《The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In》 The wrong girl Ch 1 Chapter 1 She ys Dirty, I Pay the Price! The day Ste Dawson was born, the family maid threw her away¡ªjust so her own daughter, born on the same day, could have a better life. Eighteen yearster, her family finally found her. But instead of guilt andpensation, what awaited her was something else entirely. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous!¡± Ste stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a wedding gown. The fitted bodice hugged her slender waist, and the voluminous skirt made her look like a fairytale princess. Even without makeup, her delicate features were striking. The boutique manager helping her adjust the gown couldn¡¯t help but praise her. ¡°Mr. Keene didn¡¯te with you? Men and women have different tastes when ites to these things.¡± Ste smiled politely. ¡°He¡¯s busy with work. Couldn¡¯t get away.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed. She nced at the caller ID before picking up. ¡°Tess?¡± ¡°Ste, I just saw Lillian with Ethan!¡± Ste¡¯s expression froze. The satisfaction on her face disappeared bit by bit, buried under the weight of Tessa Miller¡¯s words. Her gaze turned cold. Ethan Keene was her fianc¨¦. Their wedding was in a week. And just hearing Lillian Reed¡¯s name made a flicker of disgust cross her eyes. Lillian¡ªthe maid¡¯s daughter. The girl who stole her parents at birth and now had the nerve toe after her fianc¨¦. Ste shot a look at the boutique manager, who instantly understood and nodded. With a simple hand gesture from the manager, the other employees quickly left the room. Once they were gone, Ste nced at her manicured nails and asked casually, ¡°Where¡¯d you see them?¡± Tessa hesitated. ¡°The hospital. OB-GYN department.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow and chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting ce.¡± A man and a woman showing up together in the OB-GYN department¡ªwhat could they possibly be there for? Tessa scoffed. ¡°Lillian¡¯s nothing but a two-faced maniptor, and Ethan¡¯s a bastard. Call off the wedding!¡± Ste hadn¡¯t even gotten angry yet, but Tessa was already fuming. She took a slow sip of water from the ss in front of her and smirked. Every time she pulls one of her stunts, I¡¯m the one who pays for it. What are you mad about? Two years ago, Lillian had left the country of her own ord, iming that since the real daughter of the Reed family was back, she had no right to stay. And yet here she was again¡ªcozying up to Ethan. Had Ste been too kind these past two years? Or just too forgiving? Tessa huffed. ¡°She came back right before your wedding. What do you think that means? She¡¯s up to no good.¡± Ste¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Tessa sounded rmed. ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± Ste smiled. ¡°If someone¡¯s selling a lie, how could I not buy into it?¡± With that, she ended the call. She turned to the mirror, looking at herself in the pristine white gown. Her fingers trailed over the bodice. With a sharp rip, the fabric tore apart in her hands. She tossed the shredded dress to the floor. The boutique employees watching from a distance gasped in shock, but seeing Ste¡¯s expression, none of them dared to say a word. Just as she finished changing into her own clothes, her phone buzzed again. She nced at the screen. Ethan. The moment she picked up, his cold voice came through. ¡°Once you¡¯re done trying on the dress,e to the office.¡± Two years. For two years, Ethan had been nothing but gentle and considerate toward her. And now? This change in attitude¡­ was it because Lillian was back? A mocking smile flitted across Ste¡¯s lips. She didn¡¯t even bother replying¡ªjust hung up. Half an hourter, Ste stepped into Ethan¡¯s office. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, talking on the phone. Bathed in sunlight, his features were sharp yet refined. His side profile alone was enough to make anyone stop and stare. God had favored him, gifting him a face that was unmatched in all of Rivermount. The moment he noticed Ste, he hurriedly said into the phone, ¡°Eat lunch by yourself. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± He walked over to the couch and sat down. The warmth in his voice from the call was gone. His expression turned cold as he looked at her. ¡°Come here.¡± Ste met his icy gaze. She walked over but didn¡¯t sit next to him like she used to. Instead, she took a seat across from him. Ethan noticed the distance she put between them, and his expression grew even colder. With a click, he flicked open a lighter. The sharp scent of gasoline filled the air. Ste disliked the smell and waved a hand to clear it. Ethan didn¡¯t seem to care. He lit a cigarette and took a drag. ¡°Lillian¡¯s back.¡± A flicker of guilt shed through his eyes, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from saying what came next. ¡°Our wedding¡­ needs to be postponed.¡± The moment Ste picked up Tessa¡¯s call, she¡¯d already expected this. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lillian came back, so the wedding gets postponed? Ethan exhaled a slow stream of smoke. ¡°She¡¯s sick. It¡¯s serious.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out a document and handed it to her. ¡°Bradford University¡¯s admission letter. You should go study abroad.¡± The way he said it¡ªlike it was a favor. Like it was an order. Ste nced at the envelope in his hand. She didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she let out a soft, mockingugh. ¡°You want me to leave? To make room for her?¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the school you¡¯ve always wanted to go to? Now¡ª¡± ¡°Ethan.¡± Before he could finish, Ste cut him off, her voice ice-cold. She reached out, snatched the envelope from his hand, and tore it to shreds right in front of him. The pieces fluttered to the floor like snowkes. One stray scrap stuck to her palm. She flicked it straight at Ethan¡¯s face. Whatever warmth was left in his eyes disappearedpletely. Ste didn¡¯t bother softening her tone. ¡°No need to postpone the wedding. Just cancel it.¡± Why dy? Canceling was much easier. The wrong girl Ch 2 Chapter 2 A Disobedient Fianc¨¦? Dump Him! Ethan¡¯s face changed dramatically. He stared at Ste in disbelief. Her attitude caught him off guard. Cancel the wedding? Was she¡­ crazy? His voice was unsteady. ¡°She¡¯s sick. Once she recovers, she¡¯ll leave again. When that happens, I¡¯ll give you an even grander wedding.¡± ¡°Is she sick, or is she pregnant?¡± The moment the words left her mouth, the air went still. Ethan¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°What do you know?¡± Ste didn¡¯t answer. She simply said, ¡°You and her, showing up at the hospital together. And not just anywhere¡ªthe OB-GYN department. And now you¡¯re here talking to me about a grander wedding. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little ridiculous?¡± Their wedding was only a week away. Yet he had been at the OB-GYN with Lillian. And now he was standing in front of her, talking about the scale of their ceremony? Did he really think she wouldn¡¯t have the guts to throw him away? Ethan¡¯s expression turned even uglier. ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant. She¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°Oh? And her being sick means you have to take her to the hospital? What exactly is your rtionship with her now?¡± The sharp question made Ethan¡¯s face darken further. Ste had no interest in looking at his expression any longer. She turned and walked toward the office door. As she walked, she spoke casually. ¡°Since she¡¯s back, she might as well stay. After all, she still owes Rivermount quite a debt.¡± Two years of a steady rtionship. Lillian¡¯s return had torn a hole in it. And Ste? She wasn¡¯t the type to patch things up¡ªshe¡¯d rip it apartpletely. A rtionship was supposed to be a two-way street. Why should she be the only one putting in the effort? Ethan¡¯s voice sank. ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for her.¡± Ste let out a coldugh, her hand already resting on the doorknob. Ethan gritted his teeth. ¡°Do you really think you can afford to cancel the wedding? Or do you believe the Reed family will take you back?¡± The Reed family. Ste¡¯s gaze grew even colder at the mention of them. A family that didn¡¯t even know the meaning of loyalty. She didn¡¯t care if they weren¡¯t an option for her. The Reed family¡ªher blood rtives¡ªthe same people who had raised Lillian. Years ago, Lillian¡¯s birth mother had been the Reeds¡¯ maid. She and Ste¡¯s mother had been pregnant at the same time. Because the maid¡¯s gambler husband was unreliable, she wanted her child to grow up wealthy. So, after giving birth in the hospital, she swapped the babies. And this woman wasn¡¯t even the least bit guilty about it. After taking Ste away, she didn¡¯t raise her¡ªshe abandoned her. Meanwhile, she continued working as the Reeds¡¯ maid, watching over her real daughter, Lillian, making sure she lived a good life. It wasn¡¯t until three years ago, when Mrs. Reed was in a car ident, that they discovered Lillian wasn¡¯t actually her biological daughter. The shocking truth came out, and the Reedsunched an all-out search for their real daughter. They found Ste. But despite all that effort, when it came down to it, they still favored Lillian¡ªthe daughter they had raised with their own hands. Ethan wasn¡¯t wrong. Calling off the engagement meant she had nowhere to go. The Reed family had never truly weed her. Ethan stepped forward and grabbed her slender wrist. ¡°Once she gets better, I¡¯ll send her away again. Alright?¡± He kept his voice low, as if he were coaxing her. Ste looked at him, her gaze icy. Slowly, she pulled her hand free. ¡°You¡ª¡± Ethan¡¯s face darkened even more. Ste couldn¡¯t be bothered to say another word. She turned and walked out of the office. The sharp click of her heels echoed down the hall, carrying the same cold arrogance as the woman herself. Ethan, always the one being fawned over, felt his temples throb with anger. He refused to believe Ste would actually cancel the wedding. After all, for the past two years, everyone had seen how much she cared about him. With that thought, he didn¡¯t chase after her. Instead, he mmed the door shut with a loud bang. The secretaries outside all heard the noise and exchanged looks. Two years ago, when everything had exploded, everyone thought Ste was the one who had stolen Ethan from Lillian. Now that Lillian was back, they were practically celebrating. One employee whispered, ¡°Miss Lillian is finally back. Ste deserves this.¡± ¡°Exactly. Two years ago, she forced Miss Lillian to leave. What¡¯s stolen always has to be returned.¡± The moment the words left her mouth, the sound of heels clicking against the floor grew louder. Ste walked straight toward them. The two gossiping employees froze under her shadow, instantly falling silent. She reached out, grasped one of their chins, and forced her to look up. The secretary was young and quite pretty. But the second their eyes met, the woman waspletely overwhelmed by the coldness in Ste¡¯s gaze. ¡°M-Miss Dawson¡­¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Having fun gossiping about me?¡± The secretary¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°N-no, I¡­¡± Pathetic. Ste let go of her chin in disgust and swept her gaze across the entire department. Everyone immediately lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe. The wrong girl Ch 3 Chapter 3 Like a Wet Sandbag Hitting the Pavement The moment Ste stepped out of thepany, she saw Lillian getting out of a car. Ethan¡¯s assistant, Jason Harrison, personally held the door open for her. Lillian handed him several shopping bags. ¡°Distribute these to the secretarial department.¡± She carried herself like a properdy of the house. Jason took them respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Miss Lillian.¡± Lillian gave him a soft nod, then turned¡ªand her eyes met Ste¡¯s. Ste narrowed her gaze. Lillian froze for a split second, then walked over with a warm smile. ¡°Ste.¡± Her voice was gentle, like that of an understanding older sister. Back when the Reed family had found Ste, they told her that Lillian was older than her¡ªby one hour. This softness in Lillian¡¯s voice was for Jason¡¯s ears. But the look in her eyes? Pure provocation. She lowered her voice as she reached Ste. ¡°You¡¯re his fianc¨¦e, yet he sent me here to find him. Tell me, where does that put you?¡± Ste¡¯s expression turned cold. She let out a quietugh. ¡°As long as I want, I can have any position I want in the Keene family. But you? Besides showing up at his office, can you go anywhere else in the Keene household?¡± Lillian¡¯s face stiffened, and her gaze turned venomous. Obviously not. The Keene family elders would never allow it. Her reaction made Ste quite satisfied. Lillian red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t get too full of yourself. As long as I¡¯m here, you¡¯ll never have that wedding.¡± Ste smiled,pletely unbothered. ¡°You do realize there¡¯s more than one man in this world, right? It¡¯s not like I have to marry him.¡± A man like Ethan¡ªclinging to an unattainable love? No thanks. Might as well end it early. Lillian¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She stared at Ste in disbelief. Didn¡¯t she love Ethan? Two years ago, she had fought so hard¡ªso what was with this nonchnt act now? Was she faking it? Ste smirked. ¡°What¡¯s not to understand? If I lose Ethan, I can find another man. But you? He¡¯s the only one willing to marry you, and yet he still won¡¯t give you a grand wedding.¡± Lillian already looked bad, but after hearing that, she was seething. The fake sweetness on her face shattered, and Ste couldn¡¯t be more pleased. Did Lillian really think she could get away with this? It looked like she had forgotten how Ste had put her in her ce a couple of years ago. Ste was not interested in wasting more time with her. She turned to leave. But of course, Lillian had to pull her usual tricks. She suddenly grabbed Ste¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ste, I only came back for medical treatment. I never wanted to ruin your rtionship with Ethan. Don¡¯t misunderstand me, okay?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± The moment Lillian touched her, disgust shed across Ste¡¯s face. She only meant to pull her hand back, but somehow¡ª Smack! Lillian went crashing to the ground. The sound was awful, like a wet sandbag hitting the pavement. Just from the noise alone, anyone could tell it was a nasty fall. Before Ste could even react¡ª A furious voice rang out from not far away. ¡°Ste!¡± Well, that exined the sudden dramatics. No wonder Lillian had gone all out with the theatrics¡ªher biggest fan had just arrived. Ste looked down at the pitifully sprawled-out Lillian, then nced at the fountain near the building entrance. A slow smile spread across her lips. She stepped forward, grabbed a handful of Lillian¡¯s hair, and yanked. Lillian let out a sharp scream. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Ssh! Lillian¡¯s face was shoved into the freezing water. Her chest mmed against the edge of the fountain, pain shooting through her ribs. A suffocating pressure filled her lungs as the air was yanked from her body. She iled wildly, struggling for breath. Ste¡¯s face remained cold as she pressed down hard on the back of Lillian¡¯s head, not giving her even a sliver of air. Lillian wanted to put on a show? Then fine, let¡¯s make it real. ¡°Help! Ah¡ª!¡± The second Ste pulled her up, Lillian shrieked for help. But it was only for a moment. Because Ste shoved her straight back into the water. She wouldn¡¯t kill her¡ªbut she¡¯d make her wish she was dead. Again and again, Lillian iled helplessly. Not far away, Ethan finally reached them, his voice thundering in anger. ¡°Ste, are you insane?¡± Lillian felt like her chest was going to explode. Her lungs screamed in pain as she thrashed desperately. Ethan stormed forward, shoving Ste aside and pulling Lillian out of the fountain. Lillian waspletely drenched, shivering from head to toe. Ethan¡¯s eyes were full of concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lillian¡¯s face was pale as she coughed uncontrobly, her lungs burning. ¡°I¡­ ugh¡­¡± She looked up at Ethan with teary eyes, barely able to form aplete sentence. Ethan¡¯s gaze turned ice-cold as he looked at Ste. But Ste didn¡¯t hesitate. She stepped forward and stomped down¡ªhard¡ªon Lillian¡¯s ankle. Lillian screamed. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Ethan was furious. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± She dared to attack Lillian right in front of him? Angry, he shoved Ste back. She barely stumbled, then stepped forward again and swung her purse¡ªsmashing it straight into Ethan¡¯s head. His vision blurred for a second as rage red in his eyes. This woman¡­ Before he could react, Ste kicked Lillian¡¯s leg several more times. Lillian could barely breathe, and now her legs were swelling up too. The wrong girl Ch 4 Chapter 4 cklisted All of Them After a chaotic mess, Jason finally managed to pull Ste away. Lillian was in so much pain that her face twisted, tears welling up as she looked pitifully at Ethan. ¡°Ethan, I¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s face was stormy with rage. He turned to Jason and barked, ¡°Get her out of here. Now!¡± Ste tried to shake Jason off, but there was no way he dared to let her go. Jesus, how is she this strong? ¡°Miss Dawson, let¡¯s go,¡± Jason urged. Ste huffed. ¡°My bag.¡± She had just used it to smash Ethan, so now it was lying right at his feet. Furious, Ethan grabbed it and threw it at her. Jason caught it mid-air and shoved it into her arms. ¡°Alright, alright, you got your bag back.¡± The whole situation was a mess. In the end, Ste was dragged into a car by Jason. Jason wanted to send her home, but there was no way in hell she was letting Ethan¡¯s people drive her. She got behind the wheel and sped off herself. Ethan, still dazed from getting hit, took a moment to register everything. By the time he snapped out of it, Lillian was sitting there with her hair a mess, her leg swollen. His anger toward Ste only grew. He scooped Lillian into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Lillian nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. She looked absolutely pitiful. Ethan turned to Jason. ¡°Go get the car.¡± Jason nced toward the parking spot from earlier. Empty. ¡°Uh¡­ Miss Dawson took it.¡± During all the chaos, Jason had intended to drive Ste himself, but she had taken off instead. Ethan¡¯s face darkened even further. Jason swallowed. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go to the underground lot and get another one.¡± The keys were still in the office. He¡¯d have to go get them first. As Ste waited at a red light, her phone buzzed. She nced at the caller ID. Her biological mother, Susan Carter. ¡°Come home tonight. I have something to discuss with you.¡± Ste twisted open a water bottle and took a sip. ¡°I¡¯m busy. No time.¡± She already knew what they wanted to talk about, and she couldn¡¯t care less. Susan clicked her tongue. ¡°Busy with what? You¡¯re not exactly bending over backward for Ethan.¡± Susan had always had aplicated mix of emotions toward this biological daughter of hers. Ste smirked. ¡°So you let Lilliane back to do it instead?¡± There was a brief silence on the other end. Ste wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew exactly why Susan was calling. Two years ago, her fight with Lillian had gotten ugly. If Lillian hadn¡¯t left back then, she¡¯d probably be rotting in prison by now. Now that she was back, both Ethan and the Reed family had to be worried that Ste would make trouble again. Since she already knew, Susan didn¡¯t bother hiding it anymore. Her tone softened slightly. ¡°That was years ago. Can¡¯t you let it go?¡± The wind from the half-open window carried a chill, brushing against Ste¡¯s neck and seeping into her chest. For a moment, she felt cold. But just for a moment. ¡°Madam Susan,¡± she said tly. ¡°I almost died in that car ident. It¡¯s only been three years. Have you already forgotten what I looked like when I first came back?¡± When they finally found her, she had spent two full months in the hospital. Lillian had orchestrated the whole thing. She had been terrified that Ste would return to the Reed family and take away what was hers. That ident had been meant to kill her. To stop her from ever making it home. And now Susan wanted her to just let it go? Susan sighed. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t her. You can¡¯t keep assuming the worst of her.¡± Ste casually tossed her empty water bottle into a street-side trash bin. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Lillian says I¡¯m treating her unfairly, and you just believe her? If you trust her so much, why even bother looking for me back then? You love her so much¡ªshould¡¯ve just stuck with her.¡± ¡°Ste!¡± Susan snapped. ¡°Can you be reasonable for once? Do you have to throw a tantrum every time we bring this up? When will it end?¡± Every single time the topic of Lillian came up, it turned into a fight. Susan was sick of it. She sighed heavily, clearly trying to hold back her irritation. Then she got to the point. ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t have to forgive her. But this time is different. She¡¯s sick. Very sick.¡± Ste let out a coldugh. ¡°She¡¯s sick, so my wedding with Ethan has to be postponed? So Ethan has to stay by her side?¡± She didn¡¯t give a damn about Ethan, but the way these people thought was so twisted that she couldn¡¯t help but throw in a few jabs. Susan sounded even more annoyed. ¡°She and Ethan grew up together. She¡¯s always relied on him. Don¡¯t worry¡ªEthan will still marry you in the end. But for now, can we all just focus on Lillian¡¯s health?¡± Right. They could treasure Lillian all they wanted, but they expected her to step aside, too? What kind of logic was that? Susan noticed her silence. ¡°Are you listening?¡± Listen to what? This ridiculous attempt at brainwashing? Ste let out a sharp scoff. ¡°Focus on what you want. Just don¡¯t drag me into it.¡± Then, without another word, she hung up and blocked Susan. The wrong girl Ch 5 Chapter 5 The Only Way to Handle Trashy Cheaters? A Savage Queen Back at Kingston Heights. The moment Ste stepped into the elevator lobby, she spotted Tessa sitting on the couch. When Tessa saw her, she immediately stood up and walked over, pulling Ste into a hug. ¡°My dear, men aren¡¯t worth a damn. Give me a day, and I¡¯ll introduce you to someone way hotter¡ªtall, handsome, the whole package.¡± Ste simply replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Tessa had been all set tofort her, but now she was at a loss. Wait a minute¡ªwasn¡¯t her reaction a little too calm? Stepping back, Tessa gave Ste a once-over. When she noticed bloodstains on Ste¡¯s coat, her expression changed. ¡°Whoa, wait¡ªare you hurt? Where?¡± Ste nced down at her beige coat. Sure enough, there were a few drops of blood. ¡°It¡¯s not mine.¡± Tessa¡¯s voice wavered slightly. ¡°Then whose is it?¡± ¡°Probably Lillian¡¯s or Ethan¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I beat them up.¡± Tessa¡¯s eyebrows twitched violently. She had just run into Ethan and Lillian at the hospital earlier this morning, and now, before noon, Ste had already given them a thorough beating. She couldn¡¯t help but give Ste a thumbs-up. ¡°Being hotheaded might stir up trouble, but when ites to dealing with scumbags, your attitude is exactly what¡¯s needed.¡± Forget just Ste¡ªeven Tessa was fired up. She had worried Ste woulde home crying after seeing Lillian. But not only had Ste not cried, she had handed them both a beating. Tessa wasn¡¯t sure she fully understood this approach, but she found it deeply satisfying. Ste wasn¡¯t usually the type to lose her temper, but when it came to anything involving Lillian, she always seemed to snap. ¡°Don¡¯t go upstairs. Let¡¯s just grab lunch¡ªit¡¯s alreadyte.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Did you take time off just for this?¡± ¡°Of course. I left work early for you, but I still have to head back after we eat.¡± With the wedding only a week away, Tessa had been genuinely worried Ste might do something drastic. The two of them found a steakhouse nearby. Ste struggled to cut into her steak. ¡°Let¡¯s not get this next time. It¡¯s not even good.¡± She still preferred a steaming bowl of soup, and Tessa knew it. ¡°It¡¯s just ¡®cause we¡¯re short on time for lunch. Next time, I¡¯ll take you out for some real soup at night, okay? Be good.¡± Most people just grabbed a quick bite on workdays anyway. Tessa asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your n with Ethan?¡± The mention of Ethan made the steak taste even worse. ¡°Help me put out an announcement¡ªone that straight-up cancels the wedding. Oh, and throw in a blessing while you¡¯re at it: Wishing the bitch and the bastard a lifetime together!¡± Tessa¡¯s hand paused mid-cut. That¡­ was quite the blessing. But, ¡°Did the Reed family and the Kneene family agree to this?¡± Was Ste really this efficient? In just a few hours, she had already beaten them up and gotten the elders¡¯ approval? Ste scoffed. ¡°Why would I need their approval?¡± Tessa was speechless. Fair enough. After all, this engagement had never been Ste¡¯s choice to begin with. The Kneene family elders had initially opposed the match once they found out Lillian wasn¡¯t actually the Reed family¡¯s biological daughter but just a maid¡¯s child. The Reed family had panicked. With several business projects relying on the Kneene family, Susan and her husband Patrick had quickly arranged the engagement behind Ste¡¯s back. Two years ago, when Ste and Lillian had a massive falling out, Ethan had suddenly taken Ste¡¯s side for the first time. After Lillian was sent away, Ethan had showered Ste with affection, acting as if she was the only one who mattered. She had thought he had finally seen Lillian¡¯s true colors. But looking at things now, back then, he had probably just been trying to keep Ste in check. Because two years ago, Ste had been determined to send Lillian to prison. Now that Tessa had put the pieces together, she cursed, ¡°Ethan is absolute trash. But wait¡ªdidn¡¯t you already know what kind of person he was two years ago? So why did you agree to the engagement? You even went to try on wedding dresses today. Were you actually nning to go through with it?¡± Tessa was confused. Hearing the word ¡°why,¡± Ste¡¯s gaze darkened for a moment. Why? Because they each had their own motives. They were both ying a game. ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Just make sure to include a photo of them together at the hospital. And make sure the department name¡ªOBGYN¡ªstands out.¡± Tessa saw she wasn¡¯t going to get an answer and didn¡¯t press further. As long as Ste wasn¡¯t actually hopelessly in love with Ethan like people had been saying, that was all that mattered. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll announce it now.¡± With that, Tessa pulled out her phone. She owned several social media ounts with millions of followers. The moment she posted, the news spread like wildfire. After all, Ethan was the heir to the Kneene family¡ªthe number one powerhouse in Rivermount. Everyone was watching his wedding. If this wasn¡¯t handled right, Ste would be the one taking the fall in public opinion. Half an hourter, a trending post popped up: The Reed family¡¯s adoptive daughter suspected to have returned and spotted with the Kneene family¡¯s heir at the OBGYN department. Just like Ste said, OBGYN was highlighted. Right after that, another bombshell followed: The Reed family¡¯s daughter announces her breakup with the Kneene family¡¯s heir. Both posts shot straight to the top of the trending charts. The contrast between the adopted daughter and the real heiress¡­ everyone still remembered the drama from two years ago, and now it was back in the spotlight. And then, Ste¡¯s phone started blowing up¡­ The wrong girl Ch 6 Chapter 6 Cut Off Her Money? No Problem¡ªShe¡¯s Got a ck Card! Tessa watched as Ste¡¯s phone screen lit up, went dark, and then lit up again. In short, it just wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. Tessa couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just turn it off?¡± Blocking the calls wasn¡¯t working anymore¡ªall the iing numbers were unfamiliar. No need to guess who was behind it. Madam Susan must have been borrowing the housemaids¡¯ phones to keep calling. Ste took the advice and shut off her phone. But Susan¡¯s punishment came swiftly. When it was time to pay for their meal, Ste turned her phone back on to scan the payment code, only to receive a notification: ¡°Your bank card has been deactivated. Please choose another payment method.¡± The card linked to her phone was one Susan had insisted on binding to her ount shortly after Ste had returned to the Reed family years ago. Now, it waspletely useless. Tessa nced at her screen. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°They froze my card,¡± Ste replied. Tessa¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Because of Lillian? What kind of family treats their own daughter like this?¡± Hearing that the Reed family had outright cut off Ste¡¯s credit card, Tessa felt sick, like she¡¯d swallowed a fly. How could people like this exist? They were treating their own daughter worse than an adopted one. Ste just smiled, unfazed. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time.¡± Tessa scoffed. ¡°I got it.¡± She pulled out her phone and paid. As they left the restaurant and got into the car, Tessa said, ¡°I¡¯m wiring you twenty-eight grand. Don¡¯t let them intimidate you.¡± They were cutting off their own daughter over a little spending money? Who were they trying to pressure with this petty move? Hearing how effortlessly Tessa was throwing money around, Ste felt a rare flicker of warmth. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have money.¡± Tessa snapped, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a job¡ªwhere the hell is the money supposed toe from? Those Reed family bastards!¡± She was so pissed she could feel a blood vessel about to burst. Ste said, ¡°I really do have money. It¡¯s¡­ a long story.¡± Her financial situation wasplicated, to say the least. She might have spent thest two years by Ethan¡¯s side, but that didn¡¯t mean she was dependent on him or the Reed family. Tessa waved her off. ¡°Fine, you have money. But take the twenty-eight grand anyway.¡± A woman who¡¯d spent two years revolving around a man, living off the Reed family¡ªwhat money could she possibly have? Tessa simply didn¡¯t believe Ste. ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Ste insisted. Tessa rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh,e on¡ª¡± No matter how she looked at it, she just couldn¡¯t believe Ste actually had money. Left with no choice, Ste dragged Tessa into a shopping mall and spent tens of thousands in one go. Tessa finally believed her. Seeing the ck card Ste had used, her eyes practically sparkled. ¡°Where did you get this? Who gave it to you? Ethan?¡± Right now, the only possibility she could think of was that Ethan had given Ste the card. Ste nced at the card in her hand, momentarily dazed. A storm of emotions flickered through her eyes. ¡°Ethan? Not a chance.¡± There was no way Ethan would ever give her his ck card. Tessa frowned. ¡°Then who did?¡± If it wasn¡¯t Ethan, it couldn¡¯t have been the Reed family either. ¡°Since when did you know big shots?¡± Ste thought of the card¡¯s true owner. Her gaze softened slightly, but she said nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Without further exnation, she grabbed her bags and walked out of the mall with Tessa. ¡­ After parting ways with Tessa, Ste returned to Kingston Heights¡ªonly to find Ethan waiting at her door. He looked frustrated. ncing at his watch, he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for two hours.¡± ¡°Why was your phone off?¡± Ste threw out a simple response. ¡°Too noisy.¡± They hadn¡¯t called her this much in a whole month, but today, because of Lillian, her phone had nearly exploded. She pulled out her keys to open the door, but Ethan suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Ste.¡± She cast him a cold nce. ¡°Your unattainable love must be so lonely in the hospital.¡± The words unattainable love made Ethan¡¯s eyes darken with anger. ¡°We need to talk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± She yanked her wrist free and pushed the door open, reaching to shut it behind her. Ethan moved fast¡ªhis arm shot out, stopping the door from closing. The moment he tried to squeeze inside, Ste¡¯s foot aimed straight for his weakest spot. Ethan clenched his jaw. ¡°You¡ª¡± He dodged just in time, but in doing so, he had to pull his arm out of the doorway. Ste immediately tried to shut the door again. But Ethan was just as fast. He caught the door before it closed and forced his way in. She narrowed her eyes coldly. ¡°I suggest you leave. Now.¡± Ethan sneered, ¡°How the hell do you have the guts to act like this?¡± Only now did he realize¡ªthis woman waspletely ruthless, with not a trace of softness in her. The wrong girl Ch 7 Chapter 7 Where Did She Get the Money to Go Shopping? Ethan strode inside and sank onto the couch, pulling out a cigarette. Before he could even light it, Ste walked over, snatched it from his fingers, and tossed it straight into the trash. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± When had anyone ever treated him like this? Back when he was with Lillian, no matter what he did, she never said a word. Ste simply said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the smell of smoke.¡± Ethan was speechless. This woman¡­ fine, whatever. Gritting his teeth, he held back his anger. But the two trending posts from this morning still burned in his mind. His family had been blowing up his phone all day. ¡°The news today¡ªTessa posted it for you?¡± Was she seriously trying to cancel their wedding? Wasn¡¯t this going too far? Ste didn¡¯t answer. She walked over to the fridge and took out a small cake. She hadn¡¯t eaten enough at lunch, and after shopping with Tessa for two hours, she was starving. Ethan nearly exploded at how she was ignoring him. ¡°The wedding is between the two of us¡ªwhy did you have to make it a public spectacle?¡± Fine, if she wanted to vent at him, he could take it. But blowing it up like this, letting the whole city watch? Ethan couldn¡¯t forgive her for that. Ste asked, ¡°Is it really just between the two of us?¡± If it were, things would be a lot simpler. She cast a cold nce at Ethan and added, ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t made it public, somebody else would¡¯ve. Better for me to get ahead of it first.¡± Ethan knew exactly who she meant by ¡°somebody.¡± ¡°Can you stop thinking of Lillian as some kind of viin?¡± Steughed, scooping up a bite of cake. ¡°If she¡¯s so innocent, why were you so eager to send her away two years ago?¡± Ethan had no response. If she hadn¡¯t brought up the past, he might have been able to let it go. But now that she had, his expression turned ice-cold. ¡°You were ruthless back then. If Lillian hadn¡¯t left, you really would¡¯ve thrown her in jail, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ste took another bite and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ethan¡¯s face darkened even more. Just thinking about that time filled him with frustration. If she hadn¡¯t been so over-the-top back then, she wouldn¡¯t be in this position with the Reed family now. Still, canceling the wedding wasn¡¯t an option. Ethan forced his expression to rx a little. ¡°Lillian is just sick. Once she gets better, I¡¯ll send her away again.¡± Ste gave him a cold nce and said nothing. Ethan continued, ¡°Your parents won¡¯t let you keep acting out like this. The only one who¡¯ll suffer is you.¡± He knew exactly how the Reed family handled Ste. Her credit cards were probably already frozen. His gaze flicked around the apartment. ¡°How long did you pay the rent for this ce? When¡¯s the next payment due?¡± He remembered she had rented this ce after moving out of the Reed family home. Kingston Heights wasn¡¯t cheap. The unit she was in had to cost at least fourteen hundred dors a month. Bringing it up now was a not-so-subtle reminder: she didn¡¯t have the luxury of throwing tantrums. Ste said tly, ¡°You should leave.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Ethan¡¯s face darkened even more. Just as he was about to say something else, his phone buzzed. He didn¡¯t even bother avoiding Ste as he answered. ¡°Lillian.¡± So this was how it was? She was the one being forced to beg, yet she didn¡¯t even deserve basic respect? He imed he didn¡¯t want to fight with her, yet he had no problem taking a call from his mistress right in front of her? Now that Ste was retaliating, Ethan¡¯s real colors were showing. The mask he¡¯d worn for two years was slipping. Who knew what Lillian was saying on the other end, but Ethan immediately stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up, he nced at Ste. ¡°Think carefully about what I said. No matter how much you act out, everyone¡¯s priority right now is Lillian¡¯s health.¡± His meaning was clear¡ªnothing Ste did would change a thing. Ste ignored him and walked to the entryway, grabbing the shopping bags she had left there earlier. Luxury brand logos covered the bags. Ethan froze. ¡°You still have money to go shopping?¡± Had the Reed family not punished her after all? Every time she made a scene before, they froze her cards for at least ten days to a month. He was trying to remind her¡ªif the Reed family epted her, she was their daughter. If they didn¡¯t, she was nothing. Ste threw him a look. ¡°Is it illegal for me to have money?¡± Ethan had no response. This woman¡­ She really had a way of getting under his skin. The wrong girl Ch 8 Chapter 8 Cutting Her Off Financially? Sorry, She¡¯s the Boss! Ethan stormed into his car, his face dark with anger. From the driver¡¯s seat, Jason nced at him in the rearview mirror. ¡°So? Did Ms. Dawson finally calm down?¡± To everyone else, Ste was just throwing a tantrum, trying to force Ethan to send Lillian away again. Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. ¡°Like hell she did.¡± Jason stayed silent. Fair enough. Lillian had suddenly returned, and no one had even given Ste a heads-up. ¡°So she¡¯s serious about canceling the wedding?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t answer. Is she really serious? Thinking back on the past two years, he let out a cold chuckle. ¡°What do you think?¡± Serious? Could she really walk away that easily? Jason thought about it. Probably not. The Reed family despised Ste. If she didn¡¯t marry Ethan, she had no other way out. Not to mention, she had spent the past two years invested in Ethan. Jason felt even more convinced¡ªshe was just throwing a fit. Sure, she was taking it too far, but it was nothing more than that¡­ ¡­ Back at Kingston Heights, Ste stared at the pile of shopping bags in front of her and sighed. Thinking about the card she had mistakenly used earlier, she could feel a storm brewing. She didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. It had been a long day¡ªtrying on wedding dresses, shopping with Tessa¡ªher legs were exhausted. Deciding to treat herself, she ran a hot bath. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed, the doorbell rang urgently. ¡°Who is it?¡± She didn¡¯t open the door, just asked through it. Susan¡¯s voice came through. ¡°It¡¯s me. Open the door.¡± Ste opened the door to find Susan standing there, dressed in an elegant long gown, a pearl ne resting on her corbone. Her makeup was wless, but her expression was harsh. Susan strode in without waiting for an invitation, taking a seat on the couch with an air of authority. Ste closed the door behind her, towel-drying her hair as she did. Susan was already furious, but seeing how leisurely Ste was acting only made her angrier. ¡°Tell me, what the hell are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I already told you, Lillian had nothing to do with this! She just got back, and you¡¯re already hitting her? And then you go and cancel the wedding in the most public way possible¡ªdo you want the whole city to think the daughter I raised for twenty years is a shameless homewrecker who stole your fianc¨¦?¡± The more she spoke, the more heated she got, firing off usations like a machine gun. Ste tossed the towel aside and met Susan¡¯s gaze, cold and unflinching. Susan¡¯s temper red even more. ¡°Do you have to drag the entire Reed family into a scandal before you¡¯re satisfied? Ugh, I never should¡¯ve brought you back.¡± In her mind, all of this was because she had found Ste. This wasn¡¯t like bringing home a lost daughter¡ªit was like inviting a curse into their home. Hearing Susan¡¯s words of regret, Ste let out a mockingugh. ¡°I agree. You shouldn¡¯t have found me. If you hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have been in that car ident either.¡± Susan¡¯s face stiffened. She hadn¡¯t just ruined their lives; they had ruined hers too. Susan clenched her fists. ¡°You¡ª¡± Ste cut her off. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say? Just act like you never found me. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Oh, and you do realize the daughter you raised for twenty years really is shameless, right? At least you¡¯re smart enough to be scared of people finding out.¡± Having barely spent any time with the Reed family, Ste felt no attachment to them. Her sharp words only made Susan angrier. ¡°You¡ª! You¡¯re going to be the death of me!¡± At this point, there was nothing left to say. Susan stood up abruptly. ¡°Think it over. The moment you stop targeting Lillian, I¡¯ll reinstate your card.¡± With no better way to punish Ste, she resorted to financial control. Leaving those words behind, Susan stormed out, convinced that Ste would eventually cave once she ran out of money. When that time came, she wanted to see how much fight Ste still had left in her. ¡­ After Susan left, Ste went to the kitchen, washed an apple, and bit into it. She had no intention of ¡°thinking it over.¡± Her phone rang. She answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ms. Dawson, we¡¯ve got a huge job. A really big one.¡± ¡°How big?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Triple the usual rate.¡± Hearing that, Ste suddenly found her apple even sweeter. Taking another bite, she stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± She changed quickly and rushed out the door. Half an hourter, she arrived at the studio. Her assistant, Kimmy York, greeted her with barely contained excitement. ¡°Ms. Dawson, wended a massive project!¡± Grinning, Kimmy handed over the proposal. Ste flipped through it and asked, ¡°Sterling Global again?¡± Sterling Global¡¯s tourism business was huge. This was already her second major project from them this year. And they paid well. Each project had been worth over two hundred thousand dors. This time, the offer was even higher¡­ Kimmy nodded. ¡°Yeah! Their representative said they love our work. From now on, they want to give us all their design projects.¡± Hearing love our work, Ste finally broke into her first real smile of the day. ¡°Gather all the designers for a meeting.¡± ¡°On it!¡± ¡­ After leaving Kingston Heights, Susan headed straight for the hospital. Ethan was already there, along with Susan¡¯s son, Jonathan Reed. Before Susan arrived, Jonathan had beenforting Lillian. Having grown up with her, Jonathan always took Lillian¡¯s side over Ste¡¯s. Now that Lillian had been beaten up by Ste, his anger only burned hotter. When Susan walked in, Lillian looked up, her face full of guilt and sorrow. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I made Ste upset again¡­¡± Susan¡¯s heart ached. She stepped forward and held Lillian¡¯s hand. ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s not your fault. I know what kind of temper she has.¡± At the mention of Ste¡¯s temper, everyone¡¯s expressions soured. Susan sighed. ¡°Who knows what kind of family raised her to be like this¡­¡± They only knew that she had been adopted by the Dawson family. Beyond that, they had no idea whether her adoptive family was from the countryside or the city. They had asked before, but Ste never answered. Jonathan scoffed. ¡°What kind of family? With a temper like that, she was probably raised in some backwater vige.¡± To him, Ste was nothing but a loud, brash, and uncivilized woman. Susan sighed again. Jonathan added, ¡°You froze her card. Don¡¯t unlock it this time.¡± Let her struggle without money for a while. Let her suffer. Then they¡¯d see how long she could keep up her arrogance. The wrong girl 9 Chapter 9 Is She Desperately Looking for a Job? At the mention of freezing Ste¡¯s credit cards, a glint of satisfaction shed through Lillian¡¯s eyes. Ste, nothing in the Reed family belongs to you. There can only be one daughter here, and that¡¯s me. Despite her delight, she put on a concerned act. ¡°But if you freeze Ste¡¯s cards, how will she survive? She¡¯s been living off the Reed family for the past two years¨Cshe doesn¡¯t even have a job.¡± Jonathan said firmly, ¡°Lillian, stop speaking up for her. This time, she needs to be taught a lesson.¡± Lillian hesitated as if she wanted to argue but then turned to Susan. Susan nodded in agreement. ¡°Your brother¡¯s right. It¡¯s time she learned how to behave like a properdy.¡± Just thinking about Ste¡¯s temperament gave Susan a headache. She refused to believe Ste had truly let go of her feelings for Ethan. In her eyes, all the trouble Ste caused two years ago was because of Ethan. That nonsense about Lillian orchestrating the car ident? Just an excuse¨CSte was obsessed with Ethan, and that was the real issue. Lillian shifted her gaze to Ethan. Ethan frowned but said nothing, clearly agreeing with Susan and Jonathan¡¯s decision. Susan turned her attention back to Lillian¡¯s ankle. ¡°How¡¯s the injury? Is it serious?¡± Lillian shook her head. ¡°Not too bad. Ethan insisted on taking me to the hospital.¡± Susan nodded approvingly. ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful. Your father arranged the best specialist for you. We¡¯ll have them check you again.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom. ¡°Silly girl, there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± Hearing Lillian call her ¡®Mom¡® so sweetly made Susan¡¯s heart ache with affection. And so, while fussing over Lillian¡¯s injury, they also finalized Ste¡¯s punishment. The consensus? Cut off her $2,700 monthly allowance to force her into submission. They believed that without financial support, Ste would eventually have no choice but to drop the whole thing about Lillian¡¯s involvement in the car ident. At the root of it all, they were certain of one thing: Ste loved Ethan too much to actually walk away. This time, they weren¡¯t even giving her the chance to throw a tantrum, Ste spent the entire afternoon in meetings at the studio. A massive project¨Ca record¨Cbreaking deal in the design industry. Of course, she had to give it her all. A golden¨Cticket client like this? No way she was letting go. By the time she left the studio, it was already six o¡¯clock. ¡°Ste?¡± Hearing her name, she turned to see Tessa standing a few steps away, looking utterly shocked. Chapter 9 Is She Desperately Looking for a Job? Finished Before Ste could answer, Tessa jumped to her own conclusions. ¡°I told you to take my money, but you refused. Now you¡¯re out here scrambling for a job?¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s grab dinner first. I¡¯ll exin while we eat.¡± Her studio was something Tessa had no idea about, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be exined in just a few words. This time, they picked a restaurant known for its soups. Half an hourter, after hearing the full story. Tessa was stunned. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding this from me? I had no ideal¡± If even she didn¡¯t know, then the Reed family and Ethan definitely had no clue. Ste shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like it ever came up.¡± Tessa thought about it. That was true. She and Ste had met abroad, and their conversations were always about casual things. Even when they did talk about work, it was usually just in passing ¡°You¡¯ve been running it for a year?¡± Tessa asked. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, a year now.¡± ¡°Are you making good money?¡± That was the key question. As long as Ste had financial independence, she could say no to the Reed family and Ethan whenever she wanted. Ste casually replied. ¡°A couple hundred thousand, give or take¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth dropped open. Her definition of a little money and mine are we even talking about the same numbers? -Wait¨Cyou¡¯re telling me a tourism design studio makes this much? In just its first year?¡± Most small studios struggled just to break even in their first year, and yet here Ste was, making serious profit. Ste smirked. ¡°If you¡¯re good at what you do, of course, you¡¯ll make money. Just keep it to yourself.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Tessa nodded, fully understanding what Ste meant, That wretched Lillian would want to steal anything Ste had. And Tessa distinctly remembered¨CLillian had majored in this field too. Then there was Ethan. That guy had already proven he had no bottom line. Now that things were turning ugly between them. he¡¯d probably resort to underhanded tricks. Tessa scoffed. ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to pay any attention to them. Right now, they¡¯re just trying to use money to force you into submission.¡± Freezing her card? The message was obvious to anyone. They wanted Ste to personally say she was letting go of the car ident issue. All that effort just to protect an adopted daughter. That family really bent over hackward for Lillian 6:20 PM Chapter 9 Is She Desperately Looking for a Job? Rianne King¨CSte and Tessa¡¯s mutual best friend and a renowned genius in gynecology. Naturally, she was also the busiest among the three of them. Tessa nodded. ¡°Makes sense. I haven¡¯t seen her in a month either.¡± The wrong girl 10 Chapter 10 Should They Even Have Feelings for Each Other Now? Finished As soon as Rianne was mentioned, Tessa suddenly remembered something. ¡°Last time I called her, she said the hospital got approval for a new weight loss drug. Come with me tomorrow to check it out?¡± Ste took a sip of her Coke. She nced Tessa up and down. ¡°Why are you even looking into that?¡± Tessa wasn¡¯t fat at all. ¡°My cousin is almost 440 pounds, and he¡¯s so desperate to lose weight it¡¯s making him depressed. Ste nodded. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Personally, she thought life was too short to obsess over appearances¨Cespecially weight loss. Dieting meant giving up so much joy in life. You couldn¡¯t eat what you wanted, couldn¡¯t wear what you liked, and worse, you ended up hating your own reflection. After parting ways with Tessa, Ste returned home. Seeing the pile of shopping bags on the couch, still unpacked, her chest tightened slightly. She walked over and sat beside them. Reaching into one of the bags, she pulled out a receipt. Her gaze lingered on the payment ount listed. Her phone buzzed. ncing at the screen, she saw it was Patrick¡¯s secretary calling. There was no need to guess why the Reed family was trying to contact her. She rejected the call without hesitation. Immediately after, Patrick himself called. Ste didn¡¯t even bother. She let it ring and then hung up. At the Reed family home, Patrick¡¯s expression darkened when Ste ignored every call. He turned to Susan. ¡°I told you to keep Lillian away from her. Why did they run into each other again?¡± Susan¡¯s face was stiff. This time, it really wasn¡¯t Lillian¡¯s fault, she just¡­. Ugh! Trying to exin the situation between Ste and Lillian was exhausting. Patrick nced at his phone, where the trending news was still disyed. The photos of Ethan and Lillian at the hospital were everywhere. ¡°Her fianc¨¦ taking her sister¡® to the hospital? Are you out of your mind, or is she?¡± Susan opened her mouth but had nothing to say. Patrick¡¯s anger only grew. ¡°I had already arranged specialists for her. Why the hell did you let her run around with Ethan?¡± Chapter 10 Should They Even Have Feelings for Each Other Now? Finished Susan tried to defend herself. ¡°But Lillian¡¯s been so sick¨CI just wanted her to feel a little better. You know how she and Ethan grew up together. They¡¯ve been friends since middle school, they have history.¡± ¡°History? Susan, you¡¯re seriously talking to me about their history? Should they even have feelings for each other now!¡± Patrick¡¯s tone was sharp, his face stern. Susan fell silent. Technically, he was right. But in reality, things were never that simple. Patrick turned to his secretary. ¡°Get the car ready.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. Where are you going?¡± Susan nced at the time, puzzled. ¡°Kingston Heights.¡± He was going to see Ste? Susan immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll just end up arguing with her.¡± Patrick had always been dissatisfied with how Susan handled her rtionship with Ste. Hearing that, Susan felt wronged. ¡°You think I want to argue with her? She¡¯s the one who constantly goes against me. Do you know how rebellious she is? It¡¯s like she was born to make my life difficult.¡± Patrick said tly. ¡°We weren¡¯t there for her all those years. If she resents us, isn¡¯t that fair?¡± Unlike Susan, Patrick actually felt guilty toward Ste His words left Susan speechless. Just as he was about to leave, something crossed his mind, and he turned back to Susan. ¡°Did you freeze her card again?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh yeah, I did.¡± ¡°You idiot. Do you actually want to lose her for good?¡± Freezing her funds at a time like this, right when Lillian had just returned? If she didn¡¯t hate them before, she definitely would now. Patrick was fuming. Susan huffed, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t see how she treated me today! I just-¡± ¡°Turn it back on. Immediately.¡± Patrick didn¡¯t want to hear any more excuses. His tone was final. Susan pursed her lips but didn¡¯t dare argue. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll call the bank tomorrow when they open.¡± The wrong girl 11 Chapter 11 Trying to Buy Her Off Dream On Upstairs. Lillian stood at the top of the stairs, her ankle swollen. Hearing Patrick speak so kindly to Ste, a flicker of disappointment. and coldness shed through her eyes. After all, they were blood rted¡­ An hour sofa, he looked at Ste without questioning why she hadn¡¯t answered his calls earlier. Ste remained. expressionless as she poured him a ss of water. Patrick sighed. ¡°No need to busy yourself. Come sit,¡± When it came to this daughter, Patrick truly didn¡¯t know how to interact with her. She hadn¡¯t grown up by his side, and he barely understood her, Ste sat directly across from him. Patrick sat upright on the sofa, his hands sped on his knees. ¡°Did you argue with Lillian again? Ste asked tly. ¡°Are you here to me me too?¡± me, ever since I became part of the Reed family, I have grown used to it. Hearing her cold tone, Patrick let out a sigh. ¡°Did you break off the engagement with Ethan because of her?¡± Ste didn¡¯t respond, simply taking a sip from her ss. The Reeds family weren¡¯t the kind of people she would confide in. If someone wasn¡¯t worth trusting, she didn¡¯t see the need to share too much. Seeing her silence, Patrick felt helpless. No wonder Susan always got frustrated, this child clearly had no intention of opening up to them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be mad at her. She¡¯s only back for medical treatment. Ethan was just apanying her to the hospital. I already spoke to your mother, this won¡¯t happen again.¡± Ste set down her ss and looked at him. ¡°Their next time has nothing to do with me anymore. You didn¡¯t have toe herete at night just to tell me this.¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°What do you mean nothing to do with you? Ste, marriage isn¡¯t a joke. You and Ethan are already at this stage, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± Backing out will make them aughingstock! Worse, it would make the entire Reed family a joke. Ste said calmly. ¡°Precisely because marriage isn¡¯t a joke, I have even less reason to go through with it after seeing things Her reasoning actually made sense. ¡°But you and Ethan¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re just worried about embarrassment, aren¡¯t you? Actually, this is an easy fix.¡± Ste cut him off. Patrick¡¯s expression darkened as he was directly called out. ¡°How do you n to fix it?¡± Of course, Embarrassment that was his biggest concern. Fuer since ilus news ad this maming he had been tormented all fernoon Ste said indifferently ¡°hust announce Chapter 11 Trying to Buy Her Off Dream On Finished How was that a solution? That would make things even more humiliating Not only would she be breaking off the engagement with Ethan, but also cutting ties with the Reed family! Patrick¡¯s face darkened. Ste, however, remained firm. ¡°Either way, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m marrying Ethan.¡± ¡°If not Ethan, then who? Your wedding is in a week, after making such a scene with the Keene family, who in Rivermount would still dare to marry you? And what about your feelings for Ethan?¡± She heard the wedding a week from now¡­. Ste chuckled, her smileced with mockery, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet, do you? Ethan told me this morning that since Lillian is back, our wedding needs to be postponed.¡± Patrick was stunned. His expression showed he waspletely unaware of this. Ste¡¯s voice was cool. ¡°Just because the Reed family depends on the Keenes family, you have no dignity, so I have to lose mine too?¡± Patrick fell silent. The words no dignity made his face turn ashen. And yet, she wasn¡¯t wrong. Over the past few years, the Reed family¡¯s business had relied almost entirely on the Keenes family. ¡°You ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time, Ethan and I are done. There is no room for negotiation.¡± On this point, Ste was resolute. Patrick was livid. ¡°What do you mean no room for negotiation, I don¡¯t agree to this!¡± If they really angered the Keene family, things would be difficult for the Reed family. Even though Ethan clearly had feelings for Lillian, the Keene family elders wouldn¡¯t allow it. Patrick had experienced their methods firsthand two years ago¡­ Back then, even if the Reed family managed to gain benefits from Ethan, those Keene family elders would always find a way to make them lose everything- Patrick said gravely, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the Keene family about this. Stop being so willful.¡± Ste didn¡¯t bother responding. She simply walked to the door, pulled it open, and silently signalled for him to leave. Seeing this. Patrick¡¯s temper red. ¡°You¡¯ve already hit Ethan, and you¡¯ve humiliated him. What more do you want?¡± ¡°Oh, and I told your mother to reactivate your bank card. She¡¯ll call the bank tomorrow.¡± Ste¡¯s voice was firm. Ethan is not an option!¡± That same unyielding answer! ¡°You.. Her defiance finally pushed Patrick over the edge. The wrong girl 12 Chapter 12 Smash him with a bat Now, Patrick finally understood why Susan always ended up fuming. Finished Just like she had said, Ste was a debt collector,pletely unyielding, impossible to reason with. No matter what he said, nothing got through to her. Since the soft approach didn¡¯t work, he had no choice but to go hard. ¡°Fine, then. Your bank card stays frozen. Take your time to think it over. When you door shut. Just as she stepped back into the living room, her phone vibrated. It was Jason number¡­. Today, she had already blocked several people Ethan, Susan, and Patrick. Now, if they wanted to reach her, they could only use someone else¡¯s phone. Predictably, she ignored the call. On the other end of the line, Ethan had just left the Keene family home, using Jason¡¯s phone to call Ste. Once again, she declined. When he called back, it went straight to a busy tone, he had been blocked. Ethan¡¯s face darkened with rage. ¡°Where the hell did she pick up this habit of ignoring calls?¡± Jason twitched his lips. ¡°I think Ms. Dawson isn¡¯t just ignoring your calls right now.¡± From the looks of it, she had infuriated the entire Reed family today, not just Ethan. Ethan felt a sharp headacheing on¡­ ¡°Drive to Kingston Heights.¡± This had gone too far. Jason nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± An hourter. By the time they arrived at Kingston Heights, it was already midnight. Ste was sound asleep. Ethan pressed the doorbell repeatedly, but she didn¡¯t answer. Being turned away at this hour only made his already sour mood worse. ¡°Call a locksmith.¡± Ethan had run out of patience. Jason hesitated. ¡°. Just as he reached for his phone, the door swung open from the inside. Ste stood there in her pyjamas, her face drowsy with sleep, tinged with irritation. In her hand was a baseball bat. From the look of her, she had clearly been woken up and was about to swing at whoever dared disturb her rest. Jason instinctively took a step back. The moment Ste saw Ethan, her fury red up. Without hesitation, she raised the bat and swung at him. Ethan¡¯s reflexes were quick he caught it mid¨Cair. ¡°You crazy woman¡­¡± His teeth clenched in frustration. She had hit him once this morning, and now she wanted to do it again? Was her temper always this extreme?All he had said was that the wedding needed to be postponed, and this was how the reacted? Chapter 12 Smash him with a bat Ethan walked straight to her fridge, pulled it open, and frowned when he saw it was nearly empty except for water. ¡°You don¡¯t cook?¡± Finished Ste looked at him like he was insane. Who wakes someone up in the middle of the night, checks their fridge, and asks if they cook? Wouldn¡¯t anyone be annoyed? Well, she sure as hell was. Ethan stated matter of factly, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten.¡± He had been running around all day, skipped lunch, got dragged through a mess at the Keene estate, and now he was starving. Ste¡¯s expression grew even more incredulous.. ¡°You seriously think I have food for you?¡± Unbelievable. She barely cooked for herself, let alone for him. Was he expecting her to whip up a meal just because he said he was hungry?Did this man have brain damage? Just this morning, we had fought like hell, and now he was here asking for food? Ethan clenched his jaw in frustration. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to cook?¡± Ste shot back, ¡°Have you ever seen me cook?¡± Forget whether she could, even if she could, she wouldn¡¯t cook for him. Ethan was momentarily stunned. Now that he thought about it, in the two years they had been engaged, Ste had never once cooked for him. But Lillian¡­ She could cook. She could make soup. When she still lived in Kingston Heights, she would often send home cooked meals to his office. Ste smirked, as if reading his mind. ¡°Confusing me with Lillian?¡± Of course, she knew Lillian was good at housework. When Ste had first returned to the Reed family, Lillian had taken on everything willingly, while Ste did nothing Naturally, everyonepared them, Lillian was capable, while she was useless. Naturally, everyonepared her with Lilian. Theparison is that Lilian is good at everything, while she is useless. Ethan¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°The wedding will proceed as scheduled. Are you satisfied now?¡± He was clearly unwilling, as if he expected Ste to ease up now that she got what she wanted. However, she simply raised an eyebrow. ¡°This morning, you said it was postponed. Now you say it¡¯s back on. Not even a full day has passed. You¡¯re a grown man, can you be a little more reliable?¡± Unreliable, that one word struck Ethan¡¯s pride like a p Ste continued, ¡°Does Lillian know?¡± From the way he looked, it was obvious he had gone back to the Keene estate. Send Gifts The wrong girl 13 Chapter 13 Want to proceed with the wedding no way One had to admit, the elders of the Keene family were quite capable. Finished Although Ethan appeared to be in charge of the entire the Keene Group, in reality, those elders still held significant power. Otherwise, why would Ethan rush back to the Keene estate, only to hastily change his decision again? Ethan said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to know about our matters¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± She doesn¡¯t need to know¡­ Just as those words fell, Ethan¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the screen, it was Lillian. Ste cast a casual look at the phone, and the name Lilian in the contact list stood out clearly. Ethan¡¯s face hardened as he looked at Ste. ¡°The wedding will proceed as scheduled. No changes.¡± ¡°You should probably take that call first.¡± As she spoke, there was a hint of pity in her voice. The heir of Rivermount most powerful family¡­ And yet, he couldn¡¯t even decide his own marriage, The moment Ethan hung up, Lillian¡¯s call came through again. With no other choice, he stood up. ¡°I need to take this.¡± Without another word, he stepped onto the balcony. Just a few hours ago, when he had left this ce, he had been brimming with arrogance. Now, he actually knew to avoid her and show some respect. The power of the Keene family elders truly was impressive. She wondered what exactly Lillian was saying on the other end of the line. Ethan¡¯s face grew darker and darker. When he returned inside, his expression was grim, and he looked as though he was in a hurry to leave. Ste asked sarcastically, ¡°Did she have a sudden rpse?¡± The ridicule in her tone was unmistakable, she had long figured out the ssic tricks of a scheming woman. Ethan¡¯s face. turned even darker. He clearly disliked Ste¡¯s sarcasm toward Lillian, but he chose not to respond. He simply said, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet tomorrow. You¡¯ll apany me. The dress will be delivered to you in the morning¡± His meaning was obvious, he was going to use this event to publicly quish today¡¯s rumors about their broken Ste raised an eyebrow, watching him. engagement Ethan couldn¡¯t stand the way she looked at him. He stepped forward al gripped her shoulders. ¡°What I said this morning was thoughtless, the wedding will proceed as nned in a week.¡± His tone was as gentle as possible, as if he were coaxing her. If not for the interference would have kept her waiting longer. In his mind, Ste should be pleased now. from the Keene family elders, he But instead, she pushed his hands off her shoulders with disdain. ¡°What do you take me for? A dog? Something you canmand however you please?¡± In the morning, the wedding was postponed because of Lillian. Now, it was back on because of the Keene family elders. ¡°So, your dignity matters, but I don¡¯t have any, is that it?¡± By announcing her decision to break off the engagement in this way, she had publicly embarrassed both the Reed and Keene families. No loubt, the Keene family elders were ming Lillian for all this. Otherwise, Ethan wouldn¡¯t have changed his mind so quickly.
  1. 179.
Chapter 13 Want to proceed with the wedding no way Ste¡¯s response was effortless ¡°Since you¡¯re so capable, why not just marry Lilliant I really don¡¯t care ¡°You¡± Ethan¡¯s rage red instantly. Finished Seeing that Ste showed no intention of yielding, he didn¡¯t bother coating her anymore. With a cold sooff, he said. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep up this act If the Keene family had already made their stance clear, then Patrick had surely been informed as well! She might act tough in front of him, but Ethan doubted she could be this defiant in front of the Reed family. Without another word, Ethan stormed out. Ste, with a look of utter disdain, grabbed an air freshener and sprayed the room. purging the air of his presence. The wrong girl 14 Chapter 14 Lillian has uterine cancer #Finished Ethan rushed to the hospital. Earlier today, Lillian ankle injury hadn¡¯t been severe. After a simple treatment, she was supposed to be discharged. But then, her condition took a sudden turn for the worse. By the time Ethan arrived at the emergency room, Susan was sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Ethan, you¡¯re here, Lillian she..¡± Her voice choked up, and Susan couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. She just kept crying Ethan asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Susan was too overwhelmed to speak. Jonathan answered, ¡°She¡¯s in the emergency room now. They r They ran several urgent tests just a moment ago.¡± Susan wept even harder. ¡°She has uterine cancer, heart disease, and liverplications too. What do we do? Why is her life |so miserable!¡± Her voice was filled with sorrow for Lillian. Ethan¡¯s expression darkened when he heard about the extent of her illnesses. Susan sobbed relentlessly. ¡°It must be because she didn¡¯t take care of herself while she was abroad these past two years. That¡¯s why she ended up with all these diseases.¡± A person¡¯s body was fragile, just one major illness could be life¨Cthreatening. Yet Lillian had multiple serious conditions all at once. Upon hearing that Ethan had arrived, even the hospital director showed up, bringing a team of specialists with him. Ethan¡¯s face was grim as he looked at the director. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes, you must cure her.¡± ¡°If you fail, you might as well shut this hospital down!¡± The director Dr. Collins stiffened at the threat. Standing behind the team of experts, Ryan silently scoffed. Lawless tyrant! Ste was half asleep when her phone vibrated nonstop. She ignored the calls, declining them again and again. Finally, fed up, she picked up. ¡°Are you guys trying to torture me with sleep deprivation?¡± She had only dumped one lousy man today. Was that really a reason for all this harassment, call after call? This was insang¡­ ¡°Ste, it¡¯s me.¡± The voice on the other end belonged to Ryan. Her irritation vanished instantly. ncing at the time, she saw it was alreadym. ¡°You¡¯re still at work?¡± Ryan was usually swamped during the day, making him hard to reach. But staying up just to chat at this hour seemed a bit much. Ryan asked directly. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Ethan? Your wedding is in a week, why is he running around taking care of Lillian?¡± Ste replied coolly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news today?¡± Clearly, he hadn¡¯t Chapter 14 Lillian has uterine cancer Finished Ste What was with that tone?Did these people seriously believe she had spent the past two years madly in love with Ethan Forget it, it didn¡¯t maller anymore. ¡°Lillian really got admitted to the hospital?¡± Ryan confirmed, ¡°Yeah, and her condition seems serious.¡± Dragging a whole team of specialists out of bed in the middle of the night, that was quite the spectacle. Ste asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°Uterine cancer, heart disease, possible liver cancer, though they haven¡¯t confirmed thatst one yet.¡± Ste immediately snapped awake. ¡°That many illnesses? Ryan mused, ¡°Karma, maybe?¡± Ste didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Definitely!¡± The heavens truly had eyes. Lillian was a despicable person selfish, maniptive, even murderous. Maybe this was divine. retribution. ¡°But uterine cancer¡­ that¡¯s an odd one,¡± Ste muttered. She instinctively associated uterine cancer with older women, married women, or those with a questionable lifestyle. Lillian wasn¡¯t that old, so how did she end up with something like that? Ryan hesitated. ¡°Hard to say.¡± ¡°I do have medical ethics, so I won¡¯t specte recklessly. But just for you, I¡¯m heading abroad for a while. I won¡¯t be involved. in her treatment.¡± Ste hummed in acknowledgment. Ryan was a top tier gynaecologist, but there were plenty of other specialists. His absence wouldn¡¯t make much difference. Besides, he absolutely despised Lillian. After all, she had nearly killed Ste. Because of that, no one in Ste¡¯s circle had any fondness for Lillian. Send Gifts The wrong girl 15 Chapter 15 Let your cousin stay fat a while longer The next morning, Ryan left the country for a medical summit. When Tessa called Steoter that day, Ste casually said, ¡°Tell your cousin to stay fat a little longer, Ryan left the country, said he¡¯d be gone for about a month.¡± Tessa was surprised. ¡°How do you know? Ryan called you?¡± Ste replied. ¡°Yeah, at one in the morning.¡± ¡°One in the morning? What, is he crazy?¡± Just because he had a messed up sleep schedule didn¡¯t mean he had to drag everyone else into it? Ste chuckled. ¡°He called about Lillian Reed.¡± Tessa asked, ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She was admitted to the hospitalst night. Turns out she has multiple illnesses.¡± ¡°Multiple? How many? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± She had seen Lillian at the obstetrics and gynaecology department with Ethan yesterday and had assumed she was pregnant. Turns out, she was actually sick? Ste listed them off, ¡°Uterine cancer, heart disease, and possibly liver cancer Tessa gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. ¡°That¡­ that many?! Wait, how did she end up with uterine cancer?¡± Clearly, those without a medical background had a rather simplistic understanding of diseases. Like Ste, Tessa found the idea of Lillian having uterine cancer oddly suspicious. Ste shrugged. ¡°No idea. Ryan said he has medical ethics, so he wouldn¡¯t specte. So, let¡¯s not either.¡± Tessa agreed. ¡°Fine, no spection. But let¡¯s be real, there¡¯s no way she and than are getting married now. What kind of family would let their heir marry a woman whose reproductive system ispromised?¡± The Keene family eldels had already despised Lillian for being the illegitimate daughter of a housekeeper. Now, with her health issues, there was no way they would approve of her. ¡°You¡¯d better be careful, though, because of Lillian¡¯s illness, the Keene family elders are going to panic. They¡¯ll want to lock you and Ethan into marriage as soon as possible, just to keep him from rekindling things with her.¡± Finding a new bride on short notice wasn¡¯t easy. No matter what, they¡¯d want to keep Ste in the picture. And given that she was part of the Reed family, they¡¯d see her as the perfect counterbnce to Lillian Tessa wasn¡¯t wrong. The Keene family elders had already caught wind of Lillian¡¯s hospitalization. And not only that they knew about all her illnesses, especially the one they could never ept, uterine cancer. After a quick breakfast, Ste was on her way to the design studio when her phone rang. It was Madeline. ¡°Ste,e to the Keene estate for lunch. I¡¯ll cook your favourite dishes myself. Ethan wille pick you up. Ste declined immediately. ¡°Thanks, but I have things to do this afternoon. I won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± She genuinely had work. Sterling Global had given her a major project this time, and she didn¡¯t trust the junior designers to handle it alone¨Cshe Chapter 15 Let your cousin stay fat a while longer Ste stayed silent. Madeline softened her tone. ¡°Or should Ie to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I¡¯ll go.¡± Finished Since Madeline was determined to talk, Ste figured it was better to do it in person. At least that way, she could make her stance clear. People¡¯s attitudes were always more revealing in person. Not long after hanging up, an unfamiliar number called. Ste answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice came through. She resisted the urge to hang up immediately. But truthfully, Ethan wasn¡¯t thrilled about calling her either. Lately, whenever he called, she blocked his number. Jason number had already been blocked. Now he had to borrow someone else¡¯s phone, only to risk getting this number blocked as well. ¡°Mom said I should Jason nced at him and tried to ease the tension. ¡°Women only get this mad when they care.¡± Ethan frowned. ¡°You think so?¡± Jason nodded. ¡°If she didn¡¯t care, she wouldn¡¯t be making a fuss.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression rxed slightly. But this whole situation was still infuriating. The wrong girl 16 Chapter 16 Blessed Fate and a Perfect Match Finished Because of Jason¡¯s words, Ethan arrived at Kingston Heights early in the afternoon. Neither his calls nor Jason¡¯s could get through to Ste. With no other choice, he had to knock on her door. He knocked for a full ten minutes, but there was still no response. His face, which had barely recovered from its earlier grim expression, darkenedpletely. Jason hesitated before suggesting, ¡°Could it be that Ms. Dawson went to Keene Estate first?¡± The thought of her not waiting for him made Ethan¡¯s expression twist with barely restrained anger. ¡°She went ahead without me? Jason said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call Madam Madeline?¡± Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed his mother. Madeline answered and informed him that she had already spoken to Ste¨Cshe was on her way to Keene Estate. She added with some confusion, ¡°Why are you calling me? Just call Ste directly. The veins on Ethan¡¯s forehead bulged. If I could get through to her, would I be calling you? ¡°I¡¯ll head back first, he said curtly, He didn¡¯t mention that Ste had blocked his number¨Cit was too humiliating to admit. Madeline warned him sternly, ¡°Listen, when you get here, you¡¯d better apologize properly and promise her that you won¡¯t ever see that Lillian woman again.¡± Over the phone, she continued to lecture him, clearly worried. The entire Keene Estate was in an uproar, especially after learning that Lillian had been diagnosed with uterine cancer. Marrying her? That would be risking the Keene family¡¯s future! Ethan was already irritated that Ste had left without waiting for him. Now, hearing that he had to make such a serious promise to her only made him more agitated. ¡°This matter- ¡°Your grandparents and both sets of great¨Cgrandparents have already said that if this wedding falls through, they will disown you.¡± Disowned by all the elders in the family? Ethan¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°Why do they like Ste so much?¡± ¡®She¡¯s blessed, and your astrological signs are a perfect match.¡± Ethan was speechless! He hadn¡¯t noticed anything particrly lucky about Ste, but hearing that their signs were a good match almost made him lose hisposure. Who still believes in that stuff these days? Madeline sighed. ¡°Enough talking. Juste back and remember what I told you.¡± Before he could respond, she hung up. Ethan stared at Ste¡¯s tightly shut door. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wring her neck. This woman- useless as she seemed¨Chad somehow managed to win over all the elders in the family. Then again, considering their generation, she didn¡¯t need to do much. Just having an auspicious birth chart was enough to charm them. By the time Ste arrived at Keene Estate, Ethan still wasn¡¯t back. Chapter 16 Blessed Fate and a Perfect Match Madeline beamed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to bring me anything! I was the one insisting youe Her thoughtfulness made Madeline like her even more. Finished How could the Reed family have been so blindinch a wonderful girl, and they still imed she wasn¡¯t as good as Lillian. Madeline thought. Ste exined, ¡°I saw this bronch and thought it would suit you? ¡°You¡¯re so considerate. I¡¯ve also prepared a gift for you; Madeline took Ste¡¯s hand and led her upstairs. Ste had given her a simple brooch, but Madeline presented her with an extravagant diamond ne. Seeing the dazzling piece, Ste inmediately declined. ¡°This is too valuable. I can¡¯t ept it? ¡°I bought it specifically for you. Last month, when I went to Lorasia with Sutton, I picked up two¨Cone for her and one for you.¡± Whether that was true or not, Madeline¡¯s meaning was clear¨Cshe regarded Ste as family. Given Ethan¡¯s scandal with Lillian the day before, she was using this ne to console Ste. Still, Ste remained firm. ¡°I really can¡¯t ept it Her situation with Ethan had no resolution, and she had no intention of epting anything from the Keene family. But Madeline was determined. She even ced the ne around Ste¡¯s neck hersell. Ste had worn a low¨Ccut gown that day, and the ne added a touch of opulence to her appearance. Madeline nodded approvingly. ¡°See? I knew it would look perfect on you. The moment I saw it, I thought, it belongs to you.¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Well, thank you then. If Madeline insisted, she might as well ept it graciously. The two of themughed as they walked downstairs together¨Cjust as Ethan returned. The moment he saw the diamond ne around Ste¡¯s neck, he froze for a second. He recognized it immediately. Last month, when his inother brought it back from Lorasia, she had said it was meant for her future daughter¨Cinw. The wrong girl 17 When Ethan first saw the ne, he had unconsciously pictured Lillian wearing it. Now, seeing it around Ste¡¯s neck, a strange emotion stirred within him. ¡°Why are you only getting back now? I told you to pick up Ste, but she came back on her own!¡± Ethan nced at Ste again before shifting his gaze away front the ne on her neck. Madeline patted Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Ste, wait here for a moment. I need to have a word with Ethan.¡± Ste nodded slightly, and Madeline shot Ethan a look before leading him upstairs to the study. There was no need to guess ¡ªit was about Lillian. Madeline still didn¡¯t trust him and was going to drill it into him once more. The conversationsted half an hour. When mother and son came downstairs, both had regained theirposure. Clearly, anything unpleasant had been set aside. Madeline smiled warmly at Ste. ¡°Ste, I¡¯ll check on things in the kitchen. You and Ethan should talk.¡± Before Ste could respond, Madeline had already walked away, taking the butler and maids with her, leaving the two of them alone. Ste was s still ying a game on her phone, the sound of gunfire echoing from the speakers. Ethan immediately recognized it as the most popr mobile game at the moment. A woman who doesn¡¯t know how to do anything but y games¨Chow could the elders possibly believe she¡¯s fit to be my wife? Ethan thought, irritation creeping in He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, he saw Ste¡¯s fingers flying over the screen,pletely engrossed, as if he didn¡¯t exist. Her indifference made him even more frustrated. Just then, his phone rang, it was Susan. Ethan instinctively nced at Ste. Seeing that she was still deeply engaged in her game, he stepped outside to take the call,pletely forgetting Madeline¡¯s earlier warning to minimize contact with the Reed family. He answered, ¡°Madam Susan.¡± Susan¡¯s anxious voice came through. ¡°Ethan, what are we going to do? One of the most important doctors for Lillian¡¯s treatment just left the country.¡± Ethan frowned. ¡°Which doctor?¡± ¡°A top gynecologist¨CRivermount¡¯s genius professor, Rianne.¡± Ethan replied, ¡°I¡¯ll find someone else. Don¡¯t worry.¡± To him, it was just a doctor. There were plenty of skilled professors and specialists avable. Well, maybe not as young as this one, but still, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re irreceable. Susan grew even more frantic. ¡°No, it has to be her! I¡¯ve already looked into the alternatives, and most of them rmend surgery. ¡°You know how fragile Lillian¡¯s health is right now. I heard that Dr. Rianne¡¯s expertise is remarkable, and in her care, might be able to recover without needing surgery.¡± Her heart needed surgery. Her liver needed surgery. How could her body possibly endure so many major operations? Lillian Chapter 17 The Doctor Lillian Needs Is Ste¡¯s Best Friend? Ethan mulled it over. Rianne¡­ That name sounds familiar. Where had I heard it before! Susan confirmed, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a young genius, still quite young The words still quite young instantly triggered his memory¨CRianne was Ste¡¯s best friend. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± he said. ¡°Ethan, please try to secure Dr. Rianne. You know Lillian¡¯s body can¡¯t take much more.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ethan ended the call. The conversation hadsted a full ten minutes. Finished When he walked back inside, he saw that Ste¡¯s game had just ended. Judging by her expression, she had won. She nced toward the dining area¨Csince it was still quiet, dinner probably wasn¡¯t ready yet. She was about to start another round when Ethan suddenly snatched her phone away. Ste looked up. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Rianne, is she your best friend?¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Did you have something to do with her leaving the country? Justst night, Lillian had needed emergency care at the hospital, and during the same visit, they had conducted urgent examinations. The hospital director had even held ate¨Cnight meeting to assemble her medical team. Rianne was definitely on that team, yet now, she had suddenly left the country. She was Ste¡¯s best friend. If Ste wasn¡¯t involved in this, Ethan wouldn¡¯t believe it for a second. The wrong girl 18 Chapter 18 Who Do You Think You¡¯re Ordering Around? Meeting Ethan¡¯s icy gaze, Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°What exactly did I do?¡± Ethan red at her. ¡°Ste, she¡¯s only back for treatment. Why are you being so petty?¡± Hearing this, Steughed. ¡°Petty about what? Are there no hospitals abroad? No doctors? Or is she broke and in desperate need of your presence and your help arranging her medical care?¡± A string of sharp questions shut Ethan down, his anger caught in his throat, nearly choking him. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Rianne¡¯s treatment n is crucial for her. You must know that by now, She¡¯s seriously ill, there are multiple issues with her health ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite rare. How does someone so young end up with a bodypletely falling apart like that?¡± Her words carried a sting of sarcasm,yered with something deeper. Ethan couldn¡¯t stand her mocking tone. Ste smirked. ¡°Is it an unhealthy lifestyle? Or is it just fate catching up?¡± So young, yet riddled with illness¨Cit really was unusual. Herstment hit Ethan like a p, His nerves snapped. attitude, Ste. Call Rianne. Tell her toe back.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t want to argue anymore. He just gave a coldmand. Ste arched a brow. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re ordering around?¡± This man¨Cdoes he still not get it? After everything? He still thinks he can just boss me around? The moment she said it, Ethan¡¯s expression darkened even further. His jaw clenched. ¡°Let me be clear, Ste, Lillian¡¯s recovery determines when our wedding happens. If you think you can keep dying things and still handle the consequences, then go ahead. Keep ying games. ¡°Cut the Frustrated beyond reason, Ethan¡¯s temper red, his tone rigid and aggressive. He was certain that if the Reed family found out Ste had meddled with Rianne¡¯s departure, they wouldn¡¯t go easy on her. When that happened, let¡¯s see how long she could endure it. ¡°Oh, I can handle it. But can she?¡± Still trying to threaten her? Ridiculous. Ste rolled her eyes at him. Ethan¡¯s fury only burned hotter. ¡°If anything happens to her, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with it.¡± ¡°Who won¡¯t get away with what?¡± Madeline¡¯s voice rang out from nearby, instantly cutting through the tension between them. She stormed over, anger written all over her face. She pulled Ste to her side and fixed Ethan with a sharp re. ¡°Who exactly were you threatening just now?¡± Ethan¡¯s irritation spiked. This isn¡¯t- ¡°Did you already forget everything I told you in the study earlier?¡± Madeline¡¯s voice was cold,ced with warning. Ethan froze. Chapter 18 Who Do You Think You¡¯re Ordering Around? ¡°You stop right there!¡± Finished Ethan hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t turn back. He stood still for a second, then, deciding it wasn¡¯t worth it, strode straight toward the door. Madeline watched him go, her frustration rising With Ethan gone, only she and Ste remained. Ste pulled her hand free, reached for the diamond ne around her neck, and ced it back in Madeline¡¯s hand. Madeline blinked in surprise. ¡°This¡­¡± Ste cut her off. ¡°Madam Madeline, you saw Ethan¡¯s attitude when ites to handling personal matters. She had been debating how to make it clear to Madeline that there was no future for her and Ethan. After all, the Keene family elders had treated her well over the past two years. But now? She no longer needed to worry about offending them. Ethan had already paved the way for her. Madeline¡¯s face filled with concern. ¡°Yes, Ethan was out of line, I¡¯ll discipline him. That foolish boy¡­¡± Since it was her son¡¯s fault, Madeline couldn¡¯t argue against Ste¡¯s stance. ¡°Ste, he¡¯s just being an idiot. Can you give him another chance? I promise I¡¯ll make sure he learns his lesson.¡± Ste lowered her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve been giving him chances for the past two years. I tolerated him flying abroad to see Lillian all the time, but this situation is different¡± What chance? There was never any chance. But let¡¯s put all the me on Ethan, as he rightfully deserves, Hearing this, Madeline¡¯s expression shifted in shock. ¡°He¡¯s been flying abroad frequently to see Lillian?¡± ¡°Last month, on my birthday, he was overseas. There was no need to borate further. She and Lillian shared the same birthday. As her fianc¨¦, Ethan had been out of the country on that day. The Keene family had assumed he was on a business trip. Now, hearing Ste spell it out, Madeline¡¯s lips twitched in fury. ¡°That foolish boy!¡± At this moment, she felt like strangling Ethan herself. And as for Lillian¡ªtwo years ago, hadn¡¯t I made myself clear enough? Absolutely shameless. Madeline was furious. The wrong girl 19 Chapter 19 Cutting Ties Cleanly Finished Madeline held onto Ste¡¯s hand, as if she wanted to say more. But Ste¡¯s stance was firm. ¡°Madam Madeline, I¡¯m sorry, Ethan is not someone I can entrust my life to.¡± Madeline fell silent.. Ste continued. ¡°I never expected his undivided loyalty, but he hasn¡¯t even given me the bare minimum of respect,¡± Madeline sighed. ¡°This¡­¡± but She couldn¡¯t deny it. Ethan hadn¡¯t shown Ste even the most basic respect. Even as his mother, she couldn¡¯t blindly defend him. ¡°But what will you do? Without Ethan, your life in the Reed family will be even harder.¡± Madeline reminded Ste of her standing in the Reed family. Even though everyone now despised Lillian, they still had to Jacknowledge that she held a significant position within the family. Ste lowered her gaze without responding. Madeline pressed on, ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer me now. I¡¯ll talk to Ethan, and Lillian v will be sent away as as soon as possible.¡± She was beyond furious. What hold does Lillian have over Ethan to make him so utterly bewitched? The thought of Ste and Ethanpletely breaking things off, leaving Ethan free to be even more reckless with Lillian. made her blood boil. ¡°The Reed family favors Lillian. If you keep pushing back against Ethan, things won¡¯t be easy for you.¡± She was advising Ste to endure it. As her future mother¨Cinw, Madeline was making it clear¨Cshe would always be on Ste¡¯s side. Everyone assumed there was no ce for Ste in the Reed family and that the Keene family was her only refuge. Ste nced at Madeline. I¡¯ve gotten through tough times before, haven¡¯t I? Madam, this is the end for Ethan and me.¡± Things had alreadye this far¨Cthere was no turning back. Ste¡¯s tone was resolute and final. She had no intention of leaving even a shred of hope for anyone. Simply put, she hated unnecessary trouble. She wanted to cut things clean and move on. Madeline saw her unwavering attitude and felt slightly embarrassed. ¡°You child¡­¡± She had humbled herself and said everything she could, yet Ste was still this stubborn? Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction now. Ste didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± With that, she shoved the ne firmly into Madeline¡¯s hands and turned to leave. Madeline had more to say, but seeing Ste¡¯s determined posture and then looking at the ne in her hand, she could only stomp her foot in frustration. The butler appeared behind her. ¡°Madam Madeline. What is she being so proud about? Who else would take her if not Ethan?¡± She was engaged to Ethan. Who else in Rivermount¡¯s elite circle would be foolish enough to marry her on short notice? And as for the Reed family.. 172 Chapter 19 Cutting Ties Cleanly The butler nced in the direction Ste had left. ¡°She¡¯s young. She can¡¯t swallow this humiliation.¡± To him, Ste¡¯s reaction was purely driven by the injustice she felt over Lillian.. Madeline thought the same. Finished She scoffed. ¡°If she wants to make a scene, she should at least pick the right ce. She can fight with the Reed family all she wants, but acting self¨Crighteous in front of me?¡± If not for Nicole insisting Ethan had to marry Ste¨Ciming Ste¡¯s birth chart was exceptionally auspicious¨CMadeline wouldn¡¯t have even considered epting a daughter¨Cinw from the Reed family. Her frustration only grew. She was furious at Ethan for being tangled up with Lillian, but she was even angrier that Ste had been the one to call off the engagement. Now the Keene family had lost all face¨Cboth publicly and privately. And to make things worse, Nicole had given her a strict order¨Cwhich was to get Ste back. But with the way Ste carried herself, fearless, untouchable, how am I supposed to do that? Madeline¡¯s expression darkened with anger. ¡°This is infuriating! Where is Lillian hospitalized?¡± The butler replied, ¡°Rivermount International Medical Center.¡± Ste walked out of Keene Estate. Just as she reached her car, a horn honked from nearby. Looking up, she saw Ethan¡¯s Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom parked not far away. He¡¯s still here? Ethan stepped out, a cigarette between his fingers. His tall, lean figure exuded natural dominance, an aura of authority that kept others at a distance. Truth be told, he was undeniably handsome. In just a year, he had doubled Keene Group¡¯s market value, and he was also lial and respectful toward his elders. Everything about him was impressive¨Cexcept for his taste in women. Absolutely Mind. When Ste met his gaze, she showed no kindness. Ethan was the first to speak. ¡°Give your car keys to Jason. He¡¯ll drive it back to Kingston Heights. You¡¯reing with me.¡± ¡°I can drive.¡± Ste scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Those three words were a deration of independence. I would never be the one left behind. The wrong girl 20 Chapter 20 Bribing Her with a ck Card? Ethan exhaled a frustrated puff of smoke as he watched Ste¡¯s unyielding expression. ¡°I know you can drive. I have something to discuss with you. Ste scoffed. There¡¯s nothing for us to talk about.¡± Finished With that, she turned and got into her car. But before she could shut the door, Ethan strode forward and grabbed the door handle. Ste¡¯s gaze turned ice¨Ccold. ¡°Let go.¡± Instead, Ethan yanked her out of the car. The difference in strength between a man and a woman was too great¨Cshe had no chance of resisting. Her eyes burned with fury, ¡°You- Ignoring her protest, Ethan dragged her toward his car, smatching her car keys from her hand and tossing them to Jason. Jason caught them smoothly, immediately jumping into Ste¡¯s car and driving off Watching this, Ste grew even angrier. ¡°You¡± Ethan finally released her. car Ste gritted her teeth and growled, ¡°Tell Jason to bring my car back!¡± Ethan was already in his car, the engine humming to life. He nced at her. ¡°Are you getting in or not?¡± Furious, Ste kicked his car tire. With no other choice, she finally climbed into the backseat. Ethan frowned. ¡°Sit in the front.¡± Ste crossed her arms. ¡°Are you driving or not?¡± ¡°Ste!¡± His voice deepened in warning. Ste remained unimpressed. ¡°Suit yourself?¡± She wasn¡¯t the type of woman to sit in just any man¡¯s passenger seat¨Cespecially not Ethan¡¯s. Seeing her tant defiance, Ethan¡¯s jaw tightened. He felt his temple throbbing from the sheer frustration. Left with no choice, he started the car and pulled out of Keene Estate, heading toward Kingston Heights. Ste gazed out the window, arms crossed. ¡°Take me to Oriental Grand Tower.¡± Ethan nced at her in the rearview mirror. ¡°Why are you going there?¡± To Ethan, Oriental Grand Tower waspletely out of Ste¡¯s league. You, of all people, going to a ce full of business elites? Ste smirked. ¡°Why do you care?¡± Ethan felt his patience snap. Just because Lillian is back, she won¡¯t even speak to me properly! Chapter 20 Bribing Her with a ck Card? Finished One hand gripping the wheel, the other holding his cigarette, Ethan took a deep drag. ¡°Tell Rianne toe back, and I won¡¯t see her again¡± Ste arched an eyebrow. She nced at the man in the front seat, but before she could speak, Ethan pulled out his wallet and handed her a ck card. Ste¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What is this?¡± Is he trying to bribe me over Lillian¡¯s illness? Unbelievable. Does he think I am that kind of person? Ethan pushed the card closer to her. ¡°The Reed family is too busy dealing with Lillian¡¯s condition to worry about your finances right now. Take this.¡± After all, she was still his fianc¨¦e. He had actually given her a card once before, but she had refused it back then. However, this time.. Ste instinctively reached out. Free money? Why not take it? But just as her fingers were about to grasp the card, Ethan suddenly withdrew it, flipping it back into his hand. Ste was stunned. Ethan¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°The wedding will proceed as scheduled.¡± Ste went quiet. The moment he said that, she immediately retracted her hand. Compensation money? Sure, I¡¯d take it. But marriage? Keep dreaming Ste curled her lip. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t have the time to n your own wedding right now.¡± Still thinking about marriage? Someone in the Keene family must be using their life as leverage Especially considering that Ethan¡¯s grandfather was currently hospitalized. If he wanted to be with Lillian, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Ethan reiterated, ¡°Bring Rianne back to her treatment team, and I won¡¯t see her again.¡± Ste rolled her eyes. Again with this? Wedding, Rianne¡­ This man is truly greedy. ¡°So basically, all of this is just about securing benefits for Lillian.¡± Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Seeing that she still wouldn¡¯t soften, Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What benefits? I¡¯m already giving you everything you want.¡± Ste met his gaze coldly. Ethan¡¯s tone hardened/¡°Once she recovers, she¡¯ll leave the country. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°And how long will that take?¡± Ste shot back sharply. As if it¡¯s that easy¡­. If it were up to her, she¡¯d never have to see Lillian again. But could she really leave that quickly? Seeing Ethan¡¯s face darken, Ste pressed on. ¡°And besides, you expect me to believe that just because you say you won¡¯t see her, you actually won¡¯t?¡± As if he¡¯s making some grand sacrifice. The wrong girl 21 Chapter 21 The Price of Being Petty Seeing that Ste remained firm and unyielding, her words were as sharp as knives. Annoyed, he took a couple of drags from his cigarette. ¡°Then you tell me, what do you want to do?¡± In his mind, he had already given her everything she could possibly want. She had taken all the benefits. Now, all he wanted was for Rianne toe back. Ste said. ¡°As for the wedding, don¡¯t even bother discussing it with me. We¡¯repletely done.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Completely done! Where did she get the confidence to say that to me Ste continued, ¡°And as for Rianne, you can forget about that too. If you have the ability, then go and bring her back yourself to treat Lillian. You¡¯re so rich, so capable¨Cdo you really need to go through me?¡± Her words were dripping with sarcasm. Ethan¡¯s face darkened with anger at her mocking tone. If money or power could solve the problem with Rianne, would he still be wasting his time here with Ste? He had already called Rianne earlier when he was outside, and she had t¨Cout refused. On top of that, the man backing Rianne made it impossible for him to force her into anything. Frustration clouded Ethan¡¯s face. Ste asked. ¡°Anything else? If not, take me to the Oriental Grand Tower.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly easy to hail a cab here, and since he had ordered Jason to drive her car away, it was only fair that he took her where she needed to go. Ethan frowned. ¡°What are you going to the Oriental Grand Tower for? Do you have an interview? Looking for a job as a backup n?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± Her res response was just as sharp as before. Ethan fell silent.. This woman, she was nothing but defiant. He was itching to wear down her resolve, chipping away at it bit by bit¡­. Just then, his phone rang. Lillian was calling. He nced at Ste, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately answered. ¡°Lillian, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Ethan, I feel terrible.¡± Her weak and pained voice came through the phone. The moment Ethan heard it, he instinctively nced at Ste. His impatience was directed at Ste, but beneath it all, there was nothing but worry for Lillian. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Call the doctor first,¡± he said gently. Chapter 21 The Price of Being Petty ¡°No, the doctor said I¡¯m already on too many medications¡± Finished It made sense. Her body was dealing with multiple conditions at once. She probably had to take medicine every half hour¨Cit was enough to make anyone sick to their stomach. Thinking about Lillian¡¯s frail condition, a deep worry flickered in Ethan¡¯s eyes. Tlle over right now. ¡°If you¡¯re busy, it¡¯s okay,¡± Lillian murmured. Ethan nced at Ste again before replying, ¡°Tm not that busy¡± Ste scoffed. As soon as he hung up, the corners of her lips curled into a mocking smirk. Just moments ago, Ethan had acted like he never wanted to see her again.. Now, he couldn¡¯t even wait until the middle of the night before rushing over at the first sign of trouble? She had to admit- Lillian still had a strong hold on him. Just one phone call, and he was already eager to run to her side. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. He pulled out a card and handed it to Ste. ¡°Take a cab¡± It was obvious¨Che was trying to get rid of her. Ste took the card, tucked it into her bag, but didn¡¯t get out of the car. ¡°Drive me there.¡± It was freezing outside, and besides, she hadn¡¯t begged to get into his car in the first ce. Ethan didn¡¯t start the engine. Ste didn¡¯t budge either, making it clear that if he didn¡¯t take her to her destination, she wasn¡¯t getting out. She took the money, but she isn¡¯t leaving? Ethan¡¯s temple throbbed with frustration. Left with no choice, he drove her there. A she stepped out of the car, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but give her onest warning. ¡°Think carefully about the wedding. If the Reed family suffers begause of you, your job prospects won¡¯t be looking too great either? Ste raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Still trying to threaten her? Her icy gaze locked onto his as she retorted, ¡°Lillian was raised by the Reed family. Shouldn¡¯t their losses be your concern?¡± ¡°It is, but that doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t bear the consequences of your actions.¡± No matter what, the Reed family would take their anger out on her for any damage caused. Ste let out a low chuckle. ¡°Go on, then. Get to your precious hospital. Who knows? This might be thest time you see her.¡± With that many illnesses, she could drop dead at any moment. Ethan clenched his jaw. ¡°You-¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 22 Chapter 22 Retail Therapy This woman! Is she trying to get herself killed with that sharp tongue? Ethan felt his anger surge so intensely that even his teeth ached from clenching them. He didn¡¯t want to argue with Ste any further. If he did, he might just die from sheer frustration. With fury boiling in his chest, Ethan mmed his foot on the gas and drove off. Ste nced at the luxury shopping mall across the street, pulled out her phone, and dialed Kimmy. ¡°Push the meeting back by two hours.¡± ¡°Got it, boss,¡± Hanging up, Ste marched straight into the luxury mall. For the next two hours, she went on a shopping spree¨Cbuying from the biggest brands, picking out the most expensive items, and swiping her card for everything extravagant. Meanwhile, Ethan had just arrived at the hospital when his phone started buzzing¨Conce, twice, and then again. Each time, it was a transaction alert. He opened the messages and skimmed through them. Each purchase was in the range of a few hundred thousand dors. Scoffing, he let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°And she says she doesn¡¯t care? Yeah, right She had barely gotten her hands on the card before going on a spree, spending recklessly on jewelry, designer goods, and cosmetics. She always acts so proud but now? The moment she realized the Reed family cut her off, she panicked? Jason approached. ¡°Sir.¡± Ethan asked, ¡°Did you return her car?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jason confirmed with a nod. As Ethan continued walking toward Lillian¡¯s hospital room, a thought crossed his mind, and he gave Jason amand. ¡°She¡¯s looking for a job. Inform allpanies¨Cshe¡¯s not to be hired. Jason hesitated for a moment, stunned. Is he really forbidding Ms. Dawson from getting employed? ¡°Ms. Dawson still refuses to go through with the wedding?¡± Jason asked. Jason¡¯s words made Ethan¡¯s expression darken even further. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Ste had already taken the initiative to have Tessa announce the wedding cancetion yesterday. Technically¡­ that means I got dumped. The thought of her arrogance made his teeth ache even more. With a cold snort, he spat out, ¡°She¡¯ll change her mind.¡± One week. That was all it would take for her to face reality. Without the Reed family or him, Ste wouldn¡¯t survive in Rivermount. When Ethan entered Lillian¡¯s hospital room, Susan was sitting beside her. Seeing him, she immediately stepped forward with concern in her eyes. ¡°Ethan, is Dr. Rianne Ethan took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m working on it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Susan sighed. His response made it clear¨Cit hadn¡¯t been resolved yet. Actually, I just remembered¨CDr. Rianne is Ste¡¯s best friend. Do you think Rianne leaving the country has something to do with her?¡± Susan mused aloud. Chapter 22 Retail Therapy Finished Lillian¡¯s eyes filled with grievance as she gazed at Ethan. The look in her eyes only fueled Ethan¡¯s frustration toward Ste. Especially considering Lillian¡¯s fragile condition¨Che couldn¡¯t let Ste continue causing trouble. His phone continued buzzing. The notifications didn¡¯t stop. Ethan barely received this many transaction alerts in a month, yet now they were rolling in one after another. He nced at his phone again, expecting something different. Instead¡­ it was still Ste¡¯s shopping spree. The earlier transactions ranged from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dors. Now, she had nearly blown through a million dors. What the heck is she buying? How can someone be this materialistic? ¡°Ethan? Ethan?¡± Lillian called softly. ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± He turned his attention back to her. (a Lillian¡¯s voice was filled with sorrow. ¡°I was asking¡­ is it true that Dr. Rianne is really Ste¡¯s best friend?¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°Yeah, she is.¡± The moment they heard confirmation, Lillian and Susan exchanged a look. Susan¡¯s breathing grew unsteady. Then¡­ then Dr. Rianne leaving must be Ste¡¯s doing! There¡¯s no other exnation! How could she be so cruel?¡± As soon as Susan realized Rianne was Ste¡¯s friend, she became convinced that Ste was behind it. Lillian¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Her voice trembled as she said, ¡°So she still believes I was behind that incident. Otherwise, why would she treat me like this?¡± The mention of that incident darkened both Ethan and Susan¡¯s expressions instantly. Just as Ethan was about to respond, his phone buzzed twice more in his hand. Another nce¡ªand, of course, it was yet another purchase alert. This woman¡­ She had already spent close to 1 million and 370 thousand dors. Meanwhile, Ste was seated inside a high¨Cend jewelry store. The sales associate took one look at the shopping bags surrounding her¨Call from the most expensive brands in the entire mall. Recognizing a big spender, their attitude became downright servile. ¡°Ms. Dawson, this just arrived¨Cour newest exclusive piece. There¡¯s only one in all of Rivermount. Would you like to try it Ste waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Just wrap it up.¡± ¡°Of course! And how about this one- Send Gifts The wrong girl 23 Chapter 23 Swipe Until Declined ¡°Alright, this one, that one, and that one over there¨Cwrap them all up Finished Wherever her finger pointed, it was always the most expensive item in sight. The sales associate, though shocked, was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Of course, Ms. Dawson! If there¡¯s anything else you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll wrap it all up for you. The entire store was practically sold out. What a big spender In just two hours, Ste had spent a staggering 2 million and 800 thousand dors¨Call on jewelry and luxury skincare products. She only stopped when the card was finally declined. Ethan¡¯s phone rang almost immediately. The number was unfamiliar, but the voice on the other end was unmistakable. ¡°You¡¯re out shopping?¡± Ethan asked. Yeah. Did you freeze the card?¡± Ethan clenched his teeth. If I didn¡¯t, how long would she keep spending? ¡°Do you even know how much you¡¯ve spent?¡± Ste responded casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy that much. How much was it?¡± Gosh, she genuinely sounded like she had no idea. Hearing her say she ¡°didn¡¯t buy much¡± made Ethan feel like he was about to explode. Not much? She spent 2 million and 800 thousand dors! If this was considered not much, then how much would it be if she really went all out¨Cbillions? Ste continued, ¡°Wow, Ethan, yourpensation reallycks sincerity.¡± ¡°Compensation?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? After everything we¡¯ve been through, I thought you finally grew a conscience and decided topensate me.¡± Ethan felt like he was going to pass out from sheer frustration. What did she mean, you¡¯d reconsider the wedding.¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°Marriage is impossible.¡± Ethan fired back, ¡°If it¡¯s impossible, then why are you spending my money?¡± Ste¡¯s tone remained unfazed. ¡°I was your fiancee for two years. This is the first time I¡¯ve actually spent your money. Of course, I had to make up for it¡± She was not the type to be self¨Csacrificing and detached from worldly desires. Two years without touching a cent? That was long enough. She didn¡¯t ask for money, but if it was handed to her, she wasn¡¯t about to hold back. She¡¯d spend as much as she could. Seeing Ethan so furious that he could barely speak, Ste casually asked, ¡°So¡­ are you unfreezing the card or not?¡± Ethan remained silent, his chest felt like it was going to burst! She had burned through two million eight hundred thousand dors in just two hours, and she still expected him to unfreeze the cond? Chapter 23 Swipe Until Declined myself. I got a little carried away.¡± Ethan sneered, ¡°Like you¡¯ve ever lived a luxurious life before.¡± Acting like she¡¯s used to excess¡­ ¡°You got what you wanted. Now it¡¯s time to think seriously about us¨Cand Ryan¡± With that, Ethan hung up abruptly. She got a taste of luxury today¨Cshe¡¯d definitely cave just to get the card unfrozen, Thinking about it, Ethan figured all he had to do now was wait Finished Meanwhile, Ste walked into her office, carrying an armful of shopping bags. Momentster, the mall delivered several carts full of her purchases. Each cart was stacked to the brim¡­ Kimmy¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head. ¡°Boss, did you win the lottery today?¡± Ste casually pushed one of the carts full of luxury skincare products toward her. ¡°Company perks. Distribute them among the team.¡± Kimmy¡¯s jaw practically hit the floor. These aren¡¯t ordinary perks, each set cost thousands of dors! And Ste is just¡­ giving them away? ¡°Wait¨Ceveryone gets one?¡± The entire office fell into stunned silence. It was just a small studio, yet the employee benefits were this extravagant? ¡°Thank you, boss!¡± someone shouted. Kimmy cheered, but at the same time, she felt a pang of heartache on Ste¡¯s behalf. This must have cost a fortune¡­And there were over twenty employees in the office! But Ste¡¯s expression remained indifferent, as if the amount spent didn¡¯t faze her in the slightest. She had barely sculed into her office chair when her phone rang. It was an international number. There was no name attached, but the moment she saw it, her pupils constricted slightly. Her breath hitched, and for several seconds, she couldn¡¯t steady herself. Hands trembling, she finally answered. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± The voice on the other end was familiar. Ste¡¯s face stiffened, her emotions suddenly spiraling out of control. She struggled to force out two words. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham is arriving in Rivermount on an 8 PM flight. He hopes you will meet him at the airport personally.¡± Ste¡¯s breath caught in her throat. He¡¯s¡­ing to Rivermount?¡± So, in the end, he¡¯sing after all. 1:31 PM The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 24 Chapter 24 Reed Family Drama The person calling her right now was none other than his assistant¨CAbel. Despite his respectful tone over the phone, Abel was a name that sent shivers down the spines of many in Falvaria. Even just an assistant under that man was enough to terrify people¨Clet alone the man himself. Abraham. The man who had taken her in and raised her¡­. Abel said, ¡°Yes. Mr. Abraham also told me that you¡¯d better have a good exnation prepared, or else- Or else what? Abel didn¡¯t finish his sentence. But even so, a chill ran down Ste¡¯s spine. She wasn¡¯t even sure how she managed to hang up the call. For the rest of the afternoon, she remained on edge, unable to focus even during meetings. Abraham¡­. The man the Reed family had always been desperate to uncover¨Cthe one who raised her. The man who ruled both the legal and illegal worlds of Falvaria. There, he was the emperor of the underworld. And he was also¡­ my fate. Memories of what had happened three years ago, before she left Falvaria, shed through her mind, bringing an uncontroble sting of tears to her eyes.¡± At six o¡¯clock, as she stepped out of the Oriental Grand Tower, her phone buzzed relentlessly. Snapping out of her daze, Ste picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Did you really block my number?¡± Susan¡¯s furious voice sted through the speaker. The rage in her tone was palpable, as if she wanted to tear Ste apart Ste remained indifferent. ¡°Have I ever joked with you?¡± If there were jokes to be made, they had always been at her expense¨Ccourtesy of the Reed family and Lillian. As for her? She hadn¡¯t even grown up with them, yet their expectations for her were endless. No matter what she did, it was always wrong in Susan¡¯s eyes¨Calways met with stern criticism. Hearing Ste¡¯s icy tone, Susan¡¯s rage escted to the point where her head throbbed. ¡°You¨Cyou¨Clet me ask you, Rianne is your best friend, isn¡¯t she? Was it you who sent her abroad?¡± Ste answered tly, ¡°Yes, it was me. So what?¡± ¡°You-¡± Susan was livid. She had thought Ste would at least try to deny it. But no, Ste didn¡¯t even bother covering it up. So, what did that make the Reed family in her heart? Absolutely nothing Susan had nned on interrogating her, but Ste had thrown herpletely off guard by admitting it so openly, ¡°You¡¯re actually admitting it?¡± Susan asked in disbelief. Chapter 24 Reed Family Drama What kind of skill was that? If she wanted to do something, she should do it out in the open. Hearing how blunt Ste was, Susan nearly fainted from anger. ¡°You¨Cyou- ¡°What?¡± Ste cut in smoothly. ¡°Madam Susan, are you trying to get me to bring Rianne back to treat her?¡± Ste¡¯s words made Susan pause for a moment. It suddenly dawned on her¨Csince Ste had returned to the Reed family, she had never once called her ¡°M Finished But she had never called her ¡°Madam Susan¡± either¡­ And now, hearing it for the first time, Susan found that she couldn¡¯t quite bear it. She blurted out, I am your mother.¡± Ste replied coldly, ¡°Mrs. Reed, do you really want to argue over something this meaningless over the phone?? Mrs. Reed. Not Madam Susan anymore. And arguing over something meaningless? Susan felt like she had a lump in her throat and a ton of bricks pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Taking several deep breaths, she finally said, ¡°Bring Dr. Rianne back, and I¡¯ll unfreeze your card.¡± It sounded like apromise, maybe even a concession. But listen carefully¨Conly if Rianne came back to treat Lillian would she get her card unfrozen. So, in the end, everything is still about Lillian. Ste let out a low chuckle. ¡°A monthly allowance of twenty¨Cseven hundred dors in exchange for Lillian¡¯s life?¡± The irony was almostughable. The Reed family would spend 2700 dors on a single piece of jewelry for Lillian without a second thought. Her monthly allowance was always at least a few hundred thousand dors But for Ste? When she first returned to the Reed family, they gave her 2700 dors a month. Later, Lillian said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality.¡± And just because of that one sentence, Susan derided Ste needed to ¡°learn how to spend money properly¨Ccutting her allowance down to 6800 dors a month. All because of the words of an adopted daughter¨Cher allowance had been shed in half Even then, Lillian wasn¡¯t satisfied. She hadter added, ¡°Ste has no social life, she doesn¡¯t need much money.¡± And Susan had backed her up, saying, ¡°We have everything at home. You and Lillian are different. You don¡¯t need to socialize or attend noble gatherings, so you won¡¯t need that much money.¡± And just like that, her allowance dropped from 6800 dors to 2700 dors. And now? Because of Lillian, they had frozen itpletely¡­ Did they really think I cared? Ste pondered. The wrong girl 25 Chapter 25 Abraham¡¯s Back Susan felt as if she was on the verge of a heart attack. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re unbelievabler At this moment, she was certain¨Cthis wasn¡¯t her daughter. This was a debt collector, sent to make her life miserable. She regretted bringing Ste back once again. Then tell me, what do you want? Name your conditions! Susan finally snapped, feeling like she had made the biggest concession she possibly could. But the only response she got was the beep beep of a disconnected call. When she tried dialing again, she found her number had been blocked. She was livid. Her chest tightened so much that she could hardly breathe. At 7:30 PM, Ste stood outside the airport¡¯s arrival terminal, holding a bouquet of roses in her arms. She was wrapped in a beige coat, her hair tied up in a neat bun, making her look both adorable and well¨Cbehaved. A gust of cold wind slipped past her, and she instinctively shivered, pulling her coat tighter. Fie said eight o¡¯clock. Sure enough, the moment the clock struck eight, a familiar figure appeared in the crowd. As the tall, imposing man stepped into view, Ste¡¯s mind yed out a montage of memories¨Cmemories of being cradled in his arms, soothed andforted. Dressed in a ck, mid¨Clength trench coat, with a gray scarf wrapped around his neck, he exuded an air of warmth and refinement. But Ste knew better than anyone¨Cthe gentle exterior was nothing but a fa?ade. Beneath ity a ruthlessness. and madness no one could begin to fathom. Abraham. The man who had once carried her home¡­ The moment their eyes met, a chill ran down Ste¡¯s spine. Abraham¡¯s gaze held an undeniable authority and an icy sharpness that made her instinctively lower her head. His shadow loomed over her, and the familiar scent of him wrapped around her like an inescapable. Swallowing hard, Ste nervously extended the bouquet toward him. ¡°T¨CThese they¡¯re your favorite.¡± Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She was anxious, Afraid. But Abraham didn¡¯t take the flowers. The air around him grew even heavier, suffocating her with its pressure. The terminal was bustling with people, but at that moment, the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of them¨CSte and Abrahamn. Her arms began to tremble from holding the flowers up for so long. Hesitantly, she reached out and tugged at his scarf. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± Her soft, delicate voice melted into the cold air, and for a fleeting moment, the tension in Abraham¡¯s aura softened. Refore she could react, her slender wrist was seized, and before she could utter a sound, she was yanked into his embrace. ¡°You¡¯ve grown bolder, haven¡¯t you? Hmm?¡° His deep, maic voice carried an unmistakable trace of danger. Almost three years¡­.. Three years, and she hadn¡¯t contacted him once. Chapter 25 Abraham¡¯s Back ¡°You should start thinking now¨Cwhat you¡¯re going to say to meter.¡± His tone remained ominous, Ste felt a lump rise in her throat. I¡¯m doomed. Finished Before she could stammer out a response. Abraham released her wrist, took her hand, and led her straight out of the airport. Abel was already waiting outside. The moment he saw Abraham and Ste step out, he respectfully opened the car door. Ste¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You shipped your car over?¡± It was Abraham¡¯s personal car from Falvaria. If he had gone so far as to transport it here, that could only mean¡­ he wasn¡¯t nning to leave Rivermount anytime soon. Her already uneasy heart clenched even tighter. Abraham nced down at her petite frame, barely reaching his chest. She gulped nervously under his scrutiny. ¡°Ms. Dawson, Abel greeted her politely. Ste nodded, trying to maintain herposure. ¡°Mr. Abel.¡± The moment the words left her lips, the man behind her suddenly scooped her up and tossed her into the car. Abraham followed her in, his presence filling the cabin with an overwhelming sense of dominance. Instinctively, Ste curled into a corner, trying to put some distance between them. But it was pointless. The moment the engine roared to life, her delicate wrist was captured in his palm. Before she could react, she found herself pulled onto hisp. ¡°Abraham, you can¡¯t- ¡°Hmm?¡± Ste¡¯s face turned beel red. I¡¯m an adult now!¡± This position was far too intimate. She was straddling hisp, their bodies far too close. Her breath hitched as his cool fingertips brushed against her chilled cheek, trailing down to her jaw. She couldn¡¯t meet his Kaze. The restrained intensity in his eyes sent a wave of fear through her, a fear she couldn¡¯t suppress. But in front of Abraham¡­ there was nowhere to run. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up.. so you won¡¯t listen to me now?¡± Ste stammered, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you have fun these past three years?¡± ¡°The word ¡°fun¡± hit Ste like a punch to the gut, leaving her reeling. So much had happened in the past few days. She had endured everything without shedding a single tear, snapping at those around her like a porcupine with its quills raised. But now, sitting here, facing Abraham.. her heart felt inexplicably sore. 2 The wrong girl 26 Chapter 26 Caught in His Net Ste sniffled. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been three years yet She looked like a little kid who had been bullied outside her face full of grievance. Abraham let out a mockingugh. Two months away¨Cwhat¡¯s the difference?¡± Finished That was how long it had been since Ste returned to Rivermount¨Cjust two months short of three years. She wanted to lower her head, but Abraham wouldn¡¯t let her. His grip tightened, forcing her to meet his gaze. ¡°Nothing you want to tell me? ¡°Yes, plenty so much.¡± There was so much she wanted to say. Every time those people bullied her, she had wanted to call him toe and deal with them Ste had intended to send Abraham to a five¨Cstar hotel. But he had kept her pinned on hisp, never giving her the chance to tell Abel where he should be staying. By the time Abraham finally released her, the car had already pulled into the underground garage of Kingston Heights. Ste was stunned. ¡°You know I live here?¡± She had used his card yesterday, and today he had tracked her down. Judging by his demeanor, he must have already investigated every detail of her life over the past three years. Abraham stepped out of the car first. From the driver¡¯s seat, Abel spoke up. It¡¯s never difficult for Mr. Abraham to find out things. But, Ms. Dawson, you really hid yourself well these past three years. We never expected you to leave the country.¡± Ste fell silent Abel sighed. ¡°And you even found your rtives¡­ Sigh, anyway. Mr. Abraham is furious!¡± Thatst part made Ste¡¯s heart skip a beat. She carefully nced at the man standing outside the car. Not daring to dy, she quickly got out. Back home, Ste immediately went to get him a pair of slippers. But the moment she opened the shoe cab, she froze. Aside from her own slippers, there was another pair¨Cworn, men¡¯s slippers. She felt the chill behind her and quickly pulled out a pair of her own unworn slippers for Abraham. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ wear mine for now? A pair of pink slippers with bunny ears was ced in front of him. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed, the coldness around him intensifying. ¡°So, you¡¯ve learned how to serve people now?¡± Ste fell silent. Her expression stiffened at his words, and the bitterness in her heart became even harder to suppress. She quickly straightened her posture, looking at Abraham with teary grievance. ¡°You know everything already?¡± Abraham let out a low chuckle and slipped on her slippers. They were too small and didn¡¯t fit. A man as particr as he was didn¡¯t say much. Instead, he walked further inside, ncing around. The more he looked, the darker his expression became. Chapter 26 Caught in His Net She pouted. This isn¡¯t from the Reed family.¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze sharpened as he turned to her. Ste hesitated for a second before saying, ¡°I bought it¡­ with your money.¡± Abraham was momentarily speechless. Hearing her words, for some reason, the coldness on his face eased slightly. Finished He walked over to the sofa, casually shrugging off his coat and draping it over the armrest. He also removed the scarf from around his neck. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to buy something bigger?¡± Ste argued, ¡°It¡¯s not small, it was 1,500 square feet. That¡¯s more than enough for me.¡± Abraham still found it small. Back in Falvaria, even her private vi was no less than 5,300 square feet. Not to mention, during her years at the Dawson residence, the estate was so massive that it would take her over an hour just to walk through it. ¡°Come here.¡± Abraham¡¯smanding gazended on her. Ste hesitated but obediently stepped forward. At about three feet away, she stopped, not daring to get too close. But before she could react, Abraham stretched out his long arm, pulling her straight into his embrace¨Cjust like he had in the car. ¡°Abraham!¡± she protested in frustration. A deep voice sounded above her head. ¡°You have five minutes.¡± Ste¡¯s heart pounded violently. Five minutes. She knew exactly what he meant. Three years ago, she had left without a word¨Cright in the middle of the Dawson family¡¯s internal struggles. Though she had physically left, the high society of Falvaria never stopped talking about her. There had even been a saying among the noble families. If they¡¯re not your blood, you can never truly raise them as your own. And that saying.. hade from her¨CSte. It was said that when trouble struck the Dawson family, during Abraham¡¯s most difficult time, she had abandoned them and left. ¡°The Tom family¡­ how are they doing?¡± she suddenly asked instead of answering. For the past three years, she had kept close tabs on everything happening in Falvaria. But the Tom family¨Cthe one family that had once held her life in the palm of their hand. A year ago, they had suddenly disappeared from the public eye. Send Gifts The wrong girl 27 Chapter 27 Revenge Served Ice Cold Even after trying to gather information through connections, she hadn¡¯t been able to find anything. Now, Ste was asking Abraham directly. But the moment the words left her mouth, his eyes turned cold. Abraham¡¯s grip on her chin tightened. The distance between them closed, his warm breath brushing against her cheek- warm, yetced with danger. Ste swallowed. ¡°Abraham¡± Abraham¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Are you concerned about the Tom family, or are you concerned about Derrick?¡± At the mention of Derrick, Ste¡¯s heart clenched violently. ¡°I-¡± Feeling the sudden stiffness in her body, a sharp glint shed through Abraham¡¯s eyes. Ste replied, ¡°No.¡± The Tom family became history a year ago. Does that answer satisfy you?¡± Ste fell silent. History? Hepletely crushed them? Hearing this, the tension in her body finally eased. ¡°Then what about the Tom family¡¯s people now?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone became even more dangerous. Ste shook her head. ¡°No. As long as they can¡¯t threaten you anymore, that¡¯s enough.¡± At that moment, the weight she had carried in her heart for the past three years finally lifted. Abraham raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, Ste suddenly threw her arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrobly, as if she had suffered the greatest grievance. Her instinctive reaction shattered the anger in Abraham¡¯s eyes. His hands, frozen midair, hesitated for a moment. Then, as Ste continued crying hysterically, they finally wrapped around her slender waist. Ste clung to him tightly. ¡°How¡¯s Mom?¡± Abraham held her close. ¡°So now you remember she¡¯s your mother?¡± He had thought that after returning to the Reed family, she had now, she only held him tighter, crying even harder. Two hourster, Ste had recounted everything that happened three years ago¨Chaltingly, between sobs. In all her three years in Rivermount, she had never once cried. Not even when the Reed family treated her so horribly. But the moment she spoke about everything that had happened in Falvaria, the tears wouldn¡¯t stop. The Dawson family had always been her greatest support. And Abraham¡­ had always been her safe harbor. Losing both overnight had been like falling into hell. For the past three years, she had barely dared to think about it. Just as people had said, when she left, the Dawson family had been in the midst of a raging storm. If she had a choice, she would have stayed by Abraham¡¯s side. But the Tom family.. Kelly.. that woman who had always Chapter 27 Revenge Served Ice Cold If she refused, they would kill her mother. With no other option, Ste had toply. She had to leave the Dawson family. Had to cut off all contact with Abraham. Three years ago, the Tom family had ruled over Falvaria like kings. Finished With her father gone so suddenly and Abraham¡¯s foundation still unstable, he hadn¡¯t stood a chance against them. He and Derrick had always been at odds, and Kelly, in her obsession with Abraham, had prevented Derrick from targeting Dawson family projects. Ste couldn¡¯t afford to drag him into danger. If her departure could buy the Dawson family even a moment of peace, she was willing to give him that breathing room. The more Abraham listened, the colder his expression became. They threatened you, and you just gave in?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. They used my mother¡¯s life to threaten me.¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°And that was enough for you to cut all ties with us? ¡°I was scared!¡± The moment she admitted it, the grievance she had buried for years came surging back. Even looking at any news about hims over the years, she had done so cautiously. Especially during that first year after she left the Dawson family¨CKelly had constantly.threatened her. That exined why she returned to the Reed family and even agreed to an engagement with Ethan. From the outside, Abraham had seemed to rise quickly over the past three years, gaining control over Falvaria¡¯s entire underground world. But she had still been afraid. Afraid that the Tom family could still pose a threat to him. Now that she had exined everything, Abraham remained as cold and unrelenting as ever, which only made Ste feel event more wronged. Her eyes reddened as she looked at him. ¡°What about Kelly?¡± That despicable woman¨CSte would have killed her herself if she had the chance. Abraham replied, ¡°Disabled. In prison.¡± ¡°Prison? You put her in prison?¡± Abraham shot her a cold nce, his expression unchanged, as if his anger hadn¡¯t dissipated at all. Ste tugged at his sleeve, silently looking at him with grievance. Abraham scoffed. ¡°Useless. After everything you¡¯ve been through, you¡¯re still the one feeling sorry for yourself? What did I teach you all those years?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 28 Chapter 28 Money Can¡¯t Buy You Out of This ¡°You taught me everything¨Cexcept how not to have a heart, Ste replied. If she had been heartless, no one would have been able to hurt her. Just like with the Reed family¨Cbecause she didn¡¯t care, nothing they did could truly wound her. But the Dawson family was different¡­ Her mother had loved her so much. From a young age, she had known she wasn¡¯t Abraham¡¯s biological child, that he had taken her in. But her mother had always treated her as her own, cherishing her like something precious, holding her in the palm of her hand. Abraham let out a cold snort. ¡°Hmph!¡± Ste asked, ¡°How is Mom, really?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s been going to church and praying for three years¨Cafraid that divine retribution would catch up to you out there Ste went quiet. Divine retribution?Is he saying I am too sheltered, incapable of surviving on my own? But hearing that her mother had been praying for her all this time still made her heart ache with emotion. She looked up at Abraham eagerly. ¡°Mom has been doing that for three years?¡± Abraham flicked her forehead. Ste winced, covering her head, not daring to cry out. Abraham continued, ¡°Three years ago, there were reasons for what happened. But what about the Reed family? And Ethan?¡± Ste wasn¡¯t sure if she was imagining it, but when Abraham said Ethan, his tone grew noticeably colder. She answered, ¡°They have nothing to do with me.¡± Yes, the Reed family were her biological parents, but at the time, Kelly had been hounding her relentlessly. Returning to the Reed family, even getting engaged to Ethan, had been her way of finally getting rid of Kelly. Once she got engaged to Ethan, Kelly had never contacted her again. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing to do with you?¡± Ste exined, ¡°Kelly was threatening me. I got engaged to Ethan to make her and Derrick let their guard down Under Abraham¡¯s sharp gaze, Ste spilled everything. Now that Kelly was in prison, there was no reason to keep anything from him anymore. As expected, Abraham¡¯s expression finally eased. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ethan watched helplessly as Lillian writhed in pain, tormented by her illness. Just yesterday, she had been able to walk into his office. Now, she was confined to a hospital bed. Susan was beside herself with worry. ¡°Ethan, we need to get Dr. Rianne back as soon as possible. The team of specialists said that Lillian¡¯s most pressing issues are her liver and uterus.¡± A liver surgery was unavoidable, and she would also need heart surgery. If Rianne could treat her uterine cancer naturally. they hoped to spare her from another painful operation. Chapter 28 Money Can¡¯t Buy You Out of This Finished Her suffering was physical, but those by her side were being tormented emotionally. Susan felt awful. Ethan felt even worse. ¡°I know,¡± he said. Even if Susan hadn¡¯t said anything, Ethan already knew¨Cthey had to get Rianne back immediately. He grabbed an unfamiliar phone and dialed Ste¡¯s number. At Kingston Heights, Ste was still being interrogated by Abraham when her phone suddenly rang. Just as Abraham was about to say something, the call interrupted them. Seeing an unknown number, she instinctively ignored it and declined the call. But the caller was persistent¨Cit rang again. Abraham¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an important call, Ste replied without thinking. The whole ordeal with her divorce from Ethan had be a huge scandal. She had already blocked Ethan and the Reed family¡¯s numbers. With things blowing up the way they had, she knew they would reach out to her if things didn¡¯t go their way. So at this hour, if someone was calling from an unknown number, it could only be Ethan or Susan. She didn¡¯t want to answer, especially not in front of Abraham. So she hung up again. But the phone rang once more, the caller refusing to give up. Ste was about to decline again when Abraham suddenly stretched out his hand in front of her. Ste¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you want me to answer it for you, or will you do it yourself?¡± Her mouth twitched. ¡°It¡¯s not an important call.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not important? Then why do they keep calling?¡± Ste was speechless. Under Abraham¡¯s intense stare, she had no choice but to reluctantly answer. The moment the call connected, Ethan¡¯s exhausted voice came through. ¡°Tell me what you want, I¡¯ll give you anything¡± His tone was drained and full of surrender. The speaker waen¡¯s loud, but it was enough¨Cboth Ste and Abraham heard it clearly. The wrong girl 29 Chapter 29 A Shirtless Showdown Ste had expected it¨Ceither Ethan or someone from the Reed family. She instinctively nced up at Abraham, and sure enough, the warmth in his eyes hadpletely disappeared. Her grip on the phone trembled. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what 1- You like money, don¡¯t you? The card I gave you is still open¨Cbuy whatever you want, as much as you want.¡± Finished The condition was simple¨Cbring Rianne back. But before Ethan could finish, Abraham plucked the phone from Ste¡¯s hand and hung up without hesitation. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Under his cold, piercing gaze, Ste instinctively lowered her head, not daring to look at him Abraham¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°He treats you well, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Ste forced a dryugh. ¡°No.¡± Abraham¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°He¡¯s willing to give you anything you ask for. Ste fell silent. If someone only heard Ethan¡¯s words without any context, that¡¯s exactly what it toonld sound like. ¡°It was all for a reason,¡± she muttered. ¡°It wasn¡¯t because he had feelings for me.¡± For some reason, whenever the topic of emotions came up, she felt guilty in front of Abraham. Probably because back in school, he had always drilled into her head. No dating allowed! She endured hours of relentless questioning. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she slumped over onto Abraham¡¯sp. falling asleep. Under the bright living room lights, Abraham brushed a few strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Then, without hesitation, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. When he stepped back into the living room, Abel was already waiting there, surveying the small apartment. ¡°Should we take Ms. Dawson back to Verdant Vi?¡± Abel asked. Verdant Vilia was located in the Shallow Bay area of Rivermount. When that piece ofnd first became avable, every powerful family in the city had tried to get their hands on it. But back then, Ste had nced at a scenic rmendation and casually mentioned she liked it. Thend became Abraham¡¯s in an instant. The original n had been to develop luxury seaside residences, but Abraham had personally remodeled it to fit Ste¡¯s preferences instead. He had intended to gift it to her on hering¨Cof¨Cage ceremony, but before that could happen, disaster struck the Dawson family, and she vanished. Abraham stepped onto the balcony, lighting a cigarette. He took a slow drag before exhaling. ¡°Don¡¯t move her tonight. Let her sleep. Just bring my things up.¡± Hearing that Abraham nned to stay the night, Abel instinctively nced around the small apartment again. ¡°You¡¯re staying here?¡± Abraham shot him a frosty re. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Chapter 29 A Shirtless Showdown Sleeping in this cramped apartment was just because Abraham didn¡¯t want to wake Ste up Finished Abel hurried to bring Abraham¡¯s things upstairs. Once Abiel left, Abraham took his time inspecting Ste¡¯s apartment¨Cevery corner, every inch. we Only when he waspletely sure there were no traces of another man did the tension in his body finally ease. He grabbed a fresh towel from her linen cab. The only options were soft pastels¨Cpink and light yellow¨Call fluffy and clearly picked with care. A style that was unmistakably her. Without hesitation, Abraham grabbed one and headed to the bathroom. Half¨Casleep, Ste stirred, waking up only because she really had to use the restroom. Annoyed, she groggily crawled out of bed, her eyes still half¨Cclosed, and shuffled toward the bathroom. The moment she stepped out of the bedroom, she froze. Abraham was standing there, fresh from the shower, a towel¨Cher towel¨Cwrapped loosely around his waist. Ste¡¯s mind went nk. Thest traces of sleep vanished instantly. She barely had time to react before the doorbell rang, ringing urgently. Startled, she nced toward the entrance, then back at Abraham. He frowned. ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you at this hour?¡± The clock on the wall pointed to 5 AM. It wasn¡¯t justte at night¨Cthe sun was about to rise. The doorbell rang again, this time more aggressively. Ethan hadpletely lost it. When Lillian woke up again in unbearable pain, he had reached his breaking point. He didn¡¯t care about the time¨Che hade straight here. No matter what, he had to get Ste to agree to Rianne¡¯s return. Lillian couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Abraham took a seat on the sofa, ncing at Ste. ¡°Open the door Her eyelid twitched. ¡°Do I have to?¡± Before she could say anything else, Ethan¡¯s furious voice erupted from outside, ¡°Ste! Open the damn door! I need to talk to you!¡± Ste was stunned. What the heck is torong with this man? Shouldn¡¯t he be at Lillian¡¯s side at this hourt Why is he here? ¡°If you don¡¯t open up, I¡¯ll have someone break the lockt¡® Ethan shouted, his rage boiling over. With all the , there was no way Ste was still asleep¨Che knew she was awake. The wrong girl 30 Chapter 30 Abraham, The Ultimate Knockout 0 Finished Ste¡¯s eyebrow twitched violently. Did he seriously bring a locksmith? Is he nning to break into my ce?d Ethanpletely lost his mind? He actually had the nerve to try and force his way int Her brain short¨Ccircuited for a moment as she looked at Abraham. ¡°Um, I ¡°Want me to hide?¡± Ste went silent. No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ But seeing the storm brewing on Abraham¡¯s face, how could she possibly nod? ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I still have some unresolved misunderstandings with that bastard.¡± From outside, Ethan¡¯s furious voice came again, full of gritted teeth. ¡°You¡¯re the one not opening the door. If the lock gets busted, don¡¯t me me!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of someone working on the lock echoed through the apartment. That bastard, he really brought a locksmith? Ste turned to Abraham, her eyes now burning with rage toward Ethan. She spun around, determined to find her baseball bat. She was going to beat that idiot senseless. But before she could even grab her weapon, there was a soft ¡®click¡® behind her¨Cthe door had been unlocked. Ste whipped around just in time to meet Ethan¡¯s furious gaze. Ethan, seething with rage, scanned the room, and for a moment, his mind went nk. If not for Ste standing right there, he would have thought he had the wrong address. But no, this is definitely the right ce. Ste is here, but that man Ethan¡¯s breath turned ragged ¡°Ste, you¨Cyou¡­ Ethan was so furious he couldn¡¯t even form a a sentence. His eyes locked onto Abraham, illuminated by the bright overhead lights. Abraham wasposed, his sharp, eagle¨Clike eyes carrying an undeniable air of dominance, exuding a presence so powerful that even in his anger, Ethan hesitated for a brief moment. Then, his gaze shifted downward¨Cslowly tracing the defined ridges of Abraham¡¯s abs before stopping on the unmistakable. towel wrapped around his waist. A man is in her apartment, showering at this hour. Ethan¡¯s fury exploded. His breathing grew erratic as he pointed at Abraham and turned to Ste. ¡°So this is why you¡¯ve been so desperate to break off our engagement?¡± His voice was like ice, his anger surging as he stepped inside. The locksmith, sensing the tension in the air, didn¡¯t even dare stick around for the drama. He bolted without a word, not even whiting to collect his payment from Ethan. Ste¡¯s mind went nk. She suddenly felt like she was the one who needed to run. She had thought she had exined everything about Ethan to Abraham clearly earlier. Chapter 30 Abraham, The Ultimate Knockout She meant it. If he kept acting like this, he might not make it out of here alive. 0 Finished She had already given her reasons for breaking off the engagement¨Che and Lillian had been tangled up for years, and yet, here he was, trying to pin her as the unfaithful one. Might as well just kill him and be done with it. Ethan let out a coldugh. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to leave? Ste, you never cease to amaze me.¡± His eyes flickered toward Abraham. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te tonight, I never would have known you were this kind of person. So tell me, how long has this been going on?¡± The more he spoke, the angrier he became, his voice rising until he was practically shouting. ¡°You dragged my name through the mud, exposed my rtionship with Lillian to the whole world, just to cover up your dirty little secret, didn¡¯t you? Ste, you¡¯re absolutely shameless!¡± The second the words left his mouth, the sharp crack of a fist breaking through the air filled the room. Ethan¡¯s face whipped to the side as Abraham¡¯s fist connected with brutal precision. The fight erupted in an instant. Ethan staggered, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He had assumed Abraham was just some random man Ste had picked up. But then Abraham threw the first punch, his fury spiraled out of control. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ethan roared. Before Ste could react, the two men were locked in a full¨Cblown brawl. But Ethan was a businessman. No matter how much he worked out, he wasn¡¯t built for fighting¨Cnot like Abraham, who had spent years walking the razor¡¯s edge. Within two moves, Abraham had him pinned against the sofa,pletely immobilized. Ethan was disheveled, panting, unable to move an inch. Meanwhile, Abraham barely looked atfected¨Chis towel hadn¡¯t even slipped an inch. That was what had really worried Ste the most¨Cshe had genuinely feared his towel woulde undone in the middle of the fight. ¡°Ste, tell your boy toy to let me go!¡± Ethan spat furiously, ring at her from where he was trapped beneath Abraham¡¯s grip Ethan pondered. The audacity of this woman. She has a man in her home, lets him hit me, and still has the gall to act like she¡¯s in the right? Unable to fight Abrahamn off, Ethan redirected all his rage onto Ste. Ste snapped out of her daze and rushed over, grabbing a jacket and draping it over Abraham¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Put something qn first.¡± Only then did Abraham release Ethan, his gaze cold and emotionless as he looked down at him, as if staring at an insignificant insect, The wrong girl 31 Chapter 31 She Has a Man Abraham reached for his clothes and slipped them on. Even though it was over, the tension between Abraham and Ethan still felt like swords drawn and bows bent. Ste nced at Ethan. ¡°Get the hell out.¡± If he didn¡¯t leave now, he might really die here tonight. And if he actually died here, that would be seriously unlucky. Ethan was already furious. Now, seeing that Ste wanted him to leave instead of Abraham, the fire in his chest exploded, ¡°Ste, what the¡­ Abraham cut him off coldly. ¡°Say one more word to insult her, and I swear, you won¡¯t leave here alive.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the man pulled a gun from the inside of his suit jacket. He pointed it straight at Ethan. Ethan¡¯s breath hitched, and his pupils shrank sharply. In a ce like Rivermount, this guy actually carries something like that? Has Ste lost her mind? What kind of dangerous man is she involved with! Abraham spoke again, voice cold as ice. ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± He meant that if Ethan said one more word, he¡¯d find out what happens. Ste had grown up in Falvaria, and no matter where she went, no one had ever dared talk to her like this. But now, in this ce, these people¡­ There was more and more danger in Abraham¡¯s eyes. That danger closed in on Ethan like a trap. In a ce like Rivermount, he had never been treated like this before. He narrowed his eyes and stared right back at Abraham. Abraham said, ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Try what? Why don¡¯t you just get the hell out already?¡± Ste snapped. She was about to lose it. / Ethan insane? Can¡¯t he see what Abraham is holding? Does he actually want to die here? She didn¡¯t like Ethan, but she hadn¡¯t meant for him to die. It wasn¡¯t like they had some huge blood feud. Ethan shot her a cold look Ste, furious, yelled, ¡°Leave! Don¡¯t you know how to walk?¡± Seeing Ethan frozen in ce, Ste kicked him hard. If he kept standing there, he might just turn into a tombstone in the countryside for the rest of his life Ehan stormed out of Kingston Heights, his head ringing like a beehive. Jason had been waiting downstairs the whole time. When he saw Ethaning down with a face like stone, and even some bruises, he sucked in a sharp breath ¡°Ms. Dawson still sai Refusing to get married was one thing but hitting him? That¡¯s something else. Thinking of Ste¡¯s temper. Jason shivered again 10:41 PM ? Chapter 31 She Has a Man Jason sighed. ¡°Women need sweet¨Ctalking¡± ¡°Sweet¨Ctalking? Ha. When Ethan said the word ¡°sweet¨Ctalking¡± his voice dripped with sarcasm. Jason fell silent. With Ste¡¯s temper, sweet¨Ctalking probably wouldn¡¯t work either. She was like a brick wall, nothing got through. That was how people saw Ste. Not particrly talented, but her temper was something else. Ethan narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Look into the guy who¡¯s been getting close to hertely. Find out who he is.¡± Jason blinked. ¡°What?¡± Hearing the word ¡°guy,¡± Jason looked at Ethan like he¡¯d just said something insane. A guy? Ms. Dawson has a man around her? ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s impossible. Ms. Dawson¡¯s always alone. If anyone¡¯s with her, it¡¯s Ms. Miller.¡± In Jason¡¯s words, the nice way to describe Ste was ¡°a homebody.¡± To put it less kindly, she was basically azy bum who¡¯d rather stay in than go outside. Finished She didn¡¯t have much ability, a short temper, and a lot of pride. It seemed impossible that a woman like her could have a man. If it wasn¡¯t for the Reed family, even Ethan wouldn¡¯t have stuck around. Seeing Jason¡¯s disbelief, the danger on Ethan¡¯s face only grew. ¡°I just ran into him. Do you think I¡¯m making this up?¡± Jason was taken aback. You ran into him? Wait, what? Ethan¡¯s mind shed back to Abraham¡¯s cold, dangerous eyes. That face felt familiar, like he¡¯d seen it somewhere before, but couldn¡¯t quite remember where. And that gun he pulled out so casually. ¡°He¡¯s probably someone from the underworld,¡± Ethan muttered. He was determined to find out exactly who that man was. He never expected someone like Abraham could be hiding in Rivermount. Whoever he was, Ethan was going to tear him apart. That word ¡°underworld¡± only made Jason more confused. That didn¡¯t make sense. With Ste¡¯s temper, she shouldn¡¯t be able to connect with people like that. Downstairs, Ethan stormed out, seething Upstairs, after all the chaos, any trace of sleep Ste had was long gone. Send Gifts The wrong girl 32 Chapter 32 It Is Not Too Late Especially the dangerous look on Abraham. At this moment, she was sitting on hisp again. Abraham seemed to really like holding her, as if in his heart, she had never grown up. But she had grown up, and had been an adult for a long time. In his arms, however, what she felt was not the pampering he used to show her when she was a child. At this moment, Abraham w full of danger Ste lowered her head, ¡°Well, could you just ask directly?¡± Dmn Ethan, I¡¯ve already exined everything, but with him messing things up, it feels like everything I said earlier was in vain. Abraham asked, ¡°Were you protecting him just now?¡± Does he mean I told Ethan to leave? Ste shook her head. ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t want the ce I¡¯ve been living in for two years to get dirty.¡± Abraham could kill. She had just felt the same kind of danger she had felt when he killed someone before. Under his gentle exterior, there was a bloodthirsty heart like a wolf¡¯s. When she was 13, she was kidnapped. Abraham found her and killed all the kidnappers right in front of her. Since then, she knew Abraham was not as gentle as he appeared. When he became ruthless, human life was nothing to him. If Ethan hadn¡¯t left just now, Ste was sure Abraham would have killed him. ¡°In a ce like Rivermount, you can¡¯t break thew, Ste said softly. Abraham iaughed. ¡°Star, are you trying to lecture me?¡± Ste pursed her lips! ¡°Anyway, I already told you why I was going to get engaged to Ethan back then. Just don¡¯t go around killing people.¡± People could have grudges, and any kind of revenge was fine, but directly taking a life wasn¡¯t Even after being with Abraham for so many years, she was still afraid of having blood on her hands. Feeling her body tense up, Abraham knew that the incident from years ago had left a significant psychological scar on her. Otherwise, when the Tom family had threatened her, she wouldn¡¯t have been so scared that she listened to their demands. Thinking about the fear she had to endure, the coldness at the corner of Abraham¡¯s mouth slowly faded, reced by a gentle warmth like that of an older brother. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you and be a good citizen.¡± Ste didn¡¯t quite believe it. Abraham ruffled her soft hair. ¡°Do you v want nt to go back to sleep?¡± Ste shook her head, 10:42 PM et Chapter 32 It Is Not Too Late Finished ¡°Where to?¡± Ste instinctively nced out the window. It was dark outside. Looking at the clock, it was already six o¡¯clock! It was still pretty dark in Rivermount at this time. Abraham looked around the thousand¨Csquare¨Cfoot ce, feeling a bit of a headache. He had given Ste plenty of money over the years, yet this was how she had taken care of herself. Abel was called over by a phone call. Ste was packed up and taken to Verdant Vi overnight. Looking at the massive castle¨Clike estate, she stared at Abraham in shock. ¡°Is this yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± Abraham said. It was indeed Ste¡¯s, as the ownership of the estate was under her name. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Mine?¡± ¡°Yeah, remember this ce? You said you liked it before.¡± Ste was left momentarily stunned. She had said she liked many ces, and she couldn¡¯t quite recall saying she liked this one. But in Rivermount, she had always known about this ce. Once, Ethan had known this estate was empty and had Jason investigate who the real owner was, even considering buying it. However, despite Jason¡¯s efforts, he never found out who owned the estate. Now that she knew it was hers, Ste was a little stunned. ¡°Are we going to live here next?¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Yes, I need to deal with some things in Rivermount, so we¡¯ll probably stay for a while.¡± Ste just said ¡°Oh Since Abraham said he had business to attend to, she didn¡¯t ask too many questions. She usually didn¡¯t pry into his work. And so, Ste moved to Verdant Vi. When Abel took her to her room, he said, ¡°This was originally a gift from Mr. Abraham for youring of age. Although it wasn¡¯t given to you on your 18th birthday, it¡¯s not toote now.¡± The words ing of age¡± made Ste¡¯s eyes water. Abraham had said that for hering¨Cof¨Cage gift, he would give her something she really wanted. Before her father¡¯s ident, hering¨Cof¨Cage gift had already been in preparation, personally designed by Abraham. But unfortunately¡­ She sighed inwardly and nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not toote now.¡± The wrong girl 33 Chapter 33 She Had Nothing to Do With Them The Tom family had already beenpletely suppressed by Abraham, and he now stood firmly at the peak of Falvaria. No one could hurt Abraham anymore. No one could threaten her now. ¡°Ms. Dawson, please rest a bit longer. The kitchen is already preparing breakfast. Mr. Abraham will join you after his video meeting¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Her room faced the ocean. When Ste stepped in, she saw the first light of dawn rising slowly from the sea. The moment the sun broke free from the horizon, it carried a breathtaking beauty. She remembered now. She had once said she liked it here. Falvaria wasn¡¯t near the sea, What Ste had always wanted to see most was the sunrise over the ocean. She hadn¡¯t expected Abraham to remember. Back at the hospital, Lillian had been tormented by pain all night. She lookedpletely worn out, almost unrecognizable. Susan¡¯s heart ached when she saw her. Jonathan had also stayed there through the night. He had even lost his temper twice the night before. But Lillian¡¯s body had long been falling apart in many ces. Even the strongest painkillers didn¡¯t have much effect on her. Ethan had returned. Susan rushed over. ¡°Ethan, how did it go? ? Did she agree to call Dr. Rianne?¡± Ethan nced at Lillian, his face dark. With just that one look, even without a word, everyone knew the answer he had brought back. Ste hadn¡¯t given in. Susan couldn¡¯t hold back her emotions anymore. ¡°How could she be so cruel? This is a matter of life and death!¡± Lillian looked at Ethan, but only for a second before turning away and wiping her tears in secret. Seeing her like this, Ethan felt even more bitter toward Ste.. Susan immediately dialed Ste¡¯s number, but an icy message came from the phone. Ste had already blocked her long ago. Now uruble to reach her, Susan was e even more furious. ¡°She¡¯s going to drive me crazy!¡± She quickly borrowed a phone from a nurse and finally got through to Ste. The moment the call connected, before Ste could speak, Susan started out. ¡°Ste, you¡¯ve gone too far! I let a lot of things slide when you targeted Lillian before, but right now? How can you treat this like some game!¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, are you using me! I don¡¯t think you have the right Ste¡¯s cold voice came through. 10:42 PM c Chapter 33 She Had Nothing to Do With Them changel The word ¡°mother, spoken over the phone, even carried a hint of disdain. Steughed mockingly. ¡°My birth mother? Then you¡¯ve really shown me what kind of mother you are.¡± Susan was so angry her vision went dark. If it weren¡¯t for Lillian¡¯s condition, she would¡¯ve given Ste a proper scolding. Finished Now she didn¡¯t want to say more over the phone. After a few sharp inhales to steady herself, she growled, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle find you ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We need to talk, face to face¡± Lillian¡¯s body couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. Susan wanted to settle this with Ste in person. Whatever Ste wanted, she¡¯d give it to her. She just hoped Rianne would return soon. The problem was, Susan was ready topromise on everything now, but Ste simply didn¡¯t care. There¡¯s nothing to talk about. And everything that needed to be said between us has already been said. Mrs, Reed, I can¡¯t go back to the Reed family, and I don¡¯t need a mother like you. So it¡¯s better if we treat each other like strangers.¡± With that, Ste hung up without mercy. Her phone had already been hard to reach. Now that she¡¯d hung up outright, Susan was trembling with anger. Especially that line-¡°I don¡¯t need a mother like you¡°-made Susan feel like her chest was stuffed full of cotton, suffocating and painful. Jonathan walked out of the hospital room and saw the look of heartbreak on Susan¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t even need to ask. Ste must have said something cruel again. Seeing him, Susan said with deep sorrow, ¡°How can she be like this? No matter the grudge, couldn¡¯t she have waited until Lillian got better? Why now?¡± Ste hadn¡¯t listened to anything. She had beenpletely impossible to reason with. Jonathan frowned. Tll go talk to her.¡± Susan said bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re asking for her life. Just a phone call to Dr. Rianne, and she won¡¯t even do that. How did 1 rause a daughter like this?¡± They weren¡¯t even at the point of asking for a matching organ transnt. If it ever came to that, Ste would probably make a public statement, dering the had nothing to do with the family at all Send Gifts 30 10:42 PM The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Finished The wrong girl 34 Chapter 34 I Am Not Marrying Her Jonathan didn¡¯t say anything. Susan went on. ¡°She came back, but she¡¯s refused to change herst name this whole time. Just from that, you can tell that she never truly meant toe back to this family. Who knows what kind of people raised her. They actually taught her to be like that. When they first found Ste, Susan had still felt a little grateful to the Dawson family. But now, all of her frustration with Ste had turned into frustration with the Dawson family. She believed it was their fault- for not raising Ste properly. Jonathan frowned. ¡°Go talk to the doctor first. Lillian was in too much pain night. See if there¡¯s anything stronger that can help ease it. Whatever it costs, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Susan nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now. You go find her, and try to talk to her properly.¡± She was still unhappy. But right now, Ste was the key to Rianne, and they really couldn¡¯t afford to upset her. Jonathan said, ¡°I know.¡± Susan left to find the doctor. Jonathan headed straight to Kingston Heights to find Ste. Inside the hospital room, Lillian had been in pain all night. No one knew what kind of medicine the doctor had given her, but she looked a little morefortable now. She looked weakly at Ethan. Ethan, does this mean I won¡¯t be able to see the sunrise for a while?¡± Sunrise was Lillian¡¯s favorite. Sitting by the sea, watching the sun rise slowly above the horizon, made her feel the power of life. She wanted to go. Ethan held her hand. ¡°When you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°Did the Reene family give you any trouble?¡± Just thinking about how cold the Keene family had been toward her ever since they found out she wasn¡¯t the Reed family¡¯s biological daughter made Lillian hate those old people. But she never showed that in front of Ethan. Ethanforted her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Lillian sighed. I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. I feel like¡­ I feel like I might not make it through this time.¡± She had barely finished when Ethan snapped, his voice low. ¡°Don¡¯t say that His chest felt tight, like a heavy stone was pressing on it. He couldn¡¯t breathe right. It hurt. Lillian asked, ¡°What about your wedding with her? Will it still happen on time?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t answer. The mention of the wedding made something dangerous sh through his eyes. He remembered the man in Ste¡¯s room the night before. When he walked in, the man had clearly juste out of the shower. The towel around his waist was obviously Ste¡¯s. Just from all those little details, it was obvious that Ste and that man were close. But over the past two years, he¡¯d never seen her involved with any man. She had always been on her own. 10:42 PM Chapter 34 1 Am Not Marrying Her Lillian sighed. ¡°If your family epts Ste, then you should just go ahead and marry her Her pale face, her weak voice, saying that he should marry Ste That only made Ethan¡¯s face grow darker. I¡¯m not marrying her, he blurted out. But right after saying it, that pressure in his chest only got worse, like he couldn¡¯t breathe at all. Lillian blinked. ¡°What? You¡­ Finished ¡°Enough. Right now, your healthes first,¡± Ethan interrupted, impatient. He didn¡¯t want to talk about Ste any more. Just then. Jason knocked and walked in. He gave Ethan a serious look. Ethan understood and stood up. ¡°Tll step out for a minute. You get some rest.¡± Okay. Outside the room, Ethan looked at Jason coldly. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°Nothing¡± ¡°Nothing¡°¡± Hearing that, Ethan¡¯s expression darkens. He doesn¡¯t see the point of Jasoning if he didn¡¯t find anything. Jason exined. ¡°I just started looking into it, and someone already stepped in to stop me. Seems like the guy¡¯s background isn¡¯t simple. To have someone block the investigation so quickly, it only meant this man wasn¡¯t ordinary. Ethan had already sensed that when the man aimed the gun at him back at Kingston Heights. The man had mystery written all over him. Jason suggested, ¡°Maybe you should just ask Ms. Dawson directly? There was no way they could find out anything now. Send Gifts The wrong girl 35 Chapter 35 She Really Was Scared Since there was a powerful force working behind the scenes to stop him from investigating, the person¡¯s trip to Rivermount had definitely been kept secret It was fine when no one mentioned Ste. But the moment someone did, Ethan¡¯s head started to pound. Now, he didn¡¯t even want to hear her name. But the thought of her being with another man¨Chis heart felt like it had swallowed des. There was even a faint ache. As for the man who was with Ste, there was no way to fi find out who he was. Ethan returned to the hospital room looking upset. Lillian nced at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Any trouble at work?¡± She didn¡¯t think of Ste. Ethan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± ¡°Ethan, I want to be discharged.¡± His face darkened when he heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t say nonsense.¡± Lillian looked pained. The smell of disinfectant makes me feel like I¡¯ll never get to leave this ce. Ethan, I¡¯m scared.¡± She was telling the truth. She really was scared. Anyone would be scared, carrying this many illnesses at once. It felt like a giant wall in her life, and no one could say for sure if she¡¯d be able to make it past it. When Ethan didn¡¯t respond, Lillian reached out and tugged his hand. ¡°I want to stay by the sea. Somewhere I can see the ocean, the sunrise, and the sunset.¡± ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m afraid this might be the end for me.¡± People in hospitals always started to question whether they still had a future ahead of them. Ethan looked at her face, already so worn and pale after just two days. Til have Jason arrange it.¡± In the end, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no. Lillian nodded bitterly. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m just scared that these might be myst days, and I don¡¯t want to spend them in a hospital.¡± ¡°Dummy,¡± Ethan sighed softly. By the time he walked out of the hospital room again, it was already noon. In the car, Ethan held a cigarette between his fingers. After a pause, he said, ¡°Head over to Seats Cove. Talk to the person in charge there I want to rent Verdant Vi for a while After thinking it over, Scats Cove seemed like the ce Lillian would want most. The air there was clean, perfect for recovery. The windows in that house faced just right, so Lillian could watch both the sunrise and the sunset with no problem. 1042 PM Chapter 35 She Really Was Scared Finished Given how Lillian¡¯s condition was now, a medical team would need to be stationed with her, along with all the equipment. So after weighing everything. Ethan still felt that Verdant Vi was the best option He already knew the owner wouldn¡¯t sell, but if that was the case, renting for a while would have to do. Jason looked a little surprised when he heard the request. ¡°Would the owner be willing to rent it out?¡± They knew no one lived there. If the owner hadn¡¯t wanted to sell before, they likely wouldn¡¯t care about a few months of rent now. Ethan said. ¡°The rent can be negotiated. Five times the market price, if that¡¯s what it takes.¡± Jason nodded, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Go take care of it this afternoon,¡± Ethan added. When it came to Lillian, he was always careful. This time was no different. Even if it was hard to ept, he had no choice but to believe that Lillian might not make it through this Three different illnesses. If they¡¯de one by one, it might¡¯ve been manageable. But all at once there was a dangerous storm. Over at Verdant Vi, Ste hadn¡¯t slept well the night before. Abraham coaxed her into having some breakfast in the morning, and she ended up sleeping straight through the rest of the morning. She didn¡¯t even want lunch. Abraham sat by her bed and gently pinched her cheek, full of affection. ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡± Ste was too tired to speak. She gave a small hum, rolled over, and went right back to sleep. Seeing how exhausted she was, Abraham didn¡¯t bother her. He got up, and left the room. before he left, he gave instructions to the maid waiting outside the door. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her. Let her eat when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± the maid nodded respectfully. Abraham got a call and left Verdant Vi without having lunch. Ste didn¡¯t wake up until almost two in the afternoon. Kimmy called, saying that several parts of the design were stuck, and the designer didn¡¯t know how to fix them. Ste sat up in bed. ¡°Give me a minute. I¡¯lle ¡°Okay¡± She hung up. over After washing up and changing, she opened the door and saw a maid waiting there. Seeing her, the maid greeted politely, ¡°Ms. Dawson, you¡¯re awake. Mr. Abraham said to have you eat something first when you wake up¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 36 Chapter 36 His Identity Remains a Mystery ¡°Where is he?¡± Ste asked. 2180 She still felt a little dazed that Abraham had actually found her. ¡°Mr. Abraham got a phone call and went out. He told me to let you eat by yourself.¡± sol. Abraham had always been busy. Back when they were still in Falvaria and her father was alive, she sometimes wouldn¡¯t even see him for a whole week This time, since he came to Rivermount, he probably wouldn¡¯t stay long. He was bound to be busy again. The kitchen had made all her favorite dishes. Ste had said earlier that she wasn¡¯t hungry, but the moment she came downstairs and smelled that familiar aroma, she couldn¡¯t help but stop in her tracks. It was the taste she had grown up with. To be honest, during her two years in Rivermount, she had never quite gotten used to the food. Now, tasting what she truly loved again, she ended up eating four portions of the main course, and even had two bowls of soup. The e servants were all stunned by how much she ate. Thendline rang. The butler walked over to answer it. It was a call from Abraham. He asked about Ste. The butler instinctively nced toward the dining room. ¡°Ms. Dawson is already up and eating.¡± ¡°Her appetite? Well, very good. She¡¯s already eaten four portions.¡± Ste was stunned upon hearing the butler¡¯s words. Four portions already? Did I really eat that much? She hadn¡¯t eaten this much even once nce in t the past three years at Rivermount! She had no idea what was said on the other end of the call. The butler hung up and quickly walked to the dining room. ¡°Ms. Dawson, Mr. Abraham said you can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Ste had just been about to take another piece of fish n chips. Hearing the butler, she looked up confused. The butler added, ¡°Mr. Abraham said you¡¯ve eaten too much. You might get a stomachacheter.¡± When she heard it was from Abraham, Ste obediently put down her fork. As she left Verdant Vi, Ste happened to see Jason at the gate, asking about the owner of the estate. When he saw her, Jason froze. Ms. Dawson? What are you doing here? Ste raised an eyebrow and asked in return, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In Jason¡¯s mind, she wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. But in Ste¡¯s mind, Jason wasn¡¯t supposed to be here either. When he heard her question, Jason¡¯s eyes flickered with something he tried to hide. ¡°Just here on some business.¡± 10:42 PM Chapter 36 His Identity Remains & Mystery Jason had thought she wouldn¡¯t press, but she asked again. He hesitated, clearly unsure what to say. Seeing his expression, Ste could already guess. ¡°It¡¯s because of Lillian, isn¡¯t it?¡±. ¡°Well¡­¡± Hearing that. Jason didn¡¯t know how to respond. And his inability to give a direct denial only confirmed Ste¡¯s suspicions. She said nothing more, just let out a shortugh and walked away. Taws Finished Jason watched her go, then looked toward the security guards. While he had been speaking to Ste, they had already called up to their supervisor. ¡°You should leave. The owner¡¯s not seeing any visitors.¡± ¡°So this estate¡­.. ¡°It¡¯s not for rent¡± The guard¡¯s firm tone surprised Jason. Still unwilling to give up, he asked. ¡°Did you mention the rent price to them?¡± After all, Jason knew how bad Lillian¡¯s condition was and how desperate Ethan felt. This might be thest stretch of time she had left. If so, Ethan would do anything¨Cabsolutely anything¨Cto make sure Lillian¡¯s final days were happy and peaceful, When he mentioned rent, the security guard gave him a look of disdain. ¡°Mr. Harrison, even though the Keene family is Rivermount¡¯s most powerful family, if our boss can own this estate, do you really think he cares about that bit of rent money?¡± Jason was speechless. Fair enough. ¡°May I ask, who owns this estate? My boss is in a bit of a special situation right now. We really need to borrow it.¡± He changed ¡°rent¡°, to ¡°borrow.¡± Jason understood why Ethan had his heart set on this ce. It wasn¡¯t like the Keene family didn¡¯t have any other nice estates. But the problem was, the elders in the Keene family all hated Lillian. If Lillian were to stay in any of their properties, those elders would definitely intervene. By then, forget about peaceful recovery, it¡¯d just be endless trouble. Hearing Jason trying to ask about the owner, the security guard¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Mr. Harrison, you¡¯re asking all the wrong questions. Jason remained silent. All the wrong questions? Over the years, plenty of people have tried to find out who owns Verdant l¡¯i. Everyone wants a piece of this primend. But even nose, no one has figured it out. Who exactly is the person behind it all! Tu identity remains a mystery. 10:42 PM c The wrong girl 37 Chapter 37 What Is She Doing There? Jason brought the news back to Ethan. When Ethan heard that the people behind it wouldn¡¯t rent or lend it out, and that even the owner couldn¡¯t be tracked down. his expression darkened. Jason looked serious. After a moment¡¯s thought, he said, ¡°I ran into Ms. Dawson over there¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Ethan¡¯s brow tightened. Jonathan, face grim, walked over just in time to hear that sentence. Where did you see her?¡± D¡¯un Ste! He had knocked at her door in Kingston Heights all morning, but no one answered. And now he heard Jason say he saw her out and about, looking carefree and rxed. Seeing Jonathan approach, Jason spoke respectfully. ¡°Seats Cove. Verdant Vi.¡± ¡°What¡¯s she doing there!¡± As soon as he heard she was at Verdant Vi, Jonathan¡¯s expression changed again. Is she really nning to cut ties with the Reed family and find a new path there? Is she actually trying to seduce the man behind Verdant Vi? Ha, she sure thinks highly of herself. Right now in all of Rivermount, there probably weren¡¯t many people who¡¯d still be interested in her. Just having such arge estate like Verdant Vi in Rivermount said enough about that mysterious owner¡¯s status. Is Ste trying to seduce him? That¡¯s pure fantasy. jason said, ¡°Im not sure.¡± Back then, Ste didn¡¯t even say a single extra word to him. And with nothing to be learned from Verdant Vi either, there was no way he could¡¯ve known what she was doing there. Ethan¡¯s face darkened ¡°Find out who the owner is as soon as possible.¡± Clearly, he still hadn¡¯t given up. Lillian said he was afraid. And the truth was, Ethan was afraid too. He was afraid that Lillian wouldn¡¯t make it through this time. That was why, during what might be her final days, he wanted to fulfill every one of her wishes. Seeing Ethan still unwilling to let it go, Jason nodded, a bit frustrated. ¡°Alright.¡± Inside the hospital room, Susan had been staying by Lillian¡¯s side the past few days. Watching Lillian pass out again and again from the pain tore at her heart. Just as Ethan was about to step forward, his phone rang. It was a call from Madeline. ¡°Come home immediately.¡± Chapter 37 What Is She Doing There? Finished Theard Dr. Rianne not only has a good method for controlling illness, but also a lot of experience easing patient pain. Ethan, Lillian just passed out from the pain again. Her voice trembled with emotion. Hearing that Rianne was skilled at pain management too made Ethan feel even more that they couldn¡¯t afford to dy bringing her back. But he¡¯d already been pressuring the hospital director, even calling Rianne himself. And the result¡­ Just thinking about Rianne¡¯s cold, forceful tone over the phone, and how she didn¡¯t care at all about his threats, gave Ethan a massive headache. ¡°Ethan, you have to figure something out. Lin is suffering too much. Susan said, voice full of pain. Ethan nodded. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll find a way.¡± ¡°And also, Lillian¡¯s body is already like this. Between you two¡­¡± At this point, Susan couldn¡¯t go on. She had truly hoped that Lillian and Ethan could be together. But now, after all those test results from the doctors, and after watching Lillian suffer over and over again, she knew very well the Keene family would never ept Lillian anymore. Worse yet, they might even be angered. And when that happened, even with Ethan standing by her, the Reed family¡¯s days wouldn¡¯t be easy. After weighing everything, Susan took a deep breath. ¡°You need to settle things with Ste. And as for Rianne, no matter what, she has toe back.¡± She had originally hoped Ethan would stay with Lillian during this time. But now, having him here made no difference. He wasn¡¯t a doctor. And the doctor they needed just so happened to be tied to Ste. Getting Rianne back was more important now. When: Ethan heard Ste¡¯s name again, his expression sank. He didn¡¯t need to guess. He already knew what that call from his mother had been about. D¡¯mn Ste! That bich even manages to charm all the elders in the family. An hourter, Ethan returned to the Keene estate. As soon as Madeline saw him, her face twisted in anger. ¡°What exactly did you promise me yesterday?¡± The wrong girl 38 Chapter 38 They Were Just Optional ¡°You said you would never see Lillian again!¡± Madeline spoke each word through gritted teeth. Just thinking about the illnesses Lillian had made her furious. Who the hell gets that many diseases all at once? It would¡¯ve made more sense if she were old, but Lillian was still so young and already had that I many problems. Ethan¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°As for me and Ste, don¡¯t even think about it. ¡°What did you just say? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still thinking about that Lillian?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Lillian. Ethan cut Madeline off immediately. If he had to admit it, maybe beforest night, Lillian had been part of the reason things never moved forward with Ste. But then he thought of that man who showed up in Kingston Heights, and his expression turned even darker. Then what is it?¡± Madeline didn¡¯t believe for a second it had nothing to do with Lillian. Ethan said, ¡°I told you, it has nothing to do with Lillian.¡± ¡°Stop saying her name! Ethan, let me tell you something. Even if things won¡¯t work out with Ste, don¡¯t even dream about being with Lillian. That¡¯ll only happen over our dead bodies.¡± Those ¡°dead bodies¡± she was talking about were the six elders of the family, each one a heavy¨Chitter. Ethan¡¯s grandparents from both his father¡¯s and mother¡¯s side, plus Madeline and his father. With things said to this extent, whatever might have existed between Ethan and Lillian was basically done for. Ethan was so angry his head pounded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between me and Lillian. And I¡¯m not going to marry Ste either.¡± ¡°You!¡± Neither of them backed down even a little.. Madeline¡¯s chest heaved in anger. She shot Ethan a sharp re. Fine, don¡¯t marry her. But don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know why our family ever even considered the Reed family.¡± Ethan stayed silent. Of course he knew. It was because the Reed family controlled a rare mineral deposit. There weren¡¯t even five ces like it in the entire world. The Reed family also understood that without the Keene family¡¯s backing, there was no way they could even keep hold of that mine. And the stuff that could be extracted from that mine happened to be exactly what the Keene family needed most. If the Keene family¨Ccould find that kind of mineral somewhere else, they wouldn¡¯t even bother talking to the Reed family. Besides, the mine was almost depleted already. There wasn¡¯t much left. To the Keene family now, the Reed family was just optional. Madeline closed her eyes and said, ¡°Your uncle just got word. That man from Falvaria is in Rivermount now¡± The man from Falvaria Madeline mentioned had the same kind of mineral the Reed family had, but ten times as much. When Ethan heard that, his eyes widened sharply. ¡°You mean¡­ that man?¡± 10:42 PM c Chapter 38 They Were Just Optional Meanwhile, Ste had been in meetings all afternoon at her studio. Right at six, she got a call from Abraham. ¡°Come down. I¡¯m parked on the road outside the building¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop there, can you? Why not go into the underground garage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you need to hurry up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Ste stuffed a bunch of things into her limited edition handbag without much care. Her assistant Kimmy saw this and looked heartbroken. ¡°Ms. Dawson, that¡¯s a limited edition.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What? It is?¡± She really had no idea. Finished Kimmy was speechless. Seriously? Does Ms. Dawson has no sense of what¡¯s expensive? When she buys this stuff. does she not notice the price tags? The studio barely makes that much profit in a whole year. Then Kimmy remembered how Ste had bought a whole pile of things just to give away to the team. She was unbelievably generous! Even after breaking off the engagement with the Keene family, she still spent money like it was nothing. Kimmy began to wonder if Ste was the daughter of some prestigious family. The Reed family didn¡¯t pamper her that much. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be running a studio. ¡°All the follow¨Cup instructions from the meeting were handed out. Keep an eye on them,¡± Ste said quickly. Kimmy nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± After giving some brief instructions, Ste headed straight out. As soon as she stepped out of the building, she saw that shy car parked a short distance away, She walked quickly toward it. Her phone buzzed again. She¡¯d taken a bunch of calls from major clients today, so she didn¡¯t even check the screen, just answered casually. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± On the other end, Jonathan¡¯s voice sounded tense. Even through the phone, Ste could hear the anger he was holding back. Ste frowned. ¡°What do you want?¡± Jonathan said, ¡°Call Rianne. Tell her toe back right now.¡± The wrong girl 39 Chapter 39 Would You Marry Him? ¡°D¡°mn you and your morn!¡± That crude response made the air on the other end of the phone go dead silent for a beat. Then came Jonathan¡¯s furious voice. ¡°Ste, are youpletely out of control now?¡± ¡°Hard to say. But I¡¯d say I¡¯m more in control than ever. Out of control? Ha- Jonathan snapped, ¡°My mom is your mom too! Try cursing her again, I dare you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a hick! Your whole life is buried in dirt and still too dumb to tell how deep it is.¡± ¡°Ste! Jonathan barked.. And just like that, Ste went right back to cursing him. Jonathan was fuming. ¡°Tell me where you are right now!¡± If he found her now, he¡¯d beat her senseless. Since she came home, she hadn¡¯t given anyone a moment¡¯s peace. And now, even at a time like this, she was still causing trouble. Ste shot back, ¡°You¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you track me down, you dirt mound!¡± Before hanging up, she made sure to throw in onest insult. Jonathan. still holding the phone, nearly passed out from rage when he heard the beeping tone on the line. He had already been stewing after failing to find her at Kingston Heights. Then he came back to the hospital, tried calling her, only to realize she¡¯d blocked his number. He finally borrowed another phone just to get through. They hadn¡¯t even exchanged more than a few words¨Conly for him to getpletely chewed out. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to find her and wring her neck. Susan stood right beside him. She¡¯d heard everything Ste said on the phone. With a sigh, she muttered, ¡°Does she really hate us that much? What did we ever do to deserve this?¡± Jonathan growled, ¡°What did we do? We gave her a life she didn¡¯t deserve!¡± After shouting, he immediately made another call, ordering someone to find out where Ste was, no matter what it took. There was only one thing on Jonathan¡¯s mind now¨Cfind Ste! The way she acted on the phone¨Che was going to make her beg just as hard.. Susan sighed again, ncing toward the hospital room. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t you have to attend Mr. Parker¡¯s birthday party tonight? Go already. Don¡¯t waste time? ¡°And Ste ¡° ¡°I¡¯ll go find her once she turns up, Susan said calmly. By now, she understood. When it came to Ste, threats didn¡¯t work. So tiry¡¯d have to coax hier. No matter what, they had to get Rianne back first. Chapter 39 Would You Marry Him? Finished ¡°Eddie Eddie McKenzie, the renowned cardiologist from Falvaria. Especially in surgery, he¡¯d never botched a single operation. People called him the Miracle Doctor. From the front seat, Eddie turned and gave her a teasing grin. ¡°D¡¯mn girl, you¡¯re good at hiding. You had Abraham searching all these years. If he still couldn¡¯t find you, I figured he¡¯d start digging through the underworld to see if you were hiding out with the reaper. Hearing that Abraham had been searching for her all these years made Ste feel a twinge of guilt. She cautiously nced at the cold¨Cfaced man beside her. Abraham took her phone. Her brows jumped. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Don¡¯t speak, Abraham said. What? She watched him scroll through her contacts, messages, WhatsApp, and every app. So he is checking up on me? Ste frowned and snatched her phone back. ¡°What is this? I graduated years ago. Back then, he said no dating during school. But this wasn¡¯t school anymore. Abraham looked at her and gave a low chuckle. He hooked an arm around the back of her head and pulled her onto hisp. ¡°Hey, wait! Eddie¡¯s still in the car!¡± Ste protested. The moment she spoke, the privacy divider between the front and back seats rose silently. Still. Ste felt awkward. She wriggled in hisp, trying to get off, and muttered, ¡°Abraham, I¡¯m really a grown¨Cup now!¡± Abrahamughed softly. ¡°Oh yeah? So now you want to date?¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. Date? She¡¯d never even thought about it. She stayed quiet, but Abraham continued, ¡°Or do you really think that engagement with him is legit?¡± The wedding was just days away. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t shown up, would you really have married him?¡± Ste could clearly hear the danger in his voice when he said that. lo¡± the answered. ¡°No Abraham didn¡¯t buy it Abel had already dug up everything Send Gifts The wrong girl 40 Chapter 40 Your Sister Finished When she saw the report, which said that from beginning to end, Ste had never resisted, she couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. wrapped in the dangerous air surrounding the man. He won¡¯t marry mel That was the truth. She had never strongly resisted this matter because she knew Ethan wouldn¡¯t marry her Especially since Lillian would never allow it, and also because she didn¡¯t know the Tom family had all died, She worried that those people were watching her from the shadows, and if she ever rebelled, it might endanger Abraham. ¡°Well, you saw it yourself. He left me for another woman. Abraham remained silent. The words ¡°another woman¡± instantly brought the atmosphere in the car down again. Although Abraham had already been unhappy about Ste and Ethan, the fact that Ethan had abandoned her for someone else made him even more upset. The girl he had raised so carefully, treated like a treasure, yet she had been wronged by another man. A shadow passed through Abraham¡¯s eyes. No one could tell what kind of danger was hidden deep within them at that moment When the car stopped, Ste realized Abraham had brought her to a party. She recognized this ce. It belonged to the well¨Crespected Parker family of Rivermount. For the past few years, the Reed family had always attended Michael Parker¡¯s birthday party. If she remembered correctly. someone had mentionedst year that he would be turning 80 this year. Judging from how extravagant the party looked tonight, it was clearly grander than in previous years. Luxury cars filled the lot, and the lights were as bright as day. Abel opened the car door respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Mr. Louis is waiting for you. Abraham nodded and nced at Ste beside him. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Ste looked at the time on her phone. ¡°A little¡± time now. She had always eaten on time. It was about that if Abraham said, ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, go get something to eat at the party. I¡¯ll talk with Mr. Louis for about half an hour.¡± Ste was slightly taken aback. So he¡¯s here to talk business? I thought we¡¯re here to celebrate a birthday. She nced outside at the stream of well¨Cdressed guests¨Cmen in tailored suits, women in dresses of every color. Then she looked down at her own loose, casual zer and the simple white sneakers she¡¯d thrown on earlier. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m going in like this? Abraham asked. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Ste had no idea how to respond. Is there not a problem Abel said. ¡°There¡¯s no problem Chapter 40 Your Sister Ste nodded. ¡°The Parker family¡¯s chef cooks really well.¡± Eddie was speechless Hut, what? She¡¯s eaten all kinds of delicacies back in Falvaria, and she still thinks the Parker chef¡¯s food is good? Abraham gave Eddie a look. Finished Eddie immediately put his phone away. ¡°Alright. Your sister is my sister. I won¡¯t let her go hungry. Go do your business. She really was someone Abraluun treasured like a gem. He¡¯d worried about her going hungry, even when she was a kid,Vand now that she was all grown up, he still acted like she couldn¡¯t take care of herself. Abraham¡¯s expression turnes cold. ¡°Who said she¡¯s your sister?¡± Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. Fine. I won¡¯t let your sister go hungry¡± Talking back to Abraham was like digging your own grave. Abraham walked off. Eddie looked at Ste. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get some food, Abraham hadn¡¯t gone far, and even his back seemed to chill at those words. Even Eddie, standing at a distance, felt it. He didn¡¯t dare joke around anymore. And just like that, dressed casually, Ste entered the extravagant party scene with Eddie by her side,pletely out of ce. Eddie led her straight to the dessert table. ¡°You eat first. My game isn¡¯t over yet.¡± With such a huge spread of desserts, it should be enough. He found a seat nearby and sat down. Sie really was hungry. She picked up a small cake and bad just taken a bite when a voice rang out. ¡°Starl Ste looked up and locked eyes with Tessa, who nced around her. ¡°Who did youe with? And why do you look like that Tessa was wearing a ck deep¨CV dress tonight. It had sequins that sparkled under the lights, making Ste¡¯s outfit look even more out of ce inparison. Tess? asked, ¡°Did Ethan bring you?¡± She figured Ethan must be trying to fix the rumors about their broken engagement. No doubt, the Keene family must be tearing into Lillian by now. Ste swallowed the cake in her mouth, but before she could say ¡°no,¡± the words caught in her throat. Send Gifts The wrong girl 41 Chapter 41 It Is Over Suddenly, a sharp and macking voice interrupted her ¡°Well, well, who is this? Haven¡¯t you alrearly broken off the engagement with Mr. Keene? Ho you show up at an event like this?¡± Ste and Tessa both looked over. They saw Sharon Parker walking toward them, followed by two unfamiliar faces. The moment she saw Sharon, Tessa¡¯s expression soured. Sharon was Lillian¡¯s best friend, and she liked Jonathan In the two years since Lillian had left, she had shed with Ste often, but each time she ended up at a disadvantage. Sharon stopped in front of Ste. ¡°How did you get in? Do you even have an invitation?¡± Tessa immediately pulled Ste behind her. ¡°Invitation? Since when do you get to speak for the Parker family?¡± Sharon let out a shortugh. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t, but I do know she wasn¡¯t invited today This time, the invitations had been prepared by her and her mother. She had sent one to the Reed family, deliberately addressing it to the entire family, including Lillian, but leaving Ste¡¯s name off on purpose. ¡°No invitation, just here for the free food? Ste, who gave you the guts? And what are you even wearing? Lost the engagement and now you can¡¯t afford a proper dress? You look pathetic.¡± Her tone was full of contempl. At that moment, the refreshment area was surrounded by a group of young people. Seeing Sharon talk to Ste like that, they all turned their eyes toward Ste, clearly expecting drama. Tessa snapped, ¡°What she wears is none of your business. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?¡± Her eyesnded on Sharon¡¯s dress¨Cso low¨Ccut that her chest looked squashed¨Cand Tessa didn¡¯t bother hiding her scorn. Sharon shot back, ¡°Tessa, who asked you to butt in? This is my house, my grandpa¡¯s birthday party. If you want to stick with Ste, then get out with her.¡± Ste set down her te and looked at Sharon. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Oh? What kind of tone is that? Are you trying to threaten me? Our family would never invite someone as vicious as you?¡± Sharon had already heard from Jonathan. Apparently, Ste had sent Rianne abroad instead of helping treat Lillian¡¯s illness. A woman like that disgusted her. Ste smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t invited. So how did I get in?¡± The moment she said that, everyone nearby nced at each other in surprise. That was tige. Tonight¡¯s Parker family party required an invitation. And if someone did important have one, they had to be someone Hut Ste was a disgraced heiress not even weed by the Reed family, and no one could understand how she had gotten Sharon sneered ¡°Tessa brought you in, didn¡¯t she? No matter who did, you need to leave. Right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all the noise Jonathan¡¯s voice rang out from beyond the crowd. 10:42 PM Chapter 41 It Is Over Because of how the Reed family treated Ste, Sharon didn¡¯t even bother hiding her attitude in front of him. Jonathan looked toward Ste The moment he saw her in that business outfit, his face darkened instantly. Ethan saw her too. Finished He only spared her a single nce before looking away, clearly still furious about what he had seen in Kingston Heights. Jonathan stepped up beside Ste and spoke in a low voice. ¡°How did you get in! Why are you dressed like this?¡± Ste replied, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with how Im dressed?¡± Jonathan said coldly, ¡°What do you think? She actually has the nerve to ask! At the moment, Jonathan truly believed she¡¯d been ruined by that other family. She didn¡¯t even know how to act appropriately anymore. She was just embarrassing. Jonathan added. ¡°Even if you wanted to see Ethan, this isn¡¯t the way. The Parker family didn¡¯t invite you.¡± The truth was, it had been Jonathan¡¯s decision not to include her. She had been making trouble these past few days over Lillian¡¯s situation, and he didn¡¯t want her showing up somewhere this public again. Jonathan¡¯s words made Steugh. ¡°Why would I want to see him?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not here for Ethan, then what are you doing here? Do you think someone like Ethan would put up with this nonsense! Getting anxious now, are you?¡± Earlier today. Ethan had already made a statement at the hospital. He would not marry Ste. In Jonathan¡¯s eyes, it was Ste¡¯s fault things had gotten this bad Ethan wasn¡¯t just anyone. A bit of drama might have been overlooked, but a public breakup, sending Rianne overseas, and all the chaos she stirred up¨Cthere was no way he¡¯d put up with her anymore. Tns telling you now. Whatever you and Ethan had, it¡¯s over. You did this to yourself. So give up already. Even if we wanted to help smooth things over for you, it¡¯s toote.¡± Send Gifts 30 W 10:42 The wrong girl 42 Chapter 42 I Will Never Marry You Ste raised an eyebrow. The way you said that sounds like you¡¯d actually speak up for me.¡± Her words wereced with sarcasm. Who knows if these people are blind, deaf, or just choosing to lie to themselves The entire city knew about her canceled engagement, yet these people still thought she hade looking for Ethan. Seeing her attitude, Jonathan grew even angrier. In any case, you need to leave right now, Dressed like that, you¡¯re an embarrassment.¡± Ethan stepped forward too, his face serious as he looked at her. Especially when he saw what she was wearing, his eyes shed with undisguised disgust. ¡°Leave now. Since the wedding is off, just as you wished, go.¡± Ste ignored him. ¡°Ste, if I ever think about marrying you again in this lifetime, then I¡¯m a d¡¯mn dog!¡± Sharon clicked over in high heels after hearing Ethan¡¯s words. ¡°Did you hear that? Mr. Keene doesn¡¯t want you anymore. Your dream of bing the number onedy in Rivermount is over, Ste looked at Sharon. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I hoped for.¡± The number onedy in Rivermount? Is that supposed to be my dream? Even if it were, to her, it¡¯s nothing but a nightmare, Sharon too. Wait until you¡¯re begging in the streets, let¡¯s see how much pride you¡¯ll have then.¡± Tessa snapped. ¡°Who are you calling a beggar? So what if she doesn¡¯t have the Keene or Reed family? You think she has no Seeing how Tessa kept defending Ste, Sharon sneered. ¡°And how long do you n to protect her? Tessa, you¡¯re always shielding her like this, don¡¯t tell me you actually like her? Well, I guess nowadays, man and man, woman and woman, it¡¯s not rare anymore. But if you¡¯re going to fall that far, at least pick someone better than this.¡± Tessa retorted, ¡°You¡­¡°/ Smack! The crisp sound of a p cut Tessa off. It was Ste She hadn¡¯t nned to waste her time on someone as brainless as Sharon, but hearing her insult Tessa like that, Ste couldn¡¯t take it anymore. With that p, the entire room fell silent. Everyone stared at Ste in shock. No one could believe it. She had actually hit Sharon. Sharon held her face, looking at Ste in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy? You hit me?¡± Thit you. So what? What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Ste¡¯s voice dripped with contempt. ¡°With a mouth like yours, you could use ten more ps and it still wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Jonathan finally reacted. Ste had dared to hit someone in a setting like this. His fury erupted. He stormed over and shoved Ste hard. ¡°Have you lost your mind? Do you think this is a ce for your tantrums?¡± Chapter 42 I Will Never Marry You ¡°Isn¡¯t this exactly the kind of time I throw tantrums? not like it¡¯s the first time¡± Finished Jonathan was furious. ¡°Your¡± Seeing how arrogant and unrepentant she was, Jonathan raised his hand, winding up for a full swing This rebellious girl needed to be taught a lesson. Thinking of all the chaos she¡¯d caused recently, Jonathan wished he could p the defiance out of her. But just as his palm was about tond on her face, his wrist was grabbed, held tightly by someone with shocking strength. At the same time. Ste¡¯s knee shot up, right into his groin. With a muttled grunt, Jonathan¡¯s face twisted in agony. ¡°Ste, you!¡± Eddie had grabbed Jonathan¡¯s wrist, ready to Lund a few punches on the man for trying to hit a woman. But the next second, Jonathan crumpled to the floor, curled up in pain, Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What the hell? Are you trying to fake an injury? He hadn¡¯t even thrown a punch yet. But this didn¡¯t look fake. Jonathan¡¯s face was twisted in real pain. Tessa looked at Ste. Ste calmly lowered her knee. Eddie saw her and lowered knee too. His lips twitched again. Just now, he thought that if he hadn¡¯t stepped in, she would¡¯ve taken a hit. Turns out, she never needed him in the first ce. Jonathan! Jonathan!¡± Sharon rushed to his side. Seeing how much pain he was in, she screamed. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± -Send Gifts The wrong girl 43 Chapter 43 She Might Not Want to Marry Him. ¡°Ambnce! Call an ambnce now!¡± Jonathan felt like his balls had shattered. Ste was a girl, and she actually kicked a guy in that important spot. She wasn¡¯t even ashamed. Jonathan was furious. Ethan saw Jonathan suffer at Ste¡¯s hands and stormed toward her, angry. ¡°What the hell are you doing? I¡¯m telling you right now, even if you flip all of Rivermount upside down, I still won¡¯t marry you.¡± Ste and Eddie were both speechless. Ethan¡¯s cold, unyielding attitude, like he wouldn¡¯t sacrifice for anyone, made Eddie nce over at Ste. And it was also those very words that made everyone around them look at Ste with even more contempt. A few nosy ones started whispering on the spot. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she was breaking off the engagement with Mr. Keene? What? Does she regret it now?¡± ¡°And even if she does, so what? Mr. Keene obviously has no intention of marrying her ¡°Honestly, a woman needs to know how to behave sometimes. Look at her, acting like a total shrew. No wonder the Reed family and Mr. Keene both don¡¯t like her. She is acting like that, who would like her?¡± Just as Ethan was about to say more, his phone suddenly buzzed. It was a picture from Susan. Lillian was lying curled up on a hospital bed, clearly in pain. Her hair was soaked in cold sweat. Seeing Lillian like that made Ethan¡¯s heart ache. His rage toward Ste, which had been boiling, instantly quieted down. He looked at Ste and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Can we not do this right now? Please?¡± Ste frowned slightly. ¡°Let go.¡± There was a sh of disgust in her eyes¨Csmall, but Ethan noticed it clearly. T Is the disgusted because of Lillian? Or because of that man in her house? At that moment, Ethan realized Ste might actually not want to marry him. And that realization hit Ethan like a punch to the chest. He tightened his grip on her wrist. ¡°Come with me.¡± Ste repeated himself, ¡°I said let go.¡± Ethan turned around. Their eyes met, and in that instant, he saw only ice¨Ccold contempt in hers. Her gaze was freezing. There wasn¡¯t a trace of warmth in it. Ste asked calmly, ¡°Do you want to end up in the hospital like Jonathan?¡± Ethan was slightly stunned. 10:43 PM Chapter 43 She Might Not Want to Marry Him Finished Justst night, there¡¯d been some random guy with her at Kingston Heights. And at the moment, there was another one. But as soon as he got a good look at Eddie¡¯s face, Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. Eddie McKenzie? Why is he here? This was Eddie, Falvaria¡¯s medical genius. Especially in heart surgery, he had never failed a single operation. Over the years, countless billionaires had begged him to operate. But for some reason, he had suddenly ended his medical career two years ago. Since then, he hadn¡¯t taken a single patient. Still, his name came up all the time when people talked about top¨Ctier surgeons. ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Eddie said quietly, eyes narrowed. ¡°But if you don¡¯t let go of her, Mr. Keene, I can guarantee. you¡¯re not walking out of this party alive tonight.¡± The dangerous glint in his usually gentle eyes was sharp and deadly. Even Ste, who knew him well, felt her heart tighten. That one sentence sent a chill down Ethan¡¯s spine like he¡¯d never felt before. And slowly, inch by inch, he loosened his grip on Ste¡¯s wrist. Ste behind him. The moment she was free, Eddie pulled St He leaned down and asked her in a low voice, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ste said as she rubbed her sore wrist. Eddie threw Ethan¡¯s hand aside and looked at Ste with soft affection. ¡°Are you full?¡± Ste was speechless. I¡¯ve only had one bite! But with this crowd around, she didn¡¯t feel like eating anymore. So she just nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go. The air here is disgusting.¡± Eddie didn¡¯t bother hiding his contempt. And with that, he walked out with Ste. Everyone at the party was stunned, especially Ethan, when he saw the way Eddie treated Ste. Why is Eddie treating her like that? What¡¯s really going on between him and Ste? And that armed man at Kingston Heightsst night, he looks like someone important too. Send Gifts The wrong girl 44 Chapter 44 She Was Pretty Smart n thought, Could it be that leaving me was her way of paving a path for herself If that was the impressive than thest. then he had to admit, Ste w Finished mart. The way she set up her fallback coptions, each one was more Jonathany on the floor for quite a while before he could evercatch his breath, Ste¡¯s kick had been vicious. Abraham and Louis Parker came down from upstairs and immediately saw the dessert area in chaos not far ahead. Tonight¡¯s party was hosted by Louis¡¯s family. Every bit of the design had been his own work. While he had been talking business with Abraham, his assistant came in to report on the situation at the party. Apparently. his sister had gotten into it with the biological ughter of the Reed family. For some reason, Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. As soon as he heard the assistant¡¯s report, he got up to leave. They hadn¡¯t even finished their conversation, Louis started to worry that Abraham would think the chaos at the party rellected poorly on the Parker family¡¯s upbringing The more he thought about it, the more annoyed Louis became. Abraham narrowed his eyes slightly as he nced at the scene, but didn¡¯t see Eddie or Ste anywhere. Louis rubbed Ins temple. ¡°Mr. Abraham, it¡¯s not a big deal. My little sister¡¯s always been a bit headstrong and childish. It¡¯s just kids being kids. Why don¡¯t we go back to the study and continue discussing the contract¡­. ¡°Mr. Louis, if a man can¡¯t even manage the members in his own home, I¡¯ll need to reconsider whether this partnership is worth it Louis was taken aback. Wait, shouldn¡¯t business and personal matters be kept separate? What does my sister¡¯s behavior have to do with our coboration? Before Louis could make sense of it, Abraham was already striding down the stairs, leaving Louispletely stunned. The ambnce arrived quickly. As they were taking Jonathan away, Sharon tried to go with him. Louis grabbed her arm. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Jonathan got beaten up by that b*tch Ste! Of course I¡¯m going with him!¡± Right now, she was publicly known as Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend, so naturally she had to stay by his side. Louis had always found this sister of his a trouble, and he looked down on the entire Reed family. Lillian was obviously fake. He couldn¡¯t understand what kind of nonsense had gone down between his sister and the Reed family. Now Jonathan had been beaten like this. No need to guess, it was clearly Ste, his biological sister, who¡¯d finally had enough and hit him again. Seeing Sharon trying to follow, he got even more furious Go with him! Get back to your room. You¡¯ve embarrassed us enough!¡± Sharon snappeil, ¡°How did I embarrass you? Let go of me!¡± ¡°Clement¡± 10:43 PM c Chapter 44 She Was Pretty Smart When Sharon realized Louis was serious, she panicked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Louis shot her a deadly re. ¡°Ill deal with youter.¡± With that, he stormed out after Abraham. Finished It had been hard enough getting Abraham to visit Rivermount and agree to meet with him. And now this mess, thanks to that d¡¯n Sharon. Sharon refused to go upstairs. She wanted to see Jonathan. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m going to the hospital!¡± The whole scene was in chaos. The butler, Clement, worried Louis would me him, quickly had someone drag Sharon upstairs by force. In the car, Abraham looked visibly grim. Ste sat beside him, not daring to make a sound. He lowered his gaze, giving her a dangerous look. ¡°Did those people bully you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ste shook her head. Eddie, sitting in front, quickly chimed in, ¡°I can vouch for her. She really wasn¡¯t bullied. After what she just did, no one would dare try. Jonathan ended up in the hospital with one hit. Still, Abraham¡¯s face didn¡¯t case. Buzz buzz. Both their phones rang at the same time. Ste¡¯s was from Tessa. Abraham¡¯s was from Louis. Stelia answered first. ¡°Tess.¡± ¡°Star, are you okay?¡± Tessa asked in a low voice. Honestly, she really wanted to ask how Ste had ended up leaving with Eddie. He was an internationally famous heart surgeon, more renowned than Rianne. Somehow, Ste knew someone like that. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll take you. out for a meal tomorrow. Got to go. Ste hung up quickly. Abraham didn¡¯t answer his call. But when he heard Ste not only answer hers, but even make ns to treat someone to a meal, his expression turned even colder. Louis called again. Abraham rejected the call. And this time, he blocked the number altogether. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t bullied. Can you stop looking so grim?¡± Ste muttered. Abraham asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really¡± Ste nodded firmly Abraham let out a cold snort. ¡°So all these years, this is how you¡¯ve been living?¡± The wrong girl 45 Chapter 45 His Everything This question hit the nail on the head. He was right. This was exactly how she had been living all these years. People always said that only by learning to suffer losses would someone be more likable, Maybe the reason so many people didn¡¯t like her was because she simply couldn¡¯t stand taking any loss. Just as Abraham¡¯s face darkened and he was about to say something. Ste¡¯s stomach let out a loud grumble. The next moment, Abraham¡¯s expression turned even darker. ¡°Still hungry? Ste mumbled in grievance, ¡°I only took one bite.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the whole car¡¯s atmosphere turned heavy. Abraham shot a cold look at Eddie in the passenger seat. That re male Eddie shudder from head to toe. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t I ask if you were full: Didn¡¯t you say yes?¡± Indeed, he had taken Ste out to eat. But she was a grown woman. He couldn¡¯t possibly be expected to feed her himself. Eddie was honestly at his wit¡¯s end. Ste said. ¡°Don¡¯t me Eddie. I had just taken one bite when someone started causing trouble.¡± Eddie jumped in, ¡°See? Even Ste says it. It really had nothing to do with me.¡± He was going to lose his mind. What a lunatic¡­ He treats Ste like a precious gem he¡¯s raised himself, like she¡¯ll never i everyone around her pays the price.
  1. o. The moment someone wrongs her ¡°grow up.
The phone buzzed again. It was an unknown number. Abraham picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham, it¡¯s me. What exactly happened? Why did you just leave like that? L. Louis¡¯s voice came through the phone, full of barely¨Ccontained frustration. Before he could finish, Abraham hung up directly. Yes, Mr. Abraham.¡± ¡°Call Louis back in a bit. Tell him¡­. He paused mid¨Csentence and nced at Ste sitting next to him That look made Ste nervous. ¡°I didn¡¯t suffer any loss, she quickly said, sensing he was about to go off again because of her. But it didn¡¯t work at all. Abraham simply said, ¡°Tell him, there¡¯s no point in pushing further. He should deal with his own family first.¡± Ste fell silent. Deal with his family first? Is he nning to have Louis teach Sharon a harsh lesson! After all, what happened at the party today had started with a coutlict between her and Sharon. If Louis found out their coboration fell through because of Sharon¡¯s mess, with his authority in the Parker family, Sharon definitely wouldn¡¯t get 10:41 PM D Chapter 45 His Everything She hadn¡¯t really lost anything. She had always been like this, putting Abraham¡¯s interests first, always Finished Abel nced at Ste and Abraham through the rearview mirror, sighing inwardly, M. Sharon really picked the worst person to mess with. This one is Mr. Abraham¡¯s everything Back when they were in Falvaria, there had also been some clueless heiresses mocking Ste for being just the adopted. daughter of the Dawson family. No one knew exactly what happened to those girls afterward, but Abel did Abraham had been protective of Ste ever since she was born. He had found her and taken her in as There was no way he¡¯d let anyone bully the girl in his palm. Abraham brought Ste straight back to Seats Gove. Dinner was already prepared in the kitchen. At the table, Ste was truly starving. Aliraham calmly served food onto her te. ¡°Eat slowly. No one¡¯s lighting you for it.¡± Eddie watched Ste eating so quickly and couldn¡¯t helpmenting, ¡°See? This is why kids should be raised with a free hand. She¡¯s eating so much more obediently now!¡± The second he said it, Abraham gave him a cold re. Eddie pouted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just telling the truth. Back in Falvaria, every time they ate with Ste, she¡¯d refuse this and avoid that. She was super picky. But now, seeing her obediently cat even vegetables that Abraham gave her, this was what proper eating looked like. ¡°Can¡¯t even shut your roouth while eating? Abraham said coldly. Eddie responded, ¡°Shutting it now!¡± Then shoved a piece of meat into his mouth for good measure. Ste couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter watching him. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Susan somehow caught wind that Eddie had shown up at the Parker family¡¯s party. As for what exactly happened at the party, she didn¡¯t know. She hurriedly called Ethan in a panic. Send Gifts °Ù 30 H The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 46 Chapter 46 She Is Everywhere Finished Ethan had been closely watched by his family, but when he received the phone call he still rushed over without hesitation ¡°Ethan. I didn¡¯t mean to bother you at this time, but I was worried that the doctor might leave, so I hurried to get you here. You know, Lillian¡¯s condition is really bad, and the medical requirements are very This was the truth. Lillian had problems in several parts of her body now, and the treatment n had strict requirements. If even one party did not cooperate properly, or if the medication exceeded her body tolerance, she would have to endure immense pain. Ethan nodded. ¡®I know. Which doctor ¡°Eddie McKenzie, a famous cardiologist from Falvaria, you know him, right? That doctor has already retired from the medical field in the past two years. let alone treating patients outside of Falvaria When Susan mentioned Eddie, her tone became urgent. Since finding out about Lillian¡¯s illness, she had been inquiring about various famous doctors. Eddie, the heart surgeon with a wless track record, was someone she had researched in detail. As soon as Ethan heard Eddie¡¯s name, his expression immediately darkened. It had to be said that Eddie was a medical genius. But¡­ ¡°He¡¯s already retired from the medical field. Getting him might not be that easy.¡± More importantly, with his connection to Ste, trying to get him would probably be as difficult as trying to get Rianne. The thought of Ste being taken away by Eddie made Ethan grit his teeth in anger. Susan¡¯s tone grew more urgent. ¡°But we still need to try, right? Think of a way! You know Lillian¡¯s condition, she really needs a doctor like him.¡± Everything she was doing now was for Lillian to get through this difficult time. Ethan responded with a simple ¡°Hmm,¡± before adding. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s in Rivermount?¡± ¡°I heard from someone. I was told he went to Mr. Parker¡¯s birthday party. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Ethan asked, ¡°Did they mention if he went with Ste?¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan¡¯s face was instantly filled with shock as she looked at Ethan in disbelief. ¡°With whom?¡± Ethan repeated, ¡°Ste¡°¡± ¡°What¡¯s their rtionship?¡± When Susan heard that Eddie had gone with Ste, her face immediately soured. Thoughts of the recent attempts to get Rianne and Ste¡¯s attitude shed through her mind. It Eddie had anything to do with Ste, it was obvious that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get him either. Dmn it! Why in Ste everywhere! ¡°But these two doctors are really important for Lillian, you know,¡± Susan said with great distress. She truly hoped that with Eddie and Rianne working together, Lillian¡¯s health would improve. But the problem was, it was tied to Ste. 10.43 PM c Chapter 46 She Is Everywhere She quickly handed Lillian over to Ethan and rushed to Jonathan¡¯s ward. Seeing Jonathan¡¯s pale face, she asked, ¡°What happened to you? How did you end up like this?¡± Jonathan gritted his teeth and shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t give Ste a credit card! We absolutely can¡¯t!¡± Finished He still had the strength to make a scene, which meant they hadn¡¯t starved him too much yet. Since she was so capable, even if she had to sell herself, she shouldn¡¯t expect to get another penny from the Reed family. Susan nodded. ¡°I know, no card for her! What does this injury have to do with her?¡± Jonathan was furious. He told Susan everything about the party. The more Susan listened, the darker her expression became. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing, looking at Jonathan in disbelief. Her gaze slowly moved downward, eventuallynding on his pants. Did she almost ruin you?¡± Susan¡¯s breath became rapid. This was too much, toowless. She had always vs known Ste had a bad temper, Now it seemed that it wasn¡¯t just a bad temper. It was rebellious, even to the extreme. Jonathan said, ¡°I checked. Kingston Heights, many people are paying rent these days. Don¡¯t give her any money.¡± Not only should the card not be given, but no cash either. Let her see how far she could push it. Susan was very upset. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens when she begs me for money.¡± She¡¯s about to pay rent? That ce isn¡¯t cheap. Fine, I¡¯ll wait and see how long that stubborn girl can hold out. Send Gifts 30 The wrong girl 47 Chapter 47 Do You Want Me to Coax You? Susan didn¡¯t believe it. This time, there was no way Ste could keep pretending to be tough For the past few years, she had lived off the Reed family¡¯s money, and still acted our so recklessly. It was all because they had spoilest her. So just like that, Susan and Jonathan made up their minds. They absolutely wouldn¡¯t give Ste any more cards, and not a single cent more. No matter what, this time, they were going to wait until Ste came to them and begged, And when that happened, Ste would have to agree to all their conditions, like letting Riannee back, and also making Eiklie agree to treat Lillian¡¯s illness. Inside the hospital room, on the other side. Ethan looked at Lillian¡¯s pale, weak face, then nces at the small table beside her bed where her food tray sat almost uustouched. ¡°You don¡¯t eat!¡± Lillian said, ¡°The smell of disinfectant is too strong. I couldn¡¯t stomach it. It was the truth. When someone felt sick, everything tasted like nothing. And with her condition now, she needed absolutely Ind food. The smell of disinfectant made her feel like throwing up. ¡°Eihan, can you let me leave the hospital?¡± she pleaded 1 told Mom, but she won¡¯t let me. This ce really makes me feel hopeless. Ethan. I want to leave Every time the doctor came to check her and looked at her reports, he always sighed and shook his head. At those times, Lillian truly felt like she might never walk out of the hospital alive. She was terrified. ¡°Then should I transfer you to another hospital?¡® Ethan asked gently, full of pity. of pity Lillian shook her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to stay in a hospital at all. I really want to leave. I¡¯m really scared, Ethan, do you know that? Every day here. I feel like death is right next to me. I feel like it could take me any second.¡± That constant feeling that her life could slip away at any moment. It suffocated her. She was truly afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that Ethan said. ¡°I mean it, Ethan. You don¡¯t understand. Every time the pain hits, I honestly wonder if I¡¯ll ever get to see the sky outside. Only people who were truly terminally ill knew this feeling. That fear of dying in the hospital at any moment was unbearable. Looking into Lillian¡¯s eyes, filled with despair. Ethan reached out and held her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take you out of hete ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeals Jason¡¯s already handling it. Once everything¡¯s arranged, I¡¯ll take you out. You¡¯ll see the sunrise and sunset every day.¡± 10:43 PM c Chapter 47 Do You Want Me to Coax You? At that moment, Ethan¡¯s mind shed again with the image of Verdant Vi in Seate Cove, He had to get that ce no matter what. Finished After leaving the hospital, Ethan told Jason to go inquire again. This time, no matter what it took, they had to get Seats Cove. When Jason heard that it was about that ce again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a headacheing on. The owner has already made it clear. He won¡¯t sell and won¡¯t rent¡± No selling no renting. Zero chance. Going again would just be another dead end, Jason thought. Ethan said. ¡°Even if it takes double or triple the market price, just buy it.¡± Jason was stunned. That ce was already worth billions. If they paid two or three times that¡­¡­ ¡°Why are you still standing here?¡± Ethan¡¯s icy tone snapped Jason back to reality. He quickly nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go tomorrow! It was dinner, Ste took a shower and theny on the chaise in her room, sketching. A knock came at the door. Without lifting her head, she said, ¡°Come in. Abraham walked in with a ss of milk. Seeing that Ste was drawing, he stepped forward and ced the milk on the small table beside her. He leaned in for a closer look. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ste said, ¡°Work drafts. I¡¯m doing some of the key parts myself.¡± Abraham simply reached out and pulled the pencil from her hand. ¡°It¡¯s . Drink your milk and go to sleep. Ste still wanted to draw a bit more and reached out to grab the pencil back. But the next second, Abraham grabbed her wrist. His burning skin made her flinch like she had touched electricity, instinctively trying to pull away. But he held on tight, leaving her nowhere to escape.. Especially when she looked up and met his deep, dark eyes, Ste¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Abraham¡­¡± Abraham said. ¡°Do you want me to coax you?¡± Ste¡¯s mind exploded ¡°No no need¡± Even her tone became stuttered. What is this man even saying? How old am I now? Why would I ever need to be coated? The wrong girl 48 Chapter 48 She Misses You Abraham looked at Ste. Her eyes dodged his gaze, her small face flushed red, and his chest tightened without warning, ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll take you back to Falvaria. Mom really misses you.¡± Hearing they were going back to Falvaria, Ste nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Abraham let go of her and turned to leaver Ste stayed where she was, her heart still thumping wildly. She nced at the ss of milk Abraham had brought in. It was warm. That was when she realized, after all these years in Rivermount, she hadn¡¯t had milk at night even once. So many of her old habits from home in Falvaria had faded away in the rush of life. Now, seeing them return, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bitter. Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­. Her phone vibrated. Ste nced at the screen. It was another unfamiliar number. She didn¡¯t want to answer and hung up straightaway. Lately, these unknown calls were either from Ethan or someone from the Reed family. But right after she hung up, the number called again. In the end, she picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ste, you b*tch!¡± Sharon¡¯s furious voice sted through the phone. Clearly, Louis had gone back and taken it out on her. Ste wasn¡¯t one to take things lying down. She snapped right back, ¡°Are you mentally ill, dumba*s?¡± That was just Ste. Ever since she left the Dawson family, she had lived this way. If somedge hit her, she hit back. If someone cursed at her, she cursed louder. She would never take the loss. That just wasn¡¯t her, Sharon sneered. ¡°Me? A dumba*s? What the hell are you even? No wonder Ethan dumped you. He¡¯d have to be crazy to want a two¨Cfaced tramp like you.¡± Ste shot back, ¡°Are you blind? 1 dumped him publicly.¡± She had never cared to deal with people like Sharon. Sharon was tight with Lillian. If Sharon hated her, it was definitely because of Lillian. No doubt about it, Sharon hissed, ¡°You dumped him? Don¡¯t make meugh. You just found someone richer, didn¡¯t you? Let me tell you. something. Ste, you¡¯ll regret this Ste clenched her jaw, ready to snap But before she could speak, Sharon kept going, voice dripping with mockery. ¡°Het you haven¡¯t heard, huh? Ethan¡¯s spending billions on Lillian. He¡¯s buying the Verdant Vi in Seats Cove. You even know what that is?¡± Ste froze Ethan wants to buy Ferdant Pir 10:43 PM Chapter 48 She Misses You Sharon clearly had been chewed out by Louis. Now she was venting nonstop. Ste chuckled coldly. ¡°Verdant Vi? You sure Ethan¡¯s buying it for Lillian?¡± ¡°He¡¯s already working on it! Just you wait! You¡¯ll never have that kind of life.¡± Ste replied. ¡°Once he actually buys it, then you can brag for Lillian.¡± Finished What an idiot. She falls all over herself to please Lillian. It¡¯s probably just for Jonathan. Too bad. Sharon probably doesn¡¯t even know what kind of man Jonathan is. The guy is trash, and she treats him like treasure. Jonathan might still be single, but his kid was already two years old, born from some woman outside. Ste hung up. Wasting time on people like Sharon was just wasting sleep. Right after the that, another call came in. It was Tessa. Ste picked up. ¡°Tess.¡± ¡°I just heard Ethan¡¯s trying to buy Verdant Vi for Lillian. He¡¯s tearing the ce apart trying to find out who owns Seats Cove. Has he lost his mind?¡± Ste didn¡¯t say anything. Tessa went on, ¡°And the Keene family isn¡¯t stopping him?¡± She¡¯d already been disgusted by Lillian countless times. Now, seeing her show off like this, Tessa couldn¡¯t take it anymore. That adopted daughter from the Reed family had elbowed out the real one and tried to grab everything for herself. Now she was unting her status like the whole city needed to know how important she was. It was just absurd. Ste knew Tessa couldn¡¯t stand Lillian. She snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whether the Keene family steps in or not, Ethan¡¯s never going to get Verdant Vi.¡± ¡°Oh How can you tell?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been eyeing Seats Cove for years. If he could¡¯ve bought it, he would¡¯ve done it already. The fact that you¡¯re hearing about this now is probably just Lillian trying to pressure him.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 49 Chapter 49 The Owner Is Me ¡°What? That¡¯s way too gross,¡± ¡°Tessa said. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°What a shame Ethan doesn¡¯t know anything. When he can¡¯t buy it because of the real owner behind the scenes, he won¡¯t just be a joke, Lillian will too. Everyone already knew Ethan had wanted to buy Seats Cove before. But this time, there was a twist. He was buying it for Lillian. That made Ethan even more desperate to get it. If he failed, he¡¯d lose his reputation in every direction. Lillian stirred up this mess because she wanted Seats Cove. But she hadn¡¯t thought about who was behind it. Tessa asked, ¡°Wait, how can you be so sure they won¡¯t be able to buy it?¡± She wanted to see a joke. After all, Lillian and Ethan making fools of themselves was the kind of revenge anyone would want to watch She just feared they might actually manage to buy it in the end. ¡°I heard he¡¯s offering three times the market value. You really think the person behind Seats Cove won¡¯t be tempted?¡± Ste answered, ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°Because the owner is me.¡± Tessa was left momentarily stunned. The line wentpletely silent. There was no need for Ste to hide anything from Tessa. Sooner orter, she¡¯d find out anyway. The silencested a full 30 seconds. Then Tessa finally spoke. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with my ears. What did you just say? Did I go deaf? Are you messing with me?¡± She knew exactly what position Ste held in the Reed family. There was no way she had the money to buy Seats Cove. Forget about that little studio of hers that made a few hundred grand a year, even ten of those wouldn¡¯t be enough to afford Seats Cove. ¡°Star, how many things are you hiding from me? I can¡¯t believe I was worried the Reed family was starving your Tessa¡¯s voice exploded over the phone. She remembered how the Reed family had once cut off Ste¡¯s cards. She had actually felt sorry for Ste and cursed the Reed family for being heartless. Turns out, she was the pathetic one here. She was the one who needed handouts from her friend. ¡°This whole thing¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°Does it have to do with the family that raised you? Sounds like they treated you pretty well. The only exnation Tessa could think of now was the family that raised Ste. Chapter 49 The Owner is Me Finished Tessa added, ¡°You¡¯re not just surviving. At this point, even ten Elians couldn¡¯t do anything to yout Elliansildi To give Ste something as valuable as Seats Cove, the person behind her wasn¡¯t someone ten Ethans could handle, maybe not even a humsdied. They chatted on the phone for a while longer before Abraham walked in, and Ste ling up The man wo His legs underneath were long and straight, his hair still wet, his eyes deep and sharp. He looked like a prince who had stepped straight out of aic book. ¡°Who were you on the phone with Alurahant¡¯s vo was low. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t pleased she had disobeyed and stayed up He nced at the untouched ss of milk on the table, and the look in his eyes darkened even more. ¡°Tess called. I¡¯m going to bed, Ste said, then crawled onto the bed When she reached for the milk, bring you a warns one¡° first, Abrahams snatched it away. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Get in bed. I¡¯ll have someone Ste wanted to say it was fine, she didn¡¯t need milk anymore But before she could speak, Abraham had already fent. Not long after, a servant brought her a new ss of warm milk. Ste took it quietly and drank it. Meanwhile, in the study, Abel walked in and saw Abrahams, still in his ck rose, holding a cigarette. He looked even more imposing than usual. Abel stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Mr. Keene wants to see you¡± Abraham¡¯s brows lifted slightly. His gaze narrowed as he looked at Abel ¡°Laband¡± Abe! nodded. ¡°He¡¯s probably here about our mine. The Keene family started picking sides between the Reed family¡¯s adopted. daughter and Inological daughter two years ago, probably because they knew the Reed family¡¯s mine was almost exhausted.¡± Abraham took another drag from his cigarette. The corner of his lips slowly curled up, a trace of sarcasm rising. ¡°Picking?¡± Abel paused for a seconda Then he nodded. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°When did Ste be someone they had the right to pick from?¡± Abel remained silent. He thought, And just like that, they hit a nerve with Mr. Abraham again. There¡¯s an say Ethan¡¯s getting a deal from him Send Gifts 30 The wrong girl 50 Chapter 50 Every Word She Said Was True A sh of coldness passed through Abraham¡¯s eyes. Abel thought for a moment, then still said, ¡°But two years ago, Ms. Dawson probably didn¡¯t know. It seems like this engagement was decided privately between the Reed family and the Keene family.¡± As soon as he finished, the air in the study turned even colder. ¡± Something came to Abel¡¯s mind, and he added, ¡°Oh right, Mr. Keene¡¯s assistant has been in talks with security, trying to meet. you. Said they want to buy Verdant Vi.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Buy this ce?¡± ¡°Yes, to let the Reed family¡¯s adopted daughter recover from illness. Before, they mentioned renting or borrowing¨Ceither way, they seemed in a rush.¡± Abraham let out a cold . Just broke off the engagement with Ste, and now they¡¯re eager to spend big money buying this ce to help the adopted daughter recover?¡± Abel scratched his head. Well, Ethan really has a talent for hitting all of Mr. Abraham¡¯s sore spots and crossing every line. ¡°If that kind of ore gets cut off, it¡¯d hit them pretty hard. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be so desperate to find a recement,¡± They were serious about wanting to cooperate. But they were just as serious about crossing all of Abraham¡¯s bottom line. Abraham flicked the ash off his cigarette. Abel asked, ¡°Do you want to see him?¡± Abraham said, ¡°Tell him I¡¯ve been busytely. He can wait.¡± Abel looked at Abraham, confused. Abraham always hated vague answers the most. Back in those v years, anyone who gave him a response like that would be seen as trying to mess with him. So is he messing with Ethan now? ¡°What?¡± Abraham shot him a cold re when he didn¡¯t reply. Abel shivered and snapped back to reality. ¡°I go do it right now.¡± Then so be it! Mess with him! The Reed family hasn¡¯t taken care of Ms. Dawson these past two years, and Ethan jumps at every chance to humiliate her. Messing with them is a kindness, the real suffering hasn¡¯t even started yet¡­ The next morning, Ste groggily answered a call from Kimmy. She reminded her that Ste had said there was a meeting this morning. It was almost time! Ste checked the clock. It was almost nine already. Just as she hung up on Kimmy, another call came in. She picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Your rent¡¯s due today, isn¡¯t it?¡± Susan¡¯s voice came through the phone. Ste was speechless. Who told them the ce I live in at Kingston Heights i rented? Chapter 50 Every Word She Said Was True Ste could tell Susan was clearly up to something. Susan said. ¡°Do you you want to open a new card?¡± Ste replied, ¡°What if I say yes? And what if I say no?¡± Just those few words made it even clearer to Ste that this call had strings attached. Susan said, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Ste had run out of patience. ¡°If you¡¯re here to talk about Rianne, then save it.¡± Ste was all geared up to deal with Lillian when thetter came back. Finished But Ste didn¡¯t expect that in just a couple of days, Lilliannded in the hospital, now seriously ill. Even if Ste didn¡¯t do anything, life itself was already punishing her. What is Susan even thinking, daring to ask me to speak up and get Rianne to treat Lillian? She should be thankful I haven¡¯t handled her Imyself.. ¡°Ste, I told you, that thing wasn¡¯t done by Lillian. Why won¡¯t you believe it?¡± ¡°I know exactly who did it. I don¡¯t need you defending her!¡± Ste¡¯s tone had never been so sharp. Susan, on the other end, couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Isn¡¯t Ste going through a rough time? Shouldn¡¯t the struggle have taught her a lesson by now? Susan ground her teeth. ¡°So you don¡¯t want the card?¡± ¡°You th ¡°You think I really care about the 2700 dors you give me?¡± Indeed, she didn¡¯t care. But the Reed family¡¯s logic was beyond messed up. They¡¯d buy the adopted daughter a piece of jewelry worth over 14,000 dors without blinking. But when it came to their biological daughter, she got wanted. 9700 dors a month, and they¡¯d freeze the card whenever they Next time Lillian said one word, they would probably drop it to 270 dors, Ste didn¡¯t even have to guess. She already knew the answer. They believed Lillian like she was some kind of saint. Susan said, ¡°So you think it¡¯s not enough?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a lot? Mrs. Reed, what¡¯s 2700 dors to you? Maybe you wouldn¡¯t even buy Lillian a purse that cheap, probably too embarrassed to let her carry it outside, right?¡± Susan was left speechless. Because every word Ste said was true. The wrong girl 51 Chapter 51 Just Ten Thousand Dors? Susan¡¯s confidence disappeared in an instant. +8 Pearls Whenever Lillian went out with her so¨Ccalled friends, the represented the Reed family. Of course, I would never let her leave the house wearing cheap clothes. ¡°Why are you same social circle. What¡¯s the point of wasting money like that?¡± A slight smile yed on Ste¡¯s lips. You see? When it came to me it was always considered a waste. ¡°Sure, I waste. I like wasting money. Happy now?¡± Susan snapped, ¡°Not enough money? Fine, I¡¯ll raise it back to what it was 14000 dors a month. Good enough?¡± She soundedpletely fed up, clearly not wanting to argue anymore. Before Ste could speak, Susan interrupted again. It¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll call the bank right now and open up the 14000 limit for you. But there¡¯s something I need you to do.¡± Ste replied, ¡°So there¡¯s a catch¡± I was used to these things by now. But the moment I heard Susan mention conditions, I didn¡¯t even have to think; it was clearly for Lillian again. Susan snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that attitude. You are bringing Rianne back. And you know, Dr. Eddie, don¡¯t you?¡± Ste frowned slightly. ¡°Eddie McKenzie?¡± ¡°You both went to the Parker family banquet. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know him.¡± Susan¡¯s tone was sharp and impatient. Ste let out a deepugh. ¡°Wow, you really know every detail.¡± It¡¯s not like I was trying to hide anything. Look how scared she was getting But I hadn¡¯t even opened my mouth about Rianne, and now Eddie was being thrown into the mir Susan said, ¡°As long as you get them both to the medical center tomorrow, I¡¯ll call the bank right now and activate your limit.¡± Every sentence was driven by one motive¡ªLillian Reed Ste couldn¡¯t help but cluck her tongue. ¡°Only 14000 dors? And you want to buy Lillian¡¯s life with that? Is that what she¡¯s worth to you?¡± As soon as those words left her lips, Susan on the other end of the line nearly exploded. ¡°From 2700 to 14000 dors, and you still say it¡¯s not enough? What exactly do you want?¡± In Susan¡¯s eyes. 14000 dors wasn¡¯t a small amount, not for someone like Ste, who came from poverty. She never wanted to tell us what her adoptive family was like, wasn¡¯t that just because they were too poor? Even though she is her biological daughter, Susan couldn¡¯t help but feel that Ste was too fake. These people raised her, and yet she looked down on them? 10:06 AM Ten Thousand Dors? I don¡¯t want anything, Ste said. Then think carefully. If you can¡¯t pay the rent and get kicked out of Kingston High don¡¯t me me for being heartless.¡± The westge clear 7) couldn¡¯t stay in Kingston Heights, I shouldn¡¯t even think about returning to the Reed jamib banked slowly and looked out the window at the beautiful sunshine. ¡°A birth mother like you..really eye¨Copening? She hung up before Susan could answer. randy Boped that Saxon would forget that she ever gave birth to someone named Ste Di Bagh now I feel I¡¯m being ckmailed. Duon Back at the hospital, Susan was furious after Ste hung up on her again. Her head was spinning with rage. She called back only to find she¡¯d been blocked. Jonathan arrived jou in time to see her pacing ¡°Where do you think she picked up this terrible habit of blockme people? So injuring Truly referating. Susan felt the had never been so angry in her life. But now, with Ste, she was really losing it. Jonathan still looked pulle Obiady, the knee Ste hadnded on himst night had almost knocked him out. ¡°How are you feeling Sosun bed Tm fine now.¡± Jonathan red He said he was fine but inside he was burning with anger Last night Susan had told me about Eddie. Now my head hurdi just thinking about it. Why were all these doctors smehom connected Ste? Wisn¡¯t that just a little too condemns ¡°She didn¡¯t consent?¡± he asked. Susan gritted her teeth. ¡°Agree to whur? She¡¯s jun bell¨Cbent on going against Lillian.¡± Just thinking about it made her angry all over again. Jonathan¡¯s face darkened as he remained lenn Susan turned to o him again. ¡°Tell me, how did she get to know people like Rianne and Eddie?¡± Jonathan didn¡¯t answer. Susan continued. With the kind of environment she grew up in there¡¯s no way she could have met those two, right?¡± That was the one thing Susan just couldn¡¯t get her head around Jonathan frowned and thought for a moment. The King family has been doing charity work in remote areas for years. Maybe that¡¯s how she met Rianne King¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 52 Chapter 52 Who She Really Knows Susan nodded. ¡°That could be it. If she knows Eddie, maybe it¡¯s through Rianne?¡± Both Rianne and Eddie worked in the medical field. Even if they weren¡¯t in the same department, they were considered colleagues in the field. With that thought, neither Susan nor Jonathan questioned him further. ¡°How is Lillian now?¡± Jonathan looked at the hospital room. He wouldn¡¯t have brought it up, but when it was mentioned, Susan let out a sigh. ¡°She woke up twicest night with the pain. Just thinking about how Lillian was suffering at any given moment made her heart ache. In the meantime, early in the morning, Jason had been dragged out of bed by Ethan to attend to matters at Seats Cove. He was about to leave when Ethan called again, saying he wanted to go to Seats Cove in person to negotiate. There had been quite a stir sincest night for reasons unknown, and rumors were spreading fast. People were saying that Ethan was nning to buy Scafats Cove just so Lillia could recover in peace. If it didn¡¯t go through in the end, it would definitely be a mess. ¡°You¡¯ve been there before, right? You haven¡¯t met the steward yet?¡± ¡°Yes. The steward didn¡¯t even appear.¡± Jason nodded. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. Jason didn¡¯t dare say a word, knowing full well that Ethan would me him for not handling it properly Susan¡¯s call came. ¡°Ethan, Ste just refused to help us bring in Eddie and Rianne. What are we going to do?¡± The moment Ethan heard Ste¡¯s name, he felt another headacheing on At this point, I¡¯m beginning to believe that Ste had been sent from above just to ruin my life. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. Don¡¯t call her again,¡± From the way things had gone with Kianne, we had already seen where Ste stood. Why keep calling her? Just to humiliate ourselves? ¡°But what about Lillian.¡ª didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Her throat was tight, and she couldn¡¯t say another word. Ste is just too hearties matter of life and death, and she could still act so indifferent. How did the family raise her to be so cold The more Susan thought about it, the angrier she became Ethan said. ¡°Enough. I¡¯ll take care of this. Stop calling her? ¡°All night¡± 10:06 AM Chapter 52 Whecabe Really Known Flose aid Ste know Fold Frankly, pected. With her background, there is no tevey soone hike her could have had contact with somente like Fillic. ¡°Could it be through Ms. Miller?¡± Jason thought for a moment and guessed. Eshan abe thought about it. It seemed to be the only exnation. With Ste¡¯s atom limited abilities, there was an say be could have met Eddie on her At Seats Cove, downstairs, Abraham was already sitting at the dining table, hisptop in his hand. Hearing movement, he looked up at Ste. ¡°You¡¯re up? Why not sleep a little longer?¡± Ste mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. How is it still early?¡± It really want early I had woken up around 9 am, and after dealing with calls from Kimmy and Susan, it was already 9:30 am. Abrahams gave her a loving look. ¡°Go¨Crat.¡± ¡°Okay Ste was a little hungry. The butler saw that she was up and quickly had her saved breakfast served. Abraham had already eaten. His routine was always the same. Ste finished breakfast quickly, and just as she did, Abraham received a phone call and put down his tablet. Seeing him get up. Ste put her bowl down as well. ¡°Are you leaving now? Give me a ride) Abraham looked at his watch and frowned. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ste twitched her lips. ¡°Work!¡± Just then, Abel walked in, and Abraham looked over at him. Abel asked. ¡°Ms. Dawson, shall I help your cl close up your studios After all, if Mr. Abraham le Rivermount, she would definitely go back to Faleria with him. In that case, there was no point in keeping the studio ¡°Shut it down! I¡¯ll just find someone to run it. It still makes money. Don¡¯t close it for no reason¡± These deugners had all been trained by me. They were all doing well. If closed it now, they would all be out of work. Let¡¯s go. Hurry up. I¡¯ve got a meeting¡± Ste stepped forward and grabbed Abraham¡¯s wrist, pulling him along as they walked out At the same time, Ellian¡¯s car arrived in front of Verdant Vi The wrong girl 53 Chapter 53 Who Dares Block Her +8 Pearls Just as she stepped outside. Ste received a phone call from Kimmy, reminding her not to forget a certain document Only then did Ste remember that the file was still upstairs in her room ¡°Abraham, go on without me, I have to get a file. Or if you¡¯re not in a hurry, you can wait for me As soon as she finished speaking, she let go of Abraham¡¯s arm and turned to run back inside. Watching her cheerful back, Abraham couldn¡¯t help but smile indulgently. ¡°Still so carefree Abel also looked in the direction she had disappeared andmented, ¡°She never had to worry about anything before. Now that she¡¯s running her own business, she¡¯s finally learning to be responsible.¡± The mention of her running her own business made the affection in Abraham¡¯s eyes even more evident. The little girl has grown up. Abel nodded. ¡°She has.¡± They got into the car. Abraham checked the time on his watch. ¡°Have the butler send another car for her. We¡¯ll go ahead.¡± ¡°Got IL¡± As he started the engine, Abel also called the inte to arrange for another car to Once everything was arranged, they drove off. o pick up Steter. As they approached the gates, they saw Ethan leaning against his car while Jason talked to security. ¡°Mr. Abraham, this is Mr. Keene Abraham lifted his eyelids and looked out the window. Sure enough, there was Ethan, leaning against the Falcon with a cigarette in his hand, his face dark.. Abelmented, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to show up himself just to buy this ce for the adopted daughter of the Reed family, Not only did he offer a sky¨Chigh price, but he came in person, How important was that girl to him? Abraham¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Tell the butler not to answer him.¡± Important! The more ore important it is. the harder it is to get. That kind of frustration only makes people more desperate. Abel replied, ¡°Alright.¡± He quickly called the butler and ryed raham¡¯s message word for word. The butler replied, ¡°We ignored him.¡± The menage from above had always been clear. I didn¡¯t want to waste time either, That¡¯s why Jason was ever seen, even though he ca he came several times. Chapter 53 Who Daret Block Her When she was still moving. Taimed constant that she was being tictimized in the outside world. But one that she was found. I¡¯d seen for myself how well she could protect herself +6 Pearls This ele That smartsak of hers was more than enough to keep her safe. stire Reed jamdy and Erkan tvere being toyed with especially the Reeds Hearing that. Abel nodded in agreement. Understood¡± Meanwhile. Ethan saw a luxury Augury rolling out of the estate and looked at Jason, who had returned from his failed negotiation attempt lives here now?¡± ¡°No¡± Jason shook his head. In the ce had always been empty He turned back, ready to talk to the security again, but they were professionally trained. When it came to sensitive matters like the whereabouts of the owner, their mouths were tightly sealed Soon after, another car drove out at a moderate speed. Ethan ordered. ¡°Stop that car¡± They probably live here¡± Jason immediately stepped into the street and raised his hand. Inside the car the drivers face darkened as he saw someone blocking the road. In the back seat. Ste was going through some documents when the driver shouted. ¡°Ms. Dawson, someone¡¯s blocking the road Ste looked up to see Jason standing in the middle of the road, a Falcon parked off to the side She recognized the car. It is Eren¡¯s Just go. Don¡¯t stop These people were getting really bold The driver got the message and stepped on the gas Jason¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw the car speed up instead of slowing down. Security rushed over. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed! Get out of the way!¡± One of the guards started to pull Jason back when a sudden force pushed him aside, it was Ethan who had kicked him out of Seeing the chaos up ahead, especully with their own security involved, the driver hesitated. Send Gifts The wrong girl 54 Chapter 54 The Kick That Shut Him Up Ste saw it too and sighed. ¡°Stop the car,¡± If it had just been Jason alone. I would have let him pump for safety. But now it was going I might be ruthless, but I wasn¡¯t heartless enough to run a few people over on a public road just to get away The car came to a forced stop. Before Ethan could approach with an angry face, Ste had already rolled down the window Their eyes met. When Ethan saw who was inside, his pupils contracted involuntarily. You Steughed sarcastically. Yeah, me. Surprised?¡± ¡°What are you doing here! Ethan asked through gritted teeth I still hadn¡¯t gotten over seeing a man in her apartment in Kingston Heights. And now she showed up heret ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Ste shot back without a direct answer. Ethan¡¯s fists clenched. The way he looked at her made it seem like she was a woman who hade here to sell herself. When he spoke again, his voice was colder. ¡°Do you even know who you are? Aren¡¯t you ashamed enough?¡± Things were already a mess. If word got out that she had shown up at Seats Cove right after breaking off her engagement, it would only bring further shame to both the Reed and Keene families. And yet, this woman had no intention of keeping a low profile. Before Ste could answer. Ethan grabbed her and tried to pull her out of the car. ¡°Where are you going to throw the faces of the Reed and Keene families? Just because I froze your card, you¡¯re going to stoop so low? Don¡¯t you know why your card was canceled? She ended up this way because of her own choices. Shouldn¡¯t she show some remorse? Why humiliate herself like this? Ethan lost his mind. I want to take her back right now and hand her over to the Rred family for discipline But just as he grabbed her wrist, there was a muffled thud, and he groaned in pain. n the stomach. Ste had kicked him hard in Ethan released her immediately and doubled over, both hands clutching lus stomach. ¡°Mr. Keene¡°¡± jason panicked and rushed forward to check on him 10:06 AM Chapter 54 The Kick That Shut Him Up Then she gave the driver a coldmand. Drive ¡°Ste Dawson Ethan exploded in anger. He tried to get up and go after her again. ¡°Get out of here! Have you no shame!¡± She really dared to get into a car. Has there anything she wouldn¡¯t do? Before he could touch the door, the car took off like an arrow released from the bowstring. If Ethan hadn¡¯t moved fast enough, the tires would have run over his feet. ¡°Damn it! That woman¡­ He was losing his mind. She was driving him crazy. Ste was gone. +8 Pearls But the tension in the air hadn¡¯t dissipated one bit. If anything, the anger she left behind was about to burn Ethan¡¯sst vestige of sanity. ¡°You saw that. It was her, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ethan red at Jason.. Jason nodded. ¡°Yes. I also saw Ms. Dawson here yesterday¡± Yesterday too? That damn woman. Selling herself once wasn¡¯t enough? How many times was she going to do it? No wonder she didn¡¯t care about his ck card anymore. She didn¡¯t even care if the Reed family cut off her money or not. So that was it. A bunch of other men supported hert Jason felt Ethan¡¯s anger boiling and didn¡¯t dare say much. He just gave a tiny¡¯nod. But even that was enough to set Ethan on fire. ¡°Find out who this man in Kingston Heights is. And who the hell lives here?¡± What kind of taste did these men have, going after someone like Ste Dawson? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Jason was about to say that the man who owned Verdant Vi might be impossible to identify. But then he remembered seeing Eddie with Ste at the banquetst night. ¡°Could this ce belong to Dr. Eddier¡± ¡°A doctor?¡± Ethan growled The way he said it, it was as if he wanted to bite Jason¡¯s head off. Jason remained silent The Fat 3501 Him Up -B Peans Inside the car Abraham had just finished watching the footage from the entrance security camer. He could help but curl tax bapa in bel asked. ¡°Ms. Dawson didn¡¯t get the short end of the rock, dat bel¡± inle That tiger? No way grown mun, had been kicked so hard that he carded up one floor and didn¡¯t get up for a long Send Gifts The wrong girl 55 Chapter 55 Not That Easy to Forgive After watching this, Abraham was finally sure. Ste had no feelings for Ethan Kerme If there had been real feelings, she would not have gone so far. Abel nodded. ¡°Ms. Dawson hase a long way over the years. She¡¯s learned to protect herself.¡± The words made the curve of Abraham¡¯s lips fade slightly. She had learned to protect herself? Given the choice. I¡¯d rather she stayed in those carefree years forever. His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his cell phone. Abraham picked it up. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham, it¡¯s me.¡± Louis¡¯s voice came over the line. ¡°Please don¡¯t hang up. Just hear me out.¡± Perhaps sensing Abraham¡¯s coldness, Louis tried to speak quickly. Abraham responded icily ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to ask¡­what is your rtionship with Ms. Ste?¡± Last night Abraham had talked business with me and suddenly backed out without warning Furious, Louis went back and thoroughly investigated what had happened at the banquet. Other than Sharony n getting into a fight with Ste, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything else of significance. And realh Sharon shing with Ste? That was almost routine. Instead, Abraham responded with a question. ¡°What do you think?¡± Sharp, unforgiving. Louis had seen all kinds of situations, so he didn¡¯t push the issue. Instead, he tested the waters. ¡°Maybe I can apologize to her! I looked into it. It was all Sharon¡¯s fault. I promise I¡¯ll make sure Ms. Dawson is satisfied. Abraham hung up without another word. Up front, Abel had heard who was calling lling and could pretty much guess what Louis was going to say. Looks like Ms. Sharon got a pretty good thrashing night. Abraham let out a cold chuckle. ¡°And that¡¯s the price?¡± Abel paused for a second. Will considering how Sharon had publicly humiliated Ms. Dawson, that price was really nothing Even though Ms. Danson had fired back, thus Mr. Abraham definitely hadn¡¯t let it go ¡°What do you think Louis would have to do to really satisfy +8 Pearls get my sister to of her nevuld met de cory. +8 Pearls Back at Louis side, he mmed his phone down with a face as dark as storm clouds ¡°All you do is eat!¡± Sharon ate her breakfast carefully, trying to remain invisible But that didn¡¯t stop her from bing a target. Louis suddenly overturned the table in anger. It happened so fast that Sharon couldnt dodge. The bowl of canneal spilled right onto her skirt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You couldn¡¯t close a deal, and now you re taking it out on He only bullied me when Dad and Mom weren¡¯t home, How bad could he get If she hadn¡¯t brought up the deal, he might have kept quiet. But now that she had. Louis locker You will apologize to Ste right now! Sharon looked at him incredulously. What Apologize To whom? She thought she had misheard Ste The biological daughter the Reed family hadn¡¯t even bothered to take care of The good¨Cfor¨Cnothing Ste Dawson the the one I should apologize to! ¡°Have you lost your mind! ¡°If you don¡¯t get her forgiveness today. I¡¯ll show you what lost my mind really means. Sharon¡¯s lips twitched She began to realize that Louis wasn¡¯t joking. He really meant it. He wanted me to apologize to Ste. Im not going Without hesitation, she threw out the words with determination. Louis growled. ¡°Not going Fine. Then pack your things and get out of this house¡± ¡°You¡¯re kicking me out? You.¡± Just because of Ste Dawson Sharon couldn¡¯t believe her ears. more angry. Louis snapped. Do you know how many people are looking at what that man is holding right now? The whole Keene family is watching hum Not at Ethan, but many others If anything went wrong at this point, it couldpletely ruin my chances of working with the man Sharon muttered. ¡°Is it really that serious! Then what is his rtionship with Ste She practically lost it. Chapter 55 Not That Easy to Forgive An apology was bad enough. Put now he testnted forgiveness How am I ever going to get that? The wrong girl 56 Chapter 56 She Doesn¡¯t Care at All I and Ste Dawson had always been at odds. Every time we met, it was a showdown. It is hard enough to ask her to apologize. But to ask for her forgiveness! Sharon was on the verge of losing her mind. Meanwhile. Ste had just arrived at the studio. The moment she stepped into the conference room, her phone rang. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Where are you?¡± Sharon¡¯s voice came through, tight with suppressed emotion. The words ¡°It¡¯s me¡± made Ste pick up on the anger in her tone. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I need to see you,¡± Sharon said. ¡°For what?¡± Whenever Sharon came to see me, it was never for anything good. Ste figured this time would be no different. But then Sharon dropped two unexpected words, ¡°To apologize!¡± ¡°What?¡± +8 Pearls Ste thought she had heard wrong. ¡°You want me to apologize? Are you at the way you are acting, and you want me to apologize to you?¡± you out of your your mind? Do you even hear yourself? Look She assumed that Sharon wanted her to apologize for what had happened at the banquet, and she wasn¡¯t having any of it. On the other hand, Sharon was so angry her temples were throbbing. If Louis hadn¡¯t been standing right next to her, she would have gone off on Ste right then and there. But with Louis watching, she had no choice but to swallow her anger. ¡°I apologize to you, she forced out. ¡°What? You apologize to me?¡± Now Ste really thought she had heard wrong. Sharon Parker apologizing to me? There was no way that could be true. That woman always looked like she was ready to tear me apart. She only ever did what Jonathan liked. Whatever he liked, she liked. Whatever he hated, she hated. Absolutely brainless Yes, I¡¯m apologizing to you. Where are you?¡± Now Ste knew she¡¯d heard right. ¡°Why are you apologizing 10:06 AM C Chapter 56 She Doesn¡¯t Care at All 48 Pearls ¡°Honestly, you don¡¯t sound like someone who wants to apologize. You sound more like you¡¯re ready to bite my head off Is that her way of making peace! It feels more like she is picking a fight. At any other time. Ste might have indulged her, but right now she was busy. Her top dient¡¯s project needed an emergency meeting tonight Sharon was so frustrated that she stomped her foot. ¡°I really came to apologize just tell me where you are!¡± it Ste replied coolly, ¡°You¡¯re not fooling me. If you¡¯ve got that much energy, try using somewhere else¡± With that, she hung up. Sharon stared at her phone in disbelief. She looked at Louis. ¡°She just¡­¡± ¡°Whatever it takes you need to have her forgiveness Louis said. ¡°What? You heard her. She doesn¡¯t even want my apology! parnership really worth it? Los replied. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want it; that¡¯s her choice. But you still have to get it She didn¡¯t, my working rtionship with Mr. Abraham would bepletely off the table. That thought alone made Louis feel like he was going crazy. what kind of abrard muss war thirt Sharon was forced to call Ste once more. Only th ad already been blocked. ¡°She blocked me¡± ¡°Live mine¡± Louts handed her his own cell phone. Sharon clearly didnt want to but she didn¡¯t dare go against the current head of the Parker family. She picked up the phone and made the ica¡°. As soon as the line was connected she blunted out. I really came to apologize! But all she beard She tried again. be cold sound of the call being cut off. That number abo blocked. Lou stared at the dead toneing from his own phone, his head pounding ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her Blocking numbers like to thing that really okay? What he didn¡¯t know was that both the Reed family and Ethan Keene had already experienced Ste¡¯s recklessmunication habita over the One moment of inattention. they werepletely cut off Chapter 56 She Doesn¡¯t Care at All You saw it yourself: look how wild her temper is.¡± ¡°Shut your damn mouth!¡± Louis was so an was so angry his chest hurt He immediately summoned his assistant. Valery. ¡°Find out where Ste Dawson is. Now!¡± Valery, with her sharp chin¨Clength bob, nodded crisply ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I want her location in 30 minutes¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 57 Chapter 57 They Want to Cut Off Every Path Louis was more than angry. He knew exactly how many eyes in Rivermount were watching what Abraham held in his hands. Every second was critical for him right now. When Sharon saw that Ste wasn¡¯t answering the phone and Louis was still trying to locate her, she was confused. ¡°Why do you have to find out where she is?¡± Why do you think? You made this mess. Don¡¯t you think you should clean it up?¡± Louis could barely stand to hear Sharon speak. Every word out of her mouth only increased his anger. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously going to make me apologize in person, are you?¡± But judging by the look on Louis face, he absolutely was Il hy else would be send Valery to find Ste¡¯s exact location! Ste had already embarrassed me on the phone. If I really went to her in person, who knew how far this woman would go to humiliate met Valery didn¡¯t even need half an hour. In just a few minutes, she returned with results. She had been Louis¡® assistant for five years, and it showed. She could handle even someone as fussy as Louis, which said a lot about her abilities. ¡°Mr. Louis, Ms. Dawson is currently on the 26th floor of Building I in the Oriental Grand Tower¡± ¡°What is she doing there?¡± Louis frowned, That building usually housed smaller businesses and studios. Sharon scoffed. ¡°What else? She must be working. The Reeds cut her off. What choice does she have but to find a backup n¡® She¡¯s the only one who would settle for that kind of paycheck.¡± Whenever she could belittle Ste, Sharon never missed an opportunity. I really couldn¡¯t understand why Louis insisted I apologize to someone like that. Louis gave her a cold look. Did a teoman who could stir Abraham¡¯s temper really need a backup n! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Not wanting to w waste any more time arguing. Louis turned and walked away. You really want me to show up and apologize to her?¡± If you don¡¯t, you can pack your bags and leave the Parker family for good.¡± sharon was stunned. Is it really that articus? Seeing how firm Louis was, she didn¡¯t dare say another word, no matter how much she wanted to push back. 10:06 AM c Chacen fr They Wenso apa01f Shery (Men¡± (had treatment R Jonathan nodded. Tvedtread arranged it! in bed couched saan s?tere. Though she said that her that steins cerd had been trend she couldiceren can work ronnydibed berindi si did tree ne banju woulda e buckle numer te pnd111 Sinneran | Eddig weedy susan said. Dean defend her Letter hantus Steelocest 10thick Yous hindaste and coolT rested her well all rece veers! And this show¡­he repos Triking Boogestelle an angrier This Ever sat Ta voudrotters. Donected here on pusher.wboo.co.vween Fine and Eddie will arrees bent 17 kis toeta Sharoomida tona to zazioa, same had na renter botto123/wor pppcanoedd her. What told ofour Scelimasked cercashy Marocadian brebrowand looked at her. Remy octopod. Thomes past enam.The Reed family has sent ressage to everypound conilli bhanne od to here you Wegast got the warm oo saic roodiness crossed her eyes. thythen berted her tips into stharpinule. Henrizzer bouwantojmestbeck?¡± fraster.dart, for the adopts narr 10:06 AM D The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In +8 Pearls Chapter 58 Forced to Apologize Ste calmly replied. ¡°Fight back? No need.¡± Someone else would take care of them. After all, Lillian is already terminally ill. I don¡¯t see the point in wasting my energy on retaliation. If everyone had stayed in their ownne, they could have coexisted peacefully. But clearly¡­ The Reed family was too ustomed to peace andfort. If they thought life was too quiet, then¡­ A cold, mocking gleam shed in Ste¡¯s eyes at the thought. Shel e headed for her office. Suddenly she heard the receptionist call. ¡°Mr. Parker? What brings you here? Do you have a project for our studio?¡± Ste looked up. Louis had entered the office with Sharon trailing behind him. His face was sto was stormy, and the moment he saw Ste, he walked straight up to her. He even barked at Sharon behind him. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ste frowned as she watched them approach. Before she could say anything, Louis had already reached her. ¡°Ste, it took some effort to find you. Can we talk?¡± He looked around the studio. It wasn¡¯t huge, but for a small studio it was clearly well run. The room was full of people. Louis looked at her again. ¡°Can we find somewhere more private?¡± Since he hade in person, Ste wasn¡¯t so unreasonable as to reject him in front of everyone. She nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡± She turned and led them to her private office. Once inside, Ste nonchntly pointed to the sofa. ¡°Sit down.¡± Then she walked behind her desk and gestured to Kimmy. ¡°Two cups¡­¡± She nced at Sharon mid¨Csentence. ¡°You¡¯re pretty picky. You probably won¡¯t like our coffee, will you?¡± Sharon waspletely taken aback. Seeing Ste behind that desk, her mind shed back to all the times she had visited Louis at thepany. ihy is Ste sitting there? What is going on here! When Sharon didn¡¯t answer, Ste turned back to Kimmy. ¡°Just a cup of coffee.¡± ¡°Gotir. Ms. Dawson,¡± Kimmy replied and stepped out. Louis took a seat, but Sharon was still frozen Ste picked up her ss and took a sip. ¡°So, Mr. Louis, what brings you here?¡± 10.06 AM Chapt The wrong girl 58 58 Porce 0 Ste Lous nodded. Tei Seeing Sharon mill sanding there Be a rate, be on his promite and kicked ber Warn the locked up, bet At that moment she feltpletely What are you doing¡± Sharon napped Louis her a frosty look and the suddesh resembered with chet hat intime bere But be past Her Breathing quickened. When the red back to Ste, the found herself in a woman looking down aber from a high¨Cbacked enecasue her eyes filled with contempt. the first time. Sharon remembered all the time the atmoded cell, and now the locked Whole her! The bont Dea the really on this whole azio Sharon slowly or to her feet. She didn¡¯t apologize ginaway Instead, she asked.¡± Dawson stop pretending¡± a bene? Let me will you. Ste ¡°Sharon Louis voice cut ber of coldy. His tone was one of¡± Coming to her senses. Sharon gritted her teeth and finally aid. Im sorry! ¡°Louder¡± Louis growled Sharon jumped looked at Ste again, then lowered her head and repeated Tm sorry! Send Gifts The wrong girl 59 Chapter 59 The Apology That Means Nothing There. I came, and I apologized. That should be the end of it, right? That was what Sharon thought. But the next moment Louis¡¯s voice grew colder. ¡°And?¡± And? Sharon quickly remembered everything Louis had said before they came here. It was obvious now: I wasn¡¯t just here to apologize. I had to get Ste¡¯s forgiveness. Staring into Ste¡¯s mocking eyes, Sharon felt her entire chest burn with anger. The way Ste was acting now. was forgiveness even possible! Anyway¡­ +8 Pearls Sharon closed her eyes. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡± The words made her blood boil. She thought, if Ste had any sense at all, she would realize that even my brother¡ªsomeone with Louis¡® status¡ªhade personally. If she knew what was good for her, she¡¯d leave her here. But¡­ Ste calmly put down her ss, ignored Sharon, and turned her eyes to Louis. ¡°Mr. Louis, your sister still seems quite stubborn. Would you say this is what sincerity looks like?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sharon¡¯s temper nearly exploded at those words. Ste¡¯s eyes remained on Louis. ¡°Mr. Louis?¡± His face darkened. He nced at Sharon, whose posture clearly showed no real remorse. His tone was sharper now, full of warning. ¡°This is yourst chance.¡± Sharon felt her heart sink. Facing Ste at this moment, she felt nothing but humiliation Fine. She wants to y it that way? Then don¡¯t expect to ever live peacefully in the Reed family again. I will make sure that Jonathan knows everything that has happened today. And then let¡¯s see if the Reeds would ever give Ste another¡­ The word ¡°cent hadn¡¯t even fully formed in her mind when she paused. Looking around at the luxurious office and the tailored professional attire Ste was wearing today¡­ Sharon suddenly understood why all the recent warnings from the Reeds had fallen on deaf ears. It is because Ste didn¡¯t need a single cent from the Reeds. Of course she did. That exined why she dared to act so arrogantly and disregard everything they tried to pressure her with Sharon Chapter 59 The Apology That Means Nothing +8 Pearls Ste finally spoke. ¡°Mr. Louis, if your sister doesn¡¯t want to, don¡¯t force her. This kind of reluctant apology, and you still expect me to forgive her? What do you think, Mr. Louis? Should I or shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Her tone was light, but there was no mistaking the undertone. If she refused. it seemed harsh But if she agreed, is Sharon¡¯s apology even worth forgiving? In one sentence, Ste had thrown the decision back into Louis hands. His chest rose and fell in frustration. He red at Sharon. ¡°Get out.¡± I knew exactly what Ste had meant. Sharon would not be forgiven. She was joined at the hip with Lillian and had been making Ste¡¯s life miserable long beforest night¡¯s incident. Last night was nothingpared to the past. Then he turned a blind eye. Now that Abraham had shown up and personally made amends, things were different. If Ste really had Abraham behind her, whether or not she forgave Sharon depended solely on her mood. And Ste had every right to be stubborn. But Sharon, clueless as ever, still didn¡¯t realize that and yet had the nerve to¡­ Louis¡® eyes grew colder as he stared at her. Sharon didn¡¯t want to stay anyway. She quickly took the opportunity to run out of the office. When only Ste and Louis were left, he pulled out a cigarette, but when he saw no ashtray on the table, he put it back in his pocket He got to the point. ¡°Ms. Dawson, may I ask, what exactly is your rtionship with Mr. Abraham?¡± Ste replied with another question. ¡°What do you think?¡± She didn¡¯t bother to give me a real answer, Louis looked at her. Their eyes met, and there was a faint glint of amusement in hers That look made him lose focus for a second. He raised his hands in a slight shrug. ¡°Your problem with Sharon should not affect my partnership with him.¡± ¡°I do not interfere with your partnership, nor will I influence his decisions.¡± Is that so?¡± Louis asked. Tve already told him not to get so worked up about me. As for Sharon, well, she¡¯s your responsibility to manage.¡± With that, Ste¡¯s position was clear. Send Glits The wrong girl 60 Chapter 60 What She Doesn¡¯t Need Anymore Ste just wanted Louis to stop bringing Sharon around to may her I was just that seeing Shamok for di hether she got an apology or not dudu 1 ty for thraham and Iouicuorking together, when it came to that, Falusays put thruhane¡¯s interests down viable business partner, they should work together. My personal grimes shouldn¡¯t alerj Tdy made that deur Whether the deal worked or not depended on Abraham index iion. And I trusted that when it came to serious profit, nothing I said would actually affect thukam Hearing what she said, Louis munderstood well enough Ste¡¯s rtionship with thraham isplicated A Sharon. Lous nodded slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep her in click. Thank you¡±. With that, he got ups and didn¡¯t linger Just as he turned to leave, Ste looked as it she wanted to say something bout hesitated. She thought about it and decides against it. With someone like Sharon, if I really told her that Jonathan already had a child outside, Sharon would probably use me of trying to stir probe Louis noticed the hesitation. ¡°Ms. Dawson, do you have anything else to say? Ste smiled. ¡°Not much. I was just thinking, if Sharon really likes Jonathan, maybe it¡¯s time to talk about marriage¡± In a family like the Parkers, if marriage was really on the table, they would certainty investigate the other party thoroughly The moment Louis heard ¡°marriage with Jonathan Reed, his face darkened I didn¡¯t like the Reeds I had always been against Sharon getting involved with Anathan. And now Ste was bringing it up v ¡°She¡¯s still young. No need to rush into marriage¡± Lous couldn¡¯t understand #hy Ste would even mention marriage between Jonathan and Sharon, green her falling out with the Needs Mil mammage, better not. The Reeds ran out of cards to y Otherwow, the Keenes wouldn¡¯t have been so dece about Lillian¡¯s situation il hen they still has the mine, I had already first them. New! There was even less in conunder. Ste thed her head. ¡°So you¡¯re just letting your sister fool around? That kind of game it cuts boils ways 10.06 AM Chapter 60 What She Doesn¡¯t Need Anymore Right after he left. Ste¡¯s phone rang. It is Abraham. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to lunch. Be good.¡± ¡°Okay. Louis just came to see me,¡± Ste said honestly. ¡°What did he want?¡± Abraham asked. +9 Pearls ¡°He asked me not to interfere with your business. If it¡¯s a good opportunity, don¡¯t let me get in the way. Business is business.¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Abraham replied. ¡°That¡¯s good¡± Hearing him say that, Ste finally felt at ease. Even if the deal didn¡¯t go through, it would be because Abraham had better options. She ended the call and took a drink of water. As she set the ss down, a sharp gleam shed through her eyes. It is time for the Reeds to face the consequences of their arrogance In the meantime, Abraham ended the call, his eyes growing colder. ¡°Call Louis Parker. The way he¡¯s ying this is out of line.¡± Driving forward, Abel nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He had just heard the call. Louis had gone to see Ste. Everyone in Falvaria knew, after what had happened with the Tom family, that what Abraham hated most was mixing personal matters with business, People who couldn¡¯t cooperate and then tried to go through back channels by approaching his family, he wouldn¡¯t stand them. Now, after the setbacks with the business deal, Lonis had gone straight to Ste. He had crossed the line. ¡°What¡¯s on tonight? ¡°There¡¯s a dinner engagement. Shall we bring Ms. Dawson?¡± Abel asked. ¡°No need,¡± Abraham said. He never brought Ste to social functions. Abel regretted asking. After all, I had personally witnessed how deeply Abraham had protected Ste over the years. No matter how chaotic his world had be, he had always kept her safe. Abraham lit a cigarette and took a drag. ¡°How¡¯s the Sunre Radianceing?¡± ¡°Almost finished. I think she¡¯ll really like this makeup birthday present,¡± Abel said. At the mention of her birthday, a coldness returned to Abraham¡¯s eyes. For this year Ste had spent her birthday alone. The wrong girl 61 Chapter 61 A Takedown tous and Sharon walked out together. +8 Pearls ald pressure emanating from hi like a storm about to break. Despite the tension. Sharon could not help herself She stepped forward and asked, ¡°Louis, she¡¯s the boss of that studio? It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± These Ste must be pretending Tast now, when she let ste¡¯s office. Shanon had nced around. There were dozens of employees there. This was not some was a real, sizable creative studio nd the Reed family had not given ste much money in recent years Where would she even get the funds to support something like this Even if she had connections to the business partner her brother was working with, that was a recent development If she had seal backing all these years, would she have lived like a nobody in the Reed family toms shot his sister a cold nce, sharp as ice. He did not respond. Just then his phone rang. Seeing the number, he immediately picked up ¡®Mr. Abel, hello. Whatever was said on the other end, it made Louis¡¯s expression darken further until his face was like thunderclouds. What No please tell Mr. Abraham again. I really just brought my sister to apologize. We didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡± swer he got was the click of the call being hung up The air around him instantly named lethal Sharon watched her brother¡¯s expression shift with mounting dread. If looks could kill she would be ashes by now. nurned to her, his tone icy: ¡°From now stay far away from Ste. Don¡¯t even speak to her Sharon stared What her again.¡± He did not finish sentence. He did not have to. His eyes were enough. Dark, sharp, and full That was all it took for Sharon topletely abandon her assumption that Ste was faking it. After all her brother had been in a bad mood sincest night. If Ste were a nobody, could she really affect him this much? And especially after that phone call Sharon asked cautious. Then should I still go apologize to her ¡°Apologue?¡± Lous barked a bitterugh. She already tattled to him¡± If you go now, we¡¯ll bepletely screwed ¡°Shut up He was fuming What Abel made clear over the phone was simple. Don¡¯t Bother. Her Sharon was so angry her body trembled Fromst night until now, she had felt wronged and humhated because of Ste ¡°Who did that woman think she was? 10:07 AM ch Chapter 61 A Takedown Susan nodded. ¡°Yeah, just wait, She¡¯ll have no choice but to crawl back and beg Eddie or Rianne for help¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Jonathan agreed. +8 Pearls Sharon pushed the door open. At the sight of her, Susan was briefly startled but quickly broke into a wide, ingratiating smile. ¡°Sharon, you¡¯re here!¡± She rushed over to take Sharon¡¯s hand, throwing a subtle nce at Jonathan. Whatever passed between them was unclear but unmistakably calcted Sharon nodded politely. ¡°Madam Susan, how¡¯s Lilian?¡± She looked toward the bed, where Lilian fast asleep. Susan sighed. ¡°Worse by the day. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s been taking care of herself these past two years.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get better. Sharon replied awkwardly. She was never great atforting people. This was the best she could manage. Susan nodded. ¡°You two chat. I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s anything Lilian can eat.¡± Then, she left the room. Sharon turned to Jonathan. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t make itst night. I really wanted toe.¡± But Louis would not hear of it, no matter how she argued. It still made her furious just thinking about it. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Jonathan said. ¡°But what brings you here now?¡± It was almost lunchtime. Sharon brought up. ¡°I just saw Ste¡± His eyes lit up at the mention. ¡°You saw her? Where is she?? He had been trying to reach her for days. She had not answered his calls or shown up anywhere. Sharon answered, ¡°Oriental Grand Tower.¡± Jonathan was curious. ¡°What¡¯s she doing there? Found a job?¡± Just like everyone else, when Jonathan heard she was at Oriental Grand Tower, he naturally assumed she was just another employee trying to get by. After all, what else could she be? The wrong girl 62 Chapter 62 She¡¯s Been Winning All Along Sharon shook her head. ¡°She didn¡¯t go to find a job there.¡± Joanathan asked again. Then what¡¯s she doing over there?¡± ¡°She has a studio there. From what I saw, it¡¯s pretty big. Probably makes a lot of money Jonathan¡¯s eyes widened..What?¡± The atmosphere in the hospital room froze. Jonathan stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t get it wrong?¡± Ste? Owning a studio? With what money? And even if she somehow scraped it together, what did she even knote? What could she possibly FWAY Sharon could see the doubt on his face and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it either at first, but it¡¯s definitely her, I even heard the employees calling her ¡°boss¡± Jonathan was silent. The room fell quiet again. He kept staring at Sharon, clearly still unconvinced. ¡°You really didn¡¯t mistake her for someone else?¡± ¡°No way,¡± she replied tly. ¡°My brother took me there today to apologize to her. We were face¨Cto¨Cface. How could I possibly get it wrong?¡± Seeing that he refused to believe her, Sharon gave up on keeping it vague. After all, it was not like the meeting had been subtle. Anyone with eyes would have realized who they were dealing with. Jonathan frowned. ¡°Apologize? Apologize for what?¡± Sharon shrugged her shoulders, ¡°For what happenedst night. Ugh, it¡¯s a long story.¡± She did not want to say another word about it. Just thinking about Ste¡¯s attitude toward her made her grit her teeth. That woman was just too smug. Jonathan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°No wonder she hasn¡¯t given in, no matter how we pressured her. So it turns out she has money?¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°Exactly. So money won¡¯t get her on her knees anymore.¡± Just the irony of it all made her furious. They had gone out of their way to cut off Ste¡¯s ie and destroy her career prospects, and it turns out she did not need their help at all. Jonathan let out a coldugh. ¡°So money¡¯s not enough? Fine. We¡¯ll see. By the time Susan returned, Sharon had already left. Seeing she was gone, Susan muttered, ¡°You know exactly how Sharon feels about you. That girl outside, cut it off. Send her away Jonathan frowned but nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Susan continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for what happened to Lilian, we¡¯d already be arranging things between you and Sharon¡­ Talking about Lilian¡¯s health, Susan¡¯s face twisted in sorrow, ¡°Ste is just too much.¡± Chapter 62 She¡¯s Been Winning All Along +8 Pearls This time, we had to teach her a real lesson. She needed to understand that in Rivermount, she was only surviving because we let her, Jonathan said tly. ¡°Freezing her card won¡¯t work. She¡¯s got a studio. I just looked it up. She made over 980,000 dorsst year. What?¡± Susan froze, shocked. The number hit her like a p. 980,000 dors? Earned by Ste? That¡¯s impossible! Jonathan nodded. ¡°Sharon saw it herself. She went to Ste¡¯s studio in Oriental Grand Tower.¡± The room went dead silent. Susan¡¯s pupils constricted as disbelief bloomed across her face. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Jonathan answered tly. ¡°Dead serious. Over 980,000 dors. Last year alone.¡± Susan almost forgot to breathe. 980,000 dors. That wasn¡¯t a small number. How in the world had Ste pulled that off? ¡°No wonder all our threats and pressure didn¡¯t work on her. So she¡¯s Susan could not even finish the sentence. Her mind kept circling back on how Ste had done it. ¡°That studio, she said through gritted teeth, ¡°you can¡¯t let her keep running it.¡± She was beyond furious. Just the thought that Ste had made that much money behind their backs made her blood boil. ¡°She made all that money and still has the nerve to . No one was to work with Ste. Let¡¯s see how long thested after being cklisted. She wasn¡¯t that capable anyway. Probably just got lucky once. Thinking that, Jonathan felt certain it would not be long before Ste came crawling back to the Reed family. Susan was still fuming, ¡°Where did she even learn those skill Suddenly, it all felt like a joke, like they had been the fools this whole time. They had gone mad trying to cut off her finances and career paths, and meanwhile, she had quietly raked in 980,000 dors. On the hospital bed, Lilian, eyes closed this entire time, had been awake for a while now. She had heard everything- Send Gifts The wrong girl 63 Chapter 63 What Happens When You Grab a Wolf Later, after Jonathan¡¯s call and that infuriating conversation with Susan. Lilian was so furious she nearly coughed up blood Damn, Ste! Il here on earth did she get such nerve? It was lunchtime as supposed to Abraham took Ste to a famous street food spot in Rivermount. As she ate, Ste mumbled in protest. I was have broth with Tess today¡± ¡°No more eating that junk. It¡¯s not healthy. You need proper food, Abraham said firmly Back when she lived with the Dawson family, her diet had always been light and clean. Abraham had every intention of keeping it that way, for the sake of her health. Ste pouted. ¡°Unhealthy? Don¡¯t you know the saying? ¡°To the people, food is everything. Joy is found in eating. Ever heard of that? She never got to eat anything like broth when she was with him. But the sun. And out of all those vors, broth was her favorite. Abraham shot her a look. ¡°And stomachaches bring joy too?¡± Ste shut her mouth immediately. the past two years, she had tasted everything under She had to admit leed Coke and hot broth was a divine pairing. Even if it left her curled up in pain afterwards, it was worth it. This restaurant was renowned and held a five¨Cstar rating. The second floor served street food, and the third floor served seafood. After the meal. Abraham held Ste¡¯s hand as they exited the restaurant. But just as the elevator doors opened, they bumped into Ethan. Ethan¡¯s gaze drifted down andnded squarely on their tightly sped hands. For a second, his fury nearly boiled over. These two. This shameless pair! Did they have no shame? unting themselves in public like thist ¡°Ste Dawson!¡± Her name was ground out through clenched teeth.. Ste blinked at the sight of him, internally sighing. ¡°Enemies really do cross paths often.¡± What else could it be? She was just out for lunch. How the hell did she run into him? Abraham exuded a deadly chill. His deep eyes were like a frozenke, reflecting a cold light that sent shivers down the spine. Ethan,pletely blinded by anger, did not sense how much danger he was walking into. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t enough to break off our engagement for this man? Now you¡¯re out parading around with him like a trophy? You¡¯re not just shaming yourself. You¡¯re dragging the Keene and Reed families down with you!¡± Ste raised a brow. ¡°What does your family¡¯s reputation have to do with me?¡± Ethan choked. His breathing, already ragged from fury, becamepletely unsteady after hearing her indifference. Too much. She¡¯s gone too far. Chapter 63 What Happens When You Grab a Wolf +8 Pearls He was livid. After all, he was the one who got dumped. That bruised ego could not rest until he found out when exactly they had started seeing each other. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Ste¡¯s eyes dropped to the hand clutching Abraham¡¯s arm, and then, a sickening snap of a bone echoed in the elevator ¡°Agh Ethan screamed in agony Just watching him made Ste wince Had he already forgotten the time at Kingston Heights When he see Abraham holding a gun? And he still dared to provoke him? Abraham did not even let go of Ste¡¯s hand through the whole exchange. With just one hand, he broke Ethan¡¯s arm. Clean With an expression of pure disdain, he fling Ethan¡¯s hand away and walked out with Ste. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ste spared onest nce at Ethan. Just moments ago, he was all tue and tury, demanding answers. Now? Curled over in pain, sucking in cold breaths. He did not have the strength to utter a wond At the entrance, Jason watched in shock as Ste and a man walked our hand¨Cin¨Chand. His eyes widened. He could hardly believe it. Ste nced his way and tossed out a few words. ¡°Call an ambnce¡± Jason¡¯s bow twitched hard. Ambnce? They got into another fight? So this man is he the one from Kingston Heights? That aura¡­ seemed dangerous.. As soon as they got into the car. Abraham reached out, his hands wrapping firmly around Ste¡¯s waist, and the next second, she was sitting in hisp Her breath hitched. ¡°Abraham. In the close confines of the car, her calling sounded far too ambiguous, too suggestive. His warm breath grazed the side of her neck. ¡°Told his assistant to call the ambnce? Were you worried about him?¡± Ste frowned ¡°Of course not¡­¡± Worried? For Ethan? In what universe? Abraham¡¯s grip on her waist tightened. ¡°Not even a little?¡± Ste quickly shook her head. ¡°Not even a little. You have to believe me. Even as she spoke, she tried to put some distance between then. But it was hard, too close, especially with his breath trailing along her skit¡­ It was enough to make her heart thump and awaken thoughts she was not ready to name Send Gifts The wrong girl 64 Chapter 64 cklist, Block, Goodbye Trapped in the iron cage of the man¡¯s arms. Ste had nowhere to run. ¡°Abraham this is¡­ she tried to protest. Abraham looked down at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore, she said again, trying to sound firm. ¡°So?¡± His voice cooled a few degrees. That means I¡¯m not allowed to hold you anymore?¡± The shift in his tone made her heart jolt painfully, Abraham drove her straight to the Oriental International Tower. Before she got out, he reminded her that his driver would pick her upter in the evening. She should eat a proper dinner jonce she got home. Ste hesitated. ¡°I was going to have dinner with Tess_¡± Then the driver will take you to the restaurant,¡± he replied. But she did not want that. She and Tessa were nning to have broth, and from the look on Abraham¡¯s face, that was clearly off¨Climits. Fine, Ste muttered, her voice small and clearly disappointed. No broth¡­ What a tragedy. Abraham nced at her, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile. Then he signaled Abel to drive off. Left behind, Ste stood at the entrance, her face still flushed pink Kimmy had just returned from lunch when she saw her boss standing there with a flushed face, looking dazed. She crept closer to get a better look Ste stariled, quickly stepping back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kimmy chuckled, ¡°Boss.. your face is so red. Are you in love or something? Bark when Ste was engaged to Ethan, everyone at the studio felt sorry for her. It was was an open open secret that Ethan had feelings for Lilian. Everyone thought Ste deserved better. Marrying Ethan would have been a lifetime of misery. But as it turned out, she had never even nned to marry him. ¡°Love? Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Ste snapped, flustered. That was her brother. The man who raised her¡­ Kimmy shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re single now. Falling in love isn¡¯t some crime.¡± Ste was speechless. She had a point, but Ste did not want to go there. Ashadow flickered in her eyes, too fast for Kimmy to understand. The afternoon at the studio was chaos. Ste barely had time to breathe, juggling multiple calls from major clients. By the time it was close to the end of the workday, her phone started blowing up again. This time with calls that had nothing to do with work The first one was from Fihan 10:07 AM Chapter 64 cklist, Block, Goodbye ¡°I¡¯m going to rip his head off¡± Ethan was fuming. +8 Pearts The bruises from theirst encounter at Kingston Heights had not even faded, and now his wrist was broken too. If he didn¡¯t get revenge, how could he hold his head up? Hearing his rage. Ste chuckled coldly. ¡°You¡¯re so capable, why not go find out yourself? Why ask mel ¡°Ste Dawson!¡± he exploded. If Jason had been able to find out who that man man was, trould I be here barking at her? ¡°Lunatic.¡± She hung up on him and, unsurprisingly, added his number to her cklist. Not long after, Susan called, ¡°What¡¯s going on with that studio of yours? How much have you been hiding from me?!¡± ¡°Hiding Ste sneered ¡°Why would I bother hiding anything from you?¡± She never hid it because. frankly, she owed the Reed family no exnations Susan was livid. ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡®? I¡¯m your mother!¡°. ¡°Oh, please. Isn¡¯t it enough that you¡¯ve got those two wastes, Jonathan and Lilian, calling you Mom? Don¡¯t drag me into it.¡± Ste scoffed. The implication was clear. Anyone who called her ¡°Mom was doomed to be useless. Susan had always known this daughter of hers had a sharp tongue, but today¡¯s venom nearly made her cough up blood. Especially over the past few days, every conversation with Ste made it painfully obvious she was cutting ties for good. It all made sense now. So this was why Ste had be so defiant. She must have made a fortunest year. Fuming, Susan almost shouted, ¡°I¡¯ming to see you. Right now!¡± Stelia, in no doubt, rejected, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be busy looking after your sickly darling. Lilian? I¡¯ve got no time for you.¡± She was too busy making money y to waste time on someone like Susan. Ste hung up again. She was starting to regret not having two separate phones. One for work, one personal. If she had, she would not have to worry about picking up unfamiliar numbers, just in case they were clients. But of course, up until now, none of the Reed family or Ethan ever called her first. And now! They were calling her more in a few days than they had in the past yearbined. It was exhausting! The wrong girl 65 Chapter 65 Sleeping Her Way Up? On the other end of the line, Susan furiously shoved the phone back into the nurse¡¯s hand. At this rate, she was convinced she would end up cklisting every nurse¡¯s number in the hospital. ¡°Find out where she is right now,¡± she snapped, furning- Jonathan answered stiffly. ¡°She¡¯s on the 26th floor of Tower One, Oriental Grand Tower.¡± That, at least, he had managed to confirm But his expression was not any better. His assistant had just called with troubling news. Thepanies they tried to sway into cutting ties with Ste had all rejected the idea. Almost like they were afraid of something. And when asked for more details, the other side would not say anything. Then there was the most outrageous one of them all. The Sterling Global, apany that had only entered Rivermount two years ago. When his assistant called, they did not just refuse politely. They exploded. ¡°What the hell? We coborate with whoever we want. Who the hell are you to tell us otherwise That kind of arrogance was unheard of for a neerpany. Even when the assistant dropped the name of the Keene family, they scoffed and cursed them too. That unyielding, domineering tone. It was exactly like Ste¡¯s. When Susan heard this, she could no longer sit still. ¡°So none of them are willing to cut ties with her?¡± Jonathan¡¯s face darkened further. And then, Lilian, who had been silent ever since waking up, suddenly spoke. ¡°How exactly did she get those deals?¡± The moment the question left her lips. Susan and Jonathan locked eyes. Both sensing the same storm brewing in the distance. Of course. It was impossible for them not to think the worst. That girl¡­ Surely she hadn¡¯t done something shameful to earn all that, had she? After all, she had grown up in the countryside. No connections, no background. What real skills could she possibly have to earn over 980-000 dors in just one year? No, there had to be a price she had paid. Susan¡¯s expression twisted in fury. ¡°I¡¯m going to see her. Now¡± Steam practically billowed from her head. Meanwhile, Ste was still dealing with calls. Luckily, none of them were from Susan or Ethan. Otherwise, she would really start considering tossing her phone into the sea. Right after she hung up, Tessa called. ¡°Let¡¯s have broth tonight!¡± Ste sighed, ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re already being watched?¡± Tessa immediately picked up on it. Truly, someone who cared about her would always know. w days in Barely a and even her meals were being controlled. Somehow, being raised by someone who was not blood¨Crted still beat having what they called a ¡®real¡® family. At least Abraham, the one who raised her, truly cared. Chapter 65 Sleeping Her Way Up? Sadly, Ste answered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go home and eat.¡± ¡°Fine. The day you escape your prison warden, we¡¯re going straight for broth.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ste agreed softly, though with Abraham still in town, that broth fantasy might as well be a dream They chatted a bit more before hanging up Soon, it was nearly time to clock out. Abraham called, his voice low, ¡°Are you done for the day? Ste sounded sulky. ¡°Yeah. Just have the driver take me back to Seats Cove.¡± Abraham was surprised at her change of n. ¡°Not meeting your friend?¡± ¡°We wanted broth. Is that okay?¡± Ste¡¯s mood was down ¡°No¡± His refusal was instant and absolute. +8 Pearls She used to be so delicate when she was little, always needing hospital trips. Now she wanted to go wild with unhealthy food Not happening. Ste hung up with a pout, then began shoving things into her bag. When Kimmy walked in, she saw her boss mistreating her luxury handbag like a gym duffel, and her heart nearly stopped. ¡°Boss! Let me help you!¡± She rushed over, rescued the bag from Ste¡¯s clutches, and began packing things in carefully, treating the bag like fragile treasure. It was an expensive piece, after all. Even a tiny scratch would hurt its value. Ste frowned. ¡°Why are you being so careful?¡± Kimmy replied helplessly. ¡°This material¡¯s really delicate. Why don¡¯t you just use a canvas tote next time? You can toss that around all you want.¡± At least then she would not have to watch in horror. ¡°Alright,¡± Ste said seriously. ¡°Buy one for me. I¡¯ll pay you back. Kimmy was speechless for a second. For reall ¡°Also, there¡¯s a woman outside. Says herst name¡¯s Carter. Judging by her face¡­ she¡¯s not here for anything good.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 66 Chapter 66 Burning the Bridge At the mention of the visitor¡¯s name, a faint crease formed between Ste¡¯s brows. Someone surnamed Carter! Susan Carter! She came all the way here! Ste¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°We ve only got one exit?¡± Kimmy nodded. Front and back doors are connected. You know that.¡± The moment someone stepped in from the front, they could clearly see the back entrance. So if she tried slipping out that way. Susan waiting at the front would spot her instantly. That only made Ste¡¯s mood worse. ¡°Fine.¡± she said, her tone clipped. ¡°Let her in.¡± Kimmy gave a small nod. ¡°Understood.¡± Once Kimmy had left, the room settled into a stillness that pressed against Ste¡¯s nerves. She sat in silence, thoughts swirling. If she did not go hard this time, she could forget about ever having peace in this office again.. Soon, Susan stepped in. her face etched with fury, just as Kimmy had predicted. ¡°Boss,¡± Kimmy said, casting a respectful nce toward Ste. Ste waved a hand, dismissing her. The door clicked shut behind her assistant. The moment it did. Susan stormed forward, her heels cking sharply against the floor, mming her handbag down on the desk with a force that echoed ¡°So!¡± Her voice was sharp, usatory. ¡°How did yound all those contracts? Ste, do you even care what kind of name you¡¯re dragging the Reed family through: You¡¯re shaming yourself. Is that what you want?¡± The words hit like whish. Ste¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You walk in here using me without facts, without proof? Who told you that?¡± she asked, her voice steady but frosted over with disdain. ¡°You really need proof?¡± Susan snapped. ¡°A girl like you making 980,000 drs in one year? What? Do you expect me to believe you charmed all thosepanies just with your talent: Please.¡± Her words cut deep, not in truth but in presumption, as if conviction was reason enough. Ste¡¯s eyes glinted, a sh of icy sharpness cutting through. ¡°Who told you so?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Susan shot back. Just tell me how you got those deals!¡± But Ste already knew. Lilian. That little white lotus, always spinning webs in the guise of innocence, manipting gullible minds. ¡°You think you have the right to interrogate me? Who are you to me?¡± Ste¡¯s voice was calm but biting. Susan shouted, ¡°Tm.¡± ¡°What My mother?¡± Her lips curled in a cold smile. ¡°Did I ever admit to that? I left that house within three months¡± Two months spent in a hospital bed. The remaining one spent realizing what a twisted game the Reed family was ying and walking away. These people acted like rtives whenever it suited them, pretending concern, all while clinging to their imagined authority. Her words struck Susan like a blow to the chest Chapter 66 Burning the Bridge +8 Pearls people that I¡¯m not the Reed family¡¯s daughter. Say it was a mistake on their part. I¡¯ll send you the paternity test results in a bit ¡°You¡¯re insane Susan cried, lunging forward and snatching the phone from her hands, ending the call. ¡°You want to sever ties with us? Have youpletely lost your mind?¡± Ste took back her phone with one smooth motion. ¡°Curting ties with you people. Isn¡¯t that perfectly reasonable?¡± You ungrateful¡± Susan choked. ¡°Grateful?¡± Ste sneered. ¡°Even if I had any, why should it be owed to you? Who are you to me, really?¡± Susan gaped. Every sentence felt like a knife, carving a chasm between them. I nearly died giving birth to you? I hemorrhaged! I gave you life! And you repay me like this?¡± Ste¡¯s voice filled with disdain. ¡°Now you¡¯re trying moral ckmail: When threats and pressure failed, they always fell back on guilt and virtue. Well¡± Ste said, her voice cold as steel, ¡°when you brought me back, didn¡¯t Lilian already help you even the score? I almost bled to death in that ident. Nearly lost my life.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 67 Chapter 67 Cutting the Cord for Real That crash¡­ She really had almost died. A gaping wound in her head, blood pouring endlessly. She had slipped into unconsciousness more than once. If it had not been for emergency surgery, she would not be here now, Ste said. ¡°My life was saved by doctors. You? At most, a month in the hospital? I stayed two. Double it.¡± You can¡¯t calcte life like that! You wouldn¡¯t even have one if not for me!¡± Susan shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t sever this bond!¡± ¡°Fine. If I can¡¯t sever it, then have Lilian sever hers instead. Ste countered back. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Just the mention of Lilian was enough to ignite Susan¡¯s rage. When they found Ste and brought her home, she had promised Lilian nothing would change. That she would always bet her daughter. That car ident wasn¡¯t her doing! Stop ming her!¡± Even now, she took Lilian¡¯s side. And Ste, well, it would be a lie to say that did not hurt. ¡°You won¡¯t cut this, you won¡¯t cut that. You sure are greedy,¡± she said with a cold smile. Susan raised her voice again. ¡°If you dare post that article, I¡¯ll go public too. I¡¯ll say you¡¯re lying. Do you want that kind of mess?¡± ¡°Still trying to threaten me?¡± Ste did not back down. It was almost funny now. They really hadn¡¯t learned a thing ¡°You kept the maid, who swapped me with her daughter at birth, and you protected her. Now you¡¯re defending the thief and punishing your real daughter?¡± Ste looked at her. ¡°Madam Susan, are you out of your mind?¡± What kind of mother wouldn¡¯t resent the person who stole their child? Only in the Reed family would such twisted logic exist. ¡°She paid the price! She¡¯s dead! Dead! Isn¡¯t that enough? Susan screamed. ¡°Not enough. Two words. Cold. Unforgiving. ¡°She paid with her life for what she did. But Lilian, she has her own debts. She didn¡¯t do it! Why can¡¯t you believe it was just an ident?¡± Susan felt like she was going crazy. What she hated the most about Ste was she kept bringing up the car ident, saying that Lihan was the culprit. Ste had had enough. ¡°You don¡¯t want to cut ties? Fine.¡± She stood, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. Susan stopped her ¡°Where are you going? We¡¯re not done!¡± ¡°What more is there to say?¡± Ste shot¨Cback. ¡°What right do you have to demand exnations?¡± If they wanted a clean break, I¡¯ll give it to them. She dialed Abel¡¯s number. ¡°Take care of the matter with the Reed family,¡± she said simply. ¡°Our so¨Ccalled connection.¡± Abel answered, short. ¡°Got it¡± Ste hung up. Sudin dared at her in dishelief ¡°Who did you call? What are e vou taking care of? Tell melt 10:07 AM ch Chapter 67 Cutting the Cord for Real That final line made Susan¡¯s blood pressure spike. +B Pearls This, this was the daughter she gave birth to? Raised elsewhere. No emotional ties. None at all. Kimmy entered. ¡°Madam Susan, would you prefer to walk out on your own, or shall I assist you? Susan¡¯s mind nked with rage. Her face burned with shame. And not long after, her fury woulde back to haunt her. Leaving the building, still on her way to the hospital, Susan¡¯s phone rang. It was Patrick. You went to see Ste again?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she snapped. Tm telling you, she¡¯s not as simple as she looks. Last year, she made 980,000 dors! No wonder she doesn¡¯t care that I cut off her funds. She doesn¡¯t need them! She¡¯s calctive: Cold. Too dangerous.¡± On the other end. Patrick rubbed his temples. He did not care to listen to any of it. All he knew was¡­ because of Ste, their side was getting crushed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what she asks for he said coldly. ¡°From now on, just say yes. Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 68 Chapter 68 Coteral Damage. ¡°What do you mean Susan, fuming with rage, was caught off guard by Patrick¡¯s sudden remark She had just worked herself into a fury over Ste, and now this man had the nerve to ask her to give Ste whatever she wanted Was that a joke? Patrick¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Half an hour ago. I got a call. The message was simple. If we don¡¯t give her what she wants, we can forget about running thepany.¡± Susan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. You actually believed that?¡± This was Rivermount. Who could possibly threaten us like that? And more importantly, who made the call! Half an hour ago didn¡¯t I just leave Ste¡¯s ce? Patrick continued, ¡°Do you think I wanted to believe it? But in the past thirty minutes. I¡¯ve partners pulling out of our deals¡± two calls from major otten tw Those partnerships were pirs of the Reed Group Two major projects, gone in half an hour. Whoever was behind it was clearly no ordinary person. Susan stood stunned. ¡°You mean, all this happened because I didn¡¯t agree to her demands?¡± Patrick replied coldly. ¡°She was mentioned by name. Who else could it be?¡± Susan was at a loss for words. Patrick¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°What did she ask for?¡± to that?¡± Susan answered, still fuming ¡°She wants to cut ties with us. Completely. You think I can agree to She had assumed Ste¡¯sst phone call had just been a bluff. But now? Clearly not young girl pulling in 980,000 dors in a year. There had to be someone powerful backing her. But her methods¡­.. Thinking about it made Susan¡¯s heart ache. That was her daughter. How could she bear it! Patrick¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°She really said that?* Susan confirmed, ¡°What else could it be? What couldn¡¯t I afford to give her!¡± At this point, Susan wished Ste had asked for something material. Jewelry, a house, money. She would have agreed in a heartbeat. As long as Rianne and Eddie were still willing to help treat Lilian, she could agree to anything But what Ste wanted was not material. She wanted nothing more to do with them. And how could she ept that? Susan trembled with fury. Patrick¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°What did you fight about this time?¡± His tone was not just annoyed. It was usatory, The call he had gotten had not been a bluff. He fully believed the person on the other end could wipe out the Reed Group if they wanted to. Susan snapped, ¡°She made 980,000 dors year. Don¡¯t you think I deserve to know how? She¡¯s still my daughter. I don¡¯t want her selling herself short Chapter 68 Coteral Damage Every single fight between Susan and Ste seemed to start the same way: Susan did not know how to talk to her + Pearls They had not raised her. They did not understand her temperament. And if she used the same domineering tone she always had, Ste would never y along Patrick¡¯s voiceced with me. ¡°How many times have I told you to be patient with her?¡± Susan rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh. you the one who said not to give her a credit card when you came back from Kingston Heights?¡± When it came to Ste, neither of them had the high grouil Patrick snapped. To not wasting any more breath on this. Just handle it! Susan asked in mockery. ¡°And how do you suggest I do that? She¡¯s not answering my calls. She won¡¯t see me. And when she had finally gotten a chance to meet with her, just look at how that turned out. If you can¡¯t fix this, your days as my wife might be numbered Patrick ended the call in a fury To think that the heard that the Reed Group¡¯s troubles were all tied to Ste, his mind immediately went to the man standing silently by her side. That man¡­ Could he really pull the strings to cancel too massive projects in thirty minutes? Iho was he ¡°Ethan,¡± Patrick¡¯s voice was anxious. ¡°You know your father¡¯s stance on me. And now with Lilian, the pressure is already. intense. But this?¡± The Keene family had long been unhappy with him, and now there was a new yer, one he could not even identify. squeezing him from the shadows, te felt like he was suffocating, Ethan¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± He ended the call and nced down at the cast on his left hand. His voice to Jason turned frigid. ¡°Still haven¡¯t figured out who that man is?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 69 Chapter 69 Dreams of the Dying Ethan¡¯s voice was like a de, and Jason broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°There¡¯s a force shielding him. We can¡¯t get through. Not t even a name Up until this moment, they did not even know what the man¡¯s name was as nearly at Verdant Vi when her phone rang. It was Lilian. On Ste¡¯s end, she was Her voice was weaker than before, but there was unmistakable smugness in her tone. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet, right! Ethan is trying to buy Verdant Vi over at Seats Cove, just for me to recover Every word wasced with pride. Verdant Vi¡­. The vis at Seats Cove had long been a dream for the elite. Beautiful scenery, fresh air, and said to be blessed by harmonized metaphysics. Every wealthy family wanted a piece of it. Ste replied tly. I already knew.¡± Lilian¡¯s tone wasced with mockery, ¡°Oh? Then tell me¡­ What has Ethan ever bought you?¡± Ste was silent. What had he bought her? Jewelry, sure. Expensive things. She just couldn¡¯t remember what any of them looked like. Probably because she had owned too many pretty things from a young age. They didn¡¯t impress her anymore. And now, listening to Lilian gloat¡­. Sheughed, a touch of mockery in her voice. ¡°Lilian, you¡¯re a dying woman. Instead of focusing on healing your spirit, you¡¯re stillpeting?¡± ¡°You..¡± Her blunt cruelty stunned Lilian into silence. Ste pressed on, her voice cutting like ice. ¡®So Ethan¡¯s buying you a vi for your recovery? Funny. I heard the owner t¨Cout refused to sell.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll make it happen, Lilian insisted. Ethan had promised her. As soon as he sealed the deal, she would be discharged. She believed in him. Ste chuckled coldly. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d wait until he actually buys it. You¡¯re bragging too early. What if you never make it through the door? Maybe you should consider buying a burial plot instead. Because once you¡¯re cremated, who cares where you live?¡± Lilian gasped for air. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re cursing me!¡± Just the words burial plot¡® and ¡®turned to ash¡® nearly broke her. Surviving was her only purpose now. Holding onto the Reed family, onto everything she had, that was the only thing keeping her going. She could not die. She would not. Ste¡¯s voice turned deadly calm. ¡°So what if I am? Honestly, you should be grateful for your diagnosis. Without it, your life wouldn¡¯t be half this peaceful.¡± If she had not been sick, Ste would have exposed that car ident from years ago by now. Either way, Lilian was trapped. 10:07 AM AM Chapter 69 Dreams of the Dying Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m vicious. So what?¡± She did not care anymore. +B Pearls Susan screamed, ¡°Tell me! Who¡¯s the man who threatened your father? Who did you know what self¨Crespect means? If it¡¯s money you want, doesn¡¯t the Reed family have enough?¡± call from your office just now! Do you What a joke. As if she¡¯d ever given me anything just because I asked. Ste¡¯s voice was t, emotionless. The Reed family¡¯s money has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Ste¡± Susan gritted her teeth as she screamed Ste¡¯s name. Ste scoffed, ¡°Am I wrong? Or have you forgotten that you once gave me a card with a 2700 dors monthly limit. Oh, so generous. Susan froze. The sarcasm in Ste¡¯s voice almost made her faint. So what? You think it¡¯s not enough?¡± she snapped, Her tone was bitter, like she could not believe how p greedy Stell Ste was. Ste¡¯s voice dropped to a near whisper. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you? You don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening to the Reed family, or why it¡¯s happening The word ¡°happening¡± like a blow. Susan¡¯s mind shed to Patrick¡¯s call, Two key partnerships, gone. Her face drained of color. ¡°You¡­ that man who called your father it really was your doing? Susan¡¯s voice trembled. Send Gifts 108 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In +8 Pearls The wrong girl 70 Chapter 70 Severance ¡°If you finally came to your senses, let¡¯s sever ties now, yeah?¡± Ste¡¯s voice was calm, almost conversational, but to Susan, it carried a weighty threat that sent a chill straight to her bones. She¡¯s threatening me? She, Ste? How dare she have audacity? up now. Ste¡¯s tone remained light, even yful. ¡°You think about it. I¡¯m hanging up ¡°Wait¡­ Susan¡¯s voice cracked with urgency. She finally had her on the line after days of being stonewalled. There were still questions that needed answers. That man, who is he to you?¡± Ste paused, her voice lowering. ¡°Seems like you still haven¡¯t figured out what ce you actually hold in my life.¡± That single sentence made Susan¡¯s heart seize. Before she could speak, the call ended. The sound of disconnection echoed in her ears like a p. What ce? Is she trying to say I didn¡¯t know my position? That I didn¡¯t deserve one? I¡¯m her mother! Susan¡¯s hand trembled, phone raised, rage building to the brink. ¡°Mom.. don¡¯t!¡± Lilian, frail and ghostly pale, quickly reached out to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t throw it.¡± The phone, they had borrowed it. Ste had blocked nearly every number they used, even calls from hospital staff. Now, any contact with her was like threading a needle in the dark. Susan clenched her jaw and sucked in a breath, barely holding it together. ¡°Outrageous. Absolutely outrageous.¡± Her own daughter, daring to talk down to her. Daring to suggest she needed to understand her ce? So she was serious about cutting ties this time? It never urred to Susan that canceling her card would provoke such an explosive response. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Mom, Lilian whispered softly, her weakness painting her words with fragility. Her gentle, obedient tone was like balm to Susan¡¯s battered ego. This was her real daughter. kind, quiet, raised by her side. ¡°She wants to sever ties? Fine. Let her. A daughter like that, I don¡¯t need her. Susan¡¯s voice dripped with resentment. ¡°She thinks just because she earned 980,000 dors year, she can act like she¡¯s above everyone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about¡­¡± Lilian murmured, sadness Incing her voice. ¡°Do you really want to watch her throw herself away like this. Mom?¡± ¡°What choice do I have?¡± Susan growled. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Lilian¡¯s eyes flickered. Tll speak to Ethan. We should filter her partnerships. Make sure she doesn¡¯t get involved with shady coborators. What she meant was simple. Choke the lifeline. Cut off Ste¡¯s studio. She could not let outsiders think Ste¡¯s independence was admirable. As expected, Susan¡¯s fury surged again. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. We can¡¯t let her keep associating with those people.¡± Fine, let her break ties. But if she failed, it would still reflect on the Reed family. Everyone knew Ste was brought back to the Reed family for two years. Susan¡¯s gaze softened as she grasped Lilian¡¯s hand. Talk to Ethan, okay?¡± Chapter 70 Severance +8 Pearls Susan said. ¡°She dares defy me because she has that business. Without it. let¡¯s see what she has left.¡± Lilian masked her triumph with a worried frown. ¡°But won¡¯t she retaliate1¡± ¡°She always retaliates. What else is new? Susan huffed. ¡°She only makes noise because shes got that tform. Take it away. What can she do then?¡± The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. That studio had to go. Susan confirmed her thought. ¡°Better to shut it down now than let her drag the entire Reed family through the mud.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Lilian said, lowering her eyes with well¨Cpracticed grace. Tll talk to Ethan Seeing how agreeable Lilian remained. Susan¡¯s mood finally began to ease. She thought back to the phone call to that chilling phrase Ste hurled at her daughter, when she said burned into ashes, her heart ached at the memory. She reached for Lilian¡¯s hand, her voice trembling with pain. If only she were half as well¨Cbehaved as you. Then maybe 1 wouldn¡¯t be so worried¡­ Send Gifts The wrong girl 71 Chapter 71 Her Own Studio The naughty one made her angry, while the good one was sick, and it broke her heart. ¡°I heard Ethan is trying to find a way to get you a ce to recover. He¡¯s been so good to you. But then, the Keene family¡­ The mention of the Keene family made Susan¡¯s anger re. She couldn¡¯t help but think about how cruel the family had been. They had torn apart two lovers. If only Lillian and Ethan had stayed together, they¡¯d be fine by now. But now, this whole mess. was unfolding. Their biological daughter hadn¡¯t been epted into the Keene family, and their adopted daughter was also being rejected. All of this because of Ste, that useless girl! And now, the Keene family kept pressuring theirpany. It was all Ste¡¯s fault. ¡°Mom, my health is a mess, but Ethan still takes care of me. I¡¯m already grateful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so hard on you. If we hadn¡¯t gone looking for Ste, the Keene family wouldn¡¯t have known you were adopted. You and Ethan would have been together and married by now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. She¡¯s your daughter. You did the right thing by looking for her.¡± Every word Lillian said showed such understanding, which made Susan feel even more heartbroken. If only Ste had half of Lillian¡¯s understanding ¡°You¡¯re so understanding. Susan said, her heart aching for Lillian. After talking for a while. Ethan arrived with some food that was good for Lillian. When Susan saw him, she discreetly stepped away, giving them space. After all, there was no hope from Ste. Even though the Keene family didn¡¯t think highly of Lillian, she wasn¡¯t worried. At least Ethan was still here. If the Keene family really wanted to stir up trouble for the Reed family, they¡¯d first have to deal with Ethan. Now, it was just Ethan and Lillian. Lillian noticed that Ethan had a cast on his left wrist and fr froze for a moment. ¡°Ethan? What happened to your hand?¡± When Ethan heard Lillian¡¯s question, his face darkened. At that moment, Lillian felt a sudden urge to find the man who had hurt him and tear him apart. She wanted him dead. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a fall.¡± ¡°How careless. That must hurt, right?¡± Lillian¡¯s tone was full of concern. Ethan opened the food container with one hand and didn¡¯t answer her question. He softly said, ¡°This soup is good for your body¨Cdrink more of it.¡± When she noticed he wasn¡¯t responding, especially since his face looked pale, Lillian started to piece together what might have happened. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep running around like this.¡± Ethan responded, Tm busy during the day, but I want to spend time with you at night.¡± That made Lillian feel touched. She looked at Ethan, wanting to say something but hesitating. Ethan noticed and softened his tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lillian finally spoke, ¡°It¡¯s Star. Just now, Mom told me she opened a studio, andst year, she made over 7 million. So much money¡­ I don¡¯t know how she did it.¡± ¡°A studio?¡± Lillian nodded. ¡°Yeah, even Mom didn¡¯t know. Last year, she opened a studio and made over 7 million.¡± 7 million wasn¡¯t a huge amount for Ethan but for Lillian, it was a big sum, especially considering Ste earned it on her own. Chapter 71 Her Own Studio +8 Pearls Dinner at Verdant Vi was delicious tonight. Ste couldn¡¯t help herself and had three bowls. She only realized the chef was from Falvaria when she drank the second bowl of soup. Just as she was about to continue, Abraham¡¯s call came in. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about getting fat after eating so much?¡± Ste froze, nced at the butler, who quickly looked away. Ste muttered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who always wanted me to gain weight?¡± Back in Falvaria, especially when she was younger, her baby fat had been notorious. She was only ten but would constantlyin about wanting to lose weight. Abraham chuckled. ¡°You were younger then. Now that you¡¯re growing up, don¡¯t you want to look beautiful anymore!¡± Typical girl problem¨Cwanting to look beautiful. Ste put her spoon down decisively. ¡°When are youing back?¡± ¡°Soon. Go to bed early.¡± ¡°Okay¡± When Ste heard voices in the background, she didn¡¯t say much more and hung up obediently. Abraham was in a private room. Victor, sitting next to him, couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Who was that? So gentle. Victor was someone Abraham had met two years ago. They had be friends after a bit of a sh. The fall of the Tom family wasrgely due to the alliance between Victor and Abraham. Send Gifts The wrong girl 72 Chapter 72 She¡¯s Rich Having known Abraham for so long. Victor had never seen him this gentle. Abraham chuckled softly, and there was a trace of tenderness in his eyes. The kids at home, they¡¯re not very obedient. ¡°You have kids? I didn¡¯t know that The mention of ¡°kids¡±pletely stunned Victor, and his eyes widened in shock. Abraham said, ¡°My sister.¡± ¡°You mean Marie?¡± Abraham also had a younger sister, Marie Dawson, a fraternal twin to him. Victor said, ¡°But she¡¯s not a kid, right?¡± She was the same age as him, so how could she be considered a child? Abraham replied, ¡°It¡¯s not Marie. I have another younger sister who went missing a few years ago, but we just found her. She¡¯s a bit of a handful Victor asked, ¡°Another one?¡± This is nes to me But as Abraham spoke about this sister with so much affection in his eyes, Victor could tell she must be adorable. Ste felt she needed to get Kimmy to help her set up a work phone to separate her personal and professional life. Otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. Ethan growled into the phone. ¡°You have a studio, and I had no idea?¡± Ste replied, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Do I need to report to you about having a studio?¡± Haven¡¯t I made things clear enough these past few days? Or have I been too weak before that these people felt entitled to keep questioning Me? It was just too much. Ethan said, ¡°How many things are you hiding from me?¡± ¡°Do I need to hide anything from you? What¡¯s it to you? Is Lillian¡¯s illness not enough for you? She has three types of cancer, and you still haven¡¯t helped her find a decent burial spot. Why do you keep bothering me?¡± Ethan was beyond furious as he shouted, ¡°Ste!¡± Especially at the mention of ¡°burial spot. Anyone close to Lillian would be sensitive to those words. It was a curse. Ste said, ¡°Why are you yelling?¡± Ethan growled. ¡°Just you wait With a sharpmand, he hung up. Ste heard the beeping sound from the phone, and scoffed! Fine, I¡¯d wait. She e was curious to see what Ethan would do next. Ethan was seething with rage. When he found out about Ste¡¯s studio and how much money she had made year, his face turned livid with anger. He took a long drag from the cigarette in his hand. ¡°Do you think this situation looks like a joke?¡± figured out most of the rent payment dates for the Kingston Heights tenants, nning that with the high rent. Ste would eventually break down and give in. But¡­. Ste owned the house at Kingston Heights. She had even made over 7 millionst year. She had money, she had a house, and cutting her off financially was utterly ridiculous. To put it bluntly, you still don¡¯t understand Ms. Dawson, Jason said. Hearing this. Ethan found it even more mocking. Ste had been his fianc¨¦e for two years, and he didn¡¯t even truly know her. Thinking about how she had deceived him. Ethan lost all sense of reason. ¡°Go take care of it. Take care of what?¡± ¡°Anyone who dares to cooperate with her studio is going against us, the Keene family.¡± Jason was stunned. ¡°But¡­ This isn¡¯t a good idea. ¡°I want her studio shut down within a week. Ethan didn¡¯t give Jason a chance to speak. Jason broke into a cold sweat. ¡°But the man behind her¡­ Jason didn¡¯t dare to finish his sentence. If Ste really had someone backing her up, it was clear they wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress her. Ethan said. ¡°Tll find out who this man behind her really is. A man? Since they couldn¡¯t find anything on him, he would see who would step in to help her this time. Jason understood what Ethan meant and nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Once the news about Ste¡¯s studio spread, the entire Reed family was thrown into chaos. Especially when they found out that Ste also owned the house at Kingston Heights¨Cit caused an even bigger stir. At the hospital ¡°Tell me, how many th things has she been hiding from us?¡± Susan fumed as she paced the room. Patrick hade over as well. The wrong girl 73 Chapter 73 Blocked Jonathan was also there. Ethan was called away by Madeline with a phone call. After learning the full story, Patrick¡¯s face darkened. Susan said. ¡°What does she think of us? Like we¡¯re fools?¡± ¡°Alright. Morn, don¡¯t get angry. I think she must have felt that the money we gave her wasn¡¯t enough She could have just told us. We¡­ Lillian paused as she was speaking- But even without finishing her sentence, everyone in the room had already decided that Ste was being unreasonable. They even assumed that the money she earned was not clean. Now, everyone was thinking about how to shut down her studio. After leaving Lillian¡¯s hospital room, Patrick instructed his assistant to contact Ste. The assistant had to change phones a few times before finally reaching Ste. Ste was about to y a game when she received the call. Patrick¡¯s assistant said. ¡°Miss, sir is at the cafe across from Kingston Heights. Pleasee out for a moment.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°What if I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Then, ¡®m afraid you won¡¯t be able to keep your studio. The assistant¡¯s tone was particrly firm. Another threat? Ste snorted. ¡°Let him try shutting it down. I¡¯ll see if he can actually do it¡± If they were going to make threats, they should stop talking and act. They¡¯d been threatening her for days, freezing her cards, and now this. She hung up the phone without any courtesy. On the other end, the assistant was stunned for a moment after hearing the call disconnect, then looked toward Patrick. The waiter had just ced the coffee Patrick ordered and was walking away. Seeing the strange expression on his assistant¡¯s face, Patrick frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The assistant replied, ¡°She said, if you are so capable, then go ahead and shut down her studio. She won¡¯t see you.¡± Patrick¡¯s face turned dark as he heard this. ¡°Ahem! This ingrate. You didn¡¯t tell her I¡¯m here at the cafe?¡± ¡°I did, but she won¡¯te!¡± Then go knock on the door and get her out. Patrick was fuming. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll go myself. He hadn¡¯tmunicated with Jonathan and didn¡¯t know that Ste no longer lived at Kingston Heights. So, he marched over angrily to knock on her door, only to knock for over ten minutes with no response. ¡°Ste, open the door It was silent. The knocking was so loud that eventually, the neighborsined, and even the property management had to get involved. Patrick stormed downstairs, only to look up and see that Ste¡¯s windows werepletely dark. ¡°she not home? What time is it?¡± The assistant checked his phone. It¡¯s already past 10 ¡°A young girl, yet not even home by this hour. When she didn¡¯t want to stay at wut then¡± at the Reed family. I should have let her move ¡°I was using the cafe¡¯s phone to call. She¡¯s blocked my number.¡± The word ¡°blocked¡± was enough to make him furious. Now, she was blocking anyone who tried to contact her¨Ceven her father. Patrick was livid. When he got back to the hospital, he began scolding Susan. He med her for not raising Ste properly all these years, especially when Ste came back. Susan was also furious. ¡°What do you mean I didn¡¯t raise her properly? With her attitude, who could raise her? You?¡± Did I not want to take care of her! These years, Ste had been obsessed with Lillian. Even though Lillian was kicked out of the Reed family, Ste didn¡¯t want to stay there either. She would¡¯ve taken care of things if Ste had given her the chance. ¡°Dad. Mom, stop arguing.¡± When Lillian saw them arguing, she became so agitated that her body started convulsing, clearly in great difort. Patrick and Susan were both startled when they saw this. Susan screamed, ¡°Lillian, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me! Doctor, call the doctor! Hurry!¡± At the Keene estate. Madeline saw Ethan with a cast on his arm and frowned ¡°What happened to you again? And your face!¡± After two nights of fighting with Abraham, Ethan had a bruise on his face that made him look even more menacing. His arm was in a cast, clearly from a fight. Ethan replied. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why are you looking for me thiste?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your father. He¡¯s waiting for you in the study¡± Ethan nodded and turned to leave. Madeline looked at his back, her gaze lingering on the cast on his arm, deep in thought. The wrong girl 74 Chapter 74 Sick Girl Madeline turned to the butler and said, ¡°Go get Jason for me.¡± ¡°Alright¡± Upstairs, in the study. As soon as Ethan walked into the study, he was greeted by the thick smell of smoke. Judson had retired a year ago but still carried an air of authority. For the past year, Ethan had taken control of the entire Keene family business, with Judson rarely involving himself in matters. And now.. Judson¡¯s gaze was firm as he looked at Ethan. The heir of the Luke family from Falvaria has arrived in Rivermount. You¡¯re aware of this, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ethan nodded. Judson said, ¡°Have you met him?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Ethan replied. Jason had been trying to set up a meeting with the heir¡¯s assistant, but there had been no response. Judson added, ¡°Tve met Louis.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At his grandfather¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± Judson¡¯s tone held a trace of displeasure as he spoke. ¡°Has Lillian been holding you back?¡± Ste¡¯s public announcement of the broken engagement had made Lillian¡¯s return no longer a secret. At the mention of Lillian, Ethan¡¯s face stiffened. He quickly said, ¡°This has nothing to do with her. I¡¯m already handling things. with Mr. Luke.¡± ¡°Handling? I heard the man has been in town for three days, and you still haven¡¯t met him. Ethan, do you know he¡¯s holding things that a lot of people are eager to cooperate with?¡± Ethan answered, ¡°I know,¡± ¡°If you really like Lillian, you can just keep her around as a toy. But if she¡¯s interfering with you, then¡­¡± Then what? Judson didn¡¯t continue his sentence. He took a slow drag from his cigarette. His gaze on Ethan grew sharper, and even without words, Ethan understood the meaning. It was just like two years ago. Ste had caused quite a stir, and the entire Keene family had issued a dire warning to Lillian. Ethan nodded. ¡°Understood. His tone wasn¡¯t harsh, but it wasn¡¯t defiant either. Judson waved his hand. ¡°Go ahead. Each word in this brief exchange had an undeniable force, and it made Ethan feel the weight of the situation. After leaving the study, Ethan made his way downstairs. He saw Madeline ring collly at Jason, who stood there with a guilty, anxious look on his face. Upon hearing the footsteps, Madeline nced up and shot a cold look at Ethan. ¡°You¡¯ve really disappointed me. Lillian¡¯s. holding you back, and Ste¡¯s made you lose control, fighting with people. Just as they reached the door, Madeline¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°As for Lillian, don¡¯t let here out and cause trouble¡± Now, Rivermount was buzzing with rumors. There was talk of Ethan buying a property in Sears Cove for Lillian¡¯s recovery What kind of ce was Seats Cove? She had even considered buying it herself before, thinking about retiring there. He doesn¡¯t care much about his own family, yet now he had feelings for a sick girl She had looked into it. The news hade from Lillian herself. What is this? Making it public, Ethan would be embarrassed if he didn¡¯t buy it for her? ¡°She¡¯s sick 110W. Do you really think she can cause any trouble?¡± Ethan¡¯s tone turned irritated. He didn¡¯t like anyone targeting Lillian, especially not the prejudice from his own family. Madeline noticed the protectiveness in his voice, and her expression darkened further. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s sick, but she¡¯s still showing off. ¡°Mom!¡± Ethan¡¯s tone sharpened. He turned back to face Madeline. Madeline¡¯s ¡®s eyes were filled with bitterness. ¡°Lillian isn¡¯t as simple as you think. Don¡¯t underestimate her.¡± ¡°Did Ste say something to you?¡± ¡°Does she need to? Do you think I can¡¯t see through people?¡± Ethan was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s really be a habit, hanging out with someone like Lillian. You me others for everything, even the smallest things. ¡°You¡­ Faced with his mother¡¯s sharp words, Ethan couldn¡¯t find anything to say, He simply turned and walked out. Watching Ethan storm off, Madeline narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Does Ste really have a man?¡± ¡°Yes, I checked. The injury on the Mr. Keene¡¯s face was from being beaten at Kingston Heights. His wrist was injured during a social gathering, inside an elevator¡± Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 75 Chapter 75 Loving the Adopted Daughter Madeline¡¯s anger was boiling over. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t like Ste, then why is he f What is this? And now, Ste has a man- fighting with her man?¡± Madeline was so furious she immediately grabbed the phone and dialed Susan. As soon as Susan answered. Madelineunched into a tirade. ¡°You say Ste is your biological daughter and you can¡¯t raise her right, and the adopted daughter? You haven¡¯t handled her well either! ¡°Mrs. Keene, that¡¯s too much. Such a blunt usation made Susan snap in anger. What does she mean by this? Was Madeline ming her for both the adopted daughter and the biological daughter being unmanageable? ording to her, if the families fell apart, it would all be Susan¡¯s fault? ¡°Too much? Am I wrong? Ethan and Lillian broke ties two years ago, and now you¡¯re constantly going after him because of Lillian. What does that mean?¡± Madeline¡¯s tone became sharper the more she spoke. Susan, feeling guilty, couldn¡¯t deny it. Wasn¡¯t she seeking Ethan out because of Lillian? ¡°Mrs. Keene, Lillian grew up und your care, and now she¡¯s seriously ill ¡°I know, uterine cancer! Who knows how she ended up with that. Have you even asked her how she¡¯s been living abroad?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Susan waspletely enraged. Madeline continued, ¡°I¡¯m just telling you, this illness is suspicious. And you want me to sympathize with her? Are you out of your mind?¡± Madeline didn¡¯t hold back. She¡¯d never liked Lillian. She knew what Susan meant by those words earlier as she wasn¡¯t a fool. Madeline let go of any pretense with Susan. I¡¯ve already looked into it. Not only is Lillian constantly bothering Ethan, but you¡¯re always calling him about her problems, Madam Susan, you¡¯re Ste¡¯s biological mother, but you really are opening my eyes They say that a mother can¡¯t form true bonds with anyone other than her own children. But Susan? She is fine with it. Not only was she unwilling to let go of her adopted daughter, but she also stole a man right from under her biological daughter. This was truly iprehensible. ¡°The e Reed family is falling apart. Don¡¯t force us to make it worse for you!¡± The message was clear. If Susan kept pushing Ethan because of Lillian, Madeline wouldn¡¯t hold back. With that, Madeline hung up. On the other end, Susan was absolutely furious after the call. Jonathan was there with her. They were outside Lillian¡¯s hospital ¡°Did you hear that? The Keene family is getting so arrogant now! Do they really think our family is weak?¡± Susan was fuming. Jonathan frowned, thinking back to what his father had said a month ago about the progress of their mine. Susan tried to calm herself. ¡°Don¡¯t let Lillian know about this.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jonathan nodded. They couldn¡¯t let Lillian know about this right now. With her health in such a bad state, Ethan was the only thing keeping her going Susan closed her eyes. ¡°We still need to figure out how to get Dr. Rianne and Dr. Eddie on board.¡± The doctors had discussed Lillian¡¯s surgery n today. Just hearing it made her feel like she was on the verge of a breakdown How could one person bear all of that? ¡°Not there? Then when susan had Late N idea. Her heada only got worse. She knew Ste¡¯s circle of friends, she couldn¡¯t imagine her staying out i think that Ste wasn¡¯t living at Kingston Heights I don¡¯t know. You go check quietly ¡°Mom.¡± Lillian¡¯s voice came from the Susan motioned for Jonathan to be quiet pam again?¡± Jonathan nodded. Ste running a studio meant so her up. They needed to figure out who that person wa Susan entered the room. She found Lillian drenched in sweat, and her heart sank. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you in Lillian said, ¡°You guys need to care for Sci Hearing this. Susan¡¯s heart ached even om. ¡°Silly rhold, you¡¯re still worried about her.¡± Don¡¯t let her run herself¡± Lillian¡¯s voice was filled with sorrow Tidentally overheard Ethan and Jason talking. He met that man at Kingston Heights¡± The wrong girl 76 108 Chapter 76 Drunk ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mom, she¡¯s your biological daughter. Don¡¯t let her get involved with these random men. Even if the and Ethan have no future, she shouldn¡¯t just be with some old man.¡± The words ¡°old manpletely ser Susan off. Her chest rose and fell with fury. Seeing that Susan was too angry to speak, Lillian lowered her head. A malicious satisfaction crossed her eyes. At Verdant Vi. Ste¡¯s phone kept lighting up and dimming, likely from all the disturbances over the past few nights. She¡¯d be more cautious, simply setting her phone to silent mode. Half¨Casleep, she suddenly heard a noise at the door. Groggily, she opened her eyes and saw Abraham standing there, clearly drunk. ¡°Abraham Ste rubbed her eyes and stood up. The next moment, he entered the room, shut the door behind him, and took off his long around his neck. He was undeniably good¨Clooking, and honestly, everything he did seemed effortless. Ste snapped fully g coat, followed by the gray scarf awake and quickly jumped off the bed. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Abraham always had a red face when he drank. As she spoke, he took long strides toward her. Ste sensed something was wrong, but he gave her no chance to react. In the blink of an eye, she found herself pulled into his embrace¡­ Then, she felt a cool kiss, with the faint scent of red wine on his lips. Ste¡¯s entire body seemed to freeze, like a thunderstrike had hit her. She couldn¡¯t respond at all, her bodypletely stiffened! Because of herck of response, to him, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t resisting. The kiss grew more aggressive, overpowering her with intensity. After awhile, Ste finally reacted. Instinctively, she pushed her hands against his chest, trying to fight back But in the next moment, her delicate wrist was caught by him and twisted behind her back. ¡°Stop¡­ she murmured softly. He was now pressing her beneath him. He looked down with hazy, drunken eyes. His gaze was deep, and Ste wasn¡¯t sure if he was still conscious. She freed her hands and cupped his face. Tell me, who am I?¡± The part of her heart she¡¯d always kept hidden seemed to reach out, transforming into a mutual journey. Ste couldn¡¯t believe it. After all, this was during Abraham¡¯s drunken state. She didn¡¯t know when she started liking him, thinking about him, loving him. They weren¡¯t rted by blood. Yet, she still feared¡­ ¨C Especially when, as a child, Abraham would often introduce her as his little sister to others. She always felt that Abraham¡¯s feelings for her were just the kind a brother has for his sister. He spoiled and cherished her like a sister. But if she put her deepest feelings on disy and he didn¡¯t feel the same way, their sibling bond would shatterpletely. She didn¡¯t want that She didn¡¯t want to break what they had, When she saw the man not respond, a sh of disappointment crossed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Her voice carried a trace of sorrow, Abraham still didn¡¯t respond, but he cupped her face in return and was about to kiss her again. Ste turned her face away. ¡°Can you wake up If Abraham were sober at this moment, whatever happened next¡­ So be it. But he wasn¡¯t sober. She was afraid that when he was her everthine would be nuer She wasn¡¯t sure who he thonulu the Ste reputed berde und dermatiti 111 muke him some hangover soup Although are vasal per a donking odiem dishes, hangover soup was the tune ate excelled at When they were 11 pamena oben went out for social events, and Abraham wond housekeepers would malte umgewer up but they never really wanted to drink it. So Ste started learning mine spomenung Abraham, hangover soup drun SE tiflerem recipes until she came up with one they all lifet Abraham was aireade asteen on the antiam ber room. Ste went over, pin her arms around his neck, and gently from the couch. Though he was hemos im bi. 11 was a piece of cake. as thants to Mtute. The Dawson family¡¯s pubic busines we Send Gifts #108 The wrong girl 77 Chapter 77 Swollen Lips The greatest merchant walking in the dark night, facing what he must deal with, waspletely different. +8 Pearls Since Ste was kidnapped when she was thirteen, Abraham had been constantly worried about her. Marie couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore, so she took Ste and trained her for three months. Yes, three months¡­. During those three months, Abraham, afraid that Ste might suffer, frantically searched for her. Meanwhile, she was hidden away by Marie and made to train relentlessly. After that, there was no real danger, but her physical strength definitely improved. She let him lean on her as she fed him the hangover soup. ¡°Star.¡± He murmured softly, his voice so gentle despite his drunkenness. Ste said, ¡°Mm, I¡¯m here. ¡°Don¡¯t run away, or I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± She was speechless. Even drunk, he didn¡¯t forget to threaten her. After some effort, she managed to feed the hangover soup to Abraham. But when it came to getting him back to his room, Ste no longer had the strength. It was already 2 a.m., and most of the servants in the vi had gone to bed. With no other choice, Ste let him sleep on the sofa in her room. She covered him with a thick nket before heading to her own bed to sleep. It had been a long day, and Ste was exhausted. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep. Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, shining on Abraham¡¯s face. He looked at the nket covering him, a bit dazed. When he finally realized where he was, memories of the previous night flooded his mind. His chest tightened as he instinctively nced at Ste, still fast asleep in bed. She must have been really tired yesterday, so. she hadn¡¯t woken up yet. His phone buzzed, and when he checked, it was a call from Abel. He answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Sir. Mr. Keene has been trying to arrange a meeting with you.¡± Ignore him.¡± Meet him? Heh! Abraham gazed fondly at the small form of Ste curled up on the bed. ¡°He still wants to buy Verdant Vi?¡± Abel said, ¡°Yes.¡± Abraham chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s really obsessed with his first love. Just tell him we¡¯re not considering working with him.¡± Instead of dragging it out, it¡¯s better to make him lose hope right away. Abraham was very aware of the current state of the Keene family. If they couldn¡¯t find a recement, their business could be cut down drastically! The impact on the Keene family didn¡¯t need much boration. While they were busy mocking the Reed family, the Keene family wasn¡¯t doing any better. They were all in the same boat. after all. Who could escape? If Abraham sent the message that they wouldn¡¯t cooperate, the Keene family would be thrown intoplete chaos. The Reed family was already in disarray. So, it was only natural that the Keene family couldn¡¯t stay calm either. Lafe was more fun when things were lively When Ste woke up, Abraham was no longer in the room. As she brushed her teeth in the bathroom, she suddenly realized Chapter 77 Swollen Lips +8 Pearls Once she had everything ready, Ste went downstairs and saw Abraham in the dining room. When he saw hering down wearing a mask, he frowned. ¡°Why are you wearing that thing at home?¡± Ste chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, I¡¯ll go check on the studio first.¡± ¡°Stop. Just as she turned to leave, she heard his low voice calling out to her. She wanted to cry but turned around and softly called, ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°Come here and eat. Not hungry? Who isn¡¯t hungry? No one is immune to hunger, Ste didn¡¯t want to go. To eat, she would have to take off the mask, and then Abraham would see her lips! Since she was a child, if she even got a mosquito bite, he would ask the servants what happened. Now, what would she say when he asked about her swollen lips? Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? Should Ie over and carry you?¡± FI.. I¡¯m just not hungry¡± Before she could finish speaking, he had already stood up from the chair and walked toward her with long strides. Ste hadn¡¯t even processed her thoughts when he was already standing right in front of her. He swept her off her feet and carried her toward the dining room. ¡°Ah! Ste let out a small ¡°Ah!¡± and blushed beneath her mask. Send Gifts The wrong girl 78 Chapter 78 Too Cocky +8 Pearls ¡°Oh my! Put me down, I can walk on my own.¡± Abraham lowered his gaze at her. ¡°Now wanna be obedient? I thought with all those rebellious to handle¡± years of living outside, you¡¯d be too His words made Ste¡¯s face turn even redder. What did he meant Well, after leaving home all those years ago, Abraham and even her mother probably thought she was being rebellious, Abraham simply carried her and sat her down at the dining table. ¡°Take off the mask.¡± Ste didn¡¯t dare defy him this time. She quickly removed the mask from her face. Abraham sat directly across from her, and as soon as she removed the mask, he naturally saw her swollen lips. ¡°What happened to your mouth?¡± As soon as he said this, both their minds shed back to the events ofst night. The look in Abraham¡¯s eyes grew deeper, and Ste¡¯s lips twitched! See? She knew he would ask. 1¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She didn¡¯t dare to tell him that it was his kiss. What if he didn¡¯t remember anything aboutst night. The thought alone made her shiver. ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze toward her deepened. Ste clicked her tongue nervously. ¡°I really don¡¯t know, maybe I was bitten by a bug.¡± The mention of a ¡°bug¡± instantly created an awkward silence in the dining room. Ste didn¡¯t dare look at Abraham¡¯s face. Abraham looked at her with a knowing, meaningful expression and asked again. That bug, was it annoying?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Was it annoying? Why does it feel like he isn¡¯t just asking about the bug? Ste raised her head and met Abraham¡¯s gaze, yet she saw nothing but depth in his eyes. ¡°Y¨Cyes, it was annoying! Ste stammered as she answered, then hurriedly grabbed the porridge in front of her and started eating. What she didn¡¯t realize was that her little face flushed. Abraham looked at her, and his gaze softened even more with affection. Stelia finished her breakfast in agony and then hurriedly left. She looked like she was running away. When Eddie walked in from outside, he ran into Ste, naturally noticing her red face. He looked at Abraham. ¡°What did you say to her this early in the morning to make her face so red?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Abraham gave Eddie a deep, knowing look. Eddie felt a tightness in his chest under that gaze¡­ ¡°No, no thanks,¡± Abraham took a sip of his milk. Eddie immediately sat down at the spot where Ste had been sitting. He waved at the servant. ¡°Bring me another set of utensils. I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Get up from that seat and sit somewhere else.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Eddie didn¡¯t understand! Abraham said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sit with the dog outside, you¡¯d better get up¡± Eddie immediately stood up upon hearing that. He knew Abraham could be serious about anything he said. He quickly mosed to another seat ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is that spot for Start¡± Chapter 78 Too Cocky Eddie already knew that Ste was the biological daughter of the Reed family. +8 Pearls Originally, after being found by her biological parents, Ste¡¯s life in these past two years should have reassured them. However¡­ Who would¡¯ve thought, after digging deeper, that the Reed family was full of hypocrites? Even if the adopted. daughter and biological daughter couldn¡¯t coexist, it was the biological daughter who should never have been pushed aside. But that was exactly what the Reed family did. Ste hadn¡¯t been living with them for the past two years. Clearly, when they brought her back, they didn¡¯t treat her very well. ¡°Everything should be handled ording to her wishes. You should also make sure to make it clear to them Eddie raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t know what your sister¡¯s like! Making things clear to them is probably going to crush their hopes. Instead of telling them everything depends on Ste, it might be better to say he wouldn¡¯t take the case. After all, Ste¡¯s. approach was far more ruthless than his refusal to treat them. A faint smile appeared on Abraham¡¯s lips. ¡°They¡¯ve been bullying Star for the past two years, it¡¯s time they learn what happens when someone gets too cocky¡± ¡°Too cocky?¡± Hearing this from Abraham¡¯s mouth really surprised Eddie. Send Gifts The wrong girl 79 Chapter 79 You¡¯re A Slut? Who in Falvaria has been more reckless than Abraham? If he says second, no one dares to im the first ce! ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± So, they wanted him to give up hope! Fine. Susan received a call from Eddie¡¯s assistant, who clearly said, ¡°Whether Dr. Eddie will make the visit depends on Ms. Dawson¡¯s wishes. ¡°What?¡± Susan was taken aback. Originally, Ste wasn¡¯t involved, so she had secretly contacted Eddie, thinking that avoiding Ste might leave some hope. But she hadn¡¯t expected this oue. From what the assistant implied, it seemned Eddie and Ste were really close¡­ ¡°Why does it depend on her wishes? Dr. Eddie¡¯s medical skills are unmatched. He saves lives¨Cdoes he really need someone else¡¯s permission?¡± Susan¡¯s emotions were on the brink of copse. Saying it depended on Ste¡¯s wishes felt like a death sentence for Lillian. Ste wouldn¡¯t save Lillian; her stance was too firm, and there was no hope left. ¡°Madam Susan, I¡¯ve conveyed Dr. Eddie¡¯s message. You¡¯ll need to work things out through Ms. Dawson.¡± With that, the assistant hung up. Susan was ready to explode! She looked at Jonathan, shaking, ¡°Eddie and Ste are really close Jonathan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How many people does this Ste know These weren¡¯t just ordinary people, and yet, she seemed to know them all. ¡°Call Ethan. You call Ethan. Susan trembled as she spoke. The thought of relying on Ste¡¯s decision for this oue was driving her mad. Why did it depend on Ste¡¯s wishes? Who the hell is she to all these people? Susan was furious. Madeline had warned Susan just the night before. But Susan had no choice but to ask Jonathan to call Ethan. At this moment. Ethan was standing outside Ste¡¯s studio. When he answered Jonathan¡¯s call and heard the situation, disbelief flooded his expression. ¡°Eddie really knows her well?¡± ¡°Absolutely. We¡¯ve been told that whether Eddie will treat Lillian depends entirely on Ste¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°They said it that directly?¡± ¡°Yes. Ethan¡¯s face grew darker. Jonathan said, ¡°What do you think their rtionship is? Why does Eddie need to care about her decision?¡± The fact that it depended on Ste made it clear that their rtionship was far from simple. Ethan¡¯s expression grew even darker Eddie, and the man from Kingston Heights. Ste¡­ she¡­. The rage in Ethan¡¯s chestpletely drowned out his rationality. His mind raced with the words people had said before, how Ste could never be without him. But now, thinking about her cold attitude toward him, Ethan¡¯s anger consumed him.pletely He suddenly couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Ste didn¡¯t love him. She didn¡¯t love him, and yet she had other men in her life. Chapter 79 You¡¯re A Slut?: ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was rough, as though it had been burned by the fire of his anger. +8 Pearls He lifted his head. Just then, he saw Ste getting out of an Aston Martin. She was talking to the driver in the car, smiling in a way that, in Ethan¡¯s eyes, seemed like pure ttery. The car then drove ofl. Ste turned and walked toward the building¡¯s entrance, and when she saw Ethan standing there, she paused. Ethan red at her, his eyes practically shooting fire. Ste, remembering the missed calls this morning, realized one of them must have been from him. ¡°Ste, are you a slut? How many men do you have?¡± He shouted, his voice booming. Ste, already irritated to see him, was instantly enraged by his outburst. She stepped forward and pped him hard across the face. ¡°What the hell do you care how many men I have?¡± Though it was after the peak hours of the workday, there were still people around. The sound of the p echoed through the TOO 1. Send Gifts 108 O The wrong girl 80 Ethan¡¯s face turned an rming shade of green with fury. He red at Ste, gritting his teeth. ¡°Ste!¡± ¡°Shout louder! Go ahead. Without hesitation, Ste pped him hard across the other side of his face, Ethan¡¯s anger boiled, but he couldn¡¯t even manage a sound. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t shouting anymore, Ste crossed her arms and looked at him with a steady gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Now, the whole of Rivermount knows we¡¯ve called off the engagement, and you stille looking for me? And why do you care about how many men I have? What does it matter to you? From here to Rome, there¡¯s no chance for you. What, do you want to eat me up or something?¡± Ethan¡¯s anger surged to a boiling point. Ste added, ¡°Besides, marriage is about freedom, right? What¡¯s all this? Just because we were engaged, does that mean I lose my right to choose freely?¡± She kept talking, and Ethan couldn¡¯t get a word in. She just wouldn¡¯t stop¡­ Wait, why does it feel like her lips were swollen? Ethan wasn¡¯t some naive young man a what had happened with her lips. anymore, and he immediately understood The fire in his eyes grew even more intense. ¡°How long have you been with that man? Did you sleep together? What did you do? Ste answered, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He was throwing filthy usations at her. Without a second thought, Ste kicked at Ethan. This time, Ethan was quick enough to dodge and didn¡¯t let her seed. Ten minutester. Ethan followed Ste into the studio, ncing around. He could immediately tell the studio had been running for a while. It was a sizable operation¨Cdefinitely more than just a small project. He hadn¡¯t expected this woman to have such connections behind the scenes. Seven million in one year?That isn¡¯t small change. Especially for someone in their early twenties like Ste. Kimmy poured Ethan a cup of coffee, sensing the tense atmosphere, and quickly excused herself. Now, it was just Ste and Ethan. She crossed her arms and looked at him, unbothered Ethan spoke up, ¡°This studio is closing down.¡± ¡°What? Closing down?¡± Ethan said, ¡°Cut ties with that man¡± ¡°What do you mean? Ste looked at him, confused by his words. ¡°I mean exactly what I said. Neither the Keene family nor the Reed family needs you or yourself.¡± out there trying to make a name for ¡°Close it down¡® Just so these two families can support me? 20 thousand a month? How generous. That 20 thousand might be enough in a smaller city. But Rivermount? It was a ce wherend was valuable, and everything. including prices, was high. Living frugally didn¡¯t even begin to cut it here. Ethan, now frustrated, lit a cigarette. Don¡¯tpare yourself to Lillian. Our personal issues have nothing to do with her 10:08 AM c through her. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you. You¡¯ll be Mrs. Keene.¡± Ste was stunned. Wait, what? is this guy out of his mind after taking two ps earlier? ¡°You¡¯ll marry me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always wanted?¡± +8 Pearls At that moment, Ethan cast aside all his doubts. There was a voice inside him saying that he needed to marry Ste. He had to marry her. Nothing could stand in their way. Ste hissed, ¡°I thought you were here to talk to me about Lillian.¡± Marriage? Is this guy for real? Ethan was speechless. The mention of ¡°Lillian¡® snapped him back to reality. Oh right, he was here to talk about Lillian. Eddie, Rianne¡­ These two were crucial to Lillian¡¯s situation, and it seemed like everything was in Ste¡¯s hands. Ethan gripped his cigarette harder. ¡°Eddie and Rianne, what will it take for them to join the medical team?¡± Ste smiled. There it was. Now, that is why he came to her. Ste took a sip of her water. ¡°You¡¯ve been threatening me all along, and now what is this?¡± Ethan remained silent. His eyes narrowed. He knew Ste was bringing up old issues. Ste said, ¡°First, you cut off my finances. Then, you made sure I couldn¡¯t find a job. Now let me guess, if you don¡¯t get what you want from me today, the next step is to use this studio to threaten me, right?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 81 +8 Pearls Chapter 81 Checkmate, Mr Keene Whether it was about Rianne or Eddie, truth be told, it should have been Ethan and the Reed family begging Ste all along. But the reality? These people were ying both good cop and bad cop with her. Ethan lifted his cold eyes and nced at her. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± Steughed, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already found out about my studio, I¡¯m sure you also know how much I earn annually? These people¡­ always trying to solve everything with money. If that was not enough, they even tried to threaten her with it. She thought back to how smug they were when they cut off her cards. The audacity of it all. Now? It was almostughable. Ethan¡¯s face darkened by the second. Ste met his gaze calmly. I make several hundred thousand a year, Mr. Keene. What can¡¯t I afford myself? And I¡¯m not some gold digger, chasing what¡¯s out of my reach. The money I earn is enough to handle every single mess in my life. So tell me, what do you think I need?¡± That sentence alone was enough to shut down anyone who thought money could solve everything. Including Ethan, who found himself utterly speechless. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Bring the two of them into her treatment team immediately, and I¡¯ll sever all ties with her. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s what I¡¯m after?¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. She set her water ss down, gaze cool. Listen to him. ¡°Is that what you want?. As if he was making some grand sacrifice in this matter. As if if she asked for more, she would be the one being greedy. She snorted. ¡°Even if I wanted something, it sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be you. You¡¯ve got a bad temper, treat me like crap, and you¡¯re clearly still hung up on someone else. I make several hundred thousand a year. What kind of man do you think I can¡¯t get? Why would I settle for you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ethan felt his brain go nk. A buzzing filled his skull. The veints in his temple pulsed furiously. Ethan had no memory of how he left her studi But the moment he stepped out, he called Jason. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes. Make her studio go bankrupt today.¡± Arrogant. Absolutely insufferable. The way she talked to him and that smug look on her face, if all came from that damn studio. She could earn her own money now? Fine. If her wings had grown, I¡¯ll be the one to break theme Jason¡¯s voice came through the line, cautious. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s¡­ not that easy ¡°What, it¡¯s difficult? Ethan¡¯s tone dropped a few degrees colder. Jason hesitated. ¡°Tye been on it all morning. Sent out several notices, but¡­ all the responses were the same. No one dares to end their coboration with her.¡± ¡°Dares not?¡± E Ethan¡¯s voice was like ice. Thepanies coborating with Ste were refusing to drop her? Could it be that man behind her was far m imagined! ¡°And Sterling Global, Jason added, ¡°was particrly brazen as far more powerful than uw be Chapter 81 Checkmate, Mr Keene They dared insult the Keene family to my face in Rivermount? Jason sighed. ¡°I think it¡¯s the handiwork of the man behind Ms. Dawson.¡± He did not need to say it. The facts were crystal clear now. First, the studio. Now, they could not even touch her studio. Who would believe there was not a man backing her? Ethan closed his eyes, trying to suppress the fire burning in his chest. Jason waited quietly for further instructions. ¡°What do we do next?¡± One thing was clear. They could no longer threaten Ste. After the call ended, Ethan sat silently in the car, mind in chaos. +8 Pearls A year ago, her studio had opened right under his nose. And yet, she had grown to a point where he could no longer control her. She was supposed to be his fianc¨¦e. But in the blink of an eye, with just a few words, she shattered everything between ihem. And the man behind her, who the hell was he? By noon. Tessa finally got to have lunch with Ste. She took one look at her and gasped, ¡°What¡¯s up with your lips? They¡¯re so swollen!¡± ¡°Bug bite, Ste replied tly. Everyone she met today had asked the same thing. Honestly? It was driving her mad. Send Gifts The wrong girl 82 Chapter 82 Battle Ready Tessa mumbled, ¡°What kind of bug is that aggressive?¡± Ste was silent. What kind? Not a question she could answer. Tessa nced at the stiff bodyguard standing not far away and could not help but cringe. ¡°Your brother really dotes on you, hub Just to make sure she did not eat unhealthy food, he sent someone to tail her. Ste rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s just a bit too controlling?¡± Tessa smirked, ¡°That kind of controlling brother? I¡¯ll take a dozen! Love that stuff.¡± Ste shot her a look. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. You actually want someone to keep tabs on you.¡± Most people fought tooth and nail for a little freedom from their families. Back in Falvaria, several of her girlfriends had rebelled exactly because their parents were too strict. But Tessa only shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. I¡¯ve raised myself my whole life. I want someone nagging me!¡± Ste¡¯s hand paused mid¨Cair, chopsticks in mid¨Creach. Her gaze softened with a hint of sorrow as she looked at her friend. Tessa¡¯s life¡­ started on hard mode. Ste had been abandoned by her nanny, sure, but the Dawson family, who took her in, had never treated her badly. But Tessa? Her father bailed the moment she was born. A textbook deadbeat. Her mother, too busy trying to make ends meet, left her with an aunt, sending only money each month. Even when her motherter made it big and became one of Rivermount¡¯s top businesswomen, she never really came back into Tessa¡¯s life. They still did not even live together. ¡°If you really had someone like that, you¡¯d just find them annoying. Ste tried tofort her. Tessa pouted. ¡°You just don¡¯t know how lucky you are.¡± But she let it go. ¡°What matters is I don¡¯t have to worry about you starving in the Reed family anymore.¡± Ste chuckled but did not bother responding about the Reeds.. Honestly, even thinking about them was exhausting. Words failed her when it came to describing their stupidity. ¡°How¡¯s your mom?¡± she asked instead. ¡°She¡¯s great. Too great, actually.¡± Tessa snorted. ¡°She¡¯s always busy making money, even though she already has piles of it. Honestly, with the way she hustles, it¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to bludgeon someone to death with cash¡± When it came to her mother, Tessa never quite knew what to say. It was not that there was no affection. Every month, her nother handed her a generous allowance. She was never stingy with money. But as forpany, for warmth and presence, those had never been part of the deal. ¡°Has she?¡± Ste asked with a half¨Csmile. ¡°Oh, probably. It feels like she¡¯s on some kind of mission. To surpass someone and crush them under her heel¡± Every time money came up,
  1. p. Tessa could sense a kind of hatred in her mother¡¯s tone.
Chapter 82 Battle Ready +8 Pearls anymore. ¡°Alright, enough of this depressing stuff. Let¡¯s talk about Ethan and the Reeds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s depressing too, Ste muttered. They were always themon thread in her most frustrating family conversations. Tessa stuffed a nd mushroom into her mouth and sighed. Way too light on vor. For someone used to spice, this was practically tasteless. Tm just saying Jonathan is a schemer. And Ethan? He¡¯s brainless when ites to Lilian. They¡¯re definitely going to mess with your studio.¡± She was not worried about open conflict. Ste had her powerful brother behind her, after all. But those two liked to pull dirty tricks in the dark. Especially Lilian. A maniptive little snake who knew how to sweet¨Ctalk. and scheme behind the scenes.. Ste gave her a nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m ready for anything. Whether theye at me in the open or from the shadows.¡± Let theme. I¡¯ll dismantle every move they made. And in the end? The one getting burned would never be me Tessa rxed at that The other side was clearly getting desperate, and they would resort to anything. But Ste? She was ready and waiting. If they darede for her, she would make sure they fell right into their own trap. ¡°Good,¡± Tessa said, nodding. Just say the word if you ever need help from me. I¡¯m not scared of them.¡± Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 83 Chapter 83 The Sis¨CCon? Though the Keene family reigned as Rivermount¡¯s most powerful n, Tessa had been spoiled by her mother to the point where she feared nothing and no one. Her mother rarely spent time with her, but if anyone dared toin about Tessa¡¯s behavior, Diana would simply say, ¡°She already did it. What do you expect me to do?¡± In short, when her daughter was doing fine, she turned a blind eye. But when trouble came knocking, she fought back hard A textbook feral mom. Ste chuckled, ¡°Alright then.¡± Lunch ended. As the two of them prepared to leave, the driver who had been waiting nearby stepped forward and said, ¡°Ms. Dawson, Mr. Abraham is waiting outside for you.¡± Tessa raised a brow and turned to Ste with a smirk. ¡°He really is a sis¨Ccon, huh? Does he even monitor how much you Hearing that, a few scenes shed naturally through Ste¡¯s mind. Every time she had dinner out, Abraham would call just to tell her to stop eating Most people worried their kids did not eat enough. He worried she had eaten too much. Ste stayed quiet, and Tessa twitched at the corners of her lips. ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. Seriously. Tessa¡¯s eyes lit up with envy. I wouldn¡¯t mind having a hundred brothers like that.¡± Ste was speechless. eat?¡± A hundred? You might as well go teach first grade. Open your eyes, and beom, a thousand questions are thrown at you. Your brain would fry from overload. Ste got into the car. That familiar air of elegance surrounded her as she nervously nced at Abraham. ¡°You came here just to pick me up?¡± Abraham: ¡°Have you caten?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ste answered softly. ¡°Then shall we head back?¡± As soon as he said it, he scooped her straight into hisp. Ste stiffened instantly. She was grown now, and having him carry her like this just felt¡­ wrong. Especially afterst night, now she was even more tense. His calloused thumb brushed over her lips. ¡°They¡¯re getting even more swollen. That bug bite really did a number on you?¡± Her mind went nk. For some reason, it felt like there was a hidden meaning in his words. But his eyes betrayed nothing. and she did not dare guess too much. Her breathing quickened as she gave a small, awkward nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ it was intense.¡± She had nearly stopped breathing at the time. Of course it was intense Her cheeks flushed uncontroble Chapter 83 The Sis Con? +8 Pearls It did not even break skin. What should I say at the pharmacy? ¡°Uh, hi, I got my lips swollen from being kissed.¡± What kind of medicine would you even buy for that? ¡°Um. can I sit properly, please?¡± she stammered. If he truly saw her as just a little sister, he ought to maintain some boundaries. Otherwise, when he had a girlfriend someday, things would get awkward. Just thinking about Abraham with another woman made her chest tighten ufortably. Abraham: ¡°Hmm?¡± He looked at her, feigning innocence, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he watched her fluster. Ste¡¯s voice was light, ¡°It¡¯s just this kind of contact isn¡¯t right. What if the person you like finds out? It wouldn¡¯t look Abraham shot her a yful stare. ¡°Why not?¡± Serious Seriously? Has he pretending not to get it, or did he really not get good.¡± ¡°You know there is a saying about how ¡®a grown girl should keep distance from her father, right?¡± Ste tried to reason with him. Abraham continued smirking. ¡®Am I your dad?¡± Ste choked on his words. No! That¡¯s not the point at all! Argh¡­. Ste took a deep breath and exined. ¡°This has nothing to do with being a dad or not. Just.. once you grow up, unless it¡¯s your partner, you shouldn¡¯t be too close to the opposite sex. You taught me that yourself.¡± Yes. Abraham had taught her all these things growing up. In raising her, he had practically yed the role of both father and mother. Even with her biological mother in the picture, he never trusted herpletely and insisted on drilling these principles into her himself. Those words made a smile tug deeper at Abraham¡¯s lips. ¡°So you¡¯ll always listen to me?¡± ¡°I do. Always.¡± She nodded like a pecking chick Watching her obedient little act, he reached out to rule her bun gently. ¡°The Reed family reached out to Eddie¡¯s assistant. They want him to treat Lilian. What do you say?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± She did not even hesitate. They had dared to go around her back to contact Eddie. If he really treated that woman, they would start iming she was jealous,cking kindness, standing in the way of a healer¡¯spassion¡­ No matter what she did, she would be the viin. Send Gifts The wrong girl 84 Chapter 84 His Little Princess There were so many expert doctors in the world, especially in cardiology and obstetrics. After that firm response, Ste looked to Abraham again. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m heartless Abraham shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I never asked you to be charitable.¡± +8 Pearls Ste fell into deep thoughts. Over the years, Abraham and Marie had taught her everything except how to be gentle or kind. Especially after she was kidnapped when she was thirteen. From then on, the principle they drilled into her was ¡®If you ever feel your life is in danger, do everything you can to eliminate the threat first.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t be doing any good deeds, Ste mumbled. Seeing her petty little expression, Abraham¡¯s eyes gleamed with even more indulgence. And inst I just like that, she stayed seated on hisp all the way back to Verdant Vi. When they arrived, he still tried to carry her out of the car, just like when she was a child. Every time they left or returned home, he would hold her like this. ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± she protested, struggling to get down. But her limbs were soft like noodles, and Abraham pinched her underarms. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Be good.¡± Abel, who was following behind, softened at the unusually gentle tone in Abraham¡¯s voice. If they had not found her in time, he really feared Abraham would lose his mind. Thankfully, they had found her. Inside the house, Abraham finally set her down. ¡°You¡¯re not going to the studio this afternoon, are you?¡± ¡°But I want to!¡± she pouted. Like he would let me go to work after just getting back? He had not takerne to the studio just now, and now he was pretending to ask for my opinion Watching her sulky face, Abraham tapped her forehead. ¡°Go take a nap. Abel and I will be in the study.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Ste turned and bounded happily upstairs. Watching her energetic little figure, Abraham¡¯s eyes softened even more.. In the study with Abel¡­. Abel looked at Abraham. ¡°She¡¯s be a lot stronger these past few years.¡± The most vivid memory he had of Ste was her tear-streaked face the year she was kidnapped. Abraham nodded. ¡°Stronger, yes. And not as soft¨Chearted as before.¡± Abel meant no offense. He had served beside Abraham for years and knew that kindness was a liability in the Dawson and Luke families Abraham lit a cigarette, taking a slow drag ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of person she bes, as long as she can protect herself.¡± When it came to Lilian, most people would call Ste cruel and heartless. But in his eyes, she had done well. Because if she did not refuse to help, he would have made sure Lilian never walked away alive. Better to let Heaven take her than to stain his hands again. Abel blinked in summe But after mustment he nodded. ¡°Understand¡± Chapter 84 His Little Princess +8 Pearls the years she had run away from home¡­ When they reunited, he saw something new in her eyes¡­ A hint of coldness. And that coldness? It all began warmth that once lived in hth the Tom family. Then came the Reed family and Ethan of Rivermount, grinding away the To Abraham, that was a good thing. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± he asked next. Abel answered respectfully, ¡°We¡¯ve looked into it. It has nothing to do with Louis¡­ Actually, the Lloyd family may be involved.¡± A chill shed in Abel¡¯s gaze. Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Lloyd family?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Abraham¡¯s entire presence turned icy. Then keep a close watch on Dante¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After a pause, Abel asked hesitantly, ¡°About the Reed family and Ethan¡­ You really don¡¯t want to intervene for Ms. Dawson?¡± ¡°Right now, they need Eddie and Rianne, and they still need her to say yes. Let her y with them a while longer y? From the way he said it, Abel could tell Abraham was indulging Stepletely. And honestly, it made sense. Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 85 Chapter 85 It Was Still for Lilian Back before they came to Rivermount, none of those people had been able toy a finger on her. Note that they were so close, how could he let anything happen to her under his watch? With that thought, Abel stopped speaking. Ste had originally nned to take a nap, but then her phone kept ringing with one call after another from the studio. During the day, it was not appropriate to silence her phone. After answering Kimmy¡¯s call, another unfamiliar number from Susan came through. On the phone, Susan was crying so hard she could hardly catch her breath. ¡°Ste, I beg you, please, can you ask Rianne and Eddie toe to the hospital?¡± Ste was silent. Susan¡¯s cries pierced through the phone. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Please don¡¯t hate your sister. I wanted to teach you well, but you¡¯re so stubborn, I¡­ I just¡­¡± What was she trying to say? Susan stuttered, unsure how to continue as she struggled to find the right words. Ste spoke up, her voice cold. Tm the one with a bad temper? Stubborn?¡± ¡°Ste, L¡± Susan could not finish. She clearly did not know what to say next, given that what she truly cared about was getting Rianne and Eddie to help Lilian. After everything, it was still for Lilian, and she had swallowed all her pride just for that Ste¡¯s voice was sharp: ¡°Madam Susan, ever since you found me, I¡¯ve been at the hospital for two months, and I¡¯ve barely spent a month at the Reed mansion. Within that month when I was there, you and Mr. Patrick were almost always out socializing. So, how did you know I had a bad temper and was so stubborn?¡± Each word was like a de cutting through her. Susan was left speechless. How did i know? Ste pressed further. ¡°Do you remember the first time you came after me?¡± Susan faltered. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°It was because Lilian had a cut on her wrist. Do you remember what she said to you?¡± Ste said in a calm voice. Susan fell silent. Ste continued, ¡°She said, ¡®It¡¯s not Ste¡¯s fault; don¡¯t me her. And then youshed out at Years had passed, but as Ste recounted these details, Susan still remembered them as if it had just happened. The details matched perfectly, yet hearing it from Ste¡¯s mouth, something felt off. And then, a suffocating feeling crept in. Ste¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Did you see me push her?¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught. Ste¡¯s tone was sharp, colder than ever. ¡°You didn¡¯t see me push her. You didn¡¯t even know if her injury was caused by me So why did you assume it?¡± Chapter 85 It Was Still for Lilian Ste¡¯s words hit harder. ¡°Do you remember how many times Lilian said. It¡¯s not Ste¡¯s fault it¡¯s: did she say that?¡± Susan¡¯s breathing grew heavier. -S.Pearls How many times Ste¡¯s voice remained cold. You re not even sure yourself, are you? But remember this. Every time she said that, what did you do to me?¡± Her words were quiet, but they weighed heavily on Susan¡¯s heart. What did she do? She had yelled at Ste, med her again and again, saying that she was unable to ept Lilian ¡°Can we stop talking about this now? Ste, she¡¯s in so much pain. You didn¡¯t see her throw up after she came out of the emergency room today. She couldn¡¯t even drink water.¡± Susan begged, her voice trembling Ste remained silent. ¡°Please, just help treat her. How much do I owe you? I¡¯ll repay you okay Every word out of Susan¡¯s mouth dripped with a desperate plea She wasn¡¯t even pretending anymore. First, she wanted me to treat Lilian, and then only well talk about the debt she owed Ste¡¯s voice was biting: ¡°Madam Susan, have you forgotten? My life is yours; how could you possibly owe me anything? These were the words Susan had said to her before. Back then, Susan had been so forceful, using both soft and hard tactics just for Lilian. A cold smile curled on Ste¡¯s lips. ¡°And now, you know you can¡¯t block my path anymore, even if you cut off my financial support and make sure nopany hires me. So now, you¡¯re begging me?¡± The phone went silent, only the sound of Susan¡¯s increasingly desperate breathing filling the space. At that moment, standing at the far end of the hospital corridor, Susan felt her blood surge violently in reverse the instant she heard Ste¡¯s words. It was an unstoppable rush that left her breathless Send Gifts The wrong girl 86 Chapter 86 Desperation Has No Leverage On the other end of the line. Steughed coldly when Susan did not reply. You want to make up for what you did? If Lilian really gets better. then that¡¯s when you¡¯lle to settle the score with me, right?¡± She knew these people all too well. After all, it was not the first time they had tried to make her responsible for everything concerning Lilian Lilian certainly had some skills. Even while abroad, these people would stille after her because of Lilian It always came back to the same phrase. It¡¯s not Ste¡¯s fault: it¡¯s my fault¡± What did she mean by it¡¯s not Ste¡¯s fault? As if it was just her fault. But as long as she said it, these people would always assume it was Ste who could not ept Lilian, and they woulde after her. Susan became frantic. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m truly apologizing now.¡± Ste¡¯s voice was cutting: ¡°What do you mean? What you did for Lilian was always sincere, right?¡± Susan froze. When she heard Ste¡¯s words, she became even more anxious. She hadpletely forgotten about the maniptive remarks Ste had made carlier. All she remembered now was that- Ste still refused to agree. She refused to let Rianne and Eddie treat Lilian. Then what do you want?¡± Susan¡¯s voice began to break, a sense of panic creeping in. Ste¡¯s voice was emotionless: ¡°She died her own death, and I live my life. What can I do to her?¡± Then, she hung up the phone, leaving Susan to feel the weight of her coldness. Ste, now thoroughly frustrated, was about to leave the room when a knock came at the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and Abraham stepped in, his tall, refined figure filling the doorway. He was already dressed in his coat, obviously preparing to go out. ¡°You didn¡¯t take a nap!¡± he asked, furrowing his brow. Ste nodded v ¡°Are you going out?¡± she asked, curious. Abraham gave a small nod. ¡°I need to step out for a a bit. I should be back in time for dinner. Be good and take a nap. When Ste heard he would be back for dinner, her mood lightened instantly, shaking off the frustration from the phone call It didn¡¯t matter. Those people weren¡¯t important. Why should I be upset over them? With that thought, she felt much better. Abraham talked to her a bit more before leaving Meanwhile, in the hospital corridor, Susan was still seething with anger, barely recovering after several minutes. She was about to head back to the ward when she bumped into Ethan. Seeing him, Susan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Ethan, Lilian¡¯s in so much pain.¡± she said, her voice full of worry. Chapter 86 Desperation Has No Leverage +8 Pearls So every time she saw Lilian in unbearable agony, Susan only grew more determined to bring Rianne and Eddie into her treatment n Ethan sighed, a bit helpless. ¡°I know.¡± Given all her conditions, how could she not be in pain? She was undoubtedly suffering. Susan¡¯s worry did not subside. ¡°We need to get Eddie and Rianne to treat her. I¡¯m really worried she won¡¯t make it through.¡± She was terrified that Lilian would not survive the pain. Ethan replied, ¡°If they join, their treatments would likely be simr.¡± He did not see why Lilian should be free of all pain at this point. The reality was that her condition was already critical. Susan shook her head. ¡°No, they¡¯re more skilled; their reputations are excellent. They¡¯ll ease her pain for sure. Ethan, please, you have to find a way. Ste¡¯s heartless. No matter what I say, she won¡¯t agree.¡± Her frustration was palpable. When Ethan heard the mention of Ste, his gaze darkened. He did not respond immediately, but as Susan continued to speak, he tuned out her words. ¡°Ethan? Ethan?¡± Realizing something was off, Susan looked at him and saw him lost in thought. Send Gifts 108 10:09 AM c The wrong girl 87 Chapter 87 Ghost from the Crash Ethan was called several times before he finally snapped out of his daze, ¡°We¡¯ll still need to find a way to bring Rianne and Eddie back. You know it too. Lilian¡¯s body can¡¯t handle the current treatment n. It¡¯s just too painful. She can¡¯t bear it!¡± The moment Susan mentioned Lilian¡¯s suffering, her voice trembled, choked with tears. Ethan could only nod. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go check on Lilian first.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Susan nodded as well, her brows furrowed with irrepressible worry. Ethan turned and began walking toward the hospital room. Susan hesitated for a moment, then followed, still muttering about Eddie and Rianne as she caught up. At the same time, inside the room. Liliany weak and pale. Her eyesnded on her phone screen, where an unfamiliar number was shing. Her heart gave a sudden, involuntary jolt. She turned to the caretaker beside her. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Lilian.¡± The caretaker stopped massaging her legs, stood up, and left respectfully. Once alone, Lilian finally picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A deep, masculine voice came through the phone. It was mature and familiar. It had been nearly three years. This man had vanishedpletely since that car ident. Now, hearing his voice again made Lilian¡¯s heart clench violently. ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± she demanded. What happened between them had ended years ago. Cleanly, with money exchanged and no strings left behind. nly mean trouble. But now, this call, it could only Sure enough, the man¡¯s next words confirmed her worst fears. ¡°I need money. ¡°What do you mean? We agreed back then. I gave you 700,000 dors. You were supposed to leave the country and nevere back!¡± Lilian¡¯s voice trembled with restrained fury. That man said, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her voice spiked. ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡± He was back and contacting her. Only a fool would not realize what that meant. Lilian¡¯s already pale face lost thest trace of color. ¡°What do you want?¡± That man exined, ¡°My mother just passed away. My daughter¡¯s seriously ill. We can¡¯t afford life abroad anymore. It¡¯s too expensive? Those words were clearly a an excuse And now his daughter was sick too. The message was obvious. He wanted money. Chapter 87 Ghost from the Crash +8 Pearls If he went to Ste, that meant exposing the evidence of the car ident. And once that happened, both the Reed family and Ethan would learn the truth about her. ¡°You¡¯re threatening me?¡± Lilian¡¯s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. Yes, indeed. He was threatening her. Not only that. He had clearlye prepared. He knew what she cared about and who she feared. ¡°I didn¡¯t want it toe to this,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be someone without integrity. Lilian almost screamed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked for 700,000 dors! I didn¡¯t even bargain with you!¡± That talk of ¡®integrity¡® was thest straw. But the man remained unmoved. ¡°I really have no other way.¡± Lilian shut her eyes tightly, No other way! Who has a way? money she had once had from the Reed Thest two years, her own expenses abroad had drained her savings. Most of the m family was gone. Now, with the Reed family covering her treatment, she was not spending much, so they had stopped giving her extra funds. ¡°You say you¡¯re out of options, but whye to me? What do you want from me? I don¡¯t owe you anything!¡± Lilian shouted furiously. She was certain now that he was extorting her. But even in the face of her hysteria, the man¡¯s tone remained calm and firm. 140,000 dors. Lilian exploded. ¡°Where the hell would I get 140,000 dors?! Are you insane!¡± e was going to lose it. She wanted to rip him apart. She was ir real ¡°Ms. Lilian, I know exactly what kind of position you hold in the Reed family now. You¡¯re even more respected than their daughter¡± Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 88 hapter 88 Caught in the Act, Almost! Lilian froze. Her fingers tightened around the phone until her knuckles turned white. ¡°You¡¯re ckmailing me.¡± I just need the money. No need to make this sound so ugly, Ms, Lilian. The man said. She closed her eyes, barely restraining the violence rising in her. +8 Pearls Outside the room, Ethan and Susan had already arrived. Suddenly remembering something. Susan said, ¡°Oh, just now Lilian said she wanted soup from Maison du Crabe. Ethan, you go in first. I¡¯ll have someone feich it. Alright.¡± Ethan nodded. As he reached out and cracked the door open, he heard a shout from inside. ¡°Fine! Then you¡¯ll go to jail too!¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened instantly. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The moment the door turned, Lilian felt it. She looked back, and Ethan was standing right there. Their eyes met. Her pupils constricted. Her heart clenched painfully. Her mind raced, and before she could think too much, she immediately hung up. Ethan frowned. There was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s going to jail?¡± He had clearly heard it. Lilian¡¯s breath caught. ¡°Ah.. so you heard.¡± ¡°Lilian?¡± Ethan stared at her. ¡°It was just a scam call. I told him to stop, or he¡¯d end up in prison. What else could it be?¡± She feigned calm, but inside she was spiraling. That incident from back then must never be exposed. Not to Ethan and not to the Reed family. If they find out I¡¯m finished. ¡°Is that so?¡± Ethan studied her intently, his gaze unreadable. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°What else do you think it could be?¡± He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. ¡°Nothing.¡± But in the moment she could not see his eyes sh with something deep and dark, Their phones had special filters. Scam calls were not supposed to get through¡­ ¡°Ethan, when can I be discharged? Lilian wrapped her arms around his slim waist, her voice filled with longing. She truly wanted to leave the hospital. Several of her friends had already asked if Eshan really bought the Verdant Vi for her. Their voices had been full of envy. 10.09 AM Chapter 88 Caught in the Act, Almost! +8 Pearls But at this moment, the second she hugged his waist, Ethan¡¯s body stiffened. He did not know why, but a strange resistance surged in his heart. ¡°Soon,¡± he replied. He gently removed her hands from around him. She did not notice his change. Still pitifully, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make things hard for you. But the smell of disinfectant here is really unbearable.¡± Ethan nodded. I know.¡± But Verdant Vi. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. The owner was not willing to sell, rent, or even lend it out. Nothing. No room for negotiation. ¡°Also. I want to see Ste¡± Lilian said softly. Ethan frowned. ¡°Why?¡± Whenever Lilian mentioned Ste, it reminded him of how he and Jason had run into her there What was she doing at Verdant Vi? Could she be connected to the owner ¡°She¡¯s been making a fuss because of me. She even hit Jonathan. I want to exin things clearly¡­ otherwise, none of you will have peace. Ethan rejected. ¡°Don¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°No, I must. Lilian was firm. ¡°Mom won¡¯t let me either, but I know she¡¯s making life hard for all of you, And it¡¯s all because of me. Ethan. can you bring her here? I want to talk to her properly. And that studio of hers. I¡¯m worried she¡¯s using improper means tond her deals. ¡°She¡¯s Mom¡¯s real daughter. Her life has been ruined because of me. I don¡¯t want to watch her spiral downward,¡± Every word was filled with guilt and sincerity. Ethan sighed. ¡°You care about her.. But she won¡¯t talk to you nicely The wrong girl 89 Chapter 89 y Along, Crush Later. Lilian said. ¡°No matter if she¡¯ll talk to me nicely or not, I still want to try. Can¡¯t I at least do that?¡± Ethan fell silent Seeing Lilian like this, all the rejections he had prepared were swallowed back down. Fine.¡± Even if he stopped Lilian, she would never give it up anyway. But Ste. With the way she was now, cold, unreachable, and utterly resistant, what was the point of seeing her? +8 Pearls. Ste had not nned to go into the studio that afternoon. But one call from Kimmy, and she was there. After holding an emergency meeting, it was nearly 6 p.m. by the time they wrapped up. She remembered that Abraham had said he would be home for dinner tonight. She did not want to keep him waiting She instructed Kimmy, ¡°Keep an eye on things here. If they workte, order food for everyone. Get something from Maison du Crabe. ¡°W¨CWhere?¡± Kimmy blinked, thinking she had misheard. ¡°Maison du Crabe, Ste repeated. Kimmy panicked. ¡°There are a lot of people here, boss, It¡¯s going to be expensive. There¡¯s no need to go all out, I¡­¡± ¡°Tell the restaurant to put it on my tab. Then, Ste rushed off. Kimmy¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Thank you, boss?¡± Maison du Crabe. She loved their buns, but they were so expensive. Since the boss said so, tonight she was getting two baskets. As soon as Ste stepped into the elevator, Kimmy turned to the office floorand yelled, ¡°Guys! Let¡¯s push hard tonight. Boss is ordering Maison du Crabe for dinner!¡± The second ¡®Maison du ¨² Crabe came out of her mouth, and everyone¡¯s eyes lit up, That famous luxurious restaurant? Almost no one could afford it usually. First expensive staff benefits, now dinner from Maison du Crabe? Everyone suddenly found a burst of energy and threw themselves into work. Just as Ste came downstairs and stepped our of the elevator, she ran right into Ethan She froze for a second, then walked past him like he was invisible. Ethan¡¯s anger shot up to his scalp when she did not even spare him a word. He reached out and grabbed her slim wrist.. Again with the wrist grabbing Disgust flickered inly in Ste¡¯s eyes. Without a word, she kicked him. Clean and fast. 10:09 AM Chapter 89 y Along, Crush Later ¡°Still not letting go!¡± Ste¡¯s voice was cold. You are you even a woman?¡± Ethan spat. +8 Pearls Damn it. With her temperament, how could Rianne and that man from Kingston Heights possibly like her? All the gentle, soft women in the world, and they choose her? How strange. But why did it bother me so much that she had other men around hert Ste gave a a mockingugh. ¡°Whether I¡¯m a woman or not, you won¡¯t get the chance to find out anyway, so why worry?¡± ¡°You.¡± Ethan choked. The words rang in Ethan¡¯s head like a p. This woman! He did not even know what to say anymore. His pride was bruised beyond repair. He stood straight with effort. ¡°Come with me to the hospital.¡± His knee ached. This damn woman, how could she kick that hard? It felt cracked. ¡°What for?¡± Ste asked, eyes narrowing. ¡°Lilian wants to see you,¡± he re replied. ¡°She wants to see me? Ste mised her brows. Ethan nodded. ¡°She said it¡¯s something important.¡± Without another word, Ste kicked him again. Harder this time. Ethan gave a low groan, nearly buckling Important, my ass. What could I and Lilian possibly have to talk about? Clearly, that woman hadn¡¯t learned her lesson from those three cancers. Maybe heaven hadn¡¯t panished her enough. But if the wanted to start something? Fine. I¡¯ll y along With that thought, Ste decided to y along to see what Lilian was up to. ¡°Wait I need to make a call.¡± Ethan asked, instinctively, ¡°To whom?¡± ¡°To my darling, of course, I need to let him know my schedule. What, is that a problem?¡± Ethan nearly choked on his own blood. ¡°You..!¡± She shook him off and walked to the side to call Abraham He picked up almost instantly. His warm voice came through. ¡°Done with work?¡± Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 90 Chapter 90 Jealous? Not Even Close Ste¡¯s voice that bored?¡± Abraham chuckled. Ste muttered, ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving for Falvaria soon. Gotta make sure I wrap things up nice and bloody.¡± Then she hung up. She had to deal with the Reed family one way or another, especially Lilian Best case? The woman drops dead from her illness before Ste leaves. If not? She would personally throw her into prison. Just as she turned around, her phone rang again. It was Tessa Ste answered. ¡°Tess¡± Tessa sounded excited. ¡°I found a piece of jade I like. Sending you a pic. Take a look for me?¡± ¡°Not right now. Send it over, and I¡¯ll check in a bit. Ste too, voice What a tenacious little lotus.¡± Ste scoffed. Tell me about it. I¡¯m going to see if she¡¯s really sick.¡± Tessa warned, ¡°You better. Don¡¯t let her fake an illness and trap you with some emotional ckmail¡± ¡°Got it¡± She hung up. in the distance, Ethan was limping toward her, clearly impatient. He looked pitiful. Honestly, she could have kicked harder. ¡°Finished your call?¡± His voice was sharp. Ste tucked her phone away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She figured half an hour was enough. What she did not expect was how far the hospital was. It took forty minutes just to get there. In the hospital room, Ste sat with her legs crossed, casually filing her nails. She had broken one while hitting Sharon and had not had time to fix it. Lilian stared at her, hatred boiling under her calm surface. How could she sit there looking so indifferent? She turned to Ethan. ¡°Ethan, could you step outside? I need a moment with Ste.¡± Ethan hesitated. With Ste¡¯s history, like the time she attacked Lilian in front of the Keene Group¡¯s building, he was not confident about leaving. But Lilian insisted. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Chapter 90 Jealous? Not Even Close +8 Pearls If Lilian was asking for it, cancer or not, s or not, she would serve it up. The word ¡®tolerance¡® had long been erased from her dictionary. She had suffered enough under the Tom family¡¯s threats back in Falvaria. Now that the Reed family could not touch Abraham? Why should she put up with anything? ¡°You¡­!¡± Ethan was seething. Lilian gently cut in, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ethan. Don¡¯t judge Ste so harshly. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Even as she spoke, her voice sweet, she was reveling in his concern. Ethan gave onest reluctant nod and stepped out but did not go far. He stood just outside the door, ready to rush in at any sound. Once it was just the two of them, Ste did not even nce at Lilian. Seeing her so dismissive only made Lilian angrier. Lilian purposely brought up. ¡°Ethan¡¯s buying Verdant Vi for me. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already talked about this on the phone,¡± Ste repliedzily. ¡°I told you, you won¡¯t get to live there.¡± Lilian¡¯s voice was already bought. Just waiting to finalize things. Soon, I¡¯ll be moving in to recover.¡± Ste raised a brow. That¡¯s what he told you?¡± Bought it? Ha. Ethan was clearly just trying to pacify her. Lilian nodded smugly. Jealous?¡± Ste rolled her eyes. ¡°Wow, congrattions. Let me know when you¡¯re moving in. Throw a party, yeah? Don¡¯t forget to invite
  1. me.
¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be invited, Lilian said with a sweet smile. ¡°Within half a month, I¡¯ll be living there.¡± Verdant Vi A prime piece of real estate every wealthy family in the city had tried to buy for years. And now? They were all scrambling to find out who the mysterious owner was, hoping to marry their daughters into that power. Send Gifts The wrong girl 91 Chapter 91 The Argument. It was at this moment that Lillian was certain that she was going to live there, and she would be thedy of the house. And so, she would be the object of envy of all women in the entire Rivermount. ¡°Ste, I remember I told you to leave Rivermount. Everything here doesn¡¯t belong to you: Lillian spoke word by word, her tone full of triumph and satisfaction. Ste remembered her saying something simr when she returned here ¨C Lillian telling her to leave Rivermount, insisting that everything here didn¡¯t belong to her, and the Reed family wasn¡¯t the ce she should return to, even while she was still lying ill in bed. Ste smirked, ¡°You are quite arrogant, aren¡¯t you?¡± For an adopted daughter to be this overbearing ¨C it was trulyughable. Lillian said, ¡°Well, have you made up your mind to leave?¡± ¡°Leave? Do you think I, Ste, would be intimidated by you? Still trying to threaten me over here? Howughable!¡± Ste replied. Lillian said. ¡°I knew it, you have your workshop here, and you can earn up to 980,000 dors annually. But rest assured, that ce would not exist anymore soon.¡± As she spoke, the smugness in her tone grew stronger. On the other hand, a coldness crept deep in Ste¡¯s eyes as she said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lillian continued. Jonathan and Ethan have teamed up. Are you aware of it? They want to shut down your studio. Ste felt unsurprised by this news. When Ethan and Jonathan became aware of her studio, they were sure to sabotage it behind the scenes, Ste was fully expecting it. But now hearing her in her embellishing tone, she sneered; the chill in her eyes deepened. Lillian said, ¡°Your dearest family never epted you, and Ethan never treated you sincerely either.¡± ¡°Ste, it has been some time since you returned to Rivermount. You have nothing over here. Why insist on staying here and making things hard for yourself? Leaving here soon would do everybody good Ste replied, ¡°You¡¯re that eager to see me leave?¡± Arching her brows, Ste cast her gaze at her as she stopped filing her nails¨CLillian¡¯s gaze was more profound than ever. Seeing her try so hard to drive her away, Ste sneered, ¡°So desperate to drive me off, Lillian, let me guess you¡­. ¡°I have nothing to rush about,¡± Lillian interrupted Ste¡¯s words as her heart skipped a beat. She was feeling more guilty than ever If Ste were to get hold of it, things would get out of control. Lillian thought, In her lifted brows, Ste sneered, ¡°Is that so? You seem to be awfully anxious,¡± Lillian remained silent. It was true that she wanted Ste to leave Rivermount, the sooner the better. She couldn¡¯t let her stay here anymore. The man was back for her. If Ste were to get a hold on her, she was concerned that things might take an unexpected turn. She was also worried that the 140,000 dors this time was only the b the beginning. Thus, no matter what, Ste had to leave. +B Pearls Ste replied, ¡°Oh?¡± Lillian continued, ¡°With all that money, you could move to a small city in the third- or fourth¨Ctier region and live your own merry life without having to worry about food and shelter.¡± What she said was true. The money she gained from selling the house in Kingston Heights, plus what she earned, amounted to more than a million and 370 thousand dors. With this amount of money in a small city, it certainly would allow for a rxed and plentiful life. Ste refuted, ¡°But what do I do? I don¡¯t want to leave, yet you are trying to make me leave? I want to stay here and watch you die before I leave. So, when are you dying?¡± Using the cold, stiff face of the Dawson family to provoke me? Fine, let¡¯s see who gets provoked first. Ste thought. As expected, herstment sure hit her hard. Lillian was suffering from three kinds of serious illnesses. What she couldn¡¯t stand was anyone mentioning the word ¡®death¡® in front of her. In an instant. Lillian turned pale as she said, ¡°You¡­¡± Ste continued, ¡°Moving into Verdant Vi? Shutting down my studio? Sure, that¡¯s fine with me. But how about this¨CI¡¯ll leave after I¡¯ve closed my studio and raised a ss to your move into Verdant Vi¡± Fully pale and ashen, upon hearing her words, a glimmer lit up in Lillian¡¯s furious eyes as she said, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Have Ethan and Jonathan keep them up! You too!¡± Ste said. Good luck in shutting down my studio. Good luck in moving into Verdant Vi. But the thing is, Lillian will probably never get to move into that ce, not until she dies, Ste thought. Ste stood up as she watched Lillian lying ill and weak in her bed. She said, ¡°Do you still have any shows to put on? If not, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 92 Chapter 92 Stuck in the Police Station. ¡°If you still have anything left to say, hurry up. Stop rambling on about your nonsense. I would rather take action than waste my time talking nonsense!¡± Ste continued. Startled, Lillian said, ¡°You¡­ The word ¡®show hit her hard again. Her chest heaved in fury as she looked at Ste. She was about to say something, but she found it hard to catch her breath from the heaviness in her chest and could barely speak a word. As Ste watched Lillian pointing towards herself with her trembling finger, she asked, ¡°What is this drama? Lillian said furiously, ¡°You bitch!¡± It hurt. It really hurt. Ste watched as Lilian put on the show she had never known. Ignoring her, she turned away and said, ¡°Since you are done with your act, then I¡¯m leaving.¡± Abraham was still waiting for her to have dinner together, and she didn¡¯t want any Just as she was about to open the door, a loud ¡®thud echoed from behind. any dys. Ste turned around, only to see Lillian coughing up blood. She seemed to be coughing up a lot on the nket, and the sight was truly terrifying. A jolt shot through Ste¡¯s chest. Perhaps Lillian had put on so many acts in front of her. She thought that this was still an act put on by her. That being said, this act seemed too much. Before she could tell whether what she saw was real or just an act, she was suddenly knocked aside. As swift as the wind, Ethan rushed before Lillian as he called out. ¡°Lillian, Lillian.¡± His voice was full of panic. Susan then entered the ward. When she saw Lillian spitting blood and the horrifying sight of the bloodstained nket, she let a scream. ¡°Ah¨Cr out a ¡°Lillian, Lillian, what¡¯s wrong with you, Lillian? What have you done to her? Did you give her poison?¡± Susan asked. Noticing Ste¡¯s presence, Susan roared at her in fury. Ethan immediately pressed the call button by her bed as he looked at Ste with an icy expression. It was then that Ste fully realized what had happened. Soon after, doctors and nurses rushed into the ward; it was chaotic. Five minutester, Lillian was sent into the emergency room. Ethan and Susan were both left outside the emergency room Jonathan approached Ste as he asked, ¡°What have you done to her? Ste, what exactly have you done to her?¡± Susan also rushed forward in anger as she eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve told you. For the time being, we should prioritize her health condition. Why are you fighting for attention at a time like this?¡± At her height of irritation, Susan lifted her hand and was about tond a p on Ste¡¯s face. But instead, Ste raised her hand as she grabbed Susan¡¯s wrist and flung it aside. Susan stumbled onto her feet and fell right into Jonathan¡¯s arms. She was already fuming, and now the rage spread across her. entire body Pearls Over the past few days, a team of healthcare specialists had been taking care of her health. Upon hearing Susan¡¯s words, Ste asked coldly, ¡°Call the cops?¡± As she thought to herself, was she calling the police for the sake of Lillian? Although she never cared about Susan, nor did she expect any mother¡¯s love from her. But now, the fact that she was ready to call the police for Lillian¡¯s sake made Ste¡¯s gaze turn icy again. Susan growled, ¡°How vicious of you! I do not own a daughter like you.¡± She turned around and roared at Jonathan, who was holding her. ¡°Why are you still standing here? I told you to call the police. As Jonathan looked towards Ste, hesitation flickered in his eyes. But as it came to him that Lillian ended up in the emergency room because of her, he thought he ought to teach her a lesson. Atst, he took out his phone and called the police, reporting Ste for poisoning An hourter Abraham had just arrived at Verdant Vi. Before he could get out of his car, he received a phone call from Ste: ¡°Abraham. ask Abel toe and bail me out.¡± Startled, Abraham replied. ¡°Hmm?¡± only to hear her say, I¡¯ve been caught.¡± As her words fell, a chilling aura emanated from Abraham; even Abel in the driver¡¯s seat could feel his radiating chill. Abraham asked coldly, ¡°Where are you?¡± As Ste replied on the other side of the call, ¡°Central District Police Station.¡± After replying ¡°Alright, Abraham hung up the call as he said to Abel, ¡°Get to Central District Police Station within 10 minutes.¡± Abel was shocked, as he thought it would take at least half an hour lo reach there. Plus, it is peak hour now! But given this as an order from Abraham, he couldn¡¯t care less. Eventually, Abel took the side street that he hated most to cut down the time spent waiting at the traffic lights. He drove past the designated speed limit, and along the way, he could hear pedestrians cursing at him. The wrong girl 93 108 Chapter 93 Interrogation They finally arrived at the Central District Police Station within ten minutes. Ste was being interrogated. ¡°They reported you for poisoning. Which kind of poison did you use?¡± Ignoring them, Ste instead replied, Tm waiting for Abraham She was brought here for around twenty minutes. No matter how the officers interrogated her, Ste just replied steadily. ¡°Wait for Abraham.¡± This infuriated the officers so much that they mmed a pen on the table. ¡°Even if the president himself shows up, you have to talk. Waiting for Abraham? Enough of the crap, and talk now!¡± The officers roared. Upon speaking, the door of the interrogation room was mmed open. This huge sound frightened everyone inside, their hearts skipped a beat. As they gazed towards the door, the chief of the police and a man with a poised figure came into sight. Seeing that the chief had shown up himself, the two interrogators stared at each other, and they stood up with respect and said, ¡°Chief With a stern face, the chief looked at the interrogators and asked, ¡°Do you have the evidence with you? The interrogators remained silent; they were in the middle of the interrogation. Since someone had reported a case, it was natural for them to bring those involved back for questioning. The interrogators then replied, ¡°No.¡± The chief then questioned them. ¡°How could you arrest people without evidence?¡± The two interrogators froze as they replied, ¡°No, chief. We are just¡­ ¡°Just? Is this how I taught you to get your job done?¡± The chief went off on them without mercy. Three minutester, he turned around and looked at Abrahamn with full respect as he said, ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham scanned the room coldly as he came by Ste¡¯s side Ste stood up as he called out in a low voice, ¡°Abraham.¡± Abraham gave Ste a once¨Cover, and he asked, ¡°Did they give you a hard time?¡± The interrogators who were scolded could clearly feel the imposing aura of the man as they looked at him out of curiosity. Is he the Abraham that she had been saying to wait for? He sure looks like the president himself. The interrogators thought. Ste said, ¡°If youe a littleter, they will probably beat¨Cmic Both the chief and the interrogators were silenced for a moment. Upon hearing, they froze as they looked towards Ste, with the interrogators saying, ¡°Ms. Dawson, we didn¡¯t think about beating you.¡± Don¡¯t use us of anything we didn¡¯t do, the interrogators thought. Ste retorted, ¡°You then threw your pen at me.¡± The interrogators sank into silence again as they thought; they admitted mming the pen. Hold on, when the pen bounced earlier, it seemed tond on her With a cold expression, Abraham asked. ¡®Can we leave now?¡± The chief nodded and answered, ¡°Sure, please do The interrogator said, ¡°You can¡¯t. I am¡­ Without finishing his line, the chief interrupted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Abraham continued. ¡°I want the truth on this.¡± Of course, it had to be investigated. The chief replied, ¡°Yes, rest assured, we will get to the truth.¡± The interrogators thought, We have no idea who this person is, but even the higher¨Cups have made the call In the end. Abraham led Ste, and they left amid a diforting aura. As they got into the car, Abraham hugged Ste and put her on hisp.. The sudden feeling of weightlessness startled her as she held onto Abraham¡¯s neck instinctively and asked, ¡°Why are you. hugging me again?¡± Ste thought. This guy hugged me whenever he felt like it. Was that even appropriate? In a cold tone. Abraham asked, ¡°I thought you said you were going to have fun. This is what you mean by having fun?¡± He did not oppose her idea of having fun. But getting herself into trouble was something he didn¡¯t wish to see. Ste imed, ¡°It was just an ident.¡± Thinking that it was Lillian putting up an act, she never thought she would end up in the emergency room and cough up that much blood. At this rate, she might hot be able to make it out of the hospital by nightfall. The grip Abraham had on her waist stiffened as he asked, ¡°How many so¨Ccalled idents like this have urred during these years?¡± Ste was at a loss for words. Events like this had happened too many times. The moment something went wrong with Lillian, they woulde after her without any reasoning. At the hospital. Lillian was out of danger. She was wheeled to her ward, pale and ashen. Susan reached beside her and apologized, ¡°Lillian, I¡¯m sorry. How did I end up giving birth to such a thing?¡± The doctor followed behind as he said. ¡°We have also pumped Ms. Lillian¡¯s stomach, and the blood test shows that she is. indeed mildly poisoned. But she¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°Did she really poison her?¡± Susan asked. Knowing that there were traces of poison in Lillian¡¯s blood, Susan could no longer contain her already agitated emotions. Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 94 Chapter 94 Release The doctor nodded as he said, ¡°ording to her current condition, Ms. Lillian cannot endure such torment further; please take note of it Susan looked at Lillian¡¯s face as her sorrow deepened. The doctor then briefed a few things before leaving. Both Jonathan and Ethan looked worried as well. Susan¡¯s hand trembled as she held Lillian¡¯s, as if she were about to lose her. ¡°Lillian¡­¡± Susan said worriedly. ¡°Mum, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t me Star for this. Lillian replied. Susan then spoke anxiously, ¡°Why would you eat anything from her? How dare you, when you know that you are at odds with her?¡± Lillian replied, ¡°She¡¯s my younger sister. Ide I don¡¯t want to have doubts about her. She never mentioned what she ate. But without a doubt, her words earlier made Ethan and Jonathan firmly believe that Ste had poisoned her. Susan looked at Ethan and Jonathan as she said, ¡°It seems that Ste cannot stay at Rivermount anymore. What happens today nearly costs her life.¡± Speaking of this, Susan¡¯s tone was filled with hatred. Jonathan nodded as he said, ¡°I think so too.¡± Ethan had no objection as well. ¡°Mum, don¡¯t. Jonathan, don¡¯t listen to what Mum says. Star is already holding grudges towards you. If you were to do this, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t acknowledge you as her family.¡± Silence filled the air. Susan yelled, ¡°She never acknowledged us as her family!¡± When it came to the word ¡®acknowledge; Susan felt even more heartbroken. ¡°It costs us so much time and effort to bring her back. But she isn¡¯t willing to change herst name, and she never once called me her mother. Susan continued. It was one thing that she argued with Lillian. But before they turned against each other, Susan presumably thought that she treated Ste well. She held a surge of enthusiasm, but it never warmed Ste¡¯s heart, and she didn¡¯t even get her to call her mom in the end, not even once. Thinking of this, she felt extremely disappointed towards Ste. Facing Jonathan, she said in a forceful tone, ¡°Go ahead and get the things done; make sure Ste leaves Rivermount by tomorrow. If she stays here longer, Lillian¡¯s life is at stake.¡± Since Lillian¡¯s return, I¡¯ve tried to talk to her nicely, but what¡¯s with her attitude? Fine, I don¡¯t want to think about it anymore. When Lulian receives her treatment for the time being, we cannot afford to let Ste stay at Rivermount anymore, no matter what. Susan thought +8 Pearls Susan interrupted her before Lillian could speak further. Ethan followed up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just do it the way Madam Susan says.¡± To Ethan, Ste should be sent away from Rivermount at once, not only because of Lillian¡¯s illness. He had his ulterior motive he hoped to cut her ties with those men. ¨C Jonathan wanted her gone as soon as possible. Thus, during nightfall, he went to the Central District Police Station, hoping to send her away from Rivermount as soon as possible. However, it left him dumbfounded as he asked, ¡°She is taken away by a man? Who is he to do so? She has been charged with poisoning The police officers replied, ¡°There isn¡¯t any evidence that can prove that. We don¡¯t have the right to keep detaining her. We are now investigating it Jonathan roared in anger, ¡°What do you mean by there isn¡¯t any evidence? Lillian almost died tonight!¡± He was so furious towards Ste that he wished to tear her apart into a thousand pieces. Jonathan brought this piece of news back to the hospital, Upon hearing the news, Susan vented her anger for ten minutes straight: ¡°What a misfortune to the family. How could I have given birth to such a jinx? We have to send her away, no matter what.¡± If she hadn¡¯t been sent away and stayed at Rivermount, and the fact that she got herself involved just for some money- making project became known to the wealthy families, how could the Reed family hold their heads up in the future! Lillian also felt surprised that Ste left the police station that early, being taken away by a man some more. It seemed that Lillian had belittled her. She thought that Ethan was the only man Ste had¨Cshe never expected another. Very well, Lillian thought. She couldn¡¯t wait to meet this man who came to Ste¡¯s rescue. No matter who he was, Lillian was determined to snatch him away from her. Ste could forget about having anything again at Rivermount. ¡°I¡¯m so pissed off! How infuriating!¡± Susan roared in anger as her chest heaved. Ethan snapped as he thought, The man Jonathan mentioned, is he Eddie or the one from Kingston Heights! The wrong girl 95 Chapter 95 The Ones Who Should Be Worried Ste had no idea there would be so many aftershocks from the hospital incident earlier this evening. This evening she had dinner with Abraham as usual before he went into the study. Abel joined him soon after. Ste had just finished her shower and was lying on the bed when her phone rang. It was Tessa. ¡°Star, I just got word. Ethan and Jonathan are working together to shut down your studio. My mom even got an internal memo saying that absolutely no one is allowed to work with you. She told me to let Shut down my studio? They used to do things quietly in the shadows, but now they were making moves in the open? Ha How much did these people adore Lillian? you know. ¡°Please thank Madam Diana for me and tell her I have a lot of projects. She doesn¡¯t have to put herself in a difficult position.¡± ¡°She gave you a huge project. Ste blinked. UM too. Tessa sounded a bit jealous. And I couldn¡¯t deny it, I liked Madam Diana too. ¡°Then really help me thank her ¡°No problem. Do you need anything else from me? I don¡¯t think so. Just let Mr. Abraham take care of them. If this was before, I might have been really worried that Ste wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the Reeds and their little gang. But now? Not anymore. With such a powerful person behind her, those people could be crushed in a matter of minutes. Ste chuckled. ¡°No need to bother Abraham. I have ns of my own. ¡°¡­ Tessa was speechless. ¡°If he interferes, it¡¯ll all be over too q quickly. That¡¯s no fun¡± Tessaughed. ¡°True. This Lillian witch deserves to be taken apart slowly. Giving her a quick ending is letting her off easy.¡± Hearing Ste so calm, Tessa finally rxed. They chatted for a while before hanging up. Right after that, another call came in from an unknown number. This time, Ste didn¡¯t ignore it. She answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Was it Eddie who bailed you out? Or was it this man?¡± Ethan¡¯s gravelly voice came over the line. Ste couldn¡¯t even figure out what exactly he was angry about. Was he angry that they hadn¡¯t managed to arrest me? Well yes. At the time, Ethan, Jonathan, and Susan had all hoped I¡¯d pay the price for Lillian. But look how that turned out. All their righteous anger now just looked like ridiculous, smug arrogance. Chapter 95 The Ones Who Should Be Worried ¡°You¡¯re disgusting, Ste. Why do you degrade yourself like this?¡± ¡°Well, staying pure for you obviously wasn¡¯t the answer, because you weren¡¯t worth it Ste said. Ethan fell silent. That mouth of hers¡­ Right now I honestly felt like sewing it shut ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°What for?¡± Ste asked back I¡¯m on my way to Kingston Heights. You better tell that man to get lost before I get there! ¡°You really dare to go back to Kingston Heights? Is your hand even healed?¡± Ste mocked Her words hung in the air, suffocating On the other side, Ethan instinctively looked down at his left hand, still in a cast. He clenched his teeth so hard it was audible through the phone. +8 Pearls Steughed out loud. ¡°Trying to get justice for Lillian? Well, I¡¯m afraid justice is out of your reach. Just concentrate on keeping yourself safe and don¡¯t mess with the men around me again¡± ¡°Ste Dawson!¡± Ethan¡¯s voice rose sharply. But she had already hung up. When he heard the empty ¡°beep beep,¡± Ethan snapped and threw the phone across the car. I had never been so humiliated in my life. No one in Rivermount had ever dared to challenge me like that. ¡°If you don¡¯t find out who this man is by tonight, you¡¯re done.¡± Jason, who was driving in front, jerked so hard he almost lost control. A cold sweat broke out on his back Even now they still hadn¡¯t found out the identity of this man. But Ethan was desperate. I had to know who the man with Ste really was. No one in Rivermount had ever heard of someone like that suddenly appearing. And thy is Ste teith someone like him? Just thinking about this man made Ethan angry again. He lit a cigarette and took a hard drag. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes. Call William if you have to.¡± Jason froze. Even William That meant the identity of this man had be a top priority. Jason nodded. ¡°Understood¡± The wrong girl 96 Chapter 96 Try Me I Dare You Of course, Ste answered. Who didn¡¯t know how to show off? Whatever they¡¯d done to suppress her over the past few days, she was going to pay them back in full; she¡¯d crush their arrogance just the same. Over the phone, Jonathan was just like Ethan, he didn¡¯t have a shred of kindness for Ste. ¡°Who¡¯s the man who brought you Ste said, ¡°Does it matter who he is? At least he¡¯s not you, my so¨Ccalled brother!¡± Just like when she mocked Ethan earlier, now Jonathan found the words ¡°brother¡± equally grating; they pierced straight through him. For a m a moment, even his heart tightened- Jonathan fought back his anger. ¡°Ste, the Reed family is behind you. Who gave you the right to do things that damage our reputation?¡± ¡°What exactly did I do?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the man you¡¯re with?¡± ¡°The man I like. The man I love.¡± Just then, Abraham opened the door and walked in, catching that very sentence. The man I love, His hand stiffened on the doorknob. And when Ste saw Abrahamn suddenly walk in, her heart skipped a beat. No way¡­ Meeting Abraham¡¯s deep gaze, her face turned red in an instant; her eyes darted away, guilty. Jonathan, still on the phone, heard her say it was someone she loved. That pushed him over the edge. ¡°Someone you love? You just broke of the engagement with Ethan! Ste, do you have any shame?¡± She was already talking about being in love right after the engagement was called off. Seeing her on the phone, Abraham turned and left, gently closing the door behind him. The moment the door clicked shut, the guilt in Ste¡¯s eyes vanished; her fighting spirit shot right back up. ¡°I don¡¯t have any shame? You¡¯re the one who knocked up Sharon along like nothing¡¯s wrong. You scumbag. You really think you have the right to talk about shame?¡± some woman and still won¡¯t give her a proper title¨Cwhile stringing Verbal warfare was her specialty. And if it came down to hand¨Cto¨Chandbat, Jonathan wouldn¡¯t stand a chance either. The words hit him so hard his heart actually skipped a beat. Realizing Ste knew about that, Jonathan became even more determined to get her out of there. If she stayed, she¡¯d be a disaster¨Cfor both him and for Lillian. ¡°You, you¨CI¡¯m done talking. Mom said you need to leave Rivermount immediately. Are you walking out yourself, or do I have to drag you!¡± Janathan¡¯s voice wasced with fure hur Stells could tell he was ready to roueh 10:10 AM ch Chapter 96 Try Me I Dare You Jonathan fell silent. 8 Pearls Ste continued. ¡°Since that man was able to pull me out tonight, he can protect me too. Tell Lillian I¡¯m not leaving Tonight had been one borate setup after another; First it was psychological warfare, then mind games¨CLillian really seemed desperate to get her out of Rivermount. And if Ste was supposed to believe there wasn¡¯t a reason behind it, she wasn¡¯t buying it. She wanted to see for herself what had Lillian so anxious to push her out. With sarcasm in her voice and a cocky antitude, She had Jonathan on the other end of the line so enraged he almost passed out. ¡°You¨Cyou-¡± What are you trying to say? Got something to say, say it. Don¡¯t think for a second any of you are gonna show me mercy. If you¡¯ve got the guts to try and kick me out, bring it on¨CI¡¯m waiting. If you don¡¯t, then quit wasting my time; you¡¯re not even good at arguing Jonathan was so furious he mmed the phone down. If he kept talking to Ste, he was going to have a stroke. Susan had just finished talking with Lillian when she walked out and saw Jonathan looking like he¡¯d been hit by a truck. ¡°What are you doing back here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to take her straight from the police station and dump her out of Rivermount?¡± Jonathan gave Susan a look and said. ¡°Ste¡­ we might not be able to get rid of her.¡± ¡°What?¡± As soon as Susan heard that, her expression darkened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She was taken by some guy¨Csomeone with status. And she¡¯s not staying at Kingston Heights anymore.¡± ¡°Then where is she staying?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Jonathan said with a pounding headache. All of a sudden, he realized maybe he¡¯d never truly understood Ste. He used to think she was just some bumpkin raised in the countryside¨Cno background, no skills, a total nobody. But everything that had happened over the past few days¡­ the people she knew Eddie, Rianne, the guy who got her out¡­. It all pointed to one thing¨Cshe wasn¡¯t simple. And if she stayed, Lillian would have to deal with her whenever she felt like it. The wrong girl 97 Chapter 97 So Many Illnesses So Little Time The moment Susan heard that Ste couldn¡¯t be sent away. she got angry. Jonathan said, ¡°We might need to figure out what¡¯s going on with her first.¡± ¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s going on? She grew up in the countryside¨Cwhat could she possibly have?¡± ¡°But the people she knows aren¡¯t ordinary. Ethan said that the guy at Kingston Heights clearly had status, and it didn¡¯t look like he and Ste had just met. And then there¡¯s Eddie, and her studio.¡± All of them were people with serious connections. She was just a young girl, yet she ran such arge studio. Who gave her that much money to get it off the ground. Hearing Jonathany it out like that, even Susan¡¯s eyes flickered with doubt It seemed like maybe she had never really understood her own daughter. ¡°Then look into it. And quickly.¡± Susan said. Tonight, Ste had nearly cost Lillian her life¨Cthey couldn¡¯t afford to let her stay in Rivermount too long. Jonathan nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Just as the two of them were about to say more, the rm from the monitors in the hospital room suddenly went off Jonathan and Susan locked eyes; both of their faces changed instantly. Then they rushed into the room. Lilliany on the bed, eyes shut, face pale as a ghost, The rapid beeping from the machine had Susanpletely panicked. ¡°Lillian! Lillian! Get a doctor!¡± Lillian opened her eyes weakly and grabbed Susan¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom¡­ it hurts so much.¡± That one sentence shattered Susan¡¯s heart With Ste acting so arrogantly tonight, Ethan and Jonathan were definitely going to dig into the man at her side. Meanwhile, at Verdant Vi, Ste was wrapped in Abraham¡¯s arms; he held her close with one hand at her waist, The other gently lifted a lock of her long hair. He seemed to love having her sit on hisp¨Cand ever since they were little, he¡¯d always liked holding her like this. But now, Ste felt uneasy. ¡°Abraham, this¡­¡± What am I even supposed to say? She had no clue. They¡¯d already had this talk so many timestely¨Cabout growing up, about how things between them couldn¡¯t be the same anymore. But it was like Abraham didn¡¯t hear it at all, Or maybe he just tuned it out on purpose. Ste felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest. Abraham said, ¡°The one you love? Who is it?¡± is fingers curled around a strand of her hair as he asked, amused. Ste¡¯s mind went nk, her cheeks instantly flushed red. How could the world be this ironic? He just happened to walk in and hear that line 10:10 AM ch Chapter 97 So Many Illnesses So Little Time But despite his soft tome, Ste felt like her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. ¡°Um¡­ well¡± She stammered,pletely lost on where to even begin. ¡°Tell me who¡¯s the one you love, hummm?¡° ¡°Can L, not say?¡± ¡°Nope. Star has to tell me who it is. I¡¯ll back you up. Hack me up Il¡¯hat is he even going to back me up on Ste was ready to cry. Like she could say it.. She couldn¡¯t. Saying what was in her heart felt way too risky; she just couldn¡¯t afford it. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI was just making stuff up.¡± ??wu ¡°You weren¡¯t? ¡°Nope, Nothing¡± Then why do I feel like there is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeing things. Really.¡± Ste shook her head quickly, terrified to go any further. +8 Pearls Abraham chuckled softly and let her go, no longer pressing the issue. ¡°Get some sleep. Don¡¯t stay up messing around.¡± That ¡°messing around¡± was aimed squarely at the Reed family and Ethan. He¡¯d figured it out¨CSte was toying with them now. Those people were probably going through hell emotionally; but even if she liked to y, she still shouldn¡¯t stay up all night doing it. Abraham left the room, and when Ste realized he wasn¡¯t going to keep asking, she finally let out a breath of relief. Abel saw hime out and respectfully stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Abraham. Abraham lit a cigarete, as he walked, ¡°The kid¡¯s grown up¨Cknows how to keep things to herself now.¡± His voice was calm but carried weight. Abel understood exactly what he meant. ¡°Ms. Dawson¡¯s heart is definitely with you, sir. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Abraham exhaled a stream of smoke. ¡°Yeah?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Hearing that, the corners of Abraham¡¯s mouth lifted in the faintest sinile. ¡°Speed things up. Rivermount isn¡¯t so great.¡± The wrong girl 98 Chapter 98 No Womb No Peace Abel replied. Understood¡± night. Si slept soundly at Verdant Vi, but over at the hospital, no one got a wink of sleep Lilli had been tormented all night teetering between life and death Early the next morning a cardiac specialist approached Suan. ¡°Madam Susan, there¡¯s something I need to speak with you about¨Ccould you step outside?¡± Seeing how y of dread. For mostinctively nced at Lillian in the hospital bed then nodded and followed him out In the hulltwire Susan locked at the specialist worry written all over her face. ¡°Is something wrong with Lillian¡¯s condition The specialist gave a nod ¡°These past couple of days, my team and I have taken a close look at Ms. Lillian¡¯s heart. Her condition is extrem bred To be boost we¡¯re a very confident about the surgery Set¡¯s be shipped a be What do you mean not very condent! You¡¯re the experts in this deld. If you¡¯re not confident, the Hearing the specialist admit that they weren¡¯t confident Susan immediately panicked Lan¡¯s condition had already been weaning them down mentally and emotionally for some time. penned by ber illness And they we he fear that she might never wake The specialis Susan¡¯s face tumed pale. and Trout need to exin the risks dearly. But there one doctor¨CIf you can convince him to take the crue mrgery would carnificantly increase! ¡°Which domari* The moment she beard there was scene who could improve the odds, a flicker of hope it up in Susan¡¯s eyes. But that hope was quickly dashed the moment the specialist saad the name ¡°Eddie He¡¯s a young doctor, but extremely gified in this field. He¡¯s done manyplicated surgeries like this and has never Euled¡± Susan heard just one word¨CEddie¡± for everything the specialist sand after that, Her ck. She didn¡¯t hear a single wired Eddie¡­ by lim ¡°He was connected to Ste- ¡°There¡¯s no one else beside Edsel With all the already trued to get him on their side world, she couldn¡¯t believe there was only mr Eddie who could achieve that kind of The specialist said. ¡°I an rmend elve. This sorgery as just sooplexwe ve never seen anything quite Chapter 98 No Womb No Peace They didn¡¯t want troubleter if something went wrong and the Reeds came after them. Susan was speechless. She felt her whole body go weak. She numbly nodded. ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± +8. Pearls The specialist said. ¡°Here¡¯s his information. We already called him; he declined. You¡¯ll have to figure out another way.¡± He handed her Eddie¡¯s contact info. Susan took it without a word, numb. Once the specialist left, she leaned against the cold wall behind her. Her heart was in turmoil. What do I do? What the heck am I supposed to do? She hadn¡¯t even figured out how to approach Eddie yet- Just then, the lead specialist came looking for her. ¡°Ms. Lillian¡¯s uterine condition is very serious. Based on our assessment. we¡¯d need to proceed with a hysterectomy.¡± Susan¡¯s Susan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What did you say?¡± Fury red in her eyes. ¡°Remove her uterus? We paid a fortune to bring you in, and this is what we get? You¡¯re just going to take away her future as a mother?¡± Susan was livid. She red at the doctor. The Keene family Chapter 98 No Womb No Peace Abel replied. Understood¡± night. Si slept soundly at Verdant Vi, but over at the hospital, no one got a wink of sleep Lilli had been tormented all night teetering between life and death Early the next morning a cardiac specialist approached Suan. ¡°Madam Susan, there¡¯s something I need to speak with you about¨Ccould you step outside?¡± Seeing how y of dread. For mostinctively nced at Lillian in the hospital bed then nodded and followed him out In the hulltwire Susan locked at the specialist worry written all over her face. ¡°Is something wrong with Lillian¡¯s condition The specialist gave a nod ¡°These past couple of days, my team and I have taken a close look at Ms. Lillian¡¯s heart. Her condition is extrem bred To be boost we¡¯re a very confident about the surgery Set¡¯s be shipped a be What do you mean not very condent! You¡¯re the experts in this deld. If you¡¯re not confident, the Hearing the specialist admit that they weren¡¯t confident Susan immediately panicked Lan¡¯s condition had already been weaning them down mentally and emotionally for some time. penned by ber illness And they we he fear that she might never wake The specialis Susan¡¯s face tumed pale. and Trout need to exin the risks dearly. But there one doctor¨CIf you can convince him to take the crue mrgery would carnificantly increase! ¡°Which domari* The moment she beard there was scene who could improve the odds, a flicker of hope it up in Susan¡¯s eyes. But that hope was quickly dashed the moment the specialist saad the name ¡°Eddie He¡¯s a young doctor, but extremely gified in this field. He¡¯s done manyplicated surgeries like this and has never Euled¡± Susan heard just one word¨CEddie¡± for everything the specialist sand after that, Her ck. She didn¡¯t hear a single wired Eddie¡­ by lim ¡°He was connected to Ste- ¡°There¡¯s no one else beside Edsel With all the already trued to get him on their side world, she couldn¡¯t believe there was only mr Eddie who could achieve that kind of The specialist said. ¡°I an rmend elve. This sorgery as just sooplexwe ve never seen anything quite Chapter 98 No Womb No Peace They didn¡¯t want troubleter if something went wrong and the Reeds came after them. Susan was speechless. She felt her whole body go weak. She numbly nodded. ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± +8. Pearls The specialist said. ¡°Here¡¯s his information. We already called him; he declined. You¡¯ll have to figure out another way.¡± He handed her Eddie¡¯s contact info. Susan took it without a word, numb. Once the specialist left, she leaned against the cold wall behind her. Her heart was in turmoil. What do I do? What the heck am I supposed to do? She hadn¡¯t even figured out how to approach Eddie yet- Just then, the lead specialist came looking for her. ¡°Ms. Lillian¡¯s uterine condition is very serious. Based on our assessment. we¡¯d need to proceed with a hysterectomy.¡± Susan¡¯s Susan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What did you say?¡± Fury red in her eyes. ¡°Remove her uterus? We paid a fortune to bring you in, and this is what we get? You¡¯re just going to take away her future as a mother?¡± Susan was livid. She red at the doctor. The Keene family already had issues with Lillian; if they found out she couldn¡¯t even have children in the future- Then it really would be over between Lillian and Ethan¡­ Ste and Ethan were alreadypletely done; and if there was no possibility between Lillian and Ethan either- Then the alliance between the Reed family and the Keene family would bepletely finished. ¡°You call yourselves doctors? You have all these people on your team, and not one of you can save her uterus?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°Ms. Lillian¡¯s physical condition is extremely poor. On top of that, she has liver cancer. We¡¯re very limited in terms of what medications we can even use.¡± Liver cancer¨Cthat meant a huge limitation on avable treatments. Send Gifts already had issues with Lillian; if they found out she couldn¡¯t even have children in the future- Then it really would be over between Lillian and Ethan¡­ Ste and Ethan were alreadypletely done; and if there was no possibility between Lillian and Ethan either- Then the alliance between the Reed family and the Keene family would bepletely finished. ¡°You call yourselves doctors? You have all these people on your team, and not one of you can save her uterus?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°Ms. Lillian¡¯s physical condition is extremely poor. On top of that, she has liver cancer. We¡¯re very limited in terms of what medications we can even use.¡± Liver cancer¨Cthat meant a huge limitation on avable treatments. Send Gifts The wrong girl 99 Chapter 99 You Want to Kidnap Me? ¡°And her body just can¡¯t take it anymore. Susan¡¯s chest fightened when she heard that The doctor continued, ¡°There¡¯s a Dr. Rianne¨Cyou know her, don¡¯t you?¡± Susan stared at the specialist, stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She¡¯s done extensive research in this field. Even though she¡¯s young, she¡¯s helped a lot of patients recover over the years. If you can get her on board, there might be a sliver of hope to save Ms. Lillian¡¯s uterus.¡± Susan felt like her mind had exploded. Rianne, Eddie. In the end, it all came back to those two. ¡°They¡¯re really the only ones? None of you can take their ce?¡± The more she said it, the more her head throbbed with anger. Both Eddie and Rianne were tied to Ste; and thinking about Ste¡¯s attitude in all of this- The doctor fell silent. Some kinds of talent just couldn¡¯t be reced with hard work. Seeing the doctor¡¯s silence made Susan even more furious. ¡°Get out. Now. Worthless.¡± Her fury boiled over, and she snapped without holding back. The doctor¡¯s face fell, and he turned and walked out without another word. But really, it wasn¡¯t the doctor¡¯s fault¨CLillian simply had too many illnesses, and none of them were the kind you could afford to ignore. When Ethan and Jonathan arrived, they saw Susan¡¯s pale, drawn face. ¡°Mom, what happened to you?¡± Susan, lost in her thoughts, snapped back to the present. She looked at Jonathan and Ethan. ¡°Is there anything¨Cany way at all¨Cwe can use to force Ste?¡± Ethan and Jonathan both fell silent. What could we use to pressure Ste? It seemed like nothing would work. Money, power¨Cnone of it had any effect on her a anymore. Jonathan said. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing we can use to force her.¡± ¡°Then just kidnap her!¡± The moment she heard there was no way, Susan erupted, blurting it out in frustration. Ste turned a corner and had just stepped out when she heard Susan say that. Kidnap me? Her eyes turned cold in an instant. They hadn¡¯t noticed her yet and kept going. ¡°We¡¯re out of options,¡± Susan said, ¡°no matter what, we need to get Rianne and Eddie back. If she won¡¯t listen when we¡¯re being nice, then she leaves us no choice.¡± Ste stepped around the corner. ¡°So, Madam Susan, if I don¡¯t cooperate even when you threaten me¡­ gonna kill me?¡± what¡¯s next? You Their hearts instantly shot up into their throats. Ste strolled over to them casually, with Abel following a few steps behind. Abel didn¡¯t look pleased either. The information in the files had been one thing, but seeing it all unfold in person¨Cit was something else entirely. He hadn¡¯t expected they¡¯d go this far against their own flesh and blood. Ste stopped in front of Susan. ¡°So, you were really nning to kidnap me? All for Lillian?¡± Susan¡¯s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. She hadn¡¯t expected Ste to hear them. How had the timing been that perfect? She took a deep breath. ¡°Get¡­ get Rianne and Eddie back.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t? What then¨Cyou gonna kill me?¡± Yeah¨CSte had heard everything just now. They were actually plotting to kidnap her just to force her into contacting Rianne and Eddie. So what did blood ties even mean? Looking at the casual way Ste stood there, Susan suddenly found herself unable to say a single word. Jonathan saw Ste staring Susan down, her presence overpowering Angrily, he stepped forward and shoved Ste hard. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Is that how you talk to your elders?¡± The second Ste was pushed, Abel reached out and caught her¨Cand the next instant, his foot mmed into Jonathan¡¯s stomach. A burst of searing pain exploded through Jonathan¡¯s abdomen. He doubled over, face going white. ¡°You¡± Susan rushed to support him, seeing him get hit, her face twisted with panic. Moments ago, she¡¯d been stunned by Ste¡¯s words; now she waspletely unraveling. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ethan turned toward Abel, his eyes filled with danger. Another man? Who the heck is this now? Sensing the sharp aura rolling off the man, Ethan narrowed his eyes, filled with menace. ¡°Ste,e here.¡± men around her? At that moment, his mood was in absolute chaos. Why did she have so many m In just a few days, she¡¯d already had three different men by her side. Send Gifts The wrong girl 100 Chapter 100 Soft Voice Hard Exit Hearing Ethan¡¯s cold tone toward Ste, Abel tilted his head slightly and asked her, ¡°Want me to hit him?¡± Ethan was stunned. It him?that the heck did that mean? He¡¯d just attacked Jonathan is he nning to take a swing at me now? Rage surged straight to the top of Eilian¡¯s skull, ¡°Ste¡± he growled through clenched teeth, ring at her. The atmosphere had reached a dangerous boiling point. Ste¡¯s eyesnded on Ethan¡¯s slightly bruised face, then drifted to the cast on his wrist. ¡°Better not,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s taken enough beatings these past two days.¡± The moment she said it, Ethan¡¯s mind buzzed with humiliation. Abel nodded, then turned to Ste. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Madam Alice.¡± ¡°Okay¡± With low With long, confident strides, Ste walked past Jonathan and Susan with Abel beside her. Ethan watched her go, his gaze colder than ever. ¡°Ste, stop right there!¡± Susan finally snapped, unable to hold it in anymore. Especially seeing Jonathan still sprawled on the ground, unable to get up¨Cshe was losing it. st two years, nothing about Ste had ever gone their way. These past And now, watching Jonathan like this, her fury boiled so hot she could barely breathe. Ste paused and looked back. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Get Rianne and Eddie toe back. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± ¡°Madam Susan really is flexible¨Cknows exactly when to be hard, when to be soft. She was her biological mother. Just moments ago, she¡¯d threatened to kidnap her own daughter, and now her whole attitude had flipped. Ste had seen plenty of shameless people over the years, but Susan was a whole new level. Meeting Ste¡¯s mocking eyes, Susan felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. But what choice did she have¡­ Lillian¡¯s condition was critical. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Not c only did she soften, she even admitted she was wrong without any conditions. Every apology was for Lillian. Ste said, ¡°Yeah, you were wrong. Mywyer will contact you. Whatever he gives you¨Cjust sign it.¡± The paperwork to sever ties. People like this¨Cjust bad luck to stay connected to them. That guy with Ste¨Che had to be med That one kick to the gut had felt like his organs were pomme de topline, che pom ¡°What paperwork is she talking about?¡± Susan didn¡¯t answer. What paper She remembered what Ste had said befort¨Chow he want to us with i Her head throbbed with What else could it be? She wants to sever Jonathan and Ethan both fell silent. tes with Hearing that they named their eves toward her Susan said. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand where she got her confidence from before¡­ but now I do.¡± ter words were full of venom Back Ste had first said she wanted to cut des Susan truly had low Sne had that moth bein she can rely on those men and cut She¡¯l Jonathan¡¯s voice was full of spite He was sure Ste would regret it¨Cand when she did, they weren¡¯t going to give her the cour Susan didn¡¯t say anything but she felt the same. ¡°So what now! You sign the paper, Jonathan said without hesitation, ¡°ger Rianne and Eddie back to eat it.¡± He didn¡¯t believe for a second that Ste couldn¡¯t be brought down. Once be figured out who all those men and be were hed find a way to deal with her. Susan nodded, her voice tight. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice right now.¡± No matter what, the doctors had toe back first On the way to see Alice, Abel kept ncing at Ste. Ste said ¡°Just ask whatever it is you want to ask ¡°You¡¯re not the type to suffer in silence. How did you end up letting these people torment you for so long?¡± Abel had been with Abraham for quite a while. raham had raised Ste like a princess¨Cthe shouldn¡¯t have suffered even a scratch. With her personalit moment something felt off, the should¡¯ve been gone without a trace. There¡¯s not around and let them cling to her like this. Ste said. Torment? What torment! I haven¡¯t really suffered at all¡± the d sock Send Gifts The wrong girl 101 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In +6 Pearls Chapter 101 A Matter of Distance Abel asked. ¡°But with your temper, wouldn¡¯t you have cut ties a long time ago?¡± The fact that she had even been engaged to Ethan¨Cthat was what Abel couldn¡¯t wrap his head around. Ste looked at him and smiled. ¡°Yeah, with my temper, shouldn¡¯t I have cut ties a long time ago! But I remember clearly why I left the Dawson family¡­ and why I distanced myself from my brother.¡± Talking about leaving the Dawson family¨Ceven after all this time, just thinking about it still made Ste¡¯s heart ache. Back then, the pain had been unbearable: it felt like her heart was being ripped out. Those were Abraham¡¯s hardest days. She¡¯d wanted to stay by his side, to help him through the storm. But she couldn¡¯t. Abel said, ¡°It was because someone from the Tom family was watching you from the shadows, wasn¡¯t it?¡® Ste lowered her gaze and nced at a barely noticeable scar on her palm. In the end, she gave a small nod of agreement After visiting Alice, Ste still had to pass by Lillian¡¯s room. Ethan was waiting at the door. When he saw her, he frowned and stepped forward to block her path. Ste raised a brow. ¡°What, you want another beating today?¡± Ethan asked, ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± His tone was icy: his gaze cold as he looked at the man following behind her. hel exuded an unmistakable air of power. That alone made Ethan assume he was just another one of Ste¡¯s men. Ste scoffed. ¡°And what the heck does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°If you really cut ties s with the Reed family, what do you think you still are? You think any of those men would still want you?¡± When he mentioned those men, Ethan¡¯s eyes flicked instinctively toward Abel. Abel¡¯s ¡®s entire presence, grew colder. He stepped forward. ¡°Ms. Dawson, would you wait for me in the car?¡± Ethan froze. What did he just call Stet Ste didn¡¯t feel like wasting breath on Ethan either. She nodded and nced at Abel. ¡°You should watch yourself.¡± The Keene family was still one of the most powerful in Rivermount And with Abraham nning to stay in Rivermount this time, whatever he was handling wasn¡¯t going to be simple. if Ethan pissed off the Keene family now, it wouldn¡¯t end well for him either. Abel understood that Ste was thinking of Abraham. He nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Ste cast onest nce at Ethan, still dazed, then turned to leave. But just as she passed by him, Ethan grabbed her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re going to exin this to me.¡± Was it what I thought it was? But before Ethan could say another word, the next moment he lost his bnce; his head hit the wall hard, the impact jarring and heavy, He lunged at Abel. He wasn¡¯t entirely helpless¨Che still had some moves. Even with only one hand he managed to fight Abel head¨Con Ste couldn¡¯t be bothered to stick around, she turned on her heel and walked away. Ethan saw her leave His rage spiked ¡°Ste¡± He was about to go after her, but Abel came at him again. Ethan only had one usable After just a few moves. Ethan was already losing ground id Abel wasn rast to deal Inside Lillian¡¯s hospital room. Susan and Jonathan heard themotion They rushed out in a panic when they saw Ethan fighting with a strange man Jonathan Jonathan.. Susan kept calling Jonathan¡¯s name anxiously, but before jonathan could even step forward. Abel threw Ethan aside. At that Abel¡¯s entire body radiated menace Mr. Keene, if we keep going you won¡¯t be able to use your other arm either. Are you sure you want to keep fighting?¡± Ethan¡¯s leg was already injured. He stared daggers at Abel eyes gleaming with cold fury. Abel calmly adjusted his rumpled suit before numing and walking Jonathan¡¯s face had gone pale by the time he got to Ethan. Are you okay?¡± As he spoke, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but nce down at Ethan¡¯s trembling leg Jonathan himself was in pain¨CAbel hadn¡¯t held back Ethan narrowed his eyes Before he could spe a gromm of pain came from the hospital room¨CLin. Susan was the first to rush back inside. Jonathan looked over at Ethan. ¡°Illness really hits you like andslide She used to care so much about her looks. Then one morning she saw how much hair she¡¯d lost__¡± By the time he got to that point, Jonathan couldn¡¯t go on. His voice was full of sorrow¨Cfor Lillian Send Gifts The wrong girl 102 108 O Chapter 102 Soaking Wet and Still Clueless Ethan nced at Jonathan, then at the door to the hospital to Just as Jonathan thought than was about to go in and check on Lillian, he turned around instead, his back straight and cold, but his steps a little unsteady Clearly, he¡¯d taken a hit or two during the light earlier.. Jonathan blinkest ¡°Hal¡± He was just leaving Lillian¡¯s pained groans were still echoing from side the room, and Susan¡¯s soothing voice was trying to calu her down Ethan wasn¡¯t even going to check in on her. That was supposes to incan something, but what he couldn¡¯t tell. For a moment, Jonathan couldn¡¯t make sense of the situation at all. Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s end Abel dropped her off at the Oriental Grand Tower As Ste got out of the car, Abel told her, ¡°Mr. Abraham has a few things to take care of today, but he¡¯ll join you for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Ste nodded sweetly, then turned and walked ott Abel watched her figure disappear before pulling out his phone to call Abrahams. ¡°Mt. ham.¡± ¡°You saw Madam Alice? Abel replied. ¡°We did, but we also ran into the Reed family and Ethan.¡± At that, the line went dead quiet for a beat. Even over the phone. Abel could sense the chill in Abratum¡¯s mood. ¡°Ethan seems to have a lot of free time .¡± Abel said, ¡°The entire Reed family¡¯s got too much time on their hands; they¡¯re all orbiting around that wom They really were just sitting around¨Chiring a huge medical team was one thing, but hovering over her every step was something else entirely, Ethan, especially, had been personally visiting Lillian at the hospital every single day, ¡°Did Star react at all!¡± This time, Abraham¡¯s tone was noticeably colder than before. Clearly, he didn¡¯t care whether the Reeds were bored or busy, what he cared about was whether their actions were affecting Ste emotionally Abel replied, ¡°Ms Dawson didn¡¯t seem bothered at all. She doesn¡¯t appear to care about any of them¡± The mood on the other end of the call noticeably softened. Abraham hummed softly, just one syble¨Cbut Abel could still hear the trace of satisfaction in his tone. Abel added, ¡°But Ethan and the Reed family are scheming to kidnap Ms. Dawson¡± The line instantly went icy again Not long after Ste arrived at the office. Ethan showed up. +8 Pearls ¡°How many people can even reach you by phone now?¡± wonds came with heat. Other than him, pretty much no one in the Reed family¨Cor even the Keene family¨Ccould get through to her anymore. Ste didn¡¯t have much to say in the face of his anger. She simply picked up her ss and took a sip of water. ¡°Then just stop calling. It¡¯s not like we need to stay in touch anyway.¡± ¡°Not a necessary rtionship? Then, who do you need to stay in touch with? Those men?¡± That phrase ¡°not a necessary rtionship hit Ethan right where it hurt. She¡¯d blocked all of us. So who was she counting on now? Those meu! Just thinking about them darkened Ethan¡¯s expression further. ¡°That man at the hospital earlier¨Chow did he address you? Who are you? Do you work for a club or something? You two just met and aren¡¯t even close?¡± With that address¡­ On the way here, Ethan had been turning it over and over in his head. And he still couldn¡¯t figure out why that man had called Ste that way¨Cunless¡­ ¡°You really started this studio with dirty money, didn¡¯t you?¡± One question after another crashed down on Ste like a hailstorm. Ethan¡¯s rage surged so high it blew away any shred of rationality, But Ste, perfectlyposed, took the ss of water and flung it straight at him. The water had cooled down by then. When it hit Ethan¡¯s face, that icy ssh yanked his mind back from the brink Ste stared at him, cold and sharp. ¡°You clear¨Cheaded now?¡± If not, she¡¯d go grab a basin and give him a full rinse. Ethan red at her, jaw clenched so tight it trembled; his chest rose and fell rapidly with rage. ¡°You-¡± ¡°A hostess at a nightclub? Ethan, with that brain of yours, I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯ve been sugarcoating everything when ites to managing the Keene Group¡± Ethan snapped. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, with that IQ, other than lying to your parents, what else are you even capable of? You really think you¡¯re running thepany properly?¡± The wrong girl 103 Çú Chapter 103 A Bucket List of Pain She didn¡¯t believe a damn word of it anyway. Ste made her point crystal clear¨Cshe was calling Ethan an idiot, in and simple Ethan nearly passed out from rage. ¡°You woman!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have the right to question me, and you think you can humiliate me? Maybe you still don¡¯t get what¡¯s really going on here?¡± Ethan froze. This damn woman¡­ He genuinely wanted to sew her mouth shut. ¡°What don¡¯t I get? At this point, Ethan¡¯s chest was heaving from sheer fury. But Ste just kept going, slicing through him with every word. ¡°First, Ilumped you. Everyone in Rivermount knows it.¡± Ethan said nothing. ¡°Second, with Eddie and Rianne¨Cyou¡¯re still begging me for help, aren¡¯t you?¡± Still, Ethan stayed silent. He might¡¯ve been fine until she brought up Eddie and Rianne. But now, he was furning. To supposed doctors tying life¨Cand- death matters to Ste¡¯s damn mouth, what kind of doctors were they? ¡°Begging me on one hand, insulting me on the other, and threatening me at the same time?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes shed coldly as she remembered how Susan and Jonathan had actually talked about kidnapping her at the hospital. Ethan, who had barged in like a storm, now couldn¡¯t get a single word out. Especially when Ste looked him dead in the eye, stabbing every word into his chest like a knife. That serious expression. she really meant it. She was dead serious about the breakup.. Suddenly, something clenched in his chest¨Ctight, breathless, suffocating His face turned pale. ¡°Then tell me¡­ That man at the hospital¨Cwhat¡¯s he to you? He called you ¡°miss. Why exactly did he call you that? This was why Ethan hade here. He wasn¡¯t leaving until he got an answer. Ste looked at him with a smile at the corner of her mouth. ¡°And why would I tell you?¡± That question cut sharp. And it was a fair one. Yeah¨Cthere was no reason to tell Ethan anything ¡°Was I not clear enough earlier? What don¡¯t you get? I can repeat it for you if you want.¡± Seriously.. dumb. At this point, Ste was starting to suspect he really was the type to only report good news and bury the bad. Hat From the outside, the Keene Group looked like it stood at the very top of the food chain. But who knew what kind of chaos heid been hiding behind closed doors? h?n stared at her eves cold Chapter 103 A Bucket List of Pain +8 Pearls Ste said. ¡°You want to know? You¡¯re so desperate to find out who owns that ce¡­ You want to buy it for Lillian to recover in The idea was absurd enough to make herugh, but Ste still found it deeply off¨Cputting. Her house being eyed by some sickly woman like it was up for grabs. If Lillian died in there, it¡¯d taint the whole damn ce. Ethan pressed. ¡°Is it Eddie? Or the man you were with at Kingston Heights? Or the one from the hospital today?¡± Thatst one crossed the line. Ste¡¯s patience snapped. She looked around, wanting to douse Ethan with another ss of water¨Conly to find the cup was already empty. She mmed the cup down on her desk and stood, sharp and sudden. ¡°Wait here.¡± With that, Ste marched straight toward the door. Ethan frowned, unsure what she was up to¨Cbut he stayed put like she said. He figured she just needed a minute to calm down after his cutting remarks. That once she cooled off, she¡¯de back with a reasonable exnation. Yeah, that must be it. Outside, Kimmy saw Ste emerge from the office and quickly stepped forward. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Ste headed straight for the restroom and grabbed the janitor¡¯s mop bucket. The water inside hadn¡¯t been dumped yet. Ste grabbed the whole thing and started walking it back toward the office. Kimmy hurried after her, panicked. ¡°Ms. Dawson, what are you doing with that bucket? Let me help-¡± That water had just been used to mop the bathroom. No one in their right mind would touch it. ¡°No need. Go do your own thing¡± The way she said it¡­ Something was definitely off. And knowing Ethan was the one in the office right now, Kimmy had a pretty good idea of what Ste nned to do with that bucket. The wrong girl 104 Chapter 104 Cold Showers Inside the office, Ethan looked up as Ste walked back in. ¡°That fast? Already cooled off?¡± No sooner had the words left his mouth than he saw the bucket in her hand. A bad feeling crept up his spine¨Ctoote. Ssh! The sound hit first, followed by the icy chill soaking through everyyer of his clothes, sending a jolt straight to his bones. Thunk! Ste mmed the bucket hard onto the floor. Ethan roared, ¡°Ste!¡± This damned woman! He was his eyes and blurring his vision. And that smell, what the heck was in that water? It reeked. Ethan wiped his face roughly, ring at Ste with fury zing in his eyes. Ste stood with her arms crossed. ¡°Clear¨Cheaded now? Anything else you¡¯re still confused about?¡± Ethan red at her. If looks could kill, he would¡¯ve torn her to pieces. Seeing him too angry to speak, Ste repeated herself ¡°Still confused? Next time, it won¡¯t be cold water¨Cit¡¯ll be boiling Youe at me like this? If I don¡¯t show you what I¡¯m made of do you really think I¡¯m the kind of woman who¡¯ll just take it? Ste pondered. Ethan was so mad, his brain went nk. No one had ever treated him like this before¡­.. From childhood, thanks to the Keene family¡¯s influence¨Candter, once he took over the Keene Group- Everyone had treated him with nothing but respect. But Ste.. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to keep this studio open!¡± he barked, shooting to his feet. His whole body radiated pressure, casting a heavy weight in Ste¡¯s direction. But Ste didn¡¯t flinch. Then shut it down, if you think His intimidation met her defiance head¨Con. you can.¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes nearly sparked mes, but faced with herpleteck of fear, it was like fire meeting water. It sizzled out in an instant. ¡°You just wait!¡± he growled. With that, he turned and stormed toward the door, fury rolling off him in waves. Behind him, Ste made a sharp, unmistakable noise of disdain¨Cclear and deliberate, That sound only made the air around Ethan grow colder; he looked like a man possessed, like he wouldn¡¯t rest until Ste was dragged down to hell. Once Ethan left in a storm, Kimmy peeked her head nervously into the office. Only when she saw Ste¡¯s face looking calm did she dare to step in. Kimmy nodded. ¡°Yeals. He looked like a drowned rat¨Cand he stank¡± Ste said nothing Kimmy added. ¡°He was dripping wet and limping you. You really did a number on him ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him, Ste said Haily ¡°You didn¡¯t? Then howe Mr. Keene looked like he got run over? His arm and leg both looked bruised? Ste went quiet. If Ethan had been taking hitstely, he definitely wasn¡¯t short on beatings First Abraham, then her, and now Abel. Kimmy sighed. ¡°Seriously, dealing with idiots is exhausting¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kimmy blinked, Mr. Keene an idiot! That couldn¡¯t be right. He ran the massive Keene Group If that was an idiot, then the previous chairman had really dropped the ball. ¡°He¡¯s a real idiot, Ste muttered. ¡°Even getting hit doesn¡¯t help To her, Ethan was the textbook definition of slow¨Cwitted. She¡¯d spelled everything out for him. More than once, Loud and clear. And still¨Che didn¡¯t get it. She¡¯d said what needed saying. She¡¯ll evenid hands on him when necessary. Il hy is it still not sinking in i was enough to make her want to scream. Over on Ethan¡¯s end, Jason was waiting for hum in the car. When En chubed in, soaked from head to toe, Jason nearly jumped. Especially once that sell hit him. ¡°Mr. Keene, you¡­ ¡°If we still can¡¯t figure out who the men around Ste are ¡°She already moved to Verdant Vi, Jason blurted out, cutting lines off with thetest intel before he got chewed out. At those words, silence dropped heavy in the car. Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What did you say?¡± Ste moved to Tendant Pt Jason nodded. ¡°Yes. Ms. Dawson moved out of Kingston Heights, She¡¯s living in Vent Vi now¡± The news hit like a bomb, sting through Ethan¡¯sst thread ofposure. His mind went nk. Everything shattered into chaos, and no thought could pull itself back together. Send Gifts The wrong girl 105 Chapter 105 Ethan Brings Drama Ethan froze. Ste was living at Verdant Vi?She actually¡­. ¡°Are you sure?¡± After a long silence, Ethan finally managed to speak. His voice barely sounded like his own; his head buzzed like a hive. Jason nodded firmly. I¡¯m sure.¡± Ethan remained frozen. Sure, Ste really moved into Verdant Vi¨Cshe moved in just like that? Why? For what reason? When she showed up there before, he¡¯d assumed it was s because some man had brought her in. She¡¯d just entered. Just gone in.. for what? The thought made his chest tighten inexplicably ¡°Why is she living there?¡± he asked, breath shallow, needing an answer to the question gnawing at him. Over the past two years, Ste hadn¡¯t shown the kind of passion for him that the public always imagined¨Cnot like she was hopelessly in love, desperate to marry only him. But her life had been so clean¨Cspotless, even. There had never been any other men around her. Her world had been simple. Just Rianne and Tessa as friends. So why were men suddenly showing up in her life, one after another? Why was she staying at Verdant Vi? And who the heck was the man who lived there? Jason said, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the owner. I looked into it¨Chaven¡¯t found the actual deed yet.¡± ¡°But when thatnd was first bought, the person who signed the contract was a man who was fifty¨Ceight years old at the time.¡± ¡°Fifty¨Ceight?¡± Ethan repeated. Jason nodded. ¡°Yes. Thatnd was purchased eight years ago. So that man would be sixty¨Csix now.¡± Ethan said nothing Inside the cramped car, the air went still again. Sirty¨Csir, so the owner of Verdant Vi was now sirty¨Csix years old? And Ste wariving with a man like that? Ethan¡¯s breathing grew rapid. Just as Jason was about to say more, his phone buzzed loudly¨Cit was a call from Susan. Jason nced back. ¡°Mr. Keene, it¡¯s Madam Susan.¡± ¡°Take it,¡± Ethan answered instinctively, the words mechanical. He didn¡¯t even hear himself speak¨Cdidn¡¯t catch what Jason had just said either. His mind was spinning with a single image¨CSte with a sixty¨Csix¨Cyear¨Cold man. She had degraded herself that far, all for a man? Jason answered, ¡°Madam Susan.¡± Jason, is Ethan in a meeting at thepany? I¡¯ve been trying to call him, but I can¡¯t get through.¡± Jason nced at Ethan in the backseat. The man¡¯s expression was getting darker by the second. Before he could say anything to Susan, Ethan suddenly shoved open the car door and got out. Jason¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Reflexively, he told Susan, ¡°Yes, Mr. Keene is in a meeting¡± Jason stammered. ¡°Uh¡­ Mr. Keene¡¯s busy, Madam Susan. Let¡¯s talkter. And with that, he hung uppletely unwilling to continue the conversation. Back at the office, Ste was about to start a meeting when she saw Ethan return¨Cstill wearing the same soaking wet clothes. Kimmy¡¯s eyelids twitched the moment she saw him. She instinctively turned toward Ste. But before anyone could react, Ethan stormed forward and grabbed Ste by the wrist, dragging her back into the office. The whole thing happened fast, fueled by fire. The door mmed shut behind them. Ste immediately yanked her arm free, eyes frosty and voice dripping with disgust. ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡± Ethan shouted, Tll marry you! Ste stood frozen. What the heck? Did I just hear him right? Before she could even process it, the office door creaked open. Both Ste and Ethan turned toward it¨Cand there stood Abraham, framed in the doorway, wearing gold¨Crimmed sses. His face was serious, his gaze sharp, and it made Ste¡¯s heart skip a beat. Ethan¡¯s expression darkened the second he saw him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ste snapped back to her senses and walked over to Abraham. Abel had said Abraham had important business today¨Che hadn¡¯t even joined her for lunch. She¡¯d actually nned to ask Su Su out for soupter. Abraham took off his coat, then unwrapped the scarf around his neck and handed it to Ste. Every move he made carried a quiet elegance and an unshakable dominance that no one could ignore. Ste said nothing. Send Gifts 108 The wrong girl 106 Chapter 106 Choose One Why was he taking off his clothes? A bad feeling creps up her spine Sure enough, when she took the clothes from him, Abram duln¡¯t say a word, he just walked straight toward Elsan ¡°You want to marry her?¡± he asked, his voice cold¨Cdangerously so Ethan shot Abraham a dark look. ¡°Yeah I can give her a title, can you?¡± Ste froze Ethan¡¯s sharp retort made her heart skip a beat. She instinctively looked at Abraham¡¯s back That drunken kiss shed through her minal. It had been a messy beginning between them¨Cour she had originally nned to ignore and forget to know Abraham¡¯s answer too. d name, could he give me ane? But now that Ethan had said it, she found herself wanting to The air in the office had turned frigid. Ste said nothing, just stared at Abraham¡¯s back. The two men locked eyes, both cold and unyielding Ethan¡¯s gaze sharpened as it bore into Alsm ¡°You even know what kind of person she is? You okay with all her chaos?¡± Chaos Normally, Ste would¡¯ve pped Ethan a couple of times for saying something like that, but now, she just kept looking at Abraham¡¯s back. After all, that kind of topic never came up so easily. Now that it hard¡­ She figured she might as well get her auswer, ¡°What chaos?¡± Abrahami asked, voice cold. Ethan said, ¡°She¡¯s got more than one man. Bes ¡°And do you?¡± Besides you, she¡¯s got hie¨Chiernce. You don¡¯t care?¡± Now it was Ethan¡¯s turn to go silent. Did I caref Of course he did¨Cdeeply. He wanted to beat the life out of Ste, and worse for every man around her. He didn¡¯t even know why. ording to Ste, none of it had anything to do with him. He wasn¡¯t supposed to care. But right now, he wanted to tear Abraham apart. Abraham noticed Ethan¡¯s silence, his gaze turned colder. ¡°So you do care?¡± Still, Ethan said nothing. Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°One¡¯s lying in a hospital bed caring too much; the other¡¯s here, hung up on the past. Ethan, you¡¯re greedy¡± Ethan¡¯s breath hitched again. He clearly hadn¡¯t expected Abraham to turn it around on him. What did he meant That he didn¡¯t care about Ste¡¯s other ment if he didn¡¯t care, did that mean he didn¡¯t matter? The thought made Ethan instinctively nce at Ste, Just as he was about to speak again, Ste turned to Abraham and said, ¡°Wait here a sec. Want to get soupter? Then wait here a sec, and you¡¯ll take me to get food be okay¡­ right? Abraham didn¡¯t answer. He just walked over to the couch and sat down. Ste walked over to Ethan, who looked even more sour now after watching how well the two of them got along. His face had gonepletely dark. Ste stopped in front of him. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll walk Mr. Keene out¡± That ¡®Mr. Keene carried a distant chill. Ethan gave her a cold look. Just one nce¨Cand his eyesnded back on Abraham, lounging on the couch. Ste curled her lip. ¡°What? Still got hands and legs to keep limping around?¡± The moment those words left her mouth, a storm nearly cracked across Ethan¡¯s face. But then he caught sight of the cold metal strapped at Abraham¡¯s waist¨Cand finally turned around and stormed out in silence. This man actually carried a gun? In a ce like Rivermount? Who the heck is him? Rage and confusion churned in Ethan¡¯s head. Ste saw him out of the building. Ethan looked at her. His lips moved, like he was about to say something Questions hovered at the tip of his tongue¨Cbut in the end, he swallowed them all. I¡¯ll marry you¨Cif you cut off all those other men,¡± he said. There was no hesitation in his voice. Ste raised a brow. ¡°Marry me? Why?¡± Honestly, his sudden shift in tone had herpletely thrown. Ethan was already seething. Now, hearing her ask that just set him off. ¡°Why so many questions? You¡¯re my fiancee. Marrying you is just me doing my duty.¡± Ste was stunned. Doing your duty? The wrong girl 107 Chapter 107 You Call That a Proposal Ste couldn¡¯t help but hiss internally. Seriously? ¡°Ethan, back in the day, women jumped through hoops¨Cdid you leave your brain at the door instead?¡± At that, Ethan¡¯s mind practically exploded; he shouted, ¡°Ste¡± He was furious, Isn¡¯t this exactly what she wanted? All the mess she stirred uptely, hadn¡¯t it been to force me to give in? But now¡­ this wasn¡¯t a tantrum Ethan realized it then¨CSte wasn¡¯t throwing a fit. ¡°You better think this through. Those men aren¡¯t going to marry you. You really want to live in such disgrace forever?¡± ¡°Tm disgraceful, but at least I¡¯m still alive. Maybe worry more about whether Lillian¡¯s sickly self can survive. Your brain¡¯s bound up too tight¨Cyou can¡¯t even untangle it. Ste spun on her heel to leave. Then she paused, tossed back one more line, ¡°Also, I¡¯m not marrying you. You¡¯re not what I want Clear enough, right? nt enough? If he s didn¡¯t get it, he really had rocks ranling around in his head. Ethan stared after her, trembling with rage. Jason stepped up behind him. ¡°Mr. Keene¡± Ethan¡¯s breathing turned sharp, uneven. Tell me does she want to marry the guy who owns Verdant Vi?¡± jason froze. Well¡­ she was already living there. If she wanted to marry him, it wouldn¡¯t exactly be impossible. After all, just getting into that ce meant she¡¯d taken a step most women never never even dreamed of Jason stayed silent, and Ethan kept going. ¡°Ha. The guy who owns Verdant Vi¨Clike he¡¯d want her.¡± Sure, Ste was the Reed family¡¯s real daughter. But the man behind Verdant Vi? Ethan had a gut fee feeling that wasn¡¯t some simple identity. Who could it be¡­? That guy from Ste¡¯s office earlier? The thoughts tangled and twisted until Ethan¡¯s head was inplete chaos. Jason said, ¡°Mr. Keene, why don¡¯t I take you home to change?¡± Mr. Keene was soaked through and reeked. What kind of temper did this Ms. Dawson have? Back in her office, Ste a returned. Kimmy hurried over, ¡°Ms. Dawson, I poured you a cup of coffee.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ste nodded and headed straight into her office. Kimmy and a few coworkers hovered by the door, curiosity piqued. That man who went in earlier was too handsome- handsomer than Ethan even¨Cand the vile he gave off was intense. Inside, Ste found Abraham sipping the coffee with a faint trace of disgust on his face; clearly, he thought it wasn¡¯t up to par. Abraham set down the coffee and yanked her straight into his arms. Outside, Kimmy and the others peeked through the blinds just in time to see Ste fall into his embrace. All of them sucked in a sharp breath. That confirmed it¨CSte had dumped Ethan for this man. But he was really good¨Clooking. Not just regr handsome ridiculously so. And Mr. Keene Chasing after a sickly girl? It¡¯hatever. Good thing Ms. Dawson had a ster backup like this que otherwise, it would be been such a waste. Now things were looking up. They felt oddly satisfied. Mr. Keene could go to the sick girl. Their boss deserved better. In the office, Ste clung to Abraham¡¯s neck, startled. Her eyes welled up with frustration. ¡°What are you doing?¡± How many times do I have to say it? I am not a kid anymore! And the fact that Abraham didn¡¯t remember that night¨Cthat really pissed her off. ¡°He wants to marry you?¡± ¡°Only if you believe the nonsenseing out of his bound¨Cup brain, Ste muttered. It was the truth In her mind, Ethan bringing up marriage again today just proved how scrambled his head was. Of course, that mess wouldn¡¯tst long; once he faced Lillian again, everything would reset. Abraham¡¯s gaze stayed deep, unreadable. ¡°And what about Star?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Her brain wasn¡¯t bound; she could still tell nonsense from sense, ¡°Star, are you happy?¡± ¡°Happy about what?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯d marry you Ste scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°You were engaged to him.¡± The wrong girl 108 Chapter 108 Let Me Down Ste went quiet. Engagement, engagement, does it ever end? ¡°I got engaged to him because of the Tom family¡± Once you brought that up, things gotplicated. There were all kinds of reasons behind the engagement¨Cany reason ercept the ones people gossiped about, like her supposedly being in love with Ethan. The mention of the Tom family made the air between them feel even more tense. Ste lowered her head, guilt creeping in. She knew¡­ Abraham hated when she kept things from him. Even back then, during the whole Tom family situation¨Cshe¡¯d been the one threatened, sure, but he still came after her. Sure enough, she got a sharp flick to the forehead. ¡°Ow! She let out a muffled grunt from the pain. Abraham asked, ¡°You gonna try that again?¡± ¡°No! Never again!¡± Maybe next time she would, but she¡¯d never dare try it in front of Abraham. Seeing her reaction, the depth in Abraham¡¯s eyes finally started to ease. He scooped her up and stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Time to eat.¡± Ste froze. Is he really carrying me like this¨Cso easily? Is he just that strong, or am I just that light? ¡°Put me down. I can walk.¡± This was still her office; being carried out like this would look terrible. Abraham looked down at her, eyes deep again. ¡°What? I¡¯m not presentable? ¡°You are.¡± Just¡­ not like this, right? Before she could say another word, Abraham was already carrying her out the door. Abel had juste up¨Cwaiting by the elevator. When he saw Abraham carrying Ste out, the entire office seemed to stop breathing. Was this the real deal now? Abel stepped up respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham gave the office a once¨Cover, then said, ¡°Order lunch for them from Maison du Crabe.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up again. The future boss is generous and rich! If Ms. Dawson wasn¡¯t about to go official with him, that¡¯d be a waste of all this generosity He looked good, treated her well, and clearly had money. That beat Ethan any day¨Cespecially since that one had his heart stuck on someone else. Their boss deserved better. Abraham carried Ste into the car. The whole time, she buried her face against his chest, too embarrassed to show her face. As soon as they got in, she scrambled to the other side. ¡°What about it?¡± He caught her panicked expression, and the corner of his lips tugged into a strange, unreadable smile. Ste said. ¡°If people saw that, they¡¯d totally get the wrong idea. Sure, you used to give me baths when I was a kid, but it¡¯s not like that anymore. You¡¯re gonna have your own life one day, and so will 1. If either of our future partners found out we still acted like this¡­ they definitely wouldn¡¯t be okay with it.¡± Whatever she said must¡¯ve hit a nerve¨CAbraham¡¯s smile faded, his gaze going cold. The shift in his mood made Ste nervous. The next thing she knew, he pulled her right onto hisp. Did I say all that for nothing? Ste thought. Or is his brain wrapped up just like Ethan¡¯s, so tight he can¡¯t understand anything I¡¯m saying? At this point, she even started to doubt herself. Can¡¯t be understand me? Ethan didn¡¯t get it; Abraham didn¡¯t either. Ugh. I¡¯m gonna lose all my hair at this rate. Her chin was caught between his fingers¨Clong and defined. ¡°You¡¯re dating someone?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ste was stunned. Dating? That came out of nowhere! ¡°I just got things sorted out with Ethan. What do you mean dating?¡± Even if she wanted to date, it wouldn¡¯t happen that fast. Besides¡­ She nced at Abraham. Whatever she¡¯d been about to say died in her throat. She added, ¡°But it¡¯s jus just a matter of time. The moment she said it, something weighed heavy in her chest. A shadow flickered through Abraham¡¯s eyes¨Chard to spot, but there. He let her go. Freed, Ste immediately scrambled to the far seat. Abraham didn¡¯t say anything else. He just stared out the window, lost in thought. He didn¡¯t speak, but his presence was overpowering: Ste didn¡¯t dare open her mouth either. In the end, Abraham took her to a restaurant. The food was still on the light side but it tasted okay. The wrong girl 109 Chapter 109 No Room to Breathe The tension around him never let up. Ste snuck a few nces his way. ¡°Abraham, are you mad?¡± She¡¯d been thinking about it the entire ride, but couldn¡¯t make any sense of it; finally, she just asked him directly. Abraham raised an eyebrow and looked at her. ¡°Eat your food.¡± Ste fell silent. Seriously, what did I even say to make him mad? She went over it again and again¨Cshe didn¡¯t think she¡¯d said anything wrong. definitely nothing disobedient. So why was he suddenly upset? That meal left her feeling like she was walking on eggshells. Meanwhile, in the car on the other side of town, Ethan had changed his clothes. Jason, hesitant at first, finally asked, ¡°Mr. Keene, do you want to go to the hospital and get your leg checked?¡± Ever since they¡¯d left the hospital, Ethan had been walking a bit off. Jason was worried it could be something serious. But the moment the question was out of his mouth, the air inside the car turned icy cold. Jason added, ¡°Also, Madam Susan said Ms. Lillian started chemotherapy. She¡¯s in pain and keeps asking to see you¡± Right now, Ethan¡¯s mind was entirely consumed by the image of Ste and that man. Especially the thought of the gun strapped to the man¡¯s waist. Suddenly, a voice echoed in Ethan¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t keep putting things off with Ste. But the way she¡¯d treated metely¡­. had she really never felt anything for me these past two years! His chest tightened even more. ¡°Mr. Keene! Mr. Keene! Jason, driving in front, saw Ethanpletely unresponsive no matter what he said and had to call out twice. Ethan finally snapped out of it. ¡°Take me to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Keene!¡± Jason nodded. At the hospital, Lillian was feeling slightly better after receiving specialized treatment Her color had improved a little. But no matter what, a sick body couldn¡¯tpare to a healthy one. Susan said, ¡°Rest for a bit. I¡¯m going to make a phone call,¡± She still needed to figure out what to do about Eddie and Kianne. As for Ste¨CSusan had a gut feeling that there was no way to get through to her at all. Just thinking about Ste made Susan feel suffocated. Lillian nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, mom. I¡¯ll be line.¡± That only made Susan feel worse inside. She walked out with her phone. Left alone, Lillian¡¯s own phone rang again. She looked at the caller ID. That number again. The man¡¯s voice on the other end was deep and clearly angry. Lillian wasn¡¯t much calmer. Her own emotions had long been consumed by rage. She shouted into the phone, ¡°You think 14000 dors isn¡¯t enough? Where the heck am I supposed to get 140000 dors?¡± was already a lot. 14000 dors tous a Their rtionship had always been transactional¨Cnothing emotional. Now this man hadtched back onto her out of nowhere. Her body was already in pain, and now with these threats hanging over her, even recovery felt impossible. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want 140000 dors. If you won¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll go to Ste. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be willing to pay me.¡± Lillian went still. The second she heard him mention Ste, it felt like a wad of cotton had been shoved into her chest¨Cshe couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Ms. Lillian, I wouldn¡¯t be asking if I had any other choice. I really don¡¯t know what else to do.¡± ¡°And you think I do?¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sick¨CI¡¯ve got three types of cancer. I¡¯m dying. And you¡¯re still threatening me?¡± She couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. Her voice cracked as she yelled. She¡¯de back from overseas just to quietly recover under the Reed family¡¯s protection. She¡¯d wanted to stay with them¨Cwith Ethan nearby. But this call had shattered what little peace she had left. ¡°I already feel horrible being sick, and now you¡¯re threatening me too.¡± Her voice dropped lower after the outburst¨Ctired, defeated. For a moment, her pity cut through the phone like a de, so sharp it even reached the man on the other end. The line went quiet. Then Lillian added softly, ¡°I¡¯m already dying. Do you think I still care about what I did wrong in the past?¡± There was sadness in her words, and regret¨Cfor what she¡¯d done, and the life she had left. Anyone else might¡¯ve felt sorry for her in that moment But the man on the other end¨Che wasn¡¯t just anyone. In the next breath, he said. ¡°Then use whatever time you¡¯ve got left, Ms. Lillian, to get me that 140000 dors.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 110 Chapter 110 Breaking Points. ¡°You. Lillian¡¯s eyes widened, her chest tightening with disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe it¨Cthe man on the other end of the call was this cold, this heartless. ¡°I need money too, he said tly. And just like that, whatever hope Lillian had been clinging to shatteredpletely. The helpless, pitiful act¨Cone she¡¯d used countless times on the Reed family with near¨Cperfect sess¨Chad always worked Until now. It failed. She couldn¡¯t believe it. It didn¡¯t work? ¡°You¡¯re seriously trying to push me to the edge?¡± ¡°If you die, the Reed family can at least afford you a nice grave. He added coolly. Because right now, they needed money¨Cfor treatment. Lillian¡¯s voice exploded in the room. ¡°You heartless bastard!¡± Her scream echoed through the hospital room. In that moment, she wanted to kill him. Meanwhile, Ethan had just arrived at the hospital. As soon as he stepped off the elevator, he spotted Susan on the phone, her voice sharp and trembling with anger. ¡°You want me to sign papers cutting ties with you? Ste, how could you be this heartless?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe Ste actually meant it. Susan had thought all that talk about cutting ties was just out of anger¨Cnot something Ste would really go through with. She was wrong. Ste meant every word. Over the phone, Ste¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Thewyer is already on the way to the hospital with the documents.¡± Her tone was emotionless¨Cempty. In that moment, Susan realized something chilling¨Cthere wasn¡¯t a shred of warmth in Ste¡¯s voice. No hesitation. No hint of attachment. It was like the Reed family meant nothing to her. The thought made her chest tighten, made it hard to Two years¡­ Had I really never made it into Ste¡¯s heart? Not even once? T breathe. ¡°You cut off the Reed family, and then what? Who do you think you are? Sure, those men are backing you now, but that won¡¯t . Right now, it¡¯s all excitement and novelty. But give it time¨Conce they realize you don¡¯t really fit into their world, they¡¯ll leave you behind.¡± The sudden copse of their mother¨Cdaughter rtionship sent a wave of panic through Susan. Somewhere deep down, Susan didn¡¯t actually want to lose Ste. Ste¡¯s reply was razor sharp. ¡°Whether I get left behind or not isn¡¯t your problem. Just sign the papers.¡± And with that, Ste hung up. Especially with those words¨CSusan heard it loud and clear. There was a threat behind them. Her hands trembled. Her head spun. She was shaking- 10:11 AM ¡¤ Chapter 110 Breaking Points sign it too. What is she even thinking? Does she really have to turn this into a full¨Cblown disaster?¡± At that moment, Susan had nothing butints about Ste. +8 Pearls In her mind, the family was already going through enough¨Cwhy couldn¡¯t Ste just stop pushing? Or maybe it was because of that studio job¨Cthe one that pulled in nine hundred eighty thousandst year? If she really thinks that¡¯s her golden ticket, then she¡¯s more short¨Csighted than I thought. Business is all about timing and luck. Just because she made moneyst year doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll pull it off again. And the wants to cut off the family over that? So dramatic. Susan narrowed her eyes. Let¡¯s see how long she can keep this up ¡°Forget it. Let her do whatever she wants,¡± she muttered. She didn¡¯t want to talk about Ste anymore. If Ste wanted to cut ties, line. Let her. But when Susan remembered the oue of the call she¡¯d made earlier to Eddie and Rianne¡¯s assistant, her mood soured even more, Her face, already grim, darkened further. Just then, Jonathan walked up. Seeing both Susan and Ethan looking serious, he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± Susan sighed and replied, ¡°What else? Ste. She just called me out of the blue¨Cfor the first time in two years¨Cand it was to tell me she¡¯s cutting ties. Told me to sign the paperwork.¡± Two years, and now the first thing Ste had to say was that she wanted out of the family? Jonathan¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°She¡¯s really going that far?¡± He had thought she was bluffing, that once she cooled off, she¡¯de around. But now it was obvious¨Cshe had never nned to forgive them. Susan let out another deep sigh, then turned to Ethan and Jonathan. ¡°What¡¯s the update on her studio? Any updates on shutting it down?¡± Silence. Neither Ethan nor Jonathan said a word. Even mentioning Ste¡¯s studio made their expressions tighten. They had clearly underestimated her. She hadn¡¯t just built that studio from the ground up¨Cshe actually knew how to keep it going. Thinking about the responses from Ste¡¯s business partners only made Jonathan and Ethan look even more grim. Ste had no intention of backing down. Send Gifts The wrong girl 111 Chapter 111 Lines Crossed Jonathan let out a tight breath. ¡°We can¡¯t shut her studio down. Her partners are all backing her.¡± Susan stared at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Let¡¯s drop it. No point wasting more time on this,¡± he muttered. Just bringing up Ste¡¯s studio made his expression sour. This whole ordeal made one thing painfully clear¨Cthese days in Rivermount, the Reed family just didn¡¯t hold the same power it once did. And not just the Reeds¨Ceven the Keenes. Ethan had tried pulling strings through the Keene Group to cut off Ste¡¯s partnerships. But not a singlepany had taken. the bait. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go check on Lillian,¡± Jonathan said, brushing it off as he turned and walked toward Lillian¡¯s hospital room. Susan stood frozen in ce, furious, She gave a sharp stomp, then hurried after them. Susan stood frozen, fuming. Then, with a frustrated stomp, she chased after them down the hallway. Inside the hospital room, Lillian was still on the phone. The moment Jonathan opened the door, her voice exploded across the room. ¡°Fine! Then we¡¯ll go to prison together!¡± Jonathan froze. Ethan, right behind him, had also heard Lillian¡¯s outburst. So did Susan. The three of them stood there in stunned silence as they stared at Lillian. Lillian stared right back,pletely caught off guard. No one spoke. The heavy silence was broken by a voice from further down the hallway. ¡°Is Madarn Alice really that important to him? I¡¯ve already hadn¡¯t wanted toe in the first ce¨Cespecially knowing she¡¯d have to walk past Lillian¡¯s room. And as she passed Lillian¡¯s room, she saw Jonathan, Ethan, and Susan standing there frozen¨Clike they¡¯d just been hit by a freight train. She nced at Abel. He looked at the three of them too. But neither of them said a word. Ste kept walking without a nce back. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out of that ce. Once they were further down, she leaned toward Abel and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s up with them? Why are they just standing there like that? Abel replied calmly, ¡°Pretty sure they¡¯re in shock.¡± ¡°From Lillian?¡± There was no one else in the room but Lillian. And yet somehow, the woman who was supposedly seriously ill had managed to scare the life out of all three of them? Abel chrupeed. ¡°They must¡¯ve overheard something these weren¡¯t sunnosed to 10 11 AM c Chapter 111 Lines Crossed Ste¡¯s mind shed back to the way Lillian had tried to provoke her¨Cpressuring her to leave Rivermount She looked at Abel again, something sharper flickering in her eyes. Abel nced over. ¡°Ms. Dawson?¡± Ste didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Look into Lillian. I want to know if something¡¯s going on with her.¡± +8 Pearls The way Lillian had suddenly appeared¨Cand the things she said¨CSte couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off.. Ste was almost certain now¨CLillian was hiding something. Abel gave a small nod. ¡°Understood. Their pace quickened. By the time they returned from visiting Madam Alice, Lillian¡¯s hospital room door was shut. The others were gone. Faint voices drifted from inside, but they were too muffled to make out. Ms. Dawson, are you- Before Abel could finish, Ste stepped closer and pressed herself lightly against the door, Abel watched, sturned, as Ste motioned for him to stay quiet. He stared for a second. Since when did Ms. Dawson pick up moves like that? Ste leaned in, pressing her ear to the door. Sure, it wasn¡¯t exactly the appropriate move¨Cbut she didn¡¯t care. After seeing how those three had frozen up carlier, just like Abel said, it had to mean something. Like they¡¯d overheard something they weren¡¯t supposed to. And now? They were probably in there talking about it. And if it was about that¡­ I need to know what they¡¯re saying. She leaned in even more, intent on catching every sound. She crouched by the door, perfectly still. Something about the sight of her crouched there, dead focused, made Abel raise his phone almost without thinking. He snapped a picture- Then he sent it to Abraham. At that moment, Abraham was with Victor. Victor handed him a ss of red wine, then nced over, confused. Abraham was looking at his phone with an amused smile. ¡°What are you looking at? Victor asked. Abraham didn¡¯t say a word. He simply slipped the phone into his pocket. Victor didn¡¯t press. He just went quiet. Send Gifts The wrong girl 112 Chapter 112 Caught Off Guard Eddie leaned in with a smirk. ¡°Let me guess¨Che¡¯s looking at Ste. Who else could make Abraham smile like that?¡± Abraham shot him a look. Eddie held up his hands. ¡°Alright, I get it. I shut up. I¡¯ve got a sister too, you know.¡± It was obvious¨CSte wasn¡¯t just anyone to Abraham. +8 Pearis They¡¯d all watched Ste grow up. Eddie had always had a decent rtionship with her. Every time they saw each other, she¡¯d greet him politely. But apparently, even that was enough to irritate Abraham. Like someone was trying to steal his little sister. Seriously, rt, Eddie thought We ve all gor sisters. Abraham gave him a side nce. ¡°Then bring your sister out sometime. Eddie stopped cold. Yeah, no thanks. His sister was¡­ well, a bit on the boyish side. If he brought her around, people might think he was dating a dude. It had happened before. And honestly? It was a nightmare. Why is it that other people¡¯s sisters are cute and girly, and mine¡¯s not? Other guys had sisters who wore skirts, styled their hair and looked adorable. His? Short hair. Military background. Strong as hell. ¡°Fine. My sister can¡¯tpete. Happy now?¡± Eddie muttered. Yeah, yeah¨Cyour sister¡¯s the best. Still, he had to admit¨CSte was gorgeous. Ever since she got back from Ealvaria, her skin looked perfect, and she had this easy, natural glow. Abraham looked pleased with himself and opened the photo Abel had just sent again. He texted back: ¡°What is she doing?¡± Abel replied: ¡°Eavesdropping¡± Abraham¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°On whom?¡± ¡°The Reeds¡± Abraham went quie quiet. Seriously? Where did she even learn that? I If she needed info, all she had to do was ask¨Che could get it in seconds. But crouching by doors? Unbelievable. Back at the hospital Inside the room, the tension was thick All eyes were on her, and Lillian¡¯s heart was pounding in her throat. She had no idea how much they¡¯d heard. Or what they were thinking But judging by their expressions, they clearly suspected something Especially Ethan. He¡¯d overheard something before¨Cand now this? Chapter 2 Gauge Of Bud band zum zad. Es umr was cum- there was on mistaking te ge unienestu, die dan jonatan treowned. ¡°Tall Then wir were must worked up just hang up duese Lillum sand and wanent on in the person kept going on and on que ha posam ham and Thr the war ju the Soan ponane and met senord in domu ung- WIS (108) I MEDM all. Nothing in mess abou¡± She raced out and Lilian¡¯s hunt Testame, dan een botter amswering. And if you do pick up, hang up immediacy Donarque wit those hair. ¡°Yeah, just a scam. Just don¡¯t answer those kinds of calls n time, alright?¡± It was obvious¨Cboth Jonathan and Susan believed her. Ethan, though. His expression didn¡¯t change. His eyes were still unreadable. Lillian picked up on it immediately. She looked at him and asked carefully, ¡°Ethan, is something wrong?¡± His expression was impossible to read. She couldn¡¯t tell if he believed her-or not. After a beat, Ethan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve got something to take care of. If you need anything, call me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lillian nodded quickly, not daring to say more. She couldn¡¯t risk slipping up. Outside the room. Ste had been listening the whole time. The second she saw Ethan heading out, she nudged Abel and made a quiet escape, But before they could slip away. Ethan spotted her. He caught up in just a few long strides. He caught up fast, falling in step with them as the elevator doors slid open. The three stepped inside. Ethan¡¯s face soured the moment he noticed she was with Abel. Seriously? Ae guy again? This woman¡­ When the elevator reached the lobby, it dinged open. Ste started to walk out with Abel But then- She felt a grip around her wrist. She turned and met Ethan¡¯s eyes, her tone sharp. ¡°Let go. ¡°You¡¯re really cutting ties with the Reed family?¡± Ethan asked, still clinging to disbelief. He had honestly thought she was bluffing¨Cjust trying to stir up drama. But clearly, she meant every word. She¡¯d actually sent awyer to deliver the paperwork to Susan. Right on cue, awyer walked up with documents in hand. ¡°Ms. Dawson,¡± he said politely. Ste didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡®Go ahead. Get it done quickly,¡± she said coolly That was it. Ste didn¡¯t need to exin anything to Ethan anymore¨Cthis was her answer, loud and clear. She wasn¡¯t bluffing. The had arrived¨Cpapers in hand. Ethan¡¯s grip on her wrist tightened. ¡°Why? Is this because of Lillian?¡± Ste shot him a look. ¡°Still not thinking straight, huh? That bucket of water clearly wasn¡¯t enough.¡± She wasn¡¯t going to exin anything. She didn¡¯t owe him that. Ethan said nothing: his face darkened at the mention of the incident. Damn woman. That attitude¨Chore do these other men even 10:12 AM Chapter 113 Cut Ties Ethan red and red at him furiously sie rased an eyebrow ¡°What now? You want to fight about it?¡± When than all duln¡¯t let go, Ste¡¯s voice dropped¨Ccold and sharp Ethan¡¯s expression darkened even more Uand tally, he did.. ste pulled her hand free and walked away with Abel, not even ncing back +S Peans Ethan stood there, watching her back as she disappeared down the hall¨Cso tiem so cold, like she¡¯d made up her mund and there was no turning back For the test tune in forever, Ethan felt the quiet ache of something slipping away¨Csomething he might never get back. tumed to Abel. ¡°Yourteen thousand dors was transferrest out of Lillian¡¯s ount. Find out where it The rest of the Reed family might¡¯ve believed Lillian¡¯s story about being scammed¨Cbut Ste wasn¡¯t buying it for a second Abel gave a nod. Understood.¡± Of course he was going to dig into it. That evening Ste returned to Verdant Vi. Abraham wasn¡¯t home yet. After dropping her off. Abel headed out again to follow up. The dinner table had been set with all her favorite dishes¨Cthe ones she¡¯d loved back when she lived in Falvaria. Halfway through her meal. Abraham¡¯s call came in. This time, before the butler could even answer. Ste grabbed the phone herself ¡°Don¡¯t start. I¡¯m eating¨Cand it was just one bowl, not even that much.¡± He treats me like a child sometimes¡­ Always watching how much I eat. I savdh dogs he ever get tired of worrying about me And if he does burnout, he probablyyay it because I never grew up and he always had to take edge of me. I¡¯m not taking the me for that one. II His voice came through, smooth and low carrying that familiar warmth he only used when talking to her. ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s behaving tonight.¡± Ste rolled her eyes, but her voice softened. ¡°If I¡¯m full, I stop. You really don¡¯t have to stress over every little thing¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, how could I not care?¡± Abraham replied. Ste fell quiet for a second Fise he wants to care and fuss over the little things let him, Just don¡¯teining about itter She changed the subject, her voice softening ¡°When are youing back? Did you drink tonight?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 114 Chapter 114 Unraveling ¡°Til be home in about two hours, Abraham said over the phone. ¡°Had a couple of drinks. Don¡¯t wait up¨Cjust go to bed.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Ste replied, then hung up. She made her way back to the dining room. There was no way she was going to stop eating¨Cshe was still hungry. The butler watched as Ste went back for two more bowls, a bit surprised¨Cbut hey, having a healthy appetite was a good thing. After dinner, Ste headed out to the yard for a quick walk to help it all settle. That¡¯s when her phone rang again. Ethan. The moment she saw the name, she wanted to hang up. ¡°What is it now? Seriously¨Cwhat do you want? Haven¡¯t you caused enough chaos already?¡± Her tone was sharp, full of irritation. She was absolutely done with Ethan. His breath caught on the other end, clearly worked up. ¡°Who owns Verdant Vi?¡± ¡°Why?¡± she snapped. ¡°Just ask him what he wants for it I¡¯ll pay whatever,¡± Ste went quiet for a moment. That desperation in Ethan¡¯s voice? It could only mean one thing¨CLillian must¡¯ve stirred something up again. Of course she did, Whenever it came to Lillian, Ethanpletely lost his head. ¡°He¡¯s not selling. Ste said tly. ¡°Give it up. Ethan nearly lost it. ¡°Just tell me who owns the ce! I heard he¡¯s sixty¨Csix. Seriously, Ste? You¡¯re with someone old enough. to be your dad? Lately, every time Ethan turned around, there was a different guy hanging around Ste. Now he couldn¡¯t even tell who actually owned Verdant Vi anymore. With everything going on with Lillian, his head was all over the ce. He couldn¡¯t think straight¨Ceverything felt like a mess She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She stared at her phone, utterly speechless. Did Ethan hit his head or something? Has hepletely lost it? ¡°So what if I want his inheritance? You really think I¡¯m into him? Please. Compared to your insane family, he¡¯s a dream. No parents, no nosy rtives¨Cjust peace and quiet. Sounds like heaven to me Ethan fell silent. His chest tightened. His head was pounding. Ste didn¡¯t just argue. She crushed him. He had noeback. She left him speechless. That¡¯s just how Ste was. You threw a pebble, and she¡¯de back with a boulder. His thoughts were a blur, his whole brain buzzing. And just when he thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, Ste hit him with the final blow, ¡°You really should see a doctor, Ethan. Something¡¯s definitely off¨Cyou¡¯re not thinking straight.¡± Chick. She hung up before he could even react, Meanwhile, Ethan was still on his way to the hospital, furious. 10:12 AM c Chapter 114 Unraveling -8 Pearls somehow, she still managed to sneak out. I ate trying to kill hersely? Does the have a death wish or whatthat¡¯s the thinking! Jason,¡± he called Yes, Mr. Ethan¡®¡± ¡°Do you think Ste, she¡± Ethan started voice low. hat about Ste! He didn¡¯t even know what he was asking anymore. His mind was a mess. A dozen different faces shed through his head¨Cevery guy who¡¯d been around Stetely. Who was actually with hert Eddie! That gay from earlier! Everything wasplete chaos. All these guys suddenly showing up around Ste hadpletely messed with his head. He couldn¡¯t think straight. They got to the hospital quickly. As soon as Ethan¡® stepped into the room he saw Susan sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°What were you thinking: With your condition, you still run off? Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Lillian said softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you Susan wiped at her face, her voice trembling, ¡°What if something had happened to you? You can barely walk right now When they found her, she was slumped on the edge of a garden bed,pletely out of breath Lillian looked at Susan, her lips parting like she wanted to speak¨Cbut in that moment, she couldn¡¯t get a single word out She¡¯d gone out to find that man. She wanted to kill him. But she hadn¡¯t realized her body had be this weak. When Susan spotted Ethan at the door, she turned to him in desperation. ¡°Ethan, please talk some sense into her. She scared the life out of me today. Tell her to stop doing things like this.¡± Seeing Lillian like this broke Susan¡¯s heart more than anyone else¡¯s, Ethan nodded. Susan stood, gave Lillian a look, and said, ¡°Talk to Ethan for a bit. I¡¯m going to get someone to warm up your food¨Cit¡¯s all cold now.¡± She¡¯d gone to deliver the meal herself, only to find Lillian gone. What followed was pure panic as everyone scrambled to find her. Send Gifts The wrong girl 115 Chapter 115 Just Let Me Go Home +8 Pearls Susan stepped out, leaving just Ethan and Lillian alone in the room. Lillian nced at Ethan, guilt in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry.¡± Ethan pulled over a chair and sat beside her bed with a sigh. ¡°Why did you sneak out! Do you have any idea how worried everyone was¨Cespecially Madam Susan?¡± Lillian lowered her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t take the smell anymore, Ethan. You don¡¯t know how hopeless that disinfectant makes me feel. The moment I walked into this hospital, it felt like the whole world shut down. I can¡¯t feel the sun. It¡¯s like I¡¯m cut off from everything. I don¡¯t want to stay here. I just can¡¯t Only someone who¡¯d been seriously ill¨Cwho¡¯d spent long stretches confined to a hospital room¨Ccould understand how hopeless that felt. Lillian¡¯s life hadn¡¯t been easy to begin with. She didn¡¯t want Stell: Ste to have it good¡­ But the truth was, she wasn¡¯t doing any better herself Hearing her break down, Ethan¡¯s brow tightened. ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t just run off like that.¡± ¡°What choice did 1 have? Would you have let me leave! Of course not, she snapped. ¡°You¡¯re in no condition right now. Even if you do leave, we have to prep everything. The team, the equipment¨Ceverything has to be ready¡± They¡¯d need a full medical team, the necessary equipment, and ess to immediate testing¨Ceverything had to be in ce. That was why Ethan had been trying to buy Verdant Vi. Lillian¡¯s current care involved almost twenty medical staff. The estate was big enough to hold them all and still make space for a dedicated treatment room. Lillian looked away, her voice trembling ¡°So what¨Cyou think I¡¯ll ever make it out of here? That I¡¯ll just¡­ die in this ce?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Ethan snapped, his voice low and sharp Lillian went quiet immediately. Her Eyes welled up again, and Ethan¡¯s heart see several strandse loose in his handled even more. He sighed, reached over, and gently ruffled her hair¨Conly to Lillian saw it, too. Her body began to shake. ¡°Ethan¡­¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°My hair. He held back the pain in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Once you¡¯re better, it¡¯ll grow back.¡± -wille ¡°Will it?¡± she asked, her voice barely holding together. To her. losing hair wasn¡¯t just about appearance¨Cit felt like her body was giving up. When it started falling out from illness, it was like a warning sign that things were only getting worse. ¡°I¡¯m really scared,¡± she whispered. Ethan said nothing ¡°I want to leave the hospital,¡± she said, broken. She never mentioned the real reason she¡¯d run away¨Cand Ethan didn¡¯t press her Looking at her pale, devastated expression, Ethan let out a quiet breath and gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll get you out. Soon.¡± ¡°Ethan ¡± ¡°I promise.¡± he said ¡°I have you discharged within a week. Deal?¡± 10:12 AM c Chapter 115 Just Let Me Go Home And for the first time in days, she felt a little peace settle in her chest. +8 Pearls just She really didn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital. The smell of disinfectant filled her with endless dread. It terrified her. She j wanted out. And she was terrified she wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Back at S Ste¡¯s side. Abraham had returned. The two of them sat across from each other, and Ste felt a little uneasy under his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± she asked, ncing at him. Abraham, a little buzzed from the wine, smirked. ¡°So you like old men now? nning to inherit someone¡¯s fortune?¡± Ste was speechless. Great, Just great. Seriously, when did he even get back Of all the things to overhear, of course it had to be that part. ¡°Come on, I was just messing with Ethan! He said the owner of Verdant Vi was some 66¨Cyear¨Cold man¨CI was just trying to get under his skin, that¡¯s all.¡± She rushed to exin. Especially with Abraham. If she didn¡¯t clear this up fast, she¡¯d be the one paying the price. Ste had no interest in paying the price for a misunderstanding. Abraham chuckled at her exnation, then pulled her into his arms. His fingers, warm and steady, traced along her jaw. ¡°Ethan really hasn¡¯t figured it out yet, has he? Still clueless about who actually owns Verdant Vi?¡± Ste huffed. Clearly not.¡± With Abraham, she never held back¨Cshe alwaysid things out in. But with Ethan? Yeah, she had no patience left. He and his family were always so full of themselves¨Ccutting off her credit cards, threatening to shut down her business, doing everything they could to block her path forward. Send Gifts The wrong girl 116 Chapter 116 Blocked and Unbothered If Ethan was so capable, why didn¡¯t he just figure it out himself? Ste never would¡¯ve guessed that after all that digging. Ethan wouldnd on such a ridiculous conclusion. At this point, it wasn¡¯t just hisck ofmon sense¨Cclearly, his whole team was clueless. A sixty¨Csix¨Cyear¨Cold vi owner? Seriously? I here tere they even getting their inteft She nced at Abraham and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be home in two hours? Why are you back so soon?¡± On the phone, he¡¯d told her not to wait up. Abraham gave her a look. ¡°You¡¯ve really lost all self¨Ccontrol at night, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ste blinked. What? ¡°You¡¯re a grown woman¨Caren¡¯t you even a little worried about gaining weight, eating that much right before bed?¡± The truth was. Abraham had rushed back because he was worried she might get sick from overeating Ste shot him a look. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s why you came back?¡± ¡°What, isn¡¯t that a good enough reason?¡± She couldn¡¯t argue with that. Okay, fine. If you say so. ¡°I just hadn¡¯t been eating properlytely, that¡¯s all,¡± she muttered under her breath. -What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She quickly buried her face in his chest. Of course Abraham heard her. He gently ran his hand down her slender back, full of quiet affection. He knew¨Chow could he not? She hadn¡¯t eaten properly in years. That¡¯s why,tely, she¡¯d been overeating, craving everything like she was trying to make up for lost time. ¡°Abraham?¡± ¡°When are we going back to Falvana? I¡¯m sick of Rivermount. I hate it here¡± ¡°I still have a few things to take care of,¡± he said calmly. ¡°But if they¡¯re bothering you that much.. I¡¯ll let Abel take care of it.¡± The second he said Abel would take care of it, all the warmth vanished from his voice. After all, the girl he¡¯d raised with such care had been treated like she was nothing. He wasn¡¯t about to let that slide. Over the next few days, Ste stayed buried in work at the studio, while Susan kept dodging thewyer¡¯s calls. Ever since the incident at the hospital, Susan had gone quiet¨Cavoiding any legal follow¨Cup Ste¡¯s attorney had tried to arrange. She clearly didn¡¯t want anything official documented. No signatures, no formal closure. Just¡­ avoidance. No one knew exactly what Susan and her family were thinking anymore. Maybe they believed if they stalled long enough. Ste woulde around. But Ste wasn¡¯t budging. Meanwhile, Abel had finally tracked down where Lillian¡¯s fourteen thousand had gone. They were close to the truth now On the third morning. Ste woke up to a new text on her phone: ¡°Just four more days until I¡¯m discharged!¡± le stated at the screen tinimbressed 10.12 AM Chapter 116 Blocked and Unbothered Yesterday¡¯s number had already been blocked. Today, it was a new one Seriously¡ªwhere were they getting all these numbers! Ste just kept blocking them, one after another. They couldn¡¯t possibly keep this up forever. She had considered changing her number. But honestly? If these people were this desperate to bother her, they¡¯d put showing up in person. And she wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with them¨Cnot emotionally, not mentally, not at all Today¡¯s message was different from yesterday¡¯s. This time. Lillian had added: ¡°Once I¡¯m discharged. I be moving strugh into Verdant Vi. I remember Ethan saying you love watching the sunrise too It was pure bragging Bold, confident, shameless bragging Ste let out a softugh. So that¡¯s what this is really about¨Cnot the sunrise, just showing off Unlike thest couple of days, she didn¡¯t ignore it. Her fingers flew across the screen. She texted back ¡°Verdann Vi: Sure. you actually manage to move in.¡± If Lillian wanted to brag, let her. When reality hit, it¡¯d be a whole different story. Lillian replied confidently: ¡°Ethan promised me himself. Nothing¡¯s going to change¡± She really believed him. That much was clear. Ste snorted. ¡°Then good luck with that. Message sent Number blocked She never wasted time when it came to the Reed family. The second she recognized one of their numbers, she blocked in That¡¯s why no one from the Reed family¨Cnot even Ethan¨Ccould get through to her anymore. Downstairs. Abraham was already seated at the table, speaking quietly to the butler. ¡°From now on, have the kitchen cut back line. No need to make so much food¡± The butler chuckled, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s nice to see Ms. Dawson actually enjoying her food. Most young women these days barely eat to stay thin Abraham replied, calm but firm. ¡°Yeah, and then she¡¯ll overdo it trying to burn it off. That¡¯s not good for her either¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Yeah That¡¯s true. A lot of girls get so caught up in staying slim, they really push it too far. Mare once went on such a strict diet that she passed out and ended up in the hospital. Send Gifts Çú 108 The wrong girl 117 Chapter 117 Left in the Dark After that, Abraham made one thing clear¨Che wasn¡¯t going to tolerate any binge eating in the house. Ste sat across from him at the breakfast table, all innocent. ¡°Are you saying I eat too much now?¡° Abraham didn¡¯t miss a beat ¡°Yes.¡± +8 Pearls Ste went quiet. Has he seriously that concerned about how much I was eating? Then again¡­ maybe he meant well. Maybe he was scared I¡¯d end up like Marie¨Cgain a little weight, freak out, and crashnd in the hospital trying to lose it all. She picked up her spoon and took a sip of her porridge. ¡°What time did you get backst night?¡± ¡°After two.¡± ¡°Thatte? Did yo youe into my room at all?¡± At that, Abraham¡¯s expression shifted. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face before he looked straight at her, his gaze unreadable. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± Ste said, shaking her head. Maybe just dreamed it. s just She remembered the feeling¨Clike something soft and cold wrapping around her as she slept, then the weight of someone¡¯s arms drawing her in close. She¡¯d tried to move, to pull away, but her body wouldn¡¯t respond. It was like she was frozen in ce. It had to be a dream right| After breakfast. Ste headed out. Abraham stayed behind for a quick video meeting in his study. By the time he stepped out, it was already past ten. Abel approached. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± He gave a brief nod. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Mr. Keene has been trying to schedule a meeting with you¨Cso has Mr. Louis.¡± Both men were pushing for partnerships, At least Louis had met Abraham once. Ethan hadn¡¯t even gotten that far. They¡¯d already made it clear they weren¡¯t interested¨Cbut Ethan wasn¡¯t taking the hint. Abel continued, ¡°Ms. Lillian¡¯s been pushing hard to get discharged. And Mr. Keene¡¯s still trying to uncover who owns Verdant Vill. Should we drop a hint¨Cmaybe get him to back off?¡± Abraham let out a quietugh. ¡°He¡¯s clearly not letting this go. All this effort over a woman confined to a hospital bed¡­¡± He leaned back, amusement flickering in his eyes. ¡°If she dies, it might be the only time she ever leaves a mark. Don¡¯t tell him anything let him run himself in circles chasing answers he¡¯ll never find ¡± Abel went quiet. Abraham smirked. ¡°If she dies before he ever figures out who owns this ce that¡¯d be the biggest joke of all Being kept in the dark¨Cthat was what really drove people crazy. Abel added. ¡°He already knows Ms. Dawson lives here. He¡¯s been pestering her nonstop, asking who the owner is¨Cevery single day¡± He was literally asking the owner who owned the ce¨Clooked like a total idiot. He remembered that nonsense Ethan spouted a few days ago¨Cabout the vi belonging to some sixty¨Csix¨Cyear¨Cold man. Where did he even get that information And how was someone like that still running the Keene Group! ¡°Just ignore him.¡± Abraham and his tone t and dismissive. The worst torture was k knowing th the other side had all the answers¨Cwhile you had nothing. 10:12 AM c Be Armed De torstudio when Kimmy humed over and whispered, M¡­ Dawson, Wei Linn i hum Viralt, be stowed up ngt viten we oomed i med calling you, ban you didn¡¯t pick un ad been blowing in her abone for days, insisting Lillian needed to move imo Verrian Vi for her marvey¨Clite getting her house, they could keep dreamin Loun lounging on the couch. The wood chi an when he She nced quickly at the catre abe Me cigarne hunt. Interesang- twittoo wronald we though van were Mr. Abratium. Fix tore was tobest but Steilu gave him a well invite Cleary, Lace had finally done is borewexit and figured on her connection in Abraham Whm hr bainit expected was ther Sac was Abroadoomed den gaze with an easy umle and for a silvercond Swell furred. On inson she started to pull her arm free tran But before she could. Lauis pulledioun a small velven low and nelin do her. ¡°Wlinde something to make up for what Ste didn I reply right Her gaze dropped the be in his hand. Shirognized the brand ammedely¨Chigh¨Cend, expensive and unmistakably a bribe Mr Lou, what¡¯s this abour¡± Louis kept smiling Sharon was out of line¨CI¡¯m here to apponitzygmiste tback, butaiff She¡¯s been dealt with. I¡¯ve made surepletely cut off from the outside world.¡± Send Gifts. The wrong girl 118 Chapter 118 A Favor Louis gave a reassuring smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry¨Cshe wont be sho Ste staves silent that may the pen here? Without waiting for a respon
  1. me. This deal really matters¡±
bother you presed the velvet box into her hands. ¡°Come on¨Chelp me out. Talk to Abraham for He¡¯d practically lost it on Sharon over the past few days Before Abraham came to vermount, things between them had been going just fine. But then Sharon went and ruined everything On top of that. Louis hadn¡¯t known Ste was Abraham¡¯s adopted sister¨Cthe girl he¡¯d personally taken in and rased like family There was no way Abraham would let anyone mess with her Louis had already seen what happened to the Tom family¨Cthat alone was enough to know wanted to get on the wrong And Sharon just thinking about her made his blood beil The same went for Ethan and the Rred: By: Louie didn¡¯t even want to imagine might being for them verything he¡¯d learned about how much Abraham looked out for Stet It was enough to make him serio Ste pushed the box right back at him ¡°If I really ted to speak up for you, you¡¯d be done for Louis¡¯s eve twitched ¡°Wait, what Ste said. ¡°You figured out I¡¯m his sister but I guess you missed the part where he can¡¯t stand people trying to pull strings¡± Louis went silent Okay, yeah¨Che had read that too. But he figured i s diferent wasn¡¯t just anyone¨Cshe was Abraham¡¯s fav because of you. You and Sharon got into it at my grandfather¡¯s ¡°The only reason the deal fell through in the first birthday party -and Abraham took your side! Everything had been going smoothly¨Cuntil Sharon picked a tight with Ste and blew the whole deal up Brothers looking out for their sisters wasn¡¯t new to Louts. But Abraham? H¨¨to to another level. Ste gave a light shrug. ¡°If that¡¯s how you¡¯re seeing it. Mr. Louis. I don¡¯t have anything else to say ¡°Come on don¡¯t say that¡± His voice took on a desperate edge. If Ste gave up, so did hisst shot at Ste walked over and sat down in her desk chair. Across from her, Lours ced the jewelry box gently on the desk and slid it toward her Ste sighed. ¡°Fine: 1 make a call¡± Louis and Sharon were two very different people. Louis actually had a solid reputation in R if Abraham¡¯s cold shoulder was really all her fault. But the way Louis was pushing today made one thing clear¨Che wasn¡¯t going to let this y Abraham. He wasn¡¯t backing down Hight there in front of Louis Ste pulled out her phone and dialed Abrahar He picked up almost instantly. ¡°Star¡± ¡°Abraham, what do you think of Louis?¡± she asked bluntly. abraging the deal nd Ste least tried to talk so 10:12 AM c Chapter TTS A FAMO geakes, and x VOICE Though cam, beld a tendernes And yet the Feed Sah bad caned her like she didn¡¯t me at all. How blind could they be voice came through a Sv didn¡¯t hestume. Then wondering Do you think be a good guy Then Vorwana Poc asking a wimple question, and somehow ?braham had tumed r inte a confession of feelinin- And than some¡ªhe was dearly nex burpe Ste frowned. ¡°No, of course in. I¡¯m jus rating mis in line, he s now worth trusting Don¡¯t wake your time on him. The ch made it Tm not interested in him. site repite entperimen Tll pick you up for lunch. Be good. Eve Click. He hung up Louis binked, sail processing what had juur happened. My dad o dderate find the things had caturn a sharp turn Ste turned to him with a look. You heard in your shabam doanhieve you. So yeah. I looks like the deal really fall spart because of voul Send Gift: The wrong girl 119 Chapter 119 A Family Worth Fighting For Ste continued. ¡°The deal didn¡¯t fall through because of me¨Cit was all Sharon. The way she acted showed Abraham exactly what kind of people he was dealing with.¡± Louis grew more anxious. ¡°But Sharon has nothing to do with thepany! That deal had nothing to do with her.¡± Ste replied calmly. ¡°In Abraham¡¯s eyes, if you can¡¯t manage your own family, it¡¯s a sign you can¡¯t be trusted¡± In other words, working together? Not likely. That one hit Louis hard. His jaw tightened in frustration¨Cbut deep down, he couldn¡¯t argue. If someone couldn¡¯t even handle their own family, how could they be trusted to run a business? Sharon¡­ because of her. this deal was falling apart- and at this rate, it was going to be the end of him. She¡¯d really pushed him over the edge this time. What really stood out, though, was how differently Ste treated Abraham. After returning to the Reed family, she never once acknowledged Jonathan as family¨Clet alone called Patrick and Susan her parents. But he got it. People open up to those who treat them well. The Reed family had always poured everything into Lillian and treated Ste like she didn¡¯t exist. With her personality, it made perfect sense she¡¯d give them the same cold shoulder in return. She grew up with the Dawsons¨Cand the Dawson family wasn¡¯t just any family. They ruled Falvaria¡¯s underground arms trade. No one raised in that kind of environment turned out soft. Louis hesitated, then asked. ¡°So the Dawsons? They¡¯re really that different from the Reeds?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste looked up, her tone turning sharp. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re adopted into the Dawsons. I¡¯ve seen how well they treat you. But how do they treat their actual daughter?¡± The moment he said that, Ste¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re seriouslyparing the Dawsons to the Reeds?¡± The Reed family? Please¨Cthey s weren¡¯t ev even in the same league. The Dawsons and Reeds were nothing alike. The Reed family didn¡¯t have much influence, but they sure thought highly of themselves. Lillian schemed against her, and what did the rest of them do! They sided with Lillian without a second thought -even turned their backs on their own daughter. How could anyonepare that to the Dawsons? With the Dawsons, it didn¡¯t matter whether you were born or adopted¨Ctheir hearts were united. Family meant standing together. Their fates were always tied. Seeing her shift in mood, Louis quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry. That was out of line.¡± Damn it, what was I doing questioning the Dawson family here? Hadn¡¯t I already figured out why Ste left them all those years ago? It was because the Tom family used Madam Evelyn¨CAbraham¡¯s mother¨Cand Abraham himself to threaten her. She left to protect tbraham She wasn¡¯t like Lillian, who only clung to the Reeds for what she could take. The Dawson family had a daughter too, someone who¡¯d been incredibly close to Ste since they were kids. The two were practically inseparable.. Bottom line, Ste was Abraham¡¯s everything¨Chis most precious treasure¨Cand Marie saw her as a beloved sister. And the Dawsons¡® They were the only true family she had ever known ¡°I was wrong, okay? Don¡¯t be mad, Louis said with a sigh, rubbing his temple. Ste huffed. ¡°Mr. Louis, instead of wasting your time on me, maybe focus on earning Abraham¡¯s trust. Out of all the options. you had, you really thought cutting corners and asking me to pull strings for you was the best idea¡± Since when did the Dawson family ever make things easy for anyone! And even if there had been a way in, Abraham Chapter 119 A Family Worth Fighting For Louis went quiet Crap He¡¯d just blurted it out without thinking ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just I needed the full picture Working with Abraham is a huge deal for me¡± Tve told you there¡¯s no shortcut when ites to our family Our family. The way she said it hit hard¨Cand made it even clearer to Louis just how different the Dawson family was from the Reeds Rivermount had been buzzingtely. The Reeds and Ethan were already pulling strings to shut down Ste¡¯s studio. Louis had heard all about it. Let them try. He was more than ready to sit back and watch them crash and burn. He¡¯d had it with Ethan for a long time. ¡°Ethan wants to work with Abraham too. Louis added. Ste raised an eyebrow and gave him a look Louis said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. I¡¯m just letting you know¨Cthe Parker family and the Reenes are both keeping a close eye on that Dawson family mine. We¡¯re both hoping for a partnership. You guys don¡¯t stand a chance Ste shot back without missing a beat She wasn¡¯t wrong. When something was in Abraham¡¯s hands, it all came down to his word. No one else stood a chance. Louis stayed silent. Harsh, yeah¨Cbut true. But if Abrahamt ends up working with Ethan, won¡¯t that get under your skini If asking for a favor didn¡¯t work, then maybe it was time to try a different approach Send Gifts The wrong girl 120 Chapter 120 The Game Just Changed ¡°It wouldn¡¯t bother me, even if they did end up working together, Ste said calmly. er partner up. That much, Ste was sure of Besides, there was no way Ethan and Abraham would ever ¡°Then can you at least throw me a bone?¡± Louis was at his wit¡¯s end. Abraham hadpletely shut him out, and it had been cating at him for days, ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound like a personal issue,¡± Ste replied. ¡°It¡¯s probably a problem with the contract you gave him.¡± ¡°The contract?¡± Louis blinked Ste nodded, ¡°You¡¯re not like Ethan. There¡¯s nothing personal going on with you¨Cat least not from Abraham¡¯s side.¡± ¡°You really mean that?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Louis fell quict. The contract¡­ is that really the issue? Wait¨Cnow that Ste had said it out loud, something suddenly clicked The Parker Group always used the same standard contracts when partnering with others. No exceptions. Could it be that one particr use¨Cthe one that restricted the other party- was what pissed Abraham off? As the thought hit him, Louis pped the table and stood up. ¡°Damn, I totally overlooked that.¡± Ste said nothing, Thanks. I¡¯ll have someone take care of it right away. Oh, and¡­ Louis nced at Ste, then added. ¡°There¡¯s history between Lillian and Ethan. She saved his life once. When something starts with that kind of bond and turns into something more¡­ it¡¯s not something you can just step into. Don¡¯t get involved¨Cit won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± As a way of returning the favor. Louis had just handed over one of Ethan¡¯s deepest secrets. Sure, Ste was holding her ground with Ethan right now. She was the one who spread the news about calling off the ?engagement, after all. But the truth was, no one could ever say for sure what a woman was really feeling. Either way, Louis just didn¡¯t want her wasting her time on a guy like Ethan A man like that¡ªno matter how things yed out¨Cwasn¡¯t someone she could count on for the long haul. Ste¡¯s expression shifted slightly. She hadn¡¯t expected there to be that kind of history between Ethan and Lillian. ¡°Thanks¡± Louis set a velvet box down on her desk. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m heading out¨Cbut keep the gift He¡¯d brought it for her¨Cno way was he taking it back. Taking back a gift just wasn¡¯t something he did. As Louis stepped out of Ste¡¯s office, he ran straight into Ethan. Ethan looked pissed And when he saw Louis walking out of Ste¡¯s office, his mind practically exploded. That thought¨Cthe one he hated¨Ccame back again, loud and clear. As they brushed past each other, Ethan grabbed Louis by the wrist. ¡°What the h¡¯ll were you doing in there?¡± As far as Ethan knew, Ste and Louis had no connection whatsoever. So why was Louis visiting her now? 10:12 AM E Chapter 120 The Game Just Changed The way Ethan always jumped to conclusions about Ste, as if she were some kind of reckle more than ready to sit back and watch Abraham crush him Louis¡¯sid¨Cback attitude pushed Ethan over the edge -S Pears But before Ethan could even take a swing. Louis spoke up first. ¡°Your hand¡¯s still busted and it looks like your legs not doing much better. Are you sure you want to throw hands! Don¡¯t me me if you end up not being able to If anything that just made it worse. The second Louis said in the fury on Ethan¡¯s face boded over His hand was fractured, and the doctor said the cast would have to stay on for at least a month. His leg wasn¡¯t seriously injured, but it still hurt¨Cenough that he walked with a slight limp ¡°What the hell were you doing in there with her?¡± Ethan growled, spitting out every word through clenched teeth Louis just smirked. ¡°Why do you care? She already told all of Rivermount the engagement¡¯s oE So if I want to co what¡¯s it to you?¡± after her Ethan¡¯s chest tightened, and anger surged through him Louis shrugged him off and walked away, done wasting his time. This was Ste¡¯s ce, after all. If he started something here and it got back to Abraham, he¡¯d be the one paying for in And judging by what Ste had hinted at. Abraham had already shut the Keene family out of the gamepletely Louis figured he¡¯d better head back and clean up that contract. If he yed his cards right, he might still have a shot. He¡¯d win Abraham over first¨Cthen he¡¯d deal with Ethan. Ethan! Please. Not worth the effort. Just a waste of flime. And with that, Louis left. Ethan stood there, shaking with rage, his head spinning. Damn it. Ste. What the hell was going on between her and Louis And Louis ever since he took over the Parker Group, thepany has been taking off The wrong girl 121 Chapter 121 The Ring Ain¡¯t Kimmy tried to stop Ethan, but there was no way she could; Ethan wasn¡¯t someone you could just stop if you wanted to. Ste had already said she didn¡¯t want to see him, but Kimmy couldn¡¯t hold him back; she was so furious she nearly called the cops. The office door mmed into the wall with a loud thud. Inside, Ste had just opened the velvet box Louis had left behind. A huge, sparkling diamond ring sat inside. Before she had a chance to react, Ethan barged in, seething with rage. The moment Ethan saw the ring, his mind froze. ¡°This is from Louis?¡± So that¡¯s why Louis hade by earlier? Was he proposing to her? Ethan¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. His eyes burned with fury as he stared at Ste; he opened his mouth to say something, but in that moment, not a single word came out. Ste nced at Ethan, then back at the giant diamond ring in the box. At first, she thought she was seeing things; but no, it really was a ring. What the heck was Louis thinking? Was this supposed to be an apology gift, or a proposal? Did he honestly not understand what a ring like this meant? Or! There¡¯s no way he was in love with me and proposing, absolutely not. Even someone with a few screws loose wouldn¡¯t give a ring like this, right? So the only exnation was that Louis¡® brain was so rusted he had no clue what a ring meant? ¡°Ste!¡± Ethan roared her name. That shout carried every ounce of his fury. Ste snapped, ¡°What the heck is wrong with you? Why are you yelling? So what if he did propose to me? What¡¯s it got to do with you?¡± Her eardrums were practically blown out. Clearly, this man¡¯s brain had been tied in knots and could no longer be untangled. She and Louis had barely even crossed paths¨CEthan knew that. And yet he was still jumping to conclusions about a proposal? His intelligence was truly something else. Ethan¡¯s breathing turned ragged. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯ve got some serious backing; no wonder you dared to break off the engagement and cut ties with the Reed family.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got all kinds of backing¨Cwhat, is that getting in the way of you trying to crush me?¡± Honestly, Ethan and the Reed family were so pissed off right now, and that was the reason why. They had pulled every trick in the book, all waiting for Ste toe crawling back to beg for mercy. But what happened instead? She never begged. What they saw instead was the powerful force standing behind her. Yes¨Cthere was serious power behind her. Thin whole le time while Fiban had been revine in investigate her some musterious fonce had been actively blocking him 11:55 AM D Chapter 121 The Ring Ain¡¯t +8 Pearls Stells stood and walked over to the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window. She looked down at the traffic on the street below, cars flowing like ants. The smile on her face turned even more mocking. ¡°You want to cancel my cards, shut down my studio ¡°What are you hoping I won¡¯t be able to pay rent, that I¡¯ll apologize to Lillian, beg for my and me crawling to you guys? Beg you to turn my cards back on, or beg you not to let me starve?¡± Every word dripped with sarcasm. Ethan¡¯s chest rose and fell. Even though everything she said was exactly what they¡¯d been doing hearing in spelled out like this by Ste made him feel deeply humiliated. And more than that¨Che felt a heavy, choking ure in this chest. ¡°Don¡¯t drag Lillian into this. You¡¯re the one who did those things¨Cdon¡¯t bring her into it.¡± ¡°What did I do? Ste cut in before he could even finish, her tone once again filled with biting sarcasm. ¡°At the beginning, I didn¡¯t do anything, did I?¡± Ethan fell silent Ste went on. ¡°In the beginning you didn¡¯t even know that I owned the house in Kingston Heights, you didnt loubou this studio either.¡± ¡°So what exactly did. I do back then that was so unforgivable you all decided I had to bepletely destroyed?¡± Was he angry? Yeah. Ethan aver But to Ste, his rage was no different than the Reed family¡¯s. It e from the same ce¨Cafter all the time and effort dury spent trying to crush her they still hadn¡¯t seeded, and that was what had them so mad. Ethan¡¯s breathing turned erratic. Enough with this nonsense!¡± ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re done talking now? Then tell me what exactly are you here for?¡± Ethan said nothing. Why am I here! For a moment, hepletely forgot That damn woman¨Cshe had this uncanny ability to pass you off so badly at exactly the wrong time, you¡¯d forget what you were even trying to say. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re here because of Verdant Vi, aren¡¯t you? The moment she said that name, Ethan¡¯s chest clenched again¨Chard. Send Gifts The wrong girl 122 Chapter 122 Good Luck Competing +8 Pearls Yeah, he was here because of that ce¨Che¡¯d promised Lillian she¡¯d be discharged within a week, and that she¡¯d be moving into Verdant Vi. He told her he¡¯d make sure she lived in the room where she could watch the sunrise in the morning and see the sunset in the evening: where she could hear the sound of the sea. Now it was already the third day. If he still couldn¡¯t secure Verdant Vi. The thought made it hard for Ethan to breathe. ¡°You¡¯ve been staying at Verdant Vi these past few days?¡± He¡¯d already checked¨Cshe hadn¡¯t stayed at Kingston Heights at all. She hadn¡¯t gone back there once. Both he and Jason had seen Ste at Verdant Vi. So now Ethan was convinced. Ste had to be living there. Ste said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been staying there. What, is that a problem?¡± Ethan was left speechless. Hearing her confirm it herself made his chest tighten again The one ce Lillian wanted to live more than anywhere else¨CSte was living there right now. ¡°Who owns that house?¡± Ethan¡¯s thoughts were aplete mess; at this point, he could barely hear his own voice. Ste said, ¡°You¡¯re asking me? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be so capable? Didn¡¯t you find out it belonged to some sixty¨Csix¨Cyear- old guy?¡± There it was again¨Cthat same line. Every time anyone asked about Verdant Vi, that was what she said Ethan snapped, ¡°Tell me who it is!¡± His voice came out through gritted teeth. Ste looked at how rattled he was and let out a mocking . ¡°So what, you¡¯re finally ready to admit in front of me that you¡¯re not as capable as you thought?¡± Ethan was livid. She had that kind of talent¨Cher mouth could give anyone a heart attack. Ste said, ¡°You admit it out loud, and I¡¯ll tell you. Do you admit it?¡± Ethan was left speechless. Admit in front of her that he wasn¡¯t capable¨Cthis damn woman was humiliating him, in as day. Ethan took several deep breaths, but he still couldn¡¯t push down the pressure weighing on his chest. His stare turned colder and colder. 11.55 AM ch Chapter 122 Good Luck Competing +8 Pearls That kind of arrogant provocation¨Cno one in Rivermount had ever dared to speak to Ethan like that. But Ste didn¡¯t hold back at all In the end, Ethan stormed off. He couldn¡¯t even spit out one of his usual threats before leaving But just before he walked out, he managed to squeeze out, I¡¯ll be watching to see if you can actually marry Louis.¡± ¡°The Parker family is a whole different ball game¨Cdon¡¯t think just because Louis proposed to you, you¡¯re actually going to get what you want!¡± His words came out through clenched teeth, venomous. Kimmy walked in. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Ste set down her water ss. ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Kimmy nodded. ¡°Yeah, stormed out looking furious!¡± He didn¡¯t look anything like the guy who once swept the boss into his arms¨Cthe guy who was good to her, who treated her employees well, too. This Keene family heir had nothing going for him besides being the Keene family¡¯s sessor. Being with someone with a temper like that was emotionally exhausting. Ste burst outughing. ¡°His face never looked good to begin with.¡± Kimmy stayed quiet. How had my boss put up with someone like that for two whole years? She dropped off the file and headed out Abraham called. ¡°Do you want the Reed family¡¯s money?¡± Sce was confused. Where was thating from? ¡°That chump change¡­. to the p To be honest, ever since she¡¯d family, Lillian had been lighting her like it was life or death. The truth was, Ste had never wanted any of it. Especially every time Susan bought something for Lillian¨Cshe¡¯d spend forever showing it off. What she didn¡¯t know was that back in Falvaria, Ste had so much of that stuff piled up it couldn¡¯t even fit¨Cand it was all better quality, too. Abraham said, ¡°It might have been chump change to you, but to them, it was a real prize, People couldn¡¯t survive without what had kept them going. And losing the thing they had valued most¨Cthat had been unbearable. Even if they were her blood rtives, the way they treated her was something Abraham would never tolerate. Ste caught his meaning ¡°So if my brother says I should take it, I¡¯ll take it?¡± She honestly didn¡¯t care. When Abraham wasn¡¯t around, she did her best to protect herself. But when he was around, she listened to everything he said. 11:56 AM The wrong girl 123 Chapter 123 Say It Louder +8 Pearls Abraham¡¯s deep, maic voice was full of affection; but Ste couldn¡¯t ignore themanding power hidden in his tone. ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Ste replied sweetly. s Honestly, even if she said she didn¡¯t care about it, the Reed family was going to pay the price regardless. Just when Ste thought Abraham was about to hang up, he suddenly asked, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± At those words, Ste¡¯s chest gave a jolt, and her cheeks flushed without her realizing it. Abraham¡¯s sudden question made her heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she blurted out a single word, ¡°Yeah.¡± As soon as the word left her mouth, she felt like her whole body had heated up; her face was burning. On the other end of the line, the man chuckled softly. ¡°Good girl.¡± Then can I have soup for dinner?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± This little traitor. I ask if she missed me, and she thinks of soup? Ste spoke cautiously. ¡°I haven¡¯t had it in forever.¡± Ever since she came to Rivermount, soup had been her favorite. At first, it was because that numbing, spicy vor helped distract her¨Cjust for a moment¨Cfrom the pain and longing she felt for Falvaria. But over time, she¡¯d genuinely fallen in love with it. Back in Falvaria, Abraham had never let her eat spicy food¨Che was always afraid it would upset her stomach. Back then, she didn¡¯t mind avoiding it; but once she got a taste, she couldn¡¯t stop craving it. The man on the phone heard the pitiful tone in her voice. ¡°Fine. But you¡¯re not going out for it¨Chave the kitchen make it.¡± That was already a major concession from Abraham¨Che was strict about ingredients. He¡¯d watched Ste grow up. When she was a kid, she ended up in the hospital twice because of food¨Crted issues. So he¡¯d always been especially strict. The moment Ste heard him give in, her tone turned bright and cheerful. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°What about the Reed family¨Cwhat¡¯s your n?¡± They had just been talking about that so¨Ccalled chump change from the Reed family. It wasn¡¯t much, but over the years, the Reed family and that adopted daughter had used that pittance to humiliate Ste in very way they could Abraham couldn¡¯t let that arrogance go unchecked¨Cit stirred a cold fury in him. As for the people involved. The moment Abraham brought up the Reed family again. Ste picked up on the subtle test hidden in his words. 11:56 AM Chapter 123 Say It Louder +8 Pearls Lillian¡¯s condition required Eddie and Rianne, and in their minds, both of those people werepletely under Ste¡¯s control. Of course they were suffering. Abraham asked, ¡°Still not done toying with them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even need to toy with them.¡± They were torturing themselves just fine. On top of that, Abraham had just mentioned the money¨Cwhich clearly meant he¡¯d already taken action against the Reed family. So no question about it¨Cthey were in for even more suffering. The Reed family was about to be aplete mess. Seeing that she didn¡¯t spare a single word of sympathy for the Reed family, Abrahamughed indulgently. ¡°Good girl. I¡¯ll have the kitchen make soup for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ethan was furious. The moment he thought about how Ste had treated him, he lit one cigarette after another in the car. Jason watched him through the rearview mirror, not daring to say a word. These past few days had been a mess¨Cespecially because of the situation in Seats Cove. Verdant Vi had been driving everyone crazy, it was impossible to dig up any solid information. Aside from learning that some fifty¨Ceight¨Cyear¨Cold man had signed the contract that day, they¡¯d gotten absolutely nowhere. Where was that old man now? Who was he? No one knew a thing. Ethan took a long drag from his cigarette. ¡°You think¡­. all I those years, she never felt anything for me?¡± Jason blinked. ¡°What?¡± The question came out of nowhere. Jason had no idea what Ethan was getting at. She? Is he talking about Ste? Whether or not Ste had feelings for him. Is that really what mattered to Ethan? Ethan closed his eyes; his entire body gave off a dark, dangerous energy. ¡°She¡¯s ice cold.¡± ¡°You want me to grab a nket or something?¡± There was one in the car. Jasonpletely misunderstood¨Che thought Ethan meant he was physically cold, not that Ste¡¯s heart and attitude were freezing him out. So there he was, ready to hand over a nket. Ethan asked, ¡°Why do you think she agreed to get engaged to me?¡± Jason went quiet. At that, his breath caught. Now it finally clicked¨CEthan had been talking about how cold Ste¡¯s attitude was. And yeah¨Che was right. The wrong girl 124 Chapter 124 That Vi Is Not Yours Jason thought for a moment. ¡°Ms. Dawson might not be as simple as we think.¡± His view d differed from Ethan¡¯s and the rest of the Reed family. In his opinion, the fact that Ste¡¯s studio had pulled in over seven millionst year meant she was clearly capable on her OWIL If Ste really had no skills, not even a hundred men backing her could have lifted her that high When Ethan heard that, heughed. ¡°She¡¯s definitely not simple¨Cmanaging to charm that many men takes real talent.¡± Jason went quiel He didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Is it really just about charming men? Plenty of women knew how to attract men, but very few could climb to the top on their own. He still believed there was more going on behind Ste¨Csomething beyond just the support of men. ¡°So did Ms. Dawson tell you who owns Verdant Vi?¡± The past few days, Ethan had been showing up daily just to corner Ste about it. And yet, she hadn¡¯t in at all. At this point, everyone knew Ethan was working on getting Lillian into Verdant Vi to recover. The Reed family had already started packing Lillian¡¯s things When Ethan heard Jason¡¯s question, his expression darkened again. Ste! Seeing Ethan fall silent, Jason instantly knew he hadn¡¯t gotten anything out of her. Stelia¡¯s lips were sealed; there was no way to pry anything out of her. Lately, Ethan had been fixated on one thing¨Cwhy Ste had ever agreed to the engagement in the first ce. Sure, it had been arranged by the Reed family. But judging from the way she acted now, she definitely wasn¡¯t the type to go along with anything she didn¡¯t want. He still hadn¡¯t figured it out by the time they reached the hospital. When Lillian saw Ethan arrive, her whole face lit up with a gentle smile. ¡°Ethan, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Ethan n gave a small nod. Susan¡¯s face also couldn¡¯t hide her excitement when she saw him. Knowing Ethan was nning to buy Verdant Vi for Lillian¡¯s recovery made her genuinely happy for her daughter. Who cared what the Keene family thought¨CEthan¡¯s intentions were what mattered most. Tl let you two talk¡± With that, she turned and left the hospital room, gently closing the door behind her. Once it was just Ethan and Lillian, she tugged softly at his sleeve, her expression warm. She noticed how off he looked and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± 11:56 AM c Chapter 124 That Vi Is Not Yours And when her spirits were up, her health seemed a little better too. +8 Pearls But right now, there was no way Ethan could tell her the truth¨Cthat they might not be able to get Verdant Vi after all. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Have you been eating properly?¡± He reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair, his tone full of affection. Even though her mood had improved, Ethan could still hear how frail she sounded¨Cweak, like even speaking took effort. Then he pictured Ste¨Cenergetic, vibrant, practically glowing with life. Why couldn¡¯t Lillian have a strong, healthy body Too? ¡°Ethan¡® Ethan?¡± Ethan snapped out of his thoughts, turning back to Lillian with even more tenderness in his eyes. ¡°What were you thinking about! I called your name a few times and you didn¡¯t answer¡± ¡°I was thinking abour work. What is it?¡± Lillian said, ¡°If I move into Verdant Vi, I want to change the curtains to sunflower¨Cpatterned ones.¡± Ethan froze. His brow twitched hard at her words. But when he saw the hopeful look in her eyes, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no¨Cso he nodded. Even though, deep down, he already knew¨CVerdant Vi probably wasn¡¯t happening. They still hadn¡¯t figured out who the real owner was. And even if they did, it didn¡¯t matter as Ste was already living there. Who knew what kind of sweet nothings she¡¯d been whispering into that man¡¯s ear? There was no way they were re going t to buy that ce now. ¡°If I could live in Verdant Vi, even if I died there, I¡¯d be satisfied¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± The words had barely left her mouth when Ethan cut her off, his voice sharp, His reaction was almost instinctive¨Cfilled with panic, Lillian said, ¡°I¡¯m serious, Ethan. If I die, please don¡¯t have me cremated. Could you bury me somewhere by the sea instead?¡± I¡¯m terrified of being turned to ash. I really am.¡± Her voice trembled as she spoke, full of fear. She truly was scared ¡°Somewhere facing the ocean, with mountains and trees¨Cwould that be okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. I won¡¯t let you die, alright?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice cracked as he spoke, like something was choking him from the inside. The wrong girl 125 Chapter 125 All That For What? Death¨Cjust the word alone felt unbearably heavy to them now. It used to be something far off, something distant. But now, it was real; it was heavy; it hurt Because Lillian could be gone at any moment. She was about to say something else when Ethan¡¯s phone rang. It was Madeline. ¡°You need toe back. Your father¡¯s waiting for you.¡± Madeline¡¯s tone on the phone wasn¡¯t great. And ever since Ethan¡¯s father, Judson, handed thepany over to him, he¡¯d hardly ever interfered again. Now, this was, the second time in just a few days that he¡¯d asked to see him. Ethan didn¡¯t need to guess whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t good. ¡°I¡¯m still ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t make me beg. You know Lillian can¡¯t take another hit.¡± Before Ethan could finish, Madeline cut him off coldly over the phone. He nced down at Lillian, who was still holding on to his sleeve, and finally relented with a sigh, ¡°Got it.¡± He hung up and looked at her. Lillian had overheard Madeline on the call. Slowly, she let go of his sleeve, bit by bit. ¡°You should go.¡± When Madeline got angry, she wasn¡¯t ying around. And just like Madeline said¨CLillian¡¯s body really couldn¡¯t take any more shocks right now. Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s end. She received a message from Lillian: ¡°Ethan said once I move into Verdant Vi, he¡¯s going to rece the curtains in my room with sunflower¨Cpatterned ones.¡± Ste replied: ¡°Then you better start picking out curtains.¡± What a showoff. Hah. Just four days left. Let¡¯s see how Ethan wraps this up. The heir to Rivermount¡¯s most powerful family, leftpletely humiliated¨Chrious. Back at the hospital. Seeing how indifferent Ste¡¯s reply was, a flicker of venom crossed Lillian¡¯s eyes. Just as she was about to send another message, Susan walked in. Lillian quickly deleted the message and handed her phone to a nearby nurse. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The nurse took the phone, gave Susan a respectful smile, and stepped out. Susan¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Sof Everything settled with Verdant Vi?¡± 11:56 AM Chapter 125 All That For What? She was going to marry Ethan. She was going to live in Verdant Vi. +8 Pearls When Susan brought up Seats Cove. Lillian nodded. ¡°Yeah. He even said when I move in, he¡¯ll change the curtains to sunflowers,¡± Susan¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°He really does care about you. You need to treasure that Hearing her words, something twinged in Lillian¡¯s chest. Would she and Ethan really have a future together? She hoped they would. Once her health recovered, she wouldn¡¯t dare take things for granted anymore. People had to cherish life, after all. Thewyer¡¯s been trying to find you these past few days. Mom, are you still hung up on Ste Lillian asked softly. After everything that had blown up between Ste and the Reed family, she figured Susan would¡¯ve been the first to sign the severance papers. But instead, she¡¯d been avoiding thewyer. It hat did that mean! She still couldn¡¯t let go of that brat who went against her every step of the way? The mention of Ste soured Susan¡¯s expression. ¡°She¡¯s still my daughter, Lillian. Once you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll deal with her.¡± Susan hadn¡¯t dared to sign those papers. Deep down, she was scared she¡¯d regret itter. Everything she¡¯d done to Stetely had been in the heat of the moment. And when people act out of anger, they shouldn¡¯t make permanent decisions. Hearing that. Lillian¡¯s chest tightened. After I got better, she¡¯d decide! What was that supposed to mean? That once I recovered, she nned to make it up to Steflf that was true. then what about me! The thought made Lillian¡¯s breathing grow uneven; her face went a shade paler. Grear. She¡¯d underestimated Ste, after all. Originally, she¡¯d wanted the Reed family themselves to be the ones to throw her out of Rivermount And now, her funds hadn¡¯t been cut. The studio was still running. Lillian pondered. And now she couldn¡¯t even be kicked out? Then what had my efforts amounted to? Had I done it all for nothing! Susan let out a sigh ¡°Lillian, I really am heartbroken. Can you believe the kind of person she turned out to be, after being raised by those people¡± ¡°If she turned out this way, doesn¡¯t that tell you something? That family didn¡¯t love her. They must not have loved her¨Chow rise would she end up like this Talking about that family made Susan furious all over again. Send Gifts The wrong girl 126 Chapter 126 Karma Called In her eyes, if that family had truly raised Ste well, she would¡¯ve turned out just like Lillian¨Cgentle and soft¨Cspoken. Not like the way she was now; a crazy woman. Say one word to her, and she¡¯d fire back with ten¡­ What made it worse was that she even got physical. Thinking that the family might¡¯ve mistreated Ste made her, as the biological mother, feel a pang of guilt deep down. But every time Ste made her angry, she couldn¡¯t help but regret bringing her back. Lillian said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom. You could spend more time with her. I¡¯m fine. ¡°You¡¯re the thoughtful one, sigh¡­¡± She felt torn for both of them. Over the past few days, Susan had been avoiding Ste; she¡¯d done a lot of thinking. Patrick had a point¨Cafter all, she hadn¡¯t raised Ste herself. If she came at her all high and mighty, Ste definitely wouldn¡¯t take it well. Forget it. Everything could wait until Lillian¡¯s health got better. ¡°Ah!¡± Lost in thought, Susan was yanked back to reality when Lillian suddenly screamed in pain and curled up on the hospital bed, clutching her stomach. Startled, Susan rushed over in a panic. ¡°Lillian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It hurts. It hurts s so bad.¡± ¡°Doctor! Doctor!¡± Seeing Lillian¡¯s face turnpletely pale, Susan shouted for help, flustered. The doctor came quickly, and then the whole room descended into chaos Susan stood helplessly outside the hospital room, her heart twisting as doctors came and went. Lillian¡¯s cries of pain echoed from inside; it was unbearable. An hour passed, the two specialists who had previously spoken to Susan brought up Eddie and Rianne again. ¡°If we want to save Ms. Lillian¡¯s uterus, we need Dr. Rianne back as soon as possible.¡± Susan¡¯s heart leapt to her throat. Of course, the uterus had to be saved. Ethan¡¯s feelings for Lillian were obvious; they were bound to end up together. The Keene family already didn¡¯t like Lillian much¨Cif she couldn¡¯t bear a child for them¡­ Even if Ethan adored her, things could get rocky in the future. Thinking that, Susan almost couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Yes, of course¨Cdo whatever it takes!¡± No matter what, that uterus had to b be saved. ¡°Then Dr. Rianne must return as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Dr. Eddie, too,¡± one of the senior professors added. Susan felt her chest tighten. Eddie, Rianne Why does it all have to go through Stet 11:56 AM et Chapter 126 Karma Called So in the end, it alle back to Ste. Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s side¡­. +8 Pearls Tessa came over around lunchtime, saying they should eat together. But really, she was just there to gossip: Rivermount had been buzzing nonstop these days. Especially with how the Keene family was reacting to Lillian, and all the things the Reed family and Ethan were doing for her. ¡°That Lillian really is like some reincarnated saintly angel,¡± Tessa said. Ste smirked. ¡°An angel who¡¯s bound to lose her halo real soon.¡± Rianne had said Lillian wasn¡¯t faking her illness; she¡¯d personally been involved in the diagnosis. At first, Ste thought she was just pretending to be sick. Tessa scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s karma, in and simple.¡± Short life¨Cit really was karma. Ste replied. ¡°Exactly. Anyway, what do you want for lunch?¡± cool?¡± Tessa said, ¡°Let¡¯s have some soup, co ¡°Nope. If she forced herself to eat that, Abraham would nag her all night. Besides, he¡¯d already promised to have the kitchen make it for her tonight. She¡¯d sent him a message earlier when she saw Tessae in, saying she¡¯d be eating with her. And Abraham¡¯s reply was telling her not to have any soup outside. Even through the screen, she could feel how firm he was being. Tessa let out a hiss. ¡°Is your brother obsessed with you or something? He¡¯s so strict ¡°He can be even stricter.¡± ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°My sister!¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth witched. ¡°You have a sister in that family too?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yep.¡± She had a sister tiere¨CMarie. She missed her Badly. These past few years, she had missed everyone from the Qiao family. Always quietly watching for any news about them, never letting her guard down. Tessa said, ¡°You really had a good life with that family, huh.¡± Compared to the Reed family¨Cever since they found Ste, Lillian had stirred up so much trouble, The wrong girl 127 Chapter 127 Skeletons in the Closet +8 Pearls Sure, blood might run thicker than water¨Cbut Ste had been adopted by the Dawson family too, and she¡¯d managed to live peacefully with everyone there, after all. Ste said, ¡°It was probably different; I was just a baby when I went to them.¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°True. A tiny baby¡¯s all soft and adorable¨Cwho could possibly have bad intentions toward a baby? But there was more to it. Tessa figured, ¡°It takes kindness to earn kindness: you must¡¯ve treated them well too.¡± As for Ste and Lillian turning against each other, that all started because Lillian had wanted hey dead from the beginning. And the mess between Ste and the Reed family¨Cwell, they had been the ones to me her without reason or evidence. After shing enough times, the Reed family had developed a bias against Ste, their biological daughter. Ever since she¡¯d been brought back, they¡¯d never shown her much genuine affection. And Ste, who¡¯d been doted on by the Dawson family since she was little, naturally didn¡¯t have much patience for them. Come on, let¡¯s go eat¡± Ste didn¡¯t want to talk about the Reed family anymore. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed out. Tessa didn¡¯t bring them up again either, but she did mention Ethan. ¡°Ethan¡¯s been tearing the city apart trying to find out who owns Verdant Vi, I¡¯d love to see his face if he ever finds out it¡¯s you.¡± People who didn¡¯t know werepletely clueless. And the ones who did¨Cwatching Ethan and the Reed family scramble around like that¨Cwere basically watching a giant joke unfold. Ste said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him; he¡¯s dumb as a rock.¡± Tessa burst out . ¡°Honestly? Ethan really does seem like a fool¡± The two of them headed out to eat, and just as they stepped out the door, Susan arrived shortly after. Kimmy tried to call Stelia to let her know. But Ste had put her phone on silent, and no matter how many times Kimmy tried, the calls just wouldn¡¯t go through. Meanwhile, over at the restaurant, Tessa was slicing her steak and chatting. ¡°Mr. Louis has had Sharon locked up at home for the past few days¨Chasn¡¯t even let her step outside.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°He actually locked her up?¡± When Louis mentioned it, she¡¯d thought he was blufling¨Cafter all, it was his little sister. If he¡¯d really locked her up, Sharon would¡¯ve flipped the whole house upside down. She still didn¡¯t get what was so great about Jonathan that had caught Sharon¡¯s eye. Trisa nodded. ¡°Dead serious. Back in the day, she was always out shopping with someone or other¨Chasn¡¯t stepped out in days now In short, Tessa couldn¡¯t stand Sharon¨Cjust like how Ste couldn¡¯t stand the Reed family. 11:56 AM co Chapter 127 Skeletons in the Closet L +8 Pearls Lose face? Ste added, ¡°Jonathan¡¯s no gentleman.¡± Just hearing Jonathan¡¯s name reminded Tessa of something. She nced around¨Cthe other diners were seated far enough away. She leaned in toward Ste Lowering her voice, she said. ¡°I think Jonathan¡¯s got a woman on the side.¡± Ste froze, her knife and fork pausing mid¨Cair. Tessa continued. ¡°Yesterday, my niece had a fever. My mom asked me to check on her at the hospital. Guess what I saw!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Jonathan, with a woman¨Cand he was holding a kid, looked about two or three years old.¡± Ste was stunned.A two- or three¨Cyear¨Cold? Jonathan¡¯s kid was two. Tessa said. ¡°I got a good look; the kid had Jonathan¡¯s features. I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s his.¡± ¡°You actually got close enough to see?¡± ¡°No way. That kid looked so much like him, you could tell from a distance.¡± Tessa said tly. If she¡¯d gotten too close, Jonathan probably would¡¯ve found a way to shut her up permanently. Ste was caught off guard. The Reed and Parker family marriage alliance was something Susan and Patrick had always taken seriously. Under normal circumstances, Jonathan shouldn¡¯t have been showing up in public with that woman. Noticing Ste staying quiet, Tessa asked, ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t your ¡°Yeah, I knew.¡± Ste nodded. Tessa sucked in a breath. ¡°It is his? Then what¡¯s going on between him and Sharon?¡± The Parker family wouldn¡¯t just let something like this slide. Jonathan was way too reckless, pulling a stunt like that without even thinking they might tear him to pieces. Ste said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Apparently, the woman used to work as a hostess at Noir Lounge.¡± Tessa had just gone to take a sip of water, and when she heard that, she spit it out immediately. hostess at Noir Lounge! Jonathan actually Ste handed her a napkin. ¡°That¡¯s why the Reed family has never epted the woman¨Cor the child.¡± Send Gifts 118 11:56 AM ch The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In +B Pearls Chapter 128 Stirring the Pot Tessa said, ¡°Really? And Jonathan didn¡¯t fight for that woman at all?¡± ¡°What was there to fight for? You think someone like him¡¯s capable of being sincere?¡± Fair enough¨CJonathan had probably just wanted to mess around and ended up getting someone pregnant. ¡°That woman tried to use the kid to climb thedder. She didn¡¯t show up until the baby turned one, and even then, it didn¡¯t work.¡± Tessa¡¯s jaw practically dropped. ¡°That¡¯s wild. And you didn¡¯t tell me any of this?¡± ¡°Why would It You know I¡¯m not one to gossip.¡± Tessa went quiet. Fair enough¨CSte really wasn¡¯t someone who gossiped or showed off. Otherwise, how would she not have known that Ste¡¯s studio made 980,000 dorsst year? The woman kept everything low¨Ckey; if you didn¡¯t ask, she didn¡¯t say ¡°If Sharon ever finds out, she¡¯ll flip the entire city over¨Cespecially with Louis in the picture.¡± Just thinking of Louis made Tessa feel like Jonathan must¡¯ve been tired of living. Of all the dumb things he could¡¯ve done, he chose thisp Louis finds out, he¡¯s going to grab a gun and storm the Reed family to shoot him dead!¡± Ste said. ¡°We¡¯ll see. That woman doesn¡¯t look like someone easy to deal with.¡± A woman who could carry a baby to term without ever telling Jonathan, only to show up with a paternity test in hand¨Cthat was the kind of person they were dealing with. She clearly wanted to climb the socialdder. Tessa nodded. ¡°Definitely not some docile thing. If she finds out the Reed and Parker families are arranging a marriage, she might pull something big Ste¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up at Tessa¡¯s words. ¡°You think she¡¯ll stir up trouble?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°If she truly didn¡¯t want anything, she¡¯d have hidden the kid forever. She wanted to use him to move up. So basically, that woman still wanted to leverage the child to get what she wanted. If she found out Jonathan was nning to marry Sharon, there was no way she¡¯d let it slide. When Ste didn¡¯t respond, Tessa asked, ¡°What are you nning?¡± Ste said. ¡°So they¡¯re allowed to mess with me, but I¡¯m not allowed to mess with them?¡± Tessa went quiet. Well, got it! The Reed family had been surring up trouble in Ste¡¯s life non¨Cstop; it wasn¡¯t like Ste would just sit there and take it. If they wanted chaos- Then let chaos reign. The more people involved, the messier, the better. The more Ste thought about it, the more excited she got. The wrong girl 128 Chapter 128 Stirring the Pot Tessa heard Ste say she was going to stir up something big, and her lips twitched in response. Ste hung up. ¡°I¡¯ve been swampedtely¨CI didn¡¯t even think of using that woman.¡± If Abraham hadn¡¯t shown up, she probably wouldn¡¯t have remembered. Whew¡­ After finishing lunch, the two split up. Just as Ste got back to the studio, Abel sent over all the info on Jonathan¡¯s woman Sure enough¨Cshe was from Noir Lounge. She used to work there in private rooms. The file even had her address and phone number. +8 Pearls Just as Ste was heading to her office, Kimmy stopped her. ¡°Ms. Dawson, I called you three times. Why didn¡¯t you answer!¡± ¡°Phone was on silent. What¡¯s up?¡± It was after hours already, what now? Ste hated working overtime. Ever since she¡¯d founded the studio, Kimmy knew better than anyone that their boss was incrediblyzy. Her overtime count? You could count it on one hand, ¡°Madam Susan¡¯s here.¡± Ste was stunned. Susan? Again? Looks like it¡¯s time to stir something up with the Reed family, otherwise Susan wouldn¡¯t keep bothering me like this. She still refused to sign the paperwork to cut ties. So annoying! ¡°How long¡¯s she been here?¡± Kimmy said. ¡°She¡¯s been waiting for two hours.¡± Ste went quiet. If she had that kind of patience, it had to be about Lillian. Thinking of how Lillian had bragged to her over the phone, Ste let out a coldugh. Just as she was about to step into the office, her phone buzzed in her hand. It was Abraham She answered, and his warm, indulgent voice flowed through the line. ¡°What¡¯d you eat for lunch?¡± ¡°Steak.¡± Not that great, so she didn¡¯t eat much. r inte She wasn¡¯t into steak, and if she couldn¡¯t have her favorite food, she didn¡¯teare much for anything else. Abraham said, ¡°I¡¯m downstairs. You or should I up?¡± Ste asked, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Got something for you.¡± The wrong girl 129 Chapter 129 A Gift Too Heavy Ste replied. ¡°Wait for me a sec.¡± Susan being here¨Cshe wasn¡¯t afraid of her; she just didn¡¯t want to start anything More than that, she didn¡¯t want Abraham to see just how repulsive her own blood could be. Even though she tried to draw a clear line between them, the fact remained¨Cthere was still that blood tie, And that alone made her skin crawl. As soon as Ste walked out of the Oriental Grand Tower, she spotted Abraham¡¯s custom¨Cmade car from afar. She strode over; Abel stepped forward and respectfully opened the door for her. Ste climbed in without hesitation. ¡°What did you want to give me?¡± The moment her gaze met his¨Cthose deep, noble eyes¨CSte¡¯s mind wavered for a second: It felt like she was being drawn into them. Abraham pulled out a ne from a blue velvet box. Just one nce at the pendant and she was breathless from how beautiful it was. ¡°This is the Sunre Radiance?¡± She recognized it immediately. She¡¯d seen it when the diamond had been auctioned. Back then, she¡¯d marveled at how stunning it looked. Pristine quality; masterful craftsmanship¨Cevery detail was wless. And now, it was in Abraham¡¯s hands, made into a ne. Abraharn said gently, ¡°Your hair.¡± That soft reminder. Ste asked, ¡°This is for me?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let me put it on.¡± Ste said nothing. It was too extravagant. But when she looked into Abraham¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t dare say no. With his temper, he might just toss her out of the car if she said something wrong. She quickly lifted her hair. He leaned in, in that moment, his breath brushed across her neck- Warm breath mixed with the coolness of the ne sent her heart into a frenzy. His presence wrapped around herpletely, making her feel like she was tucked securely under his wings. That feeling it was so familiar, it made Ste want to cry. Abraham fastened the sp and adjusted it gently. ¡°Looks beautiful.¡± Ste sniffled ¡°Why are you giving me something like this out of nowhere? It¡¯s too much.¡± 11.56 AM Chapter 129 A Gift Too Heavy + Pearls The mage shed in her mind¨Cbow cold and empty her birthday had been this year, spent alone at Kingston Heights. The Reed family and Ethan had all flow overseas to be with Lillian And for her, they hasha¡¯t even bothered with a phone call. Did he forget my birthday Now cold they when Lillian and 7 were born on the same day. The truth wax theimply didn¡¯t c that it mattered ver cared about them either. But th bid Saxan still rejse t? ser ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Abraham noticed her silence her eyes growing distant. He spoke to pull her back Ste sa ¡°Nothing Just it¡¯s been years since I got a birthday present¡± seat. Ever since she¡¯d let Abrahum she¡¯d practically stopped receiving any gifts mouth, Abrahams pulled her into his armis She could feel his breath huch dightly His maic voice dropped low. ¡°You still dare to run off on me agam!¡± Her tears welled up unstoppable. ¡°I woul. I swear I won¡¯t The Tom family had already bes iped out there was a reason left to ever leave Abraham again. His hold on her tightened. ¡°Tim sorry¡± Ste whispered She wrapped her arms around his lean waist, nuzzling her head against his chest. Abraham gently ran his fingers through her soft hair in response. What is there to apologize fort Back then, he¡¯d been heck¨Cdeep dealing with his assets, with underground forces moving all over the ce. He hadn¡¯t had time to look after her¨Che¡¯d left a gap that the Tom family scum had taken full advantage of Ste didn¡®) return to the office until half an hourter. Kimmy saw the ne gleaming around her neck and gasped ¡°Ms. Dawson, your ne is gorgeous Why does it look so famr Was it on that magazine cover Sunre Radiance Ste cut her off And the sesestid Kimmy heard the name, she gasped sharply here Rad¡­ le prom a j? ho ja mes bons, madly, ne that valuable? That diamond alone had been hyped to be worth over a million dors! Even the Reed family probably couldn¡¯t afford something like that Send Gift: 11:56 AM ? D The wrong girl 130 Chapter 130 So Now I¡¯m Your Daughter Again. Kimmy thought for a moment. Could it be¡­ that mant Ste nced at her. ¡°Pretty?¡± Kimmy nodded, ¡°So pretty, Seriously gorgeous.¡± A ne that expensive¨Chow could it not be? Ste smiled. She thought it was pretty too, ¡°Susan still here?¡± That question caught Kimmy off guard for a second; then she realized who Ste meant and nodded. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s still here.¡± The smile that had finally found its way to Ste¡¯s face instantly disappeared the moment Susan was mentioned. When she stepped into the oflice, Susan¡¯s expression already held a hint of impatience¨Cclearly from having waited too long. She didn¡¯t have time to hide it before the door opened. Forcing out a still smile, she said. ¡°Where¡¯d you go? I¡¯ve been waiting quite a while. Your studio tried calling you and you didn¡¯t answer,¡± Just thinking about those phone calls made le Susan even even more irritated. To get through to her, they¡¯d borrowed every hospital phone they could find¨Cand she¡¯d blocked every single one. There really weren¡¯t many people this cold and heartless. It got to the point where even trying to reach her own daughter had be a humiliating challenge. She thought. Once Lillian recovers, I¡¯ll go have a serious talk with that Dawson family. How did they raise her? How could they raise a child to turn out like this? Do they even know how to raise one! Ste dropped her bag on the table. ¡°Say it. What do you want?¡± If it wasn¡¯t about Lillian, there was probably nothing else. As she sat down, the Sunre Radiance ne caught the sunlight through the window¨Cit was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at It gleamed so brightly, Susan couldn¡¯t ignore it if she tried. ¡°That ne¨Cwhat is it?¡± Sunre Radiance? She remembered seeing it at an auction. That diamond had been valued in the millions. What was it doing around my neckt She¡¯d been at that auction herself¨Cwith Lillian in tow, When that giant yellow diamond was on disy, Lillian had made it very clear how badly she wanted it. But that thing was worth tens of millions; the Reed family couldn¡¯t just snap their fingers and buy something like that. Susan pondered And now? The person who bought it had made it into a ne, and given it to Stet Who was the buyer, and what wat their rtionship with Stet Ste said. ¡°Sunre Radiance¡± 11.56 AM ( Chapter 130 So Now I¡¯m Your Daughter Again ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Ste¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. Susan¡¯s breath hitched again. ¡°You- She wanted to snap back, but remembering why she¡¯de today, she swallowed her anger Ste had been cold to them this whole time. But still no matter what, she was her mother and this ¡°Just get to the point.¡± Ste said icily. ¨C Sitting there nitpicking over where the ne came from. Does it even matter that much? Susan took a breath to steady herself. ¡°Rianne and Eddie have toe back. We can¡¯t dy any longer Thinking of how the specialists kept insisting those two had to be involved- Susan knew now, if they wanted Lillian to survive, those two were absolutely essential Ste let out a coldugh. ¡°You¡¯ve been dodging mywyer for days. I figured you didn¡¯t care if Lillian lived or died Susan was speechless. Her expression, already not great, turned even worse when Ste mentioned thewyer. ¡°I won¡¯t cut ties with you. No matter what, you¡¯re still my daughter. I gave birth to you.¡± Her tone turned sharp for a moment¨Cas if she truly cared. But Ste knew better. Sheughed again, coldly. ¡°You care about me? I think what you care about is what¡¯s behind me.¡± E -8 Pearls et Again and again! Freezing her ounts didn¡¯t work. Throwing her out of the house didn¡¯t work. They couldn¡¯t suppress her studio either. Even a fool could tell there was something backing her. And now here she was trying to y the loving mother here When they froze her cards, Susan sure didn¡¯t seem to remember she was ¡°the one who gave birth to her.¡± Susan¡¯s face went stiff. Ste went on. ¡°You see the studio making 950 000 dors¡± King 950.000 drs in in a year, and what you¡¯re really after is the resources behind that ¡°You!¡± Like the bar the nail on the head, Susan¡¯s face turned even more sour. Send Gifts 118 ? The wrong girl 131 Chapter 131 Sign It or Shut Up Ste didn¡¯t really care; she just went on. ¡°Businesspeople will always be businesspeople.¡± Even feelings came with strings attached. Still, she had to admit she was a little surprised. The Reed family actually cared about Lillian¨Cgenuinely. Ste had to give it to Lillian: that took some skill. Hearing her talked about like that, Susan was with Ste. If signing that paper was the only way to get them back, then fine¨Cshe¡¯d do it. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Ste didn¡¯t know right from wrong. Let the ties be cut, then. She¡¯d like to see what would happen once Ste severed herself from the Reed family. Would those people still be there for me? Did Ste really think they cared about me? They were just using her as a way to get close to the Reed and Keene families. That was all. Susan was too angry to think straight, but right now, nothing mattered more than getting Eddie and Rianne back to treat Lillian Ste said nothing: she just looked at her silently. Meeting that unshakable look in her eyes, Susan clenched her teeth and nodded. ¡°If this is really what you want, fine. I¡¯ll sign. Happy now!¡± As soon as she said it. Ste pulled the document out from the drawer and handed it over. ¡°Sign it.¡± Susan was speechless. Right then, Ste¡¯s demeanor was clean and decisive. It was as if she had zero attachment to the Reed family at all. That only made Susan even angrier; her chest heaved with rage. So she wanted to cut ties? Fine¨Clet her. When she came crawling back in regret, Susan would deal with her then. Blinded by fury, Susanpletely overlooked the power Ste held behind her cold, controlled exterior. In the end, she bit her lip, grabbed the pen, and signed the disownment agreement. The second her pen lifted from the paper, Ste snatched the agreement away like she was afraid Susan might change her mind. Just looking at her made Susan¡¯s blood boil, but she held it in. Gritting her teeth and trying to stay calm, she asked, ¡°When are theying back?¡± She had signed, just like Ste wanted. This should all be over now, right? But, Ste tucked the papers into the safe and locked it, then looked at her with that nk, almost clueless expression. ¡°They? Who do you meant Susan¡¯s heart dropped 11:54 AM Humaredankte cari breathless, mpay. fikk shee Boddie and tamed You promedial Warthungshusangworke Ste confited. We Souluting me: Rodis and Riamme! Like |perto ditendo visitsyylor Maden Swi Swandrinulledwithe Shpalimentre farricked by Ste, ¥³ Hedhin pomodare, imensotion famamqby the Rentowow/Jochet and incur Reed family were their limit; they could hotstukuyor making incredzamily makingitu Meated Maiam Husm the disownman agreement signed Tieres nothing feffiteer it from now witammentoi ei taniityisnothing to do with mes Demetry again and in zeit Limity Tabiver piven herecanato pool thug all they ever dicitus makett Trasgreement that immagenem¨Cremmipterely nk The wrong girl 132 Chapter 132 Soft No More Ste paused to think. Just how much had Lillian unted in front of me these past few days? Demanding things with one hand while stomping on me with the other? If stepping on me felt so good, then figure it out yourself. What are you begging people for Susan said, ¡°You tricked me. How could you¡­¡± She was trembling, and the rest of her words wouldn¡¯te out Ste had tricked her. Ste had actually tricked her. ¡°How could you be so cruel? This is someone¡¯s life! Do you even understand how desperately she needs treatment from Rianne and Eddie right now?¡± Susan cried out, heartbroken. Ste said, ¡°And what does that have to do with me? If she dies, she dies. So many people die every day around the world- jam I supposed to cry for all of them?¡± Susan had been deceived. Ste had made her sign the disownment agreement, but when it came to Rianne and Eddie, she went back on her word. ¡°You¡¯repletely out of line.¡± She couldn¡¯t catch her breath, Susan was so enraged she fainted on the spot. Ste calmly dialed the extension for Kimmy. ¡°Call an ambnce. Someone passed out.¡± ¡°Huh? Passed out?¡± She¡¯d looked perfectly healthy before¨Cfainting in a ce like this. Susan fainted? Is she trying to scam the boss? ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Scamming? Kimmy wouldn¡¯t stand for that. She called 911 immediately, then made several follow¨Cup calls to push them to hurry. The ambnce arrived in just over ten minutes. The whole ce was a mess. Susan was taken away by the paramedics. Kimmy returned, covered in sweat. ¡°Ms. Dawson, I think she might have a heart condition. You should avoid people like this in the future¨Cwhat if she tries to me you?¡± Their rtionship was already bad. If the other side really wanted to stir up trouble, it¡¯d be a mess. And with the way those people were? It was entirely possible they¡¯d try to pin something on Ste. Ste said, ¡°Heart condition! Please. She passed out from anger.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She passed out because I made her that mad Kimmy went silent. She made someone pass out from pure roger Just how ruthless was sher FFL 11:56 AM Chapter 132 Soft No More As she spoke, Ste handed Kimmy a slip of paper with the address and phone number Abel had dug up. ¡°Print everything and mail it to this address.¡± Apparently, Jonathan had been pretty generous. Probably because that woman had given him a child. So he¡¯d set her up with a decent ce to live. D +8 Pearls It was in a gatedmunity. ording to the report, she even had a private driver now. Jonathan had clearly spent a lot of money on her. Other than not giving her the title of his wife, he¡¯d pretty much given her everything else. Kimmy took the note. ¡°Got it.¡± Susan had fainted from rage. Ethan and Jonathan would no doubte straight to Ste looking for trouble. Sure enough, just moments after Kimmy left, she returned to announce. ¡°Ms. Dawson. Mr. Jonathan¡¯s here, Her tone when mentioning Jonathan was clearlyced with contempt. She must¡¯ve taken a look at those files earlier. A man keeping two women at once. Sure, there were plenty of men like that, but that didn¡¯t make it any less disgusting. Ste said, ¡°Let him in. And add that woman¡¯s WhatsApp. Send her part of the info ¡°On it¡± Kimmy understood exactly what Ste meant. These people had way too much time on their hands if they wereing to make trouble. If they wouldn¡¯t let her live in peace, then she¡¯d make sure none of them had peace. She¡¯d throw their whole world into chaos. Kimmy left, and Jonathan came in. His face was dark. It had been days since they¡¯d seen each other. During that time, he still hadn¡¯t figured out exactly who the man behind Ste But he¡¯d definitely seen the power he wielded. Especially that line from Sterling Global Partnership? He can¡¯t cut it off, and we wouldn¡¯t dare. And then, just to test the knife, the parting shot¨Cwhoren are you. y as massive as Sterling Global, saying they didn¡¯t dare end things with Ste¨Cno one would believe that Apany And that final line wasn¡¯t just arrogant. It hinted at just how powerful Ste¡¯s backing really was That man valued her that much¨Che¡¯d managed to stop every single move they¡¯d tried to make against her. hat they thought was a pushover turned out to be andmine, they¡¯d gone in barchanded and walked away full of shrapnel jonathan, seething with rage, yanked out a chair and sat down. ¡°You¡¯re something else. We really did underestimate you.¡± The wrong girl 133 Chapter 133 No More Lines to Cross No one would¡¯ve thought Ste had it in her. She had set up a massive studio right under their noses, and not a single person had caught on. Ste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to shut my studio down? It¡¯s been days; funny how I haven¡¯t seen you do anything¡± Thatst word dripped with sarcasm. Jonathan¡¯s face turned green on the spot. If he could¡¯ve shut it down, he would¡¯ve done it already. She still had the nerve to act) all high and mighty! Jonathan had no interest in dragging this out with Ste. ¡°Mom had to be carried out from your ce. What did you do to her?¡± ¡°Take a guess, Compared to Jonathan¡¯s fury, Ste¡¯s tone waspletely casual, Ste¡¯s words sent Jonathan¡¯s temper over the edge. ¡°She¡¯s your mother! Just because you¡¯ve got some man backing you now, you¡¯ve lost all basic respect for your elders?¡± Ste lifted her eyeszily. ¡°Sorry¨Cshe¡¯s not my mother anymore.¡± These people want to talk to me about morals? Do they even know what that word means? Jonathan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What did you say?¡± Ste picked up her water ss and took a slow sip. ¡°Give it an hour after you walk out of here, and the disownment agreement she signed will be all over Rivermount. Everyone will know your family cut ties with me. For years, you and Lillian acted like I was fighting you for her. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI was never that desperate.¡± Ties severed, reputation split; from now on, her fate had nothing to do with theirs, Back when she first came back, Lillian had caused so much drama, all because she was afraid Ste would take the Reed family from her. Jonathan was even more ridiculous. So terrified she¡¯d steal away Lillian¡¯s pathetic scraps of affection. As if she even wanted them! Jonathan stared at her, stunned; he didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°What disownment agreement? You¡¯re really cutting ties with the Reed family?¡± He mmed his hand on the desk. The impact jolted his whole body. Ste shot him a cold look. Tm no longer part of the Reed family. Who do you think you¡¯re yelling at?¡± Your Jonathan¡¯s breath grew heavier. Ste said. ¡°You know how to spell ¡®entitled? Because that¡¯s what you don¡¯t have. The Reed family is nothing to me now, you have no right. So I suggest you get out. Right now Or else- 11:56 AM c Chapter 133 No More Lines to Cross The movement was clean, quick and sharp. With her arms crossed, Ste asked. ¡°Know how Ethan messed up his hand and leg You hit fun?¡± earls Jonathan sand, ¡°You¡¯re going to hit me?¡± Before he even finished speaking, her tistnded hard across his face. Pain exploded in his head The taste of blood filled his mouth; he reached up to touch it and sure enough, his lip was blegfling¨Cand one of his teeth feit ¡°Ste¡± Jonathan roared in rage. But before he could do anything, another punch came straight for his face. He instinctively tried to grab her wrist, but the moment he did, he realized¨Che wasn¡¯t even stronger than a girl. Another solid punch hit near his temple, and his head was ringing. Ste shook off the wrist he¡¯d touched like it was filthy. ¡°If you ever raise your voice in my office again, I swear you won¡¯t walk out of here upright. Remember once that disownment agreement was signed. I had nothing to do with the Reed family. You have no right to question me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your brother- *Hmm He¡¯d barely gotten halfway through before the dangerous edge in Ste¡¯s tone forced him to swallow the rest. Only now did it hit him¨CSte had never called him that Jonathan¡¯s chest rose and fell with anger as he struggled to stand straight. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you did today He spat the words out through clenched teeth. But just then, the office door opened. Abraham stood there in the doorway, his presence ice¨Ccold. ¡°And what price do you think she should pay His voice was soft, but the pressure behind it was suffocating jonathans turned around¨Cnight into Abraham¡¯s hawk¨Csharp gaze. The auraing off the man made Jonathan¡¯s chest tighten involuntarily. Send Gifts The wrong girl 134 Chapter 134 Burn the Bridge The pressure rolling off Abraham was suffocating. Even just a nce from him made Jonathan feel the danger radiating from his body. Abraham narrowed his eyes, voice low and menacing ¡°You threatened her?¡± Jonathan swallowed hard. He looked at Abraham, then at Ste. Ste stood with her arms crossed. ¡°You threatened me?¡± Their tones were identical. The room, already cold and tense, now felt dangerously ustrophobic. Jonathan suddenly realized¨Che didn¡¯t know Ste at all. His hands clenched into fists, breath growing ragged. ¡°I¡± what? From the corner of his eye, he instinctively nced toward the man at the door. Who the heck is this guy? The power rolling off him was intense¨Che definitely hadn¡¯t seen him around Rivermount before. Abraham took long, steady strides toward Ste, then yanked her over to his side. ¡°What did he just say he was to you?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s my brother.¡± The second the words left her mouth- The temperature plummeted. The heat in the room didn¡¯t matter; Jonathan¡¯s back turned ice cold. Why did the man¡¯s aura grow more dangerous just hearing Ste call me brother? Abraharn looked at him, eyes sharp and cold. ¡°You really want to be her brother?¡± Jonathan went quiet. He was. But not anymore¨CSte had made that clear. Their mother had signed the disownment agreement. From now on, whether Ste was begging in the streets or ended up dead, she had nothing to do with the Reed family. Jonathan let out a bitterugh. ¡°As if I could handle a sister like her.¡± With that, he stormed out, burning with rage. So she wanted to cut ties? Fine. Let her He¡¯d like to see, now that she¡¯d left the Reed family, what she was worth to these people. Still fuming, Jonathan stomped out of the office. It wasn¡¯t until he got into the elevator that he realized his back was drenched. in cold sweat That man¡¯s presepee just now had been too terrifying That had to be the one who injured Ethan. He must be Ste¡¯s real backup. He was far more intimidating than Eddie, or the man they¡¯d seen in the hospital hallway. Jut then, what exactly did that kind of man see in Ste? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got 11:56 AM ch Chapter 134 But the Bridge The scream on the other end was hysterical. Jonathan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew. She knew about him and Sharon. + Pearls Before he could say anything the woman shouted again. ¡°You lied to me! You told me to wait! You said before the kid started school, he wouldn¡¯t have to live as some illegitimate child! Did you even tell your family about us! Jonathan said nothing She burled a barrage of questions at him, each one sharper than thest. His head throbbed with every word. Of course he¡¯d told them¨Cbut no one in his family would ept her. He rubbed his aching temples. ¡°Are you home! I¡¯ming over right now¡± ¡°Good. Come exin this to my face!¡± She mmed the phone down Jonathan stood next to his car He closed his eyes, gripping the phone tighter without realizing it Before he could get in. Susan called ¡°Jonathan¡­ what are we going to do?¡± Her voice was full of grief and pain Jonathan¡¯s headache worsened, but he kept his tone calm. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Just thinking about how she¡¯d fainted made Susan furious all over again. She was still seething at Ste. ¡°The doctor just told me.. if Eddie and Rianne don¡¯t get involved in Lillian¡¯s treatment soon, she might only have three Then prep for surgery immediately. We can¡¯t count on Ste anymore nathan didn¡¯t even hesitate they could They¡¯d tr inne and Eddie. then whatever couldn¡¯t be saved, would be lost. Including Lillian¡¯s uterus. Ranne back before hoping to preserve II But when it came to life and death¨Cher life came first. He finally saw Ste for what she was. That heartless girl had no real connection to them. un dar. Wore the probably in Lan to die. That venomous brat ¡°What?¡± ¡°The doctor told me the cancer spread too fast these past few days. They¡¯ve already missed the best window for surgery Send Gifts The wrong girl 135 Chapter 135 Too Late +8 Pearls ¡°They¡¯re trying their best to manage things now,¡± Susan said, ¡°but the risk of surgery at this stage is extremely high. They might not be able to get her off the table alive.¡± No matter how they looked at it, they still had to get Eddie and Rianne involved. ¡°If they¡¯d operated earlier, it might have worked. But now¡­ it¡¯s toote.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Just a few days! How could they be saying it was toote? Susan sighed. ¡°Time flies for ordinary people, but for cancer patients, every moment could be the line between life and, death.¡± These few days¡­ they might¡¯ve been her whole lifetime. And on top of that, Lillian had multiple life¨Cthreatening conditions. Jonathan¡¯s breath grew shaky again. Susan continued, ¡°What do we do now? Ste lied to me. She told me if I signed the disownment agreement, she¡¯d bring Eddie and Rianne back. She didn¡¯t keep her word.¡± Just saying Ste¡¯s name filled Susan¡¯s voice with fury. ¡°She lied to you?¡± Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew uneven again. He¡¯d rushed over as soon as he heard their mother had passed out. He¡¯de to settle the score with Ste. And instead of a confrontation, he got punched for twice. Now, with the cold wind slicing through him, even his teeth had gaps that whistled when he inhaled. Susan¡¯s voice wasced with sorrow. ¡°She tricked me into signing. She promised that if I signed, Rianne and Eddie woulde back to treat Lillian.¡± That had been the deal. Jonathan remembered. He¡¯d even wondered back then why his mother hadn¡¯t signed immediately¨CLillian¡¯s condition should¡¯ve been the priority. Turns out, signing or not, Ste had never intended to let Rianne and Eddie help. Jonathan snapped, ¡°She¡¯s gone way too far. I¡¯m going to her right now!¡± Fuming, he spun around to storm back and confront her again. But the moment he hung up, a sh of memory hit him¨Cthat man in Ste¡¯s office, the one with the killer aura. If he went back now¡­ Just picturing another confrontation made Jonathan clench his fists, his entire body trembling with rage. His phone buzzed again¨Cthis time it was Patrick. Before Jonathan could speak, Patrick jumped in, ¡°Come to the office. Right now.¡± 11:57 AM Chapter 135 Too Late Patrick¡¯s voice was tight and serious. Something in his tone made Jonathan feel a knot of unease twist in his gut. C +8 Pearls He ended the call, nced back toward the Oriental Grand Tower lobby, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, named away. He didn¡¯t go back to Ste. Back in the office, Ste was still in a daze. She instinctively reached out to snatch the velvet box from Abraham¡¯s hand¨Cbut Abraham dodged easily and had already opened it Heghined at the massive diamond ring nestled inside, then looked back as Ste with His voice was gentle owy gaze. ¡°Ste¡­ what¡¯s this?¡± But it made Ste¡¯s hear skip a bear. She even started to stutter: ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea¡ªthis thing. I¡¯m telling you, the guy who gave it to me is insane. Absolutely insane.¡± Louts had disved was a peace offering. She¡¯d beenpletely stunned when she opened in who give a giant diamond ring nd of disaster is this¡­. Abraham¡¯s lips curved into a smile. He was smiling¨Cbus to Ste, it looked terrifying. ¡°Don¡¯t smile like that please. You¡¯re scaring me.¡± Looking pitiful she sepped forward and carefully tugged at his sleeve. But Abraham wasn¡¯t letting this side so easily. He pulled his sleeve from her grasp, his smile vanishing ¡°Who gave this to you?¡± His voice was colder now. A ring this size¡­ in clearly showed the sender¡¯s intentions. Or maybe there were parts off Sevi¡®) lij Rivermount be daders abou? Did she already have a berend The thought hit him hard and a chill crept deeper into his eyes. ¡°Louis,¡± Ste mid She didn¡¯t even hesitate She never took the fill for anyone. She didn¡¯t care who Louis was to Abraham, or what kind of partnership they might have had Even if the whole thing was a misunderstanding¨Cshe wasn¡¯t about to let it get twisted into something it wasn¡¯t Especially nor with Abraham ¡°Lou?¡± Abraham echoed. Hearing the name, a flicker of surprise passed through his serious gaze¨Cbut it was quickly reced by a deeper, colder glint Ste nodded ¡°Yeah. Loute Hess it was a peace offering¡± Just bringing it up give her a headache. The wrong girl 136 Chapter 136 You Call That a Guilt Gift? +8 Pearls She called it an apology gift, but honestly, forget Abraham not buying it¨Ceven she didn¡¯t believe that nonsense. What the heck is Louis thinking? Does he even have a brain? He ispletely unreliable. Sure enough, Abraham raised a brow and said, ¡°An apology gift?¡± The disbelief in his voice couldn¡¯t have been more obvious.. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. His sister Sharon got into a fight with me, remember? He said this was a gift to make up for it.¡± If she was being honest, this whole thing reeked of Louis trying to sneak in through the back door. She¡¯d already made it clear back then¨Cno matter what he gave her, that door was staying shut So no, she didn¡¯t say a single good thing on his behalf. With a sharp snap, the velvet ring box in Abraham¡¯s hand closed; he tossed it straight into the trash. His eyes stayed locked on Ste, emotions dark and unwavering. ¡°He gave you a ring to say sorry? Do you actually believe that?¡± Ste froze. He¡¯s so mean! She pouted, looking at Abrahamn with wide, innocent eyes. ¡°Right? I mean, does he have something wrong with his head? I was totally stunned when I saw it was a ring¡± He was supposed to be the heir to one of the major families in Rivermount, and the gift he gave was jaw¨Cdropping The guy clearly had zeromon sense. No wonder Abraham didn¡¯t want anything to do with working with him. Abraham¡¯s ¡®s gaze stayed deep and unreadable. That look of his made Ste feel a little uneasy. She reached out and tugged on his hand. ¡°Hey,e on.¡± Right now, she looked exactly like a guilty little girl trying to suckup to her parent after getting caught doing something wrong. Abraham reached out and pulled her into his arms. His warm fingers gently pinched her chin. The moment their eyes met, Ste caught a glimpse of something dark and unreadable in his gaze. It was the kind of depth that could pull her into his abyss. Her exnation might¡¯ve sounded weak, but Abraham¡¯s voice was noticeably softer when he finally spoke again. ¡°Then why¡¯d you keep it?¡± Sure, Louis was an idiot¨Cbut she¡¯d been clear¨Cheaded when she gave her answer. Abrahamn pondered. If she knew the ring couldn¡¯t possibly be an apology gift, then why keep it? Stells answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t keep it. He forced it on me, and by the time I opened it, he was already gone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I swear¨Cback when I was at Rivermount, I didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. You know that, right?¡± That promise came out fast, full of pure survival instinct. With the way Abraham was grilling her, she was starting to panic. There was no way he dieln¡¯t know shell had zem interaction with 1 nuic hefore 11:57 AM Chapter 136 You Call That a Guilt Gift? +8 Pearls ¡°I do.¡± Of course he believed his Star. As for Louis¡­ Abraham¡¯s gaze drifted toward the trash can, a sh of coldness crossing his eyes. Ste finally felt a bit of relief hearing those words. Abraham let her go. Only then did Ste ask, ¡°Why¡¯d youe by now?¡± ¡°Just figured I¡¯d stop by,¡± he replied. Ste fell silent. He was always so busy¨Cthis so¨Ccalled casual visit must¡¯ve had his subordinates pulling their hair out in panic. He didn¡¯t mention that he¡¯d heard about Susan fainting on her way out, or how Jonathan had shown up after. The Reed family had never treated his Star like family; if anything, they¡¯d probably be willing to kill her for that adopted daughter of theirs. Abraham spent the whole afternoon in Ste¡¯s office. Meanwhile, she held two meetings. Everyone in the studio treated her with the utmost respect. When Ste finally returned to her office, she was met with Abraham¡¯s deep, indulgent gaze. All the authority and poise she¡¯d shown in those meetings vanished in an instant. Twisting her fingers together, she walked over and mumbled. ¡°Why¡¯re you looking at me like that?¡± Abraham pulled her straight onto hisp Ste instantly stiffened. Did this guy forget I am an adult now? This really isn¡¯t okay. He yed with her tiny, ice¨Ccold hand. ¡°Star, you really did grow up.¡± That no¨Cnonsense, formal version of her reminded him of her childhood. Back then, she¡¯d been spoiled rotten¨Calways had to be the leader whenever she yed with other kids. The image of that bossy little girl popped into his mind, and the look in his eyes turned even more affectionate. Hearing him say she¡¯d grown up made Ste mutter, ¡°Then why¡¯re you still holding me like this?¡± ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t like it?¡± That made her nce up at him. Am I supposed to say yes? If I said I liked it, would he keep holding me like this forever? When she didn¡¯t respond, Abraham gently squeezed her hand again. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 137 Chapter 137 Safe Zone Ste went quiet. Ugh, I¡¯m doomed, ¡°Can I even say She didn¡¯t dare look at Abraham as she spoke, turning her face away instead Like? What kind of like? To her, the way she liked Abraham never felt clean. It was the kind of feeling that felt wrong- The love between siblings and that between a man and a woman¡­ they were two about the phrase man and woman made her cut herself off, afraid to think any deeper, too scared to test the waters with Abraham. If he only saw her as a sister, and she said something she shouldn¡¯t, that would be the end of everything While she was lost in thought, she didn¡¯t notice the change in the man holding her. The moment she said like, the energy around him softened noticeably. Abraham let out a quietugh. His slender fingers twirled a lock of her soft hair. ¡°I had the kitchen make soup for you tonight.¡± The moment she heard the word soup, Ste lit up ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Back before Abraham was around, she and Tessa made sure to have it at least once a week, Then Abraham came, and he t¨Cout banned it.. Now that he was finally giving in, Ste wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly kissing him in her excitement. At the end of the workday, Abraham took Ste¡¯s hand and led her out of the office. His whole vibe was sharp andmanding, predatory evenpletely at odds with Ste¡¯s soft,mb¨Clike face. The contrast hit people right in the gut. As soon as they stepped into the elevator, a few coworkers huddled behind Kimmy. ¡°Is that Ms. Dawson¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°He looks way better than Mr. Keene¨Cand he treats her so well.¡± ¡°Shhh! Don¡¯t start rumors. I heard that¡¯s her brother or something¡± Kimmy remembered Ste calling him brother once. ¡°Even if he is her brother, with someone like that around, Mr. Keene had the nerve to bully our boss? Yeah, he¡¯s done for ¡± Kimmy chimed in, ¡°He already got what¡¯sing.¡± No way she believed Ethan¡¯s hand and leg injuries came from anyone else. In all of Rivermount, who else would dare a finger 11:57 AM Chapter 137 Safe Zone And then there was Jonathan. +8 Pearls What a piece of work. Not only did he not know how to set boundaries, he was out there keeping another woman while trying to marry a rich girl. He had all the makings of a ssic scumbag. Ste and Abraham returned to Verdant Vi together. The moment they stepped through the door. Ste caught a whiff of the soup and immediately let go of Abraham¡¯s hand, dashing for the dining room. Abraham felt the sudden emptiness in his hand. Watching her cheerful little figure run off, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Abel followed behind him. ¡°Ms. Dawson¡¯s appetite has been way bettertely¡± He¡¯d looked into it before they came¨CSte didn¡¯t usually eat well. Except for the tines Tessa took her out for soup, her eating habits were scattered and irregr at best. Abraham said, ¡°Being able to eat is a blessing¡± As he said it, his eyes remained fixed on Ste, his gaze impossibly soft Abel was speechless. And yet you won¡¯t let her eat what she likes? Lately, whenever Abraham had to stay out, he¡¯d call the house just to make sure she ate. And if she didn¡¯t behave, he¡¯d rush back himself. Abraham took off his coat and handed it to Abel ¡°Tell Louis we have no ns to export our mineral resources Abel froze as he took the coat. No ns? But hadn¡¯t they just been discussing diversifying overseas! At first, even he thought Louis was a decent candidate. What changed! He didn¡¯t dare guess at Abraham¡¯s reasoning, so he simply nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll inform him Abraham didn¡¯t say another word and made his way toward the dining rool Ste was sitting at the table, staring dejectedly into a pot of clear soup, visibly disappointed. Abraham sat down beside her, reaching out to ruffle her soft hair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong ¡°How can this be good!¡± Not a single chili ke in sight. They said she could have soup, and now he was lying! Abraham gave a low hum. ¡°It¡¯s healthier this way.¡± Ste huffed. ¡°Having it once in a while won¡¯t kill me. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll ruin my health.¡± Abraham said. ¡°You used to have it every week. That¡¯s not once in a while, is it?¡± Ste pouted and shot him a look full of resentment. A servant stepped forward and respectfully handed Abraham a hot, sterilized towel. The wrong girl 138 Chapter 138 The Missing Ring Abraham wiped his hands, then started preparing the hotpot for Ste, watching her sulky little face. He let out a low chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like eating?¡± Ste looked at the pot, then at the bowl already filled with sauce, and nodded decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll eat.¡± They¡¯d already gone through all the motions of having soup¨Cthere was no way for her to back out of eating it now. Besides, she hadn¡¯t eaten much steak at lunch; she was getting hungry. The smile at the corner of Abraham¡¯s lips deepened as he ced a piece of freshly cooked beef into her small bowl. Ste picked it up and shoved it into her mouth, biting down hard. From the way she was grinding her teeth, it was obvious she was taking out her frustration on the meal. But the moment she tasted the vor, her sulky expression melted away. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty good.¡± The seasoning, especially, was something else. Abraham asked, ¡°Good?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s good¨Creally good.¡± The disappointment vanished from her facepletely. For the first time, she realized that soup without spice could actually taste pretty great too, The mood at the table instantly became warm and rxed. Meanwhile, all the way over at the Parker Group, Louis had just stepped into his office from the conference room when he suddenly shivered out of nowhere. He turned to Valery and said, ¡°Turn up the heat. This damn weather¡¯s getting colder by the day.¡± Valery looked confused. ¡°Cold?¡± She didn¡¯t feel anything at all. Louis nced at her thin business outfit. ¡°You¡¯re not cold? Valery replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Maybe you¡¯ve caught a cold, Mr. Louis?¡± She genuinely didn¡¯t feel cold¨Cthe office heating was on a constant setting. Where was the chilling from? Louis tossed out, ¡°I don¡¯t catch colds.¡± Valery nodded, dropping the subject. Fine, if he said he never caught colds, then so be it. She turned to sort through the files that had just been delivered. Louis sat down in his office chair, but before he could rx, his phone buzzed nonstop. He nced at it¨Cit was Alex. ¡°Did you take care of that ring?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ll have someone bring it over to you tomorrow? As he spoke, Louis reached into the pocket of his suit jacket¨Conly to find it empty, 11:57 AM ch unne me dhe mile mi. a watume iiix hawa. TUL D¨CDOMERLOTIONds. Than wives, me besue calling Ever amet the w women and beat choice or Wheneree?? md came up thee indianiny: p¡ª one got it. the outer midni The tume Ale: adam or mowed Low hem to win it from vario Sanes aprenen Tom Lou Marconi wie walii care muke nitus, Dhanway, both ales and Marimana anvamucaltim dow. They were having the ingehenst week. Everyoung semente them two hourter in wern antong, au encteracan Bur bom was storinea the home i reghievery drawer in his offi, sopralimtom¨Cbuteng box was mowhere mine foumi immy immooden and walked in. ¡°Mic Lous, her fe meilmbesqellimw¨Cty mallurgent. Lo said ¡°When were adgang apmy cat iiyrnustugmarthusdiny hator vestentay? here didnt know what the ring, was for bushelndbxcentimandlenie Hei a whom bie brengen i sochem. Valtrend koud in out¡ªbut when builhaswasthinking was something some liker Send Gifts 116 The wrong girl 139 Chapter 139 Wrong Gift, Wrong Timing He had actually given her the wrong thing. This might just kill him for real. Louis shot a re at Valery. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡± An apology gifi¡ªa ring? What the heck was that supposed to mean? Valery replied, ¡°I did ask you. You said it was for Ms. Dawson, so I didn¡¯t dare say anything else.¡± Everyone at the Parker Group knew Louis hated when people tried to guess what he was thinking. He¡¯d said it was for Ste, so Valery hadn¡¯t dared to say another word. Now, seeing the look on his face, Valery asked hesitantly. ¡°Did you give her the wrong thing?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen someone apologize by giving a ring?¡± Louis¡® tone was practically biting. Valery fell silent. Exactly! She had wanted to say something at the time, but Louis had been so on edge about Sharon and Ste¡¯s argument¨Chis face had been downright terrifying. Valery couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°So what now? Want me to ask for it back?¡± The moment those words left her mouth, Louis shot her a withering re. Valery instantly shut up. Ask for it back? Once Louis gave something away, he never took it back. But apologizing with a ring¡­ Louis felt a headacheing on. He couldn¡¯t exactly take it back now, but something in his gut told him that ring was going to cause real trouble. Sure enough, right then, Louis¡® phone rang. It was Abel. He instantly put on a calm face and picked up. ¡°Mr. Abel.¡± ¡°Our boss says we have no ns to export our mineral resources. Mr. Louis, you don¡¯t need to waste your energy anymore. ¡°What? No ns to export? But you were clearly in the process of selecting overseas partners- Before Louis could finish, the call cut off, He sat there, stunned. on What he¡¯d said was true. There was no way the intel about Abraham going international with their mining operations wast wrong And now they weren¡¯t exporting? His thoughts jumped to Sharon arguing with Ste, and to the look on Abraham¡¯s face at the tume¨Cice cold. Then he remembered Abel¡¯s words on the phone¡­ and the ring. Don¡¯t tell me he saw it. Louis sucked in a sharp breath, his head throbbing with unbearable pain, He thought for a second, then turned to Valery. ¡°Get me Ste¡¯s number.¡± 1157 AM CO Chapter 139 Wrong Gift, Wrong Timing Based on what Ste had told him before, the one rule when working with Abraham was to never from the Dawson family. So calling Ste now was out of the question. Forget it. I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow. Just then, Alex called. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m downstairs at your building. I came to pick up the ¡°Pick up what? Don¡¯t ever call me again!¡± +8 Pearls get involved with anyone Damn it. He couldn¡¯t even keep his own teoman in line, and now I¡¯m getting dragged into this mess over some stupidring. What now? Giving that ring to Ste¡­ did I just seriously piss off Abraham! Abraham¡¯s feelings for Ste were anything but simple, as shown by the way he handled the Tom family incident. This was all Alex¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for him. Louis wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. Now what the heck am I supposed to dor Just thinking about what happened to the Tom family made Louis shudder. Abraham was no joke. Louis suddenly snapped, catching Alex off guard. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? Don¡¯t tell me you gave the ring to Marlon?¡± ¡°Gave it to who? You idiots can¡¯t even manage your own wives. Don¡¯t go around saying you know me.¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± They were just talking fine a minute ago. What the heck was this? Alex sounded ticked off. ¡°Tell me the truth¨Cdid you give the ring to Marlon?¡± Marion! Louis was already drowning in this disaster and had zero patience left. He hung up. The very sound of the word ¡°ring¡± now made his blood boil. Stupid ring, absolute nightmare But as soon as he ended the call, Alex called back again. Tell me the truth¨Cdid you give the ring to Marlon?¡± ¡°Stop pushing me¡± Louis was about to blow. Alex shot back, ¡°What if I did?¡± Louis went quiet; it felt like he¡¯d been hit by a ton of bricks. Valery, listening nearby, couldn¡¯t help twitching at the corners of her mouth. What a scene! Over at Verdant Vi, Abraham had left after dinner. He didn¡¯t return until midnight. Send Gifts The wrong girl 140 Chapter 140 The Deal Just Died +8 Pearls Ste had been busyte into the night with that design for Sterling Global. When she heard the sound of an engine outside, she got up right away. She was worried Abraham might¡¯ve been drinking, and besides, she was thirsty and wanted some Water. Sure enough, as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard Abel¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr. Abraham, you don¡¯t even need to deal with those people. Why bother drinking their wine? Abraham was sitting on the couch at that moment. He took off his sses and pinched the bridge of his nose, his head clearly aching. He didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone get you something to refresh yourself, Abel said. ¡°You can go,¡± Abraham replied, his voice low. Even from a distance, Ste could hear the slur in his voice; it was obvious he¡¯d had quite a bit to drink. Abel had just turned to leave when he heard that, ncing back at Abraham before finally nodding Once Abel was gone, Ste came down the stairs Hearing footsteps, Abraham turned around. When he saw Ste, the stern, deep look he usually carried softened under the haze of alcohol. ¡°Star,e here.¡± His gentle tone made Ste¡¯s chest tighten unexpectedly. She stepped forward and looked at his flushed checks. Unable to help herself, she reached, out and touched his forehead. ¡°No fever this time.¡± Sometimes when Abraham drank, he¡¯d spike a fever¨Cand she¡¯d be the one dealing with it all night long. Drunk or not, Abraham never stayed out overnight. Abel always personally brought him home. And once he was home, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone else near him. It was always Ste who stayed with him. Looking at Abraham¡¯s flushed face, Ste couldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Abel say you didn¡¯t have to deal with those people?¡± Ste pondered. If that was true, then why had he still drank their wine? The moment the words left her mouth, his warm hand closed around her slender wrist. Before Ste could react, Abraham pulled her onto hisp. Completely caught off guard, she tumbled toward him, and her lips just happened tond right on his, Her eyes widened in shock; she instinctively tried to pull away. But before she could sit up, he cupped her small chin, and his kiss came crashing down like a wave. His lips were soft and cool,ced with the scent of wine and roses. Ste instinctively struggled. 11:57 AM Chapter 140 The Deal Just Died Her breath hitched, she called his name in a low voice. That one word¨Cspoken so softly¨Cbrought Abraham to a sudden halt.. He braced himself and looked down at her. +8 Pearls Their eyes met. Ste could clearly see the tenderness in his drunken gaze. And that same tenderness struck something deep inside her. The walls she¡¯d spent years building seemed to crumble in an instant. With just that look, Abraham leaned down again. That night, sleep eluded more than a few people. The hospital, of course, was a given¨CLillian¡¯s illness had gotten worse, and the pain kept her up all night In the past, Ethan and Jonathan would always be there, but tonight, for once, neither of them showed. Susan was the only one at the hospital. Around midnight, Lillian was in so much pain she felt like she was dying. When she turned over, she saw the pillow was covered in strands of her hair. Her chest tightened; tears welled in her eyes. Susan tried tofort her. ¡°Once you get better, it¡¯ll grow back.¡± Lillian sniffled. ¡°Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± Even her voice was weak when she spoke. ¡°He said he¡¯s tied up in Rivermount with an important business partner,¡± Susan replied. That was what Madeline had told her. She said Ethan was meeting with someone significant these couple of days¨Csomeone they really needed to lock down. The deal wasn¡¯t even finalized yet. At a time like this, there couldn¡¯t be any mistakes. Originally, because Lillian was in so much pain, Susan had called Ethan, hoping he¡¯d step in and try something else with Rianne and Eddie. Ste had lied to them, so that path was closed. But they couldn¡¯t afford to give up. Instead of Ethan, Madeline picked up. She chewed Susan out over the phone and, before hanging up, threw onest sharp line at her. ¡°Even if Lillian dies in the next couple of days, don¡¯te crying to Ethan¡± Hearing Madeline talk about the child she¡¯d raised like that¡­ of course, Susan felt awful. But she didn¡¯t dare say anything back. She had no choice but to swallow it all.. The Reed family¡¯spany was going downhill fast. The Keene family had used them up and tossed them aside. So when Susan heard all that Send Gifts 118 11:57 AM ca The wrong girl 141 Chapter 141 Public Execution Lillian¡¯s mood sank instantly. ¡°Oh¡­ I see. Then let¡¯s not bother her.¡± Susan replied, ¡°He probably won¡¯t being by for the next few days¡± From the way Madeline talked, that partner seemed incredibly important; she even threatened that if the deal fell through because of Lillian, she¡¯d hold them ountable. Now that Madeline had said that, Susan didn¡¯t dare go looking for Ethan either. When Lillian heard Ethan wouldn¡¯t being for days, her face went stiff. ¡°He won¡¯t being for days?¡± She was supposed to be discharged in three days: Ethan had promised her she could recover at Verdant Vi Now they were saying he wouldn¡¯t being to the hospital in the next few days. Could I still be discharged on time! Susan nodded. ¡°Yeah, he won¡¯t be for several days. Don¡¯t call him these next couple of days either,¡± Madeline wasn¡¯t joking when she got mad; she was a total banshee. As soon as she heard Susan say not to contact Ethan, Lillian looked over, eyes instantly welling up. Susan couldn¡¯t stand seeing her like that. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, okay? It¡¯s just for a few days. That partnership really is important.¡± If it weren¡¯t, Madeline wouldn¡¯t have blown up on her like that. ¡°Then can I still be discharged on time?¡± Lillian¡¯s voice trembled as she asked. Susan went quiet. Discharged? She thought of Ethan¡¯s promise. After a moment, Susan said, ¡°Verdant Vi should already be arranged. I¡¯ll make a call tomorrow morning and check. If he doesn¡¯te, we¡¯re still going to get you discharged.¡± Susan knew Lillian wanted out of the hospital. She hated the smell of disinfectant; she wanted to recover at Verdant Vi instead. Honestly, the air out there really was nice. Hearing what Susan said made Lillian feel a little better. ¡°I wonder if the curtains have been changed yet.¡± They¡¯d been talking about changing them to sunflowers¨Csymbolizing renewal and health. She just wanted to get better fast. The hospital smelled so strongly of disinfectant; she didn¡¯t want to stay another minute. Susan said. ¡°They probably have. Ethan was so thoughtful when it came to her; he was probably spending these days getting everything ready over there ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ethan only has you in his heart. Stop letting yourself get so down; it¡¯s not good for your health.¡± Thinking about what the specialists had told her, Susan couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. At this point, she wasn¡¯t even sure Lillian would be able to pull through this time. 11:57 AM c Chapter 141 Public Execution Before Lillian could finish, Susan cut her off immediately Sometimes, that kind of instinct was the scariest thing ¡°The doctors said your condition¡¯s been under control these past couple of days. Stop overth Lillian looked at her with teary eyes. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Susan nodded firmly. That made Lillian feel a lot better After finally getting Lillian to sleep. Susan stepped out into the hospital hallway to call Jonathan. But he didn¡¯t pick up. She tried several times, every call went to voicemail What she didn¡¯t know was that after Patrick called Jonathan to the office, he¡¯d been stuck in meetings ever since. At three in the morning, he was still in the conference room Susan nced at the closed hospital room door, heart heavy she felt like she didn¡¯t have anyone to lean on The meeting between Jonathan and Patrick didn¡¯t end until after 7 AM Both looked rough as they left the conference room and returned to the office. That¡¯s when Patrick noticed the bruising on Jonathan¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to your face!¡± Caught off guard by the question, Jonathan¡¯s expression darkened. He instinctively touched his face; the moment his fingers brushed against it the throbbing pain made him suck in a sharp breath. ¡°Hit it by ident.¡± ¡°On both sides?¡± Patrick frowned. That kind of bruising clearly wasn¡¯t from just an ident. Jonathan went silent. To exin the injury, he¡¯d have to bring up Ste¨Cd that call his mom had made before became into the office yesterday. When Jonathan didn¡¯t say anything. Patrick couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep asking. He rubbed his temples, clearly having a headache. ¡°Don¡¯t you think someone¡¯s trying to screw- Suddenly, a bunch of partners all wanted to terminate their contracts¨Csome even cutting off resourcespletely Jonathan frowned at him. Patrick asked. ¡°Could it be the Keene family?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the Keene family Ethan wouldn¡¯t allow that,¡± Jonathan said without hesitation. Even if the Keenes were unhappy with the Reeds, they wouldn¡¯t make a move right now. The wrong girl 142 Chapter 142 Scarves Can¡¯t Hide Regret +8 Pearis Even if the Keene family made a move, the impact on the Reed family¡¯spany wouldn¡¯t be this severe; this time, it had really left them reeling. When Patrick heard it wasn¡¯t the Keene family, his expression worsened. ¡°Then who could it be?¡± Jonathan was speechless. Who? The image of the man in Ste¡¯s office shed through his mind unbidden. Could it be him? At Verdant Vi, Ste stared at the bruises all over her neck, her heart clenching tight. She¡¯d been hiding in her room, too scared toe out, ears perked up listening for the sound of a car outside. She waited all the way until 9 AM, but still hadn¡¯t heard Abraham leave. Instead, it was Abraham who came to knock on her door. ¡°Star, time to get up.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a little tired. I want to sleep a bit longer.¡± The bruises covered too wide an area¨Cher lips were injured too. If she went out and he saw them, she wouldn¡¯t even know how to exin. What a disaster, Abraham stood at the door. When he heard Ste say she was tired, a trace of a smile flickered in his deep¨Cset eyes¨Cbarely noticeable. He nced at the time on his wristwatch. ¡°It¡¯s already nine, sleepyhead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really tired. I just want to sleep a little longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡± Ste was speechless. Wait¨Cwhy is heing in? She spoke in a rush, ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯m getting up now!¡± The moment she heard Abraham say he was cover her neck. ¡°Come on, breakfast has already been reheated several times. ¡°Got it Inside the room, Ste felt like crying. She rummaged through her closet for a silk scarf, but it didn¡¯t cover enough, so she grabbed a neck warmer and wrapped it tightly. When she came downstairs, she saw Abraham sitting on the sofa with hisptop on hisp, working. Hearing her footsteps, Abraham turned to look at her; sure enough, the dark circles under his eyes were obvious. ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± Ste let out a muffled sound of acknowledgment. Her heart had been racing all night. How could I have slept She nced at Abraham. Judging from his expression, it seemed like he¡¯dpletely forgotten everything that happened after he drank. 11:57 AM Chapter 142 Scarves Can¡¯t Hide Regret Abraham noticed the scarf around her neck. ¡°Are you cold? ¡°No,¡± Ste answered instinctively The second the words left her mouth, she regretted it Sure enough, Abraham asked. ¡°If you¡¯re not cold, then why are you wearing such a thick scarf?¡± The indoor temperature was always kept steady, there was no need for extrayers Hearing that, Ste pouted and didn¡¯t know how to answer. Why? Because of what you did obviously! The housekeeper saw Stee downstairs and told the staff to bring out the reheated breakfast, L +8 Pearls Ste ignored Abraham¡¯s question and headed straight to the dining room. She took a sip of pondge and nced toward the living room. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going out today?¡± ¡°A bitter.¡± ¡°Oh No wonder he hadn¡¯t left yet. Abraham put down hisptop and walked over to the dining room. He was tall¨Cprobably around six¨Cfoot¨Cthree. Just looking at those long legs was enough to get anyone¡¯s blood pumping. Over the years. Ste had seen just how much girls liked Abraham But he always gave off this icy aura that kept most people away, Of course, some had tried drugging him. But who knew what happened to those people¨Cnone of them ever showed up again. Abraham sat down across from her, his gaze dark as he looked at her. Ste¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why.. why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°Why are your lips so swollen?¡± Ste¡¯s mind buzzed: her blood started racing again He really didn¡¯t remember anything. He was actually asking why her lips were swollen! Ste had a headache ¡°Do you even remember how you got homest night?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ste fell silent, Great, he really doesn¡¯t remember. just thinking about it made her want to pull her hair out. Before she could say anything else. Abraham suddenly reached over and pulled off the scarf around her neck. Ste felt a chill rush over her neck as her heart stopped for a second. The wrong girl 143 Chapter 143 Don¡¯t Ask About My Neck Please The air froze in that instant. The butler and the maids tensed up within a second they caught ght on and made a swin est Everyone bere knew Abraham and Ste rsed by blood of (down thes out of See something they shouldn¡¯t, and they might t Only Ste and Abraham were l Ste blinked up at him bear sipping a bear. She get up f But the next second. Abraham held her in ce. ¡°M¡¯s oing on with your edit That deep, maic voice carrier Ste¡¯s heart scpped in for so good re She stammered, Wh. I got bimen by If he could me a question She thought back to bow forcefull the co before. If she hadn¡¯t able free, there was no way bee peak Abraham raised an eyebro Ste nodded furiously ¡°Yep Bocain else could I me on Inter Sure, he¡¯d been gentle¨Creally gende¨Cbur also had the bine strength of a dog er lips were still sort and chapped this murning from book hard bed groe Abraham¡¯s warn fingers brushed over her swollen tips. ¡°That by more did Ste checks fushed bright red She nodded again eling utterly defeated Tesh real pression Wouldng no matt Abraham¡¯s grip on her slim waist ghtened sightly ¡°You cried no fight in ¡± Yeah,¡± Ste said seriously Totally straight¨Cfaced. In reality, no way she¡¯d dared fight back. She had too much strength¨Cun¨¦ slip and he would¡¯ve woken uptly Then it would¡¯ve turned into a whole mesa she couldn¡¯t possibly exin. In the end, she had had the courage to do it Abrahanchuckled, ¡°Have the butler disinfect your room property¡± Definitely should. And hey, can you not drink anymiter when you go out His stomach was already sensitive. Brewerkend of person sh kim kumbling himself id 11:57 AM Chapter 143 Don¡¯t Ask About My Neck Please Noticing his fingers wrapped around her hair, she angrily pulled it away and tried to wiggle out of his arms But the grip around her waist didn¡¯t loosen in the slightest¨Cshe couldn¡¯t break free Ste whimpered. Abraham, let me go? You still haven¡¯t told me what¡¯s the connection? There isn¡¯t one.¡± Ste replied. -8 Pearis The connection was that he¡¯d gotten drunk and forgotten everything At this rate. if he slept with herand ten monthster she had a kid. he¡¯d probably ask who the father was The thought made Ste re at Abraham with barely concealed resentment. Just don¡¯t drink again. okay?¡± Looking at her sulky little face. Abraham reached out and gently pinched her cheek clearly amused. Before either of them could say more. Abel walked in The moment she saw him. Ste instinctively tried to squirm out of Abraham¡¯s ans This time. Abraham didn¡¯t tease her He let go, even adding, ¡°Ear up, okay!¡± His voice wi warm and soft¨Clike coaxing a child Abel¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, he seemedpletely used to the scene in front of him. Abraham stood and walked toward the living room Abel followed behind. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Judson wants to see you.¡± Judson was Ethan¡¯s father. Since Ethan hadn¡¯t been able to get ahold of Abraham, Judson had started to grow impatient. The Reed family¡¯s mines had run dry; securing a new supply was critical to the Keene family right now. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that Judson was getting personally invol heiring room Abraham checked the time on his watch, then nced over at the dining room He saw Ste quietly eating, and a softness passed through his eyes. ¡°Ethan still bury with the Verdant Vi matter Ethan had been trying to buy Verdant Vi to help that adopted daughter of the Reed family recover. Judson had been a hard¨Cnosed man in his youth. Taking someones for outside his world¨Cit must¡¯ve been a bitter pill to mallet Abel nodded Yo Abraham said. ¡°Call Judson back and tell him¡ª He stopped mid¨Csentence¨Cbecause he saw Ste spit out the bun she¡¯d just put in her mouth Send Gifts 118 [11] The wrong girl 144 Chapter 144 You Did What to the Reed Family L +8 Pearls It felt like she¡¯d bitten into something dirty¨CSte spat several times, then grabbed her water and rinsed her mouth. Abraham¡¯s gaze dimmed. His tone also dropped. ¡°Tell him it¡¯s about his son; that takes priority.¡± Abel went quiet. His son takes priority? If Judson heard that, he¡¯d probably want to beat Ethan to death. As if Ethan had anything better to do right now. He was all wrapped up with Lillian, and the only urgent thing on his te was this Verdant Vi situation. Speaking of Ethan, Abel couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°How did Mr. Keene end up with a son like that? If he¡¯s gonna be a yboy, at least pick someone decent. He¡¯s basically trying to wipe out the Keene bloodline.¡± And Lillian¡¯s character¨Cbased on what they¡¯d dug up, the kind of woman Ethan fell for was honestly beyond words. Abraham let out a quietugh. ¡°Which is exactly why Mr. Keene should be focusing on his son right now.¡± Abel caught Abraham¡¯s meaning instantly. Scheming, as always. Those people¨CAbraham might¡¯ve looked indifferent on the surface, but after how they¡¯d treated Ste all these years, there was no way he¡¯d let it slide. Abel nodded. Tll go respond to him right away.¡± Abel left. Abraham beckoned to the butler lurking in the shadows. The butler stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± ¡°Fire everyone in the kitchen today.¡± The butler stiffened at those words. ¡°Understood.¡± Abraham walked toward the dining room. Ste had nearly finished eating: Abraham nced down at the wad of tissue with what she¡¯d spat out. ¡°Didn¡¯t like it?¡± There were pebbles in it.¡± The butler, who¡¯d followed Abraham in, felt his heart seize. At that moment, he figured the kitchen staff totally deserved to be fired. Everyone knew Abraham had incredibly high standards for food¨Cespecially when it came to what Ste ate. Ste, of course, had no idea that her casual honesty just doomed an entire kitchen staff. ¡°You heading out?¡± she asked. Abraham nodded. ¡°The Reed family¡¯s probably in chaos by Most likely, they¡¯d been in meetings all night. now. Of course, if they were smart enough to figure out what was really going on, they¡¯d looking for Ste. 11:57 AM ? Chapter 144 You Did What to the Reed Family Ste was speechless. Sweet fruits¡­. Right¡ªshe remembered now. Abraham had said he was going to shut but since he was leaving, she didn¡¯t bother pressing the usud. Jas Abraham expected, the Reed family really was a bunch of idio The will hadn¡¯t figured out what happened. +8 Fear! best the entire Reed family. She didn¡¯t care much abou Abracum had barely left when Ste got a call from Kimmy¨CLouis had shown ag an the office looking for her. The moment she heard Louis¡® name, she already knew what it was about¨Cthin sling- Tell him I be there in an hour¡± ¡®Gar I¡® Thun would give her just enough time. After lunging tip. Ste went upstairs to change. Just as she was about no head out, she got a message from an unknown number. The carrains an Verdur Vi are probably already wed From the DE .clearly from Lillian Ste didn¡¯t get it. Where did she still find the chargram deur Dank she on death 3 doorstep Honestly, if Lillian been hit with three terminal diagnoses, Ste might¡¯ve had to make a move herself. she didnt know was that Liilian could only findfort by messaging her now. Because that morning, sheld woken up and seen a huge clump of hair on her pillow; her heart was already on the verge of copse. Ste replied without much ren- Didn¡¯t you say ¡°probably? So you¡¯re not even sure?¡± So Ethan was was still stringing Edlen along? And Lillian herself wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d actually be moving into Verdant Vi Lillian replied: ¡°Whether I¡¯m wart or not, it has nothing to do with you and Ethan anymore.¡± Oh? Someone was fouling build She doU?L Ste replied: ¡°You¡¯re not scared I¡¯ll show chis message to Ethan?¡± Lillian replied: ¡°Go ahead!¡± That phone number wasn¡¯t even her. When it came down to it, just be Ethan choosing whether to believe her or Ste. Ste texted: ¡°Wanna bet 140,000 dors you won¡¯t move into Verdant Vi.¡± If Lillian wanted to show off so badly, then ¨C Salu would y along What fun is there in unting something without a muger! On the other end of the call, Lillian saw Se¡¯s massage and immedinely shopped breathing for a second. A sh of malice passed through her eyes¡­ Lallian texted: ¡°140,000 dors! You¡¯ve got some demse The wrong girl 145 Chapter 145 The Gamble What did shame have to do with any of this. Pride didn¡¯t pay the bills¨Cmoney was the only thing that counted Lillian stared at Ste¡¯s arrogant words. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s bet!¡± It was just 140.000 dors. She trusted Ethan wouldn¡¯t let her lose. If Ste lost, she¡¯d have to pay her the full 140,000 dors. She thought of that man who¡¯d been threatening her constantly. Andtely, with her being stuck in the hospital and the Reed family assuming she wasn¡¯t spending ruch, she barely had any money left to deal with that man If she could get 140.000 dors out of Ste, it¡¯d be perfect. She remembered Ste¡¯s studio had made 980.000 dorsst year: giving her 140.000 dors wasn¡¯t unreasonable. With that thought, Lillian sent another message to Ste: ¡°Don¡¯t forget¨Cyou made the bet. If you lose, you pay.¡± Ste replied: Yeah, I made the bet. Let¡¯s hope you can face the music when it¡¯s time.¡± Ste¡¯s words struck a nerve deep in Lillian¡¯s system. Ste added: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare wher and say I bullied you. Don¡¯t start crying about how you don¡¯t have 140,000 dors. If you say crap like that, I swear I¡¯ll teach you a damn lesson.¡± Seeing that message nearly made Lillian pass out from rage, She furiously deleted all the texts and handed the phone back to the nurse. When Ste didn¡¯t get a reply from Lillian, she figured she¡¯d shut her up sessfully. She liked to get things straight from the start. God, every time I see her act, I seriously want to rip her mouth apart. She arrived at the studio right on the hour. Louis stood up when he saw her. ¡°Ste, finally. I¡¯ve been waiting a while. That tone¨Cway too familiar. Anyone listening would¡¯ve thought Louis and Ste had some sort of special rtionship. Especially when Louis tried to hook his arm around her neck¨CSte instinctively dodged. Guess the lesson Abraham gave him still wasn¡¯t enough Ste cut straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Louis, just say what you need to say.¡± No need for this fake warmth; it made her skin crawl She casually tossed her bag on the couch. Seeing her smooth, confident movements, something flickered in Louis¡® eyes. A handmade designer bag, treated like that. Louis pondered Were the people in the Reed family blend? What made them think Ste had been naised in some backwater? What kind of country bumpkin carried herself with the kind of stratagemor He thought back to what Sharon had sad. Jonathan¡¯s sister came from the countryside. She doesn¡¯t know anything, and she mbarrases the Reed family 11:57 AM 145 TWA GIADE Se said. ¡°If you like it, it¡¯s genus¡± Low stunned. So greenaut theasan That bag was work hundreds of the job attend the the wider range nur du The Danejon family¡± pulled about our of his cam pornosen the save in Seattle and When Soe sow yer anther vefver here her heart anpped We on Conne them in thubha Another is he sings show the foured by in the Leuss looked alle awkward ¡°but you open thew beat¡°) ¡°The thing invade that boal Ste was stunned. Shed figured as m She hard honestly though for me we had been disur But turns out he won¡¯t erary held juan m¨¹esse Les norded ¡°¡°Yes¡± Slips arched in st She acted over at de trash can and immediately attend it was expry Clearly the push hard wiready been taken that Down A That do you mean Goy The second Scell and hur Look nog kan he i She exined by what he grand then the ping me th The wrong girl 146 Chapter 146 Gone for Good Ste still held a grudge against Louis. Yesterday had nearly scared her to death. With the look Abraham had on his face back then, if she¡¯d made one wrong move, she would¡¯ve ended up shredded into pieces with nothing left behind. And now, hearing that Abraham had actually gotten upset over it again made Louis¡® chest tighten. So let¡¯s call yesterday really was about that ring? Louis looked at Ste, his expression twisted with conflicted restraint. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell him I might¡¯ve grabbed the wrong onc? ¡°How was I supposed to know whether you took the wrong one or not? All she¡¯d been focused on at the time was saving her own life. As for what would happen to Louis, that was way beyond her control Louis¡® breathing quickened. ¡°Where¡¯s the ring?¡± ¡°He threw it out. Tossed it in the trash.¡± Back when Abraham threw it in the trash. Ste had instinctively wanted to pick it up and return it to Louis. But she never got the chance¨CAbraham had stayed in his office the whole time after that. There was no way she¡¯d dared fish through the trash with him still there. It wasn¡¯t like she had a death wish or anything. Louis sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°You didn¡¯t pick it back up?¡± ¡°I was too scared!¡± Louis was speechless. Too scared? If Ste didn¡¯t dare do it in front of Abraham, who on earth would? Probably no one. ¡°Who changed the trash?¡± That thing was worth close to 1.3 million, and it just got tossed like that? Sure, it wasn¡¯t a huge deal for him, but still¨Che didn¡¯t exactly have cash to throw around. And that ring had belonged to Alex. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around,¡± Ste said. She picked up the phone and called the internal line, summoning Kimmy into the office. When Kimmy heard them mention the trash can, she said, ¡°I took it out at the end of the day yesterday.¡± ¡°Did v you see a ring box in there?¡± ¡°Nope. Just paper.¡± Kimmy pondered. Who¡¯d go digging through the trash anyway? Ste looked over at Louis and said nothing. They were screwed. The trash had already been taken out yesterday¨Cwhat now? Head down to the garbage depot and go hunting? Louis turned to Kimmy. ¡°You didn¡¯t see a box? It was pretty big Kimmy looked innocent. ¡°Nope¡± Ste nced at him. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that big¡± It really wasn¡¯t ring bar¨Choe big could it even bet Chapter 146 Gone for Good threw out something important?¡± Kimmy nced at Ste, then at Lo ¡°I don¡¯t think our boss has anything that counts as important She tossed designer handbags around like they were something -whatever she was digging through the move for had to kang back to how casually shed towed her bag aysheid towed her ?Louis¡® expression shuted. He looked at Ste again, thinking back to how cas Rassed by Abraham, maybe in her world, no Ste waved at summy. ¡°Got it Kimmy turned and lett Now, only Ste and Louis were left in the office L¨®uti expres ¡°It¡¯s really gone? ¡°You heard her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure she didn¡¯t even check the mish I be impossible to describe i He was still clinging to hope that someone might ¥³ people are, but of course they didn¡® L¡ä¡ä That question rubbed Ste the wrong way Lous had been about to press further, but bearing her tone he it go. If he passed ber of Abraham would only be wagner He¡¯d seen it clearly at the old man¡¯s banquet¨CAbraham was Sercely protective of her Louis rubbed his forehead. Then can you exin it to your barber for me Thun At this point, whether or not the ring could be recovered didn¡¯t i The most important thing now was to make sure Abraham didn¡¯t get the He was sure of it¡ªabel¡¯s call yesterday had everything to do with that ring ¡°Alright then,¡± Ste said. how desperate Louis looked, she pulled out her phone and called Abraham nly gave the ring to the wrong person. I¡¯ma only rang twice before the other end picked up. ¡°Star¡± ¡°Hes. Loun came by to ask me for the ring¡± Louis harskipped a beat the second she said that Seriously Could she not he exined fit why I was asking her for sch With that kind of blunt delivery, she might as well have thrown him under the bus right in front of Abraham Send Gifts The wrong girl 147 Chapter 147 Thanks for Absolutely Nothing 48 Pearls The moment Ste opened her mouth, Louis felt his scalp go numb. And the worst part was he couldn¡¯t even get mad, he didn¡¯t dare to Sure enough. Abraham¡¯s voice turned cold on the other end of the line the second he heard what Ste said. ¡°Tell him to get lost.¡± Louis went silent. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched as she instinctively looked at him. His head felt like it was going to explode. What the heck? Why did Abraham sound like I had just bullied Ste or something? He was about to step forward when he heard Ste speak into the phone again. ¡°He said he gave the wrong one and came to take it back.¡± Finally, an exnation. Louis thought, That should do it, right? He¡¯d delivered the wrong ring yesterday, and just like that, Abraham had someone call to cancel the deal. So now what? Just as Louis was anxiously waiting for Abraham¡¯s response- Ste, bless her soul, added, ¡°He brought a bracelet to exchange for it.¡± She¡¯d already opened the box and, seeing it was a bracelet, said it without thinking The moment Louis heard the word bracelet, he knew this was about to go south. Sure enough, the next second, Abraham replied coldly over the phone, ¡°Tell him to get lost. Now,¡± And with that, he hung up. Louis had questioned his life choices more than he did in that moment. Ste nced at him. ¡°You saw that. No use trying to talk nicely.¡± So he might as well give up trying to use her as a backdoor into Abraham¡¯s good graces. Louis looked at her, lips parting like he wanted to say something, but he was too mad to even get the words out. Is she really trying to help me? She doesn¡¯t even exin anything properly¨Clet alone speak on my behalf. She can¡¯t even get the story straight. And now the¡¯s acting like she¡¯s done me a favor. Louis took several deep breaths, forcing down the weight in his chest. In the end, all he managed to say was a bitter. ¡°Thanks.¡± Thanks a lot, Goddess. With those awful people skills¨Cno wonder she turned out like this, spoiled rotten by Abraham. Louis couldn¡¯t stand to be in that office for another second. Sie really was a menace. Truly. ¡°Mr. Louis,¡± she called out as he reached the door, ¡°should I pay you back for the ring?¡± Lours stumbled, then gritted out through his teeth. ¡°No¡± He didin¡¯t dare to eptpensation from her. Just as he opened the door, Ste stepped up behind him and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Here, Mr. Louis, take this back.¡± AM Abraham hau viritted into lice¨Cdeadline waurculiowed to ept anything from cima dizzy. Abraham, haud remedizzy tolu Loun to get lost Hou looked ideer, then mought vorinuncu resterend Bautam what he knewation: Ste, sie diety mings Thu: Bill he had enough on in te already 0 to Charition Scelle¨Cmans komadething Tharphone call Scelle made to Abraham had made thing wore Now Iniul coure out way to exin things Wear mid¨Ci ditin chaves me to deal with Ste 109. Rollous lett. Kimmy came in. ¡°Ms. Dawson did Mr. Dour love something in toppiething on you? agnutow. Himmy looked at nervous like they were posting/skel You think everyone Susan Ste replied. Glimmy was prechless. Hey, just tooingrout fornoul had been open topover a year and a half now, andansversammlernantonity dropped by Sandraxteen came yeaterday, and now Louis was daming dicotomethingire Rimmycould help but The multi kittomillion din the azing. Selts and ¡°Juiging by the quality, was prokuror tourmilion kee Hmm. The wrong girl 148 Chapter 148 No Spicy Food Kimmy said, ¡°I really think he¡¯s trying to scam you, Ms. Dawson. You can¡¯t be that naive about people Ste replied, ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t assume the worst about everyone either. Keep that up and you¡¯ll never get a boyfriend.¡± Kimmy was speechless. Too cynical? Who goes to someone¡¯s ce and conveniently loses a million¨Cdor item! That had to be on purpose. right ¡°Alright, just get me a cup of coffee.¡± Ste said. Whether or not he was trying to scam her didn¡¯t really matter; the key thing was, no one could actually scam her. She was doing pretty well just not scamming anyone herself. Last night, Abraham had gotten drunk and made a mess of her. She was still a little dazed. Kimmy nodded and left. Once Ste was alone in the office, her phone started buzzing. It was Abraham. She picked up. ¡°Abraham¡± ¡°Did Louis leave?¡± His deep voice came through the line, heavy with authority and pressure. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Ste answered. If he hadn¡¯t left, what was he going to do¨Cshow up and skin him alive like some kind of ¡°And the bracelet?¡± ¡°I gave it back,¡± she said quickly. revenge fantasye to life. Thank god she had. With Abraham¡¯s tone right now, if she hadn¡¯t returned it, she would¡¯ve beenpletely screwed. ¡°What have I always told you?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Don¡¯t ept gifts from men. I didn¡¯t take it,¡± she replied. She added the part in a soft, slightly wronged voice. Feeling his serious tone, she quickly tacked on, ¡°I really didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Good girl,¡± Abraham said. Ste rolled her eyes. Good girl? Is that still an appropriate thing to call me! ¡°So I can never ept gifts from men? I¡¯m an adult now.¡± There was a hint of testing in her voice. Sure, Abraham didn¡¯t have other women around, but she wasn¡¯t a child anymore. And after what happenedst night ¨C Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush. Even if Abraham didn¡¯t remember anything. Ste still wanted to feel things out¨Cfigure out exactly what she was to him. But after she spoke, the phone went silent.. Ste¡¯s heart clenched tighter with each second. 11:58 AM c Chapter 148 No Spicy Food All these years at Rivermount, she had never epted a single gift from a man ¡°I¡¯ve never given you anything?¡± Abrahamn asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How would it feel?¡± The question came so out of the blue, Ste didn¡¯t even know how to respond. Meanwhile, Louis had just stepped out of Ste¡¯s office when he got a call from Alex As expected, Alex only had one thing to say, he wanted the ring. Louis¡® sudden change in attitude yesterday had made Alex start to suspect. Had Louis actually given the ring to Marlon -Where are you now?¡± Louis asked. ¡°At home. You¡¯re gonna bring it to me?¡± Bring it? That ring was long gone¨Cmay it rest in peace. What, am I supposed to go dig through the city dump? ¡°I¡¯ming to you now.¡± Louis hung up the call without waiting for a response. Half an hourter, he pulled up outside Alex¡¯s ce. ¡°The ring?¡± Alex asked the second he saw him. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°What? No¨Cwhere¡¯s my ring?¡± ¡°Just get in. I¡¯ll take you to it.¡± Alex froze. Take me to it? This scumbag really had given it to Marion? Now Alex was pissed. He yanked the car door open and jumped in. Take me to it? If Louis didn¡¯t get it back today, this wasn¡¯t going to end well. +8 Pearls Alex figured Louis was driving him to see Marlon. But the longer they were on the road, the more wrong the route felt. ¡°This isn¡¯t the way to Marlon¡¯s ce. Where are we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Louis said. ¡°Did you sell my ring? Louis¡® head throbbed. At this point, he didn¡¯t want to talk to Alex at all. They drove for a full hour before finally stopping outside a quiet, tucked¨Caway tea house. A waiter came over respectfully ¡°Mr. Louis ¡°Which room is Mr. Abraham in?¡± Louis asked. At the mention of that name, the waiter¡¯s face froze. He looked ufortable. IDUAM The wrong girl 149 Chapter 149 Dangerous Lines +8 Pearls But everyone who worked here knew exactly how terrifying the owner really was. Forget Abraham¨Ceven Abel alone was enough to scare them senseless. And because of that fear, the entire staff was fiercely loyal to Abraham. The moment Alex heard Louis words, his face went stiff; he stared at Louis in shock. Mr. Abraham? Is it the one I am thinking of? The server awkwardly pushed the cash back toward Louis. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Louis.¡± Louis frowned. Then I¡¯ll go in myself.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± The server stepped in to block him. Louis shot him a sharp re. ¡°I can inform him for you,¡± the server said, ¡°but you can¡¯t force your way in.¡± If he barged in, none of the staff here would make it out of this unscathed. Abraham was in today, meeting someone. Abel was here too The server went over and quietly whispered into Abel¡¯s ear. ¡°Mr. Abel, Mr. Louis is here to s see Mr. Abraham¡± Abel¡¯s face darkened the moment he heard Louis¡® name. He nced over at Abraham, who sat not far away, facing an elderly man with snow¨Cwhite hair. Abel¡¯s tone was icy. ¡°Tell him to wait. He¡¯d tracked them down all the way here¨Cif they refused to see him now, he clearly wouldn¡¯t let it go. The server nodded and left. Abel nced back at Abraham and stepped forward,ing to stand behind him. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Mr. Louis is here.¡± Abraham didn¡¯t respond. He lifted his teacup and calmly took a sip. His phone buzzed on the rattan table. A message from Ste hade in: ¡°Abraham, what should I eat for lunch?¡± It even came with a pitiful little emoji. Even through the screen, Abraham could practically feel how sweet and obedient she was being. Ignoring Abel for now, he picked up his phone to reply. But before he could type, another message came through: ¡°Can I eat with Tessa? He¡¯d originally intended to say he¡¯d pick her up, but now that she¡¯d mentioned Tessa, they¡¯d probably already made ns. So he replied with a single word: ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he added: ¡°No spicy food.¡± Ste sent back another crying emoji. The corners of Abraham¡¯s lips lifted into a faint, indulgent smile.. ¡°Be good,¡± he wrote. Setting the phone down, he finally turned to Abel. ¡°Let him wait.¡± ¡°Yes, sir DISTAM Chapter 149 Dangerous Lines ¡°You little brat. You¡¯re really not g going to let me win even once, huh?¡± ? +8 Pearls Abraham raised his teacup again, speaking casually. ¡°When have you ever seen me lose?¡± ¡°Not losing doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t. Just wait.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Derrick and Monroe¨Cthere¡¯s a connection now.¡± At those words, Abraham¡¯s expression faltered, a sharp glint shing through his eyes. ¡°Monroe?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know exactly what Derrick wants with Star. If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have let Kelly pull that stunt. He¡¯s been trying to track her down for years.¡± But Ste had always been too good at hiding. A cold aura spread from Abraham¡¯s whole body. He set down his teacup, that dangerous gleam in his eyes growing stronger. A cold He closed his eyes¨Cdangerous, calcting The man across from him, Alejandro, gave him a serious look. ¡°That time¡­ you meant to destroy himpletely, didn¡¯t you?¡± Abraham opened his eyes. They were crystal clear¨Cand deadly. Yes. He had intended to wipe Derrick outpletely. ¡°What¡¯s left of the Tom family now?¡± Abraham asked. There was nothing left. Whatever he¡¯d done to them back then, it might as well have been total annihtion. Alejandro replied, ¡°There¡¯s barely anything left, true. But you know Monroe¡¯s got people in the Yalvoria underworld. If Derrick managed to connect with him, you¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡°if he dares set foot in Falvaria again, he¡¯s dead.¡± Last time, Derrick had managed to escape. If he hadn¡¯t, he¡¯d be dust by now. Abraham ced another piece on the board. It sealed off Alejandro¡¯sst movepletely. Alejandro hadn¡¯t stood a chance to begin with, and now he waspletely cornered. When it came to Derrick, there wasn¡¯t much Alejandro could say. That punk had messed with the one person Abraham would never forgive anyone for touching. ¡°Marie called me yesterday asking where you were.¡± Abraham frowned. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°She heard you¡¯d found Star and wants to visit. I told her to hold off¨Cno need to get in your way while you¡¯re disciplining her Abraham said nothing. Outside, Louis finally heard that he was being told to wait¨Cand instantly felt relieved. Being told to wait meant there was a chance they¡¯d actually see me. The wrong girl 150 Chapter 150 He Is That Kind of Person Actually +8 Pearls At least Abraham was willing to see them¨Cthat was already a good sign. The worst would¡¯ve been beingpletely ignored. Alex whipped his head around, staring at Louis in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Abraham? As in the Mr. Abraham from Falvaria?¡± He¡¯d heard rumors that the man hade to Rivermount. This was huge news. Alex had been wanting to meet him for a while, but couldn¡¯t find a connection¡­ Someone like Abraham wasn¡¯t the kind of person you just mer¨Cnot without serious pull. Wait¡­ did Louis- Louis gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. Alex¡¯s eyes lit up. He leaned in eagerly. ¡°So why are we here to see him?¡± Did he sell the ring to Abraham? If that were the case, there was no way Alex would dare ask for it back. He¡¯d just consider it a gift and leave it at that. ¡°You sold the ring to Mr. Abraham? Forget it then. I don¡¯t want it back,¡± Alex quickly said. He should¡¯ve said so earlier. If something he wanted ended up in Abraham¡¯s hands, that was an honor. Who am I to ask for it back? Louis gave Alex a look like he was aplete idiot. Alex blinked. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Louis replied tly. ¡°You really think he gives a damn about your little ring?¡± He didn¡¯t even want things people begged him to take. And Alex was acting like someone had stolen from him. Alex scratched his head. ¡°Fair. So why did you bring me here then!¡± Louis said, ¡°His sister lost the ring.¡± Alex went quiet. Wait, what? How I ¡°Sister? What sister?¡± How the heck had things turned out like this? The word alone made Alex reel. ¡°Hold on¨CMr. Abraham¡¯s sister? Who even is that?¡± Alex pondered. How had my ring ended up lost by Mr. Abraham¡¯s sister? What had Louis gotten himself into? This web was getting way too tangled. ¡°Ste. You know her?¡± Louis asked. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ste¡± Alex froze Ste¡­ why did that sound so familiar? Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t shet Hasn¡¯t that the ex¨Cfiancee Ethan had ditched? ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Reed family¡¯s biological daughter? The one Ethan dumped?¡± 158 AM 6 pter 150 He is That Kind of Person Chapter Louis mo Whe in If she¡¯s Mr poorly ¡ª real dacidmer, the famill san had made me mill, but behind the worms, ir and bem h er the mingled wait the other women worse, iwwen moduaed Lillies in her duener maand. en after the same light beweer Lillian and Soth owocem um Liber position in the Rand family ever watered. Treine el dampenerte that was practically abuse a bodded. ¡°Tarch, they¡¯re probably The Beed might be done for ¨C ¡°Dwvesti it be try to purner with Mr Abratium toor That i mes were running dry and the Come family had been sommiting to find a recement. That mineral belly one who had what they seeded bu menising with Stalls, they & bumamilly pnd. They will think they¡¯ve got a shor at sigaction. Desamion. I then Eun doesn¡¯t even Schon bad bemplenery focused on Labem inely bundy ve a bent attacht when be found wan Abraham holds godini. Me¡¯s chunmt perjant The wrong girl 151 Chapter 151 The Real Show Begins Alex grinned. ¡°That was intense. Things are about to get real interesting.¡± But then he frowned. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t get¨Cif Ste is Mr. Abraham¡¯s sister, why didn¡¯t she just say so? She wouldn¡¯t have had to live like that with the Reed family,¡± Louis snorted. ¡°You think she cares about the Reed family giving her a better life?¡± Alex fell silent. True. With the King of the Night under Fleule at her back, what were the rest of them but insignificant pests? ¡°And to think Lillian fought her like a madwoman. Turns out Ste never even wanted any of it That one hit home. It also made the Reed family look even more foolish. Outsiders could see Lillian wasn¡¯t any good, and yet the Reed family clung to her like treasure. Especially now that she was sick¨Cthey were practically falling over themselves for her Earlier, Ste had texted Abraham¨Cnot for anything important, just to see if he was mad. She didn¡¯t even know when it started, but these days, every time she ran into another guy, she¡¯d feel guilty. And it wasn¡¯t like she even liked those guys. So what was she guilty about? Seeing that Abraham wasn¡¯t mad, she let out a breath of relief. Bzz bzz bzz¨Cher phone buzzed with a call. It was Madeline. She thought for a second, then hung up and blocked the number. She had nothing to do with the Reed family anymore. She wasn¡¯t going to waste time on their people either. She didn¡¯t like empty socializing¨Cespecially not with those self¨Cimportant elders. She had no patience for that. A few minutester, andline number came through. She figured it was probably the Keene family again and hit decline, Blocked. She only answered when Rianne called ¡°Rianne.¡± ¡°The Reed family is totally losing it right now,¡± Rianne said. Ste replied, ¡°Let them. They¡¯ve been bothering you?¡± ¡°Yeah, nonstop. They keep changing out doctors for Lillian¨Cone after the other. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but they just won¡¯t leave me alone? Ste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say she had a bunch of cancers? Soundsplicated.¡± ¡°Theard from the hospital it¡¯s been getting worse. It¡¯s at the point where it¡¯s hard to control.¡± Ste raised her eyebrows. ¡°So what¨Cyou¡¯re saying Lillian¡¯s about to die?¡± And if she did, what about that million¨Cdor bet they had? Was she even gonna live long enough to pay up? What if she lost the bet and died from the stress? 408 PM d Chapter 151 The Real Show Begins Everything they¡¯d done to her before made it clear. If they could¡¯ve, they¡¯d have crushed her a long time ago. Rianne dare.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Right, they wouldn¡¯t.¡± How could she forget? Rianne had Tempest behind her¨Ca silent force no one dared mess with. +8 Pearls No wonder Ethan and the Reed family kepting after her instead. They knew better than to go after Rianne directly. If they could¡¯ve handled Rianne, they wouldn¡¯t be taking the long way through her. ¡°When are youing back?¡± ¡°Tempest wants me to stay here with him for a while. I¡¯m not going back anytime soon.¡± Ste chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re really gonna drive Ethan and the Reed family crazy.¡± They were probably staring at the moon wishing Rianne woulde home. But she was nowhere in sight. Must be killing them. ¡°Will the Reed family give you trouble if I don¡¯te back?¡± Rianne asked. She hadn¡¯t spoken to Tessa, so she didn¡¯t know Ste had Abraham now. She was a little worried¨Cwhat if they got desperate and started targeting Ste? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They don¡¯t have what it takes to mess with me.¡± ¡°Alright. Just let me know if anythinges up,¡± Rianne said. As long as Ste was okay, that was enough. She hated the Reed family. Back when the King family had just fallen, she¡¯d never forget Susan¡¯s smug face. Funny how the tables turn. Now the Reed family needed her. The two chatted a bit longer before hanging up. Stelia then called Tessa. As soon as she mentioned dinner, Tessa groaned, ¡°If we keep eating together, your brother¡¯s gonna start hating me.¡± A brother that obsessed with his sister¨Cdid she really want to keep stealing his time? She was gonna get payback at this rate! Steughed. ¡°He¡¯s busy during the day.¡± ¡°In that cave¡­¡± Once she heard Abraham had no free time during the day, Tessa finally agreed. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have dared. She did not want that man¡¯s revenge. Meanwhile, on Louis¡¯s side- He waited a whole thirty minutes before Abel finally came out. That bind The wrong girl 152 Chapter 152 No Room for Misunderstanding Abel led them into what looked like a modest little teahouse. But along the way. Louis and Alex both noticed there were quite a few bodyguards hidden in the shadows. Alex leaned over and whispered, ¡°Did you see what those guys had on their belts?¡± Louis asked back, ¡°What do you think it was?¡± Alex fell silent Was that¡­ a gun? No wonder Ethan lost so badly when dealing with Abraham. Who did they think Abraham was? A man like that wasn¡¯t going to tolerate provocation. And the fact he hadn¡¯t already blown Ethan¡¯s head off¨Cthat was self¨Crestraint. Under a bamboo grove, next to a humble thatched cottage. By the time Abel brought Louis over, Abraham was the only one there. As soon as Louis saw him, he stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham. Abraham put down his teacup, raised his eyes slightly, and shot Louis a cold nce. Alex, standing behind Louis, caught the look in Abraham¡¯s eyes for just a moment¨Cand instantly looked away. The aura this man had was overwhelming. You couldn¡¯t even look him in the eye. So this was the brother who raised Ste? With someone like this backing her, Alex was even more convinced that the Reed family and Ethan were done for. They werepletely insane. They really had no idea who they were messing with Abraham looked at Louis. ¡°You want Ste topensate you for something?¡± Louis froze. Alex froze. The chill in Abraham¡¯s voice sent a shiver through both their chests. Louis quickly said, ¡°Of course not, Mr. Abraham. I wouldn¡¯t dare ask Ms. Ste topensate anything¡± ¡°I was only concerned that the ring might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. I wanted it back, but if Ms. Ste lost it, that¡¯s that. I just didn¡¯t want you to misunderstand anything¡± As if he¡¯d actually make her pay him back¨CAbraham was already looking unhappy, and this wasn¡¯t even anything serious If he really did ask Ste forpensation, Abraham would probably eat him alive. Listening to Louis speak so deferentially, Alex once again felt a shock at Abralsam¡¯s identity. No wonder he was Fleule¡¯s underground arms dealer. In all of Rivermount, no one else could make Louis lower his head like this. yet. 4:38 PM Chapter 152 No Room for Misunderstanding The weight in Abraham¡¯s voice made Louis¡¯s chest tighten even more. He quickly said. ¡°Of course not. I absolutely have no such intentions toward Ms. Ste.¡± If he did have those kinds of intentions, the next scene would probably be a bloodbath. There was no way he¡¯d dare. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Mr. Abraham.¡± At this point, Louis felt a wave of regret. Back when the Reed family and that bastard Ethan were treating Ste like dirt, he should¡¯ve stepped in. +8 Pearls If he¡¯d known she had someone like this behind her, defending her might¡¯ve at least earned him some favor in Abraham¡¯s eyes. But back then, Ste had acted like she had no one at all. Abraham lit a cigarette, took a drag, then tossed the pack at Louis. Louis caught it. ¡°Thank you.¡± He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, Mr. Abraham, but I really didn¡¯t- Right as he started to exin, Abraham gave him a cutting look. Louis immediately swallowed the rest of his words, Thinking about what Ethan and the Reed family were going through right now, he quickly said, I¡¯ve already locked Sharon up. You have my word¨Cshe won¡¯t bother Ms. Ste again.¡± He¡¯d seen protective brothers before, but never one like this. If anyone said Abraham didn¡¯t have feelings for Ste, Louis wouldn¡¯t believe it for a second. Not that it was any of his business. Right now, he just wanted to make this man happy. Whatever it took. Abraham gave him another cold look. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s all taken care of? ¡°All taken care of. If you still don¡¯t believe me, Mr. Abraham, I¡¯ll have Sharon thrown in jail right now.¡± Alex¡¯s mouth twitched. Is this guy serious? Is that really his own sister? Abel gave Louis a cold nce as well. Abraham took another drag on his cigarette, still silent, then looked toward Abel. Abel immediately understood. He stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Louis, you should head back for now. We¡¯ll be in touch¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham-¡± ¡°Our master¡¯s already aware¡± Louis had more to say, but Abel cut him off. Louis nced at Abraham again, trying to read something from his expression. The wrong girl 153 Chapter 153 Strawberries and Scars Louis was speechless. Not petty! He thought Abraham was extremely petty¨Cespecially when it came to Ste. Sharon had just argued with her, and Abraham reacted like that. And they dared say he wasn¡¯t petty +8 Pearls After sending Louis oll, Abel returned to Abraham¡¯s side. ¡°Sir¡± ¡°He gone?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°What do you think of him?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was calm but heavy. Abel considered it. ¡°Compared to others, Mr. Louis is actually a solid choice.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s the one.¡± Abraham said coldly. Abel nodded in agreement. Louis as a good candidate. Most importantly¨Che was ruthless He might seemid¨Cback, but anyone who¡¯d watched the Parker family¡¯s internal war would know¨Che was more than ruthless enough. Abraham nced at the time on his watch. It was lunchtime. He dialed Ste¡¯s number. ¡°Abraham,¡± ¡°I¡¯ming to get you.¡± The moment he spoke to Ste, all the coldness in his voice disappeared, reced by gentle warmth. Ste said, ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t I tell you I was having lunch with Tessa? ¡°Cancel¡± The two simple words were warm, but unmistakablymanding. Ste pouted on her end. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere fun to cat Fun?¡± Ste blinked. Since when is food funt What could that even mean? Her curiosity kicked in. ¡°Then hurry up and get me.¡± Food that was both delicious and fun? Who could say no to that? Ste certainly couldn¡¯t. Abraham chuckled and hung up after a soft ¡°Mm.¡± Ste immediately called Tessa. ¡°My brother says he¡¯s taking me somewhere fun to eat. Don¡¯te.¡± Tessa was silent for a moment. Seriously! Chapter 163 Strawberries and Scars was born and raised in Rivermount, and even the didn¡¯t know of any food that was also entertaining Ste replied, ¡°No idea.¡± nhung op She chatted with Tessa for a few more sentences and then hung up. +8 Pearls About thirty minutester. Abraham arrived. Ste came downstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the office building, she saw his signature car parked not far away. She instinctively headed toward it, but a sudden grip on her wrist made her stop It was Ethan. Ste¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seriously? This guy¡¯s still haunting me? Ethan looked furious. ¡°What will it take for Eddie and Rianne toe back? What do they want from you?¡± Ste blinked. This lunatic again. Ethan tightened his grip on her wrist. ¡°Talk, What do you want?¡± Susan had said Ste tricked her into signing the severance agreement but never followed through. Ethan couldn¡¯t take it anymon Seeing he was still hung up on Eddie and Rianne, Ste immediately lost all patience. She yanked her wrist free. ¡°Let go, you psycho.¡± ¡°Ste¡± ¡°Yelling again? Who the hell are you yelling at? You think I¡¯m your mom?¡± Ethan¡¯s teeth clenched. This woman! Ste said. ¡°Did Susannot exin things to you? And you still have the nerve toe pester me?¡± Ethan snapped, ¡°She¡¯s your mom!¡± ¡°Fine, then I¡¯m your grandma, how about that?¡± Ste rolled her eyes. Ethan froze, This tevoowan¡­! Ste continued, ¡°We signed the severance agreement. Do you even know what that means?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still your mother! How can you- ¡°Oh, shut up already. If your brain¡¯s fried, go get it checked. Want me to knock it back into ce?¡± She raised her hand and smacked Ethan on the forehead¨Chard. Ethan¡¯s brain buzzed. The blow had his skull ringing and his temper boiling over. Kra couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and hinnad insin Chapter 153 Strawberries and Scaro Their eyes locked-and that¡¯s when Ethan saw it. He noticed the swelling on her lips. The marks peeking out from under her scarf. His brain exploded with a deafening buzz, his pupils practically shattered. He reached out and yanked off the scarf around her neck¨Cand was met with a cluster of hickeys. Send Gifts 606 U The wrong girl 154 Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are? In that instant, Ethan felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°You and those men-?¡± What about those men? Ethan couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence. He was a grown man. He knew exactly what those marks meant. No one knew what he¡¯d been going through these past few days. Every time he thought about Ste being with another man, it drove him crazy. He kept convincing himself, over and over, that she was just angry with him. That she was only messing around with those men out of spite. But this? Was this just a game! ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± What did Lillian have to do with this? And what right did he have to bring up her man? Was Ste¡¯s man someone he could casually talk about? She tried to shake Ethan off. But the bastard had a death grip on her wrist. Boiling with rage, Ste aimed a sharp kick at Ethan¡¯s stomach. A dull thump followed. Ethan grunted in pain and finally let go. Abraham stood nearby, hands in his coat pockets, eyes cold as ice as he stared Ethan down. Ethan clutched his stomach, struggling to breathe, his face contorted with pain as he looked up at Abraham. Both Ste and Abraham had kicked him at the same time. It felt like all his internal organs had shattered. The pain was unbearable. He red at Ste. ¡°You you.¡± You wha!? The words caught in his throat. Ste turned to Abraham. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Since when did yourbat skills get so weak?¡± He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. It was already cold¨Cwhat was she doing wearing so little? That cool scent of his wrapped around her, Clean, masculine, with a trace of sweetness that made her want to bury herself in Ethan¡¯s face darkened even more when he heard Abrahamment on her strength. Since when did women have that kind ofbat strength? Was Ste raised by wolves? She was vicious as hell. Ste muttered, ¡°I kicked him, didn¡¯t I? And then you showed up,¡± Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are? He red at Ste. ¡°Ste, you better exin- Before she could even react. Abraham let go of her hand and strode toward Ethan like a storm Ethan felt the oppressive force of the man¡¯s presence and instinctively stepped back. Toote- Abraham¡¯s kick sent Ethan crashing to the ground. At that moment, Ethan swore he had heard something snap. No doubt about it¨Chis already fractured hand had just gotten worse. He tried to get up, but a heavy boot pressed down on his back. It was Abraham, pinning him in ce. ¡°You bastard!¡± Ethan roared in rage. No one in Rivermount had ever dared treat at him like like this. This guy¨Cthis bastard¨Cwas humiliating him. +8 Pearls From the car not far off, Jason saw what was happening and immediately ran over, But even Ste E felt her leap into her throat when she saw the dangerous glint in Abraham¡¯s eyes. In a sh, a violent, bloody image surfaced in her mind. And it was that image that made her wonder¨Cis someone going to die here today? Abraham¡¯s voice was like steel. ¡°You think it¡¯s fun to bully her?¡± Ethan gritted his teeth. ¡°Let me go if you¡¯ve got the guts!¡± Abraham pressed harder. ¡°If you can¡¯t even get up from under my foot, what good would it do to let you go?¡± Ethan was speechless. Jason didn¡¯t dare speak either. Ethan panted with fury, then red at Ste. ¡°Ste, get your man off me!¡± Ste crossed her arms. ¡°If you¡¯ve got the guts, get up yourself.¡± Still mouthing off? He must have a death wish. Ethan was nearly losing his mind. The humiliation ate at him, swallowing him whole. He wanted nothing more than to tear Ste and this man apart. Jason instinctively stepped forward, but the man¡¯s presence was overwhelming. He kept sending pleading nces at Ste. But she didn¡¯t even look his way. Jason was sweating cold bullets, Ethan twisted his neck to re up at Abraham. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Chapter 154 Who Do You Think You Are? Ethan groaned in pain, cold sweat dripping down his face like rain. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you. And you too, Ste, you damn woman¨CI¡¯ll kill you!¡± Driven by rage, Ethan spat out his final threat. Send Gifts The wrong girl 155 Chapter 155 One Word Away +8 Pearls But that threat¨CEthan¡¯s vow that Ste would die¨Cbrought a bloodthirsty smile to the corner of Abraham¡¯s mouth. The warmth vanished from his features, reced by danger. ¡°So tell me do you think you¡¯ll even walk out of here alive?¡± As he spoke, his hand moved to his waist. Jason saw the motion¨Cand the object Abraham drew¨Cand it felt like all the blood in his body stopped flowing. Even his breath stilled. The wind itself seemed to turn cruel and sharp. Just as Jason was sure Ethan wasn¡¯t getting out of here alive, Ste slowly stepped forward. She reached out and grabbed Abraham¡¯s wrist. ¡°Abraham.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes cleared slightly as he looked at her, dark and intense. ¡°Can¡¯t bear to see it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got more important things to deal with.¡± Ste¡¯s t tone was calm, a soft reminder. And just to make it clear that it wasn¡¯t about mercy, she ground her heel into Ethan¡¯s injured hand. Already wounded. Ethan let out a strangled cry¨Che had never been so humiliated. Ste pulled Abraham¡¯s hand down and took the object from him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Can¡¯t bear to see it? That wasn¡¯t the e point. Abraham wouldn¡¯t be in Rivermount this long unless something big was going on. If anything happened to Ethan now, it would create unnecessary trouble. judson¡¯s influence in Rivermount was not to be underestimated. Ste put Abraham¡¯s business above everything else. The look Abraham gave her grew darker, deeper¨Cbut in the end, he let her take it away. Like a raging tiger suddenly soothed. He nced once n more at Ethan, let out a cold snort, then lifted his foot and walked off with Ste. Ethan felt the pressure on his back disappear¨Cand with it, all his strength drained. Only after Ste and Abraham¡¯s car disappeared did he let Jason help him to his feet. ¡°What was that guy holding?¡± Even now, thinking back kon it made Ethan break into a cold sweat. Someone in Rivermount, acting so openly, so fearlessly¨Cwho the hell was he? Jason nodded, his voice serious. That guy. It was him.¡± Chapter 155 One Word Away Jason was sure the man would¡¯ve actually killed Ethan. Carrying that kind of weapon on him¡­ he wasn¡¯t normal. Not by a long shot. Ethan¡¯s chest heaved. ¡°Still no clue who that guy is?¡± Jason frowned. ¡°There¡¯s something familiar about him.¡± But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t ce it. And the man¡¯s background¡­ they couldn¡¯t find anything. No matter how hard they tried. Which only proved how serious his backing was. ¡°Shit-¡± Ethan winced. ¡°Get me to a hospital.¡± The pain was unbearable. His injured hand couldn¡¯t even move anymore. Finished Inside the car. Ste ced the object back at Abraham¡¯s waist. ¡°So, everything in Rivermount handled?¡± Abraham took her icy little hand and held it. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I miss Mom and Sis.¡± Abraham pulled her into hisp without hesitation. He gently rubbed her soft hair. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve got some conscience after all.¡± Ste¡¯s lips twitched. Abraham¡¯s warm fingertips trailed the marks on her neck. ¡°That bug sure got you good. So many bites.¡± Ste¡¯s brain exploded. It felt like a switch had flipped¨Cher blood instantly boiled Her face turned bright red as she grabbed his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should talk!¡± ¡°Hm? I can¡¯t?¡± Ste didn¡¯t answer. Her face only turned redder. Abraham¡¯s long fingers tilted her chin up. Their eyes met, and his gaze was deep as a darkke. Ste¡¯s nerves were already on edge. Now, under Abraham¡¯s stare, she could barely speak. ¡°Abraham, your.. your face is so r He¡¯s really asking that? The images fromst night shed through her mind. red.¡± Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her voice came out low. ¡°Pretend Chapter 155 One Word Away And if he was asking like that¨Cdid that mean he didn¡¯t remember anything that happened after drinking? That thought wiped the blush from her face. She wasn¡¯t thrilled. Abraham murmured, ¡°Fever? Let me check. The wrong girl 156 Chapter 156 A Fever That Wasn¡¯t +8 Pearls Ste¡¯s hands around his neck trembled. She didn¡¯t know why, but that word-¡°check¡°-sounded a little¡­ suggestive. She clung tighter to him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯m not running a fever.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯s your face so red?¡± Ste stayed quiet. Why is he still asking? Could he just stop already? It was driving her nuts.. ¡°So, what was this fun ce you were talking about?¡± Overwhelmed, she changed the subject fast. At the mention of food, Abraham chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get there.¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°So mysterious.¡± The two chatted idly as they drove, and about half an hourter, they arrived at their destination Before stepping out of the car, Ste made sure to wrap her scarf tightly around her neck. Thest thing she needed was anyone else seeing those marks and asking questions. Let her live in peace, please. But thinking about how both Abraham and Ethan had reacted to the marks earlier, Ste couldn¡¯t help sneaking another nce at Abraham He caught it. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I was wondering¡­ if you¡¯ve had any women around these past years.¡± Because if he hadn¡¯t, it¡¯d make sense why he didn¡¯t recognize those marks for what they were. Abraham¡¯s face shifted. His eyes on her turned more serious. He yanked her into his arms and lifted her chin with two fingers. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten bold. Now you think you can poke around in my private life?¡± ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t mean it like that. I was just aski Curious, that¡¯s all. Just a question. That¡¯s not illegal, right? Abraham¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Just asking?¡± To Ste, that smile looked anything but harmless. Her throat tightened. ¡°What? I can¡¯t ask?¡± ¡°Then tell me, Ste¨Cdo you hope I have, or haven¡¯t?¡± Ste froze. Why¡¯s he flipping this on me!! 4:30 PM Chapter 156 A Fever That Wasn¡¯t But Abraham was holding her firmly¨Cthere was nowhere to run. +B Pearls And maybe it was just her imagination, but when he repeated the question, his deep voice held a hint of something probing. *So, what do you hope for? That I have, or haven¡¯t?¡± Ste gulped. They were close¨Ctoo close. She could feel the warmth his breath. ¡°1, um Bzzz bzzz bzzz- Just when she was about to implode, Abraham¡¯s phone buzzed. He let and pulled it out to check the caller. Ste seized the chance and scrambled away. Way too scary. Abraham answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°How¡¯s my darling doing?¡± It was the voice of a middle¨Caged woman¨CAbraham¡¯s mother, Evelyn. She had always doted on Ste, never willing to let her suffer even a little. Back when Marie wanted to send Ste for training. Evelyn was the one most strongly against it. Abraham watched Ste¡¯s yful silhouette bounce ahead, full of life just like when she was a kid. ¡°She¡¯s doing well.¡± ¡°Bring her back soon. If you don¡¯t, Marie¡¯s going toe looking for you both,¡± Evelyn warned. ¡°Tell her to stay away.¡± Everyone knew what Marie was like. She¡¯d go after Ste for sneaking out of Fleule and punish her with everything she had. And those punishments Ste might not be able to take them, ¡°I¡¯m holding her back. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be a three¨Cmonth program this time¨Cit¡¯d be three years.¡± Abraham¡¯s face darkened instantly at the sound of that. No matter what, he had to keep Ste close. He couldn¡¯t let Marie get her hands on her again. They exchanged a few more words. Before hanging up, Evelyn added, ¡°This time, watch her closely. Don¡¯t you dare lose her again.¡± Every word¨Cdon¡¯t you lose her, don¡¯t you lose her again¨Cmade it clear just how much Ste had meant to everyone since she left the Dawson family. ¡°I know.¡± Abraham hung up. 439 PM) Chapter 156 A Fever That Wasn¡¯t Abraham let out a dry chuckle. ¡°She¡¯s not blind,¡± Finished Forget the fact that Ethan was still tangled up with Lilhan¨Ceven without her, Ste wouldn¡¯t have looked at him twice. Abel said, ¡°Mr. Ethan¡¯s still trying to buy Verdant Vi.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just pitch a tent on the beach instead?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was biting. Still going in circles over Findant Pi? He really wasn¡¯t worried that Lillian might die never knowing The wrong girl 157 Chapter 157 Never Yours to Begin With +8 Pearls He was willing to waste his time ying the long game¨Cbut did Lillian even have that much time left to waste? Abel muttered, ¡°Exactly. You can stare at the sea anywhere¨Cwhy¡¯s he so obsessed with Ms. Ste¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°They still don¡¯t know Verdant Vi is under Ste¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Not yet. And they were already being this clingy. If they did know, they¡¯d probably try to seize it outright. ¡°Send out the severance agreement Ste signed with the Reed family.¡± Cutting ties meant cutting them clean¨Cand publicly.. No need for them toe crawling back the moment they smelled an opportunity. Abel understood immediately and nodded, ¡°Got it¡± The Reed family had actually signed that severance agreement with Ste. Just from that, it was clear how heartless they¡¯d been toward her. And if they were going to be heartless, they¡¯d better be heartless enough for the whole world to see. Before they discovered Ste¡¯s real identity and started circling like vultures again. Meanwhile, Ste was on the phone with Tessa. on the part where Ms. Susan signed.¡± ¡°I sent you the agreement. When you post it, make sure to zoom in on Tessa replied, ¡°Got it.¡± This wasn¡¯t just zooming in on a signature. This was blowing up the cold, ugly truth that she had nothing to do with the Reed family anymore. ¡°You¡¯re rushing this because you¡¯re worried the Reed family will try to leech off youter, huh?¡± Ste had never been in a hurry about it before. But now that Abraham had found her¨Cshe was suddenly urgent. Ste admitted, ¡°Yeah.¡± It was true. After everything she¡¯d seen these past two years, she understood the Reed family better than anyone. If they ever found out she was raised by the Dawson family, their two¨Cfaced ttery would probably hit disgusting new heights. Sure, they might not get much out of her¨Cbut for her, it was about protecting Abraham¡¯s interests at all costs. As long as she was around, those people weren¡¯t getting a single drop of blood. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get to it. Talk .¡± Ste ended the call and stared at the still pond in front of her, confused. What exactly did Abraham bring her here to eat? Or to do? She turned to look for him¨Cand walked straight into his chest with a thud. Chapte Pevac Vou to beun With heum He heard the whole call with Tess the file troublemaker had been thinking die exact same thing as him + Pearls Meanwhile, Louis haut jud sat down for lunch with Alex when his phone rang It was Abel, asking him to bring awyer morrow to look soon As socar as he heard the news, Louis perked up ¡°Neight, alright. Thanks, Abel Really, thank you¡± Click The call ended aliupaly Lonis looked the table at Alex Oude Alex raised an eyebrose What good news?¡± Something had clearly made Louis this cheerful¨Cit had to be big Louis grinned. ¡°Mc. Abraham said we¡¯re looking at contracts tomorrow¡± ¡°It¡¯s happening?¡± Alex was d Everyone knew Mr. Abraham had been in Rivermount to personally scout for a business partner. Commless people were circling, hoping tond a deal and gai ess to the resources he held. Louis took a sip of rest wine. ¡°Yeah First step¡¯s done. The rest should be smooth¡± Alex said, ¡°Then you¡¯d better keep Sharon on a leash these next few days. Last thing we need is her pissing off Mr. Abraham¡¯s: sister again.¡± Louis¡¯s smile instantly cracked. That dammed Sharon. If this deal went through, he was definitely going to teach her a lesson. No sense at all, that one If this deal Alex went on. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Keene family want in too? But now that Abraham¡¯s chosen you, they¡¯re out for good, right?¡± Louis scoffed. ¡°They were never in¡± Given the history between Ethan and Ste, the idea that Abraham would ever choose the Keene family was a joke. ¡°Just wait. The Keene family¡¯s real fun is still ahead. Ethan¡¯s still losing his mind over trying to buy Verdant Vi¡°¡± Alex blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Louis replied, ¡°Abraham and Ste are living there now, What do you think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s Abraham¡¯s ce now? But Jason went over there personally. He didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°If he did, do you think they¡¯d still be ying this pathetic game?¡± Alex went silent. Good point. If they¡¯d known, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d be pushing so hard. ¡°All for a dying woman, and he kicked Ste to the curb. Now he¡¯s got his eyes on her brother¡¯s property Ethan¡¯s seriously doomed The wrong girl 158 Chapter 158 Fish, Fools, and a Fuming Brother Louis set down his wine ss. ¡°If nothing goes wrong, Ste and Abraham are just ying Ethan and the Reed family like clowns right now.¡± Between the whole Verdant Vi thing and Eddie and Rianne¨Cit was clear. Ethan and the Reed family were losing their minds over Lillian, running around like headless chickens. Alex nodded. ¡°No doubt they¡¯re the clowns, Look at Ethan¨Che has no clue what¡¯s really going on. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this chaos blows up the whole Keene family.¡± If they were going to mess with Ethan, there was no way he¡¯d be the only one in the joke. If Judson realized Ethan had been yed, wouldn¡¯t he skin the BUY alive? Meanwhile, Ste and Abraham were hidden in the shadows, watching the whole mess with detached amusement. Louis was feeling good. He even called home and gave strict orders to keep Sharon locked down over the next few days. No phone, no visitors¨Cjust lock her up tight. She better not stir up trouble with the wrong people again. Back at theke- Ste stared at the calm water, then nced at Abraham casting a fishing line beside her. She couldn¡¯t hold back her annoyance. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This is the fun thing?¡± He had made her cancel lunch with Tessa just to bring her here¡­ to fish? Abraham gave her a sidelong nce. ¡°It¡¯s not fun?¡± Ste stayed silent. She knew Abraham was a deep¨Csea fishing expert and loved it. Back at Fleule, he used to n ocean trips with his buddies just for IL She¡¯d never wanted to go. Partly because she got seasick¨Cbut mostly because it was boring. She also hated the smell of raw fish. She looked from Abraham to the still water. ¡°Are there even any fish in here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this pond. It¡¯s stocked with big ones¨Craised by your bruther himself.¡± Just then, Eddie and Victor showed up. Ste was staring at the pond with dead eyes when they arrived. Eddie immediately noticed the bruise on her lip and frowned. ¡°Hey, what happened to your mouth? Did something bute 4:19 PM Chapter 158 Fish, Fools, and a Fuming Brother She cleared her throat and turned her face away. +8 Pearls But Eddie, apparently oblivious, looked over at Abraham. ¡°She got hurt while you were around? Not a great look for a brother.¡± Abraham shot him a frigid stare. Eddie pressed on, clueless. ¡°I heard Verdant Vi¡¯s near the coast. What, didn¡¯t do proper pest control?¡± Victor saw Abraham¡¯s face darken and immediately elbowed Eddie. ¡°Shut it.¡± ?re you even a man! Can¡¯t you tell where that bruise came from? Eddie blinked at Victor. ¡°What¡¯d I say?¡± Victor leaned closer and muttered. ¡°Do you even have a girlfriend?¡± Eddie¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡± Victor didn¡¯t answer. I swear, I want to kick him straight into the pond Maybe drowning a little would finally clear out his head. When Victor refused to exin further, Eddie suddenly caught on. He nced at Ste. Then nced again. She shivered under his stare, nervous he¡¯d say something outrageous. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check out the flower fields.¡± She bolted like her life depended on it. Watching her flee. Eddie turned to Abraham. ¡°Hey.. that lip. Don¡¯t tell me you- Abraham¡¯s icy re shut him up instantly. Eddie swallowed hard and choked back the rest of the sentence. No way it¡¯s just like I thought, isn¡¯t it? If it had been any other man, Abraham probably would¡¯ve ended them on thespot. But since he was perfectly calm.. it had to be him. Eddie inhaled sharply. ¡°You¡¯re a beast.¡± The moment he said it, something struck his calf hard¨CEddie nearly dropped to his knees. ¡°What the hell, man?! That hurt like hell! Did I lie? She¡¯s barely even- Victor pped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s an adult.¡± Everyone around Abraham could see exactly how he felt about Ste. She was probably the only one clueless enough to keep trying to run. Honestly, it was a miracle Abraham hadn¡¯t broken one of her legs already after all these years of searching. Eddie went quiet after that¨Cbut the look he gave Abraham still said I don¡¯t approve The wrong girl 159 Chapter 159 Coteral Damage ¡°Abraham, you¡¯re out of line.¡± Eddie tossed the fish into the bucket, gritting his teeth. Abraham didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°Keep running your mouth in front of her, and I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t walk away from it.¡± Eddie shivered at the cold threat. ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll scare her? You should be more worried she¡¯ll mess me up.¡± A wolf doesn¡¯t raise apdog¨Clook at how Ste¡¯s been dealing with Ethan and the Reed familytely. Ethan¡¯s injuries? All thanks to Ste. Before he came here, Eddie had already heard Ethan had been rushed to the hospital¨Cmultiple fractures, they said. No way Ste wasn¡¯t involved. And the Reed family? They were probably this close to kneeling in front of her, begging for mercy. At the hospital- When Ethan was told he had aminuted fracture in his arm, his rage spiked. His heart felt like it might explode. He flew into a fury. He ordered Jason to find out that man¡¯s identity¨Cwhatever it took. In a ce like Rivermount, who dared do this? Jason had already spent days digging, exhausting every angle. If it were easy, he¡¯d have found it by now. Just as Ethan¡¯s wounds were being treated, his phone rang. it was Judson. ¡°Get to the office. Now,¡± ¡°You¡¯re at the office?¡± Hearing that, Ethan¡¯s face darkened. Since handing the reins over, his father had barely stepped into thepany Thirty minutester- Ethan arrived. The employees of Keene Group froze at the sight of him¨Chis battered appearance left them too stunned to breathe. There was no way those injuries were from a simple fall. Face like thunder. Ethan headed toward the office The moment he opened the door¨Cssh! Something flew straight at him. Chapter 159 Coteral Damage Judson had snapped. Whatever happened¨Cthis wasn¡¯t small. ¡°Get in here!¡± Judson¡¯s roar shook the office. He wasn¡¯t even trying to save face for Ethan. That said everything. Ethan stormed in, dripping wet. Jason quickly closed the door behind him. Not that anyone outside dared peek. Who in their right mind would try to watch Ethan get reamed out? + Pearls Judson¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You¡¯re still tangled up with that adopted daughter from the Reed family?¡± ¡°You called me in for that?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was cold. He wiped his face and snapped back. Judson¡¯s fury only deepened. ¡°For that? Do you even know the Luke family has already selected a partner for the Rivermount project?¡± Ethan stiffened. ¡°What?¡± He stared at Judson, stunned. Judson¡¯s face was livid. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Ethan said nothing. It was true¨Che hadn¡¯t heard a word. Judson sighed through clenched teeth. Of course. He knew now¨CEthan waspletely in the dark. ¡°They¡¯re going over the contracts tomorrow. You haven¡¯t even met their rep yer.¡± ¡°Who is it ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who did the Luke family pick as their local partner?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was cold as ice. Judson didn¡¯t answer right away. If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t be standing here yelling. He would¡¯ve gone straight to meet the Luke family¡¯s heir himself. So far, that person had refused to see anyone¨Cexcept the chosen partner. ¡°If I knew, would I be wasting time yelling at you? Get out there and find out now. Do you have any idea what we¡¯ll lose if we don¡¯t lock this down!¡± That mineral¨Ccritical to their operations. If they couldn¡¯t secure a substitute, their entire production line would grind to a halt And Ethan was still wasting time on that half¨Cdead woman? The thought alone made Judson furious. The wrong girl 160 Chapter 160 Mine, Not Yours The ¡°troublemaker Judson referred to¨Cwas Lillian. Madeline had long seen through the Reed family¡¯s game. Those people weren¡¯t good, and what they raised¡­ Lillian? No. Too bad their son waspletely blinded¨Ceyes and brain both wrapped up in delusion. Ethan said, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet the Luke family¡¯s heir right now. Don¡¯t worry. The minerals we need won¡¯t slip away.¡± ¡°Hah. When ites to that woman, you really do care.¡± Now he was in a hurry? Judson wasn¡¯t stupid¨Che knew exactly who Ethan was worried about. As Ethan turned to leave, Judson¡¯s voice turned colder. ¡°If the contract is signed tomorrow with someone else¡­ then Lillian Then what? He didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but the unspoken threat hit Ethan like a de of ice. Ethan turned back, expression hard. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± Judson tapped the ash off his cigarette. ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± Ethan wasn¡¯t sure how he even made it out of the office. Jason followed respectfully behind. As soon as they got into the car, Jason handed him a change of clothes. The water from earlier had soaked through everything. ¡°Want to get that bump on your head checked out first?¡± The old man had really gone in¨Clike he wasn¡¯t hitting his own son, Ethan¡¯s face was pitch¨Cck. ¡°Find out where the Luke family¡¯s heir is. Now Jason hesitated. That I guy was just as hard to deal with as the man Ste had at her side. ¡°I got a call earlier,¡± Jason said cautiously. Ethan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What call?¡± Jason exined, ¡°Word is, the Luke family¡¯s chosen partner might be the Parker family.¡± Ethan froze. ¡°The Parker family? Louis?¡± Jason nodded. ¡°Looks that way. Not confirmed yet, but it¡¯s likely.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened again, jaw clenched tight. Louis. It was always Louis. Every damn time, he waspeting with him. After all these years, nothing had changed. 4:39 PM Chapter 160 Mine, Not Yours ¡°You¡¯re partnering with the Luke family?¡± +8 Pearls At that moment, Louis was back at the Parker estate. Sharon had just tried to sneak out again¨Cthey¡¯d caught her, but he was still furious. Hearing Ethan¡¯s voice, he shot back coldly, ¡°You got a problem?¡± Ethan growled, ¡°What tricks did you use this time? I really underestimated you.¡± ¡°You sound insane. If you want the deal, go get it yourself. If you¡¯ve got what it takes.¡± He hadn¡¯t even been able to meet the Luke heir yet, and now he was throwing tantrums because Louis had? Louis snorted. ¡°But I¡¯ll say this¨Cno matter what dirty tricks you pull, you won¡¯t get that deal.¡± Because Ste wouldn¡¯t allow it.. Abraham treated Ste like a precious gem. If they actually chose Ethan as a partner, that¡¯d be a miracle. At the estate- Ste jolted when she saw Abraham raise his wine ss. Just as he was about to take a sip, she grabbed his s wrist. Abraham looked at her, puzzled. ¡°Ste?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink that for you.¡± She reached for the ss, determined to keep him from drinking. A man who drank and forgot everything was infuriating. He¡¯d had drunk moments before, but they were never this hard to handle. Tonight alone, he¡¯d crossed the line twice. Abraham¡¯s lips curved into a fond smile. Off to the side, Eddie teased, ¡°Wow, look at you¨Cfinally starting to care about your brother. Guess raising you wasn¡¯t a waste.¡± Ste shot him a re. ¡°Eat your food.¡± Eddie pouted. This girl¡¯s full of spikes or what? So fierce. Ste refused to let Abraham drink anything tonight¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t hold her liquor either. After just two sses, her head was spinning. By the time dinner ended, Eddie and Victor headed off to y ball. Ste, dazed and dreamy, turned to Abraham with misty eyes and mumbled, ¡°Abraham¡­¡± That soft, fuzzy voice carried the weight of tipsy frustration. The wrong girl 161 Chapter 161 The Calm Before the Copse Ste nodded softly. ¡°Mm. I wanna go home¡°: She felt sick from the wine. Abraham grabbed the coat draped over the back of a chair and wrapped it around her. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go home.¡± That word¨Chome¨Cstabbed right into Abraham¡¯s heart. He lifted her in his arms. Smuggled against his chest, Ste mumbled, ¡°You lied, Abraham. You said it¡¯d be fun¡­¡± ¡°What does Ste want to do?¡± ¡°Something fun. Something yummy.¡± But there¡¯d been neither. Her misty, dazed eyes looked up at him. Abraham chuckled, ¡°Your heart¡¯s not still.¡± That made Ste even more aggrieved. She squirmed in his arms in protest. Outside, the wind was strong and cold. But wrapped up in Abraham¡¯s coat, Ste didn¡¯t feel even a trace of it. Abraham carried her into the car. Up front, Abel nced in the rearview mirror. ¡°Ms. Ste had too much to drink?¡± +8 Pearls Abraham looked down at the flushed face in his arms. Recalling Eddie¡¯s earlierments, his expression softened. ¡°She¡¯s grown up. Knows how to care now.¡±¡°¡± Who¡¯d have thought she couldn¡¯t hold her liquor at all¨Cjust two sses and she was like this. Abel said. ¡°The Keene family¡¯s been tearing the ce apart looking for you. They must¡¯ve found out we¡¯ve settled on a partner and panicked.¡± Abraham gave a lowugh. ¡°Good. Let them panic. The longer they stew, the more it¡¯ll torment them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also still trying to figure out who owns Seats Cove.¡± Abraham snorted. ¡°Guess his men are more useless than I thought.¡± It had taken them far longer than expected. Rivermount¡¯s so¨Ccalled top family? Their people weren¡¯t impressive after all. Abraham nced down at Ste and gently adjusted the coat around her. Abel hesitated, then added, ¡°Judson hasn¡¯t reached out to me yet¨Che probably still doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re the one behind it all.¡± ¡°He will soon, Abraham said. The moment Judson contacted Abel, Abel would ry Abraham¡¯s message directly. And once that happened, the entire Keene family would spiral into chaos. Chapter 161 The Calm Before the Copse He had just ended his call with Louis when another one came in¨Cfrom the hospital. Susan ¡°Ethan, what on earth is going on? Are you really nning to let L?llian die?!! Ethan frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Your father sent ten men to guard Lillian¡¯s hospital room. What does he think he¡¯s doing?¡± Susan was already near hysteria, +8 Pearls Lillian¡¯s health was worsening, and seeing how both families were treating her¨Cher mental state was copsing too. Susan¡¯s voice trembled with anger. ¡°Ethan, she can¡¯t take that kind of stress right now. Please tell your father to pull his ment back. What¡¯s he trying to do?!¡± Lillian had fainted from sheer anger after seeing Judson¡¯s men. She was supposed to be discharged in two days, All she¡¯d been thinking about was moving into Seats Cove¡¯s Verdant Vi, But instead of a warm wee, she got a 1 from Judson. What was he trying to pull? The Keene family clearly didn¡¯t want her around anymore¨Cthose men weren¡¯t there for her safety. They were guards. Batchmen. Ethan¡¯s head throbbed at the thought. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Susan¡¯s tone grew more serious, ¡°Ethan, I know your family doesn¡¯t support you and Lillian anymore. But she¡¯s sick. How¡¯s she supposed to recover with this kind of pressure?¡± Ethan rubbed his aching temples. ¡°I know.¡± Susan said, ¡°Let¡¯s just get her discharged. Is Verdant Vi ready? If it is. let her recover there.¡± After everything the Keene family had done, she couldn¡¯t stay in the hospital another day. But the moment Susan mentioned Verdant Vi, Ethan¡¯s face wentpletely stiff. He said quickly, ¡°Still making arrangements. Tell her not to worry about it.¡± ¡°Still arranging it? What does that mean? You haven¡¯t secured it yet?¡± That one line sent a spike of panic into Susan¡¯s chest. Ethan frowned. That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± He couldn¡¯t give her a real answer. Before she could dig deeper, he ended the call. The car went silent. After a beat, he said coldly, ¡°Go to Verdant Vi Jason, who was driving, hesitated. ¡°But we just got word that the Luke heir is fishing out at Butterfly Garden.¡± Tracking that person down had been a nightmare. Now that they finally had a lead¨Cshouldn¡¯t they go there first Send Gifts The wrong girl 162 Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate ¡°Go to Verdant Vi first.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was ice. Jason didn¡¯t dare argue. He nodded quickly. ¡°Understood.¡± At the next intersection, Jason tlipped on the turn signal and made a clean U¨Cturn But as he did, he couldn¡¯t help but remind Ethan, ¡°They¡¯re reviewing the contract with Louis tomorrow.¡± If there were no issues, the deal could be signed on the spot. At that point, there would be no turning back. +8 Pearls And with the long¨Cstanding animosity between Louis and Bn, if Louis secured the mineral rights, Ethan would bepletely shut out. Ethan didn¡¯t respond. Clearly, after hearing Judson had posted a dozen guards outside Lillian¡¯s hospital room, his mind hadpletely derailed. Bzzz, bzzz- His phone buzzed again. Lillian. He answered. ¡°Lillian.¡± His voice was softer this time. ¡°Ethan your uncle, he¡­¡± Her voice trembled, breaking slightly. Even through the phone, her fear and helplessness were palpable. A dozen guards suddenly stationed at her hospital door¨Cwhat kind of message was that supposed to send? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Ethan, I want to leave the hospital. I can¡¯t stay here another minute. Please, just let me go home.¡± She pleaded, desperation thick in her voice. Especially after seeing how the Keene family was treating her, panic had fully set in. ¡°Okay. You can be discharged.¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t say no¨Cnot when she sounded like that, ¡°Can I leave tomorrow?¡± was originally nned for the day after. He¡¯d promised her everything before, but now she was getting anxious. Maybe it was the illness, or just her gut¨Cbut she was scared she wouldn¡¯t live long enough to make it out of that hospital. Ethan¡¯s headache worsened. He pinched his brow. ¡°Okay Tomorrow.¡± 4:34 PM Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate No sooner had he ended the call than Judson¡¯s name popped up on his screen. He stared at it and silently declined. He didn¡¯t need to hear it to know what Judson would say. Verdant Vi appeared before them not long after. As expected, the car was stopped at the gates. Jason looked toward Ethan, hesitant. ¡°I want a meeting with the owner. Now¡± Ethan¡¯s tone left no room for discussion. It was clear he wouldn¡¯t leave until he got one. Jason nodded grimly and prepared to exit the car. But just then, a car cruised past them¨Cand rolled straight through the gate without question. That car¡­ looks familiar. Wait. ¡°Sir, wasn¡¯t that the same car Ms. Ste got into outside the Oriental Grand Tower earlier today?¡± They¡¯d seen it just hours ago. Ethan¡¯s expression twisted. He looked up quickly, but only caught the tail end of the vehicle. And yet, that was enough. It was the same car Ste had gotten into with that man. ¡°He lives here too?¡± Jason stayed quiet. That man¡­.. Jason paused, then finally said, ¡°Almost certainly¡± With security this tight, someone without authorization.couldn¡¯t get in like that Ethan¡¯s breath caught, his jaw clenched. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that man is the owner r of Verdant Vi¡± Jason didn¡¯t answer immediately He didn¡¯t know for sure. But judging by how the guards treated that car like royalty, he finally said, ¡°Most likely.¡± The temperature in the car dropped to freezing. +8 Pearls Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate Furious, Ethan snatched his phone and called Ste. But all he got was the automated message¨Cthis number has fucked you. She¡¯d cklisted him long ago. Ethan¡¯s anger had nowhere to go. His entire body was shaking with rage, +8 Pearls R Meanwhile A major event had just shaken Rivermount. At 3:00 pm, several keywords simultaneously exploded to the top of trending searches across every tform. The wrong girl 163 Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth The Reed family rejects their own daughter for not being good enough! Ste is no longer a daughter of the Reed family! Susan personally signed the severance agreement with her biological daughter! Biological daughter vs. adopted daughter: The Reed family chose the adopted one! A child raised from infancy can¡¯t be reced¨Cnot even by blood! In just minutes, headlines like these flooded Rivermount¡¯s trending topics, igniting a storm. Ethan was at his wits end. And Susan was faring no better. The news had spread like wildfire. Several societydies had already called her, pretending to be ¡°concerned, but their tone. was full of smug mockery. Susan felt like her liver, lungs, and heart were about to burst. She frantically dialed Ste¡¯s number over and over, switching phones when one got blocked. Finally, Ste picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± -Ste, how could you do something like this?! The severance agreement was your idea, and now you¡¯ve made it look like we wronged you!¡± ¡°You used Eddie and Rianne to lure me into signing. You tricked me¡ªand now you¡¯re painting me as the viin!¡± Susan exploded, her voice sharp and breathless. in her mind, she was the one who had been hurt. She was the victim¨Cdeceived and taken advantage of And now the whole city thought she was a heartless mother. On the other end, Ste was still foggy with sleep. After a moment, she munered, ¡°Were you ever kind?¡± ¡°You-¡± Susan nearly fainted from rage. ¡°Tell me what you want from me. What did I ever do to deserve this from you?¡± She genuinely regretted ever bringing Ste back into the family. If she had known this would happen, what difference would it have made if she¡¯d never had a daughter? Let her rot on the streets¨Cit had nothing to do with them. ¡°You want money, is that it?¡± Susan practically choked. This kind of public spectacle¨Cof course it had to be about money. What else? She convinced herself that Ste must¡¯ve hit rock bottom and now wanted to squeeze cash from them. Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth +B Pearls ¡°Have youpletely lost your mind? Those people aren¡¯t even blood: You want to bring them in and suck the Reed family dry too!!¡± She was so furious, she forgot all about Ste¡¯s multi¨Cmillion¨Cdor studio. And the billion¨Cdor ne around her neck All she could see now was a daughter staging a public scandal for money. ¡°You¡¯re all starving! Ste listened to her tirade quietly. Thenzily rolled over in bed. ¡°Right. I almost starved to death when I was living with the Reed family.¡± Starving? She threw the word right back at them. Two grand a month¨Cand not even on a fixed schedule. Good thing she never relied on it. If she had, she really would¡¯ve died. ¡°You- Susan¡¯s rage sent dark spots across her vision. Ste¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°Suck the Reed family¡¯s blood? Do they even have any?¡± Suck the Dawson family dry too? With what? What blood? They didn¡¯t have enough for a sip. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable. Then tell me, what was the point of making a spectacle out of this?¡± Ste paused. What was the point? She hadn¡¯t even seen what had been posted yet But if you were going to make a point- ¡°Simple. So you people won¡¯t get a taste of my blood.¡± She didn¡¯t care about the Reed family¡¯s blood, but if they ever found out she¡¯d been raised by the Dawson family, they¡¯d definitelye crawling to exploit them. So yes¨Cshe needed to burn this bridge publicly, and thoroughly. Susan almost screamed. ¡°We want to suck your blood?! What, that measly seven million of yours?¡± ¡°You really think the Reed family cares about a few peanuts?!¡± Ste¡¯s voice didn¡¯t change. ¡°Then I hope you remember what you said today, Susan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who better remember!¡± Susan was shaking with fury when she mmed the call shut. Ste stared at her phone. ¡°Fine. Whoever forgets first isn¡¯t even human.¡± Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth Abraham¡¯s throat tightened. Hear rushed through his body uncontrobly. ¡°What are you mad about?¡± He walked over with a remedy in hand. His voice startled her. She jumped and dove under the nket. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock?!¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 164 Chapter 164 You Don¡¯t Knock, I Don¡¯t Forget She was an adult now¨Cwhat if she¡¯d been changing? Abraham ced the remedy on the bedside table, sat down, and pulled the nket off her head. ¡°What haven¡¯t I seen, hm?¡± Ste¡¯s brain went boom at that, her entire body flushing hot. She snatched the nket back and tried to hide. But Abraham was faster¨Che pulled her into hisp. ¡°Be good. Drink the remedy before sleeping.¡± The neckline of her robe dipped a little, and in that moment, Abraham got a very clear view of just how well she¡¯d developed. He cleared his throat and pulled the nket tightly around her before handing her the cup. ¡°Drink. Now.¡± Ste wriggled. ¡°I can drink it myself.¡± ¡°Behave.¡± One hand pressed against her waist¨Chis gentle tone carried a firmmand. Abraham knew she hated the taste of the remedy. If she got away from him now, she¡¯d make up a dozen excuses not to drink Ste sniffed the bowl. ¡°Ugh¡­ Can I let it cool a little?¡± ¡°Want me to to feed you?¡± Ste blinked, Feed?What did he mean by that? She nced up at Abraham cautiously. And met his serious, focused gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. Meanwhile, Ethan was going insane. The moment he saw that man¡¯s car go through the gates, every event from the past few weeks smashed together in his head. ¡°When did this ce get a new owner!¡± ¡°Not long ago¨Cmaybe in the past month, Jason replied after a moment. Everyone had known Verdant Vi was vacant before. Ethan scoffed. ¡°The past month. Hah.¡± A lot had happened in that time. Ever since he dyed the wedding with Ste, it had all gone downhill. But what he couldn¡¯t forget was the man he¡¯d run into at Kingston Heights. After that, Ste had disappeared from there¨Cand now she was here. Chapter 164 You Don¡¯t Knock 1 Don¡¯t Forget Eddie and Rianne were connected to her Now Verdant Vi too? Was she doing this on purpose? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got Jason hesitated ¡°Should we ask Ms Ste?¡± From the looks of it, Ste was clearly living here now. If Ethan wanted to buy this ce for Lillian, he¡¯d need to go through her. That thought made Ethan¡¯s face darken even further ¡°Ask her what? So she can humte Lillian?¡° Jason didn¡¯t reply Humiliation? From what they¡¯d seen, Ste had been ying them both¨CEthan and Lillian. They¡¯d been losing sleep over this vi, only to find out Ste was already living in it. No wonder Ethan looked ready to explode. Bazz, bzzz¨Chis phone vibrated agai Judson, Ethan ignored it. So Judson called Jason instead¨Cand he didn¡¯t dare ignore it. ¡°Sir.¡± Jason answered, voice steady. ¡°Give the phone to Ethan.¡± Judson ordered. His voice was tight and dangerous. Jason nced toward the back seat. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s your father.¡± Ethan opened his eyes and took the phone. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°You went to Verdant Vi again?¡± Judson¡¯s tone was cial: Ethan stayed silent. Judson growled. ¡°So you¡¯re really ignoring everything I¡¯ve said.¡± His tone was like a loaded gun. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet the Luke heir today.¡± Ethan said, slow and deliberate, voice heavy with exhaustion. ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Judson snapped¨Cand hung up. Ethan blinked in surprise at the abrupt ending. No more scolding? That wasn¡¯t like his father. But deep down, an uneasy feeling had begun to stir + Pearls Chapter 164 You Don¡¯t Knock, I Don¡¯t Forget Her phone had been vibrating non¨Cstop, but she¡¯d silenced it and slept straight through to past 7 p.m. When she woke up, she noticed several missed calls from unknown numbers. Just as she was about to check, another unfamiliar number started calling. Send Gifts The wrong girl 165 Chapter 165 You Can¡¯t Afford the Price One slip of the finger, and she identally picked up the call. ¡°Ste.¡± It was Ethan¡¯s voice¨Clow, seething with restrained rage. Ste¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What are you, a ghost? Can¡¯t you stay dead and buried?¡± So all those missed calls earlier. they were his! A whole list of unfamiliar numbers¨Che must¡¯ve used every single employee in the Keene Group to call her. ¡°That man¨Cis he the owner of Verdant Vi?¡± Ethan bit out each word like he was grinding ss between his teeth. Ste snapped fully awake. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Tell him to sell it to me. Name the price¨Canything¡± Ste was speechless. From the tension in Ethan¡¯s voice, she could tell he¡¯d spent the whole afternoon going insane trying to reach her. Now that he finally got through, he wasn¡¯t even trying to sound polite. He wasing in hot, direct, and utterly overbearing. ¡°Sell it to you?¡± Ste repeated. ¡°Yes. Name your price!¡± he said again. Ste scoffed. ¡°And who gave you the ego? The man bought up the entire Seats Cove. You think he needs your chump change?¡± On the other end, Ethan¡¯s face turned green. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Chump change? Was she mocking the Keene family? Ste said slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s not y coy. Sure, the Keene family is the top in Rivermount. But how much can you personally put on the table?¡± Ethan said nothing. The silence spoke volumes. Ste¡¯s voice turned mocking. ¡°Everyone says you¡¯re the Keene family¡¯s most outstanding heir¨Cbut that¡¯s only because your mom only gave birth to one son. No options.¡± ¡°People kiss up to you, and you actually believe it?¡± Blunt Brutal And true Ethan almost cked out from sheer rage ¡°You¨C1¡± You¡¯re technically the CEO of Keene Group, sure. But do you really want me to remind you who actually runs the ce ¡°Shut up!¡± 4:40 PM c Chapter 165 You Can¡¯t Afford the Price Each sentence was a dagger. Each word, a carefully ced de. Ethan¡¯s skull felt like it was going to explode. +8 Pearls At this point, he almost hoped she¡¯d just beat him up again¨Canything to shut her up. Her mouth was too damn vicious. But the worst part? She wasn¡¯t wrong. After Lillian came back, thepany¡¯s financial approval system had changed. Big¨Cticket expenses now required not only the acting CEO¡¯s signature, but also the chairman¡¯s What Ste had said was spot¨Con. Not a hundred million. Ten million and up required Judson¡¯s direct approval. Ethan growled through gritted teeth. Then name your price. Ste replied coolly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say you couldn¡¯t afford it? Still asking like you¡¯re gonna snatch it?¡± That hit him like a punch to the gut. Ethan wanted to hang up, needed to hang up¨Cbut it had taken him all day just to get through. He clenched his teeth and endured. ¡°In my face? And you think I¡¯d let you get away with it?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to ¡°Can you even afford it? Scats Cove alone is worth at least five hundred million, no?¡± Five hundred million. The number nearly made Ethan¡¯s face fall off. He wanted to yell You¡¯re crazy! But deep down, he knew¨Cit was a fair valuation. Verdant Vi was worth that much. Ethan exhaled sharply. ¡°I can¡¯t get that kind of money right now. This woman. How had lie never realized she was this shrewd? She¡¯d dissected the Keene Group¡¯s structure as if she had the blueprints. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Judson had once promised to pass down control. But ever since Lillian returned, most of that power had been wed back¨Cmasked as policy changes, but in truth, a total rollback. Ste said So you¡¯re begging, then? With that tone?¡± Ethan was speechless. Begging? That word hit like a p. Beg Ste? Who did she think she was? ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to help me make an introduction to him.¡± He¡¯d already run into the man twice¨Cand both times, things ended badly. But right now, he had to meet him. Ste¡¯s voice curled with mockery. ¡°Still sounds like begging to me. Is that your begging voice?¡± 440 PM ? The wrong girl 166 Chapter 166 You Can¡¯t Buy What Was Never Yours +8 Pearls Ste took a sip from the ss on her nightstand. Just then, Abraham walked in and immediately caught the sly gleam in her This little troublemaker¨Ctobar mischief was she up to note! He couldn¡¯t hear the other end of the call, but he did hear Ste say, ¡°Toote for you to beg me now. Whoever wants to live here better start begging him.¡± With that, she ended the call¨Cbecause she saw Abraham standing there He was holding a tray of fruit¨Cbright, juicy, inviting, Ste rolled out of bed. Abraham set the tray on the nightstand and reached out to touch her forehead. ¡°No fever.¡± She huffed. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, drinking and waking up with a fever.¡± His eyes curved into a smile. ¡°Who was on the phone just now?¡± ¡°Ethan. Abraham¡¯s smile froze ever so slightly. ¡°What does he want?¡± Ste picked up a piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth. ¡°He found out you¡¯re the owner of Verdant Vi. Wants me to introduce you. Mm-¡± Before she could finish, a hard seed jabbed her tooth. Abraham instinctively reached out his hand¨Cjust like when she was little, when she choked or bit something hard, he¡¯d always help her spit it out. Seeing his palm in front of her, Ste froze. Then quickly turned and headed for the bathroom. When she came out again, there was a slight grumble in her voice. ¡°Why do you like this stuff so much? The seeds are like rocks It was red guava Ste never liked it. Her teeth couldn¡¯t take it but Abraham loved it. He chuckled ¡°No picky eating¡± Ste was speechless. That¡¯s not picky rating. It¡¯s a hazard to dental health. Abraham punched her nose with a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t curse him out this time?¡± He did like her fierce, little tiger mode. Even when he wasn¡¯t around, she never let herself get taken advantage of Ste had barely finished one bowl before Abraham waved the staff to take her utensils away. She looked up at him, prufully ¡°Abraham¡± 4:40 PM Chapter 166 You Can¡¯t Buy What Was Never Yours +8 Pearls Doctors say breakfast should be the biggest meal, but she barely ate anything in the morning. Lunch was so¨Cso. Bute dinner? Her appetite went wild ¡°I was just she started. ¡°No more.¡± He cut her off before she could even finish. Ste pouted, lips puffed like a sulking child. Abraham¡¯s gaze softened. He got up and tugged her up by the hand. ¡°Come on. Walk with me. ¡­Fine.¡± She¡¯d wanted to eat a bit more. It wasn¡¯t her fault¨Cshe always craved food at night. One bowl hadn¡¯t filled her up at all As they reached the door, Abel appeared, his expression serious. Abraham let go of her hand. ¡°Go check out the back garden.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something there?¡± ¡°Mm. Something fun.¡± Ste was speechless. Something fun? Why do I not believe you? Last time he said that, he took her fishing. Sure, it was fun for him. She had zero interest in it. But judging by Abel¡¯s expression, something serious was going on. So she wisely chose not to interfere. Once she was out of earshot, Abraham asked, ¡°Judson?¡± Ves. His butler contacted me¨Che wants to meet with you.¡± ¡°Did you deliver the message So tonight, the Keene family was going to erupt. ¡°And the Reed family is scrambling too. They held an all¨Cnight emergency meetingst night. Still no solution¡± Correction, there was no solution. Abraham sumled faintly. ¡°They¡¯ve had it too easy these past years. Got too arrogant.¡± If they¡¯d shown even a shred of care to Ste¨Cjust a little bit¨Cthings wouldn¡¯t havee to this But instead of protecting her, they bullied her at every turn. Abel agreed. ¡°Yes, sir¡± 4:40 PM ? Chapter 166 You Can¡¯t Buy What Was Never Yours! Judson was clearly panicking after learning they¡¯d already chosen a partner. That¡¯s why he came in person. But once he found out it all had to do with his son¨Che¡¯d probably want to beat Ethan into a pulp. Send Gifts The wrong girl 167 Chapter 167 You Raised a Storm, She Raised a Fox Behind the sprawling estate- When Ste spotted the bunnies, she couldn¡¯t help scooping one up and hugging it tight. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so soft. So fluffy.¡± She loved furry little creatures. But she¡¯d never bought a pet in Rivermount¨Cshe was always afraid she wouldn¡¯t take care of it properly. The thought of not being able to keep something alive made her hesitate. Back in Fleule, though, she had a little fox. Abraham came over. The moment he saw her hugging that bunny, his eyes softened. ¡°You like how it feels?¡± Mhm. So soft. So fuzzy. I love it. Can we take them back to Fleule when we go?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He understood what she meant. In Ste¡¯s world, if you couldn¡¯t take responsibility, you had no business getting attached. If he told her she couldn¡¯t take them, she¡¯d be heartbroken. Sure enough, when he said yes, Ste lit up. ¡°They¡¯re so cute. Dumb little faces. Soft little bellies¡± ¡°And what about my Snow? Is he okay?¡± Snow was the snowy white fox Abraham had given her on her fifteenth birthday. Hering¨Cof¨Cage present. She treasured him more than anything. When the Dawson family fell apart and Sheng Chun forced her to leave, Snow was the only thing she wanted to bring. She didn¡¯t care about anything else. But with no idea where she was headed, she hadn¡¯t wanted to drag him through that kind of life. ¡°He¡¯s doing great,¡± Abraham said, ruffling her hair like always.. Seafiats Cove was peaceful and still. But elsewhere in Rivermount, things were already falling apart. Especially for Judson. After finally getting a number for the Luke heir¡¯s assistant, he called¨Conly to hear one sentence. ¡°Focus on educating your son Even Judson was stunned into silence. Madeline, sitting nearby, was just as confused. ¡°That¡¯s really what they said?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just that. Then they h¨´ng up! What the hell did that even mean? 4:41 PM Chapter 167 You Raised a Storm, She Raised a Fox She was pissed¨Cbut knowing the Luke family held what they needed most, she held her tongue. Judson¡¯s face was dark. ¡°Call Ethan. Tell him to get his ass back here. Now.¡± So that was why the heir kept refusing to meet. Somehow Ethan had already managed to offend him. If that was true, Judson was going to tear him apart tonight. Madeline turned to the staff. Call Mr. Ethan. Right now +8 Pearls They needed to get to the bottom of this before contracts were signed tomorrow. If they didn¡¯t fix it by tonight, the Keene Group was screwed. Even as Ethan¡¯s mother, Madeline was furious. Meanwhile. Ethan- Still spinning in circles, trying to figure out how to buy Verdant Vi. When the call from the family estate came through, his tone was sharp. ¡°Noting. ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t act smart with me! Get your ass home,¡± Madeline snapped. ¡°Mom- ¡°You know how bad this¡¯ll be if we mess up the Luke family deal. Get back here.¡± Her tone turned cold. ¡°And don¡¯t forget what those ten men outside Lillian¡¯s hospital room are there for. They¡¯re not just for show Ethan said nothing, but his grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. After a moment, he gave e in. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ming back.¡± He hung up and massaged his temples. His head felt like it was splitting in two. He thought about calling Ste again, but he couldn¡¯t. The call wouldn¡¯t go through anymore. She¡¯d cut him offpletely. He¡¯d never imagined things would get to this point¨Cwhere he couldn¡¯t even reach her. As they got close to the Keene estate. Ethan finally broke the silence.. ¡°How long do you think she¡¯s known that guy?¡± Jason hesitated ¡°Probably not long Ms. Ste didn¡¯t really socialize much before.¡± He paused. The more he said it, the more uncertain he became. They id always assumed Ste was simple Dependent on the Reed family. Had nothing. But now they knew she ran a studio that pulled in seven million a year. How could someone like that not have conne Send Gifts The wrong girl 168 Chapter 168 A Ghost Offense She¡¯s definitely not as simple as they thought ¡°If that man really is the owner of Verdant Vi,¡± Jason said carefully, ¡°then his background¡¯s obviously no joke. Maybe Ms. Ste knew him through business?¡± It sounded more usible than them having just met. ¡°A business rtionship that turned romantic?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was sharp, cold. Jason¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Is it possible they¡¯re dating? The second Jason said dating, Ethan¡¯s expression sank like stone. ¡°You think a man like that would actually fall for her?¡± Jason said nothing. Maybe¡­ but also, maybe not. Ste wasn¡¯t some nobody either. The studio she ran was doing well, and she¡¯d built it on her own. The Reed family had no part in it¨Chell, they didn¡¯t even know it existed. And Jason knew exactly how much they¡¯d been giving her every month. It wasn¡¯t much. Ethan¡¯s voice stayed icy. ¡°Either way, find out who he is. Fast¡± Everyone knew the owner of Seats Cove wasn¡¯t someone simple, but no one had ever uncovered his identity. And now Ste had somehow gotten involved. She really had a way ofnding on her feet. They arrived at the Keene estate. Ethan went in alone, and right as he stepped through the door¨Cthud! Something flew straight at him and smacked him in the exact spot he¡¯d injured earlier. Second hit. The pain bloomed fresh and hot. Judson looked ready to kill. Even Madeline¨Cwho usually shielded her son¨Chad a face like a thundercloud. Ethan took a deep breath. ¡°I said I¡¯m going to meet the Luke heir before the contract review tomorrow.¡± His voice was low and simmering. Clearly, Judson¡¯s two rounds of violence had pushed him too far. You? Meet him?¡± Judson inapped. ¡°You¡¯ve already pissed him off, and you still think you get to meet?¡± ¡°When did I piss him off?¡± Ethan wasn¡¯t having it 441 PM Chapter 168 A Ghost Offense Finished ¡°He said that?¡± What kind of heir got involved in another family¡¯s internal affairs? What did that even mean? Ethan¡¯s confusion showed in his eyes. And that just made Judson even angrier. ¡°We got in touch with his assistant,¡± Judson growled. ¡°And that¡¯s what the guy told me to discipline you.¡± Ethan was silent. ¡°You still think you didn¡¯t offend him?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even met him!¡± Judson grabbed an ashtray off the table and hurled it at him. Ethan dodged just in time. The heavy ss mmed into the door behind him with a loud crack, leaving a dent. If it had hit him, there¡¯d be blood. Tension crackled in the room. Ethan felt wronged. ¡°I really haven¡¯t met him.¡± This is insane. He¡¯d spent weeks trying to get close. If he couldn¡¯t even meet the man, how could he possibly have offended him? But everything felt like a struggletely. Like he was pushing a boulder uphill just to stay in ce. Judson¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly. ¡°Don¡¯t start. ¡°It¡¯s the trutht They were both fuming now. Madeline, who had stayed silent until this point, finally spoke up. ¡°Enough. You really haven¡¯t met him?¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± Judson narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then how did you offend him?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t answer. Madeline didn¡¯t either. They were back where they started. If Ethan had never met the Luke heir, how the hell had he made an enemy of him? She exchanged a nce with Judson¨Cand in that instant, her expression darkened Could it be because of Lillian Ethan and Judson both looked at her Ethan¡¯s face turned pitch ck Madeline continued. ¡°If I remember right, the Luke heir arrived in Rivermount right around the same time as Lillian¡± 4:41 PM) The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 169 Chapter 169 You Want to Trade Her? Could there really be a connection between the two? Ethan¡¯s expression changed the moment Madeline said it. Judson turned to him, his irritation barely contained. Ethan quickly said, ¡°It has nothing to do with Lillian ¡°Shut the hell up.¡± Judson¡¯s re shut him down before the sentence finished. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Lillian has nothing- ¡°Go. Call his assistant,¡± Judson snapped, not interested in hearing another word. Now that Madeline had brought it up, he was starting to think she was right¨Cthis might really have something to do with Lillian That Reed family girl really is something. A full¨Cblown disaster wrapped in a dying body. Judson looked to the butler. ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll personally send Lillian to him.¡± ¡°Father!¡± Ethan instantly panicked. The butler nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Her Judson had no interest in further discussion. He cast Ethan a cold, warning look and turned to go upstairs. Ethan made to follow, but Madeline stopped him. ¡°If you actually want Lillian to survive this, you¡¯d better settle down.¡± This was no time for tantrums. The Keene family was standing at the edge of a cliff. If things weren¡¯t handled right, it¡¯d be the end of them. And Lillian? The family had never nned to ept her in the first ce. The fact that Ethan had been getting so close to her these days¨CMadeline had long since had enough. Now that Judson was handling things himself, and if the Luke heir really was involved, then there was no choice but to cut She gathered her dog into her arms and headed upstairs. ¡°Mom¡± Ethan called after her. Madeline paused and looked back. ¡°Ethan, that man holds the one thing that could destroy us¡± Ethan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°What if it¡¯s not because of Lillian?¡± He was desperate. Lillian was too weak to go through anything like this. Madeline didn¡¯t answer She didn¡¯t even look at him again¨Cjust kept walking with her dog Chapter 169 You Want to Trade Her? Ste hadn¡¯t eaten much for dinner By ten¨Cthirty, she was rolling around in bed, too hungry to sleep Eventually, she snuck downstairs to find something to eat. she hadn¡¯t expected to see Abraham in the living room Abel was was there too. She only heard a single sentence. ¡°Sir, Judson¡¯s butler just called. He said he wants to send Lillian to you,¡± She was halfway down the stairs when she heard it¨Cand immediately lost her footing, slipping two steps down. If she hadn¡¯t grabbed the railing, she would¡¯ve tumbled all the way. Abraham looked up at the noise and saw her gripping the railing, wide¨Ceyed and shaken. His gaze darkened. He put down theptop on his legs and strode toward her. Without saying a word, he scooped her up. ¡°You¡¯re a grown woman. How do you still trip on stairs?¡± Ste pouted. It¡¯s not my fault¡ªwhat Abel just said was horrifying. The Keene family wanted to send Lillian to Abraham? What the hell did that even mean? Were they trying to bribe him? Trade a woman for influence? And of all people, they picked a half¨Cdead girl like Lillian? Was that supposed to be ttering or an insult? Abraham carried her down the stairs. Noticing her in a thin sleep dress, he grabbed his coat off the couch and tossed it to her. Ste caught it and wrapped herself up. It still had a bit of Abraham¡¯s warmth. What are you doing up sote?¡± Abraham asked. Ste hesitated Finished She wanted to say she was hungry¨Cbut didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d let her eat. He was usually strict aboutte¨Cnight food. He always had rules about what to eat and when. But she was seriously starving tonight. I¡¯m hungry She looked pitiful as she ¨C just two sin all words. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°You ate plenty at dinner¡± Sure, she only had one bowl of rice¨Cbut she ate a lot of side dishes. It wasn¡¯t a light meal Ste blinked up at him, eyes big and watery. Chapter 169 You Want to Trade Her? Abel couldn¡¯t stand to watch. ¡°Should I tell the kitchen to make something?¡± The poor girl looked hall dead from hunger. Finished Abraham was strict with her food intake¨CAbel had always known that. Honestly, from what he remembered, Ste probably never got to eat her fill Just as the words left Abel¡¯s mouth, bam shot him a look. The wrong girl 170 Chapter 170 The Best Kind of Misunderstanding Abel scratched his head. ¡°Ms. Ste¡¯s really hungry.¡± Hunger makes it impossible to sleep. He knew the feeling well¨Cit sucked. Ste shot Abel a grateful look. It wasn¡¯t often he spoke up for her. Abraham didn¡¯t miss that look, of course. He pulled her into hisp. ¡°Then let¡¯s make something clear¨Cyou¡¯re not allowed to go on any crazy diets.¡± He still remembered that time Marie had gone on one. The doctor said she¡¯d be seriously deficient in a bunch of essential nutrients. It had left Abraham with asting sense of dread. The thought of Ste ever doing the same thing made his stomach turn. ¡°I won 1 ¡°Ms. Ste¡¯s not the type to gain weight easily anyway,¡± Abel said. That much was true, Ste always had a soft, baby¨Cfaced look to her, but she¡¯d never gained or lost much weight. She was just. Ste. Abraham pinched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll have the kitchen make you something¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Relieved, Ste skipped off to the kitchen to order a steak. She was honestly starving. She noticed the kitchen staff had changed, but didn¡¯t think much of it. When she came back out, she overheard Abraham and Abel talking about Judson again. Abraham gave a cold What the hell was that supposed to be? Abel said, ¡°Even I was surprised.¡± When they called back and said Ethan wouldn¡¯t be allowed to see Lillian anymore, Abel realized they¡¯d totally misread the situation. Abraham sipped from his ss, eyes narrowing. Abel asked, ¡°What should we do on our end?¡± Abraham replied calmly. ¡°They don¡¯t need to send her.¡± Abel nodded ¡°Understood.¡± Of course not. There was no world in which aliam would entertain someone like Lillian¨Csick or not, she wasn¡¯t even close to his type. ¡°But keeping Ethan from seeing her? That part, I like.¡± Abel beutated. ¡°But if we go with that, the Keene family¡¯s definitely going to think there¡¯s something between you and Lillian Chapter 170 The Best Kind of Misunderstanding Ethan was obsessed with Lillian right now. If they cut him off entirely, it would drive him mad Abel said. ¡°Got ut. I¡¯ll follow up Finished Abraham set down his ss. Abel left, and Abrahamu looked toward the kitchen. ¡°You gonna just stand there?¡± he asked. Ste stepped out slowly. Seriously You¡¯re ying match¨Cbreaker now?¡± Telling Ethan he couldn¡¯t see Lillian anymore¨Cmight as well have sentenced him to death. Abraham pulled her onto hisp. ¡°That¡¯s not breaking them up. That¡¯s doing him a favor.¡± Ste stared at him. ¡°Are you listening to yourself? That¡¯s not what good people do The Keene family treats Lillian like she¡¯s contagious. I¡¯m just helping them along¡± Well, when you put it like that¡­ It really was doing them a favor¨Cjust not for Ethan. The rest of the Keene family would probably thank him. Ethan, though, would be suffering Ste thought about it again. ¡°Okay, fine. You¡¯re doing a good deed,¡± Except the Reed family and Ethan were about to have a real bad time. People called at a marriage alliance, but in reality, the Reed family had always depended on the Keenes. That dependency was growing shakier by the day. With everything riding on Lillian, and tensions already high. Ethan was theirst remaining If the Keenes now barred him from seeing her the Reed family would go into full panic mode. Abraham took her hand in his. ¡°Ste, all these years you¡¯ve been here, was there nothing that made you happy! ¡°There was She thought for a second, then answered seriously. Abraham frowned. ¡°Who gave it to you! He remembered the reports Abel had dug up. Just reading them made his chest feel tight. Ste smiled. ¡°I have a really profitable studio¡± ¡°Hm Oh and don¡¯t call me tomorrow I¡¯ll be at the studio all day¡± ¡°Why¡± Tve got to work overtime One of our biggest clients has a new project. I want to get it right.¡± Chapter 170 The Best Kind of Misunderstanding ¡°Yeah. Let me tell you,st year, ny percent of my studio¡¯s ie came from onepany¨CSterling Global.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 171 Chapter 171 The Name on the Paycheck When Ste brought up Sterling Global, her face lit up with pride. She still had no clue who the person behind it really was, but in her mind, they had to be a total saint¨Cgiving her that many projects and paying so well for each one. ¡°My studio would¡¯ve been lucky to clear a million client, she felt like she could finally stand tall. She spoke excitedly, not noticing the fleeting warmth in Abraham¡¯s eyes when she mentioned the name. He watched her little smug expression and chuckled. ¡°That impressive?¡± ¡°Well, Sterling Global¡¯s boss clearly has taste. Took a chance on a little nobody like me.¡± Without them, a small, unknown design studio like hers wouldn¡¯t have made it anywhere near that kind of money. She looked up at him. ¡°Wait¨Cso why would Judson think sending Lillian to you was a good idea?¡± It was hrious. Abraham snorted. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s getting senile.¡± What?¡± Judson? Senile? He didn¡¯t even seem old. And it was true¨CEthan¡¯s dad, Judson, was ridiculously handsome. He carried himself well, didn¡¯t fool around, and had at spotless reputation. So how the hell did he end up with a son like that? Judging by everything that had happened recently, Judson was probably coughing blood by now. And sure enough- When news got back to Judson, he almost lost itpletely. ¡°He says it¡¯s got nothing to do with Lillian? This is nothing to do with her?¡± He mmed his hand on the table. ¡°They said Ethan¡¯s not even allowed to see her!¡± Madeline¡¯s face was just as dark. Judson turned to her. ¡°You¡¯re going to the hospital yourself tomorrow.¡± What about the Luke heir? The contract meeting with his chosen partner is tomorrow.¡± Judson didn¡¯t answer. His face just got darker. He looked like he wanted to strangle Ethan Madeline wasn¡¯t far behind him in that sentiment, Meanwhile, Ethan had just left the Keene estate and was hounding Jason to track the Luke heir¡¯s current location. 4:41 PM Chapter 171 The Name on the Paycheck Ethan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°This has nothing to do with her.¡± He was firm. Absolutely sure. Finished Madeline snapped, ¡°Their reply was that you¡¯re not to see Lillian ever again, and you still think this has nothing to do with her?¡± _What?¡± ¡°Ethan, Lillian¡¯s poison. No one even knows what kind of life she was living overseas. She came back with half a body. You think she¡¯s some innocent victim?¡± Her tone was sharp andced with implication. Ethan¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that.¡± ¡°You exin to me then¨Chow does someone even get uterine cancer? That¡¯s not a disease you catch from drinking the wrong water. You think she¡¯s spotless?¡± He hated this. He¡¯d been hearing people whisper nasty things about Lillian¡¯s condition for weeks. He could tune out strangers¨Cbut his own mother? He couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°Mom. You know what kind of person Lillian is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always thought she was dangerous. Madeline had never liked her. Even back when Ste was still in a hospital bed, Lillian had been circling Ethan like a hawk. To Madeline, she was maniptive. She¡¯d always had that vibe. Someone like that could never bring peace to a family¨Conly chaos And they hadn¡¯t even married her yet, and already the Keene family was in trouble. What would happen if she actually got through the door? Ethan¡¯s breath caught. Madeline didn¡¯t stop.. ¡°Remember, you are not to see her¨Cnot until we¡¯ve secured the deal with the Luke family. You understand how important. that is, right?¡± After that, Madeline didn¡¯t care what he did. But right now¨Cif Ethan dared defy her, she¡¯d destroy Lillian herself. Her words were cold enough to freeze bone. Ethan got the message loud and clear. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± When he didn¡¯t respond, her tone dropped another degree: ¡°I heard you.¡± Ethan finally said. 4:41 PM Chapter 171 The Name on the Paycheck He couldn¡¯t see her¨Cbut that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t call Ethan dialed Lillian¡¯s number. She answered right away, clearly thrilled to hear from him. The wrong girl 172 Chapter 172 A Promise Turned to Ashi ¡°Ethan. I¡¯ve already packed everything¡± Her voice was faint and weak, but there was a rare hint of excitement in it. Lillian sounded genuinely happy. Finished Even with Judson¡¯s men still posted at the door, she wasn¡¯t worried. She didn¡¯t believe Judson would really go against his own But when Ethan heard that she was already packed, his brow furrowed, and a dull ache pounded behind his temples. ¡°Ethun? Ethan?¡± Lillian called his name twice more, confused by by his silence. The truth was, Ethan didn¡¯t know how to answer her. |Just a week ago, he¡¯d sworn up and down that she¡¯d be able to move into Verdant Vi to recover, But now, he couldn¡¯t even make that happen. From the time he was a child, anything he wanted, he got. This was the first time¨Cnot even money could fix it. ¡°I need to ask you something.¡± he said, voice low and tense. Instead of responding to what she¡¯d just said, he changed the subject. ¡°What is it?¡± Lillian asked. ¡°Do you know the heir to the Luke family?¡± ¡°The Luke family? You mean the one in Fleule?¡± ¡°Yeah No. I don¡¯t. Why? The Luke heir How could she possibly know him? She would¡¯ve liked to, back in Fleule. But she never got the chance. ¡°You really don¡¯t know him?¡± ¡°Nope. Never met him.¡± ¡°Are you sure? ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Ethan, what¡¯s going on? Why are you suddenly asking me that?¡± If only she wished she knew the Luke heir That family was a powerhouse in Fleule. Every major family wanted to marry into them¨Cbut they never got the opportunity, Ethan said. ¡°The Kerne family is working on a major deal with the Lake family¡± ¡°Oh: Sorry, I can¡¯t help you with that Chapter 172 A Promise Turned to Ash right She wanted Ethan toe in person. Judson¡¯s men were still guarding her room. She was worried they might block her. Ethan felt a cold weight settle in his chest. When Lillian brought it up again, he hesitated¨Cand she sensed it immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Usually, Ethan responded to her right away. Why was he acting so strange now? ¡°Lillian,¡± he said quietly, ¡°you probably won¡¯t be discharged tomorrow.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her face froze. Her breathing tightened. Not discharged? What the hell did that mean? Was it the Reed family? Or was it Ste again? The second she heard Ethan say it, panic set in. ¡°No¨Cyou said I¡¯d be discharged tomorrow! You promised!¡± Finished They¡¯d agreed She¡¯d even made a bet with Ste- -a million bucks. All she had to do was move into Seats Cove tomor and that money was hers. And now! ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eluan said. ¡°Seats Cove isn¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not ready?¡± ¡°The owner refused to sell- Lillian froze. Reficed to setit ¡°So, you never actually bought Verdant Vi, did you?¡± Everything he¡¯d said about her going there to recover¨Cit was all just empty words) Herngs felt like they were caving in Erhan didn¡¯t know what to say She whispered. ¡°Then can I still be discharged?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t answer. Could Tally you. Bat- ¡°You can Maybe the Reed family has a ce that¡¯s suitable¡± 4:41 PM Chapter 172 A Promise Turned to Ash Finished She was stunned. He¡¯d promised her¨Che¡¯d said it himself¨Cshe¡¯d be out tomorrow. Now, not only was she stuck, but if she did leave, she¡¯d have to stay somewhere owned by the Reed family? ¡°Lillian let¡¯s not see each other for the next few days. That¡¯s all for now.¡± With that. Ethan hung up. It didn¡¯t sound like a decision¨Cit sounded like he was running away Lillian sat frozen. Cold.Numb. Her whole body felt like ice. By the time Susan returned to the room, she found her sitting there, eyes vacant. ¡°Lillian? What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 173 Chapter 173 What Did You Think I Was Gonna Do? It was already ¡± Susan¡¯s face froze. Then she quickly tried to exin it away. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? The Keene family has a big deal in the works right now. He¡¯s probably just busy. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not just that. He never bought Verdant Vi either.¡± A whole week had passed. And in that entire week¡­ he hadn¡¯t done anything? Susan¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°He didn¡¯t buy it? But didn¡¯t he say he did? Didn¡¯t he say he was even changing the curtains to the kind you like Lillian didn¡¯t respond. Yeah, he had said that. Said the curtains would be exactly the kind she liked. So what the hell was he talking about earlier? After a night of chaos While the Keene and Reed families were scrambling. Ste slept like a baby. She got up early, originally nning to head to her studio. But Abraham brought her to the hospital instead. Ste looked confused. ¡°Why does Madam Alice want to see me?¡± Madam Alice. She was the elegant older woman who¡¯de to the hospital before to help Abraham. Last night, she¡¯d called and said she really wanted to see Ste. So this morning. Abraham had brought her over ¡°Probably because she likes you¡± Abraham said. ¡°Huh! But we¡¯ve only niet twice. Don¡¯t tell me she has a grandson?¡± That was usually the reason olderdies wanted to see a girl again. Abraham fucked He reached over and gently pinched her cheek. ¡°If that were the case, you think I¡¯d bring you here?¡± In Fleude, when she was fifteen or sixteen, families were practically lining up outside the Dawson house hoping to lock in an engagement with her Chapter 173 What Did You Think 1 Was Gonna Do? Well, she usar back then But now? The thought made her nce over at him. The car pulled to a stop Abiel will go with you, Abraham said. Finished She¡¯d already noticed an extra driver in the car this morning. She figured Abel had something else on his schedule Didn¡¯t expect it was to escort Abel got out and politely opencil her door. Ste looked at Abraham. ¡°I¡¯m going She had just turned to step out when he called her back, his voice low and deep, with a hint of¡­ something unspoken. Ste turned ¡°What is it?¡± Abraham pulled her gently back in. Her back pressed against the car door, and his hand came toward her chest. The sudden motion made every muscle in her body tighten up. Her face flushed red on the spot. Her voice trembled. She wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Her heart was practically leaping out of her throat. Then she felt him tug at the fabric over her chest. She looked down¨Cand saw his hand, slow and steady, fastening the undone button on her shirt. He even double¨Cchecked it after, muttering. ¡°The buttonhole¡¯s too loose. Don¡¯t wear this againTM Her face turned even redder Then he pulled off the scarf from his neck and wrapped it around hers. The ends draped down perfectly, covering the area. When he led up again, her face waspletely flushed. Abraham fruze. ¡°Why¡¯s your face red? 7-1 Damin at That sudden movement of his¨Che thought he was about to #Finished 441 PM Chapter 173 What Did You Think I Was Gonna Do? She turned to get out of the car. But the moment she did, he caught her wrist. With a gentle pull, she tumbled straight into his arms. ¡°Abraham-¡± she started. But he just chuckled low above her. ¡°You really have grown up, he murmured near her ear. ¡°You even know how to get shy now¡± ¡°Stop it He punched her cheek, not letting her go. ¡°Come on, tell me what exactly did you think I was going to do?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 174 Chapter 174 She¡¯s Still Just a Fool to Me ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t ask me.¡± That split¨Csecond thought she¡¯d had earlier¨Cton embarrassing to say out loud. If Abraham hadn¡¯t meant anything by it, she¡¯d be stuck with that humiliation forever. The line between getting teased and things actually falling into ce¡­ Ste wasn¡¯t willing to risk it. ¡°I¡¯ll just go see Madam Alice on my own,¡± she muttered. ¡°You let Abel stay with you.¡± She didn¡¯t want to see any familiar faces right now. She wriggled out of Abraham¡¯s arms and practically leapt out of the car like she was running for her life. Abraham watched her bounce away and couldn¡¯t help but smile wider. Abel nced in her direction too. ¡°She really gets it now.¡± ¡°She gets nothing.¡± Abraham saidzily. ¡°Still just a little fool,¡± The tone was pure indulgence. Abel gave him a look like he wanted to say, Keep teasing her like this and she¡¯s going to snap one day. But in the end, he kept it to himself. If Abraham was happy, that was enough ¡°Go with her,¡± Abraham said. ¡°Don¡¯t let the Reed family get near her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Abel nodded and followed. Like the Reed family could actuallyy a finger on Ste, he thought If anything, she was the one tearing them apart. Just look at what the did to Ethan¨Cthat one kick probably earned him another hospital bill. At this point, Ethan didn¡¯t have a single spot on him that wasn¡¯t bruised. Broken arm, leg injury, bruised face. God knows what internal damage he¡¯d taken¨Che was probably banged up inside and out, Ste didn¡¯t want toe to the hospital Especially not siner she had to pass Ilian¡¯s room to get to Matam Alice¡¯s She still didn¡¯t understand what that olddy liked about her so much The elevator doors opened- And before she could step out, she heard the screaming. Chapter 174 She¡¯s Still Just a Fool to Me Finished Oh great First thing in the morning and it was already this kind of mess. Ste instinctively wanted to turn back. Lillian was shrieking. Susan was yelling. The whole hallway was chaos. From a distance, Ste saw at least four men in suits posted outside the room. Judging by Lillian and Susan¡¯s reaction, they clearly weren¡¯t Patrick¡¯s guys. So Keene family, then It made sense. The Keene elders had always disapproved of Lillian. Now Ethan¡¯s parents and even the grandparents were probably ready to explode. Ethan kept hovering around her anyway¨Cno wonder they¡¯d snapped, Just then, another elevator opened nearby and Abel stepped out. ¡°Miss, this way Ste nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± She walked forward without even p ncing at Susan or Lillian. To her, the Reed family didn¡¯t exist anymore. Their rtionship was over. And she¡¯d made sure the whole world knew it. Susan saw her and froze. Then, almost on instinct, she let go of hand and walked over, cutting Ste off. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ma¡¯am, do I know you?¡± Suvan blinked Ma¡¯am? That¡¯s what she was now? And after Ste had blown the whole family drama into a public circus- The scandal was still trending. Patrick had called her three times sincest night, demanding she fix it. He said it was hurting thepany The Keene family¡¯s sudden freeze¨Cout must¡¯ve been connected to it too Ste said, ¡°I already told you I just didn¡¯t want you all sucking me dry¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught The same excuse she gave over the phone Now again in person How many times would she say it? Susan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°You you.¡± Chapter 174 She¡¯s Still Just a Fool to Me Lillian stepped in front of her too. ¡°Ste, what did you say to the Keene family? Why are they treating me like this?¡± Ste didn¡¯t answer. Abel stepped forward slightly, just in case Finished Susan¡¯s gaze tumed razor¨Csharp. ¡°Yeah. What exactly did you tell them? Why would they send this many people here?¡± Those men weren¡¯t here to protect Lillian. The wrong girl 175 Chapter 175 I¡¯m Not the One You Should Be Afraid Of Ste nced at the men posted at the door, then looked straight at Lillian. ¡°You think too highly of yourself¡± I said something to the Keene family? Please ¡°You seriously believe I¡¯d care about Ethan or the Keene family just because you do?¡± ¡°You- Lillian¡¯s breath caught. Meeting Ste¡¯s eyes, she bit down and snapped, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then who?¡± Susan¡¯s expression darkened with fury Sure, the Keene family had already started distancing themselves from Lillian. But now these men¨Cthese were Judson¡¯s people. Judson, who rarely interfered in the affairs of the younger generation. If he¡¯d stepped in like this, it could only mean Ste had stirred everything up behind the scenes. And after she¡¯d turned the disownment into a full¨Cblown scandal, Rivermount had beenughing at them nonstop. Susan could barely breathe thinking about it. She stared at Ste, her voice trembling. ¡°What did you tell the Keene family? Are you still not over Ethan?¡± Ste didn¡¯t reply. Abel didn¡¯t either. Both of them just looked at her like she¡¯d lost her mind. Especially Abel¨Che looked at Susan and Lillian as if they werepletely brain¨Cdead. Miss Ste, still hung up on Ethant You¡¯ve got to be kidding. Where were these people even getting this stuff? Lillian stepped forward and tugged at Ste¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I know you me me. You think I ruined things between you and Ethan, but- ¡°Get your hand off me¡± Before she could finish, Ste shook her off, expression filled with disgust. She looked down at the part of her sleeve Lillian had touched, like it was contaminated. Lan lost her bner and but the floor with a painful yelp. Susan sucked ¡°Ah¨Cr she rushed to help her up. The doctor had warned them¨Cno falls. Lillian¡¯s body couldn¡¯t take it face had gone ghost white Chapter 175 I¡¯m Not the One You Should Be Afraid Of Finished If hat the hell as this mout Lillian didn¡¯t still care about Ethan? Or the Reed family! Then what was she performing for? They were done. The engagement was over. The family ties were cut. What more did she want? Arms crossed, Ste looked down at her. ¡°Unless you want me to p you, I¡¯d cut the act,¡± Susan looked up at her, face twisted with rage. ¡°Get out. Get out of Rivermount!¡°. There had never been a moment she regretted more than the one where she¡¯d brought Ste back into their lives. She grabbed her phone and called Jonathan. He picked up quickly, his voice exhausted. ¡°Mom?¡± -1 I don¡¯t care how you do it. I want Ste gone. Out of Rivermount. I don¡¯t ever want to see her again.¡±¡° Ste stood still So that¡¯s what this ise That whole scene Lillian just pulled¨Cwas to get her kicked out of the city? She thought back to the ten thousand Dors she¡¯d asked Abel to trace. It had to be tied to this. The n to drive her out of Rivermount clearly had an all¨Cnighter in meetings. Just hearing Ste¡¯s name made his head hurt. Susan¡¯s voice went sharp. ¡°If she stays in Rivermount, Lillian¡¯s going to die. She¡¯ll kill her!¡± Jonathan rubbed his temples ¡°What did she even do this time? Didn¡¯t she already cut ties with us?¡± Susan snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just get her out of here.¡± Right now, Susan only wanted Ste gone. No contact. No connection. Nothing. Jonathan was getting irritated. He remembered how badly the gone. He wasn¡¯t about to poke that ho¡¯s nest He¡¯d seen for himself¨CSte had someone powerful behind her ¡°Did you hear me When Jonathan didn¡¯t answer. Susan¡¯s sole rose again. ¡°Do you seriously want to just stand there and let Lillian die?¡± Send Gifts 606 The wrong girl 176 Chapter 176 You¡¯re Not Afraid of Me¨CYou¡¯re Afraid I Know At those words, Jonathan took a sharp breath. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± That was all he could manage to say. The call ended. Susan red at Ste. ¡°Just wait.¡± ¡°Wait? Oh, I thought the Reed family was so powerful they¡¯d have me out of Rivermount by today.¡± The kind of line that could kill with spite. Abel nced at Ste. She, in turn, arched a brow at Susan, then let her gaze fall to the pale¨Cfaced Lillian in her arms. A small smile tugged at Ste¡¯s lips. ¡°Abel.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± ¡°That one hundred thousand Dors I asked you to look into. How¡¯s that going?¡± Lillian¡¯s breath hitched. Her eyes snapped up to meet Ste¡¯s, and a flicker of sheer panic passed through them. Her entire body jerked in shock. Ste raised her brows slightly, lips still curled in that faint smile. Let¡¯s act, then. But let¡¯s make it interesting. Lillian¡¯s face drained even more of color. That hundred thousand¨Cwas she talking about the money she gave How does she know about that money? Susan¡¯s face twisted with confusion. ¡°What hundred thousand?¡± What was she talking about? And why was Lillian suddenly trembling? that person? She looked down. Lillian¡¯s face was bloodless, her body visibly shaking. Seeing Susan look at her, she tried to pull herself together. But she couldn¡¯t. Her body wouldn¡¯t listen. Ste¡¯s smile widened. ¡°What hundred thousand? Why don¡¯t we let Miss Liang exin that one?¡± Lillian said nothing Her already ghost¨Cwhite face turned even paler, like she¡¯d been drained of blood. She does know. Ste actually knows But how? A thousand questions raced through Lillian¡¯s head Her chest tightened. Her heartbeat spiraled out of rhythm. 4:42 PM Chapter 176 You¡¯re Not Afraid of Me¨CYou¡¯re Afraid I Know Lillian saw Susan watching her and tried to stay calm. ¡°What? Oh, that. I told you¨Cit was a scam. A scammer.¡± That¡¯s what she¡¯d said before, right? Ste had brought it up so suddenly. It was all happening too fast¨CLillian couldn¡¯t think straight. Susan turned toward Ste. ¡°You hear that? She said it was a scammer.¡± Steughed coldly. ¡°Oh yeah? You sure it wasn¡¯t a murderer?¡± At that word¨Cmurderer¨CLillian choked on a breath. Ste tilted her head slightly, ¡°Abel, didn¡¯t you find out that the money ended up with a wanted killer?¡± ¡°Yes. An A¨Clevel fugitive,¡± Abel replied. Ste clicked her tongue. ¡°A¨Clevel fugitive, huh? And you gave him a hundred thousand. Why? Some kind of deal?¡± Lillian said nothing- Her head rang. Her vision blurred. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She knows. She really knows. Finished Susan, stunned, looked from Ste to Lillian. ¡°Wait¨CLillian? What¡¯s going on? What does she mean A¨Clevel fugitive? Why¡¯d you give someone like that money!¡± 1¨CL ¡°Yeah, Lillian.¡± Ste¡¯s tone was light, almost yful. ¡°Why did you pay an A¨Clevel fugitive?¡± The two of them pressed the questions back¨Cto¨Cback. Lillian couldn¡¯t think. Only one word echoed in her mind. Ruined. She turned toward Ste, heart hammering wildly¨Cand then it all went ck. Her eyes rolled back. She copsed into Susan¡¯s arms. Susan had been ready to yell again, but when she saw Lillian¡¯s lips turning purple, her face twisted in panic. ¡°Lin! Oh god¨CLilliant Someone! Call a doctor!¡± She screamed, hysterical Ste stared down at the scene. Her expression barely changed. ¡°Boring¡± She turned on her heel. ¡°Let¡¯s go ¡° ¡°Yes, Miss Abel followed her down the corridor. Chapter 176 You¡¯re Not Afraid of Me¨CYou¡¯re Afraid I Know The money had indeed ended up in a murderer¡¯s hands¨Cbut it hadn¡¯te directly from Lillian¡¯s ount. It had beenundered. Moved through multipleyers. But they¡¯d track it all. Send Gifts The wrong girl 177 Chapter 177 A Hundred Thousand Reasons to Be Afraid Ste didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°No rush.¡± Given how Lillian looked just now, what Rianne said about her being seriously ill clearly wasn¡¯t an act. If Lillian were healthy, Ste would¡¯ve taken her down herself by now. But looking at her now? Her hair was practically gone. The heavens had done her job already. Lillian had always been obsessed with her looks. Now she was racing death every day¨Cthat alone was enough torture. Abel understood immediately what Ste meant by no rush. ¡°You scared her good back there.¡± he said.. Ste chuckled. checky, lighthearted sound. That bit of joy was oddly contagious. Abel finally understood why Abraham doted on her the way he did. She was easy to be around. Her energy had a way of bringing life to people¨Ceven those stuck in darkness. Her phone buzzed. It was Abraham. Ste answered, ¡°Abraham?¡± ¡°No messing around. Don¡¯t stay too long.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± She blinked and instinctively nced at Abel walking behind her. Abel looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact like a trained soldier. Ste muttered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t messing around.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl.¡± He didn¡¯t say much else before hanging up. He was clearly busy. Ste turned to Abel. ¡°Did you record the part where I was the scariest and send it to him?¡± Abel said nothing. ¡°You better not record me behind his back again unless it¡¯s when I¡¯m getting bullied Still nothing The thing was, she never got bullied when Abel was around. Not once. She was like a little tiger. Too fierce. And if he ever did send Abraham a video of her being bullied, Rivermount would probably turn into a bloodbath. Back in the hospital. Susan was a nervous wreck watching the doctors crowd around Lillian. 4:42 PM Chapter 177 A Hundred Thousand Reasons to Be Afraid ¡°Ethan-¡± she barely got the name out before the phone was yanked from her hand. Startled, she whipped around¨Conly to see Madeline.. Susan froze. ¡°M¨CMadeline?¡± Madeline nced at the screen, then hung up the call without a word. Susan¡¯s face went stiff. Madeline gave her a cold look and tossed the phone back. Susan fumbled and dropped it to the floor. ¡°I already told you¨Cdon¡¯t call Ethan this week.¡± Susan tried to stay calm. ¡°But Lillian: ¡°She¡¯s nothing. So why is everything always about Ethan?¡± Madeline¡¯s sharp voice cut her offpletely. That word¨Cnothing¨Chit Susan like a p. She looked at Madeline in shock. Lillian was still in the ER. Yet the woman who¡¯d practically watched her grow Susan felt something in her chest go cold. up was saying this? Finished ¡°Madeline. Before Ste came back, Lillian was always close with Ethan. She was wee at your house all the time. You were like family. How could you say something so heartless?¡± Madeline narrowed her eyes. Dangerously. She gave a cold . ¡°Heartless? Susan, are you really that blind to the kind of person you raised?¡± ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know what she was doing those two years overseas?¡± The edge in Madeline¡¯s voice cut deep. Maybe the Reed family bought Lillian¡¯s innocent act. Madeline didn¡¯t She¡¯d always had a bad feeling about her. This time, she checked. And what she found wasn¡¯t pretty. Susan heard the implication loud and clear. Her hands clenched. ¡°Are you seriously trying to smear Lillian¡¯s name right now!¡± Madeline¡¯s voice was cool. ¡°She¡¯s filthy enough. I don¡¯t need to add anything¡± ¨C Tell me have you ever asked your precious Lillian how many boyfriends she had while she was abroad? Or how many men she¡¯s slept with?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 178 Chapter 178 A Jewel Among Stones. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯ve gone too far!¡± That one word¨Chow many¨Chad struck a nerve. Susan exploded. They started yelling right in the middle of the hospital hallway. Ste returned from ying a round of chess with Madam Alice, only to catch Susan and Madeline in the middle of a full- blown shouting match.. Madeline was seething. ¡°She was probably passed around by the Luke family before she showed up here pretending to be some innocent little flower! And you¨Cyou raised her so well, huh? Raised her to steal your real daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦? Impressive. Really opened my eyes.¡± Susan nearly fainted from rage. ¡°How¨Chow can you say something like that? Lillian was clean and decent overseas! She- ¡°Clean?¡± Madeline cut her off sharply. ¡°Should I remind you why she left Rivermount two years ago? Because she almost killed Ste, and you had to get her out before it got out.¡± Susan¡¯s chest tightened again. Madeline red at her. ¡°Your adopted daughter nearly murdered your real one, and you still took her side, Susan, Ste must¡¯ve been cursed to be stuck with a mom like you. No wonder she cut ties. If she hadn¡¯t, I¡¯d seriously question her sanity.¡± ¡°You¨Cyou- Susan turned her head, and spotted Ste. Her expression turned darker. But Ste didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. Her face was cold, eyes indifferent. Abel followed just behind her, his expression clouded with fury. Ste walked past without a word. Madeline opened her mouth like she wanted to say something¨Cbut no words came out. She just watched as Ste walked away. Then Madeline turned back to Susan. ¡°You picked a worthless stone and thought it was a gem. Meanwhile, the real jewel. you can¡¯t even begin to imagine how valuable she is. Remember this¨Cif you so much as try to use Lillian to contact Ethan again, I¡¯ll make sure Lillian doesn¡¯t live to regret it.¡± Every word wasced with deadly calm. Susan flinched, her face pale. She couldn¡¯t say a single word. Madeline left Susan slumped against the cold hallway wall, her whole body trembling. Arthe Reed Groun 4:42 PM Chapter 178 A Jewel Among Stones He was about to head to the hospital when he ran into l¡¯atrick. ¡°You¡¯re heading out?¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Mom said Ste and Lillian fought. Lillian passed out and she¡¯s in critical care now.¡± Patrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you even know what¡¯s happening right now? Do you understand priorities?¡± Finished Thepany was dealing with serious issues, every one of them hard to fix. And this guy was still focused on family drama? Jonathan¡¯s breath hitched. Thepany had been under siege for days, No one knew who was behind it, but several partners had already backed out of coborations. And they refused to negotiate. Patrick had just learned that it was Susan who told Jonathan to go to the hospital. His blood pressure spiked. You¡¯re going to Honest Corp instead. Go meet their CEO and find out why they¡¯re cutting ties.¡± Honest Corp had been one of their strongest partners. If anything mattered right now, it was figuring out why everyone was jumping ship at once. Jonathan nodded. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± ¡°Move fast. Patrick said. ¡°Understood. Jonathan left, knowing full well how serious things were. If they didn¡¯t resolve this soon, Reed Group was facing real bankruptcy Once he was gone, Patrick immediately called Susan. As soon as she picked up, he tore into her. ¡°How many people do you need hovering around Lillian¡¯s hospital bed? You trying to throw a parade?¡± He didn¡¯t hold back Patrick had always been a very traditional man¨Cmen should handle outside affairs, women handle the home. Someone being sick? That¡¯s what nurses are for. Not a reason to derail the entire family. Susan was caught off guard ¡°What what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Lillian¡¯s sick, so what? You want our son to be her doctor too?¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught ¡°And another thing¨Cwhat the hell are you doing with Starleaf? Are you even watching the news? Do you even know what kind of mess you caused?¡± That statement hat Susan square in the gut. She didn¡¯t need a reminder¨Ceveryone in Rivermount had seen the public release of her signature on the disownment agreement already started to show The Reed Groun might not survive The wrong girl 179 Chapter 179 Trouble at Home, Trouble at Work Patrick was especially furious about this. When Susan heard him ming everything on her, she got anxious. ¡°What kind of mother do you think I am? You know exactly what Ste is like! It¡¯s not like you can handle her either!¡± ¡°Lean¡¯t handle her because I don¡¯t have the time! You¡¯re the one who stays home raising the kids. After she came back, did you ever try to patiently guide her? Susan didn¡¯t answer. Patience of course she wanted to be patient. But did Ste ever give her the chan Patrick was clearly annoyed. ¡°Forget it. Just deal with the house stuff for now. Things at thepany are a mess. ¡°How bad is it?¡± As soon as she heard things at thepany were messy, Susan asked without thinking. ¡°If this keeps up, we¡¯re going to go bankrupt. What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s that serious?¡± Susan¡¯s heart tightened at his words. ¡°Thepany¡¯s in big trouble this time. Someone¡¯s definitely targeting us from behind the scenes¡± Things had gotten so bad that Patrick couldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t sabotage. ¡°Someone¡¯s targeting the Reed Group? Who? Is it the Keene Group?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± Patrick was getting a headache. Some of the partners involved had nothing to do with the Keene Group at all. Hearing it wasn¡¯t the Keene Group just made Susan more nervous. Then could it be rted to Ste?¡± -What did you say?¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely got some powerful man backing her. You know that studio of hers made over seven millionst year. No way she did that on her own without some serious support.¡± Patrick¡¯s brow furrowed deeply on the other end of the line. Could it really be rted to Ste? On Ste¡¯s side, she had just arrived at her studio, Abraharp¡¯s call came through the moment she got in. His voice was warm and smooth. ¡°Pack your things. I¡¯ming to pick ¡°Huh¡® Where are we going¡± are we going? ¡°Hot springs¡± Ste nced out the window. It was overcast, the sky heavy with fog Chapter 179 Trouble at Home, Trouble at Work And she still had that design for Sterling Global to work on. ¡°I¡¯m busy, and now you¡¯re trying to tempt me.¡± Just hearing the words ¡°hot springs was enough to tempt her. Especially since her leg had started acting up against night. Winters were always the worst. Abraliam chuckled. ¡°Busy with what?¡± ¡°I told youst night. I¡¯ve got a major client¡¯s project I¡¯m handling personally. ¡°Which big client?¡°. ¡°Sterling Global Ste.couldn¡¯t be more serious about that one. The price they offered was several times the market rate, And they didn¡¯t even have that many demands, Just the design fee alone made it worth doing properly. ¡°You said Sterling Global? I¡¯m pretty close with their CEO. Want me to ask for an extension?¡± ¡°You know Sterling Global¡¯s CEO?¡± No way¨Che was connected to them too? ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re pretty tight,¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I mean, I can- ¡°Pack up: Ste hadn¡¯t even finished when Abraham cut her off. ¡°Fine.¡± She hung up, closed theptop she had just opened, and packed it into her bag. Pluchville Hill was so far out, there was no way she¡¯d being back today, Finished In the Abel looked over at Abraham ¡°Miss Ste¡¯s leg should be mostly healed by now, right?¡± After the injury back then, the doctor said hot springs were good for her in the winter. Back when they were in Fleule. Abraham used to take her every winter without fail. Abraham looked out the window. ¡°She was in pain against night while sleeping¡± When the wrather turned bad, it always red up Abel stiffened slightly. ¡°Seems like that old injury really won¡¯t fully heal¡± When Ste was heading out with her things- Kimmy noticed her lumping slightly ¡°Boss, isn¡¯t there anything else you can do about your leg! Have you seen a doctor?¡± 4:42 PM ? Chapter 179 Trouble at Home, Trouble at Work She had seen doctors, of course. Every time the pain got too bad, she¡¯d go. But aside from physical therapy, most medications didn¡¯t help much. Probably something to do with her body type, She had been half¨Casleepst night when the pain kicked in. But after things warmed up, the pain eased, and then she didn¡¯t remember anything else The wrong girl 180 Chapter 180 A Call and a Confrontation Thinking back on it now,st night had been warm¨Cand maybe even a little damp. Finished Just after giving Kimmy a few work¨Crted instructions, Ste¡¯s phone buzzed again. Assuming it was Abraham, she answered without checking the screen. Before she could even speak, Susan¡¯s voice barked through the line. ¡°Ste, it¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Ste frowned. What was supposed to be her? Coming in hot like that¨Cwhat was she ying at? ¡°The trouble the Reed Group¡¯s in right now¨Cthat¡¯s all your doing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ste stayed quiet. At that, she had a pretty good idea of what was going on. The Reed Group must have started piecing things together. Naturally, if the Reed Group hit a wall, the first suspect would be the Keene family. Now that they¡¯d ruled out any moves from the Keenes, it made sense they¡¯d turn their sights on her. Before she could respond, Susanunched into another tirade. ¡°It has to be you, right? Ste, do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing? If those men really are helping you go after our family. what do you think they¡¯re getting out of it?¡± Susan¡¯s voice rose into a full¨Cblown scream. Right now, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder were those men supporting Ste¡¯s studio just to buy her off and use her to destroy the Reed family? A dark sense of conspiracy instantly filled the space between them. Susan sounded like she was about to lose it. Ste let out a cold . ¡°What would they want? You think they¡¯re after your little scraps and leftovers from the Reed family?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Sucan nearly burst a blood vessel. Ste went on, voice calm and cutting ¡°Susan, have you ever stopped to consider why the Keene family really pulled those moves? You think it was just because they didn¡¯t want an adopted daughter and wanted to bring in their real one instead?¡± Susan frozr Before she could say anything, Ste continued. ¡°At the root of it all, your Reed family¡¯s mines ran dry. You were no longer worth anything Shut up!¡± 4:42 PM Chapter 180 A Call and a Confrontation But Ste could see right through her naive little fantasy. Finished The Keene family is the top powerhouse in Rivermount. Your Reed family was holding onto some key mines, yet you never had much status in the city. Why do you think that is?¡± Susan¡¯s breathing caught again, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± What did she mean the Reed family had no status in Rivermount? What was she even saying? ¡°If the Reed family did have status in Rivermount, then why have you spent all these years sucking up to those other wives? Susan¡¯s rage shot straight to her skull. As much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Ste wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re going to tell me that was just normal socializing?¡± Ste sneered. ¡°But if the Reed family really were on equal. footing with the Keenes, shouldn¡¯t those wives be trying to curry favor with you?¡± ¡°Look at yourself. All these years, you¡¯ve been bending over backwards to squeeze into their circle, and they¡¯ve barely let you ¡°You¡­ you- Ste¡¯s smile turned razor¨Csharp. ¡°Still think it¡¯s not scraps and leftovers?¡± The words were like knives, the tone even sharper. Susan nearly fainted from rage on the spot. ¡°Just say it are you the one behind the Reed Group¡¯s troubles? She couldn¡¯t take another word. Any longer, and she might actually keel over. She¡¯d seen it firsthand now. Ste¡¯s mouth could kill. No wonder raised by some savage country ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess?¡± Ste repliedzily. -You-¡± ry woman. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to do with each other anymore. Don¡¯t call me out of the blue like this. Anyone hearing this would think you missed me or something.¡± Susan felt like the phone call might actually trigger a heart attack. Before she could respond, the call was already cut off. It was always like this. Every time she tried contacting Ste, she came away with nothing but steam pouring out of her ears Where had that girl learned to talk like this? Absolutely lethal! Back at the studio- Abraham had just stepped inside when he saw Ste limping toward the elevator. He strode forward and swept her into his ar?n? 4:42 PM Chapter 180 A Call and a Confrontation Abraham didn¡¯t say a word. He simply carried her into the elevator Send Gifts The wrong girl 181 Chapter 181 Hidden Agendas and Sudden Moves In the Finished One of the junior designers leaned toward Kimmy and whispered ¡°Boss¡¯s brother is so hot. That cold, aloof vibe¨Cugh, he¡¯s perfect.¡± Kimmy rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it ¡°Can¡¯t I at least daydream ¡°Careful or the boss might skin you alive? Abraham carried Ste ht into the car. Once they were seated, beid a nket over her legs Even though the temperature muude wasfortable. still felt move chenever the weather changed. Why didn¡¯t you say it hurt ¡°I¡¯m used to it. Ste replied Abraham¡¯s hand paused on the nket. A flicker of something dark shed through his eyes, but he said nothing Instead, he asked, ¡°Sull keeping up with your treatment?¡± At that, Ste¡¯s eyes darted away Abraham looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re not, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared of the pain.¡± To be honest, the pain wasn¡¯t that bad¨Cbut she had a phobia of needles. Just seeing them made her panic. Because of that, thest two winters in Rivermount had been especially hard on her.. Abrahamn turned to the front seat. ¡°Tell Eddie to bring the equipment Ste¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°Abraham¡± Be good His tone was gentle, calming her like nothing else could. She really was terrified of needles. One of the women involved in her kidnapping back then had been obsessed with stabbing people Abel called Eddie, then answered another call. Turning back, he said to Abraham, ¡°Mr. Louis is already on his way to Pluchville Hill.¡± They had originally nned to review a contract today. Abraham had made the trip to Pluchville Hill ast¨Cminute decision. Louis didn¡¯t dare argue¨Che had no choice but Abraham¡¯s lead. to follow Chapter 181 Hidden Agendas and S¨¹dden Moves Finished When they got out of the car, Abraham reached for Ste again, but she quickly grabbed his arm. ¡°I can walk¡± ¡°Oh All grown up now, huh? Not letting me carry you anymore! Ste fell silent. At least he realizes. I¡¯ve grown ae notas And that was exactly why he shouldn¡¯t be carrying her around anymore Seeing the dazed look on her face, Abraham chuckled, then scooped her up into his arms again and strode toward the wooden vi. At the Keene Group offices- Jason rushed into Ethan¡¯s office and knocked once before entering ¡°Mr Q. Mr. Pri and his team went to Pluchville Hill¡± Ethan raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean They were supposed to review the contract today¡± Right the contract. Louis was supposed to go over the deal with the Luke family. If he was heading out to Pluchville Hill right now, the meeting had to be set for there That had to be it Ethan shot up from his chair and grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the sofa ¡°Your father is also en route,¡± Jason added, Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°My father too?¡°. Jason nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t reply. So, the Luke family must be meeting them there. Thinking about how his father had been pushing hard on the hospital situation , Ethan understood¨Cif they couldn¡¯t lock down the partnership with the Luke family, Lillian was going to suffer for it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Bring a copy of the contract.¡± He had made up his mind¨Ctoday, he would secure the deal, even if it meant pushing through the contract on the spot. Even if the Luke family wanted to work with Louis, he was determined to get a piece of the action.. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll have Legal draft everything now. Jason rushed out. Ethan didn¡¯t stick around either¨Che left the office immediately. Today, no matter what, he had to win over the Luke family. His phone started buzzing. #Finished Chapter 181 Hidden Agendas and Sudden Moves Lillian¡¯s choked voice came through the line. Ethan frowned ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay at this hospital anymore. Your father and mother- Her voice caught again, unable to go on ¡°My mother?¡± Hadn¡¯t his father already sent someone over? His mother went too Ethan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Your mother time to see me Her voice was still tearful, but nowced with a clear sense of humiliation Just from that alone. Ethan knew¨CMadeline must¡¯ve paid her a visit, and she definitely didn¡¯t say anything kind. Send Gifts The wrong girl 182 Chapter 182 Fallout and Suspicions. Ethan¡¯s headache was getting worse. Before he could say anything, Lillian spoke again. ¡°Ethan, does this mean I can¡¯t be discharged?¡± ¡°Of course you u can. Just wait a little longer.¡± But about Verdant Vi¡­¡± ¡°The owner isn¡¯t selling. I¡¯ll find you somewhere else.¡± As far as Verdant Vi went, Ethan had given up. He hadn¡¯t told Lillian that Ste was living there, and that the house¡¯s owner was the man behind Ste now. With that kind of backing, no matter what price he offered, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get it. ¡°Oh¡­ I see,¡± Lillian replied, her voice tinged with disappointment. Weak from illness, she sounded even more delicate and pitiful. But what was really on her mind was the bet she¡¯d made with Ste¨Cand Ste¡¯s smugness back then- So now Ethan was telling her she¡¯d never be moving in there? Lillian felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. Jason came back with the contract in hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got something I need to deal with. I¡¯ll call youter,¡± Ethan said quickly. Right now, meeting with the Luke family¡¯s representative was the priority. With Louis in the picture, they couldn¡¯t afford to dy Without waiting for Lillian¡¯s reply, Ethan hung up. Back at the hospital, Lillian stared at her phone, her expression sinking fast. He¡¯d hung up on her. Susan walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Did you get through to Ethan?¡± ¡°I did. He hung up on me.¡± Susan¡¯s face tightened with displeasure. What was Ethan trying to say with that attitude? Madeline had said some terrible things earlier, but Susan still believed they couldn¡¯t afford to lose Ethan. If things really ended between Lillian and Ethan, what was going to happen to Lillian? Now Ethan was even hanging up on her what was that supposed to mean? Did you two have a fight? Were you pressuring him too much about Verdant Vi?¡± Verdant Vi was worth a fortune, and using it as a recovery home for Lillian would definitely cause tension on the Keene ude And considering how the canceled engagement with Ste had already made the Keene elders ufortable, this would 4:42 PM Chapter 182 Fallout and Suspicions He had made that promise. And now that he couldn¡¯t deliver, she was the one upsetting him? Finished Thinking of Ste¡¯s smug face, she could already imagine how the girl would mock her¨Cand that one million she lost in the betl Back when she had made that bold wager, had Ste already known she wouldn¡¯t be able to move The more she thought about it, the darker her expression grew. Even her breathing started to hitch. Things weren¡¯t going any better at the hospital, where Susan and Lillian were clearly not having a good time. Ethan hadn¡¯te by again, and neither had Jonathan. Back when Lillian was first admitted, both Jonathan and Ethan used to stop by at least once a day. But now, neither of them had shown up in two days. What they didn¡¯t know- The Reed Group wasn¡¯t doing well either. After returning from a meeting with Honest Corp. Jonathan had finally figured everything out. He said to Patrick, ¡°It¡¯s Sterling Global.¡± The CEO of Honest Corp had been Jonathan¡¯s old ssmate. When Jonathan exined what he needed, the man asked him. straight out if they had crossed Sterling Global ¡°Sterling Global?¡± Patrick repeated. Jonathan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Patrick frowned, ncing at him in confusion. ¡°When did we ever get on their bad side?¡± As far as he could remember, the Reed Group had barely interacted with Sterling Global. Thatpany had only been around for a couple of years, but its size and reach were already far beyond what the Reed. Group could match. Jonathan looked grim, On the way back, he¡¯d been thinking about it nonstop. And the more he thought, the worse his expression became. He looked at Patrick. ¡°We might not have wronged them directly, but things with Ste have been really tense how he and Ethan had tried to shut down Ste¡¯s studio. They¡¯d gone around to every one of her business partners, trying to pressure them. Not a single ope had agreed. And when they contacted Sterling Global, the response had been particrly arrogant. ¡°What do you mean¡± Patrick asked. ¡°Ste has close ties to Sterling Global They pretty much outsource all their design work to her, Jonathan exined. So now, with Sterling Global sabotaging the Reed Group from behind the scenes, there was no way Ste wasn¡¯t connected. 44 PM D Chapter 182 Fallout and Suspicions The wrong girl 183 Chapter 183 Warnings and usations Patrick¡¯s expression darkened. He took off his sses and pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind a chaotic mess. Finished At Pluchville Hill- Ste thought they¡¯d go straight to the hot springs, but since it was nearly lunchtime, Abraham took her to eat first. They even rested for an hour afterward before she was allowed to head out. As they were leaving- Abraham handed her a thick robe. ¡°Wear this on your way out of the changing room. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a few steps.¡± ¡°The walk¡¯s short, but you still need to stay warm ¡°Fine.¡± Ste took the robe. Seeing how obedient she was, Abraham pinched her nose affectionately. ¡°Good girl.¡± Just as they were about to head out together, Abraham¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the screen¨Cand his face immediately. darkened. He gently ruffled Ste¡¯s soft hair. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sensing it was something important, Ste turned and left first. He waited until he heard her footsteps fading downstairs before answering. ¡°You found Ste?¡± A inan¡¯s slick, teasing voice came through the line¨Ccocky andced with provocation. Abraham¡¯s grip on the phone tightened, his entire demeanor turning cold. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°Of course it matters. After all, Ste-¡± ¡°Derrick, if you want to stay alive, I suggest you think twice.¡± Abraham¡¯s voice sliced through like a de. Derrick¨CSheng Chun¡¯s older brother, and the real power behind her. Ste had been forced to leave Fleule back then because of how deeply Derrick¡¯s influence ran through the city. Her mother and sister Marie had both been in his hands. She was terrified he¡¯d hurt them. And there was the threat he posed to Abraham too. All of it had made Stepromise. She left, buying Abraham a brief window of safety That window of time was something Derrick would regret for the rest of his life. Chapter 183 Warnings and usations ¡°It¡¯s not about nerve. I have to. I¡¯m worried about Ste too,¡± Derrick said, his voice light and smug. ¡°You¡¯d better start worrying about yourself. Moroc eats his own men alive.¡± Teaming up with someone like that was no different than walking blind into a wolf¡¯s den. The other end of the line went quiet, the mocking tone reced by a heavy, dangerous silence. Then came Derrick¡¯s cold demand. ¡°Pull your men back.¡± He was done ying games. Finished Abraham had eyes on him at all times. He hadn¡¯t even had a moment to breathe. Even his meeting with Moroe had been discovered. So what now? Abraham wouldn¡¯t rest until Derrick was dead? All the shadows and traps he¡¯d walked intotely came flooding back, and Derrick¡¯s voice lost its yfulness¨Creced by sharp, biting warning. Ste was bundled up warmly. Carrying her things, she walked out of the lodge and followed the garden path toward the hot springs. ¡°Ms. Ste?¡± A voice called out from nearby. Ste stopped and turned toward it¨CJason and Ethan were standing not far away. Ethan¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise when he saw her. Then his expression turned cold. What ¨C He strode over. ¡°What are you doing here? What did you somehow find out I was ?¡± Things had been tense for weeks. She imed not to care, and now she was showing up here? Trailing him, keeping tabs? He narrowed his eyes at Jason, who instantly felt a chill run through him. Jason rushed to rify, ¡°Ms. Ste never contacted me.¡± He knew exactly what Ethan¡¯s look meant¨Cand he hadn¡¯t leaked anything. Almost no one at thepany even knew they¡¯d be meeting the Luke heir here. Ethan¡¯s expression turned worse. He stared at Ste. ¡°Who told you I¡¯d be here?¡± Ste stared back. What the hell was he talking about? He seriously thought she¡¯d followed him here just because she found out where he¡¯d be? After everything, he was still this full of himself? She d didn¡¯t just think he was delusional¨Cshe thought something was seriously wrong with him. She let out augh. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with vaur nterinus What are you even doing here?¡± The wrong girl 184 Chapter 184 You Came to Block Me? ¡°But seriously, e to corner me?¡± where did you find out I¡¯d be here? You came to Ste shot Ethan¡¯s smugness right back at him¨Cword for word. His face turned dark. The look in his eyes grew sharp as he stared at her. Behind him, Jason scratched his head. This Ms. Ste¡¯s mouth¡­ brutal. Doesn¡¯t take a single hit. Ethan gritted his teeth, ¡°Ste, I know you¡¯re clever, but let me make one thing clear. If you tell me who owns Verdant Vi, I might consider- ¡°Wow. Ethan, are you mentally challenged?¡± Ste Ste couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Might consider? Consider what? Consider keeping some imaginary future going with her? Did he think he was a bucket of fried chicken, smelling so good everyone wanted a piece? -You- ¡°Ste¡± Just as Ethan opened his mouth again, another voice cut him off. They both turned. Louis and Valery were walking toward them. Louis had a slight smile on his face. The way he looked at Ste couldn¡¯t have been more gentle. The moment Ethan saw him, his face went pitch ck. Louis walked up beside Ste and nced at the things in her hands, ¡°Headed to the hot springs?¡± He acted like they were close. Ste nodded. ¡°Then go on ahead. It¡¯s freezing out today,¡± Louis said, even softer. Maybe it was Ethan¡¯s imagination, but Louis¡¯s tone almost sounded¡­ affectionate. His expression darkened further. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll head over¡± ¡°Wait¡± Ethan reached out to grab her. He still had so many questions. She wasn¡¯t picking up his calls, and she was hard to find. Now that she was right here, he wasn¡¯t about to let her go without answers. But just as has hand moved, Louis caught him by the wrist ¡°Mr. Ethan, you nning to ruin the hand too!¡± As he said it, he shot a nce at Ethan¡¯s cast¨Ccovered arm. 4:43 PM ? Chapter 184 You Came to Block Me? Finished ¡°Let go.¡± Louis ignored him. He turned to tell Ste to go ahead, but she was already gone. Not even a trace of her left. Louis blinked.¡°.¡± That girl. No wonder she was raised by Mr. Abraham¨Cdidn¡¯t even say thanks before bolting. But Ste knew exactly what she was doing Especially now, with Louis and Abraham working on a major deal, she didn¡¯t want any of these peopletching onto her. No matter what, she wasn¡¯t about to leave that door open. Seeing Ste was long gone, Louis didn¡¯t bother with Ethan anymore and let him go. He turned to leave, but Ethan stopped him. ¡°Where is he?¡± Louis paused, then gave a sarcastic twitch of his mouth. ¡°He? Don¡¯t tell me you came all this way without even knowing the guy¡¯s name?¡± If Judson had more than one son, Ethan would¡¯ve been the clear failure. No way he¡¯d ever inherit the Keene Group He might look good, carry himself well, but inside? Nothing but air. Louis could see could see the storm in Ethan¡¯s eyes¨Che¡¯d nailed it. He . ¡°Wow. Ha! Hahaha!¡± Hisugh was almost ridiculous.. Ethan¡¯s face twisted. ¡°Quitughing. It¡¯s disgusting¡± ¡°You¡¯re this useless and you still think I¡¯m the ugly one?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t responds Louis clicked his tongue. ¡°Seriously¨CLuke¡¯s heir has been in Rivermount for a while now. What have you even been doing?¡± Didn¡¯t meet the guy. Didn¡¯t know his name. Nothing. Right. He¡¯d been spending all his time wrapped up in Lillian. That girl really was something¨Cenough to drag Ethan into total uselessness, When the six elders of the Keene family found out, they¡¯d probably want to tear her apart. Ethan¡¯s voice dropped cold. ¡°What I do has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Louis shrugged. ¡°Not my business.¡± He turned to Valery. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 185 Chapter 185 usations in the Steam. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Valery followed respectfully. They were gone. Ethan turned to Jason. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the Luke family¡¯s heir again?¡± There¡¯s barely anything online, but I think thest name is Dawson.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression soured at that. But he didn¡¯t dwell on it. ¡°Why was Ste here?¡± he asked, tone clearly sour. ¡°It¡¯s probably a coincidence,¡± Jason replied. ¡°This trip was ¨Cminute, and nobody knew. Maybe she came with Mr. Louis?¡± At least he¡¯d never leak Ethan¡¯s whereabouts¨Cthat much he was sure of Still, after saying it was probably a coincidence, Jason could feel the chill rolling off Ethan in waves. Especially the idea that she might¡¯vee with Louis¨Cthat was hard to swallow. ¡°Find out who she came with,¡± Ethan said coldly. Jason hesitated. ¡°But right now, we really need to find the Luke family¡¯s heir. You know if we don¡¯t get this done today, the old man¡­ He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. It wasn¡¯t just Judson who¡¯d be furious¨Cthe Keene Group would take a hit, and Lillian too. Right now, their top priority was locating the key figure¨CMr. Luke. Ethan rubbed his temples. ¡°It won¡¯t take long, Just look into it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Seeing Ethan was dead set on it, Jason had no choice but to follow orders. In the dressing room, Ste had changed into her swimsuit. Remembering what Abraham said, she bundled up warmly even for the short walk to the hot spring. Just as she stepped out of the dressing room, she collided with a woman wrapped in a bath towel. The woman lost her bnce and, with a ssh, fell straight into the foot rinse pool by the door. Her towel soakedpletely. She shot a re at Ste and yelled, ¡°Are you blind?!¡± Ste just stared. 4:43 PM Chapter 185 usations in the Steam She wiped the water off her face, stood up, and locked eyes with Ste¨Cboth immediately recognizing each other. The woman¡¯s expression turned icy. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Ali, it¡¯s you. No wonder you¡¯ve got no eyes and no manners. That exins everything.¡± Jasmine¨CLillian¡¯s best friend.. Finished Ste had seen her once at the Reed family home during a visit. Jasmine had red at her the whole time because of Lillian. Then they¡¯d run into each other twice while shopping, and both times Jasmine had given her grief, acting like Ste was in the wrong just for existing. Ste had pped back both times. She wasn¡¯t the kind to take hits quietly, and they¡¯d be enemies on the spot. Now, after what Ste said, Jasmine looked ready to explode. She yanked off her soaked towel, tossed it aside, and nted her hands on her hips. ¡°Who are you calling rude?!¡± Her stance said it all¨Cif Ste talked back again, she was going to throw a punch ¡°I¡¯m calling you rude. What, you got a problem with that?¡± Seeing Ste so unbothered only made Jasmine angrier. She raised her hand to p her. But Ste wasn¡¯t the type to just take it. The moment Jasmine moved, Ste caught her wrist¨Cand her other hand was already cocked back, ready to return the favor. Before she could strike, a hand came from behind, grabbing Jasmine and shoving her hard. Jasmine¡¯s wrist was yanked from Ste¡¯s grip, and she toppled backward¨Cright back into the water. At the same time. Ste was pulled into someone¡¯s arms, She instinctively turned around. Abraham¡¯s cold, stormy face came into view. His eyes burned into Jasmine before quickly flicking back to Ste. ¡°You okay? Did she hurt you?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No. She tried to hit me.¡± Just then, Eddie came rushing over. He nced at Ste and couldn¡¯t help thinking¨CThis guy really does have a radar for her, huh? He¡¯d seen Abraham suddenly take off moments ago, eyes sharp and steps quick, as if he sensed something was wrong. Ste had never been bullied in Rivermount, and Abraham clearly didn¡¯t intend to let that change. Abraham¡¯s face stayed cold as he nced at Jasmine, who was now climbing out of the foot bath again, soaked and furious. Her teeth clenched in rage. That man shoved me!! ¡°Well, well, Ste No wonder you had the guts to call off your engagement with Ethan. Found someone else, huh? What now, trying to act like you¡¯re in some tragi little romance?¡± Even though the man holding Ste looked clearly out of the ordinary¨Cpowerful, , and utterly out of her league- The wrong girl 186 Chapter 186 Tea and Trouble She¡¯d never seen this man in Rivermount before. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t anyone important. Ande on, what kind of guy could Ste possiblynd? No man with real power would ever look at her twice. Jasmine was sure Ste had dumped an elephant to chase a mosquito. Abraham¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly. When Eddie saw who was fighting with Ste, his face dropped. Jasmine only just noticed Eddie was there. Her fury flipped into a full performance. Her eyes went red. ¡°Eddie, what took you so long?¡± Ste was speechless. Abraham was speechless. The moment she called out Eddie¡¯s name, both of them turned their attention to him. When Eddie saw it was Jasmine, his face immediately darkened. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Jasmine pouted pitifully. ¡°They bullied me. Ste was speechless. No wonder she¡¯s besties with Lillian¨Cthey both deserve Oscars. ¡°You have to help me,¡± Jasmine said as she stepped forward, reaching for Eddie¡¯s hand. Eddie dodged it without hesitation. Thest thing he wanted was her grabbing onto him. Jasmine looked hurt when he pulled away. ¡°You¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®you? I saw everything just now.¡± This is who they matched me with? Eddie thought, full¨Cblown drama queen? They¡¯d only met once for coffee¨Chis impression of her was already lukewarm. She had walked right into Ste and then tried to p her. Eddie had seen it all This woman was nothing but trouble, He walked over Ste, who was still in Abraham¡¯s arms. ¡°You okay?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± Abraham narrowed his eyes and gave Jasmine a cold look. ¡°You might want to get your eyes checked.¡± Then he turned and led Ste away without another word. Edhe heard that and winced. Was that aimed at me! ¡°Hey, that wasn¡¯t my call?¡± All he did was go on a blind date. Who could tell what kind of person someone really is from just one meeting? He burned after Abraham, but Jasmine grabbed his arm. ¡°Eddie.¡± Finished 4:41 PM Chapter 186 Tea and Trouble ¡°What, you gonna use her of seducing me? Of ruining whatever we had going on?¡± She froze. ¡°You women¡ªdo you all run on one¨Ctrack minds or something?¡± Every time you see a man and a woman, you just assume there¡¯s something going on? Finished ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t contact me again.¡± He shook her off coldly and walked after Abraham and Ste. Jasmine hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to exin. She was left standing there, stunned. Don¡¯t contact me again? Her mind went nk. They¡¯d only met once, but she¡¯d actually started liking Eddie. He was good¨Clooking, aplished in medicine- And most importantly, he was the heart specialist Lillian needed most right now. She had been nning to spend more time with him, slowly convince him to join Lillian¡¯s treatment team. Especially with how Lillian¡¯s team had been changing constantlytely. Jasmine was genuinely worried for her friend. But now¡­. ¡°Ste!¡± Jasmine hissed through clenched teeth. This is all her fault. If it weren¡¯t for Ste, she wouldn¡¯t have burned through her chances with Eddie this fast. Back at the hot springs- Sie and Abraham were already soaking in the pool when Eddie arrived. Just as he was about to get in, Abraham cut him off coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡± Eddie froze. ¡°What?¡± It was freezing up here¨Che wanted to warm up too. Abraham shot him a look. Eddie rubbed his cold hands. ¡°Come on. You already shoved her, made your point. I barely know her, don¡¯t me me.¡± That push had actually been pretty restrained, by Abraham¡¯s standards. But Eddie knew full well¨CAbraham wasn¡¯t done. Anyone who crossed Ste wasn¡¯t getting off that easy. Still, this really had nothing to do with him. Abraham asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here with her?¡± 443 PM d The wrong girl 187 Chapter 187 Stirring the Pot ¡°She¡¯s Lillian¡¯s best friend,¡± Ste said inly. At that, the corner of Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. That exined a lot. No wonder Lillian kept targeting Ste¨Cclearly afraid Ste would threaten her ce in the Reed family. With that kind of mindset, she¡¯d definitely badmouth Ste to anyone who¡¯d listen. Anyone connected to her would be predisposed to hate Ste. She¡¯d already brainwashed the Reed parents into that kind of thinking¨Cwhat was one best friend inparison! ¡°If I¡¯d known she was close with Lillian, I¡¯d have passed on that blind date,¡± Eddie muttered. Getting on Abraham¡¯s bad side? Not worth it oing to meet him?¡± He nced at Abraham. ¡°Mr. Louis is here. You¡¯re not going ¡°Abel is handling it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± So he¡¯de here just to bring Ste to the hot springs? Then it hit him¨CAbraham had asked him to bring some medical equipment. Eddie turned to Ste. ¡°You haven¡¯t been keeping up with treatment these past two years, have you?¡± Ste gave a small nod. Knew it This girl was terrified of needles. Besides Abraham, no one else could make her listen. Back on Jasmine¡¯s side. Still fuming, she called Lillian andunched straight into a rant ¡°I was this close to getting Eddie for you, and that b*tch Ste ruined everything!¡± She was furious. Ste¨Cthe Reed family¡¯s own flesh and blood, yet nobody there liked her. And still, there were people out here protecting her? Lillian¡¯s face fell as she listened to Jasmine recount how they ran into each other at Pluchville Hill. She had wanted to visit the hot springs too. Every winter, the entire Reed family used to go to Pluchville Hill together. But this year, she hadn¡¯t gone at all. Just as Jasmine was about to say more, she suddenly eximed, ¡°Wait¨Cis that Ethan? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Lillian¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°Ethan¡¯s at Pluehville Hill?¡± ¡°Yeah. I just saw him. Don¡¯t tell me be followed Ste here?¡± 4:43 PM Chapter 187 Stirring the Pot sly she is. She nearly married Ethan once, remember?¡± Finished ¡°And that guy who was just shielding her? And Eddie, too? She¡¯s got it out for you. You better be careful she¡¯s not trying to string Ethan along too.¡± The more she thought about Eddie, the angrier she got. Ste already had a man at her side, and Eddie still chased after her like a puppy. Lillian¡¯s expression twisted. Her lips trembled before she forced out three words through clenched teeth. ¡°Got it.¡± And without another word, she hung up. Her fingers tightened around her phone. Her breathing was unsteady. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore¨Cshe dialed Ethan¡¯s number. It rang a few times, then¨Che hung up. Lillian¡¯s brows furrowed. He rejected her call? Was Jasmine right? Did he really go to Pluckville Hill for Ste? He still couldn¡¯t let her got Her eyes grew cold. She clenched her jaw and redialed. It was declined again. Her rage spiked. She called again. Back at Pluchville Hill- Ethan was already frustrated after his run¨Cin with Ste. He still hadn¡¯t been able to locate the Luke family heir. Time was ticking. And now Lillian kept calling over and over. He was running out of patience. When he finally picked up, he forced a calm tone. ¡°Lillian.¡± ¡°Ethan, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something going on. I¡¯ll call you backter,¡± he said, ready to hang up. But before he could, Lillian spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re at Pluchville Hill, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ethan went silent. His grip on the phone tightened. ¡°So what if I am?¡± ¡°What kind of business needs to be handled at Pluehville Hill?¡± Hasn¡¯t business usually done at the office! Even if it was aboutworking, did it really involve hot springs Jennur hald hack har emotion 443 PM ? Chapter 187 Stirring the Pot ¡°You went there to see her, didn¡¯t you?¡± She remembered Jasmine mentioning a man protecting Ste, and now Ethan was there too? Why was Ste everywhere? What did all these men even see in her? The wrong girl 188 Chapter 188 Unraveling Threads. The more Lillian thought about it, the angrier she got¨Cespecially with the way Ethan was treating hertely. Not getting Vernt Vi had already humiliated her. Just thinking about Ste possibly bringing it up made her want to dnappear Now knowing that both Ethan and Ste were at Pluchville Hill? Lillian felt like her emotions were about to snap Hearing the usatory tone in Lillian¡¯s voice, Ethan frowned. ¡°Lillian.¡± His voice had gone cold. That hint of frost was all it took for Lillian to pull back. Her sharp edge dissolved into a soft, wounded murmur. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m scared.¡± Jahan closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then did you go there to see Ste?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got actual business here,¡± Ethan said, massaging his aching temples. ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± In the past, Ethan would¡¯ve stayed on the phone and exined everything. But not today. If things with the Luke family fell apart, both he and Lillian were in deep trouble. He hung up. Back at the hospital, the moment the call ended and that cold tone beeped in her ear, Lillian sat frozen. He hung up on me? Susan walked in with a pale face and found Lillian sitting there in a daze. Pushing her own emotions aside, she approached, ¡°Lillian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes were red as she looked at Susan. ¡°Mom, Ethan and Ste are both at Pluchville Hill,¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan¡¯s face changed instantly. You couldn¡¯t me her for jumping to conclusions¨Cafter all, Ethan and Ste had once almost gotten married. Lillian sniffled ¡°Mom, maybe Ethan and I were never meant to be. He belongs with Ste. I was the one who came between ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Susan said, heart aching. That¡¯s nonsense. What you need to focus on now is getting better. Ethan is waiting for you.¡± To Susan, Lillian and Ethan had always made the perfect match. If anything, it was her own daughter Ste who had ruined that In that moment, Susan regretted bringing Ste back into their lives all over agai ? 4:43 PM Chapter 188 Unraveling Threads They¡¯d been selfish. And now they were paying for it. ¡°But Ethan..¡± Lillian choked, ¡°I don¡¯t think Ste ever really let him go.¡± The moment she heard Ste¡¯s name again, Susan felt her head start to pound. ¡°How did they both end up at Pluehville Hill?¡± Finished Lillian shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Jasmine told me she saw them there. I called Ethan, and he hung up on me. He¡¯s probably with Ste.¡± ¡°He hung up on you?¡± Susan was stunned. First it was the vi. Now even phone calls? Everyone knew how much Ethan cared for Lillian. How could he hang up on her? A bad feeling started to creep through Susan¡¯s chest. Lillian nodded. ¡°Yeah. He said he was busy, then hung up. imed it was work¨Crted.¡± Coming from her, that ¡°work¡± excuse sounded an awful lot like a cover. Susan¡¯s expression darkened. She wasn¡¯t buying it. Just as she was about to call Stel She couldn¡¯t Ste and tell her to stay away from Ethan, she realized- Ever since their falling out, Ste had blocked every form of contact. Calls, messages¨Ceverything. Susan fumed, chest tight with frustration. She was just about to try from another number when her phone rang- It was Patrick. The moment she answered, heunched in, furious. ¡°They say a bad wife can ruin three generations. I used to think that was nonsense. Now I finally get it. What kind of mother are you?¡± ¡°Do you even know how to treat a daughter? How many times have I told you, we our Ste. Be nicer to her, stop fighting with her. But you didn¡¯t listen! You even signed some ridiculous agreement to cut ties with her!¡± ¡°Well, congrattions. Now the wholepany¡¯s going down thanks to you!¡± Susan¡¯s heart jumped ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m bringing down thepany?¡± ¡°Thepany that¡¯s screwing us over now? It¡¯s the same one that helped Ste earn seven millionst year.¡± It was official What had once I e been a suspicion was now confirme Susan stood frozen, unable to say a word The air tartal ompletely will The wrong girl 189 Chapter 189 The Cost of Control The phone volume wasn¡¯t low¨CLillian heard everything. Just hearing Patrick yelling at Susan because of Ste already put her in a bad mood. Patrick rarely came to visit her in the hospital, In that house, he was clearly always on Ste¡¯s side. Now hearing him scream that the one targeting the Reed Group was the samepany that made e Ste¡¯s studio rich? That meant thepany was in serious trouble. And it involved Ste? So what now? Were they going to beg her? Try to bring her back into the Reed family? No. That could never happen, Especially with that man still in Rivermount, calling her repeatedly for money. If Ste returned to the Reed family, there was no way she could keep everything hidden. She could not allow that. She absolutely could not let Stee back. As her mind spiraled- Patrick¡¯s voice exploded through the phone. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, you have to see Ste. Talk to her. Be nice. Fix this.¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She already knew things were bad at thepany. Jonathan hadn¡¯t evene to the hospital in days. She¡¯d tried calling him, too. Now hearing that everything tied back to Ste filled her with both panic and rage. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Patrick growled when she didn¡¯t respond. His voice was sharp, full of fury. Susan took a deep breath. ¡°Are y you sure this is all because of Ste?¡± She bit out the words, her teeth clenched. ¡°What, you want to me her now?¡± Patrick snapped. ¡°Susan, if you can¡¯t even see the basics of what¡¯s happening, this whole family is going down¨Cand it¡¯ll be on you,¡± Susan¡¯s heart jolted. ¡°If you don¡¯t want this to fall apart, if you still care about your reputation, then start by acting like a real mother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking about bankruptcy. We¡¯re at the edge He¡¯d been running around non¨Cstop trying to find the source of thepany¡¯s problems. And while the burned, the family was imploding¨Cmother and daughter tearing each other apart The more he thought about it, the more furious he became 441 PM Chapter 189 The Cost of Control Finished Two things stuck in her mind: First¨CSte was connected to thepany¡¯s crisis. Second¨CPatrick wanted her to go make peace with Ste. Make peace! Easier said than done. Every time they met, sparks flew. They could barely be in the same room. After everything that had happened, approaching Ste now was just asking to be humiliated. She didn¡¯t want to do it. She called Jonathan. ¡°Is it really as bad as your father says?¡± Jonathan responded with a weary ¡°Yeah¡± He sounded exhausted¨CSusan had never heard him like this before. Her heart clenched. ¡°How did ite to this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad. We¡¯re in deep. If thatpany doesn¡¯t back off, it¡¯s going to get worse.¡± ¡°Thatpany¨CSte¡¯s client?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Susan was speechless. Right under my nose? She was this powerful, and I didn¡¯t even know? ¡°Could this just be a guess? Maybe Ste¡¯s not actually involved.¡± She didn¡¯t want to believe it¨Cbecause if it was true, then she¡¯d have no choice but to do exactly what Patrick demanded. And with how Ste treated her every time they met, Susan couldn¡¯t bring herself to lower her head like that. ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Jonathan said, his voice low and rough. Susan froze. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. That snake bit the hand that fed her.¡± Jonathan was getting angrier by the second. Susan¡¯s already pale face turned ashen. After the call, she returned to the hospital room and saw Lillian lying on the bed, ghostly pale. Her hair had thinned out drastically¨Cso much so, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look in the mirror these days. They¡¯d gone through several experts, and each gave the same answer: they needed Rianne and Eddie. The chemo was relentless. Every session was agony. ¡°Lillian,¡± Susan said softly. ¡°I need to step out for a while.¡± More than anything, she wanted to stay at her The wrong girl 190 Chapter 190 Who¡¯s Really in Control That Ste¡ªshe was nothing but trouble. Just thinking about her made Susan¡¯s blood boil. ¡°Mom, are you you going to find Ste?¡± Lillian asked. *I am. Be good. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead¡± Lillian looked obedient on the surface, but inside, her hatred for Ste was eating her alive. Why couldn¡¯t they just drive her out? Why couldn¡¯t they get her to disappear from Rivermount for good? Not long after Susan left, Lillian¡¯s phone rang again. It was that man. The same one who kept asking her for money. ¡°Money, money, money! I don¡¯t have money! I¡¯m barely holding on!¡± she snapped. She was already unable to rest because of Ste. Now this? Were they all just trying to push her to her breaking point? No. She wasn¡¯t going to die. They all wanted her gone! Fine¨Cshe¡¯d live just to spite them. Finished Meanwhile, at Pluchville Hill- Abel and Louis had just finished going over the contract. Two uses had issues, so they had them revised on the spot. Louis didn¡¯t hesitate. The moment he heard there were problems, he ordered the changes immediately. While the corrections were being made, a server walked in and leaned over to whisper in Abel¡¯s ear. ¡°Mr. Abel, Mr. Judson has arrived.¡± Abel frowned and shot a nce at him. ¡°Have him wait¡± Judion had actuallye himself? He must bepletely fed up with Ethan And honestly, who could dame him! Ehan hadn¡¯t done a single smart thing in months. Especially with that linken arm¨Cevery elder in the family had been furious just looking at him Arredo Louis ¡°Mr Loun, if you¡¯ll cause me for a moment. My grandfather just arrived ¡°Of cou Landsdel Chapter 190 Who¡¯s Really in Control Finished Abel found Abraham just as he and Ste were getting out of the hot spring. Abraham was towel¨Cdrying the water from her shoulders, quickly wrapping her in a thick robe. ¡°Sir, Judson is here,¡± Abel said as he walked up. Abraham raised an eyebrow and looked over at him. Even Ste was a little surprised. For Judson toe in person¨Cit meant he was probably just as disappointed in Ethan as everyone else. If Judson was here, Ethan definitely was too. She wondered what Ethan¡¯s face would look like when he realized Abraham was the heir to the Luke family. After all, he¡¯d already y met Abraham more th than once¡ªand remembered him under rather extreme circumstances. Now, learning Abraham was that man? Ste looked up at Abraham, eyes full of something unreadable. ¡°Are you going to meet Mr. Judson?¡± ¡°Do you want me to?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good man,¡± she said simply Of everyone in the Keene family, Ste respected Judson the most. He was a man of principle. She had heard about his aplishments in his younger years¨Cand admired him deeply. Even two years ago, when her engagement to Ethan was mysteriously announced and then called off, it was Judson who had thrown the biggest fit. He¡¯d said Madeline and the Reed family had handled it all wrong And they had¨Cno one had even asked her what she wanted. Abraham chuckled softly and ran his hand over the top of her head: ¡°Go on with Eddie.¡± The moment be said that, Ste¡¯s stomach dropped. If he was sending her off with Eddie, she knew what that meant¨CEddie was going to treat her She nervously hooked a finger around Abraha He smiled: ¡°Scared?¡± Ste shook her head ¡°No Go ahead¡± But even as she said it, she was terrified That fear of needles had only gotten worse over the years. It was the reason that in all her time living in Rivermount, she¡¯d avoided injections entirely¨Conly taking medicine when she that was grauty afraid¨Cworse than a kid. Mayte it had wacthing to do with how many shots she had as a child She¡¯d been sickly back then¨Ccandy caching Chapter 190 Who¡¯s Really in Control But people who are sickly as kids tend to grow up strong, If it hadn¡¯t been for the kidnapping, her leg would be fine now. Abraham¡¯s expression softened. He squeezed her hand gently. ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± Okay So she wasn¡¯t getting out of it after all. The wrong girl 191 Chapter 191 The Complicated Rtionship Ste looked eagerly at Abraham. She was obediently watching him reach out his hand and tidy her bathrobe before he left. After his figure hadpletely disappeared into the dark, she turned around, went to the fitting room, and grabbed her phone before going to find Eddie. Eddie was in the middle of preparation. Lover Seeing her, he said, ¡°Rx. My skills have matured over the years. It won¡¯t hurt.¡± Ste didn¡¯t believe him. Eddie asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± Seeing that Ste hade alone, he felt surprised. Ste was afraid of injections, but Abraham didn¡¯t asked, Judson? He came in person?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Thinking it over, Eddie figured it made sense. After all, Abraham hadn¡¯t been amodating others. It was people who always had to amodate him. But if Judson came in person, ¡°What about Ethan?¡± Eddie then asked. Ste said, ¡°Of course he¡¯s with him too!¡± She had soaked in the hot spring for so long, and Ethan still hadn¡¯t found Abraham. So Judson must¡¯ve gotten panic. Eddie hissed and asked, ¡°Then has Ethan met Abraham before?¡± Ste replied, ¡°He has. And he¡¯s been beaten up a few times.¡± Upon hearing her, Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched, and he thought, Beingbeaten up a few times? That must¡¯ve been a show worth watching Eddie continued, ¡°Well, this is getting interesting!¡± He thought, They¡¯d met and shed with each other, so it¡¯s not possible thatEthancouldn¡¯t remember him. If Ethanmeets Abraham there, what kind of face would he put on? Ste wasn¡¯t interested, as she said. ¡°Sure, it¡¯ll be interesting. But it¡¯s a torment as well.¡± Eddie nodded and said. ¡°That¡¯s s true as well. The Keene family had been stressed outtely due to the fact that the Reed family had exhausted their mines. Since they had learned that the heir of the Luke family had arrived, the Keene family had been trying to meet him. But despite all that fuss, they never managed to meet him. Chapter 191 The Complicated Rtionship This was a big scene And she enjoyed the drama! Ste replied. Tm not going She¡¯d already seen plenty of drama from the Keene and Reed families. This was nothing new, Besides, if she went with Abraham, who knew how Ethan would insult her? Finished That guy was like a mad dog. Although she wasn¡¯t afraid of him, she didn¡¯t want Abraham to hear those filthy words from him. Eddie said disapprovingly. ¡°Ignoran Upon hearing him. Ste was left speechless and asked, ¡°What kind of attitude is that?¡± She thought, just don¡¯t want to go watch the them as this being ignorant As they were about to say more. Jasmine showed up. Seeing Eddie with Ste, a sh of agg rement flickered in her teary eyes as she said, ¡°Eddie, you and her?¡± Seeing Jasmine, Eddie stiffened immediately. He thought, No way. We have nothing going on, and this girl was pestering me? She had better not catch me in trouble.If I pissed Ste off. I¡¯d bepletely done for in front of th ¡°Wait, what are you doing here?¡± Eddie asked. This was Abraham¡¯s private medical room. Jasmine red fiercely at Ste, then she turned to Eddie and said, ¡°You said it was over between us. It is because of her, isn¡¯t 112 Ste was speechless. Getting irritated. Eddie then said. ¡°Shut up already. What do you mean by her? I have nothing to do with you, let alone her. Stuck with words. Jasmine said. ¡°You¡± Eddie ran out of patience as he said. ¡°Get lost!¡± Eddie had no patience for these obsessive types who love to pester people. To put it bluntly, girls who only had love and feelings in their heads were putting too much pressure on the men. If they poured all that passion into loving themselves, that¡¯d be better than all things ¡°What did you say You told me to¡­¡± Jasmine came to her words. Before she could finish her sentence, Eddie interrupted her and said. ¡°Right, I told you to scram Eddie waspletely out of patience by now as he thought. Who confesses love at first sight as love supposed to be that cheapt Jasmine bat her lip and red fiercely at Ste. Ste said. ¡°Don¡¯t re at me. Your cheap love is worth nothing, and you are putting that me on me?¡± Her words mde both Jasmine and Eddie werchies Chapter 191 The Complicated Rtionship It was from her father, who was probably asking about that arranged date. She red fiercely at Ste, then she grabbed her phone and walked out to take the call. ¡°Dad¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 192 Chapter 192 The Heir of the Luke Family The moment she spoke, her tone was full of aggrievement. She was about to snitch hard on Ste. But the next moment, a man¡¯s roar in a low tone came from the other end of the call, Jasmine, get back here at once!¡± ¡°Dad, you?¡± Feeling startled, Jasmine asked. ¡°You fool. You¡¯ve been causing problems for me outside. Get back here this instant! And don¡¯t you dare provoke Ste,¡± The voice from the other end of the call continued. Hearing that, Jasmine was left speechless. What did she do wrong? Others might not know, but the older generations were certainly aware of the recent urrences in the top¨Ctier society, including the trouble the Reed family was in and Sharon¡¯s detention. These people knew perfectly well what was going on. Now they were afraid that their clueless children would get themselves involved. Jasmine thought she had misheard her father and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± She thought, Don¡¯t mess with who?Ste! Since when did that woman know Dad? And now Dad was even sidingwith her? ¡°I¡¯ll give you 30 minutes. If you¡¯re not back by then, your allowance next month is gone. Hearing that her allowance was at stake, Jasmine panicked in an instant. ¡°Wait, Dad, what do you mean? I am.¡± Jasmine tried to refute. ¡°You have 29 minutes left!¡± jasmine was left speechless. Jasmine thought, Just what kind of seductive tricks does shehave? How is she able to make so many men fall for her?Why was Dad being so protective of her? Could it be that Dadhas taken a liking to her? With that thought in mind, Jasmine couldn¡¯t stay calm, so she said, ¡°Dad, Mom has always been the one sacrificing for this family. You can¡¯t betray her.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± The voice on the other end of the line yelled. She was left speechless, again. ¡°You¡¯ve got 25 minutes left. If you can¡¯t get back by then, the allowance for the month after next is gone too.¡± Upon hearing that, Jasmine dared not dy another second. She hurried towards Pluchville Hill while cursing. ¡°You¡¯re counting faster on purpose! I was just- Jasmine tried to rebut. *20 minutes left!¡± Jasmine couldn¡¯t speak a word. Under that kind of pressure. Jasmine didn¡¯t even dare to dy another second, while her original intention was to confront Ste a couple of minutes ago. 4:44 PM Chapter 192 The Heir of the Luke Family Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth and red at Abraham. He then shot up to his feet and growled, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Finished Ethan realized that Ste was here too. Then he thought, wonderful. Just great. Now she and this man were so close that they wereinseparable. Feeling the oppressive presence emanating from Abrahamn and that aura of authority, Ethan thought, could it be that he was here to stick his nose in the alliance with the Luke family?If so, who exactly was helFirst, Louis. Now him? Ethan¡¯s face grew dark. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, spare no thoughts on the Luke family¡¯s ores.¡± He thought, Louis¡¯s meddling was already giving us a headache. And now this guy? What are all these troublesSteis getting him into? Don¡¯t tell me she leaked the information about the KeeneGroup¡¯swanting to joint venture with the Luke family to him. Is she sabotaging on purpose? Jonce doubts set in, the mind goes wild. The fact was he¡¯d never told Ste anything about the Reed family¡¯s exhausted mines or the n to rece them. Abel nced at Ethan and said, ¡°Mr. Keene, it seems there¡¯s a lot you still don¡¯t know.¡± That look in his eyes was basically calling him a fool. Abraham thought, I¡¯d been in Rivermount for a while, yet judging by his reaction, he clearly had no clue. Is this the heir to the KeeneGroup?Mr. Judson is sure to be bold enough to hand over thepany to him. It was only now that Ethan noticed Abel standing behind Abraham. Seeing Abel, a trace of shock flickered in his eyes. He looked at Abel before directing his gaze on Abraham. His eyes were filled with perplexity as he clearly did not understand why the two of them were together. After all, thest time they met, he assumed that these two were both men involved with Ste. But now what was this? Ethan¡¯s gaze kept flicking back and forth between Abraham and Abel. He was desperately searching for answers in his mind, but his brain was in total chaos. Seeing Ethan remain silent, Abel stepped forward politely and suggested, ¡°Mr. Abraham, it looks like Mr. Judson isn¡¯t here. Shall we go for now?¡± Ethan remained silent as he thought, Mr. Abraham? What does he mean by that? He saw how Abel was being respectful toward Abraham. A bad feeling welled up within him in an instant. The wrong girl 193 Chapter 193 Lost Cause Without saying a word, Abraham red at him coldly. It was then Judson, who had gone to answer a phone call, returned as he saw Abraham and Abel. Finished Feeling surprised, he remained still before stepping forward and greeting with a serious yet respectful tone, ¡°Hello, Mr. Luke, §á?§ã§Ö to meet you.¡± Judson recognized Abraham instantly as the heir to the Luke family. Five years ago, Judson had been fortunate enough to meet him once. Yearster, the innocence of youth had faded from Abraham¡¯s face, now reced by maturity andposure. Judson had been hoping to meet him in person for some time, but he believed Ethan needed to learn how to manage things himself. Especially during this critical moment for the Keene family, he wanted to see how Ethan would handle the crisis on his own. But little did he expect that this foolish son of his had been wasting all his time and energy on romance. Ethan reached out his hand for a handshake. Although he was the elder, Judson remained courteous in front of Abraham, Especially when someone who was usually so casual had dressed up for this meeting In contrast, Abraham was in his bathrobe. Seeing his father being respectful towards the man who had beaten him and called him Mr. Luke, Ethan¡¯s mind buzzed; he froze, and his pupils contracted sharply. His gaze flicked between Abraham and his father. Judson said, ¡°This way, Mr. Luke.¡± Abraham walked past Ethan without sparing him a second nce. The cold scent in the air got to Ethan¡¯s senses as it snapped him back to reality. He stared at Abraham¡¯s back as he thought, Mr. Luke! This guy was the heir to the Luke family?No way, this¡­ His mind buzzed again as it snapped! At this moment, Ethan was more than just stunned; he waspletely nk. Judson led Abraham inside courteously. The two men chatted andughed, but Ethan couldn¡¯t hear a single word of their converution What remained was the constant buzzing in his head that was getting on his nerves. Ethan didn¡¯t even know how he exited the building from inside. He was standing outside, smoking one cigarette after another. Jason had returned. He approached Ethan and asked, ¡°Mr. Keene, what are you doing out here?¡± Chapter 193 Lost Cause eriod for du rep to the filter. The frustration was all written on his face Did you bodd out?¡± he asked coldly kept quiet as he thought. You are still concerned about the womant chead and i armonder Mr. dudum pelt the need to TOME DOVES At this point, the Lube tandly hud peobaldy already signed the contract with Comis Jailson was showing up just to get a piece of the pie. The biggest shares were already gone. She came with the man who beat you Ethan didn¡¯t say a thing Jason scratcheds head and said, ¡°My Daion and that man who beat you are probably dating aw the man¡¯s mane, soche could Jason found our that Ste hand car at Verdant Vi, together with that man Upon hearing Tim. Ethan¡¯s face darkenedl Euushed Before jason couldminue. Eilian¡¯s phone buzzed. It was a message motition He tapped arogen, it was from 1 allian There were only a few simple words She trated: ¡°Ellum, abom Venkou Vi, Loan¡¯a geribere to rest and recover can17¡± His face medpletely grim aber viewing the message He thought of how they¡¯d now ked ste and long a What did they say back theat They said that race due broke all the engagement with b¨´n and hen the Head Early she¡¯d be nothing. She wouldn¡¯t even Thinking about the fact that abad been living in Verdani Vi thuc whole the mende Eilen realize just how Toughtshe thes key had been Back then maybe in her heart, the now them all a clowns Tered witch any message he typed a single wond am his uncen ¡°Wal Whether I wanted to admit the so called inpense of his he had to adum when call was a §¬§å§Þ§ä§Ñ§ß§í They had all seen, bre¡¯s stunde she had konade this whole tie that was tos kendara Valle for this ret mul treme 441 PM¡õ ? ¡¤ Chapter 193 Lost Cause The wrong girl 194 Chapter 194 Everything Has to Do with Ste And yet she said nothing and had been watching the show. The more Ethan thought about it, the angrier he got as his face darkened. About ten minutester, Judson came out from inside with a gloomy face. You didn¡¯t need to guess to know the negotiations had failed. The moment his eyes met Ethan¡¯s, mes were practically shooting out of them. He held it in again and again. But finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore as he walked straight up and kicked Ethan and said. ¡°You worthless brat, you¡¯re killing me!¡± It wasn¡¯t a light kick. Ethan staggered. If Jason hadn¡¯t caught him from behind in time, he probably would have stumbled onto the floor. Judson red at him with his grim face. By looking at his face, it was obvious that the negotiation failed, Judson looked like he wanted to say more, but he was too angry to speak, storming off instead. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he might beat his only son to death. The butler, Tower, who¡¯de along with Judson, rushed out behind him. He nced at Ethan before catching up with Judson. But Ethan stopped him and asked, ¡°Tower, how did it go?¡± Honestly, Judson¡¯s face already gave away the answer. But Ethan still couldn¡¯t help asking. Tower nced at him, sighed, and shook his head. Then he said, ¡°They said the Luke family will only choose one partner at Rivermount. And the candidate is the Parker family.¡± Saying they¡¯d only choose one was just a nice way of saying that they won¡¯t work with the Keene family. Even with Judson showing up personally, it didn¡¯t work out for them. It could be seen that this whole situation was pretty serious. Seeing Ethan in his worried expression, Tower hesitated a moment and reminded him, ¡°Mr. Keene, with your falling¨Cout with Ms. Dawson, now it¡­¡± Thinking about what Mr. Luke had said inside, Tower could only shake his head. ¡°Mr. Keene, allow me to remind you, rumors from Fleule are saying that Mr. Luke is a person who is protective of his people. Ethan was left speechless as he thought, Protectivet Protective of whom? Ste?She¡¯s just a woman. Is that worth it? Tower then left. A storm was brewing on Ethan¡¯s face. Jason looked at him, unsure of what to say, From how Judson left, you could easily tell how furious he was. And he should be furious. The Luke family¡¯s ores were theirst viable option, which was now gone too Right now, the Keene Group was at stake! 4:44 PM Chapter 194 Everything Has to Do with Ste From what Tower said earlier, it sounded like all of this was somehow rted to Ste. Jason pondered, then he figured he should update Ethan on the current situation at Reed Group. Jason said, ¡°The Reed Group¡¯s in a lot of trouble right now. Word is it¡¯s tied to Sterling Global.¡± Upon hearing him, Ethan tilted his head to look at Jason and asked, ¡°Sterling Global?¡± Jason replied, ¡°That¡¯s thepany Ms. Dawson earned several hundred thousand dors from.¡± Last year, she made 980,000 dors. It seemed that more than 840,000 came from Sterling Global. Finished Her other earnings, from smaller outside projects, added up to just a few tens of thousands, which is the normal profits for a studio.. But with Sterling Global, everything changed. It instantly brought her studio to the top in Rivermount. Ethan remembered when they tried to shut her studio down a while back, they called Sterling Global and got told off Those people were so arrogant that thinking of it still made his face darken. Ethanughed coldly and said, ¡°You¡¯re telling me this has nothing to do with Ste?¡± Jason said nothing. Clearly, everything had to do with her. Ethan then asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the president of Sterling Global?¡± Jason answered, ¡°It¡¯s a foreigner called Job Hog Ethan remained silent as he thought, foreigner!No wonder he didn¡¯t understand how things worked inRivermount His eyes flickered with frustration as he said,. ¡°We underestimated Ste. We really did.¡± Ethan then said, ¡°Look into the rtionship between this guy and Ste.¡± This felt so unreal. Lately, everything that went wrong around here was somehow rted to her. Nothing was ever unrted to her. Jason replied, ¡°Got it.¡± Then he asked. ¡°Did Mr. Judson just meet Mr. Luke earlier?* Ethan kept quiet. It would¡¯ve been better if he hadn¡¯t brought that up. At the mention, Ethan¡¯s face darkened. Ethan then said, ¡°Verdant Vi belongs to the Luke family¡± Jason then said. ¡°What? So you¡¯re saying Ms. Dawson has gotten close with someone from the Luke family recently Ethan said, ¡°Drop the subject¡± The wrong girl 195 Chapter 195 The Treatment The Luke family, what kind of family was that? If Ste could even cozy up to the Luke family, then her rtionship to Sterling Global didn¡¯t seem surprising at all. Just as Ethan turned around, his phone buzzed again, and this time it was a message from Judson: ¡°Try to fight for the chance for the alliance with the Luke family again.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to call. That just showed how frustrated Judson was. After all, in Rivermount, it was rare for something to be so difficult that even his direct involvement couldn¡¯t make it right. But this time, it was tricky. When Ethan looked at the message, he was feeling just as irritated. Then he replied in simple words: ¡°Got it.¡± Judson then texted: ¡°The losses this time are enormous. If we can¡¯t rece it in time¡­¡± Judson didn¡¯t finish the sentence, maybe because he didn¡¯t know how to describe how severe the consequences would be But Ethan understood well as he sent a short reply: ¡°Understood.¡± Understanding it was one thing, but dealing with it was a real headache. At the hospital When Lillian saw Ethan replying with a single yes, it felt like all the vigor had drained out of her. If she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that Ethan would reply to her like this. Lillian thought, Isn¡¯t this what was promised before? What is this?Why? Why is this happening? She took several deep breaths and called Ethan, but the call was cut off after just one ring. Lillian couldn¡¯t describe how torturous it was from his attitude. She thought. And for Ste¡­ Had she known something from the beginning? That damn Ste! The more Lillian thought about it, the more she was enraged. At the medical room in Pluchville Hill. ¡°It hurts! Be gentle, would you?¡± Ste screamed in panic. At this moment, Abraham was right beside her. Seeing her so tertied, Eddie¡¯s lips curled into a faint smule as he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t even inserted the needle yet¡± Ste was shocked as she thought, Not yet? Mirit a second, what was Eddie doing? That needle had already touched my knee! She peeked out and looked at Faddie. Sure enough, he hadn¡¯t even inserted it yet, and the needle was still in his hand. Eddie was left speechless. He then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t even started. What exactly is hurting? You¡¯d better exin it clearly to your brother in not taking the me for this 44 PM et Chapter 195 The Treatment Ste was speechless too. ¡°If you weren¡¯t going to insert it in me, why were you pointing the needle tip at my knee?¡± Eddie replied, ¡°I had to find the right spot to insert it to see which spot would give a better effect.¡± Ste: ¡°Then look for it! Don¡¯t point the needle at mel Finished She was already scared of needles, let alone seeing somebody waving a needle in front of her knee. How could she not freak out Eddie then said, ¡°Found it, found it. Don¡¯t scream. It won¡¯t hurt.¡± Ste screamed aloud. Eddie was left speechless as he thought, Is it really that painful? Is it reallythat scary? Abraham said, ¡°Alright, stop the screaming. It¡¯s done already.¡± Ste was puzzled as she thought, Done? Ihadn¡¯t even felt the pain yet. She looked at Eddie, and he was already holding the second needle. This was exactly why she never wanted a treatment. one shot. It made two only if the blood draw was counted. A drip, at least, was just But this? Countless needles were being inserted into the body. Although Ste didn¡¯t feel anything from the needle that had just been inserted into her earlier, she couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified. Abrahamforted her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Close your eyes, as his warm, steady palm covered her eyes. He then tilted her head gently and pressed it into his chest. Ste¡¯s muffled voice came from inside Abraham¡¯s arms. She asked, ¡°Abraham, isn¡¯t there a second option? Pills, I can take pilis instead She didn¡¯t want the needles. She was seriously scared. Abraham: ¡°We¡¯re almost done. Eddie has already put in a bunch. He meant it tofort her, but hearing his words, she was so scared that she trembled. Eddie warned. ¡®Don¡¯t move¡°¡± by bold He thought. The usually bold Stewasn¡¯t even afraid to have a fight with men. But notor Just then, Abel walked in and said, ¡°Mr. Abraham¡± ¡°Did they sign¡°¡± Abraham asked. Abel replied, ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s signed¡± Louis turned out to be a pretty straightforward partner. If something was wrong, he fixed it right away Ste looked at Abraham and asked, ¡°What did Ethan say when you met earlier?¡± She hadn¡¯t gone to watch the drama unfold, but she was eager to know just how spectacrly Ethan had messed up Bonom of Form The wrong girl 196 Chapter 196 Visit Refused Finished Abraham could easily pick up the implication in her words. He tweaked her ear gently. ¡°Ethan is probably looking for a way Out now. Ste blinked, ¡°?¡± A way out! Does he mean me? All right. Of course he is! Ethan already knew that Abraham was the heir to the Luke family and the true owner of Verdant Vi Of course, he also knew how badly he had offended Abraham before. ¡°So does Judson know about your conflict with Ethan?¡± Abraham replied calmly, ¡°As a father, he should know what his son is up to.¡± Great, Judson was probably pushing Ethan hard now ow to clean up the mess Abel finished the Parker Group report and answered a phone call. Then he turned to Ste. Right now, Eddie was removing her acupuncture needles, and she was too scared to even look Abraham lovingly covered her eyes. Even with that, she couldn¡¯t stop whimpering softly. He reassured her in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay now. It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°This is thest time, right? Mmm¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You¡¯ll need this this for a whole Eddie cut in bluntly. a whole month. With your current condition, that¡¯s at least three times a week. Ste looked like she was going to cry. Abraham gave Eddie a cold stare, clearly telling him to shut up. Eddie was unmoved. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. She needs to be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Is she?¡± So this is how spoiled she is, huh? What, does he have to coar her every time she has to get an injection? I trally understood now how hard it was tofort her, and it was wasting so much time. Might as well let her prepare for it beforehand The needles were out now Eddie grumpily packed up his things. Abel stepped forward ¡°Mi Dawson, a woman whosest name is Carter is here. She says she wants to see you¡® 4:45 PM ? Chapter 196 Visit Refused No need to ask. It was definitely Susan Carter. She came here to find me? For what purpose? Could it be that the Reed Group¡¯s situation had been fully exposed? Not bad. More efficient than Ethan. Ethan had been investigating the owner of Verdant Vi for a long time and still came up empty. But the Reed family had found the root of their crisis in such a short + time. Ste and Abraham exchanged nces. Finished He gently ruffled the soft top of her head. ¡°Do you want to see her?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± The severance agreement had already been signed, and all of Rivermount knew that I had severed all ties with the Reed family. Since the rtionship had been severed, it had to be clean and final. No need for a reunion. Abraham looked at Abel. Abel nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He turned and left. Eddie noticed Abraham¡¯s eyes full of doting affection as he looked at Ste. He couldn¡¯t stand to watch any longer and quickly left with his equipment, not wanting to be the third wheel. Only Abraham and Ste remained in the room. He held her soft little hand gently. ¡°They bullied you a lot, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They referred to Ethan and the whole Reed family. Ste said, ¡°Not exactly.¡± If it was all one¨Csided suffering, then yes, it would be bullying. But that wasn¡¯t the case for me. Abraham heard her words, and the cold in his expression softened slightly. Ne lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. The warm touch of his lips fell on her palm, just as it had when they were young. Back then, Abraham had loved her small hands. Whenever they yed gently, he always kissed her palms. Now, when she felt that kiss again, her whole body heated up. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but he let go before she could. He tapped her nose and snapped her out of it Her cheeks turned even redder Im not a child anymore, she murmured. ¡°Mhm. You¡¯ve grown into a young woman. The wrong girl 197 Chapter 197 The Door Stays Closed Finished Meanwhile, Susan was seething as she watched the man who had once injured Jonathan now deliver the message. Under normal circumstances, she would have exploded on the spot. But considering why she was here today, she held herself back with great difficulty. She suppressed her anger and turned to Abel. ¡°I am her mother. I need to talk to her about something urgent. What do you mean she refuses to see me?¡± Was it supposed to be so difficult just to see my own daughter? Susan felt even more angry. Abel frowned when she referred to herself as Ste Dawson¡¯s mother. ¡°If I recall correctly, Madam Susan, you¡¯ve already. severed all ties with her.¡± And who exactly are you to her?¡± Susan could no longer contain her anger. Even ifties had been severed, that was between me and Ste. What right had this outsider to speak? Abel replied, ¡°Who I am to her has nothing to do with whether she wants to see you or not. You¡­¡± Abel¡¯s gaze became sharp. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see you, so you won¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her mother.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. At least not legally. You¡¯re not her mother anymore.¡± Abraham had already filed the separation agreement with both of their signatures for legal validation. So as far as thew was concerned, Susan was no longer Ste¡¯s mother. Susan¡¯s chest heaved with anger. ¡°I carried her for ten months and gave birth to her, and now you¡¯re lecturing me about legalities?¡± ¡°You agreed to the settlement yourself. That signature¡­¡± Abel paused slightly at the mention of the signature. Then he looked at Susan and added, ¡°Your signature was pretty bold.¡± Susan nearly choked on her anger. Back then I had been angry when I had signed, and I had signed really big and loud. And then Ste had posted it for the whole town of Rivermount to see. Even worse, my signature had been erged. I had never been so humiliated. Just the memory of it made her blood boil. 445PM Chapter 197 The Door Stays Closed The mention of the Reed Group made Susan¡¯s chest tighten even more.. Finished She thought about what Patrick and Jonathan had told her on the phone, the crisis thepany was in right now, and she felt even more desperate. ¡°Just tell her again for me. Say it¡¯s urgent¡± Pestering her like this is pointless,¡± Abel said. ¡°You¡­¡± She was beyond angry. Just as she was about to say more, she spotted Ethan in the distance. Abel didn¡¯t want to argue anymore and turned to leave. Susan wanted to stop him. But the moment she saw Ethan walking in another direction, she forgot all about Abel. I had to ask Ethan if he had reallye with Ste, Abel returned. From a distance, he saw Abraham working on hisptop while Ste sat across from him with aptop also. Both were focused on their own tasks, and the calm look on Ste¡¯s face made her seem especially well¨Cbehaved. Abel just couldn¡¯t understand it. How could the Reed family not like a girl like that? Ste slid over to Abraham¡¯s side with her a picture. No matter how I looked at it, something felt off, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. As she spoke, she picked up a ss of red juice and took a sip. Abraham looked at the red bottle on the table and frowned. ¡°How rhuch of that did you drink?¡± ¡°1!m?¡± He looked at her again; her cheeks were already flushed. He picked up the ceramic bottle. It was empty, obviously finished by Ste. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. This is wine.¡± ¡°Huh? This is wine?¡± Itho made wine so meert? I had thought it was juice. Abraham nodded. Yes, it is wine. I had sent for it and was going to heat it up for the evening Now Ste had finished everything. Susan had caught up with Ethan. cad ?n can har 4:45 PM ? Chapter 197 The Door Stays Closed Jason which is at beside speechless also. Susan¡¯s question was so direct, and for some reason Ethan felt a strange difort in his chest. Send Gifts 606 (0 Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in The wrong girl 198 Chapter 198 The Truth Unfolds What struck Ethan most was how Susan had referred to her daughter as ¡°Ste Dawson.¡± II remembered correctly, she had always called Lillian simply ¡°Lillian¡± And Ste is her biological daughter For the first time, Ethan noticed a distinct difference in the way It hit him all at once. Susan treated Ste and Lillian. Finished Suddenly, Ethan understood why Ste had always been so distant from the Reed family. Even Jason was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Susan to ask such a question. After all, Ste is her real daughter. Not to mention that two years ago the Reed Jamily had tried to force Ste onto Mr. Keene What kind of attitude is that? Ethan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did Lillian send you?¡± Thinking back to what Lillian had said on the phone, Ethan suddenly felt she was being unreasonable. She hade back for treatment, and I had done everything I could. I had only been away from the hospital because of a small problem at work. And now Susan was here asking about it? Was she interrogating me? Susan stiffened. ¡°N¨Cno¡­ I just¡­¡± Faced with Ethan¡¯s sudden seriousness, Susan began to stammer. ¡°I just¡­ you know¡­ Lillian is sick. She¡¯s very emotionally fragile right now. She found out that you and Ste are both in Pluchville Hill. She doesn¡¯t even take her medicine anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened even more when he heard that Lillian refused to take her medication. Susan noticed the flicker of concern in his eyes and quickly added, ¡°You know how dependent she is on you. If she were doing well, she¡¯d be calmer, more rational. But right now she¡¯s facing life and death.¡± Just thinking abou Lillian¡¯s condition made Susan¡¯s heart ache. Hearing that, some of the irritation in Ethan¡¯s eyes faded. He immediately picked up the phone and called Lillian. She answered quickly, her voice weak. ¡°Ellian.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking your medication properly?¡± His tone was stern, but with a hint of concerned reproach. Hearing his tone, Lillian immediately began to sob. 4:45 PM Chapter 198 The Truth Unfolds Ste again? It would have been better not to mention her. Hearing her name made me even more frustrated. He patiently coaxed her. Thepany¡¯s really busy these days. Please just take care of yourself, okay?¡± The Luke family had already signed a contract with Lours, Even my own father couldn¡¯t do it. I could already see what kind of trouble the Keene Group was in for I had absolutely no time to go back to the hospital now. After a few moreforting words, he hung up. Although Ethan¡¯s attitude had softened, Susan could still sense it. His patience wasn¡¯t what it used to be. He looked at her. ¡°Are you really not here because of Ste?¡± she asked, almost thoughtlessly, driven by panic. As soon as the words left her mouth, Ethan¡¯s face wentpletely cold. He gave Susan a long, piercing look, then turned and walked away. Susan instinctively tried to follow him. ¡°Ethan, 1. Finished But he was losing patience. ¡°Madam Susan, what you should really be worried about right now is the Reed Group. I heard that the Reed Group is being targeted by Sterling Global, thepany that helped Ste make hundreds of thousandsst year. What kind of connection do you think she has to all of this?¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught in her throat. What kind of connection? Patrick and Jonathan had already exined everything to me Now that Ethan had put it that way, Susan felt more stifled than ever. The reason she hade to Pluchville was now clearer than ever. Far ahead, Ethan¡¯s figure grew colder with every step. Jason¡¯s phone buzzed. He answered, listened for a moment, then said, ¡°Got it. He hung up and quickly caught up with Ethan. ¡°Mr. Keene, the heir of the Luke family, his real name is Abraham Dawson. People call him Mr. Abraham¡° Ethan stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to Jason, his eyes growing darker. ¡°Abraham Dawson! Mr. Abraham?¡± Mr. Abraham, the infamous name from Fleule. The man who had been at Ste¡¯s side all alone the this Mr. Abraham from Kleuter The wrong girl 199 Chapter 199 Drunk Confession Ethan blood ran cold. L Abraham is the heir of the Luke family!) Jason nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes¡± They had finally discovered the man¡¯s real name. Finished Ethan¡¯s entire body radiated a biting chill. His fists clenched tightly as he ground out the name through clenched teeth. ¡°Abraham Dawson Mr. Abraham¡® Abraham Desson! Somest name as Ste¡­.¡­.¡­. Ethan¡¯s breathing becamebored. ¡°What is his rtionship to Ste Dawson?¡± Jason was stunned by the question and answered instinctively. ¡°Aren¡¯t they¡­ lovers?¡± That single word ¡°lovers¡± struck a chord in Ethan¡¯s nerves, even causing him to catch his breath. If Abraham hadnt told her it was wine. Ste wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything unusual. Now that he had, she noticed that her cheeks were flushed. Ang that I¡¯m getting drunk. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I thought it was just juice The tatt for out to suspect it is alcohol ¡°¡°Is it strong?¡± she asked Aliratiam replied, ¡°13) has a strong kick¡± most copsed muide I¡® here that end wine always has a dyed effect ¡°Yan makea wane that tastes like jugor Abraham tapgard for swade of triplesa indulgence The war and Susan St du?y, w roluring before her eye 4:45 PM Chapter 199 Drunk Confession Or maybe she could no longer tell the difference between dream and reality. She snuggled against his neck like a kitten. ¡°Abraham. Worried that she might catch a cold, Aliraham had someone bring a nket to wrap her in. Still worried, he carried her upstairs himself, nning to take her back to her room. ¡°I had someone make some sobering soup.¡± His voice was full of tender affection. But Ste could hardly hear him. She was always like this after drinking, dazed and lightheaded. Being carried up the stairs made her feel like she was floating on clouds. Lost in a half¨Cdream, half¨Creality haze, she leaned into the familiar warmth. Her consciousness continued to fade¡­. ¡°Abraham¡­.. Dawson¡± Finished She suddenly called out his full name, causing him to freeze. Something in his chest, something hard, crumbled silently. She had never called me that before. His deep voice carried the weight of emotion. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be with anyone else, okay? Don¡¯t marry anyone else, please?¡± His breath stopped for a second. Looking down at her flushed little face, his eyes flickered. For the first time, he felt he had touched a corner of her true feelings. His voice softened. ¡°Why?¡± The single question echoed down the stairs. Ste snuggled closer to his chest. ¡°Because I like you, I like you¡­ I like you¡­ One after another rang in Abraham¡¯s ears. Each word was like thunder over the mountains, tightening his chest and dting his pupils. ¡°Do you like me as your brother or Abraham Dawson!¡± His voice, usually maic, now carried a subtle, unreadable emotion that even a clear¨Cheaded person might not catch Let alone Ste But this time she didn¡¯t tanswer. 45 PM Chapter 199 Drunk Confession She had fallen asleep.. The sight of her pink cheeks made Abraham smile helplessly. He carried her the rest of the way to the room. As he ced her on the bed, Ste stirred. But her eyes remained dazed, unfocused. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hug me.¡± Her voice was soft and pouty, tinged with a little sadness. ¡°Hug me forever. ¡°Okay. Come on.¡± Finished Looking into those misty, hurt eyes, Abraham couldn¡¯t say no. He sat down beside her and gently pulled her into his arms. Worried that she might catch a cold after drinking, he wrapped the nket tightly around her. A soft kissnded on her forehead. ¡°Sleep now, sweet girl.¡± The wrong girl 200 Chapter 200 Lines Crossed At that moment, it was as if they had returned to childhood. When Ste was a little girl, she waspletely dependent on Abraham, Every night she needed him to rock her to sleep. If Abraham was at school, she would wait en throughout middle school, high school, and even college, Abraham had to be driven loine every night. Because his school was far away, Evelyn once tried to find a nearby ce for him to stay. But Abraham simply brought Ste with him and had a nanny take care of her in a house across the street from the school. They only moved back home together when Ste started school. Now, as Abraham looked at her flushed, soft lips, his Adam¡¯s apple shifted. His gaze grew hotter by the second. Finally, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply, tasting the cool softness of her lips. The rich aroma of wine mixed with the sweetness of grapes was intoxicating. Addictive. Ste opened her blurry eyes, saw that it was Abraham, and recognized his familiar scent. It felt like a dream. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck, letting go of all restraint. Feeling her reaction, Abraham¡¯s body froze for a second. But only for a second. Then his kiss grew harder, more intense.. Buzz. Buzz. The phone on the bedside table vibrated. It was Ste¡¯s. Abraham came to and looked at the now sleeping girl in his armis. He also felt a sting on his lip. After gentlyying Ste down and pulling the nket over her, he touched his lip with his fingers and brought them to his eyes. There was a faint trace of blood. He pinched her cheek with a mixture of annoyance and affection. ¡°Litle tiger.¡± Her teeth are sharper than I thought. The phone continued to ring. Abraham picked it up and nced at the screen. A strange number. He rejected the call without hesitation.. ? Chapter 200 Lines Crossed That meant the Keene Group deal had fallen through. And if I say Ste isn¡¯t involved, I¡¯m exactly lying to myself She e had some nerve. Finished When the call was rejected, his frustration red, and he dialed again. This time, unlike before, she hadn¡¯t blocked him. And this time someone answered. ¡°Ste Dawson, I need a straight answer. What exactly is your rtionship to Abraham Dawson?¡± Before the person could answer. Ethan began his question, his toneced with barely contained anger. ¡°What do you think our rtionship is?¡± The voice on the line was deep and calm Abraham¡¯s. Ethan gripped the phone tighter, clenching his jaw to suppress his anger. This kind of humiliation, I had never experienced anything like it. No wonder Ste had the courage to call off the engagement so cleanly So that is it: she had fatched on to the Luke family. Jason still hadn¡¯t fully uncovered the details of their rtionship. But Ste had lived at Verdant Vi, and so had Abraham. That alone spoke volumes. And under Ste¡¯s influence, the partnership between the Keene Group and the Luke family hadpletely copsed. Ethan swallowed his anger and forced a respectful tone. ¡°Mr. Abraham, could we meet in person to discuss this?¡± Dad had stormed off in a rage today, but I knew I had to talk to Abraham no matter what. If we didn¡¯t handle this properly, the Keene Group could end up like the Reedy But all he heard was the dead sound of a disconnected call. Abraham had hung up. Ethan stood frozen. Jason¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°What did he say?¡± If Abraham had answered the call, Ste had to be with him. Ethan closed his eyes tightly. Il hat did he say? He didn¡¯t say anything He hung up. Furious, Ethan dialed Ste¡¯s number again, only to be blocked. The wrong girl 201 Chapter 201 No Ordinary Favor Jason said, ¡°Actually, the real issue right now is not the rtionship between Ms. Dawson and Mr. Abraham¡± He looked a little ufortable as he spoke. From my point of view, the engagement between Ethan and Ste was already over, and Ethan obviously couldn¡¯t let go of Lillian either. So whether Ste and Abraham were lovers or not wasn¡¯t the point. What mattered now was that Mr. Abraham was fiercely protective of Ste ¡°The priority now is to figure out how to¡­¡± Flow to what? Jason trailed off. We both understood clearly. To resolve this crisis in cooperation, the root cause has to be addressed, and that root is Ste Who¡¯d have thought? Both the Reed and Keene families had been in trouble, and both could somehow be traced back to Ste. Remembering the things Ethan and the Reeds had done to hertely, Jason didn¡¯t know what else to say. After a moment, he added, ¡°Ms. Dawson is a serious threat right now.¡± Though it was hard to admit, it was undeniable, whatever trouble the Keene and Reed groups were in, it could all be resolved or exacerbated with a single word from Ste. Ethan gave him a frosty look. Jason quickly added, ¡°We just never imagined that the man with her was actually Mr. Abraham.¡± Mr. Abraham. Just hearing that name was enough to make one feel suffocated. No wonder quems they had made recently to ¡°deal¡± with Ste had failed. every She¡¯d been under Mr. Abraham¡¯s protection all along Even if no one had sent Jason to dig further, I could already guess what kind of rtionship Ste and Abraham had But I don¡¯t want to admit it. Deep down, there is still a lingering resentment I couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Find out exactly when they started seeing each other.¡± I didn¡¯t believe Ste had the ability to bond with someone of Abraham¡¯s level in just a few days. Back in the wooden loft. Ste was fast asleep, still holding one of Abraham¡¯s fingers. He was on the phone, speaking in a low voice. 445 PM Chapter 201 No Ordinary Favor Besides, I didn¡¯t want to. With Ethan¡¯s attitude, let him suffer. Louis was already back in town. Finishi He had just left a meeting when he received Abraham¡¯s call. After hanging up, he couldn¡¯t hide the satisfied smile on his lips. Valery walked in and caught sight of his schadenfreude. ¡°Mr. Parker, here¡¯s the document you have to sign.¡± As she spoke, Loute phone rang A nce at the screen and his grin deepened. Ethan is calling. Louis answered. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°You already signed with the Luke family?¡± Ethan¡¯s gruff voice came through loud and clear, even over the line. Louis didn¡¯t bother to hide the gloating in his voice. What else did you think? That I¡¯d wait for you to screw up first? You wen tied up with a woman. I don¡¯t have that kind of patience.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t answer. That alone was proof that the words had hit a nerve. He clenched his jaw again. ¡°Why would the Luke family choose you?¡± Louis replied. ¡°Because I¡¯m not dating anyone.¡± Valery was also speechless. Is this reason not annoying? Right now Ethan felt like tearing Louis apart And Louis just kept twisting the knife. ¡°If you ask me, you don¡¯t even have time to worry about the deal anymore. You should be worrying about Lillian¡¯s life instead. The line wasced with mockery. Ethan was so angry that he mmed the phone down. As the beep of the disconnect tone echoed. Louis gave a casual shrug. ¡°Serves him right.¡± How long had Mr. Abraham been at Rivermount? Ethan hadn¡¯t even found out who he was and had the audacity to pick a fight with him. All he got was a beating, and worse, he insulted someone untouchable. To put it simply, all that pain had been for nothing Lous looked over at Valery. ¡°Go pick out some jewelry. Something a girl would really like Valery stiffened. ¡°Is it for Ms. Dawson?¡± As he opened the document. Louis replied. ¡°For this Ms. Dawson. We better treat her real nice¡± 445 PM c Chapter 201 No Ordinary Favor Finishe Send Gifts The wrong girl 202 Chapter 202 More Than Just Drunk Talk Valery¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You still want to give her a present?¡± Does he really want to give Ste something? I hadn¡¯t forgotten the awkwardness of thest attempt Louis replied, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you to choose. Pick something that won¡¯t be misunderstood.¡± This made Valery even more nervous No matter what a man gave a woman, wasn¡¯t it easy to cause misunderstandings? Before she could say anything, Louis¡® phone rang again. This time it was Sharon Parker. His tone grew colder. ¡°How did you get your phone back?¡± This was a critical time in his partnership with Mr. Abraham. Louis was afraid that Sharon would cause trouble with Ste again. So he not only had her locked up, but he also had her phone confiscated. ¡°Louis, please, I¡¯m begging you. Let me out. I really know I was wrong Hearing her admit her mistake didn¡¯t soften him at all. Sharon quickly added, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t provoke Ste again. I really won¡¯t.¡± After learning Ste¡¯s true identity, Sharon still had trouble epting it. I couldn¡¯t believe that the girl I used to mock had now surpassed me. The Reeds treated her worse than a dog, yet somehow¡­ ¡°Urn, can I ask¡­ what¡¯s the rtionship between Ste and Mr. Abraham?¡± Louis¡® expression changed briefly, He shot back, ¡°Little girls shouldn¡¯t stick their noses where they don¡¯t belong. ¡°Are they lovers?¡± Sharon quickly asked. ¡°They¡­ ¡°She¡¯s got some nerve, huh? Landing someone like Mr. Abraham. What did she do to get his attention? What tricks did she use The questions hit Louis like a barrage of blows. His voice went cold. ¡°Is that what you learned from hanging out with Lillian Reed? How to smear people?¡± Sharon tried to backpedal. ¡°No, I just¡­ ¡°She¡¯s Abraham Dawson¡¯s foster sister.¡± H Sharon¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock. 4:45 PM ¨C? Chapter 202 More Than Just Drunk Talk It probably started around the time she got close to Jonathan and Lillian. Ever since she started hanging around the Reed family, her mouth had gottenpletely out of control. Louis had actually been in a decent mood carlier, but Sharon¡¯s call ruined it. ¡°You stay locked up.¡± With a mouth like hers, she¡¯d definitely cause trouble the moment she got out. Now I¡¯m sure she isn¡¯t going anywhere until Mr. Abraham and Ste leave Rivermount. Even if the contract is already signed. If Abraham change his mind, I wouldn¡¯t even have the right to say no. Just to be sure, I have to keep Sharon in line. After he hung up, Louis called the butler. ¡°If she gets a phone again, you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. The butler¡¯s voice was nervous and deferential. Finished Louis ended the call and looked at Valery. After a pause, he said, ¡°Forget the gift. A girl raised by Mr. Abraham has probably seen the best of everything. If we don¡¯t impress her, it will only upset Mr. Abraham.¡± That would be worse than losing a business. Valery nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Finally she could breathe again. Back in Pluehville Hill, Ste tossed and turned in bed, restless in her sleep. She was always a light sleeper, and since she had been drinking, Abraham stayed by her side to make sure she was okay. He sat on the sofa with hisptop, working quietly. Then Ste kicked the covers aside. The hem of her nightgown shifted, revealing her slender legs. Her ankle, soft, pink, and round, looked especially delicate. Abraham nced over, and his eyes darkened slightly. He closed the and put it down. He walked over and tried to pull the nket back over her. But she had tucked it in, and it wouldn¡¯t budge. Helpless, Abraham bent down and gently picked her up, managing to free the nket, The movement woke her. She looked at him with sleepy, dazed eyes. ¡°Abraham¡­ Her breath still carried the scent of wine. The sobering soup from earlier hadn¡¯t worked. Abraham let out a low growl and pulled the nket back around her, covering her bare legs. As he turned to leave, Ste suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. Abraham stopped. ¡°Hm?¡± he iu like mal¡± The wrong girl 203 Chapter 203 Keep Her Safe ¡°How much do you like me?¡± Abraham paused. He realized that Ste was especially affectionate after drinking, and right now she was more irresistible than ever. He leaned down, warm breath brushing her neck and flushed cheek. His deep voice, with a slight rasp, whispered, ¡°How much do you like me?¡± ¡°A whole, whole lot, she replied softly, her voice still dazed from the wine.. Even in her drunken haze, that simple, sincere answerpletely melted the hardness in his heart. Just then, his phone rang. He stood up gently. Ste had already closed her eyes, like a sleepy kitten unable to stay awake. He answered, ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham, as you expected, Lancelot is hiding in Rivermount.¡± ¡°Found him?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°No, but the man beside him, Elliot, showed up today.¡± In the dim light, Abraham¡¯s normally cool eyes glowed with danger He said coldly. ¡°Keep a close eye on him.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Abraham.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Abraham paused, ncing at the sleeping Ste on the bed. ¡°Assign more men to quietly follow her.¡± By ¡°her,¡± he meant Ste, of course. Abel hesitated. ¡°Should I tell Ms. Dawson not to go to the studio for now?¡± ¡°No need, Abraham replied. ¡°Understood.¡± He clearly understood what Abraham meant; he didn¡¯t want Ste to feel even a hint of danger Abraham wanted her world to remain peaceful and simple. He didn¡¯t want her to live in fear. That year, after she identally witnessed Abraham kill someone, she almost shut downpletely Since then, he never let her interfere with family matters. Until Kelly and Derrick stirred up trouble. After hanging up. Abraham stepped out on the balcony and lit a cigarette. Another call came in. Finisher 4:46 PM Chapter 203 Keep Her Safe ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°You know how he¡¯s feeling about Star. You must protect her. The child is fragile.¡± Finisher Fragile? He turned to look through the ss door at the sleeping Ste. His lips curled into a warm smile. This little girl! Fragile! Still, he replied, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°I hear Derrick is heading for Rivermount. Are your men enough?¡± ¡°They are¡± ¡°Should we have Marie go with them?¡± Three years ago, when some people took advantage of the chaos, Ste was forced to leave the Dawson family. Even now, Evelyn hadn¡¯t forgotten. ¡°No need, Abraham replied. Compared to Derrick, Marie is even harder to deal with. She is a master at hiding people. If she really does sneak Ste away again, there is no telling what kind of misery she has put her through. Back when she took Ste for training, no one could find her. Ste came back as if she had shed ayer of skin. ¡°True. That girl is a handful.¡± Just thinking about her daughter gave Evelyn a headache. She is as wild as a boy and even managed to get so dark a tan. Not sweet at all. Not like Star, so obedient and pretty in her little skirts. When I got Marie, I was thrilled, I wanted to dress her up like a doll. But Marie wouldn¡¯t wear dresses. Only pants. She hated every piece of clothing I bought ¡°You protect Star well. When you¡¯re done, bring her back. There¡¯s nothing good in that Rivermount ce. I looked into her birth parents; they¡¯re no good.¡± Knowing where Ste was, Evelyn had done a thorough background check All the secrets of the Reed family had been dug up. And the trouble the Reeds were in now? It wasn¡¯t just Abraham¡¯s doing. Evelyn had als ¡°Understood¡± They exchanged a few more words before ending the call. yed a role. Back inside, Abraham saw that Ste had kicked off the nket again, her cheeks bright red. We want QUAE Snd nantu truckad har forehand The wrong girl 204 Chapter 204 No Longer Family Eddie swallowed nervously under Abraham Dawson¡¯s icy gaze. ¡°W¨Cwhat¡¯s wrong?¡± Abraham asked tly, ¡°Brother and sister?¡± ¡°???¡± Eddie was stunned. What now? Aren¡¯t they? His brain stalled. Abraham snatched the pill out of his hand. ¡°If you can¡¯t talk, maybe you shouldn¡¯t talk at all. Make sure your mouth doesn¡¯t get sewn shut¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did 1?¡± Eddie mumbled. I¡¯m just stating the fact that both siblings¡± always got fevers after drinking. Difficult cases, both of them. He was really confused. Another cold look from Abraham silenced him immediately. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say another word!¡± Zipping my lips is safer. But I still don¡¯t know what had set this man¡¯s nerves on edge. ¡°Oh, right. That woman surnamed Carter still hasn¡¯t left. She¡¯s still trying to find a way to see little Star¡± Abraham gave him another icy look. ¡°What? Again?¡± Eddie groaned. Talking to this guy is like walking on eggshells. Am I supposed to analyze every word just to make sure I don¡¯t say anything offensive? Abraham withdrew his gaze and gently pushed the pill into Ste¡¯s mouth, helping her to drink water to wash it down. ¡°You don¡¯t have a sister?¡± ¡°Me? My sister.. barely counts. More like a sootball,¡± Eddie muttered. Thest time I saw her, she was so tanned it hurt to look at her ¡°Honestly, she and Marie are a perfect match. They¡¯ve both been fighting andpeting all their lives, and their temperaments are practically identical.¡± There is one difference, Edie likes to wear skirts. Marie, on the other hand, is a total tomboy. Abraham warned, ¡°If Evie finds out, she¡¯ll beat you half to death.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t tell her, Eddie replied. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not a little gossipy.¡± Just mentioning his sister made Eddie groan in frustration. Other people have sweet and gentle sisters. Mine chased me around just to beat me up. Completely useless at everything except fighting 4:46 PM Chapter 204 No Longer Family Finished ¡°You can go now,¡± Seeing that Eddie had no intention of leaving, Abraham bluntly kicked him out. Eddie packed quickly. He was starving and needed to find something to eat. ¡°What about that woman who was surnamed Carter? Aren¡¯t you sending someone to take care of her?¡± Susan had been there since the afternoon and was still waiting. At the mention of Ste¡¯s biological mother, Abraham¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°No need. Let her wait¡± Waiting is the cruelest punishment. Especially now, when the Reed Group is already in chaos, no doubt the wholepany is upside down Eddie nodded. ¡°All right. You want something to eat? Ste obviously couldn¡¯t eat like that. ¡°You go ahead.¡± Abraham looked at Ste¡¯s flushed little face. He would wait until her fever broke. Eddie left with his things, finally out of the pressure zone. Now it was just Abraham and Ste. He reached out and touched her warm cheek again. Her eyes fluttered open. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± Something stirred in his chest. He had never known what it felt like to hear her call his name. Just as he had expected, the Reed Group was already in chaos. Patrick called Susan twice to ask if she had seen Ste He even tried to call Ste himself, but of course she had long since blocked him. Susan originally nned to leave if she couldn¡¯t see Ste, worried about Lillian being alone at the hospital. But after Patrick¡¯s repeated calls, she panicked. Now she was in the front lobby of the mansion, making a scene. ¡°I want to see my daughter. Why won¡¯t you give me her information?¡± She had been pestering the front desk for Ste¡¯s room number for over two hours. They refused. Susan finally exploded. That brat, is the really trying to ruin the Reed family¡± Ungrateful. If I had known that Ste would turn us back like that, we would never have taken her back in the first ce. 4:46 PM D ? Chapter 204 No Longer Family Then her eyes red with anger. ¡°What does this have to do with you?¡± asa ¡°In that case, as a rtive, you have no right to request guest information. The receptionist replied. Send Gifts The wrong girl 205 Chapter 205 Shut Out Susan froze. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is, you have no right to ask where she is anymore.¡± The simple exnation from the receptionist nearly made Susan faint with rage. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ As angry as she was, she couldn¡¯t deny the truth of those words. In this age of information, everything traveled so fast. Once it was out there, there was no taking it back. Susan¡¯s breath came in sharp gasps. Before she could argue any further, her phone rang. It was Lillian. ¡°Lillian¡± ¡°Mom, when are you Lillian said pitifully. ¡°I know, sweetheart. I¡¯lle back as soon as I¡¯m done here. Be good for now? Susan¡¯s voice was filled withfort and reassurance. But in her heart, the hatred for Ste only grew. This girl had caused all the trouble at the Reed Group and had dragged everyone into the mess. She wanted to cut ties, fine. She got what she wanted. What more did she want? The more Susan thought about it, the angrier she became. After a few more words to Lillian, she hung up the phone. Just then another call came in. Patrick Reed. ¡°Have you seen Ste?¡± he asked. ¡°She refuses to see me, Susan snapped. That ungrateful brat, I gave birth to her, and now to see her is as hard as meeting a president. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to find her?¡± she shouted. ¡°I already tried everything this afternoon.¡± Patrick was already on edge. Hearing this made him snap, too. ¡°You¡¯re the one who let things get to this point. Now you expect me to clean it up?¡± What? He thinks this is all my matter? She¡¯s my daughter alone? Susan was about to retort, but Patrick had already hung up. 4:46 PM Chapter 205 Shut Out When she arrived and said she wanted to see Ste, Ethan¡¯s brow furrowed. Jason noticed his mood and stepped forward to exin. ¡°Mr. Keene can¡¯t reach her either.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ethan can¡¯t reach her either? Finisher ¡°She blocked him after the broken engagement. None of our calls go through. And she moved. It¡¯s almost impossible to reach her now.¡± The only chance was to visit her studio, but she hadn¡¯t been theretely Unless she went back, we had no way of finding her Susan stared at Ethan in shock. She couldn¡¯t believe that Ste had cut him off sopletely. ¡°So you didn¡¯t even talk to her today?¡± Jason replied, ¡°We saw her, yes, but we barely exchanged a few words. Another wave of disbelief washed over Susan. Not even a few words? All along. I had assumed that Ste was clinging to Ethan, that this broken engagement¡± nonsense was just a tantrum. I thought Ste was just trying to force me to get rid of Lillian But now? Susan¡¯s gazended hard on Ethan. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Back at the Reed Group headquarters, it was already 9 pm, and no one had gone home. Both Patrick and Jonathan looked exhausted. They hadn¡¯t been back for several days. Patrick lit a cigarette. Jonathan held one too. I¡¯m going to Pluchville Hill, Patrick said suddenly, getting up and grabbing his suit jacket. ¡°I¡¯ming too, Jonathan added. I have to ask Ste what her endgame is. Is she really siding with the outsiders to destroy her own family? Patrick¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°For what? So you can argue with her?¡± T Patrick snapped, ¡°Have you ever acted like a brother since she came back? And now you want to interrogate her? Jonathan fell silent, his face growing even darker It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to be a good brother, but Ste never gave me the chance. She came back and turned the whole house upside Chapter 205 Shut Out Jonathan¡¯s instinct was to follow, but just then his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and saw the name Reba Zal?m, This temple immediately began to throb, Send Gifts The wrong girl 206 Chapter 206 Shattered Trust Jonathan hung up the phone. Immediately, a message came through: ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I wille to the Reed Group first thing in the morning¡± Seeing this message. Jonathan had no choice but to return the call ¡°What¡¯s going on? Thepany ¡°You were supposed to exin it to me, and now you won¡¯t even pick up the phone? What does that mean? The woman¡¯s voice was sharp and usatory,ced with hysteria. Jonathan, do you really want me and our son to live without any legitimacy? He¡¯s going to kindergarten next year; where¡¯s his household registration going to be?¡± The angry tone and the harsh words made Jonathan¡¯s headache even worse. He took a deep breath and said. ¡°There¡¯s trouble at thepany now. Let¡¯s talk about it in a few days.¡± ¡°A few days! By then you and some other woman will probably be married! Jonathan, have you forgotten your promise to me She didn¡¯t let up. Jonathan had been exhausted for the past few days and couldn¡¯t take her incessant nagging anymore. His temper finally snapped. ¡°Do you really believe in a man¡¯s promises? Reba, stop being so naive. You know exactly how the child was born. I¡¯m telling you right now, I will not marry you!¡± Jonathan Reed!¡± Her angry scream pierced the phone line, Jonathan was so annoyed that he almost ended the call immediately. But before he could. Reba¡¯sst words reached his ears, ¡°So this is your real face, huh? Just wait!¡± Jonathan hung up without a second thought, not saying another word to her. Unlike Ethan, Jonathan had always put business before women. To him, women were just distractions for fun. If they didn¡¯t obey, there was no point in having them around. Thinking of the trouble the Reed Group was in, Jonathan¡¯s frustration grew. ¡°Ste Dawson!. The words were like poison in his mouth. Ste slept soundly until 10 pm, her hunger finally waking her. The wine had worn off, and she felt parched. She groggily opened her eyes. The room was empty, so she slowly sat up and got out of bed. As she took a few steps, she heard Abraham¡¯s low voice from the balcony. Chapter 206 Shattered Trust Finished Ste had always known the dangers that surrounded the Dawson family. And with Abraham being the heir to the Luke family, his bloodline only made things moreplicated. Before she could think any further, the ss door slid open and Abraham stepped inside. His gaze softened as it met hers in the dim light. In that brief moment, the danger in his eyes vanished, reced by a warmth meant only for her. It was a quick transformation from cold to tender, and even his demeanor seemed to soften as he reached out to gently touch her flushed check. ¡°Are you awake?¡± he asked, his tone much softer than before. Her forehead was no longer hot. Ste still felt a little disoriented. Without thinking, she clung to his slender waist. ¡°Abraham ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty and hungry, Ste muttered. She had felt miserable after drinking and hadn¡¯t eaten since the afternoon. Abraham smiled softly and rubbed her hair. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°I want the steamed meat here, the fried pork, and the steamed duck,¡± she asked. Abraham chuckled. ¡°Alright.¡± Good, she can sleep through the night and still remember what she wanted to eat. He turned on the lights and found a thick coat for her. Ste zipped it up obediently as he said, ¡°It¡¯s going to snow tomorrow.¡± ¡°Really? That makes me so happy!¡± she eximed. Snow? I love it. Abraham pulled on his long ck coat, and thebination of his warmth and the dark, cool aura made him even more striking. Ste stared at him, mesmerized. Abraham turned to meet her admiring gaze, ¡°What are you staring at?¡± He spoke, and Ste immediately snapped out of it, shaking her head. ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± But then.. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your lips?¡± Noticing a wound on his lip. Ste reached out to touch it. Abraham grabbed her delicate wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t touch. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s rare for someone to hurt you in this ce. Do you have a wife?¡± The wrong girl 207 Chapter 207 Surprise Bite Ste¡¯s breathing became erratic as a thought crossed her mind. Could Abraham really be with another woman? Abraham pped her forehead sharply. ¡°What nonsense are you thinking?¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± I said something wrong? The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat,¡± she said quickly. Without his answer, she slipped her arm through his and pulled him along, perhaps because she was afraid to hear his answer. Abraham nced down at the top of her head, sensing the sudden darkness in her demeanor. Ste¡¯s nose prickled, and tears welled uncontrobly in her eyes. With a resigned smile, Abraham tilted her chin up, catching her teary eyes. ¡°Why are you upset now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± she protested, her voice thick with unshed tears. But she dared not say more. Amused by her pout, Abraham chuckled. ¡°Do you really not remember?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ste blinked, confusion clouding her misty eyes. Remember what! Abraham took her small hand and brushed it against his lips. You bit me here.¡± Ste froze. What? This I did that? ¡°Really, you don¡¯t remember?¡± Abraham pressed. A loud whoosh filled Ste¡¯s ears, and her face burned crimson. No way! I had no memory of that! Is it really? ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± she blurted out defensively. Is that really I who did it? But I had no memory about that! Is he teasing me? Abraham pinched her mouth, and Ste couldn¡¯t help herself and directly opened it. ¡°Ahh, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Let me see which little teeth are so sharp.¡± Abraham said with a smile. Ste hurriedly struggled away and closed her mouth. 4:46 PM ch Chapter 207 Surprise Bite Who can bite, that¡¯s who knows? I hadn¡¯t been at Abraham¡¯s side for years, only catching glimpses of his life from afar, mostly about his business ventures in Fleule Rumors about his private life, especially concerning women, were rare. No one dared to spread such gossip. Ste swallowed hard, her cheeks burning. Abraham decided to spare her further agony. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± he said, dropping the subject Ste didn¡¯t dare bring it up again. Finished The air on Pluelville Hill was refreshing. Abraham led the way to the restaurant, where only I done? Had I just bitten him or had I gone further? Her gaze sharpened as she scanned his expression for clues. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Abraham interrupted her thoughts. Ste fidgeted. ¡°Checking to see if you¡¯re mad.. What had I done? Had I ruined this sibling rtionship with my actions! All these years, I¡¯d kept my feelings so carefully hidden, and not¡­ this! Her mind spun with self¨Creproach. Abraham took a sip of water, his tone inscrutable. ¡°Do you think I should be angry, hmm?¡± Ste¡¯s thoughts tangled in knots. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­ I mean Her voice trailed off as she caught the icy glint in his eyes. Fear closed her throat. Had I said the wrong thing again? Tears threatened to spill. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Abraham put down his ss with a humorlessugh. ¡°So how do you want to make it up to me?¡± Ste¡¯s mind went nk. Hit, did this mean I hadn¡¯t just bitten him? Had I actually kissed him? Had the alcohol given me the courage to do what I¡¯d never dared before? Had I really jumped onto him! Ahh This The wrong girl 208 Chapter 208 A Bitter Confession Looking into Abraham¡¯s deep eyes. Ste¡¯s mind was in disarray. She couldn¡¯t see or understand the emotions that flickered across his gaze. Feeling guilty, she lowered her head. ¡°So what do you want me me to do, Abraham?¡± Argh! I felt that our rtionship was no longer pure. When Abel. Eddie, and Victor entered the room, they saw Ste sitting across from Abraham, looking like a child who had been scolded. Her head was bowed, and she looked very pitiful. Eddie stepped forward. ¡°What is this? Still scolding the child? She¡¯s all grown up now.¡± Abraham gave him a cold look. Eddie stopped mid¨Csentence, Great. Il ¡®henever Abraham scolds someone, no one can speak in defense of the child. Eddie gave Ste a sympathetic look. Ste felt even more shy when she saw them enter and didn¡¯t dare look Victor pulled her gently. ¡°Go sit next to him.¡± Ste didn¡¯t dare to move. I had assumed earlier that it was just me and Abraham, so I sat across from him.
  1. up.
When Victor saw that Ste didn¡¯t move, he didn¡¯t dare sit next to her either. Every time someone sat next to Ste, Abraham¡¯s face went cold, and no one dared to face that. ¡°You can say a few words, right? She¡¯s grown up. You can¡¯t keep scolding her, Victor said, trying to defend Ste. Seeing Ste sitting there, too scared to move, Victor sighed. Abraham¡¯s voice sounded low and deep. ¡°Come here.¡± Ste froze. His tone¡­ Is he really getting angry? Does my kiss upset him? Have I crossed some unspoken line? Guiltly, she got up and sat down next to Abraham, feeling small and helpless. Dinner arrived. Abraham and Victor had begun to talk Victor asked, ¡°When you find Lancelot, what will you do?¡± This time, Lancelot¡¯s actions had shaken the Luke family, and Abraham wasn¡¯t about to let it Abraham¡¯s eyes sharpened. He ced a piece of meat in Ste¡¯s bowl. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Chapter 208 A Bitter Confession Victor nodded and said to the waiter, ¡°Wine¡± We can¡¯t just ea eat; we have to have a good wine with it. Finished When Ste heard Victor ask for wine, she instinctively looked at Abraham. His eyebrows were knitted together, and his expression was cold. Is it because of my kiss? Or the mention of Lancelot? I¡¯m not unfamiliar with Lancelot. He had caused quite a stir in Fleute in recent years, and no one¡¯s business was safe from him. But I hadn¡¯t known that Abraham had problems with him. This was the first time they had been at odds. The wine was brought. Victor uncorked the bottle, handed it to Abraham, and poured himself a ss. When it came to Eddie and Abel, Abel refused. He had to stay alert. Seeing Abraham about to drink, Ste tensed. She tugged nervously at his sweater. Abraham looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well tonight, so I can¡¯t make you any sobering soup.¡± Victor and Eddie exchanged nces. Eddieughed. ¡°Does your brother really need sobering soup? His tolerance is over the limit. Before Eddie could continue, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg, and his teasing came to an abrupt halt. Ste looked at Eddie in confusion. What was that all about? Eddie forced a smile and looked at Abraham, who gave him another cold look. Eddie shut his mouth. What was wrong now? Why couldn¡¯t I speak freely in front of Ste? It made no sense, ¡°I know you get a fever every time, but you¡­¡± Before he could finish, another sharp pain shot through his leg! Eddie winced. ¡°.¡± Thu! Ste looked at Eddie in confusion, then at Abraham. Abraham, arms folded, stared at Eddie with cold eyes. Eddie, meeting that gaze, immediately fell silent. I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, had II was just stating the obvious. Abraham had been running a fever all the time. But it wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t been clear¨Cheaded when it happened. Ste blinked and asked him, ¡°He what?¡± Her innocent expression, coupled with Abraham¡¯s cold stare, made Eddie feel like if he said another word, Abraham would The wrong girl 209 Chapter 209 The Unwanted Confrontation Eddie winced in pain and clutched his leg. Damn, did Abraham really want to cripple me? The men continued their conversation, turning to business matters, asionally touching on arms deals or the affairs of prominent families in Fleule. Ste sat quietly beside Abraham, eating obediently as he asionally ced food in her bowl. She always finished. everything he served her during dinner. As the meal neared its end, loud voices erupted outside. ¡°It¡¯s not all my fault! You¡¯re her father too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Susan snapped. Ste nced towards the entrance and saw Susan, Patrick, Ethan, and Jason entering. Ethan¡¯s expression was grim. Patrick replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with thepany. Shouldn¡¯t you be dealing with family matters?¡± Susan shot back, I do handle them, and I always keep you informed. You never objected before!¡± The mention of Ste made both Patrick and Susan tense. Patrick exhaled sharply. ¡°So what do you suggest? Her phone is off, and Ethan said she¡¯s involved with the Luke family..¡± His words stopped abruptly when he saw Ste sitting at the table. Ste? Ste didn¡¯t spare him a second look. ¡°Star?¡± Patrick called out instinctively. Susan followed his gaze and froze, Ethan¡¯s jaw clenched when he saw Ste sitting so close to Abraham, and his fists clenched at his sides.. Patrick stepped forward. ¡°Star, I Abraham nced at Abel, and Abel immediately blocked Patrick¡¯s path. Abraham turned to Ste, his voice soft. ¡°Finished eating?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Patrick went pale as Abel held him back. ¡°Star, your father needs to speak with you!¡± But Abraham was already leading Ste away, neither of them acknowledging Patrick. Ethan, who had been looking for Abraham, stepped in front of them. ¡°Mr. Abraham, we need to talk.¡± His gaze flickered to Ste, simmering with suppressed anger, especially when he noticed Abraham¡¯s hand sping hers. Abraham¡¯s icy stare locked onto Ethan, the air between them turning frigid. 4:46 PM D Chapter 209 The Unwanted Confrontation Abraham¡¯s next words made his blood boil. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back and rest.¡± Ethan was speechless. Since when did business discussions hinge on whether Ste was tired?! What? This¡­ Patrick and Susan were also stunned. Especially Susan. Who would have thought that the girl we had once dismissed so easily now held such sway over us? Susan¡¯s chest tightened. When Ste started to leave, Patrick panicked, ¡°Star!¡± He red at Susan. ¡°Why are you just standing there?!¡± Susan snapped out of her daze and ran after Ste. Ste and Abraham had already reached the door. Susan quickly grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Star, your father and I need to talk to you.¡± They paused. Ste tilted her head ¡°Father and you?¡± Her tone dripped with mockery. Finished Susan¡¯s grip tightened nervously as she felt Abraham¡¯s dangerous aura. ¡°I¡­ I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you like this, Star.¡± Ste scoffed and tried to pull away, but Susan held on desperately. Ste raised her eyebrows. ¡°What is this about?¡± Susan pleaded, ¡°Just talk to us, please?¡± However, inside, she was seething. Send Gifts Ä¿ 606 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 210 Chapter 210 The Debt Comes Due Susan never thought Ste could have such a powerful influence. Patrick and Ethan both insisted that thepany¡¯s current crisis was her doing. How could this girl have so much power? Fighting back the difort in her chest, Susan forced herself to sound patient. ¡°Did you really cause all these problems for thepany?¡± Even with everyone pointing fingers, I refused to believe that Ste could be responsible. Ste tilted her head slightly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Susan froze. What did I think? Okay, okay. Forget it. I had to stop this immediately. ¡°Tell me what I can do to make you stop, Susan pleaded. Patrick had already scolded me several times today. I want this resolved quickly. But it was toote. The situation had escted beyond simple solutions. Ste¡¯s lips curved into an innocent smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°What do I want? Two years ago, when I told you that Lillian Reed was behind the car ident that nearly killed me, you asked what it would take for me to believe otherwise.¡± Her voice turned sweetly venomous. ¡°Madam Susan, you¡¯re just paying her debt now.¡± Lillian, that frail girl lying half¨Cdead in the hospital, wasn¡¯t even worth my attention anymore. But for all I had endured, I would collect that was owed. If the Reed family cared so much for Lillian, they could face the consequences together. Susan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°You¡­ You mean¡­. With a sharp movement, Ste shook off Susan¡¯s grip and nced at Abraham, whose expression had turned icy. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Susan instinctively reached for Ste again, two bodyguards immediately grabbed her. ¡°Star!¡± Susan¡¯s voice rose in desperation as their figures retreated. ¡°We promised to send Lillian away after she recovered! Her existence shouldn¡¯t upset you like this¡­¡± Her pleas faded into the night air, only to be met by Ste¡¯s retreat. Only when Ste and Abraham werepletely gone did Abel and the bodyguard release Susan and Patrick. Ethan stood rooted to the spot, the iciness in Ste¡¯s demeanor paralyzing him. As the group left, even Patrick¡¯s usually perfectly styled hair looked disheveled. He turned furiously toward Susan. ¡°You¡­. He wanted to ask Susan to cut all ties with Lillian immediately; Ste¡¯s anger was clearly focused on her, but Ethan¡¯s presence stopped him. I knew Ethan¡¯s feeling towards Lillian. I knew Judson was still cold to us, but the feeling Ethan had towards Lillian might still provide an opportunity to salvage our business rtionship with the Keenes Susan was originally angry enough, and now Patrick is still angry at her, which immediately causes an argument between them. ¡°I didn¡¯t treat her well? Was 1 bad to her when I started? Can she afford to be good to me for her?¡± Their argument faded into the distance as Ethan abruptly turned and walked away, Jason hurrying after him. ¡°Mr. Keene,¡± Jason asked nervously, ¡°what are we going to do?¡± Mr. Judson¡¯s ultimatum, to secure Abraham¡¯s cooperation, now seemed impossible. Abraham had dismissed Mr. Keene without hesitation, putting Ste¡¯sfort ahead of important business discussions. Ethan stopped walking and closed his eyes for a moment, ¡°What can we do? Now that Ste¡­ Talking to Ste, Ethan didn¡¯t know how to continue it It¡¯s clear that now everything depends on Ste. His phone suddenly vibrated. An email from Tower, the butler serving Judson. As Ethan read the message, his pupils dted and his breathing becamebored. Jason frowned in concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ethan¡¯s grip on the phone turned bone white. ¡°Ste¡± he said hoarsely, ¡°was raised by the Luke family? The wrong girl 211 Chapter 211 Shattered Illusions Jason stared, dumbfounded. Wait, what¡­!? Hadn¡¯t they always said she grew up in the countryside? Raised by some rural folks, taught to be rough and uncultured? How could this be¡­? ¡°Is the information reliable?¡± Jason asked instinctively. She grew up in the Luke family. Which meant her rtionship with Mr. Abraham¨Ccould it be that they were siblings? Mr. Abraham¡¯s sister Jason felt like his brain short¨Ccircuited. Ethan¡¯s gaze tightened as he looked at Jason, who could only stammer. ¡°This¡­?¡± Ethan said coldly, ¡°It came from Tower.¡± Jason froze. Tower himself had investigated? Then it had to be true. But if that was the case¡­ what about all the conflicts Ethan had had with Mr. Abraham before? ¡°Sir, those arguments you had with Mr. Abraham, all those things you said¡­ Jason trailed off, unable to go on.. Thinking about it now, everything that had happened¨Cwhat a mess. Mr. Abraham turned out to be Ms. Ste¡¯s brother? Ethan¡¯s breathing grew unsteady. ¡°Enough.¡± His face, already grim, darkened even further. He remembered the things he¡¯d said at Kingston Heights, and outside her studio¨Cthe insults, the usations he¡¯d thrown at them about their dirty rtionship. Ethan raked a hand through his hair, furious at himself. How many stupid things had I done¡­? Over at the wooden house, The moment they walked in, Abraham grabbed Ste, his hands gripping her small shoulders tightly. The force was a little too much. Meeting his serious gaze, Ste¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Did you get into a car ident when you first came to Rivermount?¡± Abraham asked. Meanwhile, over at Pluchville Hill, Patrick and Susan were arguing fiercely. Susan was still worried about Lilian back at the hospital. She wanted to hurry back. But right now, solving the Reed Group mess depended entirely on Ste. They couldn¡¯t even get a meeting with her. Patrick med everything on Susan, to the point that Susan wasn¡¯t even allowed to leave. At one in the morning, neither of them had slept, both still stewing over how to meet with Ste. Suddenly, Susan¡¯s phone buzzed¨Cit was a call from one of the hospital aides. She instinctively looked at Patrick. Patrick¡¯s face was tired and irritated. Was it him? Susan¡¯s breathing grew shaky. Before she could ask, Christine continued, ¡°Miss Lilian is in a lot of pain. I went to get her some painkillers, but the night- shift doctors who used to stay behind for her¨Cnone of them are here tonight.¡± Susan¡¯s face turnedpletely dark. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± All gone? What was that supposed to mean? She had paid the hospital a fortune, and this was how they handled things? Christine said, ¡°And the nurses said¡­ you need toe tomorrow morning to process Miss Lilian¡¯s discharge.¡± They said ¡®discharge,¡± but based on the nurse¡¯s attitude, it was clear¨Cthey were being kicked out. ¡°Discharge? What the hell do they mean?!¡± Susan¡¯s vision darkened, her chest heaving in anger. Christine said more over the phone, making it clear¨CLilian¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good, and the hospital¡¯s attitude had gone ice cold. In other words, they wanted them out. Susan hurriedly instructed, ¡°Stay with her. I¡¯ll be back right away.¡± She hung up and red at Patrick. ¡°You did this, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Patrick snapped, clearly annoyed, but clueless about what she meant. ¡°You gave up Lilian for Ste¡¯s sake! She¡¯s still sick, and you pulled her entire medical team away. You¡¯re trying to kill her, aren¡¯t you?!! The more Susan said, the angrier she got Patrick stared at her,pletely lost. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Seeing his genuine confusion, Susan¡¯s heart dropped. He hadn¡¯t done it. They had been together all night¨Che hadn¡¯t arranged anything. And honestly, he didn¡¯t have the power to pull something like that off. ¡°Could it be the Keene family?¡± she whispered. The Keene family. Thinking about how Madeline had been treating Liliantely, Susan realized¡­ it was entirely possible. The wrong girl 212 Chapter 212 Lines Crossed After thinking it through, Susan realized- The Keene family absolutely had the ability to pull something like this off. The thought made her chest tighten. ¡°Madeline is insane,¡± she muttered under her breath. Frantic, Susan rushed to find Ethan. Ethan hadn¡¯t slept either. Between the shocking news about Ste and Abraham¡¯s rtionship, and everything happening with the Reed Group, he was barely holding it together. When Susan found him and exined the situation, Ethan¡¯s expression froze. ¡°The entire medical team was pulled?¡± he repeated. ¡°Exactly! How could your mother do this? Lilian¡¯s so sick. Is she trying to kill her?¡± Hearing that Lilian¡¯s expert team had been dismissed and the hospital was pushing for discharge by morning, a sh of anger crossed Ethan¡¯s eyes. He immediately called Madeline. The line didn¡¯t go through. He tried again¨Cstill nothing. Finally, he called the house phone. The housekeeper answered nervously. ¡°Sir, it¡¯ste¡­ Madam is-¡± ¡°Wake her up,¡± Ethan said coldly, his voice sharp as a knife. The housekeeper hesitated but had no choice. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get her.¡± About ten minutester, a groggy, irritated Madeline came on the line. ¡°Ethan, are you crazy?!¡± Dragging her out of bed in the middle of the night? What was wrong with him? ¡°Lilian¡¯s medical team. You pulled them?¡± Ethan asked directly, his voice tight with restraint. ¡°What?¡± Chapter ¡°Are you insane?¡± Madeline snapped, furious. ¡°Mother¨C1¡± ¡°How much longer do you think she¡¯s going to live anyway? What¡¯s the point of wasting time and money on her?¡± Madeline barked,pletely unfiltered. She unleashed a tirade at Ethan, then hung up without another word. Listening to the dead tone on the line, Ethan clenched his jaw and looked at Susan. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her. Judging by Madeline¡¯s reaction, she hadn¡¯t done it. ¡°Then who?¡± Susan demanded. If not Madeline, who else wanted Lilian dead? Then a horrifying thought struck her. Ste. Susan¡¯s face went pale¡± Ste. It has to be her. It¡¯s definitely her!¡± The one who brought the Reed Group to its knees¨Cwho else could have the means and. motive to deal with Lilian? The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. Hearing that name, Ethan¡¯s aura grew even colder. Susanpletely lost it. ¡°Ethan, you have to save Lilian! That Ste¨Cwhat more does she want?!¡± Destroying the Reed Group wasn¡¯t enough? She was really going to let Lilian die? Ethan said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± But inside, he was barely containing his rage. Only now did Susan truly realize what kind of threat Ste had be. She had always thought Ste was nothing¨Ca girl raised by some backwater family, 274 And yet now, she¡­ Susan¡¯s face drained of all color. ¡°Go back for now,¡± Ethan said. ¡°But the hospital¡­ they¡¯re forcing Lilian out first thing in the morning. Ethan, they¡¯re going to let her die!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ethan nodded grimly. It took him a while to calm Susan enough to get her to leave. Once Once she was gone, he summoned Jason. ¡°Where are Ste and Mr. Abraham staying?¡± ¡°At the wooden lodge halfway up the mountain,¡± Jason replied. The wooden lodge. A ce never open to outsiders. Of course the Luke family¡¯s heir would have the best of everything, wherever they went. And Ste¡­ The thought of her growing up in the Luke family¡¯s inner circle made Ethan feel suffocated. He hadn¡¯t even had time to tell Susan about that yet. First, he needed to deal with Lilian. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ethan grabbed his coat and headed out. Jason looked at him, bewildered. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Surely not to find Ste? At this hour? And Mr. Abraham was there too- Was he nning to get himself killed? Meanwhile, at the lodge. back. After Abraham received a call and left, she curled up in bed, drifting in and out of sleep. Every time she drank, her body would go limp and sluggish, her spirit too drained to fight it. Half¨Casleep, she vaguely heard someone calling her outside. But she was too tired. She turned over and sank deeper into sleep. Downstairs, Ethan was already shouting for her. Jason, panicked, whispered, ¡°Sir, if you keep shouting, you¡¯re going to piss off Mr. Abraham!¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What else do you suggest?¡± Send Gifts 674 O The wrong girl 213 Chapter 213 A Dangerous Encounter The incident at the hospital had clearly been orchestrated by Ste, but right now, he couldn¡¯t even get through to her phone. Other than shouting, there was really nothing else he could do, ¡°Ste¡°¡± he yelled loudly. Jason stood off to the side, silent. Tonight really felt like it was going to be the end. Ethan kept shouting for three minutes straight without any response, which only made him even angrier. Just as he was about to yell again, the sound of a car engine suddenly came from behind, its headlights cutting through the Ethan turned around and saw Abel getting out of the car and respectfully opening the door for the man in the back seat. Abraham stepped out, cold and imposing, with Victor following close behind. Ethan froze. Jason froze too. This is it. We¡¯re dead. The moment Abraham saw Ethan standing there, the coldness in his eyes deepened, a sh of danger passing through them. In a chilling voice. Abraham asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ethan pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes quickly scanning Abraham. When his gazended on the bloodstains on the scarf around Abraham¡¯s neck, Ethan¡¯s breathing stalled. Jason had noticed the blood too. At this moment, even though Abraham wasn¡¯t saying a word, the air around him was thick with danger. It felt like pure, unfiltered killing intent. Seeing Ethan stay silent, Abraham shot him a dangerous look: ¡°Here to bother Ste?¡± Ethan stapped back to his senses and instinctively held his breath. ¡°I have something I need to ask her.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He took long strides toward Ethan. The oppressive force rolling off him made even Ethan subconsciously step back half a step. Ethan was tall himself, about six¨Cfoot¨Cone, but standing in front of Abraham, who was easily over six¨Cfoot¨Cthree, he could clearly feel the pressureing off him Especially now that the distance between them was so close. Ethan could smell the mixture of blood and alcohol clinging to Abraham, and he caught the unsettling red tint in his eyes, He lifted his head, his breathing uneven ¡°Mr. Abraham, there were some things between us before- Before he could finish, Abraham suddenly reached out and grabbed Ethan by the throat. Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. Jason gasped. ¡°Sir!¡± The air around Abraham was thick with murderous intent. ¡°Who gave you the nerve to keep bothering her? Hm?¡± His hand tightened around Ethan¡¯s neck, cutting off his air and leaving him limp and powerless. Jason saw the sh of killing intent in Abraham¡¯s eyes and broke out into a cold sweat. He threw himself forward and grabbed Abraham¡¯s wrist. ¡°Mr. Abraham, it was all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!¡± Abraham¡¯s cold gaze was full of danger. His thin lips parted slightly, spitting out two words. ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± At this point, Ethan could genuinely feel that Abraham wanted him dead. He closed his eyes and forced out three words with difficulty. ¡°Yes, a misunderstanding¡± The moment the words left his mouth, Ethan was overwhelmed by a wave of humiliation. In Rivermount, no one had ever dared treat him like this. Abraham had already been furious tonight, and now that Ethan had thrown himself into his path, that fury exploded. Abraham¡¯s grip kept tightening, and Ethan started to feel the distinct sensation of death creeping in. He instinctively tried to fight back, but it was useless Abraham¡¯s strength had drained himpletely. Jason¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°Mr. Abraham!¡° Is tonight really the end for ust Just as Jason was panicking and drenched in sweat, Victor stepped forward and leaned close to Abraham¡¯s car, whispering, ¡°After that matter is settled, you can deal with him then?¡± After all, Ethan was Judson¡¯s only son. If Abraham killed him, even if it was suicidal, Judson would surely retaliate. Abraham understood what Victor was getting at. He let out a cold chuckle. ¡°You think the Keene family amounts to anything?¡± ¨C Those words the Keene family amounts to nothing¨Cmade Jason¡¯s heart drop to the floor. Ethan¡¯s face had already turned purple. He looked at Abraham, his eyes now burning with anger. In Rivermount, no one had ever dared to look down on the Keene family like this. And yet Abraham¡­ but then he remembered who Abraham was. Ethan¡¯s breathing grew even more ragged. Victor spoke up again. ¡°True, they don¡¯t amount to much, but that matter is more important.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed. He gave a cold snort and flung Ethan aside. Victor was right. Whether it was the Keene family or the Reed family, they were nothing but struggling remnants. Especially the Reed family, barely managing to cling to life. Finally able to breathe again, Ethan gasped for air and lifted his head to re at Abraham. The wrong girl 214 Chapter 214 A Brewing Storm. Abraham slowly adjusted his cufflinks. ¡°If you dare bother her again, I¡¯ll take your life too.¡± Each word wasced with dangerous threat. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. He knew Abraham wasn¡¯t joking. Abraham turned and walked inside. Abel hurried to follow, and Victor, lingering behind, nced at Ethan before stepping forward to pat his shoulder. ¡°Mr. Ethan, for your own sake, be smarter. Coming after Ste when Abraham was around that was pure suicide. If Victor hadn¡¯t stepped in just now, Abraham really would have killed Ethan. Victor followed them inside too. Only Ethan and Jason were left outside. Jason quickly ran over to help Ethan up. ¡°Sir!¡± Ethan closed his eyes, his fists clenching tightly, his entire body trembling with rage. As soon as Abraham entered the small building, he mmed the door shut behind him, leaving Abel locked outside. If Abel hadn¡¯t dodged fast enough, the door would have mmed right into his face. Victor caught up. ¡°Should we call Eddie?¡± Abel stiffened slightly, remembering the suspicious drink Abraham had earlier. He hurriedly pulled out his phone to call Eddie, but then hesitated, thinking about the way Abraham had just mmed the door on him. What did that mean? Abel looked at Victor. ¡°We should probably ask Abraham first.¡± Victor stared at him. What the bell? ¡°You think we need to ask? You think he can handle this alone? Damn that Lancelot, daring to drug him his right¨Chand man tonight¡± Victor practically gritted his teeth as he spoke. Abraham had been drugged, wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened, but Eddie had always been there before. Abel thought for a moment, then dialed Abraham¡¯s number. The call connected quickly, and Abel rushed to ask, ¡°Abraham, should we call Eddie over?¡± ¡°Gel lost.¡± Abel froze. ¨C he deserved to lose Abel stiffly replied, ¡°He told me to get lost.¡± Victor¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You really think he can handle it? This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± That drug wasn¡¯t anything mild this was serious. Before Victor could say more, Abel turned and walked away so fast he was practically running. Victor stood there muttering. ¡°You think Ste¡¯s remedy can fix this?¡± Seeing Abel just take off without saying a word left him uneasy. After thinking it over, Victor pulled out his phone and called Eddie himself. Upstairs. Ste was half¨Casleep, feeling as if a pair of eyes were burning into her from the darkness. The gaze was so intense that even in her dreams, she couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully. Groggily opening her eyes, she saw Abraham sitting at the edge of her bed. Under the dim light, his expression was dark and brooding, carrying a faint but unmistakable aggression. Ste jolted awake and sat up in bed. ¡°Abraham, what¡¯s wrong?¡± What was he doing sitting at her bedside in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? And why did his eyes look so strange? She crawled closer to him and reached out, touching his forehead. It was burning hot. Even the skin on his face radiated heat. With them so close, Ste clearly smelled the strong mix of blood and alcohol on him. ¡°Abraham, you.. where were you drinking? And you¡¯re hurt too?¡± The thick scent of blood sent a jolt of panic through her, and worry quickly filled her eyes. She hurried to turn on the bedsidemp, But before she could even reach the switch, arge hand wrapped firmly around her slim waist. Before Ste could react, he pulled her down onto the bed. ¡°Abraham! She cried out in shock. She instinctively tried to get up, but Abraham leaned over her. Wearing only a thin silk nightgown, she could feel his burning chest pressing against her back the moment he got close. She could clearly feel the intense heat radiating off him. And the hard, solid muscles of his chest¨Cclose enough to leave no doubt about their strength. Ste¡¯s mind stalled. ¡°You¡­ what are you doing?¡± dated to town over and grab The wrong girl 215 the phone to call Eddie. 674 Chapter 215 No Turning Back Just as she flipped over, his burning palm cupped her face. A possessive kiss crashed down on her. His breath was scorching, and even his lips felt searing hot. Ste¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, her breathing tightening. ¡°Abraham, wake up, you- you need to wake up¡­.¡± But the rest of her words were swallowed by him. ¨C And with them, not just Abraham¡¯s rationality disappeared so did Ste¡¯s. Her own reason was teetering on the edge. Ste had always liked Abraham. She didn¡¯t even know when her feelings had crossed the line from siblings to something else. The affection that had built up over the years had long since sunk into her bones. Looking into Abraham¡¯s slightly dazed eyes, Ste¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Abraham.¡± If he were sober, then maybe¡­ But he wasn¡¯t. Especially after drinking- he never remembered anything afterward. If something really happened between them now, even if he was the one taking the initiative, she would still feel like she was taking advantage of him. ¡°I¡¯m not that noble, but you have to wake up, you have to stop,¡± she whimpered. But the next second, he easily pinned her hands above her head. The moment her nightgown was pushed up, Ste felt her blood freeze. She grabbed onto his strong wrist ¡°Abraham.¡± But a secondter, he seized her handpletely, leaving her no room to struggle. The heat pouring off his body filled the entire room, thick and suffocating. The air itself seemed drenched in desire, and Ste¡¯s breathing grew more and more frantic. ¡°Ste, be good,¡± he said, his deep voice rough and husky. The moment she heard him say her name, Ste¡¯s mind buzzed. He knew. He knew it was her. ¨C Ste¡¯s misty eyes looked up at Abraham¡¯s face the only face she had ever thought of as truly beautiful, unmatched by anyone else. ¡°Abraham..¡± she whispered. And in that instant, her reasonpletely snapped. Abraham held one of her wrists, his other hand slowly tracing the contours of her face. ¡°So good, he murmured. It was a sleepless night. By six in the morning. Ste sat on the bed, staring nkly at the sleeping Abraham. She looked down at her chest and arms. The bruises scattered across her skin told the story of how wild the night had been. She exhaled a long breath. What have I done? Her gaze fell on the gray scarf tangled in the mess of the bed sheets. It was Abraham¡¯s and the dried bloodstains on it only hammered the truth of what had happened deeper into her mind. Ste covered her face. Tin doomed, she muttered. Panic saw that it was Eddie calling. She nced at Abraham, still sound asleep, then hurried into the bathroom to answer. ¡°Eddie.¡± Eddie¡¯s frantic voice exploded through the phone. ¡®Are you all dead in there? I¡¯ve been ringing the doorbell nonstop! How¡¯s your brother?¡± Ste fell silent. How is hel Looking at the marks on her neck in the mirror, she nearly broke down all over again. I really did it¡­ I really did something with Abraham¡­ What am I supposed to do? ¡°Ste: Ste?! ¡°Ah- I¡¯m asking how your brother is! Victor said someone drugged him!¡± Ste¡¯s breath hitched. So it really was a drug If he was this out of it just from drinking, and he¡¯d been drugged too¡­ then he definitely wouldn¡¯t remember anything. Thinking about how Abraham probably wouldn¡¯t remember a thing from even know whether to feel relieved or devastated. Her whole world felt like it had exploded. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I found some medicine and gave it to him,¡± she quickly made up a lie. Eddie sounded doubtful. ¡°Medicine? Where¡¯d you find that?¡± Who would just have that kind of antidote lying around? And besides, they were staying at Pluehville Hill ¨C not exactly home base. The wrong girl 216 Chapter 216 Nothing Can Be Hidden Eddie said. ¡°There was something like that in the first aid kit?¡± ¡°Yeah, there was, Ste insisted. She tried her best to sound serious¨Cso serious that even she almost believed it herself. Eddie said, ¡°Open the door. Let me see him. And don¡¯t mess around.¡± Ste fell silent. Already messed around¡­. ¡°Wait a second. I¡¯ming She hung up the phone and looked at herself in the mirror again, feeling like she was about to lose her mind. pping her cheeks, she muttered, ¡°Oh my god, what am I gonna do? What am I supposed to do?¡± How did it evene to this? No¨Cthis¡­ Does this count as taking advantage of him? After all, he wasn¡¯t even conscious¡­ At this point, Ste¡¯s mind waspletely nk She quietly opened the bathroom door and poked her head out to peek at the bed. Abraham was still in the same position, clearly exhausted. Well, yeah, after two hours¡­ Her legs still felt like they were falling apart¨Caching, sore. Honestly, I¡¯m the one who needs a doctor now. Even though she knew Abraham probably wouldn¡¯t wake up easily, Ste stil tiptoed around, quickly getting dressed. She even gently tidied Abraham up a little. Finally, she grabbed the gray scarf, hid it in the bathroom, and straightened up the room as much as she could. When she opened the door, she found Eddie standing there, rubbing his hands to keep warm, clearly having waited a while. He immediately noticed Ste bundled up in a thick bathrobe with a fuzzy scarf around her neck. Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What¡¯s with this outfit?¡± Who sleeps dressed like that? ¡°I get cold, okay?¡± Ste said stiffly. Eddie was speechless. Getting cold would make sense if you hadn¡¯t even g even gotten out of bed yet. Though he found it strange, Eddie didn¡¯t press her. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother!¡± No way not to ask now. Ste was starting to feel guilty under his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just, you know, he came in, passed out drunk, and I couldn¡¯t move him, she said, trying to sound casual. Even she didn¡¯t fully believe it, but she forced herself to stick to the story. Eddie said nothing, just stared at her silently. His look made Ste¡¯s heart pound with nerves. Suddenly, Eddie took a step forward and reached for the scarf around her neck. Ste gasped and immediately grabbed the scarf tightly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± No way does he really suspect something? If Eddie¡¯s suspicions, what happens when Abraham wakes up? Thinking of that, Ste¡¯s breathing grew even more unsteady. She was terrified. Eddie said. ¡°You know what kind of drug it was, right? You get how serious it was?¡± Does she really think she can just bluff her way through! ¡°I know! Didn¡¯t I tell you? I found medicine and gave it to him,¡± Ste said quickly, trying to sound confident even though her heart was racing ur neck But Eddie wasn¡¯t giving up. Let me see your You- ¡°Come on, let me sec, he insisted. Ste was practically shaking. In this how people die of lieart attacks! Because I swear I¡¯m about to heel ver She pped Eddie¡¯s hand away. ¡°What are you looking at? You trying to harass me? I¡¯ll tell my brother!¡± she shapped. Eddie snorted. ¡°Hey, you little brat, let me tell you- ¡°What are you even talking about? Are you going to check on him or not? I wanna go back to sleep. She was truly exhausted. Though honestly, after all this drama, her sleepiness had been scared awaypletely. Eddie gave her one list look, then nced up toward the stairs. Finally, he just sighed and headed upstairs. Seeing him finally give up, Ste let out a huge breath of relief But thinking about the look he gave her earlier, she felt like her heart was sinking fast. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s really over Following close behind Eddie up the stairs, they entered the room¨Conly to find Abraham awake. He was sitting on the bed, smoking a cigarette, 2/3 The nket had slipped down to his waist, and his robe was slightly open, revealing a faint scratch across his chest. Eddie froze. His breathing instantly tightened. And Ste wasn¡¯t doing any better. Wait that mark ¨C where did ite from? I don¡¯t remember scratching his chest¡­ How did that happen? In the instant their eyes met, Ste felt her heart tremble uncontrobly. Eddie swallowed hard and nced at Ste again. Ste felt like she was about to lose her mind under that look. The wrong girl 217 Chapter 217 ¨C Under His Gaze ¡°Hurry up and check him, Ste said Wat he here to check Abraham? Why was he staring at her? Eddie¡¯s mind was spinning. He nced at Abraham¡¯s face. By now, there were no longer any signs of the drug¡¯s effects. Their eyes met, and when Eddie caught the hint of coldness in Abraham¡¯s gaze, his brain wentpletely nk. When did I ever offend this living god? ¡°Victor said someone drugged you?¡± Eddie asked carefully. Abraham stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and gave a faint ¡°Mm ¡°And how do you feel now?¡± Eddie pressed. ¡°Feels like my body¡¯s a bit weak, no strength.¡± Ste¡¯s heart jumped straight to her throat. No way¡­ No way! Eddie, hearing Abraham say he felt weak, shot another look at Ste. Ste, already riddled with guilt, nearly copsed under that nce. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± she snapped. ¡°Maybe the drug was just too strong?¡± Eddie didn¡¯t reply. Ste hurried to add, ¡°The drug was strong, and the antidote was strong too?¡± Would that exnation fly? Eddie and Abraham both stared at her without saying a word. Facing theirbined gaze, Ste¡¯s hands, hidden inside her sleeves, clenched tightly. She stammered, ¡°Since my brother¡¯s fine now, Eddie, why don¡¯t you head back? I¡¯m still really tired and want to sleep some more. There¡¯s no way I can let Eddie stay here. I can barely deal with this on my own¨Cif he keeps digging. I¡¯ll be exposed for sure! Eddie narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re trying to kick me out?¡± Her reaction was so obvious he didn¡¯t believe for a second that she was innocent. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡± ¡°You can head back, Abraham interrupted before she could finish. Eddie nced at Abraham, wanting to say more, but Abraham simply gave him a look that said shut up. silent. Eddie was st Why am I always the idiot here? Grabbing his things, Eddie turned and headed for the door. Seeing him leave, Ste finally felt the huge weight on her heart case a little. But then Eddie, like he was out to ruin her life, turned around at the door. ¡°Are you sure there aren¡¯t any other symptoms?¡± The stone in Ste¡¯s chest mmed right back into ce. Seriously, I¡¯m gonna kill him! ¡°What symptoms could there be? Didn¡¯t I already say I gave him the antidote?¡± she snapped, The way she said it made it seem like if Eddie said one more word, she might actually hit him. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. Can¡¯t I ask about his condition? That wasn¡¯t some mild drug. There could be side effects. What¡¯s wrong with me asking?¡± Eddie argued. Only asking? Ste wanted to scream. The way you¡¯re asking is so full of implications it¡¯s unbearable! Eddie¡¯s eyes fell on the scarf still wrapped tightly around Ste¡¯s neck. I mean, you ¡°Eddie. Abraham¡¯s cold voice cut him off. The moment Eddie met Abraham¡¯s deep, sharp eyes, his brain finally clicked into gear. Right. He¡¯s about to discipline someone. They were all adults if Eddie couldn¡¯t read the mood now, he¡¯d be an idiot. Eddie left Finally, it was just Ste and Abraham in the room Ste was so nervous she thought her heart might leap out of her chest. ¡°Do you feel ufortable anywhere else?¡± she asked, trying her best to keep her voice calm. Abraham¡¯s dark gaze lingered on her. When he didn¡¯t answer, Ste cautiously looked up at him. Their eyes met, and her heart gave a fierce jolt. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she asked, panicking. When Abraham got serious, he was terrifying. Even though she had grown up by his side, Ste couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid of him. ¡°Come here,¡± Abraham said. Ste froze. She was scared out of her mind, but when faced with Abraham¡¯s more she could feel the overwhelming pressureing off him. Ste stopped a few feet away, too afraid to get any closer. ¡°Are you still feeling unwell anywhere?¡± The moment the words left her mouth, Abraham¡¯s burning hand shot out and caught her wrist The wrong girl 218 Chapter 218 Barely Holding It Together Before she could react, he pulled her straight down onto the bed.. Ste¡¯s breathing faltered uncontrobly. ¡°Abraham, you- ¡°Ste, how did I get hurt here? Hm?¡± Abraham tugged open the cor of his robe, exposing the long, ring scratch marks across his chest. All the blood in Ste¡¯s body seemed to freeze on the spot. No way¡­ I really didn¡¯t scratch him! So where did all those scratches from?! ¡°Yeah, how did that happen?¡± she said, forcing herself to look innocent as she stared at Abraham. Abraham grabbed her hand, lifting it up to inspect it. Seeing him focus on her nails, Ste panicked even more, even though she knew she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back. ¡°Uh, maybe you fell?¡± ¡°Fell and got scratches like this? And this many?¡± Ste said nothing. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Abraham¡¯s chest again those marks definitely looked like scratches. Even I don¡¯t believe that excuse¡­ Ste felt like crying. ¡°Then how did I get hurt?¡± he pressed. I really was careful! Even when things got intense, she was sure she hadn¡¯t scratched him. So how had he ended up like this? Abraham¡¯s voice broke through her daze. ¡°Why was I in your room?¡± Even harder to exin¡­ Wait, why was he asking that? Did that mean¡­ he didn¡¯t remember? At that thought, Ste¡¯s heart grew unsettled. -but also slightly relieved. It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t remember. If he did, I¡¯d have no way to exin anything. Before she could answer, Abraham spoke again. ¡°Why are you wearing a scarf?¡± As he said it, he instinctively reached out to pull it off. Ste panicked and clutched it tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t -I¡¯m cold.¡± Everything was a mess now. After everything that had happened, her brain was aplete wreck. She looked at Abraham. again. Whatever was hidden behind his deep, unreadable gaze, she couldn¡¯t make out anymore. Her mind was simply too overwhelmed. ¡°Um, well, since you¡¯re awake now, why don¡¯t you head back to your room?¡± She stumbled over her words. At this point, even stringing together aplete sentence felt impossible. All she wanted was to get Abraham out of her room and fast. Earlier, she¡¯d only cleaned up the mess in a panic.. If he stayed any longer, he might notice something suspicious. Just thinking about it made her brain short¨Ccircuit. ¡°Can you go back to your room?¡± she practically begged. Good grief, please leave. If you stay any longer, my heart¡¯s really going to give out! Abraham asked, ¡°You seem pretty eager for me to leave?¡± Ste clenched her fists. Forget a temper ¨C under this pressure, it¡¯s about to vanish . ¡°What do you mean? Shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping at this hour?¡± she snapped. ¡°Sleeping?¡± was sheer panic. She really didn¡¯t want to face Abraham right now. Thankfully, Abraham didn¡¯t push her further. He nodded, lifted the covers, and got out of bed. Ste finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he was about to leave. But then, Abraham cupped her small face in his hands. His handsome face loomed closer, and Ste¡¯s breathing caught. She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. Instead of what she feared, a soft kissnded gently on her forehead. Abraham¡¯s low chuckle followed. ¡°Why are you closing your eyes? Hm?¡± Ste¡¯s mind buzzed and her face flushed bright red. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m just so tired I could fall asleep standing up, you know?¡± Abraham chuckled. ¡°Then go sleep.¡± Finally, he left. The moment the door shut behind him, Ste felt like all the strength had drained from her body. Only then did she realize her back waspletely soaked with cold sweat. First Eddie had scared her half to death, then Abraham¡­ Ste stomped her foot in frustration and let out a muffled cry before diving under the covers. The bed still carried Abraham¡¯s lingering scent along with a faint trace of the wild atmosphere fromst night. Ste punched the bed in frustration, wishing she could just dig a hole and hide forever. But she didn¡¯t dare fall asleep yet. The room had been dim earlier, so Abraham probably hadn¡¯t noticed anything suspicious. She needed to get up and clean properly. And then there was that scarf hidden in the bathroom¡­. ¡°Ahhh-¡± The wrong girl 219 Chapter 219 No More Hiding Ste let out another scream, sprang up, and turned on the light. The moment her feet touched the floor, a sharp ache shot through her legs. It hurts. With the drug in his system, Abraham had lost all control, and the night had felt like being imed by a wild beast. Ste gritted her teeth through the soreness and forced herself to clean the room, wiping away every trace that could betray what had happened. Finally, she made her way to the bathroom. Just as she retrieved the bloodstained scarf, there was a knock at the door. Dragging her aching legs to the door, Ste realized how much her body hurt now that the adrenaline from dealing with Eddie and Abraham had worn off. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Abraham¡¯s voice came from outside. The moment she heard it, Ste¡¯s barely settled heart seized up again. ¡°Wh¨Cwhat¡¯s wrong?¡± Abraham said, ¡°The shower in my room¡¯s broken. I¡¯ming in to take a shower.¡± Ste froze. No way¡­ ncing at the scarf in her hand, panic gripped her. ¡°You¨Cyou- you wait a second!¡± Ignoring the pain shooting through her legs, she rushed back to the bathroom to hide the scarf. Only after everything was hidden away did she finally open the door. Abraham stood there, his gaze lingering meaningfully on the scarf still wrapped around. her neck. Ste fell silent. Is this scarf going to be the death of me tonight? And whose fault was it that she couldn¡¯t show her neck for the next week? Seeing her stay silent, Abraham reached out to remove the scarf. But Ste, nimble as a monkey, dodged away in a sh. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m cold,¡± she said stiffly. Ask me again, and it¡¯ll still be because I¡¯m cold. She couldn¡¯t think of any other excuse. Abraham said, ¡°Cold, or¡­¡± He suddenly paused mid¨Csentence, looking at her with a faint, knowing smile. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not hurt?¡± Ste froze. The breath caught painfully in her throat. Her already sluggish brainpletely short¨Ccircuited ¡°Ah? N¨Cno, I¡¯m not,¡± she stammered. For a moment, she actually doubted whether Abraham had really forgotten. But the thought passed quickly. Every time he drank, he forgot everything that happened afterwardpletely. ¨C Andst night, he¡¯d been both drunk and drugged. How could he possibly remember? ¡°Not hurt?¡± Abraham asked again. Ste nodded fiercely. ¡°Nope! Anyway, I¡¯m going to sleep now and shower!¡± ¨C you should hurry up Abraham watched her scamper back to bed and dive under the covers, the amusement in his smile growing even stronger. ¡°Sleeping like that isn¡¯t good for you. You¡¯ll overheat.¡± With that, he turned and headed into the bathroom. Only when she heard the rush of water did Ste dare to peek her head out from under the covers. Oh God, am I seriously going to have to wear a scarf for a whole week? And if Abraham keeps asking about it every day, how long can I hold up? Once was terrifying enough. And then there was Eddie Ste trusted his skills as a doctor, but his emotional intelligence was seriouslycking. The more you wanted to avoid the harder he would push. Thinking of the ugly bruises she had seen earlier in the mirror, Ste couldn¡¯t help letting out another miserable whine. What am I going to do? Maybe I could tell Abraham I need to go back back to Fleule early? Say I miss Mom and Ms. Marie? No, that wouldn¡¯t work. If her mom asked questions, how could she exin? She couldn¡¯t exactly say, The daughter you raised like your own just slept with your son. She¡¯d be thrown out of the family for sure. Ste¡¯s head felt like it was about to explode. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Abraham¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Ste, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Confused, Ste lifted the covers and looked over. There, in Abraham¡¯s hand, was the scarf she had hidden the bloodstained one. She stared in horror at the scarf, at the ring red stains on it. Abraham nced down at the blood. He frowned. ¡°This is my scarf, right? How did it get blood on it? What happened?¡± Ste sat there, speechless. The wrong girl 220 Chapter 220 Trapped by Lies Her mind had already been barely functioning. Now, hearing Abraham actually ask how it happened, Ste felt like she couldn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°Um, uh¡­¡± No matter how smart she usually was, right now, she couldn¡¯te up with a single. good excuse. Ugh, this is a disaster.. Wait, she suddenly thought of something: ¡°It was a nosebleed.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± Ste nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah, a nosebleed. When I was helping you, I identally bumped into something and got a nosebleed. It got on the scarf.¡± Would that work? She just didn¡¯t know if Abraham would actually buy it. Abraham arched his brow, a look in his deep eyes that Ste couldn¡¯t read. ¡°Nosebleed?¡± She swallowed hard. ¡°Yeah, nosebleed.¡± Absolutely. It was a nosebleed. What else could it be?! Facing Abraham¡¯s stare, Ste felt like she was suffocating. Without saying a word, Abraham strode forward and scooped her up from the bed. He pinched her nose lightly, a rare trace of indulgence in his actions. ¡°Got a nosebleed. huh?¡± ¡°I already wiped it clean,¡± Ste mumbled, heart pounding wildly. She struggled to wriggle out of his grasp. More like scared to death! If he kept pressing her like this, she was seriously going to die of fear. But because of her sudden movement, the scarf around her neck loosened. Therge patches of bruising immediately caught Abraham¡¯s sharp gaze. His deep eyes darkened. ¡°What happened to your neck?¡± Ste froze. It was like her mind exploded with a loud bang.Please just stop asking! ¨C Dear God, if I¡¯vemitted a crime, send the police after me don¡¯t keep torturing me like this! ¨C After spending the entire night making up excuses, Ste now found herselfpletely speechless. She cautiously met Abraham¡¯s gaze. ¡°Abraham,¡± she whispered. ¡°What is it?¡± His warm fingers lightly brushed the bruises on her neck. The heat of his touch made Ste tremble all over. She could barely breathe. ¡°If I did something wrong¡­ would you forgive me?¡± She really, truly felt like crying. Abraham replied calmly, ¡°That would depend on what you did.¡± Ste was silent. Would he forgive me for¡­ sleeping with him? But it wasn¡¯t my fault! He was the one who started it! But now this idiot didn¡¯t even remember anything what if he turned around and Ste¡¯s brain turned to mush. Seeing her staying silent, Abraham added, ¡°If Ste fell in love with another man, then no ¨C I wouldn¡¯t forgive that.¡± Ste¡¯s eyelids twitched hard. She stiffly stared at him, screaming internally: What if I fell for you? Would you forgive me then?! Her heart was already a mess. And now, after what Abraham said, she felt like her soul was about to implode. ¡°I¡¯m really tired. I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± she muttered desperately. If she couldn¡¯t answer, she might as well pretend to be asleep and escape. But Abraham clearly wasn¡¯t about to let her off that easy. His strong hands caught her slim waist, holding her firmly in ce, leaving her nowhere to run. ¡°Ste, you still haven¡¯t told me how exactly did you get hurt like that?¡± he pressed. Ste¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°I fell,¡± she said weakly. A terrible excuse. But at this point, her brain couldn¡¯t think of anything better. Just stop asking. If he kept pressing her, she was honestly ready to just confess everything. would be the end of their rtionship as brother and sister. and that No she couldn¡¯t risk it. She couldn¡¯t bear to lose him! Abraham said calmly, ¡°You fell? Ste, do you really think that¡¯s believable?¡± Ste was on the verge of tears. Please! Somebody arrest me already! I¡¯ll take any crime, just get me out of here! ¡°Ste,¡± Abraham said again, his low, maic voice hammering at her already fragile nerves. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Fine. If we can¡¯t be siblings anymore, I¡¯ll just work hard to pursue you! Ste made up her mind, ready to blurt everything out- But just then, Abraham¡¯s phone buzzed. The ringtone cut through the tension like a lifeline. Ste, body still stiff with fear, nced at the phone like it was her salvation. ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing.¡± The wrong girl 221 Chapter 221 No Longer Hidden Abraham nced at her, then finally let her go and turned to pick up his phone. It was Abel calling. At this hour? Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. He stepped aside to answer, his voice cold. ¡°Speak.¡± Seeing him walk out to take the call, Ste¡¯s heart kept pounding wildly. She had a strong feeling this wasn¡¯t over. Barely a minuteter, Abraham returned from the balcony, still holding the phone, his face cold. ¡°Weren¡¯t you tired? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°I am, I am! I¡¯m going right now,¡± Ste said quickly. She dove straight into the covers, desperate for him not to ask anything more. But¡­ what about tomorrow? Her neck was covered in bruises, and it definitely wouldn¡¯t fade in just a few days. Seeing her burrow into the nket, Abraham¡¯s cold expression softened slightly with a touch of helplessness. He walked over, picked her up, andid her t on the bed. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Don¡¯t sleep curled up like that it¡¯s bad for your heart.¡± Ste stayed silent. I just want to be an ostrich right now. Once you leave, I¡¯ll flip over on my own, okay? Abraham pulled the nket over her properly. Before getting up, his fingers brushed lightly against the bruises on her neck. Ste¡¯s nerves instantly tightened. Abraham said meaningfully, ¡°With bruises like these, it won¡¯t heal in less than a week.¡± Ste¡¯s breathing hitched. Was that really necessary? Wait what did he mean by that? Does he¡­ actually remember everything? As Abraham straightened up, Ste panicked and grabbed the front of his robe. In her rush, her nails identally scratched across his chest, leaving a mark that perfectly matched the scratches he already had. Ste¡¯s breath caught. Feeling the sting, Abraham looked down at his chest. ¡°Ste.¡± She froze. Abraham¡¯s deep voice asked, ¡°This scratch. you aid it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Ste blurted out. Now I¡¯m really doomed. She honestly hadn¡¯t scratched him before heaven knows she hadn¡¯t. But now¡­ how could she exin this? Abraham¡¯s gaze grew even darker, his eyes glinting with a dangerous heat. Ste¡¯s breathing grew frantic. ¡°Abraham, is it really unforgivable if someone Especially if that man is you¡­ She couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. Forget it. Better to just say it outright than die a slow death! But just as she was about to speak, Abel¡¯s call came through again. Abraham lowered his gaze, looking at Ste¡¯s hand still gripping his robe. She immediately let go. ¡°You- you should answer that,¡± she stammered. Please, just go already. Stop torturing me! Seeing her trying to bury herself under the nket again, Abraham reached out and caught her. The bruises on her neck vivid and clear- burned into his mind like blooming roses. He let out a soft chuckle and dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°Be good. Get some sleep.¡± Then he finally left. Ste¡¯s heart pounded wildly. ¨C Her mind was racing so fast it felt like it might explode and suddenly, an overwhelming sense of grievance welled up inside her. When grievance reached its peak, it turned into reckless courage. In that moment, Ste¡¯s fearpletely evaporated. Just as Abraham¡¯s hand touched the door handle, Ste blurted out: ¡°Abraham,st night¡­ you slept with me.¡± She couldn¡¯t see his expression ¨C but right now, she had already thrown. caution to the wind. She had hidden her feelings for so many years. In Fleule, she¡¯d been terrified anyone would notice how she felt about Abraham. ¨C Every time Abraham¡¯s friends teased him ¨C¡°Your little sister is so cute,¡± ¡°She¡¯s so considerate,¡± ¡°She came to pick you up¡°¨C those casual words stabbed into her heart. They constantly reminded her: You are his sister. Even though there was no blood rtion, everyone treated her as Abraham¡¯s. sister. That deep¨Crooted belief- could she really overturn it? And then there were the families. With Abraham¡¯s position and future, he would inevitably end up with someone of equal status. In both background and identity. All of it had always reminded Ste: Her love was as tiny and fragile as a flickering candle me. Faced with her feelings, she had been terrified to show them. Out of fear, she had kept a distance between them. The wrong girl 222 Chapter 222 A Love No Longer Hidden The fragile distance she had worked so hard to maintainst night, it had beenpletely shattered. Was she supposed to hide it for the rest of her life? The title of ¡°brother and sister¡± she hadn¡¯t wanted to keep that up for a long time now. Ste¡¯s eyes turned red as she sniffled, but seeing that Abraham still hadn¡¯t turned around, her voice grew hoarse. She had already braced herself for any storm that mighte. Finally, Abraham turned. In the dim light, it was impossible to read his expression. His long legs carried him straight to her bedside. Feeling the pressure of his presence, Ste instinctively tried to shrink away. But the next second, his hand slipped under the nket, grabbed her waist, and pulled her out. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re mad, aren¡¯t you? But you were the one who I didn¡¯t seduce you. -you¡­¡± Her voice was panicked, tripping over her words as she tried to exin. She hadn¡¯t taken the initiative ¨C but she hadn¡¯t resisted either. Abraham¡¯s cool lips crashed down on hers. Ste¡¯s breath caught. Her mind stalledpletely as the kiss deepened, fierce and unrelenting, stealing away any room she had to escape. Her pupils contracted sharply, her breathing quickened, and her mind spun into chaos. Time passed. Only when Abraham¡¯s phone vibrated again did he finally let her go, clear displeasure in his eyes at being interrupted. Their foreheads pressed together, and his voice was low and hoarse. ¡°I forced myself on you? Is that what you¡¯re saying? Ste¡¯s mind was still numb, but she nodded stiffly. ¡°And what does Ste n to do about it, hm?¡± Her mouth twitched. Why are you asking me? Isn¡¯t this your responsibility? What was he implying? Was he trying to push all the me onto her? She could shoulder any burden but not this one! ¡°This is your responsibility,¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°You tell me what should I do?¡® Her voice broke into a sob, full of panic. Clearly, she was desperate. She was terrified that Abraham was angry he would still insist on treating her like a sister. terrified that even after everything, If that happened, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. Hearing her panicked tone, Abraham¡¯s eyes filled with amusement. ¡°So you ¡°You have to!¡± she cried. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m not letting you go!¡± Tears spilled uncontrobly down Ste¡¯s cheeks. All the burden she had carried for so many years in an instant, she dumped it all onto Abraham. It had been so long. No one knew what it had been like for her all these years. Especially after leaving Fleule that endless separation. She never knew when she could see him again. She didn¡¯t know how much influence the Seng family still had over him. That constant, gnawing worry and longing had tormented her endlessly. ¡°You have to take responsibility¡­ sob¡­¡± Her tears flowed freely now, a dam that hadpletely broken. Abraham gently patted her back. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take responsibility. Don¡¯t cry, hm?¡± ¡°You were supposed to take responsibility,¡± she sniffled, rubbing her tears into his clothes. Leaving wet, sticky patches behind. ¡°You little mess,¡± Abraham teased lightly. ¡°I¡¯m your mess,¡± she muttered. Abraham chuckled and pinched her cheek. Before he could say anything else, Abel¡¯s call came through again. Clearly, there was something urgent. He hung up the call but didn¡¯t linger. ¡°It¡¯s still dark out. Get some sleep.¡± He gave a soft ¡°Mm,¡± pressing a kiss to her forehead before getting up. Ste suddenly remembered the blood on the scarf ¨C besides hers, there were a few drops that belonged to Abraham too. As he turned away, she reached out and grabbed his robe. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± she asked. She knew what kind of business the Luke family was involved in. She knew what kind of danger Abraham faced on that path. No matter how strong he was, she still worried. She was still scared. Abraham turned back, and when he met the worry in her eyes, something inside him softened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said simply. He gently pried her hand away, tucked her back into the covers, and left the room. The door closed behind him. Ste let out a muffled cry and buried herself under the nket, her heart still pounding wildly. Abraham said he would take responsibility ¨C but what did that mean? Would he¡­ marry her? In her dreams, she had imagined marrying Abraham countless times. But she had never once believed it could actually happen. The wrong girl 223 7674 Chapter 223 Stirring Trouble But would Abraham marry her? Could he? Ste¡¯s thoughts were a tangled mess as she rolled back and forth across the bed, not even knowing how long she tossed and turned. Eventually, sleep finally pulled her under. Outside, heavy snow had begun to fall. Inside, the room was warm and cozy. She slept straight through to after ten in the morning, when her phone automatically switched off silent mode. The buzzing of the call barely roused her. Half¨Casleep, she answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ste!¡± came Tessa¡¯s loud, dramatic voice. Ste mumbled a sleepy ¡°Mm¡± in response. Tessa huffed, ¡°It¡¯s already thiste and you¡¯re still not up? Fine, but why do you sound like you¡¯ve beenpletely ravaged?¡± The moment she heard the word ravaged, Ste jolted awake. Because I was ravaged¡­ Tessa didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°I¡¯ve got some explosive news Ste blinked, still dazed. Is there anything more explosive than the fact I slept with Abraham?! wanna hear it?¡± But if Tessa said it was shocking, it was probably really shocking. ¡°Hold on, let me get closer. You can hear for yourself.¡± Ste was puzzled. Hear what? There was the sound of footsteps, and then suddenly, through the phone, she could hear crying and Susan¡¯s hysterical shouting. Lilian¡¯s ¡°You¡¯re discharging her in this condition? How can you do this? Are you trying to kill her?¡± ¡°Madam Susan, regarding Ms. Lilian¡¯s condition, we really can¡¯t do anything more. We¡¯re sorry.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you can¡¯t do anything?! I paid so much money, hired so many expert teams where are they now? Where did they all go?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve all left.¡± The doctor and Susan¡¯s furious argument crackled over the line. It only took a few sentences for Ste to piece together what was happening. The hospital wanted Lilian discharged forcibly. ¡°Did you hear that? Isn¡¯t it wild?¡± Tessa¡¯s voice came back. ¡°Way too wild,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°But what exactly happened?¡± It sure sounded like the hospital was forcing Lilian out. Susan and Lilian¡¯s voices faded away as Tessa clearly walked away from the chaos. At Ste¡¯s question, Tessa chuckled gleefully. ¡°How would I know? Maybe the hospital just realized they couldn¡¯t do anything for her and didn¡¯t want to keep taking their money.¡± Ste was speechless. Tessa clicked her tongue. ¡°Come on, the Reed family and the Keene family are. still backing Lilian. And yet the hospital¡¯s kicking her out like this? I¡¯m telling you, it was brutal they wouldn¡¯t even let her stay a single extra minute. I¡¯ve never seen such an upright hospital before!¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± Tessa snickered again. ¡°And seriously, with a body like hers, what¡¯s the point of wasting more money?¡± Ste¡¯s sleepiness had beenpletely wiped away by Tessa¡¯s gloating. She rolled over. ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling you¡¯re not actually upset about the Reed family wasting money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m upset about the money, not about the Reed family¡¯s money,¡± Tessa quipped. Honestly, that did make a certain kind of sense¡­ but it also soundedpletely wron Before Ste could say anything else, she heard Tessa yelp, ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Give me back my phone! Ethan, give it back!¡± Ste was puzzled. Next thing she knew, Ethan¡¯s cold, furious voice came through the phone. ¡°Ste. Was it you?¡± The venom in his tone practically dripped through the call. Even through the phone, Ste could feel his hatred. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What nonsense is this?¡± She had no idea what was going on at the hospital. Yet now Ethan was already using her? This trash¡­ Honestly, someone should just chain him and Lilian together forever. Anyone else who gets near them would end up torn to pieces. Ethan growled, ¡°Nonsense? Are you really going to pretend you didn¡¯t push this until she had no way out?¡± ¨C ¡°Ste, I know now you grew up with the Luke family. But don¡¯t forget what makes you any different from Lilian?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a foster daughter. If you keep abusing your position, don¡¯t me them for turning on you. When that happens, what ground will you have left to stand on?¡± Every word he spat was sharp and vicious. Ste¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°Screw you, Ethan! If you¡¯ve got guts,e say that to my face!¡± Right now, she seriously wanted to tear Ethan¡¯s head off. How is it that no matter what happens, it always ends up on me? This bastard must be cursed or something! Anger surged in her chest, almost too much to hold back. The wrong girl 224 W Chapter 224 Payback Ethan hissed, ¡°This is my advice to you: don¡¯t abuse your power.¡± Abuse power? Oh, he was really asking for it now. Ste snapped, fully awake and ready to fight: ¡°Says the guy who never abused power for Lilian, huh? Ethan, did you forget how you tried to crush me for her? You tried to shut down my studio, cut off my living expenses, and leave me with nowhere to go. So it¡¯s fine when you¡¯re abusing power to destroy me, but the second I push back, you suddenly want to give me advice? You think I want your advice? Who the hell do you think you are? You should find a mirror and take a good look at yourself you really think you¡¯re qualified?¡± He had the nerve to lecture her. To say people would end up hating her, that she¡¯d be left with nothing. He was clearly hoping she would crash and burn. ¡°Scumbag. Brain must¡¯ve grown in your ass.¡± Ste kept going without a break. Ethan¡¯s breathing turned rough with rage. ¡°Stop with the nonsense, Ste! Just tell me what do you want? What will it take for you to leave Lilian alone?¡± Silence crackled through the phone. Hearing the sharp breathing on the other end, Ste let out a lightugh. ¡°You never thought about letting me go back then. Why should I think about letting you go now?¡± ¡°You Ethan was seething. ¡°The Reed family and the Keene family have suffered huge. losses because of you. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Ste¡¯s smile faded. ¨C Lilian¡¯s situation probably had something to do with Abraham. Wait. Abraham had looked pretty grim when he heard about the car ident. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, Ethan. I¡¯m impressed.¡± He knew full well everything pointed to her, yet he still dared to use this tone with her. ¡ª¡ª e my Ste snorted. ¡°Let me remind you. two years ago, Lilian almost cost me life. And I¡¯ve got one huge w: if someone owes me, I need to collect interest otherwise, I just can¡¯t sleep at night.¡± What right did he have to act so high and mighty? When they tried to crush her, they thought it was just business as usual but now that she was fighting back, suddenly it was immoral? Ste gave a cold chuckle and added, ¡°Half a life times two me.¡± sounds fair to Ethan finally exploded. ¡°Ste!¡± He roared into the phone. But before he could say another word, Ste hung up on him. It must¡¯ve been Abraham. Even if it wasn¡¯t, Lilian deserved everythinging her way. Originally, Rianne had said Lilian really was sick bothered to deal with her. But if Abraham had gotten involved¡­ and Ste hadn¡¯t even Thinking about how Abraham had always protected her from childhood until now, her heart warmed uncontrobly. She wondered where all of this would lead them. Ste felt drained, her whole body weak. She touched her forehead it was burning. She pushed herself up, intending to get some water. But the moment her feet hit the floor, her legs gave out and she copsed heavily onto the ground. So soft¡­ and painful. The soreness between her legs made it nearly impossible to even stand. The door opened ¨C and Abraham stepped inside, catching sight of Ste sitting helplessly on the floor. Hearing the door, Ste turned her head. Seeing Abraham, she froze for a moment, then her eyes turned pitiful. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± Abraham was still wearing his trench coat, with a few snowkes clinging to his shoulders and hair. Clearly, he had just returned from outside. He strode over in a few quick steps and scooped Ste off the ground. ¡°What happened? Hm?¡± Ste burst into tears. ¡°It hurts¡­ I don¡¯t have any strength left¡­¡± She had never felt this way before aching, weak, utterly helpless. As soon as Abraham picked her up, he felt the heat radiating off her body. He carried her to the bed andid her down, his hand pressing against her forehead. Sure enough burning hot. Ten minutester, Eddie was called over. As he took Ste¡¯s temperature, the number shed: 39 degrees Celsius. ¡°How did you get such a high fever? Did you get hurt?¡± Ste went stiff. Her face flushed bright red. Hurt¡­ is an understatement. And it wasn¡¯t exactly a convenient ce to exin. Seeing her not answering, Eddie frowned. ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you¡¯re hurt.¡± There was an unmistakable edge to his voice now. Especially since Eddie was looking at her like he already knew she¡¯d done something ¡°bad¡± to Abraham. The wrong girl 225 Chapter 225 An Unseen War Ste swallowed hard and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ but I¡¯m not really sure.¡± It felt like she was hurt. It hurt so badly down there. Eddie was speechless. Abraham was speechless. Hearing her say she wasn¡¯t sure, both men turned to stare at her. Under their stares, Ste felt numb all over. Especially Abraham his gaze was so sharp it was like he had X¨Cray vision, seeing right through her. Abraham turned back to Eddie and said, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eddie blinked, stunned. What for? He was a doctor what could there possibly be that he wasn¡¯t allowed to know? But faced with Abraham¡¯s look, Eddie decided not to argue for once. Without asking anything more, he quietly stepped out of the room. Now only Ste and Abraham were left. Abraham sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for the nket. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Ste was confused. Look? Look at what? What is he trying to do?! Meanwhile, at the hospital¡­ Ethan¡¯s face was dark with rage, his entire body practically radiating cold air. He Ste could block anyone, but she would never block Tessa. Tessa, furious, kicked at Ethan. ¡°You¡¯re out of your damn mind. Give me back my phone!¡± Back then, her mother had warned her not to stir up trouble with the Keene family but right now, Tessa really couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. What the hell is he doing, hijacking her phone? Is this a robbery?! Ethan dodged, but her foot still grazed his shin, leaving a searing pain. ¡°You damn woman¡­¡± Ethan gritted his teeth. No wonder she¡¯s Ste¡¯s friend same crazy energy. Tessa¡¯s head was practically steaming with anger. ¡°Ethan, give it up! She heard your voice through my number ¨C you really think she¡¯s going to answer?¡± Ethan stiffened. In that instant, the furious energy around him froze cold. Tessa seized the chance to snatch her phone back. ¡°You deserve it. Honestly, your taste in women is pathetic.¡± Everyone in the social circles knew Lilian was trash the worst of the worst. And yet Ethan had somehow convinced himself she was the embodiment of goodness. Tessa turned and walked away. From the hospital room, Susan¡¯s shrill voice could still be heard: ¡°We¡¯re not leaving! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to arrange to transport Madam Susan and Ms. Lilian home,¡± the head nurse said coldly. Susan snapped, ¡°Get your hospital director out here! I want to speak to him personally!¡± ¡°Madam Susan, it won¡¯t make any difference. Not even the director can change this.¡± When Ethan approached the door to the hospital room, the first thing he saw was theplete mess inside. It looked like a hurricane had passed through. Lilian sat on the bed, looking pitiful and helpless amid the chaos. Ethan¡¯s heart ached at the sight. When Lilian spotted him, she choked out, ¡°Ethan¡­¡± He strode forward and pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Turning a cold re on the head nurse, Ethan snapped, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no need to make this difficult,¡± the head nurse said with visible strain. ¡°This is-¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ethan roared. The head nurse gave Lilian a long, cold nce, then turned and left without another word. But her retreating figure made it clear this was far from over. Jason had just stepped into the room when he heard Ethan bark, ¡°Go fix it.¡± Jason¡¯s heart sank. Even with the Keene family holding shares in this hospital, they couldn¡¯t keep Lilian here¡­ The force behind this is terrifying. Meeting Ethan¡¯s furious gaze, Jason could only nod stiffly. ¡°Understood.¡± Jason quickly left. Ste doing this to me?¡± Hearing that, both Ethan and Susan¡¯s anger toward Ste red even higher. Especially Susan. Thinking of Ste¡¯s recent attitude toward her, she grew even more agitated. ¡°Ethan, have you seen Ste at Pluchville Hill? And the Luke family heir how the hell does Ste have the power to get him to go this far for her?¡± First crushing the Reed family, now cutting off Lilian¡¯sst escape route. For Ste to move the Luke family¡¯s heir like this¡­ Susan realized she had gravely underestimated her. The more she thought about it, the more her breathing turned sharp and shallow. Send Gifts The wrong girl 226 Chapter 226 The Truth Revealed The moment Ethan thought about Ste and Mr. Abraham of the Luke family, his brows knitted together tightly. Before he could speak. Lilian, nestled in his arms, said, ¡°So Ste sold herself to the Luke family just to crush me? If that¡¯s the case, even if I leave the Reed family, she didn¡¯t need to degrade herself like that. Susan¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°Lilian,¡± she snapped. bw Her anger toward Ste only grew fiercer Raised in the countryside, after all¨Cwilling to do anything for money and power. But for some reason, hearing Lilian say that made Ethan extremely ufortable, even resistant. Lilian didn¡¯t notice the shift in Ethan¡¯s mood. She continued, choking back tears, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s your biological daughter. I don¡¯t want to see her ruin herself because of me 1 Her voice broke.. That one mention of ¡°biological daughter¡± made Susan¡¯s heart pound with rage. She wanted to say she had already severed ties with Ste- but she held back. Because right now, ording to Patrick, the entirepany¡¯s fate was still in Ste¡¯s hands. Lilian sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°I always treated her like a sister. I never wanted her to end up like this.¡± Enough, Ethan finally cut her off. His temples were pounding. Lilian and Susan both turned to look at him, confused by his sudden harsh tone. Ethan¡¯s chest felt tight and suffocating. ¡°Ste grew up in the Luke family.¡± Both Lilian and Susan¡¯froze. Susan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± What do you mean she grew up in the Luke family! Lilian blinked, confused. ¡°Yeah, Ethan, what are you talking about?¡± The Luke family Fleule¡¯s Luke family? The one everyone fears? Ethan closed his eyes. Even now, just thinking about it made his body stiffen uncontrobly. ¡°Ste is Abraham Luke¡¯s sister.¡± Silence Abraham Luke. Abrahamt ¡°Abraham Luke ¨C Mr. Abraham?¡± Lilian gasped, her breathing rapid. Her pupils contracted violently, Ste¡­ is the sister of the legendary Mr. Abraham?! Lilian couldn¡¯t stop herself from sucking in sharp breaths. Raised in the Luke family¡­ the heir to the Luke family. Mr. Abraham¡¯s sister¡­. She and Susan locked eyes. Susan¡¯s breathing practically stopped. Lilian lifted her head and said hoarsely, ¡°Ethan¡­ are you sure?¡± Inside, Lilian¡¯s heart was a storm of turmoil, roiling with jealousy. She didn¡¯t want to believe it- she refused to believe Ste had grown up in the Luke family! Ethan¡¯s breath grew colder. ¡°Absolutely sure.¡± His father had personally confirmed it. There could be no mistake.. When Ethan first heard the news, his mind had exploded with a loud ng. Even now, he still couldn¡¯t fully process it. Susan¡¯s breathing turned frantic. ¡°How¡­ how could this happen?¡± She stared at Ethan in disbelief. Hadn¡¯t they always said she was just a country girl? How did she suddenly be¡­ the Luke family¡¯s lost princess? ¡°Wait, Susan gasped. ¡°A few years ago the Luke family announced their little princess had gone missing. Was it her?¡± Back then, the entire Fleule had been thrown into an uproar. Even Susan had heard about it, She remembered feeling sorry for that lost little girl. Lilian had been the one to tell her about it at the time. Now, the two women exchanged another stunned nce. Their breathing grew chaotic and uneven. If Ste had truly grown up with the Luke family¡­ then this time, they were facing serious trouble. Meanwhile, back at Pluchville Hill Ste burrowed deep into the covers and refused toe out. Her muilled voice came from under the nket. ¡°Get out. Hurry up and get i out.¡± Her tone carrieil clear frustration. Abraham sighed helplessly. He reached out to pull the nket off her but Ste clutched it even tighter. ¡°If you pull it off, I¡¯m calling Mom!¡± she cried. Send Gifts The wrong girl 227 Chapter 227 A Silent Confession Hearing her words, Abraham¡¯s hand froze for a moment. Then, without a word, he scooped her up¨Cnket and all¨Cand settled her on hisp. ¡°Ow, it hurts,¡± Ste whimpered. Abraham gently pulled the nket away from her face. What met his eyes was Ste¡¯s flushed little face, red from holding her breath for so long. Abraham¡¯s expression was serious. Ste blinked up at him, her wide eyes shimmering with unshed tears, looking impossibly pitiful. Abraham sighed helplessly. ¡°It hurts a lot?¡± Ste nodded, looking absolutely miserable. Abraham carefully checked her over despite her protests. She was injured not seriously, but definitely hurt. After the check, Ste immediately dove back under the covers. ¡°You get out now!¡± Abraham chuckled softly, reached out, and pulled the nket off her head again. Ste started fighting him like a wildcat. But the next second, she froze. His cool lips pressed down on hers. Ste¡¯s pupils shrank sharply. Wait¨Cthat¨Cthis¨Cthey- Just as Abraham was about to pull away, Ste grabbed his robe in a panic. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? Still not enough?¡± Ste¡¯s already fever¨Cflushed face turned an even deeper shade of red, as if she might start dripping blood at any moment. She stared into his deep eyes, her toes curling up, and stammered, ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re sober right now, aren¡¯t you? Do you realize what you¡¯re doing?¡± She sniffed carefully there was no smell of alcohol on him. He¡¯s sober¡­pletely sober. And just now¡­ he had actually- Thinking about the way he had pinned her down earlier, Ste¡¯s heart started thudding violently. The distance between them hadpletely crossed any boundaries siblings should have. If so¡­ then what were they now? Abraham rubbed her soft hair affectionately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Scared?¡± Ste grabbed his hand tightly 1/3 Abraham squeezed her little hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. ¡°Mm. I started it.¡± His voice was gentle and indulgent, instantly calming the chaos inside her. No one knew how much fear and uncertainty she had been carrying ever sincest night. Especially since Abraham had been both drunk and drugged. She had been terrified he would wake up, forget everything, and refuse to acknowledge what happened. Hearing him say this now, Ste¡¯s eyes instantly filled with tears. She popped out of the nket and threw her arms around his neck. You scared me to death!¡± Hm ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t admit it¡­ I thought you¡¯d hate me¡­ sob, sob¡­¡± When Eddie had almost pulled off her scarf earlier, she had been so terrified. Terrified everyone would find out what had happened between her and Abraham during that snowstorm. Ste sobbed harder. Abraham gently patted her back. ¡°Silly girl.¡± His voice was indulgent, with a hint of helpless affection. Ste cried into his chest. ¡°You¡¯re bad.¡± Abraham chuckled and gently pried her arms from his neck, tucking her back into the nket. I¡¯m going to get you some medicine.¡± Only then did Ste truly rx. Hearing Abraham repeatedly confirm everything settled the wildly rocking waves in her heart. Meanwhile, downstairs. Eddie had been waiting in the living room the whole time. When he saw Abraham down, he stubbed out his cigarette and said, ¡°She got hurt? Seriously? She¡¯s at your side and Mill managed to get hurt? Did someone find their way here?¡± At the mention of ¡°those people,¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze immediately darkened, a sharp, cold light shing in his eyes. ¡°You think that¡¯s even possible?¡± he said coldly. Eddie swallowed nervously. I figured not.¡± As long as Ste was here, there¡¯s no way Abraham would let anything happen to her. But¡­ Then how did she get hurt?¡° Abraham replied calmly, ¡°Bring fever medicine. And something for injuries. Eddie was speechless. Hiss¡­ Suddenly, a memory shed in Eddie¡¯s mind¨CSte earlier, bundled up in that ridiculously thick scarf. Could it be that kind of injury? The wrong girl 228 Chapter 228 A Secret Long Buried ¡°You sure like prying into other people¡¯s business, Abraham said coldly. There was a clear chill in his tone. Eddie shrank back instinctively under his re, swallowing nervously and then his brain practically exploded. ¡°Abraham, you¡¯re a damn beast! She¡¯s- she¡¯s the one you raised¨Cshe¡¯s been calling you brother¡® for twenty years!¡± ¡°Thud Something smacked Eddie square in the forehead, cutting off whatever he was about to say. ¡°Hey I¡¯m just saying¨CEddie spluttered. lis I trong to call it out? ¡°You even hurt her?!¡± Eddie fumed. I was wondering why you didn¡¯t answer the door no matter how long I kept ringing. Turns out you in that situation- do you even realize how dangerous that was?¡± If nothing unexpected had happened, Ste and Ethan had never crossed that line. After all, Ste¡¯s standards were too high there was no way she would fall for a man whose heart belonged elsewhere. So during those two years of their engagement, they probably hadn¡¯t even held hands. But Abraham¡­ Eddie winced again. Turns out you were raising her for yourself all along! No wonder you treated her so differently. ¡°Wherever you went, you brought her along. When Marie stole her away, you nearly tore Marie apart So this wasn¡¯t a little sister you were raising it was a future wife! The realization hit Eddie hard. And it finally exined why, back in Fleule, Ste had been so closely guarded buzz too close. Those suitors, those marriage proposals all had mysteriously fallen through. ¨C not even a single male mosquito could Because Abraham had long since decided no one else could take his little girl away. ¨C Abraham¡¯s cold gaze swept across Eddie. ¡°If you say one more word, I don¡¯t mind giving you some practice with surgical needles. Eddie shivered. Same threat as always. Over the years, whenever anyone dared say a single extra word about Ste, Abraham¡¯s attitude was exactly the same. No wonder Abraham had always looked annoyed whenever he or Victor called Ste Tittle sister.¡± Turns out even words were too much From the very beginning, she had been for Abraham alone. 13 ¡°All these years, she¡¯s treated Ste like a daughter. And Marie too if she finds our you turned her beloved little sister into your wife, she¡¯ll go ballistic. She might even hide Ste away where you¡¯ll never find her again. This was way foo Abraham, you¡ª insane. ¡°After all these years, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice you were hiding feelings for Ste all along. You¡¯re a damn sly fox. The more Eddie thought about it, the more worked up he got. Everyone in Fleule knew Abraham treasured the little girl he picked up. As a sister¡ªa sister! ¡°Medicine,¡± Abraham said tly, cutting him off. (One word, ice¨Ccold. He clearly had no intention of arguing. Eddie¡¯s face twitched. He numbly pulled out fever medicine from the medical kit but as for the ointment Abraham wanted, he didn¡¯t have any He had never expected Ste would be hurt like that. And honestly, given that Abraham had never been around any women all these years, he hadn¡¯t thought the medicine would ever be needed. Now, needing it urgently where was he supposed to find it? Eddie shoved the fever meds and some anti¨Cinmmatory medicine into Abraham¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone buy the ointment. You¡¯re a damn animal.¡± Farting her, even¡­ All those years of pretending to be so good to her it had all been part of the n. Abraham kicked Eddie once before heading back upstairs. Eddie sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. ¡°You do something that shameless and you can¡¯t even take being scolded!¡± Damn it. That¡¯s gonna leave a bruize. He already gave me two Abraham headed back into the room with the medicine. Ste had already fallen asleep from her fever. Her breathing was shallow and uneven she must have caught a cold too. When Abraham picked her up to feed her the medicine, she muttered in her sleep, ¡°Bitter¡± ¡°Be good. Take the medicine, Abraham coaxed gently. Soon after, Eddie¡¯s people delivered the ointment When Eddie handed it over, he couldn¡¯t help warning: I¡¯m serious,¡± Eddie said quickly. ¡°And no hot springs either. Pluchville Hill¡¯s too cold right now. You should take her back to Verdant Vi.¡± Originally, they came here because Ste¡¯s leg needed the hot springs. Now she was injured¡­ The wrong girl 229 674 Chapter 229 A Debt They Cannot Repay The only choice left was to take Ste back and start treatments with acupuncture. In this snowy weather, the mountain was far too cold. Abraham said coolly, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Make sure you apply that ointment for her too,¡± Eddie reminded. ¡°Oh, and by the way.¡± Eddie added, Patrick came by again this morning¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°Didn¡¯t he leavest night?¡± ¡°He did. But he came back first thing, been pestering Abel nonstop trying to see you.¡± JAbraham¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously The fact that Abel hadn¡¯t even bothered rying the message told him everything ¨C Abel knew he wouldn¡¯t want to see Patrick. Eddie clicked his tongue. ¡°Parents, huh? Guess the Reed family¡¯s gotrd for brains. That Lilian ¨C when she was in Fleule, she dated four or five boyfriends in just two years. And Ethan still thought she was some treasure.¡± Abraham shot him a cold look ¡°You enjoy gossiping?¡± he said tly. Eddie quickly backed down. ¡°Nah, just making sure you know the full picture.¡± Fine, Eddie thought. Other women¡¯s business, Abraham couldn¡¯t care less. But this still kinda involved Ste Not wanting to waste another second on Eddie, Abraham turned and walked upstairs, the chill around him thickening. Eddie watched him go and couldn¡¯t help clicking his tongue again.. Finally got a taste of the forbidden fruit and immediately put under house arrest¡­ yeah, he¡¯s gotta be thrilled. Meanwhile, Patrick had returned to thepany at dawn, only to discover the situation had gotten even worse overnight. Panicpletely overtook him.. Without wasting a second, he rushed back to Pluchville Hill. Abel¡¯s voice was icy as he said, ¡°Mr. Patrick, your persistence is meaningless.¡± Patrick was desperate. He had managed to figure out which building Ste and Abraham were staying in only to find it surrounded by bodyguards He tried calling Ste¡¯s number, but she had already blocked him. Patrick, who once would have scoffed at the idea that Ste could shake the mighty Reed Group, was now feeling the cold. truth settle in. ¡°Sir, please I¡¯m begging you, just this once,¡± he pleaded. ¦° another week. Abel looked down at the envelope in his hand, his expression darkening. ¡°Do you know what Mr. Abraham hates most, Mr. Patrick?¡± he said coldly. ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± Patrick stammered,pletely missing the warning in Abel¡¯s tone. Abel sneered, ¡°He hates bribery. He despises anyone trying to use back doors.¡± If you blocked the main road yourself, don¡¯t expect there to be a side path left. Patrick paled. T¨Cthis-¡± Before he could fumble for an excuse. his phone rang. Susan¡¯s name shed on the screen. Seeing her name only deepened Patrick¡¯s fury, especially with Abel ring at him. He almost hung up immediately, but Abel had already turned and walked away. Gritting his teeth, Patrick answered the call. ¡°What do you want?! At this point, he had no patience left for Susan. Susan¡¯s voice came frantically through the phone: ¡°Ste¡­ Ste grew up with the Luke family.¡± Patrick froze. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Abraham¡¯s sister,¡± Susan insisted. ¡°Just like Lilian and Jonathan.¡± Patrick was speechless. Silence fell on the line.. Patrick¡¯s mind exploded with a deafening crash. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re saying¡­ Ste grew up with the Luke family?¡± His voice shook, Susan¡¯s voice crackled back urgently. ¡°Yes! We¡¯re finished, Patrick. Completely finished. If Ste doesn¡¯t exin things to Mr. Abraham and clear up the misunderstanding, the Reed Group is dead. And Lilian- the hospital forced her to leave, they even stopped her medication. Ste wants us all dead!¡± Her voice was frantic.. No wonder no one who crossed her recently got away unscathed. No wonder And she hadn¡¯t even said a word about it. Susan¡¯s rage boiled over just thinking about it. Patrick gasped for air, his chest heaving Even breathing had be difficult. The Luke family¡­ And Ste was Mr. Abraham¡¯s sister ¡°You idiot, Patrick exploded. ¡°What the hell have you done to her all these years?¡± Susan¡¯s voice snapped back: ¡°What do you mean, what have I done? She never even told me she was with the Luke family!¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 230 Chapter 230 A Sly Fox Revealed They had always believed Ste was just a girl raised in the countryside. They had even thought that after they trained her properly, they could slowly bring her out into society who would have thought she¡¯d be so impossible to control? Thinking back to Ste¡¯s stubborn attitude, Susan grew even angrier. Patrick pressed a hand against his forehead. ¡°You¨Cyou¨Cyou¡­¡± He was so furious he couldn¡¯t even get the words out. But one thing was clear to both of them: As long as Ste refused to back down, the Reed Group was doomed in Abraham¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯re already at Pluchville Hill, right? Go see her. Tell her everything clearly, Susan urged without thinking With how things stood now, she would never be able to see Ste herself¨Clet alone exin anything. Patrick gritted his teeth. ¡°You think she even wants to see me?¡± Just thinking about it made his lungs ache. He hung up on Susan in fury and immediately rushed toward the building where Ste and Abraham were staying. Meanwhile. After taking the medicine, Ste¡¯s fever began to subside, Feeling the strange sensation on her body, she slowly opened her eves. She saw Abraham applying ointment on her. Ste jolted upright and grabbed Abraham¡¯s wrist. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Where exactly is he touching?! She had h been weak and drowsy from the fever, but now she was wide awake. Abraham looked at her calmly. ¡°Eddie said if the injury doesn¡¯t get treated properly, it¡¯ll get worse. You¡¯ll get another fever.¡± ¡®Eddie knows too?! Wait, what Abraham frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Her reaction was so dramatic it made him unhappy. Ste could hear the displeasure in his tone. She swallowed nervously. ¡°L ¨C Her brain was mush she couldn¡¯t think straight. Abraham gently removed her hand. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t move.¡± Ste froze. She wanted to resist. Seeing her surrender, Abraham¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile. ¡°Good girl¡± ¡°Rx. It¡¯s just applying ointment.¡± If he hadn¡¯t said anything, it might have been fine- but hearing that made Ste¡¯s breathing turn uneven again. Seriously, after everything, what else could he possibly want to dof Flustered. Ste pulled the nket over her head to hide. Out of sight, out of mind out of embarrassment. Seeing her act like this. Abraham chuckled lowly. ¡°Is Ste getting shy?¡± ¡°Please stop talking. Ste muttered. Especially saying things like that she really couldn¡¯t handle it right now. Abraham said. With your injuries, you definitely can¡¯t soak in the hot spring. We¡¯ll head straight back to Verdant Vi¡± This little lodge was too cramped anyway, and the mountain air was too cold. Ste gave a small ¡°Mm¡± of agreement. Even without him saying it, she knew there was no way she could manage the hot springs now. After finishing with the ointment, Abraham coaxed her into drinking a bowl of soup. Once he confirmed her temperature had stabilized, he bundled her up thickly, preparing to take her back to Verdant Vi. At first, Ste didn¡¯t feel too much pain. But the moment she tried to stand, her legs gave out. Seeing her struggle to even walk, Abraham frowned. ¡°It hurts that much?¡± Tears welled up in Ste¡¯s eyes. She looked at him, eyes glistening, and nodded pitifully. A sh of guilt crossed Abraham¡¯s gaze. He scooped her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at the time.¡± ¡°You¡­ you remember?¡± Ste stammered. Wait¡­ he remembers?! He said he wasn¡¯t totally clear¨Cheaded- but he remembered exactly what he¡¯d done? Ste stared at him, her temples pounding. Abraham¡¯s smiling eyes said everything without a word. Ste¡¯s brainpletely short¨Ccircuited. ¡°You- you were lying to me before?¡± He had obviously remembered everything- and yet he still asked her about her injuries like he didn¡¯t know! Ste¡¯s heart exploded. You kept bullying me, you- 201 Abrahan quietly, catching her chin with a gentle squ squeeze. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± ¡°You even pretended not to remember!¡± Ste fumed. ¡°You¨Cyou- Abraham said, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too gullible.¡± Ste was speechless. So now it¡¯s my fault!! The wrong girl 231 ? Chapter 231 No Mercy Left Ste red at him, cheeks puffed, her eyes still shimmering with a few stubborn tears. Abraham cupped her small chin and kissed her still slightly feverish lips. ¡°What should I do with you, Ste, when you¡¯re this silly?¡± he murmured. ¡°Hmph!¡± Ste huffed. ¡°Who says I¡¯m silly? I lived just fine without you these past three years! Last year I even made seven million.¡± Who calls someone who makes millions a year stupid? I¡¯d like a whole stack of idiots like that. Hearing her say ¡°seven million,¡± a deep, amused light shed in Abraham¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alright, my Ste isn¡¯t silly,¡± he said softly. Just adorably foolish. Ste sniffed. ¡°I can¡¯t walk.¡± When she tried to get out of bed earlier, the pain from her injury was excruciating. She could barely move now. Without a word, Abraham scooped her into his arms. Ste looked up at his sharp jawline, her heart thudding uncontrobly. Even now, it still felt like a dream was already waiting. When he saw Abraham carrying Ste down the stairs, he immediately stood and bowed slightly. ¡°Abraham¡± ¡°Back to Verdant Vi,¡± Abraham instructed. Seeing Ste curled up in his arms, Abel could pretty much guess what had happened the night before. After all, he had been ordered to ¡°get lost, and Eddie had been sighing all night while sending people to buy medicine. After years of restraint, it had finally exploded. Hearing that Abraham was taking Ste home, Abel hesitated and stepped forward. ¡°Patrick¡¯s outside.¡± Abraham was speechless. Ste was speechless. The two of them exchanged a nce. Ste looked at Abel. ¡°He¡¯s standing outside?¡± Seriously¡­.he hasn¡¯t frozen to death yet? Ste thought. Abraham lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Dors Ste want to see him?¡± Abel added, ¡°He¡¯s here to see you.¡± Abraham¡¯s frown deepened. The irritation in his eyes was clear. He said coldly. ¡°Not seeing him.¡± Exactly the answer Abel expected. After everything the Reed family had done to Ste, there was no chance Abraham would show them any mercy. Especially after what happened with the car ident ¨C Abraham would make sure they suffered. And right now, they were like fish being fried alive in hot oil. Without even ncing toward the door, Abraham carried Ste straight outside. Patrick, realizing he couldn¡¯t get through Abel, had been waiting in the freezing cold. The snow and wind whipped across his face like knives. Patrick had no idea how long he would have to wait but he knew he had to see Abraham and Ste today, no matter what. Just when he was starting to lose feeling in his legs from the cold the front door finally opened. He saw Abraham carrying Ste outside. She was bundled up in a creamy white down jacket, her head tucked into a thick hood. In Abraham¡¯s arms, she looked tiny almost like a little girl Seeing Ste like that. Patrick didn¡¯t think much of it. Rubbing his frozen hands, he instinctively tried to move forward. Only to realize that his legs were so numb he almost copsed into the snow. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Ste!¡± Patrick called out urgently, barely keeping his bnce as he staggered toward them ¨C but the bodyguards immediately stopped him. Patrick¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. ¡°Ste, Ste!¡± Seeing Abraham¡¯s icy face, Patrick quickly turned his desperate gaze to Ste instead. But Ste¡¯s face remained buried firmly against Abraham¡¯s chest, ignoring himpletely. ¡°Mr. Abraham, we need to talk! And Ste- you¡¯ve misunderstood your parents! Tell us what you want we¡¯ll do anything!¡± Patrick¡¯s voice cracked with desperation. Danned Susan, he cursed silently. Adhways stirring up trouble! Especially now, when Ste wouldn¡¯t even give him a nce ¨C Patrick¡¯s hatred toward Susan reached new heights. The moment their eyes met, Patrick instinctively swallowed hard. The wrong girl 232 Chapter 232 No Forgiveness ¡°Mr. Abraham,¡± Patrick called out hoarsely. Abraham¡¯s cold eyes glinted with sharp mockery, ¡°Mr. Patrick, what exactly do you think she needs from you?¡± Patrick¡¯s mouth opened ¨C but no words came out. Right¡­ what could Ste possibly still need from them? Growing up in the Luke family¨Ca ce like that she probably nevercked for anything. Thinking back to how, after Ste returned to the Reed family, they kept cutting her credit card limit lower and lower, Patrick felt a wave of shame burn through him. Abraham let out a low, mockingugh. ¡°Everything happening to the Reed Group now has nothing to do with her. Don¡¯t bother her again.¡± ¡°She has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± Patrick felt the words like a p across his face. Nothing to do with them¡­ It struck him how true it was. Aside from a sliver of blood ties, there really wasn¡¯t anything connecting them to Ste anymore Especially when he thought about how they had treated her after bringing her back from Ste¡¯s point of view, they had done nothing but hurt her. But¡­ she had been so rebellious! Remembering all the stories Susan used to tell him about Ste¡¯s attitude, Patrick¡¯s headache grew worse. Abraham turned to leave. Patrick stumbled forward, nearly slipping on the icy ground, and managed to grab the hem of Abraham¡¯s coat. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± he pleaded. ¡°Can¡¯t you be merciful and spare the Reed Group?¡± Abraham lowered his gaze. When his eyes met Patrick¡¯s again, the icy coldness was suffocating. Patrick¡¯s chest tightened under that stare. ¡°We¡¯re her parents,¡± he said, voice cracking. ¡°Parents?¡± Abraham sneered. ¡°Parents who nearly cost her life? Mr. Patrick, you really have the nerve to use that bond as a shield?¡± The danger in his voice was palpable. In an instant, the mocking stile disappeared from Abraham¡¯s face, reced by a cold, deadly aura. Patrick¡¯s heart stuttered. But¨Cbut that wasn¡¯t Lilian¡¯s doing! Ste misunderstood Patrick blurted out in panic. The words had barely left his mouth when Abraham pulled free from his grasp and climbed into the car without a backward nce. Chapter 232 NO ¡°And since you are supposedly her parents that only makes it even less forgivable. Don¡¯t you think?¡± The people who should have protected her were the ones who shoved her to the edge of death. Patrick was speechless. The word ¡°unforgivable¡± hit him like a thunderp straight to the heart. Already pale from the cold, Patrick turned ghostly white. Before he could say another word, the car window rolled up, the engine roared to life, and the car pulled away. Panicked, Patrick tried to rush forward- but he slipped on the ice and barely managed to catch himself. By the time he stood upright again, all he could see was the car disappearing into the distance. The frigid wind howled around him. Inside the warm car, Abraham cradled Ste in his arms. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill her on the spot?¡± he asked softly. many people on her side that day. I was alone.¡± Ste sniffled and looked up at him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. There were too n Her voice was soft, almost casual. But those simple words made Abraham¡¯s gaze darken with a deadly chill she couldn¡¯t see. Meanwhile, Patrick didn¡¯t even remember how he got back to thepany. He stumbled in. looking like a ghost. Jonathan, who had pulled another all¨Cnighter and was still getting hounded by Reba, rushed up to meet him. ¡°Dad, how did it go? Did Ste agree to talk to Mr. Abraham?¡± His voice was full of urgency. That damned girl. Jonathan seethed silently. Colliding with outsiders to destroy the Reed Group. Thinking about the trouble Ste had brought upon them, Jonathan¡¯s rage only deepened. Patrick looked at his son, opened his mouth ¨C but no words came out. The fury and frustration boiling inside him left himpletely speechless. Jonathan saw the tension in his father¡¯s face, the veins bulging at his temples. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t tell me Lilian was right all along that Ste¡¯s willing to sell herself just to get revenge on us?¡± Saying it out loud made Jonathan even more furious ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then she¡¯s no sister of mine.¡± Disgraceful! Selling herself to an outsider just to get back at her own family. Even if Mr. Abraham was powerful¨Cshe was nothing but a ything to him. Once he got bored, he¡¯d toss her aside like garbage The wrong girl 233 Chapter 233 Awakening Too Late Patrick¡¯s face was already ugly, but hearing Jonathan¡¯s words now made his anger surge even higher. ¡°You ever treated her like a real sister? And you think she still gives a damn about that now?¡± ¡°Lilian, Lilian, Lilian- what exactly has Lilian been filling your heads with?¡± Only now did Patrick start piecing things together. Every time something happened at home¨Cwhether it was Susan or Jonathan it always came back to: ¡°Lilian said¡­¡± Especially when it had anything to do with Ste. Patrick¡¯s sudden outburst made Jonathan instinctively stiffen. For the first time, he beard the unmistakable displeasure in Patrick¡¯s voice. ¡°What, Lilian wasn¡¯t lying? Dad, you¨CJonathan¡¯s breathing quickened, full of disbelief. Was he seriously defending that backstabbing brat? The same brat who colluded with outsiders to crush her own family? Patrick¡¯s face darkened further. ¡®Hmph. Ste grew up in the Luke family. She¡¯s officially Mr. Abraham¡¯s younger sister- like Lin is to you. ¡°And you people all you do is nder her with your filth, Was this what Lilian taught you?¡± The final sentence exploded out of Patrick like a thunderp. The entire office was thick with rage, suffocating- Jonathan¡¯s mind buzzed, as if something heavy had just smashed into it. Same as Lilian and him¡­.. Jonathan stared at Patrick in disbelief. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re saying. Patrick snapped, ¡°She grew up with the Luke family. Understand now?¡± ¡°And if I hear one more filthy word about her out of your mouth, I¡¯ll rip your tongue out.¡± Patrick¡¯s hands clenched tightly. Thepany had been a chaotic mess recently, and now he realized¨CSusan and Jonathan had been poisoning Ste¡¯s name all along. Every filthy guess, every cruel judgment all influenced by Lilian. Thinking back to Lilian¡¯s pitiful doe¨Ceyed act, Patrick suddenly felt his mind clear sharply. His gaze turned icy, his breathing cold. Jonathan stared at him, still unable to process it. ¡°But¡­ wasn¡¯t she raised by some poor family in the countryside?¡± She had never mentioned her adoptive family- almost like she was ashamed. So how had she turned out to be the youngest daughter of Fleule¡¯s mighty Luke family? Jonathan¡¯s brain ground to a halt. just Jonathan hesitated. Nowo, she hadn¡®?. Thinking back carefully, Ste had never once talked about her upbringing or her adoptive family. ¡°So it was Lilian who said it, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Patrick pressed Jonathan froze. Lilian¡­ it was Lilian! He suddenly remembered. The first time they learned Ste was supposedly raised in the countryside was at her first birthday back at the Reed family. Susan had prepared her a strapless dress for the party. But when Lilian saw it, she said: ¡°Ste grew up in the countryside. She¡¯ll be shy wearing something like that.¡± And what happened afterward? The fancy dress ended up on Lilian, and Ste wore a much iner, conservative gown picked out from Lilian¡¯s closet. Now that he thought about it. Ste never said a word. Seeing Jonathan¡¯s expression, Patrick no longer needed confirmation. His face turned even darker. ¨C ¡°Tm telling you Mr. Abraham is furious about how Ste was treated during the two years she lived in Rivermount *All the trouble the Reed Group is facing right now ¨C it¡¯s because of his anger¡± In other words, unless Ste spoke up for them, there was no way this disaster would just blow over. Jonathan snapped back to reality, his face flushing with rage. ¡°So what do you want us to do? Get on our knees and beg her?¡± ¡°When she first came home, didn¡¯t we treat her well? She¡¯s the one who kept picking fights with Lilian!¡± Thinking about that explosive confrontation between Ste and Lilian two years ago, Jonathan¡¯s fury reignited. They had barely managed to stop Ste from sending Lilian to jail. She had nearly beaten Lilian half to death. At the time, Ste¡¯s ferocity had been shocking like a wild little beast. Patrick¡¯s eyes zed. ¡°And you still dare to talk?!¡± ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re really going to be the death of me. Fine. You deal with this mess.¡± Thinking about how he had nearly frozen to death this morning at Pluchville Hill, and then seeing Jonathan¡¯s shameless. atitude now, Patrick¡¯s fury erupted again. The wrong girl 234 Chapter 234 No Way Back Jonathan¡¯s expression darkened. He had to handle it? How was he supposed to handle it? Was he really expected to get on his knees and beg Ste? As if she deserved that Meanwhile at Pluchville Hill. Abraham brought Ste back, and after checking her temperature, ced her gently onto the herl He brushed her forehead with a tender touch. ¡°How are you feeling? Still ufortable? Ste pouted and nodded, her big eyes watery as she stared at him. ¡°It hurts.¡± it hurt a lot. She never would¡¯ve imagined that the usually elegant, restrained Abraham could be so wild and brutal in bed. Her throat was still hoarse from crying and begging him to stop ¨C not that he had. Abraham chuckled lowly and gently pinched her little nose. ¡°Then you better stay put in bed and rest, hmm?¡± Seeing Ste¡¯s slightly sulky expression, Abraham pinched her cheek indulgently. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Ste peeked up at him. ¡°I was thinking.. will Mom be mad if she finds out?¡± At the mention of it, Ste felt so embarrassed she wanted to bury herself under the covers. When she first woke up, the person she had been most afraid of facing was Abraham. Now that she had gotten through him.. her next fear was Madam Evelyn, Ugh, just imagining Madam Evelyn¡¯s reaction made her heart tremble. Would she be furious? Refuse to speak to her ever again? The thought filled Ste with dread. Abraham¡¯s smile grew even softer. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look scared at all, Ste muttered. Why was he so rxed? Abraham leaned down and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. ¡°If she finds out, just me it on me.¡± Ste blinked. Wait that workst Then her eyes immediately lit up with sparkling admiration. ¡°I worship you.¡± Abraham ruffled her hair with a low chuckle. ¡°Get some sleep, alright?¡± He tucked her in carefully. Ste grabbed onto the covers and looked up. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Abraham said, ¡°Not going far. Just meeting someone. They¡¯re probably already here.¡± But before she could really fall asleep, Tessa¡¯s call came through. ¡°Ste! Oh my god, it¡¯s insane! Even after Ethan tried to pull strings with the Keene family, Lilian still got kicked out of the hospitalTM Ste stirred. ¡°She actually got kicked out?¡± Tessa¡¯s voice was gleeful. ¡°Dead serious! They even called in security. I saw it with my own eyes- Susan crying and wailing as they wheeled Lilian out.¡± Ste: Tessa continued cheerfully, ¡°Honestly, the way her health¡¯s going, she probably won¡¯tst long.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t they just move her to another hospital?¡± Tessa scoffed. ¡°Come on, use your brain for once. If someone¡¯s determined to crush her, and even Ethan¡¯s influence couldn¡¯t stop it, you really think there¡¯s a hospital in Rivermount that would dare take her in?¡± True enough. If even Ethan couldn¡¯t fix it, there was no chance for Lilian in this city, Ste thought for a moment. ¡°She could still go abroad.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her only shot, Tessa said. ¡°Otherwise she¡¯s dead meat. You should¡¯ve seen her today- getting wheeled out in a chair, looking half¨Cdead. Still trying to fight you, though! What¡¯s she gonna do with Ethan now? She doesn¡¯t even have the body to keep a man.¡± Ste snorted. Was that a dirty joke?¡± Tessa: ¡°Pif. What, you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°Just because I haven¡¯t eaten pork doesn¡¯t mean I haven¡¯t seen a pig Ste:¡­.. Well she couldn¡¯t exactly argue with that. At least not anymore¨Cpot afterst night. She was officially a groen wOMIEN NOW. Tessa chuckled. ¡°Anyway, brace yourself the Reed family¡¯s gonna start bugging you nonstop.¡± With Reed Group crumbling and Lilian¡¯s treatment falling apart, everything was tied to Ste now. Ste hummed dismissively. They won¡¯t be able to find me.¡± The words were crisp, cold, and ruthless. Tessaughed. ¡°God, I love you. That¡¯s how it should be! Who the hell volunteers to be someone else¡¯s punching bag?¡± She had seen firsthand how the Reed family had treated Ste these past two years and it still made her blood boil. Thank goodness Ste hadn¡¯t gone back begging like a fool. They looked down on her once¨Cnow they could rot. And knowing Ste, if they pushed too hard, they might just get a beating too. The wrong girl 237 Chapter 237 Storm Iing ¡°Last night, Abel went to see the driver who caused your car ident two, Abraham said casually. ¡°What was said between them, I don¡¯t know¡± Ste snorted inwardly. Yeah, like hell he doesn¡¯t kno Abraham raised an eyebrow. What¡¯s wrong? Feeling soft¨Chearted toward her?¡± Do I look weak to you? Ste rolled her eyes. As if The only ones who could ever stir her heart were the Dawson family. As for the rest no one had ever gotten close. Abraham chuckled. Ste shifted on the bed. ¡°Now that she¡¯s desperate, she¡¯s probably going to try leaving the country for treatment, right?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t Abraham said lightly. Ste¡¯s eyes widened in shock. His face was as warm and calm as ever- but the words he spoke were enough to some more ore medicine. Ste had just curled up under the covers again when her phone buzzed. She nced at the caller ID- her heart jumped and she immediately pressed ¡°Answer, holding the phone to her ear. ¡°Mare¡± she whispered. The moment the word left her mouth, a familiar voice roared from the other end. ¡°Three hours. Come pick me up at the airport. Ste nearly dropped the phone ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re to Rivermount?¡± If Marie saw her injuries right now, how was she going to exin? Say she got bitten by bugs? Fell down? Marie¡¯s voice was full of rage. ¡°Dead girl! Let¡¯s see how I deal with you this time. You little brat, you¡¯re really good at running, huh? Your brother already found you and you¡¯re still ying hide¨Cand¨Cseek with me?¡± Just thinking about it made Marie¡¯s blood pressure skyrocket. Chapter 237 Storm ting Hearing the threat in her voice, Ste shrank under the nkets, ¡°Where are you now?¡± If she¡¯s three hours away she must already be out of Fieule? Ste broke into a cold sweat. She¡¯s seriouslying! The demon queen is on her way! Marie¡¯s snort crackled through the line. ¡°What, thinking of warning Abraham? You even think about ratting me out and I¡¯l break your legs.¡± Ste whimpered silently. Marie barked, ¡°Three hours. I want to see you the moment Ind.¡± The way she threatened it was exactly the same as when Abrahamn had first shown up in Rivermount. No wonder¨Cborn from the same blood, after all. They even threatened people the same way. Ste rolled around in bed, miserable. Wait ¨C you really already left Fleule?¡± Marie ¡°hmph¡¯ed. ¡°Trying to warn him? Better pray I don¡¯t catch you.¡± If Marie could crawl through the phone and smack her, she would. ¨C Three years ago, Ste had run so fast she might as well have been training for the Olympics then gonepletely off- grid Ste could only whisper pitifully, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Ahhh, so scary. ¨C Marie snorted. ¡°You better not. Just wait, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. Running so far why didn¡¯t you justunch yourself into outer space?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d starved to death out there, maybe you¡¯d have learned your lesson.¡± Ste was speechless. ¡°Three hours. Don¡¯t bete.¡± With a final barrage of scolding, Marie hung up. In her mind, Ste was still the soft, clumsy little girl she had grown up with the one who needed protecting. During those years when they couldn¡¯t find her, Marie had truly worried that something terrible had happened. Listening to the disconnected beeping of the call, Ste gritted her teeth and dragged herself out of bed, wincing at the pain. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m not telling Abraham. If Marie showed up and saw her like this, she was doomed. Ste quickly threw on a coat and padded out of the room. She checked the study first no sign of him. Then the living room still no sign. Finally, a housekeeper spotted her and approached respectfully. ¡°Ms. Ste¡± Hait there¡¯s a billiards room here? They had only just moved in recently. She hadn¡¯t even had time to explore properly yet. The wrong girl 235 Chapter 235 No Mercy for Regret Just like Tessa had predicted. Right now, the Reed family was frantically scrambling to find Ste, practically losing their minds. And after hearing that Ethan hadn¡¯t been able to buy off Verdant Vi either, panic only deepened. Lilian had been forced out of the hospital and dragged back to the Reed family home. But without ess to hospital treatments or medications, Lilian couldn¡¯t hold on. ¡°Mom¡­. this is all Ste¡¯s doing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lilian gritted out, shaking violently, sweat dripping down her pale forehead. ¡°She told her foster brother to do this to me.¡± Susan¡¯s heart ached seeing her like this. Since bringing Lilian back, she had been desperately trying to contact Ste ¨C but every phone line they had was either jblocked or went unanswered. ¡°Lilian, don¡¯t worry. Mom will figure something out. I promise, I¡¯ll find a way.¡± Lilian trembled harder. ¡°Mom, am I going to die? 1 don¡¯t want to die! Please, save me! I really don¡¯t want to die,¡± Panic hadpletely consumed her now. She had never imagined Ste would be able to strangle her lifeline like this. Where the hell did she get such power? Hearing her daughter¡¯s desperate pleas, Susan¡¯s heart felt like it was being ripped apart. I¡¯ll save you I swear I¡¯ll save you. I won¡¯t let you die I won¡¯t.¡± But the truth was they couldn¡¯t even get her admitted into a hospital After being kicked out, they had tried taking Lilian to several others, but every single hospital rejected her with flimsy excuses the moment they heard her name. Susan had even tried calling around to hire private doctors toe treat Lilian at home¨Call in vain. What the hell were they supposed to do now? Susan gritted her teeth in fury. Without medication, Lilian wouldn¡¯t survive much longer. ¡°Mom, I realize I was wrong. Lilian sobbed. ¡°I¡¯ll give her back to Ste- everything. If that¡¯s what she wants, tell her she can. have it all. I don¡¯t want anything anymore. I¡¯ll give everything back.¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡®T¡¯ll tell her I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll tell her I¡¯ll never fight her for you again, Mom!¡± Susan hugged her tightly. ¡°Lilian.. ¡°I know I was wrong. I was bad. I hurt Ste. I admit it¡­¡± After being rejected by four different hospitals in a row, Lilian finally understood the gravity of the situation. And with that realization came slicer terror ¡°You didn¡¯t move into Verdant Vi,¡± Ste saidzily, so you lost our bet. Don¡¯t forget to send me a million. Lilian¡¯s breathing stalled. She was pale as a sheet, her chest tight with suppressed panic. ¡°Where are you?¡± she croaked. ¡°At Verdant Vi, of course. I live here. Didn¡¯t Ethan tell you? Useless, isn¡¯t he? Hearing that Ste was staying at Verdant Vi was like a knife straight into Lilian¡¯s chest. She had once unted to everyone that Ethan would buy her Verdant Vi to recover in even using it to taunt Ste. And now¡­ You¡¯ve been living there ever since you left Kingston Heights?¡± Lilian rasped. Yup, So don¡¯t forget the million.¡± ¨C Two mentions of the money in such a short call each one stabbing Ln harder than thest. And Ste wasn¡¯t done twisting the knife. ¡°So when are you paying up? No tea¨Cselling scams allowed, remember?¡± Originally, Lilian had nced hopefully at Susan, tears in her eyes, hoping for somefort But after Ste¡¯s cold words, Lilian¡¯s heart shattered all over again. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t have that kind of money¡­¡± Lilian said in a trembling voice She didn¡¯t That murderer kept extorting her constantly she was barely holding on. On Ste¡¯s end, she popped a piece of orange into her mouth and saidzily, ¡°No money? Funny. That¡¯s not what you said. when you were all cocky making that bet.¡± Lilian was speechless. When she made the bet she had been sure she would win sure she could carve off a chunk of the seven million Ste had Gamed Who knew she would end up losing everything instead. The thought made Lilian seethe with rage. The wrong girl 236 674 Chapter 236 No Pity for the Guilty Ste muttered, ¡°What, you trying to get out of paying?¡± When Abraham walked in, he saw her lying on the bed, hugging a fruit tter and nibbling on oranges. He had ordered the fruits for her. He¡¯d once overheard a doctor say that eating fruits high in vitamin C helped recovery from fevers. Seeing Abraham enter, Ste was about to hang up the call. But then, Ln¡¯s desperate voice came through the phone: ¡°Ste, it was my fault before. I¡¯m sorry. Please, please let me go.¡± Ste paused What thist Seriously trying to weasel out of paying?¡± she saidzily. Lilian really is something¨Cwilling topletely throw away her pride just to avoid coughing up the money. Pathetic Ste had no interest in dragging it out. She was about to hang up after getting onest jab in- ¡°Ste, I really know I was wrong Lilian sobbed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you back Dad and Mom. I¡¯ll leave the Reed family. Please¡­ just don¡¯t mess with the hospitals anymore, Please.¡± Hearing that, Ste almostughed out loud. ¡°You can keep them,¡± she said coolly. Those disasters are better off staying with you.¡± With that, she ended the call without hesitation. What did Lilian think¨Cthat everyone else treasured those people like she did? Please Abrahan sat down on the edge of the bed. He pushed the fruit tter away from her. ¡°Don¡¯t eat like that. It¡¯s bad for your stomach.¡± Ste pouted. ¡°You have to control even how I cat? Abraham lified an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm? ¡°Fine, fine, I get it, Ste mumbled, sulking internally. He¡¯s even stricter i than a mont Abraham asked, ¡°Who were you talking to just now?¡± ¡°Talian,¡± Ste said. ¡°She made a bet with me. Said if she didn¡¯t move into Verdant Vi, she¡¯d pay me a million.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°You need a million¡± Ste said, ¡°Nope. But a win¡¯s a win golta collect. It wasn¡¯t about needing the money. ¡°That murderer- the one who hit me ¨C keeps extorting her for money. Just today, they asked her for a million.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°And how do you know all that?¡± Was he having her watched? Right then, Ste was certain¨CAbraham hadn¡¯t just been angry about his own car ident.. He was fierrout Still, something felt off. Scooting closer, Ste peered up at him. ¡°Abraham, are you hiding something from me?¡± Abraham nced at her and ruffled her hair lightly. ¡°What could 1 possibly hide from you?¡± ¡°Lilian¡¯s hospital situation¡­ it was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Getting kicked out overnight¨Cand no hospital willing to take her? There was no way that wasn¡¯t Abraham¡¯s doing Without answering. Abraham scooped her up into his arms, so suddenly she ended up straddling hisp. ¡°Ahh¨CT The sharp pain made her gasp. Abraham immediately frowned when he saw her grimace. ¡°Still hurting? Ste whined. ¡°Be gentle, will you?¡± It really, really hurt. ¡°Sorry, Abraham said softly. ¡°I forgot¡± Ste was speechless, Forgot! Hearing him say that word made Ste shiver. He better not have forgotten everything fromst night! ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to forget!¡± she blurted out. Thank goodness he hadn¡¯t imed to forget what happened otherwise she wouldn¡¯t even have anywhere to lodge a Abraham gently massaged her legs. ¡°Hurting here?¡± Ste pouted. ¡°It¡¯s so sore.¡± It didn¡¯t even feel like her own legs anymore. Abraham continued kneading her tenderly, ¡®So delicate.¡± Ste sulked. But after leaving Fleule¡­ she hadpletely cked off. She nodded meekly. ¡°No..¡± Abraham said calmly, ¡°Once you¡¯re better, one hour of running every day.¡± Inside, Ste let out a wail. One hour!! He¡¯s trying to kill me! But she still stubbornly asked, ¡°So¡­ was Lilian¡¯s situation really your doing?¡± Send Gifts 674 3 The wrong girl 238 Chapter 238 A Glimpse Into His World ¡°Where¡¯s the billiards room?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Straight ahead down this hallway, miss. I can escort you, the butle Ste shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll find it myself.¡± said respectfully. She turned and walked through the left¨Cside corridor of the living room. Outside, Rivermount¡¯s snowstorm raged even heavier tonight. Walking through the warm ss hallway. Ste nced out and saw under the outdoor lights that the snow was already piling thickly. The billiards room wasn¡¯t far. As she reached the door, a heavy hnd came from inside¨Cfollowed by a man¡¯s sharp cry of pain. Ste¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She froze for a second, then carefully pushed the door open a crack. Inside, she saw Abel, one foot brutally stomping on the back of a bloodied man- a Fleulean, from the look of him. Abel¡¯s eyes were cold, deadly. The murderous aura radiating from him was so thick it seemed he could crush the man beneath his boot at any moment On a sofa nearby, Abraham satnguidly, legs crossed, a cigar between his fingers. That casual posture couldn¡¯t hide the danger simmering around him The man groaned and begged in terror, ¡°Mr. Abraham, please have mercy! I swear, I don¡¯t know where our boss is! Please, please spare me!¡± Before he could finish, Abel¡¯s boot dug even harder into his back Only then did Ste notice ¨C Abel was stomping directly on a fresh, gaping wound. With each grind of his foot, more blood seeped out. ¡°Cooka, do you really want to die here tonight?¡± Abel said, voice terrifyingly calm. Then, with the ease of long practice, he drew a pistol from his waistband ¨C the click of it cocking filled the room. The muzzle pressed right against the man¡¯s forehead. Cooka shook like a leaf. ¡°Mr. Abraham, I swear, I really don¡¯t know! I- ¡°Bang-¡°¡± The pitiful begging was cut off instantly, Ste¡¯s heart jolted violently. Her fingers slipped against the doorframe with a soft thud. The noise was tiny ¨C barely audible but inside, all the men immediately reacted. Abraham and Abel both turned toward the door. Chapter Abel froze for half a second when he saw her, ¡°Miss?¡± Hearing it was Ste, Abraham¡¯s expression darkened slightly. He looked up his eyes still cold, a trace of danger not yet hidden. Ste¡¯s heart trembled as she tore her gaze away from the bloody scene and met Abraham¡¯s eyes. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen him like this- so cold, so dangerous. But it had been many years Even now, memories of that terrifying first time shed vividly in her mind. Abraham¡¯s chest rose and fell with a deep breath. ¡°Ste¡± Her breath hitched. She forced her gaze away from the corpse, lifting her eyes to Abraham. This time, she didn¡¯t turn and run like before. Instead, she stood frozen for a second before stiffly calling out, ¡°Abraham.¡± That single word¨Cspoken in such a chaotic, bloody scene ¨C made thest traces of coldness vanish from Abraham¡¯s eyes ¡°Come here,¡± he said, his voice warm and gentle again. No more anger, no more danger. She hadn¡¯t run this time. He didn¡¯t have to chase her. She was hereby his side. And one day, she would fully understand; this was who Abraham truly was, And she would still stay Ste¡¯s legs were stiff, but she forced herself to walk forward. When she was within a meter, Abraham reached our and pulled her into hisp. His warm fingers cupped her chin. ¡°Scared?¡± Scared! After all those years in the Dawson family, after seeing this kind of thing more than once¡­. Ste had long lost the naive fear she once had. She cast a calm nce toward the corpse. ¡°Was that one of Lancelot¡¯s men?¡± Lancelot She had overheard Abraham and Victor mention that name back at Pluchville Hill Abraham let out a low hum in confirmation. Then, without warning, he leaned down and kissed her cold lips, gently coaxing them apart. Ste¡¯s mind nked for a moment. 2/3 And Abel and the guards are all watching too! What are you doing you crazy man!! Just openly letting everyone know you turned the girl you raised into your woman?! Even Abel, who was usually expressionless, looked visibly stunned for a second. He had more or less guessed what happenedst night¡­ But seeing Abraham openly, unabashedly im Ste like this¨Cit still threw himpletely off. The wrong girl 239 B Chapter 239 No More Escape For a second, Abel¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t keep up either he quickly turned around, along with the rest of the bodyguards, facing away from them. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t just Abel who was stunned. Ste¡¯s mind was a mess too She had thought that after what happenedst night, they would at least need some time to adjust, to figure things out. But Abraham wasn¡¯t giving anyone time to react¨Cnot even her. She struggled instinctively, but her little hands were quickly pinned down by Abraham. His maic voice was low and hoarse,ced with dangerous heat. ¡°Still trying to run, hmm?¡± 1¨Cit¡¯s not that..¡± Ste stammered, unable to string a full sentence together. By the time Abraham finally let her go, Ste was already breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed crimson. Abraham leaned their foreheads together, his voice low and warm. ¡°What are you doing here? Hmm?¡± had thought she¡¯d sleep after eating. She always needed lots of rest and food to get over a cold faster. Heb That was why he¡¯d asked Abel to bring Cooka over while Ste napped. Ste, her face still buried against his chest, mumbled, ¡°Marie¡¯sing Abraham froze. ¡°She called you?¡± Ste nodded guiltily. ¡°She said to pick her up at the airport in three hours.¡± Earlier on the call. Marie had warned her over and over not to tell Abraham Yet the second she hung up, Ste had turned right around and ratted her out without blinking. A cold glint fiashed in Abraham¡¯s eyes. ¡°Abel,¡± he called, his voice chilly. Abel, still standing stiffly with his back to them, quickly turned around at themand. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Find out where that little brat is right now.¡± For the past two years, Marie had been tearing the world apart trying to find Ste. Both Abraham and Abel knew if Marie got her hands on Ste, there would be hell to pay. That girl was slippery- always thinking two steps ahead. ¡°Got it, Abel said. ¡°Once you find her, have someone send her back. Keep a close watch. Whoever was in charge of guarding her this time can go report for punishment¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was colder than the snowstorm outside. The fact that Marie had actually managed to sneak out infuriated him. Abel nodded again and quickly left. Feeling the gentle pressure on the back of her heal, Ste obediently stayed still. He carried her through the ss corridor, where the world outside was buried under heavy snow, and finally back to their ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± he askeil, his voice much gentler now. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Ste answered, still a little distracted. Abraham thought for a moment. ¡°With all this snow, maybe ¡°Hot pot! Ste cut in eagerly. Every time the weather turned freezing, she and Tessa would sneak out for hot pot. Abraham chuckled and tapped her forehead lightly. ¡°You think you¡¯re in any condition for that?¡± Ste pouted. ¡°Fine.¡± Right, With the injuries she had now especially in that spot¨Cspicy food was definitely a bad idea. Abraham lowered his head, brushing his forehead lightly against hers. ¡°Still a little warm.¡± Ste tried to pull back, but her arms buckled, and she copsed straight onto the bed. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean, Ste?¡± Her face froze instantly. *¡ªit was an ident!¡± God he¡¯s gonna misunderstand! Lying down right in front of him like this it looked way too much like an invitation. But it¡¯s really not! Ste¡¯s face burned scarlet. From instinctively grabbed at the nket, trying to pull it up to hide. But Abraham leaned down his kiss falling onto her lips. Gentle at first. Lingering. So full of longing it made Ste¡¯s heart tremble. He had wanted her for so long. And now that he finally had her, he couldn¡¯t get enough. Right as the moment was about to spiralpletely out of control ¡ª Abraham pulled back, releasing her. Send Gifts The wrong girl 240 Chapter 240 What She Can No Longer Escape Ste was already nervous, her checks flushed red. When she saw Abraham suddenly pull away, she froze, her round, dewy eyes staring at him, looking pitiful and helpless. Abraham¡¯s warm fingers brushed the corner of her eyes. ¡°Save that look for ,¡± he said in a low, suggestive voice. ¡°Huh?¡± Ste blinked, still a little dazed. Abraham sighed, exasperated. Without another word, he got up and quickly left the room. But as he turned. Ste caught a glimpse of him tugging his shirt down¨Calmost deliberately as if trying to cover something¡­ By dinner, Ste was feeling much better, so she went downstairs to eat. When she reached the dining room, Abraham wasn¡¯t there yet. About ten minutester, he came down from upstairs. wearing a loose robe, his hair still damp. The moment he saw her, he frowned. ¡°Why are you down here? I told them to bring your food up. I wanted toe down and eat,¡± Ste said honestly, She didn¡¯t like eating alone in her room. Besides, if it was delivered. Abraham would definitely have them portion it out- small, strict servings. But she needed to eat a lot now. Her body was hurt, and she needed to recover fast. She had to eat properly! Sure enough- The moment she sat at the table, she started devouring her food. Abraham sat there, quietly watching her. After a while, Ste noticed his gaze and muttered, ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already had two bowls, Abraham said calmly. Ste was speeechless. Here we go again. Always policing what I eat at night. Tm hurt!¡± she protested righteously. ¡°I need way more nutrients now. Of course I have to eat more!¡± Abraham looked at her for a second, then his lips curved in a faint smile. ¡°Hmm. Not a bad excuse I¡¯m serious, Ste grumbled under her breath. To prove her point, she picked up another scoop of beef and dumped it into her bowl. Ever since Abraham arrived, she basically hadn¡¯t gotten to eat her fill at night. Tonight¡¯s dishes were all very light¨Cbut that didn¡¯t stop Ste from eating with great enthusiasm. After dinner, Abraham escorted her back to her room. She thought he was just tucking her in- but then he grabbed a box of ointment from the shelf and started walking toward Ste nodded frantically. ¡°Yes! I can handle it!¡± Abraham smiled, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes- a teasing amusement that had never been there before. Ste had a bad feeling about this. Meanwhile, across town. After being kicked out of the hospital in the morning, Lilian had been relying solely on oral medication to ease her suffering. Back when she was in the hospital, she¡¯d had a full team of specialists monitoring her around the clock. But now The few pills they managed to bring back were only enough for two days. And even those didn¡¯t seem to be working. Since she¡¯de home, Lilian hadn¡¯t been able to eat a single proper meal. The pain was so bad she couldn¡¯t keep anything down. After being forced to leave the hospital, Susan had been frantically calling Jonathan and Patrick all day. They finally arrived in the evening. Ethan knew Lilian had been discharged too- but he never showed up. Susan had tried calling him, but as usual, it was Madeline who picked up and immediately unleashed a fresh wave of scolding Jonathan¡¯s face was ashen with rage. He gritted his feeth and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re telling me all of Rivermount, and not at single hospital will admit Lilian? No doctors will even had she destroyed thepany she was after Lilian¡¯s life too? Suran nodded, her face twisted in resentment. ¡°That¡¯s right. She doesn¡¯t just want Reed Group dead she wants Lilian dead 100 ¡°Now not a single doctor in Rivermount dares even look at us. Even the family doctor we hired for years has quit,¡± The hatred in Susan¡¯s voice was practically tangible. She refuses to be our daughter and now she wants to take the daughter I raised with my own hands too! Jonathan¡¯s veins bulged with fury. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll send Lilian abroad!* Susan and Patrick both froze for a second- but they had to admit, it was a good idea. Ever since Lilian hade home, Ste had made their lives hell. Maybe if Lilian left, Ste would stop. Patrick¡¯s expression hardened. He nodded heavily. ¡°Start making the arrangements immediately.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 241 Chapter 241 No Way Out The truth was, Patrick had never supported Lilian¡¯s return in the first ce. When she called from abroad saying she was sick, he had suggested she stay there for treatment. But Susan had insisted Lilian shoulde back that it would be better to have family around to look after her. If he had known her return would bring them to this mess, no matter what Susan said, he would have refused. Thinking about thepany¡¯s massive losses now, Patrick¡¯s face darkened even further. And more than that, he was starting to realize the Lilian they had raised under their roof might not be as simple as they had thought. Patrick looked at Jonathan and said coldly. You take care of it Jonathan nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The family quickly settled on the decision to send Lilian abroad for treatment. Before they could move, however, Patrick received another urgent call from thepany. He had to leave immediately. Before going, he barked an order at Jonathan: ¡°Stay home tonight.¡± Jonathan had no objections. He wasn¡¯t at ease leaving Lilian alone anyway. Jonathan went to Lilian¡¯s room. It had only been a single day, but Lilian already looked like she had withered. ¡°You finally came,¡± she croaked, her voice choked with tears utterly pitiful. In the hospital, she¡¯d been surrounded by care. Now, she was stuck with Susan, who was a panicked mess and useless to boot No doctors. No nurses. No as he looked at her face ¨C he didn¡¯t even have to ask to know how bad her condition had ¡°Did you take your medicine?¡± he asked, his voice tight. gotten. At the mention of it. Lilian¡¯s body trembled. ¡°It hurts so much¡­ The medicine doesn¡¯t work at all¡­ Am I going to die?¡± She could barely get the words out between sobs. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anything¡­ It hurts too much¡­ Tears streamed down her pale face. ¡°Can¡¯t we find a specialist? Someone to to the house and treat me?¡± She really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. The oral medication they had brought home was nothingpared to the hospital treatments. It was almost useless. Jonathan¡¯s expression stiffened. The thought of Ste forcing the Reed family into such desperation in just a few days made his chest tighten with anger. Now even getting Lilian a hospital bed in Rivermount had be impossible. When Lilian heard the word ¡°abroad.¡± her pupils shrank. ¡°Abroad?¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Yes. Things are¡­plicated here. Your mother¡¯s already called every doctor she could think of. No one will she had no choice but to concede. Ste. just wait. When I¡¯m healed we¡¯ll settle this. Jonathan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange everything right away.¡± The two spoke a few more words, and Jonathan left the room. Left: Left alone, Lilian¡¯s expression twisted into a fierce, vicious sneer. ¡°Ste¡­ you think you¡¯ve won?¡± If it weren¡¯t for my body failing me¡­ you¡¯d be the one suffering now. Just want. I¡¯ll make you with you were dead. Back at Seats Cove. Ste looked miserably at Abrahamn. The whole process of applying the ointment had been¡­. well, less like medical treatment and more like¡­ something else. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± she muttered, cheeks burning red. She looked like a boiled shrimp. Just remembering what had happened made her want to bury herself in a hole. Right now, all she wanted was to be left alone. ¡°Sleep,¡± he said. Ste thought to herself, Wait, whattt The wrong girl 242 Chapter 242 No Escape Wait¨Cwhat was this? He wanted to sleep with her? Hold o ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing?¡± Ste stammered. Abraham said calmly. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Ste was speechless. Was there a problem? How could there not be? At dinner, he had acted that way with her right in front of everyone, and now¡­ Their rtionship had leapt from childhoodpanions to something she couldn¡¯t even name yet. Shouldn¡¯t he at least pretend to be a little reserved? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Abrahamn asked. When Ste didn¡¯t answer, he reached out and pinched her small nose. Ste mumbled. I was thinking¡­ is this really okay?¡± She rubbed her hands together, the questioning out cautiously. Abraham: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Ste was speechless. What¡¯s wrong with it? That¡¯s the question! Last night, in that wild moment, she had thrown all caution to the wind. But now that she was thinking clearly, the weight of everything crashed back down on her. Everyone in Fleule thought of them as siblings. Even if they had no blood ties, just the thought of how this could impact Abraham made her panic. She had lived recklessly in Rivermount these past two years, never caring what anyone said about her. She hadn¡¯t cared how Lilian smeared her, hadn¡¯t cared about gossip. But when it came to Abraham- she cared. She cared because she didn¡¯t want anyone to hurt him. Not even a word of nder. ¡°Ste¡± Abraham pulled her into his arms. With one smooth move, he rolled them so she was tucked against his chest. His voice, low and maic, brushed against her ear, soothing her panicked heart. Even if she wanted to, she knew it would all unravel the second he so much as looked at her. Abraham flipped her over again, pinning her lightly under him. ¡°So, he murmured, ¡°Ste¡¯s afraid of that?¡± Ste shrank down, feeling like a helpless little bird. Seeing her curl up so timidly, Abraham chuckled and brushed his lips over hers. ¡°Who dares drown us with their words?¡± he whispered. Ste didn¡¯t respond. Abraham ruffled her hair, then flipped over, pulling her snugly into his arms. ¡°Silly girl,¡± he said, his voice full of helpless tenderness. Ste shifted in his arms, finding afortable spot to lean against. She knew trying to kick him out was pointless, When had she ever been able to win against him? From the very beginning, her world had always revolved around Abraham. He made the rules. And now, even their rtionship changing like this¡­ it wasn¡¯t something she could stop. Abraham kissed her forehead again, soft and lingering. It wasn¡¯t enough. No matter how many times he touched her, no matter how close he pulled her, it would never be enough. Just the faintest brush of her skin, and he wanted more. More, and more¡­ Ste felt the shift in his body and stiffened, ¡°Abraham,¡± she squeaked. ¡°I¡¯m still hurt.¡± In her panic, she even forgot to call him ¡°brother.¡± Hearing his name from her mouth, so timid and pleading, made Abraham¡¯s smile deepen. He had never realized before just how beautiful his name could sound. ¡°I know,¡± he said, voice low and rich. ¡°Then why are you still- Why aren¡¯t you leaving!! She could feel it. If he stayed any longer, she wasn¡¯t going to be able to get out of this unscathed. Especially whenst night¡­ even under the influence, he had shown just how frighteningly inexperienced ¡ª and greedy ¨C he was in that way. If he lost control now, with all his senses clear¡­. ¡°Even just applying the medicine hurt, she mumbled pitifully. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what should we do?¡± she whimpered. Of course you should leave! Ste teared up, staring at him with wide, pitiful eyes. Tm scared,¡± she whispered. Those watery eyes¡­ they only fanned the fire burning in Abraham¡¯s chest. ¡°You little coward,¡± he murmured. Ste hupped out, ¡°It¡¯s your fault for spoiling me!¡± She was genuinely terrified he was going to lose control right now and if he did, there would be no escape. Send Gifts The wrong girl 243 674 Chapter 243 No Way Out Abraham kissed her forehead lightly. ¡°Yes, I spoiled you,¡± he said. ¡°Everything is because I spoiled you.¡± Even her reckless little temper¨Che had let it grow, pampered it. Ste pushed at his chest with both hands. Then hurry up and go back to your own room!¡± There was no way they could keep sleeping together. If this kept up, something was definitely going to happen. She really didn¡¯t want to get hurt again it was too miserable. But Abraham had no intention of leaving Just as Ste was trying to push him away, he grabbed her soft little hand in hisrge one. Ste was shocked. Meanwhile, back at the Reed family. Lilian said to Jonathan, ¡°The Luke family controls arms across Fleule. Both the ck market and the white cors ¡ª it¡¯s not that simple ¡°Ste¡¯s growing up there would have exposed her to all kinds of danger. Look, she¡¯s your real sister. You should find a way to get her out of the Luke family,¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°Lilian, you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lilian cut him off. No matter what, Ste had to be pulled out of the Luke family. As long as she stayed under their protection, Lilian had no future. Just the thought of Ste still being backed by them made Lilian¡¯s jealousy burn so hot it nearly tore her apart. Jonathan scowled. ¡°That little ingrate would never agree toe back to the Reed family. You know that.¡± ¡°You have to find a way!¡± Lilian pressed. ¡°Those people live with their heads hanging by a thread every day. You think tomorrow¡¯s promised? Idiot. It¡¯s not hard to pull her out¨Cjust be ruthless enough. Seeing how unwilling, Jonathan looked, Lilian almost exploded. Maybe if Ste came back to the Reed family, and she yed the good sister a little while, Ste would stop making things so hard for her! She didn¡¯t trust it. But right now, she didn¡¯t have a better n. Jonathan¨Csighed. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s focus on getting you out of here first¡± Right now, he had no good feelings toward Ste at all. There had been too much chaos because of her. Her life, her death he didn¡¯t care anymors ¡°After leaving Lilian¡¯s room, Susan pulled Jonathan aside toit more about Ste making Lilian¡¯s life miserable. ?? What else could they do? None of them had expected Ste to be the little princess the Luke family had lost. And judging by how the Luke family had turned the world upside down looking for her back then. treasure to them. wing with Susan was furious, her chest heaving with anger. ¨C she was clearly a I can¡¯t believe I ever thought bringing her back was a good idea, she ranted. ¡°Raised by the Luke family, and what did we get from it? Nothing but disaster.¡± Thinking about how all of Reed Group¡¯s recent troubles had started with Ste made her blood pressure skyrocket. Jonathan opened his mouth, wanting to say something. The rang. At that moment, his phone rang. He answered coldly: ¡°Speak¡± ¡°Sir,¡± came the voice of Lilian¡¯s assistant, sounding unusually grim. Jonathan¡¯s voice dropped lower. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Miss Lilian¡­ probably won¡¯t be able to leave the country.¡± Jonathan was speechless. The words hit him like a hammer to the chest. His pupils contracted sharply. He nced at Susan, then gritted into the phone, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What do you mean she can¡¯t leave?¡± ¡°Her passport¡¯s been gged. No flights. No tickets. No borders, the assistant said carefully. jonathan¡¯s chest heaved. He wasn¡¯t stupid. After everything that had happened recently¨Call tied to Ste ¨C he didn¡¯t need a genius to guess who was behind this She was the one who did it. She was the one trapping Lilian here. He gritted his teeth. Then send her to another city¡± If she couldn¡¯t leave the country, at least she could get out of Rivermount He didn¡¯t care where Lilian went as long as she was far enough away that the damage to Reed Group could start to ease. ¡°No good, sir,¡± the assistant said. ¡°Every route is locked down. Land, sea, air no way out.¡± Jonathan said, ¡°What?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t leave Rivermount, the assistant repeated. ¡°Every path is cut off.¡± Jonathan¡¯s vision darkened. No hospitals would admit her. No doctors woulde And now ¡ª even the city itself had be her cage. The wrong girl 244 Chapter 244 Sealed Tight Jonathan¡¯s face darkened as he hung up the phone. Susan had heard the conversation too. Her voice rose sharply. ¡°Lilian can¡¯t leave the country! She can¡¯t even go to another. city?¡± Jonathan closed his eyes, a storm barely contained under his skin. He gave a short nod. ¡°Yeah.¡± Hearing that, Susanpletely lost it. ¡°She¡¯s trying to kill Lilian! That vicious girl!¡± I¡¯m calling your father,¡± she said furiously, already digging for her phone. She called Patrick. The first call barely rang twice before it was hung up. Fuming, she redialed and was rejected again. Meanwhile, Jonathan¡¯s phone started buzzing too. It was the . He answered stiffly. As soon as the line connected, the project manager¡¯s anxious voice filled his ear: ¡°Sir, Wendigo Corp just pulled out. They¡¯re terminating the contract.¡± Jonathan stiffened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯re being very aggressive about it. They¡¯re refusing to pay the breach penalty too. They said they¡¯ll take us to court if we push.¡± Jonathan was speechless. Wendigo Corp was one of the few valuable assets Reed Group still had. If they lost this project, how the hell were they supposed to survive? ¡°My father, Jonathan forced out, ¡°he¡¯s already at the office, right?¡± It should have been enough time for Patrick to arrive by now. The project manager sounded even more frazzled. ¡°The chairman? No, sir. He¡¯s not here.¡± Jonathan was speechless. He nced at Susan instinctively. But Susan¡¯s head was full of Lilian¡¯s problems she hadn¡¯t even registered what the other end was saying. Jonathan felt like his skull was about to split open. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. Patrick had told him to stay at home tonight, acting like he would personally handle things at the office. Where the hell had he ran off to? At Sea Cove. Ste was ring at Abraham with righteous indignation. He reached out, pulled her back into his arms. ¡°So good, he murmured. ¡°Time to sleep. Now he wanted to let her sleep. Ste whined under her breath, still furious. I¡¯m not talking to you anymore.¡± Making her do something like that, seriously¨Chumph! Abrahamughed lowly. ¡°That¡¯s not your call to make.¡± Ste, pissed off but helpless, wriggled in his arms¨Conly for him tough again from above her head. ¡°Alright, alright. No more teasing Ste pouted, grumbling. ¡°You can¡¯t do that again next time. Abraham didn¡¯t respond only kissed her lightly on the forehead. Ste pulled back, suspicious. ¡°You heard me, didn¡¯t you?¡± What was that silence supposed to mean? Was he nning another round?? Abraham¡¯s voice grew low and meaningful. ¡°If you don¡¯t go to sleep, there might be something even worse.¡± Ste was speechless. Even worse?What the hell did that mean?! Seeing he wasn¡¯t joking. Ste quickly zipped her mouth shut. Better not poke the bear. The next morning. Ste woke up feeling hazy and warm As she shifted, she realized she was tightly circled by strong arms. Turning her head groggily, she found herself staring straight into Abraham¡¯s dark, smiling eyes. ¡°You¨Cwhy are you still here?¡± She blinked, dazed and confused. Abraham raised an eyebrow, pinching her cheek affectionately, ¡°Forgot already?¡± Ste was speechless. In an instant, memories of the night before rushed back into her mind. Her cheeks flushed bright red. ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± she muttered again, shy and indignant. ¡°Hmm Ste was puzzled- Right. She remembered now. It was him who insisted they sleep together. She hadid out all the pros and cons and he hadn¡¯t cared one bit. Afterst night, Abel and the house staff probably already knew everything had changed between them. There was nothing she could do. Everything was in Abraham¡¯s hands now. Suddenly, her phone buzzed violently. Marie. She shoved the phone into Abraham¡¯s hand immediately. No way she was answering that call herself! Abraham frowned at the caller ID but epted the call. Before he could even speak, Marie¡¯s furious voice exploded down the line: ¡°You little brat! Look at you, getting all cocky now, huh!¡± ¡°Running away for three years wasn¡¯t enough? You went and tattled on me too? I¡¯m telling you this isn¡¯t over! You hear me? If you¡¯ve got the guts, don¡¯t you daree back to Fleule! I¡¯m so mad I could kill you! Ungrateful little thing!¡± The wrong girl 245 Chapter 245 Caught Red¨CHanded Marie was practically howling through the phone. ¨C It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess she must¡¯ve already been dragged back to Fleule.. Abraham¡¯s voice cut in, low and dangerous; ¡°Are you threatening her?¡± Marie was speechless. The line instantly went dead silent. Ste clutched onto Abraham¡¯s robe anxiously. Abraham¡¯s tone deepened even further. ¡°Speak.¡± The pressure in his voice made the air crackle. Marie stammered, ¡®A¨CAbraham, L. uh¡­¡± Truth be told, Marie was still pretty terrified of Abraham when he got serious. Right now, she couldn¡¯t even string a full sentence together. Abraham¡¯s coldness seemed to seep straight through the phone,nding heavy on Marie¡¯s chest. She shuddered visibly. ¡°I was just kidding with her!¡± Marie scrambled to say. You know how much I miss her!¡± She wasn¡¯t lying either. When Abraham had moved Ste to the house near his school back then, Marie had wanted to go too. But she¡¯d had to stay behind for her own schooling. For a long time, Marie would leave treats and snacks untouched at home, always saving them for Ste She missed her terribly. But the anger now was real too. After everything¨Cafter all that love¨Cthe little brat ratted me out?! Abraham gave a cold snort. That¡¯s your idea of missing someone?¡± Throwing around death threats¨Chow touching. Marie huffed, I¡¯m mad, okay? I wanted to see her, and you wouldn¡¯t let mee to Rivermount. Hmph!¡± She really was furious, Ever since she heard Abraham had found Ste, she¡¯d been desperate to go to Rivermount. But Abraham blocked her at every turn. This time, she finally sneaked out of Fleule and got dragged back halfway by Abel¡¯s men Even the one phone call she managed to make got her into trouble. No way Ste hadn¡¯t tattled. Ungrateful brat. So mad I could explode ¡°Wait,¡± Marie suddenly realized something, ¡°isn¡¯t it just barely morning over there? How is Ste even awake this early?¡± Suspicious If it was Ste¡¯s phone, and it was this early, how Abraham had answered it? 1/2 it right inside his shirt. Ste froze. Her palm met warm, firm muscles. She stiffened in shock, immediately trying to yank her hand back. But Abraham mischievously tightened his grip, refusing to let go. Ste let out a panicked little squeak. ¡°Let go! You jerk!¡± ¡°What are you two doing over there?¡± Marie¡¯s voice demanded suspiciously from the phone. Ste nearly fainted. Dammit¨Cshe¡¯s still on the line! Abraham continued to toy with her fingers leisurely as he answered Marie, voice cold and taunting ¡°You¡¯re very curious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Marie was speechless. Ste was speechless. This jerk¨Che¡¯s doing this on purpose! Marie sensed the shift immediately and quickly backpedaled. ¡°N¨Cno, not curious, not curious at all!¡± Nobody in Fleule dared be nosy about Abraham¡¯s private life¨Cnot even his own sister. She still had PTSD from that one time he threw her into the desert to ¡°cool off¨Ctwo whole months without a proper bath. Never again. ¡°I swear, not curious, Marie repeated frantically. But a secondter, she blurted out, ¡°Wait, Ste¡¯s really awake this early?¡± Ste was speechless. Abraham was speechless. In Marie¡¯s memories, Ste was the queen of sleeping in. Back when they were kids, she was always at least an hourte to everything. The only reason she survived school was because Abraham pampered her. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Marie.¡± Marie, oblivious, kept rumbling. ¡°Wow, this little brat¡¯s really been beaten by the real world, huh? She¡¯s gotten all diligent now?¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Tell me can she cook yet? Or is she still a disaster like before?¡± ¡°I still remember that pasta¡® she made¨Cif you could even call it pasta. That was a death sentence on a te.¡± Ste was speechless Marie kept going gleefully. I swear, one bite of that thing and I nearly had to write my will. Remember how you got food. poisoning? You were puking and passing out for days ¡°Shut up, Abraham growled. The wrong girl 246 Chapter 246 Forbidden Jokes Abraham had finally lost his patience. Ste stared at him, stunned. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Her cooking is toxic. It¡¯s one thing if you want to eat it yourself, but you always made me and Mom eat it too. One time it almost killed me. I even threw up all over myself¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. She looked at Abraham inplete disbelief, Was the longevity noodles she used to make for them really that bad? She wasn¡¯t good at cooking, but ever since she was fourteen, she had learned that whenever a ssmate¡¯s family had at birthday, they would personally make longevity noodles. She had tried to follow their example, hoping to express her own feelings that Was it really that poisonous? way. Abraham¡¯s face darkened. He said directly into the phone, ¡°Go get your brain checked.¡± Marie was still chattering on the other end. ¡°Huh? After all these years, you still haven¡¯t told her? She needs to know! If she hasn¡¯t improved her cooking. I don¡¯t want her making anything for me ever again. I¡¯m not trying to end up with food poisoning again.¡± Abraham hung up the phone without another word. The room finally went quiet. Ste looked up at Abraham with wide, pleading eyes. ¡°Did my pasta really send you guys to the hospital?¡± Such a big deal, and she had never even known. Abraham gently squeezed the small hand that was still resting against his chest, and Ste immediately realized where her hand was. Her cheeks flushed red again, and she instinctively tried to pull away. ¡°Let go She grumbled under her breath, yanking her hand back and quickly hiding it. Later, at the breakfast table- Ste kept her head down low as she ate. Abel had arrived, and the butler was there too. She still hadn¡¯t fully processed the change in her rtionship with Abraham But Abraham had already made sure everyone around them knew. The only sounds in the dining room were the clinking of utensils. It was so quiet Ste could hear her own heartbeat. Before long, Eddie showed up. The moment she saw him, Ste buried her head even lower. Eddie sat right down beside her. ¡°You¡¯re being so well¨Cbehaved today, Ste. It¡¯s rare to see you this quiet during breakfast.¡± There was a teasing note in his voice that she couldn¡¯t miss. Is this guy really clueless or just emotionally tone¨Cdeaf? Ste cursed him out in her head. Seriously? Of all the things to bring up¡­. Eddie grinned mischievously at her, then nced at Abraham. ¡°You too. If you¡¯re going to dote on her, at least be a little gentler Ste¡¯s mind wentpletely nk.. Her already stiff body tightened even more. She wished she could crawl into her bowl and disappear through a hole in the bottom. Before Eddie could even finish his sentence, he felt a sharp pain under the table. Eddie froze. Before he could react, Abraham shot him a cold look. Why are you even here?¡± Tm here to eat, Eddie said, rubbing the spot on his leg where he had just been kicked He signaled to the butler for a set of tableware. But Abraham said icily, ¡°There¡¯s nothing here you like to eat. Eddie nced at the table, which was covered in a spread of delicious food. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t like it? I love it.¡± Abraham barely lifted his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Eddie stared at him, speechless. What the hell? I literally just said I love it! He sucked in a cold breath. ¡°Did I say something wrong again!¡± ¡°Come on, you guys are already at this point. Can¡¯t I even crack a joke? You¡¯re so uptight- Before he could finish another sharp kicknded under the table. Eddie¡¯s eyes widened. Okay, okay message received. No joking about Ste. It was painfully obvious now: Abrahamn treated her like a precious treasure. No one was allowed to joke about her even a little. Coddled like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. If Abraham wasn¡¯t around, how would she even survive? Seeing that Eddie still didn¡¯t get it, Abraham shot him another cold look. ¡°Are you still not leaving?¡± Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You¡¯re seriously not gonna let me eat? Buddy, it¡¯s freezing out there. I just want something warm.¡± Normally, he could find food anywhere But after snowing all night, the roads outside werepletely covered. Even driving was a nightmare. Just as Abraham was about to kick him again- Ste finally spoke up In a small voice, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard for Eddie. Let him stay and eat.¡± The wrong girl 247 Chapter 247 Secrets Laid Bare Outside, it was freezing cold. The road out of Seats Cove ran alongside the sea for a stretch, and it wasn¡¯t easy to walk. ¡°At least Ste¡­ Eddie started to say- Thud. Another sharp pain in his leg. Eddie really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. How could someone so violent have the patience to raise a girl so delicately? If someone told him now that Ste had been raised by Abraham, Eddie wouldn¡¯t believe it for a second. Their eyes met. Abraham¡¯s gaze was sharp and cutting, making Eddie flinch. Fine, fine, fine. I¡¯ll go eat in the kitchen. Happy now?¡± He could feel just how tense Ste¡¯s body was next to him. Seriously, Abraham. What¡¯s the big deal? Is she supposed to hide from people forever out of embarrassment? He had never seen anyone treasure someone the way Abraham treasured Ste. Hearing Eddie say he would go to the kitchen, Ste buried her head even lower. This time, before Abraham could kick him again, Eddie hurried off on his own. Only Ste and Abraham were left. Abraham ncedzily at Ste. ¡°Any lower and your face¡¯s gonna get stuck in your bowl.¡± Ste said nothing. She lifted her head and shot Abraham a resentful look. The man¡¯s lips curved in a slight smile, with none of the earlier ferocity he had shown Eddie. ¡°Come here, Abraham said. Ste obediently moved over and sat down beside him. Abraham reached out and began to unwind the scarf around her neck. She immediately covered it with her hands. ¡°What are you doing, big, bro?¡± She couldn¡¯t let him take it off. If he did, and everyone saw, and if they all started asking questions like Eddie did, what was she supposed to say? ¡°You really think covering it up means no one knows? Abraham said casually. Ste didn¡¯t answer. So¡­ everyone already knows? She looked at Abraham with pitiful eyes. If everyone knew, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the news to reach Fleule. Once her mother and Marie found out¡­ the more she thought about it, the more panicked her mind became. She tugged at Abraham¡¯s sleeve. At that moment, Abraham was cing a small fried bun into her bowl. It wasn¡¯t so much about other people it was how to exin things to her mother. ¡ª Abraham took a sip of his milk and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you what to say?¡± ¡°Just say I forced you.¡± Ste looked up at him. Abraham was also looking at her, his dark eyes deep and unreadable, like the vastness of the universe. Ste swallowed nervously. I¡¯m really supposed to say that? Isn¡¯t that too much? It¡¯ll ruin your reputation.¡± As she spoke, she lowered her head again, full of worry. All these years, she had hidden her own feelings carefully. She had never dared show them, partly because she was afraid of tarnishing the reputations of both the Luke family and the Dawson family. wson She and Abraham weren¡¯t rted by blood. But officially, they had always been considered brother and sister. That¡¯s how everyone outside saw them. Especially whenever her mother took her out to meet otherdies or attend gatherings- she always introduced Ste as her little daughter. Little daughter. Eldest son. Every time she thought about that rtionship, it made her chest tighten unbearably. Abraham gently lifted her chin with his warm fingertips and brushed a kiss against her lips. ¡°You think anyone would dare?¡± Just a few simple words, but they carried Abraham¡¯s unique dominance and force. Ste¡¯s heart gave a violent thud. Her eyes instantly reddened. Abraham brushed another light kiss against her eyelids. ¡°Ste, do you really not trust me?¡± I de¡­ It¡¯s not that¡­ she said quietly. ¡°No one in Fleule has the right to interfere with the Luke family¡¯s affairs, Abraham said. Ste¡¯s heart thudded again. He¡¯s right. No one in Fleule has any right to say a word about the Luke family. And if Abraham dared to do these things to her, it meant no one would dare criticize him either. Ste sniffled and looked up into his eyes. If Marie asks about it¡­ I¡¯ll just say that, okay?¡± Abraham pinched her earlobe lightly and chuckled. ¡°Good girl¡± Ste hesitated, then asked, ¡°When did it start?¡± ¡°When did you start having those kinds of feelings for me?¡± 273 It had been hard enough hiding her feelings all these years. Send Gifts 674 3 The wrong girl 248 Chapter 248 A Brewing Storm Ever since he had left those marks on her body, hiding her feelings had be even more precarious. And yet, he had known everything all along and had kept teasing her. Thinking about it. Ste wanted to bite him again. But when her eyesnded on the wound at Abraham¡¯s neck, she decided to let it go. After breakfast- Abraham went straight to the study. Eddie finished eating in the kitchen and came out, ncing over at Ste. Ste quickly turned around, pretending not to see him.. ¡°Running away again, huh?¡± Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, clearly displeased. Ste knew why Abraham had kicked Eddie out earlier ¨C he had noticed her difort. Now, seeing Eddie purposely cornering her. Ste turned back around and meekly called, ¡°Eddie.¡± Eddie walked over and gave a sharp snort. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Ste froze. She knew exactly what he was asking about and so did he. But how was she supposed to answer something like that? Her face instantly turned bright red, and she didn¡¯t dare lift her head. Seeing her silent. Eddie gave a little . ¡°I asked you a question. ¡­ I¡¯m feeling better, Ste mumbled. Why is he even asking about this? Is this really something he should be concerned about? Eddie said, ¡®Girls have to take better care of themselves. Abraham¡¯s always spoiled you, but when ites to this kind of thing, men often aren¡¯t exactly human,¡± Ste said nothing, her face burning hotter. Eddie kept lecturing her. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to control himself, but you should know how to protect yourself. You can¡¯t treat that kind of injury like it¡¯s nothing¡± ¡°Please stop talking,¡± Ste finally blurted out, unable to hold it in anymore. She was too embarrassed to even look at him. You- Eddie started, Ungrateful brat. I¡¯m just trying to help here.. ¡°I know I don¡¯t appreciate your kindness, Ste cut him off. ¡°So I¡¯m begging you, just stop.¡± Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You little-¡± She ran so fast that if this were a school event, she would have won the track meet easily. Eddie stood there, dumbfounded. Did she really just say Troll That little brat¡­ definitely no good intentions there ¡°Running that fast¡­ Abraham¡¯s years of worrying about her were a total waste. At this speed, even if enemies came after her. no one would catch her.¡± In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Looks like the medicine I had someone buy for her worked pretty well, Eddie thought, watching the empty hallway. Scratching the back of his head, he turned¨Conly to meet a pair of icy, sinister eyes. Abraham stood at the top of the stairs. Eddie froze at the sight of him. His heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Do you think she needs your concern?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice was cold and filled with displeasure. Eddie said nothing ¡°Sorry, I overstepped.¡± Come on. max¡­ Brother and husband are twopletely different roles Just then. Abel came over from the other side. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Speak. Abraham said. ¡°Miss Evie has secretly arrived at Rivermount,¡± Eddie stiffened. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°She¡¯s apanied by people from Miss Marie¡¯s side, Abel added. People from Marie¡¯s side Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Abel nced at Eddie, then looked back at Abraham. ¡°It¡¯s likely Miss Marie sent her to try to take Miss Ste away.¡± Eddie¡¯s heart jumped violently. No way. She wouldn¡¯t dare, would she?Ste isn¡¯t just Abraham¡¯s little sister anymore. If she dared to pull something like that now, she was asking for death. ¡°This must be a misunderstanding! Eddie protested. ¡°Abel, you can¡¯t just assume she¡¯s here to kidnap Ste just because she brought people from Marie¡¯s side. That¡¯s not right.¡± Abraham¡¯s face darkened as he shot Eddie a cold nce. Under that look. Eddie¡¯s confidence crumbled. ¡°Okay, okay¡­maybe not.¡± But what if Evie rally was convinced by Marte to try and take Ste away? ¡°Wait a second. That doesn¡¯t make sense. Those two hate each other. You know that.¡± ¡°Precisely because they¡¯re enemies, it¡¯s the perfect cover, Abel said calmly.. Eddie was getting anxious, Damn it. Abel might actually have a point¡­ And with how aggressively Marie has been searching for Ste these past two years¡­. The wrong girl 249 Chapter 249 Brewing Trouble It wouldn¡¯t even be an exaggeration to say Marie had already gone crazy Eddie sucked in a sharp breath. ing to find Ste. He turned to Abraham. ¡°Listen, let me exin. I really think this is a misunderstanding. Ell go find her right now.¡± He was so anxious he was practically spinning in circles, That damn tomboy¡­ Always causing trouble everywhere she goes, Even though he was furious, she was still his sister. What could he do? Let her screw things up in front of Abraham and get herself killed? At a moment like this, if Ste really got taken away. Eddie didn¡¯t even want to imagine the consequences. As he turned to leave- Abraham¡¯s cold voice rang out behind him. ¡°Beat her.¡± Abel immediately replied, ¡°Understood.¡± Eddie shuddered from head to toe. Come on. Abraham, leave it to me. I¡¯ll handle it, no need for you to get involved.¡± ¡°Besides, Ste doesn¡¯t like seeing your violent side. You know that. Back then, when she saw you kill someone, she almost had a mental breakdown.¡± At that moment, Eddie still didn¡¯t know that Ste had witnessed another incident the night before. But this time, she hadn¡¯t run away- and she hadn¡¯t shut down, either, Abraham leaned back against the armrest, staring at Eddie. Their eyes met, and Eddie¡¯s entire body tensed up again. Abraham said coolly. ¡°Evie could use a good lesson.¡± Eddie blinked. A lesson?Coming from Abraham, that usually meant something nobody could handle. Abraham turned to Abel. ¡°Teach her a lesson she won¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, Abel said with a nod. Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. Teach her a lesson? Knowing Abraham, she might survive, but she wouldn¡¯te out of it in one piece. God help us. What the hell was Evie thinking, getting mixed up with Marie? He couldn¡¯t understand it at all. Abel was about to leave when Eddie grabbed him. ¡°Wait a second, Abel. How exactly are you nning to teach her a lesson¡°?¡± Abel answered calmly, ¡°Beat her until she¡¯s ck and blue. How about that?¡± Eddie¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°Just that?¡± Abel said, ¡°Considering you¡¯re her brother, I¡¯ll go easy on her.¡± Hoki on- ¡°Evie¡¯s skin is so dark. Making her bruises visible is gonna take some serious force, isn¡¯t it?¡± If they really bruised Evie badly enough to show on her skin, she might have to go straight to Hamlin to get her face fixed. ¡°Look, don¡¯t go too hard on her, okay? She¡¯s the only sister I have. Let me handle her myself. I promise I¡¯ll teach her a lesson she won¡¯t forget. Abel pulled away from his grip. ¡°Even Dr. Evie can¡¯t be reached right now. How exactly do you n on making her submit?¡± Eddie stood there, at a loss for words. That damned girl. Abel was already walking off. Eddie quickly pulled out his phone and tried calling Evie. Just like Abel said, the call wouldn¡¯t go through. He tried another number¨Csame result. Eddie was so mad he started pacing in circles. When the hell did that idzot shake hands with Marie? Helping Marie pull a stunt like this? During the time they had been away from Fleule, what on earth had happened between Marie and Evie? Not long after Ste returned to her room Abraham came in. Hearing the door, Ste turned around, her cheeks still flushed pink Clearly, she still hadn¡¯t recovered from Eddie¡¯s awkward conversation earlier. Abraham leanedzily against the doorframe, arms crossed. ¡°Still that scared?¡± Ste looked up at him with big, pitiful eyes but said nothing Abraham let out a small sigh, walked over, and pulled her into his arms. ¡°You little thing.¡± He sat down and pulled her onto hisp. Their eyes met. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. ¡°No need to hide anymore, okay?¡± Ste said nothing. Abraham stayed with her for a long while before finally leaving. Not long after, there was a knock at the door. Ste called out, ¡°Come in.¡± The housekeeper entered. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a young gentleman named Reed here to see you.¡± Ste froze.. Reed? ¡°Is he young or old?¡± Thinking about what Patrick had said yesterday on Pluehville Hill ¨C promising her anything she wanted¨Cshe found itughable. They really think I care about their scraps! The problem was never about resources or fairness. She had never cared how much they favored Lilian or how they neglected her. Everything that had happened now had nothing to do with whether they had been good parents or good brothers to her. The wrong girl 250 Chapter 250 A Price to Pay The housekeeper waited for Ste¡¯s response and asked respectfully, ¡°Would you like to see him?¡± ¡°See him, of course,¡± she said calmly. In this rtionship, the one who should be avoiding the other was never hier. Jonathan was stuck waiting at the gate, not even allowed to step into Verdant Vi. That only made him even angrier. That ungrateful brat! I¡¯m still her brother, and she treats me like this!¡± Jonathan vented his frustration to Ethan. Once upon a time, Jonathan had at least maintained some gentlemanly demeanor. That had mostly been because, here in Rivermount, he was respected enough. Even though the Reed family wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Keene family, no one had ever dared treat him this way¨Cnot even allowing him past the gate. Facing Jonathan¡¯s outburst, Ethan frowned but stayed silent. The truth was¡­ the entire Reed family had never meant anything to Ste. As Ste approached, she could already hear Jonathanining. he even wants Lilian¡¯s life. She wants to trap her here in Rivermount forever. How can she be so vicious?¡± ¡°She The more he spoke, the angrier Jonathan became. He hadn¡¯t slept all night, trying to figure out a way to help Lilian. But no matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t get her out. Ethan had also spent the night scrambling, trying to find a solution. Now, not a single country would ept them. Seeing Ethan stay silent. Jonathan pushed harder. ¡°Ethan, you have to think of something. If this drags on any longer, Lilian really will die here.¡± She was supposed to be undergoing chemotherapy, but now even her medication had been cut off. Wasn¡¯t this just pushing her to death? Ethan clenched one fist tightly, the other hand still in a cast that hadn¡¯t even been removed yet. ¡°Lilian¡¯s medication will run out today¡± The hospital had only given her two days¡® worth of oral medication to begin with, and even that had barely helped. Now, even those would be gone. Ethan¡¯s face grew darker and darker. ¡°Enough,¡± he said coldly. This was Seats Cove ¨Cpletely under Mr. Abraham¡¯s control. Jonathan, still seething with anger, wasn¡¯t listening at all. That vicious Ste! As far as I¡¯m concerned, I have no sister anymore. When the Dawson family turns their backs on her, we¡¯ll see what she amounts to.¡± Right at that moment, Ste turned the corner and appeared at the gate.. ¡°You might be waiting forever for that day,¡± she said coolly. Jonathan froze. Ethan stiffened as well. Seeing Ste suddenly appear, both of them felt an inexplicable shudder in their hearts. Jonathan¡¯s face stiffened. Meeting Ste¡¯s gaze, he forced down his rage, but the moment he opened his mouth, his tone was still nasty. ¡°What do you want? After causing such a huge scene, what do you want?¡± Jonathan was desperate now. At this point, he actually hoped Ste would name her conditions- at least if there were conditions, there would be a way forward. Ste crossed her arms and gave him a mocking sinile. That¡¯s your attitude when you¡¯re asking for a favor? Seems like Lilian doesn¡¯t mean that much to you after all ¡°You¨CJonathan fumed. ¡°Oh right,¡± Ste said. ¡°Lilian made a bet with me before, about whether she could move into Seats Cove. The bet was one million. She smiledzily. ¡°Since you¡¯re her brother, and you adore her so much, which of you is going to pay up?¡± Jonathan¡¯s face, already ugly, darkenedpletely the moment he heard the number. ¡°You have the nerve to ask for money? After what you¡¯ve done to her? You still want money?¡± How shameless can she be? Jonathan felt like his liver was about to explode. Ste didn¡¯t reply. She just stood there, calmly watching him. Ethan shot Ste a cold nce and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay From the moment she appeared, Ste hadn¡¯t even spared Ethan a nce. This woman who had once been engaged to him for two years at this moment, Ethan realized she wasn¡¯t anything like what the rumors said. At least in matters of the heart, she was nothing like what people believed. Jonathan panicked when he heard Ethan offer. ¡°Ethan!¡± Just the thought of handing over money to someone like Ste made Jonathan furious. He didn¡¯t want to give her a single cent But Ethan ignored him and looked directly at Ste. Tll pay. Will you let her leave then?¡± Sincest night, they had tried every possible way to get Lilian out of Rivermount ¨C all without sess. It was clear how absolute the orders from Mr. Abraham were this time, against both the Qi and Liang families, and against Lilian herself. Right now, Ste still held some standing with the Dawson family. Ethan didn¡¯t want to make things worse. After all, he had time to drag this out Lilian didn¡¯t After getting burned by her once before, he wasn¡¯t about to fall for the same trick again.. his woman was an expert at pulling stunts. This The wrong girl 251 Chapter 251 Bared Secrets Eihan already knew she had used his card the other day to buy gifts for ¨C everyone in her studio. Each set of cosmetics cost over ten thousand, and she had bought a full set for each person. Of course she didn¡¯t feel a thing it wasn¡¯t her own money. Ste said lightly, ¡°Oh, if you won¡¯t pay, that¡¯s fine.¡± She didn¡¯t care either way. She had only been toying with them anyway. Jonathan snapped. Just name your condition for letting Lilian leave.¡± At this point, Jonathan had no patience left for anything else. He just wanted to get Lilian¡¯s situation resolved. Ste said, ¡°You two weren¡¯t even willing to pay one million. If I name a real condition, you might die of shock.¡± Jonathan was speechless. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. This woman! Jonathan, furious beyond belief, shouted. ¡°You¡¯re too much! Ste, I¡¯m telling you, Lilian must leave the country!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not up to me,¡± Ste said easily. You¨CJonathan¡¯s voice shook ¡°You¡¯ll have to talk to my brother about that.¡± The word ¡°brother¡± hit Jonathan like a punch to the gut. For a moment, he was dazed. It took him a second to realize she wasn¡¯t referring to him- she meant Abraham. For some reason, a heavy, suffocating feeling settled in his chest. Ste stepped forward, reaching out to straighten Jonathan¡¯s tie. Her voice was casual. ¡°If Reba finds out you¡¯ve been running around Lilian all this time, ignoring her and your son¡­ Do you think she might take the kid and jump off the Reed Group building?¡± Jonathan¡¯s breathing faltered. He grabbed Ste¡¯s wrist tightly. ¡°What do you know?¡± He had hidden that woman and child extremely well. Ste smiled kindly. ¡°You¡¯re pretty bold. Dangling Pei Shan along while your son is already over two years old.¡± Jonathan¡¯s breathing faltered again. He instinctively nced at Ethan. The security office wasn¡¯t big, and Ste hadn¡¯t spoken quietly ¨C Ethan had heard everything. Ethan¡¯s eyes were filled with shock Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew uneven. ¡°You investigated me?¡± Jonathan felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. He had always been terrified that anyone would find out that a nightclub woman had tied him down and even given birth to his son Ste pulled her wrist free and rubbed it, leaving a faint red mark behind. After delivering her bombshell, she didn¡¯t want to waste another second. She turned and started to leave. ¡°If you dare tell Reba, Jonathan growled viciously, ¡°T¡¯ll skin you alive.¡± Just as he spat those words out, Abraham appeared at the security office door. His gaze swept over Jonathan, cold and without the slightest warmth. ¡°And how exactly do you n to do that?¡± At the same time, Ste reached Abraham¡¯s side. He immediately pulled her over and lifted her wrist for inspection. Seeing the red marks where Jonathan had grabbed her, Abraham¡¯s already frigid eyes grew even colder. ¡°You did this?¡± he asked dangerously, Jonathan had still been fuming, but facing Abraham¡¯s cold, lethal aura, he immediately shrank back, swallowing hard. He deted in an instant, like a beaten dog. g pressure only Abraham¡¯s innate dominance radiated from him¨Cjust one look from him exuded the kind of blood¨Cchilling certain men carried. Even Jonathan and Ethan, the so¨Ccalled golden boys of Rivermount, had to bow their heads before him now. Abraham narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Abel.¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡± Abraham¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°The Reed family- ¡°Mr. Abraham Jonathan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly stepped forward to cut him off. No, no, anything but the Reed family! The Reed family was already on the verge of copse. Theirst valuable project had been shut down. If Abraham made a move against them now, it would beplete ruin. Jonathan¡¯s chest tightened painfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham, you misunderstood.¡± As he spoke, he desperately tried to catch Ste¡¯s eye, pleading silently. You little brat! Picking sides like this? Betraying your own family? Jonathan was fuming inside, but he didn¡¯t dare show it on his face. He could only look anxious and submissive. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m deaf?¡± Ipnathan broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°No, I¡ª¡± Facing Abraham¡¯s increasingly cold, cutting gaze, Jonathan¡¯s heart clenched again. He instinctively turned to look at Ste. Send Gifts The wrong girl 252 Chapter 252 In the Line of Fire Jonathan¡¯s frantic gaze kept twitching. This little brat. If she doesn¡¯t say something soon, is she really nning to let this guy kill me? His eyes darted down to the cold weapon strapped at Abraham¡¯s waist. Jonathan swallowed hard again. Especially because Ste remainedpletely silent. Jonathan was truly panicking now. ¡°Ste!¡± The moment his voice fell, there was a loud thud- followed by a muffled grunt from Jonathan. Pain exploded in his abdomen, se intense it felt like his internal organs had shattered. Abraham¡¯s kick had not been gentle. Jonathan immediately doubled over, clutching his stomach, wishing he could curl up on the floor. Ethan, witnessing the scene, stiffened all over. He couldn¡¯t even step in to help. He was still covered in injuries himself. Besides, this was Seats Cove. Right now. Keene Group had countless problems that needed Abraham¡¯s help to resolve. Knowing Abraham¡¯s true identity, how could he afford to offend him? The Reed Group, the Keene Group, Lilian¡¯s life¡­ all of it was practically in Abraham¡¯s hands now. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Who gave you the courage toy a finger on her?¡± Jonathan felt a jolt of terror. The pain in his stomach was unbearable- he could hardly breathe. Abraham nced again at the red marks on Ste¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ste, what do you think should be done? ¡°Huh?¡± Caught off guard, Ste blinked in confusion. He¡¯s¡­ asking me? She instinctively nced at Jonathan, whose face had gone deathly pale from pain. But she quickly averted her eyes and met Abraham¡¯s gaze. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°How about killing him?¡± Ste froze. Ethan and Jonathan both froze too. Especially Jonathan and Ethan when their eyes met, sheer terror shed across their faces. Kill? He said it so casually¡­ so coldly. Jonathan could tell Abraham wasn¡¯t joking. If Ste said the word, Abraham really would kill him without hesitation. What? You can¡¯t bear to?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice waszy, yet dangerously cold. ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m not reluctant at all Please, go ahead. Go ahead¡± Bear it that a jobe. When it came to anything involving the Reed family, Ste didn¡¯t dare utter half a wrong word in front of Abraham. She was terrified of being misunderstood, of him thinking she still cared about the Reed family. Jonathan cried out, ¡°Ste, I¡¯m your real brother!¡± ¡°Real, real, real real what? Who¡¯s real with you, you idiot!¡± Is this guy brain¨Cdead Calling himself my brother in front of Abraham is he trying to die faster? Back in Fleule, how many of Abraham¡¯s so¨Ccalled ¡°brothers¡± had tried to get close to her? Not one had survived Abraham¡¯s jkicks. Even Eddie¡¯s legs probably hadn¡¯t healed yet. When life and death were at stake. Jonathan suddenly remembered he was her real brother. Where was that brotherly affection when he was endlessly pressuring her for Lilian¡¯s sake? Even today, he had onlye to beg for Lilian¡¯s life. Real brother, my ass. I must¡¯ve been cursed in a past life to end up stuck with this bloodline Abraham¡¯s hand moved toward his waist Jonathan stammered, ¡°No, Ste, listen, let me exin-¡± Ste saw Abraham¡¯s movement too. She immediately slipped out of his arms. ¡°Oh, right! I just remembered ¨C I forgot to feed my little bunny. I need to go do that. You guys take your time chatting!¡± If she stayed, things would only spiral further out of control. Ethan was speechless. Jonathan was speechless. She¡¯s leaving to feed a rabbit? When I¡¯m about to die here?! Watching Ste disappear out the door, Jonathanpletely panicked. ¡°Ste!¡± Hearing him shout, Ste¡¯s steps only got faster¨Cin a sh, she was gone. Ethan was speechless. Jonathan was speechless. That damned girl really wants me dead here! Jonathan turned, horrified, back toward Abraham. At that moment, Abraham was ying with his gun, spinning it casually in his hand. Jonathan hadn¡¯t even seen him move ¨C but with a sharp click, the barrel was suddenly pressed against his forehead, Why why did Ie to find Ste? Am I crazy! Ethan stepped forward urgently. ¡°Mr. Abraham- Bang- A single gunshot. For a moment, the air fell deathly silent- Then Jonathan¡¯s blood¨Ccurdling scream tore through the quiet. Send Gifts The wrong girl 253 Chapter 253 A Lesson He¡¯ll Never Forget Ste was still walking along the main road toward the main building when she heard the miserable scream. She shuddered Instinctively. Then, she let out a breath of relief. Still screaming¡­ that means Abraham didn¡¯t kill Jonathan¨Cthough he probably lost half his life. Meanwhile- Jonathan clutched his injured hand in agony. Abraham nced at the barrel of his gun and spoke with a voice as cold as death. ¡°Two years ago, it was this hand you used to throw her, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Jonathan said nothing. At that moment, his heart seized in his chest. Hearing Abraham¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but remember- he was talking about the time Ste and Lilian had sherl. The scene had been chaotic back then. In a fit of rage, he had grabbed Ste and thrown her aside. She had hit the corner of a cab, and her face had gone pale. The incident had been so chaotic. How had Abraham found out? Did Ste tell him? Or was Abraham using this shot to avenge that moment? Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew rapid and uneven. Before he could say a word, Abraham raised the gun again, aiming it at Jonathan¡¯s other hand. ¡°This hand¡­ you tried to p her with it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jonathan¡¯s breathing hitched. He shook his head frantically. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± He hadn¡¯t managed to hit Ste at all¨Cshe had been like a little tiger back then, stirring up the entire scene. Aside from the one time he had thrown her and injured her, he had neverid a hand on her. Staring at the muzzle of the gun pointed at him, Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew even more ragged. ¡°Mr. Abraham, she¡¯s still my sister. 1- Bang- Another gunshot. Jonathan¡¯s scream tore through the air. The rest of his words died in his throat. Meanwhile, Ste had already reached the main building. Because of the distance, she hadn¡¯t heard Jonathan¡¯s screams only the gunshot. Hearing it, her heart jolted. Did Abraham really end up killing him? Ste didn¡¯t care about Jonathan¡¯s life. 175 Just as she stepped outside, boots crunching in the snow, Abraham returned with Abel following behind. The man stood tall in his long coat, blending into the snowyndscape like he belonged to the winter itself¨Ccold, noble. and untouchable. Seeing Ste rushing out in her fluffy slippers, Abraham frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Ste hurried toward him, snow crunching loudly under her feet. She tugged at his coat. ¡°Did you¡­ kill him?¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ste¡¯s worried?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m just worried you might get in trouble.¡± This wasn¡¯t like Fleule the rules here were very different. When Ste spoke, her tone was filled with concern- but not for Jonathan. Jonathan¡¯s life meant nothing to her. She only cared whether Abraham would face any consequences. The coldness between Abraham¡¯s brows eased at her words. He scooped her up into his arms without warning and strode back inside. ¡°Next time you out without bundling up, see what I do to you ¡°But you Ste started. Those people¡­ death would be to easy for them,¡± Abrahamn said coldly. Ste was silent. Too easy! So he¡¯s aiming for a fate worse than death? And sure enough, just as Abraham said right now, Jonathan was in such agony that death would¡¯ve been a mercy. In the car on the way to the hospital- Jason was driving. Earlier, Jason hadn¡¯t known what had happened inside. But after hearing the gunshots, he had rushed over and seen Ethan dragging a bloodied Jonathan out. Inside the car, Jonathan groaned and whimpered in pain the entire time. His right arm was wounded, and a bloody hole gaped in the palm of his left hand. Both hands were effectively destroyed. Ethan had wrapped the wounds tightly with a piece of clothing. ¡°How much longer to the hospital?¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice trembled with pain, his body numb. The agony reached deep into his heart¨Cevery beat felt like it was tearing him apart. sid. ¡°The ende son den 1 conta do?im ran from ¡± Jason felt a chill run down his spine. But he didn¡¯t dare speed up. Especially not now they were driving along a coastal road. One wrong move and they could plunge straight into the sea. Send Gifts The wrong girl 254 Chapter 254 Even Pain Isn¡¯t Enough In weather like this, once you lost control, there was no .¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you install snow chains?¡± Jonathan snapped. Ethan fell silent. Facing Jonathan¡¯s raging, he simply stopped replying altogether. Originally, they had gone together to try to arrange for Lilian¡¯s treatment overseas. But not only had they failed¨CJonathan had ended up seriously injured too. When they finally reached the hospital- Susan and Patrick, who had gotten the news, rushed over as well. ¡°Ethan, how did he get hurt? Weren¡¯t you just going to talk to Ste? Where¡¯s he injured?¡± Hearing her son was hurt, Susan grew frantic.. Ethan recounted what had happened. Even thinking about it now. Ethan still found the whole situation chilling. If he had said even one wrong word at the time, Abraham¡¯s gun probably would have been pointed at him next. When Susan heard that Jonathan had basically lost the use of both hands, she was so overwhelmed she almost fainted. ¡°Ste, she, she- She what! Susan almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath. By the time she did, she couldn¡¯t get a single word out. ¡°You went to see her for Lilian¡¯s sake. How did you end up shing with MrAbraham?¡± Mr. Abraham the man who had taken Ste in Susan couldn¡¯t help but sigh inside. How did that girl get so lucky? Such a good family and yet they couldn¡¯t get a single advantage out of it. Compared to that, they would¡¯ve been better off letting her grow up in the countryside. At least if she¡¯d grown up in the countryside, she wouldn¡¯t have brought them so much trouble. Thinking of Lilian, Ethan fell silent. Because they hadpletely failed. Susan demanded, ¡°And when Mr. Abraham pointed a gun at Jonathan, she just left?¡± That was her real brothert How could Ste be so cold and heartlesst Just because of what happened two years ago ¨C just because they hadn¡¯t taken her side? That matter barely even had anything to do with Lilian. The more Susan thought about it, the angrier she became. Ethan nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Hearing his answer, Susan almost fainted a Lagain. She said she had to go feed her rabbit?Her damn rabbit teas more important than her brother¡¯s life? Susan was so furious she almost regretted ever giving birth to Ste. ¡°Lilian¡¯s trapped in Rivermount now, Jonathan¡¯s injured what the hell is this mess?¡± At this moment, Susan truly wanted to strangle Ste with her own hands. Back at Scats Cove- Abraham was helping Ste apply medicine again. As usual, she refused to cooperate properly. After he finished, she immediately shrank under the covers and refused toe out. Abraham tugged the nket down and pinched her warm, flushed check indulgently. ¡°You¡¯d better heal up quickly.¡± He had none of the cold, ruthless air he had shown Jonathan. Ste mumbled. ¡°What for?¡± You know why. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that! I wasn¡¯t asking about that! She spoke hurriedly, her face turning even redder. Abraham and leaned close to her ear, whispering something that made Ste, who was already blushing, freezepletely. She red at him fiercely. I¡¯m not talking to you anymore!¡± She turned over and dove back under the nket, her muffled voiceing out, ¡°Don¡¯t pull the covers again! Go away!¡± She couldn¡¯t even look at Abraham right now. Seeing him made her want to bite him. Where was his noble, untouchable air? Where was his cold distance! Gonepletely gone! Now he was just¡­ indecent! Abraham was filled with yful annoyance After a long while, hearing no movement outside, Ste cautiously lifted a of the nket and pecked out. But Abraham was still standing right by the bed, arms crossed. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re still here?¡± Startled, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck Abraham kissed her lightly on the lips. Ste fumed. ¡°I¡¯m going to bite you!¡± Abraham chuckled sofily. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He didn¡¯t leave at all. He stayed just to take advantage of her! Struggling to break free from his arms, Ste was soonpletely enveloped in his warm scent. The wrong girl 255 Chapter 255 Settling the Future Abraham lifted his eyelids and nced at her, his smile growing even gentler. ¡°Such a foolish little thing But it was precisely her foolishness that had somehow managed to wash the blood and violence from him. After a while Abraham was finally satisfied and let Ste go. Ste¡¯s eyes shimmered with tears as she red at him. ¡°My mouth hurts¡± It really did hurt a little. He¡¯spletely inexperienced¡­. Abraham bent down and examined her lips, frowning slightly when he saw the broken skin. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll be gentler.¡± ¡°You still want a next time? It really hurts. Ste grumbled, curling back into the covers, She had originally nned to visit her studio today to give Kimmy some instructions, but in this freezing weather, she didn¡¯t want to leave the house at all Besides, with her injuries, there was no way Abraham would allow her to go out. Nothing better than staying cozy in bed on a snowy day. Watching herzing around. Abraham chuckled. ¡°Finish up your studio matters soon. We¡¯re going back to Fleule.¡± Ste turned around. When Hearing they were going back to Fleule, her eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Can we wait until the marks on my body fade?¡± It would be hard to exin to her mother and Marie if they went back looking like this. Abraham stood up. ¡°About half a month¡± Ste nodded. ¡°That¡¯s enough time.¡± Half a month ¨C more than enough. But only if Abraham behaved himself like a gentleman. If he didn¡¯t, and the marks kept piling upyer after ¡­ Would she even dare go back to Fleule then? As if sensing her thoughts, Abraham bent down and suddenly moved closer. Startled, Ste shrank back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Abraham saidzily. ¡°If they ask anything, just tell them the truth.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°R¨CReally?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Hearing Abraham¡¯s confident reply, Ste stared at him, stars practically sparkling in her eyes. If she could survive staying in Fleule after that, she¡¯d be tougher than anyone. Abraham eventually left the room. Left alone, Stey there thinking about how to handle the studio. Back when she opened it, she hadn¡¯t known when she would ever return to his side. She had deliberately avoided any strong tes with Fleule. Now that she was going back, she wouldn¡¯t be able to visit Rivermount often anymore. It was something that needed careful handling. She pulled out her phone and called Kimmy, telling her they would have a meeting at the studio tomorrow. Then she called Tessa. Tessa, currently at the hospital, answered immediately with two loud ¡°tsk¡± sounds. ¡°Retribution. Absolute retribution. Seriously, what did the Reed family do to deserve all this?¡± You¡¯re at the hospital again?¡± Ste asked. Tessa sighed. Don¡¯t even ask. My niece got sick again after being discharged. I¡¯m about ready to explode.¡± Tessa had been stressed out over her little niece these past few days. It was during one of these hospital visits that she had run into Jonathan and Reba bringing their child in ¡°You saw people from the Reed family?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it funny? God keeps sending me front¨Crow seats to all the drama. Ste said nothing Such obvious schadenfreude¡­ but honestly, it¡¯s kind of great. Tessa lowered her voice. I heard it was a gun injury. Both his hands are basically ruined. How much must the guy who did it. have hated him?¡± ¡°Both hands? Ste echoed. Abraham ruined both of Jonathan¡¯s hands? Thinking about it, that was already Abraham¡¯s version of mercy. Given his usual temperament, he could have easily taken Jonathan¡¯s life. ¡°Yeali¡± Tessa said. ¡°Susan even fainted from the shock. She used to be so biased when it came to you and their adopted daughter.¡± ¡°And now? Her own son versus the adopted daughter which one¡¯s more important?¡± Ste stayed silent Which one¡¯s more important? She really didn¡¯t care. ¡°Let them worry about it. The Reed family¡¯s about to fall apart anyway.¡± Reba had already found out that Jonathan had been spending all his time running around for Lilian Just wait and see. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s going to be a ton of Reed family scandals The wrong girl 256 ing up. We¡¯ll have more than enough tough aboutter. For now, let¡¯s get back to business. Send Gifts 674 W 3/3 Chapter 256 Preparing for Change Tessa said, ¡°Huh? You actually have something serious for me?¡± ¡°What, I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°You can! Tell me, are we e going after the Reed family or Ethan? Whatever it is just send me the dirt.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. In Tessa¡¯s mind, me taking someone down counts as serious business? ¡°Did the Keene family pressure you afterst time?¡± After Tessa had so bluntly exposed the Keene family¡¯s scandal, there was no way they hadn¡¯t tried to retaliate. Tessa sported coldly. ¡°You think I¡¯d be scared of them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Auntie.¡± ¡°My mom¡¯s no pushover.¡± Ste fell silent. Fair enough. Tessa¡¯s mother had singlehandedly carved out her own ce in Rivermount while raising a child alone. It hadn¡¯t been just sweetness and kindness that got her there. Without real capability, there would be no Night Corp. ¡°So, who are we taking down?¡± ¡°No one, Ste said ¡°Really? Then what is it?¡± I¡¯m heading back to Fleule. I was wondering if you¡¯re interested in taking over my studio.¡± Tessa¡¯s reaction was immediate. ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving Rivermount? When?¡± ¡°Probably in about half a month.¡± After weighing it carefully, Ste had decided she couldn¡¯t leave the studio unattended. It wasn¡¯t a ce she woulde back to often anymore. Tessa said, ¡°That¡¯s so sudden.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really sudden.¡± The moment Abraham came to find her, she had known there would be a deadline for her time here. Tessa hesitated. ¡°But I have no experience with that stuff¡± ¡°If you just keep the original team, pay everyone on time, you won¡¯t need to worry much.¡± Up until now, every project the studio had taken had been done with care and effort. The clients who came were all drawn by its reputation. ¨C Tessa suggested, ¡°How about this- I¡¯ll manage it for you. You stay the majority shareholder. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ste, you¡¯re just the adopted daughter of the Luke family. No one knows what the future holds.¡± Tessa cut her off before she could finish. It wasn¡¯t a curse. Tessa was genuinely worried about her. ¡°You opened that studio back then to give yourself a safety. You think I don¡¯t know? And your brother¡¯s feelings for you. I¡¯ve seen them with my own eyes, Tessa didn¡¯t finish the rest of her thoughts. Because she didn¡¯t know Abraham¡¯s true standing within the Dawson family, she worried whether he could really protect Ste Jonathan hadn¡¯t even managed to get his own son¡¯s name registered. After all, the Luke family was the kind of old¨Cmoney aristocracy where bloodlines mattered deeply. And no one really knew how Ste¡¯s adoptive mother felt about her either. Tessa was thinking ahead for her. Listening to her, Ste felt a warmth spread through her chest. ¡°Baby, you really are the best to me.¡± Tessa was the first person in Rivermount who had ever truly cared for her. Ironically, it had nothing to do with the Reed family at all. ¡°So, we¡¯re doing it my way?¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s really no need¡­ My mom¡¯s not asplicated as you think. I can handle it.¡± She had grown up under her mother¡¯s roof. She knew exactly what to do if it came down to it. If nothing else worked, she could always fall back on the old tactics her mother had taught her: cry, act spoiled, beg for hugs¡­. But Tessa didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Just do as I say.¡± She was truly worried Ste would face trouble once she returned to Fleule. Judging by how aggressively Abraham had pursued her, this return would not be simple. Ste finally gave in. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Her heart was warm and full. Ste slept through the entire morning. When she went downstairs, she saw Abraham on the phone, his expression not looking good. Eddie hovered nearby like a guilty dog, sneaking nces at Abraham nervously. The scene told Ste everything this was definitely about Evie. The moment Eddie spotted her, it was like he¡¯d seen salvation. He rushed over. ¡°Ste, you¡¯ve got to say something nice for Eviel Ste was speechless. Isn¡¯t dark skin supposed to make it easier to hide at night? It¡¯s broad daylighet And it¡¯s snowing!Shouldn¡¯t she be sticking out like a sore thumb? Send Gifts The wrong girl 257 Chapter 257 A Bargain for Mercy Abraham hung up the phone and sat down on the sofa, a cigarette loosely dangling from his lips. ¡°You said you were going to deal with her yourself,¡± he saidzily. That was exactly what Eddie had promised earlier this morning¨Cjust to keep Abraham from taking action against Evie. Eddie had sworn he would find Evie and give her a good beating himself. But now, Abel¡¯s people hadn¡¯t even caught her- let alone Eddie and he was clearly about to explode. He kept giving Ste frantic looks. Ste had no idea what she was supposed to say. After all, Evie had brought Marie¡¯s people with her. Wasn¡¯t that basicallying here to kidnap her?How was she supposed to plead for her? Eddie grew desperate seeing Ste stay silent. ¡°Say something!¡± Ste mumbled, ¡°Did you forget? Evie came here to steal me.¡± Eddie froze. His brain felt like it exploded with a loud ng. Right. That down girl came to kidnap Ste, and here I am expecting Ste to speak up for her? But if Evie ended up falling into Abraham¡¯s hands, she would be done for Just then, Victor walked in from outside. He saw Eddie pacing in circles, talking hurriedly to Ste, while Abraham¡¯s face was turning darker by the second. Unwrapping his scarf, Victor said casually, ¡°Keep running your mouth and someone¡¯s going to sew it shut.¡± He tossed his coat to a to a nearby y servant Victor looked every bit as handsome as his Western features suggested¨Cgold¨Crimmed sses, a cold, restrained aura. It was just a shame that once he opened his mouth, hepletely ruined the image. Seeing him, Eddie snapped, ¡°Get lost. She¡¯s not your sister- of course you¡¯re not worried.¡± Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your sister?¡± Eddie was speechless. Victor said calmly, ¡°Evie¡¯s a little wild.¡± Victor already knew Evie hade to Rivermount and that she was bringing Marie¡¯s people with her Marie had just been dragged back to Fleule by Abraham¡¯s people, and now Evie had shown up with her men. Everyone knew exactly what that meant. Eddie¡¯s heart gave another anxious tremble. Victor pped him on the shoulder. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if they stayed enemies? Why force a sisterhood?¡± Eddie muttered, ¡°Of course they¡¯re not sisters.¡± Eddie fell silent. He had no answer. ¨C He didn¡¯t know. He and Abraham had been at Rivermount all this time they had no idea what had happened in Fleule. How could Evie and Marie possibly be working together? They could barely meet without fighting. Eddie felt a pounding headacheing ¡°Ste¡± He could only turn to Ste now. Because when it came to anything involving Ste, Abraham had never once backed down. Ste also had a headache. Seeing how desperate Eddie looked, she tugged on Abraham¡¯s sleeve. Abraham looked down at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Ste said, ¡°When you find Evie, just send her straight back. No need to hurt her.¡± Given Eddie¡¯s many years of friendship with her, Ste couldn¡¯t bear to see him so upset. Eddie finally let out a breath of relief when Ste spoke up. Abraham raised an eyebrow and leaned in close, whispering in her ear, ¡°You know, Ste, asking for favors requires payment.¡± Ste blinked. The word ¡°payment¡± carried a deep, meaningful tone. Eddie and Victor were standing too far away to hear what Abraham whispered to her. But the way he was murmuring in her ear- Eddie¡¯s eyelid couldn¡¯t help but twitch. What the hell is he saying to her? And Ste¨CThey¡¯re talking about Evie, right? Why is the blushing? Ste red at Abraham resentfully, but in Eddie¡¯s eyes, it looked like a coquettish re. Ste stammered. ¡°A¨CAnyway, don¡¯t hurt her.¡± Thinking about what had happened to Jonathan, Ste couldn¡¯t help feeling g nervous. She didn¡¯t want Abraham using the same methods on people close to him. If it was the Reed family, she wouldn¡¯t say a word. But when it came to his own people ¨C no. Though, Ste was overthinking it. If Abraham ever turned on someone close to him, it would only be because they had truly crossed a line. Before Abraham could reply, Ste¡¯s phone rang It was an unfamiliar number. ¡°I¡¯m going to take this,¡± Ste said, getting up. The wrong girl 258 Chapter 258 Triggers from the Past The atmosphere was suffocating.. Ste seized the excuse of answering the phone to hurry upstairs. Abraham shot a nce at Eddie but didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed Marie. The call connected quickly. ¡°Hey,¡± Marie answered. ¡°Why did Evic bring your people to Rivermount?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice was icy. Marie fell silent. The sudden sharpness in his tone made even her breathing falter. Abraham had always had a headache dealing with Marie. Since childhood, she had been wild¨Cmore like a boy than a girl. Getting into trouble at school was practically a hobby for her. Their mother had been called in so many times that eventually even she had grown fearful of visiting Marie¡¯s school. Later on, it had been Abraham ¨C like Eddie ¨C who had to clean up after his rebellious sister. Maybe that was why Abraham doted on Ste so much. In the ruthless, wolf¨Clike Dawson family, she was like a soft littlemb. Gentle, sweet¨Ctempered, delicate. Aplete opposite of Marie. Back then, Abraham had to worry about Marie causing trouble and also about Ste being bullied. Now, with Marie sull refusing to speak, Abraham¡¯s tone grew.even colder. Answer me. To dare try and steal someone from his ride?She must be tired of living. Abraham had already decided how to deal with her once they got back to Fleule. Marie stammered. ¡°I, um, I didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t- How the hell does he know Did Evie already find Ste? No way. If she had, she would have told me¡­ wouldn¡¯t she? Abraham¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°Marie¡± I swear, I swear I didn¡¯t!¡± she cried. Facing Abraham¡¯s authority, Marie She would never dare lie outright to him. I swear to God, I didn¡¯t ¡°Oh?¡± Abraham said quietly. 1, I mean¡­ Marie faltered. Abraham continued, ¡°Really? Two months ago, when Abel was out on assignment, he came across someone who looked a lot like that person. We¡¯re just not sure yet. Marie froze. The line went dead silent. Even Eddie and Victor, standing nearby, stared at Abraham in shock. Finished After a long silence, Marie finally spoke, her voice clearly strained. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Evie staying in Rivermount¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact her immediately. Marie said without hesitation. She didn¡¯t even bother pretending anymore about Evie. The call ended. Eddie immediately jumped forward. ¡°You used that to trick her? Isn¡¯t that way too cruel?¡± Everyone knew what that person had meant to Maric. When he died. Marie had nearly lost her mind. Since then, no one had dared to bring him up in front of her. And now Abraham had used him to force her hand? Abraham lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie.¡± Abel¡¯s men really had seen someone who looked identical. Eddie gasped. ¡°No way! I personally performed the surgery. I saw him die with my own eyes.¡± ¨C That operation to remove a bullet lodged near the heart had been done by Eddie himself. It was a failure. The trauma had nearly broken Marie. And it had left Eddie himself with lingering psychological scars. That surgery had been his first and only-failure. Abraham flicked the ash from his cigarette and gave Eddie a look. ¡°Is it possible¡­ that he didn¡¯t actually die?¡± Eddie stared at him, stunned. ¡°What are you saying? Are you insulting my intelligence?* The moment he heard those words, Eddie exploded. Calling a patient dead when they were actually alive¨CThat was the ultimate disgrace for any doctor. ¡°Are you joking?¡± He was almost shouting Abraham said coldly. The DNA match is ny¨Cnine percent. Only difference is, he¡¯s older now. Even the blood type is the same. Eddie froze He sucked in a sharp breath Could it really have been has mistake back then?Could Abraham actually be telling the truth? ¡°But that¡¯s impossible, Eddie muttered. ¡°He was dead. I checked-¡± He thought back to that day. Wait¡­ Actually¨CHe had wanted to run more checks afterward. But Marie had stormed into the operating room, sobbing and wailing, causingplete chaos. Eddie felt his mind go numb. . The wrong girl 259 Chapter 259 The Price They Owed Eddie stared at Abraham in disbelief. ¡°If he¡¯s still alive¡­ then why hasn¡¯t hee back to find Marie after all these years?¡± Abraham said nothing. For a moment, a dark shadow flickered through his eyes In the room upstairs- The call Ste answered was from an unfamiliar number. It was Susan again, having borrowed yet another phone to reach her. God knew how many phones the Reed family had borrowed by now, since their own numbers had already been blocked. Over the line, Susan¡¯s hysterical shrieks filled Ste¡¯s ears. ¡°That¡¯s your real brother! How could you be so heartless!¡± ¡°Ste, is your heart made of stone? How could you be so cold? You destroyed your own brother¡¯s hands¨Cyou¨Cyour¡± Susan¡¯s anger almost made her faint again. The moment the call connected, she went insane, bombarding Ste with endless usations. Ste¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How would you know if my heart is made of stone? You never tried warming it.¡± People said that a heart like stone could never be warmed. But her heart- The Reed family had never even tried. They hadn¡¯t warmed it- ¡°You¡± Susan choked they had only shown her, from beginning to end, that blood ties could be colder than anything Ste said coldly, Jonathan knows very well why he lost his hands.¡± ¡°Ste¡°¡± Susan screamed,pletely losing it. ¡°And after Lilian was sent overseas,¡± Ste continued calmly, he didn¡¯t just stop. Madam Susan, you knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Susan¡¯s breathing stuttered. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I almost got kidnapped once. You said I was paranoid. But deep down, you knew it was Jonathan¡¯s doing. You just wanted to cover for him. Her voice was light. But the words she spoke- They made Susan suck in a sharp, audible breath on the other end. ¡°You¡­ you actually knew?¡± Ste caught the slip immediately. Ste let out a softugh. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s no surprise. If you¡¯re willing to defend an adopted daughter like Lilian that blindly. why wouldn¡¯t you do even more for your own son?¡± Susan protested. ¡°No, that time he was just¡­ confused. I scolded him afterward, I really- ¡°If I had been sessfully kidnapped that day, what would¡¯ve happened to me?¡± Susan¡¯s justifications made Ste¡¯s skin crawl. What a great excuse ¡ª you scolded him. What was he, a three¨Cyear¨Cold child? ¡°He tried more than once. Ste said coldly. ¡°Did you ¡®scold¡® him each time?¡± Susan¡¯s breathing grew more and more erratic. Ste pressed on. ¡°And when I called the police¡­ you used your influence to shut down the investigation, didn¡¯t you?¡± The phone line went silent. Dead silent. ¡°And after all that, you still expect me to speak up for him? Save the hands that should¡¯ve been broken long ago?¡± Those hands should¡¯ve been broken a long time ago In fact they had been broken once before. After Ste realized the police weren¡¯t going to follow through, she had taken matters into her own hands. That very night, when Jonathan stumbled drunk out of a bar, she had dragged a sack over his head and broken his hands with a baseball bat Back then, before she left Fleule, she had been Abraham¡¯s sheltered little girl. But after surviving the disaster with the Sheng family after leaving Fleule she had grown up fast She had shed all her softness and taught herself to be strong. At least until Abraham could find her again, she had to protect herself. And she had done it. Every person who hurt her¨CShe had stabbed back. Susan wailed. ¡°Even if he made mistakes, he didn¡¯t actually hurt you! I stopped him! You weren¡¯t really harmed¡°¡± Ste who¡¯s always wrong? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s annoying?¡± Susan couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°I just wanted all of us to get along, Susan cried. I tried so hard to bnce everything Now Lilian can¡¯t get treatment, your brother¡¯s lost his hands, thepany¡¯s copsing- Is this what you wanted? Is this the price you¡¯re making us pay? Ste. what else do you want from us?¡± Susan screamed hysterically. Listening to her, Ste realized even now, even after everything¨CSusan still believed she had done nothing wrong. And this woman¡­ was supposed to be my mother. How ridiculous The wrong girl 260 Ste let out a mocking bush ¡°The one who naid the nice first was me Chapter 260 A Debt That Can¡¯t Be Repaid ¡°I almost died at your hands more than once. Ste said calmly. After the incident with Lilian, Jonathan hadid hands on her three times. It wasn¡¯t until she broke one of his hands herself that he finally stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t have many skills,¡± Ste said. ¡°But I¡¯m very good at one thing if someone hurts me, I¡¯ll make sure to pay it back.¡± ¡°If you really love Lilian and Jonathan, then from now on, make sure they stay far away from me. Don¡¯t try to im some fake family bond either. We were never close to begin with, and every time you came near, you only plotted against me. When your schemes failed and you got beat up for it, somehow it was still my fault.¡± Tich. That was Ste¡¯s final judgment on the Reed family. Every time Lilian had gotten close to her, it was under the guise of affection- but always with hidden calctions underneath. Even after being beaten so many times, she never seemed to learn. You, you Susan sputtered, but couldn¡¯t get a coherent word out. Ste had no patience left. She directly hung up. As far as Ste was concerned, whatever debts existed between her and the Reed family were now more or less settled. But she knew¨COnce she returned to Fleule, they would definitelye crawling with new excuses to bother her. She wasn¡¯t going to entertain them anymore. She found Abel. ¡°Abel.¡± Facing Abel¡¯s cold, emotionless eyes- so much like Abraham¡¯s Ste couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous, shing back. to the way he had pointed a gun without hesitation. But when Abel saw it was her, the coldness immediately faded. He bowed respectfully ¡°Ms. Ste.¡± Ste said, ¡°Could you help me get a new SIM card?¡± There¡¯s no helping it now.If I don¡¯t change my number, this harassment will never stop. God knew how the Reed family kept finding phones to call her from- Over the past few days, they had used at least a hundred different numbers. Blocking them wasn¡¯t solving anything anymore. It¡¯s time to cut them offpletely¨Csend them intomunication outer space When Abraham came upstairs, he saw Ste tugging on Abel¡¯s sleeve as she asked him to change her SIM card ¡°Go get a new phone from the study for her, Abraham ordered. Seeing Abraham, Ste inmediately let go of Abel and trotted over. ¡°Abraham.¡° Abraham reached out, gently ruffling her soft hair before pulling her into his arms. After all, this phone had been tied to her studio¡¯s work. Now that she was about to hand everything over, she didn¡¯t need the number anymore. Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a little boss now ¡°Of course.¡± Ste said proudly. ¡°Last year, I made seven million!¡± Abel, who had just returned, twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard that. Seven million Abraham is seriously spoiling this little kitten rotten. At Seats Cove- The atmosphere remained light and peaceful. Jonathan and Ethan¡¯s earlier visit had left no ripple here. Meanwhile, over at the hospital. Susan and Patrick felt like the sky was copsing- Jonathan¡¯s injuries were severe. One of his hands had been damaged so badly the doctor dered it likely useless for life. The moment she heard the news. Susan nearly fainted again. Patrick was furious. Why did he go to her? Why go to Seats Cove? And all for Lilian?¡± Everyone knew how much Ste hated anything rted to Lilian And yet, Jonathan had gone for her sake and gotten himself destroyed in the process. Susan clutched her chest, the pain intense. I was desperate too! Lilian ran out of medicine today!¡± She had no choice. Last night, Lilian had overdosed on oral painkillers. This morning, without any medication, the pain was unbearable. They couldn¡¯t get her out of the country and so Jonathan had gone to Seats Cove. Hearing it was about Lilian again, Patrick¡¯s anger boiled over. ¡°You¡¯re going to destroy this entire family for Lilian!¡± Susan¡¯s face turned stiff. ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean by that?¡± Patrick sneered. ¡®Susan, are you stupid or just senile? Do you really not understand why the Reed Group is copsing?¡± Susan faltered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of Ste? She hates us. She¡¯s getting revenge. I shouldn¡¯t have given birth to her. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Patrick¡¯s expression turned purple with rage.. ¡°You still think that? You really think it¡¯s all because Ste wants revenge?¡± The truth is, everything started with the conflict between Ste and Lilian, Patrick snapped ¡°Mr. Abraham has been crushing the Reed Group be because of what we did to Ste over these past two years. You really don¡¯t get that?¡± The wrong girl 261 Chapter 261 Copsing Loyalties. Sending Jonathan to Seats Cove for Lilian¡¯s sake¨Cnow look what happened. They had infuriated Mr. Abraham, and Jonathan hade back in this state. Susan¡¯s face turned deathly pale. ¡°T¨CI said everything I should¡¯ve said to her about that incident! She¡¯s the one who kept clinging to it! Was I supposed to just stand by and watch Lilian die?¡° Susan waspletely losing it.. Hearing her still speak with sympathy for Lilian, Patrick finally snapped. He raised his hand and pped her across the face. Smack- The sharp sound echoed through the corridor. The air froze. Even Ethan instinctively turned to look at Susan and Patrick. Susan stared at him, stummed, her pupils contracting. You¡­ you hit me?¡± Patrick¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Jonathan was the future of this family. You knew that. And yet you sacrificed both your daughter and your son for Lilin. Susan stammered. T¡­ but¡­ Ste¡¯s problems weren¡¯t just my fault!¡± Thinking about Ste, Susan¡¯s mind went nk Yes, she had been unable to stand Ste¡¯s temper. Even if Ste was her biological daughter, she hadn¡¯t treated her well. But Patrick and Jonathan hadn¡¯t treated her any better. Was it really all her fault? Patrick sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care to argue anymore. Get out of my sight. He didn¡¯t want to see Susan again. Jonathan he had raised him as his sessor, his pride. And now, thanks to Susan¡¯s blind favoritism for a foster daughter, he was ruined You-¡± ¡°Go. Isn¡¯t Lilian the one you love so much? Go back and be her mother.¡± Patrick¡¯s voice was low and vicious, every word grinding through his teeth. He was utterly, irreversibly disappointed. He had warned Susan again and again: stay away from Ste. Don¡¯t push her. She hadn¡¯t listened. And now even Jonathan had paid the price. ¡°I won¡¯t leave!¡± Susan shouted. ¡°My son is lying here! Patrickughed coldly. ¡°From today on, he¡¯s not your son anymore. You only have Lilian He didn¡¯t care anymore that Ethan was standing there. Thepany had no future. The news had already spread: The Keene Group had copsed internally after losing ess to Mr. Abraham¡¯s recement mining resources. The Keene family was finished. you. Get out!¡± ¡°Clement. Patrick barked, ¡°escort her out.¡± He didn¡¯t have time to waste fighting with Susan anymore. Susan refused to leave, but Clement forcibly dragged her away. Meanwhile, Patrick summoned the hospital director to find the best surgical team for Jonathan. No matter what, he could not allow Jonathan¡¯s hand to be ruined. During the entire process. Patrick didn¡¯t even nce at Ethan. Jonathan and Ethan had gone together to Seats Cove¨Cyet Jonathan came back crippled. Patrick couldn¡¯t help but me. Ethan too. Today, the snow kept falling all day. At Seats Cove, no one could leave. Ste sat by the window, curled up on the sill, watching the snow fall outside. The world outside was freezing, but inside it was warm and cozy. When Abraham entered, he saw her sparkling eyes, staring longingly at the snow, Earlier that afternoon, she had begged to go out and y¨Cbut Abraham had refused. Eddie had warned that she had to take care not to catch a cold with her injuries. Abraham walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Ste felt the familiar warmth of his embrace and turned her head. Their breaths mingled. Abraham kissed her lightly on the lips. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Building a snowman,¡± Ste mumbled.. ¡°Childish, Abraham chuckled softly, nting another kiss on her forehead. Ste wriggled in his arms, trying to break free. Being so close to him¨CGod knows what might happen next. ¡°Stop squirming, Abraham saidzily. ¡°Let me hold you for a while.¡± ¡°Eddie said I need to learn how to protect myself, Ste protested. ¡°He said when ites to that kind of thing, men even human.¡± Abraham froze. The air suddenly turned heavy.. ¡°He said that to you?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice dropped an octave, dangerously low. This little brat¨Ccalling me not human? ¡°That¡¯s what I think too,¡± Ste added honestly. aren¡¯t Abrahamughed lowly, the sound dangerous and teasing. He lightly nibbled her earlobe¨Cstartling Ste so much she scrambled away. The wrong girl 262 W Chapter 262 A Memory That Never Died. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t- Abraham¡¯s smile grew even more teasing. ¡°Getting bolder now, daring to insult me to my face?¡± ¡°Hmph, it hurt,¡± Ste muttered. She still remembered how she had begged him, her throat going hoarse. If you asked her, Eddie had been absolutely right¨Cmen really weren¡¯t human. Abraham tightened his arms around her. Ste hurried to change the subject. ¡°Did you find Evie yet?¡± Abraham said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. Evie hade here to kidnap her, and now they hadn¡¯t even found her? How was she supposed to step outside tomorrow? Though looking at this awful weather, it didn¡¯t seem like going out tomorrow was a good idea anyway. Before Abraham could answer, his phone rang. It was Marie.. On the other end, Marie¡¯s anxious voice exploded. ¡°Hey, you need to send people after her right away! I can¡¯t get in touch with Evie anymore!¡± Abraham¡¯s face instantly darkened. Ste couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the corners of her mouth They had plotted together to kidnap her, and now she was saying she couldn¡¯t reach Evie? Seeing Abraham stay silent, Marie got more frantic. ¡®I swear, I really can¡¯t reach her. Don¡¯t misunderstand, I only sent her to pick up our little Ste. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her,¡± Marie¡¯s voice was full of panic. She knew Abraham too well. If he wasn¡¯t talking, that meant he was already nning something big. ¡°You know how much I miss Ste too.¡± Ste was speechless. Hearing that made her feel a bit touched. Abraham snorted coldly. ¡°You and Evie plotted this together, and now you say you can¡¯t reach her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either! She gave me a number, but now she¡¯s disappeared, I swear! Marie was about to lose her mind. What the hell was Evie doing? It was one thing if others couldn¡¯t reach her, but even Marie, her boss now, couldn¡¯t get through? After all the benefits Marie had given her¨Cnow she couldn¡¯t even follow simple instructions! You could just have Abel¡¯s people catch her, right? By the way¡­ where is he?¡± When she said ¡°he, Marie¡¯s tone softened, cautious. For so many years, no one had dared touch that old scar in her heart. She had buried him deep, epting his death and mourning him quietly. Abraham frowned. ¡°You caused this mess- ¡°Abraham, I¡¯m your biological sister. Can you really bear to let me stay a widow for life?¡± In Marie¡¯s mind, after that man had died, she had already nned to stay alone forever. Abraham¡¯s breathing stiffened.. Ste didn¡¯t fully understand what they were talking about, but she heard the cautious, pleading tone in Marie¡¯s voice. She tugged gently on Abraham¡¯s sweater. He lowered his head and met her eyes, which were shimmering with watery light, filled with a soft pleading. He instantly understood. Facing Ste¡¯s gaze, Abraham finally said to Marie. ¡°You really can¡¯t reach Evie?¡± I swear! I wouldn¡¯t joke about him.¡± Him? Meaning that man. Abraham thought about it carefully. Marie wasn¡¯t someone who would use that name lightly. Finally- Under Ste¡¯s persistent gaze, Abraham reached out to pinch her soft little cheek and said into the phone, ¡°Frapucu ¡°What?¡± Frapucu!That desert city two hundred kilometers away from any other town? ¡°Why would he be there?¡± Marie had been there once before. Her impression of it was terrible¨Cits location, the people, everything. Abraham said calmly, ¡°It might not be him. You know that. The phone fell silent. ¡°Abel ran into him once, Abraham continued. ¡°He didn¡¯t recognize Abel.¡± On paper, everything matched¨Cbut when Abel had approached, there hadn¡¯t been even a flicker of recognition. Marie finally said, her voice tight, I¡¯ll go see for myself.¡± ¡°He died right in front of you,¡± Abraham reminded her coldly. ¡°And I didn¡¯t see him burned to ashes, did I Marie shot back. Abraham was speechless. Ste was speechless. Listening to this, Ste finally understood who they were talking about. That was something from live e years ago¡ª The man who had once made Marie give up her usual masculine style and start wearing skirts. Send Gifts The wrong girl 263 Chapter 263 A Heart That Never Healed. That man had left a deep mark on her life, only to disappear just as Marie had fallen for him the most. Abraham pressed his forehead. Till send a few people with you. It¡¯splicated over there.¡± Because it was so far from the surrounding cities, it had be a regr gathering ce for underground figures. Marie said. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Marie.¡± Abraham¡¯s tone grew heavier. Ever since the Tom family incident, he¡¯d been overly protective of everyone around him. Especially the people who mattered most. Marie said, ¡®I have someone.¡± She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to head to a ce like Frapucu alone. She knew perfectly well just how dark that ce could be. Hearing her say that. Abraham grunted in acknowledgment, agreeing. The call went quiet, Ste looked at Abraham. ¡°Mr. Morris is still alive?¡± Dan Morris. Ste still remembered the first time Marie had brought him to meet her. The man had neat short hair, tightly pressed thin lips, and those phoenix eyes that seemed to speak on their own. His character was wild and unruly, a sharp contrast to Abraham¡¯s cold sternness, which made him particrly memorable to Ste. She had only met him three times. By the fourth time, she¡¯d received news that he was gone and with him, he¡¯d crushed Marie¡¯s heart. Abranam said. ¡°It might not be him.¡± Ste said, ¡°I hope it¡¯s a miracle.¡± She ached for the feelings Marie had buried in that man. Abraham yed with her slightly chilly hand. ¡°Cold?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± It didn¡¯t even feel cold inside. Still, Abraham fetched a soft, furry jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He knew Ste hated wearing anything too heavy in winter, especially anything that restricted her arms, so her wardrobe was full of all kinds of jackets. Ste said, ¡°I¡¯m really not cold. ¡°Be good.¡± His voice was full of indulgence. In the end, Ste obediently put the jacket on Dinner that evening was warm and lively. With the heavy snow outside, Ste loved nothing more than cooking up all kinds of hot dishes. Abraham asked, ¡°Why do you like eating this way?¡± He wasn¡¯t too fond of this kind of soupy meal. Ste said, ¡°It¡¯s warm¡± ¡°Are you cold?¡± No, but when you see the snow outside, eating like this just feels right Abraham chuckled. ¡°So you still know how to catch a feeling, huh?¡± So much drama over eating. Ste asked, ¡°Where are Eddie and Victor?¡± It was unusual for both of them to be missing. Abraham said, ¡°Eddie went to find Evie. No idea where Victor is.¡± Hearing that Eddie went to find Evie, Ste swallowed a mouthful of radish and said, ¡°You really scared Eddie today. She had been scared too. Jonathan had just caused trouble in Scats Cove today- who would dare mess with him at a time like this? Abraham said, ¡°Scared of what? I just told Abel to throw her out of Rivermount.¡± Ste was speechless. Throw her out of Rivermount! A girl? Her mouth twitched. ¡°That¡¯s not very nice, is it? What were you nning for Abel to do? Beat Evie up? Let me tell you. Evie¡¯s just a girl. You can¡¯t treat her like that.¡± Everyone said you should be gentle with girls Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Evie¡¯s a girl? News to me.¡± Ste was speechless. Fair enough. With the way Evie had dressed all these years, she really didn¡¯t look any different from a guy. Sometimes when Evie stood next to Marie, Ste would even get the illusion that they made a nice couple. ¡®Still, tell Abel not to go too hard. She might not look like it, but she really is a girl¡± Abraham said, ¡°At the very least, a bruised face.¡± Ste was speechless. That¡¯s all? Then she could rx. Wit, hold Suddenly thinking of Evie¡¯s skin tone, Ste grew uneasy. She looked nervously at Abraham. ¡°Evie¡¯s skin. that might not be so easy.¡± In her memory, Evie had always been a girl who loved the sun. She spent her summers sunbathing at the beach, and winters soaking up the sun on balconies. 2 The wrong girl 264 Chapter 264 The Missing Piece Just then, Abel returned. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°How is it?¡± Abraham¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, spitting out two words. Abel said. ¡°We found and brought back all of Evie¡¯s people. Evie wasn¡¯t with them.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow and nced at Abel. Abel exined. ¡°They said Miss Evie ditched them as soon as she got off the ne.¡± Eddie came bursting in from outside, snow clinging to him, just in time to hear Abel¡¯s words. His heart skipped a beat again. No way. What did she mean by ditching Marie¡¯s people? What was she nning? Eddie felt like he was about to fall apart. He cursed Evie a thousand times in his heart, then felt like something was wrong.. but couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Abraham¡¯s long fingers tapped rhythmically on the dining table. The steady rhythm only made the tension in the air worse. Eddie nced nervously at Ste. Ste kept her eyes down, pretending to see nothing, hear nothing. Why was he looking at her? She didn¡¯t dare speak up for Evie either. Since childhood, Abraham had taught her to be ruthless toward anyone who tried to hurt her. Evie was trying to steal her away. If she spoke up for her now, Abraham would definitely give her an earfulter when no one else was around Eddie was about to lose it. ¡°I don¡¯t think that girl has the brains to pull anything crazy ¡°Oh? Really? Then what is it when she ditches Marie¡¯s people?¡± Eddie was silent He wanted to cry. He wanted to kneel down before all the ancestors. Seriously, why would Evie ditch Marie¡¯s people? What the hell was she thinking? Abraham didn¡¯t bother talking to Eddie anymore. He turned to Ste. ¡°You¡¯re staying by my side for the next few days.¡± Evie was a handful. If she managed to steal Ste away now, after shaking off Marie¡¯s people, who knew where she¡¯d take her? She might just drag her all over the world out of spite. Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Okay¡± But then she realized something was off. ¡°I have to go to the studio tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to the studio¡± ¡°What?¡± Abel¡¯s sudden words made Ste¡¯s mind gopletely nk. ¡°Ma¡¯am, something big happened. Sterling Global just pulled out of our partnership. Kimmy¡¯s voice was full of urgency. Ste was stunned. How could that not be a big deal? A client paying several million a year was leaving? She jumped to her feet, knocking over her chair with a loud bang. She didn¡¯t care that Abraham. Eddie, and the others were all there. Holding the phone, she hurried to one side. ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t things going well?¡± ¡°And didn¡¯t they already pay the deposit for the design?¡± out? How could they just pull out! And they¡¯d always been satisfied with the designs before! Kimmy said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just got a call from their business department saying the partnership is terminated.¡± ¡°Did they give a reason?¡± NO No reason? Losing a client that big was basically a death sentence for her studio. Ste gasped. ¡°Maybe they think we¡¯re dragging our feet with the drafts? Tell them we¡¯ll finish everything in three days. Three days, tops. It was all Abraham¡¯s fault for getting her hurt. Now even her big client was running away. The studio couldn¡¯t fail. There were so many designers relying on it Kimmy said, ¡°They just said the partnership¡¯s over. The only reason they gave was: not needed anymore.¡± ¡°Not needed anymore?¡± What kind of reason was that? Ste asked, ¡°Do we have to refund the design deposit?¡± ¡°They said no.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°No?¡± Sterling Global really was a bigpany. Tens of thousands in deposit and they just waved it off like nothing! Were they so rich that money just blew in with the wind? Ste gnawed on her fingernail, frowning. ¡°There¡¯s really no way to turn this around?¡± Kimmy said, ¡°No.¡± Ste went silent. The deal was just over? No proper reason at all? H that your sister¡¯s people are here, my sister¡¯s missing¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 265 Finished Chapter 265 No Way Out Eddie was panicking too. With Abraham¡¯s current attitude being so terrifying. Eddie didn¡¯t care anymore. He decided to counter¨Cuse him first and figure the rest outter. After all, Ste wasn¡¯t missing. The one missing was Eddie¡¯s sister. On the phone, Kimmy was still saying, ¡°Boss, losing Sterling Global is a huge blow for us.¡± Ste said, ¡°Ah? That¡¯s¡­ She pulled her gaze away from the dining room. It was a pretty big loss, but the reason she had been nning to hand the studio over to Tessa was because of Sterling Global. Now that the partnership with Sterling Global was gone, was there even a point in keeping the studio anymore? She thought about how hardworking Kimmy had been these past two years, and about the other designers. Honestly, even without Sterling Global, the studio¡¯s smaller orders were enough to keep them all afloat. ¡°You shoulde to Seats Cove tomorrow, Ste said after thinking for a moment. Kimmy said, ¡°Seats Cove?¡± Was it the ce she was thinking of? Ste hummed an acknowledgment. ¡°Bring some of thepany¡¯s business documents too.¡± At this point, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave tomorrow. With Evie ditching Marie¡¯s people, there was no telling what crazy move she would pull next. She might as well stay holed up safely at Seats Cove After hanging up with Kimmy, Ste returned to the dining room just in time to hear Abraham telling Abel, ¡°Find her tonight¡± ¡°Got it¡± Evie was still in Rivermount. Tracking her down wouldn¡¯t be hard. As Abel turned to leave, Eddie quickly followed. ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡± He had missed his chance earlier when Abel ran off by himself, leaving Eddie on edge all day. He was terrified Abel would actually find Evie and beat her into a bruised mess. His mother still held onto a tiny hope that her daughter¡¯s skin would one day return to its snow¨Cwhite beauty. He couldn¡¯t let her face get ruined Eddie and Abel left together. Abraham turned to Ste. The stern look in his eyes was gone, reced by a gentle warmth. ¡°Come here.¡± Ste shuffled over in small steps. As soon as she got close, Abraham pulled her into hisp. Ste¡¯s cheeks flushed pink. Abraham pinched her cheek lightly. ¡°Still hurt?¡± Ste¡¯s face, already starting to turn red, practically exploded at his words. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re already¡­¡± Abraham held her slim waist, burying his head against her small shoulder. ¡°I miss you.¡± Ste was speechless. Finished ¡°Let go of me,¡± she said. Her mind was preupied with the studio situation. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to mess around with him. Abraham sensed her distraction ¡°Who was that call from just now?¡± The studio. ¡°And why are you upset?¡± ¡°Our biggest client pulled out.¡± After all, they had been working together for so long. Sterling Global had partnered with them when the studio firstunched Now, out of nowhere, without even a real reason, the partnership was over. Ste couldn¡¯t help but feel a little upset. Abraham sat up straighter and gently pressed her head against his chest. ¡°Biggest client?¡± Sterling Global. Honestly, I owe them a lot. They picked my tiny studio when nobody else would. After that, a lot of other coborations came along too.¡± Without Sterling Global, no one would have given her new studio a chance back then. Hearing the name Sterling Global, Abraham chuckled lightly. ¡°You¡¯re going back to Fleule anyway. If they don¡¯t want to work with you anymore, just let it go.¡± Abraham sounded end the partnership without even giving her a proper reason. Wait. Actually, she didn¡¯t have to go herself. She looked up. ¡°Abraham, I remember you said you know the CEO of Sterling Global?* Hearing Ste call him ¡°Abraham¡± while leaning against his chest feltpletely different from before. Even though their rtionship had progressed, Abraham still loved hearing her call him that. ¡°Yedh, I know him Though she didn¡¯t say it out loud, because she knew Abraham hated people using connections, The wrong girl 266 Chapter 266 Missing Evie Abraham¡¯s broad palm pressed down on the back of her head, forcing Ste to tilt her head upward naturally. The moment their eyes met, Ste caught the fleeting trace of teasing in Abraham¡¯s gaze. ¡°You can ask,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°but how does Star n to thank me?* Ste was shocked. Seriously? You expect a reward for this? ¡°Didn¡¯t everything I havee from you? What more is there to ask for?¡± Abraham said, ¡°You are y you mine?¡± Ste drew in a sharp breath Before she could speak. Abraham leaned down. As their breaths mingled, the winter air seemed to grow a bit warmer. ne out of The next morning, when Abel went upstairs to wait in the study, thest thing he expected was to see Abraham walking Ste¡¯s room. This He turned around, pretending not to see anything, but it felt like it was already toote. Unable to avoid it, Abel respectfully called, ¡°Mr. Abraham. Abraham was wearing a robe, the cor loosely undone, with faint scratch marks visible underneath. A closer look revealed that they appeared to be new scratches. Abel tensed up immediately. I should haveeter but it was already nine o¡¯clock Abraham said. ¡°Go wait in the study Yes.¡± Hearing this. Abel felt as though he had been pardoned and quickly made his way to the study. About ten minutester, Abraham arrived. He had changed into a smoke¨Cgrey loungewear set, radiating a cold yet noble aura. Eddie was with him. Looking at Eddie¡¯s exhausted face, it was obvious he had stayed up all night. He had nned to chase Abel, but his stamina gave out, and he nearly tripped as he went after him. By the time he stood up, Abel had already left. He spent the entire night worrying that Evie might have really gotten beaten up by Abel¡­ Those under Abraham are known to be ruthless, with no regard for restraint when they take action. Abraham walked over to the sofa, sat down, and took out a cigarette. He asked Abel coldly, ¡°So, how did it go?¡± The question was naturally about whether Evie had been found. Eddie¡¯s face also tightened as he looked at Abel Abel replied, ¡°Evie has already left Rivermount.¡± Abraham lost his words. Eddie screamed, ¡°What the heck is that supposed to mean?¡± Eddie jerked upright. What do you mean? She left Rivermount? Flow did she leave?She got chased off? Now Eddie was getting seriously pissed off. He red at Abraham,pletely losing it. ¡°Seriously, man? Do you just go around hitting everyone now?¡± Abel said, ¡°Mr. Eddie, keep quiet and don¡¯t speak.¡± Eddie was really pissed. Even though his sister was troublesome, she was still his sister, no matter how much they usually argued. But when it came to the outside, he still stood by her, as he was meant to. Abraham nced at him coldly. ¡°Are you trying to go to heaven?¡± he asked. Eddie said. I¡¯m serious; I¡¯m really pissed off now.¡± Abel said, ¡°I didn¡¯ty a hand on her.¡± Amid the chaos, the air suddenly fell silent. Eddie looked at Abel. ¡°How did that person leave Rivermount? Did you beat him out, or just throw him out?¡± Abraham also turned to look at Abel. Abel said. ¡°It was Ms. Evie who got rid of ourdy¡¯s people and then left Rivermount right after.¡± Eddie¡¯s lip twitched and thought. What is this? What does it mean? Abraham frowned and nced at Abel. ¡°What do you mean?¡± So, after getting rid of Marie¡¯s people, she just left Rivermount? Abel said, ¡°She left and only had ayover in Rivermount, staying for the time betweennding and taking off.¡± Eddie and Abraham lost their words. Eddie ran a hand through his hair, feeling conflicted. What is Evie up to? She really just left? Or is this part of her strategy? Is there wore to it! Eddie said. ¡°Are you sure she left?¡± Toured Rivermount with Maree¡¯s people. She did nothing, just brushed them off and goalked away? That is hard to believe. Or maybe she was trying to make a deal with Marie, and it fell through? Hold on¡­ Eddie turned to Abraham, ¡°Did Marie offer Evie any kind of reward for stealing Star away?! Abel frowned. ¡°If there was no benefit, Ms. Evie wouldn¡¯t have bothereding They have never really gotten along. There was no way Evie would follow Marie unless there was a really tempting offer. She even brought Marie¡¯s people with her, The wrong girl 267 Chapter 267 Leaving Eddie smacked his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± It is really over this time. Turns out this damn girl was going to screw someone no matter what. Too scared to mess with Abraham, so she decided to screw over Marie instead? Seriously! She took Marie¡¯s bribe and bailed? Eddie lost his words. Hiss!! She had not changed one bit; she saw a chance to milk benefits off Marie and just went all in. Did she really think Marie¡¯s benefits were that easy to snatch? Has she not learned her lesson after all these years! Eddie was totally stunned again. Abraham lit a cigarette and took a drag. Eddie narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, uh¡­ where is Marie right now?¡± And where did Evie go after leaving Rivermount? Heading back to Falvaria now? Does she expect to be hunted down by Marie until she is dead? Abraham said. ¡°If nothing went wrong, she¡¯s probably already on her way to Frapucu by now.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Hearing that Marie was not in Falvaria, Eddie could not help but feel relieved. Just don¡¯t mention it to her for now.¡± Telling Marie now that Evie tricked her out of something good again, with her kind of temper, they will be tearing the ce down in no time. Seriously, what is with Mariel Star is with her brother¨Chow could she possibly run away again? And she actually teamed up with Evie? They have been fighting for so many years. Of all people to trust, she picks Eve! Seriously? Abel said, ¡°She¡¯s going to find out sooner orter.¡± I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t say anything.¡± Eddie said. Now he finally got it. Abel might not talk much and always looked so refined. But the moment he spoke, he somehow managed to make everyone more anxious. Right now, what Eddie feared most was hearing Abel speak. What is with her? Why is she always getting herself into trouble? Why pick a fight with Marie after all these years? What has she even been up to? And Marie as well whenever she sees even a hint of Evie, it is like she is itching for a fight. Great, now they have been screwed over with the benefits. I wonder what exactly it was Marie gave to Evie. But whatever it was that made Evie do this for her, it had to be something big. It was almost ten o¡¯clock by the time Ste finally got up. A cup of water sat on the bedside table, kept warm by the thermal cup. The warmth of Abraham was no longer in the nket, so he must have gotten up early. Ste sat on the bed, still feeling a bit dazed. Although she often used to stay close to Abraham when they were kids, sleeping together now felt entirely different. Especially when he hugged her, his body responded without any restraint. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man¡¯s maic voice broke through, interrupting Ste¡¯s thoughts. Ste looked toward the door and spotted Abraham walking in, wearing a set of smoke¨Cgray loungewear. Good¨Clooking people can pull off anything they wear. Though Abraham dressed casually, it did nothing to hide the coldness and innate nobility that surrounded him. Still half¨Casleep, Ste mumbled, ¡°Bro.¡± Abraham stepped forward, gently pulling her from the nkets and pressing her against his chest. ¡°Say my name,¡± he murmured, ¡°let me hear it.¡± ¡°Turry up and call me, Abraham said. Ste was shocked. Right now? She could not call out now; it would only happen when she waspletely pissed off by him. When she was in her right mind, she would habitually call him brother. She had been used to it since she was little, so changing it now was not going to be that simple. ¡°Ah¡­ What are you doing. Abraham?¡± A sudden pain shot through her neck, and Ste yelled out in a panic. She wanted to escape, but in the man¡¯s hold, there was no way to get away. The man¡¯s low chuckle came from her neck, ¡°Star is being naughty. Ste immediately got flustered She felt a sharp pain in her neck. ¡°Did you bite me hard enough to make me bleed? We only have half a month left before we return to Falvaria, How am I supposed to exin this when we get back?¡± She was losing her mind. Looking at the marks on her neck earlier, she had been thinking they would fade in a fortnight, but then he came again. Watching her flustered and frantic like a little tiger, Abraham gently kissed her forehead and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin.¡± Ste asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already called my mother just now.¡± Ste was shocked. ¡°Huh?¡± What did he say? He, he already said it? Did he say what she thought he said? You, what did you say?¡± Please do not let it be what she thought. Ste felt her heart leap into her throat at that moment. Abraham pinched her little nose, then turned and grabbed the clothes, about to help her put them on. ¡°What do you think I said?¡± ¡°Did you tell Mom?¡± Abraham looked at her with a smile at the corner of his lips. Ste asked, ¡°So, what did you say?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 268 Chapter 268 Confess? Oh my god¡­¡­ How could he possibly break this kind of news to the elders? Abraham said, ¡°I just told her straight. Come on, get dressed¨CI¡¯m taking you out.¡± While saying that. Abraham began helping her out of her pajamas. Ste¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited. He really just said it like that? ¡°So, how did Mom take it?¡± He said it just like that? But how exactly did he say it Forget it, I had no idea how he said it anyway. But right now, Ste really wanted to know what Mom thought. Abraham said, ¡°I just told her like it is.¡± Still the same words. Ste was shocked. ¡°Huh?¡± Mom just went along with it? How? What did she say exactly? She was clearly panicking, ¡°What exactly was her reaction? Ever since the night beforest, she had been quietly troubled by it, thinking about how to exin things to her mom when she returned. In the midst of her thoughts, Abraham had already helped her get dressed. During the entire time, he made some small gestures, but with all the thoughts racing through Ste¡¯s mind, she did not notice any of it. There was a fleeting look of triumph in Abraham¡¯s eyes. Hearing Abraham mention that he had already called their mother about this, Ste¡¯s mind went nk. She was even more. frustrated now. Abraham gently pinched her little face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t eat you.¡± Abraham¡¯s lips twitched. What does ¡°won¡¯t eat me¡± mean? Could it be that Mom did not react? That seems unlikely. This is absolutely impossible. Abraham said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ste said, ¡°Go where? It¡¯s freezing outside; I don¡¯t feel like going out. And Tessa¡¯s dropping by soon.¡± Tessa ising, and so is Kimmy. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not going, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a ton on my te, you know.¡± Byer since he arrived in Rivermount, her hours at the studio had be unpredictable. Now that they were about to return to Falvaria, she really wanted to sort things out quickly. ¡°Ol right, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d check with the CEO of Sterling Global for me? Did you ask yet?¡± Even though she is about to leave, she still wanted to help secure jobs for those who had stuck with her these past two years. Abraham raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re heading back to Falvaria, aren¡¯t you? Not nning to close the studio?¡± Abraham gently rubbed the top of her soft hair. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Could you please speak to them for me? Just let them know¨Ceven if I¡¯m not continuing, my designers are top¨Ctier. They won¡¯t let anyone down.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Abraham chuckled. How did the Reed family miss out on her kindness, driving themselves into a dead end? After spending. time in Rivermount. Abraham could tell that Ste had no intention of holding onto any feelings for the Reed family. Since Ste refused to go out, Abraham took a call and left by himself. Just yesterday, he had promised to stay by her side without leaving. However, it wasn¡¯t until Ste was eating that she found out Evie had left. When discussing this, Eddie could only sigh deeply. Ste grabbed a piece of rib, her voice filled with disbelief. ¡°She left right after getting off the ne?¡± Eddie replied with a tone of exhaustion, ¡°Yep.¡± Ste responded. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good thing? You know, if she pisses off my brother, no one can protect her.¡± Sometimes, Abraham truly spoils Ste, but when ites to speaking up for someone, it is not that easy for her. After all, he hates anyone using backdoor connections, even if it is Ste doing it. ¡°But she went and pissed off your tough sister, Eddie said. Speaking of which. Eddie could not help but feel a headacheing on. Ste was confused. ¡°What the?¡± A de to the head whether you move or not¨Cssic What did she do to offend my sister this time?¡°¡± Eddie replied, ¡°She took Marie¡¯s deal and bailed¡± Ste responded, ¡°You¡¯re kidding me?¡± LMA Okay, Evie is seriously bold. Took the deal, bailed on the job, and ghosted. Sure, it is better than angering Abraham¨Cbut Marie? That is jumping out of the pan into the fire ¡°Is Evie nning to leave varia for good?¡± Ste silently lit a candle for her in her heart. Out of all people to mess up with, she picked Marie? Has she really forgotten how she got wrecked the time? Honestly, every time those two shed, it was chaos¨Cbut somehow, Evie is always the one who ends up paying the price. Send Gifts The wrong girl 269 674 Chapter 269 The Woman was Here to Plead Eddie said, ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up.¡± Talking about her sister, he also thought that she was being crazy this time. Ste said. ¡°Why does she have to provoke someone else again?¡± When she said she brought Marie to Rivermount, they thought that she was determined to stir up trouble in Abraham¡¯s danger zone. And the plot twist was very surprising. Anyway, her return to Fleule this time was bound to brew another stonn. Eddie said, ¡°Yeah, why does she have to provoke someone else again? Wait, do you still treat Abraham as your brother? Upon hearing him, Ste was left speechless. She thought, why is this guy always focusing on something so random? Is this what he should be concerned about? Ste¡¯s expression stiffened as she snapped at him, ¡°You¡¯d better worry about your sister.¡± Eddie continued. T¡¯m just asking! Hey, how was Abraham in bed yesterday? What about his stamina? He hasn¡¯t been with a woman in years. His performance in bed should be. Probably because Eddie¡¯s words were so ridiculous that Ste choked on her water and coughed violently. It was then that Abraham entered the room and heard Eddie¡¯s words; he had returned to retrieve the stuff he had forgotten. Plus, he saw Ste choke¨Chis face turned pale. He stepped forward andnded a kick on Eddie. Being kicked. Eddie nearly fell from the chair, and when he was about to cuss, he saw Abraham and held back the words. As he rubbed his sore back, he asked, ¡°Did I say anything wrong again?¡± As if losing his memory temporarily, Eddie forgot what he had asked Ste), Not only did he ask, he even made up a long story about Abraham¡¯s private matters, In his narrowed eyes, Abraham asked, ¡°You want to know about how I perform in bed? Are you curious?¡± Ste had just finished coughing. When she heard his words, she choked on her saliva again. Having choked twice in a row, her throat hurt. Her face also turned red Eddie stammered, ¡°1, this¡­ Abraham came beside Ste and patted her back gently. It was then Ste realized what was going on. She wasn¡¯t a pushover. She stared at Eddie and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to get the medicine?¡± This left both Eddie and Abraham speechless. Eddie twitched his mouth. He looked at Abraham, then his gaze flicked at Ste. 1/3 Eddie is a blunt guy. He made Ste respond to him with simr bluntness. Abraham shot an icy stare towards Eddie. Eddie gulped and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± The incident with Evie was not over yet. It¡¯s better not to provoke Abraham. Eddie read the room well; he left immediately. Ste reached out and gave Abraham a twist, saying, ¡°This is on you.¡± The word got out, and whoever saw her made fun of her. Abraham hissed out of pain and grabbed her naughty hand. As Abraham left, he took Eddie with him. Sometimes he wanted to sew his mouth shut and glue it with superglue. After lunch, Ste had been waiting for Tessa in the restaurant. It was warm inside the restaurant; there were three picture windows. Outside, there was a vast expanse of white snow, and branches were covered with icicles. Clint came to the restaurant and said, ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Ste replied, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Clint replied. ¡°A woman with thest name Carter wants to meet you at the security room. Ste thought, Carter? Could it be Susan? She then asked, ¡°Is it Susan?¡± nodded and said. ¡°Yes.¡± Ste¡¯s brow furrowed as she thought, Coming at this moment? No doubt, she must being for Jonathan. Or you could say she ising for both Jonathan and Lillian. Ste then said, ¡°I¡¯m not meeting her.¡± She was no longer using that phone. Susan couldn¡¯t get through no matter how many phones she borrowed. Since she changed her number yesterday, she has only told Kimmy and Tessa And these two would never give her number to the Reed family. Clint said, ¡°Understood.¡± Upon hearing her refuse to meet, Clint was about to call the security officer. But when he had just made the call, Ste¡¯s phone rang; it was from Tessa Ste picked up the phone and heard Tessa say, ¡°Ste, Susan is kneeling in front of my car.¡± Ste was bbergasted. Upon hearing her, she nced at Clint Tessa continued, ¡°She is crying and yelling. Damn, she used to say that you were brought up in the countryside and that you were aggressive. Now it seems like she is the aggressive one.¡± The wrong girl 270 Chapter 270 The Rebuttal Hit Her Hard The sound of her screaming at the top of her lungs was pretty awful. Ste narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Bring her in then.¡± Tessa replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Before Tessa hung up the call, Ste could still hear her saying to Susan in a scornful tone, ¡°Seeing your daughter under such conditions, only a mother like you gets to enjoy such privilege. If I were toment, I¡¯d say, You deserve all this Other families were about motherly affection and filial love. The Reed family lost Ste, and they should be cherishing her now that they have found her again. But instead, this woman, as a mother, was in such a disagreement with her daughter. If you were to say she didn¡¯t know how to act as a mother, she was quite a lovely mother for Jonathan and Lillian. A while and Kimmy had arrived, and Susan wasing along with them. Ste nced at Tessa and Kimmy and said, ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Tessa nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Clint had the servants bring them over to the conservatory while he stayed. Before leaving, Abraham had mentioned if Ste were to meet the Reed family, he must be present. It couldn¡¯t be denied that Abraham was right. The Reed family would try and meet Ste by all means. Given the current situation, the Reed family never reflects on their mistakes. They instead be desperate. Jonathan was injured yesterday, and Susan appeared to have aged. Ste picked up the teacup before her and took a sip without sparing Susan a single nce. Susan was sitting right opposite her. When she saw Ste behaving like that, she was enraged inside. Unable to tolerate this oppressive aura, she spoke first, ¡°I know what happened.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Oh So what?¡± Her indifferent response further ignited the me of rage within Susan. She spoke again, her tone gritted with anger, ¡°No matter how wrong he is, he is your biological older brother. How could you let an outsider hurt him like that? Do you know that one of his arms ispletely useless and has no chance of regaining strength?¡± Speaking of this, Susan could barely contain her anger. Even though she kept reminding herself to speak to her nicely on her way here. Now that Lillian was in urgent need of medical resources, Jonathan was injured, the Patrick. And the one who caused all this was Ste. So no matter what, she had to speak to her nicely. She was the one who could put an end to all these conflicts. But when she saw Ste¡¯s indifferent face, she could no longer suppress her anger. The drink in the teacup spilled from the violent shake Ste cast an icy stare towards her and said. ¡°Is Madam Susan here to lecture me or to question me?¡± Her tone was as cold as her gaze. Susan¡¯s pent¨Cup feelings finally exploded as she roared, ¡°Ste, tell me. What else do you want? Ste¡¯s silence alone made her unable to contain her anger. Now when she spoke, she grew angrier, With a cold gaze, she scoffed. Without wasting time talking nonsense with Susan, Ste looked at Clint and said, ¡°Arrange for Jonathan to be discharged from the hospital.¡± Clint nodded and replied, ¡°Understood.¡± Susan, her breath trembling, shot to her feet and said, ¡°Are, are you out of your mind? He¡¯s your biological older brother. You¡¯ve pushed Lillian up to this point; now you are treating your brother like this?¡± Susan trembled in anger. Ste raised her eyelids, looked at her, and said. ¡°Has Madam Susan forgotten? There¡¯s nothing between us anymore.¡± Susan was left speechless; her face turned pale again She then said, ¡°You, you..¡± Ste picked up the teapot and took a small teacup as she refilled it.. She said nonchntly, ¡°Don¡¯t you all love to oppress others with your authority?¡± Like how they treated her earlier. They couldn¡¯t wait to push her into the swamp and even take her life. Ste said, ¡°You all have been using this method to oppress others, haven¡¯t you?¡± The Keene family had a strong foundation at Rivermount, and given the character of the Reed family, it was obvious that they had been domineering there for years, with the Keene family supporting them. Especially Susan, her reputation in the rich women¡¯s circle wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. Susan, breathing heavily, said, ¡°You, you can¡¯t do that. You¡¯ve already caused Lillian to not receive her proper treatment. Don¡¯t tell me you want¡­¡± Lillian said, ¡°I advise you to take back the word, biological older brother.¡± Ste looked at her coldly; her gaze was as sharp as ever. Before Susan could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Ste¡¯s stern voice. The wrong girl 271 Chapter 271 Blood Ties At the moment, what Ste hated most was hearing anyone from the Reed family mention ¡°biological¡± It made her feel disgusted deep in her bones. Since she was little, she had learned what real family meant¨Cwhat love between rtives looked like. The Dawsons had carved that feeling into her very soul, and she had cherished it deeply. But the Reeds had twisted her understanding of blood ties. ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t save Jonathan yesterday?¡± she asked. Susan hesitated. ¡°Why¡­ why?¡± ¡°Because he said I didn¡¯t know where to draw the line between close and distant, Ste said coldly. ¡°He said he was my biological brother.¡± She bit hard into the words ¡°biological brother, her voice thick with sarcasm, Susan¡¯s breathing quickened. She didn¡¯t quite understand what Ste meant by that. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it!¡± Ste asked tly. Susan remained silent. I hate the way you people talk. I hate your so¨Ccalled family affection. Biological brother?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°What a joke.¡± If there had been real affection, maybe she could¡¯ve tolerated it. But the Reeds version of love was like a sharp knife¨Calways ready to carve pieces off you while smiling. Ste stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m lucky I was actually your biological daughter. If it had been anyone else, if they hadn¡¯t died in the ident Lillian arranged, they would¡¯ve been pushed to death by you¨Ctheir so¨Ccalled mother¡± Susan¡¯s voice shook. ¡°You! Am I really that awful in your eyes?¡± For a split second, a chill went through Susan¡¯s body. At that moment, she even questioned herself. What have I done to Ste? Am I really that unbearable in her eyes? Is my normal way of disciplining her what made her hate me so much? Heh. Ste let out a coldugh. The look she gave Susan was full of ridicule. ¡°I actually thought you¡¯d learned your lesson. Thought you¡¯d reflect, at least at little. What a waste. She didn¡¯t bother finishing her sentence. Her eyes shifted to the butler. The butler nodded. ¡°Til take care of it right away ¡°No! Don¡¯t Susan jumped to her feet and blocked the doorway of the tea room. She stared at Ste in panic. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to him. He¡¯s your¡­ The words ¡°biological brother got stuck in her throat. Because she remembered the disgust on Ste¡¯s face when she said those words earlier. She didn¡¯t like them. She hated the whole Reed family. She is a true ungrateful wretch, Susan thought. Why are dares to pin the me on us? the outer the ones in the wrong? Isn¡¯t this all because of her own behavior! And now the The same way they used to trample Ste, now Susan had to swallow her own pride. She left. She had wanted to plead for Lillian onest time. But when she saw how cruel Ste was¨Cready to cut off even Jonathan¡¯s medical care¨CSusan didn¡¯t dare say another word. If Patrick found out she hade to see Ste and made things worse for Jonathan, they¡¯d both be finished. So Susan left. Ste turned to the butler. ¡°Go ahead¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, miss,¡± Jonathon¡­ Ste had been wanting to deal with him for a long time. And now, with Abraham stepping in, she could kick him while he was down The Reed family had dumped all the me on her without a shred of reflection, so she had no reason to show them any mercy. Susan had just left Seats Coven when her phone rang. It was Lillian. ¡°Mom came a weak voice from the other end. Susan¡¯s heart twisted in pain. In such a short time, the whole Reed family had fallen apart. None of them had the strength to stand up to Ste anymore. ¡°Mom, please save me.., It hurts so bad¡­¡± Back at the Reed mansion, Lillian was alone with only the servants: Ravaged by illness, all her hair had fallen out. The pain was unbearable. She couldn¡¯t sleep. Her whole body spasmed. Every bone, every joint, every inch of her flesh felt like it was burning ¡°Did Star agree to let me go abroad?¡± Lillian had never felt such despair. She truly felt life slipping away from her, Especially night. She couldn¡¯t sleep at all. Her dreams were full of nightmares. Ste! It¡¯s all because of Ste! She leaves me sick and untreated, and now ¡°Lillian¡­ Susan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I didn¡¯t sleep at allst night. It hurts so much. Please¡­ please talk to Star. Tell her to let me go. Kill agree to whatever she wants. I do. I really do¡­¡± Susan said nothing The wrong girl 272 Chapter 272 Are You Leaving? Lillian said, ¡°Tell her to let me go this time. When I get better, she can torture me all she wants.¡± ¡°Lillian.¡± Susan¡¯s heart was aching even more. Lillian continued, ¡°Whatever she wants me to admit, I¡¯ll admit it. All of it. Everything. If she wants to settle scores, let¡¯s wait till I¡¯m better, okay?¡± The feeling of being trapped in this dark. hopeless ce was more than Lillian could take. She felt so desperate she didn¡¯t even know if she¡¯d live to see the sun rise again. please talk to her, Lillian begged. Tim begging you. Just take it as me begging you, okay?¡± She broke down in despair. She couldn¡¯t even fall asleep to escape the pain anymore. It hurt so much. So this was what sickness felt like, in life and death¨Cit cut straight to the bone. At that moment, Susan didn¡¯t believe Lillian had actually done all those things. That just made her hate Ste even more. She thought it was Ste who had pushed Lillian to this point. ¡°Mom Lillian whispered. ¡°Lillian, my sweetheart¡­ Susan said softly. It wasn¡¯t just Lillian who felt hopeless. Susan did too. She hated seeing Lillian suffer like this. And she hated how powerless she was to stop it. in the private room of Verdant Vi.. From the moment Kimmy saw Ste, the shock in her eyes hadn¡¯t faded, Or maybe it started even earlier, when she first entered Seats Cove and say Verdant Vi rising like a pce in the snow. Her heart had been pounding ever since. Back when their studio had just started and wasn¡¯t making any money, Ste had still been incredibly generous with them. They¡¯d all thought she was spending the Reed family¡¯s money. But once the Reed family showed their true colors, Kimmy realized that couldn¡¯t be the case. She had no idea where Ste¡¯s money came from. Turns out, Ste was the owner of Seats Cove. And Kimmy believed that it must¡¯ve had something to do with the man who picked Ste up This definitely wasn¡¯t the Reed family¡¯s property. If they had this kind of status, they wouldn¡¯t have been scrambling like fools all this time. ¡°What are you staring at? You spaced out, Ste said, setting a cup of coffee down in front of Kimmy, Ms. Dawson, you owe me emotional damages,¡± Kimmy said, her eyes sparkling. ¡°What?¡± Ste asked, confused. It didn¡¯t make sense at all. ¡°Then I should ask for some damages too.¡± Tessa said with a snort. When things blew up between Ste and the Reed family, they even had the nerve to freeze Ste¡¯s credit cards. Tessa had been pissed back then. ¡°You two are such clowns, Ste said. She turned to Kimmy. ¡°Did you bring the files?¡± Yep, all of them, Kimmy said with a nod. She handed them over, and Ste nced through them before passing them straight to Tessa. ¡°Are you really going back to Falvaria?¡± Tessa asked, sounding a little reluctant. was always going to go back sooner orter,¡± Ste replied. Even if Abraham hadn¡¯t shown up in Rivermount, Ste had been looking for a way back this whole time. For the past two years, she¡¯d been keeping an eye on everything happening in Falvaria. Waiting for a chance to return. She just hadn¡¯t expected Abraham to make the first move. ¡°Are you leaving Ms. Dawson? What about the studio?¡± Kimmy asked in shock. Am I about to be unemployed? Please no This job had been so stable, with such good pay. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already find you a new boss?¡± Ste said casually. Kimmy looked over at Tessa. ¡°Keep doing your job well. The pay and benefits won¡¯t change, Tessa said. ¡°Ms. Dawson. Kimmy said softly, her eyes turning red as she looked at Ste??a. Even as she prepared to leave, she still made sure they were taken care of. A boss like Ste was nearly impossible toe by. ¡°Alright, nothing good said. At least the time they had spent together had been something to cherish. While they were signing the paperwork, Kimmy¡¯s phone rang. She stepped out to take the call. Tessa took the chance to nce at Ste¡¯s neck. ¡°What¡¯s that mark on your neck?¡± she asked. ¡°What?¡± Ste murmured, instinctively pulling her sweater cor up ¡°Don¡¯t cover it, I already saw, Tessa said. If she hadn¡¯t tried to hide it, Tessa might¡¯ve thought it was just a bug bite. But now, no need for exnations. Ste looked a little embarrassed. ¡°You two are together?¡± Tessa asked. ¡°Yeah, Ste said, nodding. She didn¡¯t hide it from Tessa.. The wrong girl 273 2/3 Chapter 273 He Can Protect Me ¡°He can protect me.¡± Ste said. No matter the situation, Abraham would definitely keep her safe. Tessa raised an eyebrow. ¡°You really trust him, huh?¡± There was confidence in her tone. Ste said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand this kind of trust.¡± That kind of protection¨Chow he had shielded her as she grew up¨Cthat kind of trust would never change, no matter what. Tessa nodded after hearing that. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m managing the studio for you. Hopefully, you won¡¯t end up needing it.¡± If she could live well after returning to Falvaria, that would be best. If not, then this was Ste¡¯s backup n. Ste was touched again. Tessa said. ¡°Alright, stop looking at me like that. I¡¯m the same as Kimmy. A country girl who hates seeing a princess get mistreated. Back then, Tessa had really been worried the Reed family would do something to Ste. But in the end, she had a bigshot backing her up. Ste gave her a yful re. ¡°Alright, if your mom hears that, she¡¯ll tug your ear again.¡± Tessa stayed for another two hours before she left with Kimmy. Just as they were about to walk out, Abraham returned. He wasn¡¯t alone¨Ctwo unfamiliar men walked in with him. Their presence was extraordinary. Tessa considered herself someone who had seen quite a bit of the world over the years But the aura that Abraham and the man beside him carried was something else entirely¨Cso intense, even from afar, it felt dangerously overwhelming. Tessa and Kimmy didn¡¯t dare greet them. That oppressive energy made them instinctively try to shrink into the background. But just as they passed by each other, Tessa¡¯s foot slipped on the snowy ground. ¡°Ah!¡± she yelped as her body lost bnce. She iled and grabbed onto something. Shended hard on the floor, too stunned by the pain to react. Then came a loud thump. The full weight of another body crashed down on her, and Tessa let out a muffled groan. The impact nearly knocked the air out of her. Eddie was stunned. ¡°Whoa, what the hell is this?¡± \_\ \ \ \ \ Seeing Victor and Tessa tangled up on the ground, Eddie rushed forward to help, while Abraham turned and shot a cold nce back. Victor hadnded right on top of Tessa. With Eddie¡¯s help, he pushed himself up. As he shifted, he felt pressure on his waist. Looking down, he saw Tessa¡¯s hand clutching his belt buckle. Oh my goodness! What the hell am I grabbing! ¡°Are you still not letting go?¡± Victor gritted his teeth, a chilling flicker shing through his eyes. His face was striking, his features perfectly sculpted. His sses had fallen off, and the icy sharpness in his deep eyes was now fully visible. And honestly, anyone who dealt with Abraham was rarely kind or simple. Especially with that barely visible tattoo on his neck. It made the danger around him feel even more real. Tessa was so scared she froze uppletely. Victor narrowed his eyes. Eddie grabbed Tessa¡¯s wrist. ¡°Jeez, girl, you¡¯re really something. First time meeting a guy and you go grabbing his bele? Why not just yank his pants down and skip the subtlety?¡± ¡°T¡­ I didn¡¯t!¡± she stammered. Wait, what does he meant I¡¯m not implying anything! Eddie noticed her death grip still hadn¡¯t loosened and felt like she must have a death wish. Kimmy was also stunned, especially after seeing what Tessa had ground, while Tessa¡¯s pale little hand clutched his belt tightly. Ste was stunned. What was going on? ¡°Tess, you¡­ The moment Ste appeared, Tessa finally snapped out of it. Like her hand had touched a hot stove, she yanked it back. Her face turned red in an instant. The wrong girl 274 Chapter 274 I Did Not Mean It! ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Tessa exined, What kind of mess did I get myself into today! Victor stood up and calmly straightened his slightly messy clothes. His face didn¡¯t look good. Without a word, he turned and walked back inside. Abraham saw Steing out and frowned. ¡°What are you doing out here? It¡¯s freezing, and you¡¯re barely wearing anything. ¡°I saw you weren¡¯ting in. so I came to check, Ste said as she walked toward Tessa. Tess, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tessa¡¯s face was alreadypletely red. She stood up in a panic and, before Ste could get close, blurted. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m leaving now. Bye. ike she She didn¡¯t dare meet Ste¡¯s eyes and ran off like she was escaping a disaster. Ste was totally confused. Kimmy quickly followed after her. She suddenly felt that everyone around Ste was way too dangerous. That man just now looked like he was ready to kill someone Eddie looked at Ste and grinned mischievously. ¡°Star, your friend is pretty fierce.¡± ¡°What do you mean, fierce?¡± Ste asked. ¡°She almost pulled Victor¡¯s pants down, hahaha!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Tessa hadn¡¯t gone far. When she heard what Eddie said, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground again. Victor turned and looked at Eddie. That look alone could¡¯ve sliced him. It was the first time he had shown such a dangerous expression. He used to be just as reckless as Eddie. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. She nced at Tessa¡¯s retreating figure, then at Abraham. ¡°She¡¯s definitely not that kind of person.¡± Abraham ruffled her hair and said, ¡°You believe anything Eddie says?¡± Ste red at Eddie. ¡°With that mouth, you¡¯re going to be single for life.¡± She had never met anyone as blunt as Eddie. It was unbelievable. I ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. I was just telling the truth,¡± Eddie said. Tessa really just nearly pulled Victor¡¯s pants down in front of everyone. ¡°It was slippery and she lost her bnce Victor just happened to be close. Okay?¡± Ste replied. Even without being there, she could guess most of what happened.. When someone¡¯s falling, their hands instinctively try to grab onto something. Tessa just happened to grab something Unusual. Eddie still wanted to say more, but Abraham gave him a look. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to joke about Victor?¡± ¡°And yet you still said too much,¡± Ste shot back. He was the kind of guy who could make people want to vanish from embarrassment with just one sentence. Eddie gave Ste a weird look and shut his mouth. Fine. I should just keep my mouth shut. Once inside. Ste¡¯s slippers were soaked. Abraham nced at the butler. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the entrance cleaned properly?¡± There had still been ice on the ground when they got out of the car. The butler¡¯s face stiffened with fear. ¡°Mr. Abraham. L.¡± Ste tugged lightly on Abraham¡¯s sleeve. ¡°They did clean it earlier. It¡¯s just too cold outside. Hearing her speak up, the butler looked at Ste gratefully. She was right. They had cleaned the area just half an hour ago. In fact, they¡¯d been clearing snow all day. Just like Ste said, because of the low temperatures and constant snowfall, the ground froze again quickly. Abraham looked down at Ste¡¯s feet. ¡°Change your shoes.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste nodded sweetly. A servant quickly brought her a dry pair of slippers Abraham and Victor still had things to discuss and went straight to the study Just as Ste was about to head upstairs, Tessa called. Over the phone, she was crying her eyes out. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just don¡¯t know if Victor feels the same way,¡± Ste said. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Tessa felt like she was going to lose her mind. She had never been this embarrassed in her life. ¡°Anyway, next time you see him, you¡¯d better take a different route, Ste warned. That man who seemed carefree was actually very dangerous. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t mean it Did I seriously offend him that badly? Star, you have to help me put in a good word!¡± Tessa pleaded. She could tell, none of the men around Ste were easy to deal with. Jonathan had even ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound. ¡°Alright, I got it,¡± Ste said. ¡°But you probably won¡¯t run into them again anyway.¡± She¡¯d say something nice on Tessa¡¯s behalf, but she and Abraham were heading back to Falvaria soon. The wrong girl 275 ËÄ Chapter 275 He Was With a Woman As long as Abraham wasn¡¯t around, Victor most likely wouldn¡¯t stay in Rivermount either. Tessa said, ¡°Oh my goodness, you have no idea! When I slipped, I totally lost my bnce. I just grabbed whatever I could. Who knew I¡¯d grab his belt buckle? Good thing I didn¡¯t yank his pants down, or I really wouldn¡¯t have been able to exin myself.¡± ¡°How dare you say that again?¡± Ste said. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to. Tessa kept saying it wasn¡¯t on purpose over the phone. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Ste said. ¡°I was justpletely stunned.¡± That part was true. In that situation, it wasn¡¯t just Tessa. Everyone who saw it had their jaws on the floor. The two of them talked on the phone for quite a while before the conversation finally turned to Susan Tessa asked, ¡°What did Susan want? Was it still about Lillian? Her own son is in the hospital now too.¡± If Susan still had the nerve to bother Ste about Lillian at a time like this, no one even knew what to say about her anymore. ¡°If she keeps making a mess like this, doesn¡¯t Patrick care? What if she ends up tearing the whole family apart and still mes you? Ste had already walked into the tea room. The tea was still gently heating. She poured herself a cup and said, ¡°Let her me me. I don¡¯t care. Jonathan¡¯s about to be discharged anyway.¡± ¡°What!¡± Ste said calmly, ¡°You know the kind of person I am A few words of me aren¡¯t going to change me.¡± Yeah, true. Things had been messytely. Tessa could see Ste wasn¡¯t the kind to suffer quietly. So today, if Susan had gone to confront Ste, it was obvious that she must¡¯vee to point fingers again. And the fact that she dared meant Ste would definitely hit back even harder. No doubt about it, Jonathan would be the one to take the fall again. First it was Lillian, now it was Jonathan. Even Patrick, with all his patience, would eventually blow up. ¡°The Reed family falling apart doesn¡¯t really have much to do with you anyway.¡± Ste said, ¡°What?¡± Tessa hesitated, ¡°Well, 1¡­ She didn¡¯t know how to bring it up. What kind of foundation does the Reed family have to keep cranking out so much drama? Hearing Tessa mumble, Ste took a sip of tea and asked, ¡°What did you see this time?¡± ¡°Oh my, let me tell you. You know I¡¯m not the kind who goes looking for gossip, but gossip just keeps throwing itself in front of me. I can¡¯t help it.¡± Ste frowned. Tessa continued, ¡°He was with a woman. She was pushing a stroller, and they had a bodyguard and a servant with them.¡± Ste fell silent. Blossom Square was one of the most well¨Cknown luxury malls in Rivermount. Her eyelid twitched. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he be at the hospital?¡± ¡°Exactly. Jonathan got seriously hurt. No matter what, Patrick should be at the hospital right now! So why was he at Blossom Square! Tessa said, ¡°I think there¡¯s something going on between him and that woman. They seemed kind of close.¡± Ste asked, ¡°Close? With a woman pushing a stroller?¡± That didn¡¯t seem right at all. Patrick was way too old for that kind of thing. Tessa replied. ¡°That¡¯s what I saw.¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t mistake him for someone else?¡± She still couldn¡¯t quite believe it. After all, for the past couple years, Ste had seen that Patrick wasn¡¯t into that sort of thing at all. Did I really misjudge him? Tessa said, ¡°No way. I looked extra hard when I saw it was Patrick. Took several nces just to be sure.¡± ¡°If it were one nce, sure, maybe I was wrong. But I looked again and again. There is no way I was wrong every single time.¡± Ste was quiet. That did make sense. If Patrick was caught doing something that wild, Tessa would¡¯ve definitely taken a few extra peeks. One wrong nce was possible, but not all of them. ¡°So whose kid was it? ¡°Come on,¡± Tessa said. I only looked a few times and just thought they seemed close. As for whether the baby¡¯s his, I don¡¯t have X¨Cray vision.¡± Ste didn¡¯t respond. In her mind, Patrick had always been strict, upright, and distant. Even with Susan, their rtionship had always been polite and reserved. He just didn¡¯t seem like the type to get wrapped up in affairs. The wrong girl 276 Chapter 276 She Has to Know What was more was that Jonathan was the future heir of the Reed Group. Over the years, Jonathan had taken over a lot of the Reed Group¡¯s business. To Patrick, he was definitely someone different. But at the moment, Jonathan was lying in a hospital bed, while Patrick was spending time with another woman, and even baby. Ste asked, ¡°How close were they acting?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°He had his arm around her shoulders, and their faces were almost touching. Normal friends don¡¯t act like that, right?¡± Ste stayed silent for a moment. ¡°So their rtionship really isn¡¯t ordinary.¡± Back when they were at the Reed family home, even sitting next to Susan made him seem out of ce. When Ste didn¡¯t speak, Tessa said, ¡°Do you want me to dig deeper? Maybe make things even messier for the Reed family?¡± Messier! In Ste¡¯s eyes, the Reed family was already a mess. Unless something unexpected happened, Reba had probably already gone to the hospital by now. Ste said. ¡°Is it even necessary? One Reba is enough. Plus. Lillian couldn¡¯t go.abroad for treatment, Jonathan was about to be discharged, and basically every corner of the Reed family was chaotic. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s also Reba,¡± Tessa said, like she had just remembered. Is she really that powerful?¡± Ste said. ¡°If she fails to climb thedder by using the child, she¡¯ll definitely panic. And if things go wrong, the Parker family might get dragged into this too.¡± After all, Sharon had truly fallen for Jonathan. Tessa gasped. ¡°What? Is she actually that bold?¡± Ste gave a quiet ¡°yeah.¡± She had looked into Reba, so she naturally knew the details. ¡°Before, Reba had no idea about Jonathan and Sharon. But now that she knows, she¡¯ll definitely think Sharon blocked her path to marrying up. What do you think she¡¯ll do?¡± Tessa said. ¡°She¡¯ll go fight Sharon. That would throw the entire Reed family into the fire. Because of Lillian alone, the Reed and Keene families are already at odds. If Reba starts something with Sharon now, wouldn¡¯t that just blow up the whole Reed family?¡± At this rate, the Reed family really might copse. Ste said, ¡°Su about that woman. Before she could finish, Tessa cut her off. ¡°Madum Susan has to know about that woman! She has to protect her rights. You¡¯re really something, you don¡¯t even think about your own mother? Ste blinked. Tessa said firmly, ¡°Listen, I have to help with this. I¡¯m going to get to the bottom of that woman¡¯s business. Star, I¡¯m telling you, everyone says you don¡¯t know how to pick sides. This time, you need to stand with your biological mom.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Is she seriously going to help Susan? Ste muttered. ¡°Okay, you do kind of make sense. I should be clear about sides. I can¡¯t let some outsider take advantage.¡± Just talking about this blood tie made Ste¡¯s head pound like a drum. Tessa said, ¡°Just think of it as thest bit of feeling you owe her. Help her this once, and that¡¯s i Ste didn¡¯t respond. If Tessa hadn¡¯t said it, she wouldn¡¯t have even thought ¡°feeling¡± could be used that way. The two of them talked on the phone for a long while before hanging up. When Ste came out of the tea room, she saw Eddie was still there. Seeing him gave her an instant headache. She didn¡¯t want to hear another word from him and immediately tried to walk around him. But Eddie noticed and said. ¡°Hey, Star, I have something to tell you.¡± Ste quickened her pace. Thest thing she wanted right now was to hear Eddie talk. But Eddie chased after her. ¡°You little brat, I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± Ste twitched her lips hard at those words. Seriously, dude? For my good? Are you sure you¡¯re not just trying to screw me over? Eddie shoved a box into her hands. ¡°Here, take this ¡°What is it?¡± Ste looked down. The box was pink with English writing on it. Even though she¡¯d never used one before, the words on the box igade her brain explode. It was an adult product? Wait, seriously? Ste snapped, ¡°What is wrong with your brain?¡± but he worried Abraham will skin him alive? Eddie said, ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m just acting as a responsible doctor. When you and Abraham go back to Falvaria, there¡¯ll probably still be a transition period, right? You¡¯re not nning to trap him with a kid just to marry up, are you? I¡¯m warning you, Madam Evelyn treats you like her own daughter. Don¡¯t ruin yourself with that kind of trick.¡± The wrong girl 277 Chapter 277 A Hint Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. She looked at Eddie. At this moment, she had absolutely no idea what to say anymore.. Oh my, someone please save me. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor, but you¡¯re also a man. Even if you wanted to give us this, shouldn¡¯t you have given it to Abraham?!¡± Handing it to me directly? What the hell was Eddie thinking? Ste could tell that he was just single because of his own problem. No wonder back in Falvaria, none of the girls wanted to date him. He was good¨Clooking, skilled in medicine. But his mouth and his emotional intelligence were the real problems! Eddie said, ¡°Give it to Abraham? Do you want him to skin me alive? Ste, don¡¯t be ungrateful. I¡¯m doing this for your sake.¡± Uh¡­ Ste mumbled awkwardly. Eddie pressed, ¡°What do you mean ¡®uh? Are you really going to be blind to good intentions?¡± Ste muttered. ¡°Thank you. I mean, really, thank you.¡± ¡°No worries. We¡¯ve known each other for years, and I watched you grow up. I¡¯m just looking out for you,¡± Eddie replied casually Ste was speechless. ¡°Wait, did you take the morning¨Cafter pill?¡± he suddenly asked. Ste was already struggling to process what he had just handed her. Now that Eddie mentioned the words ¡°morning¨Cafter pill, her brainpletely shut down. Her gaze turned nk as she stared at him. Eddie asked again. ¡°You didn¡¯t take it?¡± ¡°L¡­ No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Ste blurted. After she got injured, she¡¯de straight back from Pluehville Hill and hadn¡¯t even left the house since. My luck can¡¯t be that bad, right? Eddie pped his forehead. ¡°Crap. This is really bad¡± Ste scoffed, ¡°Who gets pregnant from just one time?¡± ¡°Plenty. As long as she¡¯s fertile, one time is enough,¡± Eddie said. Eddie¡¯s words seriously gave her a headache. She honestly had no idea what to do with him. ¡°Get what?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice suddenly came from the staircase, low and tinged with displeasure. Ste jumped and instinctively hid her hands behind her back. Eddie saw Abraham standing at the top of the stairs. His mouth twitched. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± He dropped the words and ran off immediately. Ste watched him flee, her mind goingpletely nk. Abraham came down the stairs slowly and walked right up to her, holding out his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°What? What do you want?¡± Ste asked nervously. Abraham said calmly, ¡°The thing you¡¯re hiding behind your back¡± At this moment, Ste felt like dying. Oh my, just strike me with lightning and turn me to ask already. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Star?¡± Ste let out two dry chuckles. Her cheeks flushed red, and she felt extremely embarrassed. She didn¡¯t know if Abraham was going to skin Eddie aliveter, but she really wanted to do it herself. When Ste didn¡¯t move, Abraham pulled her into his arms with one quick tug. His arms were long, and he easily reached behind her and grabbed what she was holding Ste tried to resist and held on tightly. ¡°No, don¡¯t look at it!¡°. Ste Her face scrunched uppletely. Abraham chuckled softly and easily snatched it from her hands. Ste buried her face straight into his chest. Above her head came his lowugh. ¡°Star, are you trying to give me a hint?¡± I¡¯m not¡­ I wasn¡¯t,¡± Ste muttered, clutching his waist tightly, too embarrassed to lift her head. She cursed Eddie silently. May he never get a girlfriend for the rest of his life! Abraham asked, ¡°You weren¡¯t? Then why did you buy this? Who brought it to you? Tessa?¡± So he didn¡¯t see the whole scene from the stairs? Ste quickly shook her head. ¡°No, no, definitely not. Eddie gave it to me.¡± If Eddie wanted to be reckless, then don¡¯t me her for selling him out! It wasn¡¯t her fault. In front of Abraham, she really couldn¡¯t hold the line. If she dared admit she was trying to hint at something, he would definitely carry her straight to the bedroom. She was still recovering! Better to let Abraham take it out on Eddie instead. The two of them were now standing very close. Ste could already feel certain changes in him. As expected, when Abraham heard that Eddie was the one who gave it to her, his tone turned cold. ¡°Eddie?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was him, Ste said quickly. As for what else Eddie had said, Ste decided to leave that part out. Byen if she sold him out, she didn¡¯t want to go that far. Send Gifts The wrong girl 278 Chapter 278 Marriage Certificate Ste held Abraham tightly. ¡°Abraham, I still have something to tell you,¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take the pills.¡± ¡°What pills! Didn¡¯t I tell the servants to watch you take them?¡± He was talking about the medicine for her injury. Either he fed it to her himself, or, when he wasn¡¯t around, the servants supervised her. The moment Ste heard that, she realized he hadn¡¯t understood what she meant. But she was a little embarrassed too, I mean those pills.¡± Hearing the shy tone in her voice, Abraham finally understood. ¡°Morning¨Cafter pills?¡± Ste buried her face against his chest even tighter and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Abraham said calmly. You don¡¯t need them.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone print out the marriage certificate tomorrow. We can hold the wedding once we¡¯re back in Falvaria. How does that sound?¡± In any case, he wouldn¡¯t let her get pregnant before marriage. Ste¡¯s face shot up from his chest. ¡°Abraham, are you serious?¡± Marriage certificate? The moment she heard those words, her heart skipped hard. All these years, she had imagined it countless times¨Cmarrying him, holding that piece of paper with his name beside hers. But she never dared to say it aloud. She had buried that wish deep in her heart. She had never realized that the thing she longed for the most could be solved with just one sentence from Abraham. That secret she¡¯d hidden for years had just been exposed. ¡°Are you proposing to me right now?¡± Ste mumbled. Abraham replied, ¡°Not exactly. But we¡¯ll get the marriage certificate first. After that, you¡¯ll have anything you want.¡± Whatever a girl should have, he¡¯d make sure she had it all Ste was moved. She hugged his lean waist, rubbing her cheek against his chest. Abraham, I¡¯ve been so sad before.¡± All those years hiding her feelings had been painful. But now, with just one sentence, he made it all go away. Abraham asked gently, ¡°Oh? What were you so sad about?¡± He was clearly teasing her, with a smile in his voice. He knew how she felt, and he had feelings for her too. Abraham caught her mischievous linle hand. ¡°How old were you back then?¡± She was just a young girl, in that confusing stage of growing up, and no one could say how long a teenage crush wouldst. Ste¡¯s face turned red. Abraham cupped her face and kissed her. ¡°You¡¯ve only just grown up. And you¡¯re questioning me about the past?¡± Ste grumbled and struggled. In the midst of it, the box Abraham had been holding fell to the floor. Ste nced down. ¡°You dropped it.¡± Abraham chuckled. ¡°Star, do you want me to use it?¡± Ste was speechless. Is it really okay to ask that kind of question so casually! Fluste Flustered and not knowing what to say, she just hugged his waist tighter and hid in his arms. Just then, Abel walked in. He had just stepped into the hallway when he saw Abraham holding Ste and a certain box lying on the floor beside them. Abel was left momentarily stunned. His brain practically exploded. He reacted fast, turned, and immediately walked down another hallway. But Ste had already seen him. She pinched Abraham¡¯s waist. ¡°Abel.¡± Abraham turned around and saw that Abel had already left 1 told you.¡± Abraham said, ¡°no need to hide.¡± Ste protested, ¡°Still, we can¡¯t do this in front of everyone.¡± There were so many so many eyes around. Abraham let out a lowugh, then scooped her up and carried her straight back to the room. When he leaned over her, Ste pushed him back. ¡°That thing¡¯s still in the living room.¡± What if someone sees it? Abraham replied, ¡°We can¡¯t use it ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the wrong size. Ste¡¯s face flushed hard again. She quickly tried to pull the nket over herself, but Abraham didn¡¯t give her the chance. He held her face gently and asked, ¡°Still hurt? ¡°Not too much today,¡± Ste whispered. Eddie¡¯s medicine actually worked pretty well. Abraham smiled. Seeing his smile, Ste quickly added, ¡°But I¡¯m still injured. I am still hurt.¡± 2 The wrong girl 279 Chapter 279 I Will Be There Abraham¡¯s smile grew more mischievous as he kissed her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not right now.¡± Ste shot him a reproachful nce, almost wanting to pinch him again, but before she could, Abraham¡¯s phone rang. Your phone. Abraham waved it off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ste urged. ¡°Answer it quickly,¡± She actually hoped he would take the call and give her a brief reprieve. Abraham stood up and nced at the number before picking up the phone. The moment he answered. Evelyn¡¯s serious growl came through the line. ¡°You brat!¡± Abraham remained silent, while Ste was speechless. Evelyn, through clenched teeth, seethed, ¡°Tell me, was Star willing? Did you force her?¡± The conversation was split in two. On Susan¡¯s side, after finishing her call with Lillian, she hurried back to the Reed family. As soon as she entered the house, she heard Lillian¡¯s anguished cries from the second floor. The servants, seeing Susan return, respectfully called out, ¡°Madam Susan.¡± ¡°What happened to Lillian? Did you give her medicine?¡± The servant¡¯s tone grew strained. ¡°We¡¯ve run out of medicine and called the doctor, but they refuse to .¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught as she rushed upstairs. Upon entering Lillian¡¯s room, she found her curled up on the bed, clutching her stomach with an agonized expression. Lillian had always been fond of beauty, especially her long hair. But now, her entire head looked bald, all the hair gone. Just yesterday, there were still a few strands left. Today, even those were gone. Susan¡¯s heart ached seeing this. ¡°Lillian.¡± Lillian, looking at her with pain in her eyes, cried out, ¡°Mom, it hurts so much. I really can¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°I know, but this¡­ What should Susan held Lillian¡¯snd, her heart bleeding. The medicine was gone, Lillian couldn¡¯t leave the country, and she was trapped in Rivermount. It was as if they had reached the point where there was no cure. ¡°Mom, it really hurts. I need painkillers. Take me to the hospital for painkillers.¡± The only option was to go to a pharmacy, but with her current condition, the pharmacy¡¯s medicine wouldn¡¯t help at all. Taking it felt like doing nothing. The pain and suffering made Lillian feel hopeless. She even thought that once her body was healed, it might be better to go to prison and serve her time. At least it would be better than enduring this physical torment. Susan choked back the pain. ¡°Lillian, don¡¯t rush. I will think of a way, I will think of a way? ¡°What way can you think of? Is there any other option besides asking Star for help?¡± Lillian grew frantic. Doesn¡¯t this old hag understand what she¡¯s saying? ¡°You didn¡¯t talk to Star properly, did you?¡± It has to be that way. People have feelings. If this old hag had just said a few kind words to Ste, would I still be stuck here, unable to leave the country? Susan stammered, ¡°1¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I will think of something. I will¡± She repeatedly reassured her. Lillian grew more frantic. ¡°I might not be able to wait much longer. Don¡¯t you understand, Mom?¡± If there was a way, she wouldn¡¯t still be stuck in Rivermount. Just as Susan was about to say something else, her phone rang. It was a call from the servant taking care of Jonathan at the hospital. ¡°Madam Susan, the hospital is asking for Mr. Jonathan to be discharged¡± ¡°What? Where¡¯s Patrick? Isn¡¯t he there either?¡± Susan gasped. Patrick kicked me out of the hospital. He can¡¯t be gone too, can he? Given Jonathan¡¯s condition, there was no way the hospital could manage without someone. The servant said with urgency. ¡°The hospital is being firm about this. What should we do? Mr. Patrick and you aren¡¯t here.¡± Susan froze, her breath caught in her chest. A sh of Ste¡¯s words to the Seats Cove butler crossed her mind. It was her again. She was the one who made Lillian¡¯s illness incurable, and now she was going to let her own brother suffer too. ¡°Madam Susani Madam Susan?¡± The servant¡¯s tone grew more anxious as Susan remained silent. Susan took a shaky breath. ¡°T¡­ I¡¯ll be there soon. The wrong girl 282 Chapter 282 He Is Terrifying Tessa spoke animatedly. Even through the phone, Ste could feel her excitement. If someone didn¡¯t know better, they¡¯d think it was her enemy. She sounded that happy. ¡°It was already pretty tense before,¡± Ste said. ¡°Reba¡¯s personality is fiery enough on its own.¡± Back then, Susan had been stressed out every day. In the end, Jonathan stepped in to fix things, and that¡¯s what had kept Reba quiet for this long. Now Jonathan was busy with Lillian¡¯s injury, and Reba¨Cwho lived off him¨Cwas clearly taking advantage of the situation. ¡°She is fiery, Tessa agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the video, haha¡± ¡°The whole Reed family today was out of control. I¡¯m sure the Parker family will hear about it too.¡± With things blowing up like this, there was no way the Parkers wouldn¡¯t find out. Ste gave a hum of agreement. ¡°Send it to me first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Right after hanging up, a servant knocked and entered respectfully. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Dr. Eddie asked me to tell you, please head to the boxing room/ Ste frowned. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°He said Mr. Abraham is there too.¡± Her brows lifted slightly. Abraham¡¯s there tool And Eddie wants me to go? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Since Abraham was there, she might as well go.. She stood up and headed straight downstairs. Seats Cove was huge, with every kind of facility. Ste walked through the ss corridor and passed the billiards room. Outside the ss, snow was still falling steadily. From a distance, she heard Eddie shouting. ¡°No way! I really can¡¯t run anymore! Are you trying to kill me?¡± As Ste reached the door, she saw Abraham make a simple gesture. Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, picked up the exhausted and slumped Eddie, and made him keep running. Ste stared at Eddie. What is going on? ¡°Abraham!¡± Eddie yelled. Tm telling you¨CStar¡¯s not gonna like you like this! You¡¯re the opposite of gentle!¡± Abraham sat in a chair, a cigar between his fingers. His shirt was half unbuttoned, giving him a cold and ascetic appearance. He took a slow drag from the cigar and said calmly. ¡°Add ten more .¡± Eddie shouted in frustration, Tin already dying after five! You want ten more? Are you even human?¡± Ste nced at Eddie, who was drenched in sweat. He clearly wasn¡¯t exaggerating He waved her over. ¡°Star,e here.¡± The moment Eddie realized Ste was here, it was like he¡¯d seen his savior. He swore that if he made it out alive today, he would never joke abour Ste again. He¡¯d stay out of her business for good. Abraham is terrifying Is he the only one allowed to talk to Ste? If anyone else says a word too many to Ste, he flips? Ste walked over. Abraham pulled her straight into hisp and handed his cigar to Abel. ¡°What¡¯s Eddie doing?¡± she asked. ¡°Helping him build stamina,¡± Abraham replied. ¡°A proper doctor should have enough endurance to handle ten surgeries in a TOW. Ste blinked. Is that really necessary? ¡°But he doesn¡¯t need that kind of stamina now, does he?¡± Eddie was his personal doctor now¨Che had no need to be doing ten surgeries a day. ¡°I¡¯m doing it for his own good, Abraham said. Ste froze. Why does this sound so familiar? Eddie was out of strength. Even hanging off the bodyguards, he felt miserable being dragged around. Especially since Abraham¡¯s men were annoyingly skilled¨Ceven being carried, he had to put in effort. When he saw Ste, Eddie shouted, ¡°Star! Say something! Abraham¡¯s abusing his power!¡± Ste replied. ¡°Abraham said it¡¯s for your own good.¡± That made Eddie panic even more. ¡°I don¡¯t want what¡¯s good for me!¡± If this was supposed to be good, he¡¯d rather someone else have it. Abraham tightened his hold on Ste¡¯s slim waist. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear something warmer?¡± The temperature had been freezing for days. The snow outside hadn¡¯t stopped. ¡°I¡¯ve been indoors the whole time,¡± Ste said. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She hadn¡¯t stepped outsidetely, Abraham hadn¡¯t let her anyway. Meanwhile, Eddie kept running and yelling. The wrong girl 284 Chapter 284 Let Her Go That was the truth 3&tam Saan cim down, she¡¯ll see the photo of Mr. Patrick and the Blossom Square.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. That fast! ¡°You¡¯re really not giving anyone time to breathe, huh?¡± Tessa said. ¡°Hah! Do you even know who I¡¯m doing this for? I¡¯m very clear about who¡¯s close and who¡¯s not. I¡¯m helping your mom.¡± Ste fell silent. Is this really helping? It¡¯s more like stirring up chaos. But honestly, it was the kind of chaos she liked. t of O Yeah, we¡¯ve got to admit our mistakes and know who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not. Ste said, her tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude. She spoke as they walked toward the main building. Suddenly, a shadow flickered across the snowy ground under the lights. Ste¡¯s chest tightened. Her instincts went on high alert. Before she could react, a cold gust of wind hit her from behind. Ste moved fast. She hurled the phone in her hand straight behind her The shadow dodged, then charged straight at her. Ste quickly stepped aside. But the person was too fast. They pressed in step by step, and soon, Ste was forced into a fight. rmed, she shouted, ¡°Help! Someone!¡± Seeing her call for help, the attacker had originally wanted to toy with her, but now went straight for a takedown He grabbed Ste¡¯s slender wrist and twisted it behind her back. ¡°Come¡­¡± Before the word was even finished, arge, hot hand mped over her mouth. Meanwhile, Abraham was leisurely smoking a cigar, watching Eddie work himself to exhaustion. Then, he thought he heard Ste¡¯s voice. In a sh, he stood up and turned, striding outside with long, fast steps. Abel paused in surprise at his sudden urgency, then quickly followed. She struggled. But the man easily restrained her. ¡°Star¡± The voice in her car was one she hadn¡¯t heard in so long but knew down to her bones. It made her breath catch. Her eyes widened in shock, a storm of rage, fear, and confusion swirling within them. She thrashed like a madwoman. Not far off, movement could be heard¨Csomeone wasing. She forced her eyes open and saw Abraham turn the corner. Their eyes locked, and Ste struggled even harder. The man let out a low chuckle. ¡°Star, you¡¯re so disobedient as always As he spoke, his hand chopped down sharply on the back of her neck. Ste¡¯s struggle stopped instantly, Darkness closed in, and all strength left her body. She went limp. She barely heard Abraham¡¯s furious roar. ¡°Derrick, how dare you!¡± It wasn¡¯t far. Derrick spoke into his earpiece, then¡­. Bang! ss shattered. Gunfire erupted across Seats Cove. Furious Abraham pulled a cold weapon from his waist and aimed it straight at Derrick, who was holding Ste under his. ¨C ¡°Put her down!¡± he barked. But Derrick just used Ste¡¯s unconscious body as a shield. ¡°Do you want to see what¡¯s stronger¨Cyour bullet or her body?¡± Rage flickered in Abraham¡¯s eyes, He looked at Derrick¨Ccalm, but seething with deadly intent. Derrick clearly saw the veins bulging on Abraham¡¯s hand. He grinned, amused and satisfied. ¡°Did you forget? When your dad was still alive, he promised her to me. I¡¯m here to pick up my fianc¨¦e. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Let Her Go. Abraham growled each word through clenched teeth. Abel also raised his gun, pointing it at Derrick. He nced at Abraham instinctively. Abraham, usually deadly precise, now hesitated with Ste¡¯s life hanging in the bnce. His eyes were as sharp and cold as broken ice. Outside, the sounds of chaos grew louder. Derrick smirked darkly, then tossed a smoke grenade. Boom! He vanished into the haze, carrying Ste with him. Abraham and Abel gave chase But with visibility gone, they dared not fire recklessly The roar of a helicopter circled above Scats Cove Abraham¡¯s fury had reached its breaking point. The wrong girl 280 ?? Chapter 280 The Explosive News Susan was really about to go crazy. On one side was Lillian, who was in unbearable pain, and on the other was Jonathan, who was being forcibly discharged from the hospital. Both were her most beloved children. The entire Reed family hadpletely fallen apart at that moment. Meanwhile, Ste sat on the bed holding the phone, with Abraham sitting on the sofa not far away, holding a cup of water. On the phone, Evelyn¡¯s voice came through, filled with concern. Talways knew that troublemaker didn¡¯t have good intentions toward you. Oh my goodness, you must be terrified, right?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Mom, L¡­¡± Wait until you¡¯re back in Falvaria, I¡¯ll deal with him. I¡¯m going to give him a piece of my mind.¡± Ste asked. ¡°What?¡± Evelyn continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart, I¡¯ll make sure to sort this out for you.¡± Ste nced at Abraham sitting on the couch, her face turning slightly red. Evelyn was still talking on the phone, but Ste¡¯s heart was already filled with warmth. Earlier, Abraham had told her he¡¯d already called her mother, and Ste had been restless ever since. She cared about Evelyn¡¯s opinion. After all, Abraham was the heir to the deeply rooted Luke Family of Falvaria and the head of the Dawson Family. The woman standing by his side had to be a daughter from a family of equal status. When they were in Falvaria, her mother had always made her meet various high¨Cstatus girls. The purpose of that, perhaps, was to prepare for a future marriage arrangement. But at the moment. Evelyn¡¯s attitude¡­. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you me me?¡± Ste asked softly. As she said this, her nose tingled, and her tears were hard to control. Evelyn replied, ¡°Oh, my dear, you¡¯re so shaken up, you¡¯re just rambling now!¡± Ste was puzzled. ¡°What?¡± What is going on here? ¡°Abraham said he¡¯s going to get a marriage certificate tomorrow.¡± Ste quickly mentioned tomorrow¡¯s n. Abraham raised an eyebrow and nced at her. The phone call went silent for a moment, and then Evelyn exploded. ¡°What? He¡¯s going to get a marriage certificate? Just like that?¡± Ste was dumbfounded. Abraham had already stood up and walked toward Ste. Before Evelyn could finish speaking, he took the phone from Ste¡¯s hand and hung up. Ste looked at him with pleading eyes. ¡°Mom says I shouldn¡¯t just agree to the marriage certificate.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, hisrge hand gripped the back of her neck, and without a word, he kissed her. It was both domineering and gentle. At first, Ste tried to push him away, butter, she gave in, letting herself be drawn into the kiss. Perhaps because of Evelyn¡¯s reaction, Ste finally let go of her worries and stopped guarding herself against Abraham. More than ten minutester, the room felt increasingly warmer. Abraham let go of her and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re a little temptress.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Mom seemed to say it¡¯s not my fault, but that it¡¯s yours.¡± Abraham smiled slightly and gently bit her earlobe. Maybe it was because Abraham¡¯s words hade out of nowhere, but Evelyn hadn¡¯t reacted yet. It was funny that Evelyn had never seen how Abraham felt about Ste. She had always tried to match him with a suitable girl, but Abraham had never agreed. He found the thin ones too in and the curvier ones not quite right. Turns out, his heart had always belonged to Ste. ¡°She¡¯s always been so fond of you,¡± Abrahamughed softly. You¡¯re such a silly girl.¡± Ste¡¯s lips twitched. Evelyn did love her, but this wasn¡¯t just any matter. ¡°Silly?¡± Ste mumbled, feeling dissatisfied, and pinched Abraham¡¯s waist. Abraham smirked. ¡°If you keep teasing me like this, I won¡¯t be able to hold back.¡± Her soft little hands. Abraham held them in his hand and suddenly had an idea. Just then, Abraham¡¯s phone rang, He nced at the number, then stopped teasing Ste and turned to go to the study. Ste¡¯s phone rang again, and it was Tessa calling. ¡°Oh, my Star, I¡¯ve got some explosive news for you.¡± Ste replied, ¡°What¡¯s the explosive news?¡± Nothing was more explosive than Patrick showing up at Blossom Square with a woman and a baby. The wrong girl 281 Chapter 281 It was twins When it came to Tessa, Ste really thought she had that kind of gossip ma energy. Wherever she went, she could casually overhear something, and it always turned out to be explosive. Tessa said, ¡°There are three. One¡¯s about Ethan, one¡¯s about Patrick, and one¡¯s about Susan. Which one do you want to hear?¡± So many of them? Ste said casually, ¡°Whichever. Just pick one.¡± Those three were basically the same anyway. Tessa said, ¡°Mrs. Keene is trying to find a marriage match for Ethan. The news is already out.¡± Ste raised her eyebrows. ¡°If Lillian finds out, won¡¯t she be furious?¡± Anyone could tell what kind of feelings Lillian had for Ethan. She imed to love him, yet she had dated several men while abroad. At the same time, she didn¡¯t act like someone who had. moved on, always clinging to him whenever she returned to Rivermount. Before Tessa could speak, Ste cut in, ¡®Everyone knows about the drama between him and Lillian. And now someone actually wants to marry him?¡± It wasn¡¯t just Lillian. There was also that whole marriage thing with herself. After how badly that ended, any decent family in Rivermount probably wouldn¡¯t want to marry their daughter to Ethan. Tessa said, ¡°Well, still, the Keene family¡¯s the most prestigious one in Rivermount. A lot of people are still dying to marry into it.¡± Ste fell silent. She had overlooked the Keene family¡¯s status in Rivermount. Even though they had suffered heavy losses from the failed deal with Abraham, the Keene family still held more power and influence than most others at their peak. Besides, the Keene family definitely had other businesses. They were badly hit, but notpletely ruined. And the whole thing about their irreceable mineral resource, they were keeping that tightly under wraps. Hardly anyone knew. At most, outsiders probably just thought the Keene family didn¡¯t want Ethan getting involved with someone like Lillian from the sickly Reed family, and that was why they wanted him to get married quickly. ¡°I already passed it to Jasmine,¡± Tessa said with a smirk. Jasmine was Lillian¡¯s bestie. If Jasmine knew, then Lillian would find out soon too. The two of them exchanged mischievous looks, both scheming worse than the other. Ste scoffed, ¡°If Jasmine actually tells her, then that just proves they¡¯re fake friends.¡± ¡°She is a fake friend. How much loyalty do you expect from her? Tessa shrugged. Everyone knew Jasmine was jealous of Lillian. The only one still in the dark was Lillian herself. Ste nodded. ¡°True enough.¡± Tessa leaned in. ¡°About that baby, I looked into it. It¡¯s almost definitely Patrick¡¯s.¡± Ste leaned back in surprise. ¡°How do you figure?¡± Tessa said, ¡°The woman was the Chief Financial Officer of the Reed Group.¡± In such a short time, he had already dug up the woman¡¯s identity. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hooking up with someone at work, huh?¡± Tessa said, ¡°When she gave birth, Patrick stayed at the hospital with her for a full week.¡± With that kind ofmitment, there was no way those babies weren¡¯t his. ¡°Oh, and by the way, it wasn¡¯t one baby. It was twins. A boy and a girl.¡± Ste choked. ¡°Athis age? He is quite wild.¡± Tessa grinned. ¡°Right? Your dad¡¯s impressive.¡± Ste made a face. ¡°Ugh¡­ If Madam Susan finds out, won¡¯t she blow a fuse?¡± The woman was thepany¡¯s CFO, and she¡¯d had twins¨Cone of them a boy. A CFO had ess to all thepany¡¯s finances. Susan had trusted Patrick all these years, thinking Jonathan was his only heir. That was what kept her position in the Reed family rock. solid. Now this was a bombshell. Tessa said, ¡°Exactly.¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°So what about Susan? Did she find out and start a scene?¡± Tessa shook his head ¡°None Reba just nned hack at her earlier¡± let Reba see Jonathan.¡± Ste remained silent. ¡°Reba caused a full¨Con scene at the hospital. Said Susan¡¯s adopted daughter was trashy, used her of seducing her biological daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦, even said Susan pushed the adopted. daughter to be with her own son. It was a nasty mess.¡± Ste was speechless. Seducing the biological daughter¡¯s fiance, pushing the adopted daughter to be with her son¡­ The things Susan had said before were hardly any different from encouraging her to steal him. And then there was Jonathan. Ever since Lillian got sick, Susan had kept him by her side all the time. The whole family was orbiting around Lillian. Tessa added. ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s obvious Jonathan¡¯s barely visited Reba or the babytely. And. now, after what happened to Lillian, he¡¯s even more distant.And now Reba¡¯s even mad at his mom. She totally exploded.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 283 Chapter 283 A Fraud Ste looked at Eddie like this, casting a conflicted nce at Abraham. ¡°Why did he run?¡± ¡°For his own good.¡± Ste was taken aback, her disbelief evident. Why does this sound so unconvincing to met Just then, Ste¡¯s phone rang. It was still Tessa calling. Ilgo She nced at Abraham and said. ¡°It¡¯s Tess. I¡¯ll go answer it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Abraham released the hand that had been resting on her waist. Ste picked up the phone and headed out the door. Eddie, seeing her about to leave, called out urgently, ¡°Star, you can¡¯t just stand by and watch.¡± Abraham won¡¯t let you die.¡± Hopefully, this time, Eddic learns something from it. Ste walked out, phone in hand. Abraham took the cigar that Abel handed him and added. ¡°Add five moreps.¡± Eddie shouted, ¡°Abraham, you¡¯re really something else. Who do you think I¡¯m doing this for?¡± Abel sighed inwardly, Does Mr. Eddie really want to just copse here and be done with it? Tess. Ste picked up Tessa¡¯s call. Tess.¡± Tessa¡¯s voice came through, full of urgency. ¡°Star, it¡¯s happening! It¡¯s really happening. You¡¯ve got to listen!¡± A loud p echoed through the phone, followed by Sharon¡¯s furious roar. ¡°Who the hell are you calling a mistress? I¡¯ll tear you apart today!¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you!¡± Reba¡¯s voice was seething. Jonathan has kids already! Do you want to be a stepmom now?¡± Susan¡¯s voice interrupted, calm but firm. ¡°Shut up, everyone, Reba, keep quiet.¡± ¡°Shut up?¡± Reba¡¯s voice was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°No wonder you, old witch, kept stopping me from marrying Jonathan. You didn¡¯t even want your own grandchild, so you were waiting for something better, huh?¡± Susan¡¯s silence spoke volumes. Reba continued with a sneer. ¡°The Parker family¡¯s precious daughter, huh? Are you blind? Or do you just love married Sharon¡¯s anger red. ¡°Dmn it! I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± Even though it was just through the phone, Ste could already feel the chaos on the other end. Tessa¡¯s voice came through. delighting in the chaos. ¡°Star, did you hear that? Is it clear enough? If not, I¡¯ll get closer.¡± Ste¡¯s lips twitched in annoyance. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t go to the hospital, howe you¡¯re there now?¡± Tessa chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just here for the drama, you know? I couldn¡¯t miss such a big scene.¡± Ste¡¯s eyelid twitched again. ¡°You went to the hospital just for the drama?¡± Ste sighed, Truly, wherever Tessa goes, there is always gossip to be had. But since Tessa saw it, it was like Ste saw it too. Tessa clicked her tongue on the phone. ¡®Ouch, they¡¯re fighting badly. I¡¯m filming it for you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ste replied, resigned. The video Tessa had sent earlier hadn¡¯t been opened yet. She hung up and opened the video. It looked like it was filmed in the corridor outside Jonathan¡¯s hospital room Susan was blocking Reba from entering. The two of them went back and forth, arguing. Reba¡¯s voice rang out, sharp and sarcastic. ¡°The Reed family is cursed for marrying a woman like you! You can¡¯t tell the difference between family and outsiders Favoring your adopted daughter is one thing, but encouraging her to steal your own daughter¡¯s fiance? What, now you want to match your biological son with your adopted daughter?¡± Susan, enraged, tried to p Reba. ¡°You¡¯re out of line, Rebal¡± she yelled. Reba wasn¡¯t easy to deal with either. She grabbed Susan¡¯s wrist and pushed her down, her voice mocking. ¡°How¡¯s the ground. Madam Susan?¡± Susan couldn¡¯t get up.. Tessa sent another video. Ste opened it and saw a chaotic scene. Reba and Sharon were fighting. Susan tried to help Sharon but was thrown to the ground by Reba, unable to get back up. Tessa¡¯s call came again. ¡°Did you see it?¡± Ste replied dryly, ¡°Saw it.¡± At the moment, the Reed family was inplete turmoil. Tessa¡¯s voice came with a knowing tone. ¡°After today, the Parker family will tear Jonathan apart too. This is straight¨Cup marriage fraud¡± Ste¡¯s voice was grim. With kids that big, it¡¯s definitely a fraud.¡± The wrong girl 285 Chapter 285 He Can Protect You Forever Owen Hale, who was in charge of Seats Cove¡¯s security system, hurried over, rmed, and stopped in front of Abraham. ¡°Mr. Abraham,¡± he greeted. Abraham kicked him square in the chest. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice anything strange?¡± Owen had been by his side in Falvaria for years, and his skills had always earned Abraham¡¯s trust. But tonight, he¡¯d let Derrick slip in without a trace. Even Abel was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Derrick to show up in Rivermount, let alone catch thempletely off guard. Abraham hadn¡¯t held back with that kick. Owen nearly couldn¡¯t get back on his feet. He opened his mouth to exin, but Abel shot him a sharp look. Ste had been taken by Derrick. Saying anything now was as good as digging his own grave. Abraham closed his eyes, dangerously calm. ¡°Why are you still standing here?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°On it.¡± He left. Owen quickly followed, hoping to make up for his failure. The fight raged on. The men Derrick brought were all death soldiers, fiercely locking down Seats Cove¡¯s security. Roughly ten minutester, it finally quieted down. Abel returned. ¡°Mr. Abraham, it¡¯s done. Derrick¡¯s people were all wiped out. Not one left.¡± Without another word. Abraham went after Derrick. Ste couldn¡¯t stay in that man¡¯s hands. The thought of all those years Derrick had eyed her with twisted desire made something cold and dangerous sh in Abraham¡¯s eyes. Ste was woken by the sound of whirring engines. She blinked groggily and realized she was inside a helicopter. She¡¯d been dumped carelessly on the floor. Derrick sat not far away. He lounged there like a spoiled prince, one leg crossed over the other, a ss of red wine in hand. A doctor beside him was dressing the wound on his shoulder de. The stark white bandages were soaked in shocking red, Seeing Ste awake, the man gave her a wicked grin. ¡°Not bad. You wake up in just half an hour,¡± he said casually. Ste winced at the buzzing rotors overhead. Her head ached, but when she turned to look at Derrick, fury slowly filled her eyes. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± she demanded. Derrick smirked. ¡°Take a guess, my fianc¨¦e¡± I¡¯m not your d*mm fianc¨¦e!¡± Ste snapped. The word ¡°fiancee set her offpletely. The helicopter wasn¡¯t big Ste scrambled to her feet and charged him in a few quick steps, aiming a kick right at Derrick. But with her slim arms and legs, she was no match for the bodyguard¡¯s thick muscles. Derrick watched her thrash helplessly and let out a low . ¡°So Marie took you for a month, and this is all you¡¯ve got to show for it?¡± Ste red but said nothing. He handed his winess to the doctor, who had just finished wrapping his wound. Then, taking his time, he slipped on a ck shirt. With his nearly styled hair, he almost looked like the nice boy next door. But only Ste knew just how rotten he was inside. Derrick came over and sat beside her. ¡°Or do you think Abraham really values you that much? That he can protect you forever?¡± Ste didn¡¯t answer. She just rolled her eyes at him, hard. He was her curse. Years ago, it was because of his sister that she was forced to leave Abraham. And now, here he was again dragging her away. Derrick saw the look on her face and smiled even more smugly. ¡°Star, you haven¡¯t grown up after all these years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that with your disgusting mouth,¡± Ste said with pure disgust. The Tom family and the Dawson family used to be close. But when her father died, the Tom family had kicked them while they were down. Ste hadn¡¯t always hated Derrick, but now she couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him. Derrick stood, crouching next to her again. Suddenly, the helicopter jolted. Derrick lost his bnce and nearly fell onto her. Luckily, Ste moved out of the way just in time. He caught himself with his injured arm and let out a grunt of pain. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± he snapped coldly, From the cockpit, the pilot¨Cbodyguard called back, ¡°Mr. Derrick, Mr. Abraham caught up.¡± Derrick¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he looked at Ste. ¡°Tell me, isn¡¯t he twisted? Falling for the little girl he raised himself?¡± The guard had already let go of Ste by then That word ¡®twisted¡± snapped something in her. She got up and pped Derrick hard across the face. ¡°What the hell does it matter to you? Mind your own damn business!¡± Derrick¡¯s face darkened. He grabbed her delicate wrist. ¡°With wrists this thin,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°I bet they break real easy.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 286 674 Chapter 286 My Little Fianc¨¦e Ste had been running away for years, and her temper had only grown stronger. At the moment, facing Derrick, she looked like a fighting rooster. Because of the Tom family, she and Abraham had been separated for years. All the frustration and rage bottled up in her chest peaked the moment she saw Derrick. At that moment, faced with Derrick¡¯s threat, not only did she not feel scared, she immediately bit down on the back of his hand. She sank her teeth in hard, viciously. Within seconds, her mouth was filled with the nauseating taste of rusted iron ¡°Hiss.¡± Derrick let out a muffled groan from the pain. With his other hand, he grabbed Ste¡¯s jawbone¨Crough and heavy¨Chanded, He had to be. He could see it in her. She looked like she wanted to tear off a chunk of flesh from the back of his hand. Ste let from the pain. As their eyes locked, her eyes welled up with tears, shimmering like an angry kitten. Her gaze was sharp and full of hatred. Derrick sneered, ¡°You bit me and made me bleed, and now you¡¯re the one crying?¡± As soon as he finished, Ste spat the blood from her mouth right onto Derrick¡¯s face. ¡°Disgusting. You can have it back.¡± Derrick¡¯s teeth ground together in fury. Before he could speak, the pilot up front said again, ¡°Mr. Derrick, they¡¯re getting closer.¡± ¡°Lose them, Derrick ordered, then flung Ste aside. Tell that b¡¯stard Abraham that if he keeps chasing after us. I¡¯ll jump out of the ne with Ste and let us both fall to our deaths. Ste was speechless. The bodyguards on board were also speechless. Is Mr. Derrick insane? Is this really the kind of shameless threat he¡¯s making? Derrick looked at Ste and grinned. ¡°Star, do you want to die together?¡± Ste snapped, ¡°Go to hell yourself! Derrick clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, well, quite the temper. I liked you better back in Falvaria. What kind of trash talk have you learned these past years? Your mouth¡¯s turned foul¡± He bent down, rubbing her pale lips with his thumb. But the next second. Ste bit down hard on that thumb¨Cso hard it was like she wanted to chew it off. The bodyguards watched Ste, shocked. In such a short time, she had bitten Derrick¡¯s hand, then his finger. This wasn¡¯t a hostage¨Cthey had clearly captured a little demon. And yet Derrick hadn¡¯t snapped her neck already. Instead, Derrick gently rubbed the top of her soft hair. ¡°Star, let go. Be good.¡± Hearing his tone, Ste bit even harder. Besides, that scheming Kelly had even acted like her best friend. Even though Ste had been stuck in Rivermount all these years, she had dreamed of biting Derrick to death. Now, she finally got the chance. When she still didn¡¯t let go, Derrick¡¯s voice turned colder. ¡°Star, I said let go.¡± When she refused again, Derrick grabbed her jaw again. This time, the pain made her open her mouth. ¡°Send me back,¡± she said through gritted teeth. Derrick raised an eyebrow. ¡°I risked my life to steal you away. Do you think that¡¯s possible, my little fianc¨¦e.¡± Right after he spoke, Ste spat another mouthful of blood at his face. Derrick wiped his face with his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, sure. But how¡¯d you grow into such a spitfire? Back in Falvaria, she had been so obedient. Always following Abraham, calling his name with such a sweet, wavy tone. Now, she was apletely different person. Elsewhere, Abel reported the message from the other side to Abraham. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Derrick said if you keep chasing, hell jump out of the ne with Ms. Dawson and die with her.¡°. Abraham narrowed his eyes. A chill radiated from him. ¡°Ask him what the hell he wants.¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Tessa had been on the phone with Ste when she suddenly heard strange sounds. Then came choking and coughing. Ignoring the pain in her backside, she rushed to Seats Cove. She didn¡¯t dare call the police. After all, she could tell that the people around Ste weren¡¯t ordinary. She was afraid the police would only make things worse for Ste. But she couldn¡¯t sit still. No matter what, she had to check on her. And then, she saw Victor¡¯s brutal side. Smoke still drified from the dark barrel of the gun in the man¡¯s hand. Even Eddie had dropped his usualzy attitude. He put away the cold object in his hand and said, ¡°Abel¡¯s been contacted. They¡¯ve brought enough people. We don¡¯t need to go! The wrong girl 287 Chapter 287 She Has a Fianc¨¦ Victor packed up his things. Hearing a noise, he turned around and locked eyes with Tessa, who had just gotten out of the car. Tessa didn¡¯t care about the awkwardness anymore. She was too scared to speak. The scene was drenched in blood. Beneath the falling snowkes, the sight was especially chilling. Tessa moved her trembling lips, wanting to say something, but at that moment, not a single word came out.. She looked at Victor in horror. Eddie, seeing Tessa had arrived, stepped forward with long strides. ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t get it off the first time, so you want to try again?¡± Tessa and Victor were both speechless at Eddie¡¯s words. Victor stepped forward and pped him on the back of the head. ¡°Seems like Mr. Abraham went easy on you earlier, didn¡¯t make you run with weights.¡± You you¡¯re such a schemer.¡± The ten¨Cplus just now had nearly drained the life out of him. He might as well hand over his life if they made him run with weights. Victor coldly looked at Tessa. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°I came to find Star. She¡­ Tessa gathered all her courage to look at Victor, hoping to get an answer from him. Victor said coldly. ¡°You can¡¯t see her for now,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her fiance came to pl pick her up. Tessa was puzzled. Fiance! Wait, didn¡¯t Star like the brother who raised her? How did a fianc¨¦e into the picture? And did her fiance cause Srats Cove to end up like this? This is so confusing. Tessa waspletely dumbfounded. Victor took out a cigarette and lit it. ¡°Can you go back?¡± Tessa stammered, ¡°L.. I can.¡± Then go back. This isn¡¯t a ce for you.¡± Is Star in danger?¡± Tessa asked anxiously. She has a fiance? What about Ethan? It turns out Ste has more than just Mr. Abraham backing her up. Whoever is behind this, to have thened Seats Cove into what it is, is no ordinary person. Is it dangerous? Victor thought for a moment, took a puff of his cigarette. There shouldn¡¯t be any danger, at most, she¡¯ll suffer a bit.¡± Derrick was such a scoundrel. The wall between Ste and Abraham was solved, and they had no clue what Derrick might do next if he discovered it. And Ste¡¯s temper, she was definitely going to sh head¨Con. Tessa really worried that Ste¡¯sck of diplomacy would make her lose out Victor didn¡¯t want to engage with Tessa, turning and walking away. Eddie looked at Tessa, standing in the cold wind, crying miserably, and scratched his head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need you worrying. That girl is in demand, her fianc¨¦ isn¡¯t going to hurt her.¡± Derrick was just a shameless guy. It was just a word from the elders, and he took it seriously, even going around Falvaria, dering Ste as his fiancee. These past two years, whenever he looked for Ste, it was under the pretense of finding his fianc¨¦e. For this, Abraham sent out a lot of people, wanting to wipe Derrick out, but Derrick was cunning. It was like he was going head¨Cto¨Chead with Abraham, and didn¡¯t care about the Tom family or Kelly. No matter what threat was used, it didn¡¯t work. Tessa added, ¡°But Star and Mr. Abraham already¡­ ¡°Girl, you should worry about yourself. Victor¡¯s a grudge¨Cholder, and he¡¯ll settle the score with you for taking his pants off¡­ Hearing Eddie¡¯s words, Tessa instinctively shrank her neck. Victor, who had been walking away, somehow turned back and grabbed Eddie¡¯s cor, pulling him along. It was clear he wanted to settle the score with Eddie first. When Derrick told the people on the other side that he was going to get what Abraham wanted, Ste, furious, was about to kick him again. ¡°Derrick you b¡¯stard! I¡¯m going to destroy you!¡± But he grabbed her ankle and pulled her into his arms, sitting her down. At the same time, a wicked smile curved at his lips. ¡°Star, are you throwing yourself into my arms? Is that how you threw yourself at Ethan back in Rivermount? He doesn¡¯t seem to fall for your tricks. Ste, already furious, raised her hand to p Derrick across the face. Derrick, however, easily caught her wrist. ¡°Star, do you really want to hit me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a backstabber, I wish I could tear you apart.¡± Ste still vividly remembered how Derrick had stabbed Abraham in the back all those years ago. The wrong girl 288 Ste really wished she could tear Derrick to pieces. Derrick let out a snort ofughter. Take a guess. How much do you think you mean to Abraham! Think he¡¯d hand that thing over to me just because of you?¡± The moment the words left his mouth. Derrick let out a muffled groan. Ste wasn¡¯t just sharp¨Ctongued. She bit down hard on the artery in his neck. The pain twisted Derrick¡¯s face. What a dmn girl! If she could throw a punch, she did. If she could sink her teeth in, she went for blood. Seriously, what is she learning in Rivermount? Nothing but those crazy street bratler moves. No technique in fights, just brute force! ¡°Let go, or I swear I¡¯ll shoot you,¡± he growled. The teasing tone in his voice vanished, reced by a dangerous threat. Ste didn¡¯t buy it. Instead, she bit down harder. A secondter, Derrick¡¯s expression darkened with rage, and he grabbed the back of her neck. ¡°You crazy woman!¡± The doctor and bodyguard nearby gasped when they saw blood running down Derrick¡¯s neck. Ste¡¯s lips were stained red with blood. She looked like a demon ready to devour someone. The doctor rushed forward to treat him. Derrick red at her, eyes sharp. ¡°Do you really want me dead that bad?¡± She used to treat him like a brother. Back when she called him ¡°Derrick, her voice had sounded so sweet. Now all he saw were fangs bared at him. Ste hissed. ¡°You were born rotten. Every breath you take makes the world worse.¡± How dare she! Derrick tried to hold it in. He really did. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t. He pulled out a gun and aimed it right at her. ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t shoot you right now?¡± ¡°Do it, on! Do it right here! Do you think I¡¯m scared of you?¡± Ste snapped. Derrick was speechless. Since when did this girl get guts? She used to flinch if I raised my voice. Now she¡¯s out here picking fights? He had nearly lost his life trying to shake off Abraham¡¯s men. Used up everyst bit of power he had left. It took a whole day just to get back to Pagena, South Valley. Derrick tossed the coat in his hands at her. ¡°Put it on.¡± She had only been wearing loungewear when he brought her out. And it had gotten ripped up along the way. Ste shot him a deadly re. Blinded by darkness, Derrick yanked it off in a fury. ¡°D¡°mn it! With a temper like yours, no wa way you didn¡¯t get your ass handed to you in Rivermount,¡± Most people would know how to bend when they couldn¡¯t win. But Ste was so unreasonable. Even when it wasn¡¯t her fault, she¡¯d still end up paying for it, just to teach her a lesson. Ste snapped, ¡°Who cares if I suffered or not? Give me back my phone.¡± She had wanted to call Abraham the whole way here, but she didn¡¯t have her phone. Derrick scowled at her. ¡°You¡¯re asking me for a phone?¡± ¡°Who else would 1 ask?¡± she harked.. Derrick blinked. You brought a phone?¡± A sh of memory¡ªher phone flying through the air and smashing behind her. Ste¡¯s face froze. Wait, I didn¡¯t bring it? Derrick raised an eyebrow. ¡°You remember now?¡± Ste demanded, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you pick it up for me?¡± What kind of logic is that? ¡°If I¡¯d been a second slower, Abraham would¡¯ve killed me right there, and you wanted me to stop and grab your phone? Ste what the hell is going on in your head? Did Abraham spoil you so much you turned into a full¨Cblown princess?¡± Ste snorted. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a princess. If I annoy you so much, send me back. What a dmn woman! So that¡¯s what she is aiming for! ¡°Hah! Dream on. ¡°Fine. Good. Ste¡¯s two sharp words made Derrick¡¯s temple throb. He knew Abraham had let her run wild. ¡°I¡¯m warning you,¡± Derrick growled. ¡°Don¡¯t pull any crap. I¡¯ve been pissed off for years with nowhere to vent. You¡¯d better not mess with me.¡± With that, he stormed off, not bothering to look back. He had spent five whole days sneaking around to get Ste out. Barely slept more than an hour a day. Now that he was finally back in Pagena, he just wanted one good night of sleep. After a long hot shower, he finallyy down¨Conly to hear a loud boom echo through the whole vi The ce shook Derrick¡¯s instincts kicked in. The very next second, he jumped straight out the window. The wrong girl 289 Chapter 289 I Will Kill Her Now As a result, Derrick saw Ste standing in the yard, gloating, while the vi¡¯s servants were so frightened their faces turned ashen. By the time they reacted, everyone was scrambling to put out the fire. The butler spotted him and rushed over. ¡°Mr. Derrick,¡± he said hastily. At the same time, he gave Ste a resentful look. That one nce told Derrick everything he needed to know. He turned to Ste, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Did you do this?¡± The kitchen had been blown up. He had no idea how it happened. It looked like a gas explosion. Ste grinned like a cunning fox. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, okay? I just wanted to cook something for my fianc¨¦ She emphasized the word fianc¨¦ heavily, The butler stayed silent. Who in the world would be lucky enough to cat those foods? Derrick felt a surge of blood get stuck in his chest. He red at Ste, gritting his teeth in rage. In his fury, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at her forehead. ¡°Do you really not care about your d¡¯mn life anymore?¡± He still had bandages wrapped around his neck, shoulder des, and hands. Seeing Ste¡¯s eyes roll as she examined him up and down. Derrick grew even more furious. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ste replied calmly. ¡°Looking for the best spot to bite She ground her teeth like she was about to go for the kill. Derrick froze. His anger spiked to the top of his head. He threw whatever was in his hand to the ground. If she kept running her mouth, he really would lose control. He grabbed her neck with one hand. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± He was genuinely enraged, wanting to teach Ste a real lesson. But in the next second, Ste grabbed his arm and bit down hard on his wrist. ¡®Al¡® Ste, are you a dmn dog?¡± he cursed. Caught off guard, Derrick really was bitten. The whole trip back, knowing she was prone to biting, Derrick had kept his guard up. But this time, Ste had clearly been preparing. She bit down hard enough to rip off a piece of flesh. She then spat the bloody chunk onto the grass. The butler and Derrick were both stunned. Derrick¡¯s mind nked for a second. He looked at the bloody piece on the ground, then at the bleeding gash on his wrist. Derrickpletely lost it ¡°Ste, I¡¯m going to knock everyst tooth out of your mouth!¡± If he didn¡¯t smash her teeth to bits, he wasn¡¯t a real man. 1/2 On the way back, to avoid Abraham tracking their signal, they had turned off everything with a connection¨Cphones included. That was the only reason they managed to escape. As soon as he powered it on, the call came through. Thinking about how much Abraham cared about Ste¨Cand what they¡¯d just done in Rivermount¨CDerrick¡¯s eyes turned ice¨Ccold. He looked like a lion who¡¯d just been cheated on, burning with rage. He shot Ste a vicious re and answered the call. ¡°Abraham, have you thought it through? Is your sister worth it?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice came low and dangerous through the speaker. ¡°If she loses even a single hair, Derrick, I¡¯ll chop Kelly into pieces and send her back to you.¡± Derrick was speechless. He didn¡¯t know if Ste had lost any hair, but he sure as hell was missing a chunk of flesh. ¡°Heh. Are you still threatening me with Kelly? Let me tell you, Kelly means nothing to me now.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow and looked at him. What the hell is he even saying? That¡¯s his own sister. Turns out, the Reed family isn¡¯t the only one full of monsters. Derrick said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m running out of patience, Abraham. For old times sake, I hope you¡¯ll do me a favor. The past two years, you¡¯ve nearly skinned me alive. If you keep pushing. I¡¯ll kill Ste right now.¡± He was getting more agitated the more he spoke, almost hysterical by the end. Ste stared at him, the corner of her eye twitching. Has Abraham¡¯s years of chasing him finally driven him insane? And seriously, he¡¯s still talking about old times? What old times! There¡¯s not even a shred of good memory left between them. Abraham¡¯s voice came through the phone again¨Clow, hoarse, and full of threat. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only got this worthless life left, Abraham. Don¡¯t push me With that, he hung up immediately. Frustrated, he threw the phone into the grass, lit a cigarette, and took a harsh drag When he looked back at Ste, the madness in his eyes hadn¡¯t faded. Ste stared at him, stunned. Seeing her frozen like that, Derrick let out a scornful snort. ¡°What? Are you scared now?¡± Ste blinked. Scared? Not really. She just thought Derrick was pitiful. Abraham had pushed him to the edge of sanity, The wrong girl 290 674 Chapter 290 I Do Not Trust You Derrick said, ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°What should I say?¡± ¡°Say whether you¡¯re afraid of me.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m extremely afraid of you She hoped that would give him a sense of superiority. But the next moment, Derrickughed. Theugh, along with the look on his face, seemed somewhat sickly, almost obsessive. It was no surprise he looked like that. After all, these past two years, Abraham surely hadn¡¯t been kind to him. Ste asked. ¡°I actually never understood why you had to make things thisplicated with him.¡± They had grown up together. She knew exactly what kind of person Abraham was. ¡°And I remember, you and your sister Kelly were never really close.¡± If they aren¡¯t close, why do they go along with taking Mom and Marie away just to support Kelly? Is it to help her force me out? Ste truly didn¡¯t get it Derrick narrowed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t as bad when they didn¡¯t talk about Kelly, but once the topic was brought up, he opened his eyes wide, cold light shing in them. ¡°You¡¯re brainless, and so is Abraham. It¡¯s driving me insane. Ste frowned. What now? What did I say to hit his nervet Derrick ignored her and turned to leave. Ste called our to his back, ¡°You better take me back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Ste gritted her teeth Ok? Fine. I¡¯ll see if he still thinks thatter. The vi was destroyed by a gas explosion. The kitchen and even the living room on the first floor were basically wrecked. Derrick took her to another vi in the estate. Because Ste was such a troublemaker, Derrick¡­ When Ste came out after her shower, exhausted from the earlier chaos, all she wanted was to sleep. But then she saw Derrick sitting on the bed, holding a book. Ste twitched her mouth. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°What am I doing here? I have to keep an eye on you.¡± With her ability to make trouble, even global properties wouldn¡¯t be enough for her to blow up. Ste looked around the room. There was only the bed and a small couch. Does he expect me to sleep on the couch? He won¡¯t even let me have the bed? What are you standing there for? Come over here and sleep. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°I really don¡¯t need your ¡®benefits.¡± She certainly wouldn¡¯t want that benefit ¡°Leave. I¡¯ll stop causing trouble if you do To avoid being in the same room with Derrick, Ste gave in. Derrick chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯d been good from the start, we wouldn¡¯t have all this trouble. Ste muttered inwardly. If he could be good if they were kidnapped? I sure can¡¯t. Derrick chuckled again. ¡°It¡¯s toote now. I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Ste, angry, gritted her teeth and shot him a re. When Derrick saw she wasn¡¯t moving, he tossed the covers aside and got out of bed, walking toward her. Ste instinctively took a step back. But the next moment. Derrick grabbed the cor of her nightgown, his grip unrestrained. There was a rip as the silk fabric tore, a button flying off. Ste stood frozen. The room went silent. Then, Ste leaped up, furious, ¡°Derrick, you b*stard! I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, you better not move,¡± Derrick said, his voice cold as he pinned her in ce. Ste hissed. ¡°Let go.¡± Try to move again and see what happens.¡± As he spoke, a sharp knife appeared in his hand, pressing against her neck in a threat. Ste nced at the wound on his neck, where a bandage was still wrapped around it. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Derrick shoved her against the wall, her back mming painfully. She gritted her teeth, looking like she wanted to bite him, He raised her chin with one hand, his fingers grazing her neck. It was the same spot where Abraham had left his mark. His eyes darkened, and the atmosphere around him turned cold. ¡°So, you and Abraham really are together?¡± It seemed the rumors from Rivermount were true after all. Ste shot back, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± The wrong girl 291 Chapter 291 You Will Regret It Derrick stood upright, his gaze cold and piercing as he looked down at her. A sense of unprecedented danger radiated from him, and even Ste, who had been so bold moments ago, now trembled under his intense stare. ¡°What are you staring at me for?¡± she asked, her voice faltering. Derrick took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Ste instinctively backed away, but her back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to retreat. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing? Move!¡± she demanded. She tried to push him away, but the man suddenly leaned in, his warm breath brushing against her ear. ¡°Do you remember what I told you before you left Falvaria?¡± His voice was low, carrying a hint of barely restrained anger. Ste tensed. What had he said? Her mind shed back to the moment when Derrick, covered in blood, had approached her. She had no idea what had happened to him that day, or why he was covered in blood. He had said, ¡°Remember, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. Leaving Falvaria is the best thing for you. I¡¯lle and get you myself.¡± At the time, Ste had been consumed by anger at his threats involving her mother and sister. Without thinking, she pped him. Then, with tears streaking down her face, she turned and walked away, Behind her, his cold voice had called out. Remember, don¡¯t have any contact with Abraham, or else¡­¡± Or else what? He had never finished the sentence, but Ste knew the situation with the Dawson family wasplicated. She couldn¡¯t afford to make more enemies, especially not with Abraham. So, she had obeyed, keeping her distance. Hearing Derrick bring it up now, Ste lifted her gaze, her eyes full of unshed tears and anger. Derrick grabbed a handful of her hair at the back of her head. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve ignored my words, or maybe you just didn¡¯t remember the most important part?¡± Remember what?¡± she snapped. ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. Now tell me, what¡¯s this mark? Derrick growled, his eyes glowing with fury. He seemed ready to rip the flesh from her neck. Ste scoffed. ¡°Are you dreaming here?¡± At her words, Derrick¡¯s grip tightened, causing her to gasp in pain. She wanted to bite him, but he was too far away. Instead, she reached for his abdomen, trying to grab hold of anything to hurt him. But his abdomen was rock-hard with muscle. Derrick nced down at her hand, his eyes turning icy cold before he let out a lowugh. ¡°Marie taught you such childish tricks?¡± Before he finished speaking, he grunted in pain. You little brat, do you want me to have no children? Or do you want to be a widow for the rest of your life?¡± Ste¡¯s sudden kick sent him stumbling back, instinctively loosening his grip on her. Seizing the opportunity. Ste stepped back, her eves wary as she watched him. Derrick bent forward, casting a side nce at Finished Her baby¨Cfaced expression, threatening as it was, only added to the strange sense of defiance. Derrick scoffed. ¡°Go ahead, throw it. If you don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it.¡± ¡°You!¡± she hissed. When someone has nothing left to lose, everyone will step aside. That had been the first lesson Marie taught her when she was taken away. In a moment of panic, Ste swung the ashtray at her own forehead. ¡°Ste¡± Derrick¡¯s furious shout echoed through the room as he grabbed her wrist, squeezing so hard it felt like he might crush her bones. Ste cried out in pain as her grip loosened, and the ashtray fell with a loud crash. Derrick jerked her hand away, his finger pointing usingly at her. ¡°You¡¯re something else, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ste bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes. Derrick nced at the mark on her neck, his rage bubbling over as he stormed toward the door. Seeing him leave, Ste finally exhaled in relief. At the door, Derrick stopped and turned to look at her. ¡°Do you really think you and Abraham can end up together?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she demanded. Derrick smirked. ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e¡± With that, he strode out the door. Ste muttered to herself, ¡°Crazy Whether or not she and Abraham would be together wasn¡¯t up to him, And Abraham had said, ¡°Trust me, leave it to me.¡± She believed Abraham wohld handle everything. ¡°Pit, even Mom doesn¡¯t mind. What¡¯s it to you, b¡¯stard?¡± Ste muttered to herself in displeasure. Send Gifts The wrong girl 292 Chapter 292 He Was So Possessive Derrick finally left. Ste nced at the ashtray that had fallen to the floor. She still felt a lingering fear. But at least Derrick didn¡¯t insist on sharing a room with her anymore. Ste thought that once Derrick left, everything would be over. But instead, he sent over a maid to stay in the room with her. From what Ste observed, this maid even knew some martial arts. After being put through all that by Derrick, Ste took another shower. When she came out, she saw the maid carrying a nket over to the sofa. ¡°Ms. Dawson, sorry to bother you the maid said politely. Ste grew even more frustrated. What a b¡¯stard. He¡¯s really that set on having someone watch me? Can¡¯t even let me be alone for a second! I¡¯m not used to sleeping with other people,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ll have to tell Mr. Derrick that, the maid replied, bowing slightly. Ste blinked Yeah, tell him. As if I want to talk to him nicely. She dried her hair, threw the towel aside, and got straight into bed. Seeing that she had finally settled down, the maid let out a quiet sigh of relief. Ste had caused a hugemotion at the other vi during the day, almost burning someone alive. Now she finally calmed down. After sending a quiet report to Derrick, the maidy down as well. In the room on the other side. Derrick lounged in a half¨Copen robe, holding a ss of red wine. He nced at the photo the maid sent him. There was just a small lump under the nket¨Cno sign of Ste. He didn¡¯t even have to think about it. She clearly wasn¡¯t happy with his arrangement and had hidden under the covers out of anger. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile. ¡°Even now, she still dares to act so stubborn.¡± Sebastian Tom, hearing this, nced at his phone instinctively. ¡°You seriously brought back Ms. Dawson?¡± Just thinking about it made Sebastian break out in a cold sweat. Abraham treated that sister of his like she was made of gold. Sebastian had no clue Derrick¡¯s little trip was actually to snatch Ste¨Cthe girl Abraham had just tracked down. That was obviously a direct p to Abraham¡¯s face. Seeing Derrick¡¯s indifferent expression, Sebastian felt like losing it. ¡°I mean seriously, if you were that desperate, you just dragged Marie back! Don¡¯t tell me you actually took that old joke about a marriage promise seriously?¡± could ve Back when Abraham¡¯s father was alive, he¡¯d joked about marrying Ste to Derrick once she grew up. Abraham had always been irritated about it. After all, Abraham practically raised Ste himself. Of course he wouldn¡¯t want anyone else making decisions about her 1/2 ¡°Is he even her elder? Derrick asked coldly. Sebastian was speechless. The look on Derrick¡¯s face made Sebastian uneasy Tm telling you, don¡¯t act recklessly. You seriously don¡¯t know how Abraham feels about Ms. Dawson?¡± That guy was so so possessive. If someone even looked at Ste too long, he¡¯d want to gouge their eyes out And now Derrick had kidnapped her. This was a disaster waiting to happen. ¡°Right now you¡¯re focused on getting that thing from Abraham, yeah? Once you get it, you will send her back, right?¡± He thought of the document Derrick needed, still in Abraham¡¯s hands. Maybe that exined this whole borate setup. But it didn¡¯t seem like that was Derrick¡¯s only goal. Derrick raised an eyebrow at Sebastian. ¡°Return her?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of keeping her! Derrick, I¡¯m warning you. Sebastian was at aplete loss for words. Everyone in Falvaria knew Ste was probably Abraham¡¯s one soft spot. When a person¡¯s weakness is so obvious, no one darest to touch it. But Derrick was the first to do just that. ¡°Did you forget how Abraham hunted you down for years?¡± For the past few years, Derrick hadn¡¯t had a single peaceful day. Whatever he tried to do, Abraham would interfere. All because he once made a move on Ste. Now he wanted the item and the girl. Might as well have dug his own grave already. Derrick¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, how will the Tom family bepletely destroyed?¡± At that. Sebastian¡¯s chest tightened. Just the mention of the Tom family made his heart ache. ¡°Your dad really was ruthless to you,¡± he muttered. Derrick put down the wine ss, silent. He was just about to pick up his phone when a faint wmp came from somewhere. He didn¡¯t pay much attention Sebastian kept rambling. Listen, Abraham¡¯s not someone you can mess with. You¡¯re at a critical point right now. Don¡¯t lose your mind.¡± The wrong girl 293 Chapter 293 She Is No Saint Sebastian didn¡¯t even know if Derrick had heard or not. Derrick just drank one ss of red wine after another. What shed through his mind were the marks on Ste¡¯s neck. Thinking of the intel he had gotten earlier, Derrick¡¯s eyes turned even colder, like they were covered in frost. Meanwhile, after knocking the maid out, Ste took her phone and put on her clothes, then quietly made her study. way to the She had already observed theyout of the vi earlier when she arrived and had seen Derrick go into the study before. Her room was right next to Derrick¡¯s, so she kept her footsteps as light as possible. Once inside the study, she searched all over for the document she saw on the ne. In the end, she found it in a drawer. Her and Derrick¡¯s rooms were on the third floor. She peeked out the window cautiously. The whole ce was crawling with bodyguards. Not just guards, there were dogs too. Dogs. Great Ste thought for a second, then used the phone to call Abraham. The phone only rang twice before someone picked up. Abraham¡¯s cold voice came through. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Abraham, it¡¯s me.¡± Ste whispered into the phone, not even daring to make the slightest sound. Derrick¡¯s men were all highly trained and extremely alert. Even the smallest noise could raise an rm. There was a short pause on the other end, then Abraham¡¯s slightly anxious voice came through. ¡°Star? W Something suddenly clicked in Ste¡¯s head, and her eyes lit up. ¡°Pagena. Abraham, I¡¯ll send you my location right now, but don¡¯te into the vi. I¡¯m getting out.¡± ¡°You can get out? There¡¯s no one on watch?¡± There is. But don¡¯t worry, I can do it.¡± Good thing Marie had given her a very useful crash course back when she helped her escape. Abraham said, ¡°Don¡¯t take the risk. Send me the address. I¡¯lle get you right now,¡± ¡°You¡¯re already in Pagena?¡± Where are you?¡± Of course Abraham was already here. Even after Derrick shut down all , he still tracked him down. Abraham gave a sofi ¡°yeah.¡± At that moment, he had just arrived at South Valley Airport. Even though Derrick had cut off all tracking, Abraham had still figured out his general location. Ste ended the call and immediately used the maid¡¯s phone to add Abraham on WhatsApp, then sent him her location. After putting the phone away, she started to move. She nced carefully out the window again. There were quite a few people outside. She had no idea how many people Back on Derrick¡¯s side, Sebastian was still rambling on, mostly about how dangerous Abraham was and how he didn¡¯t want to live on the run anymore. Basically, he was just trying to convince Derrick not to mess with Abraham. Right in the middle of his rant, sudden barking broke out in the backyard. It was loud and frantic. Woof! Woof Woo!! Derrick and Sebastian were both startled. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. Why are the dogs barking like that?¡± Sebastian asked. Derrick¡¯s gaze darkened. He stood up and left the room. Sebastian followed right after. The backyard faced the study directly. Derrick and Sebastian entered the study and walked to the window. They saw severalrge guard dogs barking non¨Cstop. Some bodyguards were already checking out the scene What the hell are they barking at?¡± Sebastian muttered. ¡°Did someone forget to feed them?¡± Derrick narrowed his eyes slightly. Do you think they¡¯re barking because they¡¯re hungry?¡± ¡°Of course. They¡¯re usually calm. If no one provoked them, then they¡¯re probably just hungry. What else could it be?¡± Derrick shot Sebastian a look. In that instant, Derrick¡¯s pupils contracted sharply. Without saying a word, he turned and strode toward the door. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± Sebastian called after him. Derrick didn¡¯t answer. He went straight to Ste¡¯s room and kicked the door open with a loud bang Sebastian was stunned. What¡¯d the door ever do to you? Derrick flipped on the lights. His eyes immediately swept across the bed with a sharp gaze. The bed was empty. The covers were a mess. No sign of Ste. The maid was knocked out on the floor. ¡°Ste¡± Derrick growled through clenched teeth. His eyes gleamed with icy rage. How dare that demn girl run? Sebastian stood frozen at the sight. ¡°D¡°mn! Guess wolves can¡¯t raise bunnies after all. Mr. Abraham is dangerous, And Ms. Dawson is no saint either. The wrong girl 294 Chapter 294 Find Her! Sebastian couldn¡¯t figure it out. Ste escapes right under Derrick¡¯s nose? No way! How did she pull that off? There are bodyguards everywhere! Cold air seemed to radiate from Derrick¡¯s entire body. As he stepped out of Ste¡¯s room, the lead bodyguard came up to him and said, ¡°Mr. Derrick, Ste¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Chase her, Derrick said coldly, spitting out the words like ice. She ran away! Does she really think she can slip out of my grasp in Pagena! But once again, Derrick had underestimated that quick little brain of hers. He¡¯d originally nned to go after her by car. But when he checked her location, he saw she was taking side patlis¨Cthe kind cars couldn¡¯t even get through. In the darkness. Derrick¡¯s group could only see a shlight darting ahead, and no matter how hard they ran, they couldn¡¯t catch up. An hour passed. Even with their strength, Derrick and his men were already gasping for air, yet Ste was still running. Normally, Derrick wouldn¡¯t have cared, but this time, he was injured too. Sebastian,pletely out of breath, gasped, ¡°What the hell did Abraham feed Ms. Dawson growing up? Isn¡¯t she tired? She¡¯s just a girl!¡± He was going crazy, literally. His legs were about to fall off. But that shlight ahead kept moving, steady as ever, without slowing even a little. Is the seriously not tired? Not even stopping to catch her breath? Derrick stared at the shlight bobbing in the distance, still advancing. He was just as exhausted. Especially because the shlight always stayed just far enough that no matter how hard they pushed, they couldn¡¯t catch up. Sebastian felt like he was about to pass out. Gasping, he said, ¡°Hey, if she knows we¡¯re chasing her, why doesn¡¯t she turn off the shlight?¡± It¡¯s so obvious in the dark. Is Ste stupid? Or does she really think her stamina¡¯s unbeatable? No way she can outrun a bunch of grown men But then he heard the gasping all around him and shut up. Derrick gave him a cold, sharp look. ¡°What do you think?¡± Sebastian looked back at him, brain freezing. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Ste didn¡¯t seem tired at all. Not even a little. Derrick¡¯s breath was icy as he pulled out a gun and fired with a loud bang toward the light. The white dot of light froze in ce, no longer moving an inch Sebastian stopped breathing for a second, his pupils shrinking in shock. ¡°You you¡¯re insane! Haven¡¯t you had enough of this chaptic life? If you want to die, fine! But don¡¯t drag me down with you! You¡¯ve lost it. Completely lost it.¡± These past years, just the fact they couldn¡¯t find Ste had nearly driven Abraham to eat them alive. He actually shot at Ste. We are so screen. Derrick gave Sebastian a cold nce and said nothing, striding forward with long, powerful steps. Sebastian and the bodyguards quickly followed. Within minutes, they reached the white light and saw what was lying there. It was a huge wolfdog. A shlight was strapped to its head, and a phone¨CSte¡¯s¨Cwas tied to its back. Derrick, Sebastian and all the bodyguards were left speechless. Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Oh¡­ This is It was a dog? Il here is Ste! Sebastian turned to look at Derrick. His eyes were filled with aing storm, ready to explode any second. Ste! You¡¯re really pulling it off Sebastian said, ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Dawson? No seriously, how¡¯d she even pull this off?¡± No wonder they couldn¡¯t catch up. They¡¯d been chasing a dog the whole time. Sebastian waspletely stunned. Right on Derrick¡¯s turf, she¡¯d tricked them into chasing a dog while she pulled a disappearing act. ¡°That¡¯s a starwolf, the fiercest one in the entire wolfdog category How the hell does Ste pull this off? That dog pack is huge! And not a single one bites her? Isn¡¯t she scared? ¡°Ms. Dawson¡¯s something else, Sebastian muttered. ¡°No wonder Mr. Abraham raised her himself¨Cwhat a brain on her.¡± He didn¡¯t even know how to describe her anymore. ¡°She actually used a dog to mess with you¡± And the more he talked, the colder and deadlier Derrick¡¯s aura became. Am I wrong? She did use a dog to toy with us. Derrick let out a coldugh and turned to Vincent Abbott, the lead bodyguard ¡°Find her. Now!¡± The wrong girl 295 Chapter 295 ying Me Like a Fool Vincent had already taken out a t device and was constantly manipting it. Ste had definitely stolen a phone when she left, but the maid¡¯s phone was with the dog As they wondered what phone Ste had taken. Vincent located all the phones in the vi. The bodyguards had split into two §ã§ä§Ö§ß§Ú One group ses here, and the other was still in the vi. Soon, Vincent found out whose phone Ste hail taken. It was Derrick¡¯s spare phone. He also found out her location. ¡°Mr. Derrick, about six miles to the northwest, the phone she took belongs to you Sebastian looked at Derrick in shock, his admiration for Ste growing. Before, he had thought of her as a little bunny who had wandered into the pack of wolves from the Dawson family, but now she clearly wasn¡¯t amb. She was a smart, wed cat. Sebastian was surprised. ¡°Six miles? Ms. Dawson must be in great shape, huh?¡± In such a short amount of time, Ste had managed to put six miles between herself and them on foot. Derrick stared at Sebastian as if he were an idiot. ¡°The opposite direction. At this moment. Derrick was burning with rage, gritting his teeth. He nced at the dog on the ground. What a damned girl She¡¯s ying me like a fool with a dog! Sebastian suddenly realized, ¡°Oh right, we¡¯ve been running a fair distance too.¡± What the hell is Mr. Abraham teaching this girl? She even knows how to drag things out by going the opposite way. Derrick turned. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Vincent added, ¡°She¡¯s still on the small path.¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to chase her on foot?¡± Derrick didn¡¯t respond and walked forward. Sebastian muttered a curse under his breath, furious. ¡°That d¡¯un girl really wants to break our legs, huh?¡± Derrick nced back at him, his eyes dark and cold like ice. Sebastian was afraid of meeting Derrick¡¯s gaze. ¡°I was justining¡± Seriously, his fiancee doesn¡¯t even care about him, and yet here he is still protecting her? Thinking about Derrick¡¯s feelings for Ste made Sebastian¡¯s head throb. After all, his rival was Abraham, Sebastian leaned in. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate her at all? She has Ethan in Rivermount as well¡± Apart from Abraham. Ethan had also been her fiance for two years. Derrick stopped in his tracks, lists clenched. The aura emanating from him in that moment was ice¨Ccold. Ethan¡¯s a nobody 1/2 Chapter 295 ying Me Like a Fool Watching Derrick¡¯s cold, distant back, Sebastian let out a pitiful groan. ¡°My legs are going to break.¡± What a d¡¯un girl! When Derrick catches her, he¡¯s going to break her legs. Vincent passed by Sebastian and said, ¡°She¡¯s using the small road next to the highway¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. So, can we take a car n He thought this girl might be smarter than she looked. Finished Ste didn¡¯t dare to use the phone¡¯s shlight too much. The phone she¡¯d found in the study didn¡¯t have much battery left. She was afraid it would die. She used the faint light from the moon to barely make out the road ahead. Fortunately, her vision had always been good. ¡°Ha.¡± She was a bit tired, but she didn¡¯t dare stop walking. She was on a small path, but it was close to the highway, so it would be easier to hide if Derrick came after her The phone buzzed with an unknown number. Ste didn¡¯t hesitate to hang up. Seeing the number, she figured Derrick had found her. She quickly sent her location to Abraham. She knew this might expose her location, but she knew Abraham was also in Pagena. She had to let him know where she was as best as she could. The phone buzzed again. It was Abraham calling. Ste answered, ¡°Abraham ¡°Almost there.¡± ¡°Okay¡± In the distance, the headlights of a car appeared, but at the same time, headlights also shed around the bend behind her. Derrick and Abraham wereing from both directions No way! That bard Derrick! Didn¡¯t I lead him away? Did he catch up to the dog? If he runs into Abraham, there will surely be a fight! Ste quickly ducked into the bushes and called Abraham again. He answered quickly. T¡¯m still about half a mile from your location.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. That¡¯s really close The wrong girl 296 Chapter 296 I Am So Scared. ¡°Abraham, Derrick seems to have found me. How many people do you have with you? The screech of tires and a sudden stop echoed not far away. Ste¡¯s breath hitched, and she whispered into the phone, ¡®Abraham, did you brake?¡± ¡°No¡± Ste muttered, ¡°Oh no, this is had.¡± If it wasn¡¯t Abraham, then it had to be Derrick.. Ste didn¡¯t dare say more and hurriedly added, ¡°I need to hide.¡± Not many, then you shouldn¡¯t She hung up the phone, quickly turned off the screen, and held her breath as she hid in the bushes. Through the dense foliage, Ste saw the car door open not far away. Several tall, imposing bodyguards stood around. Sebastian was the first to get out of the car, followed by Derrick, who stepped out with a cigarette between his fingers. In the darkness, the men stood under the car lights, their tall, imposing figures exuding a cold, noble air. Especially Derrick. with his long legs, his presence almost intimidating. Vincent looked at the small red dot on the device. ¡°Mr. Derrick, the location is nearby. Just as the words left his mouth, a few more cars drove over, and more bodyguards stepped out. Derrick coldly uttered a single word, ¡°Search¡± His gaze, whether intentional or not, swept in the direction where Ste was hiding. His eyes, both reckless and icy, made Ste¡¯s back break out in cold sweat. Seeing the number of people now gathering, Ste quickly considered calling Abraham again, fearing that his team might not be enough. ¡°Hurry, search the area thoroughly,¡± Sebastianmanded, directing the team. The group scattered instantly, with many heading down the small path, while three or four approached her direction. Ste gritted her teeth Derrick was ruthless, capable of betraying even his closest friend. There was no low he wouldn¡¯t stoop She was about to pull out her phone to warn Abraham when, suddenly, another car¡¯s headlights shed from another direction, the bright light forcing Ste to instinctively turn her head away. Derrick and Abraham were about to cross paths. In the brief moment they faced each other, Ste thought they might start shooting, but instead, Abraham¡¯s car stopped, and the man stepped out. Derrickzily perched on the hood of the car. Abraham narrowed his eyes, drew his gun, and fired a shot at Derrick with a loud bang.. The bullet grazed Derrick¡¯s car. In the silence that followed, he could even hear the sound of his hair being sliced by the bullet. Sebastian gasped, hurriedly checking on Derrick¡¯s condition. Finished Abraham¡¯s eyes were filled with danger. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number Ste had called him from. The phone rang from the bushes not far off, and only then did Ste snap out of her shock. She stood up and peeked out. Both Abraham and Derrick turned toward her, and Ste bolted toward Abraham, running faster than a rabbit. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but twitch his lips as he watched Ste¡¯s swift escape. After running all night, does this girl¡¯s legs ever get tired! Abraham tossed the phone to Abel behind him and caught Ste with one arm. The familiar scent wrapped around her, and Ste finally felt at ease. Abraham, I¡¯m so scared,¡± Ste choked out. When she had seen Derrick earlier, she feared he would take her to some ce where Abraham couldn¡¯t find her. She was terrified of being separated from him again for years. Abraham listened to her fragile voice, squeezing her thin back, his gaze at Derrick darkening. He whispered into Ste¡¯s ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Mm She just wanted to go home¨Cto Falvaria, where she could find Evelyn. Abraham lowered his head and kissed Ste¡¯s forehead, offering herfort. But from across the car hood, Derrick¡¯s cold smille grew as he saw their intimate exchange. The gleam in his eyes turned to ice Just as Abraham was about to leave with Ste, Derrick spoke up, That¡¯s my fianc¨¦e, Mr. Abraham. Where are you taking her? Mr. Abraham. In Falvaria, everyone addressed Abraham as ¡°Mr. Abraham, but Derrick was the only one who called him just ¡°Abraham.¡± Yet now, that ¡°Mr. Abraham¡± seemed to further widen the rift in their already fractured rtionship. Send Gifts The wrong girl 297 Chapter 297 You Are Not My Friend. ¡°Back when Mr. Kevin was still alive, he personally made that decision with my father. You could say it was something agreed upon between elders¡­ Derrick started to say. Bang! There was a loud noise as Abraham suddenly swung his arm back and fired blindly. If Derrick hadn¡¯t dodged fast enough, that shot would¡¯ve cracked his skull open. Derrick gritted his teeth and red at Abraham. Abraham didn¡¯t turn around, but that made the warning even clearer. He was telling Derrick that he would kill him. Abraham said coldly. ¡°Surprised you still call him your father. After everything that¡¯s happened. I thought you were ready to im you¡¯re no longer part of the Tom family¡± Sebastian¡¯s breath hitched. He stared at Abraham¡¯s back, stunned. Does Abraham already know everything? If he did, that would only make the reason for hunting Derrick these past two years even more solid. After all, no one in all of Falvaria had ever dared to use Abraham Back then. Derrick had stirred up that scandal because of his dad¡¯s illegitimate child. He had orchestrated the whole thing- used Abraham¡¯s hand to bring down the Tom family. In Derrick¡¯s mind. if his dad wasn¡¯t going to leave the Tom family to him, then that bastard child wasn¡¯t getting anything either. So Derrick went for the kill. And Abraham had flown into a rage because of it Derrick let out a coldugh. ¡°Do you think you can take her off my turf? Abraham, this is my territory!¡± he said, spitting out each word with chilling rity. With the massive group of bodyguards behind him, the pressure was overwhelming. If he gave the order, Abraham wouldn¡¯t get Ste out so easily. Ste clung tightly to Abraham¡¯s shirt, hiding in his arms. ¡°Abraham she called out in a worried voice. Clearly, thest separation had left her shaken. But now, facing Derrick¡¯s threat, she was even more afraid of a violent sh. Abraham lowered his head, looking at the terrified Ste. His lips pressed into a thin line. Then he turned and looked back at Derrick. ¡°Monroe met with Aberwin an hour ago,¡± he said. The moment the words What did you do?¡± Abraham¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk. He didn¡¯t answer¨Cbut that silence said everything. It was about him. Still holding Ste, he got into the car Derrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°Abraham, don¡¯t you know? You don¡¯t mess with your friend¡¯s woman.¡± Abraham replied calmly, ¡°She¡¯s not your woman. And you¡¯re not¡­ Abel and the rest of the bodyguards kept a close eye on Derrick and his men. Moving cautiously, they all got into the car together. The car started, turned around, and sped off Derrick squinted at the retreating vehicle, pulled out his phone, and made a call No one knew what the other side said, but his already dark expression turned even colder¨Cdownright terrifying. When the call ended, he smashed the phone to the ground in fory. It shattered into pieces instantly. Sebastian asked, ¡°What did Monroe say?¡± Monroe was a critical business partner, and after the Tom family¡¯s copse, he was the first to agree to work with Derrick. Derrick lifted his eyes with a frozen stare, watching the direction Abraham and Ste had gone. ¡°Heh. Do you think he¡¯d walk into danger alone for no reason?¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°Did he hit their base?¡± Derrick shook his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t take it out. But it¡¯s not much better than that.¡± His voice carried a sharp edge of frustration. Sebastian¡¯s expression shifted¨Che was starting to understand. ¡°Something changed on Monroe¡¯s side? Derrick sneered. ¡°I was nning to get that thing back, Heh.¡± Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched. He thought about how Ste had been hiding nearby earlier, with that quick wit of hers. ¡°Wait, why does it feel like we tried to score big and ended up with nothing?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Derrick shot him a cold re, turned, and got into the car without answering. Sebastian pouted. He didn¡¯t think he was wrong. From the beginning, this whole n to snatch Ste felt off. And Derrick had insisted on getting that item back. Maybe it really was important, or maybe he just wanted to see Ste again. No one could say for sure. The moment Derrick found our Ste was with Abraham, he left Pagena without a second thought. Meanwhile, in the car. After getting in, Abraham never let go of Ste. She sat quietly on hisp, still in his arms. Unlike before, she didn¡¯t even try to pull away. The wrong girl 298 Chapter 298 It Is Over Ste stayed quietly in Abraham¡¯s arms, her tiny hands still clutching tightly to his cor, like a frightened kitten. Even after they boarded the ne, she refused to leave his embrace and clung to him the entire time. Abraham gently held her soft little hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. It¡¯s over,¡± he said softly. Suddenly, Ste burst into tears. As soon as Abraham pried her hand off his shirt, she threw both arms around his neck, crying so hard she could barely breathe. 1 ¡°I thought that b¡°stard Derrick was going to separate us again. I thought I¡¯d never see you again¡­. Abel quickly stepped out of the lounge. Abraham patted Ste¡¯s back, coaxing her like a child. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Owen¡¯s already been punished, alright?¡± ¡°Owen? Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked through her tears. She had no idea who that was. ¡°Security head at Seats Cove, Abraham exined. Ste paused, stunned. Ol¡­ ¨C ¡°Still, it was really Derrick being too sneaky. You didn¡¯t have toe down so hard on your own man,¡± she muttered. Clearly, Derrick had nned this whole thing from the beginning. Abrahamughed. Even though they hadn¡¯t been separated long this time, Ste had still been terrified. She tried everything she could to reach Abraham. She was scared things would go back to how they were before¨Cseparated for too long. Abraham lowered his head and kissed her. Ste lightly scratched the center of his palm. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± she whispered. ¡°Mhm,¡± he answered simply, but his movements deepened. The air between them grew hotter by the second. Just as Abraham was about to lose control, Abel knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± The temperature dropped instantly. Ste jumped like a startled rabbit and dove into Abraham¡¯s arms. His expression didn¡¯t look any better. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked coldly. ¡°There¡¯s a situation, Abel replied from outside. Abraham frowned and nced down at Ste in his arms. Ste stiffened the moment she heard ¡®a situation.¡± What kind of trouble could there be in Pagena? is it Derrick again? What a heartless b*stard! I should¡¯ve just let his own dog take a chunk out of him. Abraham gentlyid her down on the small bed. ¡°Get some rest, or take a shower?¡± They had been on the move for over a day, and Ste had been on edge the whole time. But when she heard him say branches had scratched at her constantly. She¡¯d done her best to protect her face, but her clothes were a disaster. She rushed into the bathroom in the lounge to wash up. She had no idea what situation Abel meant. When she came out, Abraham was already back She thought he¡¯d take longer, and she had washed up quickly, so she assumed he hadn¡¯t returned yet¨Cshe walked outpletely naked, The moment she saw Abraham, her body froze again. Instinctively, she turned to back in. Abraham was briefly stunned too, then realized what was happening and saw her trying to retreat. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he said, voice low and rough. ¡°Why are you running? Come here.¡± Ste covered herself with both hands, ignored him, and rushed straight back into the bathroom. When she came out again, she was wrapped tightly in two towels¨Cone around her chest, one around her waist. Abraham looked at her pale, slender legs, and her little toes, still red and plump from the heat. He smiled faintly. ¡°Whatever I n to do, Star, do you think you can hide from it?¡± Ste clutched the towel like it was armor. It looked like she had locked herself in with it. I¡¯m still injured.¡± she stammered. ¡°Seriously. And it¡¯s your fault.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re nning to use that as a shield for the rest of your life?¡± He stepped forward and yanked her straight into his arms. Ste squirmed ¡°No. I mean, I just¡­ it still hurts. I can¡¯t. She was so nervous she couldn¡¯t even speak properly. This is Pagena, she blurted. ¡°We¡¯re still on Derrick¡¯s turf. We have to get out of this heartless b¡¯stard¡¯snd fast.¡± Heartless ¡°stand? So that¡¯s that she calls Derrick! The smile on Abraham¡¯s lips deepened. ¡°So in your heart, he¡¯s really that bads ¡°He is that bad,¡± Ste snapped. If it weren¡¯t for him, she and Abraham wouldn¡¯t have been separated for so long. That se mbag had even tried to kick Abraham while he was down during the Dawson family¡¯s internal mess. Abraham lifted her into his arms. At some point, he had a towel in hand, and he began gently drying her hair. The wrong girl 299 Chapter 299 I Will Go With You Ste leanedfortably against Abraham¡¯s chest. Just like when she was little, whenever Abraham helped dry her hair, she always sat still without moving Abraham looked down and saw the tip of her small, cute nose, slightly flushed. Her round checks, already soft with baby fat, were now rosy and warm. Ste had already been tired, and now with Abraham massaging her like this, sleepiness quickly crept in. Abraham¡¯s gaze dropped further and noticed her towel hade loose. She had developed well over the past few years, and looking at the barely¨Ccovered curves, he couldn¡¯t help but let a faint smile curl at theer of his lips. No one knew what new thoughts had just taken root in Abraham¡¯s heart. Completely unaware, Stezily spoke, ¡°Abel said there¡¯s a situation. Was it that heartless b¡¯stard Derrick again causing trouble ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare now,¡± Abraham said tly. Things had already gone wrong with Monroe, and he was swamped. He didn¡¯t have the time for anything else. Ste opened her eyes a little. Then what is it?¡± ¡°We need to head back to Rivermount.¡± Hearing that, Ste¡¯s brows twitched hard. ¡°Not going back to Falvarin? I miss Mom.¡± Ever since Evelyn had shown such a supportive attitude over the phone, Ste had started feeling a lot more at ease. She¡¯d wanted to go before, too, but the moment she thought about how things were progressing with Abraham, she didn¡¯t know how to face it. But Evelyn¡¯s reaction had surprised her, andforted her at the same time. Her hair was almost dry. Abraham tossed the towel aside. ¡°Do you want me to take you back first?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. Abraham said, ¡°Something came up. I need to head out. It won¡¯t take more than a few days.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Ste said softly, her voice sweet and gentle as her arms wrapped around his lean waist.. She really did miss Evelyn, but she also truly didn¡¯t want to be apart from Abraham. Hearing her mutter and grumble in that half¨Casleep voice, a mischievous smirk tugged at the man¡¯s lips. He scooped her up. and tossed her onto the small bed, following right after with a dominant move. T Meanwhile, over in Rivermount, Ethan rushed to Seats Cove the moment he heard about the intense shootout that happened therest night. But by the time he arrived, the ce had already been cleaned up. Everything lookedpletely normal. Just then, Tessa happened to be walking out. at Seats Cove.. By the time she woke up in the morning, the ce had been restored like nothing had ever happened. Seeing Ethan, Tessa frowned. ¡°What are you doing here pretending to care?¡± Not even if she were dead would Tessa believe Ethan actually cared about Ste¡¯s well¨Cbeing. Ethan¡¯s face, already grim, darkened even more. He gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m asking you! How is she?¡± His eyes had turned cold. Tessa¡¯s patience ran out. ¡°What does it matter to you? Ethan, you¡¯ve already got Lillian in your heart, don¡¯t go stuffing Star in there too. Star would think it¡¯s filthy. And she doesn¡¯t need it.¡± Ethan¡¯s breathing grew ragged. His fists clenched. ¡°I just want to know if she¡¯s okay.¡± Tessa snapped back. ¡°People always wait until they lose something to realize they care. But Star was never yours to begin with With that, she turned and walked off, not bothering to say another word to him. When Abraham came back to Rivermount, Tessa had already seen things clearly. Even if Lillian didn¡¯t return, Ste would never end up with Ethan. Especially when she remembered the wedding dress Ste had tried on. Tessa had overheard something that day- something about the dress being designed by a certainpany. At the time, she hadn¡¯t thought much of it. But now that she thought back, it didn¡¯t seem like Ste went to try on the dress because of Ethan. It was because that wedding dress was designed by a particrpany. And from how it looked, thatpany was very likely connected to Abraham. Ethan was an idiot. He never gave Ste his real heart And back then, Tessa had even felt sorry for Ste for a long time. But now that she saw things clearly, it turned out Ste never gave him her heart either. ¡°Star¡¯s really something. Tessa muttered to herself as she drove. Ethan stood in the cold wind, wanting to go inside to check, but the guards didn¡¯t budge an inch. When Eddie came out, he saw Ethan¡¯s guy, Jason, still arguing with the security team. Eddie didn¡¯t want to get involved at first. But thinking about how furious Abraham had been this time, he figured something major was bound to happen now that they were back in Rivermount. He finally pulled his car over and rolled the window halfway down. The wrong girl 300 Chapter 300 Do You Care? Eddie and Ethan locked eyes. Eddie said. ¡°Are you here for Star?¡± Hearing how Eddie addressed Ste, Ethan felt another wave of pressure in his chest. Just from how Abraham¡¯s people referred to Ste, it was clear what kind of position she held in the Luke family. Ethan forced down the difort in his chest. ¡°How is she?¡± Seeing that Ethan had already heard, Eddie¡¯s face turned serious as he said, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Dawson family. Her safety isn¡¯t your concern.¡± Ethan fell silent. Daughter of the Dawson family? They had once believed she was raised by some rural family¨Cunloved, unwanted, and poorly brought up. But now, she turned out to be one of the daughters of the famous Dawson family of Falvaria The Dawson family¡¯s eldest daughter. Marie, often bragged about her sweet little sister, Ms. Dawson. Eddie added, ¡°Mr. Keene, let me remind you. You don¡¯t deserve Star. The Luke family won¡¯t allow it.¡± She was the little princess of the Dawson family. The one called Ms. Dawson in Falvaria, the sister Marie took everywhere. She had never been bullied in her life. But aftering to Rivermount¡­ ¡°She has nothing to do with you anymore. Don¡¯t look for her again. Ethan¡¯s breath hitched. Hearing those words from Eddie, he didn¡¯t know why, but it felt like a chunk had been hollowed out from his chest. No blood, no wound, just pain straight to the bone. Eddie drove of Jason approached nervously behind Ethan. ¡°Sir, the family doctor called. He said he¡¯s afraid to go to the Reed family¡± Right now, over at the Reed family, byth Lillian and Jonathan urgently needed medical help¨Cone seriously ill, the other badly injured. But in all of Rivermount, no hospital dared take them in. Not even a single doctor dared to visit. Ethan had no choice but to go against Madeline¡¯s wishes and send the Keene family¡¯s private doctor over And now, Abraham clearly wanted to cut off all paths for the Reed family¨Cand honestly, the Keene family wasn¡¯t doing much. better now. ¡°Call from Ms. Lillian¡± Jason¡¯s phone vibrated. He nced at the screen and handed it to Ethan. Ethan took it and answered. Lillian¡± ¡°Ethan, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to make it,¡± Lillian said painfully over the phone. Her voice was weak¨Cnot pretending, but genuinely in pain, struggling. She truly regretted what she had done to Ste. Ethan closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll. I¡¯ll try to figure something out.¡± Not just from her nose¨Cdown there too. Lillian was terrified. If this dragged on any longer, she would really die.. After hanging up, Ethan went mad again trying to reach Ste, but her phone wouldn¡¯t go through. Because of recent events, the security team was also on full lockdown. On the private jet, Abraham was already seething with rage when his phone suddenly rang.. Ste was lying in his arms. Hearing the vibration, she pushed him, ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing ¡°Leave it, the man said hoarsely, like his voice had been scorched by fire. But the phone kept ringing Ste said. Just answer it. It might be important.¡± She was actually afraid it was Derrick. That heartless man hadn¡¯t yet left Pagena¡¯s airspace, Because Abraham might receive criticalmunications at any time, his ne had been specially outfitted. With Ste insisting, he finally got up in frustration, nced at the screen, it was an unknown number. He answered. ¡°Speak One cold word, like a de to the throat. ¡°Mr. Abraham, it¡¯s me,¡± Ethan¡¯s voice came through the phone, The volume wasn¡¯t low. Ste, still in bed, heard it too. What the hell? Is Ethan out of his mind? At the same time, Abraham¡¯s brow tightened sharply. ¡°What is it?¡± The moment he spoke, a dangerous air spread through the signal. The pressure was so intense, the line fell silent for a second. Just as Abraham lost patience and was about to hang up, Ethan spoke again. ¡°The Reed family is still Ste¡¯s family. Must you really destroy them all? They desperately need a doctor. Ethan had no choice. He couldn¡¯t reach Ste at all. She had blocked him before, and now, no borrowed number worked. She had probably changed her number. Abraham gave a low, mockingugh. ¡°Family? Star, do you care?¡± He turned to Ste, and the aura in his voice over the phone grew visibly more dangerous, 2 The wrong girl 301 Chapter 301 A Bloodline That Means Nothing Ste shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± That kind of bloodline only brought suffocation by its very existence. After the Reed family had spent thest two years trying to hunt me down, now they wanted to talk about blood ties? Ethan¡¯s breathing on the other end of the line tightened noticeably. It was as if he hadn¡¯t understood what Ste had just said. He said in a suppressed voice, ¡°The Reed family has someone now. Her biological brother.¡± Abraham chuckled darkly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Star just said? She doesn¡¯t need this, and besides, do you even have the right to talk about family ties?¡± He emphasized the words ¡°family ties with a tone full of mockery and disdain. Ethan caught that tone too and immediately understood what Abraham meant. It was a jab at how the Reed family had failed to distinguish who really mattered when it came to Lillian and Ste. Ethan¡¯s grip on the phone tightened. ¡°Lillian grew up in the Reed family. Of course there¡¯s an emotional bond.¡± Emotional attachment, huh? It was understandable that they cared about Lillian, but when it came to Ste, all they¡¯d shown was ruthless intent. And now they expected me to show mercy out of respect for their blood connection? Abraham let out a coldugh. ¡°If the Reed family weren¡¯t her blood rtives, maybe things could have ended cleaner.¡± Ste¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly at these words. Even Ethan was stunned for a moment. Without another word, Abraham hung up coldly. Talking to someone like Ethan is a waste of breath. He tossed the phone aside and climbed back into bed, pulling Ste into his arms in one swift motion. ¡°Star. Chapter 301 A Bloodline That Means Nothing madness. After years of holding back, he finally didn¡¯t have to anymore¡­. 8 Pearls The cold wind was howling outside. Ethan felt as if the cold had prated to his bones. The beep of the disconnected call echoed in his ears, leaving his mind nk. If we weren¡¯t her blood rtives, maybe it would have been easier¡­ Either way, it led to death? Without blood ties, it would¡¯ve just been faster. So that was what Mr. Abraham meant? Jason approached him. ¡°Mr. Keene, Ms. Dawson has already left Rivermount.¡± It had taken a lot of effort to get this information from the security team. It was really difficult. Any news about Ste was almost impossible for us to get now. We couldn¡¯t contact her; we couldn¡¯t see her. She used to be someone we could reach at any time, and now it was as if she had disappeared into a bottomless abyss. Ethan shivered with cold. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°Right after the incident,¡± Jason answered. Ethan remained silent. Ste was no longer in Rivermount. That meant I had no way of finding her, let alone saying anything to her face. His expression became more tense. Abraham¡¯s words on the phone earlier had made it very clear, the Reed family wasn¡¯t going to get through this easily. But Lillian couldn¡¯t wait any longer¡­ I visited her yesterday. The moment I entered her room, I felt an overwhelming sense of lifelessness. She is still alive, but the room feels colder than a tomb. Jason added, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s gone back to Falvaria.¡± Fahuria? Chapter 301 A Bloodline That Means Nothing It reminded Ethan that Ste had grown up with the Scott family. She had gone back. And with that, the distance between us had grown even more immeasurable. Finally, Ethan returned to the Reed mansion. The moment he stepped inside, he heard Susan screaming at Patrick, ¡°Why¡­ why would you do this to me? When did you and this woman start? You even had children with her, twins! Patrick Reed, what do you take me for? I have given everything to this family all these years, and this is how you repay me? Why would you do this?¡± Susan was hysterical, falling apart. Patrick was full of disgust. ¡°What have you ever given to this family? Since the day we got married, you¡¯ve never worked a day, you¡¯ve never suffered. You¡¯ve lived the life of a rich woman for years, and now you can¡¯t even keep peace among the children in this house.¡± He thought of the recent losses thepany had suffered, all because of Ste. And it was all Susan¡¯s fault, in his eyes. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t done enough? You know exactly how Ste is! And now you¡¯re ming it all. on me? Susan had gonepletely crazy. She was shaking with rage at the thought of those twins. He had been right under my eyes, and yet I hadn¡¯t known a thing, not even when he had been involved with thepany¡¯s finances. And note he is denying everything she has done all these years. Patrick gave her a cold look. ¡°Whatever she became, you¡¯re the one who gave birth to her. And you¡¯re the one who pushed her to this point.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 302 Chapter 302 Torn Bonds and Hidden mes ¡°Is this all my fault?¡± Susan was getting crazy. Patrick replied. ¡°If it¡¯s not your fault, whose is it? Even Jonathan is suffering because of you.¡± The mention of his eldest son, Jonathan Reed, brought a look of deep anguish to Patrick¡¯s face. Jonathan was in terrible shape. If he didn¡¯t get proper treatment, there was a real chance he would be permanently disabled. ¡°If he ends up with a disability because of this¡­¡± Patrick didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but Susan understood all too well what he meant. There can be no disabled heir in the Reed family. s been only Jonathan There had So what did he mean now? That he was paving the way for his illegitimate son? Susan turned pale with anger. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s being unreasonable! You had an affair and a child with another woman, and now I¡¯m the one who has to exin myself?* She screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria. But Patrick just scoffed, gave her a look of pure disgust, then turned and walked away without another word. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± Susan called after him. His answer was just to m the door behind him as he left. She wanted to run after him, but her legs felt heavy as lead. She copsed to the floor, her whole body shaking as she burst into sobs. ¡°Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why is this happening to me?¡± I¡¯m getting old. And now, in myter years, I have to go through this? What had I done to deserve such cruelty? Ethan stood in the foyer and watched her fall apart. Being of the younger generation, he knew better than to say anything He just turned and went upstairs to find Lillian. ID 55 AM Chapter 302 Torn Bonds and Hidden mes Ethan hesitated, then entered. Jonathan forced a bitter smile. ¡°You heard everything, didn¡¯t you?¡± The shouting downstairs had been loud enough for anyone to hear. I had never imagined¡­ The family I had always proudly portrayed as harmonious was actually like this. A set of twins. The illegitimate son. All of this had happened right under my eyes, and I hadn¡¯t known. Ethan sat down on the sofa near the bed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry the burden of the older generation¡¯s mistakes.¡± ¡°That woman¡­ she even had a son.¡± Jonathan said. Ethan fell silent. The news had hit him too suddenly. He hadn¡¯t had time to fully process it. From the way Patrick usually behaved, he had never seemed like someone who would go for this type. ¡°How did Madam Susan find out?¡± Ethan asked, turning to Jonathan. Jonathan fell silent. How did she know? +8 Pearls Then he scoffed. ¡°How do you think? Everything that¡¯s happened with Stetely, obviously this is her revenge on the Reed family. She¡¯s tearing her own parents apart.¡± He gritted his teeth at the mention of Ste¡¯s name. She is my biological sister, and yet she treats me like this. The pain from his wounds red up again, fueling his hatred for her. Ethan didn¡¯t say anything, but hearing her name also stirred a deep irritation in him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the way she and Mr. Abraham are acting doesn¡¯t really feel like how siblings would act?¡± Jonathan looked at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Didn¡¯t act like siblings? Lihan ramam nharad the trana ha had Vineeton Haishte Aleikuming out of 10:55 AM Chapter 302 Torn Bonds and Hidden mes No normal brother and sister would act like that. That was crystal clear. +8 Pearls Jonathan didn¡¯t have the energy to dwell on Ste and Abraham¡¯s rtionship. He thought for a moment and then said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rumors. Apparently she has a fianc¨¦ back in Falvaria.¡± Ethan¡¯s face darkened even more. ¡°She has a fianc¨¦ in Falvaria?¡± That shameless woman. His chest burned with anger, as if he were about to cough up blood. Jonathan added. ¡°I think it¡¯s someone from the Tom family. Mr. Derrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e, apparently.¡± The second most powerful family in Falvaria? Mr. Derrick? A cold light shed in Ethan¡¯s eyes. Jonathan¡¯s whole demeanor had be more lifeless. He hadn¡¯t expected that behind Ste stood not only Abraham but the entire Scott family¡­ and even Derrick Tom, that notorious yboy. Meanwhile, on the ne, Abraham, usually the embodiment of self¨Ccontrol, hadpletely lost it. The temperature in the private cabin soared. And the closer they got to the end¡­ Ste¡¯s voice became more and more desperate. ¡°I don¡¯t want this! Let me go, please¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Crying, pleading, and whispered sobs. But even with tears streaming down her face, for once Abraham didn¡¯t give in. The wrong girl 303 Chapter 303 Her Escape, His Possession Nearly two hours passed before Abraham finally let go of Ste, after she had screamed herself hoarse. She copsed in his arms, drenched in sweat. Her almond eyes were filled with resentment. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re unbelievable¡­ How could you be so horrible?¡± This devil. How did hee up with so many tricks? Why hadn¡¯t I realized how evil he could be before? Abraham looked perfectly satisfied. He let out a deep chuckle, then carried her straight to the bathroom. When they came out after washing up, Ste was already in bed, too exhausted to move. Abraham pulled her back into his arms. ¡°Now are you going to tell me how you managed to escape from his vi?¡± Derrick¡¯s ce wasn¡¯t exactly imprable, but it was close enough. With so many guards stationed, it wouldn¡¯t have been an exaggeration to say that even a fly couldn¡¯t slip out unnoticed. And yet Ste had managed to run that far,pletely shaking off his people. Snuggling into his arms, she replied hoarsely, ¡°They were all distracted by the barking dogs. Of course they didn¡¯t pay any attention to me.¡± Abraham blinked. ¡°Barking dogs?¡± Well, that was interesting. Ste said, ¡°The dogs were going crazy. Loud and chaotic. Of course they had to go check it out.¡± While they were all busy watching the chaos, I made myself move and slipped away. Abraham tweaked her little nose. ¡°I underestimated your endurance.¡± Even the driver couldn¡¯t catch her, and she was on foot. Ste shifted into a morefortable position in his arms. ¡°You chased the dogs for an hour. There was no way the dogs were going to stay on the main road. I had wanted to exhaust Derrick and his cold¨Chearted thugs Chapter 303 Het Escape. His Possession 48 Pears But when they finally caught up with me, it must have been because they got desperate chasing the dog and finally drew their guns. Abraham froze. His eyes fell to the little girl in his arms, whose breathing had already settled into a slow, peaceful rhythm. From her scattered words, Abraham was able to piece together what must have happened. Derrick¡¯s obsession with dogs¡­ it happened to tie in with the harsh training Ste had endured from Marie for that one month Animal talk. When humans can¡¯t help you, you have to rely on any living thing that can understand you. ¡°Abraham, Ste murmured. She had closed her eyes but suddenly looked up at him, her gaze dreamy under the dim orange glow of the light. Her delicate face seemed even sotter in this light. ¡°What is it? ¡°Hold me. I never want to be separated from you again.¡± Clearly, even this brief separation had left another deep scar on her heart. Abraham felt something tighten in his chest. He held her even closer. He nted a soft kiss on her forehead. ¡°Sleep now, sweetheart.¡± His voice held the unique softness he had only ever reserved for her. Back at the Reed Mansion, after chatting with Jonathan for a while, Ethan went to see Lillian. The whole situation left him feeling both angry and helpless. Abraham had crushed the Reed family with one hand. All our avenues of escape had been cut off. Susan had begged almost every woman of influence she knew for help But none of them were willing to lift a finger. When Ethan went to Lillian¡¯s room, the door was closed. But he could hear her arguing w someone inside. The voice was loud. Chapter 303 Her Escape, His Possession Unlike at the hospital, Ethan didn¡¯t barge in. Instead, he put his car to the door. Lillian waspletely oblivious. +8 Pearls Inside she screamed, ¡°Ha, you think I¡¯m scared now? I¡¯m telling you, I might as well die. Go ahead and expose everything; at least it¡¯ll all red now? I¡¯m t She was really losing it. be over. Ste was closing in on me from one side, and now this kidnapper was threatening me from the other. On top of that, I was in constant physical pain. What had I done to deserve such a punishment? All I wanted was to keep what I had. Was that so wrong? ¡°The Reed family treats you so well, and you think they¡¯ll let you die? Cut the crap. I want 280,000 dors.¡± The kidnapper didn¡¯t believe a word of it. Everyone in Rivermount knew she was the most established adopted daughter in town. When she heard 280,000 dors, Lillian¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°280,000 dors? You¡¯ve got some nerve. The car crash job was already paid in full. This is ckmail.¡± The kidnapper fell silent. ¡°And don¡¯t forget, I wanted Ste dead back then. Did you kill her?¡± Her voice broke into a screech as she shouted. Everything had gone wrong because Ste was still alive. If she had died in that crash, none of this would be happening to me now. The wrong girl 304 Chapter 304 Caught Red¨CHanded ¡°I wanted Ste Dawson dead. You didn¡¯t deliver, and I still paid you everything we agreed upon. Now you dare to ckmail me?¡± Lillian shouted at the person on the other end of the line. Just as the words left her mouth, the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, mming against the wall so hard it echoed through the room. Lillian was still on the phone when the sound startled her into silence, Her pupils shrank as she looked toward the doorway. The moment her gaze met Ethan¡¯s stormy eyes, her mind wentpletely nk. Ethan¡¯s gaze was filled with a sharp, suffocating rage, the kind that swallows everything whole. Lillian felt as if her breath had been stolen from her, her blood rushed backwards, and her whole world turned white. Meanwhile, the voice on the other end of the line continued. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want 280,000 dors. If you don¡¯t pay, I¡¯ll give Mr. Keene the proof that you tried to kill Ste Dawson. Wasn¡¯t Mr. Keene once her fianc¨¦? Let him see what a venomous woman you really are. Let him hear how you plotted to kill his¡­¡± Before the caller could finish, Lillian panicked and abruptly hung up. Her entire body shook as she stared at Ethan, her lips trembling as she tried to form words. ¡°Ethan, I¡­ I¡­¡± I what? Her mind was a chaotic mess. One look at Ethan¡¯s face told her everything. He had heard everything. It¡¯s over¡­ Those words repeated endlessly in her mind. She took a shaky breath. ¡°You¡­ you have to listen to me. It¡¯s not what you think. You¡­¡± Ethan stared at her, cold and distant. His icy gaze could freeze the whole world. Before Lillian could finish her sentence, he turned away without a word, full of coldness and disappointment. The door mmed behind him with a deafening bang. Chapter 304 Caught Red¨CHanded. inside her had suddenly copsed. +8 Pearls Downstairs, Susan had calmed down a bit and was considering her next move when she saw Ethaning down the stairs. Instinctively, she stood up and called out, ¡°Ethan!¡± But hepletely ignored her and headed straight for the front door, his entire body radiating at terrifying coldness. Susan was stunned. Il¡¯hat¡¯s wrong? She nced toward the stairs, hesitated for a moment, and then rushed upstairs to check on Lillian. She found her sobbing uncontrobly on the bed. Susan¡¯s heart tightened. She hurried forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened to Ethan?¡± Lillian threw herself into Susan¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom, Ethan doesn¡¯t want me anymore. He doesn¡¯t want me.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°He left. He¡¯s nevering back,¡± Lillian said in utter despair. The Reed family is already in chaos. Ethan is the only person I can count on. And now he is gone. He had heard everything. Everything. And he hadn¡¯t even given me a chance to exin. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Susan was shaken to her core. If Ethan were finished with Lillian, it would be catastrophic. The Reed family was in no position to take another blow. These women I had counted on? They had all shown their true colors and refused to help. Lillian couldn¡¯t even put it into words. All she could manage was, ¡°It¡¯s Ste. It¡¯s always Ste. She took Ethan from me. Mom, she already has Mr. Abraham. Why does she have to take Ethan too? I have nothing left. Why does she keep doing this to me?¡± Her tears flowed like broken pearls. 10.58 AM Chapter 304 Caught Red¨CHanded Her again. It¡¯s her again. That wretched girl. Why didn¡¯t she just get rid of her the moment she was born? Susan was seething. Lillian choked back a sob. ¡°I¡¯m dying. Mom. I really can¡¯t take it anymore. I can feel it; my body is at its limit. There really isn¡¯t much time left. IfI don¡¯t get treatment soon, I will die. The whole room was filled with her desperation and Susan¡¯s anger. ¡°I already am, and she still won¡¯t let me go. She even took Ethan.¡± The despair and hatred in Lillian¡¯s heart had reached a boiling point.. +B Pearls After an eight¨Chour flight. Ste had slept the entire time in Abraham¡¯s arms, peaceful and soft, which made her all the more irresistible.. At one point Abraham lost control and teased her again. She fought back fiercely, even biting his shoulder.. But it didn¡¯t hurt Abraham at all. Send Gifts The wrong girl 305 Chapter 305 Back to Chaos. The moment the nended, they were both jolted awake. Ste blinked her sleepy eyes open and looked at Abraham, still a little dazed. In the next second, she crawled into his arms and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Im hungry.¡± She hadn¡¯t eaten much since Derrick had taken her. And after boarding the ne, she had been too exhausted to notice. Now that she¡¯d had some rest, her stomach finally reminded her how empty it was. Abraham raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hungry again?¡± His tone rose slightly, suggestive and full of hidden meaning. The moment Ste heard that voice, she knew he was letting his mind wander again, definitely somewhere indecent. Annoyed, she reached out and pinched his waist hard. ¡°I mean food.¡± Abraham caught her mischievous little hand and kissed her palm gently. He looked at her soft, pale hand, reddened at the center, a grin ying on his lips ¨C clearly up no good. Ste stammered, ¡°T¨CI¡­ She jerked her hand back and quickly hid it. That evil man¡­ Seeing her confused face, Abraham chuckled and kissed her forehead. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°Broth. Since my arrival in Rivermount, broth had be my favorite. Abraham paused, then smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re easier to please now.¡± She used to be the most spoiled little princess in Falvaria. When had she ever eaten something so simple? Ste snuggled back into his arms and murmured, ¡°Shall we? I¡¯m so tired; I need a reward. Chapter 305 Back to Chaos Abraham¡¯s throat tightened. Then he pushed her gently away and sat up. ¡°Let¡¯s get up.¡± If we didn¡¯t, we¡¯d be on the ne for hours. Ste sulked but slowly climbed out of bed. Abraham brought her fresh clothes. +8 Pearls Her cheeks flushed pink as she obediently let him help her into a sweater, slipping her hands into the sleeves. Worried that she might catch a chill, he even added a vest underneath before putting on her coat. I can dress myself, Ste said quietly. Abraham paused. Then his smile deepened. He rubbed the top of her soft head. ¡°I forgot you grew up.¡± Ste fell silent. How could you forget? Wasn¡¯t he the one who treated me like a woman just now? And now he suddenly remembered that I was grown up? She remembered when she was little and always half asleep before school. He dressed me every morning. Even though I¡¯m always , I somehow never managed to get up on time. Just as Abraham finished dressing her, Abel knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Abraham, are you awake?¡± During the entire flight, no one had dared to approach or interrupt them. Abraham walked over and opened the door. Abel bowed respectfully. ¡°We have a problem.¡± Abraham frowned, looked back at Ste, and then stepped out with Abel. Meanwhile, Ste finished pulling on her pants and socks. There was a brand new phone on the dresser, clearly arranged for her by Abraham. She picked it up and called Tessa. When Tessa answered, she panicked and asked about Ste¡¯s condition. After hearing that she was fina che want stright into marrin Chapter BOS Back to Chaca +B Pearls family fortune. And Reba is trying to force her way into the Reed mansion. She¡¯s furious about Jonathan and Lillian¡¯s situation. If she really moves in, it¡¯ll be total chaos. Lillian won¡¯tst a day. Reba might even kill her!¡± Just listening to Tessa, Ste could imagine how chaotic things were at the Reed mansion right TOW She remembered the video of Reba tearing Sharon Parker apart. Lillian¡¯s maniptive charmbined with Reba¡¯s no¨Cnonsense attitude? Explosive. Jonathan and Lillian needed a doctor. And now that Susan knew about the twins, Reba added to the storm. It was as if someone was taking Susan apart piece by piece. What the Reed family needs most right now is a doctor, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ste said. Both Lillian and Jonathan were at the mansion, trying to get through by sheer force of will. Jonathan might be able to hold out. But Lillian¡­ her condition was much more precarious. Tessa said. ¡°Now that you mention doctors, something happened. Yesterday Ethan went against Madam Madeline¡¯s wishes and tried to get her family doctor to treat Lillian and Jonathan. But guess what happened today?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hadn¡¯t he just tried to ask Abraham for help? But apparently neither I nor Abraham could help them anymore. The wrong girl 306 Chapter 306 The Pot Smashed and Secrets Spilled Tessa said. ¡°Ethan went to the Reed mansion, and when he left, he kicked over the flowerpot by the front door.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What?¡± Tessa continued. ¡°It shattered. He kicked it hard, like he wanted to bring down the whole Reed house¡± ¡°What on earth made him so angry? Ste was questioned. Ethan losing it in front of the Reed mansion? That didn¡¯t sound right. No one knows exactly what happened in there, but he was angry. So wait to get home, he started to vent right there at the Reed¡¯s front gate. And you know how angry that he didn¡¯t ever protective he¡¯s always been of Lillian Reed It didn¡¯t make sense. A meltdoen like that shouldn¡¯t have only hope. And now it seemed that she had lost him as well. +8 Pearls ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s stop talking about her. You¡¯ve already had your revenge on the Reed family.¡± Ste hadn¡¯t lifted a finger the whole time, but to see that family falling apart now¡­. That karma? Brutal. Especially Lillian: Ste didn¡¯t have to do anything. Fate took care of it. Even the heavens are on Ste¡¯s side. Then Ste frowned. ¡°Wait, how do you know all this?¡± The Reed mansion is miles away from where she is, right? Tessaughed, ¡°I was out on an interview. My appointment was at one of the mansions on the Reed estate. I just happened to see Ethan storm out and send the flowerpot flying Ste gasped. ¡°!!!¡± Definitely a gossip ma. No matter where she went, drama followed. ¡°Oh, by the way. Rianne¡¯sing back. Are youing back to Rivermount? If you do, Madam Susan will definitelye after you again. But¡­ I doubt if she¡¯s got time.¡± After all, the man she¡¯d shared a bed with for decades had fathered twins with another woman. What else did she have to worry about? They chatted a bit more before hanging up. Just then, Abraham entered the room. ¡°Broth¡¯s off the table.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. What did that mean? Abraham stepped forward, gently ruffled her soft hair, and began to remove her heavy cloak. ¡°We¡¯re going to Kealis Ind. Right now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already had summer clothes delivered for you.¡± It was the height of summer on Kealis Ind. The clothes she¡¯d worn on the ne wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°But I¡¯m lunar Ste protected harmvar or avec wida unda and 10:56 AM Chapter 306 The Pot Smashed and Secrets Spilled +3 Pearls I hadn¡¯t eaten for almost two days. I¡¯d been running for so long back in Pagena, using up every ounce of energy. Not to mention the flight afterwards¡­. Just remembering those scenes made Ste give Abraham an annoyed look. ¡°I¡¯m tired, hungry¡­ and sore.¡± His gaze softened immediately. He stroked her hair again. ¡°Food¡¯s on the way ¡°Okay.¡± That is all I need to hear When Abraham gently removed the scarf from around her neck, the marks underneath were suddenly visible. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± The moment he asked, his voice became extra soft. Ste¡¯s mind went nk, and her cheeks turned crimson. This time. Abraham had been especially patient. Even though it is hard for him to control himself, he doesn¡¯t want to hurt me. In fact, he had left me with a sense of tenderness I had never known before. But his endurance¡­ that part is undeniable. Even without any visible injuries. I¡¯m still sore. The wrong girl 307 Chapter 307 Embarrassment, Pain and a Phone Call Ste flushed and shook her head quickly. Just a little sore.¡± Abraham looked at her flushed face and gently pinched her cheek. ¡°Go freshen up. Food is ready¡± With that, he turned and walked out. Ste hurried into the bathroom. When she saw her flushed cheeks in the mirror, she tapped them a few times. Then she grabbed two handfuls of cold water and sshed her face. ¡°Idiot.¡± How had I never noticed that the always stern and aloof Abraham could be so shameless? He brought it up so casually, like it was nothing. Outside, Abraham made a quick phone call to Eddie. The moment Eddie picked up the phone, he went silent for a second, then began to scold, ¡°Seriously? You raised her like a little treasure since she was a kid, and now you¡¯ve hurt her more than once.¡± Abraham snapped, ¡°Just do what I told you. Enough talk. Then he hung up. Abel stood behind him, eyes glued to the floor, pretending he hadn¡¯t heard a thing. I¡¯m struggling. Really, this isn¡¯t the kind of thing I¡¯m supposed to hear In the car, Eddie stared at his phone, hearing only the beep of a disconnected call. ¡°He¡¯s acting like I¡¯m the one who hurt her.¡± Victor, the driver, red at him. ¡°One day your mouth is going to get you killed.¡± Eddie grumbled, ¡°So I can¡¯t talk now?¡± Who did the damage here? The one who hurts gets a free pass, but the one who talks gets punished? ¡°Stop in 200 meters. There¡¯s a pharmacy ahead.¡± 10:56 AM Chapter 307 Embarrassment, Pain and a Phone Call Abraham in the shower. That man¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say an average person couldn¡¯t handle it, let alone someone as delicate as Ste. +8 Pearis Ste finished washing up and was about to leave when her phone rang again. It was Tessa. ¡°Hey, Tess.¡± ¡°Star, someone¡¯s hugging my legs. Tessa said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It is Madam Susan. She wants to talk to you. If you don¡¯t want to, just say so, and I¡¯ll throw her off me right now.¡± Tessa was furious. Who would do such a thing? I¡¯m seriously tempted to push Susan Carter out the door. She had always imed to be the most dignified Madam Susan. Was this dignity? Ste replied tly. ¡°Throw her out.¡± She hung up immediately. If Susan was reaching out now, it could only be because of Lillian Either that, or she is looking for someone to me for the Reed family¡¯s current mess, and I¡¯m the easiest target. I¡¯m practically flying high at this moment. I¡¯m not going to let Susan¡¯s venom ruin my mood. She stepped out of the lounge. Even though she had sshed cold water on her face, her cheeks were still red and burning a little. She grabbed more cold water and sshed herself again At the dining table, Abraham sat with a ss of red wine and a simple steak in front of him. Ste had more on her te¨Csteak, pasta, and some mashed Che mead in how this kind of food, but now cha Chapter 307 Embarrassment, Pain and a Phone Call Abraham cut the steak for her.. As she sat down, he said gently. ¡°Start with the mashed corn.¡± She¡¯d gone too long without eating. Eating too quickly could upset her stomach. +8 Pearls But before he could finish his sentence, Ste had already picked up a spoon and started eating. She really was starving. Just then. Victor and Eddie boarded the ne and immediately saw her wolfing down the food. Eddie clicked his tongue. ¡°Derrick was technically your fianc¨¦. And he didn¡¯t even feed you? The air in the cabin fell silent. All eves turned to Eddie. Abel was sure that one day Abraham would sew Eddie¡¯s mouth shut. Even Victor instinctively stepped away, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. As for Abraham, his re was downright deadly. Ste broke out in a cold sweat. Eddie really had a talent for killing himself Meanwhile, back at the Reed mansion, after hearing the call cut off, Susan clung even tighter to Tessa¡¯s leg in desperation. Tessa is the only one able to reach Ste. ¡°Ms. Miller, I¡¯m begging you. Just let me say a few words to her. Please¡­ Susan was frantic. Lillian had coughed up blood again, and my son Jonathan, those lifeless eyes of his¡­ The pain tore through me constantly. I¡¯m on the edge. I knew that one word from Ste could solve Lillian and Jonathan¡¯s problems. Tessa scoffed. ¡°Madam Susan, aren¡¯t you forgetting your status?¡± How much did she love this adopted daughter to go this far? 10:56 AM D The wrong girl 308 Chapter 308 A Family in Ruins ¡°L Susan really was out of options. Seeing Lillian coughing up so much blood, looking like a walking corpse, it was clear she wasn¡¯t going tost much longer. ¡°Our family is in desperate need of a doctor, Ms. Miller. Can you please say some kind words to Ste?¡± But the words ¡°need a doctor¡± immediately set Tessa off. Her eyes shed with disgust, and without a second thought, she followed Ste¡¯s instructions. and kicked Susan off her leg. At that very moment, Reba stepped out of a car holding a baby and witnessed the whole thing. Tessa snapped, ¡°Madam Susan, I don¡¯t understand. Lillian almost killed Ste, and yet you¡¯re still¡­¡± ¡°No, it was a misunderstanding. Really a misunderstanding,¡± Susan interrupted, shaking her head in anguish. Tessa scoffed. ¡°A misunderstanding? Then why did Lillian run away?¡± ¡°It was us. We didn¡¯t want to make a scene. We forced Ste to leave. It was all our doing. You can tell her she can punish us however she wants Right now we just need her to help with the treatment.¡± Susan pleaded desperately. Tessa rolled her eyes. ¡°And then what? You¡¯ll cancel her card again? Close her studio? Throw her out of Rivermount?¡± Wasn¡¯t that what they didst time? The Reed family went that far for an adopted daughter. Tessa¡¯s disgust deepened. ¡°You people don¡¯t even know who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not.¡± With that, she lost all patience and walked away. Susan panicked when she saw her leaving. ¡°Ms. Miller, please!¡± Just as she lunged forward, Reba stepped in her path. Chapter 308 A Family in Ruins +8 Pearls Reba held the baby and gave her a mocking smile. ¡°She¡¯s right. You can¡¯t tell the difference. between real family and not.¡± ¡°You¡­ Reba, don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too far? I¡¯m holding your biological grandson.¡± Since the baby had been brought home, Susan had been distant¨Ceven refusing to look at him. The baby¡¯s grandfather had held the child at least twice, bought toys, and even given 1 million and 370 thousand dors to raise him. And what had Susan done? Reba said coldly, ¡°Looks like the girl was right. Your heart has always been with your adopted daughter. Did you really want her to marry Jonathan? Then why drag Ms. Sharon into it? Trying to keep everything in the family while ruining someone else¡¯s life?¡± After the fight with Sharon, I had done some serious digging. And what I found¡­ Jonathan appreciated his so¨Ccalled sister, and so did Susan, ¡°How dare you mention Sharon, you bitch!¡± The chaos between Reba and the Parker family had already driven the Parker side to attack the Reeds. Susan hadpletely lost it. The Reed family was now in total disarray, and Reba insisted on moving into the mansion. The ones who suffered the most were Susan Carter and Lillian Reed. Tessa had just left the manor when her phone rang. ¡°Mom? It¡¯s not time yet. You¡¯re not supposed to call for allowance this early.¡± When it came to her mother, Tessa honestly didn¡¯t know how to feel. We rarely talked unless it was about money. Every time she called, it was to ask if the deposit had arrived. ¡°Go to the airport and pick up a document for me.¡± ¡°Be good I¡¯ll text you the number lust call when you get there Chapter 308 A Family in Ruins already cut off. ssic my mom. Never one for extra words. Right after the call ended, buzz, a text came in with the number. +8 Pearls Tessa sighed. She¡¯d been on her way back to the office but ended up turning the car around and heading for the airport. Just as she got on the expressway, her phone buzzed again. She checked the screen. Unknown number. Assuming it was the airport contact, she picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice came over the line. Tessa froze. This guy again? Seriously? She didn¡¯t hesitate to hang up. But Ethan spoke first. ¡°You can get in touch with Ste, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Was it to get me to plead with Ste again for Lillian? Were they all blind? Did I look like the kind of person who would stand up for a fake innocent like Lillian? Ethan¡¯s voice was heavy and strained over the static. ¡°Do you know when she¡¯sing back to Rivermount?¡± Or¡­ if she¡¯ll evere back? Send Gifts The wrong girl 309 J Chapter 309 Out of Control ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tessa coldly. Even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t tell him. Ethan paused. ¡°If shees back, please tell her I want to see her.¡± Tessa snapped, ¡°Ethan, who do you think you are? You want to see her? Do you even qualify anymore?¡± She is now the beloved princess, raised by both the Scott and Dawson families in Falvaria. Such a noble status¨Cwhat did Ethan have to do with her anymore? Ethan fell silent. hist Even his breathing over the phone sounded strained and heavy. Obviously, that one sentence, ¡°You don¡¯t qualify,¡± had shattered everyst bit of superiority he once held over Ste. It turned out that I¡¯m the one who is never good enough in the first ce¡­ And yet, back then, everyone looked down on Ste, Tessa almost asked what had happened at the Reed mansion today, but then she thought, what did it matter to me? Besides, Ste probably didn¡¯t want to hear about the drama with Ethan anymore. So she didn¡¯t ask. She just hung up.. It wasn¡¯t until she reached the airport that the conversation hit her again. Ethan¡¯s tone on the phone¡­ was there a hint of sadness? Maybe he wanted to see Ste not because of Lillian but because of something else? Could the bastard actually regret it now? ¡°Stupid mutt.¡± Even if he regretted it, it was far toote. Meanwhile, on the ne, Abraham¡¯s arm rested on the caging her in. back of the sofa behind Ste, practically Chapter 309 Out of Control Eddie sat stiffly, feeling as if his legs were about to give out. +8 Pearls Abraham wasn¡¯t human, anyone who dared make a joke about Ste was immediately on his bad side. ¡°But I didn¡¯t even say anything bad,¡± Eddie muttered, feeling wronged. Abraham looked up and shot him a cold stare. Eddie instinctively swallowed hard. Ste didn¡¯t say a word. She just kept her head down and ate, pretending Eddie didn¡¯t exist. Or rather, she couldn¡¯t bear to look at him. Victor took a sip of wine. Abraham looked at Ste¡¯s tiny mouth full of food and said indulgently, ¡°Slow down, nobody¡¯s stealing it from you. Her mouth is originally small enough, and with so much of foods inside. Her cheeks puffed out adorably, and a dark light flickered in his eyes¡­ He suddenly had a thought, but the next second he dismissed it. He hadn¡¯t even acted on it yet, but he already knew. This little girl wouldn¡¯t go along with it. Ste had eaten a whole steak, a helping of pasta and a bowl of mashed corn. But she still didn¡¯t seem full. Her eyes drifted to the untouched ice cream in front of Abraham. Eddie tried to stop himself, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Did Derrick really starve you that much?¡± ¡°Mmph-!¡± Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with that? Eddie looked over, confused.. Was it wrong to ask if Ste was really that hungry? Victor finished his wine in one gulp and gave Eddie a pitying look. ¡°Ask what you want, but why drag Derrick into this?¡± ¡°I mean, wasn¡¯t Ste starving when she was with him? Hey, by the way, is Derrick broke now?¡± Broke enough that he couldn¡¯t even afford food? Is that how Ste ended up like this? klinkad munned Chapter 309 Out of Control +8 Pears ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into your death wish, thank you.¡± This Eddie is insane. I¡¯m really speechless. Eddie shrugged. ¡°I was just curious. He¡¯s been hunted by your brother for years. Probably spent at fortune just to stay alive. Ste lowered her head. ignoring himpletely. This Eddie, if the bruises on his legs had healed yet? Apparently he¡¯d already forgotten how painful they Maybe he is born to dig his own grave. Ste was starving and craving everything. But Abraham wouldn¡¯t let her eat the ice cream. He was afraid it would upset her stomach. She mayin about stomach painster. Finally, someone made her a pot of fruit tea. She hugged the oversized cup and drank half of it before finally feeling full. ¡°When do we leave?¡± She looked up at Abraham Just then. Abel walked over. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham looked at his watch. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± There was an incident at the airport. Some unknown force broke in, and now it¡¯s total chaos. Ste¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Abel in shock. ¡°What do you mean by chaos?¡± ¡°Localw enforcement is shing with this group. We need a little more time before we can leave. Send Gifts The wrong girl 310 Chapter 310 Bullets and Bad Luck Ste twitched at the corner of her mouth. Really? I had been here for a long time, and this ce had always been safe. How could something like this happen all of a sudden? A thought struck her, and she turned to Abraham. ¡°Could it be Derrick and his shady tricks?¡± ¡°Do you think he would dare make trouble here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I just have a feeling that he might not be what you all think,¡± Ste said Juncertainly. Ever since Abraham arrived at Rivermount, it was clear from the things Eddie had let slip that everyone thought Derrick was in terrible shape. Almost as if he was walking around with nothing left. But what I saw in Pagena was the opposite. It looked like he was in control of all of Pagena. Eddie scoffed, ¡°If he wanted to cause trouble because he lost you, wouldn¡¯t he have done it in Pagena? Whye all the way to Rivermount and cause more trouble?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°!!!¡± I seriously want to p this man¡¯s mouth shut. Eddie continued, ¡°If he really wanted to grab you, why didn¡¯t he do it sooner? He already missed his chance. Coming to Rivermount would only make things worse.¡± The bnce of power in Rivermount was already a tangled web. If Derrick dared to act up here, he¡¯d be inviting more chaos. He¡¯d barely survived the few years with Abraham hounding him. Why would he be stupid enough to show up now? Ste rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you really think every man bes a lovesick hero for some woman?¡± Eddie obviously had way too much time to fantasize. If he wanted to experience a whirlwind love story, why not just go out with someone instead of making up wild theories? Chapter 310 Bullets and Bad Luck +8 Pearls Ste gave him a look like he was a total idiot and decided to keep quiet. There¡¯s no point arguing with someone like that. Eddie understood that look. Yep, Ste was definitely just mentally cursing me. Abraham¡¯s slender fingers tapped lightly on the table before he finally turned to Abel. ¡°Leave. Now.¡± Eddie jumped. ¡°What? You¡¯re skipping clearance and air traffic control? Are you crazy or just suicidal The airport was a mess; chaos on the ground could easily mean chaos in the sky. No one was coordinating flights! Abel replied calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Eddic. We have an advanced on¨Cboard system.¡± Eddie twitched. ¡°I want to get off this ne.¡± Victor pped him on the back of the head. ¡°You want to go out and catch a bullet or two?¡± Eddie fell silent. Seriously, what kind of bad luck is this? Abraham really is a maniac, trying to take off without permission. Is he out of his mind? But then Eddie looked at Ste, who was calmly sipping her fruit tea next to him, and rxed. Abraham might not care about our life, but he¡¯d never risk hers. Thinking that, Eddie finally shut up. Abel turned to the stewardess. ¡°Seal the cabin. Prepare for takeoff.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The attendant nodded and turned to carry out the order. Abel also left toplete the pre¨Ctakeoff procedures. But not even a minute had passed before¨C ¡°Ah!¡± the attendant shrieked, stepping back with a suspicious look. ¡°Who are you? You can¡¯t be here! Get off now!¡± ¡°I I need help! Please! Someone¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± Tessa¡¯s panicked voice rang out, and Ste jumped to her feet. She turned just in time to see Tessa being pushed back by the guard at the door. 10.56 AM |D Chapter 310 Bullets and Bad Luck Tessa had been begging for a ce to hide, scared out of her mind. When she heard Ste¡¯s voice, her body stiffened. She turned to her mechanically. Ste put down her oversized teacup and quickly approached her. ¡°What are you doing at the airport?¡± Hadn¡¯t she just said she was doing an interview at the Reed f gossiping a few minutes ago. +0 +8 Pearls mansion? We had literally just been As soon as Tessa confirmed that it was really Ste, tears started streaming down her face. She rushed into her arms. ¡°Star, I swear I almost died. A bullet almost hit me. I really thought I was done for The usually fearless Tessa waspletely shaken. Running through a literal storm of bullets had shaken her to the core. Ste patted her back gently, trying tofort her. But she really couldn¡¯t hold herself fromughing. What kind of luck do you have anyway? Was there some gossip so juicy you had to chase it to the airport?¡± Tessa huped. ¡°What? No, no. I just helped my mom pick up a document.¡± And almost got myself killed for it. ¡°Ugh, why is my luck so terrible this year? Every time I go out, something crazy happens. Oh right, it¡¯s my zodiac year.¡± Ste waspletely speechless. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 311 Chapter 311 Escaping the Crossfire Oh, right! Tessa was three years older than me. ¡°I shed with my zodiac, not the god of death. Does Heaven really have to be this harsh?¡± The more Tessa spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Ste said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s over now.¡± Tessa¡¯s sudden appearance had beenpletely unexpected. Steforted her for a while before returning to Abraham¡¯s side and asking, ¡°Can we take Tess with us?¡± ¡°Things on Kealis Ind areplicated. It¡¯s not safe.¡± Abraham pointed out. Ste¡¯s lips twitched slightly. Not safe¡­ That meant all kinds of unexpected dangers were bound to appear. Tessa had lived her whole life in the peacefulfort of Rivermount. Taking her along wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°She¡¯s definitely too scared to go back by herself right now.¡± Ste had seen it just now. Tessa¡¯s legs. had been shaking, and there was even a clean round hole torn in the fabric of her pants. There was no need to ask. The bullet must have grazed right past her leg. Tessa must have been terrified. Abraham nced at the time on his wristwatch. Just as he was about to instruct Abel to assign two people to escort Tessa back, Victor set down his wine ss and stood. up. ¡°You go on ahead. I¡¯ll take her back and head straight to Kealis Ind afterward.¡± All eyes turned sharply to look at Victor. Eddie blinked. ¡°You? You¡¯re taking her?¡± Something about that didn¡¯t sit right¡­¡± Before Eddie could finish the thought, Victor shot him a warning re, silently telling him to shut up. Eddie shut his mouth resentfully. What I meant was, Tessa¡¯s probably even more afraid of Victor¡­ Back in Seats Cove, Tessa had seen Victor kill someone with her own eyes. She had not just been frightened. She had passed out cold. She had barely taken two steps before fainting right there in the snow. Ta had been waiting for Ste but when the cow Victor walking toured her her mind 10.56 AM Chapter 311 Escaping the Crossfire She instinctively took a step back. Victor brushed past her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go¡­ go where?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting off the ne!¡± Tessa blurted out without thinking. +6 Pearls She had just escaped from the airport terminal. Those people were terrifying. She was scared. Even though no one doted on her, and her mother barely kept in touch, one thing she knew for sure. She was not ready to die. Victor nced at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t get off the ne now, those thugs will be swarming over here in a minute. Tessa gasped, ¡°What? Then I don¡¯t want to drag Ste into this!¡± Not far away, Ste overheard this and felt a surge of emotion.. Victor said coldly, ¡°Then move.¡± Seeing how frightened Tessa was, Ste began to reconsider. The airport did seem more dangerous than they had expected. Maybe it would be better to just take her to Kealis Ind after all. But before she could say anything. Tessa turned to her. ¡°Ste, I¡¯m going now.¡± Without waiting for a reply, she followed Victor without hesitation. She trusted that this man, who was just as ruthless as those criminals, could get her out of the airport safely. Watching her go, trembling like that, Ste felt a twinge of guilt. ¡°Maybe I should¡­¡± Before she could finish, a hand gripped her wrist, and she stumbled right into Abraham¡¯s arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ste shot him an annoyed look. The man cupped her chin. ¡°Ste, do you like that Tessa so much?¡± Ste was speechless. Eddie was shocked as he overheard the conversation. What the hell? So girls aren¡¯t allowed now either? Chapter 311 Escaping the Crossfire Meanwhile, the situation at the airport remained tense. 48 Pearls As they passed through a corridor, Tessa could already hear gunfire echoing from a distance. Her entire body tensed. Her wide eyes were filled with terror. Victor turned around and saw her staggering, her legs trembling so much she could barely walk straight. His eyes darkened. ¡°Scared?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m terrified.¡± No kidding. Sure, she enjoyed watching action movies, but being in one was a whole differe story. Movies were thrilling. But this? This was just life¨Cthreatening. They kept a meter apart, but Tessa stuck to him like glue, not daring to ck off for even a second. Victor strode forward, and Tessa scrambled to keep up. The man had long legs to begin with. Even running, she struggled to match his pace. Hearing her panting behind him, Victor slowed down slightly. Then, just as they rounded a corner, two masked men appeared in front of them. In the split second they met, the men raised their weapons. Send Gifts The wrong girl 312 Chapter 312 Possessive Hearts Victor¡¯s eyes turned sharp. In one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around Tessa¡¯s waist, and gunfire rang out. The two men crumpled to the ground. It all happened so fast that Tessa¡¯s pupils contracted. She clung to Victor¡¯s neck for dear life. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.. Victor carried her back to the corner and pinned her against the cold wall. Feeling the weight around his waist, he spat two cold words: ¡°Get off me.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t! I want to go home¡­ I want to go home¡­ Tessa shook her head frantically, eyes squeezed shut, refusing to get off him no matter what. Victor¡¯s chilling presence, along with the dangerous aura radiating off him, wrapped around her like a. Tessa prayed to her great¨Cgrandmother in her heart. Please, please let me live through this. Victor reached out, ready to pry her off him by force. But the moment he did, Tessa copsed onto the ground like jelly. Her legs hadpletely given out. Tessa kept thinking about Ste. ¡°I¡­I need Ste. I want to go back to the ne and find Ste.¡± All that brave talk earlier about not dragging Ste down is gone. She had broken downpletely. The only thought left in her mind was that Ste¡¯s side was the safest ce in the world. Victor looked down at the trembling girl curled up on the floor and rubbed his forehead in frustration. He grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet. Then he slung her over his waist and walked off without a word. Dangling like a rag doll, Tessa swayed with each step, feeling dizzy and too afraid to utter a sound. Because right now, the man carrying her was more dangerous than the thugs. Eddie had not nned to excuse himself until Abel warned him that staying might earn him another beating. Ste still in Abraham¡¯s arms asked ¡°Why are you angry?¡± 10:56 AM Chapter 312 Possessive Hearts +8 Pearls She looked at his not¨Cso¨Cpleasant expression,pletely clueless as to what she had done wrong. He had not been exactly gentle with her on the way back from Pagena. Abraham cupped her chin and kissed her. As their lips tangled, his voice remained gentle but with a touch of dominance: ¡°Next time, don¡¯t stare at someone for more than five seconds. What? Who had I stared at? Tessa? Ste asked, ¡°Does Tessa count too?¡± Abraham answered, ¡°She counts.¡± For real? The ne took off. Ste, drained from Abraham¡¯s kisses, asked weakly, ¡°Are we really not waiting for Victor?¡± She was worried about whether Tessa had made it out of the airport safely. Who the hell had the guts to stir up trouble here? At the airport, of all ces? Abraham simply carried her into the lounge. ¡°You need to sleep now. Once we get to Kealis Ind, there¡¯s no guarantee your schedule will stay normal.¡± Sleep again? Abraham had already taken off his suit jacket. Next came his shirt. Then his pants. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched, but she did not move. Abraham turned around and saw her frozen. His lips curled into a mischievous smile that made her heart tighten. When he reached for her to start undressing her, she quickly grabbed his wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like sleeping anymore.¡± She remembered how much he had tormented her on the way back. Sure, she was tired. But not tired enough to sleep with him¡­ Ste was starting to realize that her definition of ¡®sleep¡® and his were not the same at all. Abraham¡¯s hand paused on the buttons of her vest. When she did not let go, he looked down at her. Then how about we do something else?¡± See? I knew it! We weren¡¯t even close to the same page. Abraham chuckled lowly ¡°Ry lust sleeping¡± Chapter 312 Possessive Hearts +8 Pearls Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± Ste gave him a timid nce. ¡°Okay, fine. But I¡¯m sleeping alone.¡± That wicked grin on Abraham¡¯s lips deepened. Ste hurried to the bed and dove under the covers, but the next second, he climbed in after her. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Outside, Eddie heard the muffled soundsing from the lounge and clicked his tongue. ¡°Abraham waited a long time for little Ste to grow up. Makes sense. Totally understandable.¡± Abel nced at him. ¡°You may understand, but keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°I am keeping it shut. I¡¯m just saying, once they¡¯re back in Falvaria, Ste¡¯s probably in for a rough time. Eddie said. Abel did not understand what Eddie meant. You mean¡­ Madam Lorette? Abel looked at Eddie. ¡°Madam Lorette¡¯s already having people prepare the wedding.¡± Eddie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What did you say? Preparing the wedding? Madam Lorette? Wait, seriously? She¡¯s epted it? Wouldn¡¯t she at least try to break up Abraham and Ste? Send Gifts The wrong girl 313 Chapter 313 In the Lion¡¯s Dent Well, they were both her own flesh and blood, one born to her, one raised by her. Of course, she ended up being biased toward both After an eight¨Chour flight, they finally arrived on Kealis Ind. Having been stuck on the ne for so long, Ste¡¯s ears were still buzzing. She desperately needed to get off and breathe some fresh air, but unfortunately, she was nestled in Abraham¡¯s arms and did not have an ounce of strength left. She grumbled, her lips muttering. ¡°You¡¯re bad. You¡¯re really, really bad.¡± She truly did not get it. How could someone who supposedly never had even a single female friend around him know so many tricks? Abraham was helping her change clothes. ¡°Mm, my bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡± Ste was limp as a noodle, letting him fuss with her however he wanted. He picked out a white T¨Cshirt for her and paired it with a pink A¨Cline skirt. Ste eyed the pink puffy skirt and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m a grown woman, you know.¡± Especially the white T¨Cshirt. It even had a Peter Pan cor. And that woven fisherman hat off to the side¡­ Put it all together, and she looked like aplete child. Abraham slipped the skirt onto her. ¡®Abel had someone prep these based on your style back in Falvaria. To be fair, this little thing¡¯s taste in clothes had changed quite a bit over the years. She had worn some fairly mature outfits during their recent visit to Rivermount. Probably forced. into growing up too quickly by the Reed family. The thought of the Reed family darkened Abraham¡¯s eyes as he scooped her up. Ste responded with an ¡°Oh.¡± Style based on what I wore in Falvaria? All the clothes I had in Falvaria were ones you had picked out for Jure. In his heart, she had never grown up. So naturally, everything he had prepared was fit for a little princess. ¡°Is the UV outside really strong? I need sunscreen,¡± Ste said. Abraham renliad ¡°Mms. I¡¯ll de Chapter 313 in the Lion¡¯s Den ¨C Pearls Without waiting, he carried her into the bathroom, washed her face, applied a custom cream, and sprayed on sunscreen. ¡°All set now? Ste stretched out a pale little arm. ¡°Here too. Abraham chuckled. ¡°So vain.¡± Once they were done, the two stepped out of the lounge together. Eddie was already waiting outside. He took one look at Ste¡¯s outfit, then looked at Abraham. He wore ck cks and a white shirt. Eddie mocked, ¡°What is this? You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re traveling with your wife. You look like you brought your daughter. Ste¡¯s face turned cold. Abel turned his face away, feeling that all the warnings he and Victor had given Eddie were totally wasted. Eddie¡¯s mouth moved faster than his brain. Realizing what he had just said, he immediately ducked behind Abel for cover. Abraham took Ste¡¯s hand and led her off the ne. Their pickup crew had already arrived. Abel stepped forward and respectfully opened the car door for Abraham Ste got in first. followed by Abraham. Eddie took the front seat. As the car started, he looked back and asked. ¡®Are we heading to the hotel first?¡± Abraham looked down. ¡®Straight there. Eddie blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± He instinctively nced at the girl sitting beside Abraham. He was seriously taking the little princess with him? In the past, Abraham would never let Ste be anywhere near those kinds of scenes. So now¡­? Eddie asked, ¡°Are you sure she won¡¯t end up traumatized into muteness?¡± Ste was clueless. Where exactly were they going? She turned to Abraham. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± Looking into her starry eyes, Abraham recalled the time she fell seriously ill from fright. He hesitated. Before he could answer, Abel¡¯s phone rang. He answered via Bluetooth. ¡°Hello?¡± Chapter 313 In the Lion¡¯s Den Then turned to the back seat. ¡°Sir. Derrick is on Kealis Ind too Ste¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°That ck¨Chearted bastard?¡± Eddie nearly choked on his own saliva at her nickname for Derrick. With Derrick also here, there was no way Abraham would let Ste go to the hotel alone. Ignoring Eddie, Abraham gently ruffled her silky hair. ¡°Are you scared, Ste?¡± This question¡­ + Pearls It instantly brought her back to the first time she witnessed Abraham¡¯s violent side. It had rained heavily that day in Falvaria. She had seen him shoot someone in the head. His once¨Cgentle eyes filled with bloodlust. Send Gifts The wrong girl 314 Chapter 314 The Truth Behind Her Independence Ste had been so terrified, she ran straight out of the house. Later.. When Abraham found her huddled between two parked cars, he held out his hand and said softly. ¡°Come out.¡± To be honest, she had been truly afraid back then. She was still so young, and that was her first glimpse of such brutality. The brother she always thought was warm and kind had suddenly be terrifying. She really had been scared. For a long time afterward. Ste was on her absolute best behavior. Because she was afraid. Abraham would hit her. So many years had passed¡­. Now, facing those gentle eyes again, Ste knew all too well what kind of viciousness and bloodthirst could lurk beneath. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± Those three words cleared the hesitation from Abraham¡¯s He pulled her into hisp and kissed her cheek. ¡°Good girl.¡± eyes. Ste leaned against his chest. ¡°So what¡¯s that ck¨Chearted Derrick doing here? Is it rted to your business?¡± She honestly did not want Abraham to have anything to do with Derrick. Their stop in Pagena had been brief, but she could tell Derrick was not nearly as Eddie had imed. Abraham said, ¡°It¡¯s unclear for now. Abel is looking into it.¡± down¨Cand¨Cow- Ste was worried. ¡°Abraham, I¡¯m telling you¡­ Derrick must have a lot of power in Pagena. You saw it night, didn¡¯t you?¡± Abraham nodded, ¡°Yes, I noticed.¡± Of course he had. Abraham had suspected that Derrick had been hiding out in Pagena for two years. The events of the past few years¡­ he knew very well what Derrick had done. Ste said, ¡°Then you need to be extra careful. You should check what kind of connections he has internationally too.¡± Chapter 314 The Truth Behind Her Independence Ste frowned. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°Little Ste¡¯s finally learning to use her brain?¡± Her mouth twitched. What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Is he calling me dumb? Ste fought back. ¡°What the hell? I made 980,000 dors this past year. Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m brainless. The moment ¡®980,000 dors¡® came out of her mouth, the car fell into silence. A weird kind of silence. Seeing Abraham stay quiet, Ste grew indignant. ¡°What? You seriously don¡¯t believe me?¡± +8 Pearls Abraham chuckled. ¡°I believe you.¡± But his tone was light, too light, like it meant something else entirely. retom Even Abel had to clear his throat, and Eddie, who usually could not shut up, was suddenly mute. Ste felt something was off. ¡°Abraham, are you hiding something from me?¡± Abraham shook his head. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°You are. You totally are!¡± Ste kept pressing. Every time she mentioned making 980,000 dors a year, he never praised her. Not even once¡­. Up front, Eddie was trying hard to hold back but finally burst into uncontrobleughter. The sound was strangely contagious. Ste was clueless. ¡°What? Is 980,000 dors a year that funny?¡± Eddie could not stopughing. What the hell? It was not just loudughter. It was long and dramatic,plete with a doubled¨Cover bellyugh. In her eyes, Eddie¡¯sughter right now felt borderline immoral. Ste stared coldly at Eddie. ¡°Are you mentally ill?¡± Am I not allowed to make money or something? Eddie said, ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m crazy, but you¡¯re definitely dumb.¡± eslle wanted to dan Eddia Chapter 314 The Truth Behind Her Independence aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hahaha, and you¡¯re actually asking him? Hahaha!¡± Eddie continuedughing. Ste¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°I¡¯m seriously getting mad now.¡± +8 Pearls Eddie revealed the truth. ¡°Your 980,000 dors? That was Abraham making sure you wouldn¡¯t starve out there. He pulled strings to make it happen.¡± Ste was shocked. Eddie continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think you were some kind of genius, did you? A hothouse flower thinking she can weather a storm? Hahaha!¡± Ste¡¯s brain froze on the spot. She looked up at Abraham. ¡°Abraham, you¡­?¡± He¡­ he actually¡­. ¡°You always knew where I was?¡± Ste asked. Abraham pressed her small face to his chest, saying nothing. Ste tried to sit up. ¡°Say something.¡± She was really getting mad now. She had thought he could not find her. Every time she swiped a card and he showed. up, she thought¡­ Send Gifts The wrong girl 315 Chapter 315 Behind the Curtain Abraham pressed her back against his chest once again. ¡°There were things I hadn¡¯t finished dealing with.¡± ¡°You knew about the Reed family too?¡± Ste asked. Otherwise, how could he have let me get away with a few hundred thousand so easily? Abraham said calmly, ¡°I knew some. Not a lot.¡± Not a lot? How much exactly? Ste tried to lift herself up again, but Abraham gave her no chance and held her down. Up ahead, Abel finally could not hold it in. ¡°Ms. Dawson, actually, the moment you fought with that adopted daughter from the Reed family, Mr. Abraham already knew where you were.¡± What? He found out that early? She looked up at Abraham, her vision suddenly misted over. Abel added, ¡°If he hadn¡¯t been worried you¡¯d get suspicious, he would¡¯ve given you a few hundred million for design fees.¡± Ste did not know what to say. At that, Eddie burst into loudughter. ¡°Yeah, yeah, if I hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would¡¯ve handed. you a few hundred million straight up, scared you¡¯d starve to death out there.¡± Listening to that obnoxiousugh and those ridiculous words, Ste waspletely stunned¡­ She looked at Abraham, sniffled, and muttered, ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± Seeing her look so wronged and resentful, Abraham lowered his head and pecked her soft lips. ¡°What? Angry? Ste wiggled in his arms, clearly expressing her displeasure.. Abraham soothed her, ¡°Be good.¡± Ste let out a proud little snort. She really had believed she made that 980,000 dors on her own this past year. And now? It was all a lie. ¡°Then Sterling Global¡­? Ste asked softly. Eddie chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t think much about it. That¡¯s Abraham¡¯s. 1057 AM Chapter 315 Behind the Curtain At this moment, not only did Abraham want to tear Eddie apart. So did Ste. ¡°You tell me, she demanded. Abraham gave a soft ¡°mm,¡± which was answer enough. Ste snuggled deeper into his arms, and he looked down at the fluffy little head. Her fisherman¡¯s hat was crooked from all the burrowing. That puffed¨Cup little expression made Abraham suddenly feel like he was losing control. He was¡­ turned on. This little thing really knew how to get under his skin. Abraham ruffled her hair. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be mad anymore, hmm?¡± Ste said with rare grievance, ¡°I was trying so hard to make a living on my own.¡± +8 Pearls When she started the studio, she had already begun to get sporadic orders. The design fees were not high, but it was enough to support herself. And yet Sterling Global had given her such exorbitant fees, and she had not suspected a thing. She even naively believed that the boss admired her talent and paid her so much because he valued her work. But in the end? Nothing was real. Abraham said gently, ¡°You¡¯ve done very well. Even knew to earn your own living.¡± When he heard she had opened a studio, Abraham had a pretty clear picture of her financial situation in the Reed family. And the moment she suddenly used that ck card he gave her, hist heart had gone into chaos. He thought she was in serious trouble. Even though there were still many things left unresolved around him at the time, Abraham had dropped everything. Eddie nodded. ¡°Yeah, our little princess really did well. Even knew how to make money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Shut up. Both Abraham and Ste spoke in unison. Eddie rolled his eyes. Great I¡¯m the bad .aonin 10 57 AM Chapter 315 Behind the Curtain When they passed by a supermarket, Abraham said to Abel, ¡°Go buy some snacks.¡± Abel nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Who else could the snacks be for? Of course, they were for Ste. +8 Pearls She had not eaten enough on the ne, and hours had passed. Her diet was now quite regted. and she had a serious appetite. Abel got out of the car go pick out and looked at Eddie, who remained seated. ¡°Mr. Eddie, want to something you like?¡± Eddie shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going. What snacks does a grown man need?¡± He hadughed so hard earlier that his stomach was still sore. Abel was speechless. This kid is hopeless. So Abel went alone. Eddie then realized he looked like a third wheel left behind. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s anything I want to eat.¡± And off he went. Now, only Ste and Abraham were left in the car. The man looked down at the little creature still curled in his embrace. ¡°Are you really mad?¡± Ste sulked, ¡°I really thought I was doing well.¡± Abraham responded with a low hum. ¡°You were. You even knew how to hide yourself.¡± Send Gifts 714 ¦° Ìï The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 316 Chapter 316 Try It, It¡¯s Sweet But really, what difference did hiding or not hiding make? Ste looked up at him. Then why didn¡¯t youe get me sooner?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t finished dealing with things, Abraham said simply. The way Derrick forced her out of Falvaria had been a wake¨Cup call for him. Without their father, the Dawson family had be unstable. Everyone had their eyes on them¡­. Especially those wolves who came with marriage proposals. Back then, the Dawson family was surrounded by predators. Even with their mother¡¯s support from the Scott family, things had still spiraled out of control. Abraham kissed her softly. ¡°You did great.¡± During that time she was gone from Falvaria, when he had no idea where she was, Abraham had nearly lost his mind. Only when he found out she was in Rivermount did he finally feel some relief. About ten minutester¡­ Abel and Eddie returned, lugging a big bag of snacks for Ste. She fished out a cup of jelly and struggled to open the tea packet. Abraham reached over and helped her tear it open. Then he watched as she dumped the tea powder into a cup and followed it with jelly. Abraham stared. ¡°You can eat jelly like this?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s really tasty.¡± Back in Falvaria, Abraham had never let her eat stuff like this. Now, she used it as a staple. She stabbed a piece with a fork and held it up to his lips. Abraham frowned. ¡°What are you doing? Try it.¡± Ste looked at Abraham. Her eyes are blinking. He looked at the white powder on the jelly with suspicion. This is edible?¡± That tone of doubt made Abel flinch in the front seat. Chapter 316 Try It It Sweet +B Pearis There were not many choices in the store. And he had even picked the sweeter ones since he knew Ste liked them. Ste encouraged, ¡°It¡¯s edible! Try it, it¡¯s really good.¡± Abraham hesitated. So she really had tried everything in Rivermount. Broth, weird snacks, all the junk food she had no tasted before, she had gone through it all. He then finally took a bite. It was way too sweet. Not his thing. He said to Abel, ¡®Call Judson in a bit.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why call Mr. Judson?¡± Of the Keene family, he was the only one she thought of as normal. Abraham replied. ¡°To ask for parenting advice.¡± Parenting advice? For whom? That man¨Cchild Ethan? Eddie had no clue what this was about, but Ste did. When Ethan¡¯s call came in while Abraham was barely holding it together, she knew this was not over. Abel did not understand either, but from the way Abraham said it, he figured it had to do with Ethan. He hesitated and asked. ¡°Should I mention special discipline methods?¡± Special discipline? What, was Ethan going to get spanked at his age? Ste wondered, but she did not say anything, just kept quietly eating her jelly. Abraham gave a low ¡°mm¡± and reached out to wipe the white powder from her lips. Ste asked, ¡°Did my face get messy?! Abraham said, ¡°Yeah,¡± and even used a wet wipe to clean her up. The car arrived at the seaside pier. As soon as they got out, a wave of heat hit them. Ste quickly tugged her fisherman¡¯s hat down. low. She did not want to get sunburned. ¡°Abraham, do I have a sun¨Cprotection jacket? Ste turned and asked Abraham. The sunlight was rino against her arms She would definitely get tanned if she was not careful Chapter 315 by it. It¡¯s Sweet sunlight can go through steel? You¡¯re such a drama queen. Ste pouted The next second, Eddie got kicked by Abraham, He stumbled and nearly fell into the water. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t even say anything that bad!¡± Why did I keep getting hit?! Abel leaned in and whispered, ¡°You called Ms. Dawson a drama queen.¡± Eddie always got beat without knowing why. Abel truly pitied his intelligence. Ste was still worried about Tessa. 48 Pearls While being led toward the yacht¡¯s boarding ramp by Abraham, she dialed Tessa¡¯s number. The moment it connected, she asked. ¡°Tess, are you safe now?¡± Tessa cried. ¡°Ste sob sob¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Ste got nervous when she heard Tessa crying. ¡°My first kiss is gone. Sob¡­¡± Her mouth twitched. Wait, what? Ste instinctively tried to pull her hand from Abraham¡¯s, but he held on tight. Seeing she could not get free, she whispered into the phone, ¡°What happened? How did your first kiss gone?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 317 Chapter 317 Tessa¡¯s First Kiss +8 Peads Wasn¡¯t the airport supposed to be chaotic? And Victor sent her back? With how fierce Victor looked, who would dare try to kiss Tessa in his presence? Yes, it must¡¯ve been a forced kiss! Otherwise, why would Tessa be crying over the phone? Ste was It was Victor? Then this¡­ No¡­ What does that even mean? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a dangerous situation? Why would Victor kiss her in such a tense moment? Although he¡¯d always been unpredictable. But even so, in that kind of situation, surely he wouldn¡¯t¡­. Before she could reply. Tessa asked again, ¡°If people around him are like that, does your brother have any shame?¡± Ste was startled by what Tessa said. She instinctively looked at Abraham, only to see that his expression had already darkened. Clearly, the phone¡¯s speaker was loud enough for him to hear everything. Tessa pressed again. ¡°I asked you a question!¡± The girl was clearly furious and starting to say all sorts of nonsense. Abel, who was walking behind Ste and Abraham, heard Tessa¡¯s words and instinctively nced at Eddie behind him. So there really were a lot of fast¨Ctalking people in this world. Ste was sweating. ¡°What are you talking about? Of course my brother is a good man. A very good man.¡± That word ¡®good¡® did note out with much confidence right now. All she could think about was all the intense and colorful moments between them¡­.. When he¡¯s good, he¡¯s really good. But now that the thin veil between them had been pierced, when he was bad. he was truly terrible. Ste said, ¡°Look, just talk about Victor if you want to talk about Victor; don¡¯t drag others in. What exactly happened?¡± Victor might be a terrible man, yes¡­ But Tessa is my best friend! Wasn¡¯t this kind of terrible¡¯a little indiscriminate? Ste pped her forehead: ¡°Oh dear, I really shouldn¡¯t have let him take you back.¡± Chapter 317 Tessa¡¯s First Kiss +B Pearls kinds of women around him. But wait a minute¡­ They were all big¨Cchested, curvy, long¨Clegged types, and Tessa didn¡¯t seem to have any of that. So Victor, what the hell? Ste could not stop thinking. No¡­ still not right. Hadn¡¯t Marie said before that Victor never took those women seriously? He wasn¡¯t just someone who flirted in every flowerbed. He practically walked over their heads. To put it inly, Victor had extremely high standards. Not just anyone could catch his eye. Even if someone did, at most, he would give a second nce. He would never actually touch. She and Marie had even discussed once whether Victor might be having some sort of disability. Otherwise, why look but never taste? And even the ones he looked at had to have killer bodies. But Tessa¡­ Tessa sniffled. ¡°It was aplicated situation.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ 110 h.. so maybe he didn¡¯t mean to do it?¡± Ste was about to take a breath of relief. However, Tessa replied, ¡°He meant it.¡± Well then¡­. Tessa exined the situation over the phone. There were too many thugs at the airport. She and Victor had to dodge left and right, eventually ending up in a warehouse. Then about twenty men came in. Seeing that. Victor had pinned her under him. In short, things got intense. And seeing people in the middle of something, the thugs surprisingly showed a bit of decency and left¡­. Tessa was still fuming, ¡°My clothes were all torn up, and that kiss was a real kiss.¡± ¡°A real kiss?¡± Ste wanted tough at how Tessa described it, but she suppressed the urge. Tessa was almost screaming on the other end of the line. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so mad I could explode.¡± Steforted her. ¡°But it was just to get out of danger; it wasn¡¯t for real¡­¡± ¡°How could it not be real? Do you know where he was touching me?¡± Tessa threw in another bomb. Ste immediately asked. ¡°Where?¡± Silence fell on the call; only Tessa¡¯s quick, angry breathing could be heard. Clearly, she was. seriously upset. Chapter 317 Tessa¡¯s First Kiss Ste then asked again, ¡°Are you safe now?¡± Tessa answered, ¡°I¡¯m safe. He¡¯s gone.¡± +8 Peads ¡°Then¡­ didn¡¯t you ask him for some kind ofmitment?¡± Ste could not help but imagine what Tessa would do. Tessa told her. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare. When she saw Victor¡¯s expression, so murderous and so brutal, she did not even dare speak, let alone ask for anything. Someone like that¡­ Even if Victor dared to offer, she would not dare ept. So losing her first kiss like that. Tessa could only grumble about it in private. ¡°My first kiss, just gone for no damn reason.¡± Ste asked uncertainly. ¡°So what are you saying now?¡± The wrong girl 318 Chapter 318 What Rich Men y At ¡°When you see him, p him for me.¡± All Tessa wanted was some ¡®payback¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Why don¡¯t you p him yourself?¡± Tessa said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t dare¡± Ste said the same thing. ¡°Neither do 1¡± That was the truth. p Victor? She would have to be ready to lose her hand. Tessa kept ranting on the phone for a while before finally letting Ste go. After the call ended¡­.. Abraham and the others had already boarded the yacht. Ste moved closer to him and asked, ¡°Abraham, has Victor changed his taste in women?¡± Abraham answered indifferently. ¡°This thing with Tessa, she shouldn¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Ste pressed on. ¡°But it was her first kiss.¡± Abraham shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Plenty of girls want to give their first kiss to Victor. What kind ofment was that? Was he implying it was an honor for Tessa? Absolutely not! Still¡­ with how cold Victor always looked, why were there so many women from all over the world who liked him? As they passed a doorway, sounds of a man and woman moaning drifted out. Ste¡¯s whole body stillened. She even walked a little off bnce. Abraham was holding her hand, and when he felt the sudden tension, he looked down at her. ¡°Want to sneak a peek?¡± Already feeling awkward, Ste blushed instantly at his words. Her head shook like a rattle drum. ¡°No, definitely not.¡± Back then, when she heard sounds like that, she would not know what was going on. But now¡­ After three lessons from Abraham, even someone as slow as her had caught on. The man chuckled lowly, leaning in to whisper in her car, ¡°Not as good¨Clooking as us.¡± Ste did not know what to say. ¡°You¡­¡± Seriously, this guy. Eddie, still trailing behind them: ¡°What are you whispering about? That couple in the room? 1 want in on it too.¡± Chapter 318 What Rich Men y At He is everywhere. Abraham turned his head and shot Eddie a cold re. Eddie immediately shut up. +B Pearls Okay, alright At this rate, this girl is going to cost me my life. All in all, anything involving Ste, I should just keep my mouth shut. Abraham ignored him and pulled Ste along. As she looked back, she saw Eddie pressing himself against that very same door they had just passed. Ste was speechless about Eddie¡¯s action. Abel doubled back. grabbed Eddie by the cor, and dragged him away. They stepped through another door, and Ste was suddenly hit by a wave of heat, along with the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Looking up, she saw a man in ck robes ying golf not far ahead. Seaside golf¡­ Abraham was a master at it. At the far end of the deck. a line of bikini¨Cd women stood waiting. When the man hit the ball, one of them immediately dove into the sea, swimming after it. The ball had to be quite far. Was this some kind of beauty retrieves the ball game? Ste nced at Abraham, clearly ufortable with the scene. Even though she had grown up in the Scott family, Abraham had always kept her sheltered from the way the rich actually yed. Now that she had seen it firsthand, she had to admit that these people really knew how to party. Abraham looked down, meeting her gaze. ¡°What is it?¡± Ste said, ¡°Those women sure have stamina.¡± Swimming out to fetch golf balls. Money really could make anything happen. Abraham chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, ¡°Once we¡¯re back in Falvaria, vom run two hours a day, then you¡¯ll have stamina like that too.¡± Ste reached out and grabbed his firm waist in protest. Abraham caught her little hand. ¡°You¡¯ve already got a good grip. Chapter 318 What Rich Men y At +8 Pearls Behind the man ying golf, his assistant spotted Abraham and quickly whispered something in his ear. The man handed off his club, turned around, and beamed with enthusiasm as he strode over. ¡°Mr. Abraham! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d reallye.¡± Abraham looked at the outstretched hand but did not shake it. He id calmly, Mr. Bernie, you should already know why I¡¯m here. The item Lancelot left with you, hand it over.¡± Straight to the point. He could tell that Ste was notfortable with this kind of environment. Bernie raised an eyebrow, but his grin only widened. Even his thick beard seemed to twitch. ¡°Ha! Lancelot, huh? Mr. Abraham,e this way. Let¡¯s talk in detail.¡± That word ¡®talk made it very clear that getting the item back would not be so simple. Bernie led them over to a set of lounge sofas. As soon as he sat down. a long¨Clegged beauty immediately settled onto hisp, and the man¡¯s dark hand started roaming along her waist. Send Gifts Ͳ 714 The wrong girl 319 Chapter 319 Loss Is Not in His Vocabry The assistant from earlier handed a lit cigar to Bernic. Bernie took a puff and blew a smoke ring toward the woman. Seeing this, Ste instantly regretteding along. Had she known, she would have just stayed on the ne and slept. Abraham narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Say it. What¡¯s your condition?¡± Bernie took another drag from his cigar. ¡°That item seems pretty important to Mr. Abraham, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Abraham did not respond, but his silence was as good as confirmation. Bernie gave a kindly smile, but his gaze Abraham turned around slid over to Ste. He had noticed her the mome She was not tall, and her figure did not look particrly mature either. Ste noticed him sizing her up and instinctively moved a little closer to Abraham. Bernie grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. ¡°There¡¯ve always been rumors that Mr. Abraham¡¯s indifferent to women. So this is your type, huh? Rare find.¡± Petite women were not umon, but finding one that hit all the right notes? That was hard. Especially with that round, babyish face¡­ It just looked so soft. ¡°So, where¡¯d you find this little thing, Mr. Abraham?¡± His tone was lewd, as if he were evaluating an item for sale. Clearly, Bernie had no idea Ste was raised by Abraham. He just assumed she was another ything he had brought along. The moment the wordsnded, a chill spread in Abraham¡¯s gaze, and his look toward Bernie turned dangerous. But Bernie¡¯s eyes were glued to Ste, utterly oblivious to the shift in atmosphere. Eddie twitched at the corner of his mouth as he nced at Bernic. This guy¡¯s screwed. Abel also nced at Eddie, clearly surprised that someone in this world was even more suicidal than him Abraham checked the time on his wristwatch. ¡°Name your terms.¡± His voice wasced with impatience. 10:57 AM Chapter 319 Loss Is Not in His Vocabry 8 Pearls pointed at Ste with the hand holding the cigar. Let me have her for a day, and the item is yours. How about it? Not a bad deal for you, right, Mr. Abraham?¡± Ste immediately fumed. She wanted to kill him. But thinking of why Abraham came here and the fact that he was even willing to negotiate terms, it was obvious the item was important to him. Ste clenched her fists, then forced herself to remain seated. But beside her. Abraham reached to his waist, pulled out a gun, and set it casually beside his wine ss. The dark, cold muzzle pointed straight at Bernie. Tension instantly gripped the room. Bernie¡¯s bodyguards also reached for their weapons, but Bernie raised a hand to stop. them. Ste¡¯s entire body tensed. Abraham¡¯srge, steady hand rested on her slender knee, but the words he spoke to Bernie wereced with danger. I didn¡¯te here today to make deals with you.¡± Bernie¡¯s expression darkened. Abraham continued. The item. I¡¯m taking it. As for your condition¡­. He paused mid¨Csentence. Looking at Bernie again, his eyes grew colder, more lethal. ¡°I gave you a chance. Since you don¡¯t want to state your terms, I¡¯ll take it as you not wanting anything in return.¡± Eddie was shocked at how Abraham said it. Doesn¡¯t want anything? Bernie was infamous on Kealis Ind for being greedy. Anyone doing business with him felt like they were being wrung dry. On the way here. Eddie had been thinking¡­ No one had ever managed to get a good deal from Abraham. One refuses to be fleeced, and the other insists on fleecing. What kind of deal was ever going to ? But now it looked like¡­ Bernie was really leaving empty¨Chanded. Seeing the gun by the wine ss, Eddie could not help but sigh As expected of Abraham. Never takes a loss, no matter the battlefield. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s nothing left to discuss,¡± Bernie said. He shoved the woman on hisp aside and stormed off, seething with rage. Chapter 319 Loss in Not in His Vocabry Pau At the doorway. Bernie turned and looked back at Abraham. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one looking for that item. Mr. Abraham. You might want to think this through. A man should never let a woman ruin a major deal. You¡¯re the head of the Scott family. Surely you understand that.¡± Feeling superior by a whole generation, Bernie struck a patronizing tone. Abraham shot him a cold nce. Their gazes shed like des in the air. Finally, Bernie let out a sneer and left with his crowd of women. Soon, only Abraham¡¯s people were left in the room. Ste looked at him. ¡°Is that item really that important?¡± Judging by his expression, probably extremely Send Gifts The wrong girl 320 Chapter 320 Spoils of Devotion. The man reached out and ruffled her soft hair. Ste pouted. ¡°If I¡¯d known. I wouldn¡¯t havee. I should¡¯ve just slept on the ne. Or you could¡¯ve just told me what it was. I¡¯d go steal it for you.¡± Eddie burst outughing. ¡°You? Steal it? What, because you¡¯re small?¡± Ste rolled her eyes. Could this man not shut up for once? Eddie waved her off, stillughing. ¡°Derrick is on Kealis Ind too, you know. If you¡¯d stayed on the ne, what if he stole you instead?¡± Abel and Ste did not know how to react. ssic Eddie. Always able to find the one thing guaranteed to piss someone off. Abraham shot him a nce. This time, he did not kick him. Probably because the distance was not worth the effort. Just one look, and he withdrew his gaze. He turned to Abel behind him. ¡°Go. Toss them all. overboard.¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ste was shocked. ¡°What? This yacht is yours?¡± She had a weird feeling when she called Tessa from the dock earlier. The yacht actually looked familiar. But then Bernie acted like the owner, so she assumed it was his.. Abraham gave a faint smile. The displeasure on his face had already faded. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Surprised, Ste¡¯s mind went nk. Mine? Wait, what? So Bernie just tried to flirt with me¡­ on my own yacht? Ste was stunned. ¡°Yeah, he should¡¯ve been thrown out, she muttered. If it were not for the fact that the item seemed really important to Abraham, she would have killed that pervert herself. Abel left to carry out the order. Eddie looked at Abraham, shocked. ¡°How many of your properties are under her name anyway?¡± Chapter 320 Spails of Devotion +8 Pearls The Seats Cove in Rivermount was her birthday gift. And this yacht, when had that been bought? Abraham looked down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He honestly did not. At some point, he had just gotten used to putting everything in her name. Eddie was, again, shocked. Don¡¯t know¡­ So not even Ste knows how rich she is? He asked, ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you worried the little princess might change her mind? Run off with everything?¡± Abraham and Ste both turned and stared daggers at Eddie, looking like they could skin him alive. Ste did not even know how to describe this man anymore. His leg injury had not even healed yet, and he was already begging for another round. But that was not the worst of it¡­ Eddie actually ignored their death stares and continued, ¡°I mean, you keep hurting her. What if one day she snaps and leaves you?¡± Seeing how hopeless Eddie was, Ste gave up. Forget it. I¡¯m officially given up on Eddie¡¯s emotional intelligence. Abraham narrowed his eyes and waved over a waiter. The waiter stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Another surprise. Ste was too tired to react to any. Even the yacht staff were Abraham¡¯s people? He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. ¡°Go with him to the room.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Obediently, she got up to leave. Eddie panicked. ¡°Hey hey hey! Ste, you can¡¯t leave!¡± If she left, Abraham would definitely kill him today. By now, Eddie had figured out exactly what Abraham would do to him, and still, his mouth always outran his brain. Ste cave him a sympathetic look. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± Chapter 320 Spoils of Devotion +8 Pearls ¡°What? You slept the whole flight! Wait, did he mess with you again? Doesn¡¯t he care you¡¯re injured?!¡± Ste was too tired to roll her eyes at Eddie at this point. Never mind. Maybe this beating would finally teach him a lesson. Mr. Jorge¡¯s son really was¡­ Ste hade to realize, thanks to Eddie, that even geniuses had their moments of utter stupidity. Just before leaving, Ste looked at Abraham again. ¡°You tossed Bernie off the yacht¡­ Are you sure you can still get the item?¡± She was worried it might affect his mission. The man saw through her concern, reached out, and gently rubbed her head. That¡¯s not something you need to worry about. Go on.¡± Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 321 Chapter 321 A Brutal Lesson ¡°Okay. Ste nodded and walked away with the guard. As she passed Eddie, he suddenly grabbed her wrist, panic in his eyes. ¡°Star, don¡¯t go.¡± I¡¯m terrified¡­ Ste met his gaze. Eddie tried his best to look pitiful and helpless. Abraham¡¯s eyes dropped to Eddie¡¯s hand on Ste¡¯s wrist. His gaze sharpened, radiating danger. Ste said. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go now, your arm will turn blue too.¡± Startled, Eddie instinctively pulled back his hand. Ste looked back at Abraham. You¡¯ve kept him around all these years, and he¡¯s still like this. Clearly your fault.¡± Eddie protested. ¡°Wait, are you trying to get me killed?¡± Ste was speechless. This guy¡¯s brain¡­ He¡¯s hopeless at emotional intelligence, and now he¡¯s stupid? Can¡¯t he see that I¡¯m saving him now? How did someone like him ever be a medical genius? Unbelievable. Ste left quickly. Only Abraham and Eddie remained. Eddie let out a dryugh. ¡°Abraham, my mistake.¡± Abraham turned toward the tunnel entrance to the yard and began to remove his shirt. Next came his pants. Eddie winced. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Seeing Abraham¡¯s firm back and the scratch marks across it, Eddie gaped. How wild had Star beenst night? She must have been totally cornered in bed¡­. Chapter 321 A Brutal Lesson +8 Pearls Just then, the long¨Clegged beauty who had retrieved the ball returned. After being in the water for so long, her lips had turned pale. But wh when she saw Abraham, her eyes locked on his abs. Her cheeks flushed red. A greedy gleam flickered in her eyes as she shyly murmured, ¡°Mister.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes showed nothing but disgust. His voice was ity. ¡°Get lost.¡± Startled by the sudden hostility, the beauty inched and stumbled away. Abraham turned back to Eddie. That one look made Eddie pull his shirt tightly over his chest. ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not into that sort of thing. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Now that you¡¯ve broken your seal, are you going to try anything? I¡¯m not giving up!¡± Seeing the stupid look on Eddie¡¯s face, Abraham kicked him hard in the thigh. The kick wasn¡¯t gentle; Eddie nearly fell to the ground, hissing in pain. ¡°You¡­ Wait, where are you taking me?¡± Abraham yanked Eddie toward the golf deck. Eddie struggled, panicking. ¡°You¡¯ve been way too noisytely. Time to burn off some energy.¡± ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Ssh! Before Eddie could finish, Abraham threw him straight into the ocean. Eddie hated swimming, especially in the ocean. He tried to scramble up, but Abraham¡¯s hand pushed his head down. Glug glug¡­ The cold water numbed his senses. Eddie felt like his lungs would explode. Abraham dived in and began to pull him further out. Eddie struggled and finally got his head above water only to find that they were at least sixty feet from the yacht. Eddie was speechless. What on earth does Abraham eat to have that kind of stamina? Chapter 321 A Brutal Lesson Eddie struggled hard. +8 Pearls But Abraham wasn¡¯t going to let him go that easily. If he didn¡¯t teach Eddie a real lesson right. now, his name might as well be spelled backwards. He dragged Eddie several miles before finally letting him go. Eddie was shocked. Wait, he¡¯s not going to drag me back as well! ¡°No way, I don¡¯t have that kind of energy, you¡­¡± Before he could finish, Abraham dove underwater and disappeared. By the time Eddie spotted him again, the man was over 150 feet away. This endurance is insane¡­ No wonder Star couldn¡¯t handle it. With that kind of stamina, even ten women couldn¡¯t . Thinking of Ste, Eddie fumed. ¡°Heartless brat! I stood up for her, and this is how she repays me She just left me here, and Abraham, that freak, actually dumped me in the middle of the ocean. Two miles out. Might as well just kill me. Elsewhere. Ste walked to her room with the waiter. As they passed another door, it suddenly flew open. Bang! The waiter was kicked hard into the wall and fell unconscious to the floor right in front of Ste. Ste was shocked. She instinctively tried to back away, but it was toote. A strong force pulled her into the room. Send Gifts The wrong girl 322 Chapter 322 Face to Face with Danger The door mmed shut with a deafening bang. The next moment Ste was pinned against it. A broad palm covered her mouth, silencing her. She looked up to see a man wearing a ck mask that covered most of his face. Yet his features were still striking. The piercing eyes were deep and cold. It is Derrick Tom. Ste struggled wildly. ¡°Mmm, mm, let me go!¡± ¡°Be quiet unless you want me to hit you His voice waszy, but there was a threat underneath. Ste froze. She had to admit that Derrick¡¯s pressure was working on her. For now. But Derrick knew too well that she was only being obedient for the moment. Back in Pagena he¡¯d seen how cunning and sharp she could be. He grabbed her cheek. ¡°You tricked me with a dog, huh? Ste, you really outdid yourself.¡± Her skin blushed from his grip. Somehow Derrick found the mark pleasing and pulled harder. Ste let out a muffled whimper of pain. That maniac. Can no one control him? But just as she made a sound, Derrick pressed the cold, ck muzzle of a gun to her forehead. ¡°Go on, scream. I dare you.¡± Ste red at him. ¡°You give me that look? You think I won¡¯t blow your eyeballs out?¡± That damn bastard. Ste continued to re. Derrick tapped her forehead with the gun. ¡°I must have been too easy on you before.¡± Chapter 322 Face to Face with Danger You do not have it easy on yourself And you think you can give it to others ¡°Talk¡± Ste pouted, even more annoyed. Derrick knew exactly what that look meant. Pealls She wants to bite me again. We had grown up together, but I had no idea that her teeth were so damn sha My neck and the back of my hand were still healing and my wrist had a dent from her bite. ¡°I said. Talk. Are you deaf?¡± He got angry But the resentment in her eyes made it clear that she saw him as aplete idiot And he knew exactly what that look meant. My threats didn¡¯t scare her one If anything, she cursed me in her heart for being Damn. If you have something to say, say it out loud. Thinking doesn¡¯t count. Derrick tapped her on the back of the head with the gun. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me tell you to talk?¡± Ste finally snapped. ¡°What do you want me to say Was there anything left to say between He kept pushing me to talk, but what exactly did he want to heart ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you what to say? Derrick said. Ste waspletely speechless. This guy really lost it. Such an idiot. Her eyes rolled, full of sarcasm. Derrick noticed and got even more angry. Suddenly he grabbed her by the throat. ¡°What did you call me in your head?¡± Chapter 122 Face to Face with Dars That little brut. Was she really not afraid to die! You want me to break your neck right now?¡± He asked. ¡°Then you¡¯d better bury yourself with me. Ste said. I¡¯m not afraid of him. +8 Pearls If anything. Derrick is more afraid of death than I am. If he isn¡¯t afraid, why has he been hiding in Pagent all these years? Back then, Marie had taught me one thing, when in danger, don¡¯t fear death. Fear makes you lose rity, and without rity you¡¯ll never have the courage to risk everything. Let the enemy see your weakness, and you¡¯re already under their control ¡°Fine. fine. Now tell me, did Bernie give the stuff to your brother!! He dragged out the word ¡°brother, clearly trying to emphasize her connection to Abraham. Ste shot him a re. ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡°You¡¯re always glued to Abraham. Don¡¯t tell me you really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t. Ste said. Derrick tightened his grip. He looked like he could strangle her on the spot. Just as the tension reached its peak. someone knocked on the door. At that moment, Ste opened her mouth and shouted, ¡°Help¡± Before she could finish, Derrick put a hand over her mouth again. His eyes were filled with rage. as if he wanted to tear her apart. She fought hard. But a voice came from outside. ¡°Derrick, it¡¯s me.¡± It was Sebastian. When Ste heard him, she stopped struggling. Derrick removed his hand. Then he raised his hand in a fake p. Ste jumped and quickly covered her face. The wrong girl 323 Chapter 323 A Dangerous Showdown. But Derrick¡¯s punch nevernded in her face. Instead, he grabbed Ste and pulled her away from the door, then kicked it open. Sebastian rushed in. The moment he saw Ste in the room, his eyes went wide in shock. ¡°You, you, you! Why is she here? Are you crazy? Did you kidnap her here?¡± When he saw Ste, his first reaction was that he¡¯d almost broken his legs running over. Second, this was Abraham¡¯s territory, and Abraham was still on the yacht. Sure enough, wherever I followed Derrick was a gamble with my life. Derrick red at him. ¡°Spineless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as brave as you. You don¡¯t even care about your life; how could I everpare?¡± He is going crazy. Of all ces to mess with Ste, why here, right under Abraham¡¯s nose? Last time in Seats Cove, at least we¡¯d taken Ste and run. But this time¡­ ¡°Then what are you still doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be running already?¡± Ste was speechless when hearing this. Are you all still nning to take me? Derrick gave Sebastian a cold look. ¡°And who says I have to run?¡± ¡°You¡¯re messing with Ms. Dawson. What are you going to do, give her back the gift wrapped?¡± Sebastian said seriously. ¡­Derrick was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s either me or Ste in this ce. If she¡¯s here, I¡¯m gone. If I¡¯m here, she¡¯s gone. One of us has to go.¡± Sebastian said. Ste was speechless again. Why does the first half of this sentence sound so strange? ¡°If she¡¯s here, I¡¯m gone.. Isn¡¯t that usually said between two women? ¦¥¦° Chapter 323 A Dangerous Showdown ¡°Let me tell you both. I¡¯m not getting off this yacht if I die.¡± Derrick and Sebastian both fell silent. They both turned to look at her. +8 Pearls Sebastian gritted his teeth and stepped forward. ¡°You brat. We still haven¡¯t talked about the dog incident! I almost broke my leg: you owe me for that!¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°Too bad it didn¡¯t break. Would have served you right.¡± ¡°You¨Cyou almost crippled me, and now you¡¯re trying to kill Derrick too? If Abraham finds out you¡¯re in his hands, it¡¯s game over. Ste snapped back. ¡°It¡¯s not like I threw myself at him. If anyone¡¯s damned, it¡¯s him for being an idiot. Trying to manipte me? Not a chance. Sebastian was seeing stars with rage. Derrick stepped up and grabbed him by the cor, then threw him out the door. The door mmed shut with a bang, leaving only Ste and Derrick. Derrick stormed towards her. But the moment his eyesnded on the increasingly visible marks on her neck, his expression turned dangerous. His gaze narrowed. ¡°I told you before. You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Just because you say so? What temperature was your mouth when you said that? Have you ever heard of the word ¡®qualifications¡°?¡± You¡­ Derrick exploded, grabbing her and dragging her straight into the bathroom. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Let go of me, you bastard!¡± Ste kicked and punched him in anger. Derrick threw her into the bathtub and pointed the showerhead at her, ready to turn it on. You bastard, Derrick! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± He sneered. ¡°You still have the nerve to threaten me? You really are something¡± Chapter 323 A Dangerous Showdown neck. Ste snapped. +8 Pearls She grabbed the showerhead out of his hand and swung it at his head with all her strength. The metal struck with a loud ng. Derrick felt like his brain was being rattled. The pain was immediate and sharp. ¡°You crazy woman¡­ Has she been eating chili peppers every day for years? My head buzzed from the blow. She¡¯s really trying to kill me. Furious, he lunged at her. But Ste wasn¡¯t the type to sit still. She started to fight back. They wrestled, neither giving up. Suddenly her phone started buzzing. Ste¡¯s eyes met Derrick¡¯s sharp gaze. She held the phone defensively behind her back and rolled. her eyes at him. ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°None of your business, she snapped. That damn girl really wasn¡¯t afraid of death. Maybe I¡¯d been too gentle with her back in Falvaria. Fine. Time to show her how ruthless I could be. He stepped forward and pulled the dripping wet Ste into his arms. Immediately, she began to struggle madly. ¡°Let me go, you idiot! Let me go!¡± The wrong girl 324 Chapter 324 A Stakes Are Raised The next second, Derrick grabbed the phone out of her hand. It was a video call from Abraham, Derrick nced at Ste, then tapped to answer. He brought his face up to the camera. ¡°Abraham.¡± There was a brief silence on the other end. Then Abraham¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Where is Star?¡± +8 Pearls A momentter. Derrick turned the camera to show Ste and pressed the barrel of his gun to her forehead. Ste instinctively raised her hand to push it away, but Derrick gave her a warning look. When Abraham saw the image on the screen¡ªSte soaking wet and looking utterly miserable¡ªthe atmosphere around the call instantly turned dangerous. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± His voice dripped with menace. Derrick let out a slight chuckle. ¡°Abraham, I want what¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ste was stunned. Derrick was equally surprised. That easy? So this girl really meant a lot to Abraham now. His eyes fell on the marks on her neck. His voice grew colder. ¡°When?¡± ¡°With Bernie. Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Abraham said. Ste blinked. Does Bernie have it? Wasn¡¯t that what Lancelot stole from Abraham? How did it end up with Derrick? Is that what he¡¯s been after all this time? She couldn¡¯t help but be curious. Chapter 324 A Stakes Are Raised ¨C Pearis As he spoke. he tapped his muzzle against her head again. Abraham¡¯s voice dropped dangerously. ¡®Get that thing off her head. This is thest time I¡¯m going to tell you ¡°Abraham, it seems you haven¡¯t realized yet, you¡¯re no longer in control of this hunt.¡± Derrick said it casually, like a man who thought he held all the cards. ¡°Is that so?¡± Abraham¡¯s camera flipped, too. And there was Sebastian, screaming for help. ¡°Derrick, save me, please!! Derrick froze. That useless idiot. How did he get caught by Abraham so fast! Then Eddie¡¯s familiar voice came over the line. ¡°Mr. Derrick. Sebastian here is crying like a baby. I wonder if he can handle my experiments. Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger. Then the once¨Cbegging Sebastian exploded in anger at the insult. ¡°You moron, who are you calling a baby?¡± Moron? Was that mean to me? Eddie didn¡¯t get it. ¡°You. I¡¯m talking about you.¡± As he said that, he raised the scalpel to Sebastian¡¯s throat and looked at Derrick through the screen. ¡°Mr. Derrick, how about I start the dissection from the carotid artery?¡± Ste¡¯s eyelid twitched. The artery? That¡¯s a kill shot¡­ Derrick radiated cold hostility. He sneered. ¡°Do you all really think Sebastian means anything to me?¡± ¡°Derrick, you¡­. fou might a wall bill him Ha¡¯r nothi se to me. But the link. reri) Char inf and dalin Chapter 324 4 Stakes Are Raised Eddie replied. ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll kill him right now.¡± With With that, his scalpel sliced into Sebastian¡¯s neck. ¡°Aaagh!¡± +8 Pearls Sebastian screamed in pain and tried to grab the scalpel, but as he lunged, Eddie grabbed his wrist, and the two began to struggle. At the same time. Ste lunged and bit down hard on Derrick¡¯s wrist. He let out a grunt. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ste, you bit me again!¡± Chaos broke out on both ends of the call. Eddie yelled, ¡°You bastard, Sebastian! I¡¯m going to kill you today!¡± Derrick yelled. ¡°You damn woman, let go of me!¡± She had hit me earlier with a steel showerhead. That blow has scrambled my brain, and now she is biting me again. But Ste wouldn¡¯t let go after all that effort. Then a loud bang echoed through the phone. The other side fell silent. Sebastian stared at Abraham, his pupils constricted, his leg bleeding. For a moment he even forgot the pain. Then he howled like a ughtered pig. Abraham looked back at Derrick. ¡°Not important?¡± Derrick¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Send Star back. You¡¯ll get your stuff.¡± The wrong girl 325 Chapter 325 Negotiations Turn Cold Derrick was furious. ¡°I¡¯m not turning her over until I get my stuff.¡± Right now, the only real leverage I had over Abraham was Ste. If I sent her back, how could I ever expect to get what I wanted? ¡°Derrick. Abraham muttered. Just hurry up. Derrick snapped, ending the call without warning. Then he grabbed Ste¡¯s chin. ¡°You dare bite me? I¡¯ll knock your damn teeth out.¡± He was really angry. I had never expected Ste to resort to something so shameless, biting me like a wildcat. Was there anything this girl wouldn¡¯t do? ¡°Go ahead then, Ste said. ¡°Try it.¡± She opened her mouth defiantly. His blood still clung to her teeth. The sight made Derrick¡¯s blood boil. ¡°Fine. If I touch you now, Abraham will go crazy. I¡¯ll wait until I have the stuff. Then I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± He pushed her away roughly. Ste rolled her eyes. That only made Derrick angrier. The damn woman is too confident that I won¡¯t really hurt her. And¡­ I wouldn¡¯t. He red at her. Tell me the truth. Did he get yet?¡± Even though Abraham had said on the phone that Bernie still had the item, I didn¡¯t buy it. Ste replied, ¡°If I told you, would you believe me?¡± Derrick was stunned. Of course not. Chapter 325 Negotiations Turn Cold +8 Pearls Meanwhile, a cold, dangerous aura surrounded Abraham. Eddie had just dragged himself back on board after swimming the enormous distance and looked.pletely exhausted. As soon as he climbed up, he saw that Abraham had already captured Sebastian: With his injured leg. Sebastian could barely move. Eddie sat on the ground, exhausted. Abel returned and looked surprised when he saw Sebastian. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°Bring Bernie back.¡± Abel froze. ¡°Bring him back?¡± We had just thrown him off the yacht. But from the way Abraham operated, I could tell that this was just step one, a calcted humiliation. Kicking Bernie out was to remind him who was in charge, no matter where he was. From what I knew of Abraham, this was definitely part of arger n. But now this.. Abel didn¡¯t dare think about it. He nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go immediately.¡± The threat was already clear. Bringing Bernie back now would also probably achieve the desired result. Abel left. Eddie looked over at Abraham. ¡°Even though Star is in Derrick¡¯s hands, I don¡¯t think you worry. He won¡¯t hurt her.¡± Everybody knew how Derrick felt about Ste. It could have been peaceful. need to But in the end. Derrick and Abraham had be enemies. And now the chances for Derrick to see Ste When Mr. Kelvin was alive, Derrick had made his interest in Ste clear. No one expected the tragedy that followed, both the fall of the Tom family and the rift between Derrick and Abraham. Chantel 325 Negotiations Turn Cold Soon Bernie was brought back by Abel and his men.
  • Pearls
Bruised and bloodied, it was clear that he had been beaten before being thrown from the yacht.. He had been halfway to leave when they dragged him back. Bernie was seething. ¡°What do you mean? Are you really going to break up with Kealis Ind?¡± Insulting me meant cutting ties with the entire ind. After all, Bernie¡¯s brother was the shadow leader behind it all. Abraham gave Abel a cold look. Abel understood immediately and kicked Bernie hard behind the knee. Bernie lost his bnce and fell to the ground with a thud. He gritted his teeth in silence. Abraham sped his hands and looked down at him, eyes full of menace. ¡°I told you before. I want that item.¡± And he had no intention of giving anything in return. If Abraham had been polite before, it was clear now that he was done pretending. He intended to take it ¨C by force if necessary. Eddie, long used to Abraham¡¯s overbearing nature, sat quietly to the side. Sebastian, however, was tense. If Derrick refused to let go of Ste, who knew when Abraham would lose patience and use me as a scapegoat? Bernie picked up the threat in Abraham¡¯s tone. ¡°I don¡¯t have it with me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Let me go first. I¡¯ll take one of your men to get it.¡± Abraham let out a cold chuckle. He stared at Bernie. His look was deep and dangerous. The wrong girl 326 Chapter 326 Closing The Trap Bernie said. ¡°I really don¡¯t have it on me.¡± Abraham looked at Sebastian. ¡°You heard that?¡± Sebastian remained silent. Suddenly I understood my role here. ¡°Sebastian, I have watched you grow up. You know what Star means to the Dawson family, don¡¯t you?¡± His tone was soft. But it sent a shiver down Sebastian¡¯s spine. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the gun Abraham was casually ying with. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Do you want Derrick to live?¡± His chest tightened. You see? I knew we shouldn¡¯t have touched Ste. One word from Abraham, and none of us would leave this vacht alive. ¡°I¡¯ll call him right now.¡± He didn¡¯t dare dy. He nced over at Eddie, who had taken his phone earlier. Eddie tossed the phone back to him. ¡°Talk to your brother properly. Of all the people he could have touched, he went after Star? Took a hostage? Should¡¯ve taken me instead. I¡¯m tough; at least Abraham wouldn¡¯t have been so pissed.¡± She was already in his hands, and Derrick took her away. That was practically asking Abraham to kill someone. Sebastian didn¡¯t answer. Wasn¡¯t that the point? To make Abraham angry? I¡¯m really careless to have ended up here. As he dialed, Abraham said coldly, ¡°You can bring Bernie along with you.¡± Sebastian nodded. Bernie¡¯s face changed. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Abraham?¡± Chapter 326 Closing The Trap) +8 Pearls Considering the rumors about Pagena over the past two years, wouldn¡¯t I be skinned alive if I ended up in Derrick¡¯s hands? Bernie shivered involuntarily. Sebastian called out, his hands shaking, and thirty secondster he looked awkwardly at Abraham. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s not answering.¡± Abraham¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll call back right away.¡± That re¡­ it was terrifying. He thought about how Abraham had shot him in the leg earlier. If he pissed him off again, the next bullet might go straight into his skull. Bernie¡¯s panic rose. ¡°Mr. Abraham, I¡¯m going to contact my boss now. I¡¯ll get the item for you.¡± ¡°Your boss?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Yes, the thing is with him. I¡¯ll give it to you personally¡­ please don¡¯t give me to Derrick.¡± That lunatic¡­ If I really ended up with Derrick, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would make it out alive. All of his men had already been killed by Abraham. Bernie knew better than to try anything else. Abraham looked at Abel. Abel understood right away and left the room. Seeing Abraham remain silent, Bernie grew concerned. ¡°Mr. Abraham¡­¡± Eddie asked, ¡°Do you know who that woman was you were trying to fool with earlier?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Hearing that, Bernie¡¯s brow twitched. He had no idea. Anyone around someone like Abraham must be just another toy, right? After being on Kealis Ind for so long, Bernie had no idea who Ste really was. Eddie grinned. ¡°That was Mr. Abraham¡¯s little gem, the girl he raised himself. You really wanted. to mess with her?¡± And he still thought Abraham would show him mercy? He was dreaming. Bernie¡¯s pupils constricted violently. 10 SE AMO D Chapter 326 Closing The Trap +8 Pearls Even in a ce as secluded as Kealis Ind, Bernie had heard of the girl Abraham had raised himself. Wasn¡¯t there a rumor that she had disappeared? This girl¡­ it was her? They¡¯d found her? Eddie scoffed, ¡°Oh, and you probably don¡¯t know this either, but she¡¯s also Derrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e, at least in name. When Derrick finds out what you¡¯ve done¡­ well, it¡¯ll be even more fun when he gets his hands on you.¡± Abraham gave Eddie a frosty look. Eddie froze under the pressure, ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± Sebastian broke out in a cold sweat. When Ste had been taken to Pagena, he had already suspected that she might now be Abraham¡¯s wife. But Eddie had just blurted out that she was still Derrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e. This guy¡¯s inability to keep things subtle¡­ had it gotten worse? ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I?¡± Eddie began to feel nervous under Abraham¡¯s gaze. But Abraham had no time to worry. Sebastian kept calling Derrick¡¯s number. It kept ringing, but no one answered. Meanwhile, in the room, Derrick turned on the TV and casually yed a game. He didn¡¯t think Abraham would act so quickly. Ste could still hear the second phone buzzing incessantly in his pocket. Send Gifts 5714 The wrong girl 327 Chapter 327 A Phone That Won¡¯t Stop Ringing ¡°Your phone won¡¯t stop ringing. Ste said. ¡°Shut up.¡± Ste red. That bastard. +8 Pearls My hair was a mess, and I wanted to go to the bathroom to clean up, but Derrick wouldn¡¯t let me. He had even searched me and taken my phone. And now this lunatic was actually ying video games. As if he wasn¡¯t afraid that Abraham would break down the door any second and shoot him to pieces. I want to y too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a woman. Go learn to cook or arrange flowers or something.¡± Ste was stunned.. Cooking? Arrange flowers? What is this, etiquette school for rich housewives? To be fair, Madam Evelyn never forced me or Marie to do anything like that. While other high society girls were busy learning graceful manners, Madam Evelyn had always let them grow free. So now, faced with Derrick¡¯s primitive thinking, Ste didn¡¯t even bother to respond. She just turned away and watched TV. But Derrick wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°So tell me, after you moved to Rivermount, did you learn how to cook?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Ste nodded quietly. I can cook. The only question is whether it is edible. ¡°Then make something for me sometime.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She agreed far too quickly. Derrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not nning on poisoning your future husband, are you? Wait, didn¡¯t you blow up my kitchen that one time?¡± The memory made his chest hurt. This woman had too many tricks up her sleeve. After her time at Rivermount, her fiery attitude had taken on ¡ª 10:58 AM Chapter 327 A Phone That Won¡¯t Stop Ringing When Ste didn¡¯t answer, Derrick looked up from his phone and nced at her. She was staring intently at the TV, as if she had discovered something incredible. Derrick walked over and stood behind her, following her gaze. It was a live broadcast of a boxing match on the yacht. Nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°What are you watching?¡± There was nothing special going on. Why was she so engrossed? +B Pearls Ste¡¯s eyes were fixed on a man who had been knocked down in the ring. His face was covered in blood, but just before he copsed, she caught something in his features. He looked a lot like Ethan. No, he looked even more like Judson. Derrick noticed. ¡°Your fianc¨¦ from Rivermount? What¡¯s he doing? Trying to be a punching bag now?¡± This wasn¡¯t even a real boxing match. More like a punching showcase for someone with power. The guy on the ground obviously never had a chance. Ste looked away, ignoring him. But Derrick reached out and grabbed her chin. ¡°Getting more defiant, huh?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Ste grabbed his wrist. Derrick let go immediately out of reflex. This crazy woman was biting people. It¡¯s best to keep her mouth away. ¡°Your phone¡¯s still buzzing, Ste said. Derrick scowled, then shifted his gaze back to the TV. His eyes lingered on the blood¨Ccovered man, and his expression turned cold. He took out his phone. It was Sebastian calling. He answered. ¡°Are you dead yet?¡± ¡°Derrick, you¡¯re incredibly cruel.¡± Setian chautadtalu nutmmad ?? Chapter 327 A Phone That Won¡¯t Stop Ringing ¡°Get to the point,¡± Derrick said. ¡°Mr. Abraham wants to trade me for Ms. Dawson.¡± Derrick raised his eyebrows. ¡°And he thinks you¡¯re worth it?¡± ? Pearls ¡°You! Unbelievable! You really are my brother,¡± Sebastian shouted, practically smoking with rage. Derrick said nothing, lit a cigarette, took two puffs, then lookedzily at Ste. He almost blew smoke at her, but she turned and gave him a warning look. Finally. Derrick exhaled in the other direction. Sebastian added, ¡°Plus Bernie.¡± Derrick paused. He took another long drag, then slowly turned to look at Ste again. She raised her eyebrows, a smile tugging at her lips. Derrick didn¡¯t like that smile. It looked warm on the surface, but it was clearlyced with mockery. He looked away and said into the phone, ¡°Deal.¡± Then he hung up. Derrick turned and walked over to Ste. ¡°Before you left for Rivermount, do you remember what I told you?¡± She didn¡¯t answer. He¡¯d asked her the same thing back in Pagena. ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. I¡¯ming to get you.¡± As soon as she heard these words, she understood what he meant. He wanted to return me to Abraham. So far, I still didn¡¯t know if the thing Lancelot had stolen really belonged to Derrick. Send Gifts The wrong girl 328 Chapter 328 She¡¯s Back Lost in thought, Ste didn¡¯t notice that Derrick had pulled her out of the room. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To your brother.¡± He emphasized the word brother, clearly reminding Ste of her connection to Abraham. Derrick knew exactly where to find Abraham. He led them straight to the golf room. As soon as the door opened, Ste saw Abraham sitting across the room. She instinctively tried to run to him, but Derrick pulled her back by the cor. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Abraham stood, his gaze sharp and dangerous as itnded on Derrick. Derrick held the gun to Ste¡¯s head. ¡°Sebastian,e here.¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham, wait¡­¡± Bernie panicked. I definitely didn¡¯t want to fall into Derrick¡¯s hands. Abraham ignored him and looked at Eddie. Eddie stood up and pulled both Sebastian and Bernie towards Derrick. ¡°Mr. Abraham! Please!¡± Bernie cried in desperation. Eddie threw them both at Derrick¡¯s feet and pressed one foot down on Sebastian¡¯s back. Then he gave Derrick a meaningful look in the direction of Ste. Derrick looked at the woman in his arms and leaned down to whisper, ¡°Star, things between us were never finished. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± Then he pushed her toward Eddie. Eddie immediately caught her. Before he could fully release Sebastian, Derrick dragged him away, taking Bernie with him. Abraham didn¡¯t give Eddie time to react. In the blink of an eye, he had pulled Ste into his arms. Ste clung to his slender waist. ¡°Abraham.¡± Feeling how damp she was, Abraham took off his T¨Cshirt and wrapped it around her. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room first.¡± 15 53 Chapter 328 She¡¯s Back After changing in the room. Abraham led Ste. Eddie, and the others off the yacht. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± Ste asked. ¡°To find someone. Be good, Abraham replied, pulling her along. Eddie and Abel knew exactly who he was looking for. Derrick had just taken Bernie, and Abraham was determined to get what was his this time. Feeling the cold energy around Abraham. Ste said nothing more and followed quietly. Just as they got into the car, her phone started buzzing. It was Tessa calling. Ste picked it up. Tessa?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fighting! It¡¯s a full¨Con fight!¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°Reba is fighting Lillian. It¡¯s intense!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste gasped. Is Reba fighting Lillian? ¡°How do you even know that?¡± +8 Pearls ¡°I¡¯m at the vi next to the Reed. I left something here after an interview and came back to get it.¡± ¡°You really can stumble into gossip anywhere,¡± Ste said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you a video.¡± Tessa hung up before Ste could answer. Hearing the excitement in Tessa¡¯s voice, Ste could tell that the drama at the Reed house must be wild. Back at Tessa¡¯s side, her hands were shaking with excitement as she rushed to record the chaos and send it to Ste. Ever since Reba had forced her way into the Reed house. I knew the ce was going to turn into a madhouse. Back at the hospital, it was already clear that Reba was a firecracker. And che some reallu linktina thium un Chapter 328 She¡¯s Back of this house.¡± She flung open the closet and threw all of Lillian¡¯s things on the floor. +8 Pearls Lillian was already very ill. Without proper medical care in the past few days, her condition had worsened dramatically. Reba¡¯s attack nearly drained what little strength she had left. ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­ cough¡­¡± Reba threw a pile of clothes at her head. ¡°You used me of stealing your diamond ne? Ha! Lillian Reed, you really are something. Only a foster daughter and already full of dirty tricks. Ste may have put up with your crap before, but not me. Are you trying to force me out of the Reed family with this little stunt? I¡¯m the mother of the Reed grandson. Who the hell are you?¡± Reba was furious. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Susan downstairs demanding that she return the ne. Give it back or get out of the house. Lillian has lost something, and now I¡¯m expected to return it? ¡°So you want to act, huh? You want to y the victim?¡± Lillian shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 329 Chapter 329 Trouble at the Reed Residence Thwack! Before Lillian could finish defending herself, Reba stormed over and pped her across the face. Her head snapped to the side, a sharp sting blossoming on her cheek. Hearing themotion, Susan rushed over. ¡°Reba Zahn, are you crazy? Put that down right now. This is not your house to rule.¡± ou Lillian looked pitifully at Susan, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Mom, I told you not to argue with her. You see? She misunderstood and came at me.¡± ¡°Not arguing with me? You call that not arguing?¡± Furious. Reba grabbed another pile of clothes and threw them at Lillian, hangers and all. The hook on one of the hangers scraped Lillian¡¯s forehead, making her scream in pain. ¡°Ah! Reba wasn¡¯t done. Still burning with rage, she grabbed another handful of clothes to throw. Susan lunged and held her back. ¡°Reba, that¡¯s enough. Let go now.¡± ¡°She needs to get out. Out of this house.¡± Reba shouted. Susan snapped. You shut up. You don¡¯t get to decide anything here. If anyone¡¯s going, it¡¯s you. Still blindly biased in favor of Lillian. Reba crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should go? Really? Dear Madam Susan, thanks to this foster daughter of yours, your biological daughter is dead, your son¡¯s hand is crippled, and your husband barelyes home. And you¡¯re still protecting her?¡± Susan froze. Her expression stiffened. She instinctively looked at Lillian, who shook her head weakly. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Lillian said nothing more, but her pale, fragile look was enough to evoke sympathy. Susan red at Reba. ¡°Stop trying to sow discord. Everything that¡¯s happened to the Reed family is because of Ste.¡± Chapter 329 Trouble at the Reed Residence -8 Pearls Just the thought of thepany and the mess at home made Susan grit her teeth in anger. Reba scoffed. ¡°Exactly. And the twins your husband had with the CFO, was Ste the one who introduced them?¡± Susan said nothing. Lillian was silent too, her eyes flickering with guilt Reba looked at her with a mocking smile that said she knew exactly what was going on. Lillian lowered her head. her lips sealed. The mention of Patrick only increased Susan¡¯s anger. Her fists clenched at her sides. Meanwhile, Tessa sent the video to Ste with a dramatic tsk tsk.¡± Then she called her. ¡°You have to see this. The drama at the Reed house is on a whole new level. It¡¯s like a roller coaster. Steughed. ¡°If you have the energy to gossip. I guess what happened at the airport didn¡¯t shake you too much.¡± I had worried that Tessa might be shaken up by the But apparently she¡¯d bounced back quickly. Just hours before, she had been crying on the phone about her first kiss. Now she was in the front row of the Reed family¡¯s meltdown Tessa snorted. ¡°Come on, that was nothing.¡± ¡°Not even your first kiss? Ste teased her. ¡°Hey, are you trying to bring up the one thing I can¡¯t take back?¡± If I¡¯d picked a fight with someone I could afford to insult. I¡¯d have gone over and pped him twice. But Victor? No way. Anyway, just watch the video. I¡¯m hanging up. Tessa ended the call and looked back at the Reed house. The shouting was still going on. But her interest was waning. There was too much chaos in the house. I couldn¡¯t keep up even if I wanted to. rouble at the Reed Residenc ¡°Mother you¡¯ve been calling me a lottely. Have you decided its time to finally take care of your only daughter?¡± Normally we ¨C unless it was necessary. Twice a month was car al more, and we might forget each other even cristed ¡°Tessa, leave the country immediately Diana¡¯s voice was sharp and stern Diana remained silent. ¡°Leave the country? What¡¯s going on?¡± Tessa could tell from her mother¡¯s heavy tone that this wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. I have already sent Wesley to pick you up. She¡¯ll take care of everything¡± Tessa fell silent. Going abroad again! And have someone take care of me! This is no small Where to?¡± ¡°Falvaria¡± ¡°Right now Falbaris! That is potere Star had grown up. And now I¡¯m going there, too! The wrong girl 330 Chapter 330 The Urgent Call Diana said firmly, ¡°Until I tell you toe back to Rivermount, you are not allowed to return.¡± Tessa¡¯s tone became anxious. ¡°What happened?¡± Though their contact had been infrequent and her mother rarely had time to care for her, Tessa still loved Diana deeply. So hearing that something was wrong made Tessa panic a little. She wants to know what had happened, but her only answer was the sound of Diana hanging up the phone. ¡°Tessa was stunned. Am I really not worthy to know what is wrong with my mother? As she listened to the dial tone on the other end, Tessa couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. She called her mother back, but the phone only rang twice before being disconnected. Just as Tessa was about to try calling again, Wesley¡¯s call came through. ¡°Ms. Tessa, where are you right now? I¡¯ll pick you up right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to pack my bags; you wait at my house. Tessa said. Wesley replied, ¡°No need to pack; we must leave for Falvaria immediately. Please send me your location.¡± Tessa was stunned again. Why the rush? Her heart jumped into her throat. ¡°What exactly happened to my mother?¡± I¡¯m not even allowed to pack my bags before I rush out. I had an instinctive feeling that whatever is happening to my mother is serious. Deep down, I don¡¯t want to leave. Wesley replied, ¡°This is nothing for Ms. Tessa to worry about.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m her daughter! Wesley, tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± Tessa was nowpletely distressed. Wesley replied. ¡°Ms. Diana¡¯s affairs aren¡¯t your concern.¡± Chapter 330 The Urgent Call Tessa shouted into the phone as she walked towards the can I simply want to see my mother. That¡¯s i Wesley replied. You can¡¯t see Ms Diana right now ¡°Why ¡°Because I don¡¯t know either where she is Tessa was stunned. Her body went cold in an instant. Wesley had always been at Diana¡¯s side. If he didn¡¯t know where she was then what about my Tessa¡¯s fear surged. She hung up the call. mother? She sent her location to Wesley, who replied with a voice message ¡°Wait for me at the location. Don¡¯t leave Tessa stood in the cold wind and felt a chill. The New Year was approaching. In previous years, no matter how busy my mother was the would always spend the New Year with me. But this year, at this critical moment, she is sending me gay Tessa felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. Meanwhile, Ste watched the video that Tessa had sent her. In the video. Reba repeatedly threw clothes at Lillian. She even stood up and pped her twice. One could only say that Reba¡¯s temper was truly explosive. Watching this, it was clear that the tactics Lillian had once used on me were now being used on Reba Not everyone chooses to exin when faced with a misunderstanding, but not everyone chooses to endure Abraham looked at the screen of Ste¡¯s phone. ¡°Is this from the Reed family ¡°Yes. Tessa sent it to me.¡± Abraham asked, ¡°She still has the energy to watch the drama?¡± Chapter 330 The Urgent Call Just as I thought. +8 Pearls Earlier, Tessa had been crying on the phone, saying how scared she was of Victor. I thought she would need a few days to recover at home. But here she was, already at the center of the chaos. Seeing how much Ste enjoyed watching the drama unfold in the Reed family. Abraham¡¯s eyes darkened with a deep, loving amusement. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Marie. ¡°Abraham, are you on Kealis Ind?¡± Abraham frowned and instinctively looked at Ste. ¡°Are you over there?¡± Maric replied, Tm on Star¡¯s yacht, on vacation. By the way, I just saw that bastard Derrick.¡± At the mention of Derrick, Marie¡¯s tone immediately turned angry. It was clear that even though things had calmed down, Marie still wanted to skin Derrick alive the moment his name was mentioned. ¡°Should I take care of him?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°It¡¯s not your problem.¡± ¡°Abraham!¡± Marie¡¯s voice sounded frustrated. Abraham said. ¡°There is still something on him.¡± Marie was speechless. Sensing Abraham¡¯s intention, Ste instinctively looked at Abraham. Marie asked, ¡°What is that thing? Is that why you never killed him directly all these years?¡± Abraham had always been ruthless with Derrick, but he had never taken his life. Was it because Abraham couldn¡¯t kill Derrick? Not necessarily! Abraham replied, ¡°Are you going alone, or do you want Dan Morris toe with you?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 331 Chapter 331 Some ws Need Cutting +8 Pearls ¡°Dan is here too.¡± At the mention of Dan, Marie¡¯s voice on the phone noticeably dulled. Abraham immediately sensed something was off. ¡°What happened?¡± Marie had always been thick¨Cskinned. Most things could not affect her mood. Even if something did, she would usually fuss and holler, never this subdued. Marie said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you still on the cruise? I¡¯lle find you.¡± Abraham replied, ¡°I¡¯m not there anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, then forget it. We¡¯ll talk when you¡¯re back in Falvaria Marie knew Abraham¡¯s schedule was packed. Whenever he was abroad, his visits were brief and rushed. This time, staying in Rivermount for so long was truly rare. Though, it was probably because of Ste. Abraham gave gave a quiet ¡°Mm¡± and reminded her, ¡°Put yourself first. Always.¡± ¡°Got it. What about Ste? Is she with you?¡± Marie shifted the topic. Abraham gave a light nod. ¡°She is.¡± Marie said, ¡°Then you better keep a close eye on her. You know how Derrick is.¡± At the mention of Derrick, Marie¡¯s tone dipped again. Clearly, she was still upset about him kicking the Dawson family when they were down. Abraham nced at the obedient Ste beside him, his lips curving in indulgent amusement. ¡°She¡¯s smarter than you.¡± What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Before she could ask, Abraham had already hung up. Ste looked at him, all innocence. ¡°Saying that about your sister¡­. careful, she¡¯lle for you.¡± ¡°What can she even do?¡± Abraham shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Ste quirked a brow. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Back in Pagena, Derrick had underestimated her too. Just a moment ago¡­. Abraham noticed the red marks on her neck and lifted her chin for a better look. ¡°Derrick did this?¡± Chapter 331 Some ws Need Cutting Fearis Abraham froze mid¨Cmotion. Then he chuckled. ¡°So you knew he wouldn¡¯t really hurt you¡± Derrick He wouldn¡¯t bear to. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to The thought of Derricks feelings toward Ste sent a dark current sweeping through Abraham¡¯s EVER He pulled her into hisp without warning The sudden movement made Ste yelp. What are you doing? This Up front. Eddie had already plugged his ears He tried his best not to listen to their interaction. He feared that if he opened his mouth again. his words would outrun his brain Abraham pinched her slim, soft waist. ¡°Can¡¯t even let you out of my sight for a second¡± She had just left and Derrick had already taken her Abraham spoke to Abel up front. ¡°Some ws need cutting Abel, who was driving froze for a moment before understanding. He nodded. ¡®Ill arrange it right away Ste looked at Abraham puzzled ¡°ws? Are you going to cut off someone¡¯s hand?¡± Before she could finish Abraham tilted her chin and kissed her. All her questions were drowned out by the man¡¯s sudden dominance. Ste had nned to resist, but when the partition between the front and back seats rose, she knew resistance was futile Up front. Abel was already on the phone. handling arrangements. Vincent and Gabe. Remove them.¡± Someone from over the phone answered. ¡°Understood.¡± Eddie¡¯s brow twitched sharply. He looked at Abel who had just hung up. You¡¯re pushing Derrick into a corner. Vincent and Gabe had been Derricks right and left hands for years. If they were removed. Derrick would absolutely lose it Abel tossed his phone onto the dashboard. His tone was t. ¡°He¡¯s touched Ms. Dawson twice¡± Once warranted a life. Eddie sucked in a cold breath. ¡°But Ste is the fianc¨¦e Mr. Kevin promised to him before he 10.59 AME Chapter 331 Some ws Need Cutting As soon as those words left his mouth. Abel gave Eddie a death re. + Pearis The moment their eyes met. Eddie realized what he had just said and clutched his mouth. ¡°Damn it¡­ my stupid mouth¡­ A hand suddenly stretched from the back and smacked him on the head, hard. It was Abraham. The partition had apparentlye down at some point, and Eddie let out a yelp. ¡°My bad, my bad! I know I was wrong!¡± He was losing his mind. Why could his brain not keep up with his mouth this time? Honestly though, when it came to Ste, Eddie had always felt that Abraham was the one who had snatched her away. But Derrick was also impossible to read. Ste and Abraham clearly had mutual feelings. Why was Derrick still trying to wedge himself between them? Did he think if he just kept showing up, she would suddenly marry him? Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 332 Chapter 332 Lilian¡¯s Fall Abraham asked, ¡°Do you prefer the desert or the sea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like either.¡± Eddie answered without hesitation. Thinking about how he just swam ten kilometers in the sea, he did not want to risk provoking Abraham again. Ste, lips still red from the kiss, red at the back of Eddie¡¯s head with righteous indignation. ¡°The desert¡¯s great. It makes your throat so dry you can¡¯t talk nonsense anymore.¡± Eddie screamed, ¡°Y¨Cyou.. you little tyrant, spare me, please.¡± The words little devil¡® nearly slipped out, but he swallowed them and switched to ¡®tyrant¡® just in time. Meanwhile, over at the Reed mansion¡­. Because Susan had asked Reba to return the ne to Lilian, Reba had thrown an absolute fit. She nearly tore the entire Reed mansion apart. Lilian kept pleading. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Reba sneered. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have used you. Mom, it was me. I falsely used her. It¡¯s all on me.¡± Lilian said. But Susan did not believe her. She looked at Lilian with even more pity, assuming she was justpromising for the sake of peace. ¡°Reba, you¡¯re simply¡­¡± ¡°Simply what?¡± Reba cut in. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear her say it herself? She wronged me.¡± This old bat. Even after Lilian admitted it, she still wanted to make me the bad guy? You d ¡°No your own daughter away all those years ago.¡± Reba said. Susan did not know what to say. ¡°You¡­¡± Reba continued, ¡°Oh, right. Your foster daughter speaks the truth, and you think she¡¯s lying. But when she lies, you believe herpletely.¡± She finally understood. Now that Lilian had already admitted it, Susan still refused to believe that was the truth. Susan was breathing heavily. She red at Reba but could not utter a single word. She did not want to see her anymore. ¡°Get out. Get out of the Reed mansion!¡± Bahasan aku.¨CII¨C ¨C121. ¡°Var !!!¡ª maa tass] Th.. ¡ª Chapter 332 Lilian¡¯s Fall Mentioning Patrick only made things worse. It was twisting the knife in Susan¡¯s heart. Thepany was gone. The remaining money had been taken by Patrick. +3 Pearls He had not been home for days. She did not even know where he and that woman were living now. Reba turned to Lilian. ¡°Since you said you were wrong and falsely used me, then tell me, where¡¯s the ne?¡± Susan snapped, ¡°How dare you keep badgering Lilian?!¡± She sounded sharp and threatening. Reba¡¯s temper red again. She stepped forward and pped Lilian twice. ¡°Are you talk or not?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Lilian could not even defend herself, let alone run. All she could do was scream. going to Susan, furious, tried to stop her. But she was older now and no match for Reba¡¯s strength. Rebanded a few more ps on Lilian. ¡°Like stirring up trouble, huh? Like sowing discord? Then tell me clearly, where¡¯s the damn ne?! If you don¡¯t say it today, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Scratching, hitting¡­ Reba had gone wild. Lilian, already a mess, was now covered in bruises. She trembled all over, her belly aching fiercely. Reba looked absolutely unhinged. Lilian could not take it anymore. ¡°Under the sink cab¡­ in the towel basket.¡± At those words, Susan froze, her pupils contracting as she stared at Lilian. Reba also stopped. With a cold snort, she walked to the bathroom, opened the cab, and pulled out the basket. Right in front of Susan, she dumped the towels on the floor. The nended on the ground. Reba bent down, picked up the ne, and waved it in front of Susan. ¡°Madam Susan, that¡¯s the exact spot she said, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re about to use me of nting it there and. forcing her to say it.¡± Susan stood there, breathing hard, staring at Lilian. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came. It was Lilian who said it. Out loud. Her face was ghostly pale¡­ She really could not take any more of this. Between Ste¡¯s confrontations and Reba¡¯s outbursts, ever sinceing back to the country, she had not had a single peaceful day. The wrong girl 333 Chapter 333 Everyone Wants What¡¯s Not Theirs ¡°You all want me dead. Since that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Lilian said in a pitiful tone. Reba sneered, ¡°Oh please. If your life really meant so little to you, would you have gone to such lengths to frame me?¡± Susan, sensing Lilian¡¯s despair, was about to soften when Reba¡¯s sharp words struck her. She trembled with anger, not even sure whether she was furious at Reba or disappointed in Lilian Reba squatted down, flinging the ne at Lilian¡¯s face. This is how you framed Ste back then too, isn¡¯t it? All that ¡°Mom, don¡¯t me her, it¡¯s my fault. Don¡¯t be mad at Ste; it¡¯s all on me.. Ugh.¡± Mocking Lilian¡¯s pitiful tone, Reba nearly gagged. Lilian¡¯s face went ghostly pale with rage.. Reba stood up coldly and turned to Susan. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I was poorly raised?¡± Then her gaze shifted back to Lilian. ¡°Well, your parenting sure is something else.¡± Reba gave them both a withering once¨Cover, then strutted out of the room with a sneer. Lilian had tried to set her up, then she would expose the scheme on the spot, in her own way leaving no ce for it to hide. Susan looked at Lilian with a broken heart. ¡°Why would you do this?¡± She did not like Reba much either, but this¡­ this was too underhanded. There were plenty of ways to drive someone away. Did it have to be something so dirty? ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Lilian tried to talk her way out again. Before she could finish, Susan cut in. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t say another word. You¡¯re this sick and still causing trouble.¡± Furious, Susan turned and stormed off. Lilian¡¯s breath caught. Her already pale face turned even whiter, and tears streamed down. ¡°Why? Why does everyone always try to take what¡¯s mine?¡± She growled through clenched teeth. First it was Ste. Now Reba had appeared. Thinking of how Reba had manhandled her just moments ago, Lilian felt her whole body burning with pain. Meanwhile, on Kealis Ind¡­. 10.59 AM Chapter 333 Everyone Wants What¡¯s Not Theirs +8 Pearls Eddie muttered behind them, ¡°That Bert and Bernie, they¡¯re two totally different creatures.¡± Bernie hade off as downright sleazy. But Bert? He had acted like a decent guy. As soon as he heard why they were here, he handed over the goods without a fuss. If th they had known the stuff was with Bert from the start, they would not have needed to make this whole trip. Abraham said tly, ¡°You think there are good people in a ce like this?¡± Eddie came to realize¡­. Well, okay then. Bert did single¨Chandedly control Kealis Ind. No way he was some noble soul. He said, ¡°Maybe he just wanted to show off in front of a prettydy? I could tell he really liked that little wife by his side.¡± Ste¡¯s brow twitched. She gave Eddie a warning nce. ¡°We¡¯re still on Bert¡¯s property.¡± Eddie not only had a big mouth. He also loved gossip. Still, he was not wrong. Bert¡¯s new wife really was young. He was pushing seventy, and she looked. barely past twenty. Eddie muttered, ¡°I was just saying.¡± ¡°Then choose a better time and ce to say it,¡± Ste scolded lightly. Eddie pouted and said no more. Fine. Abraham and Ste were always right. Always. Suddenly, Abraham¡¯s phone vibrated. It was Derrick calling. The moment he picked up, Derrick¡¯s furious voice exploded through the line, ¡°You lied to me?! Vincent and Gabe, was that your doing?!¡± Derrick was beyond livid. He had not expected Abraham to go that far. Though the man was no stranger to ruthless tactics, Vincent and Gabe were different. This loss was a heavy one. Abraham nced at the little thing beside him, still munching snacks. I¡¯ve told you to forget about the engagement.¡± Ste had a cookie halfway to her mouth. She froze and looked over at him. Chapter 333 Everyone Wants What¡¯s Not Theirs +8 Pearls Then Derrickughed darkly. ¡°Sure, I can forget it. But you, Abraham, do you really think you can be with her? Have you forgotten¡­ that time with Reese¡­?¡± Before Derrick could finish, Abraham¡¯s eyes turned icy, and he hung up without hesitation. For a moment, a storm flickered in the depths of his gaze. Ste blinked at him, cookie still in her mouth. ¡°Reese? What about Reese?¡± What had Derrick been trying to say? Send Gifts The wrong girl 334 Chapter 334 Don¡¯t Lay a Finger on the Little Princess. Reese had been Ste¡¯s best friend in high school back in Falvaria. They were close. But during their second year, Reese had left school for reasons unknown. They never got back in touch. Judging by Derrick¡¯s words just now, it sounded like Reese¡¯s disappearance had something to do with Abraham? Abraham reached over and ruffled her hair. ¡°Eat your cookie.¡± Something wasn¡¯t right. Something was definitely not right. Derrick¡¯s tone just now¡­ Something was off. Ste was rmed. Meeting her probing gaze, Abraham pulled her into hisp. ¡°You like meddling in other people¡¯s business?¡± ¡°No, but Derrick.¡± Ste wanted to ask more about Reese. Abraham¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Is Derrick¡¯s opinion worth your attention?¡± That¡¯s not the point, is it? ¡°Fine, fine, I won¡¯t ask.¡± Seeing Abraham¡¯s expression turning cold, Ste gave up, but secretly, she had another n. Forget it. I¡¯ll look into it myself. Ste nibbled on her cookie, feigning nonchnce. As if she did not care at all. Abraham¡¯s dark eyes softened just a bit. He kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Good girl.¡± Ste shifted topics, ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°Rivermount.¡± Abraham answered shortly. Ste felt reluctant. ¡°Again?¡± She really did not want to go back to Rivermount. She hated that ce. The city and the people, it all rubbed her the wrong way. Abraham chuckled and pinched her nose affectionately. ¡°Just two or three days. Then we¡¯re heading back to Falvaria.¡± Hearing that, Ste¡¯s reluctance lessened. ¡°Really?¡± -md Chapter 334 Don¡¯t Lay & Finger on the Little Princess Ste gave a light nod. ¡°Alright then.¡± Hearing they would only be there briefly, she let out a breath of relief. +8 Pearls Heaven knows, Rivermount just felt all wrong to her. Every time she thought of it, unease settled deep in her bones. Right now, all she wanted was to go home. To the ce where she grew up. ¡°Is Marie here too?¡± Ste asked. Abraham hummed. ¡°But now¡¯s not the best time for you to see her. He knew she missed Marie but gently put that thought to rest. Maric hade with Dan this time, and from the way she spoke, something did not sound quite right. After a moment¡¯s thought, Abraham still decided to look into it. ¡°Abel.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Abraham.¡± Abel immediately responded. Abraham ordered, ¡°Send someone to check on Marie. That girl was strong in every way but apparently not immune to falling head over heels. From the intel he had, Dan now was not the same man Marie had once known. Abel nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Meanwhile, with Derrick¡­ His knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone. Finally, he hurled it away in rage. On the operating table, Sebastian was sweating from pain. ¡°Aahhh! If I¡¯d known it¡¯d turn out like this, I never would¡¯vee with you!¡± Derrick shot him a cold nce. Sebastian instantly deted. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. If you want something, just take it. Steal it if you must. But don¡¯ty a finger on the little princess.¡± Touching Ste was like dancing on Abraham¡¯sst nerve. Being hunted for two years was bad enough. Now with Vincent and Gabe gone too¡­ It was clear that Abraham did not just get angry anymore. He ont lethal Chapter 334 Don¡¯t Lay a Finger on the Little Princess Soon, the group returned to the airport. Victor had already arrived and quickly reunited with Abraham. +8 Pearls Abraham answered a call, and whatever he heard made his expression darken immediately. He hung up and turned to Victor. ¡°You need to return to Falvaria immediately.¡± Victor asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Abraham looked rmed. ¡°The Dawne family has been acting up again. He bought a batch of weapons from Kealis Ind and smuggled the into Falvaria.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. He rose to his feet, his imposing frame radiating danger. The half¨Cvisible tattoo beneath his shirt cor made him look even more threatening. He was strikingly handsome, but everything about him screamed danger. He liked curvy women, but he had never shown a hint of softness to any of them. No wonder Tessa had been terrified back then¡­ With that kind of presence, who would not be? Victor adjusted his suit. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and clean them out.¡± If they don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll then teach them to. Abraham agreed, though he offered a token reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t go full bandit.¡± Eddie secretly mocked¡­ You just told him to raid them, and now you¡¯re saying not to act like a bandit? How fake can you be? Victor had just left when Ste got a call from Tessa. As soon as she answered, she asked, ¡°Did Reba kick Lilian out of the Reed family?¡± Because really¡­ If Tessa was calling, it could only mean one thing. Gossip! Either about the Keene family. or the Reed family. The wrong girl 335 Chapter 335 Fated or Cursed? But this time, Ste guessed wrong. Tessa wailed over the phone, ¡°Neither of them.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so down? Still hung up on your first kiss?¡± When she said the words ¡°first kiss, Ste deliberately lowered her voice. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you better forget about it as soon as t possible.¡± She knew that if Tessa kept brooding over it, she would definitely end up doing something reckless. But just thinking of the dangerous aura Victor gave off earlier¡­. She better not go messing with him. That man is the mess Tessa replied, ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t even have time to think about that right now.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± Ste then asked. Tessa dropped a bomb. ¡°I¡¯m about to fly to Falvaria. Did you go back already?¡± Ste was surprised. ¡°What?¡± Tessa exined. ¡°My mom¡¯s pulling some crazy stunt. She¡¯s forcing me to go to Falvaria, wouldn¡¯t even let me pack my bags. I¡¯m already on the ne. Are you there? If you are, I¡¯ll feel a lot better. This was not Tessa¡¯s first time traveling abroad. But she never liked being alone in unfamiliar ces. If Ste were there, at least she could feel a bit more secure. Ste said, ¡°I¡¯ll probably be back in two or three days. What¡¯s going on with Diana?¡± Though Ste had not met Diana more than a few times, she actually liked her quite a bit. Every time Tessa had a problem, Diana always stepped in to help. Tessa said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ll figure it out once I get there.¡± It was all so sudden. She barely got a few words in before being dragged away. How could she possibly know what had happened? ¡°You¡¯re already on the ne?¡± Worried, Ste asked. ¡°Yeah! I have to go; we¡¯re about to take off. Talkter. Then, Tessa ended the call. Ste twitched the corner of her mouth and turned to look at Abraham. Abraham said, ¡°Judging by the timing, there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll run into each other.¡± He meant Tessa and Victor. Chapter 335 Fated or Cursed¡± These two¡­ are they fated or cursed? Meanwhile, with Derrick¡­. +8 Pearls When he found out Bernie had his eye on Ste and even wanted to y with her, his temper instantly exploded. He was already furious after failing to retrieve the item. Now, fuming, he went straight up andnded a brutal kick to a certain very sensitive spot. Bernie¡¯s face twisted in agony as he curled up on the ground, hands covering his crotch. Everyone present winced instinctively at the sight. ¡°Mr. Derrick, please calm down¡­ calm down¡­ Bernie could barely speak through the pain. But Derrick kept kicking. His stomach, his legs, and that area again and again¡­. ¡°You like to y games, huh? Well, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re done ying for the rest of your damn life.¡± Derrick¡¯s movement never stopped. Bernie whimpered, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know she was your fianc¨¦e! If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have dared. N¡­.not even with a hundred lives¡­¡± Sebastian had already been removed from the operating table. Hey pale on the bed. Vincent and Gabe were both gone. Though Derrick had brought plenty of men this time, Abraham had still managed to take out two of his key yers. That only made his blood boil more, and his kicks even more vicious. Bernie was drenched in sweat from the pain. Just as Derrick lifted his leg for what might have been the finishing blow, Sebastian, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. ¡°Derrick¡­ he¡¯s still that man¡¯s little brother.¡± Bernie and Bert were not exactly close, but if something happened to this younger brother, there was no way Bert would not react. Derrick had reached the peak of his fury. With onest kick, hepletely ruined Bernie. A pig¨Csquealing howl echoed through the room. Well, that settles that. This pervert can forget about hurting any women for the rest of his life. He actually had the nerve to lust after that little tyrant. The very one Derrick dreamed of but couldn¡¯t have. And he wanted to y? Must¡¯ve had a death wish. Even that was not the end. Derrick had his men give Bernie another solid beating before tossing Chapter 335 Fated or Cursed? Sebastian watched as Derrick continued to simmer with rage. After a moment¡¯s thought, he could not help asking, ¡°Be honest with me. Are you serious about the little princess?¡± First, he had snuck into Rivermount to steal her away, Now, here he was again. And he had not made a move to kidnap the little princess this time. If he really had taken Ste, things would be even messier. The feud between him and Abraham was inevitable. But from Sebastian¡¯s perspective, staying away from Ste might actually cause less trouble. Without waiting for Derrick¡¯s answer, Sebastian threw in another question. Every time you say you want something from Abraham, it¡¯s like you¡¯re not even after the thing. It¡¯s just a cover, isn¡¯t Send Gifte The wrong girl 336 Chapter 336 Don¡¯t Tempt Fate +8 Pearls Derrick said he wanted things, but in fact, every time he just wanted to find Ste. For the past two years, he had been chased all over the world by Abraham. And all the while, he kept his eyes on him. Whenever he got word that Abraham had found Ste, he could not help but rush to Rivermount. But this time? It was outrageous¡­. There was no reason to mess with Ste. And yet¡­ Derrick lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, staying silent. Sebastian said, ¡°You know she¡¯s already Abraham¡¯s woman, right?¡± Derrick¡¯s hand, holding the cigarette, paused in midair. Seeing his silence, Sebastian understood. Derrick knew everything. ¡°If you knew, why can¡¯t you let go?¡± Derrick took another drag, then let out a coldugh. But he did not say anything more. Sebastian sighed, ¡°It¡¯s no use, you know. That girl¡¯s always been on Abraham¡¯s side. Let¡¯s be real. They¡¯re in love, and you¡­.¡± ¡°In love?¡± Derrick¡¯s icy voice cut him off mid¨Csentence. Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Abraham is a shameless bastard,¡± Derrick growled. Seeing Derrick¡¯s reaction, Sebastian did not know what to say. All right, all right¡­ This guy¡¯s possessed. No way he¡¯s thinking rationally. Better not bring up Ste anymore. This whole thing it¡¯ll never be sorted out in this lifetime. Shifting topics, he asked, ¡°So what now?¡± They had been duped again. The thing was not even with Bernie. He continued, ¡°And I beg you, don¡¯t go near the little princess when Abraham¡¯s around.¡± Not to mention how sharp¨Ctongued that girl is; his own leg nearly got crippled this time. In Sebastian¡¯s opinion, sometimes you just cannot tempt fate. Derrick shot him a cold re. That one look was enough to shut Sebastian up. Chapter 336 Don¡¯t Tempt Fate +8 Pearls Looks like this living devil really has fallen for Ste. So this is what they mean by one¨Csided affection.¡± Just when Sebastian thought the conversation was over. Derrick spoke coldly. ¡°She¡¯ll cry eventually.¡± Sebastian¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Abraham never lets her cry.¡± Derrick sneered. That sneer was full of dark implications. sending a sharp pang through Sebastian¡¯s chest. ¡°Send someone to check out the boxing match.¡± ¡°Check what?¡± Sebastian did not understand. Derrick said, ¡°Her fianc¨¦ in Rivermount.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face twitched hard¡­. No way. Are they all trying to die? Wasn¡¯t Ethan supposed to be in Hong Kong? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s on this cruise too? Although the cruise was technically under Ste¡¯s name. Marie had been managing her assets these past two years. And this massive cruise ship, leaving it idle, would have been a waste, so Marie had rented it out. The rental fees went straight into Ste¡¯s ount. Ste had not had much to do with Falvariately; she probably did not even know how much money was in her ount. The Reed family really suffered a huge loss. They had managed to lose a golden goose like her. Sebastian frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t her fianc¨¦ in Rivermount have a first love? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Maybe he just realized how good the little princess was? But she was hard to please, spoiled to the core, full of tricks and danger. What was the appeal? Derrick took another drag, thinking about how Ethan had spent two years at Ste¡¯s side in that role. That alone had him radiating menace again. Meanwhile.. Abraham had already gotten Ste on the ne. As soon as they boarded, she locked herself in the bathroom. Abraham was on a call for almost half an hour, and she still had note out. Frowning, he knocked on the door. ¡°Ste¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ste answered, but her voice carried a hint of pain. Chapter 336 Don¡¯t Tempt Fate Ste rejected it. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be out in a bit.¡± 401 Pearls ¡°You¡¯ve been in there too long,¡± he said in a low voice. Then he added, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Ste said, ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± There was clearly difort in her voice. After another five minutes of shuffling and hesitation, Ste finally exited the bathroom. Abraham had been waiting outside the whole time. The moment the door opened, he saw her pale little face. She had even taken a shower, wrapped in a bathrobe. The wrong girl 337 Chapter 337 Girls Are Fragile +8 Pearls Abraham pulled her into his arms in one swift motion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where does it hurt?¡± Ste said weakly. 1 She cast him a slightly embarrassed nce, her eyes clearly holding a trace of grievance. Abraham frowned. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ste bit her lip. That ce hurts. It really hurts.¡± Abraham froze for a second, then immediately understood exactly what she meant by that ce.¡± He suddenly remembered¡­. He had even asked Eddie to buy medicine earlier. I¡¯m sorry. The man¡¯s hoarse voice carried a rare note of guilt. Tears welled up in Ste¡¯s eyes as she looked at him. ¡°It really hurts¡­ Abraham scooped her up and strode toward the bed. Let me take a look.¡± Ste panicked. ¡°No, you¡­¡± Take a look? What did he mean by that? Abraham said solemnly, I need to assess how bad the injury is.¡± He had already been careful, even restrained, but he had not expected to hurt her. Now, guilt filled his gaze. Just as he reached to open her robe, Ste grabbed his wrist. ¡°You can¡¯t look.¡± Abraham looked up at her, amusement flickering in his eyes. With a soft smile, heforted. ¡°Still so shy?¡± Her face, which had been pale a moment ago, flushed with a faint, awkward blush. ¡°Tll just put on the medicine myself, she muttered. Abraham replied gently, ¡°Be good.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. You can¡¯t.¡± Ste tried to push Abraham away. Outside, Eddie was passing by the lounge when he overheard the conversation between Abraham and Ste. His heart gave a jolt. He involuntarily shuddered and quickly walked away. Chapter 337 Girls Are Fragile ¨C Pearls Eddie walked over to the wine cab, poured himself a ss of red wine, and had just taken sip when Abraham emerged from the lounge Eddie choked on the wine and coughed uncontrobly Abraham frowned and shot him a displeased look. What¡¯s with you? See a ghost or something Eddie patted his chest. ¡°You you finished that fast?¡± Abraham was speechless. Not far away, Abel, who was working on hisptop. heard the remark and silently carried hisputer to another lounge. He had finally realized that when it came to people like Eddie. distance was safety. Get too close and you may end up covered in blood. Eddie noticed Abel¡¯s retreat. Realizing he had spoken too freely, he tried to backtrack. I uh, didn¡¯t mean that. Just now He had only walked past the lounge and heard suspicious sounds, so he quickly fled. But after just one sip of wine Abraham stepped forward. ¡®Do you have any other medicine for that?¡± His voice was steady. The injury¡¯s more serious than I thought Ste was delicate. When he had checked her earlier, she kept sobbing. He had not meant to hurt her this badly Wher! Only now did Eddie realize what had really happened in that lounge. So Abraham had been checking on her injuries? Wait, but Eddie wanted to blurt out something sarcastic but met Abraham¡¯s warning gaze and swallowed his words. He turned and fetched two more tubes from the medical kit, handing them over. ¡°Use them with the ones I gave you earlier.¡± Abraham took the medicine and turned to leave. But Eddie called out, ¡°Wait. Listen, I get that you¡¯re eager, afraid you¡¯ll miss your chance Before he could finish. Abraham turned back with an icy re. That shut Eddie up real fast. He clicked his tongue, muttering ¡°What I meant was. Girls are fragile. At least wait until she¡¯s healed.¡± 11 Chapter 337 Girls Are Fragile Left alone, Eddie drained his wine in one gulp. +8 Pearls Clicking his tongue again, he muttered to himself, ¡°And Derrick thinks he can steal her?¡± The way Abraham doted on Ste, was that something anyone couldpete with? If Derrick really thought he could win her over, he was dreaming. He thought back to how furious Abraham had been when Derrick took Ste away. Abraham. looked ready to devour Sebastian alive. If Eddie had not dragged him back and given Sebastian a proper threat, that guy would not have made it out in one piece. In the lounge, Abraham gently pulled Ste out from under the covers, Ste struggled weakly. ¡°No I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just putting on medicine for you. Why so shy?¡± Abrahamforted patiently. But Ste still refused. It was already embarrassing enough to be hurt there, and now he wanted to apply the medicine for her? She felt like she had no privacy left at all. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 338 Chapter 338 Keep Her from Dying ¡°I can do it myself,¡± she insisted. Abraham insisted too. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t want to!¡± Ste shouted in frustration, loud enough that Eddie, sipping wine outside, nearly dropped his ss in shock. Several more hours of flight passed. Ste was exhausted and slept deeply on the ne. Thankfully, Abraham did not disturb her this time. While she was fast asleep, he helped apply the medicine once more. She had stirred a little, aware of his touch, but she was far too tired to open her eyes or resist. ¡°Mr. Abraham, you can wake Ms. Dawson now.¡± Abel reminded. The ne hadnded over an hour ago. Abel, seeing Ste had not emerged from the lounge, figured she was still asleep, and their appointment time was approaching. Abraham nced at his watch, gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, and headed into the lounge. Inside Ste was still sound asleep. ¡°Ste, Ste?¡± Abraham called gently. Ste mumbled in reply, turned over, and prepared to continue sleeping. With no other choice, Abraham grabbed her clothes, scooped her into his arms, and forced her awake. She blinked sleepily. ¡°What are you doing? Have wended?¡± Abraham chuckled. ¡°Your phone¡¯s been buzzing nonstop. And yes, we need to disembark.¡± While softlyforting her, he dressed her with practiced care. The weather in Rivermount waspletely different from Kealis Ind. Ste let him do as he pleased, docile and pliant. By the time he was finished, she was barely fully awake. Hearing her phone vibrate again, she answered without checking the number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ste, it¡¯s me.¡± The voice on the other end was Rianne¡¯s. Ste instantly sobered
  1. up.
¡°Rianne? How did you not this number?¡± Chapter 338 Keep Her from Dying Rianne replied, ¡°You sent it to me.¡± +8 Pearls Ever since Abraham had her phone number changed, she had been determined to cut all ties with the Reed family, so only a handful of people even knew this number. ¡°Oh¡­ right. So, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ste asked. Rianne said. ¡°I arrived in Rivermount six hours ago.¡± ¡°And?¡± Ste was still curious why Rianne called. Rianne¡¯s voice wasced with helplessness. ¡°Madam Susan has been waiting outside the house ever since, demanding to see me. She won¡¯t leave.¡± So Susan had found out Rianne was back and had staked out the Hale mansion? All for Lilian. That woman was obsessed. After all the chaos with Reba, she still had the nerve to chase Rianne down? Ste said calmly, ¡°How about¡­ you go and see her?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rianne did not understand. ¡°And give her a little hope, Ste added meaningfully. Give her hope? Wouldn¡¯t that just make things worse? Rianne thought. Before leaving Rivermount, she had seen Lilian¡¯s medical reports. Those test results were¡­ Based on her years of medical experience, Lilian¡¯s body was so wrecked she would notst six months. And that was assuming she got surgery soon. Now? The surgery had not happened. She was not even receiving basic treatment. Where was the hope in that? Rianne muttered, ¡°You want her to suffer in both body and soul.¡± To give hope, only to plunge her deeper into despair? Rianne immediately understood what Ste was implying. ¡°When people see no hope, Ste said, ¡°they¡¯re often tempted to end things quickly.¡± Got it Rianne nodded. So the idea was to keep Lilian from killing herself. Back when she tried to kill Ste, her tactics had been beyond cruel. Not just the car ident; she had even tried to tamper with her hospital treatment. If it had not been for Rianne and Tessa¡¯s quick response, Ste might not have survived. Now, looking back. Rianne was d they had saved her. Chapter 338 Keep Her from Dying died. He would have razed Rivermount to the ground. ¡°THE +8 Pearls go visit the Reed family now. Dinner tonight?¡± Rianne thought of inviting Ste for dinner. Ste nced at Abraham, then winced slightly. Her body still ached. ¡°Let¡¯s do it tomorrow, she said. She was not going anywhere today. She still hurt too much. ¡°Alright. Rianne then ended the call. Once Ste hung up. Abraham picked her up again, smiling indulgently. So obedient. You¡¯re even thinking about your health now.¡± ¡°Well, I am in serious pain. Of course I can¡¯t go out.¡± Ste murmured. Whether she was obedient or not, she was genuinely in pain. Abraham did not say another word, simply carried her off the ne. In the past. Ste would have insisted on walking, but today, she said nothing at all. Send Gifts The wrong girl 339 Chapter 339 Give Them Hope, Then Bleed Them Dry Obediently, Ste rested her small face against the man¡¯s chest. Susan had been waiting outside the Hale family¡¯s gates the entire time. Two hours after Rianne returned, she heard the news and had rushed over, waiting here ever since. Whether it was due to the Reed family¡¯s current downfall or for some other reason, she had not been able to step past the threshold. The one who came to inform her had told her bluntly to leave, and Rianne would not see her. But she could not leave. Just thinking of the pain Lilian was enduring, she could not back down. She had to see Rianne, no matter what. Finally, Rianne emerged. Susan hurried forward in agitation. ¡°Ms. Rianne, please, I beg you, save my daughter.¡± ¡°Which daughter are you talking about?¡± Rianne crossed her arms, her tone casual and detached. Susan froze. her face stiffening from the question. She struggled for breath as she answered, ¡°M¡­ My adopted daughter, Lilian.¡± ¡°Oh, adopted daughter?¡± Rianne raised a brow. ¡°Seeing how desperate you were, I thought it was your biological daughter, Ste, who was in trouble.¡± At the mention of Ste, Susan¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly. In the end, she could note up with a suitable response. ¡°Could you please go take a look at the Reed family, hmm? Susan suggested weakly. Rianne shrugged. ¡°Alright, but let me say this first. I hadn¡¯t nned on¨Cgoing. I¡¯m only doing this because your biological daughter called me and asked me to go.¡± ¡°You mean Ste called you? She asked you to check on Lilian?¡± Susan was stunned. She could hardly believe it. Ste¡­ would never be so kind to Lilian. She couldn¡¯t. She would probably rather Lilian be dead. She refuted instinctively. ¡°Ms. Rianne, you must have misheard. Ste couldn¡¯t possibly¡­¡± Rianne cast a cold nce. ¡°You mean to say I have hearing problems? If that¡¯s the case, can you really trust me to go check on Lilian?¡± Susan choked on words. ¡°L¡± Forget it. Right now, Lilian mattered most. Chapter 339 Give Them Hope. Then Bleed Them Dry +B Pearls. As Rianne watched Susan¡¯s unwilling expression at the mere mention of Ste, she found her even more repulsive. With a short, she added. ¡°No need to thank me. You should save your gratitude for your real daughter. Rianne¡¯s words hit her like a blow to the chest, and she had to bite back a wave of burning rage. Right now, thest name she wanted to hear was Ste. The entire downfall of the Reed family was because of What was there to rememberi what was so great about her, anyway? But right now. Lilian was more important. She could not afford to be angry, You¡¯re right. Ms. Rianne Susan echoed in agreement. Seeing her words and face so out of sync. Rianne let out a derisive chuckle and turned toward her Susan quickly followed ¡®Ms. Rianne. I drove here myself.¡± ¡°No need. Most of the Reed family¡¯s mechanics are crooked. I¡¯d rather drive my own car. Rianne rejected her offer right away. It was a not¨Cso¨Csubtle jab at the car ident involving Ste. In fact, most of the evidence from that crash pointed straight at Lilian. And yet, despite the irond proof, the Reed family still chose to believe her. Rianne got in her car and drove off without another word. Susan stood there stiffly, her body frozen in ce. hatred for Ste boiling in her chest. That wretched girl! Seething with fury, she jumped into her car and hurried to catch up to Rianne. Meanwhile, Ste had already been carried into the car by Abraham when Rianne¡¯s call came through. ¡°I honestly think this is all pointless,¡± Rianne said. ¡°Hm** Ste responded. ¡°With so many people in the Reed family loving her to pieces, there¡¯s no way she¡¯s actually willing to go that easily. And did you see the way Madam Liang acted¡® Oh dear, just what kind of magic potion did Lilian feed them?¡± Rianne almost rolled her eyes out Chapter 330 Give Them Hope, Then Bleed Them Dry +8 Pearls Ste said calmly, ¡°Whatever potion she gave them, just make sure you go all in and give them hope.¡± Go all in? Why did it sound like this girl still had tricks up her sleeve? ¡°And after I give them hope?¡± Rianne asked curiously. ¡°Then you go all in¡­ on bargaining.¡± Ste replied smoothly. Bargaining? Rianne was unsure of what Ste wanted exactly. ¡°You want money?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°Please. You¡¯re not a charity case. Just name your price. Make it so sky¨Chigh they¡¯ll choke on it.¡± ¡°But the Reed family doesn¡¯t have that kind of money anymore,¡± Rianne said. She had already heard about their current mess. No one in that house could cough up 700,000 dors in cash right now. ¡°I know,¡± Ste said. Curious, Rianne asked. ¡°Huh? Then why¡­?¡± Ste continued, ¡°Exactly because they don¡¯t have money. That¡¯s why you need to go all out and ask for more. Send Gifts The wrong girl 340 Chapter 340 Always on Your Side Rianne was starting to get it now. The n was to give them hope, only to shove them deeper into the abyss, ¡°This sounds like something you picked up from Tess,¡± she muttered. Only Tessa could be this delightfully wicked. Watching a disaster unfold was not enough. She had to devise new ways to make it worse. Ste simply said, ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll go all in at every step. Rianne promised before hanging up. Lilian, never mind her grudge with Ste; even she and Rianne had history. Back when Lilian was not sure about Ethan¡¯s feelings, she had cast a wide. And people like her never wasted theirs on the poor, short, or ugly. Tempest, of course, had been one of her targets. Thus creating a rift with Rianne. There were countless heiresses in Rivermount who wished they could tear Lilian to pieces, but thanks to the Reed family¡¯s protection, none of them could touch her. Until now. Now, she had fallen, right into Ste¡¯s hands. And even had to beg Rianne for help. On Ste¡¯s side. Abraham nced down at her smug little face. ¡°So happy?¡± ¡°Of course. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Ste¡¯s voice wasced with impish glee. Lilian was getting hereuppance. There were countless people in Rivermount celebrating. She was not the only one. Abraham chuckled. ¡°Why not just end her? Why go through all the trouble?¡± Ste shot him a look. ¡°With the state she¡¯s in now, ending her would be a waste of a bullet.¡± Abraham reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair, saying nothing more. He would let her do as she pleased. After all, as she said, given the Reed family¡¯s state, was any action even necessary? They had already copsed. Every member of that house was living in torment. What more Chapter 340 Always on Your Side Ste suddenly wrapped her arms around his. ¡°Abraham, do you think I¡¯ve be a bad person?¡± Abraham raised a brow. ¡°Why ask that?¡± Ste lowered her gaze. ¡°Back when I was in Falvaria, I wasn¡¯t like this.¡± Abraham nodded.. +8 Pearls It was true. When she had been by his side, she had been carefree, pure, and kind¨Chearted. But after the upheaval in the Dawson family, after being forced out of Falvaria by Derrick, she had changed. The next time he saw her, the innocence was gone. In its ce was someone who paid back every grudge tenfold. He gently pinched her nose. ¡°This is good too. You¡¯re still my precious one.¡± In that moment, Ste felt her heart fill with warmth. Bits and pieces of memories from the Reed family shed through her mind. Like when someone had told her, ¡°Even if Lilian pushed you, you shouldn¡¯t treat her like this.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you go quict?¡± Abraham asked softly. Ste murmured, ¡°I was thinking. no matter what kind of person I be, I¡¯ll always be good in your eyes, won¡¯t I?¡± Abraham nodded. Ste grinned happily, and wrapping her arms around his neck, nted a kiss on his cheek. matter This was what it meant to love someone, to care about someone, to cherish someone, no r how they changed. Just as Ste was about to settle back into her seat, Abraham suddenly pulled her in and deepened. the kiss. Right. I should never tease a lion. In the front, Abel tactfully raised the partition. Ste squirmed in Abraham¡¯s arms, flustered. She was scared. ¡°Stop¡­ don¡¯t touch me anymore.¡± If he kept going, he might not be able to stop. He saw her fear clearly and let out a softugh, releasing her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bear to take you right now. Ste¡¯s mind buzzed, her face flushing red. D +8 Pearls Chapter 340 Always on Your Side Ste replied. ¡°Not on purpose.¡± There was no need to waste thought on those people. But over the years, they had truly hurt her. Some memories were bound to linger. Ste suddenly asked, ¡°Abraham, will you always be biased in my favor?¡± ¡°Biased?¡± Abraham was not sure what she meant. Ste exined. ¡°Yeah. If I ever did something that hurt Marie, would you still take my side?¡± Abraham¡¯s grip on her tightened. He understood why she was asking. The Reed family had always stood with the adopted daughter¡­. And in the Dawson family, had she not held the same position as Lilian? He moved away just enough to look into her eyes, then flicked her forehead. Ste immediately covered the spot, eyes wide with pain, looking up at him like a wounded fawn. Abraham¡¯s heart stirred. This little enchantress¡­ He thought to himself. With that look in her eyes, what man could resist? ¡°Do you think the Dawson family is blind? Or ipetent enough to raise you into someone like Lilian?¡± Abraham said with a light scoff. Send Gifts The wrong girl 341 Chapter 841 You¡¯re A Doctor Ste was stunned Well¡­ that made sense Thinking back carefully, it wasn¡¯t really that Abraham and her mother favored her and Marie They definitely doted on them, but they also didn¡¯t hesitate to scold them when they messed up. Even with all the usual pampering, when they truly did something wrong, it never served as a shield Ste saw things clearly now She huggest Alwaham¡¯s lean waist and smuggled into his arms. ¡°Exactly. Why are people¡¯s hearts so different?¡± Over the past two years, the Reed family had almost unconditionally sided with Lillian. People who knew the backstory said it was because they loved her too much¨Cafter all, they had raised her. But to outsiders, it might seem like Lillian was holding something over their heads. Meanwhile, Rianne arrived at the Reed residence. Reba satfortably in the living room, cracking sunflower seeds as if this were her own home Susan¡¯s mood instantly soured at the sight of her. A strange woman suddenly living in the house and constantly trying to overpower her presence as the actual hostess¨Chow could she not be furious? And now, knowing that Lillian¡¯s condition had worsened after being hit by her, Susan felt even more stilled with rage. She nced at the sunflower seed shells scattered everywhere. If Riame weren¡¯t here, she¡¯d have alreadyshed out at Reba. ¡°Miss, this way please.¡± Susan tore her eyes away, refusing to look at Reba any longer. If she kept watching, she might actually explode. She quickly led Rianne toward Lillian¡¯s room. But just as they reached the staircase, Reba, who had been pretending not to notice them, finally spoke up. ¡°Are you nning to have the doctor check on your biological son first? Or your adopted daughter?¡± Clearly, Reba had figured out that Susan had brought in a doctor. Even now, trying to take care of Lillian? Susan was speechless. she e was still She red at Reba. Dr. Rianne is only an expert in obstetrics and gynecology.¡± Reba sneered. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve even got an excuse ready to see your adopted daughter first? Wow Chapter 341 Youre & Doctor ¡°You=¡°Susan was livid. + Pearls No matter what she said in front of Reba, it always seemed wrong. If she disagreed, she¡¯d be attacked. If she agreed, she¡¯d still be attacked. Basically, nothing she said or did would ever be right with Reba around. You really are something else, calling yourself a real mother while ignoring your own son¡¯s condition just to obsess over your adopted daughter.¡± ¡°If Lillian were decent. I¡¯d let it go. But you¡¯ve seen what kind of person she is.¡± Susan said. ¡°Shut up. That¡¯s enough¡± She felt suffocated. Reba replied. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I speak? I will speak. Anyone who knows would say Lillian¡¯s the most privileged adopted daughter in Rivermount. But anyone who doesn¡¯t know might assume she¡¯s your illegitimate child from some affair. Otherwise, why would you care so much?¡± Susan almost fainted from rage. Still unsatisfied. Reba crossed her arms. ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯t let this doctor look at Jonathan I¡¯m going to make a scene. Let¡¯s see how many more blows Lillian can survive. ¡°You¡± ¡°What a cursed family¡­ If I had known earlier. I would have- Would have what Susan stopped herself. But Reba knew exactly what she was going to say. ¡°What? Regret not getting someone to kill me sooner! No wonder Lillian turned out this way¨Cyou raised her like this. And now she uses the same tactics on your real daughter, and you still think that¡¯s okay? Then again, what do people like you know about actual family?¡± Susan was trembling all over. ¡°You done? If you¡¯re done, shut the hell up.¡± Reba said. ¡°Let the doctor see Jonathan first. She was determined Jonathan might be scum, but her son was undeniably his flesh and blood. If he became useless, who was going to support her son? Susan felt dizzy with rage. In the end, she had no choice but to let Rianne examine Jonathan¡¯s injury No hospitals were epting them, and no doctor dared to make a house call. Chapter 341 You¡¯re A Doctor Rianne took a look. ¡°The wound is fully infected. He needs to be taken to the hospital for immediate treatment.¡± Susan and Reba were speechless. +8 Pearls It would¡¯ve been fine if she hadn¡¯t mentioned the hospital. But now that she had, both of their faces turned pale. ¡°Can you prescribe medication instead?¡± Susan asked cautiously, afraid of offending the only doctor who had entered the Reed home recently Rianne said. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a doctor¨Chow can you not prescribe anything?¡± Reba snapped. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 342 Chapter 342 Medical Checkup Rianne said, ¡°I just can¡¯t Reba was stunned. Susan said, ¡°Dr. Rianne, we¡¯re truly out of options¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check on Lillian first, Rianne interrupted directly. If it weren¡¯t for Ste, she wouldn¡¯t even be here. She had no patience left. She had seen just how despicable Jonathan was. He tried to kill Ste multiple times for Lillian. Someone like that didn¡¯t deserve medicine. He deserved to lose that hand. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Seeing that Rianne waspletely out of patience, Susan didn¡¯t dare say another word and led her straight to Lillian¡¯s room. Reba turned to Jonathan. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t insisted, her heart would still only have room for her precious adopted daughter¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Jonathan was fuming, his tone sharp. The chaos over the past two days, the lights between Reba and Susan, and even raising a hand to Lillian¨Cit was all a mess. ¡°First it was Ste who turned this house upside down, and now it¡¯s you. Does anyone get to live in peace anymore? Jonathan exploded. Just remembering what Rianne had said made his breathing heavy. Reba¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Oh? You really don¡¯t know right from wrong. What do you mean I ruined the house?¡± ¡°Wait, are you still siding with Lillian?¡± Her temper red again. Ignoring the fact that Jonathan was still injured, she walked up and pped him across the face. ¡°Bastard! Are you blind?¡± His face stung, Jonathan red at her. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Reba said, ¡°Damn right I am! Isn¡¯t that how you drove Ste insane before?¡± ¡°You piece of- Rebapletely lost it. She had only just moved in, and Lillian had already pulled so much crap. But no one ever questioned Lillian¨Ceverything somehow became her fault? Fuming, she started smashing everything in the room. As she wrecked the ce, she shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not like Ste, easy to bully! You think you can mess with me and I¡¯ll just muietly move out? Dream on! If you neonle can¡¯t see things clearly fine IE1 IT Chapter 34 Medics Checklis Put Jorunhiim was about as love it i Are you done You women, low baller our Who even in balbe wo Who¡¯s Ste Ears in tub he were a wow wounds. These women abs yed the his head be like them would Enhan be covered merger the way, wat maddening covered a Back Senfus Cove Abraham had gone the sandy with hel to Aber end od enthem. Sre had noticed that all the venum personnel had been reced- The purns of the house that were preciously damaged bad already been fully memes The housekeeper respectfully helped carry Ste¡¯s get mad my everything Just as shey down there was a mock at the zoor A wered and spoke with stone outside rely mening. The Dawson, we for a emale doctor to check your cond urprised. sed. Check her condition? She leew met which area they ¡­ ng about the ingames, in that ares made her ¡úerbummed. ¡°No. It¡¯s fine The mood reciben. ¡°She stud Abraham innsy. Be wise to understand the actual vers ww Even if in was a female docton she still fel embarrassed. The Cant could Ste mom the docte mome of the stuf Soon after Abru diso che noorm He gently pulled Scri ou from under the towers.. ¡°Be good. The doctor needs to miten kook, Ste sand. ¡°I don¡¯t wo want ¡± Abraham sa sughed and rubbed her head. Then just dose your eyes. Don¡¯t look at the doctor n braham sud. Just hade under the newer and let the doctor take one look, lust one¡± Chapter 342 Medical Checkup D +8 Pearls But after ten minutes of Abraham coaxing her, she finally gave in, reluctantly allowing the doctor a quick nce. And that was enough. For a professional, one nce was all it took. The doctor prescribed a new set of medicines¨Cboth oral and topical. Ste didn¡¯t resist anymore. She let Abraham apply the medicine and even swallowed a pill withoutint. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 343 Chapter 343 Sky High Price. ¡°Mmm, so bitter¡­ It really was bitter. Abraham popped a fruit candy into her mouth. ¡°Better now?¡± Ste said. ¡°You¡¯re so busy, you should get going. He¡¯d said he¡¯d only stay two or three days before heading back to Falvaria. He needed to finish things quickly. And then there was Tessa. She had suddenly gone to Falvaria. From what Ste had heard on the phone, she was a little uneasy. ¡°Then try to get some rest. You didn¡¯t sleep well on the ne.¡± He had practically carried her off by force¡­. Ste replied. ¡°Okay.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if it was from her injuries or something else, but she felt unusually sleepy. Abraham tucked the nket around her before quietly leaving the room. At the Reed family¡¯s home. After checking on Lillian. Rianne said tly. ¡°Her condition¡¯s deteriorated too far. There¡¯s nothing more I can do. Susan froze. Lillian did too. They looked at each other, eyes full of grief. In Lillian¡¯s case, there. was also a growing fear of death. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Her voice trembled with anguish as she spoke. Susan¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°Dr. Rianne, is there really nothing else you can do?¡± Despite knowing that Lillian had once framed Ste the same way she had framed Reba, Susan had still gone all out to save her. When Rianne didn¡¯t respond, Susan continued, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a prodigy in the medical field. Everyone says you can bring people back from death. There has to be another way, right?¡± Lillian chimed in desperately, ¡°Yes, Dr. Rianne, there has to be something. Please, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± It had taken her so long to see a doctor again since being discharged, and now all her hopes rested on Rianne. At that moment, she had forgotten that Rianne was Ste¡¯s best friend. She forgot everything she had done to Ste. And Ste¡­ was now the consequence she couldn¡¯t escape. Rianne said, ¡°There¡¯s one option, but ites with a steep price. ¡°What kind of price?¡± Chapter 343 Sky High Price +8 Pearls ¡°For advanced¨Cstage multiple cancers, there¡¯s an experimental drug that can kill cancer cells. quickly. But it¡¯s incredibly expensive, which is why it¡¯s not on the open. market.¡± Susan went silent. Before she could say anything. Lillian jumped in. ¡°How expensive? Whatever it costs, I¡¯ll pay!¡± She wanted to live. Desperately. She didn¡¯t even think about how expensive it could be just that no matter what, the Reed family would find a way. Rianne nced at Lillian, seeing her survival instinct, and the greed she couldn¡¯t hide. Then she looked at Susan. Susan said, ¡°What is the drug? No matter the cost, we¡¯ll buy it.¡± Right¡­ Rianne thought to herself, this is a foster daughter? No, this is clearly a biological one. Considering how broke the Reed family is now, talking big like that¡­ Really? Alright then, Rianne said seriously. It costs $700,000 per pill. She needs to take one pill a day for the first week, and then one pill per month for the next two years.¡± Susan blinked. ¡°$700,000 a pill?¡± She stared at her in shock. Seven pills for the first week, then one each month? That was no small expense. Rianne nodded. ¡°Yes, $700,000 per pill.¡± Susan and Lillian were both stunned. Even after living a life of privilege, Susan and Lillian were shock at that number. Seven pills in one week. That¡¯s $4.9 million? And then another $700,000 every month af that? Even for the Reed family, this was an astronomical price. Susan struggled to breathe as she looked at Rianne. ¡°Is the drug really that expensive?¡± What kind of mechanism justified that price? Rianne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s not publicly avable. But most major hospitals can get it, if necessary. But supply is limited, and $700,000 is just the base price. If it goes through intermediaries, it could cost even more.¡± Susan fell silent. $700,000 is already outrageous¨Cmore than that? She looked at Lillian, whose eyes were burning with desperation. Unable to bear it, Susan turned away and asked, breathlessly, ¡°Is there no other option?¡± It was obvious¨Cgetting over $4 million together at once was overwhelming for her. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 344 Chapter 344 Glimmer of Hope +8 Pearls Especially since Patrick was having his own issuestely, and asking him for money wasn¡¯t guaranteed to work. The fact that he had twins with another woman made Susan furious to the point of pain. Rianne said, ¡°This is the only viable option for now. But with her condition, if you can¡¯t get the drug within a week, it won¡¯t work even if you do get it.¡± With that, she turned and left without another word. She hadn¡¯t lied. Based on her medical data, the drug did exist. Its cost was the main reason it wasn¡¯t widely avable. She had handed them a sliver of hope¨Cwhether they could hold onto it, that was up to them. Back in the room, only Lillian and Susan remained. Lillian clutched her hand. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ll save me, right? You will save me?¡± Susan hesitated. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to die. Please, I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Susan tried to respond. ¡°But¡­¡± They didn¡¯t have that kind of money. Evenbining all she and Jonathan could pull together, cash would only top out at a little over $10 million. Lillian didn¡¯t have any money of her own. That much she knew. Shares? Thepany was in shambles¨Cthey were useless now. Patrick¡¯s attention was fully on that other woman and her kids. Asking him for help was a joke. Even if she somehow scraped together over $4 million, the monthly cost would still be hundreds of thousands¡­ The Reed Group was nearly bankrupt. Coming up with that kind of money every month? Impossible. ¡°But Mom, I don¡¯t want to die, please¡­ Seeing Susan waver, Lillian panicked. And just like always, the moment she cried, Susan couldn¡¯t hold her ground. She gently reassured. her, ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out. Don¡¯t worry.¡± There was still hope. How could she let the daughter she raised die? She couldn¡¯t. But they needed at least $4.9 million right away, and $700,000 every month after that. It was a terrifying figure. Where could she possibly get the money? And with only one week left¡­ Susan felt like her insides were being wed out. After leaving the Reed estate, Rianne called Ste. When the call connected, Ste¡¯s groggy voice came through. ¡°Rianne?¡± ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± Chapter 344 Glimmer of Hope +8 Pearls ¡°Yeah, just dozing a bit. It¡¯s snowing again outside¨Cperfect weather for a nap. Ste always loved sleeping during snowy days. ¡°I just left the Reed residence, Rianne said. ¡°How did it go?¡± That perked Ste up a bit¨Cshe was definitely someone who enjoyed a good piece of gossip. Rianne said, ¡°Just like you said, I gave them an outrageous glimmer of hope.¡± ¡°How outrageous?¡± ¡°Not much¡­ about $4.9 million. Ste was speechless. $4.9 million might not be much to Rianne, but to the Reed family? That was a death sentence. Especially in terms of liquid assets. Even after years of working with the Keene family, Patrick had only managed to scrape together leftovers. The big profits were always taken by the Keenes. ¡°You might not think that¡¯s a lot, but to them, it¡¯s enough to destroy lives.¡± Rianne said, ¡°When I was there, I saw this woman¨Creally fierce. Probably involved with Jonathan. The way she screamed at everyone, it was chaos.¡± Ste said, ¡°That¡¯s Jonathan¡¯s new woman. She gave him a son.¡± ¡°Ohhh, that makes sense. She¡¯d barely left Rivermount and already the drama was this intense. ¡°So basically,¡± Rianne said, ¡°Lillian¡¯s never going to reach that ¡®hope.¡¯ Even if he cared for her growing up, once there¡¯s another woman and child, his heart starts drifting Ste said, ¡°Not always the case in the Reed family.¡± ¡°All the better. If Jonathan stays emotionally attached to Lillian, that woman will do everything she can to bleed him dry.¡± True. A woman protecting her child¨Cthere¡¯s nothing she won¡¯t do. As Abraham came in from outside, he saw Ste on the phone, one leg poking out from under the nket. The room was warm, so she must¡¯ve kicked it off after he left. He said nothing, just walked over and tucked her in again. Ste noticed. I¡¯ll talk to youter, she told Rianne. ¡°That¡¯s enough about the Reeds for now. I¡¯m just d they¡¯re having a hard time.¡± The wrong girl 345 Chapter 345 Run! Seeing her smile, Abraham chuckled. ¡°More Reed family news?¡±
  • Pearls
Ste nodded. ¡°Rianne prescribed them a seven¨Cfigure miracle drug. The whole house must be at ness now. Without Reba, they¡¯d go crazy from not having the money. With Reba, they¡¯d go crazy fighting over it. Either way, chaos. Abraham rested hisrge hand behind her head, pressing his forehead gently to hers. ¡°You¡¯re still too soft¨Chearted¡± Those people deserved to be torn apart. But since they were her rtives by blood, Abraham I couldn¡¯t take harsh action without her say so. Still, with the Reed family already boxed in from every side, their internal suffering was no less than physical punishment. Ste said. ¡°With that wreck of a body, I don¡¯t even need to lift a finger.¡± If Rianne hadn¡¯t told her how bad Lillian¡¯s health was, she would¡¯ve taken action herself. But now that she knew the truth? No need to bother. Abraham agreed. ¡°Not worth getting your hands dirty. ¡°Exactly. Ste nodded. Looking at her so calm and obedient, Abraham leaned down and kissed her. ¡°Did the ointment help? Feeling any better?¡± ¡°What are you trying to do now! ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± The doctor had told him Ste needed to rest and recover. No strenuous activity allowed. She didn¡¯t believe him. She grabbed his shirt. ¡°Swear it.¡± Abraham caught her warm little hand and squeezed it. ¡°Alright, I swear.¡± Ste quickly pulled her hand back and mumbled, clearly unconvinced. Back in Falvaria, Tessa stepped off the ne empty¨Chanded, with Wesley by her side. As they walked toward the exit. Wesley remained unusually alert, scanning every passerby. Tessa leaned in and whispered. ¡°We¡¯re already in Falvaria, and you¡¯re still this tense?¡± From the moment Wesley picked her up in Rivermount, she¡¯d been on edge, like something bad was about to happen. Even now, in Falvaria, Wesley said: ¡°We need to get to the estate fast¡± Chapter 345 Run! ¡°And then what? Judging by the way you¡¯re acting, I won¡¯t be allowed to leave the house?¡± +8 Pearls Honestly, that seemed likely. Wesley nodded. ¡°Ms. Diana said until she contacts us, you¡¯re to stay inside Highspire Ridge.¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched. Her unease deepened. ¡°What exactly happened to my mom?¡± Wesley only said, ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡± The airport wasn¡¯t the ce to exin. She grabbed Tessa¡¯s bag and quickly ushered her toward the exit. But the thing Wesley had feared¡­ happened. As they passed a restroom, two men in dark hats looked their way¨Ceyes sharp and dangerous. Wesley¡¯s instincts kicked in when she locked eyes with one of them, and her breath caught. ¡°Run.¡± She shoved Tessa forward with force. Tessa had been wondering what her mother had. gotten into¨Cthen suddenly stumbled from Wesley¡¯s push. That word hit like a thunderp. Without thinking, she took off. Wesley wanted to help her up, but Tessa was already up and sprinting like the wind. Wesley was speechless. ¡°There they are! Get them!¡± The two men had recognized them and were now in pursuit. Wesley kicked off her low heels and ran after Tessa. Diana had said once they reached Falvaria, they¡¯d be safe. Wesley had doubted it¨Cand rightly so. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± The men yelled behind them as Wesley sprinted, bumping into several people along the way. But up ahead, Tessa had vanished. Wesley was speechless. It turned out the one in danger¡­ was her. Tessa ran like a maniac. After several long blocks, she finally stopped to catch her breath and looked back¡­ Nothing. Just regr travelers strolling out of the airport. Wesley was gone. ¡°Huh?¡± Why had Wesley told her to run? She hadn¡¯t seen the two men at all; just heard Wesley shout and reacted instinctively. The wrong girl 346 Chapter 346 Lock Down the Airport. Then she took off running, full speed ahead without looking back. And now¡­ She pulled out her phone, nning to call Wesley. But before she could, she saw Wesley running toward her from not far away, followed by two- men in ck caps. Wait, not just two. Behind those two, a few more people were closing in. All of them were after her? Tessa was shocked. Who exactly had they offended? Wesley saw Tessa standing frozen and shouted at her, ¡°Run!¡± Startled by his yell. Tessa jumped, her legs reacting faster than her brain, and she turned aroundnd bolted. She might have short legs, but she always ranked in the top five in long¨Cdistance runs at school. With that many people chasing her, the sense of danger was overwhelming. She dashed out of the airport and spotted a ck van just about to drive off, the door slowly closing- Victor, who was on a call inside the van, suddenly felt a gust of wind followed by a force hitting behind his knees. At the same moment, the car door shut. He frowned, looked down, and saw a small figure curled up under his legs like a baby. She was pressed up against his thigh, breathing heavily. Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tessa was shocked. She had her head down and eyes shut,pletely unaware of what¨Cor who was pressing down on her. That voice¡­ it was both familiar and unsettling. She shivered. Slowly, she lifted her head and peeked through the gap between the man¡¯s long legs. Their eyes met. Victor¡¯s sharp gaze carried a hint of amusement. ¡°Ms. Miller, what is this?¡± It was only then that Tessa realized how ridiculous her hiding spot was. In her panic, she had jumped into the van¡­. And ended up under Victor¡¯s legs? Seriously, what kind of bad luck was this? She wasn¡¯t even nning to bring up the kiss anymore! Tessa forced a dry smile. ¡°Mr. Victor. Hello.¡± She smiled on the outside, but inside she was dying. Victor ended his call and bent down, offering her his hand. Tessa looked at his outstretched palm. She gave another forcedugh and ced her icy little hand into his warm, broad one. Victor spread his legs slightly and pulled her up. As she straightened up, the awkwardness of their position became painfully clear. She had literally been kneeling between his legs? ¡°Ha, well¡­ I, uh, I¡¯m being chased by some bad guys?¡± That exnation would have to do. Whether Victor believed her or not¡­ Well, it was true. 11:01 AM Chapter 346 Lock Down the Airport He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Again?¡± +8 Pearls Tessa swallowed hard. Come to think of it, could those people at Rivermount Airport have been after her too? God, no¡­. If that was true, then nowhere was safe. What kind of mess had her mom gotten into this time? She was the CEO of Night Corp. Was it really okay for her daughter to be hunted down like this? Tessa forced a bitter smile. ¡®See? I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me, but-¡± She didn¡¯t even need to finish. Voices came from just outside the van. One of the men shouted angrily and kicked a luggage cart. ¡°Damn, those two ran fast.¡± Tessa had been about to get up, but hearing them that close, she instinctively dropped back down. Unfortunately, Victor¡¯s legs were right there, pinning her shoulders. Her head ended up resting on his abdomen. Victor and Tessa were both stunned. Even she was mortified. She gripped his waist tightly, not daring to move, ¡°Just¡­ let me hide a little longer. Just a bit.¡± This had to be a nightmare. She was born in peacetime¨Chow was she now living out some action movie chase scene? Outside, one of the men was on the phone. ¡°Sorry, boss. The two chicks got away.¡± ¡°What? Lock down the airport?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Tessa was speechless. Lock¡­ down the airport? That guy must be pretty powerful here in Falvaria. Did Mom send me here without realizing the risk? Or worse¨Cdid she have no idea who she¡¯d crossed? This was a total disaster. Tessa was sweating with anxiety. Half of her face was still resting on. Victor¡¯s stomach as she turned to look up at him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we driving yet?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 347 Chapter 347 I¡¯ll Give You Anything Shouldn¡¯t the car be moving? What were they waiting for? Victor said, ¡°You haven¡¯t gotten off yet.¡± Tessa said, ¡°Get off? I can¡¯t get off!¡± She¡¯d just heard the thugs on the phone. They weren¡¯t going anywhere; they were nning to seal off the whole airport. If she got out now, she¡¯d be caught instantly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me?¡± She clutched the sides of his shirt tighter, refusing to let go. Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°My help doesn¡¯te cheap.¡± Tessa said, ¡°Bu you helped me at Rivermount for free.¡± What did he mean? Was he actually charging people to be rescued? Victor chuckled. ¡°That was out of respect for Mr. Abraham. But now¡­ He trailed off. He lifted her chin with long fingers and leaned down. Their faces were inches apart, breaths mingling. Victor was ridiculously handsome. Normally, Tessa had face¨Cblindness when it came to foreign men, but Victor was striking¨Chis features sharp, his presence impossible to ignore. And she knew from theirst encounter at Rivermount¨Cthose soft¨Clooking eyes could turn absolutely lethal. Now, facing him this close, she couldn¡¯t help but swallow. ¡°Now what?¡± Victor said, ¡°Now, what do I get out of this?¡± Tessa was stunned. What does he mean? ¡°Money?¡± He helped her at Rivermount because of Star Abraham. Now¡­ it had to be about money, right? Victor looked at her like she was being ridiculous and let out a shortugh. ¡°My reward is your pocket money?¡± Tessa winced. Ouch. That was rude. What did he mean, her allowance? Though, to be fair, her pocket money probably didn¡¯t mean much to someone from Abraham¡¯s circle. ¡°Then what do you want? My mom¡¯spany, Night Corp?¡± Victorughed softly. ¡°Night Corp? That littlepany belongs to your mother?¡± Tessa was once again speechless. Little ? Who is he? Everyone in Rivermount talked about how impressive Night Corp is: Mom had built it from the ground up. Yet to him, it is just¡­ a little ? Chapter 347 in Give You Anything ¡°Yes, boss¡± ? +8 Pearls Tessa¡¯s heart jumped into her throat. She gripped Victor¡¯s shirt even tighter. ¡°Drive. Please, just drive!¡± If they stayed here, it was all over. She was shaking as she spoke. This had to be her cursed year, Everything that could go wrong was going wrong Victor¡¯s hand on her chin tightened as he straightened up and looked out the window. ¡°There are a lot of them.¡± Tessa, already on edge, was nearly in tears. ¡°Stop talking!¡± She knew there were a lot of them! Then tell me what exactly are you offering?¡± ¡°Anything! Victor said, ¡°So decisive?¡± Tessa said, ¡®Come on!¡± Victor smirked and gave her chin a yful squeeze before finally turning to the driver. ¡°Drive¡± The car finally started moving. But just as it did, the driver hit the brakes hard. Victor lurched forward. Tessa, still between his legs, was jerked with him. Her forehead mmed into his belt buckle with a thud. It felt like her brain was about to rattle out of her skull. ¡°Ow!¡± she gasped, clutching her head. Victor¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They¡¯re checking the vehicles.¡± Someone had already approached the driver and motioned for him to roll down the window. Victor said, ¡°Lower the window. Tessa blurted out, ¡°No!¡± Victor said. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Drive. Just. just crash through if you have to.¡± Tessa stammered. Those people were serious. She didn¡¯t even want to imagine the mess waiting if they found her in Victor¡¯s car. Victor said, ¡°You¡¯re really that scared of them?¡± The wrong girl 348 Chapter 348 I¡¯m Safe Tessa said, ¡°Of course someone like you, who lives on the edge all the time, wouldn¡¯t be afraid.¡± Poor her¡­ She had grown up in a safe, sheltered environment and had never seen anything like this. This time, she¡¯d been thrust straight to the edge of life and death. The fact she hadn¡¯t had a full breakdown already was a testament to her nerves. ¡°If you tell the driver to break through, I¡¯ll agree to any conditions you wantter. Tessa figured. Victor hadn¡¯t named his terms yet because he hadn¡¯t thought of them. No need to wait then. Right now, the priority was to get out of there. Victor¡¯s lips curled slightly, as if satisfied with the answer. Casually, he told the driver, ¡°Drive¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The driver nodded and floored the elerator. The car shot forward. The other side clearly hadn¡¯t expected them to force their way through. Once they realized it, they immediately. opened fire at the car. Tessa had been nning to sit up from between Victor¡¯s legs since the car was speeding away now, but the gunfire made her shrink back again. This time the space between his legs felt even tighter. As she shifted back, she got stuck¡­ Well¨Cyou can imagine where. They finally broke out of the dangerous scene at the airport. Tessa¡¯s back was soaked in cold sweat. Breathing heavily, she looked at Victor. ¡°Can you let go of me now?¡± Thinking back to what he¡¯d just done¡­ She was sure he¡¯d done it on purpose. He had held her there on purpose. Victor let out a low chuckle and released her. The smile on his face was like someone teasing a kitten¨Cand thoroughly enjoying it. ? Tessa sat up beside him, cheeks puffed in frustration. She was angry, but didn¡¯t daresh out. Besides, the man had just saved her. She wasn¡¯t an ungrateful person. ¡°Alright, now tell me what do you want? ¡°My share of your allowance?¡± Tessa was speechless. Victor now seemed like apletely different person from the one at the airport. Still, Tessa didn¡¯t dare take it lightly. She¡¯d seen the ruthless side of this man. She knew well that some lions were most dangerous when they were ying nice. Before she could respond, Victor¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Talk. Got it.¡± After hanging up, the rxed, teasing look on his face disappeared, reced by an intense, threatening coldness. He dialed another number and said, ¡°Have Ss and Lewise with gear. Head to Coconut Bay.¡± 11:01 AM Chapter 348 I¡¯m Safe +8 Pearls Victor ended the call and nced at Tessa, his yful gaze nowpletely gone. Facing his piercing look. Tessa felt her heart tighten. It was the same look he had at the airport¨Cthe one that made her afraid to speak a single extra word. Sensing the danger radiating from him, she had a strong feeling that wherever they were going next, it wouldn¡¯t be a good ce. ¡°Uh¡­ could you drop me off up ahead?¡± The scenes at the airport shed through her mind again. She had no desire to go through anything like that again. Victor gave her a cold smirk. ¡°Scared already?¡± Who wouldn¡¯t be?! ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve never seen things like that in my whole life, she muttered. Being scared was normal, right? Sure, she could handle a few punks or troublemakers in normal life. But the people around Victor clearly weren¡¯t your average thugs. And given the mess she was in¡­ Thinking about the chaos she¡¯d experienced at two different airports in less than 24 hours. Tessa feltpletely numb. Victor asked. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Where to?¡± His tone grew heavier, sounding impatient. ¡°Highspire Ridge, Tessa answered quickly. That was the ce her mother had arranged for her. But if those people had already followed her to Falvaria, who knew whether Highspire Ridge was still safe? While she was still thinking, the car had already turned around. Victor clearly intended to drop her off there before heading to Coconut Bay. But just as the car changed direction, Tessa¡¯s phone rang. It was Wesley. Tessa had been about to call her to check on her situation. Seeing her number, she quickly picked. up. ¡°Wesley! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Miss, where are you? Are you safe?¡± Wesley asked. ¡°I¡¯m safe?¡± While answering. Tessa nced at Victor beside her. Even she wasn¡¯t sure if she believed what she was saying anymore. Wesley hesitated. ¡°Miss, you¡­¡± Tm safe,¡± she repeated, cutting her off. As long as she hadn¡¯t been captured, that counted as safe. The wrong girl 349 Chapter 349 Turn Back Tessa asked, ¡°What about you? Are you safe? ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Wesley replied. ¡°But, Miss, you can¡¯t go to Highspire Ridge anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tessa said.. Wesley added. ¡°Those people tracked you to Falvaria. I think they¡¯ve already figured out where Ms. Diana arranged for you to go. Highspire Ridge isn¡¯t safe anymore.¡± Just as she suspected¡­ ¡°Then what do I do now?¡± If Highspire Ridge was off the table, where could she go? ¡°I¡¯ll need to check in with Ms. Diana. Don¡¯t check into any hotels¨Cwait for my instructions,¡± Wesley said. A hotel was definitely out of the question. They knew who Tessa was. Registering at a hotel would only expose her location. ¡°Huh? How long will that take?¡± Wait for instructions? Falvaria was freezing cold: was Wesley expecting her to just wait out on the street? ¡°I need to reach Ms. Diana first. Miss, the situation is very serious, I think you-¡± Thud! Wesley didn¡¯t get to finish. There was a loud sound on the other end¨Cher phone had dropped. Tessa¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Before she could speak, a rough male voice came through the line. ¡°It¡¯s her. Bring her back.¡± Tessa was stunned. Something had happened to Wesley. Cold sweat formed on Tessa¡¯s forehead as she gripped the phone. Then she heard the man¡¯s voice again. ¡°You¡¯re Tessa, right?¡± His threatening tone pierced through the phone and stabbed right into her chest. Tessa¡¯s hand trembled. The phone slipped from her grip andnded inside the car. Her mind wentpletely nk. One disaster after another¨Cshe could barely breathe. ¡°Tessa? Tessa, where are you?¡± the voice persisted. Victor nced at her trembling form. He leaned over, picked up the phone, checked the number, then said coldly, ¡°What does her location have to do with you?¡± The moment Victor spoke, his voice carried an overwhelming authority. The man on the other end hesitated. ¡°And who are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Victor Perez. ¡°M¨CMr Victor¡± The man¡¯s voice wavered in shock and nanic Chapter 340 Tum Back +8 Pearls Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who are you people?¡± Beep¡­ beep¡­.. Before he could finish, the line went dead. When he tried calling back, the number was no longer reachable. Clearly, once they heard Victor¡¯s name, they panicked and hung up. He tossed the phone back to Tessa. Tessa, still shaking, said. ¡°The airport. We need to go find Wesley Wesley had worked under her mother for years. She had an eighty¨Cyear¨Cold grandfather in the hospital. She couldn¡¯t be allowed to get hurt. Tessa had heard the danger in that man¡¯s voice. She was terrified. Victor nced at her but said nothing. Meeting his dangerous gaze, Tessa shrank back. How had she forgotten that this wasn¡¯t someone she could boss around. ¡®S¨Csorry, she whispered. Wesley was in trouble, she was all alone in Falvaria, and now this¡­ Tessa was more cautious than Before Victor could reply, his phone rang again. He answered with a chilling, ¡°Speak They re about to dock? Got it.¡± He hung up, eyes like ice. ¡°Head to Coconut Bay. Now, he told the driver. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The driver broke into a cold sweat and quickly turned the car again. Victor called John. The call connected quickly. ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°You all in ce?¡± ¡°Three minutes away.¡± They¡¯re about to dock.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Victor ended the call and looked at Tessa. ¡°So Highspire Ridge is no longer an option? Tessa looked at him helplessly and nodded. She was nervous, scared, and even a little hopeless. She had no idea what was happening. Her peaceful life had just been shattered. Victor said nothing more. Tessa, mind finally catching up, remembered she needed to call Ste. Falvaria was Ste¡¯s hometown, after all. Chapter 349 Turn Back D +8 Pearls Abraham had asked the kitchen to prepare something light. Mushroom soup and chicken chop. And mashed potatoes. Ste had eaten six already. As she reached for the seventh, Abraham looked at her with amusement. ¡°Star¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t eat anymore?¡± Ste looked up at him, eyes wide. These were just too good- she wanted more. Send Gift 714 The wrong girl 350 Chapter 350 Operation There were also beef patties. The food from this ce really wasn¡¯t ordinary¨Cit was exceptional. Abraham smiled. These meat patties aren¡¯t exactly small.¡± Each one was not small, but incredibly delicious. Really delicious for sure. ¡°I¡¯m still hungry.¡± She looked at Abraham with pleading eyes. She knew exactly what he meant earlier he was trying to get her not to eat too much at night. ¡ª Abraham said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the kitchen make the same thing for you tomorrow morning. How¡¯s that?¡± Well¡­ okay.¡± Since Abraham said that, Ste couldn¡¯t keep pushing to eat more. Besides, she¡¯d already eaten six patties and had two bowls of mushroom soup. Just then, she saw Tessa calling. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze away from the meat patty. She answered the call, her tone still carrying a trace of unspoken bitterness. ¡°Pattic¡­¡± But Tessa broke down immediately. ¡°Star, you¡¯ve got to save me¡­ sob¡­ Hearing Ste¡¯s voice was the final straw. Everything Tessa had been holding in just copsed.. Ste was surprised. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Tessa sobbed, ¡°My mom¡­ I don¡¯t know who she messed with this time, but those people chased me all the way to Falvaria. They¡¯re vicious¨Cand they even took Wesley!¡± Ste said, ¡°What?¡± Tessa cried, ¡°I think the whole Rivermount Airport incident that was them too. They¡¯re after
  1. me.
At that moment, the TV was broadcasting the news about Rivermount Airport. From the surveince footage, it was clear the situation was intense¨Ceverything had been smashed to bits. It didn¡¯t look like those people were just trying to catch someone. It looked like they wanted to wipe them out was in Victor¡¯s car, started to feel a bit nervous herself. 11:01 AM Chapter 350 Operation ¡°But he¡¯s even scarier, Star, you¡¯ve got to¡­ mmph-¡± Beep, beep, beep. Before she could finish her sentence, the call ended. +B Pearls Ste froze on the spot. She looked down at her now¨Cck screen and tried to call back, but the phone was turned off. There was no doubt about who had ended the call. Ste inhaled sharply and turned to Abraham. ¡°Abraham, could you call Victor?¡± To say what?¡± ¡°Tell him not to scare Tessa. Just look how terrified she is. And really, Victor could be intimidating even when he wasn¡¯t trying. Ste still got uneasy just watching him get serious. Let alone someone like Tessa, who had never even been around people like that. Victor had this raw, natural sense of danger about him¨Can aura one couldn¡¯t fake. Even when he wasn¡¯t acting aggressively, just being around him alone could be terrifying. Abraham set down his bowl and chopsticks, pulled a napkin toward him, and said calmly, ¡°Victor won¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°But Tess is scared. Can¡¯t you just call him and ask him not to be so harsh with her?¡± Abraham¡¯s long fingers tapped rhythmically on the table as he nced at Ste. ¡°Tessa¡¯s in Victor¡¯s car right now?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Could you ask him to drop her off at my y vi?¡± She thought it over. Sending Tessa to the Dawson residence might not be appropriate. She had a vi there too, with staff managing it. Sending her to her private vi would be best. Abraham said. ¡°Victor probably doesn¡¯t have time right now.¡± Ste said, ¡°Huh?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°He¡¯s on his way to intercept a smuggling shipment.¡± He had just gotten the call earlier, the Dawne family¡¯s cargo was about to dock. Victor¡¯s entire focus would be on that shipment now. Ste was speechless.. Intercepting a shipment? Is this for real? ¡°Isn¡¯t Tessa going to be scared out of her mind?¡± Two major incidents like this in just a matter of hours¨Cwasn¡¯t that enough to break her? And Abraham had just said Victor was on the way to¡­. that kind of operation. It was definitely going to be intense. Tessa might pass out from fear on the spot 11:01 AM Chapter 350 Operation Just then, Eddie walked in and caught thatst line. +8 Pearls Then Ste added, ¡°What are the odds? Those two actually ran into each other at the airport.¡± And now Victor had dragged Tessa into a live operation? That was practically torture for her. Eddie walked over. ¡°So they really did meet?¡± The wrong girl 351 Chapter 351 Engaged In Combat Seeing Eddie, Ste twitched her lips, subconsciously ignoring him. But Eddie sat opposite her and said, ¡°You know what? That best friend of yours is really something. With all that wild energy, when she bumps into Victor, he might be the one who ends up worse off Ste refuted, ¡°Shut up. She¡¯s just unsteady on her feet; she doesn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± thinking, What the hell is this? I don¡¯t want to talk to him. He¡¯s getting on my nerves. Eddie scoffed, ¡°Many women have stumbled onto him all these years, but I¡¯ve never seen one dare to strip him¡­¡± Ste stopped him, saying, ¡°You¡¯d better stop talking.¡± Seeing that Eddie started to talk crap, Ste felt embarrassed and didn¡¯t want to listen to him. Ste was speechless. She then said, ¡°No one can cure your habit of talking nonsense, huh?¡± Eddie was startled when he subconsciously nced at Abraham, who looked off. Then he smartly shut up and stopped talking. Ste called out, ¡°Abraham.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Hmm, I will call Victor.¡± Eddie was speechless, thinking, Alright, after all, she¡¯s still a little princess. Who else can trouble him so much? Abraham picked up his phone and called Victor. The phone rang once, twice, but remained unanswered as it was automatically hung up eventually after the final ring. As Ste heard the final beep on the phone, her heart tensed. Abraham said, ¡°Both sides should already be engaging in but time just doesn¡¯t allow it. If Tessa had called her earlier, she might have been able to rescue her from that situation. On the other side, Tessa trembled as she curled up under Victor¡¯s legs. From the moment she got in the car, she never managed to get out from under Victor¡¯s legs. She covered her head with both arms, her eyes were closed tightly. 12:59 PM c Chapter 351 Engaged In Combat +8 Pearls Tessa was silently praying to her ancestors, ¡°Dear ancestors, please help me get through this ordeal.¡± She had been going through an ordeal for the past few days¨Cshe had been moving through such dangerous scenes. The car kept moving, and it was going so fast that Tessa¡¯s curled¨Cup body was unsteady. The space under Victor¡¯s legs was small, and her waist kept rubbing against his calf. Tessa screamed in fear the moment the explosion went off. She could feel her eardrum shattered, as if those things could tear her apart anytime. She was overwhelmed by terror, fear, and helplessness. This scene persisted for more than an hour before the car finally stopped. A man¡¯s voice rang out from outside the car window as he said to Victor in a foreignnguage, ¡°They were all eliminated. I will bring Ss to handle the cleaning.¡± Victor replied with simple words, ¡°Hmm.¡± But even with this simple response, it still sounded dangerous to Tessa. She was terrified. Back then at Rivermount, she prided herself on having encountered countless hardships and challenges. Now, she had never encountered such a tough situation¨Cit was so overwhelming that it felt like it could engulf her anytime. The scene came to a stop. Tessa was still trembling. As if he had forgotten her presence, Victor picked up his phone, called Abraham, and crossed his legs casually. A muffled groan came from beneath his legs, and Victor froze for a moment. He nced downwards and realized a small, trembling figure beneath his legs. He first froze, then it hit him ¨C Tessa was here. Abraham, who was on the other end of the line, asked, ¡°Is it over?¡± Victor replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. The Dawne family is especially cautious this time, so it takes a bit longer.¡± 12 5a PM ? ¡õ Chapter 351 Engaged in Combat Victor replied in a respectful tone. ¡°Understood.¡± As he was about to hang up the call. Abraham asked again. ¡°Is Tessa over there?¡± Victor replied. ¡°Yeah, she was below me.¡± On the other side of the line, both Ste and Eddie were speechless. When Abraham asked about Tessa, he put the phone on speaker. Upon hearing him, Ste and Eddie exchanged nces several times; both of them were bbergasted. +B Pearls Ste twitched her lips as she looked at Eddie, then at Abraham¨Ccountless question marks swirled around her head. She thought. What does Victor mean? Is that what I understood? Hold on, this is way too fast, isn¡¯t it? Is Tessa willing? It¡¯s impossible that she would be willing. On top of that, they are doing it under such a situation; what exactly does this mean? Send Gifts The wrong girl 352 Chapter 352 Misunderstanding Ste¡¯s mind was in chaos as she imagined things. Eddie hissed sharply and said, ¡°Victor, you¡¯re something, aren¡¯t you? That Ms. Tessa is so capable, and this time she really takes your pants off¡­ ¡°If you dare to say one more word, I guarantee you won¡¯t be able to say another word tomorrow,¡± before Eddie could finish his sentence, Victor¡¯s menacing voice came through the line. Eddie was so frightened that he kept his mouth shut immediately. Ste then asked anxiously, ¡°Wait, Mr. Victor, what do you mean by that? Is Tessa willing?¡± The moment her words fell, and before Victor could answer her, Tessa¡¯s cry came through the line. ¡°Ste, you have to save me, Ste. I didn¡¯te here of my will. I almost died. I¡¯m afraid that¡­. Before Tessa could finish her words, the phone hung up. Both Ste and Eddie were shocked, again. They both nced at Abraham. Ste panicked as she said, ¡°Abraham, you have heard her, right? Tessa isn¡¯t willing. Eddie then said, ¡°This Victor is a bastard. He has only met Ms. Tessa a few times, yet now he is doing this to her.¡± Althoughst time at Scats Cove, what she did was indeed shocking. But Ste already said that she didn¡¯t do it on purpose and without any ulterior motives. Surprisingly, Ste agreed with Eddie, nodded, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. He can¡¯t do that to Tessa. Look how Tessa was crying on the phone.¡± Especially that tone of hers was full of terror. Those who didn¡¯t know might have really thought that Victor did something to her. Abraham pinched his forehead, Ste hugged his arm as she waved it while saying, ¡°Abraham.¡± She was worried about Tessa. Abraham replied, ¡°Rest assured. Victor knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± Ste replied, ¡°If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have scared Tessa to that state.¡± Ste thought. Does that seem like he knows what he¡¯s doing? Not at all. No, Tessa can¡¯t stay by Victor¡¯s ride (kamuita tha simuld ha tensed in death 12:59 PM Majes de jou ordwes Chapter 352 Misunderstanding Eddie nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Look how scared she is. +8 Pearls Abraham gave him a stare, and Eddie turned around with a bowl in his arms. He said, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is just the truth.¡± Abraham kicked him. If Eddie hadn¡¯t dodged, given the force Abraham applied, he would have been knocked off the chair and hit the floor along with his bowl. Seeing that Abraham was in a fury, Ste nced at Eddie and said. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Anything that came out of his mouth was like a headache to everyone. Eddie was shocked, thinking, Didn¡¯t she say the same things? Didn¡¯t she say that Victor is going overboard as well? Hugging Abraham¡¯s arm, Ste said, ¡°Abraham, help Tessa, please.¡± Tessa was quite bold when she was at Rivermount, but she had never encountered such a scene. Ste knew how devastating it would be for one who had nevere across such a scene to go through one. Back then, when she witnessed Abraham¡¯s murder, she was so scared that she shut herself off for quite a while. Abraham was helpless to her relentless clinging. Considering that Tessa had taken great care of Ste at Rivermount back then, he called Victor again. Victor answered his call and said, ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham then said, ¡°Be gentle with the girl.¡± Victor replied, ¡°How am I supposed to be gentle under such circumstances?¡± A response almost without thinking came from the other end of the line. Abraham felt somewhat embarrassed by Victor¡¯s response Both Ste and Eddie were speechless. Upon hearing him, the two didn¡¯t get it at all and thought, Under such circumstances? What kind of circumstances? Ste looked at Abraham. Thetter couldn¡¯t stand her gaze and said, ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t scare her.¡± Victor exined, ¡°It isn¡¯t I who scares her.¡± 12:59 Chapter 352 Misunderstanding. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to continue asking why Tessa was below him. Victor said, ¡°Star, you can¡¯t speak those words like Eddie did.¡± Eddie took the hit for nothing. He got enraged to the point that he almost snapped. Ste was stunned; she just wanted to ask about Tessa¡¯s condition. She then asked, ¡°May I have a word with Tessa?¡± +8 Pearls She couldn¡¯t get it clear with Victor. The only person she could speak with directly was Tessa. Abraham said, ¡°Pass the phone to Tessa.¡± Victor then said, ¡°She¡¯s already passed out.¡± Ste was speechless and thought, Passed out? How badly was she scared back then? Abraham then had a few words with Victor before hanging up the call. The message was clear ¨C go. easy on Tessa. Ste stared nkly at Abraham¨Cshe was still worried about Tessa. ham rubbed the top of her head gently and said, ¡°Be good. Tessa is probably with him when they are shing with the Dawne family.¡± The wrong girl 353 Chapter 353 Be Gentle With The Girl Ste thought, ¡°Is she with him when he¡¯s carrying out the mission? No doubt, Tessa is going to be so scared that she passes out. On the other side, in the car, Tessa was curled up under Victor¡¯s legs. This time, she had no intention of getting up, no matter what. Victor reached out his broad palm to her and said, ¡°Get up.¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she shook her head. Victor¡¯s expression darkened, and he asked, ¡°Do you want to stay forever between my legs?¡± Tessa was shocked, as if she had just realized that. Victor grabbed her by the wrist and was about to yank her up, but Tessa wouldn¡¯t dare. The window of the car was shot at and left with a few holes. Anyways, sitting up would be unsafe. Tessa said, ¡°I will be sitting here.¡± Victor¡¯s tone grew firmer as he called out her name. Tessa cried, ¡°I want to return to Rivermount. I want to go home.¡± She had aplete breakdown and burst out in tears. Encountering such things in an unfamiliar ce, how could someone not lose their mind? Now, Tessa just wanted to go home¨Cto the ce she grew up and her house, where she could find a sense of security being at home. Victor chuckled and asked, ¡°Ms. Tessa, try to recall how you ended up at Falvaria.¡± Tessa was confused. Victor continued, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve probably gotten into some trouble at Rivermount, right?¡± She had been living in Rivermount since childhood but suddenly found herself in Falvaria. On top of that, her mother was no ordinary person. A capable and independent woman stationed in the cutthroat world of business. But then Tessa suddenly arrived at Falvaria. Plus, someone is chasing after her relentlessly at the airport. Who would believe it if she said she didn¡¯t get into some trouble and fled here? 12.50 PM c Chapter 353 Be Gentle With The Girt Victor¡¯s hand still stayed in front of her, and he said. ¡°Get up: it¡¯s safe now.¡± Tessa sobbed and asked, ¡°Is it truly safe now?¡± All of a sudden, nowhere seemed safe to her. 8 Pearis Victor wasn¡¯t someone who would coax women; in fact, when he saw a woman crying, he would even get annoyed. If Tessa weren¡¯t Ste¡¯s best friend and Abraham hadn¡¯t asked him to take care of her on the phone, he would have thrown this crying woman out of the car. Victor tried tofort her and said, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the big deal about you keeping on crying?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°How big a deal is it?¡± Upon hearing him, Tessa felt more devastated. Tears flowed endlessly down her face. Seeing her with tears and snot all over her face, his brain went fuzzy. Victor then said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a big deal that it frightened you, but it¡¯s safe now.¡± Tessa still wouldn¡¯t believe in him. She had been navigating through a barrage of bullets for these few tens of hours. This time, she felt the real danger. Now, even though Victor imed it to be safe, she didn¡¯t dare to trust him and couldn¡¯t remember what true safety felt like. Seeing her still crying. Victor lost his patiencepletely. He then said, ¡°If you were to cry one more time. I will throw you out immediately.¡± This method of his worked well, as Tessapletely shut up in an instant¨Cbecause she fainted for real this time. Victor saw her head tilt to one side; her face fell on his knee, and her tears smeared his At this moment, Victor really wanted to throw her off the car. He couldn¡¯t help butin in disdain, ¡°Women are such a headache. Thinking that Ste was also a crybaby, he didn¡¯t know Abraham could tolerate her. He grabbed Tessa and hoisted her onto the seat. pants Watching her in her messy clothes Victor felt even annover as he took off his irket and camalle 12:59 PM ch jus joj jou Chapter 353 Be Gentle With The Girl At Rivermount. Ste was coaxed to bed by Abraham. +8 Pearls Rivermount tonight was especially cold. The heater indoors was in clear contrast with the snow view outdoors. Ste sat in the bay window and was unwilling to go to bed until Abraham lifted her and put her in bed. Ste said, ¡°You won¡¯t let me out, and now you won¡¯t let me enjoy the view either?¡± She loved snow, a lot. Abraham said, ¡°Now you need to get more sleep.¡± Both Eddie and the female doctor said that Ste needed to get more sleep. Only then could she recover faster. Ste pouted, ¡°I have slept a lot during the day; I can¡¯t fall asleep now.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Ste was perplexed. He knew? Then why did he let her go to bed? Abraham lowered his head and nced at Ste, who looked confused; a mischievous smile curled at the corner of his lips. Seeing his sly grin, Ste had a bad feeling. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 354 Chapter 354 Total Mess In The Reed Family Ste refused, ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Seeing her intense response, Abraham couldn¡¯t help but flick her forehead and say, ¡°Damn brat, what are you thinking about?¡± Ste was shocked as she thought. ¡°Isn¡¯t it what she thought? Then why that sly grin? It¡¯s terrifying. Since the veil between them was fully ripped apart, Abraham acted without restraint towards her. Back then, to Ste, he was always a refined and virtuous gentleman. Then she got to see his side of bloodlust. Recently, she also witnessed how shameless a gentleman could be and how far his limits could go. Abraham ced her on the bed, then he turned to get the medicine and said, ¡°I¡¯ll apply the medicine for you first.¡± Ste was speechless as she thought, Here ites again! Abraham continued, ¡°About the medicine you¡¯ve taken, you still need to take it again.¡± Ste replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take it.¡± It¡¯s too bitter. Abraham turned around; his smile grew gentler, and he said, ¡°What if you take it with this citrus- vored sweet?¡± g too much. Citrus¨Cvored sweets were her favorite, but Abraham restricted her from eating Ste replied reluctantly, ¡°Alright then.¡± Only when she got sick and had to take the medicine would Abraham coax her with the sweets. If she wanted to have some at other times, Abraham would stop her, iming that it would cause tooth decay. Warmth filled the air at Seats Cove. While for the Reed family, this ce seemed unusually gloomy after the blockade ordered by Abraham. The mansion remained what it was, but no matter how, the previous sense of luxury could no longer be felt. After Rianne had made her visit, the entire Reed family became unusually solemn 12 51 PM c Chapter 354 Total Mess In The Reed Family 48 Pearls Acting without thinking, she immediately kept away Jonathan¡¯s cards and mobile phone and forced him to transfer all the cash in the cards to her ount. Jonathan was naturally not willing to do so, as he thought, Isn¡¯t it causing a huge uproar already? Reba hugged their child and sat by the windowsill. Jonathan couldn¡¯t use his hands for strength in the first ce. When he saw Reba like that, he panicked. He said, ¡°What are you doing? Get down from there at once!¡± Reba roared, ¡°I don¡¯t care. You have to transfer all the money to my ount today. Otherwise, I will jump down from here with the child.¡± For the 4.1 million dors, Susan actually came to discuss with Jonathan to gather the money to treat Lillian first. Reba had never imagined that Lillian was so capable. Jonathan said, ¡°You get down here first.¡± He was so furious that it gave him a headache. Although he couldn¡¯t be bothered with Reba now, his son was his flesh and blood, and he couldn¡¯t ignore that. Seeing Reba like that, Susan was boiling with rage, and she said, ¡°You woman, will you only be happy once you¡¯ve torn the entire family apart? Get down here right now!¡± Seeing Susan losing herposure, Reba started to get angry as well. Then she went off at her, ¡°I am the one tearing the Reed family apart? That¡¯s quite the usation. Madam Susan, you have my admiration. You¡¯ve seen Lillian¡¯s true color, haven¡¯t you? Yet you still want to cure her so selflessly?¡± If Susan hadn¡¯t seen through Lillian¡¯s true colors before, the ne incident this time should have made it clear, right? Little did they expect that Susan was still willing to cure Lillian despite things havinge to this point. Reba continued, ¡°Up until this point, if you were to say that Lillian isn¡¯t your illegitimate daughter from outside, I wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± just how selfless had she been in her giving? What foster mother could go to such lengths for her foster daughter? Someone who was neither blood¨Crted nor a close acquaintance, yet would go to such lengths as to give everything for her. Susan was fuming. She was about to step forward and tear Reba apart. She you bitch: Il said, ¡°You shut up. 12:59 PM c Chapter 354 Total Mess In The Reed Family ¡°Enough!¡± Jonathan could tolerate this no longer as he roared. The intense argument between Susan and Lillian fellpletely silent at that moment. Susan stared at Lillian with a furious gaze: she couldn¡¯t wait to tear her apart. Reba didn¡¯t care; before she got her answers, she would be sitting on the windowsill. Jonathan looked at Reba, displeased, and said, ¡°Youe down.¡± +8 Pearls Reba refuted. ¡°Transfer all the money to my ount. Only our son has the right to use your money. Who does Lillian think she is?¡± Susan said. ¡°You¡­¡± Reba interrupted her and said, ¡°You are willing to give; I¡¯ve noment on it. But if you intend to make a move on Jonathan, you¡¯ll see if I agree.¡± Susan was enraged, and she said, ¡°You¡­ Do you really want to turn our family upside down? Speak. Did Ste send you here? How much has she given you? Whenever she recalled how Ste had turned the Reed family upside down back then, she would think that Reba had been sent by her. Send Gifts 714 ËÄ The wrong girl 355 Chapter 355 The Veil Between Was Torn Apart She didn¡¯t wish well for the Reed family. Reba sneered, ¡°It is such a great misfortune for her to have a mother like you. No wonder she wants everyone to know that she has cut ties with you. She can¡¯t afford to have a mother like you.¡± Jonathan said. ¡°You¡¯ve had enough. It would have been better not to mention that Ste cut her ties with the Reed family. Now, when Reba mentioned it, it gave Jonathan a splitting headache. At first, he thought that Ste was just throwing a tantrum. JAS As everyone was defending Lillian, she tried to capture the attention of everyone through that method. But as things escted, they came to realize that the Reed family was the mostughable party of the entire incident. Reba said, ¡°What do you mean by enough? Let me make myself clear today¨Cour son is the only one who can use our money. Nobody cany a hand on it unless our son and I die¡­¡± Jonathan replied, ¡°I¡¯ll give them all to you, alright?¡± Jonathan felt like his head was about to explode from the argument, and atst, he gave in to Reba. Jonathan, Susan¡¯s tone clearly turned anxious. Seeing that Susan still wanted to interfere with it, she immediately jumped down from the windowsill, hugging her son. Then she stepped forward and pushed Susan out of the room, then locked the door behind her. Susan was caught off guard as she was being pushed out easily. When she came to the realization and wanted to enter the room, the door was locked from the inside. Susan said, ¡°Reba, open up. Open the door.¡± In the room, Reba looked at Jonathan and asked, ¡°You are being serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jonathan replied, ¡°Back then, you got into my bed for the money, didn¡¯t you?¡± Reba was shocked. Tension filled the air. Reba gulped, looking at Jonathan, and said, ¡°You¡¯re rich and handsome, but let me tell you, Jonathan whether it¡¯s unu or anuhodu alen I won¡¯t seeent Chapter 355 The Veil Between Was Torn Apart She was being straightforward, her attitude was firm, too. +8 Pearls ¡°If we didn¡¯t have a son. I¡¯d let it slide, but we do. I would let it slide if they were your parents, but an unrted person shouldn¡¯t think about splitting my son¡¯s share. What do you say?¡± Reba¡¯s words were particrly sober. To sum up, she used to care about him, but under such circumstances, she had to prioritize money. There wasn¡¯t much she could do. She needed the money to raise their child. Given the Reed family as it was now, if she weren¡¯t to prioritize money, should she be expecting affection instead? At Seats Cove. Ste could hear the vibrating sounds of her phone in a daze. The vibrating sounds were intermittent¨Cthey were messages. The sound of flowing water echoed from the bathroom¨CAbraham was taking a shower; that jerk. Ste picked up the phone and had a look¨Cit was from Tessa. She had sent a few voice messages. and a video. Ste opened the video and saw a feminine figure sitting by the window. She took a closer inspection¨Cit was the Reed mansion, and the figure belonged to Reba. Ste was shocked, thinking. What¡¯s the ruckus about now? She opened Tessa¡¯s voicemail: ¡°Star, the Reed family is in utter chaos¨Cthere¡¯s no peace left. Take a look: who knows what kind of fuss Reba is exactly making? She seems to be holding a child in her arms Upon hearing her, Ste zoomed in on the video for a better look. Sure enough, she saw a child¡¯s leg at Reba¡¯s waist. Ste thought. The room belonged to Jonathan. Did she go and make a fuss with Jonathan? Hold on¡­ wasn¡¯t Tessa still crying to her on the phone just now? Did she have the energy to watch the drama? Ste was about to call Tessa when the bathroom door opened. Abraham came out from inside with a towel around his waist. Upon seeing him, Ste blushed. She instinctively put her phone down and hid herself under the nket. Seeing her like that, Abraham chuckled and said, ¡°What are you hiding from?¡± Ste replied. ¡°You jerk, I¡¯m not going to talk to you again.¡± Abraham took the nket off her head and pinched her cheek affectionately. 12:59 Chapter 355 The Veil Between Was Torn Apart Abraham replied, ¡°Yeah, he did.¡± Ste then said, ¡°Then why are you¡­. Speaking until here, Ste couldn¡¯t continue her words, although Abraham didn¡¯t do anything to her. But his stance, as if he could devour her any moment, still scared her. Back then, when the veil between the two of them was not torn apart, she held various expectations towards him, unable to envision the future. Suddenly, they got together, and only then did Ste realize how crazy he was. Abraham asked her, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ste mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m thinking that you are very bad.¡± He was worse than ever. Abraham chuckled and said, ¡°Yeah, you like it.¡± Ste was shocked, thinking, This guy is a ssical example of a gentleman with no shame and no pride; the hardest to deal with is the one with no shame and no pride. Ste found it hard to resist Abraham now. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 356 Chapter 356 The Storm Breaks Just as the two of them were about to say something else, Abraham¡¯s phone buzzed. Abel was calling. He answered, tly saying. ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Mr. Abraham, he showed up.¡± That one word¨Che¨Cinstantly wiped away the tenderness Abraham had just shown Ste, recing it with a cold, sharp edge. He let out a faint ¡°Mm¡± before hanging up. Then he looked down at Ste lying in bed and gently brushed her hair from her forehead. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be back within two hours.¡± The way he emphasized the time felt just like a husband checking in with his wife before heading out. Ste¡¯s heart warmed. Abraham left. The moment she was alone, her phone buzzed loudly. It was Tessa. Ste answered the call. ¡°Tessa? You still have the energy to keep up with all this drama?¡± So much had happened in just thest couple of days. Victor said she actually fainted from the shock. But somehow, even all the way over in Falvaria, she was still keeping up with the drama in Rivermount. ¡°Of course I do!¡± Tessa snapped. ¡°I¡¯m losing it over here! Can¡¯t I check out the chaos and distract myself for a bit? Don¡¯t even start on my mess. Come on, spill the tea!¡± Ste was surprised. Well, okay then. If chatting about gossip helped Tessa chill out, that was actually kind of reassuring. ¡°You have no idea how terrifying Victor really is. I mean it, I really¨CUgh, forget it. If I keep talking about him, I might faint again.¡± Just thinking about what Victor dragged her into sent chills down her spine. The whole scene had been absolutely horrifying. ¡°Okay, okay, we won¡¯t talk about him,¡± Ste said softly, trying to soothe her. When Abraham said Victor had taken Tessa to face the Dawne family in person, Ste knew right away¡ªit had to be even worse than the chans at Rivermount Airnort Chapter 356 The Storm Breaks -B Pearls Still, she had to give it to Tessa. She¡¯d fainted from fear, and now she was cracking jokes and holding herself together. That kind of grit wasn¡¯t easy toe by. Tessa quickly changed the subject. ¡°Yo, can we talk about Reba? She¡¯s seriously out here going head¨Cto¨Chead with the entire Reed family!¡± The way she was acting, she looked like she was ready to risk it all. ¡°No kidding,¡± Ste agreed. ¡°She really is.¡± The whole Reed family was siding with Lillian, and Reba had been raising hell over it. She¡¯s actually taking on the entire Reed family by herself! Tessa let out a sharpugh. ¡°She¡¯s intense¨CI kind of respect it. But seriously, what pushed her over the edge today? She was about to jump off a building with her kid in her arms. I mean, I don¡¯t think dragging the kid into it was right, but with the Reed family, you¡¯ve got to go to extremes if you want to get anywhere. You have to y hardball with people like that. Looks like they finally met their match¨Cshe¡¯s thrown the whole family into total chaos.¡± Just talking about the Reed family got Tessa all fired up. Even back when Ste was tangled up with the Reed family, she never came out on the losing side. Things got messy, sure, but she held her ground and never let them get the upper hand. But now that she¡¯dpletely cut ties, and the Reed family was still falling apart? Yeah¡­ that was karma doing its thing. Sure, Ste had held her own back then, but the way the Reed family treated her still left Tessa feeling bitter for her. But now? Now things were different. Reba had nothing to do with any of them, and yet she was out there blowing up the entire Reed family. Watching it unfold? Incredibly satisfying. Ste could hear the smug delight in Tessa¡¯s voice. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the medical bills¨Clike, tens of millions.¡± ¡°Tens of millions?¡± Tessa practically screamed. ¡°Wait, for real? Medical bills? Are you telling me they actually found a way to save Lillian? Oh my God¨Cplease don¡¯t let her survive.¡± Someone like Lillian deserved to suffer and die slowly. Kind of, Ste said. ¡°Wait, so they really found something?¡± Tessa¡¯s voice dropped, clearly disappointed. ¡°But even if they did, it doesn¡¯t really change anything.¡± Ste said. ¡°It just gives them a little. hope.¡± Chapter 356 The Storm Breaks Tessa groaned. ¡°Can you just exin it all at once? My nerves are shot.¡± Seeing how impatient she was, Ste let out a soft, helplessugh. ¡°Rianne came back. She went to see Lillian at the Reed family¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What? Why would she go see Lillian? Did something happen while I was gone? Why the hell would Rianne go check on Lillian?¡± Tessa was fully fired up now, her voice edging toward furious. Lately, the Reed family had beenpletely backed into a corner¨Cno hospital would admit them, and no doctor dared go near them. In Tessa¡¯s eyes, that was justice. They were getting exactly what they deserved. And now Ste was saying Rianne actually went to visit Lillian? Unbelievable. The wrong girl 357 Chapter 357 The Cost of Hope Tessa was clearly not happy. Ste realized she¡¯d misunderstood, so she walked her through the whole situation. ¡°What are you so mad about? You think Rianne¡¯s trying to earn their money? Come on¨Cshe¡¯s not exactly hurting for cash.¡± Then she exined everything from the top. Basically, Rianne hadn¡¯t nned on going, but Ste had been bored and sent her over. And that one visit? It gave the Reed family a glimmer of hope¨Cthough the price was insane. When Tessa heard the medicine cost 700,000 dors a dose¨Ctaken daily for a week¨Cshe was stunned. What kind of drug costs that much? ¡°Four point eight million? What kind of meds did Rianne even say it was? Who the hell can even afford that?¡± Tessa blurted out. Ste said calmly. ¡°No idea what the drug is. She just said it¡¯s real.¡± Tessa was shocked. Is it¡¯s real? She didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°Sounds like she¡¯s scamming the Reed family, honestly.¡± Even if such a drug did exist, there¡¯s no way it should cost that much. Ste shrugged. ¡°Real or not, I¡¯ve got no clue. But judging by how hard Reba¡¯s losing it, the Reed family clearly bought it.¡± Tessa sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Since when did that girl get so good at bluffing? And does the Reed family even have 4.8 million dors to spend on saving Lillian?¡± The Reed family had hit rock bottom. Abraham cut off every path forward, and now the Reed Group was barely hanging on¨Cone step away from copsing. Maybe Patrick had seen iting and pulled out some of the funds early. But even then, no way he¡¯d use that money to save Lillian¨Che had another family out there to look after. Ste said, ¡°If they had that kind of money, the Reed family wouldn¡¯t be this desperate.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Tessa said. ¡°With the way Reba¡¯s been flipping out, I¡¯m guessing Susan¡¯s trying to grab whatever money Jonathan¡¯s still holding onto.¡± They were clearly scrambling to pull together whatever they could¨Cbasically selling off everything just to save Lillian. Honestly, it was extreme¡­ but also kind of touching. ¡°That¡¯s probably why Reba¡¯s blowing up right now,¡± Ste said. Tessa nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± The best at HIGH Reba could actually stand up northernt. Summly a Especially with how met the Bleed my suntly was. Even Ste, who was blood¨Cremmet, had! been pushed out. So what chance did Bleberica, antides really have ght enough about the Reed in internou might nowe Wam men tu cant.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste birked. ¡°Wit That to vend en canti T im at Victor¡¯s ce. He won¡¯t let me lempel! is eyes widened. Ficar un let her leon The water to pry, but even she was curious now ¡°what does here etter. Se muully wasnit themype Emi They hadn¡¯t been apam long, but somehow this even Tea and Wimor alimenty felt¡­ ff.
  1. og. Benveen already
Tessa replied. ¡°He said I¡¯m basically a walling darowani promet myself and might put everyone around me in dang Ste¡¯s mouth pitched. ¡°He said that to our face¡± Www the dog Esancially someone like groll Normally she wouldnt let that made unten¡­ meets actually affected off om dendamme to ciuni ujit. He¡¯s mon exactly wrong. Lanely, in dele she was a target everywhere she wen¨Clike there was mixeme sixer el fereti could Ste could bear the shift in hertone¨Csad, defeaner. She was about sofort her when Tema blumed our ¡°S?v. I camdig gyen im nouutiti wandi) (izaa mkata anymore. Wesley¡¯s gone too. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening. All snow in Ron conf pattype I a lion Sne was umned. Tessa had once limed a peaceful, privilegerLife¨Cbut now everything hand! changed. Her whole world had flipped spade down. Tema nad quietly Roght now I¡¯m just someone who bangs to kee brinus ¡°Don¡¯t say that alborat about yourself Surveld She repibed gently. ¡°I¡¯ll have Abrahu it whats grap look mum Madim Dean And if you don¡¯t want to stay with Victor, I have someone phi, ya campa ¡°Do you want to do?¡± Chapter 357 The Cost of Hope Ste let out a soft . ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± + Pearls ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to drag you into this,¡± Tessa said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re only Madam Evelyn¡¯s adopted daughter. What if this causes problems with the Dawson family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not, Ste said firmly. She already knew exactly what Tessa was afraid of¨Cand shut it down before she could even say it out loud. Send Gifts The wrong girl 358 Chapter 358 Trouble +8 Pearls After chatting a bit more, Ste ended the call. She nned to fill Abraham in as soon as he got home and ask him to send someone to pick Tessa up and bring her to her vi. Poor Tessa. She¡¯d never gone through anything like this in her life¨Cshe had to bepletely shaken. On the other end of the line, Tessa had seemed fine while talking to Ste. But now, alone in her room, her face had gone pale. She was clearly traumatized. She kept scrolling through her phone, trying to distract herself, but all she could think about was the sound of gunfire echoing in her head. The more it echoed in her mind, the more her body shook. She was scared. Really scared. She hadn¡¯t wanted to trouble Ste, but the truth was¨Cshe was terrified of Victor. She kept calling her mom, Diana, and Wesley too¡­ but neither of them picked up. She couldn¡¯t reach anyone.. Eventually, overwhelmed with fear and stress. Tessa spiked a high fever. Victor and the others were just leaving the study when they passed by the room where Tessa had been staying. He came to a stop, then turned to John and Ss. ¡°Keep an eye on the Dawne family. Watch for any moves.¡± They nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± This time, they hadn¡¯t kept a low profile¨Cthe Dawne family knew exactly who was behind it. And if they weren¡¯t backing down, there was definitely more troubleing. Seeing that Victor had no intention of going downstairs, John and the others headed out first. They made it all the way downstairs before anyone spoke. Lewis turned to John. ¡°So the person Mr. Victor brought back¨Cis that a woman? John gave him a look like he¡¯d lost his mind. ¡°Seriously? You saw that long hair¨Cdo you really # Chapter 358 Trouble Lewis looked stunned. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, right.¡± John rolled his eyes and walked off. Ss patted Lewis on the shoulder. ¡°Quit the gossip and focus on the job.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even a little curious?¡± Lewis asked. 18 Pearls ¡°Oh. I¡¯m curious¨Cjust not dumb enough to risk my life. If Mr. Victor hears that, I¡¯m dead.¡± Lewis looked confused. Seeing his nk expression, Ss leaned in and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. ¡°You know Dr. Eddie, right? The guy always hanging around Mr. Victor?¡± Lewis¡¯s face instantly darkened. ¡°Oh, I know him. That guy never shuts up.¡± A lot of people ended up in serious trouble thanks to Eddie¡¯s big mouth. Basically, if Victor and Eddie were in the same room, it was better to keep your distance. Otherwise, you might find yourself dragged into something you didn¡¯t sign up for. Ss nodded. ¡°Exactly. He got curious, ran his mouth, and paid the price for it.¡± Lewis went quiet. Ss added, ¡°So yeah¨Cdon¡¯t get curious.¡± Because once you got curious, your mouth started running¨Cand that was how people got in trouble. With that, Ss walked off. But Lewis was still dying to know who the woman was. He scratched his head, then hurried to catch up. ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°Mr. Victor¡¯s always had beautiful women around, but I¡¯ve never seen him actually make a move. You think he¡¯s finally into someone?¡± Ss was speechless. Ss didn¡¯t say a word. His gut dropped, and before he even realized it, his hand flew up and pped over Lewis¡¯s mouth. He shot him a warning look, then yanked him toward the car without saying a thing. ¡°You trying to end up like Dr. Eddie?¡± He hissed. ¡°Let me remind you¨CMr. Victor nearly drowned him in the ocean.¡± Yeah¡­ it might be best to keep some distance from Lewis from now on. A lot of guys liked to talk, but Lewis had a way of digging into things that were better left alone. Some people really didn¡¯t value their lives. And no matter how much you tried to stop them, they just had to push their luck. Chapter 358 Trouble Upstairs +8 Pearls on the second floor. Tessay in bed, barely conscious, her mind hazy with fever. In the blur of it all, she thought she heard someone nearby¨Cfrustrated and snappin Something cool brushed against her lips. Her thirst took over. The moment the cold hit her lips, she clung to it like it was the first drop of water she¡¯d had in days. Victor looked down at her flushed face, burning with fever. Without a word, he grabbed a fever reducer and slipped it between her lips, then helped her wash it down with a few sips of water. As soon as she managed to swallow the pill. he tried to pull the cup away¨Cbut before he could, Tessa grabbed onto his arm. She clung to him like she couldn¡¯t let go. Victor¡¯s face darkened, and the irritation in his eyes red. He looked like he was ready to throw her straight out of the room. ¡°Typical spoiled rich girlpletely useless,¡± he muttered coldly. If people like her fell into the wrong hands, who knew what kind of suffering they¡¯d go through. He let her finish the cup of water. But just when he thought she might finally let his arm even tighter the moment he tried to pull away. she gripped Her brows were lightly furrowed, her expression pained. And then, in a soft, broken voice, she started to mumble, ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± Victor¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Open your eyes and look at me,¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯m not your mom.¡± He held her burning chin, trying to get her to open her eyes, but she was too out of it. She couldn¡¯t open them at all. Their faces were now dangerously close¨Cso close that Victor could feel the heat of her breath against his skin. Then suddenly, buzz buzz buzz¨Chis phone started vibrating. The wrong girl 359 Chapter 359 Trouble at Highspire Ridge Victor pulled out the phone and nced at the screen. It was Tessa¡¯s. An unknown number. He answered without hesitation. Before he could say a word, a cold, threatening voice came through the line. ¡°Ms. Miller, give us what we want. If you don¡¯t¡­ The man paused, his voice turning cold. ¡°Then. there won¡¯t be a safe ce left for you in this world. And the people around you? They¡¯ll pay the price too.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you threatening her?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± the voice on the other end asked. ¡°The guy who called earlier didn¡¯t tell you? I¡¯m Victor Perez.¡± Silence. Then¨Cbeep beep beep¨Cthe call ended. The moment they heard Victor¡¯s name, they hung up. But even that brief exchange said enough. Tessa was in real danger. Seats Cove. Abraham had promised he¡¯d return in two hours¨Cand he kept his word. Ste had been struggling to stay awake, but with everything going on with Tessa, she couldn¡¯t rest easy. So when Abraham walked in, she was still up, waiting. He pulled off his jacket and stepped over to her. ¡°Why are you still up?¡± ¡°Waiting for you,¡± Ste mumbled. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Something going on?¡± One look at her face and he knew¨Csomething was definitely up. Ste never missed her bedtime. There was no way she¡¯d still be awake unless it really mattered. ¡°It¡¯s about Tessa. Abraham, she¡¯s scared of Victor. You might need to send someone to go get her.¡± ¡°She told you she¡¯s scared?¡± 1:00 PM Chapter 359 Trouble at Highspire Ridge -3 Pearls And now that Tessa had opened up to her, Ste felt responsible. Tessa was one of her few true friends, someone who¡¯d stood by her through the Reed family mess. Ste couldn¡¯t ignore that. ¡°I¡¯ll call Victor,¡± Abraham said, pulling out his phone. There was no need to send anyone. If Tessa didn¡¯t want to stay with Victor, he could just drop her. off at Ste¡¯s ce himself. Besides, Victor had always been a loner. He might not even like having Tessa around. The call connected quickly. ¡°Abraham, Victor answered. ¡°How¡¯s Tessa?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°She¡¯s scared of you?¡± Victor fell silent. Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Wow, really? Could he have been any more blunt? Tessa¡¯s still with Victor¨Cmaybe ease up on the interrogation. Victor replied tly, ¡°What isn¡¯t she scared of?¡± Ste had no response to that. Abraham said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to stay with you, take her to Ste¡¯s ce in Highspire Ridge.¡± Highspire Ridge¨CSte had a small estate there. There were three in the area, and one of them. was hers. Victor said, ¡°She can¡¯t go to Highspire Ridge right now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s after her. Unless you want to send her to the Dawsons, nowhere else is safe.¡± Ste went quiet. Send her to the Dawson family? ¡°That works too,¡± she said quickly, giving Abraham a hopeful look, silently begging him to agree. Abraham nodded. ¡°Then take her there.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± Victor said. Abraham frowned. ¡°Now what?¡± First Highspire Ridge is off¨Climits, and now the Dawson family too? Victor said ¡°We need to find out who¡¯s behind this I think someone¡¯s setting her un¨Cmavhe 1:00 PM Chapter 359 Trouble at Highspire Ridge Ste didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Tessa would never.¡± D ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t. But the people behind her might.¡± Ste blinked. Wait, what? Abraham asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°She stays with me for now. I¡¯ll handle the investigation.¡± +8 Pearls Ste stayed quiet. But Tess is scared of him¡­ She kept ncing at him, silently begging for his support¨Cbut this time, he didn¡¯t budge. He said to Victor, ¡°Then it¡¯s on you.¡± Ste was speechless. Great. And just like that, I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing After the call, Abraham noticed her gloomy expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Tessa wouldn¡¯t do something like that.¡± ¡°Maybe not. But the peopleing after her? Who knows what they¡¯re capable of.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s scared of Victor too¡­¡± Ste could still hear the fear in Tessa¡¯s voice over the phone. It made her heart ache all over again. Send Gifts The wrong girl 360 Chapter 360 Lines You Don¡¯t Cross +8 Pearls Abraham gently ruffled her soft hair, his tone indulgent. ¡°Rx. Victor won¡¯t do anything to her.¡± Ste didn¡¯t respond. Yeah, he probably won¡¯t hurt her. But Tess is terrified of him. He might noty a finger on her, but he could still scare the hell out of her ¡°She might call you tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Since Abraham had already said so, Ste didn¡¯t argue. It waste. She¡¯d wait until tomorrow¨Cif Tessa really called, they could talk then. That night. Ste clung to Abraham, holding him tight¨Creally tight¨Clike she had no intention of letting go. Don¡¯t ask why. She was scared too. She curled up in his warm arms, nuzzling close until she found afortable spot¨Cthen shut her eyes. Holding him close felt way safer than keeping her distance. Abraham picked up on her little act and chuckled softly. ¡°Ste-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I¡¯m tired.¡± She cut him off before he could finish. Thest thing she wanted right now. was to hear another word from him. Especially not while they were in bed. Because with him, one word always led to another¡­ and before she knew it, things would bepletely off track. Meanwhile, all the way in Falvaria. Tessa was burning up, barely hanging on. Victor had no choice¨Che called John and told him to bring a doctor over. It was two in the morning. When John got the call, he was out drinking with Lewis and Ss. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t get here soon, she¡¯s going to pass out, Victor snapped, clearly out of patience. 1:00 PM c Chapter 360 Lines You Don¡¯t Cross H8 Pears John could hear the irritation in Victor¡¯s voice and immediately sobered up. Got it. On my way¡± He hung up and immediately called one of the team¡¯s doctors, ordering him to head to Victor¡¯s vi ASAP. Then John paused, something about the whole thing not sitting right. I¡¯m heading over there myself.¡± Lewis raised an eyebrow. The doctor¡¯s going¡­ Wait, did Victor actually-¡± Ss covered his mouth before he could say another word. Everyone knew John couldn¡¯t keep a secret. If Victor found out about this, Lewis was screwed. Ss forced augh and looked at John. ¡°He¡¯s drunk. You go ahead.¡± John didn¡¯t say anything and left in a hurry. The second John was out the door. Ss let go and whacked Lewis right in the back of the head. ¡°Are you seriously drunk right now? If you are, go throw up or something. And maybe think before you open your mouth.¡± Lewis rubbed the back of his head. ¡°We barely drank anything.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then what the hell was that nonsense you were about to say?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say it, but if you had? You probably wouldn¡¯t get the chance to speak again anytime soon. That damn mouth. No wonder Victor never let Lewis and Eddie hang out. Put those two in the same room, and it was guaranteed chaos. Back at the vi Tessa was burning up, wrapped around Victor¡¯s arm like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Through her fevered haze, she kept whispering, ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± Victor rubbed his forehead, clearly annoyed. He¡¯d already spent the day tangled up with the Dawne family and was exhausted. And now he had to take care of a woman? This was not his thing. He¡¯d never done it in his life. ¡°I should¡¯ve just left you with the Dawsons. At least she¡¯d be safe there. The doctor showed up with John not far behind. One look at Tessa and he jumped into action, giving her an injection to lower the fever. Then he turned to Victor. ¡°She¡¯s burning up. We need to help her cool down physically Chapter 360 Lines You Don¡¯t Cross ¡°You¡¯ll need to wipe her down with warm water¨Call over.¡± Victor and John both fell silent. +B Pearls They exchanged a nce, then looked at the doctor. The room was full of men. So¡­ who was going to do it? John cleared his throat. ¡°Uh¡­ Ss and the others are still at the bar. I should probably go pick them up. God help me, he thought. I never should¡¯vee here. He had no clue what this woman meant to Victor, and he wasn¡¯t about to get dragged into something messy. If Victor had brought her back himself, she had to matter. Which meant John needed to back off¨Cfast. Just as John turned to leave, Victor¡¯s icy voice rang out behind him. ¡°Stop.¡± John froze. His back stiffened as he turned around. ¡°You need something else?¡± ¡°Find a housekeeper. ¡°Now? It¡¯s the middle of the night. Every agency¡¯s closed. Best I can do is tomorrow.¡± Best¨Ccase scenario? Tomorrow morning. Send Gifts The wrong girl 361 Chapter 361 No Way to Stay Calm There was one more option. ¡°We could borrow someone from Mr. Abraham¡¯s estate¨Cbut that would probably alert Ms. Dawson.¡± And if Ms. Dawson got wind of it, she¡¯d definitely get involved. That kind of back¨Cand¨Cforth would waste a ton of time. Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then what?¡± John shrugged. ¡°You do it.¡± There was no chance he or the doctor was doing that. She wasn¡¯t their responsibility¨Cand getting involved would only lead to trouble. A few momentster, John and the doctor slipped out one after the other. Tessa was still burning up¨Cher whole body radiated heat, and her cheeks were flushed red. The doctor had said physical cooling would help bring her temperature down faster. But right now, she was in bad shape¨Cso out of it she¡¯d started rambling nonsense. Victor had no choice. He brought over a basin of warm water and stripped Tessa downpletely. He wasn¡¯t exactly the gentle type¨Cand this definitely wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d ever done before. ¡°What a damn hassle.¡± Right now, Victor felt like Tessa was nothing but trouble. if it weren¡¯t for Abraham and Ste, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with her at all. But the doctor was right¨Cwithin minutes of wiping her down, her fever started to drop. Once it was done, Victor didn¡¯t even bother dressing her. He just pulled the nket over her and walked out. The next morning- Tessa slowly woke up, her head still foggy¨Cuntil she realized she wasn¡¯t wearing anything under the covers. She froze. Loud enough to send the birds outside scattering in all directions. 1:00 PM c Chapter 361 No Way to Stay Calm ¡± +8 Pearls Ste woke up to her phone buzzing. Still half¨Casleep, she reached around the bed, trying to find
  1. it.
Abraham was already up. She heard the buzzing but couldn¡¯t find the phone on the nightstand¨Cor under the pillow. Panic rising, she searched everywhere until she finally spotted it on the floor. When she saw it was Tessa calling, she quickly answered. ¡°Tessa?¡± Just then, Abraham walked back into the room. Ste looked up at him¨Cand before she could say a word. Tessa burst into tears on the other end. of the line. Ste blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­ I think something happened.¡± Tessa sobbed. Ste¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you need me to call the police?¡± She was still half¨Casleep¨Cthe words slipped out before she even realized what she was saying. Then it hit her. Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t she with Victor? ¡°Hold on¨Caren¡¯t you with Victor?¡± Honestly, with everything happening in Tessa¡¯s family, Ste figured there was no safer ce for her than with Victor. ¡°I am.¡± Tessa sniffled. ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°My clothes are gone!¡± Tessa cried. Ste froze. What? She¡¯d been through plenty of wild situations since getting involved with Abraham, but even this made her pause. It took her a good five seconds to process what she just heard¨Cwhile Tessa kept sobbing on the phone. She finally pulled herself together, but what Tessa had said was so shocking that she didn¡¯t event know how to respond. ¡°What do you mean, your clothes are gone?¡± 1:00 PM Chapter 361 No Way to Stay Calm Ste went quiet. +8 Pearls A girl waking up with no clothes after spending the night with a guy? Yeah, that usually meant something had happened. Damn¡­ ¡°You guys moved fast,¡± she muttered. She and Abraham had taken their time¨CTessa and Victor had barely even talked. This was fast. Too fast. ¡°Ste¡­ Ste¡­ Tessa sobbed even harder. ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t cry. Maybe it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Try to calm down, okay?¡± Ste said. gently, though even she didn¡¯t sound convinced. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to calm down?¡± Tessa¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°How am I supposed to calm down? I¡¯m naked, Ste!¡± ¡°I know; I get it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what happened¨Cor who took off my clothes. I-¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t think Victor would do something like that. He¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking his side?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Ste, I¡¯m the one closest to you, and you¡¯re actually taking his side!¡± Tessa broke downpletely on the other end of the line. Ste was stunned. ¡°I just went through something awful!¡± Tessa cried. ¡°And you¡¯re still sticking up for him? Seriously? I knew it¨Cyou¡¯re on his side!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I swear!¡± Tessa was freaking out, and Ste had no idea what to say. Her mind went totally nk. Tessa sobbed harder. ¡°What did I do to deserve this? My family¡¯s falling apart, and now this¡­¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 362 +8 Pearls Chapter 362 What Did She Just Say? ¡°He¡¯s probably not even capable!¡± Ste blurted. In her panic, she cut Tessa off without thinking. The second those words left her mouth, the call went dead silent. Across the room, Abraham, who had been organizing her meds on the couch, looked up at her in surprise. Tessa also stopped crying. ¡°Ste¡­ what did you just say?¡± She must¡¯ve misheard. No way Ste actually said that out loud. She had to be hallucinating from stress. Ste didn¡¯t answer right away. It hit her then¨Cwhat she¡¯d actually said. Yeah, she and Marie had once wondered if Victor was even capable. But that was just private girl talk. Behind closed doors. Never out loud like this. And until now, it had stayed between them. They both knew better. If Victor ever caught wind of something like that, they¡¯d be toast¨Cno matter who they were. If Tessa hadn¡¯t been crying like that, there¡¯s no way Ste would¡¯ve let it slip. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person who liked gossiping behind someone¡¯s back. And now? Now she seriously regretted it. Because if Victor heard¡­ she was toast. Ste drew in a quick breath. ¡°Okay, seriously¨Cjust don¡¯t tell Victor I said that.¡± Tessa wasn¡¯t letting it go. ¡°Say it again?¡± ¡°I said¡­ he might not be able to, Ste repeated, sounding a lot less confident this time. She added might to soften it¨Cbecause honestly, how would she even know? It¡¯s not like she had any proof. Tessa gasped on the other end¨Cloud enough that Ste heard it through the phone. ¡°Wait, what? What does that even mean?¡± Ste tried to exin. ¡°I just mean¡­ he¡¯s never shown any interest in all those gorgeous women. around him. He¡¯s never made a move or even seemed into them.¡± Chapter 362 What Did She Just Say? Tessa asked, ¡°How do you even know he¡¯s never done anything?¡± ¡°Everybody knows!¡± Ste replied. It wasn¡¯t just her and Marie. Even the people closest to Victor knew about it. Yeah, he was handsome¨Cbut when it came to women, he never made a move. 48 Pears Tessa was stunned. He never made a move on any of the girls around him? ¡°Maybe those women just weren¡¯t his type?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Ste said. ¡°No chance,¡± Ste said. ¡°Those girls were stunning. Honestly, way out of our league.¡± Tessa fell silent. ¡°So, if you¡¯re telling me he did something to you,¡± Ste added, ¡°I¡¯m not buying it,¡± Tessa fired back. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m not attractive enough?¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± Ste shot back. ¡°I just mean those girls were on a whole different level.¡± Let¡¯s be real¨Cneither she nor Tessa couldpete with that. Tessa sucked in another sharp breath¨Cthis time, the tears had stopped. After a beat, she mumbled, ¡°So he does have a problem.¡± Just as she said it, the door swung open. Victor stood there, his face dark and his expression deadly. He stared at her like he could see straight through her. Tessa met his eyes, froze in terror, and dropped the phone onto the nket. Her hand was shaking. She couldn¡¯t help but gulp. Wait¡­. He didn¡¯t really hear that, did he? I mean, I didn¡¯t say anything that awful¡­ right? Meanwhile, at Seats Cove- Ste was still on the call with Tessa when the line suddenly cut out. She called back. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing. Abraham walked over, gently took the phone out of her hands, and slipped a pill into her mouth. This one¡¯s before meals.¡± 1:00 PM c Chapter 362 What Did She Just Say? Ste¡¯s face twisted in protest. Abraham handed her some water. She quickly swallowed the pill, then he slipped a piece of candy into her mouth. A sweet orange vor spread across her tongue, finally chasing away the bitterness. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sweet,¡± she muttered. But the bitter taste still lingered. Abraham gently ruffled her hair. ¡°Spreading rumors about Victor? You¡¯ve got guts.¡± Ste¡¯s cheeks turned red. ¡°We were just specting Pearis Marie was the one who brought it up first. Ste had just¡­ sort of gone along with it. I mean, if it weren¡¯t true, why would Victor never make a move on any woman? Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®we?¡± ¡°Marie,¡± she admitted. Abraham went quiet. Ste quickly covered her mouth. Nope. That¡¯s enough. If this gets back to Victor, I¡¯m dead. Send Gifts The wrong girl 363 Chapter 363 The Line Was Crossed. If Victor found out, she and Marie were both done for. As Abraham handed her the clothes, he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve really picked up some bad habits. -bet that¡¯s Eddie¡¯s fault.¡± Ste didn¡¯t even try to argue. Okay, totally not the same thing. Eddic d whatever he wanted- straight to your face or behind your back. At least she kept it private¡­ Though honestly, that wasn¡¯t much better. The skies over Rivermount had cleared. No snow today. But the wind hadn¡¯t stopped howling, and it was freezing outside. Inside the estate, though, it was warm and quiet. Once they¡¯d both gotten ready, they headed downstairs together. The butler stepped up respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham, someone from the Reed family is waiting at the main gate.¡± The gate was nearly a mile away from the castle itself. Abraham looked at Ste. ¡°If seeing them is going to upset you, I can just¡­¡± The word just carne out with a chill in his voice¨Csharp and unmistakably dangerous. Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Madam Susan.¡± Of course, Ste thought. It made sense. Patrick was obsessed with those twins now, and Jonathan was still injured¨Che wouldn¡¯t show. And with Reba in the picture? If he kept sticking up for Lillian, she¡¯d tear the ce apart. So yeah, Susan made sense. Ste¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°If she wants to wait, let her. I¡¯m not seeing her.¡± She knew Susan was here for Lillian. And someone like that? You shut the door before they even think they¡¯ve got a chance. Abraham nodded slightly at the butler, his gaze cold and unreadable. The butler got the message instantly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said to Ste, and stenned back 1:00 PM c. Chapter 363 The Line Was Crossed +8 Pearls At the front gate- Susan stood in the cold, furious. ¡°You have no right to keep me out!¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my daughter! Doesn¡¯t a mother. have the right to see her own child?¡± The guards didn¡¯t flinch. They didn¡¯t speak. Just stood firm, blocking her path with stone¨Ccold expressions. No matter how hard she raged or begged, they didn¡¯t react¨Cand that only made her more desperate. ¡°Let me in! I said, let me in!¡± The wind howled around her. Seats Cove sat right on the coast, and the ocean wind was brutal¨Csharp and freezing against her skin. Susan ran out without warm clothes, and now she was shivering in the cold. Just then, the butler appeared¨Cwith two maids following close behind. Susan¡¯s eyes lit up. She rushed toward him. ¡°Please¨Ccould you just let Ste know I¡¯m here? I need to talk to her.¡± The butler gave her a look¨Ccold and unreadable¨Cthen turned and gave the two maids a small nod.. The two maids exchanged a quick nod, then started walking toward Susan. These weren¡¯t ordinary maids. Ever since everything that had happened, even the household staff at Seats Cove had been reassigned¨Cnow they were all from Abraham¡¯s team in Falvaria. Trained. Efficient. Dangerous, Even their eyes and presence carried a sharp, lethal edge. As they stepped forward, Susan felt a chill go down her spine. She instinctively backed up. ¡°W¨Cwhat are you doing? I¡¯m here to see my daughter! I¡¯m telling you -Ste is my biological daughter. If youy a hand on me, she won¡¯t forgive you!¡± She tried to sound strong. Tried to hold her ground. She hadn¡¯t expected this. In truth, Susan¡¯s feelings toward Ste had been twisted by guilt and regret for a while now. She hated Ste for what she¡¯d done to the Road 1:00 PM ch Chapter 363 The Line Was Crossed 48 Pearls B cared for her. If she¡¯d shown even a little support for Ste instead of always taking Lillian¡¯s side, maybe the Reed family wouldn¡¯t have fallen apart. But before she could process it further, the two maids grabbed her without hesitation. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let me go! I¡¯m Ste¡¯s mother! You can¡¯t treat me like this! Let me go!¡± She fought wildly, heart racing as panic took over. And maybe if she hadn¡¯t mentioned Ste¡¯s name, they would¡¯ve gone easier. But the second she did? Their expressions hardened. The tension in the air turned lethal. ¡°Ah!¡± Her scream cut through the sky above Seats Cove. She clutched her knee, struggling to breathe. They¡¯d actually dragged her out and thrown her away like trash. She hit the ground hard, knees burning and vision blurring from the pain. She never thought they¡¯d treat her like this. She sat on the ground, clutching her knee, sweating from the pain. And then¨Cone of the maids stepped forward and pulled out something cold and metallic, pointing it straight at her. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 364 Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls The second she saw the gun pointed at her, Susan wentpletely still. ¡°A¨CAh! Y¨CYou¡­ what are you doing?¡± She stammered, her entire body shaking. Her voice trembled, stuttering uncontrobly. She¡¯d already seen what had happened to Jonathan when he returned from Seats Cove- broken, humiliated. She knew the people around Ste weren¡¯t the type you messed with. But still¡­ she was Ste¡¯s mother. Her mother!How could they treat me like this? Susan stood frozen in disbelief, her mind spinning. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t¡­¡± Just then, the butler stepped forward between the two maids, hands calmly folded behind hist back. His eyes were sharp, steady¨Cand just a little chilling. ¡°Madam Susan, do you know why. your son left Seats Covest time with a broken arm?¡± Susan blinked, stunned. ¡°W¨CWhy?¡± ¡°Because he tried to hit Ms. Dawson.¡± ¡°He¡¯s her brother!¡± she blurted out. The butler¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Her brother? In that case, Madam Susan¡­ I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be leaving here so easily today.¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean?¡± What does that even mean? What are they nning to do to me?I¡¯m her mother, she told herself, trying to stay calm. They wouldn¡¯t actually hurt me¡­ would they? Her chest tightened with fear. The butler calmly adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. ¡°The daughter cherished by both the Luke and Dawson families¨Cpersonally raised by Madam Evelyn and Mr. Abraham¨Cisn¡¯t someone just anyone can im as their own.¡± Susan¡¯s eyes widened. The butler leaned in slightly, his voice calm but cutting. ¡°You say she¡¯s your daughter¨Cso what does that make Madam Evelyn?¡± Susan went quiet. Her throat tightened, and her chest started to ache. ¡°You keep calling her your daughter,¡± he went on, ¡°but during her time in the Reed family, how did you reallic test h?r? And now¡ªwhat? You suddenlu cara? Or is it that you¡¯re honina to min Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­¡± +8 Pearls ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Hisugh was soft but cutting. ¡°Then tell me, what is all this sudden affection about?¡± He put weight on the word¨Clike he was dragging her real intentions into the light for everyone To see. Susan felt like she was about to fall apart. Meanwhile, in the car- Ste and Abraham had just finished breakfast and were heading out. As the car rolled past the front gate, Abraham nced outside, caught a glimpse of what was happening, and without warning, pulled Ste¡¯s head into his chest. Ste blinked, caught off guard. ¡°What the¨Cwhat are you doing?¡± Before she could finish, Abraham leaned down and kissed her, cutting her offpletely. ¡°Mmph- Seriously? She instinctively pushed against him, worried she¡¯d somehow triggered him again¨Ceven thought she hadn¡¯t done a thing. She¡¯d just been quietly watching the waves when he suddenly made a move. Once the moment passed, Abraham finally let her go¨Cbut his breathing was already unsteady. Ste pulled back without thinking. By now, she could read him¨Cwhenever his breathing changed like that, things always spiraled out of control. The second she tried to move away, he grabbed her and pulled her close again. ¡°Where do you think youre gone, huh?¡± he said low. Seriously? Right now? In the car? Ste flushed. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not going anywhere. Just let me go. We¡¯re int the car!¡± This was not the time or ce for¡­ whatever this was. As if on cue, the divider screen in the car slowly began to rise. Are you kidding me?Was Abel always this quick to take a hint? She groaned, pushing against Abraham¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop it. I mean it¨CI¡¯m not doing this.¡± Abraham, who¡¯d clearly been holding back all night, was already at his limit. PM Chapter 364 Cold Truths and Close Calls ¡°I don¡¯t care. I said no,¡± she snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± +8.Pearls She knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt her, and sure, he had other ways of getting what he wanted¨Cbut she didn¡¯t want any of it right now. Especially not in a car. And definitely not with the shameless moves he always pulled. Frustrated and trapped in his arms, she squirmed and tried to break free. Abraham¡¯s breath grew heavier. He wrapped a hand around her waist and whispered, voice husky and coaxing, ¡°Ste¡­ Be good, okay?¡± The moment she heard that tone, she panicked. ¡°No!¡± she cried. ¡°I said no, I don¡¯t want to! Stop-¡± She couldn¡¯t fight him off, so she did the only thing she could¨Cshe cried. Tears spilled down her face, fast and silent. Abraham froze, stunned for a second. Then, instead of backing off, he gently grabbed her chin and kissed her again. His steady, familiar scent wrapped around her, smothering everything else. Meanwhile, back in Falvaria- Tessa sat on the bed, clinging tightly to the nket wrapped around her. Her hands were trembling, but she kept pulling the covers tighter and higher¨Ctrying to cover herselfpletely. Send Gifts The wrong girl 365 Chapter 365 Everything Went Wrong +8 Pearls Tessa tucked herself under the nket, like hiding could somehow make it all go away. Victor sat across from her. A cigar rested between his fingers as he watched her, eyes sharp and unreadable. He didn¡¯t say a word, but the silence pressed down like a weight. Tessa instinctively swallowed. ¡°Uh, c¨Ccould you not look at me like that? You¡¯re scaring me¡­¡± Her voice cracked on the word scaring. She might¡¯ve been bold and fearless back in Rivermount, but in this unfamiliar ce, she felt helpless. His eyes are terrifying. Like a wolf hiding in the dark¨Cone look from him felt like it could rip her apart. Victor said, ¡°What exactly is my problem?¡± Tessa blinked, stunned. Inside, she was falling apart. What the hell? She barely got a word out when Victor cut her off. ¡°Think carefully before you answer, or else¡­¡± He paused, but he didn¡¯t need to finish. The warning was loud and clear. Say the wrong thing now, and she was toast. Oh,e on¡­ Is this really karma? All I did was gossip a little¨Cdid it have to blow up this badly? I was just talking behind his back! Did he seriously have to catch me red¨Chanded? Tessa dropped her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± When things go sideways, apologize first. Victor raised a brow. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± she mumbled, her voice shrinking with every word. She wasn¡¯t wearing anything right now. If this man said he¡¯d prove her wrong.. she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. This is all Ste¡¯s fault. She almost got me in serious trouble. Swear to God, if I make it out of this, I¡¯m never gossiping about Victor again. Not one word. I¡¯m done. Seriously. Victor arched a brow and flicked the ash from his cigar into the tray. His eyes shifted back to her. ¡°So, what exactly is my problem?¡± She made the mistake of looking him in the eye. His gaze was deep, dark, and impossible to read. Her heart jumped, and she quickly looked away. ¡°I meant I¡¯m the one with the problem.¡± Chapter 365 Everything. Went Wrong +8 Pearls Tessa blurted out, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you¨CI was talking about myself. I¡¯m the one with the problem!¡± If saving her life meant giving up her dignity, so be it. Victor raised a brow. ¡°Oh? So what exactly is your problem?¡± Yeah¡­ this situation clearly wasn¡¯t going away anytime soon. Tessa could tell¨Cif she didn¡¯t give him a straight answer, he wasn¡¯t dropping it. God, could my timing be any worse? Of all the things to say out loud, why did it have to be that? What kind of idiot gossips about someone like him? Comered by Victor¡¯s questions, Tessa¡¯s mind was a mess. She took a breath and blurted out, T¡¯m bad at everything. I mess up whatever I do. The only thing I¡¯m good at is cating.¡± She¡¯d embarrassed herself enough¨Csurely he¡¯d let it slide now. Victor watched her trembling hands clinging to the nket, panic written all over her face. He chuckled. ¡°A bottomless pit, huh?¡± Tessa didn¡¯t say a word. Why is he such a jerk? Whatever. She wasn¡¯t about to talk back. She nodded, clearly not thrilled. ¡°Yeah.¡± She swore gossip had never backfired this hard in her entire life. Ten minutester. Tessa sat at the dining table, staring at the spread of food in front of her¨Cmost of which she¡¯d never even seen before. Then she looked at Victor. He leaned back in his chair, one ankle resting on his opposite knee. With the suit and dress shirt gone, the tattoo on his neck was impossible to miss¨Che looked like pure trouble. And honestly, he looked straight¨Cup dangerous. Tessa was rattled¨Che was the kind of guy you just didn¡¯t cross. Victor gave her a look. ¡°Can you finish it all?¡± Tessa blinked Finish it? Wait¨Cdoes he actually erect me to eat all this? She gave him a nitiful look ¡°I 101 PM c Chapter 365 Everything Went Wrong +8 Pearls She lookedpletely anxious and defeated. If she had to eat everything on the table, she¡¯d definitely make herself sick. Victor¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°So what exactly were you and Ste talking about?¡± Tessa said nothing. So this really wasn¡¯t over, huh? God, just let me pass out already. If this keeps going, I¡¯m going to lose it. His stare was had no clue what to say, way too intense. Tese For once, she waspletely speechless. She wentpletely silent. Victor watched her drop her head again, and for the first time, a flicker of amusement passed through his cold eyes. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 366 Chapter 366 She Launched Into A Tirade Victor scoffed and said, ¡°Eat this.¡± Tessa nearly cried and said, ¡°I can¡¯t finish this.¡± Victor then sneered. ¡°Then how about you keep starving?¡± Tessa was shocked, thinking. Is this guy a pervert? Can someone do something about him? All he wants to do is either starve or stuff people to death¨Ctwo extremes. At Rivermount. Susan returned to the Reed mansion with her face red and swollen. Reba was about to bring the medicine to Lillian. Now, no doctors were willing to make house calls to the Reed family. Unsure of how, but she found a pharmacy and brought back some medication sachets. Susan was already upset with her for emptying Jonathan¡¯s card. Now, when she saw the sachets in her hand, her fury red up, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? Who¡¯s it for?¡± She had never believed in this kind of medicine. Otherwise, given theck of medical resources currently, she insisted on not giving Lillian and Jonathan such medicine. On top of that, she couldn¡¯t stand Reba, so when she saw Reba giving this kind of medicine to Jonathan, her expression got nastier. While Reba naturally didn¡¯t hold her temper in, she scoffed, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you even trying to snatch this medicine? I¡¯m sorry, but this medicine doesn¡¯t match your foster daughter¡¯s condition.¡± It made things clear for her atst. For her foster daughter, Susan was ignoring even her biological son¨Clet alone her biological daughter. To meet a mother like her was truly a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime experience for Reba. When she heard that it was medication sachets from some pharmacies, her anger grew intense, and she said, ¡°You are giving this to Jonathan?¡± Reba said, ¡°Otherwise, who do you think it¡¯s for?¡± Susan then asked, ¡°What if something goes wrong from eating it? Are you taking the responsibility for it?¡± 1:01 PM c Chapter 366 She Launched Into A Tirade +8 Pearls She thought, even at this moment, is Susan emphasizing the responsibility issue? Reba was so angry that sheughed. She then said, ¡°Come on, one is nearly dying, the other is almost crippled. It¡¯s already time now where we are trying desperate measures to save them, and you are talking with me about responsibility?¡± Upon hearing her, Susan¡¯s breathing deepened. Having no intention of listening to her further nonsense, she sneered, ¡°Please don¡¯t give such flimsy stuff to my son.¡± Reba was stunned, and she cursed, ¡°Damn it!¡± Although she had never thought of disrespecting an elderly person, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to show respect to the one standing before her. Reba tried to tolerate it again and again, but she could no longer bear it. Gritting her teeth, she fired back, ¡°I made him ill from the medicine? Come on, he¡¯s already in a bunch of trouble because of you. Susan countered, ¡°Shut up, you.¡± ¦§ Reba said. ¡°Me? Shut up? Do you want me to remind you how the family ended up in such a mess? You¡¯ve spoiled your foster daughter too much, and your son went to Seats Cove to invite trouble under your instigation. Then he was injured by whoever was behind Ste. Not only did they take his hand, but they nearly took his life.¡± Susan was stunned. Reba continued, ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡¯s because of Ste. Remember when Lillian hired someone and nearly killed Ste? Then Ste counterattacked, so that¡¯s how the Reed family is now barely surviving, and your son nearly died because of you.¡± Reba knew that what Susan was trying to say was that all of this happened because of Ste. Before Susan could say anything, Reba continued, ¡°Ridiculous! You are treating the murderer who almost killed your biological daughter like she¡¯s precious. Plus, you are ming your own daughter for tearing apart the family.¡± Susan was stunned. Reba continued, ¡°You are still using this medicine of causing problems for him. You¡¯d better go find medicine that wouldn¡¯t cause an issue. You cause him to be unable to be hospitalized, and doctors dare not visit him. If you are so capable, why don¡¯t you use that protective ability of your foster daughter and get him the safe medicine?¡± Rebaunched into a tirade. Susan breathed heavily and red fiercely at Reba. 1.01 PM c Chapter 366 She Launched Into A Tirade After a moment of silence, Reba seemed to notice the injury on Susan¡¯s face. +8 Pearls She then said, ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with your face? Don¡¯t tell me you got this injury aftering back from Seats Cove? Why do you go to Seats Cove? Is it because of Lillian? Or because of the benefits behind Ste?¡± Susan was fuming and said, ¡°Shut up!¡± Reba continued, ¡°You are now after the benefits behind her, aren¡¯t you? What a pity that you¡¯ve lost the golden opportunity for it.¡± After a barrage of criticism, Susan was so angry that her face alternated between pale and flushed. Reba had no intention of bothering her further as she took the medicine and went upstairs. Susan was so angry that she walked in circles and said to herself, ¡°What a great misfortune to the family.¡± She thought, What are all these things that I¡¯ve encountered? And the people I¡¯ve met? Each was more impressive than thest. Back then, Ste had quite a sharp tongue, but I don¡¯t expect Reba to have a sharper one. Upstairs, Reba passed the medicine to Jonathan and said, ¡°Now, only I cane up with solutions for you. That mother of yours is really good¨Cfor¨Cnothing¡­¡± Her tone was full of sarcasm. Listening to her words, Jonathan¡¯s brows furrowed. He lowered his gaze, looked at the medicine, and asked, ¡°Is she behind that ident?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 367 Chapter 367 Who Would Come To Her Rescue? By she, he meant Lillian. At that moment, there wasn¡¯t a single trace of emotion in his tone. Reba scoffed, ¡°Ethan doesn¡¯t evene for her. Isn¡¯t it clear enough?¡± Jonathan breathed heavily. The image of Ethan leaving shed through his mind; he passed through the door while radiating a fierce aura with an intimidating presence. This was nowhere to be seen on him when he was with Lillian. He felt something was off back then. Besides, Ethan used to visit Lillian almost every day previously, but this time, he hadn¡¯t shown up for more than three days. Seeing him keep quiet, Reba said, ¡°Jonathan, you guys are just blind. Hurry up and take the medicine. I¡¯m still counting on you to raise my son.¡± Jonathan replied, ¡°Are you treating me as a tool?¡± Reba said, ¡°Otherwise, what¡¯s more in you for me to fall for? Your blindness?¡± not after the money, then what? Affection? Jonathan breathed heavily and red fiercely at Reba. Reba caressed her newly manicured nails and said, ¡°The Reed family is seriously messed up.¡± Jonathan said, ¡°Shut up.¡± Reba then refuted, ¡°Why should I shut up? You¡¯re all telling me to shut up. Say something useful, would you?¡± They couldn¡¯t say anything useful themselves, and now they had offended everyone at Rivermount. They even offended Ste, who was their blood rtive. Up until now, they were still trying to act. tough. In Lillian¡¯s room, when Lillian saw Susan¡¯s return with her face red and swollen, she froze at first, then she asked, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s this?¡± Susan was trembling all over. 1:01 PM Chapter 367 Who Would Come To Her Rescue? +8 Pearls ¡°What did Star say? Is she willing to lend you money?¡± Before Susan could finish her words, Lillian interrupted her anxiously. She had no way out With such an astronomical price for the medicine, the Reed family in such a mess, and the Reed Group on the verge of bankruptcy, the only one who coulde up with that much money was Ste. She was the little princess of the Luke family. She was rich. Lillian was jealous of how well life treated her, while she hoped she could lend her a helping hand. With a terrible expression, Susan said, ¡°How could she possibly lend money to us?¡± Before going, she knew the oue. Lately, she had been borrowing from the rich women in the social circles she used to get along well with. But now, when they knew she was calling, they hung up the phone, and borrowing money was out of the question. She never thought that one day, it would be so difficult to meet her own daughter. She gave birth to her; who are they to prevent her from meeting her daughter? Seeing that she didn¡¯t get to borrow the money, her face was losingposure, and she thought, This useless old woman. She can¡¯t even borrow money from her biological daughter. Her dissatisfaction reached its peak, but she gave off a sorry look and said, ¡°Then what am I supposed to do? Am I just waiting to die? Rianne had said, Given your condition, it would be best to buy the medicine and take it within one week.¡± It was the best timing within one week. At that moment, Lillian was even struggling to speak; she truly didn¡¯t know if she could make it through this ordeal. Susan said, ¡°We can¡¯t borrow money from her; you know it¡­¡± Speaking of this, Susan couldn¡¯t continue her words. In fact, she felt regret as well¨Cfor treating Ste badly. If she hadn¡¯t said those harsh words back then, they wouldn¡¯t have gone through all this and had such a hard time. She was crazy to actually go and borrow money from Ste. How could she possibly lend it to 101 PM c Chapter 367 Who Would Come To Her Rescue +B Pearis Susan suddenly thought of something. She nced at Lillian and asked, ¡°Be frank and tell me, have you med Ste wrongly? And that ident¡­¡± Talking about that ident, Susan recalled how Ethan left. Hearing her bring up the ident, guilt shed through her eyes, and she said, ¡°It isn¡¯t me. I haven¡¯t done anything.¡± Susan then asked, ¡°Then why did Ethan leave like that? And he hasn¡¯te to visit you these few days.¡± Speaking of Ethan, Susan thought that she should call Ethan.. But when she thought of Madeline¡¯s smug face, she felt¡­ Susan thought, Fine. Saving Lillian¡¯s lifees first. With that in mind, she immediately took out her phone and called Ethan. Seeing that Susan was about to call Ethan, Lillian panicked and asked, ¡°Mom, why are you calling Ethan?¡± Susan replied, ¡°Besides Ethan, who can now up with so much money to save you?¡± Lillian was speechless. Upon hearing her, she caught her breath! She thought, will Ethan still save me? I¡¯ve been calling Ethan these two days, but he received none of them. Send Gifts The wrong girl 368 Chapter 368 The Questioning & Pearls Lillian continued thinking, He doesn¡¯t want me anymore. He knows her condition is this bad, but he wouldn¡¯t pick up the phone. What¡¯s this, if not his abandonment? The phone rang once, then twice; only after the final ring did Ethan pick up the phone and say, ¡°Hello.¡± His tone was cold; the respect and politeness from before werepletely gone. Susan said, ¡°Ethan, Lillian is serious/ ill. Why haven¡¯t youe and visited her?¡± She was trying to ignore the scene of Ethan leaving that day. Without waiting for Ethan to answer, she continued, ¡°We¡¯ve found the medicine that can cure Lillian.¡± Ethan replied, ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good news for you all.¡± Susan was stunned. What did Ethan mean by that¡¯s good news for them? Wasn¡¯t it good news for him? Susan continued, ¡°We need money; that medicine is expensive.¡± Ethan said, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother me about anything rted to her.¡± Susan replied, ¡°What?¡± And she thought, What is he talking about? Without waiting for Susan to speak again, Ethan hung up the phone. Upon hearing the beeping sound through the phone, Susan instinctively grabbed her phone tightly. With her pupils narrowed, she nced at Lillian. Upon hearing him say that, her breath quickened, and her face turned ashen instantly. Susan gasped and asked, ¡°What exactly is going on with you and Ethan?¡± Lillian didn¡¯t reply. ¡°What exactly happened to the two of you that day?¡± Susan practically roared the words. Lillian couldn¡¯t control her tears as they streamed down her cheek, and she said, ¡°Mom, I¡­ Susan then said, ¡°You, for god¡¯s sake. What should I say to you? Be frank and tell me, what exactly is going on? Chapter 368 The Questioning that? Don¡¯t tell me that she really has something to do with Ste¡¯s ident¡­ Thinking of something. Susan¡¯s mind was in aplete mess. +B Pearls She had been guessing all these times, but watching Ethan¡¯s attitude, her guess seemed to be confirmed. Susan pressed her lips together and looked at Lillian with a tense expression. Their eyes met, and Lillian cried while shaking her head and stammered, ¡°Mom. I¡­ Susan¡¯s heart was pounding, and she asked, ¡°Are you really the one behind the ident that happened to Star?¡± Lillian refuted, ¡°No! It isn¡¯t me. It really isn¡¯t. Trust me. I¡¯m not such a bad person.¡± Susan said. ¡°Then tell me, why did Ethan and you end up like this?¡± Susan could no longer hold her temper. Right now, they were in urgent need of money, but they couldn¡¯t get any from anywhere. Even Ethan, who had always been reliable for Lillian, didn¡¯t bother her anymore. If you were to say nothing happened along the line, who would believe that? Outside the door, Reba was listening to the sounds inside as she appeared at the door with her arms crossed. ¡°Still can¡¯t make it clear? He must have overheard her scheme on how to harm his ex¨Cfianc¨¦e. Only you all from the Reed family can¡¯t make sense of this malicious face of hers. No matter what, Ste is Ethan¡¯s ex¨Cfianc¨¦e. For a man, no matter how much he loves a woman, he wouldn¡¯t want to marry someone who has a malicious face and diabolical intentions, right?¡± Reba scoffed. Lillian stammered, ¡°You¡­¡± and thought, hat is this damn woman stirring up trouble here? Doesn¡¯t she have her hands full already? Lillian nced at Susan with an anxious look as she called out, ¡°Mom.¡± Susan¡¯s breath quickened; her gaze was sharp when she looked at Lillian, then she asked, ¡°Is what she¡¯s telling the truth?¡± With a pale face, Lillian said, ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± Susan roared; she was shivering with anger at that moment. She didn¡¯t want to believe in Reba either. But thinking that now, Ethan had also distanced himself from Lillian. 1.01 PM Chapter 368 The Questioning now, everything pointed to him distancing himself. Susan¡¯s face turned pale instantly. Her breath continued to quicken and grow erratic. Tears fell from her eyes like water droplets as she said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t do it. ¡°Then tell me, why is Ethan ignoring you?¡± Susan roared.
  1. Pearls
Ethan had always treasured Lillian. Even when he was engaged with Ste, he couldn¡¯t let go of her. If it weren¡¯t for some major incidents, how could he ignore her just like that? Ste and Abraham were back at Seats Cove. When she was getting out of the car, the man tidied her clothes. Ste said, ¡°There are only a few steps.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 369 Abraham said, ¡°The doctor had said. You couldn¡¯t afford to catch a cold now.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Got it.¡± When she got out of the car, a cold breeze swept in. Ste instinctively hid in Abraham¡¯s arms. The winter at Rivermount was sure cold. Watching her instinctive move, a flicker of tenderness shed in his eyes as he embraced her, guarded her, and walked inside. As they walked, Ste said, ¡°Abraham, I want to have some peach cobbler. Abraham asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± as he had never eaten it before. Ste replied, ¡°It¡¯s a snack at Rivermount that is made of batter, biscuit, and fruit filling. Abraham asked, ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Ste nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Abraham continued to ask, ¡°The one you¡¯ve had in the afternoon?¡± He remembered that she wasn¡¯t particr about food, except that she always insisted on having broth. Abraham thought, From spicy food to sweet food? That¡¯s a huge shift in taste. Ste said, ¡°Yeah, I feel like eating suddenly.¡± Abraham said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone prepare it.¡± Ste smiled. They entered inside, and when they passed the kitchen area, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Ste covered her lips instinctively; her stomach was feeling unwell. Seeing her holding her stomach, Abraham asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ste asked, ¡°What¡¯s being prepared in the kitchen today? Why is the smell so intense?¡± Abraham nced at Clint. Clint, who was standing beside, hurried forward and said to Ste in a respectful tone, ¡°Today, the kitchen has prepared your favorite food, tuna tartare.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Is that so? The smell seems to differ from back then. It smells fishy and unpleasant.¡± Clint froze for a moment, then said, ¡°It should be the same. It¡¯s still fresh when it arrives here.¡± 48 Pearls Abraham frowned and said, ¡°Cancel the fish for lunch. Clint was shocked. As expected, when Ms. Dawson showed a bit of displeasure, Mr. Abraham would have it disappear right away. After Abraham picked up a call, he went straight to the study. Clint looked at Ste with deep respect and asked, ¡°Ms. Dawson, is the fish for lunch really not needed?¡± She used to love eating fish. Since she moved here, fish has been a must on the dining table. Ste waved her hand and said. ¡°No need; I can¡¯t stand this smell. She felt that there was something off with the fish today. But since Clint had already said the fish was still fresh when it came here, she wouldn¡¯t bother to say anything else. Clint nodded and said. ¡°Understood.¡± When Ste walked to the sofa and was about to sit down, she received a call from Rianne. On the phone. Rianne said, ¡°I just heard from Tempest that Madam Susan has been desperately trying to borrow money from the wealthy women for the past two days.¡± Ste asked, ¡°Borrow money?¡± It seemed that Susan was pushed to the edge, swallowing her pride to borrow money from the wealthy women. She had been concerned about her image. Back then, when the Reed family was still wealthy, she wished to give all the best things to Lillian. Now that Lillian needed extra medical expenses. Even if the Reed family was ripped apart, couldn¡¯t bother that much. she She even put her pride aside, approaching and borrowing money from those wealthy women, to whom she had never been willing to show her weakness. It was just that not only was she unable to borrow the money, but she had also lost her pride and face: Rianne said. ¡°Yeah, is the current Reed family so poor that they can¡¯te up dors?¡± with a few milli that there wasn¡¯t any money left for her to swindle. Ste said, ¡°Most likely.¡± Pearls After all, no one would have understood better what had happened to the Reed family these days than Ste. Rianne said, ¡°That¡¯s truly tragic.¡± Ste didn¡¯t say a word. No joke, a single word from Abraham wasn¡¯t something just anyone could handle. The people he was dealing with in Falvaria were those walking on a razor¡¯s edge. What the Reed family was facing now was just a drizzle. Could But it was this drizzle that was sufficient to tear the Reed family apart. Rianne sighed and continued, ¡°I still have one more thing to tell you.¡± Ste replied, ¡°What is it?¡± Rianne then said, ¡°I overheard this. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true or not, but Lillian and the chief financial officer from the Reed Group seemed close to each other.¡± Ste was confused and asked, ¡°The one who gave birth to Patrick¡¯s child?¡± Rianne said, ¡°Yes.¡± Ste then asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± She thought, is Lillian close with that woman? What is this? Rianne continued, ¡°Not sure, but it¡¯s most likely true. I heard that they used to eat and shop all the time. Ste¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and she thought, This is getting interesting. That woman gives birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, for Patrick, and Lillian is close with her. Send Gifts The wrong girl 370 Chapter 370 The Huge Scoop Who exactly had Susan been protecting? Rianne continued, ¡°And that woman seems to have entered the Reed Group through her connection with Lillian. Rumor has it that Lillian looked out for her and promoted her behind the scenes¡± Ste was shocked, thinking, did she get into thepany more, has Lillian been supporting her behind the scenes? If things turned out so, it was going to be interesting Ste replied, ¡°This is a huge scoop.¡± thep her connection with Lillian? What¡¯s Rianne then said, ¡°Yeah, how blind has that biological mother of yours be? She is actually protecting her like she¡¯s some precious jewel.¡± All the hard work and efforts these years were spent on an ingrate. If she were to know the truth, she¡¯s going to lose her mind. Ste said, ¡°Is this news confirmed?¡± Rianne replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say I¡¯m not sure? It¡¯s just hearsay.¡± Who knew if the hearsay was true? Ste said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, there¡¯s no smoke without fire.¡± wave: Since the words had spread, the chief financial officer who to Patrick¡¯s children was likely to be rted to Lillian. Rianne said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ste didn¡¯t say a word. Rianne continued, ¡°Poor Madam Susan, she is still going around pleading r money to save her. Ste replied, ¡°Lillian is really something, but does that medicine really work for her?¡± Rianne was a smooth talker.. If she really was blufling, Susan and Lillian were totally taken in. Rianne then said, ¡°There¡¯s certainly an effect on her, but whether it can save her life is anyone¡¯s guess. Her body is already in bad shape. I¡¯m not optimistic that it can save her.¡± Ste said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± 101 PM c Chapter 370 The Huge Scoop Ste was stunned. That sharp tongue of hers was a match for Tessa¡¯s. +8 Pearls If the medicine didn¡¯t work on her, those few million dors would go down the drain; she was truly ruthless. Rianne continued, ¡°If she couldn¡¯t live, you wouldn¡¯t need to do anything. Even if she could li it would be a torment.¡± After all, if Lillian managed to survive, Ste wouldn¡¯t let her off. The rest of her life was spent in endless hardships. Ste asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go a verify the hearsay?¡± Although Rianne said that it was just hearsay, Ste maliciously wished it to be true from the bottom of her heart. If it were true, Madam Susan would have been infuriating. She would perhaps even have torn Lillian apart herself; after all, she had devoted all these years. to the family. Given Patrick¡¯s current attitude, it seemed like all her hard work for those years had gone to waste. Patrick took all the remaining money, and Lillian was the mastermind behind it. Just imagining it was thrilling. Rianne said, ¡°Tessa should be the one to do this; her connections are vast.¡± Ste said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± After all, Rianne had been staying by Tempest¡¯s side with thetter protecting her. She had few connections outside, and herwork at the hospital wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning. Ste had a few words with Rianne before hanging up the call. When Abraham got down, he saw Ste calling She looked like she was feeling unwell. While holding her chest. Seeing Abraham, Ste put her phone down first¨CTessa didn¡¯t pick up the phone. Abraham asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ste nodded and said ¡°Yeah Probably because of the cold my stomach is unset Chapter 370 The Huge Scoop His warm palm touched her forehead, and he said. ¡°There¡¯s no fever.¡± Ste said, ¡°I¡¯m craving desserts now.¡± Without knowing why, she particrly wanted to have one right away. Abraham replied, ¡°The kitchen is already preparing.¡± Ste nuzzled against him in his arms. Abraham pinched her face and said, ¡°How about I ask Eddie to check on you?¡± Ste said, ¡°No need. Perhaps I¡¯ll feel better after some dessert?¡± Speaking of Eddie, Ste felt a headache. Thest person that she wanted to see now was Eddie. His sharp tongue was too hard to handle. +8 Pearls When Eddie entered the room, he saw Ste curled up in Abraham¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Whoa, are you two seriously flirting in front of me?¡± Abraham asked, ¡°Have you rified things at Falvaria?¡± Ste¡¯s brows furrowed as she instinctively wanted to pull herself out of his arms. When she was about to move, Abraham pressed her head against his chest and red coldly at Eddie. Eddie said, ¡°What¡¯s that? I am worried about you two.¡± Abraham replied coldly, ¡°Do we look like we need your concern?¡± Eddie then said, ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t need it at all.¡± The wrong girl 371 Chapter 371 A Gift or a Bomb Eddie thought, that didn¡¯t even need to be said. As she watched Eddie struggle to keep his mouth shut, a faint smile tugged at the Ste¡¯s lips. At lunch, Ste had only a little appetite. corners of Even when someone made her peach cobbler, she took only a few bites before pushing it aside. Eddie asked, ¡°Since when do you like this?¡± It had alcohol in it, and after trying it once, he couldn¡¯t stand the taste. ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to be Jobsessed with broth?¡± As he said this, Eddie looked at her with a strange look. Ste replied, ¡°Can¡¯t I suddenly crave something else?¡± Why did eating have to involve so many questions? Eddie, speechless¡­.!¡± What an ungrateful brat. What had I been thinking about? Whatever, I forgot. He had had something in mind earlier, but with just one sentence, Ste had thrown himpletely off track. Meanwhile, on Kealis Ind, when Derrick saw the file Kale handed him, a slow, meaningful smile curled across his lips. ¡°Well, this is interesting.¡± Sebastian, lying on the bed next to him, asked, ¡°What¡¯s interesting?¡± Why did his smile look kind of creepy right now? Could it be that Abraham had triggered it? He didn¡¯t get the item, nor did he get the girl. Speaking of the girl¡­ What¡¯s worrying me the most is Derrick¡¯s feelings for Ste Dawson. Derrick said, ¡°It turns out that Judson has another son.¡± Chapter 371 A Gift of a Bomb Another son¡± Wait a minu ¨C Pearls ¡°Wasn¡¯t it always said that Ethan is Judson¡¯s only child? Where did this extra onee from?¡± What the hell? Derrick gave him a yful look ¡°Probably a half¨Cbrother.¡± Sebastian was shocked. A half¨Cbrother? That was something Ive never heard of Judson being the kind of man to fool around.¡± In the Rivermount social circle, Judson Keene probably had the cleanest reputation. Rich, handsome, and never involved in scandal He was once the dream of many young girls. But he was loyal and dedicated, with an impable reputation. Derrick chuckled softly and handed the file back to Kale. ¡°Send this document along with the person to the Keene family. And also. He paused. Then he smiled, his tone carryingyers of hidden meaning. Tell Mr. Judson there is no need to thank me.¡± Sebastian was shocked.¡°!!¡± No need to thank He looked at Derrick. ¡°You are about to drop a bomb on the Keene family! The kind that would blow everything to pieces.¡± And you still say. No thanks necessary. If that thing is delivered, the whole Keene family will probably want to dig up his ancestors, Derrick chuckled quietly. ¡°How could it be a bomb? I¡¯m helping Mr. Judson reunite with his child. He should be grateful¡± Chapter 371 A Gift or a Bomb Grateful, my foot! ¡°I heard Mr. Judson and his wife alw had a good rtionship.¡± 48 Peaths So send this person to the Keenes? Gratefully? That¡¯s a big maybe. Wait, something
  1. c. wrong here.
Suddenly Sebastian realized. ¡°You want Ste to be grateful to you, don¡¯t you?¡± Why should the Keenes thank him? They hardly had anything to do with him. But Ste¡­ This felt like Derrick was going after Ethan just to stand up for her. Hearing that, Derrick¡¯s smile widened. ¡°This girl should definitely thank me.¡± Sebastian was shocked again. ¡°¡­!!!¡± Is that all he wants? It doesn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°Does she have to be grateful at all? Do you even know what Abraham has done to the Keenes and the Reedstely?¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. The Reed family hadpletely broken down. And as for the Keenes, Judson had nned to retire in peace. But Abraham stirred things up so badly that he was dragged back out, running around like crazy. Speaking of Abraham, Derrick gave Sebastian a sideways nce. ¡°When you recover, I¡¯m going to throw you in the ocean for a twenty¨Ckilometer swim.¡± Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Derrick replied, ¡°To clear your head and wash your mouth. What the hell? Why did he have to clear my head and wash my mouth? Ugh, a man with unrequited love was impossible to reason with. Totally unpredictable. Back in Rivermount, Abraham was busy indeed. He had ns to return to Falvaria in a few days, so he was constantly in and out. He had originally intended to take Ste with him. The wrong girl 372 Chapter 372 She Doesn¡¯t Owe You Anything Ever since Derrick had started making moves in the dark. Abraham had grown increasingly wary of leaving Ste alone. Even his most trusted aides couldn¡¯tpletely reassure him. But Ste was so exhausted from all the running aroundtely that she tly refused to go with him. She went straight to bed right after lunch.. ¡°Star.¡± Abraham tried to coax her, gently trying to get her out of bed and start the day. Half asleep, Ste mumbled and crawled deeper under the covers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯m really tired.¡± Her voice was soft and sleepy. Right now I just want to sleep. I had no intention of getting out of bed. Abraham sighed. ¡°You stubborn girl.¡± With no choice, he left. Before he left, he gave firm instructions to the head of security. ¡°Make sure the ce is tightly guarded. No one gets in.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jacob replied with a nod. After the incident with Owen, Abraham had reced the entire staff, inside and out. Jacob had been transferred from Falvaria. Only after giving detailed orders did Abraham finally leave. Eddic followed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so tense. Derrick is still stuck on Kealis Ind.¡± Abraham let out a cold chuckle. ¡°You all thought he was on Pagena too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yet somehow he¡¯d managed to sneak into Rivermountpletely unnoticed. Eddie fell silent. Derrick¡¯s feelings for Ste were no joke. Once he returned to Falvaria, things were likely to get even messier With Abraham gone, Ste was the only one left in Seats Cove. She slept like a log and didn¡¯t wake up until four in the afternoon. Chapter 372 She Doesn¡¯t Owe You Anything As soon as she sat down on the couch, a maid rushed over with a nket to cover her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ste said quietly. Just then, thendline phone nearby rang. +8 Pearls The butler answered it. No one knew what was said on the other end, but his brow furrowed as he looked at Ste. Then his voice sharpened. ¡°Madam Susan, it looks like you still haven¡¯t learned your lesson. You even dared to bother Ms. Dawson again.¡± No matter what Susan said, she hadn¡¯t been able to get through to Ste¡¯s phone for a while now. No one knew what trick she used to find the Seats Covendline. But she actually had the nerve to call her directly.. Over the phone, Susan said, ¡°Let her take the call. I just want to say a few words.¡± The butler replied coldly. ¡°You have nothing to do with her. You shouldn¡¯t call here.¡± And with that, he hung up. Ste looked at her phone. ¡°Madam Susan?¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ste said, ¡°Call the provider. I want a new number.¡± Her voice was cold and emotionless. This was Ste now. She would not give the Reeds a chance, not even the slightest contact. The butler understood. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± Ste yed through her phone in her hand. Since I had changed my number, my phone had been much quieter. The Reed family already knew that I had been raised by the Luke family. And based on what I had learned about them over the past two years, the entire Reed family was probably trying to find a way to profit from me. Ha. Now they realized that I was a gold mine. Too bad. The honable thata with haina with 1:01 Chapter 372 She Doesn¡¯t Owe You Anything 48 Pearls Back at the Reed residence, Susan sat stone¨Cfaced, clutching the now disconnected phone. Reba lounged nearby, cracking sunflower seeds one by one. The repetitive crunching was driving Susan crazy. Not being able to reach Ste, not even to say a word, had her on the verge of losing it. This is my own daughter. Why is it so hard just to see her? Reba muttered, ¡°We¡¯vee this far, and you still won¡¯t face it? The evidence was there from the beginning.¡± I meant the car ident. From the way Lillian had acted earlier, it was obvious that she was the one behind this. But now, just because Lillian had fainted, Susan was making excuses again? Even if she didn¡¯t say it out loud, I could guess what Susan was thinking. She is still trying to protect Lillian. Susan closed her eyes in frustration, then walked over to Reba. ¡°Give me the money that Jonathan sent you.¡± Reba blinked. ¡°What?¡± She spat out the seed in her mouth and rolled her eyes. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Susan repeated, ¡°Give me back the money Jonathan sent you. Every cent. Do you hear me? This is our family¡¯s money. You have not qualified to take it.¡± Just the thought of this woman taking all of her son¡¯s money made Susan angry. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 373 Chapter 373 She¡¯s Had Enough Reba threw the rest of the sunflower seed shells on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not qualified? And you are? Lillian Reed is?¡± Susan snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide who¡¯s qualified. Give me the money,¡± Money again. That was always her bottom line, Susan¡¯s eyes burned with rage as she red at Reba, nothing but disgust and anger in her gaze. Rebaughed sarcastically. This is ridiculous.¡± Damn it. l¡¯hy am I still wasting my time here? These people will never get a grip on reality. ¡°Once the money¡¯s in my pocket, it¡¯s noting out. As for this family¡­¡± Speaking of the Reeds, Reba took a deep breath ¡°Say whatever you want. Even if you had the power, it wouldn¡¯t be over me.¡± Who gave her that power? Whoever sided with someone like her would only end up screwed. With that, Reba went into the kitchen, poured the medicine into a bowl, and went upstairs with it. When Susan saw her about to give the stuff to Jonathan Reed again, she yelled, ¡°I told you not to give it to him! Are you deal?¡± She screamed hysterically. But Reba didn¡¯t react at all. She went straight upstairs to Jonathan¡¯s room. He was asleep. That was all he could do these days¨Cno doctor, no hospital. Reba set the bowl down on the nightstand with a loud bang, waking Jonathan. He frowned at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Reba said coldly. ¡°This is thest bowl of medicine I¡¯ll ever bring you. Drink it or don¡¯t, I don¡¯t care. Whether your hand recovers or not, that¡¯s up to fate.¡± 1:01 PM Chapter 373 She¡¯s Had Enough Jonathan¡¯s eyes twitched, sensing something. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Reba replied tly, ¡°To take my son and get out of here.¡± +8 Pearls People in this family are really giving me speechless, I¡¯m just care about money. As for actual people? Not worth a damn. Jonathan never intended to marry me anyway. And even if he did¡­. Marrying a man like that would mean nothing but misery. A mother¨Cin¨Cof stress. Jonathan¡¯s face darkened. He sat up, fully awake now. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re leaving?¡± Reba looked back at him. Her lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°What, do you think I¡¯m going to stay here and rot with you? Sorry, I¡¯m not that kind of woman.¡± Why waste myself on someone who was clearly a lost cause? Am I asking for misery? No thanks, my heart couldn¡¯t take it. Jonathan¡¯s face turned red with anger when he heard the word ¡°rot.¡± *And the money I gave you?¡± What rot? Was that really how she saw the Reed family? I had given her food, a ce to live, everything, and she called that rot? Reba replied, ¡°The money? Oh, I used it to raise the child. Don¡¯t tell me you want it back?¡± Jonathan growled, ¡°You!¡± That is about all the money we had left. I hadn¡¯t been to thepany for a while, but I still kept in touch with my team. I knew what had happened. The reality was harsh but undeniable. My father had already siphoned off what little money thepany had left. The Reeds were finished. Chapter 373 She¡¯s Had Enough +8¨CPearls Reba muttered to herself, ¡°This is insane. I can¡¯t even get through one day without your mother breathing down my neck. If anyone wants to stay in this hellhole, 1 be my guest.¡± I¡¯m done. There is nothing more for me here. She tossed the words over her shoulder and walked out. Jonathan yelled, ¡°Come back! Give me my money!¡± ¡°In your dreams, loser!¡± Reba shouted at him. Jonathan froze. Reba left his room and went straight to Lillian¡¯s. As she walked in, Lillian instinctively shrank back. Perhaps it was because she was still too weak. If Reba really decided to throw her hands up, she wouldn¡¯t be able to defend herself. Seeing the fear in her eyes, Reba scoffed. ¡°Oh, cut the act. No one¡¯s watching.¡± ¡°You¡ªwhat do you want now?¡± Since thest beating. Lillian hadn¡¯t dared to provoke Reba. The wounds on her face hadn¡¯t. even healed yet. This woman is vicious. Reba said, ¡°What do I want? I just came to tell you that you won. I¡¯m out.¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes flickered. The wrong girl 374 Chapter 374 Cracks in the Family Reba saw the sh of triumph in Lillian¡¯s eyes and sneered. This broken family is yours. Knock yourself out.¡± She tossed the words over her shoulder and walked away, It had only been a few days, but Reba had already seen through everything in this household. Just as she turned to leave, Lillian called out from behind her. ¡°Wait, what about my brother¡¯s money?¡± The thought of how much money Reba had taken from Jonathan made her angry. Now she is just going to walk out? Reba turned around. ¡°Your brother? What a joke. He¡¯s Ste¡¯s real brother. But she didn¡¯t want him. Are you picking up what she threw away? That¡¯s right up your alley.¡± ¡°You¡­ Lillian felt humiliated. But she didn¡¯t dare defend herself. She was afraid this woman would hit her again. Reba smiled. ¡°What? He has a legal heir now. He has a son. And you? You¡¯re nothing. Do you want me to leave the money? Have you looked in the mirrortely?¡± Lillian¡¯s face grew pale with anger. She red at Reba, practically ready to skin her alive. When Susan realized that Reba was taking the child and the money, another shouting match broke out. But Reba wasn¡¯t one to be talked down to. Once the money was in her hands, there was no getting it back. And sure enough, after two hours of screaming¡­. She walked away with the kid and the money. It was as if the sky had fallen on the Reed family. Susan cried in Jonathan¡¯s room. ¡°Why on earth did you get involved with a woman like that?¡± Two hours! This woman had cursed us for two full hours, without once repeating herself. Her mouth was foul enough to rival a street thug 101 PM c Chapter 374 Cracks in the Family His head throbbed with pain. +8 Pearls ¡°That car ident¡­ was it really Lillian who nned it to hurt Ste?¡± he asked suddenly, cutting off Susan¡¯s tirade. Susan froze at the question. She lowered her head and said nothing. Seeing her reaction, Jonathan got the gist of it. ¡°So what now?¡± After all, Ste is my biological sister. I had grown up with Lillian, but if she had really tried to hurt Ste, I didn¡¯t know how I could ept it. Susan remained silent. Her whole body was shaking. Jonathan frowned. ¡°Well? What are you going to do?¡± Susan¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°What else can I do? We¡¯ll figure it out when Lillian gets better.¡± Jonathan was stunned. Get better? ¡°With her condition, do you really i ink she will?¡± And even if she can, we don¡¯t have the money for the treatment. It will at least cost a few million. Then he remembered how Ste had been in a hospital bed for months two years ago, and it had all started with Lillian. A cold distance began to form in his heart. Susan sensed the change in him and looked up at him with a pained expression. ¡°Jonathan. I¡­¡± ¡°Mom, Ste is your true daughter. The reason we sided with Lillian all these years was because we thought Ste was bullying her after she came back.¡± Susan said nothing. Jonathan continued, ¡°But what if all of Ste¡¯s resentment¡­stemmed from the ident? What does that make Lillian?¡± For the past two years, Ste had been railing against Lillian. +8 Pearls 1:02 PM ch Chapter 374 Cracks in the Family But if she had been targeted first, almost killed, by Lillian, wasn¡¯t she justified? Susan¡¯s breath caught. She froze. Jonathan¡¯s voice grew cold. ¡°Ethan too. He broke up with her over it, didn¡¯t he?¡± He remembered the day Ethan had left. As Jonathan asked, the atmosphere around him grew sharper and colder. Susan¡¯s alreadybored breathing slowed again. She was shaking. ¡°¡­ she¡­ Suddenly she didn¡¯t know what to say. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at her son. Jonathan was shaking with rage. That night. Ste had nned to wait and have dinner with Abraham, but he never came home. So she ended up meeting Rianne. When she arrived, Rianne was on the phone with Tessa. Tessa, who was in Falvaria, sounded absolutely frantic. The wrong girl 375 Chapter 375 The Reed Family Falls Apart Now Tessa was finding everyone to gossip to something to calm her nerves. When Rianne saw Ste arrive, she said into the phone, ¡°All right, all right. You should tell Star all this. Tessa replied. ¡°She didn¡¯t answer earlier. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why.¡± No wonder Tessa had dragged me into the gossip all along; she just couldn¡¯t get a hold of Ste. Ste hadn¡¯t been much of a gossip at first. But over time, Tessa had definitely rubbed off on her Sometimes it wasn¡¯t so bad to indulge in a little gossip. ¡°Was that Tessa on the phone?¡± Ste asked, lifting her water ss to take a sip. Rianne nodded and spooned some ice cream into her mouth. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s practically terrified over there in Falvaria. Can you save her?¡± Ste said, ¡°Abraham told me that Tessa¡¯s situation isplicated right now. Since Mr. Victor is willing to investigate, staying with him is actually the safest option. Actually, in my opinion, with people out to kill her and even chasing her as far as Falvaria, there¡¯s really no safer ce than at Mr. Victor¡¯s side.¡± Rianne raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean the guy dodging bullets while dragging her through. gunfire? Are you sure that¡¯s safer?¡± Ste paused. ¡°¡­!!¡± Come to think of it, that was a little intense for someone like Tessa. Ste was about to ask the waiter for the same ice cream Rianne was having, but Rianne said, ¡°I already ordered one for you. You weren¡¯t here earlier, so I told them to wait. I didn¡¯t want it to melt.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°Oh.¡± I really had been craving some. When I was around Abraham, he usually didn¡¯t let me have any. Just as she was thinking about Abraham, her phone rang. It was him. 1.02 PM ch Chapter 375 The Reed Family Falls Apart ¡°You¡¯re out?¡± ¡°Yeah. You said you weren¡¯ting back for dinner, so I went out with Rianne.¡± ¡°Send me your location.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Okay. +8 Pearls Hearing Abraham say he¡¯de get her gave Ste a little warmth inside. After hanging up. she immediately sent him her location. just as she put the phone down, the ice cream arrived. It had been a long time since Ste had any. Abraham was usually afraid it would upset her stomach, so he only let her have a few bites. As she ate, she asked Rianne, ¡°So what did Tess say earlier?¡± ¡°She said that Reba took the money and ran. The Reed family is in total chaos right now.¡± ¡°Pfft! Cough, cough, cough¡­ The words ¡°took the money and ran¡± made Ste choke. She stared at Rianne, stunned. ¡°Reba took the money and ran? Seriously?¡± Rianne nodded. ¡°Definitely.¡± Ste was speechless. ¡°She took all of Jonathan¡¯s money. And Patrick took what was left from thepany.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°Now the whole Reed family is a disaster. One has a useless hand, one is chronically ill, and the other doesn¡¯t make a dime. If that¡¯s not the end, what is? I used to think I could squeeze a few million out of them. But now? They¡¯ve got nothing¡± When Rianne said ¡°nothing,¡± her tone was full of resentment. After all, I had gone to the trouble of making a personal visit, even to weave such an borate ruse. And in the end I got nothing. Ste asked, ¡°Are they really that broke?¡± 02 PM Chapter 375 The Reed Family Falls Apart + Pearls The Reeds had been well off in Rivermount. How could they suddenly not be able to afford a few million? Rianne shrugged. ¡°Reba came out of nowhere and drained them of everyst drop. Well, I guess Reba was not to be underestimated. This woman had a child with Jonathan just to marry into money. But after spending a few days there, with a brain like hers, the must have found out the truth. There was nothing left for her, so of course she¡¯d take the money and leave. ¡°Lillian¡¯s definitely not going to make it, Ste said. Rianne nodded. ¡°Serves her right.¡± After all that arrogance¡­. She almost killed Ste. Speaking of the Reeds, Rianne¡¯s voice was full of satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s so satisfying. The whole Reed family is the talk of Rivermount now. You should have seen how smug Madam Susan used to be. She acted as if everyone else was beneath her. Well, look at her now. The women she used to bully are all enjoying the show.¡± Ste remained silent. Well¡­ I had to admit, it was quite satisfying. The wrong girl 376 Chapter 376 She Walked Away Anyway Ste spooned some ice cream into her mouth. Back when the Reed family was ridding high, Lillian had wanted to trample everyone underfoot. Hell, look how the tables had turned. After dinner, Abraham still hadn¡¯t called, so Rianne suggested they go shopping. Ste looked at the time on her watch. It was almost eight. ¡°Did Tempest really let you stay out thiste?¡± she asked. knew very well how possessive Tempest is of Rianne an Pearls He always wants her by his side, even going so far as to try to get her to quit her job at the hospital. His ideal scenario is to have her with him around the clock. He¡¯d been out for almost two hours, and not a single call from Tempest? That was unheard of. Normally he¡¯d blow up her phone within the first hour And now Rianne wants to go shopping, too? At the mention of Tempest, something flickered in Rianne¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the Hale family banquet tonight.¡± Ste was stunned. That exined everything. The Hales were a mess, and both Tempest¡¯s mother, Madam Linden, and his aunt had never liked Rianne. Even though Rianne had grown up in the Hale family, no one really cared about her, except Tempest. She avoided the banquets whenever she could. Ste turned and gave her a gentle hug. I¡¯m fine.¡± Rianne said. But Ste could hear the bitterness in her voice, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. ¡°Since Mr. Jace died, Madam Linden doesn¡¯t even bother to pretend anymore.¡± When Tempest¡¯s father, Mr. Jace, was alive, she at least put on a showe, Now? No more masks Chapter 376 She Walked Away Anyway ¡°True¡± Ste nodded.. Pears Rianne¡¯s background was heartbreaking. Her father had been the Hale family¡¯s chauffeur. He died saving Tempest¡¯s father in an ident. Rianne was only five years old at the time. Out of gratitude, Mr. Jace had brought her into the family. But for whatever reason, Madam Linden and Tempest¡¯s aunt had never liked her. Even with this life¨Csaving debt hanging over them, they had no affection for her. And Rianne wasn¡¯t the type to suffer in silence. When they gave her attitude, she gave it right back. ¡°Oh, by the way. Rianne said suddenly, ¡°I bought a house.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ste blinked. That was a quick change of subject. ¡°I thought you were still living with Tempest for the two years. Why buy a ce now?¡± Because the others in the Hale family didn¡¯t like her, Tempest had bought an estate outside the Hale mansion to live with her. Rianne looked at Ste without answering. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Kingston Heights¡± Alright, every time a girl decided to move out, they always ended up in Kingston Heights. I loved that neighborhood too. The property management there was top¨Cnotch. Does Tempest know?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t He doem Wait, something was definitely wrong 1:02 PM Chapter 376 She Walked Away Anyway In my opinion, Rianne and Tempest had always been solid. He treated her really well. Even when the whole Hale family looked down on her, Tempest had always stood by her. But now¡­ Rianne shook her head and looked at Ste, then said nothing. ¡°Rianne¡­¡± Before she could finish, a sharp, mocking voice came from nearby. ¡°Well, well, well, isn¡¯t that Jonathan¡¯s biological little sister, Ste Dawson?¡± Both Ste and Rianne turned to the voice. There stood Sharon and a girl in a khaki coat. Is that Jasmine? Wait a second. Sharon was close to Lillian, so it made sense that their social circles ovepped. The moment they saw Jasmine, both Ste¡¯s and Rianne¡¯s expressions darkened. +8 Pearls Sharon looked ufortable as well. But thinking of her brother Louis, she held her tongue. Ste red at Jasmine. ¡°What¡¯s that tone for?¡± Jasmine replied, ¡°What tone do you want? You have a mother who doesn¡¯t love you and a brother who doesn¡¯t want you. So what if you¡¯re the Dawson heiress? You still lost to Lillian in the end.¡± Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 377 Chapter 377 She¡¯s Just That Petty +8 Pearls Remembering how Ste had once caused her to lose six months of pocket money, Jasmine. burned with resentment. Ste raised an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, Rianne jumped in. ¡°The Reeds, huh? Does Lillian still count as a rich heiress? The family is bankrupt. Maybe she cursed them into bankruptcy. That sleazy little Reed family, Star wouldn¡¯t touch them even if they begged. She¡¯d be afraid they¡¯d pull her down. Only someone like Lillian would want them.¡± Ste tilted her head and gave Rianne a sideways nce. When had this girl¡¯s tongue be so sharp? Rianne had always been so gentle, especially when Tempest was shielding her. When did she start throwing punches like that? Jasmine was furious. ¡°¡­!!!¡± Rianne continued, ¡°And maybe you should stop calling her ¡®Lillian. How many times have you visited her since she got sick? All you do out here is p your lips and trample on others to feel important.¡± Ste blinked again. That was a serious burn.¡± She looked at Rianne again, impressed. Jasmine snapped. ¡°Do you even matter in the Hale family? You¡¯re just a mutt raised on scraps.¡± As soon as she said it¡­. Rianne stiffened visibly. That was exactly how Madam Linden had always described me behind my back. My father had died saving Mr. Jace¡¯s life, and yet Madam Linden had never given me a shred of dignity. If the family hadn¡¯t treated me that way in the first ce, would others dare say such things? ¡°A mutt raised on scraps and a homeless beggar who can¡¯t go home. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Jasmine had finally found an outlet for her anger andshed out at both Rianne and Ste. Ste¡¯s eyes narrowed. She stepped forward and pped Jasmine across the face. Chapter 377 She¡¯s Just That Petty The sound echoed. Jasmine¡¯s head jerked to the side. She had always held a grudge against Ste for ruining her arranged date with Eddie. Just thinking about it made her blood boil. +8 Pearls Now that Ste had actually hit her, Jasmine lost it. ¡°Ste Dawson, who do you think you are? After all, you¡¯re just an adopted daughter of the Luke family. You¡¯re no better than Lillian, always trampling on her like you¡¯re better.¡± She lunged at Ste, wild with anger. I had liked Eddie for a long time. This blind date had taken forever to arrange. And when I finally got my chance, Ste ruined it. Jasmine pounced like a madwoman. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but the Luke family¡¯s pet pretending to be a princess!¡± As soon as she mentioned the Luke family¡­. Ste raised her hand and pped her again. Thwack! And that second p threw everything into chaos. Sharon froze where she stood, then rushed to pull Jasmine back. ¡°Jasmine, stop!¡± I didn¡¯t like Ste either. But knowing that Ste had Abraham behind her, I hadn¡¯t dared to provoke her all night. Jasmine was finished. Losing her pocket money was already a grudge. The failed blind date with Eddie? She med Ste for that as well. And whatever her father had warned her about the consequences of insulting Ste¡­ She¡¯dpletely forgotten. The moment she saw Ste, all her anger came flooding back. She snapped and lunged at her. But Ste wasn¡¯t one to take it lying down. Frnacish with zamanna liba Chaman koralu s to hold hemina hark 1:02 PM ch Chapter 377 She¡¯s Just That Petty Jasmine, pinned, couldn¡¯t get a good shot off. +8 Pearls Ste seized the opportunity. She scratched Jasmine¡¯s face and kicked her several times. Jasmine thrashed around, trying to w back, but Sharon held on tight. ¡°Let me go, Sharon!¡± She was angry, wild with rage. She was ready to rip Ste apart. But no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t get close to her. Sharon held her tightly and begged, ¡°Please stop. You can¡¯t fight her. If this continued, we would be finished. I had almost lost my mind after being punished by my brother. Rianne stood aside, her eyes wide with disbelief, especially at Sharon¡¯s feeble attempts to break up the fight. Stended a few more kicks. Then Rianne snapped out of it and rushed forward to help. She was much better at restraining people. She grabbed Jasmine¡¯s wrist. ¡°Exactly, Jasmine. You¡¯re the Wilde¡¯s daughter. Try to act like it.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 378 Chapter 378 She Picked the Wrong Targets. Pinned by Sharon and now restrained by Rianne, Jasmine couldn¡¯t move an inch.. Anyone watching might have thought she was trying to break up the fight. But in the end, Ste hadn¡¯t suffered a scratch, while Jasmine was a total mess, her face covered in red scratches. Mall security arrived in a hurry and finally pulled them apart.. Jasmine¡¯s hair was a disaster; she looked like a bird¡¯s nest. She looked at Ste, perfectly groomed, then pointed at her with a shaking finger, ¡°You, you¡­¡± ¡°Let it go, Jasmine. Just let it go,¡± Sharon said as she gently lowered her hand, worried that Jasmine might snap a finger next. Jasmine red at her. ¡°Let it go? Whose side are you on anyway?¡± Rianne was speechless. Whose side was Sharon on? No idea. But her technique of ¡°breaking up fights was top¨Cnotch. Sharon flinched slightly at Jasmine¡¯s outburst, then frowned. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Jasmine.¡± ¡°Enough? You¡¯re siding with Ste now? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not going to work. Jonathan doesn¡¯t even recognize her as his sister anymore. He has a child now. You and Jonathan will never happen.¡± Ste and Rianne both fell silent. What is this, rabid nonsense hour? Everything was already chaotic, but bringing up Jonathan again made Sharon¡¯s face go cold. She picked up the napkin she had used to wipe the blood from Jasmine¡¯s mouth and threw it in her face. Jasmine gave her a death re. Then she turned her eyes to Rianne and Ste. ¡°You just wait. I won¡¯t let this go.¡± Ste and Rianne exchanged a look. Then they pulled out their cell phones at the same time. Ste called Abraham. Chapter 378 She Picked the Wrong Targets Abraham answered first. ¡°Star.¡± ¡°Abraham,¡± Ste said sweetly, ¡°someone just called me a mutt raised by the Luke family.¡± Tempest picked up as well. +8 Pearls ¡°Tempest, someone just called me a dog raised on Hale family leftovers,¡± Rianne said calmly. Jasmine was stunned. Sharon looked at them both, her eyelid twitching violently. Wait, are they¡­ squealing? But they aren¡¯t even hit! Jasmine snapped back to reality. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m the one who got beat up! And you¡¯re calling for backup?!¡± I¡¯m about to lose my mind. Look at the state I was in! My face was shredded! Meanwhile, Ste and Rianne were fine and still dared to y the victim? Who does that? Ste¡¯s voice shook with a sob. ¡°It was Eddie¡¯s blind date. She hit me.¡± ¡°¡®!!!¡± Rianne sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m moving out of the Hale mansion. I never want to have anything to do with you again.¡± Sharon was speechless. They actually tried to kill Jasmine socially. Especially Ste. I had already seen how protective Abraham was of her during thest incident. And Rianne, no matter how the Hale elders treated her, had always been cherished by Tempest. Sharon looked at Jasmine and had one thought. She is done. That wird vaallu kishad a can afruarie indas? Chapter 378 She Picked the Wrong Targets out with them? Sharon didn¡¯t say a word. She got up and left. There was no way she was going to stay in this mess. ¡°Sharon!¡± Jasmine tried to stop her. +8 Pearls She might have been annoyed at her feeble attempts to break up the fight, but now that she was leaving, she was starting to panic. But Sharon pretended not to hear and quickly disappeared. Jasmine¡¯s chest heaved as she looked at Ste and Rianne. ¡°You two! Don¡¯t forget I¡¯m the one who got hit! Why are you acting like this?!¡± She shouted, her voice cracking with anger. Ste had already finished talking to Abraham. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always admire Lillian for being fake and maniptive, using it to hurt people?¡± Rianne nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± So what now? We gave her a taste of that same fakeness, and she couldn¡¯t take it? Meanwhile, Jasmine almost fainted from anger. These two are absolutely unbearable! Meanwhile, in the car, Abraham radiated danger. Eddie sat next to him, sweating bullets. Especially when he heard Ste¡¯s voice on the phone, ¡°Eddie¡¯s blind date.¡± The car flew down the street. Abraham took a drag from his cigarette and shot a look at Eddie. Send Gifts The wrong girl 379 Chapter 379 Who Could Compete with This Kind of Love The sheer pressure in that look made even Eddie gulp. ¡°Be honest. You think a girl who can¡¯t even hold a chicken properly could really beat up Star? Sometimes, people really should stick to reason, don¡¯t you think?¡± That little brat managed to escape Derrick¡¯syers of guards. With that kind of stamina and fighting ability, there was no way she could be overpowered by a random blind date. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°She was crying.¡± Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°So now crying equals being right?¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze grew colder, as if he might throw Eddie out of the car at any moment. Eddie quickly raised his hands in surrender. ¡°All right, all right. Star got hit; she cried.¡± Fine. If he said the princess got hit, then the princess got hit. Wait, since when did this little princess learn to y the victim first? Yes, y the victim first. From what Eddie knew of Ste, she¡¯d never lost a fight, even against the Reeds and the Keenes. So what was a little blind date supposed to mean? Feeling the increasing chill emanating from Abraham, Eddie swallowed hard. ¡°This really has nothing to do with me, okay?¡± Abraham took another puff on his cigarette as they pulled up to the mall where Ste was parked. He got out first. ¡°That¡¯s your blind date¡± Eddie quickly followed. Yeah, we only met twice. I didn¡¯t even like her.¡± Abraham remained silent ¡°She was just a blind date, not my girlfriend. Let me be clear, I¡¯m not taking the fall for this¡± What bad luck It had to be karma or something Who knew a blind date could cause so much chaos? 1.02 PM c Chapter 379 Who Could Compete with This Kind of Love Eddie blinked. ¡°What does that mean?¡± +8 Pearls Abel said, ¡°You better pray that Ms. Dawson didn¡¯t get hurt on your blind date. If something had happened, this mess was about to get worse. Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t be my fault, would it?¡± Besides, I had faith that Ste wouldn¡¯t lose. The girl was not someone a blind date could handle. By the time Abraham arrived, Rianne had already been picked up by Tempest, and Sharon was long gone. And Jasmine? She had taken a call and taken off, too. So when Abraham showed up, the whole scene had cleared out. Only Ste remained. She was sitting alone on a rainbow¨Ccolored bench in the mall corridor, sipping bubble tea. Abraham walked over and sat down next to her. Eddie, watching from a distance, was about to approach when Abel grabbed him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eddie was confused. ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s all alone.¡± And she didn¡¯t even look like she¡¯d been hit. So what was this so¨Ccalled injustice? Abel said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see her eyes? They¡¯re red. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Eddie narrowed his eyes. ¡°She was really crying?¡± Looking closer, yes, Ste¡¯s eyes did look a little puffy. I had thought she was faking it. But maybe not. Abel said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call your blind date and see what she says?¡± Either way, this wasn¡¯t over. Even though Abraham hadn¡¯t said a word in the car, I was pretty sure someone was about to pay the price. Chapter 379 Who Could Compete with This Kind of Love ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t interested. Why would I remember her number?¡± I didn¡¯t even like the girl, and now everyone was acting like it was my fault. What kind of logic was that? Abraham gently ruffled Ste¡¯s soft hair. ¡°Got into a fight?¡± His voice was warm and forgiving. Ste looked up at him, eyes red, but said nothing. Abraham sighed. ¡°You little girl. He pulled her straight into his arms and sat her on hisp. Ste stiffened. ¡°We¡¯re in a mall.¡± Abraham replied calmly, ¡°Your mall.¡± Ste was stunned. What? My mall? ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I bought it a year ago. It¡¯s under your name,¡± Abraham said casually. As if buying a luxury mall was like buying a trinket for her. Ste had no idea she owned property in Rivermount. Seats Cove was one thing, but now this, the top luxury mall in town? Eddie heard this and looked stunned.. He turned to Abel. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. Who could top this kind of over¨Cthe¨Ctop love?¡± Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 380 Chapter 380 Strategy in Disguise Eddie thought, how many things had Abraham bought for Ste? This was far more than keeping her from starving; this was wealth she couldn¡¯t spend in several lifetimes. Abel said, ¡°Now you understand why Ms. Dawson never felt anything for Ethan Keene. Ethan was one of the top young elites in Rivermount¨Chandsome, refined, and noble. Even though everyone knew he still held a torch for Lillian, there were plenty of women who tried to cozy up to him over the years. But as his fianc¨¦e, Ste had always seemedpletely indifferent. Eddie asked, ¡°Why?¡± Abel looked at him. And somehow Eddie felt there was a hint of¡­ pity in that look? Wait. Was he being pitied? What the hell? Unbeknownst to him, Abel was really looking at him like he was a bit of a fool. ¡°Because Mr. Abraham spoiled her too much. No one else can catch her eye anymore.¡± Eddie blinked. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ste had grown up under Abraham¡¯s wing rounded by luxury. Everything good he gave her first. With Abraham at her side, Ste had seen it all, high society, beautiful people, wealth, status, and power. Nothing was new or dazzling to her anymore.. So even though the Keenes were technically the richest family in Rivermount, it meant nothing to Ste. When the mall manager heard that Abraham had arrived, he rushed over. It was none other than Job. The moment Ste saw him, she jumped. ¡°Mr. Job.¡± Back when Sterling Global was still working together, I had sincerely admired Job Hog and thought he was a benefactor. But now¡­ Job nodded respectfully. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Chapter 380 Strategy in Disguise Abraham gently moved Ste from hisp to the seat beside him, then gave Job a cool look. ¡°The Wilde family is cklisted. No more coboration. And they¡¯re banned from this mall.¡± Job looked at Ste instinctively. I had already been on my way when I heard that Abraham had arrived at the mall. But just before that, I had also received word that the Wilde heiress, Jasmine, had gotten into a fight with Ste, right here, in this mall. And she dared to hands on Ms. Dawson. Of course, Abraham was furious. Job nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± But Ste immediately protested. ¡°Wait.¡± We couldn¡¯t ban the Wilde family from the mall. This was the most prestigious luxury mall in Rivermount. Most people couldn¡¯t leave without spending a fortune. As for Jasmine, no matter how close she seemed to Lillian, the two had always been low¨Ckey rivals. Lillian would wear a 14000 dor ne, and Jasmine would show up the next day with a 28000 dor ne. If Lillian carried a 28000 dor purse, Jasmine would bring a 70000 dor one within a week. This woman was a high¨Cend customer. Abraham and Job both looked at her. Ste sipped her bubble tea as she approached Job. ¡°Not only should you let her in, have your top salesperson greet her personally.¡± you should With a cash cow like that, how could we not greet her? That would be a bad strategy. Job was stunned. Eddie, meanwhile, was shocked. She¡¯s definitely nning something against Jasmine now, isn¡¯t she? Abraham looked down at Ste with fondness in his eyes. ¡°She just spends¡­ 1:02 PM Chapter 380 Strategy in Disguise +8 Pearls She turned back to Job. ¡°Not just one top salesperson, every store in the mall should call her once a week.¡± Top salespeople always had a way of triggering people¡¯s impulse to buy. Especially someone like Jasmine, who loved to show off. The elite salespeople at every luxury store kept detailed records of customer preferences. In short, there were plenty of ways to get Jasmine to spend big. Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Star, are you sure she still has the money to shop here?¡± After what happened today, it had already escted into a physical fight. There was no way Abraham was going to let the Wilde family off the hook. Ste looked at Abraham. He gently pulled her back into his arms. ¡°Whatever you say. We¡¯ll have a wild vision.¡± Ste grinned. Eddie stared at the two of them exchanging sweet smiles and felt that something much deeper was going on. Especially with Abraham¡¯s calcting mind and Ste¡¯s so¨Ccalled ¡°vision,¡± was this really about being gracious? This was more like a death sentence in silk. Back at Seats Cove, Abraham and Job went into the study. Eddie followed. He noticed that Ste was still holding a bubble tea cup almost bigger than her face. It just slipped out, instinctively. ¡°You should cut down on that.¡± Ste looked at him with a question. She blinked at him,pletely unaware of what he meant. Send Gifts The wrong girl 381 Chapter 381 Who Really Won the Fight Eddie ignored the gaze and leaned over to Ste. ¡°Be honest. Between you and Jasmine, who actually hit whom first?¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you trying to take her side?¡± Eddie almost jumped. Take her side? Whose side?! He understood immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I would never take Jasmine¡¯s side.¡± We¡¯d only been on one blind date. Abraham had nearly eaten me alive in the car earlier just for that. If I really dared to defend her, I¡¯d be finished. ¡°Just tell me the truth,¡± he pressed, not giving up. Ste gave him a nk look like he was an idiot. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think you definitely beat her up.¡± Ste just snorted and remained silent. And that silence was enough for Eddie to get the full picture. Inside the study, Abraham lit a cigarette and casually tossed the pack to Job. Job pulled one out. Abraham took a long drag and said coolly, ¡°The Wilde family has no reason to exist anymore. Job¡¯s hand stopped in mid¨Clight. I had a feeling that Abraham had only kept quiet at the mall earlier to indulge Ste. Forget cutting off her credit; Abraham was about to wipe her out entirely. Ste¡¯s assets in Rivermount were all managed by Job, Sterling Global, the luxury mall¡­ And now the studio. Ste had originally nned to turn the studio over to Tessa. But since Tessa had gone to Falvaria, she didn¡¯t feel safe leaving the staff alone. So she gave the whole mess to Abraham instead. Chapter 381 Who Really Won the Fight After a moment he looked at Abraham. ¡°To be fair, Ms. Dawson hasn¡¯t suffered much at Rivermount in thest two years.¡± By the time Job arrived, Ste had been released from the hospital. After that, the Reeds were in constant chaos. +8. Pearls Lillian had been torn apart by her to the point of begging on her knees. If Ste hadn¡¯t left town then, someone might have ended up in a body bag. Abraham flicked at the ashes, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Their very existence is her suffering¡± Job was stunned. Their existence? Did he mean the whole Reed family? Now that I thought about it, it made sense. If your biological family turned out to be people like them, you¡¯d probably get sick too. The Wilde family was definitely finished. They¡¯d already been warned once at Pluehville Hill. Apparently, they hadn¡¯t learned anything. And this time they didn¡¯t just insult Ste. They also messed with Rianne The one person the Hale family never acknowledged, but whom Tempest had guarded like a treasure for years. Meanwhile, in the car, Tempest ended a phone call. The purpose of the call was clear. Just before hanging up, he said coldly, ¡°I want the news of the Wilde family¡¯s bankruptcy within a week.¡± Rianne was stunned. He ended the call and immediately wrapped his arm around Rianne¡¯s slender waist, pulling her close. Rianne felt a little dizzy. ¡°What are you doing? Could you not be so sudden. every time?¡± Tempest¡¯s brow lifted slightly. His slender fingers cupped her delicate chin, tilted her head up, and kissed her hard. She tried to pull away but couldn¡¯t. Their warm breaths intertwined. His voice was deep and husky. ¡°Still not used to this after all Chapter 381 Who Really Won the Fight Rianne squirmed in protest, mumbling softly. Tempest held her still. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°¡± +8 Pearls He finally let her go, resting his chin on her petite shoulder. ¡°Rianne, I just got some news.¡± She instantly stiffened, catching her breath. Tempest straightened and raised her chin again, forcing her to meet his gaze. For the moment, Rianne couldn¡¯t read the deep emotion in his eyes. ¡°Wh¨Cwhat news?¡± Tempest said, ¡°You met Alexander.¡± Rianne fell silent. She froze. The moment her body tensed, Tempest¡¯s grip on her chin tightened. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Alexander. The man Tempest never wanted to see again. Though most of the past had alreadye to light, there were still things hidden in the shadows. And Alexander had always been hostile to him. Tempest didn¡¯t think Alexander woulde looking for her without a reason. And judging by Rianne¡¯s expression, whatever he was saying wasn¡¯t good. Send Gifts €19 The wrong girl 382 Chapter 382 The Question She Had to Ask Alexander had definitely said something to her. Rianne looked up, her eyes slightly misty. ¡°Why are you panicking. Tempest?¡± Tempest paused. Panicking? Rianne sniffed. ¡°Why does your mother hate me so much? My father died to save yours. But your mother treats me like I¡¯m her worst enemy, like she wants me gone. Why?¡± Tempest frowned. Rianne suddenly grabbed his wrist.. With a little force she pulled his hand away from her chin. She sat down on the other side of the seat and looked out the window, her eyes burning. ¡°For years, I never understood it. But now¡­ ¡°Did Alexander give you an answer?¡± Tempest cut her off coldly. Rianne didn¡¯t answer. me No, Alexander hadn¡¯t given me a direct answer. But what he had said had nted a bomb in my heart. A wave that now demanded that I dig for the truth, hoping to calm the storm. Tempest grabbed her slender neck again and pulled her into his arms. His forehead pressed against hers. Their breaths mingled. His voice dropped to a cold,manding tone. ¡°Alexander is not a man. Whatever he told you, forget it. All right?¡± a good Rianne slowly ced her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. But his grip only tightened slightly. ¡°Rianne, be good. Don¡¯t see him again, okay?¡± Her breath caught. She looked up at Tempest. They were so close she couldn¡¯t read what was in his eyes. But she could sense the dangerous rage brewing beneath his calm exterior. Chapter 382 The Question She Had to Ask But after hanging up with Ste and Rianne, her mind drifted back to the moment she¡¯d woken. up that morning, with nothing on. During the day, Victor had gone out. I tried to sneak out of the house, but there were guards everywhere. Even if I had wings, I could not get past them. It was until the evening that Victor returne Now they sat face¨Cto¨Cface at the dining table, which was full of traditional Rivermount dishes. Tessa was quietly picking at her rice, barely eating anything. Victor gave her a look. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a bottomless pit? Now you cat like a bird.¡± Tessa almost jumped. Bottomless pit? That was a bit much. When had I ever said I was oncl She looked at Victor with wide eyes, lips parted as if she wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t bring herself to. Victor seemed to sense that she wanted to say something. His tone became icy. ¡°What is it?¡± His voice was cold, sharp, and clearly impatient. Tessa swallowed hard. How am I supposed to ask? Should I blurt out, why was I naked when I woke up? Worse, I had seen blood on the sheets. If I asked and this man snapped back with something like, ¡°Yeah, I slept with you, so what?¡± I¡¯d die on the spot. Help Victor asked again, ¡°Not hungry?¡± Tessa shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± I¡¯m hungry. But with my head spinning, no food tasted good. Futecially with that cold¨Cfaced man across from me iust couldn¡¯t eat Chapter 382 The Question She Had to Ask and this was just dinner? I¡¯m starving¡­ But now that Victor was here, my appetite was gone. ¡°Um¡­ can I ask you something aboutst night?¡± She started, her heart pounding. I had to ask. This isn¡¯t something I can just bury. She swallowed, lowering her gaze, avoiding the tension that emanated from Victor. She clenched her fists. clothes off?¡± sit you¡­ who took 1 The room fellpletely silent. Tessa kept her head down, feeling the pressure in the air increase. I didn¡¯t dare look at Victor. But I had to ask. The thought had been eating at me all day. It isn¡¯t just waking up without clothes. The bigger question is, after my clothes are gone, does anything else happen? I had to know. If not, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep another night. Time passed. The dining room remained silent. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 383 Chapter 383 The Truth She Could Not Ignore Still no response from Victor. Tessa grew more anxious by the second. She looked up nervously to meet Victor¡¯s gaze. But the moment she did, she quickly lowered her head again. His eyes are terrifying Especially with that tattoo on his neck, he looks dangerous from every angle. She swallowed hard. ¡°I¨CI just want to know who took my clothes off.¡± Victor said calmly, ¡°Does it matter?¡± Tessa was stunned. What kind of answer is that? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± She looked up again, this time with tears in her eyes. I¡¯m really upset. I had never been so humiliated in my life. This was nothing like the world I once knew. All that danger¡­ it used to feel so far away. To be treated like this by a man, I had never even imagined it. But now¡­ Victor replied tly, ¡°I took them off. So what?¡± Tessa stunned again The air went still again. Even the tears in her eyes froze. Victor stared at her. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Tessa asked softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ a problem?¡± Victor said coldly, ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± There was a threatening edge to his voice, and the pressure around him was so intense that I couldn¡¯t say another word. Just like at the airport, he had taken liberties with me then, too. Chapter 383 The Truth She Could Not Ignore Note is moder Texa looked down pitifully and picked at her rice. ¡°Nothing The one word soundedpletely defeated. +8 parts The way she stirred her bowl, it looked more like she was digging up Victor¡¯s ancestral grave than eating dinner Victor chuckled softly. With your body, even if you offered yourself to me. I wouldn¡¯t want it Tessa almost jumped Wouldnt Her mind shed back to all the gossip Ste had once told her. When she looked up again, shock hadpletely reced fear in her eyes. Victor put down his wine ss and gave her a sharp look. ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Tessa shook her head immediately. So what Star had said is truct That meant I had nothing to worry about. If he couldn¡¯t do anything then he couldn¡¯t have done anything to
  1. me.
However, just because he couldn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t mean he could randomly undress people. Even if he couldn¡¯t do anything others wouldn¡¯t care why, they would just say that I was seen naked by a And they wouldn¡¯t say he couldn¡¯t. They just judge me. She turned away, clutching her bowl. ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t take my clothes off again.¡± Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Again? Tessa was stunned. Ligh What did he mean by that? What had I just said? Her already frazzled brain officially short¨Ccircuited. Chapter 383 The Truth She Could Not Ignore Thatugh made Tessa¡¯s scalp tingle: it felt like he was hiding something dark beneath the amusement. Back on Killis Ind, Derrick had tortured Bernie to the point where he could neither live nor die and had finally returned him to his brother, Bert. Over the years, after the fall of the Tom family, Sebastian had thought Derrick couldn¡¯t possibly get any crueler. But Bernie¡­ Had proven him wrong. Because Bernie had dared to have disgusting thoughts about Ste, Derrick had almost ended him. And all because Bert had begged for mercy. On the private airne on the way back to Pagina, Sebastian stilly on a bed. His leg had been saved, but the pain was unbearable. Derrick was on the phone, his voice icy. ¡°Yes. Proceed as nned.¡± Sebastian jumped at the word ¡°nned.¡± A n? Against Ste? There was only one person Derrick would go that far for, and it had to be her. When Derrick hung up. Sebastian asked. ¡°You still have ns for that little firecracker?¡± Derrick gave him a cold sideways nce. Sebastian swallowed hard. ¡°Abraham is already with her. All those years of feelings finally paid off. ¡°Do you remember why she started liking him in the first ce?¡± Derrick asked. Sebastian was stunned. His heart tensed. Of course, I knew why Ste had begun to see Abraham that way. But did it matter now? 1:03 PM The wrong girl 384 Chapter 384 Not That Kind of Man Before Sebastian could finish his sentence, Derrick interrupted him. Sebastian fell silent. Derrick raised his ss of red wine and took a sip without saying anything more. Sebastian hesitated, then continued, ¡°You and Abraham really don¡¯t need to keep fighting like this. The misunderstanding between the two of you should be cleared up. Or do you want to live in Pagina forever?¡± Derrick¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly. A cold smile tugged at his lips. ¡°You¡¯re right. Misunderstandings should be cleared up. It¡¯s time for me to return to Falvaria.¡± When he said the word ¡°Falvaria, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something wrong with his tone. If he wanted to go back, fine, but somehow it felt like his reason wasn¡¯t that simple. It wasn¡¯t just about this illegitimate son¡­. Thinking of Derrick¡¯s father, Sebastian felt a new wave of injustice for him. Derrick rhythmically tapped his long fingers on the table and mumbled the word ¡°misunderstanding. Mockery and amusement danced in his eyes.. That night Ste even had ate snack. After she and Abraham returned home, both Eddie and Abel followed them into the study. Meanwhile, Tessa called. And she was crying so hard she couldn¡¯t even catch her breath. Honestly, Ste had never heard her cry like that before. Sheforted her over the phone like she was like that, who was it that had pushed her to the edge? If it was really that serious¡­. Chapter 384 Not That Kind of Man I still had my own team there, people Abraham had arranged for me. But since Derrick had forced me to leave Falvaria. I hadn¡¯t used them, not even once. I had avoided both Abraham and Derrick But now that Tessa was crying like that. I really wanted to find out what had happened to Ms. Diana. Unfortunately, Tessa was sobbing too much to even exin clearly. ¡°Hey, hey, stop crying. Let me send someone to look into it for you, okay?¡± She was staying with Victor, and things had obviously not been resolved. Now Tessa was in tears. What on earth happened? Wait a minute. Could it be Victor No¡­ Victor was cold and distant, but not the type to bully people indiscriminately The next moment. Tessa proved that Ste¡¯s thought was wrong. Tessa sobbed, ¡°It was Victor. He was the one who undressed me.¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°???¡± She almost choked on her own saliva.. Wait¡­ what?! ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the maid?¡± Wait. Victor always liked to be alone. His vi didn¡¯t even have a maid. The only person I have heard of working there is the cook, and he is a guy. So when Tessa said she didn¡¯t know who undressed her, I really should have guessed; it had to be Victor There was no one else. But now, hearing it for sure¡­. On the phone, Tessa became increasingly annoyed by Ste¡¯s silence. ¡°Are you going to help met or not?¡± Um¡­ How shall I answer that? Help her¡­ deal with Victor? I really don¡¯t have the courage. Chapter 384 Not That Kind of Man Even with Abraham backing me up, there were still some people I wouldn¡¯t dare cross. Especially people around Abraham; I knew exactly who was off¨Climits. Tessa cried even harder. ¡°So you won¡¯t help me?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that; I¡¯m just scared.¡± Really scared. ¡°Ste¡­ ugh¡­ ¡°At least¡­ he didn¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡± Ste asked carefully. No way. Victor couldn¡¯t have hurt Tess. After all, I had known for a long time that Marie¡¯s secret from Victor wasn¡¯t¡­ working. If Marie dared to gossip about it with me, then it must be mostly true. Tessa sniffed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he couldn¡¯t? How could he have done anything?¡± She was lying on her bed when she said that. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she nced nervously at the door. I had promised myself that if Victor ever let me off the hook, I¡¯d never gossip about anyone again. But¡­ Toote. I¡¯d already said it. And only to Ste. That didn¡¯t count, did it? Besides, the door was locked. Ste replied, ¡°Exactly. He might have looked, but he didn¡¯t touch anything. ¡°So if he didn¡¯t do anything, then why are you crying?¡± Tessa had been sobbing so hard it was like she hadn¡¯t been able to walk for three days. +8 Pearls Tessa sniffled again. ¡°He looked at me, okay? That¡¯s why I¡¯m crying. He¡¯s not normal, but I¡¯m a normal, unmarried woman.¡± The wrong girl 385 Chapter 385 She Just Wanted Someone on Her Side Ste said softly, ¡°True. I guess that is a reason to cry.¡± Tessa was stunned. Wait, that¡¯s a reason to cry? But I¡¯m crying. I¡¯m really upset, okay? Ste offered, ¡°Do you want me to send someone to pick you up and take you to the Dawson residence?¡± ¡°The Dawson residence?¡± Tessa stopped crying immediately. Ste said, ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be hunted no matter where you go. At first I thought you¡¯d be safe with Victor, but obviously you¡¯re not happy there.¡± Tessa almost jumped. So not happy. Especially with how cold he always was. The look in his eyes was like a wolf¡¯s, terrifying. Another second of that and my heart would give out. ¡°The Dawson residence¡­ your adoptive mother, Madam Evelyn, lives there too, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Everyone in Falvaria had gotten used to calling her mother Madam Evelyn. But she was the realdy of the Luke family. Evelyn is her first name. In the Falvarian tradition, she had been called Ms. Evelyn before her marriage. Now it is Madam Evelyn. Tessa said firmly, ¡°Then I won¡¯t go.¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡°. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never had much experience with older people.¡± Tessa¡¯s voice faded. I¡¯d been raised by a single mother, and even that was more about raising than actually spending time Chapter 385 She Just Wanted Someone on Her Side I barely saw my mother as a child. As for grandparents on either side, yes, I didn¡¯t have them either. In short, as Diana¡¯s daughter, I was raised by a single parent. Apart from my mother, there were no elders in my life at all. Ste replied, ¡°My mother is lovely. She¡¯s actually very easy to get along with.¡± Tessa sniffled, ¡°Right, I¡¯ve heard how she scares people all over Rivermount.¡± She sounded so reassuring. Ste was stunned.. Okay, fair enough. My mother was known to be ruthless. But those methods were reserved for enemies and rivals¨Cnot family or friends. Tessa stood firm. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not going.¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to stay with Victor.¡± Tessa fell silent. Ugh. Headache. +8 Pearls Dealing with an elder, especially Madam Evelyn, whom Ste imed was so nice, just the thought of it made me feel suffocated. But staying with Victor? My poor heart couldn¡¯t take the pressure either. ¡°Ste, can you help me find my mother and Wesley?¡± Nothing felt more secure than Diana¡¯s presence. Even though they hadn¡¯t spent much time together over the years, Tessa still relied on her deep down. Ste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Victor say he¡¯d look into it for you?¡± He said he had it all figured out. And with that level of investigation, it should include who was afier Tessa and who had targeted her mother. Tessa muttered, ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Chapter 385 She Just Wanted Someone on Her Side Just the mention of Victor made her voice shake. Was the man mentally defective? Didn¡¯t he know which parts of a woman should be seen and which shouldn¡¯t? Sure, Star had said he liked to look at pretty women, but at least they were clothed. Then I show up, and he undresses me? +8 Pearls Ste heard the drop in Tessa¡¯s voice and immediately guessed that she was afraid of Victor. Sheughed awkwardly and tried tofort her. ¡°Victor¡¯s not so bad. He¡¯s just cold on the outside. Tessa grumbled, ¡°Yeah, well, in your world, the only bad people are the Reeds.¡± Even Ethan was at most a fool in Ste¡¯s book. A blind idiot. Too stupid to be saved. Ste winced when Tessa mentioned the Reed family. ¡°Seriously? You just had to go there?¡± Ever since I had signed that family severance agreement with Susan, I hadpletely cut ties with them. Just then, Abraham walked in and saw Ste freshly showered, in her pajamas, sitting on the bed talking on the phone. She saw him. And quickly mumbled into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡± Then she hung up. Abraham sat down next to her. He still had a faint smell of tobo on him, probably from all the smoking he¡¯d done in the study. He reached out and lovingly ruffled her soft hair. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Tessa. She was crying her eyes out.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± He looked confused. Ste added, ¡°Victor¡­ took her clothes off. You have to talk to him. He can¡¯t do things like that.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 386 Chapter 386 It¡¯s Between Victor and Tessa Ste was ming Victor in her heart. Look at how scared Tess is. A man should not be like that. If he cannot perform, then at the very least, he should not ruin others. Tess is still perfectly fine, and she will have to get married someday. She can¡¯t be casually messed with by someone like Victor, who can¡¯t even¡­ perform. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Say what?¡± He felt like he had misheard. Whatever Ste meant by ¡®say something¡® probably was not what he thought it was. Ste nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah, someone needs to talk to him properly. If he¡¯s going for a checkup, then he better hurry up. Just because he¡¯s ¡®not working¡® doesn¡¯t give him the right to act like a pervert!¡± Can¡¯t perform and acts like a pervert? All of a sudden, Abraham felt a throbbing headache. ¡°You think I should go tell that to Victor? Or maybe you can enlighten me, Ste, on how exactly I should say it?¡± Ste looked straight into Abraham¡¯s eyes. ¡°Just tell him directly.¡± What¡¯s so hard about that? Abraham¡¯s expression wasplicated. ¡°Tell him straight up that he can¡¯t take off Tessa¡¯s clothes?¡± Ste nodded again. ¡°Exactly. He can¡¯t be doing stuff like that.¡± Abraham pressed his hand to his forehead. The headache was growing worse by the second. ¡°Did that little brain of yours catch a fever today?¡± he asked as he ced his palm against her forehead. Sure enough, Ste had a slight fever. No wonder. If she were thinking straight, she¡¯d never make such a request. She was clearly delirious from the fever. Hearing him say that, Ste blinked, realizing she did feel a little off. ¡°Mm, maybe a little fever.¡± Even her voice was turning hoarse. She looked up at Abraham, eyes wide and watery. He pinched her cheek lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you caught it from Eddie.¡± Abraham murmured cofilu in his heart Chapter 386 It¡¯s Between Victor and Tessa And this is something I could actually bring up with Victor? D He checked her temperature again,paring it with his own. Nope. No fever on his end. She was the only one spouting nonsense. Ste suddenly came to a realization. +8 Pearls Oh, right! Oh my god, what kind of ridiculous things had I just been saying? How could I bring up something like that? ¡°But what about Tess?¡± Worried about Tessa, Ste asked. ¡°Tessa¡­¡± After a pause, Abraham finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Victor won¡¯t do anything to her.¡± That line again. Ste secretly rolled her eyes. ¡°But Tess is really scared of him¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t forget the sound of Tessa crying over the phone. Ste was genuinely concerned. Victor was cold as ice. Tessa had seemed pretty brave before, but that was only when everything was peaceful and safe. After everything that¡¯s happened these past few days, she had been scared out of her mind. And Ste knew well that given Victor¡¯s temperament, there was no way he would bother tofort someone like Tessa. Abraham said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for Victor to involve himself in other people¡¯s business.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± What did that mean? She looked at Abraham, confused and lost. He sighed, already feeling another wave of that damn headache. ¡°At this point, it¡¯s basically a private matter between Victor and Tessa.¡± A¡­ private matter? Like, a man and woman kind of private matter? Seeing her still so clueless, Abraham let out a heavier sigh. ¡°We¡¯re heading back the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At the sound of that, Ste instantly perked up. She did not want to stay in Rivermount even one more day. Going back was perfect. Back meant leaving all this nonsense behind. Chapter 386 It¡¯s Between Victor and Tessa These people¡­ +8 Pearl= Especially Susan, who still kept trying to show up around her. It was obvious she was trying totch onto Ste¡¯s sess. All these years, no matter how they looked down on her, calling her a country girl raised in the sticks, she never once mentioned anything about her ties to Falvaria. She had seen through them a long time ago. People like that, if they were being nice to you, it was usually because they wanted to suck you dry. Fake smiles and false kindness? She was not not interested. And now they want to cozy up to her? Ha¡­. Abraham replied, ¡°Yeah, things are just about wrapped up.¡± He nodded, voice warm with indulgence. Ste wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. ¡°Good. We should¡¯ve gone home long ago.¡± Just as she was about to snuggle back under the nket, the man suddenly wrapped his armi around her waist and pulled her in. ¡°You think you can just light a fire and run?¡± Ste squirmed. ¡°What fire? I didn¡¯t light anything¡± Just one little kiss and he¡¯s all hot and bothered? This man really couldn¡¯t handle a single tease. Abraham held her close and rolled over, pinning her beneath the covers. Ste panicked. ¡°No, no, we can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Keep quiet, Abraham whispered in her ear. ¡­I mean it. We really can¡¯t.¡± She looked at him with teary, pleading eyes, reaching up to push him away. But the man caught her slender wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head, locking her in ce. The wrong girl 387 Chapter 387 Who¡¯s the Vicious One? ¡°Abraham¡­.¡± Ste whimpered softly. The moment he heard her say his name, something shifted in his chest. The look in his eyes grew even gentler. ¡°Be good, baby, okay?¡± Ste pouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be good.¡± By now, she had figured out his patterns. Whenever Abraham told her to ¡®be good, it usually meant he was about to do something very bad. Even if he was careful and held back, it was still more than she could handle. Abraham said in a yful tone, ¡°I know you don¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Again?! ¡°I don¡¯t want any of that either!¡± She didn¡¯t want anything. Nothing at all. Absolutely nothing. Looking at her tear¨Cstreaked little face, Abraham chuckled. In that moment, his wicked delight hit an all¨Ctime high.. The nights in Rivermount¡­ Some are quiet, while others glow with neon and chaos. Inside a private booth at a club bathed in seductive lighting¡­ Ethan was knocking back drink after drink. Jereth and Halston sat quietly, watching him. The two had just returned from abroad. When they heard about the recent drama involving the Keene family, they hadnded in Rivermount at 7 PM, only to be summoned straight here by Ethan. But once they arrived, Ethan did not say a word. He just drank. After the third bottle, Halston finally reached over and snatched the next one from his hand. ¡°You¡¯re really making this hard to watch. You were always into Lilian. Now that Ste has a man, what are you even upset about?¡± Abraham and Ste had been spotted together oftentely. People around Ethan surely knew. As far as they were concerned, his engagement to Ste had always been a temporary arrangement. He never actually liked her. Now the engagement was off. So men and women could go their separate ways. What was there to mope. about? fereth nced at him ¡°Ten¡¯t I ilian dill in Rivermount? So who avarthi ara van uncat over?¡± Chapter 387 Who¡¯s the Vicious One? Halston echoed, ¡°Yeah, exactly!¡± When Jereth said that, Halston instinctively nced at Ethan. +8 Pearls While overseas, all they had heard was that Ste had someone new. Nothing about Lilian having anyone. If Ethan was into Lilian, what could be bothering him? Wait¡­ Wasn¡¯t Lilian said to be battling multiple cancers? Shouldn¡¯t Ethan be with her now instead of drowning in booze? But Ethan¡­ He had been okay until they brought up Lilian. At her name, a dark cloud settled over his features. He reached again for the bottle, but Halston dodged. ¡°Enough. Just tell us what¡¯s going on.¡± Still silent, Ethan cracked open another bottle and downed half of it in one go.. Yeah, it seems like this is no small mess. Halston set his own bottle down and moved closer. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯ve fallen for Ste? That vicious woman?¡± Lilian had returned. And yet Ethan was not by her side. The only exnation was¡­ he liked Ste. That did not make sense, though. He had always imed she was conniving and ruthless. At that word ¡®vicious, Ethan¡¯s grip on the bottle tightened. He spoke sharply, each word distinct, ¡°She¡¯s not. Halston looked at Ethan. ¡°Huh??¡± Jereth also looked over, eyes filled with confusion. Ethan took another swig. In that moment, the pain he had tried to suppress rose unmistakably to the surface. ¡°The vicious one¡­ was never her.¡± Not Ste? ¡°Then who?¡± Halston asked first. The Reed family had been in shambles. Whole Rivermount believed Ste was selfish and cruel. All because she could not tolerate the adopted daughter of the Reed family. And now Ethan was saying she is not the viin? Who is the viin then? Lilian? The thought struck both Halston and Jereth at the same time. They exchanged a nce. the Vicious One? Ethan gave a cold, bitterugh. ¡°Her? Ha¡­¡± +8 Pearls The look in his eyes sharpened, fiercer than they had ever seen before when he had spoken of Lilian. Now¡­ That sharpness cut through, and Ethan finally said, ¡°She nearly got Ste killed.¡± The room went dead silent. The two exchanged another look, then turned to Ethan. ¡°So that car crash¡­ it really was Lilian?¡± Send Gifts $10 The wrong girl 388 Chapter 388 The Estate Is Burning ¡°Ste didn¡¯t falsely use her?¡± Halston¡¯s voice was full of shock. Was the story not always that the biological daughter could not ept the adopted one? But now it turned out¡­ it was the adopted daughter who had stopped the real daughter from home? ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Halston waspletely stunned. If that was the case, then Lilian was not just a little malicious. She was downright vicious. Ethan closed his eyes, a bleak aura radiating from his entire body. Memories shed through his mind. Back then, the entire Reed family, himself included, had called Ste crazy. They had called her selfish¡­ The Reed family even told her that if she could not ept Lilian, she should not expect a single cent from them. Thinking back on those words now¡­ How utterly ridiculous was that? Who could ept someone who wanted their life? Halston asked, ¡°And what¡¯s going on with you now?¡± All of a sudden, everything had be a tangled mess. Ethan closed his eyes again. ¡°What else could it be? Ste doesn¡¯t want me anymore. Lilian is a criminal, but she¡¯s dying too.¡± Well, that¡¯splicated. Especially when Ethan said, ¡®Ste doesn¡¯t want me anymore. The pain in his voice was unmistakable. It was now a certainty. Ethan waspletely done with Lilian. At one point, Lilian had tried to call him. Halston had seen with his own eyes as Ethan blocked her number. They used to be so close. Who would have thought things woulde to this? Jereth asked, ¡°So what about Ste? What are your intentions toward her?¡± Halston also turned to look at Ethan. ¡°You¡¯d better not mess this up with her.¡± The Luke family in Falvaria was not a joke. That was not a situation where Ethan could afford to act recklessly. Ethan was silent. Chapter 388 The Estate is Burning 45 Pearls A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ¡°Do I even have the right to mess it up in front of her anymore?¡± She had been his fianc¨¦e for two years. They were about to get married. And now, he could not even see her. He truly regretted it now. If only he had not canceled the wedding, then Ste would be his wife by now. So what if she belonged to the Luke family in Falvaria? If they were married, she would be his, too. But now¡­ Halston shook his head. ¡°No¡­¡± Ste had grown up in the Luke family and was now incredibly close with Abraham. That proved Abraham had always seen her in that light. When he heard the word ¡®no, a fresh wave of pain shed through Ethan¡¯s eyes. Just as he was about to say something, his phone began to buzz. It was thendline from the Keene estate. Ethan, still dazed, picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Ethan, you need toe home. Something serious has happened.¡± It was the butler¡¯s anxious voice on the line. ¡°What happened?¡± Ethan asked. He had alreadypletely cut ties with Lilian these past few days. What could have happened at Keene estate? Could it be something with Grandma or Grandpa? They were getting old¡­ The butler said, ¡°Come back first. Madam Madeline has fainted. Ms. Sutton is also on her way home. Even Sutton was being called back? What could¡¯ve happened? ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Just as he asked, he heard the furious yelling of Madeline through the receiver. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, even if I die, I won¡¯t let him step foot in this house!¡± Judson¡¯s voice came through, ¡°What are you doing?! Put that knife down!¡± ¡°Tell him to leave! Tell him to get the hell out!¡± Madeline screamed. Chapter 388 The Estate Is Burning +8 Pearls Those two had always been close. This kind of argument sobered him up almost instantly. The butler was also trying to calm her. ¡°Madam Madeline, please put the knife down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te near me! All of you stay back! Get him out of here; tell him to leave!¡± Madeline¡¯s hysterical screams rang out. Faced with such intense emotions, Ethan immediately realized how serious the situation was. He hung up and stood up at once. He had drunk too much, and his steps were unsteady as he staggered toward the door of the private room, Halston and Jereth quickly followed after him. The next morning, when Ste woke up, Abraham was already gone. Her phone rang. It was a call from Tessa. ¡°I¡¯ve got something on that thing you asked me to look into.¡± Ste was still groggy, turning over in bed. ¡°What thing?¡± Tessa replied. ¡°That issue with Patrick and the CFO Send Gifts The wrong girl 389 Chapter 389 Enemies at the Breakfast Table That snapped Ste fully awake. She sat up straight in bed. ¡°What happened?¡± As expected of Tess. Even all the way in Falvaria, she was still up to date on the gossip in Rivermount. Her connections had not been affected by her mother one bit. Tessa said, ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± ¡°Then make it short.¡± Ste could not wait. What¡¯s so long about it? Even the most tangled mess can be exined in a sentence. If one¡¯s not enough, then use two. Tessa said, ¡°The CFO¡­ is Lilian¡¯s aunt.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Ste screamed in disbelief. A¡­ Aunt? That¡­. Her brain short¨Ccircuited for a moment. Tessa added, ¡°She¡¯s the younger sister of the nanny who secretly abandoned you back then.¡± So Lilian was that nanny¡¯s daughter, and now the woman who had had a pair of twins with Patrick was the nanny¡¯s sister, Lilian¡¯s aunt? No wonder Rianne had said he heard rumors that Lilian and that woman were close, often sneaking out together to shop and eat. She was even the one who brought her into thepany. Ste¡¯s tone was calm, but her words were sharp. ¡°She¡¯s really got a clear sense of who¡¯s close and who¡¯s not. Tessa said, ¡°Exactly. Even if Madam Susan treated her like a treasure, what did it matter? There¡¯s no blood rtion. She stayed loyal to her own aunt and even lined her up with all kinds of benefits.¡± And it was not just benefits. She even handed Patrick, her husband, over to that woman. Ste said coldly, ¡°Truly a fine example of knowing who to prioritize.¡± When she first arrived in Rivermount, whether it was Susan or Jonathan, they had all scolded her for being too cold, too unfeeling. Well, now they had someone who really understood how to draw the line. Tessa said, ¡°I¡¯ve already passed the information on to Madam Susan. No need to thank me.¡± You¡­ passed it to Susan? Chapter 389 Enemies at the Breakfast Table Tessa replied, ¡°Dead serious. I mean it.¡± When it came to Ste, Tessa had always been dead serious. Tessa added, ¡°If the timing¡¯s right, she should be at the Reed mansion already.¡± That was impressively fast. ¡°Madam Susan is definitely going to be very grateful to you.¡± Ste¡¯s voice wasced with mockery. She would be. Let her see, once and for all, what kind of person she had been defending all this time. +8 Pearls If the evidence from the car crash was not enough to shake her, then she clearly had no love left for her real daughter and still clung to her bias. But now that Lilian¡¯s venom had reached her personally¡­. Ste was eager to see how Susan would react next. Meanwhile, on Tessa¡¯s side¡­ She was hiding in her room making the call. The maids had already called her twice for breakfast, but she had not gone down. Because she had asked if Victor was still there. And the answer had been ¡®yes.¡± Ste said, ¡°Okay, forget the Reed family drama for now. Um, aboutst night¡­ did Victor do anything to you?¡± This girl, she¡¯s pulling that trick too? Thest thing Tessa wanted to hear right now was anything about Victor. ¡°Last night, I moved every piece of furniture I could to block the door.¡± Not only did she lock it, she barricaded it. Ste said. ¡°Huh? Was that really necessary?¡± Tessa replied. ¡°How was it not necessary?¡± Ste said, ¡°Victor really isn¡¯t that kind of guy. And besides, he can¡¯t¡­ you know. He¡¯s not dangerous.¡± Is this girl serious? That man who looked like he could gun someone down at any moment is not dangerous? If he¡¯s not a bad guy. then who is? Chapter 380 Enemies at the Breakfast Table hung up the call. +8 Pearls Not dangerous? That line sounded so wrong. If Victor was not dangerous, then what? Was she the one who undressed herselfst night? Right after she hung up, there was a knock at the door. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I don¡¯t want to cat.¡± Tessa called out immediately. Her tone was clear. She was avoiding Victor. She could not help it. She was really afraid of that man, afraid of the aura he gave off¡­ Afraid of meeting his eyes. ¡°Come out. A deep voice from outside. When Tessa heard it was Victor, her heart gave a hard thump. No way¡­ he¡¯s actually here? She shut her eyes and curled further under the covers. ¡°I¡¯m really not hungry right now.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 390 Chapter 390 Functional? She would rather die than face Victor right now. ¡°You have five minutes to get downstairs, Victor said. What the hell? Was this man even capable of reasoning? I¡¯d said I wasn¡¯t hungry! Standing outside her door, Victor leaned against the wall, smoking, just as John and Lewis came up the stairs and caught sight of him.. That tone he used¡­ It was practically a threat. Lewis could not help but think¡­. Is Boss trying to scare the woman inside to death or what? Inside the room, Tessa clutched her nket pitifully. ¡°I¡¯m really not hungry¡­¡± Victor was counting down. ¡°Three minutes.¡± Is it absolutely necessary for me to go out today? Or is that meal just that unavoidable? Faced with the authority in Victor¡¯s voice, Tessa did not dare defy him. In the end, she reluctantly crawled out of bed. Last night, for the sake of safety, she had stacked several pieces of furniture against the door. They had not felt heavy when she had moved them in her panic. But now, hungry and tired, they were a real burden. Outside the door, Victor listened to the sounds of furniture being shifted. A faint, meaningful smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Lewis caught sight of that smile and was instantly confused. Wasn¡¯t he cold as ice just now? Why the sudden softness? And it wasn¡¯t just a smile. It was gentle. Lewis was staring, caught in the moment, when the back of his head was suddenly smacked by John. Lewis scolded, ¡°What was that for?¡± John cast him a cold nce. ¡°What are you staring at? Let¡¯s go.¡± Couldn¡¯t he see their boss was busy? They should wait in the study. Lewis was speechless. Chapter 390 Functional? John dragged Lewis away and headed to the study. Not long after, Ss also joined them. +8 Pearls As soon as he stepped inside, he overheard Lewis saying to John, ¡°Hey, do you think our boss¡­ still works, you know?¡± It gives Ss a headache. Damn! If someone ripped that mouth off his face, he¡¯d deserve it. Did this guy even know where we were? Talking like that about the boss? Lewis looked full of curiosity. John, by contrast, kept apletely calm expression. The look John gave him made Lewis feel a twinge of guilt. How could he forget? John never gossiped about Boss behind his back. But just because he did not gossip did not mean he was not curious, right? Maybe he was even more curious inside. Thinking that, Lewis leaned closer. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re always around Boss. Do you think it¡¯s true he¡¯s¡­. not functional?¡± Ss knew right away¡­. This guy is truly doomed. John¡¯s face turned visibly dark. ¡°Are you functional?¡± The sudden question threw Lewis for a loop. ¡°Of course I am. Obviously!¡± Come on, I¡¯m perfectly normal! Wait¡­ why would he ask that? John replied calmly, ¡°I suspect you¡¯re about to stop being functional. Lewis did not understand. ¡°What kind of suspicion is that?¡± A man either was or wasn¡¯t. What did about to not be even mean? John said, ¡°Because I figure Boss is going to cripple you.¡± Lewis¡¯s heart gave a jolt. That tone left no room for doubt. John hated gossiping about the boss behind his back. But Boss isn¡¯t even here! What was wrong with chatting a little? Seeing Ss hade in, Lewis immediately turned to him. ¡°Ss, you¡¯ve heard the rumors too, right? About Boss not being able to¡­.¡± Ss quickly made his way to the couch and lit a cigarette refusing to respond Chapter 390 Functional? Lewis rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course not! How would I even try that?¡± What kind of question was that? John and Ss exchanged a nce, then both stopped talking to him. +8 Pearls That guy¡¯s mouth was just like Eddie¡¯s. Completely hopeless. The more you responded, the more outrageous he got. Lewis, seeing their silence, pouted. ¡°I was just thinking of ways to help Boss, you know?¡± Ss and John exchanged another look, then both turned toward him. ¡°And you think Boss needs. your help?¡± Meanwhile¡­ Tessa had finally moved all the furniture away from the door. When she opened it, Victor was no longer outside. As she came downstairs, she saw Victor sitting on the sofa, on the phone. Breakfast had been set on the dining table, but no servants were in sight. Tessa shuffled toward it in tiny, cautious steps. Victor noticed her and said into the phone, ¡°Mm, do as I said.¡± Then he hung up and turned his cold gaze on her. Send Gifts The wrong girl 391 Chapter 391 Going Out Tessa had already taken her seat at the dining table. Feeling the man¡¯s gaze on her, she nearly buried her whole face in her bowl. She didn¡¯t dare face someone like Victor¨Csomeone who could casually strip another person¡¯s clothes without blinking an eye. He was dangerous. Even from a distance, Victor could sense the tension radiating from Tessa. Lighting a cigarette, he took a drag and asked, ¡°Did you lock your doorst night?¡± His voice broke the silence. Tessa¡¯s hand trembled as she held the spoon, which dropped straight into her bowl. She nodded nervously. ¡°Yeah.¡± Victor looked at her. Smoke curled in the air, blurring his expression, but Tessa could still feel the weight of his stare pressing down on her. She didn¡¯t dare speak again. Her hand shaking, she fished the spoon out of the bowl, scooped some porridge, and fed it into her mouth. Victor asked, ¡°What do you think I¡¯d do to you?¡± Tessa shook her head quickly, stammering, ¡°N¨Cno¡­ nothing. You wouldn¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re not interested in me.¡± At least, that was what she gathered from Star¡¯s information. Victor wasn¡¯t into her type. Victor said, ¡°Then why did you lock the door?¡± Tessa froze. Was she not allowed to lock the door? She was a woman¨Cwasn¡¯t it natural to have a sense of self¨Cprotection? She screamed inside her head but didn¡¯t dare say a word out loud. She¡¯d seen Victor¡¯s violent side. She was terrified of provoking him into doing something drastic. When Tessa didn¡¯t respond, Victor chuckled coldly. ¡°Starting tonight, no more locking the door.¡± At his words, her hand shook again. The spoon nearly dropped a second time. She looked up at Victor with a wounded expression. ¡°Why?¡± It was hard enough just being in the same house with him. Did she not deserve even a shred of peace when she slept? Victor didn¡¯t reply. He just stared at her coldly. That looks so terrifying. Tessa lowered her head in defeat and whispered, ¡°Okay.¡± She was under someone else¡¯s roof. She had to ept the reality of living by their rules. She needed to call Star soon and have her get to the bottom of all this. Clear things up, fix the situation, and get away from this devil as soon as possible. Victor said. ¡°Eat faster.¡± A+B Pearls ¡°W¨Cwhy?¡± It was bad enough she didn¡¯t have peace when sleeping. Now she wasn¡¯t allowed any freedom while eating either? Victor said, ¡°We¡¯re going out.¡± Tessa panicked. Go out? Where? God, no. What if they ran into another life¨Cor¨Cdeath situation? She only had one life, and she intended to keep it. ¡°Where are we going? Is it dangerous?¡± She asked. her voice tense. She was scared of Victor, yes, but those past encounters had terrified her even more. Until she figured out what had happened with her mother, she didn¡¯t want to go anywhere. She just wanted to stay somewhere absolutely safe. Victor tapped his cigarette. replying coolly, ¡°Could be dangerous.¡± Tessa¡¯s heart leapt to her throat. Mind going nk for a moment, she blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± She¡¯d die. If she went through that kind of thing again, she really would die. And she didn¡¯t want to die. Victor said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± Tessa shook her head firmly. I¡¯m still not going. Who cared about promises? In a chaotic situation, with bullets flying by her ears, even a small mistake could be fatal. Victor might believe in his guarantee. She didn¡¯t. She absolutely refused to go. Victor narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you Tessa went silent. Her already anxious heart started to pound uncontrobly after hearing that. She couldn¡¯t eat anymore and couldn¡¯t drink either. Victor nced at his watch, then at the clothes she had on. ¡°You have ten minutes. Go change and put on some makeup.¡± Tessa said, ¡°I¡¯m really not going. Her lips were pressed tight, eyes misty with tears as she looked at him. Her whole demeanor was one of subtle but stubborn resistance. Victor¡¯s aura turned colder. ¡°You have eight minutes. And you know I¡¯m not asking. Tears welled up even more in Tessa¡¯s eyes. Even the way she looked at Victor now carried traces of resentment. Victor sighed, a little annoyed. ¡°Still not moving?¡± Women really are troublesome. No wonder Abraham has the patience to coar Ms. Dawson¨Cit was a habit built since childhood. The wrong girl 392 Chapter 392 Going Crazy Especially seeing her about to cry like that¨Che just wanted to throw her out. +8 Pearls Meanwhile, Ste was having breakfast. The kitchen had made her favorite chicken congee. But something about the smell felt off. She turned to Clint and asked, ¡°Is there any millet porridge?¡± Millet porridge¡­ Abraham liked that. He preferred milder vors. Clint replied, ¡°Sir had some earlier. There should be a bit left.¡± ¡°Then give me that.¡± She pushed the chicken porridge congee, clearly uninterested in eating it. Clint quickly had a servant bring her the millet porridge. She used to dislike this kind of porridge, but right now, it tasted surprisingly good. She had only taken two sips when a call from Tessa came in. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Star, please save me.¡± Ste froze. Just being around Victor had made her so timid? Where is the Tessa who used to have attitude? Bring it back. Now she was as skittish as a kitten. Tessa whimpered, ¡°Victor¡¯s taking me somewhere, and he said it could be dangerous. Star, save me. I never want to go through something like that again.¡± Just thinking about the two incidents she had already experienced made her feel overwhelmed. Ste asked, ¡°Where¡¯s he taking you?¡± It seemed like every ce Victor went was risky. No wonder Tessa was having a hard time. Tessa said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if he says he¡¯ll guarantee my safety, then obviously it is dangerous, right? Ste didn¡¯t reply. Tessa pleaded, ¡°Star, when are youing back to Falvaria? I¡¯m going crazy.¡± At this rate, even if Victor didn¡¯t kill her, she¡¯d probably lose her mind from fear. Ste replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a set date. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m terrified.¡± Ste stayed quiet. apter 392 Going Crazy Ste said, ¡°Do you want me to have someonee pick you up?¡± To take me to the Dawson residence?¡± +8 Pealis ¡°Aside from the Dawson residence, where else would be safe? Even the international airport in Falvaria had an incident. You haven¡¯t been safe since you left the country.¡± Tessa didn¡¯t respond. That was true. But thinking about the rumors surrounding Evelyn¡­ Living under the same roof as someone like that made her nuts too. ¡°Star, when are youing back?¡± She just wanted to be with her Star. She didn¡¯t care about anyone else. Ste asked. ¡°If Ie back, will you go to the Dawson residence with me?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t have your own ce here?¡± Why did it have to be the Dawson residence? Tessa was going to lose her mind. Ste replied. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then can¡¯t we stay there instead?¡± She really didn¡¯t want to deal with someone as intimidating as Evelyn. The pressure would be unbearable. Ste asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Tessa froze. Wait, not sure. ¡°If we do that, your brother will probably want to skin me alive. Never mind.¡± Abraham from Falvaria was Evelyn¡¯s pride and joy. She couldn¡¯t afford to forget that. One couldn¡¯t mess with Evelyn, but one definitely couldn¡¯t mess with Abraham either. Only now did Tessa fully realize just who Ste had behind her¨Cpeople one couldn¡¯t afford to offend, s without even realizing it, she had somehow be best friends with the inner circle? Her mother was a powerhouse, her brother a force of nature, and her bestie¡­ basically a big deal.
  1. 100.
Steughed. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll figure it out when I get back.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Tessa felt utterly hopeless. Ste said, ¡°Actually, Mr. Victor is very reliable. Since he promised to help you investigate everything, we should trust him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t make things hard for you.¡± Ste fully trusted Abraham¡¯s judgment. Since Abraham had said Victor wouldn¡¯t harm Tessa, then Tessa was safe with him. Tessa went silent. Hearing Ste say Victor wouldn¡¯t make things hard for her made her want to Chapter 392 Going Crazy ¡°He is making things hard for me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He threatened me.¡± ¡°Impossible. Mr. Victor isn¡¯t like that. Don¡¯t feel that way.¡± Tessa exploded inside. Send Gifts The wrong girl 393 Chapter 393 His Type? So speechless. Now what? ¡°Fine, whatever you say.¡± Tessa sounded defeated. Steforted her over the phone for a while, until a knock came at the door. Tessa finally hung up. Victor told her to change and put on some makeup. But when she opened the wardrobe, all she saw were men¡¯s clothes. She was still wearing Victor¡¯s loungewear. The oversized sweater was long enough to pass for a dress. When the door knocked again, Tessa went to open it directly. Victor stood outside. Seeing her still dressed the same, he frowned. ¡°What have you been doing all this time?¡± Tessa hesitated. Calling Star for help, obviously? But thinking about how Ste had acted so meek on the phone when Victor came up, Tessa felt even more hopeless. She kept her thoughts to herself and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have any clothes. Am I supposed to put on one of your suits?¡± She looked pitiful. The sweater she had on was already long¨Cif it were a suit jacket, she definitely couldn¡¯t wear it. Victor was really tall¡­ Probably about 6¡¯3¡°? Standing in front of him, the top of her head barely reached his chest. He was broad and muscr too. Basically, Victor was twice her size¨Cand then some in height. If she wore one of his suits, it would probably hang down to her knees. Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Where are your clothes?¡± ¡°I left in a rush. I didn¡¯t bring anything.¡± Back then, things were so intense, she didn¡¯t even have time to pack before Wesley dragged her away. She gave Victor a pitiful look, face slightly flushed. ¡°The outfit I had on¨Cwhere did you put it after you took it off me?¡± She¡¯d looked for it everywhere yesterday but couldn¡¯t find it. Victor¡¯s face darkened. He checked his watch. It was toote to have someone send clothes over now. He finally pulled a rarely worn smoky gray hoodie from the wardrobe and tossed it to her. It was huge. On Tessa, it looked loose and baggy, and it reached her knees. Somehow, she actually made it look stylish. But it was freezing in Falvaria. Tessa looked up at Victor, miserable. ¡°I¡¯m cold. Sure, she was dressed¨Cbut she¡¯d freeze the moment they stepped outside. Victor paused. Once again, he thought women were just impossible to take care of. He muttered, annoyed, ¡°So much trouble.¡± In the end, he found a thick down jacket¨Cone he rarely wore¨Cand helped her into it. Victor ran hot; he rarely needed such heavy clothes. When they got into the car, it was arge ck Mercedes van. Chapter 393 His Type? ? +8 Pearls Victor and Tessa sat in the middle row. John drove, Ss was in the passenger seat, and Lewis, seeing them enter, quickly moved to the back row. The moment Lewis saw Tessa¡¯s face, he froze. This girl¡­ is nothing like Victor¡¯s usual type. She is so tiny! He nced at Victor¡¯s tall, broad¨Cshouldered frame, then looked back at petite, bundled¨Cup Tessa. Lewis was stunned. Their body types couldn¡¯t be more mismatched. Especially with the clothes. she was wearing¨CLewis was nearly certain that Victor must be fully recovered¡­ in that way. Which meant, this is his type? All those tall, modelesque women in the past couldn¡¯t spark his fire, but this one did? Lewis couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity. ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is sheing with us now? Are you sure she can handle it¡­ physically?¡± The way he asked ¡°physically¨Che definitely had an extra meaning in mind. Even Ss in the front seat picked up on what Lewis was implying. This idiot. Not only did he doubt Victor behind his back, now he was openly probing? Sure,pared to Eddie, Lewis had at least a few brain cells. He didn¡¯t ask outright¨Cbut he was still asking to die. Tessa clearly picked up on the innuendo too. She nced at Victor, lips pressed tight, eyes starting to well with tears again¡­ Victor felt a headacheing on. He red at Lewis. ¡°Remind me. When was thest time I tore your mouth apart?¡± Lewis was speechless. His chest tightened instantly. He shut up fast and mped his mouth shut. Boss is as terrifying as ever. Getting my mouth ripped openst time had hurt. Tessa got dragged out the door by Victor, clearly against her will. Ste had been worried she might be scared, but at this point, she seemed to be getting used to it. Send Gifts The wrong girl 394 Chapter 394 Cut Ties That morning, Ste called Abraham. He said he wouldn¡¯t be back until afternoon. So she arranged lunch with Ryan. But just as she stepped outside, a Maybach pulled up and blocked the road. It stopped about two kilometers from the Seats Cove gate, right at the turn onto the main road. Ethan leaned against the car. The cold wind blew through his hair. Through the windshield, Ste could see how dejected he looked. ¡°Miss, we can¡¯t get through,¡± the driver said. The Maybach was parked right in the center of the road, clearly waiting just for Ste. She frowned. Ryan¡¯s call came through. She picked up. ¡°Rianne?¡± ¡°Star, I¡¯m at the caf¨¦ on the nearby street, waiting for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She hung up and stepped out of the car. She kept her distance, just staring at Ethan from afar. Ethan¡¯s ¡®s gaze was hollow when he saw her. He held a cigarette, wore only a thin jacket, and the stubble on his face made him look haggard and worn out. That was a look she never expected to see on Ethan. Leaning against the car door, Ste spoke coldly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blocking the road like this? She didn¡¯t believe he was here to intercept Abraham. If he dared to stand here like this, he must¡¯ve known Abraham was out. And now he dared toe block her? So maybe the Keene family wasn¡¯t in such deep trouble after all? But she was wrong. The Keene. family was in deep trouble¨Cand Ethan was close to a mental breakdown. He threw cigarette and walked toward her. Ste frowned, clearly irritated. away his He stopped about three feet away. Now she could see the storm of emotion in his eyes. Emptiness. Sadness. Pain¡­ All of it, swirling in Ethan¡¯s eyes. Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Here to beg for Lillian again?¡± There could be no other reason for that kind of emotion¨Cexcept Lillian. Tessa and Ryan had been feeding her gossip about the Reed family, but in Ste¡¯s mind¡­ Susan and Ethan¡¯s bias toward Lillian would always trump everything else. When Ethan heard her say that, the pain in his eyes deepened. ¡°Beg?¡± he repeated, his voice full of anguish. Chapter 394 Cut Ties +8 Pearls Right. The Reed family never begged. Neither did Ethan. Back then, when they wanted her to spare Lillian, they didn¡¯t plead. They tried to crush her. The things they did to her then¡­ how many tactics did they use? Ha¡­. Ethan stood silent. Hearing her say ¡°threaten¡± and ¡°suppress¡± made his chest feel like it might explode. He shut his eyes. His whole body shook. His hands clenched into fists. With effort, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve already¡­ cut ties with her.¡± Ste arched a brow. She didn¡¯t respond, just looked at him in silence, recalling something Tessa had gossiped about. She said Ethan left the Reed house that day and kicked over a flowerpot by the gate. Ethan said, ¡°Ste, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ste was stunned. His sudden apology made her eyes flicker. ¡°You¡¯re apologizing to me?¡± ¡°I wronged you. 1¡­¡± He trailed off. Too much had happened sincest night. His head was a mess. Ever since he left the Keene family¡­ The only thing he wanted to do was see her. He needed to see her. No one knew how empty he¡¯d felt since she broke off the engagement¡­ like someone had carved out the most important part of him. Ste said tly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother apologizing. You never should¡¯vee. Move your car.¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear another word. She turned and got into her car. Just as she was about to close the door, Ethan panicked. He rushed forward and grabbed it. Ste raised a brow, ¡°You- But even as she spoke, her foot instinctivelyshed out. Ethan¡¯s expression changed instantly. He stepped back out of reflex, putting distance between them. He remembered that Ste hated physical contact. Even when they were engaged, she always flinched away when he got close. After she called off the engagement, anytime he grabbed her wrist, she¡¯d strike back immediately. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 395 Chapter 395 All A Joke What now? She wanted to kick him again? Thinking about the injuries he¡¯d suffered before, Ethan¡¯s face twitched. Ste, seeing him back away, realized with surprise that she had just instinctively tried to kick him to death again. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sorry. You left me with serious psychological trauma. My default defense mechanism is violence. It¡¯s probably better if you don¡¯t show up in front of me again. If I end up hitting you, that¡¯s on you. Ethan was speechless. The driver thought, She is quite polite, at least she acknowledges hitting people is wrong. Ethan¡¯s face darkened. Even though he¡¯d mentally prepared himself before meeting Ste, her attitude still made him ufortable. Women should be gentle. She was more like a raging lunatic. Ste said, ¡°Are you going to move your car, or should I just ram it?¡± She said ¡°ram it¡± like it was as casual as saying she¡¯d go grab lunch. Ethan¡¯s expression cracked again. Everything he¡¯d nned to say waspletely derailed by her attitude. The only thing he managed to get out¡­ Clenching his fists tighter, he said, ¡°Can you tell that guy to back off?¡± Last night, something major happened with the Keene family. A man who looked just like Ethan suddenly appeared¨Cholding a paternity test linking him to Ethan¡¯s father. The entire Keene family had been thrown into chaos. Trying to hold on to hisst shred ofposure, Ethan investigated the man¡¯s background- Derrick was the one who brought him. Derrick¡­. Ste¡¯s fianc¨¦ back in Falvaria. To Ethan, it was obvious this was her revenge. But when Ste heard what he said, she blinked. ¡°Who?¡± You¡¯re saying you don¡¯t know?¡± Ethan stared at her in disbelief. Ste rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you insane? Pulling this crap. again?¡± Whenever something involved Lillian, Ethan loved using this usatory tone with her. And now he was doing it again? What any time something didn¡¯t go his way he inst assumed it was her 1:05 PM c Chapter 395 All A Joke + Pearls Ethan snapped, ¡°He showed up with a DNA test matching my father. Ste, I know you hate me, but you shouldn¡¯t- He paused. The pain in his eyes grew deeper. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take it this far.¡± Disrupting the entire Keene family¨Cthis was the most vicious way she could get back at him. She hated him? Was it because of the wedding that never happened? Ste said. ¡°You think I hate you? ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re really delusional. Hate? Don¡¯t tter yourself. The only one who ever loved jor hated you that deeply was Lillian. No one else gives a damn.¡± Hate required love, and she had none of that for Ethan. ¡°You¡­¡± Ethan tried to speak. ¡°I¡¯d waste time trying to get back at you? Don¡¯t tter yourself,¡± Ste snapped. ¡°Do you think I need to get my hands dirty to ruin you?¡± Just look at what¡¯s happened to the Reed and Keene families in the business worldtely. She hadn¡¯t done anything personally. Ethan¡¯s body stiffened. Right. She hadn¡¯t made a move. Last night, Derrick had sent that man. He even arrogantly tossed out a ¡°you¡¯re wee¡± before leaving. You¡¯re wee¡­ Ha. Ethanughed bitterly, filled with sarcasm. ¡°Ste, I really underestimated you. I never imagined. you had this kind of power.¡± ¡°You made your adoptive brother fall in love with you, and even that fianc¨¦ you clearly had no future with he did this for you?¡± Ste was speechless. This guy¡¯s insane. Still, the mention of Derrick gave her pause. Why would Derrick do that? On the surface, he didn¡¯t seem to have any deep feud with the Keenes. Forget it. Ethan is clearly out of his mind. Ethan said. ¡°I used to think you couldn¡¯t live without me.¡± He truly believed he was the center of her world. That even when she asked to call off the engagement, it was just a tantrum. After all, how could a woman survive without support? Now he realized¨Cit was all just a joke. The wrong girl 396 Chapter 396 Lost It Stepletely lost patience. She rolled her eyes at Ethan and mmed the car door shut. ¡°Drive through him.¡± No point wasting time talking to someone that unhinged. The driver nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Just as the car started to move, the driver up front suddenly said, ¡°Miss, the boss is back.¡± Ste looked up through the windshield. The moment she spotted Abraham¡¯s car, a loud bang echoed the car in front got mmed out of the way. Ste was speechless. That¡¯s her brother, alright. Never one to beat around the bush. She stepped out of the car without sparing Ethan a nce, walking straight toward Abraham¡¯s: vehicle. Abraham got out too, exuding menace. He cast a sharp look at Ethan. ¡°Surprising that Mr. Keene still dares show his face here. But¡­¡± He nced at Ethan¡¯s now¨Csmashed car. ¡°I don¡¯t like people trespassing on my turf. Next time, make sure you know where you¡¯re going. Don¡¯t take the wrong turn.¡± Thest few words wereced with threat. Ethan trembled with rage. He looked toward Ste, who now stood beside Abraham. The two of them didn¡¯t even try to hide anything. Holding hands. Right in front of him. Ethan¡¯s eyes locked on their entwined fingers. His chest felt like it was caving in.) ¡°I¡¯ve got lunch with Rianne. Let¡¯s go, Ste said, turning away with no interest in wasting more time on Ethan. Abraham fondly pinched her nose and led her into the car. They drove off, leaving Ethan standing alone in the cold wind. He felt chilled to the bone¨Cbut it wasn¡¯t just the weather. It was the ache in his heart. When she¡¯dughed at the idea that she hated. him, there was nothing but scorn. She didn¡¯t hate him. She didn¡¯t feel anything. So what did thest two years mean to her? Inside the car, Ste sat on Abraham¡¯sp, wiggling slightly. ¡°I want my own seat.¡± Every time they were alone, he insisted on holding her. Come to think of it, he had been carrying her around since they were kids. Hisrge hand rested on her soft waist. Good thing Ste was petite- otherwise, that baby fat would be hard to manage. ¡°Are you mad?¡± Abraham asked. Ste remained silent. He continued, ¡°He came to find me¨CI didn¡¯t look for him,¡± she said with a pitiful pout. ¡°Still don¡¯t know how to deal with people like that?¡± Abraham asked. His rule for dealing with irrelevant people: don¡¯t waste time. Use force if needed. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°I was about to ram his car. Then you showed up. Wait, weren¡¯t you supposed to be back in the afternoon?¡± 1:05 PM Chapter 396 Lost It Abraham didn¡¯t answer¨Cinstead, he kissed her. Ste was speechless. Not again¡­. In the front, Abel noticed the sudden silence in the car and quietly raised the divider. +8 Pearls This little troublemaker had already dyed everything. They had just reached their destination when Abraham learned Ethan was at Seats Cove blocking Ste¨Che turned the car around immediately. That crash just now? Yeah, Abraham had definitely lost his temper. Ethan¡¯s car was probably totaled. Abraham dropped Ste off where she was supposed to meet Ryan. As she stepped out, she nearly tripped¨CAbraham caught her just in time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t even walk straight?¡± he asked. Ste shot him a re. ¡°It¡¯s your fault¨Cyou kissed me until I was dizzy.¡± Susan was frantic. Lillian¡¯s medical costs were sky¨Chigh¨Ctens of millions¨Cand she was desperately calling Patrick. On the phone, Susan¡¯s voice was nearly pleading. ¡°I know you¡¯ve started a new family. I can¡¯t control you. I¡¯m not asking for anything. But please¡­ don¡¯t be so heartless. You used to love Lillian. We raised her together.¡± She refused to believe Patrick had no feelings left for Lillian. She had to get treated. No matter the cost. No one knew why Susan was so obsessed with saving Lillian. Even after everything, including her attempt on Ste¡¯s life, Susan still wouldn¡¯t give up on her. Send Gifts The wrong girl 397 Chapter 397 Discovery Patrick wasn¡¯t as easy to talk to. An hour before Susan¡¯s call, he had already learned the truth. He knew everything that had happened in the Reed family over the past few days. Now, facing Susan¡¯s request for money to treat Lillian, he lost all patience. ¡°Susan, are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not even blood¨Crted to us, and she almost got Ste killed.¡± Patrick was furious. So much chaos had happened recently in the Reed family. As far as he was concerned, it was all because Susan had mishandled the younger generation. Her tant favoritism toward Lillian had led to this mess. ¡°And you still want to cure her? What the hell are you thinking?¡± His anger burst through the phone line, making Susan shudder. Faced with Patrick¡¯s fury, Susan held back for a moment¨Cbut then she snapped too. ¡°So what am I supposed to do? I raised her myself. Am I just supposed to watch her die?¡± She couldn¡¯t do it. She really couldn¡¯t. Just thinking about Lillian possibly dying because she couldn¡¯t get the medicine made Susan¡¯s chest tighten with panic. Patrick said, ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Don¡¯t drag the rest of us into it. Thirty million¨Cdo you think any of us cane up with that kind of money right now?¡± Thirty million wasn¡¯t a joke. Even in the old days of the Reed family, that kind of money couldn¡¯t just be pulled out on a whim. Susan exploded when she heard that. ¡°So now all the money is going to that other woman, and you¡¯re just abandoning us, is that it?¡± She had been so caught up with Lillian¡¯s issuestely, she hadn¡¯t had time to deal with anything else. She didn¡¯t even have time to confront Patrick about the second family he had started outside. All she wanted was to try her best to pull the Reed family back together again. She didn¡¯t want the family to fall apart¡­ But Patrick¡¯s attitude nowpletely enraged her. I¡¯m telling you, Patrick. You will give me that thirty million. I don¡¯t care how. And from now on, you¡¯ll also be giving us 700,000 dors every month.¡± If begging didn¡¯t work, she¡¯d go the hard route. Any intention she had of keeping things civil with Patrick was gone. She tore off the maskpletely. Little did she know, Patrick had long si given up on her. Faced with her overbearing and unreasonable demands, Patrick said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re sick. Then he hung up. When Susan tried to call again, she realized she had been blocked. Furious, she screamed, ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Why? Why have the Reed family ended up like this? It had been a good family. When had it started falling apart like this, piece by piece? Why had things be so bad? Chapter 397 Discovery Susan¡¯s chest heaved with anger, and even her head started to ache. The housekeeper walked in. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this was delivered for you.¡± +8 Pearls Susan rubbed her forehead, still breathing unevenly. She took the envelope the housekeeper handed over and ripped it open, pulling out the contents impatiently. There were photos¡­ And when she saw who was in them, her pupils constricted. She tightened. her grip on the pictures. What¡­ The photo showed Lillian. Sitting across from her was¡­ that woman? ¡°What the hell is this?¡± She looked at the housekeeper, who seemed just as confused. Already struggling to breathe properly, Susan tensed up even more as she stared at the photos. Behind them, there was more¨Ca dossier. And Lillian¡¯s phone records. One number had been specially marked: that woman¡¯s number. Looking at the frequency of calls between them¡­ Susan turned to the housekeeper in horror. ¡°This¡­¡± What¡­ Her shock was so overwhelming, she couldn¡¯t even hear her own voice anymore. She looked at the documents again¨Cit was the full record of that woman¡¯s hiring process in thepany. And Lillian¡¯s involvement in it. So that woman had entered thepany because of Lillian? She¡­ No, this can¡¯t be! In an instant, Susan¡¯s mind went nk, her blood running in reverse. ¡°Ma¡¯am? Ma¡¯am! Are you okay?¡± the housekeeper¡¯s panicked voice echoed in the living room as tension filled the air. Ste and Ryan had just finished coffee and were about to get dinner. The wrong girl 398 Chapter 398 What Was Going On? + Pears Ryan¡¯s phone rang. Ste assumed it was Tempest calling. Clearly, Ryan had been dealing with at lot from the Hale familytely. Even if she didn¡¯t say it, Ste could feel the resentment Ryan carried toward them now. After hearing the news over the phone, Ryan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Alright, got it.¡± She hung and turned to Ste. ¡°Madam Susan¡¯s in the hospital.¡± up Everyone around Ste referred to Susan as Madam Susan, never as your mother. They all knew she didn¡¯t deserve the title. And in Ste¡¯s heart, she wasn¡¯t a mother. Ste raised an eyebrow, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°No idea. A colleague from the hospital called. If her body really gives out now, the Reed family¡¯s situation will get even worse.¡± Ste was speechless. Worse? The Reed family was already aplete disaster. But if Susan was out of the picture, then Lillian would have no one left to protect her. Wait¡­ She thought she might know why Susan ended up in the hospital. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of Lillian.¡± Ryan looked confused. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°All those rumors you heard? Bing¡¯er verified them¨Cthey¡¯re all true,¡± Ste said. Ryan was stunned. She¡¯d thought those rumors were scary enough. She didn¡¯t expect them actually be true. ¡°So after all these years, who exactly was Madam Susan protecting?¡± ¡°She raised Lillian well¨Cat least she taught her to distinguish between insiders and outsiders,¡± Ste replied. Ryan was speechless. ¡®Raised her well¨Cthose words couldn¡¯t be more fitting when describing Susan. She used to use Ste of not knowing where her loyaltiesy. Well, now she did. A little too well. ¡°She¡¯s probably losing her mind,¡± Ryan said. Ste replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised if she crawls out of that hospital just to keep finding ways to help Lillian.¡± Ryan was speechless again. Thatment hit hard. ¡°Well, either way, it¡¯s no longer your problem.¡± ¡°It never was,¡± Ste said. She¡¯d be returning to Falvaria soon. Not just the Reed family¨Cshe was about done with Rivermount entirely. Chapter 398 What Was Going On? +8 Pearls Hand in hand, they walked off to find dinner. Another call came in for Ryan, again about Susan. After she hung up, she said to Ste. This time it looks bad. She might not recover.¡± Ste was silent. If she couldn¡¯t even catch her breath¡­ Is that it for her? any She stayed calm. It wasn¡¯t that she was cold¨Cit was just that she felt nothing. She never had feelings for those people. And after the way they treated her upon her return to Rivermount¨Cnot kicking them while they were down was already generous. ¡°Well, Lillian¡¯s really screwed now.¡± If Susan really died, then Lillian would mean nothing in the Reed family. They entered the restaurant. Just as they were about to order, Ste¡¯s phone rang. It was Abraham. ¡°No spicy food.¡± ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Ste replied. She wasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. The fact that Abraham even let her out was rare. If she messed around with food, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed out next time. She hung up, and Ryan grinned. ¡°Your brother¡¯s so good to you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not going to be my brother anymore,¡± Ste said. Ryan blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting married.¡± go Ryan was speechless. Married? That word hit unexpectedly. A trace of bitterness passed through her eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. ¡°Congrats.¡± Marriage sounded¡­ wonderful. Ste asked, ¡°What about you and Changfeng? Any ns?¡± Come to think of it¨CRyan¡¯s situation was a bit like Ste¡¯s. When she was five, her father had died because of Tempest¡¯s father. She was taken in by the Hale family, but they never treated her well. Tempest¡¯s mother disliked her, and the rest of the family. followed suit. Only Tempest and his father ever stood up for her. And after Mr. He passed away, Tempest was the only one who kept protecting her. Everyone around her knew how he felt. He always kept her close. To say he had no feelings for Ryan? Ste didn¡¯t buy that. When Ste asked her the question, Ryan¡¯s face stiffened for a moment. ¡°Me and him?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 399 Chapter 399 Danger Lurking Her tone was clearly off. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ryan said nothing. Between her and Tempest¡­ the words Feng Qingye had said to her shed through her mind, and suddenly, she felt suffocated. ¡°His mother¡¯s been trying to find him a suitable match for a political marriage¡± Ste was stunned. A political marriage? ¡°Tempest doesn¡¯t need a marriage alliance to strengthen the Hale family business, does he?¡± she Jasked. Among the younger generation, Tempest had absolute control. Under his leadership, the Hale Corporation was thriving. Ryan gave a faint smile but didn¡¯t say anything. Even that smile made Ste feel a deep bitterness in her chest. Ryan continued, ¡°Mrs. Hale came to the hospital to see me this morning.¡± Ste asked what she said. ¡°What else? She told me to know my ce.¡± That really did sound like something a wealthy matriarch would say. But for it toe from Tempest¡¯s mother, and directed at Ryan of all people¨Cit was almost like she had forgotten who had helped their family back then. Ste got angry. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous.¡± If Mr. Hale had really died back then, the family wouldn¡¯t. havested long enough for Tempest to take over. Ryan was practically a benefactor to them, and she still got treated like this. Apparently, the world wasn¡¯t short on people whocked basic decency¨Cnot just the Reed family. Even Mrs. Hale had no conscience. ¡°So what¡¯s Tempest¡¯s stance now?¡± Ste asked. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who would agree to a marriage alliance. After all, he clearly had feelings for Ryan. In recent years, whenever he had to go on extended business trips, he always brought Ryan along. Ryan handed a prepared menu to Ste. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about him.¡± Anything rted to the Hale family just made her upset now. There was something hidden in Ryan¡¯s eyes, and Ste noticed it. She had a feeling that what was upsetting Ryan wasn¡¯t just Mrs. Hale. As for Mrs. Hale¡­ well, she had never liked Ryan over the years. But since Tempest had always shielded her, Ryan rarely had to deal with his mother directly. Still, today, just bringing up the Hale family clearly unsettled her. Chapter 399 Danger Lurking Ste quickly picked a few items and passed the menu to the waiter. Just then, Abraham called again. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much at lunch¨CI¡¯m bringing something delicious.¡± Ste smiled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see soon.¡± Hearing his voice, a warm feeling bloomed in Ste¡¯s chest. +8 Pearls After hanging up, Ryan said, ¡°Star, I really envy you. They all love you so much.¡± They meant the entire Dawson family¨CAbraham, the Dawsons, even the Lukes¨Cthey all truly treated her like family. Ste replied, ¡°Don¡¯t envy me. There are plenty of people who can¡¯t stand me too.¡± Like the Reed family. Even though they were blood¨Crted, things had been tense and hostile over the past couple of years. When Ste mentioned the Reeds, Ryan rolled her eyes. ¡°There are awful people everywhere.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Ste agreed. ¡°But no matter what, you still have people who love and support you. Me¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s voice turned bitter. She had no one. Her mother had left when she was still little, running off with another man because her father was poor. She had grown up with her father¨Cthe only person who ever loved and protected her. But even he was gone now. Ste gently ced her palm over Ryan¡¯s cold hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You still have Tempest.¡± Everyone knew how protective Tempest was of her. With him around, no one dared to bully Ryan. Ryan didn¡¯t say anything¨Cjust nodded faintly. Ste understood. Mrs. Hale must¡¯ve been stirring up trouble againtely, which exined why Ryan was so upset. She was about to say something tofort her when Tessa¡¯s call came through. Ste answered. ¡°Tessa?¡± ¡°Star, when are youing back? Waaaah¡­¡± She had barely said a word before bursting into loud sobs. Ste¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What happened?¡± Why was she crying so hard? Tessa choked through her tears. ¡°If I stay with this man any longer, I¡¯ll die. I almost died today! Sob, sob¡­¡± Chapter 399 Danger Lurking +6 Pearis Ste¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°What did Mr. Victor do this time?¡± Almost died? Well, it was Falvaria, after all, In a ce that ruled the darkness, it wasn¡¯t surprising that danger lurked everywhere. Send Gifts 714 The wrong girl 400 Chapter 400 Different Worlds So if Tessa was staying with Victor, it was no surprise she kept encountering life¨Cthreatening situations. She cried harder. ¡°He said he was taking me to meet someone, but we never saw the person¨Cand I almost got killed!¡± Ste was shocked. ¡°What?!¡± Tessa sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°Star, pleasee back soon. I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll never see you again. I was so terrified¡­¡± She tried her best not to cry out loud, covering her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t stop. She was really Jon the verge of a breakdown. She had never imagined ending up in a situation like this¨Cgetting involved with someone like Victor. And now that she had, she was genuinely terrified. She didn¡¯t want to live this kind of life. Downstairs, Victor sat on the couch with a cigarette between his fingers. Lewis came down from the study holding a file. He handed it over and whispered, ¡°Big bro, she¡¯s crying her eyes out.¡± He had heard everything as he passed by Tessa¡¯s door. Ss, sitting on a nearby armchair, raised his eyebrows when he heard that. It was just a file delivery¨Chow did it turn into an eavesdropping session on the future sister¨Cinw crying? Victor gave Lewis a sharp look. His expression was unreadable. Then Lewis, oblivious to danger, added, ¡°She doesn¡¯t even believe you can protect her. Look how scared she is.¡± Ss and John were both speechless. They could feel the chill radiating from Victor. They desperately tried to signal Lewis to shut up, but it was like his brain had jammed. He barely had. one working brain cell¨Cand now even that seemed broken. Victor tossed the file onto the table, got up, and stormed upstairs. ¡°Big bro-¡°Lewis started. Before he could finish, Ss rushed over and mped a hand over his mouth. ¡°You lunatic. Are you trying to die? You think you can gossip about anything?¡± Lewis was stunned. He didn¡¯t even gossip. He just overheard it! Victor reached Tessa¡¯s door. Inside, he heard her sobbing and cursing him. ¡°He¡¯s a cold¨Cblooded killer! I¡¯m terrified he¡¯ll snap and kill me too! Waaaah¡­¡± Chapter 400 Different Worlds Victor¡¯s face darkened. He twisted the doorknob and walked in. +8 Pearls Tessa was curled up on the window couch, still on the phone with Ste. The moment the door opened, she looked up¨Cright into Victor¡¯s gloomy eyes. His face was pitch ck with rage. Her hand trembled, and the phone slipped from her grasp. She stared in horror. Hadn¡¯t she locked the door? Already on edge, the sight of Victor¨Cwho exuded danger¨Cmade her cry even harder. She hugged her knees tightly, frozen in ce. Her wide eyes were filled with fear and wariness. Victor felt a wave of frustration. He walked over, bent down, and picked up her phone, handing it to her. Tessa didn¡¯t dare move. When he got close, the image of him blowing someone¡¯s head off shed through her mind. She couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Victor frowned at her shaking shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re really this scared?¡± It was just one person¨Cwas that really so terrifying? If she couldn¡¯t even handle this, how was she going to deal with future situations? Tessa bit her lip. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him, saying nothing. Victor tossed the phone onto the coffee table and sat beside her. That only made Tessa shrink back in fear¨Cbut she was already pressed against the back of the couch. She had nowhere else to
  1. go.
Victor reached out and pulled her close. ¡°What are you hiding from, huh?¡± His sudden movement made her scream. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Victor¡¯s already dark face turned even darker. He threatened in a low voice, ¡°Scream again, and I¡¯ll strip you and throw you outside. You believe me?¡± Tessa was speechless. She immediately froze, too scared to even breathe. Tears welled up again as she looked at the man before her. He was so close that his overwhelming presence left her nowhere to escape. Maybe¡­ they really were from two different worlds. Even the scheming and maniption she¡¯d seen before didn¡¯tpare to this. The wrong girl 401 Chapter 401 Unavoidable Chaos Chapter 401 Unavoidable Chaos At the very least, none of those people were as ruthless as this man, who killed without a second thought. s Perhaps it was because of Victor¡¯s past actions, but at this moment, even though he said nothing, Tessa could still feel the sheer danger emanating from him. She had already been terrified, and now she was even more afraid¡­ Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Victor¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Stop crying.¡± Women are such a hassle. Tessa sniffled. ¡°Let go of me.¡± I don¡¯t want to be this close to him, I want to go home. I just want to go home now. Victor narrowed his eyes. The dangerous aura around him was growing stronger. Tessa quickly added, ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t let go! If you want to hug me, then fine, go ahead, hug me all you want.¡± Whimpering softly, she instinctively clutched at her cor, terrified that the man would suddenly lose his temper, tear her clothes apart, and toss her out. I¡¯m finally beginning to understand. This dangerous man is not under Abraham¡¯s control. When Abraham isn¡¯t watching, Victor does whatever he pleases. He is the kind of man who made his own rules. Even if Abraham had personally instructed him to take care of me, could this even be called ¡°taking care¡°? Tessa felt like she was about to die from fear. Victor looked down at her curled¨Cup posture and let out a low chuckle. ¡°How did Ste end up with a friend like you?¡± That little princess was no pushover. For years, she had been spoiled by Abraham, and her courage was unmatched. Anyone who crossed her would end up paying the price. And yet someone like her had befriended someone like this. Tessa was stunned. What did he mean by that? Victor finally let go of her trembling frame and stood up. ¡°Go take a shower and change your clothes.¡± The moment she heard those words, a chill ran down Tessa¡¯s spine. ¡°Why do I need to change?¡± My clothes are a little messy, sure. But the fact that this man was asking me to shower and change¨Cit doesn¡¯t sound right. Especially after everything that had happened. Now, I¡¯m even more wary of him. Victor shot her an icy re. ¡°We¡¯re heading to another location soon. Hurry up.¡± Tessa was stunned, ¡°We¡¯re leaving again?¡± 1:21 PM d Chapter 401 Unavoidable Chaos Victor simply responded with a slight nod before turning and walking away. The moment he reached the door, panic surged through Tessa¡¯s chest. ¡°Can I not go?¡± Oh God, I really don¡¯t want to go anywhere, especially not with him. I kept encountering dangerous situations, and it was terrifying. Victor turned his head slightly and looked at her without saying a word. Then, he stepped out. Tessa was helpless. Help! I really don¡¯t want to go anywhere with this man. Victor was gone. s Left alone, Tessa picked up her phone with trembling hands and checked the screen. The call had already disconnected. She quickly redialed Ste. Ste answered almost immediately. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Ste, if you don¡¯te back to Falvaria soon, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll live long enough to see you again.¡± The had nearly cost me my life. And now this¡­ Hearing Victor say ¡°hurry,¡± Tessa couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that things were going to escte. It might even be worse than before. Even if I have 10 hearts, I won¡¯t survive this level of stress. Ste paused for a moment beforeughing softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Victor will protect you.¡± Tessa was speechless. Is she serious? Stelia added, ¡°I already sent my people to find Ms. Diana and your assistant, Wesley.¡± ¡°When exactly are youing back?¡± Tessa asked urgently. Finding my mom and Wesley is one thing. But the most important thing for me is to get away from Victor. He is terrifying. Ste said, ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow.¡± Tessa asked, ¡°Unexpected?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Last time we were supposed to return to Falvaria from Kealis Ind, but for some reason, Abraham had gone to Rivermount instead. Tessa sighed. ¡°How can there be unexpected dys just to go home?¡± Her voice was noticeably weary. She had no idea what was happening outside¨Call she knew was that the situation was dangerous. The only way to avoid staying near Victor was to wait for Ste to return. 2/3 1.21 PM B Chapter 401 Unavoidable Chaos Ste sighed. ¡°Listen, I know you¡¯re on the verge of breaking down, but Tessa, you need to ept a harsh reality.¡± ¡°What reality?¡± Right now, I don¡¯t want to ept anything¨Cnothing at all. s Ste¡¯s tone was quiet but firm. ¡°Your mother, Ms. Diana, might have crossed the wrong people. The peace in your world might havepletely copsed.¡± The wrong girl 402 Chapter 402 Uncertain Fate Chapter 402 Uncertain Fate Ste thought in her mind. Although the words were harsh, Tessa wouldn¡¯t be able to ept them in just a few days. But I still had to say them. Especially since my people were already dispatched, and there was still no news. Over the years, I had seen too much in the Dawson family, a life full of ups and downs. The peace in Tessa¡¯s world had likely to an end. +5 Free Coins Ste said, ¡°Even though you¡¯re terrified of Victor, even afraid of the dangers surrounding him, you need to ept the fact that no matter where you go, danger will follow.¡± Tessa was stunned. Hearing this, her chest tightened. Ste is right. No matter where I go now, it is dangerous. Mom had rushed to pack me off overseas. I haven¡¯t even had time to arrange my things, and yet, arriving in Falviaria isn¡¯t any safer. From Rivermount to Falvaria, Tessa finally realized that the people her mother had offended held significant power. Thinking about this, her emotions spiraled further. ¡°Ste¡­ Argh¡­ Come back soon, please¡­¡± Right now, Tessa didn¡¯t want to ept anything. She just wanted Ste to hurry back. Ste sighed, ¡°I know. Just don¡¯t cry, alright?¡± Over the phone, Ste kept soothing her, reassuring her that she had already sent people to find Diana. Gradually, Tessa¡¯s emotions settled, and she began to ept the changes in her world. After the call ended, Tessa bit her lip, clutching her phone tightly. Lewis came up to summon her. ¡°Tessa, your boyfriend wants you downstairs. We¡¯re leaving.¡± The words ¡°your boyfriend¡± sent a shiver through her. Wait, how had I suddenly be Victor¡¯s girlfriend? Tessa¡¯s eyes were still brimming with tears. Seeing her in this state, Lewis couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°You better stop crying. Victor doesn¡¯t like women who much. Be careful, or he might just leave you behind.¡± Tessa was shocked and speechless. Her tears fell even harder. Lewis sighed and turned away. ¡°Hurry up, Victor isn¡¯t patient. He won¡¯t wait for too long.¡± With that, Lewis went downstairs. Tessa had barely managed to stop crying, yet now the tears came rushing back. Victor had sent someone to call for me again. That meant I had no choice but to go. Oh God, I really don¡¯t want to go. In the end, she quickly washed up and changed into the clothes Victor had prepared for her. cry too Chapter 402 Uncertain Fate Before stepping out, she sent a message to Ste. The subject read: ¡°Testament.¡± The content, well, it was a long one. s Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s side, she was having a meal with Rianne. Seeing the message titled ¡°Testament,¡± she nearly choked on her drink. ¡°Pift-!¡± Is Tessa serious? Rianne looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ste wiped the corner of her mouth. ¡°Tess haspletely lost it.¡± She had even prepared her words. Just how terrifying had Mr. Victor been for her to go as far as writing a testament? I had told her that Victor was reliable, but she simply refused to believe it. Her fear was overwhelming. I had never seen Tessa so scared before. In the past, she had been so fearless. What had Mr. Victor done? He must have terrified her beyond reason. Rianne asked, ¡°Is Victor really trustworthy?¡± Hearing Tessa sob like that over the phone, Rianne couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the man was anything but reliable. Ste nodded. ¡°Mr. Victor is very reliable. Tessa just hasn¡¯t gotten used to him.¡± Rianne frowned. ¡°Who could ever get used to that?¡± At least I know I can¡¯t. Living constantly on the edge, where one wrong move could cost my life. Ste chuckled. ¡°Alright then, what about you? You¡¯re always around Tempest.¡± Tempest isn¡¯t a simple man either¨Con the surface, he is a medical tycoon, but behind the scenes¡­ I had heard Abraham mention him once. Not much was said, but it was enough to confirm that Tempest wasn¡¯t merely an upright man. Rianne frowned in confusion. ¡°Him? He¡¯s nothing like Mr. Abraham.¡± Hearing this, Ste knew Rianne probably had no idea. Just as they were about to continue the conversation, Ste¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the number. It is an unknown caller¨Codd, given that very few people had ess to my number. She picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A familiar voice came through. Ste¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°!!!¡± 1:21 PM Chapter 402 Uncertain Fate It was Derrick. He had even managed to get my private number. C Her expression turned cold immediately. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°When are youing back to Falvaria?¡± 3/3 The wrong girl 403 s Chapter 403 Trouble Return Chapter 403 Trouble Return Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Earlier, when Tessa had asked the same question, I had understood¨Cit was because she was terrified of Falvaria. But now, Derrick was asking this question. What did Falvaria have to do with him anymore? Derrick said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you in Falvaria, sweetheart.¡± Ste was speechless. The word ¡°sweetheart¡± sent a shudder down her spine. Without hesitation, she retorted, ¡°Are you insane?¡± Goosebumps rose all over her skin. This bastard. Wait, he had returned to Falvaria? How? The Tom family had already been destroyed by Abraham, and he had been hunted across the world. Derrick scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m insane. My fianc¨¦e is out here flirting with other men.¡± Ste snapped, ¡°I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e? Your ass!¡± The word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡± instantly set her off. I had been trapped in two absurd engagements in my life. The first was with Ethan, a decision made without my mind. The second, naturally, was this one¨Cwith Derrick Tom. A promise made by the elders, also without my consent. Yet, Derrick still refused to let go. Derrick chuckled. ¡°That mouth of yours, I¡¯ll tear it up sooner orter. Just you wait.¡± Ste sneered, ¡°I¡¯ll do it to you before you.¡± Her voice dripped with disdain. Derrickughed. ¡°That works too. I¡¯ll be right here, waiting for you to tear me apart, my darling fianc¨¦e.¡± He deliberately emphasized the word ¡°darling.¡± Fuming, Ste hung up on him. Damn it. Derrick was already back in Falvaria. Did Abraham know? Did he allow this? Across the table, Rianne noticed her furious expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just eat.¡± That bastard Derrick. A low¨Clife opportunist who had seized every chance to kick us when we were down, and now he dared to return to Falvaria? He had spent the two years running for his life. Had he forgotten the concept of survival? +5 Free Coins 1/3 Chapter 403 Trouble Return +5 Free Coins Just as they finished eating, Ste¡¯s phone rang again. This time, it was Abraham. ¡°The driver is outside the restaurant. He¡¯s here to pick you up.¡± Ste replied, ¡°I can get home myself.¡± Abraham was firm. ¡°The driver¡¯s already there.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Since Abraham had arranged it, she didn¡¯t argue. After saying goodbye to Rianne, she got into the car that hade to take her back to Seats Cove. calling Derrick again, just to curse him out properly. On the way, she couldn¡¯t resist c The filthiest insults poured out. On the other end, Derrick sighed and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Ste, you¡¯re being unbelievably biased.¡± I knew she was always on Abraham¡¯s side. But to curse me like this¡­ Derrick¡¯s voice carried a hint of grievance. Ste grew even more furious. ¡°Drop the act. You¡¯re just a backstabbing scumbag.¡± Derrick was speechless. This damn girl and her sharp tongue. Before he could speak, Ste had already hung up. Hearing the dial tone, Derrick exhaled sharply. Then, with a click of his tongue, he muttered, ¡°Ungrateful little thing.¡± Sebastian remarked, ¡°Since you betrayed Abraham, she despises you. Don¡¯t expect any mercy.¡± Derrick frowned. ¡°Was that really betrayal?¡± Sebastian hesitated. Wasn¡¯t it? Thinking back, maybe it wasn¡¯t. The circumstances around Derrick at the time had been incredibly . And during the chaos surrounding Abraham, he had, by sheer coincidence, helped him avoid critical danger. ¡°But even so, Abraham won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡± Sebastian thought aloud. Derrick suddenly decided to return to Falvaria; Sebastian didn¡¯t fully support it. They still had unfinished business in Pagena. However, seeing Derrick so eager to call Ste, it was clear why he was rushing back. Truthfully, Abraham had spent years wanting to be near Ste. And Derrick was no different. Imagining the scene that would soon unfold in Falvaria, Sebastian rubbed his temples. ¡°So Ms. Dawson is 2/3 Chapter 403 Trouble Return Derrick gave a slight nod. ¡°Abraham¡¯s done with business in Rivermount.¡± Sebastian fell silent. No wonder Derrick was eager to return to Falvaria. I can only hope Abraham will go easy on him when the time . Meanwhile, Ste sat inside the car Abraham had sent for her. As they passed through the gates of Seats Cove, Patrick stood in the middle of the road. The security team tried to remove him. Yet, he remained still, eyes fixed on Ste¡¯s car. Seeing her arrive, security had no choice but to act more forcefully. The car stopped. Ste lowered the window slightly, her gaze cold. ¡°Mr. Patrick, what is this about?¡± +5 Free Coins 3/3 The wrong girl 404 +5 Free Coins Chapter 404 A Plea in Vain Chapter 404 A Plea in Vain Seeing Ste¡¯s care to a stop, Patrick shoved off the security guards with all his strength and stepped forward. ¡°Ste.¡± His voice was hoarse, tinged with weariness. One look, and Ste could tell¨Che had lost a significant amount of weight. The unshaven stubble on his jaw made him look even more worn out. She remained silent, her gaze heavy with displeasure. Patrick took a deep breath, his tone almost suffocating. ¡°Can you talk to Abraham? Tell him to let us go?¡± I had misjudged everything. I never imagined my daughter would be so capable, so much so that even the infamous Mr. Abraham of Falvaria would listen to her. She had even been raised by Abraham personally. Now, Patrick felt nothing but regret. For days, he had been tormenting himself with the thought¨Cif only I had treated Ste better, the Reed family wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. She is my biological daughter. Why am I scolding her over Lillian? Because their fights had irritated me? Even if I had to discipline someone, shouldn¡¯t it have been Lillian instead? And when Jonathan had done those things to Ste, why had I handled it so indifferently? Ste still said nothing. Patrick was growing anxious. ¡°The price the Reed family has paid is already more than enough.¡± More than enough. Enough to crush us entirely. Mr. Abraham¡¯s move had buried us alive. Even the Keene family was struggling to stay upright. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°He hasn¡¯t done anything else, has he?¡± The Reed Group had been cut off. By now, it was practically wiped out. What more could possibly happen? Patrick¡¯s face darkened, ¡°He¡¯s done more. He hasn¡¯t just blocked the Reed Group; he¡¯s blocked all of us.¡± Ste was questioned. ¡°???¡± Patrick sighed, ¡°I tried to start a newpany, but no one will coborate with me. It must be¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear. 1 Abraham intended to force us into utter ruin. When I had seen Abraham strike against the Reed Group, I had thought I could escape in time. I had pulled out all my money, set up a new business, and severed ties with the Reed Group, hoping to dodge the fallout. But all paths had been cut off. If the new issues weren¡¯t resolved soon, everything would go to waste, and I would be left with nothing. 1/2 1:21 PM Chapter 404 A Plea in Vain O ? +5 Free Coins Ste stared at him. ¡°So?¡± The icy word carried no warmth. Patrick exhaled sharply. ¡°Tell Mr. Abraham to stop. Enough is enough.¡± After everything that had happened, the Reed family was already in chaos. The price had been paid; it was more than sufficient. Hearing him say ¡°enough,¡± Ste nced at him nkly. ¡°If we¡¯re being honest, yes, it¡¯s enough.¡± Patrick¡¯s expression lit up with hope. ¡°Really? Ste, I¡¯ve thought about everything that happened. Your mother¡­ she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Lillian was always by her side. You didn¡¯t see it, but Lillian was well¨Cbehaved as a child.¡± ¡°She was sensible, polite, and always caring toward the family. That¡¯s why your mother naturally favored her. Honestly, she-¡± ¡°So what does it matter now?¡± Ste cut him off impatiently. Patrick was stunned. What did she mean? Ste stated inly, ¡°Abraham makes the decisions. I don¡¯t get a say.¡± Patrick¡¯s breath hitched. She had no say? What did that even mean? Ste added, ¡°I can¡¯t help with your newpany either.¡± Patrick stared at her nkly. The tiny flicker of hope in his eyes was immediately extinguished by her ruthless words. Ste smirked coldly and instructed the driver, ¡°Drive.¡± ¡°Ste, you can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m still your¡­¡± Patrick didn¡¯t get to finish. Ste had already rolled up the window. The tinted ss concealed herpletely. Panic struck him, and he instinctively stepped forward. But the car started up and sped off. Standing motionless, Patrick felt a chill creeping through his entire body. If I couldn¡¯t resolve the new problems, then everything I had prepared would be wasted. What now? Thinking back to how Ste had just looked at him¨Cthe coldness was bone¨Cdeep. This was all Susan¡¯s fault. Everything had spiraled out of control because Susan had failed to manage the conflicts between her children. The phone in his pocket buzzed loudly. 2/3 1:21 PM Chapter 404 A Plea in Vain Still in a daze, Patrick pulled it out. +5 Free Coins 3/3 The wrong girl 405 +5 Free Coins Chapter 405 The Weight of Betrayal Chapter 405 The Weight of Betrayal Seeing Susan¡¯s number on the screen, Patrick felt his anger re instantly. The moment he answered, before he could even speak, Susan¡¯s voice came through. ¡°I want to see you.¡± Her tone was unnervingly calm. Lately, whether it was about my other family or Lillian, every phone call had been a battle. But this calmness, how long had it been since we had such a conversation? Patrick forced down his anger for the moment, his voice low. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Is she at Grandmount Pinnacle?¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°What?¡± Susan pressed on. ¡°You put that woman in the vi at Grandmount Pinnacle, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her tone, which had been oddlyposed, shattered into a furious roar. All the restraint she had struggled to maintain crumbled entirely. She was shouting through the phone. Even with the distance between them, Patrick could hear the sheer desperation in her voice¨Cit was as if she wanted to tear someone apart. Already seething, Patrick was in no mood to listen, especially after being humiliated by Ste Dawson earlier. Now, faced with Susan¡¯s rage, his patience ran dry. ¡°Susan Carter, we¡¯re finished.¡± She still had the audacity to dig into Grandmount Pinnacle? What was she scheming now? There was nothing left between us. Susan¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°What did you say?¡± Patrick growled, ¡°If you dare go looking for her, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± And with that, he hung up. To him, Ste¡¯s cold demeanor was entirely Susan¡¯s fault. She had failed to handle the conflicts between Ste and Lillian. And now she wanted to cause trouble for him? He had nowhere to vent his anger. My newborn twins¡­ If Abraham kept pushing me into a corner, things would get really ugly. On Susan¡¯s end, she was still in the hospital. If not for the emergency intervention earlier, she would have been gone by now. Who would have thought¨Cthe person I trusted most had betrayed me. I had cherished Lillian like a treasure¡­ After calling Patrick, rage consumed her, and she let out a raw scream. ¡°Ahhh!¡± It was a mix of fury and devastation. Why? Why had things to this? Why, Lillian? Iwas the one who had brought her into the . Chapter 405 The Weight of Betrayal And yet¨Cit had been her all along. ¡°Why? Why would you do this to me?¡± Susan clutched at her chest, her body trembling with grief. Pain rippled through her, making her shiver violently. She ran out of the hospital. +5 Free Coins She moved as fast as she could, heading straight for the Reed mansion. The entire way, the rage in her chest had nowhere to go. But as soon as she reached the front gates, she suddenly fell silent. She shut her eyes briefly, and tears slipped down her face. The wind stirred. It lifted strands of her disheveled hair, and with it, chilled her to the core. Inside the mansion, the butler handed a set of photos to Jonathan. He examined them in silence. Then, he instructed the butler to deliver the photos to Lillian Reed. After viewing them, Lillian was filled with anxiety, unable to settle until Susan finally arrived. By now, her fear had reached its limit. Susan stood by the doorway, staring at her wordlessly. Her eyes held nothing but emptiness. Lillian¡¯s heart pounded. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Her lips trembled as she tried to say something, but it had already been three hours since she saw the photos. She had been unable toe up with any excuse to exin them away. Susan spoke slowly. ¡°You knew from the start. You knew everything. Every single thing, you knew it all. And you brought it all into thepany yourself. Tell me, why? Why did you betray me?¡± She had restrained herself for so long, but now, it all erupted. Susan¡¯s furious shout echoed throughout the mansion. Lillian shuddered. ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Hearing her mother¡¯s voice like this, Lillianpletely panicked. Susan pressed further. ¡°That woman was with your father. She got pregnant and had his children. You knew. You knew everything. You were even the one who set it up.¡± The hysteria in her voice dissipated. Instead, Susan¡¯s tone became eerily calm. After everything she had endured, all the screaming, she now spoke as if she had no energy left. Lillian¡¯s tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head instinctively. Susan murmured, ¡°Why you? Why did it have to be you? For you, I even¡­¡± She paused. Memories shed through her mind, everything she had done to Ste. And that car ident. The wrong girl 406 Chapter 406 Shattered Truths Chapter 406 Shattered Truths. Everything, everything was falling apart. +5 Free Coins ¡°Even with all the evidence in front of me, I still chose to protect you. Now tell me, why is the downfall of the Reed family on you?¡± Lillian felt silent. Susan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Why you? Tell me, why is it you?¡± At that moment, Susanpletely lost herself. Her repeated shouting, ¡°Why is it you?¡± echoed through the room as her emotions crumbled. Anyone in the Reed family could betray me, but not Lillian. had cherished Lillian like my own daughter and loved her dearly. How had it to this? Lillian¡¯s tears streamed down her face. Faced with Susan¡¯s relentless questioning, her mind had gone nk. Seeing her sob in silence, Susan grew even more hysterical. ¡°Tell me! Why? Have I ever treated you badly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I really am. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Apology after apology spilled out between her sobs¡ªit was pathetic, a cruel mockery of regret. Such an apology¨Chow ridiculous, how ironic. Susan shut her eyes, her entire body shaking. ¡°I hate you. I hate you, Lillian Reed. I hate you¡­¡± Hearing her mother say the words over and over again, Lillian felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. The Reed family,pletely shattered. After questioning Lillian, Susan ran out in a frenzy. Leaving behind only Lillian and Jonathan. Lillian, eyes red and swollen, turned toward Jonathan. But the brother who had always been kind to her was now gazing at her with nothing but coldness. ¡°Jonathan¡­¡± Her voice was choked. But the only response was Jonathan¡¯s retreating figure as he walked back into his room. Faced with such an indifferent back, Lillian felt her chest constrict even further. Her tears kept falling. At nighttime, Ste sat in the living room, watching TV. She rarely spent much time on her phone. On¨Cscreen, breaking news scrolled across the bottom. ¡°Major development, A high¨Cprofile homicide urred today in the city. Stay tuned for details.¡± The anchor¡¯s voice was formal and detached. Ste focused on the screen. The background image, wasn¡¯t that Susan? Chapter 406 Shattered Truths Just as she was about to take a closer look, her phone vibrated loudly. It was Tessa calling. Ste answered. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Ste, that woman¨CSusan Carter¨Cshe might have killed someone. She killed someone.¡± Ste was stunned. Hearing Tessa¡¯s words, she instinctively nced at the TV, where the news report continued. She stared at the footage¨CSusan in handcuffs. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®might have¨Cit¡¯s real.¡± This was on the city¡¯s news. It had to be real. Tessa gasped. ¡°Is she insane?¡± ¡°Let me see who she killed.¡± Ste leaned closer to the screen. Tessa asked, ¡°Are you watching the news?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother; it¡¯s got to be the mistress.¡± What else could drive a wife into such madness? A mistress stealing away her ce in the family, of course. Ste felt silent. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Looking closer¨Cit was indeed the women who kept outside. She had lost it . Tessa muttered, ¡°Hey, if she was that mad, why didn¡¯t she deal with Lillian too?¡± She went after the mistress¨Cbut Lillian was unharmed. That meant Susan held Lillian in a different regard. Ste felt silent again. Tessa had a point. Still, thinking about it rationally, Ste remarked, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter Susan raised as her own.¡± Lillian had always been her most cherished child. There was no way she could bring herself to hurt her. Tessa scoffed. ¡°She destroyed the entire Reed family, and Susan still cares for her until now?¡± Absolutely unbelievable. It left Ste momentarily speechless. Tessa continued, ¡°After all this, if she still protects Lillian, I refuse to believe Lillian is just an adopted daughter.¡± Susan¡¯s affection for Lillian was too strong¨Csaying she wasn¡¯t truly hers didn¡¯t sit right. Ste mused, ¡°What else could she be? She couldn¡¯t possibly be her real biological daughter.¡± s Chapter 406 Shattered Truths Something as big as childbirth¨CPatrick would know about that. as well. There wouldn¡¯t be any need to hide it. If Lillian really was Susan¡¯s biological child, then she would most likely be Patrick¡¯s Tessa muttered, ¡°The way she treats Lillian makes me believe she really is her own.¡± The wrong girl 407 hapter 407 Unspoken Worries Chapter 407 Unspoken Worries Ste was stunned. Honestly, given how fiercely Susan had protected Lillian, it wasn¡¯t far¨Cfetched to believe she was her biological daughter. But¡­ Ste frowned. ¡°Patrick isn¡¯t a fool. If Lillian was really Susan¡¯s daughter, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Childbirth was no small matter. Pregnancy was the one thing that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Tessa sighed. ¡°True!¡± There was no way Susan had given birth to her. But the way she cherished Lillian was truly baffling. Ste shook off the thought. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop it. Are you feeling calmer now?¡± Just this afternoon, she had been crying on the phone. Now she seemed fine. With Tessa¡¯s emotional highs and lows, I had stopped worrying whenever she started crying again. Tessa grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t calm down.¡± Ste felt silent. Then how did she still have the energy to gossip? Tessa sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I was scared to death. Thankfully, nothing happened when we went out.¡± Victor had taken me out in the afternoon, and luckily, nothing had gone wrong. If every outing with danger, I will lose it¨C. s Ste reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s not like danger is always present. If something happens, it¡¯s because there¡¯s an underlying issue.¡± Tessa remained stubborn. ¡°Even so, I still can¡¯t calm down.¡± Ste was speechless. She imed she wasn¡¯t calm. Yet, hearing her tone now¨CI felt she wasn¡¯t far from it. Ste asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Victor?¡± Tessa sighed in relief. ¡°He went out.¡± At the mention of Victor leaving, her tone lightened. She was desperate to avoid being under the same roof as him. Abraham returned home then. Ste spotted him and quickly said into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Abraham looked like he had been drinking. Ste hung up and walked over. Abel supported Abraham as he respectfully informed her, ¡°Ms. Dawson, Mr. Abraham had a few wines.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± 122 PM Chapter 407 Unspoken Worries She took him from Abel. A faint scent of alcohol lingered on Abraham; it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. s Now, Ste finally understood the saying. The smell of smoke or alcohol is only unpleasant when it isn¡¯t from someone you like. But on someone you love¨Cit feels different. Abel ced a bag on the coffee table. ¡°Mr. Abraham brought you something to eat.¡± Ste blinked.*¡­* He really did? ¡°What is it?¡± Abraham had called earlier, promising to bring her something delicious. Ste was now curious. JAbel replied, ¡°Chestnut cake. He tried it and thought you¡¯d like it, so he brought it back.¡± Ste felt silent. Chestnut cake? I had loved it in Falvaria, but after to Rivermount, I found the desserts here too sweet for my taste. Still, since he had eaten it and thought I¡¯d enjoy it, it must taste different from the usual Rivermount pastries. Abel left. Ste helped Abraham onto the couch. Just as she was about to stand up, hisrge, warm palm wrapped around her waist. Before she could react, he pulled her onto hisp. Startled, Ste instinctively clung to his neck. ¡°What are you doing?¡± His breath smelled of liquor. His forehead pressed gently against hers, their breaths mingling. Ste muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll make you some sobering soup.¡± I should also wipe him down with a warm towel¨Cotherwise, he¡¯d feel ufortable in the morning. His warm hand cradled her face. ¡°Ste.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She responded obediently. Abraham murmured, ¡°Great.¡± The normallyposed and steady man now looked at her with the satisfied gleam of a child. Ste frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± Ste was speechless. This man. Fine¨CI¡¯m his. And he is mine, too. 2/3 Chapter 407 Unspoken Worries Meanwhile, back on Tessa¡¯s side, after Ste hung up, her stomach growled. She had just thought about sneaking into the kitchen to find some food since Victor wasn¡¯t home. I need to eat before the terrifying man returns so I won¡¯t have to face him. But, just as she stepped out, the kitchen staff rushed over. ¡°Ms. Tessa, please is he?¡± ¡°Downstairs.¡± s The wrong girl 408 Chapter 408 Unavoidable Danger Chapter 408 Unavoidable Danger Tessa was speechless. I¡¯m not even close to Victor; why do I have to go check on him? ºÏ Thinking back to the scene at Rivermount Airport, the man had been ruthless¡ªbut in the end, he had saved me. Fine, I might as well go check on him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take him to the hospital?¡± As Tessa hurried downstairs, she questioned one of the kitchen staff. The staff replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She was only a temporary worker, and the sight of blood hadpletely shaken her. When Tessa reached the lower floor, she spotted the doctor working on Victor¡¯s wound. ¡°We need the operating room. The bullet is lodged deep.¡± Tessa was stunned. Bullet? He had gone out and ended up in another deadly encounter? Was this even real? Stepping outside was like rolling the dice, but the odds of in danger were terrifyingly high. She was numb just thinking about it. This man was someone I should definitely avoid going out with in the future¨Cfar too risky. One wrong move, and disaster struck. Who could handle that kind of tension? Victor¡¯s sharp gazended on her. ¡°Come here.¡± Tessa stared at him with shock. ¡°You should head to the operating room first.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized this vi had one. +5 Free Coins Seeing his left shoulder soaked in blood, she felt herself get lightheaded. She was prone to fainting at the sight of blood- there was no way she could step forward. Victor emanated danger from every inch of his body. Tessa¡¯s legs felt weak, making her even more reluctant to approach him. An hourter, Victor emerged from the operating room, his expression entirelyposed. Tessa had been waiting outside the entire time, cautious yet unable to leave. Victor¡¯s gaze flickered when he saw her. ¡°You stayed?¡± His tone gave no hint of emotion. Tessa swallowed and gave a small nod, her gaze drifting to the bandaged wound on his shoulder. ¡°The bullet¡¯s out? Does it hurt?¡± He had been shot. In the world I used to know, I would never have imagined encountering something like this. Yet here I am, witnessing it firsthand¨Cliving it. 122 PM G Chapter 408 Unavoidable Danger NO e In my mind, a wound like his should have meant at least three days of unconsciousness, followed by a month of bed rest. Yet Victor had simply walked out, looking perfectly fine. Brutal. His nerves probably bypassed the entire pain system. Victor studied her small, delicate face. His brow arched slightly. ¡°Pain? Are you worried about me?¡± Tessa was shocked. I¡­ worried about him? She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± It was just a casual question. Victor grabbed her chin in one swift motion. ¡°Not worried? Then why wait outside the whole time?¡± JTessa was speechless. This man¡­ Behind them, Ss and Lewis stepped out of the operating room, still wearing their dark green surgical gowns. s Seeing Victor holding Tessa¡¯s chin, Lewis instinctively remarked, ¡°Victor, women like the gentle type¨Cthe kind Mr. Abraham is. Even the most ruthless men still treat women softly and gently.¡± Abraham was the perfect example¨CLewis had seen firsthand how tender he was toward Ste. Victor and Ss were both speechless. Silence hung heavy in the air. Ss nearly turned to stone. His head slowly tilted toward Lewis, his mind nk except for two words repeating over and over. Insane, truly insane. Lewis had lost his mind¨Cnot only daring to on Victor but also dragging Mr. Abraham into it. He clearly had no regard for his own life. Worse yet, Lewis had yet to realize the danger in the air and added, ¡°If you scare her, you might end up without a wife.¡± Ss instantly bolted. ¡°Victor, I just remembered something urgent. I¡¯ll be off.¡± On any other day, I would have saved Lewis before the damage was done. But right now? No way. Every second spent here was a risk to my own survival. My safety came first. Lewis could fend for himself. Before Victor could respond, Ss was gone. Victor¡¯s gaze turned icier as he looked at Lewis. ¡°Go on.¡± Two words. Spoken through gritted teeth. Lewis shuddered at the tone. His gut told him he had messed up. Chapter 408 Unavoidable Danger 0 Victor¡­ Wait, had I said something wrong again? Why had Ss run off so fast? We hadn¡¯t even gone over Victor¡¯s post¨Cop care instructions yet. ¡°Uh.. I need to take care of something. I¡¯ll send the care notes to your phone.¡± Realizing the danger, Lewis didn¡¯t hesitate. He threw out a final remark and took off. Ss hadpletely abandoned me. Unbelievable. With Lewis gone, only Tessa and Victor remained. Tessa nervously shifted her gaze away. s The wrong girl 409 Chapter 409 A Complicated Debt Chapter 409 A Complicated Debt Tessa struggled to free her face from Victor¡¯s grip. Yet his hand instinctively tightened. ¡°Still trying to escape?¡± Tessa huffed, ¡°Let go of me.¡± Why hadn¡¯t he refuted what that man had said carlier? She wriggled slightly, seeing that Victor still hadn¡¯t released her. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± What was this man made of? His grip was absurdly strong¡ªit felt like my bones were about to shatter. Hearing her say she was in pain, Victor hesitated for a moment before finally letting go. ¡°Make me some sd.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°What?¡± Sd? Victor rified, ¡°Fruit sd.¡± Tessa was stunned. Fruit sd¨Csomething I actually knew how to make. I had once made it for Ste when she had a fever. Wait. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a chef?¡± Victor replied tly, ¡°She¡¯s been dismissed.¡± Tessa was speechless. Dismissed? Seriously? Why? When I had first arrived, there had been no chef. So the chef had the position only for one day? This man worked under Abraham¨Csurely he wasn¡¯t short on money to hire household staff. ¡°Why?¡± No chef? Did that mean I had to start handling meals from now on? Victor¡¯s tone was unbothered. ¡°Her cooking wasn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°I thought it was fine.¡± Tessa blurted out. She wasn¡¯t picky about food. Almost anything tasted decent to her¨Cbut Victor was clearly different. Without another word, he turned and walked into his room. Receiving no response, Tessa pouted before heading downstairs. The kitchenyout was fairly standard, though Victor¡¯s vi had an open¨Cn kitchen. She found the vegetables and fruits.. s Chapter 409 A Complicated Debt As she started preparing the sd, she called Ste. The phone barely rang before Ste picked up. ¡°Tessa.¡± Her voice was slightly breathless. Tessa asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Abraham drank too much. I was just giving him some sobering soup.¡± Tessa hummed in understanding. Ste asked, ¡°And you? Why thete¨Cnight call?¡± Tessa sighed, ¡°I¡¯m making sd for Victor.¡± ¡°You know how to do it?¡± Ste couldn¡¯t cook to save her life, so her question came naturally. Tessa scoffed, ¡°What, looking down on me? You¡¯ve had my cooking before.¡± Ste was stunned. Hearing that, she immediately recalled. s She hadn¡¯t thought about Tessa¡¯s cooking in ages, but now that it was brought up, she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re sure that was sd?¡± Tessa frowned. ¡°Of course it was.¡± ¡°Who turns sd into soup?¡± Only Tessa could manage to make sd into food like soup filled with mayonnaise sauce¨Cand add fruits on top. The taste had been¡­ unique. That day, I had been sick and craving something light. What I got instead¨Ca bowl of ¡®soup.¡® It was Tessa¡¯s cooking that had discouraged me from ever attempting to make food myself. I had realized then¨Csome people simply the talent for cooking. Tessa was speechless. Hearing Ste call it ¡°soup¡± left her speechless. ¡°It was my first time¨Cfirst time ever cooking. Be grateful.¡± Not everyone was naturally gifted. No one got it perfect on their first attempt. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. I¡¯m good at it now.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tessa sounded proud. That failed attempt at making sd for Ste had left her determined¨CI wanted to be able to cook something decent for people I cared about. So afterward, I had practiced many times. Ste smirked. ¡°Wait¨Cwhy are you making sd for Victor? I thought you were terrified of him.¡± Tessa was stunned. Terrified? Absolutely. 2/3 Chapter 409 A Complicated Debt That man was no ordinary threat. But he had saved me. Even if he had been cruel about it, I couldn¡¯t ignore what he had done for me. Caught between gratitude and fear, Tessa mumbled, ¡°He¡¯s injured.¡± Hearing Victor was hurt, Ste seemed unfazed, merely asking a few things before Tessa changed the topic. ¡°Madam Susan is probably getting locked up now. I checked the news closely¨Cshe¡¯s being charged with murder.¡± Ste asked, ¡°The woman¡¯s dead?¡± I had only caught part of the news before Abraham returned, so I hadn¡¯t seen the rest. But since the police had handcuffed and taken Susan away, it must have been serious. Tessa replied, ¡°She was taken to the hospital. No full report yet. One of the children was injured too.¡± s 1:22 PM The wrong girl 410 s Chapter 410 Unavoidable Duty Chapter 410 Unavoidable Duty Ste was shocked. When I first returned to the Reed family, Susan had treated Lillian with such kindness that I had assumed she was truly a good person. Yet now, even children weren¡¯t spared¡ªwhat goodness could exist in a heart like that? Tessa sighed. ¡°You need to be careful. The Reed family will definitelye looking for you.¡± Ste frowned. ¡°For me?¡± Why would they seck me out? Because I had Abraham behind her? So they expected me to intervene and get Susan released? Tessa warned, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, in the Reed family, you¡¯re the only outsider. The rest of them are tightly bound together.¡± It was blunt, almost mocking, but Ste knew it was the truth. Within the Reed family, I¡¯m the only one who didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Watch and see, Jonathan will definitely contact you.¡± That household was inplete shambles now. Tessa couldn¡¯t be sure about the others, but Jonathan would certainly reach out. Ste responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± Tessa was surprised. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, yes.¡± Tessa sighed. ¡± If nothing unexpected happens again. After spending days near Victor, I had to understand¡ªpeople around Ste were constantly dealing with the unexpected. Even today, Victor had gotten injured. The two continued chatting for a while before hanging up. Meanwhile, Tessa finished cooking the fruit sd. This time, it was just right¨Cneither too liquid nor too thick. When she brought it to Victor¡¯s room, he was on the phone. His loose robe covered the bandage around his shoulder, but his muscr chest remained exposed. Only now did Tessa notice the tattoo extending from his neck down to his corbone. Therge inked design looked dangerous, yet somehow gave off an odd sense of security. Her throat moved involuntarily, and she felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through her body. Hearing movement behind him, Victor turned slightly toward her and spoke into the phone. ¡°No need. Make sure it¡¯s permanent.¡± Those four words dripped with menace. Tessa felt her heart tighten. 1/3 Chapter 410 Unavoidable Duty This man¨Cdangerous beyond words. She stepped forward, holding the bowl. ¡°The sd is ready.¡± Victor¡¯s gaze flicked to the bowl on the side table. This¡­ was probably the first time I had ever eaten inside my own bedroom. No matter where I was, no matter the injuries I had sustained, I had never eaten here before. Watching the bowl of sd, he briefly zoned out. Tessa spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll go out now.¡± Seeing him remain silent, she figured it was best not to linger. Victor frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± JTessa blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Victor rified, ¡°No side dishes?¡± Tessa was speechless. Side dishes? ¡°You didn¡¯t say you needed them.¡± Cooking? I can manage sd. Anything beyond that¨CI had no idea. Victor¡¯s voice held little patience. ¡°Do I need to say it?¡± Tessa was really speechless. Of course, he has to. Though it didn¡¯t matter. Even if he had mentioned it, I couldn¡¯t cook. Shaking her head, she admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook.¡± Regardless of whether he had asked, she simply didn¡¯t have the skills. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°Yes, I really don¡¯t.¡± Victor studied her silently. His gaze was unsettlingly still. Tessa swallowed hard. ¡°Maybe you should hire a proper chef?¡± I could barely make something edible for myself. And considering he had fired the previous cook for poor quality, there was no way he would tolerate my attempts. Victor finally spoke. ¡°Leave.¡± Tessa murmured, ¡°Okay.¡± She turned to go. +5 Free Coins Just as she reached the door, his voice rang out again. ¡°Tomorrow morning, make chicken porridge. Prepare some light side dishes.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± she protested, turning back to face him with a pleading look. 2/3 Chapter 410 Unavoidable Duty I can¡¯t repost his request outright¨Cbut I need to make it clear I simplyck the skills. Victor asked. ¡°Your phone doesn¡¯t have tutorial apps?¡± Tewas felt silent. ***** He knew about those? Wait, with all his wealth, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to hire a chef. Why did he insist on making things hard for me? She sniffled slightly, too timid to argue. ¡°Alright.¡± Wait. ¡°The fridge is empty.¡± ¡°Ss will deliver the ingredients.¡± Tessa sighed. So I really don¡¯t have a choice? Fine. I had no option but to ept fate. s The wrong girl 411 Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me? s Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me? Tessa turned and left Victor¡¯s room, feelingpletely drained, like some poor little orphan. Hopefully, Ste would find her mother soon and clear everything up, so she could finally have some peace in her life. Victor watched her retreating figure¨Cshe didn¡¯t even dare to argue back. Even from behind, he could sense her frustration. He couldn¡¯t help but let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth¡­ Tessa went downstairs and dutifully cleaned up the kitchen. Just as she was about to head back up, Ss showed up with arge bag in hand. When he saw her, he greeted her respectfully, ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± Tessa was shocked. What do you mean, ma¡¯am? That¡¯s not who she was! She remembered someone else calling her that too. Tessa instinctively said, ¡°I¡¯m not a ma¡¯am. Don¡¯t call me that.¡± That title made it sound like she and Victor had something going on. Which¨Cjust to be clear¨Cthey absolutely did not. Ss smiled without responding. ¡°This is from Victor. He asked me to drop it off. Sorry to trouble you tomorrow morning.¡± Compared to Lewis, at least Ss had a bit of emotional intelligence. He didn¡¯t argue or cross any lines. Tessa nced at the vegetables. Some of them she didn¡¯t even recognize. She asked Ss what they were called. As for how to cook them, she¡¯d just have to follow the app tutorials like Victor had told her to. When Ss saw there were a few things she still couldn¡¯t identify, he looked a little worried. ¡°Are you sure you can handle it?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°Yeah, I think I can.¡± She¡¯d learned how to make soup from the app. These dishes¡­. well, they mighte out a little rough the first time. But they¡¯d definitely be edible. Ss nodded. ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Oh, and Victor might run a fever tonight. Sorry, but could you keep an eye on him? He¡¯s not allowed to take a bath.¡± Every time Victor got injured, he insisted on showering afterward. None of the staff could stop him. But now there was a woman in the house¨Cso things were different. Tessa blinked. ¡°Huh? How am I supposed to do that?¡± Come on, she was a girl. Was she seriously supposed to watch a grown man and stop him from taking a shower? Ss said, ¡°Just keep an eye on him.¡± Keep. An. Eye. On. Him? Was that really something she should be doing? 1.22 Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me? ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend.¡± If someone was supposed to handle this, shouldn¡¯t it be, you know, his woman? Ss replied. ¡°But right now, you¡¯re the only one living under the same roof as Victor. So, we¡¯re counting on you.¡± With every polite little ¡°sorry to trouble you,¡± Tessa found herselfpletely unable to say no. ¡°If he gets a fever tonight, please give him some medicine. If it doesn¡¯t go down, then help him cool off physically.¡± ¡°Physically?¡± Tessa¡¯s brain stalled a bit. 5 Free Coins What kind of instructions were these? It sounded more like she was supposed to take care of a child. And it sounded like a lot of work. Ss rified, ¡°Wipe down his skin with warm water.¡± Was he being serious right now? ¡°His whole body?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just like how Victor wiped you down the other night.¡± Silence fell. Tessa stared at Ss and turned to stone. Then he left. She was the only one left standing there, frozen in ce. It took her a while to even process what she¡¯d just heard. What did Ss say just now? The other night, Victor had taken care of her that way? So that¡¯s how her clothes got removed? Her already unsettled heart was now in full chaos. Especially thatst line from Ss¨Cthat she was supposed to take care of Victor the same way¡­ Physically cool him down? Wipe his whole body? Wait, hold on¡­ Was that supposed to be serious? Over at Ste¡¯s ce, she was gently wiping Abraham¡¯s chest with a warm towel so he wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable in the morning. She had just poured the warm water down the drain in the bathroom when Tessa called. ¡°Ste, listen, I can¡¯t do this.¡± Ste: ¡°Can¡¯t do what?¡± ¡°I mean physically cooling down Victor! Everyone around him just bailed and dumped him on me. They told me to check on him in the middle of the night to see if he has a fever¨Cand that kind of care¡­¡± Tessa¡¯s voice rose with agitation. ¡°Is that really something I should be doing? Am I even qualified for this?¡± Did Victor¡¯s people have zero her to wipe down his whole body? 1.22 M Chapter 411 Are You Kidding Me? ¡°It¡¯s just a fever! Does it really have to be this was going off so hard that Ste couldn¡¯t even get a word in. s Before she could respond, Tessa went on, ¡°And get this¨Cit turns out the other night, Victor stripped me because of this!¡± 3/3 The wrong girl 412 Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death +5 Free Coins ¡°Do I need him fussing over me like this? What, does Falvaria not have hospitals? And now I¡¯m supposed to take care of him too? Who even says stuff like that?¡± Tessapletely lost it. She stormed back and forth across the living room, ranting non¨Cstop. Uh¡­ Well. Ste had no idea what had actually happened over there. But judging from Tessa¡¯s reaction right now, things might be a little out of control with her being around Victor. Clearing her throat, Ste offered, ¡°If Victor¡¯s hurt, there¡¯s a chance he might run a fever tonight. You should give him some meds first. If that doesn¡¯t work-¡± ¡°What¡¯s even worse,¡± Tessa cut in before Ste could finish, ¡°is this¨Che broke now or something?¡± Ste replied, ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t he hire a housekeeper? If he¡¯s got money, he could afford ten of them, not just one!¡± Ste sighed. ¡°He can afford it.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t he?¡± Tessa was genuinely baffled. He¡¯d even fired the cook¨Cwhat now, nning to turn her into his free maid? Whatever. Those were minor things. But what happened tonight? Had gone way too far. So what¨Cjust because he looked after her the other night, now she¡¯s supposed to return the favor? Ste exined, ¡°Because the young and pretty ones try to seduce him.¡± Apparently, that¡¯s how thest batch of maids got let go. Tessa snapped, ¡°Then hire old ones. Ugly ones.¡± ¡°Those might be assassins!¡± Which¡­ also happened before. Tessa fell silent. What the- Ste added, ¡°Victor¡¯s had a few incidents like that in the past. He got tired of it, so now he does everything himself.¡± That¡¯s why all his vis only had hourly workersing in asionally. He didn¡¯t want to deal with people who had hidden agendas. Tessa asked, ¡°So tonight, it¡¯s gotta be me taking care of him, is that it?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. Unless something unexpected happens, you¡¯ll probably need to.¡± Something unexpected. God, she was really starting to hate that phrase. 3 3 Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death ¡°Then can¡¯t you send someone over?¡± She was on the verge of a breakdown. Ste was the Luke family¡¯s little princess¨Csending someone should be a snap for her. But Ste hesitated. ¡°That¡­ might not work.¡± What now? The way she said it, like even sending a maid was some kind of moral dilemma. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Ste exined, ¡°Even if I send someone, Victor has to agree to it.¡± ¡°What about your brother? Can he send someone?¡± ¡°Same deal. Victor has to give the green light.¡± So even Mr. Abraham didn¡¯t have unlimited power in Falvaria? He actually needed someone¡¯s permission? Tessa¡¯s face just fell. Ste added, ¡°The thing is¡­ Victor¡¯s a master of security systems.¡± +5 Free Coins ¡°From the moment you walk into his vi, there are traps everywhere. If you¡¯re not someone he trusts, or if he hasn¡¯t given you ess, you could be taken down within five steps.¡± Trantion: anyone stepping into Victor¡¯s territory without permission was ying with fire. Literal, possibly fatal, fire. He was basically a walking hazard zone. Tessa sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Taken down in five steps?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°You walk in standing up, and end up a pile of ashes in the ground. For innocent people, that¡¯s pretty brutal.¡± Ashes. In the ground¡­ Yeah, that was more than a little dangerous. And never mind whether Victor would approve someoneing over¨Cif people knew they were heading into his turf, they probably wouldn¡¯t even want to go. Who¡¯d dare? One wrong move and they¡¯re toast. Absolutely brutal. After hearing all this, Tessa instinctively nced around the vi. ¡°So the whole ce is booby¨Ctrapped too?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Unless something unexpected happened, yeah.¡± Great. Meaning she was living in a house where her life was constantly on the line. Ste warned, ¡°So don¡¯t go touching stuff in there. You might set off something.¡± And it wouldn¡¯t just be a joke. It could be fatal. Tessa¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Good thing she wasn¡¯t the type to poke around in other people¡¯s houses. Otherwise, she might¡¯ve already triggered something deadly. Chapter 412 Five Steps to Death ¡°So before you send anyone over, I need to get his permission first?¡± s 3/3 The wrong girl 413 Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure ¡°Yes,¡± Ste confirmed. Tessa¡¯s face instantly fell. 6 e s Based on her observations over the past couple of days, Victor was really¡­ kind of extreme when it came to employing people. The cook had only a day before being fired. In short, the man was impossible to please. ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Go talk to him!¡± Talk to him¡­ ¡°He¡¯s definitely not going to agree, right?¡± There wasn¡¯t a single soul in this ce. It was clear Victor preferred to be alone. And yet he¡¯d still taken her in under these circumstances¨Cshe really did owe him a lot. Ste said, ¡°If he says no, then no one can just show up out of nowhere.¡± So she¡¯d have to go put in effort just to get his approval? Before Tessa could say anything else, Ste cut her off, ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t talk anymore. Gotta go.¡± Tessa faintly heard a man¡¯s voice on the other end right before Ste hung up. The dial tone echoed in her ear as she stood there, stunned. She didn¡¯t want to take care of Victor. Maybe she could talk him into letting Ste send someone over. She really wasn¡¯t cut out for this. It wasn¡¯t like she was some uptight prude about men and women being alone. But to be honest, she barely even knew Victor. ¡­ Dragging her feet, she climbed the stairs. Shuffling her way to Victor¡¯s room, she knocked on the door. Her pace alone made it obvious just how reluctant she was. No response. She knocked again¡­ Still nothing. What if he already had a fever and passed out? That fast? Starting to panic, Tessa threw caution to the wind and pushed the door open. The moment it swung wide- Victor stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Water still dripped from his muscr chest. Fresh out of the shower, glistening- 1/3 +5 Free Coins Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure Tessa barely managed to swallow before her mind wentpletely nk, blood rushing through her veins uncontrobly. Victor caught sight of her¨Cand the tiny trickle of blood under her nose. His eyes narrowed. A chill radiated from him as he spat out three cold words: ¡°What are you looking at?¡± His voice was icily sharp. Tessa snapped back to herself in an instant and stammered, ¡°N¨CNothing! I knocked, and you didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°So you just barged in?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Her brainpletely froze. She quickly looked away from Victor. This man¨Che was built like a sculpture of pure power. Even someone like Tessa, who¡¯d never been into that kind of thing, was burning up. Pathetic¡­ She¡¯d seen all kinds of pretty boys back in Rivermount. Get a grip, Tessa. Have some dignity. She scolded herself internally, not realizing Victor had already approached. The moment his warm fingertip brushed the corner of her mouth, Tessa flinched and instinctively stepped back. ¡°You¨Cwhat are you doing?¡± He raised his red¨Cstained fingertip in front of her eyes, still tinged with the scent of blood. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Her already scrambled brain exploded at the sight of the blood on his finger. She instinctively wiped under her nose¨Conly to smear blood across the back of her hand. She waspletely dumbfounded. Seriously? She was that hopeless? Staring at a hot guy so hard she got a nosebleed? ¡°I¨CI mean, I have chronic nosebleeds?¡± The uncertain tone made it unclear whether she was trying to exin or convince herself. Victor asked calmly, ¡°So this happens every time you see a man?¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Tessa nodded frantically. Then realized what he¡¯d actually said¨Cand immediately shook her head. ¡°Wait, no, that¡¯s not it!¡°. What kind of nonsense was that? She wasn¡¯t some ridiculous pervert who got nosebleeds just from seeing a good¨Clooking guy¡­. Whether she admitted it or not, that was exactly what just happened. ¡°It was an ident. Just a fluke today.¡± She scrambled to rify¨Cnot lie, just exin. Victor¡¯s lips quirked into a smile. ¡°Get me a ss of water.¡± ¡°Oh¨Cokay!¡± 0 G s Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure The second he gave her a task, Tessa acted like she¡¯d been granted a royal pardon and spun around to leave. But just as she turned- She felt a sudden tug at her hem. Before she could even react, the towel wrapped around Victor¡¯s waist dropped to the floor right in front of her¡­ She turned her head instinctively. Her pupils shrank on impact. Her mind went nk again, like a gong had gone off inside her skull¨Cng. 3/3 The wrong girl 414 Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure ¡°Yes,¡± Ste confirmed. Tessa¡¯s face instantly fell. 6 e s Based on her observations over the past couple of days, Victor was really¡­ kind of extreme when it came to employing people. The cook had only a day before being fired. In short, the man was impossible to please. ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Go talk to him!¡± Talk to him¡­ ¡°He¡¯s definitely not going to agree, right?¡± There wasn¡¯t a single soul in this ce. It was clear Victor preferred to be alone. And yet he¡¯d still taken her in under these circumstances¨Cshe really did owe him a lot. Ste said, ¡°If he says no, then no one can just show up out of nowhere.¡± So she¡¯d have to go put in effort just to get his approval? Before Tessa could say anything else, Ste cut her off, ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t talk anymore. Gotta go.¡± Tessa faintly heard a man¡¯s voice on the other end right before Ste hung up. The dial tone echoed in her ear as she stood there, stunned. She didn¡¯t want to take care of Victor. Maybe she could talk him into letting Ste send someone over. She really wasn¡¯t cut out for this. It wasn¡¯t like she was some uptight prude about men and women being alone. But to be honest, she barely even knew Victor. ¡­ Dragging her feet, she climbed the stairs. Shuffling her way to Victor¡¯s room, she knocked on the door. Her pace alone made it obvious just how reluctant she was. No response. She knocked again¡­ Still nothing. What if he already had a fever and passed out? That fast? Starting to panic, Tessa threw caution to the wind and pushed the door open. The moment it swung wide- Victor stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Water still dripped from his muscr chest. Fresh out of the shower, glistening- 1/3 +5 Free Coins Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure Tessa barely managed to swallow before her mind wentpletely nk, blood rushing through her veins uncontrobly. Victor caught sight of her¨Cand the tiny trickle of blood under her nose. His eyes narrowed. A chill radiated from him as he spat out three cold words: ¡°What are you looking at?¡± His voice was icily sharp. Tessa snapped back to herself in an instant and stammered, ¡°N¨CNothing! I knocked, and you didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°So you just barged in?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Her brainpletely froze. She quickly looked away from Victor. This man¨Che was built like a sculpture of pure power. Even someone like Tessa, who¡¯d never been into that kind of thing, was burning up. Pathetic¡­ She¡¯d seen all kinds of pretty boys back in Rivermount. Get a grip, Tessa. Have some dignity. She scolded herself internally, not realizing Victor had already approached. The moment his warm fingertip brushed the corner of her mouth, Tessa flinched and instinctively stepped back. ¡°You¨Cwhat are you doing?¡± He raised his red¨Cstained fingertip in front of her eyes, still tinged with the scent of blood. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Her already scrambled brain exploded at the sight of the blood on his finger. She instinctively wiped under her nose¨Conly to smear blood across the back of her hand. She waspletely dumbfounded. Seriously? She was that hopeless? Staring at a hot guy so hard she got a nosebleed? ¡°I¨CI mean, I have chronic nosebleeds?¡± The uncertain tone made it unclear whether she was trying to exin or convince herself. Victor asked calmly, ¡°So this happens every time you see a man?¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Tessa nodded frantically. Then realized what he¡¯d actually said¨Cand immediately shook her head. ¡°Wait, no, that¡¯s not it!¡°. What kind of nonsense was that? She wasn¡¯t some ridiculous pervert who got nosebleeds just from seeing a good¨Clooking guy¡­. Whether she admitted it or not, that was exactly what just happened. ¡°It was an ident. Just a fluke today.¡± She scrambled to rify¨Cnot lie, just exin. Victor¡¯s lips quirked into a smile. ¡°Get me a ss of water.¡± ¡°Oh¨Cokay!¡± 0 G s Chapter 413 Unexpected Exposure The second he gave her a task, Tessa acted like she¡¯d been granted a royal pardon and spun around to leave. But just as she turned- She felt a sudden tug at her hem. Before she could even react, the towel wrapped around Victor¡¯s waist dropped to the floor right in front of her¡­ She turned her head instinctively. Her pupils shrank on impact. Her mind went nk again, like a gong had gone off inside her skull¨Cng. 3/3 The wrong girl 415 Chapter 415 Apologies and Aftershocks And then this had to happen tonight. Victor looked down at her, standing there like a little quail. +5 Free Coins He couldn¡¯t see her face, only the top of her head, and the way she stood there¨Cso timid and apologetic¨Cwas oddly obedient. The corners of his mouth curved faintly. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± Tessa blurted out, ¡°For stripping off your towel.¡± Silence crashed down around them. Tessa¡¯s brain froze again. Oh no¨CSte had specifically told her not to mention that. Just admit you were wrong and leave it at that! The pressure in Victor¡¯s presence made it impossible to ignore him. ¡°I- I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Victor¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± She really hadn¡¯t. Victor¡¯s footsteps thudded against the floor as he walked down, each step pounding against her chest. He stopped right in front of her and lifted her chin with his long, defined fingers. Tessa¡¯s insides were trembling. ¡°M¨CMr. Victor, here¡¯s your water.¡± She nervously offered the now half¨Cfull ss. But her mind was still reying the earlier scene in vivid detail. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself in it. How stupid could she possibly be? Turning around and identally yanking someone¡¯s towel off? Seriously? She held the ss out. Victor didn¡¯t take it. Instead, his grip on her chin tightened slightly. ¡°What did you see just now?¡± Everything- ¡°I saw, uh-¡± Wait. She couldn¡¯t say that. Definitely not. She immediately shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Not good enough. His sharp gaze pierced her like a de, and Tessa quickly added, ¡°Nothing at all.¡± But she had seen something. And honestly, how could anyone say he was not functional? That didn¡¯t look like someone who had issues in that department. If he really had a problem, then what a waste of¡ª 2/3 Chapter 413 Apologies and Aftershocks The theagh we abrupul on off as Victor said coldly. ¡°Te that so?¡± Trese nodded. Yes, I swear I didn¡¯t see anything. You¡¯re still pure as ever But she wasn¡¯t pure anymore, was she? Bedaren her, and she¡¯d seen him¡­. Victor let out a low scoff, released her chin, and finally took the ss from her hand before heading back upstairs. * Free Cons The wrong girl 416 Chapter 416 Fever Protocol Chapter 416 Fever Protocol It wasn¡¯t until she heard the door close upstairs that Tessa finally let out a breath and patted her chest. Oh my god¡­ That had scared her half to death. Living under the same roof as someone like Victor¨Cnormal people¡¯s hearts couldn¡¯t handle that kind of stress. Just as she turned to sneak back upstairs to the room she was staying in, thendline downstairs started ringing. With no other choice, she went back and picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Tessa, it¡¯s Ss.¡± For the time, I¡¯m not his girlfriend. +5 Free Coins Did these people haveprehension issues? Which part of her being near Victor made them think they were together? Why did they all keep calling her ma¡¯am? Seriously! Ss continued, ¡°Please help take care of my brother tonight. And whatever you do, don¡¯t let him take a shower.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ he already did.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ss shouted so loud it nearly blew out her eardrum. ¡°Tessa, then you¡¯re really gonna have your hands full tonight. Victor¡¯s definitely going to get a fever.¡± Showering with injuries¨Cthat¡¯d break down even the healthiest body. Victor¡¯s obsession with cleanliness was seriously out of control if he couldn¡¯t even hold off for one day. Tessa tried again: ¡°How about you Too much trouble? ¡°This is beyond trouble,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave him in your hands, then.¡± And before she could get another word in, Ss hung up. That absolute menace. Judging by what Ss had said, Victor was going to have a fever tonight. But there was no way Tessa could take care of him like that. What even was she supposed to do? She hadn¡¯t even gotten the chance to tell Ste to send someone. She had no choice now but to redial the number from earlier. Once, twice¨Cno answer. Tessa grumbled, ¡°What? She¡¯s not picking up now?¡± Ste had said she needed Victor¡¯s permission to send someone. But what about someone from his side? That should be fine, right? Surely he wouldn¡¯t refuse that. 1/3 123 PM Chapter 416 Fever Protocol She tried Ss again. Twice more. Still no answer. What the hell? He called her and she answered immediately¨Cbut when she called him back, he ghosted her? Unbelievable. Looks like she was stuck with this tonight, no matter what. s With no other choice, Tessa trudged upstairs again to ask Victor if he¡¯d let Tessa¨Cor someone else from his own people- over. Having learned her lesson, she was extra cautious this time. She only knocked after hearing a clear reply from inside did she push the door open¨Cand even then, she stayed in the doorway. ¡°Mr. Victor, Ste offered to send a maid. Would that be alright?¡± This man was such a pain. She¡¯d never met anyone this impossible to deal with. Victor raised a brow. ¡°No.¡± Did he have to reject her that tly? Then¡­ could someone from your sidee instead?¡± If not Ste¡¯s people, surely his own would be fine? But his answer didn¡¯t change. Still just two very firm words: ¡°No.¡± Seriously? Nothing was okay with this guy! What did he even want? Was she really supposed to sponge his feverish body down herself? No way. Absolutely not. She couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Then what are you going to do if you get a fever tonight?¡± At that, Victor nced over at her. The look in his eyes made her heart skip. She gulped instinctively. ¡°The person who took out your bullet said you shouldn¡¯t have showered tonight. And that you definitely would get a fever.¡± Her voice was so anxious it practically squeaked. Especially with those big, wide eyes blinking nervously as she stood in the doorway. Because of the lighting, Victor could clearly see the flutter of her longshes even from that distance. She was so small, her face barely the size of a palm, filled with unease and uncertainty. Something flickered behind Victor¡¯s eyes. His lips curved faintly. ¡°What else did he say?¡± ¡°And¡­ and that if you do get a fever, meds probably won¡¯t work. You¡¯d need physical cooling.¡± Ss had repeated that warning several times. If regr meds worked, he wouldn¡¯t have kept emphasizing it. 2/3 C 1.23 PM Chapter 416 Fever Protocol At the words physical cooling, Victor¡¯s body visibly stiffened. His mind shed back to the night before ¡­ s 3/3 The wrong girl 417 +5 Free Coins Chapter 417 The Door That Closed Chapter 417 The Door That Closed Back then, even John couldn¡¯t send a reliable housekeeper, and Victor hadn¡¯t wanted to rm Madam either. Victor¡¯s mind drifted to the memory of her, curled up in a ball. He gave Tessa another long look. Meanwhile, back in Rivermount, the Reed family was unraveling fast after Susan¡¯s arrest. In what felt like a single night, the entire family copsed. Everyone in the Reed family spent the day on edge, anxiety etched into every face. Just before midnight, Lilian arrived at the Keene family estate. She hade to see Ethan. He was the only person she could think of¨Cherst hope. No one else could help the Reeds now. The Reed family¡­ was finished. And if Susan really got locked away this time, what would happen to her? She didn¡¯t have much time left. If she couldn¡¯t get the money¡­ couldn¡¯t get the medicine¡­. she was going to die. Right now, Lilian was in a full¨Cblown panic. The security guard at the gate made a call inside, then turned to her. ¡°Ms. Lilian, please leave. Mr. Ethan will not see you.¡± ¡°No. I need to see him. Tell him if he doesn¡¯te out, I won¡¯t leave,¡± she said firmly. She sat bundled up in her wheelchair, but the Rivermount winter was biting cold. She was freezing. Hearing that Ethan refused to see her, her fingers tightened around the armrests of her chair. ¡°Please,¡± she said again, a little softer this time, trying to coax the impatient guard. That was her reality now. When the Reed family was at its peak, she was in the palm of Ethan¡¯s hand. Who would have dared treat her like this? Back then, wherever she went, people were either respectful or outright deferential. But now¡­ Even a low¨Clevel security guard dared toss her aside with disdain. Faced with this humiliation, Lilian was consumed by resentment. It only made her more desperate to get better. If she could just recover¨Cshe¡¯d make them all pay. Only then could she show them the price of humiliating the wrong person. Madeline appeared. She stepped out just in time to catch Lilian sitting in her wheelchair, her expression sharp and venomous. Their eyes locked. But Lilian quickly masked her emotions, toote.. Madeline had seen everything. Her lips curved into a mocking smile. ¡°That mask of yours really is something else.¡± Lilian¡¯s breath hitched. 1:23 PM 0 e Chapter 417 The Door That Closed She lowered her head and forced a polite, subdued greeting. ¡°Madam Madeline.¡± Madeline let out a cold . ¡°Here to see Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Leave. He won¡¯t be seeing you again.¡± If there was one thing that had pleased Madelely, it was Ethan finally cutting Lilian off. Just look at her now. +5 Free Coins Sick, weak, hunched in a wheelchair¨Cif Ethan had insisted on marrying her, Madeline might¡¯ve dropped dead from rage. ¡°Look, I-¡± ¡°Lilian,¡± Madeline cut in sharply, ¡°a woman should carry her own grace. I¡¯m not in the mood to humiliate you tonight, so don¡¯t push me.¡± That sudden sharpness in her tone made Lilian¡¯s heart squeeze tight. She knew Madeline had raised hell when Ethan kept visiting her not long ago. Now that he¡¯d finally stopped paying attention, if Lilian kept clinging on, Madeline would not hold back. But she had no other choice. ¡°Just let me see him once. I promise, I won¡¯t bother him again. Please,¡± she pleaded, her voice soft, defeated. Once so high and mighty, she was now humbled to her very bones. She was terrified. Her father, mother, and brother¨Conce standing firmly behind her¨Chad all distanced themselves since Ste came into the picture. She waspletely alone now. Madeline¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Since you insist on doing this the hard way, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± She was seething. Between the recent upheaval in the Keene family and her own foul mood, she needed an outlet. And she owed Lilian absolutely no kindness. She turned to the guards. ¡°Get her out of here.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The guards nodded. Madeline¡¯s cold dismissal made it even harder for her to breathe. Before she could say another word, Madeline had turned away and walked inside, her back straight and proud. That Keene family gate¡­ Lilian had once dreamed of walking through it with her head held high. She truly believed Ethan¡¯s persistence would get her there one day. But now, looking at it¡­ She knew it would never happen. Two guards stepped forward, ready to lift her wheelchair. The wrong girl 418 Chapter 418 Burnt Bridges Chapter 418 Burnt Bridges Lilian shook her head in desperation. ¡°No, don¡¯t touch me¨Cdon¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± Her attendant tried to intervene, but the guard shoved her to the ground without hesitation. Lilian thrashed wildly in her wheelchair. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Who gave you the right? Let go¨Clet go!¡± +5 Free Coins ¡°Ms. Lilian,¡± the guard sneered, ¡°let me remind you¨Cthe Reed family no longer exists. You¡¯re not their precious daughter anymore.¡± He leaned in with a smirk. ¡°Even when the Reeds were at their peak, you weren¡¯t good enough for Mr. Ethan. Now? Forget it. ept your ce. Chasing after him will only embarrass you.¡± The words sliced into her like ss. Humiliation¨Csharp, bitter, and suffocating¨Ccoiled tightly around her chest. No one had ever treated her like this before. How had ite to this? Ste. This was all because of her. If it weren¡¯t for Ste, none of this would have happened. She had destroyed everything. She was ruthless¨Cnot only toward others but even toward her own birth mother. And now Lilian was paying the price for the Reed family¡¯s downfall. Hatred boiled in Lilian¡¯s eyes, but there was nothing she could do. She clenched her teeth as she whispered Ste¡¯s name, every syble dripping with venom, as if trying to bite it to pieces. -she would never let Ste off the hook. If the heavens gave her one more chance¨Cjust one- Never. Back at Seats Cove. Ste had dozed off beside Abraham,pletely drained. The man rolled over and pulled her into his arms, pressing his cheek gently against her neck with uncharacteristic tenderness. Who knew how long they slept¡­ Her phone, resting on the nightstand, buzzed loudly¨Cshe¡¯d forgotten to silence it before bed. Still half¨Casleep, Ste groped for it and answered groggily, ¡°Hello¡­?¡± She was exhausted. Who the hell was calling thiste? On the other end, Tessa¡¯s anxious voice rang out: ¡°Ste, Victor has a high fever! He¡¯s burning up!¡± High fever? Ste was still too drowsy to understand why Tessa was calling her about that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Victor had a fever¨Cand Tessa was calling her? She blinked at the ceiling in confusion, still not registering that Tessa was currently living with Victor. 1:23 PM Chapter 418 Burnt Bridges Tessa pleaded, ¡°I gave him fever meds, but they¡¯re not working! What do I do?¡± Silence stretched over the line. Ste¡¯s brain was sluggish, not just from sleep but something deeper¨Clike her mind was wrapped in fog. Tessa called out again. ¡°Ste? Ste?¡± Ste mumbled, ¡°Give him more fever meds.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°He already took some¡­ they¡¯re not working.¡± ¡°Then give him more.¡± What?! Was she serious?! Overdosing on fever meds could kill someone! Had Ste lost her mind? What kind of advice was that? But Ste was clearly half¨Casleep and barely aware. Before Tessa could object, Ste ended the call. She turned over and wrapped her arms around Abraham¡¯s slim waist. +5 Free Coins He stirred, awakened slightly by the movement. Catching her familiar scent, he instinctively drew her closer and closed his eyes again, content. That kind of peace¨Cthe kind born of a long, aching crush finally fulfilled¨Cwas something only those who¡¯d suffered silently could understand. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ste murmured drowsily. He pulled her even closer, whispering softly, ¡°Shh. Sleep.¡± Back at the Keene estate. Lilian had been dumped outside. The weight of humiliation crushed her chest. And in that moment, she saw the truth for what it was¨Cthere was no future for her and Ethan. Her maid helped her back into the wheelchair. ¡°Ms. Lilian, let¡¯s go home.¡± It was the middle of the night. Running into Madam Madeline had only made things worse, and the maid was visibly frustrated. Especially since the Reed family¡¯s copse had meant no wages for their staff this month. That was why she hadn¡¯t even wanted to apany Lilian tonight in the first ce. Already pushed to her breaking point, Lilian snapped. ¡°Go where? If you want to leave, go ahead. I¡¯m not leaving until I see Ethan.¡± Even after being thrown out, she clung stubbornly to herst shred of pride. The maid¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯m leaving.¡± She wasn¡¯t about to stand out here freezing for this nonsense. The wrong girl 419 Chapter 419 The Last Thread Chapter 419 The Last Thread Lilian¡¯s expression froze. She stared at her maid in disbelief. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Even the help dared speak to her like this now? s The maid snapped, ¡°Ms. Lilian, maybe it¡¯s time you faced reality. Yeah, I¡¯m a maid¨Cbut I get paid to work. I¡¯m not some ve of the Reed family. You think this is still the old days? You don¡¯t pay me, but you still expect to order me around?¡± Her breathing grew erratic. At that moment, Ethan¡¯s car pulled up. Inside, he saw Lilian grabbing the maid¡¯s arm, clearly in the middle of a heated argument. Though he couldn¡¯t hear what was being said, their bodynguage made it obvious. Jason saw Lilian too, and his face tightened. He instinctively went to speed up the car¨Che really didn¡¯t want Ethan getting caught up with Lilian again. Thesest few weeks had been hell every time Ethan met with her¨Che always ended up getting chewed out. But just as they passed Lilian, Ethan¡¯s cold voice cut through the air: ¡°Stop the car.¡± Jason tried, weakly, ¡°Madam doesn¡¯t want you involved with Ms. Lilian anymore.¡± ¡°Stop. The. Car.¡± The words were calm, but Jason knew better than to push. He braked. Lilian was still mid¨Cargument. Her maid, clearly fed up, didn¡¯t even want her wages anymore¨Cshe just wanted out. And Lilian, equally furious, was insisting the maid send her home first. As the car stopped, Lilian spotted it immediately. Recognizing Ethan¡¯s vehicle, she instinctively let go of the maid. Just moments ago, she¡¯d been screaming hysterically¨Cbut now, seeing Ethan through the half¨Clowered window, she quickly rearranged her expression into one of pitiful fragility. ¡°Ethan¡­¡± Ethan nced at her coldly. ¡°Here to see me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lilian nodded, looking aggrieved. He¡¯s just now home? At this hour? So he really was doing just fine without her. A maning home thiste¨Cwhat else could it mean? She caught a whiff of alcohol from the car. That scent definitely wasn¡¯ting from Jason. Sniffling, Lilian said softly, ¡°It¡¯s sote¡­ where were you? Why are you only getting home now?¡± Ethan: ¡°Get to the point.¡± His tone was cutting, formal. It hit Lilian like a p. Was he really that cold toward her now? Had he lost even the tiniest shred of patience? She couldn¡¯t even ask where he¡¯d been? Lilian swallowed her frustration and forced herself to speak through trembling lips. ¡°You¡­ saw what happened with my mom, right?¡± Chapter 419 The Last Thread That story had rocked Rivermount all day. It was everywhere. Everyone knew. Even a few of her old girlfriends had called to ¡°check in.¡± But she knew what they were really doing¨Cgloating. None of them had bothered to visit her while she¡¯d been sick. +5 Free Coins Ethan¡¯s brow furrowed. His cold gaze said enough¨Che¡¯d seen it. Lilian met that icy look and said, voice shaking, ¡°Ethan¡­ can you help me? Please? I swear, there¡¯s no one else I can turn to.¡± She ced herself in the most pitiful position possible. ¡°Just this once. For the sake of what we used to have¡­ please?¡± She knew Ethan would never take her back. She wasn¡¯t asking for that anymore. But her mother had to get out of jail. If Susan stayed locked up, the Reed family was truly finished. And then there was Jonathan. His attitude toward her had shifted, just like Patrick before him. Why were they all so obsessed with blood ties? She¡¯d been there all those years. She stood by them. Yet now Jonathan wouldn¡¯t even look at her. Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What we used to have? You mean that web of maniption you spun to get close to me? The one built on other people¡¯s lives? You call that a rtionship?¡± Her mind wentpletely nk. She stared at him, stunned, every word hitting her like a hammer. ¡°You think I manipted my way into your life?¡± What a word¨Cmaniption. Hearing Ethan say it so bluntly- Her chest tightened painfully. She finally understood. Ethan had nothing left for her. No affection. Not even pity. If he had anything left in his heart for her, he wouldn¡¯t have said that. Ethan let out a coldugh. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± The wrong girl 420 Chapter 420 Severance Chapter 420 Severance ¡°Just because of that ident, you¡¯re erasing every bit of love I ever gave you? Is that fair to me?¡± She had only staged that car crash for him. She¡¯d been terrified. Afraid that once Ste returned, she¡¯d lose everything¨Close him. That was why she did it. Out of desperation. Out of fear. +5 Free Coins ¡°You nearly got her killed,¡± Ethan said coldly, staring at her like a stranger. ¡°And now you want to talk to me about fairness?¡± Lilian¡¯s voice broke. ¡°I did it because I was afraid, Ethan. I grew up in the Reed family. I called those people ¡®Mom¡® and ¡®Dad¡® for over twenty years¨Cand then I found out they weren¡¯t even my real family. You¨Cmy fianc¨¦¨Cwere supposed to be the true daughter¡¯s, not mine. I was terrified!¡± That fear had driven her. That fear had made hersh out at Ste. But when Ethan heard her say the word fear, he didn¡¯t react the way he once might have. No gentlefort, no warm reassurance. Instead, his eyes turned colder. ¡°So because you were afraid¡­ you thought you had the right to take a life?¡± Lilian blurted out, ¡°But Ste didn¡¯t die!¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine! She¡¯s doing great. She stole everything from me¨Chow is that fair?¡± The Reed family had copsed. Ethan no longer looked at her. All of that¨Cbecause of Ste. Ste was thriving. But she¨CLilian¨Chad lost everything. ¡°Yes, I made a mistake. But she¡¯s alive, isn¡¯t she?!¡± Lilian shouted, her voice cracking. And that¨Cthat¨Cwas thest straw. Ethan¡¯s expression darkened further. In that moment, he saw her for exactly what she was. Someone who never once regretted the crime¨Conly that it didn¡¯t seed. With a coldugh, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t help with the Reed family. You brought this on yourselves. You reap what you sow.¡± Then, to Jason: ¡°Drive.¡± Jason exhaled in relief and hit the gas, not giving Lilian a chance to say another word. He raised the window and pulled away fast. ¡°Ethan! Ethan, wait¨Cjust listen!¡± she shouted behind them. But her voice was swallowed by the wind as his car disappeared down the road, kicking up dust and cold air that stung her skin. Reap what you sow¡­ So that was it. Ethan wasn¡¯t going to help. Not her. Not the Reed family. No one. He¡¯d turned his back on them all. 1.23 PM Chapter 420 Severance Cruel. So cruel. Not just toward her¨Cbut toward everything that had once existed between their two families. Wasn¡¯t the past worth anything? Lilian trembled violently as her hatred deepened, thudding in her chest like a war drum. +5 Free Coins Back at the Keene estate. Ethan entered the house. Madeline hadn¡¯t gone to bed yet¨Cher expression was tense and weary. The Keene family had been dealing with too muchtely. And she, most of all, was feeling the weight of it. Seeing Ethan return, a sorrow flickered across her face. ¡°Ethan, if you keep getting tangled up with Lilian, I really don¡¯t know if I can go on.¡± Everything was copsing around her. Judson. Her marriage. Her son. To think the man she had been married to for decades had already fathered a child before they¡¯d even wed¡­ And now, seeing how gently Judson treated that son¨Cit was almost unbearable. Ethan walked over and sat beside her. ¡°Next time she shows up,¡± he said calmly, ¡°just have her thrown out.¡± Madeline¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ethan had actually said it¨Cout loud. About Lilian. She could hardly believe it. He used to cherish that girl like a treasure. Even when he¡¯d imed they were over, Madeline hadn¡¯t really believed it. Lilian was too cunning¨Ctoo resourceful. Who knew what tricks she¡¯d pull to win him back? She was nothing but a sickly burden¨Cwhat good would she be if he did bring her back? Ethan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Madeline¡¯s heart finally settled. If he could say something like that, it meant he was truly done with her. Still, she probed gently, ¡°She must¡¯vee tonight because of Susan.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°And you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting involved,¡± Ethan said firmly. Those four words were exactly what Madeline needed to hear. She nodded. ¡°Good. You shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯s being used of murder, after all.¡± If Ethan got entangled now, the Keene family¡¯s reputation would spiral. Who knew what sort of scandals might erupt? Chapter 420 Severance But now that Ethan had drawn that line, she could finally breathe. +5 Free Coins The wrong girl 421 Chapter 421 Breaking Point Chapter 421 Breaking Point Ethan had truly cut Lilian off. Ever since he learned the truth about that car ident, even hearing her name filled him with revulsion. +5 Free Coins Lilian couldn¡¯t remember how she made it back to the Reed family estate. Exhausted and slumped in her wheelchair, she didn¡¯t arrive until 3:30 a.m. Jonathan was still awake. As she passed his room, she heard him speaking on the phone. The door was open. When he saw Lilian, he ended the call immediately. The look in his eyes was distant¨Cdevoid of warmth. ¡°Hey,¡± she said quietly, her voiceced with pain. The Reed family was falling apart. Everyone in the house was on edge, drowning in the same storm of uncertainty. But none more so than Lilian. When the family had thrived, she was the cherished daughter, pampered and adored. But now, in its ruin, splintered and exposed, she was nothing. With no blood ties to the family and Susan no longer shielding her, all she had left was Jonathan¨Cand even that was fading. Jonathan¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went to see Ethan,¡± she admitted, her tone fragile. ¡°And what did he say?¡± ¡°He¡­ didn¡¯t say much.¡± What he had said had left her suffocating. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to repeat it. Jonathan understood the message loud and clear. If Ethan¨Cwho should have been the Reed family¡¯s closest ally¨Crefused to help, then Lilian must have truly crossed the line with that ident. ¡°Get out of my sight,¡± Jonathan said, eyes shut, his voiceced with bitterness. Lilian¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°Jonathan¡­¡± ¡°Out.¡± That single word¨Cout¨Chit her like a hammer. It was over. She was truly finished. Without Susan, she had no foothold left in this family. Faced with Jonathan¡¯s barely restrained rage, Lilian dared not push further. Silently, she wheeled herself away. Alone now, Jonathan clenched his phone, hands trembling. That crash¡­ Lilian really had orchestrated it. Ste had nearly died. He remembered visiting her every day while shey unconscious in the hospital. He had loved her once. So¡­ when had that changed? When had he stopped loving his sister? 1:23 PM Chapter 421 Breaking Point Was it when Ste kept confronting Lilian? When she insisted on ountability for the crash? Between them, he had chosen Lilian¨Cthe one he had grown up with. +5 Free Coins Far away in Falvaria. After calling Ste, Tessa went back downstairs to try Ss again from thendline. Still nothing. Ste was unreachable. Ss, too¨Cuseless in the middle of the night. Victor¡¯s fever had already spiked to103 F. If it kept climbing, it¡¯d be dangerous. Tessa waspletely frozen in panic. Back in the bedroom, she leaned over him. ¡°Wake up¡­ Victor, wake up.¡± He cracked one dazed eye open and looked at her¨Cbut only for a second before drifting off again. Tessa¡¯s heart sank. If this fever doesn¡¯t break soon, something serious is going to happen. ¡°Aaagh-!¡± She could scream. If only she¡¯d agreed to let Ste take her to the Dawson family when she had the chance. How scary could Evelyn be, really? She helped raise Ste. It couldn¡¯t have been that bad. Besides, with such a big house, she and Evelyn might never have even crossed paths. But now¡­ what was she supposed to do? She tried calling emergency services to send an ambnce¨Cbut she couldn¡¯tmunicate properly in the localnguage. Didn¡¯t I study this? I swear I studied this! Why is it all useless now? With no time to waste, Tessa rushed to bring warm water for physical cooling. She started with his face, then moved to his neck. But the cloth only covered so much. The fever didn¡¯t drop fast enough¨Cand whatever progress she made was short¨Clived. The heat returned within minutes. She had no choice but to increase the coverage. Lifting the nket and carefully untying his robe, she averted her gaze, refusing to look at Victor¡¯s body. She ran the warm towel over his chest and sides with quick, nervous motions. ¡°Mm¡­¡± he groaned low in his throat. The wrong girl 422 Chapter 422 Physical Cooling and Desert Orders Chapter 422 Physical Cooling and Desert Orders Tessa instinctively turned her head¨Cshe¡¯d identally touched one of Victor¡¯s injuries. +5 Free Coins She nced at it for only a second before quickly looking away and continuing the task. She wiped his upper body, then moved lower. By the time she got to his lower half, she¡¯d turned her head so far away she could barely see what she was doing. Then, suddenly¨Cher wrist was grabbed. Tessa froze. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Victor¡¯s voice, hoarse from fever, broke the silence like a de. Tessa turned back slowly and met his bloodshot eyes. Even now, with his body burning up, his gaze carried that same unrelenting pressure. Tessa swallowed hard. ¡°P¨CPhysical cooling,¡± she stammered. As her eyes drifted downward, she realized exactly where the towel in her hand was¡­ currently ced. She wentpletely nk. True, she hadn¡¯t yanked off his underwear like he had with her towel the other night. There was some coverage. Technically. But barely. She looked at him, panicked. ¡°You were burning up, and the fever medicine wasn¡¯t working, so I¡­¡± Victor¡¯s grip on her wrist tightened. His red, fevered eyes burned into her like a beast sizing up prey. Tessa gulped again. Lowering her head, she whispered, ¡°I tried calling your people. None of them picked up.¡± If she¡¯d gotten through, none of this would¡¯ve happened. ¡°You¨Ccan you let me go now?¡± She was panicking. Surely he didn¡¯t think she was trying to take advantage of him, right? She wasn¡¯t that kind of animal. Eventually, Victor released her. Overwhelmed by the fever, he soon fell asleep again. Tessa, worried the heat might cause seriousplications, continued wiping him down two more times. By the third round, the fever finally broke. Exhausted, she copsed at the side of his bed and fell asleep there. The next morning. Victor didn¡¯t wake until after 9 a.m. Chapter 422 Physical Cooling and Desert Orders He stirred only when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Victor. It¡¯s me.¡± Lewis¡¯s voice echoed from outside. Victor sat up¨Conly to see Tessa sleeping beside him, head resting against the bed. Her hair was an absolute mess, like it had been stirred by a hurricane. She must¡¯ve tossed and turned in her sleep. ¡°Victor? I¡¯ming in-¡± Hearing no response, Lewis opened the door and walked right in. The moment he stepped in, he was met with Victor¡¯s very unweing re. Even more shocking¨Che saw Victor pulling the nket over a woman lying next to him. What the hell happened night? His brain jammed instantly. Crap¡­ the boss has a woman now? That means we can¡¯t just barge in here like we used to. +5 Free Coins Wait¨Cif he¡¯d been knocking so long, why didn¡¯t Victor say anything? Why was he looking at him like he wanted to kill him? Lewis swallowed. ¡°I¨CI knocked! I swear I knocked hard!¡± ¡°Out.¡± Victor¡¯s voice was low and icy. Lewis flinched and nodded rapidly. ¡°Right. I¡¯m out. I¡¯m so far out I¡¯m practically on another continent.¡± He backed out and shut the door behind him with great care. Inside, only Victor and Tessa remained. She was still fast asleep,pletely drained from caring for him the night before. The water basin she¡¯d used to cool him was still at the bedside. Even when Victor carefully lifted her onto the bed, she didn¡¯t stir. He nced at her small, delicate face and instinctively reached out to pull the nket higher over her. Downstairs. Lewis rushed up to Ss, whispering with urgency, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that is Victor¡¯s woman.¡± Ss looked at him with an unreadable expression. That look clearly said, figure it out for yourself. Lewis insisted, ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± Ss, unfazed, said, ¡°I¡¯ve got news for you.¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Eddie¡¯s probably getting sent to the desert.¡± Lewis¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re kidding. That¡¯s basically a death sentence!¡± Eddie, with his germophobia? 1.24 Chapter 422 Physical Cooling and Desert Orders And Boss wanted to send him to the driest ce on Earth? +5 Free Coins The Mambia Desert was infamous for its harsh drought¨Cthere could be ten years without rain and no one would even blink. Sending Eddie there would kill him with difort alone. Ss added, ¡°I have a feeling Victor¡¯s going to send you along too.¡± The wrong girl 423 Chapter 423 Gossip Has Consequences Chapter 423 Gossip Has Consequences ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re being sent there? There¡¯s no mission for us in that ce!¡± Lewis couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. And more importantly, he didn¡¯t want to. That ce could kill people. +5 Free Coins Never mind theck of showers¨Csure, he wasn¡¯t as clean¨Cobsessed as Eddie, but that didn¡¯t mean he was ready to live like a caveman. The food alone would be a nightmare. Ss said inly, ¡°Because your mouth is just as annoying as Eddie¡¯s.¡± Was that¡­ supposed to be humannguage? ¡°Hey now, that¡¯s a bit harsh. What¡¯d I ever do to you?¡± Ss replied, ¡°Nothing to me¨Cbut you offended Victor.¡± ¡°What? When did I do that? This sounds serious, and I don¡¯t remember a thing!¡± Lewis looked genuinely confused. Ss stared at him like he was beyond help. Lewis blinked. ¡°Wait¨Cyou mean those littlements? Come on, that can¡¯t be it.¡± ¡°He nearly drowned Eddie over those ¡®littlements. You think he won¡¯te for you?¡± Ss couldn¡¯t forget the sight of Eddie swimming frantically for his life¨Cten kilometers out to sea¨Cbecause of a prank. He barely made it. These men held grudges like dragons hoarded treasure. By the time Victor came downstairs, Lewis was shooting Ss resentful nces. Ss, clearly done, had turned his face away and was pretending not to notice. Victor descended the stairs in a deep navy robe. Long legs, open cor, and a glimpse of his chest¨Centuated by the dark wolf tattoo stretching across his skin. The dim morning light made it seem alive. Ss couldn¡¯t help but think: That build¡­ how does someone like Tessa even survive beside a man like that? Victor sat on the couch, voice cold. ¡°Everything handled?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. All taken care of. We left one alive for you.¡± Standard protocol. Victor nodded. Then his eyes shifted toward Lewis. That look alone sent a chill down Lewis¡¯s spine. He shuddered¨Cand without thinking, dropped to the floor. ¡°Victor! I¡¯m sorry! I really am! Please don¡¯t send me to Mambia Desert. I swear I¡¯ll change!¡± Victor¡¯s expression darkened. Lewis babbled faster. ¡°I swear! I swear on my life¨CI¡¯ll never gossip about you again!¡± Wait¨Cwhat? The entire room fell into a stunned silence. +5 Free C Chapter 423 Gossip Has Consequences. Did he really just say that? Victor¡¯s face twitched. Ahahe said, amused now. ¡°So you¡¯ve been gossiping about me?¡± He emphasized gossip with a dangerous edge. Lewis blinked, confused at first¨Cthen nodded, flustered. He didn¡¯t know how else to respond. And just like that, the atmosphere froze. Sitasslowly turned his head away, as if trying to pretend he wasn¡¯t associated with any of this.. This idiot¡­he thought. Please, please don¡¯t drag me into this. Hiddalways tried to shut Lewis up when he started talking nonsense. Tins wasntude discussion¨Cit was one¨Cway rumor¨Cspreading, entirely on Lewis¡¯s end. Unfortunately, lewis didn¡¯t notice Ss frantically giving him warning nces. He turnedio Wittorand, in a moment of sheer panic, nodded again. ¡°Yes.¡± Victormaisemayyebrow. And what exactly were you gossiping about? Tell me.¡± His voice wass calim.evenced with a smile¨Cbut everyone could hear the storm brewing behind it. Lewis panickeril Victor was kinditohissiterairdle, sure¨Cbut when it came to discipline, he was merciless. Under pressure, Lewisbrokepletely and spilled everything in one breathless rant¡­ When he finished, he luteallike auman awaiting execution. ¡°Victor, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, I was just¡­ curious.¡± Curious. Ss mentally facepalined. Thuttssitt Fiessweud. He was just grateful Lewis hadn¡¯t dragged him into it¡ªif he had. Ss would¡¯ve turned on him then and there. But even from a safe distance, licating that word¨Ccurious¨Cwas enough to make him wince. So this is what people meant by disasierantes from the mouth.¡± Victor chuckled lowly. ¡°Curious?¡± That word, from his lips, sounded actions andtimes more dangerous than it should. 1:24 PM The wrong girl 424 Chapter 424 Sentencing and Misunderstandings Chapter 424 Sentencing and Misunderstandings s Lewis nearly nodded on instinct¨Cbut something in Victor¡¯s tone stopped him cold. He shook his head frantically. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not curious. Not even a little. Absolutely not.¡± Oh god, had he said something wrong again? Why did Victor¡¯s voice sound even more dangerous than before? Forget it. He was swearing off talking altogether. This mouth of his was going to get him killed. ¡°I swear I wasn¡¯t curious about you, Victor. I was curious if I was any good.¡± He needed to leave. Immediately. ¡°I just remembered¨CI didn¡¯t get all the answers from that guyst night. I should go question him again.¡± And without waiting for a reply, Ss bolted. He vowed: from now on, if Lewis was in the same room as the boss, he was staying far away. This was a high¨Crisk zone. One wrong word and boom¨Ccoteral damage. Victor turned his eyes on Lewis. Lewis blinked. ¡°Want me to help Ss? I could go interrogate too?¡± He was desperate to escape. The air pressure alone was enough to make his heart flutter like a dying bird. Victor calmly lit a cigarette. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Eddie?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no rtionship at all?¡± Lewis blinked. ¡°We¡¯re not close.¡± What kind of question was this? He and Eddie had practically nothing inmon. Victor said coolly, ¡°I think you two should be brothers.¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯re not brothers.¡± ¡°You could be.¡± Lewis¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited. Could be?What did that even mean? Brothers either were or weren¡¯t¨Cwhat was this middle¨Cground ambiguity? Victor exined, ¡°Eddie¡¯s going to the Mambia Desert in a few days. You¡¯ll go with him. Keep himpany. You two will get along great.¡± And just like that, Lewis¡¯s world copsed. He¡¯d just beenining to Ss about how brutal that desert was¨Cand now? Now Victor was sending him? Ss had predicted this. And he hadn¡¯t said a word! ¡°B¨CBrothers, sure¨Cbut I don¡¯t want to go to Mambia Desert,¡± Lewis blurted, without thinking. He didn¡¯t even register the double meaning in his words. He thought Victor was just suggesting a bond¨Cnot a punishment. Victor¡¯s stare sharpened. Silence fell. s 1:24 PM Chapter 424 Sentencing and Misunderstandings Lewis chuckled nervously. ¡°Victor?¡± Victor exhaled a plume of smoke. ¡°Why did I even keep you around again?¡± Why had he let this idiot stay by his side? Lewis blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ firing squad?¡± Victor nodded. ¡°Right. That¡¯s it.¡± Yeah¨Cthere had to have been some redeeming quality. Otherwise, there was no way he¡¯d have tolerated such a fool. Upstairs, Tessa stirred and rolled over¨Cright off the bed. Thud! She hit the floor hard, the impact rattling her brain. She was always a wild sleeper. At home, the house staff had a daily task: clean and reconstruct her bed. Because no matter how pristine it was when shey down, by morning the sheets would be in a crumpled heap on the floor. Bleary¨Ceyed, she looked around. A strange room? Where¡­? Oh. Right. She remembered now. ¡°Eh?¡± Where was the patient? He had a raging feverst night¨Cwhere¡¯d he disappear to? She panicked. Grabbing her phone, she checked the time. Past 9 a.m. already. ¡°Ahh, sote?¡± Victor had mentioned porridgest night¡­ and she was supposed to cook. But at this hour, did breakfast even count anymore? Still yawning, Tessa padded downstairs. Victor was in the living room, smoking. He nced over at her just as she tried to tame her already disastrous hair¨Conly to make it look even more like a bird¡¯s nest. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± She looked toward him at the sound of his voice. But the moment her eyesnded on Victor, memories of the night before flooded back. Her gaze¡­ instinctively drifted downward. Ste¡¯s words echoed in her head¨Cand maybe they were right. She¡¯d wiped down his body for agesst night, and not one hint of a reaction. Victor noticed her stare. 1:24 PM Chapter 424 Sentencing and Misunderstandings His expression darkened. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± The question snapped her back to reality. She jolted upright, frantically shaking her head. ¡°Nothing! Not looking at anything!¡± Her lips said no, but her mind¡­ What a waste. That body. That face. And yet¡­ nothing works. s The wrong girl 425 Chapter 425: Unspoken Thoughts and Uninvited Feelings Chapter 425: Unspoken Thoughts and Uninvited Feelings Victor said nothing. Tessa cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°Um¡­ just so you know, you shouldn¡¯t be smoking right now.¡± She offered the reminder quietly. Victor raised a brow. +5 Free Coins No one had ever told him that before. Not during injury recovery, not ever. Did she really not know who she was talking to? Tessa¡¯s stomach growled. With no cook around, even if Victor didn¡¯t want to eat, she¡¯d still have to make something for herself. But judging fromst night¡¯s conversation¨Cand the glimpse she¡¯d caught of the kitchen¨Ceverything he liked seemed reallyplicated to prepare. ¡°So, um, should I make you something to eat?¡± Victor: ¡°Hmm?¡°/ Tessa hesitated. ¡°Well, at this hour, whatever I make probably won¡¯t be ready until noon. So maybe¡­ maybe we skip soup?¡± Soup took too long. And right now, she just wanted something fast and easy. Victor raised a brow. ¡°So what are you making?¡± ¡°Pasta. Okay?¡± It was quick. And she¡¯d made it for Ste before¨CSte had even said it was good. Victor wasn¡¯t particrly fond of pasta, but he didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Come here.¡± Tessa stiffened. ¡°W¨CWhy?¡± She really didn¡¯t want to get any closer to this terrifying man. Victor said nothing. Just stared at her quietly. Tessa: ¡°¡­¡± Fine. When under someone¡¯s roof, you listen. She finally shuffled over. Standing in front of him, she looked small¨Cmore like a little girl than anything else. Victor reached out and touched her cheek. His sudden movement made Tessa jerk back. ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing?!¡± Was he trying to be flirty? That wasn¡¯t their kind of rtionship! Victor said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s blood on your Tessa: ¡°Huh?¡± Blood? face.¡± Victor added, ¡°Probably from that nosebleed you got¡­ looking at mest night.¡± Her breath caught. Oh god. She still hadn¡¯t cleaned that off? Chapter 425: Unspoken Thoughts and Uninvited Feelings She rubbed her cheek quickly¨Cand sure enough, little crusty kes came off. It was dry blood. Tessa wanted to dig a hole in the floor and crawl in. Victor, amused by her flustered panic, said with a smile at the corner of his mouth, ¡°Go wash your face first.¡± ¡°O¨COkay.¡± She spun around and ran off like a rabbit fleeing a wolf. Victor watched her scamper off, lips tugging upward in quiet amusement. Having this little thing around might not be such a bad idea. For a moment, hepletely forgot the chaos of how she ended up here. J¡­ After washing up, Tessa went straight to the kitchen. She pulled noodles and a few basic ingredients from the fridge and got to work like a spinning top. +5 Free Coins Victor, seated in the living room, had a direct view of the kitchen. He watched her little figure bustling about, flipping between pots and cupboards. And somewhere in his chest, a strange feeling stirred. He couldn¡¯t quite name it¡ªit was foreign, unfamiliar¡­ but not unpleasant. Meanwhile, in Rivermount- Abraham stirred awake. Ste was still in his arms, quiet and sweet. She hadn¡¯t moved much at all through the night¨Cjusty peacefully nestled against him. His gaze softened, and he gently kissed her cheek before slipping out of bed without waking her. Downstairs, the butler was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs. When Abraham descended, he bowed respectfully. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham looked at him briefly. ¡°Don¡¯t wake her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Everyone in the house knew¨Cwhen it came to Ms. Ste, they were walking on ss. No one dared wake her unnecessarily. As Abraham was about to leave, the butler hesitated, then added, ¡°Sir, Ms. Ste hasn¡¯t had much of an appetitetely. Should I call a doctor?¡± Her appetite? Now that he thought about it¡­ she hadn¡¯te down for midnight snacks in days. Normally, if she wasn¡¯t allowed seconds at dinner, she¡¯d sneak into the kitchente at night. But these past few days? Nothing. Abraham paused. ¡°Call her friend Rianne. Have here by.¡± 1:24 PM Chapter 425: Unspoken Thoughts and Uninvited Feelings Eddie would be heading out with him soon anyway. And Rianne¨Cwasn¡¯t she an OB¨CGYN? s For reasons he couldn¡¯t exin, just hearing the words ¡®obstetrics and gynecology¡® made him instinctively decide Rianne should take a look. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll call Dr. Rianne shortly,¡± the butler replied. Abraham gave no further instructions and walked out the door. Ste finally woke¨Cabout thirty minutes after he¡¯d left. The wrong girl 426 Chapter 426 A Closed Door Chapter 426 A Closed Door Ste came downstairs and immediately noticed Abraham wasn¡¯t around. What she did see, however, was the butler on the phone, his voice firm and curt. ¡°Ms. Ste won¡¯t see anyone from the Reed family. Send them away immediately.¡± She didn¡¯t catch what was said on the other end, but the butler repeated, ¡°Yes. Directly send them away.¡± The Reed family? Tessa really was a little gossip wizard. Everything she¡¯d predicted wasing true¨Cdown to the exact people who¡¯d show up. With Susan in such deep trouble, the Reed family was probably in total chaos. As the butler hung up and turned around, he spotted Ste on the stairs and greeted her respectfully: ¡°Ms. Ste.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Abraham?¡± she asked, the name now slipping from her lips naturally, even if she still used it formally in front of others. ¡°He left a while ago. He instructed us not to wake you.¡± ¡°When did he leave?¡± ¡°About thirty minutes ago.¡± So he hadn¡¯t been gone long. She looked at the butler. ¡°Someone from the Reed family came?¡± ¡°Yes. The eldest son.¡± Jonathan? Well, Tessa really had nailed it. She could practically open a booth and start telling fortunes. She even got the order of Reed family visitors right. Jonathaning to see her could only mean one thing: Susan. Her phone began to buzz¨CRianne was calling. Ste picked up. ¡°Rianne?¡± ¡°Ste, my car¡¯s stuck. About three hundred meters outside the Seats Cove gate.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Is there a pothole?¡± That road was pristine¨Chow could there be a pothole? ¡°I drove off the shoulder.¡± ¡°¡­ Rianne, your driving.¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send someone to tow you out.¡± ¡°Please hurry. I¡¯m freezing.¡± Today really was bitterly cold in Rivermount. Snow had started falling again¨Can unusually heavy snowfall for this region. Past winters were cold, sure, but not like this. They usually saw a dusting of snow at most¨Cnothing like the inches piling up now. ncing out the window, Ste saw that the snow really had started umting. ¡°Got it.¡± But what was Rianne doing at Seats Cove? They hadn¡¯t made ns to meet today. After hanging up, Ste turned to the butler. ¡°Send someone to tow Rianne out. Her car¡¯s stuck.¡± 0 0 Chapter 426 A Closed Door ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He moved quickly to fulfill the request. Ste headed to the dining room for breakfast. The house staff swiftly brought out her usual favorites. The congee was soft and warm, just the way she liked it. But she stared at it without appetite. She hadn¡¯t been very hungrytely, no matter how well¨Cprepared the meals were. +5 Free Coins Warmth and cold. In Seats Cove, the two extremes were ying out in perfect contrast. JAfter asking about Jonathan, Ste no longer spared the matter a second thought. She was indifferent now. As indifferent as they once were toward her. Inside the warmth of the vi, she sat in silence. Meanwhile, at the Seats Cove gate, Jonathan waited in the cold. Even sitting in the car, he couldn¡¯t block out the chill. The driver returned. ¡°Sir, Ms. Ste refuses to see you.¡± That answer sank deep into Jonathan¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t unexpected¨Cbut it still stung. He closed his eyes. Ste¡¯s coldness now¡­ it was ten times worse than how the Reed family treated her in the past. ¡°Did she leave any message for me?¡± He didn¡¯t know why he asked. Maybe he was hoping for something¨Canything. Even if she cursed him out, it would mean she still had something left to say. But once again, he was wrong. Ste hadn¡¯t left him anything. To her, the Reed family no longer existed. The driver shook his head. ¡°No message. It wasn¡¯t Ms. Ste who answered. It was the butler.¡± A butler. Once upon a time, seeing Ste wouldn¡¯t have required an appointment, let alone approval. Now, just speaking to her involvedyers of obstruction. She¡¯s our blood¡­ Jonathan thought. How did it get this far? He closed his eyes again, a tense, dangerous aura coiling around him. The driver spoke again, cautiously. ¡°Should we go?¡± Jonathan opened his eyes, sharp and cold. ¡°Call again. Tell them I have something important to say.¡± The wrong girl 427 Chapter 427 The Line That Cannot Be Crossed Chapter 427 The Line That Cannot Be Crossed The driver was at a loss for words. So¡­ that didn¡¯t work either? He¡¯d served the Reed family for years and knew well how ugly things had gotten between them and Ste. All because of a foster daughter, they¡¯d hurt their own blood to the core. Now they came asking for help with Susan¡¯s crisis? Of course Ste wasn¡¯t going to answer. +5 Free Coins Inside the warmth of Seats Cove. When the butler got another call about Jonathan, his patience snapped: ¡°Next time anyone from the Reed family calls, don¡¯t bother telling me. Just turn them away.¡± No matter how ¡°important¡± the message. He hung up before the other party could get another word in. Ste heard the exchange but said nothing, quietly eating her breakfast. Clearly, she was pleased with the way the butler handled it. ¡°Ms. Ste,¡± the butler stepped forward. Ste set her spoon down lightly. ¡°No need to exin.¡± She knew. This was Abraham¡¯s doing¨Che wouldn¡¯t allow the Reed family even the faintest glimmer of hope. And Ste had no intention of giving it to them either. She wasn¡¯t their savior. The butler exhaled in relief. They¡¯d been worried¨Cafter all, the Reed family was her biological blood. They feared she might soften. But little did they know¡­ The only people Ste truly cared about were those from the Dawson family, and some of the elders from the Luke family. She cared for everyone¨Cexcept the very people tied to her by blood. The Reed family held no space in her heart, and never would again. Her phone buzzed again. It was Marie. Ste answered sweetly, ¡°Marie!¡± ¡°When are youing back to Falvaria?¡± ¡°If all goes well, today,¡± she replied, her voice obedient and soft. Marie nearly melted from the tone. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry. I¡¯ve designed a few wedding dresses for you¨Cyou need toe try them on.¡± Wedding dresses. Who would¡¯ve thought someone as fierce and tomboyish as Marie could design such elegant, delicate gowns? Thest time Ste had visited that bridal shop before her wedding with Ethan, it wasn¡¯t because of him¨Cit was because she recognized Marie¡¯s work. 1.24 PM d Chapter 427 The Line That Cannot Be Crossed s Thankfully, the dress she destroyed hadn¡¯t been Marie¡¯s. Otherwise, she¡¯d have had to crawl back in disgrace and beg for forgiveness. Ste muttered under her breath, ¡°Well, I¡¯m obviously going back with Mr. Abraham.¡± Where he went, she went. They¡¯d been apart for far too long. Now that they were finally together, she wasn¡¯t letting him out of her sight. Marie teased, ¡°Still calling him Mr. Abraham, huh?¡± Fine, fine. Ste corrected herself, blushing, ¡°We were separated for too long. It¡¯s only natural I¡¯d stick to him now.¡± ¡°Ooh. Your darling Abraham! That rolled off your tongue way too easily.¡± Ste¡¯s cheeks turned pink. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you anymore.¡± Marie pounced, ¡°You two are actually together, huh?¡± She already knew. She¡¯d known the moment it happened¨CAbraham¡¯s people weren¡¯t exactly discreet. But she was having too much fun teasing Ste. ¡°You¡¯re way too easy to win over. Good thing it was him. If it were some yellow¨Chaired punk, I¡¯d have shaved his head.¡± ¡°Then go shave Abraham¡¯s.¡± Marie deadpanned, ¡°Do I look suicidal?¡± She wouldn¡¯t even dare look at whoever dared steal Ste¡¯s heart¨Clet alone challenge Abraham himself. Ste huffed shyly, ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± Marieughed. ¡°So what do I call you now? Sis? Or sister¨Cin¨CWait, wasn¡¯t Marie supposed to be flying to Frapucu? Why¡¯s she asking when I¡¯m heading back to Falvaria? Had shee back early? Now that she thought about it¡­ Derrick had gone back too. Ste¡¯s mood soured. That jerk. How dare he go back? What gave him the right? Just as her irritation was about to boil over, Rianne called again. ¡°Ste! You need to send another car.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your tow truck dragged my car right off the road with yours. It¡¯s stuck too!¡± The wrong girl 428 Chapter 428 Two Cars, One Pit Chapter 428 Two Cars, One Pit ¡°How high is that ditch, seriously?¡± It had swallowed both Rianne¡¯s car and the one sent to tow it. Rianne¡¯s voice was t. ¡°The whole thing¡¯s gone under.¡± Ste¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°How deep is it?¡± ¡°About six feet, I guess? At first, only one wheel slipped in. Then the road was too icy, and when they tried to pull it out¡­ the whole car just went down.¡± Ste was silent. Six feet? ¡°So now you need to call emergency services, right?¡± Rianne looked at the mess in front of her¨Ctwo cars now stuck. ¡°Yeah, I probably should¡¯ve done that earlier.¡± It was clear this wasn¡¯t going to get fixed anytime soon. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to Seats Cove first?¡± Ste offered. ¡°No offense, but how am I supposed to do that? Your car¡¯s in the ditch with mine.¡± This whole situation was a disaster. ¡°I¡¯lle get you,¡± Ste said. ¡°If your driving¡¯s anything less than perfect, don¡¯t bother. The roads are solid ice today,¡± Rianne warned. Ste smirked. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me.¡± Her driving skills weren¡¯t average¨Cnot after the kind of training Marie had put her through. Everyone thought the training was just physical. It wasn¡¯t. That one month had been all about survival skills. She nced out the window at the snow¨Ccovered road. I guess I really do have to go myself. ¡°I¡¯m not underestimating you. I¡¯m worried about you. The roads are dangerous.¡± ¡°Just wait for me.¡± Ste hung up. Rianne was probably freezing her ass off by the side of the road. No way she could just leave her there. She turned to the butler. ¡°Get a car ready.¡± ¡°Ms. Ste, are you nning to drive? Absolutely not,¡± he said immediately. That caught Ste off guard. ¡°Mr. Abraham won¡¯t allow it,¡± the butler added. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to get Dr. Rianne instead.¡± ¡°You really think anyone else can handle this road right now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re underestimating Mr. Abraham. He¡¯s got some real experts around him. What just happened was an exception.¡± Maybe so. But still, she was worried. What if the butler sent another so¨Ccalled expert who ended up in the ditch too? He seemed to catch her hesitation and quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure she gets here safely. You don¡¯t need to go.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for her reply¨Cjust turned and left to make arrangements. Chapter 428 Two Cars, One Pit +5 Free Coins With Abraham gone, there was no way he was letting Ste get behind the wheel in this weather. If anything happened to her, he wouldn¡¯t survive the wrath that followed. Not long after he left, Ste¡¯s phone rang. It was Abraham. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°The weather¡¯s bad today. Don¡¯t go out.¡± That butler¡¯s mouth works fast. It hadn¡¯t even been five minutes. Ste muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I can handle these roads.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Why¡¯s he being so strict? I made it just fine the past three years without him. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll bring you something tastyter.¡± His voice softened, like he was coaxing a child. ¡°You brought me foodst night and I didn¡¯t even get to eat it.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bringing more?¡± she asked yfully. Last night, he¡¯de home smelling like alcohol. She was so busy fussing over him shepletely forgot about the chestnut cake. Abraham said calmly, ¡°Today¡¯s something different.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± They chatted a bit longer before ending the call. The wrong girl 429 Chapter 429 Nothing Left but Regret Chapter 429 Nothing Left but Regret
s Abraham still treated Ste the same way he did when she was little¨Cevery time he went out, he brought back something for her to cat. He still saw her as that snack¨Cloving little girl. The butler had sent a driver to pick up Rianne. Ste called her. ¡°Rianne, the driver¡¯s on his way.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re noting?¡± ¡°Abraham won¡¯t let me leave the house.¡± She was a great driver¨Cshe didn¡¯t get what he was so worried about. Rianne sighed. ¡°Well, yeah. It¡¯s freezing out here. If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t let you out either. Just wait for me.¡± ¡°Mm, okay.¡± It really was cold out there. Ste nced at the thick nket of snow outside. She was about to ask Rianne why she¡¯de all the way over, but Rianne had already hung up. Outside the gate- The driver returned to Jonathan¡¯s car. ¡°Security doesn¡¯t even dare report to Ms. Ste that we¡¯re here anymore.¡± Jonathan frowned and shot the driver a sharp look. ¡°She¡¯s not picking up?¡± he asked, referring to Ste. None of their calls were getting through to her. The only person who¡¯d answered at Seats Cove was the butler. The driver shook his head. ¡°The butler¡¯s the only one answering the phone.¡± He hadn¡¯t heard Ste¡¯s voice once. Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew heavier. He closed his eyes for a moment, jaw clenched. They couldn¡¯t get to Ste. And now everything going wrong with the Reed family¨Ceveryone was counting on her to say just one word. That was all it would take to make everything go away. Who would¡¯ve thought? The person they¡¯d all looked down on¨Cthe one they dismissed so casually¨Cturned out to be the one with all the power. But of course. She was the princess of the Luke family. The Luke family¡­ A name that could still send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine. Back then, they all thought Ste had nothing. That¡¯s why they all sided with Lilian so easily. And now¡­ Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bitter sense of irony over everything they¡¯d done. The driver hesitated. ¡°Should we just go back?¡± There was clearly no hope of seeing Ste today. Jonathan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°And what? That¡¯ll solve everything?¡± s Chapter 429 Nothing Left but Regret Obviously not. ¡°But staying here won¡¯t get you an audience with Ms. Ste either.¡± She hadpletely cut them off. Ever since that disownment agreement, they¡¯d barely seen her at all. Jonathan shut his eyes again. Just then, another car pulled up beside theirs. The passenger¨Cside window rolled down to reveal Louis¡¯s face. ¡°Well, well. It really is Jonathan. What, you have to make an appointment now to see your dear sister?¡± He bit into the words dear sister and appointment with a thick dose of sarcasm. Because they¡¯d all used Ste of ying favorites¡ªbut in truth, they¡¯d been the ones to do it first. Jonathan red at Louis, his hands clenching into fists. It was bad enough that Abraham hade after the Reed family with relentless pressure. Now Louis had joined the attack too. This was a full¨Con siege. ¡°You don¡¯t need an appointment?¡± He said it like no one needed one to see Ste. Louis smiled. ¡°Of course I do. Kindly let her know I¡¯m here, thank you.¡± He looked over at the security staff and said it politely. Then he turned back to Jonathan. ¡°It makes sense for me to wait for an appointment. But you? You¡¯re her brother. That¡¯s just pathetic.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jonathan snapped. The mocking tone had finally pushed him over the edge. He used to be polite around Louis, especially for Sharon¡¯s sake. But now things had soured between him and Sharon. And after what Louis had done to the Reed family, Jonathan couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him. Louis gave a low chuckle. ¡°What I¡¯m doing has nothing to do with you. What, you don¡¯t want to see me? Or are you afraid to?¡± Afraid? Back when he¡¯d heard Louis was targeting the Liang Group, he¡¯d been furious¨Che¡¯d wanted to go straight to the Pei family to confront him. But now¡­ with the Reed family in shambles, afraid was probably urate. Jonathan didn¡¯t respond. Louis snorted. ¡°What happened with Sharon isn¡¯t over.¡± y with my sister? Jonathan must¡¯ve had a death wish. . The wrong girl 430 Chapter 430 You Reap What You Sow Chapter 430 You Reap What You Sow Jonathan¡¯s fists clenched tighter. He looked at Louis and said, ¡°The Reed family has lost everything. What more do That phrase¨Clost everything¨Ccaught Louis off guard for a second. Then he looked Jonathan up and down. ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°What do you think we have left?¡± Nothing. Because of Ste, they had nothing left. Louis smirked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a damn shame.¡± you want?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even started with you, and that big, bad Reed family¡¯s already copsed. Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fold that easily.¡± The The sarcasm hit like a p. Jonathan felt his breath catch in his chest. With Abraham aloneing at them full force, who needed anyone else? Louis started his car, nced at Jonathan again. ¡°So they¡¯re really not letting you in?¡± This guy was infuriating. Even back when things were good with Sharon, Jonathan never liked Louis. He had this smug, cocky attitude mixed with a cold edge. Anyone who truly knew Louis understood¨Che only looked easygoing. Underneath? Deep as hell. No one could read him. It made sense though¡­ If he really were just some spoiled rich kid, the Pei family wouldn¡¯t be thriving in his hands. Seeing Jonathan dead silent and humiliated, Louis chuckled. ¡°Ste¡¯s got no manners, huh? You are her big brother, after all.¡± But this whole scene? It was damn satisfying. They¡¯d all treated Ste like garbage. And now? They were getting exactly what they deserved. A security guard walked over and said to Louis, ¡°Sir, Madam says you cane in.¡± The moment those words left his mouth, Jonathan¡¯s face darkened even more. Louis gave him a mocking look. ¡°Guess I¡¯m going in. You enjoy the cold out here.¡± His car engine revved, and he drove straight through the gates into Seats Cove. Even just watching the tail end of Louis¡¯s car vanish into the estate made Jonathan feel like the man was showing off on purpose. The anger had him grinding his teeth. The driver nced at him cautiously. ¡°Should we keep waiting?¡± Given the way things were going, it was clear¨Cif Ste didn¡¯t open the door herself, they weren¡¯t getting through it. Jonathan had felt some guilt toward her after learning the full truth. But after getting rejected over and over again, that guilt was long gone. Let¡¯s be honest¨Che hadn¡¯te here today to apologize. He came for Susan. ¡£ Chapter 430 You Reap What You Sow Before arriving, he¡¯d stopped by the detention center, hoping to see his mother. But they told him it wasn¡¯t possible. Unless Ste gave the go¨Cahead, he wouldn¡¯t even be allowed to visit. s Inside the warm, luxurious castle- Ste sat on the sofa as a maid gently draped a nket over her shoulders. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly. ¡°No need to thank me, Ms. Ste.¡± The staff always felt a warm fondness serving Ste¨Cshe was easy to take care of, kind, and gentle. Of course¡­ that was because they hadn¡¯t seen her temper yet. Otherwise, they¡¯d know exactly how Ethan ended up with half those injuries¡ªshe¡¯d caused most of them herself. Her phone rang. It was Abraham. Ste answered, ¡°Are you on your way back?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m heading home now. Has Riannee by to check on you?¡± Ste was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked her toe?¡± No wonder. She¡¯d been wondering why Rianne had randomly shown up at Seats Cove. Her heart warmed again. Abraham gave a soft grunt of confirmation. ¡°I¡¯m not even feeling sick. Why¡¯d you ask her toe over?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had much of an appetitetely.¡± Just because her appetite was a little off, he¡¯d sent someone to check on her? Ste replied, ¡°Her car fell into a ditch. They¡¯ve already called for a tow truck.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not talking about this anymore. Juste back soon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up, Ste¡¯s heart was still fluttering. Then Rianne called. ¡°Ste, what exactly is wrong? Tell me your symptoms¨CI¡¯ll have someone send over some medicine.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Did they get your car out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something urgent to handle, so I¡¯m noting over.¡± From the tone of her voice, Ste could tell¨CRianne was in a rush. The wrong girl 431 Chapter 431: Just Being Overprotective Chapter 431: Just Being Overprotective ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Rianne replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say you weren¡¯t feeling well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. My brother¡¯s just being overprotective.¡± +5 Free Coins Seriously¨Che worried way too much. Probably just because she¡¯d eaten too much the past few days and now didn¡¯t feel like cating. That¡¯s all. Calling a doctor for that? Rianne was silent for a moment. Overprotective? Was that even the right word? His so¨Ccalled ¡°overprotectiveness¡± had already gotten two cars stuck in a ditch today. Her car still wasn¡¯t out yet. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m heading out.¡± Since Ste wasn¡¯t feeling sick after all, Rianne didn¡¯t see any reason to go to Seats Cove anymore. They chatted for a minute or two, then hung up. Just as Ste put her phone down, the butler came over. ¡°Ms. Ste, Mr. Louis is here.¡± ¡°Let him in,¡± Ste said calmly. She had no idea what Louis was doing here. But whatever needed to be said, she¡¯d already made it clear to him before. Soon, Louis was brought inside. When he saw that she was alone, he froze. ¡°Abraham¡¯s not here?¡± Ste raised a brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to see me? What does it matter whether Abraham¡¯s here or not?¡± ¡°It matters,¡± Louis said tly. Of course it mattered. Abraham¡¯s possessiveness¨Cespecially when it came to Ste¨Cwas no secret. If Louis had known he wasn¡¯t around, he wouldn¡¯t havee at all. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you?¡± she asked, lifting an eyebrow. ¡°A lot, actually.¡± So if Abraham wasn¡¯t here, this guy didn¡¯t even dare show up? ¡°Then maybe you should just leave,¡± she said dryly. Such a drama queen¡­ Leave? Now? ¡°I already came all the way out here¨Cfreezing weather, icy roads. It wasn¡¯t easy getting here.¡± The roads today were a mess. He wouldn¡¯t havee if he hadn¡¯t heard about the Wilde family situation. Abraham was ruthless¨Che¡¯d seen that clearly now. Louis already knew about the incident between Jasmine and Ste at the mall. Even worse, Sharon had been there too. Whether she¡¯d been involved or not, he couldn¡¯t say. But she kept insisting she wasn¡¯t. No matter how hard he pressed her, she wouldn¡¯t change her story. 1/3 1:25 PM d Chapter 431: Just Being Overprotective Still, he couldn¡¯t let it go. He had to confirm things with Ste herself. After all, the Reed family had already been destroyed. The Keene family¨Conce the top family in all of Rivermount¨Cwas a total mess now. And now the Wilde family? Abraham¡¯s methods¡­ Louis had definitely seen what the man was capable of. No matter what, he needed to be sure. Ste asked, ¡°So why are you here? Let me say this first¨Cif you¡¯re looking for a backdoor deal, it¡¯s not happening.¡± s ¡°Besides, you already got the ore, didn¡¯t you? You were the only one in Rivermount who managed tond it. What other ¡®backdoor¡® could you possibly need?¡± The Keene family had fought tooth and nail for it¨Cand still didn¡¯t get it. So Ste really couldn¡¯t figure out what he could possibly want from her now. Louis groaned inwardly. Backdoor deal, really? That phrase still gave him PTSD. Especially after that whole mess with the misdelivered gift time¡­ That misunderstanding had almost ruined his partnership. So now, every time he heard the phrase backdoor, he got a little twitchy. He quickly shook his head. ¡°Nope. No backdoor deals.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°I want to know¨Cduring that whole thing with Jasmine, was Sharon involved?¡± Ste blinked. Jasmine? Wait¨Che came all the way here just for that? She nced outside at the thick snow. It was really piling up. ¡°You came all the way here just to ask that?¡± Wasn¡¯t this guy being a little too paranoid? ¡°Of course I did,¡± Louis replied. ¡°You could¡¯ve just called me, you know.¡± This really wasn¡¯t something that required a face¨Cto¨Cface meeting. ¡°I don¡¯t have Oh. your number.¡± Right. Hardly anyone had her number these days. Especially someone like Louis, who wasn¡¯t exactly close. ¡°You could¡¯ve just called my brother,¡± she pointed out. This was absolutely something that could¡¯ve been cleared up over the phone. No need to show up The second she said that, Louis stiffened. in person. The wrong girl 432 Chapter 432 The Truth Comes Out Chapter 432 The Truth Comes Out 6 . That ¡°I won¡¯t let her off the hook¡± line came out of Louis¡¯s mouth way too hard. ¡°Of course I¡¯m her real brother. If I weren¡¯t, would I be disciplining her like this?¡± he huffed. He really emphasized the word discipline, which left Ste speechless. Louis looked at her expectantly. ¡°Well? Was she involved or not?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. She was.¡± What? She actually was? s That brat Sharon¨Che knew it. She kept denying it like crazy and even argued with him. Now she was caught red¨Chanded. Louis felt his brain short¨Ccircuit. ¡°Seriously? She was involved?¡± Serious Ste nodded again. ¡°Yep. Definitely involved.¡± ¡°Did she hit you?¡± By now, Louis¡¯s voice was already shaky with disbelief. He had spent all this time drilling it into Sharon¡¯s head that Ste was Abraham¡¯s precious treasure. Any resentment she still held from the past, especially about Jonathan, needed to be buried deep. If she couldn¡¯t keep that in check, she shouldn¡¯t even think about stepping out of the house. And now this brat¡­ At this point, Louis kind of wished he could just faint. Ste said casually, ¡°She didn¡¯t hit me. She helped me hold Jasmine down. Jasmine got beat up pretty bad.¡± Louis, who was still trying to piece things together in his head, just froze. He blinked. ¡°Wait. What did you say? She held Jasmine down?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ste nodded. ¡°She was hugging Jasmine real tight.¡± So¡­ the actual scene was Ste and Sharon teaming up to beat up Jasmine? What even- Just as Louis was struggling to process this, Abraham came home. His expression was less than weing. ¡°Mr. Louis, you¡¯ve got quite a bit of free time to be making house calls at Seats Cove. Why didn¡¯t you give me a call first?¡± Louis flinched under Abraham¡¯s chilly gaze. Coming here while Abraham was home was apletely different ballgame from showing up when he wasn¡¯t. Seeing Abraham arrive, Ste got up and walked over to him, all sweet and docile. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± They¡¯d just spoken on the phone a moment ago. She thought he¡¯d be a little longer, especially with how bad the roads were today. Abraham reached out and gently ruffled her hair. ¡°The food I brought is with Lou Ling. Go take a look.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What kind of food?¡± . Chapter 432 The Truth Comes Out ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he said, voice filled with indulgent warmth. s Louis found himself dazed for a moment watching it all. Abraham really was a man of extremes¨Cice to the world, and fire to Ste. All the warmth in him was reserved for her. Everyone else only ever got the cold. Watching Abraham nudge Ste away, Louis¡¯s chest tightened. He instinctively wanted to stop her. He knew perfectly well: with Ste in the room, Abraham could still pretend to be civil. Once she left, though¡­ that mask woulde off. But he didn¡¯t dare say a word. Especially not when Abraham¡¯s expression was that dark. Louis wasn¡¯t stupid. He could only pray please, don¡¯t go. Too . Ste was way too obedient. That same woman who¡¯d once beaten Ethan to a pulp now looked like the sweetest little thing in front of Abraham. ¡°I¡¯m going, then.¡± ¡°Okay. Good girl.¡± Abraham pinched her cheek. She turned and jogged off. Louis stared after her. Seriously? So sweet it was hard to believe she was even the same person. If no one had told him she used to be engaged to Ethan, he would¡¯ve thought they were talking about someone else entirely. And honestly? Ethan had no one to me but himself. He¡¯d been blind enough to pick Lilian of all people. With Ste gone, it was just Abraham and Louis. Abraham took a seat on the couch, his eyes cold. Louis stood awkwardly. ¡°Mr. Abraham.¡± Abraham nced at him icily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already sign the contract? Why are you still looking for her?¡± Louis¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Damn¨Che really was Abraham¡¯s woman. Their thought process was exactly the same. But leaving that kind of impression on Abraham¨Cthat he was always trying to sneak around the backdoor¨Cwas definitely not a good thing. ¡°I, uh, it¡¯s not about the deal.¡± Truth be told, most of the time he reached out to Ste, it was because of her connection to Abraham. He¡¯d hoped she might help ease things along. The wrong girl 433 Chapter 433 Treading Carefully Chapter 433 Treading Carefully s Louis let out a dryugh. ¡°Uh, seriously¨Cit¡¯s not about the deal. I won¡¯t bother Ms. Ste with any business stuff again.¡± He was doing everything he could to clean up the bad impression he¡¯d left. Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh?¡± He pulled a cigarette from his case, lit it, took a slow drag, and looked at Louis with that same ice¨Ccold stare. Louis swallowed hard. ¡°I just came because of what happened at the mall. I was worried Sharon might¡¯ve hurt Ms. Ste, so I thought I shoulde check in person.¡± Abraham said tly, ¡°You could¡¯ve called me first.¡± Yeah, no kidding. Like I¡¯d dare call you out of the blue, Louis thought. That was exactly why he showed up in person instead. But hearing Ste exin things¡­ well, her version lined up almost perfectly with Sharon¡¯s. He hadn¡¯t believed Sharon when she first told him. After all, given her past issues with Ste¨Cthanks to Lilian¨Che had to get to the bottom of it. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want any friendly fire,¡± Louis muttered. Abraham raised a brow. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I mean¨CI didn¡¯t want Ms. Ste to get hurt.¡± Louis was getting more nervous by the second. He¡¯d been at the top of the food chain in Rivermount for years. He¡¯d seen all kinds of people. But Abraham? Abraham radiated a kind of pressure that made him flinch. Maybe it was because he was Falvaria¡¯s underground arms king¨Cthe kind of man who¡¯d definitely gotten blood on his hands. Yeah. Definitely not someone you wanted to mess with. If it weren¡¯t for that rare mineral being so hard to source, he would¡¯ve stayed a mile away from Abraham. Abraham asked, ¡°So you got it all cleared up?¡± Louis nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s clear now.¡± As long as Sharon didn¡¯ty a hand on Ste, everything was fine. That brat had shown some rare smarts for once. If she¡¯d acted on impulse and joined Jasmine inying a finger on Ste, it would¡¯ve been game over. Thank god she¡¯d kept it together. The way Abraham had annihted the Wilde family recently? Yeah, Louis had been living in a constant state of panic. Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s side- Abel had just brought over the snacks Abraham bought her. He warmed them up and said, ¡°Mr. Abraham thought they were really cute, so he picked them out for you.¡± Ste took a bite. ¡°Mm, this little kitty one is so good.¡± The snacks had been made in the shape of little animals. She had to admit¨Cwhoever made them really knew their stuff. Abel smiled. ¡°The bunny ones are even better. Mr. Abraham couldn¡¯t stop eating them.¡± Chapter 433 Treading Carefully ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Abel nodded. Ste picked up a bunny one and took a bite. Okay, yeah. He wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°Mmm¡­ so good!¡± She was practically moaning. It was that good.
  • 5 Free Coins
When Abraham walked in, the first thing he saw was her tiny, puffed¨Cup face stuffed with food, looking as happy as could be That soft round face, full of satisfaction from a simple snack, was just¡­ adorable. When she spotted him, Ste¡¯s cheeks were still puffed out. ¡°Abraham, these are so good! Where did you get them?¡± She¡¯d been in Rivermount this whole time and hadn¡¯t even known a ce like this existed. ¡°If you like them,¡± Abraham said, ¡°I¡¯ll have Abel drive out and get more for you to take back to Falvaria.¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°Wait¨Care we really going back today?¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Yeah. Evening flight.¡± That answer made her light up with joy. So they were finally going back. That meant nothing else would get in the way. And good thing, too. If they dyed any longer, she was genuinely worried about how badly Su Su might freak out. Victor, seriously. Why the hell did you have to scare my poor little pancake like that? Suddenly, something came to mind. ¡°Derrick and Marie are both back in Falvaria now, aren¡¯t they?¡± She¡¯d meant to bring it upst night, but Abraham hade home drunk. Then this morning, he was already gone. Abraham frowned. ¡°They called you?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± And it wasn¡¯t just a call¨CDerrick had been acting like a total brat on the phone. Ste nced over at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t Marie say she was flying to Frapucu?¡± Wasn¡¯t Dan supposed to be there? By all ounts, Marie shouldn¡¯t have made it back to Falvaria so soon. Without a word, Abraham pulled her into hisp and picked up a pastry to feed her. Ste shook her head. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°You¡¯re eating this little now?¡± That question made her freeze. Right¡­ why was she eating so littletely? The wrong girl 434 Chapter 434 Disgust and Disaster Chapter 434 Disgust and Disaster She hadn¡¯t been like this before. If this were the old days, she would¡¯ve finished the whole tray¨Cno question. But now, she¡¯d barely eaten a third. Ste shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on , but I haven¡¯t been eating much.¡± That¡¯s when it hit her¨Cshe hadn¡¯t even had a ¨Cnight snack in several days. She used to get really hungry if she skipped it. When did her appetite shrink this much? Abraham asked, ¡°Did Rianne check on you?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Nope. She had something urgente up and left before evening inside.¡± It felt like Rianne had a lot going ontely. ¡°Why¡¯d youe back so early?¡± Ste asked. He¡¯d just called her not long ago, and now he was already here. Abraham replied, ¡°Finished up early, so I came back.¡± He didn¡¯t mention that it was because he found out Louis hade by. Ste nodded. Her body felt a little limp, so she leaned into his arms. ¡°Did you see Jonathan at the gate?¡± ¡°Yeah. I saw him.¡± He didn¡¯t kick Jonathan out the way he had with Ethan. s When it came to the Reed family, Abraham preferred a cold shoulder. The more indifferent he acted, the more agonizing it was for them. Especially now that the Reed family had already lost everything. And in this freezing weather, Jonathan was still standing outside. Let him freeze if he wanted¨Chalf¨Cdead would be ideal. Snuggling into Abraham¡¯s chest, Ste mumbled, ¡°Once we¡¯re back in Falvaria, I¡¯m nevering back to Rivermount.¡± ¡°Too upset?¡± he asked, gently tugging on her earlobe. Ste replied, ¡°Not upset. Just¡­ disgusted.¡± It really was disgusting. Sure, she¡¯d seen all kinds of shady situations in Falvaria, but nothing like the Reed family. They redefined the boundaries of how vile people could be. ¡°Disgusted?¡± Abraham repeated. ¡°Yeah.¡± It was true. The Reed family had a brand of shamelessness Ste had never encountered in the Dawson family. That attitude¡­ In the beginning, she hadn¡¯t thought much of their preference for Lilian. Whatever¨Cjust stay out of each other¡¯s way. But after they discovered who she really was? The way Susan¡¯s face changed, how she tried totch onto the Dawson family¡¯s influence¨Cand then immediately turned nasty when that didn¡¯t work? I was revolting. 1/3 1:25 PM B Chapter 434 Disgust and Disaster s Abraham listened to her describe her impression of the Reed family, and a smile tugged at his lips. He cupped her chin and kissed her. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Seriously? Again? They¡¯d just had a break night. And that was only because he was drunk and passed out early. Wait¨Ceven drunk, he hadn¡¯t exactly behaved. Finally, Abraham let her go. ¡°When Eddie gets back , I¡¯ll have her check you out.¡± He hadn¡¯t stopped worrying about her suddenck of appetite. Over in Falvaria¡­ Tessa stared at the noodles she¡¯d just made, stunned. She looked over at Victor, who was lounging in the living room. It had been a whole hour and a half since they talked about dinner. An hour and a half¨Cjust to cook a pot of pasta. And somehow, she¡¯d failed twice. The first disaster was already quietly dumped. Now the second attempt¡­ She looked into the pot and saw a solid pancake and pasta. She had no idea what went wrong. She¡¯d followed the recipe exactly! She¡¯d even made pasta for Ste before¡ªand it had turned out fine. What the hell was going on today? Victor hung up his call and turned toward the kitchen. ¡°Is it ready?¡± She looked at him, then the pot. And then she nodded with determination. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s done.¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t¨Cshe couldn¡¯t possibly say no now. Not after all that time. Whether Victor was hungry or not, she was absolutely starving. She tasted the noodles. Shit! It was awful. Completely inedible. She must¡¯ve added salt twice. Wait¨Cshe totally did! Victor, oblivious to the internal panic, tossed his phone on the coffee table. ¡°If it¡¯s done, let¡¯s eat.¡± Eat? Eat what? This thing was basically salted glue. But with the cold edge in Victor¡¯s aura, she didn¡¯t dare speak up. She forced a smile and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring it over now.¡± Victor was already sitting at the dining table. Tessa¡¯s hands were trembling. If he ate this disaster of a meal¡­ would he be so pissed he just pulled out a gun and shot her? An hour and a half. For this? 2/3 1:25 PM Chapter 434 Disgust and Disaster Never mind Victor¨Cshe wanted to p herself. +5 Free Coins The wrong girl 435 Chapter 435 The Meal from Hell Chapter 435 The Meal from Hell ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± §ã Victor, seated at the dining table, frowned when he saw Tessa frozen in ce. Meeting his sharp gaze, Tessa¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She quickly shook her head. ¡°N¨CNo, nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± She rushed todle the pasta into bowls. There was way too much. She¡¯d cooked for two, but the pot could¡¯ve easily fed five. Her sense of portion control was absolutely nonexistent. Tessa cautiously ced a bowl in front of Victor, then brought her own over and sat across from him. She didn¡¯t dare look at his face. From the silence alone, she could tell¨CVictor hadn¡¯t taken a single bite. Forcing herself to eat a mouthful, Tessa nearly gagged the moment it hit her tongue. But she swallowed it. Barely. Then she nced at Victor, managing a shaky smile. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± Victor nced at the bowl, then back at her. His expression was unreadable¨Cdark and unreadable, which made it all the more terrifying for Tessa. ¡°It¡¯s good?¡± he asked. Tessa nodded. ¡°Yeah, tastes fine. It just¡­ doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± Calling the appearance ¡°not very good¡± was being kind. The original pasta had somehow turned into¡­ mush? s Yeah. That was it. A gooey mess. She¡¯d overcooked it, and somewhere along the line she¡¯d forgotten she¡¯d already added salt- then added more. That had to be what happened. Definitely. ¡°If¡­ if you don¡¯t want to eat something that looks this bad, I can make you a new batch,¡± she stammered. Honestly, that¡¯d be ideal. Then she¡¯d have an excuse to fix her mistake. Victor let out a low chuckle. ¡°Your cooking skills¡­¡± He trailed off, shooting her a sideways nce. Tessa immediately nodded. ¡°Yeah, not great.¡± She was already panicking inside. Victor hadn¡¯t even eaten breakfast, and now this disaster for lunch? At that moment, Lewis came in, along with John and Ss. Lewis¡¯s eyesnded on the dish in front of Victor, and he froze. He stared a little harder, still not recognizing what it was. ¡°Boss¡­ what is that? It doesn¡¯t look like food for humans.¡± Everyone went silent. 0 s Chapter 435 The Meal from Hell This idiot really just said that out loud? Great. If Eddie ended up heading to Mambia Dessert, Lewis would make the perfect Calling it not fit for humans¨Cwhat, it¡¯s pig food? Tessa¡¯s heart was in her throat. She stared down at her bowl, willing herself to disappear. Does this guy have a death wish? Why would he ask that out loud? Victor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then what do you think it looks like?¡± He shot Lewis a re, while John quietly took a seat far, far away. John knew better than to stay close when Lewis opened his mouth¨Ctrouble always followed. Lewis stammered. ¡°I, uh¡­¡± What did it look like? Could he really say it looked like pig food? No one made pasta like this. No one. Tessa silently kept eating, doing her best to shrink into herself. Now even Lewis realized the danger and shut up. But Victor wasn¡¯t letting it slide. ¡°There¡¯s more in the pot. Go eat,¡± he said coldly. He¡¯d seen the whole pot earlier. It was unforgettable. The fact that this woman managed to cook something this awful¡ªthat took talent. Lewis immediately shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Was he kidding? That mess looked inedible. Even pigs would lose their appetite. ¡°Go eat,¡± Victor repeated, his voice deeper. Sensing this was going south fast, Lewis didn¡¯t dare refuse again. He nced from Victor to Tessa, cursing her silently the whole way to the kitchen. Just then, Ss spoke up. ¡°If she cooked it herself, you¡¯d better eat every bite. No picky eaters allowed.¡± Thest part¨Cno picky eaters allowed¨Ccame with a sharper tone. The wrong girl 436 Chapter 436 Prison Food Chapter 436 Prison Food It was obvious Lewis was being warned¨Cif he didn¡¯t eat the meal, things were going to get a lot worse for him. Simple as that: Eat it, or else. Lewis heard the message loud and clear. Tessa ducked her head even lower, trying to disappear into her seat. She forced herself to keep eating. s She hadn¡¯t been hungry anymore, but after Victor¡¯s warning to Lewis, she knew¡ªif she didn¡¯t finish her food, she¡¯d be next. And to make things worse, Victor¡¯s men were calling her ¡°sis¨Cin¨C¡± now. That just made her want to cry. Lewis made his way to the kitchen. One look at the pot of sticky, globby mess, and he was at aplete loss. Just looking at it made his stomach turn. What kind of twisted talent does it take to ruin food like this? And the worst part¨CTessa was actually eating it? Tessa nced at Victor. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s enough¡­ maybe don¡¯t make him eat it.¡± She was just trying to save the situation. Victor obviously wasn¡¯t going to eat it. But if Lewis did, he¡¯d definitely blow the whole thing. Someone without extremely strong guts was bound to throw up on the spot. In the kitchen, Lewis nearly lost it when he heard that. Seriously? She just said there¡¯s not enough of this garbage? What, did she grow up in a famine? Did the boss rescue her from a refugee camp or something? Victor nced at her, then slid his own bowl toward her. ¡°You want this?¡± Lewis broke into a cold sweat. He silently served himself a bowl¨Cbut didn¡¯t dare bring it out to the table. He stayed in the kitchen. He braced himself, then took a bite. It was salty to the point of being painful¨Cand there was another strange vor he couldn¡¯t even begin to describe. His face twisted in horror. ¡°Blegh-!¡± From the kitchen came loud retching sounds. Tessa froze, her already pale face goingpletely stiff. Was it really¡­ that bad? In the kitchen, Lewis was trying everything he could not to throw up, but he couldn¡¯t hold it back. He copsed over the trash can and emptied his stomach. ¡°Blegh- what the hell is this crap? -blegh-!¡± The two of them exchanged a nce, then quietly turned away. Normally they¡¯d go help Lewis. But not today. They were starting to realize¨Cthey had terrible timing. Back when their boss didn¡¯t have a woman, they could storm in and out whenever they wanted. 1:25 PM s Chapter 436 Prison Food But now? They had to think twice. Always think twice. What a headache¡­ Tessa felt her whole heart jump into her throat. She nced nervously at Victor. Then at her own bowl. Then at the one he had pushed toward her¨Cuntouched. From the kitchen, Lewis was still gagging. Still, Over just one bite. She swallowed hard, gently set down her fork, and looked up at Victor with teary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m full¡­ can I go upstairs?¡± Victor looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly. Tessa sniffled. Her eyes were red, clearly scared again. Victor narrowed his gaze. So timid. What am I supposed to do with someone this soft? He hadn¡¯t even done anything¡ªand she already looked like she was about to faint? Was this really one of Ste¡¯s friends? This soft? She sniffled again and asked a second time, barely above a whisper. ¡°C¨CCan I?¡± Thankfully, Victor didn¡¯t press the issue. He gave a short nod. ¡°Go.¡± The moment he said it, Tessa practically bolted to her feet and rushed upstairs like she¡¯d been pardoned by the president himself. As soon as she reached her room and shut the door, she instinctively locked it. Then she immediately called Ste. Back at Seats Cove, Ste saw the call from Tessa and felt a pang of sympathy. It had only been a couple of days, but by now, she knew¨Cif Tessa was calling, it meant she¡¯d just gotten scared to death by Victor. She picked up the call. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯ll be back tonight. There shouldn¡¯t be any more dys.¡± Abraham had already told people to start packing. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Tessa choked up. ¡°Sob¡­¡± Ste gently coaxed her. ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯re scared. When I get back, I¡¯ll bring you to me, and from now on, wherever I go, you¡¯ll go too, okay?¡± She paused, thinking it over again. Yeah, it was a mistake to leave Tessa with Victor in the first ce. Back when she had seen Abraham kill someone¡­ The wrong girl 437 Chapter 437 The Wrong ce to Touch Chapter 437 The Wrong ce to Touch +5 Free Coins The whole thing had left her so shaken, she practically shut down. And for a long time after, the nightmares didn¡¯t stop. Tessa had never experienced anything violent before. Her life had always been peaceful¨Cuntil now. Everything suddenly flipped upside down. Of course she was overwhelmed. Ste did her best to soothe her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart, don¡¯t cry. I promise you, Victor really won¡¯t hurt you.¡± He was scary enough when he wasn¡¯t even talking¨Cjust standing there with that cold look on his face was enough to make anyone nervous. But Abraham had personally asked Victor to take care of her. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t protect Tessa. That¡¯s the only reason Ste had felt safe letting her stay with him. What she hadn¡¯t expected was that Tessa would keep running into trouble even under Victor¡¯s watch. It was was already hard enough for Tessa to cope with her world suddenly thrown into chaos¨Cand all these idents just made things even worse. Esp¨¦cially since those idents were¡­ Forget it. Once she got back, the first thing she¡¯d do was bring Tessa to her side. Tessa sniffled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. Nothing else is going to happen. My flight¡¯s tonight¨Cyou¡¯ll see me tomorrow morning.¡± She¡¯d originally meant to say, ¡°If nothing goes wrong, we¡¯ll see each other tomorrow morning.¡± But Ste held back. Tessa was especially sensitive to the phrase ¡°if nothing goes wrong¡± right now. Because usually, when someone said that, something did go wrong. Please, let this return to Falvaria go smoothly this time. Tessa¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t take much more. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you. You really better not run into anything,¡± Tessa said between huped sobs. Ste smiled. ¡°Okay. No more surprises.¡± But the truth was¨Cthere was no way to be sure. If something happened with Abraham again, she¡¯d be caught up in it too. Still, there was no way she could say that to Tessa right now. She even considered, if something did go wrong again today with Abraham, maybe she should just go back alone. Tessa seemed a little more at ease now that Ste had promised her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait for you. Come back early tomorrow.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Ande straight to me when yound. I don¡¯t want to stay here with him anymore. I don¡¯t ever want to see him again.¡± What kind of mess had she gotten into now? Poor girl sounded absolutely traumatized. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± The first time, she¡¯d smacked Victor with his belt buckle. Then she¡¯d yanked off his towel. And now what? What had she done this time? Chapter 437 The Wrong ce to Touch Judging from her tone, something major had definitely happened again. Wait¨Cwas it the coldpress fromst night? +5 Free Coins Before Tessa could answer, Ste jumped in. ¡°Hold on. When you were trying to cool him downst night, don¡¯t tell me you¡­¡± She paused, then cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you stripped him and got caught doing it?¡± What else could have scared her this badly? The line wentpletely silent. Not even a sniffle from Tessa. Ste sucked in a breath. ¡°Wait¨Cit¡¯s true?¡± No way. It was just a fever! Victor might not know any better as a guy, but Tessa? Wait a second¡­ ¡°Does that mean you¡­?¡± If she¡¯d actually stripped Victor down- Forget getting scared. Victor had every reason to be furious. Tessa¡¯s mind shed back to the moment Victor grabbed her wristst night. She sniffled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m not that dumb.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t strip him all the way. I just¡­ I couldn¡¯t look, and I kind of missed the spot when I was wiping him, and I identally touched¡­ something I shouldn¡¯t have. Can we not talk about it?¡± Honestly, even thinking about it now was mortifying. Victor had refused to let Ste send a maid. His people wouldn¡¯t even pick up the phone. What else was she supposed to do? She had no choice but to keep her eyes shut and do her best to lower his fever. Ste twitched at the corner of her mouth. ¡°So¡­ you touched something you weren¡¯t supposed to? Did Victor notice?¡± I said don¡¯t ask! Why was she so nosy? ¡°He grabbed my wrist right after. What do you think?¡± Might as welle clean. It was Ste, after all. Now it was Ste¡¯s turn to freeze. There was no need for more detail¡ªshe could already imagine just how awkward that scene must¡¯ve been. ¡°So¡­ is Victor mad at you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not mad about that.¡± The wrong girl 438 Chapter 438 Maybe He Really Can¡¯t Chapter 438 Maybe He Really Can¡¯t Ste frowned. ¡°He wasn¡¯t mad about that? Then why did he scare you?¡± Even someone like Ste, who usually had no interest in gossip, couldn¡¯t help getting curious now. s ¡°I thought Victor wasn¡¯t¡­ functional in that department? Guys are super sensitive about that kind of thing. You touched him and he still didn¡¯t get mad?¡± Abraham walked in just in time to hear that part. And instantly regretted it. That mouth of hers¨Cfirst corrupted by Marie, then infected by Eddie. No saving it now. Tessa hesitated, her voice guilty, but clearly joining the gossip fest herself. So much for those intense vows she¡¯d made earlier pletely forgotten now. But before spilling anything, she made sure to double¨Ccheck that the door was locked. ¡°Hey, let me tell you¡­ I think he really might not be.¡± Ste perked up. ¡°Oh? Go on.¡± Back when she and Marie talked about it, it had all just been spection. None of them had any solid proof one way or the other. But the way Tessa said ¡°might,¡± it didn¡¯t sound like a guess. It sounded like a fact. Tessa cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I wiped him down foreverst night, and he didn¡¯t react at all.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely a no¨Cgo.¡± What a waste of such a perfect face. ¡°But then what exactly did you do today to get on his bad side?¡± For her to be this scared, it had to be serious. Wait¨Cdidn¡¯t Ste call her against night? She¡¯d been half¨Casleep¡­ what had she told her? Tessa mentioned the fever meds, and Ste vaguely remembered saying¡­ ¡°Take a few more¡°?! Ste¡¯s face twitched. She cut in before Tessa could say anything else. ¡°Wait. How many fever pills did you give Victorst night?¡± Oh no. She¡¯d seriously been so out of it she¡¯d told Tessa to give him extra meds? He could¡¯ve died from that! Her brain went nk, silently praying that Tessa had enough sense not to follow that advice. Tessa muttered, ¡°Just one. I figured you were half¨Casleep when you said that.¡± Ste exhaled, relief flooding through her. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡± Oh thank god¡­ If he¡¯d taken several of those, even someone as tough as Victor might¡¯ve ended Tessa huffed. ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb.¡± up hospitalized. Chapter 438 Maybe He Really Can¡¯t ¡°Then what did you do this time to set him off?¡± It wasn¡¯t the fever treatment. It wasn¡¯t the meds. Then what the hell was it? Tessa groaned. ¡°He fired the cook and made me cook instead.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t cook.¡± Other than boiling some porridge¨Cand people couldn¡¯t live on porridge forever. ¡°Exactly. I told him I couldn¡¯t. But he still made me do it, so I figured I¡¯d make some pasta.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you can do.¡± She¡¯d messed it up before, but she¡¯d seeded too. Shouldn¡¯t have been a big deal. ¡°I can. But today, for some reason, I messed it up twice.¡± Wait, what? ¡°You messed up pasta?¡± ¡°First time, I burned it.¡± How do you burn something that¡¯s boiled in water? ¡°Second time, it turned into this weird mush. Like a noodle pancake.¡± Ste winced. ¡°Seriously?¡± This girl was truly one of a kind. ¡°And then¨Cworst part¨CI think I added salt twice.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it super salty?¡± ¡°Exactly! Lewis took one bite and spat it out on the spot. Like I¡¯d poisoned him or something.¡± And he couldn¡¯t even hold it back in front of Victor? Wait¨CLewis. She remembered now. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be working under Abraham? But Abraham had rejected him¨Csaid he was too weak, too chatty. And now he was with Victor? Yeah, that tracked. Definitely Eddie¡¯s disciple. If he looked any more like him, they¡¯d be twins. ¡°So did Victor blow up at you?¡± Just for screwing up pasta? That seemed a little much. ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t mad at me.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I was just scared.¡± The kind of guy who might kill someone if you pissed him off¨Chow could she not be afraid? Hearing that, Ste suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. Fair enough. The wrong girl 439 Chapter 438 Maybe He Really Can¡¯t Tessa and Victor were from totally different worlds. His behavior? Yeah, to her, it probably felt like another. s 0 C Chapter 439 A Dangerous Alliance Chapter 439 A Dangerous Alliance Of course she was on edge all the time¨Canyone would be. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯m flying out tonight. Don¡¯t be scared, okay?¡± Ste kept her tone as gentle as possible. Tessa sniffled. ¡°You better not be lying to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Promise.¡± s They stayed on the phone for a while longer, with Ste giving her all kinds of reassurances that nothing would go wrong. Only then did Tessa finally hang up. She was genuinely traumatized. She¡¯d never seen anything like that in her life. Back when Ste¡¯s world first copsed, she¡¯d been even more scared than Tessa was now. A familiar presence suddenly enveloped her. Ste jumped. She spun around and stared right into a pair of deep, dark eyes. She clutched her chest. ¡°Jeez, you scared me half to death.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Badmouthing Victor again?¡± Wait, he heard that? So when exactly did he walk in? She didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she changed the subject. ¡°Did Louis leave?¡± Abraham made a soft grunt of acknowledgment. Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did something happen with the Wilde family?¡± Why else would Louis show up in such a rush, asking if Sharon had been involved in that whole conflict? She couldn¡¯t think of any exnation other than something major going down with the Wildes. Abraham said, ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with that.¡± Ste went quiet. So something had happened. No wonder Louis had been so anxious today. After a moment, she said, ¡°Sharon didn¡¯t cause any trouble that day. Don¡¯t go dragging people in just because.¡± Abraham gave her a curious look. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°She was holding Jasmine. Tried to help calm things down.¡± It looked like she was breaking things up, sure. But was she, really? Because the way she pulled, it turned into Jasmine getting hit one¨Csidedly. Ste was about to say something else about Jasmine when Abraham¡¯s phone rang. He kissed her cheek and got up to take the call. Left alone, Ste was just settling in again when a housekeeper came to announce, ¡°Ms. Ste, there¡¯s a Miss Sutton here to see you.¡± Sutton? Ethan¡¯s sister. To be honest, if not for her ties to Ethan, Ste might¡¯ve even gotten along with Sutton. There was potential for friendship there. Sutton was sharp and efficient¨Cvery much a woman who knew what she wanted. Chapter 439 A Dangerous Alliance s If she had been born a man, Ethan probably wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance at inheriting the Keene family empire. But now that they¡¯d brought Horgan back into the picture, maybe the Keene inheritance game had changed entirely. Ste didn¡¯t like most of the Keene family, but she didn¡¯t have a particr problem with Sutton. Mostly because they rarely interacted. ¡°Take her to the tea room.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The housekeeper nodded and left. Ste got up and changed before heading down. As soon as she entered the tea room, she saw Sutton examining one of her teacups. The girl had a sleek, chin¨Clength haircut and was dressed in a ck zer over a long skirt. She looked¡­ sharp. Actually¨Ccool. Ste had never thought to describe a woman as ¡°cool.¡± Not even Eddie¡¯s sister, Evie, who always chased that gender¨Cneutral aesthetic, had given her that impression. But Sutton¨Cyeah, she was cool. The name sounded like it belonged to a beauty, and she definitely was one. Just in apletely different way. Sutton looked up at the sound of movement, locking eyes with Ste. She paused briefly, then smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be this hard to see you.¡± Ste sat down on the small couch opposite her. ¡°When did you get back?¡± Sutton ran a jewelry business. Honestly, she had way more business savvy than Ethan. She¡¯d spent the past few years flying constantly, managing her booming jewelry empire. ¡°Inded this morning¡± Sutton replied, setting the cup down. Ste gave a small nod. Whatever was going on with the Keene family must¡¯ve been serious. For Sutton to dy her return until now, she had to be absolutely swamped. Sutton continued, ¡°I was nning toe back when my mother copsed and was hospitalized, but things got in the way.¡± Madeline ended up in the hospital? That must¡¯ve been when Horgan was sent to the Keenes. No denying it¨CDerrick had gone all in this time. The mess he stirred up at the Keene estate was beyond chaotic. Looked like Horgan really was Judson¡¯s son. Sutton nced at her. ¡°My brother hasn¡¯t actually done anything to hurt you over the years, has he?¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Suttonced her fingers together on the carved wooden tea table, her gaze steady¨Clike a negotiator. ¡°With everything the Keene family has lost over this¡­ do you think it was worth it?¡± She didn¡¯t even mention their coboration with Abraham. Not yet. The wrong girl 440 Chapter 440 Dirty Hands, Hidden Knives Chapter 440 Dirty Hands, Hidden Knives The Keene family had been getting hit from all sidestely¨Cjust like the Reed family. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you talk to your brother before you came?¡± Sutton¡¯s brow furrowed, her dark gaze fixed on Ste. +3 Free Coing Ste gave a faint smile. ¡°If you want to understand why the Keene family paid this kind of price, go ask him what he did to me because of Lilian.¡± She could see it now¨CSutton was trying to defend her family. Pretending the Keenes were innocent. But the Keene family was already under Ethan¡¯s control. That meant the losses they suffered were far from undeserved. Ste met Sutton¡¯s stare head¨Con, her eyes just as sharp and unflinching. The tension between Sutton¡¯s brows deepened. Yeah, she hadn¡¯t had a real conversation with Ethan before showing up here. Sutton had spent most of thest two years overseas. She didn¡¯t know what had really gone down back home. But judging from Ste¡¯s tone, a flicker of doubt touched Sutton¡¯s chest. She¡¯d always known Ethan had a thing for Lilian. And even though she hadn¡¯t returned recently, she¡¯d read enough to piece some of it together. Lilian had nearly killed Ste. Sutton drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Lilian was raised by the Reed family. Whatever happened between you two, that¡¯s a Reed family issue, right?¡± If it was a family matter, it should¡¯ve been handled in private¡ªnot dragged into the public eye. Ste nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, it was a Reed family matter. But Ethan? He buried the whole thing. He covered up the evidence. He chose to get involved. So tell me, Miss Sutton¨Cwas he really innocent?¡± That car crash had been brutal. Once she realized Lilian was behind it¡­ She lost it. She went after Lilian like a woman possessed¨Cand she found proof. Hard evidence. And then? The others stepped in. Jonathan, desperate to shield Lilian, even hired a hitman to take her out. And Ethan¡­ he¡¯d been a part of it. All that talk about Ethan being her fianc¨¦ the past two years? Nothing but a front. Just a pawn she¡¯d used to fend off Falvaria. A disposable piece on the board. Sutton¡¯s pupils contracted. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ he knew Lilian caused the crash?¡± Ste let out a coldugh. ¡°Go home and ask him who Feisy is.¡± Feisy? The name hit Sutton like a brick to the chest. That Feisy? 1.26 PM O Chapter 440 Dirty Hands, Hidden Knives +5 Free Coins The world¨Crenowned assassin who never missed his mark? ¡°You mean¡­ he hired Feisy to kill you? Then how did you?¡± ¡°You want to know how I survived? Easy. I grew up in the Luke family.¡± And Feisy owed her a favor. That was the most vicious attempt they ever made on her life. Hiring Feisy, of all people, to end her? Pathetic. If it weren¡¯t for the connection between her and Feisy, that would¡¯ve been it. She¡¯d be gone. But instead, Feisy told her everything. People ask why she¡¯s so ruthless toward the Reed family¨Cwhy she¡¯s so unforgiving with Ethan? Take a look at what they did to her. Now Jonathan was running around in a panic over Susan, suddenly remembering Ste was his sister? And Sutton had the nerve to say Ethan was innocent? Please. Innocence isn¡¯t decided by a few protective words from his sister. Sutton¡¯s breath grew short, her teeth grinding together. ¡°That bastard Ethan. I can¡¯t believe he did that to you.¡± Then, in a sh, she exploded. She shot to her feet, face full of rage. ¡°I¡¯m going back right now to rip his damn head off!¡± That was¡­ fast. But knowing Sutton¡¯s hotheaded personality, it actually made sense. She stormed out, fuming. Ste just shrugged. Let chaos reign. The Keene family clearly hadn¡¯t imploded enough¨Cotherwise Sutton wouldn¡¯t have waited this long toe back. With Sutton gone, the tea room felt a little too quiet. A servant entered and cleared the teacup she¡¯d used. Ste turned and stepped out. The butler approached politely. ¡°Ms. Ste, is there anything you¡¯d like to take back with you to Falvaria?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Rivermount hadn¡¯t left her with fond memories. She¡¯d lived here for two years, but none of it was worth bringing with her. This time, when she returned to Falvaria, she wanted it to be clean. She didn¡¯t want to carry even a single leaf from Rivermount with her. The butler nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± ¡°In the study. Dr. Eddie and Mr. Job are with him.¡± Ste nodded and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She wanted to lie down for a bit. She had a red¨Ceye flight ahead of her. 1:26 PM Chapter 440 Dirty Hands, Hidden Knives Sure, she could sleep on the ne¨Cbut it would neverpare to a proper bed. +5 Free Coins Just as she reached the stairs, Abraham and Mr. Job came down from the second floor, with Eddie trailing behind them. 3/3 The wrong girl 441 Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals As soon as Abraham saw her, he turned to Eddie behind him and said, ¡°Take a look at Ste.¡± Eddie blinked. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°She hasn¡¯t had much of an appetitetely.¡± She hadn¡¯t eaten much at lunch, and barely touched the snacks he brought back. +5 Free Coins After giving Eddie his instructions, Abraham looked down at Ste, gently ruffling her soft hair with a familiar affection. ¡°I need to head out for a bit.¡± The moment she heard Abraham was going out again with Mr. Job, Ste instinctively grabbed his wrist. ¡°There won¡¯t be any more changes to tonight¡¯s flight back to Falvaria, right?¡± Seriously¨Cno more surprises. If there were, Tessa might cry her eyes out again over the phone. And Ste was worried about her. Even if Victor wouldn¡¯ty a hand on her, the poor girl might still scare herself into a breakdown at this rate. She needed to get back as soon as possible. Abraham reassured her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything¡¯s set.¡± ¡°Good. Then go.¡± He nodded and left with Mr. Job. The man was constantly on the move. Once his figure disappeared through the door, Ste turned to Eddie. ¡°Did everything with Lancelot get handled?¡± In Falvaria, Lancelot might be the first person ever bold enough to hack into Abraham¡¯s systems. Eddie froze for a beat when she brought up Lancelot. Then his expression darkened. ¡°From now on, there is no more Lancelot,¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Yeah¡­ she¡¯d figured things wouldn¡¯t end well for someone who dared pull that. And here it was. Eddie asked, ¡°So what¡¯s bothering you?¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not anything major. Just no appetitetely.¡± She really hadn¡¯t been enjoying food the way she used to. Before, she could eat anything and enjoy it. Especially at night¨Cshe loved snacking then. Eddie asked, ¡°No appetite? Do you feel bloated?¡± ¡°A little.¡± And she hadn¡¯t even eaten that much¨Cwhy did she still feel bloated? Eddie studied her for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful. The way he looked at her made her nervous. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s something serious?¡± 1:26 PM Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals B No joke¨Canyone would feel uneasy being stared at like that by a doctor. She was still young. Thest thing she wanted was a major health scare. Eddie said tly, ¡°No, not something serious.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Then why the weird stare? Like having no appetite was some medical crisis. He thought for a second. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some granules to try. Take two packets.¡± ¡°What kind of granules?¡± ¡°Pepsin. Your brother used to give them to you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that stuff?¡± She remembered it. She¡¯d taken it during a hospital stay before. It was kind of sweet and sour¨Ctasted pretty good, actually. +5 Free Coins Eddie didn¡¯t think the bloating was anything to worry about, but something still felt off. He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it yet. Whatever. Let her try the meds first. Ste said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Then turned to head upstairs. Eddie called after her, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To sleep?¡± Eddie narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping a little too welltely, haven¡¯t you?¡± Now that he mentioned it¡­ she paused. Yeah, her sleep had been really good recently. She used to skip naps and still feel perfectly energetic in the afternoon. Buttely, not so much. After lunch, she could barely stay awake. Worse still¨Csometimes she¡¯d sleep through the entire morning, then still need a nap and a full night¡¯s sleep. Add it all up and the hours were kind of insane. But the weird thing was, even though she was sleeping more, she didn¡¯t actually feel well¨Crested. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good. Every time I sleep, I dream. And I wake up totally exhausted.¡± And not just any dreams¨Cnightmares. Always about snakes, or other creepy, slithery creatures. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl¨Cand yet, she kept dreaming about them. Eddie rubbed his chin. ¡°Nightmares too? Alright, I¡¯ll add another herbal blend.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Just like that, the two of them casually diagnosed her as suffering from insomnia, vivid dreams, and mild indigestion. 2/3 1:26 PM Chapter 441 Symptoms and Signals 0 +5 Free Coins Eddie left. And just as Ste got back to her room, her phone rang¨Cit was Rianne. Ste picked up. ¡°Rianne?¡± ¡°Stell¡­ Ste¡­¡± The voice on the other end was weak. So faint, Ste could feel how fragile it was even through the phone. Her chest tightened. ¡°What¨Cwhat happened to you?¡± The wrong girl 442 Chapter 442 Targeted s Chapter 442 Targeted ¡°Stell¡­ Ste¡­ help¡­¡± That one word¨Chelp¨Csent a chill down Ste¡¯s spine. Every trace of sleep vanished in an instant, shattered by the urgency in Rianne¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Where are you? What happened?¡± ¡°Rianne? Hello? Hello?!¡± But the line had gone dead. All she could hear now was chaos¨Cnoise, shouting, static. No clue where Rianne was or what had happened. Ste¡¯s heart jumped to her throat. As she rushed downstairs, she shouted into the phone, ¡°Rianne, say something! Don¡¯t scare me! Rianne?! Rianne!¡± No matter how she called, no answer came. Ste panicked. She headed straight for the door. But the butler intercepted her. ¡°Ms. Ste-¡± ¡°Which driver went to pick up Rianne? Where are they? Find out now!¡± she demanded, her voice sharp with worry. The butler hesitated, then broke the news. ¡°Ms. Rianne was in a car ident, Ms. Ste.¡± Ste froze. Her breath hitched, disbelief filling her eyes as she stared at him. ¡°The call just came in. Miss Rianne was in a serious ident.¡± ¡°How is she?¡± Even as she asked, her hands trembled. The way Rianne sounded on the phone¨Cthere was no way she was okay. ¡°The ident just happened. The driver was unconscious, but he came to and said Miss Rianne passed out. Emergency services have already been called.¡± The butler kept it brief, but Ste was already spiraling. ¡°I¡¯m going to her.¡°. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the car.¡± ¡°No need!¡± She didn¡¯t have the patience to wait. ¡°Send me their location. Now!¡± The butler opened his mouth to protest, but Ste was already grabbing a set of keys by the front door. She ran out without even bothering to throw on anotheryer¨Cjust a thin set of loungewear clinging to her frame. The butler turned and shouted to a maid, ¡°Quick¨Cbring Ms. Ste a coat!¡± While giving instructions, he also pulled out his phone to send Ste the GPS coordinates. A car engine roared outside¨CSte had already pulled out of the driveway. Screech. Vroom- The sound alone was enough to tell him how fast she was driving. Chapter 442 Targeted He grew even more anxious. It was snowing out there. Roads would be slippery. He was afraid Ste might end up in another ident herself. Still pulling on his coat, he took the clothes from the maid and rushed outside, simultaneously calling Abraham: +5 Free Coins About twenty minutester. Ste arrived at the crash site. The moment she got out of the car, she saw Tempest carefully lifting Rianne into an ambnce, his face full of distress. Ste rushed over instinctively. ¡°Rianne!¡± There was so much blood¡­. Just earlier, Rianne had been talking andughing with her over the phone. Now, she silently in Tempest¡¯s arms¨Cher face pletely drained of color. Ste¡¯s heart clenched. Before she could get close, the ambnce pulled away. The crash scene was a wreck. The car Rianne had been in had its front endpletely crushed. Arge truck had flipped onto its side nearby. The driver who¡¯d been taking Rianne limped over and bowed his head respectfully. ¡°Ms. Ste.¡± Ste stared at him nkly. ¡°You were driving her?¡± He nodded, then pointed behind him. ¡°Yes. The other car was parked over there at first.¡± ¡°Parked?¡± ¡°Yes. When we pulled out of the intersection, their car suddenly came flying at us,pletely out of control.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. That car had been just sitting there. And then the moment their car pulled out¨Cit crashed into them? She looked again at the wreckage. Everything about it screamed intentional. The driver didn¡¯t say much, but he didn¡¯t need to. Ste understood exactly what he meant. Drivers working for the Dawson family were professionally trained. Their awareness and instincts were sharp¨Cthey remembered everything. If he said the other car had been parked there from the start, then it definitely had. So the other vehicle had been waiting. And then hit them deliberately? That meant this wasn¡¯t just an ident. The only question was¨Cwas it meant for Abraham? Or¡­ was it meant for Rianne? It couldn¡¯t have been Abraham. If someone wanted to take him out, they wouldn¡¯t have used such a clumsy method. Which meant¡­ It was Rianne. Chapter 442 Targeted She¡¯d been targeted from the very beginning. s 3/3 The wrong girl 443 Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty Ste¡¯s mind was racing. Her breathing turned rapid and shallow. If this car crash had been meant for Rianne from the start¡­ Then someone close to Tempest had resorted to the most ruthless means imaginable. She closed her eyes for a second. ¡°Go to the hospital first,¡± she told the driver. He nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡± She nced at his leg¨Che wasn¡¯t seriously injured, but he was limping badly. And she needed to check on Rianne¡¯s condition herself. The +5 Free Coins The driver hesitated. It wasn¡¯t protocol for him to ride in the same car as his employer, much less have her drive him. Ste knew exactly what he was thinking. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Now wasn¡¯t the time for rules. The driver nodded nervously. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Ste.¡± They had just reached the car when two ck vehicles pulled up sharply within two meters of them. One door opened immediately. Abraham stepped out, his expression ice¨Ccold as he locked eyes with her. Ste¡¯s heart gave a jolt. ¡°Weren¡¯t you out handling something?¡± Abraham took one look at her thin clothing, strode forward, and pulled her firmly into his arms. His voice was low and reproachful. ¡°Why would you go out like this without a coat?¡± Now that he mentioned it, Ste finally realized she was freezing. As he moved to take off his own coat to wrap around her, the butler stepped out of the other car and quickly brought over the clothes he¡¯d chased her down with. ¡°Mr. Abraham, Ms. Ste¡¯s coat.¡± He¡¯d seen her rush out dressed like that, and he¡¯d been worried about both the weather and her dangerously fast driving. Abraham took the coat and wrapped it around her. ¡°Arms up.¡± She obeyed, slipping her arms through the sleeves as he bundled her up. Thirty minutester, Ste arrived at the hospital. Rianne was still in surgery. Tempest stood outside the emergency room, burning with rage as he shouted into his phone. ¡°Bring me that damn truck driver. I¡¯ll deal with him myself.¡± Even from a distance, Ste could feel the danger radiating from him. The hospital¡¯s director and chief surgeon were both present, standing awkwardly in the hallway, clearly nervous. Tempest hung up and turned to Lincoln beside him. ¡°Go through that driver¡¯s entire financial history.¡± Lincoln nodded. ¡°Already done.¡± He handed Tempest his phone without another word. 1:27 PM 4 Chapter 443 The Price of Loyalty Having worked with Tempest for years, Lincoln knew exactly what to do in times like this. s He¡¯d noticed something suspicious about the incident during the ambnce ride, and had started digging immediately. It wasn¡¯t paranoia. People around Abraham had been growing increasingly hostile toward Ste ¨Cand that hostility was being acted on. Tempest scanned the contents on the phone, and his already dangerous aura became downright terrifying. Ste had rushed here intending to tell Abraham what the driver had observed. But now, it seemed there was no need. Tempest¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Then¡­ hand Hailey over to the authorities.¡± He paused just a beat, then his voice turned cutting. ¡°Immediately.¡± Lincoln¡¯s chest tightened. He nodded, then hesitated. ¡°And Madam?¡± Hailey was technically a distant cousin of Ste¡¯s. Not close, but not a total stranger either¨Cshe was the daughter of Ste¡¯s cousin¡¯s sister¨Cinw¡¯s brother. Complicated, but still family. Her parents had died in a ne crash two years ago. Thanks to that connection¨Cand a well¨Cyed act¨CHailey had managed to win Ste¡¯s affection. So much so, Ste had even tried to pair her up with Abraham. With everything that had just happened, there was no doubt how Ste would react¨Cthis was going to be explosive. When Lincoln mentioned his mother, Tempest¡¯s gaze turned cial. ¡°Does she represent thew?¡± Of course not. But she did know how to pull strings. Troublesome. Still, Tempest wasn¡¯t backing down. Hailey was going behind bars. No exceptions. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it now,¡± Lincoln said, then left. Tempest lit a cigarette, taking two harsh drags. The director and chief still didn¡¯t dare speak. Ste approached quietly. Tempest nced at her, said nothing, and took another long drag. Ste didn¡¯t know what to say either. Then the doors of the emergency room swung open. Rianne was wheeled out. Tempest was at her side in less than a second. The wrong girl 444 Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy Tempest grabbed Rianne¡¯s hand. ¡°Rianne.¡± s His voice trembled. He gently touched the wound on her forehead, his fingers lingering there with aching tenderness. The medical assistant who walked out with her removed his mask. ¡°Ms. Rianne only sustained external injuries. But she should stay under observation for the night.¡± Only then did Tempest notice the bandage on her leg. The cut on her forehead was shallow¨Cjust broken skin. Ste stepped closer. Rianne was conscious. She didn¡¯t acknowledge Tempest. Instead, her gaze found Ste. She pulled her hand from Tempest¡¯s and reached toward Ste. ¡°Ste.¡± That small gesture¨Cpulling away¨Cmade something in Tempest crack open. His chest tightened, the air growing heavier. Ste stepped forward and took her hand. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± It had been Abraham¡¯s idea to call Rianne to Seats Cove. And it was Seats Cove¡¯s driver who picked her up. If she hadn¡¯te here, maybe none of this would¡¯ve happened. Rianne shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. If it weren¡¯t for your driver reacting so fast, the truck would¡¯ve crushed my side of the car.¡± Would she have even survived? Her voice was calm¨Cshaken, but steady in that way people speak after barely escaping death. But to Tempest, those words were like a boulder crashing down on his chest. Ste opened her mouth, only for Rianne to cut in. ¡°I saw everything. The driver of the truck tried to avoid harming himself. But your driver¨Che saved me.¡± He had used his side of the car to shield hers. In those few critical seconds, he had thrown himself in the path of danger. Then immediately climbed up onto the truck and dragged the other driver out. Rianne knew exactly what had happened. That crash hadn¡¯t been an ident. If someone else had been driving, or if she had driven herself, today might¡¯ve been the day she died. Her words were directed at Ste¨Cbut Tempest understood every single one. Ste clutched Rianne¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°Rianne¡­¡± She got it too. Once upon a time, when Rianne had still been close to Tempest, some people simply disliked her. Now? They didn¡¯t just dislike her anymore¨Cthey hated her. Hated her enough to quietly plot her death. If it hadn¡¯t been for Tempest, the woman who had once saved the Hale family would have been treated worse than dirt. Back then, it was Tempest who gave her the strength to keep going. But now¡­ Rianne gripped Ste¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯re flying back to Falvaria tonight, aren¡¯t you?¡± s Chapter 444 No More Room for Mercy Ste hesitated. With the way Rianne was looking at her, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say ¡°yes.¡± Rianne had just survived an attempt on her life. How could Ste walk away now? Especially knowing someone was trying to kill her. She couldn¡¯t leave¨Cnot like this. Rianne saw the hesitation and gave a faint, bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ming too.¡± ¡°Rianne-¡± Tempest finally spoke, his voice panicked and cracking under strain. Ste froze. She hadn¡¯t expected that answer either. Rianne ignored him. She clutched Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°You can help me, right?¡± Ste said nothing. Help her? She couldn¡¯t possibly mean¡­ She wants to run from Tempest. Ste nced at him instinctively. His face had darkened, fists clenched so tight they trembled. Now she understood. Rianne wanted to leave Tempest and go directly to Falvaria. He¡¯d never agree to that. And when Rianne said you can help me, she clearly meant¨Cuse Abraham¡¯s power to get me out. Had things between them really fallen this far? Tempest stepped forward and yanked Rianne¡¯s hand from Ste¡¯s. ¡°Rianne, don¡¯t you think¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I deserve a reasonable exnation?¡± she snapped, cutting him off. ¡°And do I not deserve one? For why your mother¡¯s hated me all these years? What gave her the right? What gave the entire Hale family the right?¡± Thest part she nearly shouted, voice hoarse with fury. Tempest was speechless. Ste¡¯s heart clenched in silence. Rianne jerked her hand away. Her eyes, once so warm toward him, now burned with nothing but hatred. There was no trace of the love that used to be there. Tempest¡¯s voice was tight. ¡°You believe what Alexander said?¡± Their eyes met. They were standing face¨Cto¨Cface¨Cyet it felt like they were worlds apart. Rianne didn¡¯t answer. She turned her head away, slowly and deliberately. The wrong girl 445 Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave =3 +5 Free Coins But the next second, Tempest grabbed Rianne¡¯s face and turned it toward him, forcing their eyes to meet. ¡°Tell me¨Cdid you see Alexander again?¡± Rianne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Stop ming everything on Alexander. The problems between us have nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°Then what do they have to do with?¡± His voice exploded with rage. The air went still. Rianne stared at him in silence. Tempest tightened his grip on her wrist. ¡°Rianne.¡± ¡°I want to be alone. I don¡¯t want to see you right now. Is that okay?¡± Her final word came through gritted teeth. Her Tempest¡¯s entire presence turned vtile. This was the first time Ste had seen them like this¨Cso on edge, ready to snap. In her mind, Tempest had always been fiercely protective of Rianne. But now? What the hell had happened between them? Before either of them could lose control, Ste stepped forward. ¡°Tempest, Rianne just got hurt. She might not be thinking clearly right now. Can you give her some space?¡± He was right on the edge, and Ste was truly afraid he mightsh out. The mention of her being injured seemed to pull Tempest back from that line. His eyes lingered on Rianne as he slowly released her wrist. Ste let out a quiet breath. She moved in gently. ¡°Let me talk to Rianne alone, okay?¡± This wasn¡¯t like Rianne, She had never pushed Tempest away like this before. Even back when she had problems with the Hale family, she hadn¡¯t been this hostile toward him personally. No¡­ now that Ste thought about it, she had sensed something was wrong back then. She looked at Rianne more closely, tension in her eyes. Tempest straightened up and nced at Ste. The fury had faded from his face, reced by a grim calm. He didn¡¯t say a word as he turned and walked briskly down the hall. Ste turned to the stunned medical staff. ¡°Please take her to a room.¡± Tempest¡¯s presence had been so overpowering, none of the doctors had dared interrupt the entire time. Now that he was gone, the hospital director immediately spoke up. ¡°Hurry, get Ms. Rianne to a room.¡± No one dared neglect anyone connected to the Hale family. Even if the entire family disliked Rianne, everyone knew¨Cshe was Tempest¡¯s weak spot. In the hospital room, Ste was apanied by the butler¨CAbraham had dropped her off and then left. Now it was just Ste and Rianne. Ste took her hand. ¡°What happened between you and Tempest?¡± They¡¯d been fine before. And also¨Cwho¡¯s Hailey?¡± 1:27 PM Chapter 445 I Just Want to Leave She¡¯d overheard Tempest on the phone earlier, talking about handing Hailey over to the authorities. Ste had never heard of anyone named Hailey during her years at Rivermount. All she remembered was Madam Linden trying to set Tempest up on blind dates not long ago. Could Hailey be one of them? If so¡­ what kind of lunatic went after Rianne right after a blind date? Rianne answered tly, ¡°Tempest¡¯s distant cousin. No blood rtion.¡± Technically a cousin, yes¨Cbut far removed, with a generational gap in between. Pretty distant. Ste¡¯s tone dropped. ¡°Was she behind the crash?¡± Rianne closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t even want to talk about the Hale family anymore. Not a single word. ¡°Forget them. Ste¡­ I want to leave Rivermount. Will you take me with you?¡± +5 Free Coins When Rianne said it again¨CI want to leave¨CSte could feel it. This wasn¡¯t a whim. It was a decision rooted in heartbreak. Thinking of everything Rianne had endured in the Hale family, Ste nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± She could feel the despair radiating off her. Rianne was strong¨Cmature. She¡¯d always faced everything head¨Con. She wasn¡¯t someone who ran away. Which made this moment all the more heartbreaking. Ste didn¡¯t need to ask anything else. She simply nodded. Sometimes, when someone is drowning in darkness, what saves them isn¡¯t a question¨Cit¡¯s someone quietly saying I¡¯ll take you out of here. If Rianne didn¡¯t want to exin, Ste wouldn¡¯t force it. She would simply be the person who helped her leave. ¡°Really?¡± There was pain in Rianne¡¯s eyes, but it lit up with hope the moment she heard Ste¡¯s answer. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡°) ¡°But Tempest¡­?¡± Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t let her go. And that was what worried Rianne most. Ste didn¡¯t know what had happened between them¨Cwhy they¡¯d fallen apart so suddenly and sopletely. The wrong girl 446 Chapter 446 I¡¯ll Take You With Mc Chapter 446 I¡¯ll Take You With Me Seeing the spark of hope light up in Rianne¡¯s eyes, Ste gave her a firm nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±
  • 5 Free Coins
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and dialed Abraham. ¡°I¡¯m bringing Rianne with me to Falvaria. Things are a littleplicated with Tempest.¡± Just two sentences. Rianne gripped the nket tightly, clearly nervous. On the other end, Abraham paused briefly, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Just four simple words, calm and unshaken. But Rianne heard them clearly through the speaker, and her entire body rxed. Ste said, ¡°Alright. Can you have Eddiee to the hospitalter?¡± Eddie was a doctor¨Cif Rianne was going to travel tonight, she¡¯d need to go through all the necessary evaluations and tests. Abraham replied, ¡°Of course.¡± His voice, as always, carried that indulgent warmth. They exchanged a few more words before hanging up. Ste turned to Rianne. ¡°It¡¯s settled.¡± Rianne gave a bitter smile. ¡°Ste, I¡¯m really jealous of you.¡± Falvaria¡¯s Abraham¨Cthe name alone carried weight. And yet Ste could speak to him however she liked. If she asked, he would respond. Ste went quiet. She understood exactly what Rianne meant. She had once believed Rianne and Tempest had that kind of bond, too. But now¡­ for Rianne to be pushed this far, something in that rtionship had clearly crossed a line. Back in Falvaria. Tessa was lying in bed, parched beyond belief. She¡¯d eaten way too much of that salty pasta. Her throat felt like it was on fire. She wanted to go downstairs for water, but she was afraid Victor and that low¨CIQ goon were still around. If they saw her and said the wrong thing, it would only make Victor angrier. And she¡¯d be the one to suffer for it¡­ Then Ste called, telling her that Rianne wasing to Falvaria too. Tessa was stunned. ¡°She¡¯sing to visit? Is Tempesting with her?¡± In her mind, where there was Rianne, there was Tempest. No¨Cmore urately, wherever Tempest was, Rianne would be there too. Because Tempest always took her with him. Ste said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh? Tempest is okay with that?¡± Would he even allow Rianne to go anywhere alone? For years, no matter where Tempest went, Rianne was always by his side. Before Ste could respond, someone knocked on Tessa¡¯s door. She jumped, gripping her phone tightly. ¡°Who is it?¡± It¡¯s time to change your bandage.¡± 327 PM Chapter 446 I¡¯ll Take You With Me Victor¡¯s voice¨Ccold and clipped¨Ccame through the door. Tessa froze. Wasn¡¯t he surrounded by staff? Why did he have to do this? If this were Rivermount, she¡¯d absolutely throw some snarkyments at him. But now? She didn¡¯t dare. She mumbled into the phone, ¡°Talk to me once you¡¯re back in Falvaria.¡± Victor was too much. She could barely another minute around him¨Cbut had no choice. It was maddening. She hung up and went to open the door, only to find that Victor was already gone. She peeked down the stairs¨Cno sign of him. He was probably in his room. The others from earlier were gone too. The house was quiet. s She took the chance to rush to the kitchen and gulp down some water. Her throat had practically turned to sandpaper. Once her thirst was under control, she crept over to Victor¡¯s room. She¡¯d learned her lesson by now. She knocked gently, then pressed her ear to the door to listen. Too many unexpected incidents had happened in this room. She was fully traumatized. Finally, a low voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Tessa pushed the door open slowly. She didn¡¯t even dare look at him directly. Instead, she lowered her gaze and cautiously let her eyes drift upward. And then¨Cthere he was. Shirtless. Tessa¡¯s poor heart nearly burst from her chest. Seriously¨Cwhy couldn¡¯t this man keep his clothes on? Her gaze identallynded on his well¨Cdefined chest, muscr and toned. And that wolf tattoo¨Cfierce, alive¨Cits snarling eyes seemed to leap from his skin, ready to tear her apart. Only now did she realize: the pattern that had always peeked out from his cor was the wolf¡¯s eyes. You couldn¡¯t tell what it was before. But now¡­ It was terrifying. That tattoo exuded such intensity it made her stomach knot up. ¡°What are you standing there for? Come here.¡± His voice snapped her back to reality. She clutched the doorframe tighter and stammered, ¡°P¨Cput on a shirt first.¡± The wrong girl 447 Chapter 447 Too Close for Comfort Chapter 447 Too Close for Comfort Does this man even realize how good his body looks? Victor: ¡°Hm?¡± Tessa: ¡°A man and a woman alone in a room¡­ Mind the optics.¡± Victor¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°You? Telling me to mind the optics?¡± Tessa: ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Just because she was under his roof, didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t have some boundaries, right? Victor chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t see you worried about optics before.¡± What did he mean by that? What ¡°before¡°? Before Tessa could wrap her head around the implication, Victor continued, ¡°Remember what you did at the vi?¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched. +5 Free Coins Her mind shed to the moment she had lost her bnce that day and instinctively grabbed onto¨Cyeah, that spot. Even though it had been days since, just hearing him bring it up sent a jolt through her entire body. Seeing her looking all flustered and nk, Victor¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°And when you pulled off my towel¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Tessa darted forward and pped her hand over Victor¡¯s mouth. She couldn¡¯t let him keep going. Did he even hear what he was saying? If he said anything else, there¡¯d be no salvaging whatever was left between them. They were standing way too close now. Their warm breaths tangled together in the narrow space. Victor suddenly wrapped an arm around her slender waist. She looked petite, but her body was actually soft and curvy. His handnded on her waist and instinctively gave a squeeze. Tessa snapped back to reality¨Conly to realize she had somehow leapt into Victor¡¯s arms. Oh god. She¡¯d done something stupid. Again. Why did she keep doing stupid things in front of him? She didn¡¯t used to be this dumb! ¡°L¨CLet go of me,¡± she stammered, her whole body overheating and out of bnce. When Victor didn¡¯t let go, Tessa started to panic. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re grabbing? Let go now!¡± Even though she was terrified, she still gritted her teeth. Victor looked at her like she was an angry little bunny. His smile widened. ¡°You¡¯re the one who jumped into my arms. What are you mad about, hmm?¡± Her face turned beet red. She panted, ¡°J¨CJust let go of me first!¡± She was seriously worried that if this kept going, something would happen. Wait. No. This man wasn¡¯t even¡­ functional? Wait a second! 127 PM O Chapter 447 Too Close for Comfort Tessa nced down at her legs, her breath catching as she noticed¡­ something wasn¡¯t right. It felt like a jolt of electricity. Sheunched herself off him on instinct. When you¡¯re spooked, you really do get superhuman strength. Tessa bolted halfway across the room, her mindpletely nk. ¡°You, you¡­ ¡°What?¡± What do you mean, what?! Oh god¡­ Was Ste¡¯s gossip even reliable? She froze for a second, then lost all nerve to look at Victor again. She spun around and ran out of the room. She mmed the door behind her and locked herself in her own bedroom, trembling all over. s Meanwhile, Ste was at the hospital when her phone rang. She answered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bing¡¯er?¡± ¡°Ste, your intel was wrong! Where did you even hear that from?!¡± Ste: ¡°Huh? What intel?¡± She was totally confused by Tessa¡¯s sudden outburst. Tessa didn¡¯t know Rianne was hurt yet. If she had, she wouldn¡¯t be wasting time with Ste right now. Tessa: ¡°Victor.¡± Ste: ¡°Huh?¡± Still not getting it. There¡¯d been so many rumors about Victortely, she had no idea which one Tessa was referring to. Tessa: ¡°The one where you said he couldn¡¯t, you know¡­¡± That one¡­ Wrong? So¡­ ¡°He can?¡± Tessa: ¡°Obviously!¡± Ste: ¡°You tested it?¡± Peeking through the small window on the hospital room door, Ste lowered her voice. Eddie was inside doing a checkup on Rianne. Victor¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t just her own suspicion¨Cit was basicallymon knowledge at this point. Even the guys around him were skeptical. One time, Lewis even snuck a woman into his room. Victor had thrown her out in under a minute. That¡¯s why everyone believed it. But now Tessa was saying otherwise¡­ Chapter 447 Too Close for Comfort Why? What changed? That could only mean she- ¡°Don¡¯t make stuff up.¡± Before Ste could finish her thought, Tessa shut it down immediately. Ste: ¡°Uh¡­ So how do you know?¡± s The wrong girl 448 Chapter 448 Nosebleed Alert Chapter 448 Nosebleed Alert Tessa: ¡°The moment I was in his arms, I knew.¡± Her brain¡­ couldn¡¯t keep up. Ste was starting to realize that talking to Tessa without at least double the normal brainpower was a recipe for disaster. ¡°So why were you in his arms?¡± Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be scared of him? How did she end up in his arms? Now it was Tessa¡¯s turn to go quiet. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s tooplicated to exin right now.¡± Honestly, even Tessa didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. Saying it out loud was way too exhausting. Because Because the full story? Way too long. Ste: ¡°Uh¡­ should I just imagine what happened?¡± ¡°Imagine nothing! Just forget it!¡± What was there to imagine?! Who knew what kind of wild scenarios Ste¡¯s imagination might cook up? Ugh, she was gonna lose her mind¡­ Back in the room Victor had been in, after Tessa ran off, his lips stayed curled in that devil¨Cmay¨Ccare smirk. Especially with that lingering sweet scent in his arms¨Cit made the gleam in his eyes even more dangerous. Their chat quickly veered toward Rianne¡¯s ident and hospitalization. Tessa froze. ¡°Rianne was in a car ident? What happened? And she still wants to go to Falvaria?¡± What on earth? Three questions in a row hit Ste like a freight train. Rianne and Tempest had been perfectly fine. Now suddenly Rianne wanted to go to Falvaria, and this was after an ident? Tessa: ¡°Did something happen between them?¡± Given the timing, it was hard not to jump to conclusions. Ste: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ kind of a long story.¡± ¡°Will you still make it back to Falvaria tonight? If not, it¡¯s okay.¡± Honestly,pared to her own momentary panic, Rianne¡¯s health mattered way more. Ste: ¡°As of now, yeah.¡± Rianne seemed totally turned off by the idea of staying in Rivermount. She was determined to leave as soon as possible. Hearing that, Tessa felt almost entirely sure that something had gone down between Rianne and Tempest. If nothing had happened, would Rianne be in such a rush to leave? From the look of it, she was practically desperate to escape Rivermount. ¡°All right, just keep an eye on her for me.¡± Chapter 448 Nosebleed Alert No point freaking out from afar. She wasn¡¯t in Rivermount, and a phone call wouldn¡¯t clear things up anyway. Ste: ¡°Got it.¡± They hung up. But Tessa was still rattled. That¡¯s when a knock sounded on her door again. Victor¡­ ¡°Tessa.¡± His voice came from outside the door. Just hearing him made Tessa feel her body heat spiral out of control. A warm trickle slid under her nose. She wiped at it. What the¨Cwas that a nosebleed again? She nced down. Her smoky¨Cgray loungewear had a huge red patch across the chest. Clearly the nosebleed had started a while ago, and she hadn¡¯t even noticed. ¡°I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming!¡± Damn it. Why was she having another nosebleed? s She grabbed a tissue and frantically wiped beneath her nose until there was no more blood, then finally opened the door. Victor was standing there, frowning. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d change my bandages?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°Oh. Right. Sure.¡± Great. She was now ying nursemaid to this guy. Well, whatever. He had saved her, so changing his bandages was the least she could do. Besides, Ste wasing back. After that, she¡¯d have nothing to do with him ever again. Just when she thought Victor would go back to his room and wait, he suddenly reached out to her. Tessa instinctively pulled back, her temperature spiking again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bleeding again.¡± Sure enough, there was that warm, sticky feeling beneath her nose again. When had she be such a weakling? Was she really this helpless when it came to Victor? ¡°I¨CI can handle it. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Her gaze drifted to the muscles peeking through his half¨Copen shirt¨Cand then she remembered what had just happened. No denying it. The man was built. And the more she thought about it, the harder the blood gushed. Victor frowned. ¡°Should I call a doctor?¡± Tessa waved her hands in a panic. ¡°No! Definitely not! Just go back to your room!¡± What would she even tell a doctor? Hi, I¡¯m bleeding because I got too turned on by a hot guy? Chapter 448 Nosebleed Alert Victor gave her a look, then turned and walked back to his room. 1913 The wrong girl 449 Chapter 449 Leaving Rivermount Chapter 449 Leaving Rivermount Tessa called out behind him, ¡°Wait for me! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± But that ¡°wait for me¡± sounded a little too suggestive in Victor¡¯s cars at the moment¡­. s Back in Rivermount- After a thorough check¨Cup, Eddie stepped out of the room and said to Ste, ¡°She¡¯s good to go.¡± Ste nodded, finally able to rx a little. Tempest had just left earlier, and since then, Rianne¡¯s whole demeanor had seemed off. To Ste, Rianne had always been cheerful and full of sunshine. But this time¡­ Eddie nced at her. ¡°Are you really taking her to Falvaria? I doubt Mr. Tempest will let her go so easily.¡± If Tempest said no, things would definitely get messy when they tried to leave Rivermount tonight. Ste: ¡°Didn¡¯t Abraham say he¡¯d take care of it?¡± She didn¡¯t care whether Tempest agreed or not. Right now, Rianne was all that mattered. Eddie nodded. ¡°Fair enough. There¡¯s really nothing he can¡¯t fix.¡± Still, he had a feeling that since Rianne was Tempest¡¯s woman, taking her along would probably bring some trouble. ¡°Abraham said he¡¯lle pick you up soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste nodded and went back into the hospital room to check on Rianne. The moment she stepped in, her phone rang. It was Abraham. She picked up. ¡°Abraham.¡± Abraham: ¡°Is there anything you want to bring back?¡± Ste: ¡°Nothing much. Just have someone pack up the stuff I left in the study.¡± That was all gifts she had picked out for her mom and her cousin Marie. As for her own things, Ste had already decided¨Cshe didn¡¯t want to take a single thing from Rivermount back with her. Abraham gave a short ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Get Rianne ready. I¡¯ll pick you both up and head straight to the airport.¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving right away?¡± She nced instinctively at the sky outside. It was gettingte. Abraham gave another ¡°Mm,¡± then asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Are you tired from staying at the hospital? If you are, you can head back and rest a bit first.¡± Either way, there was still some time before they needed to leave. Ste: ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just wait here.¡± With Rianne like this, she couldn¡¯t leave even if she wanted to. Abraham: ¡°Okay.¡± They chatted a little longer before hanging up. Chapter 449 Leaving Rivermount A short whileter, a nurse came in. Behind her, someone wheeled a bed into the room. Ste: ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± This was a VVIP suite. Extra beds weren¡¯t allowed¨Cno one else was supposed to stay here. 5 Free Coins The nurse nced at her, then said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Ste, this was arranged by our hospital director. He said if you¡¯re tired, you can rest here for a while.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a sofa here.¡± If it came from the director, it had to be Abraham¡¯s doing. She wasn¡¯t a kid anymore, and he was still doing stuff like this? The nurse smiled. ¡°Sofas aren¡¯tfortable for sleeping.¡± With that, they quickly made up the bed¨Cfresh sheets, a nket, everything in ce. This man¡­ Once they were done, the nurse turned to Ste again. ¡°Ms. Ste, if you need anything else, just press the call button.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Ste nodded politely. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very wee.¡± The nurse gave a quick shake of her head and left with a respectful nod. Ste looked at the freshly made bed and couldn¡¯t help but wonder, Do I really need this kind of pampering? He still treated her like she was that little girl from years ago. Rianne looked over. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Mr. Abraham to be this thoughtful.¡± From the rumors she¡¯d heard before, nothing had suggested that Abraham was the gentle type. Ste almost replied, Tempest used to be that thoughtful with you too. But the words stopped in her throat. In the end, she didn¡¯t mention Tempest at all. If Rianne was this desperate to leave, something major must have happened between them. And if Rianne didn¡¯t want to talk about it, she wouldn¡¯t ask. That was the best way she could protect her. Still, she couldn¡¯t help remembering how Rianne¡¯s eyes used to sparkle whenever she talked about Tempest¡­ So she asked, ¡°You¡¯re reallying to Falvaria with me?¡± To Ste, there were two possibilities for Rianne¡¯s sudden decision to leave Rivermount. One: something serious had happened between her and Tempest. Two: she was acting out of spite. Deep down, she hoped it was the second. She just wanted Rianne to be okay. Rianne nodded. ¡°Of course. Thanks again.¡± Hearing that, Ste said nothing more and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Somehow, Jonathan had gotten wind that Ste was at the hospital, and he rushed over immediately. Ste was just about to lie down and rest when he showed up. The wrong girl 450 Chapter 450 Unwanted Ties Chapter 450 Unwanted Ties The butler blocked the doorway. ¡°Mr. Jonathan, Ms. Ste doesn¡¯t wish to see you. Please leave.¡± ¡°Move.¡± Jonathan barked, his voice brimming with fury. s He had waited far too long in Seats Cove. The bitter wind and icy snow had only fueled his temper. Now that he knew Ste had left Seats Cove, how could he not go wild trying to see her? The butler, seeing his aggression, didn¡¯t hold back either. ¡°If you won¡¯t show respect, Mr. Jonathan, don¡¯t me me for doing the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re threatening me? I¡¯m here to see my sister! Who do you think you are to block me?¡± That one sentence-¡°don¡¯t me me¡°-set Jonathan offpletely. He was already at the edge, unable to see Ste, and ready to snap. The butler narrowed his eyes and calmly reminded him, ¡°Mind your words, Mr. Jonathan. Ms. Ste is not your sister. If you¡¯re going to im kin, I suggest you make sure you¡¯re at the right door.¡± Jonathan: ¡°What do you mean ¡®wrong door¡®? She¡¯s Ste¡ª¡± ¡°She is a daughter of the Luke family. Mr. Jonathan, are you sure you want to im kinship here, at our door?¡± The butler¡¯s tone was no longer just a warning¨Cit was a threat. Jonathan froze. ¡°¡­!¡± To im kin at the Luke family¡¯s door? Who would dare? The Luke family was not a name you dragged into anything lightly. But Ste¡­ The moment he remembered she had grown up in the Luke family, his breathing turned even more erratic. There was no way he¡¯d dare involve the Luke family. But with Susan currently locked up, Jonathan had no choice but to hold back his anger. ¡°Just let me see her¨Cjust once.¡± He had already heard that Ste was flying back to Falvaria tonight. The Reed family matter was at a boiling point. If she left for Falvaria now, who knew when she¡¯d be back? And the Reed family situation couldn¡¯t wait. The butler replied, ¡°You no longer have any connection to her. There¡¯s no reason to see her again.¡± To see her required a rtionship. Without one, there was no need. Jonathan snapped, ¡°But this is urgent. I know she¡¯s with the Luke family now, but you can¡¯t just keep me from seeing her.¡± He didn¡¯t dare challenge the Luke family¨Cbut he had to see Ste. When the butler continued to block the way, Jonathan lost it. ¡°You¨Cmove! You don¡¯t have the right to stop me!¡± He might not go against the Luke family, but this old man? Just a servant? Jonathan had never been treated like this in his life. The butler said coolly, ¡°Mr. Jonathan.¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± He roared. 1:27 PM D Chapter 450 Unwanted Ties But the next second, there was a loud bang, followed by a crack. Something had shattered. And then came Jonathan¡¯s scream: ¡°Ahhh-!¡± Inside the room, Ste and Rianne exchanged a nce. Ste, calm as ever, said, ¡°Let¡¯s nap a bit.¡± s Once they woke up, they¡¯d be boarding the flight to Falvaria¨Cand all these annoying people would be left behind for good. Rianne looked at Ste, then toward the closed hospital room door. She had no idea what exactly was happening outside, but Jonathan¡¯s pained grunts kepting through the walls¡­ Judging by the sounds, it didn¡¯t seem like he was getting off easy. He was groaning, asionally crying out Ste¡¯s name. But inside the room, Ste had already pulled out her phone and started ying a mobile shooter game. Gunshots sted from the game¨Cbang, bang, bangpletely drowning out everything happening outside. Rianne: ¡°You¡¯re seriously ruthless.¡± If Jonathan saw Ste casually ying a game while he was out there howling, he¡¯d probably cough up blood. Outside the door, Jonathan¡¯s wails didn¡¯t stop. Inside, Ste was deep inbat, eyes glued to her phone. When Abraham arrived, Jonathan had already been escorted off the premises by the butler¨Crather violently. He wasn¡¯t alone. Tempest hade with him. Tempest didn¡¯t look good. The butler reported everything to Abraham, finishing with a sheepish, ¡°Apologies. I might¡¯ve gone a bit too far.¡± Jonathan had tried to cling to Ste again, so of course he hadn¡¯t shown him any mercy. That said, the butler knew Abraham had been giving Jonathan the cold shoulder for a while now. Abraham asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t he already break his arm?¡± He still had the nerve to brawl with the butler? Jonathan must have a freakishly high pain tolerance. The butler nodded. ¡°It was broken. So maybe I was bullying him a little?¡± Abraham let out augh. He didn¡¯t respond to the butler¡¯s yful remark. Then, turning to Tempest behind him, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve got ten minutes to make her stay on her own. If not¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. Tempest didn¡¯t want to let Rianne leave. But if Ste had decided to take someone with her¨Cand that person didn¡¯t choose to stay¨Cthen there was no question: that person was leaving with her. The wrong girl 451 Chapter 451 Revenge Chapter 451 Revenge Tempest frowned as a menat ta emanated from him¡ªhe was clearly not in a good mood. But at that moment, he didn¡¯t argue with Abraham After all, standing against Abraham would definitely bring one no good Abraham entered the ward and saw Ste on a gaming streak Themotion wasn¡¯t small, this girl had really learned all sorts of things in Rivermount Seeing Abraham return. Ste was still busy on her phone, and the said. ¡°Abraham, you¡¯re back so early Abraham nced at the time on his watch and replied, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s been over two hours since I called you¡± Ste said, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize that. Time flies when you¡¯re gaming¡± Abraham didn¡¯t say anything further. He walked over and picked Ste up from the bed. His sudden action startled Ste, and thetter said, ¡°What are you doing Put me down Abraham replied, ¡°Keep ying¡± Ste said, ¡°Hey! Wait, Rianne is still¡­ Abraham interrupted her, ¡°Shut up.¡± Ste was left speechless as she thought, What¡¯s all that! When Abraham carried her to the hospital room door, she saw Tempest waiting outside, and she immedutely understood everything. Ste no longer had the mood to keep gaming. She put away her phone and looked at Abraham with a face full of resentment Abraham directly carried her to the ward beside The moment she was ced on the bed. Ste looked at him and said, ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d handle it?¡± Thest person Rianne wanted to see right now was Tempest. Abraham licked her forehead and said, ¡°Silly girl.¡± Ste was confused. Abraham asked, ¡°How many years has Rianne been by Tempest¡¯s side Ste fell silent How many years! It had been quite a long time. Rianne had been brought into the Hale family when she was five, and from that time onward. Tempest had been protective of her Ste stared nkly at Abraham, her eyes wide, and she said, ¡°Rianne¡¯s been feeling aggrievedtely. And that car ident today, it was clear that someone close to Tempest shows murderous intent towards her Judging from today¡¯s car ident, it was clear that there had been a lot going on around Tempest recently Abraham sat down on the bed and pulled Ste unto his arms seemed like he had a habit of holding her¨Cwhenever he sat down, he wanted to hold her like that. Ste wiggled in his embrace, but found herself unable to break free, she simply gave ins Chapter 451 Revenge Abraham said, ¡°No matter what happens between her and Tempest, it¡¯s something they need to solve. Running away won¡¯t solve anything Ste was left speechless. That seemed to make sense. But if Rianne wanted to run, she¡¯d definitely take her away. Who cared if she was running away or not? No one knew what Tempest had said to Rianne, as eventually, Rianne chose not to leave with Ste. When she heard Rianne¡¯s decision, Ste nodded and said, ¡°If you ever need anything, call me. I¡¯lle and pick you up. Respecting her decision and offering her support was all Ste could do for Kianne. Rianne nodded, being touched as she hugged Ste and said, ¡°Thank you, Ste.¡± Ste patted her on the shoulder. Rianne said. ¡°With those words from you, I¡¯m not afraid of anything anymore.¡± At that moment, Rianne felt the warmth and support that Ste had given her, letting her know that Tempest wasn¡¯t the only person she could rely on. Rianne closed her eyes and said, ¡°There are some things that I must reim.¡± Ste was shocked. Reim? Hearing Rianne say that, Ste was almost certain that whatever happened between Rianne and Tempest was probably far more serious than she¡¯d imagined previously. No one knew what Rianne had gone through. Ste asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Rianne answered, ¡°No need. I can take care of it myself.¡± Those words carried a profound strength in Rianne¡¯s tone. Back then, when Tempest was around, she had seemed like a delicate little girl. But now¡­ Ste said, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± Rianne replied, ¡°It¡¯s not about pushing myself. You have my back, and I¡¯m not afraid.¡± In truth, she had never been afraid. It was just that she hadn¡¯t taken those minor provocations seriously in the past. But now, it was different. Those people had seriously tried to take her life. Since that¡¯s the case, regardless of the debts owed by her father or the harm she had suffered, she would reim them all. After chatting for a while longer, Ste finally left, Once Rianne was left alone in the room, she took out her phone and made a call. The other end quickly picked up. ¡°Ms. Rianne.¡± Rianne closed her eyes and spoke in a cold voice into the phone. ¡°I want one of Hailey¡¯s legs broken.¡± She knew that the one behind today¡¯s car ident was definitely Hailey. That woman was far too cunning. The wrong girl 452 Chapter 452 He Was Serious All The Time +5 Free Coins It didn¡¯t matter if Madam Linden or Hailey was the instigator of this event: Rianne was determined to teach whoever was behind this a lesson. The other end of the line said, ¡°Understood, Ms. Rianne Rianne hung up the phone. At that moment, the tenderness in her eyes waspletely hidden away. When Tempest entered, he saw an icy flicker in her eyes, They exchange gazes. Tempest stood at the door, his eyes cold and stern Seeing the look in his eyes, Rianne knew that he¡¯d heard everything she said on the phone. She turned her face away, saying nothing. Tempest approached, sat by the bed, and took a deep breath. The air between them was filled with a chilling tension. Tempest turned her body to face him, and their eyes met again. Rianne blinked and said, ¡°This time. I won¡¯t rely on you.¡± She spoke clearly, word by word. All these years, it had always been Tempest protecting her. Rianne knew it herself. But even with his protection, those people had dared to go so far. What did that imply? It meant that no one could truly be another¡¯s pir. Only when you are your own pir, staying strong, will others dare not cross you. Tempest¡¯s grip on her shoulders tightened, but he didn¡¯t respond to her words. He simply said coldly. Tll handle Hailey¡± Rianne¡¯s lips parted, and with a chill in her voice, she spat out the two words, ¡°No.¡± Her tone was firmer than ever. Over the years, Tempest had smoothed over too many obstacles and troubles for her. Every time something happened, it was him clearing the path, but in the end? There would only be moreing in her way¡­ Rianne continued, ¡°This time, let me do it¡± This time, she didn¡¯t want Tempest to clear the way for her. She wanted to handle it herself As her words fell, the force of the man¡¯s grip on her shoulders grew heavier. In a cold, pressing tone, he said, ¡°Why must you do it yourself?¡± Rianne, in pain, gripped his wrist and answered, word by word. ¡°Because when I do it myself, it¡¯ll prove more ruthless.¡± Because the enemy this time was different from the previous provocations or threats she encountered. This time, it was Madam Linden¡¯s distant niece. With Madam Landen¡¯s protection, how cleanly could Tempest handle it And precisely because this t time it was Madam I insden¡¯s niece, Rianne had to do it herself Chapter 452 He Was Serious All The Time Because it had to be ruthless enough. This would be her response to the years of patience and forbearance Tempest had shown to the Hale family. Meanwhile, Ste was taken directly to the airport by Abraham. While waiting in the VIP lounge. Abraham asked her if she wanted to eat something, but Ste shook her head. For some reason, her appetite had been getting worsetely, Abraham said again. ¡°Abel prepared some oatmeal for you Have a little, would you?¡± Ste shook her head and replied. I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± *5 Free Coins As she spoke, she nestled a bit into Abraham¡¯s arms. She simply didn¡¯t want to eat anything right now; her appetite was terrible. Abraham gently rubbed her soft hair and said, ¡°Then you can eat itter He used to be afraid she¡¯d eat too much and upset her stomach. Now, he was afraid she wouldn¡¯t eat at all, and upset her stomach as well. Eddie arrived at the airport in a hurry, seeing Abraham holding Ste in his arms as he said. The medicine¡¯s here.¡± Damn it, what a day¨Cit was so jammed out there, he almost got stuck in Rivermount while fetching the medicine. He handed the medicine to a staff member nearby and said, ¡°One sachet of this and one sachet of that. Thanks¡± The staff member nodded politely and said, ¡°Alright¡± Eddie panted as he sat down on the sofa across from Abraham, twisted open the water bottle in his hand, and drank. He was exhausted. The traffic had been so jammed just now, and he¡¯d run part of the way, fearing that he might miss the flight. And yet they still hadn¡¯t boarded. After drinking half the bottle, Eddie finally noticed something was off. He looked at Abraham and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Looking at him was fine, but why was his gaze so unnerving? Abraham replied, ¡°You¡¯ll need to oversee the project at the Milbar Desert. I don¡¯t trust them to go without you. Eddie was shocked. His expression froze, then twisted. This again? Last time he¡¯d mentioned it, it had seemed like a joke, but now¡­ Eddie¡¯s grip on the water bottle tightened uncontrobly as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Mir Desert¨Cthat ce where even dinosaurs would shed ayer of skin just by going there. How could a person survive there! He couldn¡¯t! Abraham ced Ste aside and passed her a fruit on the table. His movements were gentle, but what he said left Eddiepletely dared. He said. ¡°When have you ever seen me joke?¡± 9 The wrong girl 453 Chapter 453 She¡¯s Pregnant? Eddie was shocked again Wait, seriously? He wasn¡¯t joking? He quickly said, ¡°Hold on you¡¯ve got a whole bunch of experts under you what¡¯s there to be worried about? Everyone fell into all silence Then, Eddie said. Tm making myself clear first¨CFos gising Absolutely not What kind of joke was the Sending him to Mir Was this man just fed up with seeing him live his life? If he had a problem, he could just say it straight out¨Cwhat was the point of pulling a stunt like this? Abraham cast him a side nce, saying nothing Eddie felt a chill in his heart and asked, ¡°You really weren¡¯t joking¡± Abrahams responded with a yes Eddie¡¯s face froze again. This whole time, when he¡¯d mentioned sending him to Milbar, he thought he was pulling his leg But thom ¡°Abraham,e on. I just risked my life to po cet medicine for your precious little Ste. You can¡¯t past do me liku you Ste was holding a piece of fruit, didn¡¯t feel like eating, but also didn¡¯t want to keep holding it. When she brand Eddie¡¯s words, she looked at him in confusion ¡°Do you need to risk your life to buy some medi?mekt Eddie was left speechless. Of course not He¡¯d just been trying to show off how much hard work he had put in front of Abraham Ste had no emotional intelligence at all for expoung him cay just then that the attendant came over to them with the medicine Eddie said, casting his nce at Ste. ¡°Give it to her The attendant nodded respectfully and ced the cup in front of Ste, then said. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s warm. Please check the temperature Ste nodded and thanked him politely. ¡°Thank you¡± The amendant replied. ¡°You¡¯re wee¡± Ste tried the temperature, it was just right; and when she was about to drink it, Abraham suddenly grabbed her went and said: ¡°Wait¡± Ste blinked in confusion, asking. What¡¯s wrong¡± Eddie also looked at Abraham, puzzled. He thought, #hat ten going ont al by stop her from taking medicine mohen she¡¯s feeling Abraham¡¯s sharp gaze locked onto Edbe, and he asked. ¡°Are you sure she should be taking this medicine?¡± Feeling puzzle Ste tumped to look at Abraham. Chapter 453 She¡¯s Pregnant? Eddie¡¯s expression twitched. He was even more puzzled as he asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Abraham: ¡°How did you diagnose her?¡± s Eddie was left speechless as he thought, How did I diagnose her? Wait, what exactly did that mean? Was there some special protocol or something? Eddie stared at Abraham, utterly lost. He clearly didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Eddie replied, ¡°With my eyes.¡± Abraham¡¯s question had stumped Eddie for a moment, Abraham¡¯s face darkened as he stared at Eddie¡¯s nk, clueless expression and said coldly, ¡°If something goes wrong on her. do you bear responsibility?¡± Eddie was speechless, again. JUh Wait, what? He replied, ¡°How could anything go wrong? It¡¯s just pepsin granules to aid digestion¨Cyou know that.¡± She¡¯d taken this medicine many times before. Ste also looked at Abraham, confused, and replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just pepsin granules.¡± Abraham nced at the cup, then back at Ste Without hesitation, he took the cup out of her hands, Eddie asked. ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡± He thought, it was just a stomach issue, wasn¡¯t it? Did she really need to run a full medical checkup before giving her medicine? She could have just taken it. Given her condition, she didn¡¯t need the checkup. It wasn¡¯t a major issue. Abraham¡¯s level of tension over Ste was beyond Eddie¡¯sprehension as he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going a little overboard?¡± Caring was one thing, but this was too much. With how Abraham treated Ste, whether Ste felt suffocated is one thing, but Eddie was definitely feeling suffocated Looking after Ste¡¯s health like this was honestly stressful. Abraham shot a cold re at Eddie and said, ¡°She might be pregnant, and you¡¯re giving her random medications? Both Eddie and Ste were speechless. The air then fellpletely silent. Eddie¡¯s pupils contracted. He stared at Abraham in disbelief, then turned to look at Ste. Then he smacked his forehead and eximed, ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right! Ste, you might be pregnant!¡± It¡¯s ruined. Eddie thought, How had I not thought of that? Thinking back carefully, Eddie realized that some of Ste¡¯s recent symptoms were all ssic signs of pregnancy¨Cno appetite, always tired, and changes in her food preferences too. Stuff she hadn¡¯t liked before, she¡¯d suddenly started craving. Hearing what Abraham said, Ste also froze for a moment and asked uncertainly. Tim pregnant?¡± Eddie asked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s pregnant, and you¡¯re asking him?¡± 11:44 AM D Chapter 453 She¡¯s Pregnant? Ste didn¡¯t say a word. Well, she didn¡¯t know that. Was she pregnant? Abraham gently rubbed her head, then shot a sharp re at Eddie. The wrong girl 454 Chapter 454 Being The Mother Of Our Child He then said. ¡°You are going to Milbar¨Cthat¡¯s a must¡± Eddie said, ¡°That just didn¡¯t cross my mind. Don¡¯t be so harsh, Abraham asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t think of such an important thing?¡± Eddie couldn¡¯t say a word. Alright, this was genuinely his fault. He said. ¡°My bad. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he thought, but seriously, was he being teay ton attentive to Ste! He had he not noticed before he meticulous this man could be! Well, when it came to Ste, Algalum hai always been like this, But he really didn¡¯t want to go to the Mir Desert. Eddie cast a pitiful, pleading look at Ste and said, ¡°Ste, please say something Right now, only Ste¡¯s words could sway. y Abraham. No one else could persuade this crazy man. Ste looked at Abraham. But before she could open her mouth, Abraham said in a cold voice, ¡°If you plead for him, I¡¯ll add another half a year.¡± Eddie immediately cut Ste off and said, ¡°Don¡¯t! Ste, please don¡¯t say anything. Don¡¯t say a word. I don¡¯t need it, I can take With this kind of threat, who dared ask for help! Ste was stunned. Eddie looked at Abraham with a pitiful look and said. ¡°This is too much¨Creally, too much.¡± Abraham replied. ¡°How about I add another¡­¡± Just as Eddie was grumbling, he heard Abraham mention add another, and his whole body jolted in rm. Before Abraham could finish the sentence, he hurriedly cut him off and said, ¡°No need. I think it¡¯s fine.¡± Ste nced at Abraham. She also thought this was a bit harsh¡­. Eddie was such a clean freak. Maybe not quite to the point of having an obsession, but he loved to shower every day. And she¡¯d heard of the Milbar Desert before. Nine years out of ten, it was in drought, and water was incredibly scarce. If Eddie were to go to that kind of ce, water would definitely be a problem. But Abraham was the kind of person whose word wasw. At this moment, Ste didn¡¯t dare speak up lightly. If she wasn¡¯t careful and identally added another half a year of staying there, she was worried he might just roll on the ground in sheer frustration. Eddie said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s fine¨Creally fine. I just need to calm down.¡± it out. He then stood up and walked straight Sie and Abraham were left in the room Once he finally left, Ste finally spoke, ¡°Abraham, aren¡¯t you going too far? Be careful that he might hold a grudge.¡± 14:1 11.45 AM M Chapter 454 Being The Mother Of Our Child Abraham replied. ¡°There¡¯s something important over there that needs him.¡± Ste didn¡¯t quite understand, and she asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a punishment?¡± Abraham nced at her and rubbed her soft little head, asking, ¡°Do I look that cruel to you?¡± Ste let out a soft hum and rubbed against him without saying a word. Talking about cruelty, the side of him in the shadows, whoan fewer people know, was pretty unfamiliar to her. Seeing her silent, Abraham could tell what she was thinking. He gently pinched her little ear and spoke in a doting tone, ¡°Still afraid of me?¡± Ste said, ¡°Huh? Not at all!¡± Afraid of him? Now, Ste wasn¡¯t afraid at all. When she recalled those bloody scenes in the past, she didn¡¯t feel fear anymore. She asked, ¡°Am I really pregnant?¡± Ste lifted her head from the man¡¯s embrace, eyes still filled with disbelief. It was about pregnancy. Was she really going to be a mother? +5 Free Coins Being a mother was something she had never thought about before. When Abraham had just said she might be pregnant, Ste had only felt a strange sense of wonder, Abraham lowered his head, his warm lips brushing softly across her forehead. That warmth stirred something deep inside Abraham said, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± While he didn¡¯t know much about pregnancy, he had seen some on his phone before. Ste¡¯s current symptoms closely matched those of early pregnancy. Ste asked, ¡°So it¡¯s not for sure?¡± Her tone suddenly carried a hint of disappointment. Abraham caught that disappointment in her tone, and he chuckled, saying. ¡°Yearning to be a mother already?¡± Ste said nothing Abraham grabbed the back of her n neck, pulling her even closer, and said, ¡°A mother of our child?¡± All of a sudden, the man¡¯s voice wasced with unmistakable intimacy. Ste¡¯s cheeks flushed, and she stammered, ¡°You¡­ Let go of me. Someone could walk in.¡± They were so close. Abraham could clearly feel the change in her body temperature as her face heated up as he said, ¡°Still so shy?¡± Ste wriggled, trying to escape his warm, firm grip. But it seemed she had forgotten that she had never been able to break free of Abraham. Back then, because of her homework and now her rebellious streak, she tried to escape. But now she was already firmly in his grasp where could she possibly go? Chapter 454 Being The Mother Of Our Child Ste said, ¡°Let me go Realizing the man still didn¡¯t release his hand. Ste huffer in protest. Abraham asked. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me do you want to be our child¡¯s mother?¡± Chapter 155 The Shameless Thug Chapter 455 The Shameless Thug Ste asked. ¡°Then whose child¡¯s mother could I possibly be Other than him, who else would dare have a child with her? And who else would the care have a child with! Hearing her indignant words, the man let out a low chuckle, pinching her small chin, and said, ¡°Getting bold now huht Dure Ste eximed She was just telling the truth. As the two of them were talking. Abel walked in. Seeing him, Ste immediately shrank closer to Abraham, sitting obediently Abraham nced coldly at Abel, his expression dark as he said, ¡°What is irr Abel Abel replied, ¡°Mr. Jonathan is here. He¡¯s right outside the lounge, making a fuss on seeing Ms. Dawson¡± The moment Abraham heard it was Jonathan, his gaze instantly turned icy as he said, ¡°Making a fuss!¡± Abel nodded and said, ¡°He¡¯s throwing a tantrum, probably knows that once Ms. Dawson leaves for Falvaria, she might not ¨Ce back to Rivermount. So now he¡¯s gone all out, shamelessly making a scene Jonathan was truly desperate. After all, the Reed family was now inplete shambles. To him, all their troubles could be resolved with Ste¡¯s words. Now that he knew Ste was leaving Rivermount, he was in full panic. Abraham closed his eyes for a moment, his voice low and dangerous as he spat out four words. ¡°Then beat him up Since Jonathan didn¡¯t care about his face anymore, let him lose all of it Ste quickly spoke up. ¡°Wait¡± Abraham opened his eyes to nce at her and asked, ¡°What is at Ste said calmly. If he wants to suffer, shouldn¡¯t we let him?¡± Abraham rated an eyebrow and said, ¡°If we throw him out, he¡¯ll suffer plenty too. The airport was packed with people. If Jonathan could stand the embarrassment, then let him be When they had first arrived in Rivermount. Abraham had already instructed Abel to investigate the Reed family¨Cthey were nouveau nche who were obsessed with pride. An airport full of people¨Cisn¡¯t it a ce sufficient to make him lose face entirely? Ste shook her head and said, ¡°Face doesn¡¯t matter to them anymore¡± Saying this, she stood up from Abraham¡¯s side and nced at Abel, asking. Where is he?¡± Abel replied, ¡°Right outside the door.¡± Ste nodded Then she turned to Abraham and said, ¡°T1l be right back¡± Before Abraham could reply, she had already turned and walked off Wathing for figure as she left, the smule curled at the corner of Abraham¡¯s lips grew The wrong girl 455 s Chapter 455 The Shameless Thug Abel was about to follow after her when Abraham stopped him and said, ¡°Let her go on her own. She won¡¯t be taken advantage of She wasn¡¯t a baby who had only baby teeth. Back then, she couldn¡¯t bite through anything. Abel nodded and said, ¡°True. Ms. Dawson has grown up She was no longer the little girl who would cry to Abraham whenever she was bullied. No one knew exactly when it had happened, but Ste had learned how to face obstacles on her own. Abraham¡¯s smile turned indulgent as he said, ¡°Which part of her has she grown up? She¡¯s just being mischievous.¡± Abel was stunned as he thought. Well, that was true too When it came to the Reed family, Ste had always been fooling around with them. But now they are on the verge of copsing Back then, when the Reed family had learned she was from the Luke family, they couldn¡¯t have looked greener. Just remembering the face they put on for losing several billion dors is enough to feel refreshed. Jonathan was still waiting outside. It wasn¡¯t urate to say he was making a scene¨Cjust look at his injured hand and limping leg; he could hardly stir up much of a fuss At most, his face was dark and his mouth was running nonstop. He was stubbornly tangling with Abel¡¯s men as he said, ¡°I must see Ms. Dawson! If I don¡¯t see her today, I¡¯m not leaving At that moment, he didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss on meeting his sister, facing Abraham¡¯s people After all, they were at the airport. No doubt about it. Ste was obviously with Abraham. But he didn¡¯t dare say it out loud, either. Just as the men holding him back were about to lose patience, one of them called Abel and said, ¡°Mister, we might need to resort to forceful methods.¡± Dealing with this kind of shameless thug, a good beating and tossing him out would do the trick. Before Abel could respond on the other end of the call, Ste had already arrived. The men holding Jonathan saw her and greeted her respectfully, ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Ste waved her hand and said, ¡°Let him go.¡± The moment Jonathan saw Ste, his emotions surged, a gleam of hope shed in his eyes as all his anger was swallowed down Jonathan said, ¡°Ste, you¡¯re finally willing to see me.¡± He forced all his resentment down. On the way here, he had already sorted through everything. He knew this might be hisst chance to see Ste. Without thinking, he reached out to grab her hand and called out, ¡°Sister.¡± Ste evaded his outstretched hand, her gaze cold,ced with undisguised disgust. The word ¡®sister was truly disgusting. Back at the Reed family, Jonathan had called Lillian ¡®sister¡® whenever he had the chance. The wrong girl 456 Chapter 456 The Plea It¡¯s just a title Ste thought, unfazed by the term ¡°sister. Yet, the way they said it made her skin crawl. Now he acknowledges me as his sister? That single word sent shivers down her spine. When Ste stepped away from him, Jonathan felt a tightness in his chest. His outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air, unsure of where to go. He retracted it, his lips moving as if to speak. But Ste spoke first. ¡°So, are you here for Lillian or Susan this time?¡± Jonathan was momentarily speechless. Susan? That¡¯s how w the calls Mom? His breath caught, and he instinctively wanted to scold her. But when he met Ste¡¯s cold, stern gaze and remembered herbat skills, he swallowed his words, ¡°Please, don¡¯t pursue this matter with our mother. I¡¯m begging you.¡± I can¡¯t even think about Lillian right! I now. After learning some truths, I¡¯m still seething inside. I¡¯m angry, furious The sister I had always thought of as kind and gentle had be a murderer? I can¡¯t ept it. was my mother. So I insisted on finding Ste. I hadn¡¯t nned to do anything for Lillian anymore. My only concern now was Ste raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on her lips. You¡¯re begging me?¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m begging. Whatever you want, just let our mothergo. She¡¯s seemed sessful all these inside, she¡¯s been miserable. You¡¯ve seen it yourself. Our father has been unfaithful, and she has alwayscked a sense of years, but security. She¡¯s a pitiable woman.¡± In Jonathan¡¯s mind, he had always been aware of Patrick¡¯s affairs over the years. So he saw Susan as a victim A woman confined within the walls of a grand house, unable to withstand family upheavals. Now, with the family in turmoil, she faced this downfall. Ste responded, ¡°Pitiable? And what does that have to do with me?¡± Susan pitiable? Much of her misery was self¨Cinflicted. Blind, naive, unable to judge character, and stubborn. Reople had warned her countless times that Lillian wasn¡¯t a good person. Suran must have heard it so it so often that her that her ears grew calloused Yet she refused to listen. Who could she me? Jonathan¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°You¡­¡± Stecinterrupted, ¡°Your words are amusing, What do you mean by let her go? She attacked your father¡¯s mistress. How can I let her go? Jonathan, are you out of your mind? Even if you want to plead, I¡¯m not the one to ask¡± +5 Free Comma Chapter 456 The Plea Pleading with me to let Susan go Ilhat a joke. ¡°But can you honestly say that the Reed family¡¯s downfall isn¡¯t because of you?¡± Jonathan¡¯s suppressed anger was bubbling to the surface. Everything happened because of Ste. The Reed family ended up like this because she had Abraham backing her. That¡¯s why the family faced such a catastrophic downfall Ste replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because of me. And let me be clear, I won¡¯t spare any of you.¡± Despair? Yes, it was despair. Hearing Ste¡¯s resolute words, Jonathan¡¯s eyes filled with hopelessness. ¡°Ste¡­ .itwas Ste narrowed her eyes and cut him off, ¡°From the moment you and Ethan teamed up with Feisy to try and kill me, your wealth and glory were destined to be crushed by me. It was only a matter of time.¡± Jonathan¡¯s already suffocating chest felt even tighter upon hearing Ste¡¯s words. His mind buzzed. Her final words were ruthless, They made Jonathan realize why Ste had been so merciless towards themtely. He stammered, ¡°You¡­ you knew everything.¡± ¡°Of course I knew. Did you think everyone is as clueless as you? Unaware of how they were being harmed?¡± Ste knew everything. It was because she knew that her heart had grown colder. Jonathan was speechless. His heart sank deeper and deeper. He had prepared many words beforeing here, but after Ste revealed her ruthless determination, his pleas shattered into pieces, leaving him speechless. I can¡¯t beg anymore. Ste knew everything So how can I plead? But thinking of his mother, Jonathan mustered the courage to speak, ¡°She carried you for ten months and gave birth to you¡­¡± ¡°Star, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Before he could finish, a cold voice from not far behind interrupted him. Ste turned her head and gave Abraham a sweet smile. ¡°Coming.¡± When she turned back to Jonathan, the sweetness in her smile had turned to coldness. The wrong girl 457 Chapter 457 The Falls of the Reeds That made Jonathan feel even more suffocated Ste said. ¡°Our blood bond, her role as my birth mother¨Cthose were things you all gave up on. Words spoken are like spit. What. Mr. Jonathan, do you want to lick it back up from the ground? Can you even lick it back?¡± Obviously not. Jonathan was stunned. So I really can¡¯t take it back¡­ then what? Before he could say anything else, Ste turned and walked toward Abraham. The man reached out with his broad palm, and Ste ced her hand in his At that moment, Abraham wrapped his hand around hers. It was such a simple gesture. But even that was enough for Jonathan to see just how much Abraham cherished her. She really is a treasure in Abrahaur¡¯s band¡­ So, someone the Reed family had once dismissed like dirt is now a treasure in the Luke family! But what made Ste so special? Why would the Luke family treat her like gold? The famous Mr. Abraham of Falvaria¡­. How could he have spoiled her this much? Lately, his suppression of the Reed family had been ruthless, with zero bottom line. By the time Jonathan came to his senses, Ste had already walked away. He wanted to chase after her, but she was nowhere in sight. Argh Furious, Jonathan pped himself across the face¨Ctwice. Thinking about how heartless Ste had been, and how cold she¡¯d acted toward the Reed family¡­. He felt like he was going insane. And now? What am I supposed to do with the mess the Reed family had be? Is this really going to be the end of it? No matter what I tried these days, nothing worked. Those who used to be close allies of the Reed family now hung up the phone the second they saw my name pop up. The Reed family had became nothing more than a rat in the street, everyone avoided us like the gue. Jonathan stood there in a fury for a long time, still wanting to find Ste, but she was gone. Someone bumped into him as they passed by, knocking him to the ground. With nowhere to vent his rage. he exploded at once, screaming at the person. ¡°Are you blind? Watch where you¡¯re going! If you¡¯re blind, dig your damn eyes out. What use are they?¡± Only then did he realize¨Cit was a child who had bumped into him. The kid¡¯s parents were not having it. They beat him up on the spot. Whale throwing punches, they shouted, ¡°What kind of person are you? Talking to a child like that?¡± Chapter 457 The Falls of the Reeds ith fists and The fire in Jonathan that hadn¡¯t yet been fully unleashed was now met with fists andpletely extinguished. In the end, he didn¡¯t even know how he dragged his battered body back to the Reed mansion. s Because sries hadn¡¯t been paid, two maids had already quit after being angered by Lillian. Even the butler had left. The only one left was Lily in the kitchen, who was still hanging on in hopes of eventually getting paid. But even she didn¡¯t bother putting on a good attitude for Jonathan or Lillian. After all, nothing pissed off a worker more than dyed wages. When Lily saw hime back all bruised and battered, she didn¡¯t ask a single question. She just turned her face away coldly. Her attitude couldn¡¯t have been more cold. Seeing even the cook daring to throw shade at him, Jonathan was furing. ¡°Get out! If you¡¯re gonna work, do it properly. If not, then leave! Who do you think you¡¯re showing that face to?¡± This kind of humiliation¨CI¡¯d never experienced anything like it back when the Reed family was thriving Now look at the mess they were i Lily snorted coldly and said, ¡°Once I get paid, I¡¯m out.¡± What, he thought this ce was worth staying in? Back then, they didn¡¯t treat me like a human being even when sries were paid. And now they aren¡¯t even paying, yet still acting like they are in charge? Jonathan¡¯s head throbbed with rage. He snorted back at her and stormed upstairs. As he disappeared up the stairs, Lily spar in his direction and muttered, ¡°What the hell. Nowadays even the ones who owe wages think they¡¯re in the right.¡± Jonathan went upstairs He heard noiseing from Lillian¡¯s room.. ¡°You¡¯re my aunt! If you won¡¯t help me, who will? If I hadn¡¯t helped you get into thepany, would you be living sofortably now! I¡¯m telling you, you have to go find my dad and get that medical bill paid!¡± Her tone was anxious as she shouted into the phone. Whatever they¡¯d talked about before, it was clear that things had taken a turn. That single ¡°my dad¡± made it very clear to Jonathan who she was talking to His face darkened immediately. He limped toward Lillian¡¯s room. Standing at the doorway, he saw her sitting at her vanity, phone in hand, back facing the doorpletely unaware that he was there. Jonathan radiated hostility. The wrong girl 458 Chapter 458 Kicked Out s Jonathan didn¡¯t know what the person on the other end said, but Lillian suddenly roared. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not my aunt anymore? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You think just because you gave birth to a pair of twins for my dad. the entire Reed family belongs to you? Let me tell you, that¡¯s impossible. Jonathan and I are still here. Now hand over 5.5 million immediately¡± That ¡°not your aunt¡± line from the phone drove Lillianpletely insane. She screamed hysterically into the phone, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you¡¯d still be washing dishes in some back alley. Do you really think you¡¯d have the life you have now? You ungrateful. Hello? Hello¡± Before she could finish, the woman on the other end had already hung up. Lillian, seething, mmed the phone onto the vanity. The loud bang was followed by a violent coughing fit. Blood sttered across the mirror. Her pupils contracted as she stared at the blood droplets. Then she looked into the mirror and saw Jonathan standing behind her Whipping around, she turned pale as a ghost. Jonathan? You- Jonathan¡¯s fists were clenched, the corners of his mouth curled into a dangerous sneer. That woman is your aunt. Great Lillian froze Her already pale face turned ghostly. Her chest tightened. It felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Let me exin. L. ¡°Shut up, Lillian. Say one more word and I swear I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Jonathan roared. Too many things had happenedtely. The Reed Group was under siege. Patrick had an affair and fathered a pair of twins Susan had shed someone and ended up in jail. And the mistress? She turned out to be Lulian¡¯s aunt. Lillian had even orchestrated a car crash to kill Ste. It was all too ironic. ¡°You¡¯re a traitor, Lillian. You being sick like this is exactly what you deserve. This is your karma.¡± Lillian¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She stared at Jonathan in disbelief. Does he just say this is my karma? You should die. Out of everyone in the Reed family, you¡¯re the one who deserves to die the most¡± Lillian stared nkly at him. He really said that¡­ I should die? ¡°I grew up with you. You¡¯re cursing me now?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe this. He actually said I should diet Chapter 458 Kicked Out Did he forget how we grew up together? How close we used to be? All for Ste, he was willing to throw away everything we had? The mention of growing up together only deepened the disgust in Jonathan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Get out of here. I never want to see you again. Lillian was stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Get out! You¡¯re not even worthy of being a Reed anymore. Leave now,¡± He exploded in rage. #5 Free Coins Just thinking about how far the Reed family had fallen¨Call because of Ste and Lillian¨CI didn¡¯t want anything to do with either of them. Maybe if we¡¯d never reached out to Ste, none of this would have happened. Jets As for Lillian¡­ The mistress who gave my father twins turned out to be her aunt. I couldn¡¯t stand it. Watching the fury in Jonathan¡¯s eyes, Lillian trembled. Her tears spilled over. ¡°Look at me right now. Where am I supposed to go? You want me to die out there?¡± §¤§Ý In my current condition, if he really kicked me out, I probably wouldn¡¯t survive the night. That one line¨Cdie out there¨Cmade Jonathan¡¯s chest clench. But when he thought about the mess the Reed family was in, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze toward Lillian was icier than ever. This isn¡¯t your home. You don¡¯t belong here.¡± With that, he stormed into her room like a madman. He flung open the wardrobe, grabbed all her clothes, and threw them straight out the window. Terrified, Lillian turned pale and screamed, ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± But in his rage, Jonathan didn¡¯t even feel the pain from his injured arm anymore. He lost his mind and tossed everything of hers out the window. Lillian tried to stop him, but the moment she stepped forward, she was knocked to the ground by Jonathan¡¯s momentum. The pain left her too weak to get up. She could only cry out in desperation, ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me. Please, don¡¯t. But no matter how hard she pleaded, the same man who used to treasure her, who once stood up to Ste for her, was unmoved The entire Reed mansion descended into chaos. Meanwhile, on the ne, Ste had fallen asleep in Abraham¡¯s arms, snuggled quietly against his neck. She had already been exhausted when they boarded. Abraham was on the phone, but when he saw her asleep, he lowered his voice. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll stop here for now.¡± 2/3 Chapter 458 Kicked Out He didn¡¯t even wait for a reply before ending the call. The wrong girl 459 Chapter 459 A Family Falling Apart Abraham passed the phone to Abel and then carried Ste straight to the lounge. Eddie followed behind Abel, pouting. ¡°See, how much he spoiled her until.¡± He clearly didn¡¯t like that Abraham wanted to exile him to the Milbar Desert. Abel noticed the resentment in Eddie¡¯s tone and nced back at him. ¡°You should be grateful it¡¯s only Milbar.¡± Eddie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh?¡± Abel said. ¡°You know, Mr. Abraham can be ruthless for Ms. Dawson¡¯s sake.¡± Eddie was shocked. Putting me to that kind of ce, it¡¯s something only a monster can do! Inside the lounge. Abrahamid Ste on the bed. When he was about to get up, he noticed her little hand clutching the edge of his shirt A faint smile appeared on his lips. That feeling of being depended on was something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. He gently took her hand down and tucked her in before turning to leave. Eddie waited outside. When Abraham came out, Eddie¡¯s eyes were full of resentment. Abraham said, ¡°Want me to add some more¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t Before he could finish, Eddie cut him off quickly. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? You weren¡¯t thinking about asking me to give you more time staying at Milbar?¡± Eddie waspletely shocked.. Is this a look for giving more? That ce is so harsh, who¡¯d want to go! I¡¯m trying to dodge it, not get sent there. ¡°Can¡¯t someone else go instead?¡± Eddie grumbled. I knew what Abraham meant by erile, it was mostly for show. I¡¯m going to ovee some matters there. But in my eyes, though there were problems there, they weren¡¯t huge Abraham moved to a sofa while a flight attendant handed him his usual ss of red wine. Eddie also took a ss. Abraham said, ¡°That matter can¡¯t wait. Yo You need to hurry up.¡± Hearing this, Eddie knew he had no choice but to go. He nodded and grumbled, ¡°Fine, just this once. That kind of harsh ce, never again.¡± Abraham said, ¡°That depends on your performance. Eddie blinked. Performance? What performance? He mean my medical skills! 17 ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t mean to forget. Besides, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be in such a rush.¡± Abraham remained silent.¡°.¡± Chapter 459 A Family Falling Apart #5 Free Coins ¡°Considering how you used to be, you definitely wouldn¡¯t let Star get pregnant before marriage and have people gossiping¡± Some people just couldn¡¯t hold their tongues. Abraham scoffed. ¡°Who dares? Eddie was speechless. Alright. No one dared, obviously. Looking at the chaos in Rivermounttely, anyone trying to cause trouble with Ste better be ready to face Abraham¡¯s storm. Back to the Reed family, it had fallen apart. The Keene family wasn¡¯t doing any better. After Sutton talked briefly with Ste, she went back and immediately gave Ethan a fierce beating. She kicked him hard in the stomach, making Ethan struggle to catch his breath. ¡°Sutton, you crazy woman, let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll get married now.¡± With that kind of force, it was borderline domestic abuse. Our mother had always worried about her marrying into a violent family, but in my eyes, it was already a good thing that she didn¡¯t beat others, howe others beat her? He held his stomach in pain and got up with a twisted face. ¡°What are you freaking out about now?¡± This damn Sutton! Either she disappeared for months or when we finally talked, she¡¯d start hitting me. Some siblings are born lucky: ours seemed born from a lifetime of chasing and fighting. Sutton was fuming all the way back and couldn¡¯t even find Ethan at first. With so much going on in the Keene family, did he even have time to go out and party? Sutton was already full of anger and finally found an outlet. Now facing Ethan¡¯s filthy mouth, she kicked him again. Ethan shouted, ¡°Damn it, do you think I¡¯m scared to hit you!¡± Usually calm and aloof, hepletely lost it in front of Sutton. Sutton was still mad and kicked him once more. This time Ethan dodged. ¡°Sutton, you crazy woman, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± Coming home and attacking me, do you want me to die clear and easy? Sutton said, ¡°I¡¯m crazy? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s crazy. That sick brat, I told you she was crazy even before she got sick. You like someone like that? And you¡¯re willing to kill someone for her?¡° The wrong girl 460 Chapter 460 A Dangerous Mistake Madeline came down the stairs and heard Sutton¡¯s words. *Free Coins She was so shocked that she slipped and slid down several steps. Having just returned from the hospital, she was still weak. Hearing that word ¡°kill, her face turned pale. ¡°Kill? Who is he trying to kill Ethan shouted angrily. ¡°Sutton¡± He clearly did not want her to say it out loud. He hadpletely cut ties with fallian. How did Sutton know? Sutton sneered, ¡°Afraid now? Let me ask you, who is Feisy?¡± ¡°Feisy?¡± Madeline¡¯s face wentpletely white when she heard that name. How could Ethan still be involved with Feisy! That was an assassin. That could get someone killed. Was he crazy? Ethan¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°How do you know?¡± Sutton said, ¡°How do I know? Of course, I¡¯ve met Ste. You don¡¯t really think she doesn¡¯t know the dirty things you¡¯ve done. do you?¡± Ethan¡¯s expression shatteredpletely in that moment. She knew I had hired Feisy to kill Ste because she had seen Ste? Ste told her everything. So Ste knew all of it! No wonder¡­. No wonder after Abraham came to Rivermonat, no matter what he did to the Reed and Keene families, she showed no merce It turns out she kucio Feisy was my hure. So that means she also knew about I and Jonathan paying together! Ethan¡¯s breathing became more rapid Madeline began to cry, ¡°You actually did all this for that filthy Lillian Reed? I want to kill that filthy woman!¡± Madeline yelled with fury. To her, Lillian was the one who ruined the Keene family like this. If Lillian hadn¡¯t been in the middle, and if Ethan had married Ste, maybe they could still have some connection to the Luke family Now it¡¯s all ruined¡­ She herself was going to die, and she dragged the Keene family disen with her. Even Horgan was sent back because of offending Ste. That meant we hurt one Ste and offended several factions in Falvaria! Ethan closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve cut all ties with her. Why are you still looking for her?¡± Histone toward Lillian was full of coldness and disappointment. Madeline angrily said. Then I won¡¯t let her live easy. I¡¯ll make her life worse than death.¡± Auickly woman had caused such a disaster to the Kerne family. Irvoldn¡¯t alone that anger. +5 Free Cons Chapter 460 A Dangerous Mistake Ethan red fiercely at Sutton Sutton kicked him again. This time Ethan didn¡¯t dodge and groaned. He clutched his stomach¡­ This dama Sutton was just like that Ste. If things didn¡¯t go their way, they loved kicking people¡¯s stomachs! I felt like I was going to be crippled by the kicks¡­ Meanwhile, on the ne, Ste was half asleep, dreaming she had returned to Falvaria, and Tessa was holding her crying badly. She woke up realizing it was a dream. Abraham sat on the bed working on some documents. Seeing her suddenly sit up, he paused, put down his tablet, and pulled Jher into his arms. ¡°Bad dream?¡± Ste was still a bit groggy and rubbed against him. ¡°I dreamed of Tessa. ¡°What? Tally?¡± Ste wasn¡¯t fully awake, and Abraham didn¡¯t quite catch what she murmured. He thought she was craving some kind of candy. And they actually had those on the ne, thanks to Abel bringing some along. Ste stared at him with speechless in her eyes. ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°Is Tessa Miller! Ste was exasperated. Am I not speaking clearly? He even think about the candy instead of my friend. Abraham felt in silent. Maybe my mind got lost after handling thepany¡¯s matter. Now that I remembered her friend¡¯s name, Tessa. He smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°She was holding me crying so hard she could hardly breathe, I don¡¯t even know what Mr. Victor did to upset her.¡± Ste muttered. She felt helpless about Tessa being afraid of Victor. There was no way. Mr. Victor just looked fierce, but he wouldn¡¯t really hurt Tessa, right? He definitely wouldn¡¯t Unbeknownst to them, far away in Falvaria, Tessa was once again scared out of her wits. She had mixed up her internal and external medications. There w ere was an external medicine that looked like a white pill, meant to be crushed into powder and applied to wounds. She mistakenly took that external medicine herself instead of the internal one, and gave Victor the external medicine to take. The wrong girl 461 Chapter 461 Mixing Up the Medicine The medicine meant to be taken internally was crushed and applied to the wound instead. The whole situation turned chaotic. Ss, Lewis, and John all showed up, bringing several doctors with them. Ss, John, and the doctors were inside, while Lewis stayed outside, frowning deeply. s He even said sharply. ¡°Tessa, don¡¯t me me for thinking too much, but I really suspect you were sent here to kill Victor¡± Hearing this, Tessa slivered all over. She hurriedly shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I really am not.¡± Sent to kill? If they already suspected that, I might be in serious trouble. Tessa¡¯s face turned pale with fear. Lewis snorted coldly. Then what are you? Are you really that dumb? You can¡¯t even tell the difference between medicine for inside and outside? Are you illiterate? Or just in ignorant?¡± Tessa had no strength to exin, and tears streamed down her face. Her mind was breaking apart. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose At first. I just took two kinds of medicine out of their bottles, then went to find something to crush the pills, and poured¡¯s d some water. It was just a series of clumsy mistakes that led to the mix¨Cup¡­. It wasn¡¯t until Victor started vomiting uncontrobly that I realized I had given him the wrong medicine. But now the doctors and people around him were still inside Tessa couldn¡¯t exin it clearly. All she could do was cry helplessly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Lewis said. ¡°And now you¡¯re crying. Let¡¯s see how Victor punishes youter. Hearing that. Tessa¡¯s tears flowed even harder. ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean to,¡± she sobbed. Lewis rubbed his forehead, ¡°Whether it was on purpose or not, we have to wait and see if Victor is okay first. But if something happens to him¡­ ¡°He will be okay, right? Tessa became frantic hearing that. Lewis¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Who can say for sure? The medicine for outside was taken inside. What do you think? They¡¯re pumping his stomach right now.¡± Tessa was so scared her tears and snot blurred her face. If they were pumping his stomach, it must have been really dangerous. ¡°He already vomited. Maybe it¡¯s not that serious?¡± Testa asked carefully, nerves on edge. 1148 AM M Chapter 461 Mixing Up the Medicine But then she thought about how Victor started vomiting soon after taking the medicine. Maybe he already threw it all up? Lewis scoffed. ¡°Then you better pray he¡¯s okay. ¡°If something happens to Victor, you¡¯ll be skinned alive.¡± Those words made Tessa tremble all over. But she didn¡¯t know Lewis was saying this on purpose. He had heard how many idents Tessa had caused around Victortely. Even cooking noodle can caused something bad. if she wasn¡¯t scared straight now, who knew what trouble she¡¯d cause next. We needed to scare her into behaving. What Lewis didn¡¯t know was that Tessa was alreadypletely honest and obedient now. me to. ¡°I won¡¯t take care of him anymore. I never wanted to from the start. You all forced me Lewis said. ¡°And now you¡¯re ying the victim.¡± Tessa said, I¡¯m serious. I kept calling you all, but none of you came.¡± When calming his fever, I called Ss. Ss didn¡¯t answer. They were the ones forcing me to look after Victor. Now that something happened, they want to punish me? Where in the world does that make sense? Lewis was so angry hearing this he gritted his teeth. Before he could lose his temper, Ss came out and said. ¡°Enough, stop scaring her.¡± He had been hearing Tessa wailing outside. Such a scaredy¨Ccat. I don¡¯t understand why Victor like her so much. Does he like women who need to befort? No wonder he never like women who doesn¡¯t cry before. Apparently, he like women who cried. Lewis snorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t scare her. I¡¯m just telling the truth. If Victor is really in trouble, she won¡¯t live long either.¡± Tessa was already nervous. Hearing that from Lewis made her heart jump again. Ss pped Lewis on the back of the head, ¡°You¡¯re the one who won¡¯t live long if you continued.¡± The scared until somethings happen to Tessa. Let¡¯s see who Pictor scolds first. was shocked. Lewis was Tessa sniffled, nervously looking at Ss, ¡°Mr. Silis, is he okay?¡± ¡°Ha¡­..¡± Lewisughed, ¡°Mr. Silis? You even changed his name, haha!¡± Chapter 461 Mixing Up the Medicine Ss was speechless. Tessa felt in silent also. Lewis, who just scolded Tessa seriously, was nowughing hard. I had never seen such a scared woman before. She was so frightened she even changed someone¡¯s name. The wrong girl 462 Chapter 462 Scared and Apologizing Lewisughed loudly and said, ¡°Haha, do you think you might just get scared to death by Victord someday?¡± She got scared this badly over such a small thing, but the scenes around Victor are much scarier. If she stay by Pictor¡¯s side in the future, wouldn¡¯t she get scared to death sooner orter? Tessa¡¯s tears flowed even more uncontrobly, this time out of frustration. Ss heard Lewis¡¯sughter and felt a sharp pain in his head. ¡°Stopughing. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± Lewis put his arm around Ss¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come on,e on. If she gets scared to deathter, we¡¯ll have to take responsibility. Haha.¡± Tessa was speechless Actually, when Ss came out, Lewis already knew that Victor was fine. But he never expected Tessa to be so funny. She got scared in front of Victor, and then scared again in front of them. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Silis Lewis teased as he walked away. Tessa¡¯s face instantly froze. She sniffled, feeling wronged. She turned to peek inside to check on Victor. At that moment, John came out with the doctors. Seeing Tessa¡¯s tear¨Cstreaked face, John was a bit surprised. ¡°Ms. Tessa, don¡¯t worry. Victor is fine.¡± Tessa asked. ¡°He¡¯s okay?¡± John nodded. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fine now. Go make some porridge for him¡­ wait, I should probably get a servant to do it.¡± Considering Tessa could even turn noodles into a pancake, it didn¡¯t seem realistic to let her cook. Hearing that, Tessa bowed her head even more in shame. At that moment, she realized how stupid she had been around Victor all this time. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t do anything right. John left with the doctors, and Tessa was alone at the door. She paced back and forth for more than ten minutes before finally surhmoning the courage to knock on Victor¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± came the low voice. Tessa cautiously pushed the door open and stepped inside, her nervous fingers twisting together. ¡°Mr. Victor, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. ¡°Come here,¡± He said coldly, his tonepletely devoid of warmth. Tessa got even more nervous. She sniffled. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°Come here. Don¡¯t make me say it again,¡± He ordered with an unyielding lone. She didn¡¯t dare argue and hesitated as she stepped forward. She stopped about a meter away, overwhelmed by his powerful presence. It was so strong she didn¡¯t dare move closer. Then suddenly, his long arm hooked around her, pulling her in Tessa didn¡¯t have time to react before she was in his arms. ¡°You¡­ you¡­.¡± She was so close now, until she can clearly felt the burning heat radiating from him. His temperature seemed unusually high, His warm breath blew over her cheek like a zing fire. 1/2 s Chapter 462 Scared and Apologizing Victor asked. ¡°Were you worried about me just now?¡± Tessa stammered, ¡°I.. ¡°Scared?¡± She stayed silent. I was really scared, She nervously nodded and murmured, ¡°Yes.¡± Victor smiled. ¡°That¡¯s all the courage you have?¡± He hugged her tighter. Tessa¡¯s little heart jumped up into her throat is arms. His broad palm squeezed her waist, and only then did she realize she was in his Why is he haging me? ¡°Mr. Victor, a¨Care you hugging me right now?¡± Tessa stammered, looking at Victor with even more nervousness. Victor nced at her but said nothing His silence made Tessa even more confused about what he meant. Her heart pounded faster. She swallowed instinctively and tried to pull away. But he held her tighter and said calmly, ¡°Be braver from now on, understood?¡± Tessa was shocked Braver? How? Be brave in front of him? Wouldn¡¯t he crush me in no time then? I¡¯m really scare. I didn¡¯t dare, really didn¡¯t dare. ¡°Please let me go, she stammered. Just the way he was huging me already scared me enough. Now he asked me to be braver? Victor finally released her. Tessa immediately shrank back to the side. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not working for anyone. I really didn¡¯t give you the wrong medicine on purpose.¡± Her voice grew smaller as she spoke. Without a doubt, Lewis¡¯s words earlier had truly scared her. She hoped no one else would think she did it on purpose The wrong girl 463 Chapter 463 Stay Close Tessa realized everyone around Victor was dangerous. If they thought badly of me, that would never be good news Don¡¯t be fooled by Lewis¡¯s silly, yful face. I had overheard the conversation between Lewis and Victor earlier. Pictor kept him around because his gun skills were valuable. So someone like Lewis wasn¡¯t just a careless yboy like he appeared. I didn¡¯t believe that for a second. Sering Victor stay silent, Tessa got anxious. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to. Please believe me.¡± ¡°Ste, her intelligence has never been high. It¡¯s normal that she got worse after spoiled by Mr. Abraham, Lewis said casually. Tessa froze. What did that mean? We are talking about the wrong medicine, so why suddenly mention Ste? Tessa couldn¡¯t quite understand Victor¡¯s words for the moment. Victor nced at her with deep eyes. Tessa couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. Being looked at like that made her even more nervous. Her heart tightened like it was stuck in her throat. What did t that look mean? Did he really believe Lewis¡¯s nonsense! ¡°I. I really didn¡¯t.¡± Tessa felt panic rising. Her whole body stiffened. No way, did he really believe that? What if he actually believed it? Her breathing sped up. She nced at Victor¡¯s waist where she knew sometlung was hidden. If he reached there, the next second I might be lying on the floor in this room. Tessa was sweating nervously. ¡°You, you have to believe me. I¡¯m not, I really am not ¡°Someone needs to investigate this first,¡± Victor said. Tessa was stunned. He really believed it? She didn¡¯t know what to say to a Victor like this. Victor said, ¡°Until this is clear, you can¡¯t leave my side.¡± That sentence sealed Tessa¡¯s fate for now. She stammered, trying to speak, but hearing those words made her face freeze like stone. Can¡¯t leave him even half a step? No, Me in arriving soon. I¡¯m suppose to pick her up tomorrow morning, Chapter 463 Stay Close Ste is already on the ne, and Victor said I couldn¡¯t leave his sider Tessa¡¯s defensespletely broke down ¡± ¡°Mr. Victor, I understand you are angry with me. I understand your doubts. But please believe me, I never meant to harm you. How can I?¡± She felt like she was losing her mind. My hope of leaving was supposed toe tomorrow morning, but now he said no What am I suppose to dor Victor¡¯s eyes darkened further. ¡°Why should I believe you? Do we even have a rtionship based on trust?¡± Tessa was speechless. Crime ad no reason to make him triste, and now I couldn¡¯t leave. Tm begging you. Please believe me I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡± She bent down, desperate enough to beg That showed how badly she wanted to get away from Victor. Victor said, ¡°Whether you did it on purpose or not, someone will find out.¡± It all came down to an investigation. Tessa¡¯s head almost exploded ¡°How long will it take?¡± Victor¡¯s answer was cold. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Tessa was stunned. I don¡¯t want to spend another minute near Victor, and now he said it could take any amount of She nearly burst into tears. ¡°What about your people? How efficient are they?¡± She had to rely on Victor¡¯s people to clear her name quickly and let her go. But all she got was still same. ¡°That¡¯s uncertain too.¡± Tessa was speechless. If you don¡¯t know just don¡¯t say it If this went on, I might really lose my mind. Victor looked at his watch. ¡°Go make some porridge¡± The wrong girl 464 Chapter 464 Unsteady Trust Tessa was stunned. Victor suddenly said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll have someone take care of it.¡± He seemed to have realized Tessa¡¯s cooking was very unpredictable. The sd she made before was not bad¨Cmaybe now it could simply be something worse. Tessa didn¡¯t know how she got out of Victor¡¯s room. She sulked into her own room and called Ste. s But Ste¡¯s phone couldn¡¯t be reached. She was on the ne. Even with special arrangements, the signal wasn¡¯t always stable. On the ne, Ste wasforted by Abraham and then fell asleep. Abraham covered her with a nket. When he left the lounge, he saw Eddie drinking red wine. Eddie looked a bit sulky and turned his body away. Abraham sat on the sofa across from him. Eddie hummed, ¡°Is Star asleep?¡± Abraham didn¡¯t answer and poured himself a ss of red wine. Eddie pouted, unhappy. I really hadn¡¯t expected Ste¡¯s pregnancy and hadn¡¯t thought about it much. Afer all, Abraham had always taken good care of Ste. This unnned pregnancy¡­ well, who would dare say nonsense? Abraham took a sip of wine. ¡°Who forced this so¨Ccalled ¡®miracle doctor¡® reputation on you?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Are you questioning my medical skills?¡± Abrahamn said, ¡°Not questioning, you really are no good.¡± Eddie had trouble breathing. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not an OB¨CGYN, Pregnancy stuff should be handled by her best friend, right?¡± Abraham said, ¡°The human body is only so big. You don¡¯t even understand its structure and still call yourself a genius?¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Eddie was upset What did he mean, not understanding the body¡¯s structurer Ahh! I can¡¯t exin things to someone so clueless Now I saw clearly¨CAbraham wanted to send me to the Milbar Desert, and simply gave an excuse, saying that ce needed me¡­. In Rivermount, Jonathan finally got a chance to see Susan. Though it waste at night and unusual, neither thought much about it. Just seeing each other was enough. What Susan didn¡¯t expect was that after seeing Jonathan, she fell into even deeper despair. Chapter 464 Unsteady Trust. Life inside had been hard enough. Now seeing the wounds on Jonathan and his limping leg, her heart tightened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡± I had always worried about his injured arm. Getting medical help for the Reed family was already difficult. Thest thing I wanted was for Jonathan to get hurt again. I hate Lillian so much. I want to tear her apart. I had done so much for her, but in the end, Lillian betrayed me. Jonathan looked at the much thinner Susan and felt pain. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. How are you?¡± Though he said that, Susan knew something had definitely happened. ¡°Kick that bitch Lillian out of the Reed family. Make her get lost.¡± Susan said fiercely. Since being locked in here, I constantly thought about taking back everything from Lillian. The jewelry, clothes, bags, and shoes I had bought for her¡­. The Destments too. Now I didn¡¯t want to leave Lillian with a single thing. Jonathan nodded. ¡°She¡¯s been kicked out.¡± Both of them were furious when they spoke about Lillian Susan nodded. ¡®Good. Take back all her stuff. Don¡¯t let her take anything. She doesn¡¯t deserve it She must be kicked out But things must not be taken Jonathan was silent. Susan said, ¡°Also, don¡¯t let her take her car. That¡¯s mine. I bought it all for her s Thinking about all those years, giving Lillian everything good¨Cand this was the reward. Susan hated Lillian to the extreme now. Jonathan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she didn¡¯t take anything.¡± She didn¡¯t have the strength to carry much now. Most of the things I threw out, Lillian didn¡¯t even pick up much. Hearing this, Susan felt a little better. ¡°Good, good, Don¡¯t let her take anything. Those were all Ste¡¯s. They should belong to Ste.¡± The wrong girl 465 Chapter 465 No More Hope Mentioning Ste, Susan¡¯s tone was full of pain. That is my daughter¡­ In those two years, what had I done to e to her all because of I [Lillian? That is my own daughter! Why would I hurt her so much for someone elser s We even ended up fighting each other like enemies. Thinking about how Ste had treated hertely, Susan felt both love and hate. Yes, both love and hate¡­ Love, because she was my daughter. I regretted how I once treated her badly for Lillien, Hate, because there was no turning back. Ste was so ruthless toward the entire Reed family. That made me hate her. Jonathan¡¯s expression changed when he heard Susan¡¯s words. She noticed the subtle change and asked, ¡°You saw Star? You went to see her?¡± Jonathan remained silent with a serious look. Seeing that, Susan knew for sure he had met Ste Thinking of Ste, her heart grew heavier, and her voice lowered. ¡°What did she say? Is she willing She suddenly stopped speaking, then thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Will she help me?¡± Now that I¡¯ve fallen out with Lillian, no one would share the love I gave her if she saved me out. From now on, all the love should go to her. Susan looked at Jonathan with hope, eager to hear good news about Ste Dawson. After all this time, Susan had finallye to understand¡­. Right now, the entire Reed family¨Cand even me¨Cdepends on Ste¡¯s one word. If she just loosened up in front of Abraham, everything could be resolved. But Jonathan stayed silent under her expectant gaze. Susan urged, ¡°Say something.¡± Why isn¡¯t he speaking? Could it be that after all this, Ste still refuses to give in? Jonathan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, ¡°You should forget that you have a daughter. Just pretend she was never born.¡± Susan¡¯s breath caught, growing heavier. Jonathan said. ¡°She¡¯s not really part of our Reed family.¡± Except for blood, she has nothing. If Ste really saw herself as part of the family, she wouldn¡¯t be so cruel. These are her rtives by blood Hut food her harsh she is ¨C 1¡ªno merry at all. She never evendered. ¡± Chapter 465 No More Hope That one day, if she ended up like Lillian now in the Luke family, the Bredt family would still take her in and be her fallback But she never thought about any of that Jonathan was furious I had already Negged Ste so humbly, but she remained stubborn. What Year in the Luke family? Treant to see if the can keep being treated like a treasure in the Inke family¡¯s hunds. Susan felt suffocated. ¡°You mean she won¡¯t save me?¡° Jonathon answered simply, ¡°Yes, she won¡¯t¡± Tears welled in Susan¡¯s eyes, breaking throughs her voice. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t care at all?¡± Jonathan nodded again. Susan felt her chest tighten, unbearable. Tom her mother. I carried her for ten months and suffered all the hardships of a mother. How can she treat me like this?¡± Jonathan remained silent. Susan shouted hysterically, ¡°How can she do this to me? How can she? T¡¯m her mother Ste¡¯s refusal to helppletely broke Susan. She screamed with madness. ¡°I already regret everything. I thought I wouldn¡¯t favor Lillian anymore. Why won¡¯t she help me?¡± Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew heavier, and his hatred for Ste deepened. Susan yelled, ¡°What do I have to do for her to forgive me? She knows the whole Reed family needs her now. Why is she so heartless?¡± At this moment, Susan lost her mindpletely. Just thinking about Ste not wanting to help made it impossible for her to get out of here. She waspletely insane. Facing her hysteria, Jonathan could only remain silent. Susan asked, ¡°What about your father? What does he mean now? He wouldn¡¯t care about me either because of the woman outside, right?¡± She couldn¡¯t rely on Ste. So she ced hope on Patrick.. But speaking of Patrick, Jonathan¡¯s breathing became more urgent. And thought about finding him. But he never wants to see me¡­.. That is my men father, yet in these days, I deeply felt the sense of being abandoned by him. The wrong girl 466 Chapter 466 Don¡¯t You Dare Call Her Mom Yes, he had been abandoned. After all those years as a father, now every ounce of his attention was directed at that other family outside. ¡°Im really sorry.¡± Faced with Susan¡¯s breakdown, Jonathan feltpletely powerless. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the entire Reed family had fallen apart. Because of Lillian; and because of Ste +5 Free Cons After a night of flying. Abraham¡¯s private jet finallynded at Falvaria International Airport just after ten the next morning Ste had known they were returning to Falvaria, so she¡¯d gotten up early. Abraham coaxed her into eating a little porridge, but her stomach wasn¡¯t having it; she threw it all up. She hadn¡¯t eaten properly in days, so by the time they got off the ne, her whole body felt weak and limp. Abraham carried her the entire time. For once, Ste didn¡¯t insist on walking by herself¨Cshe waspletely drained. ¡°Once we¡¯re home, let the medical team give you a full check¨Cup.¡± His voice was full of tenderness as he looked at her with pure affection Ste gave a soft hum and nodded weakly. Because she suspected she might be pregnant, she hadn¡¯t taken any of the medication Eddie had bought her on the ne. Trailing behind, Eddie was still stewing over their trip to the Milbar Desert. When he heard Abraham telling the team to examine Ste, he grumbled with jealousy, ¡°Well, your medical wing is finally getting some use, huh?¡± T That medical wing. It all started when Ste was a child¨Cshe had poor health. The first time she went to the hospital for an intravenous drip, she¡¯d thrown up from the smell of disinfectant. After that, Abraham expanded the medical facility at home. Whatever the hospitals had, he made sure the house had too even designating an entire vi for it.. He¡¯d even hired a pediatric specialist team. As Ste grew up, the team rotated ordingly. Even though she hadn¡¯t been in Falvaria for the past few years, that medical team had remained in ce. Hearing the bitterness in Eddie¡¯s tone, Ste peeked her head out from Abraham¡¯s arms. ¡°You better zip it; keep talking and. you¡¯ll be spending even more time in Milbar Desert.¡± Eddie was stunned. The second he heard ¡°more time, he instantly quieted down. Qutside the airport- The Luke family¡¯s butler hade in person. Marie came too. When Ste saw her, she struggled to get down from Abraham¡¯s arms. Maric spotted her and immediately shot her a fierce re. Faced with her sharp, scolding eyes, Ste pouted and clung tightly to Abraham¡¯s arm. She was already petite to begin with.. +5 Free Cons Marie stood not far away, watching the scene unfold; for a brief moment, it felt like she¡¯d been transported back to their childhood. In her memories, Ste had always looked this small in front of Abrahamn. As she got closer Marie scoffed, ¡°Back when my brother was in charge of you, he was always forbidding this or that. Sure, you stayed tiny.¡± ¡°These past two years you¡¯ve been fending for yourself, eating whatever you want¨Cand you still haven¡¯t grown up a bit?¡± Ste went quiet. I hadn¡¯t grown? ¡°I did get taller, Ste replied instinctively. Marie raised a brow. ¡°Oh? Really? Then howe you still onlye up to my brother¡¯s chest?¡± At that, she instinctively nced up at Abraham.. She really had grown taller. So why am I still only up to his chest? Marie reached out to grab her. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve got a lot to exin to me¨Cdon¡¯t even think about running ¡°You¡¯re back in Falvaria now; you think you can still escape?¡± Elsewhere, maybe she couldn¡¯t do much to Ste, but now that they were back in Falvaria? If she dodged her today, was she nning to dodge her forever? Marie had been holding a grudge about Ste leaving Falvaria for two years now. Now that she was finally back, Marie wasn¡¯t going to let her off the hook so easily. Ste instinctively tried to duck behind Abraham, but Marie already had her by the arm. ¡°You little brat. Derrick tells you to leave, and you just go! Why do you listen to him like that? Or did you think the Dawson family was made of paper? Worst¨Ccase scenario, you still had your grandparents!¡± The way Derrick had managed to scare Ste off with just a few words¨Cit infuriated Marie. Her grandma and grandpa had been furious too when they found out. Ste looked up at her with big, pleading eyes. ¡°I was wrong. I know I was w was wrong ¡°Knowing you were wrong doesn¡¯t cut it. Talk¨Cwhat exactly did Derrick say to you back then? I¡¯m going to go settle the score with that scumbag.¡± He actually had the nerve to drive her Star away¨CMarie was beyond livid. The wrong girl 467 Chapter 467 Big Mouth Eddie Strikes Again Chapter 467 Big Mouth Eddie Strikes Again +5 Free C Coins As soon as she heard Derrick had returned to Falvaria, she rushed back from Frapucu without stopping. These past few days, she¡¯d been at odds with Derrick: just that morning, she¡¯d even gone to argue with him beforeing to pick up her Star¡­. Ste said. ¡°You let go of me first, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Hey, did you seriously just- ¡°Enough.¡± Marie was just about to lecture Ste some more when she suddenly felt her wrist gripped tightly¨CAbraham had grabbed her hand. His voice was soft but firm. ¡°Let her go.¡± Marie frowned. ¡°You¡¯re still defending her, huh? It¡¯s been three years, brother. If this kid doesn¡¯t get a proper scolding, we¡¯re in trouble.¡± If no one gave her a wake¨Cup call now, who knew who might scare her off next time? When Ste heard Marie call her ¡°this kid,¡± she wriggled her wrist and protested, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± Marie snapped, ¡°Not a kid? Shut it.¡± Then she turned to Abraham again. ¡°This time, leave her to me. I¡¯ll make sure re she gets a gets a proper scolding The more she thought about how timid Ste had been, the more it got under her skin. Ste shivered at the word ¡°scolding.¡± ¡°No, no, no. I don¡¯t need a scolding!¡± Marie¡¯s version of a ¡°scolding¡± wasn¡¯t some light talking¨Cto¨Cit was the kind that could scare the soul out of you. Seeing Ste resist, Marie raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡± That one look from her was all it took¨Cany second now, she could explode. Yep, yep, that look meant she was already scheming something. Can¡¯t let her win. If she gets the upper hand, I¡¯m doomed Ste swallowed hard. I¡¯m your sister¨Cinw now.¡± Marie froze. Abraham went quiet Everyone nearby turned to look straight at Ste. Eddie¡¯s mouth twitched and then he burst outughing. ¡°Marie, Star¡¯s your sister¨Cinw now. Know what that means? Eldest sister-inw is like a mom¨Cshe¡¯s basically your mom now, haha! Ste went quiet. Mom? That mouth! I swear, I¡¯m gonna rip it off. Marie¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited. Her face turned dark as she red at at Eddie. She already knew that Ste and her brother were together¨Cfine, sister¨Cin¨Cwas sister¨Cin¨C. But Eddie calling me mom? Mariepletely lost it. Chapter 467 Big Mouth Eddie Strikes Again ¡°I¡¯m more like your mom!¡± And with that, she kicked at Eddie. s Marie had never had much patience for the Eddie¨CEvie siblings. One had an infuriating attitude, and the other an infuriating mouth. Eddie dodged just in time. Marie¡¯s kick missed andnded squarely on his suitcase. The suitcase went flying ten meters before itnded with a loud thad Peopleing and going at the airport were startled. But after one nce, they all quietly turned away¨Cno one wanted to get involved. Eddie stared at his suitcase, which had burst open. His stuff was scattered everywhere. He lost it too¡­ ¡°Marie, you damn lunatic! Why don¡¯t you just go spend your life with Evie? You¡¯re both rejects anyway!¡± Look at this temper. Look at that brute strength. It would¡¯ve been better not to mention Evie. The second Eddie did, Marie thought of all the crap Evie had pulled while trying to bring Ste back. Her anger was immediately reignited. ¡°You still dare mention Evie! Come on then¨CEvie ran off, so now you owe me what she took!¡± Thinking about all those valuables Evie had conned out of her made Marie want to scream. She¡¯d spent this whole time trying to track Evie down, but that damn woman had made off with everything. That witch¡­ And now that Eddie was right in front of me? Well, a sibling¡¯s debt was a sibling¡¯s debt. Eddie, the notorious cheapskate, was instantly triggered. ¡°I owe you? Don¡¯t even think about it. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll beat it out of you if I have to! No one in your family¡¯s any good¨Cschemers, the lot of you I swear I¡¯m gonna beat the life out of you.¡± ¡°Evie¡¯s the one who conned you! What¡¯s that got to do with me? Hey, what are you doing? Don¡¯te any closer¡ª¡± Ste was stunned. The same Marie who¡¯d been holding onto her a second ago was now trading insults with Eddie¨Cand then chasing after him, ready to beat him up. Ste nced at Abrah¨¢m. Without saying a word, Abraham took her hand and started leading her out. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. ¡°Star, wait up¨CI¡¯m not finished talking to you!¡± Marie¡¯s growl echoed behind them. But the next second, she was right back to tangling with Eddie. Judging by the look on her face, it was clear Evie had really done a number on her. dielik Otherwise, with Marie¡¯s usual sense of restraint, she wouldn¡¯t be going after Eddie like this. From behind, Eddie was yelling too. ¡°Abraham,e get your sister! She¡¯s totally out of control! But neither Ste nor Abraham responded. They climbed into the car as if they hadn¡¯t heard a thing. 2 The wrong girl 468 2/2 Chapter 468 me Eddie for My Emotional Crisis Chapter 468 me Eddie for My Emotional Crisis A long motorcade rolled slowly out of the airport. The butler handed Ste a small thermal container, smiling fondly ¡°Miss, Madam Diana heard you¡¯ve had little appetitetely. She figured you might not have eaten well on the ne either, so she had this prepared for you¡± At the mention of her mother. Ste¡¯s throat tightened with emotion. ¡°Is my mom home!¡± The butler shook his head. ¡°Madam Diana left early this morning. She won¡¯t be back until tonight. She asked me to tell you- wait for her at home, and don¡¯t wander off.¡± That ¡°don¡¯t wander off¡± pulled Ste straight back to her childhood. Every weekend, her mom would say the same thing before heading out. ¡°Be good and stay home. Some friends wille over to y. Don¡¯t run off¡­ The Luke and Dawson families held a special position in Falvaria¨Cboth openly and behind the scenes, they had many rivals. Even though the Dawson name struck fear into people¡¯s hearts, they still wanted to avoid unnecessary risks. So when Ste was young, even after she made friends, she wasn¡¯t allowed to go out and y with them. Instead, her friends had toe visit her at home. Abraham took the thermal container and lifted the lid. The fragrant steam that escaped was a scent Ste knew well Every single day she¡¯d spent away these past few years had felt endlessly long- She missed Falvaria terribly¨Cmissed everything about it. But most of all, she missed her family. So she buried herself in work, day in and day out. Maybe that was the only way to make the longing a little more bearable¡­ But now she was back. And with just a whiff of that familiar soup, it felt like those endless years had passed in a blink. ¡°Want some?¡± Abraham asked softly. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Even though her tastes had changed a lottely, she still wanted to drink it. She remembered this soup¨Cit was her mother¡¯s specialty. Lorette especially loved to cook. No matter how busy she was, she always enjoyed making meals for her children herself. When Ste was little and frail, it was Lorette who practically nursed her back to health, spoon by spoon. At first, she didn¡¯t know much about making soup. But thinking Ste had inherited her father¡¯s weak constitution, she eventually learned Ste cradled the thermal container in her arms and took a sip. ¡°Mmm. it¡¯s good. Just like I remember. ¡°Madam said it used to be your favorite,¡± the butler said gently. ¡°So she got up extra early to make it before heading out.¡± Hearing that, Ste¡¯s throat felt tighter than ever. It ached now¨Cso did her nose. She couldn¡¯t say a single word. Her teary eyes nced at Abraham He caught her look and knew exactly what was on her mind. Smiling gently, he reached over to ruffle her hair. ¡°Eddie¡¯s the one who passed the message along Ste was stunned. That big¨Cmouthed Eddie He didn¡¯t even realize I might be pregnant and he went and told them? Then how did he Chapter 468 me Eddie for My Emotional Crisis Considering Eddie¡¯s reputation for medical brilliance, Ste couldn¡¯t help but question how he ce. She downed the soup in big gulps, draining the thermal containerpletely. s gotten famous in the first When she handed the empty container back to the butler, he nced inside and smiled, clearly pleased. ¡°Madam Diana was worried your appetite wouldn¡¯t be good and you wouldn¡¯t be able to drink much. If she knew you finished it all, she¡¯d be so happy.¡± What mother didn¡¯t want her child to love the food she made? Truthfully, Ste hadn¡¯t really wanted to drink it. But thinking about how her mother had woken up early to cook it before going out, she finished everyst drop. The butler¡¯s voice softened with emotion. ¡°Miss, after all these years away.. you¡¯ve really grown up.¡± She was thoughtful now¨Ccaring. Looking back, it had always been Ste who was the gentle and considerate one. Miss Marie, on the other hand, had been wild and headstrong. She was always off somewhere, never home. Madam Diana used to worry about her too¨Cbut with Marie, there wasn¡¯t much she could do. She just couldn¡¯t be controlled. Ste looked at Abraham. ¡°Can we go to Victor¡¯s ce first?¡± They had agreed to pick up Soso right afternding Abraham checked the time on his watch and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Then he turned to the butler. ¡°Go with her to Victor¡¯s.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The butler nodded. Ste asked, ¡°You¡¯re noting with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something to handle over here,¡± Abraham said. ¡°Once you pick up Tessa, head straight home.¡± Hearing that, Ste didn¡¯t press further. She simply nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing how obedient she was, Abraham gently stroked her soft hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 2 The wrong girl 469 Chapter 469 I Didn¡¯t Mean to Poison Him +10 Free Coins At the intersection, the cars stopped. Abraham transferred to another vehicle, followed by several others trailing behind. On Ste¡¯s end, she was escorted by three cars heading to Victor¡¯s vi. Inside the vi- Tessa hadn¡¯t slept a wink all night. She was terrified something else might happen to Victor. By the time Ste arrived. Tessa was red¨Ceyed, preparing medication for Victor. As soon as she walked in, Ste spotted Tessa looking like a pitiful little wife. In just a few short days. Tessa had lost so much weight that Ste¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Tessa¡­¡± She called out softly, Tessa paused mid¨Cpreparation, lifted her head, and the moment she saw Ste, her tears fell like rain. ¡°Ste__¡± Ste rushed over in a few steps. ¡°What happened? Why are you crying?¡± That look¨Cmust¡¯ve been something awfulst night. Thinking about all the idents that had happened around Victor recently, Ste couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. Seriously the frequency of these incidents is way too high Tessa snifled ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here. I almost didn¡¯t live to see the light of day!¡± Tnto Ste and burst into tears. Lewis, who had just walked in heard what she said and visibly twitched; he was stunned. Wait, what? You almost didn¡¯t make it through the night? Can you not be so dramatic? Sure,st night was intense, but no one actually hurt her. At most, they just scared her a little. And now she was acting like she¡¯d had a near¨Cdeath experience. Women¡¯s interpretation of things kind ofanreal sometimes Whatever. He hadn¡¯t nned on being with a woman anyway Just felt bad for the boss¨Cstuck with someone this timid. How¡¯s the supposed to deal with that long term? Ste hugged Tessa tightly, gently patting her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re fine now.¡± Victor really had made her feel wronged. He didn¡¯t know how to be a litle gentle with girls. He¡¯d better be careful, or he¡¯d never End a wife. But he didn¡¯t used to be like this. Back when he was with Abraham, he was actually pretty easygoing. What happened? Did those dangerous experiences he dragged Tessa into do this to her? Tessa¡¯s small shoulders shook as she cried, looking utterly pitiful. Ste keptforting her ¡°It¡¯s over now, it¡¯s all in the past. Forget about it, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over. It¡¯s nowhere close to over. I almost died.¡± After what happenedst night, if something had really happened to Victor, there was no way she¡¯d have survived to see Ste said gently. ¡°No way. No way Victor would never let anything happen to you.¡± Chapter 469 I Didn¡¯t Mean to Poison Him He might not listen to just anyone. But if Abraham said something. Victor would definitely listen Tessa cried. ¡°It¡¯s because of him! Because of him. I nearly died.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Because of Victor, she almost died? Wait a minute¡­ Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Did something else happen against night?¡± Could it be that, in that short amount of time, something actually went down again between her and Victor? She thought back to when they were in Seats Cove, when Tessa had grabbed Victor¡¯s belt buckle. And then aftering here¨Cit was the bath towel. If something else happenedst night then seriously, the number of idents Tessa¡¯s had around Victor is just¨Cwow. Tessa huped through her tears. ¡°I almost killed Victorst night.¡± Ste was stunned. Wait, what She gently pulled Tessa out of her arms and stared at her, brows scrunched tightly. ¡°What did you just say?¡± +10 Free Coins She wasn¡¯t sure she heard that right¨Cor even understood it. What do you mean you almost killed Victor? Tessa? No way. It¡¯s not that she looked down on Tessa¨Cit¡¯s just. Tessa really didn¡¯t seem capable of something like that. Honestly, the kind of person who could take down Victor probably hadn¡¯t been born yet. Tessa sniffled. ¡°I nearly took Victor¡¯s lifest night, Ste. I was so scared. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. Back when I was in Rivermount. I was never like this. Why do I keep screwing up around him?¡± just thinking about all the idents¨CTessa didn¡¯t even get to finish her sentence before she started crying again. Ste was dumbfounded She stared at Tessa in disbelief. There¡¯s no way¡­ this is something Tessa actually did¡­ right? Seeing how shaken Tessa was, Ste knew she couldn¡¯t let it slide anymore¨Cshe had to get to the bottom of this. Tessa¡¯s situation and Rianne¡¯s were entirely different. Rianne¡¯s story didn¡¯t need pressing¨Cout of respect. But this thing with Tessa today? If Ste didn¡¯t get some rity, she had a sinking feeling she wouldn¡¯t be able to take Tessa with her¡­ 2 The wrong girl 470 Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return +10 Free Coins ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying for a second. Let¡¯s figure out what actually happened¨Cstart from the top. What¡¯s going on here?¡± She almost killed Fictor? If what Tessa said was true, this was a serious mess Still sobbing and gasping for air, Tessa choked out the details of what had happened the night before, her wordsing out in broken pieces The gist was, she had to change Victor¡¯s dressing and give him his medication. In the process of preparing the medicine and pouring water, she¡¯d gotten confused¨Cbecause the internal and external meds looked somewhat simr. In the end, she mixed them up. She mixed them ap? Ste looked at Tessa. ¡°That¡¯s not that big a deal, right? Just the wrong meds.¡± Tessa whispered, ¡°And then he swallowed the topical one¨Cthe one for wounds. It¡¯s really potent.¡± That ¡°really potent¡± part said it all¨Cthis wasn¡¯t some harmless mistake. And it definitely showed how serious things could¡¯ve been. Ste was stunned. Listening to Tessa exin everything, she was speechless. She just stared at her in disbelief. That¡¯s just dumb Really dumb Tessa wiped her tears. ¡°Am I stupid?¡± Ste silently nodded. Seeing how hard Tessa was crying, she didn¡¯t have the heart to say more. But she still asked, ¡°And then? Nothing serious happened, right?¡± Tessa was still alive, which meant Victor must¡¯vee out of it okay. If something had happened, knowing Victor¡¯s people, there was no way Tessa would still be breathing. Tessa sniffled. ¡°In the end, nothing really happened¨Cit was scary, but he was okay. Still, I was terrified. Everyone around him locked like they wanted to tear me to pieces.¡± At that moment, Lewis had already gone to find Victor. If he had been in the room and heard Tessa say that, he¡¯d probably retort that he hadn¡¯t even started yelling yet. And if just looking angry scared her this much, what would she have done if he had yelled? Ste sighed. ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d want to tear you to pieces too.¡± He was just injured, and now she¡¯d almost taken his life. Tessa looked up. ¡°So what do I do now? Can you take me with you?¡± As she said it, her eyes were full of hope while looking at Ste. Clearly, she wanted to leave. Ste was stunned. The second ¡®Tessa asked that, Ste knew¨Cthere was definitely more to the story. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me everything, are you?¡± Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return Tessa shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± She really is Abraham¡¯s girl, nothing gets past her. +10 Free Con Thinking about what Victor had said to her earlier. Tessa didn¡¯t dare say a word. She could only hope Ste would talk to him. for her. That he might show mercy and let her go. Ste raised a brow. ¡°Really?¡± ¦°¦°¦¥ Tessa nodded quickly. ¡°Really. Totally true. Please go talk to him and ask if I can leave. I don¡¯t want to stay here even or more second. Ste was stunned. Watching how desperate Tessa looked, she still felt like it wasn¡¯t that simple. But Ste didn¡¯t press further. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°In his room.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go together.¡± If he was in his room, Ste definitely couldn¡¯t go alone. If Abraham found out, he¡¯d flip Abraham had made it clear¨Cshe wasn¡¯t allowed to be alone in any man¡¯s private space. Tessa stepped back. ¡°You go.¡± ¡°Hey,e on ¡°He¡¯s got that low¨C12 guy with him. I¡¯m not going Just thinking about Lewis made Tessa even more reluctant. She could tell he was scary smart, but super intense! Not very sm And people like that? You never knew what they¡¯d do if they go emotional. ¡°Someone else is there ¡°Yeah, he just went up. Didn¡¯t you see him?¡± She had only nced at him briefly, but after all that had happened, Tessa was seriously spooked by the people around Victor. push Tessa any further. When Ste heard someone else was up there too, she didn¡¯t pu She nodded. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go talk to Victor. You tidy up a bit. We¡¯ll leave once I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to pack She¡¯d been taken by Nie Jiang so suddenly, she hadn¡¯t even had time to gather her things. The more she thought about her situation, the more wronged she felt. Her mother was still missing. Sending her to Falvaria had been meant to keep her safe. But once she got here, it turned out someone had been waiting for her¨Cand Nie Jiang disappeared too. Ste said, ¡°Okay then. Just wait here for me.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± 2/3 Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return. Tessa nodded firmly, looking so obedient and sweet. Right now, all she had was Ste. And Ste was the only one she could wait for +10 Free C The wrong girl 471 Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return +10 Free Coins ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying for a second. Let¡¯s figure out what actually happened¨Cstart from the top. What¡¯s going on here?¡± She almost killed Fictor? If what Tessa said was true, this was a serious mess Still sobbing and gasping for air, Tessa choked out the details of what had happened the night before, her wordsing out in broken pieces The gist was, she had to change Victor¡¯s dressing and give him his medication. In the process of preparing the medicine and pouring water, she¡¯d gotten confused¨Cbecause the internal and external meds looked somewhat simr. In the end, she mixed them up. She mixed them ap? Ste looked at Tessa. ¡°That¡¯s not that big a deal, right? Just the wrong meds.¡± Tessa whispered, ¡°And then he swallowed the topical one¨Cthe one for wounds. It¡¯s really potent.¡± That ¡°really potent¡± part said it all¨Cthis wasn¡¯t some harmless mistake. And it definitely showed how serious things could¡¯ve been. Ste was stunned. Listening to Tessa exin everything, she was speechless. She just stared at her in disbelief. That¡¯s just dumb Really dumb Tessa wiped her tears. ¡°Am I stupid?¡± Ste silently nodded. Seeing how hard Tessa was crying, she didn¡¯t have the heart to say more. But she still asked, ¡°And then? Nothing serious happened, right?¡± Tessa was still alive, which meant Victor must¡¯vee out of it okay. If something had happened, knowing Victor¡¯s people, there was no way Tessa would still be breathing. Tessa sniffled. ¡°In the end, nothing really happened¨Cit was scary, but he was okay. Still, I was terrified. Everyone around him locked like they wanted to tear me to pieces.¡± At that moment, Lewis had already gone to find Victor. If he had been in the room and heard Tessa say that, he¡¯d probably retort that he hadn¡¯t even started yelling yet. And if just looking angry scared her this much, what would she have done if he had yelled? Ste sighed. ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d want to tear you to pieces too.¡± He was just injured, and now she¡¯d almost taken his life. Tessa looked up. ¡°So what do I do now? Can you take me with you?¡± As she said it, her eyes were full of hope while looking at Ste. Clearly, she wanted to leave. Ste was stunned. The second ¡®Tessa asked that, Ste knew¨Cthere was definitely more to the story. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me everything, are you?¡± Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return Tessa shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± She really is Abraham¡¯s girl, nothing gets past her. +10 Free Con Thinking about what Victor had said to her earlier. Tessa didn¡¯t dare say a word. She could only hope Ste would talk to him. for her. That he might show mercy and let her go. Ste raised a brow. ¡°Really?¡± ¦°¦°¦¥ Tessa nodded quickly. ¡°Really. Totally true. Please go talk to him and ask if I can leave. I don¡¯t want to stay here even or more second. Ste was stunned. Watching how desperate Tessa looked, she still felt like it wasn¡¯t that simple. But Ste didn¡¯t press further. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°In his room.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go together.¡± If he was in his room, Ste definitely couldn¡¯t go alone. If Abraham found out, he¡¯d flip Abraham had made it clear¨Cshe wasn¡¯t allowed to be alone in any man¡¯s private space. Tessa stepped back. ¡°You go.¡± ¡°Hey,e on ¡°He¡¯s got that low¨C12 guy with him. I¡¯m not going Just thinking about Lewis made Tessa even more reluctant. She could tell he was scary smart, but super intense! Not very sm And people like that? You never knew what they¡¯d do if they go emotional. ¡°Someone else is there ¡°Yeah, he just went up. Didn¡¯t you see him?¡± She had only nced at him briefly, but after all that had happened, Tessa was seriously spooked by the people around Victor. push Tessa any further. When Ste heard someone else was up there too, she didn¡¯t pu She nodded. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go talk to Victor. You tidy up a bit. We¡¯ll leave once I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to pack She¡¯d been taken by Nie Jiang so suddenly, she hadn¡¯t even had time to gather her things. The more she thought about her situation, the more wronged she felt. Her mother was still missing. Sending her to Falvaria had been meant to keep her safe. But once she got here, it turned out someone had been waiting for her¨Cand Nie Jiang disappeared too. Ste said, ¡°Okay then. Just wait here for me.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± 2/3 Chapter 470 I Want to Leave and Never Return. Tessa nodded firmly, looking so obedient and sweet. Right now, all she had was Ste. And Ste was the only one she could wait for +10 Free C The wrong girl 472 Chapter 472 She¡¯s Not an Undercover Chapter 472 She¡¯s Not an Undercover Ste pondered. Undercover? Could they exaggerate Tessa¡¯s capabilities any more? +10 Free Coins Back in Rivermount, she¡¯d had a little courage, but ever since arriving in Falvaria, she¡¯d been scared out of her mind. The kind of person who cried several times a day. Who in their right mind would recruit someone like that as an undercover agent? She couldn¡¯t even handle the mission, let alone the emotional meltdowns that came with it. Lewis was s stunned by Ste¡¯s sudden outburst. ¡°Wait, I¡­ I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Ste shot back. ¡°She¡¯s not cut out to be an undercover agent.¡± Lewis replied. ¡°But you can¡¯t ignore the fact that she almost got the boss killed yesterday. That¡¯s still the truth.¡± Bottom line¨CTessa hadnded herself in deep trouble with Victor. Ste huffed. ¡°Bottom line is, I¡¯m taking her with me today.¡± After hearing everything Tessa had said earlier, she¡¯d already known it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take her away today. But she hadn¡¯t expected Victor to refuse so tly. Even though he hadn¡¯t said a single word yet, the fact that he allowed his subordinates to speak to her like this, it was clear. Taking Tessa today wouldn¡¯t be easy. So Ste hardened her stance as well. Thinking of how desperately Tessa had cried just now, there was no way she could leave her behind. And now, they even suspected her. I walk out now, who knows¨CTessa might be dead the moment I turn my back! Which only made Ste dig in her heels even more. ¡°I have to take her with me.¡± Seeing Victor still silent, Ste¡¯s tone grew more forceful. Lewis tried to reason with her. ¡°Ms. Dawson, we know she¡¯s your close friend from Rivermount, but what if she got close to you for a reason?¡± He didn¡¯t sugarcoat his words anymore. Ste snapped, ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡± Lewis said, ¡°You can¡¯t say that for sure.¡± ¡°You- Ste was about to blow, Just then, Victor shot her a nce and finally spoke, ¡°You¡¯re not taking her.¡± His words were cold and resolute, each one sharp and firm. Ste¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Victor, this isn¡¯t-¡± ¡°She may be connected to Ashen Pact.¡± Ste froze. Ashen Pact? Hearing that name made her chest tighten¡­. 1/2 +10 Free Coins Chapter 472 She¡¯s Not an Undercover She wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with it; two years ago. Derrick had seemed to have some ties to Ashen Pact. And it was precisely because of that connection that she¡¯d been terrified it would cause Abraham problems he couldn¡¯t get out of That¡¯s why she¡¯dpromised and listened to Derrick back then. Now, hearing Victor mention Ashen Pact again, Ste¡¯s face paled. But when it came to Tessa¡­ She still shook her head. ¡°No. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s involved with Ashen Pact.¡± Victorraised his eyes, cold as ever. ¡°Whether she is or not, we¡¯ll wait for the investigation to decide.¡± Ste couldn¡¯t say a word. very Victor picked up the ss of water on the nightstand and took a sip. Even sitting on the bed, every move he made carried a jdangerous authority that left no room for debate. Ste parted her lips, as if to argue again. Lewis had seen enough to understand what was happening. He quickly stepped up, ¡°Ms. Dawson,e on,e on; let¡¯s talk outside. The boss needs rest¡± ¡°Tessa has nothing to do with Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°Sure, I know you u trust her, but trust and truth aren¡¯t the same thing. While he spoke, Lewis gently but firmly nudged Ste out of the room, leading her toward the stairs. Ste didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯m taking her no matter what. Crying three times a day back in Rivermount¨Cit was obvious the girl had beenpletely terrified. If she stayed here with Victor, who knew what kind of disaster mighte next? was out of it. As far as Ste was concerned, Tessa w When someone¡¯s mind was that foggy, they might do something totally out of their control. At this point, whatever Tessa did, it could go horribly wrong. Bun Ste i Dilch stance meant nothing in front of Victor¡¯s men TEST ¡°You can¡¯t take her.¡± ok off Lewis¡® hand and turned to head back upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you¨C111 talk to Victor.¡± wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with Lewis. Only Victor¡¯s word¨Cmattered now. But the moment she turned around, Lewis grabbed her arm again. ¡°Talking to the boss won¡¯t change anything. This is his decision. You can only take her after the investigation¡¯s done, okay?¡± Victor¡¯s decision. So no matter what Ste said today, she wasn¡¯t leaving with Tessa. Frustration boiled over. ¡°Then how long are you nning to investigate?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡± The wrong girl 473 Chapter 473 If She¡¯s Stuck Then So Am I Ste was stunned. Can¡¯t say for sure! Can¡¯t say for sure! They might as well scare her to death right in front of them; once she was dead, suddenly everything would be ¡°for sure. ¡°Then let me make it clear¨CI¡¯m taking her with me today.¡± Lewis shook his head. ¡°You really can¡¯t¡± Back and forth they went. One insisted on taking her; the other refused to let her go. Tessa sat in the living room, overhearing the exchange between Ste and Lewis. Her nose twitched; tears slipped down her cheeks uncontrobly again. She had believed¨Ctruly believed¨Cthat once Ste came back, she¡¯d finally be free from this den of lunatics; But now. not even Ste could get her out. That thought sent her spiraling: despair washed over her as she burst out crying. ¡°Wah¡­¡± The sudden wailing brought an immediate hush to the argument between Ste and Lewis; both turned to look at Tessa. Seeing her cry l like that made Ste even more anxious. She turned on her heel and rushed down the stairs toward Tessa. ¡°Tessa, don¡¯t worry; I will take you with me today.¡± Lewis objected, ¡°You really can¡¯t.¡± Tessa sobbed louder. ¡°Shut up,¡± Ste snapped. Back and forth again. The truth was, Ste couldn¡¯t take Tessa; Victor had made that crystal clear, and Lewis¡® obnoxious mouth wasn¡¯t helping. Frustrated, Ste plopped down onto the living room sofa. Tessa sat beside her, clinging to her arm; she lookedpletely traumatized, Right now, what scared her the most¨Cwas Ste leaving Lewis crossed his arms and said sternly, ¡°Ms. Tessa, clinging to our little princess won¡¯t help; the investigation¡¯s going forward no matter what.¡± Ste, seeing how they were treating Tessa, instantly red up. ¡°Eddie already went to Mambia Desert, you know that?¡± Lewis was caught off guard. What¡¯s that supposed to mean? ¡°Ms. Dawson, what are you implying?¡± Ste narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m implying that if you say one more word, I¡¯ll tell Victor to send you there too.¡± Lewis froze. Holy hell, that godforsaken ce? No way he was going there. Tessa, who had been terrified just moments ago, started to feel a little better now, clearly, Ste held real weight in Falvaria. With just one sentence, she¡¯d shut Lewis right up. +10 Free Coint Chapter 473 If She¡¯s Stuck Then So Am I Smiffling pitifully, she whispered, ¡°Ste, you can¡¯t leave me here.¡± If Ste left now, ¡°Tessa was certain she wouldn¡¯t survive. This ce was terrifying. One word, and they pped her with a criminal charge. And here on their turf¨Cno matter what she said, even if she had a hundred mouths, she couldn¡¯t exin herself. Ste nodded. ¡°Mm, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± Lewis tried again, ¡°Ms. Dawson, the boss told me to escort you home personally. Why don¡¯t you get in the car!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going. Ste shot back. ¡°Then what are you doing here? No matter how long you sit around, you¡¯re still not taking Ms. Tessa with you.¡± Hearing that, Tessa clung even tighter to Ste¡¯s arm. If I¡¯m stuck here, she thought, then Ste¡¯s not going anywhere either. Lewis saw Tessa¡¯s reaction and got anxious. ¡°Ms. Tessa, please let go of Ms. Dawson.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! Ste, don¡¯t leave me!¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go, I won¡¯t,¡± Ste reassured her. -Lewis insisted. ¡°The boss said you must be escorted back.¡± And once she was gone, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed back in¨Cnot even half a step. They hadn¡¯t anticipated Ste would show up like this today. If they¡¯d known, they would¡¯ve stopped her at the gate. Now, things were a mess¨CTessa was terrified; Ste refused to leave; Victor wanted her gone; Lewis was stuck trying to enforce it. In short, it was an ugly scene. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Feeling Tessa¡¯s fear only made Ste more resolute. Her voice grew firmer¨Cunshakable. Lewis rubbed his temples. ¡°Fine; then wait until the bosses to get you himself¡± She didn¡¯t want to go, and they didn¡¯t dare use force. She was Abraham¡¯s dearest; anyone whoid a hand on her might as well kiss their life goodbye. Lewis went upstairs to report to Victor. That left Ste and Tessa alone. Tessa¡¯s tears flowed again, moved to the core. ¡°Ste, you really can¡¯t leave me.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Mm, I won¡¯t leave you.¡± ¡°I love you so much. You¡¯re all I¡¯ve got left,¡± Tessa said, nuzzling into her arm. Tears and snot smeared all over Ste¡¯s sleeve. Ste didn¡¯t mind; she handed her a tissue. ¡°Alright, stop crying now.¡± Tessa took it and wiped her face. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it. The meds just looked way too simr.¡± The wrong girl 474 Chapter 474 Did You Just Call Her My Woman Ste nodded. ¡°Mm, I believe you.¡± +10 Free Coins Tessa whispered, ¡°You¡¯re probably the only one who does. You have no ideast night, the people around him looked like they wanted to cat me alive.¡± Especially what Lewis had said; the moment those words hit her, Tessa¡¯s mind just went bang¨Cit felt like nothing she said could ever clear her name again. Ste gentlyforted her, ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s okay now.¡± Bottom line was if Victor didn¡¯t give her the green light to take Tessa, then Ste wasn¡¯t leaving either. Upstairs, when Victor heard that Ste had nted herself here because of Tessa, his expression darkened further. His eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Call the boss. Let hime take her himself.¡± Lewis twitched at the suggestion of having Abrahame in person. ¡°If the bosses, he¡¯s probably taking your girl with him too, huh?¡± Victor was stunned Lewis¡® words made his expression freeze for a moment. He shot Lewis a cold look¨Cbut oddly, it wasn¡¯t quite as icy as before. Lewis blinked, confused by that look. ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± If Abraham came to pick up the little princess in person, there was no way Tessa wouldn¡¯t be taken too. Everyone knew how ridiculously pampered she was; if she wanted stars from the sky, Abraham would probably haul down at meteor for her. Now that she was just asking to take someone away, he couldn¡¯t j just say no. Victor echoed, ¡°My woman?¡± Lewis stammered, ¡°Uh? Isn¡¯t she?¡± They were living under the same roof¨Cno maids, no cooks. Just the two of them, alone in every sense. If she wasn¡¯t his woman¡­ then what was she? Lewis wondered if he¡¯d misread something, but Victor didn¡¯t say anything to refute it. Lewis scratched his head. ¡°So¡­ should I call the boss now?¡± He had no idea what was going through Victor¡¯s mind, but getting the boss over here seemed like the smart move. Otherwise, if the little princess insisted on staying here¡­ that wouldn¡¯t look good at all. Victor replied, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°So¡­ should the bosse pick up one person or two?¡± Lewis was starting to get confused. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t fully understood what Victor meant just now. That question earned him a look¨CVictor stared at him like h You think it takes the boss himself toe get one person?¡± Lewis blinked, ¡°Right.. only one, then.¡± is a total idiot. he was i Chapter 474 Did You Just Call Her My Woman +10 Free Coins person. So the boss still wasn¡¯t allowing Ms. Tessa to be taken. If he were, they wouldn¡¯t need Abraham to show up Downstairs, Ste picked up a call from Abraham. His voice on the line was calm and warm. ¡°Did you get Tessa?¡± Clearly, Abraham still didn¡¯t know what was happening on Victor¡¯s end. Ste replied, ¡°I saw her, but I couldn¡¯t take her.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± The moment Abraham heard that, he knew something had gone wrong. His voice carried a note of displeasure. Ste exined, ¡°They¡¯re insisting that Tessa has ties to the Ashen Pact. They won¡¯t let me take ¡°Well let me tell you¨Cif they won¡¯t let me take her, then I¡¯m not going either. I¡¯m staying here. I¡¯ll out¨Cstubborn all of them.¡± She huffed indignantly. And just like that, the air on the other end of the line turned ice¨Ccold. Tessa heard Ste say that and was overwhelmed with emotion; this was her Ste. No wonder she¡¯d always protected her so fiercely back in Rivermount.. Ste repeated. ¡°If I can¡¯t take Tessa, then I¡¯m not leaving¡± Her tone was unshakably firm. In her heart, she was thinking about all those times in Rivermount when Tessa had stood by her¨Cfighting the Reed family. confronting Ethan. Even when the Reed family had tried to shut down her studio, and Tessa¨Cwho hadn¡¯t known Abraham¡¯s background- thought Ste had no one to rely on: She¡¯d even begged Diana, her mother, to step in and help. Hearing Ste so worked up, Abraham gently reassured her, ¡°Tming now. Wait for me.¡± The call ended Ste turned tofort the still¨Cclinging Tessa. ¡°Alright¡­ it¡¯s going to be okay ¡°Ste, thank you.¡± Tessa choked up. So much had happened in her worldtely, and the only thing keeping her grounded was Ste¡¯s support. Even when she was still back in Rivermount, the hope Ste gave her had helped her survive. Ste replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°I actually need your help with something too. ¡°Finding your mom?¡± Ste asked. She didn¡¯t even need Tessa to exin; she already knew what this was about. Tessa nodded. ¡°Mm. I need to find my mom¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible. And Nie Jiang too¡­¡± That day, she¡¯d been taken away by those people. 2 The wrong girl 475 Chapter 475 Victor¡¯s Bad Cop Isn¡¯t Fooling Her Tessa was worried¨Cshe was just one girl, and in those people¡¯s hands, no one knew what could happen to her. Ste nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look for her; there¡¯s just no news yet.¡± Back in Rivermount. Ste had already begun investigating the whereabouts of Tessa¡¯s mother But days had passed now, and still, no updates hade through. +10 Free Coins She had no idea what kind of trouble she had gotten into this time¨Cwhoever it was, they clearly weren¡¯t ordinary people. If necessary, they might have to tap into Abraham¡¯s connections. Hearing that, Tessa felt even more touched. But before she could say anything, Lewis came down the stairs and looked straight at her. ¡°Ms. Tessa, the boss wants to see you you upstairs.¡± The moment she saw Lewis, Tessa instinctively shrank behind Ste And after hearing his words, she clung even tighter to Ste¡¯s arm, refusing to let go. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Ste could clearly hear the edge of distress in her voice; it was obvious¨CTessa had been thoroughly shaken by Victor. Lewis called again, ¡°Ms. Tessa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not going. I can¡¯t cook, and I don¡¯t know anything about medicine! You¡¯re the ones who insisted I take care of him Now something goes wrong and suddenly I¡¯m the one who tried to kill him? Who even thinks like that?¡± The longer she talked, the more wronged she sounded. She had told them she couldn¡¯t do any of it. She¡¯d ruined that bowl of noodles beyond recognition. Forcing someone to do something they¡¯re not capable of who does thatt Ste looked at Lewis. What does Victor want with Tessa? Say it clearly, and don¡¯t try to intimidate her.¡± Tessa was terrified; but Ste¨CSte wasn¡¯t afraid of any of them. Lewis looked annoyed at the word intimidate. ¡°Alright, I was in a bad mood night. I spoke harshly; don¡¯t take it out on me.¡± Ste went quiet. Tessa was stunned ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lewis replied, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve always treated you pretty well. Don¡¯t let one bad night scare you off.¡± What? Treated her well? Was he hearing himself? Victor¡¯s treatment of her could hardly be called ¡°good¡± Ste and Tessa were dumbfounded. He definitely hasn¡¯t been kind. And Victor, he scared me too. He said plenty of awful thingsst night. She thought bitterly. All she wanted now was to leave with Ste. ¡°I¡¯m not going upstairs, no matter what¡± That kind of subbornness¡­ 10 Free Coins Chapter 475 Victor¡¯s Bad Cop Isn¡¯t Fooling Her Hack then, she never would¡¯ve dared. But now that Ste was here, she finally found some backbone. Lewis looked at her pathetic attempt at defiance¨Cit was soft and flimsy: like paper, easy to tear through. ¡°Alright then.¡± Lewis said, ¡°but you said it. Don¡¯t me uster when the boss loses interest in telling you anything about your Tessa¡¯s eyes widened.. My mom? Wait¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go right now!¡± News about my mother? That tough stance vanished in an instant? Ste was stunned. Tessa couldn¡¯t afford to care anymore. No one knew just how much she¡¯d been suffering these past few days; every second, her mind had been consumed by thoughts of her mother and Wesley, Still¡­ Victor? Helping her find someone? That can be real, she thought. But whatever¨CI¡¯ll ask first and figure it outter. Just as she reached the stairs, Abraham walked through the front door. He arrived so quickly that Ste froze for a second; even Lewis¡® expression faltered. Then he quickly snapped back to attention. ¡°Boss.¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Victor?¡± ¡°In his room. Still a little weak; he¡¯s lying down¡± That word made Tessa¡¯s guilt surge. She instinctively turned her face away. Abraham nced over at Ste. Ste rose from the sofa and muttered, ¡°If Tessa doesn¡¯t leave, then I¡¯m not leaving either.¡± Same line, same stance. They were leaving together¨Cor not at all. Tessa looked up at her, teary¨Ceyed. ¡°Ste¡­¡± her. Ste raised a hand to stop h Men think differently from women. Now that Victor suspected Tessa, if he mentioned anything to Abraham, there was a chance Abraham would start doubting her too. And if she lost Abraham¡­ Then getting Tessa out of Victor¡¯s grasp would be nothing short of impossible. Seeing Abraham stay silent, Ste walked over to him, tugged softly at his sleeve. ¡°Brother.¡± She looked up at him with big, pleading eyes¨Cresolute, but gentle. Lewis pressed a hand to his forehead. Great. The boss is about to lose his girl. Abraham reached out and ruffled Ste¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Victor first,¡± Ste nodded sweetly. ¡°Mm.¡± Then, not forgetting to emphasize, ¡°I am taking Tessa with me.¡± 2 The wrong girl 476 Chapter 476 Lillian Got Benched Lewis went quiet What kind of bond must this be to go this far for someone? Abraham headed upstairs. +10 Free Comme Lewis followed behind him, leaving only Ste and Tessa downstairs. Tessa returned to Ste¡¯s side, clinging tightly to her arm; It was clear she was terrified Ste might leave her behind. Ste looked into those big, round eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t leave you¡± ¡°Mm. Tessa nodded emphatically. Just then, her phone rang. ¡°Let me grab this real quick.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tessa stepped to the side, answering the call Whoever was on the other end, it had her gasping ¡°Wait¨Cseriously? They actually kicked her out? And Jonathan went through with it?¡± ¡°And what about Susan? Would she really go along with it? She used to protect Lillian so fiercely, I even suspected she was her real mom! Now she¡¯s just letting her get thrown out like that?¡± One question after another; Each one more shocked than the . Ste nced at her instinctively and sighed inwardly. She really is a gossip sponge, huh? Even now, she¡¯s got the energy for this¡­ And judging by her excitement, all traces of fear from earlier¨Cespecially from being near Victor¨Chadpletely vanished. Gossip really is her ultimate cure. Tessa looked back at Ste, then gasped again. ¡°Mr. Judson wants to bring his illegitimate son into the Keene Grouporation? Wouldn¡¯t that make Ethan nothing at all?¡± Ste was stunned. First the Reed family, now the Keene family¨Cshe really doesn¡¯t miss a beat. Tessa went on, ¡°Yeah, I mean¨Cwhat¡¯s there to even fight over in Keene Group anymore? Isn¡¯t it practically falling apart?¡± ¡°What? They¡¯re still fighting like cats and dogs over it? That¡¯s savage!¡± Ste was stunned again. Tessa¡¯s phone call had her all fired up. That fear from earlier¨Cgone without a trace. Is this what she meant before? That when she got too scared, gossip helped her shift focus? Well, it¡¯s working¡­ probably a little too well. ¡°What? Mrs. Keene got hospitalized again? And Sutton didn¡¯t do anything? Then Ethan¡¯s totally finished!¡± Ste went quiet. If Madeline was so upset she ended up in the hospital, then Judson probably was nning to hand thepany over to Horgan +10 Free Coins. Chapter 476 Lillian Got Benched. Her mind shed to the image of Horgan in that boxing ring on the cruise ship- Those eyes, sharp and predatory, like a desert hawk, dangerously calcting. Next to Horgan, Ethan was nothing more than a hot¨Chouse flower. If Judson truly intended to hand things to Horgan¡­.. Ethan¡¯s future was going to be brutal. To be fair¨Ccredit where it was due¨CEthan war a genius when it came to running thepany; under him, Keene Group had grown significantly. It was just a shame.. Even if Keene Group was now in ruins, he¡¯d poured so much into it¨Chis blood, sweat, and tears¨Conly to have it ripped away. Then again, he kind of deserved it. Over the past two years, he¡¯d pulled so many shady moves; it was hard to keep track. Not just against her¨CSte¨Cbut against his peers too. As those thoughts swirled. Tessa finished her call and returned to Ste¡¯s side. ¡°Ste, karma¨Cthis karma hit hard.¡± Ste¡¯s lips twitched. She nced at Tessa, who now lookedpletely fine¨Cnot a trace of the earlier panic remained. Ste was starting to think that maybe all the worry she¡¯d carried back in Rivermount¡­ might¡¯ve been a little too much. But hearing her sob on the phone back then¨CSte hadn¡¯t been able to stand it. And now, just look at her¨Cbeaming, energized by gossip. Tessa leaned in and whispered, ¡°Lillian¡¯s beenpletely kicked out of the Reed family.¡± ¡°Someone spotted herst night sitting on a bench under the Bridge. Looks like Jonathan took back everything¨Cshe¡¯s homeless now.¡± Ste went silent. The thought of Lillian put on the streets gave Tessa a satisfying jolt of schadenfreude. Even Ste couldn¡¯t help but crack a small, pleased smile. Honestly, wasn¡¯t this harsher than sending her to jail? Back then, when Ste had been brought home, Lillian had gone absolutely berserk, fighting tooth and nail for her spot in the Reed family. All smiles on the surface, but behind the scenes¨Cclenched teeth and venom. She¡¯d done so many cruel, vicious things¨Csurely she didn¡¯t think karma would never catch up to her. Well, it had She¡¯d wed so hard for everything¨Conly to end up with nothing And with her health in that condition, she probably wouldn¡¯tst long out there either. Ste said. ¡°The Reed family¡¯s tearing each other apart now. No one has time to worry about her. Jonathan¡¯s taking all his frustration out on her.¡± So much for ¡°family bonds¡­ Back in Rivermount, Jonathan had always clung to the idea of his sibling ties with Lillian. The wrong girl 477 Chapter 477 First Reaction Ever Right now, Lillian had be the perfect target for all his pent¨Cup frustration. Tessa nodded. ¡°Exactly, Susan got arrested, the Reed Group went bankrupt, and Patrick probably can¡¯t even afford to keep that other family of his afloat.¡± ¡°The entire Reed family¡¯s down to just Jonathan now. And Lillian¡¯s in the worst shape of all.¡± Whenever Lillian came up, Tessa couldn¡¯t help the satisfaction thatced her voice. ¡°And then there¡¯s Ethan¨Cused to treat Lillian like she was his true love. Look at them now; what a perfect pair,¡± The Keene family and that snob Madeline used to think Lillian wasn¡¯t good enough for Ethan. Now things were different. They¡¯d both hit rock bottom¡ªneither one had any room to look down on the other. Ste took a sip of water and said, ¡°Back then, Ethan was their only son, so Mr. Judson had no choice but to go along with him. But now that there¡¯s another son, he actually has options.¡± Tessa nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Right? If you ask me, Mr. Judson really dropped the ball. Sutton¡¯s way more capable than Ethan ever was.¡± Even if it meant handing Keene Group over to Sutton, anyone would¡¯ve been better than Ethan. But now, with Sutton in the picture and eligible for a share of the inheritance, Ethan had be irrelevant. Downstairs, the gossip was flying fast and loud¡­. Upstairs, Abraham was seated in a chair beside Victor¡¯s bed. After hearing what Victor had to say, his expression shifted, his gaze growingyered with meaning¨Cespecially when his eyes drifted down to Victor¡¯s lower abdomen. He chuckled lightly. ¡°You, huh.. But then he trailed off, suddenly unsure how to finish the sentence. Honestly, after overhearing Marie mutter her doubts about Victor¡¯s performance in that department over the years. Abraham had started to wonder himself if there was something wrong. But now Abraham raised a brow ¡°You¡¯re really reacting?¡± Victor nodded, ¡°Yeah. First time.¡± Abraham frowned. ¡°Never happened before?¡± Victor shook his head. /Never.¡± Abraham fell silent. So there really had been an issue after all. Which meant¡­ if he was reacting now, the issue must¡¯ve had something to do with Tessa¨Cand she must¡¯ve been the one who fixed it. Lewis had overheard everything, and he was floored. y? He knew Victor had issues in that area; Ss just wouldn¡¯t believe him. And now it turned out that tiny little woman had cured him. that was the case. Before Abraham could say anything. Lewis suddenly dropped to his knees with a loud thud. ¡°Mr. Abraham, please don¡¯t take that little girl away!¡± +10 Free Coins Chapter 477 First Reaction Ever The sudden kneeling startled both Abraham and Victor. When they realized what had just happened, Victor¡¯s face turned pitch ck. But Lewis didn¡¯t notice¡­.. He kept going, ¡°Mr. Abraham, Victor¡¯s condition used to be really serious. He never reacted, no matter how stunning the girl was right in front of him. And now, finally, someone actually gets a reaction out of him. Please, help him out; let her stay At that moment, Lewis was genuinely thinking of Victor¡¯s well¨Cbeing. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around why Victor liked someone like Tessa. was so tiny. Yeah, she looked clean and delicate, but she was so Next to his brother¡¯s towering frame, she looked like a little bun. ¡°Dude, she¡¯s way too small, don¡¯t you think? At least-¡± His thoughts raced ahead of his mouth; he was about to suggest Victor go for someone with a better figure. But before he could finish, he noticed Victor¡¯s expression had darkened. And the way Victor was staring at him¨Cit looked like he wanted to eat him alive. ¡°Dude, I¨CI just¡­ I mean.. Mr. Abraham?¡± Lewis¡® brain short¨Ccircuited, and he turned to Abraham for help. The man was calmly rolling a string of beads in his hand and gave a knowing smile. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t been raising him properly all these years. After all this time, and his spine¡¯s still so soft.¡± Victor said nothing. Lewis¡® mouth twitched. Soft spine! Wait a minute¨Cwhen he¡¯d first met Abraham, he¡¯d knelt just like this, begging him to take him in. Abraham had refused, and this exact act of kneeling had only made him more unwilling A man like that would never keep someone so spineless at his side. Later, when Victor had walked by, he¡¯d paused and said, ¡°You¡¯ll follow me from now on.¡± That was the only reason Lewis had been allowed to stay¡­. Which was also why he¡¯d always been willing to risk everything for Victor. Lewis lowered his head, ¡°I just wanted Ms. Tessa to stay.¡± Victor gritted his teeth. ¡°Get out.¡± Looking at Lewis groveling like that, Victor couldn¡¯t reconcile it with the man he was on the battlefield. He wasn¡¯t like this when facing enemies. How could he drop to his knees so easily? Was he even a man? 2 The wrong girl 478 Chapter 478 You Can¡¯t Leave Until I Say So Chapter 478 You Can¡¯t Leave Until I Say So ¡°Victor.¡± Lewis said. ¡°Get out.¡± Victor snapped under his breath. Lewis looked like he wanted to say more, but facing Victor¡¯s dangerous expression, he didn¡¯t dare utter another word. He slowly stood up, then turned to Abraham and added, ¡°Mr. Abraham, Victor hasn¡¯t touched a single woman all these years, so could you¡± ¡°Out¡± Victor¡¯s voice grew sharper¨Cthe more Lewis spoke, the more outrageous he sounded. Victor wanted nothing more than to sew his mouth shut with a needle. Silenced by the outburst, Lewis finally shut his mouth for good and slunk out of the room, utterly deted. Victor¡¯s eyesnded on the string of prayer beads that had somehow appeared in Abraham¡¯s hand. He frowned. ¡°Since when did Mr. Abraham start liking that kind of thing?* He¡¯d never believed in gods or spirits and certainly had no respect for them. At Victor¡¯s question, Abraham looked at the beads in his hand and a faint, indulgent smile lifted the corners of his mouth. ¡°Star bought them at the airport. What do you think?¡± Victor fell silent Figures. Of course. Who else but Ste could get Abraham to wear something that symbolizedpassion? ¡°She¡¯s always had good taste, Victor said. If Ste had picked it, whether it suited him or not didn¡¯t matter¨Che had to say it looked good. He nced at the beads again. ¡°Is that the first gift she¡¯s ever given you?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°Not exactly. But it¡¯s the first time she¡¯s ever picked something out so carefully.¡± She¡¯d given him gifts before too. But back then, he¡¯d never been there in person; he had no idea how she chose those things. This time, he¡¯d been right there¨Che¡¯d seen firsthand how seriously she¡¯d taken it. Victor didn¡¯t respond. God. I feel like a kicked puppy. Abraham came downstairs and immediately heard Ste and Tessa deep in gossip. From where he stood, he could see Tessa gesturing animatedly, her whole face lit up with excitement. A sudden wave of dissatisfaction swept over him. She had cried so hard on the phone earlier, soundingpletely broken¨CSte had been worried sick. And now, she didn¡¯t look the least bit rattled. Tessa was saying. ¡°Honestly, if things go south, the Keene family might end up just like the Reeds. Mark my words, Madeline is not one to mess with.¡± *If Ethan can¡¯t take control of the Keene Group, then Madeline will destroy it herself before she lets Mr. Judson¡¯s illegitimate son have it.¡± Over the years, Madeline and Judson had had a solid rtionship. 1/2 +10 Free Coins Chapter 478 You Can¡¯t Leave Until I Say So Out of nowhere, some son even older than Ethan and Sutton shows up, which was the ultimate p in the face. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, it might turn out even worse than what happened to the Reed family.¡± With the Reeds, Susan never had much standing with Patrick to begin with to step into So when it came time to fight for anything, she didn¡¯t even get the chance to step into the ring. But Madeline was different. Whether it was thepany or the family, she had held real control for years. If this blew up, it¡¯d be way more dramatic than the Reed family¡¯s downfall¨Cby miles. Just as Tessa was about to keep going, Abraham¡¯s voice cut in. ¡°Star, time to go.¡± Hoth Ste and Tessa turned toward him at the same time. Ste asked. ¡°Victor agreed to let me take Tessa?¡± Tessa, hearing that, said, ¡°Hold on, I need to ask Victor about my mom first.¡± Lewis had mentioned it earlier, but before she¡¯d had the chance to go upstairs, Abraham had shown up. ¡°Just give me a minute.¡± With that, she dashed up the stairs. Honestly, Ste had wanted to say that if there really was any news about Diana, Abraham would¡¯ve known too. Turning her eyes away from the staircase, Ste walked over to Abraham. ¡°What did Victor say?¡± Her brother hade all the way here himself. There was no way Victor would still try to hold onto Tessa Just as Ste was thinking that she¡¯d be able to take Tessa home smoothly this time- Abraham looked at her and said in a low voice, ¡°He really likes Tessa.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± What did that mean? Was it the kind of like I am thinking of? Wait a minute¡­ Likes Tessa? Victor! That guy actually likes someone like Tessa? Abraham took her hand and said, ¡°Just what you think it means.¡± Ste protested. That¡¯s impossible.¡± So many tall, long¨Clegged, fair¨Cskinned beauties had crossed his path¨Cbodies that were downright insane. wless. Stunning. Victor had seen every kind of woman imaginable over the years. And now he was saying he liked Tessa? Ste didn¡¯t buy it. She shot Abraham-a sharp re. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± They were just saying earlier that they suspected Tessa was connected to the Ashen Pact¨Cand now he was telling her that Victor liked her. There was no way this was real Either Abraham was lying to her, or Victor was lying to Abraham¨Cor worse, they were both in on it, lying to her together. But one thing she was absolutely sure of- There was no way she was going to believe it The wrong girl 479 Chapter 479 Tell Her to Leave or No News for You Chapter 479 Tell Her to Leave or No News for You Before Abraham could say anything, Ste cut in. ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid, okay? I¡¯m telling you right now, I am taking Tessa with me today.¡± She¡¯d had enough. Do I look that easy to fool? Or had Abraham been tricked by Victor too! 10 Free Coins The second one didn¡¯t seem likely. After all, even Victor wouldn¡¯t dare lie to Abraham. So¡­ it had to mean they were both lying to her. ¡°Star, Abraham said. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m taking Tessa. You heard her earlier¨Cshe¡¯s terrified of Victor.¡± Just thinking about how pitifully Tessa had cried on the phone earlier made Ste even more determined not to leave her behind. She was still fighting to take her away. Abraham rubbed his temples; this was giving him a headache¡­ Meanwhile, upstairs, Tessa stared nkly at Victor after hearing what he¡¯d said. ¡°I told you already, I have nothing to do with that stupid Ashen Pact. You can¡¯t use that as an excuse to keep me here.¡± Yeah. She was being held.. Panic set in. Just now, Ste had tried to take her away, and he¡¯d actually said no. even Ste couldn¡¯t get me out of here, who else could possibly save me from this ment Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Until this matter is fully investigated, you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not involved.¡± Victor gave her a long, deep,plicated look. ¡°We don¡¯t have the kind of rtionship where trustes easy.¡± Tessa went quiet. What kind of logic is that? So just because he said it, that made it true? ¡°And your mother¡­¡± he started. At the mention of her mother, Tessa¡¯s ears perked up immediately. She stared at him, desperate for more, but he suddenly stopped mid¨Csentence, watching her without saying another word. Tessa¡¯s nerves shot up. ¡°What about my mom?¡± ¡°Go downstairs and get rid of Ste first,¡± Victor said. Tessa froze. Wait, what¡­ What did getting rid of Ste have to do with news about my mom? She didn¡¯t care about any of that¨Cshe pressed on. ¡°Do you really know where she is?¡± The moment he mentioned her mom, Tessa¡¯s eyes lit up. There had to be news. Earlier, he¡¯d even asked Lewis to call her upstairs. It had to be about her mother. But Victor just kept staring at her in silence. Tessa a got more anxious. ¡°Where is she?¡± No one had any idea how miserable she¡¯d been these past few days. She was scared¨Cscared of everything going on around Victor¡­ cave of News for You And terrified for her mother¡¯s safety. Everything had happened so suddenly. To this day, she still had no clue what exactly had gone wrong. But she¡¯d made Wesley rush her over to Falvatia for a reason¡ªand now her mother couldn¡¯t be reached. She didn¡¯t need to think twice; something bad must¡¯ve luppened. And nose, fully, there as some neam¡­¡­.. Tessa shittled. ¡°Mr. Victor.¡± Victor looked away. ¡°Go downstairs and send Ste away first,¡± His voice was low, his meaning umumistakable¨CTevsa wasn¡¯t leaving this ce today. Tessa panicked. She started pacing, turning in anxious little circles. But seeing how firm Victor was, she finally headed toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Whatever happened- Her mother came first. She needed that information more than anything. As for the danger surrounding Victor¡­ she figured she could grit her teeth and bear il¨Cfor now, Downstairs, Ste sat on the couch, face turned to the side, arms crossed over her chest. Everything about her screamed pissed off Abraham tried to coax her. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re taking Tessa today. Come back with me first.¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste let out a loud buff. Abraham sighed and rubbed his forehead. Before he could say another word, Tessa¡¯s voice rang out from the staircase, ¡°Ste, you should go back first,¡± Hearing her, Ste snapped her head up. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Come on, just go back. I¡¯m fine.¡± Ste was stunned. Wait, what? Who had been calling me five times a day in tears? Now she was saying she was fine? ¡°Did Victor threaten you?¡± Tessa stammered, ¡°What? No¨Cugh, I just can¡¯t exin it right now. Just go, okay?¡± She really couldn¡¯t exin anything clearly at the moment. ¡°If something happens, I¡¯ll call you. Now, go back!¡± Ste just stared at her. She¡¯s really letting me leave? No way¨CTessa¡­ Who was the one sobbing on the phone, begging me toe get her? Now she¡¯s just sending me away? Tessa turned to leave, but Ste called out, ¡°Wait.¡± Tessa turned back around. The wrong girl 480 Chapter 480 Eat First Yell Later ¡°Are you really not corning with me?¡± Ste asked. Tewa nodded. ¡°Mm¨Chmm¡± ¡°Did Victor threaten you or something?¡± Ste pressed. How could someone change so drastically overnight? She was convinced Tessa had been coerced. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t him,¡± Tessa replied. Ste was stunned. Seriously! It wasn¡¯t? Then how could she have Hipped so fast! Just a moment ago, she¡¯d been crying in Ste¡¯s arms, begging not to be left behind. Tessa rubbed her hands nervously. ¡°Anyway, just go back for now.¡± After tone was firm. Ste didn¡¯t buy it, but with Tessa refusing to say more¨Cand not budging an inch toe with her¨Cshe didn¡¯t have much ground to stand on. Just as Tessa turned to head back into Victor¡¯s room, Ste called out again, ¡°Wait.¡± Tessa paused and looked back. ¡°From now on,¡± Ste said, ¡°don¡¯t get involved in anything rted to Victor. I mean it¨Cdon¡¯t do anything.¡± Tessa blinked, then gave a small nod. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I mean nothing,¡± Ste emphasized. ¡°No lifting a finger¨Cnot even to pour a ss of water.¡± What had happenedst night with the wrong medication couldn¡¯t happen again. If something like that happened again, no one would be able to exin it away. Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched, but then she gave a hard nod. ¡°Got it.¡± Ste was right. She totally deserved this. Why had she been so eager to help¨Cshe barely knew Victor. Even if she wanted to repay him for saving her in Rivermount, that didn¡¯t mean she had to y housemaid. There were plenty of other ways to show gratitude in this world. Tessa went back to Victor¡¯s room. Abraham took Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And just like that, he was leading her outside. As he tugged her along. Ste mumbled, ¡°Do you think Victor really threatened Tessa? Did he?¡± Abraham turned to nce at her, affection flickering in his eyes. ¡°You showed up in person¨Cwho¡¯d dare threaten her?¡± Ste fell silent. Thur. Forget Victor¡¯s people¨Ceven Victor himself had to show her some respect. Hai¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t right. ¡°When I said I wanted to take Tessa a away carlier, Victor t¨Cout refused.¡± Chapter 480 Eat First Yell Later This time, when it came to Tessa, Victor hadn¡¯t given her even a shred of face. Abraham said nothing more, simply led her out the door and into the car. He didn¡¯t bother answering her question again. Once they were inside, he pulled her into hisp. Ste squirmed a little. ¡°What are you doing? Let me sit on my own.¡± ¡°The medical team¡¯s already been arranged,¡± Abraham said. ¡°We¡¯ll start with a check¨Cup when we get back, okay?¡± Ste looked down. ¡°But I¡¯m hungry.¡± It was already lunchtime She¡¯d originally nned to head straight back to the Dawson family¡¯s ce after picking up Tessa¨Cbut things had dragged out longer than expected. Worse yet, she hadn¡¯t eaten a single bite. Hearing the pout in her voice, Abrahamughed. ¡°Then let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°At home?¡± ¡°Yeah, at home.¡± They were already so close¨Cof course they¡¯d eat at home. Sure, Falvaria had a lot of ces Ste liked to eat at¡­ but right now, all she wanted was to go home. The car rolled steadily along the familiar roads. Outside, rows of palm trees swayed gently. Even the scent of the air felt nostalgic. About half an hourter- The car climbed a small mountain just outside the city center. As it rounded a bend halfway up, the entire capital of Falvaria unfolded before them. This had always been: Ste¡¯s favorite spot whenever she left home. Especially at night. From here, you could see every twinkling light in the city, stretching out like a sea of stars, Ste leaned against the car window, gazing out. Abraham pulled her back into his arms. ¡°What¡¯s got yo you so mesmerized?¡± ¡°I¡¯m deciding where I want to eat over the next few days,¡± she said. ¡°Heh.¡± He chuckled, indulgent and amused. Back in Rivermount, she hadn¡¯t had any appetite. Now that she was home, it was like her appetite had been restored. ¡°Troublemaker. If it turns out you¡¯re pregnant, you won¡¯t be able to eat out whenever you want.¡± As he spoke, he kissed the back of her neck. Ste squirmed at the ticklish sensation and copsed against his chest. Their eyes met. Chapter 480 Eat First Yell Later Hers were soft and glistening, like morning dew¨Cand the sight made Abraham¡¯s heart melt. His lipsnded on hers. Ste tugged at the cor of her shirt, flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± They were almost home. For all she knew, a major scene was waiting for her to exin herself. +10 Free Coins Even though things in Falvaria had stayed rtively calm while she was in Rivermount, now that she was back and facing her mother in person¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous Sensing the tension in her body, Abraham chuckled. ¡°What? Getting nervous?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Ste mumbled. The wrong girl 481 Chapter 481 You¡¯re Not Nervous Anymore Are You Chapter 481 You¡¯re Not Nervous Anymore Are You She let tout a small huff and turned her face away. The car soon pulled up to the top of the hill. The first thing that came into view was the expansive horse ranch. 10 Free Coins Not far off stood a magnificent castle, from a distance, it looked like it touched the sky. Just looking at it stirred a sense of longing¡­. That was the Dawson mansion. The Dawson family¡¯s ce in Falvaria was just like the position of that castlemanding. absolute. As the motorcade approached, the electronic gates slowly opened after scanning the vehicle. A row of security personnel in ck uniforms stood at attention, a visual reminder of how difficult it was for anyone to get past this threshold. The car drove for another five minutes before finally pulling up in front of the castle¡¯s grand entrance. The butler was already there, nked by a line of maids, all standing respectfully. When the car stopped, the butler stepped forward and opened the door with a bow. ¡°Mr. Abraham. Ms. Dawson¡± Abraham got out first, then extended his hand into the car. Ste looked at his broad, steady palm before gently cing her small hand into it. With a light pull, he helped her out of the car. The butler, who usually kept his emotions in check, couldn¡¯t help the redness that welled up in his eyes the moment he saw Ste. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally home. These past few years without you¡­ something¡¯s always felt missing.¡± Ste greeted him sweetly, ¡°James.¡± James, the butler, was already in his fifties. At her greeting, he gave a soft smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Madam has already returned.¡± Ste nodded. Abraham reached out to adjust her coat, but she said, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± Falvaria¡¯s weather was much warmer than Rivermount¡¯s¨CRivermount was truly freezing Abraham took her hand and led her inside. Along the way, the staff greeted them one after another. Seeing that Ste had really returned, most of them looked genuinely happy. Back when Ste lived here, she had always treated the staff kindly, so many of them had grown fond of her. There were a few exceptions¨Cthose who looked down on her because she was adopted. Still, because of the way Abraham and the entire Dawson family treated Ste, even those withints dared not speak Some had even been bribed by other heiresses to try and trip Ste up¨Cbut in the end, they were either chased off by Abraham or Evelyn. They passed the main entrance¡­ Then walked for several more minutes until they reached the private vi where Evelyn spent most of her time. 1/2 Chapter 481 You¡¯re Not Nervous Anymore Are You As soon as they stepped inside, the smell of food filled the air, instantly whetting Ste¡¯s appetite. +10 Free Coins Evelyn¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°I don¡¯t even know if Star still likes this stuff. That rascal Abraham said her tastes have changed since living in Rivermount.¡± ¡°As long as Madam prepared it, Miss will definitely love it,¡± Harper said reassuringly. ¡°No matter how much her taste changed out there, nothing beats home.¡± Harper was the maid in the Dawson mansion Evelyn agreed, ¡°Exactly. Home is still the best. And seriously¨Cwhat kind of people are those in Rivermount? I can¡¯t even stand to let Star suffer the tiniest bit, and they nearly got her killed.¡± By the time she said that ,¡± Harper said gently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Mr. Abraham already give them what they deserved? Totally wrecked them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still mad.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Dawson really went through hell this time.¡± Harper¡¯s voice was full of sympathy. Evelyn added. ¡°Exactly. Thank goodness that little head of hers is smart¨Cdidn¡¯t fall for any of those losers out there. At least her taste in men is still top¨Cnotch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Harper said. ¡°Mr. Abraham has kept Ms. Dawson in the palm of his hand all these years¨Chow could she possibly look at anyone else?¡± That finally made Evelyn smile. ¡°Well then, all those years Abraham spent taking care of her weren¡¯t wasted.¡± The two of them continued chatting in Falvarian, On the way back, Ste had been worrying about how to talk to her mother about her and Abraham But now, hearing the conversation between Evelyn and Harper, all her concerns vanished. Abraham looked over at her. ¡°Not nervous anymore? Ste nodded. ¡°Not at all.¡± If Mom¡¯s saying all that, what is there to be nervous about? All she had to do was admit fault and y sweet¨Cthat always worked. This was the Dawson family. This was what home meant to Ste¡­ Ever since she was little, no matter what she did wrong, she always believed that as long as she admitted her mistake and softened her tone, things could be resolved. It wasn¡¯t like the Reed family in Rivermount. Back there, she had beenpletely unprepared for all the scheming Over time, she realized, those people who called themselves family were something else entirely. Evelyn and Harper were still talking. ¡°Do you think Star will like this dish? What about that one!¡± The wrong girl 482 Chapter 482 Don¡¯t Cry You¡¯re Not a Kid Anymore It had been years since they¡¯dst seen each other. Evelyn asked Harper about everything, worried that these things might not suit her taste. But before Harper could even respond, Ste¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°I like it¨CI like all of it. Evelyn had her back to the door. At the sound of Ste¡¯s voice, her body visibly stiffened. Just when Ste thought she would immediately turn around¨Cand she herself was already bracing to run up and hug her- The warmth and enthusiasm she had anticipated. never came. Evelyn didn¡¯t turn around; she stood there, rigid, her back to her. Ste¡¯s heart tightened all over again. Juntil she saw Evelyn¡¯s shoulders trembling ever so slightly Ste felt a sharp ache in her chest and stepped forward slowly. ¡°Mom.¡± Still, Evelyn didn¡¯t turn around. As she got closer, Ste could see more clearly¨CEvelyn¡¯s shoulders were trembling harder now. This time, Ste didn¡¯t hesitate. She walked up quickly and wrapped her arms around Evelyn from behind ¡°Mom, I¡¯m home.¡± Her voice was soft¨Cso soft it could break your heart. At that, Evelyn finally turned around and pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°You little brat Onlye home when someone goes out to get you? Forgot the way on your own?¡± Her torie was full of scolding. Evelyn was tall by nature, and Abraham had clearly inherited the good genes from her. Sopared to Abraham, Ste was small¨Cand standing in front of Evelyn, she was still a tiny ball of softness. It was slightly better than with Abraham, though¨Cat least she came up to Evelyn¡¯s neck this time. Hearing Evelyn¡¯s scolding, Ste nuzzled into her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad anymore, okay? I am wrong¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t give me a full exnation today, I¡¯m absolutely not forgiving you Ste was stunned. Evelyn continued, ¡°And you¨Cdid you call someone else ¡®mom¡°?¡± The corner of Ste¡¯s mouth twitched; she went quiet. Someone else? Suran? ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t¡± Dol seem like that kind of person? Someone who¡¯d call just anyone ¡®mom¡® for a piece of candy? Though truthfully, Susan never really tried to coax her. Ever since she arrived at River at Rivermount- Lillian had been actingpletely erratic, always causing trouble in one way or another. Chapter 482 Don¡¯t Cry You¡¯re Not a Rid Anymore Even during those two months in the hospital, Susan only came sporadically. Each tune, she¡¯d stay ten, maybe fifteen minutes¨Clike a candle being lit and then immediately snuffed out¡­ Susan¡¯s way of being a mother stood in stark contrast to Evelyn¡¯s From the very beginning. Ste hadn¡¯t epted her in her heart. Andter on, that was even less likely. Ste nuzzled into Evelyn¡¯s arms again. ¡°I would never.¡± Hearing that. Evelyn finally felt a little better. She held Ste tightly, pleased. ¡°Good, that¡¯s what I wanted to hear. Hmph.¡± Her tone was full of prideful affection. If Ste had really called someone else ¡°mom, Evelyn wouldn¡¯t have let it go. If she already called someone else mom, and the Reed family still treated her that way- Then Evelyn definitely wouldn¡¯t have let those people off the hook. She¡¯d keep going after them. Ste held Evelyn tightly. ¡°Mom, I missed you so much.¡± ¡°If you missed me, why didn¡¯t youe home! You little brat¡­¡± When it came to the subject ofing home, Evelyn¡¯s tone suddenly turned heavy. Not just for Ste¨Ceven at her age, Evelyn had never experienced anything as chaotic as that. She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the upheaval three years ago. She had lost her husband, the Dawson family had been thrown into turmoil. She and Marie had been kidnapped together, and in the end, Ste had vanished without a trace. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re back¡­ it¡¯s good you¡¯re back.¡± Ali the scolding she had prepared ended up bing just that shagle line. No matter what, after everything they¡¯d been through, having the family together again was more important than anything They stayed in each other¡¯s arms for ten full minutes before Abrahamn finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stepped in. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough hugging.¡± ¡°You liule brat.¡± Evelyn shot Abraham a re of disapproval. What did he mean enough hugging? She still wanted more. Abraham pulled Ste out of her arms. ¡°Star¡¯s hungry.¡± Ste was stunned. The moment Evelyn heard that, she let out a surprised yelp: ¡°Ah! So you do know what hunger feels like? I heard you haven¡¯t been eating welltely.¡± As she spoke, Evelyn¡¯s gaze drifted downward andnded on Ste¡¯s still¨Ct belly. At that moment, her eyes grew even more tender. Even her smile softened with maternal warmth. ¡°It¡¯s good you know when you¡¯re hungry. If you didn¡¯t, that¡¯d really be miserable.¡± ¡°Not just for you¨Cwhat¡¯s inside your belly would suffer, too.¡± The wrong girl 483 Chapter 483 Marie Has Zero Chill Ste went quiet. When she heard Evelyn mention ¡°what¡¯s in your belly,¡± her chest gave a little jolt. Just after Abraham had pulled her out of Evelyn¡¯s arms, she dove right back into them. ¡°Mom.¡± Her voice caught with a sob. 10 Free Cons She really didn¡¯t me me¡­ All the worries she¡¯ll carried back in Rivermount hadpletely vanished in that moment. ¡°Why are you crying again? Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¨Cyou¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± Crying was for kids. J¨C1 thought you¡¯d be mad at me,¡± Ste said. She had gotten together with Abraham just like that¨Cshe had truly been afraid Evelyn wouldn¡¯t take it well. And it was precisely because Evelyn had been so good to her all these years that she had kept her feelings for Abraham tucked away so carefully, Especially during her time in Rivermount¨Cshe¡¯d seen enough. Susan had doted on Lillian so much. But even then, she had never once thought about Lillian and Jonathan being a thing¡­ So in Ste¡¯s heart, she hade to believe that this kind of rtionship simply wasn¡¯t one people would ept. ¡°Why would I be mad at you? Isn¡¯t this a good thing? Back then, I worried about you all the time.¡± At this, Evelyn let out a long sigh ¡°You were so delicate. If you grew up and married into some other family and got bullied, then what?¡± Granted, Ste¡¯s temperament had been well¨Cshaped by the Dawson family. But still, Evelyn had worried. Compared to Marie, Ste was much more likely to get picked on. And sure enough, things had turned out exactly the way Evelyn had predicted¨Cthose people in Rivermount had bullied her. Ste was even more touched. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°No I to more crying, okay? Be good. After you eat, have the med team give you a full checkup¡± Evelynforted her patiently. She even shot Abraham a fierce re, ming him for not exining things to Ste properly earlier. Look how worried she got. Sure enough, being away for so long had changed things; even Ste had worried about how she¡¯d take the news. What was there to worry about? I raised her myself. No one knows her temperament better than I do. Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± After a few more soothing words, Evelyn led her over to the dining table. Chapter 483 Marie Has Zero Chill The housekeepers had already set the table¨Cit waspletely covered with food. All of Ste¡¯s favorite dishes from when she used to live in Falvaria. Evelyn kept piling food onto her te. ¡°Star, I made this one myself today.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Ste nodded sweetly. She used her fork to pick up a piece of tbread and took a bite. ¡°Mom, your cooking is still amazing¡± -10 Free Coms Who would¡¯ve guessed that Evelyn¨Cthe tough,manding woman out in the world, the only daughter of the Luke family -would also know her way around the kitchen? And not just that¨Cwhat she made was seriously delicious. Ste loved the way her mom¡¯s cooking tasted. ¡°I heard that after you went to Rivermount, you especially liked eating broth. I thought maybe you didn¡¯t like these anymore,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I do. I do I love all of it¡± It was just that, over in Rivermount, those in dishes hadn¡¯t been very tasty. The only things she really liked over there were the broth and the barbecue. People naturally gravitate toward what they enjoy eating But no matter how much tastes might change, the vors from home were never truly gone from her heart. get tired of them if you eat them too often, but go without for too long, and you¡¯d start craving them. You might get And Ste had clearly been craving them. ¡°This soup is amazing, she said. After one sip of the soup Evelyn had made herself, Ste¡¯s whole face lit up with satisfaction. It really was that good. Evelynughed¡­ For anyone who cooked, the greatestfort was having someone enjoy it. ¡°If it¡¯s good, drink up. You haven¡¯t been eating properlytely, so you have to eat more today.¡± As Ste sipped her soup, she asked, ¡°Mom, how do you know everything? Did you know what I¡¯ve been up to all these years in Rivermount too?¡± If she even knew about her poor eating habits, then she must¡¯ve grown eyes on her or something. Evelyn¡¯s expression froze for a moment at the question. ¡°Your mom¡¯s not that magical. You sneaky girl really knew how to hide. Picked that kind of ce to disappear to. Getting bullied and still didn¡¯t think toe home.¡± Any time Rivermount came up, it always circled back to how the Reed family had treated Ste. Back then, Evelyn really hadn¡¯t known that Ste had gone to Rivermount¨Cthere were so many ces to go abroad Who would¡¯ve guessed she¡¯d end up somewhere with apletely differentnguage? But she had seriously underestimated Ste¡¯s ability to learn. In just two or three years, Ste had mastered the local
  • c. Ste said.
    • ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Evelyn let out a proud little huff, though she clearly hadn¡¯t meant to scold Ste at all. After all, these past years, they¡¯d been busy dealing with all the lingering mess left behind. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve gone to bring Ste back long ago¨Cno way would they have let her be bullied by the Reed family. Becausepared to those real dangers, the Reed family¡¯s tricks barely counted for anything. And this time¡­ though things still weren¡¯t fully resolved, The moment Ste used the ck card Abraham had given her, they stopped feeling at ease altogether. Even if not all the problems had been cleaned up yet, they were afraid something might happen to Ste in Rivermount. ¡°Right or wrong¨Ceat first, talkter. Come on, eat up.¡± Evelyn ced a piece of beef into Ste¡¯s bowl. That red wine braised beef had always been one of Ste¡¯s favorite dishes. But after she¡¯d gone to Rivermount, the vor hadn¡¯t quite been the same over there, so she¡¯d stopped eating it. Now, Evelyn¡¯s attitudepletely set her heart at ease. She was just starting to eat when- Marie barged in from outside, cursing under her breath. ¡°That damn Keene family! I swear I¡¯m gonna get every bit of it back someday! Evie and Eddie are absolute garbage, total lowlifes! And Derrick¨Cthat snake¨CI won¡¯t let him off either. Sooner orter. I¡¯ll destroy him.¡± Ste and Abraham both went quiet. When Evelyn heard Marie¡¯s loud, fiery cursing, the corner of her mouth twitched. Her own daughter¡­ honestly, what a sight. Listen to that mouth¡­ She¡¯d told her so many times. If you¡¯re gonna curse someone out, at least do it without being vulgar But no, every time she flew off the handle, it was straight to ¡°destroy this¡± and ¡°kill that. Honestly, who had she inherited that personality from! When she turned around and saw Marieing in from the foyer, she snapped, ¡°Alright, enough with the cursing already. Do you have any sense of what ady should be like?¡± When it came to this daughter, Evelyn really was helpless. She¡¯d raised Ste and Marie herself from the time they were little¨Csame parenting style, same everything, But she never could figure out why Marie had always turned out more like a boy. All those pretty dresses she bought for her, she refused to wear. Designer heels, custom jewelry, handbags¨Cbrand¨Cnew, untouched Ste, on the other hand, was just perfect¡­ Little girls were meant to be dressed like princesses, all soft and pink and adorable. Marie saw they were already eating. Sull furning, she walked over to the dining table and sat down. Chapter 1851 Robbed Them With Style and Taste Chapter 485 I Robbed Them With Style and Taste With Ste ard, Evelynster ided not to bring up anything about Marie Marichimed in, ¡°And don¡¯t start on meter either¨CEm still going after Derrick. Three years ago, he dared to take Star, you She repeated over and over, Abraham shot her a disapproving nce, but Marie showed no intention of holding back. When Evelyn heard she still nned to go after Derrick, her expression turned particrlyplicated. Mentioning Derrick gave Evelyn a headache too. She thought back to what he¡¯d told her just two days ago. For a moment, she¡¯d been stunned to learn that Derrick had carried such a heavy burden hark then. in At the time, everyone said Derrick was ungrateful¨Cthat he¡¯d kicked his best brother when he was down. But no one knew if he hadn¡¯t betrayed them in such an unorthodox way back then, the damage to the Dawson family After dinner, Marie brought Ste to her room, while Abraham followed Evelyn into the study. Marie yanked open the wardrobe, spread her arms wide, and scooped out an entire row of clothing, tossing it all onto the bed in one big heap Then she turned and opened a row of drawers, taking out each delicate box inside one by one¨Cfancy gift boxes and clothes were now all jumbled together. A mountain formed on the bed Ste went quiet. Marie opened the boxes¨Cinside were all kinds of jewelry, nes, rings, bracelets, earrings a huge collection. ¡°My new creations.¡± The dazzling disy male Ste¡¯s eyes widen in shock. ¡°You made all of these too?¡± When did she learn to make jewelry! She¡¯d only known Marie had learned to sew clothes because of Dan. But jewelry too? Did Dan have a thing for essories or something? If that were true, then Marie had changed for for him. Marie said, ¡°It was on the way to look for you two years ago. I came across a mine. The stones inside were gorgeous, so I took them all. Their were too many, so I ended up designing and making all of this. It¡¯s all for you.¡± Ste stunned. She came across me? You go out to find someone and casually stumble across a mine? How lucky can one person bet Honestly, you could say she was Mested by the gods and no one would argue Ste examined the rity and texture of the stones. She couldn¡¯t tell exactly what kind of mineral they were¨Cbut they were. definitely beautiful. ¡°You¡¯re sure you took these from the mine yourself?¡± ven though Ste didn¡¯t know much about gemstones, She could still tell from the texture in her hand¨Cthey were top¨Cquality. Marie replied, ¡°I stole them¡± 1 The wrong girl 485 Chapter 485 I Robbed Them With Style and Taste Stole them? Has the serious? Ste waspletely speechless Marie exined, ¡°It was from one of those shady groups. I tried toy from them, but they scammed me¨Ctried to extort more money. Totally shameless.¡± Anyway, getting her hands on those stones had taken quite a bit of ellort If they hadn¡¯t been so pretty, she wouldn¡¯t have even given them a second nce, But those guys had the nerve to try and Thinking about that whole ordeal still made Marie mad. Ste¡¯s eyelid twitched hard. ¡°So you just stole them?¡± Marie shrugged. ¡°C¡¯mon, I paid for them.¡± Well, she paid the actual value of the stones¨Cthere was no way she¡¯d pay the extra they tried to scam out of her. ¡°Alright,e on,e on, let¡¯s put this on you. I handpicked every material in this ne. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Marie said with feal feeling All these years without hearing Ste called her as a sister, she hadn¡¯t gotten used to it at all. Even though they were grown now, Ste still had that baby¨Cfaced roundness; she hadn¡¯t changed much since she was little. Marie couldn¡¯t help but see the child version of her. Looking at that adorable little face, Marie¡¯s heart softened again. Back in school, no matter how mad she was¨Cone look at that face and she¡¯d calm right down. Now that she was older, those eyes were still just as sweet. ¡°The raw gemstones were cut by a professional. And I matched all the essories myself.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s beautiful- The ne¡¯s design really was unique¨Cespecially those stones. ¡°What kind of stone is this?¡± she asked. Marie shrugged ¡°No idea. Just looked pretty, so I stole¨Cwait, no¨Cbought it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s been tested. Totally harmless.¡± As she spoke, she started rummaging through the pile on the bed, grabbing a dress and holding it up alongside the ne, measuring everything against Ste¡¯s frame. ¡°Look at my taste¨Cit¡¯s amazing, right?¡± Ste went quiet. She nced at the ne in Marie¡¯s hand. Yeah¡­ the taste really was amazing 2 The wrong girl 486 Chapter 486 I Recognize That Man Even as Ashes Ste pondered for a moment, her eyes drifting to the color of the dress. She pursed her lips. ¡°Dan¡­. is he into mature women now?¡± Marie was stunned. At the sudden mention of Dan, her expression stiffened uncontrobly. She turned around andid the dress down on the bed. With her back to Ste, the sadness radiated off her. Ste stepped forward and gently took hold of her cold hand. ¡°Marie.¡± She called softly, her voice light and sweet- Yet in that moment it gave Marie endless strength Marie shut her eyes. ¡°He has a fianc¨¦e now. He¡¯s getting married, Star¨Che¡¯s actually getting married.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste said. 10 Free Couns. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Back then. Dan had clearly liked Marie¨CSte had seen it with her own eyes. He had treated Marie so well. He had even hidden his identity just to stay by her side. Thinking back to those days, that was the happiest Ste had ever seen Marie. Dan had taught her how to be a girl. They had loved each other so deeply¡­ Marie drew in a sharp breath. ¡°He forgot about me. He doesn¡¯t even remember who I am.¡± ¡®Amnesia?¡± Ste asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything anymore, and I don¡¯t want to. He didn¡¯t recognize me.¡± That single phrase-¡°didn¡¯t recognize¨Cheld an ocean of pain in Marie¡¯s voice. Hearing her say that, Ste found herself speechless. She stepped up behind Marie and silently wrapped her arms around her. Marie¡¯s body trembled slightly. ¡°How could he not recognize me? How¡­¡± Ste could feel the pain radiating from her. She didn¡¯t know what to say¨Cthis kind of hurt wasn¡¯t something that could be eased with a few words. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you sure it was really Dan?¡± If it was Dan, how could he treat her that way? And how could someone just forget everything like that? If he didn¡¯t recognize her, maybe¡­ he wasn¡¯t the same person at all. She thought back to that phone call Abraham had with Marie¨Cthe one that revealed Abraham had already known that man was in Frapeu +10 Free Coins Chapter 486 I Recognize That Man Even as Ashes He¡¯d known how important that man was to Marie, and yet he¡¯d never told her a word: Could it really that it was just someone who looked like Dan? But if it were just a lookalike, he wouldn¡¯t have told Marie at all would Art Ste couldn¡¯t make sense of it. But then Marie gritted her teeth, her voice suddenly harsh. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Even if he turned to ashes, I¡¯d still recognize him. It was him. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be wrong Someone who had never been forgotten¨Csomeone buried deep in her heart¨Chow could she possibly mistake him? At those words, Ste fell silent. So it was Dan. And yet in Frapucu, he had a fiancee now. Ste held Marie, resting her chin on her shoulder. ¡°So¡­ what are you nning to do?¡± What worried Ste the most now was that Marie might lose control and do something reckless. JMarie went quiet. When asked about her next move, she froze too. Her body stiffened. She closed her eyes, trying hard to hold back the emotion threatening to break through. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She had carried this person¨Cwho was supposed to be gone¨Clike a treasure in her heart. And now suddenly, someone had told her he was still alive¡­ living a whole new life. And the one who had cherished him- Was the one left with nothing. Marie.. was the one who lost it all. ¡°Alright. Sadness ends here.¡± Ste went quiet. Marie suddenly took Ste¡¯s arms off her, and when she turned around, she was all smiles again Ste stood there,pletely stunned. She had never seen someone flip emotional switches like this¨Cshaking with grief one moment, Then bright as a sunflower the next. Marie picked up the dress again from the bed, then selected a sparkling ne from the pile of jewelry. ¡°This one¡¯s gorgeous too.¡± Ste went quiet. ¡°What do you mean ¡®Dan likes jewelry? What¡¯s it got to do with him? The things I made for you have nothing to do with him.¡± As she spoke, she started pulling at Ste¡¯s clothes. The room¡¯s heating was turned way up. Since Ste had entered, she¡¯d already taken off her coat¨Cnow she was just in a sweater. Marie went ahead and rugged it right off. Ste instinctively tried to cover herself ¡°1-11l do it myself.¡± Chapter 486 I Recognize That Man Even as Ashes +10 Free Coins ¡°Do what yourself?¡± Marie huffed. ¡°Hurry up, I need to see how all these look on you. I¡¯ve seen every part of you before- what are you so shy abour? Hands off¡± With that, she pulled the dress over Ste¡¯s head in one motion. Then clipped the ne on, too. Just like that, she was back to her usual brash self¨Cas if the heartbroken woman from moments ago had never existed. Seeing how Blustered Ste looked, Marie snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a grown woman already¨Cstill shy? Haven¡¯t you and Abraham done everything by now?¡± The wrong girl 487 Chapter 487 This Ain¡¯t Rough Living Ste was stunned. Her mind wentpletely nk. Was that really something people said out loud? To be honest, for the past two years, she had done everything on her own. Aside from visiting hot springs, she handled everything herself. Marie helped her change clothes Marie gave her a once¨Cover, then nodded in approval. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect a little shorty like you to pull off clothes this well.¡± Ste was stunned. Is the seriously attacking my height? Himph¡­ She snapped back, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m not short.¡± Back in Rivermount, when she stood next to other girls, she was usually the taller one. Back So how did she suddenly be ¡°short¡± in Marie¡¯s eyes? Marie scoffed, ¡°Not short? You¡¯re the shortest one in the Dawson family. All those years being fed the best stuff, and you still didn¡¯t grow any taller.¡± Ste went quiet That line shut her right up. The jewelry Marie made was truly beautiful Each shape carved from the mysterious mineral was absolutely stunning. And they looked amazing on Ste. ¡°These earrings are huge,¡± she said, eyeing the pair Marie held up¨Csparkling and bright. ¡°They¡¯re not heavy,¡± Marie replied. ¡°I polished them with a special technique.¡± As she spoke, she fastened them onto Ste¡¯s ears. Sure enough, they weren¡¯t heavy. Ste nced at herself in the mirror. ¡°Wearing these normally might be a bit much, don¡¯t you think?¡± They had such a form¨¢l, extravagant vibe. Marie scoffed. ¡°Over the top? I think they¡¯re perfect. You haven¡¯t worn anything one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind in years, have you?¡± Ste was stunned again, ¡°I haven¡¯t had anything custom¨Cmade by Madam Emily these past few years. I¡¯ve just been buying off the rack.¡± Emily was the exclusive designer for the Luke family, and Ste hadn¡¯t dared approach her. Custom fashion¡­ Honestly, Ste didn¡¯t know the first thing about it. Back when she lived with the Dawson family, all her tailored clothes were handled by others. Usually it was Abraham, Evelyn, and Marie¡­ Whatever they gave her, she wore. So after leaving that life, she just bought whatever looked good to her. Whether someone else had the same thing. Ste never even thought about it. Chapter 487 This Ain¡¯t Rough Living Marte wrinkled her nose. ¡°You really got used to living that rough out there, huh?¡± Ste was stunned. Rough ¡°Do you have something against ordinary life! I actually think it¡¯s kind of nice.¡± Back in the Dawson family, every meal and every outfit was pre¨Carranged 10 Free Coins You could only choose from a limited set of options, the best ones, sure, but still limited. But once she left that world, the good and the bad were allid out in front of her. Food, clothes¡­ There were so many choices. In the Dawson family, there were rules for everything¨Ceven how to dress. But out here,fort was king. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re pretty into life outside,¡± Marie muttered. ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t remember how to     Ste replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡± She did want toe home¨Cshe just didn¡¯t want them thinking her life out there was all misery. Especially the Reed family¡­ During one meal, her mom had assumed she was being tormented by them the whole time. But that wasn¡¯t the case. The Reed family had been ruthless, sure, but Ste hadn¡¯t let them off easy either. Even before Abraham arrived in Rivermount, she¡¯d already used her ownwork to trip up the Reed Group Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have started to crumble the moment Abraham made a move. Marie let out a disgruntled huff. ¡°You say that, but you didn¡¯t even call me.¡± Marie had been particrly upset about Ste disappearing without a word. Ste sighed, ¡°Back then, Derrick¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s hard to exin.¡± At the time, Derrick had seemed locked in a life¨Cor¨Cdeath feud with Abraham, and Ste hadn¡¯t dared take any chances. Marie¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of Derrick. ¡°That shameless jerk. At first, I actually thought he really cherished that Kelly girl.¡± Kelly was Derrick¡¯s sister. That woman had always had a thing for Abraham. But seriously, it¡¯s not like she ever took a good look in the mirror¨Craised by that stepmother of hers, no less. Someone like her could never marry into the Tom family. The name ¡°Kelly¡± made something flicker in Ste¡¯s eyes. ¡°So¡­ what happened to her?¡± ¡°Crippled. In prison,¡± Marie answered, full of disdain. ¡°Serves her right.¡± Back when Ste left, Kelly had had the nerve to tell Marie that she¡¯d be her sister¨Cinw someday. With her attitude and background, she thought she could marry into the Dawson family? Dream on. They spent another half hour trying on essories. There were still tons more¡­. Ste finally copsed into a seat, exhausted. There were so many. 283 Chapter 487 This Ain¡¯t Rough Living She¡¯d thought it was just those few boxes Marie brought out at the start. But then Marie went into storage and hauled out a whole new batch. ¡°Come on,e on¨Ctry these too.¡± Marie chirped. Ste was stunned: ¡°I love all of them.¡± ¡°Then try them all.¡± Marie grinned. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t rob a mine or something?¡± Ste muttered, eyes practically crossing from the sheer variety. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I bought them? Bought. Do you understand the word or not?¡± Marie huffed. 10 Free Coins The wrong girl 488 Chapter 488 He¡¯s Coming With Weapons Ste was stunned. Just as Marie was about to say something else, her phone rang. She nced at the screen, and without hesitation, hung up after just one look. But the phone rang again the next second. Ste nced over. The name disyed was Sebastiant That was Derrick¡¯s cousin, toarnti? Marie, clearly annoyed, picked up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Marie, you¡¯ve gotta run¨Cmy brother¡¯s on his way to find you.¡± Marie blinked. ¡°What the heck?¡± Ste was stunned. She froze at the voice on the other end of the call. What did Sebastian just say? Derrick wasing after Marie Marie¡¯s mouth twitched; she instinctively nced at Ste sitting beside her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he being after Star? Why¡¯s he after me? Shouldn¡¯t you be telling Star to run?¡± After all, here in Falvaria, Derrick was still Ste¡¯s fiance in name. Now that she¡¯d returned and even fallen in love with Abraham, of course Derrick would lose his mind. Marie thought back to two days ago, when Derrick had gone to see her mother¨Cher mother had looked serious afterward. From what she gathered, it seemed like Derrick wasn¡¯t nning to give up the engagement with Ste. Ugh¡­ The whole thing was a total mess. So from Marie¡¯s perspective, if Derrick was looking for anyone right now, it had to be Ste to settle the score. ¡°No, he¡¯s definitely after you.¡± Marie was stunned. M¨¦r ¡°What¡¯d I do to him? Because I beat him up? He deserved that, didn¡¯t he? What, did I injure him or something?¡± Clearly, Marie didn¡¯t get what Sebastian meant. I¡¯m not that strong, right? With Derrick¡¯s skills, she hadn¡¯t even gotten the upper hand when they fought. So to im she¡¯d done something serious to him? That was impossible. Sebastian said, ¡°No, it¡¯s that a document went missing¡­ Ah, he¡¯s totally losing it right now and he¡¯sing for you. You need to hide, fast!¡± Marie blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Move it, he¡¯s even bringing weapons.¡± Marie was stunned. He¡¯sing after me with trapons? What the heck kind of document did that scumbag lose! From what Sebastian was saying, Derrick was ready to risk it all. ¡°I didn¡¯t take anything Marie waspletely dumbfounded. When she went to find Derrick, it was just for a fight¨Cshe really didn¡¯t take anything 10 Free Coins Chapter 488 He¡¯s Coming With Weapons. #hy was this making me look like a thief? Annoyed, Marie asked, ¡°When did it go missing?¡± She had gone to see him a few times these past few days. Sebastian replied, ¡°Time¨Cwise, it should¡¯ve been four days ago¡ªyour first day back¡± Marie shot back. ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t me. I definitely didn¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already in Dan¡¯s hands.¡± Marie was stunned. What the heck? The document ended up with Dani And she¡¯d been in Frapucu just days ago¡­. She had even gone to Keres Ind with Dan. After hearing Derrick was returning to Falvaria, she¡¯d gotten so pissed she followed along Then, because of the whole Dawson family situation, she went to pick a fight with Derrick. Which meant¨Cright after she left Dan¡¯s side, she¡¯d gone to confront Derrick, and then Derrick lost the document? And now that document was in Dan¡¯s hands? Marie¡¯s mind was spinning. And then it hit her. Given how all the timing lined up¡­ she had no way to exin herself now, even if she was innocent. Damn that useless Dan- why the heck would he go after something Derrick had? Sebastian said, ¡°You really need to hide¨Che¡¯s out for blood. If you don¡¯t give him that document today, he¡¯s seriously going to kill you.¡± Marie was stunned. Kill me? I didn¡¯t even take the damn thing! Goddammit¨Cwhere am I supposed to go to argue my innocence note? Sebastian said a few more things before finally hanging up. Marie turned to look at Ste. Ste was already watching her. Marie said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. I believe you.¡± She didn¡¯t even hesitate¨Cjust nodded, unconditionally trusting her. Ste knew exactly what kind of person Marie was. Even if Dan was treating her like trash now, even back when he was good to her, she¡¯d never do something this stupid. Marie could love someone, but she¡¯d neverpromise her principles for a man. And more importantly, even if she had done something, she¡¯d be open and direct about it. She would never stoop to stealing In secret. Just as Ste and Marie were about to say something else, a knock came at the door. The butler¡¯s voice came f from outside. ¡°Miss ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Derrick is here. He says Mane went quiet. he wants to see w see you¡± 2/3 Chapter 488 He¡¯s Coming With Weapons That fast? Wait, this.. *10 Free Coins ing around Since Derrick had exined what really happened three years ago, her mother hadn¡¯t forbidden him froming anymore. After all, the two families had been close for generations. And back then, Derrick had actually intended to help the Dawson family¨Cthings had just spiraled out of control by ident. If anything, he was still owed a debt of gratitude from the Dawson family¡­ aa The wrong girl 489 Chapter 489 Derrick Just Kicked the Damn Door In Marie said instinctively, ¡°I¡¯m not seeing him.¡± Marie pondered. How the heck am I supposed to exin this? But just as the words left her mouth, Derrick¡¯s furious roar erupted from outside the door, ¡°Marie, get the heck out here! I swear I¡¯ll kill you today! Do you even know what you stole? You¡¯ve got the guts to steal that?¡± Ste and Marie went quiet. Derrick had oftene and gone from the Dawson mansion¨Cusually alongside Abraham. So he knew both the Dawson mansion and the Luke residence like the back of his hand. And clearly, he¡¯d predicted Marie wouldn¡¯t see him face¨Cto¨Cface, so he¡¯d juste straight to her door. Hearing Derrick¡¯s fury, Ste quickly pulled out her phone to call Abraham. The Dawson magnion was huge. There was a chance Abraham didn¡¯t even know Derrick was here yet. Marie started to panic. ¡°I didn¡¯t take anything! Don¡¯t start using me out of nowhere!¡± Judging by Derrick¡¯s mood, if she opened that door, he might actually try to kill her. Derrick barked, ¡°Come out.¡± While Ste was dialing, she said to Marie, ¡°If you didn¡¯t take it, shouldn¡¯t you try exining it to him?¡± Marie shot back, ¡°You really think I can exin anything to him right now, looking at how he¡¯s acting!¡± Ste went quiet. Yeah¡­ maybe not. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Sebastian on the phone earlier? He said Derrick brought weapons toe after me.¡± Ste was stunned; He brought weapons¨Cjust how unhinged was Derrick right now? Like Marie said, there was no reasoning with someone in that state. ¡°Then maybe you should bring weapons too?¡± Ste suggested. Derrick looked ready to kill Maric, and Sebastian had said he was armed. So it only made sense for Marie to arm herself too. Marie was stunned; Fight Derrick here? In this house! If they tore the ce up, wouldn¡¯t it be my house getting wrecked? No way¨Cthat was a terrible deal. And then she remembered about Ste. Marie¡¯s gaze instinctively dropped to Ste¡¯s stomach, No. She couldn¡¯t act impulsively. ¡°all your brother. Now.¡± If they were going to fight, it couldn¡¯t be here. ¡°I¡¯m already calling him,¡± Ste replied. The call connected. +10 Free Coins Chapter 489 Derrick Just Kicked the Damn Door In Abraham¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Head to the medical wing. I¡¯m on my way.¡± He¡¯d already mentioned at lunch that Ste should get a check¨Cup. ¡°Abraham,¡± Ste said quickly, ¡°Derrick¡¯s here. He¡¯s right outside my sister¡¯s door, and he looks like he¡¯s ready to kill someone.¡± She had to be brief. Because Derrick had already started pounding on the door¨Cclearly out of his mind. ¡°I¡¯ming. Don¡¯t open the door,¡± Abraham said. ¡°Okay.¡± She hung up just as Derrick¡¯s voice roared from outside again, ¡°Marie, you crazy wench, get the heck out here!¡± a went quiet. Ste Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. Even though she¡¯d gone to fight Derrick for Ste¡¯s sake, seeing him in this state had genuinely shaken her. Who wouldn¡¯t be scared of someone who looked ready to kill you? Marie waspletely stunned.. -You¡¯re go gonna kill me? The thing¡¯s not even mine! I¡¯m telling you, get lost-¡± The door mmed into the wall with a deafening crack. Ste went quiet. Derrick stood in the doorway, eyes zing with rage. One kick. That was all it took for him to break down the door¨Cthat was how far gone he was. Back when Marie had gone looking for a fight with him, she hadn¡¯t been afraid But seeing Derrick like this now, even she couldn¡¯t help jumping. She swallowed instinctively. ¡°What the heckl are you doing? I¡¯m warning you¡­ Even as she spoke, she stepped in front of Ste, shielding her behind her back. Derrick lifted his eyes, cold and sharp, giving Marie a single, icy re. Marie¨Cwho normally feared nothing and no one, who picked fights like she breathed¨Cactually choked on her words at the sheer danger in that look. Just like that, everything she was about to say died in her throat. Derrick slowly walked to the couch and sat down. He crossed¨Cone leg over the other. His posture screamed arrogance; But that cocky attitude only made the danger rolling off him feel even more intense¡­. He reached down, pulled something from his waistband, and mmed it onto the coffee table with a loud bang. The threat in the air was suffocating. ¡°How,¡± he asked, each word like a knife through clenched teeth, ¡°are you nning to get that thing back for me?¡± Ste and Marie both flinched at the sight of what he¡¯d pulled out. Chapter 489 Derrick Just Kicked the Damn Door In Marie swallowed hard. ¡°Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t take She really hadn¡¯t. +10 Free Coins Derrick sneered. ¡°Oh yeah? Then tell me this¨Chow the heck did it end up in Dan¡¯s hands? You just came back from being with him.¡± And there it was¨Cthat one connection that made everything impossible to exin. Before Marie could say anything, covering Derrick shot another venomous barb at her, full of contempt, ¡°He¡¯s about to marry another woman, and you¡¯re still for him? Marie, how did I never realize before that you were the kind of woman who throws herself at men who don¡¯t want you? The wrong girl 490 Chapter 490 Fistfight First Feelings Later Chapter 490 Fistfight First Feelings Later Marie was stunned, Ste went quiet, Holy crap, this man¡¯s mouth¡­ This is seriously getting out of hand, When Derrick had stormed in with that much aggression, Marie hadn¡¯t even fully processed it. Honestly, the way he blew in out of nowhere¨CMarie had actually felt a little panicked, maybe even intimidated for a second, But now, with Derrick pulling a stunt like this, the entire scene had spiraled out of control. And it lit Marie¡¯s fuse. ¡°You scumbag. Derrick!¡± If he hadn¡¯t mentioned Dan getting engaged to another woman, Marie might¡¯ve held it together. But who in Falvaria didn¡¯t know that Marie had nearly lost her mind back then when Dan ¡°suddenly died¡± Now he was marrying someone else. Even today, that was a live wire in Marie¡¯s brain¨Canything could trigger it. And Derrick just yanked it. ¡°Wanna go all out? Fine. I¡¯m game.¡± A minute ago, she¡¯d still been holding back¨Cfor Ste¡¯s sake. Now, one trigger flipped her switch. All her reason snapped. Marie stormed to her bedside drawer, yanked it open, and pulled out the thing she always kept stashed there¡­ Pointing it straight at Derrick like a woman possessed. ¡°You wanna die here? Fine. I¡¯ll help you out myself.¡± Derrick¡¯s face went pale ¡°Marie, you crazy psycho!¡± He dodged fast- But the back of the sofa now had a hole in it, and the loud st had already triggered the estate¡¯s security system Ste hadn¡¯t even had time to react. Before she knew it, Derrick and Marie were in a full¨Cblown brawl. Derrick lunged forward and kicked the weapon out of Marie¡¯s hand. Marie didn¡¯t back down¨Cshe dove at him, and they went at it hand¨Cto¨Chand. Ste was stunned. Both Derrick and Marie, had firecracker tempers. Now that they were in it, it was chaos¨Cpure thunder and lightning. Blows flying, furniture smashing The room was wrecked in minutes. When Derrick flung Marie aside with brute force, Ste snapped. She grabbed a nearby vase andunched it straight at him. The vase shattered across Derrick¡¯s head with a loud crack. He froze mid¨Cstep. Then slowly turned his head, eyes zing with danger as he stared at Ste. Gritting his teeth, he hissed. ¡°Ste, you ungrateful, backstabbing wench.¡± 1/3 Chapter 490 Fistfight First Feelings Later Getting hit by her only pushed him further over the edge. He hadn¡¯t even settled the score with her and Abraham yet¨Cand now she had the nerve to hit him too, Derrick reached out, ready to grab her- +10 Free Coins But Marie was already back on her feet. She lunged and locked her arms around Derrick¡¯s waist. ¡°Try touching Star one more time, I dare you, you scumbag! We still haven¡¯t settled what happened three years ago!¡± ¡°Marie, let go of me!¡± Derrick shouted. Ste picked up a photo frame and was about to smash it into Derrick¡¯s skull. This time, Derrick dodged just in time. He grabbed Marie¡¯s arms where they were clinging to his waist, and with a quick twist, they both went tumbling onto the bed. And just like that- Marie found herself pinned underneath him. ¡°Ah!¡± Marie let out a furious scream. Seeing Derrick on top of her only sent her rage skyrocketing. ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re heavy! You trying to crush me? Get the heckl That was the scene Abraham and Evelyn walked into the total destruction. Security guards had already rushed in. Ste stood by the bed, still gripping the photo frame. One guard was shielding her protectively. And Derrick.. was on top of Marie. Marie¡¯s gaze dropped. Her breathing turned sharp. Her fury exploded. ¡°Where the heck do you think your hands are, Derrick, you scumbag! Move them!¡± That furious shout drew every single pair of eyes in the room straight to Derrick¡¯s hands. And the moment they saw where his hands were- A collective glint flickered in everyone¡¯s eyes. Abraham¡¯s narrowed. He stepped forward and yanked Derrick off the bed. Derrick shoved back hard. ¡°Get offf Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Since the misunderstandings had been cleared up in front of Evelyn, Derrick had gotten¨Cholder around the Dawson family Especially in front of Abraham¨Cthe resentment in his eyes couldn¡¯t have been clearer. Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. His voice turned low and cold. ¡°Come with me.¡± Derrick shot Marie a sharp re as she stilly on the bed. He wanted to spit out a defiant ¡°I¡¯m not going¡°-but when the words reached his throat, he swallowed them down. +10 Free Coins Chapter 490 Fistfight First Feelings Later With a bitter snort, he followed Abraham toward the door. But just as they reached it, Abraham paused. He turned back. Derrick scowled. ¡°What?¡± But Abraham didn¡¯t even even nce at him. He looked right past Derrick, straight at Ste. ¡°Head to the medical wing. I¡¯ll meet you and the baby there in a bit.¡± Ste nodded sweetly. ¡°Okay.¡± Derrick was stunned. Before he could even ask- Abraham had already turned and walked off. And in that moment, Derrick felt like every drop of blood in his body had frozen solid. Baby! His eyes darted to Ste¡¯s t stomach. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant? Whose is it?¡± ¡°Youing or not?¡± Abraham stopped, turning back to him with eyes full of danger. The wrong girl 491 Chapter 491 Pregnant and Still Throwing Hands Those deep, prating eyes carried a suffocating chill. It was obvious¨Cwhen Abraham had just said ¡°baby,¡± he meant it for Derrick to hear. 10 Free Cons And everything Ste had just discussed with her mother in the study made it crystal clear, Derrick still harbored feelings for Ste. Derrick looked at Abraham, his breath unsteady. In that moment, his narrowed pupils shot out daggers of ice. He red fiercely at Ste before turning to follow Abraham Inside the room. Ste set the photo frame down and reached out to support Marie. ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± Marie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What were you doing just now? Are you out of your mind, provoking him like that?¡± The look in Derrick¡¯s eyes as he turned toward Ste just moments ago¨Cso dangerous, Marie had even suspected that if Ste hadn¡¯t smashed that vase, Derrick might¡¯ve strangled her on the spot. Ste said, ¡°I saw him hitting you.¡± ¡°Hitting me? Please. I¡¯m not pregnant, and I¡¯ve got thick skin, even if I fought him, I wouldn¡¯te out too bad. But what if you got hurt¨Cwhat about the baby?¡± When Abraham had said Ste was pregnant, Marie had been stunned. Once she snapped out of it, the fear hit her hard. Thank goodness she¡¯d reacted quickly and managed to grab hold of Derrick If Ste had gotten injured, then what? Evelyn stepped up, clearly shaken. ¡°Exactly, Star. That was way too dangerous just now. You¡¯re about to be a mother, and you still jumped into a brawl Even she had been scared stiff. She came forward and scolded Ste. At the words ¡°jumped into a brawl,¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched involuntarily. Well¡­ technically, when Derrick and Marie were fighting and she jumped in too¨Cyeah, that kind of was a brawl. Before she could say anything, Evelyn continued, ¡°I get that you¡¯re worried about your sister, but your body can¡¯t handle Derrick¡¯s rage right now.¡± ¡°And anyway, when ites to Marie and Derrick fighting, who knows who¡¯d actuallye out worse?¡± Marie had been confronting Derrick for days now, and every time she came back without a scratch. Evelyn knew exactly what her daughter was capable of; and while there¡¯d been resentment between her and Derrick over the years, some of their past affection was still there¨CDerrick wouldn¡¯t go all out on Marie. Speaking of Derrick¡­ Right now, Evelyn couldn¡¯t help thinking that over the years, the Dawson family had actually wronged him quite a bit. Especially Abraham¨Che¡¯d vented all the fury from Ste¡¯s disappearance straight onto Derrick. 4166 AND Chapter 491 Pregnant and Still Throwing Hands The guy had barely even had a chance to exin himself. Abraham had hunted him down across the globe like a mad dog Marie climbed off the bed and gave Ste a once¨Cover. ¡°Let me see¨Care you hurt?¡± Things had gotten so chaotic earlier, she hadn¡¯t had time to check Ste shook her head. ¡°No. I just smashed a vase on him.¡± ¡°Wait¨Cyou¡¯re hurt!¡± Marie spotted a slice on Ste¡¯s palm, where a shard of porcin had cut through. She gasped. Evelyn saw the blood too, her breath hitched. ¡°You were holding the vase, weren¡¯t you? How did you manage to cut yourself?¡± Ste looked at the cut in her palm. ¡°I have no idea.¡± She¡¯d grabbed the vase on instinct; it had seemed intact. How had she ended up cutting herself? She hadn¡¯t even felt it at the time. ¡°Go to the medical wing¨Cquick. You¡¯re pregnant; you can¡¯t just use any meds.¡± Marie was already panicking. Just like that, they hurried Ste off to the medical room. In the medical wing. Elena burst intoughter when she heard Eddie was headed to the Mambia Desert¨Csheughed for ten whole minutes¡­! Eddie, who had to listen to her for all ten of them, grew darker and darker in the face. ¡°How long do you n onughing?¡± He was already seething; and this woman just keptughing. As if that weren¡¯t enough¨Cshe¡¯d kept it going for ten damn minuses, What kind of person did that? Elena wiped her eyes with a tissue. ¡°So you finally managed to piss off Mr. Abraham. I told you, your mouth¡­¡± Everyone around Abraham knew about Eddie¡¯s mouth. Back then, people had all been wondering how long Abraham could possibly tolerate it. Eddie rubbed his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not about my mouth.¡± And really¨Cit pained him to say it. Why hadn¡¯t it urred to him that Ste might be pregnant? The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. It had taken Abraham, of all people¨Cthe guy who had no clue¨Cto pick up on it. No one knew this, but while Eddie was on his way to the Mamibia Desert, fuming with rage, he¡¯d also been mentally pping himself silly. He could be this oblivious? The two of them had already been together, so pregnancy was kind of¡­ expected. He¡¯d seriously overestimated Abraham¡¯s so¨Ccalled restraint. He¡¯ll thought Abraham wouldn¡¯t let Ste get pregnant before marriage. ¨C But now it looked like he¡¯d underestimated the man. Ste had been gone for years, and now Abraham was capable of anything Chapter 491 Pregnant and Still Throwing Hands. Even the baby to tie her down¨Cthat was something Abraham would do now. Elena wasughing so hard her stomach hurt. ¡°Then what was it, huh?¡± Eddie was stunned. What was it? 10 Free Cons The way Elena asked that, the way her eyes sparkled with tears fromughter¨Cit suddenly left him with something weighing on his chest¡­ The wrong girl 492 Chapter 492 She¡¯s Not Yours Anymore. ¡°Ugh, forget it. If he could just get Elena toe along and keep himpany, maybe she¡¯d stop mocking him every chance she got. Ste wasing to the medical wing for a checkup soon, knowing Elena¡¯s nature, she¡¯d probably get the same ¡°misdiagnosis¡± as he had in mind. Right now, hardly anyone in the Dawson family knew that Ste and Abraham were back together. So there was no way Elena would suspect Ste was pregnant¨Cmaybe she¡¯d even misdiagnose her¡­. The thought made Eddie¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Ste should being in for a check soon; she hasn¡¯t been feeling too great these past few days.¡± ¡°What kind of not great?¡± The moment she heard that Ste wasn¡¯t feeling well, Elena got serious. Eddie said. ¡°Just not much of an appetite. Probably because my brother fed her too much while they were in Rivermount.¡± He emphasized the words ¡°fed her too much¡± like he was trying to drive a point home. Which he was. He was very deliberately trying to steer Elena¡¯s attention in a different direction. After all, going to the Mambia Desert alone would be miserable. If he had to go, he needed someone to keep himpany. Elena frowned thoughtfully. That doesn¡¯t sound right. Mr. Abraham¡¯s always been careful about her portions; her stomach can¡¯t handle too much.¡± Everyone¨Cboth the Dawson family and the Lukas¨Cknew how much Ste loved to eat. Her stomach was delicate, but her cravings were strong. It had always been a headache for Abraham. Now Eddie was saying Abraham had overfed her in Rivermount? Elena eyed him suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you? What are you trying to pull Eddie¡¯s eyelid twitched hard. Damn, this woman¡¯s too sharp. Star hadn¡¯t been home for years, and Elena still remembered the details of her appetite? Eddie waved his hand. ¡°Why would I lie? Abraham hadn¡¯t seen Star in years¨Cof course he spoiled her. Once they got to Rivermount, it was whatever Star wanted; Abraham just went along with it.¡± Elena went quiet. Was that true? Eddie pressed on, ¡°Anyway, she¡¯ll definitely be in for a checkup. Make sure you take a good look at her stomach He stressed ¡°stomach¡± again, clearly trying to redirect Elena¡¯s focus. Who wanted to go to Mambia Desert alone? Even if he had to go, he needed someone to suffer with him. Elena thought about it, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Wait a second¡­ ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Mr. Abraham have you check on her?¡± Eddie had been the one who apanied them to Rivermount, and the medical wing had all the necessary equipment. Shouldn¡¯t Eddie be the one overseeing Ste¡¯s checkup? Chapter 492 She¡¯s Not Yours Anymore Something felt off. Eddie said, ¡°I¡¯m busy, okay?¡± ¡°Busy with what?¡± Eddie ground his teeth. ¡°Busy heading to Mambia Desert. I need to go pack. Star¡¯s all yours.¡± He spat the words out, then stormed off, fuming. Sure, what was waiting in the desert was important¨Cbut Eddie just didn¡¯t want to go. 10 Free Coins Especially not to Mambia Desert. The extreme climate and risk of epidemic outbreaks made it the kind of ce even top¨Ctier experts avoided. Let alone him. Once Eddie left, Elena sank into thought again. Before long. Marie and Evelyn arrived at the medical wing with Ste. When Elena saw Evelyn, she quickly stood up. She greeted them respectfully, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Miss.¡± -Evelyn guided Ste forward. ¡°Quick¨Ctend to her wound. Oh, and she might be pregnant. See what kind of meds she cant take¡± Elena was stunned. Pregnant? That scumbag Eddie, he¡¯d been setting her up for a fall? If she¡¯d gone along with his ¡°just check her stomach¡± n and handed out a pile of meds, Mr. Abraham would¡¯ve had her shipped to Mambia Desert alongside him.. That little rat. I¡¯ll deal with himter. Noticing Elena frozen in ce. Evelyn asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tend to her wound first.¡± Snapped back to reality, Elena quickly pulled out medication safe for pregnancy and started dressing Ste¡¯s wound. Her anger toward Eddie was simmering now was unbelievable. Over in the study. Abraham sat with a stormy expression, lighting a cigarette before tossing the pack to Derrick. Derrick caught it one¨Chanded, frustration etched all over his face as he pulled out a cigarette and lit up. His chest still rose and fell with uneven breaths. ¡°She¡¯s really pregnant? Is it yours?¡± Derrick¡¯s voice was cold; dangerced every word, ready to detonate at any moment. If Abraham so much as said yes, Derrick looked ready to tear him apart. Abraham shot him a frosty nce and said nothing. And that silence¨Clit Derrick¡¯s fuse. ¡°Abraham, she¡¯s my fiancee.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something our elders promised us, with their own words. Who the heck do you think you are¡ª¡± His rage boiled over mid¨Csentence; he mmed a clenched fist down on the desk, hard enough to shake everything on it The two locked eyes. The cold light shing between them filled the entire study with a hair¨Ctrigger tension. Abraham let out a coldugh. ¡°Their own words? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten what kind of situation they were in when they made that promise.¡± The wrong girl 493 Chapter 493 I¡¯m Doing This Just to Ruin You ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± Derrick ground his teeth. Even though he knew he couldn¡¯t win against Abraham, his clenched fists still itched to punch that face in July forward. Abrahamced his fingers together and rested them on the desk, his body leaning slightly ¡°They were drunk out of their minds. And you, a sober adult, actually took their drunken ramblings seriously?¡± Derrick went silent. His breath hitched again. shes of that night surfaced in his mind¨Cand he had to admit, Abraham had a point. Those words had been said when his father and Abraham werepletely wasted. ¡°So what? Just because they were drunk doesn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t elders.¡± Derrick snapped. Whether or not Abraham took the engagement seriously, he did. He, Derrick, had always taken it seriously. Abraham chuckled coldly. ¡°Your father¨Cdoes he even count as an elder anymore?¡± Derrick was stunned. +10 Free Coins In that moment, every emotion on his face shatteredpletely. That old scumbag, what kind of elder was he even qualified to be? Abraham scoffed. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, didn¡¯t you sever lies with Mr. Sebastian two years ago?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been going around telling everyone you¡¯re not part of the Tom family.¡± Derrick spat back, ¡°I¡¯m not part of the Tom family, but I am Derrick. Ste is my fiancee.¡± ¡°And what exactly are you trying to prove with that deration? Derrick froze Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°Nothing. You¡¯ll get nothing.¡± Those words hit hard. Derrick¡¯s anger snapped hisst thread of reason. ¡°I don¡¯t care. She¡¯s mine¨Cyou have to give her back.¡± That ¡°give her back¡± sounded like pure fury, but if one listened closely, there was something else there too¨Csomething almost like wounded pride. Ever since that night between the elders, he¡¯d believed Ste belonged to him. And now this unreasonable man shows up and tries to steal her away? When logic failed, Derrick resorted to pure, stubborn denial. Truthfully, he¡¯d always been like this. That brar Ste¨Cthree years ago, she¡¯d misunderstood everything, and now she had the nerve to me him too. le¡¯d sent her that text from a second phone¨Cas if she was too blind to notice it. Abraham¡¯s gaze grew colder; he lifted his eyelids slightly. ¡°Give her back?¡± Derrick said, ¡°Yes. She¡¯s mine. You¡¯re going to give her back to me¨Cwhatever it takes.¡± When it came to Ste. Derrick was nowpletely inflexible; nothing anyone said could sway him. Chapter 493 I¡¯m Doing This Just to Ruin You: Abraham let t out a coldugh and crushed his cigarette into the ashtray. ¡°Just now, I noticed¨Cyour hands seemed to be on Marie¡¯s chest, weren¡¯t they?¡± Derrick¡¯s mouth twitched ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Just now? What had happened earlier¨Chad he seen that wrong? With the way things were going, it wasn¡¯t even like that, was it? Abraham said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take responsibility¡± Derrick froze. Take responsibility? What the heck was he even talking about? Was he serious? Facing Abraham¡¯s dead¨Cserious expression, Derrick¡¯s eyelid gave a violent twitch. ¡°Hey¨Cdo you even know why I went to find Marie today? She stole something from me.¡± ¡°Abraham, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t be shameless. Pulling tricks like this? Have you no pride?¡± He was here to get his stuff back from Marie¨Cand to get Star back from Abraham. And now Abraham was hitting him with this crap. Dan was out of the picture now, so he was just going to force Marie onto him, Derrick acting like that was perfectly normal Abraham lit another cigarette. ¡°But you really did touch her. Marie is still a girl; a girl¡¯s reputation matters¡­ The way he called her Marie made it sound like she was some fragile little thing. Derrick exploded. ¡°A girl? Abraham, you¡¯re saying Marie¡¯s a woman? You dare say that with a straight face?¡± Abraham brought a hand to his chest. ¡°Said it right here.¡± Derrick was stunned. What the heck, did I desecrate the Dawson family¡¯s ancestors in a past life or something?Now he was going to double down and take this seriously too? ¡°You¡¯re doing this for revenge? You want her to torture me?¡± Derrick was officially losing it. He could see it clearly how¨CAbraham was trying to shove Marie onto him for Ste¡¯s sake His chest hurt from the rage. ¡°You want her to poison me in my sleep or something?¡± This wasn¡¯t some woman being handed to him¡ª He knew what kind of person his sister was. She wasn¡¯t a woman; she was a walking death sentence. ¡°Cut the crap already.¡± Derrick was furious, practically shouting. Abraham chuckled. ¡°My sister isn¡¯t someone just anyone can mess with.¡± Derrick¡¯s lips twitched. What the heck, he¡¯s serious? ¡°Marie, that tomboy¨Cher one and only experience with love was falling for Dan. And he¡¯s still living in her heart.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not someone people can mess with? Dan practically crushed her.¡± She¡¯d gone to him, only to find out he was about to marry another woman. It was like someone had pped Marie across the face¨Cloud and clear. The wrong girl 494 Chapter 494 Guess Who¡¯s Trapped Now? Abraham said, ¡°How do you know Dan is actually living a good life right now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Derrick snapped, gritting his teeth. What was that supposed to mean? Was Dan not doing well? No way¡­. Marie had just gone to Frapucu, honestly, a lot of things were still unclear. And now Abraham was already making moves¨Canyone who knew what was going on would say he was just being protective. But people who didn¡¯t, they¡¯d use him of beingpletely unreasonable. Though to be fair, he wasn¡¯t exactly someone who cared about being reasonable. Just look at the crap he was saying now. ¡°I just identally touched her! And now you want me to marry Marie? Has Marie even agreed to this?¡± Derrick sprang up, seething. Before Abraham could answer, a voice came from the study doorway¨CMarie¡¯s voice, ¡°I agree Abraham went quiet. Derrick was stunned. He turned, eyes locking on Marie standing in the doorway¨Che had no idea when she¡¯d even gotten there. His mouth. twitched uncontrobly. ¡°What the heck do you mean by that?¡± Is this real life anymore? ¡°What do you mean you agree Agree to what?¡± Marie stepped into the room, arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Marrying you, of course. That way you can stop all nonsense. After all, Star would never marry a divorced man. I¡¯m going to make sure you have zero chance.¡± Derrick was silent. your His mind wentpletely nk. His pupils shrank as he stared at Marie, unable to believe what he was hearing. What did she just say? That she was going to make sure I have no chance with Steever? ¡°You¡¯d sacrifice your own happiness just to take away my shot?¡± Marie shrugged, arms still folded. ¡°Yeah. So what?¡± man was Marie? Derrick¡¯s breath grew ragged and uneven. She¡¯s insane. She¡¯s totally insane. What kind of woman was ¡°What about Dan? You think he¡¯d be okay with a divorced woman?¡± Derrick was growing frantic; he threw out Dan¡¯s name like it was his trump card¨Cthat man who had lived rent¨Cfree in Marie¡¯s heart for years. The truth was, Derrick was already reeling He¡¯de here to call Marie out¨Cfor stealing his file and handing it to Dan. Now he felt like he was the one getting trapped, like he was being forced into something he couldn¡¯t escape¡­ Marie didn¡¯t care. ¡°Him? He¡¯s marrying someone else now. Doesn¡¯t matter¨Cwe can both be divorced.¡± Derrick jumped to his feet. ¡°Who the heck wants to be divorced with you? Knock it off already!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I will never love you.¡± +10 Free Com Chapter 494 Guess Who¡¯s Trapped Now? The angrier he got, the harsher his words became. Marie raised a brow. ¡°We can get the marriage license tomorrow, and the divorce papers the day after. Or we can stay married forever¨C1 don¡¯t care. Love isn¡¯t necessary.¡± Derrick was silent. So this whole thing was just to make me divorced? She wanted to cut off any possibility he had left with Ste¨Clike she was determined to end it for good. Their back¨Cand¨Cforth was heating up. Abraham gave Marie a long, thoughtful look. The whole situation was spiraling out of control. Marie turned to Derrick. ¡°You shameless scumbag. Star¡¯s already pregnant¨Cwith my brother¡¯s child. And you¡¯re still trying to worm your way in?¡± ¡°You think Star would actually marry someone like you? You¡¯re a joke. She doesn¡¯t even want you, and here you are clinging on like a leech. You¡¯re disgusting¡± She¡¯d been holding back, but now she let Derrick have it. Back in the day. Derrick had known¨Ceveryone in the Dawson family had sharp tongues, especially Ste. She looked soft and sweet, but the girl could hold her own. With a Dawson upbringing, even her mouth became a deadly weapon. The i past few days, Marie had only been fighting him physically¨Cnot verbally. But now that she was unleashing her verbal arsenal, she was like a firecracker¡­ ¡°You done yet? Marie, I¡¯m telling you¨Cstop confusing people and give me back my stuff!¡± If they thought all this craziness would distract him from why he was here, they had seriously miscalcted. The moment she heard that. Marie¡¯s temper red again. Even though she couldn¡¯t exactly exin the situation clearly- She genuinely hadn¡¯t taken the damn file. ¡°What stuff? I didn¡¯t take anything¡± This guy¨Cshe really couldn¡¯t talk sense with him. Seeing her shrug it off like that, Derrick¡¯s anger reignited. ¡°You came back from Dan¡¯s ce and then came straight to beat me up. ¡°And here I was thinking you were mad on Ste¡¯s behalf¨Cbut clearly you had some other motive all along. And now that the file¡¯s in Dan¡¯s hands, you expect me to believe you didn¡¯t take it?¡± Marie went quiet. Could this guy¡¯s brain twist things any hardert After everything that had just gone down, he still found a way to spin it around. At this point, Marie wished she could just pass out and be done with it. Looks like if I want to handle this idior, I¡¯m gonna have to get serious. Meanwhile, the Dawson family, they¡¯d expected Derrick to stir things up over Ste now that she was back. But no one saw this was in total chaos; and Marie? She was already neck¨Cdeep in it, no way out. The wrong girl 495 Chapter 495 Ashen Pact Sounds Like a Cult Right Hack at the vi, Ste had already been gone for two hours. Tessa, meanwhile, waspletely dumbfounded. She stared at Victor in disbelief after he revealed her mother¡¯s current whereabouts. ¡°Ashen Pact?¡± Ashen Part? Seriously? Who names their organization something like Ashen Pact, for that matter? What kind of decent peoplee up with a name like that? There was no way her mother could be involved with something like that. Victor set down his water ss and gave a short ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Based on the current leads, your mother was indeed taken by people from Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°What kind of ce is Ashen Pact?¡± Tessa had heard of it before. She knew it wasn¡¯t exactly a clean organization¨Cthey were infamous for their criminal activity. But the details, she had no idea what they actually did. Victor nced at her. ¡°Arson, murder, looting¨Cring a bell?¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched. That kind of ce? This was¡­ ¡°No way. My mom is a legitimate businesswoman. There¡¯s no chance she¡¯d get mixed up with a ce like that. She¡¯s especially careful about manners and social decorum. From what Tessa knew, her mother had made good money over the years, but she had never been arrogant about it. Not like Ste¡¯s biological mom. Susan, who¡¯d act like she was worth nearly thirty million dors when she only had about three hundred thousand in her ount, Tessa¡¯s mother had always been low¨Ckey, warm and polite to everyone. Even when dealing with business rivals, she never made enemies. Victor said, ¡°Whether she¡¯s actually in Ashen Pact¨Cwe still have to confirm that.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll call Ste, Tessa blurted out. Now that she had a lead on her mother¡¯s whereabouts, her first instinct was to tell Ste. Earlier, when Ste left, it was only because Victor had refused to reveal anything about her mom. But now that they had something¨CTessa immediately wanted to reach out. At the mention of calling Ste, Victor¡¯s face darkened, Just as she raised her phone, he snatched it right out of her hand. Startled. Tessa looked at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Victor¡¯s eyes lifted coldly as he stared at her. ¡°Trying to burn the bridge after crossing it, Tessa?¡± Her lips twitched What? Tessa? ?Pait¡­ ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I just didn¡¯t want to trouble you any more, that¡¯s all.¡± Chapter 495 Ashen Pact Sounds Like a Cult Right The more she tried to exin, the darker Victor¡¯s face became; her voice grew smaller and smaller 10 Free Coins God¡ªwhy did this man always look like he was about to devour someone? Was this really burning bridges? Maybe¡­ kind of? Wait If she¡¯d left with Ste earlier, Ste would¡¯ve helped her search for her mom too. And if Abraham had asked Victor, Victor would¡¯ve told him. Tessa went quiet. Where the heck was my brain just now? Victor tossed her phone across the bed. ¡°Toote to say it¡¯s not a bother. You¡¯ve already caused enough trouble.¡± Tessa had noeback to that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean for that to happenst night.¡± Victor replied, ¡°Until we get to the bottom of it, you¡¯re not leaving. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Tessa was stunned. Victor added, ¡°Even if Abrahames in person¨Cit won¡¯t matter.¡± At that, Tessa¡¯s face fellpletely She got it now. Even Abraham showing up wouldn¡¯t help. In Falvaria, she was nobody. Victor, on the other hand, was one of Abraham¡¯s key people. Which meant this time¨Ceven Ste wouldn¡¯t be able to talk her way out. Tessa gave Victor a long, resentful look. ¡°Then how long is it going to take your people to figure it out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you right now¨CI¡¯m not doing a damn thing.¡± She was never good at caregiving. But they¡¯d still forced her to do it; and when something went wrong, they shoved a crime on her that wasn¡¯t even real. Tessa huffed, puffing her cheeks in frustration. Just thinking aboutst night made her angry. She felt so wronged. Seriously, what even was that whole thing? Ste was right¡ªsurvival came first. From now on, she wasn¡¯t lifting a finger for anyone Hearing the aggrieved tone in her voice, Victor looked down; a faint, amused smirk curled at his lips. ¡°Then don¡¯t¡± Tessa red. ¡°What¨Cyou¡¯re just gonna keep a freeloader around?¡± ¡°Suspect,¡± Victor corrected. Tessa was stunned. Okay, fine¨Csuspect. And honestly, Victor had almost gotten seriously hurtst night. Now that she thought about it¨Cthank god nothing actually happened. If he had gotten injured¡­ she probably wouldn¡¯t be alive right now either. Then tell your people to hurry up.¡± She swore¨Conce this whole mess was cleared up, she¡¯d fly straight to Ste¡¯s side and never see Victor again. After spending these past few days with him, ¡®Tessa¨Cwho used to scoff at the idea of fate¨Cwas starting to think Victor wasdirg Chapter 495 Ashen Pact Sounds Like a Cult Right personal curse Just look at how much had happened since she met him. She still wanted to live a few more years, thank you very ¡°What if your people get it wrong?¡± she asked suddenly Something clicked in her head; she looked at Victor cautiously. After all, it was his people doing the investigating¡­ 10 Free Coins 3 The wrong girl 496 Chapter 496 You Think I Wanna Die Too What if they actually pinned a real charge on me in the end¨Cthat¡¯d be it for me. They were already itching to kill me when I was just a spect. If something real came up, they¡¯d probably shoot me on the spot without thinking twice. That thoughtpletely shattered Tessa¡¯sposure. Victor nced at her; she said nothing. The silence only made Tessa more anxious. ¡°I mean, no one¡¯s right a hundred percent of the time, right?¡± There was no way she could stake her life on a mistake from his people. Victor said coldly, ¡°If they¡¯re wrong, they¡¯re dead.¡± Tessa was stunned. So the people doing the digging would die¡­ but what about her She looked over at Victor and met his dangerous gaze, Swallowing hard, she said nothing in the end. She finally understood¨Cthere was no reasoning with a bandit. Tessa was starting to unravel. She trudged downstairs, head drooping, with no energy left in her at all. Ss had acted quickly and already found a chef for the vi, but there were still no other servants. When the chef saw her, she greeted her respectfully, ¡°Good day, Ms. Tessa ¡°Mm, hi, Tessa replied weakly. The chef handed her a ss of freshly squeezed orange juice. ¡°This is for Sir; could you please take it up to his room!¡± When Ss brought her here, he had made it very clear¨Cshe wasn¡¯t to enter the study or Victor¡¯s bedroom. He even said it was best if she didn¡¯t go upstairs at all. But since Victor never came downstairs, the only option was to ask Tessa to deliver it. The moment the chef asked her to bring the juice to Victor, Tessa¡¯s mind shed with every bit of trouble she¡¯d stirred up around him over the past few days. Suddenly, rms red in her head. She shook her head quickly. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not doing anything right now.¡± What if there was something wrong with that juice¨Cif Victor had a bad reaction, she¡¯d never be able to clear her name. She¡¯d already had enough mishaps with her own hands¨Cnow, after two surgeries¡­ Having learned her lesson, there was no way Tessa would get involved with anything rted to Victor ever again. The chef blinked, confused. ¡°You take it up yourself,¡± Tessa insisted. She was absolutely determined to steer clear of anything that had to do with Victor. ¡°But Mr. Ss said I¡¯m not allowed in sir¡¯s room or the study¡­ and he told me not to go upstairs,¡± the chef said. ¡°Then tell him toe down and drink it.¡± Tessa replied bluntly. She wasn¡¯t taking it up there, period. The chef was stunned. Get him toe down and drink itt Chapter 496 You Think I Wanna Die Too She wouldn¡¯t dare. Tessa suggested, ¡°Or just leave it at his door. No need to go inside.¡± ¡°Mr. Ss said I shouldn¡¯t even go upstairs,¡± the chef hesitated, ¡°He said if I touched something I wasn¡¯t supposed to. I might not make it back down alive.¡± Tessa went quiet. Things you ¡®re not supposed to touch¡­ She remembered now¨CSs had said the same thing to her before. Some things were off¨Climits.. Even Ste had warned her, if you entered Victor¡¯s space without his permission, you might not live to regret it. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not going. He cane down and drink it when he¡¯s thirsty.¡± The chef was stunned again. No matter what was said. Tessa absolutely refused to handle anything rted to Victor. Just as the chef was about to say more, Tessa¡¯s phone rang. It was Ste. Tessa answered. ¡°Ste?¡± ¡°Tessa, what¡¯s your mom¡¯s connection to Ashen Pact?¡± Ste asked bluntly over the phone. The directness of the question made Tessa freeze for a second. ¡°None at all¨Cwhy would you ask that?¡± Her mother was a proper,w¨Cabiding businesswoman. What connection could she possibly have with an organization like Ashen Pact! There was no way they were connected. If there was any kind of rtionship, it would be one where Ashen Pact had captured her¨Cthat kind of infuriating connection. As for why they¡¯d target a proper businesswoman like her mother¡­ Tessa had no idea. Ste sounded puzzled ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s stranger Ste said. ¡°What¡¯s strange? Tessa¡¯s heart jumped to her throat the moment she heard that tone. ¡°I just overheard someone say that the former leader of Ashen Pact was a woman¡­ and her name was Diana Ste had overheard it while getting a checkup¨CTessa¡¯s mother had been on the phone, and the voice on the other end said the former female head of Ashen Pact had returned to the organization. Diana¨CTessa¡¯s mother¡¯s name was Diana. *That¡¯s definitely not the same person,¡± Tessa blurted out without thinking. Before Ste could respond, Tessa added, ¡°There are plenty of people with the same name in this world.¡± True, Ste said in agreement. Still, it felt like too much of a coincidence. Especially with Tessa¡¯s mother currently missing¨Cif she were safe and sound in Rivermount, this could¡¯ve just been a case of sanie¨Cname confusion. Hut now 273 Chapter 496 You Think I Wanna Die Too ¡°Wait¨Cno, that¡¯s not right,¡± ¡°Tessa suddenly gasped.. ¡°Hm?¡± Ste asked ¡°Victor said my mom was taken by people from Ashen Pact, Tessa said urgently. It hadn¡¯t been fully confirmed yet, but if Victor had said so, there must¡¯ve been a lead, 10 Free Coins 3 The wrong girl 497 Chapter 497 Whole Lot of Drama Now that they had a lead, this whole thing¡­ A realization hit Tessa so hard her breath caught in her throat Ashen Pact! She¡¯d heard rumors about them¨Crumors that the previous leader had been killed by the current one. In a ce so deeply rooted in power, it was only natural for hidden forces to surge beneath the surface. Ste asked ¡°Victor told you this?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tessa was clearly shaken. +10 Free Com Her mother was named Diana; Ashen Pact¡¯s former female leader was also named Diana. And now, her mother had been taken by Ashen Pact. Even though, in Tessa¡¯s mind, the two had absolutely nothing to do with each other¡­ It was exactly this kind of coincidence that wove the two Dianas into one person. Ste said, ¡°Then this¡­¡± ¡°Ste, you¡¯ve got to help me confirm this¨Cright away.¡± ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t leave with me earlier?¡± Ste asked. She knew it¨CTessa had been crying on the phone, then suddenly changed her mind abouting with her. Something must¡¯ve happened with Victor. Did he use Diana to negotiate with Tessa? Back in Rivermount, Tessa didn¡¯t spend much time with her mother, but that didn¡¯t mean there was no bond between them. Every conversation they had might¡¯ve looked like it was just about money¡­. But deep down, Tessa relied on her mother¨Cconstantly trying to make her presence known, trying to be seen. Her tendency to cry said it all¨CTessa wasn¡¯t some heartless person. Tessa sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Why else?¡± If it weren¡¯t for her mother, she absolutely would¡¯ve left with Ste. Ste asked, ¡°Should Ie get you now?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Just thinking about what Victor had said to her, Tessa figured that even if Ste came and took her away.. If he wanted to cause her trouble, he still would. She might as well stay put and let his people get to the bottom of things- Then she could walk away with a clean te. Right now, all she could think about was her mother. If she left with Ste and Victor still came after her, that would drive her up the wall. Hearing the weariness in Tessa¡¯s voice, Ste¡¯s brows knitted tightly. ¡°What now?¡± Tessa replied. ¡°Victor¡¯s still harping on that whole medicine mix¨Cup. He keeps saying I¡¯m a mole, and he won¡¯t let it go until he gets answers.¡± Chapter 497 Whole Lot of Drama +10 Free Coins Ste was stunned. What? Still going on about it¡­. ¡°He¡¯s just messing with you,¡± Ste said, clearly annoyed.. That was how she saw it. Victor¡¯s eyes were as sharp as Abraham¡¯s¨Cafter everything he¡¯d seen in his life, all kinds of monsters and demons whether To He couldn¡¯t tell whether Tessa was mole material? Wait a minute¨Csomething about this wasn¡¯t adding up. When Tessa heard that, she said, ¡°He¡¯s messing with me?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ste replied. ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Ste said bluntly, ¡°Because you¡¯re easy to mess with? He¡¯s trying to get in your pants.¡± Her brother had said it¨CVictor admitted he liked Tessa Given everything that had happened, it was clearly a seduction ploy. Tessa was stunned. That¡­ was not something she wanted to hear. Sure, she was pretty, but she had enough self¨Cawareness to know- She didn¡¯t have anything to offer; she wasn¡¯t some breathtaking beauty. Would Victor really go that far just to seduce her! She was just about to say something when- Marie¡¯s voice suddenly came through on Ste¡¯s end of the call, ¡°Start I¡¯m not letting that scumbag Derrick off the hook!¡± ¡°I gotta go,¡± Ste said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you tomorrow. If anythinges up, just call me I¡¯lle get you if you want And with that, she hung up. As the call ended, Tessa¡¯s brain was still whirring. Seduction? Victor, that cold¨Cblooded snob? She was lucky if he even spared her a nce¨Cseduction, as if that was ever an option. Meanwhile, on Ste¡¯s end. Earlier, while she was getting a checkup in the medical room, Marie had suddenly thought of something and stormed off to find Abraham and Derrick. Evelyn had stayed behind to keep Stepany during the exam. The results came in¨Ctwo lines! They immediately¨Cdid an emergency ultrasound By the time Ste got back from the bathroom, the results were ready. Pregnancy confirmed. Evelyn was over the moon. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re about to have a child of your own!¡± She barely had a second to celebrate. Marie carne barreling into the room like a storm. Just as she got close to Ste, Evelyn quickly pulled her behind her protectively. Chapter 497 Whole Lot of Drama ¡°You can be mad at Derrick all you want, but don¡¯t scare Star Evelyn said firmly Marie blinked, shocked. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare her.¡± ¡°I just- 10 Free Coins ¡°No just about it,¡± Evelyn cut her off. ¡°From now on, if you¡¯re going to be near Star, you better keep it down. Don¡¯t scare little Star either. ¡°Little Star?¡± Marie echoed ¡°Yeah! Come on, look here, right here.¡± Evelyn pointed to a spot on the ultrasound report. ¡°That¡¯s the baby Marie¡¯s face went dark. She couldn¡¯t see a thing. The wrong girl 498 Chapter 498 Evelyn Is This Close to Losing It +10 Free Coins ) Of course Derrick had resentment toward the Dawson family. Now Marie wanted to pull a stunt like this? They¡¯d end up at each other¡¯s throats daily¨Cfighting one day, shing the next. What kind of mother could stand by and watch her daughter suffer like that? Marie said. ¡°I¡¯m doing this to get back at that scumbag Derrick.¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Evelyn snapped. This wasn¡¯t revenge¨Cit was self¨Csabotage. Marie just scoffed and didn¡¯t reply. Evelyn saw that and her lips twitched. ¡°You¡¯re serions about this?¡± Marie nodded. ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± The moment she nodded, Evelyn pped the back of her head. ¡°You little brat¨Ctrying to get yourself killed?¡± How could she be this densel Evelyn had always felt she¡¯d done a good job raising Marie and Ste. ¡°So why, when it came to the important moments, did everything fall apart? One ran off. the other wanted to use marriage as a weapon? It was enough to make her explode. Marie said, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about Star. With Derrick being the way he is, how¡¯s she supposed to rest and take care of the baby?¡± ¡°I can rest,¡± Ste cut in firmly. She nodded with determination. She was making it clear¨Cshe could take care of the baby peacefully as long as Marie didn¡¯t pull this stunt. If Marie went through with it and she had to listen to them fighting every day¡­ Then she really wouldn¡¯t be able to rx. Marie started to speak again, ¡°You-¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turned green with fury. She had barely gotten a moment of joy before Marie stirred up more chaos, Raising kids was just exhausting Marie was stunned. She pouted, but before she could open her mouth again. Evelyn¡¯s phone rang Holding in her anger, she stepped aside to answer. No one could hear what was said on the other end¡­. But her voice was ice when she replied, ¡°Don¡® spare them.¡± Her tone in that moment was sharp and lethal¨Cjust like Abraham¡¯s. Only seconds ago, she¡¯d been a worried mother fussing over her daughters¡­. Now she was a lioness at the top of the food chain, exuding nothing but cold,manding dominance. She ended the call and turned back to nce at Ste and Maric. ¡°I¡¯m heading out. Marie, take Star back to her room,¡± ¡°Oli okay.¡± Chapter 498 Evelyn Is This Close to Losing It Faced with her mother¡¯s sudden shift to full¨Con steel, Marie gulped and nodded immediately like a scolded child As soon as Evelyn left¡­ Derrick showed up. He stared at Ste with a dangerous glint in his eye; his lips parted, as if he was about to speak. But Marie quickly stepped in front of Ste, shielding her like a wall. ¡°What? You wanna fight again?¡± +10 Free Coins 3 The wrong girl 499 Chapter 499 That Be Good Hit Too Hard 10 Free Coins Derrick¡¯s eyes were filled with icy menace. ¡°If you don¡¯t want Dan to die a second time, that document needs to be back in my hands within three days.¡± Marie was stunned. Three days? The danger in Derrick¡¯s voice was unmistakable; Marie understood it clearly¨Cif the document wasn¡¯t returned within that time, the consequences would be severe. Still, she snapped, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± This was a man about to marry someone else he had nothing to do with her anymore. Just thinking about their time in Frapucu sent a sharp ache slicing through her chest. ¡°I¡¯m just notifying you. Derrick said coldly.. It was a notification¨Cnothing more. Anything else, Marie had to figure out on her own. But now that she knew, she would definitely inform Dan. ¡°Well, this has nothing to do with me. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll call him right now.¡± Just as Derrick turned away, Marie gritted her teeth and spoke. Derrick acting like this had everything to do with her¨Cit was driving her nuts. So right in front of him, she called Dan. Some things just had to be cleared up to put your mind at ease. Marie had never been used so unfairly in her life. And now Derrick wore that expression like I was guilty? She couldn¡¯t let it go. Unless this was settled today, she wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe easy. After two rings, the call connected. ¡°Hello.¡± A man¡¯s voice answered. Hearing that familiar voice, a flicker of pain shed through Marie¡¯s eyes. This voice had once told her a thousand things, again and again¨Chow had ite to this? Marie sniffed, forcing down her emotions. ¡°Did you steal something from Derrick?¡± Dan went silent ¡°You shameless scumbag.¡± Marie spat. ¡°You wanna steal, fine¨Cbut leave me out of it. Tell him the truth, now,¡± Ste was stunned. That was harsh Derrick said nothing. This woman¨Cwhen she got vicious, she didn¡¯t even spare her true love. And she didn¡¯t hold back¨Cat all. No wonder Dan didn¡¯t want her anymore. With that tomboy energy, she and Evie were practically a perfect match. Marie switched the call to speaker. When Dan still didn¡¯t speak, she snapped, ¡°Say something!¡± This scumbag¨Cstealing and then trying to drag her down with him. Chapter 499 That Be Good Hit Too Hard He might live in her heart, but she would never let him drag her into this. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯lle find you once this is over. Be good,¡± Dan said. Marie went quiet. Derrick and Ste were both stunned. Thatst word-¡°Be good¡°-hit Marie like a brick. Her fury froze solid in an instant. Ste heard that word and her mouth twitched uncontrobly. That tone¡­ was that affection? Derrick¡¯s face went pitch ck. He red at Marie like he wanted to devour her alive. Marie¡¯s brain went ng: she snapped out of it quickly and started screaming into the phone, ¡°Dan, you scumbag!¡± Beep¨Cbeep¨Cbeep¡­ The call had already ended. Marie, turned toward Derrick and met his stormy, murderous eyes. In that moment, shepletely fell apart inside. She wanted nothing more than to fly to Dan and tear that scumbag to pieces. What the heck was that? He didn¡¯t say anything¡­ and yet somehow, he said everything. Just like that, without exnation, he dumped the usation of theft squarely on her shoulders. Marie swallowed hard. ¡°Hey, listen to me She forced her voice to stay calm. Facing Derrick like this, she knew she couldn¡¯t walk away without clearing things up. A moment ago, she didn¡¯t GIN to exin. But now, with Dan¡¯s sudden line, it looked like the me hadnded squarely on her. Derrick¡¯s obsidian¨Clike eyes glinted with cold mockery. He sneered, ¡°Has nothing to do with you?¡± Marie¡¯s heart thumped wildly. ¡°Really, it doesn¡¯t!¡± How the heck could this have anything to do with me? Wait¡­ that indulgent tone Dan had used¨Cwas he really talking to me? That damn man, he was clearly setting me up, right in front of Derrick! Now Marie really didn¡¯t know how to exin herself. She took a deep breath. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s get Star out of here first.¡± She could feel the danger radiating off Derrick; any second now, things could explode. Elena, who had stayed silent this whole time, quickly grabbed Ste¡¯s hand at those words. ¡°Miss, let¡¯s go,¡± she urged. But Ste didn¡¯t want to leave, Marie gave her a look. ¡°Go. Find my brother.¡± At that, Ste understood¨Cthe situation was spiraling. It was no longer under control. Any other day, Derrick would¡¯vee for Ste, clearly. But right now, that missing document was a ticking bomb¨Cbig enough to make him forget everything else. Chapter 499 That Be Good Hit Too Hard So as Elena led Ste past him, Derrick didn¡¯t stop them. Once they y were gone¡­. Marie finally looked at Derrick. ¡°So¡­ does getting the document back even matter anymore?¡± The wrong girl 500 Chapter 500 He Just Walked Away Like That Derrick blinked 10 Tree Coins y now¨Ceverything¡¯s Marie said, ¡°It¡¯s already been days since that file was stolen. That scumbag Dan has definitely read it by r probably been leaked already, right?¡± At her words, Derrick¡¯s eyes darkened like a brewing storm. Even Marie, who usually wasn¡¯t afraid of him, was startled by the danger in his eyes. She instinctively swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts. The file had been missing for days. What was the point of getting it back now? Whatever was supposed to leak had already leaked. To Marie, there was no longer any use in obsessing over whether they retrieved the file or not. Derrick Derrick gave a cold chuckle. ¡°Technically, you¡¯re right, but¡­ He trailed off. In his mind. he suddenly recalled overhearing a conversation between Dan and someone else on the cruise ship, near one of the cabins. So Dan had the guts to steal from him? Fine¡­ He wasn¡¯t about to let Dan walk away without returning the favor¨Cin full. Lifting his gaze, Derrick shot Marie a sidelong nce and smirked, wicked and amused. ¡°Wanna marry me? Fine. Bring your ID and meet me at the county clerk¡¯s office tomorrow morning, Marie froze. ¡°Huh?¡± That was one hell of a reversal. Just moments ago, they¡¯d been at each other¡¯s throats. Marie stared at Derrick. His skin tone looked normal¡­ he didn¡¯t look like he had a fever or anything. So this Derrick¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Marie was a little dazed, The corners of Derrick¡¯s mouth curled higher, the charm in his smile growing darker. ¡°Weren¡¯t you nning to tie me down. with marriage? Go ahead. Tie me down.¡± He emphasized the words ¡°tie me down¡± like a threat. Marie, who¡¯d been fuming just moments ago, felt a chill run down her spine. Had he gonepletely nuts? This kind of sudden shiji¡­ he¡¯d been losing it a moment ago, and now he was this calmn! Marie¡¯s gut screamed something¡¯s off¨Cthere was definitely a trap. Derrick took a step forward and grabbed her chin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Regretting it now?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­ This wasn¡¯t about regret. It was the sudden shift in Derrick¡¯s demeanor that had thrown her offpletely. Derrick let go with a flick of his hand. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not regret. Then he patted her cheek. ¡°Remember¨C10 am. tomorrow. If you¡¯re not there¡­¡± Chapter 500 He Just Walked Away Like That He paused. The smile on his lips turned cold and razor¨Csharp. He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Marie knew exactly what he meant. He was serious¨Cdead serious about burning everything down. Derrick left. Alone again, Marie kept reying Derrick¡¯s sudden mood swing in her mind. What the heck was that shift about Meanwhile, Ste was rushing off to find Abraham¨Cbut Derrick¡¯s long legs had already caught up with her. She was walking with Elena. Seeing him approach. Elena instinctively pulled Ste behind her. ¡°Mr. Derrick.¡± She greeted him respectfully. Derrick gave a mockingugh. ¡°This is the Dawson mansion, what the heck am I gonna do to her here? Do you really need to shield her like that?¡± Clearly, here on Dawson turf, Ste was safe; no one daredy a hand on her. Even if Derrick was seething over her and Abraham, he wouldn¡¯t dare drag her off here. Elena lowered her head politely and didn¡¯t speak again. Derrick looked directly at Ste. ¡°Ste, I really underestimated you.¡± No wonder all those years, whenever someone proposed a marriage alliance with her, she wouldn¡¯t even respond. Turned out, she¡¯d already been hopelessly in love with Abraham. Ste turned her face away, refusing to respond. Derrick scoffed and walked off¡­ Watching his back, Ste nced at Elena beside her. ¡°He just left like that?¡± Elena nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ he really just left.¡± That tension earlier¨Cit had felt like a full¨Con brawl wasing No wonder Ste had been so desperate to find Abraham. Her phone had died, Elena¡¯s phone had been left in the medical. room¨Cso they¡¯d set out to find him in person. But they hadn¡¯t even reached him before Derrick caught up. And that life¨Cor¨Cdeath intensity from earlier¨Cit had just¡­ vanished. The change was more than unexpected. Suddenly, footsteps echoed from behind. Ste turned and saw Maric approaching with a stormy face. She stepped up. ¡°Marie, did he do anything to you?¡± Marie waved her off. ¡°Rx¨Che didn¡¯t hit me this time. That tone though, and the way she said it¡­ something about it sounded off. To someone who didn¡¯t know better, it¡¯d sound like Derrick had been abusive. Yeah it definitely had that vibe¡­ ¡°So what did you two talk about?¡± Chapter 500 He Just Walked Away Like That Ste was curious now. Marie always had a way with things. For all the drama just a few minutes ago¨Chow had things defused so fast? Marie said, ¡°He said he wants to marry me. Told me to go to the Civil Affairs Department with him tomorrow.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What?¡± Her face froze instantly. Clearly, she couldn¡¯t believe the sudden twist either. +10 Free Coins 3 The wrong girl 501 Chapter 501 Marriage Is a Trap 78 +8 Pearls Weren¡¯t they about to start fighting? How did things change so drastically in just a few minutes? Marie nced at Ste and hissed, ¡°Huh? You think Derrick, that bastard, is up to something shady?¡± Of course he is. Otherwise, how could someone change so fast? Marie didn¡¯t buy it not at all. Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, definitely something shady.¡± Just within one hour. Everything had flipped. Dan, who was basically a stranger to Marie now, suddenly started acting all affectionate with her over the phone. No doubt about it¡­ ¡°And that ck¨Chearted Dan even trashed me during the call.¡± 178 11:46 Chapter 501 Marriage Is a Trap +8 Pearls He knew Derrick was right there and still said it on purpose. Wasn¡¯t he clearly trying to make Derrick think she, Marie, had stolen those documents to give to Dan? At the mention of Dan, Ste didn¡¯t even know what to say. Thankfully, Marie still had her wits about her and didn¡¯t fall for it just because of what Dan said. Marie smacked her forehead. ¡°How could this man be so filthy inside?¡± They¡¯d had something in the past, for god¡¯s sake. And now he was throwing her under the bus like this¨Cwas that really necessary? And what did he even gain from it? If Derrick came after her, how would that help him? Did he even realize that Derrick had been driven into a rage monster by Abraham over the past few years? If Donnick an Chapter 501 Marriage If Derrick snapped, he wasn¡¯t going to hold back. Thinking about how Derrick had actually brought weapons when he came to see her today¨Cif she hadn¡¯t been careful, someone could¡¯ve died. At that thought, Marie was ready to crush Dan with her bare hands, her jaw clenched with fury. Ste, worried Marie might start fantasizing, again, threw in one more blow. ¡°He¡¯s the guy you used to like.¡± Marie¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°Exactly. Was I blind back then? How did I fall for someone like that?¡± When she was showing Ste the jewelry earlier, she still had a bit of lingering sadness. But now¡­ Seeing her like this, Ste finally felt some relief. ) This¨Cthis was a daughter of the Dawson family. She could love, sure. But once she Chapter 501 Marriage Is a Trap +8 Pearls realized someone wasn¡¯t worth it, she knew how to cut them off. Ste asked, ¡°So if Derrick wants to marry you tomorrow, would you go through with it?¡± It was Marie who¡¯d brought up the idea in the first ce, and Derrick had been pretty riled up at the time. Who would¡¯ve guessed that the moment her back was turned, he¡¯d suddenly agree? That shift-it was unreal. Could she really marry him? Sure, they¡¯d both gone at each other hard during their arguments. But now that Derrick was the one proposing¡­ Because she had no clue what kind of scheme Derrick might be cooking up, Marie started to hesitate. She looked at Ste. ¡°Should I?¡± Ste shook her head without hesitation. ¡°No.¡± 11:47 Chapter 501 Marriage is a 78 Trag 44 +8 Pearls No way, in her opinion. Marie frowned. ¡°Why does it feel so off when Derrick¡¯s the one bringing up marriage?¡± Especially since his mood shift hade out of nowhere. It made Mariepletely unsure just how dark his intentions really were. ¡°Why do you think he suddenly wants to marry me?¡± She asked Ste. The change hade out of the blue. Marie wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to believe Derrick had suddenly fallen for her. That was just nonsense. She hadn¡¯t been there, so she had no idea what made Derrick change his mind, which made it hard to say. In the end, ¡°Best not to do it.¡± Exactly. If it had been her n, trying to tie Derrick down with marriage, then maybe, fine. 11:47 Chapter 501 Marriage Is a Trap Bu (78) 48 Pearls But since the shift came from Derrick and it clearly carried some hidden motive, she needed to be careful. As they chatted, the two of them slowly made their way toward Abraham¡¯s study. Even when they got to the door, they were still going back and forth on the issue. Meanwhile, Tessa was being a well¨Cbehaved little angel. Ste had told her to stay near Victor and not do anything and she actually listened. Mostly because she¡¯d caused way too much trouble these past few days around Victor. So after thinking it over, she decided the safest move was to do absolutely nothing. That afternoon¡­ She holed up in her room and waited¡­ waited for Victor¡¯s men to finish uncovering the truth. Knock knock knock. Just as she was about to call Ste, there was a knock on the door. 11:47 Chapter 501 Marriage is a Trap. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± 78 #2 Pearls Victor¡¯s deep voice came from outside. Tessa flinched in surprise and quickly put her phone away. ¡°What is it?¡± She didn¡¯t open the door. Instead, she instinctively grabbed a plush pillow to hug -though she wasn¡¯t really sure what she thought it would protect her from. Honestly, if Victor wanted to do anything to her, not even armor would help. But she couldn¡¯t help clinging to that illusion of safety. ¡°You blocked the door again?¡± His voice was low. There was clear irritation in his tone this time. Tessa nced at the cab she¡¯d pushed in front of the door and muttered, ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t 11:47 B om: The Returned Heiress Who Never Bit Th 578 +8 Pearls wanted to change rooms and you wouldn¡¯t let me.¡± The kitchen maid wasn¡¯t allowed upstairs, and Ss, Lewis, and the others weren¡¯t around that evening either. Send Gifts The wrong girl 502 Chapter 502 Through the Window They were the only two people on the second floor¡­ She was a girl, after all¨Cwasn¡¯t basic safety awareness a must? Bnce: 711 + 114 1 Coins = 1 Pearls 11:48 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit Th B78 Finished Chapter 502 Through the Window They were the only two people on the second floor. She was a girl, after all¨Cwasn¡¯t basic safety awareness a must? Victor: ¡°Move it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Tessa replied without even thinking. She had fully absorbed Ste¡¯s advice¡ªnot just doing nothing. She barely even showed her face¡­ Right now, hearing the tension in Victor¡¯s voice, Tessa was nervous as hell, but still didn¡¯t go open the door. Thankfully, Victor said nothing more and must¡¯ve walked away. Tessa patted her chest and sniffled in frustration. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always like this¡­¡± 11:48 Chapter 502 Through the Window
    78 Finished The things that had happened in just a few days outnumbered the major events of her past twenty years She still hadn¡¯t/recovered. She called Ste. The call connected quickly. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Tessa ¡°Ste, do you have a minute?¡± Ste: ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡± She had just been about to call Tessa herself when Tessa¡¯s call came through first. Right now, Ste was standing outside Abraham¡¯s study. Marie had gone in. Things with Derrick were a mess! Marie was absolutely fuming¡­ Ste was waiting at the door. Tessa: ¡°I listened to you¨CI¡¯m not doing anything, and I¡¯m avoiding Victor.¡± Avoiding him? Was she serious? 11:48 Chapter 502 Through the Window B 78 Finished ¡°You two live under the same roof. Avoiding each otherpletely? That¡¯s nearly impossible.¡± Plus, Victor¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t that big. It¡¯d be impossible not to run into each other. Tessa: ¡°I just go out for meals. I stay in my room the rest of the time.¡± Basically, until they figured out whether she was a spy or not, she needed to avoid Victor as much as possible. Ste twitched at the corner of her mouth, remembering what Abraham had told her about Victor liking Tessa. Now she felt like Victor using Tessa of being a mole was just an excuse¨Chis real motive was something else entirely. Poor little Tessa,pletely in the dark. Ste cleared her throat. ¡°When you went upstairs earlier, my brother said Victor told him he liked you.¡± She was all about transparency here. 11:48 Chapter 502 Through the Window 78 Finished Tessa was already scared stiff being near Victor. No way Ste would keep something. like this from her./ Tessa: ¡°What the heck?¡± She thought she¡¯d misheard. Ste: ¡°My brother said it.¡± She trusted Abraham, in and simple. And if it came out of Abraham¡¯s mouth, then it probably wasn¡¯t far from the truth¡ª it meant Victor really did say that. This¡­ ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± That guy was terrifying. She¡¯d seen him kill before. So ruthless- human life meant nothing to him. With someone like Victor, Tessa figured women were nothing more than toys to him. As for liking someone¡­ Doolin like ?? at hunhahl day¡¯s amint in 11:48 Chapter 502 Through the Window- 78 Finished Feelings like that probably don¡¯t even exist in Victor¡¯s world. He treated life like it was disposable, like snuffing someone out was no big deal. How could a man like that fall for a woman? That was the impression Victor had left on her in such a short time. Ste: ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯m just telling you what my brother said.¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying. Probably just trying to mess with your brother by saying I¡¯m a spy so he could get you to take me away.¡± Uh¡­ That didn¡¯t sound impossible either. As the two went back and forth, the topicpletely veered off track. Tessa, in particr, was losing her cool. In the end, she said weakly, ¡°Ste, can you double¨Ccheck who the former head of Ashen Pact was?¡± Coming from Victor, that info didn¡¯t hold much weight for Tessa. 11:49 Chapter 502 Through the Window B 78 92 Finished Especially after everything Ste just said¡­ To her, Victor just seemed like a scumbag. Who jokes about someone¡¯s mother? She hadn¡¯t been eating or sleeping right for days. Even though Ste had already told her the previous leader¡¯s name was Diana, Tessa still wanted to be sure. Ste saiid, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll check for you.¡± If Diana really was Tessa¡¯s mother, this could be huge. After all, the current leader didn¡¯te into power under the cleanest circumstances. They talked a bit more before hanging up, most of it Ste trying to calm Tessa down. Back in her room, Tessa was curled up on the little sofa, her mind aplete mess. Victor¡­ told Abraham he liked her? Why? Was he really just trying to mislead Abraham? If so, the guy had guts¨Che actually dared to 11:49 Chapter 502 Through the Window lie to Abraham. B 78 Finished As her thoughts spiraled, she suddenly heard a noiseing from the balcony window. Her eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, the ss door slid open with a/soft click, and then whoosh¨Cthe curtains were flung aside. wer The moment her eyes met Victor¡¯s cold gaze¡­ Her mind wentpletely nk. She stared at Victor, then at the ss door behind him. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± He climbed through the window? There was a balcony outside the ss door, but that was practically the same thing, wasn¡¯t it? Send Gifts 2.4K The wrong girl 503 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You The man stepped toward Tessa with long strides, his tall, imposing frame bringing a natural sense of pressure with it. Feeling overwhelmed, Tessa instinctively backed away¨Cbut she was already on the sofa and had nowhere else to go. ¡°D¨CDon¡¯te any closer,¡± she stammered pitifully. She clutched her pillow tightly. Seriously? Just because she didn¡¯t open the door for him, was he really going to eat her alive? She was terrified¡­ Victor nced at the cab she¡¯d shoved in front of the door, a faint, deep smile ying at his lips. ¡°Pretty strong.¡± That cab was no lightweight. Tessa¡¯s heart raced in panic. She sniffled and 11:49 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You gave him a pitiful look. 77 Finished But after one nce at his expression, she lowered her head, feeling even more wronged. Seeing her like this brought him a strange sense of satisfaction. He stepped forward and grabbed her off the sofa with one hand. Like lifting a little bunny¨Cshe felt weightless in his grip. Tessa was scared out of her mind. ¡°Let me go!¡± Victor shoved her toward the door. ¡°Go. I want to see how you moved it.¡± Blocking the door with furniture again? So he climbed in through the window just to watch her move the cab? Was he seriously that bored? Tessa didn¡¯t want to, but she didn¡¯t dare talk back either. She shot him a pitiful look, then walked over and pushed the cab back to where it belonged. 11:49 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You It was heavy¡­ ?? 77 Finished It had taken effort to drag it over earlier, and now, with Victor standing there watching her with those sharp eyes, it felt even harder. She struggled for a while before finally getting the cab back into ce. Then she looked back at Victor, pitifully. He crossed his arms and chuckled lightly. ¡°You¡¯re not even that strong. Was all that trouble really just to keep me out?¡± Tessa: ¡°¡­¡± Yes. Yes it was. Especially after what Ste told her Abraham had said. Before she could respond, Victor pulled out his phone and made a call¡ªto Ss. The line picked up quickly. ¡°Ss. Some of the furniture needs to be reced.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it broken?¡± Ss sounded confused. 11:49 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You &u!3 (7; Finished But that didn¡¯t make sense. All the furniture in the house was top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline. If he¡¯d said he was tired of looking at it, sure. But broken? Then Victor said something that made Ss go stiff. Just two words: ¡°Too light.¡± What? Was he serious? Did he mean he wanted it reced so she couldn¡¯t move it anymore? That felt a little unfriendly. Recing everything with furniture she couldn¡¯t budge¨Cwasn¡¯t that just to stop her from barricading herself? That was kind of unreasonable. She was a girl living alone with a man. Was it a crime to have a little sense of personal safety? Tessa grumbled silently to herself, but she didn¡¯t dare show a hint of dissatisfaction on her face. 11:49 Bu 77 Finished Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You Ss, on the other hand¡­ He thought he must¡¯ve misheard. ¡°What did you say?¡± Too light? What the hell did that mean? Victor: ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Irritation already crept into his voice. Ss: ¡°Ah¨Cno, no. I¡¯ll change it right away.¡± Didn¡¯t matter if he heard right or not. Didn¡¯t matter how absurd the reason was. If the boss said it, it was happening. ¡°I¡¯ll get on it now. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ss hung up quickly¨Che wanted to keep his ears intact. Once the call ended, it was just Tessa and Victor again. She stood beside the cab, looking awkwardly at him. Victor sat down on the sofa. ¡°Come here.¡± Tessa still held her pillow tightly. When she heard that, she hugged it even harder. 11:50 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You Bu 77 She took a step back on instinct. ¡°No.¡± Both her mouth and her body were Finished Clearly, Victor had left quite the psychological scar on her these past few days. Seeing the fear on her face, Victor¡¯s smile disappeared, reced by a chilling coldness. ¡°Hm?¡± That one syble alone made Tessa feel the danger in his voice more vividly. For a moment, she actually considered bolting for the door. But she didn¡¯t dare¡­ Under Victor¡¯s watchful eye, where could she possibly run? The pressureing off him was icy and intense. Tessa¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡°We can just talk like this. You can hear me.¡± She took another step back after thest few words. 2 11:50 Chapter 503 Too Light to Block You Bu 77 Finished Victor raised an eyebrow. Her courage really was tiny. He hadn¡¯t even said anything yet and she was already this scared? Then he thought of what Ss had found during his investigation. ording to those files, she hadn¡¯t been this timid back in Port City. Must¡¯ve been all the chaos she¡¯d been throughtely¡ªit had shaken her to the core. Seeing Victor stay silent, Tessa finally spoke, stammering a bit. ¡°Actually¡­ I have something I want to ask you.¡± She was scared, but some things needed to be rified. Her voice was small, but she still dared to ask. Victor¡¯s stern expression softened into a smirk. ¡°Ask.¡± Tessa: ¡°Why did you tell Abraham¡­ that you liked me?¡± 11:50 Bu 77 The Returned Heiress Who Never Bit Th 99 Finished She had to get an answer. If she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d be on edge for days and wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep a wink. The wrong girl 504 Chapter 504/Too Close for Comfort Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you think?¡± Nothing was worse than being hit with a question in return. In situations like this, that kind of response only made someone look clueless. Tessa clutched her pillow tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Victor said, ¡°Obviously, it was to make Abraham keep you here. Otherwise, you think I¡¯d let a spy like you go cause trouble for them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªI¡¯m not a spy!¡± Tessa protested quietly. What was wrong with this guy? So he really did say that just to stop Ste from taking her. How vile. Tessa felt even more wronged. ? 1 4 11:51 B 77 The Returned Heiress Who Never En Finished Victor replied, ¡°Whether you are or not- we¡¯ll find out when the investigation¡¯s done.¡± There it was again. Tessa was scared, but she still couldn¡¯t help shooting him a resentful nce. ¡°Then tell your guys to hurry up. Keeping a suspect like me around must make you nervous too, right?¡± Victor looked over at her, slightly surprised. Not bad. She might be timid, but she still had enough nerve to say something like that. He didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he stood up and walked toward the door. Tessa instinctively stepped aside, her back pressed t against the wall. He stopped beside her and nced down at the pillow in her arms. ¡°You really think that thing¡¯s gonna protect you if I decide to do something?¡± Tessa¡¯s head snapped up in fear. There was a flicker of amusement in his 11:51 Chapter 504 Too Close for Comfort- 77 Finished eyes, and her heart leapt into her throat. She blurted out, ¡°Do you¡­ do you want to do something to me?¡± No way¨Cwas he really nning something? Well, probably not. Like Ste said, he¡¯d never be interested in someone like her. His past flings were all long¨Clegged supermodels. If he were going to go for someone, it would be someone even more stunning than them¡± -not someone like her. Victor didn¡¯t answer. He simply reached out and grabbed the pillow, trying to pull it out of her arms. Tessa panicked and hugged it tighter. But with just a bit of force from him, her arms gave way and she lost her grip¨Cher body stumbled right into his chest. His unique scent, mixed with his intimidating presence,pletely enveloped her. 11:51 77 Chapter 504 Too Close for Comfort Tessa¡¯s mind nked out, and she instinctively tried to pull away. Finished But tension always made things worse. Her knees buckled. She reached out to steady herself¨Conly to have her handnd- The next second, Victor grabbed her wrist. His voice was hoarse and low. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± And then she realized where her hand hadnded¨Cright on his abdomen, right near the waistband of his pants¡­ Tessa¡¯s breathing turned erratic. Oh god. Did she have a personal vendetta against Victor¡¯s waist or something? The first time, she yanked his belt. The second time, it was the towel. And now¨Cno belt¨Cjust straight to the pants? Her face burned red. She tried to pull her Chapter 504 Too Close for Comfort Finished hand back, but he still had her by the wrist. There was no escaping now¨Ceven if she wanted to deny it, she couldn¡¯t. ¡°S¨CSorry! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Victor said calmly, ¡°You sure you weren¡¯t throwing yourself at me?¡± Her head was spinning. She couldn¡¯t even remember what just happened. She must¡¯ve been the one who crashed into him. She really hadn¡¯t done it on purpose. She¡¯d even locked herself in her room to avoid any trouble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She almost added: If you hadn¡¯t climbed in through the balcony, this wouldn¡¯t have happened¨Cbut she didn¡¯t dare. He pushed her away and turned around. His voice was low and tense,ced with something he couldn¡¯t quite hold back. ¡°Don¡¯t go running your mouth to Ste these days.¡± 11:52 Chapter 504 Too Close for Comfort Ba 77 Finished Tessa: ¡°¡­¡± But she wanted to talk to Ste. Victor spoke again. ¡°You won¡¯t get out of this until things are clear. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that timeline dragging out because of her.¡± Her urge to contact Ste instantly deted. Victor¡¯s meaning was obvious. Even if Ste got involved, the investigation about whether she was a mole still had to bepleted. And if Ste interfered, things would probably take even longer. Tessa¡¯s thoughts finally settled a bit. She looked at Victor¡¯s back as he walked toward the door, her voice full of grievance. ¡°Then tell your people to hurry up.¡± She wanted to clear her name as soon as possible. Victor didn¡¯t answer. He just walked out. Tessa picked up her pillow and hugged it tight again, quietly closing the door and 11:52 Chapter 504 Too Close for Comfort returning to the sofa. She never imagined that on top of her world falling apart, she¡¯d also end up- literally¨Cgrabbing him. This mess¡­ it just kept sticking to her. 77 Finished Not long after, Ss arrived with a team to switch out the furniture. Tessa watched the workers struggle to lift the cabs¨Ctwo men together could barely manage it. They looked super heavy, No way she could move them herself. Lewis showed up too. He nced around the room at the perfectly fine cabs and looked at Tessa. ¡°What, you got beef with the furniture?¡± Ss really had gone all out. Send Gifts The wrong girl 505 Chapter 505 Misunderstood Now he was even willing to put in effort for a woman? Tessa cast a resentful look at Lewis but said nothing. 66 Lewis: ¡°¡­¡°What kind of look was that? She had Ss wrapped around her finger, and she still looked so aggrieved? ¡­ Evelyn didn¡¯te back the entire day. Abraham had just returned to Falvaria, so naturally, he had work to handle. Before leaving that evening, he gave the housekeeper detailed instructions- All kinds of reminders about Ste. She was pregnant now, and there were a lot of things she couldn¡¯t eat. Ste was sitting on the nearby sofa, nibbling on a banana. Abraham walked over holding the medical report and gently ruffled her hair. ¡°You like Chapter 505 Misunderstood this?¡± B 77 Finished He nced at the trash can¨Cit was already full of banana peels. Ste replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s tasty.¡± She wasn¡¯t a fan of overly sweet fruits, and the banana¡¯s mild sweetness was just right. Abraham sat beside her, eyes resting on the two ultrasound images printed on the report. The gentleness in his gaze was identical to the way he looked at Ste. Ste nced over. ¡°You¡¯ve looked at that so many times already.¡± Ever since he got the report, he hadn¡¯t let go of it. Was it really that interesting? Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°What do you think Ste will look like?¡± ¡°Marie just said earlier that you can¡¯t tell anything from it yet. Who would know?¡± Besides, what a child looks like is all gics -either the mom or the dad.) Abraham ninched her chook ¡°Imon¡¯t ha chach 11:52 Chapter 505 Misunderstood 77 Finished Abraham pinched her cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t be home to eat with you tonight. Be good.¡± ¡°Mm, I know.¡± He¡¯d been away from Falvaria for so long- of course he¡¯d be busy now that he was back. Ste obediently sat aside. Seeing her behaving so sweetly, Abraham kissed her on the forehead before finally getting up to leave. He also took the report with him. Ste noticed him tuck the paper into his pocket. Marie came downstairs. Seeing Ste sitting alone on the couch, she asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± ¡°He went out.¡± Ste took another bite of the jujube in her hand as she answered. Marie frowned. ¡°He still has the energy to go out?¡± 11:53 (77) Chapter 505 Misunderstood Finished They¡¯d just confirmed Ste was pregnant. She thought her brother would drop everything and hover around her instead. After all, in the eyes of the entire Dawson family, Ste had the worst self¨Cdiscipline. She had irregr sleep habits, and she ate whatever she wanted. Her mouth alone hadnded her in the hospital more than once. Ste didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she leaned over the back of the couch to look up at Marie upstairs. ¡°What did your brother say to you just now?¡± She had meant to wait outside the study, but the two of them had talked for so long, and Ste got hungry¨Cso she gave up. Marie¡¯s face darkened when she brought it up. ¡°He said Derrick¡¯s a good guy.¡± Ste: ¡°Huh?¡± A good guy? Was he serious when he said that? 11:53 B 77 Chapter 505 Misunderstood Finished Marie looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a good guy?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ste didn¡¯t even hesitate to shake her head. But Marie said, ¡°He is.¡± What the hell was going on¡­? Derrick being able toe and go in the Dawson family like this was already suspicious. And now both her brother and Marie were calling him a good guy? ¡°You too? Seriously, what is this¡­¡± Marie said, ¡°Ste, we misunderstood him three years ago. Back then, under those circumstances, we didn¡¯t even give him a chance to exin.¡± That night had spiraled into chaos out of nowhere. Everything was a mess. Who could¡¯ve calmly sat down and listened to exnations? Chapter 505 Misunderstood Finished Ste asked, ¡°Then what really happened?¡± Marie replied, ¡°Derrick saved Mom and me. That night he told you to leave the Dawson family, there were a lot of Monroe people who came. He even sent you a message from another phone. Didn¡¯t you see it?¡± What? No,/she never saw any message. And Monroe¡­ That guy had always been an enemy of the Dawson family. Lancelot was his man. Ste said, ¡°I seriously never saw any message. Are you sure he¡¯s not making that up? And what about Kelly?¡± ¡°Derrick told you about Kelly back then?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Kelly called me. She said you two were in Derrick¡¯s hands and told me to get the hell out of the Dawson family.¡± Marie nodded. ¡°Yeah, that lines up.¡± Chapter 505 Misunderstood Finished Derrick had meant for her to leave the Dawson family right away, and Kelly threw herself into the mix. Naturally, Ste assumed Derrick had kidnapped her mother and Marie to threaten her ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Ste said, looking at Marie. ¡°He said if I didn¡¯t want you two to die, I had to leave the Dawson family right away.¡± Wasn¡¯t that a threat? That was a tant threat. When someone you trusted suddenly said something so vicious¡­ Marie said softly, ¡°If you¡¯de to us and something dangerous happened, Mom and I would¡¯ve gone looking for you. And in that moment¡­¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 506 Bull 77 Finished Misunderstanding or Excuse? Marie didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but Ste could more or less piece together what had happened back then. Her lips twitched. ¡°So the whole thing was just a misunderstanding between us and Derrick?¡± Marie repeated her point. Ste didn¡¯t say anything this time. So much had happened over the years, and things were chaotic back then too. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have just exined properly?¡± Now that she¡¯d put the pieces together, Ste was ready to explode. ¡°And after all that, he even stopped me from contacting Ss.¡± When she first left Falvaria, she and Derrick still had somemunication. 11:54 Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? 77 Finished Marie said, ¡°You were in contact with Abraham. If he had gone looking for you, Derrick wouldn¡¯t have been able to focus on dealing with everything.¡± Was that really it? Either way, Ste still didn¡¯t trust Derrick. In her mind, he was just a heartless bastard, scheming and conniving beyond belief. Marie added, ¡°And what happened afterward, you saw it too. While dealing with all those messes, Derrick also had to settle things with Abraham.¡± Wait, what? Ste didn¡¯t know how far Abraham had gotten in resolving his own problems, but the feud between him and Derrick had been explosive. As Marie described, Derrick had been hunted across the globe. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he just exin it clearly?¡± Ste was furious all over again. 218 11:54 B (77) Finished Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? Marie said, ¡°Back then, the Tom family had their own issues too¡­ ugh, it¡¯s been too long, it¡¯s hard to exin.¡± Exactly¨Ctooplicated now. The blow Derrick suffered from the Tom family at the time had definitely been. heavy. ¡°So what does Abraham think of Derrick now?¡± If Abraham believed him,now, then thest few years really might have just been one big misunderstanding. That only made Ste angrier. That bastard Derrick couldn¡¯t use his mouth properly? Because of one misunderstanding, she ended up leaving the Dawson family for all these years. If she¡¯d never left Falvaria, she wouldn¡¯t have had to deal with all that garbage. Just thinking about the Reed family made her chest tighten. Mario said ¡°IT him ¡± 11:55 Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? 77 Finished Marie said, ¡°He wants me to marry him.¡± Wait, what? That came out of nowhere. Ste¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited. From everything she knew about Marie and Derrick, those two couldn¡¯t be more distant. And now Abraham actually wanted her to marry him? ¡°What is going on?¡± Ste was stunned. Sure, fine, clear up the misunderstanding- but marrying Marie off to Derrick? How did that make any sense? No matter what, Derrick wasn¡¯t the same as he used to be. After all these years and all that chaos, Derrick¡¯s temper had gotten worse. He even gave off vibes like he could be abusive. Marie answered, ¡°He thinks Derrick is a good person.¡± 11:55 Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? At this point, her brain waspletely scrambled by the nonstop ¡°he¡¯s a good person¡± talk. 77 Finished How many times were they going to hand him a good¨Cguy card? Was the idea that Derrick was now somehow better than Dan? ¡°So are you¡­ gonna marry him?¡± Out of nowhere, Derrick wanted to marry Marie, and Abraham didn¡¯t object. The whole thing feltpletely off. From Ste¡¯s perspective, nothing about this situation seemed simple. Marie said, ¡°Marry him? Even if he is a good guy, that doesn¡¯t mean I have to marry him.¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, exactly! Just because he was a good guy, that didn¡¯t mean Marie had to go be his wife. Still¡­ something about this didn¡¯t sit right. It felt like there was more beneath the surface. 11:55 Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? Finished ¡°I¡¯m done talking. I¡¯m going to find Dan and get that document back.¡± Marie suddenly blew up again. What a joke¨Cmarrying Derrick out of guilt? In his dreams. Did he think she was that kind of person? Ste: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna get it back by force.¡± The file Derrick lost? Seriously, what was the point of getting it back now? If it was going to leak, it probably already had. But from Marie¡¯s point of view, if Abraham wanted her to marry Derrick, maybe this file was the one thing she could use to settle the score. So if Derrick kept demanding the document, she was going to go get it back from Dan. That damn man¡­ 11:55 Chapter 506 Misunderstanding or Excuse? 77 Finished Whether or not he¡¯d used her this time was still unclear¨Cbut he had definitely thrown her under the bus in front of Derrick. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Ste immediately grabbed her. ¡°Wait- don¡¯t go.¡± The way that man treated Marie now¡­ There was a real chance he¡¯d faked his death back then. If he had, Ste figured Dan had never truly loved Marie. A man like that wasn¡¯t worth any more of her time. Marie: ¡°What?¡± ¡°He might not love you.¡± Brutal words, but Ste said them anyway- even knowing they might hurt Marie. Because what Marie needed most right now was to protect herself. Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What are you Finished Because what Marie needed most right now was to protect herself.¡± Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What are you talking about? You think I¡¯m going to him for love?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 507 Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man Marie: ¡°Romantic feelings?¡± That¡¯s not what Ste meant. She just didn¡¯t want Marie going to see Dan at a time like this. Bnce: 549 + 1 Coins = 1 Pearls 11:56 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit Th Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man Marie: ¡°Romantic feelings?¡± 77 Finished That¡¯s not what Ste meant. She just didn¡¯t want Marie/going to see Dan ?t a time like this. They had only just found him again, and those old feelings had been buried deep for years. Marie knew exactly what Ste was worried about. She patted her shoulder. ¡°Rx. Your sister¡¯s not made of paper.¡± Ste: ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to get that file back for Derrick. That bastard dares use me¨Clet¡¯s see if I don¡¯t mess him up.¡± Marie¡¯s voice was full of fire, especially when she talked about going after Dan¨Cshe was practically grinding her teeth. Ste still didn¡¯t feel good about it. ¡°But you¡­¡± Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man Finished On,e on. what about me? He used me. You think I¡¯m gonna die pining for that guy?¡± At that moment, everything clicked in Ste¡¯s mind. All that amnesia nonsense, pretending not to know anyone. From her point of view, Dan had to have had an agenda when he got close to her back then. And now? He was using her again. Everyone had been so focused on her chasing after a man¨Cand meanwhile, the moment her back was turned, Derrick¡¯s files went missing. Hearing Marie talk like that, Ste¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°No way¡­ right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Marie shot her a look. Ste: ¡°Like, you fall head over heels and can¡¯t live without him.¡± ¡°Hey, excuse me? Do I look like that kind of 11:57 Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man person to you?¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± B77 77 Finished She wasn¡¯t sure¨Cbut back in Rivermount, she¡¯d seen plenty of that type. Back at the studio, sometimes girls would just burst into tears mid¨Cshift, wailing things like, ¡°I really loved him. I gave him everything! How could he love someone else?¡± or ¡°We were together for three years. How could he dump me?¡± That kind of heartbreak was dramatic. And even though her own breakup with Abraham had been agonizing, she could never rte to that level of meltdown. Marie met Ste¡¯s wide, worried eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll grab the file ande straight back.¡± Her sister was way too softhearted¡ªcouldn¡¯t teach her the wrong things. If her brother found out, he¡¯d definitely blow up at her. Ste said, ¡°At least call Mom first.¡± Marie¡¯s evelid twitched ¡°What?¡± 11:57 Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man Marie¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°What?¡± 77 Finished ¡°Let her know where you¡¯re going. Or call my brother.¡± Ste just couldn¡¯t let Marie run off like that without saying anything. Marie thumped her lightly on the head. ¡°You got guts now, huh?¡± Still stuck three years ago? You needed parental permission to leave the house? She¡¯d been flying solo for years now, thank you very much. ¡°Alright, eat your dinner, be good, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Before Ste could say anything else, Marie had already walked out. Ste rubbed her sore forehead. The housekeeper rushed over. ¡°Miss, let me see if you¡¯re alright!¡± Ste: ¡°It hurts a little.¡± It really did sting. 11:57 Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man It really did sting. Finished When she took her hand away, there was a red mark. The housekeeper: ¡°.. Marie must¡¯ve forgotten Ste was pregnant. If Sir found out, he¡¯d definitely make her pay for it. She quickly had a servant bring over a warm towel to ease the pain. Ste¡¯s skin was always sensitive¡ªjust a little bump and it turned red. While the maid applied the warm ¡°She went to see Dan.¡± Abraham: ¡°Mm. I know.¡± ¡°But she¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dan wouldn¡¯t dare try anything in Falvaria.¡± 11:57 Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man 77 Finished Sensing her anxiety, Abraham¡¯s voice was calm and reassuring. Sure enough, Ste finally rxed a little after hearing him say that. She hung up, handed the towel to the maid beside her, and said politely, ¡°Thank you.¡± The maid beamed with delight. A short whileter, another maid brought her a bowl of freshly washed cherries. ¡°Miss, they just arrived today¨Csuper fresh.¡± The bright red cherries looked incredibly tempting. Ste swallowed. ¡°Thank you.¡± They looked delicious. Even though she¡¯d never really mistreated. herself all those years in Rivermount, it still didn¡¯tpare to home. Now that she was back, not only did she feel at ease, everything was familiar again. She picked one up and took a bite. ¡°So sweet.¡± Chapter 507 Don¡¯t Die on That Man Finished sweet.¡± ¡°Your mother sent them especially for you. She knew you liked them.¡± At the mention of her mother, warmth flickered across Ste¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, in the car¡ª Abraham already knew Marie had gone to find Dan. Behind the lenses of his gold- rimmed sses, a glint of cold light shed through his eyes. His voice chilled as he asked the man in the front seat, Abel, ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°When Dan died here in Falvaria, he didn¡¯t return to Frapucu until half a yearter.¡± Abraham: ¡°Half a yearter?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no record of where he was during that half year between his death here and his appearance in Frapucu.¡± ¡°And his illness?¡± The wrong girl 508 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About It ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± It was true¡­ That made everything even more . Back when Abraham found out Dan was in Frapucu, he already felt something was off. Why was Dan alive? And if he was alive, why hadn¡¯t he contacted Marie? So many questions tangled together. Abel said, ¡°He really did lose his memory.¡± As unbelievable as it sounded, the truth was 11:58 $.ull 976 The Returned Heiress Who Never Est m Finished -Dan genuinely didn¡¯t remember Marie now. Abraham¡¯s breath deepened. ¡°Send Rox to Marie. Have him protect her in secret.¡± If the amnesia was real¡­ Then even if Dan was in Falvaria, it was better to be cautious where Marie was concerned. Abel: ¡°Understood.¡± He immediately called Rox to give him the order. Later that night- With Abraham, Marie, and their mother all out, Ste ate a light dinner and returned to her room early. Especially since she¡¯d been getting snacks all afternoon, she didn¡¯t feel like eating much in the evening. Abraham came back. His warm palm gently 11:58 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About It sleep peacefully. Bull 76 Finished There was tenderness in his eyes. Having her here this feeling was so good. Ste blinked sleepily and cracked a smile when she saw him. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Seeing how sweet and soft she looked, the warmth in his eyes nearly overflowed. He nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ste: ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Eleven. Go back to sleep. I¡¯m gonna take a shower.¡± Ste: ¡°Are¡­ are you sleeping with me?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± At this point, Ste was already drowsy again. She hadn¡¯t yet realized they¡¯d already gotten past Evelyn¡¯s approval. Abraham went to shower. Ste rolled over and drifted back into dreand. But before long, the buzz of her phone vibrating snapped her out of sleep again. 218 11:58 76 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About¨CIt Finished Still half¨Cconscious, she grabbed the phone. and answered. ¡°Hello?¡± She was really exhausted. Ever since getting pregnant, her sleep schedule had be incredibly strict. She couldn¡¯t stay up even if she tried¨Cher body just couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°Ste¨CSte, I know I was wrong. Please, let me go, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯ll die¨CI swear, I¡¯m going to die!¡± On the other end came Lilian¡¯s panicked, tearful voice. Whatever sleepiness Ste had left was instantly wiped out. Her eyes shot open, fully alert now. ¡°How did you get my number?¡± She hadn¡¯t just blocked Lilian¨Cshe had changed her number entirely. This one was a Falvaria number. How had Lilian even found it? Clearly, this woman¡­ wasn¡¯t so simple after all. 11:59 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About¨CH all. 76 Finished Lilian stammered, ¡°I¨CI¡­¡± ¡°Not gonna say it?¡± Ste¡¯s voice cut cold and sharp,ced with danger. Lilian caved. ¡°I begged Jason to help me.¡± Jason. Ethan¡¯s assistant. He¡¯d worked at Keene Group for years and was the president¡¯s personal aide. Of course¡± he had the means to find a number. But he¡¯d actually helped Lilian? As far as Ste knew, Jason had never liked Lilian. Whether Ethan knew or not, she remembered once catching Jason ring at Lilian with nothing but disgust in his eyes. He hated her that much and still helped her find Ste¡¯s number? What was Jason up to? 11:59 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About¨CIt 76 Finished Ste sneered. ¡°Wow. So you really do have some tricks up your sleeve. Why not use that and marry your way into the Keene family? Wouldn¡¯t that solve everything?¡± Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Lilian was the queen of maniption. Even though most of the Keene family¡¯s elders disliked her, Ste didn¡¯t believe for a second she hadn¡¯t managed to buy off at least one of their trusted staff. She thought back to how arrogant Lilian had been when she returned to Rivermount. Thought she had a backbone to match the attitude. But this? On the other end, Lilian was huddled beneath a tree outside the Keene estate. Cold, exhausted, disheveled. She heard the sarcasm in Ste¡¯s voice and seethed inside¨Cbut didn¡¯t dare show it. ¡°Ste, I really know I was wrong. Please, I¡¯m begging you. Everything was my fault. Can you talk to Madam Keene for me? Tell 11:59 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About¨Cit 76 Finished Can you talk to Madam Keene for me? iell her not to treat me like this¨CI¡¯m begging you.¡± At this point, Lilian felt Ste was her only hope. She couldn¡¯t go back to the Reed family anymore. Susan was still locked up, and Jonathan¡¯s attitude toward her hadpletely changed. Even her aunt¡ªwho should¡¯ve been helping, her the most at a time like this¡ªhad Only Ethan¡­ Lilian believed Ethan was herst remaining chance. Ste: ¡°You want me to call Madam Keene? Are you out of your mind? Or do you really think that¡¯s even possible?¡± She used to be the Keene family¡¯s officially recognized future daughter¨Cinw. And now Lilian wanted her to plead with the elders? 11:59 Chapter 508 Don¡¯t Even Think About h 76 Finished She used to be the Keene family¡¯s officially recognized future daughter¨Cinw. And now Lilian wanted her to plead with the elders? She really had some imagination. Lilian: ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you that way. It was all my fault. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± The wrong girl 509 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck Despite Ste¡¯s coldness, Lilian kept begging. Now she was genuinely scared. 11:59 The Returned Heiress Who Never Eit in 75 Finished As Lilian¡¯s desperate voice rang in her ear ¨C¡°Or you can call Ethan, just tell him that car ident had nothing to do with me¡°¨C Ste ended the call. Even an idiot wouldn¡¯t say something that shameless. Not worth her time. She hung up and sent Lilian straight to the blocked list. Just as she put the phone down¡­ A knock came at the door, ¡°Ste, it¡¯s Mom.¡±. It was Evelyn¡¯s voice from outside. Ste instinctively moved to open the door -but froze when she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Her expression stiffened. Sure, her mom didn¡¯t mind her being with Abraham, but catching him showering in her room? That was¡­ Ste¡¯s expression grew more awkward by the second. She hesitated, torn between opening the door and pretending to be acleen 11:59 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck door and pretending to be asleep. $375 Finished Before she could decide, the water stopped -and a few secondster, Abraham stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with another. Seeing Ste sitting on the bed with her phone still in hand, he raised a brow. ¡°Someone called you?¡± She was about to tell him that her mom was at the door- But Evelyn¡¯s voice called out again from outside: ¡°Ste? Ste?¡± This time, it was quieter and more tentative. Clearly, if Ste was asleep, Evelyn didn¡¯t n oning in. Ste looked at the door, then at Abraham. Compared to her anxiety, the man seemedpletely calm. He casually dried his hair as he walked over and opened the door. Outside, Evelyn had already assumed Ste was asleep and was about to turn and leave when the door opened 2/7 11:59 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck when the door opened. $75 Finished She turned back¨Cand was startled to see Abraham, fresh from the shower. Evelyn: ¡°You-¡± She nced at the water on his torso, then looked past him to see Ste sitting on the bed, fully dressed in clean pajamas and clearly untouched. She immediately red at Abraham. ¡°You punk!¡± Abraham: ¡°You needed something?¡± ¡°I do. Get out here.¡± Evelyn shot him another re and turned to go. But after a step, she paused and nced back. ¡°Put on some clothes first.¡± Abraham frowned but didn¡¯t argue. His room was right next to Ste¡¯s. He returned quickly in sleepwear and went to the study. 11:59 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck $75 Finished Evelyn was already waiting inside. When he walked in, she was still fuming. Abraham was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You tell me.¡± Abraham: ¡°Please exin.¡± This is the problem with raising sons who are too capable¨Che talks to his mother like she¡¯s a subordinate. So formal. B Evelyn sighed. ¡°During Ste¡¯s check¨Cup today, Elena said the pregnancy isn¡¯t very stable. You need to restrain yourself.¡± ¡°I know you love her and want to spoil her, but right now, you need to hold back.¡± She decided to spell it out. Elena had indeed said the fetus wasn¡¯t particrly stable. That¡¯s why Evelyn had specifically reminded the housekeeper to keep Ste well nourished before heading out earlier. Rut then che came home and cam Abraham 11:59 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck 75 4 Finished But then she came home and saw Abraham Who wouldn¡¯t be rmed? ¡°Maybe you should sleep in your own room,¡± Evelyn said directly. She couldn¡¯t stop worrying. Abraham: ¡°Come on¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s been frail since she was little. Just be careful,¡± Evelyn pressed. ¡® Abraham was starting to get a headache¡­ Meanwhile, back in Rivermount- Lilian had coughed up a lot of blood. Her mind was starting to slip. Jonathan couldn¡¯t take it anymore and came to see Ethan to talk things over. He was at his wit¡¯s end with the Reed family¡¯s situation. Over the years, the Keene family had always helped them out. Naturally, Jonathan assumed they¡¯d step in 11:59 Chapter 509 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck $75 Finished He had no idea that the Reed family had always been just a pawn in the eyes of the Keene family. The Reed family¡¯s mines were valuable resources, but the Keene family had made a fortune off them¨Cwhile the Reeds only got the scraps And he certainly didn¡¯t realize that this time, because of Ste, the Keene family had gotten burned badly by Abraham¡­ Outside- Lilian was waiting by the door. In just a few nights, she looked like apletely different person¨Chaggard, dirty, and disheveled. She looked like a beggar. When she saw Jonathan, her eyes welled with tears. ¡°Jonathan.¡± Her voice was pitiful. It was a habit¨Cusing that tone to wring a little pity from him. Since being kicked out of the Reed family, life had ha unhanra cho didn¡¯t 11:59 The Returned Heiress Who Never Eit in $75 Finished Since being kicked out of the Reed family, life had be unbearable. She didn¡¯t even have a ce to sleep. All those properties Susan had bought her? All taken back. 2.4K = The wrong girl 510 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy So heartless. Back when they held her in the palm of their hand, she was treated like a treasure. Bnce: 389 +0 1 Coins = 1 Pearls 11:59 $75 Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Eit th But when they kicked her out, they didn¡¯t let her take a single thing with her. All of this¨Ceverything¨Cwas because of Ste. She was the reason Lilian had lost it all. ¡°I know I was wrong. I really do.¡± Seeing Jonathan stay silent, Lilian kept begging, her voice sounding more and more pitiful. In the past, just hearing that kind of pitiful tone would have made Jonathan soften. But not this time. His eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re still clinging to Ethan? Lilian, you should be thankful we didn¡¯t throw you in jail. You think Ethan would still want you?¡± They knew everything now. It waspletely uneptable. The girl he once cherished like a real sister¨Cturns out she¡¯d been this kind of person all along. He had truly treated her like his own flesh 111 11:59 $75 Finished Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy and blood¨Cbetter even than his real sister, Ste. When Ste returned, he¡¯d been worried Lilian would feel overshadowed. He gave Lilian the best of everything first. And in the end? What kind of gap? A woman this vicious didn¡¯t need coddling or pity. Now Jonathan just felt like the entire Reed family had been yed for fools. a Lilian sobbed, nearly gasping for air. ¡°I know I was wrong! I really know! Please forgive me! I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± ¡°Forgive you?¡± Jonathan snapped. ¡°The Reed family¡¯s been torn apart because of you, and you want forgiveness?¡± He exploded. Just thinking about how Lilian¡¯s aunt had been his father¡¯s mistress¨Cit made Jonathan furious. ¡°Ungrateful scum.¡± 11:59 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy $175 Finished He threw out the insult with gritted teeth, raised the car window, and ended the conversation. To him, the person he could never forgive most¡­ was Lilian. As the window neared the top, there was a sudden st sound outside. Jonathan caught it from the corner of his eye. Lilian had copsed to the ground, vomiting blood. Even from a distance, he could feel the deathly aura clinging to her like a shadow- her body on the brink. But this time, Jonathan didn¡¯t soften. One nce. That was all. Then he looked away and drove off coldly. Lilian watched the car disappear. Shey on the ground, blood spilling from her mouth uncontrobly. ¡°Why are you doing this to me¡­¡± She was dying. Couldn¡¯t they even let her die in peace? 11:59 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy 75 Finished Why are these people so cruel¡­ Lilian kept thinking, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to sit up anymore. Ethan wasn¡¯t home. Jonathan only found out once he arrived that Madeline had been hospitalized¨Cand Ethan was there with her. The one who met him was Sutton. She was about to leave, suitcase in hand. The Keene family¡¯s problems weren¡¯t going away anytime soon¨Cand frankly, they weren¡¯t the kind of problems that could be fixed. She had so much on her te outside the house and had zero interest in being trapped by the family¡¯s drama. Seeing Jonathan, Sutton¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What? You here to plead for your foster sister?¡± 11:59 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy B 75 Finished She had never liked Jonathan. Imagine that¨Csomeone who treated his foster sister better than his real one. Not just Jonathan. In Sutton¡¯s eyes, the entire Reed family was sick. Stung by her jab, Jonathan¡¯s face twitched. ¡°I came to see Ethan.¡± Sutton sneered. ¡°Won¡¯t help. No one in the Keene family is going to ept Lilian again.¡± She made that point very clear. Hearing how firm she was, Jonathan¡¯s expression soured. ¡°I¡¯m not here for Lilian.¡± Now that was rare. Every Reed family member used to call her ¡°Yutong¡± so affectionately, and now suddenly¡­ ¡°Lilian¡°? So you¡¯re finally waking up? ¡°Then what are you here for?¡°) ¡°The Reed family¡¯s run into some trouble. I 12:00 75 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy Finished Sutton cut him off. ¡°Trouble? That¡¯s putting it lightly.¡± She raised her voice. Ste was backed by Abraham. Most people might not know much, but someone like Sutton¨Cwho¡¯d spent years traveling abroad -definitely knew his name. That infamous mafia boss who controlled all the underground weapons trade in Falvaria. Countless criminal groups lived off his scraps. To offend someone like that¨Cwhat the Reed family was facing was way more than a ¡°bit of trouble.¡± After Sutton shouted him down like that, Jonathan had nothing left to say. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t just a little trouble. Sutton scoffed. ¡°Whatever mess the Reed family is in right now¨Cthe Keene family can¡¯t clean it up either.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it for yourself The Keene 12:00 Chapter 510 Not Even Death Deserves Mercy $75 Finished ¡°You¡¯ve seen it for yourself. The Keene family¡¯s also been dragged down by Abraham.¡± Just talking about all the problems at home. made her head throb. The Keene family was a total mess. Ethan and that Horgan were locked in a power struggle. With everything falling apart, what exactly were they even fighting over? Shouldn¡¯t surviving the current crisis be their top priority? The wrong girl 511 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? Abraham really could be ruthless¡­ 75 Finished This entire mess had started because of Ethan¨Che and Jonathan had paid Feisy to have Ste killed. Just thinking about it made Sutton re harder at Jonathan. ¡°Get lost. The Keene family can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°And never mind Abraham. Even the Parker family isn¡¯t letting this go. Who do you think has the power to save you now?¡± At the mention of the Parker family, Sutton¡¯s tone turned openly disgusted. How bold could you be? Louis Parker was no pushover, and Jonathan had actually dared to mess with Sharon? The Keene family was already drowning in its own problems. They had no energy left to deal with the Dood family 12:00 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? 75 Finished Jonathan was kicked out by Sutton on the spot. Lilian was still outside, copsed on the ground. Her frail body was like a torn¨Cup kite, lifeless and limp, as if she were already dead. Jonathan gave her one nce, then coldly looked away and drove off without hesitation. The same Reed family that once doted on her now turned as cold as¡¯ice. Back in Falvaria- Ste couldn¡¯t hold out any longer and fell asleep. Half¨Cconscious, she felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace. She cracked open her heavy eyelids. It was Abraham. She murmured softly, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± He kissed her forehead. ¡°Yeah. Go to sleep.¡± 12:00 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? 75 Finished As for going back to her own room to sleep? Abraham had heard Ste¡¯s words¡­ and immediately let them go out the other ear. Even if he didn¡¯t do anything, just holding Ste while she slept was enough. Late into the night¡­ Marie finally found Dan at a nightclub. As soon as she walked into the private room, she was greeted with the sight of people drowning in booze and pleasure. Dan sat in the middle, one woman on each side, both clinging tightly to him. Yep. In Marie¡¯s eyes, just a couple of stubby- legged girls. Their faces were decent at best¡­ One of the women offered Dan a drink, and he downed it in one go, his eyes already hazy with alcohol. Marie narrowed her eyes. Derrick had nearly torn her apart earlier, and here this bastard was¨Cpartying like nothing happened? 12:00 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? Fury surged through her. 75 Finished She strode forward and flipped the low table in front of Dan. It was covered with drinks, fruit tters, and snacks. Everything happened so fast¨Ccrash! The people on the couch didn¡¯t even have time to react. They were instantly soaked and sttered. The once¨Cboisterous room went silent, save for the background music. Everyone turned to stare at Marie. A secondter, someone finally spoke up: ¡°What the hell? Who is this psycho?! Here to start trouble?!¡± The man shouted in anger. Marie didn¡¯t even nce his way. Still fuming, she raised her foot and kicked Dan straight in the stomach. The man who¡¯d yelled earlier let out another curse as every eye in the room 12:00 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? 75 Finished Dan had great reflexes, but he had girls. draped on both sides of him. He couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Marie¡¯s kicknded solidly in his gut. ¡°Ugh-¡± Dan grunted. The two women beside him finally realized what was happening and scrambled away. But Marie didn¡¯t stop. She leapt over the table and charged straight at Dan. At this point, she was convinced¡ªthis bastard had approached her back then with an agenda. If you want to scam someone, go for their money! But scamming love? The more she thought about it, the angrier. she got. She started swinging fists at Dan one after another, her movements fast and furious. No one in the room could react in time. By the time they moved to pull her off, Dan 12:00 $75 $75 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? Finished had already caught one of Marie¡¯s punches midair. But in the very next instant, her other fist came swinging around with even more force. Wham! Right across the other side of Dan¡¯s face. Marie was seething. In that moment, she didn¡¯t hold back at all. Dan¡¯s head snapped to the side. When he looked back at her, there was fury in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill that woman!¡± A man from the crowd erupted. This wasn¡¯t just wrecking a party¨Cshe¡¯d kicked a ho¡¯s nest. Dan hadn¡¯te here on his own. He¡¯d been invited¨Cit was a social event. Now, with the whole scene destroyed, he nearly popped a blood vessel. 1 12. 12:00 Chapter 511 You Dare y Me? ?? V COC. §á§ã§Ñ§á§å §â§à§âptu a vi vou vesti. 75 Finished But Marie didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. She kept pummeling Dan, yelling, ¡°You think you can just steal whatever you want? You steal, then steal openly! Why the hell did you have to frame me?! You bastard- you don¡¯t even have the guts to admit it?!¡± Being upright and aboveboard¨Cthat was Marie¡¯s bottom line. Dan had trampled all over it. Whether or not he was someone she once loved didn¡¯t matter anymore. If she didn¡¯t love him, she¡¯d beat the crap out of him. If she did love him¨Cthen he¡¯d better get beaten straight. Either way he deserved it. ¡°Tell me¨Cwhere is it?! Speak! Are you gonna talk or not?!¡± a The wrong girl 512 Chapter §ï1Z YOU In?§±§¬ ? Won¡¯t Hit You Again? 75 Finished The people nearby heard her yelling and nced at her fistspletely speechless. She wasn¡¯t even giving him a chance to talk. What was he supposed to say? . No one could keep up with her like this. Marie was absolutely fuming. Just thinking about Derrick¡¯s rage earlier- like he was ready to throw her in a pot and boil her alive¨Cmade it clear how important that file must¡¯ve been. ¡°Talk. Where¡¯s the file? Not talking? Fine, I¡¯ll beat you until you do!¡± She was hitting him so hard, he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth. A dozen bodyguards rushed in. The man in the lead had already reached toward Marie. But just then, Dan grabbed her wrists and flipped her down onto the couch, pinning hon 12:00 The Returned Heiress Who Never Eitth 75 Finished But just then, Dan grabbed her wrists and flipped her down onto the couch, pinning. her. ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­¡± ¡°Let go? You let go right now, bastard!¡± Marie thrashed with everything she had, trying to gain the upper hand. But the strength difference between men and women was too much. Even with her skill and stamina, Dan¡¯s full- body hold left herpletely restrained. She had no way to fight back. ¡°Mr. Morris¡­¡± The middle¨Caged man who¡¯d been leading the guards stepped forward nervously. His re at Marie had been vicious at first. But the moment he saw her face, his breath caught¨Cand his heart jumped into his throat. No way¡­ Was that the infamous Dawson family wild card? 12:00 Chapter 512 You Think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? Out of all the people Mr. Morris could¡¯ve provoked, he had to mess with her? Marie. Who didn¡¯t know her? 75 Finished For the past two years, she¡¯d been going around saying her little sister was missing, warning everyone not to bully her sister. Who would darey a finger on the Dawson family¡¯s adopted daughter? The entire family treated her like a gem. Not only had plenty of people been warned by her, several had suffered directly at her hands. Especially that gemstone mine owned by the Dorne family- She¡¯d practically stripped it bare. Because of that, everyone knew: the Dawson family¡¯s second daughter was a terror. The middle¨Caged man had originally nned to shout for someone to take Marie down. But now? No way. ¡°Um, Mr. Morris¡­¡± 12:00 75 Chapter 512 You Think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? Finished Now he was stuck. One was a potential investor he still needed. The other was the Dawson family¡¯s little devil. What was he supposed to do? The color drained from his face¨Cturning every shade imaginable. Dan looked down at Marie, growling, ¡°Everyone out.¡± Hearing that was like receiving a royal pardon. The man¡¯s heart finally settled. He quickly barked at the others, ¡°Out, out- everyone out!¡± Dear god¨Cwhat even is this? Mr. Morris¡­ and that she¨Cdevil? It was baffling. Everyone knew that woman already had someone in her heart, yet here she was chasing a man down like this¡­ And what a way to chase him. Everyone left. Thest person even thoughtfully shut the 12:00 Chapter 512 You Think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? 75 Finished Thest person even thoughtfully shut the door behind them. Now, only Marie and Dan were left in the room. Marie red at him through clenched teeth. ¡°Get off me.¡± Dan¡¯s grip on her wrists tightened, his warm breath brushing her cheek. He had a gentle¨Clooking face. But¡­ Those eyes¨Conce soft and full of affection when he looked at her¨Cwere now sharp with danger. Of course. With a man like him, that gentleness had only ever been skin¨Cdeep. Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Just because you¡¯re from the Dawson family, you think I won¡¯t kill you?¡± Already furious- Hearing that made Marie snap. ¡°You framed 12:00 Chapter 512 You Think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? 75 Finished Hearing that made Marie snap. ¡°You framed me, and now you want to kill me?¡± The audacity was unbelievable. Shepletely exploded. She flung her head back against the couch, then used all her strength to drive it forward -thud¨Ca sickening crack echoed through. the room, followed by Dan¡¯s pained grunt. His grip on her loosened. Marie¡¯s head was pounding from the impact -her skull ringing. As for Dan¨Che hadn¡¯t expected it at all. Her headbutt nearly scrambled his brain. ¡°You crazy woman-¡± He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. Marie had already thrown herself at him again. That warm voice she¡¯d heard over the phone¨Cthat fake gentleness¨Cit had all been part of the setup. Amnesia, huh¡­ 12:00 Chapter 512 You Think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? 75 Finished She didn¡¯t believe a word of it. She was convinced this man had approached her with a n all along. And when he got what he wanted, he¡¯d faked his own death to vanish? Marie had never respected men like that. And now, she wasn¡¯t holding back at all. ¡°You bastard! Tell me¨Cwhere the hell is Derrick¡¯s file?!¡± Dan dodged her attacks. His eyes darkened with menace. Marie saw it and got even angrier. ¡°What, you steal something and still have the nerve to re at me?¡± With that, she lunged again and started fighting him for real. Outside the room, the people who¡¯d invited Dan hadn¡¯t left yet. Several had their ears pressed to the door, listening in. Every thud and bam! from inside made their hearts skin a heat 718 12:00 Chapter 512 You think I Won¡¯t Hit You Again? 819 75 Every thud and bam! from inside made their hearts skip a beat. ¡°Mr. Lance, didn¡¯t you check whether Mr. Morris had any beef with the Luke family or not?¡± The wrong girl 513 Chapter 513 One Punch, One Threat, One Storm Lance¨Cthe one who had invited Dan tonight¨Chad been trying to get an edge on Abraham¡¯s munitions supply chain but hadn¡¯t seeded once. So, he¡¯d turned his hopes to Dan. And now¡­ The guy crouched behind Lance nervously asked, ¡°You sure you looked into Mr. Morris and that demoness?¡± Lance was already drenched in sweat. Themotion from the private room clearly meant a fight had broken out. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Mr. Morris had anything to do with her!¡± Lance hissed. Marie was so vicious. Who would¡¯ve guessed she had any kind of entanglement with a man? Before today, no one in their right mind would¡¯ve thought that was even on the table. So now what? Lance looked miserable. ¡°This was all for nothing.¡± If Dan was tied up with the Luke family, then trying to get the Morris family to invest in raw materials was officially dead in the water. And judging by the racket inside¡­ ¡°Who even knows if this is love or hate?¡± someone muttered. ¡°If this turns out to be some twisted lovers¡® spat, then we¡¯re screwed.¡± Inside, Marie and Dan were fighting like a hurricane. Marie¡¯s skills had improved a lot over the years. Maybe Dan was drunk, or maybe he was still going easy on her because she was a woman- Either way, in the end, Mariended a punch that knocked him out cold. Hair tousled, Marie stormed out of the private room. Lance took one look at her disheveled, wild¨Ceyed state and jumped. ¡°Ms. Marie, are you alright?¡± She shot him a re. ¡°Remember this¨CI¡¯m telling my brother what happened tonight.¡± Lance had been involved in too many shady deals these past few years, and now he was tangled up with Dan too? No way she was letting that slide. Lance panicked. ¡°Ms. Marie, please¨Cdon¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Marie snorted and strode off. Lance wanted to go after her but nced back to see Dan still unconscious. He turned right back around. Outside the club, it had started to rain. And it wasn¡¯t a light drizzle¨Cit was pouring. Marie walked through the downpour. All that rage she¡¯d unleashed on Dan¡­ now washed away into something quieter, something sadder. Even just her back looked lonely and deste. In a nearby car, Derrick sat watching. Kale was behind the wheel. Chapter 513 One Punch, One Threat, One Storm +5 Pearts ¡°Rain¡¯s reallying down¡± Kale remarked Derrick scoffed ¡°She¡¯s a tank. That kind of woman¡¯s waterproof Then why are we here? But since Derrick had spoken, Kale didn¡¯t say anything else. Still, Derrick was clearly irritated. He lit a cigarette, took two putts, then suddenly opened the car door, ready to get out. Just as he stepped one foot out- Someone appeared behind Marie, holding an umbre Both Derrick and Kale recognized him instantly¨CAbraham¡¯s man. Rox Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he pulled his foot back inside the car. ¡°Tch. And here I thought Abraham only cared about Ste. Didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d look after this she¨Cdevil too.¡± Kale scratched his nose. He knew Derrick was pissed about Rox showing up. He cleared his throat. ¡°Well, she¡¯s his biological sister. Different personality, different treatment.¡± That was true. It wasn¡¯t favoritism¨Cjust the way it had always been. One was soft, sheltered, raised with care. The other was wild, left to grow on her own. Back in Falvaria- Ste had slept soundly all night. When she woke in the morning, to her surprise, Abraham was still there. Back in Rivermount, she¡¯d wake up alone most days¨Che was always gone by then. She rolled over and snuggled into his arms. Abraham looked down. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Ste buried her head deeper into his chest and grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± She¡¯d woken up from hunger. Abraham nced at the watch on the nightstand. It was past nine. Smiling indulgently, he said. ¡°Then let¡¯s get up and eat.¡± He got up first. Ste followed, watching as he went to the wardrobe and pulled out somefortable loungewear for her. ¡°I can dress myself.¡± Ste instinctively reached out to take the clothes. But Abraham dodged her hand. ¡°Mother saidst night I should take good care of you.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s just clothes. What¡¯s there to take care of?¡± She didn¡¯t need help with anything at home¨Cwhat more was there to manage? 23 Chapter 513 One Punch, One Threat, One Storm Abraham chuckled and reached to unbutton her sleepwear. Ste froze. Her hand shot out to grab his wrist. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¨CI can do it myself.¡± Her face flushed. He yfully pinched her nose. ¡°Alright. You do it.¡± He handed her the clothes and didn¡¯t tease her further. Relieved. Ste finally exhaled. After all this time, she¡¯de to understand¡ª This calm, serious man? His self¨Ccontrol was actually pretty terrible.¡­¡­.. Once she was dressed, she stepped into the bathroom¨CAbraham had already squeezed toothpaste onto her brush. Standing beside him, she saw their reflections in the mirror. She barely reached his shoulder. Send Gifts The wrong girl 514 Chapter 514 Raised With Love Looking at their reflections, it was starting to make sense why Man always called her sur¨Cmaybe she hat a point. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Abraham ruffled Ste¡¯s hair with a smile as he noticed her huiting her t¨¹r ist what ung Ste pouned. ¡°Back in Rivermount, I was actually considered prery tall¡± Now that she was home with the Dawson family, she really was the sturest of them all Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°When you were little, your health was poor. The doctors said you were har vet. You spent the first every days after ve picked you up in the hospital¡± When he said ¡°picked you up, something tugged at Ste¡¯s hear Her mom had told her that story before Back then, she was tit sot, pale and Frelur just couldn¡¯t bear to leave tes But she¡¯d also been difficult. The illnesses had been relerless. If the Dawson family hadn¡¯t found me¡­ would I can still be alte w?c¨¦ Her mom had said she¡¯d had pneumonia, and liver issues too. For a baby that small ir mas The memory stung. Ste leaned into Abraham¡¯s arm. Was I realy that hard to take care of Abraham nodded. ¡°One donor even said you probably wouldn¡¯t live pust fine.¡± Wouldn¡¯t live past five! Her mom had never told her tha But if Abraham said so, it had to be true. She bagged his arm even tighter. Abraham looked down at her teary eyes and pinched her nose gency You¡¯re ine now aren¡¯t your Ste could say with certainty: if it hadn¡¯t been for the Dawson fly, she never would¡¯ve made it this for Especially nor with how the Reed family was. Now, she was rtively healthy. Since she could remember shed tray ten sid Clearly, the Dawson family had done everything they could to give her a strong body ¡°There¡¯s more¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What else?¡± She braced herself¨Cwas there something worse Abraham said. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to call me your brother anymre Ste paused. Right. She probably shouldn¡¯t be calling him that anymore. ¡°Got it,¡± she said sweetly. After washing up together, they headed downstairs. Lorette was talking to the butler. The butler asked. ¡°So.. how should I send out the message?¡± What message? Lorette thought for a moment and said, ¡°Just write. My darling daughter¨Cinw is finally all grown up. I¡¯ll send you the photo to attach.¡± 0192 Chapter 514 Raised With Love +8 Pearls As soon as she saw Steing down the stairs, Evelyn shot the butler a look. ¡°Go on. Do it. And is the tonic soup ready yet?¡± ¡°All done, ma¡¯am,¡± the butler replied respectfully. Evelyn walked toward Ste. When she spotted Abraham, she gave him a sharp re, clearly annoyed. She had definitely found out he¡¯d gone back to Ste¡¯s roomst night. But after one look, she dropped it and tugged Ste toward her. ¡°Ste, to tell me that. I know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her overdo it.¡± ¡°She barely ate anything the past few days. If she wants to eat now, she should.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why she shouldn¡¯t eat too much all at once.¡± Evelyn huffed. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re not done yet? What¡¯s wrong with the baby eating a little more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I can eat whatever,¡± Ste jumped in quickly, grabbing Evelyn¡¯s arm to stop her from getting even more riled
    1. up.
    Evelyn gave Abraham another pointed re. ¡°It¡¯s just soup. It won¡¯t upset her stomach.¡± She knew Ste had had a tough time eating properly thosest few days in Rivermount. In Evelyn¡¯s mind, if her daughter felt like eating now, they needed to make sure she ate well. But Abraham just had to butt heads with her. ¡°Ste, eat up,¡± Evelyn said gently as she served more food into her bowl. The wrong girl 515 Chapter 515 His Personal Jinx Ste took a sip of soup. The soup was genuinely delicious, and she really liked it. ¡°Mmm, this porridge tastes amazing.¡± The moment she said that, Abraham already knew¨Cthere was no stopping her today. And sure enough¡­ She ended up having three whole bowls of soup. Not to mention all the snacks. By the time Ste started on her second bowl, Abraham was already about to step in. But Evelyn shot him a sharp look,pletely shutting him up. ¡°Ste really shouldn¡¯t cat too much,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but say. Evelyn: ¡°You shut your mouth.¡± Useless. Three whole years. For the past three years, Evelyn had constantly worried that Ste wasn¡¯t eating properly while living away from them, which might affect her health. Now that she was finally back home, there was no way Abraham was going to be the one calling the shots. Meanwhile- Victor sat at the dining table, face dark. He nced at the maid. ¡°Go tell her toe down for breakfast.¡± The maid worked in the kitchen. When she heard Victor tell her to go call Tessa down, Ss¡¯s warning shed through her head¨Che¡¯d told her not to go upstairs. She hesitated. ¡°But Mr. Ss said I¡¯m not allowed to go up to the second floor¡­¡± Which was exactly why this morning¡¯s breakfast had been reheated several times already. Tessa didn¡¯te down, and he didn¡¯te down either. Cooking for them was a nightmare. Victor¡¯s face went cold. ¡°Go.¡± The sudden chill in his tone made the maid jump. She quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Technically, she should listen to the one who paid her sry¨Cbut when the master of the house gave an order, there was no saying no. The maid hurried upstairs to get Tessa. Back in her room, Tessa was looking at the time, debating whether or not to call Ste. Ever since she found out the former female leader of the Ashen Pact was also named Diana, she¡¯d been on edge. Just can¡¯t shake this feeling¡­ Knock, knock. Tessa flinched. The wardrobe Ss had brought in was so heavy she couldn¡¯t move it herself. The only thing keeping Victor out was the 3:43 PM d Chapter 515 His Personal Jinx flimsy lock on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked, her voice shaky. ¡°It¡¯s the maid, Ms. Tessa,¡± came the reply. ¡°Sir asked you toe down for breakfast.¡± Wasn¡¯t the maid banned from going upstairs? Well¡­ this was Victor¡¯s house. Whatever he said went. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she said. If Victor asked her toe down, then she absolutely wasn¡¯t going. She and Ste had already agreed: wherever Victor was, she¡¯d try to avoid him. No more unfixable idents. Just thinking about the disasters she¡¯d caused around Victor made her want to crawl into a hole. Why am I so dumb? At the moment of those disasters, her body, her hands¨Ceverything felt like it wasn¡¯t even under her control. ¡°But sir didn¡¯t look very happy,¡± the maid said. All the more reason not to go. He was already scary when he was calm. If he was in a bad mood, it had to be even worse. Tessa sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m really not hungry.¡± The maid didn¡¯t try again and left. Tessa thought she¡¯d dodged a bullet. No way Victor would actuallye up himself¨Che wasn¡¯t that But not even five minutester- A deep voice came from outside the door: ¡°Come out.¡± Tessa froze again. No more pretending. type of man. +8 Pearls Dragging her feet, she cracked open the door and peeked up at him like a scared little quail, only to meet Victor¡¯s ice¨Ccold stare. She instantly dropped her gaze. ¡°I¨CI¨CI¡¯m really not hungry.¡± Before she could even finish, his hand was on her chin, tilting her face up. Forced to meet his eyes, Tessa couldn¡¯t look away no matter how hard she tried. ¡°L¨CLet go of me.¡± Victor: ¡°Avoiding me?¡°¡± Tessa: ¡°¡­uh¡­¡± Yeah, kinda have to! ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not.¡± She was terrified but didn¡¯t dare say it out loud. Victor¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Not avoiding me? Then why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really-¡± ¡°Hm?¡± 3:44 PM d Chapter 515 His Personal Jinx Okay, fine. She was kind of hungry. 0 +8 Pearls But being around Victor was a walking disaster. She¡¯d yanked on his belt buckle. She¡¯d grabbed his towel. She¡¯d almost pulled down his pants. Thank god they had a drawstring. If she had pulled them down¡­ At this rate, who knew what she¡¯d tug on next? ¡°I think I¡¯m just your jinx.¡± That¡¯s it. No use fighting it anymore¨Cjust admit she was his personal curse and be done with it. Maybe if he epted she was bad luck, he¡¯d stay far away from her. Victor blinked at her answer. Even someone like him, who rarely showed emotion, cracked a visible smile at that one. Send Gifts 3.1K The wrong girl 516 Chapter 516 Can¡¯t Stop the Chaos Jins¡­ What an excuse. Victor grabbed her from the room like he was picking up a chick. Tessa panicked and started struggling wildly. ¡°I¨CI¨CI really¡¯m not hungry!¡± In the midst of her iling- Riip- The man¡¯s quick steps down the stairs suddenly came to a halt. And as Tessa registered the sound, her brain went ng. She looked down at what she¡¯d just torn in her hand. Then back at the rip in Victor¡¯s shirt¨Cright where his abs were now fully exposed. Bright. Blinding. Abs. Aaaahhh! If this wasn¡¯t what total mental copse looked like, then what was? She really wanted to ask: what was this shirt made of? How much force had she used just now? Looking devastated, she met Victor¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Forget everything else. She screwed up¨Cagain. This time, she tore the man¡¯s shirt. At this rate, she really shouldn¡¯t be around him anymore. Otherwise, she was definitely going to end up ripping off his pants next time¡­ Meanwhile, after breakfast- Ste stood up. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so full.¡± Abraham¡¯s expression stiffened. He reached out and pinched her cheek. ¡°Told you not to eat too much, but you didn¡¯t listen.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Too full? Then go lie down for a bit. Mommy will take you for a walk.¡± Pregnant women were like this¨Cif they wanted to eat, they had to eat right away. But that also meant they might feel sick afterward. Abraham said, ¡°I¡¯ll take her.¡± He stood up immediately and grabbed Ste¡¯s coat from the side, helping her into it. Evelyn said, ¡°If you¡¯ve got work, then go. The wedding dresses will be delivered soon. I¡¯ll stay home with Ste and help her try them on.¡± She wanted to spend more time with her. Yesterday, she¡¯d had urgent business to take care of and barely got to see Ste for an hour. The moment Ste heard ¡°try on wedding dresses,¡± her expression shifted slightly. Especially when Abraham nced at her¨Cshe immediately looked guilty. Ste cleared her throat. ¡°Um.. the one my sister made is actually really nice. I don¡¯t need to try the others.¡± Chapter 516 Can¡¯t Stop the Chaos. +8 Pearls She mentioned Marie now mainly to remind Abraham¨Cwhy she had gone to try on wedding dresses in Rivermount. It was because she knew the gown was designed by Marie. She didn¡¯t know why it had ended up in Rivermount¡­ But she could swear- That dress fitting had nothing to do with Ethan. Evelyn said, ¡°You only get married once. Of course you should pick the one you love most. Try them all.¡± As for that thing Marie made- In Evelyn¡¯s opinion, that daughter of hers couldn¡¯t stick to anything for more than three minutes. Like she could design. anything good? She wasn¡¯t going to let her precious little Ste have any regrets about her wedding. ¡°¡­ Alright then.¡± Since her mom insisted, Ste didn¡¯t object. She remembered what Evelyn had told the housekeeper earlier, and her heart warmed. Evelyn was making sure no one would say anything bad about her. She was going to dere to all of Falvaria that Ste had been raised as a daughter¨Cinw, not as a daughter. That way, her rtionship with Abraham would bepletely above board. Abraham didn¡¯t want to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll stay and help her pick.¡± Evelyn: ¡°No need. The Dorn family¡¯s been acting uptely. Go deal with that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people.¡± Clearly, he had no intention of going anywhere. Evelyn gave him a look. Ste figured Abraham must have a lot of work to catch up on now that he was back in Falvaria. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take pictures of every dress I try on, and you can chooseter, okay?¡± Evelyn huffed. ¡°Look at this guy.¡± Abraham pulled Ste into his arms, smiling indulgently. ¡°Alright.¡± Ste said, ¡°Go on then.¡± His phone had been ringing the whole time during breakfast. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t need to go¨Cit was that he just didn¡¯t want to. Evelyn, thoroughly fed up with her clingy son, turned and left. The rest of the house staff, seeing that she was gone, also quickly took their cue and cleared out. Now only Ste and Abraham were left. She instinctively tried to pull away from his arms. But the hand around her waist only tightened. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Hm?¡± Ste said, ¡°Mom was just here¡­¡± Her cheeks turned red. You had to act proper in front of your elders. Abraham smiled and leaned in close. 213 Chapter 318 Cant Stop the CMOS N who the bow and gave him a quis Kiss on the cheek. One kis¨Cand she immediately tried to retreat on the back of her neck + Pearls The Rix swallowed of her woest She seed ¨C gave in, letting him take what he wanted. No death was dowry burning Aste it was going to meh her into his body As ten minutes passed before Ste, breathless, tried to pull away ANN- Re¨CMaries rose addend rang out. Send Gifts 3.1K The wrong girl 517 Chapter 517 Caught in the Act Ste jumped in shock, and Abraham immediately let go of her. As she stumbled back, she nearly fell to the floor. Abraham moved fast and caught her back into his arms. ¡°Still so careless?¡± Marie was standing at the doorway, covering her eyes and apologizing frantically. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Ste¡¯s face was already blushing. She buried herself in Abraham¡¯s arms and refused toe out. Feeling her embarrassment, Abraham narrowed his eyes at Marie, voice cold. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you gone yet?¡± Marie stammered. ¡°Oh¨Cright, I¡¯ll go now, I¡¯m going, just¡­ seriously, if you two wanna do that stuff, can¡¯t you stay in your room? What, am I not supposed to have eyes?!¡± She spun around, still covering her face¨Cand immediately mmed into the wall. ¡°Ugh!¡± she groaned, the impact clear as a thud. Just hearing the sound made Ste wince. It sounded painful. She tried to pull away from Abraham to go check on her, but he held her tight against his chest. ¡°Marie might¡¯ve fallen-¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. That¡¯s normal for her.¡± That was his sister¡­ But Abraham wasn¡¯t wrong either. Marie basically lived on the training grounds. A fall like that was nothing to her. When she was actually training, she was either beating someone ck and blue or getting the crap beaten out of her. Even with her back turned, Marie could feel the sugar overload from their conversation. Gross. She quickly made her escape. Still nestled in Abraham¡¯s arms, Ste squirmed in protest. ¡°Don¡¯t do that next time.¡± Her cheeks were visibly overheated. Abraham chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± Ste replied, ¡°When there are other people around.¡± ¡°There are people everywhere in this house.¡± Ste: ¡°.¡± You just can¡¯t reason with this man. Abraham had originally nned to stay and watch Ste try on wedding dresses. But then a call came in from Abel. Whatever was said on the phone, it clearly wasn¡¯t good¨CAbraham¡¯s face turned cold and serious. After he hung up, he hid the sharpness in his eyes and smiled gently at Ste. ¡°Make sure you take lots of photos.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded sweetly, not asking any questions. Abraham helped her sit back down, ced a kiss on her forehead, and left without teasing her any further. As he turned around, his eyes wereced with icy intensity. Outside the door- 3:44 Chapter 517 Caught in the Act Marie had just picked up a call. She was originally heading back to her room, but Derrick¡¯s number popped up. ¡°Should Ie get you,¡± he said, ¡°or are youing to the civil affairs bureau yourself?¡± This bastard can¡¯t actually be serious, right? +8 Pearls Sure, she¡¯d wanted to mess with him a bit. Since he was always interfering with Ste and Abraham, she figured she¡¯d screw with him right back¨Cmake it look like she was ready for a second marriage just to tick him off. But now Derrick wouldn¡¯t let it go¡­ And with a guy like him¨Cconniving to the bone¨CMarie had to stay on high alert. Fuming, she demanded, ¡°Just be straight with me. How exactly are you nning to use me?¡± She couldn¡¯t help it. Dan had left her with serious psychological scars. That jackass had lived rent¨Cfree in her heart for years, and now it turned out everything between them might¡¯ve just been part of some setup. That alone was hard enough to swallow. ?? Derrick replied, ¡°Use you? Weren¡¯t you the one begging to marry me yesterday? And your big brother too-¡± ¡°Oh, screw off. Who begged to marry you? If I really did propose, would you even have the balls to say yes?¡± Marie snapped,pletely out of patience. He had the nerve to say she was the one begging? Like he didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d said what she said? It was all because he wouldn¡¯t leave Ste alone. Done arguing, she hung up on him. As she turned around, she saw Abraham walking out of the house. He saw her too. Earlier, he hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at what state she was in. But now, with a clearer view, a wave of cold anger shed through his eyes. Marie felt a little self¨Cconscious, reying what she¡¯d identally walked in on earlier. She mumbled, ¡°Abraham¡­¡± He stopped in front of her and reached out, Instinctively, Marie backed up a step. ¡°What are you doing?¡± His warm fingers brushed over her neck, voice low. ¡°Who grabbed you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marie reflexively touched her neck where he had. ¡°You went to see Dan?¡°; She hadn¡¯t wanted to bring up Dan¨Cbut hearing his name made her remember the way that bastard hade at herst night. Nobody else would¡¯ve noticed, but Marie had felt it clearly. Dan hadn¡¯t been pulling punches. Every move he¡¯d made had been brutal. And that was exactly why she hadn¡¯t held back either¨Cand knocked him out cold. The wrong girl 518 Chapter 518 Letting Go What aplete joke¡­ The man who used to live in her heart¨Cthe one she had guarded their memories with such care¨Chad tried to kill her. Was that not the biggest joke of all? Marie took a deep breath. ¡°I went to get something from him.¡± ¡°Derrick¡¯s file? You think it¡¯s still worth anything now?¡± Marie shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth a damn either. But that lunatic Derrick keeps bugging me for it. He¡¯s crazy and wants to drag me into the madness with him.¡± The way Derrick hade at her yesterday¨Cit was like if she didn¡¯t get that file back, he¡¯d never let her go. Abraham asked, ¡°Did you get it?¡± ¡°Nope. I knocked the guy out cold and still didn¡¯t get the file.¡± To be fair, Dan was tough. She¡¯d beaten him within an inch of his life, and he still wouldn¡¯t give it up. Now Derrick had even more reason to keep pestering her. Abraham said, ¡°Don¡¯t go looking for him again.¡± Marie paused at that, then nodded. ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t.¡± It sounded like a casual answer¨Cbut it wasn¡¯t. It carried a quiet, resolute weight. A kind of release. A decision to finally let go. That man had lived in her heart for years. And now, this was where things stood. So she chose wrong. What else could she do? Hang on and keep humiliating herself? No thanks. That just wasn¡¯t Marie¡¯s style. Abraham left. Marie turned back into the house. Ste was still on the couch. As soon as she walked in, she saw Ste lying on the couch back, big doe eyes staring up at her. Clearly waiting. From Marie¡¯s angle, Ste looked like a guilty little kitten, resting her paws on the couch in the most pitiful way. That look¡­ Marie had originally wanted to tease her a little, but seeing her like that, she just couldn¡¯t. ¡°Alright, I get it. My brother bullied you. What can you do? You¡¯ve got no blood ties in this house.¡± She¡¯s just a little sister. How bad could her intentions be? Marie walked over and gently ruffled Ste¡¯s hair. ¡°If he bullies you again, you tell me and I¡¯ll¡­ ah, never mind.¡± If someone else bullied Ste, Marie would throw hands no problem. But Abraham? That was a different story. 3:44 PM Chapter 518 Letting Go No way she could win that fight. Looking at Marie¡¯s messy hair, Ste reached out to fix it. ¡°You fought Danst night?¡± Marie nodded. ¡°Yeah, we fought.¡± ¡°Did you win?¡± That was what she really cared about. But seeing how disheveled Marie looked now¡­ Ste honestly worried she might¡¯ve gotten the short end of the stick. Before Marie could even answer, Ste noticed the marks on her neck. ¡°Wait¨Cdid he choke you?¡± ¡°That probably wasn¡¯t Dan. That was Derrick.¡± Marie rified. She believed in giving credit where due¨Cno false usations. Dan hadn¡¯tid a hand on her neckst night. But Derrick? Definitely. The second she heard it was Derrick, Ste was even more upset. She wrapped herself around Marie¡¯s arm, pouting. ¡°Don¡¯t fight anymore, okay? You might get hurt.¡± ¡°Aaah¨Clet go, let go!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It hurts¨Cow!¡± Ste instantly let go and took a full step back, watching Marie nervously from a meter away. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± With a yell like that, it had to be bad. Her eyes were full of worry. Marie¡¯s face twisted in pain as she gave her arm a light pinch¨Cbad move. The second she did, it hurt so bad her nerves practically exploded.` ¡°Aaagh¨Cnope. That¡¯s it. It hurts too much.¡± Ste was in a full panic. ¡°You¡¯re actually hurt? Let me see.¡± ¡°No¨Cdon¡¯t touch me. Seriously, it really hurts.¡± Marie was sweating from the pain. Her face was starting to crumple from it. Ste was a mess of concern. +8 Pearls That was when Evelyn walked in¨Conly to see Ste carefully peeling Marie¡¯s jacket off, and Marie clearly in too much pain to even breathe properly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She stepped forward, voice stern. There was even a spark of anger in her eyes. Don¡¯t be fooled by Evelyn¡¯s status. She was still a mom who worried sick over her wild child. Every time Marie went out and got into a fight, Evelyn would blow up¨Cbut she could never stop her. Ste quickly said, ¡°Mom, I think Marie¡¯s hurt.¡± Seeing her mothere in, Marie immediately put on the waterworks. ¡°Mom, I got beat up.¡± Chapter 518 Letting Go +8 Pearls Usually so tough and brash, her sudden soft, teary little ¡°Mom¡± made Evelyn physically flinch. Goosebumps shot up her arms. ¡°Oh God, would you shut up?¡± She just couldn¡¯t handle her firecracker daughter acting all cutesy. It was deeply unnatural. Marie wiped away her tears in a second and huffed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you like? That sweet act Ste puts on?¡± Send Gifts 3.1K The wrong girl 519 Chapter 519 I Said It, Not Signing It Every time Ste acted like that, Mom would go soft in an instant. Evelyn rubbed her forehead. ¡°How is that the same? Have you looked in the mirrortely? Do you even know how dark your skin is?¡± Marie, like Evelyn, was a dark¨Cskinned beauty. Though she was a bit better off than Evelyn. Evelyn had spent so many years running wild outdoors, her tan was serious. Marie, at least, had gone through a romantic phase and learned how to take care of herself. She¡¯d managed to lighten her skin a bit over the years. But it didn¡¯t make much difference¡­ She was already tanned beyond hope. Even if she did get lighter, how much lighter could she really get? Marie pouted. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m dark. Hey, Ste, what kind of whitening cream are you using?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t use anything.¡± Seemed like she really didn¡¯t use much skincare. Marie had been thinking she could steal some if Ste had a secret product that worked. Lighten herself up a bit too. But now that she thought about it¡­ what was the point? She wasn¡¯t in love anymore, didn¡¯t care how she looked. What difference did it make? Evelyn stepped closer. ¡°Let me see. Where are you hurt? Who hit you?¡± Daughter or not, dark¨Cskinned or fair, if someone dared toy a hand on her girl, that wasn¡¯t gonna fly. Marie pulled her clothes off to show her. She winced and grit her teeth the whole way through. When her shirt came off, a huge bruise covered her shoulder de. There were marks on her neck too, and her hair was a mess¡­ Evelyn¡¯s breathing turned ragged. She was furious. ¡°Who did this?¡± she snapped. Marie muttered, ¡°Derrick.¡± Evelyn fell silent. That damn kid. She truly didn¡¯t know what to say about Derrick anymore. He had always been blunt and never exined things properly back then, which was what led to this whole mess. ¡°Derrick, huh? Don¡¯t fight with him anymore.¡± What? No payback? Just now, Evelyn had clearly looked ready to tear someone apart for Marie. But now this? Marie¡¯s mouth twisted. ¡°Mom,e on. Yesterday he came at me like a lunatic. And now you¡¯re telling me not to fight back? What does that even mean?¡± It didn¡¯t sit right. Don¡¯t fight Derrick? Was it her fault? The way Derrick came at her yesterday, it was like he wanted to tear her apart. 3:45 PM Chapter 519 I Said It, Not Signing It What was she supposed to do¨Cstand there and take it? ¡°Mom, you¡¯re being biased.¡± Evelyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just yelling yesterday about wanting to marry Derrick?¡± ++8 Pearls ¡°Yeah, I was! But that was before. It¡¯s not that simple now. I think Derrick¡¯s trying to y me. I swear, he¡¯s scheming something.¡± Just then, Derrick walked in from outside and heard thatst part. He stopped in his tracks. Ste saw him first. Her expression immediately darkened and she tugged on Marie¡¯s sleeve. Marie was still fired up, ready to argue her point with her mom. But Ste kept tugging. ¡°Ugh, stop pulling me¨CI¡¯m not finished,¡± Marie grumbled. What What was the big deal? She wasn¡¯t lying, It really was Derrick who came at her first yesterday. Mom was acting like she¡¯d gone looking for him to start a fight. Well sure, she had done that before¡­ But that was before she knew the truth. ¡°He¡¯s right there,¡± Ste whispered. Evelyn sighed. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Dealing with kids who wouldn¡¯t listen¨Csuch a headache. She shot Ste a re, but Marie lit up at Ste¡¯s choice of words. ¡°Right? Idiot! He¡¯s totally-¡± ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Ste warned again. Even though she spoke softly, Derrick¡¯s face turned pitch ck. Everyone turned to the doorway. When they saw Derrick standing there, Evelyn¡¯s expression froze. He¡¯d just called saying he was headed to the civil office¡­ and now here he was? What was he nning? Snapping out of it, Evelyn forced a warm smile. ¡°Derrick, you¡¯re here.¡± Derrick nodded, his eyes falling on Marie, who sat on the couch with her clothes a mess. ¡°I¡¯m here to take Marie to get married.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face stiffened. Last night after he came home, Abraham had told her everything. She¡¯d thought it was just the kids messing around. But now¡­ what was this? Before Evelyn could say anything, Marie exploded. ¡°Marry you? In your dreams!¡± ¡°Marie, you said it yourself yesterday. You wanted to marry me. I even recorded it. Here¨Clisten for yourself.¡± Derrick pulled out his phone and hit y. 3:45 PM Chapter 519 I Said It, Not Signing It In the recording, Marie¡¯s voice rang out, loud and clear: ¡°I do.¡± The wrong girl 520 Chapter 520 Who the Hell Records That! That ¡°I do¡± was firm and loud. Anyone hearing it might¡¯ve thought Marie had been secretly in love with Derrick for years and was finally getting her wish. When the recording yed, Marie was This guy actually recorded that? If he wasn¡¯t working as a spy, then what a waste of talent. After the recording ended, Evelyn turned to Marie. ¡°So you agreed?¡± ¡°No, I-¡± ¡°Sounded pretty happy me.¡± Yeah, Evelyn had definitely heard a cheerful Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°That wasn¡¯t¡­ den Marie¡¯s voice in that recording. wasn¡® Happy? That wasn¡¯t happiness, that was schadenf Evelyn and Derrick went off to the study. what it sounded like.¡± Ste helped Marie fix her clothes, while Marie kept grumbli ¡°That shameless Derrick. What the hell is wrong with hi nonstop. Who the hell thinks to record something at a time like that?¡± Seriously, who does that? Normal people wouldn¡¯t even think of it. ¡°But Derrick did¡­¡± Marie scowled. ¡°That bastard.¡± Ugh, she was fuming. Ste nodded. ¡°You said it yourself. He¡¯s shameless. Who knows what he recorded that for?¡± At that, Marie¡¯s face darkened again. Exactly. What was Derrick nning with that recording? Ste guessed, ¡°Trying to ckmail my brother?¡± Marie pped her hands. ¡°Right! He and Abraham were in the study talking at the time¨Che must¡¯ve been recording Abraham.¡± That had to be it. She¡¯d walked in and seen just Derrick and Abraham in the study. What else could it be? Hearing that, Ste paused. Then she picked up her phone. ¡°I¡¯m calling Abraham.¡± What the hell was Derrick up to? Recording while talking to Abraham? That wasn¡¯t something a normal person would do. The call went through quickly. ¡°Is the wedding dress here?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°No,¡± she said. Not yet. 3:46 PM Chapter 520 Who the Hell Records That! Abraham chuckled. ¡°Then you miss me already? I¡¯ve only been gone thirty minutes.¡± His voice was warm and doting. Ste¡¯s cheeks turned pink. She instinctively nced at Marie beside her. Marie, having just been emotionally wrecked, red in annoyance. Ste quickly turned away and cupped the phone. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Oh? Then what is it, Ste?¡± +8 Pearls ¡°Derrick came just now to take Marie to get married, and he yed a recording. We think he recorded the conversation with you. Probably trying to use it against you.¡± She quickly got to the point. On the other end, Abraham¡¯s gaze turned cold behind his gold¨Crimmed sses. ¡°He recorded me?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said Marie would never agree to marry him, and then suddenly yed a clip of her saying ¡®I do.¡¯ We¡¯re thinking¡­ he was recording when you two were talking. What he really caught, only you would know. He¡¯s probably trying to pin something on you.¡± In just a few words, she covered the whole picture. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed. If Derrick was scheming while talking to him¡­ So, you¡¯re tired of living well in Falvaria? Back in Paggina, the guy had been desperate to return. Abraham said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ckmail him? That would mean Derrick had a death wish. Ste added, ¡°Still, be careful around him. Even if he¡¯s smoothed things over with you and Mom, Marie and I don¡¯t buy it.¡± Abraham had said Derrick was a good person. But Ste didn¡¯t believe that. Neither did Marie. That mess all those years ago¨CDerrick might¡¯ve made it sound reasonable, and some of it even added up. But after so long, the details were fuzzy. Abraham replied, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hang up. Go back to work.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± After hanging up, Abraham¡¯s eyes were icy. He took off his sses and rubbed his aching temples. ¡°Have all of Derrick¡¯s ims been verified?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°All of them. They check out.¡± Abraham didn¡¯t respond. He slid his sses back on, but the chill in his eyes lingered. Abel hesitated, then asked, ¡°Are we really going to let Ms. Marie marry Mr. Derrick?¡± ¡°Marie¡¯s got her own mind. She¡¯ll run Derrick straight into a nervous breakdown.¡± At that, Abel¡¯s mouth twitched. No lies detected. No one knew what Derrick was really nning by suddenly proposing to Marie. But the man had clearly forgotten one thing¨CMarie and Evie were Falvaria¡¯s most dangerous women. Period. The wrong girl 521 Chapter 521 You Tore His Shirt! If Derrick thought marrying Marie would cover something up, then he seriously miscalcted. With someone like Marie, he¡¯d be lucky not to getpletely wrecked. A cover marriage? No. More like marrying a ticking time bomb. +8 Pearls At the Dawson family estate. Ste had just hung up with Abraham when a call from Tessa came in. On the line, Tessa told Ste she¡¯d done exactly what she was told¨Cshe hadn¡¯t done anything. Ste responded, ¡°Good. That¡¯s exactly what you need to do.¡± As far as Ste was concerned, all the trouble Tessa had stirred up around Victor before was because she was too proactive. Back in Rivermount, Tessa would¡¯ve thought of these tricks on her own without Ste saying a word. But around Victor¡­ she was probably just too terrified to function properly. However, one thing they¡¯d overlooked¨Cshe and Victor were living under the same roof¡­ Just moments ago, Tessa had insisted she hadn¡¯t done a thing. And then- ¡°I tore Victor¡¯s shirt.¡± The voice on the other end sounded like someone whose will to live had just died. Wait, what? Tessa¡¯s sudden confession had Ste pausing in stunned silence for several seconds, her brain stalling. Words kept looping in her head, belt buckle¡­ towel¡­ pants¡­ shirt¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve basically stripped Victor down to nothing at this point.¡± Forget Tessa being mortified¨CSte was embarrassed just listening. Tessa whimpered, ¡°Don¡¯t say it out loud. Ipletely cked out. It was like back in Shallow Bay all over again. Anyone watching would think I¡¯m just dying to get into his pants. I can¡¯t exin this even if I had ten mouths¨Cugh¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more hysterical she sounded, and in the end, she just broke down crying. Ste said, ¡°You¡¯re calling that ¡®nothing happened?? Girl, you did everything.¡± And she wasn¡¯t wrong. Even Ste had to ask, ¡°Be honest with me. Do you like Victor? Are you doing this on purpose?¡± That pushed Tessa over the edge. ¡°I swear to God, I¡¯m not doing it on purpose!¡± As if. Still, Ste tried again. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not to do anything? Just stay still, do nothing, be a couch potato!¡± At this point, Ste was starting to question if Tessa had always been this ident¨Cprone. Back in Rivermount, she¡¯d never been this chaotic. But now? This level of chaos was next level. Tessa whined, ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± 3.46 PM Chapter 521 You Tore His Shirt! ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, and you tore Victor¡¯s shirt?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t strip him. I tore it.¡± ¡°Same thing!¡± Ste snapped. As far as she was concerned, there was no meaningful difference between the two. Tessa muttered, ¡°There¡¯s a difference¡­¡± Impossible to reason with. Ste sighed. ¡°Then don¡¯t go near him. If you don¡¯t like him, avoid him. But if you do like him- ¡°I don¡¯t like him! I¡¯m terrified of him!¡± +8 Pearls Those three men were scary as hell. Who the hell would like that? It was enough to make her want to dig a hole and hide. Ste pressed, ¡°Then don¡¯t see him, I¡¯m begging you. If you really piss him off, I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be able to protect you.¡± victor had status¨Cnot to mention, he was close to Abraham. If she made him truly angry.. the consequences could be bad. Really bad. Sure, Abraham had said Victor probably liked Tessa. But to Ste? That didn¡¯t seem convincing at all. Tessa sniffled, ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to see him.¡± If she didn¡¯t want to see him, then how did she end up ripping his clothes? Ste massaged her forehead. Headache central. ¡°Alright, enough about that.¡± Whenever they talked about Tessa and Victor, Ste felt like she was walking on a tightrope over a pit of fire. She was just about to offer to send someone to pick Tessa up¨Ceven if she had to storm the ce herself. But then Tessa said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my mom instead.¡± ¡°You confirmed it for me already, right?¡± That was what she was really anxious about¨Cnews of her mother. Ste answered, ¡°Still confirming. I¡¯ll make a call and check.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± Tessa hung up. Marie nced over. ¡°Your bestie?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Every time she called, she sounded like she was scared out of her mind. But when Ste tried to go get her? She refused to leave. Marie smirked. ¡°No wonder you¡¯ve been missing the past couple years. You had a new sister out there.¡± She said it in the most passive¨Caggressive tone imaginable. The wrong girl 522 Chapter 522 Just Helping Out? Ste said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who told me to make more friends when I¡¯m away from home? That way I¡¯d have people to count on if I ever needed help.¡± Marie replied, ¡°I meant at school.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Ste brushed it off, then quickly called to check on Diana¡¯s situation. As expected, things weren¡¯t going smoothly. Since it was tied to Ashen Pact, there was no way it would be resolved easily. While she was still on the phone, the wedding dresses were delivered¨Cracks and racks of them, all different styles. Marie looked at the massive disy and twitched at the corner of her mouth. ¡°What, the dress I made wasn¡¯t good enough?¡± Ste replied, ¡°Mom said a girl only gets married once, so I should pick my favorite. She told me to try a bunch.¡± ¡°That used to make sense to me. A girl only marries once, huh? Now? Ha¨Chard to say.¡± Wait, what was that supposed to mean? ¡°What¡¯s hard to say?¡± Evelyn and Derrick wereing down the stairs and caught the tail end of Marie¡¯s sentence. Evelyn¡¯s face turned ck instantly. Ste turned and greeted obediently, ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± Marie pointed with her lips. ¡°I¡¯m just saying the truth. A while ago, Derrick¡¯s cousin or whatever, Azure, got divorced too.¡± ¡°You-¡± Evelyn was furious. She didn¡¯t even want to respond to her anymore. That level of emotional intelligence? If she wasn¡¯t mentally challenged, she was at leastpletely tone¨Cdeaf. How could she say something like that right when Ste was about to get married? Not wanting to argue, Evelyn said directly, ¡°You. Go register your marriage with Derrick right now.¡± Marie froze. She stared at her mother in disbelief, wondering if she¡¯d heard wrong. Why would she agree to this? Derrick might have exined the misunderstanding, but that didn¡¯t prove he was a good person. ¡°What are you talking about, Mom?¡± Go register with Derrick?! Come on, that¡¯s a marriage license. That¡¯s not something you just casually go pick up. Especially after Derrick¡¯s weird behavior yesterday¨CMarie was already suspicious he was up to something. And this was exactly the wrong time to get tangled with him. Who knew what kind of mess that license could turn into? e was stunned too. When she snapped out of it, she spoke up, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Ste That thing Marie said yesterday¨Cabout marrying Derrick¨Cwas clearly just a moment of emotional heat. There¡¯s no way she meant it seriously. And yesterday, when Mom heard her say she wanted to marry Derrick out of revenge, she was mad, wasn¡¯t she? 12:43 AM Chapter 522 Just Helping Out? Why was she suddenly okay with it now? O What had Derrick said to her in the study that made her agree to this? Evelyn looked at Ste. ¡°Ste.¡± ¡°Mom, seriously¨Cno. He recorded a conversation with my brother yesterday. That¡¯s shady as hell.¡± What kind of decent person records people during private conversations? If that wasn¡¯t a red g, what was? Derrick heard Ste call him shady and felt his organs clench with rage. Back then, he hadn¡¯t been the only one at fault, but now they were acting like everything was on him? Evelyn scolded, ¡°You stop talking. I¡¯ll speak with youter.¡± Marie added, ¡°Ste¡¯s right. He¡¯s shady as hell.¡± +8 Pearls That was too much for Derrick. He turned to Ste and snapped, ¡°Then you marry me. Doesn¡¯t matter¨Cyou¡¯re my fianc¨¦e anyway.¡± At that, Marie exploded. ¡°Hey! You disgusting creep! Ste¡¯s pregnant! She¡¯s carrying my brother¡¯s child! And you still have the nerve to say that?¡± She¡¯d met a lot of shameless people in her life, but someone like Derrick was rare. Was he really that desperate? No one else wanted him or what? Derrick shot back, ¡°Then you marry me!¡± Sure, yesterday she was ready to use that marriage proposal to rattle him, but seeing how Derrick was acting now, Marie suddenly hesitated. Something about it just didn¡¯t feel safe. She huffed, ¡°I¡¯m not marrying you either.¡± Derrick red but said nothing. Evelyn finally stepped in. ¡°Enough. I¡¯m just telling you to get the marriage license. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to walk through fire.¡± Marie objected, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with him, Mom.¡± Could they please be rational? Marie was starting to realize her mom felt guilty over what happened three years ago and was trying to make it up to Derrick. ¡°Come on, even if you do want to make it up to him, you don¡¯t have to throw me under the bus. I¡¯m your real daughter, remember?¡± Evelyn rubbed her temples. ¡°This isn¡¯t about guilt. I¡¯m just asking you to do me a favor, Just go already.¡± ¡°A favor? What kind of favor?¡± Marie was confused. When Ste heard that word, she also turned toward Evelyn¨Cthen nced at Derrick. A favor? That exnation didn¡¯t sit right at all. Something about it just felt¡­ wrong. The wrong girl 523 Chapter 523 No One¡¯s Saying Anything It wasn¡¯t just Ste who didn¡¯t buy it¨CMarie didn¡¯t either. Everything Derrick said now sounded shady. For all she knew, he could rope her into something with just a few words. The guy was a pro maniptor. Marie looked him over. ¡°What do you need help with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to say,¡± Derrick replied. Marie snapped, ¡°Hey-¡± Evelyn cut her off. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not convenient to say.¡± Hearing that back¨Cand¨Cforth, both of them turned to look at Evelyn. Then their eyes shifted back to Derrick. Marie rubbed her hands together, fuming. ¡°You¡¯re asking me for help, but you won¡¯t even tell me what it¡¯s for?¡± Evelyn just said, ¡°Exactly. Now go already.¡± With that, she shoved Marie right into Derrick¡¯s hands. And Derrick? He practically dragged her out the door. Ste tried to speak up but Evelyn pulled her back. ¡°Mom-¡± ¡°Enough. Stay out of your sister¡¯s business.¡± Now that Marie was gone, Evelyn¡¯s tone revealed a trace of helplessness. Ste muttered, ¡°But Derrick really isn¡¯t a good guy.¡± Evelyn shot her a look. What do you know? You¡¯re still just a kid, suddenly think you can judge people now?¡± Ste pouted. Evelyn sighed. ¡°Alright, alright. Derrick¡¯s not going to eat her alive. The one you really should be worried about is that Dan. He¡¯s the real danger.¡± That man¡­ he dared to toy with her daughter¡¯s feelings. Looks like it was time for her to figure out how to deal with him. What did he think Lorette did charity work? When Evelyn mentioned Dan, a flicker of concern passed through Ste¡¯s eyes. That man had lived in Marie¡¯s heart for so many years. Back then, she¡¯d nearly lost her mind over him¡­ Marie might not look like she was struggling now, but who knew what she was really feeling? Maybe the more open she acted, the more she was actually hiding¡­ When Abraham returned from his errands¡­ He found Ste sitting on the couch, clearly exhausted, still wearing her wedding gown. A servant came over with a fresh ss of orange juice. ¡°Miss, have some juice and take a break.¡± 12:43 AM Chapter 523 No One¡¯s Saying Anything e +8 Pearls Ste nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± She normally liked orange juice just fine, but today, it tasted off. After two sips, she set it down again. The servant asked, ¡°Is it the vor? Was the fruit too strong today?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like drinking it.¡± Pregnancy made her sense of taste and smell extra sensitive. What used to taste fine now just seemed weird. When she saw Abraham walk in, the servant greeted him respectfully. ¡°Sir.¡± Abraham waved a hand to dismiss them. The servant nodded and signaled the dress staff to pack up and leave. Soon, it was just the two of them. Abraham sat down next to her and gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°Tired?¡± Ste nuzzled into his chest, finding afy spot to lean. ¡°Yeah. How are you back so soon?¡± ¡°I finished early, so I came straight back. Where¡¯s Mother?¡± ¡°She got a call and left. Seemed urgent.¡± She¡¯d just been saying she¡¯d stay to help Ste try on dresses, and then she was gone. Everyone in this house was always so busy¨Ceveryone except her. She was the only one living the Always had been. easy life. Abraham stroked her hair. Ste rubbed her cheek against him again. ¡°Are they really going to let Marie marry that Derrick creep?¡± she mumbled. ¡°Why?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand it. To her, Derrick just wasn¡¯t a good person. Abraham let out a soft hum. ¡°He¡¯s in a bit of trouble right now. He needs Marie¡¯s cooperation.¡± trouble?¡± ¡°What kind of trouble?¡± Ste frowned, confused. Was it some arranged marriage pressure? That couldn¡¯t be it¨Cthe Tom family wouldn¡¯t push for something like that. Three years ago, the Dawson family had been rocked by a huge scandal, and around the same time, the Tom family had blown up too. That¡¯s when Derrick practically cut ties with them. Even now, he hadn¡¯t gone back once. Mr. Tom acted like he didn¡¯t even have a son. So marriage pressure? Definitely not. Abraham said, ¡°Enough, now. Little kids don¡¯t need to ask so many questions. Let them handle it.¡± Little kids? ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I¡¯m having your baby, remember?¡± He still saw her as a child? Fine¨Cback when she left three years ago, she had still been a kid in his eyes. 12:43 AM ? Chapter 523 No One¡¯s Saying Anything She¡¯d been protected by the entire Luke family since she was born. +8 Pearls To everyone, she¡¯d always been the baby of the house. Even now that she was back, they all still treated her like a child. When it came to big decisions, she naturally wasn¡¯t included. The wrong girl 524 Chapter 524 This Marriage Looks Like a War Hearing her pout and grumble, Abraham let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve grown up¨Cyou¡¯re gonna be a mom.¡± ¡°Then why are you still calling me a kid?¡± Ste huffed. Looking at her puffed¨Cup cheeks, Abraham affectionately pinched her little nose. ¡°Still trying on dresses?¡± She hadn¡¯t finished yet. Ste shook her head. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m done. Too tired.¡± Trying on clothes was exhausting! Abraham said, ¡°Then change. I¡¯ll take you to Grandma¡¯s for dinner.¡± ¡°Back to the Luke family?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Abraham nodded. Ste lit up with a smile. She missed her grandparents too. +8 Pearls On the way to the civil affairs office. Marie and Derrick were arguing in the car¨Cand then it turned into a full¨Con fight. By the time they got out, both of them looked like a mess. Derrick had two fresh scratch marks on his face and even more on his neck. Kale looked at them and broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Sir, maybe you want to change your clothes first?¡± Walking in like this to get a marriage certificate¨Cstaff might start interrogating them on the spot. Falvaria¡¯s marriagew emphasized freedom of will. But the way these two looked? They didn¡¯t seem free at all¨Cmore like they were here to blow up the building. Who fights on their way to get married? They hadn¡¯t even signed the papers yet, and the domestic violence signs were aiready shing. Any sane person would think: This marriage is a bad idea. Derrick shot Marie a murderous re. He reached up to touch the burning scratches on his neck¨Cjust pressing them hurt like hell. Obviously her handiwork. Not just his neck¨Cthere were two on his face, too. ¡°You¡¯re dead, woman. As soon as this is over, I¡¯m filing for divorce.¡± If it weren¡¯t for his current situation, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d ever marry someone like her. Let someone else deal with her. Marie crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re divorcing right after? Great! Whoever backs out is a damn coward.¡± Derrick felt like his liver was going to rupture from rage. He didn¡¯t want to say another word to her. He just stormed toward the building. 12:43 AM f Chapter 524 This Marriage Looks Like a War Marie followed right behind¡­ Watching the two of them, Kale was having doubts. @ If they really go through with this¡­ are we sure Ms. Marie won¡¯t cause even more chaos for Mr. Derrickter? The two of them stomped into the civil office, tempers zing. Inside, plenty of happy couples were waiting in line, eyes filled with hope, excitement, and joy¡­ No one else looked like they were seconds away from wing each other¡¯s faces off. Kale had already arranged everything in advance. The two of them went straight to the window. The clerk took one look at them and paused. +8 Pearls Then he cleared his throat and corrected his expression. ¡°This is the marriage desk. Divorce services are next door.¡± With the way they looked, anyone would think they were there to file for divorce¨Cnot to get married. Because this absolutely didn¡¯t resemble a wedding vibe. ?? Derrick said, ¡°We¡¯re here to get married.¡± The clerk: ¡°¡­¡± You two? Really? He nced at the scratches on Derrick¡¯s face, the ones on his neck, and their rumpled clothes. They clearly just had a brawl before walking in. You fight like this before getting married, and you still think this is a good idea? The clerk cleared his throat. ¡°Married? You¡¯re¡­ getting married?¡± His ears had to be malfunctioning. They were seriously getting married? Marie gave a cold snort. ¡°Yeah. Married.¡± What the hell¡­ Before the clerk could say anything, Marie added, ¡°Hey, do we need an appointment to file for divorce?¡± The clerk: ¡°Huh?¡± Wait, what? ¡°Folks, this isn¡¯t some kind of joke,¡± the clerk said. ¡°This is a government office.¡± They already looked insane foring in like that to get married¨Cand now they were talking about divorce before the papers were even signed? Marie¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Who¡¯s joking? Do I look like I¡¯m ying games?¡± Yes. Yes, you do. Derrick said impatiently, ¡°Just hurry up. We¡¯ve got other things to do.¡± His tone was sharp and filled with annoyance. The clerk was stunned. He kept ncing between the two of them, trying to figure out who was being coerced. 12:43 AM Chapter 524 This Marriage Looks Like a War But after a while, he gave up¨Cthey both looked like trouble. ¡°You¡¯re seriously getting married?¡± This was one for the books. Marie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why? We don¡¯t look the part?¡± The clerk replied honestly, ¡°No offense, but no, you don¡¯t.¡± Who gets married like this? This looked more like a hostage situation. e 0 Most people run from a bad rtionship. These two were diving into one headfirst. Marie rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Big world, all kinds of people. Hurry up, I¡¯ve got to get back and see Ste.¡± She wants to see Ste? That¡¯s the excuse? That¡¯s the ¡°important thing to do¡°? At the mention of Ste, Derrick¡¯s face turned green with rage. He red daggers at Marie. +8 Pearls The clerk tried again. ¡°Listen, I really think you should take a moment to think this over. Physical fights between men and women get treated differently after marriage. It¡¯s a legal gray area. The departments won¡¯t know how to handle it if this keeps happening.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 525 Chapter 525 You Want Me to Compensate Him? That clerk was clearly implying Derrick had a history of domestic violence. Derrick wasn¡¯t stupid¨Che heard it loud and clear. He red fiercely at the clerk. ¡°Do I look like the kind of scumbag who hits women?¡± The clerk replied bluntly, ¡°With all due respect¨Cyou do.¡± ¡°You-!¡± Derrick shot up, furious, radiating hostility. Kale quickly stepped in. ¡°Mr. Derrick, let¡¯s just focus on the marriage first.¡± The clerk¡¯s expression darkened at Derrick¡¯s outburst. Seeing security walking their way, the clerk threw down his pen and barked, ¡°Are you being forced into this marriage or not? I refuse to believe a woman woulde here on her own if she didn¡¯t want to. Just say the word¨Cif you say you¡¯re unwilling, I guarantee this marriage won¡¯t go through today.¡± The look Marie gave the clerk was one of pure admiration. Wow, there really are people who aren¡¯t afraid of Derrick. Derrick was still fuming. The clerk faced him again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to intimidate me. I don¡¯t scare easy. Men like you? I¡¯ve seen tons of you¨Cabusive types who have no business getting married.¡± Derrick gritted his teeth. ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, stop,¡± Kale hurriedly said. ¡°It really is a voluntary marriage. Please, just help us process it.¡± He handed over all of Derrick¡¯s documents and kept signaling at Marie with his eyes. See? Didn¡¯t I say the Dawson family¡¯s troublemakers were all a handful? Ste¡¯s one, and Marie¡¯s even worse. Ste learned it from them. The clerk didn¡¯t take the documents. He just stared at Derrick. Marie sighed, finally opened her bag, and handed over her documents. ¡°Here. Thanks.¡± But just as she handed them over¨Cher hand went empty. The documents were suddenly snatched by a hand reaching from behind her Marie froze. What the¡­? She turned around and met the cold gaze of a man she didn¡¯t recognize. He had two burly men in tactical wear behind him, and all three looked ready to fight. Her mind went nk. What the hell is going on? Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his hand moved to his waist. Kale noticed and quickly pressed it down. ¡°Mr. Derrick.¡± This isn¡¯t the ce for a brawl. Kale didn¡¯t know what was happening, but he was genuinely worried Derrick might throw a punch here. He¡¯d been hounded around the globe by Abraham these past few years, bottled up with rage¨Cwho knew what would set him off? Marie nced at her documents in the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Who are you?¡± She instinctively reached out to snatch them back. 12:43 AM ? Chapter 525 You Want Me to Compensate Him? But the man twisted his wrist and easily dodged her grab. ¡°Hey! Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Ms. Marie,¡± the man said calmly, ¡°you beat up our boss. Don¡¯t you think you owe us an exnation?¡± His voice was polite, but each word carried sharp intent. Exnation? Wait a sec¡­ As soon as she heard you beat up our boss, her brain clicked into ce. She knew who sent them. And Derrick, upon hearing that line, immediately dropped his hand. Kale let out a sigh of relief¡­ He¡¯d really been afraid they¡¯d throw down right then and there¨Cwhich would¡¯ve been bad news for him. Derrick crossed his arms and looked at Marie like he was settling in for a good show. Marie scoffed. ¡°What kind of exnation do you want?¡± Loud, huh? Keep shouting. Should she bring a megaphone? Sounded like they were proud their boss got beat
    1. up.
    +8 Pearls An exnation¡­ Did she really need to spell out why Dan got beaten in front of everyone? The man who had taken the documents was Dan¡¯s right¨Chand man, Cynn. He took off his sunsses and coldly said, ¡°You need topensate.¡± Kale blinked. What now? Compensate? After all the years of street fighting he¡¯d witnessed, that was a new one. Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. Did I hear that right? She knocked Dan out, and now his people came to her asking for¡­ Was this a skit? She threw a sharp look at Derrick. ¡°That thing was stolen from you. I went to get it back and ended up beating him up. Now I¡¯m supposed to pay for it? You heard that, right? Pay.¡± Compensate? In their circle, that was a hrious concept. Laugh¨Cout¨Cloud absurd. And Derrick, that damn bastard. He started this whole mess, and now he was just standing there watching like it was a y. What the hell? Had he never seen drama before? Or did he just not care what kind? Derrick raised a brow. ¡°How do you n on paying?¡± Marie looked at Cynn. ¡°Yeah, how do you want me to pay?¡± This I¡¯ve gotta hear. The wrong girl 526 Chapter 526 You¡¯re Asking Me to Compensate You Now? They were really demandingpensation? Marie was honestly curious to hear what kind of outrageous terms they¡¯de up with. She¡¯d seen some wild things before, but this¨Cthis was on another level. Finished Cynn said calmly, ¡°As forpensation, that¡¯s up to our boss. Ms. Marie, would you minding with us?¡± Kale quickly stepped in. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate, especially since they¡¯re here to get married. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little out of line to take her away now?¡± Derrick narrowed his eyes at Cynn, danger shing beneath the surface. Marie looked straight at Derrick. ¡°We¡¯re getting married, right? So, are you letting me go or not?¡± Derrick¡¯s expression darkened. This woman really knew how to stir the pot. No wonder she¡¯d gotten involved with Dan in the first ce. Look at that smug mouth of hers¡­ ¡°You trying to drag me into your mess with Dan?¡± Marie said tly, ¡°You¡¯re marrying me, aren¡¯t you? My mess is your mess.¡± Go on, isn¡¯t this what you wanted? Derrick let out a low, dangerousugh. He nced coldly at Cynn. ¡°My wife isn¡¯t going anywhere with you.¡± The words ¡°my wife¡± came through clenched teeth. Cynn¡¯s face sank. He had a Bluetooth earpiece in, and whatever he was hearing clearly made his expression grow even colder. ¡°In that case, Ms. Marie, don¡¯t me us for what happens next.¡± With that, he pulled out a¡­ gun. Wait, seriously? ? 0 X Finished Chapter 526 You¡¯re Asking Me to Compensate You Now? So much effort had gone into stopping Derrick from causing a scene, and now these people were the ones pulling this crap? The entire room erupted. Dan¡¯s three men were clearly well¨Ctrained, and even with Derrick personally present, the fight that broke out was absolute chaos. Marie cursed under her breath. ¡°Bastards. All of them.¡± Derrick was a bastard¨Cclearly. But Dan? Apparently, just as bad. They throw hands at the drop of a hat. Seriously, what the hell did I ever see in that guy? Meanwhile, Ste and Abraham were on the way back to the Luke family estate. She¡¯d actually slept well the night before. At the moment, she was on the phone with Tessa. ¡°I checked earlier,¡± Ste said. ¡°The previous female leader of Ashen Pact was indeed named Diana, and she was just recently taken back by the current boss. But we still haven¡¯t confirmed if she¡¯s your mom.¡± She¡¯d tried calling her own contacts, but they didn¡¯t have any real info. Which made sense¨CAshen Pact wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of ce where you could just call and ask for details. She¡¯d only learned this much through Abraham. So the situation was lookingplicated. ¡°Victor told me the same thing,¡± Tessa said. ¡°Ste, you have to help me confirm this.¡± Sure, the name could¡¯ve been a coincidence¨Cbut wasn¡¯t this just too much of a coincidence? Her mom was missing. Ashen Pact¡¯s former female boss had just been recaptured. Tessa was spiraling. ¡°What am I supposed to do, Ste? I¡¯m freaking out.¡± ¨C 214 23:32 Mon, Aug 4 X Chapter 526 You¡¯re Asking Me to Compensate You Now? She¡¯d tried calling her mom, but the number wasn¡¯t going through at all. Finished The more she thought about it, the more she felt sure¨Cher mom had to be the one they¡¯d taken back. ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Ste said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep checking on it.¡± If the Diana Ashen Pact took back really was Tessa¡¯s mother, then this had to be dealt with immediately. ¡°Ste, I¡¯m counting on you. You¡¯re all I¡¯ve got.¡± Tessa sounded anxious¨Cespecially since her time around Victor had herpletely on edge. She could barely even be in the same room with the guy. She always felt like she was screwing things up somehow. ¡°I know,¡± Ste said gently. She calmed her down a bit more before ending the call. Then she turned to Abraham. He already knew what was on her mind. He reached over and gently ruffled her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Victor¡¯s handling it.¡± It wasn¡¯t their problem to fix. At the mention of Victor, Ste couldn¡¯t help but wince. Tessa really was a handful these days¡­ If Tessa wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, then Ste had to wonder if her body had just lost all sense of self¨Ccontrol since meeting Victor. She¡¯d literally just torn his clothes again. ¡°Do you think Victor will help her?¡± ¡°He will.¡± Abraham answered without hesitation. ¡°But his dog¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. So, what did you bring for Grandpa this time?¡± Abraham skillfully changed the subject. Ha know Victor would definitely take care of it In fact based on Victor¡¯s attitude if Ste or ::: 244 He knew Victor would definitely take care of it. In fact, based on Victor¡¯s attitude, if Ste or Abraham stepped in, he¡¯d probably be pissed. ¡°Antiques, obviously. You know that.¡± Why even ask? Still, thinking about how picky the old man was, Ste looked a little worried. ¡°I just hope he actually likes what I brought.¡± Grandma was easy. No matter what Ste gave her, she always acted like she loved it. But Grandpa was a different story. He was brutally honest. If he didn¡¯t like a gift, he made that crystal clear. Abraham had even suffered through that before¡­ Send Gifts The wrong girl 527 Chapter 527 She Got Taken This time, Ste had brought back a gift for everyone from Rivermount, and each one had been carefully chosen. She wasn¡¯t too worried about the others¡ªjust the old man. She was afraid he wouldn¡¯t like it. Abraham pinched her cheek with a doting smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t he used to like everything you gave him?¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± That was true. Back when she lived in Falvaria, she¡¯d give him something every year for his birthday. And he really had seemed to like everything. ¡°Then¡­ do you think he¡¯s going to lecture me?¡± Ste added. After all, she¡¯d been gone for a long time this time around. At that, Abraham let out a shortugh. ¡°So now you¡¯re worried? If you were that worried, why¡¯d you stay away so long?¡± Ste pouted and didn¡¯t respond. Like he didn¡¯t already know the answer? But this time, Abraham didn¡¯t side with her. ¡°If he scolds you, just take it.¡± Ste: ¡°¡­ugh¡­¡± Let¡¯s hope he doesn¡¯t go too hard on me. Before marrying Abraham¡¯s father, Lorette had actually been an only child. Her parents had spoiled her endlessly. Whatever she liked, they liked too. Ste, though not her biological daughter, was treated like a true granddaughter because of how much Lorette and Abraham loved her. And Marie adored Ste, too. Back when she was little, she and Ste had even lived at the Luke family castle for a while. 23:34 Mon, Aug 4 10 X Chapter 527 She Got Taken That was when Abraham had been too busy to take care of her. Finished During that time, Grandma had been incredibly kind to her¨Cbut Grandpa? Strict as hell with both her and Marie. It wasn¡¯t like raising granddaughters¨Cit was more like raising grandsons. He treated them like boys. Marie could handle it, but Ste had always been delicate. One stern word and she¡¯d burst into tears. Bzzzz¡­ Abraham¡¯s phone rang, cutting off whatever Ste had been about to say. He took it out and answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Your sister¡¯s been kidnapped.¡± It was Derrick¡¯s voice. Even over the phone, Derrick¡¯s fury was palpable. Ste froze when she heard what he said in the background. A cold glint passed through Abraham¡¯s eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Dan¡¯s people took her. You going to get her back yourself?¡± Dan¡¯s people¡­? Abraham¡¯s tone dropped. ¡°She left the Dawson estate with you. You¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t your responsibility?¡± ¡°I got beat up too! Abraham, I¡¯m telling you¨Cthis isn¡¯t over. I was thinking once this marriage nonsense was done, we could call things even.¡± ¡°But look at this mess!¡± Derrick¡¯s voice on the other end was full of rage. Abraham rubbed his aching temples. Before he could respond, Derrick had already hung up. Hearing the abrupt click, Abraham¡¯s face darkened. Ste asked nervously, ¡°Marie got taken by Dan¡¯s people? Is it serious?¡± Serious? Probably a bit. 274 23:34 Mon, Aug 4 73% X Finished Chapter 527 She Got Taken Abraham¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he thought of the investigation Abel had done on Dan. ¡°Derrick got beat up too?¡± ¡°Sounds like it.¡± From the way Derrick had been yelling on the phone, it seemed likely. He got beaten up in Falvaria¨Con his own turf. Looks like things are about to get messy around here. Ste blinked. ¡°Wow. Getting beat up on his home turf? That¡¯s rare.¡± Derrick usually ruled Falvaria like a king. For someone toy hands on him here¡­ That was almost unheard of. Abraham didn¡¯tment further. He reached out to rub Ste¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Grandma first.¡± ¡°I want to go with you to find Marie,¡± Ste muttered. As soon as he said he¡¯d take her to Grandma¡¯s, she knew he was nning to head out to find Marie himself. Dan¡¯s situation seemedplicated. And who knew what he might do to Marie? ¡°No,¡± Abraham said firmly. Dan had been getting chummy with the Monroe factiontely¨Che was a deeply calcting man. And Abraham would never allow someone like that to remain in Falvaria. Which meant, today¡­ A cold light shed in Abraham¡¯s eyes. But when he lowered his head and met Ste¡¯s pleading gaze, he softened a little. ¡°Be good, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared of Grandpa,¡± she said pitifully. Better to stick with Abraham than face the old man alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She really missed you.¡± 1 > 11 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In No matter how mad Grandpa got, Grandma would definitely protect Ste. Besides, how angry could the old man really get? The Luke family estate came into view. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 528 Chapter 528 Grandpa¡¯s Wrath The whole way there, Abraham kept coaxing Ste. After a lot of sweet¨Ctalking, she finally agreed not to go with him. The car pulled to a stop. To unlock this chantor you good. Bnce: 1 Coins 1072 + 0 = 1 Pearls 23:35 Mon, Aug 4 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In 10 X Finished Chapter 528 Grandpa¡¯s Wrath The whole way there, Abraham kept coaxing Ste. After a lot of sweet¨Ctalking, she finally agreed not to go with him. The car pulled to a stop. Abel respectfully opened the door for Ste. ¡°Ms. Ste.¡± Ste looked at Abraham with pleading eyes. She still wanted to go with him to find Marie. Grandpa was really scary. The man affectionately pinched her cheek. ¡°Go on. Be good.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Mm, go on.¡± Abraham nodded. Ste reluctantly stepped out of the car. The Luke family¡¯s butler had been waiting at the front gate, already informed of her arrival. When he saw Ste step out, he hurried over and bowed respectfully. ¡°Ms. Ste, wee.¡± Ste nodded. The butler nced at the car disappearing in the distance. ¡°Mr. Abraham¡¯s noting in? Your grandmother had the kitchen prepare a whole spread¨Call your favorites.¡± Ste said, ¡°Something came up with Marie. Let¡¯s head inside.¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He gestured politely for her to go in, and Ste walked forward. Behind her, the household staff followed at a respectful distance. Meanwhile, in the car. Abel said to Abraham, ¡°Ms. Ste seemed very nervous.¡± 23:35 Mon, Aug 4 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In X Finished Thinking of her anxious little face just now, Abraham smiled indulgently. ¡°He won¡¯t cat her.¡± Still, she deserved a little scolding¨Cespecially after running away for years. Grandpa was strict. Even with Abraham present, Ste would still get an earful. He wouldn¡¯t actually do anything to her. The old man might look fierce, but he truly cared for the younger generation. It¡¯s just¡­ after running off for three years, if Ste couldn¡¯t give a decent exnation today, she was definitely getting chewed out. Inside the house, Ste could already hear Grandma¡¯s voice from afar: ¡°Lorette just called. She said that girl Ste¡¯s pregnant, so don¡¯t you go yelling at her.¡± Mom even called ahead? Didn¡¯t seem to be doing much good though. She heard Grandpa¡¯s cold snort: ¡°Hmph. That child needs discipline. Who knows what kind of trouble she¡¯ll causeter?¡± His tone was harsh and angry. You could definitely see a bit of Abraham in him. Ste had always felt like Abraham was a skipped¨Cgeneration copy of the old man¨Csame face, same natural presence. Plus, Grandpa had spent the most time teaching him, so not just their looks, but even their temperament matched. Grandma started to say something, but Grandpa cut her off: ¡°She ran off for three didn¡¯t contact anyone. What else wouldn¡¯t she dare to do? I really underestimated her. Used to years and be such a sweet kid.¡± Just thinking about Ste running away made the old man furious. Whatever the reason, disappearing for so long was inexcusable. Ste stood frozen at the entryway, too scared to go in. She looked to the butler for help. The butler gave her a warm smile and whispered, ¡°The old master¡¯s been upset these years.¡± 23:35 Mon, Aug 4 D 72% X Chapter 528 Grandpa¡¯s Wrath She was the most pampered child in the family, and she ran off. Any family would be mad. Even rebellious kids need to know limits. Ste pouted but didn¡¯t say anything. Finished Grandma tried again: ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. But there¡¯s a time and ce for discipline. She¡¯s not a kid anymore¨Cand she¡¯s pregnant now.¡± ¡°And didn¡¯t you always say that kids should have their own opinions? She¡¯s grown up now. Having her own thoughts is a good thing.¡± Grandpa snapped, ¡°That¡¯s ¡®having her own thoughts¡®? I say she¡¯s still in her rebellious phase.¡± Grandma had tried to defend Ste, but her words only made Grandpa angrier. Ste¡¯s heart clenched. The butler tried tofort her. ¡°He¡¯s just worried about you. We¡¯ve all been searching these years.¡± The longer they searched and failed, the more frustrated everyone became. Grandma said, ¡°Alright, alright, she¡¯s back now. Quit it. Don¡¯t scare her again.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Grandpa gave a sharp snort. Grandma really was afraid he¡¯d scare her again. In her eyes, Ste was still terribly timid. If they scared her now¡­ Grandpa asked, ¡°Whose kid is she carrying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if she went and got herself knocked up out there¨Cdon¡¯t let her eat a bite.¡± Just bringing up the pregnancy made him even madder. Grandma replied, ¡°Lorette said it¡¯s Abraham¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh. Then that¡¯s fine.¡± The moment he heard it was Abraham¡¯s, Grandpa instantly calmed down. His expression softened considerably. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In 00X OX ÈÕ Finished ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I guess the girl wasn¡¯t too out of control after all.¡± Grandma said nothing. What a face this man has¡­ Ste poked her little head out from the entryway, peeking hopefully toward Madam L. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 529 Chapter 529 Grandpa¡¯s Discipline That morning, Abraham had done her hair into a little bun. Now, her small head poked out from behind the door¨Cobedient and adorable. Madam L, facing the entrance, froze for a second when she saw Ste peek out, then smiled and called out, ¡°Ste?¡± Mr. Faust turned his head as well. But seeing that tiny head with bangs clipped up by a pink barrette, and hearing her softly call out- ¡°Grandpa, Grandma.¡± That soft and sweet voice could melt anyone¡¯s heart. Madam L responded warmly and quickly walked over in her qipao, full of affection. ¡°This child, when did you get here?¡± As she spoke, she took Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡¯s Abraham?¡± Weren¡¯t they supposed toe together? ¡°Something came up with Marie. Abraham went to deal with it.¡± grace and ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you call him something more deary?¡± Madam L gave her a yful look. 1/4 23:35 Mon, Aug ? 72% X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Ste bit her lip and looked down, not answering. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t call him Abraham anymore, alright?¡± Madam L said gently. ¡°I¡¯m just used to it¡­¡± ¡°Well, that habit has to change. He¡¯ll be your husband soon.¡± Madam L¡¯s tone was sincere and affectionate. Even when Ste and Abraham were still in Rivermount, Lorette had already started preparing the wedding. Finished Neither the Dawson family nor the Luke family needed any marriage alliance to strengthen their standing in Falvaria. Ste had been raised under the guidance of both families since she was little. In the beginning, they probably didn¡¯t have that kind of n in mind. But as Ste grew older, her dependence on Abraham¨Cand Abraham¡¯s feelings for her¨Cwere crystal clear to all the elders. So over time, the direction of her upbringing shifted. At first, they treated her like Marie. Later, they raised her as the future matriarch of the Dawson family. Hearing Madam L¡¯s words, Ste mumbled, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so spoiled. But no matter how strong a woman is, in front of her husband, she should be soft and sweet.¡± Madam L added. They had investigated her life in Rivermount as soon as Abraham found her. They were pleased with what they saw¨Cstrong and never taken advantage of. That¡¯s exactly what they¡¯d hoped to nurture in her. But when she touched Ste¡¯s cold hand, she frowned. ¡°Why are your hands so cold? Abraham really¡­ he should¡¯ve made sure you dressed warmer. You absolutely can¡¯t catch a cold right now,¡± Getting sick during pregnancy was miserable. There were so many medications she couldn¡¯t take. 23:35 Mon, Aug 4 OG 72% D X Finished Chapter 529 Grandpa¡¯s Discipline ¡°I¡¯m wearing plenty.¡± Three years on the run¨Cthere was no way she¡¯d get out of this without a scolding. Mr. Faust was ring at Ste with a stern expression, like he wanted to eat her alive. Truthfully, everyone had been worried she¡¯d gotten hurt out there. Even though theyter confirmed she had held her ground in Rivermount, those three years had still been filled with anxiety and fear for the family. The moment she met his stern gaze, Ste immediately looked away. ¡°I know I was wrong.¡± ¡°Hmph. Hiding? Why don¡¯t you go hide some more? You let one Derrick scare you that badly? So spineless.¡± But it wasn¡¯t just Derrick back then. ÆÀÑ¡ There were plenty of enemies watching the Dawson family, ready to pounce. Even the slightest distraction from Abraham could¡¯ve been a disaster. She¡¯d really been terrified¡­ * Mr. Faust snapped, ¡°What was the name of that Rivermount family again?¡± ¡°Reed.¡± ¡°Not that one,¡± he red. The Reed family? Please. ÎÒ The way they treated Ste¨Cif she still acknowledged them after everything, that meant her entire upbringing had been a failure. 66 ¡°The Keene family?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Just hearing that name made Mr. Faust scoff again. ¡°If that precious little thing of his hadn¡¯te back, would you really have married him?¡± Just thinking about how the wedding was only a week away made Mr. Faust¡¯s chest ache with anger. Ste lowered her head and muttered, ¡°She was always going toe back.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± G Chapter 529 Grandpa¡¯s Discipline ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°She couldn¡¯t stand to see me doing well.¡± ¡­That was her reasoning? 0 X Finished That was all she had to say for herself? Still, it was the truth. Ste had been sure Lilian would rush back to stop the wedding. Even if she didn¡¯t make it in time, Ste had backup ns in ce to guarantee she would. She¡¯d positioned herself perfectly. All the bacsh had gone to the Keene and Reed families. During that time, the public opinionpletely buried Lilian and Ethan. If morality was being handed out, Ste wasn¡¯t about to take the me. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 530 Chapter 530 Not for That Blond Idiot Ste had calcted everything perfectly back then. ¡°Then why did you go try on the wedding dress?¡± For a girl, putting on a wedding dress meant something. Finished To Mr. Faust and Madam L, the fact that she went to try on a wedding dress could only mean she had fallen for that blond kid from the Keene family. That was what they couldn¡¯t stand the most. ¡°Exactly,¡± Madam L said, her expression turning stern. ¡°Ste, why did you try on that wedding dress? Exin yourself.¡± Things had been going just fine earlier, but the second they brought up her trying on the wedding dress for Ethan, Madam L¡¯s tone hardened. Clearly, they were upset. Ste pouted. ¡°Marie designed it. I just wanted to try it on.¡± She had no home to return to in Rivermount, and the dress Marie designed had been sent there. Couldn¡¯t she be allowed to wear it once and think of someone she missed? ¡°Wait, Maric?¡± Madam L blinked. ¡°Yeah. Marie designed it. I only tried it on to see if it looked good.¡± Why did everyone assume she tried it on for Ethan? Well, at that point, everyone thought her wedding to Ethan was a week away. So going to try on a dress around that time did kind of look like it was for Ethan Mr. Faust and Madam L exchanged nces. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t for that blond idiot?¡± ¡°No, no way. Of course not.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t even have blond hair. But just thinking about that still made her mad. The second she heard Lilian¡¯s name, she¡¯d been furious. She even tore the wedding dress and didn¡¯t make them pay for it. 114 Chapter 530 Not for That Blond Idiot ? D X Finished After that car crash, she¡¯d hated Lilian to the core. If she could¡¯ve gotten rid of her on the spot, she would¡¯ve. Hearing her exnation, the two elders finally calmed down a little. ¡°It better be like you say,¡± Madam L huffed. ¡°Or I¡¯ll deal with you myself.¡± ¡°No lying,¡± Mr. Faust added. ¡°I swear, that¡¯s really all it was.¡± Ethan, that fool¨Conly Lilian would want to wear a wedding dress for him. At this point, who in all of Rivermount would still want to marry him? After a good round of questioning, Mr. Faust finally believed her. Still, he crossed his arms and gave a proud snort. ¡°If you run off like that again, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± That line¨Cwas almost identical to what Abraham had said. Well, Abraham had basically been raised by Mr. Faust. It was no wonder he sounded just like him. Same temper, same pride. ¡°Alright, alright, stop scaring my sweet Ste.¡± Madam L gently pulled Ste over to sit beside her. Mr. Faust didn¡¯t say anything else. Interrogation:plete. Madam L smiled lovingly at her. ¡°Has the pregnancy been hard? It¡¯s not easy, you know. Being pregnant takes a toll on the body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, Grandma.¡± Though honestly, it had been tough. Everything she ate came right back up. Stuff she used to love now made her want to puke. Worst part? Even just seeing certain foods made her nauseous. Things that were. normal, she couldn¡¯t even look at. 23:36 Mon, Aug 4 G Chapter 530 Not for That Blond Idiot But she didn¡¯t want to worry Grandma, so she kept it to herself. 72% X Finished Meanwhile¡­ In the hospital. Marie sat coldly in a chair beside the bed, her face still bruised. Dan, that bastard¨Che really hit her. What had just gone down was ridiculous. Even Derrick got a few punches thrown at him. The men Dan had sent to grab her were top¨Cnotch fighters, clearly hand¨Cpicked. Dan sat on the hospital bed, a bowl of soup in hand. Since Marie showed up, he hadn¡¯t said a word. Neither had she. Eventually, Marie had enough. She strode over and flipped the bowl out of his hands. With a loud tter, the bowlnded upside¨Cdown on his chest. The rest of the soup spilled all over him, soaking his nket. Dan shot her a cold re, his eyes shing with danger. 4 P Marie didn¡¯t flinch. She dusted her hands off, now sshed with soup as well. ¡°Eat, eat, eat. That¡¯s all you know how to do.¡± ¡°What? My time¡¯s not valuable now? I¡¯m just supposed to sit here waiting for you to finish your royal meal? What, you think you¡¯re some kind of king?¡± Just thinking about what this scumbag had done in Frapucu made her blood boil. Piece of garbage. And he wanted her to paypensation? Ha. Who the hell did he think he was? Marie sat back down, tugging her wrinkled clothes back into ce. ¡°Alright, say it. What kind of pensation¡® are we talking about?¡± Come on, make it quick. If we¡¯re gonna talk payback, let¡¯s go. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In If the price was right, maybe she¡¯d listen. If it wasn¡¯t¡­ if it pissed her off¡­ She¡¯d make sure he saw his ancestors today. Her nonchnt, icy tone only made Dan¡¯s stare grow colder. A smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°Impatient, are we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how patient you¡¯d be if your wedding got wrecked the way mine was.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 531 Chapter 531 Just Who Do You Think You Are? The moment the word marriage came out of her mouth, the man¡¯s already cold expression took on an even sharper edge. Dan let out a low, mockingugh. ¡°Marriage? You really n to marry Derrick?¡± His voice was frigid,ced with an unmistakable note of danger. Yes, his tone was filled with thinly veiled threat. Marie raised an eyebrow. ¡°What, you want me to stay single for life because you forgot about me?¡± Yeah, right. She didn¡¯t bother hiding her disgust anymore. His stare turned even icier, but before he could speak, Marie continued, ¡°Or are you about to tell me there¡¯s actually a woman on this who¡¯d stay loyal to a man who forgot her for five years? And even if she existed, would he even be worth it?¡± Would he even be worth it ¨C she bit down hard on those words, each sybleced with scorn. It wasn¡¯t even clear whether the mockery was aimed at Dan, or at herself. Maybe a bit more at herself. Dan¡¯s expression froze for a second. 72% X Finished 23.37 Mon, 5 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In 0 0 X Finished He stared at her in silence. Marie met his cier¨Ccold gaze head¨Con. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? From the looks of things, you don¡¯t seem all that forgetful.¡± She¡¯d been hauled straight from the marriage office while trying to get a license with Derrick ¨C by Dan¡¯s men no less. Tell her again how that lines up with a man who¡¯s lost his memory? Dan said calmly, ¡°My people told me you were obsessed with me five years ago.¡± with awer even b The second she heard that, her expression went even colder. Obsessed with him? Wasn¡¯t he the one who couldn¡¯t let go back then? What a joke. She tilted her head and neered, ¡°What are you trying to say? Five Cars ago¡­?¡± The moment those words came up, her entire face turned frosty. Her mind shed involuntarily to those recent memories in Frapucu. The image of him whispering intimately to that woman. The soft smile that woman gave him. It still felt like a punch straight to the gut. It only made her more certain that everything she and Dan had shared five years ago nothing but a bad joke. Now he wanted to talk about five years ago? The chill in Marie¡¯s eyes deepened. They locked eyes. was think v you are?¡± Neither backed down. Both their stares could¡¯ve frozen the air between them. Dan said, ¡°Until I figure out what really happened, you can¡¯t marry Derrick.¡® Marie scoffed. ¡°What, and I¡¯m supposed to listen to you? Who the hell do you She stared him down, unbothered. Until I figure it out- and in the meantime, she was just supposed to sit there twiddling her thumbs? Dan¡¯s face darkened at the mockery in her tone. 23:37 Mon, Aug 4 X Chapter 531 Just Who Do You Think You Are? Marie pressed, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, isn¡¯t your wedding with Eing up?¡± Finished She didn¡¯t know the exact date, but she¡¯d overheard back in Frapucu that it was less than a month away. ¡°Your wedding¡¯s in a few weeks. What exactly are you trying to figure out? Or maybe the better question is why even bother figuring it out?¡± ¡ª She narrowed her eyes. Seriously. What was he nning to do with this ¡®figuring out¡®? From what she¡¯d heard in Frapucu, Dan and E were in love. Truly in love. They¡¯d been together for five years. Five years. So what, the second he left Falvaria, he started something with her? The moment she brought up E, Dan¡¯s face went even stiffer. ¡°In any case, you can¡¯t marry Derrick right now. Whether you can or not, just give it a week. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± Marie stared at him. A week? He thought he could figure out whatever happened between them in one week? She let out a low, bitterugh. ¡°And then what?¡± Even if he figured something out ¡ª then what? ¡°You and E have been together for five years. There¡¯s emotion there, but also business interests too, right?¡± Five years¡­ That wasn¡¯t just some fling. No one knew exactly how it felt when Marie first heard about Dan and E¡¯s five¨Cyear rtionship. A couple together for that long ¨C you could bet they¡¯d been through everything. Now he wanted to investigate his past with her? What for? ¡°You really lost your memory?¡± Marie asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Saying you want to figure out what happened between us ¨C doesn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®amnesia¡® to me.¡± 23:37 Mon, Aug 4 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In D X Finished She¡¯d doubted it from the start. The guy didn¡¯t seem like someone whose brain would just short¨Ccircuit like that. Frankly, if anything, he looked more like someone who might get senile. Dan¡¯s face darkened further, clearly catching the doubt in her tone. ¡°You¡¯ll stay with me for the week.¡± His voice was t and cold, an outrightmand. Marie didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Not a chance in hell.¡± He was about to marry someone else, and she was supposed to stick around as his sidepiece for a week? What would that look like if word got out? The wrong girl 532 Chapter 532 You Don¡¯t Get to Decide Of course¨Cmen. Selfish to the core. When Marie showed no intention of staying, Dan¡¯s tone turned harsher. ¡°This isn¡¯t up to you.¡± ¡°Oh? And who says it¡¯s up to you?¡± The hospital room door swung open. Abraham stood at the entrance, radiating a dangerous pressure. Behind him were Dan¡¯s men, the same ones who¡¯d gotten into a fight at the marriage office and dragged Marie away by force. Those who could go toe¨Cto¨Ctoe with Derrick were now t on the floor, pinned down under Abraham¡¯s foot. Abraham nced at Dan with a single cold look before his eyes shifted to Marie at the bedside. ¡°Come here.¡± Just two words¨Cstern,manding, and absolute. 23:37 Mon, Aug 4 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In 8 X Finished Marie instinctively stood up and hurried to his side. Now this was what a real brother looked like. Derrick? Please. That guy had actually gotten beaten. But her brother? No one could touch him. These days, there wasn¡¯t a soul in all of Falvaria who wouldn¡¯t step aside at the sight of Abraham. Marie moved quickly behind him. Dan¡¯s gaze narrowed. Before he could speak, Abraham¡¯s voice sliced through the air. ¡°That marriage alliance with the Mint family¡­ I¡¯m sure it matters to you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± His tone was cold, but there was a mocking edge beneath it. Dan¡¯s expression turned darker. Abraham said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose everything, stay away from Marie.¡± With that warning, he turned and led Marie out the door, not even sparing another nce. His retreating figure gave off a suffocating kind of power. Dan, still seated on the bed, clenched his fists. His eyes glinted with restrained fury. They were gone. Cynn scrambled into the room, clothes in disarray. ¡°Boss, Abraham came out of nowhere, we didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Dan¡¯s voice cut him off, sharp as ice. Seeing his top fighter crushed in under two moves only made his aura colder. No wonder Abraham¡¯s men had such a reputation. Their strength was no joke. Looking pale, Cynn hesitated, then said, ¡°Boss¡­ you think the pushback we¡¯ve been gettingtely has something to do with him?¡± Falvaria¡¯s Abraham¡­ The name alone sent a chill down most spines. Andtely, everything they¡¯d tried had been blocked at every turn. 23:37 Mon, Aug 4 72% 10 X Chapter 532 You Don¡¯t Get to Decide Finished Now it was starting to make sense. Abraham had been tightening the noose¨Cfor his sister. Dan muttered, ¡°For his sister?¡± Cynn nodded. ¡°It¡¯s said Abraham is extremely protective. And five years ago, you and Ms. Marie¡­¡± He trailed off. Back then, he wasn¡¯t part of Dan¡¯s inner circle, so he had no idea what had gone down. But the others who were around had said there was definitely something between Dan and Marie. Then something happened. Dan lost all ory of that time. And the old man had ordered that no one mention Falvaria in Dan¡¯s presence again. After that, things between Dan and the Dawson family went downhill¨Cfast. ¡°Abraham isn¡¯t the only one,¡± Cynn added. ¡°Rumor is Evelyn dotes on her daughters too. People say she had a hand in toppling the Reed family in Rivermount.¡± A brother obsessed with his sister. A mother obsessed with her daughters. It wasn¡¯t just Abraham pulling strings to shut them down¨CLorette might¡¯ve been involved too. In the car. #64 6 4 4 7 W Abraham answered a call from Ste. * 50% W W M N n x y z U By the 14. 17 ? Í· On the other end, Ste sounded delighted. She told him she¡¯d finally made it grandparents¡® approval. Abraham listened patiently until she finished, then replied with gentle warmth, ¡°They¡¯ve always loved you. They wouldn¡¯t make things hard.¡± To Abraham, Ste was the kind of girl who stayed soft and sweet around family. past the In fact, he always thought the grandparents loved her even more than they loved Marie. Ste mumbled, ¡°But Grandpa didn¡¯t seem to like the gift I brought¡­ I think I picked the wrong thing again.¡± C X Chapter 532 You Don¡¯t Get to Decide She was grumbling, not actually upset. Abraham gave a small chuckle. ¡°Nothing pleases him.¡± Honestly, was there anyone Grandpa hadn¡¯t been picky with? Ste asked, ¡°What about Marie? Did you find her yet? When are youing back?¡± ¡°You miss me already?¡± ¡°Hmph. Who¡¯d miss you?¡± ¡°So I should just stay out longer? Let you hang out with Grandma by yourself?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ste blurted it out. Finished No way. The moment she got there, Grandma started trying to teach her all kinds of crafts. She didn¡¯t know how to do any of it, and she was definitely going to mess it up and get scolded. Hearing that unfiltered ¡°No way,¡± Abraham could easily imagine her panicked little face, even through the phone. He chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you didn¡¯t miss me?¡± ¡°Fine, I miss you. A lot. Happy now?¡± This man was the worst. Always made her Say exactly what he wanted to hear. Next to Abraham, Marie listened to their conversation and felt like her ears were about to rot from how sweet it all was. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 533 Chapter 533 No Use Crying Over Spoiled Men Finished She swore¨Cif her pores ever got clogged, she was absolutely billing those two for emotional damages. After all these years¡­ They¡¯d been side by side forever, yet the second they started dating, they couldn¡¯t go a minute without acting like newlyweds. Abraham coaxed Ste for a few more minutes before finally hanging up. Marie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be this good at dating. We used to worry you¡¯d scare Ste off.¡± To be fair, Abraham¡¯s feelings for Ste had never been a secret¨Ceveryone in both the Dawson and Luke families had known for a long time. That was why the elders from both families had always treated Ste so well. Family was family. And if she was going to be family, of course they¡¯d treat her like one of their own. It was just that Abraham had always carried himself so seriously. Sure, he was good to Ste¡ª but too serious. So serious that it felt more like an elder scolding a child. Great for a dad, maybe, but definitely stressful for a boyfriend. But looking at him now? All that worry had been for nothing. The way he¡¯d spoiled Ste over the phone just now¨Cit was more than fine. Come to think of it, he¡¯d always been gentle with her. Even when he looked stern, the moment Ste pouted, there was always a smile behind his eyes. Abraham shot Marie a sharp look. That wiped the teasing grin right off her face. ¡°Why are you giving me that look?¡± Fine. So serious could mean different things. Like now¨Cwhen he looked at her seriously, it was totally different from how he looked at Ste. Total favoritism. ? X Finished Chapter 533 No Use Crying Over Spoiled Men Abraham smoothed out the sleeve of his jacket. ¡°Stay away from Dan.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Marie nodded. That man was practically already married to someone else. What would be the point of staying in touch? Even if Dan was going to be in Falvaria for a long time and they were bound to run into each other, Marie had made up her mind¨Cshe wasn¡¯t going to stoop that low again. Abraham gave her a side nce. ¡°You did that to him?¡± He¡¯d seen it. Dan¡¯s forehead and chest were still wrapped in thick bandages. For Marie tond him in the hospital like that, she must¡¯ve hit hard. And the soup stains on his chest? # # # + # Clearly Marie had dished out some extra punishment after arriving at the hospital. Dan used to be the only man Marie ever treated gently. That tenderness? Long gone. Marie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I just didn¡¯t expect his skills to be so lousy. Maybe I hit too hard.¡± Five years ago, Dan had been strong. Marie knew that. But this time? She took him down without even trying. In her eyes, even Dan¡¯s sidekick Cynn fought better than him now. Abraham¡¯s lips curved into a rare, satisfied smile. Back at the Luke family estate. Ste was staring at an entire collection of heirloom jewelry. She didn¡¯t really feel anything about it, but she still put on her best enthusiastic face.. ¡°Wow, you really have so many beautiful things!¡± Madam L beamed. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been collecting these for years, all for you and Marie.¡± Ste nced down. 23:39 Mon, Aug 4 0 X Finished Chapter 533 No Use Crying Over Spoiled Men There were emeralds, gemstones, sparkling jewelry of all kinds. ¡°Wait, this ne¨Cit¡¯s so pretty. Did Abraham buy it for you?¡± Madam L had just noticed the ne around Ste¡¯s neck and admired its unique design. Ste touched it gently. ¡°Marie made it for me. Cute, right?¡± Madam L nodded. ¡°Very. What¡¯s it made of?¡± ¡°She said the stone was stolen¨Ckidding. Probably just something she bought.¡± Knowing Marie, if she said it was stolen, it probably meant someone tried to scam her. And anyone who dared try that? Never ended well. Madam L raised a brow. ¡°She can do that too?¡± She¡¯d known Marie could make clothes, but jewelry too? But thinking back on the reason Marie had even learned to sew in the first ce, a trace of sadness flickered in Madam L¡¯s eyes. Ste caught the look and quickly tried tofort her. ¡°Marie knows better now.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t change herself for that man ever again.¡± Just remembering how much Marie had given up for Dan still made Ste ache. 14 ¥â¥ë He¡¯d taken up so much space in Marie¡¯s heart, and in the end, what did he give her? Madam L sighed. ¡°I hope so. She truly felt for Marie. #1##153 444 44 R22 34 F TEE #
    1. 11.
    W 44 h Always so carefree and brash¨Cand yet, no one expected her to love someone with such quiet, consuming devotion. ¡°But¡­ is Dan really alive?¡± It had been five years. 34 A man everyone thought was long dead¨Cwas somehow still walking around. A ww S at The wrong girl 534 Chapter 534 The Grandpa Who Refused to Forgive Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Who was the one that dered him dead back then?¡± Madam L frowned. That was no small mistake. If someone couldn¡¯t even determine whether a person was alive or not, they had no business calling themselves a doctor. ¡°Eddie,¡± Ste said, her voice full of exasperation. The moment she mentioned his name, she was already speechless. ¡°No wonder.¡± Madam L didn¡¯t even know where to begin with Eddie. ¡°I seriously don¡¯t understand how he ever earned that ¡®genius doctor¡® title.¡± To the outside world, Eddie¡¯s medical skills were practically mythical. But the people who actually knew him? They knew better. While the two of them were chatting, Abraham and Marie came in from outside. ¡°Grandma,¡± Marie called first. Her face was still bruised. The moment she leaned in closer, Madam L was visibly startled. ¡°Goodness, what happened to your face? Who hit you?¡± That kind of bruise could onlye from a beating. Ste turned to look at Marie, clearly worried too. Marie instinctively touched her cheek. It really did hurt¡­ ¡°Ugh, that bastard¡¯s guys hit pretty hard.¡± Even her lips felt swollen. That bastard¡¯s guys?
    1. JJ¡­ J
    23:40 Mon, Aug 4 (0 X Finished Chapter 534 The Grandpa Who Refused to Forgive Why did that sound so¡­ suggestive? Madam L¡¯s face darkened immediately at the words ¡°that bastard.¡± ¡°Dan¡¯s men?¡± Marie nodded. ¡°Yeah, ugh, let¡¯s not talk about it. Wow, what¡¯s with all these jewels? Are you showing off or something?¡± Madam L gave her a p on the arm. ¡°Watch your mouth. Do I look like someone who would show off?¡± ¡°No.¡± Then what was with all this stuff on disy? ¡°Ste¡¯s getting married. These are part of her dowry. I was letting her pick something out. You pick too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting married. Let Ste take it all,¡± Marie said. She never really cared for this kind of stuff. Ste was more girly anyway, so it suited her more. ¡°I already have too much. I don¡¯t need any more,¡± Ste said. She¡¯d been gone for years, and in that time, her mom and Marie had filled her closet with so many things she didn¡¯t even have room for them anymore. Watching the two girls push the treasure back and forth, Madam L got annoyed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just throw it all out?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¨Cfine, I¡¯ll pick something.¡± The second she heard that tone, Marie knew Grandma was getting mad. She quickly stepped up to pretend to choose something. Not that it mattered¨Cwhatever she picked would end up with Ste anyway. Marie had no clue what to do with any of it. Abraham stepped behind Ste, picked up a bracelet, and slipped it onto her wrist. Madam L nced over. ¡°Ahem, that one was meant for Marie.¡± That one was no chean trinket Chapter 534 The Grandpa Who Refused to Forgive That one was no cheap trinket. Still, that brat had a good eye. Marie waved her hand. ¡°Give it to Ste. I don¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t even like it.¡± Wow, Madam L wasn¡¯t even trying to hide her favoritism. And Ste was standing right here. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of hurting her feelings? Finished But Madam L clearly knew what Marie was thinking and huffed, ¡°I already have something better for Ste. Why are you fussing over this one?¡± She said it like she wasn¡¯t ying favorites. Please¨Cof course she was. One was her precious granddaughter¨Cinw, and pregnant too! At the caf¨¦. When Abraham brought Ste over, they saw Mr. Faust ying with the teapot she¡¯d brought him. His face was practically glowing with delight. Ste nced at Abraham, who gave a soft chuckle. ¡°So proud.¡± Earlier, Ste had told him over the phone that Grandpa didn¡¯t seem to like the gift. Really? That was what not liking looked like? Abraham cleared his throat twice. Mr. Faust instantly snapped back to attention and turned to look at them. The moment he saw Ste, his face stiffened and he quickly set the teapot down. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t think you can win me over just by bringing back some trinket. You ran away for three years! You think that¡¯s something I can just forgive?¡± Ste pouted. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say it was fine?¡± Just a few minutes ago, he¡¯d sounded like he was over it. Now suddenly he was grumpy again? ¡°Hmph! I only said that so your grandma wouldn¡¯t worry. I never said I forgave you.¡± 665511 7911 137 23:40 Mon, Aug 4 8 ? X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you another teapot. Bigger this time, okay?¡± If one didn¡¯t work, maybe two would. ¡°Hmph!¡± He let out another cold grunt and turned his back to them. Ste, not giving up, held up three fingers. ¡°How about three? But that¡¯s my limit.¡± She¡¯d never bought that many gifts for anyone in one go¨Cexcept Abraham. Finished Whether it was in the past or now, any time she saw something that suited him, she wanted to buy it. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 535 Chapter 535 Whose Side Are You On ¡°Buy it now,¡± the old man said. Steughed and nodded right away. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get it right now.¡± She had already added the shop owner¡¯s contact info and asked them to send over a few more. The grumpy old man had finally been coaxed into a good mood. A At noon, everyone had lunch at the Luke family¡¯s estate. It wasn¡¯t until after two that they finally left. Even though Grandma clearly favored Marie over Ste, she still treated Ste really well. When they left, she stuffed Ste¡¯s arms full of more gifts. In the car. Marie sat in the front seat, scrolling through her phone. ¡°Oh wow. Mom really is the best. She handled everything.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Handled what?¡± W ¡°Von and thraham of I wne actually kinda worried noonlo would talk bahind 0 X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Finished ¡°You and Abraham, of course. I was actually kinda worried people would talk behind your backs, with the nature of your rtionship. But it¡¯s all good now¨CMom already shut them down.¡± Talk behind their backs¡­ She had worried about that too, beforeing back from Rivermount. But after seeing how her mom and grandma reacted, she wasn¡¯t worried anymore. Who cared what strangers had to say? The only opinions that mattered were the ones from the people she cared about. If her mom and grandma disapproved, that would¡¯ve hurt. Now, hearing Marie say Mom had handled it, Ste asked instinctively, ¡°How did she handle it?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear this morning?¡± Abraham reached over and rubbed the top of her head. Ste instantly remembered¨Cwhen she came downstairs earlier, Mom had been on the phone. She¡¯d said something about: The daughter¨Cin¨CI raised is finally all grown up¡­ §ß§Ñ That was her way of solving things. By putting it out there herself, who would dare say a word against Ste? Ste was touched. She leaned into Abraham¡¯s arms, snuggling up to him. He gently stroked her cheek. ¡°What¡¯s this? Feeling moved?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± She really was. H -1. # Back in Rivermount, the Reed family had shown her what coldness from blood rtives felt like. They were her family, but not really. It had left a chill deep in her bones. But the Dawson family and the Luke family¡­ they had shown her warmth that never ended. That was why, in all her time in Rivermount, she¡¯d never once called Susan mom. Never called Jonathan, brother. Mom, Dad, Brother¨Cthose titles belonged to Abraham¡¯s family. To her family. 2% Chapter 535 Whose Side Are You On As for the Reeds¡­ she didn¡¯t want anything from them. Bez bez bez¨CMarie¡¯s phone started buzzing. OX Finished She answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ms. Marie, it¡¯s me.¡± Cynn¡¯s voice came through the speaker. Marie almost hung up on instinct¨Cshe promised her brother she wouldn¡¯t keep dealing with Dan¡¯s people. But Cynn seemed to catch on quickly and rushed to say, ¡°Our boss got beat up again.¡± Again. The way he bit that word showed just how bad things had gotten. Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What, you want me to pay again? Let me be clear¨Cif I didn¡¯t do it, I¡¯m not paying.¡± Sure, she¡¯d epted thest time¨Cafter all, she was the one who hit Dan. But this time? Not her problem. Cynn¡¯s voice got colder. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you, but you¡¯re still responsible.¡± What kind of logic was that? If she didn¡¯t do it, how was it her fault? Who even made these rules? Either they were geniuses, or totally nuts. Marie took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Who hit him?¡± ¡°Mr. Derrick. Derrick, the guy you were going to marry. He came to the hospital and beat up our boss.¡± From the sound of his voice, Cynn had gone from grinding his teeth topletely losing it. Marie blinked. ¡°Wait¨Cwhat?¡± Oh wow. This was a surprise. Actually, scratch that¨Cit was a good surprise. 72% Chapter 535 Whose Side Are You On She¡¯d already figured Dan was done for after what happened at the civil office. This just confirmed it. X Finished This was Falvaria. No matter who Dan was back in Frapucu, no matter how powerful¨Cthis was Derrick¡¯s turf. Even a mighty dragon couldn¡¯t beat the local snake. He had iting. Hearing how mad Cynn was, Marie put on her reasonable face. ¡°You guys jumped him today, didn¡¯t you? Of course he hit back¨Che¡¯s the type who never lets things go.¡± Cynn had brought actual weapons with him when he came to snatch her from the marriage office. Even Derrick got smacked around a bit when he showed up¨Cof course he was going to retaliate. ¡°So honestly, I¡¯d say you all deserved it.¡± ¼ÒÏçÃÛ That made Cynn snap. ¡°Ms. Marie, I think you need to understand whose side you¡¯re on.¡± Marie¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°What did you just say? You wanna run that by me again?¡± Dan and E¡¯s situation¨Chad they figured that out yet? She was supposed to side with a guy who was about to marry another woman? Seriously? Send Gifts The wrong girl 536 Chapter 536 This Marriage Is Happening ¡°If you ask me, Derrick should¡¯ve beat you up too. Maybe then you¡¯d finally start thinking straight.¡± Anyone with a working brain wouldn¡¯t say something so ridiculous. Seeing Marie suddenly lose her temper, Cynn gritted his teeth even harder. ¡°Our boss forgot 23:41 Mon, Aug 4 2%1 D X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Finished everything about you. Everything he did to hurt you¨Che didn¡¯t mean it. You can¡¯t just let someone beat him up like that.¡± ¡°He should just go back to Frapucu and sit quietly in his little lord¡¯s chair. Stoping out here and making a fool of himself.¡± Marie hung up the phone. Forgot everything? Didn¡¯t mean to? To her, Dan was just faking it. Hiding behind some memory¨Closs excuse while trying to have it both ways. Disgusting. Her chest was tight with fury. Abraham had one hand resting on Ste¡¯s head, holding her close as hezily asked, ¡°Dan got beat up?¡± ¡°Yeah. His guy actually said Dan lost his memory, that none of it was on purpose, and that I should be on his side.¡± Ugh. Who even talks like that? ¡°If you ask me, Derrick was way too soft on him. Should¡¯ve hit him harder¨Cmaybe knocked some sense into all of them.¡± Anyone with a shred of sense wouldn¡¯t be this confused. Both Abraham and Ste felt a little more relieved hearing Mariein like that. Their biggest fear right now was Marie suddenly deciding to go check on Dan. Now that would¡¯ve been a nightmare. Marie was still fuming and about to rant some more when her phone rang again. This time, it was Derrick. She picked up. ¡°What?¡± She was still steamed about the whole Dan situation¨Cwhat did Derrick want now? She had zero patience left. years, he¡¯d Or maybe it was because Derrick had taken so much crap from Abraham over the finally snapped. This time, he wasn¡¯t waiting a whole night to act. Just one lunch break, and he¡¯d already gotten payback. Derrick said ¡°I¡¯m outside the civil office Come here¡± 23:41 Mon, Aug 4 G ? D X Finished Chapter 536 This Marriage Is Happening Derrick said, ¡°I¡¯m outside the civil office. Come here.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Hearing Derrick was at the marriage registration office made Marie¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°To finish getting married.¡± Still?! After all that? What exactly had Derrick gone through to suddenly insist on marrying her? And why had he only told her brother and mom? Why hadn¡¯t she been told? Was she not even worth a heads¨Cup? Marie cleared her throat. ¡°You¡¯re being kinda-¡± F E ¡°Marie, I¡¯m telling you right now: this wedding is happening. I don¡¯t care if you want it or not. Derrick snapped. He was pissed. Ste got snatched by Abraham. Now Derrick had his own mess to deal with, and he¡¯d even gotten beat up¨Call he¡¯d asked was for Marie to y along. Dan, that psycho¨Cif Derrick didn¡¯t make him pay, then he wasn¡¯t Derrick. Marie snapped right back. ¡°Excuse me, what?!¡± What do you mean I¡¯m marrying you whether I like it or not? Sure, she¡¯d used this whole wedding idea to spite Dan, but still¨CDerrick¡¯s attitude was totally off. ¡°Is this about needing to get married, or are you just using me to get revenge on Dan?¡± What even was this situation? Derrick growled, ¡°We¡¯re getting married first. I¡¯ming to get you now.¡± He hung up. Marie stared at the phone, stunned. Then she looked at Abraham in the back seat. Abraham acked ¡°That was Derrick?¡± 23:41 Mon, Aug 4 Chapter 536 This Marriage is Happening Abraham asked, ¡°That was Derrick?¡± 71% ? X Finished ¡°You heard him, didn¡¯t you?¡± The call had been on speaker. She knew Abraham and Ste had heard everything. Before Abraham could say anything, Marie jumped in, ¡°Did you hear the way he talked to me? ¡®You¡¯re getting married whether you want to or not. What the hell kind of tone is that?¡± They had heard it loud and clear. And yeah¨CDerrick¡¯s tone was not gentle. Not even close. Marie¡¯s head was spinning. Ste didn¡¯t feel much better either. Everything about this felt like it was spiraling out of control. Marie muttered, ¡°Oh my God. Is this what a groom is supposed to sound like? Feels more like he¡¯sing to beat me up. Yeah¨CDerrick hadn¡¯t sounded like he was proposing. He¡¯d sounded like he was ready to throw hands. It was actually kind of scary. * 2 7 4 4 4 4447 Òª Back at the Dawson family estate. Derrick had already arrived. The look in his eyes when he saw Marie was downright fierce. Like he wanted to rip someone apart. The wrong girl 537 Chapter 537 Not the Marriage Type Ste instinctively leaned closer to Abraham, even reaching out to tug Marie along with her. Apparently, even in fear, she wasn¡¯t forgetting to grab Marie to safety. Derrick was ring daggers at Marie and under his gaze. Marie suddenly felt a little¡­ uneasy. Mon, Aug 71% D X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Finished Derrick was ring daggers at Marie, and under his gaze, Marie suddenly felt a little¡­ uneasy. She rubbed her hands together without thinking. ¡°Can you not look at me like that? You¡¯re seriously creeping me out.¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed before, but when Derrick got that man¨Ceating expression on his face, he really was terrifying. Marie suddenly lost a little of her nerve. She started to feel like she really couldn¡¯t marry Derrick. Not even to keep him away from Ste. There were a hundred ways to keep someone at bay¨Cmarriage absolutely didn¡¯t need to be one of them. Because just looking at this guy, you could tell¨Che had major domestic violence energy. Yeah, the way Derrick looked right now? ssic abuser vibes. Seeing Marie back down, Derrick sneered. ¡°So you can get scared? And here I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of anything.¡± Ever since he came back to Falvaria, this woman had beening at him nonstop. Even went and beat up Dan. Derrick had truly thought she was fearless. But that one word-¡°scared¡°-rubbed Marie all kinds of wrong. Even if she was nervous inside¡­ Her fear was instantly buried under a wave of anger. She stepped out from behind Ste with a scoff. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. You think I¡¯m really scared of you?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, then let¡¯s go. Time to get married.¡± ¡°Marry you? Keep dreaming.¡± After everything they¡¯d been through¡­ Marie was done. No way she was marrying Derrick now. Derrick snapped, ¡°Not marrying me? What, gonna go marry Dan? Marie, I¡¯m telling you right now¨Cdon¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°That mutt Dan had the balls to hit me in Falvaria. He can spend the rest of his life loving you X Finished Chapter 537 Not the Marriage Type and never getting you.¡± Marie said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me anymore.¡± So really, this revenge talk made zero sense. ¡°He¡¯ll love you again once he gets his memory back, right? And I swear to God, we¡¯re not getting divorced. Let that bastard rot from the heartbreak.¡± Derrick barked augh. ¡°Memory loss? Only a dumbass like you would believe that crap. Guys like him? Just don¡¯t want to take responsibility.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re in love with them, they couldn¡¯t care less. The moment they lose you, theye crawling.¡± The three of them stared at Derrick like he was losing his mind. Because let¡¯s face it¨Che was. And not just a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make sure he spends his whole life crawling and sobbing. Memory loss? I¡¯ll make him cry so hard he won¡¯t even know where to cry.¡± Clearly, Derrick still hadn¡¯t gotten over being jumped by Dan¡¯s men. He kept ranting, babbling a mile a minute, all of it aimed squarely at Dan¡­ Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. Derrick in a rage is seriously terrifying. The man was going off so hard, no one else could even get a word in. Marie was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already beat the guy up? Dan¡¯s men said he got messed up pretty bad.¡± Dan¡¯s guys had hit Derrick a couple times at the civil office. But Derrick? He¡¯did into Dan hard. If anything, they were even now¡­ ¡°So what if I did? I¡¯d beat him again! I¡¯d kill him if I could!¡± Yeah, kill him. At this point, he might as well have. -1. 46 A 23:41 Mon, Aug 4 G 71% 0 X Chapter 537 Not the Marriage Type Finished Abraham, who¡¯d been silent the whole time, suddenly shot Derrick a chilling look. ¡°Are you seriously trying to marry Marie right now?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°If this marriage is just a ploy to piss off Dan, I suggest you drop it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget¨Cyou¡¯re gonna divorce eventually. If you¡¯re starting to think otherwise, then don¡¯t even go through with it. Got it?¡°. Derrick¡¯s breathing hitched. His temper, which had just been ring like a bonfire, started to die under Abraham¡¯s cold, stern tone. He took a long breath. Then another. Slowly forcing himself to calm down. Abraham said, ¡°Understand?¡± Derrick didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t want to. He turned to Marie instead, his mind racing with all the crap wrapped around him right now. After another few steadying breaths, he finally muttered two reluctant words: ¡°Got it.¡± Abraham pulled his gaze away. Then looked at Marie. His look alone sent a chill down her spine. ¡°You¡¯re really gonna let me marry this lunatic? You see the way he¡¯s acting? He looks like he wants to hit me at any second.¡± The more Marie thought about it, the less she wanted to marry Derrick. Judging by how things stood now, it must¡¯ve been some mess Derrick was caught up something that required this marriage to fix. The wrong girl 538 Chapter 538 A Marriage Built on Fire M 8:42 Mon, Au The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 538 A Marriage Built on Fire But deep down, Marie was getting nervous. Derrick snapped, ¡°When did I ever say I was gonna hit days, you know that?¡± ?? Marie replied, ¡°Yeah? And you hit me too. You did.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t gonna let him spin it like he was the victim. You Vich yo Finished You¡¯ve been beating me up for Derrick huffed, ¡°That was mutualbat at best. And you won, by the way.¡± Thatst bit made Marie fall silent. It was true¨Cevery time she ambushed Derrick, she came out on top. Always caught him off guard. So of course she won. But it¡¯s not like Derrick was weak. He could hold his own. Ugh¡­ What even is this situation anymore? I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it. §ä§Ñ§Ü Ste finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Maybe we should just-¡± ¡°Stop. Zip it. Shut your mouth.¡± Derrick cut her off before she could finish. In his mind, anytime Ste spoke, Abraham would follow her lead. And this was not something he needed more interference in. Ste red at him. ¡°You shut up.¡± Right then, Abraham¡¯s frosty gazended on Derrick again. And honestly¡­ Looking at the two of them standing there, with those matching cold stares, why do they even look like a couple right now? Stealing his wife and then threatening him¨Cunble. In the end- ¶¾ 23:42 Mon, Aug 4 Chapter 538 A Marriage Built on Fire E X Finished Derrick and Marie stormed off together, both fuming. Ste turned to Abraham, clearly worried. ¡°Why are you letting Marie marry Derrick?¡± The butler had already arranged for all the things they¡¯d brought back to be moved inside. So many gifts¡­ : ?? Some were Ste¡¯s, some were Marie¡¯s. Every time they returned from the old estate, they brought back heaps of good stuff. The olddy loved her two girls like nothing else. Always saved the best for them. Abraham pulled Ste into his arms. ¡°To eliminate a potential rival, of course.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± A rival? Derrick? Since when was Derrick a romantic rival? She¡¯d never even seen him that way. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. You dragged your own sister into this just to eliminate a non¨Cthreat? Nope. I¡¯m calling her. She¡¯s not doing this.¡± There was no way she was letting Marie sacrifice her entire future just for something this. petty. She reached for her phone to call Marie. But Abraham snatched it away before she could dial. ¡°Rx. I was joking.¡± He added calmly, ¡°Derrick and Marie are both dealing with some issues. This marriage might help untangle some of it. That¡¯s all. Just a convenient solution.¡± Ste knew Derrick had problems¨Cher mom had mentioned it. But Marie too? ¡°What¡¯s going on with Marie?¡± She couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Abraham ruffled her hair affectionately. ¡°You¡¯re still a kid. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She¡¯s not a kid anymore, she wanted to protest. 1..nt than hawnhamn wo?~ Chachaalrad the coll Chapter 538 A Marriage Built on Fire 0 X Finished Just then, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was someone she¡¯d sent to investigate the former female leader of Ashen Pact. She stepped aside and picked up. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Ms. Ste, it¡¯s confirmed. The previous leader of Ashen Pact is Ms. Tessa¡¯s mother.¡± Ste¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Yes, we confirmed it. I¡¯ve sent you the photos we got.¡± They even had photos. That made it nearly certain. Ste asked, ¡°Is she in danger?¡± That was the key question now. Whether or not Tessa¡¯s mother was Ashen Pact¡¯s former leader was one thing. But the faction¡¯s current internal situation was a mess. If Tessa¡¯s mother was caught up in it¡­ that was far more pressing. The caller hesitated for a beat. Even that slight pause in breath made Ste¡¯s brow furrow tighter. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Hard to say? Which meant nobody really knew what the threat level was. ¡°Send me the photos.¡± She hung up. The photos came through quickly. One nce was enough for Ste to recognize her. No doubt¨Cit was Tessa¡¯s mother. And the words ¡°hard to say¡± from earlier weighed heavily on her mind. Ste¡¯s expression grew serious. Abraham came over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Who was that?¡± She turned slightly, her lips brushing against the edge of his jaw, leaving a faint trace of warmth behind. Ste froze for a second. ¡°I¡­¡± 311 23:42 Mon, Aug 8 X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In ¡°What are you blushing for?¡± Abraham gently turned her around and cupped her slim waist with one warm hand. There was something strange stirring in him at that moment. That tiny body of hers was carrying a little life inside it. Finished Ste said, ¡°It was my guy. He confirmed it¨CAshen Pact¡¯s previous female leader is Tessa¡¯s mom.¡± Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s confirmed. So what now? I can¡¯t just ignore it¨CTessa¡¯s my friend.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 539 Chapter 539 Say It Like You Mean It The former female leader of Ashen Pact. ording to rumors, the current leader had gotten into quite the power struggle with her when vying for that position. This whole thing¡¯s such a mess¡­ Abraham said calmly, ¡°Call me ¡®husband.¡±¡± Wait¨Cwhat? Abraham looked at her expectantly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ste stared at him. ¡°What are you even doing?¡± Her cheeks flushed bright red. She was trying to talk about something serious, and here he was messing around. Abraham: ¡°Say it first.¡± No way¡­ 23:42 Mon, Aug 4 ? The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In This was a serious conversation! Abraham: ¡°Say it, and I¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± This man¡­ This was really the time for this? Abraham coaxed gently, ¡°Be good, Ste. You need to get used to it.¡± She couldn¡¯t keep calling him ¡°brother¡± anymore. X Finished Ste squirmed awkwardly in his arms, trying to break free, but Abraham had no intention of letting her go. His arm around her waist even tightened slightly. In the end, Ste gave in. ¡°Husband.¡± Her face, already flushed, turned an even deeper shade of red after that one word. Abraham: ¡°One more time.¡± ¡°Oh my God, you- fine. Husband.¡± ¡°Now can you tell me?¡± x x x x 4. How did I not know he was this bad before? ** F # 124 x Abraham was satisfied. He pinched her little nose affectionately. ¡°Actually, if she really was the former leader of Ashen Pact, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± How could there not be anything to worry about? If Diana really was the former head, she¡¯d definitely have serious beef with the current one. And hadn¡¯t she just gotten snatched back from Rivermount by that same leader? This whole thing was clearly way moreplicated¡­ But while Ste fretted, Abraham seemed to have a clearer perspective. He said, ¡°Anyone who¡¯s held leadership in Ashen Pact isn¡¯t exactly made of paper.¡± Well¡­ TX/1.
    1. 1.
    24 1:1. 23:42 Mon, Aug 4 10 X Chapter 539 Say It Like You Mean It When he put it that way, it kinda made sense. ¡°But she¡¯s the former head.¡± How could a former leaderpete with the authority of the current one? Finished Even if she didn¡¯t like admitting it, people who left the spotlight usually got cold¨Cshouldered fast. Abraham said, ¡°The current leader¡¯s hold on power has always been shaky.¡± His voice was low and steady. Ste blinked. ¡°Shaky?¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Very.¡± If that¡¯s true¡­ ¡°Is it because of Ms. Miller?¡± So the reason the current leader¡¯s grip was unstable¨Cwas it because they weren¡¯t legitimate? If they wed their way to the top with dirty tricks, then yeah, it made sense that they¡¯d have trouble holding on to it. Abraham carried her over to the couch and sat down with her. ¡°From what I know, the former female leader of Ashen Pact was highly respected. Someone like that doesn¡¯t get reced easily.¡± ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that make it even moreplicated?¡± Ste looked more worried now. This was about legitimacy, and if what Abraham said was true¨Cthat the current leader had always been insecure in their position¨Cthen dragging the former one back now reeked of desperation. Ste¡¯s concern for Diana only grew. Abraham seemed to read her thoughts. His voice grew deeper: ¡°With her status, whatever¡¯s going on between her and Ashen Pact isn¡¯t something you can meddle in.¡± Ste didn¡¯t answer. 214 23:43 Mon, Aug 4 D X Chapter 539 Say It Like You Mean It He¡¯s right¡­ What could she do in the face of elder councils and high¨Clevel politics? Abraham added, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t help her.¡± ¡°How?¡± Her eyes lit up with hope. Abraham met her gaze and chuckled softly. ¡°Keep Tessa safe.¡± ¡­That¡¯s it? Still, it kinda made sense. Before Diana disappeared, her biggest worry was Tessa. Finished ¡°But Tessa¡¯s still with Victor, and they think she¡¯s a spy. No way¨CI have to go bring her back.¡± Ste thought about how kind Diana had been to her back in Rivermount. Abraham was right -the best thing she could do now was take care of Tessa. Abraham had meant to say that just making sure Tessa was okay was enough. But her reaction¡­ He remembered how she and Tessa were always joined at the hip in Rivermount. If she brought Tessa here, they¡¯d be stuck together twenty¨Cfour seven¡­ He rubbed his temples. ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to.¡± Ste: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Victor won¡¯t let her go.¡± Wait, what? Because she stripped him of every shred of dignity she could? Send Gifts
    1. 7.
    ¡£ The wrong girl 540 Chapter 540 A Name That Shatters Peace Just thinking about how reckless Tessa could be gave Ste a headache. She hadn¡¯t been there in person, so she had no idea what Tessa had done exactly¨Cbut whatever it was, it had clearly been ridiculous. ¡°Is Victor suspicious of her being a spy or something? If that¡¯s what this is about, I can guarantee you there¡¯s no need to be suspicious. Tessa absolutely doesn¡¯t have that kind of skill.¡± When it came to Tessa, Ste was practically willing to vouch for her with her life. If Tessa really had that kind of ability, Diana wouldn¡¯t have always beening to her for help in the first ce. Abraham said, ¡°Victor likes her.¡± There it was again. N E # ## # Every time Abraham said that, Ste couldn¡¯t help but question if it was really true. Not just her¨Ceven Tessa doubted it. the ? Tessa was in her room, clutching her phone with trembling hands when she got Ste¡¯s call. Before, as long as she didn¡¯t have to face Victor directly, she wouldn¡¯t feel afraid¡­ But now, everything was different. Even when she wasn¡¯t facing him, her nerves were still shot. She watched from upstairs as Victor got into a car below. Several men armed with guns climbed in after him, and Tessa¡¯s stomach twisted even more. She had the awful feeling that as long as she stayed near someone like Victor, one barrels would be pointed at her sooner orter. She was genuinely afraid of being riddled with bullets¡­ ¡°Tessa?¡± Ste called her name again when she didn¡¯t respond. Lost in her panic, Tessa snapped back to reality. ¡°Oh, Ste.¡± of those gun 23:43 Mon, Aug 4 OG .71% X Finished Chapter 540 A Name That Shatters Peace ¡°What were you thinking about? I called your name like three times.¡± ¡°I¡­ I just saw Victor go out. There were a lot of people with him. And snipers.¡± ¡°Snipers? How do you even know that?¡± Ste asked. Tessa wasn¡¯t the type to watch that sort of stuff, was she? ¡°I saw one of them carrying a long gun.¡± Figures. Probably something she picked up from movies. Ste didn¡¯t really know what had happened. Ever since she could remember, Abraham had always kept these things from her. Whenever he had to make a call or give an order, he made sure she wasn¡¯t around. That godlike contrast between light and darkness¨CSte had only seen it once on Abraham. Just once, but it took her a long time to recover. Since then, Abraham had never let her see that side of him again. Victor showing up with injuries and armed men? It made her realize Falvaria wasn¡¯t as peaceful as it looked on the surface. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Ste,¡± Tessa whispered. ¡°Want me toe get you?¡± Pick me up¡­? Would she even be able to leave? For some reason, the way Victor acted around her gave Tessa a strong feeling¡ªshe wasn¡¯t getting out of here. Even if she did, she¡¯d be dragged right back. She sniffled. ¡°If I could¡­ I¡¯d hide away in a ce where no one knows me.¡± Somewhere Victor didn¡¯t exist. Victor was the most terrifying man she¡¯d ever met. ¡°I could probably help you with that,¡± Ste said. ¡°But only for a little while. Your life¡¯s not going back to normal.¡± It sounded harsh, but there was no point sugarcoating it. 214 23:43 Mon, Aug 4 71% 0 X Finished Chapter 540 A Name That Shatters Peace Tessa¡¯s peaceful life had already been ripped apart. When she heard that, Tessa blinked. ¡°What? Why do you say that?¡± Ste¡¯s mention of it being ¡°only for a little while¡± made her heart sink. Why only a little while? Was her future going to be nothing but chaos from now on? Whether she stayed with Victor or not- ¡°Because your mother is the former leader of Ashen Pact.¡± Ste said it clearly, word by word. And the moment the words hit her, Tessa¡¯s mind exploded with a deafening buzz. Her breath caught. ¡°W¨CWait, Ste, what did you say? My mom, she¡­¡± ¡°You heard me right. She was Ashen Pact¡¯s previous leader.¡± Ste¡¯s voice didn¡¯t soften or hedge. Sheid it out in the most direct way possible. As the words fell, the sound of Tessa¡¯s breathing grew noticeably tighter on the other end of the line. Even though Ste had spelled it out- Tessa still couldn¡¯t believe it. She took a deep breath. ¡°No, that¡­ that can¡¯t be. My mom could never do something like that. She¡¯s just a regr businesswoman, you know that. She couldn¡¯t even manage to expand her business, let alone-¡± The more she spoke, the more frantic she sounded. To her, her mother was someone who didn¡¯t have a lot of money, but nevercked the smallforts. A nobody in the business world of Rivermount. If she had any fame at all, it wasn¡¯t for her business¨Cit was for her unique way ofworking. And that was the woman they were saying used to lead Ashen Pact? Who could believe that? Even though the suspicion had already been nagging at her for a while¡­ having it confirmed 23:43 Mon, Aug 4 G B X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In like this made Tessa¡¯s heart clench even tighter. Finished Or maybe the past few days of doubt weren¡¯t even really suspicion¨Cmaybe it was just fear. She was truly afraid. If her mother really had ties to Ashen Pact, it meant their peaceful days were over for good. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 541 Chapter 541 A Truth Too Heavy This was exactly what Tessa feared the most. Before Ste could say anything, Tessa jumped in again. ¡°Ste, you must¡¯ve made a mistake, right? You¡¯re definitely wrong, aren¡¯t you?¡± It had to be a mistake¡­ She knew her mother better than anyone¨Cthere was just no way she had that kind of ability. Seeing that Tessa still refused to believe it¡ªespecially with her tone growing more agitated- Ste didn¡¯t want to push her too hard. She softened her voice and said, ¡°Want me to confirm it one more time?¡± ¡°Yes, please, hurry up and confirm it again.¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Actually, it was already more or less confirmed. There was no such thing as a coincidence like this in the world. ¡°No ¡®actually,¡® Ste. Just go confirm it again. You have to be sure.¡± Tessa¡¯s voice was tight with anxiety. It was understandable. Who would want to be connected to something as dark andplicated as Ashen Pact? Before Ste could even hang up, her phone buzzed. She nced down. 23:43 Mon, Aug 4 DG 71% D X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In. It was a message from her contact. A new photo¨Cone even clearer than before. Finished When she had looked at the previous photo, Ste had already recognized the woman as Diana, Tessa¡¯s mother. Now, with this new image¡­ ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no need to confirm anything,¡± Ste said quietly, a hint of regret in her voice. No matter how lost or uncertain Tessa was, this was something she¡¯d have no choice but to ept now. Hearing those words, Tessa¡¯s breath caught. ¡°Ste, you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sending you a clearer photo. Take a look.¡± She forwarded the picture without hanging up. Tessa could still view it even with the call ongoing. The moment she got the notification, Tessa opened the message and looked. It only took a single nce¡­ Her face went pale in an instant. That was her mom. The woman in the photo was her mother. Back on the other end of the line, Ste heard her breath quicken and tried to offer somefort. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s probably not as dangerous as you think.¡± After all, as Abraham had said, anyone who had once been the leader of Ashen Pact wasn¡¯t made of paper. If Diana really had been in that position, then perhaps there was actually less to worry about. Tessa gripped the phone tighter. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some of the darker stories about Ashen Pact¡­¡± Even just hearing those rumors had been enough to make her shiver. And now her mother was involved in all of it? They ended up talking for more than two hours. Tessa was overwhelmed with worry about the fact that her mother had once been the leader of Ashen Pact. Mon, 71% X Finished Chapter 541 A Truth Too Heavy Ste stayed on the line, doing her best to calm her down. Eventually, Tessa had to hang up¨CVictor was back. The man¡¯s face was cold and stern, making it obvious that whatever he¡¯d gone out to handle hadn¡¯t been pleasant. Victor casually tossed his gun to Ss. Even from across the room, Tessa saw the fresh blood on the weapon. The sight of it sent a wave of nausea and terror through her. Whether she liked it or not, whether she could ept it or not, Tessa now understood that this kind of thing would be a part of her life from now on. Because her mother was part of the game¡­ Victor, Lewis, Ss, and John headed toward the study, passing by Tessa¡¯s room on the way. Victor stopped walking and tilted his head slightly. The air around him was so cold and severe that John quickly stepped in. ¡°We¡¯ll go on ahead to the study.¡± He gave a look to the other two before striding off. Lewis, who wasst in line, nudged the others and muttered to himself, Man¡¯s got a woman now, and look how he¡¯s acting. Then again¡­ When they¡¯d left earlier, Victor hadn¡¯t said a word to his little wife. Once the others were gone, Victor was alone in the hallway. He reached for the doorknob and twisted- It didn¡¯t budge. Locked. Tessa had locked the door from the inside again. Victor¡¯s stern expression softened slightly, a wicked smile ying at the corners of his lips. ¡°Tessa.¡± 71% Chapter 541 A Truth, Too Heavy The name slipped off his lips softly, with a gentleness that was hard to describe. Inside the room, Tessa sat quietly. X Finished Maybe it was her worry for her mother, but the bloody weapon she¡¯d seen earlier didn¡¯t scare her like before. She was so deep in thought she didn¡¯t even notice the change in Victor¡¯s tone. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked, her voice drained of energy. Hopelessness had dulled her fear, leaving her answers curt and indifferent. Standing outside the door, Victor was momentarily surprised to hear no fear in her voice. He smiled a little more. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°No.¡± Still not afraid¨Cand still t¨Cout refusing. Send Gifts ¡ê 14 14 # W 4 ¸æ 4 4 4 F 2 4164 # 14 T 14 L + ? 17 0 4 44 9 # to 4 4 4 H 74 4 # = A # A + 4 The wrong girl 542 Chapter 542 The Price of Innocence So¡­ where exactly had this confidence from? ¡°You sure?¡± The man¡¯s tone deepened. Even with the door in between them, his voice carried a pressure that was hard to ignore. The weight of it snapped Tessa out of her daze, like her drifting soul had suddenly returned to her body. ¡°I¡­¡± The fear crept back into her voice. 23:44 Mon, Aug 4 D The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In ? X Finished Victor raised a brow. He clearly noticed something was off. ¡°Open the door. Let me see you.¡± ¡°I just want to be alone for a bit.¡± Ugh¡­ She really did just want some quiet right now. That one sentence made it even clearer to Victor that something wasn¡¯t right with her. ¡°Open the door.¡± This time, his tone was unmistakably firm. Tessa instinctively rubbed her hands together. Her mind shed with the image of him climbing in through the balcony. Yeah, right¨Cno way this door could actually keep him out. After a few seconds of thought, she finally gave up and opened the door. The first thing she saw was the man¡¯s solid chest. His shirt was stained with blood¡­ She reflexively reached out. ¡°You¡¯re hurt again?¡± But halfway through the motion, she suddenly remembered something and yanked her hand back. Oh my god. What did his injury have to do with her? Ste had been crystal clear. Don¡¯t interfere. Don¡¯t get involved. No extra effort. She wasn¡¯t trained to treat wounds. And as for taking care of people¨Cyeah, definitely not her thing. Victor saw every bit of her reaction. Her instinct, her hesitation, the slight changes in her expression. The corner of his mouth lifted in a faint smile. ¡°What? Thinking about stripping me again?¡± Her mouth twitched hard. She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, no, no, I wasn¡¯t thinking anything like that. I swear to god, I didn¡¯t mean tost time either.¡± Tha coined the ???????nd 23:44 Mon, Aug 41 G Chapter 542 The Price of Innocence The more she exined, the more flustered she got. ? X Finished What did he even mean by that? Did he actually think she¡¯d done all that on purpose? That was such a huge injustice. She really hadn¡¯t meant to! ¡°No?¡± His smile deepened. But Tessa didn¡¯t dare look up at him¨Cher head was ducked the whole time. Still, his teasing tone made her face flush red all over again. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Ugh- Even she didn¡¯t believe herself at this point. Just like Ste had said, she had practically stripped everyyer off Victor she could. Top to bottom, nothing had been spared. Right now, Tessa¡¯s insides were already crumbling. Why am I so dumb? It was like her body went haywire whenever she was around him. Seeing her small shoulders slump, Victor reached out with long fingers and gently lifted her chin. Tessa instinctively tried to resist, but she couldn¡¯t match his strength. The moment he tilted her face up, he got a clear look at just how red she was. His smile curled even higher. ¡°You ruined my innocence. What are you blushing for?¡± 75 That word-¡°innocence¡°-he said it so deliberately, so clearly emphasized, it was hard to tell whether he was joking or dead serious. Tessa¡¯s face, already tomato¨Cred, turned positively burning. ¡°I¨CI¨CI really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± she stammered. She was usually quick¨Cwitted, but under those deep, dark eyes of his, she could barely form a sentence. Victor didn¡¯t respond¨Cjust smiled faintly. And that smile made her even more nervous. 214 23:44 Mon, Aug 4 X Chapter 542 The Price of Innocence ¡°Um, so¡­ did your people find anything?¡± Oh my god. When are they going to clear my name? I want to go back to Ste so bad. Victor still didn¡¯t speak. He kept smiling, but the way he looked at her was suddenly a little heavier. That gaze made Tessa even more uneasy. What does that mean? So his innocence mattered but hers didn¡¯t? Finished She sniffled and spoke again, her voice tense. ¡°So¡­ you lost your innocence. Are you saying I have to take responsibility for that?¡± She hadn¡¯t missed it¨Che¡¯d practically chewed on that word earlier. So this was him asking her to take responsibility, wasn¡¯t it? Victor raised a brow. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you?¡± So he was asking her to take responsibility? But if this meant payingpensation¡­ Sure, her mom had never let herck for money. Still,pared to the numbers Victor tossed around in business calls¨Cfigures she¡¯d never even heard before¨Cthere was no way she could afford that. ¡°If it¡¯s about money, I definitely can¡¯t afford it,¡± she muttered. Victor still said nothing. He just kept staring at her in silence¡­ P7 That was the worst. Ever since she started living with him, she¡¯d learned to fear this kind of silence. When he went quiet, her brainpletely froze. te Home She held back, held back again¡­ then couldn¡¯t anymore. She bit her lip and blurted out, ¡°Then I¡¯ll marry you, okay?¡± Meanwhile, Marie had finally made it to the marriage bureau with Derrick. 2.. 23:44 Mon, Aug X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 543 Chapter 543 This Marriage Is a Scam Finished Marie really didn¡¯t want to go¨Cespecially not with things already a mess. Even if her brother and mother had both signed off on it, she still felt like this whole thing was incredibly sketchy. And Derrick? This bastard was definitely up to something. It was his idea, after all, which only made her more suspicious. Can you me her? Even though he¡¯d exined everything from three years ago, the psychological damage from that incident was way too deep. The whole ride over, Marie red daggers at him, practically fuming with rage. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ste, I¡¯m telling you, I wouldn¡¯t lift a finger to help you.¡± She bit down hard on both ¡°Ste¡± and ¡°help you.¡± This jerk had the nerve to say if she didn¡¯t marry him, he¡¯d try to win Ste over instead. What kind of shameless person even says something like that? How could anyone be that shameless? The baby! It¡¯s all for the baby! And the way she emphasized ¡°help you¡± was a not¨Cso¨Csubtle reminder to Derrick why this marriage was even happening in the first ce. Just in case he decided to pull some ungrateful stunt down the line. Derrick smiled faintly, wiping a new scratch on his neck. With a cold chuckle, he said, ¡°Rx. Once this thing is dealt with, we¡¯ll get divorced. A woman like you? Whoever wants to marry you can go ahead. You think I¡¯m dying to be stuck with you forever?¡± God. She wanted to punch him again. What the hell? Yeah, that¡¯s right¨Cthey¡¯d gotten into another fight in the car just now. The more she thought was all about it, the more she didn¡¯t want to go through with this. She asked Derrick what this ght about, but he refused to say. brother agreed. and her brother agreed. Kept going on about how her mom agreed, and Excuse me? She¡¯s the one doing the favor here! He got her brother¡¯s and mother¡¯s approval, and now because she didn¡¯t agree, he had the nowin to throaton hand 23:44 Mon, Aug 4 X Chapter 543 This Marriage Is a Scam nerve to threaten her? Marie had never been one to take crap from anyone. So of course they fought. Finished Now Derrick had a few more scratches on his neck¨Cincluding one very visible bite mark. ¡°If all you need is a fake marriage to solve a problem, why not just pay someone to do it?¡± ¡°There are tons of women who¡¯d be willing to marry you for a few months if you throw enough money at them.¡± She knew a rich yboy once whose family pressured him into getting married. The girl he actually liked had been forced away by his parents years ago, so he just hired a random woman. It was strictly in name only. That¡¯s exactly what Derrick should be doing right now. O Derrick gave a scoff at her ridiculous suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m broke.¡± Is that even a thing he can say? Seriously? a Before she could speak, he added, ¡°You think women are cheap these days? Without at least a few million, don¡¯t even bother trying.¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it just a few hundred grand?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s still five years ago?¡± Marie: ¡°¡­¡± Fair enough. 420 That guy she mentioned did fork over five hundred grand for a three¨Cyear name¨Conly marriage. But when they divorced, the woman absolutely refused to go quietly. She even ran off pregnant! Um¡­ So much for name¨Conly. That situation got way out of hand¨Cand honestly, for the guy, out to be a good deal. the money turned And that crush of his¡­ well, who knows where she really ranked among the others in his heart. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t even have a few million left? Aren¡¯t you the Tom family¡¯s 274 71% O X Finished Chapter 543 This Marriage Is a Scam heir?¡± Okay, maybe he didn¡¯t have any ties to the Tom family anymore¡­ But back when he severed ties for good, he took plenty with him. Everything his mom was entitled to¨Che got everyst cent. He even walked away with a chunk of thepany¡¯s assets. Derrick grunted, ¡°I blew it all, alright?¡± Uh¡­ Sure, maybe. But the way he said it di Derrick had built u exactly scream ¡°believable.¡± Marie knew what kind of assets his few years in Pagina. He might spend like a maniac, but he definitely knew how to make money too. maniac, but he definitely knew how to make Still, since he said it, Marie didn¡¯t bother arguing anymore. Derrick noticed her silence and let out a low chuckle. ¡°What? Afraid you¡¯ll be poor if you marry me? Let me tell you, I might be broke, but Dan¡¯s even worse. So broke he has to trade his marriage for resources.¡± Seriously, dude? It¡¯s one thing to admit you¡¯re broke, but why drag someone else down with you? ¡°That¡¯s between you two. Has nothing to do with me,¡± she snapped. Derrick: ¡°Oh?¡± Marie: ¡°Let me put it inly¨Cyou¡¯re broke, I¡¯m still rich. Don¡¯t go thinking just because we¡¯re getting married that we¡¯re somehow tied together. Keep dreaming.¡± Derrick smirked. ¡°You really know how to distance yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up. Don¡¯t forget why we¡¯re getting married. It¡¯s to help you with your mess, and maybe to piss off Dan a little.¡± Honestly, Derrick was getting the best of both worlds here. Talk about a scam. Derrick caught her pissed¨Coff tone¨Cespecially the way she practically snarled when she said ¡°Dan.¡±
    1. 1.
    66X7 ¡®? 172 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fitin He couldn¡¯t help but hiss, ¡°You sure you¡¯re not dying to piss Dan off yourself?¡± Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 544 Chapter 544 A Marriage of Fury ¡°Not okay?¡± Marie said. Dammit¡­ Speaking of being pissed off¨Cback when she rushed to Frapucu, she just happened to witness Dan and E¡¯s engagement party with her own eyes. There was no way she didn¡¯t feel some type of way about that. Someone who had lived in her heart for years¨Csupposedly dead¨Cturned out to be alive, and not only that, but boldly getting engaged to someone else. Who wouldn¡¯t blow up? Yeah, Marie blew up that day¡­ Naturally, Derrick had heard all about Marie¡¯s fiery rampage in Frapucu. ¡°You going to Frapucu basically offended the entire Mint family too.¡± Marie scoffed, ¡°So what if I did?¡± So what? Let it be, Over the years, plenty of people had been unhappy with the Dawson family anyway. Another enemy didn¡¯t make much of a difference. Since things had alreadye this far, why not just go all in and be even more domineering? The two of them arrived at the civil affairs office. When the staff saw them walk in again, their expressions immediately soured, 45 Mon. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Their looks weren¡¯t much better either! 00 X Finished The couple had stirred up a huge mess here just that morning. Sure, most of it had already been dealt with by now, but still. Even though this kind of scene wasn¡¯t exactly rare in Falvaria, the staff was still annoyed. This time, she felt zero sympathy for Marie ending up with a guy like that. She snatched the documents out of their hands and started hammering on the keyboard- ck ck ck¨Cpure venting. She couldn¡¯t take it out on Derrick, so the keyboard suffered. In just a few minutes, it was almost smoking. Surprisingly, the two of them didn¡¯t throw their weight around or blow up on the spot this time. In under five minutes, two marriage certificates were mmed down in front of them. ¡°Done.¡± Marie blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± That fast? So a woman could go from single to married in just a few minutes? Then why were so many bachelors out there struggling so much? The staffer took a sip of her coffee and nodded. ¡°Yeah. But just so you know¨Cif he ever starts beating you, there¡¯ll be a lot of departments you¡¯ll need to go to. It¡¯s not as simple as just calling the cops anymore.¡± Uh¡­ Derrick? Abuse her? No way. Derrick¡¯s face darkened immediately. The re he shot the staffer could¡¯ve burned a hole through her. But the staffer wasn¡¯t backing down. She fired a look right back. Furious, Derrick shot to his feet. Marie, sitting next to him, jumped. ¡°What are you doing?¡± His eyes were sharp and menacing as he stared down the staffer. For a moment, even she looked startled. 23:45 Mon, Aug Chapter 544 A Marriage of Fury Because Derrick¡¯s aura was just that intense. ? X Finished Marie tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Honestly, with that look on his face, he really did seem like the type tomit domestic violence at any moment. ¡°She¡¯s just doing her job. Let¡¯s go, c¡¯mon, be good¡­¡± Marie stood up and pulled Derrick along, turning to leave. Sure, he might be the kind of guy who feared nothing and no one in Falvaria¨Cbut this ce wasn¡¯t somewhere he could mess around. So she grabbed him and dragged him out. Watching the two of them suddenly acting all lovey¨Cdovey again, the staff found it surreal. ¡°Daria? Can you believe these two? After the scene they caused this morning, now they¡¯re back to get married?¡± They had been fighting like hell earlier¡­ And now here they were. Honestly, the way those two looked, they didn¡¯t seem like the type to get married¨Cyet they actually went through with it! The world really was bizarre. Sometimes the seemingly perfect couples would fall apart at thest second. And then these two, who looked ready to kill each other, somehow tied the knot anyway. The woman named Daria, who had just handled their marriage registration, mmed her coffee cup down on the table. ¡°Hmph. Just wait. They¡¯ll be back for a divorce within three months.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see the guy? Total abuser vibe. And the woman¡¯s no saint either. I give it three months tops¨Ceither one of them ends up dead, or they somehow survive the entire mess of a marriage.¡± It was a harsh thing to say, but based on Derrick and Marie¡¯s behavior, it wasn¡¯t exactly far off. As they walked out of the civil office, Marie suddenly shivered. ¡°So. 11 hehind mu hack If I find out who it is I¡¯ll rin her tongue out 99 bad¨Cmouthing me 71% X Finished Chapter 544 A Marriage of Fury behind my back. If I find out who it is, I¡¯ll rip her tongue out.¡± Derrick gave her a look like she was crazy. Just one look¨Cand then he turned away, heading straight for his car. As he walked, he tossed back a line: ¡°You can go back on your own.¡± Marie snapped, ¡°Dammit, you were all over me on the way here. Now you¡¯re telling me to go back alone? Want me to march right back in and file for divorce?¡± Back when he wanted to marry her, she couldn¡¯t get rid of him. Now that they were married¡­ Even if he wanted to change his attitude, this was not the way to do it. Completely heartless. At least go out for a meal or something like normal people after getting married. Derrick was already in the car. With a smirk, he looked over at Marie. ¡°For the next six months, don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Marie sneered, ¡°Oh please. If I want a divorce, I¡¯ll find a way. That line? It doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 545 Chapter 545 Spiteful Vows It was just a divorce¨Cwhat was the big deal? Listening to Marie¡¯s sharp tongue, Derrick rolled up the car window and told Kale up front, ¡°Drive.¡± He couldn¡¯t talk to that woman any longer. If he did, she¡¯d drive him straight to an early grave. Kale looked awkward. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to at least take Ms. Marie out for a meal to celebrate the wedding?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the same taste.¡± Derrick renliedzily 3/1 23:45 Mon, Aug 4 X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Derrick repliedzily. Finished Eating with Marie? He couldn¡¯t even swallow anything. With her explosive temper, if she said the wrong thing during the meal, she¡¯d probably flip the whole table. Yeah¨Cno thanks. Still, that didn¡¯t sound like a real reason¡­. ¡°You better be careful. If you piss her off, she might just go and file for divorce on her own.¡± Kale genuinely believed Marie was capable of that. And with her temper? Even more so. Derrick: ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± His voice was cold as ice. Kale shut up immediately¡­ Wouldn¡¯t dare? Everyone in Falvaria knew she would. Was their Mr. Derrick the only one out of the loop? Derrick pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Whoever was on the other end clearly didn¡¯t want to pick up. It wasn¡¯t until the second attempt that the call finally connected. ¡°Mr. Derrick. What, looking to start another fight?¡± Dan¡¯s voice came through gritted teeth. Derrick smirked, his tone smug. ¡°Marie is my wife now.¡± Suddenly, the line went silent. Back at the hospital- The air in the entire room dropped to freezing. Dan¡¯s eyes snapped open. He nced at Cynn, who flinched under that look. Luckily, Dan only nced and then looked away. Whan ha enaka amain his voica THA maticaahl soldes ¡°What did 23:46 Mon, Aug 4 71% X Finished Chapter 545 Spiteful Vows When he spoke again, his voice was noticeably colder. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Derrick: ¡°I said, Marie is my wife now. So stop bothering her. If you don¡¯t-¡± He paused for effect. Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed, cold light shing in them. ¡°Or what?¡± Derrick: ¡°Or I¡¯ll burn you to ashes and sweep you out of Falvaria myself.¡± This bastard still had the nerve to act cocky in Falvaria? He¡¯d better get ready to pay the price. Dan: ¡°Heh, quite the tone, Mr. Derrick. But is the Tom family still your backer?¡± Each word dripped with venom, his breath clearly unsteady. Derrick chuckled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if I have backing or not. Starting now, Marie is my wife. My wife. Got it?¡± The breathing on the other end grew heavier. Even through the phone, Derrick could feel Dan¡¯s seething rage. Dan: ¡°Derrick!¡± Derrick: ¡°What are you yelling for? Didn¡¯t you lose your memory?¡± ¡°Great. Hope it stays gone. By the time you remember anything, she and I¡¯ll already have a kid. If you¡¯ve got guts, then forget her for life.¡± In the front seat, Kale was starting to piece things together. From the way Mr. Derrick and Dan were going at it, this wasn¡¯t just about today. This sounded like a deep, long¨Cstanding grudge. This wasn¡¯t just petty revenge. ¡°You bastard,¡± Dan growled, furious. Derrickughed even louder. ¡°She¡¯s my wife. Legally.? Every time he said ¡°wife,¡± it was like mming a fist into Dan¡¯s gut. And before Dan could respond, Derrick hung up. The car fell into silence. 23:46 Mon, Aug 4 71% X Chapter 545 Spiteful Vows The car fell into silence. Finished Derrick lit a cigarette and took a drag. He looked more rxed than he had all day¨Clike even his breathing was lighter. Kale nced at him through the rearview mirror, cautiously asking, ¡°Mr. Derrick, were you just trying to piss off Mr. Morris on purpose?¡± ¡°Heh. Damn right I was. I want that bastard to choke on it.¡± He winced¨Chis mouth injury had been pulled by the grin. Kale blinked. He¡¯d never known Mr. Derrick could be this petty. Was this really just about what happened today? No¡­ something else had to be going on. Back at the hospital¡ª Dan was already nursing fresh injuries. Derrick had taken him by surprise, and he hadn¡¯t been able to defend himself at all. Now, after Derrick¡¯s arrogant phone call, Dan was so furious he shoved the cab next to him hard enough to send it crashing over. Cynn was visibly shaken. ¡°Sir¡­¡± ¡°You said they wouldn¡¯t get married.¡± But they had. Dan had heard the entire call on speaker. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. After everything that happened, how could they possibly get married?¡± Everything that had gone down¨Cand they still got married!? Who had lost their mind? Cynn scratched his head, thinking back to the scene at the civil office that morning. And thoon frach hee and crotchog on Dorniclz¡¯s neck and foco slowly from a fight hofora 5.71% 10 X Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In And those fresh bruises and scratches on Derrick¡¯s neck and face¨Cclearly from a fight before they registered the marriage. Even if he hadn¡¯t shown up, from what he heard, it didn¡¯t sound like the kind of situation that would end in a wedding. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ A The wrong girl 546 Chapter 546 No Turning Back ¡°What the hell went wrong?¡± Cynn muttered to himself, utterly confused. Dan shot him a cold re. Cynn instantly tensed up. ¡°Sir, I was just-¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Dan¡¯s fury exploded. He couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. 70% D X Finished The shout made Cynn flinch all over, and once he snapped back to his senses, he bolted out of the room without hesitation. Now, only Dan was left. The entire room felt like it had plunged into ice. # ^ G ¡± shes of memory¨Cthe ones that came back after Derrick beat him up¨Ckept flickering through his mind. They weren¡¯t just memories. They carried a strange familiarity that wed at his chest. Derrick. Marie. Marie¡­ ¾Æ ¤Þ The fact that Marie had actually gone through with the marriage made the fury in Dan¡¯s chest swell to its limit. He picked up his phone and called her. ?? That damn woman¨Cwas she brain¨Cdead? She really married Derrick? Marie was still outside the civil affairs office, trying to hail a cab. It was rush hour. The line was long. The more she waited, the more pissed she got at Derrick, and the louder she ranted in her head. ¡°Bastard. Let¡¯s see how long you can go without needing my help.¡± Damn it! What exactly did he need help with? And how the hell had he managed to convince even her mom and brother? ¡°That scumbag better note crawling back when he needs me again.¡± f Mon, Aug 70% X Chapter 546 No Turning Back If he needed her help, there¡¯d be follow¨Cups. No cab in sight. She was fuming. About to call the family driver toe pick her up. Just as she took out her phone, an unfamiliar number popped up. She hung up immediately. Then it called again. Frowning, Marie answered, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± So the idiot knew she wouldn¡¯t answer his number and switched lines? Men were disgusting. Derrick was a dog, and Dan¨Can even bigger one. Finished Marie had just taken a hit from Derrick emotionally, so when Dan called, she was in no mood to be civil. She sneered, ¡°What, calling to congratte me?¡± But from his tone, it didn¡¯t exactly sound like congrattions. She put a biting emphasis on the word ¡°congrattions,¡± and the air on the other end of the line turned downright threatening. Dan ground out, ¡°You really married Derrick?¡± Marie: ¡°So now you know?¡± That had been a guess just now, but his use of the word really confirmed it¨Che knew. Dan: ¡°You two actually registered?¡± ¡°Do people like us fake this kind of thing? You think we need to put on a show?¡± She hit back without hesitation, cutting off any room for doubt. Dan: ¡°Marie!¡± Her name came out in a chilling growl. Marie¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Why are you yelling at me? Who I marry is none of your business.¡± Each word was cold and deliberate. The fire she once had for this man had turned into a frozen wastnd. Chapter 546 No Turning Back The Marie who had once burned with love for Dan¨Cit felt like she¡¯d never existed. She was ice now. 1 70% ? X Finished The kind of cold that had no heart. On the other end, Dan could barely breathe from the anger crushing his chest. He clenched his teeth and forced the words out: ¡°Divorce him.¡± Marieughed. Cold, mocking. Dan: ¡°You fought like wild animals and still got married? Are you out of your mind? Tell me¡ªare you just brain¨Cdead? What kind of lunatic would do something this dumb if they had even a single working brain. cell?!¡± His voice rose higher with each sentence, almost like he wanted to tear her apart over the phone. Marie: ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a lunatic, so what? Is that illegal?¡± Dan: ¡°You-¡± ¡°What you? I¡¯m nuts, and it still has nothing to do with you. Who are you yelling at? Who gave you the right? Look at yourself. What even are you now¨Cdo you even have the qualifications to say that?¡± Marie: ¡°And another thing¨CDerrick is my husband now. In Falvaria, you better show some respect, or I swear I¡¯ll beat your ass myself.¡± Dan¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯d go against me for Derrick¡­?¡± He didn¡¯t finish. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Marie was actually standing up for Derrick? Against him? No. That wasn¡¯t possible. Just a while ago, she- Marie snorted. ¡°You heard me. If you mess with Derrick, I¡¯ll deal with you.¡± ¡°Mr. Morris, let me remind you¨CI don¡¯t blur the lines. I know who¡¯s close and who¡¯s not. Don¡¯t test me.¡± The words ¡°Mr. Morris¡± and ¡°I don¡¯t blur the lines¡± mmed into Dan¡¯s skull like a hammer. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 547 Chapter 547 Pretentious Scum So in her heart, he was now¡­ Mr. Morris? Not Dan, the man he used to be? Marie¡¯s voice came through the phone, biting and sarcastic: ¡°What¡¯s this? Still faking amnesia?¡± All that talk about memory loss¨Cwas it just an act? Otherwise, how did he exin this sudden shift in tone? Marie was convinced Dan had been faking it. Otherwise, how could he talk to her like this now? With that kind of tone? If it was an act¨Cthen he was truly shameless. She¡¯d heard of men lying for money or sex, but to lie about feelings? Five years. She¡¯d endured it for five whole years. But now, she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. Sheshed out over the phone: ¡°Scumbag!¡± Dan: ¡°What?¡± What kind of insult was that? Was that even meant for a man? Dan¡¯s brain stalled for a moment. But Marie was beyond reason now. As Dan froze in disbelief, she went in even harder: ¡°I said you¡¯re a lowlife who fakes feelings. A pretentious scum ying the victim.¡± ¡°What kind of karmic punishment did I suffer in my past life to end up with you, you emotionally maniptive dirtbag?¡± In her eyes, Dan pretending not to remember her was all fake. Only a lowlife would pretend. Only a pretentious scum would fake love. Now he was telling her to divorce Derrick? That just confirmed it for her¨Che had never forgotten her. He¡¯d just pretended. Dan¡¯s face turned ashen with rage at her outburst. Cynn happened to walk in at that exact moment, ready to report something important¨Conly to catch Marie yelling ¡°scumbag¡± at Dan over the phone. He froze on the spot. Scumbag? 23:48 Mon, Aug 4 X Finished Chapter 547 Pretentious Scum The way she cursed was certainly¡­ creative. What kind of woman cursed a man like that? Dan¡¯s breathing grew ragged. ¡°Marie.¡± Marie snapped, ¡°What are you yelling for? You¡¯re a scumbag. And you better never show your face in front of me again. If I see you, I¡¯ll hit you.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a reply. She hung up right then and there. She was furious. She couldn¡¯t ept the idea that she had been duped five years ago by this lying scumbag. Dan stared at the phone, the dial tone buzzing in his ear as his mind roared with static. His gaze shifted to the doorway¨Cand darkened when he saw Cynn. ¡°You heard all that?¡± ¡°N¨CNo, I didn¡¯t,¡± Cynn stammered, forcing out a weak smile. But that smile was so awkward it only made Dan¡¯s face sink even darker. Cynn really wanted to disappear. He hadn¡¯t expected this at all¡­ This was supposed to be the heir of Falvaria¡¯s most prestigious family. How did things get this messy? Scumbag¡­ The word still echoed in his ears. Coming from Marie, it was¡­ surreal. Dan: ¡°Get out.¡± Cynn¡¯s expression gave away everything¨Che had definitely heard. Dan¡¯s head pounded. Five years. He had forgotten that woman for five whole years. He remembered what had happened in Frapucu. And the things he had said to her¡­ That woman, who never let a grudge go, must hate him now with everything she had. Cynn hesitated. ¡°B¨CBut I have something important to report¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t urgent, he¡¯d be long gone. This was nightmare fuel. Hearing someone curse out your boss like that? He half expected to be silenced on the spot. G 70% 0 X Chapter 547 Pretentious Scum Dan¡¯s icy re locked on him. ¡°Speak.¡± Cynn gathered his nerve: ¡°Evelyn just met with Lance.¡± Lance! That guy might seem unreliable, but he was a key connection in their current ns. Lance wanted what they had. And they wanted to use Lance to secure another critical link. So Evelyn meeting with him¨CDan¡¯s face instantly darkened. ¡°What kind of dealings do they have?¡± ¡°None, officially,¡± Cynn replied. Lance had been trying to connect with the Luke family for years, but he never had the qualifications. But now, Evelyn had met him in person. Finished If Evelyn met with Lance, and it wasn¡¯t about business¡­ Dan couldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t because of Marie. Cynn saw that Dan had gone quiet and added, ¡°Could this be about what happened five years ago between you and Ms. Marie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors. Evelyn and Abraham are both incredibly protective.¡± Whether it was the Dawsons or the Lukes, everyone knew they were fiercely loyal to their own. If Evelyn had reached out to Lance because of Marie- Then everything they¡¯d worked on recently was probably a waste. Evelyn¡¯s influence in Falvaria was no joke. Everyone knew what she was capable of. Dan¡¯s face darkened further. Was it for Marie? It wasn¡¯t impossible¡­ Cynn pressed, ¡°If this really is for Ms. Marie, then things could get very messy.¡± After all, Dan had a history with Marie from five years ago¨Cand now, he had a fianc¨¦e. Send Gifts With 4.4K The wrong girl 548 Chapter 548 The Slip of the Tongue Dan¡¯s fianc¨¦e was none other than the daughter of Frapucu¡¯s deputy mayor. Just like that, Dan found himself caught in a deadlock. Even his usually calm andposed eyes turned grave. 70% ? X Finished Over at the Dawson family¡¯s estate- Ste was lounging on the couch, chatting with Tessa over the phone. Ever since returning to Falvaria, Tessa had been calling her nonstop. To be honest, Ste had started getting nervous every time she saw Tessa¡¯s name pop up¨Cbecause she never knew what kind of disaster was waiting on the other end. Like right now. As soon as she answered, the first thing out of her mouth was, ¡°Spill it. What did you strip off Victor this time?¡± Tessa¡¯s habit of causing mayhem with a spicy twist was something Ste had long gotten used to. But more than anything, she worried that one day, Tessa would really push Victor too far. Tessa: ¡°I didn¡¯t strip him this time.¡± Ste let out a huge sigh of relief. ¡°Good, good. As long as you didn¡¯t.¡± She was seriously afraid Tessa had peeled something off Victor again. Because when it came to that kind of problem, she had absolutely no way to help clean up the mess. Just as she began to rx, happy that¨Cfor once¨CTessa hadn¡¯t created chaos around Victor¡­ She barely had three seconds of peace before- Tessa spoke again, voice utterly dead inside: ¡°But I¡­ said I¡¯d marry him.¡± ¡­Huh? Wait, wait, wait¨Cwhat did she say to Victor? Marry him? What the hell was that? What kind of twisted new mess was this? Ste¡¯s brain frozepletely. It took her a full few minutes to sputter, ¡°You¨Cyou said what?¡± X Chapter 548 The Slip of the Tongue ¡°You said you¡¯d marry who?¡± She had to be hallucinating. There was no way she¡¯d actually just heard Tessa say she wanted to marry Victor. Tessa groaned, sounding like she was ready to die. ¡°Yeah, I want to crawl into a hole.¡± How bad was it? Finished Let¡¯s just say she was experiencing a level of secondhand embarrassment that made her want to ascend to the afterlife. She was so mortified she couldn¡¯t even repeat herself. Ste swallowed hard, took several deep breaths to steady her nerves, then said, ¡°Hold on, you¡­¡± Oh no. This was bad. Tessa: ¡°I don¡¯t even want this mouth anymore.¡± Or these hands, for that matter. If only she could get rid of whatever part of her brain kept making her lose control around Victor. How could she be this dumb? As Tessa wallowed in her own misery, a lightbulb suddenly went off in Ste¡¯s head¨Cand she shot up. ¡°Now I really have to wonder¨Cwere all those little ¡®idents¡® just buildup for this moment?¡± No way¡­ ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡± Tessa immediately denied it. And she was telling the truth. Ste pressed on. ¡°Then why were you always pulling Victor¡¯s clothes off?¡± ¡°Tessa, be real with me¨Cback when you unbuckled his belt at Qianwan, were you already into him?¡± The way this was all lining up¨Cit was just too neat. Before, it seemed like chaos. But now, it was all falling into ce. If she hadn¡¯t already had feelings for Victor, how could she exin that idental slip of marry him? Because it all connected¡­ a straight line of disasters. Tessa¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not! Ste, how could you not believe me? Do I look like that kind of person?¡± Ste: ¡°Rx. Even if you were, I¡¯d still think you¡¯re great.¡± Wow. Thanks for the unconditional love, bestie. OG ¨C Chapter 548 The Slip of the Tongue Any other day, Tessa might have been touched. But right now? Someone please just save her. Ste: ¡°Come on, just admit it¨Cdo you like Victor or not? If you do, I¡¯ll be your matchmaker.¡± Tessa wanted to die even more. ¡°You think this is the era of arranged marriages or something?¡± Who¡¯d dare marry that terrifying man? O X Finished You¡¯d need, like, three spare hearts just to survive being around him. But she only had one. Which meant¨Cfor the sake of staying alive¨Cshe needed to stay far away from Victor. Ste: ¡°Just answer me¨Cdo you like him or not?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m too scared to.¡± Tessa mumbled. Sure, he was handsome and rich. Objectively perfect. But he was just too damn scary. He came back today covered in blood. Being with a man like that was like licking a knife de. Ste: ¡°And yet you said you¡¯d marry him?¡± They were already at the marriage stage? What kind of timeline were they on? Tessa hadn¡¯t even been around Victor for that long. How had things escted so fast? Ste¡¯s brain had officially checked out. Tessa: ¡°If I told you my mouth and hands just act on their own, would you believe me?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 549 Chapter 549 Scumbag, Interrupted Ste: ¡°Do you believe that?¡± There was no way anyone could believe that. And not just Ste¨CTessa herself didn¡¯t even buy her own excuse. ¡°But it¡¯s true,¡± Tessa muttered, a hint of grievance in her voice. 70% D X Finished Heaven help her, but whenever she was in front of Victor, her limbs and mouth really did seem to develop a mind of their own. By the time she realized what she¡¯d said or done, it was already toote¨Cshe was left staring into space, speechless at herself. Ste: ¡°Then be honest. Do you actually like Victor?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t dare to.¡± Tessa repeated, dazed by the question. 5 God knows, that whole ¡®marry you¡® line hadn¡¯te from some secret affection for Victor. Even now, she had no idea what possessed her to say something so utterly ridiculous. Just as those words left her lips, the door to the room gave a soft click as it opened. The man standing there had no readable expression. But the moment Tessa looked at him¨Cespecially when her gaze met those eyes cold as the bottom of a frozenke her heart clenched instantly. Meanwhile, at the Dawson estate- Ste was still on the phone with Tessa when the call suddenly dropped. She called out ¡°hello¡± a few times into the silence, but got no response. At that moment, Marie walked in from outside. Seeing Ste, she gave a loud hmph. ¡°On the phone with your bestie from Rivermount again?¡± Her tone dripped with vinegar. You could practically smell the jealousy in the air. Ste replied with a faint ¡°mm.¡± Marie huffed, ¡°You tell her to quit calling you so much. Abraham won¡¯t be happy about it.¡± T 1 W X Chapter 549 Scumbag, Interrupted I mean, what kind of woman keeps clinging like that? Multiple calls in a single day? Wait a minute¡­ ¡°She¡¯s not into Abraham, is she?¡± Finished Just moments ago, Ste had been thinking that Abraham wasn¡¯t the one annoyed¨Cbut Marie clearly was. Hearing thatment, Ste twitched. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± There¡¯s no way Tessa was that kind of person. Marie snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Isn¡¯t there a saying in Rivermount? ¡®Guard against fire, thieves, and your bestie.¡°¡± Ste: ¡°Tessa not like that. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± She knew Tessa¡¯s personality inside and out. She¡¯d just been spooked being around Victortely and started losing her grip. If she were back in Rivermount, she¡¯d never act like this. Marie: ¡°What the hell?¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± This woman really knew how to focus on the wrong details at the worst times. Marie looked like she was about to say more when her phone rang. She nced at the number¨Canother unknown caller. After a moment¡¯s thought, she answered: ¡°Go ahead, tell me how you n to humiliate me this time so I can prep my counterattack, you scumbag.¡± She didn¡¯t even give the other person a chance to speak. One look at the unfamiliar number and she already knew who it was. She¡¯d blocked thest one. Dan, that bastard, was relentless. When Ste heard her casually drop a ¡°scumbag,¡± her lips twitched. She hadn¡¯t thought of Dan¨Cshe figured it was probably that fianc¨¦e of his, that E girl. After all, women fighting each other usually came with some pretty vicious words. But then- ¡°You woman¨Ccan you even control your mouth? If not, I¡¯ll rip it off for you!¡± Dan¡¯s voice burst through the phone, each word seething with rage. 2 213 70% X Finished Chapter 549 Scumbag, Interrupted What man wouldn¡¯t explode after getting cursed out like that? Ste froze. Wait¡­ she¡¯s cursing at Dan? She was stunned. You could¡­ talk to men like that? If she¡¯d known, she would¡¯ve gone off on Ethan years ago! She¡¯d always thought insults like that were reserved for other women. Turns out they worked great on men, too. And judging from Marie¡¯s tone, it was pretty effective. Marie let out a sneer. ¡°Rip my mouth off? You think you can? Focus on recovering first, why don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Getting your ass beat to a pulp and you still think you¡¯re in any shape toe after me? Go look in the mirror and see what kind of mess you are.¡± Every word out of Marie¡¯s mouth mmed straight into Dan like a punch. It was hard to believe this man had once held the most sacred ce in her heart. Because who would ever talk like that to someone they loved? But Marie was saying it. ?????????? ??????????? ? ?? ??? ????????????????? And as Ste watched from the couch, she started to wonder if Dan had ever actually been in Marie¡¯s heart at all. Just like she herself had no hesitation going after Ethan¨Cbecause when there¡¯s no love, there¡¯s no hesitation. But Marie¡­ when Dan ¡°died,¡± hadn¡¯t shepletely broken down? Dan: ¡°You¨Cyou woman¡­¡± Marie: ¡°What about me? Whether I¡¯m good or bad has nothing to to do with you, scumbag The wrong girl 550 Chapter 550 The Art of Insults As one ¡°scumbag¡± after another flew out of Marie¡¯s mouth, even Ste couldn¡¯t help but nce at her a few more times. The two were tearing into each other over the phone, the argument escting from petty insults to Dan outright demanding Marie divorce Derrick. Even from across the room, Ste could clearly hear Dan¡¯s sharp,manding tone through the speaker. Which only infuriated Marie more. ¡°My divorce has nothing to do with you! Mind your own damn business.¡± ¡°What, he¡¯s not a good guy? And you are? You pretentious scum. You memory¨Cfaking piece of trash.¡± Ste¡¯s lip twitched. Pretentious scum¨Ca new title added to the list. So now both ssic insults typically reserved for backstabbing women were being hurled at Dan. Wait a second¨Cdid she just say Dan had amnesia? Was that real? Ste had her doubts from the beginning. The whole ¡°amnesia¡± thing had always seemed like a convenient excuse. If a person suffered real brain trauma, they¡¯d either die or eventually recover. This so¨Ccalled memory loss felt more like a well¨Cpackaged excuse to cover up being a jerk. Marie continued her furious rant, only to find Ste watching her with a stunned expression. Her gaze dropped to Ste¡¯s still¨Ct belly¨Cand suddenly, she shot to her feet and stormed upstairs, still cursing as she went. ¡°You two¨Cfaced liar!¡± Two¨Cfaced just joined the insult roster. By the time Abraham returned home, he saw Ste still sitting dazed on the couch. He came over and gently ruffled her soft hair. ¡°What¡¯s got you so zoned out?¡± She hadn¡¯t even noticed him walk in. Ste finally snapped out of it, still shaken by Marie¡¯s earlier outburst. Especially that string of insults.Scumbag, pretentious scum, two¨Cfaced¨Call directed at Dan. 10% 0 X Finished Chapter 550 The Art of Insults Seeing Abraham, she grabbed his wrist and nuzzled her chin into his warm palm. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Judging by the way he¡¯d left earlier, she thought he¡¯d be outte today. Abraham gave a soft ¡°Mm.¡± Before he could say more, Ste hooked herself onto his arm and leaned in to whisper, ¡°Abraham, Marie and Dan had a huge fight.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Sounds like she really did get the marriage license with Derrick. Dan told her to divorce him.¡± She delivered the punchline with perfect timing. When Derrick came to pick Marie up earlier, Ste hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d actually go through with it. They all knew Marie¡¯s temper too well. But somehow, they had gotten married. And Dan¡­ the way he reacted, there was no way that man had truly lost his memory. If he really had amnesia, would he be this furious over it? Abraham turned to face her, wrapping one arm around her slim waist. ¡°So? Did she win the argument?¡± Win? Judging from how red Marie¡¯s face was when she stormed upstairs, it was hard to say for sure¨Cbut she had gone up to continue yelling. ¡°She called Dan a scumbag, pretentious, and two¨Cfaced.¡± Abraham paused for a moment¨Cthen chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite a collection.¡± Ste: ¡°You should¡¯ve seen Dan. He was speechless.¡± ¡°You saw him?¡± ¡°Heard him! He couldn¡¯t even form words. Totally wrecked.¡± That¡¯s her sister, alright. A natural¨Cborn queen of verbal beatdowns. Left the man with no room to respond. Talking about how Dan was crushed over the phone, Ste¡¯s eyes sparkled with delight. Abraham¡¯s lips curled in a smile. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in this world who can push her around.¡± ¡°Oh please. You¡¯re telling me you weren¡¯t worried earlier?¡± ??????? N Chapter 550 The Art of Insults If he wasn¡¯t, why¡¯d he rush to the hospital? 70% D X ¨C Finished Abraham sighed. ¡°I was worried¨Cuntil now.¡± He¡¯d been concerned because it was Dan. He figured Marie might not be able to take it emotionally. But now, after hearing how Marie tore into Dan over the phone, that concern had vanished. Just then, Abel entered the room. Two professionally dressed women followed closely behind him, both carrying their arms full of elegant gowns. The moment Abel saw Ste draped over Abraham, he instinctively turned back around. ¡°Abraham.¡± Ste sat up straight, peeking over Abraham¡¯s shoulder at Abel. The women behind him were clearly here for a reason. Abraham nced back, then said to Ste, ¡°Go call her down. She needs to try on dresses too.¡± ¡°Huh? For what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an important birthday banquet. You and Marie both need to be there.¡± Ste groaned, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± The Beautiful 251 Austin had long been aware of the Bet family¡¯s foolishness and cruelty, but he knew that when it came to Charles, Emily wouldn¡¯t easily refuse. So, just to be safe, he had to go straight to Charles and get the truth from him, just to make sure Lucas wasn¡¯t making things
    Lucas¡¯s face went rigid as he red furiously at Austin. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are you seriously using me of lying?¡± ¡°Grandpa Charles.¡± Emily cut him off, already dialing the number. She confirmed everything with Charles without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Lucas¡¯s hand was still frozen mid-air, pointing at Austin, his face a picture of utter disbelief. ¡®Emily doesn¡¯t trust me at all, not even for a second,¡¯ Lucas thought, stunned. Emily didn¡¯t say anything else to Charles. She just called to make sure they were having dinner at the Bet residence, chatted for a moment, and then hung up. Since she had Charles¡¯s word for it, Emily had no choice but to go back to the Bet residence with Lucas. But before she got in the car, Austin checked Emily¡¯s phone battery right in front of Lucas, set himself as her emergency contact, turned the ringer all the way up, and told her, ¡°No matter what happens, Emily, you call me first. Don¡¯t hesitate.¡± That kind of obvious caution and warning was as good as smacking Lucas right in the face. Austin caught the way Lucas¡¯s face was turning green, so he deliberately added, ¡°Don¡¯t even try to deny it. ¡°I¡¯m just worried you are setting up some kind of ambush for Emily tonight. Something that¡¯ll hurt her. It¡¯s not like this is the first time you guys have pulled something brainless. ¡°If you had even a shred ofmon sense, you¡¯d notice Emily¡¯s never once been happy at the Bet residence. She¡¯s miserable there, but you keep forcing her to go back. If that¡¯s not brainless, what is?¡± Emily, who¡¯d been sulking about having to go back to the Bet residence, couldn¡¯t help but let a small smile slip. In that instant, it was like all her bad vibes just vanished. Lucas, on the other hand, looked pissed. He opened his mouth a few times, wanting to snap back, but just couldn¡¯t get a single word out. In the end, all he could do was let out a cold snort, stomp on the gas, and shoot off like an arrow from a bow. The car sped past Austin, the gust of wind pping against him. If he¡¯d weighed any less, it might¡¯ve knocked him right over. But Austin just stood there, steady as ever, barely even flinching. He only frowned as he watched the car disappear down the road. ¡®Why is he driving like a maniac?¡¯ Austin thought, frowning. ¡®If he wants to get himself killed, that¡¯s his problem, but he better not drag Emily down with him! Lucas was already driving a sports car, and with his anger boiling over, he kept flooring the gas, racing through the city streets. It was a habit of his. Whenever he was in a bad mood, only speeding at full throttle could let him vent his emotions. He even forgot all about taking Emily home for dinner, just heading straight for the less crowded streets, his speed climbing 4:06 pm higher and higher. It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d finally burned off all his anger that he suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing. Lucas¡¯s face darkened a bit as he snapped his head toward Emily in the passenger seat. He saw Emily gripping the armrest so hard that her knuckles were white, her whole body tense, and her face pale, but she just clenched her jaw and didn¡¯t utter a single word. 439 In that instant, he remembered the day he picked Emily up from St. Gabriel Reform Academy. Back then, she was just like that, face pale, clutching the passenger seat¡¯s armrest, her whole body radiating fear, but not making a sound. The Beautiful 252 She never used to be like that. She¡¯d always scream when she was scared, and cry when she was hurt. She was never the type to bottle things up. ¡®Since when did she turn into someone I barely recognize?¡¯ Lucas wondered. The sharp sound of brakes cut through the air as Lucas mmed the car to a stop on the side of the road. Fortunately, Emily had braced herself just in time, steadying her body and narrowly avoiding smacking her head. But the stic charm hanging from the rearview mirror swung forward with the force of the stop and smacked Emily right in the ear. The charm looked small and cute, but it wasn¡¯t exactly high-quality. There were even rough edges around it. One of those jagged edges struck Emily¡¯s ear, leaving a thin line of blood behind. Lucas¡¯s expression shifted slightly when he saw it. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that. Are you¡­ Are you okay?¡± Emily didn¡¯t say a word. She just nced up at the charm still swinging from the mirror. Lucas had always insisted on having the best of everything. A cheap little trinket like that was obvious who it came from. Sure enough, Lucas quickly exined, ¡°This is a gift from Lydia. If it hurt you, I apologize.¡± He looked so defensive, like he was afraid Emily might just throw the charm away. Emily forced a smirk. ¡°So, Mr. Bet, it¡¯s not that you hate getting gifts from people. You just prefer these cheap stic trinkets you can pick up for a couple bucks at a street stall, right?¡± After the Bet family cut off her allowance, she secretly sold her favorite set of jewelry and even borrowed money from a friend, just to have a custom set of cor clips and cufflinks made for Lucas¡¯s birthday. But when Lucas got the gift, he just sneered at her in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t like getting gifts from others, especially from someone with such a nasty heart as you. I think it¡¯s dirty.¡± Then, right in front of Emily, he tossed her gift straight into the trash and turned around, beaming to ept Lydia¡¯s present. After that, he didn¡¯t even give Emily a chance to pay her friend back before he dragged her off to St. Gabriel Reform Academy. Lucas¡¯s face went a little pale as he was clearly reminded of that incident. Back then, he had no idea that Emily had sold her own belongings just to have that custom gift made for him. He thought she was using the Bet family¡¯s money to curry favor, and that she¡¯d given it to him in front of everyone just to show off andpete with Lydia for the position of the Bet family¡¯s heiress. It wasn¡¯t until yearster that Lucas finally realized just how cruel and unfair he¡¯d been. He wanted to say something to make it right, but Emily had already turned her head toward the window, loosening her tied-up hair to let it fall. Lucas¡¯s words got stuck in his throat. After a long silence, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Then he restarted the car. Emily stared out the window at the scenery rushing by, her lips tightening as she tried to hold back her emotions. ¡®Compensation? What a disgusting word, she thought. Lucas drove a lot slower than before. By the time they got back to the Bet residence, Emily had gotten herself back together, and her face wasn¡¯t so pale anymore after that scare. The moment the car stopped, she jumped out, like she couldn¡¯t stand being in the same space as Lucas for another second. But what Emily didn¡¯t expect was that as soon as she reached the Bet residence¡¯s front door, she spotted someonepletely out of ce. It was Xavier. 4:10 pm DDD Why is he here at a Bet family dinner?¡¯ Emily thought. Xavier spotted her, too, and with that gentle smile of his, he walked over and greeted her, ¡°Emily, it¡¯s been a while.¡± +38 That fake, disgustingly intimate tone and that sickeningly sweet nickname, Emily felt like she had a cockroach crawling up her arm. I have that video Jackson left me. Shouldn¡¯t Xavier be terrified of me?¡¯ Emily wondered. The Beautiful 253 Xavier seemed to ignore the suspicion and wariness in Emily¡¯s eyes, grinning as he walked up. ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Emily frowned. ¡°Xavier, what are you up to?¡± Her tone was guarded, with a clear warning hidden beneath it. Xavier caught that, but he didn¡¯t look the least bit worried. He just shrugged. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s got nothing to do with me. I was invited here, too.¡± He looked all innocent on the surface, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. Seeing that Lucas still hadn¡¯t arrived, Xavier leaned closer to Emily and whispered, ¡°Since we go way back, I¡¯ll give you a heads-up. ¡°To Grandpa Charles, today is an important day. He¡¯s here to discuss a major happy event. So, even if he¡¯s not feeling well, he insisted on showing up.¡± He used Charles as a veiled threat. 38) Emily shot him a sharp look. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to help the Bet family, I¡¯m not afraid to burn it all down.¡± She could y that game, too. As expected, Xavier¡¯s face darkened. He shot Emily a fierce re, and there was a clear hint of wariness in his eyes. ¡°It has nothing to do with me today. Even if I wasn¡¯t the one here, someone else would be in my ce. You should be d it¡¯s me. Otherwise, you¡¯d have one more enemy at the dinner table,¡± Xavier said. He never warned Emily about what was happening, but he made it clear he wouldn¡¯t interfere. He was just there for the drama. Emily was starting to put the pieces together. To everyone else, the only connection between her and Xavier was that he had once pursued her. The Bet family had gone to such lengths to bring her back, and Charles was taking it so seriously. There was only one possibility. Thinking of that, Emily dug her nails hard into her palm, barely holding back the urge to turn around and leave. They knew Charles couldn¡¯t handle any stress, and yet they were deliberately pushing her. Emily took several deep breaths, forcing down her anger before she finally managed to step inside. The living room was quiet and still. Charles sat right in the center, cane in hand, his face nk and his eyes closed, looking like he was just resting his eyes. On one side sat Gale and Emma, on the other were Andrew and Lydia. The four of them kept exchanging nces, but no one said a word. Even the servants stood in the farthest corner with their heads down, and the whole room was silent. It wasn¡¯t until the sound of the door opening broke the silence that everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the entrance. Even Charles, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them. When he saw Emily, his face broke into a smile. He even pushed himself up with his cane. ¡°Emily¡¯s back.¡± Gale reached out to steady him, but Charles shook him off and instead grabbed Emily¡¯s hand as she rushed over. He looked at her with all the warmth in the world. ¡°Feels like ages since Ist saw you. You¡¯ve gotten even more beautiful, Emily.¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry at the same time. ¡°Grandpa, I just saw you at the hospital two days ago, I¡¯d gotten chubbier.¡± and you said 4:10 pm ¡°You were way too skinny when you were abroad. Now that you¡¯ve finally filled out a bit, of course, you look so much healthier,¡± Charles said with a smile. +38 The two of them joked andughed together. The mood was so warm and loving as if they¡¯d forgotten anyone else was even there. Just then, as Lucas stepped through the door, he looked up and was caught off guard by the easy, genuine smile on Emily¡¯s face. On the way back, it had just been the two of them, but Emily hadn¡¯t even looked him in the eye, let alone smiled at him like this. She treated him worse than a random stranger on the street. The thought was like a pair of hands squeezing his heart, making every breath ache. The rest of them, who¡¯d beenpletely ignored, didn¡¯t look too pleased. They all shot Emily dirty looks. The Beautiful 254 Just a moment ago, they¡¯d tried everything to get Charles to talk, but he didn¡¯t say a single word to any of them. When Emily was here, he turned into a total chatterbox, going on and on without stopping. ¡®Seriously, how could anyone be this much of a double-standard grandpa?¡¯ they all thought. Emily couldn¡¯t care less about the res around her. She just kept chatting away with Charles, as if no one else even existed. Only then did she realize what this so-called ¡°family dinner¡± was about. It was actually the big day Xavier was supposed to show up as Emily¡¯s future husband and meet her parents. What a joke!¡¯ Emily scoffed inwardly. She clenched her hand so tightly her nails dug into her palm, forcing herself not to let any trace of anger or disappointment show on her face. But Charles still caught the hint of tension on her face and asked, puzzled, ¡°Emily, what¡¯s up?¡± He couldn¡¯t help feeling his heart sink. When he found out Emily had a boyfriend, he did feel a pang of loss, like his precious little girl was being taken away. But more than anything, he was genuinely happy for her. He knew his own health was failing, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay by Emily¡¯s side much longer. As for the Bet family, hose brainless fools had stopped being any real support for her a long time ago. If Emily could find someone truly trustworthy, someone without messy ties or drama, then he could leave this world with no regrets. So, before agreeing toe back to the Bet residence for dinner, he¡¯d made sure to thoroughly look into Xavier¡¯s background. Xavier was an only child, gentle and easygoing. There was nothing particrly remarkable about him, but he was decent, humble, and had no drama in his life. If Emily married him, and with the inheritance he would leave her, she¡¯d be set for life, no worries about money or anything else. But all of this was only possible if Emily agreed on her own free will. What he¡¯d found out was that Emily and Xavier had genuinely liked each other before. The reason they broke up was that Sofia thought Emily wasn¡¯t worthy of her son anymore, since she was no longer the Bet family¡¯s heiress. This was an easy problem to solve. As long as he transferred all his assets to Emily¡¯s name, she¡¯d end up with far more than just the title of the Bet family¡¯s heiress. But at that moment, seeing the look on Emily¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but worry that something had gone wrong. He¡¯d been out of the game for years, and his influence wasn¡¯t what it used to be. If people were deliberately keeping things from him, there was always a chance he¡¯d gotten something wrong. Seeing the sudden change in Charles¡¯s expression, Emily quickly reassured him, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Grandpa. I¡¯m just hungry. When are we eating?¡± She wanted to just throw herself into Charles¡¯s arms like when she was a kid, act all cute, and cry about how unfair everything was. But she knew how much he¡¯d been worrying about her future ever since Bob passed away. That was why he let the Bet family talk him into leaving the hospital so easily. 38 If he ever found out they were messing with her love life, using him as leverage to force her to go along with their ns, he¡¯d be absolutely furious. She didn¡¯t want to see that happen. So, she had no choice but to go along with the Bet family and see this charade through. But as for how this show would end, it was up to her. As she helped Charles toward the dining table, Emily nced back at Lydia, just in time to catch the smug look on her face before she could hide it. She knew it was definitely Lydia¡¯s scheme. ¡®Why can¡¯t she ever just let me go?¡¯ Emily thought bitterly. Emily¡¯s movement was so subtle that even Charles, standing right next to her, didn¡¯t notice. But someone else did. Lucas followed her gaze. And as luck would have it, he also caught the smug look on Lydia¡¯s face before she could hide it. The Beautiful 255 Lucas never saw that look on Lydia¡¯s face before. It was overbearing, arrogant, and full of pride, just like a schemer who had pulled off a trick and couldn¡¯t help but secretly gloat. ¡®How could this expression possibly appear on Lydia?¡¯ Lucas thought. ¡®No, no way. I must have been mistaken. Lydia was the kindest person he had ever met. She always wore a friendly smile for everyone. She had even saved his life once. Back then, everyone thought he was done for, but Lydia was the only one who insisted on finding him. She carried him all the way back by herself, her hands rubbed raw, and nearly got herself into trouble because of it. ¡®How could someone as good as Lydia ever make a face like that?¡¯ Lucas thought, still unable to believe it. Lucas shook his head and blinked, then looked at Lydia. She was walking arm in arm with Emma toward the dining table, her face glowing with warmth and a gentle smile. There was no sign at all of that smug look from earlier. Lucas let out a sigh of relief. ¡®See? I was just seeing things,¡¯ he thought. Maybe to make up for the guilt of his earlier misunderstanding, Lucas was attentive to Lydia at the dinner table. Lydia had no idea what had gotten into him, but it didn¡¯t stop her from feeling pleased. She nced over at Emily¡¯s empty te. With a raise of her eyebrows and a tone of smugness, Lydia said, ¡°Lucas, don¡¯t just keep serving me. Emily¡¯s been staring at my te. Why don¡¯t you give her some, too?¡± Lucas nced over at,Emily and noticed that her bowl had nothing but vegetables. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t you use to hate eating vegetables?¡± Emily shrugged and said, ¡°My tastes have changed.¡± Lucas didn¡¯t like her attitude at all. It was as if the whole world owed her something. Andrew cut in, ¡°The food overseas is pretty nd. It¡¯s normal for her tastes to change. Just take care of Lydia. Emily¡¯s old enough. If she wants something, she knows how to use her fork.¡± Andrew¡¯s words sounded like a reminder. Lucas nced at Charles, who was sitting there, and swallowed whatever he was about to say. Emily ignored the silent exchange between the two brothers. She put some vegetables on Charles¡¯s te. ¡°Charles, the doctor said you need to eat more greens. You can¡¯t be a picky eater.¡± Her dislike for vegetables was just like Charles¡¯s. But her tastes had changed, while Charles still liked toe up with all sorts of tricks to avoid eating his greens, just like always. Sure enough, as soon as he saw the pile of green veggies in his bowl, Charles looked so wronged. ¡°I ate a huge te of vegetables this morning. I¡¯ve already had my quota for the day.¡± Emily, unfazed, put another piece on his te. ¡°You ate yesterday¡¯s veggies this morning. I already asked the hospital staff, so don¡¯t even think about trying to weasel out of it.¡± Charles thought, ¡®Which little tattletale ratted me out?¡¯ Charles and Emily shared their usual warm moments together, as if the rest of the Bet family didn¡¯t even exist. Emily had been ignoring the Bet family from the moment she walked in, simply out of sheer annoyance. Charles, on the other hand, was doing it deliberately. After all, they¡¯d lived under the same roof for so many years. But ever since Emily arrived, none of them had taken the initiative to greet her. They were going on about how Emily could just help herself if she wanted something. But Lydia, same age as Emily, was getting all that special treatment, like she was some kind of helpless princess. The Beautiful 256 The way Charles and Emily just did their own thing, acting like nobody else at the table even existed, made the Bet Family feel unsettled. Especially Andrew, Lucas, and Lydia, they felt like they¡¯d just put on a one-man show. The only one who looked unfazed was Xavier, who was here for the show, watching the family drama unfold with a smirk. ¡®Man, the Bet family¡¯s drama is even juicier than anything that ever happened in my family, Xavier thought, thoroughly entertained. In the harmonious atmosphere between Charles and Emily, Lydia cut in, ¡°Emily, I remember you used to love seafood. Mom asked the maid to make this just for you. Give it a try!¡± Lydia ced a piece of seafood onto Emily¡¯s te. Emily used to love seafood, but Lydia had noticed that ever since they sat down, she hadn¡¯t touched any of it. In fact, whenever Emily¡¯s gaze happened to fall on the seafood, her eyes were full of obvious disgust and aversion. Lydia didn¡¯t care why Emily¡¯s tastes had changed. All she knew was that Emily hated it, so she made a point of adding severa more pieces of seafood to her te. Emily¡¯s face, which had been smiling and chatting with Charles, immediately darkened. She gripped her fork tightly, her face growing paler by the second. Emily had loved seafood once, but things changed, and just the smell of it made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. In Emily¡¯s memory, there was a man with a ck smiling mask who seemed to have just eaten seafood, and the stench of it clung to him as he walked toward her, like he was dragging her to hell. She would never forget that smell. Emily¡¯s hand holding the fork trembled. She pushed her te a bit farther away, taking a deep breath to finally suppress the urge to throw up. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t like seafood,¡± she said. Lydia spoke up, sounding aggrieved. ¡°Emily, do you dislike me? I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you disliked me this much¡­¡± Her eyes suddenly turned red with tears. ¡°Lucas, why don¡¯t you serve Emily instead? I¡¯m fine. I promise I won¡¯tpete with her for the food.¡± Lucas kept his eyes on Emily, and it was obvious to him that her disgust and nausea toward the seafood were real. Seeing that, he felt a weird heaviness in his chest, and he didn¡¯t even catch what Lydia was saying. Lucas heard Lydia call his name and replied without thinking, ¡°Huh? Oh, okay.¡± Lydia¡¯s face went stiff, and she almost bit her own tongue in shock. ¡®Is this idiot brain-dead or what? Has hepletely lost it? she thought. She clenched her jaw, swallowing her anger, but tears started streaming down her face. Emma immediately pulled Lydia into her arms, her heart aching for her daughter. She smacked Lucas on the back of the head. ¡°You brat! Lydia¡¯s your sister. How could you treat her like that?¡± Lucas was at a total loss. ¡®What did I do?¡¯ he wondered, baffled. Andrew shot Lucas a frosty re. Then he turned to Emily, frowning. ¡°Emily, it¡¯s not easy for our whole family to get together like this. Don¡¯t make a scene. Apologize to Lydia.¡± Emily¡¯s face was still a bit pale from holding back her nausea, but honestly, scenes like that didn¡¯t even surprise her anymore. inwardly. ? Emily looked unfazed, but Charles lost his patience. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± he barked, then flung his fork onto the table, smashing a te. The food from the te went flying, and Gale, Emma, Andrew, and Lucas all rushed to shield Lydia without a second thought,pletely ignoring Emily on the other side of the table. But in reality, the food had made it past the edge of the te. They were overreacting for nothing. Charles¡¯s face turned stormy at that. The Beautiful 257 Charles said angrily, ¡°You dare to bully Emily right in front of me? Who knows what you¡¯ve done to her behind my back! ¡°The Bet family is in business. If you love putting on a show, why don¡¯t you set up a stage out on the street? I¡¯m sure people would love to watch your performance.¡± Charles looked at everyone and finally fixed his gaze on Lydia. It was the first time Charles had ever called Lydia out in front of everyone. He¡¯d never liked her, but she was still part of the Bet family by blood and always had the others backing her up. As an elder, Charles couldn¡¯t just hold a grudge against his granddaughter. But at that moment, he was at his limit. Lydia never expected Charles to explode and insult her so harshly. Her face was full of fear and grievance, but she didn¡¯t dare talk back to Charles. Instead, she buried her face in Lucas¡¯s chest, sobbing silently. Even Gale obediently put his hands under the table and kept his head down, not daring to say a word. But Lucas was always impulsive, and standing up for Lydia was his instinct. Before he even realized it, he blurted out, ¡°Grandpa Charles, Lydia isn¡¯t like that. You¡¯re misunderstanding her. ¡°She¡¯s soft and gentle, but her heart is pure. If she wasn¡¯t, she never would¡¯ve risked her life to save me back then.¡± Back then, during apetition in Lightning Valley, he¡¯d identally fallen off a cliff. Everyone thought he was dead. His parents had even picked out a cemetery plot for him. But Lydia never gave up. She searched day and night, and when she finally found him, she carried him all the way back on her own, saving his life. Just for that alone, Lucas knew he¡¯d always stand firmly by Lydia¡¯s side, no matter what. Charles knew about what happened in Lightning Valley, too, but he saw thingspletely differently from Lucas. He said, ¡°The search and rescue team spent days and nights looking for you and still came up empty-handed, but the moment she went, she just so happened to find you? ¡°She managed to haul you all the way back, yet her clothes were spotless, her hair was neat, and the only thing wrong was a tiny scratch on her hand. Have you ever used that thick skull of yours to actually think about it?¡± Lucas¡¯s hand, which was patting Lydia¡¯s back, froze. Back then, after he¡¯d been swept off the cliff, hended in a river. He managed to crawl out, but then got lost. He was unable to find his way out until he copsed from exhaustion. When he woke up, he was in the hospital. Everyone told him Lydia had saved him, and he saw for himself that her arm was all bandaged up. Other than that, Lydia didn¡¯t have any other injuries. After he found out that Emily had actually gone on a trip while he was missing, he was just filled with resentment toward her and never thought about anything else. Lydia felt Lucas¡¯s hand freeze, and her face twisted in a grimace of fury and frustration. ¡°That stubborn old fossil! Why won¡¯t he just drop dead already?¡¯ Lydia fumed inwardly. If only I¡¯d been more ruthless two years ago and finished him off for good! Charles shot Lucas a look full of disappointment and anger. His face, once red with fury, was pale as he breathed heavily. Emily patted his chest to help him calm down. ¡°Grandpa Charles, don¡¯t be upset. I didn¡¯t take anything they said to heart, and you shouldn¡¯t either. Just ignore them, okay?¡± Worried the Bet family would say something even more stupid and piss off Charles again, Emily hurried him upstairs, ending the awkward and ridiculous family dinner early. Charles¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good enough for him to just leave the hospital randomly, but for Emily, he was absolutely determined to be back home. The doctors had no choice but to get everything ready for him before letting him leave. The Beautiful 258 Emily sorted through the pile of medicine, found the ones Charles needed, and helped him take them. Then she hooked him up to all sorts of monitors. Watching her rushing around, Charles was sorry for her. ¡°Emily, it¡¯s me who let you down¡­¡± Emily froze. She knew what he meant. He med himself for not protecting her better. Emily turned around, gave him a smile, and crouched down next to him. ¡°Grandpa Charles, anyone in the world might let me down, but you never would.¡± Back then, because of Lydia, she experienced her family and friends¡¯ betrayal, leaving her in pain and disappointment. But it was Charles¡¯s love that kept her from falling into despair. During those two years at St. Gabriel Reform Academy, what kept her alive wasn¡¯t just the need to ask the Bet family why they treated her that way. It was her attachment to Charles that gave her the strength to hold on. She knew that during those two years, Charles must have been searching everywhere for her, worrying and hurting. That was why she had toe back. She had to see him again. Charles¡¯s eyes grew misty as he patted her hand. ¡°Emily, be honest with me. What¡¯s going on between you and Xavier?¡± He wasn¡¯t clueless. Earlier, when Emma had sworn up and down that Xavier and Emily were dating, he¡¯d looked into it himself and did see some signs, so he believed her. But Charles found that during the dinner, Emily didn¡¯t exchange a single word with Xavier, and there wasn¡¯t even a trace of romance between them. He wasn¡¯t so old that he couldn¡¯t see what was right in front of him. Emily knew Charles had seen through everything. She never meant to put on an act with Xavier just to trick Charles. But there were some things she just couldn¡¯t exin clearly to him, no matter how hard she tried. So, she told a little white lie. ¡°Grandpa Charles, we already broke up. I just wasn¡¯t happy with him.¡± She knew better than anyone that what Charles cared about most was her happiness. As long as she said that, he would never force her to do anything she didn¡¯t want. Sure enough, Charles patted the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. If he doesn¡¯t make you happy, just stay away from him. The only thing I want is for you to be happy, always.¡± After mentally crossing Xavier off his list, Charles started scanning through all the promising bachelors in Cloudridge. He just wanted to see Emily find someone she could rely on before his time was up. Charles asked, ¡°Emily, is there anyone who truly makes you happy when you¡¯re with them?¡± Without even realizing it, Emily found herself picturing Austin¡¯s face, his sweet dimples lighting up his smile. Emily asked herself, ¡®Happy? Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Ever since I first set foot in St. Gabriel Reform Academy, I¡¯ve forgotten what happiness even feels like! But whenever she was with Austin, she felt rxed. Sometimes, when memories of St. Gabriel Reform Academy surfaced, she almost believed it had all just been a bad dream. Charles saw the way her expression changed and knew she had someone in mind. ¡®Who else is there around Emily?¡¯ he wondered to himself. In that instant, Charles thought of Austin, the young man who had been apanying Emily to the hospital every time she came to visit him. He had to admit, Austin was his type. Out of all the young men he¡¯d ever met, Austin was the one he had the highest hopes for. But whether it was Austin¡¯s background or the way he handled things, everything about him was just tooplicated. He just wasn¡¯t a good match for someone as simple and straightforward as Emily. Charles realized that Emily was happy whenever she was with Austin, and that kid was good to her. Austin was a sharp one, more capable than Andrew, just always keeping it under wraps. If Emily ever got pushed around by the Bet family again, maybe he could keep her safe. Charles found himself getting lost in his own thoughts, and before he knew it, he¡¯d already talked himself into it. The Beautiful 259 Emily had no idea that Charles was lost in so many thoughts. She held his hand. ¡°Grandpa Charles, you don¡¯t have to worry so much. I¡¯m not in a rush to get married. If I fell in love, you¡¯ll be the very first to know.¡± Charles knew she was only trying tofort him, and he also realized he shouldn¡¯t pressure her about that, so he simply let out a gentle sigh. He reached out his wrinkled, aged hand and patted Emily¡¯s head. ¡°My dear Emily, what would you do without me?¡± Charles, who spent most of his life as a force, looked like a helpless old man. He was terrified that there would be no one left to back Emily up. He wanted to do something, not knowing what else he could do. Emily nuzzled his palm, her eyes full of admiration and reliance. ¡°Then you have to live a little longer and keep mepany, Grandpa Charles. Otherwise, if someone bullies me, there won¡¯t be anyone to stand up for me.¡± Charles wished he could live longer, too. He wanted to see Emily get married and have kids, to watch her live a happy life, but he knew his body just wouldn¡¯tst that long. Charles couldn¡¯t let Emily be trampled and humiliated by the Bet family after he was gone. He had to n a way out for her. A sharp glint shed in his eyes. Emily didn¡¯t notice. Afterforting Charles, she helped him drift off to sleep. What neither of them realized was that while they were sharing those heartfelt words, someone was lurking behind the half- open door, phone in hand, snapping photos and recording videos nonstop. When Lydia saw Emily helping Charles upstairs alone, she sensed there was something worth her while, so she trailed after hem. She never expected that what she¡¯d get would be way beyond her wildest hopes. Lydia, what are you doing?¡± Lucas¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Lydia so much she nearly dropped her phone. Lydia locked her phone, quickly hiding it behind her back. She looked at Lucas, who was staring at her in confusion. ¡°I just wanted to help out, but Grandpa Charles was already asleep, so I thought I¡¯d better not bother him.¡± Lucas didn¡¯t suspect anything. Lydia was always soft-hearted. She¡¯d just said she wanted to apologize to Emily. Lucas had only followed her because he was worried. But Lucas saw that Lydia was using her phone to take pictures. He felt something was off, but before he could say anything, the door opened from inside the room. Emily looked at the two of them, expressionless, then quietly closed the door. She turned to Lydia and said coldly, ¡°Grandpa Charles will be staying at the Bet residence for the next few days. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Charles wasn¡¯t well enough to be on the go, and he also wanted to back up Emily in front of the Bet family. So, no matter how much Emily objected, he was determined to stay. This was the second time Emily had given Lydia that warning look and tone. The first time was on Charles¡¯ birthday, when he found out about Bob¡¯s ident and was rushed to the hospital because of a heart attack. Lydia remembered when Emilyid hands on her that time. Her face darkened, and she almost ground her teeth to pieces. ¡®Since Emily cares so much about that old fossil Charles, what if one day she ends up causing his death herself? Wouldn¡¯t that just make her lose her mind?¡¯ Lydia thought. Just thinking about it sent a twisted sense of anticipation surging through Lydia, making her blood run wild. She ducked her head to hide her feelings, and as always, Lucas just took it as more proof that Emily was picking on Lydia again. He stepped in front of Lydia, his face stormy with anger. ¡°Emily, you¡­¡± But the second his eyes met Emily¡¯s, it felt like his throat was squeezed tight. He couldn¡¯t get a word out. Ever since Lucas learned that Emily hadn¡¯t spent the Bet family¡¯s money all these years, he kept reying every little memory of her. Suddenly, it all made sense why Emily always seemed to go head-to-head with Lydia. Maybe Emily wasn¡¯t fighting for anything. She was just trying to im the rights that should have been hers all along. They felt so guilty toward Lydia that they believed Emily shouldn¡¯t have anything. As if her having the same things as Lydia meant Emily was taking them away from her. At that moment, a deep wave of regret and guilt surged in Lucas¡¯s heart. He felt so guilty he couldn¡¯t even look Emily in the eye. Lydia, who had been waiting for Lucas to stand up for her, looked up after a long moment of silence. When she saw the guilt all over his face, she was so furious she nearly coughed up blood. What the hell is going on in that idiot¡¯s head now?¡¯ Lydia fumed. Lydia clenched her teeth so hard she almost thought they¡¯d break, barely stopping herself from reaching out and pping Lucas right then and there. She shot Emily a sinister re, then nced at the tightly closed door behind her. Everything was almost in ce. She was determined to make Emily and Charles pay for that. Since Charles was staying at the Bet residence, Emily stayed with him, too. After that day, Emma would bring up Xavier every now and then in front of Emily, always hinting that she wanted to match the two of them together. Emily just ignored her, pretending she was clueless about what Emma meant. Even when Emma made it crystal clear and told her to date Xavier, Emily just replied, ¡°If Mrs. Bet thinks Xavier is so wonderful. Maybe Ms. Bet should date him instead.¡± ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Emma snapped, furious. After Lydia¡¯sfort, Emma actually ran to Charles and made a scene about it. Of course, Charles chewed her out and warned everyone: if anyone dared to y matchmaker for Emily again, he wouldn¡¯t mind teaching them a lesson himself, Emma backed off, but deep down, she started to resent Emily for it. She thought, I¡¯m doing all this for Emily¡¯s own good! Why can¡¯t she understand me? ¡®I raised her for eighteen years, and she turned out to be such an ungrateful brat! She can¡¯t evenpare to Lydia¡¯ Emma was full of resentment. Every time she saw Emily, she¡¯d shoot her wounded, using look, as if to say, ¡°I¡¯m furious right now, so you bettere over and apologize to me.¡± Of course, Emily noticed, but she just acted like she didn¡¯t see a thing, not even sparing Emma a sideways nce. Emily had nned to follow the clues Bob left behind and make a trip to Cale¡¯s hometown, but Charles was worried. Left with no other option, she could only stay at the Bet residence for the time being. During that time, Austin would message Emily every single day, checking in on her and making sure the Bet family wasn¡¯t giving her a hard time. To avoid causing Emily any trouble, he never called her. But that night, just after Emily had helped Charles get to sleep, her phone lit up with a call. It was Austin. The Beautiful 260 ¡°Emily, are you still at the Bet residence?¡± Austin asked over the phone. His voice sounded rather serious through the line. Emily couldn¡¯t shake off a bad feeling and replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still here. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Austin paused for a moment before saying, ¡°You should stick close to Charles for now. Don¡¯t let him get online, and make sure he doesn¡¯t hear any rumors.¡± Hearing how serious he sounded, Emily felt her heart clench. ¡°What happened?¡± Austin knew just how much Charles meant to Emily, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to break it to her. After hesitating, he finally said, ¡°Do you remember that guy we caught taking pictures outside Charles¡¯s hospital room? He actually wasn¡¯t sent by Yvonne. The one pulling the strings behind him is someone named Cale.¡± Back then, Austin had a feeling there was something off about that man and wanted to look into him quietly. But after that day, the guy just vanished without a trace. Most of his attention had been on helping Emily deal with Jeremy and handling some other secret matters, so he hadn¡¯t focused on that guy. He didn¡¯t expect that it would cause him to fall behind. Emily had heard the name Cale before, and every single time, it was always connected to Lydia. Her voice grew cold. ¡°What has Lydia done this time?¡± Austin¡¯s voice dropped, too, carrying a chilling edge. ¡°She hired people to take a bunch of photos of you and Charles from misleading angles, and now they¡¯re spreading rumors about you online.¡± ¡°Emily!¡± A furious roar suddenly erupted from behind, cutting Austin off mid-sentence. Emily turned around and saw Gale storming in, his face dark with rage. Andrew followed close behind, his own expression just as grim. The two of them had been searching the house for her, and Gale, too angry to care about appearances, bellowed, ¡°Where¡¯s Emily? Make her get out of here right now!¡± In Emily¡¯s memory, Gale had always carried himself with a sense of authority and restraint. The only times he ever lost his cool like that were always aboutpany business. This was likely no exception. Emily ignored the two furious men. Her grip on her phone was so tight her knuckles turned white, and a sh of murderous intent appeared in her eyes. ¡®Lydia, you have a death wish, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Emily thought. Gale¡¯s voice was so loud that Austin could hear it through the phone. He shot up from the couch, his voice filled with undisguised worry. ¡°Emily, leave the house right now. I¡¯ming to get you.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Emily said, cutting him off. ¡°I can handle this myself. Don¡¯t get mixed up in this.¡± Getting mixed up in the Bet family¡¯s mess wouldn¡¯t do Austin any good. She had already faced the consequences of Gale¡¯s rage before, and the worst they could do was send her to St. Gabriel Reform Academy again. Austin could hear the determination in her voice, but he still couldn¡¯t shake off his worry. He said, ¡°Alright¡­ Emily, just stay safe. And¡­ Can you stay online with me?¡± Leaving Emily alone in the Bet residence made him uneasy. Emily¡¯s hand, hovering over the phone screen, paused. It was as if a feather had lightly tickled her heart. After a long silence, she agreed and slipped her phone into her pocket. Then she pulled back the curtains and stepped out onto the balcony. Gale¡¯s furious roar was so loud it echoed through the house. Not only did it reach a few servants who were still up, but it also brought Emma, Lucas, and Lydia, who were about to turn in for the night, down from upstairs. What Emily was most grateful for was that Charles¡¯s room was on the very top floor, with good soundproofing. Plus, thanks to his age, he didn¡¯t wake up. The moment Emily appeared, almost everyone turned their eyes to her, wondering what she¡¯d done to make Gale so angry. The wrong girl 551 Chapter 551 Scars and Settlements Ste had never been fond of parties. O X Finished Especially the kind where everyone gathered just to show off, trade shallow pleasantries, and put on fake smiles. She had no patience for that kind of social circus. Abraham gently pinched her cheek, indulgent as ever. ¡°This birthday banquet¡¯s special. You don¡¯t have to go to any others after this, okay?¡± Ste groaned, ¡°Fine.¡± Her tone couldn¡¯t be more reluctant. She slid off him and trudged upstairs to call Marie. Meanwhile, Abel approached Abraham respectfully. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°We¡¯re keeping eyes on Dan¨Cand Lance too.¡± A ¡°Mrs. Evelyn already met with Lance today. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll dare make any further moves.¡± Over the years, Lance had shown nothing but greedy ambition when it came to resources. But hecked the courage. This time, sneaking around with Dan hadnded him face¨Cto¨Cface with Marie¨Cworst¨Ccase scenario. Even if Mrs. Evelyn hadn¡¯t stepped in, he probably would¡¯ve backed down. But the warning made sure of it. It was an indirect but effective way of cutting off Dan¡¯s connections in Falvaria. Abraham hummed in acknowledgment, the depth of his eyes sharpening with understanding. ¡°Keep the heat on Dan.¡± LE Abel nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He hesitated, then added, ¡°As for Mr. Derrick¡­ looks like he ns to use Miss Marie as a way to crush the Tom family.¡± It was a quiet but pointed reminder. Then he added thoughtfully, ¡°You know how Miss Marie is¨Conce she loses her temper, she doesn¡¯t exactly have limits.¡± If Derrick wanted to go head¨Cto¨Chead with the Tom family, they were bound to retaliate¨Cand Marie would inevitably get caught in the crossfire. Mon, Aug Chapter 551 Scars and Settlements Finished Rtions between the Tom family and the Dawson family had already grown thin over the years. If Marie stirred things up further¡­ Abraham caught Abel¡¯s drift and gave a low chuckle. ¡°No limits? That¡¯s exactly what Derrick¡¯s banking on.¡± Abel: ¡°¡­¡± Well. Fair point? Abraham chuckled again, colder this time. ¡°If she had limits, Derrick wouldn¡¯t be so desperate to pull her in.¡± This so-called marriage between Derrick and Marie¨Cat its core¨Cwas a strategic partnership. Just then, Derrick walked in, catching the word ¡°desperate¡°. His face darkened instantly. Desperate? * Only people marrying for love gotbeled that way. His deal with Marie was a coboration¨Cnothing more. But in Abraham¡¯s mouth, it sounded downright pathetic. THE E Noticing Derrick from the corner of his eye, Abraham smiled faintly. ¡°Tell Marie to rein in that temper of hers. Just a little.¡± Abel blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Rein it in? He was just about to ask when he turned and spotted Derrick standing at the door, arms crossed, face like thunder. Abraham added, ¡°Can¡¯t be too helpful, you know?¡± Abel nearly choked. ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡± Yikes. Derrick¡¯s face went even darker. Noticing Abel¡¯s warning cough, Abraham turned and met Derrick¡¯s death re. That was a murderous look. But Abraham only smiled more. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Mr. Derrick?¡± Derrick was livid. With a cold snort, he strode over on his long legs and sat down across from Abraham. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little low? Stabbing me in the back like this?¡± 011 OG Chapter 551 Scars and Settlements ¡°I just don¡¯t want to make things too easy for you.¡± 70% 0 X Finished They both knew the truth about the Tom family. Derrick¡¯s father wasn¡¯t showing restraint out of affection for the Dawson family. He was afraid. If Marie got involved in the internal power struggle between Derrick and the Tom family, it would be far easier for Derrick to take back what had once belonged to his mother. Yes, Derrick was a Tom¨Cbut he held a blood feud against them. Three years ago, he¡¯d already broken ties with the family and reimed nearly everything that was rightfully his mother¡¯s. But nearly wasn¡¯t enough. Because the Tom family had only risen thanks to his mother¡¯s marriage into it¨Cduring a time of crisis, no less. And what did his father do? Ôª When Derrick was fourteen, the woman his father truly loved reappeared. While Derrick¡¯s mother was dying in childbirth, that woman¡¯s presence caused her to suffer a fatal breakdown. His mother and baby sister died together. And yet his father brought that woman and her child into the Tom family¨Cletting them enjoy everything that was supposed to belong to Derrick¡¯s mother. That betrayal had never left his heart. He didn¡¯t just want justice for his mother. He wanted the entire Tom family. And if he couldn¡¯t have it, he¡¯d burn it to the ground. ¡°Abraham, you can stab me in the back on anything else¨Cbut not this,¡± Derrick said coldly. Before Abraham could respond, Derrick continued, ¡°I know you me me for what happened between you and Ste¨Cthose three years lost.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget, she was my fianc¨¦e. I never meant to hurt her.¡± His voice grew more heated with every word. Honestly, the one thing that old bastard had ever done right¡­ was arranging Ste to be his wife. No one knew the feeling Derrick had when he first learned that someday, Ste would be his bride. The wrong girl 552 Chapter 552 No Turning Back That night, Derrick hadn¡¯t slept a wink. And for what? How was Ste¡¯s heart made, anyway? They¡¯d grown up together, and yet she somehow developed feelings for another man? Just thinking about it made Derrick furious. Abraham narrowed his eyes, coldly meeting Derrick¡¯s gaze. ¡°You think Marie alone can help you get everything back?¡± ¡°At least I don¡¯t need to rein her in,¡± Derrick gritted out. ¡°I¡¯ll let her tear the Tom family apart. Tear it apart? That was putting it mildly. Those murderers had livedfortably for far too long¨Cit was time they paid. Abraham took a sip from a nearby cup¨Cpink, obviously Ste¡¯s. Derrick huffed and turned his head away. ¡°I¡¯m letting the whole Ste thing go.¡± Abraham¡¯s voice turned deeper, more loaded. ¡°Have you ever considered why your father brought that woman into the Tom family in the first ce?¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Abraham said calmly, ¡°From what I know, your father didn¡¯t even love that woman much. Yet he still let her into the family. Why?¡± Why, indeed? At their level, ny percent of marriages were about profit and power. If that woman had no background, how could she have entered the Tom family so easily? They were obsessed with matching status and bloodlines. And yet after Derrick¡¯s mother passed, that woman was brought in without resistance.. Man Derrick¡¯s breath quickened. ¡°It¡¯s because she had tricks. She seduced that old bastard until he lost his mind.¡± ¡°You really think your father¡¯s that kind of man?¡± Derrick snapped, ¡°If not, then what are you trying to say?¡± Now he was really pissed. Anything rted to his mother¨Cthat was his bottom line. Anyone who brought it up, he would never take it X Chapter 552 No Turning Back calmly. Abraham didn¡¯t respond. He simply stared back at him. Derrick growled, ¡°Just stop talking about it, alright?¡± He didn¡¯t want to hear it. Abraham set the cup down, replying coolly, ¡°Then why is Kelly still locked up?¡± Kelly. That woman¡¯s daughter. Yet despite all the chaos over the years, Holt had never fully protected her. Honestly, Derrick had acted for years. Finished The woman who caused his mother¡¯s death¨Che¡¯d pretended like nothing had happened. He was even decent to Kelly, his supposed sister. He¡¯d endured. Hidden. Waited. No one really knew what happened three years ago to finally push him over the edge. But ever since, he¡¯d openly turned on the Tom family. Derrick¡¯s gaze turned steely. He had no intention of discussing any of it. ¡°This matter¨CMarie alone is enough. Stay out of it,¡± he said tly. Abraham adjusted the cuff of his shirt without replying. Whether he¡¯d stay out of it or not¨Che couldn¡¯t say for sure. Derrick had exined what happened three years ago. He wasn¡¯t trying to hurt Ste. And as for the things the Tom family had done¡­ Just thinking about Holt made something dangerous flicker in Abraham¡¯s eyes. He looked at Derrick coldly. ¡°I want the mining rights to the Pagena site.¡± Derrick froze. ¡°!!¡± Pagena¡¯s mine? That was Holt¡¯s lifeline! Abraham was practically going for the throat. Derrick¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°You-¡± Abraham cut him off, calm as ever. ¡°Just that one site. The rest is yours to deal with. Fair?¡± Chapter 552 No Turning Back 0 X Finished The Tom family had more than enough resources, Before Derrick could respond, Abraham added, ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not part of the Tom family anymore. Right?¡± That not part of the Tom family hit a nerve. Their eyes locked, tension thick in the air. Eventually, Derrick nodded. ¡°Fine. Let Marie go all in.¡± Marie was just stepping downstairs when she heard that line¨Cand missed a step in shock. If she hadn¡¯t grabbed the railing in time, she would¡¯ve fallen t on her face. Let her go all in? Derrick, you bastard. So that was the n? Send her charging into the Tom family to start a war? Ste had nned toe down with Marie, but just after calling her, her phone rang. Though it was an unfamiliar number, it was from within Falvaria, so she picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± The moment the line connected, Jonathan¡¯s voice came through¨Curgent and guilt¨Cridden. ¡°Ste, it¡¯s me.¡± # E# Ste¡¯s expression darkened immediately. She was about to hang up. # # # But Jonathan seemed to know her intention and quickly pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. Please, Ste. Don¡¯t hang up. I¡¯m begging you.¡± L P Even through the phone, Ste could sense it¨CJonathan sounded like his spine had turned to jelly. 724 Especially that desperate ¡°please¡°-it shattered all her memories of him looking down his nose at her. Send Gifts 4.4K ??:????????????????????? ??? WP¡é¡éw\ W? The wrong girl 553 Chapter 553 Too Little, Too Late Turns out, when a man is pushed to the edge, his pride can shatter too. But Ste knew better¨Cthis copse, this softness? It was just an act. Because the moment he realized begging didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d show his true face again. She narrowed her eyes, voice dripping with mockery. ¡°Begging me?¡± ¨C ¡°How rare. I never thought I¡¯d see the day someone from the Reed family actually begged.¡± What were the Reeds like in Rivermount? Arrogant. Dismissive. Looking down their noses at everyone. But now Jonathan was reduced to the word please, crawling with humiliation. Ste let the coldughter linger. It was intentional. D X Finished Once upon a time, they had trampled her beneath their feet¨Cso now she would grind that same weight into their backs. Let them taste it. Let them choke on it. O Jonathan exhaled shakily. ¡°We know the whole truth now. I¡¯ve already kicked Lilian out of the Reed family -for you. To avenge you.¡± Ste let out a cold, dryugh. ¡°For me? That¡¯s rich.¡± Now they made it sound like everything was for her. As if she didn¡¯t know exactly who they were. ¡°You always knew the truth, didn¡¯t you?¡± Before he could respond, she cut in, voice colder than ice And just like that, the line went silent¨Conly Jonathan¡¯s strained breathing remained. R k Yes. Ste believed they had known all along. The If they really thought Lilian had done nothing, why did they rush to send her away back then? The truth was, deep down, they had always known. The Jonathan had nothing to say. Wrig Ste went on, voice slicing through the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourselves. You¡¯re not avenging me¨Cyou¡¯re cleaning up your own mess.¡± Pretending it was for her. Chapter 553 Too Little, Too Late 0 X Finished Please. Did they think she was someone who could be moved by empty gestures? She never had been¨Cand especially not when it came to people who meant nothing to her. Jonathan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Ste, you- She cut him off again: ¡°What? Afraid I¡¯ll bring up the part where her aunt gave your father a pair of twins?¡± ¡°Juicy, isn¡¯t it?¡± sheughed, bitter and amused. Outside the prison, Jonathan stood like a ghost¨Cslumped, empty. He¡¯d just seen Susan. Her sentencing had been swift: attempted murder. A long sentence. No legal trick or favor had worked. And now, Ste¡¯s gleefulughter echoed through the line, twisting the knife in deeper. Jonathan¡¯s hands clenched into fists. ¡°That woman destroyed your family too!¡± ¡°Oh? My family?¡± Ste¡¯s voice went sharp. ¡°You don¡¯t remember what you said the first time we met, do you?¡± Jonathan¡¯s face froze. What had he said? That day, Lilian had cried her eyes out, iming she was afraid Ste would be upset about her ¡°taking her ce.¡± Said she wanted to leave. So Jonathan, filled with guilt and sympathy, had gone straight to Ste and told her: ¡°Even if you¡¯re the Reed family¡¯s real daughter, Lilian grew up here. She¡¯ll always be one of us.¡± ¡°If you behave yourself, you¡¯ll get everything that¡¯s due to a Reed daughter. But if you stir trouble and try to fight her, just remember¨Cshe¡¯s closer to all of us than you are.¡± He hadn¡¯t said it outright, but the meaning was clear enough: pushes to shove, you are the outsider. Ste: ¡°Remember now?¡± Jonathan didn¡¯t reply. He was too stunned, too ashamed. But more than anything, he was angry. Angry that she dared to talk to him this way. He gritted his teeth, eyes shut tight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I hurt you¨CI know that. But please, don¡¯t make Mom pay the price.¡± Apology after apology poured down the line like heavy blows. THE Chapter 553 Too Little, Too Late But Ste onlyughed colder. ¡°Too bad. Your apologies mean nothing to me.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not the one punishing her¨Cthew is.¡± She added calmly, ¡°I can¡¯t help you.¡± 70% ? X Finished ¡°Ste-!¡± Jonathan¡¯s breath hitched¨Che was unraveling. She knew exactly why he was calling. This wasn¡¯t just about guilt. He wanted her to help get his mother out. He¡¯d gone to Patrick. But who would¡¯ve thought¨Ceven his own father had cut him offpletely. Patrick had shifted all his attention to others now, left him in the cold. And now Ste¡¯s icy tone was breaking him: ¡°Ste, that¡¯s your mother. Her ce in this world has been stolen by another woman. How can you stand by and watch-?¡± Ste¡¯s light chuckle cut through the line. ¡°The one who gave her ce away¡­ was Lilian.¡± Send Gifts ºÏ 4.4K [DC] THE WEE The wrong girl 554 Chapter 554 Terms of Engagement ¡°So it was Lilian,¡± Jonathan admitted. ¡°That¡¯s why I kicked her out of the Reed family.¡± Finished ¡°You know how weak she is¨Cshe won¡¯t survive out there. Isn¡¯t that enough of a punishment for you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough to calm your anger?¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice grew increasingly desperate, like everything he¡¯d done¨Ceverything he was suffering¨Cwas all for Ste¡¯s sake. Ste replied coolly, ¡°Whether I¡¯m angry or not is none of your concern.¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°Enjoy the chaos you¡¯ve created. Oh, by the way¡­¡± She smiled, her voice like a de. ¡°I heard Reba. brought your son to Falvaria. Found herself a man named Danny.¡± Found a man? Ste¡¯s tone remainedzy: ¡°Took your son¡­ and your money.¡± That was the real killing blow. As Jonathan¡¯s breathing grew more ragged, Ste hung up the call. Abraham came upstairs just in time to hear herst line: ¡°Your son. Your money.¡® He slipped his arms around her from behind, voice low: ¡°Reed family calling?¡± ¡°Yeah. Said Lilian¡¯s out, and Susan¡¯s probably already sentenced.¡± Judging from Jonathan¡¯s panic, it probably wasn¡¯t light. ¡°Your mouth¡¯s sharp as ever.¡± Abraham chuckled. ¡°Not sharp enough,¡± Ste said with a snort. The Reeds had always used words as weapons¨Cthis was just payback. And really, what she¡¯d said was nothingpared to what they had done to her. ¡°Why¡¯d youe up?¡± ¡°Dress fitting. Come on.¡± Abraham wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her out. ¡°Whose birthday is it, anyway?¡± she asked as they walked. TH It wasn¡¯t like Abraham to personally help pick dresses unless the event was very important. T 23:49 Mon, Aug Chapter 554 Terms of Engagement ¡°Mr. Bogden,¡± he replied. 0 X Finished ¡°Huh? I thought you guys didn¡¯t even talk to each other.¡± The Bogdens were aplicated family¨Cnever quite allies, never quite enemies. In recent years, they¡¯d had little to do with the Dawsons. Abraham paused and looked at her. Then, with a fond smile, he pinched her little nose. ¡°We didn¡¯t. Not until recently.¡± Ste still felt a little lost, clearly unaware of just how much had changed while she was gone. Things at home had shifted. Downstairs- The sounds of an argument echoed through the halls again. Marie and Derrick were at it once more. This time, Marie¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with the Tom family¨Cif you pay me.¡± These two really had no shortage of things to fight about. Now it was money? Before the wedding license, they fought about getting one. Now that it was done, they were fighting about funding. Incredible range. And lightning speed. = Derrick nearly twisted his face in disbelief. ¡°Pay you? What for? Are you broke?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Just pay me,¡± Marie shot back fiercely. ¡°I don¡¯t have money. I¡¯m broke.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m not going to the Tom family. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± The Tom family was practically a viper pit. Anyone who went in woulde out fuming. Marie had no intention of getting mad¨Cbad for her health. Derrick, frustrated by her stubbornness, snap Derrick, frustrated by her stubbornness, snapped, ¡°Money, money, money. Go ask Holt for it.¡± ¡°If ites from the Tom family, I don¡¯t want a cent. Happy now?¡± Marie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Dead serious.¡± ¡°Then fine, I¡¯ll go.¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± That worked? DG Chapter 554 Terms of Engagement 70% X Finished Looked like the Tom family¡¯s days were about to get rough. Derrick scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of both the Dawson and Luke families. Do you really need money? Are you that greedy?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The war up north¡¯s been going on for years. Orphans, refugees¨Cthey all need donations.¡± She¡¯d poured a lot of her money into relief efforts. Derrick blinked, his face pausing for a beat. ¡°Huh. You actually have¡­passion?¡± ¡°What do you mean, someone like me?¡± Marie¡¯s voice rose. ¡°What kind of person am I, exactly?¡± And just like that¡­ the fight reignited. Smoke and sparks flew. Abraham pinched the bridge of his nose and led Ste to the tea room. Abel quickly signaled for the dresses to be moved there instead. E NE Abraham had chosen a soft blue gown for Ste¨Cmatching his own navy tie. When they came out of the tea room¡­ µ½ E FE Marie and Derrick were somehow fighting again. E Even though they had already settled the ¡°money¡± matter. 1 Listening closer- m HE Apparently, Derrick had called Marie hypocritical? No wonder she¡¯d snapped. After years of quietly doing charity, being called fake hit a nerve. It wasn¡¯t just yelling this me¨Cthey were physically brawling now.¡± ¡°You and your idiot EQ,¡± Marie shouted, jabbing her finger at Derrick. ¡°If your mouth¡¯s that useless, maybe I should just tear it off!¡± Send Gifts 4.4K W The wrong girl 555 Chapter 555 A p in the Face Spe 70% X Finished Marie started moving without another word. Derrick immediately grabbed her slim waist. Marie wasn¡¯t used to being touched there¨Cand she snapped. ¡°Get your damn hands off me!¡± As she raised her hand to p Derrick, his face instantly darkened. What the hell? Most women melted the second he touched their waist. But Marie? She turned into a total hellcat. He caught her slender wrist in one move. ¡°Enough. You think I¡¯m dying to touch you? I wouldn¡¯t take you if someone paid me.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me, why the hell are you touching me? Bastard!¡± She raised her other hand to hit him again. Derrick¡¯s temples throbbed in frustration. = Èý¾® ¡°I don¡¯t want you, and no one else ever will. You¡¯re gonna die alone, just watch.¡± That one hit low. THE EXE Ex 2 ÊÖ For any woman¨Cespecially one who wasn¡¯tcking in any way¨Cthat kind of curse was brutal. Marie definitely wasn¡¯t letting that slide. ?? ??? ????? ¡°You damn bastard!¡± # Derrick snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve got a nasty temper, dark as coal too. I¡¯m just being honest. Go out and ask around. -who the hell would want someone like you?¡± ould w If she didn¡¯t rip that mouth of his apart today, she¡¯d never be able to let it go. Meanwhile, Ste and Abraham exchanged nces. Ste wanted to step in¨Cbut Abraham dragged her away before she could move. All the way upstairs. Ste broke free from hisrge hand. ¡°What the hell are you doing? I- ¡°She doesn¡¯t need your help.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. The way Marie was going at Derrick, there was no way she¡¯d end up on the losing side. Ò» WAN Amon 23.50 D X Chapter 555 A p in the Face Finished Still, Ste couldn¡¯t help being mad. After all, Derrick was the reason she and Abraham had been separated for so many years. That grudge tainted everything. At this point, no matter what Derrick did in front of her, it would always feel wrong. ¡°You¡¯re awfully rxed about this. The Tom family isn¡¯t exactly simple anymore, you know.¡± Especially that stepmother of Derrick¡¯s. When she first married into the Tom family, she acted like such a saint. But now, she was making more and more moves. Let¡¯s be honest¨Cit was all to snatch up more of the inheritance for her two kids. Hearing Ste¡¯s concerns, Abraham¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°The Tom family can be asplicated as they want. Your sister¡¯s not falling for any of it.¡± Oh¡­ that¡¯s true. F No matter what kind of schemes they had lined up for Derrick and Marie, Marie wasn¡¯t the type to take the bait. Which meant all their plots would bepletely useless. Getting ready for the banquet. 11-2 RE There¡¯s usually never enough food at these things, and Ste was pregnant¨Cnaturally, the whole household revolved around her. Evelyn, who was out at the moment, called in. ¡°Have the kitchen prepare something for Ste. Make sure she eats first.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The butler answered respectfully. Not that she needed to worry¨CAbraham had already taken care of it. Plus, Ste was getting sleepy. Abraham took her back to their room, nning to let her nap for an hour before getting up to eat and head out. But as soon as they entered the room, Abraham got a call. No telling what the person on the other end said, but his expression shifted slightly. Covering the receiver, he looked at Ste. 15 214 Chapter 555 A p in the Face ¡°Just take a nap for now. Later, you and Marie can head to the banquet together. No rush, okay?¡± Ste sighed. ¡°Busy again?¡± Ever since they came back to Falvaria, Abraham had been swamped nonstop. He gave a soft ¡°yeah,¡± rubbed the top of her soft hair, and turned to leave. Ste really was feeling drowsy. She climbed into bed, nning to sleep a bit. But just as she closed her eyes, her phone rang. It was Tessa. ¡°Did you try to strip Victor again?¡± Ste asked tly. ???????? X Finished ¡°Or did you tell him something crazy like, ¡®Let¡¯s get married right now?¡± # Uh¡­ O So those two options were Ste¡¯s go¨Cto guesses now whenever Tessa did something dumb around Victor? ¨C SHI Either she stripped him or said somethingpletely insane. Tessa groaned. ¡°Remember when I told you I was scared to like him?¡± # Ste thought for a moment. Yeah, that had happened. Ell Since Tessa kept trying to peel clothes off Victor, Ste had started to suspect she actually liked him. ¡°I remember. So what?¡± Please don¡¯t tell me she got in trouble with Victor again because of that. You couldn¡¯t really me Ste for thinking this way¨CTessa getting into trouble with Victor was practically routine at this M THIT¨CUS oint. Tessa sighed. ¡°He asked me why I was scared to like him.¡± ¡­Huh? What was going on? From what Ste knew, that didn¡¯t sound like something Victor would say. ¡°And what did you say?¡± That question carried a lot of weight. Ste couldn¡¯t quite process everything at once. Chapter 555 A p in the Face Tessa groaned again. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare say anything. Anyway, forget about me screwing up- ¡°Then what do you want to talk about?¡± Finished The wrong girl 556 Chapter 556 Ms Tessa¡¯s Breaking Point X Finished ¡°My mom! It¡¯s confirmed now¡ªshe used to be the head of Ashen Pact. Isn¡¯t that super dangerous?¡± Tessa was desperate to find out more about Ashen Pact, but aside from what Victor had told her, she had nothing. Ste replied, ¡°Dangerous or not, I don¡¯t know. But I can tell you this¨Cthere¡¯s nothing you can do right now.¡± When Abraham first learned the truth, he had already told Ste, there was nothing he could do. And if even he couldn¡¯t do anything, there was no way Tessa could. ¡°I just want to see her once,¡± Tessa said. See her? ¡°Can Abraham help me out? Ste, I¡¯m counting on you here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him,¡± Ste agreed. After all, this was Ashen Pact they were talking about. Over the years, Abraham had moved freely through the arms underworld of Falvaria¡­ But when it came to Ashen Pact, he always kept his distance. In his words, Ashen Pact¡¯s internal structure was far tooplicated, and he had no interest in wasting energy on it. Especially when his own web of connections was already more than enough. After a few more words with Tessa, Ste ended the call and immediately dialed Abraham. Back when they were in Rivermount, Tessa would do anything for her at a moment¡¯s notice. Now, it was her turn. ? The call connected, and the man¡¯s pampering voice came through, ¡°You miss me already? Couldn¡¯t fall asleep?¡± Ste blushed. ¡°No! What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Tessa. She wants to see her mother. Can you help?¡± Ste wasn¡¯t sure if Abraham had a way to pull it off, so she figured she¡¯d ask first. As expected, there was a brief pause on the line. 23:50 Mon, Aug 4 G ÈÕ D X Finished Chapter 556 Ms Tessa¡¯s Breaking Point Then he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°You really can do it? Then hurry¨CTessa¡¯s probably not eating or sleeping over this.¡± Ever since her mother got into trouble, Tessa had talked about nothing else every time she called. Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°Got it. Now go to sleep.¡± He coaxed her for another few seconds, then hung up. Turning to Abel, who was driving, he said, ¡°Call Victor. Tell him Tessa wants to see her mother.¡± ¡­Seriously? Couldn¡¯t Miss Tessa just ask Mr. Victor herself? Back to Tessa. She was starving. But she¡¯d been doing everything possible to avoid Victor¨Cespecially around mealtimes. If she went downstairs too early, she wasn¡¯t hungry and couldn¡¯t eat. But if she waited too long, the hunger was unbearable. She tried to time it for when Victor wasn¡¯t home, but his car just wouldn¡¯t leave. Was he not busy anymore? She wanted to just go downstairs¨Cbut didn¡¯t want to run into him. Just as she was debating with herself, a knock came at the door. ¡°Ms. Tessa, Mr. Victor asked you toe to the study,¡± Lewis¡¯s booming voice rang out. Ms. Tessa? What kind of title was that? EI Was he trying to mimic how Ste called her Tessa? That was Ste¡¯s personal nickname for her! And now they were all calling her Ms. Tessa? Tessa pouted, instantly annoyed. Lewis, totally oblivious to how offended she was, just kept calling out. ¡°Ms. Tessa? Ms. Tessa?¡± Thatst one really did it. It struck a nerve and made her snap. She flung the door open and pped Lewis across the face. Hill ¨C ? D X Chapter 556 Ms Tessa¡¯s Breaking Point Finished Holding his face in one hand, she growled, ¡°What the hell is wrong with your mouth? Keep it up and I will rip it off.¡± What even¡­? She yanked her hand back and gave him a death re. Lewis was so stunned by her ferocity that his brain short¨Ccircuited. Mostly becausetely, Tessa had been so soft and meek around Victor. Every time she screwed up, all she did was cry. And now she was blowing up? Victor must¡¯ve really pushed her past the edge. Lewis coughed awkwardly. He wasn¡¯t mad about the p¨Cin fact, he looked at her with a hint of sympathy. After clearing his throat, he said, ¡°Victor wants you in the study.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Tessa snapped. She was trying her best to stay away from Victor. Just thinking about what Ste said on the phone¡­ Or the way Victor¡¯s staff addressed her¡­ Maybe they really did think all that undressing nonsense from before was her way of seducing him. Worse yet, after everything that happened, even if she tried to exin or deny it, no one would believe her. ¡°Let me make this clear¨CI don¡¯t know how to treat wounds, and I¡¯m not serving tea either.¡± Hmph. E Doing either would just lead to more trouble. So now, she¡¯d rather be totallyzy. Lewis blinked. ¡°Huh? No, no, you don¡¯t need to do any of that. Just be good at acting cute.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 557 Chapter 557 Dangerous Deals and Deepening Doubts What the hell? Lewis had spoken too fast¨Cby the time the words left his mouth, he realized he¡¯d messed up. ¡°Ah, no, wait -I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Ugh, seriously? Tessa was speechless. What did he mean, just act cute? Was she supposed to act sweet around Victor? Yeah¡­ no. That¡¯s not happening. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Lewis. Since Victor had asked to see her, she couldn¡¯t really refuse. On the way to the study, she nced over at Lewis. ¡°So who¡¯s the one investigating whether I¡¯m a spy?¡± ¡°Me.¡± ¡°You?¡± Tessa gave him a sideways look, lips twitching in disbelief. She¡¯d met most of Victor¡¯s close associates¨Cand in her eyes, Lewis was probably the least reliable of them all. Lewis nodded seriously. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s me.¡± Great. Of course it¡¯s him. ¡°And? How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± ¤Þ She already had a headache over the whole thing. Now that she knew Lewis was in charge of clearing her name, she honestly wasn¡¯t sure she had a future at all. This guy could easily ruin my life. Lewis gave her a straight¨Cfaced reply. ¡°Everything points to you being a spy. Tessa nearly lost it. But she had to hold it in. She¡¯d seen that fierce look in Lewis¡¯s eyes before, and frankly, it scared her. So all she could do was shoot him a re. There wasn¡¯t much else she could do. They reached the study. Tessa stepped in, still fuming. 1/3 70% D X Chapter 557 Dangerous Deals and Deepening Doubts Victor was smoking. At the sound of the door, he lifted his gaze, cold and sharp. ¡°You called Ste?¡± Finished There it was¨Cthat edge to Victor¡¯s voice. The kind you¡¯d expect from someone who lived with a knife constantly at his throat. Even just from the way he referred to Abraham¡¯s people, it was obvious: Ste held serious weight in Falvaria. Tessa gave a small nod. ¡°Yeah.¡± Wait a second-¡°How did you know I called Ste?¡± Wasn¡¯t that a totally normal thing to do? She called her several times a day sometimes. But Victor had never asked about it before. So why bring it up now? ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ you¡¯re not thinking Ste¡¯s the reason I¡¯m a spy, are you?¡± Tessa eyed him carefully. If Victor even suspects Ste, then I¡¯m really screwed. If someone like her can be doubted, then who the hell could possibly protect me here? Victor let out a coldugh. ¡°You? You think you¡¯re capable of pulling someone like her into this?¡± Tessa swallowed hard. Okay, fair enough. I don¡¯t have that kind of pull. But did he have to say it like that? ¡°Fine. As long as you¡¯re not suspecting Ste, I don¡¯t care. So¨Cwhat do you want? Just so you know, I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± She wasn¡¯t stressing about the whole spy usation anymore. Especially after finding out Lewis was in charge of investigating¨Cthere was no rushing the oue now. Because if he¡¯s handling it, there¡¯s zero chance this clears up quickly. Victor took a drag from his cigarette. ¡°Have you epted the fact that your mother used to lead Ashen Pact?¡± ¡°What choice do I have?¡± Tessa¡¯s fire instantly fizzled out. If even Ste said it was true, then it probably was. But to this day, she still didn¡¯t get it. How could her mother be the former head of Ashen Pact? From the moment she could remember, her mom had been a straightced businesswoman. Chapter 557 Dangerous Deals and Deepening Doubts Nothing shady. Nothing big. She¡¯d always done business honestly and with integrity. How could that woman possibly be the infamous former leader of Ashen Pact? Victor flicked away some ash. ¡°Want to see her?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡± Wait¨Chow the hell does he know I want to see her? Did Ste have to go through him for help? Seriously? So no matter what I try, everything circles back to Victor? And he¡¯s the one helping me? Ugh¡­ Victor let out a quietugh. ¡°People from Ashen Pact¡­ they¡¯re not exactly easy to meet.¡± ¡°So, can I or can¡¯t I?¡± Tessa red at him. What¡¯s that supposed to mean¨Cnot everyone gets to meet them? Just say yes or no! Victor stubbed out his cigarette, inteced his fingers, and looked straight at her. ¡°You can.¡± Okay¡­ and? ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± Wait, what? So after all that effort trying to get help through Ste, it still back to Victor? Seriously? She looked into his deep, unreadable eyes and couldn¡¯t help but sniff a little. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ll really help me?¡± Victor nodded. ¡°Yeah. But my helpes at a high price.¡± He said ¡°price¡± with weight¨Cand if you listened closely, there was a clear edge in his tone. The wrong girl 558 Chapter 558 No Credit, No Mercy Too bad Tessa was too stunned to catch the implication. ¡°You¡­ you wantpensation?¡± Wait, hold on¡­ Didn¡¯t she ask Ste for help? 1 Ste probably went to Abraham, and Abraham must¡¯ve passed it down to Victor. So if Victor was demanding payment now, didn¡¯t that mean he was¡­ pocketing a side deal? Tessa¡¯s brain started spinning at top speed. ¡°Does Abraham know you¡¯re doing this?¡± she mumbled. This wasn¡¯t exactly an honorable move. If Abraham found out, Victor might really be in trouble. He actually dares to pull this? Victor let out a dryugh. ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°Ah? No, no, not at all!¡± Tessa shook her head quickly. What a joke. Threaten him? Did she have a death wish? If he decided to pin the spy charge on her out of spite, even Ste wouldn¡¯t be able to save her. ¡°I¡¯m not, I just¡­ I just¡­¡± She trailed off, lowering her head miserably. This is what helplessness looks like. Victor nced at her curled¨Cup posture and smirked. ¡°You just what?¡± ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t have any money¡­¡± The words ¡°don¡¯t have money¡± were practically a whisper. But it was true¨Cshe really didn¡¯t have any. Finished She¡¯d left Rivermount with nothing. When she finally made it to Falvaria, she¡¯d been chased down, lost her bag¡­ everything had gone wrong. This whole stretch of time had been nothing but bad luck. When Victor heard her say ¡°no money,¡± the smile on his lips stiffened for just a second. Then he said, with pointed calm, ¡°Looks like you owe me quite a bit already.¡± Chapter 558 No Credit, No Mercy Quite a bit? 70% X Finished Wait¨Cwhat if I can¡¯t ever pay it back? Given how things were going, there was no guarantee her mother would even survive whatever was happening with Ashen Pact. If things kept spiraling, then when she returned to Rivermount¡­ she might very well be a second- generation debtor. She¡¯d already ruined Victor¡¯s reputation, and now she needed his help too. No matter how you looked at it- Victor didn¡¯t seem to notice her racing thoughts. His tone deepened. ¡°Not all debts have to be paid in cash.¡± That unexpected line snapped her out of it. Tessa¡¯s head jerked up. ¡°Huh? Then what do I pay with? I don¡¯t have anything at all!¡± Victor leaned his head against one hand, his eyes locked on hers. She felt like his entire expression was soaked in amusement, but there was something else in it too- something she couldn¡¯t read clearly. Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Think about what you do have that¡¯s worth paying with. Once you¡¯ve figured it out, that¡¯s when you¡¯ll see your mother. Deal?¡± ¡°What? Can¡¯t I just see her first?¡± How am I supposed to guess what he wants and also wait to see my mom? That¡¯s too much! Right now, her whole mind was focused on her mother. Victor looked her way and smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t ept IOUS.¡± Meanwhile, back with Ste- She was just about to drift off when a call came through, half waking her. It was Ethan. ¡°Ste, I¡¯m in Falvaria. Can we meet?¡± Hearing his voice, Ste froze. She¡¯d thought that once she returned to Falvaria, she¡¯d never cross paths with Ethan again. Now this? ¡°What did you say?¡± Falvaria? The wrong girl 559 Chapter 559 No Mercy for the Na?ve Back in Rivermount¡­ When Ste and Abraham got involved, Ethan had been sure that once they returned to Falvaria, Ste would be facing endless consequences. He had believed that the bond formed from growing up together was a line they could never cross. And once she got hurt¨Cor worse, kicked out by the Luke family¨Cshe¡¯d have nowhere to return to except Rivermount. And at that point, she¡¯d be his again. But he was wrong. After returning to Falvaria, the rtionship he thought impossible had resolved itself easily. And now, Ste¡¯s words-¡°Are you here for my wedding?¡°¨Cstabbed into his chest like a de. It hurt so much he couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°You¡¯re really going to marry Abraham?¡± Ethan finally choked out.. His breathing was uneven. E His vision dimmed, and the hollow ache in his chest was unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt. Not even when Lilian left Rivermount had he felt something this sharp, this consuming. After she left Rivermount, he realized he remembered everything about Ste. Ste let out a coldugh. ¡°You think I¡¯d fake something like that? The wedding¡¯s already in motion.¡± Right¨Cher wedding with Abraham. They¡¯d started nning it all the way back in Rivermount. E Ethan pressed on. ¡°Do you know how many people are trashing your name right now, besides the Luke and Dawson families?¡± ¡°The kind of rtionship you have with Abraham¨Cno matter where you go, people won¡¯t ept it.¡± Yes, the two great families of Falvaria had epted them. But that didn¡¯t mean the rest of the world would. What they had would always be controversial. As Ethan¡¯s words grew harsher, Ste only replied with a casual, ¡°Oh.¡± Then, ¡°And why do you think this is any of your business?¡± 23:51 Mon, Aug X Finished Chapter 559 No Mercy for the Na?ve Ethan¡¯s breath caught again. Ste continued, ¡°Worry about yourself. Don¡¯t tell me that after learning who Lilian really is, you suddenly realized you don¡¯t love her anymore?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I really pity Lilian. And your love? It¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°You-¡± Ethan started, but Ste cut him off. ¡°Look at me. No matter what I be, he still loves me.¡± No matter what I be¡­ he still loves me. Was she talking about Abraham? Did she just say Abraham¡­ loved her? Did she even know what love meant? Did she- Ste¡¯s voice came cold and sharp. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have time to fly to Falvaria right now. Hufman Horgan isn¡¯t someone you can handle easily.¡± Anyone who survived in underground death rings didn¡¯t just have brute strength¨Ctheir minds were sharper than most. Especially sharper than someone like Ethan. E At the mention of Horgan, Ethan let out a bitterugh. ¡°That¡¯s the best excuse you coulde up with? Fine, Ste. You win. Because of that man, I really have nothing left now.¡± ÊÖ #11 19 ¡°Just like you wanted¨Cnothing.¡± F F# all E Why had hee to Falvaria? Yes, to see Ste. But more than that, because he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her marrying Abraham. And, in part, to run from the chaos in Rivermount. The Keene family was falling apart. # His father, Judson, had be obsessed with Horgan¨Cso much so, he hardly visited Ethan¡¯s mother in the hospital. That man¡¯s sudden appearance had shattered everything the Keene family had built¨Covernight. ¡°This is my punishment, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ethan whispered, voice trembling with rage and helplessness. Ste replied calmly, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have time to plot your downfall. The reason you¡¯re in this mess is simple¨Cyou spent all your time chasing romance instead of learning how to take control And you know why you¡¯re so easy to knock down? Because you overestimated yourself.¡± If words could kill, this was it. 70% X Finished Chapter 559 No Mercy for the Naive Back in Rivermount, Ethan had been revered. People praised him. Said he¡¯d brought the Keene Group to new heights. And in that small corner of the world, maybe he had. But outside of Rivermount? Who was he, really? Once he stepped beyond that limited space, what was left? ¤µ Listening to Ste¡¯s words, sharp as needles, Ethan felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°You really had to humiliate me like this right now?¡± ¡°Humiliate you?¡± Ste scoffed. ¡°You think this is humiliation?¡± Just look at the things Ethan chose to hear. What kind of logic was that? Ste let out a chillyugh and added, ¡°If you had spent even half the effort you wasted on Lilian actually running the Keene Group, you wouldn¡¯t have been reced like a dog by Horgan.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K (? No # N ¡± E 4 EL THE The wrong girl 560 Chapter 560 What You Deserve The word ¡°dog¡± hit Ethan square in the skull. A loud crack echoed in his mind, as if something had struck him from behind. Everything went nk. ¡°You called me a dog?¡± Back in Rivermount, she always imed to be mistreated. Her sharp tongue was understandable then. But now? Even in Falvaria, she still had that same vicious mouth? Sitting on the bed, Ste picked up her water ss, took a sip, and said with a cold smile, ¡°I said you¡¯re not even as good as a dog.¡± Why the hell can¡¯t I forget her? Why do I remember everything about her? Is it because of that mouth? Just as Ste was about to deliver another blow, a knock sounded on the door. Marie¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Ste, you can¡¯t sleep anymore. We¡¯re running out of time.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming.¡± 41 She answered the door, then ended the call without hesitation. Marie, hearing her response, opened the door and stepped in. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± ¡°Ethan,¡± Ste said as she blocked his number. These Rivermount people were really persistent. They even started using Falvaria numbers just to get through. When Marie heard the name, her expression soured. ¡°You¡¯re still in touch with him?¡± To her, everyone from the Keene family or Reed family was better off never being contacted again. ¡°Wait for me. When I get the time, I¡¯ll build you a Rivermount firewall.¡± Any number from Rivermount gets blocked¨Clet¡¯s see how they try to reach you then. Ste shook her head. ¡°It won¡¯t work. Jonathan and Ethan both used Falvaria numbers to call me today.¡± ¡°The Reed family¡¯s contacting you too? What do they want now?¡± Marie was genuinely irritated. X Finished Chapter 560 What You Deserve The Keene family was one thing¨CEthan was a worthless ex¨Cfianc¨¦, easily discarded. But if the Reed family was trying toe crawling back, that was just disgusting. ¡°They¡¯re apologizing.¡± But without an ounce of sincerity. Their apologies always came with conditions. The second you didn¡¯t give them what they wanted, their remorse turned into snarling threats. That was the Reed family¡¯s style. ¡°Apologizing? Are you kidding? They were the ones who didn¡¯t want you. Now they think saying sorry fixes anything?¡± They were the ones who chose to keep the adopted daughter. Now they¡¯d realized the girl was garbage, and suddenly they wanted their real daughter back? Even a weather vane didn¡¯t swing that fast. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m eating first before we leave.¡± Whether it was the Reed family or Ethan, Ste didn¡¯t want to waste another word on either of them. Marie perked up. ¡°Right, food. Mom and my brother both said you had to eat something before the banquet. That¡¯s why I came to get you.¡± And a proper meal would take time. Marie had the maids help Ste change. The pale blue gown looked great on her. Since it was tight¨Cfitting, Marie nced at her stomach. ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re starting to show a little.¡± She was pregnant, after all. The difference was visible now. Ste looked down and noticed the gentle curve of her belly. Marie added quickly, ¡°Still looks really pretty.¡± Worried that Ste might be self¨Cconscious, Marie tried to reassure her. But Ste didn¡¯t care in the slightest. ¡°Pretty or not, it¡¯s not for them.¡± She turned to a maid. ¡°Bring me that white coat. I¡¯m wearing it.¡± Even if it was an important banquet, she wasn¡¯t about to freeze just to look good. Marie didn¡¯t argue. Ste clearly wasn¡¯t trying to show off her figure. Not that she needed to. G Chapter 560 What You Deserve Since childhood, Abraham had always cared more about Ste¡¯s health than how she looked. If anything, he was happier when she gained a little weight. 70% X Finished Once Ste was fully dressed, she started eating. At the table, she dug in with hearty bites. It must¡¯ve been something Evelyn arranged¨Cprobably medicine to help with the pregnancy¨Cbecause it was clearly working. She wasn¡¯t nauseous at all anymore. Marie had nned to eat with her. But after just one bite, seeing Ste eat so enthusiastically actually gave her an appetite too. ¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not nauseous anymore? If you¡¯re still feeling sick, maybe slow down. Just in case.¡± Marie was worried that eating this much all at once might upset her stomach. But Ste didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit ufortable. ¡°Haven¡¯t felt sick since lunch.¡± Marie frowned. ¡°But can your stomach really handle this?¡± F = Even without nausea, eating so quickly might still be too much. Marie wasn¡¯t trying to be annoying¨CSte¡¯s health had been fragile for years. THE L Any small difort used to send her straight to the hospital. It had practically be routine. ÐÎ Later, the doctors exined that while Ste had a good appetite, her digestive system was weak. She had to be careful not to overeat. Send Gifts 19 4.4K # ?! Pell E H The wrong girl 561 Chapter 561 The Sister¨Cin¨CLaw Dilemma ¡°No, no, you really can¡¯t eat any more. You¡¯ve already had a lot.¡± When Abraham walked in, the first thing he saw was Marie taking away the rest of Ste¡¯s food before she could finish it. Ste looked up at her with pitiful eyes, clearly unwilling to stop. Marie coaxed her gently. ¡°Be good now. Abraham said you could eat a little, not stuff yourself full. There¡¯ll be food at the banquet too, remember?¡± ¡°Can I just have onest piece?¡± The pastries from the kitchen were just too good. Sweet, but not too sweet¨Cabsolutely perfect. Marie turned with the te in hand. ¡°No.¡± Spotting Abraham by the door, she blinked. ¡°Wait¨Cdidn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯ting back?¡± He had just called, telling her to take Ste to the banquet herself. Abraham shot her a nce. E E Marie felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°Just saying¡ªI wasn¡¯t bullying Ste or anything. He never let Ste eat too much either, did he? E EWEE WE HE She didn¡¯t understand how someone with a weak stomach could have such a strong appetite. Honestly, it was impressive. Anyone who ate with Ste would find themselves wanting to eat more too. Ste gave Abraham a pitiful look. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± Marie blinked. ¡°Huh? What is she supposed to call you?¡± L She looked at Abraham He reached out and ruffled Ste¡¯s hair. ¡°Think again. all tra HE HATH OF IT Under his gaze, the answer clicked in Ste¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­Husband?¡± Was this really necessary? And right in front of her? It wasn¡¯t like she was some outsider barging into the middle of their rtionship. Why did she suddenly feel like she was intruding on something glowing? And it didn¡¯t stop there. 1100 Chapter 561 The Sister¨Cin¨CLaw Dilemma ? Once satisfied with Ste¡¯s answer, Abraham turned to Marie. ¡°And what did you just call her?¡± ¡°Ste?¡± 247 What now? Abraham adjusted his sses. The affection in his eyes vanished, reced by a serious stare. ¡°From now on, call her your sister¨Cinw.¡± Marie froze. Uh¡­ ,,/ That was a hard one. Ste had been her little sister since childhood. Now, suddenly, she had to call her sister¨Cinw? / ¡°I mean, can¡¯t we just keep it separate? You marry your wife, and she stays my little sister.¡± Call her¡­ big sis? Seriously? Someone who¡¯s followed you around your whole life calling you ¡®big sis¡® now? Marie¡¯s head was spinning. Switching that title so suddenly? Impossible. Even Ste twitched at Abraham¡¯s deration. He continued staring at Marie without a word. The pressure in his eyes made Marie gulp. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s right,¡± he said, lightly pinching Ste¡¯s cheek. ¡°From now on, call her Marie. Got it?¡± Marie?! It wasn¡¯t just Marie who struggled with the change¨CSte couldn¡¯t quite ept it either. This shift in title¡­. ¡°I really think she¡¯s right. Can¡¯t we just keep things separate?¡± ¡°No.¡± Abraham turned back to the frozen Marie. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Say it. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± What just like that? X Finished 213 0 X Finished Chapter 561 The Sister¨Cin¨CLaw Dilemma ¡°Huh?¡± Abraham¡¯s brow furrowed. Marie snapped to attention, heart racing, and turned stiffly to Ste. That one word¨Csister¨Cin¨C¨Crefused toe out. It was stuck. But the weight Abraham gave off was unbearable. After several deep breaths, Marie finally choked out, ¡°Hey¡­?¡± She stared at Ste, feeling like the entire world had flipped upside down. When she first heard Abraham had locked Ste down, she¡¯d actually felt relieved. With Ste¡¯s personality, she¡¯d always been the one Marie worried about most. She even once cried herself to sleep after seeing Abraham kill someone. If Ste had ended up marrying someone else, wouldn¡¯t she have been bullied to death? So when she heard they were together, Marie had finally breathed easy. But now, when it came time to actually call Ste sister¨Cin¨C¨Cshe was stunned. This was madness. ¥®¥ë # AFTE ÉÏ #= Even if she dared to say it, Ste didn¡¯t even seem to dare answer. The two of them just stood there, awkwardly staring at each other. Marie¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°What are you looking at me for? Say something already.¡± = If Ste didn¡¯t respond, Abraham would keep making her say it¨Cagain and again¨Cuntil she got a reply. If that happened, she really would go insane. Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡°. ¡°I called you sister¨Cinw.¡± The air filled with a thick, choking awkwardness. Marie turned to Abraham,pletely speechless. Send Gifts Bill ¡£ The wrong girl 562 Chapter 562 Sister¨Cin¨CLaw, Stubborn Men, and Soft¨CSpoken Trouble Luckily, Abraham didn¡¯t push it any further. He gave a small nod. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to these changes.¡± Marie stayed silent. He sure looks like he¡¯s used to it already. His phone rang. After checking the caller ID, he absentmindedly ruffled Ste¡¯s hair. ¡°Gotta take this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ste nodded sweetly. ?? ?? ???? ? As Abraham turned to leave with the phone in hand, he looked back over his shoulder. ¡°And no more eating.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She¡¯d been so caught up in the awkwardness that she¡¯dpletely forgotten she was eating in the first ce. But now that he mentioned it, all she could think about was how good the food had been today. Marie hurriedly had the rest cleared away. As soon as Abraham left the room, Marie leaned in toward Ste. ¡°Well? How did it feel?¡± ¡°How did what feel?¡± Ste blinked, thrown off by the question. ¡°When I called you sister¨Cinw. What did that feel like?¡± Uh¡­ It definitely felt strange, to say the least. ¡°Come on, say it. What did it feel like?¡± ¡°It felt pretty weird.¡± ¡°Right? I knew it! I thought it felt weird too. But Abraham? That guy just rolled with it. Unreal.¡± ¡°Right? I knew it! I thought it felt weird too. But ¡°I don¡¯t care. When he¡¯s not around, you¡¯re still my Ste. I¡¯m still calling you Marie.¡± formal No way was she going to take Abraham¡¯s stiff, to heart. How had she never noticed before how rule¨Cobsessed he was? Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± The oppressive weight Marie had been feeling earlier finally lifted a bit. That had really been a lot¡­ *** X Chapter 562 Sister¨Cin¨CLaw, Stubborn Men, and Soft¨CSpoken Trouble Bzzz bzzz bzzz. 0 X Finished Just as she was about to keep chatting, her phone buzzed. She nced at it¨CDerrick. She didn¡¯t want to answer. She hung up immediately. But just as she did, a message came through: ¡°I¡¯ll be at the door in five minutes. Come out.¡± Marie nearly exploded. What the hell is this? A military order? Ste caught a glimpse of the message too. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys have a huge fight just now? How did that end?¡± ¡°With a fistfight.¡± Ste blinked. This woman really lives in a war zone. She gave Marie a worried nce. ¡°So¡­ who won?¡± Honestly, the exact nature of their chaos didn¡¯t matter. What mattered to Ste was whether Marie came out on top or not. As long as she wasn¡¯t the one losing, everything else was fine. ¡°It was a draw.¡± Even as Marie said it, her voice held a hint of gritted teeth. That was all Ste needed to hear to drop the subject. A draw, huh? That bastard Derrick really is tough to deal with. Before either of them could say anything more, Marie¡¯s phone rang again. Derrick. Again. That was thest straw. ¡°You stay here. I¡¯m going out there to deal with him.¡± Was it really that serious? It was just a wedding¨Cwhy was he all over her like this? Before Ste could say anything, Marie was already storming out the door. Just as she was about to peek outside and see what was happening, Tessa called. Ste picked up. ¡°Tessa?¡± ALL WE Chapter 562 Sister¨Cin¨CLaw, Stubborn Men, and Soft¨CSpoken Trouble Finished T ¡°Ste, I asked you for help. I need to see my mom.¡± ¡°I already told my brother. He¡¯s going to handle it.¡± She had been keeping a close eye on this. After speaking to Abraham, she¡¯d continued to quietly follow up on the progress. Tessa let out a weak sigh. ¡°Yeah, I know. He already arranged it.¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°That fast? Did he say when you¡¯ll meet?¡± ¡°He passed it to Victor.¡± Wait, what? Victor? ¡°He gives Victor most of the important stuff.¡± So Tessa¡¯s request was considered one of the important ones? That was good news. Really good. It meant this was being taken seriously. She hadn¡¯t picked up on Tessa¡¯s tired tone at all. Smiling, Ste said, ¡°If Victor¡¯s handling it, you can rx. You¡¯ll see your mom even sooner.¡± Yep, that was definitely how it worked. But hearing how rxed Ste sounded about Victor taking over, Tessa had no words. She quietly whimpered, ¡°Ste¡­¡°__VAR ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ER Ste had just reached the doorway and was trying to peek at whatever Derrick and Marie were up to outside. But that whimper from Tessa yanked her attention back almost instantly. 04 ¡°Why do you sound so upset? Don¡¯t worry¨CVictor¡¯s super reliable. I mean, yeah, you¡¯ve been in danger a few times around him, but you¡¯ve never actually been hurt, right? That proves he¡¯s trustworthy.¡± Send Gifts 1TH The wrong girl 563 Chapter 563 A Guessing Game Called ¡°Compensation¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry. If Victor¡¯s handling it, you¡¯ll probably see your mom even faster.¡± Tessa: ¡°He¡¯s asking me forpensation.¡± What-?! ¡°Com¡­pensation?¡± Finished ¡°Yeah. Compensation.¡± It was clearly Abraham who gave him the task, and yet Victor came straight to her asking for payment. Ste¡¯s focus snapped right back from watching Marie and Derrick outside. ¡°What kind ofpensation? Is he asking for money?¡± ¡°I told him I don¡¯t have any. He said I could offer something else. And he made it clear¨Cno credit.¡± The way Tessa bit out the words something else and no credit made the message loud and clear. Ste immediately honed in. ¡°Something else? But if you don¡¯t have money¡­ what else do you even have?¡± In Ste¡¯s mind, Tessa had always been pretty well off. Of course, that was back when her mother was fine. Now that things had turned upside down, it made sense that Tessa didn¡¯t have much on hand. If Victor really wanted money, Ste had already been thinking about covering the cost for her. But then- ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t want money.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°He said I should offer something else instead. Said he has no use for money.¡± That part, Victor had made clear himself. Hearing that, Ste couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Then what does he want?¡± Victor wasn¡¯t lying¨Che really didn¡¯t need money. But what could he possibly want from Tessa? What did she have? ¡°Yourpany?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t he call that a useless little startup?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said he didn¡¯t want it at all.¡± * 70% Chapter 563 A Guessing Game Called ¡°Compensation¡± So¡­ what the hell did Victor want in exchange? X Finished ¡°Then what does he want?¡± Ste was getting curious too. Was there something about Tessa she didn¡¯t know? Tessa: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°He told me to guess. Said once I figured it out, that¡¯s when I could see my mom.¡± She had no words. She had to guess? So Victor himself knew what he wanted, but Tessa didn¡¯t¨Cand now she was stuck ying mind games. ¡°Tessa, can you ask Abraham to help me find out what Victor actually wants?¡± Tessa was starting to panic. She had no idea what he wanted forpensation, but she was desperate to see her mother. Ste hadn¡¯t figured it out either. She tilted her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to marry him? Maybe if you marry him, the debt thing disappears. You know¨Cfamily and all that.¡± Wait, what kind of advice was that? Even Ste herself was taken aback by what just came out of her mouth. ¡°I marry him? What if he starts asking for things I still can¡¯t give? What, it doesn¡¯t cost money to marry a guy?¡± Ste: ¡°¡­That¡¯s fair.¡± Was Victor even the type to ask for money, though? ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing, Ste. Nothing to offer. What am I supposed to marry him with?¡± That came out sounding more than a little tragic. Tessa sighed. ¡°Just ask Abraham, okay? Ask him what Victor really wants. Why can¡¯t the guy just say directly?¡± This whole guessing game was driving her crazy. ¡°Please hurry, Ste. You¡¯re all I¡¯ve got right now.¡± ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask and let you know.¡± Seriously, what was Victor doing? Was Abraham¡¯s word not good enough for him now? it 23:51 Mon, Chapter 563 A Guessing Game Called ¡°Compensation¡± He knew Tessa had been stressing out about her mother¡¯s situation ever since arriving in Falvaria. And now he was stringing her along like this? Since when was Victor this kind of person? X Finished Tessa and Victor¡¯s situation was bing so convoluted, even Ste¡¯s head felt like it was spinning. After a few more words, the call finally ended¨Cjust in time for Abraham to return from the other room. He saw Ste leaning by the door and walked up to rub the back of her neck. ¡°What are you watching?¡± ¡°Huh? I was watching my sister out there¡­ Wait, where¡¯d she go?¡± She had just been there a moment ago. But after answering Tessa¡¯s call, Marie had vanished. Abraham looked out at the now¨Cempty entrance. ¡°She left.¡± ¡°Yeah, Derrick came for her. She said she was going to go ¡®punch him away.¡± But where did she go? Was she not done fighting and took it outside? Actually¡­ that did sound like something she¡¯d do. ¡°Oh, by the way, Tessa called me just now.¡± ¥ß Marie could handle Derrick on her own. But Tessa¡¯s situation was genuinely urgent. When Abraham heard that Tessa had called again, his brow furrowed. ¡°She called you again?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 564 Chapter 564 The Price Is Her Ste sighed. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s really anxious.¡± 0 X Finished ¡°Victor¡¯s handling it. What¡¯s there to be anxious about?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice carried a trace of displeasure. He didn¡¯t like how often Tessa was calling Stetely. Back before their trip to Rivermount, Tessa had been full of admiration¨Cfor him. Ste didn¡¯t catch the subtle tone shift. ¡°Did you know Victor asked Tessa forpensation?¡± What kind of nerve was that? Tessa had nothing right now. If Victor insisted on taking something from her, Ste would be the one footing the bill. But the fact that Tessa was being extorted¨Cby one of Abraham¡¯s own people, no less¨Cmade Ste fume. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°He asked for money?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected that from Victor. After all, man to man¨Che could see right through Victor. That guy had obvious feelings for Tessa. And if that was the case, there was no way he¡¯d be demanding cash. Ste shook her head. ¡°No, not money. Something else.¡± If it were money, this whole thing would be over already. She¡¯d just pay it off for Tessa¨Csimple. Abraham frowned. ¡°Something else?¡± So it wasn¡¯t money. What was Victor even doing? This whole thing was starting to drive her crazy. The more she spoke, the more annoyed she got. Tessa might not know how serious it was, but she was starting to boil over. Abraham watched Ste rant with a small smirk tugging at his lips. That made her even more irritated. ¡°You¡¯reughing? Victor¡¯s totally messing around! You gave him this job, and now he¡¯s asking Tessa to pay for it?¡± Abraham raised a brow and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be mad.¡± ¡°Just ask him what he wants already! Whatever it is, I¡¯ll make sure Tessa gets it.¡± ¡± Chapter 564 The Price Is Her X Finished Tessa had nothing left. If Victor wanted payment, she¡¯d handle it. Abraham gently tapped her puffed¨Cup cheek with his fingers. ¡°You probably can¡¯t give him what he wants. And even if you could, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± She couldn¡¯t? That meant whatever Victor wanted¡­ it wasn¡¯t something ordinary. Something even she¨CSte¨Ccouldn¡¯t give, no matter how hard she tried? ¡°What is it then? What does Victor want?¡± She was pouting now, clearly fed up with Victor¡¯s games. It wasn¡¯t just that he was asking for something¨Cit was that she couldn¡¯t even guess what it was. Abraham answered calmly, ¡°To be exact, he only wants what Tessa can give.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°So starting now, don¡¯t get involved. For now, staying by Victor¡¯s side is the safest ce for her.¡± But what was thispensation? Now Ste was more puzzled than ever. Not money. Something only Tessa could give. What on earth did that mean? Maybe pregnancy was slowing her brain down. She¡¯d used to be sharp¨Cnow, even after Abraham spelled it out, she couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°I know she¡¯s safest with Victor, especially while things with her mom and Ashen Pact aren¡¯t settled yet,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°But what the hell does he want aspensation?¡± Tessa¡¯s situation was far from normal. And even if things were resolved with her mother, her future still wouldn¡¯t be easy. Diana had been out of Ashen Pact for years, and they still dragged her back¨Cclearly, something serious had happened. Still watching Ste get stuck on thepensation question, Abraham gave a helpless smile and pinched her nose. ¡°Let her figure it out.¡± There it was again¨Cfigure it out herself. That was exactly why Ste was asking him! Because Tessa couldn¡¯t figure it out! 23.52 D X Chapter 564 The Price Is Her She stared at him, full of grievance, cheeks puffed in frustration. Finished Abraham said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not money. It¡¯s something only Tessa can give. So what do you think Victor wants?¡± ¡°Tessa?¡± Ste¡¯s voice squeaked. Abraham nodded. Her mouth twitched. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s after her?!¡± Seriously? That¡¯s what Victor wanted as payment? The whole person?! ¡°No way.¡± She rejected it instantly. ¡°Victor lives with a knife at his throat. If Tessa ends up with him, she¡¯ll¡­¡± Send Gifts 4.4K == ?? The wrong girl 565 Chapter 565 The Real Cost Tessa wouldpletely fall apart living Victor¡¯s kind of life. Abraham said, ¡°Tessa¡¯s future isn¡¯t going to be much different. They¡¯re about the same.¡± About the same? Ste¡¯s chest tightened. Letting Tessa live the way Victor does? Finished ¡°And besides, Tessa already said she¡¯d marry him. He didn¡¯t even say yes. There has to be something else going on.¡± Abraham looked up. ¡°Tessa said she wanted to marry Victor?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ste nodded. Her head was still spinning from all the chaos around the two of them. Everything was so messy it made her brain feel like sludge. ¡°By the way, do you know something about Ashen Pact? From the way you talk about it, it sounds way worse than I thought.¡± Abraham¡¯s phone rang. He checked the caller ID, then hung up without answering. ¡°We need to go.¡± Always with the mystery. So Victor really did want Tessa? But if that were true, then why didn¡¯t he just say yes when she offered to marry him? Why all this back¨Cand¨Cforth that made everything even more confusing? And honestly, Ste wasn¡¯t fully convinced Victor would even want Tessa. Compared to all those long¨Clegged women Victor had been surrounded by before, Tessa was definitely on the short¨Clegged side. Aren¡¯t all men into long legs? Still thinking it over, Ste got into the car with Abraham. He nced at her soft white coat and smiled. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re finally taking care of yourself.¡± She used to refuse anything that covered up a fancy gown. If she was wearing formalwear, it had to be styled to perfection. A coat? Absolutely not. ¡°I¡¯m putting my health first now.¡± Abraham chuckled. While he focused on something else, Ste quietly pulled out her phone and sent Tessa a message: 23:52 Mon, Aug 4 Chapter 565 The Real Cost ¨C ¡°Victor wants you as thepensation.¡± Whether Tessa believed it or not, that¡¯s what Abraham had said. Ste still didn¡¯t fully buy it. X Finished Tessa stared at the message,pletely frozen. No way. That can¡¯t be right. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to bepensation? What did Ste mean by that? She immediately tried to call, but Ste didn¡¯t pick up. She was on her way to the banquet, and with Abraham beside her, she¡¯d declined the call. All Tessa got was the constant beep beep of the line going dead. She looked at the message again, then typed back: ¡°What does that mean?¡± It was justpensation. How did this suddenly turn into being about her? A few secondster, Ste replied: ¡°My brother said Victor wants you. You¡¯re thepensation.¡± Tessa¡¯s arms went numb. He wants me? If that¡¯s really what he wants¡­ then what the hell am I supposed to do? She quickly shot back: ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Ste answered right away: ¡°I don¡¯t either. But that¡¯s what he said.¡± Whether it made sense or not, that was the answer Abraham gave. Ste still wasn¡¯t sure she believed it herself. Tessa sent another message: ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe it?¡± Ste blinked at her screen. Why don¡¯t I believe it? She nced at Abraham, who was casually flipping through documents on his tablet. She didn¡¯t reply right away. Could she even say it out loud? 69% D X GOND Finished Chapter 565 The Real Cost No. The truth would sting. Finally, she typed: ¡°I just don¡¯t.¡± Because if she was being honest, Victor had been surrounded by foreign women with knockout figures. Tessa didn¡¯t exactly match that. Not to mention the chaotic mess she¡¯d made around Victortely¨Cgrabbing him in all the wrong ces- and still, nothing had ever happened between them. Even after Marie¡¯s ims that Victor didn¡¯t work, Tessa had proven otherwise. And still¡­ nothing. So there was only one exnation: Victor probably didn¡¯t like her that way. When Tessa didn¡¯t respond, Ste hesitated, then sent another message: ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask Victor directly what he wants?¡± This endless guessing wasn¡¯t getting them anywhere. And Tessa didn¡¯t have the energy to keep doing it. If Abraham was right, then she needed to hear it from Victor himself. Tessa read the message and felt a jolt go down her spine. She replied: ¡°How am I supposed to ask?¡± Seriously¨Chow was she supposed to ask something like that? Could you even be subtle with a question like that? If she tried to be vague, it¡¯d just sound clueless. And if she was going to ask¡­ it had to be direct. And that was terrifying. On top of that, hadn¡¯t she already said she¡¯d marry him? She¡¯d already lost her dignity. She¡¯d said she could marry him, fine. But the problem was¨CVictor hadn¡¯t agreed. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 566 Chapter 566 The Direct Way or No Way Now Victor wanted her to be thepensation? What the hell did that even mean? People were impossible to figure out. Just way, way too deep¡­ Ste: ¡°Just ask him directly.¡± Reading that short line made Tessa feel like her entire brain short¨Ccircuited. Seriously? That¡¯s her advice? Suddenly, Ste didn¡¯t seem all that reliable anymore. Finished Wait¨Cwas she ever reliable to begin with? Back in Rivermount, whenever someone tried to y games with her, she just hit back. She was the ssic example of someone who couldn¡¯t be bothered with schemes or mental gymnastics- she¡¯d rather just punch her way through. And this was the person Tessa expected to offer her a clever solution? Another message popped up from Ste: ¡°You got a better idea?¡± Tessa: ¡°Nope!¡± She was desperate to see her mom, but she also had to figure out what Victor wanted from her. It was exhausting. Ste: ¡°Then ask him.¡± Ask him directly? Honestly, consulting Ste had been useless. Her solution was always the same¨Ccut to the chase, no filters. No wonder Lilian lost to her. If Ste had even a slightly more strategic brain, she might¡¯ve gotten yed. But the moment she felt wronged or falsely used, she didn¡¯t argue¨Cshe swung. And now here Tessa was, expecting someone like that to help her think up a good n? Forget it. But on the other hand¡­ she had no better n herself. Tessa felt her head pounding. Knock knock knock. ÈÕ X Chapter 566 The Direct Way or No Way The sound dragged her back to reality. Lewis¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door. ¡°Ms. Tessa, Boss is heading out. You¡¯ll have dinner on your own tonight.¡± Could he stop calling her ¡°Ms. Tessa¡± already? ¡°Got it.¡± Like they¡¯d been eating meals togethertely anyway. She had been avoiding Victor as much as humanly possible, especially around mealtimes. ¡°I need your help with something, by the way.¡± ¡°What help?¡± The moment she heard that, every hair on Tessa¡¯s body stood up. Was it something rted to Victor? If it was, there was no way she was getting involved. Lewis said, ¡°It¡¯s about Boss¡¯s wound- ¡°Stop. I can¡¯t help.¡± She cut him off immediately. Help with Victor¡¯s injury? No chance. Finished ¡°Can¡¯t someone else do it? I really can¡¯t. And I¡¯m still under suspicion as a spy, remember? Don¡¯t ask me to do anything¨CI¡¯m not touching it.¡± Lewis fell silent as she rattled off excuse after excuse. He finally said, ¡°Are you really okay with that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Last time she tried to help with Victor¡¯s injury, it nearly ended in disaster. Everyone treated her like she was cursed. No way was she going through that again. ¡°Alright then. Just don¡¯t forget to eat.¡± Seeing she was that adamant, Lewis didn¡¯t push it. He turned and headed toward Victor¡¯s room. As the footsteps faded, Tessa let out a huge sigh. Oh my God. She really felt like she was going to die of stress. Exp D X Finished Chapter 566 The Direct Way or No Way Ste told her to stay away from Victor¨Cand she¡¯d been trying. Because the minute she got close to him, it turned into either stripping him or some other disaster. Just thest injury incident alone nearly killed him. No matter what happened now, she was going to listen to Ste. No more trouble. At the banquet- By the time Ste arrived, Marie was already there, wearing a ck dress. She didn¡¯t have much choice. Herplexion only worked with ck now¨Cany other color just made her look darker. Seeing Ste, Marie approached quickly. ¡°Little Ste.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you get here first? I thought we were going together.¡± Marie sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t even ask. It was that bastard Derrick.¡± Just saying his name made her blood boil. She couldn¡¯t calm down at all when it came to him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to beat him up?¡± ¡°I did. But it didn¡¯t work.¡± Right now, Marie was beyond frustrated with Derrick. Of course she tried to hit him. She just couldn¡¯t drive him away. As she told Ste all about it, she pulled her toward the food tables. But after just a few steps, Ste¡¯s arm was gently pulled back. She turned around. ¡°Wh¨Cwhat is it?¡± Marie looked at Abraham in confusion. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah. Gonna eat while she vents.¡± Marie had a lot to say about Derrick, and Ste wanted snacks while she listened. Abraham pulled her back. Chapter 566 The Direct Way or No Way 66% X Finished Hisrge hand rested lightly on her slim waist as he said quietly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already eat plenty earlier?¡± There were people everywhere. From the moment they stepped into the room, the entire Dawson family had be the center of attention. Send Gifts 4.4K I The wrong girl 567 Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 567 The Baby of the Family After all these years, what high¨Csociety event didn¡¯t want Abraham to attend? And yet, Abraham rarely showed up to any of them. But today, not only did hee, he even brought Ste Marie with him. That alone said everything about how much respect the host of this eventmanded in Abraham¡¯s eyes. Feeling the weight of everyone¡¯s gaze on her, Ste¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°C¨CCut it out,¡± she whispered. ¡°If I¡¯m not allowed to eat, then fine¨Cjust let me go already.¡± She mumbled under her breath. So stingy. If he doesn¡¯t want me to eat it, then I won¡¯t. Abraham said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go meet the host.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ste replied sweetly. Abraham gave Marie a nce, and she quickly followed. While Abraham wasn¡¯t paying attention, Ste slipped over to her. In a hushed voice, she asked, ¡°Who exactly is this Mr. Bogden? Why¡¯d my brother bring us along?¡± ¡°Not just us¨CMom¡¯s here too,¡± Marie replied. Ste blinked. ¡°Huh? Where?¡± Marie said, ¡°If nothing unexpected happened, she¡¯s probably with Mr. Bogden right now.¡± She actually came? Even Mom was here¡­ That meant this Dawson family, who used to be so¨Cso, had gone through some serious changes. Ste looked at Marie in shock. Marie saw right through her thoughts and said, ¡°The Dawson family¡¯s second son regained power.¡± ¡°Regained power?¡± Ste echoed. That was huge. If Marie was putting it that way, then the Dawson family must¡¯ve paid a steep price and really secured some serious influence. Of course, if he didn¡¯t have that kind of power, Abraham would never give him the time of day. Chapter 567 The Baby of the Family X ¨C Finished Marie added, ¡°He¡¯s the governor of Lindt now.¡± Everything instantly clicked. That¡¯s why Abraham was giving this Mr. Bogden so much attention. Before, they never even interacted. Abraham couldn¡¯t even be bothered to attend these sorts of events. Abraham turned around and saw Ste and Marie¡¯s heads practically glued together. He walked back two steps and pulled Ste over to his side. ¡°Ah! What are you doing?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know all that.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Marie heard Abraham and let out a disdainful snort. ¡°Might as well wrap her in bubble wrap for life.¡± Spoiled rotten. Unlike Abraham, Marie felt there were things Ste needed to know¨Cneeded to experience. After all, their family wasn¡¯t simple. And as the future mistress of two major families, she couldn¡¯t stay a sheltered flower forever. The butler respectfully led Abraham and his group through a winding path until they reached Mr. Bogden¡¯s study. ¡°Mr. Abraham, the master has been expecting you.¡± Abraham gave a slight nod and turned to nce at Abel. Abel understood immediately and handed over the prepared gift box to the butler. ¡°A gift from our young master to Mr. Bogden.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The butler epted it with reverence. As the doors to the study opened, Abraham looked at Marie. ¡°You and Abel wait here.¡± Marie nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± She¡¯d figured they were just here to make an appearance anyway. Abraham reached out and took Ste¡¯s cool hand in his, then led her inside. As the doors shut behind them- Marie couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°He says she¡¯s not a delicate little flower, but here he is parading her around in public.¡± ¨C ? . 64%# 0 X Chapter 567 The Baby of the Family If she really wasn¡¯t a delicate flower, then why was he hiding so much from her? Honestly, in Marie¡¯s eyes, Abraham was overprotective of Ste to the extreme. Finished Abel scratched his nose awkwardly, not daring to respond. Who had the guts to gossip about Abraham? Seeing him go silent, Marie pressed on. ¡°Hey, tell me what exactly happened in Rivermount between Ste and the Keene and Reed families?¡± Now this was something Marie was dying to know. They always said Ste held her own against those two families, but Marie never bought it. Ste was the most sheltered one in the family¨Cif anything, she¡¯d be the one getting bullied. First she wants gossip on Abraham, now it¡¯s Ste? Marie leaned in. ¡°Come on, tell me!¡± Abel let out a cough. He couldn¡¯t hold out under Marie¡¯s pestering and eventually spilled the details of what went down between Ste and Lilian. Everything¨Cbefore and after they arrived in Rivermount. Before? That was two years ago, when Lilian got beaten so badly she fled abroad, plus the fallout from that incident. Marie¡¯s jaw dropped when she heard Ste shoved Lilian¡¯s head underwater and even wrecked Ethan. ¡°Wait¨Care you serious?!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it. Her Ste? That fierce? If anyone dared mess with her, she¡¯d take them down one by one? If they came in pairs, she¡¯d beat them both at once? Just from Abel¡¯s storytelling, even without being there, Marie could feel how earth¨Cshattering it must¡¯ve been. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 568 Chapter 568 The Man with a Death Wish Abel said, ¡°It¡¯s true. Right after Miss Ste hit her, Lilian was hospitalized and diagnosed with a whole bunch of conditions.¡± ¡°A whole bunch?¡± Marie raised an eyebrow. ¡°So she tried to act all fragile and pin the me on my poor Ste?¡± If that were the case, she¡¯d definitely make another trip to Rivermount just to teach Lilian a second lesson. Abel replied, ¡°There was no way to me her. Illness and being beaten up arepletely separate things.¡± lin Marie nodded. ¡°Good point.¡± Abel continued, ¡°But after that, there was a whole series of moves designed to drive a wedge between Miss Ste and the Reed family.¡± Marie snorted. ¡°The Reed family? Who even cares about them? That rtionship was never worth anything to begin with.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s Miss Ste¡¯s attitude too. So afterward, both Ethan and Jonathan got beaten up. Pretty badly.¡± Good. The worse, the better. If it hadn¡¯t been bad enough, she¡¯d have to go finish the job herself. She¡¯d actually been trying to clear her scheduletely to head back to Rivermount and deal a few more blows. But Derrick and Dan, those two damn nuisances, had been keeping her tied up. 11 Just as Marie was about to say more, her phone rang. It was Dan. She declined the call immediately. Speak of the devil. The moment she hung up, he called again. Marie blocked the number without hesitation. Then an unfamiliar number texted her: Want me to wait for you outside the Dawson family estate? This lunatic! She called the number directly. He picked up almost immediately, and she spoke first: ¡°Say it. What do you want?¡± Dan said, ¡°Divorce Derrick. Do it now.¡± Thest three words were practically shouted. 00:21 Tue, Aug 5 ¡ú Chapter 568 The Man with a Death Wish Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ? Divorce Derrick? This lunatic thought he could just order her around? Dan said, ¡°Tomorrow. Ten a.m. I¡¯ll be waiting outside the civil affairs office. If you don¡¯t show¡­¡± He trailed off ominously. Hearing the gritted teeth over the phone, Marie was speechless. Most people give you three days, maybe a week, even a month¡­ 66% X Finished This guy? Probably only because it was nighttime¨Cotherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even give her that. But still¡­ What the hell was he doing waiting outside the civil affairs office if she was divorcing Derrick? ¡°Wait, what are you even doing there?¡± She honestly didn¡¯t understand. Marie felt like her whole world had been tossed into chaostely. Everything these people did came one after another with no rhyme or reason. It was frying her brain. Dan said, ¡°I want to see it with my own eyes.¡± He needed to see them divorce, in person? How much did this man hate her marriage to Derrick? He couldn¡¯t even rx without personally witnessing the end of it? But what made him think he could decide if this marriage ended? With Derrick¡¯s current situation, not only could they not get divorced¨Cif Dan kept stirring the pot, Derrick might just skin him alive. Marie sucked in a breath. ¡°Are you still at the hospital?¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°If you are, tell your people to check if the neurologist is still on shift.¡± ¡°I really think you¡¯ve got a serious brain issue.¡± If his brain worked even slightly, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d say something this ridiculous. Dan growled, ¡°Marie!¡± ¡°Yell all you want. Go get your brain checked. You might even need to bemitted.¡± This man seriously had something wrong upstairs. Marie hung up without another word. 10 ¨C 66% ? X Finished Chapter 568 The Man with a Death Wish She turned to Abel. ¡°My brother had you look into this guy, right?¡± Since Abraham knew about this before she did, he had to have investigated. Abel nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Marie asked, ¡°Was his amnesia real?¡± She¡¯d never really believed Dan¡¯s so¨Ccalled memory loss. Abel hesitated for a moment when she brought it up. After a brief pause, he said, ¡°Mr. Morris¡¯s amnesia was real. But after he left Falvaria, he disappeared for six months. We still don¡¯t know where he went.¡± ¡°Six months gone?¡± Marie echoed. Abel nodded. ¡°Yeah. We haven¡¯t been able to pinpoint where he was during that time.¡± There was spection he¡¯d gone to Mont City, but that turned out to be wrong. So no one really knew where Dan had been during that half¨Cyear. In any case, everything about how he ended up back in Marie¡¯s life seemed suspicious. Marie went silent. Half a year¡­ Disappearing right after leaving Falvaria? That couldn¡¯t be innocent. She thought for a second and looked at Abel again. ¡°What about his death?¡± N 164ANZ If he disappeared for that long, there had to be something shady involved. So was his ¡°death¡± even real? Abel said, ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered, Mr. Morris took a fake¨Cdeath drug at the time. Whether he took it himself or was given it by someone else¡­ that part we still don¡¯t know.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 569 Chapter 569 The Two¨CFaced Scumbag The moment Marie heard the words ¡°death¨Cfeigning drug,¡± she was so furious she could¡¯ve bitten someone. That bastard¡­ ¡°Of course he took it voluntarily. If he didn¡¯t want to, who could¡¯ve forced him to swallow it?¡± That damn loser was such a two¨Cfaced scumbag. Looking back now, there¡¯s no doubt he had an agenda when he got close to her. ¡°Dirty little con artist.¡± Just thinking about it made Marie furious, and her insults only got nastier. When Abel heard her call Dan a ¡°dirty little con artist,¡± his eyes lit up. ¡°Ahem.¡± Now that was a creative insult. Marie was so pissed she didn¡¯t notice Abel¡¯s awkward reaction. Edic And the more she cursed Dan, the more fired up she got. ¡°How did I not see what a scheming little bastard he was back then? He put on such a convincing act¨Cway slicker than any other two¨Cfaced dirtbag out there. Unbelievable. I actually let a pretentious piece of trash like him pull the wool over my eyes.¡± Her fury only grew with every word. 775 ¨C ¨C Abel silently listened to her say things like ¡°dirty little con artist,¡± ¡°two¨Cfaced,¡± and ¡°pretentious,¡± with nothing to add. ## Lesson learned¨Cif you¡¯re a guy, your character better be solid. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get dragged so hard they¡¯ll forget you¡¯re even a man. Ste stepped out just in time to hear Marie cursing Dan. Lately, if Marie had a spare moment, she was either cursing out Derrick or Dan. As far as she was concerned, both of them were dogs. When she saw Ste, Marie finally calmed down a bit. ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡¯s Abraham?¡± ¡°He had something to discuss privately with Mr. Bogden.¡± Ste answered politely. But as soon as Marie heard the word ¡°discuss,¡± she grabbed Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go find a ce to sit. We¡¯re not standing here any longer.¡± 66% X **Finished Chapter 569 The Two Faced Scumbag The food area was getting crowded, and Marie worried Ste might get jostled. She couldn¡¯t afford anything happening to her right now. She led Ste to the lounge and said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go get you something to cat.¡± After all, they hadn¡¯t let her eat anything at hometely. Before Ste could respond, Marie had already turned and walked off. Ste sat on the couch and tugged her coat a little tighter. The room was warm enough, but ever since she got pregnant, she couldn¡¯t help feeling cold. She still had Abraham¡¯s scarf wrapped around her neck¨Che¡¯d taken it off and given it to her earlier. A waiter came over and offered her a ss of water. Ste took it. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Would you like something to eat, miss? The food area is just over there.¡± Ste replied, ¡°No, thanks. My sister went to get something for me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The waiter bowed slightly and walked away respectfully. Left alone, Ste looked at the ss in her hand. After a second, she set it down without drinking and pulled out her phone. Tessa had messaged her: ¡°Ste, remember when I said I¡¯d marry Victor and he didn¡¯t even say yes? So why did I end up as the reward?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s just after my body? Like, not even nning to take responsibility?¡± Ugh¡­ That line of reasoning made her already¨Cmuddled brain even foggier. To be honest, she had no idea what had gone on between Victor and Tessa while they were living together. So when she saw that line-¡°just after my body¡°-Ste couldn¡¯t help twitching at the corners of her mouth. She replied: ¡°I don¡¯t think Victor¡¯s just after your body.¡± Tessa responded quickly: ¡°Why not?¡± Ste: ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t know.¡± If she told the truth, she¡¯d offend someone. But if she sugarcoated it, she didn¡¯t know how to phrase it. Easier not to say anything. Tessa: ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯ve got a bad body? Or I¡¯m not pretty?¡± Even when Ste stayed silent, Tessa just had to keep digging. 66% 0 X ¨C Finished Chapter 569 The Two¨CFaced Scumbag Ste rubbed her forehead, then typed: ¡°Compared to the women Victor¡¯s been with before? Yeah.¡± See? That shut it down. Just as Ste was about to type another message, she overheard voices nearby talking about her. Woman A: ¡°Hey, did you hear about the Dawson family¡¯s adopted daughter and Abraham? Why would Mrs. Lorette approve of that? She practically raised her¨Ccalls her her daughter. And now she¡¯s okay with her being with her own son?¡± Hearing them gossip about the Dawson family¨Cand herself¨CSte¡¯s face darkened. She suddenly remembered what Ethan had said on the phone. Besides the Dawson family, look how many people are criticizing you. Not everyone can ept the kind of rtionship you have with Abraham. He was right¡­ Even in a ce as open¨Cminded as Falvaria, this kind of rtionship wasn¡¯t universally epted. Of course people would talk behind her back. The two women sat down on a nearby sofa. Woman B added, ¡°If you ask me, forget adopted daughter¨Cwhat if she¡¯s actually Evelyn¡¯s illegitimate child from some affair?¡± Woman A: ¡°What? No way¡­¡± The wrong girl 570 Chapter 570 The ss Wasn¡¯t Cold Enough The woman from earlier soundedpletely stunned. Finished Woman B said, ¡°Well, what other exnation is there for how supportive she is? Poor Mr. Dawson¡­ we still don¡¯t even know if what was reported about his death three years ago is the truth.¡± Woman A added, ¡°Now that you mention it, that actually makes a lot of sense. The Dawson family had ns to marry Abraham into the family¨CMelissa liked him all the way back in high school. But in the end, the adopted little sister got there first just because she lived under the same roof.¡± Woman B: ¡°Well, she¡¯s probably the real daughter. What if Abraham was the one who got adopted? You didn¡¯t see how much Mrs. Lorette doted on that girl. She used to pick her up from school herself.¡± Woman A: ¡°Then poor Mr. Dawson really married a piece of work. Back when Mr. Dawson was still alive, I remember hearing rumors that Evelyn was having a thing with someone.¡± There weren¡¯t many people around in that part of the venue. So the two of them spoke freely, growing bolder by the minute, even whispering nasty gossip about the entire Dawson family. Ste narrowed her eyes and calmly slipped her phone back into her bag. Then she stood, picked up the ss of water she hadn¡¯t touched earlier- And walked straight toward them. The two women were still deep in their gossip,pletely unaware that Ste was approaching. Meanwhile, Marie returned carrying food- And saw Ste dump the entire ss of water straight onto one of the women¡¯s heads. She realized then¡­ she¡¯d been wrong. Her sweet little Ste wasn¡¯t some fragile flower in a greenhouse. The water was still warm. The woman yelped the second it hit her scalp. ¡°Ahhh¨Cwho do you think you are?! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Both women turned at once. The one who got soaked recognized Ste immediately. Her lips quivered. ¡°Y¨CYou¡­.¡± Guilt hit her hard, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. Everyone in Falvaria knew not to mess with the Dawson family¨Cespecially not someone like Ste. The other woman didn¡¯t recognize her¨Cprobably had only ever heard the name in idle gossip. Without hesitation, she shoved her drenched friend behind her and snapped, ¡°Are you insane or something?!¡± O X Chapter 570 The ss Wasn¡¯t Cold Enough Ste slowly lifted her eyes. She locked gazes with the woman¨Cher expression calm, but icy cold. Finished Then, without a word, she raised the now¨Cempty ss and smashed it against the woman¡¯s cheek with a crack. A muffled thud echoed through the lounge as it connected with her cheekbone. The woman grunted in pain, clutching her face and copsing to the floor. ¡°You psycho! What the hell is wrong with you? I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Still dazed, the woman behind her hadn¡¯t moved. But the one who¡¯d just taken a hit suddenly lunged at Ste. The moment she got close, Ste hiked up her dress and kicked her square in the stomach. Caught off guard, the woman doubled over in agony. ¡°Ahhh! You crazy bitch! I swear I¡¯ll kill you! Do you even know who my dad is?!¡± Ste answered coolly, ¡°Go ahead. Tell me. Save me the trouble of looking you upter.¡± Her voice was darker than ever. She knew some people would always look down on her and Abraham¡¯s rtionship. But dragging her mother and father¡¯s names through the mud? That she would not tolerate. ¡°You¡­ What the hell even are you?!¡± The woman on the ground struggled to her feet and lunged again. She had never been humiliated like this in her life. Her face throbbed painfully¨Cit was probably already swelling. But just as she got close to Ste again, another kick mmed into her stomach. ¡°Ahhh!¡± This time, it was Marie. The moment she saw someone trying to hit Ste, she didn¡¯t hesitate¨Ccharged straight in and kicked the woman away before asking a single question. And that wasn¡¯t all. The te of food in her hands? She hurled that too. Already bruised from Ste¡¯s ss to the cheek, the woman now took a full tter to the forehead. Her head spun, and she let out a guttural moan¨Cnot a scream, but a raw cry of pain. ¡°Ughhh!¡± Marie immediately pulled Ste behind her. The woman who¡¯d been sshed with water finally snapped out of her daze. Her pupils shrank when she saw Marie. 10 X Finished Chapter 570 The ss Wasn¡¯t Cold Enough. ¡°Ms. Marie¡­¡± Marie raised her head slightly and looked down at the disheveled mess in front of her. It was obvious which one had picked a fight with Ste. Two women like this hanging out together? Of course they were gossiping. ¡°Well?¡± Marie¡¯s voice was low and cold. ¡°What exactly were you talking about just now?¡± The woman on the ground had just started to push herself up¨Cbut the moment she heard ¡°Ms. Marie,¡± her body froze. Her face turned pale as chalk, and she sank right back down. The one who¡¯d been drenched felt her heart leap into her throat under Marie¡¯s icy gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¨Cit was all our fault. We couldn¡¯t keep our mouths shut. We deserved it.¡± As she spoke, she started pping her own face. There was no way she could repeat what they¡¯d been saying¨Cnot in front of Marie. If she did, their families could kiss their reputations goodbye. Ste stepped out from behind Marie with a sneer. ¡°They said I¡¯m my mom¡¯s illegitimate child¡­ and that Abraham was the one who got adopted.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K ? The wrong girl 571 Chapter 571 Not Every Apology Is Enough Finished The moment the name ¡°Abraham¡± was mentioned, the crowd that had gathered nearby collectively gasped. Many of them had onlye to check out themotion, but the second they realized someone from the Dawson family was involved, they knew better than to speak casually. Now that they¡¯d heard what the two women had actually said, they couldn¡¯t believe how reckless they were. Sure enough, Marie¡¯s gaze turned even darker after hearing Ste¡¯s words. The woman trembled under Marie¡¯s re. ¡°Ms. Marie, we¡­ we really know we were wrong. We really do. We¡¯re so sorry. So, so sorry.¡± She kept repeating it over and over. But Marie didn¡¯t look at her¨Cshe looked at Ste instead. ¡°Ste.¡± Ste¡¯s face was cold and unreadable. She clearly wasn¡¯t buying their apology. And how could she? If it had been some other nder, maybe she would¡¯ve let it slide. But when it came to the Dawson family, she had zero tolerance. When Abraham and Abel arrived, they heard Ste say, ¡°Not every mistake can be erased with a simple sorry.¡± Her voice was chilly, dangerous. She went on, ¡°We¡¯re all adults here. Some mistakese with consequences.¡± To Ste, the Dawson family and the Luke family were sacred ground. Anyone who dared cross that line¨Cshe wasn¡¯t going to let it slide. ¡°Tie a rope long enough and it can still be knotted. But a tongue? Guess it¡¯s too slippery to tie, huh? If you had the guts to run your mouth, then why not have the guts to stand by it?¡± A mocking voice rose from the crowd. The two women turned toward it, shooting daggers with their eyes. Ste and Marie followed their gaze- And the moment Ste saw who it was, she froze. It was Reba. She was standing with her arm linked through that of a Falvarian man, staring down the two gossips with contempt. ¡°What, still ying tough? Guess you weren¡¯t all that sincere about apologizing, were you?¡± 123 66% D X Finished Chapter 571 Not Every Apology Is Enough That one line-¡°not sincere¡°-made their faces turn even paler. In front of the Dawson family, who would dare to fake remorse? Reba met Ste¡¯s eyes and offered her a kind smile. Ste¡¯s lips curved faintly in return. Marie snorted. ¡°Seems thatdy was right. You weren¡¯t really sorry after all. In that case¡­ ¡°Ms. Marie, we really were!¡± one of them cried. ¡°Please¨Cyou¡¯re a bigger person, don¡¯t drag our families into this.¡± Even the one who had tried to hit Ste now looked panicked. Marie replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be begging.¡± Not her? All eyes shifted toward Ste again. But this time, the two women felt something bitter rising in their chests. Especially considering Ste was just an adopted daughter¨Cat least, that¡¯s what they¡¯d thought. They figured she¡¯d eventually be used as a pawn in a political marriage for the Luke family. Who would¡¯ve guessed she¡¯d end up with Abraham¨Cthe very man who had helped raise her? That would make her the most powerful woman in all of Falvaria. The same girl they used to look down on¡­ the one they¡¯d been waiting to see fall from grace¡­ Now- Marie saw them hesitate and immediately understood what was going on in their heads. Furious, she stepped forward and kicked one of them hard. The sudden pain snapped them out of their thoughts. Both quickly turned to Ste and apologized. ¡°Ms. Ste, we¡¯re so sorry. Truly, we are.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes glinted coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of that ¡®Ms. Ste.¡°¡± A moment ago, they had mocked her for being nothing more than an adopted daughter. If they¡¯d only talked about her, she might¡¯ve let it go. But they had dragged her mother¨Cand Abraham- into it. Ste gave the woman a freezing stare. The woman¡¯s whole body went cold under that gaze. ¡°N¨CNo¡­ of course you are. Everyone in Falvaria knows you¡¯re the Dawson family¡¯s little princess.¡± 213 X Finished Chapter 571 Not Every Apology is Enough Ste let out a short, sarcasticugh. Just then, an arm slipped around her shoulders and gently pulled her in. She turned and met Abraham¡¯s steely eyes. He didn¡¯t say a word to the women. He just looked away and tilted his head. ¡°Abel.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Abel stepped forward at once. Abraham said only one thing: ¡°Take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± With that, Abraham wrapped his arm around Ste and led her away. The two women went ghostly pale as they realized what had just happened. Even after Abraham and Ste were long gone, they were still frozen in ce¨Ctoo stunned to even beg for mercy. Meanwhile, Reba leaned closer to the man beside her. ¡°What a letdown. I was hoping they¡¯d actually start swinging.¡± Her voice dripped with sarcasm. After all that trash talk behind people¡¯s backs, they didn¡¯t even have enough backbone to stand their ground. Cowards, the both of them. Danny let out a smallugh and patted the back of her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Reba nodded and nced onest time at the two women who looked like they wanted to eat her alive. She responded with an even more vicious smile. Once everyone was gone- The two women slowly got up, trembling. The one who got soaked turned to the other and hissed, ¡°This is all your fault! Why¡¯d you have to drag me into gossiping about the Dawson family?!¡± Send Gifts 4.4K ?? The wrong girl 572 Chapter 572 The Price of Responsibility D X ¨C Finished ¡°Hello? How is this all my fault? You were gossiping right along with me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who started it. My dad was right¨CI should¡¯ve never gotten close to someone like you. You¡¯re gonna get me killed!¡± The two women immediately turned on each other. Within moments, security arrived and escorted both of them out¨Cjust as they were about to physically fight. Meanwhile, Abraham was about to leave with Ste. His expression was stormy. When Mr. Bogden heard what had happened, he rushed over and pulled Abraham aside, frantically trying to exin before things escted. Marie stood with Ste off to the side and huffed, ¡°Those two nasty women¡­ If this weren¡¯t the Bogden family¡¯s event, I would¡¯ve ripped them apart.¡± Ste said, ¡°What you did just now was pretty much the same as ripping them apart.¡± Considering what had happened, it kind of was. Marie looked her up and down. ¡°You really held your own, Ste. Guess all those things I taught you over the years didn¡¯t go to waste.¡± She had clearly seen everything¨CSte lifting her skirt and kicking, smashing the ss into that woman¡¯s face. Abel had once told her that Ste had beaten up Jonathan and Ethan back in Rivermount, and she hadn¡¯t believed him. She couldn¡¯t even imagine Steying a hand on anyone. But now she had witnessed it herself. ¡°You were seriously badass.¡± Not at all like the soft, delicate little Ste she was used to. Bzz bzz bzz¨CMarie¡¯s phone suddenly buzzed just as she was about to shower Ste with more praise. ¡°I¡¯ll get this.¡± She stepped away to answer but didn¡¯t go far. After what had just happened with those two women, she wasn¡¯t about to take her eyes off Ste again. As soon as Marie answered her call, Ste saw Reba walking toward her. H Tue, Aug 66% 0 X Chapter 572 The Price of Responsibility Danny, the man who had been with her earlier, was nowhere to be seen. Ste recognized him. What Reba was doing with Danny, she had no idea, Finished Five minutester¡ª Ste and Reba stood together in the garden outside the Bogden estate. Reba looked at her and said, ¡°I took all of Jonathan¡¯s money.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t care. It had nothing to do with her. ¡°Wanna split some of it?¡± Uh¡­ What was that supposed to mean? She wanted to give her money? Reba looked directly at Ste¡¯s stunned face. ¡°Come on, I know everything. The Reed family treated you like trash.¡± ¡°When you moved back in those two years, they didn¡¯t even give you basic living expenses. They gave it all to that Lilian.¡± Ste felt surprisingly little as Reba recounted what the Reeds had done to her. Maybe it was because she¡¯d never really cared about them. They were outsiders from the start. And what outsiders did never mattered. Ste asked, ¡°How do you know they treated me badly?¡± ¡°Jonathan. Every time he went to Nightfall, he¡¯d go on and on with his loser friends about how difficult you were, and what kind of punishments the family gave you.¡± Reba¡¯s tone was full of disdain now whenever she mentioned Jonathan. That tone. That expression. Like she had never once respected him. No wonder she had walked away from him so easily. Ste cleared her throat. ¡°So¡­ that baby¨Cwas it really Jonathan¡¯s?¡± know.¡± ¡°Of course it is. Why else would I take all his money? I¡¯ve still got some basic integrity, you know.¡± What kind of integrity was that, exactly? Aug Chapter 572 The Price of Responsibility 66% X Finished Maybe it was the pregnancy, but her brain felt foggy. She couldn¡¯t quite keep up with the logic of this conversation. Especially when Reba started talking about her ¡°principles.¡± Ste just didn¡¯t get it. Reba noticed her silence. ¡°Anyway, do you want it or not?¡± ¡°Want what?¡± ¡°The money. I¡¯m offering you a cut. Reed family money.¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± What kind of offer was that? She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Do you really think I need money right now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. But it¡¯s different when it¡¯s the Reed family¡¯s money. Think of it as payback¨Cwhat they owe you.¡± Back when she was working at Nightfall, she¡¯d heard Jonathan say all kinds of things about how Lilian was his real sister, and how he had to protect her. Reba had heard it all. Ste asked, ¡°So back then¡­ you actually liked Jonathan?¡± ¡°I liked him?¡± Reba¡¯s face twisted like she¡¯d just swallowed a fly. Ste: ¡°¡­¡± But you¡¯re pregnant. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­? Seeing the look on her face, Reba said, ¡°You actually believed those rumors?¡± The ones that imed Reba had used the baby to climb the socialdder¨Cand failed. Susan had evene to confront her multiple times, totally losing her temper each time. Reba said, ¡°Who would ever like someone like him? If anything, I liked his bank ount.¡± Ste: ¡°His money?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was broke. The baby was an ident, but once I had it, I took responsibility. That¡¯s all.¡± Send Gifts ¡£ 4.4K The wrong girl 573 Chapter 573 For People Like Us, Love Is a Luxury ¡°Of course. If someone¡¯s going to take responsibility, it¡¯s gotta be Jonathan. No way I¡¯m letting him off easy.¡± This woman really was clear¨Cheaded. She had never actually liked Jonathan¨Cwhat she liked was his money. And she wasn¡¯t shy about admitting it. Most people wouldn¡¯t dare say something like that. Ste didn¡¯t respond right away. Reba gave a dryugh. ¡°What? Think I¡¯m pathetic? I get it. People like me are just ants crawling on the ground. Girls like you, born in the clouds, would never understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look down on you,¡± Ste said calmly. Not everyone was dealt the same hand in life. If she hadn¡¯t met the Dawson family, if she¡¯d been born into a different home, who¡¯s to say she would¡¯ve been this lucky? Reba smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you do. I started working when I was fourteen. I¡¯ve done everything- waiting tables, handing out flyers, working retail. You name it, I¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°Later, I found out bartending paid more, so I went for it. Morality doesn¡¯t mean much when you¡¯re broke.¡± For some reason, she just kept talking to Ste. Ste listened silently without interrupting. Until Reba started talking about her rtionship with Jonathan. Ste cut her off. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I already know¨CJonathan¡¯s a piece of trash.¡± Reba paused¡­ then chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right. He really is.¡± Her voice was emotionless now when she mentioned him. Maybe she¡¯d meant it all along¨Cshe was never after Jonathan himself. Just his money. Wonder how Jonathan would feel if he ever found out. Probably pathetic. Ste asked, ¡°You and Danny¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡± That answered her question. ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Married?!¡± 00:22 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 573 For People Like Us, Love Is a Luxury Reba nodded. ¡°Danny says he¡¯ll love me forever. Says he¡¯ll protect me and Pete forever.¡± Pete¨Cher son. Technically, that made him Ste¡¯s nephew. Hearing Reba repeat Danny¡¯s promise, Ste didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Do you believe him?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Reba replied tly. Ste frowned. ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Danny has status, money. It¡¯s good enough.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s about money again?¡± Reba fell silent. She pulled a cigarette case from her purse, lit one, and took a long drag. Ste studied her carefully. From the side, she looked¡­ almost sad. 66% X Finished Then Reba said, ¡°Love¡¯s a luxury for people like you. People like us don¡¯t have time to fall in love.¡± ¡°All we can talk about is money. Because¡­¡± She paused, then looked straight at Ste. ¡°Because we¡¯ve been poor for too long.¡± Those words stirred something in Ste. She couldn¡¯t fully understand what Reba meant, but she could feel the weight behind it. Reba smoked the cigarette down to the filter. Then she pulled a card from her purse and handed it to Ste. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ste asked. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± She didn¡¯t need the money. Reba smirked. ¡°What, you think it¡¯s dirty?¡± ¡°No.¡± It wasn¡¯t that. It was just¡­ from everything Reba had said, Ste could tell she needed it more. ¡°Then take it,¡± Reba insisted. ¡°It was meant for you anyway.¡± 213 Chapter 573 For People Like Us, Love Is a Luxury ÈÕ When she¡¯d gotten the money from Jonathan, she had set a portion aside for Ste. She¡¯d originally nned to give it to her back in Rivermount. But something hade up, and the opportunity slipped away. Now that they were both in Falvaria, she figured¨Cwhy not now? Ste frowned. ¡°Meant for me? Why would you go out of your way to help me?¡± They¡¯d barely crossed paths before, barely exchanged a word. Reba didn¡¯t answer immediately. X Finished Her mind shed back to a night she didn¡¯t want to remember¨Cwhen she¡¯d thought she was about to be assaulted by a group of thugs. But then a beer bottle had crashed nearby, scaring them off. A warm coat was wrapped around her shoulders¡­ it smelled nice. It felt safe. She said nothing. Just stepped forward and pushed the card into Ste¡¯s hand.. Before Ste could react, she turned and walked away. Ste instinctively moved to chase after her and return it. But the moment she looked up and saw Reba¡¯s retreating back, she froze. There was something deeply lonely in it. ¡°Ste!¡± She turned to see Marie striding toward her. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Marie scolded. ¡°What if you ran into another pair of gossiping witches?¡± Even though Ste had handled herself well earlier, Marie still worried. To the Dawson family, Ste was still their baby¨Csomeone who always needed protection. They couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her getting hurt. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Ste said. ¡°If I run into more trash like them, I¡¯ll just hit back. Besides, after what happened in there, who¡¯s gonna have the nerve to run their mouth now?¡± Send Gifts 4.4K ( The wrong girl 574 Chapter 574 The Kind of Love You Don¡¯t Share Themotion inside had been loud enough to catch everyone¡¯s attention¨Cespecially since those two women had been bawling their eyes out as they got kicked out. Bottom line, Ste had made another ssh tonight. By morning, the rumors would surely be flying: she really was being treasured by the Dawson family. Abraham came out, and when Marie spotted him, she called out, ¡°Abraham.¡± Ste turned around too¨Cand saw him. Without saying a word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They had just taken two steps when a woman called from behind them. ¡°Abraham.¡± They both stopped. Abraham turned slightly¨Cand the woman was already walking up behind him. ¡°You should reconsider my father¡¯s proposal. It¡¯d benefit her too.¡± Her? Ste turned around. And there she was¨Cthe woman the two gossips had mentioned earlier. Melissa. From what they¡¯d said, Melissa had liked Abraham since high school. Ste knew her, of course. Back then, Melissa used to always try to get close to her. But she only managed it a handful of times¨Cprobably because Abraham eventually shut that down. Ste looked over at Abraham, just in time to see his gaze darken. ¡°And her benefit requires this kind of deal?¡± Melissa stiffened. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t shown up tonight, maybe I would¡¯ve considered it. But now¡­¡± He trailed off. Beneath his cold lids, his eyes sharpened into something dangerous. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± The words dropped like ice. D X Chapter 574 The Kind of Love You Don¡¯t Share Melissa¡¯s face instantly fell. Abraham didn¡¯t wait another second. He pulled Ste in and walked away. Finished Melissa stood there, watching his retreating back¨Cwatching the woman he held so tightly in his arms. A flicker of resentment shed in her eyes. Marie came over, stopping beside Melissa and letting out a coldugh. ¡°The Bogden family must be losing their touch. Thinking they can trade women and feelings for political leverage? Ridiculous.¡± Melissa drew in a slow breath and turned to Marie. ¡°You know what she was in Rivermount. If we¡¯re foolish, then the Dawson family¡¯s not all that bright either.¡± She didn¡¯t say it outright, but her meaning was clear: with Ste¡¯s background, if the Dawson family ever faced something like what happened three years ago, she¡¯d be no help at all. Marie got the message. She sneered. ¡°Only weak men sacrifice their marriages for the sake of their family. You think my one of them?¡± As soon as they got in, Ste scooted to one side and stared stubbornly out the window. She didn¡¯t say anything, but Abraham could tell¨Cshe was upset. ¡°Ste.¡± His voice was low and rough. She kept her face turned to the window, refusing to answer. brother¡¯s The banquet hadn¡¯t been long, but it had sure been eventful. Those two women¡­ what they¡¯d said reflected more than just idle gossip. And then there was Melissa. She hadn¡¯t said much, but Ste had heard enough to know¨Cever since the Bogden family¡¯s second son became governor of Lindt, Melissa still hadn¡¯t given up on Abraham. Abraham watched her silently for a second, then reached over and pulled her into hisp. ¡°Jealous?¡± Ste pouted. ¡°Did you have any contact with Melissa in thest two years?¡± Her voice was soft and grumbly. The air in the car was practically filled with the scent of jealousy. She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it. Other women would probably be scared to act this way in front of Abraham¨Cworried they¡¯de across as petty or immature. But Ste? 0 ¨C X Finished Chapter 574 The Kind of Love You Don¡¯t Share Every bit of her annoyance was written all over her face. Abraham took her chin between his fingers and kissed her¨Chard. ¡°Mm¨Clet go¡­¡± She squirmed, trying to avoid him, but his warm palm slid behind her head, holding her in ce. The kiss was fierce, but tender. Gradually, Ste melted into it. By the time she was breathless, Abraham finally let her go. His voice was hoarse,ced with a dangerous kind of charm. ¡°You little brat. Still haven¡¯t learned.¡± One kiss and she was practically out of air. Ste sulked and snuggled into his arms, rubbing against his chest. Abraham pressed a hand gently against her head. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± His body temperature was rising fast. ¡°You¡¯re scolding me again,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He ran his hand affectionately through her hair. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± His voice, in that moment, was unbelievably soft. Ste froze for a second. Abraham¡¯s love had always been possessive, overwhelming¨Clike a mountain, strong and immovable. Sweet words were rare from him. Even when it came to her. Just then, her little temper faded like a puff of smoke. ¡°And you and Melissa?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°What about her and me?¡± Abraham said. ¡°But¡­ they said the Bogden family wanted you to marry her.¡± She pouted again. Ste had never been good at hiding things. If something was bothering her, it always showed up on her face. ????? The wrong girl 575 Chapter 575 The Price of Underestimating Her 1 D X Finished She either said things outright- Or didn¡¯t bother saying them at all. Abraham listened to her soft, jealous voice and chuckled. ¡°And who are ¡®they¡®? You think I take orders from them?¡± In Falvaria, there really wasn¡¯t anyone who could tell the Dawson family what to do. Ste stayed silent. Abraham pulled her slightly out of his embrace and pinched her cheek. ¡°You, huh¡­¡± Ste pressed, ¡°So has Melissa gotten close to you at all over the years?¡± She just couldn¡¯t getfortable with it. In the front seat, Abel was doing everything he could not to burst outughing as he listened to Ste interrogate Abraham. He was this close to giving himself an internal injury. Honestly, in all of Falvaria, who besides Ste would dare talk to Abraham like that? Then again, only Ste had been raised like a precious treasure in his arms. ¡°She never had the chance,¡± Abraham replied patiently¨Cand truthfully. Abel chimed in from the front, ¡°Miss, I promise¨Cthere hasn¡¯t been a single woman around Abraham all these years.¡± If you had to count females that had gotten close, it was maybe a mosquito or two, Ste huffed. ¡°Hmph!¡± Her expression was full of proud little annoyance. She was clearly still mad about Melissa. Abraham gently rested her head against his chest and said to Abel, ¡°Call the Bogden family. Tell them whatever extra terms they mentioned¨Cforget it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Extra terms? That meant additional benefits outside the formal deal. The kind of perks that weren¡¯t publicly acknowledged¨Cusually split between the parties. Abraham didn¡¯t care about them. But to the Bogden family¡¯s second son, those unspoken perks were a huge win. Abraham¡¯s words now meant: this is official business only. Tue, ¡± X ¨C Chapter 575 The Price of Underestimating Her #Finished If it was official business, no one dared drag their feet. But Mr. Bogden¡¯s special perks? Those were gone. Ste blinked. ¡°What extra terms?¡± She didn¡¯t get it. Abraham replied, ¡°Little kids shouldn¡¯t ask too many questions.¡± Little kid again? She was going to be the mother of his child, and he still treated her like a kid. Then Abraham added to Abel, ¡°Melissa is not to appear in front of us again.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± What he meant was not in front of this demon, right? The Bogden family had totally shot themselves in the foot. If Melissa had just stayed quiet, they would¡¯ve gained so much more. Abraham added, ¡°Also, reach out to the Charlie family.¡± Abel was stunned. He was really¡­ switching partners? Then again, the Bogden family had asked for way too much this time. They even had the nerve to suggest a marriage alliance. A marriage alliance might¡¯ve been fine¨Cif it didn¡¯t involve Abraham himself. But if something involved Ste, Abraham never cared about cost or benefit. He¡¯d taken tonight¡¯s banquet seriously enough to bring Ste with him¨Cand these people still didn¡¯t get the message? He¡¯d been giving them too much face. They actually thought it meant his face came in extrarge. Back at the Dawson estate- Evelyn had returned first. When she saw Ste and Abraham walk in, her expression wasn¡¯t great. ¡°Mom,¡± Ste greeted. Evelyn turned to the butler behind her. ¡°Take care of it.¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He headed off. 00:23 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 575 The Price of Underestimating Her Evelyn looked at Ste. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just crush that woman at the banquet?¡± Huh? That¡­ 0 66% X Finished Maybe she¡¯d been away from the Dawson family too long¨Clong enough to forget how they handled things. Evelyn stepped forward, took Ste¡¯s hand, and gently patted the back of it. ¡°Ste, the mistress of the Dawson family can¡¯t afford to be weak.¡± ¡°1¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s one thing not to be bullied. But beyond that¡­¡± Her voice paused briefly, then her tone sharpened. ¡°You have to make people fear you.¡± Ste froze for a second. Then nodded. ¡°I understand, Mom.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Evelyn gave a satisfied nod, then looked at Abraham. ¡°So the Bogden family is really out?¡± Mr. Bogden had juste into power. There was a lot going on behind the scenes he hadn¡¯t fully grasped yet. If they stepped in now, they could gain more. Abraham tugged off his tie and handed it to Ste with a casual ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn nced at Ste as she took the tie, and her irritation toward Melissa grew. Everything had been clearly stated. But the Bogden family had still harbored thoughts like that? In that case, forget dinner. Might as well break the whole table while they were at it. ¡°You take Ste upstairs to rest. I¡¯ve still got some things to handle.¡± Ste looked at her, then at Abraham. Abraham gave a nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He took her hand and led her upstairs. Only after they reached their room did Ste finally ask, ¡°It¡¯s sote¨Cwhat else does Mom have to take care of?¡± It was nearly 11 p.m. Was she really heading out again? The wrong girl 576 Chapter 576 Stay Thirsty, My Friend Abraham said, ¡°Yeah. About us.¡± ¡°Us? What about us?¡± He nced at her, lips curving slightly. ¡°With people talking about us like that, do you think Mom would just let it go?¡± Hearing that, a rush of warmth passed through her chest. Abraham gently squeezed her hand, thinking back to what she¡¯d said at the banquet. She¡¯d shed with those two women because they¡¯d dragged his mother¨Cand him¨Cinto their gossip. And she¡­ she¡¯d refused to back down even a little when it came to their rtionship. ¡°Hey¨Cwhat are you doing¡­?¡± Ste had already grabbed her pajamas and was about to head into the bathroom when she saw Abraham following her in. She reacted quickly, blocking him with both hands. Abraham nced at the clothes in her arms, the smile on his face deepening. ¡°Let¡¯s shower together.¡± Ste refused no matter what. But up against Abraham, how could she possibly win? An hourter¡­ Her face was beet red. She let Abraham dry her hair for her while pouting at him in the mirror. Once it was dry, he leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear. ¡°What¡¯s with that look, Ste? You not satisfied?¡± Satisfied? How could she be? The whole time, it was all about him¡­. She was going crazy. Seriously¨Chow had she not realized just how bad this man could be? Sniffling, Ste red at him in the mirror, eyes full ofint. Abraham met her look and smiled wickedly. ¡°So¡­ should we-¡± ¡°Stop. Mom said for the first three months, you¡¯re not allowed toy a finger on me.¡± He grabbed her little hand and lifted her up into his arms, carrying her straight toward the bed. He¡¯d just showered, and his entire body was still burning hot. 00:23 Tue, Aug 5 X Finished Chapter 576 Stay Thirsty, My Friend ¡°What¨Cwhat are you doing?¡± she stammered. Abraham set her down and immediately picked up his phone, dialing Eddie. It connected quickly. On the other end, Eddie¡¯s voice was tired, dry, and absolutely lifeless: ¡°What do you want?¡± Time zone difference¨CEddie¡¯s side was still daytime. Abraham: ¡°Can I trust your medical opinion?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Pregnant women. First trimester. Really a no¨Cgo?¡± Eddie, at that moment, was standing in the middle of endless dunes. All sand. Layer uponyer. As far as the eye could see¨Cnothing but destion. He looked down at his water bottle, barely one¨Cthird full. This wasn¡¯t thirst. This was capital¨CT Thirst. So thirsty he didn¡¯t even dare drink more than a sip at a time. And yet Abraham was out here¡­ living his best life. That thought alone made Eddie¡¯s frustration morph into a devilish grin. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Just two words. If Abraham was suffering from thirst? Then suffer they would¨Ctogether. Especially now that Eddie¡¯s stomach let out a loud gurgle. That made it worse. What kind of godforsaken ce was this? Nothing to eat, barely anything to drink, and don¡¯t even talk about sleeping. Abraham: ¡°Don¡¯te back for the next year.¡± Eddie: ¡°Abraham, you son of a-¡± Beep. Beep. Beep. The call cut off before he could even finish cursing. Eddie stared at the phone, fuming. He wanted nothing more than to go back and beat the hell out of Abraham. Too bad that wasn¡¯t an option. He couldn¡¯t beat him. The longer Eddie thought about everything he¡¯d endured over the past few days, the more furious he became. Sure, this mission was important¨Cbut why the hell did he have to be the one sent? Still boiling, he picked up his phone and texted Ste. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around with the pregnancy. Don¡¯t let Abraham push his luck.¡± 274 00:23 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 576 Stay Thirsty, My Friend Yeah. Let¡¯s all suffer together, X Finished Then, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he followed up with a second text. ¡°Actually, make that the entire None of it¡¯s allowed.¡± pregnancy. Let¡¯s see how long Abrahamsts. With a woman in his arms but nothing to touch? Let him stew in it. Let him explode from frustration. He had thising. This was madness. Absolute madness¡­ ¡°Dr. Eddie, we need to move.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Eddie stood up from the sand. His mouth was so dry it hurt. He grabbed the bottle, about to chug- But stopped himself. Took a tiny sip. ¡°How long till the next waypoint?¡± ¡°About half a day. Really sorry, Dr. Eddie. Took the wrong turn and made you suffer for it.¡± Took the wrong turn? Seriously? Because of that wrong turn, what should¡¯ve been a three¨Chour trip had be an all¨Cday march. And the car broke down halfway, too. Thinking about it made Eddie even thirstier. He clutched the water bottle tighter. So unreliable. This whole thing was a mess. He¡¯d barely taken a few steps when his phone buzzed again. Abel. Eddie¡¯s blood pressure spiked just seeing Abraham¡¯s right¨Chand man on the screen. He picked up with zero patience. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Mr. Eddie.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Eddie snapped. He was already on edge from all the walking. At this point, he genuinely hated Abraham. Abel said, ¡°Mr. Abraham wanted me to let you know¡­ you¡¯ll probably be stationed there for the next two years.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s not a human being. He¡¯s a damn monster.¡± 00:23 Tue, Aug 5 The wrong girl 577 Chapter 577 Don¡¯t Drink the Water, Don¡¯t Text the Princess The moment he heard ¡°two years,¡± Eddie blew up on the spot. It had only been a few days and he was already on the verge of losing it¨Cno showers, barely enough. drinking water. Even his carefully maintained face was already sunburned. Just these few days had peeled ayer off his skin. If he had to stay two years? That¡¯d be a death sentence. Eddie was so furious it almost gave him a heart attack. ¡°He might as well just kill me and get it over with!¡± It wasn¡¯t far off, really. Abel said calmly, ¡°Mr. Abraham also said, if you keep running your mouth, he¡¯s happy to tack on more time.¡± More time? That wasn¡¯t killing him¨Cit was erasing him from the world. Ruthless. Absolutely inhuman. Downright despicable. Eddie cursed silently for a long while¡­ but he didn¡¯t dare say a word out loud. Two years? That was basically a prison sentence. After another long pause, Eddie muttered through gritted teeth, ¡°I was wrong, okay?¡± He was going insane. Abel added, ¡°Mr. Abraham also said¨Che saw the texts you sent to Miss Ste.¡± Wait, what? This demon. Ste actually showed Abraham those texts? These two were dangerously close. Eddie wanted to bury himself in the sand right then and there. What kind of perfect couple was this? They even shared their texts? Eddie took a deep breath¡­. But before he could say anything else, Abel beat him to it. ¡°Mr. Abraham also said apologies won¡¯t help this time.¡± So the one dying from internal injuries¡­ was actually him. Chapter 577 Don¡¯t Drink the Water, Don¡¯t Text the Princess Of course it was. Even apologies were useless now? That was pure torture. Before Eddie could get another word out, Abel had already hung up. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Eddie stared at the disconnected screen and wed at his hair. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± Ste. That princess. That demon. He wanted to send her two more texts and tell her off¨Cbut now? No chance in hell. Under Abraham¡¯s iron rule- Eddie¡­ surrendered. X Finished Back at the Dawson estate- Just as Ste was about to lie down, a maid came in with Elena. ¡°Miss Ste, Dr. Elena¡¯s here to check your pulse.¡± Ste blinked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling unwell, though.¡± Abraham wasn¡¯t in the room¨Che¡¯d gone to the study to take a call. Elena answered gently, ¡°Mr. Abraham was worried. And you went out tonight for the banquet.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ste said. She really didn¡¯t feel any difort. Still, she let Elena check her pulse. If it helped put Abraham¡¯s mind at ease, then so be it. As Elena was halfway through, Abraham returned. She carefully felt Ste¡¯s pulse, asked a few questions about her condition and symptoms- Then respectfully reported to Abraham, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Miss Ste¡¯s constitution is strong. Everything¡¯s fine. Just¡­ be mindful of strength.¡± Strength? What strength? That phrase gave Ste a very bad feeling. Abraham nodded. ¡°Thanks. Appreciate it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Abraham,¡± Elena said with a smile. Then she and the maid quietly left the room. Ste leaned back on the bed and looked at Abraham, just starting to register what Elena meant by ¡°mindful 214
    1. 00.
    Tue, Aug ? »Ø X Chapter 577 Don¡¯t Drink the Water, Don¡¯t Text the Princess of strength.¡± Her face immediately turned bright red. She shot him a re. ¡°You¨Creally?¡± Finished Abraham walked over and pulled her into his arms, his voice low and rich with suggestion. ¡°Missed me?¡± She gave him a little shove. ¡°If Mom finds out, she¡¯s gonna kill you. You¡¯re out of excuses.¡± His tone was indulgent, but the smile on his lips was pure predator¨Clike a hawk cornering its prey. Elsewhere, Tessa was still trying to figure out what Victor meant by ¡°payment.¡± Her stomach growled. Victor hadn¡¯t left his room all night. Starving, Tessa finally gave up and crept downstairs to look for food. What she didn¡¯t expect- Was to find Victor still in the living room in the middle of the night. He and Ss had just finished talking and were heading upstairs. Tessa had already taken two steps down before she saw them. She panicked and turned to run back up¡ª But turned too fast. Her foot slipped. ¡°Ahhh!¡± The scream echoed through the entire vi. Her body pitched backward. She iled wildly, trying to grab hold of something. But luck wasn¡¯t on her side this time¨Cshe lost her bncepletely and went tumbling down the stairs. A sharp gasp rang out from the living room, along with someone yelling- ¡°Hey!¡± Thud! Shended¨Cbut the pain never came. Because she¡¯d fallen right on top of Victor. N ?? He grunted beneath her, his body absorbing the full impact. Ss and Lewis both froze, staring at the scene in front of them, not even breathing. 14 a 4 Lewis was the first to snap out of it. ¡°Oh my god¨CTessa, Miss Tessa¨Cwhat are you doing?!¡± ¡°What did our boss ever do to you?! If you wanted to kill her, just say so! Why go through the trouble of The wrong girl 578 Chapter 578 You Break It, You Nurse It 1 While still scolding Tessa, Lewis marched over to pull her up. Tessa¡¯s mind waspletely nk¨Cabsolutely buzzing. In that moment, she was totally dazed. Lewis yanked her up, and her body moved on autopilot, her brain still not catching up. Ss rushed to help Victor. ¡°Victor, are you okay?¡± Sweat had already broken out across Victor¡¯s forehead. ¡°Get the doctor.¡± Finished As soon as they heard that, Lewis¡¯s scolding kicked into high gear. ¡°Tell me the truth¨Cwho sent you to kill Victor?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to!¡± Tessa protested, sounding like aplete coward. At this point, she couldn¡¯t have exined herself even if she had ten mouths. She didn¡¯t even want her legs anymore. Her mouth, her hands, her feet¨Cevery time she was around Victor, they just took turns creating disasters. She waspletely disoriented now. Lewis shouted, ¡°Not trying to? You absolutely were. First you failed to poison him, and now you¡¯re trying to crush him to death? Why not just finish the job and let him die in your bed?!¡± What kind of death threat was that supposed to be? Tessa held her forehead, stunned. What on earth was Lewis saying? For a second, she actually regretted not insisting that Victor send her off with Dr. Eddie. Honestly, she probably would¡¯ve been safer that way. Her mouth really was going to get her killed one of these days. Faced with Lewis¡¯s nonstop barrage, Tessa couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started crying. Seeing her cry only made Lewis angrier. ¡°Crying? Oh, now you wanna y the victim? You¡¯ve got more tricks than you¡¯ve got brain cells!¡± Which only made Tessa cry harder, now full¨Cblown sobbing. The doctor and nurses arrived quickly. That fall earlier had reopened Victor¡¯s still¨Chealing wounds. With the medical team working in the room and Ss and Lewis standing by, Tessa hid just outside the door, asionally peeking in with a worried look. She tried calling Ste, but Ste didn¡¯t pick up. 66% Chapter 578 You Break It, You Nurse It 1 An hourter- The doctor turned to Ss. ¡°The secondary trauma to the wound is serious. He¡¯ll need to be closely monitored.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Finished Hearing that, Lewis turned around and¨Csure enough¨Ccaught Tessa peeking in from the doorway. He shot her a re so sharp it could¡¯ve cut through steel. Tessa stared back, eyes wide, sniffling. She looked totally pitiful. After finishing his instructions, the doctor left. Lewis was gearing up to scold Tessa again when Ss kicked him out. Now in the living room, it was just Ss and Tessa. Tessa spoke first. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to. I¡­¡± She thought of everything Lewis had just said. She already felt like everyone around Victor saw her as a walking liability. Now this? ¡°How¡¯s his wound?¡± she asked instead. At this point, no amount of exnation would help. Even if she tried, no one around Victor would believe her. Ss said, ¡°Itpletely tore open.¡± Tessa gasped. ¡°That bad?¡± Ss rubbed his temples. ¡°Younded on him with your full body weight. That¡¯s over a hundred pounds.¡± Hold on- ¡°I weigh ny¨Ceight.¡± This probably wasn¡¯t the moment to argue about that, right? But after snapping back, even Tessa was stunned at herself. Why was she even arguing about this? Fine. Make it about the number, then. Maybe she had gained a little weight staying around Victor¡­ Ss said, ¡°Want me to grab a scale?¡± ¡°Ah¨Cno, no. That¡¯s fine,¡± Tessa waved her hands fast. ¡°So he¡¯ll be okay though, right?¡± She asked the question so timidly, like she was afraid the answer would be no. 00:23 Tue, Aug 5 X Finished Chapter 578 You Break It. You Nurse It 1 He was injured, after all. And when it came to Victor, she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever repay what she owed him.¡± Ss said, ¡°It¡¯s serious. The doctor was clear¨Che needs proper care.¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°He should, yeah.¡± Ss said, ¡°So I¡¯m leaving him in your care.¡± ¡°What? No, I- I can¡¯t¡­¡± Leave him to her? Absolutely not. All the warnings Ste had given her started reying in her head on loop. She knew she was always a walking disaster around Victor. So no matter what, she couldn¡¯t take on this responsibility. If she did, she¡¯d be facing him all the time¨Cand who knew what kind of chaos she might unleash? She knew herself well enough to admit it. Her hands, her feet, her mouth¨Cevery time she was around Victor, it was like they weren¡¯t even hers. Ss said, ¡°Well, considering you¡¯re the one who wrecked him¡­ don¡¯t you think you owe him?¡± ¡°This is your responsibility.¡± That word¨Cowe. And responsibility. Those two words felt like a mountain pressing down on Tessa¡¯s chest. She looked at Ss, mouth twitching. She wanted to say no, but the words caught in her throat. Send Gifts 5 C The wrong girl 579 Chapter 579 You Break It, You Nurse It 2 But Ss was a master ofnguage. Faced with Tessa¡¯s attempt to decline, he had her cornered with just two words: pensate¡± and ¡°responsibility.¡± ¡°If Victor¡¯s wound hadn¡¯t been reopened, he probably would¡¯ve been healed by now.¡± And just like that, Tessa had nothing left to say. The way Ss put it¡­ well, it really was her fault. She couldn¡¯t deny it. In the end, Ss walked off. Finished Tessa stood nervously at the door to Victor¡¯s room. The door was open. He was sitting on the bed, on the phone. She had no idea who was on the other end, but his face was cold and lethal as he said one single word: ¡°Eliminate.¡± That word alone was chilling. He didn¡¯t need to exin¨CTessa understood exactly what he meant. If the target was a person, then that person wasn¡¯t going to see the sunrise. Just like that, the safe, stable world she knew was gone. Now, lives were paper¨Cthin. Her heart twisted at the realization. And for the first time, it hit her clearly: this was going to be her new reality. Victor ended the call. When he looked up, she was still standing in the doorway like a mouse, gripping the doorframe with pale fingers. ¡°Come in.¡± His voice was t and emotionless. Tessa snapped out of it and looked over at him. He was shirtless, his firm chest wrapped tightly with gauze to stop the bleeding. Rubbing her hands nervously, she stepped cautiously into the room. For the past few days, she¡¯d done everything she could to avoid Victor¨Con Ste¡¯s advice, of course. She hadn¡¯t had a choice. Every time she got near him, she made a mess. # 20 TIL 173 Chapter 579 You Break It, You Nurse It 2 And not just small messes. Embarrassing, humiliating disasters. But after what just happened, and what Ss said, she knew she had no choice now. She had to control herself¨Cno matter what. ¡°Mr. Victor, are you feeling okay?¡± 66%0 10 X Finished She stood near the bed, voice small. Victor nced at her. ¡°Do I look okay to you?¡± Absolutely not! The guy already had injuries. Getting body¨Cmmed like that? He was lucky he didn¡¯t go meet his maker. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean to.¡± She¡¯d said that phrase more times in the past week than she had in her entire life. Victor said, ¡°Get me some water.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to? Still nning to sit around and do nothing?¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯ll go now! Right now¨Cjust wait a sec!¡± She didn¡¯t dare argue. After what she¡¯d done, if she even hinted at cking off now, it¡¯d be over for her. Very over. She rushed out and came back in under five minutes. ¡°Mr. Victor, here¡¯s your water.¡± Her voice was so sweet and obedient she could¡¯ve gotten a gold star for it. Victor looked at her, and a flicker of amusement shed in his eyes. ¡°Peel me an apple.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Tessa scrambled off to get an apple. All theziness Ste had scolded her for before? Gone. Poof. Now, whatever Victor said¨Cshe jumped to it. A few minutester, she came back with the apple, neatly sliced and arranged. She even stuck a fork into one and held it out. ¡°Here you go.¡± 00:24 Tue, Aug 5 X Chapter 579 You Break It, You Nurse It 2 Victor took it from her hand and took a bite. Sweet juice spread across his tongue. Tessa asked, ¡°Is it good?¡± Victor nodded. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you gotten used to staying by my side these days?¡± Used to the constant panic? Finished If she was being honest, staying by Victor¡¯s side was like living on the edge of a cliff. She was on high alert every second. How could anyone get used to that? Thinking back to everything that had happened¨Cthe gunfights, the chaos¨CTessa took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ doing my best to adjust.¡± Ever since learning her mother had been the previous head of the Ashen Pact, Tessa had been trying to adapt. Getting used to it? No way. But learning to deal with it? That was real. She had no choice¨Cthis was her life now. Victor nodded. ¡°Doing your best is good enough.¡± Tessa lowered her head, unsure how to respond. Wait¨Cshe still hadn¡¯t asked what kind of payment he wanted! Thinking of that, she looked up. ¡°So¡­ what kind ofpensation do you want?¡± There it was. She remembered talking to Ste and wondering if it was rude to ask him directly. Well¡­ she hadn¡¯te up with a better n. The second she asked, all the discussions with Ste about this shed through her mind. Before Victor could say anything, she blurted out again¨Cthis time even more directly. ¡°When I said I¡¯d take responsibility, and you didn¡¯t say anything¡­ was that because you don¡¯t want to get married?¡± Send Gifts 4.4K 66% X The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 580 The Deal Finished When Victor heard the question, he raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t The wrong girl 580 Chapter 580 The Deal Finished When Victor heard the question, he raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared at her in silence. Tessa forced herself to meet his eyes, but his gaze was too dark¨Cso dark it made her throat go dry. She swallowed hard. ¡°So¡­ do you just want my body?¡± The moment the words left her mouth, the entire room fell dead silent. Victor¡¯s stare deepened, his already unreadable eyes growing even more intense. Yikes¡­ That was blunt. Way too blunt. But she didn¡¯t have a choice. She really didn¡¯t. She¡¯d been thinking about how to ask for ages and still couldn¡¯t figure out a way¨Cso she just stopped dancing around it. ¡°Ahem, I¨CI mean¡­¡± What did she mean? Tessa suddenly had no idea what else to say. Especially with Victor looking at her like that. That unreadable, quiet stare of his was putting so much pressure on her, she could barely breathe. At the same time, she really wanted to see her mom. Minutes ticked by. Five full minutes. Victor still didn¡¯t say a word. Tessa, under that heavy gaze, started to sweat down her back. She cleared her throat. ¡°Uh, how many times?¡± Victor narrowed his eyes. ¡°What?¡± How many times? 257 EXEY It was clear he hadn¡¯t followed her mental U¨Cturn. Then again, with how unpredictable she was, anyone would have a hard time keeping up. Tessa said, ¡°I mean¡­ how many times do you want it to count as enough payment for letting me see my mom?¡± ¡°My body?¡± 66% X Chapter 580 The Deal She nodded. Finished No one knew how hot her skin was at that moment. She didn¡¯t need a mirror to know her entire face was burning. She was really putting everything on the table now. Silence again. This was the part that scared her most¨Cwhen Victor didn¡¯t answer, didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at her with that dark look. ?? ? ? Because she had no idea what he was thinking. But she really wanted to get out of this situation. She really wanted to see her mother. And besides, she had already ruined Victor¡¯s¡­ purity. So rather than calling it a payment, wasn¡¯t she just taking responsibility? She¡¯d even offered to marry him. But Victor didn¡¯t respond back then. Which meant, obviously, that he didn¡¯t want to marry her. He just wanted her body¨Cright? Still¡­ She¡¯d said all of that, right to his face. And he still wasn¡¯t talking. What did that mean? Had she misunderstood the whole thing? If she had¡­ that would be so humiliating- Just as she was about to drown in secondhand embarrassment, arge, warm hand grabbed her wrist. ¡°Ah-!¡± she squeaked. At the same time, the apple te in her hands dropped with a loud crash, scattering apple slices across the floor. Before she could even process what happened, she was already on the bed¨Cno, in Victor¡¯s arms. The two of them were extremely close. His breath was warm on her cheek. Tessa was already overheated to begin with. Now, face to face with his intense stare, she gulped hard. ¡°Mr. Victor¡­¡± Before she could say another word, he suddenly let go¨Cand she toppled backward onto the bed. Tessa gasped. She instinctively tried to sit up, but his arm caught hers- h 11 Chapter 580 The Deal And then he leaned over her. 200 X Finished At the Tom family estate- The atmosphere in the living room was tense. Derrick¡¯s father, Holt, his stepmother Mona, and Mona¡¯s son Gary were all there. Marie, meanwhile, sat on the couch, casually painting her nails like none of it had anything to do with her. After hearing why she hade, all three of them exchanged uncertain nces. Mona¡¯s face, in particr, was stormy. Holt checked his watch. It was already 1 a.m. Middle of the night¡­ He turned to the butler. ¡°Get a guest room ready for Miss Marie.¡± Then he looked back at her. ¡°It¡¯ste. Derrick didn¡¯te back with you?¡± Marie answered, ¡°My husband¡¯s busy.¡± She nced at the butler who was about to head off. ¡°Forget the guest room. Just give me a straight answer -when are you giving it to me?¡± She called him ¡°Dad¡± like it was nothing. But the expressions on their faces were anything but pleasant. Holt looked like he was about to have a heart attack. As for Mona and Gary, their faces were unreadable storms. Earlier, Marie had told them she and Derrick had already gotten married¨Cand not exactly willingly. She said she¡¯d been tricked, even threatened into signing the papers. Now, what did she mean? Clearly the marriage certificate may be signed, but she still expected all the proper pre¨Cwedding traditions, She even brought proof¨Ca ledger. A full record of everything Derrick¡¯s mother had brought into the Tom family before she married Holt. Aplete dowry list. Her point? She wanted her cut. 73 91 She could wrap it up with all kinds of flowery talk about tradition¡ª But let¡¯s be real: she¡¯d just gotten the marriage certificate and now she was at the Tom estate demanding her share of the inheritance. Tue, Aug 1 Chapter 580 The Deal Everyone in the room understood exactly what she was doing. And now, that final question-¡°When are you giving it to me?¡°¨Ccame with an unmistakable edge. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 581 Chapter 581 That¡¯s Not a Daughter¨Cin¨CLaw, That¡¯s a Lawyer Before Holt could speak, Mona jumped in first. ¡°Is this what Derrick wants?¡± D X Finished She was trying hard to maintain the image of aposed stepmother, but at this moment, it was clearly cracking. If you listened closely, her tone was alreadyced with clenched teeth. Marie messed up the polish on her nail just then. Irritated, she mmed the brush onto the table with a sharp thunk. On the surface, it looked like she was mad about the ruined nail polish¨Cbut it was clearly a p in Mona¡¯s direction. Mona had barely opened her mouth, and Marie was already mming things? Mona¡¯s face turned even darker. ¡°Ms. Marie, what¡¯s the meaning of that?¡± Marie replied calmly, ¡°If I remember correctly, based on your current status, shouldn¡¯t you be calling medy of the house?¡± ¡°You-¡± Marie lifted her eyelids and nced at her. ¡°Actually,e to think of it, what¡¯s your official title again in the Tom family?¡± After Derrick¡¯s mother died, Holt had brought Mona into the house not long after. Everyone said she was the Tom family¡¯s new matriarch. But Marie remembered clearly¨CHolt never gave this woman a wedding. What outsiders assumed meant nothing. What Marie believed was what counted. Sure enough, Mona¡¯s face went from pale to livid at the sharp edge in Marie¡¯s question. Marie turned to Holt. ¡°Dad.¡± Mona looked at him too, eyes practically begging him to dere she was the realdy of the house. Holt¡¯s gaze was like a hawk¡¯s, sharp and unwavering as he stared at Marie. ¡°Where¡¯s Derrick?¡± Marie replied, ¡°Dropped me off here and left. Said he was going to pick up that Monroe or whatever.¡± ¡°Dad, considering the ties between the Dawson family and the Tom family back in the day, you really need to step in and do right by me. That bastard Derrick has been going against my brother for years, and now he¡¯s forcing me to marry him.¡± ¡°So no matter how you look at it, you owe me some seriouspensation.¡± al ? X Finished Chapter 581 That¡¯s Not a Daughter¨Cin¨CLaw. That¡¯s a Lawyer She bit down hard on that wordpensation. Mona and Gary¡¯s faces twisted even further. Especially the way Marie kept calling Holt ¡°Dad¡± as soon as she stepped into the house¨Clike she belonged here. But the conditions she wasying out¡­ nobody here could stomach them. This wasn¡¯t just asking for a share of inheritance. She was clearly here to take two¨Cthirds of the Tom family with her. And Derrick wasn¡¯t even present. ¡°Derrick publicly dered three years ago that he¡¯s no longer part of the Tom family,¡± Gary suddenly said. It was the first time he¡¯d spoken. But before he even finished the sentence, Marie shot him a razor¨Csharp look. ¡°And who are you again?¡± Gary¡¯s expression immediately crumpled into something ugly. ¡°I think you know exactly who I am,¡± he snapped. Marie hadn¡¯t said anything crude, but that single retort was enough to leave him speechless. For years, people had whispered about Gary¡¯s status behind his back, but no one had ever said it to his face. He was supposed to be one of the Tom family¡¯s heirs. Marie smirked. ¡°Oh, I know. I just think you might¡¯ve forgotten who you are.¡± She swept her eyes over him, then rolled them with open disdain. ¡°Since we¡¯re talking inheritance, let me remind you: in Falvaria, as long as the legal heirs within the marriage are still alive, illegitimate children have no im.¡± Both Gary and Mona¡¯s breathing hitched. Their already sour expressions turned downright ashen. Especially Gary¨Chis re toward Marie now held real threat. But Marie couldn¡¯t care less. She looked over at Holt again, clearly losing patience. ¡°Dad, are you going to say something?¡± There it was again-¡°Dad.¡± And every time she said it, Mona and Gary looked like they wanted to explode. Was she calling him Dad¡­ or serving him a bill? ? X Finished Chapter 581 That¡¯s Not a Daughter¨Cin¨CLaw, That¡¯s a Lawyer Holt twisted the bracelet on his wrist. ¡°Derrick didn¡¯t tell you? He already took his mother¡¯s entire share three years ago.¡± It had nearly gutted the Tom family at the time. Derrick didn¡¯t care¨Cwhatever he wanted, he took. Everyst bit.. They¡¯d had a few quiet years without him. But now came Marie¡­ And she was even more relentless. Marie said, ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t give it to me. And you know how it is, Dad¨Conce a woman¡¯s married, she manages the money. So, Mom¡¯s share? Either you hand it over, or Derrick does.¡± Gary snapped, ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Marie leaned forward slightly. ¡°And who are you to question my logic?¡± ¡°You-¡± Marie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Should I ask my mom or my brother toe negotiate with you instead? One way or another, what belongs to my husband¨CI¡¯m taking.¡± Mona cut in again, her voice cracking. ¡°He already took everything three years ago.¡± Marie¡¯s steady pressure was clearly cracking Mona¡¯s picture¨Cperfect stepmother act. Marie tossed out a casual shrug. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a cent of it.¡± Another eye roll¨Csharp and unbothered. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 582 Chapter 582 A Midnight Raid Mona was fuming at Marie¡¯s total disregard for basic courtesy. And especially at this hour¨Ceveryone was exhausted and barely alert. Yet here Marie was, insisting on discussing inheritance in the middle of the night. ¡°Dad.¡± Marie said again. Another ¡°Dad¡°¡­ 10 X Finished Holt¡¯s chest rose and fell heavily. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°Tell Derrick toe say all this to me himself.¡± Marie leaned back and smiled. ¡°You¡¯d better think that through. If Derrick doese back, he¡¯s not just taking this little bit.¡± The moment she said it, Mona and Gary both jolted. Because she was right¨Cif Derrick really did return, he wouldn¡¯t just ask for what Marie had listed. As a Dawson, Mona and Gary couldn¡¯t be too rude with her either. In just two hours, both were so furious they could barely speak, hanging theirst hopes on Holt. And Marie made her stance very clear: if she didn¡¯t get what she wanted tonight, she wasn¡¯t leaving. Eventually¡­ The Tom household was in an absolute frenzy until nearly 3 a.m. before things finally settled down. Marie left. The few people left behind in the Tom family looked like they¡¯d been run over by a truck¨Cworn out and utterly defeated. This wasn¡¯t like dealing with a woman. Anyone who saw their faces would¡¯ve thought they just negotiated with an entire army. Holt got up, frail and exhausted, and made his way upstairs. ¡°Ungrateful brat. Total disgrace.¡± He left. Mona and Gary exchanged looks. Gary clenched his jaw. ¡°Didn¡¯t that bastard Derrick have a thing for that adopted daughter from the Dawson family? Why the hell did he end up marrying that little hellcat instead?¡± Yeah, to them, Marie was no daughter¨Cinw¨Cshe was a straight¨Cup nightmare. D X Finished Chapter 582 A Midnight Raid Terrible temper, and worse yet, a status so powerful no one could touch her. Mona¡¯s gaze turned sharp as she stared at the nail polish bottle Marie had mmed on the table. ¡°I knew he wouldn¡¯t just quietly stay in Pagina. The moment I heard he was back, I knew he was up to something.¡± She ground her teeth so hard it was like she wanted to bite Derrick in half. Gary seethed. ¡°He married that she¨Cdevil just to take the whole Tom family for himself.¡± This wasn¡¯t just a split. This was daylight robbery. Mona spat, ¡°Ruining Kelly wasn¡¯t enough¨Cnow he¡¯s after this too¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed, glinting cold. Gary muttered, ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± Marie¡¯s visit tonight was only Round One, and she¡¯d already walked out of there with a fortune. All in one night, she¡¯d taken the ce down like a military raid. So much money¨Cgone! Meanwhile, whenever Gary dared spend even a little extra over the years, their father acted like he¡¯dmitted treason, calling him a waste. But Derrick just brings home a wife, and suddenly they¡¯re handing over a fortune? He only cursed once¨Cand that was it? The more Gary thought about it, the angrier he got. While Mona and Gary were fuming inside¡­ Marie strolled out of the Tom family estate looking refreshed and victorious. Derrick was already waiting for her outside. When she climbed into the car, Derrick asked, ¡°What took so long?¡± ¡°I asked for a big amount. They weren¡¯t willing at first. Took a while to wear them down.¡± She was worn out too. W th # ¤Ê¤¼¤Ê¤¯ . N 3 13 7 T But the thought of suddenly acquiring that much money had her glowing with satisfaction. Derrick asked, ¡°How much did you get?¡± Chapter 582 A Midnight Raid ¡± X Finished ¡°Everything you had written in that ledger¨Cyou bet I got it all.¡± Marie grinned proudly. She¡¯d been mad about the whole sudden marriage all day, the frustration stuck in her chest. Now, atst, that weight had lifted. She finally felt like herself again. Derrick looked shocked. ¡°They actually gave you all of it?¡± That list¨Che¡¯d tried asking for it three years ago and failed. He only sent Marie back tonight to stir things. up, maybe rattle them a bit. He never expected her to actually seed. And yet¡­ she did. Marie nodded. ¡°Of course. You weren¡¯t there, so you didn¡¯t see how many times I had to call him ¡®Dad.¡± What, you think that was free?¡± ¡°You called him Dad?¡± Derrick¡¯s tone dropped instantly, voice cold. Marie blinked. ¡°Yeah, what else was I supposed to do to get the money? sh a smile? Bat myshes?¡± Pretentious. That cold edge in his tone¨CMarie knew exactly what it meant. So to her, he was just being petty. If you really want to cut ties with the Tom family, then do it. Don¡¯t act like a victim when someone else does your dirty work. Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed, voice like ice. ¡°Don¡¯t call him that again.¡± Marie shrugged. ¡°Then I won¡¯t go back.¡± Not a big deal. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that Derrick sent her there just to ask for that money. -9 ¡± On the surface, he acted like he just wanted her to cause some trouble¨Cbut who knew what he was really nning behind the scenes? Derrick caught the warning in her voice and shot her a look. ¡°Fine. Call him. Knock yourself out. Why don¡¯t you just call me while you¡¯re at it?¡± Seriously? Everyone gets to be Dad now? Marie grinned. ¡°Oh? If I call you, would you even answer?¡± This woman¡¯s mouth. Ãû 6 The wrong girl 583 Chapter 583 Two Can y This Game ¡°You called that woman ¡®Mom¡® too?¡± Derrick¡¯s voice turned colder the moment he brought her up. Marie nced at himzily. ¡°Of course not.¡± Not just anyone was worthy of being called her mother¨Cespecially not a woman like Mona. Finished Derrick¡¯s shoulders eased slightly. If she¡¯d actually called Mona ¡°Mom,¡± he might¡¯ve killed her on the spot. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked, noticing the unfamiliar road outside. It wasn¡¯t the way back to the Dawson estate. ¡°My vi. It¡¯ste,¡± Derrick said. ¡°There¡¯s one nearby. The staff keeps it ready.¡± Marie yawned. She really was tired. Dealing with the Tom family for hours had drained her more than she expected. Just as she leaned back and closed her eyes, her phone buzzed. Across from her, Derrick¡¯s phone rang at the same time. They answered in unison. After a few brief words, they hung up¨Cand spoke at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Spirit Pub. You go ahead and sleep.¡± ¡°Drop me off at Empty Bottle.¡± Spirit Pub and Empty Bottle stood side by side, two of Falvaria¡¯s busiest night spots. Marie arched an eyebrow. ¡°You got ns?¡± Derrick returned the look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡± Her smile sharpened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re expecting me to stay home and act like some obedient little wife now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just drinks with friends,¡± she added. ¡°Unless you want a divorce first thing tomorrow.¡± Derrick gave a dryugh. ¡°Typical.¡± She didn¡¯t reply, only lifted her chin and looked away. ¡°You really have to go?¡± he asked. ¡°Absolutely.¡± There was something in her tone¨Ctight, almost eager. She wasn¡¯t going out just for fun. Derrick didn¡¯t ask. He knew her well enough to recognize that look in her eye. Someone had pissed her off. And he was right. Evie was at Empty Bottle. 15 66% Chapter 583 Two Can y This Game Finished That woman had stolen from her and skipped town weeks ago. Marie had been fuming ever since. Now she had a lead¨Cand she wasn¡¯t about to let it slide. If she caught Evie tonight, she¡¯d make sure that bitch regretted ever touching her things. Derrick pushed through the heavy doors of Spirit Pub and stepped into the private lounge. Inside, Ashley stood and waved him over. ¡°Come on, spill it¨Chow the hell did you lock down that demon from the Dawson family?¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± Drax added. ¡°Gary¡¯s losing it over this. Word is, he totally snapped tonight.¡± Another one chimed in,ughing. ¡°He lost his mind in the middle of the night. Imagine how hard he must¡¯ve taken it.¡± The room was filled with Derrick¡¯s closest circle from his Falvaria days. Bernard sat quietly on the sofa, watching Derrick with that steady, unreadable gaze. Derrick pulled a drink from the tray and dropped into a seat. ¡°Let him bark all he wants,¡± he said coolly. ¡°He¡¯ll be a stray before long.¡± The others burst outughing. Ashley grinned. ¡°We thought you¡¯d dropped this whole thing after that mess three years ago.¡± Drax leaned back. ¡°While you were off in Pagena, Gary was out here ying king of the hill.¡± Across the way, Marie stepped into Empty Bottle and was immediately swarmed by friends. Eileen handed her a drink. ¡°So it¡¯s true? You really married Mr. Derrick?¡± Marie took the ss, nced sideways, and downed it in one smooth gulp. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that?¡± ¡°Julia saw you two at the registry. She said it looked like you were fighting your way into marriage.¡± Marie snorted. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Most people argue when they¡¯re getting divorced, not when they¡¯re getting married,¡± Eileen said. ¡°What kind of married life starts with a punch to the face?¡± June wandered in just in time to catch that. She gave a mock gasp. ¡°Told Eileen you wouldn¡¯t be spending your wedding night like a newlywed. She didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Marie poured herself another drink. ¡°What were you doing at the civil office anyway?¡± ¡°Helping my uncle with another divorce.¡± ¡°You?¡± Chapter 583 Two Can y This Game ¡°Why not?¡± Julia shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s his seventh. I charge a courier fee.¡± ¨C X Finished Marie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Piece of work.¡± Julia dropped onto the couch beside her and slung an arm over her shoulder. ¡°Come on, tell us what¡¯s going on. I thought you two were getting divorced. Then I see you actually registering the marriage.¡± Marie clinked her ss. ¡°What can I say? Surprise ending.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 584 Chapter 584 The Demon¡¯s Bride No one would¡¯ve believed it unless they saw it with their own eyes¨CMarie and Derrick, fighting like cats and dogs while registering their marriage. The insults had flown back and forth even as the papers were signed. Eileen squinted at her, confused. ¡°Seriously though, what¡¯s going on with you two? You never even mentioned Derrick before. Isn¡¯t he supposed to be into your family¡¯s little tail?¡± Marie snorted. ¡°Him? Like Ste? Look at that guy¨Che doesn¡¯t even like himself. You think he¡¯s capable of liking anyone?¡± Eileen blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± That couldn¡¯t be right. All of Falvaria knew Ste had once been Derrick¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Now she was set to marry Abraham. The whole situation was strange enough, and things only got murkier after Evelyn started posting cryptic messages. Everyone used to think Ste had just been the adopted daughter of the Dawson family, but Evelyn¡¯s words made it sound like Ste had always been raised as a daughter¨Cinw. Especially thetest post, dropped in the middle of the night: The Dawson family¡¯s daughter¨Cin¨C    not someone just anyone can question. Every word rang with unshakable pride. It was clear someone had said something to set Evelyn off¨Cand she wasn¡¯t having it. Marie knocked back another drink. ¡°Derrick¡¯s just some walking corpse who¡¯s been trying to get under my brother¡¯s skin for years. Dark¨Chearted and petty. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d let him get his hands on my sister.¡± Her voice was calm, but every syble oozed disdain. The girls exchanged a nce. ¡°So what¨Cnow you¡¯re the one suffering in his ce?¡± It wasn¡¯t a casual fling. They¡¯d gotten married. Everyone in the room knew how much Marie adored her little sister. But this? This was something else. Marie rolled her eyes. ¡°You think I¡¯m suffering? Do I look like the kind of woman who¡¯s gonna share someone¡¯s hardships and ride out the storm by his side?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s your y?¡± ¡°Revenge.¡± The word dropped like a rock in a still pond. Revenge? They shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Marie had every reason to want payback. Three years ago, the Dawson family had been gutted. Her friends had all stepped in¨Coffering resources, connections, anything they had Chapter 584 The Demon¡¯s Bride to help Marie weather the storm. X Finished That was the difference between her and someone like Lilian from Rivermount. Lilian had a hundred friends who vanished the moment things got rough. Marie, on the other hand, had people ready to throw down for her. Eileen hissed. ¡°You¡¯re serious about this? You¡¯re actually using yourself as bait?¡± Julia nodded along. ¡°What kind of five¨Cdimensional chess move is this, exactly?¡± Marriage as a revenge tactic? That was a first. Marie didn¡¯t bother to exin. She poured herself another drink and downed it in one go. ¡°I¡¯m gonna drain the Tom family dry. Watch me.¡± The room went quiet for a beat. Was she serious? The Tom family was a giant. Bleeding them out wasn¡¯t exactly a weekend project. She didn¡¯t care to keep exining. ¡°Enough about Derrick. Didn¡¯t you say you saw that rat Evie?¡± Eileen flinched. ¡°She took off before you got here. Saw me and Julia and bolted. Probably figured you¡¯d be right behind us.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You didn¡¯t stop her?¡± ¡°We tried,¡± Julia said grimly, rolling up her sleeve to show a bruised patch of skin. ¡°She nailed me pretty good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding. She hit you?¡± ¡°We both tried to hold her back,¡± Eileen added. ¡°Didn¡¯t matter. The woman¡¯s built like a street fighter.¡± Marie clenched her jaw. ¡°I swear to God, if I catch that bitch¡­¡± Evie had stolen a pile of her favorite things and skipped town. The fact that she¡¯d shown her face in Falvaria again only made Marie more furious. ¡°I¡¯ve already got people watching for her,¡± Eileen offered. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± Marie mmed back another shot. ¡°I leaned on you guys enough three years ago. I¡¯ll clean this one up on my own.¡± The three women sat huddled in the booth, passing drinks and muttering curses, united by fury. Meanwhile, across town, Derrick¡¯s group had gone from joking to dead serious. After learning the real reason behind Derrick¡¯s sudden marriage to Marie, no one had much to say. They¡¯d all assumed he¡¯d married her to strike back at the Tom family. Chapter 584 The Demon¡¯s Bride 0 X ¨C Finished But Derrick¡¯s tone was dark. ¡°Dan¡­ that bastard vanished for half a year. Don¡¯t tell me that wasn¡¯t deliberate. I¡¯m telling you¨Che got close to Marie for a reason.¡± Drax leaned in. ¡°So what are you saying?¡± Send Gifts 4.4K x x ¨C 4 B 6420 319 14 4 A 7 4 W 37 00:25 Tue, Aug 5 The wrong girl 585 Chapter 585 Scissors Beside the Pillow ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna marry her? You wanted me to just watch her jump into a pit again? She nearly burned alive thest time!¡± Derrick slurred the words, his voice thick with drink. Ashley blinked. ¡°Wait, hold on. That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound like revenge anymore.¡± When he¡¯d first arrived tonight, Derrick had been furious just mentioning Marie. He¡¯d gone on about how marrying her was all part of a calcted strike against the Tom family¨Cand to teach Marie a lesson. But now? Now he sounded like a man trying to save someone from disaster. Ashley and Drax turned to Bernard, who was nursing a ss in the corner. ¡°What do you think? Is this the truth slipping out, or just drunk talk?¡± Bernard downed the rest of his drink. ¡°Either way, he¡¯d better keep his distance from her.¡± Ashley nodded. ¡°Yeah. That one¡¯s got ws.¡± Marie wasn¡¯t the sweet, delicate type. She was fiery, sharp¨Ctongued, and dangerous when crossed. And Derrick? He was acting weird. Drax leaned closer to Derrick. ¡°You better be careful around Marie, man. Don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡± Getting involved with her wasn¡¯t like taking a wife home¨Cit was like sleeping beside a loaded gun. Both clubs were buzzing deep into the night. Meanwhile, Victor¡¯s vi was draped in moonlight, shrouded in a hushed, intimate glow. In the dark bedroom, soft sobs and desperate pleas echoed against the silence. Tessa felt like she was adrift on waves, her body rising and falling without anchor. When Victor pulled her into his arms again, her hazy mind red with panic. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± His voice rasped low, gravelly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see your mother tomorrow.¡± Her resisting hands froze. Slowly, they lowered. Victor felt her surrender and smiled in the dark. ¡°Then don¡¯t lie to me,¡± she whispered. Her voice was so small, barely more than a tremble. Moonlight shimmered across her tearful eyes. Victor¡¯s breath tickled her ear, his tone soft and coaxing. ¡°I won¡¯t. Be good.¡± Tue, Aug X Finished Chapter 585 Scissors Beside the Pillow * He was so gentle, it caught her off guard. She hadn¡¯t known he could sound like that. Hadn¡¯t known that Victor could be¡­ kind. She gave a faint hum in reply. The man¡¯s smile deepened, something unfamiliar flickering at the corners of his lips. He gripped her wrist and pulled her back into the night¡¯s embrace. Around five in the morning, the parties began to die down. At Spirit Pub, the waitstaff escorted a nearly unconscious Derrick to the penthouse suite on the top floor. Ashley and Drax also took rooms to sleep it off. Bernard, the most sober of the group, managed to order a driver and head home. Across the street, things were less graceful. Marie waspletely out of it. Eileen had already left. Julia was trying to get Marie home, but just as they stepped outside, her phone rang. She picked up, and whatever the caller said had her gasping. ¡°What? Okay¨Cokay, I¡¯m on my way!¡± Hanging up, Julia nced down at Marie, limp in her arms. She was clearly stuck. That¡¯s when she saw Spirit Pub across the way. She remembered the penthouse suites there were usually avable. Quickly, she walked in and booked a room. ¡°Here you go, miss. Room 808, 66th floor,¡± the concierge said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Julia muttered, snatching the keycard. With Marie draped over her like a sack of flour, she half¨Cdragged her to the elevator. Just as the doors were closing, her phone rang again. She propped Marie against the wall and answered. ¡°I¡¯ming, just wait. I¡¯ve got Feathers with me¨Cdon¡¯t rush me.¡± Marie let out a soft, wine¨Cdrenched groan and slid deeper into Julia¡¯s grip. The person on the other end didn¡¯t seem to care about excuses. Julia sighed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it. I¡¯m hurrying.¡± The elevator dinged. She nced at the room number again¨C808¨Cand began hauling Marie toward it. Down the hall, a waiter emerged from room 807 carrying a tray of drinks. Spotting Julia struggling, he 00:25 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 585 Scissors Beside the Pillow stepped forward politely. ¡°Miss, do you need any help?¡± Julia shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got it. This is the room.¡± She didn¡¯t notice she¡¯d hit the wrong floor. And she definitely didn¡¯t see what room number she¡¯d actually stepped into.. Send Gifts 4.4K 1 0 X Finished The wrong girl 586 Chapter 586 The Wrong Door ÈÕ 66% UX Finished Julia struggled to swipe the card at the door. Marie, limp as a ragdoll, hung heavily on her, and just as she reached out, Marie nearly slipped to the floor. Julia caught her with both arms in a panic. The hotel attendant, seeing their room was 808, used a master card to unlock the door for her. ¡°Thanks,¡± Julia muttered. ¡°Would you like help getting her inside?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it. Go on,¡± she said, waving him off. She hauled Marie in and let the door shut behind them. The city lights filtered through the windows, keeping the room from beingpletely dark. Without bothering to turn on the lights, Julia dumped Marie onto the bed. On the phone, someone snapped, ¡°Julia, have you left yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m going now,¡± she replied, breathless. God, this was exhausting. Drunks were such a pain. She pulled the nket up over Marie and headed back out. As she passed the bathroom, she didn¡¯t notice someone inside. The moment the door shut behind her, Derrick stumbled out, woozy, his skin burning like fire. His temperature was off. His body was reacting in a way that left no doubt¨Cthis wasn¡¯t normal. He grabbed his phone and dialed Kale with what little rity he had left. ¡°Yes, Mr. Derrick?¡± ¡°Get a doctor to Spirit Pub. I think I¡¯ve been drugged.¡°. A man who lived around nightlife knew his body. He knew exactly what this was. His eyes narrowed dangerously. But before help could arrive, what little restraint he had waspletely swept away. Derrick and Marie shared a dream that night¨Ca long, strange, vivid dream. In it, Derrick realized it was Marie beneath him, and everything he¡¯d repressed burst to the surface. All his buried frustration, all his resentment, it came pouring out. Marie, in that dream, fought back as she always did. But neither of them pulled away. In the dream, they were still enemies. TH 00:25 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 586 The Wrong Door And somehow, that made it easier to lose themselves in it. 4 ? X Finished The next morning. Abraham came downstairs and immediately found his mother waiting at the dining table. The moment she saw him, her face clouded over. ¡°What was Elena doing checking Stest night?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Just took the seat across from her. Evelyn nced up toward the stairs. It was already nine¨Cthirty and Ste still wasn¡¯t up. How rough hadst night been? Her expression darkened. ¡°Honestly. You couldn¡¯t control yourself? You know her condition.¡± Of course she knew what Elena had checked. She wasn¡¯t stupid. And now she was annoyed¨Cshe¡¯d always thought Abraham was the steady,posed type. Apparently not. Abraham calmly lifted his ss of milk. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Do you? Evelyn thought. With this kind of thing, once you lose control, what¡¯s left? Her temples throbbed. He gestured to the housekeeper. ¡°Make another te.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The housekeeper headed to the kitchen to bring out Ste¡¯s meal, which she¡¯d left warming, assuming Ste. would be down soon. Abraham took the tray directly from her hands and headed upstairs. ¡°Seriously,¡± Evelyn muttered. The butler stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Abraham always knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± Evelyn nearly exploded. If she heard the words knows what he¡¯s doing one more time, her head might just burst. This wasn¡¯t a matter of having it under control. Upstairs. Ste was still fast asleep. Abraham hadn¡¯t pushed herst night¨Che knew she was exhausted¨Cbut ever 66% X Chapter 586 The Wrong Door since getting pregnant, she¡¯d been even more prone to heavy sleep. ¡°Babe,e on. Eat something first,¡± he murmured gently. She groaned and rolled over. ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡± She was so tired, her eyes wouldn¡¯t even open. Finished Abraham pulled back the nket and lifted her into his arms with care. ¡°Come on, be good. You¡¯ve got two bodies to feed now.¡± He took her pregnancy seriously. He¡¯d read that babies absorb nutrients from the mother¡¯s blood, and that made him even more focused on her health. Ste grumbled into his chest, pressing her face against his skin. ¡°You¡¯re awful.¡± Abrahamughed softly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the worst. So be a good girl, okay?¡± She still couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything aftering back from the banquet. He was worried, and no matter how much she resisted, he had to get her to eat a little. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. He picked it up. ¡°It¡¯s your phone.¡± ¡°You answer it.¡± she mumbled. 2 Send Gifts The wrong girl 587 Chapter 587 A Fire They Can¡¯t Contain Ste didn¡¯t keep her phone private. If Abraham wanted to answer it, he could¨Canytime. He picked up the call. Finished Before he could even say a word, Ethan¡¯s voice came through, pleading and pitiful: ¡°Ste, I¡¯m waiting for you at the Selidu Penins. Please, just let me see you once.¡± The desperation in his tone was pathetic. Abraham¡¯s expression darkened instantly. That warmth in his eyes turned to ice. Selidu Penins¨Cone of Falvaria¡¯s wealthiest neighborhoods. So Ethan had a ce there? Perfect. The bastard still hadn¡¯t given up. On the other end of the line, Ethan spoke again after a moment of silence. ¡°Ste?¡± Just hearing him say her name sent a sharper edge through Abraham¡¯s gaze. ¡°What do you want to see her for?¡± The voice on the other end faltered. ¡°Abraham?¡± ¡°I thought someone raised by the Keene family would at least have some backbone,¡± Abraham said coldly. Apparently not. ¡°What¡­ what does that mean?¡± Ethan stammered. But Abraham had already hung up. Ste had heard the call¨Cit sobered her up instantly. She looked up, blinking at him with wide, curious eyes. Abraham¡¯s expression softened again as he brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°Still keeping in touch with him?¡± ¡°No way. I blocked every number from the Rivermount area. That bastard must¡¯ve used a Falvaria number.¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have my number changed right away.¡± Ethan, that lowlife. She couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d actually chased her all the way to Falvaria. ¡°No need,¡± Abraham said quietly. ¡°He won¡¯t have a Falvaria number for long.¡± If anyone was going to have to change numbers, it wasn¡¯t her. It was the one doing the harassing who¡¯d disappear. ¡°¡­ Will that really work?¡± she asked uncertainly. O 66% X O Chapter 587 A Fire They Can¡¯t Contain Before she could say more, Abraham used her phone to call Abel. ¡°Miss?¡± Abel answered on the first ring. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Abel paused for half a second. Then again, Abraham using Ste¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t unusual these days. ¡°Mr. Abraham,¡± he greeted respectfully. ¡°Ethan¡¯s in Selidu Penins,¡± Abraham said calmly. ¡°Go handle it. Falvaria isn¡¯t a ce he belongs.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Just hearing Ethan was in Falvaria was enough to tell Abel exactly what Abraham wanted done. Finished Spirit Pub, 808 Presidential Suite. Marie was still passed out in the bedroom. Out in the living area, Ashley, Drax, and Sebastian sat frozen, faces pale, each exchanging anxious looks as they stared at Derrick in horror. Sebastian was the first to snap out of it, drawing in a sharp breath. ¡°Wait¡­ you actually were druggedst night? And then¡­¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. Tons of people had tried to set traps for Derrick over the years, None had ever seeded. Ashley and Drax muttered, ¡°Why weren¡¯t we drugged?¡± Sebastian red at them. ¡°Maybe because nobody wanted either of you?¡± Was that supposed to be funny? Were they not good¨Clooking enough? Not worthy? He turned toward the bedroom door. They were still out in the suite¡¯s living room. Just thinking about who was in there sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine. Sebastian rubbed his temples. ¡°Bro¡­ did you seriously sleep with the demon queenst night?¡± They were so screwed. Things had already been messytely because of Ste. Derrick and Marie were practically at each other¡¯s throats. And now this? Chapter 587 A Fire They Can¡¯t Contain He actually slept with her? Derrick sat silently on the couch, cigarette between his fingers, eyes cold and full of rage. His entire presence screamed danger. He red at Ashley and Drax. ¡°Who the hell brought me into the roomst night?¡± Ashley blinked. ¡°Bernard came with us.¡± Drax nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah. We were all trashed. No one could drive, so we just crashed next door.¡± They¡¯d stayed the night too. Only Bernard had left. Silence settled over them again. Sebastian rubbed his forehead. Drax looked lost. ¡°But when we brought you in¡­ the room was empty. I swear. No one was in there.¡± He was practically ready to swear it under oath. They¡¯d just watched Derrick and Marie go at each other like enemies during the day¨Cfighting right through their wedding ceremony¨Cand now they were identally shoved together at night? When Marie woke up, it wasn¡¯t going to be just Derrick she wasing for. Ashley nodded. ¡°Yeah. Room was totally empty when we left you in there.¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 588 Chapter 588 Blood on the Sheets Maybe one person could be mistaken¡­. ? ? Finished But the three of them had taken Derrick to this room together¨Chow could they all be wrong about whether anyone else was here? They knew exactly what kind of marriage Derrick and Marie had. Before drinkingst night, Derrick had made it crystal clear. If they¡¯d seen Marie in the room, no way would they have just dumped Derrick inside like that. Drax let out a sharp breath. ¡°Look, I think you better run now.¡± Everyone stared at him, twitching at the corners of their mouths. Run? From his own wife? What kind of logic was that? Derrick shot Drax a cold re. 4 Drax¡¯s brain froze. ¡°I mean, if you think she won¡¯te after you with a knife, then yeah, go ahead and stay.¡± That shut everyone up. Sebastian and Ashley nced at each other, then turned to Derrick again. Sebastian muttered, ¡°Honestly, I think Drax has a point.¡± Marie had been hellbent on revenge ever since what happened three years ago. Even if they were legally married now, that didn¡¯t change the past¨Cor the fact that things between Marie and Dan were still murky. And now Derrick had¡­ done this? 111 Once she woke up, Marie was absolutely going to hunt him down, scissors in hand. Derrick¡¯s face turned a dark shade of green. # Just as they were about to say more, they heard movement from inside the bedroom¨Ca woman¡¯s sharp gasp of pain. Sebastian twitched, side¨Ceyeing Derrick like, You didn¡¯t go easy on her at all, did you? Poor woman¡­ she was already a walking time bomb, and now this? Inside the room- Marie was aching all over. It felt like she¡¯d been run over by a truck. She clenched her teeth through the pain, wincing with every little mo ?????? ?? 00:25 Tue, Chapter 588 Blood on the Sheets Is this a hangover? No¡­ something wasn¡¯t right. She shifted¨Cand froze. Her entire body stiffened as she realized¡­ she wasn¡¯t wearing anything. Her eyes flew open. She sat up with a start and yanked the nket off. ¡°What the-¡± she hissed. There was blood. A lot of it. She stared between her legs, then at the rumpled sheets and bruises on her body. Her mind went nk. What the hell? What the actual hell?! ??? She looked like she¡¯d been mauled. Had someone taken advantage of her while she was out cold? This is Falvaria, for God¡¯s sake! Who¡¯s got a death wish big enough to do something like this?! 74 X Finished Back at Abraham¡¯s ce- He had just coaxed Ste into eating and left the room. She rolled over, nning to go right back to sleep. But her phone started vibrating. She fumbled for it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ste, it¡¯s me.¡± Marie¡¯s voice came throughced with a kind of fury and panic Ste had never heard before. That tone made Ste¡¯s eyes snap open. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¨Cugh¨CI can¡¯t even exin right now. I¡¯m gonna kill that bastard.¡± Ste tensed. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Marie¡¯s brain was a mess. Her whole chest ached with fury. F 2 E YO 37 Wh 21 TH Chapter 588 Blood on the Sheets And Ste, barely understanding a thing, could only sit there frozen in confusion. Then Marie dropped the bomb. ¡°I think I was assaulted.¡± Ste stopped breathing. Wait¡­ what? X Finished Thirty minutester- Ste had the driver bring her straight to Spirit Pub. Marie was already in the surveince room, screaming at the staff. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? You¡¯re telling me the cameras were broken? And they just happened to be brokenst night?! Are you people joking right now?¡± The hotel manager tried to stay calm. ¡°Apologies, ma¡¯am. The system¡¯s been down for three days. The security department hasn¡¯t finished repairs.¡± ¡°Then who was in my roomst night?!¡± ¡°You were the only registered guest. Room service brought you up with your friend. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you there was a man in there! Are you seriously trying to dodge responsibility now? You think I won¡¯t blow this whole damn ce up?!¡± Marie was livid¨Cready to tear the ce apart. ¡°I was assaulted. You think I don¡¯t know what happened to me?!¡± They kept insisting no one else was there. That was thest straw. Marie lost it. Completely. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 589 Chapter 589 Who the Hell Touched Me? She didn¡¯t know who it was¨Cbut the marks on her body made one thing clear, it was a man. Who else could¡¯ve done it, a ghost? The more Marie thought about it, the angrier she got. Her fury was already boiling over. ¡°You better find that person for me,¡± she snapped. ¡°Or I swear, I¡¯ll burn this whole hotel down.¡± She was truly about to explode. Finished This was Falvaria, for God¡¯s sake¨Cit was supposed to be the safest ce for her. How could something like this even happen? Ste stepped forward. When she heard Marie say she¡¯d been assaulted, then saw her swollen lips, she waspletely stunned. Marie grabbed her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± 20 ¡°You sounded panicked on the phone. I couldn¡¯t just sit back, so I had someone check where you were.¡± That call had been so jumbled and unclear, it had left Ste deeply worried. ¡°What happened exactly?¡± Ste asked softly. Marie snapped, ¡°What do you think happened? I went to sleep in my room, some guy came in and did whatever the hell he wanted, and now this damn hotel¡¯s surveince is broken.¡°. Her voice grew more agitated the more she spoke. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to the room. I¡¯ll exin everything there.¡± She still hadn¡¯t showered¨Cshe¡¯d rushed to the security office the second she realized what happened, desperate to find out who the bastard was. And now the cameras were broken? She was gonna lose her mind. Back in the room Ste looked around at the mess, her eyesnding on the obvious bloodstains on the bed. Then she turned to Marie, expression conflicted. ¡°Wait¡­ was that your first time?¡± ¡°With Dan? Hell no. We were gonna wait until marriage,¡± Marie said casually. W But thinking about how her first time had been stolen like this¨Crandom, blurry, and in the dark¨Cshe was fuming. Ste was shocked. She¡¯d always thought Marie and Dan had been deeply in love back then. 7 Chapter 589 Who the Hell Touched Me? Maric downed a ss of water and scoffed. ¡°Now I don¡¯t even know who the hell took my virginity.¡± She was furious all over again just saying it out loud. X Finished Ste¡¯s gaze dropped to the marks on Marie¡¯s neck¨Creddened and scattered. ¡°First thing¡¯s first, we need to find out who did it.¡± ¡°Damn right we do.¡± This whole situation was way beyond frustrating. ¡°Who brought you back to your roomst night?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Julia. You know her. I called her earlier. She said when she brought me up, the room was empty.¡± Just mentioning it made Marie angrier. What the hell had she gotten herself into? ¡°And the surveince?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Broken,¡± Marie gritted out. ¡°And just so happened to break at the perfect time.¡± ¡°Pretty damn convenient,¡± Ste muttered. And she wasn¡¯t wrong¨Cthis timing was suspicious as hell. Ten minutester- The hotel manager returned with the head of security, just like Marie had demanded. Ste pulled a gun from her bag and ced it calmly on the coffee table. Then she shot a frosty nce at the security officer. The moment she pulled that out, both the security guy and the manager went pale. Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Wait, why are you carrying that thing around?¡± That gun had been a gift from Marie after Ste was kidnapped years ago. She hadn¡¯t seen her carry it since then. And now, just because of one weird phone call, Ste had shown up with a weapon? Marie¡¯s heart softened. This girl really is my baby sister. ¡°Ms. Marie,¡± the manager said nervously, ¡°what¡¯s going on here?¡± They all knew she was with the Dawson family, so his tone was especially cautiousced with visible fear. Honestly, they were caught between a rock and a hard ce. ? 10 Finished Chapter 589 Who the Hell Touched Me? Whoever had tampered with the surveince had made it clear: if they so much as breathed a word, they¡¯d be dead. But now, standing in this room, they knew they wouldn¡¯t walk out alive if they didn¡¯t cooperate either. Why was staying alive so damn hard? Ste leanedzily against the back of the sofa, one hand unconsciously resting over her lower belly. ¡°Talk. Who deleted the footage?¡± The manager and security guy paled even further. Marie whipped her head toward her. ¡°Wait¨Cdeleted?¡± You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. They¡¯d really gone that far? Do these people even know who they were messing with? Send Gifts 4.4K O W The wrong girl 590 Chapter 590 Surveince ¡°Malfunction¡± The security guard was drenched in sweat. ¡°Ms¡­. Ms. Marie, the cameras really did break.¡± At that moment, both the guard and the hotel manager looked like they were about to cry. They couldn¡¯t say a word of truth. Ste narrowed her eyes at them in silence. ¡°They really were broken,¡± the guard stammered. Internally, he was already weeping. What kind of karma did I walk into? Each one of them is scarier than the . But the moment he thought about how that person had threatened him at gunpoint¨Chow they¡¯d even used his family to pressure him¨Chis gut clenched. He really might cry. Ste brushed her fingers over her polished nails. ¡°Last chance. Who deleted the footage?¡± She lifted her eyes slowly, the chill in her gaze enough to freeze bone. 3 The security guard met her eyes¨Cand copsed to his knees in panic. ¡°It wasn¡¯t deleted! I swear it wasn¡¯t! The system just broke!¡± Ste picked up the gun. E The entire room went silent. As she raised it and pointed straight at him, the security guard screamed, arms over his head, eyes squeezed shut. ¡°It¡¯s broken! I swear! Even if you kill me, it¡¯s still broken!¡± The hotel manager jumped in. ¡°Please, Ms. Marie! This isn¡¯t necessary¨Cthe cameras really are just broken!¡± ¡°This is a serious failing on our part. We¡¯llpensate you, I swear.¡± Faced with Ste¡¯s deceptively sweet but deadly pressure, the manager and guard were rambling in pure terror. Marie let out a coldugh. ¡°I was assaulted, you want topensate me? How, exactly?¡± ¡°H¨CHow¡­ topensate¡­¡± Yeah. That was the question. F THE Usually people book a room and willingly do that kind of thing. But this? She¡¯d been assaulted while staying in the hotel. What the hell kind of disaster had this turned into? tha The manager¡¯s spine was soaked with cold sweat. He waspletely numb. Marie stepped forward and lightly pressed Ste¡¯s wrist. ¡°Forget it. Looks like the system really was broken.¡± Chapter 590 Surveince ¡°Malfunction¡± ¨C 65% X Finished The way they looked¨Cthey were practically ghosts already, and still hadn¡¯t coughed up any answers. That meant it probably was broken. Ste agreed. Anyone willing to risk death just to keep quiet? Probably telling the truth. So she lowered the gun. Both the guard and the manager exhaled deeply in unison. ¡°Get out,¡± Marie snapped. Compensate? What, with money? Or maybe offer up someone else¡¯s virginity? She didn¡¯t care about money, and as for her virginity¨Chow would anyone make up for that? The manager and guard practically fled like they¡¯d been granted a royal pardon. Once it was just the two of them, Ste nced at Marie. ¡°It really was probably broken.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Marie sounded drained. What a nightmare. That bastard better pray I never find him, or I¡¯ll tear him limb from limb. ¡°I might have another way,¡± Ste said. ¡°You do?¡± Marie perked up a little.. Ste nodded. ¡°Street surveince.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know who the hell it was¨Cwhat¡¯s there to look for? This is a hotel. Do you know how many peoplee and go?¡± Street surveince? Sounded like a long shot. Ste looked at the red marks on Marie¡¯s neck. ¡°I think it might¡¯ve been someone you know.¡± What? Someone she knew? Is she serious? What idiot I know would be dumb enough to do this to me? Still, if it really was someone familiar¨Cthen that would make things easier. Didn¡¯t matter what kind of ¡®familiar¡® they were. She¡¯d tear them apart all the same. Back at Derrick¡¯s vi- Sebastian, Ashley, and Luo Tie were all there, faces pale as ghosts, reeling from what had just happened. 273 Chapter 590 Surveince ¡°Malfunction¡± H D X Finished Derrick sat there, a cigar between his fingers, cold fury seeping from every inch of him. Of the group, his expression was by far the worst. He¡¯d been dragged home by Sebastian and Ashley, who¡¯d handled the whole ¡°situation.¡± From beginning to end, Derrick hadn¡¯t spoken a single word. Sebastian hesitated. ¡°Should you¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ call that demon and ask how she¡¯s doing?¡± He was sweating, too. When they¡¯d heard the soundsing from the room earlier, they¡¯d all gone stiff with fear. If Marie had woken up and caught them¨Ctoday would¡¯ve been their funeral. They didn¡¯t have time to think. They just grabbed Derrick and ran for their lives¡­ Three full¨Cgrown men running for their lives¨Cwhat kind of joke was this? But now Derrick was being told to call her? He shot Sebastian a re so cold it made the guy shiver. Sebastian cleared his throat. ¡°Or¡­. maybe not. Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually thinking about going to that demon and admitting it?¡± A man gets drunk, does something like that, and then runs away¨Cif word got out, the shame would be real. But they had no choice¡­ If it had been any other woman, they could¡¯ve smoothed things over. But this? This was Marie. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ ËÄ 722 H E t 4 65% X Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 591 Chapter 591 Suspicions and Rage That woman¨Cwho¡¯d dare mess with her? Every single strand of her hair screamed danger. The moment they heard Derrick might go and admit it to Marie in person, Ashley and Drax both looked even more pale. Drax said, ¡°Hey¨Cdon¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± They were the ones who¡¯d deleted the surveince footage. They were the ones who forced the hotel to alter the check¨Cin records. Basically, they had erased every possible lead Marie could trace. If the hotel manager and security team actually managed to hold their ground¨Cand then Derrick went and confessed now? Forget it. That¡¯d kill half the people involved. Especially with Marie right at the height of her rage. If she exploded, the fallout would be catastrophic. Sebastian said, ¡°I¡¯ll test the waters first.¡± No way could they just go and confess straight out. That would be suicide. Sebastian immediately called Marie to gauge her state of mind. The call connected, and Marie¡¯s voice sted out like a cannon: ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sebastian,¡± he said. Right now, Marie was still trying to figure out which familiar bastard had done this. Hearing Sebastian¡¯s voice only piled more fuel on the fire. ¡°You got nothing better to do, huh?¡± She was already pissed off, and now someone from Derrick¡¯s circle had the nerve to call her? Marie¡¯s temperpletely snapped. She went off like a firecracker. ¡°Where¡¯s that son of a bitch Derrick?¡± She sounded like she already knew Derrick was the one who did it. Sebastian swallowed hard. ¡°Um¨Cmy brother¡¯s with me. He was with me all night, actually. Why, what happened?¡± Thinking fast, he immediately said Derrick had been with him since the night before. 0 X Chapter 591 Suspicions and Rage Marie didn¡¯t press it. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Derrick anyway. She tossed out a single line before hanging up: Finished ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t ever call me again. I can¡¯t stand seeing anyone from the Tom family. You people make me sick.¡± She¡¯d just gotten a marriage certificate with Derrick yesterday, andst night something like this happened. Was Derrick cursed or something? How deep did her hatred for the Tom family run? Even her breathing reeked of disgust for them. She hung up. Sebastian realized his palms were soaked with sweat. ¡°Still feel like owning up to her now?¡± he asked Derrick. From the sound of it, Marie was looking for whoever did it. Not being able to find him only made her angrier. If Derrick showed up in front of her now, the consequences would be obvious. Ashley said, ¡°My advice? Don¡¯t be an idiot. Value your life.¡± If you¡¯re dealing with Marie, you¡¯d better really value your life. Derrick narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Hearing Marie¡¯s voice just now had stirred up a deep frustration in him too. They¡¯d found nothing from the hotel surveince. Marie was so furious her liver might burst. She and Ste were now in the car, heading back. Along the way, Marie was racking her brain. ¡°Fuckin¡® hell, who the hell has that little ss? That bastard¡¯s got to be some kind of scum, right?¡± Sleeping with her and running off? Ste was texting someone. Despite what Marie had said, she¡¯d already ordered a full check on the surrounding street cameras. If it was someone they knew, then they¡¯d only be looking at familiar faces. Neither Ste nor Marie had even considered the possibility of a room mix¨Cup¡­ 65% 0 X Finished Chapter 591 Suspicions and Rage Hearing Marie curse under her breath, Ste muttered, ¡°Yeah, a real coward.¡± ¡°That bastard better hide for the rest of his life. If I ever find him, he¡¯s dead.¡± It was my first time¡­ Just thinking about the bloody mess on the bed made Marie grind her teeth. And her legs still ached like hell. Ste¡¯s people worked fast. As soon as they returned to the Dawson family estate, photos starteding in. The first one was: Dan! Several more followed. Ste didn¡¯t even botherparing them. As soon as she saw a photo of Dan getting into a car outside Spirit Pub at 8 a.m., she handed the phone to Marie. Marie was still fuming when Ste passed her the phone. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Spirit Pub. He left at eight in the morning.¡± Hearing that, Marie snatched the phone and took a look. She stared at the timestamp¨Cthen at the person in the photo. Her breathing turned rough. Her jaw clenched so tight her teeth nearly cracked. That coward?! ¡°Go back without me,¡± she said, grinding her teeth as she shoved the phone back at Ste. Ste knew from her tone alone¨CMarie was going to hunt Dan down. In her current state, there was no doubt she¡¯d kill him if she found him. Whatever her past with Dan had been, the fact remained, Dan was engaged to E. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ 11T ¡± The wrong girl 592 Chapter 592 A Dangerous Road Ahead If Dan really did something like that to Mariest night, there was no doubt she¡¯d make him die an excruciating death¡­ Ste didn¡¯t get out of the car right away. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°Go where? Go home!¡± Marie snapped. ¡°You think I¡¯ve got the patience to look after you right now?¡± Finished She was about to go after Dan¨Cand when she did, she¡¯d go all in. If this had been before, she might¡¯ve brought Ste along to let her see it for herself. But not anymore. Ste was pregnant now. If something happened to the baby, the entire family would tear Marie apart¨Cforget Dan. Ste said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel good letting you go alone. Take people with you.¡± Dan was too calcting, and Ste had always sensed something especially dark about him. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll bring people,¡± Marie said. After some back and forth, Ste finally stepped out. The moment a servant helped her steady herself, there was a loud vroom! and Marie sped off. Just from the sound of the tires screeching, it was clear how furious she was. And it was a big fury. She¡¯d lost her first time¨Cand the bastard had run. Worse, it had been Dan. Anyone would¡¯ve lost it. Let alone Marie. Dan was about to be thoroughly done for. Ste quickly pulled out her phone and called Abraham. He picked up fast. ¡°Ste?¡± ¡°Something happened to Marie.¡± ¡°What?¡± he said. Ste hadn¡¯t had time to fill him in earlier. She¡¯d been too busy running around with Marie. And Marie? She always handled things herself, never one to go crying to her family. Even the phone call she made this morning had been surprising. Abraham wouldn¡¯t know what had happenedst night. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. D X Chapter 592 A Dangerous Road Ahead Finished ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s got something to do with Dan¡­¡± Ste told him everything¨Cwhat had happenedst night, what she and Marie had investigated, and now how Marie was going to confront Dan herself. ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± she added, ¡°so I was hoping you¡¯d send someone to follow her. She said she¡¯d bring people, but in this state? She¡¯s not thinking straight.¡± Abraham¡¯s breathing grew heavier the longer she spoke. When she finally finished, his voice came low and steady. ¡°Got it. Stay home and don¡¯t get involved.¡± ¡°She already told me not toe,¡± Ste said. Marie had told her to go home and let her handle it herself. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Abraham replied and hung up. Back at the vi, Derrick looked like a storm cloud. After Sebastian, Ashley, and Drax finished their anxious theorizing, one thing was clear¨CDerrick couldn¡¯t admit the truth to Marie. He hadn¡¯t said a word the whole time. Sebastian got desperate. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about your own life, at least care about ours!¡± When Marie lost her temper, it was no joke. People could actually die. And no one involved today was getting out clean. Derrick shot him a dangerous re. ¡°So what, you want me to live as a coward for the rest of my life?¡± Yeah. A coward. What else do you call a guy who does something like that and then runs? Sebastian said, ¡°No¨CI mean, not forever. You need to buy time, get her to fall for you first. Until she loves you, this has to stay buried.¡± That was the only path through this. If Marie fell in love with Derrick, there might still be hope for the rest of them. But Marie¡¯s heart? Hard as stone. Getting her to care was like climbing a mountain with no peak. Sebastian was already feeling doomed. Ashley and Drax both agreed. ¡°Yeah, your only shot is to make her fall for you.¡± ¨C 0 X Finished Chapter 592 A Dangerous Road Ahead ¡°Only once she loves you will any of us have a chance to live through this.¡± Otherwise, they were all dead. Marie wasn¡¯t the type to forgive and forget. She¡¯d carve them up¨Cslowly. Derrick¡¯s face got darker by the second. Sebastian said, ¡°I know it¡¯s a tough ask. But can you really go and confess right now?¡± Everyone looked at Derrick, lips twitching anxiously. Derrick was so angry his head felt like it was going to explode. ¡°Why the hell wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You gonna hit her?¡± Sebastian fired back without thinking. The room went dead silent. If Derrick admitted to Marie that he was the one who¡¯d slept with herst night, there¡¯d be a fight. If he didn¡¯t fight back, he was dead. If he did fight back¡­ Send Gifts 4.4K B The wrong girl 593 Chapter 593 Between Pride and Survival Finished If Derrick dared to go now and confess, he¡¯d be sealing that domestic violence charge from the civil affairs office once and for all. His breathing turned uneven as he looked at Sebastian. Sebastian pressed his hands together. ¡°I know this sucks for you.¡± It really did. He¡¯d slept with his own wife, and now he was on the run like a criminal. What kind of twisted situation was this? Derrick snapped, ¡°You son of a bitch.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You think this was something we could run from?¡± He was visibly pissed. The second Marie had started to wake up, these guys had grabbed him and bolted, leaving him no time to think. Now that he was back and had a second to breathe, the more he reyed everything, the worse it felt. This wasn¡¯t something to run from. 27 5. If he¡¯d stayed, Marie would¡¯ve blown up, sure¨Cbut at least there would¡¯ve been a chance to talk it out. But he ran. And that changed everything. His face darkened by the second. Sebastian blinked. ¡°Wait, so now this is my fault?¡± How could they not run back then? Derrick stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up, radiating cold fury. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her the truth.¡± ¡°Wait¨Cwhat?!¡± Sebastian scrambled after him, phone buzzing in his hand. He picked it up while hurrying to block Derrick¡¯s path. As the call connected, his expression shifted at what he heard. ¡°What? She¡¯s going after Dan?!¡± Chapter 593 Between Pride and Survival They were at the doorway now. At that, Sebastian instantly grabbed Derrick¡¯s arm. Derrick shot him a frigid look. I X Finished Sebastian quickly put the phone on speaker. ¡°Say that again. What do you mean Marie¡¯s going after Dan?¡± ?? ¨C Hearing that, Derrick froze in ce. Marie is going after Dan? That woman held herself to the highest standards. Ever since she learned Dan was still alive, she¡¯d barely reacted. Yeah, she¡¯d been angry back in Frapucu¨Cbut even then, she¡¯d shown nothing but cold indifference. She hadn¡¯t even acknowledged him since. Because the more furious you are, the more you care. But now? The voice on the phone continued, ¡°Yeah. She brought a bunch of people. Armed.¡± She brought weapons?! What the hell happened after they left the hotel? Sebastian¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°She¡¯s going to war?¡± Just saying those words made his chest tighten. Holy hell¡­ ?? ? ? ? This was life¨Cor¨Cdeath. Good thing they ran fast¨Cotherwise, they¡¯d be the ones getting lit up right now. ¡°What happened? Why¡¯s she going after Dan all of a sudden?¡± Sebastian asked, heart pounding. Just hearing that Marie was out causing chaos was enough to make anyone shake in their boots. Now she was already on her way? Derrick frowned, ncing at Sebastian. Sebastian looked more terrified now than he did when Derrick slept with Marie¨Clike he was scared she¡¯de for them next. The voice on the phone answered, ¡°Not totally sure what happened, but something must¡¯ve gone down at Spirit Pubst night. Ms. Marie and Ms. Ste were both there this morning, stayed for over an hour.¡± ¡°Right after they got back to the Dawson estate, Ms. Marie left with a group to confront Dan. The details are 65% X Finished Chapter 593 Between Pride and Survival still unclear.¡± Sebastian turned pale¨Cbeyond pale. He looked downright sick. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak. He just hung up the call. ¡°You heard that, didn¡¯t you? She brought a ton of people. And she¡¯s armed.¡± What did they mean they ¡°weren¡¯t sure what happened¡°? Something clearly happened after they left the hotel. Something that made Marie think it was Dan. ¡°You saw how she reacted to what happenedst night,¡± Sebastian said, dragging a finger across his throat. That gesture said it all. Marie wasn¡¯t looking for ountability¨Cshe was looking for blood. Whatever ns Derrick had toe clean now evaporated like mist. His face looked like he¡¯d just swallowed a fly. Sebastian was about to try andfort him when Ashley stepped in. He grabbed Derrick by the arm and said, ¡°Look, I get it. As a man, this stings.¡± He started dragging Derrick back inside. ¡°But no one ever said we can¡¯t value our lives too.¡± Sebastian nodded frantically. ¡°Exactly. Screw pride.¡± ¡°If it were any other woman, yeah, maybe take responsibility. But that demon? She doesn¡¯t want an apology. She wants a body count.¡± Bottom line, they couldn¡¯t let Derrick confess. Drax added, ¡°Right. Between dignity and staying alive¨Cwe¡¯re picking the second one.¡± Send Gifts ÈÝ 4.4K The wrong girl 594 Chapter 594 Afraid to Die? We Are Derrick¡¯s chest ached with frustration. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid to die?¡± Sebastian, Ashley, and Drax answered in unison, ¡°We are.¡± Dead serious. The three of them didn¡¯t even hesitate. Sebastian was genuinely terrified. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, man. You heard the call¨Cshe brought a whole crew to go after Dan.¡± If Marie found out a bunch of people had tampered with evidence in what she believed was a sexual assault case, there¡¯s no doubt¨Cshe wouldn¡¯t spare a single one of them. Meanwhile, as Marie and Derrick¡¯s situation spiraled into chaos¡­. At Victor¡¯s vi- Tessa stirred groggily, vaguely hearing Ss¡¯s voice from outside: ¡°How the hell did your stitchese apart this badly?¡± Lewis scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s gotta be that Ms. Tessa. I bet after we left, she went at you again. I swear, she¡¯s a spy from Ashen Pact. Probably trying to take you out¨Cjust look at that wound.¡± The more he talked, the more fired up he got. Ss snapped, ¡°Shut up.¡± Lewis argued, ¡°I¡¯m just speaking facts. But seriously, it¡¯s weird¨Cif she really wanted to kill you, why not just do it at night while you¡¯re sleeping? Why y these sneaky games?¡± Sneaky games, huh? Tessa had hated that kind of two¨Cfaced crap back in Rivermount¨Cespecially when Lilian used it against Ste. But now, being in Victor¡¯s orbit¡­ it almost felt like she¡¯d turned into that kind of woman herself. God knows I¡¯m not. Ss deadpanned, ¡°Do you really think anyone could kill Big Brother while he¡¯s asleep?¡± Lewis paused. ¡°Good point. So she¡¯s just trying to wear him down little by little?¡± He waspletely convinced now¨CTessa had been using low¨Clevel tactics to slowly hurt Victor, all as part of some long con to end him. Ss was speechless. He genuinely didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Just get lost,¡± he finally muttered, afraid Lewis would eventually piss Victor off so badly he¡¯d get himself killed. 65% X Chapter 594 Afraid to Die? We Are Inside the room, Tessa whimpered, ¡°Ugh¡­¡® It hurts. It really hurts. Just shifting a little made her legs scream in agony. Her whole body felt like it¡¯d been hit by a truck. Outside- Victor heard the noise from inside and nced toward Ss, who was still tending his bandages. Finished Ss heard it too. He clipped thest piece of tape, muttered a quick ¡°All done,¡± and started cleaning up. Compared to Lewis, he knew when to make himself scarce. He rushed toward the door and made up an excuse. ¡°Oh crap, I just remembered something¨Cgotta go!¡± Just as he reached the door, Victor spoke coldly, ¡°Go tear Lewis¡¯s damn mouth off.¡± Ss stiffened. Sorry, Lewis. You brought this on yourself. Even Abraham had no patience for him¨Cand now he¡¯d finally pissed off Victor, too. Ss slipped out. Victor got up and walked to the bedroom door. He pushed it open and turned on the light¡­ only to see Tessa¡¯s big, tear¨Cfilled eyes staring back at him. She froze for a second, then choked out a sob. ¡°It really hurts¡­¡± She meant it. Last night had been her first time, and Victor¡­ well, he¡¯dpletely lost control. There was no ¡°treat her gently¡± in his vocabry. Seeing her like that, Victor stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her into his arms. ¡°Ahh-!¡± The sudden movement yanked at every sore part of her body. Tessa cried out in pain, tears falling all over again. So damn rough¡­. Victor paused, his brow furrowing. ¡°It hurts that bad?¡± He¡¯d lived his life on the edge, injury after injury¨Cit was nothing new to him. A bit of soreness? Not even worth mentioning. But the cold edge in his voice only made her feel more wronged. She sniffled and kept silent, her tears falling harder now. ¡ª 65% X Finished Chapter 594 Afraid to Die? We Are Seeing her cry like that stirred something in his chest¨Csomething unfamiliar, something strange. And yet, it moved him enough that he reached out and brushed the tears from her cheeks with a rough fingertip. ¡°It really hurts that much?¡± His tone softened¨Cjust a little. The ice from before had melted away, at least for the moment. Tessa nodded, sniffling. ¡°Yeah¡­ it hurts a lot.¡± Even the slightest movement made her legs throb in pain. She was already petite. Next to Ste, she was half a head shorter. Now curled up in Victor¡¯s strong arms, she looked even smaller¨Clike a kid. Her damp hair clung to her face in messy strands. Victor reached out and tucked them behind her ear. ¡°Girls always hurt the first time,¡± he murmured. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt after this.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 595 Chapter 595 Was Last Night All for Nothing? It wouldn¡¯t hurt next time? Thinking about the man¡¯s insane stamina and their overwhelming physical difference, Tessa couldn¡¯t help but shudder. That kind of gap¡­ there was no changing it. So when Victor said it wouldn¡¯t hurt in the future, she was sure he was lying. ¡°¡­What?¡± Victor raised an eyebrow when she didn¡¯t respond. TH Tessa clutched the cor of his robe and stammered, ¡°You said¡­st night¡­ that you¡¯d let me see my mom today.¡± She¡¯d read in novels that men always said nonsense in bed. But she believed it anyway¡­ If Victor dared lie to her¨Cthen she would¡­ she would¡­ What could she even do? After everything that had happenedtely, and now being held by a man who was basically a beast, Tessa sniffled hard. Honestly, even if he had lied, what could she really do? All I ever do is cry. What else can I even do anymore? Victor nodded. ¡°It¡¯s already arranged. Your mother should be here before nightfall.¡± ¡°R¨CReally?¡± The excitement on her face couldn¡¯t be contained. She hadn¡¯t seen her mother in so long. They hadn¡¯t even been able to contact each other. Victor looked down at her. ¡°Would I lie to you?¡± Tessa shook her head. ¡°No. You¡¯re the best.¡± God. If she¡¯d known he could make her see her mom, she wouldn¡¯t have wasted all that time begging Ste to go around in circles. But then again, she and Victor had barely known each other. Still didn¡¯t, really. Seeing her suddenly light up, a smile tugged at Victor¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m the best?¡± Chapter 595 Was Last Night All for Nothing? There was clearly something deeper behind his tone. Tessa nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the best, the very best.¡± ttery always worked. CA D 65% X Finished And for Victor¨Cit worked especially well. His eyes definitely softened. She was about to shower him with more sweet talk when his phone rang. Victor reached for it, and Tessa immediately tried to pull away from his arms. ???? She¡¯d already caused enough troubletely. People around him were starting to think she was some kind of spy. If she overheard anything private again, there was no doubt they¡¯d think it was intentional. But just as she moved- ¡°Ah-!¡± The pain red up again. Last night had been brutal. She would¡¯ve hit the floor if Victor hadn¡¯t caught her in time. ¡°You can listen to this one,¡± he said in a husky voice. Tessa didn¡¯t move again. She really was in too much pain. Victor answered the call and switched it to speaker. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Sir, Madam Miller has refused the meeting.¡± Victor nced down at the girl in his arms. ¤¿ Tessa blinked. Madam Miller? She froze for a second before realizing they meant her mother. What? Why would she say no? She looked up at Victor with eyes full of disbelief and confusion. Victor¡¯s brows knit. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know the reason, sir. That was her direct response.¡± Her direct response? 6 15 HE 211 65% X Chapter 595 Was Last Night All for Nothing? Tessa¡¯s face went pale. She couldn¡¯t help speaking up. ¡°Did you tell her it was her daughter who wanted to see her?¡± The line went quiet. Victor¡¯s voice cut through it coldly. ¡°Answer her.¡± ¡°We did. But Madam Miller only had two words: Not interested.¡± So blunt. Tessa¡¯s heart nearly leapt out of her throat. Victor asked calmly, ¡°Did she leave any other message?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± No message. Not even a word? Her mom didn¡¯t want to see her¡­ and didn¡¯t even leave a single sentence behind? What the hell happened? Victor said something else into the phone, then ended the call. He looked down at her. ¡°You heard that?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t try. It was that her mother didn¡¯t want to see her. If Diana had been even remotely willing, Victor would¡¯ve made it happen in seconds. But if Diana herself refused, there wasn¡¯t much even he could do. Tessa looked up at him, teary¨Ceyed. ¡°So¡­st night¡­ I gave myself to you for nothing?¡± The air instantly turned strange. A thick, charged silence settled between them. Meanwhile, back at the Dawson estate- After hanging up with Ste, Abraham immediately sent people out to follow Marie. He returned home himself to keep an eye on Ste. She was pregnant now. He couldn¡¯t let her run around like before. Finished She curled up on the couch, a te of fruit in herp, letting Abraham feed her between bites. ¡°Did you send enough people?¡± She wasn¡¯t being paranoid. G Chapter 595 Was Last Night All for Nothing? After Dan¡¯s fake death, Ste hadpletely lost any faith in his character. Marie had gone after him in a blind rage. There was no doubt sparks would fly. And that made Ste nervous. She was afraid Marie might get hurt. Abraham, on the other hand, seemed calm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dan wouldn¡¯t dare try anything here.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K ? The wrong girl 596 Chapter 596 Face Your Mother¨Cin¨CLaw Unless he really didn¡¯t want to leave Falvaria alive. With that, Abraham popped a peeled grape into Ste¡¯s mouth and picked up another one. Ste chewed twice, then shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t want it. Not sweet.¡± Ever since she got pregnant, Ste found herself craving sweets¨Csweeter the better. Abraham ignored her grumbling and kept peeling. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not sweet. I had them bring low¨Csugar grapes.¡± ¡°Why though? They¡¯re not even good.¡± Her little mouth pouted in frustration. She was really in the mood for something sugary. ¡°Pregnant women can¡¯t have too much sugar. Be good.¡± He fed her another grape anyway. Ste chewed it reluctantly, visibly sulking. Seeing that pitiful expression, Abraham added, ¡°Be good, alright?¡± He couldn¡¯t indulge her too much. If anything happened to her body, she¡¯d be the one suffering. Ste sniffled and said nothing. Then her phone vibrated. She nced at the caller ID¨Cit was Tessa. She answered right away. ¡°Tessa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Victor¡¯s voice came through instead. ¡°Victor?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Why are you calling on Tessa¡¯s phone?¡± She instinctively nced at Abraham. ¡°She¡¯s running a fever.¡± ¡°What?¡± Victor continued, ¡°It¡¯s mostly emotional.¡± Wait a second¡­ that response took a moment to register. Half an hourter. Abraham personally drove Ste to Victor¡¯s vi. As she tried to rush out the moment the car stopped, Chapter 596 Face Your Mother¨Cin¨CLaw Abraham reached out and caught her. ¡°Slow down.¡± Finished ¡°I am slowing down,¡± she huffed, knowing full well he was worried about the baby. And of course, she¡¯d protect it too. Abraham followed her out of the car. Inside the vi- A doctor was briefing Victor. As they got closer, they could hear that it was about Tessa. ¡°Her emotional state¡¯s too unstable. Her body can¡¯t take it. We need to make sure the fever doesn¡¯t climb any higher.¡± ¡°And her injuries need to be handled carefully. If they get infected¡­¡± Victor didn¡¯t look happy. Lewis and Ss were nearby too. When they heard Tessa was injured, both of them looked at Victor in confusion. Injured? When had that happened? Victor had been protecting her fiercely ever since they started traveling together. And his vi? It was the safest ce in all of Falvaria. So what the hell happened? They both froze when they saw Abraham. But then, noticing Ste by his side, it all made sense. Abraham rarely showed up in person¨Cbut where Ste was, it became a lot more likely. Victor turned to Ste and said to a maid nearby, ¡°Take Ste upstairs.¡± Ste had questions about Tessa¡¯s injuries, but when she noticed the bandages on Victor himself, she swallowed them back. It was probably something from thest few days with him. Poor girl¡­ Back in Rivermount, Tessa had never been exposed to anything remotely this intense. These days must¡¯ve scared her half to death. And now she was injured too? Honestly, it was a miracle she hadn¡¯tpletely fallen apart yet. 214 00:30 Tue, Aug 5 Chapter 596 Face Your Mother¨Cin¨CLaw ¡°Understood,¡± the maid said with a nod. There weren¡¯t many servants at the vi to begin with. And now with Tessa sick¡­ 65% Finished Ste went upstairs. Abraham took a seat on the couch. Victor sat across from him. Abraham lit a cigarette. He took one drag, nced at the marks on Victor¡¯s neck, and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to get her involved?¡± Ever since Tessa came to Falvaria, she¡¯d turned to Ste for everything. Normally, that would be fine. But the current situation was different¨Cnot just because Ste was pregnant, but because things underneath Falvaria were getting¡­ restless. Open attacks were one thing. It was the ones in the dark that were harder to defend against. Victor understood what Abraham meant. ¡°I know. But this time was¡­ different.¡± ¡°How different?¡± Victor replied, ¡°Something¡¯s off with Ashen Pact. Diana Miller refused to meet her daughter.¡± Abraham narrowed his eyes slightly. Ashen Pact¡­ They weren¡¯t originally involved with them. But now? It was starting to look like that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Especially considering Derrick¡¯s connection with Monroe, their second¨Cinmand. Abraham eyed Victor carefully. ¡°So what¡¯s your next move?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty obvious now that Ashen Pact¡¯s situation is tied to you too.¡± His tone was calm but deep. Victor blinked, slightly caught off guard. Abraham had clearly figured it out. Victor¡¯s feelings for Tessa weren¡¯t simple¨Cnot since Rivermount. ¡°If she won¡¯t meet her daughter, then it¡¯s up to you to pay your mother¨Cinw a visit, isn¡¯t it?¡± ?? X Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 597 Chapter 597 Bargaining in Bed Victor remained silent, prompting Abraham to speak again, his voice deep and deliberate. That one sentence¡­ Victor instantly understood. ¡°I¡¯ll meet with her as soon as I can.¡± ¡°And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll take a look at her record¨Cwhat she¡¯s done during her time in power at Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Victor nodded. Ashen Pact had always minded its own business, but in the past few months, their actions had been anything but simple. If the current leader refused to y fair, it might be time to push for someone with a better grasp of the bigger picture. As for how he and Tessa got tangled up in all this¡­ well, it really was one of those odd twists of fate. When he first met her, when she first caught his eye¨Cnobody had a clue she had any ties to Ashen Pact. After all, she¡¯d grown up in the peacefulfort of Rivermount. Abraham pressed his cigarette out in the ashtray. ¡°Ashen Pact is unstable right now. Madam Miller¡¯s biggest concern is probably her daughter.¡± Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have refused to see her like this. Victor¡¯s gaze darkened. Ste was led into Tessa¡¯s room. The curtains were open, sunlight streaming in. After showing her in, the housekeeper quietly retreated. ¡°Tessa.¡± Hearing Ste¡¯s voice, Tessa threw back the covers and sat straight up in bed. ¡°Ste!¡± Her voice broke with emotion the moment she spoke. Ste paused in surprise. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± She stepped forward, sat beside her, and gently pulled her into a hug. Tessa had been holding it together for days now. Life back in Rivermount had been easy and carefree¨Cbut now¡­ Chapter 597 Bargaining in Bed ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡± Tessa¡¯s voice trembled as she held back tears. ¡°What? Why not?¡± 65% ? 10 X Finished ¡°Exactly. Why not?¡± she said, clearly panicked. ¡°What¡¯s going on with her? Why won¡¯t she see me?¡± All she wanted was to find out what was happening¨Canything at all. Even just a few words would have eased her heart. But she¡¯d gone through so much just to get this far, and now her mother hadpletely shut her out. ¡°Victor arranged it?¡± For her to already know Diana had refused¨Cit meant Victor had moved quickly. Well, of course he had. Working with Abraham meant everything was done with absolute efficiency. At the mention of Victor¡­ Tessa sniffled harder. ¡°He did¡­ and I gave up an entire night of allure to make it happen.¡± ¡­What? Wait¨Cwhat? ¡°You what?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Allure? What does that mean exactly?¡± Was she hearing that right? Tessa¡¯s tears fell faster. ¡°It hurt so bad. Ugh¡­¡± Just rememberingst night made her squirm. Victor hadn¡¯t held back at all, and she had¡­ definitely not expected that kind of stamina. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She¡¯d paid such a heavy price, finally got that man to skip the whole spy investigation and arrange the meeting- Only for her mom to say no? What kind of joke was this? Her brain hadpletely shut down¡­ We Th Ste gently pulled her out of her arms, gave her a once¨Cover, and when she saw the marks on Tessa¡¯s neck 17 N She sucked in a sharp breath. Especially after mentallyparing Victor¡¯s build to Tessa¡¯s tiny frame¡­ no wonder she¡¯d been crying 214 65% X Finished Chapter 597 Bargaining in Bed nonstop. ¡°There, there¡­ don¡¯t cry, alright?¡± Steforted her softly. ? ? ; But still¡­ this girl¡­ ¡°You really used that method?¡± They¡¯d talked about this before. Ste had been convinced Victor wouldn¡¯t go for Tessa¡¯s short little legs. But apparently¡­ he did? Tessa¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°It¡­ it wasn¡¯t me.¡± She fumbled over her words. Just thinking about how the man had suddenly turned into a wild animalst night¨Cshe couldn¡¯t have escaped even if she tried. Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°It was Victor. I couldn¡¯t get away at all, so I just¡­ made a deal with him. ¡°¡­You made a deal during?¡± Ste¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited again. Wow. That was new. Tessa had been terrified ever since arriving in Falvaria. But she¡¯d dared to strike a bargain with Victor¡­ during that? People¨Cmen¨Chad tried to negotiate with Victor before and hadn¡¯te out of it well. Women wouldn¡¯t even dare. Seeing Ste¡¯s expression freeze, Tessa asked timidly, ¡°W¨Cwhat? Was that bad?¡± Ste stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re very brave.¡± ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± Ste thought back to what Abraham had said before¨Cabout Victor treating Tessa¡­ differently. She hadn¡¯t believed it at first, but now? Yeah. That change came fast. Still, for Tessa, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°Ste¡­ could you ask your brother to look into it for me? What¡¯s going on with my mom in Ashen Pact?¡± ? ? X Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 598 Chapter 598 Dead Man ying Poker Tessa quickly changed the subject¨Cher mother was still her biggest concern. Ste said, ¡°I think you should just talk to Victor directly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If I go ask, he¡¯ll end up making Victor look into it anyway.¡± That¡­ Ste gave Tessa a look¨Cshe didn¡¯t want to be too blunt, but still said it: ¡°Honestly, maybe that¡¯s for the best. I used to think you and Victor were from totally different worlds, but fate really is strange like that.¡± Tessa¡¯s world had fallen into chaos¡­ and somehow, she ended up standing right beside Victor. It was like he¡¯d been sent from above¨Ca knight meant to protect her. Right when everything was crashing down, being with Victor had be her safest haven. Ste stayed a while longer, talking Tessa through it, helping her sort through her emotions. This was her life now¨Cshe had to learn how to live it. When Ste left Victor¡¯s estate, it was already past 1 PM. Her stomach was growling. ¡°Seriously, Victor really only hires one cook? What¡¯s that about?¡± Just one kitchen staffer. She felt guilty even asking for anything to eat. Abraham held her close and fed her a few snacks. Ste happily munched away. ¡°Did you make things clear to Tessa?¡± he asked gently. ¡°Huh? About what?¡± ¡°That she should go to Victor from now on.¡± So that¡¯s what he meant? Ste rolled her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a girl, you know.¡± Did this man really not know how to separate jealousy frommon sense? Abraham didn¡¯t respond¨Che just handed her another snack. Ste was starving. She reached out and grabbed the whole pack from his hand. 174 ÈÕ 65% Chapter 598 Dead Man ying Poker She nced out the window and realized they weren¡¯t heading home. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Finished ¡°To see the wedding venue,¡± Abraham said. ¡°¡­What?¡± She blinked. Wedding venue? Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be a surprise revealed on the big day? Abraham gently squeezed her hand. ¡°You only get married once. I want you to love it.¡± Warmth bloomed in her chest. He was right. Surprises didn¡¯t matter¨Cshe had to like it. Otherwise, it¡¯d just turn into a shock. Meanwhile, Marie had practically turned half of Falvaria¡¯s capital upside down trying to find Dan. Yesterday, he¡¯d had the nerve to say he was going to watch her get divorced. Today? He wouldn¡¯t even pick up the phone. She was already furious¨Cand now she had to go track him down? Of course she exploded. At the club- Marie marched straight to the private room with more than twenty bodyguards behind her. From outside, she could hear the soft shuffle of poker cards. Her face darkened even more. This bastard caused that, and now he was just sitting around ying poker? Did he really think that after sleeping with her, she¡¯d go running off to divorce Derrick? So he could kick back without a care? Inside the room, a few men were chatting between hands. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t Ms. Marie used to chase after you like crazy? Why¡¯d she suddenly marry that spoiled rich kid Derrick?¡± ¡°Yeah, man, maybe she¡¯s still mad at you.¡± Everyone in Dan¡¯s circle always believed Marie only ever had eyes for him. Dan said nothing. 2/ Chapter 598 Dead Man ying Poker Another chimed in, ¡°Honestly, considering what you did back then, it¡¯s no surprise she¡¯s pissed.¡± ¡°You left her when she loved you most¨Cshe nearly lost her mind, man.¡± Marie was already fuming overst night. But hearing that-¡°what you did back then¡°? Herst shred of sanity snapped. What he did? So this bastard really had faked his death? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. And now Dan was sitting there, ying poker, casually talking about how hard she¡¯d fallen for him? Marie hit her limit. She lifted her leg and¨Ckicked the door. The wooden sliding door rattled loudly before crashing to the floor. The lively private room- Instant silence. 65% O X Finished The cards stopped shuffling. The conversations froze. Everyone stared at the doorway in stunned silence. Who the hell had the guts to knock the door off its tracks? And then they saw her. Marie, face livid with fury. A collective gasp rippled through the room, Everyone turned to look at Dan. He was seated facing the door. When he saw Marie, a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes. Before he could stand- Marie raised a hand. ¡°Hit him.¡± Before anyone could react, the two dozen bodyguards behind her stormed into the room. 374 00:30 Tue, Aug 5 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In B The wrong girl 599 Chapter 599 You Call That a Joke? Then Marie snarled through gritted teeth, ¡°Beat him to a pulp. Don¡¯t stop till he¡¯s dead.¡± That fire in her voice¨Cit was like the rage had burned straight through her skull. The room wasn¡¯t even that big. About fifty square meters, and now over twenty men stormed inside. The entire ce erupted into chaos. Even if Dan and his three friends could fight, no one holds up well when they¡¯re swarmed by that many people. In the middle of the mess, Marie shoved her way through, grabbed Dan by the cor, and started throwing punches. ¡°Feel proud of yourself? ying with me like it¡¯s some kind of game?¡± ¡°Was it fun for you?¡± Her fists rained down on him, hammering his face and forehead without mercy. She wasn¡¯t holding back. A few punches in, and blood was already seeping from the corner of Dan¡¯s mouth. The room was a wreck. As Marie raised her hand again, Dan caught her wrist mid¨Cair. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Still dazed from the beating, Dan was starting to snap at her madness. Marie shouted, ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with me? You don¡¯t know?!¡± ¡°You toyed with me and now you¡¯re ying dumb?!¡± She swung her other hand and aimed another punch at his head. MEMPE Dan had no idea what was going on. He¡¯d already taken a few hits from the bodyguards. Now Marie was throwing herself at him like a lunatic. And then¨Ccrack¨Ca sharp pain exploded in his chest. Dan¡¯s face twisted in pain. He shoved Marie off him. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± She fell straight to the floor, hard. After what had happenedst night, and now this¨Cher legs felt like they were about to fall off. Already burning with rage, Marie saw red. Being shoved like that pushed herpletely over the edge. 00:30 Tue, Aug 5 65% X Finished Chapter 599 You Call That a Joke? ¡°Oh, now it¡¯s enough?¡± She scrambled back to her feet, ignoring the pain. And pped him¨Chard. Dan stood there stunned. He still wasn¡¯t fighting back, but at this point, he had no choice but to wrestle with her just to hold her off. The room turned into aplete war zone. Ten minutester¡ª Dan finally pinned her against the wall, pure strength overpowering her rage. Marie screamed, ¡°Let go of me, you piece of shit!¡± Dan hissed, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°Someone! Kill him! Beat the bastard to death!¡± At hermand, three or four bodyguards lunged for Dan again. Dan only had four men with him total. And Marie¡¯s crew¨Chand¨Cpicked elite fighters¨Chad ambushed them so suddenly, they didn¡¯t even get a chance to call for backup. Another round of chaos erupted. By the end of it, Dan and his guys were all on the floor, unable to get up. Completely blindsided, they had no clue what they¡¯d done wrong. And Dan¨Che especially had no idea why Marie had gone full bloodthirsty on him. This wasn¡¯t anger¨Cthis was execution. Marie stepped over to him and mmed her heel down on his wrist. Crack. A bone snapped. Dan grunted in pain. ¡°Marie¡­¡± He bit out her name through clenched teeth. She crouched down, grabbed him by the hair, and yanked his face up to look at her. Their eyes locked. Hers burned with fury, pure and lethal. She growled, one word at a time: ¡°How was it¡­ waking up in my bed?¡± Tue, Aug 65% X Finished Chapter 599 You Call That a Joke? The room went dead silent. The injured men on the floor all looked at Dan, shocked. So that¡¯s what this was about? Seriously? If she wanted to beat up the guy who slept with her, fine¨Cbut what did it have to do with them? Every face turned green. Dan¡¯s breathing turned ragged. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Slept with her? Seeing his confused expression, Marie pped him again. ¡°I asked how it felt.¡± God, was she seriously asking this here? Shouldn¡¯t this kind of thing be said behind closed doors? Her bodyguards stayed stoic, but their minds were reeling. They¡¯d always wondered what kind of man could possibly handle a woman like Marie. Well, mystery solved. She¡¯d fallen for Dan once. Now he was bleeding on the floor. If he couldn¡¯t hold his own, nobody could. Dan¡¯s face was turned away from the p. He gritted his teeth and growled, ¡°You crazy b*tch.¡± Before he could finish, Marie backhanded him across the face again. ¡°What? Cat got your tongue? You had plenty to sayst night, didn¡¯t you?¡± Just thinking about the wrecked bed that morning sent her into another wave of fury. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 600 Chapter 600 No Feeling? Try This Marie¡¯s voice was cold and cutting. ¡°Say it. How did it feel?¡± Dan spat out a breath, face bruised and bloodied. ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like anything.¡± His words dropped like a lead weight. OX Finished Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed¨Cand then all hell broke loose. Her hand flew again and again, pping his face with a fury that stunned the room. The other men at the poker table looked like they¡¯d swallowed poison. Pale and silent, they watched in horror. What were they supposed to do? Admit to anything? Say it felt good? Say it didn¡¯t? There was no right answer here¨Conly andmine. With a grunt, Marie shoved Dan to the ground. He hit the floor hard, already half¨Cbroken from the earlier beating. Lying there, dazed, he barely heard her next words. ¡°You toy with my feelings, and then you have the balls to sleep with me? Remember this¨Cevery time I see you, I¡¯ll beat you within an inch of your life.¡± The hatred in her voice was sharp enough to cut steel. Dan gasped for air, but before he could speak, Marie turned and stormed off. That should¡¯ve been the end of it. But then¨Che grabbed her ankle. She froze. Her head turned slowly, eyes shing like lightning in a storm. ¡°What?¡± Dan clenched his teeth, voice low and hoarse. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with you.¡± The room went still. The tension snapped back like a loaded spring, and then Marie¡¯s footshed out, mming into his chest. Everything exploded again. Chairs overturned, men ducked out of the way, and the sound of fists filled the air. This time, it was just Marie¨Cno bodyguards, no backup¨Cjust her and Dan. She pummeled him like a wild storm. BIL The other men cowered in the corner, too battered and terrified to intervene. They huddled together, faces pale, hoping she¡¯d forget they existed. Twenty minutes passed before she finally stopped. Ho Dan was crumpled on the floor, barely breathing. His face was swollen, his lip split, and his hand looked twisted from where she¡¯d stomped on it earlier. S 00:31 Tue, Aug 5 ¡± X Finished Chapter 600 No Feeling? Try This Marie stood over him, chest heaving. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she snapped to her guards. They filed out silently, leaving behind a room that looked like it had hosted a war. For a moment, no one moved. Then Andy crawled over to Dan, whispering like someone afraid to wake a dragon. ¡°You¡­ really slept with her?¡± Dan didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t. The pain was too much, and the rage was boiling beneath the surface. Greg clutched his ribs. ¡°Look, man¡­ if you¡¯re gonna do it, at least admit it. Denying it just made her go off harder.¡± None of them considered for a second that Dan might be telling the truth. They thought he was just scared -too scared to own up. Dan gritted his teeth. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t.¡± nc, the worst off of them all, barely lifted his head from the floor. ¡°Argueter. Someone call an ambnce.¡± He could barely breathe. What a nightmare. Who would¡¯ve thought a simple poker game would end like this? One wrong woman¨CMarie- and they¡¯d all ended up as coteral damage. Andy exhaled shakily. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have pushed her, man. You two had issues already. This just made it worse.¡± Greg nodded. ¡°No one¡¯s ming you. It¡¯s just¡­ survival instincts, you know?¡± Dan¡¯s eyes burned with frustration. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch her.¡± But no one was listening. They were too busy nursing broken ribs and bruised egos, all thinking the same thing- We should¡¯ve stayed home today. Send Gifts ¡£ 4.4K The wrong girl 601 Chapter 601 Wrong Target Sebastian handed Derrick the phone. ¡°Take a look.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face was ashen after watching the video. Derrick shot him a cold nce and took the phone from his hand. He tapped the screen. Finished The surveince footage showedplete chaos. The private room looked like a warzone¨Ctables and doors were flipped everywhere. More than twenty people were beating the hell out of a few unlucky ones in that cramped space. And Marie was right in the middle of it¡­ Those guys didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back. Especially when Marie pped Morris¨Cbrutally, over and over. Even through the screen, Derrick could feel how hard she was going. She wasn¡¯t just trying to hurt him¡ª she was trying to destroy him. And it wasn¡¯t just Morris. The people with him got dragged into it too¡­ Sebastian flinched at the soundsing from the footage. ¡°Man, good thing we ran.¡± Ashley and Drax hadn¡¯t seen the video, but judging from the noise and Sebastian¡¯sment, they could pretty much guess what had happened. Knowing Marie¡¯s temper, there was no way she would¡¯ve let anyone involved walk away unscathed. And judging by that scene, everyone in that room probably barely made it out in one piece. Sebastian muttered, ¡°How the hell did she mistake him for Morris?¡± Derrick stayed silent. ¡°She was head over heels for the guy. And still, she beat the crap out of him like that. If it had been you, she probably would¡¯ve finished the job.¡± Sebastian shuddered. Despite everything, Morris was someone Marie had genuinely cared about. And she still went off on him without holding back. If it had been Derrick, she might¡¯ve killed him on the spot. Something must¡¯ve struck a nerve, because Derrick suddenly tossed the phone onto the coffee table with a loud thud. Chapter 601 Wrong Target 346 X Finished No doubt about it¨Che was pissed. Sebastian pursed his lips. The phone buzzed on the table, and he quickly answered it. ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Sebastian, Morris and the guys who were ying cards with him¨Cthey¡¯ve all been rushed into the ER.¡± Sebastian¡¯s jaw dropped. The ER? Holy crap¡­ He already knew Marie hadn¡¯t held back, but getting sent to the ER? That was next level. Which meant¡­ the ICU was probably next. She beat them straight into the ICU. How furious was she about what happenedst night? Sebastian swallowed hard. ¡°Keep eyes on Marie. Don¡¯t let her see you.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He ended the call and turned to Derrick. ¡°Marie just sent Morris straight into the ICU.¡± Drax and Ashley went quiet. If they hadn¡¯t gotten out of there in time, they would¡¯ve been the ones headed to the hospital now. Drax asked, ¡°All of them?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°All of them.¡± Ashley and Drax were dead silent. Getting beaten that badly? Marie¡¯s temper was no joke. And honestly, Morris got screwed over hard. He hadn¡¯t even done anything, but he took the fall anyway. Totally ridiculous. Derrick¡¯s expression was unreadable. He pulled out his phone and started dialing Marie. Sebastian caught a glimpse of the name on screen and immediately snatched it away from him. ¡°What are you doing? Are you seriously trying to get us all killed?¡± Sebastian panicked. They hadn¡¯t seen the video earlier, so they didn¡¯t really grasp how brutal Marie¡¯s revenge had been. But now? Now there was no way they¡¯d dare admit anything. ¡°Sebastian, someone¡¯s going to die if this keeps going.¡± Derrick gave him a cold stare, lips pressed into a tight line, saying nothing more. Sebastian looked like he was about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s toote to exin now. Trying to clear things up would only make it worse.¡± They were all realizing it now¨Crunning away was one thing. But why had they dragged Derrick along? Aug 65% Chapter 601 Wrong Target O X Finished Getting him involved had only made things worse. They could¡¯ve just saved themselves and let him deal with it. Yeah, thinking about it now¨Cit really was a dumb move. But in the moment, they¡¯d all panicked. Nobody was thinking straight. Drax rubbed his hands together. ¡°Hey Derrick, I mean, everything¡¯s already out there. Morris took the fall. Just let him take the heat for it.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Exactly. Let him take the fall. And didn¡¯t you hear what Marie said at the end of the video? ¡®If I see him again, I¡¯ll hit him again.¡® After this, Morris won¡¯t even think about going near her.¡± She¡¯d already sent him to the ER once. If it happened again, would Morris even survive? Unless he had a death wish, he¡¯d stay the hell away from her from now on. And that meant¨Cfor them¨Cthis whole mess might actually be over. Sebastian was feeling pretty good about it. He didn¡¯t stop to consider whether Morris, after getting beat up so badly and for no reason, would actually let it go. More importantly, judging from how Morris had been actingtely, it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d moved on from Marie at all. So really, this wasn¡¯t over¨Cnot even close. Meanwhile, Ste and Abraham were reviewing the wedding venue. The nner jotted down their feedback on some of the details. Send Gifts 4.4K W The wrong girl 602 Chapter 602 No Holding Back Finished The wedding venue had been arranged personally by Evelyn, and naturally, Ste loved every bit of it. Once the nning session wrapped up¡­ Ste sat in the main hall, sipping water, when her phone buzzed with a new message¨Ca video sent from one of her people. She tapped it open for a quick look. The second she saw what was on screen¨Cpfft!-she choked and sprayed water all over the floor. Abraham walked in just as she was coughing and wiping her mouth. He rushed over, grabbing a tissue off the table on his way, his tone a blend of teasing and concern. ¡°What happened? How do you even manage to choke on water?¡± Ste handed him the phone, still catching her breath. ¡°Just¡­ just watch it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Morris almost got beaten to death.¡± Damn¡­ They really didn¡¯t hold back at all. The way Marie sped off from the Dawson estate made it clear¨Cshe wasn¡¯t just mad; she was seething. Ste had sensed it then¨CMorris was absolutely screwed. And sure enough¡­ Marie wasn¡¯t someone who blurred the line between love and hate. The fact that she had once cared about Morris didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d go easy on him now. Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Marie. He gave the video a quick nce. E His expression had already been dark since hearing about what Marie had gone through. But now, after seeing how she handled it, he actually looked a little relieved. Seeing her strike back like that, he figured there was nothing more to worry about. §â§à J ???? ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go eat,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s eat at home. The butler said they¡¯re making all my favorite dishes.¡± Besides, the drive back wasn¡¯t long. When it came to meals, Ste always preferred eating at home. Abraham nodded. ¡°Alright. Whatever you want.¡°¡± Chapter 602 No Holding Back He took her hand and led her out the door. 05% 0 X Finished Half an hourter. The two of them arrived home. Marie was already back. After beating the hell out of Morris and his crew, most of her rage had burned off. At that moment, she was asking the doctor for some meds. ¡°Yeah, I think the damage is worse than I thought. Hurts like hell.¡± Marie wasn¡¯t the type toin about pain. So if she said it hurt, it meant she¡¯d been seriously injured. The bastards fromst night hadn¡¯t held back at all. Abraham¡¯s face darkened again. Of course it did¨Chis own sister had been assaulted. He didn¡¯t care who the guy was. No excuse was going to cut it. He looked over at Ste, calm and gentle as always. ¡°Go eat, okay? I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat in a bit. Go on, be good,¡± he said softly, coaxing her. Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go eat first.¡± She was genuinely starving. Sure, Abraham had given her plenty of fruit and snacks earlier¡­ But once real hunger kicked in, that stuff didn¡¯t cut it. What she needed was a proper meal. As Abraham and Ste walked in, Marie¡¯s face twisted with a mix of guilt and frustration. Abraham headed upstairs and told her, ¡°Come to the study.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Marie mumbled, casting a nce at Ste. Ste¡¯s eyes were full of sympathy. What woman didn¡¯t want something real with the man she loved? But Morris wasn¡¯t just unworthy¨Che was trash. And what he¡¯d donest night crossed every line. No wonder Marie lost it today. She hadn¡¯t just gone after Morris. She¡¯d taken down everyone around him too, just so she could let that fury out. 65% ? X Finished Chapter 602 No Holding Back Inside the study. Abraham lit a cigarette, staring at his sister with quiet intensity. ¡°You want me to handle Morris?¡± ¡°No.¡± Marie cut him off before he could even finish.. Handle it? No way. This kind of thing¨Cthis kind of pain¨Cneeded to be dealt with personally if you ever wanted to feel right again. Just like when Ste had been cornered in Rivermount. Even though Abraham had stepped in afterward, Ste had insisted on confronting the Reed and Keene families herself. Because it had been too humiliating. And if someone else got revenge for you? It never truly felt settled. Abraham asked, ¡°So what now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to beat the crap out of him,¡± Marie growled. She wasn¡¯t kidding herself. One beating wasn¡¯t enough. Hell no. It would take a few more rounds¨Cat least three, maybe five¨Cbefore she even started to feel better. Abraham said nothing. Something flickered in his eyes¨Cdark, sharp, and still. He took a slow drag from the cigarette already burning between his fingers. ¡°You¡¯re seriously nning to go after him again?¡± Marie snapped back, ¡°It¡¯s not a n. It¡¯s happening.¡± What happened earlier? That was just the warm¨Cup. There was a whole lot more paining¨Cand she nned to deliver it all. Listening to Marie grind her teeth in fury, Abraham could only conclude one thing¨CMorris was done for. ¡°What about Derrick?¡± Derrick. Technically, he was Marie¡¯s husband now. And honestly, things had been messy enough already. But when his name came up, Marie¡¯s mind just nked. For God¡¯s sake, what the h*ll even is this? Tue, Aug 5 65% 10 X ¨C Finished Chapter 602 No Holding Back She¡¯d only tied the knot with Derrick yesterday. That same night, everything exploded. Was this guy bad luck or what? Marie muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Derrickter.¡± F*ck. Who had time to deal with Derrick right now? She was still fuming¨Cnowhere near done. Marie stormed downstairs with fury written all over her face. Ste sat at the dining table, quietly enjoying her meal. Just seeing her like that made Marie¡¯s anger start to lift¨Cif only a little. Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 603 Chapter 603 Boiling Point There was something oddly calming about watching Marie eat. ¡°Is the food good today?¡± Marie took the seat across from Ste, who nudged her te of wings toward her. ¡°Try these¨Cthey¡¯re amazing.¡± She¡¯d already eaten several of them. Ste kept her eyes on Marie¡¯s face, studying her carefully. Marie nced up and raised a brow. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Rx. It was just a rapist¨CI¡¯m not that fragile. I¡¯m not about to go jump off a bridge or anything.¡± Ste stayed quiet. Of course Marie wouldn¡¯t do something like that. Given how badly sheid into Morris, he was probably the one ready to lose it. From Ste¡¯s perspective, if Morris had known what the consequences would be, he never would¡¯ve touched herst night¨Cno matter what. Suddenly, Marie¡¯s phone buzzed on the table. Unknown number. She answered without hesitation. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you serious right now? You weren¡¯t with Derrickst night?¡± Morris¡¯s voice came through the phone, sharp and trembling with rage¨Cyou could practically feel him ready to explode. Laid up in a hospital bed, Morris had finally put the pieces together¨Cand the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Yeah, wronged. He hated to admit it, but he¡¯d finally realized¨Che took the fall for something he didn¡¯t even do. And Derrick¡­ that bastard actually ran? The second Morris remembered Marie and Derrick had been togetherst night, hepletely lost it. His chest tightened. Breathing got harder. He wanted to tear Derrick apart. Marie didn¡¯t miss a beat. Her voice turned icy. ¡°Wow. Morris. How did I never notice what a pathetic excuse D X ¨C Chapter 603 Boiling Point Finished for a man you are? Do something and then try to pin it on someone else? What are you, not even a man?¡± Morris growled, ¡°I-¡± ¡°Oh, save it. You sleep with me and then throw Derrick under the bus like it¡¯s nothing? What, trying to start a war between us? Real smart.¡± That must¡¯ve been the n¨Cget her and Derrick to fight. Just what he wanted. Derrick had just walked in from outside. He paused mid¨Cstep as he caught the tail end of her sentence. His face said it all: What even is this mess? ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with you!¡± Morris snapped. ¡°Jesus, what is wrong with you?¡± Was this really happening? He couldn¡¯t even exin himself anymore. Marie rolled her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re sticking to that story, huh? Fine. Doesn¡¯t matter. Either way, I¡¯m stilling for you.¡± Now she was just pissed she ever gave a guy like him the time of day. Now this? She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d ever been into a guy like him. That set Morris off. ¡°Marie, what the hell is wrong with you? Why don¡¯t you go after the guy who actually assaulted you instead of ming me for everything?¡± Hepletely lost it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t exin himself. And he knew exactly why. Because of that fake¨Cdeath stunt, Marie didn¡¯t believe a single word he said anymore. Marie didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Keep lying. Go ahead. You¡¯re digging your own grave.¡± Derrick looked away and walked off. The butler stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Mr. Derrick.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Abraham?¡± ¡°In the study.¡± Derrick¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡± Marie was too busy yelling at Morris to notice Derrick. Ste was just as focused on Marie and didn¡¯t see him either. Derrick let out a tight breath, somewhere between difort and amusement, then quietly headed upstairs. Back on the phone, Morris was spiraling. ¡°Marie, you crazy b*tch! Are you deaf or just stupid? I said it wasn¡¯t mest night-¡± Goddammit. What the h*ll happened night? Tue, Aug 65% 0 X ¡ª Chapter 603 Boiling Point Finished If he ever found out who¡¯d actually been with her, he¡¯d make sure that guy didn¡¯t walk away in one piece. But before he could finish his rant¡­. Another voice suddenly came through the call. ¡°Mr. Morris, you can¡¯t get this worked up. Please stay calm. You¡¯re still in the ICU. Mr. Morris? Are you alright? Mr. Morris! Someone get in here! Mr. Morris passed out!¡± Marie and Ste both froze. The phone was on speaker, and the volume wasn¡¯t low. Ste heard it all¨CMorris had just passed out from sheer rage. Then chaos erupted in the background. One of Morris¡¯s men could be heard shouting, ¡°That b*tch Marie¨Cshe¡¯s a walking disaster!¡± ¡°I swear, I¡¯m going to kill that woman myself. Look what she did to Mr. Morris!¡± The room was filled with fury. It sounded like the doctors had rushed in to revive him. Ste looked at Marie instinctively. She¡¯d already seen the video¨CMarie had gone hard on Morris. But hearing it live, hearing how bad it actually got? It hit differently. Now that Morris hadnded in the ICU¨Cand had literally passed out from fury¨Chis guys were losing their minds. Someone in the background shouted, ¡°For real, who the hell was with herst night? Why doesn¡¯t she go after the guy who actually slept with her instead of beating the crap out of Mr. Morris?¡± Another voice snapped, ¡°Yeah! He was with us all night. What, you think he cloned himself or something?¡± The yelling escted fast. And now? They all wanted Marie dead for what happened to Morris. Marie didn¡¯t say a word. Send Gifts 4.4K 65% O X Finished The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The wrong girl 604 Chapter 604 The Setup Ste went quiet. She and Marie locked eyes, and for a second, Ste struggled to keep a straight face.. Marie let out a sharp breath and hung up the call, then turned to Ste. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree this had to be someone familiar?¡± Ste looked surprised. Wait¡­ it wasn¡¯tMorris? ¡°Whoever did this clearly knew something about you. Everyone in Falvaria knows who you are. You think any random guy would daree after you?¡± Marie shook her head. ¡°Not a chance.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Ste said. ¡°So it¡¯s either Morris trying to get back at you for marrying Derrick, or someone¡¯s out to screw you over¨Con purpose.¡± Marie fell silent. Revenge? A setup? ¡°But didn¡¯t Morris¡¯s guys just say he was with them the whole night?¡± she asked. So that means¡­ it wasn¡¯t Morris night? Shit. That made things a whole lot worse. Ste nodded. ¡°Which only leaves one option¨Csomeone¡¯s deliberately targeting you.¡± Marie sat still. Targeting her? In Falvaria? Who¡¯d even dare? Ste looked at her seriously. ¡°Whoever it was had to hate you enough to risk everything. They knew what they were doing.¡± No doubt. In Ste¡¯s eyes, only someone with a death wish woulde after Marie. If someone really did, it meant they wanted to destroy herpletely. ¡°Hate me?¡± Marie muttered, her mind suddenly fuzzy. ¡°Can you think of another reason?¡± Marie muttered, ¡°If we¡¯re talking about people in Falvaria who hate me, that list is actually kind of long.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. There were plenty who didn¡¯t like her. Ste waved that off. ¡°Those people are just jealous. That¡¯s not the same as hate.¡± Marie blinked, caught off guard. Right. That was true. Most of those people didn¡¯t hate her¨Cthey were just petty, bitter, or threatened. 5 65% EX * Finished Chapter 604 The Setup Which meant¡­ ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, if it wasn¡¯t Morris, then it was someone who seriously wants to destroy me?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Back when I lived in Rivermount, Lillian used to pull stunts like this all the time. Sweet on the surface, but always scheming underneath.¡± So all that stuff in Rivermount was just some carefully nned act? Marie murmured, ¡°Someone who hates me¡­ really, truly hates me¡­¡± She repeated it softly, mind racing, flipping through every possible enemy. And not once did she feel even slightly guilty for beating Morris earlier. Nope. All her energy was focused on figuring out who had tried to ruin her. Then, suddenly, a name popped into her head. ¡°Wait¨CI¡¯ve got it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Ste asked quickly. Marie raised her hand, snapping her fingers. ¡°What¡¯s her name again¡­ the one who¡¯s always around Morris¡­ E?¡± Ste raised a brow. ¡°E?¡± Marie nodded firmly. ¡°Yeah. Morris has been all over metely, and E¡¯s his fianc¨¦e. No doubt she hates my guts.¡± Unbelievable. Her man betrays her, and she after me instead of yelling at Morris? Thinking about it now¡­ Morris¡¯s beatdown this morning didn¡¯t even seem that unfair anymore. He was still part of the reason she got dragged into this mess. ¡°That actually makes a lot of sense,¡± Ste said. Marie shot to her feet, sending the dining chair crashing to the floor behind her with a loud thud. Just the thought that E might¡¯ve been the one who set her up made her blood boil. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her.¡± She meant it. She wasn¡¯t the type to let something like this slide. Not even for a second. Before Ste could react, Marie grabbed her jacket on instinct. Her hands shook, the gun slipped, and it hit the ground¨Cbut she recovered instantly, grabbed it, and stormed out without a word. 213 Chapter 604 The Setup Ste blinked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± D X ¨C Finished m. The door mmed shut behind her. The door mmed shut behind her. Marie was gone¨Ccharging out with such force, no one even thought about stopping her. Abraham and Derrick came downstairs just as Ste was staring nkly at the entryway. A She still had a spoon in her hand. The soup inside had spilled all over the table. She didn¡¯t even notice. She lookedpletely stunned. Abraham strode into the dining room. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Ste blinked and turned to him. ¡°Um¡­ Marie just left. I think she¡¯s going after E.¡± She was still trying to catch up. God, with how fast and fiery Marie is, no one ever really has time to react. Ste added, ¡°It turns out what happenedst night¡­ it wasn¡¯t Morris.¡± Oh no. If it wasn¡¯t Morris, then who the hell was it? Did E just find some random guy to do this? That would make things even worse. With Marie¡¯s temper, she¡¯d destroy E without a second thought. Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Morris?¡± He instinctively nced over at Derrick. But Derrick¡¯s face¡­ was hard to read. Confused, off, and a little too quiet. ¡°Yeah,¡± Ste said. ¡°Morris was with his men all night. He never went to see Marie.¡± Abraham frowned. ¡°So she¡¯s going after E now?¡± ¡°She must be,¡± Ste said quickly. ¡°E¡¯s probably pissed over how Morris has been acting around Marietely. So yeah¡­ it makes sense she¡¯d try to set Marie up. Abraham and Derrick stayed silent. Ste kept talking, but Derrick¡¯s expression only got moreplicated by the second. Send Gifts 4.4K B The wrong girl 605 Chapter 605 No One Walks Away From the look on Marie¡¯s face, it was clear¨Cif you had anything to do with what happenedst night, she¡¯d tear you apart. Sebastian had been right: no one was getting out of this clean. ¡°Wait¨CDerrick?¡± Ste blinked, finally noticing him standing there. She clicked her tongue and immediately wished she could take back everything she¡¯d just said. Oh God¡­ Technically, Derrick was Marie¡¯s husband. And there were just some things he really didn¡¯t need to hear. Derrick¡¯s expression was hard, unreadable. He didn¡¯t respond to Ste at all. Instead, he looked straight at Abraham. ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± Abraham gave him a nod. ¡°Alright.¡± Without another word, Derrick walked out. Abraham reached out and gently ruffled Ste¡¯s hair. She shot a quick nce toward the doorway Derrick had just disappeared through. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have warned me?¡± she whispered. ¡°Did I say anything I wasn¡¯t supposed to?¡± Abraham smiled faintly. ¡°No.¡± She exhaled with relief. ¡°Okay, good. That¡¯s good.¡± He handed her a bowl of soup and asked casually, ¡°So what made you think it was E?¡± The way she and Marie processed things was so different, it caught people off guard. Ste took a sip of soup. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s because Morris kept denying he was the one fromst night.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± So he denies it, and Marie just believes him? That didn¡¯t sound like Marie at all¨Cespecially now, when she didn¡¯t trust Morris one bit. At this point, it didn¡¯t matter what Morris said. She wouldn¡¯t believe a word of it. Ste exined, ¡°She didn¡¯t believe him at first. But then he got so worked up he passed out. After that, I think his guys forgot the call was still connected. We could hear everything they were saying¨Ctrash¨Ctalking Marie, saying Morris had been with them all night. He never had the chance to go near her.¡± So now the whole thing had spiraled into a mess. 65% D X Finished Chapter 605 No One Walks Away Abraham¡¯s gaze narrowed as he listened. He pushed the te of beef a little closer to her, his voice calm but heavy. ¡°And that¡¯s enough to pin it on E?¡± ¡°Well, if it wasn¡¯t Morris, then yeah¨Cit had to be E,¡± Ste said without hesitation. Abraham lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Think about it,¡± she said. ¡°Morris finds out Marie married Derrick? Of course he¡¯s furious¨Che¡¯d want to get back at her. And E? She¡¯s his fianc¨¦e, watching her man obsess over Marie. You don¡¯t think she¡¯s pissed? One of them had to do it.¡± In Ste and Marie¡¯s minds, it couldn¡¯t have been anyone else. ¡°Besides,¡± she added, meeting Abraham¡¯s gaze, ¡°who else in Falvaria would even daree after Marie?¡± Abraham didn¡¯t answer right away. His gaze darkened, deep and unreadable. No one could tell what Abraham was thinking, but Ste¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to shake him at all. Then, with a faint scoff, he murmured, ¡°No one dares, huh?¡± Was that really true? Ste nodded quickly. ¡°There¡¯s no one else. It couldn¡¯t have been anyone else.¡± She said it with total confidence¨Clike she had the whole case wrapped up and evidence in hand. Abraham looked at her for a moment, then smiled and pinched her cheek. ¡°Two years in Rivermount really slowed you down, huh?¡± ¡°Ow¨Crude!¡± she pouted, rubbing her face. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, I¡¯m making sense here!¡± As far as she could tell, it all lined up. Whether it was Morris trying to get back at Marie or Eshing out of jealousy¨Cone of them had to be behind it. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. Whoever messed with Marie? There was no way they were walking away clean. ¡°Ugh-¡± Ste suddenly gagged, her face twisting. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Abraham¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°What is it?¡± She winced. ¡°Something smells awful¡­ I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± He immediately shot a nce at the nearby maid, who rushed to get lemon water without needing another word. Ste had been unusually sensitive to smellstely, and despite the kitchen¡¯s caution, something still hit her the wrong way. Abraham took the ss from the maid and held it to Ste¡¯s lips. ¡°Here, drink some. It¡¯ll help.¡± Lemon water worked wonders for nausea, especially during pregnancy. It helped mask scents that otherwise ¨C 65% 0 X * Finished Chapter 605 No One Walks Away sent her stomach turning. Ste took a few small sips, then exhaled. ¡°Much better.¡± Abraham set the ss down and nced at a fish dish that had just been brought to the table. His expression darkened. ¡°That¡¯s it. No more fish at the table from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? There¡¯s fish?¡± Ste blinked in confusion. She hadn¡¯t even noticed it being brought out. But now that she looked¨Cthere it was. Abraham was sharp. He had already figured it out. When he sat down earlier, she¡¯d been fine. But the moment that fish hit the table, everything changed. The maid paled. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Dock three days¡® pay from the kitchen staff,¡± Abraham said, calm but firm. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the maid replied quickly, not daring to argue. Ste frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not even that big a deal. You didn¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡± The wrong girl 606 Chapter 606 Burning Up Abraham continued, ¡°The kitchen¡¯s had your dietary restrictions for a while now.¡± Ste blinked in surprise. Well, naturally. Abraham wasn¡¯t the kind of guy who overlooked stuff like that. If it was a genuine ident, maybe¨Cmaybe¨Che¡¯d let it slide. But if someone knew better and still messed up? That was a whole different story. ¡°Still feeling sick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Just make sure Abel keeps an eye on Marie.¡± E was Morris¡¯s fianc¨¦e, after all. The family backing her wasn¡¯t one to underestimate. Abraham scoffed. ¡°Even Morris wouldn¡¯t dare stir up trouble here. E¡¯s nothing.¡± Ste blinked again. He had a point. She thought back to the footage¨CMorris¡¯s crew had gotten wrecked. As long as they were in Falvaria, Marie was untouchable. That thought gave Ste some peace of mind. Because of her picky appetite, Abraham had punished the kitchen staff earlier today, and by the afternoon, the butler had already called an emergency meeting. Now that Ste could finally eat something she actually liked, if they screwed up again, it wouldn¡¯t just be a three¨Cday pay cut -people would start losing jobs. Everyone in the Dawson family knew¨CSte meant the world to Abraham. After lunch. Ste had been running around all morning. Now she just wanted a nap. Abraham was sitting on the living room couch reviewing some urgent files, while Ste curled up beside him, resting her head on hisp, slowly drifting off. He looked down and saw her lips pressed together, hershes drooping with exhaustion. This quiet moment of peace made him smile gently. ¡°Sleepy?¡± murn ¡°Mhm,¡± Ste murmured. He gently brushed a few strands of hair off her cheek and gave the butler a look. The butler got the message and quickly had someone bring over a nket. By the time it reached Abraham¡¯s hands, Ste had already fallen half¨Casleep. He covered her gently¡­. Meanwhile. Tessa had been especially clingy ever since she came down with a fever. She even made Victor bring in two more housekeepers to the vi. When Ss arrived with the new staff- ¡°You checked their backgrounds, right?¡± Victor¡¯s voice was cold. 8:37 PM Chapter 606 Burning Up Ss nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re clean.¡± Lewis¡¯s face was still swollen¨Cobviously roughed up pretty bad by Ss. The moment he saw Victor, tears welled up in his eyes. He looked downright pitiful. Victor didn¡¯t spare him a nce. He just told Ss, ¡°Have someone keep an eye on her.¡± Women¨Calways so fragile. ¡± Finished He used to think that just seeing the way Ste acted around Abraham was enough proof. That softness¡­ it wasn¡¯t his thing. That was probably why Victor had always kept his distance from women. Even someone like Marie. The moment she got a scrape during a mission, she¡¯d cry out like she¡¯d been shot. Just constant noise and drama. In a word? Exhausting. Ss nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± But Lewis decided this was the perfect time to speak up. ¡°So¡­ are we still checking if she¡¯s actually a spy?¡± They had already broken the rule of not hiring extra help. Even Lewis, as slow as he was, could tell Tessa held a different ce in Victor¡¯s heart now. And Ss¨Che froze when he heard that. He slowly turned, dead inside, and stared at Lewis. Seriously? Your face is still swollen, and you¡¯re still mouthing off? Didn¡¯t learn a damn thing? Ss sucked in a breath.¡°¡°Victor, he¡¯s just¡­¡± The moment he saw Victor¡¯s expression, Ss went stiff. The way Victor was eyeing Lewis felt cold. Really cold. Ss¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°So, um¡­ Dr. Eddie said the team out in the Mambia Desert is short¨Cstaffed. I actually think Lewis would be perfect for the job. Want me to put in the request?¡± God, this is as far as I can go to help you, man.He really has no clue.Doesn¡¯t even know when to shut up. If he keeps this up, he won¡¯t live much longer. But when Lewis heard ¡°Mambia Dessert,¡± he panicked. ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m not going there!¡± Ss raised an eyebrow. Kid definitely needs some toughening up. Victor¡¯s gaze turned icy, and Lewis immediately swallowed hard. ¡°I just think you need me here, Victor. I mean, we still haven¡¯t confirmed whether or not Ms. Tessa¡¯s actually a spy.¡± Ss went silent. God, my head hurts. Before Victor could say anything, Ss stepped up, grabbed Lewis by the cor, and dragged him out. ¡°Out. Now. Are you drunk or something?¡± He couldn¡¯t let the guy say another word. One more sentence and he¡¯d really end up dead. Lewis protested, ¡°I haven¡¯t had a drink in three months!¡± ¡°Shut up, you idiot!¡± Ss snapped. Seriously. He¡¯s a real idiot. 8:37 PM P. Chapter 606 Burning Up Ss hauled Lewis away. Not long after, a housekeeper came downstairs. ¡°Mr. Victor, Ms. Tessa¡¯s out of it and refusing to take her meds.¡± ¡°Force it down,¡± Victor said with a wave. Women. Such a hassle. ¡°Her pillow¡¯s already soaked with tears,¡± the housekeeper said softly. Victor said nothing. Nope. Not just a hassle. Next level. Upstairs, Tessay in bed, burning up with fever. Her little hands were clenched tightly around the nkets. Send Gifts The wrong girl 607 Chapter 607 Fever and Frustration Victor sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. It was getting on his nerves. He nced at the bedside table. The medicine the doctor had left for her wounds was still sealed. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t used it at all like he told her to. With a sigh, he picked up the tube and tore the packaging open. Then he walked into the bathroom to wash his hands and grabbed a pair of disposable gloves from the medical kit. Last night had clearly shaken her up more than he thought. As he applied the ointment, Tessa squirmed and whimpered in protest. ¡°It hurts¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± She kept twisting her body away from him, trying to avoid the pain. With a short sigh, Victor pulled her straight out of the nkets and into his arms. ¡°Hold still.¡± His tone was firm, not loud, but it left no room for arguing. Even in her feverish haze, Tessa flinched and instinctively curled in on herself. Victor watched her for a moment and let out a quiet sigh. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± She whimpered again, eyes closed, lips barely moving as the medicine stung. He paused mid¨Cmotion, ncing down at the weak, flushed girl in his arms. His voice dropped, soft and gruff. ¡°So damn fragile.¡± Between her whining and constant squirming, it took him almost ten minutes to get the medicine on properly. It was rough on her, but it wasn¡¯t exactly easy for him either. Especially with her twisting around in hisp the whole time. Once he finished, he pulled the nket over her and grabbed the bottle of liquid medicine. Just like the housekeeper said¨Cshe wasn¡¯t having it. It turned into a whole struggle. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± he ordered. His voice carried that usual chill, the kind that normally made people freeze. But instead of listening, Tessa grabbed her nket, rolled to the far side of the bed, and buried herself in it. Victor stared at her in silence. Watching her fight him off over something as simple as medicine pushed him past patience. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her right back toward him. Then, without giving her the chance to resist, he forced the medicine into her mouth. He really did force it down. She was burning up with fever. If he didn¡¯t get something in her soon to bring it down, there was no telling what could happen. She kept resisting, and by the end, most of the medicine had spilled onto her clothes. By the end of it, Victor waspletely worn out. His patience was shot. Frustrated and covered in sweat, he stormed out of the room. The housekeepers standing just outside froze as soon as they 8:37 0 0 Chapter 607 Fever and Frustration saw the look on his face¨Cno one dared speak. ¡°Change her clothes,¡± he snapped. ¡°Yes, Mr. Victor.¡± Finished After giving his orders, Victor turned and headed back to his room. On his way to the bathroom, he stripped off his clothes one by one, letting them fall to the floor. He turned on the shower and stepped straight into the freezing water. Damn it. This feeling of losing control¨Cit was getting harder and harder to manage. It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter that the heat finally faded from his body. He was just stepping out, toweling off, and throwing on clean clothes when a soft knock sounded at the door. ¡°Mr. Victor, are you in there?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± His voice cut like ice. Even though the cold shower had cooled his body, his tone was still rough¨Cgravelly, edged with something dark. The housekeeper hesitated, clearly startled. ¡°Ms. Tessa¡­ she refuses to change.¡± Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°No matter what we say, she won¡¯t let go of her clothes.¡± Victor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then cut them off.¡± ¡°C¨CCut them?¡± the housekeeper stammered. ¡°Are¡­ are you serious?¡± He ran a hand through his damp hair, sighing. Back in Tessa¡¯s room, it was exactly as the housekeeper described¨Cshe was curled up, clinging tightly to the front of her soaked shirt with both hands. Even in a daze, she was guarding herself with everything she had. Tiny. Weak. But still trying to protect herself. Victor stepped forward and scooped her into his arms. His arm brushed against the damp fabric clinging to her chest- soaked and cold. She was already sick. If she slept in damp clothes, she¡¯d only get worse. She was already this fragile¨Cif it got any worse, she¡¯d bepletely unmanageable. ¡°Let go,¡± he said softly, holding her close. He gripped her wrist gently, trying to pry her hand from her shirt. But she didn¡¯t budge. Victor¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Come on, be good. You have to change.¡± But even sick and barely conscious, Tessa stayed guarded. Nothing he said got through¨Cnot coaxing, notmands, not a word. He gritted his teeth and held out a few more minutes. Ten minutes passed. She didn¡¯t let go for even a second. Chapter 607 Fever and Frustration Victor had never coddled anyone in his life. And now, his patience had officially reached its breaking point. With one hand on her waist and the other gripping her shirt, he gave a sharp pull. Rip. The shirt tore clean apart. Outside, the housekeepers heard the sound and instantly froze. No one dared enter the room. Victor didn¡¯t waste any more time. He managed to get her into fresh clothes in a few minutes, even though she kept squirming and letting out faint little whimpers. She wasn¡¯t fully aware, though. Her eyelids were too heavy, her body too worn down from the fever. Finished Compared to the quiet tenderness between Ste and Abraham¡­ Victor was one step away from losing his mind trying to care for someone. Between forcing medicine, fighting her over clothes, and her constant resistance- It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t exploded already. The wrong girl 608 Chapter 608 Trouble Closing In He tried everythingmands, coaxing¡­ every approach he had. Nothing worked. Finished But the person feeling the most pressure¡­ was Derrick. The second he found out Marie had taken people to confront E, he came back to the vi lookingpletely drained. Ashley and Drax didn¡¯t dare leave. They¡¯d been hiding out with Derrick all day, clinging to him like a lifeline¨Choping that when Marie came for payback, he¡¯d take the first hit and they¡¯d avoid getting beat to a pulp. What they didn¡¯t realize was¨Cwhen Marie took her people to beat the hell out of Morris, she hadn¡¯t stopped with just him. Everyone around him caught hands too. And the three of them? They were the ones who deleted the footage and messed with the guest list. If Marie got wind of that, they were dead meat. When Derrick came in with that ashen face, Sebastian stared. ¡°Dude, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.¡± Was it just his imagination? Or did Derrick¡­ actually look afraid? Fear. That was it. For the first time ever, Derrick¨Cthe guy who never feared anything or anyone¨Cactually looked scared. And that was terrifying. Derrick didn¡¯t answer. He just stepped forward and punched Sebastian straight in the face. Sebastian staggered back, stunned. ¡°What the h*ll, man?¡± ¡°You freaking coward,¡± Derrick snapped. Just remembering how Sebastian had dragged him out of the hotel that morning made his blood pressure spike. He was still seething. Sebastian clutched his face. It was already starting to swell. ¡°What did I do?¡± He was already scared Marie woulde for them, and now he had to take a beating from Derrick too? Derrick gritted his teeth. ¡°Marie just went after E.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± Ashley and Drax stared too. She went after E? Morris¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Hold on¨Cthey¡¯d just watched Marie beat the crap out of Morris this morning. And now she was going after his fianc¨¦e? Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°What the hell happened now?¡± Marie was all over the ce¨Cyou never knew what she¡¯d do next. Was she seriously going to fight her? That temper of hers¡­. Honestly, if Marie ever did learn to control her rage, it¡¯d be a miracle. Derrick ran a hand over his temple. 11is head was pounding. ¡°She knows the guy fromst night wasn¡¯t Morris.¡± The room went silent. Sebastian, Ashley, and Drax all turned pale. Things had escted way too fast¨Cfromst night to now, it barely gave them time to breathe. 8:37 PM P P. Chapter 608 Trouble Closing In . And somehow, Marie was already catching on¨Cway quicker than anyone expected. Sebastian blinked. ¡°You mean¡­ now she thinks E set her up?¡± Derrick didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°No. She¡¯s not guessing. She¡¯s sure.¡± Convinced¨Cnot suspected. There was a big difference. Sebastian felt the blood drain from his face. First, Marie had been convinced it was Morris. So she nearly beat him to death. Now she was convinced it was E. There was no way E was walking away from this unharmed. Finished And if she was moving this quickly, it was only a matter of time before she found out who really messed with the cameras and check¨Cin records. Especially with the Dawson family backing her. Sebastian started pacing. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m done. I¡¯m going back to Pagena. I don¡¯t care¨CI¡¯m out.¡± He couldn¡¯t spend another second in Falvaria. It had barely been half a day, and Marie had already sent Morris to the ER. Now she was charging straight at E. At the pace she was going, it was only a matter of time before she came for them too. They were screwedpletely screwed. There was no talking their way out of this now. She¡¯d already taken down everyone else. If they tried to exin things at this point, that would be the real nightmare. Ashley and Drax both nodded, looking just as pale. ¡°Yeah, we should go too.¡± The way Marie was handling things, they weren¡¯t so sure Derrick¡¯s ce was safe anymore. They needed to disappear¨Cfast. Just then, Sebastian¡¯s phone started buzzing. His intel was running a little behind Derrick¡¯s. He answered the call. ¡°Talk to me.¡± The voice on the other end was tense. ¡°Marie just took people to confront Mr. Morris¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± Sebastian ran a hand down his face. ¡°Yeah, I already know.¡± He wasn¡¯t even with her, and he could still feel the heating off her. And honestly, who could me her? From her point of view, she believed she¡¯d been raped. Sebastian hung up and turned to Derrick. ¡°Are youing with me?¡± Because there was no way in hell he was staying here. At this rate, someone was going to die. Derrick stared at him. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Each word came out through clenched teeth. That fire he¡¯d been holding in since this morning¨Cever since Sebastian had dragged him out of that hotel room¨Cwas just barely under control. And now he was being told to run away? That was a joke. The tone of his voice made Sebastian break into a cold sweat. 8:37 Chapter 608 Trouble Closing In Finished ¡°I¨CI¡¯m going. I¡¯m definitely going. You can stay if you want,¡± he stammered. ¡°I just¨CI really can¡¯t stay here another second.¡± Derrick narrowed his eyes and gave Sebastian a long, sharp look. Sebastian felt a chill crawl up his spine. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to find Marie,¡± Derrick said coldly. Sebastian blinked. ¡°What?¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell her exactly what happened this morning.¡± Things had gotten so out of hand, and now he was supposed to go face her? Just thinking about The wrong girl 609 Chapter 609 No Way Out Sebastian froze. What was he supposed to say? That the three of them dragged Derrick out of the hotel? ¡°Nope. Not happening,¡± he blurted out without even thinking. There was no way he could say that out loud. Not unless he had a death wish. Honestly, now that Marie had gone off twice in one day, even Derrick wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about showing up in front of her- and saying the words, ¡°It was me who slept with you.¡± ¡°Derrick, have mercy, man,¡± Sebastian practically begged, on the verge of tears. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell her? You¡¯ve got the skills. You can handle her if things get physical.¡± But the moment the word handle left his mouth, Sebastian turned pale. He immediately thought of Morris¨Chow badly he got beaten down. The guy could fight, no doubt¨Cbut against Marie¡¯s fury, Jhe didn¡¯t stand a chance. So imagine Derrick walking up to her now? He already knew how that scene would y out. Derrick let out a cold snort. ¡°You think if I go alone, that means you¡¯re off the hook?¡± Sebastian looked like he might cry. ¡°Just don¡¯t tell her we were the ones who dragged you out. Please.¡± In his mind, the only way out of this was, for Derrick to confess¨Cand take all the me. That was the only way the rest of them might survive. Sebastian couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the people Marie had already gone after. The way she left them battered and broken¡­ Yeah, he was scared. Before, he had beenpletely against Derrick confessing. But now? He was all for it. ¡°Derrick, please. Just go talk to her, okay?¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°What? Wait¨Cfor what?¡± Sebastian asked, panicked. ¡°We can¡¯t wait. If we wait any longer, someone¡¯s seriously going to get hurt.¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°We wait until she finishes with E.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sebastian blinked, confused. ¡°I mean¡­ E¡¯s probably the only one who¡¯s actually innocent here, right?¡± Morris was already a scapegoat¨Cand an unlucky one at that. Derrick was the one who actually slept with Marie, but Morris. had taken the me and the beating. If anyone was innocent, it was Morris. And E? She hadn¡¯t even touched Marie. Derrick didn¡¯t even hesitate. At the mention of E being innocent, he let out a bitter, mockingugh. Sebastian looked genuinely baffled. ¡°You don¡¯t think E¡¯s innocent?¡± Derrick let out a cold, humorlessugh. ¡°Innocent? Please.¡± No one around Morris was truly innocent. Marie might be fiery, but she was also straightforward. She had no idea how badly she¡¯d been manipted¨Cwhat those people had done to her behind the scenes. But maybe this was a good thing. This rage might actually work in her favor¨Clet her show some dominance and finally make them back down. 8:38 PM P P Chapter 609 No Way Out @ o In a way, she¡¯d be getting revenge for herself¡­ without even knowing it. Sebastian just stared, confused. ¡°You¡¯re seriously saying¡­ E isn¡¯t innocent?¡± Finished She was just a woman. She didn¡¯t even have the capability to do something like that on her own. And now she was about to get wrecked for it? Seeing the look on Sebastian¡¯s face, Derrick just stared at him like he was an idiot. Sebastian went quiet. So she wasn¡¯t innocent? Forget it. Let Marie take her anger out on the people around Morris first. Jumping in now would be a disaster. When Marie showed up to find E, E had just gotten the call. She had just learned that Morris had been hospitalized. Her hands were clenched into fists. ¡°What the hell happened? Why was she even near Morris?¡± Whatever was being said on the other end of the line only made her angrier. ¡°That b*tch,¡± E snapped. ¡°I knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to trace it back to me. Hmph. How many guys did she say were therest night?¡± She might¡¯ve dodged the bullet herself, but why the hell had they pinned it all on Morris? ¡°She jumps at every chance to throw herself at Morris. That b*tch. Can¡¯t believe those guysst night didn¡¯t finish her off.¡± Marie stood outside the door. ¡°Several guys,¡± huh? That singlement snapped everything into ce. Everything she¡¯d been holding back on the way over¨Cthe rage, the humiliation, the betrayal¨Cboiled over. E¡¯s words confirmed everything Ste had already pieced together. Ste had nailed it. She¡¯d connected every dot, and it all pointed straight to this. Marie¡¯s chest rose and fell with fury. Hah¡­ So that¡¯s what they think of me? So sweet and harmless, they thought I¡¯d never fight back? That I¡¯d just swallow this and keep quiet? Not just one man¨Cthey sent several. Inside, E¡¯s tone shifted. ¡°What? They didn¡¯t find¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish. Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. She lifted her foot and mmed it into the door. The sound echoed through the hall. The unfinished sentence died in E¡¯s throat. She was standing with her back to the door, still holding the phone, and the noise startled her so badly that the phone slipped right out of her hand and ttered to the floor. She spun around, furious. ¡°What the hell? Ever heard of knocking-¡± She never finished the sentence. The second she saw who it was¨CMarie¨Cher expression shifted. A flicker of guilt shed in her eyes. That flicker of guilt in E¡¯s eyes? It was enough to make Marie snap. Without a word, Marie walked up and pped her¨Ctwice, fast and hard. E¡¯s ears rang. Her head spun. ¡°You-¡± Smack¨Canother one, straight across the face. 8:38 PM P P ¡¤ Chapter 609 No Way Out Finished Marie was done ying nice. Blinded by rage, she grabbed E by the hair and hit her again. And again. She didn¡¯t want to hear excuses. She came to make her pay. Send Gifts 4.4K The wrong girl 610 Chapter 610 Breaking Point The ps didn¡¯t stop. One after another, fast and brutal, until everything blurred. E¡¯s mind went nk¨Cjust pain, heat, and ringing in her ears. It hadn¡¯t even been ten minutes. Her hair was a tangled mess, blood was smeared around her nose and mouth, and she was down on her knees. Even if she was seething inside, furious enough to want to tear Marie apart, she was outnumbered. It was just her¡ªone woman, alone¨Cand outside that door stood at least a dozen of Marie¡¯s bodyguards. One wrong word, and she was dead. Marie sat on the sofa like she owned the room¨Cpoised,posed, and every bit the queen of the chaos she¡¯d created. Then, without a word, she picked up E¡¯s phone and dialed Morris¡¯s number. It wasn¡¯t Morris who answered¨Cit was his assistant, Dennis. ¡°Ms. E?¡± Dennis greeted politely. ¡°It¡¯s Marie,¡± she said coldly. The line went silent for a beat. Then Dennis fumbled his words. ¡°Ms. Marie? Why are you calling from Ms. E¡¯s number?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Dennis was timid¨Che just knew exactly who he was dealing with. Marie had just put Morris in the ICU. She¡¯d be infamous overnight¨Ceveryone on Morris¡¯s team now thought of her as the kind of woman who didn¡¯t bluff. She was the type of woman you absolutely didn¡¯t want to cross. Marie¡¯s voice didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Where¡¯s Morris?¡± Dennis hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious. You knocked him out cold.¡± And just like that, his tone shifted¨Ctight with judgment. Truthfully, he was stunned. What the hell is this woman made of? And more importantly, how the hell did Mr. Morris ever fall for someone like her? Marieughed, a cold, bitter sound. ¡°Judging by your tone, you think I overreacted?¡± Dennis replied stiffly, ¡°Mr. Morris has always cared deeply for you.¡± Marie fell quiet. Then, slowly, sheughed again. A cruel, almost mockingugh. Her gaze shifted to E, still crumpled on the floor, and E¡¯s face turned pale. Hearing Dennis im Morris ¡°cared deeply¡± for her? That was the biggest joke of all. ¡°Clearly, you people have no idea what ¡®caring¡® means.¡± Caring? He faked his death. During the darkest, most devastating time of her life¨Cwhen she was grieving, falling apart¨Ceveryone in Falvaria knew what she was going through. And he? He didn¡¯t even show his face. That kind of love? She didn¡¯t need that kind of love. If that was what ¡°caring deeply¡± looked like, someone else could have it¡ª she sure as hell didn¡¯t want it. Not now. Not ever. If he¡¯s not awake, she said coolly, ¡®I guess I can¡¯t pass on a message.¡± Dennis tensed. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Marie smirked 8:38 PM Chapter 610 Breaking Point Finished She nced at E, whoy trembling on the floor, and her smile twisted. ¡°I mean¡­ Strike while he¡¯s weak. Finish what they started.¡± Dennis froze. Marie¡¯s voice stayed calm, almost cold. ¡°Tell me, Dennis. If I get his attention?¡± got ten guys to gang rape his fianc¨¦e, would that be enough to The silence that followed was suffocating. ¡°Ms. Marie.¡± Dennis¡¯s voice dropped, sharp and rmed. E, hearing those words, turnedpletely white. Her lips quivered, but she said nothing. ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Dennis snapped. ¡°That¡¯s¨Cno. You can¡¯t.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± she repeated, her voice low. Her hand tightened around the gun. The gun she hadn¡¯t let go of since the moment she walked in. And now, with her fury boiling over, all she could think about was E¡¯s voice on that phone call¨Csaying, ¡°How many guys were there night?¡± Many. Not one.But several. And just the thought of what might¡¯ve happenedst night¨Cwhat they¡¯d tried to do to her¨Csent a fresh wave of disgust ripping through her chest. Her hands shook as she raised the gun and pointed it straight at E. ¡°I can¡¯t do that?¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°Fine. Then how about this¨Cwhat if I just kill her right now? Make it quick and clean. End of story.¡± She didn¡¯t care anymore. She was on the edge. About to break. Everything inside her felt toxic¨Craw and boiling. Morris¨Cthe bastard¨Chad faked his death, and now the people around him had taken things even further. nned to humiliate her. Break her. Did they think she wouldn¡¯t fight back? Did they really believe she was weak? Dennis didn¡¯t answer. The air on the other end of the call turned razor¨Csharp. He didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore. ¡°Ms. Marie, please. Just calm down. Mr. Morris didn¡¯t do anything to you. He was with us the entire night.¡± Dennis had no idea Marie had heard E¡¯s phone call. He thought all of this was just her holding a grudge against Morris from the night before. First she put him in the ICU, and now she was hunting down E. This woman¡­ she was terrifying. But Marie had already snapped. She was beyond reason. ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t Morris,¡± she spat. ¡°But don¡¯t act like he¡¯s innocent. She took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget the past, Dennis. He had thising for a long time. Maybe I got the reason wrong this time, but honestly? I should¡¯ve done it sooner. Dennis tried to break in ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡± ¡°You want to talk innocence?¡± Marie cut him off, voice cracking with rage. ¡°E¡¯s the one who set it up. She¡¯s the one who brought in those guys. Several. She¡¯s his fianc¨¦e You tell me¨Cdoes he still look innocent now?¡± Marie was shouting into the phone. And then¨Cher hands trembling, her heart pounding¨Cthe gun went off. Bang 8:38 PM P Chapter 610 Breaking Point E¡¯s scream tore through the room. ¡°Aaah-!¡± ¡£ The shot hit her in the leg, and she copsed onto the floor, writhing pain. Dennis heard it all¡ªher scream, the gunshot¨Cand went stiff on the other end of the line. ¡°Ms. Marie!¡± he shouted. ¡°Please, stop! There¡¯s been some kind of mistake!¡± ¡®Mistake?¡± Marie was beyond reason now. ¡°The only mistake was thinking I wouldn¡¯t fight back!¡± E was gasping now, shaking uncontrobly as blood spread beneath her. Her leg had taken the shot clean. Send Gifts The wrong girl 611 Chapter 611 Not Me, I Swear At the hospital, Dennis was so anxious he nearly jumped out of his seat; but right now, Dan was still unconscious. He had just been resuscitated¨Cthere was no way they could reach him. And it wasn¡¯t just him; several others from the card game were also lying in the ICU under observation. ¡°No, Ms. Dawson, Ms. E is so kind, she wouldn¡¯t do something like this.¡± Moments ago, Dennis had shown Marie a nasty attitude because Dan had been attacked. But now, he practically wanted to kneel before her. This woman was scary. And if Dennis hadn¡¯t mentioned E¡¯s so¨Ccalled kindness, things might¡® snapped; and Epletely lost it. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± She shook her head desperately, panic flooding her face. ? gone slightly better. The moment he did, Marie The arrogance she¡¯d shown on the phone just a short while ago had nowpletely vanished; she lookedpletely humiliated Marie had scared the life out of her. Marie sneered, ¡°Weren¡¯t you?¡± E shook her head frantically. ¡°My people didn¡¯t even find you¨Cit wasn¡¯t me.¡± The fact that her people didn¡¯t find Marie only made things worse¨Cit proved she¡¯d tried something. Marie let out a coldugh. ¡°Oh? They didn¡¯t find me? So tell me¨Cjust how many people did you send?¡± E went silent. She didn¡¯t dare say another word. L A Seeing her shut up, Marie sneered. ¡°What, cat got your tongue? Didn¡¯t you just brag about how you were going to have your people kill me?¡± The barrel of the gun in Marie¡¯s hand tapped against E¡¯s forehead, again and again. Because the gun had misfired earlier, E now didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly. She was certain one wrong twitch from Marie and she¡¯d be dead. Tears kept streaming down her face as she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t admit it, I swear, my people really didn¡¯t find you. They couldn¡¯t even find you in the room.¡± Marie fell silent. But E¡¯s exnation only fueled her rage; she pped E hard across the face, again and again. E was ?¡± He¡¯d actually sent Abel to pick me up? Abel replied calmly, ¡°Mr. Abraham¡¯s instructions were, you can beat up Ms. E all you want, but you¡¯re not allowed to kill her When he had arrived earlier, Marie¡¯s gun had been aimed right at E¡¯s forehead. Chapter 611 Not Me, I Swear @ Finished One twitch and her brains would¡¯ve been on the floor. Marie was stunned. Abel continued, ¡°There are plenty of ways to make someone suffer. Want me to share a few with you?¡± Not only had Abraham sent Abel to retrieve her, he¡¯d even nned how she could take her revenge. Marie was still furious. ¡°Your ideas are too twisted. No wonder you¡¯re still single.¡± She couldn¡¯t resist taking a cheap shot. Abel went quiet. Marie nced at him. ¡°You¡¯ve never even tasted a woman, have you? Must be tough, following my clingy brother around all day.¡± Ever sinceing clean with Ste, her brother had been glued to her sideing home early, eating meals at home more often. Basically, he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off her. Abel looked a little awkward and quickly changed the subject. ¡°After this week, if you still want E dead¡­ it¡¯s not entirely off the table.¡± A week? Marie turned to look at Abel. With just one nce, she understood what he meant. There must be something going on with her brother and the Mint family¨Csomething that hadn¡¯t been resolved yet. Abel said, ¡°Mr. Abraham isn¡¯t going to let this go either.¡± So taking her away from E was just a temporary measure. Anyone who dared scheme against Abraham¡¯s sister would end up like the Keene family and Reed family of Rivermount; they were cautionary tales now. Marie shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve pretty much vented all I needed anyway.¡± But seriously, Dan was a piece of work, his taste in women wasn¡¯t great either. In the face of a real weapon, E had chickened outpletely. Over on Derrick¡¯s end, ever since they found out Marie had gone after E, Sebastian¡¯s men had been watching the situation closely. And now, word hade in, not only had Marie gone to confront E, she¡¯d even fired a gun. Fantastic¡­ The looks on their faces were beyond pale; they were practically picking out coffin colors. Sebastian said, ¡°I think you¡¯d better not admit to anything. She¡¯s actually capable of killing.¡± Earlier, Sebastian had been all for Derrick going to Marie and owning up; but now, he¡¯dpletely changed his tune. This was no joke. Everything they¡¯d predicted about Marie¨Cevery bit of it was dead on. When she snapped, she would kill. Derrick¡¯s face darkened even more. He took a harsh drag of his cigar, looking like he wanted to burn Sebastian¡¯s mouth with Sebastian said, ¡°Juste with me. The private jet¡¯s ready.¡± He¡¯d already arranged a private jet. 8:38 PM PP. Chapter 611 Not Me, I Swear Finished Ashley and Drax were nning to flee with him; and now, not trusting Derrick to handle things, Sebastian was trying to bring him along back to Pagena too. Send Gifts The wrong girl 612 Chapter 612 Oops, That Wasn¡¯t Dan Derrick shot him a cold nce. ¡°The moment you leave, Marie¡¯s going to suspect you.¡± Sebastian was stunned. Wait, what? If they ran now, it would definitely raise Marie¡¯s suspicions. She was far too smart for that; the Tom family hadn¡¯t done anything recently, so if they suddenly fled, she¡¯d immediately connect the dots. So running would basically be a confession? ¡°Then should we just hide?¡± Sebastian gave up all pretense of calm. At this point, it was like choosing between a knife to the front or a knife to the back, either way, they were getting cut. Derrick let out a dryugh. ¡°And where exactly do you think you could hide?¡± Sebastian went quiet. He didn¡¯t say another word, his face had gone pale again. ¡°So are we running or not?¡± Sebastian snapped, clearly losing it. Ashley muttered, ¡°If we run and Marie catches us, we¡¯ll die even more miserably.¡± Sebastian froze. Drax fell silent. Seriously? There¡¯s no way out? Now all they could do was cower in Falvaria and hope Marie never discovered they were the ones behind the dirty work. At this point, all three of them were starting to regret dragging Derrick into it this morning. They should¡¯ve just escaped on their own. They weren¡¯t the ones who slept with Marie¨CDerrick was. It had nothing to do with them. ¡°This is a death sentence,¡± Drax said, soundingpletely defeated. Derrick stood up and gave the three cowards a cold nce. He stretched, then turned to leave. Seeing him go, Sebastian panicked. ¡°Bro, where are you going?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t go now, she¡¯s going to end up hurting the wrong people.¡± Right now, Marie was probably targeting everyone around Dan; if he didn¡¯t stop her, some innocent soul was going to get dragged into this mess. The second Sebastian heard that, he knew¨CDerrick was going to confess. His heart dropped. ¡°Please¨Cdon¡¯t throw us under the bus. Don¡¯t tell her we were involved.¡± As long as Derrick didn¡¯t say they were part of it, they figured Marie might just let them off. After beating E half to death, Marie was finally feeling a little better. Abel was about to take her back to the Dawson residence. But just as they arrived, Marie got a call from Julia. Julia¡¯s tone on the phone sounded off. They arranged to meet at a caf¨¦ across from the Spirit Pub; when Marie arrived, Eileen was already there too. Her throat was suddenly bone dry. 8:39 PM P P Chapter 612 Oops, That Wasn¡¯t Dan 0 Julia had already ordered her a ss of iced fruit juice; Marie grabbed it and downed half the ss in one go. ¡°Finally. That¡¯s better.¡± The rage was fading, reced by in exhaustion; it was exactly what she needed. ¡°Why¡¯d you want to meet here? And at this hour?¡± Marie asked, setting the ss down, puzzled. She knew her friends well enough to understand what kind of people they were. To put it bluntly, Eileen and Julia were party friends¨Cgood for banquets and bar hopping, nothing deeper. So meeting in the middle of the afternoon like this¡­ Julia looked at Marie nervously, then nced at Eileen. Her expression was very off. Marie frowned. ¡°What¡¯s with the hemming and hawing? Spit it out.¡± Seriously, Julia was never this hesitant. Anyone who could be Marie¡¯s friend had to have at least a little edge to their personality. Julia and Eileen certainly weren¡¯t the sweet and docile type. Eileen nudged her. ¡°Just tell her already.¡± The way she said it made Marie¡¯s stomach sink. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Julia. ¡°What did you do?¡± Julia met Marie¡¯s gaze, then sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. ¡°I mean, how exactly should I say this¡­¡® Especially when she saw the marks on Marie¡¯s neck. They were all adults; even if you hadn¡¯t done it yourself, you¡¯ve read about it enough to recognize the signs. It was obvious that what Julia had feared most had actually happenedst night. She smacked her forehead with a groan. The ps rang out as she looked utterly devastated. ¡°Hey, enough already! What the heck is going on?¡± Marie snapped. Watching Julia like this made her temple throb violently. She had a really bad feeling. Eileen sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell her.¡± ¡°Yeah, just say it. Say it straight.¡± It was enough to make someone drop dead on the spot. Eileen said, ¡°Last night, Julia might¡¯ve taken you to the wrong room.¡± Marie went dead silent. Julia also froze. Marie¡¯s eye twitched; her pupils widened in disbelief as she turned to stare at Julia, Julia gave a tiny nod. ¡°Yeah. Wrong room. Absolutely the wrong room.¡± ** ¥ó Finished 8:39 PM P Chapter 612 Oops, That Wasn¡¯t Dan What was once a hesitant might¡¯ve from Eileen had just been turned into a full¨Cblown absolutely by Julia. Marie was stunned. She took me to the wrong room? No, wait¡­ ¡°Girl, do you even understand what you¡¯re saying?¡± Julia covered her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was in such a rush to leave, and I hit the wrong floor.¡± All morning, the image of the elevator buttons had been shing through her mind. The wrong girl 613 Chapter 613 You¡¯re Crying? I Should Cry She remembered clearly that she¡¯d booked Marie¡¯s room on the 65th floor; butst night, she¡¯d taken her to the 66th. As soon as Marie heard she¡¯d selected the wrong floor, the corner of her mouth gave a twitch. ¡°Pressed the wrong floor?¡± Marie pondered. Are you kidding me¡­ Julia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure I hit the wrong button.¡± She¡¯d had a bit to drink; her head was fuzzy and she wasn¡¯t thinking straight. By the time she sobered up enough to remember, she was already getting the call that Marie had gone Julia¡¯s heart had nearly leapt out of her chest. She wasn¡¯t exactly a saint, but if Marie identally killed someone because of her¡­.. Marie¡¯s expression slowly turned stiff. after someone. In the end, she ran a hand through her hair, utterly exasperated. ¡°Ms. Julia, I beat Dan and his fiancee half to death this morning, and now you¡¯re telling me¨Cyou sent me to the wrong room?¡± Eileen and Julia went silent as Marie¡¯s temper, which had been burning since morning, finally hit a wall¨Cshe¡¯d already roughed up Dan and his fianc¨¦e, and now Julia was saying she¡¯d gone to the wrong floor, which meant Dan and E had been innocent the whole time, and she was the one who¡¯dpletely overreacted. Seriously¡­ Julia said, ¡°Well, I only kept quiet ¡®cause I saw you went after Dan. He kinda deserved it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Julia shrugged. ¡°He had iting.¡± Marie was stunned. Julia went on, ¡°And that fiancee of his has been trash¨Ctalking you everywheretely. You wouldn¡¯t saying about you. This was the perfect chance to shut her up for once.¡± believe the crap she¡¯s been Eileen nodded. ¡°I can vouch for that. She absolutely had iting. Marie was stunned again. Sure¨Cthey did deserve it. But now it looked like she¡¯d just found some excuse to beat them up for no reason. ¡°You two¡­¡± Marie muttered,pletely at a loss. Julia added, ¡°I figured since you smacked both of them around, you probably didn¡¯t even see their faces clearly.¡± If she had, she wouldn¡¯t have gone after Dan first, then turned around and beaten up E. Exactly that. When Julia first heard Marie went to confront Dan, she thought she must¡¯ve dropped her off at Dan¡¯s roomst night. But when Marieter went after E too, that¡¯s when she realized just how badly she¡¯d messed up. Marie was speechless. When Julia mentioned that she hadn¡¯t even seen who it was, Marie was done. Eileen caught the look on her face and asked, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me, you really didn¡¯t see who it was?¡± Chapter 613 You¡¯re Crying? I Should Cry Marie replied, ¡°I seriously didn¡¯t.¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t. Marie sighed. ¡°By the time I woke up, the person was already gone.¡± The moment she said that, both Julia and Eileen froze. Eileen asked, ¡°Gone? Wait, was it even a man?¡± Julia chimed in, ¡°Yeah, was it?¡± Marie gave them a withering look. ¡°What, are you suggesting it was a woman?¡± Julia and Eileen went quiet. Honestly? They were a little suspicious. Finished Because if the other person had seen Marie clearly and still had the guts to sleep with her¡­ that had to be a real man. If it had been a woman, she¡¯d definitely have run for her life. ¡°Alright, alright¨Cstop specting,¡± Marie said, cutting them off. you Star had been looking at her with that same expression all morning, leaping from one wild theory to the next¨Cfirst iming it was someone familiar, then insisting it was all about revenge, each idea more far¨Cfetched than thest. Marie¡¯s head was already spinning. Thanks to all that, and Star¡¯s constant whispering, she ended up going after Dan and E. E wasn¡¯t exactly innocent. When Marie got there, she¡¯d heard her on the phone plotting something and even recruiting people to help. But as for Dan¡­ when she hit him, even she felt a little confused about why. ¡°We need to find out who was in that room,¡± Eileen said, pushing to her feet. If she hadn¡¯t seen the person clearly, then they needed to start from the source. As the three of them left the cafe, Marie kept scolding Julia. ¡°Seriously, are you blind? How do floor? What¡¯s the point of you?¡± Unbelievable. you even press the wrong Good thing they¡¯d been friends for years¨Cthree years of sticking together through thick and thin. y Otherwise, with Marie¡¯s temper, Julia would¡¯ve already been on the receiving end of a proper beating. When the hotel manager saw Marie return, his face turned pale. ¡°Miss, are you here to call security again? I swear, our security cameras really are broken; I¡¯m not lying!¡± Just thinking about the princess¡¯s rampage that morning made his knees go weak. Marie hadn¡¯t even opened her mouth yet, and he was already ready to drop to the floor and beg. Marie said impatiently, ¡°Forget the cameras. Just pull up your guest registry.¡± She wasn¡¯t in the mood for nonsense. The moment he heard she wanted to see the registry, the manager¡¯s face turned even whiter. The wrong girl 614 ??????????????????? ????????? Chapter 614 Delete Footage, Then Ghost? Marie raised an eyebrow. ¡°What now? The guest registration system¡¯s broken too?¡± Finished The hotel manager stammered, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about lying to me,¡± handwritten records.¡± Marie said Sharply. ¡°Even if your system¡¯s down, byw, you¡¯re still required to keep Guest records weren¡¯t a joke; regtory authorities could check them at any time. If something went wrong, the entire capital¡¯s hotel industry would be investigated. The manager fumbled, ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± she snapped. Marie snapped. ¡®Enough already!¡® With a stiff smile, the manager admitted, ¡°Well, someone deleted the records.¡± ¡°Deleted?¡± Marie¡¯s voice dropped cold. The manager nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Marie pondered. Deleted? Marie¡¯s tone was icy. ¡°Who deleted them?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know the guy, he came in this morning with a gun and¡­ just started waving it around¡­¡± At that point, the hotel manager looked like he was about to cry. What even is this day? Since morning, their nerves hadn¡¯t stopped rattling. Marie¡¯s expression turned pitch dark. At this point, she was nearly certain¨Cwhoever deleted the records was the same person who had slept with herst night. ¡°Who booked room 808 on the 66th floorst night?¡± The manager shook his head. ¡°The data¡¯s been wiped¨Cwe really don¡¯t know.¡± Her face darkened further; a storm gathered behind her eyes. So even the surveince footage, those people were behind that too? The manager froze. He didn¡¯t dare speak; he didn¡¯t even want to remember. Honestly, they were lucky to have survived their shift today. ¡°Ms. Marie, we¡¯d never lie to you¡­ please, just have mercy on us,¡± the manager said, finally breaking into tears. And who could me him? If they couldn¡¯t settle this, they might really end up dead. Marie didn¡¯t say a word ¡°We just want to stay alive, the manager whimpered. Marie was stunned. Seriously? This grown man bawling like a child? Forget it. The surveince and guest records had been deleted, pushing the staff wouldn¡¯t get her anywhere. In the end, after raising hell all morning, Marie showed some rare mercy and let the Spirit Pub staff off the hook. As the three women left the hotel, Julia looked at Marie with guilt in her eyes. ¡°Marie, I¡¯m really sorry. I had something urgent night. When I dropped you off, the room was definitely empty¡± 8:39 PM Chapter 614 Delete Footage, Then Ghost? Even as she said it, Julia looked like she¡¯d lost all hope in life. ???? ?????????????????????? Finished Marie took a sip from the water bottle in her hand, eyes drifting to the bustling street. ¡°So this guy, he deleted the security footage, wiped the registry, he must have some pull in Falvaria, right?¡± A regr guy couldn¡¯t pull this off, right? Eileen nodded. ¡°From the way the hotel reacted, I¡¯d say they¡¯re really too scared to hand over anything.¡± that ph ¡°If you¡¯d pushed just a little harder, that manager would¡¯ve dropped to his knees.¡± Yeah, it had been that intense.. Marie was stunned. To wield that kind of influence¡ªto scare an entire hotel i into ¨C guy was not just some nobody. Julia offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Mr. Abraham to look into it?¡± No No matter how powerful this guy was, no one in Falvaria outranked Abraham. Eileen nodded in agreement. ¡°At this point, you¡¯ve got no choice but to ask your brother.¡± Marie hissed, ¡°If I ever catch that bastard, I¡¯m cutting his balls off.¡± Whoever he was, he clearly wasn¡¯t just some scrub. Anyone who could intimidate an entire hotel had considerable weight behind them. But to sleep with a woman and then run away? What kind of man does that? Hearing Marie fume like that, Eileen twitched at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s exactly why he ran, he was afraid you¡¯d actually do it.¡± Julia went silent. Marie was stunned. Eileen added, ¡°Seriously though¨Cthat¡¯s not impossible. After seeing what you did to Dan and E, the guy probably got even more scared to show his face.¡± Marie¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. She looked like she¡¯d just swallowed a fly. Speaking of E¡­ Marie turned to Julia. Don¡¯t feel too guilty. In a way, you probably saved my life.¡± She¡¯d slept like the deadst night. If she had ended up in 65-808 like nned, and gotten jumped by a group of men¡­ it would¡¯ve destroyed her. One guy vs. a group? That was a massive difference. Julia blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Marie exined, ¡°E set me upst night. Had several guys waiting in 65-808.¡± Thank goodness Julia had sent her to the 66th floor instead But one mystery sull lingered¨Cwho exactly was the powerful man who had slept with her. There were only a handful of people in Falvaria with that kind of influence. Julia cursed, ¡°That wench, she really had the nerve to scheme against you?¡± The wrong girl 615 Chapter 615 Still Got Feelings, Huh? Eileen¡¯s face was full of righteous fury. Marie said, ¡°So technically, you saved me.¡± Julia raised an eyebrow. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me you didn¡¯t finish the job this morning?¡± Back when Dan pulled his crap, they let it slide; but now his fiancee dared to pull this stunt on Marie? Did she really think Marie was made of y? Marie replied, ¡°I almost did.¡± If that shot had gone off even a little closer to her head, E wouldn¡¯t be lying in a hospital bed right now, she¡¯d be in the morgue. ¡°You should call your brother now.¡± Just as she said that, Julia¡¯s phone rang. She stepped aside to take the call. Marie pulled out her own phone to dial Abraham. The moment the call connected, she heard June¡¯s voice on the other end, ¡°What? Evie is at the Oarde Hotel? Are you sure?¡± Julia had arranged for someone to keep tabs on Evie for Marie. Evie had really crossed a line this time. Knowing how desperate Marie was to find her sister, she still did something like this? There was a time and ce for games; what Evie did was practically criminal. The more desperate Marie got, the worse she screwed her When Abraham stepped out of the Dawson residence, he saw Derrick¡¯s The windows were all rolled down. Derrick had one arm slung parked right out front. over the edge, cigarette smoldering between his fingers. Two spent cigarette buttsy on the ground beside the car. From the looks of it, he¡¯d been there for a while. Abraham¡¯s car pulled up beside him; the window rolled halfway down. In that moment, Abraham¡¯s gaze was deep, unreadable. ¡°Waiting for Marie?¡± Their eyes met. Derrick¡¯s flickered with a sh of irritation. He didn¡¯t answer Abraham¡¯s question; instead, he asked calmly, ¡°Does she still have feelings for Dan?¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t get her when ites to this.¡± Abraham said nothing. Doesn¡¯t get her? Truth was, Derrick wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t read Marie when it came to Dan. Even Abraham couldn¡¯t say with full certainty whether Marie had truly let go. Back when she thought Dan was dead, Marie had spiraledpletely. She¡¯d gone through multiple therapists before she finally started to recover with time. And when she found out Dan was in Feisha City, she dropped everything and rushed to find him. But now, Dan had a fiancee. E, who was clearly connected to the Mory family. Abraham gave Derrick a long, searching look. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± 8:40 PM P P ? Chapter 615 Still Got Feelings, Huh? Derrick replied ndly, ¡°Just curious.¡± As if it were some casual question born out of boredom. D But he¡¯de all the way here, just to casually ask whether Marie still had feelings for Dan? Abraham was too sharp to buy that excuse. He chuckled lightly. ¡°You know, sometimes a man¡¯s gotta act like a real man.¡± Derrick was caught off guard. Abraham¡¯s eyes were dark and unreadable as they fixed on him. Before Derrick could respond, Abraham added, ¡°At the end of the day, you have to keep things in perspective.¡± Abraham¡¯s words made Derrick¡¯s temple throb, it felt like Abraham had seen straight through him. Abraham didn¡¯t say anything else. He just motioned for Abel to drive. He left. Finished Derrick sat there for several long seconds, face grim, then took a slow drag of the cigarette burning down between his fingers. ¡°Keep things in perspective, huh?¡± Is that even possible? What if she never truly got over Dan? The thought stung. After all these years, Marie had never been able to move past Dan¡¯s supposed death. ? She¡¯d kept every other man at arm¡¯s length. But today, she beat him bloody¡­ All the signs pointed to one thing, Dan had always held 2 sacred ce in her heart. How could someone who once loved him that much suddenly flip a switch and And why did she hit him today? Derrick closed his eyes briefly. erase that love? h His phone buzzed¨CKale was calling. ¡°Talk.¡± That one word came out cold as ice. There was a brief pause, then Kale reported, ¡°Mr. Derrick, Ms. Dawson is at the Oarde Hotel right now.¡± Oarde Hotel? A hotel? No wonder, when he came by earlier and didn¡¯t see her car, he figured she wasn¡¯t home. Made sense. After everything that happened today, Dan and E both got beaten senseless; she probably wasn¡¯t nning on going back home until she cooled off. Derrick pinched the bridge of his nose. His head throbbed. ¡°What¡¯s she doing at the Oarde Hotel?¡± ¡°No idea ¡°She alone?¡± Derrick asked again. Kale replied, ¡°This time, yes¡± Both earlier outings, she¡¯d brought an entire squad of bodyguards with her to stir up trouble. 8:40 PM P P ? Chapter 615 Still Got Feelings, Huh? Finished But ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ó¦Å was she alone? Derrick started the without engine another word and hung he up, headed for straight the Oarde The wrong girl 616 Chapter 616 She¡¯s My Wife Now, Buddy Just as Derrick pulled out of the main road from the Dawson residence, his phone rang¨Cit was an unfamiliar number. He answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Dan¡¯s voice came through the line, gritted with fury, like he wanted to tear through the screen and rip Derrick apart. Despite the obvious rage, Dan¡¯s voice was noticeably weak. Derrick let out a mockingugh. ¡°Sounds like that girl didn¡¯t hit you hard enough. Already awake?¡± His men had reported that Dan had been unconscious in the hospital; yet here he was, awake in no time. Dan nearly blew a gasket. ¡°You bastard, Derrick. Be straight with me¨Cwas it youst night?¡± ¡°Was what me?¡± You and Marie, getting the marriage certificate yesterday. You didn¡¯t even have a damn wedding. Don¡¯t tell me you spent the night with her!¡± Just saying it made Dan¡¯s emotions spiral out of control. That damned woman Marie, she always seemed like she had a brain. And yet she actually went for someone like Derrick? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Hearing Dan practically hyperventte with rage, Derrick chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s my wife now. Sharing a bed seems perfectly legal -don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°So it really was youst night?¡± Dan¡¯s teeth ground audibly through the phone; his breathing grew more erratic. ¡°It was me,¡± Derrick said coolly. ¡°So what?¡± ¡®Derrick!¡± Dan¡¯s roar nearly shattered the signal. Derrick¡¯s tone didn¡¯t waver. ¡°The man with herst night was me¨Cnot you.¡± He said it slowly, clearly. But on the other end, Dan nearly passed out from fury. 213 ¡°You screw Marie and disappear, and I take the beating for it? You bastard! You¡¯re no you die with no grave to bury you in!¡± Dan had never been this furious in his life. Right now, he honestly wanted to rip Derrick¡¯s head off. man -just wait, I swear I¡¯ll make sure But Derrick justughed. ¡°Whether I¡¯m a man or not, Marie knows the answer to that.¡± Dan went silent. The line froze. A A few secondster, panicked voices erupted from Dan¡¯s side. ¡°Sir? Sir! We told you¨Cyou can¡¯t get emotional! Please calm down!¡± Dan growled through clenched teeth, ¡°Get¡­ out¡­¡± Chapter 616 She¡¯s My Wife Now, Buddy C Finished The roar shattered the airwaves. Then came the sound of Dennis yelling for help. ¡°Doctor! Doctor, hurry! He¡¯s fainted again!¡± Derrick hung up. A smug smile yed at the corner of his lips. Then, with venom, he muttered, ¡°It would be better if he never wakes up again.¡± In Derrick¡¯s eyes, Dan should¡¯ve died back then. That way, he would¡¯ve stayed clean in Marie¡¯s memory. And now, he was just a living stain. Meanwhile, at the Oarde Hotel. When Derrick arrived, he called Marie right away, but the call was declined after a single ring. He dialed again¨Cthis time, her phone was switched off. ¡°This woman¡­¡± What the heck? Just as he pushed open the car door to get out, Sebastian called. ¡°You cannot rat out us masterminds.¡± He¡¯d done his homework, the three other guys ying cards with Dan still hadn¡¯t woken up. Derrick replied, ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯re all pathetic. You¡¯re the only one with guts. You¡¯re a real man¡­¡± To think Derrick had the nerve to go face Marie after what they did to Dan¨Che had to be a true man. ¡°Have you seen her yet?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, once you do, make sure you cover for us.¡± Such a cowardly tone. Derrick ended the call, pissed. That little bastard, after everything they went through together in Pagena, all the bloodshed, and this was who he turned out to be, still no trace of manhood in him. Just as Derrick stepped into the hotel, Dan called again. ¡°Derrick, you¡¯re not even human.¡± ¡°Who are you again?¡± Derrick let out a short, sharpugh, his tone biting. Before Dan could speak, Derrick cut in with more sarcasm. ¡°No sane person would ever fake their death.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Pan, some things can be forgiven with time¨Cbut what¡¯s done is done. That pill¡­ it was from Professor Hector, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Dan went quiet. Dead silent on the line. ¡°You really didn¡¯t know she went insane after you died?¡± Derrick asked. Chapter 616 She¡¯s My Wife Now, Buddy The way he emphasized really didn¡¯t know dripped with irony. Finished Back then, Marie had almostpletely lost her mind. It wasmon knowledge in Falvaria. And Dan, there was no way he didn¡¯t know. Meanwhile, at Victor¡¯s Vi, Tessa had a fever and had been driving Victor up the wall. It wasn¡¯t until six in the evening that she finally woke up, groggy and dazed. Victor stood by the window on the phone. Whatever the person on the other end said made him nce at his watch. Then, in a cold voice, he said into the phone, ¡°Everything¡¯s confirmed.¡± Send Gifts 4.4K . 12 The wrong girl 617 Chapter 617 Surprise! You Have Siblings ¡°Tell Ms. Diana I must see her.¡± With that, Victor hung up the phone. He turned and nced at Tessa, just in time to meet her bleary, ssy eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Tessa gave a weak nod, still looking pale and sickly. Victor walked over to the bed and touched her forehead. ¡°The fever¡¯s mostly gone down.¡± A woman with a high fever¡­ was more trouble than he¡¯d imagined. Tessa looked at him with wide, doe¨Clike eyes. ¡°The Ms. Diana you mentioned on the phone¡­ was that my mom?¡± At the mention of her mother, a flicker of worry crossed her face. After everything that had happened, she finally understood just howpletely her world had been turned upside down. And no one could help her now¡­ The Ashen Pact, what kind of tangled, dangerous ce was that? Victor nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What did you talk about?¡± Tessa asked. Victor looked at her but said nothing. The way he hesitated made Tessa¡¯s heart leap into her throat. After a moment, Victor said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. The conflict between her and the Ashen Pact isn¡¯t fatal; they¡¯re not out to kill her.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Victor replied, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Yeah,¡± he said with a nod. Some of the Ashen Pact¡¯s records had been sealed for years; digging up the truth hadn¡¯t been easy. But in the end, they had managed to piece it together. ¡°Howplicated are we talking?¡± she asked. Victor answered, ¡°Your father¡­ is the father of the Ashen Pact¡¯s current leader.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°What?¡± My father is the father of the current head of the Ashen Pact? Wait, what? ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡± What kind of nonsense was this? For as long as she could remember, she¡¯d always known her father was dead. Victor said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s no mistake Tessa froze. No mistake? Wait, then- ¡°What¡¯s my rtionship to the current leader of the Ashen Pact?¡± 8:41 PM P P ? Chapter 617 Surprise! You Have Siblings Finished ¡°Brother and sister.¡± Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched. Brother and sister? ¡°So you¡¯re telling me I didn¡¯t just gain a dad out of nowhere¨CI gained a brother, too?¡± Gosh. Now suddenly, I have a brother? She¡¯d been an only child her whole life, had every advantage that came with it. Victor added, ¡°Not just a brother, you¡¯ve got two sisters, too.¡± Tessa was stunned. So it¡¯s not just one sibling, it¡¯s a whole crowd? ¡°Then why did he take my mom?¡± she asked. ¡°And back at the airport¡­ he looked like he wanted me dead.¡± No wonder Victor had said it wasplicated; this was far beyondplicated. Victor said, ¡°Most likely because your mother took half of the Ashen Pact¡¯s map when she left years ago.¡± ¡°Half a map?¡± Tessa asked. Victor nodded. ¡°And that man?¡± she pressed. That man, Victor¡¯s so¨Ccalled father of hers. Even if Victor¡¯s investigation was solid, something about it didn¡¯t sit right with her. And judging by Victor¡¯s tone¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like the man had cared for her mother at all. Victor hesitated. ¡°That man¡­¡± He nced at her, then decided she deserved the full truth. The Ashen Pact¡¯s internal situation was already a mess; Tessa¡¯s identity made it even moreplicated. ¡°When your mother took over the Ashen Pact, it was in total chaos¨Cpressured from within and without. Your father chose to step back at that time, but the truth is¡­ he had another reason.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tessa asked. ¡°Because he had someone he cared about most¨Csomeone he wanted to protect.¡± Tessa went silent. The one he cared about most? ¡°You mean the mother of those three siblings?¡± she asked. Victor nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Tessa froze again. So that man chose to stay in the shadows because of another woman? And because of that woman, he pushed her mother into the line of fire? ¡°At first, your mother didn¡¯t even know that woman existed, Victor said. ¡°During her time as leader, she faced endless conflict and danger. She was injured more than once. The worst time, she almost lost you while you were still in the womb. It was then that she finally learned the truth.¡± Tessa sat quietly, listening, Listening to this tangled web of a story. Finding out that her father was the father of the Ashen Pact¡¯s current leader had already been enough of a shock. But now, hearing about everything her mother had endured during that time¡­ her pupils suddenly contracted, even her 8:41 PM P Chapter 617 Surprise! You Have Siblings breathing turned painful. @ 0 It was hard to imagine the kind of despair her mother must have gone through. ¡°So that¡¯s when she left, with me?¡± Tessa asked. Victor nodded. ¡°Yes. And she also took one of the Ashen Pact¡¯s most important assets.¡± By asset, he meant that half of the map. Finished ¡°She¡¯s been living in Rivermount all these years,¡± Victor continued, ¡°and the Ashen Pact has been searching for her the whole time.¡± Of course, they had. She¡¯d taken something that valuable. How could they not after me? at Victor, her breath catching. ¡°And now?¡± Tessa stared Send Gifts 4.4K ¡£ The wrong girl 618 Chapter 618 You Stole My Stuff! Victor said, ¡°Right now, your father is trying to get that half of the map from your mother. And your mother¡­¡± He paused mid¨Csentence. Then, after a beat, he continued, ¡°Your mother has gathered a few of the veteran elders who still follow her. She¡¯s likely trying to establish her own faction. This is her most critical moment.¡± Establish her own faction. Clearly, the conflict had escted beyond reconciliation. Tessa¡¯s chest tightened painfully. Victor nced at her. ¡°The web of rtionships in this conflict is far too tangled. Your mother probably wants nothing more than to keep you out of it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that man¡¯s stance right now?¡± Victor replied, ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t know you exist. And he loves his current wife¨Cvery much.¡± Tessa went quiet. Loves her, huh? Well, of course he does. If he didn¡¯t, how would he have had three children with her? She closed her eyes; a sharp, prickling pain bloomed in her chest. ¡°Can¡¯t I see my mother, just once?¡± The thought of her mom facing all of this alone was unbearable. The ache in her heart was too much to stand. And in that moment, her heart filled with a kind of courage she¡¯d never felt before. All her past fears, shattered by the fierce love she felt for her mother. ¡°She won¡¯t see you,¡± Victor said. After a moment, he added, ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t want your father to find out about you, either.¡± That was the most stubborn part of Diana¡¯s pride. She didn¡¯t want that man to ever know about Tessa. Tessa lowered her eyes, And in them, a fire lit. It was the instinctual fury of a child trying to protect her mother. Meanwhile, Marie had found Evie. But before she could get a single word out, Evie turned and bolted¨Cinfuriating Marie to no end. ¡°Evie, you liar! Are you even a woman?¡± She sure could talk big when she was scheming. So why run now? Marie took off after her like a madwoman, but today she wasn¡¯t nearly as agile as usual. The man fromst night had been too ruthless; her legs still ached terribly. Evie yelled back, ¡®Stop chasing me! It¡¯s all gone anyway!¡® ¡°You damn woman!¡± Hearing that everything was gone only made Marie more determined to catch her and give her a beating. Heartless wench Evie darted out of the ballroom like a rabbit; Marie chased after her without missing a beat. But just as she rushed out the door, she crashed straight into a man¡¯s chest 8:41 PM P P. Chapter 618 You Stole My Stuff! Her forehead smacked against him with a dull sound, and her brain buzzed from the impact. Clutching her aching head, she groaned, ¡°Ugh¨Cgot eyes or not?¡± She looked up¨Conly to see Derrick. ¡°You?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± Derrick said. But Marie wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about anything with him. Even if Derrick was only her husband in name, what happenedst night still left her feeling¡­ unsettled. And now, on top of that, there was Evie¡­ She shoved him aside. ¡°Ugh, whatever it is, it can wait!¡± F Finished Before Derrick could say another word, Marie tore off in the direction Evie had gone. That damned woman. If she didn¡¯t catch her today, she¡¯d vanish off the grid again, probably into nowhere where even the birds forgot to fly. some godforsaken corner of Derrick frowned as he watched Marie¡¯s limping but determined figure dart off. After a pause, he decided to follow. Evie was quick. But Marie wasn¡¯t exactly slow, either. Finally, in a dead¨Cend alley, Marie cornered Evie¨Chands on her hips, panting furiously. ¡°Run! Go on, keep running! You coward. Back when Eddie worked for my brother, all you did was p your gums. And now? You¡¯re still just as shameless. Guess some things never change.¡± Just thinking about the mess she¡¯d gone through trying to find Ste¨Chow Evie had yed her, made Marie want to beat the woman. Evie gave her a smirking nce. ¡°And who¡¯s the shameless one? I helped you find the person, you want your payment back now? How does that make any sense?¡± ¡°What person did you find? It was my brother who found them! You just took a little tour around Rivermount and then bailed.¡± That really set Marie off. Who gets paid a fortune for a stroll? Evie replied, ¡°Your brother was already there. What was I supposed to do, stand around like an extra?¡± ¡°Cut the crap¨Cgive me my stuff back. We agreed you¡¯d bring the person to me.¡± It had been an astronomical finder¡¯s fee. They¡¯d agreed she¡¯d deliver the person¨Cyet all she got was a sliver of info, and nothing more. Marie snapped, ¡°And you stole my stuff, too.¡± She hadn¡¯t even been this mad before¨Cbut now she was livid. She¡¯d already paid the woman in full, and Evie still had the nerve to steal from her on the way out? Evie shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it¨CI found it.¡± ¡°Found it? You found it in my room, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, I still found it¡® 8:41 PM P Chapter 618 You Stole My Stuff! 0 Marie was stunned. She actually had the gall to say that, stealing something from my room and calling it ¡°found¡°? The wrong girl 619 Chapter 619 Give It Back or Else Marie pondered. Goddamn it, there¡¯s no reasoning with her. So screw it, why even try? Finished Seeing howpletely unreasonable Evie was, Marie was so angry. Without another word, she charged straight at her. ¡°You little thief! I¡¯m gonna make you regret messing with me!¡± If Evie didn¡¯t give back her stuff, then she was damn well going to tear her apart. came to Evie. And Evie, someone who dealt with wild Marie didn¡¯t have much patience to begin with, especially not when it animals for a living, didn¡¯t exactly have the temper of a saint either. It was a sh of thunder and fire. The two of them went at it without hesitation. A punch thrown, another returned, neither one willing to back down¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Marie took a hit to the chest, her face twisting in pain. She retaliated with a solid kick to Evie¡¯s stomach. They fought like the world was ending. Suddenly, a loud bang came from the mouth of the alley. Two ck vans screeched to a halt, and more than a dozen men jumped out, heading straight for them. And they weren¡¯t empty¨Chanded. Their aggressive momentum was enough to stop both women cold mid¨Cbrawl. The air was charged with danger. Evie and Marie locked eyes. Marie asked, ¡°They after you?¡± Evie¡¯s eye twitched. That wasn¡¯t out of the question. But with Marie standing there, no way she¡¯d admit it. She shot back, ¡°Looks more like they¡¯re after you.¡± Marie was stunned. Before she could respond, the man leading the group barked, voice fierce andced with venom, ¡°Get her! Show Ms. Dawson what it means to let her guard down.¡± The phrase was hissed through gritted teeth; there was no mistaking the threat. ¡°Gosh,¡± Marie muttered. They really were after me? Whose people were these? Dan¡¯s? Or E¡¯s? At the man¡¯smand, the group swarmed toward her like a tidal wave. Marie whipped out her gun and shot one of them down instantly. But she was outnumbered and at close range; it wasn¡¯t long before the fight devolved into hand¨Cto¨Chandbat. Evie, arms folded across her chest, stood to the side watching like it was a show. Gritting her teeth, Marie shouted, ¡°Evie, you damn traitor! Just gonna stand there and enjoy the view?¡± ¡°Beg me, Evie said, smirking. ¡°Admit everything you¡¯ve got is rightfully mine, and I¡¯ll help.¡± Marie was stunned. This woman. After stealing so many of my things, she actually expected me to give the rest up willingly? Shameless doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it. Already furious, Marie felt like her organs were about tobust. ¡°Keep dreaming!¡± 8:41 PM P Chapter 619 Give It Back or Else She wasn¡¯t about to hand over her treasures just because she asked nicely. Evie rolled her eyes and resumed watching with her arms crossed. Marie yelled, ¡°You¡¯re dead, Evie!¡± After this, no matter what, she was never letting this womanpaman off the hook again. Evie chuckled coldly. ¡°You should be more worried about how you¡¯re getting out of this alley in one piece.¡± These men weren¡¯t just thugs¨Cthey were trained killers, and they were here for Marie¡¯s life. Finished No sooner had she said it, one of the attackers lunged at Maric from behind, a gleaming knife in hand, aimed straight at her head. Evie¡¯s eyes narrowed. She flicked her wrist and sent needle ? flying. The de stopped barely an inch from Marie¡¯s skull. The man shrieked and dropped like a sack of bricks.. Still, Evie shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t hand over those things, don¡¯t even think about me saving your ass today!¡± ¡°Like I need you to save me!¡± Marie roared back. As soon as she finished, another of Evie¡¯s needles struck true, knocking another man, kuri nedau waun tu unconscious. ¡°You know what your problem is?¡± Evie snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve got too much pride and not enough generosity. You should take a lesson from your brother.¡± Marie was stunned. Evie went on, ¡°Your brother didn¡¯t even blink buying all those gifts for Star.¡± When it came to Abraham¡¯s love for Ste, it wasn¡¯t just real¨Cit was over¨Cthe¨Ctop. He¡¯d given Ste every good thing imaginable over the years. Just look at this wedding, the sheer number of luxury items brought in was ridiculous. Yesterday, Evie had only passed by the not¨Cyet¨Cfinished wedding site, but even that brief nce had made this sworn non- believer in marriage want to tie the knot. And now she was me to Ste? Marie felt her heart seize. ¡°You think you¡¯re worthy of beingpared to Star? Do you even know what she means to my brother? And what the heck are you to me? Generous? I¡¯ll show you generous, you shameless freeloader-¡± How was this even a fair ? Evie snorted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. If you want my help, you¡¯re giving me everything.¡± She said it with a freezing tone and unshakable resolve. And yet¨Cby now, Evie had already taken down four or five of the attackers. The rest didn¡¯t even realize what was happening; while they tangled with Marie, she barely had to lift a finger. Just as Marie finished off thest one and thought it was finally over- Two more vans pulled up at the mouth of the alley, packed with even more people. Marie stared in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. Are these people actually trying to kill me today?¡± Send Gifts The wrong girl 620 Chapter 620 Run Now, Gloat Later Evie nced at her. ¡°Then what are you still standing here for? Run!¡± Marie was stunned. Run? Evie said, ¡°You got any strength left to keep fighting?¡± Marie sneered, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Truth was, she really was starting to run out of steam. Last night¡¯s ¡°workout¡± with that man had been way too intense. Then she¡¯d chased Evie for several blocks and fought tooth and nail against a dozen people. At this point, her legs were jelly. Evie rolled her eyes and, without another word, turned and nimbly scaled the iron gate behind them. Marie stood there, stunned. Seriously? That woman¡­ Just then, Derrick arrived¨Conly to see Marie being chased by a swarm of attackers. A sh of cold light passed through his eyes. Without a word, he turned to the trunk, pulled out a long rifle, and opened fire in a sweeping arc at the group. None of them had expected an ambush from behind. By the time Marie and Evie had climbed over the gate, Derrick had already dropped the entire group to the ground. Upon seeing Derrick, the sole survivor recoiled in fear, crawling away as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. Derrick approached with long, forceful strides, each step like a hammer pounding down on the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Mr. Derrick,¡± the man stammered, voice trembling. He recognized Derrick, his panic obvious. Derrick mmed his boot onto the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Talk. Who sent you?¡± ¡°We¡­ I¡­¡± The man hesitated, clearly reluctant to tell the truth. The next second, Derrick pressed the barrel of the gun to the man¡¯s forehead. ¡°Mr. Derrick¨C¡± Derrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let me guess¡­ E sent you?¡± The man was stunned. Silent. Derrick raised a brow. !Dan?¡± Still, the man said nothing. But at the mention of Dan, a flicker of guilt shed through his eyes. Derrick let out a coldugh. Without waiting for a response, he sent the man off to a better ce, He turned and looked toward the alley There was no sign of Marie. Her stormy, fiery figure from earlier shed through his mind, and a faint smirk curled on Derrick¡¯s lips. 8:41 PM P P Chapter 620 Run Now, Gloat Later Meanwhile, Dan didn¡¯t wake up untilte into the night. Finished E had been at his bedside the entire time. When he finally stirred, she exhaled in relief. ¡°Dan, you¡¯re finally awake. You really scared me.¡± Her tone was full of worry. Dan¡¯s eyes, upon seeing her, briefly shed with disgust¨Cbarely concealed, but icy cold. P T- His voice came out frosty. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± E flinched at his coldness, her hea tightening. Her voice wavered. ¡°What, you¡¯d rather Marie be here?¡± ¨C ww p at her words; his eyes grew colder. ww ¡°She won¡¯te.¡± Dan went silent. His already pale face darkened further E lowered her gaze. ¡°Were you with herst night?¡± she asked. Her voice trembled with unspeakable pain. Before Dan could reply, she burst out, screaming, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Dan, I¡¯ve been with you for so many years, wasn¡¯t that enough to melt your heart?¡± At her words, Dan¡¯s eyes grew even colder. E choked out, ¡°She¡¯s your past!¡± How many years had it been? E couldn¡¯t even remember how long she¡¯d loved Dan. She¡¯d loved him SO long, she¡¯d forgotten what time meant. After all these years, anyone with a shred of feeling would¡¯ve softened. Was his heart really that cold, that unyielding? ¡°You remember everything now, don¡¯t you?¡± she whispered. Yes. She could feel it, Dan remembered everything. As the question left her lips, a wave of despair washed over her. Dan¡¯s gaze turned razor¨Csharp. ¡°You¡¯re the one who tampered with my memories.¡± E fell silent. The air instantly froze., Her breath hitched as she stared at him. Dan¡¯s eyes grew more dangerous by the second. ¡°E, you deserve to die.¡± E was stunned. Deserve to die? ¡°What did you say?¡± I deserve to die? Had I really done something that wrong? No, she hadn¡¯t. Tears welled up in her eyes, brimming over. ¡°You¡¯re saying I deserve to die? Dan, I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e. I¡¯ve stayed by your side for years¨Cwe were about to get married!¡± ¡°I was supposed to be your forever. And now you betray me¡­ and I¡¯m the one who deserves to die?¡± It was true, they¡¯d been on the verge of getting married. Then Marie showed up, and their wedding was indefinitely postponed. A ¡± ????? ??????? ?? Chapter 620 Run Now, Gloat Later Finished And now, Dan¡­ was telling me to die? In that moment, E¡¯s chest seized painfully. It felt like everything she¡¯d given¨Cyears of love¨Chad just be a sick joke. ¡°You hate me because of her? Do you even know¨Cif you hadn¡¯t left back then, you would¡¯ve died!¡± ¡°I saved you!¡± Thosest words were snarled between clenched teeth. In her heart, Marie had always been nothing but poison. ¡°The Dawson family is a swamp, you¡¯ll drown in it. Don¡¯t you get that? There¡¯s nothing for you there!¡± She Took 621 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 621 Get E Out, Now E hurled question after question, her voice sharp and usatory. Dan stared back at her, his eyes cold as ice. But despite usually being somewhat afraid of him, E felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Marie never loved you. Think about it, after what you did to herst night, how did she treat you?¡± E assumed the man fromst night was Dan. That only made her hate Marie more. She had nned everything so precisely. How had Marie still ended up in Dan¡¯s arms? And judging by Marie¡¯s reaction today to what happenedst night¡­. ¡°She looked like she wanted to kill you. She doesn¡¯t love you at all.¡± If she did, how could she have acted like that? E was practically hysterical, her voice rising, while Dan¡¯s expression grew darker with every word. Atst, he barked toward the door, ¡°Dennis.¡± Dennis had been standing guard outside the whole time. Especially with Dan having passed out so many times today, Dennis hadn¡¯t dared step away for even a moment. 7 The moment he heard Dan call, he came in at once. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Take her out.¡± Dennis nced at E. ¡°Dan¡­¡± E choked out. Hearing him order her to leave crushed something in her. She knew it was because she¡¯d said something he didn¡¯t want to hear. Dan was always like this, every time she said something he didn¡¯t like, he made her disappear. Chapter 621 Get E Out Now But she wasn¡¯t just anyone; she was his fiancee. Why did he keep treating me like this? Dennis seemed unfazed; he looked at E and said calmly, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s go.¡± E drew a shaky breath, tears falling freely down her face. ¡°Whatever feelings you have for her now, it¡¯s toote. She¡¯s already Derrick¡¯s wife. The two of you will never happen in this lifetime.¡± Every resentful word E spat struck a nerve in Dan. And his gaze toward her grew even more dangerous. In the Dawson residence, Ste had a good appetite that evening; she¡¯d eaten three bowls of porridge. Abraham took her for a long walk afterward, and she only managed to sleep without difort because of it. In the middle of the night, Rianne called. ¡°Ste, I have something to tell you.¡± Ste had been fast asleep. The curse she was about to mutter died on her lips the second she heard it was Rianne. ¡°What is it, Rianne?¡± she mumbled sleepily. Her voice was thick with drowsiness. Rianne winced at the sound. ¡°Sorry, I forgot about the time difference.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ste said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Lillian¡¯s dead.¡± Ste was stunned; she rolled over and sat up. The room wasn¡¯tpletely dark; a dim night light glowed faintly. Her expression remained unreadable in the shadows. ¡°She was in such terrible shape, I¡¯m surprised she even held on this long.¡± After Jonathan kicked her out of the Reed family, Ste had assumed Lillian wouldn¡¯tst more than a few days. Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d survive on the streets for as long as I did? ¡°Even if her will was strong, so what?¡± Rianne said. ¡°She refused to ept her fate, but she still died a miserable death.¡± Chapter 621 Get E Out, Now Fighting fate was one thing, but wing forward at the expense of others only led to ruin. In the end, something greater was always watching, always keeping count. Ste¡¯s brow arched slightly. ¡°How miserable are we talking?¡± ¡°She was under a bridge¡­ attacked by two homeless men¡­¡± Rianne trailed off, unwilling to finish the rest. But Ste understood. Homeless men? Lillian, who had once clung so desperately to her noble facade, had gone so far as to try and kill Ste just to maintain her position. Even after Ste returned to the Reed family, Lillian kept up appearances, stepping all over her whenever she got the chance. She¡¯d never once admitted she was just an adopted daughter; she¡¯d always carried herself like she was above everyone else. And now, this was how she ended up. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s pretty miserable,¡± Ste said. More than just miserable¨Cit was absolute ruin. ¡°She got what she deserved,¡± Rianne said. ¡°Back when you were unconscious in the hospital¨Cif Tessa and I hadn¡¯t been there watching you every second, you might¡¯ve died without even knowing how. And that Jonathan¡­¡± Her tone darkened at the mention of him. Ste was his real sister. And yet, time after time, Jonathan had hurt her because of Lillian. What Ste knew¨Cand what she didn¡¯t¨Cadded up to more than she cared to count A heaviness pressed against her chest. ¡°Thank you. For everything during that time. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t thank me,¡± Rianne said. ¡°I just thought you¡¯d like to hear the news; maybe it¡¯ll bring you a little satisfaction.¡± After all, Lillian¨Cwho had tried so many ways to destroy Ste¨Chad finally gotten her due. Chapter 621 Get E Out Now ???? ??????? ??? What goes around around. That wasn¡¯t just an empty saying, something out there was always watching, and it never missed a thing. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d nearly forgotten about her after I came back,¡± Ste murmured. And not just Lillian, even the entire Reed family; unless someone deliberately brought them up, they rarely crossed her mind at all. 4.7K She Took 622 Chapter 622 You Sent Him Where? There were just some people in Ste¡¯s life, people so insignificant¨Cthat she hardly ever thought of them. When Rianne heard her say that, she let out a soft . ¡°Sounds like things have been going pretty well for you since you got back to Falvaria.¡± ¡°They have.¡± Three simple words, but they said everything about how content Ste had been since her return. Ethan and the Reed family had waited for her to hit a wall with the Dawsons, but in the end, they were left disappointed. They had been so eager to see her thrown out of the Dawson family¡­ ¡°And you? How have you been?¡± When Rianne left Rivermount, things between her and Tempest had looked¡­plicated. Ste had been a little worried about her. ¡°I¡¯ve been okay,¡± Rianne replied. Unlike Ste¡¯s easygoing response, Rianne¡¯s version of okay came out stiff and strained, like she was forcing it through a clenched jaw. Ste picked up on the hesitation and frowned. ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it in Rivermount anymore,e to Falvaria. I can easily get you into a good hospital with a future.¡± Bottom line, when things aren¡¯t going your way, you shouldn¡¯t force yourself to stay. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± Rianne said. ¡°Right, right¡ªyou¡¯re the big genius. As long as you get away from Tempest, there¡¯ll be plenty of people lining up for you.¡± Rianne was one of those rare, in¨Cdemand genius doctors. To be honest, while Tempest had spent years keeping her under his wing, Rianne had quietly grown stronger on her own, without him even noticing. Chapter 62. You sell Him Where? She had already found her own path, one that was hers alone to walk. Even if she left him, she¡¯d be fine. She had already stepped out from under his control in her own professional world. Still¡­ ¡°What¡¯s his attitude toward you now?¡± Ste hadn¡¯t asked much about what happened between Tempest and that Hailey woman. But back then, Rianne had asked Ste to take her away, which meant whatever happened had been serious. ¡°No attitude at all,¡± Rianne replied. Ste was stunned. A ¡°Actually, I¡¯m already getting ready to leave Rivermount. As soon as the research center in Yalvoria gives the green light, I¡¯m out.¡± Right now, Rianne was just waiting for the go¨Cahead from East Yalvoria. ¡°You¡¯re going to Yalvoria?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Rianne hadn¡¯t even told Tempest yet, she clearly didn¡¯t want Ste passing on the news. ¡°I know,¡± Ste said. They chatted a little more before hanging up. When Abraham returned from his study, he saw Ste sitting up in bed, just setting down her phone. He walked over, shrugged off his robe, climbed into bed, and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Who was that?¡± These days, Abraham hated anyone calling Stete at night. She was pregnant; she needed proper rest. Chapter 692 You Sent Him Where Ste curled under the covers, snuggling deeper into his embrace. ¡°Rianne ¡°She wants your help? Tell her to talk to Abel instead.¡± Ste was stunned. So now, in his mind, every one of my friends was like Tessa, only reaching out to ask for favors? Honestly, back when they were in Rivermount, it was Tessa who¡¯d helped her more often. And this time, it was Tessa¡¯s world that had suddenly been turned upside down- Ste hadn¡¯t even fully processed it yet. But once she did, she knew Tessa would bounce back fast and handle it like she always did. ¡°She wasn¡¯t asking for help,¡± Ste muttered. Abraham looked down at her. ¡°Lillian¡¯s dead,¡± Ste said. ¡°Died under a bridge in Rivermount. The weather¡¯s been weirdly cold there the past few days.¡± Rivermount¡¯s most ¡°established¡± adopted daughter. She¡¯d probably dominate the headlines tomorrow. Abraham let out a helpless sigh and gently pinched her cheek. ¡°And that was worth waking you up for in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s daytime in Rivermount.¡± ¡°Still shouldn¡¯t have,¡± he muttered. ¡°She told me so I¡¯d feel better.¡± Ste stuck out her tongue as she spoke. Honestly, when Rianne described how horribly Lillian had died, Ste had felt a little satisfied. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have waited til morning?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°If it¡¯s daytime here, it¡¯d be the middle of the night for Rianne.¡± Abraham said nothing after that; he just held Ste close and urged her to get some I TIM, ZI PAHI + DSI PSP Chapter 622 You Sent Him Where? sleep. Ste slept well that night, especially with Abraham beside her. It didn¡¯t take long before she drifted off again in his arms. But the man holding her wasn¡¯t quite as lucky. At four in the morning, Abraham actually had to get up and take a cold shower. When he returned to bed and pulled Ste back into his arms, she must¡¯ve felt the chill in her sleep; she squirmed with a soft grumble. ¡°Don¡¯t hug me, you¡¯re cold.¡± That little movement made the fire Abraham had just tamped down start to rise all over again. The next morning, Ste woke in Abraham¡¯s arms. The moment their eyes met, she could clearly see the fatigue in his. 4.7K She Took 623 Chapter 623 Mental Hospital? Say Less ¡°Did you have trouble sleepingst night?¡± Abraham cupped the back of her head and kissed her¨Chard. In that moment, he really felt like he could devour Ste whole. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± she whimpered. s His kiss was rough, as if he wanted to tear her apart and swallow her down. Ten minutes passed before he finally let her go. Ste pressed her hands firmly against his chest, her wide, blinking eyes locking with his. Abraham reached up and gently covered her eyes with his warm palm. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°How should I look at you then?¡± ¡°However you look at me,¡± Abraham said, ¡°I just want to eat you up.¡± Ste was stunned. This man¡­ Life was really testing Abraham right now; if he¡¯d known it¡¯d be this hard, he would¡¯ve avoided getting her pregnant in the first ce. Now every day felt like torture. ¡°Mom sent over a bunch of baby stuff yesterday,¡± Ste said softly. The moment she mentioned Evelyn, her voice was full of warmth and happiness. Abraham nodded. ¡°It¡¯s time to start getting ready.¡± After getting washed up, the two of them headed downstairs. Just as Ste picked up her bowl, her phone rang. She answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Lillian¡¯s dead. Did you know?¡± Chapter 62 Kana Rospitals Taytii Jonathan¡¯s voice came through the line, quiet and full of sorrow After all, he had doted on that sister for so many years; now that she was really gone, he couldn¡¯t help but feel it. Even after everything that had happened¨Ceven though Lillian had done tremendous damage to the Reed family, he was still shaken by her death. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re calling to tell me that so I can celebrate?¡± Ste¡¯s voice was cold, dripping with sarcasm. Jonathan paused, thrown off by her tone. Before he could speak, Ste went on, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came to me looking forfort? If that¡¯s the case, Jonathan, then Reba was absolutely right to dump you.¡± Honestly, Reba had really seen things clearly. The Reed family might¡¯ve been one of Rivermount¡¯s top elites¨Cbut what good was that? When you couldn¡¯t tell right from wrong or protect anything that mattered, you ended up with nothing. So Reba had taken what she could and left with her child; she¡¯d made the smartest move. But Jonathan clearly didn¡¯t appreciate the sarcasm. His tone turned harsh in an instant. ¡°She¡¯s dead now. Isn¡¯t it time you let the Reed family go?¡± Since Ste wasn¡¯t the sentimental type, Jonathan decided to cut straight to the point. Before she could respond, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the one rotting in prison is your biological mother.¡± Thatst part lit a fire in Ste instantly. Just as she was about to unload on him, Abraham reached over and snatched the phone from her hand. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? I hadn¡¯t even started yelling at him yet!¡± That lunatic, if she couldn¡¯t hit him, she at least needed to cuss him out to feel better. Chapter 694 Mental Hospital Shy Leag ¡°Easy,¡± Abraham said gently. ¡°You can¡¯t get worked up right now? He soothed her with a soft voice, then pulled out his own phone and called Abel. ¡°Abel.¡± Abel¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Jonathan¡¯s got something wrong in the head. As Ste¡¯s biological brother, I can¡¯t just sit by and do nothing.¡± Ste was stunned. What was that supposed to mean? Abel was clearly just as confused. ¡°And what exactly does Mr. Abraham n to do?¡± ¡°Have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital,¡± Abraham said calmly. ¡°Pay for the first three years up front.¡± Ste and Abel were stunned. A psychiatric hospital? That was way harsher than sending Eddie to the Milbar Desert Desert. Mental institutions¡­ even a sane person woulde out wrecked. ¡°Understood, sir,¡± Abel said. ¡°And make sure they use the best meds to treat him,¡± Abraham added. ¡°Do whatever it takes to fix his brain.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Abraham hung up and looked at Ste. She blinked at him. ¡°A psychiatric hospital?¡± Wasn¡¯t that basically a death sentence for Jonathan? Abraham took a sip of his milk. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Star think there¡¯s something wrong with his head?¡± Ste thought about it. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, I guess there is.¡± ¡°Then it needs proper treatment. Can¡¯t let it go ignored.¡± He looked so serious, so proper, like he was talking about a routine medical case. Chapter 623 Mental Hospital? Say Less Anyone who didn¡¯t know better would think Jonathan really did have a mental illness. Ste took a sip of her porridge and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, he needs help. I always felt like his brain wasn¡¯t in charge. He¡¯s got all this energy and no idea where to put it.¡± All that effort, wasted on the wrong things. That morning, Abraham stayed home with Ste and didn¡¯t go anywhere. Around ten, Abel arrived and respectfully reported to Abraham, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s done. Before Abraham could respond, Ste burst out in shock. ¡°You really sent Jonathan to a psychiatric hospital?¡± Abel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ste was stunned. That¡¯s brutal. Abel then turned to Abraham. ¡°There was an incidentst night with Mr. Victor.¡± 4.7K She Took 624 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 624 1 Definitely Didn¡¯t Run ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The twin sisters of Ashen Pact¡¯s current leader¨CLana and Lina¨Csnuck into Mr. Victor¡¯s vist night. They tried to take Ms. Tessa.¡± Ste froze; her brain felt like it short¨Ccircuited. ¡°What?¡± Abraham nced over at her. Ste¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°Is Tessa okay?¡± ¡°Ms. Tessa is fine; Mr. Victor¡¯s fine too.¡± Ste exhaled in relief. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good, as long as they¡¯re both okay.¡± ¡°But seriously, what were Lina and Lana trying to pull?¡± Ste had heard of those two before. Hideously ugly and vicious to the core; the kind of people who proved the old saying true¨Cugly on the outside, uglier on the inside. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ Ms. Tessa¡¯s younger sisters,¡± Abel said. ¡°What?¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Sisters?¡± Wait¨Cwhat? Abel continued, ¡°The current leader of Ashen Pact is also Ms. Tessa¡¯s¡­ younger brother.¡± Ste was stunned. What the heck? ¡°Biological? Her actual siblings?¡± ¡°They are,¡± Abel confirmed. Ste sat there,pletely dumbfounded. Well, yeah¡­ if they weren¡¯t blood¨Crted, why would they be called her siblings? ¡°But Tessa isn¡¯t even that old,¡± Ste said. ¡°How is her brother already the leader of Ashen Pact?¡± Abel looked just as puzzled for a moment. ¡°All the official records refer to him as her younger brother.¡± Whether he was technically older of younger¨Cthat remained unclear. Ste was speechless. What a mess.. The Ashen Pact really was a disaster on the inside. And Tessa¡¯s background¨CSte truly hadn¡¯t expected this. ¡°Who was the previous leader of Ashen Pact?¡± she asked. 13:14 Fri, 29 Aug Chapter 624 1 Definitely Didn¡¯t Run + Pearls ¡°Ms. Miller¡¯s mother. After she left, her father took over for a while before passing it down to the current leader,¡± Ste nodded, finally putting the pieces together. Tessa¡¯s background was way moreplicated than she¡¯d thought. Ste had assumed she came from a single¨Cparent family simple, straightforward. And that idiot, after everything that went downst night¨Chadn¡¯t even called her. It seemed like Tessa had already begun adapting to the chaos in her world; she was doing her best to take it all in stride. That¡¯s right. She was learning to stand on her own. From the looks of it, she was gearing up for a serious showdown with her own mother. ¡°This could get tricky,¡± Abel added after a moment¡¯s thought. Abraham raised a brow and gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Since the identity of the intruders wasn¡¯t known at the time,¡± Abel said, ¡°all of the vi¡¯s defense systems activated. Lana was seriously injured.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Yeah. Which means Ashen Pact has now made a major enemy of Mr. Victor.¡± Ste went silent. This was big trouble. Rumor had it, the current leader of Ashen Pact adored his twin sisters more than anything. After Abel finished his report, he took his leave., He¡¯d barely stepped out when Derrick walked in. As soon as he saw Derrick, Ste quietly headed upstairs. Derrick took the seat across from Abraham, lit a cigar, and took a slow drag. Abraham frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t smoke in here.¡± ¡°What, she¡¯s that precious to you now?¡± Derrick asked. Then again, Abraham¡¯s devotion to Ste wasn¡¯t exactly breaking news¨Cthey¡¯d all known for a while now. Abraham didn¡¯t answer. He just gave Derrick a cool, prating look. ¡°Alright, alright¨Cno smoking,¡± Derrick grumbled, stubbing out the cigar. Then heced his fingers together and looked straight at Abraham. ¡°The guy from the night before, was me.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes glinted with a hard¨Cto¨Cread smile. He adjusted the gold rims of his sses. ¡°You should be saying that to Marie,¡± he said calmly. 10.14 46% Chapter 624 1 Definitely Didn¡¯t Run 5 +8 Pearls Marie? The image of Marie¡¯s fiery figure shed through Derrick¡¯s mind¨Cshe¡¯d already taken off chasing after Evic. And then she¡¯d gonepletely off¨Cgrid; her phone had probably died. Abraham took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Why¡¯d you run?¡± Even for someone like Abraham, usually calm andposed, the word ¡°run¡± slipped out with a hint of amusement. Derrick¡¯s face darkened immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t run.¡± That damn word again. He honestly wanted to go back and slice Sebastian into pieces. Did I look like someone scared of dying? Yet that moron had dragged him away¡­ Although, to be fair, Sebastian did know Marie pretty well. Sure enough, the moment she woke up, it was like a bomb went off in Falvaria. Dan kept passing out in the hospital; E ended up catching a bullet¡­. Abraham raised a brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t run? Then how¡¯d things get to this point?¡± Derrick froze. Yeah, things had gotten a little out of hand. Yesterday alone, Marie had put Dan in the hospital and shot E. It had been absolute chaos. Derrick shot Abraham a grim look. ¡°You figured it out yesterday, didn¡¯t you?¡± That exined why Abraham had said what he did at the gate. She Took 625 Chapter 625 Don¡¯t Tell Marie Anything Abraham set his coffee cup down with a faint smile and said nothing. Derrick huffed. ¡°Hmph. You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Truth was, the moment Marie showed up ready to settle the score, Abraham had probably figured everything out. But why hadn¡¯t he said anything? Abrahamced his fingers together. ¡°Some people need to take responsibility for their own actions.¡± 45% +8 Pearls If Marie had the ability to take matters into her own hands, then as her brother, there was no need for him to step in. Whether her reasons sounded reasonable¨Cor whether they made any sense at all- Some people just weren¡¯t worth reasoning with. In Abraham¡¯s view, Marie¡¯s approach was perfect. Derrick was stunned. Abraham¡¯s words made his heart skip a beat. Abraham gave him another sidelong look. ¡°Seriously though, why did you run? Were you afraid Marie would slice you up?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t run!¡± Derrick snapped. The constant questioning, asking why he ran and what he was thinking, was pushing him to the edge. Sebastian had embarrassed him beyond repair this time. Abraham raised a brow. Derrick couldn¡¯t stand the look in his eyes. ¡°It was Sebastian. He¡¯s the one who dragged me out of there.¡± The more he talked, the angrier he got. Honestly, when he¡¯d woken up that morning and seen Marie, he¡¯d beenpletely dumbfounded. She was a woman he¡¯d never even considered¨Cnot even in his wildest dreams. In fact, Marie had never even registered as a woman to him. And somehow, with zero expectations, they¡¯d ended up in bed. How could anyone not bepletely rattled by that? Someone who¡¯d been like a bro to him his whole life had suddenly be his woman. Anyone would¡¯ve lost it. Abraham still didn¡¯t say a word, which only made Derrick more irritable. ¡°For the record, Ashley and Drax were there too,¡± Derrick muttered. Now Abraham was starting to get the picture. Sebastian couldn¡¯t have pulled this off alone. 15414 Chapter 625 Don¡¯t Tell Marle Anything ¡°So the three of them were involved?¡± ¡°Involved in what?¡± Derrick asked. Pearis Abraham replied coolly, ¡°Tampering with the hotel¡¯s security footage and check¨Cin records¨Cwas that their doing?¡± When he realized the man from the night before had been Derrick, Abraham had immediately wondered. Derrick wasn¡¯t the type to panic and pull a stunt like that. But Sebastian? That made more sense. He might¡¯ve been from the Tom family, but hecked even a drop of their backbone. Derrick said nothing. ¡°If Marie ever finds out,¡± Abraham went on, ¡°they¡¯re all as good as dead.¡± How dead? That was hard to say. Derrick was stunned. Abraham added casually, ¡°Including you.¡± Derrick¡¯s face darkened even more. ¡°So, my advice? Don¡¯t admit anything to her¨Cat least not for now.¡± Even Abraham couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he said it. Especially with the way Derrick looked¨Clike he¡¯d just swallowed poison. His face was ck as coal. ¡°What do you take me for?¡± Seeing the smug grin on Abraham¡¯s face made Derrick want to explode. He felt there was no point continuing the conversation; if he stuck around, he really would have a stroke. Compared to Derrick¡¯s frustration, Dan wasn¡¯t doing much better at the hospital¨Che was already half delirious with rage. Dennis told him, ¡°Ms. Dawson was a little too emotional yesterday¡­ Ms. E¡¯s leg got injured. Sir, you were far too harsh with her.¡± He thought back to the way E looked when she left the room¨Cso dejected. Dennis couldn¡¯t help but bring it up. Lately, no one around Dan supported the idea of Marie. They all thought shecked even the basic grace of a woman. If she really ended up with Dan, her temper alone would bring him nothing but harm. Ms. E, on the other hand, she was perfect. Her family fully backed Dan¡¯s position within the Ashen Pact. Mentioning Marie and E together only sent Dan¡¯s blood pressure skyrocketing again; he nearly passed out on the spot. ¡°Get out,¡± he said darkly. Dennis had more to say but didn¡¯t dare push it. He nodded and left immediately. 13.14 F, 29 Aug Chapter 625 Don¡¯t Tell Marie Anything ++8 Pearls Once Dan was alone, he yanked out his phone and called Marie. This time, she actually picked up. Her voice came through the line, mixed with the sound of wind. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Dan¡¯s voice was tight with anger. Dan pondered. Damn woman, where the heck did she run off to now? After beating me like that, she didn¡¯t think she owed me at least some kind of exnation? ¡°You think you can tell me what to do?¡± Maric replied. Dan gritted his teeth. ¡°Did you beat Derrick to a pulp yet?¡± There was fire in his voice. If Derrick had not been beaten within an inch of his life, Dan would be seriously pissed. Why was I the one who got the heck beaten out of me when I didn¡¯t do anything? That bastard Derrick¡­ Once Dan got out of the hospital, he¡¯d be settling that score himself. But he hoped Marie had alreadyid the groundwork by smashing Derrick up good. That way, when it was his turn, that bastard wouldn¡¯t even be able to lift a finger to fight back. Marie¡¯s voice came through, calm as ever. ¡°Why would I beat him?¡± ¡£ 4.7K She Took 626 Chapter 626 Just Wait Till I¡¯m Back ¡°He¡¯s the one who slept with you, why aren¡¯t you beating him up?¡± +8 Pearls The moment Marie asked that, Dan nearly exploded with rage; his jaw clenched so tight he looked like he might shatter his teeth. ¡°Dan, are you out of your damn mind?¡± Marie snapped. ¡°You¡¯re just throwing out usations now? You need me to knock some sense into your skull again? Are you even a man?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Dan ground out the five words through gritted teeth. Even his breathing had turned unsteady. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Marie shot back. ¡°You bastard, just wait till I get back¨Csee what happens then.¡± Dan was stunned. Before he could respond, Marie hung up on him. The dull silence of the dropped call lingered in Dan¡¯s ear, while his breathing turned increasingly unsteady. His heart felt like it was about to explode from sheer fury. ¡°That damn woman¨Chas Derrick drugged her or something?¡± Dan pondered. What gave her the right to trust Derrick so much? Just because they had a marriage certificate now? That automatically made him family? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Then, he cked out again. A sharp noise broke the silence in the hospital room, prompting Dennis to rush to the window to check. Through the ss, he saw Dan copse straight to the floor. ¡°Doctor! Doctor, hurry¨Che fainted again!¡± Dennis shouted in a panic. From yesterday until now, Dan had already passed out several times. Once from Marie hitting him; three times from sheer rage. Marie was practically a witch¡­ After leaving the Dawson residence, Derrick leaned against his car and smoked two cigarettes before pulling out his phone and dialing Marie. The phone barely rang twice before she picked up. Before Derrick could say a word, sheunched into a tirade. ¡°What the heck do you want? Dan, I¡¯m warning you, stop dragging Derrick into this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known him since we were kids; we practically grew up together. He¡¯s nothing like you, you shameless piece of trash.¡± The more she said, the more furious she got, unleashing an avnche of words through the phone. 75.14 Fil, 29 Aug Chapter 626 Just Wait Till I¡¯m Back Marie¡¯s words made Derrick¡¯s eyebrow twitch uncontrobly. +8 Pearls ¡°You won¡¯t even own up to what you did, and now you¡¯re running off like a coward. What does that make you, huh? You¡¯re trying to pin everything on Derrick just to push us toward a divorce, right? Well, guess what¨Cthat¡¯s not happening. I¡¯m with him for life. I¡¯d rather die than leave him.¡± Derrick was stunned. Die before divorcing me? Marie didn¡¯t give him a chance to get a word in. She barreled on, ¡°I know Derrick. Forget whether we¡¯re into each other¨Che wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Even if I stood naked in front of him, I doubt he¡¯dy a finger on me. And you think you cane between us?¡± Her voice was practically on fire as she tore into Dan. Every word was dripping with disbelief and contempt, not only using him of being a petty, gossiping schemer, but outright ridiculing him. And at the same time, she was questioning Derrick¡¯s manhood. Especially that line ¡°he wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± which lit a fire under Derrick. Just as Marie was gearing up to keep railing against Dan, Derrick finally spoke. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare?¡± Marie was stunned. Wait¡­ what? At that moment, Marie had justnded at Yalvoria International Airport. Hearing Derrick¡¯s voice, she quickly checked her phone screen¨Cand sure enough, it was Derrick¡¯s number. ¡°What the heck, it¡¯s you? Is the Tom family in trouble again? Look, I really think you shouldn¡¯t rush it. I get that you want revenge on them, but I just brought back a huge sum of money. If I try to collect now, I won¡¯t get much of anything.¡± She had always been clear¨Ceyed about her so¨Ccalled marriage to Derrick. It was obvious to her, he was using her to get back at the Tom family. And really, with her temper, she was the perfect weapon against them. Still, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sheepish¨CDerrick had heard every word of the rant she¡¯d just unloaded on Dan. After all, Derrick was technically her husband. Last night, she¡¯d used the excuse of chasing Evie down to justify flying overseas; in truth, she¡¯d been trying to avoid facing him. This whole mess wasn¡¯t exactly easy to exin. ¡°Marie,¡± Derrick said. His voice was soft. ????? Chapter 626 Just Wait Till I¡¯m Back And for some reason, hearing that tone¨Cmaybe it was the guilt¨Cmade Marie swallow nervously, ¡°I, uh¡­¡± + Pearis Damn it. She¡¯d spent her whole life fearless, never backing down from anyone; yet now, facing Derrick, she actually felt a little guilty. Dan, that bastard. She was going to deal with him the second she got back. Derrick was still her husband in name, and she swore on all that was good and holy¨Cshe¡¯d never intended to betray him while their marriage was still legally binding. Sure, the two of them were never going to be a real couple; divorce was inevitable. But she still had her bottom line, she would never cheat during her marriage. 4.7K 13:15 Fri, 29 Aug The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit She Took 627 Chapter 627 I¡¯d Rather Die Than Divorce ÄÚº¬45%Ç¢ +9 Pearls Marie replied. ¡°Derrick, calm down. I really don¡¯t think you need to go confront Dan about this: I¡¯ll take care of him myself. I never meant to make you look bad, it¡¯s just that I got drunk the night beforest. Maybe nothing even happened between us.¡± Marie¡¯s voice grew a little frantic; thatst sentence came out weak and uncertain. Because, honestly, something definitely had happened. The blood on the sheets had been intense, and her legs were still sore. What the actual heck¡­ This whole situation was aplete mess. ¡°You worried I¡¯ll kill him?¡± Derrick¡¯s tone took on a noticeable chill. Marie was stunned. Worried? ¡°No, no, not at all! That guy¡¯s nothing! Why would I worry about him? I just think, you¡¯re my husband; getting into it with some loser like that isn¡¯t worth it, you know?¡± Worried? That wasn¡¯t it at all. She just happened to be the kind of person who liked handling her own revenge. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s really not what you think,¡± Marie added quickly. ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°Yalvoria.¡± ¡°You went that far?¡± ¡°Evie stole a ton of stuff from me¨Cyou know that. I finally tracked her down; I had to get my things back.¡± Just mentioning Evie made Marie furious. That thief had been stealing from her since they were kids. The stuff she took out in the open was one thing, but who knew how much she¡¯d snatched in secret? Seriously, what did I owe that skank in a past life for her to mess with me like this in this one? ¡°Were you avoiding me?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°No! I mean,e on, you know exactly what kind of marriage we have. This doesn¡¯t count as cheating, right?¡± She felt slightly guilty; even her tonecked conviction. Derrick let out a dry chuckle. ¡°True/it doesn¡¯t.¡± His words carried an odd weight. But Marie, too distracted to catch the nuance, didn¡¯t notice Then Derrick said something thatpletely threw her. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Marie asked. Chapter 627 I¡¯d Rather Die Than Divorce ¡°I was the one from the night beforest.¡± Marie was stunned. What now? Her already scrambled brain just¡­ short¨Ccircuited. 45% 8 Pearls ¡°That whole scene yesterday was big enough¨Cmaybe it¡¯s time for the fire to burn out,¡± Derrick said calmly. Sebastian had told him to let Dan take the brunt of her fury first; give her space to let it all out. With the way she¡¯d exploded yesterday, her anger had to be mostly spent by now. Marie swallowed hard. ¡°Wait¨Cwhat did you just say?¡± Maybe she¡¯d misheard. The airport was crowded and loud; maybe she caught it wrong? ¡°I said, it was me the night beforest. Did you hear me that time?¡± Derrick repeated. ¡°Stop going around trying to settle scores, okay?¡± Marie was stunned. The air on the other end of the phone wentpletely silent. She felt like the whole world had gone quiet; her mind was spinning in loops. Derrick just said¡­ it was him? No way. ¡°You¡­ you wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she said, uncertain. Extremely uncertain. Derrick¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°What do you think?¡± Marie was stunned. What do I think? He wouldn¡¯t¡­ right? She took a few deep breaths. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Derrick sounded confused. ¡°Dan¡¯s a piece of crap; beating him to death wouldn¡¯t be overkill. You don¡¯t have to cover for him.¡± Maybe Derrick was just taking the fall so she wouldn¡¯t lose it and go after Dan. But that didn¡¯t track. He never seemed like the kind of guy who¡¯d bother with something like that. Derrick went quiet. Marie sighed. ¡°I¡¯m done talking. Once I get my stuff back from Evie, I¡¯lle home and help you get revenge.¡± She figured it was the least she could do. Before Derrick could respond, she hung up. Everything¡¯s a mess, total chaos, I can¡¯t keep this up or my brain¡¯s gonna give out. The call was finally over, but Marie stood frozen in ce. 273 Chapter 627 I¡¯d Rather Die Than Divorce Her mind was spinning nonstop. 456 48 Pearls After a long while, she called the one person who always had a clear head¨CJulia. The moment the call connected, Marie made sure to confirm first. ¡°Julia?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± After what just happened, she wasn¡¯t about to blurt out something to the wrong person again. She needed to double¨Ccheck. Once she heard Julia¡¯s voice, Marie finally said, ¡°Derrick just called and told me he was the one that night.¡± Julia was stunned. What the heck was that supposed to mean? ¡°Do you believe it?¡± Marie asked. Because honestly¡­ she didn¡¯t.. Derrick had pretty high standards. And when it came to his type, it definitely wasn¡¯t her. Not that he had great taste or anything¨Cbut still, it sure wasn¡¯t her, a stunning beauty. Julia didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°No way. What¡¯s wrong with him, trying to hook up with you?¡± 4.7K She Took 628 Chapter 628 Derrick¡¯s Not That Desperate In other words, Derrick wouldn¡¯t dare. Marie asked, ¡°So you don¡¯t think it could¡¯ve been him either, right?¡± ***+8 Pearls. ¡°Of course not,¡± Julia replied. ¡°You two know each other way too well, you probably even remember each other¡¯s most embarrassing childhood moments. With that kind of familiarity, how could any romantic feelings possibly develop?¡± As far as Julia was concerned, Marie and Derrick getting legally married had been a fluke; there was no romance involved. None. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Marie admitted. ¡°Totally true,¡± Julia said firmly. ¡°Then howe my brother caught feelings for Star?¡± Marie asked. If we¡¯re talking about remembering who wet the bed, Star had done that on Abraham¡¯s bed plenty of times when they were kids. Back then, Abraham had looked after her for a long stretch, especially when she was a baby. They were close. Inside and out, top to bottom, there wasn¡¯t a part of each other¡¯s lives they didn¡¯t know. Her brother had fallen for Star, so what was stopping Derrick from falling for her. Maybe she simply wasn¡¯t enough. Julia went quiet. Yikes¡­ She didn¡¯t dare gossip about Abraham¨Cnot even with his sister. If word of this ever got back to him, the entire family would be done for. Especially since this involved Mr. Abraham and Star. Julia had heard all about what happened to the two families during that banquet recently¨Cit was a total disaster. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, there¡¯s no way anything romantic could happen between you and Derrick,¡± Julia added. Anyone could see it; their personalities were like oil and water. Just think about the mess they got into over Star not too long ago¨CMarie and Derrick had practically torn each other apart. If Derrick ever did develop feelings for Marie, it¡¯d only be because he¡¯d never met another woman in his life. ¡°Then why would he take the me for Dan?¡± Marie asked. If Derrick wasn¡¯t the one that night, then that meant he had been covering for Dan all along. ¡°You idiot,¡± Julia said. ¡°Dan¡¯s part of the Ashen Pact. You know how messy things are with them right now?¡± ¡°Derrick might only be your husband on paper, but he probably didn¡¯t want you getting yourself into a 13:15 Fri, 29 Aug Chapter 628 Derrick¡¯s Not That Desperate situation you couldn¡¯t get out of.¡± Now that Julia mentioned it, Maric thought that might actually be the case. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± +8 Pearls ¡°If that¡¯s really the reason,¡± Julia said, ¡°then Derrick¡¯s actually being pretty generous. That¡¯s not like him at all. He must really not want anything bad to happen to you.¡± After all, the power behind Dan was no joke. If Marie had really gone and half¨Ckilled him, those people would never let it slide. Hearing that, Marie¡¯s breath caught slightly. Her mind shed back to the people who¡¯d tried to kill herst night¨Ceither members of the Ashen Pact or from the Mint family. Those bastards¡­ Once she dealt with Evie, she wasing back for all of them. ¡°Ashen Pact¡¯s really stirred things uptely,¡± Julia warned. ¡°And after the scene you made with Dan, you¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not just them, there¡¯s also the matter of Frapucu.¡± Thinking back to Dan, no one would¡¯ve guessed he was tied to such a tangled web. Back in the day, he just seemed like some poor nobody¨Ca ssic rags¨Cto¨Criches type. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Marie muttered. ¡°That bastard¡­¡± The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she owed Derrick something. She figured once she got her stuff back from Evie and returned to Falvaria, she¡¯d help Derrick squeeze more out of the Tom family. Speaking of them¡­ The Tom family had suffered a ton over the past few years. Anything tied to Kelly had basically been wiped out. And since Derrick had cut ties with them, Abraham had shown them absolutely no mercy. Last time, when she went to Holt to get those assets, that was probably all the Tom family had left. Otherwise, why would Derrick¡¯s stepmother, Mona, and Gary have reacted so desperately? They didn¡¯t have much to begin with¨Cand now Marie had taken a big chunk of what was left. But she could also understand why Derrick had gone so hard.. After all, Mona might¡¯ve been the one responsible for his mother¡¯s death. ¡°All the more reason you should treat Derrick better,¡± Julia added. Marie was stunned. No kidding. 13.13 §¤?§±, §³§µ TIIA? ? ? Chapter 628 Derrick¡¯s Not That Desperate As for Dan, she was going to take him out the second she got back. ++ Pearts After what he did, faking his death, Marie was convinced he¡¯d been ying her the entire time. Which meant, every bit of love she¡¯d given him had been aplete waste. Back at the Dawson residence, Stey sprawled across her chaise lounge, chatting on the phone with Tessa. Back when they were in Rivermount, Tessa had always been one for gossip¨Cand after what happenedst night¡­ Ste had actually been worried she might¡¯ve taken it hard. But apparently not. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ ugly?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°Yeah. Seriously ugly.¡± Ste was stunned. They were talking about the twin sisters¨CLana and Lina¨Cwho¡¯d tried to sneak into Victor¡¯s vist night. Ste had never met them in person, but she¡¯d heard the rumors¨Cthose two were known as the ugliest princesses. Supposedly, they were really hideous. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s what you focused on?¡± At that point, Ste wasn¡¯t even sure what to say. Butpared to before, Tessa¡¯s current reaction actually reminded her a lot of how she¡¯d been back in Rivermount. 4.7K She Took 629 Chapter 629 So Ugly I Gagged Back then, Tessa had loved drama, especially gossip. Andst night¡¯s incident¡­. ¡°They wereing to catch you, you know.¡± Tessa replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Ste fell silent. Oh? What the heck does that mean? eive the ¤Ê Before she could press, Tessa burst into a wild, cacklingugh¨Cshrill and chaotic. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I mean, seriously?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, Ste! I¡¯ve never seen anyone so ugly before. I lost my appetite for three days!¡± Ste stayed quiet. 18 Pears ¡°I saw pictures of that homewrecker and the man too¨CVictor showed me. Yeah, they¡¯re scum, but at least they looked decent. But the kids they had? Those genes did not mix well. They¡¯re hideous.¡± Tessa couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue in disapproval as she described it. Clearly, the level of ugly was way over the line. ¡°You saw photos of the other woman and the guy?¡± Ste asked. The real question was how Tessa reacted. Sure, Ste could tell she was doing better¡­ But still, this girl bounced back fast. Ste pondered. Just a couple of days ago she¡¯d been a mess over Diana, sobbing constantly, and now? Now she was about ugly twins? Ste frowned. ¡°Your mood swings are insane, it¡¯s like someone just flipped your switch off.¡± Most people, after something like this, would take a while to process. Tessa had been wrecked earlier this week. And now? She was fine? Tessa shrugged. ¡°Back then, I was mostly worried about my mom. I mean, yeah, she¡¯s a badass, but at the end of the day, she¡¯s still a woman, you know?¡± Just thinking about her mother falling into the hands of the Ashen Pact¨CTessa had been terrified. ¡°But now that I know how capable she is, I feel way better.¡± People with real strength didn¡¯t get bullied so easily. Sure, she knew her mom was still walking a knife¡¯s edge¨Cbut at least it wasn¡¯t like before, when they had no clue what was going on. Back then had been agony and with that kind of pressure, of course her brain had gone into meltdown 29 Aug Chapter 629 So Ugly 1 Gagged mode. Hearing this, Ste finally felt a little more at ease too. Tessa added, ¡°They¡¯re so ugly, I even started wondering if those twins were actually biological.¡± Ste was stunned. Yikes. If Tessa was roasting them that hard¡­ + Pearls It basically confirmed the rumors those twins really were as hideous as people said. Possibly even worse. But more importantly, Tessa¡¯s emotional state seemed solid now. She hadn¡¯t been scared to tears byst night¡¯s ordeal. Ste asked, ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your n now?¡± Seeing how fast Tessa had bounced back, Ste couldn¡¯t help but ask what she was thinking next. Tessa said, ¡°Me? I¡¯m not gonna be a burden to my mom right now.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Wasn¡¯t she just insisting on seeing her mom like, yesterday? Now she didn¡¯t want to be a hassle? The logic jump caught Ste off guard. Tessa continued, ¡°She¡¯s nning to break off from the Ashen Pact¨Cshe¡¯s taking some of the elders with her to start her own faction.¡± ¡°Wait, your mom¡¯s that powerful?¡± Ste was stunned. If that was true, then the Ashen Pact was about to seriously implode. Until recently, all she really knew about Diana was that she was a self¨Cmade woman who didn¡¯t rely on anyone. She was beautiful, sure¨Cbut she never used her looks to get by. She¡¯d carved out her own empire in Rivermount with pure grit and skill. ¡°But this is the Ashen Pact we¡¯re talking about,¡± Ste said, her toneced with concern. Because the Ashen Pact, that was no ordinary organization. Even Abraham, with all his involvement in the underground world, had never held the Ashen Pact in any regard. Tessa replied, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s either her or the Ashen Pact¨Conly one gets to survive.¡± Ste was stunned. Tessa continued, ¡°Why do you think those freaky twins came for me personallyst night? They were nning to use me to threaten/her.¡± At that moment, Tessa seemed to have figured everything out. Chapter 629 So Ugly 1 Gagged She¡¯d been scared before, but she wasn¡¯t dumb. PB Pearl While she¡¯d been staying with Victor, she must¡¯ve been quietly collecting every bit of intel she could, analyzing, ping things together. Ever since learning that the Ashen Pact had taken Diana, Tessa had probably immersed herself in every bit of information about them. Ste didn¡¯t respond. Tessa added, ¡°If my mom¡¯s pushed them this far, I¡¯m honestly not worried anymore. Ste paused. ¡°Fair point.¡± Yeah. The fact that the Ashen Pact had been forced to send those creepy twins in person? That said a lot about Diana¡¯s influence. Maybe in the beginning, they really had dragged her back by force¡­ But now, with those twins being deployed, it was obvious Diana had already turned the entire Ashen Pact upside down. Tessa said, ¡°They probably thought bringing her in would be easy, but now they¡¯re realizing, she¡¯s not someone you can just show out the door.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± 4.7K She Took 630 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit li Chapter 630 I Gossip, Therefore I Am Ste couldn¡¯t help thinking. I¡¯m starting to admire Diana a little, what do I do with that? +8 Pearls When the Ashen Pact dragged Diana back, their original goal had been to force her to hand over the remaining half of the treasure map. But no one had expected that once she returned¡­ Just like Tessa said, if they were now being driven to this extent, it clearly meant Diana had stirred up a full- blown storm inside the Ashen Pact. At this point, they were so desperate, they¡¯d resorted to trying to use Tessa, Diana¡¯s only daughter as leverage. Ste said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then all you have to do right now is take care of yourself. Don¡¯t let them get their hands on you.¡± That, she thought, would be the greatest support she could give Diana. ¡°I know,¡± Tessa replied. They stayed on the phone for a good while longer before finally hanging up. Tessa¡¯s stance was clear; she wasn¡¯t nning to go after Diana in the Ashen Pact for now; she had something else to take care of first. When Abraham came upstairs, Ste had just ended the call. He slipped his arms around her from behind. ¡°Talking to Tessa?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡± His voice was warm as always. Even though she¡¯d been hearing it since childhood, it still made her heart flutter. ¡°She said those twin sisters who run the Ashen Pact¡­ are really ugly.¡± Abraham went quiet. ¡°She also said she doubts they¡¯re even the biological kids of that other woman and the man.¡± No, really¡­ Ste remembered the father of the current Ashen Pact leader. She¡¯d met him once in her youth; he¡¯d had the refined elegance of a man straight out of a ssic painting. As for the twins¡® mother, if she¡¯d been that man¡¯s first love, she couldn¡¯t have looked bad. And yet somehow, the twins turned out shockingly in. ¡°What?¡± Ste muttered. ¡°You think I¡¯m being nosy?¡± Seeing him stay silent, she grumbled and turned in his arms, snuggling up to him with a pout. ¡°It¡¯s not just me! Everyone¡¯s gossiping.¡± 13:15 Frl, 29 Aug Chapter 630 | Gossip, Therefore I Am If only one person said they were hideous, it might¡¯ve been nder. But when everyone who¡¯d seen them said the same thing¡­ + Pearls Abraham thought for a moment, then pinched her cheek gently. ¡°You and Tessa really love gossip. He¡¯d noticed it back in Rivermount, too. Most of the intel Ste got hade straight from Tessa¡¯s rumor mill. = = He had to admit, she¡¯d changed a lot over the past three years since leaving Falvaria. At the very least, she hadn¡¯t used to be this into gossip. Ste chuckled softly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just part of being a woman?¡± Abraham didn¡¯t mind. She was just chatting with Tessa on the phone, after all. What he did worry about was her constantly having to run around whenever Tessa needed something. If gossiping could cheer her up, then he was all for it. ¡°Hey, do you think those twins might¡¯ve been, well, not exactly the real deal?¡± To be honest, Tessa¡¯s theory didn¡¯t sound all that far¨Cfetched to Ste. The Ashen Pact leader¡¯s father had truly been a striking man in his youth. Abraham chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re something else.¡± His tone was full of affection. He didn¡¯t bother confirming whether the twins were biological or not¨Cand Ste didn¡¯t expect him to, either. While the two of them were chatting, a knock came at the door. Abel¡¯s voice followed from the other side. ¡°Sir.¡± Hearing it was Abel, Abraham let go of Ste and turned to open the door. Noticing that Ste was in the room too, Abel hesitated for a brief second. ¡°What is it?¡± Abraham asked. Abel nced at Ste, considered for a moment, then leaned in and whispered something in Abraham¡¯s ear. Abraham¡¯s expression immediately shifted; his gaze turned ice¨Ccold. ¡°He ran?¡± he asked sharply. ¡°Yes,¡± Abel confirmed with a nod. A cold edge curled at Abraham¡¯s lips, but when he turned back to Ste, his face was once again calm and gentle. 13:15 Fri, 29 Aug Chapter 630 | Gossip, Therefore I Am ¡°I¡¯m heading to the study.¡± Ste didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she nodded. ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± Abraham left with Abel. Ste wasn¡¯t too worried; in Falvaria, there was no problem Abraham couldn¡¯t handle. 45% 8 Pearls In the study, Abraham lit a cigarette the moment he stepped inside. Ever since Ste got pregnant, he hadn¡¯t smoked around her. Smoke swirled around him as his eyes grew sharp and cold. ¡°What¡¯s his objective in running?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say for now,¡± Abel answered. ¡°But recently, Mr. Keene¡¯s interest in Miss Ste has been¡­ unusual.¡± Abel¡¯s word made Abraham¡¯s already cold gaze turn even darker. He let out a low, humorlessugh. ¡°His little obsession? Hah¨Cfilthy doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it.¡± Abel didn¡¯t respond. Filthy, huh? Yeah, it was disgusting. The man had once been blindly devoted to Lillian, only to turn around and chase after Ste the moment he saw Lillian¡¯s true colors¨Cthere was nothing sincere about that. More likely, the Keene family had set their sights on the resources behind the Dawson family. And thinking about the Keenes¡® greed, they were almost as shameless as the Reeds. Then something clicked in Abel¡¯s mind. His expression darkened instantly. ¡°Horgan and Sutton¡¯s rtionship, suddenly improved.¡± Abraham raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± 4.7K She Took 631 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 631 You Call That Gratitude? ¡°Mr. Keene came to see Miss. It might have something to do with Miss Sutton.¡± Abraham fell silent. The air in the office went still. +8 Pearls Abel said, ¡°Logically, since Horgan rejoined the Keene family, Mr. Keene should be locked in a deadly power struggle with him by now. And yet¡­¡± And yet what? He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. For Ethan to show up now and make a scene with Ste¨Cthere had to be something more behind it. Abraham let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Find him first.¡± As for how to deal with it, a glint of danger shed through Abraham¡¯s eyes, sharper than ever before. The reason behind it? The Keene family really thinks Horgan alone is enough to turn the tide? Meanwhile, on Tessa¡¯s side, her legs were still sore, and after the high fever, her whole body was drained of energy. At the table, she took the initiative to serve Victor a bowl of soup. Just as she set it down in front of him, her gazended on a scratch mark on his tattooed arm. Her cheeks flushed bright red on the spot. Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°So attentive all of a sudden?¡± Tessa stammered, ¡°Well, uh¡­ thanks forst night.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for Victor, she probably would¡¯ve been dragged off by those two creeps. And that scratch on his arm, she¡¯d left it¡­ back on the bed¡­ ¡°What are you looking at? Why¡¯s your face so red?¡± Tessa avoided his eyes and said nothing, silently burying her head in her bowl to eat. Victor arched an eyebrow. ¡°Tessa?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at anything,¡± she muttered. ¡°Just¡­ really, thanks forst night.¡± Victor let out a quietugh. ¡°And this is how you¡¯re thanking me? By serving me soup?¡± Tessa was stunned. Victor added, ¡°The way I like to be thanked¡­ isn¡¯t quite so cheap.¡± There was clear implication in his tone. Tessa picked up on it immediately; her face turned even redder. Victor took a sip of the soup she¡¯d given him and said, ¡°For now, don¡¯t call Star over here.¡± 13:15 Fri, 29 Aug OD Chapter 631 You Call That Gratitude? ¡°Huh?¡± Tessa looked up from her bowl. Don¡¯t let Stee here? She hadn¡¯t nned on bothering her anyway. After all, Ste was pregnant. And after everything that had happened, Tessa hade to a painful realization, her presence brought danger. 18 Fears If those people were trying to use her to threaten her mother, then they might also go after Ste to force. Tessa to cooperate. Ste was Abraham¡¯s most precious treasure. If something happened to her because of Tessa, even dying a dozen times wouldn¡¯t be enough to atone. Victor said, ¡°And don¡¯t go see her either.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m basically a walking hazard right now.¡± She hadn¡¯t realized it before; never even had the concept. But now, she understood¨Ccrystal clear. Victor raised a brow. He saw that fleeting trace of sadness in her eyes and could guess what she was thinking. With a soft chuckle, he said, ¡°Rx. You¡¯re not capable of dragging Star down.¡± Tessa was stunned. Victor went on, ¡°This is Falvaria. No one dares touch her.¡± The Dawson family had seen more than its fair share of trouble over the years. Countless threats lurked in the shadows. Plenty, far too many. And everyone knew Ste was Abraham¡¯s one true weakness; his Achilles¡® heel. But no one had dared toy a hand on her. Because everyone knew, leave Ste untouched, and there was room to negotiate. But if anyone did move against her¡­ Even if they went in ready to die, they¡¯d drag their entire family down with them. If Abraham¡¯s weakness was shattered, the whole family would be wiped out. No one would get out alive. Hearing Victor¡¯s words, Tessa was a little skeptical. ¡°What about the Ashen Pact? They wouldn¡¯t dare either?¡± She¡¯d heard about them, the current leader of the Ashen Pact was supposedlypletely unhinged. She hadn¡¯t understood it before. But after seeing the weapons those twin sisters carriedst night¡­ and the things they were wearing¡­ she was starting to get it. 13:15 Fri, 29 Aug 29 Augu Chapter 631 You Call That Gratitude? Victor snorted. ¡°The Ashen Pact? In front of Mr. Abraham, they¡¯re nothing¡± 46 Peoria. No one knew for sure who was currently in charge of the Ashen Pact. But Victor was pretty confident they wouldn¡¯t dare stir up trouble in Abraham¡¯s presence. Thinking about the connection between Tessa and Ste, he had to admit¨Cthis girl had a surprisingly tangled web of rtionships. Tessa was stunned. Uh¡­ Now that he put it that way, maybe she didn¡¯t need to worry about Ste so much after all. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± she said. ¡°When you told me about that guy, you said his name was Dale¡­ something. Butst night you said those twins were called Nn¡­ That¡¯s not the samest name.¡± Do kids in Falvaria not share their dad¡¯s name? Is this different from Rivermount? Victor replied, ¡°In the Morris family, only the boys take their father¡¯sst name.¡± Tessa was stunned again. So, girls aren¡¯t supposed to exist? From the way Victor said it, she pretty much figured it out¨Cthat mistress¡­ herst name was Nn! At the end, Victor got a phone call and stepped out. Before he left, he leaned down next to Tessa¡¯s ear and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be backte tonight. Wash up and go to sleep.¡± Tessa went quiet. 4.7K She Took 632 Chapter 632 Yes, I Heard You Breathing In that moment, the flush on her face spread all the way to her ears. +8 Pearls Especially when Victor stood up, that teasing glint in his eyes made Tessa¡¯s brain go nk, like her thoughts had just exploded into static. No, wait, wasn¡¯t he always cold and ascetic before? Yes, just one nce from those eyes used to be enough to freeze you in ce. They were piercing and serious. That was the Victor Tessa had known, dangerous, stoic, straightced¡­ He always gave off the vibe of someonepletely devoid of emotion. Everyone around him thought either his body had some kind of issue or he was just extremely indifferent to that kind of thing, no interest whatsoever. And yet this same upright, proper man- Suddenly leaned in close and whispered ¡°wash up¡­¡± into her ear. Tessa sat frozen in her chair for a long, long time. By the time she snapped out of it, Victor was already gone. And her face¨Cwell, it was redder than ever. When Lewis and Ss walked in, that¡¯s exactly what they saw. ¤¿ Lewis couldn¡¯t helpmenting, ¡°Whoa, someone looks like they¡¯re lovestruck-¡± Before he could finish, Ss smacked him on the back of the head with a loud smack. It wasn¡¯t light, either. The hit shut Lewis up immediately. He yelped. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°I already told you, if you say anything out of line this afternoon, you¡¯ll deal with the consequences.¡± Lewis¡¯s mouth just didn¡¯t know when to quit. Ss had once suggested giving him to Eddie, but who knew what the boss was thinking; he hadn¡¯t agreed. Apparently, Victor was the only one who could tolerate Lewis. If he¡¯d had any other boss, he would¡¯ve been shot a dozen times by now. Lewis mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything.¡± He sounded meek and a little guilty. Ss shot him a re¨Csharp and full of warning. ¡°How long¡¯s it even been since your mouth got torn up?¡± Lewis was stunned. As soon as ¡°torn mouth¡± was mentioned, his expression froze for a second. Then he muttered, ¡°Still hasn¡¯t stopped swelling.¡± 13:16 Fri, 29 Aug Chapter 632 Yes, I Heard You Breathing ¡°Exactly,¡± Ss snapped. ¡°Still hasn¡¯t gone down.¡± And here he was, talking nonsense again. en Pearls Ss shot Lewis another re¨Cone full of disappointment and disapproval, like he¡¯d given up all hope. Tessa, having heard Lewis say she looked lovestruck, didn¡¯t look too happy either. She and Ss both red at him. After scolding Lewis, Ss turned respectfully toward Tessa. ¡°Tessa.¡± Ss made Tessa¡¯s cheeks flush even deeper. That night when Victor had been with her, Ss and Lewis had gone back to the vi to grab some things; they must¡¯ve heard everything. Which meant, now, practically everyone around Victor called her ¡°sister¨Cinw.¡± Everyone except Lewis, of course¨Che still loved to call her ¡°Miss Pancake.¡± Every time he used that nickname, Tessa had to fight the urge to rip his mouth apart. She remained polite enough with Ss and gave a quiet ¡°mm.¡± As for Lewis, he didn¡¯t deserve any niceties. Ss said, ¡°Boss wants Lewis to stay here with you this afternoon.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°What?¡± No, please no¡­ Lewis¡¯s mouth was too much¨Calways running, and always saying the most inappropriate things. He had an overactive imagination too; loved to overanalyze. Thest time they spent just a few minutes together, he¡¯d already used her of being an Ashen Pact spy. If they spent an entire afternoon together, he might just use her of being some kind of international secret agent. In short, she did not want to be around him. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. The situation¡¯s a little unstable right now. You need someone close by.¡± Tessa replied, ¡°But it¡¯s safe here.¡± Last night, Victor¡¯s people hadn¡¯t even needed to do much. Just the traps and security systems alone had nearly crippled the intruders. One of those twin sisters had been seriously injured. Ss said, ¡°Still better to have someone with you. That¡¯s the boss¡¯s order.¡± As soon as she heard it was Victor¡¯s decision, Tessa knew there was no changing it. Still, couldn¡¯t they send 13:16 Fri, 29 Aug. Chapter 632 Yes, I Heard You Breathing someone else? Why did it have to be Lewis? 4535 $6 Pearts Once Ss had finished arranging everything, he gave Lewis several warning res, then went to the study to grab something and left. Now it was just Lewis and Tessa. Tessa quietly ate her food,pletely ignoring him. Lewis sat across from her, staring like a hawk¨Ceyes locked on her, unblinking. Tessa snapped, ¡°Can you not stare at me like that?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Lewis replied. Tessa went quiet. This blockhead¡­ Lewis said, ¡°After what happenedst night, the boss said I can¡¯t leave your side.¡± ¡°How close are we talking here?¡± Tessa asked. She still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from her cold. After eating, she nned to nap for a bit. ¡°Like, follow¨Cyou¨Ceverywhere close,¡± Lewis replied. Tessa went quiet. Follow me everywhere? Wait¡­ ¡°What about when I¡¯m sleeping?¡± she asked. Lewis replied, ¡°Still gotta watch you.¡± Tessa was stunned. How am I supposed to sleep like that? And what if I needed to go to the bathroom? Was Lewis nning to follow me in there too? 4.7K 45% The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 633 +8 Pearls Tessa didn¡¯t press the issue, after all, Lewis, despite his overactive imagination, could be incredibly rigid. Who knew what kind of instructions Victor had given him? For all she knew, the guy might actually insist on following her to the bathroom. God¡­ Her brain justpletely shut down. Why would Victor assign someone like this? If the situation was really that serious, couldn¡¯t he at least have sent a female bodyguard? But then again, thinking about her current rtionship with Victor, Tessa figured it wasn¡¯t her ce to make too many demands. Given the circumstances¡­ she¡¯d just skip the nap. She shot Lewis a re but said nothing. The cook came over with her medicine. ¡°Ms. Miller, here¡¯s the medication to take after your meal.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tessa thanked her politely. The two maids Ss had hired were dismissed by Victor. Apparently, he¡¯d said they couldn¡¯t even manage to help her change clothes or administer medicine properly, totally useless. Tessa felt a little bad about that. She hadn¡¯t expected that her feverish confusion andck of cooperation would end up costing people their jobs. So now, with this new dose of medicine, she took it obediently, drank it all down in one go. ¡°In a bit¡­ never mind, I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± She¡¯d been about to ask the cook to bring her a nket, but stopped herself. She wasn¡¯t some pampered heiress anymore. There was still a tough battle ahead; starting now, she had to do everything she could for herself. She went upstairs, fetched a nket, and came back down to curl up on the sofa, draping it over her legs. Since Lewis insisted on keeping her under constant surveince, there was no way she could nap in her room. Sure enough, Lewis sat down on the opposite couch. Tessa frowned. ¡°Can you go sit somewhere else?¡± In short, she just wanted him to keep some distance; stop staring at her like that. Lewis shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± 13:16 Fri, 29 Aug 9 Aug Chapter 633 I¡¯ll Nap When You Leave Tessa was stunned. Sleeping on the couch was already her biggestpromise. 45% +8 Pearts She ignored him, rolled over, and faced the back of the couch¨Cturning her back on himpletely. But thanks to all the things Lewis had just said, even without seeing him, she could still feel his eyes boring into her. It was like a thorn pressing into her back. The silence dragged on for half an hour¨Cneither of them spoke. Eventually, Tessa couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She turned her head and caught Lewis still staring straight at her,pletely unblinking. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to go this far.¡± This was making it impossible for her to get any rest.. Her whole body still felt weak from the fever, and Lewis¡¯s presence was only making her feel worse. ¡°I only listen to my brother,¡± Lewis said. Tessa was stunned again. Great, so unless Victor says otherwise, he¡¯s not letting up. She sighed, finally giving in. She picked up her phone, ready to call Victor directly. Before she could dial, Lewis spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re calling my brother?¡± ¡°What else?¡± she said tly. She obviously couldn¡¯t bother Ste right now. And it was clear Victor¡¯s people weren¡¯t about to take orders from Mr. Abraham either. ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t call him,¡± Lewis warned. Tessa raised an eyebrow. Lewis continued, ¡°Boss has an important mission this afternoon. He might be in the middle of a firefight right now.¡± At that, the corner of Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched¨Cand she promptly put her phone away. In that case, there was no way she¡¯d dare call Victor now; absolutely not. She set the phone aside. Threw off the nket, stood up from the couch, and stomped her way upstairs. Lewis immediately started to follow, just like before. ¡°I¡¯m changing.¡± Tessa said. Chapter 633 I¡¯ll Nap When You Leave ¡°Oh. This time, Lewis didn¡¯t follow her into the room. But he couldn¡¯t help wondering. Why was she changing? nning to go out? That was out of the question. Now that she was entangled with the Ashen Pact, those people would stop at nothing to capture her. If she went outside, Lewis wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to protect her. Soon, Tessa came back out, now dressed in a casual outfit. + Pearls Thankfully, Victor had at least been thoughtful enough¨Cafter she wore his clothes that day, he¡¯d had someone send over new clothes for her. Lewis saw her in thefy new outfit and frowned. ¡°Miss Pancake, are you nning to go out? No way.¡± He didn¡¯t even think before blurting it out. There were too many unpredictable variables outside, and Lewis wasn¡¯t keen on dealing with any of them. He already wasn¡¯t thrilled about being left out of the afternoon mission; his mood was bad enough. If something went wrong while she was out, he might as well dig his own grave. Tessa said, ¡°Thanks to you, I can¡¯t even get any sleep.¡± ¡°Still not going out,¡± Lewis shot back. Tessa was stunned. Seriously? The tone in his voice was full of irritation. She knew it, he thought she was just dead weight. But she wasn¡¯t his burden. So what was he getting so annoyed about? ¡°Can I at least go to the back of the vi?¡± she asked. Victor¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t that big, but the estate behind it was massive. 4.7K 13:16 Fri, 29 Aug 0 She Took 634 Chapter 634 Stop Crying, Start Shooting There wasn¡¯t another house in sight, no matter how far you looked.. Lewis asked, ¡°You mean the shooting range out back?¡± # +0 Peads The open field behind the vi, nestled up against a small hill. Tessa had seen Victor practice shooting there before. She nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And what are you going there for? nning to roll around in the grass?¡± Tessa frowned. ¡°What is wrong with you? Why is everything thates out of your mouth so weird?¡± Was she insane? Why would she want to roll around in the grass? Lewis asked, ¡°Then what are you going for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to teach me to shoot.¡± She couldn¡¯t sleep anyway; might as well start learning now! In truth, ever since Victor revealed her true identity, she¡¯d known that everything she¡¯d learned in her earlier years¨Cthe skills she¡¯d cultivated¨Cwould be useless in the future thaty ahead. The Ashen Pact¡­ Her mother¨Cthe Ashen Pact¡¯s future leader. Yes, Tessa firmly believed that her mother now stood in direct opposition to the Ashen Pact; and she was certain her mother would win. With that identity in mind, she had to be the next Ste. She had to be stronger than Ste. Back in Rivermount, when she¡¯d first met Ste, she¡¯d never understood where that girl had learned herbat skills¨Cor what they were even for. Later, when she learned Ste¡¯s true identity, she finally understood, someone with that kind of status, no matter how protected they seemed, had to be capable of defending themselves. And as for her, now¡­ Her mother lived on the edge of a de; constantly shing with enemies. She wouldn¡¯t have the time to protect Tessa. So, she had to be even stronger than Ste¨Cand even more ruthless. The moment Lewis heard she wanted to shoot, his eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°What for? Trying to set me up?¡± That was his first reaction. Then came the second, ¡°You trying to confuse us?¡± TO HI, ZY Aug Chapter 634 Stop Crying. Start Shooting ¡°What?¡± Where did that evene from? His train of thought jumped so wildly, she couldn¡¯t follow it at all. + Pearis! Lewis said, ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. If you were really an undercover agent, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know basic shooting.¡± Tessa was stunned. Seriously? He still thought I was some kind of mole? Lewis perked up immediately, clearly energized by the idea. ¡°Hey, wait¨Cso you and your mom really broke things off with the Ashen Pact, huh?¡± ¡°If you ask me, that should¡¯ve happened ages ago. Dale¡¯s trash.¡± ¡°ording to the data, he and his current wife supposedly have one son and twin daughters¨Cbut that doesn¡¯t quite add up, does it?¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t add up?¡± ¡°Eh, just that the whole Ashen Pact is a mess; like a chicken coop turned upside down.¡± Information on the Ashen Pact was heavily locked down. It was almost impossible for outsiders to dig into. Especially when it came to the current leader. Lewis always had a gut feeling that¨Cbesides Dale, who had supposedly stepped down, there might be more than one person pulling the strings. He added, ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to go to such lengths to mislead us. As long as my brother trusts you, that¡¯s enough. But you¡¯d better not try anything against him¨Cif you do, we will kill you.¡± These people were loyal to Victorpletely, without question. Seeing he¡¯d finally shut up about the Ashen Pacy, Tessa rolled her eyes at him. ¡°So are you teaching me or not?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡­¡± Watching Lewis fumble, clearly conflicted, Tessa didn¡¯t even bother responding anymore. She stormed off toward the stairs. She marched off with heavy, determined steps; Lewis scrambled to catch up. ¡°Hey! You really don¡¯t have to go this far!¡± My head hurts¡­ Tessa thought. That was, until Lewis shoved a gun into her hands¨Cand she froze, not even daring to pull the trigger. At first, Lewis thought she was faking it¨Cjust being dramatic. But once she fired her first shot, the recoil hit so hard she couldn¡¯t even hold the gun steady. That¡¯s when Lewis finally started to believe her. 13:16 Fri, 29 AUTO Chapter 634 Stop Crying, Start Shooting Staring at her palm¨Cred and trembling from the impact¨Che blurted, ¡°Wait.. you really don¡¯t know how to shoot?¡± Tessa shot him a re. Lewis scratched his head. ¡°Huh? Then how¡¯d the Ashen Pact even pick you as a spy? Was it cause you¡¯re smart?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, you must be smart, you¡¯re already setting up your own side. Gotta admit, pretty ambitious.¡± He still didn¡¯t believe she hadn¡¯t been nted beside Victor by the Ashen Pact. As for how his mind came to that conclusion, no one could say for sure. When Victor came back from outside, the first thing he saw was Tessa¡¯s petite frame, holding a gun and aiming at a target in the distance. Her small face was scrunched tight with difort, likely from the recoil, but even so, she clenched her jaw and kept firing. Even at something as mundane as an ashtray, she forced herself to try again. Lewismented, ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re not scared of firing anymore, but your aim is still crap.¡± ¡°Come on, raise it a bit. Yeah, right there. Line it up like this, remember that spot.¡± ¡°If you miss again, just give it up.¡± His patience was clearly running thin. Tessa was stunned. What is this guy¡¯s problem? She felt like she hadn¡¯t understood a single thing he¡¯d tried to teach. Lewis finished barking his instructions and stepped back, letting Tessa continue. 4.7K m The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 635 Chapter 635 Keep Your Hand Right There The moment Victor came walking over, Lewis froze; his first instinct was to call out, ¡°Big Brother.¡± But with a simple hand gesture, Victor shut him up. He waved Lewis off, signaling for him to leave. Lewis nodded and left. Finished Tessa still felt like the position Lewis had taught her wasn¡¯t quite right¨Cshe couldn¡¯t even see the target point clearly. Just as she was about to adjust- Suddenly, a strong hand wrapped around her waist. A man¡¯s hand gripped her wrist, guiding her movements¡­ Tessa¡¯s breath hitched; she instinctively tried to move away. But then, she heard his low voice,ced with heat and restraint, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± It was Victor. His warm breath brushed against the side of her neck, sending a flush of warmth across her skin; it made her pulse flutter. C ¡°Lift it a little higher,¡± he murmured. ¡°Like this?¡± Tessa asked. Victor replied, ¡°Fire.¡± At hismand, Tessa pulled the trigger¨Cand this time, hit the bullseye dead center. Before Victor arrived, she had already trained with Lewis for an hour. She¡¯d gone from being too scared to even fire a gun, to have her arms ache from the recoil. Surprisingly, the same Tessa who had grown especially prone to tears around Victortely had managed to tough it out today. Her arms, especially the web of her thumb, were already numb from the repeated shocks. But still, she persisted. From discovering the truth about her past, to having her identity revealed, to almost being kidnappedst night, every moment hade so suddenly. Tessa understood now, time wasn¡¯t on her side. As she stared at the bullet hole in the center of the target, Victor¡¯s hand tightened slightly around her waist. A deep glint flickered in his eyes. ¡°What made you want to learn to shoot all of a sudden? Because ofst night?¡± Tessa nodded, then added, ¡°What¡¯s happening with my mom, it¡¯s only just beginning.¡± 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 635 Keep Your Hand Right There Starting her own path was only the first step. 15% Finished What happened years ago had never truly ended. And because this was only the beginning, the hardships and brutality still toe were impossible to predict. Tessa had never been the sentimental type. She adapted quickly; this shift in mindset wasn¡¯t sudden at all. Victor said, ¡°You don¡¯t actually need to do this.¡± As his woman, he would protect her. ¡°Because you¡¯ll protect me?¡± Tessa asked. ¡°Not interested?¡± he shot back. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± A secure life like Ste¡¯s, safe and sheltered even in the midst of chaos¨Cwho wouldn¡¯t want that. Of course, Tessa did too. But even Ste, as protected as she was, had been forced to flee Falvaria three years ago. From what she¡¯d said, if it weren¡¯t for herbat skills, she wouldn¡¯t have survived what she¡¯d encountered out there. ¡°Being protected and being able to blend in, they¡¯re the same thing, really.¡± Tessa took a deep breath as she spoke. Her future would inevitably be one of walking on knives¨Cthere was no changing that now. So, she would adapt to it. Victor¡¯s lips curved slightly; he brushed her forehead with his hand. ¡°Not bad¨Cyou¡¯ve got a strong mind after all.¡± That whiny, teary version of her earlier had driven him nuts. He¡¯d honestly been wondering how long she was nning to cry; didn¡¯t expect her to snap out of it so fast. Not that her tears had been unwee, necessarily. They just gave off a different kind of feeling¡­. Still, if she wanted to train and learn real skills, he wouldn¡¯t stop her. At the very least, in case of emergency, she wouldn¡¯t be totally defenseless. ¡°The Ashen Pact is in a pretty chaptic state right now. If you want to help your mom, it¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± ¡°What kind of chaos?¡± she asked. The moment she heard the word chaos, Tessa¡¯s heart began to pound. She had the gut¨Cwrenching feeling 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 635 Keep Your Hand Right There everything was teetering on the edge of disaster. Finished She didn¡¯t even want to imagine what kind of storms her mom might be caught in. Victor said, ¡°From what I can tell, it¡¯s not just your mom versus the current leader.¡± Tessa was stunned. Victor¡¯s hand still rested on her waist. ¡°Your father, Dale, and his current wife¡­ apparently they have more than one son.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tessa said, wide¨Ceyed. More than one son? Just how fertile is that woman? She¡¯d already had a set of twins, now there were more? Victor added, ¡°There¡¯s another son; he¡¯s fighting for power with the current leader too.¡± Tessa was stunned again. How many sons are we talking here? ¡°Then what about Dale? Whose side is he on?¡± Tessa pondered. Good grief, this whole thing¡¯s a mess. ¡°My mom¡­ was she found by the current leader?¡± Victor said, ¡°Yes.¡± Which meant things were even more tangled than they appeared. Tessa¡¯s thoughts kept spinning. She didn¡¯t know enough about the Ashen Pact to grasp how deep this mess ran. But one thing was crystal clear in her mind, she had to help her mother as soon as possible. Those people were bullying her mom¡­ and just thinking about it made her heart ache. ¡°What¡¯s the current leader of the Ashen Pact called again?¡± she asked. Everything had been so chaotictely. 4.7K B She Took 636 Chapter 636 Not My Father, Thanks 15% Finished Tessa had kind of forgotten exactly how much Victor had told her about the current leader of the Ashen Pact. What she did know, though, was that this person wasn¡¯t exactly a friend to her mother. So when Tessa asked about the current person in charge of the Ashen Pact, an inscrutable expression flickered across Victor¡¯s face. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about the current leader,¡± he said, ¡°then things get a little¡­ interesting.¡± Tessa was stunned. Interesting? Victor continued, ¡°For years, the identity of the current leader¡¯s been a mystery. But now I¡¯ve gotten a few leads, it¡¯s probably Dan.¡± The Ashen Pact had grown stronger by the day; they couldn¡¯t afford to let their guard down. ¡°But then again¡­ maybe not.¡± No previous leader had ever been this secretive. Why the secrecy now? Whatever reasony behind it, it was anyone¡¯s guess. Tessa asked, ¡°So by your logic, is it possible the current leader¡¯s just a puppet?¡± Victor shook his head. ¡°Unlikely. Your father, Dale, doesn¡¯t have the ability to control a puppet leader.¡± Whoever this person was, their rise to power had made a very real impact; the world had taken notice. At the mention of Dale, Tessa¡¯s face instantly darkened. ¡°He¡¯s not my father.¡± Father? As far as Tessa was concerned, she didn¡¯t have a father like that. Victor saw the sudden shift in her expression and chuckled, reaching out to feel her forehead. ¡°Still a little warm. Let¡¯s head back.¡± The wind outside was chilly today. She really shouldn¡¯t be out in it for too long right now. Tessa nodded obediently and followed Victor back¨Conly to take two steps and suddenly groan, ¡°Ugh, that hurts. Victor raised a brow, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My leg, it¡¯s worse now.¡± The top of her thigh had already been sore, and after standing out here training for hours, it felt like it was on fire. Victor muttered, ¡°Troublesome.¡± Despite theint, the next second he scooped her up into his arms. 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 636 Not My Father, Thanks Tessa was petite, nowhere near as tall as Ste. In Victor¡¯s arms, she really did look like a small girl. He shifted her weight, testing it. ¡°Have I not been feeding you?¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°Huh?¡°> ¡°You weigh about as much as a feather.¡± Tessa fell silent. Did he seriously just me to a feather? She muttered under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s true I haven¡¯t really been eating much¡­¡± Finished Ever since she came to stay with Victor, there had been all sorts of chaos¨Cstarting with the fact that she didn¡¯t know how to cook. In the beginning, she barely managed one meal a day, if that. Later, the housekeeper came along, but she made real meals, not pig slop¨Cit wasn¡¯t like she could fatten Tessa up overnight. Victor looked down and gave her a sidelong nce, chuckling. ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯sining.¡± Her muttering had been nothing but one big string ofints. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth,¡± Tessa said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it all over the ce at first?¡± Honestly, this was the first time in years she¡¯d felt this deprived. Victor¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He seemed to be enjoying herints. Once they were inside the vi, he carried her straight into the bedroom. ¡°Did you skip your medicine at lunch?¡± The doctor had said her fever was caused by the injury. So delicate. Victor thought. Just that little incident had left her with a full¨Cblown fever. At the mention of applying medicine, Tessa¡¯s face turned scarlet. Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you blushing for?¡± Tessa went quiet. Shouldn¡¯t I be blushing? The way this man said it so matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, did he think things like that could just happen whenever? Thinking about how it had all started as part of their ¡°deal,¡± her eyes turned red and her nose did too. She lookedpletely miserable Victor frowned. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Tessa turned away andy down, curling up in the nket. Her voice came muffled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 636 Not My Father, Thanks She was feeling a little miserable. Finished Victor said, ¡°I know women from Rivermount tend to romanticize that kind of thing. Some even save their first time for their wedding night. But that was ages ago. You¡¯re still that conservative?¡± Tessa was stunned. Was this really something to talk about so casually? Forget it, this wasn¡¯t the time for that kind of conversation. Victor, seeing she didn¡¯t respond, opened the medicine and put on gloves. ¡°Take your pants off.¡± Tessa sat bolt upright. ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Just hearing the words take your pants off had her on full alert. ¡°Or I can have the housekeeper help you,¡± he offered. ¡°You sure about that?¡± Tessa went quiet. No, she wasn¡¯t. If the housekeeper helped, she¡¯d be even more embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± So she had no choice.. Victor¡¯s gaze darkened as he looked at her. Tessa squirmed under it. ¡°I mean¡­¡± she stammered. What kind of look is that? Couldn¡¯t she do it herself? Victor asked, ¡°Shy?¡± Tessa replied, ¡°Is that not okay?¡± What was with his tone? So calm, so . If he hadn¡¯t ravaged her that night, she might¡¯ve started to wonder if he had some kind of problem. Then again, if this was the problem, the way he spoke¨Cso utterly detached and desireless, definitely fit. Victor said tly, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen everything.¡± 4.7K She Took 637 Chapter 637 That Wasn¡¯t Part Of The Deal Tessa went quiet at that tone, casual and indifferent. 4Íê 15%„“ Finished So calm, so unaffected¨Clike what had happened between them waspletely ordinary to Victor. Tessa absolutely refused to ept that. Eventually, Victor ran out of patience and simply yanked her pants down. The moment he moved, Tessa didn¡¯t even have time to resist. In that instant, she feltpletely numb. She buried her face into the nkets in resignation. ¡°Our deal, wasn¡¯t it supposed to be just once?¡± Her voice trembled, full of regret. Victor replied, ¡°Can¡¯t really remember.¡± Tessa was stunned. He must remember, right? The deal was that he¡¯d help her see her mother, yet in the end, her mom never even showed up. Just thinking about it made her feel like she¡¯d gotten the worst end of the bargain. After learning the truth about her identity, Tessa had finally stood tall on her own. When Ste found out, she was genuinely happy for her. That night, Abraham told Ste that Tessa had spent the entire afternoon practicing with a gun. Ste was stunned. ¡°She¡¯s training with a gun? She dares to?¡± ¡°Victor said so,¡± Abraham replied. Ste went silent. She¡¯d already been shocked earlier that morning when Tessa had spoken on the phone with such intensity about those twins. Now, hearing that she was even training with firearms¡­ Ste¡¯s tone softened with pride. ¡°She¡¯s a lot stronger than I thought.¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± Ste asked, ¡°And Victor¡¯s okay witly her training like that?¡± Victor might¡¯ve seemed cold most of the time, but when it came to women, he could be surprisingly gentle. Back when Ste had been kidnapped, Marie had wanted Victor to be in charge of her training. But not long into it, she¡¯dined about her hands hurting, and Victor had shut the whole thing down; he¡¯d said Abraham would protect her anyway. 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 80. Chapter 637 That Wasn¡¯t Part Of The Deal ??,15%. Finished ¡°Maybe we should have my sister¡¯s people train her instead,¡± Ste suggested after thinking for a moment. Yes, Marie¡¯s people would be better. They didn¡¯t hold back. She remembered a few days when Marie wasn¡¯t around¨Cthose were some of the most brutal sessions she¡¯d ever endured. She¡¯d even tried to use Abraham as an excuse to stop, but it hadn¡¯t worked at all. It was that tough training that had prepared her to handle anything over the past three years. Abraham said simply, ¡°Up to you.¡± Then he paused for a second before adding, ¡°Might be good to let your sister train her. Her next opponent is going to be Dan.¡± ¡°What?¡± That name changed the tone immediately. Dan, that bastard. After everything he¡¯d done to my sister, now this? Abraham said, ¡°Victor¡¯s found some clues. The one pulling the strings in the Ashen Pact¨Cit¡¯s likely Dan.¡± No wonder everything had been so secretive all these years. On the surface, he was just the lord of Frapucu, but in the shadows¡­ he was tied to the Ashen Pact? Not that anyone could me them for not suspecting sooner. After all, the surname Morris was well¨Cknown in Falvaria. HearShame in that context, Ste couldn¡¯t help muttering to herself, What a damn curse. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call my sister.¡± This was about Tessa, and Ste genuinely cared. She understood that Tessa¡¯s entering this new stage meant her ns were only going to grow moreplicated. And because of that, Ste felt even morepelled to help her. Back in Rivermount, Tessa had helped her so much. And if Dan really was the one leading the Ashen Pact¡­ this whole mess could very well be tied to Marie too. This is a nightmare¡­ Tessa, meanwhile, was absolutely miserable as Victor applied the medicine. Shey facedown in the nkets; by the time Victor finished and left the room, he didn¡¯t say a single word. She was the one who had to endure it, but somehow he was the one who looked like he was escaping. When Ste called, Tessa¡¯s voice came out hoarse. ¡°Ste.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your voice?¡± Ste asked, confused. She sounded like she¡¯d just¡­ well, done something. 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 637 That Wasn¡¯t Part Of The Deal Tessa groaned, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. She couldn¡¯t even begin to talk about it. ????5? Finished Back when they first made their deal, it was supposed to be a one¨Ctime thing¨Cyet now, what was this between her and Victor? Ste pressed, ¡°Hm?¡± Tessa deflected, ¡°Why are you calling me thiste?¡± She had to change the subject. Fast. Especially since it was sote¨Cnormally, if Abraham was around, Ste wouldn¡¯t be calling her at this hour. ¡°Oh, right, did you spend the whole afternoon training with a gun?¡± Ste asked. ¡°You already know?¡± ¡°Star¡­ I can¡¯t be useless. My situation doesn¡¯t allow it,¡± Tessa said, her voice tinged with sadness. Life, fate. No one ever knew what might happen next. Those peaceful days in Rivermount, it was only through TV reports that she¡¯d ever even heard of organizations like this from overseas. She never imagined she¡¯d end up tangled in any of it. 4.7K ¡£ B 212 She Took 638 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 638 Your Sister¡¯s Gonna Kill Me Ste said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re thinking that way.¡± $3 15% Finished If Dan really was the one in charge of the Ashen Pact, then things were definitely getting more and more.plicated. The moment Ste realized Dan was very likely the Ashen Pact¡¯s leader, she suddenly understood why he had faked his death all those years ago. The Ashen Pact and the Luke Family had always been at odds. If he¡¯d wanted to use marriage as a way to gain leverage, the Luke Family would¡¯ve been a dead end, no wonder he¡¯d gotten engaged to E instead. At this point, Ste was more convinced than ever that Dan had approached Marie back then with an ulterior motive. Tessa said, ¡°Exactly. I have to help my mom, and you know that means I need the skills to do it.¡± She knew full well what kind of situation her mother was in now. This wasn¡¯t just some business entanglement anymore; things had gotten far moreplicated. Ste nodded. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°My time is running out, too,¡± Tessa added. Ste had thought of that as well¨Cespecially after what happened to one of those twinsst night. They were the two girls the Ashen Pact¡¯s leader adored the most. Ste said, ¡°The reason I called is because I really don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to learn much staying by Victor¡¯s side.¡± Tessa went quiet. Not learn much? But Victor was incredibly capable, wasn¡¯t he? She¡¯d seen his skills firsthand. Ste continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t you train with my sister¡¯s people for a while? Just one month¨Cand I guarantee you¡¯ll be ready.¡± Tessa asked, ¡°Your sister?¡± ¡°I only trained with them for a month, and I know you can do it too.¡± One month to be as skilled as Ste? How brutal would that be? Would she be training day and night without a break? Tessa hesitated. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Tessa, you know the situation you¡¯re heading into is dangerous. You have to understand that.¡± Tessa had been about to back out; after all, she¡¯d only wanted to learn how to shoot and run. But hearing Ste¡¯s words, the excuses caught in her throat and died. 15:44 Sat, 30 Aug 0. 0 Chapter 638 Your Sister¡¯s Gonna Kill Me More than anything, she didn¡¯t want to be a burden to her mother. ¡°Okay.¡± ??15%2 Finished Ste smiled. ¡°Great. It¡¯s settled.¡± As soon as Tessa agreed, Ste didn¡¯t hesitate; she hung up and immediately called Marie. The moment the call connected, Marie¡¯s slightly breathless voice came through. ¡°Star!¡± ¡°Where are you, sis?¡± ¡°Yalvoria. I¡¯ll bring you back a gift, natural crystals here are amazing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in Yalvoria?¡± Ste was surprised. That fast? But then again, Marie had always been impulsive. No matter where she went, it was always with a burst of energy. ¡°Yeah, Evie¡¯s here. Why? What¡¯s up? Did your brother mess with you again? I¡¯m telling you, if Mom bullies. you, I¡¯ll protect you. But if it¡¯s your brother? I¡¯m not getting involved.¡± Ste went quiet. See? Everyone¡¯s afraid of someone. Marie, in particr, had always been scared of Abraham. Honestly, she herself had been too, back in the day. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I need a favor.¡± ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Tessa.¡± Ste quickly exined everything to Marie¨CTessa¡¯s situation, her n¨Cand asked if Marie could send someone who trained just as fiercely as she once had. After listening, Marie replied, ¡°Why send someone else? I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Ste blurted out, ¡°Wait, what? You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± Sure, Marie¡¯s people were harsh¨Cbut Marie herself? She was brutal. Ste had experienced it firsthand. Just thinking about it now made her skin crawl. Marie said, ¡°What? Isn¡¯t she trying to get back to the Ashen Pact as soon as possible to help her mom? Then time¡¯s of the essence.¡± Ste went quiet. True¨Ctime was tigh ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll train her so hard she won¡¯t survive it.¡± Marie scoffed. ¡°What, do I eat people?¡± Ste said quickly, ¡°No, of course not!¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug ( Chapter 638 Your Sister¡¯s Gonna Kill Me ? 14%2 Finished Hearing that tone, Ste knew Marie was dead serious and not about to change her mind. But wasn¡¯t she super busy? They talked a bit more about Tessa; somehow, the topic drifted to Derrick. As soon as his name came up, Ste remembered what she¡¯d overheard that morning between him and Abraham. Lowering her voice, she said mysteriously, ¡°Sis, I¡¯m telling you¨CDan wasn¡¯t the one in your bed the other night.¡± Marie was stunned. ¡°I heard it myself,¡± Ste went on. ¡°Derrick told Abraham he was the one that night.¡± Marie went quiet. Seriously, it was one thing for him to say that to her, but why would he say it to Abraham? He acted like taking the fall for someone else was some kind of badge of honor. Should she buy him a megaphone so he could announce it to all of Falvaria? ¡°He¡¯s full of it. You think he¡¯d dare?¡± Marie said tly. Even though Derrick was technically a man, Marie was convinced that if it had been him that night, he never would¡¯ve dared to touch her like that. ¡°Exactly.¡± Ste agreed. ¡°That was my first reaction, too, when I heard him say it.¡± 4.7K B She Took 639 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Chapter 639 Abraham Has A What? ?? 14%2 Finished She also didn¡¯t think Derrick would dare. But then why would he say something like that? Marie scoffed. ¡°Ignore his nonsense. Probably has to do with that grudge involving the Tom family again.¡± At the mention of Derrick¡¯s so¨Ccalled confession, Marie¡¯s voice was full of disdain. She figured that bastard would do anything these days just for the sake of his mother¡¯s old vendetta. But how did this end up involving Dan and the whole scapegoat situation? Marie couldn¡¯t quite make sense of it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done talking. We¡¯ll handle Tessa¡¯s situation when I get back tomorrow.¡± Ste asked, ¡°And when exactly are youing back?¡± ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Marie said after thinking for a moment, giving Ste a rough estimate. But Ste didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°You think you can get those things back from Evie in just two days?¡± Evie was ruthless. Anything that ended up in her hands was basically gone forever; good luck trying to pry it out again. So when Marie said she¡¯d be back tomorrow, Ste found it hard to believe. Unless Marie nned on giving up those things Evie had taken. Marie chuckled. ¡°You underestimate your sister. Have Zhang wait for me at the airport tomorrow.¡± Ste went quiet. Well, Evie might be doomed. Whenever her sister sounded that confident, it usually meant she already had a n to deal with Evie. Just as Marie was about to hang up, Ste stopped her. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Dan might actually be the current leader of the Ashen Pact.¡± Marie was stunned. What did she just say? ¡°Isn¡¯t he the lord of Frapucu?¡± Ste replied, ¡°And also the one running the Ashen Pact¡± Victor had said it was just a possibility, Abraham had said the same. But Ste went ahead and stated it as fact. The air on the line went still. Then Marie let out a coldughy ¡°Ha. Using me like that? When I get back. I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± She¡¯d mostly made peace with being used, but finding out about the Ashen Pact¨Crealizing she¡¯d been manipted like that¨Cwas a whole different story. Sat, Chapter 639 Abraham Has A What? Marie hung up the phone. Ste pouted and sat there, her mind spinning with everything Marie had just said. She really didn¡¯t think it was Derrick either. If it were him, things never would¡¯ve gone that far. But if it wasn¡¯t Derrick, then why say it was? Ugh, none of this makes sense anymore. 14%ðN Finished Derrick had already been confusing enough; now this whole thing with Dan was getting weirder by the second. Just as she was about to put her phone down, Eddie¡¯s name popped up on the screen. She answered, ¡°Hey, Eddie.¡± ¡°Star, save me, please save me!¡± Eddie wailed the second the call connected. Ste twitched at the sound. ¡°Wait, are you crying right now?¡± Full¨Con sobbing. What kind of man had to be pushed so far that he didn¡¯t even care about saving face anymore? Eddie cried, ¡°Your brother¡¯s a monster. He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°I haven¡¯t showered in ten days. I get one bottle of water a day. Star, you have to help me! Abraham¡¯s doing this on purpose, he¡¯s trying to ruin me!¡± The more he talked, the more agitated he became. And yeah, it made sense. Not showering for ten days might not be a big deal to some people, but for Eddie was torture. ¡°No shower? You must stink to high heaven,¡± Ste said, dramatically pinching her nose even though he couldn¡¯t see her. Eddie caught the change in her tone immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not even standing near you! Why are you holding your nose?¡± ¡°Because I can smell it through the screen.¡± Eddie was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re just as bad as your brother!¡± Eddie fumed. He was beginning to realize Abraham hadpletely misled him. No part of this mission truly required his presence¨Cthere was absolutely nothing that couldn¡¯t have gone on without him. Ste replied sweetly, ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± ¡°Wait, no! Don¡¯t hang up!¡± 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 639 Abraham Has A What? ¡°Why not? I¡¯m just as bad, remember? No way I¡¯m going to say anything nice for you,¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± His tone changed instantly, soft, pleading. ? ? 14%0 Finished You had to give Eddie credit; when it came to admitting fault, the man was lightning¨Cfast and impressively flexible. Ste teased, ¡°Where¡¯s your pride?¡± ¡°What pride? I smell so bad, I¡¯m about to pass out from my own stench.¡± It was painfully obvious just how much Eddie valued cleanliness. Ste said, ¡°From where I¡¯m sitting, sounds like your mouth didn¡¯t get a good rinse either.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You think I¡¯m being rude? I haven¡¯t even said anything!¡± Ste went quiet. True, he really hadn¡¯t said anything all that bad. The guy had been exiled to the middle of nowhere in Milbar Desert, and he still didn¡¯t seem to realize why. Gosh, when someone¡¯s truly hopeless, they be unstoppable. ¡°Please, just say a few nice words for me,¡± Eddie begged. ¡°He said I have to stay here for two years.¡± It hadn¡¯t even been that long, and Eddie was already losing it. If he couldn get out of that godforsaken ce soon, he really might go insane. 4.7K ¡£ She Took 640 Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 640 Only Two Years? Lame Ste said, ¡°Oh, only two years?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°I mean, you might as well stay there for two years and behave yourself.¡± Her tone waspletely unsympathetic. After a pause, she added, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± 14% Finished Honestly, with that mouth of his, she¡¯d often worried Abraham might snap one day and just shoot him. Hearing her say that, Eddie cried, ¡°So you¡¯re seriously not going to put in a good word for me? I¡¯m your Eddie, your big bro!¡± ¡°I am doing what¡¯s best for you,¡± Ste replied tly. No amount of pleading could get through her. On the other end of the line, Eddie was fuming. Two years? What kind of absurd sentence was that? If Abraham was going to make life hell and Star wasn¡¯t even going to be human about it, then screw them both- Fueled by frustration, Eddie¡¯s brain kicked into high gear. ¡°Star, let me tell you something, your brother, that gentleman¨Cturned¨Csociopath, he¡¯s lying to you!¡± Eddie thought. If I¡¯m going down, we¡¯re all going down. ¡°Hm?¡± Ste murmured. Just then, Abraham walked in and caught Eddie¡¯s voice loud and clear over the speaker, ¡°Star, I¡¯m telling you, your brother is not a good guy. Don¡¯t mess with him. If you do, watch out, he might toss you into the Milbar Desert too!¡± ¡°And another thing! When you were out of Falvaria, he was being real cozy with two different women. Ste was stunned. Abraham¡¯s expression darkened instantly. Eddie, oblivious, continued, ¡°Pretty sure he even slept with at least one of them. The guy¡¯s not clean, you shouldn¡¯t let him touch you.¡± Ste went quiet. Wow¡­ that was one of the clumsiest attempts at stirring the pot I¡¯ve ever seen. Abraham stepped forward and calinly took the phone from Ste¡¯s hand. Hearing her go silent, Eddie doubled down, ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me? Star, I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m only saying this for your own good.¡°, ¡°There was always Mr. Abraham watching, so I didn¡¯t dare say anything before. But now? My conscience couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I had to speak up.¡± 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 640 Only Two Years? Lame ? 14%D Finished That ¡°for your own good¡± line¨Cit was the exact same thing Ste had said to him earlier, echoing word for word. ¡°Who knows, he might even have some illegitimate kid out there.¡± Eddie was really on a roll. If Abraham was going to treat him like garbage, then fine¨Che¡¯d make sure Abraham had bigger problems to deal with. Ste looked over at Abraham; the man had just tapped speakerphone. At this rate¡­ Eddie might never make it back again. A cold smirk tugged at Abraham¡¯s lips. ¡°An illegitimate child, huh?¡± Eddie was stunned. Suddenly, the other end of the line went silent. For a second, he froze. ¡°Mr. Abraham? You¡¯re there too?¡± Ste, you are such a traitor Abraham was right there and she didn¡¯t even give him a heads¨Cup? He was so screwed. Abraham chuckled; the sound was light but carried an oppressive, suffocating pressure. ¡°Having a good time over there?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Good time? Was that a joke? He was barely hanging on. He was going insane, literally. Eddie was so overwhelmed by Abraham¡¯s presence, he couldn¡¯t get a word out. Abraham said, ¡°Buy yourself a ticket ande back.¡± Eddie went silent. So did Ste. Wait, seriously? He was letting him back? That didn¡¯t sound right. This wasn¡¯t Abraham¡¯s usual style. Even Ste could tell something was off about that line, ¡°Buy a ticket ande back.¡± Eddie felt it too; his eyelid twitched violently. His chest clenched with unease. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve finished handling things here. I shouldn¡¯te back just yet¡± Abraham grunted, ¡°Him?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still important business here, ah, someone¡¯s calling me. Gotta go!¡± Holy crap, I¡¯d heard it, if I went back now, Abraham would definitely tear me apart. Eddie thought. 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 640 Only Two Years? Lame Finished Just a few days ago, Eddie had been desperate to return; now, he wouldn¡¯t go back even if you paid him. Better to stay in the Milbar Desert and feed the sand than go back and end up feeding Abraham. Before Abraham could say another word, Eddie hung up. The dial tone buzzed in the room. Abraham looked over at Ste, who was pouting with her lips pushed out, he pulled her into his arms. Their eyes met; Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°You believe any of that?¡± ¡°Not a word,¡± Ste said. She wasn¡¯t that gullible. What she had with Abraham was beyond what most people could grasp. And Eddie¨Chis weak attempts to stir up trouble were honestlyughable. Abraham chuckled again. ¡°Good.¡± And then he kissed her. Twisting in his arms, Ste murmured, ¡°If Eddie did Obviously not. If Eddie really dide back now, she¡¯d have to admire the guy for having the guts of a warrior. Later, as the two of themy in bed- Ste snuggled into Abraham¡¯s chest. ¡°So¡­ was Derrick really the guy from the other night?¡± ¡°He was,¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± 4.7K B She Took 641 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 641 She Really Believes Him? Wait, what¡­ He actually went through with it? He seriously wasn¡¯t worried at all that his sister might kill him? Dan was the warning sign here¨Che was still lying in the ICU. And E got beaten up too. So in Derrick¡¯s case, Marie would probably beat him even worse, wouldn¡¯t she? ¡°What did your sister say about it?¡± Abraham didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he asked back. If Derrick dared to talk like that in front of him, then he¡¯d definitely confess the same to Marie. Just thinking about Derrick doing something like that made the smile on Abraham¡¯s lips deepen. Anyone who knew Derrick probably never imagined he¡¯d pull something like this. Speaking of Marie, Ste said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe it at all.¡± Finished But oddly enough, she had a much stronger reaction to the fact that Dan was the one running the Ashen Pact. She even said she wasing back to kill him¡­ Right now, Marie¡¯s hatred for Dan had reached its peak,pletely overshadowing her disbelief in Derrick¡¯s nerve. She was dead set on the idea that Derrick was taking the fall for someone else¡ªthat there was no way he¡¯d dare cross her. Abraham said, ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t believe it either.¡± To be honest, when Ste first heard what Derrick had said to Abraham, her first reaction was total disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe Derrick would actually go through with it¨Cand Marie definitely wouldn¡¯t believe it either. ¡°It really¡­ it was really him?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°He admitted it himself. You think he¡¯s lying?¡± ¡°She still thinks Derrick¡¯s covering for Dan. So if that¡¯s true, does that mean there¡¯s something shady going on between the two of them?¡± She couldn¡¯t figure out why Derrick would take the me for Dan. Bottom line¨Cif Derrick really was the one behind it, then nobody believed it right now. Abraham asked, ¡°You think he¡¯d take the me?¡± 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 641 She Really Believes Him? 14% Finished Whether or not there was something shady going on didn¡¯t matter¨CDerrick just wasn¡¯t the type to take the fall for someone else. Ste agreed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like him at all.¡± So this whole situation¡­ really was getting hard to wrap their heads around. Ste still didn¡¯t get why Marie thought Derrick was covering for Dan. Abraham said, ¡°Forget them. Go to sleep.¡± Ste replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Not like they could do anything anyway. Abraham gently rubbed the back of Ste¡¯s head, recalling what she¡¯d just said. Marie thought Derrick was taking the fall for Dan? That logic¡­ The whole situation had gotten so twisted¨Cthe one who was actually to me got beaten half to death, while the one who confessed was being used of taking the me. That afternoon, Tessa had been standing out in the cold all day because of Lewis¡¯s overprotectiveness. Her marksmanship had improved. But by midnight, she¡¯d spiked a high fever. Even after the doctor came to the vi, it wouldn¡¯t go down. So in the middle of the night, Victor packed her up and took her straight to the hospital. As they passed by one of the rooms, a loud crash rang out, followed by a man¡¯s furious roar. ¡°She really trusts Derrick that much? What gives her the right to trust him like that?¡± It was Dan, yelling hysterically, Dennis panicked and tried to calm him. ¡°Sir, please, calm down. You can¡¯t get agitated right now.¡± Ever since Dan learned how Marie had reacted to Derrick, he¡¯dpletely lost it. He couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Marie trusted Derrick so much. Marie hadn¡¯tid a hand on Derrick. And that¡¯s what made Dan furious. Dan bellowed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t that woman go beat up Derrick? Why the hell not?¡± The moment she heard Marie¡¯s name Tessa, who had been slumped in Victor¡¯s arms, suddenly perked up, grabbing the front of his coat as she sat up straight. 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug 06. Chapter 641 She Really Believes Him? Victor looked down at her. ¡°Feeling sick? Want to throw up?¡± ¡°Wait, let me listen first.¡± They were already two or three rooms away from Dan¡¯s. Finished Tessa wriggled out of Victor¡¯s arms and tiptoed back to Dan¡¯s room, pressing her little red face¨Cflushed from the fever¨Cagainst the door and listening carefully. Her eyes sparkled with focus and energy. Victor went silent. Lewis and Ss, who hade along, also fell silent. Their lips twitched uncontrobly. Lewis leaned toward Victor and whispered, ¡°Victor, is Ms. Tessa¡­ eavesdropping? Isn¡¯t that, like, wrong?¡± Ss shot him a re. Then immediately mped a hand over Lewis¡¯s mouth and dragged him two or three steps away from Victor. You dumbass. Big bro didn¡¯t say anything¨Cwhy are you running your mouth? Tessa pressed her ear right up to the door, listening with all the caution of a pro. Things inside were getting intense. Dennis said gently, ¡°Ms. Marie is in Yalvoria right now, probably doesn¡¯t have time.¡± What the hell had he done to deserve this? And what the hell kind of mess was his boss getting into this time? Hearing that, Dan got even angrier. ¡°No time to hit Derrick, but time to hit me?¡± ¡°Look how hard she hit me. And the rest of them too.¡± 4.7K B She Took 642 Chapter 642 The One Who Took the Fall ? ???? 14%2 Finished Just thinking about how savage Marie had looked that day made Dan¡¯s chest tighten again. Especially since everyone who¡¯d been ying cards with him got dragged into it too. Dennis said, ¡°She only hit you because she happened to be in Falvaria that day. Just wait till shees back -she¡¯ll definitely go after Mr. Derrick. And at least she had some feelings for you before, so she held back. She won¡¯t do the same for Mr. Derrick.¡± He really shouldn¡¯t have brought up the word feelings. As soon as Dennis mentioned it, Dan¡¯s teeth ground together in fury. ¡°You think she looked like someone who still had feelings for me that day?¡± Was that what feelings looked like? She had been like some emotionless predator¨Ccold, brutal,pletely heartless. If that woman had even a sliver of affection for him left, she never would¡¯ve beaten him into the hospital. Dennis heard the rage in Dan¡¯s voice. He paused, then said, ¡°Ms. Dawson already knows about how you faked your death and disappeared back then.¡± Tessa went still. The moment she heard that, her eyes lit up. Whoa¡­ Faked his death? That¡¯s juicy. Trash man¡¯s got some bold moves. Dan also fell silent. The air in the hospital room suddenly grew heavy, the shadows deepening across Dan¡¯s face. Seething with rage, he picked up the phone and called Derrick again. Dan was especially furious that Marie refused to believe it had been Derrick who slept with her. As soon as the call connected, Derrick didn¡¯t even wait for Dan to speak. ¡°Dan, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Oh, wait¨CI forgot. You are messed up. Only someone with serious brain damage would fake their own death like that. Dan went quiet. Why did Derrick, a grown man, have a mouth as venomous as a woman¡¯s? Marie had been cursing him out constantlytely, and now even Derrick was rubbing it in? 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug 000 Chapter 642 The One Who Took the Fall The more he thought about it, the angrier Dan got. Especially thinking about how Marie and Derrick had gotten married¨Cright under his nose, no less. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. 14%Ó‹ Finished Dan ground his teeth. ¡°Do you have the balls to say it to her face? If you dare tell her yourself, I¡¯ll actually admit you¡¯re a real man.¡± He¡¯d figured it out. No matter how many times he told Marie it had been Derrick that night, she just wouldn¡¯t believe him. And that¡¯s probably why Derrick hadn¡¯t been beaten up¨Cbecause she didn¡¯t believe it. She actually¡­ trusted Derrick that much? That made Dan even more furious. Derrick chuckled. ¡°Who says I didn¡¯t tell her?¡± Dan froze. ¡°You told her?¡± Derrick said, ¡°Called her today. Even told her not toe beat you up.¡± Dan went silent. He told Marie not to beat him? Why did that sound so damn shady? Dan¡¯s breathing grew ragged, his voice sharp with fury. ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡± His heart was pounding so hard, it hurt. Part of him wanted to know Marie¡¯s reaction¨Cwanted it so badly he half¨Choped she¡¯d gone and torn Derrick apart. But then¡­ Derrick continued, ¡°Marie said you¡¯re not worth it. Told me not to take the fall for you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dan practically screamed. Derrick added, ¡°She said your pathetic excuse for a life¨Cshe¡¯ll take it eventually anyway. Me taking the me wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡± ¡°Goddamn it, which one of us is really taking the fall here?!¡± When he heard how Marie had responded to Derrick, Dan nearly exploded What the hell was wrong with that woman? She didn¡¯t believe him when he said it was Derrick Thought he was just trying to stir up trouble, fine. 213 15:45 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 642 The One Who Took the Fall But now Derrick had confessed to her directly, and she still thought he was just covering for Dan? Jesus Christ, he was the one getting med here! The more Dan thought about it, the angrier he got. 14% Finished And Derrick just kept rubbing it in. ¡°Looks like my wife¡¯s still pretty loyal. At least she doesn¡¯t throw me under the bus.¡± Dan went quiet. No¨Cshe hadn¡¯t thrown him under the bus. She¡¯d handed Derrick the perfect excuse to say he was covering for someone else. She really knew how to twist it, didn¡¯t she? She¡¯d practically gift¨Cwrapped the shitstorm and dumped it on his head. Dennis kept trying to calm him down, but it was useless. Dan was so furious he passed out right then and there. Dennis was stunned. ¡°Doctor! Quick, my boss passed out again!¡± Outside the door, Tessa heard them calling for a doctor and quickly pulled her ear away from the door. But she moved too fast and toppled right into Victor¡¯s arms. Victor frowned. ¡°You-¡± Tessa whispered, ¡°Ah! Go, go! They¡¯re gonna catch us!¡± Victor looked down at her panicked little face, a soft light flickering in his eyes. He scooped her up and strode quickly away from Dan¡¯s hospital room. Later, after the doctor hooked Tessa up to an IV- Her little face was even redder than before, partly from the fever and partly from how flustered she¡¯d been. She¡¯d been full of energy while eavesdropping, but now that she was lying on the bed, she looked a bit limp. Victor handed her a ss of water, ¡°You really like cavesdropping that much?¡± 4.7K She Took 643 Chapter 643 Tied by Blood, Torn by Name 14% Finished Tessa was still trying to wrap her head around it. Holy crap¡­ Ste¡¯s temper alone was explosive enough. And Dan actually faked his death to deceive her? Was he trying to die for real? Tessa muttered, ¡°That guy with the dark hair just now¡­¡± ¡°Dan. Your brother,¡± Victor reminded her. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have a brother like that,¡± Tessa shot back without hesitation. A guy who could pull off something as low as faking his own death? What a scumbag. If she admitted someone like that was her brother, she¡¯d probably get jumped just walking down the street. Blood ties like that? Cut them clean¨Cdon¡¯t let any of that nonsense stick to her. Besides, she¡¯d heard the stories¨CMarie had nearly lost her mind over that man back then. And in the end, he¡¯d been the one lying to her? How was anyone supposed to forgive that? What if Marie¡¯s rage exploded and she ended up catching Tessa in the crossfire? Tessa almost called Ste on the spot¨Cbut one look at the time made her decide against it. When Victor asked that question earlier, Tessa had actually thought about it. ¡°It¡¯s not like I listen in on just anyone.¡± If it didn¡¯t concern her, she definitely wouldn¡¯t bother.. No matter how wild things got, she had no interest in sticking her nose in. But earlier, she¡¯d heard the names Ste and Marie¡­ She looked at Victor. ¡°Um, maybe you should head back.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I feel kinda bad.¡± Now that she¡¯d calmed down, Tessa was starting to feel guilty about all the trouble she¡¯d caused Victortely. Honestly, she really did feel bad. Desperate times, desperate measures. She¡¯d actually made a deal with him in that kind of situation. Victor caught the shift in her tone¨Chow distant she sounded¨Cand a smile tugged at his lips. He suddenly grabbed her unbandaged wrist and gave it a gentle pull. In a sh, the space between them vanished. 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 0 0 Chapter 643 Tied by Blood, Torn by Name Tessa¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°Wh¨CWhat are you doing?¡± Victor repeated, ¡°Feel bad¡°?¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± Victor cut her off, ¡°Funny. You didn¡¯t seem to feel bad when you were making deals with me in bed.¡± Tessa froze. God, could he not bring that up? Even when she¡¯d told Ste, Ste had practically called her a dog for that one. ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re standing too close.¡± Victor said calmly, ¡°Lana¡¯s in this hospital. Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself?¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°She¡¯s here too? Then doesn¡¯t that mean the Nn family¡¯s around?¡± ¡°Not the Nns. The Morris family. They don¡¯t take their father¡¯sst name.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Right, she remembered now. The Morris family¡­ were a special kind of messed up. Victor added, ¡°Her mother¡¯s not here. But your father? He probably is.¡± Tessa¡¯s expression shifted instantly. At the word father, her face darkened. She pushed against Victor. But his chest was solid as steel¨Cshe couldn¡¯t move him at all. Victor asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡°. Tessa snapped, ¡°I already told you, that man is not my father.¡± -Father? A man who threw his wife under the bus just to protect his mistress? Someone like that didn¡¯t even deserve to be called a man, let alone a father. Victor fell silent for a moment. Then he said quietly, ¡°He probably knows about you now.¡± Lana and Lina had bothe looking for her¨Cit was safe to assume things were gettingplicated. Tessa didn¡¯t respond. ?14%3 Finished 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 643 Tied by Blood, Torn by Name He knew? 14% Finished Well, considering those twin sisters had been the first to confront her, she already had a pretty clear picture of what that man¡¯s attitude was toward her. A flicker of icy light passed through her eyes. At that moment, her thoughts sharpened¨Cand solidified. Dan had to be resuscitated again. When he came to, the first thing he saw was Dale sitting grim¨Cfaced at the bedside. His father. The moment their eyes met, Dan¡¯s breathing grew shallow. Dale¡¯s gaze cut sharp as a de. ¡°The recent mess in the Ashen Pact¨Cdid you have a hand in it?¡± There was no warmth in his voice, only cold disapproval. Clearly, he believed Diana¡¯s return to the Ashen Pact was Dan¡¯s doing. Dan let out a low chuckle. ¡°What happened? That¡¯s your old mess, not mine. What¡¯s it got to do with me?¡± ¡°Dan.¡± Dale¡¯s tone turned even darker, his eagle¨Csharp eyes filled with fury as they locked onto his son. Danughed again. ¡°Everyone says I climbed the ranks through dirty means¨Cthat I hunted down the previous leader.¡± ¡°Calling me the one who assassinated the Matriarch¨Cwhat a lovelybel you¡¯ve stuck on me.¡± There was a biting sarcasm in his voice, every word dripping with mockery. Dale¡¯s face went stone cold. Dan took a sip from the water on the nightstand. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for Manny toe of age, haven¡¯t you? Now that my name¡¯s been thoroughly trashed, the position of Ashen Pact leader will naturally fall to Manny.¡± 4.7K 111 O 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 00. She Took 644 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 644 The Matriarch¡¯s Return ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± Dale snapped. Dan smirked. ¡°Father, you really pulled every string for that woman, didn¡¯t you?¡± Dale¡¯s face darkened, a dangerous sh lighting up his eyes. 2.14% Finished Dan continued, ¡°If you were really so capable, you wouldn¡¯t have needed to rely on a woman. You schemed your way to everything using her, and then had the nerve to call her child an obstacle to your grand romantic future?¡± ¡°Dan!¡± Dale¡¯s voice rose in fury, his gaze sharp and cold like a de. Dan stared back with the same ruthless re. ¡°What a pity. You plotted everything so carefully, and still didn¡¯t count on the Matriarch being smarter than my mother. She yed you before you could toss her aside.¡±¨C Diana had escaped with half the map. It had been enough to throw the entire Ashen Pact into internal chaos. And his own mother? She ended up dying in Dale¡¯s ce, paving the way for Dale¡¯s love story with that woman. At the mention of Diana, Dale¡¯s face turned stone cold. A chilling aura surrounded him¨Cfar more dangerous than before. Dan onlyughed at the sight. ¡°You brought her back on purpose? Have you been helping wipe her tracks all these years too?¡± The more Dale spoke, the darker his voice became. He had been searching for Diana for years¨Cand had never found her. He always suspected someone was hiding her trail, but it never crossed his mind that it could be Dan. After all, Diana¡¯s influence in the Ashen Pact was immense. As long as she was alive, she was a threat¨Cnot just to Dan, but even more so to Dale and Manny. Dan said, ¡°What else was I supposed to do? If the Matriarch hadn¡¯t returned, you¡¯d be trying to strip every bit of power from me and hand it over to Manny, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Well now, things had changed. Diana had returned. The Ashen Pact¡¯s only female ruler¨Crespected, revered, and feared. Now Dale and Manny had their hands full. They couldn¡¯t even begin to worry about Dan. Dale said nothing. 15:46 Sat, 30 Chapter 644 The Matriarch¡¯s Return Finished Dan clicked his tongue mockingly. ¡°I helped you find her. Whether or not you can get that missing half of the map from her for Manny¨Cwell, that¡¯s your problem.¡± Everyone said the Ashen Pact was deep. But no one truly knew how deep. Dale, the rightful heir, was a ve to love¨Cwilling to fake a marriage just to protect one woman. Even Dan, his own son, held nothing but scorn for him. Dale¡¯s expression was like ink¨Cso dark it looked ready to drip. He gave a cold snort, stood up, and turned to leave without another word. But just as he reached the door, Dan called out again. ¡°If the Matriarch hadn¡¯te back, were you nning to give even my name to Manny?¡± Manny. The twin girls¡® older brother. Years ago, a baby swap orchestrated by Dan¡¯s mother had stopped Manny from being recognized when Dale tried to make that woman his official wife. Since then, the Ashen Pact had hidden Manny¡¯s existence from the outside world. Almost no one knew he existed. And now, when Dan mentioned his own name, his voice was colder than ever. Dale turned back, his eyes like frost. ¡°Manny¡¯s mother raised you for three years, and you feel no gratitude at all?¡± ¡°Gratitude?¡± Dan let out a coldugh. ¡°If my mother hadn¡¯t pulled off that switch, I¡¯d have ended up like the Matriarch¡¯s daughter¨Cwithout even a name in the Morris family.¡± That word¨Cgratitude¨Chit a raw nerve. ¡°You forced my mother into that hell, and now you want me to be thankful to that woman?¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t done what she did, I wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡± Diana had only given birth to a daughter¨Cnot a threat to anyone. But now Dale was panicking? And back then, Dan had been the Ashen Pact¡¯s rightful eldest son¡­ Dale mmed the door as he stormed out. Momentster, Dennis entered. ¡°Sir.¡± Dan askedzily, ¡°Why¡¯d he show up today?¡± There was a hint of yfulness in his tone, like he was humoring himself. Strange. 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 644 The Matriarch¡¯s Return 14% Finished He¡¯d been in Falvaria all this time, and Dale hadn¡¯t called once. All his scheming had been for Manny, done in secret. And now, suddenly, he showed up? Dennis exined, ¡°Last night, Miss Lana tried to capture Madam Miller¡¯s daughter¨Cbut Mr. Victor¡¯s men severely injured her.¡± Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°That hag actually went after the Matriarch¡¯s daughter?¡± Dennis nodded. Dan let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Well, she¡¯s kicked the ho¡¯s nest now. Women¡­ once they be mothers, the strength they have is something else entirely.¡± A sh of memory¨Chis mother¡¯s final letter¨Cflitted through Dan¡¯s mind. And the smile on his lips disappeared instantly. 4.7K She Took 645 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 645 Coteral Damage Dale had barely stepped out of Dan¡¯s hospital room when the news reached Victor. Finished Ss handed over what he¡¯d found, and Victor let out a low chuckle. ¡°I knew it¨CDan is the current leader of the Ashen Pact.¡°, He¡¯d suspected it for a while but never had solid proof. Now it was nearly confirmed: Dan wasn¡¯t just anyone¨Che was Dale¡¯s son. But as for what had really gone down in the Ashen Pact back then¡­ no one could untangle that mess. It was all just too chaotic. When Tessa heard Victor speak with such certainty, her face fell. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Victor asked, noticing the shift in her expression. Tessa stared up at him. ¡°Ste said Marie was going to train me for a month. I¡¯m the one asking for help here¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to admit her ties to the Morris family, but blood was blood. No getting around that. And now Dan¨Cthat piece of trash¨Chad hurt Marie like that? Ugh¡­ Tessa was genuinely afraid Marie might take it out on her. Victor blinked. ¡°You¡¯re training with Marie? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± But now, given the situation¡­ Sure, she wanted to train with Marie. But if Marie ever found out that Dan¨Cthe man behind everything- was her biological half¨Cbrother? That she and Dan shared the same father? God. She was so screwed. Victor said tly, ¡°You stood outside in the cold for one afternoon and ended up with a high fever. And you want to train with Marie? You¡¯re not worried she¡¯ll kill you?¡± Tessa froze, Okay, she hadn¡¯t been worried before. But now? Hell yes. Victor added, ¡°Marie¡¯s real good at dragging innocent people down with her. You¡¯d better let go of that idea.¡± Chapter 645 Coteral Damage It wasn¡¯t an unfair usation. Finished Evie had stolen something from her, and Eddie still got beaten¨Ctwice. That was coteral damage if anything was. Tessa¡¯s face was full of ck lines. Coteral damage¨Cso anyone connected in any way was bound to suffer? Would Marie show mercy for Ste¡¯s sake? Ugh¡­ This was beyond unfair. She hadn¡¯t done anything. She didn¡¯t even know Dan. She¡¯d only overheard his voice earlier¨Chadn¡¯t even gotten a good look at his face. If that was enough to drag her down, she¡¯d be the most unlucky person on the. Wait¨Cwhat was she even thinking? In this situation, there was no way she could keep training with Marie. That was a straight¨Cup death wish. Forget it. She¡¯d just call Ste and back out. Far away in Yalvoria, Marie was fuming. Evie, after being hounded endlessly, finally returned one thing she¡¯d taken. Just one. Marie was already pissed that Ste had told her Dan was the Ashen Pact leader. Now, staring at the tiny item Evie had returned, she was boiling over. ¡°You stole half my stuff and you¡¯re giving me back this?!¡± ¡°I only picked up this one.¡± Evie was shamelessly smug. Marie fell silent. Picked up? You ¡°picked it up¡± in her room and it wasn¡¯t stealing? Evie saw the disgust on Marie¡¯s face. ¡°Do you want it or not? If not, I¡¯m keeping it.¡± It was something she found lying around. Marie gritted her teeth. ¡°And the rest of it?¡± Evie shrugged. ¡°Spent it.¡± 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 06 Chapter 645 Coteral Damage ¡°What the hell did you do to spend that much?!¡± The things Marie had lost could¡¯ve fed a poor family for generations. And now Evie said it was gone? Seriously¨Cwhat was it with women from the Yan family and burning through money like water? Marie nearly passed out from rage. Evie said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what I spent it on.¡± Marie went still. That just pissed her off more. She shot Evie a venomous re. Finished Evie said, ¡°Come on, I know why you¡¯ve been chasing me down. It¡¯s not really about this stuff¨Cit¡¯s guilt over Derrick, right? You¡¯re avoiding him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really care about this junk. Just take it and let it go.¡± She shoved the little trinket into Marie¡¯s hand. Marie snapped, ¡°Let it go? What about all the stuff you took-¡± ¡°You gave it to me willingly, remember? Let¡¯s not pretend.¡± It wasn¡¯t a sweet apology, but somehow¡­ it was the nicest thing she¡¯d said. Marie shot her a re of pure prideful defiance. But she stuffed the item into her bag anyway. Then, ss of wine in hand, she said, ¡°You really think Derrick had the guts to do that to me?¡± Even though Derrick had called and admitted to it himself, Marie still didn¡¯t fully believe it. Guts were one thing. But more importantly¨Che shouldn¡¯t have. Derrick had never looked at her that way. Not once. Not since they were kids. Evie replied bluntly, ¡°No.¡± Just two words, Marie¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°Why not? I¡¯m not pretty enough? I¡¯m not charming enough?¡± She was asking a real question. Evie had answered honestly. And now Marie was slightly annoyed by that honesty. 314 4% The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Chapter She Took 646 646 The Reckoning at Dawn Evic nced at Maric and said, ¡°Derrick¡¯s into girls like Star¨Cfair¨Cskinned, soft, and sweet. You¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish. Finished ¡°Besides, who in Falvaria doesn¡¯t know about your temper? How messed up would he have to be to go after you?¡± You went after Dan like you were trying to end his bloodline. I¡¯d wager it¡¯s not just Derrick¨Canyone who knows you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± In Evie¡¯s view, Maric was just too fierce. No man in his right mind would dare mess with her. And honestly, hearing itid out like that, Marie was even more convinced Derrick wouldn¡¯t have done it. ¡°But still¡­ his reaction was weird,¡± Evie added after a pause. Most people would run for the hills if someone tried to pin something like that on them. But Derrick? He practically volunteered to wear the me like a badge. Marie didn¡¯t have the energy to keep talking. She downed another ss of wine. Evie said. ¡°If you ask me, Dan¡¯s the most likely one. After everything he did to you back then, he still has the nerve to show up in front of you.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. Just hearing Dan¡¯s name again stirred a dark glint in her gaze. The so¨Ccalled head of the Ashen Pact. Hah¡­ they had all underestimated him. She had her suspicions before¨Cbut now, they were confirmed. To her. Dan wasn¡¯t just a two¨Cfaced snake. He was a conniving maniptor through and through, Marie didn¡¯t respond. She set down her empty wine ss and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡± Evic finally exhaled in relief. A miracle, really¨CMarie hadn¡¯t chased her across continents this time. Probably because she had too many other fires to put out. Just when Evie thought she was in the clear, Marie paused at the door. ¡°Next time I¡¯in in Falvaria, you¡¯d better return all my stuff Evie froze. Marie added, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now¡± She had more important vengeance to carry ou She was going to kill Dan 173 Chapter 646 The Reckoning Inished 5:00 AM. When Dennis saw Marie suddenly show up at the hospital, an ominous chill ran down his spine. ¡°Ms. Dawson? What are you doing here?¡± he asked, voice tight. And at this hour? Her surprise visit made him nervous¨Cbut more than that, it made him angry. After all, she had already beaten Dan to the brink. As Dan¡¯s most loyal subordinate, Dennis was practically radiating hostility. Marie didn¡¯t spare him so much as a nce. She strode straight toward the door. Dennis lunged to block her. ¡°Ms. Dawson, our boss needs rest.¡± His tone was cold. Not a shred of respect. Marie¡¯s hand flew up¨Cand pped Dennis hard across the head. His ears rang from the impact. Then came a sharp twist to the neck. If he hadn¡¯t instinctively raised an arm, he might¡¯ve passed out on the spot. But Marie didn¡¯t stop. Her knee mmed into his stomach with brutal force, dropping him to the ground, unable to rise. She swept into the hospital room like she owned the ce. Dan, half¨Cawake, stirred at the noise. His breath hitched the moment he saw her. ¡°You-¡± Before he could say another word, Marie pped him¨Conce, then again. Dan was stunned. This woman- His face stung with searing pain. His skull throbbed. He barely had time to process it before Marie raised her hand to strike again. This time, he caught her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± he snapped. ¡°You already know it was Derrick¨Cwhy are you still hitting me?!¡± What the hell kind of logic was that? He red at her, trembling with fury Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The Ashen Pact¡¯s heir?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really been ying the long game, huh? You had the guts to lie to me?¡± B X R 213 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 646 The Reckoning at Dawn Dan froze, her words slicing through the air. ¡°You¡­ you found out?¡± The second the words left his mouth- Marie¡¯s hand was around his throat. Her whole body radiated lethal intent. And her voice was pure ice. ¡°You got close to me for my father¡¯s deal with Shanna, didn¡¯t you?¡± Every word wasced with fury and betrayal. ?14% Finished Back when Dan had supposedly died, Shanna had abruptly backed out of their contract¨Cbecause someone had learned the terms of the deal. Highly confidential information. For years, no one thought Dan had anything to do with it. But now that he was revealed as the Ashen Pact¡¯s leader¨Cit all made perfect sense. After Dan¡¯s ¡°death,¡± the Ashen Pact struck a new deal with Shanna. Dan gasped for air. Marie stood over him like a judge at the gallows. And he¨Che couldn¡¯t speak a word in his defense. She figured it out. He had known from their very first meeting: Marie was smart. Dangerous smart. That¡¯s why he¡¯d tread so carefully around her. Every step had been calcted. Now, with his silence dragging on, Marie growled, ¡°Answer me!¡± Dennis, finally back on his feet, burst into the room¨Cjust in time to see Marie¡¯s grip tightening around Dan¡¯s neck, her knuckles white with rage, 4.7K 15:46 Sat, 30 Aug 00. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in She Took 647 Chapter 647 Death Sentence He rushed forward, trying to pull Marie away. ¡°Ms. Dawson, you can¡¯t treat our sir like this!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Dennis was kicked straight to the ground. Maric, engulfed in fury, radiated such a violent aura that her strength felt almost inhuman. Dennis hit the floor hard. Marie¡¯s grip on Dan¡¯s neck tightened even further. Dennis looked at Dan, who didn¡¯t fight back¨Cjust silently stared at Marie¨Cand panicked. ¡°Sir!¡± He shouted. But Dan kept his eyes on Marie. Their gazes locked. Finished He was gambling¨Cgambling on whether Marie still had any feelings left for him. Gambling on whether those feelings could stop her from going all the way. He searched her eyes, desperately hoping to find a trace of reluctance or sorrow. But in the end, he was disappointed. There was nothing in Marie¡¯s eyes¨Cnone of the emotions he was hoping for. On the contrary, her grip only grew tighter. Dennis lunged forward again. This time, he wentpletely wild, physically fighting Marie, forcing her to release Dan Dennis had always been fiercely loyal to Dan. And now that Maric was trying to kill Dan, his respect for her hadpletely vanished. ¡°You wicked woman!¡± Dennis snarled The monere be said it. Marie kicked his knee. She moved so fast he couldn¡¯t react Her kidnded widestal forts, and Denis copsed to the ground in agony Dan sat silently on the hospital bed He just sat there..! When Marie¡¯s cold, murderous gre turned to bio again, Dan¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill 15:46 Sat, Chapter 647 Death Sentence She had wanted to beat him to death when she thought he¡¯d slept with her. And now that she knew he was the one behind Ashen Pact¡­ she actually wanted to kill him? Of course. That look in her eyes just now¨Cpure murder. No heartbreak. No hesitation. Only killing intent. Real, unfiltered killing intent. Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You deserve to die.¡± Dan went quiet. His already shallow breathing grew even more unstable the moment she said those words. Heh¡­.Deserve to die? I deserve to die¡­ His whole body trembled. ¡°Mari¨¨, how could you believe Derrick so easily? What the hell did he do to you?¡± Judging from her outfit, she must have juste back from Yalvoria. Came straight here to beat him? Then where was Derrick? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. And just as he mentioned Derrick again, Marie pped him hard across the face. ¡°You dare mention Derrick?¡± ¡°Let me tell you¨Cno name you say will ever cover up the filth of your past.¡± Because of her unique background¡­. Marie had always hated people who approached her with ulterior motives. And Dan? He really took the prize. ¡°Still ying the amnesia card? Fun little game, huh?¡± As she spoke, Marie pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. Dennis turned pale. ¡°Sir!¡± Marie¡¯s eyes were full of danger. Finished Dan¡¯s breath hitched¡ªand the moment Marie pulled the trigger, he rolled off the bed, narrowly dodging it. The deafening gunshot rmed both Dan¡¯s bodyguards and the hospital security. Watching Dan dodge, Marie let out a cold, mockingugh. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid to die?¡± Dan¡¯s face had gonepletely pale. She¡­ she actually fired¡­. His chest tightened. Breathing became harder. 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 647 Death Sentence 14% Finished Marie gave a dark chuckle and holstered her gun just as the security guards and bodyguards burst in. She looked at Dan onest time. ¡°I¡¯ll let you keep that dog life of yours¨Cfor now.¡± Then she said no more. Without another word, she leapt out the window. When the guards came in, they found the hospital bed blown through with a gaping hole. Dennis, ghost¨Cwhite, rushed to Dan¡¯s side. ¡°Sir¡­¡± What do you think she¡¯s going to do next?¡± Dan¡¯s eyes held back a storm. Dennis went quiet. What would she do? ¡°That woman wants you dead.¡± Earlier, she had genuinely tried to kill Dan. So what she¡¯ll do next¡ªno one could say for sure. But one thing was certain: with the way she was, she¡¯d blow the sky wide open. Dennis¡¯s use of the word ¡°woman¡± made Dan¡¯s gaze snap to him, sharp and deadly. Dennis¡¯s chest tightened from the pressure of that re. Dan muttered, ¡°What the hell is going on in that woman¡¯s head?¡± The way she acted with Derrick¨Ccouldn¡¯t even mention his name¨Chow could she trust Derrick so easily? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. And then¡­ he fainted again.. Dennis panicked, ¡°Doctor! Doctor! My boss passed out again!¡± 4.7K She Took 648 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 648 Missing Finished These past two days, that same sentence had echoed through the hospital room more times than anyone could count. And every time the doctors managed to save him, they repeated the same warning: he had to keep his emotions under control¨Cno more sudden outbursts. Ever since Ste got pregnant, Abraham had spent most of his time by her side. That morning, during breakfast¡ª When Evelyn returned to grab something, she saw Abraham cing a ss of milk in front of Ste. Ste scrunched her nose in disgust. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want it.¡± She hated milk now. She used to like it, but ever since Abraham made her drink too much of it, she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Seeing her so reluctant, Abraham coaxed her gently. ¡°Be good.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡± Evelyn watched as Abraham continued to coax her like she was a child. A small smile tugged at her lips. The butler noticed Evelyn had returned and started to approach her respectfully. But Evelyn quickly held up a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. She clearly didn¡¯t want to interrupt the couple. After all, Abraham had nearly lost his mind during the three years they were apart. Now that he finally had her back, no one should disturb their little world. Evelyn went upstairs. Ste, unable to win the standoff, finally drank half the ss¨Creluctantly. ¡°It really tastes awful.¡± Abraham dotingly ced a sunny¨Cside¨Cup egg on her te, ¡°Then tell me what you want instead.¡± His voice was soft¨Clike he waspromising with a child. ¡°Juice.¡± Ste didn¡¯t even hesitate. Right now, she really craved juice¨Csomething clean and refreshing. Abraham nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have someone make it for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 648 Missing The moment she heard that, Ste lit up. Abraham shot a nce at the butler, who immediately turned to arrange fresh juice for her. She was pregnant, after all. Everything she ate had to be carefully managed. Just as Ste took a bite of egg. Victor stormed into the room. His face looked bad. Abraham frowned, ncing at him. Finished It was the first time Ste had seen Victor look like that. He was usually cool and distant around Abraham. But now¡­ he actually looked worried? Abraham asked, ¡°What happened?¡± No¨Cthis wasn¡¯t something ordinary. Nothing trivial could shake Victor like this. Victor looked at Abraham, then turned to Ste. When she saw his eyes on her, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Is this about me?¡± No way. She was just peacefully pregnant, resting and staying out of trouble. She hadn¡¯t even stepped outsidetely. Especially not enough to get caught up in something involving Victor. Victor said, ¡°Tessa¡¯s gone.¡± Gone? Wait- ¡°What? What happened?¡± ¡°Who took her? Was it those two freaks? No, wait¡­ didn¡¯t one of them get seriously injured? The other one shouldn¡¯t be a threat anymore, right?¡± And besides, Victor¡¯s ce was packed with traps. Even when the twin freaks entered together, one of them ended up seriously hurt. The other couldn¡¯t be in good shape either. Has Ashen Pact really been pushed so far that they¡¯re still going after Tessa? Victor replied coldly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t anyone from Ashen Pact¡± His voice was icy¨Cwith clear frustration and restraint. Not Ashen Pact? Ste instinctively looked toward Abraham. 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 648 Missing At that moment, something flickered deep in Abraham¡¯s eyes as he met Ste¡¯s gaze. Clearly, he had a guess. And from his expression, Ste swallowed hard. ¡°Wait¡­ was it my sister?¡± For once, her brain was working. Victor¡¯s face darkened even more. Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°It really was her?¡± Victor¡¯s face turned to stone. He said nothing. Which meant yes. Abraham raised an eyebrow at him, then looked at Ste. ¡°Call your sister.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call right now.¡± Ste hurriedly pulled out her phone and dialed Marie¡¯s number. But it was turned off. She looked at Abraham. ¡°She¡¯s got her phone off.¡± 13% Finished The moment Victor heard that, his face soured even more¨Che¡¯d already tried calling Marie on his way here. And now hearing Ste say the same thing¡­ He asked in a low voice, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have another number?¡± ¡°Huh? Another one? Yeah, she does.¡± Of course Marie had another number, Victor didn¡¯t have it, but Ste definitely did. She quickly dialed Marie¡¯s other private line. Same result. ¡°Also off Even her private number was off. Which meant finding Marie wouldn¡¯t be easy. Victor asked, ¡°Any more?¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°Nope¡± Just those two. If both were off, then Marie was basically off the grid. 4.7K 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 The Ret She Took 649 urned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 649 No Mercy She really was fast. ??? 13% Finished Ste had just called her yesterday, and now she¡¯d already taken Tessa away. Couldn¡¯t she at leaste back and give everyone a heads¨Cup? Instead, she just stole the girl away¡­ Ste frowned and looked at Victor. His face was already pitch¨Cck with anger. Abraham nced at her. ¡°Star, are you full?¡± Ste nodded. Even if she wasn¡¯t, she had to be¨Cno one could eat with Victor looking like that. Abraham gave her a subtle look. ¡°Go change. I¡¯ll take you outter.¡± ¡°Oh. okay.¡± Ste nodded obediently. She quickly turned and headed upstairs. For some reason, even though it was Marie who¡¯d taken Tessa, she still felt guilty facing Victor. She had just reached the stairs when Victor suddenly called her. ¡°Star.¡± Ste turned. ¡°Victor?¡± Victor said, ¡°Tessa still has a fever.¡± Ste was stunned. ¡°What? But¡­ Tessa was sick? Then- Abraham gave Victor a cold side nce. ¡°She can¡¯t reach Marie. You saw that yourself.¡± Victor¡¯s entire aura was frigid. ¡°Marie will listen to Star.¡± After all, it was Ste¡¯s call that convinced Marie to train Tessa in the first ce. In Falvaria, who else would Marie go out of her way for, especially for an outsider? Ste was stunned. Why did it suddenly feel like if she didn¡¯t ger Tessa back, this wouldn¡¯t end well? Wait, hang on- Marie agreed to train Tessa, but now Victor was looking at her like she owed him something? He was asking her to get Tessa back? On what grounds? 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 649 No Mercy Ste shot Victor a confused look. Victor said, ¡°I want her back today.¡± Ste was stunned again. He really was asking for her? 13% Finished Hearing the edge in Victor¡¯s tone, Abraham¡¯s expression immediately turned cold. ¡°Are you threatening her?¡± Ss, who had followed Victor in, instantly felt the tension spike in the room. Ste felt it too. Victor looked at Abraham. ¡°Things areplicated now. Tessa can¡¯t stay with Marie.¡± Ste froze. Complicated? Wait¡­ It really wasplicated. Dan wass brother. And Dan was the current head of Ashen Pact. He had deceived Marie back then. Tessa¡¯s mother had been the previous head of Ashen Pact. Dan and Diana were enemies¨Cand so was Tessa. If Marie trained Tessa properly¡­ Ste¡¯s mind spun, and in a sh, she sorted through every connection and conflict. And came to one conclusion: they were screwed. ¡°Victor¡¯s right. We need to find my sister¡ªnow.¡± Oh god. Marie now knew Dan was the current leader of Ashen Pact. If she took Tessa now¡­ She¡¯d train her like a weapon. When Ste had been taken away back then, she¡¯d nearly lost half her life. And Tessa? Tessa was even more pampered than she had been. In all the years Ste was with Abraham, he¡¯d made sure she stayed healthy¨Csometimes even had her go running or do light workouts. But Tessa? Back in Rivermount, she had maids at home and a chauffeur outside. She had zero physical stamina, None, And now? Marie would probably beat ny percent of her life out of her Wearing slippers, Ste ran up to Abraham with a tter. ¡°We need to find her. Fast Abraham¡¯s face darkened as he saw her run. 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 649 No Mercy He pulled her into his arms. ¡°Why are you running?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± Ste and Victor both said at the same time, ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.¡± Abraham went quiet. Ste wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°She totally loses it when she¡¯s mad.¡± 13% Finished She remembered when she¡¯d been kidnapped. When Marie trained her afterward¨Cwas there any sense of restraint? She cried, begged, pleaded¡­ none of it worked! Now Marie was definitely going to mold Tessa into the perfect weapon to take down Dan. And she¡¯d be even harsher than she had been with Ste. Victor¡¯s face darkened even further when he heard that. Seeing how worried Ste looked, Abraham held her slender arm. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll find her.¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± Ste urged him. Oh god¡­ Why hadn¡¯t she thought this through earlier? Marie hated Dan with every fiber of her being. Tessa was about to be trained into a whole different person. Just as she said that, her phone buzzed in her pocket, She pulled it out¨Cit was Tessa. Ste¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She quickly answered. ¡°Tessa?¡± The moment she picked up- Victor, who had been sitting across from her, immediately stood and walked toward her. 4.7K She Took 650 Chapter 650 Lost at Sca Íê13%ÅÌ Finished Even though Ste knew he wasn¡¯t going to hit her, the aura Victor gave off was so overwhelming that she instinctively shrank back into Abraham¡¯s arms. ¡°Tessa,¡± she screamed through the phone. ¡°Ste, help me! I¡¯m gonna die!¡± Tessa¡¯s cry for help made Ste¡¯s heart skip a beat. At that moment, Lewis¨Cwho had been driving outside¨Crushed in holding a phone. ¡°Ms. Tessa called.¡± Victor took the phone. It had already disconnected. Clearly, when Tessa couldn¡¯t reach Victor, she¡¯d called Ste instead. ¡°Tessa, where are you? You-¡± Before Ste could finish, Victor snatched the phone from her hand. ¡°Tessa.¡± The second she heard his voice, Tessa burst into tears. ¡°Waaah!¡± God, she had just barely adjusted, and now- In that moment, something unfamiliar surged through Victor¡¯s chest. Especially around his heart¨Clike an invisible hand had reached in and gripped it tight. He forced himself to keep his breathing steady. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Out at sea! The boat¡¯s tiny, I think it¡¯s gonna flip any second¨Csob¨CI¡¯m gonna get eaten by a shark!¡± Tessa¡¯s voice trembled through the line. All around her was endless ocean, not a single sign ofnd in sight. The thick smell of salt in the air was suffocating. The tiny boat rocked with every wave, looking like it might overturn at any moment. She feltpletely hopeless. She could swim, sure, but faced with an endless, open sea like this¨Cshe was terrified. Victor was already storming out of the Dawson estate. As he got in the car, he spoke to her, yoice low and steady. ¡°You won¡¯t. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± He climbed in, grabbed hisptop from the backseat, and opened it. ¡°But I really am scared,¡± Tessa sobbed. She had worked up so much courage when she was with Victor. All those bold words about returning to Ashen Pact to help her mother.. Now, alone on the sea, facing endless water in every direction¨Cshe was terrified. 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug Chapter 650 Lost at Sea No one around. Nothing. Just her. One tiny boat drifting in the ocean. Now she understood what it meant to scream for help and have no one hear. ¡°Where¡¯s Marie?¡± Victor¡¯s voice turned cold. That woman¨Cthis was how she trained people? ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her,¡± Tessa whimpered. ¡°I woke up and I was already on the boat.¡± That broke herpletely. Who wakes up from a nap and finds themselves in the middle of the ocean? Nothing but sea. Hearing that Marie had dumped her unconscious onto a boat, Victor¡¯s face darkened even more. He quickly tried to locate her signal. With the phone still connected, it should¡¯ve been possible. But nothing Finished Tessa, hearing the pings through the call, looked down at her phone¨Cand her heart dropped. ¡°My phone¡¯s about to die. What do I do, what do I do?!¡± Now she was really panicking. She¡¯d finally managed to turn the phone on. Victor hadn¡¯t picked up. She got through to Ste, and now she couldn¡¯t even finish exining where she was before her phone died. Victor hadn¡¯t been able to pin her location yet. When he heard her battery was dying, his expression turned even colder. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll find you. Soon.¡± ¡°But before you find me, I won¡¯t get eaten by a shark, right¡­¡± Her voice faltered. All that was left on the line was her ragged breathing. Victor frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s huge¡­ What the hell is that?¡± She¡¯d spotted something massive swimming toward her. Her pupils constricted in terror. ¡°Tessa. Tessa!¡± Victor¡¯s voice sharpened. Something was heading for her¨Che could feel it. Tessa¡¯s entire body went weak. Even the hand holding her phone lost strength. The phone slipped from her hand and hit the deck with a thud. 15:47 Sat, 30 Aug 0 Chapter 650 Lost at Sea Then the line went dead. Out of battery. 13% Finished She stared at the enormous shapeing closer. All she could see was its back, but it was easily the size of two cars. Tessa¡¯s breath came in fast, panicked gasps. ¡°Mom¡­ what is that?¡± A shark? A whale? Was she really going to end up fish food today? Tears welled in her eyes. If she¡¯d known this would happen, she never would¡¯ve called Ste. All she needed was someone who could shoot a gun! Where was she supposed to run now? Her survival instinct kicked in. Even though her body felt paralyzed, her hands still managed to grab an oar and start paddling like mad. Her arms swung wildly, like a wind¨Cup toy on overdrive. Outside the Dawson estate, Victor stood frozen, the dead tone from the phone still ringing in his ears. The veins in his hand bulged as he gripped the phone tightly. His face was as dark as a thunderstorm as he stepped back inside. Meanwhile, Abraham, worn down by Ste¡¯s relentless pleading, finally gave in and called Abel. He told him to find out where the hell Marie had gone. Just as Victor reentered, he caught the end of Abel¡¯s report: ¡°Miss Marie has a number of private inds. It may not be easy to locate her.¡± 4.7K She Took 651 Chapter 651 Trouble in Her Hands +8 Pearls Back then, when Ste was taken, she¡¯d been just as impossible to find. So now, with Tessa gone, of course it wouldn¡¯t be easy either. Victor¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Hard to find or not, we will find her.¡± When Victor entered the room, Abel respectfully stepped aside. Abraham looked at Victor but didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he gave Abel a look. Abel exined, ¡°Back then, it was Mr. Star himself who brought Miss Ste back.¡± And during that time¨Cwasn¡¯t Abraham worried? He was more than worried. He was beside himself. He knew exactly what kind of temper his younger sister had. There was no way he¡¯d willingly hand Ste over to her for training. But no matter how hard they searched back then, they couldn¡¯t find her. They checked every ce they could think of and still didn¡¯t see a single trace. In Abel¡¯s eyes. Tessa falling into Marie¡¯s hands now meant one thing: unless Marie chose to return her, she¡¯d never be found. Victor¡¯s face was grim as he nced at Ss. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been sent out?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been deployed.¡± Of course the search party was already out. But hearing what Abel said, even Ss began to feel that the hope of finding Tessa was slim. Victor turned to Abel again. ¡°Is there any way to contact her? Tell her¨Cif she lets Tessa go, she can have whatever she wants.¡± His voice was tight with fury. Ss was stunned. Did Victor just say Marie could have anything she wanted¨Cas long as she let Tessa go? So this Ms. Tessa¡­ meant that much to their big brother? That was unexpected. None of them had ever imagined Victor could fall for a woman. In fact, they couldn¡¯t even picture what he¡¯d be like if he did. But now, wasn¡¯t this it? Abraham was also surprised when he heard Victor say that. Ste was shocked, too. She used to think of Victor as a stone¨Ccold and unfeeling. 10:32 Sun, 31 Aug Chapter 651 Trouble in Her Hands And now? The stone had feelings? +8 Pearls Abel heard Victor¡¯s gritted words and felt a chill crawl down his spine. ¡°The problem is¡­ there¡¯s no way to reach her.¡± In other words, even if they wanted to ransom her, they wouldn¡¯t know where to go. Marie was the kind of person¨Conce she took someone away, the only way they¡¯d return was if she brought them back herself. And right now? There was simply no way to find her¡­ Hearing that, Victor¡¯s face turned even darker. In the end, he stormed out in fury. In all these years, Ste had never seen him this angry¨Cnot even in front of Abraham. He was truly furious this time. After he left. Ste turned to Abraham. ¡°Is she really unfindable?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°When your sister took you away back then, even with all the manpower we had, we still couldn¡¯t find you. What do you think the chances are now?¡± Over the years, that girl¡¯s skills had only grown sharper. Trying to snatch someone from her hands now would be near impossible. In the car. Victor held a cigarette between his fingers and said coldly, ¡°Tell Ss toe back from Eastport immediately.¡± Both Ss and Lewis were visibly shaken. He was pulling Ss out of Eastport¨Cjust to look for Tessa? They stared at Victor, clearly shocked. They hadn¡¯t expected him to mobilize even Ss for Tessa. Ss had guarded Eastport for years without a single mistake. That said a lot about his capabilities. Before they had time to recover, Victor took out his phone and called Abraham. The line had barely connected when Victor got straight to the point. ¡°I want Job.¡± Job. The former president of Sterling Global. Ever since Abraham found out where Ste was, Job had been in charge of handling everything rted to her in Rivermount. And his abilities were on par with Ss¡¯s. When Abraham heard what Victor wanted, he asked, ¡°You want him to look for Tessa?¡± 10:32 Sun, 31 Aug Chapter 651 Trouble in Her Hands Victor gave a short grunt in response. Ss and Lewis were even more stunned. He was bringing in Job¨Cjust to look for that little shorty? Back at the Dawson residence- +8 Pearls Abraham had just managed to calm Ste down when Victor¡¯s call came through. He rubbed his temples in frustration. Job is¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Abraham was just about to say that Job couldn¡¯t be spared right now¨Cwhen he looked down and saw Ste staring at him with pleading eyes. His headache worsened. Finally, with Ste pitifully clutching his shirt, Abraham let out a sigh and said into the phone, ¡°Fine.¡± Once the call ended, Abraham gave Ste¡¯s cheek a gentle pinch. ¡°You¡­¡± He really was helpless when it came to her. Tessa had been snatched by Marie, and her rtionship with Dan had just been exposed. Ste was obviously anxious. Facing Abraham¡¯s indulgent scolding, Ste muttered, ¡°But Tessa can¡¯t get hurt¡­¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t trust your sister that much?¡± Ste replied, ¡°I don¡¯t trust her temper.¡± She was being honest. When Marie was in a good mood, she could be pretty reasonable¨Ceven fair. But this wasn¡¯t one of those times. Right now, she was furious¨Cand in that state, there was no telling what she might do. 4.7K She Took 652 Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 652 The Cost of Fury F?? But Abraham didn¡¯t quite see it that way. ¡°Rx. She¡¯s not going to eat Tessa.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not going to eat her raw,¡± Ste muttered, barely restraining her frustration. Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°She might just go so far as to spend three full days drilling her into shape,¡± Ste said. That kind of extreme would break not just Tessa¨Cbut even Ste could barely handle it. Back then, it had taken just a month of training, and it nearly cost Ste her life. ?.31% +8 Pearls Never underestimate Marie¡¯s ability. A full month? That was her training program for the most useless people. Most of the capable folks under Abraham¡¯smand had been trained by Marie. Even after just half a month, they came out top¨Ctier. Of course, those people had some foundation to begin with¨Cbut Marie¡¯s training methods were nothing to scoff at. Hearing the irritation in her voice, Abraham chuckled softly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who called her in the first ce?¡± Ste huffed, ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t know Dan was Tessa¡¯s brother!¡± At the time, all she was thinking about was the mounting pressure Diana faced in the Ashen Pact. If Tessa could grow stronger, even if she couldn¡¯t help Diana directly, she¡¯d at least be able to protect herself. Even when she learned Dan was currently in power within Ashen Pact, the connection still hadn¡¯t clicked. But once she heard he was Tessa¡¯s brother¨Ceverything spun out of control. ¡°Wait a sec. How can Dan be her brother? The ages don¡¯t match at all!¡± Tessa was clearly younger than Dan. Abraham exined, ¡°Officially, he¡¯s her younger brother. But in reality, he¡¯s not.¡± Ste blinked, ¡°Huh?¡± Abraham replied, ¡°Details are unclear Ste was stunned. It was confusing. But one thing was certain¨Cif Day really had a direct blood tie to Tessa, he would definitely be the older sibling. No way he¡¯d be the younger one, As for what exactly had gone down within Ashen Pact that resulted in Dan appearing younger than Tessa¨C no one really knew. 10:32 Sun, 31 Aug Chapter 652 The Cost of Fury ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m just really worried about Tessa right now.¡± Ste was genuinely anxious. She had personally witnessed how brutal Marie¡¯s training methods could be. And this time, Marie didn¡¯t just snatch Tessa away¨Cshe¡¯d done it while still fuming over Dan. So, what they feared¡­ had happened. Tessa had be coteral damage. ??? 31%2 +8 Pearls Dan found out the moment he regained consciousness that Marie had taken Tessa. He nearly passed out again on the spot. Dennis quickly called to him, ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°She¡­ she took Matriarch¡¯s daughter¨Cwhat is she trying to do?¡± Dan gritted his teeth. What was Victor even doing? Wasn¡¯t that vi supposed to be imprable? Even if someone managed to sneak in, the entire ce was a meat grinder¨Canyone would be shredded before they could make it out. So if Marie didn¡¯t know theyout, she should¡¯ve had no chance of getting in alive, let alone getting someone out. So how the hell had she done it? Dennis fell silent. Hearing Dan¡¯s question, Dennis¡¯s face froze. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If she really took her, maybe it¡¯s out of hatred toward you?¡± That single word¨Cmaybe¨Cwas loaded with uncertainty. Dan¡¯s breathing grew ragged. ¡°You¡¯re saying.., she might kill Matriarch¡¯s daughter to provoke a rift between me and Matriarch?¡± Dennis replied, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible¡± Dan went quiet. The entire hospital room fell into a heavy silence. A sharp coldness flickered in Dan¡¯s eyes. When he looked up, the chill had frozen into frost. ¡°Heh. She¡¯s ruthless, I¡¯ll give her that.¡± 10:32 Sun, 31 Aug Chapter 652 The Cost of Fury 31% +8 Pearls Now that Marie knew he was the head of Ashen Pact, she also knew exactly how to stir up more enemies for him. Diana¡¯s position was especially critical right now. She was currently focused on dealing with Dale and Manny. If she found out her daughter had been dragged into this and killed because of him, her retaliation would be swift and merciless. Dan had seen for himself the storm Diana had stirred within Ashen Pact in recent times. Thinking of that, even Dennis¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°If Madam Miller turns against us right now, it¡¯d be disastrous.¡± Dan closed his eyes. Disastrous? Just how much did Marie hate him now? Enough to want Diana to strike him down with her own hands? ¡°Find out where Marie took her,¡± Dan said coldly. Dennis nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Make it fast,¡± Dan ordered. Whether Marie nned to hurt Tessa or not, one thing was clear¡ªhe had to find her quickly. This current sh between Diana and Dale was his best chance to get rid of Manny. Manny¡­ The one who had been handed everything since birth. While Dan lived in his shadow, everything else became just pebbles on the road. Dale had spent years clearing the way for Manny. She Took 653 Chapter 653 No Mercy In the end, it always came down to him. 31% +8 Pearls They were both his sons, yet to say Dale favored Manny would be an understatement. The word biased didn¡¯t even begin to cover it. Just as Dan finished giving orders- Derrick arrived, dragging someone along with him. The moment he entered, Derrick tossed the man onto the floor beside Dan¡¯s hospital bed like a sack of trash. Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mr. Derrick, what is the meaning of this?¡± The man he¡¯d thrown down¨Cwas one of Dan¡¯s own men. Seeing him, Dennis¡¯s face changed drastically. Derrick pulled up a chair and sat down, casually cing one foot on the man¡¯s bruised and battered back. A cigarette lit with a click. He took a long drag, then looked toward Dan with mocking eyes. ¡°Lost your temper and tried to kill her?¡± Dan¡¯s voice was low. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± His lips pressed into a thin line, a sh of danger flickering in his eyes. It was clear¨Che didn¡¯t understand what Derrick was implying. Derrick held the cigarette between his fingers, smoke swirling around him, casting an even darker shadow over his already menacing presence. ¡°This guy isn¡¯t one of yours?¡± His gaze dropped, eyeing the severely beaten man on the floor. Dan followed his line of sight. As Derrick¡¯s words settled in, the meaning finally clicked. His breathing grew sharp as his dangerous gaze shifted to Dennis. Dennis lowered his head, not daring to meet Dan¡¯s eyes. Dan didn¡¯t respond, but Derrick didn¡¯t wait. He drew his gun and¡ªbang! The man on the floor didn¡¯t even have time to cry out before he was dead. And in the next moment, Derrick turned the gun on Dan. The room went still. The gunshot had turned the air in the ward razor¨Csharp. Dennis instinctively reached for the weapon at his 10:33 Sun, 31 Aug Chapter 653 No Mercy waist. But Derrick let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Try that again. Go ahead.¡± His voice was steeped in cold, lethal warning. 31% +8 Pearls Dennis froze under that threat, not daring to move another inch. He stared at Derrick, whole body tense with alertness. Derrick looked back at Dan. His gaze full of scorn. ¡°I¡¯ve seen shameless bastards before, but you? You¡¯re on a whole different level.¡± ¡°y around with a woman and then call her crazy? Try to have her killed?¡± The disgust in his voice was tant. Dan¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°She¡¯s not hurt, is she?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± Dan fell silent. She probably wasn¡¯t hurt, right? He didn¡¯t even know when it had happened. But Marie had taken Tessa and run. Judging by that, things likely hadn¡¯t gone too far. That thought gave Dan a small breath of relief. Just as he was about to speak, Dennis suddenly broke in. ¡°It was me.¡± Dan¡¯s head whipped toward him, eyes like ice. Derrick turned to Dennis. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°Yes. She wronged our boss¨Cand she meant to kill him.¡± That much was true. That day, when Marie hit Dan, Dennis had seen it in her eyes. The killing intent had been unmistakable. And not just today¨Cit had started even before. Derrick let out a mirthless snort. Then¨Cbang! Dennis crumpied to the ground, Just like that, the man who¡¯d served Dan the longest was gone in an instant. Dan roared, ¡°Derrick!¡± He was livid. Dennis had been one of his most trusted aides. After all the years of struggle against Dale, there weren¡¯t 213 Chapter 653 No Mercy many people he could still rely on. Now with Dennis gone, Dan¡¯s eyes zed as he red at Derrick. Derrick casually blew on the barrel of his smoking gun, scoffed, and turned to leave the ward, Once he was gone, Dan was left alone. His whole body trembled with rage. He looked again at Dennis, lying,pletely still¨Cdamn near indistinguishable from a corpse. Was Derrick really out of his mind? He killed a man¨Cfor Maric? Could it be that he¡­ felt something for her? That thought drew a deeper chill into Dan¡¯s eyes. +8 Pearls Outside the hospital. As soon as Derrick got into the car, Kale¨Chis driver¨Cturned and said, ¡°Sir, Madam left with Ms. Miller.¡± Derrick raised an eyebrow. ¡°She came back?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°And who the hell is Ms. Miller?¡± For a moment, Derrick couldn¡¯t recall who that even was. Kale exined, ¡°She¡¯s the one Mr. Victor brought back from Rivermount. Ms. Ste¡¯s best friend.¡± Derrick let out an ¡°Oh¡± and finally remembered. ¡°She ran off with her? What¨Cfor drama with Ste?¡± Speaking of Ste, Derrick¡¯s heart now feltpletely calm. No ripples. No matter how badly he once wanted to marry her¨Cever since signing that marriage license with Marie¡­ He felt¡­ free. Like a weight had lifted. Like he¡¯d finally achieved something that truly mattered. Even now, with Marie running off with Ste¡¯s best friend, Derrick honestly had no idea what was going on between them. 4.7K The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 654 Ditut¨¦ed Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 654 Sides Taken Kale said. ¡°That Ms. Miller¨Cshe¡¯s Dan¡¯s sister.¡± What the hell?¡± Dan¡¯s sister! ¡°That guy has a sister? Since when? Derrick looked baffled. Kale fell silent. That guy. That thing. That was Derrick¡¯s usual way of referring to Dan and the people around him. 52% And once one crack opened in a secret, the whole thing spread fast. Sure enough. Kale had gotten his hands on this earth¨Cshattering piece of gossip too. Heid it all out for Derrick, step by step. When Derrick finished listening, he was speechless. Finally, he muttered, ¡°Ashen Pact is seriously fucked up.¡± Calling it a little messy didn¡¯t evene close. Anyone going in with a clear head woulde out with a brain full of knots.. And if you didn¡¯t have a sharp mind to begin with¨Cforget it. You¡¯d be left with nothing but confusion. Kale nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty messed up.¡± Even they, who specialized in intel, had their brains scrambled trying to untangle all those rtionship threads. Derrick looked out the window. His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. Then he said, puzzled, ¡°But Dan looks. way older than Ste¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Older¡­ Does he?¡± Kale asked. Dan didn¡¯t exactly look old. But if you had topare, yeah, he definitely looked older than Tessa. ¡°He doesn¡¯t not look old.¡± Derrick replied. ¡°That guy¡¯s calcting as hell.¡± IVILITI, Chapter 654 Sides Taken +9 Pearls He was a master maniptor. The real power behind Ashen Pact. Old or not, his mind was deep and dangerous. Kale stayed quiet. Sure. If you say he¡¯s old, then he¡¯s old. ¡°He looks about the same age as Mr. Abraham,¡± Derrick added. The moment Abraham¡¯s name came up, Kale mmed up. That was one name nobody dared. gossip about. ¡°Why¡¯d Marie take that woman and run off?¡± Kale answered, ¡°Probably to forge a de.¡± A de. A weapon aimed at Dan? Yeah, that would track. Right now, Marie¡¯s hatred for Dan was absolute. The people of Ashen Pact¡­ Thinking back to Shan Na¡¯s past coboration with Mr. Abraham, it was clear¨CDan had crossed a line with Maric. Everyone knew the Dawson family hated backdoor schemes. And Dan had approached Marie with just that in mind. No wonder Marie wasn¡¯t going to let him off easy. ¡°Then let her forge that de,¡± Derrick said tly. Tessa. Sibling against sibling. It had a nice ring to it. Kale said, ¡°But now Mr. Victor is getting anxious.¡± That surprised Derrick. ¡°Victor?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been personally looking after Ms. Miller this whole time. Now that she¡¯s been taken from under his nose, he¡¯s not going to let it go.¡± Derrick fell silent. This whole web of connections¡­ was aplete mess. Tessa was Dan¡¯s sister. Supposedly. Though no one knew how that ¡°sibling thing even work One look at Dan, and you¡¯d never believe he was younger than Tessa. 2:4U Mon, Sept Chapter 654 Sides Taken 052% But Dan¡¯s own sister being sharpened into a de to stab him? That was poetic justice. The only problem was Victor. Victor clearly wouldn¡¯t just stand by and let that happen. ¡°Let them fight, Derrick said with augh. ¡°The messier, the better¡± He even added a note for emphasis. Kale was stunned. It was already a total mess, Derrick paused, eyes gleaming with interest. ¡°We should help her.¡± Kale froze. Her? Who? Marie? ¡°Wipe her tracks. Don¡¯t let Dan find her,¡± Derrick said. ¡°And what about Mr. Victor?¡± Kale asked cautiously. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything? Just do it.¡± Kale fell silent again. + Pearls Derrick added, ¡°I back my wife. Whatever she does is right. I¡¯ll help her no matter what.¡± Kale said nothing. Wife¡­ With Derrick stepping in, both Victor and Dan found it nearly impossible to locate Marie. When Victor found out Derrick was involved, he nearly smashed his phone. He immediately called Derrick. ¡°Mr. Derrick, what exactly do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Derrick replied coolly. ¡°Nothing much. You¡¯re looking for your woman. I¡¯m helping my wife.¡± Victor went silent. That word¨Cwife¨Cset off something explosive in his head. 12:40 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 654 Sides Taken He let out a coldugh. ¡°Your wife?¡± °×²ËÆø.52%ÃÏ + Pearls Derrick said, ¡°Legally and literally.¡± What had started as a staged marriage on paper¡­ had be real. And he hadn¡¯t even struggled against it. Victor warned, ¡°If Tessa doesn¡¯te back¡­ do you think you¡¯ll still have a wife?¡± His voice dripped with threat. Ss, behind the wheel, could sense the tension in the air. It was like a duel between giants. For the next three days- Victor and Dan tore the world apart trying to find Tessa. But no one knew where Marie had taken her. They searched every location they could think of. Any ce Marie might have gone. Still, nothing. Back at the Dawson family estate- Ste had been trying to contact both Marie and Tessa the whole time. But after thatst call from Tessa three days ago, the line had gonepletely dead. $10 4.7K 12:40 Mon, 1 Sept A She Took 655 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 655 A de in the Making. All of Marie¡¯s phones were off, and no one in her inner circle could be reached. At that moment, the atmosphere in the dining room was tense. 52 Ste sat quietly, spooning soup into her mouth. Victor and Abraham were seated nearby. Abraham took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already give you Job? Ss came back too, didn¡¯t he?¡± Victor said. ¡°It¡¯s been three days.¡± Abraham replied, ¡°You know what Marie¡¯s temper is like. If she doesn¡¯t want to show up, no one can find her.¡± Finally- The kind of worry he¡¯d once had for Ste in Marie¡¯s hands had now shifted to Victor. Back then, he¡¯d truly feared Marie might go too far with Ste. Just like Marie had said to Ste the other day¨Cthere were times she truly didn¡¯t know her limits. Victor muttered, ¡°She¡¯s still sick.¡± Abraham fell silent. So did Ste. Victor had mentioned it that day. Ste swallowed her soup and called out toward the living room, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Victor. My sister actually can take care of people.¡± Back when she herself had been taken away, she¡¯d also been sick. But saying Marie could ¡°take care¡± of someone? That clearly didn¡¯t help¨CVictor turned to Ste, eyes brimming with restraint. Abraham shot him a cold re! ¡°If you¡¯re going to sit there sulking like that, get out.¡± Victor said. ¡°Abraham- ¡°You¡¯d be better off spending this time out searching than wasting it here.¡± Victor fell quiet. 12:40 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 655 A de in the Making Fair enough. ¡°I¡¯ve spent thest three days scouring half the globe.¡± K = 52%& +8 Pearls And it was true. In just three days, he¡¯d practically turned the world upside down¨Cand still hadn¡¯t found a single trace of Marie. Any ce near the ocean had already been searched. To think she might have dumped someone straight into the sea to train them¡­. Only Maric would pull something like that¡­ Tessa had no background, no foundation. That kind of training¨Cwasn¡¯t it just a death sentence? ¡°You¡¯re better off asking Derrick than asking me,¡± Abraham added. The moment he mentioned Derrick, Victor¡¯s fists clenched even tighter. Derrick had decided to butt in out of nowhere. But as much as it infuriated him, Victor didn¡¯t actually believe Derrick knew where Marie was. ¡°You think Marie would tell him where she went?¡± ¡°He¡¯s her husband.¡± Victor went silent. That fact only made his blood boil. He knew exactly why Derrick had inserted himself into the situation. Dan was also looking for Marie and Tessa. And Derrick? He just wanted to go up against Dan. If the three of them wanted to fight, fine. Let them fight. But why drag Tessa into it? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. In the end, Victor stormed out in a fury. Inside the dining room, Abraham walked over to Ste, noticing she hadn¡¯t touched her milk. He picked it up and handed it to her gently. 12:40 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 655 A de in the Making Ste asked. ¡°Victor¡¯s not mad at me, is he?¡± Seriously, what the hell? +8 Pearls Tessa was her best friend. Why would Victor be acting like she had done something wrong? So much had happened in just a few days. Now it seemed Victor had more im to Tessa than she did. Abraham said. ¡°Drink the milk first.¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± He nodded. Ste blinked in disbelief. It tasted awful. How could this be non¨Cnegotiable? But with Abraham staring her down, she eventually gave in and took it. After half a cup, she really couldn¡¯t force down another drop. Seeing she¡¯d reached her limit, Abraham didn¡¯t push. As soon as he sat down, Ste asked, ¡°Hey¡­ Are you sure my sister won¡¯t actually hurt Tessa?¡± She¡¯d been feeling anxious these past few days too. Given Tessa and Dan¡¯s rtionship, there was no guarantee Marie wouldn¡¯t take it out on Tessa. Abraham said calmly, ¡°She won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ste still looked worried. ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Abraham repeated. ¡°She¡¯ll just turn Tessa into a de. One aimed straight at Dan.7 Ste fell silent. Yeah¡­ That sounded like something Marie would do. In that case, she felt a bit more at ease¨Cthough she still worried Tessa wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it Tessa had no foundation to speak of. 12:41 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 655 A de in the Making 52% & +6 Pearl: With Marie¡¯s extreme methods, it was inevitable she¡¯d suffer. Victor had barely left the Dawson estate when his phone rang. It was Derrick. The tension between them was palpable even through the line. ¡°Stop looking.¡± Derrick said bluntly. Victor¡¯s voice dropped,ced with cold fury. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Derrick?¡± ¡°Rx. She didn¡¯t eat your woman.¡± Derrick¡¯s tone wasced with mockery. He knew exactly why Victor was turning the world upside down to find Tessa. It wasn¡¯tplicated¨CVictor was afraid that, because of Dan, Marie might harm Tessa. Victor¡¯s grip on the phone tightened. ¡°You know where they are?¡± Derrick made a low hum of affirmation. Victor¡¯s face went dark. ¡°Where?¡± So he did know. All these days, Victor¡¯s people hadn¡¯t even been able to get a lead¨Cyet Derrick, her husband, knew exactly where she was. 47K Sept The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 656 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 656 Twenty¨CSeven Days of Hell ¡°Pick her up in twenty¨Cseven days, Derrick said. Victor¡¯s voice tightened. ¡°Twenty¨Cseven days?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Victor went silent. He a over at Ss. 452% +8 Pearls Ss and Lewis both looked exhausted¨Cclearly none of them had rested in days, still scouring the world for Tessa. Victor recalled what Abraham had said earlier. Watch Derrick closely. He really had seen it alling. Victor had assumed Derrick and Marie¡¯s marriage was nothing but a joke. But now? They were clearly the real deal. Just as Victor opened his mouth to ask more, Derrick hung up. Victor¡¯s eyes darkened. Twenty¨Cseven days? Like how Marie trained Ste back then? But Tessa wasn¡¯t Ste. Even if neither of them had prior training, Ste had grown up at Abraham¡¯s side¨Cshe¡¯d been exposed to all that from a young age. Even if she hadn¡¯t participated, Abraham had taken her along to training bases for fun. Tessa, though? She¡¯d never even seen that kind of world. What if she literally got scared to death? Thinking about how skittish she¡¯d been recently, Victor felt a dull pulse pounding at his. temples. Ss asked, ¡°Mr. Derrick knows where she is?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Victor replied irritably. Lewis said, ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Can¡¯t we just go to Mr. Derrick and ask for her back?¡± Ss looked at Lewis like he¡¯d grown an extra head. Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 656 Twenty Seven Days of Hell ×Ôζ:52%ÈÕ Ask Derrick for Tessa? And expect him to hand her over? What a brainless thing to say. Victor lit a cigarette, eyes sharp and focused. ¡°Have someone follow Derrick.¡± There was no way they¡¯d get her back just by asking. Ss nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Lewis was baffled. If they already knew Derrick knew where she was, why bother tailing him? Even if they had to fight, shouldn¡¯t they at least try to extract some information? +8 Pearls Meanwhile, on an ind thousands of miles away from Falvaria- Marie lounged on a beach chair, wearing oversized sunsses and a wide¨Cbrimmed sunhat, sipping a ss of lemon water. Not far off. Tessa stumbled toward her, lugging a fishing over one shoulder and a bucket in the other hand. Marie¡¯s lips curled into a teasing smile. Tessa was panting like a dog. When she reached Marie, she flung the heavy fishing onto the sand with a thud right next. to Marie¡¯s chair. The bucket hit the ground with a stomp. She red at Marie, eyes full of unfiltered rage. Adorably fierce¨Clike an angry kitten. Maric nced at the bucket stuffed with fish and giggled, handing over her lemon water. ¡°See? You¡¯re getting stronger already.¡± Tessa¡¯s fury instantly deted at those words. As Marie stood, Tessa copsed dramatically into the sand, wrapping both arms around Marie¡¯s long legs. ¡°;et me go, please! I¡¯m begging you! I can¡¯t eat one more fish, I¡¯m gonna puke!¡± Tessa burst into tears. 12:41 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 656 Twenty¨CSeven Days of Hell God, she was exhausted. So, so exhausted. Marie¡¯s training was inhuman. +8 Pearls For the past three days, she¡¯d done nothing but run¨Cdragged out of bed at 5 AM to circle the ind. Tenps around the ind every morning¨Cfive full hours of running. Tessa felt like her brain had been rattled loose. At this point, she knew exactly how many palm trees lined the beach and which ones had how many coconuts. Morning runs. Afternoon runs, Evening runs. She was going to die. And if the running wasn¡¯t enough, every single meal was fish. There seemed to be nothing else on the ind to cat. Tessa was so sick of fish she could barely look at it without gagging. Marie, in a red bohemian maxi dress, looked effortlessly elegant and tall. Next to her, Tessa was a sweaty, sunburned, disheveled wreck. When Tessa started crying again, Marie frowned in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t wipe your snot on my dress. ¡°Jo¨CJie! I can shoot now, I swear! I¡¯ve got great aim! You want Dan dead, right? I¡¯ll kill that bastard for you! Just please stop torturing me!¡± Marie mused, ¡°Just kill him straight¨Cup? Isn¡¯t that a bit too easy?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s perfect! That bastard deserves to die a fast death!¡± Tessa nodded frantically. Her eyes welled up with fresh tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hesitate. He¡¯s not my brother. I don¡¯t have a brother like that!¡± Just hearing Dan¡¯s name made her want to vomit. Tessa sniffled. ¡°I don¡¯t even know that jerk. Not one bit.¡± Seeing Marie still unmoved, she kept pleading. The moment she found out Dan was her so¨Ccalled brother, she¡¯d started panicking nonstop- afraid Marie would take it out on her. 12:41 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 656 Twenty¨CSeven Days of Hell She¡¯d beenpletely wrecked. Now, in Tessa¡¯s mind, every single ounce of this suffering was Dan¡¯s fault. Marie, hearing her call Dan ¡°brother,¡± couldn¡¯t help but suck in a sharp breath. 4.7K O She Took 657 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Chapter 657 Big Brother, Little Brother, Same Hell ¡°He¡¯s way older than you! How the hell could he be your little brother?¡± Tessa was stunned. 52% +8 Pearle What the¡­.. ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± she said. ¡°Victor said on paper, he¡¯s my brother.¡± e went quic Ashen Pact really was a hot mess. Just by looking at Dan¡¯s face, there was no way in hell he could be Tessa¡¯s little brother. If anything, he was old enough to be her big brother. Tessa clung to Marie¡¯s leg even tighter. ¡°Little or big. I¡¯ll help you kill him, okay?¡± Marie was stunned. What a pathetic little thing. If it weren¡¯t for Star¡­. Well, even for Star¡¯s sake, Marie still kicked Tessa straight into the sea. Ssh! The moment the seawater hit her mouth, Tessa felt like her brain just shut down. If this had been the old days, that kick would¡¯ve knocked her out cold. But now? She was back on her feet in seconds. Hands on her hips, she shouted, ¡°Maric, you psycho! Ever heard of fighting fair?¡± She was fuming. Always kicking her¨Cwhat if she got injured? She was hard to take care of! Speaking of taking care¡­ Tessa nced at her dark, sunburnt arms and felt utterly defeated. Maric stood with her arms crossed, watching Tessa soaked and miserable, and said coolly, ¡°After tenps,e get your gun.¡± Tessa exploded. ¡°Tenps, my ass! I¡¯m not running!¡± She was about to go nuts. 12:41 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 657 Big Brother, Little Brother, Same Hell This was bullying. Pure, tant bullying. * 52%8 +8 Pearls ¡°Dan screwed you over! Go take it out on that bastard, not me! What¨Ccan¡¯t beat him or something?¡± ¡°Oh my god, is that it? You actually can¡¯t beat him?!¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She¡¯d been groveling these past few days. And Marie¨Cthis woman was downright ruthless. Just like now. The moment she screamed ¡°my ass,¡± two women inbat gear stomped over To ho Before she could react, they grabbed her and took off running. Tessa went quiet. Help. Marie called out, ¡°If you keep running like that, it¡¯s a hundredps.¡± Tessa was stunned. Holy crap, was this woman born evil? Why couldn¡¯t she be more like Star? Star was so kind¨Cwhen Ethan pissed her off, she¡¯d just p him a few times and maybe kick him once. Marie, though? She was a full¨Con tyrant ¡°You win, okay?! You¡¯re the boss!¡± Tessa shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll run myself, happy now?¡± She was practically grinding her teeth in frustration. She¡¯d tried every form of rebellion over the past few days, but Marie always had a way to crush her. A hundredps? With Marie¡¯s sick logic, if she didn¡¯t finish, she wouldn¡¯t even get dinner. She¡¯d be running till tomorrow and still go to bed hungry. Ughhh- Tessa grunted, ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± The two women released her, watching her bolt off at full speed. They exchanged a look¨Cand 12:41 Mon, 1 SeptA Chapter 657 Big Brother, Little Brother, Saron Hell smiled. Marie sat atop a rock, pulling off her sunsses. 52%Ö± +8 Pearls The two women joined her. One of them said, ¡°This one¡¯s got good bones. Way tougher than the little princess.¡± ¡°Tougher? They¡¯re both soft as hell,¡± Marie scoffed. The other one said. ¡°Still, this is a big improvement. On day one, it took six, maybe seven hours. Today? Three.¡± This ind wasn¡¯t small. Tenps took serious time. For Tessa to finish in three hours¨Cher endurance was already light¨Cyears ahead of where Ste had been. Marie set down her water bottle. ¡°Back then, with Star¡­ we never even tried to push her limits.¡± True¡± That was just how it had gone. When they first brought Marie to Xisha Ind, they¡¯d coddled her for a couple of days. Only then did the real training start. But with Tessa? Marie didn¡¯t coddle her at all. She just dumped her into the middle of the an. She thought of that fake whale from three days ago. Marie couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°God, I¡¯m still dying. Did you see her face? Is her eyesight that bad?¡± Three days ago, Tessa had been so terrified, she went into beast mode. The way she rowed¨Carms swinging like pistons, like a wind¨Cup toy on steroids. The other two burst outughing too. Yeah, that day really had brought out her hidden potential. Two and a half hourster- Tessa copsed onto the sand at Marie¡¯s feet. This time, she didn¡¯t cling to her legs. 12:41 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 657 Big Brother, Little Brother, Same Hell She just stared at her with eyes full of resentment. Marie checked her watch. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re getting faster.¡± ¡°Forget people¨Cif a police dog was chasing you now, you¡¯d still outrun it. Tessa went quiet. Did she really justpare her to a dog? Marie said, ¡°Go with Belle and get your gun.¡± ¡°No moreps?¡± ¡°You want more?¡± Tessa shook her head. ¡°God, no.¡± She really didn¡¯t. These past three days had been hell. She wouldn¡¯t wish it on her worst enemy. Òô She Took 658 apter 658 The Bargaining Chip Tessa followed Belle and left. +8 Pearls Once only Sophia and Marie were left behind, Sophia picked up a call. After she hung up, she. respectfully said to Marie. ¡°Falvaria just sent word. Mr. Victor says you need to return Tessa.¡± Marie snorted coldly at that. ¡°Return? What¡¯s this ¡®return? She¡¯s in my hands now¨Cshe¡¯s mine.¡± Sophia said. ¡°Mr. Victor says you can have whatever you want.¡± ¡°Whatever I want?¡± The moment she heard that, Marie¡¯s eyes sparkled. That glint in her gaze made it clear¨CVictor must be holding something she really wanted. Sophia cleared her throat. ¡°Mr. Victor has plenty of treasures. Especially his mechanical techniques.¡± Over the years, countless people had tried to get their hands on Victor¡¯s mechanical secrets. But he never passed them down to anyone. Just mentioning Victor¡¯s craftsmanship was enough to make Marie hum. ¡°You think he¡¯d hand over that book just for Tessa?¡± Surely¡­ not, right? Men¨Cwhat were they good for, besides manipting women? Marie didn¡¯t believe Victor would hand over something that valuable just for a girl. Sophia said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you test him?¡± Marie was stunned. Uh¡­ Could she really test him? What if she didn¡¯t get the book¨Cand her brother ended up lecturing her for messing around? ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to sound him out. You go prepare.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Sophia knew exactly what kind of preparations Marie meant. This ind was extremely well- hidden. Chapter 658 The Bargaining Chip Marie hated moving locations. If they were going to hide, they were going to really hide. G +B Pearls Meanwhile, on Derrick¡¯s side- Sebastian had just watched him finish a call to Victor. He asked, ¡°You really think it¡¯s okay to lie to Victor like that?¡± Yep. Lic. Derrick had just told Victor to pick the girl up in twenty¨Cseven days. Except¨Che hadn¡¯t even been able to get in touch with Marie. How the hell would he know when she¡¯d hand Tessa over? And saying Marie wouldn¡¯t kill Tessa? Come on¨Cthat was Dan¡¯s sister. Who knew if Marie wouldn¡¯t lose it and tear Tessa apart? Sebastian truly couldn¡¯t figure out what Derrick was ying at. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve made that call,¡± Sebastian said, ¡°Victor¡¯s definitely going to assume you know exactly where she is¨Cand send someone to watch us.¡± And they had a lot to deal with right now. If Victor¡¯s people started breathing down their necks, it would be like a constant icy draft at their backs. Derrick took a drag from his cigarette and chuckled. ¡°Not just someone. I bet it¡¯ll be Ss himself.¡± Sebastian went quiet. Ss? Victor¡¯s personal grim reaper? If that guy came, they¡¯d be screwed no matter what they tried to do. Seeing Sebastian¡¯s worried face, Derrick let out a sarcastic snort. ¡°What? Like I haven¡¯t had people tailing me for years?¡± Sebastian was stunned. Well¡­ that was true. 12:42 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 65it The Bargaining Chip: But this time it was Ss. Sebastian asked. ¡°So what are you really trying to do here?¡± Derrick replied, ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m buying time¨Cfor your sister¨Cinw.¡± Sebastian went quiet. Sister¨Cinw? Wait, what? Sebastian twitched. ¡°Why do you need to buy her time?¡± Derrick looked at him like he was an idiot. Sebastian frowned. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Derrick said. ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed how messed up Dan¡¯s been these past three days?¡± The guy couldn¡¯t find Tessa and it was eating him alive. And watching that torment gave Derrick this strange, personal satisfaction¨Clike he was avenging something on his own behalf. Sebastian said, ¡°Of course he¡¯s messed up.¡± The moment Dan¡¯s name came up, Sebastian practically lit up with frustration. +5 Pearts ¡°You killed Dennis¨Chis most trusted guy. He¡¯s passed out from rage multiple times. At this rate, I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll ever leave the hospital.¡± The guy had fainted over and over again. Derrick really hadn¡¯t held back three days ago, Even if Dan didn¡¯t know Dennis had ordered Marie¡¯s assassination, losing him was still a brutal blow. But Derrick justughed lightly. ¡°You really think that¡¯s all it was about¨CDennis?¡± Sebastian blinked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± Derrick shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡± Sebastian was stunned again. Ugh¡­. 12:42 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 658 The Bargaining Chip +8 Pearis Every time Ashen Pact came up, his brain turned to mush. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around any of it. Derrick said, ¡°If Diana hadn¡¯te back to the Ashen Pact when she did, Dale would¡¯ve gone all in¨Cstripped Dan of every bit of power and handed it to Manny.¡± Manny. A name no one had even heard before¨Cand somehow, he turned out to be Dale¡¯s other son. No one would¡¯ve guessed it. But Dale had truly loved his mistress over the years. Even her son had been kept in tight, protective secrecy. These past three days, Derrick had flipped Ashen Pact upside down. And the more he discovered¨Cthe more fascinating it all became. 4.7K 12.42 Mon, 1 Sept A She Took 659 Chapter 659 A de in the Making + Pearls ¡°If Tessa ends up trained into a weapon by Marie, that¡¯s as good as Dan gaining another enemy -Diana. And that would blow his entire n to pieces. The whole Ashen Pact could be thrown intoplete chaos because of Tessa. As soon as Derrick said that, Sebastian understood. Dan wasn¡¯t just worried¨Che was afraid Diana would end up on the opposite side. And whether she turned against him or not¡­ that all depended on Tessa. Then¡­ will Ms. Tessa really be a de in your sister¨Cinw¡¯s hand? Don¡¯t forget- Victor¡¯s still backing her.¡± Victor¡¯s feelings for Tessa were anything but simple. Just from how desperately he¡¯d been looking for her the past few days, you could tell. Who would¡¯ve thought that eternal stone would actually sprout a flower? Derrick let out a coldugh. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. If Tessa stays in Marie¡¯s hands for even one month, then yeah¨Cshe¡¯s a de.¡± Whether Tessa truly belonged to Marie or not didn¡¯t matter¨CDan would be convinced she did. Sebastian went quiet. Could it really work like that? Forget it. That was way beyond him. But one thing Sebastian did understand¨CTessa wouldn¡¯te out of Marie¡¯s hands the same. person she was before. Just look at Ste back in the day. She¡¯d been a pampered little gem when Abraham was around. But after Marie got done with her, she came out swinging¨Clike a tiger cub with teeth. ¡°You sure that de will be pointed at Dan?¡± Sebastian asked, still skeptical. Right now, things in the Ashen Pact were tense, but it looked like Dan and Diana were more or less on the same side. Derrick knew Sebastian was oversimplifying everything. 12:42 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 659 A de in the Making 53%Õß! +8 Pearts He scoffed. ¡°Whatever kind of de she turns into¨Cone thing¡¯s for sure. It won¡¯t be aimed at Maric.¡± Tessa¡¯s de might end up cutting through the whole Ashen Pact, Dan. Dale. Mamy¡­. Sebastian went quiet again. Well¡­ yeah, no surprise there. Marie had trained plenty of des over the years¨Cnot a single one had ever turned back on her. When Victor got Marie¡¯s call, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes¡ªbut was quickly reced by a cold, deadly edge. ¡°Marie ¡°It¡¯s me, Victor.¡± Victor shot a nce at Ss. Ss immediately opened hisptop,unched a program, and began live triangtion. Marie said, ¡°No need to waste your people¡¯s time, Victor. You won¡¯t find me.¡± She sounded confident. Victor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Where are you?¡± He growled through gritted teeth. Even over the phone, that dangerous tone sent chills. Marie could feel the pressure bleeding through the line. But she wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°Tell me something, Victor. You said if I give Tessa back, you¡¯ll give me anything I want?¡± Tessa. What a weird name. ¦§ She remembered hearing Ste say it before¨Cit had sounded strange. Just how obsessed with food was this girl to get a name like that? Still, when Sophia told her Victor was willing to offer anything for this little bean sprout- MUN, Sept Chapter 659 A de in the Making S53%Òô + Pearls Marie had gotten curious. Was he really that serious? Victor? The eternal stone? Victor gave a low grunt. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°The book on mechanical techniques. The one behind your vi¡¯s security system¨CI¡¯ve always admired it.¡± She had never seen such aplexyout. She¡¯d tried to replicate it over the years, but the results were always disappointing. That book¨Ceveryone had tried to get it. No one had ever seeded. Marie wanted to see if Victor would really hand it over¡­ for Tessa. The moment she said it, the air on the other end of the line dropped several degrees. ¡°Marie.¡± Victor¡¯s voice dripped with warning. Marie nced at Sophia. Sophia looked at the screen and gestured for her to hang up. But Marie wasn¡¯t ready. ¡°Well? Are you giving it or not?¡± Victor answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¨Creally?¡± So that eternal stone had finally bloomed. Back on Victor¡¯s side- He looked at Ss¡¯s screen, where more and more red dots were converging. A faint smile. tugged at his lips. ¡°When are you returning her?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Marie asked, hesitant now. She didn¡¯t trust Victor not to y her. Ss shed Victor an ¡°OK¡± sign. Victor nced back at the screen. Found it. 12:42 Mon. 1 Sept A Chapter 650 A de in the Making 2-53% + Pearls Victor gave a cold, mocking smile. ¡°Why would I lie? Are you bringing her back yourself, or should Ie pick her up?¡± No one could hear the amusement in his voice¨Clike he was toying with a little girl. Marie didn¡¯t catch the shift in his tone. 1¨CI¡¯ll bring her back myself. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deliver her on time¨Cevery inch ounted for.¡± ¡°I want her back tonight.¡± Marie went quiet. Wait¨Cwhat? Tonight?! She Took 660 Chapter 660 The Cruel Truth So Tessa really did matter to Victor. That meant Maric had to be careful with her training¨Cno injuries. +8 Pearle After that, Marie didn¡¯t say another word. She simply hung up the call and turned to Sophia. ¡°Huh. Guess he really would give anything.¡± Back when Sophia told her Victor was spreading the word in Falvaria¨Csaying he¡¯d give her whatever she wanted¨CMarie hadn¡¯t believed it. But now? Hearing it from his mouth? She believed it. ¡°What a pleasant surprise.¡± So Victor had a thing for Tessa? That just meant Diana had scored one hell of an ally. Dan¡­ was screwed. Sophia said, ¡°We need to move.¡± ¡°What?¡± Now what? Sophia replied, ¡°Mr. Victor¡¯s people are too good. They¡¯ve already tracked our location.¡± Marie gawked. ¡°What? It¡¯s barely been two minutes!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Less than two minutes¨Cand they were already locked on. They had seriously underestimated Victor¡¯s people. Marie¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Well then, what the hell are we waiting for? Pack up and move!¡± Sophia was stunned for a second. Tessa was training with Yuanbing at the shooting range. She¡¯d learned the basics from Victor three days ago, but after not practicing for a while, she¡¯d already forgotten most of it. Chapter 660 The Cruel Truth +8 Pearls When Marie showed up, she was just in time to witness Tessa¡¯s horribly inurate form. Marie raised a hand to her forehead. Ugh. At this rate, she¡¯d need a full month just to get the basics down. Tessa spotted her and gave a dramatic eye¨Croll. Marie sued. Well, would you look at that? Little white¨Ceyed wolf just rolled her eyes at me.¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t help butugh behind her hand. After the way Marie had pushed her these past few days, even the kindest soul would¡¯ve turned resentful. An eye¨Croll was practically a love letter. Yuanbing looked at Marie. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Pack it up. We¡¯re moving. Tessa blinked. ¡°Moving?¡± Why? Marie shot her a re. ¡°Victor¡¯s closing in. Hurry it up.¡± They were already being tracked. It was only a matter of time before Victor showed up in person. And once they left here, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find another spot this secluded. After all, this ce had worked because Victor hadn¡¯t been on high alert yet. But next time? No. chance. As soon as Tessa heard Victor wasing, her eyes lit up. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not leaving God. She¡¯d been terrified of Victor when she was with him. But now? She was practically desperate to see him again. Ahem. She¡¯d turned him into her emotional lifeline. Marie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You okay? Tessa blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to go back to the Ashen Pact to help your mom. Do you even know what 12:43 Mon, 1 Sept A Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 660 The Cruel Truth kind of beasts your mom is facing right now?¡± Tessa was stunned, +8 Pearls mom¨Cor- Marie continued, ¡°Your dad doesn¡¯t love your child that woman didn¡¯t give him. You, in his eyes, are nothing but a nuisance.¡± ¡°Please. You and your mom are thorns in their side. And you still think you can go back to Victor¡¯s arms and live the good life? Girl, grow up.¡± Tessa¡¯s breath caught. Marie¡¯s words were harsh¨Cbut not wrong. Marie said. ¡°Those two freaks came after you because your mom is a threat to their mother- the one your dad really loves.¡± ¡°Oh, and let¡¯s not forget Dan. Your dad, Dale, is the mantis chasing the cicada. And Dan? He¡¯s the bird waiting to pounce.¡± On the surface, it looked like Diana and Dale were working together. Outwardly, it seemed Diana and Dan were on the same team. §à But Maric knew that wasn¡¯t true. Dan had been the one to bring Diana back¨Cbecause he wanted to weaponize her hatred for Dale. The question now was: who would win? Dale, or Diana? And if Diana did win? Then the next battle would be between Dan and Diana. Marie¡¯s blunt breakdown finally made Tessa understand the brutal reality her mother wast facing within the Ashen Pact. Watching the light drain from Tessa¡¯s face little by little¡­ Marie said, ¡°Once you leave me, your dad or your brother Dan will always be looking to snatch you up to control your mom.¡± ¡°Even a tiger has off days. Are you sure staying with Victor guarantees your safety?¡± Why hadn¡¯t Dan made a move on Tessa during her time in Falvaria? First¨Cbecause of Victor. 12:43 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 660 The Cruel Truth + Pearls Second¨Cbecause the fight between Diana and Dale had only just begun. It wasn¡¯t time yet. But once that war reached its climax¨Cand if Diana actually won? Then Tessa would be in even more danger. Right now, Dale¡¯s people wanted to capture her. But when the time came, it would be Dan¡¯s. Tessa went quiet. After hearing all this, her breathing turned unsteady. She shut her eyes, trying to force the rising panic back down. Family¡­ What a sick joke it was, when even blood rtives turned out to be the sharpest knives. 4.7K W She Took 661 Chapter 661 The de Takes Form ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± The moment Tessa opened her eyes, they were filled with unwavering determination. 53% + Pearts Three days ago, she¡¯d been taken¨Cdrugged and kidnapped by Maric without knowing a thing. Then came the brutal, non¨Cstop physical training. She¡¯d spent those days resisting, unwilling. Sh had hoped to retreat back to Victor, where his people might train her at a pace she could handle. But now she understood. Marie¡¯s way was the only way. Under this kind of pressure, she could truly be strong¨Cstrong enough to stand safely behind her mother. Tessa looked at Marie, breath catching. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°Is it a crime to want that bastard Dan dead?¡± Marie said with a smile tugging at her lips. If that man was truly a cold¨Cblooded machine, then blood ties and family could be sharpened into des aimed at his throat. Tessa narrowed her eyes. ¡°You hate him? Only people who¡¯ve loved deeply end up hating like that.¡± To her. Dan wasn¡¯t worth loving Certainly not worth hating¨Chate was still a kind of emotion, after all.. Marie¡¯s smile only widened. ¡°Hate? No, I want him dead. And not easily, either. When she said the word dead, it floated off her tongue like a joke. Tessa could tell¨CMarie truly didn¡¯t love him anymore. Packing didn¡¯t take long. As they were about to board the helicopter, Tessa suddenly grabbed the hem of Marie¡¯s dress. Marie turned to squint at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ste, I want to call Victor. Mon, Sept Chunter 661 The de Takes Form +8 Pears Tessa gazed up with pleading eyes, her tone softer than ever before. That softness instantly reminded Marie of her sweet Star. Back then, when Ste had tugged on her sleeve and said she wanted to call her brother- Even then, Marie hadn¡¯t softened. Hadn¡¯t let her contact Abraham. And now? Tessa trying to pull the same move? Not a chance. Marie gently yanked her dress out of Tessa¡¯s grasp. ¡°Nope.¡± Tessa pouted, ¡°Ste-!¡± ¡°Whining won¡¯t help.¡± Marie huffed and climbed aboard the helicopter. Looking back at Tessa¨Cthose pitiful eyes nearly made her swear out loud. Damn brat. She¡¯s almost as good at ying cute as Star But even Star couldn¡¯t soften her heart back then. This time? No way. This girl was a de aimed at Dan. Marie wasn¡¯t about to let that de get dull now. ¡°You 13 Chapter 661 The de Takes Form ¡°Well? Youing or not?¡± Maric was getting annoyed. ×Ô +8 Pearls Victor was probably already en route. This was getting messy. If she¡¯d known, she wouldn¡¯t have called him at all. Why bother asking for his damn mechanical book? Once she got back, she could just pull an Evie¨Cget sticky fingers and steal it. Tessa snapped back to focus. I¡¯ming.¡± After hearing what Marie had said about the Ashen Pact, there was no room for drama. She scrambled onto the chopper. Meanwhile, Victor had already locked in Tessa¡¯s location. He said to Ss, ¡°Call in surveince. I want Spada Ind and the surrounding sea under full lockdown Ss replied, ¡°Already done.¡± Marie had a sharp instinct for tracking and counter¨Csurveince. She probably already knew they¡¯d located her¨Cand was likely on the move again. That¡¯s why they had to keep the whole area under watch. ¡°The jet¡¯s almost ready. We should get to the airport.¡± Victor gave a brief nod. ¡°Mn.¡± E As Victor headed for the airport, Dan got wind of it immediately. He sent orders to mobilize his people near Spada Ind. These past few days, Dan had gone mad trying to find Tessa. Privately, of course¨Che didn¡¯t want her to get stronger. So ever since Marie took her, he¡¯d been tracking both Derrick and Victor. ¡°Damn it. These rtionships are a freaking mess.¡± 12:43 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter bot The de Takes Form Dan cursed under his breath. Conan asked. ¡°What if it bes urgent?¡± Messy, sure. But right now. Tessa had be the linchpin of that chaos. Dan went quiet. Urgent? At this point, they couldn¡¯t afford to leave Tessa alive. He hadn¡¯t expected Victor and Tessa to develop anything this quickly. They¡¯d barely just met. But now¡­ Victor¡¯s actions said it all. They¡¯d underestimated his feelings for her¨Cand that could be dangerous. 4.7K 53% +48 Peal 12:43 Mon, 1 Sept She Took 662 Chapter 662 Cut the Thread Tessa and Victor¡­ a then Diana¡­. +8 Pearls Dan lifted his eyes, a cold glint slicing through the air. ¡°If ites to it, make sure she doesn¡¯te back from Marie alive.¡± A dangerous chill swept through the hospital room. Conan nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± She absolutely couldn¡¯t be allowed to return alive. Especially now that she was in Marie¡¯s hands¨Cthis was the perfect moment. If Victor truly sided with Diana because of Tessa, it would be catastrophic for them. Conan had only joined Dan¡¯s side two days ago, having previously worked under Dennis. He was sharp, calcting, and vicious¨Candpletely loyal to Dan. Any threat to Dan, and he¡¯d eliminate it with ruthless precision. And if Victor really was aligning with Diana because of Tessa, that alliance would be disastrous. Conan¡¯s eyes narrowed, his tone darker. ¡°And Mr. Derrick? What¡¯s the n for him?¡± At the mention of Derrick, Dan¡¯s expression turned deadly. Dennis had died by his hand. That debt still had to be paid. Dan closed his eyes, his voice low and cold. ¡°Handle Tessa first. Leave Derrick forter.¡± That bastard Derrick¡­ his time woulde. Conan nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Right now, the top priority was Tessa. She could be the vital link between Victor and Diana. And that could not be allowed to happen. On Derrick¡¯s side- Chapter 662 Cut the Thread ¡°That night¡­ you two really¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. +8 Pearls He¡¯d left after escorting Derrick to his room that night,pletely unaware of everything that followed. Especially the chaos Marie stirred up afterward. Bernard had initially thought Marie¡¯s public blow¨Cup with Dan, right after marrying Derrick, was some calcted insult. Who would¡¯ve guessed. Derrick took a sip of wine. ¡°You think I¡¯d lie?¡± Even Bernard¨Cusually unreadable¨Ccouldn¡¯t stop the twitch of his mouth at that. Marie beating Dan half to death and sending him to the hospital¡­ it was almostical. Bernard muttered. ¡°That Dan¡­ what an absolute sucker.¡± He¡¯d heard Dan was still stuck in the hospital. Derrick was amused too. Hell yes, he was a sucker. And it wasn¡¯t over yet¨CMarie still didn¡¯t believe the man that night had been him. Which meant once she was done with her current ns, Dan might get a few more rounds of beatings. Bernard raised a brow. ¡°She didn¡¯t hit you when you said it was you?¡± Now that was a surprise. Dan got hospitalized, but Derrick walked away without a scratch? Derrick smirked. ¡°She didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Bernard went quiet. Damn. That made Dan¡¯s situation even more pathetic. Just then, Sebastian burst into the room. ¡°Victor¡¯s heading to the airport. He must¡¯ve gotten word about your sister¨Cinw¡¯s location.¡± (426apter 652 Lut the thread. Bernard sat up. Derrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°That fast?¡± What the hell was Marie doing? Since when did she make it that easy to track her down? Sebastian said. ¡°His jet¡¯s taking off in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Derrick¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°Northliso. If nothing goes wrong, she¡¯s probably on one of the inds there.¡± Northliso¨Ca chain of scattered inds. Maric loved ind properties. She had hundreds¨Cbig and small. She¡¯d taken Ste to one years ago, and no one had been able to find them. Now she¡¯d pulled the same trick with Tessa? Derrick finished his wine in one gulp and stood. ¡°Get our jet ready.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going too?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eye twitched. Derrick said, ¡°Tessa¡¯s training¡¯s just started. You think she¡¯s a threat already?¡± Sebastian went silent. So they were going¡­ to help Tessa? No, not just to help Marie¨CDerrick also wanted to give Dan another headache. Still, this meant going head¨Cto¨Chead with Victor. Sebastian¡¯s head was spinning. Marie, Dan, Derrick, Victor¡­ they were all tangled together now. And it was a mess. Meanwhile, at the Dawson estate- Ste was having issues of her own. The moment she saw the media coverage from Rivermount over the past few days, her face 12:43 Mon, 1 Sept A hamer 62 Cut the Thread darkened. The phone rang. It was Rianne, ?? 53% Finished ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you? Had to be Ethan¡¯s doing¨Che¡¯s trying to trash your reputation.¡± The news in Rivermount was everywhere. Reports iming Ste had disowned the Reed family because she looked down on them- because of bloodlines. Some even imed Abraham had abandoned Ethan. 4.7K She Took 663 By now, the media had painted Ste as a shallow, status¨Cchasing, two¨Cfaced socialite. Ste didn¡¯t believe for a second that Ethan wasn¡¯t involved in orchestrating these attacks. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Ignore it.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t this affect your standing in the Dawson family?¡± Rianne asked, clearly concerned. Ste replied coolly, ¡°What influence? Whatever damage they think they can do is nothing more than wishful thinking.¡± The Keene family really was pulling every dirty trick they had left. Ste didn¡¯t care much for gossip herself. But the rumors would inevitably reach Falvaria- and that could potentially affect Abraham. Their wedding was just around the corner. Rianne sighed. They¡¯ve always thought too highly of themselves.¡± Ethan and Jonathan had been pressuring Ste nonstop during the Lillian incident too- convinced their tactics would bring her down. But they¡¯d been sorely mistaken. After a few more words, Ste ended the call with Rianne and dialed Jonathan. He picked up quickly, his voice hoarse and weary. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I figured. My dearest sister.¡± He dragged out thest words, dripping with sarcasm. Clearly, he still resented her for how harshly she¡¯d treated the Reed family. Ste cut straight to the point. ¡°What¡¯s happening in Rivermount¨Care you involved?¡± Jonathan¡¯s breath hitched before he replied coldly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not be.¡± Ste¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°The Reed family ended up like this because of your choices.¡± So many of the things that had happened had nothing to do with her at all. Yet somehow, the Reed family always med her. Chapter 563 No More Mercy BK53%& Like with Patrick and the mistress¨Cthat mess had been orchestrated by Lillian, yet they pinned it on Ste simply because it happened after she returned. Finished Jonathan shot back, ¡°What more do you want from us? Things are already ruined. Don¡¯t tell me you still think you¡¯re the one being wronged.¡± Ste gave a short, coldugh. ¡°What do I want?¡± This man really didn¡¯t know when to shut up.. ¡°I just hope, she said darkly, ¡°that you truly had nothing to do with this. Because if you did-¡± She didn¡¯t finish the threat, but her tone made it crystal clear. Jonathan flinched. Right before she hung up, he asked softly, ¡°You really won¡¯t forgive Mother?¡± Ste¡¯s response was ice¨Ccold. ¡°Her crimes¨Cand the legal consequences¨Caren¡¯t for me to decide. Still asking about forgiveness? Clearly, these people had never truly understood her. She had no patience for it anymore. She ended the call without another word. In that moment, the sweetness she showed around Abraham vanished entirely. Her eyes darkened as she sipped her tea. Then Ethan called. She answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Star¡± Ste lowered her gaze, staring at the floating petals in her ss. ¡°Ethan. You really dare?¡± Her voice was calm¨Cbut sharp with danger. Ethan paused, caught off guard. Ste didn¡¯t wait. ¡°What¡¯s your goal?¡± There was nothing between them. Even after being in Falvaria this long, she had barely spoken to him. Now suddenly, he was letting rumors spread that she¡¯d abandoned him? 12:44 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 663 No More Mercy Please Ethan replied, ¡°Back off from the Keene family. It¡¯s time you stopped.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t Felix the one managing the Keene family now?¡± Felix. Ethan¡¯s half¨Cbrother. S.53% Finished With all the recent power shifts, Madeline and Horgan had been fighting over control behind. the scenes. Ever since Horgan returned to the Keene family, the ce had been in nonstop turmoil. But from what Ethan just said¨Cit almost sounded like they¡¯d reconciled. United fronts now? Against her? Or maybe¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, now that you¡¯ve cleaned up the Keene mess, you think you can go back to managing Keene Group?¡± So that was the y. Abraham had shown no mercy to the Keene family recently. He¡¯d kept his grip tight, not letting them breathe. Even Horgan couldn¡¯t pacify him. In Abraham¡¯s eyes, Ste¡¯s three years in Rivermount had been a time of humiliation- crushed under both the Keene and Reed families. Ethan tried again. ¡°Back off. I¡¯ll make a public statement for you. Once those rumors reach. Falvaria, are you sure the Dawson family won¡¯t be affected?¡± Ste said nothing. Ethan pressed on. ¡°Even if the damage is small¨Cpeople will still look at Abraham differently.¡± ¡°You think anyone dares look at Abraham that way?¡± Her voice was ice. Yes, she knew the rumors could cause problems. But right now¨Cwith Ethan? She showed no fear, no weakness. 12:44 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 663 No More Mercy 453%2 Nothing about her presence hinted that the Dawson family could be touched. Not even slightly. Finishe 47K She Took 664 Chapter 664 No More Second Chances ¡°Let it go, Ste. This won¡¯t end well for any of us if it keeps escting¡± Ste¡¯sugh was razor¨Csharp. ¡°No, Ethan. It won¡¯t end well for the Keene family.¡± As for the Dawson family? They¡¯d be just fine. Ethan could read between the lines. His breathing grew uneven. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Finished She cut him off, voice like ice. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Abraham¡¯s the kind of man who won¡¯t flinch at going down with the ship¨Cif his opponent is an equal.¡± She paused. ¡°But the Keene family? They¡¯re not even in the same league. If ites to that, only you drown.¡± Her warning was casual, offhand. But it hit Ethan like a steel pipe to the chest. He couldn¡¯t speak. Before he could gather his words, Ste gave a sharp, bitter chuckle. ¡°Still not done learning. your lesson?¡± So far, all Abraham had done was knock the Keene family to their knees. But if they kept poking the bear¡­. They wouldn¡¯t just fall. They¡¯d be wiped off the map. The so¨Ccalled legendary Keene family of Rivermount? Just a footnote in history. Ethan finally caved. ¡°Tell Abraham to name his terms. Anything he wants, I¡¯ll agree to. Or you name them.¡± Ste¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°This is your idea of negotiating?¡± You strike first¨Cthen offer to talk? She didn¡¯t bother replying further. She hung up. Chapter 664d No More Second Chances Just then, Abraham walked in and saw her tossing her phone on the table, clearly upset. Finishert His brow furrowed. He nced at Abel, who bowed and quietly excused himself to wait in the study. Abraham crossed the room in a few strides and swept Ste into his arms, sitting down with her on hisp. Ste gasped¨Cstartled. But when she saw it was him, her pout deepened. The storm in her eyes was now rimmed with mist. Abraham brushed her hair back. ¡°Who upset you, humm?¡± Ste sniffled. ¡°You already know what¡¯s going on in Rivermount, right?¡± Abraham¡¯s expression darkened at once. She knew that look. Of course he knew. He cupped the back of her head gently. ¡°You¡¯re worried about that?¡± His voice was unusually warm. Everyone else thought she was brash, fiery¨Cquick to punch someone who crossed her. But deep down, what really scared her were the rumors¡­ the damage they might do to the Dawson family. He looked at her soft, guilty eyes and smiled. ¡°Those stories have been circting for days, haven¡¯t they? And yet, they never made it to Falvaria.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± What did he mean? That they hadn¡¯t spread? Or that he stopped them? Abraham kissed her lips lightly. His breath grew heavier. ¡°Just a ripple in the tide. Nothing more. Thirty minutester. Abraham carried a jelly¨Climbed Ste back to their room. The moment she hit the bed, she turned away with a pout. ¡°You¡¯re bad,¡± she muttered under her breath. 12:44 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 664 No More Second Chancdn The man looked utterly content, a smirk ying on his lips. Everything that needed doing downstairs had been done. 54%8 Finished Ever since they¡¯d opened their hearts to each other fully, Abraham never held back anymore. Of course, they hadn¡¯t gone all the way¨CSte was still pregnant, after all. Her littleint made him chuckle. He tucked her in and pinched her cheek yfully. Yes, I¡¯m bad.¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t wear you out, that little head of yours keeps overthinking everything.¡± Well, now she was too tired to overthink anything. At this point, she probably couldn¡¯t even remember her own ID number. She turned over once and promptly knocked out. But when Abraham stood and looked down at her, his gaze turned sharp. He picked up her phone and saw the recent calls¨CJonathan. Ethan. His eyes went colder. In the study. Abel had been waiting patiently. When Abraham entered, he straightened. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Ethan¡¯s situation? What about Horgan?¡± Clearly, the noise in Rivermount was meant to force Abraham¡¯s hand. To make him back off. Abel answered quickly, ¡°Judson promised that if Ethan can clean up Keene Group¡¯s current mess, it¡¯ll be handed back to him.¡± Abraham narrowed his eyes, a cold smirk tugging at his lips. So that¡¯s the game.¡± Keene Group was already a wreck. And yet these men were still wing over the crumbs like starving rats. 12:44 Mon, 1 Sept -54% & Finished Chapter 664 No More Second Chances Even dragging Ste into their mess. Abraham sipped his coffee slowly. If all this started because of Keene Group¡­. He paused. A cold, ruthless aura radiated off him. Then came the verdict. ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason for Keene Group to exist anymore.¡± Abel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.immediately.¡± Ethan really had some nerve. He thought dragging Ste into his battle with Horgan would make Abrahampromise? Smart move. But wrong target. He¡¯d made a fatal miscalction. ¿Ú She Took 665 Chapter 665 No Exit Left But Ethan had it all wrong¡­. Finished Falvaria¡¯s Mr. Abraham held terrifying power in his hands. He would burn everything to the ground before letting the word promise¡± enter his vocabry. There had only ever been one person he¡¯dpromised for. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the Reed family now?¡± ¡°Completely bankrupt.¡± Abel reported. The Reed Group had finally shattered beyond repair. Abel hesitated, then added, ¡°Also, Patrick¡¯s mistress ran off with some man¡­ and took the twins with her.¡± ¡°Ran off?¡± Abraham asked, brows raised. Abel nodded. ¡°Yes. After the Reed Group copsed, she disappeared with that guy¨Ckids and all. Abraham went quiet. Ran off with another man¡­ and took the kids? Something flickered in his eyes¨Can interest that bordered on amusement. ¡°Rivermount¡¯s been livelytely.¡± Abel agreed. ¡°Very.¡± Both the Keene and Reed families were in utter chaos. Lillian¡¯s death hadn¡¯t even caused much of a stir¨Cthey were all too busy trying to survive. Abraham chuckled and set his coffee cup down. ¡°Pass that along to Starter. She¡¯ll love it.¡± Ever since Ste returned from Rivermount, she¡¯d taken a liking to gossip. Whenever Tessa told her something juicy, she lit up. Ste slept straight through until four in the afternoon. When the butler came in to report thetest about the Reed family, she was stunned into silence. ¡°She ran?¡± she repeated. 12-44 Mon, 1 sept Mon, 1 Chapter 665 No Exit Left With a man? Wait, what?! That was beyond scandalous. The butler nodded. ¡°Mr. Abraham said it himself. It¡¯s confirmed.¡± Ste was floored. If Abel had passed it along, it had to be true. ÈÕ¡Ý54%; #Finished Patrick had given up everything for that woman¨Cabandoned his family, cut off Susan, walked away from every piece of leverage. And now? The woman took the kids and vanished the moment the money ran out? Ste sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°So then¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the kids weren¡¯t his?¡± She ran off with someone who epted her and two children? That woman must¡¯ve been some kind of siren. Unless, of course, the kids weren¡¯t Patrick¡¯s to begin with. The butler nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the most likely exnation.¡± Ste said, ¡°Then Patrick¡¯s probably not long for this world.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The butler didn¡¯t follow. ¡°He¡¯s going to get himself killed,¡± Ste said. ¡°Out of pure rage.¡± He had doted on that woman like a treasure. To be with her, he¡¯d given up everything he had with Susan. Suffered huge losses. Broke ties with his family. And now she¡¯d run off¨Cwith kids that clearly weren¡¯t even his The butler chuckled. ¡®He¡¯ll be lucky to survive the shame.¡± If he didn¡¯t drop dead from rage, then his ego was indestructible. 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept A Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 665 No Exit Loft Just then, Abraham called. ¡°Be good and eat dinner tonight. No being picky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noting back?¡± ¡°Tll bete. Behave while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± It felt like a husband checking in with his wife. Ste¡¯s heart warmed. Although, every time he said he¡¯d be , he usually showed up right after. Now that he was being this detailed¡­ he might actually stay out a while. She had barely put her phone down when a maid came in. ¡°Miss. Mrs. Tom¨CMona¨Cis asking to see see you.¡± Ste nced at the butler. OKS.54%Õß: Finished His brows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s likely about Kelly.¡± Right. Mona¨CKelly¡¯s mother. After all this time, Mona had finallye knocking. Three years ago, after that incident, the Tom family had suffered tremendous losses at Abraham¡¯s hands. Kelly had been involved, and the consequences had been severe. Ste¡¯s tone was sharp. ¡°Tell her to leave.¡± No hesitation. She had no intention of seeing Mona. Kelly¡¯s case was closed as far as she was concerned. The maid nodded and left. The butler turned to Ste. ¡°Nearly all of the Tom family¡¯s assets are under the young master¡¯s control now. Derrick didn¡¯t take much when he left.¡± Ste went quiet. 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 665 No Exit Left Back then, Derrick had been hunted across the globe. To Abraham, the Tom family had been nothing but trash to be eliminated. They¡¯re nothing like they used to be.¡± Kelly¡­ One thing Ste still didn¡¯t understand was Holt¡¯s attitude. Since that event three years ago, he¡¯d barely done anything to help Kelly. Momentster, the maid returned again. ¡°Miss.¡± Ste looked up. ¡°Now what?¡± 954% & Finished ¡°Madam Tom says if you won¡¯t see her, she¡¯ll throw herself on the ground out front and refuse. to leave.¡± Ste raised an eyebrow. A grown woman¨Ca so¨Ccalled elder¨Cresorting to this kind of theatrics? 4.7K She Took 666 No wonder Holt had always been so vague about her position in the Tom family. Look at the tricks she used¨Ccheap, low¨Css theatrics. Ste let out a coldugh. ¡°If that¡¯s what she wants, then let her do it.¡± 54%) Finished She¡¯d barely even seen Mona a handful of times in her life. She owed the Tom family nothing. and there was no reason to show mercy now. The maid bowed and left. The butler turned to Ste. ¡°Madam Tom likely isn¡¯t just here about Kelly,¡± ¡°I know. Gary¨Cher son. If Mona had really cared about Kelly, she¡¯d havee long ago. For her to show up now, it had to be more than that. Something had happened to the Tom family¨Csomething big enough to affect Gary. When the message reached Mona outside, she was so shocked she didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°She really said that?¡± Her voice turned sharp, eyes going cold. The maid nodded. ¡°Exactly those words. So you¡¯re wee to stay out here as long as you like. Mona was stunned. That little brat¨Cwho did she think she was? She was just a foster daughter in the Dawson family. So what if she was marrying Abraham? That didn¡¯t give her the right to act so high and mighty. Her fists clenched as her thoughts turned to her daughter Kelly¡­ and her son Gary, The Dawson family had crushed the Tom family without mercy. The maid watched her fume and spoke again. ¡°Madam Mona, if you really go through with this, the entire city will beughing at you.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Mona froze 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 666 No Room for Pretenders ? 54% Finished Her breathing quickened. She turned a sharp re toward the maid¨Conly to be interrupted. Evelyn¡¯s car pulled up at just that moment. She frowned and tapped the driver¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stop the car.¡± The vehicle rolled to a stop¨Cright beside Mona. The window slid halfway down. Evelyn looked her way. ¡°That look in your eye¨Cwho exactly were you nning to devour?¡± Mona¡¯s face went stiff when she saw who it was. But she quickly forced her expression back into something pleasant. ¡°Evelyn.¡± Why was this woman here now? She didn¡¯t dare cross Madam Lorette. Everyone in Falvaria knew she ruled half the social scene. Evelyn didn¡¯t look amused. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me. That look¨Cwho was it meant for?¡± This was her turf. That kind of look had no business showing up here. Her tone was gentle, but Mona could feel the pressure rising. Mona faltered. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡± ¡°Really? So I¡¯m just blind then?¡± Every word was soft¨Cbut it made Mona¡¯s skin crawl. She dropped her gaze, her face paling. Evelyn turned to the maid. ¡°Who¡¯s Madam Mona here to see?¡± ¡°Miss Star.¡± That was all Evelyn needed to hear. Mona quickly added. ¡°I¡¯m here about Kelly.¡± Kelly. The one who used to hover around the Dawson family, always fawning over Evelyn Evelyn had never liked her. She thought Kelly and Mona were two of a kind¨Csharine and fake. 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 666 No Room for Pretenders And everyone knew the Tom family had always treated Kelly strangely. Evelyn smirked. ¡°Kelly? You sure it¡¯s not Gary?¡± Mona¡¯s face turned green, then white. She¡¯d been caught. 54%6 Finished Mona was petty and narrow¨Cminded¨Cand she always favored her son. Kelly had only ever been a pawn in marriage deals. A tool. Evelyn went on. ¡°Sounds like the Tom family¡¯s been having a rough time. Derrick¡¯seback must¡¯ve shaken things up. Gary¡¯s probably feeling it the most, right?¡± Mona didn¡¯t reply. But her breath hitched. Rough time didn¡¯t begin to cover it. ¡°And now, Evelyn said smoothly, ¡°you¡¯re trying to sell your daughter out of prison? Must¡¯ve been offered a decent deal. Who¡¯s the generous soul willing to pay that much for a convict?¡± Mona¡¯s face was already pale. Now it went gray. Madam Lorette wasn¡¯t just powerful¨Cshe was perceptive. Nothing escaped her. Mona took a shaky breath. ¡°Kelly is still my daughter, Evelyn. Was that really necessary?¡± ¡°It was,¡± Evelyn said with a smirk. ¡°Because that¡¯s exactly what you are.¡± Mona¡¯s face copsed into an ugly scowl. But Evelyn didn¡¯t bother with her any longer. Her smile vanished. ¡°My daughter¨Cinw is pregnant and having a hard time. I suggest you leave her alone. If there¡¯s a next time¡­ She didn¡¯t finish the sentence. She didn¡¯t have to. [45 | MOI, | Sept The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 667 Chapter 667 No More Second Chances Evelyn¡¯s voice suddenly slowed. 54% #Finished Her gaze locked onto Mona with a cutting sharpness. ¡°After what Kelly pulled back then and how much it hurt her, I don¡¯t want anything rted to Kelly disturbing her now.¡± If it happens again¡­ you might not walk away in one piece.¡± She didn¡¯t sugarcoat it. Not one bit. Evelyn had never thought highly of Mona¨Cespecially not of her tactics or her way of using her looks to climb the socialdder. Mona¡¯s face turned bone¨Cwhite. Inside the estate- Evelyn stepped in and spotted Ste on the couch, obediently nibbling on fruit. The moment Ste saw her, she stood up sweetly. ¡°Mom.¡± Evelyn handed her scarf and purse to the butler, who received them respectfully. Then she walked over and gently took Ste¡¯s soft hand. ¡°Mona came to see you?¡± Yeah Said if I wouldn¡¯t see her, she¡¯d lie down at the front door and refuse to get up. Married into the Sheng family for years and still acts like a drama queen.¡± Ste muttered thest part. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her? Evelyn asked. ¡°Nope Evelyn nodded, pleased. ¡°Good girl.¡± Some people didn¡¯t deserve softness. Especially ones like Mona. Eight hourster Northliso. The moment Derrick stepped off the ne, he received word about Mona going to Ste on Kelly¡¯s behalf. He snorted. ¡°Now she remembers Kelly¡¯s her daughter?¡± 12.45 Mon 1 Sept A SENIORI This 667 No More Second Charices Mora had barely reacted back when everything blew up. Years had passed, and she hadn¡¯t so much as looked in Kelly¡¯s direction. And Holt¡¯s silence had always been just as strange. Sebastian frowned. ¡°So what is she really after?¡± ¡°Whatever it is, go dig it up.¡± Sebastian blinked. Dig it up? He didn¡¯t want anything to do with the Tom family. Getting involved felt like asking to be cursed. But he knew what Derrick was thinking So he¡¯d find time to investigate. Just as that thought crossed his mind, his phone rang. He stepped aside to answer it. Five minutester, he returned to Derrick¡¯s side. ¡°She ran off with Tessa¡± Derrick was stunned. Victor showed up toote. He¡¯s furious¨Che¡¯s got the entire Northliso region locked down¡± So Marie had gone and lit the powder keg And Northliso that was Victor¡¯s home turf. Most of his power was rooted here. If Marie was still anywhere nearby, she¡¯d be lucky to escape his grasp. Derrick smirked. ¡°That big a reaction? Guess Tessa really means something to him.¡± Sebastian was quiet. Right? They¡¯d barely known each other and already Victor was acting like this? Derrick said. ¡°The more Victor shows it, the less Dan will be able to tolerate Tessa¡¯s existence He understood the Ashen Pact now, through and through. Originally, once Dale and Diana tore each other apart, he could just sit back and profit. But at now that Victor had gotten involved with Tessa his entire n was unraveling Sebastian asked, ¡°You think Dan would really dare touch her?¡± 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 667 No More Second Chances 54% 8 Finished After all, everyone knew Abraham¡¯s weakness was Ste. But no one daredy a finger on her. Victor clearly had feelings for Tessa. If Dan touched her now, wouldn¡¯t that be dering war? Derrick chuckled. ¡°This is the Ashen Pact. Dan¡¯s territory. If Victor and Diana join forces, it¡¯s like setting fire to Dan¡¯s foundations. You think he¡¯s gonna hold back?¡± Sebastian froze. Right. If they were about to gut his entire power base, he wouldn¡¯t care who he pissed off. Back on Spada Ind. Victor stood among the wreckage, his expression dark and oppressive. The entire ind. looked like a battlefield. Victor and Lewis were both stunned. After reviewing the surveince footage, no one spoke. Tang the short¨Clegged trainer looked utterly brutalized. Especially Victor. His face darkened to the point of ck. After seeing the videos of Tessa¡¯s training¨Cmud- covered, exhausted, nearly broken¨Chis jaw clenched until it cracked. He red at Ss coldly. ¡°She left Spada Ind and you didn¡¯t know?¡± He had assigned Abel to watch this ce the moment he learned Marie had taken Tessa there to train. Ss said. ¡°Dan¡¯s people suddenly appeared and disrupted everything.¡± Seven hours ago, the moment they received word, Ss had rushed to Spada Ind. Only The two sides shed. There were heavy. to arrive at the same time as Dan¡¯s men casualties on both ends. Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Dan¡¯s people?¡± Ss stepped forward. ¡°Likely trying to prevent you from teaming up with her mother.¡± Victor lifted hisshes slowly, ¡°Prevent it?¡± Fine. Then Dan could pay the price for being right. Victor turned toward Ss. ¡°Go to the Ashen Pact. Now,¡± The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Chapter 668 The Strong Must Suffer She Took 668 Chapter 668 The Strong Must Suffer Since Dan was so afraid that Tessa would bring Victor and Diana to the same side- Victor figured he might as well make that fear a reality. Ss epted the order and left. Finished Victor sat down on the lounge chair Marie had used just hours ago. At his feet sat a fis. Tessa had dragged from the sea. The fish inside were long dead, reeking of salt and decay, buzzing with flies. The air was thick with tension. Ss wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Lewis, of course, had no such hesitation. He spoke when he shouldn¡¯t, always had. Even now, in this suffocating atmosphere, he blurted, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve gotta hand it to Marie. Three days, and she had Ms. Tessa diving for fish.¡± Ss gave Lewis a soul¨Cdeep look of despair. The surveince footage from the ind had beenprehensive. Victor had watched everything¨Cevery grueling moment of Tessa¡¯s training. He finally understood what she had gone through before making that desperate call three days ago. And Marie¡¯s methods? Insane didn¡¯t begin to cover it. If you didn¡¯t have a strong heart, you¡¯d probably die of sheer terror. Even through the screen, the desperation had been palpable¨CTessa¡¯s arms spinning like they¡¯d break apart at the joints. Victor said nothing. He stared into the ocean, silent and unreadable. Lewis opened his mouth again- But this time Ss cut in, quick. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve gone to Ashen Pact, it¡¯ll force Dan to split his 12:45 Mon, 1 sept Chapter 668 The Strang Must Suffer focus. He won¡¯t have time to worry about Tessa anymore.¡± Dan¡¯s n was simple: make sure Tessa didn¡¯t leave Marie¡¯s hands alive. Finished That way, Diana would me Marie, and the Dawson family would inevitably turn on her. Give Diana a personal enemy¨Cclean, efficient. Dan really was good at ying the long game. Then there was the other concern¨CVictor and Diana forming an alliance. Well, that was no longer just a possibility. Victor had already sent Ss to Ashen Pact. Dan would be too busy fighting fires. But what he didn¡¯t realize was¨Ctruth couldn¡¯t stay buried forever. Even if Tessa did die in Marie¡¯s hands, Dan would never walk away clean. Victor recalled the footage of Tessa in Marie¡¯s care. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Call everyone back.¡± Ss blinked. ¡°Everyone? We¡¯re not looking for Tessa anymore?¡± ¡°She¡¯s safest right where she is with Marie. Ss went silent. That was¡­ actually true. Marie was surrounded by killers, sure¨Cbut Tessa was different. In the Ashen Pact, practically everyone didn¡¯t. wanted her dead. Marie might be the only one who Victor stood and straightened his rumpled suit. ¡°No cruelty, no strength.¡± He tossed out those four words and strode toward the helicopter. Lewis stood there, dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s it? After everything, we¡¯re just giving up?¡± ¡°Shut up, Ss smacked him upside the head. ¡°Try using your brain for once.¡± But thosest words from Victor¨CSs understood. 12:45 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 668 The Strong Must Suffer No cruelty, no strength. Tessa couldn¡¯t afford to be soft. Everyone she¡¯d be facing from now on was a blood rtive who wanted her gone. Sure, Victor could bring her back now and train her himself. But would he really be as ruthless as Marie? Ss figured the matter was settled. Marie would toughen Tessa up and send her back when she was ready. Then Victor spoke again. ¡°Keep searching.¡± Ss froze. Ah. So that¡¯s how it was. No matter how cold he acted. Victor still couldn¡¯t bear to let her suffer in Marie¡¯s hands. And that suffering was real¨Cthe kind that broke people from the inside. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Finched That same night, Marie brought Tessa to another ind. It took just a few hours. Still within Northliso. Sophia nced at the map and asked, ¡°Why not go farther?¡± ¡°Can we even get out of Northliso right now?¡± Obviously not. Victor had locked the ce down. If they tried to leave, they¡¯d be watched from every angle. So the most dangerous ce was also the safest. Sophia frowned. ¡°But staying here means Mr. Victor will definitely find us eventually ¡°He will. But not right away. And the time we have is enough.¡± 12:46 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 008 The Strong Must Suffer Marie was unbothered. Sophia fell silent. Tessa was still fast asleep. She hadn¡¯t woken once since boarding the ne. Sophia was about to rouse her when Marie said, ¡°Let her sleep.¡± ¡°Huh? Not going to start training right away?¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t rest now, she¡¯s going to drop dead.¡± ¡­What?¡± Drop dead? This girl¡¯s constitution was that weak? 54% 7 Finished Tessa really couldn¡¯t afford to copse. If anything happened to her under their watch, they¡¯d be finished. 4.7K She Took 669 Chapter 669 No Sympathy in Paradise. 54% a Finished Marie walked up and scooped Tessa straight into her arms, carrying her bridal¨Cstyle off the ne. Sophia stared. That wasn¡¯t just strength¨Cthat was something else. From a distance, anyone would¡¯ve thought Marie was carrying a feather¨Clight pet, not a full¨Cgrown human. She stepped across the uneven sand, bouncing slightly with each step. Half¨Casleep, Tessa stirred. Her cheek was pressed against something warm and soft, and she couldn¡¯t help but nuzzle it a few times. So soft¡­ so warm¡­ Struggling to open her heavy eyelids, she looked up and saw- Was that¡­? ¡°Ste?¡± she mumbled groggily. Marie nced down. ¡°Sleep another two hours.¡± ¡°Um¡­ can you put me down?¡± She was exhaustedpletely drained¨Cbut the fact remained: Marie was carrying her in a full princess hold. She¡¯d never even imagined being princess¨Ccarried by another woman. Marie didn¡¯t argue. She simply dropped her. With a loud thump, Tessanded straight on the beach. Her mind went nk.. Then she looked up at Marie with watery eyes, silent and stunned. Seriously? She had said put her down¨Cbut not like that! It was still sand, but her tailbone had definitely hit a rock or something. Marie saw her just lying there, sniffling and staring. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to walk? Get up and walk.¡± 12:46 Mon, 1 Sept Sept A Chapter 669 No Sympathy in Paradise Tessa whimpered, ¡°My butt hurts.¡± There was definitely something hard under the sand. Maric rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so high maintenance.¡± 54%& Finished She didn¡¯t even pretend to help. She hadn¡¯t coddled Ste back then, and she wasn¡¯t about to ¡°MOUL LICIS She strode ahead without a second nce. Tessa pouted and climbed up as quickly as she could to catch up. ¡°Can I still sleep for those two hours?¡± For real, thest few days had been torture. If she got two hours of sleep a night, she was lucky -and that was on top of barely eating. And don¡¯t even get her started on the food. Spada Ind had nothing but fish. And she hated fish. Marie replied, ¡°Well, you¡¯re awake now. So no.¡± Tessa blinked. That was¡­ incredibly unfair. Marie suddenly stopped. Tessa, trailing behind, crashed right into her back. ¡°Mmgh¨Chey, what perfume is she wearing?¡± she muttered, then instantly regretted it. That scent mixing with her own sweat? Not the bestbo. But seriously¨Cwhy had Marie stopped so suddenly? Tessa frowned. ¡°What now? Got some brilliant torture idea again?¡± She¡¯d blurted it out before her brain could catch up. The worst kind of slip. Marie turned slowly, face darkening. Tessaughed nervously. ¡°I¨CI meant¡­ anything you¡¯d like to share?¡± Oh god She had definitely spent too much time around Victor¡¯s people. That whole loose¨Cmouth disease was contagious. Marie snorted coldly and turned toward the sea. In the distance, a crescent¨Cshaped mountain 12:46 Mon, 1 Sept Chapter 669 No Sympathy in Paradise curved around the coast, a hollow gap in the center. Marie pointed. ¡°See that mountain?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°Uh¨Chuh. You want me to move it?¡± Marie stared at her like she¡¯d just grown a second head. Was this girl serious? Move a mountain? What kind of caveman nonsense¨Cdid she think this was mythology? Finished Marie sighed. ¡°If you had that kind of strength, Star wouldn¡¯t need to call me to train you.¡± ¡°If you were really that tough, who in the Ashen Pact could stop you?¡± Tessa froze. Right¡­ that actually made sense. ¡°So what are we doing with the mountain?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re not moving it, then what?¡± Marie gave her another look¨Cone that clearly questioned whether her brain needed training [00. ¡°You¡¯re going to swim over there without any tools, then climb up from underneath.¡± ¡°What?! Swim there with no gear? That¡¯s so far! What if there are sharks?¡± She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the whale encounter a few days ago. That thing had scarred her soul. She was terrified of the open sea now. Marie tilted her head slightly. ¡°Sharks?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tessa nodded quickly, clearly still spooked. Real sharks. Death sharks. Sharks that eat people. Marie¡¯s lips curled into a calm, wicked smile. ¡°Then kill it.¡± Kill it Kill a shark? Was she serious? 12:46 Mon, 1 Sept A Chapter 669 No Sympathy in Paradise Was she seriously not joking? Tessa gawked. ¡°You want me to kill a shark?¡± Marie met her eyes. ¡°Do you dare?¡± Tessa gulped. ¡°Can I¡­ not?¡± 4.7K 12-46 Mon, 1 Sept The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 670 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 670 The Climb Ugh, that woman¡¯s brutal. 50% +8 Pearls Before Tessa could even react, Marie threw her straight into the sea. Tessa was done. Mentally, emotionallypletely done. ¡°When we left Spada Ind, two groups went ashore. One of them was your brother Dan¡¯s people.¡± Tessa muttered, ¡°He¡¯s not my brother.¡± How many times did she have to say it? That bastard wasn¡¯t her brother. Her mom had only ever given birth to one daughter¨Cher. Marie said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What you need to know is that they went there to kill you.¡± Tessa went quiet. Hearing it from Marie like that¡­ The swirling sense of danger suddenly felt a lot more real. Marie added, ¡°You don¡¯t have much time. Start swimming.¡± The moment she heard ¡°not much time,¡± Tessa gave in and started swimming toward the ind. Out on the sea, things looked close¨Cbut they were really, really far. The water was freezing. Salty. Fishy¡­ Tessa had lived infort her entire life. She had never suffered anything close to this. Sophia had someone bring over a chair for Marie, Marie sat down, and a ss of champagne was handed to her. Sophia looked toward Tessa in the distance and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s starting to shed her fear.¡± ¡°Her body¡¯s gotten tougher, but that brain still needs some training.¡± Sophia was stunned. How exactly were they supposed to train that? Some things were just inborn¨Chard to fix. Marie said, ¡°When shees back, ask if she knows how to use aputer.¡± Chapter 670 The Climb ¡°Alright.¡± Sophia now understood what Marie wanted to drill into Tessa. Going to the Ashen Pact was dangerous. 50% +8 Pearls But ultimately, the person Tessa would be going up against¡­ was someone from the Morris family. ¡°Mr. Victor sent Ss to Ashen Pact,¡± Sophia said after a moment, turning to Marie. Marie raised a brow. ¡°To find Diana?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Marie smiled. ¡°Well, that seals it. Tessa leaves here and she¡¯s officially enemies with Dan.¡± Tessa clearly held a special ce in Victor¡¯s heart. Sending Ss to Ashen Pact now¡­ It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Victor already knew Dan¡¯s people hadnded on Spada Ind¨Cand what they were nning to do. Thinking of Dan made Sophia feel indignant on Marie¡¯s behalf. ¡°The way Dan moves¡­ he doesn¡¯t hold back at all when ites to you.¡± If something happened to Tessa now¡­ Then no doubt about it¨CDiana would end up on the wrong side of the Dawson family. And Dan would¡¯ve screwed Marie over yet again. Only this time, he failed. Marie gave a coldugh. ¡°What bond do I have with him?¡± One of the reasons she agreed to Ste¡¯s request this time was because she knew Dan had taken control of the Ashen Paci And the sodium mine deal he snatched from her father back then¨CMarie had never let that
    1. go.
    That man used love as bait. And calcted everything. 214 Chapter 670 The Climb Someone like that didn¡¯t deserve to talk about loyalty or emotion. 04 3 50%? +8 Pearls Sophia said, ¡°Ashen Pact¡¯s already in chaos. Dale¡¯s n to hand it over to Manny haspletely fallen through.¡± Manny. That name caught Marie¡¯s interest. ¡°The Ashen Pact sure is riddled with internal drama.¡± Until recently, no one even knew Dan had a younger half¨Cbrother. Same dad, different mom. Manny. He was the one Dale raised like his real son. As for Dan¡­ and even Tessa¡­ in Dale¡¯s eyes, they meant nothing. Marie nced toward the shrinking head bobbing in the sea. ¡°Poor girl¡¯s got it rough.¡± Sophia followed Marie¡¯s gaze and nodded in agreement. Tessa really was unlucky. ¡°Getting a father like that? That¡¯s her curse.¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing well just by finding the courage to face it,¡± Marie said with a huff ofughter. Plenty of people in her shoes would¡¯ve ended up dead already¨Cno power to fight back at all. But Tessa had managed to stand up, relying on Victor and Ste¡¯swork. That alone was something. Sophia nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tessa didn¡¯t like adventure. Didn¡¯t like climbing. She used to be a pampered little princess back in Rivermount, just waiting every month for her mom¡¯s allowance toe in. And now¡­ After soaking in the ocean, she was dragging herself up a steep clitt From a distance, the mountain hadn¡¯t looked that tall. But standing here, she realized it was massive¡­ and there were barely any footholds. The curve of the cliff didn¡¯t help either. It was crescent¨Cshaped, and more than once, she¡¯d 13:01 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 670 The Climb climbed less than five meters before slipping right off. The sky grew darker. The sea breeze picked up¡­ It was cold. Bone¨Cchillingly cold. 2? ??, 50%_ +8 Pearls Tessa knew if she didn¡¯t make it to the top today, Marie wasn¡¯t going to send anyone to fetch her. Her body was drenched¨Csweat mixing with seawater. She kept climbing, and climbing¡­ By the time she reached the top, it was one in the morning, and her body waspletely drained. Just then, a helicopter hovered above her. 5.2K She Took 671 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 671 No Rest for the Wicked Marie¡¯s people came to retrieve her. ? ¡¢ ?? 50%} +8 Pearls Inside the wooden cabin on the ind, Marie was lounging in a ck silk robe while Tessa- filthy and utterly exhausted¨Cstumbled in and copsed right onto the floor. She was so tired her brain barely worked anymore. ¡°If I go out there and still can¡¯t beat Dan, I swear I¡¯ming for you,¡± Tessa grumbled. Marie raised a brow. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Beat Dan? Just how naive was this girl? That man had grown up inside the Ashen Pact, a ce where even your own blood couldn¡¯t be trusted. His entire life had been a knife¡¯s edge. And she thought she could beat him¨Cafter how long? A few weeks? Tessa said, ¡°I¡¯m worn out like a dog. I better end up with the skills to beat Dan after all this.¡± Marie chuckled but didn¡¯t say a word. And just like that, Tessa knew. She wasn¡¯t there yet. Of course she wasn¡¯t. She¡¯d barely started this kind of life. How could she even dream of beating someone like Dan? But damn, it had been hard. If there wasn¡¯t at least some reward for all this pain¡­ Marie said, ¡°Go take a shower.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength.¡± ¡°Then want me to bathe you?¡± Tessa went quiet. Honestly? Not a bad idea. She was so drained she could barely twitch a finger. Her whole body screamed for rest. She could¡¯ve just passed out right there on the floor. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept 50% +8 Pearls Chapter 671 No Rest for the Wicked And in the end¡­ Marie really did bathe her¨Croughly, but enough to wash the grime away. What kind of training is this? Marie thought. I¡¯ve basically adopted another princess, just as spoiled as Star. The second Tessa copsed onto the couch, she was already half¨Casleep. Then came a sharp sting on her leg. She screamed herself awake. ¡°Aaaaagh! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!¡± Marie was disinfecting her wounds. With alcohol, of course. Couldn¡¯t they just use iodine or something? The sting of alcohol on torn skin¡­ it was a special kind of hell. Tears welled in Tessa¡¯s eyes. ¡°It really hurts.¡± Marie said, ¡°If you don¡¯t take care of these wounds, an infection will be a lot worse.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we just use iodine?¡± ¡°We ran out.¡± Tessa went quiet. How could they be out of that? Isn¡¯t it something you always have on hand? Still¡­ whatever. She¡¯d deal with it. Marie was meticulous with her care. Once the disinfecting part was over and she started applying ointment, it didn¡¯t hurt as much. But watching Marie carefully wrap her wounds¡­ something in Tessa¡¯s chest ached. Her eyes stung. Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Marie asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re actually kind of nice.¡± If only she could show just a little of that kindness during training. Too bad she didn¡¯t. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 671 No Rest for the Wicked Every time training ended, Marie would clean her up with this kind of care. But during training? +8 Pearls If Tessa didn¡¯t hit every single target Marie had set, she could forget about getting even a minute¡¯s rest. Marie said, ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas. I¡¯m only doing this because of Star.¡± It was the truth. If Tessa went back looking too beat up, Star would cry nonstop. And Marie could handle a lot of things¨Cbut not Star¡¯s tears. Tessa¡¯s crying didn¡¯t do much. But Star¡¯s tears? Those could destroy her. ¡°And don¡¯t forget¨CDan¡¯s no easy target.¡± ¡°He¡¯s twisted, cold, ruthless. He¡¯s already decided you have to die.¡± Marie never had a kind word to say about Dan. Her opinion of him was just one long list of awful things. And she made sure Tessa heard every bit of it¨Cespecially on the days Tessa started to doubt herself. Tessa said, ¡°But I haven¡¯t done anything to him.¡± She hadn¡¯t gotten in anyone¡¯s way. Why were people already lining up to kill her? Marie said, ¡°Killing you means Victor and your mom can¡¯t team up. And your mom? She¡¯ll go after the Dawsons. That makes them new enemies.¡± ¡°Right now, only one of your mom or Dale can survive. If your mom wins, Dan¡¯s next.¡± So Dan was already nning ahead. He wanted Diana drowning in enemies¨Cso many she wouldn¡¯t even know where to start. Tessa asked, ¡°Then Victor and the Dawsons¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t die. Not only can¡¯t you die, you¡¯ve got to kill him first¡± No question about it¨CDan¡¯s schemes ran deep. Tessa went quiet. Chapter 671 No Rest for the Wicked Evil. He really was evil. +8 Pearls She¡¯d heard of families fighting over money before, but not one where they literally tried to kill each other. Now she¡¯d seen it firsthand. The next morning, Sophia yanked her out of bed forps. Unlike before, this time she was carrying weights on both legs. ¡°This ind¡¯s almost twice the size of thest one. Fiveps.¡± ¡°Five? Around this ind?¡± It was bigger than thest one. Her legs would be toast after this. Sophia nodded, dead serious. Tessa groaned, ¡°I want to train with a gun. Not run in circles.¡± She was fast enough already. No moreps. It was time for some real training. 5.2K W She Took 672 Chapter 672 Burned Skin and Sharp Instincts +8 Pearls Sophia instantly understood what Tessa was thinking the moment she opened her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate running. It could save your life when it matters most.¡± Being fast could be the difference between life and death. Tessa went quiet. Fine. Whatever. She knew that as long as Marie was the one giving orders, there was no use resisting. If she didn¡¯t finish, she might not even get fed. It was just¡­ a miserable life, The following week. Compared to her time on Spada Ind, Tessa¡¯s training now was on a whole different level¡ª several times harder. Once her physical condition improved, Marie added even more training sessions. She ran fiveps around the ind twice a day with weights strapped to her legs. Climbed that crescent¨Cshaped mountain twice a day. And in between? Cybeics, marksmanship, knifebat¡­ Everything she¡¯d never touched before¨Cshe was thrown right into. Her shooting had improved. A lot. She could hit an apple within three shots. Still, Marie wasn¡¯t satisfied. Half a month passed in a sh. Tessa had been with Marie for fifteen days, and the change in her¨Cfrom inside out¨Cwas huge. Especially her skin. Once pale and soft, it was now roasted and dark. She was fully locked into training mode now. No distractions. Noints. Meanwhile, the outside world had turned upside down. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 672 Burned Skin and Sharp Instincts 50% +8 Pearls Especially Dan. The second he found out Ss had gone to Ashen Pact¨Cdirectly to Diana¡¯s side¨Chis whole body radiated gloom. ¡°Victor¡¯s making it clear,¡± he muttered darkly. ¡°He¡¯s against me.¡± Conan replied, ¡°Mr. Victor must¡¯ve already found out that one of the teams on Spada Ind was ours.¡± That alone would¡¯ve been bad enough. But worse¨Cnothing they nned actually worked. For the past few days, Dan had been brooding, his presence cold and sharp. He lifted his ss and took a sip. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the long mother?¡± With Ss at Diana¡¯s side, Dale was under even more pressure. Conan said, ¡°She and the old man are tearing each other apart right now. They can¡¯t spare any focus on us.¡± Dan rubbed his temples. Yeah. For now. But Ss being with Diana meant he¡¯d definitely learn about Dan¡¯s men showing up on Spada Ind. Bottom line? Dan had moved toote. He hadn¡¯t known Ss was even there¨Clet alone that they¡¯d almost collided. He set down his ss. Dan raised his eyes, and the look in them was cold and dangerous. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Conan frowned. He didn¡¯t think this was the best time, Diana and Dale were at each other¡¯s throats. The entire ce was chaos. Dan gave a cold chuckle, ¡°Exactly. Now¡¯s perfect.¡± Chaos? With Victor stepping in, Ashen Pact was already a mess¨Cand that was just how Dan liked it. Conan saw his mind was made up and didn¡¯t argue. 214 13:02 Tue, 2 SeptDA Chapter 672 Burned Skin and Sharp Instincts ¡°I¡¯ll start arranging it. What about Ms. E?¡± E. She¡¯d been causing all kinds of problems ever since she started sticking to Dan. Dan¡¯s eyes shed with a trace of irritation. ¡°Bring her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She had toe. The Mint family was still useful to Dan. Q 50% +8 Pearls But just thinking about Marie gave him a headache. Especially when he remembered her marriage to Derrick. Back on the ind¡­ Tessa was training like usual. She ran faster, shot straighter. But her skin¡­ oh, her poor skin. After her shower, Tessa caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and let out a gasp. She touched her now¨Cdeeply¨Ctanned face and thought, How many skincare products would it take to fix this? Would she ever be fair again? What if she turned out just as dark as Marie? That thought alone made her want to cry. From outside the door came Sophia¡¯s voice. ¡°Tessa.¡± ¡°Sophia, I¡¯ll be right out.¡± ¡°Marie said you get half a day off today. Once you finish your shower, go rest.¡± ¡°R¨Creally?!¡± Her eyes sparkled. She¡¯d never realized just how precious half a day off could be. Now she understood. Sophia simply replied, ¡°Mm.¡± And walked off. Tessa, thrilled, headed straight for Marie¡¯s room. Marie was still asleep¨Cit was only eight in the morning. She¡¯d just finished her run and had nned to shower, eat, and move on to gun training. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 672 Burned Skin and Sharp Instincts But if Marie was actually giving her a break¡­ 50% +8 Pearls Then obviously she had to make the most of it. She grabbed all of Marie¡¯s skincare products and carted them back to her room in one go. Just as she walked in- Arge hand suddenly reached out from above. Tessa¡¯s reflexes kicked in immediately. She hurled the skincare bottles at the intruder and bolted without a second thought. No hesitation. Fling and flee. 5.2K She Took 673 Chapter 673 Taken 50% +8 Pearls But before Tessa could even take a step, a firm hand grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her straight back into the room. Tessa was stunned. She didn¡¯t hesitate¨Cshe fought back with everything she had, fists flying as she opened her mouth to scream for help. But the words never came out. Before she could evennd a single hit, her attacker had already locked her in a firm embrace, onerge palm mping down over her mouth. The familiar scent stopped her brain cold for a second. She knew who it was¡­ The man behind her exhaled warmly near the top of her head. ¡°So you¡¯ve got skills now? Even tried to fight me?¡± Victor¡¯s low, husky voice reached her ears¨Cand every muscle in her body rxed. He let her go. Tessa turned around. The moment she saw him¨Cafter almost twenty days apart¨Cher eyes welled up without warning. Tears instantly made her gaze look pitiful and fragile. ¡°Victor,¡± she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. And Victor¨Cseeing those shimmering, tear¨Cfilled eyes¨Cfelt¨Cthat strange pressure in his chest surge again. A voice inside him screamed: Hold her. Kiss her. Kiss her hard. But before he could even move- Tessa threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his lean waist, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a wronged kitten In that moment Victor froze. The fire that had been burning in him for over half a month erupted all at once, like a volcano breaking open. Chapter 673 Taken His kiss crashed down like a wave. +8 Pearls Tessa was caught up in a whirlwind, pinned against him as he kissed her without restraint. The air in the room turned hot¨Cblistering. All the emotions Victor had held back for over two weeks exploded. Even someone as self- controlled as him lost all sense of restraint¡­ Marie slept inte that morning¨Cuntil ten. She hadn¡¯t just trained Tessa into the ground for half a month. She¡¯d gone through hell right alongside her. ¡°Marie! Marie!¡± In the hazy fog of sleep, Marie was being shaken awake by Sophia. She cracked her eyes open, groggy. ¡°Mm? What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem.¡± Marie went quiet. Her eyes snapped open, and thest traces of sleep vanished. She flipped out of bed, still tangled in her silk robe, and went straight to the door. Sophia stood outside with a grave look on her face. Marie asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Tessa¡¯s been taken.¡± Marie froze. ¡°What?¡± Taken? Seriously? That couldn¡¯t be real. Who would be that reckless¨Cor that skilled¨Cto kidnap someone on her turf? ¡°You sure she didn¡¯t sneak out or head off for more training?¡± Sophia said, ¡°No. And it looks like something big happened.¡± 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 673 Taken Marie went quiet. Looks like? Something big? +8 Pearls As soon as she heard that, her mind practically short¨Ccircuited. She rushed toward Tessa¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t far¨Cright next door. Standing in the doorway, she took in the scene: The whole room was a mess. Tessa¡¯s torn training uniformy in a heap on the floor. And the bedpletely wrecked. Marie sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°What the hell happened in here?¡± Assault? Kidnapping? No way. It was right next door. How deep had she been sleeping not to hear a thing? She turned to Sophia in disbelief. Sophia¡¯s expression was just as grim. ¡°If things went the way they look, we¡¯re screwed.¡± Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Damn right we¡¯re screwed.¡± If Victor found out about this, she¡¯d be hunted down across the globe. Even her brother wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her. It was over. How the hell was she supposed to exin this to Victor? Marie¡¯s brain was totally fried. She shouted, ¡°Who did it?!¡± ¡°No idea. There¡¯s no trace of thein anywhere on the ind.¡± Sophia¡¯s tone was heavy.. She¡¯d already searched every inch. Checked every possible entry and exit point. Nothing. Marie growled, ¡°Was it that bastard Dan?¡± Sophia went quiet. Chapter 673 Taken Dan? If so¡­ then they were even more screwed. ¡°Is there any chance it was Mr. Victor?¡± she asked hesitantly. 64.50%2 ? +8 Pearls Marie frowned. ¡°If it were Victor, he wouldn¡¯t hide it. He¡¯d just show up and take her.¡± ¡°If he¡¯d found her and brought her back, he would¡¯ve told me.¡± She trusted Victor. Completely. Hearing that, Sophia nodded. Yeah, that made sense. Victor had no reason to sneak around. He¡¯d take Tessa openly. Marie¡¯s brain was fried. She clenched her teeth. ¡°If it was that son of a bitch Dan, I¡¯m gonna skin him alive.¡± She was fuming. Tessa wasn¡¯t even done with training yet. And if someone had taken her without a sound¨Cthen clearly, she still wasn¡¯t anywhere near ready. Tessa was gone. 5.2K W She Took 674 Chapter 674 me the Brother Marie was visibly panicking now. 0¡¢ ? ? 50% +8 Pearls She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Dan¡¯s number¨Conce, twice, three times¡­. No answer. She and Sophia locked eyes. The more Dan refused to pick up, the more certain they became it had to be him. He was the one who took Tessa. Marie was furious. ¡°Find him. Right now. I want that bastard¡¯s location. I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± He had the nerve to steal someone right under her nose? Storming back into her room, she threw on clothes at lightning speed. Sophia followed after her. ¡°And what about Mr. Victor? How are we supposed to exin this to him?¡± It was obvious¨Cif Marie went straight to Dan, Victor would know Tessa was missing. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Marie¡¯s head throbbed. Right. How was she supposed to exin this to Victor? ¡°And if Tessa really did fall into Dan¡¯s hands, she might already be¡­¡± Sophia trailed off, but Marie caught her meaning instantly. There was a chance Tessa was already¡­ gone? ¡°Shit, we¡¯re totally screwed.¡± If she was dead, this wasn¡¯t just a crisis¨Cit was a full¨Cblown disaster. Marie was angrier than ever. All she wanted was to find Dan and twist his head off to hand over to Victor. Tessa was gone. And Marie was absolutely convinced Dan had taken her, Furious, she left the ind that very night. Before leaving, she ordered another full sweep of the ce¡ªjust in case someone had dumped Tessa¡¯s body somewhere nearby. No sign of her. On the road, Sophia reported that Dan had already returned to Ashen Pact. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 674 me the Brother 50% +8 Pearls Marie didn¡¯t think twice. She was sure Dan had sent someone to take Tessa. On the ne¡­ Marie¡¯s face twisted in disgust. ¡°Does he have someone really powerful¨Cand totally shameless -under hismand?¡± Because the state they¡¯d found Tessa¡¯s room in¡­ it clearly suggested something had happened. Something unspeakable. Sophia paused, then answered with two words: ¡°Plenty.¡± She listed several names. All vicious, vile types. Some had even been used of abducting and assaulting women. Marie felt her soul leave her body. Right. In a ce like Ashen Pact, things had only stayed somewhat decent when the previous female leader was in power. But after she left? The whole ce had turned into a nightmare. Because the people inside¡­ they had no shame. Marie clenched her fists. ¡°That bastard¨Cshe¡¯s his sister!¡± Public records listed Dan as Tessa¡¯s younger brother, but judging by how old he looked, Marie was sure he had to be the older one. Tessa was barely more than a kid. ¡°What would he even gain from doing this?¡± Marie was boiling. What gain, indeed? Sophia thought about it, then said, ¡°If I had to guess¡­ he probably ns to pin this all on you.¡± Marie froze. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. ¡°He¡¯s trying to frame me?!¡± Marie exploded. That bastard Dan hadn¡¯t screwed her over enough? If he pinned this on her¡­.. Then Diana would never let her go. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 674 me the Brother *6 Pearls Not only would Marie be ruined, but Diana would also turn against the Dawson family. No question¨CDan¡¯s n was downright evil. Marie¡¯s chest hurt from sheer rage. Sophia asked, ¡°Should we try to find out which of his men did it?¡± Marie spat, ¡°Find what? I¡¯m going to rip his damn head off¡± Whoever did it¨Cit didn¡¯t matter. They all worked for that bastard Dan anyway, And Diana? She wasn¡¯t someone to underestimate either. To have once been the most respected ruler of Ashen Pact¨Cshe had to be terrifying, Making her an enemy of the Dawson family was no small deal. Marie¡¯s eyes shed cold. ¡°That bastard has to die.¡± Sophia fell silent. That bastard who had to die¡­ Dan? Honestly, she agreed. Marie hadid out the stakes perfectly. Dan had targeted Tessa just to get to Marie. And Marie¨Cshe had no choice now. She¡¯d have to sever all past ties and give Diana Dan¡¯s head as payment. After all, Tessa disappeared under her watch. Just like that, in the span of a few frantic moments¡­ Marie and Sophia¡¯s wild theories had fully convinced them that Dan was behind it all. As for Victor? They hadn¡¯t suspected him for even a second. Once Marie finished mentally rehearsing how to exin this to Diana¡­ she finally remembered Victor. ¡°What about Victor?¡± she muttered. The only woman Victor had ever been willing to negotiate over¨Cthat said everything about how much Tessa meant to him. Thinking of Victor made Sophia recall how relentlessly he¡¯d been chasing them down these past few weeks. 13:02 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 674 me the Brother ??3 50%? +8 Pearls She nced anxiously at Maric. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe we should have Mr. Abraham go talk to him?¡± 5.2K ? J She Took 675 Chapter 675 Worst¨CCase Scenario There was no way Marie could face Victor herself. Marie was stunned. Send Abraham? 3 49% +8 Pearls The thought of her brother¡¯s temper made her wince¨Cbut Sophia was right. If anyone could deal with Victor right now, it was Abraham. She dialed him immediately. Abraham had been enjoying a rare stretch of peace. Ever since Victor had started tailing Derrick, he hadn¡¯t shown up at the Dawson estate once. So when Marie¡¯s call came through, Abraham was surprised. ¡°Already surfacing? That¡¯s fast.¡± He¡¯d expected her to lie low longer. When he took Ste away, she¡¯d stayed hidden for over a month. Tessa? Barely twenty days. Marie¡¯s voice was tense. ¡°It¡¯s bad.¡± Abraham went quiet. Ste, nearby, was trimming thorns off a rose stem. But the second she heard Marie¡¯s tone, her hand slipped¨Cand the thorn sliced her finger. She hissed in pain, dropping the scissors to check her wound, only for Abraham¡¯srge hand to grab her wrist. A bead of blood welled up on her fingertip. Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. He turned on the speakerphone, set the phone down, and gestured to the butler nearby. The butler nodded and hurried off to get the first aid kit. While disinfecting Ste¡¯s finger, Abraham¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tessa,¡± Abraham went silent. Ste froze too. The moment Marie mentioned Tessa, the hand Abraham held stiffened slightly. 13:02 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 675 Worst¨CCase Scenario Clearly, Ste was panicking. 49% +8 Pearls Abraham frowned and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as the butler returned with the kit. He cleaned the cut carefully, irritation growing in his voice. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She was taken. Bro, I swear, this is serious. I don¡¯t even know how to face Victor anymore. When he finds out, he¡¯s going to hunt me down.¡± Marie knew exactly what Victor was like. Sure, he¡¯d been working with Abraham all these years, but everyone knew how calcting he was. And once he turned on someone, he was like a venomous snake¨Cimpossible to shake off. The reason he¡¯d stayed loyal was because Abraham gave him what he needed. But this was different. Tessa was clearly his soft spot¨Chis one bottom line. And something had happened to her¡­ under Marie¡¯s watch. Marie felt her scalp go numb. Ste¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°W¨Cwhat kind of serious? The second she heard Marie¡¯s worried tone, herposure cracked. ¡°Star?¡± ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Marie faltered. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it: that Tessa might¡¯ve been assaulted and killed by Dan¡¯s people. Ste cherished that best friend. She couldn¡¯t risk traumatizing her. ¡°Just tell me!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Marie stammered, throat dry. Abraham nced at Ste. Their eyes met, and Ste gripped his hand tightly. The panic in her eyes said it all¨Cif she didn¡¯t get an answer, her imagination would only make things worse. 214 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 675 Worst Case Scenario Abraham frowned deeply. His voice over the phone turned cold. ¡°Speak.¡± One word. Harsh and unforgiving. ? ? ?, 49%> +8 Pearls Marie swallowed hard. ¡°She might¡¯ve been¡­ taken by Dan¡¯s people, and¡­ assaulted¡­ then killed.¡± Silence. Abraham didn¡¯t move. Ste didn¡¯t blink. The room fell into a vacuum of shock. Ice spread from Abraham¡¯s body like a storm. ¡°Under your care¨Ctaken by Dan¡¯s people and what? Are you joking, Marie?¡°. ¡°I¨CI¡­ I don¡¯t know what else to think,¡± she stammered. That wrecked room, those torn clothes¨Cit had looked like the worst possible oue. ¡°I just¡ªif we¡¯re lucky, maybe it¡¯s not that bad, but¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. But if Tessa really was in Dan¡¯s hands¡­ then what good oue could there possibly be? After that call- Ste copsed emotionally. She couldn¡¯t believe things hade to this. In her heart, Marie had always been reliable. And now¡­ After hanging up, Abraham focused all his energy on calming her down. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It might not be as bad as it looks.¡± He pulled Ste into hisp. She looked up at him, eyes wide and teary She couldn¡¯t speak, ¡°Star.¡± ¡°I just wanted to help Tessa,¡± she whispered. And now, it felt like they¡¯d thrown her into a den of wolves. If she didn¡¯t have the strength to protect herself, there was no way she could survive Ashen Chapter 675 Worst¨CCase Scenario Pact. Especially not now. 49% +8 Pearls Diana¡¯s enemies were everywhere. Half of Ashen Pact was against her. Dale. Dan. The rest¡­ who knew? ºÏ 5.2K She Took 676 13:03 Tue, 2 SeptA The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 676 Blood, Power, and Panic With a mother like Diana, Tessa could no longer stay out of the fray. 49% +8 Pearls All Ste had wanted was to give her friend the ability to protect herself¨Cbut now things had spiraled out of control. As Abraham gently applied a bandage to her finger, he asked, ¡°You really think Dan would kill her right now?¡± His voice was calm, steady¡ªas if he¡¯d already seen the entire board. Ste blinked in confusion. Back in Rivermount, without Abraham around, she had always relied on her own judgment. She¡¯d gotten used to solving problems by herself. But this¡­ this feeling of fear and helplessness¨Conly Abraham could shake her like this. When she didn¡¯t respond, he pinched her nose affectionately. ¡°Diana only returned to Ashen Pact because Dan¡¯s people kidnapped her.¡± Yes¨Ckidnapped. If it were up to Diana, she never would¡¯ve gone back. She¡¯d made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with Ashen Pact. But Dan had shattered that peace. ¡°He brought her back to get rid of Dale and Manny¨Cusing her hands.¡± Dale loved Diana too much. Loved her enough to want everything he had to go to her child. The reason he hadn¡¯t moved against Dan before? Simply put¨CManny hadn¡¯t been ready. He wasn¡¯t mature enough to stand at the top. And back then, Ashen Pact had been an utter mess. Putting Manny in charge would¡¯ve been a death sentence. Dan had been like Diana once¨Cnothing more than a shield, a pawn used to absorb all the risk. Now Ashen Pact had been stabilized, and Dale wanted to yank power out of Dan¡¯s hands and pass the crown to Manny, now that the road was paved. And Dan? There was no way he¡¯d just let that happen. 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 676 Blood, Power, and Panic So he brought Diana back. Ste was stunned. b&3 49%= +8 Pearls Hearing Abraham break it down like that made her realize just how brutal these family ties. were. Fathers who wanted their sons dead. Sons who schemed against fathers and brothers. They would do anything for power. ¡°But¡­ are you sure Tessa¡¯s really safe?¡± she asked, still unsure. Abraham replied, ¡°Right now, Dale and Manny are Diana¡¯s targets. Do you think Dan would risk hurting Tessa?¡± Of course not. If anything happened to Tessa now, Diana would turn all her fury on Dan instead of Dale. Ashen Pact was a swamp. The fact that Dan had managed to bnce so many factions meant he wasn¡¯t an idiot. Ste still frowned. ¡°Then why take her from Marie now?¡± If Dale and Diana were at odds, wouldn¡¯t it be smarter for Dan to sit back and watch? Why take Tessa? ¡°Probably because something¡¯s changed between Dale and Diana,¡± Abraham said. After all, they had once been husband and wife. ¡°And Tessa¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll be fine, okay?¡± Abraham soothed her gently. And with his analysis, Ste finally rxed¨Cat least a little. After all, no matter what, the one person she trusted most was Abraham. If he said Tessa was safe¡­ then she would believe it. 13:03 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 676 Blood, Power, and Panic While Ste wasforted¡­ 49% +8 Pearls Marie, on the other hand, was in full¨Cblown crisis mode. An hourter, she got a return call from Abraham. At that point, all her usual swagger was gone. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± she whimpered, voice full of guilt. Like a kid who¡¯d caused trouble and now needed her big brother to clean up the mess. Because this time, she¡¯d angered Victor. And the woman involved¡­ was the first he¡¯d ever truly fallen for. Marie knew exactly how serious this was. Abraham¡¯s tone was low and scolding. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that in front of Star again.¡± Now the girl was emotional and panicked during her pregnancy, and he¡¯d had to calm her down for ages. Marie muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to say it¡­ You¡¯re the one who told me to.¡± She had stopped when she heard Ste¡¯s voice. It was Abraham who insisted she say it. He grunted in disapproval. Marie pouted. ¡°You think Victor¡¯s going to tear me apart?¡± She was terrified of Victor. That man, when provoked, was ten times more dangerous than Derrick. He¡¯d helped Abraham crush countless uprisings over the years. His methods were legendary. Even as Abraham¡¯s sister, Marie had never dared to provoke Victor. Abraham¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Now you¡¯re scared?¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know Tessa meant that much to him?¡± Back when she tested the waters, Victor had been willing to give up everything for Tessa. 5.2K She Took 677 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 677 A Knife Named Tessa He was willing to give her everything¡­ That alone showed how much Tessa meant to Victor. @.49% +8 Pearls For the first time, the old man had fallen¨Cand hard. He was in love,pletely and dangerously in love. And right when things were heating up¡­ Marie lost her. No wonder the consequences were terrifying. Abraham asked, ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m headed to Ashen Pact to settle things with that bastard Dan. If Tessa¡¯s still alive, I¡¯m taking her back. If she¡¯s dead¨CI¡¯ll kill Dan and give Victor his head.¡± Abraham went quiet. She wanted to snatch someone from Dan? Ashen Pact was already on the verge of exploding. Diana and Dale were at each other¡¯s throats, and now Marie wanted to throw herself into that mess to fight Dan? ¡°Tessa isn¡¯t dead,¡± Abraham said calmly. Marie blinked. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°If she was, Dan would already be facing the wrath of all of Ashen Pact.¡± Wait¡­ That¡¯s¡­ true? Her birth mother. Her half¨Cbrother. Her stepmother. All of them would turn against Dan. He¡¯d be finished. Her brother really did see everything clearly. Leave it to Abraham to say the one sentence that helped her braine back online, She¡¯d been too shocked and frazzled to think. But now, hearing Abraham¡¯s analysis, her heart finally began to settle. ¡°I¡¯m still going,¡± she muttered darkly. ¡°I¡¯m bringing her back before Victor finds out.¡± And maybe, if the opportunity came, she¡¯d snap Dan¡¯s neck along the way. 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 677 A Knife Named Tessa ???? 49%? +8 Pearls Meanwhile, Derrick had only just found out that Victor¡¯s man, Ss, had gone to help Diana. The news gave him a rare flicker of satisfaction. But that good mood didn¡¯tst. The next moment, word came that Marie was storming off to Ashen Pact to confront Dan. Kale delivered the update while Sebastian sat nearby. Derrick frowned. ¡°She¡¯s going to Ashen Pact? For what?¡± All they knew was that Marie was going to find Dan. But why, Kale didn¡¯t know. ¡°Probably to beat the hell out of him?¡± Kale guessed. ¡°What else would she do? Their rtionship was ruined years ago. Can¡¯t imagine she¡¯s going there for a friendly chat.¡± At this point, everyone¡¯s first thought when hearing ¡°Marie is going to find Dan¡± was the same: Dan¡¯s getting his ass kicked again. Derrick was silent. Sebastian was silent. She was training Tessa, wasn¡¯t she? That girl was meant to be their de¨Csharpened and aimed at Dan. Why risk ruining that? So why now? Sebastian frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­ she¡¯s pregnant?¡± The room went still. Derrick said nothing. Kale looked stunned. Sebastian rubbed his neck awkwardly. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s possible, right? It¡¯s been over a month since Spirit Pub. This would be about the time she¡¯d find out.¡± Derrick¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°It was only once. You sure?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Some people are fertile. Once is enough. And Marie¡¯s healthy.¡± He added, ¡°And her hips don¡¯t lie.¡± That was it. Smack! 718 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 677 A Knife Named Tessa Derrick pped the back of his head so hard it rang. 64 49% +8 Pearls Sebastian winced, staring at him in disbelief. ¡°What was that for?!¡± ¡°Say something disrespectful again and I¡¯ll rip your tongue out.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡± Sebastian looked wronged. He always respected Marie. Who would dare not to? Derrick shot him a re that said you figure it out, then said nothing more. Still, when Sebastian mentioned Marie¡¯s strong body, something flickered in Derrick¡¯s eyes. A strange, unfamiliar emotion. Expectation. He found himself breathing unsteadily for a moment. Expectation? Did he¡­ actually want to have a child with Maric? Dammit. What the hell was happening to him? Sebastian grimaced. ¡°Dan¡¯s about to be the scapegoat of the year.¡± If Marie thought the baby was Dan¡¯s, then yeah¨Cshe¡¯d kill him without hesitation. Not just because of what he¡¯d done in the past, but also because of the Ashen Pact¨Csodium mine debacle. Dan had always been a thorn in her side¨Cher sworn enemy. And now, if she believed she was pregnant with his child? He was as good as dead. Sebastian¡¯s real worry now was what if Maric one day found out the truth? That the baby wasn¡¯t Dan¡¯s, but Derrick¡¯s? What would happen to the rest of them? He sighed. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Marie trust you, anyway?¡± he asked Derrick softly. 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A She Took 678 Chapter 678 Misunderstandings and Milbar Mayhem Sebastian looked absolutely miserable. +8 Pearls Back when Derrick had decided to confess, he, Ashley, and Drax had all braced themselves for the storm. They were ready¨Cmentally, emotionally¡ªto face death. They¡¯d expected Marie to explode, to burn them all alive. But¡­ nothing happened. Instead, she t¨Cout refused to believe Derrick was involved at all. When Derrick heard Sebastian mutter, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she believe you?¡°, his face turned dark. Why? Because that woman didn¡¯t think he had the guts. Of course, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud in front of Sebastian. All he said was, voice cold, ¡°You sure she¡¯s pregnant?¡± Sebastian: ¡°Why else would she be going after Dan right now?¡± Derrick was stunned. Right. If it weren¡¯t something serious, she¡¯d never have bothered. He asked, ¡°Are you sure she didn¡¯t take anything afterward?¡± Contraceptives. Sebastian said, ¡°She was fuming. Punching Dan, bashing E¨Cwhen would she have had time to take a pill?¡± She¡¯d been too busy throwing fists and rage to think about birth control. Derrick thought about it. Made sense. He turned to Kale. ¡°We¡¯re going to Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t go now and she loses the baby, then what? You know her temper.¡± Just thinking about Marie¡¯s temper gave Derrick a headache. If she really was pregnant and still went off to fight Dan, her emotions alone could cause a miscarriage. Sebastian went quiet. 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 678 Misunderstandings and Milbar Mayhem Miscarriage? What the hell¨CDerrick wanted the baby? Seriously? Marie didn¡¯t seem like the ¡°have a baby and settle down¡± type. +8 Pearls Marie arrived at Ashen Pact¡¯s territory. The moment her ne touched down, her phone rang. It was Derrick. Seeing his name made her pause. As much as their marriage was a business deal, they were legally married. And she wasn¡¯t the kind to treat even a transaction lightly. She¡¯d never meant to create drama inside the marriage¡­ but well¡­ Feeling a little guilty, she answered, ¡°Derrick.¡± Her voice was softer than usual¨Cdefinitely nothing like the one she used when yelling at Dan. Derrick asked directly, ¡°You¡¯re going after Dan?¡± She¡¯d been MIA for nearly twenty days, and the moment she surfaced, she was on her way to beat Dan half to death: Clearly, she hated his guts. ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know?¡± she replied, her voiceced with venom. Just saying Dan¡¯s name made her want to snap his neck. Derrick said tly, ¡°Don¡¯t go. The baby¡¯s mine.¡± Marie blinked. Huh? What was he talking about? Clearly, Derrick had spiraled into his own fantasy analysis and assumed¨Cjust like her¨Cthat she was pregnant and going after Dan because she thought it was his. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Whatever guilt she had instantly turned to annoyance. ¡°I said, the baby¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant, you idiot! Who told you that nonsense¨Cwas it Sebastian? Rip his damn lips 2/4 13:03 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 678 Misunderstandings and Milbar Mayhem off.¡± +8 Pearls That loudmouth! He was as bad as Eddie. Useless at everything except talking crap. Right beside Derrick, Sebastian clutched his face protectively when he heard her say that. This woman¡¯s terrifying. Seriously, she wasn¡¯t just ¡°tough¡°-she had zero resemnce to your typical woman. She was a full¨Con war machine. Derrick gave Sebastian a side¨Ceye sharp enough to kill. Sebastian felt wronged and clutched his face even harder. Derrick was so annoyed, he didn¡¯t even bother responding. He just turned away. Marie added, ¡°You know what? Send him to stay with Eddie. He¡¯s in Milbar Desert right now- maybe his mouth¡¯s finally dried up and his brain cleared out.¡± The second Sebastian heard ¡°Milbar Desert,¡± he cursed her in his heart. Poisonous witch. Only a monster like Marie would suggest something like that. Derrick calmly replied, ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Sebastian panicked instantly. Milbar Desert wasn¡¯t a ce for people¨Cit was hell on earth. He wasn¡¯t going there, no way! Eddie had been stuck out there for weeks and was practically losing his mind. Watching Sebastian¡¯s exaggerated panic, Derrick ignored him and returned to the call. ¡°If you¡¯re not pregnant, then why are you going after Dan?¡± ¡°He stole Tessa! Derrick, I¡¯m telling you this shameless bastard tried to set me up again!¡± Her whole body was boiling with rage. Maniption, Sabotage. That¡¯s all Dan ever did¨Cscheming every chance he got to bring her down. After hanging up, Marie rushed full speed toward Ashen Pact. Meanwhile, Derrick¡­ His face had turned into a mix of emotions even he didn¡¯t know how to describe. 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A She Took 679 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 679 me Game ¡°Dan took Tessa?¡± ¡°No way.¡± 49% +8 Pearls Dan stealing Tessa now? That didn¡¯t line up with his previous strategies at all. What had all those earlier moves even meant, then? Derrick narrowed his eyes. There was a strange emptiness growing in his chest. Sebastian asked, ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re still going to Ashen Pact?¡± ¡°Of course we are.¡± No question. ¡°And keep looking for Tessa in secret,¡± Derrick added. ¡°Make sure to avoid Victor¡¯s people.¡± Thest thing he wanted was for Victor to find out about this mess¨Cespecially if they weren¡¯tpletely sure what had happened yet. Just like that, Derrick¡¯s entire train of thought got hijacked by Marie¡¯s panic. He, too, became convinced that Dan had taken Tessa to set up Marie. Kale nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He headed off to make arrangements. Once it was just Derrick and Sebastian left, Derrick tapped his fingers against the armrest in a steady rhythm. Sebastian muttered, ¡°This is a mess, huh?¡± It hadn¡¯t hit him earlier. But now that Derrick had ordered Kale to start searching for Tessa, Sebastian began to realize how tangled this really was. Tessa disappeared while in Marie¡¯s care¨Callegedly stolen by Dan. If this blew up, and no hard proof pointed to Dan, then Diana woulde for Marie. So would Victor. Derrick closed his eyes briefly. ¡°Yeah. A real mess.¡± Sebastian asked, ¡°Why did she even bother with this? Now there¡¯s no good way to exin it.¡± Chapter 679 me Game Derrick scoffed. ¡°What do you think? That precious little sister of hers, obviously.¡± Tessa was Ste¡¯s best friend. If Ste hadn¡¯t asked, Marie would¡¯ve never gotten involved. Thinking of how much Marie doted on Ste, Sebastian wisely shut up. But something didn¡¯t sit right with him. Derrick¡­ was cleaning up Marie¡¯s mess? That wasn¡¯t like him. In the past, if something blew up around Marie, Derrick wouldn¡¯t even nce at it. +8 Pearts So Derrick, too, boarded a ne for Ashen Pact. And just like Marie, he never once suspected that Tessa might¡¯ve been taken by Victor. Back when the whole Spirit Pub debacle happened, Marie had unterally med Dan. Now, this time, Derrick and Marie were both pointing fingers at Dan. Derrick had people searching inside Ashen Pact¨Cclearly convinced Dan was behind it all. On the ne¡­ Sebastian muttered, ¡°If this goes wrong, Tessa¡¯s mom might take on the entire Morris family alone.¡± If she found out Dan had taken Tessa? Then she¡¯d go scorched earth on the whole family. Derrick chuckled. ¡°Good.¡± At this point, whether Dan was guilty or not didn¡¯t even matter. ¡°Figure out a way to leak it to Victor,¡± Derrick added, ¡°and make sure all his anger goes straight to Dan.¡± Sebastian blinked. ¡°Pin it on Dan?¡± ¡°What¡ªyou want Victor banging on your sister¨Cinw¡¯s door demanding answers? Think 13:03 Tue, 2 Sept A Chapter 679 me Game anyone¡¯s giving her back?¡± The girl was gone. Might as well point Victor toward Dan, let him take the heat. Sebastian didn¡¯t respond. Yup. Dan was going to take the fall. Again. Lately, Dan had be the go¨Cto scapegoat for everything. And now, apparently, he¡¯d have to shoulder the me for losing Tessa too.
    1. 49%?
    +8 Pearls Sebastian had serious doubts. Taking Tessa now made zero sense for Dan. It would only hurt him. Marie finally arrived at Ashen Pact¡¯s capital¨CNoctarth. She¡¯d been here before, back when she was trying to w back the sodium mine contract Dan had snatched. The moment she stepped off the ne, Dan got the alert. He stubbed out his cigar and asked coldly, ¡°Wha doing here?¡± Though his face stayed mostly unreadable in the dim light of the study, the air around him turned razor sharp. Conan, standing nearby, tensed instinctively. ¡°Not sure yet. But she brought Sophia. They¡¯re already tracking your location.¡± Sophia¨CMarie¡¯s personal intelligence specialist. She was infamous for tracking down Yalvoria¡¯s president in under an hour¡­ and selling his whereabouts to his enemies at a sky¨Chigh price, If she wanted to find you, there was nowhere to hide. Dan raised a brow. ¡°She¡¯s looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Conan said gravely. No doubt about it. Why else would she have Sophia locking on his coordinates? Dan¡¯s eyes lowered slightly. 13.03 Tue, 2 Sept Chapter 679 me Game 49% D+B Pearls The air around him chilled further. He thought back to thest time he and Marie shed¨Cin Falvaria¡¯s capital. He exhaled slowly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she with Diana¡¯s daughter?¡± Conan replied, ¡°We don¡¯t know what her goal is yet.¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°Airport¡± She Took 680 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 680 The Trap ¡°Give her my location.¡± Conan hesitated. ¡°But she¡­¡±
    ? ???, 49% +8 Pearls Right now, Marie was like a madwoman when it came to Dan¨Cevery meeting turned into a brawl, and she always went for blood. She wasn¡¯t worth seeing. Not like this. Dan lifted his gaze slightly, eyes sharp and icy. One look was all it took to shut Conan up. Whatever protests he had died in his throat. He went off to pass the message. Left alone, Dan sat quietly as a tide of emotion flickered in his dark eyes. ¡°She came in person¡­ good.¡± Whatever her reasons, he didn¡¯t care. All he knew was, if Marie didn¡¯te to him now, there might not be another chance to see her for a long time. Just thinking of the fury she always brought with hertely, Dan rose from his seat and walked to a nearby cab. He opened it and pulled out a small box¨Cinside were sticks of incense. He chose one, lit it, and set it into a carved peacock¨Cshaped burner. Then he returned to his desk and, from the drawer, took out a small bottle of pills. He swallowed one. It didn¡¯t take long for Marie to receive Dan¡¯s exact location. She charged over immediately. Sophia raised a pair of binocrs to survey the area surrounding the castle. ¡°No guards?¡± Seriously? With Ashen Pact in such chaos, Dan had no one stationed around his castle? 13:04 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 680 The Trap 49% +8 Pearls That alone reeked of a trap. Marie, hearing this, smirked. She strode forward without a care. ¡°Rx. He knows I¡¯m here for him.¡± Clearly, she hadn¡¯t beaten him hard enoughst time. Why else would he dare use her again? Marie snuck into the castle. No one tried to stop her. Not even once. When she found Dan, he was exactly where she expected him¨Cin the study. The air was thick with scented smoke the moment she stepped inside. Marie wrinkled her nose in disgust. Seriously? Still with the incense? Smells like death in here. Then she met his eyes¨Csharp, predatory, unreadable. Dan sat casually behind the desk. Seeing her, he gave a faint smile. ¡°You chased me all the way here? What now¨Ctrying to pin another-¡± Before the word me even left his mouth, Marieunched herself at the desk. One swift kick aimed straight at his face. She was savage. Vicious. Dan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Marie.¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± All her fury from the past few days surged forward at once. She couldn¡¯t even see straight. But this time, Dan wasn¡¯t caught off guard. He spun his wheeled chair back just in time to dodge her full¨Cforce kick. Marie was livid. She lunged. ¡°Where¡¯s Tessa? Where the hell did you hide her?¡± Just saying Tessa¡¯s name made her angrier. She went at him even harder. But Dan was ready. 214 13:04 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 680 The Trap ? 3, 49% > ? +8 Pearls This wasn¡¯t likest time. He knew Marie was out for blood now¨Che wasn¡¯t about to just let her beat him to a pulp again. He fought back, blocking her blows with equal force. ¡°Tessa¡¯s missing?¡± Dan¡¯s voice dropped cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t take her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still denying it?¡± Marie shouted, heart pounding with rage. She threw punch after punch, each one heavier than thest. Even prepared, Dan took several hard hits. The bruises on his face that had just healed began to swell again. But as she kept fighting, Marie¡¯s body suddenly felt¡­ off. She was still angry¨Cbut her strength was draining, her head growing heavy. Her limbs lost power fast. Within minutes, Dan had her pinned against the desk. ¡°Enough,¡± he growled. ¡°I told you¨CI didn¡¯t take her Marie pped at him, grabbing his cor. ¡°If not you, then who?!¡± Aside from Dan, no one else in this world had schemed against her like this. Their breath tangled in the space between them. Dan¡¯s brows twitched. The sensation under his palm wasn¡¯t right. His breath hitched. Marie¡¯s re turned even fiercer. ¡°Where the hell are your hands going, scumbag?¡± She grabbed his wrist and twisted¨Chard. Crack. Dan flinched and immediately shoved her off the desk. His eyes zed with heat and fury, Marie tumbled down, fast as lightning, but the moment her feet hit the floor- Her strength vanished. She copsed to the ground. Her hands hit the cold floor, first, holding her weight. But her body feltpletely wrong. She red up at Dan with venom. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± 13:04 Tue, 2 SeptA Chapter 680 The Trap She¡¯d seen every kind of dirty trick in her life. But this? Something was definitely wrong with her body. And Marie knew it. 5.2K 2???, 49%? +8 Pearls The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 681 Chapter 681 A Poisoned Reunion 04€,78% ? +8 Pearls The man¡¯s lips curled into a deep smile. ¡°Impressive. Your constitution¡¯s stronger than I thought¨Cthe drug isn¡¯t fully taking effect.¡± ¡°By now, you should¡¯ve passed out.¡± Marie went quiet. Her mind buzzed like a struck gong. She¡¯d been holding back her fury all the way here, but hearing Dan mention a drug pushed her over the edge. ¡°You bastard! You drugged me?!¡± Her strength was fading fast. Even her consciousness was starting to slip. Their eyes locked. Marie¡¯s gaze burned with rage. Dan stepped forward slowly and knelt in front of her, one long leg bending gracefully. His slender fingers lifted her jaw. ¡°How pathetic. I have to go this far just to get you under control.¡± She was too fierce. Too skilled. There probably weren¡¯t more than a handful of people in the world who could match Marie in a fight. Marie red at Dan with pure hatred, eyes practically spitting fire. Just as she was about to spit in his face, he suddenly mped down on her jaw. Her mouth fell open slightly¨Cshe missed her chance. Which only made her re at him even more viciously. Dan chuckled and scooped her up off the floor, cradling her in his arms. The gesture struck a nerve. ¡°You piece of shit, put me down!¡± Marie roared. She didn¡¯t bother hiding the disgust in her eyes as she stared at him. That sliver of disdain made Dan¡¯s breath catch, just a little. ¡°You really hate me?¡± That look¨Cthere was nothing fake about it. 13:28 Wed, 3 Sept W Chapter 681 A Poisoned Reunion ?A 78% +8 Pearls Before Marie could respond, Dan went on, ¡°Marie, you used to love me.¡± ¡°Loved me so much¡­ you swore you¡¯d marry no one else.¡± Marie went quiet. Hearing that made her fury explode. ¡°You pulled all that vile crap and you still think I¡¯d love you? Are you delusional? Living in some fantasynd?¡± Dan went quiet. That word¨Cdream¨Cmade his breath hitch again. Marie sneered. ¡°You ever look at yourself in a mirror? Dan, you¡¯re a filthy bug crawling through the sewers. Of course you don¡¯t have love. You never did.¡± Not that he didn¡¯t deserve love¨Che simply never had it in the first ce. Marie¡¯s tongue was sharp as ever. And thatst line¨Cnever had love¨Cfinally set Dan off. He carried her into a room and tossed her onto the bed. As usual, Marie tried to flip herself up right away¨Cbut this time, she had no strength left. Her body was limp. ¡°What the hell did you drug me with?!¡± She roared, furious. From the moment she stepped into the study to when they started fighting, it hadn¡¯t even been a few minutes. She hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything of his. Wait¡­ Could it have been that disgusting smoke when she opened the door? That scumbag trick. Over the years, she¡¯d seen plenty of dirty tactics. But Dan? He was in a ss of his own. He stepped toward her, long legs closing the distance. 214 13:28 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 681 A Poisoned Reunion The pressure rolling off him made it hard to breathe. Marie instinctively backed away. ¡°You¡­ what are you trying to do?¡± That bastard wouldn¡¯t try to wreck her again like he did back at Spirit Pub, would he? ¡°If youy a hand on me, I swear I¡¯ll kill you this time. No more mercy.¡± ¡°Mercy?¡± Dan scoffed. ¡°You think you showed me mercy?¡± 78% +8 Pearls He sat at the edge of the bed and yanked her into his arms. ¡°Marie, you didn¡¯t hold back that night.¡± She¡¯d brought so many people, caught himpletely off guard. And when she struck, she went for the kill¨Cno hesitation, no mercy. Marie¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°You think?¡± ¡°Or are you just blind? Can¡¯t tell if someone feels something or not? I guess I was blind once.¡± Back then, she couldn¡¯t even tell real love from fake. She¡¯d been so blind, she didn¡¯t even notice how he kept using her¨Cover and over again, she still stupidly ran to him. Looking back¡­ She¡¯d been a fool. How could she have offered up her heart like that? Let him trample it without even realizing? Dan grabbed her wrist tightly. His gaze held back a storm of cold fury. ¡°You really meant to kill me that night.¡± He wasn¡¯t blind. He saw it clearly, That killing intent¨Cburning with rage¨Chad been all too real. Marie didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Damn right I did.¡± She said it with no shame, no hesitation. Danughed. It was a bitter, mocking sound. Marie pressed her lips together tightly. ¨¤ ? ???, 78% } +8 Pearls 13:28 Wed, 3 Sept. Chapter 681 A Poisoned Reunion She didn¡¯t understand what he was so sad about. Was this some performance? He was the one who toyed with her. Used her. Faked his death just to escape her. And now what? He wanted pity? 5.2K M She Took 682 Chapter 682 Divorce Papers and Delusion Now he was pulling this act¨Cwhat else could it be but a performance? ?? & ??? 77%¡ã +8 Pearls Dan stood and casually adjusted the sleeve that had been rumpled when he carried her. ¡°So what do we do now, Marie?¡± Marie went quiet. What the hell do you mean, what do we do? Dan stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at her. Even under such suffocating tension, those peach blossom eyes of his still held a deceptive depth¨Can illusion of tenderness. Marie had to admit, once upon a time, she had fallen for that gaze. All those years he¡¯d been missing¡­ Whenever she thought of the way he used to look at her, it always brought with it the illusion of affection. But ever since Dan reappeared¡­ That illusion shatteredpletely. She suddenly remembered what someone once said: ¡°Peach blossom eyes could make even looking at a beast seem full of emotion.¡± Dan opened the nightstand drawer as he spoke. ¡°Your love¨Cit¡¯s not something you can just take back whenever you want.¡± Marie was stunned. What? Dan said, ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that.¡± Marie snapped, ¡°Are you out of your damn mind?¡± Did he think she was some clueless little girl? Like she couldn¡¯t even control her own heart? Too bad for him¨Cshe wasn¡¯t. Even when she¡¯d loved someone with everything she had, the moment she found out they were a threat to her family, she would crush that so¨Ccalled love without hesitation. Dan, as always, acted like he hadn¡¯t heard a word she said. He pulled out a folder that had clearly been prepared ahead of time. There was even a pen 14:22 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 682 Divorce Papers and Delusion clipped to it. Dan handed it to her. Marie @X77%@ +8 Pearls gave him a cold, unforgiving re, then cast a nce at the document he was offering. The title: ¡°Divorce Agreement.¡± She let out a short, mockingugh. ¡°What, trying to y the ssic rich¨Cpeople trick? Marriage contract before the wedding?¡± In high society, that kind of transactional marriage game wasmon. Some people signed divorce terms before they¡¯d even tied the knot. Marie sneered. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, pulling that stunt with me?¡± Did he think she was desperate? Starving? That she needed to y some pathetic deal like that with him? Dan said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s your divorce agreement¨Cwith Derrick.¡± Marie froze. Her head snapped up to look at him, eyes now filled with an oing storm. Dan watched her reaction, then sat at the edge of the bed and pushed the folder toward her again. ¡°Divorce him first. Alright?¡± Love or not¨Cthat wasn¡¯t the most important thing right now. What mattered was that he, the leader of Ashen Pact, was not going to be the other man. So Marie had to leave Derrick. Marie¡¯s breathing turned ragged. ¡°You son of a b*tch.¡± Dan was just dering decisions on her behalf like it was his right. Rage boiled up, and she raised her hand to p him across the face. This time, Dan caught her wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t care who it was that night at Spirit Pub.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care?!¡± Marie exploded. ¡°You lying bastard, what was that whole performance for then?¡± 7%8 +8 Pearls Chapter 682 Divorce Papers and Delusion She was furious. She raised her other hand and swung. This time, itnded with a sharp smack. Dan¡¯s face darkened instantly. He clenched his teeth and red at her. ¡°Did you ever hit Derrick like that?¡± His voice was tight, barely hiding his jealousy. He shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Derrick. At the sound of that name, Marie immediately recalled what Dan did the night she and Derrick got their marriage certificate. It hadn¡¯t just been an insult to Derrick¨Cit had ruined her reputation, too. Marie¡¯s anger surged, and her fury toward Dan only deepened. She wanted to hit him harder. But now, she didn¡¯t even have the strength¡­ Her blows barely registered on him. It was infuriating. ¡°You piece of shit. Why the hell aren¡¯t you affected?¡± She¡¯d only inhaled a puff of that smoke at the door, and now she couldn¡¯t even move. But Dan had been in that room the whole time. Why was he fine? Could it be¡­ an antidote? Her eyes narrowed with venom. ¡°There¡¯s an antidote for this, isn¡¯t there?¡± Dan didn¡¯t flinch. His gaze only deepened. There wasn¡¯t a trace of guilt in him. Clearly, when he did vile things, he did them with full confidence. As Marie burned with fury, Dan suddenly pulled her onto hisp. ¡°Be good. Just divorce him, alfight?¡± His tone was doting¨Ccoaxing, even. Marie went quiet. 14:22 Wed, 3 Sept W Chapter 682 Divorce Papers and Delusion What the hell even is this guy? Does he know what he¡¯s saying? Furious, she pped him again. Dan didn¡¯t block it this time. After all, herst p had barely hurt. 16 +8 Pearls He let her hit him again and again, without dodging, like some shameless pig who didn¡¯t even care about being burned. That dead¨Ceyed look of his only made Marie angrier. And the fact that her ps weren¡¯t even leaving a mark? Only infuriated her more. 5.2K She Took 683 Chapter 683 Teeth and Tempers 0A., 77%E +8 Pearls Dan said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve divorced him, you can throw as big a tantrum as you want. Alright?¡± Marie snapped, ¡°Who the hell wants to throw a tantrum with you? What do you think you are?¡± Throw as big a tantrum as you want? The way he said it made it sound like she was some nagging wife. The implication alone made Marie furious. Dan quickly backpedaled. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m nothing. Just sign the papers.¡± He couldn¡¯t go three sentences without bringing up that damn divorce. Marie ground her teeth in rage. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to hit him anymore. That only pissed her off more. In the past, no matter how angry she got, a solid beating of the bastard who caused it usually cooled her off. Now? No release. No outlet. Nothing. That boiling fury finally pushed her over the edge¨CMarie bit him. Outside, Sophia had already started fighting Dan¡¯s men. Only ten minutes after Marie had gone inside, bodyguards began appearing all around the castle. Clearly, it had been a trap. Sophia, worried something might happen to her, had already notified their contacts in the area. But help wouldn¡¯t arrive instantly. In the meantime, Sophia lost patience and fired off her gun without hesitation.. The entire castle was thrown into chaos. Conan, seeing someone so boldly and recklessly causing a scene, immediately prepared to take Sophia out. Just as he raised his weapon, Dan came down the stairs. ¡°Sir?¡± 14:22 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 683 Teeth and Tempers ¡êA?76%u ? +8 Pearls There was a swollen patch on the right side of Dan¡¯s face. Conan assumed Marie had punched him. And that made him furious. That woman didn¡¯t act like a woman at all. He was already fuming over Dan being hit. And now, seeing Sophia rampaging outside, he was ready to kill her too. But then he took a closer look¡­ That wasn¡¯t a bruise. That was a set of very clear¡­ teeth marks. Conan was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Dan touched his face with a wince. ¡°Little tiger¡¯s got sharp teeth.¡± Conan went quiet. How the hell are we supposed to face anyone like this? Plenty of people had walked around with handprint marks on their faces. But a full set of bite marks? This was a first. Conan¡¯s hatred for Marie only deepened. ¡°Where is Ms. Dawson?¡± Compared to Dennis, Conan had always been the more tolerant one. Dennis had outright called her a demon woman. Dan said, ¡°She¡¯s tired. I let her sleep.¡± Conan fell silent again. Sleep? How the hell did he get her to sleep? That lunatic started swinging every time she saw Dan. Her mood was more unstable than a maniac¡¯s. Now Dan imed she was asleep? Conan didn¡¯t buy it¨Cbut he didn¡¯t dare press. Instead, he said, ¡°That woman outside is too arrogant. I¡¯ll go kill her now.¡± ssic Conan. He didn¡¯t bother weighing pros and cons. If someone stormed in like this, in his eyes, they 14:22 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 683 Teeth and Tempers deserved to die. That¡¯s also why, back when Dennis was around, Dan relied more on Dennis. Thinking of Dennis, a flicker of danger crossed Dan¡¯s eyes. That score with Derrick wasn¡¯t settled yet. Once the Ashen Pact situation was cleaned up, Dan would settle that debt personally. Just as Conan turned to leave, Dan stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± Conan turned back, waiting for further orders. Dan said coldly, ¡°Take her alive.¡± Conan was stunned. ¡°Is it really necessary to go that far?¡± Dan shot him a cold re. Conan immediately shut up and nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He went downstairs. Dan touched the sunken bite mark on his face, still sore. +8 Pearls Things between him and Marie were already hanging by a thread. If her people ended up dead by his hands, she¡¯d go ballistic. Honestly, he was getting afraid of her. Marie had stormed into Ashen Pact¡¯s headquarters. Things had gone sideways, but she always found a way to bounce back. Once she recovered, it¡¯d be fire and brimstone all over again between them. Derrick, having heard Marie was confronting Dan, rushed toward Ashen Pact too¨Cterrified that cunning bastard might hurt her. No doubt about it¡­ Dan¡¯s world was already a mess, And once Derrick showed up, there¡¯d be no keeping the lid on the chaos. And the one who started it all? At this moment, she was passed out in Victor¡¯s bed. Those nearly twenty days apart had acted 14:22 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 683 Teeth and Tempers like emotional yeast for him. Tessa had been gone for twenty days. And his feelings? They¡¯d risen like dough¨Cswollen and impossible to contain. Once they met again¡­ sparks flew. D +8 Pearls And so, after several hours of passion, Tessa was still sound asleep¨Coblivious to the fact that Marie had gone to bite Dan over it, and the entire world was losing its mind because of her. Back on Palm Ind¡­ Oysters sizzled on the grill. After a brief phone call, Ss nced toward the overwater bungalow in the distance. Then he leaned in toward Victor. ¡°Marie¡¯s stormed into Ashen Pact.¡± Victor looked at Ss, confused. They were still in Northliso. Victor had taken Tessa from Marie¡¯s ind and brought her to his own. 5.2K She Took 684 Chapter 684 Stirring the Chaos Victor knew that taking Tessa away would send Marie into a frenzy. And now? It was happening. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know I took her?¡± +8 Pearls She was storming Ashen Pact right now¨Cthere was no doubt in his mind it was over Tessa. Ss blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ You didn¡¯t tell Marie you were taking Miss Su?¡± Victor gave a snort through his nose. That said it all¨Che hadn¡¯t told her. Which meant Marie had no idea he was the one who took Tessa. Not that he would¡¯ve told her anyway. She¡¯d hidden Tessa away so tightly that for over two weeks, Victor had been nearly losing his mind trying to find her. ¡°So you basically¡­ stole her?¡± Lewis piped up from the side. The moment he said it, both Ss and Victor looked at him like they wanted to skin him alive. Lewis froze. What? What did I say? Mr. Abraham had always said: if you take anything without someone¡¯s knowledge, it¡¯s considered stealing. So even if it was their boss¨Cif he didn¡¯t tell Marie¨Cwasn¡¯t it still stealing? Ss was done with him. He smacked the back of Lewis¡¯s head. ¡°Can you shut up? That¡¯s not stealing. She¡¯s our sister¨Cinw. Marie¡¯s the one who stole herst time.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Got it.¡± Lewis muttered, rubbing his head. But deep down, he still felt both times were the same. Whether it was Mariest time or Victor now¨Cneither had yed fair Seeing Lewis sulk like that, Ss ignored himpletely and turned back to Victor. ¡°Bro, maybe you should exin this to Marie?¡± 14:23 Wed, 3 Sept Chapter 684 Stirring the Chaos 2A? 76%D +8 Pearls ¡°Exin what?¡± Victor scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s there to exin?¡± Ss was stunned. Nothing to exin? If he didn¡¯t exin, Marie was definitely going to kill Dan. Lewis chimed in, ¡°Even if he exins, she won¡¯t believe it.¡± Ss blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Lewis went on, ¡°Remember when Mr. Derrick slept with her? She didn¡¯t believe him either. Ended up beating the crap out of Dan.¡± ¡°In Marie¡¯s eyes right now, every bad thing is Dan¡¯s fault.¡± Ss frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not the same as this.¡± The situations werepletely different. Last time, she didn¡¯t trust Dan. But this time? If Victor just said the word, she¡¯d believe him without a doubt. Ss finally understood. This whole thing¡¯s a damn mess. He looked at Victor again. ¡°She¡¯s probably attacking Ashen Pact right now because she¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll go after Dan.¡± After all, in her mind, Dan was the one who took Tessa. And Victor? He wouldn¡¯t let that slide. Victor waved it off. ¡°Forget it¡­¡± But mid¨Csentence, his tone shifted, A glimmer of something dark and yful shed in his eyes. ¡°Keep searching for Tessa.¡± Ss blinked. ¡°Keep¡­ searching?¡°/ That meant Marie would keep believing Dan was the one who took her? Wait, what- This was already a disaster, and now they were making it worse? Ashen Pact was about to be a warzone. 214 14:23 Wed, 3 Sept WI Chapter 684 Stirring the Chaos Victor took a sip of red wine. ¡°Dan wants to stay out of this and take a breather? Ha.¡± Not a chance. Thatst scoff was dangerously cold. Ss finally understood Victor¡¯s game. He was forcing Ashen Pact into the crossfire. Dan wanted to use Diana to get rid of Dale and Manny. 76% +8 Pearls But Victor wasn¡¯t the kind to y nice. When Dan eventually reaped the rewards, it¡¯d be at the cost of hurting both Diana and Tessa. So Victor was going to drag him into the fight now. By the time this ended, Dan would be bled dry¨Chis power crippled. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll send our people to help Marie.¡± Since Marie was already at Ashen Pact, they¡¯d put on a show and send their men too¨Chelping her ¡°demand Tessa back from Dan.¡± And just like that, Ashen Pact wasn¡¯t just dealing with Derrick. Victor¡¯s forces were on the move as well. When Dan got the news, he knew right away¨Che was losing control of the entire situation. Back on Palm Ind¡­ Tessa drifted in and out of sleep. The time she¡¯d spent with Marie had utterly drained her. Now that she finally had the chance to rest, she wanted to sleep forever. But her stomach wouldn¡¯t let her. Eventually, hunger forced her up. Groggy and dazed, she stumbled out of the room. What greeted her was an endless expanse of ocean. Tessa froze. Uh¡­ 14:23 Wed, 3 Sept W. Chapter 684 Stirring the Chaos She wanted to throw up. God knew how much she hated the sea right now. 0¡¢, 76%¡ã +8 Pearls Just the other day, she¡¯d woken up in the middle of the ocean¨Cand ended up being chased by a giant whale. ¨C She used to love the vastness of the sea. Used to love the freedom of the ocean breeze. 5.2K She Took 685 Chapter 685 A Peaceful Storm Now? She really didn¡¯t like the ocean anymore. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man¡¯s voice came from behind her. ???, ?? 52%= +8 Pearls Tessa turned and saw Victor standing at the end of the wooden walkway, a te of grilled food in hand. Seeing him confirmed it wasn¡¯t a dream¨CVictor had really found her. And in that moment, something inside her heartpletely shifted. He walked up and, seeing her silent, reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He was trying to be gentle. But he wasn¡¯t like Abraham, who treated Ste with warmth simply out of habit. Abraham exuded a calm, refined tenderness. Victor, though¨Cwhen he tried to be soft, it felt like steel wrapped in velvet. A rough kind of gentleness. Tessa blushed faintly and nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± Ugh¡­ A sh of memory surfaced¨Cher wrapping her arms around Victor in front of Marie. She wanted to die of embarrassment. Her mom¡¯s few words to her growing up had always been, ¡°Girls should be reserved.¡± Chapter 685 A Peaceful Storm But back then? She¡¯d forgotten everything. 52% +8 Pearls Without realizing it, in those few short days by Victor¡¯s side, she¡¯d be emotionally attached to him. It didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d only known each other for a handful of days¨Cit felt¡­ much longer. Victor held her close and led her back into the room. Even though she was starving, when he brought her food, she only nibbled on the fruit. She didn¡¯t touch the grilled fish, shrimp, or oysters at all. Victor frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t like grilled food?¡± Tessa gave him a pitiful look. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating fish non¨Cstop this whole time.¡± Clearly, she was sick of it. Just the sight of fish made her want to gag. Seeing her look so fed up made Victor chuckle softly. ¡°Looks like she really put you through it.¡± So much that she couldn¡¯t even eat fish anymore. Tessa went quiet. Thinking back on her time with Marie¨Cit really had been a nightmare. But when she remembered everything she¡¯d learned¡­ Tessa still felt grateful to her. Back in Rivermount, she¡¯d watched Ste move on from Ethan, that dominating man, and she never imagined she¡¯d be someone like that 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 685 A Peaceful Storm herself. And yet¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s my phone? I want to call Ste.¡± She had left so suddenly¨CMarie was probably worried. ?? .52% +8 Pearls Tessa didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d slept, but considering the change in location and the time of day, it must¡¯ve been a while. Victor said, ¡°No need. She knows.¡± ¡°You told her?¡± Tessa asked. He nodded calmly. ¡°Mm.¡± Tessa didn¡¯t doubt him for a second. If Marie already knew, then there was no need for her to call. She could thank her properly once they got back to Falvaria. Victor had more food brought in¨Cthis time, no fish. Tessa finally ate her fill. ¡°Ah, that was so good.¡± It was the best meal she¡¯d had in a long time. Honestly, ever since arriving in Falvaria, she hadn¡¯t eaten properly. It had been feast or famine every day. That had never happened in Rivermount. Just thinking about it made her feel a little bitter. Ashen Pact was a total mess. But the ind Victor brought her to felt like a peaceful world untouched by chaos. 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 685 A Peaceful Storm 52% +8 Pearls Outside, night hadpletely fallen. Only the sound of waves remained. The lighting along the coast was done well¨Csoft, not pitch¨Cck and oppressive. Later that night. Someone arrived on the ind. Ss called Victor away, leaving Tessa alone in the room. She wanted to call Ste, but realized her phone wasn¡¯t with her. Actually, since the moment she stepped onto Spada Ind, Marie had taken her phone. With nothing else to do¡­ She nced at her tanned skin and decided to take a long bath to restore it. ¡°Mm, this feels amazing.¡± The water was warm. It felt like all her exhaustion was melting away¨Cespecially the soreness from how Victor had ¡°worn her out.¡± And those particr ces¡­ Tessa closed her eyes,pletely rxed. She had no idea that her entrance into the bathroom had been silently witnessed by someone else. In a wooden cabin across the way, the mood inside was heavy. Seated across from Victor was a man in a tailored suit, with two armed 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept 5 Chapter 685 A Peaceful Storm bodyguards behind him. . a 7, 52%_ +8 Pearls Danger radiated from every inch of him, and one nce at his eyes revealed his cunning. ¡°Mr. Victor, are these terms to your satisfaction?¡± The manid out his offer and asked. But Victor, holding a cigar in one hand and his phone in the other, barely nced up. His eyes lingered on the screen. His mind was still stuck on the image of Tessa stepping into the bathroom unclothed¡­ It was as if he hadn¡¯t heard a single word the man had said. Lewis, standing behind, saw Victor remain silent. Ss gave a pointed cough, while Lewis leaned over¨Ctrying to sneak a look at what Victor was staring at so intently on his phone. ¡£ 5.2K ( 515 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 686 Chapter 686 Boundaries Crossed 52% +8 Pearls Before Lewis could catch even a glimpse, Victor flipped the phone over and mped it facedown in his palm. At the same time, his gaze shot toward Lewis¨Csharp as a de. Lewis was stunned. What the hell was that look? Fine, he wouldn¡¯t look. Geez. He scratched his nose, a bit put out. Ever since Victor had gotten involved with a woman, everything seemed to be some kind of secret. ¡°Mr. Victor? Mr. Victor?¡± The man across from him finally spoke up, seeing he was still silent. ¡°Are you not satisfied with our terms? I believe Mr. Abraham would be.¡± ¡°If you think Mr. Abraham¡¯s easier to deal with, then go talk to him.¡± Victor stood abruptly, the air around him icy, and strode out the door without a backward nce. Ss and Lewis were both taken aback, exchanging quick nces. Mr. Peter finally realized something was wrong. ¡°What does Mr. Victor mean by this?¡± There was a clear edge of displeasure in his voice now. Ss, uncertain of Victor¡¯s mood, simply said coolly, ¡°Think about it. Do you really think Mr. Abraham would even bother looking at those terms?¡± Dragging Abraham into a negotiation was a fatal misstep. Everyone in Falvaria knew that while Victor technically worked under Abraham, Abraham had given him immense authority. 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 686 Boundaries Crossed Bringing up Abraham here¡­ was asking for it. Ss sneered. ¡°So, Mr. Peter, are you leaving the ind now?¡± +8 Pearls Coming here to push a deal had already annoyed Victor. Now he¡¯d pulled this stunt? Peter¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it up with Mr. Abraham.¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± Ss replied without a care. Meanwhile, Victor was already walking fast¨Chis pace toward the vi growing more urgent. Tessa had only been soaking for five minutes when she heard footsteps outside. She immediately tensed. Marie¡¯s training had drilled reflexes into her. Add to that all the stories she¡¯d heard about Dan and Ashen Pact¡¯s darkness and cruelty¡­ Tessa was on high alert now. As the footsteps neared, she didn¡¯t make a sound, simply grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around herself. The door flung open with a loud thud. Tessa barely managed to clutch the towel in ce as Victor¡¯s tall figure appeared in the doorway. Her wary gaze met his, and Victor paused slightly. Seeing her so defensive made his throat tighten¨Cand his eyes inevitably trailed down to the slim legs pecking from beneath the towel. 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 686 Boundaries Crossed The heat in his gaze began to burn. Seeing it was Victor, Tessa blinked. ¡°W¨Cwhy is it you?¡± She¡¯d thought it was someone dangerous. +8 Pearls And she hadn¡¯t called out¨Cwhat if it had been someone trying to grab her? She¡¯d have given herself away. Ugh¡­ Life was really messing with her. She never thought there¡¯de a day she¡¯d need to be so paranoid- worried about being kidnapped while taking a bath. Victor¡¯s lips curved. ¡°You didn¡¯t even call for me.¡± ¡°Ste said not to respond to sounds without being sure first,¡± she replied. Victor stepped forward without warning¨Cstraight into the tub¨Cand yanked the towel off her. Tessa shrieked, ¡°Ah¨Cwhat are you doing?!¡± He spun her around, pinning her against the wall. Years of restrained desire, now mixed with an unfamiliar surge of emotion -he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. The volcano inside erupted. Victor lowered his head, breath hot against her hair, drifting down to her ear. Tessa¡¯s breathing hitched. ¡°Y¨Cyou¨CI don¡¯t want this-¡± No, really- 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 686 Boundaries Crossed She tried to protest. 52% +8 Pearls She¡¯d noticed during her bath that she might¡¯ve gotten hurt earlier. It still ached a little. But the words never made it past her throat. Even after nearly twenty days of Marie¡¯s training, her strength was nothing to Victor. He easily pinned her in ce. Outside the door, Ss and Lewis had just arrived. Ss abruptly halted mid¨Cstep, and Lewis, unable to stop in time, rammed right into his back. ¡°Oof-!¡± Lewis clutched his chest, grimacing. ¡°What are you doing? Knock already.¡± Why was he just standing there like a statue? Out here to admire the sea breeze? They¡¯d had plenty of that over the years¨Ccold winds, hot winds, all kinds. Still, Ss didn¡¯t move. Lewis frowned. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll knock.¡± He figured Victor was probably in a bad mood after walking out on Peter, and Ss was just too scared to make it worse. Coward. They¡¯d survived all kinds of disasters together¨CVictor had never actually killed them. Lewis reached past him to knock, But Ss reacted lightning¨Cfast, grabbing the back of his neck in a firm grip. 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 686 Boundaries Crossed ¡°Augh-!¡± Lewis winced. ¡°That hurts!¡± It felt like the skin on his neck had nearly been torn off. He turned with a re. ¡°What was that for?!¡± Ss looked pained. ¡°What was that for? Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Lewis muttered, ¡°What now? Why¡¯re you acting like such a wimp?¡± 5.2K W She Took 687 Chapter 687 No Timing, No Mercy +8 Pearls Lewis still hadn¡¯t even seen Victor¡¯s face yet and had no clue what was going on, so Ss¡¯s expression made zero sense to him. Everyone was acting like they¡¯d lost their damn minds. Ss hissed, ¡°What do you think? Didn¡¯t you hear that noise?¡± Lewis blinked. Noise? Uh¡­ Oh. That noiseing from the room. ¡°What kind of noise is that?¡± he asked, leaning toward the door to listen. Ss stared at him like death was already reaching out for them. He grabbed Lewis by the neck and dragged him away from Victor¡¯s door. Just as Lewis was yanked back, it finally hit him what that sound had actually been. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from hissing through his teeth. ¡°Man¡­ seriously? At a time like this? He was just negotiating with Peter!¡± Ss flung him aside. ¡°Watch your damn mouth.¡± Comining that the boss had no sense of timing? Was he insane? Well¡­ Ss had to admit, Victor was kind of out of control right now. He¡¯d never seen him this undisciplined before. But still¨Csaying it out loud like Lewis just had? 115 52% +8 Pearis Chapter 687 No Timing No Mercy Lewis looked utterly innocent. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything wrong.¡± Ss muttered, ¡°Just shut up already.¡± The guy was a walking exile waiting to happen. Ss couldn¡¯t afford to keep talking to him. If he did, he¡¯d probably get caught in the crossfire too. Lewis blinked. Fine. Whatever. Not like I care. Inside the room. Tessa waspletely wrung out by Victor¡¯s relentless assault. She¡¯d gotten so fed up, she actually scratched him in frustration. The scab on his arm fromst time had just healed¨Cand now there were new marks. Not that any of it slowed him down. Not one bit. It wasn¡¯t until four in the morning that he finally stopped. Tessa felt like she¡¯d been fished out of the ocean and left to dry. Victor leaned over, intending to carry her to the shower. She kicked him furiously. ¡°You jerk!¡± It was a fast kick. But Victor, whose reflexes were nothing short of freakish, easily caught her slender ankle. He grinned,pletely satisfied. ¡°Not bad. I guess Marie did do something useful.¡± 7.5 15:30 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 687 No Timing. No Mercy Tessa blinked. What? Victor smirked. ¡°At least your stamina¡¯s improved.¡± Tessa went quiet. 52% +8 Pearls The way he said stamina¨Cdripping with innuendo¨Cmade her whole face burn. She remembered passing out multiple times thest time they were together. But this time¡­ even though she¡¯d gotten mad, she hadn¡¯t passed out. Still¡­ it really, really hurt. ¡°You¡¯re way too much. You¡¯re awful!¡± The word awful came out in a pouty huff¨Cbut Victor just smiled wider. He hoisted her into his arms and headed for the bathroom. As he walked, he whispered teasingly in her ear, ¡°Did you like it?¡± His tone made it very clear what he meant. Tessa went quiet. Her face turned scarlet. She never realized¡ªthis man who looked so cold and noble, like a walking marble statue, was actually a closet pervert. Everything he said wasyered with meaning. ¡°I¡¯ll bathe myself. You get out,¡± she huffed the moment they stepped into the bathroom, pushing him away. Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Still got the strength to wash up? I must¡¯ve held back too much.¡± 52% +8 Pearls Chapter 687 No Timing. No Mercy Tessa froze. Before she could react, he pulled her back¨Cand the next round started right there in the bathroom. This time, she really did pass out. Morning light spilled across the rows of wooden vis along the beach. The sea shimmered, peaceful and calm. Under the shade of a canopy, Victor looked positively refreshed. He took a sip of water while Ss gave him a report: Peter had stormed offst night swearing to go see Abraham. Victor didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°Let him.¡± Ss finally rxed. If Victor wasn¡¯t worried, neither was he. Victor added, ¡°We¡¯re aiming for more than just what he offered.¡± ¡°Does the boss know?¡± Ss asked. He meant: since Peter was going to Abraham, should they give the boss a heads¨Cup? Victor chuckled. The smile on his face was clearly genuine, unlike the ones he wore before. ¡°The boss won¡¯t meet with him.¡± Ss went quiet. Then what was Peter going to do¡ªslink back here with his tail between his legs? ¡­ 15:31 Thu, 4 Sept Chapter 687 No Timing. No Mercy Tessa had been thoroughly ravaged. 52% +8 Pearls She was stillpletely knocked out, sleeping like the dead. By the time she stirred, it was already 9 a.m. Victor came in carrying breakfast. She was still half¨Casleep and mumbling nonsense. Not wanting to disturb her, Victor turned to leave quietly. But just as he reached the door, a sleepy little voice mumbled behind him, ¡°Bad guy. Bad.¡± Victor turned back, his eyes filled withughter. He saw Tessa roll over¨Conly to immediately fall thud onto the floor. Victor reached out instinctively, but he was too far. Tessanded with a groan and sat up, rubbing her head. ¡°Ow¡­ that hurt.¡± 5.2K ºÏ 1 She Took 688 Chapter 688 Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat 39 +8 Pearls Tessa smacked her head against the nightstand on the way down, her face twisting in pain. Victor strode over and scooped her up with ease. His usually cool tone softened slightly, tinged with exasperation. ¡°How do you even fall out of bed while sleeping?¡± Seriously, unbelievable. Then again, back at the vi, she¡¯d been just as restless¨Cconstantly falling out of bed. Cradled in his arms, Tessa pouted and covered her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re mean.¡± Her big watery eyes stared up at him with grievance. Her head ached, but the fall had definitely knocked the sleep right out of her. Victor set her down on the couch. Her pajama top was loose and rumpled, revealing a soft sweep of skin that practically glowed in the morning light. Victor¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. Tessa instantly felt the heat of his stare. She followed his gaze- ¡°Ah-!¡± She hissed and clutched her clothes shut. ¡°You¨Cyou perv!¡± Victor smirked. ¡°You undressed yourself this time.¡± ¡°I did not!¡± God¨Cthere was no exining this. This man really was like a fallen angel; the moment he gave into his urges, hepletely lost all restraint. And whoever had to deal with him? Paid the price. His needs were excessive, and theirpatibility was¡­ not ideal. Nope. Not thinking about that. The memory alone made her wince. Tessa turned away, pulling her cor tight. ¡°I was nning to head to Ashen Pact today to find Chapter 688 Eat, Sleep. Train, Repeat my mom.¡± : But after what he¡¯d done to her, she was seriously hurting. If she got into a fight right now, the first thing she¡¯d feel was her legs giving out. Ste had been teaching her how to run first, fight for the past twenty days. And now? 39 +8 Pearls Thanks to Victor, her legs felt like they weren¡¯t even hers. If she had to run, she¡¯d copse. Fighting was her only option¨Cand she¡¯d lose. When Victor heard her mention Ashen Pact, his expression froze. ¡°You¡¯re going to Ashen Pact?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Why had she suffered through all that training with Marie if not to eventually return and help her mother? After twenty brutal days by Marie¡¯s side¡­ Tessa no longer feared the whirlpool of power and danger surrounding her mom. In situations that suffocate, the worst thing to do is fear. And Marie¨Csurprisingly¨Chad helped her conquer that fear in just a few weeks. Now it was time to dive in and act. Victor frowned and handed her a ss of milk. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to Ashen Pact right now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Victor said calmly, ¡°I already sent my people to help your mother. The situation there is stabilized. She¡¯s in a favorable position.¡± Tessa blinked, ¡°You¨Cyou sent your people to help my mom?¡± And it¡¯s already stabilized? That ce was chaos! And it¡¯s stabilized? Victor tilted his head. ¡°Problem?¡± 214 16:49 Sat, Sep 6 Chapter 688 Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat Tessa went quiet. : 39 +8 Pearls She looked up at him¨Chis eyes usually cold, now surprisingly warm¨Cand hesitated. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ why are you helping me so much?¡± Their deal had been simple: he¡¯d help her see her mom, and that was it. But now he¡¯d gone above and beyond. Was this¡­ a bonus? Wait¡­ No. That didn¡¯t add up. Considering how thoroughly he¡¯d devoured her yesterday and this morning¡­ He¡¯d definitely gotten his payment. Her expression grew strange as she looked at him. Victor caught it. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Tessa cleared her throat, trying to sound casual. ¡°So¡­ you like me or something?¡± She blinked innocently. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re helping my mom? Future mother¨Cinw and all?¡± That had to be it, right? She didn¡¯t think she was all that special¨Cdefinitely not the type to make someone fall head over heels. Even Ste always teased her about being short¨Clegged and not Victor¡¯s type. But then again¡­ if she wasn¡¯t his type, why had he been so handsy¨Cagain and again and again? She asked it straight, no sugarcoating. Victor froze for a moment. He looked at her smug little face, lifted her chin with one long finger, and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think maybe I¡¯m-¡± But before she could finish, she noticed his gaze drift¡­ downward. Tessa followed it and realized where he was looking. Oh god¡­ Chapter 688 Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat t. Not entirely t, but definitely not impressive. 39 +8 Pearls ¡°Heh¡­ I mean, I still have time to develop, right? You feed me right, I work out a little¡­ who knows what could happen?¡± Victor¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Your mouth¡ª¡± He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but this girl could talk. Seeing his face fall, Tessa pouted. Geez. Can¡¯t take a joke? But she wasn¡¯t lying. No one¡¯s born curvy. You gotta work for it! Victor¡¯s face returned to its usual seriousness. ¡°Eat, get dressed, and meet me at the beach.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Training.¡± He left the room without another word. Tessa stared after him, stunned. Wait. He went through all that effort to steal her from Marie¡­ just to make her train herself? Send Gifts She Took 689 Chapter 689 Heat Training Why is everything so damnplicated? +8 Pearls Tessa¡¯s heart trembled a little¨Cespecially when Victor left with that serious look on his face. Could this guy be even scarier than Ste? Ste¡¯s training was already hellish enough. ¡°I¡¯m still injured, you know.¡± Tessa muttered with a pout, clearly unhappy. But Victor had already stepped out the door. He didn¡¯t hear a word. Over the past twenty¨Csomething days, Tessa had beenpletely worn down by the intense training¨Cespecially Marie¡¯s attitude, which was dead serious. There were several times she wanted to just quit and lie down. But Marie always had some way to drag her back up and push her to keep grinding. So now, when Victor said they were continuing the training, she got nervous all over again. Victor appeared on the beach. Ss and Lewis quickly approached. Ss stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Bro, Peter went to see Grandpa, but Abel tore into him.¡± Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t get to see him?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Ss nodded. Victor¡¯s lips curved into a satisfied smile, clearly in a better mood now. He didn¡¯t say anything more about Peter, just told Ss, ¡°Have the kitchen switch up Tessa¡¯s lunch today. Change it all to¡­¡± At that, Victor suddenly looked a little lost. Ss asked, ¡°She wants something specific?¡± Victor went quiet. 16:49 Sat, Sep 6 Chapter 689 Heat Training As if it matters what she wants to eat. The real question was, what should she be eating¡­ to enhance that area? ¡°For, uh¡­ breast enhancement, what should she eat?¡± Ss froze. Both their expressions stiffened at the same time, staring at Victor in shock. Ss¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You¡­ what did you just say?¡± Victor stayed silent. 39 +8 Pearls Lewis chimed in, ¡°He means food that helps with breast development. Guess he¡¯s finding her body a bit too bony.¡± Ss was stunned. Um¡­ wait. What? Food¡­ for that? In both their minds, Tessa¡¯s t, skinny figure shed before them. Honestly, wasn¡¯t that something she should work on herself? Yet here their boss was, already nning ways to help her bulk up. Lewis thought to himself, Fromst night to now, Bro really can¡¯t take it anymore, huh? Just how bad is her body? Lewis looked absolutely speechless. Ss, meanwhile, blushed straight up. He never expected Victor to make a request like that. Both of them felt a little awkward hearing it. Victor, on the other hand, said itpletely seriously, with that straight face of his. ¡°Yeah. Have the kitchen prepare more of those dishes.¡± Ss blushed and nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± The two left the beach. Thinking back on how blunt Lewis had been just now about Tessa¡¯s figure, Ss shot him a look full of disbelief. Lewis asked, ¡°What now?¡± ¡­ Chapter 689 Heat Training Ss said, ¡°Could you at least try to be more tactful?¡± Lewis stayed quiet. How was that not tactful? These people are seriously impossible to please. All he ever does is tell the truth. And now the truth is the problem? 39 +8 Pearls Tessa slowly made her way to the beach. Victor was already waiting. She asked, ¡°What are we doing today? Please don¡¯t sayps again.¡± Marie had run her ragged with endlessps during trainingtely. Her feet were full of blisters. At first, they hurt so bad she couldn¡¯t handle it. Now she was used to it. Just thinking about the pain made Tessa a little emotional. She never expected there woulde a time when she¡¯d get used to this kind of pain. Back in Rivermount, even the smallest scrape would make her wince. But now, with all those blisters on her feet¡­ it felt like no big deal. Her whole body, really. She¡¯d pulled muscles more than a few times¨Cdon¡¯t even get her started on that pain. Victor looked at her. ¡°Come here.¡± Tessa stepped forward. ¡°What are you¨Cah!¡± Before she could finish, she felt a strong pull on her wrist, and suddenly, she was yanked into his arms. Tessa froze. Wait¨Cweren¡¯t they here to train? The man¡¯srge palm was gripping her slim waist¡­ and even gave it a squeeze. Tessa protested, ¡°What are you doing? That tickles. The second she said that, he lifted her straight up. She was seriously light. Tiny, even. 16:49 Sat, Sep 6 Chapter 689 Heat Training 39 +8 Pearls Victor picked her up effortlessly, like a kitten or a bunny, just casually cradling her in his arms. So this was supposed to be training? Truth was, Victor wasn¡¯t exactly skilled when it came to hands¨Con training. Besides, Marie had already been ruthless enough over the past twenty¨Csomething days. At this point, Tessa¡¯s stamina and endurance had improved a lot. She was definitely ready to run for her life if she had to. Under the zing sun- Tessa held up a gun, aimed at an apple not far off, and nailed it in one shot. But when the target got any smaller, she missed every time. Victor stood behind her, asionally correcting her posture. ¡°Can you¨Ccan you back up a little?¡± Tessa stammered. It was already zing hot out here. And this man¡¯s body heat was something else. Just sleeping in his arms at night left her parched and dry¨Cmouthed. Now he was standing so close, and every time he adjusted her posture, his hand would rest on her waist. The heat from his palm made Tessa feel even hotter¡­ Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 690 690 No Training, Just Trouble Any time Tessa failed to meet Maric¡¯s standards, she wasn¡¯t allowed to eat or sleep. It was that strict. 39 +8 Pearls There were even days she didn¡¯t get a single bite from morning till night. It forced her to meet the mark¨Cno exceptions. But around Victor¡­ Thirty minutes in: ¡°Drink some water.¡± Another half hour: ¡°Have some fruit first.¡± Half an hourter: ¡°The sun¡¯s brutal. Let¡¯s move to some shade.¡± Her hand started hurting: ¡°Let me see. We¡¯ll treat it first.¡± Her feet were sore: ¡°You can¡¯t stand? Sit and have something to drink.¡± Her stomach growled: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± So it went¨Chalf an hour at a time. Hand pain, foot pain¡­ There was always some excuse to stop. This wasn¡¯t training¡ªit was practically a vacation. At first, Tessa had worried Victor might be even tougher than Marie. Now? That was clearly not a problem. If anything, she was starting to fear that everything she¡¯d learned under Marie might get undone at this rate. Inside the lodge¡¯s dining room- A cool breeze swept through. ¡°Ah¡­ that feels amazing,¡± Tessa sighed. This kind of blissful day? She hadn¡¯t even dared dream of ittely. Her world hadpletely copsed under Marie¡¯s training¨Cand now, it felt like it had been gently put back together. That¡¯s why she¡¯d pushed herself so hard with Marie. She really gave it her all. Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble If Marie told her to do something, she took it seriously. Victor watched her gulping down juice. ¡°Why put yourself through all that?¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± That was considered hardship? +8 Pearls Clearly, he hadn¡¯t seen her dive into the ocean barehanded, or climb a cliff with no gear. Now that was tough. Victor said, ¡°If it¡¯s about the Ashen Pact, you could¡¯ve asked me. I could¡¯ve killed them all for you.¡± The word ¡°killed¡± made Tessa¡¯s face shift instantly. A momentter, she looked conflicted. Victor asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Tessa hesitated. ¡°You, um¡­¡± Ugh, forget it. She wanted to tell him not to always go straight to violence¡ªbut then again, wasn¡¯t that the kind of world he lived in? People treated him with the same kind of ruthlessness. If he were actually a kind man, that¡¯s when he¡¯d be dangerous. After everything that had happened¡­ Tessa no longer cared whether the scary, violent Victor was good or bad. ¡°Is this your way of confessing to me?¡± Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± Tessa said, ¡°Men usually only go that far to protect women they care about. If it¡¯s someone they don¡¯t care for, they wouldn¡¯t bother.¡± Like Ste- Abraham went all out to protect her. That kind of fierce protection only came from love. For a moment, the air stilled. Victor reached out, pinching her chin gently to get a better look at her. His gaze made Tessa a 16:50 Sat, Sep 6 Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble little self¨Cconscious. Um¡­ Maybe she¡¯d picked up Marie¡¯s blunt personality these past few weeks. A Marie was the definition of straightforward¡ªshe never sugarcoated her feelings or her opinions. Zero filters. ¡°What¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± Tessa asked. 39 +8 Pearls His fingertip slid lower, brushing a spot on her neck that made her flinch. She instinctively tried to step back. But then she heard him chuckle lowly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have been using all my strength on you.¡± The way he said ¡°on you¡± wasced with heavy, unmistakable meaning. Tessa was stunned. Her cheeks flushed red in an instant. Sure, her time with Marie had made her bolder, a bit more open¡­ But that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t still traditional at heart. ¡°Why are you blushing?¡± Victor asked, amused. ¡°I¡¯m not¨CI mean¡­ are we still training?¡± she deflected, not wanting to keep this conversation going. From Marie¡¯s unnamed ind to this beach, Tessa had realized something serious: Victor couldn¡¯t handle being teased. The man she¡¯d first met in Rivermount, cold and refined, with that icy, dangerous aura- underneath it all, he had a heart full of filth. All it took was the slightest tease, and that frosty surface would peel right off. His fire¡­ was not easy to put out. Her back still ached. Victor suddenly grabbed her hand. Tessa jumped. ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing?¡± Why did it feel like he was about to squeeze her hand just to see how strong it was? 16:50 Sat, Sep 6 39 Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble He gently rubbed her palm, which had be a little rough. ¡°It¡¯s dark. And rough.¡± Tessa went quiet. +8 Pearls Dark and rough? Those were devastating words for a girl to hear. ¡°You¨Cyou¡­¡± ¡°If you keep training like this, you¡¯ll be too unsightly to look at.¡± Tessa was stunned. Her face cracked. Too unsightly? He¡¯d devoured her over and overst night. Multiple times. Victor asked, ¡°Cursing me in your head?¡± Tessa said, ¡°Not at all.¡± Just¡­ maybe a little. Hmph. Before long, the food arrived. Papaya fish head stew, chicken in milk, kelp with carp, papaya yogurt, banana milk, papaya¡­ and more papaya. Tessa¡¯s mouth twitched. She gave Victor a long,plicated look. ¡°Do you really like papaya that much?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 691` Chapter 691 Papaya¨CFueled Rage The whole table was filled with dishes. Several of them featured papaya. 60 +8 Pearls Off to the side, Lewis helpfully chimed in, ¡°Ms. Tessa, these are from my brother. He said you¡¯re too bony.¡± Ss, who had just been trying to identify which dishes were supposedly for breast enhancement, nearly cracked at the words. Seriously, right now, he wanted to disappear. How many times had he talked to this kidtely? And yet¨Cstill¨Che never learned. Why couldn¡¯t he just remember? It was enough to drive a person insane. Tessa¡¯s expression cracked too. She suddenly felt awkward all over. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Her gaze shifted toward Victor. Just one nce¨Cand there it was. and resentment in her eyes. awkward mix of embarrassment Unbelievable. He¡¯d slept with her and then turned around and gossiped? He¡¯d even discussed her body with other people? ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re unbelievable.¡± The realization hit herte, but the anger came fast. 60 Chapter 691 Papaya¨CFueled Rage +8 Pearls She stood up, mmed her fork onto the te with a loud tter, let out a sharp ¡°hmph!¡± and stormed out of the dining room. Her outburst was so sudden, nobody even had time to react. Victor shot Lewis a cold re. Lewis¡¯s chest jumped. ¡°Did I¡­ did I say something wrong again?¡± He was clearly nervous, his voice stammering. Ss rubbed his forehead. Still asking? So he didn¡¯t even know what he¡¯d done wrong? This was worse than Eddie. At least Eddie¡¯s mouth ran faster than his brain. He¡¯d mess up, then realize it¡ªeventually. But Lewis? He genuinely had no idea what came out of his mouth. Victor stood, giving Lewis one final icy nce. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything wrong. I did.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Victor was already out the door, clearly going after Tessa. That left Lewis and Ss alone. Lewis looked over. ¡°I¡­ really didn¡¯t say anything wrong?¡± Aaaaghh! Lewis blinked. ¡°He said it was his fault. What¡¯d he even do wrong?¡± If this was some sort of tribtion, just send lightning already. Why send Chapter 691 Papaya¨CFueled Rage him? 60 +8 Pearls He pped Lewis on the shoulder, his toneyered with hidden wisdom and a deep, helpless sigh. ¡°Eddie¡¯s in the Milbar Desert right now, probably being roasted into jerky. You might want to think about that.¡± Lewis: ¡°!! I¡¯m not going to the Milbar Desert!¡± He didn¡¯t even have to think¨Chis response was instant. That hellhole? Anyone who wants to go can go. But not him. No way. Tessa crouched on the beach, picking up stones and chucking them into the ocean one by one. Some were too small and didn¡¯t make it into the water, which only made her more frustrated. When Victor arrived, he found her sulking, her mouth in a pout. He sat beside her. ¡°Still mad?¡± Hearing his voice made her angrier. ¡°How would you feel if I went around talking about your size to everyone?¡± Victor went silent. His face darkened. He yanked her up off the sand and carried her over to a lounge chair. Seeing that dark look on his face, Tessa started to panic. ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing? Put me down!¡± Her mind shed back to what happened in the bathroomst night. 17:24 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 691 Papaya¨CFueled Rage 60 +8 Pearls Damn it¡­ surely he wouldn¡¯t lose all sense of timing and ce, right? The ind looked quiet, but she was sure there were people watching in the shadows. She started to panic. He tossed her onto the lounge chair, climbed over her, andpletely caged her in. Tessa rushed out in a flustered voice, ¡°Okay, okay! I was joking! I won¡¯t talk about it again!¡± See? She¡¯d just mentioned his size once, and he got this angry. So how was she supposed to feel, when he openly talked about her body in front of others? Victor grabbed her chin and kissed her hard. Tessa froze. Her poor heart was about to break. Not here. Anywhere but here. And she couldn¡¯t even fight him off. Fortunately, Victor wasn¡¯t as shameless as she feared. After a moment, he finally moved away from her lips. ¡°Got a lot of nerve now, huh?¡± He remembered how skittish she used to be. Back when she first came to him, even a look from him would scare her half to death. No doubt, these past twenty¨Csome days with Marie had made her bolder. Chapter 691 Papaya¨CFueled Rage : Tessa whimpered, ¡°Can you get off me?¡± The position they were in was way too suggestive. 60 +8 Pearls She was terrified Victor would actually lose control and just go for it, right here in broad daylight. She was seriously at her limit. From yesterday¡­ tost night¡­ to this morning¡­ She felt like she was falling apart. Victor¡¯s nose touched hers, their breath mingling. ¡°Marie¡¯s been a bad influence on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªdon¡¯t talk about Marie like that. She didn¡¯t teach me anything like this.¡± Swear to God, Marie really hadn¡¯t taught her that kind of stuff. The one thing Tessa remembered most from Marie¡¯s endless lectures was how awful Dan was. And honestly, she wasn¡¯t wrong¨CDan really was the worst. Send Gifts 5.2K ! She Took 692 Chapter 692 The Princess of Ashen Pact Faking love? Faking death? 60 +8 Pearls That wasn¡¯t something a normal human could even pull off¨Cand yet that absolute piece of shit had actually done it. Worse still, he was rted to her by blood. The more she thought about it, the more Tessa felt life was unfair. Why did fate have to tie her to that kind of scumbag? Hearing the urgency in her voice, the man narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Are you defending her?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± she said quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just being honest.¡± After spending time with Marie, Tessa finally understood why there had never been any melodrama between Ste and Marie¨Cno jealousy, no rivalry, no fight over who was the real daughter. All that nonsense that happened in the Reed family never yed out in the Dawson family. Because the Dawsons were generous, open¨Cminded, and never got caught up in petty drama. Each of them had real depth and character. Growing up in an environment like that, how could Ste possibly turn out like Lillian, that pretentious slut? No wonder Ste never bothered to exin herself when Lillian tried to start something with her. Half the time, she¡¯d just go straight to throwing punches because talking felt like a waste of time. ¡°Well, I think she¡¯s pretty great,¡± Tessa muttered. 17:25 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 692 The Princess of Ashen Pact 60 +8 Pearls Victor¡¯s lips curved into a smile. He stood up, pulled her into his arms, and scooped her up effortlessly. Tessa was light as a feather. Lifting her felt no harder than picking up a bunny. ¡°Put me down¨CI can walk on my own!¡± Victor ignored her protests and carried her straight toward the dining hall. She struggled, but it was no use. By now, Lewis and Ss had already left the dining room. Tessa nced at the table, overflowing with dishes meant to boost curves. She instinctively looked down at her own chest. Tessa went quiet. So t. Victordled her a bowl of papaya fish head soup and ced it in front of her. She looked up at him with wide, pitiful eyes. ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m¡­cking?¡± she asked softly. Victor was stunned. She sniffled a little. Living so freely all those years in Rivermount, no one had ever made her feel inadequate before. And honestly, she¡¯d never cared much about her body. 215 Chapter 692 The Princess of Ashen Pact 60 +8 Pearls It was probably Ste¡¯s fault¨CSte had never shown the slightest interest in Ethan. She was all about her own goals, living however she liked. But now someone was personally feeding her soup for boobs, and Tessa was starting to crack. She lookedpletely wronged. Victor, on the other hand, was totally unfazed. ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to drink it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll drink it.¡± After all, it wouldn¡¯t hurt her body. Might as well take the chance to nourish herself. And hey¡ªif it did improve her figure, even better. So the once¨Cpitiful Tessa¡­ Ended up slurping down bowl after bowl of soup right under Victor¡¯s nose. By the time she reached her fourth bowl, Victor frowned. ¡°You sure you can still eat?¡± ¡°Of course I can.¡± Tessa beamed. ¡°Totally.¡± She¡¯d been half¨Cstarvingtely. Her dainty little stomach wasn¡¯t so dainty anymore. Suddenly, she understood why Ste could eat so much. People with strong bodies needed a lot of fuel. : ? 60 Chapter 692 The Princess of Ashen Pact In the afternoon, Tessa asked Victor when she¡¯d resume training. She wanted a nap first. But Victor said, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, skip it.¡± ¡°Wait¨Creally?¡± ¡°That mess at Ashen Pact? It¡¯s not worth killing yourself over.¡± ¡°Mess?¡± Tessa blinked. +B Pearls Ashen Pact was currently in chaos¨Cpeople were literally fighting over control. And he was calling that a small mess? Then what counted as a big deal to him? Victor said, ¡°Ss just called. Your other brother, Manny, got seriously injured. Now Dale¡¯s focusing all his attention on that son of his. Your mom¡¯s finally catching her breath. If she¡¯s ruthless enough¡­¡± He looked at Tessa, hesitating for a moment before continuing. ¡°If your mom is really ruthless, now¡¯s her best shot at wiping them all out.¡± ¡°She damn well better be ruthless,¡± Tessa snapped. At a time like this, why hold back? Seeing her puff up like a little tiger, Victor smiled. ¡°Yeah. Ruthless is exactly what she needs to be.¡± ¡°When she¡¯s cleaned house, you¡¯ll be the undisputed princess of Ashen Pact.¡± 17:25 Mon, Sep 8 60 Chapter 692 The Princess of Ashen Pact D +8 Pearls ¡°I don¡¯t care about being a princess,¡± Tessa said. ¡°I just want Dale dead.¡± Over the past few days, Marie hadid out the entire web of Ashen Pact for her. Dan was a bastard, sure¡ªbut every man in the Morris family was garbage. And Dale? That scumbag spent years protecting his mistress and only ever cared about her kid. If that little brat was so precious to him, then why¡¯d he go have other kids with someone else? And now that those kids exist, he has the nerve to act like they¡¯re an eyesore? What kind of logic was that? Victorughed¡­ ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for your mom to finish him off.¡± Send Gifts She Took 693 Chapter 693 Triplets and Trouble Tessa nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± 60 +8 Pearls She nodded so matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, you¡¯d never guess her mom was plotting to kill her dad. Her loyalty was clear¨Cshe stood with her mother, no hesitation. After Victor updated her on the Ashen Pact situation, Tessa wasn¡¯t too worried about her mom anymore. Especially since he mentioned Marie and Derrick had also gone to deal with Dan. He didn¡¯t say why. But if Marie and Derrick were tying up Dan, that meant her mom could focuspletely on Dale, that rotten bastard. Tessa still wanted to go to the Ashen Pact herself. But Victor said her presence would onlyplicate things. Worse, Dale might try to use her as leverage, ying the sympathy card to appeal to her mother¡¯s softer side. So, after thinking it over, she decided not to go if she¡¯d just get in the way. Victor handed her a phone, and she immediately tried to call Ste. ¡­ At that moment, Ste was in the medical wing getting a prenatal checkup. She heard her phone buzz and reached for it. 17:25 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 693 Triplets and Trouble : But Abraham took it from her. ¡°Be good. Focus on the scan.¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± 60 +8 Pearls Watching the screen, the doctor pointed something out. ¡°This is the baby right here.¡± Ste said, ¡°Looks bigger thanst time.¡± Last time, the fetus looked like a little peanut. Now it was more like a ping¨Cpong ball. The doctor nced at the screen again. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ste blinked. ¡°What is it?¡± The doctor moved the ultrasound probe slowly over Ste¡¯s belly, her movements cautious, as if she¡¯d just discovered something big. Ste started to feel nervous at the odd behavior. She instinctively looked to Abraham. He took her hand and gently traced her palm to soothe her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Then he turned to the doctor with a much sharper gaze. The doctor flinched under his stare and quickly said, ¡°It looks like¡­ she might be carrying triplets.¡± Abraham went silent. Ste went silent. Chapter 693 Triplets and Trouble The exam room fell intoplete stillness. T¨CT¨CTriplets? Wait, what? Ste asked, ¡°Triplets?¡± Her voice was full of shock. 60 +8 Pearls The doctor reviewed the scan again. ¡°The other two embryos must¡¯ve been smaller before, so they didn¡¯t show up clearly.¡± ¡°And now they¡¯re clear?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was sharp. The doctor nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s clear now.¡± If she missed it again, she might as well hand over her license. Hearing the confirmation, Ste turned to Abraham, eyes sparkling. ¡°Triplets¨Cthree babies?¡± Twins would¡¯ve already been a surprise. Now it was three? Abraham gently stroked her soft hair. ¡°Yeah. Three.¡± Ste beamed. Abraham asked the doctor a long list of questions about care, precautions, and risks before finally taking Ste back to the main house. Ste was still practically glowing with excitement. ¡°I want to call my mom¨CI have to tell her!¡± Chapter 693 Triplets and Trouble Triplets! Her first instinct was to call Evelyn. Abraham said, ¡°I¡¯ll call her. You cat something first.¡± She hadn¡¯t eaten all morning because of the blood tests and other procedures. Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± She was really hungry now. 60 +8 Pearls Evelyn had given her some meds to ease her morning sickness, and ever since then, her appetite had noticeably improved. Abraham dialed Evelyn. She¡¯d been away and hadn¡¯t returned in a while. When she heard Ste was pregnant with triplets, Evelyn was stunned. ¡°Triplets?! My Star really outdid herself!¡± Triplets¨Cwhat a rarity! Evelyn said, ¡°Take good care of my baby girl. I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± Abraham replied with a quiet ¡°Mm.¡± Then Evelyn added, ¡°And you¨Cyou better behave at night. Don¡¯t even think about touching her.¡± Abraham went quiet. ¡°Triplets are high¨Crisk. Be smart about this.¡± She paused. ¡°You know what? Just sleep in separate beds.¡± She thought it over and figured that was the safest move. She really couldn¡¯t risk anything happening to Star. Chapter 693 Triplets and Trouble Abraham rubbed his temples. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± 60 +8 Pearls ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®I know what I¡¯m doing¡® me. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know how you ignored my advice before,¡± Evelyn huffed. She kept nagging through the phone while Abraham¡¯s headache grew worse. Luckily, the conversation didn¡¯t stay there for long. Given how little self- control Abraham had around Star, Evelyn decided she¡¯d better return that very night. Then she switched topics. ¡°By the way, the Keene family called me.¡± Hearing that name, Abraham¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What did they want?¡± ¡°What else? They want you to go easy on them. Judson called me himself.¡± That man had always carried an air of arrogance and superiority. For him to pick up the phone personally meant he was desperate. Abraham said, ¡°If his descendants don¡¯t know how to behave like decent people, what does he expect me to do?¡± Send Gifts 5.2K B She Took 694 Chapter 694 A Bigger Game 60 +8 Pearls The gossip stirred up by Rivermount in the past few days was nothing more than an attempt to use Ste to force Abraham to back off. Threaten him? Heh¡­ They must¡¯ve forgotten¨CAbraham never responded to threats. If they wanted to go down in mes with him, he¡¯d make sure they were the ones burned to ash. Evelyn said, ¡°You should keep Star off her phone for a while. Don¡¯t let those desperate rats upset her.¡± The Keene family and the Reed family were already bankrupt. At this point, all they had left was their lives. Abraham replied, ¡°Got it.¡± They exchanged a few more words before ending the call. Just as Abraham turned around, Ste¡¯s phone buzzed. This time, it was Tessa calling. After a moment of thought, Abraham rejected the call and sent a message to Abel instead, telling him to call Tessa and help with whatever she needed. To Abraham, Tessa had always been dramatic. He didn¡¯t want her disturbing Star right now, Abel responded promptly: ¡°Got it.¡± 17:26 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 694 A Bigger Game : Then he deleted the call record from Tessa. 60 +8 Pearls After handling everything, Abraham returned to the dining room. Ste was nibbling on a piece of tbread. When she saw hime in, she held one out to him. ¡°Try this, it¡¯s really good.¡± The kitchen staff had been getting better and better at their job. Ste had clearly gained some weight recently¨Cprobably because of the pregnancy. Ever since finding out she was expecting, she¡¯d been very obedient when it came to eating. And now that she knew she was carrying triplets, she was being even more diligent. Abraham didn¡¯t take the piece she offered. Instead, he held her hand¨Cthe one she was using to eat. ¡°I want this one.¡± Ste had just taken a bite when he leaned in and bit off the rest from her mouth. Ste went quiet. This man and his weird habit¨Che just had to eat what she was eating. ¡°Mmm, not bad. Tastes like Star.¡± His voice wasced with amusement. Ste¡¯s face flushed bright red. ¡°I told you on the phone not to bully-¡± 17:26 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 694 A Bigger Game : She didn¡¯t finish the sentence. The moment she saw the smirk in Abraham¡¯s eyes, she quickly swallowed the rest of her words. God, never try to boss him around. She¡¯d learned that lesson the hard way that night. 60 +8 Pearls They were still eating when Abel called. He must¡¯ve already contacted Tessa. Ste remembered how Marie had said Tessa might get assaulted and then killed. That had really scared her. Abraham took the call and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m stepping out to take a business call.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Ste nodded. Outside, Abraham answered the phone. Abel¡¯s respectful voice came through. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Abraham asked coldly. ¡°Ms. Tessa¡¯s fine. She was taken by Mr. Victor.¡± Abraham raised an eyebrow. ¡°Victor?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Ms. Tessa was indeed taken to Rowan Ind in Northliso by Mr. Victor.¡± ¡°She only called Miss Ste because she wanted to chat. Nothing serious.¡± Abraham went quiet. 17:26 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 694 A Bigger Game He let out a faint sigh of relief. : 60 +8 Pearls Tessa had been calling during Star¡¯s prenatal check¨Cup, and he¡¯d honestly been worried something was wrong. Star was carrying triplets¨Cshe couldn¡¯t handle one of Tessa¡¯s dramatic meltdowns. But Victor, huh¡­ ¡°He didn¡¯t tell Marie he was taking her?¡± ¡°ording to Ms. Tessa, she didn¡¯t really know. Judging from Miss Marie¡¯s reaction, it seems like he didn¡¯t.¡± If Victor had given Marie a heads¨Cup, she wouldn¡¯t have stormed into Ashen Pact. And not just her¨CDerrick had gone too. At this point, Ashen Pact was aplete mess. Abraham closed his eyes briefly. Abel continued, ¡°Ss is already at Ashen Pact. Looks like Mr. Victor is ying a long game.¡± Not telling Marie meant she yed a key role in his strategy. Abraham gave a low chuckle. ¡°Of course he¡¯s ying a big game¨Chow else is he supposed to pass the mother¨Cinw test?¡± Abel went quiet. Uh¡­ good point. Chapter 694 A Bigger Game They all knew Victor had feelings for Tessa. 60 19 +8 Pearls It was strange how fast it happened¨CVictor had never shown interest in any woman before. And now he was suddenly into that washboard? Since he liked her, naturally he had to help her mom deal with Ashen Pact. ¡°Should we give Miss Marie a heads¨Cup?¡± Abel asked. Marie was furious enough to want to skin Dan alive, and that was without knowing anything yet. ¡°No need,¡± Abraham said. ¡°Derrick¡¯s there. Nothing will happen.¡± Speaking of Derrick¡­ Abel couldn¡¯t help thinking¡ªhe really was something else. Send Gifts 5.2K Ãû The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In : Chapter She Took 695 695 Sweet Schemes and Secret ns Derrick had been obsessing over Ste just days ago, and now he¡¯d suddenly married Marie. 60 +8 Pearls The shift was so fast and drastic, it was hard to wrap one¡¯s head around it. ¡°Alright,¡± Abraham said as he hung up on Abel. He headed back into the dining room. Ste had nearly finished eating. Seeing him return, she smiled sweetly. ¡°I saved two for you.¡± Abraham¡¯s heart softened. She¡¯d always been like this since they were kids¡ªno matter how tasty something was, she¡¯d always save some for him. And for Marie too, no matter how tempted she was. He stepped forward and pinched her cheek. ¡°If you like it, just eat.¡± ¡°You eat them,¡± Ste replied. Ever since learning about the pregnancy, Abraham had stopped restricting how much she ate. And now that he knew she was carrying triplets, there was no question¡ª her body needed all the nourishment it could get. He wouldn¡¯t limit her at all. He pulled her into hisp and sat down with her. ¡°Star, how about we move out?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ste stared at him, stunned. Chapter 695 Sweet Schemes and Secret ns 60 +8 Pearls Abraham was beginning to feel that his mother was getting too involved- especially when it came to his intimacy with Star. Now that she knew about the triplets, she¡¯d definitely want them to sleep in separate rooms. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing up moving out? I think living here is pretty nice,¡± Ste said. Unlike most young couples who couldn¡¯t stand mother¨Cinw drama, Ste had grown up with Evelyn. That kind of problem didn¡¯t exist for her. She didn¡¯t want to move out. ¡°I want to,¡± Abraham said. He wanted a ce that belonged to just the two of them. Ste tugged pitifully at his shirt. ¡°But I want to stay with Mom and Marie.¡± She¡¯d already been feeling off these days, barely seeing her mom and sister. Back when she was stuck in Rivermount, all she could think about was how much she wanted to go back to the Dawson family. If she ever got the chance again, she¡¯d never leave them. And if anyone dared threaten her again¡­ she¡¯d kill them. No one knew how hard those days in Rivermount had been¨Chow suffocating that loneliness was. ¡°We¡¯lle back after the babies are born?¡± Abraham offered. 60 +8 Pearls 17:26 Mon, Sep 8 Chapter 695 Sweet Schemes and Secret ns ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± She puffed out her cheeks. No matter what, she wasn¡¯t leaving¨Cshe wanted to live with her mom and sister. Abraham¡¯s headache got worse. ¡°When Mom gets back, we¡¯ll be sleeping in separate rooms. You sure about this?¡± Ste said, ¡°Then just climb in through the window.¡± Abraham went silent. Climb through the window!? Things were perfect between them right now. There was no way he was going to give up sharing a room. So he kept trying to sweet¨Ctalk Ste into moving out. He needed the right environment for their little world. Meanwhile, over on Rowan Ind¡­ Victor hadpletely abandoned training Tessa. Ss and Lewis stood inside one of the wooden cabins, watching from the window as Victor gently carried Tessa to a lounge chair on the beach. Lewis muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t Abraham say not to go easy, not to spoil her?¡± So what was this? No more training? Ss nced at him, exasperated with his constant need for gossip. Chapter 695 Sweet Schemes and Secret ns ¡°He¡¯s probably decided to protect her himself.¡± 60 A +8 Pearls Back then, since they weren¡¯t officially together and Ashen Pact was a total mess, Victor had wanted Tessa to be strong enough to protect herself¡ª especially if she had to go back. Ashen Pact wasn¡¯t just messy. It was dangerous. But things were different now. Tessa was Victor¡¯s woman. As long as she knew a bit of self¨Cdefense and could run, that was enough. The rest, Victor would handle. Lewis scratched his chin. ¡°He¡¯s finally seeing the light. Looks like we¡¯re going to end up as babysitters.¡± ¡°Babysitters?¡± Ss¡¯s face twitched. rm bells rang in his head. ¡°Victor didn¡¯t even give her any meds,¡± Lewis added. Ss went quiet. Babysitters? For an actual baby? ¡°He¡¯ll hire professionals,¡± Ss said. ¡°Has he trusted anyone from the outside in all these years?¡± Lewis countered. For once, Lewis seemed surprisingly sharp. Ss was stunned. Chapter 695 Sweet Schemes and Secret ns As much as he hated to admit it, Lewis was right¨CVictor didn¡¯t trust outsiders. His own vi didn¡¯t even have a single servant. ¡°So now we need to learn how to take care of a baby?¡± Ss went quiet. 60 +8 Pearls ¡°There¡¯s still time. She might not even be pregnant yet,¡± Lewis added. ¡°Then you can learn,¡± Ss grumbled. ¡°Victor trusts you most. He¡¯s always said I¡¯m too dumb,¡± Lewis replied. Ss went quiet again. Two of the most feared assassins in all of Falvaria¨Cboth ranked¨Cwere now talking about baby care. Who would believe it? Out on the beach¡­ Tessa had twisted her ankle. Badly. It was already swollen, and when Victor touched it gently- ¡°Ah-! It hurts!¡± she screamed. Victor¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It¡¯s dislocated. I need to set it. Brace yourself.¡± Send Gifts 5.2K B She Took 696 Chapter 696 No One¡¯s Practicing with a Gun Tessa¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°H¨CHow are you going to fix it?¡± Something about this didn¡¯t feel right. Sure enough, the next second¨Ccrack. Then came Tessa¡¯s piercing scream. ¡°Ahhh-!¡± It hurt. It hurt so bad. She didn¡¯t even want the foot anymore. A short distance away, all Ss and Lewis could see was Victor¡¯s back. From their angle, it looked like he was leaning over Tessa. Then they heard her scream. Ss went quiet. Lewis was stunned. After a moment, Lewis said, ¡°Looks like we really do need to start learning how to take care of a baby.¡± Tessa¡¯s face was twisted in pain. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Victor. ¡°D¨CDon¡¯t touch me anymore. I want a doctor.¡± He was way too rough. She couldn¡¯t let him near her foot again. It hurt like hell. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Victor said. ¡°Why would you need a doctor?¡± Tessa froze. VOO IND WHES FRCUCH Wait¡­ done? She cautiously rotated her ankle. Hey¡­ it really didn¡¯t hurt anymore. ¡°1¨CIt doesn¡¯t hurt now.¡± There was still some difort, but the stabbing pain from earlier waspletely gone. Victor gave a soft grunt, then added, ¡°Beg me, and you won¡¯t have to train anymore, alright?¡± Even though Marie had taken Tessa with her for half a month, Victor still thought she was hopeless when it came tobat¨Cclearly not cut out for it. Forget it. She¡¯d grown up in a safe,fortable world. Why force her into some dramatic transformation just for Ashen Pact¡¯s sake? Tessa looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. ¡°But Ashen Pact wants to skin me and my mom alive.¡± Wasn¡¯t that exactly what happened at Victor¡¯s vi? If they hadn¡¯t been there, she would¡¯ve been ripped apart by those hideous twins. And speaking of those twins¡­ Just thinking about their faces made her sick to her stomach. She¡¯d honestly never seen such repulsive people. She still didn¡¯t get it. Gically speaking, Dale and that mistress weren¡¯t too bad. So how did their kids turn out so ugly? She¡¯d seen Dan too¨Cand with those soft, dreamy eyes, the guy looked like he could charm anyone. Victor raised a brow. ¡°Ashen Pact is garbage.¡± Tessa blinked. Well, sure¡­ in front of Mr. Abraham¡¯s people, Ashen Pact really was nothing. ¡°So¡­ you mean you¡¯re gonna protect me now?¡± She pouted slightly. Victor suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, smiling as he carried her toward the cabins. He didn¡¯t answer. But the message was loud and clear. He¡¯d already stepped into Ashen Pact¡¯s mess. There was no turning back now. Back inside¡­ Ss and Lewis were watching childcare videos on their phones when Victor walked in with Tessa. Right as they entered, the phone speaker yed. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t put the diaper on like that¨Cit¡¯ll hurt the baby¡¯s back.¡± Chapter 696 No One¡¯s Practicing with a Gun Victor went quiet. Tessa went quiet. What the hell were these two doing? Diapers? Were they trying to get married and have kids or something? Noticing them, Ss and Lewis quickly shut off their phones. Ss stood up with a sheepish grin. Lewis gave his best polite smile¨Cbut it looked more like that doting auntie expression. Tessa had never seen either of them look like this before. Victor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Learning new skills!¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big bro. We¡¯ll take care of your kid. We¡¯ll make sure he learns how to use a gun from the moment he¡¯s born-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Victor¡¯s temples were throbbing. ¡°Oh!¡± Lewis stopped immediately. Wait¨Cwas that a no? Tessa gave Lewis a deadpan look,pletely lost on how his brain even worked. Victor didn¡¯t spare him another nce. He carried Tessa straight to the bedroom. Chapter 696 No One¡¯s Practicing with a Gun +8 Pear Lewis scratched his head, confused. ¡°Did I say something wrong again?¡± Ss sighed. ¡°What kind of idiot teaches a baby to shoot right after birth? You?¡± Lewis blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ that is a little early.¡± Ss went quiet. A little? That wasn¡¯t just early¨Cthat was deranged. Who would want to reincarnate into that mess? Because of what Lewis said, Tessa felt incredibly awkward now that she was in Victor¡¯s arms. The manid her on the bed, leaned over, and said, ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not gonna make a baby practice shooting from day one. I¡¯ll deal with Lewister.¡± That damn idiot. No social sense at all. Victor was starting to understand why Abraham never wanted anything to do with Lewis. If you already had one Eddie with a smart mouth, you really didn¡¯t need a second one. Tessa muttered, ¡°Wait, you-¡± What did he mean, ¡°the baby won¡¯t train with a gun after it¡¯s born¡°? Who said anyone was having a baby? Her?! She Took 697 Chapter 697 Missing Pieces Victor raised an eyebrow. ¡°What, you think he was right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Tessa was about to lose it. 48 Pearis What was even happening anymore? One after another, these people- could their brains be any more bizarre? And just like that, Victor hadpletely taken over. Training? Yeah, that was done. When she sprained her ankle earlier, Victor had already made up his mind. She was a woman¨Cso what? He could protect her. Whatever fires and des the world threw their way, he¡¯d take her through them all. They were officially together now. But Ste wasn¡¯t so lucky. Abraham knew Victor was nning something big involving Ashen Pact. So he never told Ste that Tessa was with Victor. And when Abel called Tessa, he deliberately kept it vague¨Cnever mentioning a word about Marie going to Ashen Pact. He just asked where she was. Tessa thought it was odd but didn¡¯t think too deeply. ¡­ Ste, of course, was worried sick about Tessa. The people of Ashen Pact were her blood rtives¨Cyet every one of them wanted her dead. Her father, her brothers, her sisters¡­ All because her mother had be the center of the faction¡¯s power struggle¨Cand with Dan manipting everything behind the scenes. Now that Tessa was tangled up with Victor, their situation had be even moreplicated. Everyone wanted her gone. Unable to reach Tessa, Ste called Marie. On the call, she asked, ¡°Still no word from Bingbing?¡± Marie went quiet. Just hearing Ste say Tessa¡¯s name made her chest ache. Dan, that bastard. At this point, she genuinely feared that Dan had already killed Tessa¡ªbut she had no proof. Not that she cared about proof. What mattered was Star. If Ste broke down from the worry, Marie would lose her mind. ¡°I promise,¡± Marie said. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here in Ashen Pact, I won¡¯t leave without bringing Tessa back.¡± Chapter 697 Missing Pieces Even though she hadn¡¯t seen a single trace of her yet¡­ Even if deep down she feared Tessa might already be dead¡­ She still made that vow for Ste¡¯s sake. ¡°Did Dan give you any trouble?¡± Ste asked softly. Marie¡¯s heart clenched. See? She knew it¨Cher little sister, the one she raised with so much love, still cared more about her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Marie said. ¡°He can¡¯t do anything to me. If he tries, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± She didn¡¯t bother being polite when it came to Dan. Ste said, ¡°Be careful anyway. That man¡¯s nothing but a sneaky, vicious snake.¡± Thanks to Marie, Ste had lost all goodwill toward Dan. Marie replied, ¡°I know. You just behave and take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve got some good news,¡± she added quickly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having triplets.¡± Marie went silent. What? Wait a damn minute¡­ Chapter 697 Missing Pieces ?? Her brother was that powerful? He got Star pregnant with triplets? Triplets! Twins were already impressive¨Cbut triplets? +8 Pearls She remembered seeing a pregnant woman with twins once. Her belly had been so huge she could barely walk. If Star was carrying three¡­ How hard would that be? ¡°Star, if it gets too hard, you don¡¯t have to keep them.¡± Triplets were exhausting. Just try againter¨Cone at a time would be much easier. ¡°What¡­ what kind ofment is that?¡± Ste sounded hurt. Give them up? Marie tried to exin. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about how much you¡¯ll struggle. Do you know how big your belly has to be for triplets?¡± She was being honest. She was scared Ste wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡°We still can¡¯t give up the babies,¡± Ste said firmly. Besides, they were Abraham¡¯s children. Back then, she had only dreamed of being with him. Now that they were together¡ªand had a baby on the way¨Cshe wasn¡¯t letting go of any of it. She cherished both Abraham and the babies deeply. Chapter 697 Missing Pieces ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you¡­¡± Marie faltered. Not to mention, triplets were also risky. +8 Pearts But she didn¡¯t even dare bring up the word ¡°danger¡± around Ste. She was afraid it¡¯d put too much pressure on her. ¡°I¡¯m keeping them. No matter what,¡± Ste insisted. Marie went quiet. If she had to choose between the babies and her sister, her priority would always be Ste. ¡°I¡¯m getting married. Will you be able toe back for the wedding?¡± Ste asked, quickly changing the subject. Marie brightened. ¡°Are you kidding? Of course I will.¡± There wasn¡¯t much time left before Star¡¯s wedding. And with Tessa still missing, Marie was already at her wit¡¯s end. What if Victor got mad at her too? She was barely managing Star¨Cif Victor started breathing down her neck too, then- Dear God, she must¡¯ve done something terrible in a past life. Please, punish her instead. The two of them talked a bit more about Tessa before ending the call. Send Gifts She Took 698 Chapter 698 Blood, Bites, and Boiling Points Marie was determined to get back before Ste¡¯s wedding. But as she sat lost in thought, Dan walked in and caught the dazed look on her face. His expression turned sour. ¡°Thinking about Derrick again?¡± Just hearing Marie refused to sign the divorce papers with Derrick made Dan¡¯s tone go cold. He had no idea when she started having feelings for Derrick. Their marriage certificate felt like a cruel joke¨Ca direct p to the face of the love she once imed to have for Dan. Everyone used to say Marie nearly lost her mind over him. And yet, not long after he reappeared, she married Derrick. That so¨Ccalled madness now looked more like a punchline. Hearing Dan¡¯s voice snapped Marie out of it. She clenched her teeth and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time. Where¡¯s Tessa?¡± Ste¡¯s worry over Tessa during their call still echoed in her mind. Marie was truly running out of patience. She didn¡¯t have time to waste ying games with Dan. Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t take Tessa.¡± ¡°Still pretending?¡± 1/8 Chapter 698 Blood, Bites, and Belling Points ¡°You-¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bastard, Dan.¡± + Prens ¡°What? So now I¡¯m to me for everything? You think I¡¯m that evil?¡± Marie was stunned. ¡°Tessa? Even if I had killed her, what right do you have to question me?¡± he sneered. ¡°You should be more focused on your little Derrick drama. That divorce is happening.¡± His voice grew colder with every word. But Marie didn¡¯t hear the rest. She froze at that one line¨Ceven if I had killed her¨Cand something inside her snapped. His words vanished into a white noise of rage. ¡°You animal! That¡¯s your own sister!¡± Marieunched herself at him in a fury. Thanks to the drugs Dan hadced her with earlier, she still didn¡¯t have the strength to really fight him. So she did the next best thing. She grabbed his head¡ªand sank her teeth into the other side of his face. It all happened too fast. Dan let out a low, pained grunt. Chapter 698 Blood, Bites, and Boiling Points ¡°Marie, you crazy bitch!¡± He growled, hands mping around her throat in fury. Yesterday, he¡¯d already walked around with one cheek full of teeth marks, drawing curious stares. And now she was at it again? But the harder he squeezed her neck, the deeper she bit into his face¨Clike she wouldn¡¯t stop until she ripped a piece off. In the end, Dan broke first. ¡°Alright, alright! I give up! Let go!¡± Any more of this and he¡¯d have no face left. Finally, Marie released him. Dan could immediately tell¡ªthis bite was way worse than thest one. Warm blood was already trickling down. But the truth? Marie hadn¡¯t let go out of mercy. It was the taste¨Cthe overwhelming, rusty tang of his blood¨Cthat triggered her nausea. Dan wiped his face and stared at the blood in his palm, seething. ¡°One more time and I¡¯ll rip everyst tooth out of your mouth!¡± ¡°Ugh¨Cugh¨Cugh¡ª!¡± Marie spat on the floor twice, but the taste lingered. She couldn¡¯t hold it in Chapter 698 Blood, Bites, and Boiling Points: and started gagging violently. Dan was already livid. Seeing her now, curled up and retching, his head buzzed with fury. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?!¡± She bit him¨Cand now she was acting like he was disgusting? +8 Pearl Unable to take it anymore, Marie rushed to the bathroom and threw up her guts. Dan stood outside, face dark as thunder, clenching his fists. He wanted nothing more than to storm in and shut her up. But in the end, he didn¡¯t. Grinding his teeth, he spun on his heel and stormed out. Just as he stepped out the door¡ª He heard Marie¡¯s voice from inside, hoarse but fierce: ¡°Tessa bettere back to me without a single scratch on her.¡± Dan went quiet. Tessa, Tessa, Tessa. What the hell was their rtionship anyway? Was Marie really going this far over her? Yes. Yes, she was here to fight him for Tessa. Dan¡¯s heart soured. Chapter 698 Blood, Bites, and Boiling Points First it was Derrick. Now it was Tessa. At what point had Marie¡¯s heart shifted this far away from him? +8 Peane Meanwhile, Tessa and Victor were having a perfectly pleasant vacation. Dan, on the other hand, was drowning in chaos. He thought he¡¯d secured Marie by keeping her close¨Cbut he¡¯d only tied himself to a grenade. Marie wasn¡¯t some fragile bird in a cage. She wasn¡¯t someone you could lock up. And now¡­ After just one night, Dan showed up again¨Chis other cheek freshly bitten. The position of the bite mirrored the first one perfectly. It was almost symmetrical. And this time, she¡¯d bitten even harder. Blood was still seeping from the mark. Conan¡¯s face darkened when he saw him. ¡°Ms. Dawson bit you again?¡± She Took 699 Chapter 699 Trapped with Blood and Questions Dan¡¯s face had gonepletely dark. +8 Pearls His fists clenched at his sides, and all he could think about was ripping Marie¡¯s teeth out one by one. Especially when he thought about how her entire attitude toward him had shifted because of Derrick and Tessa¨Cit made his blood boil. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± he snapped at Conan. Dan wasn¡¯t the only one looking like hell. Conan had a ck eye¨Cclear as day. A punch to the face. And here they were, in Noctarth¨CAshen Pact territory. Yet both the leader and his right¨Chand man looked like they¡¯d been through a street fight. Conan¡¯s face twitched. ¡°A woman hit me.¡± He gritted his teeth. Sophia¡ªshe came here with Marie. One of Marie¡¯s people. Conan had lived in Noctarth for years under Dan¡¯s protection. People bowed their heads when they saw him. Called him ¡°Brother Conan¡± wherever he went. Never had he suffered such humiliation¨Cgetting socked in the face like somemon thug. Dan went silent. A woman? The second he realized Conan got beaten by a woman, his expression soured even more. He shot Conan a sharp re. ¡°Useless. You can¡¯t even handle one woman?¡± Conan went quiet. You too, he thought bitterly. You can¡¯t even handle Marie. Meanwhile, Marie and Sophia had turned Dan¡¯s domain into utter chaos. But no matter what they stirred up, Dan refused to let them leave. To put it bluntly- 15:25 Wed, Sep 10 Chapter 699 Trapped with Blood and Questions Dan was holding out for one thing: he wanted Marie to sign the divorce agreement with Derrick. Sophia sighed. ¡°We tried. We can¡¯t get out.¡± There was disappointment in her voice. Anywhere else, they moved freely. But here? Dan had turned this ce into a fortress. Marie clutched her chest and paled. Sophia asked quickly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just nauseous,¡± Marie muttered. ¡°That bastard¡¯s blood is disgusting.¡± Blood wasn¡¯t exactly new to Marie. She¡¯d seen plenty over the years. +8 Pearls So why was Dan¡¯s making her this sick? She¡¯d practically retched up her liver in the bathroom. earlier. Sophia went quiet. She didn¡¯t get it. Blood was blood¨Cit all smelled the same to her. ¡°I looked for Tessa, too. No trace of her here. She must be somewhere else,¡± Sophia reported. That name was a mistake. Just hearing ¡°Tessa¡± made Marie¡¯s fists itch again. She was ready to storm out and punch Dan all over again. Sophia thought for a moment. ¡°Hey¡­ what if Dan didn¡¯t take her at all?¡± Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°If not him, then which shameless bastard did?¡± Just the thought made her panic. In her mind, this had to be Dan¡¯s doing. Better be Dan¡¯s doing. If it wasn¡¯t¨Cthings could be way worse. Marie turned sharply to Sophia. ¡°Are you saying one of my enemies took her?¡± Dear God, please no. If it really was her enemies, then not even scorched earth would be enough to contain her rage. Marie looked dazed for a second, like the very idea knocked the wind out of her. Sophia said nothing. 15:25 Wed, Sep 10 Chapter 699 Trapped with Blood and Questions. Her enemies? That couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°You think my enemies would really be that dumb?¡± Marie asked, uncertain. Sophia thought it over. ¡°Probably not.¡± +8 Pearls After all, none of them had deep¨Cseated hatred toward Marie. Sure, they fought on the surface, argued publicly. But behind the scenes, no one ever yed dirty. So, all things considered, her enemies weren¡¯t totally despicable. ¡°Then it probably wasn¡¯t them,¡± Marie concluded. Sophia nodded. ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡± Marie frowned. ¡°Then who the hell took Tessa?¡± She was getting furious again. Sophia hesitated. ¡°Could it be¡­ Mr. Victor?¡± If not an enemy, then the only real possibility was Victor. ¡°Victor?¡± Marie blinked. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. If he wanted Tessa, why not just ask me? Why sneak around?¡± When she said ¡°sneak,¡± Sophia looked like she didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°I don¡¯t think Victor¡¯s that kind of person,¡± Marie said firmly. To her, Victor was a man of principle. If he wanted someone dead, he¡¯d do it openly, face¨Cto- face. That kind of man didn¡¯t do underhanded things. Sophia stared at her for a beat, then sighed. ¡°Maybe just test the waters?¡± After everything they¡¯d been through, Sophia didn¡¯t trust anyone anymore. Especially with Dan¨Cshe¡¯d even searched the most hidden underground cells in the castle. Nothing. No sign of Tessa. At this point, she had to consider the possibility that Tessa¡­ might not be in Dan¡¯s hands at all. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 700 Chapter 700 Sharp Tongues, Hidden Scars Marie nodded slowly at Sophia¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± She picked up her phone and dialed Victor. ?(53) Finished At that exact moment, Victor had thoroughly worn Tessa out¨Cso much so that she¡¯d passed out in his arms. She was curled up against him, cheeks flushed, fast asleep like a little kitten. Her peaceful expression brought him an unfamiliar sense of calm. A sense he¡¯d never known before. Victor had spent his life without want or need, untouched by desire. But now¡­ he wanted to keep this feeling forever. ¡°Bad¡­ so bad¡­¡± Tessa mumbled in her sleep, still pouting, clearly having been pushed too far¡ª even in dreams, she was cursing him. Victor¡¯s lips lifted in a faint smile. He reached out and gently pinched her cheek, unable to resist. Tessa frowned in protest at the disturbance, then shifted closer, hugging his arm and nuzzling against it until she found afortable spot to keep sleeping. Buzz buzz buzz- Victor¡¯s phone vibrated. The caller ID: Marie. He nced down at the sleeping girl in his arms, hesitant to move for fear of waking her. Eventually, he lowered the call volume and picked up. His tone was icy. ¡°Speak.¡± Marie, on the other end, flinched. The chill in his voice was enough to freeze the air. That didn¡¯t sound like someone happily enjoying a cozy couple¡¯s retreat. If Tessa really was with him, wouldn¡¯t he be more rxed? Pleasant? Satisfied? ¡­ : 53 Chapter 700 Sharp Tonques, Hidden Scars This didn¡¯t sound like that at all. Marie turned to Sophia, eyes full of panic. Sophia signaled frantically for her to ask the question. Marie whispered, ¡°Do I still need to ask?¡± She was terrified that even mentioning Tessa¡¯s name might set Victor off like a bomb. Sophia mouthed, Yes! You called¨Chow could you not ask? Marie clutched her forehead. Her brain was a mess. Finished Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and blurted, ¡°Um, Victor¡­ is Tessa with you right now?¡± Shepletely forgot the careful phrasing she¡¯d prepared. The moment the words left her mouth, she winced. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m dead. Sure enough, the atmosphere on the other end of the line instantly turned heavier. Marie shut her eyes, bracing for the explosion. Victor¡¯s voice turned colder than ever. ¡°Marie. You took her.¡± ¡°Ahh! I¡¯m sorry! I swear I¡¯ll help you find your wife! Just give me a little time, please!¡± The storm had barely begun when Marie panicked and cut him off, frantically babbling whatever came to mind. Then she hung up¨Cfast. The call ended, but Victor¡¯s pressure lingered like thunderclouds in her chest. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you so scared of Mr. Victor? Isn¡¯t that a little much?¡± ¡°If he ever turned against my brother, it¡¯d be a nightmare. You think I¡¯m overreacting?¡± Sophia went silent. Okay. Fair enough. Anyone who could be a serious threat to Mr. Abraham deserved a little fear. ¡°So¡­ is Tessa with him or not?¡± Sophia asked. 14 hu, Sep Chapter 700 Sharp Tongues, Hidden Scars ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± With a tone that dangerous, how could she possibly be? ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it. He sounded like he wanted to tear me apart.¡± Yeah¨Cno way Tessa was in his care if he was in that kind of mood. Finished Sophia sighed. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s focus on getting out of here. How are you feeling? Is the drug wearing off?¡± ¡°Mostly. Give me a little more time.¡± Just thinking about how Dan had drugged her made Marie want to beat him senseless the second she recovered. Sophia looked uneasy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried he¡¯ll try again?¡± ¡°Not a chance. He doesn¡¯t have the opportunity.¡± Marie had already thrown out everything in the room except the bed¨Cnothing left for him to use. And as for Dan? If he dared step in again, she¡¯d beat him every time. No chance to pull anything. ¡°¡­.Mr. Derrick has arrived in Noctarth,¡± Sophia added after a pause. Even though they were trapped, she still had ways of getting outside intel. The second Marie heard Derrick hade, her heart twisted. What started as a marriage of convenience had slowly shifted. What he¡¯d done for her¡­. felt like more than obligation. Meanwhile¡­ Dan was simmering with fury. He was the ruler of Ashen Pact¨Cyet both he and his men had been humiliated by women. Now he was walking around with not one, but two full bite marks on his face. Symmetrically ced. And today¡¯s bite? Deeper. Still bleeding. ¡­ 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 B .. Chapter 700 Sharp Tongues, Hidden Scars Dan could feel his blood vessels popping. He red at Conan and growled, ¡°Dennis never had to put up with this crap.¡± Conan was stunned. True. Dennis wouldn¡¯t have. But they were the ones who did. Send Gifts 5.2K 6 53 She Took 701 Chapter 701 A Gift of Fire : 53 Finished When Dennis came to mind, Dan saw again the image of Derrick putting a bullet through his head. Dennis had been by his side for so many years. The attempt on Marie¡¯s life had been Dennis¡¯s own decision. And yet to have fallen to Derrick¡¯s hand like that¡ªit was a bitter pill Dan could not swallow. Conan said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me touch her.¡± At that, Conan¡¯s tone carried clear resentment. It was only because Dan had forbidden him from harming Marie and her people that he¡¯d had to suffer such humiliation at the hands of that woman. If not for Dan¡¯s order, he would have snapped that woman¡¯s neck long ago. How could he allow her to strut in front of him like that? Dan was speechless. The mention of Marie silenced Danpletely. He dropped the subject without another word. Before he could speak again, Conan changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Derrick is already in Noctarth.¡± Being beaten by a woman was shameful enough; he didn¡¯t care to dwell on it. At the sound of Derrick¡¯s name, Dan narrowed his eyes, his gaze shing with cold malice. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Dan¡¯s voice cut like ice. ¡°I tracked his movements. At this moment, Mr. Derrick is-¡± A thunderous boom tore through the castle, cutting Conan off¡® mid¨Csentence. The entire fortress shuddered with the impact. Dan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Conan¡¯s face twisted with unease as he rushed to investigate. Chapter 701 A Gift of Fire Noctarth wasn¡¯t on a fault line. An earthquake was impossible. Besides, this was no earthquake¨Cit was an explosion. Momentster, Conan returned. ¡°Sir.¡± One look at his expression told Dan that something serious had happened. His voice was frigid. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°The castle gates were blown apart.¡± Conan¡¯s words carried a sharp edge of fury. Dan¡¯s breath caught, his face twisted with a storm of rage. ¡°Who did this? Manny?¡± he hissed through clenched teeth. No, that didn¡¯t make sense. Manny had no time to stir up trouble with him now. This time, he had captured the right woman. 53 Finished With Diana¡¯s former influence in the Ashen Pact, her return had thrown the entire faction into upheaval. Dale and Manny were drowning in the chaos she brought. ¡°It was Mr. Derrick,¡± Conan said grimly. The air froze. A glint of frost lit Dan¡¯s eyes as his fists clenched tight. Then, in an instant, his lips twisted into a cold smile. ¡°He actually dared¡­¡± Justing into Noctarth already took nerve. But to show up here, and with such force- ¡°He must have brought a lot of men,¡± Conan muttered. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t risk making this kind of move otherwise.¡± Dan closed his eyes for a breath. When he opened them again, danger burned within. He strode outside without answering. 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 B.. Chapter 701 A Gift of Fire Conan hurried to follow. 53 Finished At the gates, Dan arrived to find them utterly destroyed. Lifting his gaze, he caught sight of a ck G¨CWagon parked not far off. Derrick sat on the hood, his long legs bent but still exuding the aura of a towering frame. His sharp brows and clear eyes carried a hint of amusement. Even the strands of hair falling across his forehead seemed to add to his striking presence. Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Derrick!¡± Derrick took a slow drag from the cigar between his fingers. ¡°Mr. Morris, do you like this little gift I¡¯ve brought you?¡± Dan stayed quiet. The two men stood apart, yet the tension between them was thick enough for everyone around to feel. Before Dan could respond, Derrick exhaled a stream of smoke. ¡°Where¡¯s my wife?¡± Marie. That damn woman. Still nowhere in sight. What game was she ying? Had she really stayed hidden because she had some old feelings left for this bastard? The word ¡°wife¡± darkened Dan¡¯s gaze to a pitch ck. ¡°She already agreed to divorce you.¡± Everyone kept quiet. The air froze again. Sebastian nced at Derrick. Over time, he hade to see just how deeply his brother kept his true thoughts buried. To have hidden his feelings for Marie so carefully for so many years¨Conly to have them dragged out now. At Dan¡¯s words, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker of sympathy. Derrick¡¯s lips curved into a smile, but it was ice¨Ccold. ¡­ 53 Chapter 701 A Gift of Fire Finished ¡°Well then. It seems Mr. Morris didn¡¯t care much for my first gift, after all.¡± He snapped his fingers. Send Gifts She Took 702 Chapter 702 The mes of Shame The moment Dan saw Derrick snap his fingers, his chest tightened. Before he could react, a series of deafening sts went off¨Cboom, boom, boom. Both Dan and Conan turned sharply toward the courtyard. 53 Finished The row of luxury cars parked there erupted one after another, fire roaring skyward in a ze of destruction. The stench of burning fuel and metal filled the air, acrid and choking. Dan swung back toward Derrick, eyes bloodshot, lips parting soundlessly. His jaw clenched so tight his teeth ground audibly. Derrick¡¯s smile only deepened. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty more gifts like this.¡± The meaning was clear: unless Dan handed over Marie, Derrick would keep burning his world down until he broke. And just as Derrick predicted, Dan¡¯sposure was already crumbling. ¡°You really are insane,¡± he spat. ¡°That still makes me better than a shameless bastard who covets another man¡¯s wife.¡± Those words nailed Dan to the pir of disgrace. He let out a bitterugh. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know the truth about your marriage? You married her because of the elders in the Sheng family, didn¡¯t you? Derrick, you and I¨Cwe¡¯re the same.¡± Both of them had faced countless obstacles on the road to giving Marie happiness. But at the words ¡°the same,¡± Derrick¡¯s smile turned ice¨Ccold. ¡°You think I¡¯d everpare myself to you? If I¡¯d faked my death the way you did, Marie would¡¯ve torn me apart.¡± Not a single word of ¡°love¡± spoken, yet every word was full of it. The thought of Marie bringing Derrick to such a point made Dan¡¯s chest feel like it would explode. 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 B¡­ Chapter 702 The mes of Shame : He jabbed a finger at the bite marks swelling on his own face. ¡°See this? She did that.¡± The others froze. Gosh! 53 Finished Only now did they realize the swollen marks on Dan¡¯s face weren¡¯t from a beating¨CMarie had bitten him. Sebastian shot a worried nce at Derrick. And when he saw the dangerous look in his brother¡¯s eyes, he rushed to smooth things over. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Once we find her, you can let her bite you too. A few more times, even.¡± Derrick couldn¡¯t say a word. He had already been boiling inside at the sight of those marks. Now, hearing Sebastian reduce it to some childishparison, his re cut like a knife. Seriously? ¡°Enough. Stop misleading him. Why do you think she bit you?¡± Sebastian snapped at Dan. ¡°Because you tried to force yourself on her, and she wouldn¡¯t let you, right?¡± Who ends up with bite marks on the face in bed unless the other side resisted with everything they had? You failed to get what you wanted and still had the gall to brag about it. Inside the castle. Marie and Sophia had rushed to the windows at the sound of the explosions. But from so far back, they couldn¡¯t see who hade. The servants, however, were already in panic. Out beyond the gates, a dozen cars were swallowed by mes, fire climbing high into the night. Marie let out a low whistle. ¡°Impressive. Someone in Noctarth actually managed to push Dan this far.¡± This was his fortress. Even stepping past its gates was nearly impossible for most people. And yet tonight, his entire fleet had been reduced to ashes. 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 B¡­ Chapter 702 The mes of Shame The first st, she hadn¡¯t known what it was. Sophia nodded. ¡°Arrogant. Truly arrogant.¡± They had no idea Derrick was outside confronting Dan. 53 Finished But before they could specte on who Dan¡¯s enemy might be, another explosion thundered from a nearby vi, bringing the whole structure crashing down. Marie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°My God. Could this be about stealing someone¡¯s wife?¡± Sophia turned to look at her instinctively. Stealing someone¡¯s wife? Whose wife? Before she could ask, Marie went on. ¡°That bastard Dan¨Che¡¯s always acted like some gentleman. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s been snatching up other men¡¯s wives all these years.¡± If that was true¡­ Then how blind had she been to fall for such trash? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sophia admitted. They hadn¡¯t even known Dan was alive until recently. How could they possibly know his ways in Noctarth? Still, judging by the situation¨Cone explosion, then another, then another¨Cit really did look like a vendetta born of stolen love. No one went this far unless the hatred ran to the bone. Another deafening st shook the grounds. A second building copsed into rubble. Was Dan¡¯s fortress made of paper, to have been packed with so many explosives? ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Sophia urged. If they stayed, they might end up blown to pieces along with the castle. It was terrifying. Marie realized then that being near Dan was like racing against Hades himself. And now the entire castle was in chaos. Send Gifts ¡£ 5.2K The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 703 Chapter 703 Ashen Pact¡¯s Shadow Marie and Sophia slipped away in a hurry. As they moved, Marie asked, ¡°You¡¯re sure Tessa¡¯s not here, right?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Rx. I checked every inch.¡± Dan¡¯s men thought they had her under control. 53 Finished What they didn¡¯t know was that in the dead of night, Sophia had already searched the castle inside and out. Finding no sign of Tessa, Marie wasted no more time. She ran. Still, where was Tessa? Her head throbbed at the thought. Dan¡¯s fortress was chaos. No one had the presence of mind to watch Marie. Meanwhile, far away on Yero Ind, Tessa woke to find Victor gone. He was Abraham¡¯s right hand, after all. Even on the ind, men came looking for him daily. Rubbing her eyes, Tessa stepped out of the room and spotted several packages lying on the table. Beside them sat a fake baby doll wearing a diaper. The bags¨Cbaby clothes. Seriously? These people¡­ Lewis might joke around constantly, but when he fought, he was like a demon. And Ss¨Cever stern, always at Victor¡¯s side. She could hardly picture the two of them together dressing a doll, of all things. 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 G¡­ Chapter 703 Ashen Pact¡¯s Shadow Especially when she noticed one side of the diaper was torn open in a long gash. If this had been a real baby, the poor thing would have been crushed. Victor walked in to find Tessa staring nkly at the doll. From where he stood, her profile softened as she gazed at it, her eyes full of tenderness. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. 53 Finished Startled, she let out a small yelp. Realizing it was him, she pressed a hand against her chest. ¡°Do you have to walk without a sound?¡± She was so small. Wrapped in Victor¡¯s arms, she seemed swallowed by his shadow. ¡°Do you like children that much?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡­..¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t have one now.¡± What? Who said she liked children? She still felt like she hadn¡¯t even grown up herself. ¡°Then tell me, why not now?¡± she shot back, indignant. The moment the words left her mouth, her mind went nk. My God, what am I saying? That¡¯s not even what I meant. ¡°We have to go to the Ashen Pact,¡± Victor said. Her eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± The instant she heard it, she spun to face him, studying his expression for any hint of a lie. He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why so suddenly?¡± When she asked, his gaze on her grew heavy with worry. Catching it, her heart skipped. ¡°Did something happen to my mom?¡± ¡­ 14:31 Thu, Sep 11 B .. Chapter 703 Ashen Pact¡¯s Shadow : Her voice trembled, her whole being tense with fear. Victor¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Tell me,¡± she demanded, panicked now. ¡°Something happened to her, didn¡¯t it?¡± Her hands were already cold when he sped them. 53 Finished ¡°This morning, on her way to the Ashen Pact elders¡® council, your mother disappeared. Ss was with her.¡± Her mind exploded in a deafening buzz. ¡°Disappeared?¡± ¡°Yes. We have to go see what¡¯s happening.¡± Even Ss, one of his most trusted men, had gone dark. If it were a small matter, Victor would never have been this unsettled. ¡°Then let¡¯s go¡ªright now.¡± At the news of her mother, Tessa couldn¡¯t bear another moment on the ind. She had to reach the Ashen Pact. So fate shifted once again, driving Tessa back to Ashen Pact¡ªthe very ce she had despised from the start. Elsewhere- Marie, who should have already fled, stopped near the gates and began to climb the wall. ¡°What are you doing? We need to leave,¡± Sophia hissed. No one had noticed them yet. It was the perfect chance to slip away. As far as Sophia was concerned, vengeance on Dan could wait. Survival came first. ¡°Not yet,¡± Marie said. ¡°I want to see which good soul finally decided to take Dan down.¡± This was Noctarth, after all. Ashen Pact¡¯s influence here ran deep, its power woven into every corner. And still, someone dared to provoke Dan like this. Marie¡¯s curiosity burned. ¡­ Chapter 703 Ashen Pact¡¯s Shadow 53 Sophia nearly broke down. ¡°You don¡¯t even have the strength for this. The drugs in your system haven¡¯t worn off yet. And you want to stay and watch Dan¡¯s downfall now?¡± Send Gifts She Took 704 Chapter 704 The Edge of Copse 53 Finished Marie didn¡¯t care what Sophia said. She climbed up onto the wall, perching there to watch the chaos unfold. Was this really a good idea? Maybe Tessa had rubbed off on her. She couldn¡¯t resist watching a spectacle, no matter the time or ce. Outside the gates, the sh had already broken out in full force. With his castle going up in explosions one after another, Dan finally lost control. ¡°Derrick, you bastard¨Cyou nted people around me!¡± The gates were one thing. But the vis, one by one, reduced to rubble, the cars blown to pieces¡ªall without his men noticing a thing. There was only one exnation: Derrick had slipped people into his ranks long ago. Derrick toyed idly with apact pistol, twirling it between his fingers. Compared to Dan¡¯s fury, he looked calm, almost casual. ¡°Now you can tell me why my wife bit you.¡± He was smiling. But everyone present knew¡ªif Dan gave an answer Derrick didn¡¯t like, the castle would keep erupting. Dan¡¯s eyes gleamed with danger. ¡°You¡¯d better stop now, or I¡¯ll see you never walk out of Noctarth alive.¡± The words had barely left his lips before Derrick fired into the air. At that same moment, another explosion rocked the castle. From her vantage point, Marie felt her heart lurch. Thank God, Dan¡¯s estate was massive. If it weren¡¯t, she might have been buried here along with him. ¡°Will you bring my wife out yourself,¡± Derrick asked evenly, ¡°or shall I fetch her?¡± The smoothness of his voice carried more menace than a shout. Chapter 704 The Edge of Copse 53 Finished Sophia had climbed up beside Marie by now. Watching Derrick speak so calmly while forcing Dan into a corner, she clicked her tongue. ¡°Mr. Derrick really is handsome.¡± Before Marie could reply, she added, ¡°And this is exactly what you said¨Chatred born from a stolen wife.¡± This had been beyond her expectations. She never imagined the one turning Dan¡¯s fortress upside down would be Derrick. With Derrick¡¯s unrelenting pressure, Conan finally cracked. He stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Sir, perhaps we should-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Dan roared, cutting him off. His eyes burned as he red at Derrick. Then, with a snap, he shouted, ¡°Kill them!¡± By now, rage had consumed him. If Derrick dared to invade Noctarth, then he would make sure the man never left alive. The gunfight erupted in full. Both sides shed violently, the air filled with smoke and fire. Then one of Dan¡¯s men rushed up. ¡°Sir¨Cbad news. Ms. Miller is gone.¡± Dan froze. Conan did too. Gunfire raged around them, but to Dan, the world had gone silent. His gaze cut toward the man. ¡°What did you say?¡± His voice was barely audible, but his heart roared with a single thought: if the long matriarch was missing, every de of me would turn on him. In that instant, he felt as if he were standing on the very tip of a storm, all its fury about to crash down upon him. ¡°This morning, on her way to the elders¡® council, Ms. Miller vanished,¡± the man added, voice trembling. Dan was utterly speechless. The elders¡® council. Of course. He remembered. A week ago he¡¯d already heard about it. Diana had nned to crush Dale there once and for all. 14:32 Thu, Sep 11 B.. Chapter 704 The Edge of Copse 53 Finished For seven days, Dale had fought her tooth and nail, but nothing could stop her momentum. And yet, it seemed Dale had been saving one final move, waiting to strike. Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. Conan stepped forward again, his voice respectful. ¡°Sir, at this moment-¡® Dan cut him off with a raised hand. ¡°¡± Worry creased Conan¡¯s face. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to sh with Mr. Derrick. We¡¯ve got bigger trouble to handle first.¡± Dan looked at Derrick across the chaos. Those arrogant, unyielding eyes seared into him, stoking the fire in his chest until it nearly consumed him. Atst, he forced it down and raised his hand. ¡°Stand down.¡± His men immediately ceased fire. Across the way, Derrick¡¯s side also pulled back, though their eyes stayed sharp and deadly, fixed on Dan like hunting beasts waiting to strike. Send Gifts She Took 705 Chapter 705 Walls and Fire Finished Derrick drew on his cigar again, the pistol in his other hand still spinningzily between his fingers. ¡°Made up your mind?¡± Dan closed his eyes, forcing his pounding chest to steady. With a cold snort, he muttered, ¡°Go fetch her yourself.¡± Then he strode off. With Diana¡¯s sudden disappearance, everything was spiraling out of control. He had no time to worry about Marie anymore. After all, Derrick hade for her¨Cshe wouldn¡¯t be in danger. But the thought left his chest tight and heavy. I¡¯m still not strong enough¡­ On the wall, Marie crossed her arms, watching him go. ¡°Tch. Hypocritical bastard.¡± Sophia fell silent too. And she realized, more than ever, that Dan was not Marie¡¯s man. Years ago he had faked his death without hesitation. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that he hadn¡¯t known how close Marie was to breaking back then. He hadn¡¯t shown himself once. And now¨Cwalking away again without a fight. If a man truly loved a woman, nothing¨Cnot even life itself¨Cwould make him abandon her so easily. Dan left. Derrick flicked away his cigar. ¡°Go. Bring my wife out.¡± He wouldn¡¯t step foot into Dan¡¯s filthy estate. Sebastian immediately led men toward the castle. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Marie called suddenly. Everyone froze. Sebastian turned toward the wall- There she sat, arins crossed, straddling the top. ¡­ : 53 Chapter 705 Walls and Fire When had she gotten up there? ¡°You could¡¯vee out? Then why sit there gawking like it¡¯s a show?¡± Derrick looked up at her too, his lips curving. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± Marie remained silent. ¡°The blindness should be cured now, right? Dan ditched you again.¡± God, could he shut up? If he didn¡¯t know how to talk, better to stay silent. ¡°Like I need him to ditch me? He¡¯s nothing,¡± Marie snapped. Though unwilling to admit it, deep down she knew¡ªDan had abandoned her. ¡°Want me to carry you down?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°No.¡± With a huff, Marie leapt from the wall. The height was nothing for her. Except- Finished Her footnded on debris from the explosions. A shard bit into her sole, sending her slipping. She tumbled down andnded hard on her backside. Already fuming, she nearly saw red. ¡°The richest bastard in Noctarth and he can¡¯t even fix the damn road outside his gate.¡± Sebastian¡¯s first instinct was to rush forward, but one sharp look from Derrick froze him in ce. He quickly stepped aside. ¡°You go.¡± Derrick gave a cold snort and moved just as Sophia helped Marie up. ¡°It was debris from the sts,¡± Sophia whispered at her car. Hmph. Still Dan¡¯s fault. Derrick reached her, seizing her wrist and yanking her into his chest. 14:32 Thu, Sep 11 B¡­ Chapter 705 Walls and Fire His solid frame smothered her, making it hard to breathe. She struggled. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been locked up in there all this time,¡± he growled. Her strength was nearly gone. The drugs in her system had drained her, and what little remained had been spent climbing the wall. She pushed weakly at him. ¡°Let me go.¡± Her resistance was soft, almost fragile. Derrick had grown used to her fiery temper, her brash defiance. Now, with her feeble struggling, it almost felt like¡­ coyness. ¡°What¡¯s this? Tired of ying the tough girl? Switching to delicate and shy?¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°Better stay yourself. That whole ¡®hard¨Cto¨Cget act¡® doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Hard¨Cto¨Cget? What the hell- ¡°You think I¡¯m putting on some act for you?¡± Marie exploded. She¡¯d seen enough rich girls y those games over the years to make her sick. No way in hell she¡¯d be one of them. ¡°Oh? Then why are you rubbing up against me right now?¡± Derrick countered. Rubbing¡­? 53 Finished Truth was, she¡¯d always pushed him away straight and hard before¨Cnever letting anyone touch her if she didn¡¯t want it. But now, her feeble struggling in his armspared to her usual fire¨Cit could only look, to him, like she was pressing closer. She Took 706 Chapter 706 Tangled Bloodlines The faint brush of Marie¡¯s weak struggle¨Cif one hadn¡¯t known her before¨Ccould easily be mistaken for the gentle nuzzle of a kitten. And the way she cursed him, breathless and soft, only made her look like a ruffled little cat with no ws left. At the words ¡°hard¨Cto¨Cget,¡± she¡¯d already been fuming. Now Derrick dared use her of ¡°rubbing against him¡°? That made her snap. ¡°Who the hell¡¯s rubbing on you? You stink so bad I¡¯d suffocate before I did that!¡± Her fury was adorable, a puffed¨Cup kitten baring tiny teeth. Derrick chuckled low. ¡°See? You¡¯re doing it again.¡± He held her wrist with ease, no resistance at all. Something that never would have happened with the old Marie. And when she failed to break free, she looked exactly as he said¡ªfragile, like some coy debutante pretending to resist. Sebastian watched the scene, and to him it looked like bickering lovers. He cleared his throat twice. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t disturb their¡­ newlywed moment.¡± He waved the others off and even slung an arm around Sophia¡¯s shoulder, steering her toward a car. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re together. Safe and perfectly legal.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not-¡± Sophia started. She wanted to exin Marie was still under the drug¡¯s effect. But Marie was already exploding from Derrick and Sebastian¡¯s teasing. ¡°I was drugged, you idiots! Can¡¯t you see?¡± The word drugged killed the air in an instant. Danger flickered across Derrick¡¯s face. Sebastian, uneasy, asked, ¡°Should we leave now? I can request a jet immediately. This is Dan¡¯s turf¨Cwe shouldn¡¯t linger.¡± But Derrick¡¯s gaze dropped to the limp woman in his arms. A coldugh escaped him. ¡°Leave? Chapter 706 Tangled Bloodlines No. I¡¯m staying in Noctarth for a week.¡± ¡°A week?¡± Sebastian understood at once¨CDerrick wanted revenge. +8 Pearis Dan had done many things, but drugging Marie? That was a de straight into Derrick¡¯s lungs. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around,¡± Marie muttered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for Tessa? Have you even found her?¡± Marie was speechless. The name made her chest ache. She looked at Sophia. Sophia quickly told Derrick she had already searched the entire castle¨Cno trace of Tessa. Derrick¡¯s gaze returned to Marie, darker now, weighing thoughts. Then he spoke. ¡°What if Dale took her?¡± Marie blinked. ¡°Dale?¡± That was Tessa¡¯s father. The former head of Ashen Pact. If he wanted to spirit her away, no one could stop him. ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s her father,¡± Marie said, conflicted. If Dale had taken Tessa, wouldn¡¯t she be safer than with Dan? After all, he wouldn¡¯t harm his own daughter. Derrick gave a sharpugh. ¡°Let me remind you¨CDale¡¯s first two wives were nothing but tools. He never loved Diana, nor Dan¡¯s mother. And he sure as hell never cared for their children.¡± His voice turned cold. ¡°So tell me¨Cdo you still think Tessa is safe with him?¡± Marie couldn¡¯t say a word. The truth hit like ice water. Dale had loved his mistress more than any of his other wives, more than their children. And now- ¡°Tessa is the perfect pawn to control Diana,¡± Derrick finished. Marie¡¯s chest tightened. God. Could she really bring Tessa back safe and sound? Deliver her into Victor¡¯s hands like she¡¯d promised? For the first time, true fear prickled her. ¡°Is there any family mess worse than this?¡± She scratched at her head. Compared to all this, the Dawsons were practically simple folk. Derrick¡¯s tone was brisk. ¡°Victor¡¯s men just arrived. We need to move faster.¡± Marie froze. ¡°Victor¡¯s men? They¡¯re here already?¡± Cold dread swept her. She nced at Sophia, who looked just as stricken. If Victor¡¯s men were here, that meant Tessa wasn¡¯t with him. Derrick confirmed with a hum. Marie groaned. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? We need to track that girl down, figure out if her dear daddy really dragged her off.¡± What a cursed bloodline. Brothers who weren¡¯t brothers, fathers who weren¡¯t fathers. What kind of hell¨Cstart life was this? Marie could only feel pity for Tessa, tangled in such a mess. She Took 707 Chapter 707 Storm Over Ashen Pact ¡°No matter who took her, I¡¯ll stir Ashen Pact¡¯s waters until they drown in it,¡± Marie snapped. Someone had stolen Tessa from under her nose. That, she could never forgive. She shot Sophia a hard look. ¡°Go. Spread the word¨Cwhoever dares touch Tessa, I¡¯ll personally twist his head off.¡± Sophia nodded quickly. ¡°Got it.¡± Derrick¡¯s analysis had left Marie more frenzied than before. The thought of leaving Noctarth never even crossed her mind now. Until she found Tessa, she wasn¡¯t stopping. But even as her threat spread, Dan received word of it. When Conan reported, Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°So who exactly took Tessa?¡± The uncertainty gnawed at him. Marie¡¯s deration sounded less like a search and more like a demand for Ashen Pact to hand Tessa over. When she first came storming in, he hadn¡¯t thought too deeply about who might have taken the girl. But now, hearing this¨Chis thoughts spun out of control, He knew Marie¡¯s temper. And this tone of hers¡­ she was dering war on Ashen Pact itself. Conan¡¯s voice was careful. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. But by her words, she¡¯s putting the entire Ashen Pact on notice. And if they don¡¯t hand Tessa over¡­¡± ¡°¡­Then the trouble¡¯s just beginning,¡± Dan finished bitterly. Ashen Pact was chaotic enough already. But chaos behind closed doors was still family business. Once Marie stuck her hand in, outside powers would stick theirs in too. And with Derrick already proven to have infiltrated his ranks, Dan¡¯s face grew darker still. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Victor,¡± Conan admitted. ¡°Marie¡¯s convinced Tessa is in Ashen Pact. That means Victor¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Dan cut him off, irritation shing. Victor wasn¡¯t just Abraham¡¯s trusted lieutenant. He held power of his own, a force Dan couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate. Dan had avoided Abraham for years, never daring a direct sh. And now- Marie¡¯s meddling dragged Derrick in. Victor¡¯s involvement meant Abraham himself was at the table. The entire game had spun out of control. ck Mountain. Dan stepped out of the car and stared up at the looming, familiar castle. Once, it had been home. Now, the ce felt cold, unweing, as though every stone rejected him. The old butler, Lenny, was waiting as if he¡¯d known Dan woulde. To Dan, Lenny was nothing more than a dog to that woman. And the look in his eyes said it all¨Crespect in posture, but contempt lurking beneath lowered lids. All because of her. Lenny stepped forward, voice even. ¡°Your grandfather is waiting in the study.¡± ¡°And that woman?¡± Dan demanded tly. His tone made it clear: if she was there, he wouldn¡¯t go
    1. in.
    ¡°Madam Artemis is in the infirmary with Miss Lana,¡± Lenny replied.. Artemis. Mother of Lana and Lina, and Manny¡¯s true mother. The woman Dale had cherished most of all. The woman he¡¯d shielded by marrying Dan¡¯s mother¡­ then Diana. Not marriages¨Cdeceptions. Both women had been blind to Artemis¡¯s existence until it was toote. And she had lived on, protected by their ignorance. Hearing she wasn¡¯t inside, Dan gave a mockingugh and strode into the castle. The study. The moment Dan entered, Dale¡¯s venomous stare fixed on him. An ashtray flew across the room. Dan tilted his head, letting it smash against the wall. His lips curved into a roguish smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that snatching Diana would trigger such chaos, did you?¡± On his way here, Dan had already heard¨CVictor himself had arrived in Ashen Pact. Not just for Tessa, but for Diana too. Marie had thrown fuel on the fire, shouting to the world that anyone in Ashen Pact who dared touch Tessa would die. Victor. Marie. Two names, two powers¨Cbut behind them, one shadow. Abraham. For years, Dale had steered Ashen Pact clear of any friction with the Dawson family, terrified of offending Abraham. And now? Dan¡¯s actions¨Cdragging Diana back, Tessa¡¯s sudden disappearance¨Chad brought Abraham into direct conflict with Ashen Pact. The veins on Dale¡¯s forehead bulged. ¡°Do you hate me so much? Hate me enough to drag outside forces in to tear Ashen Pact apart?¡± She Took 708 Chapter 708 The Fractured House To Dale, everything Dan had unleashed was nothing less than a deliberate attempt to drag outside powers in and destroy Ashen Pact. After all, this mess now reached Abraham himself. Dan gave no answer. He simply pulled out a chair and sat directly across from Dale. His silence only deepened Dale¡¯s scowl. ¡°Dan, no matter how we fight, it¡¯s still family business. But you-¡± The word family darkened Dan¡¯s face. He cut him off coldly. ¡°Quarrels between family count as family business. Am I your family?¡± Family business? Ha. After all these years, it was the first time I have ever heard Dale call their strife that. His voice dripped with irony. Dale¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Tessa. Was it you who took her?¡± The name left his mouth without a trace of warmth. No tenderness for his daughter¨Conly indifference. Indifference so stark it was as if Tessa had no right to exist at all. The same indifference he had shown Dan for a lifetime. Perhaps once, when Dan was still a toddler, Dale had been a father in truth. But from the moment Dan¡¯s memories began, Dale had never treated him as a son. Only the children born of Artemis counted as his blood. ¡°Tessa,¡± Dan echoed,ughter sharp and mocking. ¡°Listen to yourself. That cold tone.¡± ¡°Dan!¡± Dale¡¯s voice turned sharp, dangerous. ¡°What can I say?¡± Dan leaned backzily. ¡°Victor and Marie both believe Ashen Pact took her. If you can¡¯t produce her, guess what they¡¯ll do to you¡ªespecially¡­¡± He let the pause hang, savoring it. Dale¡¯s face sank deeper into shadow. 700 Dan¡¯s lips curved in a vicious smile. ¡°Especially Victor. Surprised, aren¡¯t you? That Diana¡¯s daughter turned out to be his treasure. And you¨Cof all people¨Cyouid hands on Victor¡¯s jewel.¡± The most lethal de in Abraham¡¯s hand¨Chis woman. That was a crime that could tear the sky open. Dale¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°I mean this,¡± Dan sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t dump your filth on me. Marie¡¯s already torn my grounds. apart, and she found nothing. So¡­¡± Their eyes locked, sharp as des. ¡°So your dirty water won¡¯t stick to me.¡± Dale¡¯s face twisted ck. ¡°I didn¡¯t take her.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to tell Victor that. Whether he believes you¡­ that¡¯s another matter. And I doubt you have what it takes to convince him.¡± Silence pressed down like a weight. Veins bulged at Dale¡¯s temples. He hadn¡¯t known Victor himself wasing to Noctarth. Not until Marie¡¯s promation made it clear. Now he understood¨Cthe Ashen Pact was in deeper trouble than ever. Dan rose, leaning over the desk, looming above him. ¡°Was it your people? Or Manny¡¯s?¡± The question cut sharp¨Cwho had taken Tessa? Either way, Dan had been forced to take the me in front of Marie. And someone would pay for that. ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± Dale snapped. But his certainty wavered. Was it really not him? His earlier rage had made him assume Dan¡¯s men were behind it, stirring chaos and throwing me on Ashen Pact. But Dan¡¯s tone¡­ it rang too true. If not Dan¨Cthen who? Could it have been Manny¡¯s people? Chapter 708 The Fractured mo 30 Dale¡¯s face shifted, growing darker by the second. ¡°Or was it Artemis¡¯s people?¡± Dan pressed. Artemis. That was all Dale called the woman who had raised Dan for three years. Fury erupted across his face. ¡°She raised you for three years, and you dare suspect her?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. In your eyes, she¡¯s wless, fragile¨Ctoo gentle to crush an ant.¡± The word fragile dripped with venom. ¡°You ungrateful son!¡± Dale roared. Dan¡¯s smile was ice. ¡°Of course I¡¯m ungrateful. You had my mother killed. If I weren¡¯t unfilial, I wouldn¡¯t be a son at all.¡± Chapter 709 Lines in the Sand She Took 709 Chapter 709 Lines in the Sand ¡°You-¡± Dale began, but Dan was already pushing back his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t want the seat of Ashen Pact¡¯s ruler anymore. Once I walk out that door, I¡¯ll announce it belongs to Manny.¡± ¡°You dare!¡± Dale roared. He wasn¡¯t stupid. Dering such a thing now would paint a target on Manny¡¯s back, leaving him torn apart by Victor¡¯s faction and the Dawson family both. The m of the door was Dan¡¯s only reply. Dale nearly burst a vessel from the rage. Meanwhile, Tessa sat on a ne with Victor. Because he had told her earlier that he¡¯d taken her away with Marie¡¯s knowledge, she had no reason to doubt him. She had no idea Ashen Pact was already boiling over because of her. All she could think of was her mother. The worry left her no appetite. Victor slipped behind her, lifting her easily into hisp. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she muttered, squirming. Her mother¡¯s plight had left her raw, easily irritated. ¡°Eat a little,¡± he said, voice low but firm. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, how are you going to face themter?¡± Tessa didn¡¯t reply. She wanted to find her mother. She wanted to settle scores. In the space of a day, she had been pushed onto the opposite side of Ashen Pact. There was no turning back. And she didn¡¯t want to turn back. Victor raised a spoonful of oats to her lips. ¡°Open.¡± She had no appetite, but under hismanding tenderness, she obeyed, taking the bite. Twisting against him, she protested, ¡°Let me sit on my own.¡± Why did he have to hold her like this? Her restless wriggling only hardened his expression. ¡°Don¡¯t rub against me.¡± Back in Noctarth, Derrick¡¯s bombs had ttened Dan¡¯s estate. When Dan returned from ck Mountain and heard the news, his face went ck. ¡°This Mr. Derrick is intolerable,¡± Conan fumed. ¡°After all, Ms. Dawson once-¡® ¡°Enough.¡± Dan cut him off, expression souring at the thought of Marie¡¯s past devotion. Yes, once she had given him everything. But now? Nothing. She would fight him for Derrick. She would turn on him for Tessa. Everyone else mattered to her¨Ceveryone but him. The ce he had once held in her heart was gone, ripped away and filled by Derrick. He snatched up his phone and dialed. The line connected almost immediately. Before Derrick could speak, Dan hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°Derrick, you¡¯ll pay for this.¡± His fury boiled¨CDerrick had infiltrated his circle, blown up his home. How could he swallow that humiliation? But on the other end, Derrick was busy coaxing an irate Marie. Already half¨Cannoyed, heughed, a sharp, dismissive sound. ¡°You¡¯ve been promising storms for years, Dan. Still waiting.¡± The insult stung. Derrick didn¡¯t stop. ¡°You put on the act of some ruthless strategist, but after all this time, Ashen Pact is still a mess. What have you even achieved?¡± Dan¡¯s breath grew ragged. er Uy Lines in the Sand +8 Pearls ¡°And now,¡± Derrick went on, voice biting, ¡°this little rotten Ashen Pact¨Cyou sat on its throne for years, and you¡¯ve got nothing to show for it.¡± Dan¡¯s chest heaved, fury choking him. ¡°Trouble after trouble, none of it solved. Even needed Tessa¡¯s mother to do the heavy lifting. Pathetic. And you tell me to wait for you?¡± Beside Derrick, Marie couldn¡¯t help twitching at his ruthless tongue. She had always known Derrick was sharp¨Ctongued¨Cshe herself and Ste had often been the ones sparring with him. But he never truly got the upper hand back then. Now, finally, he had found a foe who couldn¡¯t withstand him. The satisfaction practically radiated off him. ¡°You think you¡¯re any better?¡± Dan spat. ¡°The Tom family¡¯s a shambles too. Haven¡¯t seen you fix that.¡± ¡°How do you know I haven¡¯t?¡± Derrick shot back smoothly. After all, Holt had nothing left to give Mona and that useless Gary. Yes¨CDerrick had already gutted the Tom family. Once three years ago, and again after marrying Marie. No wonder Mona and Gary were scrambling like cornered rats. Enemies were enemies, even if they shared blood. If they weren¡¯t driven into desperation, then he would be the one to fall. She Took 710 Chapter 710 The Poison Beneath ¡°Dale¡¯s saving everything for Manny. You, Dan¨Cyou¡¯re nothing in his eyes.¡± The word nothing dripped sharp from Derrick¡¯s tongue. Dan¡¯sugh was bitter. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m nothing. You¡¯re everything, is that it?¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m still Marie¡¯s husband.¡± Marie couldn¡¯t say a word. Marie nearly choked. Childish, much? Dan¡¯s fury boiled through the receiver. ¡°Then take her and get the hell out of Noctarth. Get out and nevere back!¡± ¡°You drugged her and now you tell me to leave? What does that make me¨Cless than a man?¡± Derrick¡¯s voice was like steel. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means if Tessa isn¡¯t handed over, we¡¯re not done with Ashen Pact. Dan, if you don¡¯t want this ce ripped apart, then produce her.¡± Marie ming him was one thing¨Cher mind had long since been poisoned against him. In her eyes, every crime wore his name. But Derrick too? Did he really have no brains left? Dan¡¯s chest burned, his breath hot with rage. ¡°Enough! I didn¡¯t take her. Derrick, are you even a man? Thest shitstorm, I took the fall for you. And now with Tessa, you and Marie both dump it on me again?¡± The more he spoke, the hotter his blood surged. He remembered that humiliation¨CMarie leading her people to beat him and his brothers bloody. Over that. And even then, he had been beaten on Derrick¡¯s ount. Now Derrick dared say he was the one with grudges unswallowed? Dan¡¯s breaths came ragged and sharp. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense. Get out!¡± Harsh as he had been with Dale, Ashen Pact was still his mother¡¯s dying charge. He couldn¡¯t destroy it. He couldn¡¯t walk away from it. ¡°Hand Tessa over,¡± Derrick said coldly, ¡°and we¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± Clearly, he too was convinced someone in the Moory family had taken her¨Cif not Dan, then Dale or Manny. Victor was not a man to provoke. ¡°If you stole her, return her. Then we can still talk,¡± Derrick sneered. ¡°I told you¨CI didn¡¯t!¡± Dan roared. Where was justice? It was enough to drive him mad. ¡°Then go ask your father and your brother,¡± Derrick snapped. Dan¡¯s jaw locked. Dale had already denied it. Before he could retort, the line went dead. His temples pounded with rage. ¡°Turn around. Back to ck Mountain.¡± If Tessa wasn¡¯t handed over, Derrick and Marie would tear Ashen Pact apart piece by piece. Damn lunatics. For the first time, he regretted stepping into Marie¡¯s sight so soon. He should have waited until Ashen Pact¡¯s storm had passed. But instead¡­ he had let himself hope. The thought only deepened his irritation. Twenty minutester. Dan returned to face Dale again. This time Artemis was there too. At the sight of him, Artemis faltered, then softly, ¡°Dan.¡± He didn¡¯t even nce her way. Her expression clouded with sadness as she turned to Dale. His re only grew darker. The crack of his fist on the desk echoed. ¡°What¡¯s that attitude?¡± Dan arched a cold brow. ¡°If you want to talk about attitude-¡± ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t quarrel with the boy,¡± Artemis cut in smoothly. She was past fifty, yet her beauty glowed as though she were barely thirty. No wonder Dale had been enthralled all these years. ¡°Let me go. You two should talk, not fight,¡± she coaxed, tugging gently at Dale¡¯s sleeve. Her voice was soft, her face tender¨Cyet Dan remembered all too well. He had seen her with his own eyes, tearing open his mother¡¯s grave, circling it with white lime in some vile ritual, her face twisted with spite. She wore beauty like a mask, but beneath ity poison and superstition. His mother had suffered in life¨Cand even in death Artemis had defiled her. Dan drew a deep breath, but the danger in his gaze only sharpened. His voice was like a de. ¡°No need to leave. I have questions for you.¡± The loathing in his tone was unmistakable. Dale surged with anger, ready to erupt, but Artemis stilled him with a single nce. And just like that, the raging lion swallowed his fury. She Took 711 Artemis said, ¡°Ask your question.¡± Even faced with Dan¡¯s cruelty and coldness, her face remained full of tenderness. Dan shot her a frosty nce. His eyes were sharp as des, yet Artemis still looked at him with the same softness, as if she could melt him with her gentleness alone. She wished her gaze could soothe his rage, heal him. But it was useless. Dan had already seen her true viciousness. How could he be moved by the woman who murdered his mother? ¡°Who exactly took Tessa away?¡± The question was addressed to both Dale and Artemis, but his eyes never left her. His voice was cold and cutting. Dale instantly exploded. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dan. None of us took Tessa.¡± ¡°Funny,¡± Dan sneered, ¡°because Tessa is either with Ashen Pact, or Manny took her.¡± His tone grew darker, sharper. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Dale was trembling with fury. Was there no ce for reason anymore? It was maddening. When Artemis heard Dan drag Manny into it, the tenderness in her eyes flickered, revealing a sh of hidden frost. ¡°Dan, Manny didn¡¯t take Tessa either,¡± she said gently. ¡°Your father is right. None of us took her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dan replied. ¡°Marie, Derrick, and even Mr. Victor are convinced Tessa is with Ashen Pact. Victor is already on his way to Noctarth.¡± Artemis and Dale froze. At the mention of those troublesome names, Dale¡¯s face darkened. ¡°This is all your doing!¡± he spat through gritted teeth. In this moment, Dan was certain Tessa had been taken by Dale¡¯s side. And Dale was just as convinced Dan had taken her¨Cout of resentment, out of jealousy, to Dan arched a brow and let out a coldugh. ¡°Whether I took her or not doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is you¡¯d better find a way to give her back. Because¡­¡± His words trailed off, his lips curling into a mocking smile. His eyes shifted from Dale to Artemis. ¡°If you still want Manny to inherit Ashen Pact intact, you won¡¯t get away with just saying ¡®we didn¡¯t take Tessa. That excuse won¡¯t hold.¡± With that, Dan turned and left. Left behind, Dale mmed his fist on the table, shaking with rage. ¡°That ungrateful brat! Tessa must be with him,¡± he growled. He was certain Dan knew the tangled ties surrounding Tessa. That was why he had taken her¨Cdeliberately¨Cto pit Abraham and Mr. Nathaniel¡¯s outside forces against him. Artemis turned, masking the chill in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to me him. Maybe it wasn¡¯t Dan.¡± ¡°Who else could it be? He hates me, he hates Manny¡­ and he hates you!¡± Artemis: ¡°¡­¡± Yes. Who else but him? His heart was full of hatred. Hatred for Dale. Hatred for her. Hatred for her Manny¡­. ¡°And after you raised him for three years, he shows no gratitude at all,¡± Dale snarled. At the mention of those years, a flicker of guilt passed through Artemis¡¯s eyes. Her face stiffened as she forced out, ¡°He was so young then. He doesn¡¯t remember anything. Forgetting the good I did for him¡­ that¡¯s to be expected.¡± Yes, he had been too young. Too young to remember. The thought gave her a shred offort. ¡°Right now, we need to focus on finding out where Tessa actually is. If Mr. Victores demanding her, he won¡¯t care whether she¡¯s in our hands or Dan¡¯s. As long as someone from the Morris family has her, Ashen Pact will be in serious trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call Manny. He needs toe back at once.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Dale muttered irritably. Dan was violent and rebellious. But Manny, to him, was just as much a source of frustration. That useless boy¡­ handing Ashen Pact to him hardly seemed like a wise choice either. Meanwhile, Marie and Derrick had already learned Victor was on his way to Noctarth. That was all the proof they needed. In their eyes, Tessa had definitely been taken by Ashen Pact. The two of them immediately set off for ck Mountain. Since Dan wouldn¡¯t hand her over, they were prepared to tear through the entire Morris family to find her. ¡°What did I do in my past life to deserve crossing paths with that bastard Dan?¡± Marie raged, practically shaking with fury. Derrick tried to calm her. ¡°Enough. We¡¯ve already destroyed hisir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough!¡± Marie snapped. Just thinking of how that bastard had drugged her made her blood boil. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with the rest after we find Tessa,¡± Derrick said firmly. After all, Victor was already on his way to Noctarth. And they had all seen just how much Tessa meant to him. The Returned Heiress Who Never She Took 712 Chapter 712 The Package To be honest, Derrick was also worried Victor might turn on Marie. Everyone knew why Abraham had given Victor such generous resources over the years. Victor was not someone you wanted as an enemy¨Che was a nightmare to deal with. Marie sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Just thinking about it gave her a pounding headache. Her phone suddenly buzzed. She pulled it out and saw Ste¡¯s name shing. She answered in a rush. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t worry. I swear I¡¯ll bring Tessa back to you safe and sound.¡± Even though things had already spiraled beyond her control, Marie still gave Ste her word. The triplets¨Cthis wasn¡¯t a joke. If something happened and Ste copsed from stress, Abraham and their mother would skin her alive. ¡°Marie¡­¡± Ste¡¯s voice came through the line, choked with sobs and full of grievance. Marie¡¯s heart jolted hard. ¡°You¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Why did she sound like she was about to break down crying? God knew no one had treated her badly¨Ccould it be because of Tessa? The thought that Ste might be crying for Tessa¡¯s sake made Marie¡¯s tongue trip. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, really. Haven¡¯t we been through worse storms? I¡¯ve already spread the word around. No one in the Morris family dares to touch Tessa. Trust me on this.¡± Right now, she wished she could rip her own heart out just to prove her sincerity. But Ste started crying outright. What? No way¡­ Between sniffles, Ste said, ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not for Tessa.¡± Not for Tessa? Then what on earth could make Ste cry like this? ¡°Then what is it?¡± 145 F ??????? ¡°Tell me who upset you and I¡¯ll kill her for you.¡± But Ste kept sobbing into the phone, crying for five whole minutes. Marie was terrified she¡¯d cry herself sick. She coaxed and soothed nonstop, but nothing worked. Finally she snapped, ¡°Enough! Stop crying. I¡¯ll go tear the Morris family apart right now!¡± What the hell was going on? Tessa being taken was one thing, but seeing her little sister driven to this state¨CMarie couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°It¡¯s not about Tessa.¡± ¡°Then what the hell has you like this?¡± Marie grew more frantic. Ste sniffled. ¡°I¡­ I just got a package.¡± ¡°A package? From who? What was inside?¡± Ste whispered, ¡°A pregnancy test.¡± Marie froze. ¡°What?¡± What the hell?! ¡°Two lines,¡± Ste added. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Marie had no clue. She¡¯d never been pregnant, had no idea how those things worked. Ste said softly, ¡°It means pregnant.¡± ¡°You? You¡¯re pregnant? That¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the sender!¡± As soon as she said that, Ste broke down crying again. Marie felt like her brain had exploded. She couldn¡¯t even think straight. ¡°Wait, let me get this right. The person who sent the package is pregnant¡­ and they mailed the test to you? What the hell does that even mean?¡± Then it hit her. Oh. My. God. ¡°Ste! Listen to me! This has nothing to do with me¨CI swear I didn¡¯t do it!¡± But even as she said it, the logic made no sense. What if it really was connected to her somehow? But no, even if she had been the one, why would Ste be the one crying? Her sister just wept harder on the line. Marie¡¯s head spun. ¡°Heaven help me¡­ wait. You¡¯re saying my brother has another woman out there? And that woman is pregnant, and she sent you this as a taunt?¡± Ste sobbed harder. ¡°No way! Believe me, he¡¯s not that kind of man. There¡¯s no such gene in our family!¡± Marie was practically burning up with anxiety. Since childhood, Ste had never been one to cry easily. Not even after what happened three years ago¨Cwhen they all worried she¡¯d suffer outside¨Chad she cried like this. And now, after finally bringing her home, she was crying her heart out. Ste choked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°On a business trip.¡± Marie nearly copsed. Seriously? A business trip at a time like this? ¡°Did you call him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not answering.¡± Of course. That exined why Ste hadn¡¯t cleared things up already. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll track down whoever sent this package. I¡¯ll rip her to pieces.¡± What kind of sick joke was this? Ste was carrying triplets, and someone dared to mess with her like this? Clearly some of those Yalvoria families still hadn¡¯t given up. They acted all meek and obedient on the surface, but behind the scenes they were still scheming. Marie¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°Trust me, he¡¯s not that kind of man. And anyway, all they sent was a pregnancy test. If they really had the guts, they¡¯d have sent amniotic fluid. This proves nothing.¡± She Took 713 Chapter 713 The Test ¡°R¨Creally?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s real. Don¡¯t be stupid. Abraham treasures you too much to ever betray you.¡± Through the years, plenty of women had set their sights on Abraham. But none of them had ever gotten close to him. Unable to win him over, they resorted to stunts like this? ¡°But what if¡­ what if it really is Abraham¡¯s?¡± Ste sniffled again. ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®what if!¡± Marie snapped. ¡°Even if it were true, you¡¯d still have me. I¡¯d take you away to live on our own, and I¡¯d never let love ruin you.¡± She spoke with such conviction that Derrick¡¯s face instantly darkened. One way or another, Marie finally managed to coax Ste into calming down. Before hanging up, she showered her with kisses and tender words¨Cany outsider listening might have thought she was the one married to Ste. Derrick shivered in disgust, goosebumps all over. As soon as she ended the call, Marie immediately tried Abraham¡¯s number. It rang for a long time with no answer. With no choice, she dialed Abel instead. Derrick muttered, ¡°She still relies on you this much?¡± In his mind, Ste had never been all that self¨Csufficient. Aside from the years she¡¯d spent at Rivermount, she had always leaned most on Abraham¡ªand next on Marie. And now? With Abraham away on a trip and unreachable, of course she had turned straight to Marie. Marie shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s just a kid. When something happens, of course she feels helpless.¡± She still saw Ste as the girl she remembered, never having witnessed how grown she¡¯d seemed at Rivermount. Derrick shot her a look. ¡°She¡¯s about to be the mother of three.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still young,¡± Marie insisted. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have taken the Tessa job. If I hadn¡¯t, I¡¯d be with her right now.¡± She thought bitterly that if not for this mess, she would be at her precious sister¡¯s side, not letting her cry like that. Derrick snorted. ¡°As if. You¡¯d still be running all over the world instead of staying put with her.¡± Marie fell silent. Maybe he wasn¡¯t wrong. She couldn¡¯t give up her free¨Cspirited life just for one girl. But this was different. Tessa¡¯s case tied her hands because of Victor. If she were free, she would have flown straight back to Ste already. Abel finally picked up. ¡°Miss.¡± Marie snapped, ¡°What the hell is my brother doing? The house is on fire and he won¡¯t answer the phone!¡± Abel blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s with Mr. Monley. Their meeting will wrap up in about half an hour.¡± House on fire? What did she mean by that? Marie pressed, ¡°Then find a chance to tell him¨CSte just called me, crying her eyes out.¡± The words made Abel¡¯s chest tighten. ¡°Sir¡¯s phone is with me. Why was Miss Ste crying?¡± Marie¡¯s temper spiked. ¡°It¡¯s in your hands? Great. That exins it. Ste¡¯s falling apart, and Abraham¡¯s not answering.¡± The image of Ste sobbing tore through Abel¡¯s mind. He never imagined ignoring one call could cause such chaos. What now? ¡°I¡¯ll go to him right away.¡± ¡°Hurry,¡± Marie ordered. ¡°But why was Miss Ste crying?¡± Abel pressed. He figured nothing serious could happen while she was at Dawson Castle. Marie snapped, ¡°She got a package¨Cinside was a pregnancy test, double lines. The sender¡¯s pregnant. Do I really need to spell it out for you?¡± Abel froze. Disaster. Abraham would never do something like that, but with things this messy, it was already a problem. Marie hung up. Derrick frowned. ¡°There are tests with three lines?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what pregnancy means?¡± Marie shot back. ¡°Two lines, Marie. Two. That¡¯s what it means.¡± 138 ¡°Whatever. Pregnant is pregnant.¡± She waved it off. The point was clear enough. They finally arrived at ck Mountain. Marie and Derrick mmed their car doors and stormed out. Inside, Dale was still fuming from his sh with Dan. He¡¯d barely had a chance to breathe when Butler Lenny rushed in. ¡°Mr. Nathaniel, Ms. Dawson has arrived.¡± Dale¡¯s heart sank. He and Artemis exchanged a wary nce. Her face was stiff, unsettled. She never expected that her simple wish to have Manny inherit Ashen Pact would spiral into this disaster thanks to Dan. At Dawson Castle, Ste sat sniffling, her eyes red and swollen. When Madam Evelyn returned and the butler exined everything, she flew into a rage. ¡°Find out who that witch is,¡± she thundered. ¡°Now!¡± The butler nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent men to investigate.¡± ¡°When you find her, don¡¯t bother keeping her alive. Deal with her directly,¡± Madam Evelyn snarled. Again the butler bowed his head. Ste sniffled and whispered, ¡°But¡­ she¡¯s pregnant.¡± Madam Evelyn¡¯s lip curled. ¡°So what? Pregnant or not, if she dares pull this stunt, I¡¯ll take her life myself.¡± 11 ¡± Her fury was absolute. She grabbed the test and smashed it to pieces. She Took 714 Chapter 714 Stirring the Ho¡¯s Nest ¡°Within three days, I want that woman dragged in front of Ste,¡± Madam Evelyn ordered coldly. ¡°Let that wretch exin herself face¨Cto¨Cface.¡± Ste froze. ¡°¡­¡± Madam Evelyn turned and saw how frightened she looked. Quickly softening, she sat down beside her, pulling her small hand into her own. ¡°Pregnant women always let their minds run wild. Do you really think your husband is that kind of man?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve known him since you were little.¡± ¡°I¡­ I called him, but he didn¡¯t answer,¡± Ste whispered. ¡°So that¡¯s why you panicked?¡± ¡°1 Was she really panicking? Did she believe in him? Deep down, she did trust Abraham. Still, through the years, plenty of women had tried to get close to him. She remembered thest banquet, when Melissa had made her interest in Abraham painfully obvious. When Ste stayed silent, Madam Evelyn sighed. ¡°Fine, fine. Pregnant women always overthink. I did the same when I was carrying children.¡± Unstable hormones, restless thoughts¨Cit was only natural. Madam Evelyn had no doubts about her son¡¯s fidelity. What infuriated her was that under her very nose, someone dared to pull a stunt like this. If they could act so brazenly now, then what about all those years Ste had spent alone outside? How much had she suffered then? The thought of her precious girl enduring humiliation made Evelyn¡¯s chest ache. ¡°Even if the unthinkable happened, your mother would make it right for you. Understand?¡± At that, Ste began to calm down. Thinking it over, she realized Abraham truly wasn¡¯t that kind of man. ¡°Mom¡­ I thinktely I can¡¯t control my temper. I cry all the time.¡± ¡°And my thoughts just won¡¯t stop running wild.¡± She knew something was off with her. Madam Evelyn hugged her close. ¡°That¡¯s all part of pregnancy. Perfectly normal, hm?¡± Her soothing words steadied Ste little by little until her heart finally settled. Not long after, Abraham called. The call went straight to Ste¡¯s phone, and just as she reached for it, Madam Evelyn snatched it up. ¡°You rascal! How could you let something like this happen?¡± ¡°Give the phone to Ste,¡± Abraham said tly. ¡°She just cried herself out. I barely calmed her down. When are youing back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already on my way to the airport.¡± Hearing that, Madam Evelyn finally rxed. She passed the phone back. ¡°Here, your husband¡¯sing home.¡± She had wanted to keep the two of them apart while Ste carried the triplets. She knew her son¡¯s nature too well¨Cafter all these years of restraint, she feared what might happen if they were constantly together. But who would have thought sending him away on a trip would bring trouble like this to their door? Headache upon headache. Ste put the phone to her ear, her lips trembling. ¡°Honey.¡± The word caught in her throat, breaking with a sob. ¡°What¡¯s this crying about?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Did someone bully you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll find the one behind this and bring her to you. You can decide her fate yourself. All right?¡± It wasn¡¯t an exnation, and yet it exined everything. If he truly had another woman out there, he would never have said such a thing. ¡°R¨Creally?¡± ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Ste mumbled. ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± ¡°1 Anyone who suddenly received a positive pregnancy test in the mail would immediately connect it to their husband. When Ste didn¡¯t answer, Abraham sighed. ¡°You¡¯re just letting your imagination run because you¡¯re pregnant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± Flustered, Ste ended the call. Madam Evelyn chuckled. ¡°See? Nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But he didn¡¯t deny it,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°It has nothing to do with him¨Cwhat is there to deny?¡± She pinched her daughter¨Cinw¡¯s cheek affectionately. With more gentle coaxing, she finally soothed Ste enough to send her upstairs to rest, attendants instructed not to leave her side. Atst, she was calm. The butler approached quietly. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Find the one behind this,¡± Madam Evelyn ordered, her voice edged with lethal intent. To target Ste now was to trample the Dawson family¡¯s bottom line. Anyone bold enough to do it needed to be ready to be torn apart. ¡°Men are already on it,¡± the butler confirmed. ¡°And Marie?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Mr. Nathaniel went to the Morris castle. He leveled itpletely. Made quite a scene.¡± Chapter 14 Sunny the nomenc Evelyn nodded. ¡°Dan dared humiliate Marie years ago. It¡¯s only right he pays a price now.¡± ¡°But this time, she suffered for it too. He locked her up overnight. Only when Mr. Nathaniel arrived was she freed¡± She Took 715 Chapter 715 ck Mountain Standoff ¡°Send John to Ashen Pact,¡± Madam Evelyn ordered. ¡°Dale has things we can use.¡± The butler hesitated. ¡°¡­¡± At a time like this? But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Ashen Pact was in chaos. Madam Evelyn had never seriously considered fighting Ashen Pact for anything before¨Cbut now, it was different. Ever since learning that Dan was Dale¡¯s son, the heir of Ashen Pact, a thorn had been lodged deep in her chest. Her daughter had been toyed with, nearly driven into a mental breakdown. As a mother, how could she swallow that humiliation? At ck Mountain, Marie and Derrick finally came face to face with Dale. Artemis was there as well. The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, oppressive. Marie said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s the situation. Hand Tessa over to us, and everything can be settled. Otherwise¡­¡± The word ¡°otherwise¡± rang sharp as a de. She didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but the threat was clear enough. Beside her sat Derrick, absently toying with a small silver knife, twirling it with practiced ease. His lips curled in a smile, but in this dangerous setting, that smile looked more like the grin of Hades himself. Dale¡¯s expression darkened. Facing Marie¡¯s fierce stance, he didn¡¯t dare erupt. He knew too well whose daughter she was. Behind her stood the entire Dawson family. Madam Lorette¡¯s ruthlessness was known across the world. Artemis nced at Dale, then turned to Marie with a gentle smile. ¡°Ms. Dawson, we truly didn¡¯t take Tessa. You¡¯vee to the wrong ce.¡± Marie shot her a frigid look. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. My head¡¯s not sharp enough to figure out which of your faces is real.¡± Artemis¡¯s face fell instantly. For years at Dale¡¯s side, everyone in Noctarth had treated her with deference. She had forgotten what it felt like to be spoken to without respect. ¡°Ms. Dawson-¡± ¡°I said don¡¯t talk!¡± Marie snapped. Her arrogance made Dale¡¯s breath hitch, anger rising in his chest. ¡°Ms. Dawson, you dare behave like this in my ck Mountain? Such temper won¡¯t serve you well outside.¡± Marie sneered. ¡°And yet I¡¯ve managed just fine with this temper all these years.¡± ¡°Enough talk. Hand her over. I¡¯ve got people to answer to.¡± She didn¡¯t want to waste another second. The longer Tessa stayed missing, the worse things became with Victor¨Cand she wasn¡¯t about to face him empty¨Chanded. Thinking of that, she turned the screws harder on Dale. Dale¡¯s face was grim. ¡°What proof do you have that we took her?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the former master of Ashen Pact. You expect me to believe you couldn¡¯t snatch a single girl?¡± Proof? She was already pressed for time. Who had patience for proof? Artemis interjected softly, ¡°Ms. Dawson, that¡¯s unreasonable¡ª¡± ¡°Shut your mouth. I told you not to speak.¡± Marie knew exactly what kind of woman Artemis was. She yed the saint, but in truth she couldn¡¯t tolerate Dale¡¯s other wives or their children. Artemis¡¯s face turned stormy, but with Dale silent, she swallowed her anger. Marie leaned forward. ¡°Does Mr. Morris know why your daughter Lana ended up so badly injured?¡± Dale stiffened. ?? ?? Artemis blurted, ¡°Ms. Dawson!¡± The mention of Lana¡¯s injury froze her. Guilt flickered in her eyes. Dale frowned. ¡°What are you suggesting? She only wanted to see what her sister looked like.¡± Marieughed. ¡°Is that what you tell yourself? Curiosity? Concern? That¡¯s the truth you¡¯ve chosen?¡± Her eyes shifted back to Artemis. The woman¡¯s fingers were clenched tight, betraying her nerves. That alone told Marie the matter was anything but simple. Marie smiled faintly. ¡°Mrs. Nn, Tessa is very important to me. Do me the courtesy of giving her back.¡± Artemis couldn¡¯t meet her eyes. She hadn¡¯t taken the girl¨Cbut she feared if she said too much, Marie would expose what Lana and Lina had done to that wretched child. Finally, Artemis said carefully, ¡°I¡¯ll send people to search. Once we find her, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s delivered to you. Will that do?¡± She Took 716 Chapter 716 The Cyren Mines This was the only way Artemis could think of to keep Marie in check. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t allow her to spout wild usations in front of Dale. Marie arched a brow. ¡°How long?¡± 64 +8 Pearls Her calm tone only made Artemis feel more cornered. In Marie¡¯s ears, her own words had sounded gentle, but in Artemis¡¯s, they were cutting and merciless. Still, she swallowed her fury. ¡°Three days. I¡¯ll try my best to find her, all right?¡± Marie rose to her feet. ¡°Fine. Three days. Send her to me.¡± Artemis had said she would try to find her, but Marie¡¯s words left no room for doubt¨Cdeliver the girl. It was the same as dering she knew Artemis had taken Tessa. Derrick stood as well, slipping the silver knife back into his pocket before casually draping an arm around Marie and steering her toward the door. As they left, Marie threw onest remark over her shoulder. ¡°Remember, Mrs. Nn. I want her unharmed. Not a single scratch.¡± ?? ?? Artemis: ¡°¡­¡± Dale: ¡°¡­¡± Unharmed? They hadn¡¯t evenid eyes on Tessa¨Cwhere were they supposed to find her, let alone promise she¡¯d be safe? Once the visitors were gone, Dale¡¯s chest burned with rage. ¡°Why did you agree to that? She¡¯s not even in our hands!¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°We had to calm her down. You saw it yourself¨Cshe came with Mr. Nathaniel, and Victor is on his way too.¡± The moment Victor¡¯s name was mentioned, Dale¡¯s head throbbed. With him here, Ashen Pact would only spiral further into chaos. Power transfer had already left them unstable, and Diana¡¯s return had stirred things even more. Now, with outside forces stepping in, how much of Ashen Pact¡¯s resources could they even hold onto? 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 716 The Cyren Mines ¡°Ask Manny. See if he took her,¡± Dale said grimly. ¡°Manny?¡± Artemis¡¯s tone carried a trace of displeasure. ¡°You mean it wasn¡¯t¡­ Dan?¡± ¡°Dale came twice today demanding we hand her over.¡± Artemis fell silent. So Manny was the only one left to me? Once, Dale had never doubted her Manny. But now¡­? 64 +8 Pearls The thought left her chest tight and heavy. Still, looking at Dale¡¯s dark expression, she held her tongue and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call him right away.¡± Marie¡¯s visit left the household shaken. Her fierce pressure snuffed out anyfort Dale might have offered his tearful wife. And now that he¡¯d heard Dan¡¯s house had been sted apart, he knew full well¡ªdealing with Marie and Derrick was no trivial matter. Every step had to be taken with caution. Ashen Pact¡¯s resources had always been coveted, and if they faltered now, outsiders would swoop in. Artemis had just stepped aside to call Manny when Butler Lenny appeared. ¡°Sir, Mr. Victor has arrived.¡± Dale¡¯s chest seized. ¡°¡­¡± The pounding in his head grew worse, his heart thudding like a drum. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m not here.¡± Right now, he didn¡¯t want to face anyone. Each visitor was harder to deal with than thest. But Lenny¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Sir¡­ Mr. Victor brought quite a few men with him.¡± Brought men to demand her? ¡°This is Noctarth!¡± Dale snarled, teeth clenched. When had Ashen Pact grown so weak that outsiders dared march straight into their territory and make demands? 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 716 The Cyren Mines Lenny lowered his head quickly, too nervous to speak further. Just then, Dale¡¯s phone rang. With a snap, he picked up and barked, ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Sir, Madam Evelyn says she wants the mines.¡± His face sank to its darkest. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She wants them,¡± came the reply. Dale¡¯s knuckles whitened around the phone. The Cyren Mines¨Cone of Ashen Pact¡¯s most critical resources, rich with rare minerals. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± he hissed. ¡°She said she wants them,¡± the voice repeated. ¡°How much is she offering?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± 11 11 64 +8 Pearls No money. She meant to take them by force. Lawless. Absolutelywless. Ashen Pact was already on the edge of copse, and now Madam Lorette dared to seize their lifeblood outright? She was trying to strangle them where it hurt most. ¡°Mr. John has already arrived,¡± the caller added. John¨Cthe old fox who had stood at Madam Lorette¡¯s side for decades. If she had sent him personally, then this was no bluff. Dale mmed the phone down, his whole body trembling with fury. She Took 717 Chapter 717 Cyren Mines at Stake Dale pressed his aching temples. 64 +8 Pearls Everyone on the outside thought he hadn¡¯t touched Ashen Pact¡¯s affairs for years, when in truth, the most vital resources were still held firmly in his hands. And that was exactly why Dan resented him¨Cbelieving he intended to leave everything for Manny. Now Madam Lorette wanted to seize them outright¡­ ¡°Sir,¡± Lenny said softly. ¡°I¡¯m heading out. Have Artemis meet with Victor. She knows how to handle him.¡± He hadn¡¯t liked the way she¡¯d dealt with Marie earlier, but she hadn¡¯t been wrong¨Cit was the only path left. People had swarmed in suddenly, deaf to any exnation. They were determined to believe Tessa was in their hands. At that moment, Dale felt there was no ce left in the world to argue his case. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lenny replied, not daring to protest. ¡°I¡¯ll use the back door,¡± Dale muttered. Lenny froze. ¡°¡­¡± In all his years, Dale had never once left through the back. Grinding his teeth, Dale snarled, ¡°What kind of mess is this?¡± He was livid. Just as he was about to leave, Artemis came rushing over. ¡°Manny says he didn¡¯t take Tessa.¡± ¡°He definitely did!¡± Dale roared, fury spilling over. ¡°You¨Cyou don¡¯t believe Manny?¡± she stammered. ¡°Tell him to release Tessa at once. Now is not the time to be ying games with Diana. Do you understand me?¡± Every word was clipped, bitten off between clenched teeth. 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 717 Cyren Mines at Stake : 64 -8 Pearls Since Diana¡¯s sudden return, many Ashen Pact elders had shifted to her side. Control of the council was already slipping. Now the Dawson family had arrived, the Tom family as well, and worst of all, Yalvoria¡¯s deadliest de¨CVictor. ¡°But Manny, he-¡± ¡°I just got word. Madam Lorette wants the Cyren Mines. Do you realize what that means?¡± Artemis¡¯s pupils shrank violently. ¡°What?¡± The Cyren Mines? Was she insane? Dale¡¯s expression was ck as night. ¡°It¡¯s a warning. She wants Tessa handed over to her daughter, Marie.¡± Marie¡¯s presence here had been the Dawson family¡¯s opening move against Ashen Pact. Artemis¡¯s breath quickened. ¡°But Manny swore he doesn¡¯t have her,¡± she said, still clinging to faith in her son. If Tessa wasn¡¯t in their hands, why was everyone piling on them over her? There was no justice to be found. Dale¡¯s head pounded harder as Artemis repeated her conviction. ¡°Tell him this¡ªif he keeps holding Tessa, we¡¯ll lose the mines for sure!¡± He stormed out, leaving her shaking. Artemis stood frozen. Dale had never spoken to her so harshly before. Anger bubbled up until she stamped her foot. Were they all determined to tear her life apart? She was still certain Tessa was in Dan¡¯s hands. He was just avenging his dead mother against her. Her fury was still burning when Lenny approached. ¡°Madam, sir asked you to deal with Mr. Victor.¡± ¡°Me?¡± How was she supposed to handle that? Victor was fixated on that wild girl. 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 717 Cyren Mines at Stake Her chest tightened with rage. +8 Pearls Meanwhile, Tessa had been left in a hotel¡¯s presidential suite with Lewis. She brewed herself a cup of coffee. Lewis declined a share, parked himself on the sofa, and kept scrolling through childcare videos. How to warm form to thirty¨Csix degrees. How to burp a baby after feeding. How to bathe them. How to change them. ¡°Could you stop watching those?¡± Tessa groaned. The sound alone gave her a headache. The man didn¡¯t even have children¨Cwhat was the point? Lewis looked up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she sighed. ¡°Watch all you want.¡± But when the video turned to cleaning dirty diapers, she couldn¡¯t even sip her coffee. She set the cup down and retreated to the bedroom, dialing Victor. His voice was warm when he answered. ¡°Miss me?¡± ¡°Not that. Did you meet with the Morris family?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t dare face me,¡± he said coolly. Tessa snorted. ¡°So bold when they¡¯re scheming in the shadows, but too cowardly to stand in front of you?¡± Her disgust for the Morris family kept her away, but Victor going alone was enough. With his presence, he was more terrifying than anything she could say. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now. Their people areing out,¡± he said. ¡°Mm. Make sure you give them hell,¡± Tessa muttered, her voice thick with grievance. Just thinking of how Ashen Pact had treated her mother made her chest burn. She had given herself to Victor¨Cnow she expected him to make it worth her while. Victor¡¯sughter was tender, indulgent. ¡°All right.¡± 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 717 Cyren Mines at Stake The line clicked off. Tessa copsed into bed, feeling strangely weak, her whole body drained of strength. ? 64 She Took 718 Chapter 718 A Thorn That Won¡¯t Heal 64 +8 Pearls Outside the door, Lewis knocked. ¡°Ms. Tessa, I think you¡¯d better not stay in the room. Come sit with me.¡± ?? Tessa: ¡°¡­¡± Sit with him, only to keep hearing those ridiculous videos about bathing plush toys like babies? Absolutely not. ¡°Ms. Tessa?¡± She had wanted to call Marie, but with Lewis pestering her, she finally gave up and dragged herself out. ¡°Stop shouting, I¡¯ming!¡± Why did he insist on calling her Ms. Tessa anyway? Did she not have ast name? Completely iprehensible. Reluctantly, she sat with him in the living room. The sound of baby¨Ccare tutorials still yed from his phone, grating on her nerves. Tessa snatched up her own phone. If she was going to endure this, she might as well chat with Ste. Of everyone, Ste had the most free time now¨Cback at the Dawson family, she had nothing at all to do. ¡°Turn it down. I¡¯m making a call,¡± Tessa muttered, annoyed. ¡°All right,¡± Lewis said, obediently lowering the volume. For once, he wasn¡¯t unbearable. Satisfied, Tessa dialed Ste¡¯s number. Abraham had rushed back to the Dawson estate the moment he heard. He entered quietly, just as Ste¡¯s phone buzzed on the nightstand. She was asleep, her breathing soft. He crossed the room with long strides but made hardly a sound. Picking up the phone, he slipped back out so she wouldn¡¯t stir. On the road home, his mother had told him how badly Ste had cried. The call was from Tessa. 64 Chapter 718 A Thorn That Won¡¯t Heal Abraham answered. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ah¨Cit¡¯s you, Abraham.¡± Tessa sounded flustered, almost guilty. ¡°You need something from Ste?¡± ¡°No, nothing important. Is she doing all right?¡± +8 Pearls It struck Tessa then that she hadn¡¯t heard Ste¡¯s voice in a long while. Ever since Marie had taken her to the ind, they¡¯d hardly spoken. ¡°She¡¯s fine. Just a little drowsy from the pregnancy,¡± Abraham said. ¡°Oh¡­ she¡¯s sleeping then? I won¡¯t bother her.¡± Hurriedly, she hung up. Victor had always been intimidating, but even over the phone, Abraham was worse¨Chis very tone carried pressure. After the line went dead, Abraham nced at the number, hesitated, then deleted it. Abel arrived with a stack of documents for the study. Spotting him in the hall, he greeted respectfully, ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Victor¡¯s already in Noctarth?¡± Abraham asked. Abel nodded. ¡°Yes. He should be there by now.¡± Abraham closed his eyes briefly. Abel hesitated, then added, ¡°Madam was furious with Dan. She¡¯s made a move on the Cyren Mines.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes snapped open, sharp as des. Abel bowed his head. ¡°What Dan did to Marie back then¡­ his survival has always been a thorn in Madam¡¯s heart.¡± 11 ¡± ¡­ A thorn, yes. Since the day they learned Dan still lived, the question had hung over them¨Cwhat price would he pay? 8:53 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 718 A Thorn That Won¡¯t Heal Marie beating him once was nowhere near enough. ¡°Call Victor. Tell him to guard against Dan pulling a disappearing act.¡± Abel¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± That was exactly the risk. 64 +8 Pearls Ashen Pact was already mired in bitter conflict. Dale and Dan had been at odds for years. On the surface Dale had stayed out of affairs, but the key resources had always been clutched in his hand. And he meant to pass them all to Manny. In such chaos, Dan could well decide to slip free¨Cleave the burden to Dale and Manny, and walk away untouched. With his instructions given, Abraham returned upstairs. Ste had cried herself to sleep, still restless. Downstairs, Madam Evelyn was still storming, demanding the woman behind this scheme be dragged out. Abraham sat on the edge of the bed. A tear still clung to Ste¡¯sshes. His heart ached. With a sigh, he brushed her cheek, pinching it gently in a tender caress. She stirred under his touch, her sleep light. He bent closer, breath mingling with hers. ¡°Darling?¡± he whispered, afraid she had only shifted in reflex. But her eyes fluttered open. Red¨Crimmed and glistening, still wet with tears, they looked straight at him. At once, her nose twitched, her lips trembled, and her expression crumpled into grievance. pure She Took 719 Chapter 719 The Weight of Three ¡°Why did you only juste back-?¡± Her voice carried a thick nasal sound¨Cproof she had cried long before falling asleep. +8 Pearls Abraham sighed helplessly, lifting the nket and pulling her into his arms. ¡°Such a delicate little thing.¡± ¡°Abraham¡­¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± The warning in his tone made Ste quickly change, ¡°Honey-¡± Her voice was full of grievance. Pressing her head to his chest, Abraham asked, ¡°You get one package and immediately start doubting me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± What else could she do? The sight of it had scrambled her mind. He didn¡¯t exin himself, only asked, ¡°Have you thought it through now?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°On my way back, I flew hours on a direct route. Thought it through yet?¡± The moment he¡¯d gotten the message, Abraham had rushed home, taking the fastest jet avable. Ste rubbed her head against him like a child too wronged for words. Abraham bent and kissed her, firm and demanding. She struggled¨Cuntil he pinned her restless hands and stole her breath away. Only when she was gasping did he release her. ¡°You little fool.¡± Her eyes shone with tears, her face all wounded innocence, making his heart ache even as he scolded her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing,¡± he said softly. ¡°Understand?¡± 8:54 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 719 The Weight of Three ¡°And that package?¡± : ¡°Mother has already sent people to find the culprit. She¡¯ll take care of it.¡± The message was clear: Abraham himself wouldn¡¯t interfere. ¡°You won¡¯t handle it?¡± Ste whispered. ¡°What¡¯s there for me to handle? It has nothing to do with me.¡± 64 +8 Pearls His calm dismissal soothed her. At least that proved the matter truly had nothing to do with him. Seeing her pout in silence, Abraham ruffled her hair. ¡°You awake now? Or want to sleep some more?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t eat dinner, did you?¡± Her head ducked guiltily. After that package arrived, her anger had spoiled her appetite entirely. She did trust him¡ªshe only hated that other women still hadn¡¯t given up. She knew how many admired him in Falvaria. But knowing didn¡¯t make it sting less. Abraham sighed, scooping her up. Startled, she threw her arms around his neck. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Taking you to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re feeding three babies. If you don¡¯t eat, your body won¡¯t hold up. Be good.¡± Hearing him repeat ¡°three babies¡± with such steady concern, Ste¡¯s mood lightened, warmth returning to her chest. The butler¡¯s heart unclenched when he saw Abraham carrying Ste downstairs. At least she¡¯d eat now. Madam Evelyn, seeing them, finally reined in her temper. ¡°Ste, you didn¡¯t touch what I sent up earlier.¡± 8:54 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 719 The Weight of Three : 64 +8 Pearls Mentioning the untouched food only made Ste hide her face against Abraham¡¯s chest. Feeling the heat of her cheek, Abraham chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t scold her. She¡¯s upset, but it¡¯s your fault¨Cwhat kind of mess did you stir up outside for her to suffer like this?¡± Abraham: ¡°¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t stirred anything! Still, he couldn¡¯t deny it¨Ccrisis had struck, and worst of all, while Ste was carrying triplets. To Evelyn, it felt like the sky itself had copsed. For two years Ste had been lost to them, and once she¡¯d been found, Evelyn had vowed no one would ever harm her again. And yet, here in Dawson Castle itself, someone had dared provoke her. Abraham coaxed her into eating, and once she finally did, Evelyn said, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving the house for a while.¡± Someone had deliberately timed the delivery for when Abraham was away. That meant someone had eyes on him¡ªand malice enough to strike at Ste. Abraham raised a brow. ¡°And what about the separate rooms?¡± Ever since Evelyn¡¯s return, she had pushed for them to sleep apart. With Ste carrying three, she feared too much closeness would risk the pregnancy. But after this incident¡­ ¡°Forget it. Stay with her.¡± Who knew how many of the dozens of servants in the castle were already bought as spies? If she forced them apart now, the enemy would only strike harder. No¨Cbetter to keep them together, and dig the traitors out. Evelyn swept into the study with the butler in tow. ¡°Find them,¡± she ordered, voice cold as a de. ¡°Whoever inside this house betrayed us¨Cdrag them out.¡± 8:54 Mon, Sep 15 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapt She Took 720 er 720 The Calm After Tears If any servants really had been bought off, Madam Evelyn would show no mercy. The butler¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve already begun the investigation.¡± The package alone proved this was no small matter. The timing was too precise. 64 +8 Pearls For so long, nothing had happened while Abraham was home, and yet the moment he left on a trip, someone pulled this vile trick. ¡°From now on,¡± Evelyn said coldly, ¡°all parcels and mail are to be strictly monitored¨Cespecially anything meant for Ste or Rongchuan.¡± ¡°Understood. Leave it to me.¡± Orders already flowed down through the household staff. But Evelyn¡¯s eyes glinted with lethal intent. Whoever dared make a move under her roof¨Cshe would skin them alive. Downstairs, Abraham coaxed Ste into eating more than she thought she could. ¡°Not another sip,¡± she protested, pressing a hand to her rounded belly. Seeing her so full, he chuckled and set the soup aside. ¡°All right, no more.¡± Just then, Marie¡¯s name shed on his phone. Abraham rubbed Ste¡¯s hair gently. ¡°Marie¡¯s calling. I¡¯ll answer.¡± Ste nodded, meek again. ¡°Okay.¡± She was always easy to soothe¨CAbraham only had to wrap her in steady words, and her insecurities melted away. He stepped aside and picked up. ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Where the hell were you? I called earlier and you were offline!¡± Marie snapped. The first time, Abel had answered for him. The second time, the phone had been shut off. ¡°On the ne,¡± Abraham replied evenly. 8:54 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 720 The Calm After Tears : 64 +8 Pearls Marie huffed. ¡°Well, big trouble blew up at home, did you know? Ste called me bawling her eyes out! What¡¯s going on? You¡¯ve never had women around you, so how did someone pull this stunt?¡± ¡°Abel exined it to you, didn¡¯t he? Get back quickly. Ste¡¯s been crying herself sick.¡± Abraham said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m already home.¡± ¡°You are?¡± Marie blinked. ¡°That fast? So¨Chow¡¯s Ste?¡± ¡°She¡¯s eating.¡± Marie: ¡°¡­¡± Eating? Already? The mess had been huge, and Ste had cried herself raw¨Cyet just like that, her brother had soothed her? ¡°She¡¯s not crying anymore?¡± ¡°I told you. She¡¯s calm now. Eating peacefully.¡± Marie exhaled in relief. If she was calm, then the worst had passed. ¡°Good. Good. But seriously, how did you manage it?!¡± Ste wasn¡¯t supposed to be this easy tofort. Abraham ignored the question. ¡°Tessa¨Chave you found her?¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t bring that up, brother.¡± Marie groaned. The moment he mentioned Tessa, her headache returned full force. ¡°What a mess¡­ At this point, I think Tessa might already be dead in the hands of the Morris family. But don¡¯t you dare mention that to Ste. I don¡¯t want to risk her breaking down again.¡± Abraham¡¯s voice stayed t. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead.¡± ¡°Not dead? Then why haven¡¯t they handed her over? We blew Dan¡¯s whole castle to pieces today, right here in Noctarth. That should¡¯ve been enough to force their hand. But still no trace of her.¡± Yes, Artemis had promised to deliver her in three days, but Marie didn¡¯t believe a word. If they hadn¡¯t produced her immediately, then something was wrong. 8:54 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 720 The Calm After Tears But Abraham said she was alive¡­ : 64 +8 Pearls Marie chewed on that. ¡°So I didn¡¯t press them hard enough? Should I have Derrick torch Ashen Pact some more?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Abraham pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Do as you see fit,¡± he said atst. Dan owed a debt. After what he¡¯d done to Marie back then¨Cpushing her to the brink of copse¨Ca few more explosions were hardly excessive. The siblings exchanged a few more words before hanging up. When Abraham returned to the dining room, Ste was already in the sitting room. A fresh delivery of children¡¯s clothes had arrived, and she was holding up each tiny outfit with wide eyes. Abraham approached, his voice low. ¡°What you should be choosing now¡­ is our wedding attire.¡± Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 721 Chapter 721 Reckoning :. 64 +8 Pearls ¡°You¡¯re still talking about marriage? At this rate, I don¡¯t even know if Marie can make it back for ours.¡± Even though Ste hadn¡¯t been following outside affairs closely, she still knew Ashen Pact was in total chaos. Abraham said simply, ¡°She¡¯ll be there.¡± Yet in truth, with Ste carrying triplets, even he worried the scale of a wedding might be too much for her. Postponing the ceremony had already been discussed. Meanwhile, Marie had just ended the call with Abraham and now paced the floor in front of Derrick. She walked back and forth so much that his eyes nearly crossed. Finally, as she passed him again, he grabbed her and hauled her into his arms. ¡°What did your brother say? Hm?¡± Marie, still bristling from the conversation, blurted, ¡°He thinks we haven¡¯t been ruthless enough with Ashen Pact. We need to push harder.¡± ¡°Push harder until they hand over Tessa.¡± Derrick¡¯s lips curved. Ruthless? That he could respect. When it came to making decisions, he bowed to no one¨Cexcept Abraham. And if Abraham wanted Ashen Pact pushed, then pushed it would be. ¡°So,¡± Derrick said with a gleam in his eye, ¡°you want me to be harsher on Dan?¡± Marie narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you implying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you now,¡± he said with a low chuckle. ¡°If I go hard, I don¡¯t stop. Don¡¯te cryingter.¡± Her mouth twitched. She pped at his chest. ¡°Who are you calling a crybaby?¡± He caught her hand easily and pressed a kiss into her palm. The warmth tickled, prickling up her arm until she shivered. 8:55 Chapter 721 Reckoning ¡°You-¡± Marie¡¯s voice faltered. +8 Pearls but I recall a certain girl who once cried herself blind,¡± Derrick teased. ¡°You say you don¡¯t cry, ¡°Shut up.¡± the She hated when anyone brought up past. Yes, back then Dan had died before her eyes¨Cdied in her arms. How could she not copse? She had loved him. Truly loved him. For a long time after his death, she couldn¡¯t stop crying. A woman who was normally bold, carefree, and fearless had broken down into endless tears. The whole Dawson family had worried for her. Doctors, therapists¨Cnone of it had spared her from the grief. Now, when Derrick mentioned those tears, all she felt was mockery. ¡°You bastard,¡± she snapped, furious. It burned her up inside. A love so deep, turned into nothing but a cruel joke by that dog Dan. Derrick tugged her closer by the wrist. ¡°Let me go,¡± she hissed. ¡°Listen to me, Marie.¡± His voice cut through her fury, suddenly serious, his gaze sharp and unwavering. Even she, who had weathered storm after storm, felt her heart jolt. One hand mped around her wrist, the other wrapped firm around her waist. So close, their breaths tangled. ¡°You¡¯re my wife now. Everything I do to Dan¡ªit¡¯s just settling the debts of the past. Understand?¡± His voice dropped. ¡°It¡¯s over, Come home with me and live as mine.¡± The word minended heavy between them, thick with possessiveness. Marie swallowed hard. ¡°You¡­ you forget our marriage is a deal?¡± 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 721 Reckoning : 64 +8 Pearls This wasn¡¯t the time to remind him¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t shake the fear. Was he breaking their agreement? No, worse¨Cwas he refusing to honor it altogether? Derrick¡¯s mouth twisted into a smirk. ¡°A deal?¡± ¡°Y¨Cyes. I help you with-¡± ¡°If this is just a deal,¡± he cut in, ¡°then go find Tessa yourself and hand her over to Victor.¡± Marie froze. What was he saying? Before she could react, his grip tightened, pulling her down against him. His lips crashed into hers, warm and unyielding, breath mingling until her mind went nk. She struggled, but her strength was nothing against his. The more she resisted, the more relentless he became. Until she was dizzy, gasping, the fight draining out of her¨Conly then did he let go. Marie sucked in desperate breaths, raising her hand to strike him¡ª ¨Cbut he caught it, pressing her palm against his lips. Heat seared her skin, leaving her trembling. His eyes danced with mockery now, gleaming in amusement. ¡°You¡­ you-¡± Marie stammered. ¡°Legal and binding,¡± Derrick said with a wicked smile. Send Gifts 5.2K 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter She Took 722 722 The Cyren Mines Marie¡¯s lips twitched. 64 +8 Pearls God, did this man have no shame? They had agreed from the start that this was just a deal. What was Derrick ying at now¨Cpretending there was no agreement at all? The thought sent a chill through her. ¡°Wait, Derrick¨Cwhat do you mean? You¡¯re not going back on our deal, are you?¡± ¡°And what exactly would I be reneging on, Marie?¡± ¡°1 ¡°1 333 His hand at her waist grew bolder, slipping under her clothes. Marie froze, instinctively grabbing at his wrist to stop him. But his palm slid slowly over her back, pressing and teasing. Her breathing grew heavier. ¡°Derrick, y¨Cyou¡­ did you drink?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then what the hell was he doing? His breath was hot against her ear. She was straddling hisp now, her body pressed tight to his. His palm roamed, stoking the heat in her until her whole body burned. ¡°You see?¡± he murmured. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me.¡± Her mind buzzed, something snapping inside her chest. ¡°We fit together,¡± Derrick said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°W¨Cwhat¡¯s fitting about us?¡± ¡°Of course¨Clike that night we-¡± Knock, knock, knock! Derrick¡¯s face darkened instantly. 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 722 The Cyren Mines Marie¡¯s cheeks med red. ¡°S¨Csomeone¡¯s here for you.¡± She scrambled off hisp, legs wobbling as if they¡¯d lost all strength. 64 +8 Pearls She nearly fell, catching herself at thest second before bolting for the door like a fugitive. Sebastian and Kale stood there. Both froze at the sight of her flushed face as she fled. Then Sebastian stepped into the room, only to meet Derrick¡¯s murderous re. His chest tightened. ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s going on with you two? One runs out red¨Cfaced, the other¡¯s ck as thunder?¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you?¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m alone with her, stay the hell away.¡± Sebastian: ¡°¡­¡± Seriously? They¡¯d already been alone in there for two hours. How much farther was he supposed to stay away? ¡°You mean to tell me two hours alone still wasn¡¯t enough? I know you¡¯ve got stamina, but she¡¯s still a woman- Before he could finish, something flew at him. Sebastian ducked in a panic. The heavy thudnded on Kale¡¯s head instead, making him grunt in pain. Sebastian clutched his own forehead in sympathy, wincing as Kale rubbed his skull. ¡°Trying to murder your own brother now?¡± Derrick shot him a cutting look. ¡°Yenli nearly roasted into a dried corpse in Muliba, you know that?¡± Sebastian: ¡°¡­¡± Right. Definitely not a subject he dared touch. ¡°Can¡¯t speak? Then shut your damn mouth. No social sense? Go learn some.¡± Sebastian¡¯s lips trembled. Learn it? Wasn¡¯t that something people were born with? 8:55 Mon, Sep Chapter 722 The Cyren Mines 64 +8 Pearls Derrick smirked. ¡°No, I forgot. You¡¯re notcking in social sense. You¡¯recking in brains.¡± Sebastian: ¡°¡­¡± This was getting worse by the second. And he couldn¡¯t even argue back. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t talk,¡± he muttered, thoroughly aggrieved. He honestly had no idea what he¡¯d said to set Derrick off this badly. Derrick shot him onest re before lighting a cigarette. ¡°Kale.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a mine under Ashen Pact¨Cthe Cyren Mines.¡± Kale¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°There is. But Madam Evelyn has her sights on it. She¡¯s demanding it now.¡± Derrick¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Demanding?¡± ¡°Yes. Taking it outright,¡± Kale confirmed grimly. He had only just learned the news himself. It was obvious¨CMadam Evelyn was furious over what had been done to Marie, and she was using this to make Dan pay. And Cyren Mines wasn¡¯t just anynd. It was one of Ashen Pact¡¯s richest resources. Send Gifts Ãû 5.2K H 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 723 Chapter 723 The Division of Ashen Pact Sebastian¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard Madam Evelyn was forcing the issue. Once again, he silently lit a candle for Dan. 64 D +8 Pearls Of all people to betray, he had chosen Marie. Did he really think he could afford to provoke the Dawson family? Yes, Ashen Pact¡¯s influence was tangled and sprawling. Butpared to the Dawsons, it was nothing. Derrick drew on his cigarette, eyes narrowing. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take Loren Lake.¡± Sebastian: ¡°¡­¡± Kale: ¡°¡­¡± The two exchanged a look, each sensing where this was heading. Sebastian scratched his head. ¡°Wait. Are we actually splitting up Ashen Pact¡¯s resources now?¡± Everyone knew Ashen Pact sat on some of the most valuable natural holdings in the world. But because of itsplexity, no one had dared move in¨Cnot for fear of starting a war with them. And yet¡­ Madam Evelyn had just imed Cyren Mines. Now Derrick wasying im to Loren Lake? This was starting to look a lot like carving Ashen Pact apart. Derrick took another drag, lips curling into a cold smile through the haze of smoke. ¡°I wonder which piece Mr. Victor ns to take.¡± He hadn¡¯t met Victor yet. But with Madam Evelyn making her move, and now Derrick himself, Victor would surely recognize the signal. Sebastian muttered, ¡°So this isn¡¯t just about forcing them to hand over Tessa¨Cit¡¯s about gutting them in the process?¡± 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 723 The Division of Ashen Pact Derrick onlyughed, saying nothing. 64 +8 Pearls Victor received word of Madam Evelyn¡¯s and Derrick¡¯s demands. A flicker of depth passed through his eyes. He understood perfectly. Madam Evelyn was striking out for Marie¡¯s sake. Derrick was backing Marie¨Cand pressing for Tessa. Across the room, Tessa sat sipping juice and nibbling tbread, blissfully unaware. Victor turned to Ss. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take Caesarville.¡± Ss stiffened. ¡°Caesarville?¡± That was the crown jewel¨Cthe site of Ashen Pact¡¯s rarest raw material fields. Thanks to its unique climate, it produced the key ingredient for an anti¨Caging drug. A drug that could slow time itself. The global market for it was worth tens of billions each year. Caesarville wasn¡¯t just valuable. It was irreceable. With Evelyn taking Cyren, Derrick iming Loren Lake, and Victor now naming Caesarville¡­ Together, they were slicing through the very lifelines of Ashen Pact. Lewis frowned. ¡°But Caesarville is run by Dale himself. If it¡¯s that important, will he really hand it over?¡± From where he stood, it sounded impossible¡ªlike a fool¡¯s errand. Victor nced at him like he was an idiot. The look alone made Lewis¡¯s chest tighten. He quickly turned to Ss for help, but Ss only sighed, weary of covering for hisck of tact. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it right away,¡± Ss said. Victor added coolly, ¡°And tell Dale¨Cif my mother¨Cinw suffers even the slightest harm, he¡¯ll answer to me.¡± Dale hadn¡¯t dared face him, sending Artemis as a shield instead. That alone deserved a warning. Derrick¡¯s maneuver had given him the perfect opening. 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 723 The Division of Ashen Pact 64 +8 Pearls Three sites, three arteries of Ashen Pact¡ªif that didn¡¯t make Dale hand Diana over, nothing would. Ss departed to carry out the orders. Meanwhile, Tessa brought Victor another te. ¡°The tbread here is really good. And this juice.¡± Though her appetite was poor, she forced herself to eat. On the ne, Victor had told her bluntly: if she didn¡¯t eat properly, he¡¯d send her straight to Ste¡¯s side and bar her from any involvement in her mother¡¯s affairs. The man was domineering. And she¡­ she didn¡¯t dare test him. She longed for Ste. But she longed for her mother even more. Lewis, still lingering, noticed what she¡¯d poured. ¡°He won¡¯t drink that sour stuff-¡± One re from Victor silenced him. Lewis¡¯s stomach knotted. Was his mouth cursed? Every word seemed tond wrong. Without another sound, he slipped out. Better not to stay in this killing field. Left alone with Victor, Tessa looked up at him hopefully. ¡°There¡¯s only juice here. I tried them all¨Cthe lemon¡¯s the only one that¡¯s decent.¡± Victor lifted the ss, tasting the icy sweet¨Cand¨Csour. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re even learning to take care of others.¡± He thought back to the chaos she¡¯d caused at his vi, nearly burning down the kitchen. Now, though it was only juice and bread, he had to admit¨Cshe¡¯d grown. Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 724 Chapter 724 The Ashen Pact in mes Tessa¡¯s lips puckered, but she kept quiet. She was clearly terrified for her mother, yet didn¡¯t even dare voice it aloud. Victor tugged her into hisp. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your mother¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°Because Ss is with her.¡± And in truth, Victor doubted Diana¡¯s disappearance was as simple as it appeared. 64 D +8 Pearls No one could easily touch Ss. If he hadn¡¯t reported back yet, chances were the two of them were working something quietly, as always. Ss preferred silence until the oue was secured. Tessa didn¡¯t understand, only stared at him with wide eyes. Victor pressed the ss of juice to her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I just realized¡­ I don¡¯t really know my mother at all.¡± In Tessa¡¯s heart, Diana had always been gentle, kind¡ªapproachable even in business. Yet outside, she was feared as the former master of Ashen Pact. Tessa struggled to reconcile the two. Three forces pressed at once. Ashen Pact exploded into chaos. Madam Evelyn struck first, sending people to take over Cyren Mines directly. When Dale received word, he¨Cusually so indulgent toward Manny¨Csummoned both Dan and Manny to ck Mountain that very night. Artemis was called in as well. ¡°Which of you took Tessa!¡± Dale¡¯s voice was raw with fury. The entire day had been nothing but blow after blow, and now his temper was at its breaking point. He no longer cared about anything else. He only wanted the truth. ¡°And Diana,¡± he roared. ¡°Was it one of you? Do you want her dead? Give me a straight answer, 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 64 Chapter 724 The Ashen Pact in mes damn it!¡± D +8 Pearls Each word mmed down with his palm against the desk, the sound like gunfire. The air in the study grew suffocating. Manny¡¯s face twisted as he turned on Dan. ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? You brought Diana back to use against me and Father. Don¡¯t tell me neither Tessa nor Diana is with you!¡± He bit down hard, his fury spilling over. Never in his life had his father doubted him like this. And now¨Cbecause of Dan¨Che was the suspect. Spoiled and reckless as he was, his gaze now on Dan was dark, edged with real danger. Dan only sneered. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Who else? You¡¯ve always had ambitions for Ashen Pact. You¡¯ve been waiting for the chance to rip all of Father¡¯s power into your own hands.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡± Dan shot back, mocking. ¡°I¡¯m not like you!¡± Manny spat. ¡°Even if I wanted it, I¡¯d never invite outside forces into our family. Dawson, the Toms¨Cyou¡¯re practically begging for Ashen Pact to be torn apart! You¡¯re destroying it just because Father wouldn¡¯t give it to you. You¡¯d rather see it burn than let me have it!¡± His voice rose into a roar, echoing against the walls of the study. Dan stayed calm, a faint curl of mockery never leaving his lips. The more frenzied Manny grew, thezier Dan appeared. ¡°Let Tessa and Diana go!¡± Manny snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll give up Ashen Pact. Fine? Take it all¨CI don¡¯t want it anymore!¡± Desperation cracked his words. Because right now, inheriting Ashen Pact was no prize¨Cit was a death sentence. Whoever sat in that chair would be shredded by the Dawsons, by the Toms, by Victor himself. What once had been a bitter fight to the death between him and Dan now felt like a curse passed to whoever held the reins. Dale turned to Dan. ¡°You hear that? Your brother says he¡¯ll hand it over to you.¡± His expression was sour. The moment was too dire¨Cif this was the only way forward, then so be it. But he hadn¡¯t thought Dan would stoop to this. 8:55 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 724 The Ashen Pact in mes 64 +8 Pearls Dan exhaled augh. ¡°What a shame. I already announced the position was passed to Manny.¡± Manny shot to his feet. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Passed to him? Now? ¡°Are you trying to kill me? You bastard!¡± He howled in outrage. Dale¡¯s face sank deeper into anger. ¡°Dan, how could you? You¡¯ll destroy him like this.¡± Artemis¡¯s eyes filled with wounded sorrow, her gaze heavy with disappointment. ¡°Dan, how could you treat your own brother this way?¡± Dan lit a cigar, smoke curlingzily. ¡°Then have him hand over the mother and daughter. I¡¯ve carried this me long enough. You¡¯ve all had your show¨Cenjoyed it enough yet?¡± He drew deep and let the smoke out slow, his mocking eyes locked on Manny. Because as far as Dan was concerned, it was Manny who had taken Diana and Tessa. Send Gifts She Took 725 Chapter 725 Copse of Trust No¨CDan wasn¡¯t just guessing. He was certain. : 64 +8 Pearls For days Marie had hounded him for answers, and now Victor had joined in. He had carried this burden long enough¨Cshouldering me for something he despised most. And he was done. Manny¡¯s voice cracked with fury. ¡°You call it shouldering me? That mother and daughter were clearly taken by you!¡± Dan¡¯s eyes slid toward Artemis, his words like a de. ¡°Lana and Lina went to kill that woman¡¯s daughter. Madam, wasn¡¯t it you who ordered Manny to take them away?¡± Artemis: ¡°.¡± Dale: ¡°¡­¡± ?? The study froze, silence cutting sharper than any shout. Dale¡¯s pupils shrank as he swung his gaze to Artemis. Her heart lurched at Dan¡¯s usation. Dale rasped, ¡°What did he say? Lana and Lina¡ª¡® 11 ¡°They stormed Victor¡¯s vi to kill Diana¡¯s daughter. No¨Cmore likely to capture her, to use as leverage against Diana, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Dan turned his sneer on Manny. ¡°After all, not long ago, you were locked in open conflict with Diana.¡± Then his gaze returned to Dale. ¡°Or was it you who wanted to use Tessa to threaten her?¡± Dale¡¯s breath grew ragged. His re bore down on Manny, who stiffened. ¡°Father, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Then Dale¡¯s eyes shifted to Artemis. Her chest tightened under the weight of his stare. ¡°Dale¡­ you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Dan¡¯s words had detonated inside the room. Whatever trust Dale had once held¨Cwhether real or feigned, whether for Dan or Manny or Artemis¨Ccopsed in an instant beneath the pressure of Ashen Pact¡¯s crisis. 8:56 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 725 Copse of Trust Tears streaked Artemis¡¯s face. ¡°Manny and I didn¡¯t take Diana and her daughter.¡± Manny pleaded, ¡°Father, this is Dan framing us!¡± 64 +8 Pearls Dan onlyughed coldly. ¡°Frame you? No. I prefer schemes that let Diana gnaw your bones clean. Why would I need to kidnap her myself?¡± Manny: ¡°¡­¡± ?? ¡°1 Dale: ¡°¡­¡± The venom in Dan¡¯s words chilled Dale¡¯s heart. When had this son be so alien to him? Once, he had followed at his heels, calling him Father in that soft, boyish voice. Now, all Dale saw in his eyes was mockery. Dan leaned back in his chair, smoke curling from his cigar. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. They won¡¯t leave without her.¡± Manny snapped, ¡°You did take them! You¡¯re set on destroying Ashen Pact. You can¡¯t have it, so you¡¯ll drag us all into the grave with you!¡± Their shouts collided, each more vicious than thest. Dan was certain Dale and Artemis had taken the women. Manny was certain Dan had, scheming with the Dawsons and the Toms to burn everything down. And Dale¡­ Once he had trusted Artemis and Manny without hesitation. Now suspicion gnawed at him too. If Dan had taken them, it was to ruin Ashen Pact. If Manny had taken them, then perhaps it was jealousy¨Cwomen¡¯s grudges ring to blood. The study rang with chaos. Dan stood, flicking ash to the floor. ¡°I won¡¯t carry this any longer. If Ashen Pact burns, so be it.¡± He strode out, leaving only the reek of smoke behind. ¡°Father!¡± Manny cried after him. 8:56 Mon, Sep 15 Chapter 725 Copse of Trust ¡°Enough!¡± 63 +8 Pearls Dale¡¯s chest heaved with fury, his re cutting to Manny. ¡°Tell me the truth. Was it you?¡± Never before had he spoken to Manny like this. Out of love for Artemis, he had always wrapped the boy in indulgence. But now, his voice was raw, sharp, merciless. Manny staggered back. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Artemis¡¯s face crumpled in tears. ¡°Dale, how can you treat us this way?¡± Dale clutched his temples, gasping for breath. ¡°Understand this¨Cif those two women die, Ashen Pact won¡¯t just be finished. None of us will survive.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t us!¡± Manny insisted, desperation in his eyes. Artemis, too, stared at Dale, wide- eyed and wounded. His chest heaved. ¡°Then exin Lana and Lina!¡± At their names, guilt flickered in Artemis¡¯s eyes. She had sent them. When Diana first returned, she had feared she¡¯de to reim Dale¡¯s heart¨Cand to avenge the child she¡¯d lost. So Artemis had struck first. She Took 726 Chapter 726 Shattered Trust +8 Pearls Artemis had thought¡ªif Tessa really died, then Diana would lose her only card to y. What leverage would she have left against Dale? Dan left ck Mountain. Conan nced at him. ¡°With things so bad for Ashen Pact now, do you think that mother and son will hand the women over?¡± It was obvious- Even those around Dan believed Manny and Artemis were the likeliest to have taken Diana and Tessa. Dan gave a coldugh. ¡°Hand them over? Don¡¯t underestimate a woman¡¯s jealousy.¡± He knew all too well what Artemis had been capable of back then¨Cschemes upon schemes, ruthless under the mask of innocence. And so¡­ Marie had bolted the me for Tessa¡¯s disappearance onto Dan¡¯s forehead. Now Dan, by his own reasoning, bolted it onto Manny and Artemis. As for Dale¨Cpossible, but not certain. Conan asked, ¡°So what should we do now?¡± After all, Madam Evelyn had already moved to seize Cyren Mines¨Cthe very asset Dan had always wanted to pry from Dale¡¯s hands. Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°We watch. See how the pieces fall.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Conan nodded. Dan drew on his cigar and turned to the window, shadows flickering in the depths of his gaze. Marie and Derrick¡¯s figures shed through his mind. The ache in his chest sharpened into restless irritation. 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 B ¡­ 43 Chapter 726 Shattered Trust +8 Pearls At ck Mountain, Manny stormed out with a stormcloud face, Artemis hurrying after him. ¡°Mother, did you see Father just now-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± she cut in. ¡°Send men to find Tessa and that woman at once.¡± She truly believed Manny hadn¡¯t taken them. And Dale either. Manny obeyed her every word, and Dale valued Ashen Pact¡¯s interests too highly. If he swore the women weren¡¯t in his hands, then she trusted that. Manny tugged irritably at his suit cuffs. ¡°I already ordered it!¡± He¡¯d sent messages as soon as the study had descended into chaos. Dan, that bastard. The women had to be with him¨Cyet he smeared me onto everyone else. He wanted to burn Ashen Pact to the ground, so no one could have it. And now they had to scramble around searching, as if cleaning up his mess. It was insane. And so- Marie¡¯s single usation had sparked a firestorm of infighting within the Morris family. In the hotel suite, Victor set down the phone after a call and stood to leave. ¡°Lewis. Stay with her.¡± Tessa blinked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving again? Is it news about my mom?¡± Victor ruffled her hair. ¡°Yes. Some news. Ss and I will go check. You¡¯ll stay here, hm?¡± ¡°I want toe too!¡± She caught his hand in both of hers, clinging tight. ¡°No.¡± Noctarth was chaos, every street a threat. Inside this hotel she was safe¨Chis people filled the halls and the perimeter. Outside? He couldn¡¯t risk it. Tessa pouted. ¡°I can handle it.¡± 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 B¡­ Chapter 726 Shattered Trust : 43 +8 Pearls She knew what he was worried about. But she wasn¡¯t the same timid girl she had been¨Cshe had survived nearly a month at Marie¡¯s side. Victor only pulled her against him and kissed her until his restraint nearly broke. Atst he released her, his voice low with warning. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you when I get back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So he really wasn¡¯t letting here. Her sulking and coaxing had both failed. But Victor was right. Noctarth was the city of shadows, and Ashen Pact ruled its darkness. He left. With only Lewis forpany, the man pulled out his phone again, eyes glued to his endless videos. ¡°You don¡¯t need to parade the tricks you learned from Sister Yu. That¡¯s nothing special.¡± Tessa¡¯s lips twitched. His mouth was begging for trouble. ¡°Careful Marie doesn¡¯t hear that and skin you alive,¡± she shot back. He dared even to mouth off about Marie? Did he have no sense of self¨Cpreservation at all? Lewis smirked. ¡°If she hears about this, it¡¯ll be because you tattled.¡± Tessa gave a sharp huff and turned away. Better not to talk¡ªhis mouth didn¡¯t just dig his own grave, it dragged others in with him. She pulled out her phone and dialed Marie. No answer. She tried again. And again. Still nothing. Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 727 Chapter 727 Distrust and Jealousy ¡°That Marie sure is busy.¡± Lewis grunted. ¡°Yeah, busy trying to get pregnant.¡± +8 Pearls What a mouth. Forget it, better not to respond. Even acknowledging his words felt like making a mistake. But staying in the hotel really was boring. After a moment¡¯s thought, she pulled out her phone and called Ste. Meanwhile, Marie and Derrick were too busy to breathe. Ever since learning that Madam Evelyn had sent people to take over Cyren Mines, Derrick immediately dispatched men to seize control of the Loren Lake mines. Right now, Marie was on the phone with Dan. Clearly, he had gotten the news as well. On the other end, Dan¡¯s voice was full of anger. ¡°Marie, you and Derrick better get the hell back to Falvaria!¡± Even though he was already at odds with Dale and the others, the Ashen Pact was still the Morris family¡¯s. He naturally didn¡¯t want things spiraling this far. Marie said, ¡°Hand Tessa over to me, and I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°Marie!¡± ¡°Dan, I¡¯ll make this clear right now. If Victores after me over Tessa, I¡¯ll make sure the Ashen Pact pays double for it.¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t take Tessa!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s your father, your brother, or that pretentious stepmother of yours.¡± Either way, Tessa had to be in the Ashen Pact¡¯s hands. Seeing Marie stubbornly refuse to leave until she had Tessa, Dan felt his whole chest ache with rage. ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe me on this?¡± ¡°Believe you, my ass!¡± 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 B¡­ Chapter 727 Distrust and Jealousy : 43 +8 Pearis He shouldn¡¯t have brought up the word ¡°believe.¡± The moment he did, Marie looked down on him even more. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done? And you ask me why I don¡¯t believe you? I¡¯d sooner believe pigs can climb trees than trust you!¡± Dan: ¡°¡­¡± Marie snapped, ¡°My patience is limited. If I don¡¯t see Tessa safe and sound within three days, the Ashen Pact is finished.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say three days?¡± ¡°What?¡± Marie frowned, her tone turning colder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d wait three days? Then why did Derrick already send people to interfere with Loren Lake¡¯s management rights?¡± ¡°To keep you from ying tricks! If Tessa is back in my hands safe after three days, Loren Lake stays with the Ashen Pact. Otherwise¡­ it won¡¯t be so simple.¡± Dan¡¯s breathing grew heavy. Still the Ashen Pact¡¯s? She was practically robbing him in broad daylight. Even if Tessa returned to her hands, would Loren Lake really end up back with the Ashen Pact intact? Dan didn¡¯t believe it. And he had no time to argue. Marie simply hung up on him. She nced at Derrick, who was still typing furiously on hisptop, and scoffed. ¡°And he dares ask why I don¡¯t believe him. Hah! What a joke.¡± That bastard wasn¡¯t worth believing. She¡¯d sooner put her faith in pigs. Watching Marie fume, Derrick¡¯s lips curved into a smile. He pulled her into his arms. ¡°Then what about me? Do you believe me?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Marie blinked, His hand was already wandering restlessly across her body. She coughed twice. ¡°You¨Cyou stop being so shameless.¡± Derrick raised a brow. ¡°Shameless? This is called flirting.¡± Marie: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 727 Distrust and Jealousy 43 +8 Pearls Over on Ste¡¯s side. The longer she went without finding out who had slipped a pregnancy test into her things, the more unsettled she felt. Anyone would want to get to the bottom of something like this¨Conly then could their mind rest easy. Especially with a husband as perfect and desirable as hers. Right now, Abraham was practically glued to her side. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t move around so much.¡± But Ste tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep. Abraham held her head against his chest, but she rubbed against him restlessly. That single movement was enough to set his restrained desire zing out of control. ¡°I¡¯m still a little mad,¡± Ste murmured into his chest. Her muffled words poured over his fiery mood like a bucket of ice water. ¡°Ste¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad because I don¡¯t trust you. I¡¯m just mad.¡± Hearing that she wasn¡¯t angry out of suspicion, the tension in his body eased. Abraham cradled the back of her head and kissed her deeply. After a long moment, he let her go, both of them breathless. ¡°Fool. Still haven¡¯t learned.¡± Ste looked up at him with wide, tearful eyes, full of grievance. Abraham said softly, ¡°Mom has already sent people to grab Melissa. She¡¯ll exin everything to you tomorrow, alright?¡± Melissa. Thest time at their family¡¯s banquet, she had done everything she could to disgust Ste. ¡°And Kelly has people looking into it too.¡± ¡­ 43 +8 Pearls Chapter 727 Distrust and Jealousy Kelly! This wasn¡¯t just about Melissa and Kelly¨Cthough the two of them were the most obvious, Abraham had always drawn women¡¯s attention. Ste buried her face against his chest and stayed quiet. She was angry. Still deeply, unbearably angry. Abraham stroked her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad anymore, okay? It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Send Gifts She Took 728 Chapter 728 The Shocking Truth It really was his fault¡­ He had never imagined anyone would stoop to such a petty trick just to upset her. 43 +8 Pearls Now Madam Evelyn had already given orders: everything sent to Ste had to be carefully checked in every possible way before it ever reached her hands. Ste burrowed into his arms, her voice small and aggrieved. ¡°They all want to steal you away.¡± ¡°Then Ste won¡¯t let them steal me, alright?¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t let them take you either.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do whatever Ste says.¡± Abraham soothed her patiently. At this point, whatever Ste said, he simply agreed. Not a hint of contradiction. After a long while, Ste finally calmed down. But Abraham was the one suffering now¨Cheat surging through his body, leaving him in desperate need of a cold shower. He had just stepped into the bathroom when Ste¡¯s phone rang. It was Tessa calling. Seeing her number stunned Ste. Everyone had been searching for Tessa these past days, especially Marie, who was practically tearing the Ashen Pact apart. Now, seeing Tessa¡¯s name sh across the screen, Ste froze for a second before hurriedly picking up. ¡°Tessa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ste tightened her grip on the phone. ¡°Did Marie find you? How are you? Did those bastards from the Morris family give you any trouble?¡± Because of Marie, Ste¡¯s words toward the Morris family were nothing but venom, If she could curse them, she would. 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 B¡­ Chapter 728 The Shocking Truth ¡°Huh?¡± Tessa blinked in confusion. 43 +8 Pearls ¡°You don¡¯t know? We¡¯ve been losing our minds looking for you. The Morris family are animals. You¡¯re their blood rtive¨Chow could they treat you like this?¡± Yes, the Liang family were animals too, but Ste¡¯s heart still ached at how the Morris family treated Tessa. She herself had the Dawson family behind her. She had Abraham. But Bingbing¡¯s mother was gone, and Victor was still practically a stranger. Even if she knew Victor¡¯s intentions weren¡¯t simple, how reliable could such feelings be after such a short time? ¡°Um¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Tessa¡¯s head spun. Lately she had been following Victor¡¯s lead so closely that her own thoughts were hazy. Now, hearing Ste¡¯s questions, she felt her brain go nk. ¡°What do you mean what? I asked if the Morris family hurt you. Did they hit you?¡± ¡°I¡ªI haven¡¯t been with the Morris family at all.¡± The Morris family? Truthfully, she had been itching to hit them herself. But Victor hadn¡¯t allowed it¡­ And Lewis kept mocking her, saying the little tricks she¡¯d picked up under Marie were nothingpared to what the Morris family could do. Thinking about it, he wasn¡¯t wrong. After all, the Ashen Pact was one of the most terrifying organizations in all of Noctarth. She had barely been by Marie¡¯s side for twenty¨Csome days. That really wasn¡¯t enough to face them. But Ste now¨Cwhat was she even talking about? ¡°You¡¯re not with the Morris family?¡± This time, it was Ste¡¯s turn to be shocked. If not with them, then where had she been all this time? ¡°No, of course not.¡± 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 G¡­ Chapter 728 The Shocking Truth ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t my sister who found you?¡± ¡°Marie¡¯s looking for me? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Tessa¡¯s own face was nk with confusion. : The world seemed to crack apart at that very moment. Something felt wrong, but she couldn¡¯t piece it together. 43 +8 Pearls ¡°I¡¯ve called you several times,¡± Tessa muttered. ¡°But your brother always answered. Finally, I got through to you this time.¡± ¡°You called me before?¡± Already reeling, Ste felt another wave of shock crash over her. ¡°Of course I did. Didn¡¯t your brother tell you?¡± ¡°1 No. He hadn¡¯t said a word. Not a single hint. What the hell¡­ ¡°Then where are you right now?¡± Ste demanded, growing frantic. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Victor all this time. You didn¡¯t know that either?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I had no idea at all.¡± Tessa had been with Victor all along¨Cand she had even called. Abraham had answered. Which meant Abraham definitely knew Tessa was with Victor. Oh, God¡­ Then what had all of Marie¡¯s fighting with Dan and the Ashen Pact in Noctarth been for? ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t anything important, so Abraham didn¡¯t tell you,¡± Tessa suggested after thinking. ¡°¡­¡± Not important? How could it not be? Marie had been going insane, terrified Victor would swallow Tessa whole. She had been raging 15:13 Tue, Sep 16 G Chapter 728 The Shocking Truth against Dan, even squaring off against the entire Ashen Pact. And all the while, Tessa had been with Victor. ¡°So you left Marie, and from then on you¡¯ve been with Victor?¡± Ste pressed. Send Gifts She Took 729 Chapter 729 A Truth Withheld At that moment, Ste¡¯s question carried a trace of hopelessness. ¡°Yeah,¡± Tessa replied. ¡°Victor came to get me.¡± +8 Pearls Victor had taken her away from Marie, and yet Ste hadn¡¯t known. She¡¯d been insisting all along that Dan had kidnapped her? Oh, God¡­ Meanwhile, Abraham was still cooling off. It took him more than twenty minutes under a cold shower before he finally stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his waist, droplets of water trailing from his damp hair down over his shoulders and along the ridges of his abs. His whole presence was icy, restrained, and dangerously enticing. Ste had just hung up the call with Tessa. When she saw Abraham emerge, she was about to question him when her eyes caught on the sight of him¨Cher throat worked instinctively as she swallowed. Heaven help her. From opening her heart to getting pregnant, she had barely had a handful of experiences with him. She had no resistance at all. Seeing her staring at him in a daze, the man chuckled softly. ¡°Like what you see?¡± Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Her honesty only made his smile deepen. ¡°Want to touch?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ No! I mean, no,¡± Ste blurted, nodding and then shaking her head in a rush. He had already spent half an hour in the shower. If she touched him again, he¡¯d need another thirty minutes under cold water. Abraham walked over to the sofa, picked up his robe, and slipped it on, letting the towel drop. Those long, lean legs of his were enough to spark endless imagination. He lifted the nket on the other side of the bed andy down, but he didn¡¯t pull her into his arms right away¨Chis body was still chilled, and he didn¡¯t want her to catch cold. But Ste wriggled over and pressed herself against him anyway. He held her head in ce with a firm hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move around so much, alright?¡± 15:14 Tue, Sep 16 B ¡­ Chapter 729 A Truth Withheld ¡°Okay.¡± She hadn¡¯t been trying to tease him¡ªjust finding afortable position in his arms. ¡°Be good,¡± Abraham murmured. ¡°I¡¯m cold right now. I¡¯ll hold youter.¡± He tried to nudge her away to let her sleep on her own, but Ste refused. ¡°No. I want to hold you. Let me warm you up.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll just catch a cold.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± How cold could it really be under the nkets? 43 -8 Pearls Abraham sighed helplessly but didn¡¯t push her off. Truth was, he couldn¡¯t bear to. He loved how clingy she always was. ¡°Honey, I need to ask you something.¡± Just as Ste found a cozy spot against him, she lifted her head again. ¡°Hm?¡± Abraham¡¯s chest warmed at the way she called him husband. His gaze softened, filled with tenderness. ¡°Tessa just called me,¡± Ste said. ¡± Silence fell between them. Abraham looked at her, waiting. But his silence alone was enough to make Ste pout. ¡°You knew. She tried calling me before, but you answered. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Her voice carried growing usation. Since when had this man be so sly? Abraham sat up and pulled her with him. Ste squirmed. ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°I did it on purpose,¡± he admitted. ¡°What?¡± The blunt confession left her stunned. He had done something wrong, and he admitted it just like that? How bold could one man be? ¡°If I¡¯d told you,¡± he exined, ¡°you would¡¯ve told your sister. Then what excuse would she have 15:14 Tue, Sep 16 B ¨C.. Chapter 729 A Truth Withheld left to go after Dan?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ste blinked. Go after Dan? +8 Pearls Well¡­ that was true enough. ¡°But even without Tessa as a reason, she could still go after him, right? Does she really need an excuse? Even before all this with Tessa, she used to beat him up all the time.¡± It was the truth. Marie had always gone after Dan. Tessa or not. ¡°With this, she had a stronger excuse to hit him harder.¡± Abraham replied. ¡± ¡± Well¡­ maybe he was right. Dan had even lost his base, blown to pieces. ¡°And with Derrick alongside her.¡± Abraham went on. ¡°they¡¯ll keep hitting Dan until this Tessa business is resolved. As long as Tessa¡¯s involved. Maric won¡¯t stop.¡± That¡­ was also true. But hearing it allid out like this, why did it sound like Dan was the real victim here? Wait¨Cwasn¡¯t he? Lately, hadn¡¯t Dan been innocent in everything? Marie refused to believe Derrick had slept with her and decided it was Dan¨Cso she beat him. Now she thought Dan had taken Tessa¨Cso she ttened his stronghold. This was worse than Dou E¡¯s injustice! Seeing Ste fall silent, Abraham pinched her cheek. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°I was just thinking¡­ Dan¡¯s basically the scapegoat here. Poor guy.¡± If that wasn¡¯t being a scapegoat, what was? 15:14 Tue, Sep 16 G She Took 730 Chapter 730 The Scapegoat Lately, whenever something upset Marie, she dumped the me on Dan. No matter what it was, it all ended up on his shoulders. Abraham let out a low chuckle. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s pretty unlucky.¡± +8 Pearls ¡°And Victor¡¯s just as bad,¡± Ste added. ¡°He didn¡¯t say a word either? Marie¡¯s been tearing herself apart looking for Tessa in the Ashen Pact. He could have at least told her something. Even if she still wanted to go after Dan, she could have pretended not to know and kept going.¡± ¡°Victor¡¯s letting her vent her anger,¡± Abraham exined calmly. ¡°She hits harder when she doesn¡¯t know.¡± With that single sentence, Abrahamid bare Victor¡¯s intentions¨Ccrystal clear. Ste frowned. ¡°Then Marie must be worried sick. And the Ashen Pact is dangerous enough as it is.¡± Of course, Dan deserved to be punished. But still, going after him in his own territory? What if something happened? Seeing her so concerned, Abraham reached out to ruffle her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Derrick¡¯s with her.¡± ¡°But Derrick¡¯s not reliable.¡± Ste huffed. That was the truth. To her, Derrick had never been dependable. Just thinking of that incident three years ago made her heart prickle with resentment. If Derrick had been even a little more dependable, she wouldn¡¯t have been separated from Abraham for those long years. Abraham said nothing more, simply cupped her head and kissed her deeply. In their tangle of lips and breath, the cold shower he had taken seemed wasted all over again¡­ When Victor returned, he found Tessa sitting nkly on the sofa while Lewis lounged beside her,ughing at videos on his phone. Victor¡¯s face darkened. Striding forward, he kicked at Lewis without a word. 15:14 Tue, Sep 16 B¡­ Chapter 730 The Scapegoat 43 +8 Pearls Lewis reacted instantly. The moment Victor¡¯s leg swung in, he snatched Tessa up and leapt aside with surprising agility. Tessa: ¡°¡­¡± Victor: ¡°¡­¡± Tessa, who had always thought Lewis was hopeless, found herself at a loss for words. This man wasn¡¯t weak at all¡ªhis reflexes were sharper than a leopard¡¯s. Lewis, thinking it was an attack, nearlyshed out before realizing it was Victor. ¡°You can¡¯t even make a sound when youe in?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Really?¡± Victor¡¯s irritation had been fueled by Lewis¡¯sziness, but after seeing such quick reflexes, his anger faded. ¡°Come here.¡± Victor¡¯s cold eyes shifted to Tessa. She hurriedly pulled her arm from Lewis¡¯s grip and ran over. ¡°You¡¯re back! Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll take you out.¡± ¡°We can go out?¡± ¡°Of course. Why?¡± ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t allowed.¡± He never took her with him when he went out. She had assumed she was confined to the hotel. Her innocent gaze made Victorugh softly. ¡°Silly girl.¡± Then he pulled her along, ready to head out. But Tessa stopped short, tugging his hand. ¡°Wait. I need to ask you something.¡± She still hadn¡¯t recovered from her call with Ste. Truth be told, she had wanted to ask Lewis earlier, but he¡¯d been glued to his videos and ignored herpletely. That was why Victor hade home to find her ring resentfully at Lewis. Now, hearing her say she had a question, Victor frowned. ¡°About your mother?¡± 15:14 Tue, Sep 16 B¡­ Chapter 730 The Scapegoat ¡°Yes¨Cand you said you had a lead. What is it?¡± Besides her own troubles, her mother weighed heavily on her heart. 43 +8 Pearls The Morris family had treated them so cruelly that her worry only deepened. Growing up, she had only known her mother as a woman consumed by her career, rarely around. She had almost never felt the warmth of family. She longed for her mother¡¯s love, and sometimes even fantasized about being with her father. But what had her mother told her back then? She had said, ¡°Tessa, your father¡¯s been dead a long time.¡± The words had broken her heart. And now? Alive seemed worse than dead. Death at least wouldn¡¯t have brought this endless pain and trouble. Alive, he was nothing but torment. ¡°Your mother¡¯s fine,¡± Victor said. ¡°She¡¯s with Ss.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°That, I don¡¯t know.¡± But he was almost certain Diana and Ss were together. Where exactly, he couldn¡¯t say. Still, he was equally certain they were safe. ¡°How can you be sure if you don¡¯t even know where they are?¡± Tessa demanded. ¡°Ss left a sign.¡± It was a signal only Victor could read¨Cone that meant ¡°all is well.¡± All is well¡­ That could only mean one thing: the two of them had gone off to handle something rted to the Ashen Pact, and it was up to Victor and the others to hold the line, buying Diana time. ¡°Really?¡± Tessa asked softly, her worry still gnawing. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 731 Chapter 731 Hidden Motives Victor pinched her check gently, his gaze soft. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Hearing him say it so firmly, Tessa finally nodded, though her heart still wavered with unease. It had been far too long since she¡¯dst seen her mother. ¡°Right, we also found this near Ss,¡± Victor added. He pulled something from his pocket and ced it in her hand. Tessa studied it, and the moment she recognized what it was, her tightly knitted brows eased. Victor frowned slightly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Tessa said with certainty. She remembered this item¨Cher mother had once shown it to her along with another object. Back then, her mother had told her: if she ever left one of them behind, it meant she was safe and Tessa could rest easy. But if it was the other one, that meant danger¨CTessa had to hide immediately in the safest ce she could find. ¡°Now can we go out to eat?¡± Victor asked, noticing the relief on her face. ¡°Wait, I still have another question.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Marie know you were the one who took me? You told me she did.¡±, That day, when she wanted to call Marie herself, Victor had clearly told her Marie already knew. Victor fell silent. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Tessa pressed. ¡°I know the truth now.¡± And that was what gave her such a headache. Everythingtely had been messy enough, and her thoughts were in disarray. After that call with Ste, they were worse. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t know,¡± Victor finally said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her brother told me not to tell her.¡± ¡°Abraham?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± What did he mean, Abraham/wouldn¡¯t let him say? Wait¨Cif Abraham kept her calls from Ste too, then Ste hadn¡¯t known anything either. So Abraham had deliberately hidden it from both sisters? What did he mean by that¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Victor replied tly. ¡°But if he says not to tell, then we don¡¯t. And you¡¯d better not tell Marie either. Don¡¯t call her about this.¡± With a calm face and steady tone, Victor neatly shift the me onto Abraham. Since it was Abraham¡¯s order, Tessa didn¡¯t dare question it further. And as curious and gossipy as she could be, she knew enough not to spread it around. ¡°Then¡­ can I at least ask Ste? She-¡± Would that anger Abraham? own survival. Trouble followed her everywhere; Ever since Rivermount, Tessa had been careful to mind her thest thing she wanted was to provoke anyone unnecessarily. ¡°Abraham will handle that,¡± Victor cut her off. ¡°When you call the little princess, don¡¯t run your mouth. Got it?¡± Standing nearby, Lewis stared, stunned. Victor said it all with such confidence that for once, he didn¡¯t dare crack a joke. Tessa nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± And just like that, Victor dissolved her doubts. But over dinner, she frowned again. ¡°Isn¡¯t this wrong, though?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ste said Marie¡¯s been going crazy in the Ashen Pact looking for me. If she finds out I was with you the whole time, won¡¯t she skin me alive?¡± Victor¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Right now, the Ashen Pact needs more chaos.¡± He didn¡¯t address what Marie would do when she found out. Instead, his tone grew deep. Tessa¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°The more chaotic things get inside the Ashen Pact, the more time your mother gains.¡± Tessa still didn¡¯t know what exactly Diana and Ss were doing, but given their disappearance at such a critical moment¨Cand the sign they left behind¨Cit was obvious they had a n. ¡°But if Marie keeps pressuring the Ashen Pact for me, won¡¯t that only make them search harder for me and my mom?¡± Notpletely foolish, Tessa quickly strung the pieces together. The Ashen Pact¡¯s turmoil¨Cwasn¡¯t it because of her? Chapter 731 Hidden Motives 84356 ¡°When people¡¯s thoughts are scattered, it¡¯s much harder to track someone¡¯s movements,¡± Victor exined. ..¡°Was that really true? She had been thinking that the more people were searching for her mother, the more it might dy her instead. ¡°Marie will keep forcing the Ashen Pact to hand you over. And by now, they¡¯re probably turning on each other in suspicion.¡± ¡°Suspicion?¡± Victor nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± It made sense. Derrick was now working with Madam Evelyn, seizing key Ashen Pact resources by force. This wasn¡¯t just about Tessa and Diana anymore. It was about old grudges buried for decades finally surfacing¨Cpeace shattered, long¨Cdyed reckonings crashing down atst. Under Victor¡¯s steady words, Tessa¡¯s flickers of rity copsed again. Her head felt too full, her thoughts too tangled to sort. 5.2K She Took 732 Chapter 732 Pressure on the Ashen Pact Forget it¨Cbetter to just listen to Victor. Now was the time for chaos. None of them knew exactly what the others were nning, but at least she was sure of one thing: they wouldn¡¯t harm her, and they wouldn¡¯t harm her mother. As for what kind of losses the Morris family would suffer this time? That had nothing to do with her. By now, Madam Evelyn¡¯s people had reached Cyren Mines. Derrick¡¯s men had seized control of Loren Lake. And Victor¡¯s forces weren¡¯t to be outdone¨Cthey had already taken Caesarville. The next morning, Marie woke to the news feeling utterly refreshed. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she dered, popping a blueberry into her mouth. ¡°With things like this, the Asher Pact still dares not hand her over to me?¡± The blueberries in Noctarth were sweeter and more fragrant than any she had ever eaten before. ¡°So now there¡¯s nothing to worry about?¡± Derrick asked. When Marie picked up another berry, Derrick caught her hand and stuffed it into his own mouth instead. Marie: ¡°¡­¡± This man! Her fingers were wet with his saliva. Gross. She wiped them off on his clothes with obvious disgust. Derrick¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You could at least eat without slobbering on my hand, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This woman. His phone buzzed. It was Dan calling. Derrick nced at the screen, then looked at Marie. ¡°What do you think he wants right now?¡± ¡°To beg for mercy?¡°. ¡± ¡®Sometimes her bluntness was beyond belief. Derrick answered the call right in front of her. ¡°Mr. Morris, ready to hand her over?¡± ¡°Derrick, damn you! It¡¯s bad enough she¡¯s unreasonable, but you? A grown man being this shameless? You know damn well I didn¡¯t take Tessa! Last time you let me take the me, fine¨Cbut now you¡¯re dumping this on me again?¡± Dan¡¯s voice roared through the line, practically shaking with fury. It wasn¡¯t just Loren Lake Derrick had struck at¨Che¡¯d also moved against Dovemont. Dovemont! That was what Dan had just stolen from Dale, not even warmed in his grasp, and now it was gone. He woke Chapter 732 Pressure on the Ashen Pact to the news this morning and nearly exploded. + ns Unmoved, Derrick said evenly, ¡°I knowst time wasn¡¯t you. But this time with Tessa- honestly don¡¯t know.¡± Because he really didn¡¯t. Dan hadn¡¯t slept with Marie back then, but whether or not he had Tessa now? How could Derrick be sure? ¡°You think I¡¯m lying? I¡¯ve told you over and over¨CI didn¡¯t take her!¡± Dan¡¯s outrage bled through every word. But with Marie and Derrick, he might as well have been shouting at the wind. Derrick¡¯s tone was calm, almost identical to Maric¡¯s. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, it was the Ashen Pact. You and the Ashen Pact are one. Holding you ountable means forcing the Pact to hand her over. Instead of wasting breath with me, just give her up.¡± And with that, he hung up before Dan could spit another word. Marie snorted. ¡°So what, just because he says it¡¯s not him, we¡¯re supposed to believe it? As if those animals aren¡¯t capable of anything. They think they can trick me with words? Dream on.¡± Derrick picked up a blueberry and slipped it between her lips. She chewed furiously, still fuming. ¡°So what¡¯s his n now? Just not give her up?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll give her up,¡± Derrick said softly, trying to soothe her. Marie huffed, tossing another berry into her mouth. ¡°And he had the nerve toin about getting beatenst time? I regret not killing him outright then. Would¡¯ve saved me the trouble of him taking Tessa.¡± Thinking back on it, Derrick couldn¡¯t help rubbing his temple. Marie caught the gesture and cut him off sharply. ¡°Enough, I don¡¯t want to hear it. Fine, I¡¯ll just pretend it was you who slept with me. Happy?¡± Her words were sharp, more to shut him up than anything else. She couldn¡¯t understand why he insisted on carrying Dan¡¯s me. But Derrick, hearing her say ¡°pretend it was you,¡± was left utterly speechless. Meanwhile in Falvaria. After a night¡¯s rest, Ste looked visibly better, much to Madam Evelyn¡¯s relief. Especially seeing Ste up so early¨Cit set her mind at ease. If she was up at this hour, that meant Abraham hadn¡¯t coaxed herst night in that way. That was no joke¨CSte was pregnant now. Such things were out of the question. After breakfast, the butler approached. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chapter 732 Pressure on the Ashen Part ¡°Miss Melissa has been brought here. And Miss Kelly as well.¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± Madam Evelyn turned to her, smiling warmly. ¡°Ste, have you eaten enough?¡± 5.2K 32 Wed, 17 Sept The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit by She Took 733 Chapter 733 The Interrogation Ste nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Thene with me to question them,¡± Madam Evelyn said smoothly. She had already brought in the two most suspicious women. To dispel Ste¡¯s doubts, she wanted her present during the questioning. Pearley Confident nothing would go wrong, she also intended to teach Ste something: even if there was guilt, Ste should be the one to deal with it herself. As the Dawson family¡¯s matriarch¨Cin¨Cwaiting, there were moments when she needed to show real authority. ¡°Alright,¡± Ste agreed. Abraham set down his ss of milk. ¡°I¡¯lle too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Madam Evelyn cut in firmly. ¡°This is a matter for women. Better handled by women. Every incident like this was training for Ste. She was kind and gentle, but as the Dawson family¡¯s mistress, she also had to be shrewd and decisive. Of course, Madam Evelyn had no idea how Ste had already handled the Reed and Keene families back in Rivermount. Ste nced at Abraham. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself.¡± ¡°Ste¡­¡± Abraham¡¯s voice held worry. ¡°I¡¯ll be with her,¡± Madam Evelyn reassured. She knew he was worried, especially with Ste carrying triplets, but she herself would be there. And with that, she led Ste away. By the water garden stood a small pavilion. Melissa had been dragged there, bewildered and furious. When she saw Madam Evelyn and Ste approaching together, her expression grew stormy. Kelly wasn¡¯t there; the butler must have intended to question them one by one. Melissa clenched down on her anger. She had been yanked straight out of bedst night. At first, she thought she was being kidnapped. Instead, she was brought back to Falvaria? She had been abroad all this time, ever since that banquet where Abraham¡¯s cold treatment of her had turned the entire Dawson n against her. Life had been unbearable, so she had left the country. And now they had dragged her back? For what? 15:32 Wed, 17 Sept. 6 Chapter 733 The interrogation 16 Prants The memory of being pulled from bed and marched here still made her seethe. Her fury was barely restrained. ¡°Madam Evelyn, what is the meaning of this?¡± But because this was the Dawson family, she didn¡¯t dare go too far. Madam Evelyn and Ste sat together. She looked at Ste with a pointed nce. ¡°Ste.¡± Ste nodded, lifting her hand. A servant stepped forward with a small box and ced it in her palm. She took it, then narrowed her eyes at Melissa¨Cand flung it at her feet. The box popped open, and a pregnancy test ttered onto the ground,nding right by Melissa¡¯s shoe. Ste¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Miss Melissa, this is yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± Melissa blinked at the double lines on the stick, her eyes wide with shock as she looked back at Ste. ¡°W¨Cwhat do you mean by this?¡± Her confusion was genuine. Madam Evelyn¡¯s tone went cold. ¡°Miss Dawson, I¡¯ve seen plenty of women putting on acts over the years.¡± Especially back when Ste and Abraham¡¯s rtionship hadn¡¯t been certain. The Dawson family had seen countless women throw themselves forward. Some tried to act refined, asking to be treated as daughters. Others were blunt, promising to serve her for life. At banquets, schemes came in all forms. Madam Evelyn had seen every trick imaginable¨Cbut Melissa¡¯s ploy was a first. Melissa¡¯s anger red, but she still didn¡¯t dare openly defy her. After all, the Dawson family wasn¡¯t as invincible as it once had been. Taking a deep breath, she said carefully, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Madam Evelyn is implying.¡± Feigning ignorance? But she had been abroad. She hadn¡¯t even been paying attention to Falvaria¡¯s affairs. Yes, there had been the matter of the banquet, but that was long resolved. Even if she had put on an act then -what did that have to do with now? Seeing Melissa¡¯s bewildered look only made Madam Evelyn¡¯s gaze turn sharper, colder. Melissa squirmed under it. ¡°I¨CI haven¡¯t done anything, have I?¡± ¡°You have. The evidence is right at your feet. A clever woman like you should know that some responsibilities cannot be avoided,¡± Madam Evelyn said icily. Melissa froze. Evidence? At her feet? Chapter 733 The internation She nced again at the pregnancy leat lying there, the unmistakable two red line Her stomach dropped.
    1. but in not pregnant.¡±
    Double lines? On a test? No, this wasn¡¯t right. Even if she were pregnant, how would her test have ended up here? It made no sense at all. Melissa stood there utterly batlled, unable to understand what was happening. 5.2K She Took 734 Chapter 734 Melissa¡¯s Oath Madam Evelyn¡¯s gaze grew darker, sharper, Ste¡¯s eyes fixed on Melissa too. Between the two of them, it felt like they were ready to tear her apart. At Lalog Under Madam Evelyn¡¯s stare especially, Melissa¡¯s chest tightened. She swallowed nervously. ¡°W¨Cwhat does this even mean?¡± Ste¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°So this isn¡¯t what you sent me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stop pretending,¡± Madam Evelyn snapped. ¡°Tell us the truth.¡± Melissa shook her head frantically. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me! That thing isn¡¯t mine.¡± Even if it had been hers, why would she ever send it to the Dawson family? Under Ste¡¯s icy eyes and Madam Evelyn¡¯s suffocating pressure, Melissa¡¯s mind went nk. She tried to make sense of the situation, but nothing came. ¡°I swear, it really isn¡¯t mine!¡± She was close to tears. Madam Evelyn¡¯s gaze was terrifying¨Cespecially with her saying not to pretend. ¡°Heaven help me, I¡¯m not pretending,¡± Melissa blurted in panic. Wait¡­ Then it clicked. Ste was pregnant now, and her wedding with Abraham had already been set¨Cwith the Dawson elders¡® approval no less. So if this thing had suddenly shown up here¡­ Melissa¡¯s mind cleared in an instant. She finally understood the weight of it¨Cand her panic grew worse. ¡°Madam Evelyn, this really isn¡¯t mine. I would never stoop to something so disgusting.¡± Who in their right mind would send someone a used pregnancy test? It was vile. No wonder it had been sealed in a little box. To someone who didn¡¯t know, it could look like something precious¨Cwhen in reality, it was just to keep Madam Evelyn¡¯s treasured girl¡¯s hands from being dirtied. And now that she thought of it¡­ During her time abroad, Melissa had done plenty of reflecting. She had truly been recklessst time. Ste was Madam Evelyn¡¯s child¨Craised and cherished by her. The entire Dawson n adored her. Ste¡¯s position in the family was unshakable. Even if Melissa had somehow managed to marry Abraham, what would that have gotten her? Nothing but a Chapter 734 Melissa¡¯s Oath life of hell. Once inside the Dawson family, Ste would always stand above her, crushing her down. Just the thought of it was suffocating. She didn¡¯t even know what madness had possessed her back then. But she had thought it through now. She would never again covet the untouchable Abraham of Falvaria. ¡°This isn¡¯t me¡­ I swear it isn¡¯t me.¡± She had been rash when Ste first returned to Falvaria. But heaven and earth as witnesses, this really wasn¡¯t her doing. Madam Evelyn narrowed her eyes. ¡°So Miss Dawson refuses to speak the truth today.¡± Clearly, neither Ste nor Madam Evelyn believed her. After all, even when the news of Abraham and Ste had spread, Melissa had still dared to provoke her at that banquet. Seeing their disbelief, Melissa¡¯s panic boiled over. ¡°It¡¯s not me, I swear!¡± Madam Evelyn tilted her head slightly toward the butler. ¡°Bring Madam Bogden here¡ª¡± ¡°Wait! It really wasn¡¯t me! I swear on my life¨Cif I sent that thing to the princess, may I be hit by a car the moment I step outside, struck by lightning in the rain, choke on the first sip of water, die on the first bite of food, and never wake up from sleep again. How about that?¡± Ste: ¡°¡­¡± Madam Evelyn: ¡°¡­¡± The two women exchanged a nce, each seeing the same conflicted emotions in the other¡¯s eyes. Then both turned back to Melissa. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Melissa cried. ¡°If it was, may I die a horrible death!¡± Before leaving the country, her mother had warned her: the Dawson family must never be provoked. And with the Bogden family¡¯s situation already precarious, if the Dawsons struck against them now, their whole house could copse. So to prove her innocence, Melissa resorted to the most vicious oath she could make. When silence stretched, she added desperately, ¡°If I did this, may no one ever want me. May I grow old alone, a nun for life. Is that enough?¡± For a woman, that curse was harsher than death. She truly had been pushed to the brink. But then¨Cwho had done it? 15:33 Wed, 17 Sept Chapter 734 Melee¡¯s Bath MAL Could Falvaria really have sonicone with a mind darker than hers? No, that wasn¡¯t fair. She had at least been open in her desire for Abraham, shameless though it was But whoever pulled this stunt had done it in the shadows¨Cmaking her the scapegoat. She thought back tost night, dragged out of bed by silent men who never said a word. Her heart was still pounding even now. Who had set her up? Whoever it was, if she ever found out, she¡¯d take that woman¡¯s life without hesitation. 5.2K She Took 735 Chapter 735 Kelly Brought In Melissa was already fuming inside. Facing Madam Evelyn¡¯s pressure, she had sworn every vicious oath she could think of. The Bogden family might have declined, but Mr. Bogden still carried weight in Falvaria. And in Falvaria, people believed in oaths. To swear falsely¨Cespecially on something one had truly done¨Cwas unthinkable. + Pearls If Melissa really had been guilty, she would have hidden behind her father¡¯s influence, not staked her life on curses like these. Ste turned to Madam Evelyn. ¡°Mom, maybe it really isn¡¯t her?¡± For Melissa to dare make such heavy oaths, it was possible she wasn¡¯t lying. Madam Evelyn narrowed her eyes, studying Melissa. Melissa threw her hands up. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me! If it was, may I be struck dead by lightning right now, would that satisfy you?¡± She was on the verge of madness. Who had done this? If she ever found out, she swore she¡¯d make them pay dearly. The more she thought, the angrier she became. Wanting Abraham was one thing, but at least she had wanted him openly. To scheme in secret like this, and to drag her down as a scapegoat¨Cthis was intolerable. A thousand ways to torture the real culprit shed through her mind. Madam Evelyn nced at the butler. ¡°Send her away.¡± At this point, it seemed unlikely Melissa was the one. The butler stepped forward. ¡°Mrs. Bogden, my apologies. It seems there has been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This matter is concluded,¡± he said. Melissa blinked, stunned. ¡°Concluded? Just like that?¡± Her mind stalled. She stared from the butler to Madam Evelyn. What did they mean, it was just over? This wasn¡¯t right. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ over?¡± Shouldn¡¯t there bepensation? She¡¯d been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night! Half¨Casleep, terrified she was being kidnapped, then forced through the whole ordeal in silence¨Cher heart had nearly given out. Chapter 735 Kelly Bionaht T And now it just ended here? Madam Evelyn¡¯s voice was calmn. ¡°Tell my butler what you¡¯d like. He¡¯ll see you arepensated¡± The message was clear she would be given something in retur Melissa was still unhappy, but she dared not push further in front of Madam Evelyn. With a huff, she rose. The butler gestured politely. ¡°This way, Mrs. Bogden.¡± Melissa shot Ste a look before turning away. Her lips twisted in disdain. Abraham was too desirable. With a husband like that, Ste would never have peace. Somewhere, some woman would always be scheming in the dark. But who had done it this time? And why had she been dragged in to take the fall? Did she really look like someone who would send such a vile thing? The thought left her seething. After Melissa was gone, Madam Evelyn looked to Ste. ¡°You think it wasn¡¯t her?¡± ¡°In Falvaria, people don¡¯t swear like that lightly,¡± Ste said. Especially not when they¡¯d actually done the thing in question. But Madam Evelyn¡¯s eyes stayed cold. ¡°That isn¡¯t certain. There are people willing to risk even their lives for what they want. What¡¯s a false oath to them?¡± So to her, Melissa¡¯s innocence was far from proven. Given the Bogden family¡¯s weakened state, she couldn¡¯t rule it out. Ste frowned, but said nothing. ¡°Bring Kelly,¡± Madam Evelyn ordered. To her mind, the ones with the deepest designs on Abraham were Melissa and Kelly. The truth had to lie with one of them. The butler, having escorted Melissa away, returned with Kelly. Kelly¡­ Once the proud princess of the Tom family, she had been adored by parents and older brother alike. But those days were long gone. Now, she looked nothing like her former self¨Cdisheveled, fallen. Environment shaped people. It could raise them high, or grind them into the mud. Chapter 735 Kelly Brought in Once, Kelly had despised Ste as nothing but a Dawson foster child, sneering and stepping on her whenever she could. Now, her eyes burned with fury and resentment as she looked at Ste. It was the first time Ste had seen her since that incident three years ago. Their gazes locked. Kelly¡¯s re was sharp, vicious. Madam Evelyn¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°It seems your years in prison taught you nothing.¡± Kelly froze. Hearing Madam Evelyn¡¯s voice, her focus snapped back. On the way here, her attention had been fixed entirely on Ste¨Cher eyes locked on her, her mind consumed. Now, Madam Evelyn¡¯s words hit like cold water. 42% The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 736 hapter 736 Old Wounds 60 Finished The moment Kelly heard Madam Evelyn¡¯s voice, the fury and resentment on her face vanished. ¡°Madam Evelyn,¡± she said respectfully. She knew full well her three years in prison had all been Dawson family¡¯s doing. But she wouldn¡¯t dare show even a hint of resentment before this woman. Madam Evelyn¡¯s methods were far too ruthless. Three years¨Cwithout a single visit, not even from her own mother. And now, the first time she saw the light again, it was still because of Madam Evelyn. At that moment, Kelly realized her hatred for Ste was secondary. What weighed heavier was envy. With a mother like this, Ste was far better off than Kelly, even with her own birth mother. Her thoughtssted only a second before she suddenly fell to her knees. ¡°Madam Evelyn, please forgive me. Three years ago, I was ignorant. It was my fault I angered Miss Dawson.¡± Ste: ¡± ¡± Madam Evelyn: ¡°¡­¡± They nced at each other, brows furrowed. Admitting fault the moment she arrived? Then what about the pregnancy test¡­ Before Madam Evelyn could think further, her phone buzzed. One look at the screen, and her expression changed. ¡°Ste,¡± she said briskly. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± ¡°You ask her yourself,¡± Madam Evelyn said warmly, clearly preparing to leave. Ste nodded obediently. ¡°Alright.¡± Madam Evelyn stood, casting Kelly a sharp, warning look. 17:03 Thu, Sep 18 d. Chapter 736 Old Wounds : Kelly froze as their gazes locked. The warning was clear. In the next moment, Madam Evelyn turned and walked away without another word. 60 Finished Now only Ste and Kelly remained, with the butler and two servants nearby. Even without Madam Evelyn present, Kelly wouldn¡¯t dare act recklessly here. Ste¡¯s eyes settled on her. Kelly¡¯s voice broke. ¡°Why am I out today?¡± The question wasced with bitterness. Beneath her anger and resentment.was raw sorrow. She had never imagined she would leave prison like this. Ste nced at the small box that had earlier been thrown at Melissa. ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Ste asked directly. Kelly: ¡°What?¡± Her pupils contracted sharply, disbelief shing across her face. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Pregnant? Was Ste mocking her? The flicker in her eyes, the change in her expression¨CSte caught it all. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t her. Ste waved a hand. ¡°Take her away.¡± Kelly¡¯s heart lurched. Ste hadn¡¯t said much, but those words were enough to send her back. ¡°No! I won¡¯t go back there. I want to go home,¡± she cried, desperate and fierce. The memory of the suffering she¡¯d endured in prison made her voice tremble with rage. Seeing Ste surrounded, cherished, Kelly¡¯s jealousy twisted deeper. Once, she had been just as adored in the Tom family. And all she had lost¨Cshe med it on Ste. ¡°Ste, you ruined me! You won¡¯t die well. I curse you to lose everything.¡± ¡°I curse you to end up just like me!¡± Chapter 736 Old Wounds Her voice was shrill, hysterical. : 60 Finished The butler¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Take her away,¡± he ordered the servants. ¡°No! I won¡¯t go back there. I want to go home, to the Tom family!¡± ¡°Ste-¡± Ste¡¯s gaze was calm. ¡°What happened to you wasn¡¯t because of me.¡± Kelly froze. Lifting her eyes, Ste¡¯s voice remained steady. ¡°Three years ago, when the Dawson family was in turmoil, you arranged to have me kidnapped. You even staged a scheme to climb into Abraham¡¯s bed.¡± ¡°You nned everything¡ªmy disappearance, your pregnancy with Abraham¡¯s child. You thought of it all. But you didn¡¯t ount for Derrick¡¯s intervention.¡± That day, chased to the edge by Abraham, Derrick finally confessed the truth. He had yed along only to make Kelly drop her guard. Kelly¡¯s scheme had been wless. If she had seeded, Ste would have been destroyed. But Derrick had carved out a sliver of chance for her to escape Falvaria. Kelly had made it look like she was forcing Ste out of the Dawson family, but the path she set was filled with traps. If even one of them had worked, Ste and Abraham would never have had their present life. Back then, Kelly had been determined to im Abraham. Her ambition had been far greater¨Cand far darker¨Cthan Melissa¡¯s. Send Gifts 5.2K W She Took 737 Chapter 737 No Mercy Kelly¡¯s face went pale at Ste¡¯s words. Finished ¡°You didn¡¯t be like this because of me,¡± Ste said coldly. ¡°You became like this because you tried to harm me. Understand the difference?¡± Kelly¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°You never deserved him! Ste, you should be dead. What are you? What gives you the right to the Dawson family¡¯s everything? You¡¯re just an adopted child!¡± ¡°The Tom family and the Dawsons had a good rtionship until you ruined it. You ruined me too!¡± Her eyes burned with hatred. ¡°You shamelessly lusted after your own brother. Your thoughts were filthy. You should never have stayed in the Dawson family.¡± Abraham entered just in time to hear Kelly¡¯s vicious words thrown at Ste. His face darkened, his gaze sharp as a de. ¡°What are you waiting for? Take her away!¡± Themand was icy, carrying lethal weight. Everyone froze. The butler quickly raised his hand. ¡°Take her away, now.¡± Hearing Abraham¡¯s voice, Kelly¡¯s body shook violently. She turned, and her breath caught under his piercing re. This was the man she had loved since childhood, the one who filled her heart when she first understood love. But at that same time, she had discovered Ste harbored feelings for him too. Her world had copsed. From then on, every battle between them¨Copen or hidden¨Cwas inevitable. ¡°Abraham.¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes filled with tears. Their families had been allies, and marriage between them had once been certain. She had always believed she and Abraham were destined. But Ste had destroyed that. 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 ¡­ 60 Chapter 737 No Mercy Because of her, Kelly had lost everything. Her gaze clung to Abraham, but he never spared her so much as a nce. Finished He walked straight to Ste, pulled her against his chest, shielding her. As if Kelly were filth unworthy of her eyes. ¡°Take her away!¡± The butler didn¡¯t dare dy. Kelly¡¯s despair twisted into rage. She knew what awaited her once she was dragged away. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go back there. Abraham, please let me go home.¡± But his back was to her. She couldn¡¯t see his face. Her tears spilled. ¡°Do you really feel nothing for the bond we had? We grew up together. How can you treat me like this?¡± Her cries echoed, but Abraham didn¡¯t reply. The servants seized her. She struggled wildly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Let me go!¡± But her body was weak, her limbs useless. She couldn¡¯t even walk on her own, let alone break free. Hatred consumed her. Why had Derrick betrayed the Tom family back then and sided with Ste? She had nned everything perfectly. Ste should have died without a trace. Kelly¡¯s rage seethed to its peak. In the end, she was dragged away. Only Ste and Abraham remained. He finally released her, studying her frown. ¡°What is it? You¡¯re upset?¡± ¡°I looked at her,¡± Ste said quietly. ¡°She¡¯s miserable. And yet I can¡¯t find a shred of pity for her.¡± Yes¨CKelly was pitiful. Disheveled and broken, nothing like the Tom family¡¯s once¨Cproud daughter. 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 d.. Chapter 737 No Mercy : ¡°My heart is cold,¡± Ste admitted. ¡°Especially toward those who tried to hurt me.¡± Her fingers curled into Abraham¡¯s sleeve, her tone heavy withplicated feelings. 60 Finished She had felt the same with the Reed family. Now again with Kelly. Not once had she softened. Abraham stroked her hair. ¡°Good. That¡¯s how it should be.¡± Toward those who harm you, there can be no mercy. ¡°Is that really right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± His answer was firm. He pressed her head back into his chest. Once, he had worried she would falter at such moments. Now he knew she wouldn¡¯t. Ste rubbed against him, murmuring, ¡°Neither of them seem like it.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± Abraham asked. She nodded. ¡°Yes. I watched carefully.¡± Melissa¡¯s reaction to the pregnancy test had been genuine shock. As for Kelly¨Cshe hated Ste, yes. But the years in prison had stripped her bare. If she had possessed the skill to weave such schemes, she would have used it to survive better than this. Her wretched state proved otherwise. ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t them,¡± Abraham said. ¡°We¡¯ll keep looking.¡± Send Gifts Ãû 5.2K 1 She Took 738 Chapter 738 The Lesson : (59) Finished Hearing Abraham say they would keep searching, Ste only burrowed closer into his chest, confusion clouding her heart. Something about all this felt wrong, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Later, after finishing her call, Madam Evelyn spoke to Ste alone about the matter. Ste shared her doubts openly. Madam Evelyn¡¯s gaze was steady, deep. She patted Ste¡¯s hand. ¡°Your thoughts are still too simple, Ste.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Humans are the best in the world at hiding their true hearts.¡± ¡°So¡­ what do you mean, Mother?¡± ¡°In my view,¡± Madam Evelyn said firmly, ¡°Melissa is the one most likely.¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened. Kelly¡­ no, she likelycked the ability. During her years in prison, not once had the Tom family visited her. What baffled Madam Evelyn most was Mona¡¯s attitude. That was her own daughter, and yet when she hade to the Dawson family before, her real concern had been for Gary¨Cnot Kelly. Marie¡¯s sudden marriage to Derrick directly threatened Gary¡¯s interests. Mona¡¯s years of nning had all been for him. Kelly, by contrast, seemed to have never truly been in her mother¡¯s heart. From all of that, Madam Evelyn judged Kelly as incapable of such schemes. ¡°Melissa?¡± Ste asked softly. Madam Evelyn nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the one with the boldest designs on Abraham, and the courage to try something like this.¡± Ste thought back to the banquet, to Melissa¡¯s brazen behavior toward her. She lifted her gaze, meeting Madam Evelyn¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s true. She fits more than Kelly.¡± 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 d Chapter 738 The Lesson ¡°It¡¯s not that she just fits,¡± Madam Evelyn corrected coldly. ¡°It was her.¡± ?? ¡°¡­¡± Ste was left speechless. 59 Finished It didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Then what do we do?¡± she asked after a pause. ¡°Handle it yourself, Ste,¡± Madam Evelyn said heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t let me down.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°Ste, your brother became your husband. He has protected you all these years. But between husband and wife, it cannot always be the man protecting. You must stand at his side, sharing the burden for life.¡± 11 11 ¡°Three years ago, you escaped Kelly¡¯s snares only because Derrick interfered. But you cannot rely on fortune like that forever. Next time-¡± ¡°I understand, Mother,¡± Ste cut in softly. At her calm nod, Madam Evelyn¡¯s lips curved faintly. When she left, the butler escorted her to her car. Before stepping inside, she gave him instructions. ¡°Stay close to Ste. If she cannot handle this, you help her.¡± After all, she had raised Ste. She knew the kindness that ran deep in her bones. Ste would never pity those who had harmed her. But neither would she ever willingly harm others. The butler bowed. ¡°Yes, Madam. Rest assured.¡± Meanwhile, the Ashen Pact was already in chaos over Diana and her daughter. Marie used every method she could think of to force them into handing Tessa over. Within a single day, strike after strikended. Loren Lake. Cyren Mines. Caesarville. Dovemont. 213 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 d Chapter 738 The Lesson All hit by their forces. And yet, the Ashen Pact showed no sign of giving Tessa up. Marie was stunned. 59 Finished ¡°What the hell do they mean by this? And that Artemis¨Cwhy must it be three days? What is she ying at with this deadline?¡± The strikes had forced the Ashen Pact into turmoil, and now they were openly fighting back. At this point, the only way to calm things would be to hand over Tessa and Diana. Derrick toyed idly with a small silver knife, a sly smile curving his lips. ¡°What does it mean? Simple. Dan wants to use us to eliminate his stepmother¡¯s whole side of the family.¡± Marie blinked. Artemis and her lot? Honestly, they were detestable. ¡°So you think she¡¯s in Dan¡¯s hands?¡± The confusion left Marie¡¯s head spinning. She no longer knew whose grip Tessa was really in. Derrick¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Send Gifts 5.2K (1 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 739 Chapter 739 Siege ¡°Ah?¡± Marie blinked at Derrick. Finished ¡°Dovemont cost Dan dearly to take from Dale,¡± Derrick exined. ¡°So when I went after it, you¡¯d think he¡¯d hand Tessa over to protect it.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying she¡¯s not in Dan¡¯s hands?¡± Marie pressed. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°Not necessarily this, not necessarily that¨Cwhat kind of answer is that?¡± M¨¢rie snapped. Her head spun from all the contradictions. Derrick¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Dovemont matters to him, yes. But what matters more is making sure Manny and Artemis and those twins don¡¯t live.¡± Marie: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So is she in Dan¡¯s hands or not?¡± she demanded. Derrick shrugged. ¡°That, I don¡¯t know. What I do know is she¡¯s in the Ashen Pact¡¯s hands. Victor¡¯s been demanding they hand her over too.¡± That much, at least, made sense. If Victor was going after them for Tessa, then she had to be there. ¡°Then who exactly has her?¡± ¡°Not clear. From what we know, it could be any of them.¡± Marie: ¡°¡­¡± This was worse than no answer at all. ¡°Forget it! I don¡¯t care whose hands she¡¯s in. Put more pressure on them. Blow up ck Mountain.¡± Her voice shook with fury. Derrick turned and gave her a long, quiet look. ¡°What?¡± Marie shot back. ¡°Don¡¯t want to do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remind you,¡± Derrick said coldly. ¡°This is Noctarth. You think ck Mountain is made of paper?¡± Chapter 739 Siege Marie: ¡°¡­¡± Hadn¡¯t he blown up Dan¡¯s stronghold before, just fine? Finished He yanked her into his arms, lips curling. ¡°With a temper like this, if you hadn¡¯t married me, who else would take you?¡± Marie: ¡°.. ¡­ ¡°1 Her mind went nk. She lifted her hand, ready to p him. But Derrick caught her wrist with ease this time, pressed a kiss to her palm, warm breath fanning over her skin. Ajolt shot through her entire body. Marie was boiling with impatience. Meanwhile, in the presidential suite, Tessa¡¯s thoughts tangled until her head ached. Ss came to report. ¡°Caesarville has erupted. The Ashen Pact resisted our takeover. Fighting has already broken out.¡± Victor had sent most of his men to seize Caesarville by force. The Ashen Pact, of course, would never ept it. Victor nced at Tessa, who sat fidgeting and restless. A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°No need to rush. But don¡¯t let them catch their breath either.¡± Ss understood instantly. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He left. Only Victor and Tessa remained. He approached, handed her a ss of orange juice. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± His sudden closeness startled her. ¡°Ah! You-¡± She snatched the ss and gulped twice before muttering, ¡°I was thinking¡­ Marie must be going crazy right now.¡± She wasn¡¯t stupid. Once she realized Marie didn¡¯t know she was with Victor, she understood Marie¡¯s frenzy in the Ashen Pact had to be tied to him. When they first met, she had thought Victor was just Abraham¡¯s subordinate. 59 Chapter 739 Siege Finished But the more time she spent with him, the more she saw the power he wielded on his own. Why he served Abraham so loyally, she didn¡¯t know. But she knew this much: if Victor ever stood against Abraham, he¡¯d be one of Dawson family¡¯s greatest threats. That alone was enough to exin Marie¡¯s desperation. ¡°You still have energy to worry about others?¡± Victor teased. ¡°Marie isn¡¯t ¡®others,¡± Tessa mumbled. She really wanted to call Marie. During their short time together, she hade to think of Marie as a decent person. Victor sat down beside her, tugged her into hisp without warning. ¡°Ah-¡± she yelped. ¡°My juice is going to spill!¡± This man! Always picking her up without a word. Before she could scold him further, his mouth covered hers. ¡°Mmph-¡± She wanted to push him away, but the juice ss in her hand kept her still. If she struggled, it would spill everywhere. Send Gifts She Took 740 Chapter 740 Must Stay by His Side The way Victor held her so tightly, if the juice spilled, it would drench them both. In the end, Tessa¡¯s timid wriggling stopped, leaving her breathless and at his mercy. Finished Only when her chest rose and fell too quickly did he finally release her, lips curling. ¡°Not bad. Sweet. Tastes like oranges.¡± Her checks flushed crimson. If not for her inconvenient timing, she was sure this man would have already torn her again. apart Victor¡¯s hand squeezed her thigh, his warm breath brushing her neck as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you in a few days.¡± ¡°Four,¡± she blurted. Victor: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yesterday was the first day,¡± she added quickly. The moment the words left her mouth, her face burned hotter. Oh god¨Cwhy had she said that out loud? It sounded like she was anticipating it herself. Heaven knew she wasn¡¯t¡­ Somehow, she had already grown used to Victor, forgetting that all of this had begun as a transaction. Maybe because when it came to this, he was always so overbearing. ¡°I¡­ can I call Marie?¡± she mumbled, desperate to change the subject. Victor arched a brow. ¡°And tell me¨Care you more worried about Marie¡¯s anxiety, or your mother¡¯s safety?¡± Tessa faltered. The answer was obvious. Of course she cared more about her mother¡¯s safety. But Marie¡­ ¡°It just feels wrong, using her like this,¡± she muttered. Victor let out a low chuckle, eyes softening with amusement. ¡°Morality? That¡¯s a word my world¡¯s never had.¡± 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 J Chapter 740 Must Stay by His Side She bit her lip. ¡°But this is using Marie.¡± Finished She understood well enough: the more chaos in the Ashen Pact, the safer her mother might be. Marie¡¯s frenzy pinned the organization down, giving Diana precious time. But leaning on Marie¡¯s care for her¨CTessa felt it was immoral. ¡°And won¡¯t Marie be in danger?¡± she asked quickly, before he could answer. If Marie really was at risk, she would tell her everything and beg her to leave. As for her mother, she could go to the Ashen Pact herself, stall them if she had to. ¡°No danger,¡± Victor said calmly. ¡°No one in the Ashen Pact dares touch her. She¡¯s the Dawson family¡¯s true¨Cborn princess. Unless they want to be erased from existence, they won¡¯ty a finger on her.¡± After all, wasn¡¯t Madam Evelyn striking at them now precisely because Dan had once hurt Marie? Hearing this, Tessa¡¯s heart finally eased. Victor¡¯s eyes lingered on her. ¡°But you¨Cgoing to the Ashen Pact? You wouldn¡¯t stall them. You¡¯d hand them the perfect leverage to threaten your mother.¡± Ashen Pact was tearing the world apart searching for Diana. And when she vanished, she¡¯d taken something they had long sought above all else. If Tessa went to them now, she¡¯d be no more than bait, a bargaining chip to force Diana¡¯s hand. ¡°So all I can do is hide?¡± Her voice broke on the word. Wasn¡¯t it ironic? The Ashen Pact was her blood kin, yet because of them, she had no right to live openly beneath the sun. He felt the sting in her words. This time, his kiss was softer, gentler. Tears slid from her eyes, unbidden. She had never imagined her life would end up like this. He caught each tear with his lips, murmuring against her skin. ¡°Not hiding. Living at my side.¡± 213 17:04 Thu, Sep 18 d.. Chapter 740 Must Stay by His Side The words were tender, yet powerful. They carried a certainty, a shield of safety so strong she couldn¡¯t help but lean into it. He was right. She wasn¡¯t hiding. She was simply bound to stay at his side. 59 Finished With Victor¡¯sfort, Tessa finally quieted, letting his wings close around her. Meanwhile, the Ashen Pact fell into greater disarray. Madam Evelyn¡¯s tactics were ruthless, her assault overwhelming. In just a single day, her forces had seized control of two¨Cthirds of Cyren Mines. Two¨Cthirds¨Cpractically stripping the Ashen Pact of sovereignty over it. Inside ck Mountain¡¯s study, a crash echoed. ¡°Bang-!¡± ¡°tter-!¡± Even outside the doors, the sound of shattering objects rang clear. Dale stood amid the wreckage, rage consuming him, the entire desk swept clean with a single violent strike. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 741 Chapter 741 Ashen Pact in Turmoil The study was wrecked in seconds, a storm of broken wood and shattered ss. 68 Finished Artemis and Manny stood frozen, while Dale¡¯s fury shook the room. Dan had just called¨Ctly denying he had taken Tessa. ¡°Not me,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°Find her yourselves.¡± But whether it was him or not, they all knew the same truth: someone in the Ashen Pact had to produce her. Dale¡¯s chest heaved, every organ aching with rage. ¡°Father,¡± Manny growled, ¡°it must be Dan. He hates us. Who else would have taken her?¡± To him, the answer was obvious. Dan had both the motive and the malice. All the external forces swarming them now¨Csurely Dan had opened the door to them. Artemis, her brows knotted, turned to Dale. ¡°Whoever it is, she must be handed over immediately.¡± Two¨Cthirds of Cyren Mines were already gone. Caesarville and Loren Lake were ame with chaos. If they didn¡¯t yield soon, everything would copse. ¡°I know she must be handed over!¡± Dale roared, hurling his cup to the floor. Shards flew, slicing open Artemis¡¯s calf. She hissed in pain. Once, Dale would have noticed instantly, soothed her, fussed over her. Not today. Consumed by rage, he didn¡¯t even see her injury. ¡°Where is she?!¡± His eyes burned as he scanned them both. Artemis¡¯s heart tightened. Was he¡ªwas he shouting at her for Diana¡¯s sake? Yes. It had to be that. Her lips trembled, eyes shining with unshed tears. Back then, she had known: Diana was the real threat. That bitch should have died years ago.¡°Instead she¡¯d slipped free. Artemis let her tears brim, silent and wounded, the way she always had when Dale¡¯s trust wavered. In the past, it always worked. He would relent, gather her into his arms, soothe her. 14:58 Fri, Sep 19 G Chapter 741 Ashen Pact in Turmoil But this time¨Cshe had miscalcted. This was no ordinary squabble. The very survival of the Ashen Pact was on the line. Dale turned, voice like a whip. ¡°Manny!¡± The boy jolted. ¡°Father, she¡¯s not in my hands!¡± ¡°Then where is she?!¡± Dale bellowed. Tears spilled down Artemis¡¯s cheeks. ¡°She truly isn¡¯t with us. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Manny clenched his fists. ¡°It has to be Dan. Who else?¡± ¡°Dan¡¯s Dovemont is about to fall,¡± Dale snapped. The words cut through the air like ice. Manny faltered. Artemis stiffened. What did that mean? 68 Finished Dovemont¨CDan had fought tooth and nail to seize it from Dale. And now he was losing it? For years, Artemis had coveted that ce, hinting over and over she wanted it for Manny. Dale had always denied her, though he had given her everything else. In the end, Dan had taken it, leaving her furious for days. Now even that was slipping through his fingers. ¡°That useless bastard!¡± Manny snarled. He¡¯d finally taken something, and now he couldn¡¯t even hold it. But Dale¡¯s silence was worse than rage. His piercing stare fixed on his son. Manny¡¯s heart lurched. ¡°F¨Cfather¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± Artemis realized in a rush. It was because their own holdings had been untouched. ¡°If she were with us,¡± Manny blurted, following her thought, ¡°they would have struck at our assets first.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Artemis pressed, nodding. ¡°Exactly. That proves she¡¯s not with us.¡± Dale exhaled, grim, half¨Cconvinced. But the problem remained. ¡°Father, Dan-¡± Manny began. Chapter 741 Ashen Pact in Turmoil ¡°Enough! Get out!¡± Dale clutched his skull, rage splitting it open. He couldn¡¯t bear to hear Dan¡¯s name again. Not another word. Not now. Send Gifts ¡£ She Took 742 Chapter 742 Web of Suspicions Manny opened his mouth again. ¡°But he-¡± ¡°Out!¡± Dale¡¯s roar cracked like thunder. A 668 Finished Mother and son froze. They exchanged a look, then swallowed their words and left the study in silence. Alone, Dale pressed his fingers hard into his temples, forcing his breath to steady. After a moment, he picked up the phone and dialed. ¡°Sir,¡± came the prompt voice on the other end. ¡°Keep Manny and Dan under watch,¡± Dale ordered grimly. ¡°Search everyone around them. Leave no stone unturned.¡± He had never fully trusted Dan. But now¨Ceven Manny, his own son, was no longer above suspicion. All he wanted was to find Tessa and throw her into Marie¡¯s hands. That girl had be a curse, dragging the Ashen Pact to the brink of ruin. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Dale¡¯s voice cut in just before the line went dead. ¡°Search around Madam as well. Quietly.¡± There was a pause of stunned silence on the line before the man replied, ¡°Understood.¡± For years, no matter his doubts, Dale had never once turned suspicion on Artemis¨Cthe woman he loved. Now, even she was not spared. Outside the study, Manny and Artemis walked together, both wearing grim expressions. ¡°You put men on Dan,¡± Artemis snapped. She could still feel the sting of Marie¡¯s ruthless tactics from yesterday. Best to find Tessa quickly and hand her over. Let Marie take the girl and leave Noctarth before the entire Ashen Pact 14:58 Fri, Sep 19 G¡­ Chapter 742 Web of Suspicions burned to ashes. 68 Finished That woman was trouble incarnate. As long as she lingered, disaster would only deepen. Manny seethed. ¡°And why are they even looking at us? Do they have a shred of proof that we took that bastard girl?¡± The mere mention of Tessa made his blood boil. She was nothing but a cast¨Coff child, abandoned by her father¨Cyet somehow she had roused Dawson family, the Tom family, and even Victor himself against the Ashen Pact. Anyone who didn¡¯t know better might think she was some kind of saint. Artemis¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Evidence or not, we still have to help find her.¡± That was what infuriated her most. They had no proof, and yet they were the ones forced to bear the burden, to somehow return a girl they had never taken. Manny¡¯s face darkened further. ¡°This is madness.¡± Meanwhile, Dan¡¯s position at Dovemont had grown shaky after Derrick¡¯s strike. He immediately dispatched his own men to shadow Manny, Artemis, and even Dale, determined to see whose hands Tessa trulyy in. Chaos swallowed the Ashen Pact whole. Just as Victor had predicted, suspicion ate them alive. Dale watched Dan, Manny, and Artemis. Manny sent spies after Dan. Dan set watchers on Dale, Manny, and Artemis. All of them wed at each other, searching for one girl. And just as they turned inward, Marie struck again. Derrick¡¯s forces targeted another string of vital strongholds. This time, even Artemis¡¯s and Manny¡¯s holdings were hit. Chapter 742 Web of Suspicions The noose tightened. Finished Marie studied the fresh reports of Derrick¡¯s strikes, lips curving. ¡°Now they¡¯ll have to hand her over.¡± He had been merciless, hitting them where it hurt most. Derrick nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll have little choice now.¡± Just then, Marie¡¯s phone buzzed. A local number. She raised a brow at Derrick. ¡°Ashen Pact?¡± ¡°Answer it.¡± Marie slid her thumb across the screen. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ms. Dawson,¡± came Artemis¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Hand the girl over to me within the hour,¡± Artemis said sharply. ¡°Do that, and I¡¯ll return your Data Tech intact.¡± Data Tech¨Cone of the Ashen Pact¡¯s most crucial assets, long under Artemis¡¯s control. Marie and Derrick had clearly chosen their targets well. They had struck where it would hurt the most. Artemis¡¯s voice rose, chest heaving with fury. ¡°Ms. Dawson, I have every reason to believe you never cared about Tessa at all. This was nothing but a ploy to unite against the Ashen Pact.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re after our resources, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that your true aim?¡± Artemis¡¯s voice was taut with rage, her words sharp as knives. Diana¡­ That wretched woman. Had she been part of this scheme all along? Had she calcted it from the start? She Took 743 Chapter 743 Cracks 68 Finished She had wanted to return long ago. Somehow, she must have manipted Dan, driving him into bringing her back himself. The more Artemis thought about it, the more convinced she became. Why else would the Ashen Pact suddenly look like prey being carved apart, its resources swallowed piece by piece? It had to have been orchestrated from the start. The situation had spiraled so quickly, no one even had time to react before outside forces came crashing in. Marie listened, silent, then nced sidelong at Derrick. Artemis¡¯s voice snapped through the line, sharp with rage. ¡°You¡¯ve nned this all along, haven¡¯t you? United with her. What did that woman promise you?¡± Marie¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to hand her over, are you?¡± Marie shot back. Artemis¡¯s fury boiled over. ¡°She was never in our hands¡ªyou know that as well as I do!¡± Marie barked augh. ¡°Know what, exactly? If you¡¯re refusing, just say it!¡± Her patience snapped. ¡°Fine then. Looks like we haven¡¯t hit you hard enough yet.¡± She mmed the call shut. Marie was seething. ¡°These Ashen Pact bastardspletely shameless. No wonder Dan¡¯s such a disgrace. Like father, like son.¡± She was livid, pacing, fists clenched. Derrick calmly swirled his wine, took an unhurried sip. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°That Tessa isn¡¯t in their hands,¡± Marie spat. ¡°I say she just doesn¡¯t want to hand her over!¡± If Tessa wasn¡¯t with them, then where was she? The thought only made her blood boil hotter. ¡°You need to find another way,¡± she pressed. ¡°We can¡¯t let this drag on. Tessa has toe back Chapter 743 Cracks to us.¡± The longer she stayed missing, the more dangerous Victor¡¯s obsession would be. Finished Marie winced just thinking of it. ¡°Damn it, why would Victor even want short¨Clegged little Tang? This is a nightmare.¡± If she failed to recover Tessa, sooner orter Victor¡¯s fury might turn on her. She could ept the risk herself¡ªbut what if it damaged her brother¡¯s rtionship with Victor? That was uneptable. ¡°Morris family, shameless pigs!¡± she cursed again. Derrick¡¯s gaze was unreadable, his ss tiltingzily in his hand. ¡°You could at least say something,¡± Marie snapped. He nced at his watch, voice low. ¡°This isn¡¯t something we can rush.¡± Then, with infuriating calm, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Eat? I can¡¯t swallow a bite right now!¡± She had barely been able to settle for days. After Artemis¡¯s call, her appetite was gone entirely. Derrick pulled out his phone, dialing a number. His words were clipped, precise¨Cmore strikes ordered against the Ashen Pact. Marie didn¡¯t need to ask; she knew. Their tactics were simple: for every refusal, another vital artery of the Ashen Pact would bleed. By now, they had mapped every stronghold, every line of lifeblood. If the Pact wouldn¡¯t yield, they would break them piece by piece. But even as Derrick hung up, Marie couldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Why won¡¯t they give her up? We¡¯ve already gutted half their foundations. Still they hold on!¡± Derrick¡¯s smile curved faintly, a glint of something dangerous flickering in his eyes. ¡°Diana vanished with half of the Ashen Pact¡¯s treasure map. Compared to that, what we¡¯ve taken may be worthless.¡± Marie¡¯s lips parted, then pressed tight. Of course. That had to be it. 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 G. ¡­ Chapter 743 Cracks : 68 Finished The unknown promise of Diana¡¯s map outweighed every mine, every city. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± she muttered. If their assaults weren¡¯t enough to rival that map, then no matter how hard they struck, the Ashen Pact would never hand Tessa over. Her eyes searched Derrick¡¯s face, frustrated and uncertain. He lifted his gaze, eyes as deep and dark as an abyss. Marie shivered under the weight of it. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Derrick¡¯s tone was smooth, dangerous. ¡°What Diana holds is an unknown value. What the Ashen Pact is losing now¡­¡± He paused deliberately. Marie¡¯s breath caught. ¡°What they¡¯re losing now are the arteries keeping them alive.¡± A small smile curved his lips. He gave a single approving hum, eyes gleaming with rare praise. Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 744 Chapter 744 Tangled Worries ¡°Then should we be harsher?¡± Marie asked through clenched teeth. 68 Finished Derrick¡¯sshes lowered, the sharp glint in his eyes hidden in shadow. Harsh? They had already bled the Ashen Pact half to death. But after a moment, his lips curved faintly. ¡°Harsher, then.¡± And so, the two reached an unspoken ord. Their strikes fell without pause, ruthless and unrelenting, hammering the Ashen Pact with no room to breathe. The message was simple: hand Tessa over, or choke on the pressure. Meanwhile in Falvaria, Ste couldn¡¯t shake her unease. ¡°Abraham!¡± she called. ¡°Hm?¡± He lifted his eyes from the papers in his hand, a faint smirk tugging when she flinched and corrected herself. ¡°¡­Husband.¡± She still slipped sometimes. After all, she had called him by name her whole life. Now shey propped against pillows, too heavy with the weight of triplets to do much more than rest. Abraham sat nearby, documents bnced in one hand, the other reaching over to smooth her hair when she spoke. He rarely left her side now¨Cespecially after the business with the pregnancy test. Her voice was small. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right. About Melissa.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°Mother insists it was her. She even told me to handle it. But¡­¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that way.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes softened, his voice dropping into something deeper, steadier. ¡°What people show you is never all there is. Everyone hides a face no one else sees.¡± Ste blinked. Did he mean Melissa¡¯s performance might have been a mask? That the innocent confusion she¡¯d shown was nothing but cover? 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 B ¡­ Chapter 744 Tangled Worries : (6)¡£ 68 Finished Compared to Kelly, Melissa did fit better into the role of someone capable of such a scheme. And yet¡­ Ste¡¯s chest tightened. Something still didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Sleep,¡± Abraham murmured. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Her mind was spinning. He sighed, catching her cheek gently between his fingers. ¡°Then let Abel dig. When the truth is clear, you can decide what to do.¡± Relief flickered in her eyes. If Abel was watching, then she could rest a little. ¡°Sleep now,¡± he coaxed. ¡°Only if you hold me.¡± He set the files aside and stretched out beside her, gathering her into his arms. She curled in like a child, not wanting to think, not wanting to shoulder burdens. With him here, she could let herself be small again. Just as her breathing evened, his phone buzzed. Abraham¡¯s gaze darkened. He hung up immediately, easing her against the pillow before stepping into the hall to take the call. But before the door even closed, her own phone vibrated. The sound tugged her awake again. ¡°Tessa?¡± she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Ste, I feel so uneasy,¡± came Tessa¡¯s voice, tight and anxious. ¡°Uneasy? Why?¡± ¡°If Marie finds out I¡¯ve been with Victor this whole time¨Cshe¡¯ll skin me alive, won¡¯t she?¡± Ste hesitated. ¡°¡­ Most likely, yes.¡± Tessa hissed through her teeth. ¡°This whole mess started because of my mother.¡± ¡°Whatever the cause,¡± Ste said quietly, ¡°the board¡¯s been set. None of us can stop the pieces from ying their part.¡± ¡°Then Marie¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± Ste interrupted. ¡°Worry about the Ashen Pact finding out you¡¯re with Victor. That would be far worse.¡± Her wordsnded heavy. Tessa¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°Why?¡± 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 G.. Chapter 744 Tangled Worries 468 Finished ¡°The Pact is in chaos. And chaos helps your mother. But if they learned you were in Victor¡¯s hands, they¡¯d use you as a knife against her.¡± Tessa fell silent. She didn¡¯t doubt Ste¨Con this, she couldn¡¯t. ¡°I still feel guilty,¡± she whispered. ¡°Marie¡¯s tearing herself apart for me.¡± Ste lowered her gaze. She was worried too. Worried that Marie¡¯s fire would burn her the inside. up from The call ended after a few more soft words. Sleep was gone now. Ste stared at the ceiling, unease twisting in her chest. Abraham¡¯s warmth had lulled her into peace, but Tessa¡¯s voice had pulled her straight back into the storm. Send Gifts 5.2K 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 B She Took 745 Chapter 745 Lines in the Sand Ste hesitated, then finally pressed Marie¡¯s number. ¡°Ste,¡± came the brisk reply. ¡°Marie¡­¡± A Finished ¡°You¡¯re calling about Tessa, right? Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t need to panic. I¡¯ve got this handled.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ste faltered. ¡°Trust me,¡± Marie cut in, her tone fierce but warm. ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, nothing will happen to Tessa. You just take care of those babies.¡± The reassurance squeezed at Ste¡¯s chest. She almost blurted out the truth¨Cthat Tessa was safe with Victor¨Cbut bit it back. Instead she asked softly, ¡°You¡¯re with Derrick?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s here. And the Ashen Pact? Damn bastards. We¡¯ve already shaken their foundations and they still won¡¯t hand her over. Are they begging for death?¡± Ste pressed her lips together. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry,¡± Marie went on, her voice all fire and steel. ¡°We¡¯ll push harder. In a few days at most, I¡¯ll drag Tessa back myself.¡± Ste¡¯s guilt only deepened. ¡°Marie, you¡­ don¡¯t need to be so anxious.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marie blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious? Ste, do you even realize how close you and Tessa are? Of course I¡¯m anxious!¡± ¡°Tessa¡¯s blessed,¡± Ste murmured. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± For a moment Marie was quiet, then her voice softened. ¡°You¡¯re just trying tofort me, aren¡¯t you?¡­Ste, I swear I¡¯ll bring her back.¡± Before Ste could answer, the door swung open. Abraham stepped in just in time to hear, ¡°Marie¡­¡± His brow furrowed. Without a word, he plucked the phone from Ste¡¯s hand. Her lips pouted in protest, but Abraham only nced at the screen, confirming the caller. ¡°Have you found her?¡± he asked tly. 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 Chapter 745 Lines in the Sand ¡°No!¡± Marie snapped. ¡°Then stop wasting time. Find her.¡± ¡°Abraham-¡± He cut her off. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± And ended the call. Ste red at him, cheeks puffed. He looked down at her with that calm, imcable gaze. ¡°What?¡± 68 Finished ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell Marie? You¡¯re all ying some game I don¡¯t understand. Ashen Pact is already chaos. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Her indignation made him smile faintly. He sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her head against his chest. ¡°Half of Ashen Pact already belongs to your sister,¡± he said. Her eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t stealing¨Cit¡¯s hers to reim.¡± Reiming¡­ her own? Ste peeked up at him, suspicion dawning. ¡°So you really are carving the Ashen Pact?¡± up Abraham pinched her cheek, then bent and stole a kiss. Sweetness lingered from the honey she¡¯d eaten earlier. ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in this. Understand?¡± Ste bit her lip. She wasn¡¯t meddling, she just hated seeing Marie frantic. But if half of it was already destined for Marie, then¡­ maybe she really didn¡¯t need to carry that guilt. The storm had started for Tessa. Yet in a blink, it had be a feeding frenzy. The Pact¡¯s strongholds were copsing one after another. Dale hadn¡¯t closed his eyes all night. When dawn finally touched the sky, exhaustion dragged at him. ¡°Sir,¡± Lenny the butler said as he entered with Trevor, Dale¡¯s most trusted aide. ¡°Mr. Trevor has arrived.¡± Dale waved Lenny out, his head pounding. 14:59 Fri, Sep 19 B.. Chapter 745 Lines in the Sand At the door, the butler hesitated. ¡°Sir, the madam waited for you all night.¡± Finished Dale¡¯s expression hardened. He lifted a hand, dismissing the words. He had no patience left for Artemis. When the door shut, Trevor stepped closer, face grim. ¡°We found nothing. She isn¡¯t with Dan, or Manny, or Madam Artemis.¡± Dale¡¯s jaw tightened. In the wake of their copsing defenses, trust itself was turning to ash. The people he once believed in¨Cnow he wasn¡¯t sure of any of them. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 746 Chapter 746 Ashen Pact in mes. +8 Pearls Dale¡¯s patience was gone. Trevor¡¯s report had made the truth clearer and murkier all at once. ¡°None of them?¡± His voice rasped through clenched teeth. Trevor nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. We searched thoroughly. Neither Madam nor your two sons have any trace of her.¡± ¡°Then maybe she was never in their hands at all,¡± Trevor ventured. Dale¡¯s fist tightened around his cigarette. ¡°Then where the hell is she?¡± Trevor had no answer. The study fell into silence, heavy enough to choke. Smoke curled from Dale¡¯s lips, the bitterness staining the air. ¡°They all mor for me to hand her over, yet none of them have her? What kind of twisted game is this?¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Trevor added quietly, ¡°Dan¡¯s men are investigating you, Madam, and Manny. If he¡¯s searching so desperately, then the girl isn¡¯t with him.¡± Dale¡¯s brows drew taut. Dan was out. ¡°And Manny himself is checking into Dan,¡± Trevor continued. Dale¡¯s gaze sharpened. If both sons were wing at each other, neither could be holding her. Which left only¡­ Artemis. The thought cut like a de. His heart convulsed, unwilling to ept it. She was the woman he¡¯d cherished for years, the gentlest presence in his life. To suspect her now¨Cit felt like betrayal of himself. Yet the doubt lodged like a thorn he couldn¡¯t remove. ¡°Then who?¡± His roar snapped through the quiet. ¡°Who dared take them, and dump the me on Ashen Pact?¡± Trevor could only shake his head. Dale ground out his cigarette. ¡°Bring Dan to me. Now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Chapter 746 Ashen Pact in mes +8 Pearls Dan¡¯s night had gone no better. Derrick¡¯s men had just struck another hidden base of his. Fury boiling, he dialed Derrick himself. ¡°You bastard¨Chaven¡¯t you done enough?¡± On the other end came Derrick¡¯szyugh. ¡°Not my fault. Orders from the wife.¡± Dan nearly choked on his own rage. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day Derrick Morris danced on a woman¡¯s strings. Your ancestors must be rolling in their graves.¡± Derrick¡¯s voice turned sharp. ¡°Better than dying alone with no wife, no heir, no legacy. That¡¯s what really makes ancestors restless.¡± Dan¡¯s face twisted. ¡°You think I can¡¯t find another? Women would line up to marry me!¡± Unfortunately for him, Derrick had put the phone on speaker. Across the table, Marie sipped her milk, hearing every word. Her face frosted over. ¡°You think I¡¯m receable, Dan? You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll die childless.¡± Dan froze. Her voice had struck like a whip. ¡°Marie,¡± he sputtered, ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t take Tessa.¡± Marie¡¯s tone dripped contempt. ¡°Mr. Morris still doesn¡¯t n to hand her over, I see.¡± ¡°You thick¨Cheaded woman,¡± Dan exploded. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? She¡¯s not in my hands! Mrs. Miller¡¯s treasure is worth more than all your petty holdingsbined¨Cthat¡¯s why you¡¯re blind!¡± His words came out ragged, his breath uneven. ¡°You never believe me. First you im I stole your sister, now you still won¡¯t let go of that night. I didn¡¯t sleep with you, and I didn¡¯t steal Tessa. How many times must I shout before you stop hanging it all on me?¡± Marie¡¯sugh was ice. ¡°You faked your own death once. What¡¯s one more lie?¡± The line went still. Dan¡¯s chest heaved. ¡°So that¡¯s it, huh? That wound will never close. What do Marie? For me to go die again just to win back your trust?¡± you want then. She Took 747 Chapter 747 A Thread Unraveled +8 Pearls The word ¡°fake death¡± still hung like poison in the air. Marie had dragged it out again, and Dan¡¯s face went dark. ¡°Forget that,¡± she snapped. ¡°Hand Tessa over and we¡¯re done. Whether you go die again or not, that¡¯s your business.¡± Dan¡¯s chest heaved. She wouldn¡¯t let up, wouldn¡¯t shift off Tessa. He clenched his jaw. ¡°Tell Derrick to stop.¡± ¡°Tessa gets back to me, then he stops.¡± Her answer cut like iron. Dan mmed the call dead, fingers stiff around the phone. Talking to Marie was like pounding his head against stone. She didn¡¯t bend¨Coil, salt, nothing sank in. The door opened. Conan stepped inside. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Say it,¡± Dan bit out, voice raw with temper. ¡°Derrick and Victor¡¯s raids are spreading fast,¡± Conan reported. ¡°And¡­ ck Mountain requests youe at once.¡± ck Mountain. Dale. The title his people used to avoid saying father. Everyone knew Dale kept his legacy for Manny, never for Dan. Fresh from that maddening call with Derrick, Dan¡¯s patience snapped. ¡°Not going.¡± Conan bowed slightly. ¡°Shall I return with that answer?¡± Dan¡¯s breath caught. He waved. ¡°Wait. Ready the car.¡± He had never been desperate to find Tessa¨Clet Marie choke on her own hunt. But she hounded him like a rabid dog, biting, ming. Now she left him no choice but to scour for the girl too. The thought alone made his lungs ache with fury. At the same time, Derrick sat across from Marie. She mmed back a ss of milk like liquor. ¡°Not hard enough, is it?¡± she barked. It was the line she¡¯d repeated since dawn. In her eyes, Ashen Pact¡¯s refusal to hand over Tessa meant only one thing: they hadn¡¯t been hit hard enough yet. Diana¡¯s theft from years ago still Chapter 747 A Thread Unraveled outweighed all the wounds they¡¯d inflicted. Derrick studied her in silence, the corners of his eyes narrowing. 47 +8 Pearls Marie scrubbed her temple. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a harder nut to crack. We¡¯ve torn through them and they¡¯re still standing.¡± Her voice dropped. ¡°If we can¡¯t find ¡®Tessa soon, Ste¡¯s heart will break. Sheforted mest night, can you believe that?¡± Derrick¡¯s brow rose. ¡°Sheforted you?¡± ¡°Of course. She told me not to worry when she¡¯s the one really worried sick. Can you imagine? Still thinking of me when she¡¯s suffering.¡± Her voice caught with guilt. Derrick¡¯s gaze sharpened. Ste¨Cso frantic over Tessa¡¯s disappearance she¡¯d been nearly incoherent¨Cwas now soothing others? The contradiction twisted like a hook. Marie caught his look and red. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that face. My sister¡¯s not some spoiled brat like Kelly. She¡¯s kindhearted. That¡¯s all.¡± Derrick said nothing. But in his mind, a reel of faces shed¨CVictor¡¯s steady re, Ste¡¯s tears, Marie¡¯s fury. Each reaction had rung true. Yet Marie¡¯s careless words¨Cshe evenforted me-echoed too loud, too strange. He closed his eyes, reying every detail, until suspicion sparked. Marie rambled on, urging more raids, more fire, until her voicended on one name. ¡°Artemis,¡± she hissed. ¡°She¡¯s the one. She hated Diana, fought for the same man, and Diana even left with a child¨Cand stolen treasure. If anyone would strike, it¡¯s her.¡± Derrick¡¯s lids lifted, dark gaze pinning Marie. He didn¡¯t answer. But his silence was heavier than words. Send Gifts 5.2K 3 Chapter 747 A Thread Unraveled outweighed all the wounds they¡¯d inflicted. : Derrick studied her in silence, the corners of his eyes narrowing. (47) +8 Pearls Marie scrubbed her temple. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a harder nut to crack. We¡¯ve torn through them and they¡¯re still standing.¡± Her voice dropped. ¡°If we can¡¯t find Tessa soon, Ste¡¯s heart will break. Sheforted mest night, can you believe that?¡± Derrick¡¯s brow rose. ¡°Sheforted you?¡± ¡°Of course. She told me not to worry when she¡¯s the one really worried sick. Can you imagine? Still thinking of me when she¡¯s suffering.¡± Her voice caught with guilt. Derrick¡¯s gaze sharpened. Ste¡ªso frantic over Tessa¡¯s disappearance she¡¯d been nearly incoherent¨Cwas now soothing others? The contradiction twisted like a hook. Marie caught his look and red. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that face. My sister¡¯s not some spoiled brat like Kelly. She¡¯s kindhearted. That¡¯s all.¡± Derrick said nothing. But in his mind, a reel of faces shed¨CVictor¡¯s steady re, Ste¡¯s tears, Marie¡¯s fury. Each reaction had rung true. Yet Marie¡¯s careless words¨Cshe even He closed his eyes, reying every detail, until suspicion sparked. Marie rambled on, urging more raids, more fire, until her voicended on one name, ¡°Artemis, she hissed. ¡°She¡¯s the one. She hated Diana, fought for the same man, and Diana even left with a child¨Cand stolen treasure. If anyone would strike, it¡¯s her.¡± Derrick¡¯s lids lifted, dark gaze pinning Marie. He didn¡¯t answer. But his silence was heavier than words. Send Gifts 5.2K She Took 748 Chapter 748 usations +8 Pearls It didn¡¯t take a genius to see where Marie¡¯s worry pointed¨Cshe was afraid Diana and Dale might rekindle old ties. Derrick¡¯s gaze deepened, lips curving into a slow, dangerous smile. ¡°This might get interesting.¡± Marie blinked, mid¨Crant. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s interesting?¡± He turned his eyes on her. ¡°You really don¡¯t have a shred of feeling left for Dan?¡± Her blood boiled. ¡°What the hell¡¯s that supposed to mean? I should have feelings for that piece of trash? He¡¯s got no right to them!¡± ¡°So the bond between you two has turned into nothing but trash?¡± ¡°You-¡± she sputtered, fury rising. ¡°Good,¡± Derrick cut in smoothly, smile widening. Marie froze, staring at him. Was this man insane? She couldn¡¯t follow his logic, and frankly didn¡¯t care to. Elsewhere, Abraham had juste back from the medical wing with Ste. She¡¯d been queasy all morning, and with triplets on the way, every symptom had to be checked. The doctor assured them all was well. Abraham carried her back, tucked her in, and soothed her until she slept. Only then did he step out¨Cjust in time for Derrick¡¯s call. ¡°What do you want?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone was t ice. Derrick chuckled at the chill in his voice. ¡°I recall telling you everything about the little princess. You could say I¡¯m half her savior. That counts for something, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± The curt reply cut Derrick short. ¡°If you expect her to pay that debt herself,¡± Abraham warned, ¡°stop dreaming.¡± Derrick snorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. She was supposed to be my fianc¨¦e, remember? Yet like I¡¯d stolen your lifeblood. In your eyes, gratitude¡¯s worth nothing.¡± Abraham said nothing, but the silence crackled with danger. you acted ¡­ 47 Chapter 748 usations +8 Pearls ¡°If you called to whine about fairness, you¡¯ve got too much time on your hands,¡± Abraham growled. Derrick sensed the air freezing over, wisely changing course. ¡°That¡¯s past. I¡¯ve moved on. After all, you did throw me a wife to make up for it.¡± The lightness in his voice at the word ¡°wife¡± earned only a cold snort from Abraham. ¡°Fine,¡± Derrick continued, ¡°I won¡¯t waste breath on that. I just want one thing answered. Tessa¡¯s with you, isn¡¯t she?¡± Silence. ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it,¡± Derrick pressed. ¡°You yed your own sister and your most loyal man. Tessa¨Cyou stole her, didn¡¯t you? What does Ashen Pact have that you want so badly?¡± He spoke as if it were fact. To him, there was no other exnation. Victor hade to Noctarth -surely because of Tessa. Marie had torn the Pact apart for her. Who else could benefit from this storm but Abraham? Especially with Madam Evelyn herself striking at Cyren Mines. This had to be part of a bigger n. Abraham¡¯s lowugh cut through. ¡°Your imagination¡¯s something else, Derrick.¡± It wasn¡¯t a denial, and to Derrick¡¯s mind, that was as good as an admission. ¡°So what¡¯s caught your eye?¡± he demanded. ¡°What treasure in Ashen Pact¡¯s worth ying your sister, worth even using Victor?¡± Abraham¡¯s tone turned like a de. ¡°Whatever I want¡ªsince when is it your business?¡± The line went dead. Derrick sat staring at the phone, certain now. Tessa was in Abraham¡¯s hands. No wonder Ste was so calm¨Cher husband had stolen the girl right out from under everyone. Marie reentered, adjusting her clothes, only to find Derrick slouched in the window seat, eyes sharp with thought. Send Gifts ¡£ She Took 749 Chapter 749 The Net Tightens The wine in Derrick¡¯s ss glimmered crimson under the light, his profile cut sharp and cold against the sun. Marie caught herself staring before his voice snapped her back. ¡°Seen enough?¡± She jolted, cheeks heating, and quickly stepped closer with a pout. ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡± Derrick asked, noting her change of clothes. ¡°I have to check myself which bastard in Ashen Pact has Tessa,¡± Marie said. Ste¡¯s call still weighed heavy on her chest, guilt gnawing at her. Derrick¡¯s brows drew tight. ¡°You¡¯re not going.¡± ¡°What?¡± Before she could react, he tugged her into hisp. His legs were solid, his chest hot, heat radiating around her. Marie squirmed in protest. ¡°Let me go¡­¡± But her fidgeting only stoked the fire in him. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he growled, voice hoarse. To him, Marie had never been a woman¨Cuntil the night he tasted her. Now her presence struck him like a drug, impossible to ignore. Marie stilled, wary. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just making sure. You really have no feelings left for Dan?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°What the hell kind of question is that?¡± Derrick pressed on, tone low. ¡°Because I¡¯ve set my sights on his territories¨Cand on Artemis¡¯s, too.¡± Marie scoffed. ¡°If you want them, take them. Why are you asking me?¡± His jaw flexed. Damn it. Why was he asking at all? Since when did he care about her feelings toward Dan? Whether she had them or not, it shouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°You afraid I¡¯ll cry if you grab too much and beg you to give it back?¡± he snapped instead, masking his slip. 16:44 Sat, Sep 20 G.. Chapter 749 The Net Tightens 47 +8 Pearls Marieughed outright. ¡°Me? Cry to you? Don¡¯t kid yourself.¡± ¡°Remember those words,¡± he muttered darkly. She pushed free of his arms with a huff. ¡°All I want is Tessa.¡± That shut him up. Her focus was clear. Marie went on, oblivious to the flicker in his eyes. ¡°The harder you hit, the sooner they¡¯ll hand her over. And if Victor sees you press, he¡¯ll press even harder.¡± Derrick said nothing, but the weight in his gaze deepened. : Marie leaned closer, lowering her voice. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? Victor¡¯s going after Ashen Pact like he¡¯s got a personal grudge.¡± Derrick tilted his head. ¡°A grudge? What makes you say that?¡± ¡°My people reportedst night¨CVictor¡¯s men struck everywhere. Ruthless. No breathing space at all. It¡¯s not just ransom pressure, it looks like payback.¡± Derrick swirled his wine, quiet. ¡°I just worry,¡± Marie admitted, frowning, ¡°push too hard and they might kill her out of spite.¡± But Victor, she¡¯d noticed, showed no such fear. He struck with calm precision, as if certain. Derrick downed his ss, eyes glinting. ¡°Ashen Pact can¡¯t kill her.¡± Marie blinked. ¡°You mean they don¡¯t dare? Don¡¯t underestimate monsters like them. People that twisted could even butcher their own blood if cornered.¡± That was why she¡¯d promised Artemis and the others¨Cif they returned Tessa, she¡¯d restore what she¡¯d taken. Leave them hope, so they wouldn¡¯t burn everything to ash. But Ashen Pact had already fractured. With Derrick and Victor pressing from both sides, chaos was spreading like fire. Send Gifts 5.2K The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter She Took 750 750 The Trap From yesterday to today, Ashen Pact¡¯s strongholds had slipped deeper into chaos. Madam Evelyn hit hardest of all¨Cher men stormed Cyren Mines with raw force, nopromise. +8 Pearls Dale was seething when Dan returned. Manny was already waiting in the study, while Artemis lingered in the parlor, intercepting Dan at the door. ¡°Dan.¡± She stepped forward quickly. Neither Dale nor Manny moved, but Artemis¡¯s face showed strain. Much of what she controlled hade under attack, losses mounting by the hour. But Dan didn¡¯t spare her a nce. Her chest tightened. ¡°Take whatever you want from me or Manny¨Cjust give Tessa back to Victor, will you?¡± That line finally drew his eyes. But the cold mockery in them made her throat close. ¡°Ashen Pact¡¯s struggle for power should stay within these walls,¡± she pressed, voice quivering. ¡°No matter who wins, it¡¯s still in Morris hands. But outsiders¡­ you know the ruin that brings.¡± Dan¡¯sugh was sharp and scornful. ¡°Stay within our walls, is it? And how exactly would you have kept it inside? How much did you bargain away to Monroe behind our backs?¡± Her face drained of blood. She stared at him, stunned. ¡°You¡­ you know?¡± He snorted and walked past, heading upstairs toward the study. Artemis¡¯s whole body trembled. She had been so careful. How had he learned about Monroe? Halfway up the stairs, Dan tossed the words over his shoulder: ¡°Monroe¡¯s not an outsider too? You brought him in for Manny¡¯s sake, yet demand I shut the gates when it¡¯s my turn? Where¡¯s the justice in that?¡± Her knees weakened. He was right¨Cshe had cracked the doors open herself. Now she wanted them mmed shut? ¡°This is why you dragged Diana back, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her voice cut sharp through the hall. The name froze the air. Diana¨Cher nightmare, her shadow, the ghost she could never banish. For years Artemis had sent hunters out to find her, to erase her for good. But none ever Chapter 750 The Trap ¡­ 47 +8 Pearls returned. Now she saw the truth: Dan had been pulling strings all along. His reach had always been deeper than she guessed. Dan halted, turning his gaze back on her. It was the same cruel light she¡¯d once seen in his mother¡¯s eyes¨Cmoments before death. Her breath faltered. ¡°You and Dale met on a trip, didn¡¯t you?¡± Dan asked suddenly. Her fists clenched. ¡°Why bring that up?¡± ¡°Bad weather, andslide. He was knocked out cold. You carried him all the way to the hospital, didn¡¯t you?¡± Artemis¡¯s lips parted soundlessly. ¡°My sources say you broke bones that day. Spent a month in the hospital yourself. So tell me- how does a woman with fractures carry a grown man on her back?¡± He used the name Dale, not father. He hadn¡¯t spoken that word in years. Maybe not since the day his mother died. Her heart thudded against her ribs. Dan¡¯s voice cut closer, relentless. ¡°Mother was there too. Same canyon, same day. She walked out of that hospital without a scratch. Why do you think she was there?¡± The silence mmed heavy, thick enough to choke. Artemis met his eyes, dark fury twisting through her own. But she couldn¡¯t summon a single answer. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 751 : Chapter 751 Shadows in the Dark 44 +8 Pearls Dan chuckled under his breath. Before she could say anything, he had already turned and continued upstairs. As he walked, he tossed a remark over his shoulder. ¡°Secrets may look safe in the dark, but the dark is the first thing to break.¡± Artemis¡¯s body went weak. She staggered back two steps before she barely managed to steady herself. Her face had drained of all color. In the study. The moment Dan stepped in, he met Dale¡¯s exhausted eyes. Seeing him, Manny¡¯s gaze zed with fury. But with Dale sitting there, he didn¡¯t dare be the first to speak. Dan strolledzily across the room, pulled out a chair opposite the desk, and sat down without hesitation. There wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of loss or worry in the way he carried himself. Looking at him, Manny was almost certain Tessa was in his hands. ¡°Father.¡± Manny clenched his jaw and looked at Dale. Before Dan arrived, he had already spent quite some time badmouthing him to Dale. Up to now, Manny and his mother had taken the hardest hit. Especially his mother¡¯s. Meanwhile, Dan¨Caside from losing Dovemont to Derrick¨Clooked like he¡¯d barely taken a hit at all. Meanwhile, Manny and Artemis were close to being driven mad. Within the entire Ashen Pact, it felt like the one with the smallest loss had the highest chance of having taken Tessa. Chapter 751 Shadows in the Dark : Dale raised his hand, cutting off Manny before he could continue. His gaze on Dan was sharp, heavy, and impossible to read. 44 +8 Pearls Dan leaned back. ¡°If you called me here just to spout nonsense about handing Tessa over, don¡¯t waste your time. She¡¯s not in my hands.¡± Before Dale could reply, Manny ground out through clenched teeth, ¡°Who else could it be? You¡¯re the one who brought that woman back. She must¡¯ve slipped out of your control, right? So you grabbed that bastard child to use against her!¡± By ¡°her,¡± he meant Diana. By ¡°bastard child,¡± he meant Tessa. Dan let out a shortugh, turning his eyes toward Dale. ¡°Well, that¡¯s interesting. A bastard?¡± The more he said the word, the more mocking his smile became. Then he turned his gaze on Manny, his eyes carrying a deeper meaning. Manny¡¯s chest tightened under that look. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Dale¡¯s roar cut him off before he could say more. ¡°Father! All he¡¯s lost so far is Dovemont, one resource site!¡± Manny spat. Dan arched a brow. ¡°And the more you¡¯ve lost, the more likely it looks like you¡¯re the ones who took Tessa.¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°Why else do you think they keep targeting you and your mother?¡± After a full day and night of relentless attacks, Manny and Artemis were both on the edge of copse. Though no one in the Morris family had been spared, the mother and son had suffered the worst. Dale mmed his palm on the desk with a loud crack. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Both of you, sh*t your mouths!¡± He hadn¡¯t gathered them to tear each other apart while the real problem went unsolved. They fell silent at once, though Manny shot Dan a re filled with murderous hate. Dale exhaled heavily. ¡°She most likely isn¡¯t in the hands of anyone in the Morris family.¡± 213 16:18 Mon, Sep 22 B.. Chapter 751 Shadows in the Dark His voice carried the weight of his frustration. ¡°Father, you-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± He clearly wanted to keep pushing it. But Dale¡¯s sharp look silenced Manny instantly. Dan raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡± : A 44 +8 Pearls ¡°She¡¯s not in our hands. We still don¡¯t know which force took her. Whatever grudges the two of you have, drop them. Right now, you both need to put everything aside and find her.¡± Manny snapped, ¡°If that bastard child isn¡¯t with us, why do we have to be the ones to find her?¡± His temper red. And in a way, he wasn¡¯t wrong¨CTessa had never been in their hands. Yet Derrick, Victor, and even the Dawson family had been tearing at them nonstop. Still, Manny refused to let go of the idea that Dan was the one hiding her. His re burned into Dan, but this time Dale cut him off before he could speak. ¡°I¡¯ve checked everyone around you. She really isn¡¯t in anyone¡¯s hands.¡± The tension was already thick, and his words cut through it like a de. Dan showed no surprise. It wasn¡¯t surprising¨CDale had never trusted him. For years, he¡¯d nted spies around him, always watching. It was nothing new. But Manny was stunned, staring at Dale in disbelief. ¡°Father, you-¡± ¡°Enough. Stop arguing. The most important thing now is finding out who really took Tessa and getting her back.¡± Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 752 Chapter 752 A Dangerous Excuse Manny muttered, ¡°But this matter¡­¡± ? +8 Pearls ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with us, but they still want to pin it on us. What are we supposed to do?¡± Just mentioning it nearly made Dale faint from rage. He had already checked in every one of his children in record time. And the result? Tessa wasn¡¯t in the Ashen Pact at all. Yet the Ashen Pact had paid a heavy price because of her. Who was he supposed to hold ountable for that? The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. Manny was restless, and his expression showed it. He had never imagined his own father would actually suspect him¨Cenough to investigate him personally. If his father had already started digging, did that mean his hidden assets were exposed? That thought alone made Manny¡¯s face grow darker. Dale drew in several deep breaths before he forced himself to calm down. ¡°You¡¯re going to start looking for her right now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Manny gritted his teeth, throwing Dan onest re. But Dan sat there lookingpletely unconcerned, which only made Manny angrier. Once both of them left, Dale was finally alone. He lit a cigar and dragged on it hard. Trevor walked in. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on them,¡± Dale said with a weary edge. They were his sons, but somewhere along the way, they had slipped out of his control. He couldn¡¯t even feel at ease about the tasks he¡¯d assigned to them. Chapter 752 A Dangerous Excuse 44 +8 Pearls They were his flesh and blood, and yet he couldn¡¯t lean on them¨Ccouldn¡¯t even trust them. The irony of it all cut deep. Trevor gave a short nod. ¡°Yes, sir. There¡¯s one more thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Victor. He seems to have another woman around him.¡± Dale frowned, his brows tightening. ¡°What do you mean¨Canother woman?¡± Trevor said evenly, ¡°I don¡¯t think Ms. Tessa matters to him as much as we believed.¡± Not that important? If that was true, then why had they gone after the Ashen Pact so ruthlessly over her? But just the thought was enough to darken Dale¡¯s face. ¡°You mean to say she was never the point at all? That they just used her as an excuse toe after us?¡± If that was the case, then what was the point of tearing the world apart just to find Tessa? Trevor nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t rule it out. She may be nothing more than their excuse to move against the Pact.¡± The room was silent except for Dale¡¯s breathing and the faint crackle of his cigar. His breath grew heavier, darker. A cold glint shed in his eyes. ¡°Just an excuse?¡± Trevor replied with measured words. ¡®The problem is, she could be nothing more than a pretext.¡± If she was only an excuse, then the trap was far more dangerous. And the Ashen Pact¡­ might not survive it. Dale leaned forward. ¡°Who is the woman?¡± He would rather face a real demand for Tessa than believe she was nothing but a pawn in someone else¡¯s game. Trevor didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he slipped a photo onto the desk and pushed it toward Dale. Dale picked it up and studied it. 16:18 Mon, Sep 22 B.. Chapter 752 A Dangerous Excuse 44 +8 Pearls It was Victor, standing on the top floor of Redwood Prime with his arm wrapped around a woman. Her head rested on his shoulder. Even though it was only a shot from behind, the intimacy between them was undeniable. Dale said nothing, the weight of it sinking in. So close¡­ nothing but a pretext, a reason to strike. Dale¡¯s hand clenched around the photo until it crumpled. His whole body trembled with rage. ¡°Get the car ready.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Trevor gave a quick nod. On Tessa¡¯s side. After Victor¡¯s words, she had stopped talking about returning to the Ashen Pact¡ªespecially after spotting the signal her mother had left behind. Now the only thing weighing on her mind was Marie. She was sure the moment Marie learned she¡¯d been with Victor the whole time, she¡¯d lose it¡ª and likely beat the hell out of her. Tessa knew Marie¡¯s temper all too well. When that woman lost it, it was terrifying. The video of her going after Dan said it all. Victor slipped up behind her and pulled her into his arms. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Marie,¡± Tessa mumbled. His warm breath brushed the top of her head. She was so much shorter than him that when he hugged her from behind, her head didn¡¯t even reach his chest. Just barely brushed his chest¡­ Tessa turned and wrapped her arms around his lean waist. Ictor lowered his head. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If Marie finds out, she¡¯ll definitely hit me.¡± Maybe she wouldn¡¯t kill her, but a beating? That was almost guaranteed. Chapter 752 A Dangerous Excuse : 44 +8 Pearls Her voice held so much helplessness that Victor let out a dryugh. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You were with her for more than twenty days and still didn¡¯t learn enough to win against her?¡± Tessa¡¯s lips twitched. Seriously, what kind of thing is that to say? Marie had grown up in that kind of life. Ste had told her Marie had spent years drifting alone across different countries. She had faced countless dangers. She had survived more dangers than Tessa could ever dream of. Even if Tessa was dumb, she wasn¡¯t so delusional as to think twenty days of training could make her unbeatable. Her pout deepened. She burrowed against Victor¡¯s chest in protest. ¡°You still haven¡¯t found my mom, have you?¡± Send Gifts ºÏ 5.3K (. 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B She Took 753 Chapter 753 A Confrontation Victor was still searching for Diana. 44 +9 Pearls Ss and Diana had left coded signs that she was safe, but he wouldn¡¯t believe it until he saw her with his own eyes. Until she was in his hands, he couldn¡¯t be sure those signals meant anything at all. ¡°Getting bored already?¡± Victor asked. Since they¡¯de to Redwood, Tessa had barely gone out. The only time wasst night, when he took her out for dinner. Stuck in the hotel for so long, she had to be restless. ¡°Bored? Hardly,¡± Tessa said. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Mom and Marie.¡± Day after day, her nerves were on edge. Who could ever be bored under that kind of pressure? Before they could say more, Lewis knocked on the door and stepped inside. ¡°Victor, that Mr. Dale wants to see you.¡± Tessa froze. Victor lowered his head to look at her, a slow smile tugging at his lips. ¡°What do you wants with me?¡± ¡°What else? He¡¯s furious,¡± she said. think he She had been with Victor the whole time, but together he and Marie had been relentless, tearing into the Ashen Pact with her as the excuse. Victor¡¯s attacks were one thing. But Marie didn¡¯t know the full story. To her, the Ashen Pact was just an enemy to crush¨Cand she¡¯d been striking harder and harder. It was no wonder Dale was desperate now. Victor¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Go to the other room, hm?¡± He clearly had no intention of letting her see Dale. Dale and his so¨Ccalled first love had lived toofortably all these years. And that woman had never stopped scheming around Diana¨Cher real aim couldn¡¯t be more clear. Even with all they had, they still wouldn¡¯t stop until Tessa and her mother were destroyed. 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B¡­ Chapter 753 A Confrontation Well then¡­ It was only fair to make them suffer longer. Tessa nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go.¡± :. Truthfully, she had no desire to see Dale anyway. She slipped away. Victor gave Lewis a look. ¡°Bring him in.¡± ¡°Yes, Victor.¡± 44 +8 Pearls Lewis went downstairs. Soon, Dale was escorted in¨Calone, with none of his men allowed past the door. Victor sat with a cigarette between his fingers, not bothering to rise. ¡°Mr. Victor,¡± Dale said. He was still a man of the Ashen Pact, and his presence carried weight. Tessa resembled him. Especially her eyes. But hers were bright, unclouded by even a hint of calction. Dale¡¯s, by contrast, carried nothing but cunning. But now, exhaustion clouded his gaze, proof enough that the past few days had taken their toll. Victor didn¡¯t respond. He only drew on his cigarette, cold and detached. The attitude struck Dale as arrogance. And it was exactly that arrogance that convinced him Victor couldn¡¯t care less about Tessa. If Victor truly cared, then as Tessa¡¯s father, Dale would have at least been shown a shred of respect. But Victor gave him none. Dale¡¯s face darkened. He sat down hard across from him. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡± 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B ¡ª Chapter 753 A Confrontation Victor still didn¡¯t answer. This kind of dismissal¨CDale hadn¡¯t experienced it in years. Anger burned behind his eyes, barely restrained. +8 Pearls ¡°You, the Dawson family, and the Tom family¨Cyou¡¯re using Tessa as an excuse to go after the Ashen Pact, aren¡¯t you?¡± Victor raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Dale growled. ¡°What did we ever do to offend you? The Ashen Pact has never crossed you¨Cnot once!¡± He bit down on each word like it was tearing out of him. And it was true. They had always kept to their side, never crossing into Victor¡¯s. So why had the peace broken apart now? ¡°What is it in the Ashen Pact that you¡¯re really after?¡± Dale pressed. At this point, it wasn¡¯t just about splitting up the Ashen Pact. Every move they made felt calcted; it wasn¡¯t just the resources they were after. It was as if they were searching thosends for something. And since they hadn¡¯t found it yet, they kept pressing harder. Tessa had just be the perfect excuse. Victor let out a lowugh. ¡°Mr. Morris¨Cdo you truly not know? Or have you simply chosen to forget?¡± His voice dripped with irony, with a deeper meaning Dale couldn¡¯t quite catch. Confused but unshaken, Dale held his gaze, trying to read him. Victor¡¯s smile faded, little by little, until his expression went ice cold. ¡°What will it take for you to stop?¡± Dale demanded. ¡°Tell me what it is you want!¡± In his mind, he was certain¨Cthey were searching for something in those resource grounds. Victor¡¯s answer came with a quiet exhale of smoke. ¡°What we want¡­ is the girl¡± Dale went rigid. 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B. ¡­ Chapter 753 A Confrontation The air between them froze. 44 +8 Pearls Blood rushed hot to his chest, leaving his face ashen as his stare grew darker and sharper on Victor. With a sharp crack, he threw the photo Trevor had given him onto the table in front of Victor. ¡°Mr. Victor,¡± Dale said coldly. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± Victor arched a brow. He nced toward Lewis. Lewis understood immediately, stepping forward to pick up the photo and hand it over. Victor took it and gave it a once¨Cover. It was fromst night¡ªhim and Tessa, out to dinner. His lips curved into a mocking smile. ¡°And what exactly is Mr. Morris trying to say?¡± Send Gifts She Took 754 Chapter 754 The Demand +8 Pearls ¡°What do you mean? Tessa is nothing but your excuse to move against the Ashen Pact! I knew it -someone like Mr. Victor would never go to war over a woman. So tell me, Mr. Victor, are you really going to deny that you¡¯ve set your sights on something inside the Ashen Pact?¡± Dale¡¯s words came sharp and precise, every point hitting like a de. For a moment, it almost sounded convincing. Victor nced at the photo in his hand, then back at Dale. His smile carried an edge of ice. ¡°If Mr. Morris says so, then it must be true.¡± Dale hadid it all out, but Victor brushed it aside with a single mocking line. The words had barely left his mouth when Dale¡¯s face sank. His breathing turned harsh. ¡°Then what is it you¡¯re after in the Ashen Pact? What exactly do you want?¡± The more he spoke, the harder his teeth ground together. Victor released a slow breath of smoke, calm and deliberate. ¡°What if I said¡­ we want the entire Ashen Pact?¡± Dale froze. The room fell silent. Darkness radiated from him, while Victor¡¯s eyes gleamed with danger. ¡°So, Mr. Morris,¡± Victor said softly, ¡°will you give it to us?¡± The blunt demand cut through the air. All they were after was what they wanted¨Cthen they¡¯d be gone. The Ashen Pact was already in turmoil because of them. If they didn¡¯t pull back soon, the Pact would be torn apart. Dale knew he was at his breaking point. Yet when Victor said he wanted the entire Ashen Pact, the thought sent a chill through his bones. ¡°The entire Ashen Pact?¡± he growled. 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B ¡­ :. Chapter 754 The Demand ¡°Will you give it?¡± Victor asked again. +8 Pearls The two words¨Cwill you¨Ccame off light, almost casual. But outside these walls, those same words weighed down like a storm. Dale¡¯s lips pressed into a hard line. ¡°Your greed knows no bounds. And all of this, over Tessa? Aren¡¯t you afraid people will see through it for what it is¡ªjust an excuse?¡± Victor¡¯sugh was low and merciless. ¡°When have we ever cared about that?¡± Dale fell quiet. Silence thickened again. Their eyes locked. Victor¡¯s gaze was weightless, almost yful, yet full of mockery¨Cmockery of Dale¡¯s powerlessness. And when Dale stared back into those eyes, something long¨Cburied in his memory stirred. I¡¯ve seen those eyes before¡­ so familiar. But where? He searched, deeper and deeper, but nothing surfaced. Victor took another drag of his cigarette. ¡°Mr. Morris, do you have anything else? If not, I have a beauty waiting for me.¡± The word ¡°beauty¡± slipped from Victor¡¯s lips with azy arrogance, so at odds with the cold reputation that usually surrounded him. Even Lewis, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help the twitch of his lips. Seriously? Victor? Blood boiled in Dale¡¯s veins, reversing its course with rage. ¡°Who¡¯s the mastermind behind all this?¡± Victor smirked. ¡°Take a guess.¡± Dale fell silent. Victor¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°The woman you cast aside only wanted to live her life. But you chose to drive her to the brink instead.¡± A woman. Dale¡¯s mind snapped to Diana. ¡°I never did,¡± he said coldly. 214 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 B¡­ Chapter 754 The Demand 44 +8 Pearls Yes, he had sent people after her over the years¨Cbut only to reim what belonged to the Ashen Pact. That woman had yed him once, and she had yed him hard. Victor¡¯s voice cut through him. ¡°But your people did.¡± Dale stiffened. My people? So Diana wasn¡¯t just brought back by Dan¡­ She herself had been pushed to return, forced by the threat around her? Dale¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Are you saying Diana is behind this?¡± The name came outced with venom. And in that instant, it was clear¨Cif Diana truly was the mastermind, Dale wanted her dead. Victor didn¡¯t answer. He only gave him a cold, contemptuous smile. ¡°Lewis.¡± ¡°Yes, Victor?¡± ¡°See Mr. Morris out.¡± The conversation had already ended the moment Victor said he wanted the entire Ashen Pact. There was nothing left to discuss. Dale shot him onest vicious look. His anger burned hot, but in the end, he stood and left. Every step he took toward the door radiated cold fury. But after two steps, something caught in his mind. He turned back, his gaze piercing. ¡°Is there even a point in handing Tessa over now?¡± Tessa, At first, everything had seemed to begin with her. But after his own analysis, Dale was convinced¨CTessa was nothing more than a pretext they used against the Ashen Pact. Why waste any more effort on her? Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you really think your daughter is safe right now?¡± He never answered the question directly. ¡­ 16:19 Mon, Sep 22 .. Chapter 754 The Demand 44 +8 Pearls Because she wasn¡¯t the only reason behind all this, did that mean there was no point in looking for Tessa anymore? Even if her fate was unknown, was her father really this indifferent? Dale went quiet. Safe? Dale¡¯s chest tightened. After all this time, he had never once truly looked his daughter in the eye. Send Gifts 19 5.3K The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 755 Chapter 755 Forgotten Grudges 0: 44 +8 Pearls Victor¡¯s voice grew colder. ¡°If I say I don¡¯t want her, you just give up searching? Is she really that insignificant to you?¡± Dale stayed silent. His silence gave away what he truly thought. Victor let out a sharpugh. ¡°So the rumors are true. You only acknowledge the children you had with Artemis.¡± Any child born from another woman meant nothing in Dale¡¯s eyes. Dale¡¯s gaze turned even colder. Victor went on, ¡°You¡¯ll hand her over eventually. After all, isn¡¯t she the very reason we struck at the Ashen Pact in the first ce? Once we have her, maybe we¡¯ll even leave the Pact alone.¡± That one word-¡°maybe¡°-dripped with uncertainty. Dale¡¯s temple throbbed. For the first time, he understood what real shamelessness looked like. He didn¡¯t want to waste another word on Victor. With a cold snort, he turned and walked toward the door. Just as he stepped out, Victor¡¯s voice rose again. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± Dale froze. Don¡¯t remember? He turned back. Meeting Victor¡¯s eyes, he felt that same strange familiarity. It was so strong, it felt like they¡¯d once been deeply connected. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t recall where they had met. ¡°We¡¯ve met before, haven¡¯t we?¡± Dale asked. Victor¡¯s tone was t. ¡°We haven¡¯t.¡± Dale stayed silent. No? That can¡¯t be. We must have¡­ Victor repeated, ¡°We¡¯ve never met.¡± Chapter 755 Forgotten Grudges They hadn¡¯t, but the grudge had been there long before that day. a 449 +8 Pearls. Dale left. Inside, Tessa was on the phone with Ste. Tessa always turned to Ste when she neededfort. Outside, only Victor and Lewis remained. Lewis nced at the photo and couldn¡¯t stop himself from muttering, ¡°How many kids does. Dale even have?¡± Victor shot him a look but stayed silent. Lewis clicked his tongue. ¡°He didn¡¯t even recognize his own daughter, then turned around asking if she was one of your women. He never even thought about it¨Cfor years you didn¡¯t have a single one around you¡­¡± Ss walked in just in time to hear that. He cleared his throat loudly, but Lewis missed the hint and kept going. Holding the photo, he shoved it toward Ss. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this clearly Ms. Tessa? You recognize that figure instantly. Unless Dale never knew his own daughter to begin with.¡± His own daughter. His own flesh and blood. Ss cut him off. ¡°Enough.¡± Victor¡¯s face darkened. Lewis frowned. ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling the truth. Back then, Victor didn¡¯t even have a single woman around him. Now Dale thinks Victor¡¯s some yboy, juggling Tessa and another woman?¡± ¡°Stop talking,¡± Ss said again. Lewisughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the way he looked earlier. He actually thought Victor used Tessa as a cover to go after the Ashen Pact. The guy gets beaten half to death and still doesn¡¯t even know what he did wrong!¡± Ss gave him a sharp look but said nothing. Victor¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°You knew?¡± 214 Chapter 755 Forgotten Grudges 44 +8 Pearls Lewis blinked. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the same old story. A guy loses his head over a woman, and even heroes fall for a pretty face.¡± Before he finished, something heavy flew straight at him. Lewis ducked just in time. It smacked right into Ss¡¯s forehead instead. ¡°Ugh.¡± Ss groaned. Both men fell silent. Lewis looked stunned. Victor looked furious. ¡°Victor, I¨Cwhat did I even say wrong?¡± Lewis stammered. Did I really say something wrong again? Was I not even allowed to talk anymore? Victor snapped, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Lewis bolted from the room, not daring to stay. Just the thought of Victor¡¯s wrath was enough to scare him stiff. But what exactly had he said wrong this time? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. Ss rubbed his aching forehead. ¡°Victor, this¡­¡± Victor pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Make him keep that damn mouth sh*t.¡± Some things should never be said out loud. Victor¡¯s patience with Lewis had worn thin. Ss nodded and left. Inside the room, Tessa was still on the phone with Ste, her voice tight with worry. She feared that once Marie found out, she¡¯d tear into her. Ste tried to reassure her. ¡°She won¡¯t. I¡¯ll stop her if ites to that.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop her,¡± Tessa said, conflicted. When Marie lost her temper, it was no joke. No one could stop her with just a word. ¡°Then Victor will,¡± Ste said. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 756 Chapter 756 Breaking Point. Huh¡­ Come to think of it, maybe that really was possible. Ste froze. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hearing Tessa¡¯s words, she went silent. What in the world was going on anymore? +8 Pearls Marie had gone mad demanding the Ashen Pact hand Tessa over. Deep down, all she feared was that Victor would be the one to tear her apart. And now, Tessa¡¯s worry was that once Marie found out she had been by Victor¡¯s side all along, Marie would tear them apart. In the end, everyone was just trapped in the same fear. Ste finally said, ¡°Honestly, you don¡¯t need to worry so much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Tessa muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be. I¡¯m guessing this whole thing won¡¯t be over for a long while,¡± Ste said. Abraham had said Victor was ying a long, calcted game against the Ashen Pact. It was a game he¡¯d been setting up for years, waiting for the perfect time to strike. If he was finally making a move, it meant he was nning to bring everything down in one strike. And a game like that wasn¡¯t going to end anytime soon. But Tessa¡¯s worry wasn¡¯t wrong either. What if the game wasn¡¯t over yet, and Marie found out the truth about her and Victor first? If that happened, Marie wouldn¡¯t be tearing at Ashen Pact¨Cshe¡¯d be going straight for Victor. ¡°Rx,¡± Ste added. ¡°Worst case, my brother will step in,¡± There was no way Abraham would ever let Marie and Victor tear each other apart. That much was certain. Hearing that, Tessa finally felt a little more at ease. ¡°Right¡­ Mr. Abraham¡¯s still there.¡± 44 Chapter 756 Breaking Point +8 Pearls Ste might not be able to stop Maric, but Abraham could. ¡°Then you¡¯d better make sure to put in a good word for me. Tell him to hold Marie back no matter what¡­ ah!¡± She hadn¡¯t even finished her sentence when Tessa let out a sharp scream. Ste¡¯s voice shot through the line. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing¨Cnothing. Ste, I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Even as she spoke, Tessa grabbed the hand that had slid around her waist from behind. Victor. This man¡­ She quickly hung up the call. She tried to turn, but before she could, his mouth pressed hard against her neck. His hands were anything but proper. No, not this¡­ ¡°What are you doing? Stop.¡± She spun on instinct, but before she could lift her head, he yanked her tight against his chest. And in that instant, Tessa felt something different pouring off him. Cold. Heavy with grief. Laced with anger. All that turmoil knotted inside him, his body tight and unrelenting beneath her touch. She struggled lightly and lifted her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The moment their eyes met, she saw something she had never seen before. For the first time, Victor¡¯s gaze held more than icy detachment. Buried beneath it was a restraint stretched to its breaking point. ¡°You-¡± she started. But before she could finish, he cupped her face and kissed her. The kiss was fierce. Scorching. The grief and anger in him only grew stronger in that moment. 16:20 Mon, Sep 22 G Chapter 756 Breaking Point Tessa had meant to push him away. Instead, her arms circled around his lean waist. Victor towered over her. In his embrace, she felt fragile, delicate¨Clike a doll in his arms. It went on and on¡­ 44 +8 Pearls Victor only let her go when her face turned red fromck of air. Looking at her breathless expression, the storm inside him finally eased. He let out a low, mockingugh. ¡°Pathetic.¡± Tessa frowned. ¡°What was wrong with you just now?¡± Ever since seeing Dale, he had been different. Had Dale said something to him? Tessa had no connection to Dale¨Cjust contempt. As a father, he wasn¡¯t someone to look up to. A man like that didn¡¯t deserve the title. He never should have been one. Victor pulled her head back against his chest. ¡°Tessa.¡± She hummed softly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ashen Pact is going down,¡± Victor said, his voice low and razor¨Csharp. Tessa blinked. ¡°And your father,¡± Victor added, his tone colder still, ¡°might die.¡± Her heart jumped. She tilted her face up, meeting his eyes. They were nothing but ice. That chill felt like it had been buried inside him for years, and now it had finally broken free. Tessa sniffled softly. ¡°Then his death¡­ would it be by your hand?¡± Death. 16:20 Mon, Sep 22 B.. Chapter 756 Breaking Point That word had haunted her for so long. Her fears had always been for her mother, Diana. Because of her mother, she had wished Dale dead. Her mother¡¯s suffering¡ªall of it came from him, this man, her father by blood. Between them, only one could live. And in her heart, she wanted it to be Dale who fell. But now Victor was the one saying Dale would die. ¡°Yes,¡± Victor answered. Tessa froze. Dale would die¨Cand it would be Victor who delivered it. She drew a shaky breath. ¡°What kind of grudge do you have against him?¡± Victor didn¡¯t answer. 44 +8 Pearls Her words dragged an old memory through his mind, one so distant it had begun to blur with time¨Cyet it was something he could never forget. Send Gifts She Took 757 Chapter 757 Used as a Pawn Victor didn¡¯t speak as he met Tessa¡¯s eyes. ¡°I hate him too,¡± Tessa said quietly. Of course she did. Victor had his reasons for hating Dale. And as his daughter, so did she. +8 Pearls From the moment she learned who Dale was¨Cever since Lina and Lana had tracked her to Victor¡¯s vi and nearly killed her¨Cwhatever bond they had as father and daughter was doomed. There had never been much to begin with. Hatred was all that remained. Victor pulled her head against his chest. ¡°Tess.¡± Her muffled voice came from against him. ¡°All I care about is my mom. So from now on, don¡¯t bring him up with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Victor answered, his voice low. Tessa fell silent. Victor¡¯s tone sharpened as he spoke. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know you. He knows you exist, but he¡¯s never once tried to see you.¡± Dale knew he had a daughter out there named Tessa. But he had never cared enough to meet her. Even when Diana¡¯s world copsed, when she was left with no one, he still didn¡¯te. He left her to suffer alone, left her to survive danger on her own. Just as people said¡­ Dale only acknowledged the children Artemis bore him. Any child from another woman meant nothing to him¨Che was so heartless he erased them from his world. Tessa¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even recognize me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Just now, he shoved your photo in my face and demanded an answer-¡± ¡°Demanded what?¡± she cut in. 16:20 Mon, Sep 22 B.. Chapter 757 Used as a Pawn :. Victor nced down at her. The first time he saw her at Rivermount, she had caught his instantly, radiant in her own way. +8 Pearls §ã§å§ã She had grown up with only her mother, but Diana had raised her to be lively, confident, and cherished. But when the Morris family came and tore Diana away, they shattered Tessa¡¯s world too. Victor¡¯s voice was t. ¡°He asked me which one of my women you were. He said the only reason I went after the Ashen Pact was because I was using you as a cover.¡± Tessa gasped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He even said he didn¡¯t need to find you. That he could just hand you over if necessary,¡± Victor added. For the next ten minutes, Victor repeated every word Dale had thrown at him. The more Tessa listened, the darker her expression grew. She had already despised Dale, but now her disgust curdled into pure hatred. ¡°So what he meant was¨Cif I¡¯m just a cover for you against the Ashen Pact, then I don¡¯t matter? He doesn¡¯t even care if I live or die?¡± He¡¯d taken her photo and shoved it at Victor, without even recognizing her as his own daughter. Worse, he assumed she was just another of Victor¡¯s women and decided that meant she wasn¡¯t important enough to bother with. So he could just skip the trouble of looking for her altogether. Cold. Ruthless. He was one of the most heartless fathers alive. To him, his children¡¯s lives or deaths meant nothing. Victor¡¯s voice was hard. ¡°Your life means nothing to him. The only thing he cares about is whether the Ashen Pact survives.¡± And the Ashen Pact¡¯s survival mattered only because it tied into Manny¡¯s future profits. Tessa¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°So he really said not to bother looking for me?¡± Victor gave a single nod. He told her all this for a reason¨Cso that if Dale ever tried to twist things in front of her, she 16:20 Mon, Sep 22 B¡­ Chapter 757 Used as a Pawn wouldn¡¯t be blindsided. 44 +8 Pearls If Dale ever imed she was just Victor¡¯s pawn, the blow would be far worseing from him than from Victor himself. Tessa¡¯s face heated with anger, her cheeks flushing red. She red up at Victor. ¡°Then am I just a cover for you against the Ashen Pact?¡± Victor said nothing. This girl¡­ Call her na?ve if you want, but sometimes she was sharp in ways that cut too deep. ¡°Tess,¡± he murmured. ¡°If I¡¯m your cover, then fine,¡± she snapped. ¡°Show Dale exactly how you¡¯ll use me to bring him down!¡± Victor stayed quiet. Tessa had never expected much from Dale as a father. But hearing Victor say Dale had dismissed her as nothing more than a pawn¡ª Hearing that he didn¡¯t even care if she lived or died¡ª That burned worse than anything. The Ashen Pact had descended into chaos. But across in Falvaria, things weren¡¯t much better. Evelyn had intended to let Ste handle the matter of the pregnancy test on her own. Instead¡­ In the sitting room, Evelyn set down her porcin coffee cup with a sigh. ¡°She really is such a kindhearted girl.¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Mrs. Dawson probably thought that without concrete proof, it wouldn¡¯t be right to act rashly.¡± Now, the entire Dawson family had changed how they addressed Ste. Chapter 757 Used as a Pawn 44 +8 Pearls: Even though she and Abraham hadn¡¯t yet held their wedding, everyone knew they were already legally married. Except for the ceremony itself, Ste already had everything. And with three children growing inside her, a wedding was the only thing missing. Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 758 Chapter 758 Stirring the Storm Evelyn¡¯s tone was calm but firm. ¡°You handle this.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the butler replied. It had to be handled. A 44 If this matter wasn¡¯t dealt with properly, people would start thinking the Dawson family couldn¡¯t keep them in check. +8 Pearls One dirty trick after another¨Chow was a young couple supposed to live their lives in peace? The butler nodded again. ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn rose and left the sitting room. As she passed through the living room, she spotted Ste sipping a ss of juice. When Ste saw her, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Mom.¡± Evelyn let out a sigh. She walked over and pulled Ste into her arms. Her words carried weight. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t raised you myself, I¡¯d never have let you marry Dawson family.¡± Ste blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Evelyn released her. ¡°You¡¯re too soft. Too kind.¡± And in their world, kindness was thest thing anyone needed. Ste pouted, her eyes full of quiet protest. ¡°I just want the truth before I act,¡± she said. Abel had already stepped in. Ste believed the truth would soone to light. And if there was solid proof that Melissa was behind it- Then Ste would not hold back. into the Evelyn¡¯s gaze softened at her daughter¡¯s pleading look, full of innocence and hurt. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t involve yourself in things like this.¡± Chapter 758 Stirring the Storm Ste frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Evelyn said gently. ¡°All right?¡± Ste went quiet. ? 44 +8 Pearls Evelyn truly didn¡¯t know what to do with her sometimes. Ste always needed solid proof before she moved. But in their world, evidence didn¡¯t always matter. Sometimes, from the very moment something happened, the right answer was to strike back hard. Ste held onto Evelyn¡¯s arm, leaning against her with affection. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°There, there. Good girl.¡± For a long time, Evelyn had believed Ste had to measure up to Abraham, strong enough to hold her own beside him. But now Evelyn understood. They had spoiled her from the start, cherishing the innocence that set her apart. Because of that, they¡¯d kept her away from the darker side of their world. The Dawson family had weathered storm after storm, but Ste had always been sheltered, her world untouched by it all. Those three years in Rivermount had been an ident. She had changed sinceing back¨Cbut Evelyn wouldn¡¯t let her lose herselfpletely. ¡°Are you going out again?¡± Ste asked softly, watching her. Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yes. Be good. Eat properly, all right?¡± Even when she wasn¡¯t home, Evelyn always had people watching over Ste. She knew exactly how much Ste ate, what she liked, and what she didn¡¯t. Just earlier, she had arranged for fresh fruit to be delivered from Cedarcrest Mountain. Evelyn left. And at hermand, the Bogden family was soon thrown into turmoil. Chapter 758 Stirring the Storm +8 Pearls As for the Ashen Pact¨Cthere was no need to even mention it. They had already been in chaos, and now things only got worse. The morning wind should have been crisp and fresh. But that morning, the entire Morris family had gone mad. Lina rushed to Artemis. ¡°Mother, what is going on? What¡¯s going on between the Dawson family and the Tom family?¡± Artemis looked weary. ¡°What about them?¡± The mention of the Dawson family and the Toms clearly drained her. ¡°My Ironridge-¡± Lina¡¯s face was pale with fury. ¡°A woman named Marie came in and just seized it. Mother, she took it from me!¡± Her jaw tightened, her teeth grinding on the words. She was Ashen Pact¡¯s heir. She would never allow anyone to take something from her. And now someone had dared to seize what was hers? What kind of madness was this? At her words, Artemis¡¯s face went pale. She stared at her daughter, shaking with fury. Lina frowned at the sight. ¡°What is happening?¡± She had spent thest few days nursing Lana¡¯s serious injuries and hadn¡¯t had the chance to keep up with the Ashen Pact¡¯s affairs. When the call came in from Ironridge, she nearly exploded. Someone had dared to move in on her territory. To take Ironridge right out from under her nose- Without even checking whose it was? Did they have a death wish? Artemis¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s all because of that little b*tch.¡± Her teeth clenched on the words. She spoke Tessa¡¯s name like she wanted to shred it, her hatred spilling with every word. Lina frowned. ¡°Who are you calling a b*tch?¡± 16:21 Mon, Sep 22 B.. ¡­ 44 Chapter 758 Stirring the Storm ¡°Who else? The one you tried to kill before.¡± +8 Pearls Lina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Her?¡± Her face darkened instantly. ¡°You¡¯re telling me my Ironridge suffered losses because of her? She¡¯s nothing!¡± The realization hit, and Lina snapped. In Lina¡¯s eyes, Tessa was nothing more than an unwanted child her own father had cast aside. Send Gifts 5.3K 1 16:21 Mon, Sep 22 B¡­ The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In : She Took 759 Chapter 759 Chaos in Ashen Pact Her mother had returned to Ashen Pact, turning everything upside down. She should have just died with that mother of hers! But now¡­ +8 Pearls Artemis said, ¡°She¡¯s gone. Right now the Dawson family, the Tom family, and Mr. Victor are all pressing the Ashen Pact to hand her over. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll seize one of our key resource sites. Your brother, father, and I are each holding what we can, but¡­¡± Artemis trailed off, unable to go on, seething with anger. It was one thing to lose control of what they personally held, but now even their major strongholds had fallen into chaos. And on top of that, they were setting their sights on her daughter¡¯s assets. That Tessa¡­ She was a shameless flirt, just like her mother, wrapping men around her finger. She had even managed to seduce someone like Mr. Victor, throwing the Ashen Pact intoplete disorder! Lina could hardly believe what she heard. ¡°She can actually pull that off?¡± Artemis snapped, ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what she can do?¡± Lina gritted her teeth. ¡°Then where the h*ll is she? Did Dan take her?¡± She thought about how Dan had been pushing back at them nonstop, and now the fight for control had reached its breaking point. He had brought Diana back, and now Tessa was missing, sending the Ashen Pact spiraling. That girl¡­ she had to be with him. Artemis said, ¡°Your father¡¯s people already checked. Chances are, she¡¯s not even in the Ashen Pact!¡± ¡°What?¡± Not in the Ashen Pact? Then everything the Ashen Pact was suffering because of her¨Cwhat did that even mean? Lina¡¯s fury exploded. Chapter 759 Chaos in Ashen Pact Both Lina and her younger sister Lana had seen their holdings attacked. When Dale found out, he was livid. 44 +8 Pearls Lana was still lying in the hospital, gravely injured and unconscious, proof of just how badly she had been hurt in Victor¡¯s hands. When Lina came to see Dale, he had just ended a call. With a loud crack, he mmed his phone down on the desk. Dale¡¯s face was dark. Trevor stood a few steps away, stiff with tension. Dale¡¯s breathing grew heavy. ¡°They¡¯re alling for us, aren¡¯t they?¡± Trevor said, ¡°The situation is against us now. We need to find Ms. Tessa fast and hand her back to them.¡± Ashen Pact was inplete chaos. Derrick, Marie, and Victor had joined forces against them. Others who had long resented the Ashen Pact but never dared show it were now joining in. All the powers in Redwood were piling on. What was already a mess had spiraled to the brink of copse. Dale¡¯s breathing grew heavier. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? Have you found her yet?¡± So far, neither Manny nor Dan had sent word. The only thing they knew was that Tessa wasn¡¯t in the Ashen Pact. As for where she was, or who had taken her, they had no clue. They had thought it was just a pretext to attack the Ashen Pact. But now it seemed that even if it was just a pretext, if they couldn¡¯t find her and hand her over, they¡¯d be in even deeper trouble. Dale pressed his fingers hard against his brow, his head throbbing. The room fell silent. Trevor said nothing. Chapter 759 Chaos in Ashen Pact +8 Pearls Lina¡¯s frustration boiled over. ¡°We didn¡¯t even take her! Why are they pinning this on us?¡± Dale looked at her, his headache worsening. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lina said, ¡°Father, something happened in Ironridge. The Dawson family stirred it up.¡± The Dawson family. Marie. Hearing that made Dale¡¯s head throb even more. ¡°She¡¯s not in our hands. You need to make that clear to them!¡± Lina shouted. Dale¡¯s eyes sharpened as they locked on her. ¡°Are you telling me to reason with them?¡± He bit down hard on the words reason with them. Coming from him, those words sounded like a cruel joke. The moment Lina heard them, she fell silent. Reason with them? When had the Ashen Pact ever reasoned with anyone? They never had. Now it was their turn to be on the receiving end. Lina¡¯s face darkened. ¡°So what now? Do we just let them rob us and do nothing?¡± ¡°If you want to act, then act.¡± Do nothing? How could they possibly have done nothing? But years of internal strife within the Ashen Pact had left them divided, and now it showed. When outside forces pressed in, they hadn¡¯t been able to unite. And with Diana back, many had already shifted their loyalty to her, which made it even harder for them to stand together against their enemies. Lina pressed, ¡°So what now? Are we really supposed to help them find her?¡± The thought made her blood boil. What kind of madness was this¨Cthe Ashen Pact helping them? Dale kneaded his temples, the pain nearly unbearable. She Took 760 Chapter 760 Closing In Ashen Pact was aplete mess, pushed to the brink from every direction. +8 Pearls When Marie heard that even minor factions had joined in against them, her mouth twitched in disbelief. ¡°So Ashen Pact has this many enemies holding grudges?¡± Derrick took her hand,zily rubbing his fingers against hers until the ticklish touch made Marie instinctively try to pull away. But Derrick tightened his grip. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded. ¡°Checking the size of your finger,¡± he said. Marie went silent for a moment. What was with this man? ¡°You¡¯re buying me a ring?¡± ¡°You should have one,¡± Derrick said as if it were obvious. Marie let out a sharp ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to talk about that. I¡¯m still pissed off.¡± Pissed about Tessa. Seriously- ¡°They¡¯re getting crushed from all sides, yet they still refuse to hand Tessa over. What the h*ll are they thinking? Do they have a death wish?¡± Because of Ashen Pact¡¯s stubbornness, factions across Redwood that had never dared oppose them before were now seizing the chance. If Tessa didn¡¯t get handed over soon, the entire Ashen Pact might copse. And still they refused. Were they really that hardheaded? ¡°Maybe they do have a death wish,¡± Derrick said. His tone was casual, but there was something darker beneath it. Marie nced at him but couldn¡¯t read his meaning. ¡°And how exactly am I supposed to exin this to Victor?¡± Chapter 760 Closing In The thought made her blood boil. Derrick stayed quiet, then his lips curved into a faint smile. Exin it, huh? ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Abraham how to exin it?¡± Marie frowned. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Let him exin it,¡± Derrick said tly. In his mind, Tessa was already in Abraham¡¯s hands, while poor Marie sat here fuming. No one really knew what Abraham was up to. Marie still didn¡¯t get it. ¡°Have Abraham exin? He¡¯d probably tear me apart first!¡± +8 Pearis Ugh¡­ how did things end up like this? How had things spiraled this far out of control? It was driving me insane. Frustration boiled over, and she yanked her hand out of Derrick¡¯s grip. ¡°Enough, stop staring at me. I¡¯m fed up.¡± The words had barely left her mouth before her stomach twisted again. The stress of thest few days had shredded her nerves. She was working herself sick¨Cliterally. The more upset she got, the more she felt like throwing up. Ste slept drowsily in Abraham¡¯s arms. Pregnancy had left her constantly tired, especially after eating. When the phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, she stirred awake with a groggy murmur. ¡°Abraham¡­ phone.¡± Her voice was hazy, her mind still clouded with sleep. Abraham¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line as he nced at the caller ID before answering. ¡°Talk.¡± It was Derrick. Abraham never had much patience for him, and his tone showed it. ¡°Are you and Victor scheming something?¡± Derrick asked bluntly. Chapter 760 Closing In ¡°What scheme?¡± Abraham replied coolly. :.. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb¨Cyou know damn well what I mean,¡± Derrick snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Abraham said coolly. Derrick fell silent for a beat, his face darkening. What did he mean he didn¡¯t know? 44 +8 Pearls From the bathroom came the sound of retching. Derrick¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Let me tell you something¨Cyour sister¡¯s in Redwood right now, worked up sick over this. She¡¯s throwing up from the stress!¡± Abraham said nothing. ¡°If Tessa¡¯s with you, shouldn¡¯t you at least tell her?¡± Derrick snapped, his patience gone. Marie¡¯s constant nausea only proved how much pressure she¡¯d been under. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but just now he realized she¡¯d already lost weight sinceing to Redwood. Her vomiting only fueled his temper. Derrick¡¯s voice grew harsher, but no matter what he said, Abraham gave him the same cold answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Then the line went dead. Derrick froze, phone still in hand, as the dial tone buzzed in his ear. He ground his teeth. He didn¡¯t know? Really? And hanging up so fast¨Cwas that guilt? It had to be guilt. Sebastian walked in just then and froze at the sight of Derrick¡¯s thunderous face. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Derrick shot him a re sharp enough to cut. Sebastian blinked, ¡°What? Did I do something wrong again?¡± He lifted both hands like he was swearing innocence. He¡¯d been walking on eggshellstely, keeping his mouth shut just to avoid setting Derrick off. But ever since a certain woman hade into the picture, Derrick¡¯s moods had gotten unpredictable. 16:21 Mon, Sep 22 G ¡­ Chapter 760 Closing In Sebastian grumbled to himself but didn¡¯t dare say it out loud. 444 Finished Derrick was about to say something when Marie emerged from the bathroom, her face still damp, proof she had just rinsed her mouth after throwing up. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 761 Chapter 761 She Said She¡¯s Too Tired ¡°Derrick, you okay?¡± 58 +8 Pearls ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just soft. I need to lie down for a bit.¡± Marie waved him off and went straight into the bedroom. Her face was noticeably pale¨Cprobably because she had just thrown up. Sebastian nced at Derrick. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Marie?¡± If there was one safe ground for Sebastian in all the mess between Derrick and Marie, it was how he addressed her. ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Derrick said tly. ¡°Probably just stressed from chasing leads; the pressure¡¯s too much.¡± Derrick thought. But seriously¡ªwhat was Abraham thinking? Marie and I were breaking our backs for him, and meanwhile he was scheming against Marie and Victor? Against Ashen Pact? For what? If he just gave the order, would they really refuse to cooperate? Was hiding all this about Tessa really worth it? And for what¨Csome kind of performance? ying at theatrics? Ashen Pact wasn¡¯t a stage. That ce was a dump. You wanted to raid it, you just did. No drama required. So what if Marie¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t perfectly genuine? This was Abraham of Falvaria. Since when had he ever needed a reason? Whatever he wanted done, it got done. Simple as that. But to drive his own sister this far? Derrick suddenly shot to his feet, startling Sebastian, who had been about to say something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Mind your own business. Stop asking questions.¡± Sebastian blinked. Derrick was in no mood, his temper bnced on a razor¡¯s edge; anyone who got too close was bound to get stabbed. Sebastian could only stare nkly at his back,pletely lost on what he had said wrong this time. Inside the room, Mariey limp, her whole body drained after throwing up. When Derrick came in, she mumbled weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with you right now.¡± She didn¡¯t want to talk, didn¡¯t want to argue¨Cdidn¡¯t want to say anything at all. Chapter 761 She Said She¡¯s Too Tired Derrick stood at the side of the bed. : 58 +8 Pearls Looking down at the pale, fragile woman curled on the sheets, he frowned. ¡°Stress got you this bad? That¡¯s not like you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Marie blinked. Stress? Well, if it was about stress, then yes¨Cever since Tessa had gone missing, it had been eating her alive. She was genuinely worried Victor would turn on Abraham over it, and that would cause Abraham no small amount of trouble. Hearing Derrick press her like this, she turned over, clutching the nket tighter. ¡°Just drop it.¡± Even hearing Tessa¡¯s name now made her nauseous; she was that anxious. Watching her suffer, Derrick sat on the edge of the bed and tugged her nket into ce. ¡°You don¡¯t need to panic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one caught between Victor and my brother.¡± Victor might have followed Abraham loyally all these years, but Marie knew better than anyone how powerful Victor¡¯s own faction really was. ¡°She¡¯s with your brother,¡± Derrick said. 66 ¡°¡­What?¡± The air went still. Marie, who had been limp just moments ago, bolted upright as if jolted by electricity. She stared at Derrick in disbelief. ¡°What did you just say? I didn¡¯t hear that right.¡± ¡°I said she¡¯s with your brother. What are you panicking for?¡± Marie was stunned. Wait, what? With my brother? ¡°That¡¯s impossible. If she were with him, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know,¡± Derrick shot back. Silence fell again. Marie stared at him wide¨Ceyed, dumbfounded. 213 Chapter 761 She Said She¡¯s Too Tired Derrick reached out and pinched her dazed little face. ¡°Shocked, huh?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t¡­ I mean¡­¡± She stammered. ¡°How could she possibly be with my brother?¡± ?? +8 Pearls ¡°Exactly! How is she with him? What the heck is he nning for Ashen Pact?¡± Derrick¡¯s voice. sharpened, the anger bleeding through. Now, Derrick couldn¡¯t help but doubt whether Loren Lake and the other territories he had just seized were even safe. For all he knew, every bit of effort he had poured in was just paving the way for Abraham. It was enough to make his blood boil. Marie¡¯s lips twitched; she blinked rapidly. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°I asked him myself.¡± Marie¡¯s mind went nk. He asked? Wait¨Cwhat was happening? It had already been exhausting enough to deal with Ashen Pact and the whole Tessa situation. Now, hearing this from Derrick, Marie felt like the ground had been yanked out from under her. Tessa¡­ in my brother¡¯s hands? Meanwhile, Abraham had just soothed Ste back to sleep and slipped quietly out of her room. He picked up his phone¨Cand saw Marie¡¯s calling in. He tucked the nket around Ste, then stepped onto the balcony and answered. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Abraham, is Tessa¡­ with you?¡± Marie¡¯s voice was hesitant, almost sluggish, as if she still hadn¡¯t fully processed what Derrick had told her. Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 762 Chapter 762 Don¡¯t You Dare Steal Ste Abraham¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not cool,¡± Marie said. ¡°Why¡¯d you take her? What are you nning?¡± She hesitated. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got a thing for Tessa?¡± Abraham went quiet. +8 Pearls ¡°I¡¯m telling you right now, that¡¯s not happening!¡± Marie blurted. ¡°She¡¯s Ste¡¯s best friend. If you try something, Ste and I will bothe after you.¡± Her head was spinning. She couldn¡¯t imagine why Abraham would take Tessa; but Derrick had sounded so sure. And she really was worried¡­ Ste had been missing for three years once before, and she had nearly burned herself out searching. If this ended with Tessa running away out of anger, where would she even start looking? Just the thought made her shudder. But when Abraham heard her wild guess, his face went ck. Marie panicked at his silence. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve realized something,¡± Abraham said, his voice low. ¡°You marrying Derrick was aplete mistake.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marie froze. What did this have to do with her and Derrick? ¡°His brain¡¯s never worked right; now he¡¯s infected you too.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t-¡± Before she could finish, Abraham hung up. Marie sat there staring at the phone, stunned. Then she nced at Derrick, who was smoking beside her. ¡°What did he say?¡± Derrick asked. 17:16 Thu, Sep 25 B ¡­ Chapter 762 Don¡¯t You Dare Steal Ste ¡°He said your brain¡¯s broken¡­ and you infected me.¡± Derrick went quiet. +8 Pearls His face, already dark, sank even further. That Abraham, after pulling this stunt, he had the nerve to say they were the ones with broken brains? With the way he schemed, even the sharpest mind wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up! Derrick was livid all over again. ¡°Was it really my brother who took her?¡± Marie asked. ¡°Did he deny it?¡± Derrick countered. She shook her head. ¡°Then there¡¯s your answer.¡± If he didn¡¯t deny it, who else could it be? ¡°But he didn¡¯t deny it and he insulted us,¡± Marie protested. That had to mean they were wrong, right? Otherwise whysh out? Her brain felt fried; the chaos of the past weeks had burned her circuits. ¡°She¡¯s definitely with him,¡± Derrick said. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± She needed a reason¨Csomething solid enough to convince herself. Abraham taking someone without even telling his own sister just didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Because,¡± Derrick said, ¡°your little sister Ste isn¡¯t worried anymore.¡± Marie went quiet. Not¡­ worried? Wait. Her mind shed back to Ste¡¯s words¨Ctelling her not to stress, assuring her that Tessa would be fine. Right¡­ that wasn¡¯t normal. ¡­ : 58 Chapter 762 Don¡¯t You Dare Steal Ste When Tessa first disappeared, Ste had cried on the phone nonstop. Then suddenly, no more tears; suddenly she wasforting her? Marie turned her head stiffly toward Derrick, blinking over and over. ¡°Remember now?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°¡­.¡± Marie¡¯s lips twitched. But¡­ ¡°Then why wouldn¡¯t she tell me?¡± +8 Pearls Her darling Ste¨CMarie had treated her like a treasure, and in return Ste treated her like a fool? Marie¡¯s brain short¨Ccircuited; she stared at Derrick in silence, but there was a storm brewing in her eyes. Derrick reached over, pinching her cheek with a crooked smile that was half indulgence, half mockery. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? We¡¯ve all been yed by your brother.¡± He said it with the kind ofughter that came from sheer fury. yed¡­ The wordnded like a punch to the gut; her emotions surged so wildly she couldn¡¯t even describe them. God knew how frantic she¡¯d been over Tessa. She had gone mad tearing Ashen Pact apart, demanding answers, ready to rip the ce to shreds. And honestly, Ashen Pact had been nearly gutted by her rampage these past weeks. But now¨Cto be told that Tessa was never there to begin with? Not in Ashen Pact, fine. She could live with that. But in her brother¡¯s hands? She had made herself sick with worry, to the point of throwing up- And all along, Tessa had been with Abraham? Marie went quiet. Chapter 762 Don¡¯t You Dare Steal Ste She shut downpletely. A58 58 +8 Pearis ¡°How could it be him? Tell me, how could it possibly be him? How does this suddenly be his doing?¡± She exploded. She had suspected every single person in Ashen Pact, Dan, Dale; Artemis, Manny; even those hideous twins. She had doubted them all. And when Ashen Pact still refused to hand Tessa over, she had convinced herself Tessa was already dead there. And now? Now I was being told Tessa had been with my brother the whole time? Marie sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth¡­ Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 763 Chapter 763 I¡¯m Taking Ste Away She wasn¡¯t just shutting down, she was imploding. + Pearls In Falvaria, at the Dawson estate, Abraham had just finished reviewing a few documents in his study and was about to join a video conference when Marie¡¯s call came through. The depth in his expression darkened as he answered. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°How could you do this to me? Do you even realize I¡¯ve been sick with worry¨CI literally threw up! Why would you treat me like this?¡± ¡°I tore Ashen Pact apart; I thought Tessa had already died there. I¡¯ve been convinced this whole time I¡¯d have no way to exin it to Victor¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt. By the end, she broke down crying. Abraham went quiet. ¡°You¡¯re way out of line! If you wanted something from Ashen Pact, you could¡¯ve just taken it; I¡¯d have helped you. Why did you have to use Tessa against me like this?¡± Mariepletely lost it¨Csobbing, shouting. It was obvious now¡­ Just like Derrick, she believed Abraham had simply set his sights on something within Ashen Pact. But so what if he had? Hadn¡¯t he taken plenty of things over the years? No matter the means, in the end, those things always ended up in his hands. Why would he need to manipte my anger at Dan just to move against Ashen Pact? They never needed emotions, or even reasons, to destroy someone. Through it all, Marie had always been strong. No matter what happened, she had never cried¡ªexcept that one time, when Dan died. That time she hadn¡¯t just cried; she had gone mad. Now, hearing her sobbing over the phone, Abraham pressed his fingers against his aching brow. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been furious with Dan?¡± he asked quietly. Chapter 7631m Taking Ste Away ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can do this to me!¡± Abraham was speechless. 58) +8 Pea ¡°You¡¯re too much¨Cyou¡¯re the worst, the absolute worst brother in the world! I¡¯ll steal Ste away; I¡¯ll make sure you lose your wife!¡± Marie was fuming. She knew Ste was Abraham¡¯s treasure, the one thing he could never afford to lose. At that moment, she was determined¡ªshe¡¯d take Ste and let him taste the agony of panic himself. Abraham¡¯s head already throbbed from her tears; now his face turned ck at her threat. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°Just watch me. Hmph! You better watch yourself these next few days.¡± ¡°You-¡± Before he could finish, Marie hung up. When he tried calling back, she rejected the call. Again¨Cstill busy on another line. Meanwhile, Ste had been sleeping soundly, only to be woken by the ringing phone. Groggy, she picked it up. ¡°Hello,¡± Her voice was thick with sleep. ¡°Ste, do you love me more, or Abraham? Tell me¨Cam I more important, or is Abraham more important to you?¡± Marie¡¯s voice was sharp, frantic. Ste¡¯s mind was still foggy; with Marie shouting at her like this, she was even more disoriented. Instead of answering, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Just tell me who matters more to you?¡± ¡°You?¡± Why was she asking something like this now? Ste¡¯s mind began to clear. Marie¡¯s heart eased slightly at her answer. ¡°Good. Then pack your things right away.¡± 17:16 Thu, Sep 25 G ¡­ Chapter 763 I¡¯m Taking Ste Away ¡°Huh? Wait, what-¡± ¡°I¡¯lle get you tomorrow morning at thetest.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Pick her up? ABB +8 Pearls That snapped Ste fully awake. She could tell something was very wrong with Marie¡¯s tone. ¡°We¡¯re going somewhere we¡¯ve always wanted to go. Just you and me; no Abraham, that bastard.¡± Oh no. This wasn¡¯t just wrong¨Cit waspletely wrong. Hearing Marie¡¯s furious voice, Ste finally pieced it together. This was about Abraham. ¡°What did he do to you?¡± But wait, that didn¡¯t make sense. He hadn¡¯t done anything. Since returning, he had been right by her side. Her mind shed back to the time Marie had whisked her away for training. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant¨Cwith triplets.¡± ¡°I know. That doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t train anymore.¡± Her voice trembled as she said it; she felt like crying too, proof of how deeply those training memories scarred her. And they were not good memories. ¡°I won¡¯t train you,¡± Marie said firmly. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°Abraham¡¯s no good. We¡¯re not living with him anymore.¡± Ste¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Chapter 763 I¡¯m Taking Ste Away Ste thought. What could Abraham possibly have done to drive Marie into this kind of rage? 58 +8 Pearls Send Gifts She Took 764 Chapter 764 Not Just About Resources Ste thought that maybe it was better not to ask, but once she did, Marie exploded. ¡°That bastard Abraham has gone way too far! He¡¯s the one who stole Tessa¨Cdid Ste? He yed me! He used my anger at Dan to go after Ashen Pact!¡± you Z(58) +8 Pearls know that, ¡°Tell me, is he even my real brother? All these years, whatever he wanted to do, didn¡¯t I support him? Why did he have to scheme against me like this? How could he treat me this way?¡± Ste went quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting tooth and nail at Ashen Pact for Tessa,¡± Marie raged. ¡°I tore the whole ce apart. I even thought Tessa was dead; I was terrified!¡± ¡°I was scared I couldn¡¯t exin it to Victor, scared you¡¯d be heartbroken, scared this would turn Victor against him!¡± Ste went quiet. ¡°Up until an hour ago, I was still worrying about him, worried that if Tessa disappeared on my watch, he¡¯d be dragged down with me. And this is how he treats me?¡± ¡°If he¡¯d just told me outright that he wanted something from Ashen Pact, would I not have helped him get it?¡± Her voice rose higher, sharp and frantic, a storm of usations pouring out through the phone. Ste sat frozen, stunned speechless. See? When she¡¯d first learned Tessa was actually with Victor, she had suggested telling Marie. Because she knew¨CMarie would think of exactly these things. If she ever found out Tessa hadn¡¯t been in Ashen Pact at all, of course she would explode. Marie¡¯s anger only grew hotter, her voice sharper. Finally she snapped, ¡°We¡¯re done living with that monster. Pack your things!¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ste faltered. Her sister suddenly narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hold on. Did you know about this the whole time?¡± Uh¡­ Chapter 764 Not Just About Resources 57 +8 Pearls She had only found out recently; and even then, what she knew wasn¡¯t the same version Marie knew. Before Ste could respond, Marie unleashed another torrent over the line¨Cher fury a downpour, relentless and overwhelming. When Abraham walked in, he caught Ste on the phone. The moment he opened the door, he could hear Marie¡¯s voice spilling through the receiver¨Cso fierce it felt like it might tear the air apart. His face darkened. Striding over, he pulled the phone from Ste¡¯s hand and ended the call. The tirade cut off instantly. The room fell silent. Ste looked up at him with wide eyes, still bleary from sleep, as if she¡¯d been forced awake and dragged into chaos. ¡°See? I told you we shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from her.¡± Her voice carried both hurt and me. ¡°Look how worried she is¨Chow heartbroken.¡± Marie had always doted on her. And she, in turn, cared for Marie. But now¡­ it had all blown up. Abraham reached out, rubbing her head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it; the baby will worry.¡± ¡°Hmph-¡± Her little pout made it clear she was truly upset. Abraham knew this time he had pushed her too far. He sat down on the bed and pinched her cheek softly, coaxing, ¡°Be good, hm?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s right,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°If you had your eye on something, she¡¯d help you take it.¡± Back when Dan had faked his death, there might have been concern that Marie would go soft because of her feelings. But now, there was no chance. ¡°It isn¡¯t as simple as taking Ashen Pact¡¯s resources,¡± Abraham said. Chapter 764 Not Just About Resources ¡°Huh?¡± +8 Pearls Not just resources? Then what? Something deeper, darker¨Csomething she couldn¡¯t begin to grasp? Her resentful eyes shifted quickly into curiosity. She had grown up in the Dawson family; her understanding of Ashen Pact was only that they¡¯d kept their distance, two rivers never crossing. But now, hearing Abraham¡¯s words¡­ it felt like there was a terrifying feud hidden beneath. He sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. Are you going back to sleep?¡± Ste shook her head. After Marie¡¯s outburst, sleep was impossible. Abraham fetched a warm towel, helped her wash her face; only then did she feel a little better. ¡°Abraham.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Dear!¡± She caught herself, flustered; she was still half dazed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about my sister.¡± The fight with Ashen Pact had already left Ste uneasy. Abraham had reassured her then, saying Derrick was with Marie. But now¡­ her worry only deepened. C Now that Marie knew the truth, she wasn¡¯t just furious¨Cshe had to be devastated. ¡°She thinks you used her,¡± Ste whispered. Abraham frowned, smoothing her hair gently. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to her.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you exin from the start?¡± Her eyes brimmed; she felt like crying. If he had just told her earlier, everything would¡¯ve been fine. But now only made the cracks Chapter 764 Not Just About Resources deeper. Just like Marie had said, she had been sick with worry these past weeks. Send Gifts 5.3K (11) 17:17 Thu, Sep 25 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit fo :. She Took 765 Chapter 765 Can¡¯t Believe It¡¯s Him A +8 Pearls: She had worked herself into a fever with worry; after turning Ashen Pact upside down, she discovered Tessa had never even been in their hands. ¡°And now she¡¯s already furious just thinking Tessa¡¯s with you¨Cif she finds out she¡¯s been with Victor all along¡­¡± The thought was unbearable. Marie¡¯s greatest fear these past weeks had been not being able to give Victor an exnation. And now, Tessa had been with Victor the whole time. Ste shot Abraham a reproachful look. Abraham sighed. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She told me to pack my things.¡± The moment he heard that, Abraham¡¯s face darkened like a thundercloud. Always threatening to run off with Ste¡­ That damned girl. His head pounding, he soothed Ste first, then headed to his study to call Marie. Meanwhile, Marie was still fuming after her tirade; her anger refused to settle. When Abraham¡¯s call came through, she rejected it. Hung up. Then it rang again¡­ And then Derrick¡¯s voice answered. ¡°I thought you¡¯d given up on this sister of yours,¡± Derrick sneered. His tone over the phone was bold, openly mocking Abraham. ¡°Put Marie on,¡± Abraham ordered. ¡°She¡¯s crying so hard she threw up. She doesn¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Crying so hard she threw up¨CDerrick was driving home just how devastated Marie was. Abraham¡¯s face sank. ¡°Derrick!¡± ¡°You know, Abraham, this is rich. After all these years of her giving you everything-¡± 17:17 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 765 Can¡¯t Believe It¡¯s Him ¡°One more word, and I¡¯ll make sure you never set foot in Falvaria again.¡± ¡°You still have the nerve to threaten me?¡± ? +8 Pearls Derrick snapped. The man still dared to threaten him¡­ After being hounded like a dog across the globe all these years, Derrick¡¯s blood boiled at the memory. But no matter what, he still wouldn¡¯t hand over the phone to Marie. ¡°You really want to owe me for this?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice cut like steel. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m saying-¡± Arrogant, wasn¡¯t he? Fine; it was his turn to be arrogant. The thing was, when Abraham said something, he meant it. If he barred Derrick from Falvaria, it would be a real problem. Atst, Derrick thrust the phone at Marie. ¡°Your brother¡¯s on the line.¡± ¡°Get that away from me!¡± she snapped. ¡°She won¡¯t take it-¡± ¡°Derrick!¡± The way Abraham barked those two sybles was dangerous,ced with a chilling threat. ¡°Hey, she won¡¯t answer you. Why are you threatening me?¡± Derrick shot back. Couldn¡¯t the man be reasonable for once? Sure, he had made mistakes with Ste back then, letting them be separated for nearly three years. But hadn¡¯t he found her now? ¡°Fine, fine¨Cyou¡¯ve scared me enough.¡± When it came to Abraham, Derrick always felt helpless, as if he could never win. He tried again, shoving the phone toward Marie. ¡°Take it, will you? Please? I¡¯m begging you here.¡± 17:17 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 765 Can¡¯t Believe It¡¯s Him Marie rolled her eyes at him. Derrick kept shooting her desperate looks. 0: What could he do? Even if he wasn¡¯t wrong in this matter, Abraham was stronger. 7 +8 Pearls The weaker man was always the one who had to swallow his pride, take the threats, and endure. Seeing Derrick¡¯s pitiful face, Marie finally snatched the phone, pressed it to her ear, and growled, ¡°Talk. You¡¯ve got three sentences.¡± Her tone left no doubt- If he failed to soothe her in those three lines, she¡¯d be done with him; she wouldn¡¯t even call him brother anymore, and she¡¯d steal his wife just to spite him. Hearing her voice again, Abraham exhaled in relief. Yes, she was furious; but at least she was still willing to speak. What she didn¡¯t know was that the part that would truly enrage her was still ahead. ¡°Do you remember why Victor came to the Dawson family in the first ce?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Victor?¡± Of course, she remembered. Victor¡­ Even before he joined Abraham, his own power had been rising like dawn spreading across the world. And after following Abraham all these years, that momentum had only grown; his influence spread like wildfire, yet he never made a move, always holding back, conserving his strength. Until Abraham asked just now, Marie had nearly forgotten the reason Victor had first aligned with him. But his question brought the memory flooding back. ¡°He said that if he ever sought revenge in the future, you¡¯d have to stand with him.¡± Wait¡­ Why bring that up now? ¡°Are you saying Victor¡¯s enemy¡­ is Ashen Pact?¡± That couldn¡¯t be, could it? Abraham simply nodded, offering no further exnation. Chapter 765 Can¡¯t Believe It¡¯s Him 57 +8 Pearls But Marie was left reeling. ¡°His power¡¯s been strong enough for years; if he wanted revenge, he could have taken it already.¡± Ashen Pact might look divided now. But back then, they had been unified; theirwork was deep¨Crooted and sprawling. If Victor had wanted revenge, surely he¡¯d had his chances long before this. Send Gifts She Took 766 Chapter 766 Don¡¯t me Me, me Him Marie hesitated. Why did it have to wait until now? Abraham said, ¡°Why do you think?¡± Maric blinked. What? ¡°Dan¡¯s identity, Victor has known about it all along,¡± Abraham said. Marie froze. All along? From the very beginning? So from the moment Dan appeared at my side, Victor already knew? Her breath caught in her throat. She sniffled, wanting to say more, but instead she only felt more wronged. ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have treated me like that. Do you know how desperate I was about Tessa?¡± That single exnation¨Cthat Victor had approached Abraham because of his own vendetta- was enough to make Marie¡¯s anger dissolvepletely. What she felt now was grievance, not fury. If it was for Victor¡¯s revenge, then of course she would have done everything she could to help. ¡°Just cooperate with him,¡± Abraham said. ¡°It¡¯s already started?¡± He gave a brief nod. ¡°Mm.¡± Marie fell silent. So this was Victor¡¯s revenge? Not my brother¡¯s game of chess¨Cit was Victor¡¯s all along. Victor¡­ Over the years, he had done so much for Abraham; they were more than partners¨Cthey were brothers. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the reason Victor never acted against Ashen Pact before¡­ was because of me and Dan?¡± Her voice carried a trace of gloom as she asked. She had to admit, Victor had been in and out of the Dawson family home for years. He wasn¡¯t just Abraham¡¯s brother¨Cin¨Carms; in many ways, he¡¯d treated the Dawson family like his own. During the holidays, Victor almost always spent them with the Dawsons. Chapter 766 Don¡¯t me Me, me Him +8 Pearls ¡°Since things between you and Dan are finished, let Victor finally settle the weight he¡¯s been carrying all this time,¡± Abraham said. Marie could only purse her lips. Abraham sighed. Victor had already moved against Ashen Pact; there was no way he would stop now. Marie understood that. ¡°I know,¡± she said softly. She didn¡¯t argue further. Victor¡¯s matter had already reached this point; she couldn¡¯t, and wouldn¡¯t, stand in his way anymore. She never would have guessed that, all those years ago, Victor had spared Ashen Pact once¨Cjust because of her and Dan. She was about to hang up when Derrick suddenly grabbed the phone. ¡°Wait, Abraham.¡± ¡°If you try stirring up trouble again, I¡¯ll deal with you myself when I get back,¡± Abraham warned. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t stir up anything¡­¡± Derrick was about ready to explode. Abraham¡¯s presence pressed through the line, suffocating. ¡°Fine, fine, my bad!¡± Derrick conceded. Truthfully, he hadn¡¯t said much tofort Marie either; he¡¯d been angry himself. And when people were angry, kind words were thest thing toe out. ¡°Anyway,¡± Derrick pressed, ¡°the stuff I snatched from Ashen Pact¡ªthat¡¯s mine, right?¡± Forget everything else; this was what mattered to him most. He had risked plenty to get his hands on it! Abraham didn¡¯t bother responding. He simply hung up. The sound of disconnection echoed in Derrick¡¯s ear. ¡°Tch, shameless!¡± He muttered, ¡°We¡¯ve already cleared things up, but he never said he¡¯d give back what he seized from the Tom family!¡± Chapter 766 Don¡¯t me Me, me Him Three years ago¡­ +8 Pearls When Ste went missing, Abraham had learned Derrick yed a part in it; he hadn¡¯t gone easy on the Tom family at all. By then, Derrick had already fled abroad. Enraged, Abraham not only sent men after him but alsoshed out at the Tom family in retaliation. At the time, many of the Tom family¡¯s projects fell into Abraham¡¯s hands; he¡¯d nearly destroyed thempletely. Marie shot Derrick a re. ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth¡­¡± Derrick grumbled. Derrick thought. But really, Abraham had taken all those things from the Tom family back then, and now what? Just let it slide? The misunderstanding was gone; shouldn¡¯t he return what wasn¡¯t his? What kind of logic was that¡­ Meanwhile, Ste was on the phone with Tessa. When Tessa heard what Ste had to say, she was stunned. ¡°Marie¡¯s that frantic?¡± At that moment, Tessa was nestled in Victor¡¯s arms; hearing that Marie and Abraham had been shouting at each other over this left her chilled. Marie had even wanted to drag Ste away because of it. A cold sweat ran down Tessa¡¯s back. Even without witnessing it firsthand, she could practically feel the fire of Marie¡¯s temper. ¡°She¡¯s really anxious,¡± Ste said. ¡°I feel so guilty now!¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly Ste¡¯s fault. But she had known where Tessa was and hadn¡¯t told Marie; that was a sin in itself. Tessa heard the guilt in Ste¡¯s voice. ¡°Then maybe I should just call Marie¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Right now she thinks you¡¯re with my brother; at least that keeps her from panicking. If she¡¯s this angry just knowing you¡¯re with Abraham, imagine how she¡¯d react if you called¡ªshe¡¯d blow up even worse.¡± 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 766 Don¡¯t me Me, me Him ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Tessa admitted. ?? 57 8 Pearls Still, something about it felt off. ¡°Anyway,¡± Ste said, ¡°this is all part of the bigger picture. We should just sit tight; doing more will only mess things up.¡± Either way, as long as Marie believed Tessa was with Abraham, she wouldn¡¯t worry anymore. Send Gifts She Took 767 5.3K ( 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 767 Rx, She¡¯s Busy Anyway With that thought, Ste felt a little lighter; Tessa, hearing her say it, also felt somewhat relieved. +8 Pearls After all, whether she was in Victor¡¯s hands or Abraham¡¯s, it made no difference to Marie. But still¡­ ¡°Hey, what exactly is all this about? It clearly started because of me, but now it feels like it has. nothing to do with me anymore.¡± Ste was speechless. Well, that¡¯s¡­ ¡°You know, now that you mention it, you might be right.¡± This whole mess had started because of Tessa. At first, it seemed like all Ashen Pact had to do was hand her over, and everything would be fine. But in the end¡­ Tessa wasn¡¯t even with Ashen Pact. What had begun because of her no longer revolved around her; her role had be insignificant. It had shifted from a matter of demanding her return to an all¨Cout carve¨Cup of Ashen Pact. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about my mom now,¡± Tessa said. ¡°Rx; Ashen Pact is already in total chaos. They don¡¯t have the time or the focus to go your mom.¡± after ¡°Victor told them to hand her over!¡± Tessa pressed. Ste hesitated. Uh¡­ that¡­ ¡°There¡¯s nothing they can do; their heads are spinning right now. They can¡¯t even think straight, let alone figure out what¡¯s going on with your mom.¡± Tessa went quiet. She¡¯s right¡­ that really is the case. Ashen Pact was in disarray! Just like before, when they¡¯d been told to find her¡­ it hadn¡¯t just been Marie turning Ashen Pact upside down; Ashen Pact¡¯s own people had torn their ce apart without even realizing it. 14 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 ¡­ :. Chapter 267 Rx, She¡¯s Busy Anyway Tessa was dumbfounded. ¡°What on earth is this all about?¡± +8 Pearis ¡°Who cares,¡± Ste said. ¡°As long as that old bastard is having a rough time, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Tessa bit her lip. Hearing that made her feel even better. When she thought about how her mother had kept her distance all these years, she realized Ashen Pact¡¯s people had probably always been watching her. That was why, in her anger back then, she¡¯d taken something so important. They hadn¡¯t given her or her mother any peace all these years; it served them right to suffer now. ¡°I just heard Derrick snatched the stuff from those twins,¡± Ste added. ¡°Good¨Clet him rob them blind! Tell Marie to grab whatever she can get her hands on,¡± Tessa said. The moment those twins were mentioned, Tessa grew even more animated. And hearing they¡¯d been robbed¨Coh, that was satisfying. But just picturing their faces¡­ ¡°Ste, I¡¯ve always suspected those twins weren¡¯t even Dale¡¯s,¡± she muttered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter whose they are,¡± Ste said. ¡°Right now, don¡¯t say anything else¨Cjust grab what you can.¡± ¡°Have Marie do it.¡± Tessa wouldn¡¯t dare call Marie herself; she was afraid Marie would tear her apart. ¡°Got it,¡± Ste said. Truthfully, she wasn¡¯t eager to poke Marie either. Marie was furious; best not to provoke her at all. The two of them kept talking for quite a while before hanging up. Tessa left the room. 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 767 Rx, She¡¯s Busy Anyway She found Victor on the phone. From the receiver came Marie¡¯s voice. ¡°Victor, just tell me how you want me to cooperate with you.¡± Her tone was sharp, tinged with agitation, like she was on the verge of losing it. Tessa froze. Cooperate? Cooperate with what? Victor frowned, ncing at her as she lingered in the doorway, clearly rattled. 57 B Pearls Obviously, after learning the truth from Ste, just hearing Marie¡¯s voice was enough to make Tessa flinch. He gave her a sidelong look, then spoke into the phone with all seriousness, ¡°Keep robbing.¡± Tessa¡¯s heart was already pounding; when she heard him tell Marie to keep going, she panicked even more. Couldn¡¯t he at least keep Marie out of it? That way, when she found out I was with Victor, she wouldn¡¯t be so furious. ¡°Okay,¡± Marie replied. She hung up. Victor looked at Tessa. ¡°Come here.¡± She shuffled forward like a scolded child, lips pouting, eyes brimming with grievance as though she might burst into tears any moment. Victor yanked her into his arms, tilted her chin, and kissed her hard. When he finally let go, she still looked pitiful. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Marie¡¯s going to want to tear me apart,¡± Tessa muttered. ¡°She¡¯ll only want to bite you; she won¡¯t kill you.¡± Tessa blinked. Being bitten is still pretty scary¡­ Her head was spinning whenever it came to Marie now. Victor let out a lowugh at her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; she has more than enough on her : Chapter 767 Rx, She¡¯s Busy Anyway te. She won¡¯t have the time to bother with you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± 57 +8 Pearls ¡°The Tom family¡¯s situation has gotten messy,¡± he exined. ¡°Once things wrap up here in Noctarth, when they return to Falvaria, the Tom family will keep them busy enough.¡± Hearing that, Tessa¡¯s lips twitched. Send Gifts She Took 768 Chapter 768 Mutual Benefit +8 Pearts Tessa thought. Ugh¡­ back in Rivermount, whenever I saw the rivalries between those powerful families, I always thought it was such a headache. Why fight? Why Yet here I was now, caught in the same struggle, the same battle for power. I hadn¡¯t taken part directly, but the chaos Ashen Pact had fallen into, wasn¡¯t it all because of me? ¡°Then you¡¯ll help Marie too, won¡¯t you?¡± Tessa asked cautiously, ncing at Victor. His hand rested on her slender waist. The moment he heard her question, his palm tightened instinctively. He lowered his head, locking eyes with her pitiful gaze. ¡°You want me to help her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s helping both you and me this time, isn¡¯t she?¡± At the start, it had only been because of Tessa. But once Victor revealed his true intentions toward Ashen Pact, it was clear¨CMarie was helping him too. And Marie herself had just called, asking how she could support him. Victor let out a low chuckle. ¡°If you say I should help, then I¡¯ll help.¡± Tessa blinked. What? Wait a second¡­ did he even hear me? Marie wasn¡¯t just stirring things up with Ashen Pact because of me¡ª she was doing it for Victor too. At least from here on, whatever Marie did would be to help him. When Tessa fell silent, his smile deepened. ¡°Do you want me to help her?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± What kind of question was that? 3 = = Marie had turned Ashen Pact upside down these past few days for her sake, If Marie ended up shing with the Tom family, they would have no choice but to stand on her side. ¡°Since you say so, then it will be so,¡± Victor said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 768 Mutual Benefit 157 +8 Pearls ¡°But if you want me to step in,¡± he added, ¡°my price is steep. What do you n to offer as payment?¡± Tessa froze. Huh? ¡°Wait, what are you¡­¡± Tessa thought. He wanted ? We were talking about helping Marie! The rough pad of his finger traced along her delicate chin. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re the one asking me to help her.¡± The word asking carried weight when he said it. Tessa¡¯s eyes sense at all. widened. What kind of logic is that? Even if I¡¯m not the best at arguing¡­ that makes no Again, she said nothing. His smile widened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°If you want to help, then help; if not, forget it!¡± Tessa huffed, wriggling in his arms. But his grip on her waist was unyielding; she couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°Let me go,¡± she snapped. ¡°Then I won¡¯t help?¡± Victor countered. Her eyes narrowed. Wait¡­ is he serious? She red at him. ¡°She¡¯s helping you right now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s mutual benefit,¡± he said smoothly. Tessa was speechless. Mutual benefit. Fine. In their world, maybe that was exactly how it worked. But if Marie shed with the Tom family and Victor refused to help, then fine¨Che could keep out of it. As for her, she would definitely stand with Maric. But her own strength was limited¡­ ¡°So help her, won¡¯t you?¡± She sniffled and looked up at him. 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 768 Mutual Benefit ¡°Payment?¡± Victor asked again. Her lips twitched. Payment! They¡¯d already gone over this before; the few scraps she had, he¡¯d never take seriously. ¡°Then whatever you want from Ashen Pact, just take it!¡± she blurted. And just like that, Tessa had sold out the entire Ashen Pact without hesitation. Victorughed¨Ctrulyughed this time. His grip on her waist tightened, pulling her closer still. So close their breaths mingled, tangled together. ¡°How many days left?¡± he asked. ¡°Hm?¡± She blinked. ¡°What¡¯s left¨Chow many days until it¡¯s gone?¡± Her face flushed crimson in an instant. Seriously? We were just having a serious conversation, and he- ??? +8 Pearl This man, who had once seemed so cold and restrained, as though incapable of emotion¨Chow could he be so shamelessly persistent when it came to that? ¡°Why the blush? It¡¯s not your first time.¡± Seeing her shy like that, his face softened with rare tenderness. He pinched her pouty cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you anymore.¡± The more he spoke, the more outrageous he became! Didn¡¯t he realize how blunt¨Chow brazen¨Chis words sounded? Before she could argue further, he tilted her head back and kissed her again¡­ And then, his hand wandered, probing boldly. Her whole body went rigid. ¡°You-¡± But before she could finish, his lips imed hers once more, cutting her off. She was too small, too fragile; against Victor, she had nowhere to run. Chapter 768 Mutual Benefit 57 +8 Pearf Victor¡¯s call with Marie sealed the fate of Ashen Pact¨Cthe chaos would only deepen. Every member of Ashen Pact was fuming¡­ Especially Dan. Though the three Morris men had been at odds for years, on one point they quickly agreed, Tessa was not with Ashen Pact. Send Gifts 5.3K = The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 769 Chapter 769 Never In Line Anyway 48 Pearls As Victor and Maric pressed harder and harder, Manny held back from losing his temper at Dan, only because he realized Dan was already taking the heaviest blows. Still, his tone was sharp. ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to have a thing with that Marie? Why is sheing at you so viciously?¡± He was ready to explode. Tessa really wasn¡¯t in our hands, she wasn¡¯t! Why couldn¡¯t these people understand that? Yet somehow, the me for her disappearance had all been dumped onto Ashen Pact. How does that make any sense? If Manny hadn¡¯t brought up that old entanglement, Dan might have stayed calm; but the moment it was mentioned, his face darkened instantly. He shot Manny a chilling re. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Manny bristled. ¡°I¡¯m asking you straight¡ªdo you even know how to handle a woman?¡± ¡°I heard that when you went to Falvaria, she married Derrick. Is that true?¡± Dan¡¯s expression went nk. How had I never noticed before that this bastard Manny had such a talent for stabbing people right in the heart? Every syble he flung at me sliced straight into my chest, each one a de that stole my breath. His fury burned so hot it hurt. ¡°Worry about yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying all of this could be because of you and that woman. We¡¯re the ones paying for it, don¡¯t you get that?¡± Seeing Dan lose his temper, Manny snapped right back. What the heck kind of mess is this? At that, Dale seemed to wake from a dream. He suddenly remembered Dan¡¯s time in Falvaria with Marie. Dale snorted coldly. ¡°Stop saying that, I say this is all your doing.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Manny jumped in. Once they realized this tidal wave crashing over Ashen Pact might have started with Dan¡¯s personal affairs, both Dale and Manny nearly blew their tops. 17:18 Thu, Sep 25 ¡­ Chapter 769 Never in Line Anyway What the heck is this supposed to be? Dan¡¯s face was thunderous. ¡°Fine, say it¡¯s because of me.¡± He didn¡¯t care. ¡°You-¡± Dale began. ?? 57 +8 Pearls. ¡°If it¡¯s because of you, then fix it!¡± Manny barked. ¡°Do you even know how to coax a woman?¡± The more he talked, the hotter he got. Dale added his voice. ¡°Whatever¡¯s between you and her¨Csettle it.¡± ¡°You ought to learn from Dad how to handle women,¡± Manny jabbed. Dale froze. The air went still. Especially when Dale turned his gaze on Manny¨Cso cold it was as though he could swallow him whole. Dan gave a sharp, mirthlessugh. ¡°You¡¯re right; I really should learn from him. Only, his kind of talent¡­¡¯ 99 He paused. Then, meeting Dale¡¯s dark stare, his smile curved with biting mockery. ¡°His kind of talent- who knows if it¡¯s really about coaxing women, or just coaxing his own delusions of grandeur?¡± The air froze again. Especially thatst line¨Ccoaxing his own delusions¨Cdripped with pointed meaning. Who knew what Dan had been implying in the shadows of his words. He walked out. That left only Manny and Dale behind. Dale, furious, downed an entire ss of water, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in his chest. ¡°Dad,¡± Manny fumed, ¡°he¡¯s getting more and more out of line with you!¡± And what had he meant by those words? Especially thatst part, it carried the sting of futility, like chasing smoke with bare hands. Chapter 769 Never In Line Anyway Dale lit a cigar. ¡°When has he ever been in line with me?¡± His voice was thick with irritation. Manny fell silent. He had to admit, Dale was right¨CDan had never been in line. Dan headed downstairs. He ran straight into Lina, who called out, ¡°Dan.¡± 57 +8 Pearls Though she held plenty of resentment toward him¨Cresentment that he was always at odds with their mother¨Cshe still showed him respect on the surface. Her mind was sharp. Especially with Dan proving his capabilities year after year, she couldn¡¯t tell who would ultimatelye out on top¨CDan, or her own side. Dan ignored herpletely, walking straight past. Behind him, Lina¡¯s lips twisted with annoyance. What¡¯s there to be so arrogant about? All of Ashen Pact¡¯s troubles right now came from him. In the study, Lina burst in. ¡°Dad, this has gone too far. Are we really going to just sit here and wait to die?¡± Her voice was burning with rage, Just thinking about the call she¡¯d received that morning was enough to make her blood boil. Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 770 Chapter 770 I Don¡¯t Know Either + Pearls ¡°This is all because of Dan,¡± Manny snapped. ¡°He¡¯s the one who provoked the Dawson family¡¯s princess!¡± ¡°What?¡± Wait, what? How did it change again? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be because of that little brat Diana gave birth to? By now, the entire Ashen Pact had been thrown into confusion. Meanwhile, Dan got into the car. He immediately dialed Marie. Because she had been hounding Ashen Pact for Tessa, she had reluctantly taken him off her cklist. The moment the call connected, Dan gritted his teeth. ¡°Marie, I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not, Tessa really isn¡¯t with Ashen Pact.¡± ¡°Instead of throwing all your forces at us, you should hurry up and look elsewhere. If you waste too much time and she ends up dead, you¡¯ll just me Ashen Pact anyway!¡± Every word came out like an explosion; he was that desperate. Right now, he wished he could rip out his own heart and shove it into her hands, make her see for herself that he wasn¡¯t lying. But Marie, unlike before¨Cwhen she¡¯d raged and demanded Tessa at every turn¨Cwas unusually calm. Facing Dan¡¯s fury, she replied evenly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You should exin it to Victor,¡± she said, ¡°or to my brother.¡± Dan froze. Victor? Abraham? ¡°What do you mean?¡± He didn¡¯t get it. What does that even mean¨Ctalk to Victor or Abraham? Wasn¡¯t it always her demanding Tessa from me? Screaming, hysterical, every single time. Now suddenly she¡¯s telling me to take it up with them? 17:19 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 770 Don¡¯t Know Either ¡°No special meaning,¡± Marie said. ¡°From now on, it¡¯s not my responsibility.¡± Dan stared at the phone. Not her responsibility? What? Just earlier, sparring with Dale and Manny had already left his head about to explode. Now Marie¡¯s words stunned himpletely. +8 Pearls Especially her tone¨Csteady, almost detached; nothing like the woman who¡¯d been on the of tearing him apart before. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± She was stepping back from this? verge That was like the sun rising in the west. Before, when she came after him for Tessa, her rage had been enough to swallow him whole. And now she said calmly it wasn¡¯t her concern anymore? Dan had no idea what she was scheming; there had to be some trap in this. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± she said. ¡°Serious? An hour ago you went after my Sna Lake holdings!¡± Dan nearly exploded. In just a few days, the Morris family¡¯s private assets had taken heavy hits. They hadn¡¯tpletely lost them yet, but with outside forces interfering, serious problems had arisen. Operations were in such disarray that production had been restricted for days. Barely an hour ago, she had struck at his Sna Lake property; now she imed Tessa was none of her business? ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± he ground out. ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± she replied. ¡°Then what- 99 ¡°I have to cooperate with my brother, and with Victor. This is what they want. Dan froze. What? What they wanted? 17:19 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 770 Don¡¯t Know Either Victor he could almost understand¨Cbecause of Tessa. ¡°What¡¯s with your brother? I¡¯ve never had any grudge with him!¡± Dan¡¯s fury boiled over. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marie said simply. Dan stared at the phone. This call of hers had only two answers. It¡¯s not my responsibility. I don¡¯t know. It left him utterly dumbfounded. ?? +8 Pearls Just earlier, Manny and Dale had been raging, insisting this whole disaster had been set off by his past with Marie. But now¡­ Marie¡¯s simple words left Dan¡¯s head spinning. Ashen Pact was in chaos; and so was the Morris family, everyst one of them. ¡°Marie!¡± Dan growled. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t ask me. I really don¡¯t handle these things anymore,¡± she said. And before he could respond, she hung up. The sharp beep beep of disconnection left Dan¡¯s face darker than a scorched pot. What the heck¡­ He nced at Conan in the driver¡¯s seat, his temples throbbing. Not her responsibility? The very woman who had been the fiercest, who had practically wanted to rip him apart, was now saying she wasn¡¯t involved? Dan narrowed his eyes and dialed again¨Conly to find he¡¯d been blocked. Blocked? At this moment? Was she really stepping away from it all? ? ??? Seething, Dan called Derrick instead. Derrick happened to be with Maric. He¡¯d heard every word of Dan¡¯s earlier call. Marie sat there, looking utterly spent. ¡°Tell me¡­ what exactly did my brother do?¡± Chapter 770 I Don¡¯t Know Either She wasn¡¯t lying. In that instant, Marie understood why her brother had never told her anything before. Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 771 Chapter 771 Give It Back Because Marie couldn¡¯t fake it! ¡°Derrick, he¡¯s calling me again!¡± +8 Pearls ¡°Answer it; just tell him it¡¯s out of your hands,¡± Marie said in utter despair. Derrick¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You¡¯re sure you won¡¯t drive him insane with that?¡± Everything had been blowing up just fine, and now suddenly it wasn¡¯t their problem anymore. Anyone would lose it if that got dropped on them¡­ Marie gave a sharp ¡°hmph.¡± ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s just not my responsibility!¡± All they had to worry about now was stealing from Ashen Pact¡­ If Dan wanted the Ashen Pact mess sorted out, he¡¯d have to ask Victor and her brother. Derrick let out augh. Watching Marie like this, he suddenly found her kind of cute; she really had no talent for pretending. He picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What the heck does that woman Marie, mean?¡± Dan¡¯s voice came through gritted teeth. Derrick raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°Who else would I ask? You¡¯re with her!¡± That only stoked Dan¡¯s fury. The fact that Marie was always with Derrick was a thorn in his side; these past weeks, he¡¯d been dying to rip it out. But his world had been in such chaos, he hadn¡¯t had the chance. ¡°Put Marie on!¡± Just hearing Derrick¡¯s voice irritated him; he wanted nothing to do with him. 17:19 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 771 Give It Back In Dan¡¯s eyes, Derrick was nothing but a petty opportunist- A vulture circling over weakness. Derrick nced at Marie. ¡°He wants you.¡± +8 Pearls ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not my responsibility; stop asking!¡± Marie¡¯s voice was tangled with frustration. Dan heard her and his face darkened even more. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not your responsibility? Make her exin it to me clearly!¡± She had dragged the entire Morris family into this, and now she imed Tessa¡¯s matter wasn¡¯t her problem. What kind of logic was that? Derrick cut in. ¡°It really isn¡¯t her responsibility anymore. You should be talking to Victor and Abraham.¡± Hearing it again from Derrick¡¯s mouth nearly made Dan explode. ¡°Not her responsibility? Then what about you?¡± Over the past few days of raiding Ashen Pact, Derrick and Marie had been the most aggressive -their teamwork ufortably seamless. Much as he hated to admit it, Dan had to face the fact, when those two moved as one, they were frighteningly effective. Sure enough- After Marie¡¯s ¡°not my responsibility,¡± Derrick gave the exact same answer. ¡°This isn¡¯t my responsibility either.¡± ¡°Derrick!¡± Dan ground his teeth. That was thest straw. Not their responsibility? Then what the heck had the two of them been doing to Ashen Pact these past days? ¡°This really has nothing to do with us,¡± Derrick said tly. He bit down on so hard made Dan instantly catch the undertone. It sent him over the edge. ¡°What the heck do you two even mean?¡± They had stirred up such a storm, and now with a single line¨Cnot our responsibility¨Cthey 17:19 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 771 Give It Back thought it was finished? Dan was seething. : Facing Derrick and Marie now, it was obvious, they were washing their hands of it. ¡°The meaning is, it¡¯s out of our hands,¡± Derrick repeated. Dan wanted nothing more than to tear Derrick¡¯s mouth apart. How could he say those words with such calm? Out of their hands- ¡°Not your responsibility, huh? Fine. Then give back everything you stole from me!¡± If Tessa¡¯s situation had nothing to do with them anymore, then shouldn¡¯t they return everything they¡¯d taken from Ashen Pact in her name? Dan¡¯s voice rose, ragged with fury. But Derrick answered coolly, ¡°We can¡¯t return it. She can¡¯t either.¡± The air on the line went dead still. +8 Pearls Only Dan¡¯s ragged breathing remained. ¡°Derrick, tell me what the heck you mean by this?¡± He said Tessa wasn¡¯t part of Ashen Pact; Derrick and Marie said it wasn¡¯t their responsibility. Now he demanded everything back, and Derrick said they couldn¡¯t return it? What kind of twisted logic was this? What kind of lunatic operated like that? Dan felt like his organs were about to burst with rage. ¡°It means this isn¡¯t our responsibility anymore, but we¡¯re not going to keep taking losses,¡± Derrick said. ¡°Keep taking losses?¡± Hearing those words, Dan almost cked out with fury. They had stripped Ashen Pact bare these past few days, and Derrick dared to talk to him about their losses? Who had lost more than Ashen Pact? Chapter 771 Give It Back Dan was gasping for breath. 57 ¡¹ +8 Pearls ¡°You think raiding all that didn¡¯t cost manpower and resources?¡± Derrick shot back. ¡°If we gave it all back, wouldn¡¯t our losses be even greater?¡± That did it. Dan waspletely gone. Was Derrick actually trying to make this sound reasonable? Who in the world would buy such nonsense? She Took 772 Chapter 772 Don¡¯t Look At Dan ¡°Derrick!¡± Dan roared. 18 Pearl ¡°From now on, anything about Tessa, you go to Victor and Abraham,¡± Derrick said, repeating exactly what Marie had told him before hanging up the call. The abrupt click on the line snapped thest taut string in Dan¡¯s head; it broke with a sharp twang. Not their responsibility. Losses. Those two phrases kept pounding against his mind, driving his reason into chaos. On Derrick and Marie¡¯s side- Derrick¡¯s strong hands pressed against the armrests of the single sofa, caging Marie inside his arms. His overwhelming presence surrounded her, and Marie instinctively tried to retreat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Reluctant now?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°As if!¡± Hadn¡¯t she just told Victor on the phone? Whenever Victor needed her cooperation, she¡¯d give it; and Victor had said to keep raiding. So of course, she had to keep raiding! Derrick thought. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to keep going?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°Of course. What else am I supposed to do? My brother gave the order!¡± The moment things turned into a conflict, she had no choice but to side with her own. As for Dan¡­ After that incident back then, she had cut himpletely out of the circle of those she considered her own. Derrick let out a lowugh. ¡°You¡¯re really sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! I have to follow my brother!¡± ¡°Look, this spot¡­¡± 17:19 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 772 Don¡¯t Look At Dan Marie pulled out a map and pointed to a ce she had circled. 57 +8 Peans The moment Derrick saw it, his expression tightened. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, you really are a ruthless woman.¡± If that ce was targeted, then Ashen Pact- The destruction this time would be catastrophic; getting back on their feet would be nearly impossible. ¡°Then that¡¯s the ce,¡± Marie said firmly, without the faintest trace of hesitation. From the steel in her gaze, Derrick understood, this was a woman who could not be betrayed. Anyone who did¡­ would pay with ruin. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her. After this stretch of time together, he had grown more and more used to doing that¨Cespecially drawn to her taste¡­. They had grown up side by side, and never once had he thought Marie had anything womanly about her. But now¡­ Now he realized her taste was intoxicating. Marie, however, wasn¡¯t enjoying it. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna throw up, let go!¡± The moment she said gonna throw up, Derrick¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You disgusted by me?¡± ¡°Ugh, no! Just move, I really can¡¯t hold it¡­¡± Marie shoved him hard, bolting toward the bathroom with her hand mped over her mouth. Derrick frowned. When the sound of violent retching echoed from the bathroom, his jaw tightened. Abraham really harmed his own sister this time. Once we get back to Falvaria, I¡¯ll have to settle that score no matter what. He pulled out his phone and called Sebastian. The line picked up quickly. ¡°Bro.¡± 2141 Chapter 772 Don¡¯t Look At Dan ¡°Find a psychiatrist.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A psychiatrist? Wait¨Cwhat? ¡°You¡¯ve D +8 Pea got issues? Doesn¡¯t make sense. You¡¯ve been crazy for years already! What¡¯s a little more? Why bother with a doctor?¡± Derrick wanted to sew Sebastian¡¯s mouth shut. More and more, he felt Sebastian needed to spend time with Yan Li¨Clet him cure that damned mouth of his. ¡°It¡¯s your sister¨Cinw!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°This whole mess has her under too much pressure. I think she needs to see someone,¡± Derrick said. Marie? A psychiatrist? In Sebastian¡¯s mind, Marie¡¯s inner strength was practically unmatched. ¡°Why would she need one? I doubt it¡¯s that serious.¡± ¡°She just puked her guts out! You tell me¡ªis that serious or not?¡± Sebastian¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°That¡¯s pretty serious. Yeah, she should see a doctor.¡± If her stress was bad enough to make her throw up, then Marie¡¯s burden must be enormous. Thinking that, even Sebastian had to admit¡ªshe probably needed a psychiatrist. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find the best one.¡± Derrick grunted in acknowledgment and hung up. Marie had vomited until it was bile. He handed her a bottle of water. ¡°By rights, now that we know Tessa¡¯s with your brother, what¡¯s there to stress over? Or is it you can¡¯t bear to go after Dan?¡± The moment he said Dan¡¯s name, his tone turned icy. Marie, fuming, snatched the bottle and smacked him with it. ¡°What kind of crap are you talking?¡± Chapter 772 Don¡¯t Look At Dan ?? 57 +8 Pearls Can¡¯t bear to go after Dan? How could he even say that! ¡°Then what¡¯s got you so stressed?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°What¡¯s got you throwing up like this?¡± Send Gifts She Took 773 Chapter 773 Don¡¯t Call Her Lady +3 Pearls Damn it! Marie couldn¡¯t deny it¡­ the moment she got nervous, she really did want to throw up. These past weeks had practically driven her insane. She twisted open the bottle cap and rinsed her mouth with water. ¡°Stop saying crap like that.¡± Every time Derrick tested her feelings for Dan, Marie took it as a reminder of how foolish she had once been. Looking back now, what else could it have been but stupidity¨Cher feelings for Dan back then? So unbelievably stupid¡­ beyond belief. Derrick gave a mockingugh. ¡°So, shall I move?¡± ¡°Do it! My brother probably didn¡¯t tell me before because he was worried we¡¯d be soft about it and drag Victor down.¡± Which meant they had to be even more ruthless now. Let Abraham see clearly¨Chis sister was nothing like him, pining away in love! Though at least his love had been for little Ste; if it had been some other woman, it would¡¯ve been a nightmare. At Marie¡¯s word, Derrick immediately set his sights on Ashen Pact¡¯s most critical resource stronghold; he even sent thergest force there. When Victor learned what was happening, he followed closely behind. The winds over Ashen Pact turned ck, thick with storm clouds. Ashen Pact itself was shaking to its core! Every day brought new losses; every time eyes opened in the morning, Ashen Pact had lost something else. When Dale heard the news, hepletely lost control. ¡°They really did use Tessa as a cover!¡± he spat through gritted teeth. Trevor lowered his head, face grave. 173 17:20 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 773 Dont Call Her Lady 57 +8 Pearls Clearly, the situation was spiraling out of control, and there was nothing more they could say. ¡°They still haven¡¯t found her?¡± Dale demanded. They were Manny and Dan. Those brothers had been at each other¡¯s throats for years; their enmity so deep no one had ever dared hope they might one day work together. And yet now¡­ Trevor shook his head heavily. ¡°They haven¡¯t.¡± Dale¡¯s face went ck. They hadn¡¯t. They still hadn¡¯t found her! That was disastrous news for Ashen Pact. Tessa might only be their pretext, but in their eyes, if they could just find her and hand her over, at least it would take the edge off. But now¡­ ¡°Who the heck took her?¡± Dale fumed. ¡°That¡¯s what makes it worse,¡± Trevor answered. ¡°Not knowing who took her¨Cthat¡¯s the most infuriating part!¡± That news was maddening. Artemis stepped into the study just in time to catch Trevor¡¯s words. He had actually addressed that wretched woman¡¯s daughter with respect. Her expression darkened. ¡°Trevor, maybe your memory isn¡¯t so good.¡± ¡°Madam?¡± Trevor blinked, not immediately catching her meaning. Artemis gave a cold snort. ¡°She isn¡¯t one of ours. She¡¯s brought nothing but disaster to the Morris family. How could she ever be counted as part of us?¡± Her face was stormy. Her sudden harsh tone made both Dale and Trevor pause. After all, Artemis had always been gentle, soft¨Cspoken; polite to everyone. When had she ever sounded like this? Dale stared at her, almost as if seeing this side of her for the first time. 17:20 Thu, Sep 25 Chapter 773 Don¡¯t Call Her Lady He had no idea¨CArtemis was truly furious. : +8 Peard The past days, resources she held, and those of her son and daughter, had all fallen into chaos and plunder. Some weren¡¯tpletely seized yet, but the disruption alone had caused devastating losses. The fire inside her had reached its breaking point. So now, what good temper could she possibly show Dale? ¡°Artemis¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong? All this destruction in Ashen Pact was brought by her. So no, I¡¯ll never ept Tessa!¡± She had never been willing to ept Dale¡¯s child with another woman. In the past, she had still shown Dan courtesy, even magnanimity. But now, with this chance, she didn¡¯t even bother pretending when it came to Tessa. Dale drew a heavy breath, but said nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t call me cruel,¡± Artemis went on. ¡°With a stepdaughter like her, I simply can¡¯t like her.¡± Her words were blunt; a clear statement of her stance. Indirectly, it was also a warning to Dale¨Cwhen it came to Diana and her daughter, Artemis would be their enemy. ¡°Right now, we need to find Tessa first,¡± Dale said. ¡°Yes, madam, first we have to find Ms¡­¡± Trevor cut himself short under Artemis¡¯s sharp, dark stare. He quickly corrected himself, voice stiff. ¡°Find Ms. Miller.¡± Ms. Miller. Artemis gave a cold snort and said nothing more, ¡°Of course, she must be found as soon as possible,¡± Dale added. Send Gifts 5.3K She Took 774 The seturord Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 774 You¡¯re The Crazy One + Pearld What kind of mess was this? Something that had nothing to do with Ashen Pact in the first ce, and now they were being told to hand someone over. If they couldn¡¯t, the matter wouldn¡¯t end¡­ Dale waved his hand. ¡°Go search first.¡± Trevor nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± He left. Only Dale and Artemis remained. She drew in a deep breath. ¡°Duff, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m being heartless, do you?¡± Dale froze at her words, then shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°You know me; I don¡¯t care about anything. But this time, because of that mother and daughter, you¡¯ve suffered such heavy losses¨Cit makes me angry.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Dale gave a perfunctory nod. Right now, he had no energy left to respond to Artemis; all his focus was on finding Tessa. Sebastian moved quickly. The moment Derrick said Marie needed a psychiatrist, he had practically gone out and found one of the world¡¯s best. When Marie found out a psychiatrist had arrived, she nced at Derrick, her lips twitching. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re the one who needs your head examined.¡± ¡°Not my head¨Cyour heart.¡± Derrick¡¯s face was deadly serious. Was there even a difference? Either way, it was some kind of nervous system disorder. ¡°Come on,¡± Sebastian urged. ¡°Let the doctor check you. You can¡¯t just keep puking like this.¡± ¡°Check what? I¡¯m not sick!¡± A damn psychiatrist, really? Derrick must have a death wish. ¡°Most people with mental issues always im they¡¯re not sick,¡± Derrick said. The air went still. 17:20 Thu, Sep 25 N Chapter 774 You¡¯re The Crazy One Marie crossed her arms and red at him, danger radiating from her whole body. ¡°You just called me crazy?¡± Her voice had turned icy. 57 +8 Pearls Sebastian¡¯s heart jumped hard. No way¨Cthe princess is angry again. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t fight. Marie, my brother was just¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Marie shot him a look. That re was lethal. Sebastian swallowed hard. ¡°I¡¯ll shut up. I¡¯m out of here!¡± He had wanted to say Derrick was only thinking of her, but with Marie¡¯s expression like that, he didn¡¯t dare. Sebastian bolted. Marie turned back to Derrick, hands on her hips as she strode toward him. ¡°Are you out of your damn mind?¡± She¡¯d only thrown up once. And this bastard went and called in a psychiatrist? Shouldn¡¯t it have been a gastroenterologist? For the first time, Marie thought Derrick wasn¡¯t just a fool¡ªhe was an extraordinary fool. How could anyone in the world be such an idiot? Unbelievable! Before she could say more, Derrick yanked her into his arms. ¡°Ah!¡± Marie gasped. The next moment, his mouth covered her soft lips, swallowing down all the angry words she had lined up. She instinctively tried to fight him off. But when she became a woman before him, Derrick became very much a man. Marie struggled again, but he easily pinned her wrists. Both of them had long been starved of affection; that emptiness was like dry tinder. And now, their bodies sparking against each other, the emptiness ignited into a raging fire. 17:20 Thu, Sep 25 N Chapter 274 You¡¯re The Crazy One Five minutester¡­ Both of their breathing had grown uneven. : Derrick lifted her into his arms with case, as though she weighed nothing at all. 57 +8 Pearls That was when he noticed¨CMarie had grown so thin. Compared to that night, she was light as air. When did people waste away like this? When their bodies were worn down, and their minds exhausted. ¡°And you still say you don¡¯t need a psychiatrist? Look at you¨Cyou¡¯re skin and bones.¡± His face was stern, his tone grave. Dragged from the haze of passion, Marie snapped back to herself at those words. She bit down hard on his solid chest. Derrick caught the back of her neck. ¡°Marie, are you part dog?¡± She was furious. She bit him again, harder this time. ¡°Who the heck says being skinny means you need a psychiatrist? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t everyone on a diet belong in an asylum?¡± Psychiatrist this, psychiatrist that¡ª Marie felt like Derrick¡¯s twisted logic was enough to drive her insane. What kind of logic was this? ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say another word, okay?¡± Derrick relented. ¡°Hmph!¡± Marie turned her head away in a huff. But then Derrick pressed on. ¡°Just let the doctor take a look, alright?¡± ¡°Hey! I said-¡± ¡°Just one look!¡± Damn it! I really want to hit him¡­ But she couldn¡¯t beat Derrick, not even close. Still, she was furious¨Cwhat was she supposed to do? 17:20 Thu, Sep 25 N ¡­ A 57 Chapter 774 You¡¯re The Crazy One +8 Pearls In the end, after all his coaxing and pressing, Marie agreed to let the psychiatrist examine her. She finally realized¡ªif she didn¡¯t, Derrick would never let it go. And once she relented, Derrick was satisfied. Send Gifts 5.3K 17:21 Thu, Sep 25 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 775 Chapter 775 Marie Kicks The Helper ¡°Good girl.¡± He yfully pinched her little nose. But Marie, still fuming, wasn¡¯t buying it at all; she turned her head away with a huff. 45 +8 Pearls Watching her sulky expression, Derrick chuckled. ¡°After you see the doctor, I¡¯ll take you out for something good to eat.¡± Eat? Really? Did this man have any awareness that we were in Noctarth right now? Ashen Pact was in chaos! If those people saw us strolling around, carefree and rxed, wouldn¡¯t they be furious enough to want us dead? Marie thought. The psychiatrist had been brought in by Sebastian. At that moment, he was speaking with Marie alone. Derrick sat outside on the sofa, a lit cigar between his fingers. Sebastian sighed beside him. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. With a personality like hers, how could she possibly have a mental illness?¡± Even after bringing the doctor here, Sebastian still couldn¡¯t believe it. To him, with Marie¡¯s temperament, it was enough that she didn¡¯t drive others into mental breakdowns. Sebastina thought. Who could possibly drive her into one? Unbelievable; absolutely unbelievable. Derrick didn¡¯t answer, just took a drag of his cigar. ¡°Just Victor, and she¡¯s puking from the stress?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Just Victor?¡± Derrick echoed, his eyes cutting sidelong toward him. A low chuckle slipped out. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s only Victor?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what Victor means at Abraham¡¯s side?¡± Derrick asked tly. Sebastian froze. Of course, he knew. Victor was important¨Cextremely important¨Cto Abraham. 17:21 Thu, Sep 25 N Chapter 775 Mane Kicks The Helper :. D +R Fearts ¡°But that still wouldn¡¯t be enough to give the princess a full¨Con breakdown, right? Even if Abraham and Victor fell out, would Abraham really cast his sister aside?¡± In Sebastian¡¯s view, Marie had the Dawson family behind her! There was no way she¡¯d lose her mind over Victor. Derrick let out a cold snort. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how much of her heart is tied to the Dawson family.¡± Sebastian winced. Who doesn¡¯t know that? Everyone knew how much Marie loved the Dawson family. Still¡­ He couldn¡¯t believe it was enough to make her throw up or push her to the brink of copse. Just as the two of them were about to say more¡ª The door mmed open, followed by Marie¡¯s furious roar. ¡°Get out! What kind of quack did you bring me? Get the heck out!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the crazy one¨Cwait for the asylum! Bastard! If I don¡¯t beat you to death¡­ You¡¯re the one who belongs in an asylum¨Cyour whole damn family does!¡± The doctor stumbled out, disheveled. Derrick and Sebastian went quiet. The doctor hit the ground, scrambled up, and pushed his sses back on. Derrick frowned. Sebastian was dumbstruck; he hurried over to help the man up. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She¡¯s insanepletely insane! Hurry up and send her to the asylum!¡± the doctor shouted, furious. But before he could say more, an object came flying through the doorway and smacked him square on the forehead. He nearly fainted on the spot. Sebastian was stunned. What the- Sep 25 Chapter 775 Marie Kicks The Helper +8 Pears ¡°Lunatic! Maniac!¡± the doctor cursed, clutching his head as he stormed off. Sebastian stared into the room, stunned at the sight of Marie¡¯s zing fury. ¡°What kind of garbage did you find? No credentials and he dares call himself a doctor? He¡¯s the crazy one, can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sebastian blinked. But he had found a doctor, not some madman! Marie grabbed a water cup and hurled it at him. ¡°Since when does a psychiatrist start cutting people open the moment they walk in?¡± Marie¡¯s words stunned both of them cold. Sebastian stared nkly at Marie,pletely lost. Her anger spiked at his clueless face. ¡°Useless!¡± She mmed a surgical knife down at Sebastian¡¯s feet. Sebastian went quiet. What the heck had just happened? Marie was furious, unwilling to waste another word on him. ¡°Alright, slowly now,¡± Derrick said. ¡°Tell us what happened, hm?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m the one rushing things? You two are the unreliable ones!¡± Her anger only deepened at Derrick¡¯s calm tone. Sebastian scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a checkup?¡± ¡°Yeah, wasn¡¯t he supposed to treat me? Since when is that how you treat someone?¡± ¡°Then why¡¯d you two start fighting?¡± All they¡¯d done was bring in a doctor to examine Marie. Marie shot him a re, then, still too angry to hold back, marched over and kicked Sebastian hard. She Took 776 Chapter 776 Wait He¡¯s Actually A Patient 48 Pearls Sebastian was kicked so hard he froze; his mind went nk as he stared, dumbfounded. ¡°Wait, Marie, what the heck was that?¡± Right now, he was starting to think maybe the doctor hadn¡¯t been lying after all. Marie¡­ she really had lost it. When Derrick first said Marie had some mental issues, he didn¡¯t believe it. He thought there was nothing in this world that could push her that far. But now, he believed it. ¡°Marie, what kind of crazy look is that?¡± She was staring at him like he was some lunatic. Even if she wasn¡¯t actually insane, she was about to be driven insane by these two idiots. ¡°Keep staring. Go on¨Csee if I don¡¯t gouge your eyes out!¡± Sebastian went quiet. She¡¯s actually out of her mind, isn¡¯t she? He opened his mouth to say something else- When suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket like a lifeline. ¡°Let me just grab this call.¡± He picked up, turned his back, ready to bolt from the disaster zone. But the moment he heard the voice on the other end, he froze in ce. It was the director of the psychiatric hospital. ¡°You said what? It wasn¡¯t the doctor who came? Then who the heck was it?¡± ¡°It was one of his patients.¡± Sebastian was speechless. The air turned heavy; dead silence. He stood rooted to the spot, stiff as a block of wood, brainpletely fried. Where am I? Who am I? What the heck just happened? 14:28 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 776 Wait He¡¯s Actually A Patient 8 Pearly For a long beat, he just stood there, knuckles whitening as he gripped the phone. Slowly, he turned back toward Maric, who was still fuming¨CDerrick busy coaxing her. Cold sweat crawled down Sebastian¡¯s spine. Lowering his voice into the receiver, he muttered, ¡°Wait, wait¨Cwhat do you mean? What¡¯s going on here?¡± He had asked for a psychiatrist¡­ and they¡¯d sent him the psychiatrist¡¯s patient? Could someone please exin how the heck that happened? ¡°Sorry, the one who showed up just now is the doctor¡¯s most severe case. He had an episode; tied him up and shoved him under a bed.¡± Hold on, episode? Tied him up and stuffed him under a bed? That¡¯s not just mental illness¨Cthat¡¯s full- blown psychotic! Rage shot through him. His voice jumped an octave. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Derrick and Marie went quiet. Both of them turned their heads toward him at once. Sebastian wanted to cry. Suddenly, a thought shed in his mind¨CYan Li. Last he¡¯d heard, Yan Li was stuck in Milbar Desert choking on sand, half¨Cbaked into a human mummy. ¡°Goddammit! What the heck are you people doing? You actually sent a patient over? How the heck are you going to take responsibility for this?¡± He was fuming. ¡°We¡¯re truly sorry. By the time we realized, he was already gone with you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s temples throbbed. His head felt like it might split open. Before he could get another word out, Derrick stepped forward and mped a hand on the back of his neck. The sheer pressure in that grip made Sebastian¡¯s chest seize. His phone slipped from his hand and ttered to the floor. ¡°Listen to me, I-¡± Oh God, I¡¯m gonna lose it! ¡°Help! Save me!¡± Seeing Derrick¡¯s terrifying aura, Sebastian knew his brother wasn¡¯t about to let him off easy. His 14:28 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 776 Wait He¡¯s Actually A Patient eyes darted desperately toward Marie for backup. +8 Pea Marie just folded her arms, watching the spectacle with frosty detachment. She was still pissed -why would she step in to save him? The next second, Sebastian was hauled outside and punched twice; his face twisted with pain. ¡°Stop, top, don¡¯t hit me again!¡± When Derrick raised his hand to strike once more, Sebastiantched onto his brother¡¯s long leg like a lifeline. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t know! I¡¯m losing my mind too¨CI need a doctor more than she does right now!¡± What the heck kind of mess was this? Derrick told him to bring a psychiatrist. Instead, he dragged over the psychiatrist¡¯s patient! And he¡¯d even chatted with the guy the whole ride over¡­ At this point, Sebastian really wanted to curl up in some bathroom stall and cry himself unconscious. He had talked with that lunatic the entire way¡ªand hadn¡¯t noticed a thing! Not one damn clue! Now Derrick had the surgical knife that patient had left behind, and he was twirling it against Sebastian¡¯s cheek. ¡°Tell me what are you even good for, huh?¡± ¨C Sebastian whimpered, ¡°I swear, I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°Innocent?¡± The moment those words left his mouth, Derrick actuallyughed¨Cdark and cold. ¡°Innocent¡­ huh.¡± That was it¨CSebastian broke. He sobbed so hard his tears mixed with snot. ¡°I really am! I didn¡¯t see anything wrong with him the whole way. I¡¯m such an idiot¨Cjust kill me already!¡± ¡°Your IQ is pathetic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any IQ¨Cyou¡¯ve always said that!¡± 14:28 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 776 Wait He¡¯s Actually A Patient Derrick¡¯s words cut off, Sebastian snatching them right out of his mouth. Derrick let out a sharp, mockingugh. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re self¨Caware, huh?¡± +8 Pearl Sebastian bawled like a baby. He had never felt this stupid in his entire life. What the heck did this count as? Am I dumb? Getting beaten was one thing, but what pissed him off most was that he¡¯d failed to see through that lunatic even after talking to him for so long. Send Gifts 5.3K ¡£ 4 R She Took 777 Chapter 777 I¡¯m Too Pretty To Suffer Derrick Sebastian another beating before standing up. ¡°Go find Eddie.¡± gave ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Sebastian immediately clung to Derrick¡¯s long leg again. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°Innocent? Or just not smart enough?¡± Sebastian muttered, ¡°Yeah¡­ that too.¡± ¡°Then go to Milbar Desert and train your brain.¡± A 55 +8 Pearls ¡°What kind of brain training can you do in a desert? I¡¯m not going!¡± That hellhole¨Cjust hearing it barely rained there was enough to know how bone¨Cdry it was. I¡¯d have to be brain¨Cdead to go there. ¡°Abraham trains people there,¡± Derrick said tly. ¡°Are you questioning that ce?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Who dared question Abraham¡¯s orders? ¡°Then-¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Sebastian shook his head violently. No matter what Derrick said, he wasn¡¯t going to that cursed ce. In the end, with tears and desperate pleading, Sebastian managed to escape punishment- barely. When Derrick returned to the presidential suite, Marie was still at the doorway, arms crossed, standing exactly as before. Derrick let out a low hiss and shrugged. ¡°Can you believe what that kid just pulled?¡± He walked over and reached to wrap an arm around her shoulders. But Marie stepped aside, dodging him; she had no intention of letting him pull her into his arms. 174 14:28 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 777 I¡¯m Too Pretty To Suffer ¡°You¡¯re still mad?¡± he asked. Marie shot him a look of pure displeasure, saying nothing. (55 +8 Pearls Derrick felt helpless; for once, he regretted letting Sebastian walk away. He should¡¯ve just twisted the kid¡¯s head off then and there. He gently pulled Marie against him. ¡°Alright, sweetheart, don¡¯t be mad anymore, hmm?¡± Marie snorted. ¡°That¡¯s the same line you used to trick me into seeing a doctor.¡± Derrick went quiet. Right then, he wanted nothing more than to p Sebastian twice¨Cand himself twice more. Because truthfully, even he hadn¡¯t noticed the ¡°doctor¡± was a fraud¡­ Marie was furious, and it took Derrick forever to soothe her temper. Only after a long while did she finally calm down¨Cand only because he promised to take her out for soup that night. Over in Falvaria, when Ste heard Marie finish telling the story over the phone, she sat stunned for a long moment. Pregnancy had already made her reactions a little slower; now, hearing all this, her brain just buzzed. ¡°You mean Derrick and Sebastian actually brought in a lunatic and called him your psychiatrist?¡± Marie sighed weakly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. Those two brothers are out of their damn minds.¡± Her voice was drained, as if she¡¯d beenpletely beaten down by their stunt. Who wouldn¡¯t be? A mental patient showing up as your therapist¨Danyone would break down from that. Ste sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say Derrick was unreliable? And my brother swore he wasn¡¯t.¡± Unreliable? This wasn¡¯t just unreliable¨Cit was next¨Clevel disaster. Marie groaned. ¡°I was so pissed, I actually fought him.¡± ¡°What about Derrick? Didn¡¯t you beat him too?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the strength!¡± 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 777 I¡¯m Too Pretty To Suffer A55 +8 Pearls She¡¯d been so enraged she didn¡¯t even have the energy left to hit him. If that wasn¡¯t maddening, what was? At the time, she¡¯d been ready to slice Derrick into a thousand pieces. ¡°And Sebastian?¡± Ste asked. ¡°He should¡¯ve been shipped off to the North Pole to stare at penguins! Maybe then the cold would clear his foggy brain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention him!¡± Marie snapped. Just saying his name made her want to hit someone all over again. ¡°Then why were you even seeing a psychiatrist?¡± Ste asked. That was the real question. The moment Ste heard ¡°psychiatrist,¡± it was the first thing she¡¯d wanted to ask; but Derrick and Sebastian¡¯s horror show had been too shocking, distracting her with follow¨Cups. ¡°Why else?¡± Marie muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve been dealing with Tessa¡¯s situation and Victor¡¯s side of things. The pressure¡¯s been insane. Lately I¡¯ve been throwing up.¡± ¡°Stress gastritis?¡± ¡°Probably. Every time I get worked up, I puke.¡± Ste¡¯s chest tightened with guilt. She should have told Marie sooner that Tessa was fine. Sniffling softly, she asked, ¡°And now? Are you still worried about her?¡± ¡°With her in Abraham¡¯s hands, what is there to worry about? The problem is, the stress hit me too hard before; now if I get too anxious, I¡¯ll just throw up again.¡± Ste went quiet. If that was what stress did to her, no one had to ask how bad it had gotten. On one side, there was no way to exin things to Victor; on the other, the Ashen Pact t¨Cout refused to hand her over. The fallout could very well drive Victor and Abraham apartpletely. Truth was, under that kind of pressure, Marie hadn¡¯t been having an easy time of it. It looked like she was venting all her anger on the Ashen Pact; but inside, she was bearing the weight herself. Ste let out a long sigh. ¡°That sounds serious. You really should see a doctor. Why don¡¯t you 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 777 I¡¯m Too Pretty To Suffer juste back first?¡± : ¡°No need,¡± Marie said. ¡°Once everything with Victor is settled, I¡¯lle home.¡± The two women chatted a bit more before finally hanging up. Send Gifts ¡£ 5.3K +8 Pearls 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 She Took 778 Chapter 778 I Said Gentle, Not Grabby
    1. Pearis
    When Abraham walked in, he saw Ste holding her phone in one hand and baby things in the other. Since she was carrying triplets, all sorts of baby supplies had been deliveredtely. And every time, she insisted on checking them herself. She was still so young¡­ In Abraham¡¯s eyes, Ste was still a child who hadn¡¯t really grown up; yet now, as a soon¨Cto¨Cbe mother, she was starting to look the part. The man stepped forward and pulled her straight into his arms, settling her on hisp. ¡°Hey, be careful,¡± she muttered in protest. She already disliked how he was always lifting her up and down before; but now she was pregnant¡­ Abraham sped her small hand. ¡°What¡¯s this? Ste doesn¡¯t want me to hold her anymore?¡± ¡°No, I just want you to be gentle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being careful.¡± His voice carried endless tenderness. Ever since learning she was expecting triplets, Abraham had been exercising extraordinary restraint around her. Elena checked her twice a day, but sometimes Ste was so tired she could only manage one. ¡°My sister just called me. Maybe you should let here back first?¡± she said. At the mention of Marie¡¯s return, Abraham nced at her, puzzled. Ste continued, ¡°She¡¯s been under too much mental stresstely. She said she thinks something¡¯s wrong with her again.¡± Abraham fell silent. His breath sank. ¡°Something wrong mentally?¡± ¡°Yeah. She said whenever she gets anxious, she throws up.¡± Chapter 778 I Said Gentle, Not Grabby Ste¡¯s heart ached for Maric. 55 +8 Pearls Others might think someone with Marie¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t the type to struggle mentally; but only Ste knew just how fragile her sister¡¯s heart really was. She was deeply emotional¡­ Otherwise, Dan wouldn¡¯t have broken her the way he did back then; it had taken several psychologists before she fully recovered. ¡°Let here back. Honestly, anything involving Dan, I don¡¯t think she should be handling.¡± That was Ste¡¯s advice. Abraham didn¡¯t dwell much on the ¡°throwing up when anxious¡± part. He simply nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call her.¡± After all, she was his sister. Learning she was in this condition left him no room to think about anything else. He went to the study to call Marie. Ste was just about to put away the baby clothes when a servant knocked and stepped inside. ¡°Madam, ady named Rianne phoned to say she¡¯ll being by shortly.¡± ¡°Rianne?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Instinctively, Ste checked her call log; there was no record of Rianne¡¯s number, so she must have called while Ste was on the line with Marie. ¡°Did she say when she¡¯d arrive?¡± ¡°In about half an hour.¡± She came straight to Falvaria? Ste had no idea how things had gone between Rianne and He Changfeng since she¡¯d left Rivermount. Just thinking of Hailey, who stood between them, made Ste¡¯s heart ache for Rianne. She set down the tiny clothes in her hands. ¡°Take all of these for sterilization.¡± ¡°Yes, madam,¡± the servant replied respectfully. 211 Chapter 778 I Said Gentle, Not Grabby 55 +8 Pearls Ever since a maid had gossiped about Abraham and Ste and Madam Evelyn had cracked down hard, everyone here treated Ste with utmost respect. Ste went downstairs to wait for Rianne. But just as she reached the staircase, she saw Eddie stumble in from outside, covered in dust and looking worn¨Cout. Ste muttered. The moment he spotted her, Eddie rushed forward. Before Ste could react, he dropped to his knees with a loud thud right in front of her. The others around froze. Everyone was stunned by Eddie¡¯s sudden gesture¨Ceven Eddie himself! Wait, this wasn¡¯t intentional; I had just¡­ tripped! Forget it. He clutched Ste¡¯s legs tightly. ¡°Ste, you have to save me! Abraham¡¯s not even human¨Che wants me dead in that godforsaken Milbar Desert!¡± With his tearful plea and disheveled state, Ste couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She instinctively tried to pull her legs free. ¡°Let go. He wouldn¡¯t let you die.¡± What a joke. Abraham would never allow anything to happen to the people around him. If he sent Eddie to the Milbar Desert, there had to be something important he needed done. ¡°He¡¯s really not a good person¡­¡± Eddie whined. ¡°How did you get back?¡± Ste asked. ¡°I ran!¡± Ste thought. Uh¡­ How much had this kid suffered out there? He¡¯d been pushed so hard he literally ran back! Feeling awkward, Ste tried again to pull her legs free, but Eddie clung to her like a vice. His stance was clear, unless Ste promised to put in a good word for him, he wasn¡¯t letting go. ¡°Ugh, let go of me¨CI¡¯m going to throw up!¡± Ste cried. 14.29 Fri, Sep 25 The Prune Herest fr hyp Chapte She Took 779 r 779 You Made Me Throw Up Ste wain¡¯t feeling well. There was nothing in the air the mull wher Eddie blinked. ¡°Hm?¡± 1 ¡°Hurry¡± Ste snapped The moment I get auzon, I wear no fimo upo It was true. During her pregnancy, the could only for sented if everything wear here Tive second she grew anxion, her stomach tormed pamfully unsay Bu gir tow how weally was a strange, indescribable odor. Then, you¡¯ll put in a good word for me?¡± Eddie pleaded Abraham¨Cthat damned man¨Cthere was no reasoning with him he amp reived to be bodie mates in the 19ther This time Abraham had truly driven him cay. They¡¯d agreed fix Desert were finished, he could reyes baltam kad muthaly ziet u al infuriating Eddie could see it dearly now. That heardes man ju wamed a leme me out fire a water the desert sant! Ste opened her mouth to say something but de cult hold it: te te me reaching Seeing her about to vonin Eddie imetiary les grafte Ste toought the¡¯d escaped. Bon after the finished throwing up in the harm and came our Eddie was in the apen dutching her leg It was clear Abrahams had set his mind on punishing him for mount for from the bat it hadn¡¯t really market? ¡°Sre, you have to save your brufter Either. I haven¡¯t swered fine unfts- ¡°Oh. No wonder No wonder what? Ste wrinkled her nose. No wonder you made me fin Eddie wear quiet. Tat¨Cwhat? 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 779 You Made Me Throw Up ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you only throw up when you¡¯re anxious? So now it¡¯s because of me?¡± ¡°You stink so badly it made me anxious,¡± Ste replied matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°And when I¡¯m anxious, of course I throw up.¡± 55 +8 Pearls Thinking back, she realized she had indeed gotten anxious because of that unbearable smell; and the moment she did, she¡¯d had to throw up. Eddie was speechless. I don¡¯t think I can go on living like this¡­ ¡°Go take a shower first,¡± Ste said, covering her mouth. She really couldn¡¯t handle the stench on him. She had just finished vomiting; the smell hit her again, and her stomach lurched all over. ¡°Ste¡­¡± Eddie whined. ¡°Ugh, let go of me¨CI need to throw up again-¡± She bolted, retching. Eddie froze. His hands ckened instinctively, and Ste stumbled back into the bathroom, retching until the world spun. Eddie sniffed at himself; the smell nearly knocked him out too. In the study, Abraham still didn¡¯t know Eddie had returned; he was on the phone with Marie. ¡°You need toe back from Noctarth first,¡± he said. At that moment, Abraham couldn¡¯t help doubting whether he had been wrong from the start. After all, Marie had once cared for Dan. She should never have been involved in this retaliation against Ashen Pact in the first ce. Hearing Abraham tell her toe back, Marie finally felt a little better. ¡°So you are still my real brother.¡± Abraham went quiet. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t love me. These past few weeks, you¡¯ve kept everything from me. I hate Dan to death, and yet you all still-¡± Her voice trembled with grievance. ¡°Marie-¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I forgive you,¡± she cut him off before he could finish. Truthfully, she had never 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 779 You Made Me Throw Up med him. 55 +8 Pearls: And Ashen Pact¨Cthough it seemed cut off from the outside world all these years¨Chad quietly undermined countless interests. The Dawson family included¡­ Even before she¡¯d known Dan was their leader, Marie had wished she could tear Ashen Pact apart; once she did know, her hatred only deepened. ¡°Honestly, the pressure¡¯s gone now,¡± she admitted. The moment she learned that Tessa wasn¡¯t with Ashen Pact but in her brother¡¯s hands, Marie felt as if a weight had lifted from her chest. God knew how terrified she¡¯d been that her own oversight might spark conflict between Victor and Abraham. ¡°Ste told me you¡¯re unwell. I¡¯m worried-¡± Abraham began. ¡°I¡¯m not unwell because of psychological pressure!¡± Her mental burden was gone, yet she still felt like vomiting. ¡°In any case¡ª¡± Abraham tried again. ¡°Oh, once Victor¡¯s business is settled, I¡¯lle back. Don¡¯t worry about me; Derrick¡¯s with me.¡± Mentioning Derrick left her more exasperated thanforted. She¡¯d grown up with him since childhood. Back then, he hadn¡¯t been so unreliable; Sebastian was the one who¡¯d always been a mess. Maybe spending all these years with Sebastian had rubbed off on him! Abraham was about to press her further when a servant knocked and entered. ¡°Sir, Mr. Eddie has returned.¡± At the news of Eddie¡¯s return, Abraham¡¯s brow tightened. The servant added, ¡°He¡¯s clinging to madam¡¯s legs and won¡¯t let go.¡± Abraham¡¯s face darkened instantly. He rose, expression grim, and said into the phone, ¡°If you¡¯re unwell,e back immediately¡ª or I¡¯ll send someone to bring you.¡± 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In She Took 780 Chapter 780 Smells Like Death Itself +8 Pearls Noctarth was inplete chaos now, thanks to the meddling of so many different factions. Derrick and Victor had their entire focus on Ashen Pact. If Marie were to return, Abraham would have to send someone to bring her back before he could feel at ease. But Marie refused¡­ ¡°I¡¯m noting back right now.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Dan¡¯s a scheming bastard,¡± Marie said tly. ¡°Derrick doesn¡¯t have nearly as many sleeve.¡± Abraham fell silent. Dan? Derrick? ¡°You¡¯re worried Dan will outwit Derrick?¡± tricks up his In that moment, Abraham caught a subtle note in Marie¡¯s words¨Csomething different. She¡­ seemed to care about Derrick. ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± she muttered. ¡°I just think he¡¯s stupid. Those years, he couldn¡¯t even exin himself to you; he wandered in misery for years. Dan, on the other hand, has eight hundred schemes¨Che¡¯s sly as a fox. And Derrick, who only knows how to fight head¨Con, could end up falling straight into one of his traps.¡± Marie keptining about Derrick¡¯s foolishness. But Abraham¡¯s furrowed brow eased; the corners of his mouth curved ever so slightly. He left her with just two words, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± And he hung up. Abraham headed downstairs at once. From the staircase, he saw Eddie still clinging to Ste¡¯s legs, while she held a hand over her mouth. ¡°Just go shower already; hurry, go shower-¡± ¡°Say something good to my brother for me, I beg you!¡± Eddie cried. 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 780 Smells Like Death Itself ?? ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll say it¨CI¡¯ll plead for you, alright? I¡¯m begging you, please!¡± Ste groaned. If he lingered any longer, she was going to vomit again. Honestly, the smell radiating off Eddie was beyond awful. Ste felt like she might faint on the spot. Hearing that she¡¯d speak up for him, Eddie instantly loosened his grip on her legs. But a secondter, hetched on again. Ste stared. Wait¨Cwhat¡­ ¡°What are you doing now?¡± 48 Pearls Normally hot¨Ctempered, she honestly wanted to p him across the forehead right then. But Eddie¡¯s terrified gaze wasn¡¯t on her¨Cit was fixed on the staircase above. He clutched Ste¡¯s legs even tighter. Ste thought grimly. Abraham narrowed his eyes. ¡°I suggest you let go immediately, or you can kiss those hands goodbye.¡± Each word was bitten off, thick with menace. Under that dangerous threat, Eddie¡¯s grip faltered¡ªyet in the next instant, he grabbed onto Ste¡¯s legs again. Abraham¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Ste, you promised me¨Cyou said you¡¯d save your brother Eddie!¡± Eddie shouted frantically, clinging to her like a madman. He was truly desperate. The Milbar Desert had disgusted him to the core; they drank water straight from muddy pits. Forget bathing water¨Cthere simply wasn¡¯t any. ¡°Eddie!¡± Abraham¡¯s voice was sharp, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Ah¨Choney, don¡¯t be like this,¡± Ste said quickly. ¡°He really is pitiful; he hasn¡¯t bathed in months.¡± But the moment he let go, the stench hit her nose again; Ste almost retched. 14:29 Fri, Sep 26 Chapter 780 Smells Like Death Itself 48 Paris Seeing how sick she looked, Abraham strode down the stairs; his foot shot out, aiming to kick Eddie. Luckily, Eddie dodged just in time. But in that split second he slipped aside, the stench on him spread violently through the air. ¡°Urgh-¡± Ste gagged. Abraham¡¯s expression tightened. She was about to throw up; pregnancy had already heightened her sensitivity to smells, and she couldn¡¯t stand it. Even Abraham, usually soposed, winced at the stench, his brow twitching. ¡°Abraham¡­¡± Eddie looked at him pitifully. The smell was giving Abraham a pounding headache. ¡°Get a damn shower!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re letting me off the hook?¡± Eddie asked cautiously. Abraham said nothing. ¡°If you¡¯re letting me off, I¡¯ll go shower right now!¡± Abraham and Ste both stared at him. The look in their eyes had shifted; Ste¡¯s especially. ¡°You did this on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked sharply. The ck grime smeared all over Eddie¨Cwhat even was that? Eddie stayed silent, meeting their gaze without flinching. Ste wanted to copse. She tugged at Abraham¡¯s sleeve desperately. ¡°Honey, please, just let him off. I¡¯m really going to throw up.¡± The more she looked at Eddie, the more certain she was it had been deliberate. And the thought that he had just hugged her legs- Her eyes dropped instinctively. When she saw the grime staining her clothes, she nearly lost it. Abraham shot Eddie a dangerously cold re. ¡°Still not leaving?¡± Chapter 780 Smells Like Death Itself 49 Pearlo ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go now! But you promised¨Cyou¡¯re letting me off; I¡¯m never going back to the Milbar Desert again!¡± With that, Eddie bolted. He ran faster than a rabbit. Abraham stood silent. Ste looked at him, eyes full of grievance. Abraham rubbed her head gently. ¡°Couldn¡¯t just kick him off?¡± ¡°I feel like the smell¡¯s still on me,¡± she muttered. She Took 781 Chapter 781 Rianne Saw Way Too Much +8 Pearls The moment Eddie stepped out of the Dawson residence, he was practically gloating; he stripped off his clothes as he walked. To his surprise, the trick had actually worked¨Cbut the stench was so unbearable it almost made him gag himself. Rianne had just gotten out of the car. And there, right in front of her, was Eddiepletely stark naked. Their eyes met. Eddie blinked but didn¡¯t say a word; he bolted straight into his own car. Rianne remained rooted to the spot, staring at the pile of clothes Eddie had tossed onto the ground, utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The stench hit her next, so strong she nearly retched. She fought down the wave of nausea and hurriedly fled the scene. Inside the house, a servant was frantically spraying air freshener, waving the bottle around as though battling the smell itself. Rianne immediately caught the same stench clinging to Eddie¡¯s discarded clothes. The butler approached respectfully. ¡°Ms. Dawson will be down in a moment.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rianne nodded. The butler had juice and coffee brought over; Rianne opted for juice. About twenty minutester, Ste finally came down the stairs. Her skin looked freshly cooled, damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead¨Cit was obvious she¡¯d just showered. ¡°Rianne.¡± Ste¡¯s tone carried an apology. ¡°I meant toe down and greet you earlier, but something unexpected came up.¡± ¡°Because of Dr. Eddie, right?¡± ¡°You saw him?¡± Eddie was internationally famous; of course Rianne recognized him. And since she, too, had a ce on the international stage, it wasn¡¯t impossible they¡¯d met 11:17 Sat, Sep 27 ¡­ Chapter 781 Rianne Saw Way Too Much before¨Cthough they¡¯d never really crossed paths. Rianne set down her ss of juice and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I just happened to catch him¡­pletely naked.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Walking and stripping at the same time!¡± Ste went quiet. She should¡¯ve known. Eddie had made himself reck like that on purpose. ¡°Why are you suddenly here in Falvaria? Weren¡¯t you supposed to head to Yalvoria?¡± +8 Pearls. ¡°There¡¯s an academic conference here, so I thought I¡¯d drop by and see you,¡± Rianne exined. Her gaze drifted to Ste¡¯s clearly rounded belly. ¡°Ste, I really envy you. Your birth parents may have treated you poorly, but here in Falvaria¡­ you have a home.¡± Home. That single word carried a quiet ache in her voice. Ste heard it too and found herself at a loss for how tofort her. Home¡­ Back in Rivermount, Ste had witnessed just how cold blood ties could be. But with the Dawson family, she had also seen the rare warmth of a harmonious household. Having a good family meant having a ce for the heart to rest; without that, one drifted like duckweed on the water, rootless and untethered. Ste lifted her orange juice and took a sip. ¡°How long do you n to stay in Yalvoria before heading back to Rivermount?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to settle in Yalvoria long term¨CI told you before.¡± ¡°And Tempest? He agreed to that?¡± Tempest¡­ Strictly speaking, the Hale family wasn¡¯t truly her home, yet she had spent so many years there. Unlike Ste, Rianne¡¯s situation wasplicated, Tempest¡¯s mother and sister had never really liked her. Even though Tempest had lived with her outside the He estate for years, holidays and festivals always meant returning home. Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 781 Rianna Saw Way Too Much 48 Pearls As a child, she had no choice but to follow him back. But as she grew older, the hostility from his family became too tant; she stopped wanting to endure it. The problem was that even if she refused to go back, their animosity didn¡¯t stay within the He household. Wherever she went, their trouble followed like a shadow. When she was young, she hadn¡¯t understood why they hated her so much. Now, she did. As long as she stayed with Tempest, she would never know peace. ¡°Whether he agrees or not doesn¡¯t matter anymore; I¡¯m just¡­ tired.¡± Her voice was heavy with weariness,ced with a hint of sorrow. ¡°Ste, I need your help.¡± Rianne looked at her directly,ying bare the true reason she¡¯de today. ¡°You want me to stop Tempest for you?¡± Ste asked cautiously. That was a big favor. It was no different than asking her to stop Victor for Tessa. They¡¯d all seen clearly just how much Tempest felt for Rianne. Her first instinct was that this wasn¡¯t something she could do. But Rianne shook her head. ¡°No, not to stop him.¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± Send Gifts She Took 782 Chapter 782 Rianne Wants A Bodyguard When Ste heard it wasn¡¯t about stopping Tempest, she let out a quict sigh of relief. 49 Pearls It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to help Rianne; it was just that¡­ her first thought had been that it was impossible. And there was the fact that Tempest, though from Rivermount, had influence in both Yalvoria and Falvaria¡¯s underground worlds¨Cpower that was nothing to scoff at. Put simply, Rianne¡¯s decision now had likely been within Tempest¡¯s grasp all along. She had always been the bird in his hand; if he didn¡¯t want to let her go, escaping his palm wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Rianne drew in a deep breath. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve left Rivermount, I know full well that things between Tempest and me aren¡¯tpletely severed; those people still won¡¯t let me go.¡± Ste went quiet. Those people? The Hale family? ¡°His sister, Ariana, and his mother¨Cthey¡¯ll probablye after me in Yalvoria,¡± Rianne said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You need to help me stop them.¡± Rianne looked straight at Ste. There was no mistaking it; she was asking Ste to protect her. Her lips curved in a bitter smile. ¡°I just want to leave Tempest; I¡¯m not looking to die. Before I can truly cut ties with him, I have to make sure I can stay safe, right?¡± She said it lightly, as though it cost her nothing. But only someone who had lived through it could know the depth of that bitterness. ¡°Does Tempest even know his mother and sister would do this to you?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Him? Ha¡­¡± At the mention of Tempest, that false lightness vanished from Rianne¡¯s tone, reced with sharp, cutting irony. ¡°In his eyes, his mother is just a sheltered societydy, a simple, harmless noblewoman. And his sister? Pure kindness.¡± Ste suddenly understood. av, SEPT Chapter 782 Rianne Wants A Bodyguard For years, it had looked like Tempest cherished Rianne, taking her everywhere he went. But in reality¡­ he had no idea what she endured by his side. 48 Pearls No¨Cmaybe he did know. He simply weighed things in his heart differently; and when it came down to it, Rianne was not his priority. ¡°I understand,¡± Ste said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure everything is arranged for you in Yalvoria.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ste.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me.¡± Ste reached out, sped Rianne¡¯s hand, and patted the back of it reassuringly. She wanted to say somethingforting, but she knew words wouldn¡¯t help now. The sorrow radiating from Rianne was overwhelming; it felt like she had already reached her breaking point. The buzz of a phone vibrating broke the moment. It was Rianne¡¯s. She nced down, Tempest. She gave Ste a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just take this call.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rianne stepped aside, answering. The moment the line connected, Tempest¡¯s voice came through, taut with suppressed fury. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± Rianne countered. ¡°Rianne!¡± His voice hardened, his anger crackling even across the line. She closed her eyes briefly. ¡°The moment you left me standing in the rain two nights ago, wherever I go for the rest of my life stopped having anything to do with you.¡± Rianne¡¯s back was to Ste, but she wasn¡¯t far; Ste caught every word. And when she heard her words¨Cshe could hardly believe it. To outsiders, Tempest doted on Rianne. People often said he held her in the palm of his hand. 2/3 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 782 Rianne Wants A Bodyguard But now¡­ 6: 77 48 Pearls Whatever he said on the other end, Ste couldn¡¯t hear; what she did hear was Rianne¡¯s voice, sharp and ice¨Ccold. ¡°That¡¯s it. I have nothing left to say to you. Tempest, if you still care about the years we spent together, then don¡¯te bothering me again.¡± She hung up without hesitation. Returning to the sofa across from Ste, she picked up her orange juice and downed arge gulp, as though to force down the knot in her chest. The flicker of bitterness in her eyes did not escape Ste. ¡°Rianne¡­ Tempest, he-¡± ¡°You¡¯re wondering how could he?¡± Rianne asked. Yes. How could he? To leave her in the rain? Since when had their fights escted that far? All these years, when the Hale family refused to ept her, Tempest had always stood by her. So why now? Rianne lowered her gaze, hiding the grief threatening to spill over. ¡°For his sister- it¡¯s not the first time.¡± ¡°His sister? Not Hailey?¡± Ste asked, startled. She knew Tempest had a sister. But back in Rivermount, hadn¡¯t there been talk that Mrs. He favored a distant niece? Because there was no blood rtion, she had wanted that niece to end up with Tempest. So why was his sister suddenly part of this? When it came to Tempest¡¯s sister, Rianne had spoken very little in the past. Send Gifts She Took 783 Chapter 783 Hailey Is Just A Pawn +8 Pearls Bringing it up in this way, at this moment, Ste immediately sensed that this sister was anything but simple. Rianne sniffed and said, ¡°Hailey? She¡¯s nothing. Compared to Ariana, her tricks are child¡¯s y.¡± Her words left Stepletely baffled. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she said. ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t Ariana want her own brother to be happy?¡± If you truly loved your family, you¡¯d want them to be happy. Everyone in Rivermount knew how deeply Tempest cared for Rianne; why would it be like this? Rianne¡¯s smile twisted bitterly. ¡°Why? I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ariana was Tempest¡¯s own sister, after all. As for why Ariana harbored such hostility toward her, Rianne had never figured it out in all these years. ¡°Hailey¡¯s arrival was just the spark that set things off.¡± The real fire had been smoldering long before. It was Ariana¨Cshe had always been the me that refused to go out. For years, Rianne had tried to extinguish it; every time she thought she had, Ariana managed to ignite it all over again. The cycle repeated endlessly, festering into something poisonous. Ste¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of things in Yalvoria.¡± As for Tempest¡­ there was no need to ask. From the way Rianne was now, her rtionship with him had clearly never been as harmonious as the outside world believed. Beneath the glossy surface, cracks had long since split deep. When it came to matters of the heart, Ste never offered casual advice. Whether a couple could keep going¨Cthat only the ones trapped in the storm of love could decide. 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 783 Hailey Is Just A Pawn 420 Rianne stayed for dinner at the Dawson estate before leaving. She and Ste had spent the entire afternoon talking, They had gone over years¡® worth of moments with Tempest. Listening, Ste realized their rtionship had been festering from the inside out for a long time. She couldn¡¯t help feeling regretful. But there was nothing she could do. Especially when Rianne recounted how Tempest would take her side in anything¨Cexcept when it came to Ariana. And when Haileyter entered the Hale family, Tempest had even quarreled with her because of Ariana; in the end, she could no longer endure it. From what she heard, Ste could almost piece together Ariana and Hailey¡¯s collusion to drive Rianne out. She even suspected Hailey¡¯s entry into the family had been Ariana¡¯s doing all along. ¡°Anyway, you know the situation now. Once I¡¯m in Yalvoria, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± After pouring her heart out all afternoon, Rianne¡¯s tone lightened. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll handle everything,¡± Ste replied. ¡°Ste, Tessa and I are so lucky to have you. If it weren¡¯t for you this time, I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve taken this step,¡± Rianne said. She knew exactly how deep Ariana¡¯s hostility ran. The moment she left Tempest¡¯s side, she would be exposed and unsafe for a long time. With Ste, she could take that first step and still survive. ¡°If Tempest finds out, he¡¯ll probably tear me apart,¡± Ste muttered. ¡°And you-¡± ¡°Rx. You think I¡¯d be scared of him?¡± she scoffed. She had once held a decent impression of Tempest, but after hearing everything Rianne revealed today, her respect for him had plummeted. 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 783 Hailey is Just A Pawn Helping Rianne was not even a question. And as for whether he¡¯d ¡°tear her apart¡­ Ste wasn¡¯t worried. Rianne chuckled at her fiery attitude. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Behind Ste stood Abraham, the Dawson family, even the entire Luka n. Even if Tempest wanted to, he couldn¡¯t touch her. That was precisely why Rianne had decided, after much thought, to ask Ste for help. A ¨C Pearle ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything drastic; just keep Ariana¡¯s people away from me,¡± Rianne instructed. Ste raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Just block them? Sorry, but if I make a move, no one will walk away unscathed. If Ariana dared send people after Rianne, Ste wasn¡¯t about to sit back. She would never let her dear friend suffer. And not only that¨Cshe¡¯d make sure Ariana paid the price, hard. After finishing their talk, Rianne finally left the Dawson residence. But just as she stepped out the door, Eddie barreled inside. He collided with her so suddenly that she instinctively reached out for something to hold onto -only to grab Eddie¡¯s waist. The moment Eddie felt her arms around his waist, his entire body went rigid. He looked down¨Cand there was Rianne, kneeling before him, clinging tightly to his waist. Their eyes locked. The world seemed to freeze. Send Gifts 6.1K 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 She Took 784 Chapter 784 Tessa Did It First A 6778 +8 Pearls Ste had been about to head upstairs to rest when she noticed Rianne had left her phone behind. She was on her way out to return it when she saw the scene in the entryway. In an instant, everyone present was frozen in shock. The corner of Ste¡¯s mouth twitched as she took in the sight, Rianne on the floor in front of Eddie, clutching his waist with both arms. Her mind immediately shed to that morning, when Eddie had clung to her legs¡­ She thought back to that moment outside Verdant Vi, when Tessa had slipped and ended up clutching Victor¡¯s belt for dear life. Those two¡­ It was no wonder they were both her closest friends. She¡¯d always believed that twopletely opposite personalities could never truly get along, yet here was living proof to the contrary. Rianne usually carried herself with suchposure, but right now- Eddie¡¯s expression grew darker by the second as he stared down at her clinging to his waist. The corner of his mouth twitched. ¡°What are you doing?¡± His brows lifted. ¡°Trying to seduce me?¡± Rianne¡¯s face turned ck after his words. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I just-¡± But Eddie had dropped his usual careless smirk; his face was darkening fast. Seeing that, Ste rushed forward and grabbed Rianne¡¯s arms, still locked around Eddie¡¯s waist. ¡°Rianne, let go. Quickly.¡± God¡­ her dearest friend, pulling a stunt just like Tessa. Rianne finally snapped back to her senses. Her hands flew off Eddie¡¯s waist as if burned. 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 784 Tessa Did It First ¡°Eddie, you¡¯re here to see my husband, right? He¡¯s in the study. You should go,¡± Ste said quickly. Eddie straightened, smoothing his clothes with unhurried precision. 8 Pearls When his eyes lifted back to Ste, the sharp edge there softened; the roguish air returned in its ce. He smirked. ¡°Well, well, you¡¯re calling him your husband already. Ste, you¡¯re surprisingly obedient.¡± Lines of exasperation appeared across Ste¡¯s forehead. ¡°Just go already.¡± There he went again¨Calways had to run his mouth. Eddie chuckled. When his gaze slid back to Rianne, though, it carried something else; something heavy with meaning. In the depths of his mind, an old photograph shed¨Ceyes that were a perfect mirror of Rianne¡¯s now. The way he looked at her, prating, almost predatory, made Rianne instinctively edge behind Ste for cover. Eddie said nothing more; he simply turned and left. Even after leaving the Dawson residence, Rianne¡¯s heart still pounded wildly. She trailed after Ste like a chastened bride, quiet and uneasy, all the way until they reached the car. Just before getting in, she caught Ste¡¯s hand. But before she could speak, Ste cut her off. ¡°I know¨Cyou didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Though that scene just now¡­ had been pretty heated to watch. ¡°You know what I was going to say?¡± Rianne asked. ¡°Tessa said the exact same thingst time.¡± ¡°Tessa grabbed his waist too?¡± What kind of cursed luck do I have? On my way in, I saw Eddie stark naked; on my way out, I end up like this¡­ At that moment, Rianne feltpletely undone. 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 784 Tessa Did It First ??? 48 Pearls ¡°Not him. Victor,¡± Ste said. ¡°And Tessa was even wilder than you¨Cshe nearly ripped his pants off that day.¡± In broad daylight, no less; it had been scandalous just to witness. Hearing about that, Rianne¡¯s face stiffened even more. Sure, she hadn¡¯t tugged at Eddie¡¯s pants¡­ but hugging a man¡¯s waist in front of a room full of people wasn¡¯t exactly something she could shrug off ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± she muttered. ¡°I believe you.¡± Ste nodded with full seriousness. Rianne was her closest friend; of course she believed her. And besides, after the way things had fallen apart with Tempest, there was no way Rianne had thoughts in that direction. Rianne sniffled, studying her. ¡°You told Tessa the same thing, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Ste said without hesitation. ¡°To both you and Tessa, I believe you.¡± Somehow, it didn¡¯t sound all that convincing. After making their ns, Rianne decided she would fly to Yalvoria first thing in the morning. This time, her departure from Rivermount marked aplete break with Tempest¡¯s world. Meanwhile, back in Noctarth, Dan had called Marie that morning. She had told him Tessa¡¯s affairs were no longer her responsibility. When he called Derrick, Derrick said the same thing. Tessa was no longer their concern. And yet, what had they been doing all day? By the time Dan finished his fifth call, his face was ck as thunder. Furious, he dialed Marie again¨Conly for her not to answer. Left with no choice, he called Derrick instead. Send Gifts She Took 785 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter 785 Nobody Knows About Tessa Derrick actually answered. ¡°Hello.¡± 77 8 Pearls, ¡°What the heck do you mean? Didn¡¯t you say Tessa¡¯s business wasn¡¯t your concern anymore?¡± By the end, Dan¡¯s voice was a furious roar. ¡°It isn¡¯t our concern,¡± Derrick replied tly, dead serious¨Cas though making it perfectly clear they really weren¡¯t involved. And that attitude was enough to drive Dan insane. ¡°Then why the heck are you still fighting us for everything?¡± he spat. Exactly. Marie and Derrick had both said Tessa was no longer their responsibility. Yet all day, they¡¯d been attacking Ashen Pact like madmen. Derrick had even joined forces with Victor. And now, the impression they gave waspletely different from before. At least before, they¡¯d had an excuse. Whether it was Marie or Victor, both had been obsessed with demanding Tessa from Ashen Pact. If Ashen Pact couldn¡¯t produce her, they kept targeting every resource the group had. Tessa had been the reason they pursued Ashen Pact so relentlessly. And now- They insisted she was no longer their concern, yet they kept attacking. That contradiction spoke volumes. They weren¡¯t even bothering to pretend anymore. ¡°Tessa isn¡¯t our concern,¡± Derrick repeated. ¡°So?¡± ¡°But when ites to Ashen Pact¡­ we haven¡¯t received orders to stand down.¡± ¡°Orders?¡± 172 11:18 Sat, Sep 27 Chapter 785 Nobody Knows About Tessa ? At that word, Dan nearly lost his mind. ¡°Since when the heck do you take orders from anyone?¡± he bellowed into the phone. ¡°That,¡± Derrick said coolly, ¡°you¡¯ll have to ask Victor. Or Abraham. Then tell me this¨Cam I still supposed to be looking for Tessa or not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Dan wanted nothing more than to reach through the line and snap Derrick¡¯s neck. Doesn¡¯t know? These past few days, no one had plundered Ashen Pact¡¯s assets harder than Derrick. And now, when asked directly, all he gave was a useless I don¡¯t know? Grinding his teeth, Dan snarled, ¡°Derrick, you bastard, I¡¯ll never forgive you for this!¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± With those two words, Derrick moved to hang up. ¡°Wait!¡± Dan barked. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Put Marie on!¡± Dan¡¯s voice nearly shook with rage. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know anything either.¡± Could anything be more infuriating? Dan was now certain Derrick, Victor, and Marie had coordinated this whole tactic. At first, they hadn¡¯t even hit Ashen Pact that hard¡­ But now, their attacks were vicious¨Cespecially with all the smaller factions joining in. The chaos had only grown worse. Derrick ended the call. Dan hurled his phone across the room in fury. When Conan walked in, he found Dan shrouded in rage, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. He set a file down in front of him. ¡°Sir, please take a look at this.¡± Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What now?¡± D:D Chapter 785 Nobody Knows About Tessa Conan said nothing, but the heavy air around him spoke volumes, Dan had a sinking feeling. Still, he picked up the file. And the moment he read it, the veins in his forehead bulged with rage. ¡°Find out exactly where Marie¡¯s living.¡± Conan nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He had barely spoken when Dan¡¯s phone rang again¨CLenny, the butler. On the line, Lenny said, ¡°Sir, Conan wants you at ck Mountain immediately.¡± ¡°Tell him I can¡¯t fix this!¡± Dan snapped without a second thought. At this point, things had spunpletely out of control. & Pearis The crisis surrounding Ashen Pact had grown so tangled, even Dan himself could barely piece together how it had all started¨Cor how it had escted this far. ¡°But sir-¡± Lenny began. Dan had no patience for Dale. Their rtionship had been strained for years. It wasughable, really. For so long, Dan had barely seen his father twice a year. And now? Now that Ashen Pact had suffered devastating blows, Dale suddenly acknowledged him as a son. But just because he acknowledged him now, did that erase everything from the past? Conan returned with Derrick and Marie¡¯s whereabouts. Dan pressed his aching temples, stubbed out his cigarette, and rose to his feet. Meanwhile, with Marie. The pressure of the past weeks had nearly broken her; she hadn¡¯t eaten well in ages. Now that Tessa¡¯s matter was finally resolved, she was determined to enjoy a proper dinner. But just as she reached the restaurant, Victor emerged from inside. And in his arms, he carried a bundled shape wrapped tightly in a suit jacket. Marie froze. What is that? Wait¨CVictor¡¯s arms¡­ Her eyes locked on the bundle in his grasp, unblinking, stunned. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 786 Chapter 786 Did Victor Just Hug Her +8 Pearls Marie tried to get a clearer look at that shadowy figure, but before she could make it out, Victor had already pulled the person into his arms and carried them straight into the car. Even as the car drove off, she never did get a clear view¡­ When Derrick parked and walked over, he found Maric staring nkly in one direction. He followed her gaze; aside from a cluster of parked cars, there was nothing there. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Derrick suddenly asked, snapping her back to reality. She blinked and turned to him. ¡°Did you see it?¡± ¡°See what?¡± See what? Derrick looked at her in confusion, then nced again toward the spot she¡¯d been staring at. Still nothing. ¡°Victor,¡± Marie said, her voice dazed. ¡°He was holding a woman in his arms just now!¡± Derrick was stunned. A woman? ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. It was definitely a woman.¡± Derrick went quiet. Definitely a woman? Why did that sound so off? Especially the way she¡¯d said definitely¨Cit was dripping with uncertainty. Which only proved she hadn¡¯t actually gotten a good look at who Victor was holding. ¡°What, you think he was carrying a dog? Or maybe a man?¡± Derrick went quiet. This was getting ridiculous. Victor had never liked pets. And sure, women had been around him over the years, but there hadn¡¯t been a single one he spoiled enough to carry around in his arms. Marie hissed softly. ¡°So what¡¯s going on with him? What exactly does Tessa mean to him?¡± Derrick frowned. 174 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 786 Did Victor Just Hug Her 91 +8 Pearls ¡°He went crazy demanding Tessa from the Ashen Pact. Wait¨Cmy head¡¯s a mess. Don¡¯t tell me Victor actually never cared about Tessa and her little short legs?¡± ¡°Then what the heck has all of this been about these past few weeks?¡± Marie¡¯s thoughtspletely unraveled. Derrick went quiet. After listening to her rambling, his head wasn¡¯t much clearer either. Marie¡¯s mind went numb. The world feels so messy, so dirty. What the heck has even been happening ? ¡°You know, Victor really surprised me. I mean, isn¡¯t this¡­¡± She didn¡¯t even know how to describe him anymore. ¡°Messing with Tessa like this isn¡¯t right. And given the history between Madam Diana and the Ashen Pact, it¡¯s clear Madam Diana¡¯s no soft touch.¡± ¡°Is it really a good idea to toy with her daughter like this?¡± At that moment, Marie could practically picture it, if Diana ever learned Victor was stringing Tessa along, sparks would fly, thunder would crack¨Cchaos. But beyond that, she worried about the little short legs. They hadn¡¯t known each other long, but she could tell Tessa was as innocent as Ste. Derrick went quiet. Listening to Marie¡¯s frantic theorizing left his own brain buzzing. ¡°Hey,¡± Marie muttered, ¡°who knew Victor was such a womanizer? Didn¡¯t see thating.¡± ¡°But then again¡­ I used to think maybe he couldn¡¯t even get it up! How could he possibly?¡± The more she analyzed, the more tangled her thoughts became. ¡°Are you sure,¡± Derrick cut in, ¡°that the person in his arms wasn¡¯t Tessa?¡± Marie went quiet. The air went silent in an instant. She¡¯d only meant to vent behind Victor¡¯s back, maybe curse him out a little; but Derrick had 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 786 Did Victor Just Hug Her blindsided her with that question. She turned to him, dumbfounded. ¡°Wait¨Cyou¡¯re sure?¡± +8 Pearls It was Tessa? Victor had been carrying Tessa? No, that¡­ holding Tessa in his arms? Then what about before? Marie was stunned. ¡°I didn¡¯t see,¡± Derrick replied tly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re the one who said he was holding For original chapters go to Find1Novel someone.¡± Why was she asking him if he was sure? Shouldn¡¯t she be the one to know? Marie went quiet. Her breathing grew sharp and uneven. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a clear look either.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± Derrick suggested. Marie went quiet. Ask? Right¨Cif she hadn¡¯t seen clearly, she could just ask! She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Victor. Meanwhile, Tessa was still in the car. They¡¯d been out longer than expected, and since she hadn¡¯t taken a nap, she¡¯d already been nodding off while eating earlier. By the time Victor was deep in conversation with someone, she had curled up and fallen asleep on the sofa. Now she nestled quietly in his arms, wrapped in the warmth of his suit jacket. Victor¡¯s phone vibrated. He pulled it out and answered. ¡°Speak.¡± His voice was low and restrained; even so, the sound disturbed Tessa, who stirred against his chest and burrowed her head in protest. On the other end, Marie¡¯s voice came hesitantly. ¡°Victor.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 786 Did Victor Just Hug Her Victor¡¯s reply was faint, his tone lowered even further as if afraid of waking Tessa. +3 Pearts Marie swallowed hard, then asked carefully, ¡°The person you were holding just now¡­ it was a woman, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± His tone instantly chilled. ¡°It was a woman, wasn¡¯t it? Was it Tessa?¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot of free time,¡± Victor said, his voice edged with frost. ¡°Or did Dan not hurt you badly enoughst time?¡± Send Gifts She Took 787 Chapter 787 Always Been With Victor Marie fell silent. Wait, how does that even conflict? 91 +8 Pearls Besides, she wasn¡¯t gossiping; so why did Victor make it sound like he was scolding a nosy little. kid? She pouted. ¡°Then I¡­ fine, fine, I won¡¯t ask anymore, okay?¡± Sensing Victor¡¯s impatience, Marie hung up immediately. Maybe it was the way Victor had been holding the phone that made Tessa restless in his arms; she kept shifting, trying to find afortable position. Victor ended the call and firmly pressed her small head against his shoulder; instantly, Tessa went still. The truth was, Victor only kept it short with Marie because he didn¡¯t want Tessa to be disturbed. But after that sharp remark, Marie was leftpletely dumbfounded. She stared nkly at Derrick. ¡°Well?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°He said, am I that free? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± All she¡¯d asked was whether the person in his arms had been a woman¨Cwhether it was Tessa! He could¡¯ve just answered her, but instead he had to scold her¡­ She was furious! Marie¡¯s temper red. Derrick went quiet. ¡°Hey! I was the one frantically searching for Tessa not long ago, terrified he¡¯d go to war with my brother over her. Now what the heck does this mean?¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°Do you even know the people closest to him?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°Of course. I know Lewis and Ss.¡± ¡°Call them.¡± 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 787 Always Been With Victor +2 Pearls Marie hesitated. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. What if they¡¯re with Victor? If I call and ask, won¡¯t it make me look even nosier, like I¡¯m just gossiping about him?¡± Victor¡¯s tone earlier had carried exactly that implication¨Cthat she was being nosy. Seriously? Am I that kind of person? ¡°Gossip or not,¡± Derrick said, ¡°since when is it wrong to at least figure out who the gossip is about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Marie thought it over; he had a point. She pulled out her phone and called Ss. At that moment, Ss wasn¡¯t with Victor. When he saw Marie¡¯s name on the screen, he was surprised, but he still answered respectfully. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± ¡°Ss, tell me, was Tessa with Victor?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Ss went quiet. What kind of question was that? ¡°Yes or no,¡± Marie pressed. ¡°Yes.¡± The air on the line went dead quiet. Inside, Marie felt a tidal wave crashing over her. Her mind went nk with a sharp buzz. For a long while, she couldn¡¯t even process it. Hearing only silence, Ss tried cautiously, ¡°Ms. Dawson?¡± Marie¡¯s breathing grew uneven. ¡°You mean¡­ Tessa is with Victor?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When did that start?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been together all along,¡± Ss replied. He wasn¡¯t hiding anything. After all, as someone who stayed by Victor¡¯s side, he knew the matter with the Ashen Pact was already more or less settled. 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 787 Always Been With Victor Marie went quiet. They¡¯ve been together all along. That single sentence nearly shattered her soul. Together¡­ all along? Ss was saying Tessa had been with Victor this entire time? ¡°Since she left me, she¡¯s been with him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once again, silence swallowed the line. 69133 +8 Pearls But the fire in her chest only burned higher¨Cso hot she felt like she could tear the sky apart. Damn it¡­ ¡°They¡¯ve been together this whole time, so why the heck didn¡¯t anyone tell me?¡± God, she wanted to hit something. And the one she wanted to beat the most was Victor. Tessa had been taken by him all along! Marie was utterly thrown into chaos. ¡°Well, you never asked me,¡± Ss said carefully. Marie fell silent. Get full chapters from ?ovelFind She hadn¡¯t asked. Back then, when Tessa had disappeared right under her nose, she hadn¡¯t dared to speak; the fear that Victor might tear her apart had sealed her lips. And now Victor¡¯s people had the gall to tell me that I hadn¡¯t asked? Damn it¡­ ¡°You guys!¡± Once she had the truth, she hung up immediately. Sitting stiffly in her chair, she all but shut down. Even Derrick¡¯s face showed the same stunned disbelief. Tessa had been with Victor this whole time? Then what the heck had all our battles with the Ashen Pact been for? Sure, Dan had deserved what he got¡­ But this time, for Tessa¡¯s sake, they had gone to war against the entire Ashen Pact. 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 787 Always Been With Victor ¡°What did I say before?¡± Derrick muttered. + Pearls ¡°Don¡¯t you dare start,¡± Marie snapped. ¡°This is so damn inhuman. Do you even know how much I trusted him?¡± Her anger finally broke free, boiling over. She really had trusted Victor. Someone tell her¨Cthis¡­ Yes, she¡¯d believed in him all along. When Derrick had asked if it could¡¯ve been Victor who took Tessa, what had she said? That Victor wasn¡¯t that kind of man. That if he¡¯d taken Tessa, he would¡¯ve told her. Marie went quiet. So who¡¯s going to exin to me why Victor turned out to be exactly that kind of man? Send Gifts 6.1K 10:29 Sun, Sep 28¡­ The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In : She Took 788 Chapter 788 Ashen Pact For Nothing Derrick¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good either. ?? ? Marie was so furious she felt like her insides were boiling; even her liver ached from the pressure. +8 Pearls Derrick lifted the ss of water in front of him, took a sip, and asked, ¡°Still want spicy soup?¡± Marie went quiet. ¡°Of course I do! I have to eat!¡± She bit out the words through clenched teeth. The way she said it, it was as if the soup boiling in the pot was Victor himself; in her mind, wasn¡¯t that exactly who it was? Truthfully, she really did wish she could throw Victor in a pot and cook him alive. In her rage, Marie ordered a whole table full of dishes. After the waiter left, she grabbed her water ss and gulped down several big mouthfuls. ¡°Hey, tell me how can someone be so shameless? Didn¡¯t I call him before?¡± Derrick nodded. ¡°Yeah, you did.¡± Back then Derrick had already suspected Tessa was with Victor. So he¡¯d told Marie to call Victor and ask directly if Tessa was with him. And what had Victor said then? He hadn¡¯t said anything at all; instead, he¡¯d smothered her with that suffocatingly dangerous aura of his until she backed off. And Marie had been so terrified¡­ She didn¡¯t even want to think about it. ¡°Damn it, if I hadn¡¯t been worried about his rtionship with my brother, I never would¡¯ve swallowed that crap!¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Who was going to exin to her what the heck was going on? Tessa had been taken by Victor! And all this time, she¡¯d been fighting the Ashen Pact like a madwoman¡­ just to win Tessa back 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 788 Ashen Pact For Nothing from them. The Ashen Pact. The Ashen Pact¡­ Marie just sat there, stunned. ¡°Tessa was with Victor this whole time? What the heck is this?¡± She was livid¨Cfurious enough to die from it. 8914 +8 Pearls Marie drained another ss of water, but it did nothing to put out the fire raging in her chest. ¡°I told you before, and you didn¡¯t believe me,¡± Derrick said. Marie went quiet. True¨Cshe hadn¡¯t believed him. To her, the one person most likely to hurt her had always been Dan, that bastard. So whenever something bad happened to her, she always assumed it was Dan¡¯s doing. But now, this¡­ ¡°I told you, and you never believe me,¡± Derrick went on. Including the night he¡¯d told her that Dan had slept with her; she hadn¡¯t believed that either. Marie went quiet. She would¡¯ve rather not heard that reminder. Thinking about it made her heart twist in pain. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ in my eyes, Dan has never been anything good!¡± she snapped. A man capable of faking his own death. Not to mention what he¡¯d done recently in Falvaria¡­ She didn¡¯t even want to go there. The way Dan had moved, he¡¯d actually targeted the Dawson family. She hadn¡¯t told Abraham, handling it all in secret instead. But because of those very things, Marie had only be more convinced that Dan was no good. He hadn¡¯t spared a shred of consideration for all the years of history between them. And so, Marie hadn¡¯t spared him either. 10:29 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 788 Ashen Pact For Nothing ¡°This is something your brother must know too,¡± Derrick said. Marie was stunned. What? Abraham knew as well? 91 +8 Pearls She had already been on the verge of breaking down from anger; now, hearing Derrick¡¯s words, the mes inside her exploded even hotter. She honestly wanted to kill someone¨Cwhat was she supposed to do with that? Blinded by rage, Marie grabbed her phone and dialed Abraham. Who knew what he was busy with? He didn¡¯t answer until the veryst ring. ¡°Thinking ofing back?¡± he said, before she could even speak. ¡°Can I even call you my brother anymore?¡± Marie shot back. Abraham went quiet. The line fell silent for a moment. Before Abraham could say anything, Marie exploded. ¡°Good for you, Abraham. You really enjoy screwing over your own sister, don¡¯t you?¡± ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find~Novel ¡°What happened?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Tessa was with Victor the whole time! Why didn¡¯t you tell me? What kind of rotten karma did I rack up in a past life to end up with a brother like you? I¡¯m so pissed I could die!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how I¡¯ve suffered these past weeks? I med myself for losing Tessa, terrified that Victor would cut ties with you because of me.¡± ¡°I worried that my negligence would hand you a rival on a silver tter. I went mad trying to get her back from the Ashen Pact; I turned the whole damn ce upside down, looking like some lunatic-¡± ¡°All the while, you knew she was with him. You always knew. And you said nothing!¡± ¡°So what is it, Abraham? Is he your brother, or am I your sister?¡± Marie¡¯s fury surged past its limits; she roared into the phone, voice sting through the line. Abraham went quiet. ¡°You like watching me lose my mind, is that it? Am I really your sister, Abraham?¡± Her words carried a trace of wounded grievance beneath her rage. Chapter 788 Ashen Puct For Nothing She truly was at her breaking point. Especially after everything she¡¯d been throughtely¨Cher panic, her desperation¡­. No one could possibly understand how much it had tormented her. Pearis She¡¯d gone after the Ashen Pact without hesitation, without restraint; she¡¯d been ready to pay any price. Send Gifts She Took 789 Chapter 789 He Hung Up On Me ?? 1913 +8 Pearls But now who was going to exin to her that Tessa had been in Victor¡¯s hands the whole time -and her own brother had known! Her own brother¡­ ¡°You really are my brother; gosh.¡± Marie was livid; she tore into Abraham over the phone without mercy. ¡°Where¡¯s Derrick?¡± Abraham asked. ¡°Why are you asking about Derrick? You¡¯re the one who screwed up, and now you want to drag Derrick into it? Since when does Derrick owe you anything?¡± The second Abraham mentioned Derrick, Marie snapped even harder. Sitting across from her, Derrick heard her words and his eyes lit up instantly. She was¡­ defending him in front of Abraham. ¡°Put Derrick on the phone,¡± Abraham said. ¡°No need for Derrick. What, you think the mess you made is something Derrick has to exin for you? Abraham, you¡ª¡± ¡°Marie!¡± Abraham cut her off before she could finish. That cold, hard tone only fueled her anger. ¡°You¡¯re raising your voice at me now? What right do you have to yell at me?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even apologize, and you¡¯re yelling at me?¡± Her fury spiked higher; tears spilled before she could stop them. She almost never cried. Yet here she was¨Cdriven to tears by Abraham. Derrick¡¯s face, which had just brightened a moment ago, darkened again. ¡°You¡¯ve got no sense,¡± Abraham said coldly. ¡°And you still expect an apology?¡± ¡°What? Do you even hear yourself? Did you really just say I¡¯ve got no sense?¡± Damn it¡­ Tessa¡¯s mother had been in the Ashen Pact¡¯s hands; right at that critical moment, Tessa disappeared. Wasn¡¯t it natural¨Cwasn¡¯t it obvious¨Cto suspect the Ashen Pact first? No, not just suspect; to be 1/4 10:29 Sun, Sep 28¡­ Chapter 789 He Hung Up On Me convinced. Back then the Ashen Pact and Diana had been at each other¡¯s throats¡­ How was that ¡°having no sense¡°? ¡°Abraham, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Maric shouted into the phone. Áãð^ But just as she finished yelling, the line went dead¨Ccut off by the sound of a cold beep, beep. Marie froze. Pearts ¡°He hung up on me? Wait¨Che really hung up on me! How could he hang up on me? He hasn¡¯t even apologized yet!¡± She was furious. After what he¡¯d done, wasn¡¯t an apology the least he owed me? Or was I simply not worthy of one? Marie¡¯s face scrunched tight with anger. Hearing her talk about an apology, Derrick let out a derisiveugh. ¡°Since when has he ever apologized for anything? Three years ago, when the truth came out and he shredded me the way he did¨Cdid he ever say sorry?¡± Three years ago had been brutal for Derrick. Because of that incident, Abraham had torn into him¡ªand into the entire Tom family¡ª without mercy. And in the end? Once it was over, hadn¡¯t he owed them an apology? Marie went quiet. Hearing that only made her feel even more crushed. Still, she muttered bitterly, ¡°But he apologized to Ste, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Not the same,¡± Derrick snorted. ¡°That shameless bastard¨CI don¡¯t even know when he first set his eyes on that little thing.¡± When it came to Abraham and Ste, nobody had seen it at first. Everyone thought he treated her like a younger sister; the way he protected her was just like a doting brother shielding his sibling. But was Abraham a brotherplex to the bone? Clearly not¨Che never treated Marie that way. In the end, it wasn¡¯t a sister at all; he¡¯d been raising her as his little wife. 2/4 ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? FindN()vel 10:30 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 789 He Hung Up On Me 919 +8 Pearls Marie still fumed. ¡°And Ste¨Creally, she must have known too, right? She lied to me as well¡­¡± Her voice cracked with genuine hurt as she used Ste of deceiving her. ¡°They¡¯re husband and wife,¡± Derrick said tly. Marie was speechless. Derrick¡¯s words cut sharper than any de. She was about tosh out again when Derrick¡¯s phone rang. It was Abraham. ¡°Your brother,¡± Derrick said. Marie huffed angrily. ¡°He just loves setting us up, huh-¡± The way she puffed up with indignation¨Cespecially when she said us¨Chit Derrick right in the chest. What did this mean? She was defending him again? And that little us¡­ it curled the corners of his mouth into a grin that didn¡¯t match the moment. He picked up and put it on speaker. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°What did you say to her this time?¡± Abraham¡¯s voice demanded. ¡°This time you¡¯re ming me for nothing,¡± Derrick replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t say a word. It was just when Victor took Tessa out for dinner, and we ran into them.¡± Marie hadn¡¯t gotten a clear look at who Victor was holding earlier. But after Ss confirmed Tessa had been with Victor all along, there was no doubt¨Cthat person in his arms could only have been Tessa. This girl had been worrying herself sick a moment ago, afraid Victor had no real feelings for Tessa. Yet the second she learned Tessa had been by his side the whole time, she was livid. ¡°She poured out her heart to the unworthy,¡± Derrick muttered, his tone dripping with spite. Who he meant was clear enough. Marie went quiet. Couldn¡¯t have said it better, wasn¡¯t that exactly what I¡¯d done? 10:30 Sun, Sep 28 The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In Chapter She Took 790 790 Guess Who¡¯s the Dumb One Marie thought to herself. These past few days I¡¯ve really been¡­ honestly giving it my all. She really had been. No matter what she did, she threw her full strength into it. And the result? Could someone please tell her what the heck was going on here? Danger; signals cutting straight through the airwaves. Abraham¡¯s voice came through, heavy with pressure and intimidation. ¡°You screw up and me other people for not warning you?¡± Derrick and Marie went quiet. Wait, what? Being called ¡°stupid¡± by Abraham didn¡¯t sit well with Derrick. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? How are we stupid?¡± Abraham sneered. ¡°If Tessa were really with Ashen Pact, you think that¡¯s how Victor would¡¯ve reacted?¡± Derrick was speechless. The way he should have reacted? Wait a second¨Cwhat was Victor¡¯s reaction at the start? Instinctively, Derrick nced at Marie; she, too, had fallen into thought because of Abraham¡¯s words. At the beginning¡­ what had Victor done? It seemed like¡­ he hadn¡¯t reacted at all. Derrick asked, ¡°He didn¡¯t react?¡± ¡°To Ashen Pact, Victor only moved after you two made your move. You think that¡¯s the speed he¡¯d normally react at?¡± It was obvious; with Victor¡¯s sharpness, this wasn¡¯t the kind of reaction or timing he should have had toward Ashen Pact. Tessa was his woman. If he knew Tessa had really been taken by Ashen Pact, never mind them¨CMarie would¡¯ve been the first to get an earful. But at the time, she hadn¡¯t received a single call from Victor. That didn¡¯t match the reaction of an enraged man. Marie protested, ¡°But wait¡­ didn¡¯t heter help us take stuff from Ashen Pact?¡± 10:30 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 790 Guess Who¡¯s the Dumb One ¡°If Tessa were with Ashen Pact, you think he¡¯d stop at just snatching a few things?¡± Marie and Derrick went quiet. A 91 +8 Pearls. Their eyes locked, wide¨Ceyed and dumbfounded. So¡­. was it really because we were too stupid to put the pieces together? Marie bristled. ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know at first either¨CI guessed.¡± Marie went quiet. The source of th?s content is FindN0vel Well, great. Now she had nothing to say to Abraham. He hadn¡¯t known either; he¡¯d just been smart enough to guess. So basically, he was clever and they were just dumb. Marie sniffled a little. ¡°Since you guessed it, couldn¡¯t you at least have told me?¡± Her voice wavered with grievance as she said it. Abraham hung up on her. That left her and Derrick staring at each other again. Marie¡¯s little face scrunched up like a steamed bun. ¡°Could it really be that we¡¯re just stupid?¡± Now that Abraham had pointed it out, Victor¡¯s initial reaction did seem out of ce. Derrick said, ¡°That¡¯s you, not me.¡± From the beginning, he¡¯d suspected Victor might have Tessa, but Victor¡¯ster ferocity toward Ashen Pact had made him dismiss the idea. Thinking about it now¡­ Marie went quiet. What a mess this had turned into. One thing after another; she muttered, ¡°Maybe I really am a little slow in the head.¡± Damn¡­ if that¡¯s the case, then I really did wrong Dan pretty badly, didn¡¯t I? Uh¡­ Dan¡¯s furious denials¨Chis insistence that he hadn¡¯t taken Tessa¨Cstill echoed in her mind. Back then, how had she answered him. By refusing to believe. She hadn¡¯t trusted a single word he said¡­ 10:30 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 790 Guess Who¡¯s the Dumb One These past days, no matter what Dan had told her, she hadn¡¯t believed him. And now, this. The whole ordeal had left Maric fuming. She went straight for the spicy soup, downing bowl after bowl. + Pearls She hadn¡¯t been eating welltely, but now that the truth was clear, she tore into it with a vengeance¡­ As if Abraham and Victor themselves were boiling in that pot. Derrick cautioned, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much¨Cyour stomach¡¯s been bothering you.¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ve been starving these past few days!¡± Marie shot back. She hadn¡¯t been able to keep food downtely, always nauseous; on top of all the chaos, she hadn¡¯t had a proper meal in days. When Derrick heard her say she was starving, he remembered all those times she¡¯d been about to throw up. He hesitated, then carefully asked, ¡°Should we find you another psychologist?¡± Marie went quiet. Her face immediately darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t even have psychological stress; what the heck would I need that for?¡± ¡°Hey¨Cwhen ites to you and Sebastian, I honestly don¡¯t even want to start.¡± Just thinking about the stunt Derrick and Sebastian had pulled left her speechless. Never in her life had she been pushed into such a corner¡­ A psychologist? And who had shown up? A patient. How was that even eptable? Marie still simmered with anger. ¡°You tell me¨Cdo they really need to fake it?¡± She couldn¡¯t make sense of it. What exactly was between Victor and Ashen Pact? Besides, with my brother¡¯s status¨Cand Victor¡¯s too¨Cwhy would either of them need to put on an act? How had things ended up like this? Derrick handed her a ss of juice. ¡°Alright, quit dwelling on it. If you¡¯re really that pissed, just drop it. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Sure, Abraham had said they were too dumb to notice Victor¡¯s odd behavior at the start. 10:30 Sun, Sep 28 Chapter 290 Guess Who¡¯s the Duinb One But honestly, it was almost inhuman. When Marie heard the word home, she hesitated. Then she shook her head. ¡°No¡­ let¡¯s keep working with Victor for now.¡± +8 Pearl She Took 791 Chapter 791 Old Scores +8 Pearls Over the years, Victor had followed Abraham and done plenty of things for the Dawson family. Discover more novels at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l? The reason Ashen Pact was so hard to handle now was because she and Derrick worked together without a single w! Thinking back on it¡­ Oh, damn! At first they had always believed Victor was the one cooperating with them. But in reality¡ª They had been the ones cooperating with Victor all along. From the very start, they had mistaken who was leading and who was following. No wonder Abraham called them stupid. They really were stupid, blindly wing at Ashen Pact without realizing it. And the result¡­ After dinner, Marie and Derrick walked out of the restaurant together, only to run into Dan, who hade looking for her. The man red at her with fury. Truthfully, seeing Dan still made Marie feel guilty inside. Dan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it had nothing to do with you? Then what the hell are you fighting for? You¡¯d better exin this to me!¡± In that moment, Dan was about to explode. He had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless. His eyes burned with menace as he stared at Marie. For a moment, that look actually made her feel rattled¡­ Maybe this was the difference between having reason on your side and not. Before, she had the upper hand, so her attitude had been stronger. Chapter 791 Old Scores Now it was different. She¡¯d lost the justification, and that meant her momentum slipped as well. Marie instinctively hid behind Derrick, which only infuriated Dan more. ¡°What are you hiding for? What the hell do you mean by that?¡± The fact that she backed off the moment he confronted her- +8 Pearls That was as good as an admission. Dan, seething, reached out to grab Marie, but Derrick mmed a fist across his face. With a heavy thud, the air fell silent. Blood trickled from the corner of Dan¡¯s mouth. Marie felt her chest tighten when she saw it. Not because she pitied him, of course. She just knew what they¡¯d done this time was pretty rotten. But even if she had lost the justification- Marie still forced herself to swallow and raise her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re innocent here. If I came after you, you had iting.¡± Her words carried a hint of guilt, and it showed. Dan narrowed his eyes. ¡°I had iting?¡± ¡°Yeah. You faked your death back then. I haven¡¯t even properly settled that score with you yet.¡± ¡°You beat me half to death not long ago. Did I ever once hit you back? And now you¡¯re saying the ount isn¡¯t settled?¡± Letting her beat on him before¨Cwasn¡¯t that already part of settling the debt? She remembered chasing Dan all the way to Sand City and beating him down there too. If you added it all up¡­ That should have been enough to settle it. Dan said, ¡°You came after me for Tessa¨Cthat¡¯s between you and Tessa. Why are you dragging up the past? How¡¯s that the same thing?¡± Chapter 791 Old Scores Marie went silent. It wasn¡¯t the same. But¡­ she couldn¡¯t afford to lose her stance. +8 Pearls ¡°Then what about the debt for sleeping with me? Don¡¯t tell me I can¡¯t settle that too. You think this all gets wiped away just because you took a few beatings?¡± Dan froze. Marie froze too. The moment the word ¡°sleep¡± came out of her mouth, both men¡¯s expressions changed. Derrick¡¯s turned strange. Dan¡¯s face darkened like a storm rolling in. His temples throbbed with rage. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t sleep with you-¡± ¡°Who else could it have been, if not you?¡± Marie cut him off before he could finish. Her re was sharp. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve done to me, all I did was snatch a little something from Ashen Pact. I didn¡¯t even take your life. Consider yourself lucky.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to thank you for sparing me?¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± That curt reply made Danugh bitterly. She might say there was no need, but her words burned like mockery. Marie didn¡¯t want to argue anymore. She hooked her arm around Derrick¡¯s and started to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Derrick shot Dan a look. The veins on Dan¡¯s forehead bulged with fury, especially as Marie passed close to him. He suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Are you nning to keep stealing?¡± Marie froze. The thought of continuing did make her feel guilty. Chapter 9 Old Scores +8 Pearls As Dan had said, the beatings she¡¯d already dealt him were more than enough to square things up between them. But now¡­ This wasn¡¯t just about personal grudges anymore. It involved factions. She had to side with Victor and her brother. Especially since her brother said Victor had once dyed settling scores with Ashen Pact because of her history with Dan. That meant this time she had no choice but to stand with Victor. Derrick said coldly, ¡°Let her go.¡± Seeing Dan clutch Marie¡¯s wrist, Derrick¡¯s eyes went deadly. The warning in his stare was obvious. Dan¡¯s grip tightened as he growled, ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± Marie replied, ¡°If you want answers, ask Victor. Not me.¡± Because she had already chosen Victor¡¯s side. Whatever they nned to do with Ashen Pact, she would follow Victor¡¯s lead. She Took 792 Chapter 792 Unsettled ounts 445 +8 Pearls That one line-¡°Go ask Victor yourself¡°-made Dan¡¯s already chaotic mind even more tangled. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Or you could ask your scumbag father instead.¡± The feud between Victor and Ashen Pact was also a feud between Victor and Dale. So really, asking Victor or asking Dale was the same thing. Dan froze. Before, she had said it wasn¡¯t her business. Now she was telling him to go question Victor and Dale? Wait, what¡­ ¡°Why would I ask them anything?¡± Marie sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever your dad did, he knows. You can go ask him.¡± How would she know? Marie yanked her wrist out of Dan¡¯s grip and clutched Derrick¡¯s arm as they walked away. She truly didn¡¯t know the details of the grudge between Victor and Ashen Pact. All she knew was that from the moment Victor had joined Abraham, the two had made a deal in secret. When the time came for Victor to move against Ashen Pact, Abraham would back him. For years, Victor had held back because of her history with Dan. That had already been the greatest consideration Victor ever gave her, Marie. So now, no matter what, she had to stand on Victor¡¯s side. Once they got into the car, Marie told Derrick, ¡°Add more men. Make sure Ashen Pact doesn¡¯t get even a moment to catch their breath.¡± Derrick raised his brows at that. 17:13 Tue, Sep 30 Chapter 792 Unsettled ounts 45 +8 Pearls: He clearly hadn¡¯t expected her to speak so firmly right after facing Dan. He had noticed how nervous she¡¯d been in front of Dan. The man¡¯s long fingers pinched Marie¡¯s chin and turned her face until their eyes met. In that moment, Derrick¡¯s gaze was sharp and piercing, as if he meant to strip her bare and see through herpletely. Under that stare, Marie felt exposed¡­ ¡°W¨Cwhy are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Derrick said. Not bad? ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally given up on him.¡± Because she had, she no longershed out at Dan in blind rage. Knowing she had falsely used him was why she felt uneasy¨Cuneasy, not guilty. And most of all, she had just urged him to double down and bring in more manpower. Marie muttered, ¡°You really have nothing better to say? You just had to bring that bastard up again?¡± Hadn¡¯t her actions these past weeks made it obvious enough? Yet the questions kepting, never¨Cending. ¡°Ufortable?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You ate a lot tonight.¡± Marie blinked. The way that sounded¡­ it didn¡¯t sit right. ¡°Are you saying I ate too much?¡± #1 #P ¡°Women hate it the most when someone says they eat too much. Hmph!¡± Derrick let out a lowugh. ¡°I meant I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll feel sick. You¡¯ve been throwing up 17:13 Tue, Sep 30 Chapter 792 Unsettled ounts everything you eat these past few days.¡± Her appetite had been poor from all the stress. If she overate now, she¡¯d only feel worse. And tonight she had eaten plenty of spicy soup. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Marie said. ¡°You don¡¯t feel sick after all that?¡± ¡°Really, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡± +8 Pears ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just that the food thesest few days wasn¡¯t good for my stomach,¡± she added with a puzzled look. But tonight¡¯s dinner had been delicious. She never expected to find such good spicy soup in Noctarth. While Marie and Derrick debated over her stomach, Dan stood outside the restaurant, answering call after call until he was at his wit¡¯s end. By thest one, he nearly smashed his phone to pieces. mming it shut, he gasped for breath through his fury. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is all this shit?¡± He was about to lose his mind. With a sharp kick, he sent a flowerpot flying, then pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with shaking hands and dragging hard. Conan stood respectfully behind him. ¡°Sir.¡± His voice carried a heavy warning. Dan was already in a foul mood. He had been restless before seeing Marie, and now he was worse. ¡°Spit it out!¡± he snapped. Conan spoke carefully, which only frayed Dan¡¯s temper further. ¡°Look.¡± 17:13 Tue, Sep 30 Chapter 792 Unsettled ounts Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n fin?novel ¡°Look at what?¡± Dan nced back at him, then followed Conan¡¯s gaze ahead. And there¨Che saw Tessa and Victor just getting out of a car. ? 45 +9 Pearls: Tessa trailed behind Victor like a timid little wife, her lips pouting. ¡°I must¡¯ve dropped it in the restaurant.¡± Dan froze. That was that? He whipped his head toward Conan again. Conan said, ¡°This morning I got a picture of Ms. Miller. That¡¯s Miss Tessa.¡± Dan¡¯s eyes went wide. Tessa? Her? And then he looked again at Victor, walking in front, holding her hand. Yes, it was Victor. The sight stabbed into him like a de. Dan¡¯s head buzzed with static, deafening and blinding. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 793 Chapter 793 No More Pretenses 49 +8 Pearls Victor saw him too. Their eyes locked, and in that instant Victor¡¯s gaze was sharp as a de. Dan, on the other hand, felt as if someone had struck him over the head with a heavy club. His eyes lingered on Victor for a few seconds, then dropped to Tessa standing behind him. When Tessa saw Dan, her own mind buzzed. She clearly hadn¡¯t expected to run into him here. Dan¡¯s head was a storm, waves crashing over and over. He turned to Victor. ¡°Mr. Victor? This¡­¡± This what? His eyes slid back to Tessa. Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What?¡± Dan froze. What? What did he mean, what? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be giving me a proper exnation?¡± Marie and Derrick¡¯s words shed through his mind¨Cthis wasn¡¯t their business. So all this time, while they kept demanding Tessa from Ashen Pact, she had actually been¡­ with Victor? Dan¡¯s breath quickened, his chest tightening, fury mounting. Goddamn it. Victor smirked. ¡°A proper exnation? And what would that be?¡± Dan had no words. Even Conan was silent. Victor¡¯s mouth curled in a cold smile. ¡°Our exnations are usually given in the form of truth.¡± Truth? Dan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What truth is this supposed to be?¡± She was right there, standing beside him, yet for weeks both he and the Dawson family, and even the Tom family, had used Tessa as the reason to pressure Ashen Pact. Ashen Pact had been thrown into chaos, tearing itself apart in a frantic search for her. 174 Chapter 793 No More Pretenses 49 +8 Pearls Even when they suspected Tessa was nothing but a pretext, they still wanted to drag her out and smash the excuse down on Ashen Pact¡¯s head. But now¡­ Victor was parading her openly? Not even pretending anymore? Yes¨Cthis was what it felt like. They weren¡¯t even pretending now. Victor gave a lowugh. ¡°And what does Mr. Morris think our truth is?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Dan shouted. He felt like he was about to burst a blood vessel. His rage surged until his vision blurred red. He red at Victor with venom, then turned that same re on Tessa. Tessa, timid to begin with, shrank under his look and quickly hid behind Victor. Victor sensed her fear. He took her cold little hand and, ignoring Dan, said gently, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find it.¡± Whatever Tessa had lost in the restaurant, his voice toward her was unusually soft. And with her small frame against his height, she looked all the more like someone fragile, needing protection. Victor led her inside. Dan¡¯s fury spiked higher. He turned to Conan. ¡°What the hell are they doing?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve dropped the act,¡± Conan replied. Dan clenched his jaw. Dropped the act¨Cyes. That¡¯s exactly how it looked. They were unting Tessa in public without the slightest disguise. Dan raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. ¡°They¡¯re all out of their damn minds!¡± His phone buzzed violently in his hand. It was Dale calling. The moment he answered, Dale¡¯s voice came through, harsh with panic. ¡°Have you found Tessa or not?¡± 211 18:34 Wed, Oct 1 Chapter 793 No More Pretenses 49 +8 Pearls Even across the line, Dan could feel Dale¡¯s fury and desperation. Clearly the pressure on Ashen Pact had only increased. No more pretenses¨Cthings had turned even harsher. Dan¡¯s breathing grew ragged. ¡°I¡¯ming to ck Mountain now!¡± Marie¡¯s words reyed in his mind: Ask Victor. Or ask your scumbag father. It was obvious¨CAshen Pact¡¯s downfall had everything to do with both Dale and Victor. Inside the restaurant, Tessa finally found her ne. It was the one her mother had given her, the same ne passed down from her grandmother. The meaning behind it was too precious for her not to search until she got it back. Clutching it tightly, she looked up at Victor, worried. ¡°Dan saw me. Will that affect you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Victor spoke the word casually, as if it were nothing. Tessa stared at him. ¡°Back then, you were just a pretext for the battle. Marie and Derrick have already torn Ashen Pact apart.¡± So now, there was no need to pretend anymore? Her chest tightened. Victor¡¯s tone suggested exactly that¨Cno more need to pretend. But what was his true grudge with Ashen Pact? He didn¡¯t say, and Tessa didn¡¯t dare ask. Some scars hurt too much to reopen Chapters first released on find?novel with words. Half an hourter, Dan arrived at ck Mountain. Dale, Manny, Artemis, and Lina were already there. Lana was still in the hospital, gravely injured. When she heard her precious item had been 18:34 Wed, Oct 1 ¡­ 49 Chapter 793 No More Pretenses stolen, she had erupted into curses from her bed, screaming that it was Tessa¡¯s fault. +8 Pearls She swore that the moment she left the hospital, the first thing she would do was kill Tessa. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 794 Chapter 794 Blood and Smoke : The entire Morris family was drowning in a heavy gloom. 2 Pearls The moment Dan arrived, Dale ground his teeth and demanded, ¡°Well? Did you find Tessa or not?¡± Manny¡¯s eyes were on him too. He had made no progress at all. At first, Manny had thought Tessa was nothing more than the bastard child of that whore Diana. He never imagined she would wield such influence. Now Manny, like Lana lying in the hospital, wanted nothing more than to see Tessa dead. Dan sank into a single armchair, lit a cigarette, and took a drag. His unhurried manner drew open disgust from the others. Dale snapped, angrier still. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question. Did you find her or not?¡± That tone- As if finding Tessa was solely Dan¡¯s responsibility. It had begun with Manny searching alongside him, yet now the me fell entirely on him. Dan turned his gaze on Manny. ¡°Did you find her?¡± ¡°You-¡± Manny¡¯s face, already dark, went ck as ink when he realized Dan was trying to push the fire back onto him. Seeing the two still at each other¡¯s throats, Dale¡¯s temper boiled hotter. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for infighting! What matters now is finding her and handing her over!¡± That word¨Chanding¨Cwas ground between his teeth, bitter with resentment. Dan let out a sharp, mockingugh. ¡°Allow me to remind you, the person you want to hand over is your daughter.¡± Artemis¡¯s face darkened, and she red daggers at him. 16:10 Thu, Oct 2 Chapter 794 Blood and Smoke Dale¡¯s own look toward Dan turned cutting. ¡°I don¡¯t need you reminding me of that.¡± ¡°Considering how ruthless you sound, I figured I should remind you anyway.¡± Dale¡¯s expression sank further. 39 8 Pearls ¡°We¡¯re all grasshoppers tied to the same rope now. Are you really going to talk like this at a time. like this?¡± He had no patience for debate. What he wanted more than anything was to find Tessa. Even if they had once believed she was nothing but a pretext- Looking at the pressure mounting against them, if they didn¡¯t produce her soon, that pretext would turn into a real catastrophe. So whether she was an excuse or not, they had no choice but to find her at once. Dan drew slowly on his cigarette. ¡°Stop looking.¡± The room went still. Dale¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Stop looking? Manny¡¯s fury erupted. ¡°Are you insane? Do you want us dead faster?¡± Was he saying he hadn¡¯t even searched for Tessa? The thought made Manny¡¯s eyes burn with hatred. Artemis spoke quickly. ¡°Dan, whatever grudges you have against Manny and me, now isn¡¯t the time. Put them aside.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Lina added. ¡°If Ashen Pact falls, then none of us have anything left.¡± Both women were rattled. They had suffered the heaviest losses in the past few days. Their resentment toward Dan had already begun to fade. All that mattered now was finding Tessa. They needed unity against the outside. The inside could wait. Manny snarled, ¡°What is this? Did someone teach you to sweet¨Ctalk women, and now you¡¯re 16:10 Thu, Oct 2 Chapter 794 Blood and Smoke 39 48 Pearis actually doing it? That bitch Marie isn¡¯t robbing you anymore? Or maybe everything she stole from you, she¡¯s giving back now?¡± The losses had been too great. His fury overflowed, and every word spat out was venom. At his filthy insult, Dan¡¯s eyes went ice¨Ccold, glinting with a predatory edge. ¡°So you really do have some skill,¡± Manny sneered. ¡°Well done-¡± His words cut off with a choked gasp. Something sharp whistled across the room and smashed into his face. Pain exploded as he clutched at his cheek. Blood gushed through his fingers instantly. With a heavy ng, a military knife ttered to the floor at his feet. The study¡¯s air thickened, charged and violent. Artemis rushed forward, panic shing in her eyes. Manny, groaning with pain, pulled his hand away to see. His palm was slick with red. Artemis caught sight of the wound¨Can ugly sh stretching from the corner of his mouth nearly up to his cheekbone. Her rage red. ¡°Dan! What are you doing? He¡¯s your brother!¡± Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He stared at Manny, his voice low and deadly. ¡°Insult her again, and it won¡¯t just be a scar next time.¡± Her? Was he talking about Marie? The woman who had spent these days robbing Ashen Pact to the brink of madness? Manny¡¯s breath came in shallow pants. He opened his mouth to retort, but painnced through his torn flesh. The source of th?s content is find?novel The wound split wider, and his words died in a groan. She Took 795

    Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal The Morris family was steeped in darkness. +8 Pearls The moment Dan¡¯s wordsnded, Dale¡¯s fury snapped like a whip. ¡°Well? Did you find Tessa or not?¡± Manny turned his gaze on Dan as well. He had made no progress. Once, he had dismissed Tessa as nothing but the bastard child of that whore Diana. He never dreamed she would cause such upheaval. Now Manny, like Lana in her hospital bed, wanted Tessa dead more than anything. Dan sank into the single sofa, lit a cigarette, and took a drag. His calmness only stoked their anger. Dale¡¯s voice rose sharper. ¡°I asked you¨Cdid you find her?¡± As if searching for Tessa were Dan¡¯s duty alone. At the beginning, Manny had searched with him. Now the burden was being dumped squarely on him. Dan turned his head toward Manny. ¡°And you? Did you find her?¡± ¡°You-¡± Manny¡¯s face ckened. Dan was shoving the fire back at him, and he couldn¡¯t stomach it. Seeing the tension spike again, Dale¡¯s temper boiled over. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for petty fights! What matters now is finding her and handing her over!¡± That word¨Chanding¨Cspat through his clenched teeth. Dan let out a bitterugh. ¡°Need I remind you? The one you¡¯re so eager to hand over is your daughter.¡± Artemis¡¯s face darkened, and she shot him a furious re. Dale¡¯s eyes sharpened into des. ¡°I don¡¯t need you reminding me of that.¡± ¡°With how ruthless you sounded just now, I thought I should remind you anyway.¡± Dale¡¯s expression only sank further. 176 18:24 Fri, Oct 3 Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal 48 Pearls. ¡°We¡¯re all stuck in this together. Do you really want to talk like this right now?¡± But he had no patience left. What mattered most was finding Tessa. Even if they once thought she was nothing but a pretext- The pressure closing in proved otherwise. If they didn¡¯t produce her soon, the excuse would bury them alive. So, real or not, they had to find her. Dan took another slow drag. ¡°Stop looking.¡± The room froze. Dale¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Stop looking? Manny¡¯s fury exploded. ¡°Are you insane? You want us all dead faster?¡± Was he admitting he hadn¡¯t searched for her at all? The thought filled Manny¡¯s eyes with venom. Artemis jumped in. ¡°Dan, whatever grudges you hold, now isn¡¯t the time. Put them aside.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Lina said anxiously. ¡°If Ashen Pact falls, then none of us have anything left.¡± The two women had taken the worst losses. Fear had already stripped away their resentment toward Dan. All they wanted now was unity against the outside. Inside could wait. Manny snarled, ¡°So what is this? Did someone teach you to sweet¨Ctalk women and now you¡¯re actually doing it? That whore Marie isn¡¯t robbing you anymore? Or did she give back everything she stole?¡± His fury spilled over. Every word was poison. Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed, cold and predatory. ¡°So you really do have some skill,¡± Manny sneered. ¡°Well done-¡± A sh cut him off. A knife whistled across the room and struck his face. Pain exploded as blood poured between his fingers. 18:24 Fri, Oct 3 Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal With a heavy ng, the military de ttered at his feet. This update is avable on find(?)ovel The study turned to ice. Artemis rushed to him in a panic. Manny, groaning, pulled his hand away. His palm was soaked red. 87 +8 Pearls Artemis caught sight of the wound¨Can ugly sh from the corner of his mouth nearly up to his cheekbone. Her fury red. ¡°Dan! What are you doing? He¡¯s your brother!¡± Dan¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. He fixed Manny with a deadly re. ¡°Insult her again, and it won¡¯t just be a scar.¡± Her? Marie. The same woman who had spent these days robbing Ashen Pact into madness. Manny¡¯s breath hitched. He tried to retort, but pain ripped through his torn flesh. The wound split wider, and his words died in a groan. Artemis¡¯s anger deepened when Manny couldn¡¯t even speak. ¡°Her? You mean Marie? Dan, don¡¯t forget¨Cshe¡¯s the one who¡¯s stolen the most from Ashen Pact!¡± She quickly turned back to Manny. ¡°How bad is it?¡± His face was smeared with blood, the wound vicious and raw. He would carry the scar for life. Artemis stamped her foot in rage. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary first.¡± At that moment, Dan stood, flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray, and dropped a final bombshell. ¡°Tessa¡¯s been with Victor the whole time.¡± His words hit like thunder. Even after he left, the others sat frozen, unable to react. Not until Manny groaned from the pain did their senses return. 18:25 Fri, Oct 3 Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal 6873 +8 Pearls Dale and Artemis locked eyes. ¡°He said Tessa¡¯s been with Victor this whole time?!¡± Artemis nodded grimly. Dale¡¯s fury spiked higher. ¡°Then what the hell have they been doing all this time?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it already? She was just a pretext,¡± Artemis replied, her voice weighted with dread. That was what made it terrifying¨CTessa had been a pretext all along. Lina spat, ¡°That bitch has dragged us into this disaster. What is she trying to do? Has she let herself be blinded by some man? This family is her blood!¡± Artemis shot Lina a sharp nce. She didn¡¯t like the way it sounded, but she couldn¡¯t deny Lina was right. Tessa¡¯s blood tied her to the Morris family. ¡°To turn against us and help outsiders like this¡­ why didn¡¯t Lana and I finish her when we had the chance!¡± Lina snarled. The entire Morris family¨Cand Marie¨Cnow knew the truth: Tessa had been with Victor all along. And she was nothing more than a pretext used to shatter Ashen Pact. Now, unting her openly, not even bothering to hide, they had driven knives straight into the Morris family¡¯s lungs. That night, Tessay curled in bed, clutching the phone nervously as she answered Marie¡¯s call. ¡°I really thought you knew,¡± Tessa said pitifully. ¡°Victor told me he¡¯d told you.¡± And when she realized he hadn¡¯t- By then, Marie had already gone mad tearing through Ashen Pact, pushing forward with everything she had. If Tessa hade forward then, admitted she was with Victor¡­ Marie¡¯s fury would have torn her to pieces. 18:25 Fri, Oct 3 Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal It was far toote to say anything. She hadn¡¯t dared. Marie snorted. ¡°You little bar deal with you when I get back. ¡°Marie¡± Tessa whined. I¡¯ll ¡°Don¡¯t try to act cute with me. I¡¯m not a woman who falls for that.¡± # But Ste had told her the opposite¨Cthat Maric would soften if she called first and acted spoiled. That was why Tessa had dialed, hoping to slip past the storm. Now, listening to Marie¡¯s sharp tone, she sniffled miserably. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Marie¡¯s voice was firm. How could she forgive this? Absolutely not. ¡°Marie¡­¡± ¡°What did I always tell you? You¡¯re a girl¨Cyou don¡¯t lie like this!¡± Marie raged. ¡°I really know I was wrong,¡± Tessa whimpered. Ste¡¯s advice echoed in her head: act spoiled, admit fault. Marie¡¯s chest burned with anger. That pitiful voice reminded her of Ste¨Calways crumbling once the mistake was made. Why not think before doing it? Why not realize the disaster you¡¯d cause? ¡°Now you know you were wrong? What good is that?¡± Still, Tessa wasn¡¯t Ste. If Ste had whimpered like this, Marie might have given in long ago. But now? Hah. ¡°Save it. When this mess is over, I¡¯ll deal with you.¡± She would settle this, one way or another. Hearing that, Tessa¡¯s heart skipped. Her voice grew even smaller. ¡°How¡­ how will you deal with 18:25 Fri, Oct 3 Chapter 795 The Price of Betrayal me?¡± ¡°At the very least, you¡¯ll be standing all night.¡± PT 07 +8 Pearls Standing? All night? ¡°You mean as punishment?¡± ¡°Exactly. And only because of Ste. Consider yourself lucky.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stand two nights.¡± The words slipped out before she could think. If standing two nights could earn Marie¡¯s forgiveness, it was worth it. After all, Marie had done so much for her. Watching her fight Ashen Pact in a fury over her sake, Tessa¡¯s chest ached with guilt. What had she ever done to deserve it? ¡°I¡¯ll stand three nights. I¡¯ll stand every night if I have to,¡± she whispered. She Took 796 18:39 Sat, Oct 4. The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit in Chapter 796 Night of Uncertainty Tessa spoke without hesitation. 52 Finished. If it meant Maric would forgive her, she was willing to stand as many nights as necessary. Marie gave a sharp snort and hung up the phone.. The abrupt click left Tessa stunned. She quickly called Ste instead. When Ste heard that Marie wanted Tessa punished by standing for three nights, she let out a long breath. ¡°That¡¯s it¨Cshe¡¯s forgiven you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You know how she settled things with Dan, don¡¯t you?¡± Tessa froze. ¡°I¨CI know.¡± How could she not? That storm had been violent and merciless, leaving Dan torn to pieces and hospitalized for weeks. ¡°So if she¡¯s only making you stand as punishment, it means she¡¯s forgiven you. If she really hadn¡¯t, with her temper, she¡¯d have shredded you alive.¡± Hearing that, Tessa perked up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stand properly. I¡¯ll stand for her as many nights as she wants.¡± Steughed softly. Punished, yet still volunteering more¨Cwhat a sight. The two chatted a little longer before hanging up. Victor came out of the bathroom, towel in hand, drops of water sliding down his hair. He caught sight of Tessa¡¯s beaming face. It was the happiest she had looked in days. ¡°What¡¯s got you so pleased?¡± he asked, rubbing his hair dry. Tessa¡¯s eyes darted toward his hard, sculpted torso, and her cheeks flushed. ¡°It¡¯s Marie¡­ she forgave me.¡± 18:39 Sat, Oct 4 Chapter 796 Night of Uncertainty ¡°Forgave you?¡± Victor raised a brow. 52 Finished That surprised him. In his mind, Marie had always been hot¨Ctempered and unforgiving. Whoever crossed her never walked away unscathed. Just look at Dan¨Chadn¡¯t she nearly beaten him to death not long ago? ¡°Ste told me to call, admit my mistake, act a little spoiled. She said Marie¡¯s not so bad. And¡­ it worked,¡± Tessa murmured. Victor¡¯s gaze sharpened with interest. ¡°And how exactly did you act spoiled?¡± ¡°What?¡± She pouted, her lips curving. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± She ducked under the nket, hiding her blushing face. The man¡¯s striking looks and perfect body were bad enough. Compared to him, she felt far too small. But it was precisely her soft, flustered retreat that touched Victor¡¯s most sensitive nerves. He tossed the towel aside, strode over on long legs, and scooped her straight into his arms, tumbling with her under the covers. Tessa gasped, words forming¨Conly for his lips to crush against hers, swallowing everything she meant to say. He kissed her deeply, his voice rough at her ear. ¡°Little thing, act spoiled for me too, hmm?¡± Her breath hitched. Not this- She tried to push him away, but her frail limbs were no match for him. He pinned her down with ease. ¡°Beg me a little,¡± he coaxed darkly. Her world spun. She felt like a bird with clipped wings, carried wherever he wanted. In the end, she begged for mercy¨Cfar more desperately than she ever had with Marie. And Victor, unlike Marie, had no intention of letting her off. 18:39 Sat, Oct 4 Chapter 796 Night of Uncertainty 52 ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel Finished Meanwhile, Marie felt her tension liftpletely, though her stomach still churned. The spicy soup from earlier hadn¡¯t made her throw up. But when she nibbled some fruit at home afterward, she vomited again. Derrick frowned. ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯re going to the hospital. No more waiting.¡± After that fake doctor incident, he dared not summon physicians into Noctarth anymore. This ce had its own kind of madness. Patients pretending to be doctors¡­ Marie slumped weakly after vomiting. ¡°I think so too. What if I¡¯ve got stomach cancer?¡± Compared to Derrick¡¯s cautious suspicions, her worries seemed almost sensible. She thought it must be some pathological illness, not just stress. At the Morris estate, no one slept that night. Ever since Dan had left, the study remained heavy with silence. Manny seethed, spitting curses. ¡°That bastard child¨Cdoes she not know who her family is?¡± Every word dripped with venom when it came to Tessa. Dale¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. Artemis rubbed her temple. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for that.¡± Everything had spiraled out of control. If Tessa weren¡¯t with Victor, they might still have found her and handed her over, buying some relief from the crushing weight Ashen Pact pressed upon them. But now¡­ With Dan¡¯s revtion that she was at Victor¡¯s side, the entire mess grew even murkier. It confirmed what they feared most: Tessa had only ever been a pretext. And if she was just a pretext, then their war with Ashen Pact wasn¡¯t really about her at all. 18:39 Sat, Oct 4 Chapter 796 Night of Uncertainty So what was it about? For years now, Ashen Pact and the Morris family had lived without crossing paths. Why this sudden storm? She Took 797 Chapter 797 A Family in Shambles 523 Finished ¡°I¡¯ll kill her myself!¡± Lina snarled. She couldn¡¯t hold back a second longer. All she wanted now was to find Tessa and end her life. Unlike Artemis, who always thought things through, Lina was convinced of one thing: everything had spiraled into chaos because of Tessa. In her eyes, as long as Tessa was gone, everything would end. She turned on her heel and stormed toward the door. Her intent needed no exnation. Artemis seized her arm. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill her! Once she¡¯s dead, this entire mess will end!¡± Lina¡¯s voice was sharp, her narrow eyes zing with venom. She meant it. She truly wanted Tessa dead. Artemis¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Have you forgotten why Lana is still lying in the hospital?¡± Lina froze. ¡°She¡¯s with Victor now,¡± Artemis reminded her coldly. Thest time they tried to kill Tessa, the sisters had stormed into Victor¡¯s territory. Tessa hadn¡¯t suffered so much as a scratch. Instead, they had returned battered¨Cone with minor wounds, the other so gravely injured she still hadn¡¯t been discharged. Hearing that only made Lina¡¯s rage burn hotter. Victor¡­ That man¡¯s strength was terrifying. She and Lana were both formidable fighters, yet they had nearly died in that vi. And Tessa¨CTessa was standing at his side, robbing them blind. The thought made Lina¡¯s blood boil. ¡°So what do we do? Just stand by and watch while she teams up with outsiders to strip us bare?¡± That was exactly what it was¨Cmad plundering. 19:13 Mon, Oct 6 Checktest chapters at f?ndnovel Chapter 797 A Family in Shambles 8.52 Finished For days, those people had gone at Ashen Pact like wild dogs, and Tessa was right there with Victor, striking hardest of all. Artemis¡¯s breath grew uneven. She nced at Lina, then turned to Dale. ¡°She¡¯s doing this because of her mother¡­¡± The moment Diana¡¯s name was spoken, Dale¡¯s face turned darker still. That woman¨Cwhere had she gone? On the way to the council, she had suddenly vanished. Since then, not a trace. Manny snapped, ¡°All this for her mother? Her mother¡¯s disappearance wasn¡¯t even our doing! If she wants revenge, she should take it out on Dan, that bastard!¡± His fury red. Dan had been on the verge of regaining control of many assets when he suddenly dragged Diana back into the picture. And now Diana had disappeared again. But it wasn¡¯t by their hand. If Tessa wanted to settle debts, she should go after Dan, not rip Ashen Pact to shreds. Artemis¡¯s face soured further. She looked to Dale, her tone softening for the first time on the subject of that mother and daughter. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to make Tessa understand. No matter how much sheshes out at Ashen Pact, it won¡¯t bring her mother back.¡± The words stung her throat like fire. In the past, she never would have dreamed of exining anything to someone like Tessa. But now? The situation left them no choice. If they didn¡¯t move to stop her, Ashen Pact would cease to exist. ¡°Exin to her?¡± Lina¡¯s voice rose with outrage. ¡°Why? Who is she to deserve exnations from us?¡± She had always hated Tessa¡¯s existence. Now, hearing her mother suggest exnations, her fury nearly split her chest. 2/3 19:14 Mon, Oct 6 Chapter 797 A Family in Shambles Manny backed her up. ¡°She¡¯s not worth it. She doesn¡¯t deserve anything from us. Artemis¡¯s eyes cut coldly toward them both. 52 finished Manny winced, tugging at the fresh bandages around his check. The stitches burned every time he moved his mouth. ¡°Whatever else,¡± Artemis said firmly, ¡°we have to survive this storm from Ashen Pact first.¡± Yes¨Ca storm. Tessa had brought nothing less than cmity upon them. Dale¡¯s eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flickering within. He shut them for a moment, then opened them with a glint of ice. ¡°Find out where they¡¯re staying.¡± He had decided. He would go see Tessa. ¡°Father!¡± Lina cried. The instant she realized his intent, panic gripped her. Tessa¡¯s sudden arrival in Noctarth had already unsettled her. She should have stayed tucked away in Rivermount forever, never stepping foot into Ashen Pact¡¯snds. Why had shee back here? Did she intend to snatch away what belonged to them? Especially when it came to her father¡­ Lina looked at Dale, her voice sharp with desperation. ¡°Don¡¯t go see her! After all she¡¯s done to you, she¡¯s not even your daughter anymore.¡± Send Gifts She Took 798 Chapter 798 The Weight of Ashen Pact ¡°Lina!¡± Artemis¡¯s voice snapped like a whip. She yanked her daughter¡¯s hand hard. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± ¡°But Father-¡± ¡°I said Ashen Pactes first!¡± Lina¡¯s words were cut off before she could finish. Her eyes glistened with hurt as she stared back at her mother. & 6520 Finished Artemis¡¯s tone was sharp and deliberate. ¡°If your father wants to go, then remember¡ªshe is still his daughter.¡± Lina froze. At that sentence, the darkness in her gaze sharpened into defiance, her expression twisted with ruthless rebellion. Atst, Dale rose from his chair and strode out of the study. On the road leaving ck Mountain, Trevor reported the address where Tessa and Victor were currently staying. Back in ck Mountain, Lina turned furiously on her mother. ¡°Why are you doing this? I¡¯ll never ept that slut as my sister!¡± Her father had no other children worth acknowledging. Not ones born outside Artemis. Anyone else was unworthy. Artemis¡¯s eyes shed cold as steel. ¡°Right now, Ashen Pact matters more than your pride.¡± Her words were ground out with weight in every syble. ¡°Mother, you-¡± ¡°As long as Ashen Pact survives, what difference does it make if there¡¯s one more Tessa? We¡¯ve already endured Dan for years, haven¡¯t we?¡± 19:14 Mon, Oct 6 Chapter 70g The Weight of Ashen Paet The mention of Dan darkened both Lina and Manny¡¯s faces. ¡°Enduring Dan was already more than enough,¡± Lina spat. ¡°Now another Tessa?¡± She couldn¡¯t stomach it. All she wanted was to tear Tessa apart. G52 Finished Artemis knew her daughter¡¯s temper all too well. Her voice turned icy. ¡°You¡¯d better keep yourself in check. If anything happens to her here in Noctarth, Ashen Pact won¡¯t survive the fallout.¡± Lina¡¯s fury only deepened. ¡°So what then? From the way you sounded, you¡¯re ready to let Father bring her back here!¡± N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?ndNovel ¡°If bringing her back will ease Ashen Pact¡¯s crisis, then yes¨Cit¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Lina stamped her foot in rage. They had fought for years to push Dan out of ck Mountain. And now, if Tessa came back¡­ ¡°This is our home. Ours!¡± Lina roared. ¡°I won¡¯t ept some outsider living here!¡± And worse¨Can outsider who was her father¡¯s bastard. Manny¡¯s jaw clenched in pain. The bandaged wound across his face throbbed with every word. That bastard Dan¡­. The thought of Tessa being brought back under their roof made his chest burn. ¡°I don¡¯t agree either.¡± He made his stance clear. Artemis¡¯s expression stayed cold. ¡°It isn¡¯t about your agreement. If she chooses toe back, that¡¯s enough.¡± Because if Tessa agreed to return, it would mean Ashen Pact¡¯s disaster might end quickly. Manny and Lina exchanged a look. In their eyes, a shared sh of venom. They would never ept it. No matter what. Artemis herself didn¡¯t want it either. 19:14 Mon, Oct 6 Chapter 298 The Weight of Ashen Paet 52 Finished But still-¡°You both need to understand something. Tessa might be the key to Ashen Pact surviving this trial.¡± Admitting it left a bitter taste. But the truth was undeniable: the chaos had begun the moment her name was invoked. Neither Manny nor Lina replied, though their silence brimmed with defiance. Artemis turned on Manny. ¡°And another thing¨Cyou need to find Diana.¡± Diana¡­ Victor had wielded Tessa¡¯s name as a pretext to strike. Even Marie and Derrick had joined the attack. Why was Tessa on their side? Because of Diana. So the most urgent task now was to find that woman. Lina scoffed bitterly. ¡°And then what? Bring Diana back too? Let her and her bastard daughter live here together? Let Father have his happy reunion? Then what ce is left for us in Ashen Pact? What home is this ck Mountain for us?¡± Her emotions spiraled out of control. When she was little, Dan had already stolen her father¡¯s attention¨Cenough times that he skipped her school events just to see him. And now, with Dan finally pushed aside, another Tessa appeared. Lina¡¯s chest ached with fury she couldn¡¯t swallow. Artemis pressed her fingers to her temple, head pounding. ¡°Enough! I told you, Ashen Pactes first!¡± She snapped the words, silencing Lina atst. Tessa and Diana¨Cthey might dare to dream ofing back. But not while she still breathed. Artemis would never allow it. Though Lina mped her mouth shut, her sulking face made her resentment clear. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! She Took 799 Chapter 799 A Father at the Door Dale finally tracked down where Victor and Tessa were staying. Finished It was already past one in the morning when Ss and Lewis stopped him at the entrance. Ss frowned. ¡°Mr. Morris, please go back. Everyone is resting now.¡± ¡°I have urgent business. I need to see my daughter!¡± The words my daughter were bitten out hard. For a father to demand to see his own child should have been reason enough¨Cbut not for Ss and Lewis. ¡°Mr. Morris,¡± Ss replied coolly, ¡°even if it were your mother you wanted to see, we couldn¡¯t let you in at this hour.¡± Let alone a daughter. And truthfully¨Cafter the way Dale had treated Tessa, they weren¡¯t fools. He hadn¡¯t even known what she looked like. And now he called her his daughter? Dale¡¯s face darkened at once. Lewis smirkedzily. ¡°Mr. Morris, maybe head home and figure out what your daughter looks like first. Thene back.¡± The words dripped with mockery. A father who didn¡¯t even recognize his own child¨Cwas there anything moreughable? Dale¡¯s face shifted from pale to ashen with rage. His eyes cut venomously toward Lewis, but Ss stepped forward. ¡°Meeting our master at this hour will do you no good.¡± Anyone dragged from sleep at such a time would not be inclined to kindness. ¡°I only want to see my daughter,¡± Dale pressed. ¡°Your daughter is with our master now,¡± Lewis shot back, his voice sharp with disdain. The meaning was clear. Tessa wasn¡¯t only Dale¡¯s daughter anymore¨Cif she had ever been one at all. 18:19 Tue, Oct 7 Chapter 799 A Father at the Door (33) Finished A girl who had lived her life without the slightest intersection with him could hardly be imed so suddenly as daughter. For Dale to show up now, clinging to the word, was nothing but forced submission. And forced submission held no value¨Ccertainly not to Tessa. Lewis didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Besides, Mr. Morris, with so many children, you can¡¯t even tell which one¡¯s yours. What¡¯s the point of seeing any daughter?¡± Always sharp¨Ctongued, Lewis¡¯s jab carried an extra sting. The phrase can¡¯t tell which one¡¯s yours had an edge Dale failed to catch¨Cor perhaps had never caught. Because Lina and Lana were so conspicuously in, most who saw them doubted they were truly his blood. But Dale had never questioned it. Not once. Even now, as Lewis needled, the hint flew straight past him. Ss¡¯s mouth twitched as he cast Lewis a warning look. Dale¡¯s face had gone an ugly shade of blue. Fury choked him until he finally turned on his heel and stormed off. Ss and Lewis remained. ¡°That mouth of yours,¡± Ss muttered. Usually, he wanted nothing more than to stitch it shut. But tonight, he admitted¨Cit had felt satisfying. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡± Lewis shot back. ¡°He can¡¯t even recognize his own children. Blind as a bat.¡± ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? findnovel Ss hesitated, then muttered something uncharacteristic for him. ¡°So¡­ Lina and Lana really aren¡¯t his?¡± He never indulged in gossip, but Lewis had pulled him right into it. ¡°Of course not,¡± Lewis snorted. Dale, halfway gone, suddenly turned back¨Cand caught the two mid¨Cconversation. 213 18:19 Tue, Oct 7 Chapter 799 A Father at the Door 33 Finished Lewis¡¯s words rang clear. ¡°Ugly as sin like that? How could they be his? Look at their features- nothing alike!¡± Ss added dryly, ¡°If Artemis had been unfaithful from the start, could she really have ended up with something so ugly?¡± Dale froze. His face went ck, rage radiating off him in waves. Lewis still hadn¡¯t noticed. He went on blithely, ¡°A man can have a mistress whether he¡¯s rich or not. But when a woman cheats, looks don¡¯t matter either.¡± Ss¡¯s mouth twitched again. No? Looks and money didn¡¯t matter? ¡°Then what does it depend on?¡± he asked before he could himself. stop Lewis smirked. ¡°Depends on whether he¡¯s got the mouth for sweet talk.¡± Ss blinked. Lewis pressed on, reckless. ¡°So if her lover was that ugly, then his mouth must¡¯ve been real good.¡± He was going too far. And Dale, listening from the corner, grew darker with every word, his fury close to eruption. She Took 800 Chapter 800 Sisters in Fury Finished Dale never managed to see Tessa that night. Lewis¡¯s barbed words and Ss¡¯s cold refusal left him too humiliated to push further. In the end, he left in a storm of rage. Back at ck Mountain, Manny¡¯s wound proved so deep he had to remain in the infirmary overnight. Lina, already attending to Lana, stayed to watch over Manny as well. Lana had regained consciousness, but the moment she tried to move, searing painnced through her spine. That kick Victor had driven into her back still echoed in her bones. She had heard the crack of it herself- her waist snapping like brittle wood. If Lina hadn¡¯t been there to drag her out, she never would have escaped alive. Now she couldn¡¯t even shift in bed without feeling as though she were paralyzed. When Lina told her how much had been lost while she was unconscious, Lana¡¯s fury spiked. ¡°What did you say? She stole our resourcends?¡± Lina nodded grimly. ¡°Yes. All of Ashen Pact¡¯s, even the Morris family¡¯s holdings. She and her people stripped them bare.¡± It had all been said to be because of Tessa. But Lina made it iner¨CTessa had led the raids herself. Lana¡¯s breath hitched, her rage boiling. Lina went on. ¡°Father¡¯s, Mother¡¯s, mine¨Cand yours too.¡± Th?s chapter is updated by find(?)ovel ¡°My holdings as well?¡± Lana¡¯s fury erupted. ¡°Yes,¡± Lina said. ¡°Your Moorends, your Caleb holdings¨Cthey¡¯re in chaos. Father sent people, but even they couldn¡¯t stop it.¡± Moore. Caleb. Those were the two properties Lana prized most. And now¡­ ¡°They¡¯re in that bastard¡¯s hands?¡± Her face twisted with fury. Lina nodded. The realization made Lana¡¯s chest fill with poison. ¡°That wretched bitch. Why didn¡¯t we kill her when we 1/3 Chapter 800 Sisters in Fury had the chance?¡± She spat the words, trembling with hatred. Back then, she and Lina had gone for blood. Now look what it had cost them. ¡°Exactly,¡± Lina said bitterly. ¡°Failing to kill her left us with a disaster.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill her!¡± Lana hissed, her voice sharp with venom. Her hatred of Tessa had grown bottomless. ¡°Mother says we can¡¯t touch her,¡± Lina reminded. ¡°She might being back to ck Mountain.¡± ¡°What?¡± The thought made Lana explode. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it! I¡¯ll never allow that bastard to set foot in this house!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice,¡± Lina said coldly. ¡°Father¡¯s already gone to see her.¡± ¡°Now? In the middle of the night?¡± Finished ¡°Yes. Once he heard she was with Victor, he rushed off. And soon enough, he might stop recognizing us altogether.¡± Lana¡¯s blood went cold. For years, Dale had rejected Dan¨Cthat had been by their own scheming. As for Tessa, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know of her. He knew. He had simply refused to acknowledge her. But their father was a cold man. Cold enough to deny his own blood without hesitation. And now, with Tessa tied to the fate of Ashen Pact, he might make her his treasure instead. ¡°The fate of all Ashen Pact?¡± Lana spat. ¡°What power could that slut possibly have?¡± Her fury made her face contort with rage. ¡°What power?¡± Lina sneered. ¡°The same as her mother. She leans on men.¡± Of course she meant Victor. Sheid out how Victor¨Cand Marie and Derrick too¨Chad waged war for Tessa¡¯s sake. And through it all, Tessa had been at Victor¡¯s side. 2/3 Chapter 800 Sisters in Fury The revtion made Lana shake with rage. If not for her broken body, she would already have been on her feet, tearing Tessa apart. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Lina warned. ¡°I¡¯ll kill her!¡± Lana cried, eyes zing. She had brought disaster upon Ashen Pact, stolen their father¡¯s attention, stolen everything. Finished If Lina was right, and Tessa now held the destiny of Ashen Pact in her hands, then Dale would cradle her like a jewel. The thought made Lana sick with fury. The Nn twins, consumed by jealousy, stewed in fear that Tessa might steal away the father¡¯s love they had hoarded for so many years. Neither realized that Dale hadn¡¯t even managed to look upon Tessa¡¯s face. When he returned to ck Mountain, Artemis was still awake, waiting for him in silence. A The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!