. "I left you when you were in a critical condition. I separated you from your son for two years. Your anger is justified, and I... I just want to give you a way to let go of your anger."


    "By beating you?"


    "... yes," Kate nodded firmly. "It¡¯s okay, Henry. I know I was wrong for leaving you. If beating me will give you peace of mind, then do it now."


    Henry clenched his fists until the veins popped on his hands. He grabbed Kate¡¯s shoulder and forced her to face him.


    Kate looked up and took a good look at the man she held dearly in her heart.


    She knew there was no turning back the moment Henry laid his hands on her, and then Kate could finally move on completely.


    Soon, she would be free from the shackle of guilt that haunted her for two years, and she wouldn¡¯t need to think about Henry every single night, wondering if he was with another woman or whether he was still holding a grudge against her.


    Kate smiled at Henry. This man was still the same handsome Henry Grant she fell in love with three years ago.


    Yet, Kate could see the trace of exhaustion and grief on his face. His bright blonde hair had gotten darker over time, indicating his maturity.


    Kate observed his eyes and realized that Henry had lost his luster. The reckless and naive young man that Kate knew had disappeared. Henry had turned into a mature man with deep mind because of her actions.


    She felt guilty for what she had done. That¡¯s why she tried to mend it by letting him unleash his pent-up rage and resentment.


    She slowly reached his cheek with her hand and caressed his jaw, "The past two years must¡¯ve been difficult for you, Henry. I can see your exhaustion, anger, grudge, resentment, and hatred towards me." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯ve done. I know you won¡¯t forgive me, so hit me now, and we can end it all."


    "End it all?! You want to end everything with me after what I¡¯ve been through?!" Henry raised his voice as he got even more upset. He then scoffed, "You have so much surprise for me, Katherine. I never expected you to be this cruel."


    "I¡ªI know there¡¯s no future for us. We¡¯re not meant to be together," Kate said. "I just assume you have a good life out there without Theo and me. After all, you¡¯re now the CEO of Silver Line, Master of the Grant family estate, and also the Duke of York."


    "And do you think I will forget you and Theo because of that stuff?"


    "W¡ªWell, you¡¯re now at a completely different level from what you were two years ago," Kate smiled bitterly. "You deserve a much better woman with the same social standing as you. You deserve a complete restart."


    "You¡ª" Henry was speechless.


    He didn¡¯t know why Kate was like this.


    In his mind, Kate should¡¯ve hugged his thighs by now, begging to be forgiven, crying because she knew she made a terrible mistake.


    Instead, Kate took this with dignity.


    She knew she was wrong, so she allowed Henry to hurt her if that would separate them for good.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about Theo and me. I will take care of him with all my heart," Kate assured. "So don¡¯t hesitate. I may be a woman, but I¡¯m a woman who hurt you. Hit me so I can finally forget you."


    Kate closed her eyes, ready for the hit from Henry.


    Yet, after a few seconds, she didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    Instead, she felt his warm lips touching hers, kissing her passionately as he unleashed all of the longing he bore for two years.


    Kate was caught off guard. She wanted to reject him at first but was soon drowned in this sea of desire and grief.


    She reciprocated his kiss and allowed Henry to wrap her body with his arms, pulling her deeper into his chest.


    Tears began to stream down from the corner of her eyes. She didn¡¯t know whether she should be happy or sad, knowing Henry still loved her after what had happened.


    Their lips were separated after some time.


    Kate and Henry looked at each other, and the only thing Kate could mutter was, "Why?"


    Kate shook her head, "I¡ªI don¡¯t understand, Henry. Why do you kiss me like that? Do you not realize how hard it is for me to let you go?"


    "I love you, Katherine," Henry said with absolute certainty.


    "You shouldn¡¯t!" Kate hit Henry¡¯s chest repeatedly, frustrated by what he did. "You idiot! You shouldn¡¯t love me after what I¡¯ve done! You deserve so much better! You¡ªI¡ªwe¡ª"


    Henry didn¡¯t feel anything when Kate hit his chest. But he was hurt seeing how her hit weakened, followed by silent sobs.


    "All this time, I know I was at fault for leaving. I was selfish and a coward," Kate confessed. "I was at my breaking point, so I don¡¯t expect you to still love me after I left."


    Henry took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, I am angry at you, Katherine. You left me after all that I¡¯ve done for you. You separated me from my son, and left me stranded for two years. I shouldn¡¯t have loved you after what happened."


    Henry gently wiped the tears on Kate¡¯s cheeks with his thumb and lifted her head so they could look at each other.


    Henry finally gave his beloved woman a genuine smile for the first time in two years, "But I do. I¡¯m still deeply in love with you. I am angry at your actions, but my feelings never change."

 Chapter 500

    Chapter 500: Chapter 500"All you need to do is to kiss me, and my heart will melt, Kitty," Henry said. "Just one kiss is enough to get my forgiveness. You are my weakness, after all." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Henry gently caressed Kate¡¯s hair and said, "But it¡¯s up to you. If you still love me, I¡¯m giving you all the chance to kiss me. If you don¡¯t, then I¡ª"


    Henry couldn¡¯t continue his sentence.


    If he were the bigger man, he¡¯d say that Kate could leave if she wanted to.


    But he could not say that.


    He was just as selfish as she was; if Kate wanted to find another man, then Henry would murder every single man that Kate met as long as she had no more chance to run away.


    Henry was smart enough not to tell Kate his true dark thoughts, afraid that Kate would be scared of all the scary things that he¡¯d do.


    But he transferred his thoughts by hugging her even tighter than before, "Katherine, Please..."


    Kate stared at Henry with earnestness in her eyes. She felt even more guilty knowing that she had caused so much damage to Henry, "I ran away back then because I was afraid that I¡¯d be your hindrance. I was afraid Sarah would eventually hurt our son. I was a coward and selfish."


    "But if you still want to forgive me, then I promise I will fight her with you this time. I will mend my mistake," Kate promised. She wrapped her arms around Henry¡¯s neck and tiptoed to kiss him on the lips.


    "I am sorry, Henry Grant. I¡¯m sorry for breaking our promise, I¡¯m sorry for leaving. I¡¯m sorry for everything," Kate said as she admitted her mistakes. The air around them seemed to get warmer as they embraced each other for a long time, "I will do anything as long as you can forgive and accept me back."


    "I... I already killed that bitch," Henry admitted. He came to meet Kate after two years because he was already assured that nothing would come between them anymore, as he knew that Kate had run away because she had been traumatized and mentally exhausted before. "I shot her dead twice."


    "Henry, you..."


    "I¡¯m sorry, Kate," Henry looked apologetic. Though, he didn¡¯t feel guilty because she murdered Sarah with his own hands. He felt guilty because Kate had to know that his hands were bloody now. "I had to do it. I don¡¯t want her to run rampant and hurt you or our son."


    Kate was speechless for a second. She grabbed Henry¡¯s big and veiny hands and caressed them, "I¡¯m sorry, Henry."


    "For what?"


    "For pushing you away. I¡¯m sorry that you have to stain your hands. I should¡¯ve contributed more for our future," Kate murmured.


    It would be a big lie if she said she didn¡¯t feel any burden of self-blame. After all, she was the reason Henry had to stain his hands to protect her repeatedly...


    "You did so much for me. I don¡¯t know what I should do to repay you..." Kate said.


    "Just don¡¯t leave me anymore, Katherine," Henry replied softly, something he hadn¡¯t done in two years. "Two years without you and Theo are like hell on earth for me. I was like a robot who worked every day just so we could reunite."


    "Let¡¯s start anew, you, me, and Theo. Let¡¯s build a family that we dreamed of," Henry added.


    Kate couldn¡¯t believe she deserved a happy ending after what she had done. She shook her head and asked, "I still need to do something to amend my mistake. You can¡¯t just forgive me like this."


    Henry chuckled, "You¡¯re still the same Katherine from two years ago, huh? Why don¡¯t we call my Mom and Theo to join us? You can mend your mistake by introducing me to my son, so he will trust me eventually."


    Kate nodded, "I¡¯ve robbed two years of your time with him. I will do my best to reconnect you two."


    Kate and Henry returned to the car and saw Dahlia playing tickle with Theo.


    Theo seemed to be able to recognize his family members instantly as he didn¡¯t feel scared to be with Dahlia, which was not something that they usually did.


    Theo was an active boy but was also naturally cautious when meeting new people.


    Kate opened the car door, and Theo immediately jumped from Dahlia¡¯s arm to reach his Mom, "Mama!"


    "Oh, Theo, you were only separated from your Mom for half an hour. Do you not like your Granny?" Dahlia joked.


    Theo peeked at his Granny and muttered, "I like Granny too."


    "Really? Then why don¡¯t you sit with Granny again?" Dahlia asked.


    Theo shook his head. He looked at Henry, who stood silently, watching them from about three feet away.


    The little boy was scared. He kept looking at Kate and Henry respectively and decided to stand in front of his Mom, acting like a protector, though he still clenched his Mom¡¯s jeans as tight as he could.


    "Mama, home. Go home..." Theo muttered while staring at the big, scary guy.


    Kate smiled.


    She lifted her son and carried him in her arms, "It¡¯s okay, Theo. That is your father, your Papa."


    "... Papa?" Theo stared at Henry with a mix of curiosity and fear.


    "Yes, you watched Mama and Papa Bear on the TV before, right? That is your Papa bear," Kate tried to explain in a way Theo could understand.


    "Papa..."


    Henry couldn¡¯t handle this overflowing joy in his heart when Theo called him Papa while looking at him for the first time.


    Never in a million years had he ever thought of becoming a father.


    But here he was, standing in front of his son, trying her best to control himself not to hug Theo and Kate.


    "Y¡ªYes, I am your Papa, Theo. My name is Henry Theodore Grant, and you¡¯re Theodore James Grant," Henry introduced himself awkwardly in front of a two-year-old. He never handle a kid, so he didn¡¯t know how to act properly. "I... uh... I will give you all of my assets once you¡¯re old enough. You will be the next Master Grant, and you will be the next Duke of York. You will also get a share once you are five years old¡ª"


    Kate chuckled when she saw how awkward Henry was. She took three steps forward until there was no gap between them.


    "Don¡¯t be so tense, Henry. Theo won¡¯t know about any of that for now," Kate said. "Why don¡¯t you carry him instead? He loves getting lifted high like Superman."

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501: Chapter 501"C¡ªCarry him? Can I?" Henry asked dumbly. He hesitated while staring at the curious boy who seemed to have slowly lost his fear of his father.


    "Well, why don¡¯t we ask Theo instead?" Kate said. She turned her head towards Theo and asked, "Don¡¯t you think your Papa is very tall?"


    "Un, big, tall..." Theo nodded.


    "So, do you want to fly with your Papa?"


    "... um..." Theo nodded again.


    "See? He wants you to carry him. Here, I will teach you how to," Kate said as she taught Henry how to hold a toddler without hurting him.


    Henry learned seriously before he accepted Theo in his arms.


    The boy didn¡¯t struggle as he moved from Kate¡¯s hand to Henry¡¯s, which rarely happened because Theo disliked getting separated from his Mama.


    Theo kept staring at Henry with his sparkling green eyes. They had the same eyes, but Henry¡¯s eyes were already shrouded with gloom and the harsh reality of life.


    Henry felt that he could explode like a firework right now. He never knew that carrying his son would give him so much joy.


    "Papa..." Theo murmured while staring at Henry. Then he turned to his Mom and murmured, "Mama."


    Henry¡¯s lips trembled, and he nodded, holding his tears, "Yes, son, I am your Papa. Papa and Mama will be together again, and we will protect you from harm."


    Kate was also holding back her tears.


    She was happy that the pair of father and son could reunite, but at the same time, she also felt extremely guilty for separating them for two years.


    Henry missed out on his son¡¯s growth because of her selfishness, "I... I have had a lot of pictures of Theo since he was a newborn. I will show it to you later," Kate said as her first attempt to compensate for her mistake.


    "Thank you, Kitty. I¡¯m just brimming with joy right now. I feel alive for the first time in two years," Henry said. He smiled at his son and asked, "Do you want to fly like Superman?"


    "Ah! Superman! Up, up!" Theo¡¯s face brightened instantly. Henry lifted him high, and Theo was overjoyed because he had never flown this high.


    "Whoo! Whooo!" Theo cheered as he could see his surroundings.


    "C¡ªCareful, don¡¯t drop him," Kate warned as Henry was really tall.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt him and you, including myself," Henry assured.


    Dahlia stared at Kate and Henry, who warmed up quickly. She sighed, full of awe, "Thank God, I really thought my family would get broken up after reuniting."


    Dahlia¡¯s fear wasn¡¯t unfounded because Henry was too powerful for her to handle. She couldn¡¯t do anything if Henry punished Kate for what she did. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this proved that Henry¡¯s love was much greater than his resentment. He could forgive Kate quickly, and Kate was mature enough to realize that she was the one at fault for running away two years ago.


    ¡¯There is only one problem now... or maybe two,¡¯ Dahlia thought. She wanted to tell Henry about those men but didn¡¯t want to be rash in her judgment. ¡¯Well, as long as they don¡¯t do anything that would harm my family, I guess I could let them slide for now.¡¯


    **


    Kate and Henry played with Theo for a while, and the little boy began to familiarize himself with his father, though there was still hesitation in him as he often looked at his Mom, waiting for her approval.


    They returned to Dahlia, who was watching them the whole time, "Is it done? I think you two should spend more time together," Dahlia said.


    "I want to, but Theo is tired, and it¡¯s a bit chilly here. I want him to rest first before he gets sick," Kate said while carrying Theo. "Besides, I want to cook something nice for our lunch. Henry said he wants to taste my cooking again."


    "Oh, you would be surprised how much he hated everything the cooks served in the Grant mansion. He said it didn¡¯t taste as good as yours," Dahlia giggled.


    "Stop saying unnecessary stuff, Mom," Henry said. "Let¡¯s go back. I don¡¯t want Theo to get sick."


    **


    Kate unlocked the door while standing behind her while carrying their son.


    As they entered the bakery, Henry took a good look around and asked, "Do you like doing this? I can open a confectionery business for you in the city if you want."


    Henry knew that Kate liked to be busy herself, so if he said he wanted her to stay home, she would most likely refuse to do so.


    Henry glanced at Kate, who seemed to be proud of her bakery, and his gaze darkened, ¡¯How do I make sure that she won¡¯t escape this time?¡¯


    That dark thought lingered in Henry¡¯s mind.


    Though he completely forgave Kate for running away, he couldn¡¯t forget it.


    He refused to forget that moment of weakness when he lost his beloved wife and son.


    ¡¯Speaking of wife... I have to lower Kate¡¯s guard as soon as possible. I HAVE to bind her with our official marriage,¡¯ Henry thought.


    There were dozens of plans running in his mind as he wanted to ensure that Kate wouldn¡¯t leave him anymore.


    Meanwhile, Kate looked around her bakery and nodded, "Well, I don¡¯t exactly want to work as a baker. But I want to busy myself with something. This bakery has many regulars now. It¡¯d be a waste to abandon it."


    "So you want to stay in Maine?" Henry asked.


    Kate turned her head towards Henry and smiled, "No, I know your work requires you to stay in New York or London. So I will follow you wherever," Kate said.


    "Katherine..."


    "About this house and bakery, I think I know someone who needs it and can take care of it," Kate fished out her phone and called Maya, telling her to return to the bakery with Thomas. "Alright, I¡¯ve called Maya and Tom. They should be here in thirty minutes."


    "Oh my, you want Tom to be here as well?" Dahlia asked.


    "Yes, after all, I have a lot of questions for you, Dahlia," Kate said.

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502: Chapter 502Kate cooked a big batch of lunch for everyone in her house, including Maya and Tom, who¡¯d arrive soon.


    Dahlia helped Kate in the kitchen, though she could only do menial stuff due to her age. So they left Henry and Theo in the living room, awkwardly playing together.


    Theo scattered all his toys in front of his father and offered a toy car to him, "Papa, car!"


    "Do you want a car? What do you want? Rolls Royce? Porsche? Maybe an entry-level car for practice, like an Audi? Just tell Papa which one you want," Henry asked, and Theo only tilted her head innocently.


    Kate and Dahlia chuckled at hearing the awkward conversation between Henry and Theo. "Buy him a toy truck, and he will be happy. He¡¯s not old enough to know about real cars, Henry."


    "You have to understand him, Kate. Henry spent two years working nonstop. Everything in his mind is about money... and you," Dahlia said.


    "Well, if you say so," Kate blushed, and then she felt guilty for blushing. "Henry, Theo wants you to pick up the toy car and play with him. No need to get so tense."


    "O¡ªOkay..." Henry followed whatever toys Theo wanted to play with, but in his mind, he wondered what he should do to compensate for his two-year absence from his son.


    Just like what Dahlia said, he had been working nonstop for the past two years, so he only knew about money and how to make Kate and Theo stay with his money and power.


    He already planned to make Theo the next CEO and Duke, but he also wondered what he should do once Theo had siblings.


    After all, Henry planned to have even more children with Kate. He didn¡¯t want Theo to feel lonely without siblings.


    ¡¯Is it too early to think about the first project that Theo should do once he hits twenty?¡¯ Henry pondered.


    "Papa, Superbear!" Theo¡¯s voice snapped him out of his daze. He saw Theo giving him his prized Superbear, a make-a-teddy with a cape that Mackenzie gave him.


    Vernon told him that Mackie wished to see Aunt Kate and her little cousin. She also mentioned the Superbear that would protect Aunt Kate wherever she go.


    Theo looked excited as Henry accepted the bear. Theo suddenly hugged him and said, "Superpapa!"


    Henry¡¯s heart melted instantly. His body trembled out of joy, and he gently hugged his son back.


    His voice was shaky, but he assured his son, "Yes, son, I¡¯m your Superpapa. I will protect you and your Mama no matter what."


    *


    Kate served the food after a while. She didn¡¯t eat much because she wasn¡¯t hungry, but she observed Theo and Henry eating fast.


    ¡¯They even have the same eating habits. Blood really runs thick for them,¡¯ Kate thought.


    As they finished lunch, Theo got sleepy and fell asleep rather quickly on the couch.


    Henry carried him to the bed before leaving the bedroom.


    Kate clapped her hands once to get Henry and Dahlia¡¯s attention, "Alright, we should go downstairs to meet with Maya and Tom and talk about the elephant in the room, right, Dahlia?"


    Dahlia had a mysterious smile as she nodded, "I know you will ask me about this eventually. Let¡¯s go and meet them."


    As Kate, Henry, and Dahlia went downstairs, they saw Tom and Maya standing side by side inside the bakery.


    Maya looked curious, while Tom could only lower his head as he also had a complicated feeling about Kate.


    He looked up and saw Henry standing right next to Kate. His snake-like green eyes watched him suspiciously.


    Tom felt the chill as he got stared down by Henry Grant. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As expected, this man was not someone he should mess with.


    Though he fell in love with Kate, he knew his limit and knew that Kate had zero feelings for him.


    On top of that, the way Kate and Henry warmed up instantly the moment they reunited after two years confirmed that Kate¡¯s heart was only for Henry Grant.


    Kate stood in the middle, facing Tom and Maya, while Dahlia was on her left and Henry on her right.


    "Okay, I¡¯m here to address a few things because, as you know..." Without hesitation, Kate hugged Henry¡¯s arm and smiled, "I¡¯ve reunited with my man, Henry Grant."


    Henry¡¯s cheeks reddened a little, but he quickly brushed it off and cleared his throat, resuming his tough posture.


    "Because of this, I will have to move and live in New York soon," Kate announced.


    Maya¡¯s face dropped instantly, "T¡ªThen, you¡¯re going to close this bakery?"


    Maya was her family¡¯s sole breadwinner, including her old mother. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could get a job in Camden with the same pay, as Kate was an incredibly generous boss.


    "I will leave Camden, but I won¡¯t close this bakery. I¡¯m just going to transfer the ownership of this bakery¡ª" Kate smiled at Maya as she continued, "¡ªTo you, Maya."


    Maya gasped, "W¡ªWait, what? Me? You¡¯re going to give the ownership of this bakery to me?!"


    "Including the whole house as well. So you don¡¯t need to rent anymore. This will be your house," Kate said.


    Maya couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard. She shook her head, "P¡ªPlease don¡¯t joke like this, Kate. This is too much for me."


    "I¡¯m not joking, Maya," Kate assured. "You are already a better baker than me. You deserve to have your bakery, and you deserve to have your own house for all the hard work and sacrifice you make for your old mother. Don¡¯t worry. I will help you with all the legal issues."


    Maya began to sob as she was too happy with the good news.


    She had been struggling to pay off rent and food. The job in Kate¡¯s bakery was the only reason she could support her family.


    Maya wanted to hug Kate, but the scary man beside her made her hesitate, "Thank you so much, Kate. I will never forget your kindness! You have the heart of an angel!"


    Kate¡¯s smile faltered when Maya said that she had the heart of an angel.


    She was undeserving of such a title when she was guilty of hurting the love of her life.


    "You deserve this, Maya," Kate said. Then she glanced at Tom, who lowered his head immediately, "And now, for the elephant in the room."

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503: Chapter 503"Tom, what relation do you have with my mother-in-law?" Kate asked straight to the point. "Are you one of her subordinates?"


    Tom glanced at Dahlia, who kept her relaxed yet mysterious smile as if this wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Dahlia stared at him back and nodded slowly, giving him the green light.


    Thus, Tom took a deep breath and told the truth, "Forgive me for hiding it for so long. Yes, I am one of Madam Hawthorne¡¯s subordinates. I¡¯ve been working in the Hawthorne family since I was eighteen."


    Kate sighed.


    As expected, there was no way Dahlia and Henry could find her so easily without any mole inside the bakery.


    "And what is your real name?" Kate asked.


    "Tom is my real name, Ma¡¯am," Tom replied. "Please don¡¯t misunderstand. Madam Hawthorne has ordered me to become your only guard as you had a fresh start in Camden, but that doesn¡¯t mean I never enjoyed our friendships. You are an amazing woman, Ma¡¯am."


    Henry¡¯s eyes darkened as he began to see Tom as a threat. Though Kate had already told him that Tom was just an employee, Tom¡¯s obvious attraction to his woman made him wary.


    "Know your place. Katherine is your Boss, not your lover," Henry warned.


    "Don¡¯t say that, Henry. I told you I only see him as my employee and friend, nothing more," Kate repeated, knowing that Henry was a very jealous man and became even more possessive after two years of separation.


    Tom bowed towards Henry politely, "Certainly, Master Grant. I know my place. I know you two are meant for each other, and I will keep my feelings in check."


    Dahlia felt no fear or nervousness as she had been caught red-handed spying on Kate for two years straight. Instead, she asked Kate, "Are you angry at me, Kate?"


    "I¡ªI¡¯m not angry. I know that it¡¯s for Theo¡¯s safety. I just can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been fooled for two years."


    "He didn¡¯t fool you. Tom told me many times that he genuinely admired you for your generosity, hardworking attitude, and your motherly nature," Dahlia said. "You know I can¡¯t leave you after you ran away, right? I see you as my daughter-in-law, and you also have my grandson. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you get targeted by Sarah."


    "I understand..." Kate nodded. "I¡¯m sorry for leaving, Dahlia. I know I caused a lot of distress for everyone..."


    "You shouldn¡¯t carry the burden all by yourself. You¡¯re having a mental breakdown back then, and you just did what you think is right," Dahlia smiled. She glanced at Henry and added, "Though, you probably need to compensate for the pain that Henry experienced."


    Kate leaned on Henry¡¯s arm and nodded, "Of course, I will compensate him, even if it¡¯ll take a lifetime."


    Kate returned her gaze to Tom, "Tom, I don¡¯t blame you for following orders. But you should know that I genuinely see you as a friend. Though I doubt Henry will allow you to get near me anymore, I still want to thank you for protecting Theo and me for two years."


    Tom clenched his fist. He wanted to ask if he could stay close by at least becoming her personal bodyguard.


    But Kate shot him down immediately, giving him no chance to request that.


    Meanwhile, Kate felt a bit guilty for shooting him down. But at the same time, she knew that Henry needed a lot of assurance, and Tom¡¯s presence wouldn¡¯t help.


    Tom calmed himself down after some time, "I understand. But this also means my resignation," Tom turned towards Dahlia and said, "Madam, thank you for saving me from uncertainty when I was eighteen. Thank you for taking care of me, but I want to resign."


    Dahlia had guessed this would happen, "I love your dedication and hard work, Tom. You are also a good bodyguard, but if this is your final decision, I cannot stop you. I will give you enough money to buy a small apartment somewhere. If you want to return and work with me again, don¡¯t hesitate."


    "Thank you, Madam."


    Tom was cooperative but was already certain that he would never work with Madam Hawthorne again. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because it would be excruciating to see a glimpse of Kate often, having a happy family with a man that wasn¡¯t him.


    He had no intention of competing against a man who went half-mad to reunite with his beloved. Henry and Kate meant for each other. It was the final judgment.


    Tom lifted his head and stared at Kate with sincerity, "Goodbye, Katherine. I wish you a good life with Master Grant."


    "I hope you found the right woman for you in the future, Tom," Kate said. "Goodbye."


    **


    It only took a week for Kate to transfer the bakery plus the house to Maya and her old mother.


    Dahlia stayed in the hotel near the bakery for a week, while Henry told Michael to delay all the meetings and business deals until Kate returned with him.


    Kate and Henry had been sleeping on the same bed for the whole week, and sometimes Henry showed extreme possessiveness even in his sleep.


    He often hugged Kate a bit too tight that she often felt stuffy and sweaty.


    He would open his eyes immediately when Kate tried to break free from his hug, then asked where she was going even though she just wanted to go to the bathroom.


    Kate knew this level of possessiveness wasn¡¯t healthy because it made Henry extremely tense, even in his sleep.


    Yet, all she could do was give in to his possessiveness until Henry felt assured she would not make the same mistake twice.


    Kate stared at Henry, who hugged her tightly while she was asleep. Henry frowned whenever Kate moved just a bit, so to make him feel better, she whispered, "I¡¯m not going anywhere, honey. I promise I will stay by your side this time. So sleep well, okay?"


    Henry¡¯s brows eased after she whispered sweet, assuring words, and he instinctively loosened his hug.


    Kate smiled pitifully, ¡¯I guess this will be our habit for a long time.¡¯

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504: Chapter 504"You can visit anytime you want, Kate," Maya said as she stood in front of the bakery with her mother, sending off Kate and Theo as they were about to move out from Camden back to New York City. "I won¡¯t change the bakery¡¯s name. It will always be Kate¡¯s Bakery, and you are always welcome to stay here since the house is yours in the first place."


    "Thank you, Maya. But don¡¯t worry, the house and the bakery are yours. You earned it," Kate smiled before hugging her. "I¡¯m going to miss you, Maya."


    Maya hugged her tightly, "I¡¯m going to miss you too, Kate. Thank you for everything."


    "Alright, shall we go now?" Dahlia asked while carrying Theo.


    "Yes," Kate nodded. She took Theo from Dahlia¡¯s hand, allowing the old mother-in-law to enter the car, and sat at the front next to the driver.


    "I¡¯m leaving. Take care of yourself, Maya."


    "Take care of yourself as well, Kate," Maya said. "And you too, Theo. Bye-bye."


    "Bye, Maya!" Theo waved his hand, then said, "Don¡¯t cry..."


    Maya wiped her tears, "I¡¯m not crying, silly boy. I will visit you and your Mom in New York once I have enough money."


    Kate finally entered the car with Theo, followed by Henry, who was sitting with her in the back seat.


    They took off immediately, leaving Camden, a small town that had become a peaceful hiding spot for Kate to heal from her trauma and mental breakdown for two years.


    Kate stared at the beautiful view of Camden and then glanced at Henry, who seemed to be in deep thought.


    She slowly reached to hold Henry¡¯s hand, which alerted the man.


    Henry turned his head and asked, "Do you need something, Kitty?"


    "No," Kate smiled. "I just want to say that I won¡¯t miss this city as long as I am by your side."


    **


    They flew from Maine to New York and went straight to the Phoenix Tower¡¯s penthouse.


    Henry hadn¡¯t moved out from the penthouse because it was located in the heart of New York, so it was convenient for him to drive around.


    However, if Kate wished to move out, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to purchase another estate, probably around Vernon¡¯s area, so their families could constantly gather, even for a simple dinner.


    Kate stood behind Henry and Dahlia as they opened the door to the penthouse.


    Henry looked at Kate and said, "Welcome home, my love."


    Kate smiled as she entered the penthouse while carrying Theo.


    The moment she stepped in, there was a loud cheer from the living room;


    "WELCOME HOME, KATHERINE, THEODORE!!"


    Kate was caught off guard when she saw Mai, Michael, Chloe, and Vernon cheering together for her arrival.


    Theo looked at the four strangers inside the penthouse and quickly hugged his Mama¡¯s neck as he got scared.


    "Oh no, did we scare him?" Chloe asked.


    "I told you we shouldn¡¯t be yelling," Vernon chuckled. He grabbed his wife¡¯s hand and was the first one to approach Kate. "Welcome home, Katherine."


    Chloe was trying her best to contain her joy. She wanted to hug Kate tightly, but she also didn¡¯t want to overstimulate Kate who was still trying to get used to everything she abandoned before.


    After all, they hadn¡¯t met for two years, and things had changed after so long.


    Chloe observed Kate and commented, "Look at you. You look a lot healthier and even more gorgeous now."


    "Yeah, she doesn¡¯t seem to age at all," Vernon added. Looking at the shy little boy in Kate¡¯s arms, he said, "And you look exactly like your Dad, Theo." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes! Theo looks exactly like how I imagine Henry if he¡¯s a toddler!" Chloe giggled.


    Kate giggled together with Chloe, "You¡¯re right. Theo even has the same habits as his father. I feel like I¡¯m carrying little Henry in my arms."


    "For sure, the resemblance is uncanny!" Chloe added.


    Henry walked towards Kate and took Theo from her arms, "I will take care of Theo for now. You should talk with the others first. They have been waiting for you."


    "Thank you, honey."


    Kate observed Chloe and Vernon, who stood side by side, "You two haven¡¯t changed at all after two years. Still in love, still harmonious."


    "Of course!" Chloe looked at her husband and teased, "Well, he¡¯s been having a back problem due to overwork. Can you imagine? He¡¯s only twenty-eight, and he has a back problem!"


    Vernon cleared his throat and glanced at his wife, "It¡¯s not only me, you know. Even Henry has a back problem because of stress and overworking. I think it runs in the family."


    "Wait, really?" Kate looked over her shoulder towards Henry. "You have a back problem?"


    "It¡¯s nothing serious," Henry replied. "I just need to adjust my workload."


    "That¡¯s what you said last year," Vernon sneered. "At this point, we might have to book a chiropractor for the whole family."


    Kate laughed with Vernon and Chloe as the air became warm around them. Kate finally realized how much she missed her family.


    Two years was too long to be separated.


    After talking with Chloe and Vernon, she excused herself to walk towards Mai and Michael, who had been standing in silence in the corner of the living room. They didn¡¯t seem intimate, which was a surprise because Kate thought Mai and Michael would¡¯ve dated when Kate was out of their life.


    After all, they were busy because of Kate¡¯s problems before.


    Kate stood in front of Mai first and opened her arms, "It¡¯s been two years, sister. Can I get a hug?"


    Mai had been acting tough the whole time. But the moment Kate called her sister, she dropped all of her pretense and hugged Kate tightly.


    She sobbed in Kate¡¯s chest and murmured, "What took you so long, sister? I was so worried. I¡¯m scared that something must¡¯ve happened to you for the past two years. I... I feel so lost without your guidance."


    "Mai..." Kate gently caressed Mai¡¯s head like she would caress Erin¡¯s when they were young. She didn¡¯t expect her disappearance to have a huge impact on Mai. "I¡¯m sorry for leaving. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be hard for you as well."

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505: Chapter 505"Of course, it¡¯s hard for me! You are my sister! Do you think it¡¯s easy for me to swallow the fact that my sister didn¡¯t want me to follow her?!" Mai got even more stimulated as she continued sobbing. "I thought that I had lost your trust. Maybe I wasn¡¯t good enough. So you left me alone to work in the publishing company."


    "Mai, I left you because I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt. Things were hectic, and you¡¯ve suffered enough because of me," Kate said as she tried to pacify Mai.


    "And do you think I didn¡¯t suffer because you left?!"


    ...


    Kate had no answer to that simply because she knew that she fucked up by leaving Mai alone.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Mai..." Kate repeated, hoping that would be enough to appease her.


    Michael finally stepped in and tried to divert the topic, "By the way, Mai has been a great asset to the publishing company. She can maintain the quality of the books published and has a good relationship with all the authors you have before."


    Mai turned her head and glared at Michael as she did not appreciate that statement, "I didn¡¯t want to replace you, Kate. You are still the Chief Editor of Empress Publishing! You can take over anytime you want!"


    "Why would I take over a company that is going well under your control?" Kate chuckled. "I think it¡¯s time for me to retire, Mai."


    "R¡ªRetire?!"


    "Mhm, well, I might meet with some of the top authors we have to talk about their upcoming books, and you can ask me if you need any advice," Kate said. "But I won¡¯t interfere with what you have right now. You¡¯re doing great on your own. You should take over my job."


    "Then what are you going to do?" Mai asked.


    "Well, I have my husband and son," Kate tilted her head towards Henry, who was carrying Theo. "I think it¡¯s time to retire and focus on my family. However, I will probably busy myself with another less stressful activity instead. I don¡¯t want my family to feel abandoned because I got so busy with work."


    Mai knew that Kate was a hardworking career lady at heart, but she also knew that Kate loved Henry and Theo, so her priority was obvious.


    Mai nodded, "If you say so. But if you ever want to take the role of Chief Editor again, then don¡¯t hesitate. It was yours to begin with. I was there as a stand-in."


    "You¡¯re not a stand-in anymore. You ARE the chief Editor, Mai," Kate smiled. "I doubt I¡¯ll ever resume my position anyway. After all, Henry wouldn¡¯t stop with just one child, right, honey?"


    Kate turned her head and smiled at Henry, whose cheeks reddened. He nodded lightly, "At least three... four if you still want more. I¡¯ll make sure to give them all proper nannies as well, so you won¡¯t get overwhelmed."


    "See?" Kate chuckled. "Well, now you know that I¡¯m going to have a big family. So you can play with your nephews and nieces anytime, Mai."


    Mai nodded, "I won¡¯t disappoint you, Kate."


    "I know you won¡¯t disappoint me. You¡¯re my sister!" Kate cheered her up. She then turned her attention to Michael, who had been standing awkwardly behind Mai. "By the way, you two look so awkward. I thought you¡¯d get together after I left."


    "That¡¯s impossible," Michael replied, glancing at Mai again. "Mai told me that she will not date anyone until she reunites with you. She always said that she¡¯s busy working to avoid me most of the time."


    "Mai..." Kate stared at Mai apologetically. "I must tell you that you should chase your happiness. Rest assured, I am more than happy to reunite with my husband. So it¡¯s also time for you to be happy, okay?"


    Mai glanced at Michael, who was hopeful that they could finally date. They had obviously been attracted to each other, yet Mai kept pushing him away, and Michael didn¡¯t want to give up, resulting in a deadlock.


    "Well, of course, I wouldn¡¯t force you to date Michael. You¡¯re free to do whatever you want. I just want to make sure you know your happiness matters as well," Kate said before she released her hug on Mai.


    Kate turned around and left Michael and Mai alone, as they must¡¯ve had much to discuss. She returned to Henry, who was talking with Chloe and Vernon.


    Kate saw that Theo was comfortable enough to rest in Henry¡¯s arms. Usually, he would begin to struggle and call his Mama whenever Kate was near him since Kate and Theo had a strong bond.


    ¡¯I¡¯m glad Theo has no problem with his new family. It should¡¯ve been like this initially, had I not run away two years ago...¡¯


    **


    Kate had been spending her days trying to get used to the penthouse after two years. Theo didn¡¯t seem to mind living in the penthouse, but it was quite difficult for Kate, who had been enjoying the rustic life in Camden.


    As things began to get monotonous for her, Henry told her to prepare everything they needed as they would fly to London in a few days.


    "A flight to London? What for?" Kate asked. "Do I need to come as well? I mean, Theo is still too young. He might get stressed out having to go for a long flight to London."


    "We will fly with a private jet, don¡¯t worry," Henry assured. "I want you to meet with my adopted father. You¡¯ve watched me in the news before as the new Duke of York, right?"


    "Mhm, well... I¡¯ve watched every interview you had on the TV," Kate admitted. "I thought the old Duke had passed away. So you took his position as the new Duke."


    "He¡¯s retired because of his declining health. But he¡¯s still alive," Henry replied. "He wants to see the soon-to-be Duchess and also our son. He wants to see a family he never had before, Katherine."


    S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506: Chapter 506"Really? But I¡¯m just a commoner," Kate doubted. She found it strange that someone like her could become a real Duchess. "It would be embarrassing for you to bring me into those fancy noble dinner parties."


    Henry smiled and held Kate¡¯s hand, "Weren¡¯t you the one who told me that you often imagined yourself as a Duchess or a Queen? We danced in that castle in Canada, and I promised to make you one."


    "I¡ªI thought it was just a sweet, nonsensical talk we usually do when we want to have a good time," Kate said. "I am just a commoner, a divorcee as well. Can you continue holding your Duke position without me?"


    Henry knew that Kate was intimidated by the idea of becoming part of the nobility, but this was also one of his methods to completely bind Kate to his side.


    The moment Kate was officially recognized as a Duchess, there was no way she could just run away like she did two years ago.


    This dark and obsessive thought in Henry¡¯s mind was now integrated as part of him to the point that he would constantly try to find a way to bind Kate with him.


    "Kitty, I thought you wanted to compensate for the two years of your absence. Can you please at least come with me to London to visit Lord George? He has been expecting us," Henry said as he looked at Kate with his sparkly eyes that would make Kate¡¯s heart melt.


    She sighed, "Alright, I promised to do anything for you. But don¡¯t blame me if Lord George finds me unpleasant. I¡¯m not familiar with noble etiquette."


    Henry smiled mysteriously, "Let¡¯s see about it."


    **


    Kate carried Theo as she followed Henry to enter the private jet. He said that he recently purchased this jet because he frequently went back and forth between London and New York, and it was such a hassle having to match his schedule with commercial flights.


    "Other than that, I also want to give you a good life. This private jet is to assure you that I am rich enough to give you everything you want," Henry said while staring at Theo and Kate, who sat in front of him. "Just name me anything, and I can make it happen for you, Kate."


    "Well..." Kate looked around Henry¡¯s private jet and commented, "This is an amazing achievement, Henry."


    "Do you like it?" Henry asked proudly.


    It wasn¡¯t Kate¡¯s style. She preferred to have a balance in life, a stable income, and a large retirement savings. But excessive wealth wasn¡¯t really her thing.


    But of course, she wouldn¡¯t say that to a man who had just spent two years trying to prove himself worthy.


    In Henry¡¯s mind, THIS was the way to get Kate¡¯s love, so Kate had to find a way to appreciate her man while also uttering her true desire.


    "I am very proud of your achievement, and I¡¯m happy that Theo and our future children will be well-educated and well-off," Kate said. "But if you¡¯re asking me what I like, I only want one thing right now."


    Kate lifted her ring finger for a second and said, "W¡ªWhen you are ready. I don¡¯t want to force you since I know that you suffered two years without me," she said hesitantly. "But if you ever find me desirable, then please..."


    Henry¡¯s breath stiffened. He clenched the armrest and stared at Kate, who sat Theo on her lap.


    Kate looked both shy and guilty. Maybe she thought Henry would want to marry her anytime soon because of what happened between them.


    But she was wrong.


    The one who was the most eager to tie the knot was Henry.


    He was waiting for the right moment to propose.


    Kate got no answer from Henry, so she thought he had no plan to make her a wife. She had a bitter smile but lowered her head and busied herself playing with Theo to make things less awkward.


    After all, she understood it was her fault for leaving, and she was currently atoning for her sin.


    "Do you know I have my own rule for my future wife?" Henry asked.


    "Rule?" Kate lifted her head, frowning at Henry. "And what kinds of rules do you have? Do you want me to be a full-time housewife?"


    "I want to, but I know you¡¯re always searching for something to get yourself busy. You can¡¯t stay still, so as long as it won¡¯t exhaust you or cut your time with our family, I have no problem at all," Henry said. "I only have two rules. The first one is to always prioritize our family no matter what. No work is much more important than your husband and children, and naturally, I will prioritize my wife and children over work."


    Kate felt that didn¡¯t need to be a rule. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These days, Kate had been focusing on Theo and Henry. The only time she tried to busy herself was by having a casual meeting in the Empress Publishing with a dozen top authors who missed her so much and wanted to have a reunion.


    Even then, she brought Theo with her because she couldn¡¯t trust a nanny to care for her son.


    "I think I¡¯m already qualified for the first rule. Do you find me lacking?" Kate asked.


    "Not at all," Henry smiled. "You¡¯re perfect, Katherine."


    Kate was relieved, "Then how about the second one?"


    Henry¡¯s smile turned mysterious. "I will tell you later after we meet with Lord George."


    "Ah¡ª"Kate was reminded again of the old Duke. "I guess I have no choice, huh?"


    "Yeah, if you want to know the second rule that I have, then you need to meet with the old Duke," Henry said. "Don¡¯t worry. Meeting with him will also ensure our children¡¯s future. Don¡¯t you want to give Theo the best this world could offer?"


    Kate tried to dispel her fear and nodded, "Yes, I want the best for you, us, and our children in the future, and I want to fight for it too. Let¡¯s meet with your adoptive father, Henry."

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507: Chapter 507Kate felt awkward when their arrival was greeted by a bunch of guards and servants lining up from the gate to the main door, celebrating the Duke of York¡¯s arrival.


    They opened the door for them and carefully laid out a carpet so it wouldn¡¯t stain their shoes when they walked into the castle.


    Kate walked next to Henry. The Duke held her hand tightly and carried their son with his other hand. He wanted the servants and knights to know that he came here with his soon-to-be wife-Duchess, and their son, who would be the future Duke once Henry had retired.


    Kate felt uncomfortable with such a grandiose entrance. She scooted closer to Henry and held his hand tightly.


    "Do they always greet your arrival like this?" Kate asked in a low voice.


    "Yes," Henry replied proudly. "I can¡¯t stay in this castle because I¡¯ve always been busy in the office in New York. So they always prepared this kind of celebration each time I come for a visit because it means that I haven¡¯t abandoned my duty as a Duke."


    "What are you doing as a Duke anyway? It¡¯s not medieval age anymore. You don¡¯t need to rule anything..."


    "Mostly attending parties and banquets. The good relationship needs to be maintained," Henry said. "As for the castle¡¯s expense, this noble house does not lack money, though it won¡¯t tickle me if I have to maintain it with my money."


    Henry was like a peacock who was eager to show how rich and capable he was, wanting to make sure that Kate was amazed by him and wouldn¡¯t leave him.


    Kate chuckled as she began to be more relaxed, "Who are you trying to impress here? You know I already love you, right?"


    "I just want you to know that I¡¯m ready for everything in case you ever hesitate," Henry said.


    Kate felt this warm atmosphere between them that made her feel relaxed. She leaned closer as they walked to Lord George¡¯s study room, where he spent his time smoking and reading books.


    The guards opened the door to the study room, and they saw an old man who was reading a book solemnly.


    It was rare to see Lord George without his cigar, but his son told him he¡¯d bring his grandson today, so Lord George had to make sure he didn¡¯t smell like a cigar in front of his grandson.


    "We¡¯re home, father," Henry said as he entered the study room with Kate and Theo.


    Lord George lifted his head and smiled at them. He slowly got up from his chair, though he was already old. Kate realized that Lord George still looked healthy.


    So she guessed that Lord George was probably exhausted with his job in the Duchy and wanted to hand it all to his heir.


    "What took you so long? I¡¯ve been waiting," Lord George said as he approached Kate and Henry.


    He stood in front of them, and Henry began to introduce his family, "This is Katherine Ross¡ªsoon to be Katherine Grant, Duchess of York," Henry said brazenly, even though they hadn¡¯t gotten the blessing from Lord George.


    Kate was embarrassed. She did a small curtsy and stretched her arm, "Pleasure to meet you, Lord George." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lord George studied Kate¡¯s face, and his smile got wider, he shook her hand in response, "The pleasure is mine, Miss Ross. Henry told me you¡¯re in your thirties. Is it just him slandering you?"


    "N¡ªNo, I¡¯m thirty-five now."


    "Oh? Really? I must be getting too old. Because you look younger than him!" Lord George laughed. "Don¡¯t worry, just from our short interaction, I can clearly see that Henry is the lucky one in this relationship."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks began to heat up as she kept getting compliments. She thanked him and lowered her head silently.


    Lord George shifted his attention to Henry carrying the two-year-old boy. He clicked his tongue and chuckled, "This grandson of mine looks so much like you. You don¡¯t even need a DNA test for him."


    "Of course, he is my son!" Henry stated proudly. "He will be just like me in the future. He will be the next Duke in the future, after all."


    Lord George approved with a nod. He kept staring at Theo, who stared back at him with his green eyes.


    Though he had only known Henry for a year or so, that didn¡¯t erase the familial bond between them. Through Theodore, Lord George could clearly see the young Henry, who was both curious and afraid, possibly getting beat up by his biological mother, who was just a street skank.


    It was obvious that Henry was a shy kid, just like Theo was. He got reckless and brave because the situation called him to do so as he grew up.


    Lord George began to feel sentimental thinking of Henry when he was young. He had always wanted to raise his own child. If only he could turn back time, he¡¯d take Henry straight out of that mansion and raise him as his own.


    Henry wouldn¡¯t need to suffer, and he wouldn¡¯t need to go through trials and tribulations just to be happy.


    Nevertheless, maybe it was fated for Henry to go through hell on earth so he could live a fulfilling life with his wife and son.


    "Theo, go greet your grandpa," Kate interrupted, as she didn¡¯t want her son to be seen as impolite.


    "Grandpa?" Theo asked with his eyes glued on the old man.


    "Hahah, yes, I am your grandpa," Lord George said.


    Theo was already familiar with Grandma and loved playing with her each time she came for a visit. After meeting with many of his family members, Theo was less guarded against new people. So he directly asked;


    "Grandpa, superman?"


    "Superman?"


    "He¡¯s asking if you can lift him to fly like Superman," Henry explained.


    "Oh¡ªHahahah!" Lord George laughed heartily. "My grandson, your grandpa is already very old. My back will break if I have to lift you up high. How about you accompany Grandpa reading while eating cookies instead?"

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508: Chapter 508Theo nodded eagerly. He never missed the chance to eat cookies whenever offered one because his mother always forbade him from eating too much sweets. "Book! Cookies!"


    "Let me tell the maid to bring cookies for you," Lord George said.


    * S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate and Henry sat in front of Lord George, who was busy giving soft cookies for Theo to try.


    The boy sat on his lap and ate everything given to him. He seemed to have no problem spending time with his Grandpa, and Lord George was already so fond of Theo.


    Kate and Henry looked at each other as the old Duke ignored them.


    "I did what you told me to do, father," Henry brushed up the topic. "I bring my wife and son, now that you¡¯ve seen them, I hope that you can give me the blessing."


    Lord George was so immersed in playing with his grandson that he seemed to have forgotten his promise.


    He lifted his head, staring at Henry, who looked serious while holding Kate¡¯s hand.


    "I have no intention of stopping you from marrying Katherine," Lord George said. "I just want to bring her here because I want to see their faces."


    "So, you will¡ª"


    "¡ªBut," Lord George interrupted. "I want to ask Katherine¡¯s opinion about this. She is the one who will stand by your side as a Duchess. So she needs to be ready."


    Lord George shifted his gaze at Katherine, "Katherine Ross, you should know that getting married to a Duke is not only about fancy castles, dresses, and jewelry. The noble circle is not as fun as you might think, and you have to keep up with your appearance even when you¡¯re not in a formal event."


    "I know that you¡¯re not born a noble or from an established family like Henry, but I hope you can learn and adapt to the environment after you marry him," Lord George said solemnly. "If you¡¯re not ready with this, I suggest you say it now because a divorce in a noble circle is seen as heavily shameful."


    "Father, you¡¯re scaring her!" Henry complained. He held Kate¡¯s hand tighter, afraid that Kate would get intimidated by Lord George¡¯s words.


    After all, Kate had a history of running away. What if she wanted to back off now?


    "Kitty, please don¡¯t listen to him. I will make sure that you are well protected. I will not let those pesky women talk you down!" Henry desperately tried to convince his beloved to discard her worries for him. He was so close to reaching his true happiness that he didn¡¯t want anything to ruin it. "You don¡¯t even need to attend any ball or party. You can do whatever you want!"


    "It¡¯s not healthy to spoil her like this, Henry," Lord George reprimanded him. "She will be a Duchess. She will have to adhere to some rules within the circle."


    Henry glared at Lord George and brazenly said, "If my status as a Duke will stop me from marrying her, then I would rather resign from my position. You can take this back."


    "Henry! Your position is not for your irrational thinking! You have a big responsibility on your shoulders!" Lord George also raised his voice but stopped when he felt a small hand tugging his shirt.


    He looked down, and saw Theo staring at him with confusion, "Grandpa, Papa, don¡¯t fight... Mama will be sad..."


    Lord George calmed down instantly under his grandson¡¯s plea. He smiled at Theo and gave him another cookie, "Forgive Grandpa, okay? Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t fight anymore."


    "Un..." Theo nodded and began nibbling on the cookie again.


    Though Lord George tried to calm down, Henry hadn¡¯t calmed down. He was agitated, thinking that Kate had to adhere to strict rules that would only make her suffer.


    "Lord George, just like what I told you before. I took this position to bring her back. What is the point of making me a Duke when she cannot be a Duchess without all of those bullshit rules?!" Henry continued raising his voice and began scaring Theo.


    Kate finally calmed him down by hugging his arm. She pulled him back to the chair. Kate put her hand on his chest and patted it gently.


    "Henry, calm down, you¡¯re scaring our son," Kate said.


    "But, Katherine..." Henry was reluctant to give up now. He already imagined Kate leaving again with their son.


    If that happened for the second time, then Henry probably wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his sanity anymore.


    "Henry, trust me," Kate said with earnestness in her eyes. "I told you many times that I love you, and you should know it¡¯s not just a word. You went through hell on earth for me, so I will do the same if that means we can be together."


    Kate turned her head toward Lord George, and took a deep breath before uttering what she had in mind;


    "I have been guilty because I ran away with Theo for two years. I separated Henry from the woman and the son that he loves. While I have a good life in Maine, Henry had to suffer for two years, doing everything he could so we could reunite," Kate admitted all of her mistakes.


    She knew there was no point in hiding anything and no point in sugarcoating. She ran away because she was in fear, even though she had promised Henry to stand by his side no matter what.


    "I told him many times that I would compensate for my mistake. I will also do anything as long as we can be together," Kate said. "So if I have to learn everything about this noble circle from scratch, then I will do it."


    Kate intertwined her fingers with Henry¡¯s as she spoke to Lord George, "So please, give us your blessing. I will be a wife and a Duchess worthy of standing next to Henry."


    Lord George¡¯s lips finally perked up as he was satisfied with her answer, "Keep your word, Katherine. I can vouch that Henry truly loves you."


    "I will," Kate said. She turned at Henry, and their eyes met. She smiled sincerely and added, "I also want to prove my love for him."

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509: Chapter 509[Song Recommendation: AGA - Wonderful U.]


    Henry never thought he could fall in love so many times with the same woman. He had a lot of words he wanted to utter to his beloved.


    He wanted to confess how much he loved her, so much that he could die from this love.


    But the moment he opened his lips, Lord George cleared his throat, stopping Henry from wasting all of his words right now rather than going on with their initial plan.


    Lord George smiled at Kate and Henry and nodded, "Since Katherine promised to practice becoming a proper Duchess, then I have no more questions. I give you my blessing to marry her, Henry of York."


    "Thank you so much, Father. I will make sure to make her happy as my wife and Duchess of York," Henry said. Though it sounded perfunctory, Henry kept the promise inside his heart, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t forget about it.


    "I believe you, so don¡¯t worry, you two have my full support," Lord George said. He continued playing with his grandson and said, "Henry, go give Kate a tour of the castle that would be hers in the near future. Kate will love the pavilion in the garden."


    "Ah, but Theo..." Kate muttered while looking at her son,


    "Don¡¯t worry about Theo, I¡¯ll keep him safe. I also want to play with my grandson for a while," Lord George said. He then asked Theo, "What do you think, Theo? Don¡¯t you want to play with Grandpa?"


    Theo didn¡¯t care who he was playing with him, but since Grandpa had a lot of cookies, he nodded and continued munching on cookies.


    "Alright, please take care of Theo for a while, Father. I will take Kate for a tour around the castle," Henry said. He gave Lord George a meaningful look, and the old man nodded with a thin smile.


    "Go for it," Lord George said.


    Kate and Henry walked out of the study room and paced through the long corridor of the castle.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Kate had visited a castle, but she had never visited one that was still functional and luxurious.


    Her eyes wandered around the tall window with a garden view outside. There was a pavilion in the middle of the garden. It looked serene, especially with all the spring flowers blooming.


    As a woman, Kate was naturally attracted to such a beautiful and ethereal view, so she sighed out of awe.


    Henry followed Kate¡¯s line of sight, and she smiled, "Do you want to spend time in that pavilion?"


    "Can we?" Kate asked. "I mean, you said you want to give me a tour around."


    "It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll eventually know everything about this castle. It will be yours after we are officially married," Henry said. "So why don¡¯t we spend our time in that pavilion? You need to rest after we had a serious talk with my father just now. I never knew you could be so brave for my sake."


    Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened, "D¡ªDon¡¯t be an idiot. I¡¯m serious when I said I will do anything for you."


    Henry chuckled, he took a detour of his planned path and went straight to the garden.


    He led his beloved to the pavilion.


    Kate sat on the marble chair, staring at the flower garden. She inhaled deeply as she wanted to immerse herself in peace.


    Henry was sitting next to her, holding her hand tightly. Neither wanted to let go, as they wanted to relish the moment together.


    "I¡¯ve never thought this day for us to sit side by side, spending time together in a real castle, staring at the flower garden we own, could come true," Kate muttered. "I buried that fantasy deep at the back of my mind after I ran away since I wanted to forget about you, Henry..."


    "And how about now?" Henry said. He rubbed his thumb on Kate¡¯s hand while staring straight. His other hand was inside his pocket, tightly holding a small box. "Do you still have that fantasy at the back of your mind?"


    "I discarded it," Kate said.


    "Y¡ªYou discarded it? Why?" Henry got anxious. "Did I do something wrong? Is this not beautiful enough? Tell me, I will make an even more beautiful garden for you."


    "No, silly," Kate chuckled. She turned her head towards her anxious soon-to-be husband and said, "Because I don¡¯t need to imagine anymore. Everything has come true, thanks to you."


    "Katherine..." Henry murmured her name. Even after all she said, he still doubted in his heart. "Is there something you¡¯re not satisfied with? If you want something, tell me, and I will grant it for you even if it sounds impossible."


    "Really? Anything?" Kate asked.


    "Yes, anything," Henry nodded. ¡¯I don¡¯t want you to run away again. I have to satisfy you with everything until you have no reason to leave.¡¯


    Kate could sense what was in Henry¡¯s heart, and she thought it was normal for him to feel so.


    Yet, at the same time, she also felt that Henry would never trust her if he kept this wall around them.


    So she gently pulled her hand, which Henry reacted to by holding her hand even tighter than before. "What do you want to do, Kate?" Henry said anxiously. "Do you want to go somewhere?"


    "Henry, let go of my hand first."


    "No," Henry refused. "I don¡¯t want you to leave."


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere. Calm down, okay," Kate said. "You told me that I can get whatever I want."


    ...


    Henry swallowed his saliva. He finally released her hand, but his eyes were like that of a snake, watching her every move attentively.


    Kate got up from the marble chair and stood before Henry.


    Kate smiled, leaned forward, and gave Henry a kiss on the forehead, much to Henry¡¯s shock.


    After that, she sat on his lap, draping her arms around his shoulder, and then kissed him on the lips.


    It was a soft kiss that ended a bit too fast for Henry¡¯s liking. But he stayed silent while gently wrapping his arm around her waist to support her.


    "I want your trust, Henry." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510: Chapter 510"I want your trust, Henry," Kate stated firmly.


    "My... trust?" Henry repeated, wondering if he had heard it wrong.


    "Yes, I know no matter how much I try to convince you, I will never get that trust back after what I did," Kate had a bitter smile as she knew that she was the one who caused everything to happen like this. "You¡¯ve been anxious every day, fearing that I will leave you again, and you¡¯ve been trying to tie us together, correct?"


    Henry didn¡¯t expect Kate to read everything in his mind.


    Unfortunately, she was right.


    Henry was in constant anxiety, and his obsessiveness kept telling her to lock Kate inside their penthouse for the rest of his life, making sure that Kate wouldn¡¯t be able to leave him again. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, he also didn¡¯t want to make her sad, so all he could do was to subtly force Kate to stay no matter what.


    "I don¡¯t need anything else, Henry," Kate said. "I have the man I love and love me back with a healthy child that I thought I¡¯d never have."


    "I am surrounded by people who love me, and we lack nothing. Everything is like a dream, so why would I leave this dream?" Kate smiled. She gently put her palm on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "I don¡¯t need you to justify what I did. I just want you to forgive me and trust me back."


    Henry¡¯s lips thinned. He didn¡¯t want to tell his beloved how greedily obsessive he was because it might scare her.


    But when Kate tried to convince him to lower his guard, he finally muttered, "You will never gain that trust back, not until you¡¯ve accepted me completely."


    "But I have accepted you completely. I¡¯ve accepted all of your qualities. I am all yours, Henry."


    "It¡¯s so easy for you to give me all those sweet words, Kitty. But words meant nothing without action, so I want you to prove it now," Henry said.


    "Prove it? What do you want me to do?" Kate asked.


    Henry knew this was the right time to finally see whether Kate would stay with him or not.


    He gently held Kate¡¯s waist and lifted her, allowing her to sit on that marble seat while he kneeled in front of her.


    Kate was astonished at first, but seeing her beloved kneeling in front of her gave a glimpse of what would happen next.


    "H¡ªHenry, you¡ª"


    Henry took out the small box he had kept the whole time in his inner pocket. He already planned to propose today after they had a tour around the castle.


    But Kate¡¯s words made him want to do it now, to see if she truly wanted him.


    Henry looked up and said to his beloved, "Katherine Ross, I want to show you my seriousness. I am not perfect. I can be impatient, possessive, and immature at times."


    "I admit that our meeting started with grief and misunderstanding. But you taught me about how deep I can love someone. You are the only woman in my heart and will continue to be so until my last breath."


    "I will give you everything that you want as long as you¡¯re willing to stay with me," Henry got increasingly emotional as Kate¡¯s eyes began tearing up. "You should know that everything I have right now will be yours without question. All of my wealth, noble title, and devotion."


    "But you asked me the most difficult thing I can give you, and that is my trust," Henry took a deep breath as he was ready to start a new life. He opened the ring box and presented a custom-made square-shaped blue diamond ring with small diamonds engraved around it. It was luxurious, yet it also exuded clarity and serenity.


    He had this ring custom-made a year ago and had been sitting inside his drawer for a while, waiting to be taken out once he reunited with Katherine.


    Now that she was finally here, Henry was ready to put the ring on her finger;


    "I am a selfish and greedy man, Katherine. If you want my complete trust, then I want your complete devotion. I want to tie you forever with me," Henry said. His green eyes glazed with tears when Kate¡¯s tears dropped from the corner of her eyes. "I want the world to know about us. I want everything that you have, and in exchange, I will give everything I have for you."


    "Katherine Krista Ross, will you marry me?"


    Kate covered her mouth as she saw the earnestness in Henry¡¯s eyes. She then shifted her gaze to the ring presented in front of her.


    Though she knew Henry would propose sooner or later, she didn¡¯t expect him to propose when she had yet to obtain his complete trust.


    She thought she had to go above and beyond to gain his trust. But this wasn¡¯t a punishment at all.


    Henry was rewarding her with a proposal. Because even in a normal situation, she would still accept his proposal no matter what.


    "You¡¯re being easy on me. You¡¯re always so kind and gentle to me, yet I left you when you were at your lowest," Kate said. "I don¡¯t know if I will ever be worthy of being your one and only. But I will try every day until I can stand proudly by your side as your wife."


    Kate slowly stretched her hand, letting Henry put a ring on her finger, "Yes, the answer is yes, I will marry you. I will devote myself to you until my last breath, Henry Grant."


    Henry took the ring and slowly put it on her finger. The diamond ring glinted beautifully as Henry felt a huge stone on his shoulder had been lifted.


    He looked up and smiled at Kate, "Can I call you wife now?


    Kate didn¡¯t waste her time. She jumped to his arm and hugged him tight as they embraced each other.


    "Not yet, dummy. We still have to exchange our vows first," Kate chuckled between her sobs. "But I like to start early, so..."


    Kate put her lips near his ear and whispered, "Thank you for everything, husband."

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511: Chapter 511"SHE SAID YES!"


    Kate was surprised when she heard the familiar voice loudly announcing the proposal¡¯s success. She lifted her head and saw Chloe and Vernon looking at them from afar.


    Chloe waved her hand towards Kate, and one by one, her family members came out of their hiding spot and approached the lovebirds in the pavilion.


    Kate saw Chloe, Vernon, Dahlia, and Lord George carrying Theo, Mai, and Michael, standing in front of them.


    "Thank God you accepted my proposal, Kate," Henry chuckled as he got up and lifted Kate in a bridal style. He turned around, facing his family members, who were happy with the successful proposal. "It would be awkward if you said no."


    "I would never say no, you know that..." Kate¡¯s cheeks reddened as she got embarrassed when she realized everyone had been watching her with Henry the whole time. "Why¡¯s everyone here? Is there any special occasion? An event?"


    "What do you mean? This is the event," Dahlia chuckled. "We¡¯re here to prepare for your wedding, which will be held here, the Glassmist Castle."


    "S¡ªSo you have planned everything?" Kate asked Henry.


    "Yeah," Henry smiled. "At first, I only told Chloe and Vernon about it, but everyone naturally wants to join the fun to congratulate us."


    "Okay then..." Kate¡¯s face was so hot as she realized they must¡¯ve seen her being so sweet and cuddly with Henry. "P¡ªPut me down first, Henry. It¡¯s embarrassing when everyone is looking at us like this..."


    "No, I want everyone to see that we will be husband and wife soon!" Henry claimed boldly. He looked at his family with whom he wanted to share his joy, "Look at us, everyone! We¡¯re about to marry soon!"


    Everyone cheered loudly as they were glad that everything went well. Kate was the only one who was so embarrassed that she buried her face on Henry¡¯s chest.


    "You¡¯re so embarrassing..." Kate complained in a low voice that only Henry could hear.


    Henry chuckled, "But you still love me, right?"


    ... sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I love you, Henry Grant," Kate whispered.


    **


    A month after the proposal, Kate and Henry began planning their wedding in the Glassmist Castle.


    Chloe helped with the dress fitting. Kate was a tall lady with a great figure, so picking a dress for her was especially difficult because everything fit so well for her.


    "What kind of wedding dress you had, Chloe?" Kate asked as the dressmaker kept on bringing one catalog after another.


    "I was five months pregnant when I got married. So my dress was a bit looser," Chloe replied while checking the catalog with Kate. "But I never like luxury. I have a disdain for overly luxurious things after what happened to my first marriage. That¡¯s why I keep telling Vernon not to go overboard with his gifts for every anniversary."


    Chloe glanced at Kate, listening carefully, and then smiled, "You don¡¯t need to be like me, you know that, right? It¡¯s fine if you want a shiny dress full of diamonds. Henry can afford it anyway."


    "No, I¡¯m also not into overly glamorous things," Kate replied. "But as a Duchess, I¡¯m obliged to at least incorporate a hint of luxury in my wedding dress for my status. So I have to be careful."


    "Then maybe you can wear a plain, tight-fitting white dress with an open-shoulder style. You can wear a suitable necklace, probably something less flashy, like a pearl or diamond necklace and earring," Chloe said. "You have a great body, Kate. You should be able to wear it perfectly."


    Kate told the dressmaker about Chloe¡¯s suggestion, and the dressmaker went to work as soon as possible by checking the suitable bodice for the new Duchess¡¯s bridal dress.


    Kate tried the dress in the changing room, and once the curtain was pulled, Chloe clicked her tongue in awe, "Wow, are you sure that you want to wear that for the wedding?"


    "W¡ªWhy? Does it look bad?"


    "No, I¡¯m just worried that Henry will faint! Oh my god, you look stunning!" Chloe cheered.


    "Yes, Lady Ross, you look absolutely gorgeous!" The dressmaker approved as well. "I think a small diamond necklace and earring would complete the look!"


    "Yep, I think so as well!" Chloe agreed.


    Kate turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt nostalgic because this was her second time wearing a wedding dress.


    The only difference was...


    Henry bought this wedding dress for an unreasonable amount of money, while her previous wedding dress was borrowed from her mother.


    After all, they had no money at that time, and Kate was already happy with what they got. Unfortunately, Matt took advantage of Kate¡¯s humility and became a deadbeat husband instead.


    But now she began to realize that she deserved to have more. She deserved to be happy with a man who loved her and provided her with a good life.


    She had always wanted to be a housewife. She was raised to be one, but the situation forced her to be a career woman instead, slowly killing off any hope of having a complete family with a loving husband and many kids.


    Kate bit her lower lip, staring at herself, ¡¯I want to be happy too. I want to be with a man who respects me and loves me. I want to have kids.¡¯


    ¡¯So I deserve this, I truly deserve this even after everything Henry and I went through,¡¯ Kate told herself, as she didn¡¯t want her insecurity and guilt to eat her up from the inside and give her unnecessary doubt.


    Kate finally turned back towards the dressmaker and Chloe, then said, "I will pick the earring and necklace myself."


    **


    Kate and Chloe spent the entire day with the dressmaker. After Kate said yes to everything, they went to the mall near the area and ate dinner together before Kate excused herself to the toilet.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to accompany you?" Chloe asked worriedly.


    "Oh, come on, I¡¯m just going to the restroom. Enjoy your dinner first. I¡¯ll be back," Kate assured.

 Chapter 512

    Chapter 512: Chapter 512Kate finished her business and then freshened up in the restroom mirror. Today was exhausting, but she was satisfied that she finally got the wedding dress she wanted.


    Lord George told her that she could use the dressmaker who had been working with the Duchy for generations, but that would ruin the surprise because Henry would definitely ask about the details of her dress and jewelry.


    So she went with Chloe instead.


    As Kate finished her touch-up, she walked out of the restroom and saw a man wearing a hoodie, looking down at his phone while leaning on the wall in the corridor.


    He looked suspicious, but Kate tried to ignore him and walked past him.


    Unfortunately, the moment she passed him, the man grabbed her arm tightly and pushed her to the wall.


    Kate gasped, and after she realized what would happen, she opened her mouth, ready to scream.


    The man quickly covered her mouth and pulled out his hoodie, "Relax, Katherine. It¡¯s me..."


    Kate was stunned when she saw Graham Hubbard, who looked haggard as if he had been through a difficult time.


    He looked exhausted and depressed at the same time, which made her wonder what happened to him after they had simply lost contact for a long time.


    "G¡ªGraham? How could you¡ªwait, let go of me first," Kate asked. She tried to pull her hand away from Graham, but the latter didn¡¯t let go.


    "Katherine, I¡¯m here to help you," Graham said.


    "Help me? What do you mean? I don¡¯t need help at all," Kate refused. She continued struggling to no avail. "Damn it, I will scream if you keep holding me like this!"


    "Listen to me first, Kate," Graham said solemnly. "Henry has taken over everything that I have. He ruined my law firm and forced me to go through a lot of difficult situations. I wasted all of my money to fight him in court for ridiculous things that he threw at me. All because he doesn¡¯t want me to reach out to you."


    Graham was living in literal hell on earth right now. He didn¡¯t expect Henry to threaten those politicians to help him so he could put Graham in jail for bribery, conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction of justice.


    He lost everything in three months, and now he had exhausted all of his savings just to save himself from jail time.


    Graham knew that monster didn¡¯t want Kate to meet him, so he decided to discard all the fears that he had to reach Kate.


    This was his only chance to save his loved one before she was tied with that bastard for the rest of her life.


    "That man is a scum who will hurt you, Katherine. He ruined my life because he saw me as a threat, so I will have to tell you everything before it¡¯s too late," Graham said. "And hopefully, you will listen to me." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate stared at Graham, who had lost his luster after almost three years. She didn¡¯t know what was in Graham¡¯s mind but knew it must be another slander towards Henry.


    "I think you need to let go of the past, Graham," Kate said coldly. "Are you going to be a parrot that says the same thing over and over? That Henry wants to hurt me and take my son?"


    "But that¡¯s the truth!" Graham insisted. "You heard his conversation with his father, so you know how much of a scum he is!"


    "It was a misunderstanding. He told me everything," Kate said. "And you should stop with that old narration of yours. Henry and I will marry soon, and we are happy with our lives right now."


    "You have been brainwashed, Kate!" Graham said desperately. "Even if that old man is dead, Henry is still a scum! He will betray you somehow. Maybe he will cheat on you."


    "He will not do that," Kate replied firmly. "I know him, and I know he is not that kind of scum."


    "You¡ª"


    Graham was speechless by how stubborn Kate was.


    "Do you realize that he is a murderer? He¡¯s the one who murdered his father. He murdered Sarah and Erin as well. Can you marry a man whose hand has been stained with blood?" Graham asked. "I know you¡¯re not an idiot, Kate."


    "I think you don¡¯t seem to understand that I am the one who staged the trap to put my sister in a frozen wasteland and put my mother in a retirement home for the rest of her life," Kate said coldly. "Do I regret any of it? No, because I deem it necessary, just like how Henry killed those people. They are necessary sacrifices, including you, Graham. I believe what Henry did to you is also a necessary sacrifice."


    "You... you have been influenced by that bastard," Graham¡¯s eyes darkened. "It¡¯s because you gave birth to his equally bastard son. You need to get the hell away from them. I will help you escape. We can go somewhere remote and live there for the rest of our lives. I will¡ª"


    PA!


    Graham was caught off guard when Kate suddenly slapped him. His brain stopped working for a moment, trying to comprehend what just happened.


    "Don¡¯t you dare to call my son a bastard, you piece of shit," Kate turned hostile instantly. She had no fear against Graham, who was physically stronger than her. "I gave birth to my son and raised him with love. You have no right to slander him with that dirty mouth of yours."


    Graham finally discarded the last remaining kindness he had. He looked down at Kate like she was a dumb dog that needed to be punished.


    "That boy looks exactly like his father. He will turn into a scum just like him. You should¡¯ve aborted him back then," Graham said coldly. "Or even better, you can kill him now. Then we can run away together."


    "You¡ª!" Kate raised her hand again, ready to slap Graham for the second time.


    But Graham quickly caught her wrist and held it tightly until she couldn¡¯t move.


    Graham leaned down and whispered obsessively, "You don¡¯t seem to understand, Kate. I gave up everything for you, so I want you to run away with me, or we will die together."

 Chapter 513

    Chapter 513: Chapter 513Graham already prepared a small syringe containing a drug that could knock her out in an instant.


    He already prepared his escape route through the emergency exit near the restroom. But before he did the extreme, he gave Kate one last chance to repent, "Come with me, Kate. We can start anew. I promise I will make you happy somewhere without that bastard searching for us."


    "I would rather die than live with you, you piece of shit," Kate said. "To think that you were once James¡¯ best friend, what a disappointment."


    Graham scoffed, "Fine, you asked for it."


    He took out the syringe from his pocket, but a man suddenly rushed towards them before he could touch Kate. He grabbed Graham¡¯s collar and flung him to the wall.


    "Urgh! Arghh!" Graham felt an awful pain at the back of his head when he hit the wall. But before he could open his eyes to register what just happened, he felt a strong pain in his stomach and chest.


    Kate held her breath when she saw Henry mercilessly kicking and stomping Graham¡¯s chest and stomach.


    He said nothing, but his bloodshot eyes and the killing intent in his attack showed Kate that Henry wanted to kill Graham right here, right now.


    "Urk! Arghh! Arghh!" Graham writhed in pain as he was given no chance to retaliate.


    Kate finally took the initiative to hold his hand and tried to calm him down, "Henry, calm down. You¡¯re going to kill him!"


    Henry turned his head towards Kate. He looked like a demon about to swallow anything in his path. But the moment their eyes met, he stopped kicking Graham¡¯s body.


    His eyes softened, but he shook his head as he apologized, "I¡¯m so sorry, Kitty. I let him slide because I still saw him as my late brother¡¯s best friend. I thought he¡¯d change his way and abandon whatever obsession he has for you. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d do something like this to you."


    Henry looked down, and his killing intent rose up again, "I have to kill him now before he becomes a pest in our lives. He is a necessary sacrifice, just like what you said."


    Kate pulled his hand and said, "Just put him in jail, Henry. That is the last forgiveness we can give him for what he has done."


    "But¡ª" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "James will be sad if you kill his best friend. Despite his fault, he helped me to get my divorce, remember?"


    ...


    Henry stared at Graham, who grimaced in pain on the floor. He looked pitiful, but the only thing on Henry¡¯s heart was resentment, "I give you a chance, Graham Hubbard. I know you¡¯ve been dealing with those corrupt politicians, and I give you a chance to repent by hiding at least some of them. Instead of reflecting on your mistake in jail, you spent your fortune to bail yourself out and do this."


    Of course, if Graham was not obsessed with Kate, he could be a good ally.


    But his mind had been poisoned by that dead bitch, Sarah. So he kept antagonizing Henry and refused to believe that Kate was happy with him.


    "You should be grateful that Kate doesn¡¯t want me to kill you," Henry said before he finally took a step back and called someone through the phone.


    Not long after, a group of men dressed in black blocked the corridor and started to work on cleaning up that bastard Graham Hubbard.


    They saw Graham being carried by those men in black through the emergency exit door, and they left the mall.


    "Wait, Chloe is still waiting for me¡ª"


    "No need. I already told her that to leave without you. So she doesn¡¯t need to wait," Henry said calmly.


    The valet opened the door for them and returned the key to Henry.


    They drove out of the mall in silence as nobody dared to strike up a conversation after what happened.


    Eventually, Kate was so overridden by her curiosity and suspicion that she asked, "Henry, were you listening the whole time?"


    ...


    "No," Henry said. "I¡¯ve just arrived and saw you getting pinned by that bastard."


    "That¡¯s a lie," Kate called him out immediately. "You heard me when I said ¡¯necessary sacrifice¡¯ to Graham. So you must¡¯ve heard the rest as well."


    "That¡¯s just a coincidence," Henry dodged.


    "Is it also a coincidence that you came to save me right at the right time? I know you, Henry. You have your surveillance all over me. Of course, you know about it, right?"


    Kate turned her head towards Henry, still driving, "Be honest with me, Henry. Were you listening the whole time?"


    ...


    Henry clenched the steering wheel. He then parked his car at the side of the road and stared back at Kate.


    "Yes, I admit it. I got the information that Graham told you. So I rushed to the mall to save you."


    "But when I was about to come and punch that bastard to death, I heard him slandering me in front of you," Henry admitted everything, knowing the only way for him to get her forgiveness was to come clean. "So I... I want to know your reaction. I want to know if you will abandon everything we have right now because you¡¯re scared of me."


    Henry gently held Kate¡¯s hand and kissed it obsessively, "What he said was right. I was the one who exposed all of his dealing with those corrupt politicians. I destroyed his career instantly and threw him in jail. I was also the one who killed Sarah and my own father."


    "I¡¯m scared that you will see me as a murderer and turn your back on me. I was ready to¡ª"Henry swallowed his saliva as he got nervous when talking about his dark thoughts. "I was ready to kill that bastard on the spot and lock you in our castle if you dare to run away."


    ...


    "I told you many times that I don¡¯t mind the necessary sacrifice, don¡¯t I?" Kate asked.


    "You did..." Henry said. "I was just scared that you don¡¯t truly love me. You just felt responsible for running away and can¡¯t wait to run away for the second time."


    Kate sighed.


    She had long recognized that Henry had a tendency to have irrational fear when he felt something was out of his control.


    But he didn¡¯t expect it to be this awful.


    So, the only thing she could do right now was to give him constant reassurance.


    "Henry, did you know I found the perfect dress for our wedding day?" Kate said, shifting the topic out of the blue.


    "Kitty¡ª"


    "I also picked the perfect set of earrings and necklace. It¡¯s extremely costly because it was made by Graff. But my husband is very rich, right? So I don¡¯t need to worry about money at all."


    "Kate..."


    "Oh, I also checked the guest list for our wedding. I can¡¯t believe that real nobles will be attending our wedding! It¡¯s like a dream come true for me, you know."


    ...


    Henry finally zipped his mouth. He listened to Kate¡¯s random mumble and began to feel better.


    "I also heard that you¡¯ve prepared a perfect honeymoon for us. I can¡¯t wait to spend a good time with you. I bet it will be wonderful," Kate giggled.


    "Of course, I¡¯ve prepared everything for us," Henry replied. "And don¡¯t worry about Theo. My mom said they would take care of Theo for a week. Chloe will also make frequent visits with her daughters."


    "Well, Duke Henry seems eager for it, huh?" Kate grinned. "I can¡¯t wait to be your Wife and your Duchess."


    "I also can¡¯t wait to be your official husband. We will be bound by official marriage and duty."


    "Indeed, you have given me everything that I ever wished for. So why the hell would I run away? It¡¯d be so stupid and pointless, right?" Kate said. "You don¡¯t need to worry about me, Henry. I will not go. I¡¯m actually more worried about you..."


    "About me?" Henry was surprised.


    "I mean, you are young and very successful. I¡¯m sure there are a lot of young women out there," Kate leaned forward and gave Henry a quick kiss that felt like a feather brushing his lips. "Maybe I should brace myself for a competition, hm?"


    The passionate fire in Henry¡¯s heart burned all of his paranoia away. He took the chance to kiss Kate deeply as he wanted to assure her about his choice.


    "There is no competition, Katherine," Henry assured. "You¡¯ve occupied my heart entirely. There is nobody else that can take that spot."


    "Same goes for you, hot stuff," Kate giggled. "You are the only thing I have in my heart. You don¡¯t need to worry about me leaving. I would be the dumbest woman in the world if I made the same mistake twice."


    With that, Kate and Henry felt satisfied as they returned to the castle with a newfound trust for each other.


    As for Graham?


    Henry had a lot of ways to put him in jail for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 514: Wedding Day

    Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Wedding Day"Kate, are you okay?"


    Kate snapped out of her daze as Chloe patted her shoulder to check on her. She turned around and saw Chloe wearing a dark green bridesmaid dress. She looked especially regal and gorgeous in this color, which greatly suited her.


    Kate smiled and nodded, "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just trying to let everything sink in. This is my wedding day, after all."


    "Hihi, it¡¯s fine. I also got nervous on my wedding day," Chloe giggled. "I remember being so paranoid that I thought my water would break when I walked down the aisle."


    "Weren¡¯t you only five months pregnant on your wedding day?"


    "I know! That¡¯s why it was so stupid!" Chloe laughed as she found that paranoia was so funny. "Anyway, you don¡¯t need to be scared of anything. Things will go just fine, trust me."


    "Mhm, I hope so," Kate smiled thin. She stared at the guests who came to the Glassmist Castle one by one.


    It was early summer. The weather was perfect for such an event, so everyone looked cheery.


    It was common knowledge within the noble circle that the Duke of York came from an extended family because the previous Duke, Lord George, did not have an heir, so he appointed his grandnephew for it.


    Thus, rather than adhering to the strict marriage protocol of the nobles in the old kingdom, Henry and Kate decided to mix tradition with modernity.


    They didn¡¯t marry in a cathedral or abbey.


    Instead, they married in the Glassmist Castle but still invited the Bishop to bless their marriage as an officiant.


    They also forbade any kind of media to come to the wedding as Henry was never a fan of it, and Kate wasn¡¯t exactly keen to have her or her son¡¯s face plastered on TV.


    So it was a private wedding attended by family, friends, and fellow nobles, as it was important for them to see Katherine since she would be the Duchess of York after this.


    "Mama! Flower!"


    Kate looked down and saw her son, Theo, bringing her the flower bouquet full of white roses she would carry when she walked down the aisle.


    Kate smiled, picked up the flower from her son¡¯s hand, and patted his head. "Thanks, Theo."


    Theo smiled, "Yes, Mama!"


    "Theo, don¡¯t run away like that! You might trip!" Mackie¡¯s annoyed voice made the little boy turn his head instantly.


    Mackie was now eleven years old. She was growing to become a bossy but very responsible teenager who would watch over her sister, cousins, and even her newest cousin, Theo.


    In some ways, Mackie was quite similar to her mother, Chloe, when it came to her innate motherly nature, but she was also similar to her father, Vernon, when it came to her overbearingness.


    Luckily, Theo was quick to accept his cousins, especially once he knew that Mackie was the one who gave him the SuperBear he held dearly.


    Mackie was walking with Valerie, now three years old, wearing a puffy white dress. Meanwhile, Theo wore a black suit for a toddler that fit him so much. They would be the flower girl and the ring bearer for today.


    Chloe said that she offered the role of a flower girl to Mackie, but she rejected it because she was eleven years old now and she had developed shame like other teens. She was not the same cheery little girl anymore.


    So Mackie had become more of a coordinator for these toddlers as everyone was busy preparing for the wedding.


    "Thank you for watching over them, Mackie," Kate said. "Everyone¡¯s so busy, you¡¯re a lifesaver."


    Mackie¡¯s cheeks reddened when her Aunt praised her like that.


    It was rare for someone to praise her for being responsible. After all, Mackie was now a teenager. Naturally, she wanted to be seen as an adult.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. I will make sure Val and Theo won¡¯t make a mess!" Mackie vowed. She held Valerie and Theo on her left and right because Theo was so active and curious about everything, and Val was always looking around for food she could eat while idle. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dynamic of these kids amused Kate. But she was also glad that everyone seemed to adore her son, so it was easy for Theo to befriend his cousins, including the four boys from Chloe¡¯s side.


    "Kate, it¡¯s time," Mai said.


    "You can do this, Kate!" Chloe cheered for her as they helped the dressmaker and his entourage to help with Kate¡¯s dress.


    Kate smiled and nodded, "I can¡¯t wait to stand with Henry on the altar."


    *


    Everyone was busy trying to ensure her white dress wasn¡¯t stained or crumpled as she walked down the stairs.


    She had a long wedding veil that swept the floor, so Chloe and Mai tailed her from behind in case of a messy disaster due to the complicated dress.


    Chloe and Mai glanced at Theo and Valerie, who acted as the flower girl and ring bearer.


    As usual, Theo looked excited and wanted to run around, but he remembered that Mackie told him to walk with Valerie or she¡¯d eat all the delicious cookies without leaving one for Theo.


    Thus, the usually active boy patiently walked side by side with Valerie, who always seemed absent-minded, probably daydreaming about going to bed again because Chloe said her second daughter had been such a homebody since she was a baby.


    The entourage finally stopped as they were waiting for the cue. Kate stood behind a closed door leading her straight to the altar. She was waiting for the door to open, and she could finally see her soon-to-be husband.


    It had been two days since they met, and Kate already missed him so much


    "Mama... pretty..." Theo murmured as he turned around and stared at his Mom, who was holding the wedding bouquet.


    "Thank you, handsome young man," Kate smiled, "Remember to walk with Valerie, okay? It won¡¯t take long."


    "Un..." Theo nodded.


    A few minutes later, the door was finally opened from outside, and Kate was stunned to see the aisle.

 Chapter 515

    Chapter 515: Chapter 515Kate was stunned for a moment, not out of fear but due to awe.


    The pathway leading to the flower garden pavilion had been turned into an aisle. The usual stone slab was layered with glossy white marble decorated with beautiful flowers on each side.


    And at the end of the marble aisle, Henry stood inside the pavilion that had been turned into their altar. Henry wore a black slim-fit suit that hugged his body perfectly, showcasing how amazingly handsome the young Duke of York truly was.


    His hair was combed to the back, and his green eyes were sharp and deep.


    Yet, those eyes softened when he saw Kate at the other end of the aisle.


    Michael and Vernon stood behind him as groomsmen, wearing an amber-colored suit to represent Kate¡¯s amber-colored eyes. In contrast, the bridesmaids wore dark green dresses to represent Henry¡¯s green eyes.


    The guests were standing on both sides. She saw many unfamiliar faces as they were the nobles who were invited to the wedding.


    Yet, none showed a hint of disgust seeing Kate in person.


    Everyone was awed by her beauty. She looked stunning yet serene in a simple, tight-fitting white wedding dress.


    She was wearing a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace that made her look expensive without being tacky.


    She was perfect as a Duchess that represented beauty and serenity.


    [Wedding Music Recommendation: Piero Piccioni - Per Noi Due Soli (Love Theme).]


    As the music started, Kate began walking down the aisle. Her eyes were focused on her man, who was holding back his tears.


    It was funny to see him looking so emotional because Henry told her on the phone that he would not cry on the wedding day because he had to maintain his image as a Duke.


    Yet, there he was, holding back tears until he eventually had to wipe his tears with a handkerchief.


    Kate¡¯s lips thinned as she also felt emotional. Never in a million years had she ever thought to walk down the aisle again.


    After all, she initially thought that she was the barren one in her marriage with Matt back then. So, she was ready to stay single for the rest of her life.


    That was, until Henry came into her life, proving that she was not the barren one. He also showed that Kate was worthy of being loved, something that hadn¡¯t come to Kate¡¯s mind until she met him.


    She clenched the flower bouquet in her hand as she approached the pavilion.


    The music finally slowed down after she stepped into the pavilion. Valerie and Theo stood on the side with the groomsmen, and Kate faced Henry, who was itching to hug his beloved.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to finish everything and finally make their relationship official so Kate would forever be his.


    Kate smiled shyly at Henry. Her cheeks reddened when she saw the eagerness in Henry¡¯s eyes. He was obviously in a rush, wanting to kiss her.


    "You look gorgeous, Kitty," Henry said in a low voice.


    "So do you, Duke Henry," Kate replied with a slight tease. "You said you won¡¯t cry two days ago."


    "Can¡¯t help it when you¡¯re my bride," Henry smiled gently.


    The Bishop glanced at them and cleared his throat to get their attention, as they still had to finish the wedding vow before they were declared husband and wife.


    Kate and Henry slowly turned their bodies to the Bishop as he began the introduction.


    *¡ª*


    "We are gathered here in the presence of God, family, and friends to unite Henry Theodore Grant, Duke of York, and Katherine Krista Ross in holy matrimony..."


    Theo looked up at his Mama and Papa as Kate and Henry listened to the Bishop.


    They looked so good together, wearing a dress and suit. The boy was reminded of that one time when they took a picture together, and his parents told him to stand in the middle.


    So he absentmindedly walked towards his parents before everyone could catch him.


    "W¡ªWait, Theo¡ª" Michael was about to grab Theo¡¯s hand, but Theo had already hugged his Papa¡¯s long legs like a koala.


    The Bishop paused for a moment and looked at Henry. The latter chuckled, "It¡¯s okay. You can continue with the ceremony. Our son, Theodore, likes to stick close to me or his mother," Henry said without hesitating despite his status as a Duke.


    The noble guests were surprised because they didn¡¯t know that Henry already had a son before his marriage.


    Nevertheless, Henry didn¡¯t show any kind of embarrassment. He proudly told everyone about Theo, so they should know Henry dedicated his life to his wife and son.


    Thus, the Bishop continued his speech until he said, "To the groom, Henry Theodore Grant, you may do your speech as you wish."


    Usually, the Bishop wouldn¡¯t allow a speech between the bride and the groom as he¡¯d go straight to the marriage vow and declaration.


    But Duke Henry of York personally requested it, so he couldn¡¯t say no.


    Henry was given the microphone. But before he started his speech, he picked Theo up and carried him in one arm while his other hand held the microphone.


    Both Henry and Theo had their eyes on Kate as he started his speech.


    *Henry* Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Katherine and I met under terrible circumstances. We met with our own problems and left thinking that we won¡¯t see each other again," Henry said. "But fate is a funny thing, and as this whirlwind of life brought us together, I realized that meeting her is the most important part of my life."


    Henry sounded so sincere as he recalled all the difficulties they had to face until they could reunite, "She is the one who brought me true joy, to have a family, to have a goal of my own. She is my first true love and my one and only."


    "Without her, I would be the same old Henry Grant who had no idea what to do. I wouldn¡¯t stand here as a Duke, nor would I take the mantle as the new Master of Grant Estate," Henry paused for a while and smiled. "She gives me purpose in life, and that is to love her and our child, and I will continue to do that for the rest of my life."

 Chapter 516 [End]

    Chapter 516: Chapter 516 [End]"Thank you for everything, Katherine. Thank you for giving me the life I never knew I needed," Henry took a deep breath, ready for the last sentence he wanted to utter. "I am hopelessly obsessed with you, so please stay by my side for the rest of our lives."


    *Henry End*


    The guests were moved by Henry¡¯s speech.


    They didn¡¯t expect the cold and intimidating young Duke and CEO to be deeply in love with his woman, to the point that he didn¡¯t even hesitate to claim that he was obsessed with her.


    Kate was not immune to Henry¡¯s words as well.


    In fact, she was the one who was most affected by it because she tried her best not to cry as it would ruin her makeup.


    She wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and Henry gave her the microphone.


    *Katherine*


    "Before meeting you, I¡¯ve always thought that I am not a complete woman, that I will never have a child of my own," Kate said as she reminisced about her life with Matt. How that bastard took advantage of her insecurity and fooled her to think that she was barren. "But you came to me and broke all of my doubts. You give me a life I never knew I wanted."


    "You taught me what true love is and how much we have to fight to make it happen," Kate paused as she stared at her son and husband, who resembled each other so much. Both of them were smiling at her, and she couldn¡¯t handle her emotion.


    She began to sob as she continued, "I am sorry that I¡¯m not a perfect woman for you, but I will work on it every day. I will be the woman that will stand side by side with you without feeling small."


    "Mama, hug?" Theo asked as the boy saw his Mama was sobbing. He got worried, thinking that his Mama was sad, "Mama..."


    Kate chuckled and replied, "It¡¯s okay, Theo. Mama is just happy."


    "Happy?" Theo tilted his head as he didn¡¯t understand. He looked at his father, who didn¡¯t cry, so he extended his hand to pat his Papa¡¯s cheek. "Papa, are you not happy?"


    "Papa already cried before," Henry said. "Your Mama is just so happy that she can¡¯t stop crying."


    "Mm..." Theo was too young to understand. But seeing that his Mama was smiling sincerely at them gave him peace of mind.


    Kate took a deep breath to collect herself as she finished her speech, "I will stay by your side until death do us part, Henry. I love you."


    *Katherine End*


    After Kate and Henry finished their speech, Henry slowly handed his son to Vernon as they would start the marriage vow.


    Since little Theo had failed his job as a ring bearer, Michael carried the ring box right now.


    The Bishop started with the vow, seeing how the bride and groom were eager for it.


    "If you are ready to assume the obligations and duties before God, as I have defined them, you will unite your hands and pledge your love and your lives to each other," The Bishop turned his head at Henry and said. "Groom, repeat after me."


    Henry took a deep breath as he started his vow;


    "I, Henry Theodore Grant, take you, Katherine Krista Ross, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."


    The Bishop nodded and then turned his head towards Kate, who slowly reached for Henry¡¯s hand, yearning for his support as they would be bound together by marriage for the rest of their lives.


    Henry held her hand gently but tight enough to assure her everything would be okay.


    After all, they went through many storms and came out stronger than before. So there was nothing to be scared about.


    "Bride, please repeat after me," the Bishop said, and Kate nodded as she declared her vow;


    "I, Katherine Krista Ross, take you, Henry Theodore Grant, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."


    -


    "You will now exchange rings as a symbol of the lifelong commitment and abiding love which you as husband and wife have promised to each other," the Bishop said.


    Michael gave the wedding ring to the Bishop, and the Bishop allowed Henry to take the ring meant for Kate, "Groom, please put the ring on her finger."


    Henry stared at Kate, whose hands were trembling. He gently slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand softly, "Looks good on you, sweetheart."


    The Bishop turned to Kate and said the same thing. So Kate picked up the ring and slid it on Henry¡¯s finger.


    The Bishop continued his prayer and finally declared their marriage.


    "... having witnessed your vows for marriage before God and all who are assembled here, by the authority invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."


    Kate and Henry took a step forward at the same time. Both of them were eager for their first kiss after marriage.


    Henry gently caressed Kate¡¯s cheek, then her lips.


    Kate chuckled and joked, "I am real, Henry. This is real. We¡¯re married now."


    "I know, it still feels unreal for me. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m lucky enough to marry a woman like you, Katherine... my wife..." Henry said as he leaned forward.


    He tilted his head slightly as he kissed her sweet lips, a taste he would never get bored of.


    Kate closed her eyes. She draped her arms on his shoulder and went for the second kiss.


    They could hear the guests¡¯ applause, but neither wanted to stop, even wanting to go for the third kiss.


    "Okay, that¡¯s enough. There are children here," the Bishop sighed as he tapped Henry¡¯s shoulder to stop him. "You two can do it later in private."


    Kate and Henry chuckled. They closed their eyes and embraced each other.


    Henry ignored the crowd and whispered, "I can¡¯t wait for our honeymoon."


    "Sshh, not now, Henry. Let¡¯s just enjoy this blissful day... wholesomely, of course," Kate replied as she rested her head on his chest, feeling the accelerating heartbeat of the man who changed her life.


    He stole her from her deadbeat husband, showing her that she deserved to be loved, and gave her a son that she loved dearly.


    He wouldn¡¯t give up on her, so she should also toughen up and fight for him.


    ¡¯Thank you for giving me this wonderful life, Henry.¡¯


    **


    A few months later, in Los Angeles, a man in his thirties was busy cursing at the director as he got rejected from another casting.


    "Fuck you, asshole! I don¡¯t want to act in this stupid TV show anyway. I will find a movie! I will be a big star!" Matt said as he got kicked out by the security guards.


    He slumped on the ground for a moment and then patted his soiled shirt.


    He got up and walked through the Los Angeles streets with barely enough money for rent.


    Graham Hubbard, His sole donator, was caught in a big case, so he was all alone now, relying solely on his looks and barely passable acting skill to go through one casting after another. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gritted his teeth as his phone rang, and he knew it was another call from his mother.


    He turned off his phone and continued his stride until he stopped in front of an advertisement on Videotron;


    *


    Empress Picture Entertainment is searching for actors and actresses to play in the new movie, ¡¯He Stole Me From My Deadbeat Husband.¡¯


    For inquiry, Call +1 XXX


    *


    Matt frowned. This was the first time he had heard of that company. It was probably a new company, but the fact that they could rent a huge Videotron only to advertise an audition for their new movie meant they must have huge funding!


    The name of the movie irked him so much as it reminded him about that bitch who left her after all the sacrifices he did for her.


    ¡¯Heh, why do I need to think about that whore anyway? I will surely get accepted for this one and become a huge star! I will surround myself with many hot bitches, heheh~.¡¯


    Thus, Matt called the number from the Videotron and after he introduced himself, the operator quickly connected him to the main secretary named Mindy.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, my name is Matthew Woods. I¡ªWhoa! Are you serious? I will have a private casting by myself!?"


    "Yes, Sir. I will forward you our office address, and you can come tomorrow, if you want," the secretary named Mindy said.


    Matt had no suspicion in mind. He simply thought that he had struck gold. Who knew? Maybe his voice was so sexy, or his charm could pierce a phone call!


    So he accepted, "Yes! I will come tomorrow!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Matt couldn¡¯t believe that he finally struck gold after so much struggle.


    He smirked from ear to ear as he could imagine all the money and fame he could get, "That sagging bitch will regret leaving a hot catch like me."


    [The End]

 Chapter 517: Side Story: A Secured Future (1)

    Chapter 517: Side Story: A Secured Future (1)"Theo, don¡¯t run around like that! You might trip!" Kate yelled as she was busy making breakfast for the family.


    Five months had passed since her wedding and honeymoon, and she settled with Henry in the Phoenix Tower¡¯s penthouse.


    Henry had already paid upfront to build a house near the Phoenix Gray family mansion. But it would take a while for it to be built.


    So, for now, they lived in this penthouse while they waited for their new home.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a problem anyway since they often went back and forth between the penthouse and Glassmist Castle to attend many events, mostly noble invitations as they were now the Duke and Duchess of York.


    "Theodore!" Kate raised her voice as she got antsy. She couldn¡¯t just abandon her cooking to catch Theo.


    She also doubted that she could actually catch her overly active son. After all, Theo was hyperactive, and she was pregnant.


    Yes, she was currently three months pregnant, and she shouldn¡¯t do any actual gymnastics just to catch her son.


    Kate clicked her tongue and yelled, "Henry! Go get your son!"


    "Cominnggg!" Henry answered. He rushed out of the bathroom, wearing only a bathrobe and an electric toothbrush in his left hand.


    He saw his son jumping around the living room excitedly and sighed.


    This was one of the reasons why he feared having a son.


    As Theo grew up, he became more and more like his father. Hyperactive, mischievous, and threw a lot of tantrums.


    Fortunately, Theo still had some of Kate¡¯s qualities, at least. Though he was mischievous, he never pulled any pranks on his cousins or parents. He was also smart, very smart, just like Kate. However, he showed no sign of liking to read anything that didn¡¯t catch his interest immediately.


    Such as today, because Kate would have brunch with Chloe and her daughters, alongside Dahlia and Dorothea, Theo¡¯s excitement basically exploded, and he had so much energy to release.


    "Tsk, why are we not hiring a nanny again?" Henry asked as he circled around the table and sofa just to catch Theo, who could somehow do gymnastics as he was reaching three years old.


    "Not yet, Henry. I can raise him by myself, at least for now," Kate said as she continued cooking. "Maybe once our second child is born, then we definitely need a nanny."


    "Got you!" Henry exclaimed as he finally grabbed Theo and lifted him so he wouldn¡¯t run around again.


    "Papa, I wanna run! Runnnn!" Theo said as he struggled. But Henry was like a statue that couldn¡¯t be moved. So, the little boy gave up in the end.


    Henry sighed again. He sat the little boy on a tall stool near the kitchen and said, "Stay right here. Don¡¯t you see that your Mama is busy cooking for us? If you keep running like that, your Mama will not take you to meet with Mackie and Valerie."


    Theo pouted. He said nothing, but it was obvious that he was displeased.


    Henry took a step back, but his eyes were still on his son. After making sure his boy wouldn¡¯t make any trouble again, he looked at Kate, "We should hire a cook at least. I don¡¯t want you to get exhausted."


    "No, cooking is on me. I don¡¯t want to let you taste someone else¡¯s food only to spit it out and say mine¡¯s better," Kate rolled her eyes. "It¡¯s a waste of food, Henry. It¡¯s not a good lesson for our son."


    Henry couldn¡¯t deny that he 100% preferred Kate¡¯s cooking over any food out there. He was just worried that his wife was overworking herself as a housewife.


    Kate sensed his worry, glanced at him, and said, "We already had a housekeeping service for everything else. Cooking and nursing our son is the least I could do."


    "I told you that you just need to sit back and relax..." Henry murmured, which got him a glare from Kate. So he gulped nervously.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but Kate was always cranky for no reason whenever she was pregnant.


    He remembered how sweet Kate was during their honeymoon phase. But after their honeymoon ended, Kate showed her true self again.


    The same busy lady who would try to busy herself for tasks that could be done by hiring someone else.


    "I was just worried about you, you know..." Henry said meekly, showing a completely different side from the powerful and intimidating Duke of York and Master of Grant Estate that people knew outside. "After all, you¡¯re carrying my baby. That¡¯s already hard work."


    Kate took a deep breath, "I¡¯m sorry, Henry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I was raised and taught to be a housewife, and while I love being a career woman, I won¡¯t lie. I want to utilize my other skills. I want to satisfy my husband with my cooking and care for my child all by myself."


    "You don¡¯t need to do all that, but... I understand," Henry returned to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He then returned to his wife, who was still cooking.


    He hugged her from behind and kissed her nape, "Anyway, tell me if you¡¯ve decided to hire a cook and a nanny, okay? I don¡¯t want you to get exhausted."


    Kate smiled, "Sure, hubby. Now go and take a shower first. You have a meeting at nine. I¡¯ll go to your office and bring your lunch after I¡¯m done brunch with Chloe and the others. You said you have a surprise."


    Henry grinned and nodded, "I have a surprise¡ªwell, for our son, to be exact. But I want you to be there because this will be his first gift from me."


    "I hope it¡¯s not a company transfer," Kate said, and the smile on Henry¡¯s lips disappeared instantly. She grinned, "Wait, did I guess it correctly?"


    "Tsk, not fun," Henry muttered. "I¡¯ll have to prepare something more out of the box next time." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm~ I appreciate your effort, husband. Sorry that I ruined the surprise."

 Chapter 518: Side Story: A Secured Future (2)

    Chapter 518: Side Story: A Secured Future (2)"Give me a kiss, and I¡¯ll forgive you," Henry said, and Kate did just that. Henry was in a better mood after getting his morning kiss. "Michael will drive you to Vernon¡¯s mansion, and he will also drive you to the new office. Got it?"


    "New office? So it¡¯s an entirely different office building?" Kate asked.


    "Yes, of course. It¡¯s a small company, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be entertaining for you," Henry smiled mysteriously as he let go of his hug and went to the bathroom to shower, leaving Kate curious about what kind of surprise Henry had.


    She glanced at her son who was still pouting while sitting on a tall stool, and sighed, ¡¯I guess I will need a nanny once I give birth.¡¯


    **


    Michael drove through the busy New York street as he had become a dedicated driver and bodyguard for Kate and Theo.


    Sometimes, Kate felt bad for him because he once had a military rank, and now he had turned into a mere bodyguard and driver.


    Kate already asked him a few times, asking if he was forced to do this and if he could resign from the job or ask Henry to let him do something else, but Michael always told her that he was content with his life. So she couldn¡¯t say much.


    There was silence in the car, so Kate asked, "How¡¯s your relationship with Mai? You two are on good terms, right?"


    Michael¡¯s body stiffened, and his ears turned red as he nodded slowly, "Yes, we¡¯re doing well. Mai and I have moved to the same apartment again now."


    "Oh, that¡¯s great! I¡¯m so happy that you two can finally sort out your differences," Kate said. "Any plan of marrying her?"


    "I have," Michael nodded. "But Mai still needs time. We need to warm up our relationship first after a rocky start."


    "Sorry that I ruined your chance, Michael," Kate said apologetically. No matter how often Kate thought about it, she still felt bad because she had delayed their relationship for two years straight, even though they obviously loved each other.


    "No, it¡¯s fine, Ma¡¯am. Mai and I still have time to get to know each other better. It¡¯s not the end of the world," Michael said. He drove the car into the Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion and parked it in front of the main entrance.


    Thus, Kate left the car with Theo to have tea with her family.


    "Oh, you¡¯re here! Come in!" Chloe grabbed and helped Kate carry Theo as they walked to the living room, where she saw Dahlia and Dorothea sitting side by side, drinking ginger tea in this cold weather, which was good for their body as they were getting old.


    Chloe told the maid to help serve Kate tea and then told Theo to go and meet with Valerie, who was busy playing house in her room.


    Thus, Theo dashed into Valerie¡¯s room as he liked to spend time with his cousin, who was very quiet and lazy.


    Kate sat beside Chloe on the long sofa, facing the old ladies as they talked about random things. But their focus was finally shifted when Dahlia asked, "Since you¡¯re pregnant again, do you want another son or daughter?"


    "I don¡¯t mind a son or daughter, personally. But Henry said that he wants a daughter," Kate replied. She chuckled as she remembered Henry¡¯s desperate plea. "He said we shouldn¡¯t have a third him because Theo was already a handful."


    Dahlia laughed, "Well, he was indeed a very troublesome child. But I found him adorable back then, just like I found Theo adorable."


    "I know, right? I can¡¯t believe he said he¡¯s scared his gene might be too strong that we will keep having sons," Kate said. She then glanced at Chloe and asked, "Well, you have two daughters now. Do you want to have another one, Chloe?"


    Chloe sipped her tea, "Vernon and I want it, so maybe we will wait until Valerie is four or five years old before we plan for another child."


    "Oh? Do you want a son or a daughter?"


    "I¡¯m fine with both, but Vernon said he wants a son to complete our family."


    "And Henry wants a daughter. It¡¯s so funny," Kate smiled. "I hope they can be close to each other as they grow up. After all, we will be neighbors once my mansion is built."


    "Oh, I can¡¯t wait for that to happen! Now we can visit each other every day!" Chloe cheered as she was happy with the idea of being a neighbor with Kate and Henry.


    ** S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, in the new office that he just purchased, Henry was busy dealing with this new business, a film production company. He knew that relying on another film production company for all the amazing books Empress Publishing had would be a waste because they had no voice for the creative direction, and even the authors of the adapted books couldn¡¯t say much.


    So it was better to own one, so they had complete freedom to move in a creative direction.


    On top of that, he also wanted to avenge Kate for five years of injustice she had previously done to her.


    Though Kate had completely moved on from that deadbeat bastard, Henry still didn¡¯t want to let him slip. He had to make sure that man was under his control so he didn¡¯t get another case of Graham Hubbard, who was currently rotting in jail for heavier charges of corruption, bribery, and fraud; by the time Graham walked out of that jail, he would be at least sixty years old.


    As he was busy with his paper, he got a text from Michael, telling him that Kate had just finished her visit and they were on their way to the office.


    Henry smiled. He put his phone down and continued working.


    The door was knocked shortly after, and Mindy, his secretary, walked in with a report.


    "Sir, that man¡ªMatthew Woods is with the director right now, doing a sole casting," Mindy reported.


    Henry grinned as everything was according to his plan, "Don¡¯t forget to pressure him, so he will sign that contract no matter what."

 Chapter 519: Side Story: A Secured Future (3)

    Chapter 519: Side Story: A Secured Future (3)Matt flew from Los Angeles to New York using all of his savings. He was already so poor that he couldn¡¯t afford lunch in case this audition failed, he had been able to stay in Los Angeles for so long because Graham Hubbard paid the landlord upfront for one year rent.


    But he had this confidence that he would be accepted for this audition. After all, he got the privilege of having a private casting with the Producer and Director. He should be able to be the star now!


    He looked around as he entered the lobby, following a beautiful secretary named Mindy, the same woman who told him he had the chance to do a private audition.


    ¡¯Goddamn, whoever owns this building must be so fucking rich. Why does everything look so luxurious here? Maybe I should steal something I can sell to get my lunch for today,¡¯ Matt thought. But he soon dispelled that idea as he found it ridiculous. ¡¯Wait, why do I have that kind of stupid idea anyway? I am going to be a superstar soon! I don¡¯t need to be scared!¡¯


    Mindy led him to the seventh floor. She rudely pushed him out of the elevator and said coldly, "Just go straight to the end of the corridor and open the door. The Director and Producer are waiting for you, Mr. Woods."


    Matt glared at this bitch who dared to be rude to him. But he smiled and thanked her despite cursing her in his heart.


    ¡¯Just you wait, you filthy bitch. I¡¯m going to be famous, and I will get you fired for being rude to me,¡¯ Matt thought as he pushed the door open to face two men in their fifties, sitting side by side in a room.


    They had a frown on their faces as if they had an obvious dislike towards Matt, who had just walked in. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt felt uncomfortable for a few minutes before bracing himself and standing before them.


    He had already practiced in front of the mirror how to act charming in front of these people who would determine his fate, but when he had to face them, he suddenly lost all of his flair.


    He stood awkwardly and tried to show his charming smile, which turned into a crooked, ugly smile instead.


    "M¡ªMy name is Matthew Woods. The secretary said I have the privilege to do a private audition with the Producer and Director," he said nervously. "I am thirty-nine years old, but I can play as a teenager if needed. I am also a very skilled actor with many acting gigs under my belt."


    "These acting gigs you¡¯re talking about..." the Director checked his resume and scoffed, "As mostly extras?"


    "T¡ªThat¡¯s because I¡¯ve never get a chance to get a proper role, Sir," Matt tried to defend himself. "You know how cutthroat the competition is, and I¡¯ve always got the short end of the stick because those nepo babies would use their connection to get the main role."


    "Many of your acting gigs are TV shows. It¡¯s rare for an A-list actor or actor with good connections to work in these obscure shows. So your reason is not valid," the Producer added. "Are you sure you¡¯re not lacking in your acting skills?"


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Matt was questioned about his skill, and he wasn¡¯t new to lying. So he replied, "I can demonstrate it right now if you want, Sir. Just give me a script. You will see that I am much more talented than what my resume looks like."


    The Producer and Director exchanged glances. Of course, they were doubtful of this middle-aged man¡¯s skill, but the big boss wanted him to be in this new company anyway, so they couldn¡¯t say no.


    Thus, the Director gave him a script for the male lead of the new film they wanted to produce called ¡¯He Stole Me From My Deadbeat Husband.¡¯


    "You can play as Hayden, the male lead of the film, trying to convince the female lead, Caitlyn, to divorce her useless husband and be with him."


    Matt was disturbed by the name because it sounded similar to his useless ex-wife who demanded so many things even though she had nothing to offer.


    But this was a job he absolutely needed, and he couldn¡¯t just say no. So he grabbed the script and tried to memorize it while making the expression necessary to portray this handsome and reckless man named Hayden.


    Thus, he pinched his brows, squinting as if to try making those hunter eyes which didn¡¯t work on him, and then said the line, "What are you doing with that useless, infertile husband of yours, Caitlyn? I thought you were smarter than this."


    ...


    There was no reaction from the Producer or Director. They weren¡¯t impressed by his acting, but they didn¡¯t dismiss him as well, so he worked hard to make it even better.


    "That baby is mine, and so are you. There is no turning back from me, Caitlyn," Matt said.


    The Director pinched his nose, while the Producer closed his eyes as if he was exhausted from seeing Matt¡¯s acting.


    He got even more nervous, thinking he might¡¯ve failed this only chance to become a megastar.


    So, he tried to recite one of the killer lines from the script.


    "Which bastard dared to make you cry?"


    ...


    The Director and Producer sighed at the same time, shaking their heads as if they had just seen the worst rendition of the character.


    Matt tried another line, but the Director stopped him, "That¡¯s enough, Mr. Woods."


    Matt zipped his lips. He clenched the script as he realized that he just fucked up his only chance.


    "I can do more, Sir. I guarantee you that I have stellar acting. This character is just not good, he¡¯s so boring and¡ª"


    "No need to say those, Mr. Woods," The Producer was unwilling, but he stood up and stretched his arm for a handshake, "Congratulations, you¡¯re hired."

 Chapter 520: Side Story: A Secured Future (4)

    Chapter 520: Side Story: A Secured Future (4)...


    Matt was too shocked to react. He thought he misheard it, "Pardon me, you¡¯re giving me the role?"


    "Not exactly as the male lead, but we will assign your role here," The Director added. "We will also hire you to work for a long time. You¡¯ll have a contract for the next ten years, and we will manage all the movies you appear in."


    Matt couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. He thought he ruined his only chance, but he struck gold instead!


    "T¡ªTen years? I¡¯m going to get paid for the next ten years?!"


    "Yes, your career will be in our hands for the next ten years. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to work somewhere else or go to another casting. But don¡¯t worry, we will ensure you are always busy."


    Matt knew this golden ticket wouldn¡¯t last long. If he didn¡¯t accept it now, then he¡¯d have to go through a hellish life without anyone supporting him.


    He was already used to getting support. Kate supported him for almost ten years, five years when they were dating in Los Angeles, and she used almost all of her part-time money for him, and also five years when they were married.


    Too bad that bitch wasn¡¯t grateful that she had such a huge catch like him. That¡¯s why she left him, even though he had been a great husband to her.


    This contract would be the stepping stone for him. He would be hired for even bigger gigs in the future. He would be a superstar!


    And when he was finally rich, that sagging bitch would crawl back to him, though he would just kick her in the face for daring to humiliate him before.


    "So, do you agree to work with us for the next ten years?" The Producer asked.


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir! I will work as hard as I can!" Matt said as he shook their hands. Though, he knew damn well that he would eventually switch sides to find an even better company once he got popular. It was all fair and square when he would bring so much money to this company, right? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Director and Producer exchanged glances again and had a smirk as they tried not to laugh at this stupid bastard.


    "I will tell Mindy to bring the contract to you," The Director said as he grabbed his phone and called the secretary.


    Mindy appeared not long after, entering the room, still with that frigid expression, showing that she truly had no respect for this man who was about to become the moneymaker.


    She walked in with a contract in her hand. She put it on the table and looked at Matt, who was still standing in the middle of the room like an idiot, "Come and sign this. You can read it, but don¡¯t take long because I¡¯m also busy with other things."


    Matt¡¯s expression soured


    He was really angry at this disrespectful, ¡¯Just because you¡¯re pretty doesn¡¯t mean that you can treat me like shit, you dumb bitch,¡¯ Matt cursed while he walked to check on the contract.


    Unfortunately, the contract was at least thirty pages in total, and there was no way he could read all of those in one go.


    He hesitated for a moment.


    Though Matt wasn¡¯t exactly a genius, he knew he had to be more careful because this was a ten-year contract he couldn¡¯t annul.


    He kept reading, but his focus was shattered when he was watched by three people in this room.


    He felt like a prisoner about to sign his death. So he turned around and asked, "Can I bring this home? I will read this first at home and submit it tomorrow morning..."


    "Can¡¯t do," Mindy said. "My Boss said that you must sign it right now, or we will find someone else."


    "B¡ªBut that¡¯s so abrupt. What if it has something that will put me at a disadvantage!" Matt protested. Though this was his first time signing a serious work contract, he had heard enough of people in this big circle having to work under unfair wages and extreme workloads.


    He wanted to be a megastar surrounded by many women. How could he have his dream life when he would always be swamped with work?!


    "Then this contract is not for you, Mr. Woods," Mindy said. She walked towards Matt as she wanted to snatch that document, but Matt shifted his body to block her way as he knew this was his only lifeline.


    "No, I will sign this. I just¡ª"


    "My Boss is busy. You¡¯re not the only one who wants the contract. We can offer this to someone else, and that new actor will sign it immediately," Mindy said.


    As the pressure began to get to him, he looked at the Director and Producer, who still had a frown on their faces, as if they disliked the fact that Matt was delaying their work.


    "I am a busy man, Mr. Woods," the Director said. "You¡¯re an amazing and talented actor, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re irreplaceable."


    "Yes, if you don¡¯t want to sign that paper, then let¡¯s just drop all of this, and you can leave. There are thousands of actors, new and experienced, wanting that contract.


    Matt¡¯s back began to feel cold. He was sweating because the pressure began to get into him. He was obviously scared that he would get trapped in an unfair contract, which wasn¡¯t unusual in the entertainment circle.


    But he also didn¡¯t want to lose his only chance in life.


    Thus, amid his panic, he began to sign the contract. He skipped reading entirely in fear that he would miss out, and after he signed everything, he handed it back to Mindy, who now had a satisfied and gentle smile, far from what she had shown just a minute ago.


    "Thank you for signing everything, Mr. Woods. Welcome to the Empress Picture Entertainment. Since you are the first major actor we signed, we want to invite you to meet with our CEO."

 Chapter 521: Side Story: A Secured Future (5)

    Chapter 521: Side Story: A Secured Future (5)"The CEO?!" Matt was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect himself to get such an amazing opportunity. Maybe his fear of an unfair contract was just all that¡ªa fear.


    "Yes, she has been excited to see you. She said she has a surprise for you, Mr. Woods," Mindy said.


    "She?" Matt frowned.


    "Yes, she¡ªis there any problem?" Mindy¡¯s smile widened, but it simply showed that Mindy was unhappy by the frown on his face. So he tried to fix his expression.


    "No, nothing¡¯s wrong. Let¡¯s go, I want to see the CEO," Matt said.


    Though, his frown wasn¡¯t unfounded. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that the CEO of such a huge starting company could be a woman. It made him worry because women were mostly incompetent, and to have one as your boss?


    ¡¯Ugh, reminds me of Kate. She was a Chief Editor or something. It¡¯s crazy how that company hasn¡¯t gone bankrupt yet with a woman like her in charge,¡¯ Matt thought as he followed Mindy to the CEO¡¯s room using the elevator.


    He was greeted with a luxurious area only for the CEO and secretary. Mindy stopped in front of a mahogany door, looked over her shoulder, and said, "Please stay civil while you¡¯re inside; the CEO is with her husband and son. She¡¯s busy and simply wants to meet you because she wants to see her new star."


    ¡¯Oh, Thank God, she¡¯s married,¡¯ Matt was relieved. He was already scared his new boss would try to seduce him.


    After all, he was hot stuff, very handsome, and charming. Of course, many women fell for him.


    But he didn¡¯t want to fuck this CEO because she must be an ugly bitch.


    After all, only an ugly woman could have an important job because they couldn¡¯t use their face card, so they had to use their brain.


    Mindy opened the door for Matt and stepped aside, allowing this useless man to see who was sitting at the CEO¡¯s desk.


    Matt initially had a small expectation, but his jaw dropped instantly when he saw the woman who acted as the highest order in this new company.


    She was the same woman with beautiful red hair and an enchanting appearance. The same woman who filed for divorce about three years ago, Katherine.


    Three years had passed, and she hadn¡¯t changed much as if time simply froze for her.


    In fact, she looked even more ravishing than before. Matt was too shocked to react. He was like a statue as he watched Kate read the contract at the CEO¡¯s desk.


    Mindy had no patience as she still had so much to do. So she walked behind Matt and kicked him back to push him inside the room.


    "Ugh! Hey!" Matt was forced to enter the CEO¡¯s room. He immediately turned around, wanting to escape, but a tall and burly man suddenly blocked the entrance and closed the door.


    The man was scary, with a military cut that could crush him in a second. So he was forced to face the CEO, who also brought her family, a man who had been quite popular on the internet for his status, Duke Henry of York.


    Henry was playing with his son, who looked exactly like him, so it was obvious this child was the one Kate was pregnant with when they got divorced.


    Henry put Theo on his lap and gave him a cookie so he would ignore this bastard. He lifted his head and smirked at Matt, who looked as if he had seen a ghost.


    Three years had passed, and he actually looked better than the last time they met, but Matt still looked like a bum who was unwanted by any woman.


    He also looked significantly older. Even though he was in his late thirties, he looked more mid-forty.


    Kate read the copy of the contract that was given to Matt before. She put it down and looked at her ex-husband with cold, dead eyes, "I assume you¡¯ve signed the contract. Since Mindy brought you here, Matthew Woods."


    Matt¡¯s brain was still short-circuiting, unable to discern what was happening right now.


    How could this bitch become the CEO of this entertainment company? She had no competence!


    "I can see from your face that you hate that I, Katherine Grant, Duchess of York, will be your boss, Matthew Woods," Kate said firmly, stating their current position. She leaned on the chair and patted her belly as she stared at him, hinting that she was expecting her second child.


    Matt had been holding himself the whole time, but he couldn¡¯t do it anymore, "And what are you doing trying to fool me like this? Just admit it, Katherine, you can¡¯t let me go because I¡¯m a huge catch. That¡¯s why you dare to disrespect your husband like this." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Matt tried to stir up some problem between her and Henry, but Henry simply chuckled and replied, "No, I told her to hire you into this new company."


    Matt¡¯s eyes widened, "W¡ªWhy?"


    "Because I want to see you suffer, obviously," Henry shrugged lightly and then played with his son again, ignoring Matt, astonished by his answer.


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile for a fleeting second, but she quickly fixed her expression and said, "This is business, so I do not care about what happened in the past. I want you to work under my management for ten years or more."


    Matt scoffed. Knowing how slimy this bitch was, he refused to believe that she had no ill intention. She was the one who ruined his life. She could ruin his life for the second time.


    "I don¡¯t give a damn about this. I don¡¯t want to work under a woman like you, a bitch who can do nothing but sell her pussy to another man. You filthy whore," Matt said. "I refuse to work here. Goodbye."


    He turned around, ready to leave, but the burly man continued blocking the door like a statue, which infuriated him so much, "Step aside, I will leave now."

 Chapter 522: Side Story: A Secured Future (6)

    Chapter 522: Side Story: A Secured Future (6)"I don¡¯t think you understand the severity of your situation, you useless scum," Henry said. His gaze darkened. Had it not been for his son, who sat on his lap right now, he would¡¯ve punched that ugly bastard until he fell on the ground, writhing in pain.


    But he had to be a good father figure for Theo, and that included not showing any violence, because Henry knew very well the side-effect of violence to a child.


    Kate glanced at her husband, telling him with her eyes that she could handle this alone.


    "Do you refuse to understand your situation, or are you really daft?" Kate asked.


    Matt turned his head and glared at Kate, "You¡¯ve done enough to humiliate me, Katherine. I know you¡¯re just turning me into a clown right now," Matt sneered as he looked at Henry. "Yeah, I get you are successful now, and you have a happy family. I don¡¯t give a damn about you anymore, Kate. So let me go, now!"


    "You can¡¯t just skid around freely after working with a corrupt lawyer who¡¯s currently serving his time in prison right now," Kate mentioned.


    Matt¡¯s blood ran cold immediately. His fierce expression vanished as he realized that Kate and Henry knew Matt was involved with Graham Hubbard.


    Thus, Matt tried to defend himself, "I¡ªI know nothing about Graham Hubbard. I was living an honest life after you divorced me!"


    "I haven¡¯t mentioned his name," Kate smirked. "You just admitted it yourself, Matt. You were involved with Graham Hubbard."


    "You¡ª"Matt had unknowingly fallen into her trap, and now she didn¡¯t need to work hard to make Matt admit that he had been involved.


    Kate grinned amusedly, "Do you realize how easy it is for us to put you in jail? You can rot there with Graham and lose all of your chance to have a better life."


    Matt never knew that Kate could be so intimidating. He clenched his fist as he felt humiliated but couldn¡¯t do a thing to reject her as she was much more powerful than he was right now.


    "Then what will you do if I have to work in your company?" Matt asked.


    "You act like you didn¡¯t sign the contract yourself," Kate scoffed. "You signed everything, and Mindy already made a copy of it. If you dare to break the contract, you¡¯ll have to pay a fine of up to ten million dollars."


    "TEN MILLION¡ª!!" Matt¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He felt that he had been cast into the deepest hell as he realized he had no way out now. "H¡ªHow could you¡ª"


    "Oh, relax, don¡¯t be so dramatic," Kate chuckled. "You¡¯re not going to get killed or anything. You should be grateful that you get a job for the next ten years, right?"


    "I know you, Katherine," Matt said with his eyes peering at her. "You are a very despicable woman who will do anything to ruin me even though I did nothing wrong."


    "You did nothing wrong?" Kate scoffed. "Oh, well, I know you have a selective memory anyway. You won¡¯t remember all your mistakes but will try to make me the culprit of your sad and depressing life."


    Kate grabbed the copy of the contract again and read the content, "I will summarize everything for you. On page three, you¡¯ve agreed not to take any other job, acting or not, while you¡¯re under my company for ten years."


    "Page five, you are not allowed to speak about the company¡¯s secret in public, nor are you allowed to do it online, or you will have to pay a hefty fine."


    "Page seven, you are willing to accept the fixed payment that the company will give you, no matter the amount per month, for all of your work."


    "Page ten, if the willing party breaks any of the agreements listed above, you will have to pay the fine of ten million dollars."


    It was like thunder in a clear sky for Matt. He felt like he had been struck by one misfortune after another.


    "It¡¯s your choice, Matt. You can break this contract you just signed and go to jail because I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have ten million dollars. Or you will have to work in my company," Kate smiled. "I assure you, I will give you enough money to live desperately every month and enough work to break your bones. It¡¯s a good payback after you leeched off from my hard work for ten years."


    Matt felt that his knees were weak after realizing that he was basically fucked for the next ten years.


    Knowing Kate, she wouldn¡¯t be generous with the money he could get, and who knew what kind of job he would have to do next?


    "This... can¡¯t be..." Matt felt weak and slumped to the ground like an idiot.


    "Look up, Matt," Kate said, and Matt lifted his head obediently.


    He saw Kate, who looked at him like he was an ant and said, "You will pay for making me your cash cow for five years, fooling me into thinking that I was the barren one in our relationship."


    Matt had nothing else to say as he was too shocked to react after knowing his fate, so Kate told Michael to drag this bum out of her office.


    She waited until Matt and Michael were out of the room, and the door was closed.


    She sighed and leaned on the chair tiredly.


    "You did great, Kitty," Henry said.


    Kate glanced at her husband. She wasn¡¯t the CEO of this new company, obviously. Even if she could, she had no time to juggle between being a mother, checking the Empress Publishing to help Mai occasionally, and her duty as Duchess.


    One of Henry¡¯s subordinates would manage this company, and once Theo turned eighteen, this would be the first company to be transferred under his name for their son to learn how to manage a company.


    Everything was an act staged by Henry so Kate would get the last laugh in front of Matt.


    If she could be honest, it was effective enough because she was satisfied seeing Matt¡¯s spirit flew out of his body.


    But she had already moved on anyway.


    "You should give me a good reason why you need to trap him here," Kate said as she got up and walked to the sofa to sit beside her family. "We could¡¯ve just let him be. He¡¯s not a threat to us, right?"


    "He¡¯s not," Henry agreed. "But he¡¯s still someone who once harmed you. After an investigation, I found out that Graham wanted to make him a big star by giving him proper training so he could use Matt to publicly shame us, twisting the story that you are the one who left an honest man like him and I was a man with no dignity."


    Kate gasped.


    She didn¡¯t expect Graham to go that far to ruin their lives. She thought that Graham could at least think rationally, but Sarah had truly poisoned his mind.


    "Even in death, that woman is still very poisonous..." Kate murmured. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s why we have to keep that man under control. I don¡¯t want him to become a weak spot for us in the future," Henry said. He gently touched Kate¡¯s belly and added, "I will protect you and our children."


    Kate gave Henry a quick kiss on the lips and put her hand on top of his, "I know you will, honey."


    Theo saw his parents touching his Mama¡¯s belly, so he did the same.


    "Oh?" Kate and Henry looked down simultaneously and saw Theo rubbing Kate¡¯s belly as well.


    Kate chuckled, "Theo, do you want a baby brother or sister?"


    "Brother," Theo said without hesitation.


    "Really? Why?"


    "Um... I have Val. So, I want a baby brother..." Theo replied.


    Henry shook his head in disagreement but said nothing, much to Kate¡¯s amusement.


    "You really don¡¯t want another son?" Kate asked.


    "A daughter is better," Henry replied. "If we keep having sons, I¡¯m sure all of them will look and act like me."


    "And if we don¡¯t get a daughter?"


    "We will keep trying," Henry said. "That is... if you want to have more."


    "I don¡¯t mind four or five," Kate giggled.


    "Mhm, I hope we can get a daughter, eventually," Henry assured.


    Little did they know, they might have to keep trying for a daughter in the future.

 Chapter 523: Side Story: A Perfect Family (1)

    Chapter 523: Side Story: A Perfect Family (1)[Six years later.]


    "THEO! DON¡¯T FIGHT WITH YOUR BROTHERS!" Kate¡¯s loud voice echoed inside their mansion as she yelled from the bedroom. She was busy fitting on the bridesmaid dress that Mai sent a few days ago.


    It was her size, at least it should be. But she was a mother of four in her early forties already. She was bound to be out of shape after giving birth to three sons and one daughter.


    "Darling, are you sure you can fit the dress?" Henry asked as he got worried seeing Kate struggling so much. "If this doesn¡¯t fit, then just wear something else."


    "I can¡¯t, I¡¯m the bridesmaid today, remember?" Kate said. She turned around and pointed at the zipper on the back. "Here, help me to zip it up."


    Henry got up and helped to zip up the dress. It worked, but it did look a little tight around the waist and butt area.


    "How do I look?" Kate said as she turned around, swaying her pink bridesmaid dress. "I don¡¯t look too fat in this, right?"


    Henry swallowed his saliva as he kept staring around her waist, "You¡¯re not. But you shouldn¡¯t wear this because it looks too sexy on you."


    "Too sexy?"


    "Your waist and butt are swaying. It gets me riled up," Henry said as he helplessly fixed his trousers, whose crotch area was bulging.


    Kate rolled her eyes, "Honey, we¡¯re about to go. You seriously need better self-control."


    "It can¡¯t be helped," Henry sighed. "Can we do it after we get back home?"


    Kate couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing Henry¡¯s desperation.


    Six years had passed since then, and he was already thirty-four.


    He was still very handsome, but now he had a mature taste in him. He was wearing a black suit as he was also the groomsman for the wedding between Michael and Mai today.


    Kate was already hitting forty-two years old. She was not a young woman anymore, but Henry was still lusting over her every day, to the point that they had a personal stack of condoms in the drawer to stop Kate from getting pregnant again.


    "You¡¯re not a young man in his twenties anymore, and I¡¯m already in my forties. Maybe we should lessen our sex schedule?"


    Henry shook his head vehemently, "Can¡¯t do. I don¡¯t mind getting a vasectomy, but I refuse to lessen our sex schedule."


    He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Kate¡¯s waist, pulling her closer and rubbing his bulge on her, "You know that I was sexually frustrated when you left me for two years, remember? So our frequent sex is like compensation for that."


    "Oh, come on now, you¡¯ve been using that alibi for six years already."


    "I can¡¯t help it," Henry said as he leaned and kissed her neck. "Who told you to look so sexy?"


    "You also said that to everything that I wear."


    "Exactly," Henry said. "You look sexy in everything."


    Henry began to kiss her collarbone and wanted to go down, so Kate quickly pushed him away and took a step back.


    Her cheeks reddened, but one person needed self-control in this relationship, so she said, "We can do it after we get back home."


    "Really?"


    "Yes," Kate said. "Now go and catch your sons. The nannies must¡¯ve been struggling to keep them still."


    "Okay," Henry smiled wide as he fixed his trousers again and walked out of the master bedroom to control the three menaces who were fighting downstairs.


    Kate checked herself in the mirror, and after ensuring she looked proper, she walked out of the master bedroom to check the three little Henrys.


    She watched from the second floor and sighed, seeing how much Henry and the nannies struggled to catch the boys.


    She went downstairs, took a deep breath, and shouted their names;


    "THEODORE! LANCELOT! GEORGE! COME HERE!"


    The three boys stopped fighting and immediately turned their heads towards their Mom. Seeing how their Mom didn¡¯t have a pleasant face, they rushed to stand in front of her, fearing that they¡¯d get scolded if they didn¡¯t obey.


    Truthfully, Kate didn¡¯t want to be so loud and overbearing towards her sons. But they were truly a menace, just like what Henry said.


    These little boys, aged nine, six, and four, looked exactly like their father.


    They had the same green eyes, the same blonde hair, and even the same facial features and expressions. If they didn¡¯t have an age gap, they¡¯d look like triplets.


    They also had the same stubborn, mischievous, and hyperactive personality. They almost had no fear of anything, not even their father.


    They were only scared of their mother and wouldn¡¯t dare to fight back once they got glared down by Kate.


    "Sorry, wife, it¡¯s too hard to control them," Henry said as he walked towards Kate with a guilty face.


    This Duke of York and Master of Grant Estate was one of the most intimidating men at work, but he was absolutely henpecked in front of his wife.


    "Wuu..." Lily, her one-year-old daughter, whimpered whenever she saw her Mommy yelling at her brothers.


    Kate turned around and saw Lily sitting on Dahlia¡¯s lap. Unlike her brothers, Lily was an angel. She was well-mannered for a one-year-old, and she was very calm.


    She was also the only child who resembled Kate, with amber eyes and red hair, which made Lily an instant favorite of Henry, who had long wanted a daughter. Lily was also heavily favored by her older brothers, who greatly adored her because she looked like their Mom when their Mom was in a good mood.


    Dahlia chuckled and said, "That¡¯s because your brothers are naughty. Don¡¯t be like them, and your Mommy won¡¯t be angry, okay?"


    Lily nodded as she rested on Dahlia¡¯s chest.


    "She¡¯s so adorable," Lord George commented. "Maybe we should bring her home."


    "Don¡¯t. Henry will be heartbroken," Dahlia giggled, knowing Henry greatly favored his daughter.


    Six years had passed, and Dahlia and Lord George were in good health. They had been living together in the Glassmist Castle in the United Kingdom, so Henry and Kate thought they were in a romantic relationship. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Dahlia and Lord George denied it when asked, saying they were just good friends who spent their old days together.


    It was rare for them to fly to New York, and they only did it because Mai, who was part of the family, was getting married today.

 Chapter 524: Side Story: A Perfect Family (End)

    Chapter 524: Side Story: A Perfect Family (End)Kate asked the head butler if the cars had been prepared for their departure to the wedding venue, which would be held in one of the five-star hotels that Henry had invested in.


    "The cars have been prepared, Madam," the head butler said, "The bodyguards and the nannies will come as well, as per your request."


    Kate nodded, "How about Chloe and Vernon? Will they come with us?"


    "I just got a call from the staff in Phoenix Gray mansion. They said Mr. Phoenix Gray and his wife will be a bit late."


    Kate nodded. It was understandable because Chloe must¡¯ve been busy with her teenage daughters, Mackie, who was seventeen years old, and Valerie, who would hit ten years old soon.


    On top of that, Chloe also had another son, Cedric, who was four years old, the same age as Kate¡¯s third son, George.


    It must¡¯ve been hectic in Phoenix Gray¡¯s mansion as Chloe said it grew increasingly difficult to handle Mackie, who was in her teen edgy era.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll have to go first," Kate said. She looked at her sons and said, "Go with your Dad to the car. Mommy will have to talk with your Grandpa and Grandma first."


    "Yes, Mommy..." Theo, Lance, and George said at the same time, following their father as they were ready to attend Aunt Mai¡¯s wedding.


    Meanwhile, Kate approached the old couples, and Dahlia handed Lily to Kate. She was worried that her old in-laws might be exhausted as their wedding must be hectic, "Lord George, Dahlia, if you two are too exhausted during the wedding ceremony, you can leave earlier. I don¡¯t want you two to get sick."


    "Oh, it¡¯s fine, dear. I still have some strength in my bones," Dahlia said with a smile.


    "I¡¯m not young anymore but still attending many noble parties anyway. So it¡¯s not really a problem for me," Lord George added.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go then," Kate said as she helped Lord George and Dahlia to get up, then let them walk out of the mansion first.


    She stared at Lord George and Dahlia, who were holding hands like an old married couple but didn¡¯t want to marry nor admit they were in a relationship.


    She knew it wasn¡¯t her place to question, but she just wondered if her father and mother-in-law were just too exhausted with love; that¡¯s why they simply did not chase for romantic relationship despite bringing comfort to each other.


    ¡¯At least they are happy in their old days...¡¯ Kate thought as she followed them to the car.


    **


    The wedding venue was still partially empty as they were early, and Kate went to a room next to the venue where Mai was busy getting her make-up done by the make-up artist.


    When Mai saw Kate walk into the room, her expression cheered instantly, "Oh my god, you¡¯re finally here! And you look stunning in that dress, by the way."


    "Oh-ho, thanks to you for picking the right color," Kate smiled. She approached Mai and asked, "What do you feel now? Nervous? Happy?"


    "A bit of both," Mai replied. "But I feel a lot better now since you¡¯re here. I thought you¡¯d be late.


    "How could I be late for my sister¡¯s wedding? That¡¯s ridiculous!" Kate said. "I¡¯m so happy you finally said yes to Michael¡¯s proposal. He has been trying for so long."


    Mai nodded, "I was hesitant at first because I thought I wouldn¡¯t be a good wife for him, but he¡¯s consistent, and I eventually said yes."


    After some time, the door was opened, and Chloe walked in, "Oh, thank god, I thought I was late!" Chloe said.


    "Thanks for coming, Chloe. It¡¯s fine, I just finished my make-up," Mai said with a smile.


    Chloe approached them and wiped the sweat on her forehead. She panicked because she thought she¡¯d be late for an important day.


    "Where are your kids?" Kate asked.


    "Playing with your kids," Chloe replied. "And our husbands are talking with Michael outside."


    "How about the guests?"


    "Oh, guests are coming into the wedding venue. I think it¡¯ll be full soon."


    Soon, they got busy helping Mai with her dress, and after everything was ready, Vernon and Henry came in, telling them it was time for the wedding ceremony.


    *


    [Wedding Music Recommendation: Stelvio Cipriani - Anonimo Veneziano.]


    Mai was like a princess walking down the aisle towards Michael, who had been waiting with Vernon and Henry as the groomsmen behind him.


    Kate and Chloe walked behind her, holding flower bouquets in their hands. Though they kept their smiles, their eyes were lingering on their children, the nine-year-old Valerie and Theodore, who, once again, became the flower girl and ring bearer.


    They might be a little too old to be one, and they surely tried their best to hide their reluctance, but they had no other choice as other boys were too much of a menace.


    Mai stood in front of Michael, whose eyes were glued on her the whole time. His lips were curled, and he didn¡¯t want to look too excited.


    As the officiant allowed the bride and groom to deliver their speech, they both mentioned two of the most important family members in their hearts.


    Michael looked over his shoulder towards Henry and said, "I want to thank my best friend, Henry. Who has shown me there is a life worth living for, and I would like to thank Katherine for supporting our relationship until our wedding days."


    Mai also did the same, with teary eyes. She said, "I will not be able to meet Michael without Kate and Henry¡¯s help. I am forever grateful to be part of this family, and I will cherish our relationship until death do us apart."


    Kate wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She wouldn¡¯t lie that Mai had become a big part of her life. She wished to have a good sister, and though she couldn¡¯t have one from Erin, at least she had Mai.


    Mai was truly the perfect sister that Kate wanted.


    ...


    After the officiant finally declared Mai and Michael as husband and wife, they kissed and ended the wedding ceremony.


    The loud applause filled the wedding venue, and after the wedding was about to end, they had a family picture together in the hotel¡¯s private garden.


    Michael and Mai were in the middle as they were the main characters of today¡¯s event.


    Chloe and Vernon¡¯s families stood on the right.


    And Henry and Kate¡¯s families stood on the left.


    "Stay still!" The photographer instructed them as he was trying to find the best angle.


    Henry was carrying his daughter in one arm, while holding Kate¡¯s hand with the other. They looked at each other, and he smiled, "We have a perfect family," he whispered. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kate nodded, "We really do. Thank you for everything, husband," she had a bashful smile as she leaned and whispered, "I love you, Henry."


    "No, thank you... for everything, wife," Henry said. "I love you forever and more, Katherine."


    SNAP!


    The photographer took the picture of a big, perfect family with a tight bond, a bond that wouldn¡¯t break for generations to come.


    [Side Story End.]


    **


    Hello, ForeverPupa here!


    Thank you for reading "He Stole Me From My Deadbeat Husband."


    It was a long but fun journey, and I hope you like the ending!


    For those who like my style of writing, and want to see one of Kate and Henry¡¯s son in another story as the Male Lead, please check out;


    "She Becomes A Hot Sensation After A Scandalous Affair."


    It is my new project and will be updated daily, as always!


    Once again, thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting me.


    Writing is my only job. Your support means a lot to me. So, I will keep delivering quality content for your entertainment!


    Cheers, Pupa out! ^_^


    **