Category: English

The day Alexander “Alex” Sterling chose the “true love” over me, I discovered I was pregnant. Eight months later, while he was finalizing the details for a sprawling, televised society wedding to Tiffany Reed, I was in a brutal, near-fatal delivery giving birth to Leo. Then, the news alert: Breaking: Sterling Heir, Alex Sterling, Involved in Late-Night Street Racing Crash. Tiffany Reed Seriously Injured. Sterling Permanently Sterilized. Terrified he would try to take Leo, I spent five years looking over my shoulder, disappearing into the city’s background noise. Until Eleanor Sterling’s sixtieth birthday gala. Drafted as a last-minute server, I brought Leo with me to the staff lounge. He must have slipped out, because I heard the commotion just as he ran headfirst into Eleanor. The entire ballroom went instantly, shatteringly silent. That face. It was a perfect, heartbreaking copy of Alex’s own childhood portrait. Alex pushed through the crowd, rushing toward the child. His voice was hoarse, warped with shock: “Little guy, whose son are you?” Leo was frightened, his voice catching on a sob: “Mommy… I can’t find my mommy.” “Her name is Joanna Nelson.” 1 Knock, knock, knock. My supervisor, Mr. Chan, rapped impatiently on my desk. “Joanna, the catering company for the Sterling gala is short-staffed. You’re drafted for a server shift tonight. Triple pay.” I hesitated. Eleanor Sterling’s birthday. That kind of high-society event was exactly where I risked running into people from my past. More importantly, I hated leaving Leo alone at night. “Mr. Chan, I can’t leave my son tonight…” His tone turned dismissive. “Leave him with your parents, a neighbor, or the staff lounge for God’s sake. Can’t you figure out basic childcare?” A sneering laugh came from the next cubicle. It was Brenda, the office gossip. “Oh, triple pay. I’d kill for that! Mr. Chan, you’re doing Joanna a favor, aren’t you? After all, a single mom with a kid whose paternity is a mystery always needs the cash.” Brenda’s words were cruel, but they were true. Leo was growing fast, and the cold snap meant he needed a proper winter coat. I told myself I’d only be working the external area of the hotel, far from the main ballroom. I nodded, accepting the assignment. “Thank you, Mr. Chan. I’ll do it.” “Fine. Change now. Hotel service entrance, six p.m. Don’t be late.” As I walked toward the locker room, I passed Brenda’s desk. Her voice was just loud enough—intentional, I knew—for me to hear. “Please. Unwed and pregnant. Acting like some high-and-mighty saint. She doesn’t even know where the hell his father came from. Someone probably knocked her up and tossed her.” A muffled snicker came from a nearby intern. I felt the sharp sting of heat in my eyes and couldn’t help but stop. “Brenda, you’re a mother yourself. Watch your mouth.” Brenda humphed, crossing her arms as she stood up. “My mouth isn’t clean?” “And yours is? A little tramp. Coming here acting like a virtuous maiden when we all know she was just used goods. If I were you, I’d fix myself up. Maybe some drunk millionaire at the party will be desperate enough to look past your little brat and offer to be a stepdad.” My eyes were burning. I was ready to fire back, but Mr. Chan intervened, smoothing things over. “That’s enough, Brenda. Joanna, go get your son and don’t be late for the shift.” I tilted my chin up, ruthlessly shoving the heat back down. I wouldn’t cry here. On my way out, I could still hear Brenda laughing with a colleague, their expressions flicking to me with undisguised contempt. I turned the corner and quickly wiped my eyes. Joanna, you cannot cry. For Leo, you can swallow anything. I couldn’t shake the worry of leaving Leo alone, so I brought him with me to the staff lounge at the hotel. I set him up with his favorite dinosaur picture book, snacks, and water. “Leo, Mommy has to work just outside for a little while. You play here, okay? Promise me you won’t leave this room.” Leo was always so earnest. He nodded, then asked quietly: “When will you be back?” “Very soon.” I kissed his forehead. “As soon as you finish reading this book, Mommy will be back.” “Remember, don’t run off, ever, okay?” He nodded firmly and stuck out his pinky. “Promise, cross my heart.” We completed our ritual, and only then did I feel slightly better about heading toward the main hall. Brenda and a few other female colleagues were already there, gathered near the ballroom entrance, touching up their makeup. “God, the Sterling heir is such a tragedy. Handsome, rich… why did he have to get ruined?” “I heard the Tiffany girl was the one to blame. The long-lost daughter, right? Total loose cannon. Loves to race. She almost killed herself and took him out in the process. Now the poor man’s sterile.” “If you ask me, the Sterling family is cursed. She’s a jinx. She destroyed their entire bloodline.” … Just then, a delicate, yet furious voice spoke from behind them: “Who are you calling a jinx?” Tiffany Reed glared at Brenda and the others. They went pale, bowing their heads and muttering apologies. Tiffany’s gaze swept past them until it landed on me, standing a little way off. “Joanna?” she called out, a note of startled surprise in her voice. 2 I swallowed a heavy sigh, annoyed I hadn’t slipped away fast enough. I braced myself and walked toward her. “Tiffany.” Tiffany closed the distance, her eyes raking over my cheap server uniform. She managed a smirk that was half triumphant, half sickly-sweet. “It really is you. Why are you wearing this? Are you low-tier staff? It must be exhausting.” With an overly dramatic gesture, Tiffany grabbed my arm and tried to pull me toward the main ballroom, her voice dripping with fake concern. “Come on, I’ll get you a job inside, it’s easier work. Who knows, maybe you’ll even see Mom and Dad!” She led me a few steps, then remembered the terrified huddle of Brenda and the others. Her face instantly hardened. “All of you. You’re fired. Get out of here! A bunch of filthy trash.” Brenda’s group scattered, too shocked and scared to beg. They shot daggers at my back, unable to direct their hatred at Tiffany. Inside, Tiffany stopped and wore a mask of sudden, innocent realization. “Oh, Joanna, I completely forgot. We don’t need any more staff inside right now. Only the restrooms and the trash bins need attention.” She tilted her head, enjoying the moment. “But you…” I knew this was a deliberate humiliation. But honestly, compared to the last five years I’d clawed my way through, this was nothing. “I’ll do it.” I took the cleaning supplies without preamble. I was wiping down a bin tucked away in a corner when the guest of honor, Eleanor Sterling, made her entrance. Before the crowd could swarm her with fawning compliments, Eleanor’s voice, sharp with fury, cut through the noise. “How can I have a long life when my son’s future is destroyed!” I looked up. Five years hadn’t touched Alex; he was still impossibly handsome, but his face was etched with a new, dark shadow of perpetual gloom. The inability to have children had clearly broken him. Alex stood silent. Tiffany offered a nervous, careful smile. “Mom, don’t get upset. It’s bad for your health…” “Don’t call me Mom!” Eleanor roared, cutting her off. “I can’t bear it! If you hadn’t insisted on that ridiculous street racing, Alex wouldn’t have been in that accident! What terrible luck has the Sterling family had? Our son, ruined. You destroyed the Sterling line!” Eleanor turned her wrath on the silent Mr. and Mrs. Reed. “And you two! You brought back some… some fraud. Now you’ve ruined my son! Are you happy?” The Reeds’ apologetic murmurs were lost in the lavish room. Eleanor was becoming hysterical, years of pent-up resentment finally erupting. “That Joanna girl you two raised, she was quiet, decent, and respectable! It was Alex who lost his mind, insisting on bringing this jinx into our house! I regret it! I regret it all!” Tiffany’s face went even paler, a mix of sheer hatred and mortification crossing her features, especially when Eleanor mentioned me. She quickly diverted the attention. “Mom, you won’t believe the coincidence. You just mentioned Joanna. I ran into her here today!” Before I could react, Tiffany grabbed my arm and dragged me into the center of the ballroom. The spotlight was unforgiving. My coarse uniform, the half-wet cleaning rag still clutched in my hand, were starkly visible. I felt a rare rush of shame, but forced a greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Sterling. Mr. and Mrs. Reed.” Eleanor stared at me, her eyes complex. The words of praise she’d just spoken seemed to hang awkwardly in the air. The Reeds were stunned. After a beat of deafening silence, a light, contemptuous laugh was heard. Soon, low, mocking comments spread through the gathered guests. “Oh my God, is that her? The one who used to follow Alex around?” “Look at that uniform. That’s the lowest-tier housekeeping staff. And she’s still holding that filthy rag! Tiffany calls her ‘sister’? I’d have security toss her out. What a bad omen.” “I heard she got a massive payout when they broke up. How is she this broke? Must have blown it all on some loser boyfriend.” … The waves of humiliation were about to drown me when— “Quiet.” I hadn’t expected Alex to intervene. His expression was flat, but his gaze swept the room with such cold authority that the crowd immediately fell silent. He turned back to me, his tone almost gentle, pitying. “Joanna, why are you working as a cleaner? I thought I gave you a substantial amount when we broke up.” Money? I looked up at him, bewildered. In five years, I hadn’t received a cent. After giving birth to Leo, I couldn’t even afford the rent. I’d been out taking odd jobs before my six weeks were up. I opened my mouth and instinctively whispered the question: “…What money?” Those two quiet words were a thunderclap. Alex’s pupils instantly constricted. The shock was impossible to hide. His gaze snapped to Tiffany. “Tiffany, where is the money?” 3 Tiffany stammered, choked on an excuse, and frantically looked to her mother. Mrs. Reed instantly stepped forward, reaching out to take my arm, but I subtly pulled away. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air before she recovered and scolded me with a forced affection. “Oh, Joanna, you silly girl! You left in such a hurry back then! We’ve had that money set aside for you all this time, just waiting for the right moment. It’s a complete misunderstanding, darling!” Mr. Reed nervously rubbed his hands together, nodding frantically. “Yes, yes! We never forgot!” The lie was transparent, riddled with holes. Alex’s face went dark. His eyes were like cold steel on Tiffany. “Three hundred million dollars. Every cent. You have until noon tomorrow to deposit it into Joanna’s account. Fail to do so, and you can stop pretending to be a Sterling.” Tiffany was aghast that Alex would be so ruthless, forcing her hand in front of this entire crowd. She shot me a look so venomous I could practically taste the acid. She managed a strained smile for Alex. “Alex, I was just so negligent. You don’t have to worry. I’ll handle it tomorrow.” I sighed. I just wanted out of this mess. All I wanted was to take Leo and live our quiet life. “The money is unnecessary. I can provide for myself now.” “I still have work to do. Please excuse me.” Without looking back, I headed for the corner. The ballroom returned to a muted buzz. Clutching the mop and bucket, I returned to cleaning. One more stall in the restroom, and I could take Leo home. Suddenly, I heard shouting outside. Tiffany’s shriek cut through the noise: “How is this possible? It was right here on my wrist! That diamond bracelet is fifty million dollars!” “It’s gone!” A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. A wave of ominous foreboding washed over me. The next second, I heard Tiffany continue, her voice low and calculating: “Just now… only Joanna was close to me. The bracelet was still there right before I walked her in from the entrance. Could it be…” Tiffany didn’t have to finish the sentence. The door to my stall was violently shoved open. Two massive security guards grabbed me. “I didn’t do it!” I cried out. “I’ve been working this entire time. I haven’t touched anything that wasn’t mine.” I struggled desperately, but I was easily overpowered and dragged back toward the ballroom floor. Tiffany hurried forward, putting on a pretense of distressed apology. “Sister, I’m so sorry! I truly am!” “But this bracelet is irreplaceable. I only need to check. If it’s not on you, I’ll tell them to release you immediately. I’ll even apologize!” Despite her gentle words, her actions were precise. She reached immediately for my right pocket. Under the cruel glow of the chandeliers, in front of every single person present, the diamond bracelet was pulled out. The entire ballroom erupted in gasps, followed by a torrent of disgusted whispers and judgmental glares. Tiffany stumbled backward, feigning shock and profound disappointment. She clutched the bracelet. “Sister, how could you…?” “If you needed money, you only had to ask! How could you resort to… stealing?” At that moment, the police and venue security arrived. The evidence was irrefutable, played out under the harsh, public eye. I looked around in a panic, my voice a desperate, choked whisper. “It’s not me! I swear, it’s not! I don’t know how that got into my pocket!” Frantic, I grabbed the sleeve of Alex’s suit. I was so helpless, so terrified, I could only plead with him. “Alex, we grew up together! You know me!” “I am not a thief! Alex, please, you have to help me!” “I didn’t take it! This is a setup!” Tears streamed down my face. Alex looked at my wet, pleading eyes, his own expression complex. He reached up, gently wiping a tear from my cheek. His voice was chillingly devoid of warmth. “Joanna, you know the rule.” “I only trust the facts.” 4 Alex didn’t believe me. The lead officer didn’t hesitate, stepping forward to address me gravely. “Ma’am, we suspect you are involved in the theft of a high-value item. Please come with us to the precinct to assist with the investigation.” Click. The cold, metallic handcuffs snapped shut on my wrists. I stared at Alex, unable to speak. The old wounds ripped open, a fresh, painful ache in my chest that made me sway. We had been inseparable since childhood. He once swore he would always protect me. Why? Why did he keep hurting me like this? As the officers escorted me away, Tiffany leaned in close, her voice a low, triumphant hiss that only I could hear. “Bitch, you really think you can win against me?” I was led away and pushed into the back of a police cruiser. Meanwhile, back in the staff lounge, Brenda and her friends were sullenly gathering their things. “It’s that Joanna’s fault. She was probably trying to get us fired! She saw them coming and didn’t warn us!” The intern chimed in, “Serves her right to get arrested as a thief! I hope they lock her up for ten years. Let’s see her flaunt that little brat then!” Brenda had lost her job and was seething. She zipped her bag shut, her teeth grinding. Just as they were about to leave, Brenda’s eye caught a small figure in the corner. It was Leo. He was still being a good boy, quietly flipping through his old picture book. A malicious idea instantly seized Brenda. She dropped her bag and pasted a fake smile on her face, walking over to Leo. “Leo, honey, reading your picture book? You’re so good.” Leo was shy but polite. “Hello, Auntie.” “Aww. Leo, Auntie has to tell you something. Your mommy was just taken away by the police officers in uniform. They said your mommy did something bad.” “What?” The picture book slipped from Leo’s hands. He frantically shook his head, his voice high and thin with panic. “Mommy doesn’t do bad things!” “Auntie believes you, too. That’s why you have to go save her!” Brenda pointed toward the main ballroom. “Leo, don’t cry. See that way? Run toward the brightest, loudest place. Go in there, and find a… a very glamorous old lady who looks the most important!” “Find her, and you beg her to save your mommy! Tell her to make the police let your mommy go!” “Remember, she’s the only one who can help your mommy!” Leo was too young, too distraught to register the malice in Brenda’s words. “Thank you, Auntie!” he cried. He didn’t even stop to pick up his book. He bolted toward the ballroom. Brenda watched him go, a twisted, triumphant smile spreading across her face. Her friends crowded around, slightly worried. “B-Brenda, will he be okay?” “Okay? What could happen? He might annoy the Sterlings and make Joanna’s life harder in jail. If the little brat gets lost, it has nothing to do with us.” Brenda walked out, leading her relieved group. Leo was terrified, but the need to save me was a primal urge. He ran blindly into the main ballroom. He instantly saw her: the imposing old woman in the center, surrounded by fawning people. She was sparkling, and everyone deferred to her. That’s her! Leo didn’t hesitate. Saving Mommy was all that mattered. He ran with all his strength, pushing through the barrier of adults, crashing into Eleanor Sterling. Eleanor staggered, only caught by an attendant’s quick reflexes. She looked down, her angry words freezing in her throat. “Oh my… who is this child…” That face! The entire room went instantly, shatteringly silent. His eyes, his nose, his brow—they were the exact, tiny replica of her son, Alex, when he was small. At that moment, Alex rushed over. He saw Leo’s face, scooped him up in disbelief, and asked in a voice raw with emotion: “Little guy, whose son are you?” Leo, frightened by the sudden attention, sobbed into Alex’s shoulder. “Sir, please save my mommy! The police took her!” “Mommy… I can’t find my mommy.” “Her name is Joanna Nelson.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388960”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After my younger brother, Chase, went to prison, I started dating his best friend. Three years later, Chase was about to be released. I overheard someone ask my boyfriend: “When Chase gets out, what gift are you planning to give him?” My young boyfriend, Ethan, dangled a USB drive in his hand. “How about 32GB of HD videos of his sister? Does that count?” 1 Laughter erupted in the VIP booth, sleazy and loud. “Damn, Ethan, you’re a genius. I wondered why you hooked up with Chase’s sister. Playing the long game, huh?” “If Chase finds out you’ve been using his sister like a toy, do you think he’ll go crazy enough to end up back inside?” “I can’t wait to see his face when he gets these videos.” Inside, Ethan toyed with his phone, a lazy, mocking smile on his lips. He warned the group, “When Anna comes back, keep your mouths shut. If she finds out, you’re all dead meat.” “Relax, man. You’ve been plotting this for so long, we wouldn’t ruin it for you. But hey, why don’t you show us a preview? We’re all curious about what Chase’s precious sister tastes like.” Standing outside the door, my mind went blank. The filth spewing from inside made my legs weak. “Miss? Are you looking for a room?” A voice pulled me back from the abyss. The waiter noticed my pale face. “Do you need help?” I shook my head, threw the birthday cake I was holding into the trash, and turned to leave. 2 Ethan was my boyfriend, and also my brother Chase’s best friend. I first met him the summer after my freshman year of college. I was walking home from my part-time job when I was nearly assaulted. Ethan showed up just in time and saved me. Later, when Chase went to prison, Ethan found me and said my brother had asked him to take care of me. I didn’t believe it. Chase and I were siblings, but we were like oil and water. Chase wasn’t exactly a model citizen, so I figured his friends were trash too. Even though Ethan was technically my savior, I never gave him the time of day. But I didn’t expect Ethan’s “care” to persist for six months. He brought me three meals a day, rain or shine. When I got sick, he nursed me back to health, cooking porridge and buying medicine. I wasn’t used to people being nice to me, and I certainly didn’t want to be involved with Chase’s crowd. No matter how many times I rejected him, Ethan pretended not to hear. Finally, when he secretly paid off my family’s debts, I snapped. “What did Chase give you to make you act like his loyal dog?” “What if I told you he didn’t give me anything?” I froze. Ethan’s eyes were slightly misty, a bitter smile on his handsome face. “You guessed right. Chase didn’t ask me to look after you. I did it because I wanted to. Anna… I’ve been planning to get close to you for a long time.” That day, we started dating. Back then, I thought his “plan” was born out of love. Now I know it was just revenge against Chase. 3 My phone buzzed non-stop after I left the bar. Ethan’s texts flooded in. “Where are you, babe? Why aren’t you here yet?” “Need me to pick you up?” “Why aren’t you answering?” Today was Ethan’s 20th birthday. I had promised to celebrate with him. I even went out of my way to buy his favorite cake. I never expected such a “surprise.” Looking at the messages, I strangely calmed down. “Something came up. I can’t make it today. You have fun with your friends.” Ethan seemed disappointed, sending a string of crying emojis. “I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done here.” When I didn’t reply, he sent another text: “I love you, wifey.” I stared at that sentence, spacing out. I realized that when sadness hits a peak, you lose the ability to feel emotion. My reaction now reminded me of the day my father died. Outside the morgue, everyone was crying. I was the only one calmly dealing with the hospital staff. My mother called me heartless, screaming that I didn’t shed a tear for the father who adored me. I looked coldly at my mother, who had cried until she fainted, and wanted to ask: Or what? Should I just vent my emotions like you and ignore everything else? I exited the chat emotionlessly and was about to lock my screen when the phone vibrated twice more. A string of numbers I didn’t recognize. “Released Monday, 6 AM.” “Guard sent this for me.” “Don’t come if you’re busy.” “Don’t reply.” 4 Just a few dry sentences. Even without a name, I knew who it was immediately. How long had it been since I heard from Chase? The last time was three years ago, the night I was assaulted. I had rejected his calls, so his texts exploded like firecrackers on my screen. “Why didn’t you tell me? Do you remember what he looked like?” “[Image Attachment]” “Is this him?” “Answer me! Are you mute?” I was impatient then. “What’s the use of telling you? Can you kill him? Don’t think I don’t know these people came for you. Chase, if you still consider me your sister, stay away from me.” After that day, Chase really stopped contacting me. The next news I got was a court sentencing document. Assault and battery. Three years and two months. I wasn’t surprised. Chase was a delinquent; prison was inevitable. But I still went to see him before he was locked up. The boy in the inmate uniform had a depth in his eyes that didn’t belong to his age. “It’s just three years. Don’t worry.” I sneered. “Worry? I wish you were dead.” This time, Chase didn’t talk back. He smiled at me, hummed an acknowledgment, and said, “Good. Don’t be scared.” Time was up. The guard was taking him away. He stood up, walked two steps, then suddenly turned back. “Sis!” He looked at me and said his last words for three years. “Take care of yourself.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388976”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The day my stepbrother, Chase, was released from prison for a crime I committed, I went to see him. He was leaning against the wall of a dive bar, smoke curling from his lips as he unbuckled his belt. I reached out to help, but he grabbed my wrist, stopping me cold. His eyes were dark, his laugh bitter. “What, you think I’m sick? I’m not gonna touch my own stepsister.” I retreated, feeling the sting of his rejection. Later, I found solace in one of his friends. Chase caught us. The friend froze, terrified. Chase just clenched his jaw and walked away, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing. But the friend disappeared soon after. And Chase? He was done pretending. “I’ve waited eighteen years for you,” he growled, cornering me. “And you’re just gonna let anyone touch you? Like you don’t care?” His hand tangled in my hair, pulling me close. “I’m gonna kiss you until you forget everyone else.” 1 Chase got out of prison today. His crew was already waiting outside the gates, a convoy of trucks and muscle cars ready to pick him up. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to him before they whisked him away to a bar for a welcome-home party. I followed them. A childhood crush mixed with a heavy dose of guilt for him serving my time made it impossible to stay away. I saw him head for the bathroom and intercepted him in the hallway. He was wearing a dark jacket over a black tank top, cargo pants, and combat boots. His buzz cut was sharp, and the edge of a massive dragon tattoo peeked out from his shoulder. He walked with a swagger that said he owned the world. When he saw me, his expression soured. He took a drag from his cigarette and tried to brush past me. “Chase,” I called out. He stopped, raising an eyebrow. “What? Here to thank me for taking the fall?” I bit my lip and nodded. He scoffed. “How you gonna thank me?” I didn’t have words, so I reached out and put a hand on his waist. “Are you crazy?” He slapped my hand away. “I’m not into this.” My eyes welled up. “Why not? It’s not like we’re blood-related. We just grew up together.” “I don’t have money, Chase. This is all I have.” He laughed, a sharp, angry sound. “You think I need your money?” “You know how I feel…” I started. He ran a hand over his buzz cut, looking exasperated. “Look, I’m not an animal.” I turned my head, cheeks burning. “It wouldn’t matter if you were.” He heard me. He took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly before he spoke. “Harper,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Are you trying to seduce me? Because I swear, I will throw you into the ocean.” Is that a promise? I thought, bold all of a sudden. Action speaks louder than words. I reached for the top button of his shirt. 2 Before I could even undo one button, Chase slapped my hand away and buttoned it back up, his face like thunder. He buttoned it all the way to the top, choking himself. “Trying to strangle yourself so I can find a new man?” I teased. He gave a short, disbelief laugh. “Don’t just go around unbuttoning guys’ shirts, Harper. You’ll regret it.” I looked up at him. The buzz cut, the jacket, the sheer size of him. He was mesmerizing. My ears burned as I whispered, “Are you just ‘any guy’?” He snorted, pinning me against the wall with one hand. “Doesn’t matter. Don’t waste your time on me. I’m not interested.” He pushed off the wall and started to walk away, not looking back. One of his friends called out, “Chase! Someone’s here for you.” Over his shoulder, he tossed back, “Don’t waste your breath.” I looked up, but he was gone. I slumped into a corner booth, his words echoing in my head. Don’t waste your time. A sour feeling spread through my chest. My eyes burned, and tears started to fall. I downed a shot of whiskey, the burn a welcome distraction. Then I saw him. Chase was walking out, phone to his ear, laughing. “Damn, you missed me that much?” I followed him without thinking. I had to know why I wasn’t enough. Outside, a bright red sports car was idling. A woman with long, wavy hair and a tight dress was leaning against it. Chase was lighting her cigarette, their bodies almost touching. My nose stung. A tear splashed onto my hand, hot and sobering. Eighteen years of history, and it meant nothing compared to some random woman with a fast car. I wiped my eyes, clenched my fists, and turned to leave. The woman noticed me. She blew out a plume of smoke and nodded in my direction. “Chase, who’s the virgin?” Chase glanced over, a smirk playing on his lips. “That’s just my stepsister. Ignore her.” “Got a lot of stepsisters, don’t you?” she laughed. Hearing them joke about me made me snap. I marched over and slapped Chase across the face. Hard. Then, forcing tears into my eyes, I screamed, “Is one not enough for you? How many others are you hiding?” “Is this why you don’t come home at night? Because of her? Brother?” “…” The woman choked on her smoke. “Holy shit. You let her hit you, Chase?” “What’s going on? You just got out and you’re already juggling chicks?” I glared at him, lip trembling. Chase laughed, a genuine sound this time. He rubbed his jaw, eyes glinting. “Damn. I guess I better pay up on this debt tonight. You just wait.” My bravado evaporated. I pointed a finger at him, stammering, “You… you…” but nothing came out. I had played myself. The woman was loving it. “Chase still got it, huh?” “…” I didn’t think I’d see her again. Until… 3 I saw her at Chase’s new auto shop. Turns out, her dad had hired Chase to manage his fleet. The pay was incredible—enough to open ten shops like this one. But Chase had turned it down flat. “Tell your dad thanks,” he’d said, “but I don’t do well with bosses.” The shop was his dream. It was massive. Tonight, he was hosting a grand opening party. In the past, when we had no money, Chase would still save every penny to build his dream garage. It had everything: a gym, a pool table, a bar, a karaoke room. His friends had always wanted to see it, but he never let them. He hated the noise. I didn’t expect to see him tonight. But then someone yelled, “Holy crap, look who it is!” Chase walked in, wearing his signature black tank top and cargo pants. The dragon tattoo on his shoulder flexed with every movement. He owned the room. He was looking for someone, peeking into rooms as he passed. I quickly shut the door to the karaoke room. But it opened again. Chase stood there, looking at me and the guy I was with—one of his friends, Leo. He frowned. “Out.” His voice was low and raspy, like he’d just woken up. But it held an authority that no one questioned. Leo scrambled to apologize and left. The karaoke room was empty now, just the two of us. I took a nervous sip of my juice, coughed, and tried to act casual. “So, you decided to show up?” “What? Interrupting your date?” Chase was flipping his lighter open and closed, the flame dancing. I decided to push my luck. “Yeah, he’s cute, isn’t he?” Chase laughed, a sharp bark. He put a cigarette between his lips and lit it, inhaling deeply. His eyes were intense, stripping me bare. “I thought one was enough for you? I thought I wasn’t coming home?” “I thought you wanted me to pay my debts? What happened?” I choked on my juice, sputtering. My ears burned. “Chase, don’t be gross. If your future wife heard you, what would she think?” “Oh? You didn’t think about that when you were making a scene at the bar. Now you’re shy? Playing hard to get?” His arrogance was infuriating. If he wasn’t so damn hot, I’d punch him. I took a breath and forced a smile. “So, how are you going to pay your debt, big brother?” Two can play at this game. Chase paused mid-smoke. He took two quick drags, stubbed it out, and turned to leave. I spun around to stop him, but I tripped and fell onto the couch, pulling him down with me. I twisted my back. He landed on top of me. I couldn’t move. Chase seemed stunned. He put his hands under my arms to lift me, but it hurt too much. “Ow, stop. Can you not?” He had to adjust his grip. I whimpered. We were stuck like that for two minutes. I was pinned underneath him, my voice muffled against his chest. “Chase, are you enjoying this? Is that why you won’t let me up?” His jaw clenched, a vein popping in his forehead. “Enjoying you squirming around? You wish.” “Who knows? Maybe it’s your thing.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388992”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At fifteen, Adrian Hale helped me escape an abusive orphanage. At seventeen, I was working in a VIP lounge in the city’s underbelly when I was dragged into an alley and nearly assaulted. He was the one who found me, who stabbed those men into comas. On the day of his trial, facing a barrage of flashbulbs, he held his head high and said he had no regrets. “I just wanted to protect the woman I love, Seraphina Monroe. I wanted her to finally be able to stand in the sun.” At twenty-two, Adrian was released from prison. When he found out I was still a delivery driver in Aura City, he threw himself into the glittering world of high society and made me the richest woman in the city. After we were married, he shared every detail of his life with me, publicly referring to himself only as “Seraphina Monroe’s husband.” Then, at twenty-five, the grand casino we built together, The Empyrean, opened its doors. I lit up the sky with a half-hour fireworks display from the Zenith Tower. But when I came home, I found ten empty condom boxes on the nightstand. In the trash, there were stained tissues—the aftermath of their passion. I kicked the disgusting evidence in front of Adrian. But he didn’t even look up. He glanced at it with casual indifference and called for a maid to clean it up. “It was just a game, Seraphina. Don’t take it so seriously.” I laughed coldly and handed him the divorce papers I’d prepared. “I never play games.” Adrian swatted them out of my hand. “We are never separating. Unless I’m dead.” He had said those exact words at our wedding. It was the same promise we made to each other when we first escaped the orphanage at fifteen. But now, ten years later, it was the dead of winter. “We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down.” He left. The only thing left on the divorce papers on the floor was the print of his shoe. A moment after he was gone, my phone lit up with two messages from an unknown number. “Seraphina, can you just let Adrian go? You’re old news, a washed-up hag. You can’t even get a man excited anymore!” “You must have seen the mess in the bedroom. I’m telling you, I’m the only one who can make Adrian happy.” A series of intimate photos followed. A woman, her shoulders bare, lay on our bed, her eyes smoldering with desire. Adrian’s back was to the camera, his muscles taut, his skin slick with a thin layer of sweat. The tattoo of my name, which he had gotten on his arm just for me, was a glaring wound in the picture. “See? Adrian’s true love is me, not you!” “So I suggest you step aside. Otherwise, you won’t be keeping your position at the company for much longer.” The woman’s taunts were laced with a naive arrogance, as if such a declaration of ownership could actually make me back down. I laughed until my heart trembled. Then I went online and listed the millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry Adrian had bought me over the years for one dollar each. When Adrian returned, he found me directing the maids as they packed everything away. After a maid told him what was happening, his eyelids lifted slightly. “They’re just trinkets. If you don’t like them, it’s good to get rid of them.” I leaned against the window, a wine glass in my hand, and said nothing. He walked towards me, his leather shoes silent on the marble floor. He took the glass from my lips and drained it in one gulp. “She’s young and reckless, all bark and no bite. Is she really worth getting this angry over?” He finished the wine and placed the empty glass back in my hand. His dismissive attitude made it seem as if I wasn’t the one who had fought beside him through blood and fire to build our empire. As if it had been someone else. I smiled faintly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be so petty.” I tossed a stack of photos onto the sofa. The girl’s face, a bloody, unrecognizable mess, was in full view. “So I taught her a lesson myself.” My voice was calm. The words had barely left my lips when a rush of air whipped past my cheek. “Seraphina!” Adrian’s hand was raised, his face contorted with rage. The slap stopped less than an inch from my face. “Bianca is a model! Doing this… you’re trying to ruin her!” There was no love in his eyes. Only a raw, burning hatred, as if he wanted me gone. I stared at him, and for a moment, I was back in the rain-soaked alley at seventeen. I was working at a nightclub, and a group of men had dragged me into the darkness, tearing at my clothes. He had looked at them with that same expression, right before he stabbed each of them over thirty times. The only difference was, this time, that look was directed at me. “So?” I crushed the wine glass in my hand. With my other, I grabbed his arm and pressed his palm tight against my cheek. “Are you going to punish me like this… for her?” Our eyes clashed, a silent, vicious battle. The metallic scent of blood filled the air between us. Only then did he see the shards of glass embedded in my palm. “Seraphina.” He flinched, trying to pull his hand back. I didn’t move. I just watched as he took my hand and began to painstakingly pick out the slivers of glass. “I would never truly hurt you.” “She was out of line. She deserved a lesson.” He finally answered my question. A trickle of blood oozed from the wound, and he instinctively bent down, his lips covering the cut. Back in the orphanage, when other kids hurt us and we had no medicine, we would “disinfect” each other’s wounds this way. Even now, he held onto the habit. I pulled my hand away. “Don’t. It’s dirty.” Adrian froze. Then he called for a maid to bandage my hand. And he walked out. He didn’t come back for days. But my private investigators kept me informed. Adrian was with Bianca, taking her to the best plastic surgeons for skin grafts. Within a week, she was back in the public eye, having landed five major luxury brand fashion shows. When I heard the news, I went straight to The Empyrean to find him. On the golden walls, massive LED screens played a loop of Bianca’s runway videos. “It seems you really like her,” I said calmly. “You’re willing to give her the company’s top resources as compensation.” Adrian’s lips thinned. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Seraphina, you hurt her.” “As your husband and her mentor, it’s my duty to make it up to her. Why can’t you just let it go?” I found it laughable. I pulled the divorce papers from behind my back. “Sign this, and I’ll let her go.” This time, he didn’t just toss the papers aside. He ripped them to shreds. “I told you, we are never separating. Unless I’m dead!” I knew he couldn’t let go of his obsession. Even more, he couldn’t let go of the empire we had built together. I smiled, grabbed a nearby bottle of Lafite, and smashed it against the massive screen beside me. Screams erupted in the lobby as people scrambled to get away. When the entire ground floor was empty, I stared at him, my feet crunching over the broken glass. “Adrian.” I called his name softly, a trail of blood marking my path as I walked toward him. I raised my hand. The jagged edge of the broken bottle was pressed against his throat. “Do you really think I don’t have the guts to send you to your grave?” His pupils contracted. He grabbed the bottleneck, his knuckles white. I didn’t back down. I pushed it deeper. “If you don’t agree to this divorce, I’ll send you on your way myself!” My entire body was tense. I could see beads of blood forming on his neck. But in the next second, he let go. The sharp glass plunged into his throat. Blood instantly soaked my hand. He just looked at me and smiled. “Seraphina, I will never agree to a divorce.” He grabbed my hand, forcing the bottle in deeper. “If you’re going to force my hand, then do it now.” His tone was as casual as if he were asking what was for dinner. I yanked the bottle back. A warm spray hit my face. The smell of blood filled my nostrils, thick and suffocating. I was dizzy, thrown back to that rainy night at seventeen. All the strength drained from my body. The bottle fell from my hand, shattering on the floor. “Seraphina.” A pair of cold hands steadied me. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Adrian gently patted my trembling back, even as his own blood soaked his shirt. He had held me just like this for fifteen years in that orphanage, trying to shield me from harm with his own frail body, trying to warm me with his own cold skin. He would whisper it over and over, “Don’t be afraid, Seraphina. I’m here.” We had carried that love through twenty-five years of blood and tears. And now, it was unrecognizable. I pushed him away, forcing myself to walk. My weak limbs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. “Seraphina!” He moved to help me up. “Stay away!” I clawed my way back to my feet and stumbled out. After that, Adrian and I didn’t see each other. My sources told me he was recovering in the hospital, with Bianca constantly by his side. In her spare time, she managed to win an international modeling award. I paid it no mind, focusing solely on running The Empyrean. But Bianca couldn’t wait. She came to the casino to flaunt her victory. “Seraphina, this award was a birthday gift from Adrian.” She brandished the golden trophy, her eyes glinting with triumph. “Did you really think scarring my face would make him leave me?” She stepped closer. “Adrian’s love for me is real. The more you hurt me, the more he cherishes me. These endorsements and awards are just small tokens of his affection. What I really love is how much more passionate he’s become.” I noticed then that she had removed the silk scarf from her neck. Her pale skin was covered in a constellation of dark red marks, each one a testament to the wild, unrestrained nights she and Adrian had spent together. “You’re so pathetic, Seraphina.” She tilted her head back, her face a mask of scorn. “I hear you and Adrian have been together for eight years and still don’t have a child.” “You should get that checked out. It would be a shame if I beat you to motherhood.” I smiled. In the blink of an eye, Bianca screamed. She clutched her stomach and crumpled to the floor, her eyes burning with hatred. “Seraphina, you’ll burn in hell for this!” The curve of my lips widened. I brought the sharp point of my heel down hard on her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you die long before I do.” “Aren’t you afraid Adrian will hate you for this?” she choked out. I pressed down harder. “What happens between him and me is none of your business.” That night, Adrian came home. He had his men surround the villa, their presence a silent, menacing siege. An armored car was parked outside. He had only ever used such tactics when eliminating threats to our organization. I never thought they would be turned on me. I opened the door. We stood facing each other, each of us flanked by a sea of bodyguards. “Seraphina.” It was the first time he had ever said my name with such coldness. “Aren’t you going to give Bianca an explanation?” “She came looking for a fight. I just gave her what she wanted. Isn’t that right?” I descended the staircase slowly, stopping in front of him. The faint glow of his cigarette failed to illuminate his entire face. “Did you really think I was as docile as the rumors say? That I’d welcome your mistress with a smile?” I exhaled a plume of smoke. “Adrian, don’t forget, half of everything you have is in my name.” “The only reason I haven’t made this a public spectacle is out of respect for our history. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let some clown disrespect me.” I held out the divorce papers again, dropped my cigarette, and crushed it under my heel. “But if you sign this, I can let everything else go.” The clouds blotted out the moon completely. In the darkness, I didn’t miss the red glint in Adrian’s eyes. I sighed. “For twenty-five years, you helped me escape that hellhole, you went to prison to protect me. In return, I willingly conquered half of Aura City for you, so you could be free to find your own happiness.” “My debt to you is paid. Let’s part ways amicably.” “Amicably.” Adrian finally spoke, sneering the word. His response was to snatch a lighter and set the divorce papers ablaze. “I won’t let her bother you again.” The flames died out. He turned and left with his men, without a backward glance. I stood there until his silhouette vanished, then let out a series of stifled coughs. “Boss.” My men rushed to my side. I waved them away. “It’s nothing. The usual.” To gain a foothold in Aura City, the endless dinners and drinks had taken their toll on my lungs. It was a chronic problem even the best doctors couldn’t fix. The cough persisted for days. I finally made an appointment at a private hospital, only to walk in on Bianca, in her room, threatening to kill herself. “Adrian, you said you loved me! Why won’t you divorce her? Why won’t you stand up for me?” “Don’t you know I’m ruined like this? I might as well be dead!” She grabbed a fruit knife and tried to plunge it into her own chest. Adrian blocked it with his arm. A long, deep gash opened up, blood pouring out. The knife clattered to the floor. Ignoring his bleeding arm, he cupped her face and kissed her deeply. A grotesque, desperate passion. Just like eight years ago. I pushed the door open. They both turned to look at me. “Seraphina! I’ll make you pay for this!” Bianca shrieked, scrambling for the knife and lunging at me. I twisted her arm behind her back and threw her to the floor. Adrian grabbed my forearm. “Seraphina, don’t.” “Don’t what?” I laughed, a humorless sound. “You’re the one who said she wouldn’t bother me again.” “I gave you the courtesy of handling it, but now she’s trying to kill me. If I don’t do something, you both might actually think I’m a pushover.” SLAP! The sound of my hand connecting with Bianca’s face echoed in the room. That single blow seemed to shatter the fragile truce between Adrian and me. He shoved me away like a madman, grabbing the knife and pointing it at my heart. “Seraphina, if you touch Bianca again, don’t blame me for what happens.” The tip of the blade tore the collar of my shirt. He stood before Bianca like a guardian, ready to fight her battles. Not long ago, he had sworn he would never hurt me. “Are you sure you want to do this to me… for her?” The hand holding the knife was trembling, but his eyes were resolute. “Seraphina, you’re forcing me to do this.” “I won’t let you hurt her again.” I laughed. I truly laughed. “Adrian, there’s no going back for us.” Only when you’ve loved can the absence of it be so monstrous. The Adrian of seventeen was gone forever.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389008”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 When I committed the home invasion and robbery, I had just stabbed the man when police cars arrived downstairs. Running away would be the best option now. I had checked the laws; armed robbery and home invasion could carry a life sentence. It didn’t matter. I knew the price I had to pay from the beginning, and I accepted it. I texted my wife, saying the police were here and I was probably going to prison. My wife quickly replied with a voice message. She cried and said, “I’m proud of you.” I glanced at the animal on the floor. He clutched his stomach where I had stabbed him, looking at me in terror. Hearing the sirens downstairs, he said anxiously, “The police are here.” I said, “I see them.” I lifted my foot and kicked him hard in the face! I asked, “Where is the money?” Just then, the police banged on the door outside: “Open up! Police!” A flicker of joy flashed across his face. He hurriedly tried to shout for help, but I covered his mouth and said coldly, “Don’t shout. I’m asking you, where is the money hidden?” He gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t have money. The police are right outside. Kill me in front of them if you have the guts!” I said seriously, “Okay, then I’ll kill you.” I gripped the knife and stabbed down hard! One stab, two stabs, three stabs. He spat blood in pain, seemingly surprised that I actually dared to stab him. He pointed weakly at the sofa. Only then did I let go. He lay on the floor, breathing out more than in; he probably wouldn’t make it. I glanced at him, not caring about him. I once knelt before him, begging him to pay me back. My wife will never know that I knelt right here that day. I said, Mr. CEO, please settle the final payment. My capital chain is broken; my family is about to be ruined. Clearly, he owed me money. I just wanted to collect my debt, but in the end, I was the one kneeling and begging. And him? He looked at me roguishly and said, “I have no money to pay you back. If you want money, I have none; if you want a life, I have one. At worst, you can kill me to settle the debt.” Now, I have fulfilled his wish. Chapter 2 I stabbed the knife into the sofa. As the sofa was cut open, it was full of cash. Estimated to be at least three million dollars. I turned my head and looked at him in the pool of blood. He clutched his wound, painfully spitting blood. Regret was written all over his face now, but it was too late. I don’t understand. Paying debts is a matter of course. When he urgently needed help, I did my best. But when my family was about to be ruined, he sent his children to private schools, indulged in luxury, and cried poverty to me. I can’t figure out why there are so many heartless people in this world. The police banged impatiently on the door outside. I took a bag, counted the money, and took 1.2 million for myself. Yes, there were about three million in front of me, but I took less than half. I knew I might be executed, but I was unwilling to take a penny more of someone else’s money. I just wanted to take back the money that belonged to me. I have been honest and dutiful all my life. I don’t know why I ended up like this. In the beginning, I went to court to file a lawsuit. When I sued, I found out his accounts had long been frozen and emptied because besides me, he had other major creditors. The major creditors sued much earlier than I did and had reached the enforcement stage, enjoying priority rights. But at this stage, he was completely bankrupt. I once asked a lawyer if I could sue together and divide his property proportionately. The lawyer told me no because the other party was already in the execution stage. I really broke down. The debtor pretended to be rich as usual to do business with me while being sued by major creditors. How could I keep up? I also went to the major creditor. I begged them to pity me. My family’s capital chain was broken and really about to collapse. Various penalties would ruin my family. I just wanted to get my money back, but I humbly said to the major creditor: “Boss, I’ve asked around, I know you are very rich. He owes me 1.2 million. I beg you to give me this money first. When my factory survives this difficulty, I will pay you back two million in installments, letting you earn 800,000 for nothing. We can sign a contract. As long as you are willing, my family will work like oxen and horses for you.” Unfortunately, the major creditor rejected me. He said he was not related to me and didn’t trust me. The lawyer told me it was inevitable for them to reject me. In such cases where a deadbeat owes many parties, whoever gets the money depends on their ability. Because everyone is innocent, only ruthless people can get the money back. Yes, I know the major creditor is innocent, but I am innocent too. Everything I did was just to let my family survive. Those who have been in manufacturing know very well that for small factories like ours, once the capital chain breaks, the debts will pile up crazily with no end. The cost of machine downtime, penalties from Party A, final payments and penalties to Party B. He owes me one million, but it will make me bear at least five million in debt for no reason. This is forcing my whole family to death! I know what not paying back the money means for the disaster it will bring to my family. Last night, I humbly begged him to pay back the money because I got news that although he was debt-ridden, his son’s tuition for the private aristocratic school was paid. I knew as soon as I heard it that he definitely still had money. Sadly, when I called, he still told me with that arrogant attitude: no money, only a life. I hung up the phone. My wife was already crying beside me with red eyes. My young daughter didn’t know disaster was imminent for her parents and was still happily playing Elsa with a magic wand outside. At that second, I said blankly, “I really want to kill him.” My wife paused for a moment, then said, “Okay, you go kill him, you go rob the money. I won’t remarry. I will take care of your parents and raise our daughter well.” I said, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll be shot?” My wife cried and said, “I’m not afraid of your death, nor am I afraid of death, but I’m afraid our daughter will die. Are you going to kill him? If you don’t go, I will.” We are honest and dutiful people who haven’t done anything illegal all our lives until we were forced to a dead end. Last night my wife and I didn’t sleep all night. I hugged her, constantly kissing her cheek, constantly saying I love her. She didn’t respond to me, just cried and kissed me. I smoked two packs of cigarettes. For the first time, she didn’t dislike the smell of my smoke but lit cigarettes for me again and again. As if we both sensed it, that was the final parting. Listening to the police knocking on the door, I walked to the window and sighed deeply. This is the sixth floor. I originally broke in through the front door while he was taking out the trash. Now the police are at the door; what should I do? I’m not afraid of prison, I’m not afraid of the death penalty, I’m not even afraid of jumping off the building. I’m just afraid this money won’t reach my wife’s hands. She is at the coffee shop at the entrance of the community, waiting for me to give her the money. I will turn myself in, and she will pay the debts. Just then, the police outside suddenly shouted angrily: “If you don’t open the door, we will force it open and take coercive measures against you! This is my first warning!” The animal on the ground was still spitting blood, not dead yet. He crawled towards the door with difficulty, as if begging the police to open the door quickly and save him. Unfortunately, he didn’t even have the strength to crawl. He just moved slightly and stopped in place, unable to move. The police outside shouted angrily: “Second warning!” I hurriedly messaged my wife, asking her to come under the window quickly. I would throw the money down from the sixth floor. It wouldn’t matter if I got caught by the police then; there would still be time. My wife quickly replied, saying she was coming immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief. But immediately after, I was dumbfounded. When the police finished the third warning, the door suddenly opened! I thought opening the lock would take time, at least a few minutes. But what I never expected was that the locksmith brought by the police opened the door in one second! The moment the door opened, I saw a group of police officers standing at the door. And I was holding a bloody knife in my left hand and a bag of cash in my right. The bailiffs were extremely fast. Seeing the situation, they quickly blocked in front of the judge, drew their guns, and aimed at me! A bailiff shouted at me: “Drop the weapon, squat down! Hands on your head! Or I’ll shoot!” Looking at the dark muzzles, my heart jumped violently. Too fast. Chapter 3 The speed of opening the door far exceeded my expectations. I thought I would be scared, but I wasn’t. My mind was full of: if I die here, what will happen to my wife and child? They are still waiting for this money to save their lives. The judge saw me clearly, and his face instantly turned very pale. He knew me, and I knew him. A few days ago, I went to his office and said, Your Honor, my family is being driven to death, can you allocate some to me first? He said no, everything follows procedures. I told him in breakdown that if my family’s debts were not collected, people would die. At that time, the judge was looking at documents. He pushed up his glasses and told me very seriously that the world doesn’t work by whoever makes the most noise is right. He understood my suffering but had to follow procedures. I forced a smile and said to that judge: “It’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself.” I subconsciously backed away. The bailiffs were nervous at first, but seeing me backing away, they didn’t shoot, instead shouting at me: “Don’t move!” At this moment, every room was too far from me. The closest room to me was a storage room. I had nowhere to go, so I could only rush into the storage room carrying the knife and money, and quickly closed the door. Thank goodness, the door of this storage room could be locked from the inside. Anxious voices sounded outside immediately: “Call an ambulance quickly! And call the police!” I stood panting in the storage room, moved a big box to block the door. After all, their locksmith was really good. I was nervous. Hearing them say call the police, I knew they were probably calling SWAT, CID, or some police department I didn’t know. Ideally, bailiffs don’t have rich handling experience like these police departments; maybe I have a chance to throw the money down. But pessimistically, lack of experience means they are more nervous and more likely to shoot me than other police departments. While I was wondering what to do, the judge’s voice sounded outside: “Put down the knife and come out. You broke the law. Now you can’t escape. The only way out is to surrender.” I smiled bitterly, ignoring the judge’s words. Because I never intended to escape. If you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. I know this principle. So pathetic. I have been upright all my life. I haven’t done anything against conscience. Now I have become a sinner. Seeing I didn’t speak, the judge continued: “Think about your wife and child.” His words reminded me. Yes. It was for my wife and child that I came to this step. I opened a small factory and originally had a happy life. Small factories like ours have large turnovers and low profits. Those who have done manufacturing know that one million can crush you to death. My family’s is the smallest of the small. In my home, two machines, one couple. The house always smells of machine oil. My wife operates the machine. She likes to endure hardship with me, but she also has her girlish demeanor. Her pink bunny sleeve covers were stained with machine oil as she helped me assemble small parts. I operated the lathe, occasionally telling a joke to make her laugh. After laughing, she always kept a straight face and seriously told me not to be distracted again, careful of the machine hurting my hands. We had a very happy life. When we first took this order, she made me a big bowl of noodles. I slurped the noodles while she sat beside me, saying happily how great it was. When the final payment for this order was settled, we could get a loan from the bank to buy you a new lathe with safety guards, so I wouldn’t have to worry about you anymore. I sat on the floor. The first luxurious thing in my life was wiping my tears with banknotes. It hurts so much, this heart. We were dutiful, with only a few simple little dreams. I never thought life would bid farewell to her like this. I said: “Let the police go out. I only talk to you alone.” Thinking he had a chance, the judge hurriedly said: “Okay, I’ll let them all go out. Calm down.” I heard footsteps outside, fading away at first, but later, although the sound became smaller, it remained in place. I knew that was the police pretending to leave but actually marching in place. There were probably people hiding behind the door. Once I unlocked it, the door would be pulled open, and I wouldn’t be able to fly away. The judge tried to make his voice gentle. He said: “I know your family has difficulties too. Doing this is not worth it.” I said: “I’ll just ask you one legal question. Tell me honestly.” He paused and said: “Ask.” I asked: “If I succeed today and return this money to my creditors. I didn’t take a penny more, only took back the money he owed me. Will the court require my creditors to return the payment?” He hurriedly said: “Of course they will. So don’t do stupid things. What you are doing now is meaningless and will only harm yourself!” Chapter 4 I said: “You’re lying to me. It’s all meaningful. When there’s a dispute over this money, although you can demand its return, given that I’ve already committed a crime, and my wife is desperate, she might do the same thing as me. The premise of the rule of law is to maintain stability. You will choose to treat my debt as settled and let the richer major creditors wait until you find the deadbeat’s new assets.” The judge was silent. After a while, he said: “Did some unethical lawyer give you bad advice? What you said is possible, but is it worth risking your own life for?” I said nothing because at this moment, my phone screen lit up. I saw a message from my wife. She said she was downstairs. I looked at the screen, then opened the photo album, looking at my ordinary life. Our wedding, I knelt on one knee and put the ring on her. I also sang a love song. She tried hard to hold back laughter, causing me to hold back laughter too. Our daughter’s first steps, walking unsteadily on the road, calling me daddy, and finally throwing herself into my arms. And when we accompanied our daughter to kindergarten for the first time, to leave a good impression on the teachers, we scrubbed our hands hard with laundry brushes, enduring the pain, trying to wash away the perennial machine oil on our hands. The photos recorded my simple life. I cried and laughed, finally taking a deep breath. Is it worth risking my life for this? I think it’s worth it, very worth it. Have I ever risked my life for anyone in this lifetime? Today is the time for me to risk my life. There were clothes in the storage room. I put them on one by one, hoping the thick layers would stop bullets. Of course, I knew the situation outside. But the people I love are still waiting for me. Though thousands oppose me, I will go. Even if I die nine times, I will not regret it. Besides clothes, I found something good in the storage room: a book, a thick dictionary. I looked at this book; it could only protect one part of my body. Finally, I made a bold decision. Didn’t protect my chest, didn’t protect my stomach, but instead unzipped my pants and placed it on my thigh. I once heard that although police abroad empty their clips to ensure the suspect has no ability to fight back. But domestically, when police have to shoot, they choose to shoot the legs first, also to ensure the suspect cannot fight back. I didn’t know the bailiffs’ experience, only hoping I bet right. Bullets hitting my chest or stomach, I didn’t care. Compared to death, I feared more not being able to escape to the window to throw the money down. I messaged my wife to come under the kitchen window. I checked just now; I was closest to the kitchen. Seeing me silent for a long time, the judge hurriedly said: “I don’t know what other lawyers told you, but trust me, I’m a judge, I’m considering everything for you.” I said: “I can put down the knife and surrender. Do you guarantee they are not there?” The judge replied: “I guarantee you, you can come out boldly. No one will shoot you. Put down the knife, come out with hands on your head.” While talking to the judge, I checked my body protection. Yes, all ready. I said: “I’m coming out.” After getting the judge’s permission, I moved the big box away. I had it all planned. Once I opened the door, I would risk getting shot and rush to the kitchen with the money. As long as this money is thrown downstairs, my mission is over. But when I tried to unlock it, I froze. The door wouldn’t open.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389024”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I went back to the old family estate for the holidays, only to be caught in a torrential downpour. Staring out the window, my younger brother suddenly called out to me: “Bro, look.” “Does it look like there’s a silhouette in the rain?” I looked out, but saw nothing. A few minutes later, my younger sister’s voice came from the bathroom: “I’m showering! Stop trying to open the door!” But my brother and I were clearly in the living room. Only outside the bathroom door, there was a trail of muddy footprints… 1 “Who’s there?” I called out tentatively. But there was no response. A trail of muddy footprints on the floor looked as if someone had walked in from outside. I looked at the front door; I didn’t know who had opened it. My brother suddenly looked outside, his face pale: “Bro, look outside.” I looked again, but it was still empty. My brother speaking up twice made me impatient: “What is it?” He bit his lip: “In the rain outside… there’s a human shape…” I looked at the window. The rainwater formed streams on the glass. Two branching streams did indeed look somewhat like a human figure. I frowned: “Did you see wrong? It’s just the water on the window.” My brother stopped talking but looked worried. At this time, my sister came out of the bathroom. She wiped her hair and looked at us: “Which one of you two tried to open the bathroom door just now?” “If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell Mom when we get back.” I was helpless: “We were both on the sofa. No one went to the bathroom.” My sister got angry: “Fine, then the dog did it!” As soon as she finished speaking, the front door suddenly slammed shut with a bang. We all jumped. I hurriedly went to bolt the door and comforted them: “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s raining, the wind is strong.” My sister sat on the sofa too. I started cleaning up the footprints on the floor. Since the rain started, we hadn’t gone out. Where did these footprints come from? Could someone really have walked in just now? I followed the footprints from the bathroom to the door. Looking out through the peephole, there was nothing. That made sense; this was the suburbs. This old house was left over from when the family ran a agritourism estate years ago. Now only my family occasionally came here for vacation. There were hardly any other houses for miles around. Who would come here in the middle of the night to play a prank? I was about to return to the living room. Suddenly, I felt like the door was pushed. The rotating lock made a clicking sound. I stared at the lock, but found nothing. When I looked through the peephole again. There was still no one outside. But I suddenly saw something out of place. A patch of lawn near the door seemed to have been stepped on by something. Mud stained the grass. Logically speaking, it had been raining for two hours. Even if there was mud on the grass blades, it should have been washed clean. This looked like it had just happened. I walked back to the living room worriedly and looked at my brother: “Did you really see a silhouette just now?” He nodded. Then his gaze remained fixed on the window. As if that silhouette was right outside. My sister was scared: “Don’t scare me, you two.” “I won’t tell Mom, okay?” But my brother remained silent, making my sister even more terrified. After a long while, my sister looked at me: “Bro, did you see it too?” I shook my head and comforted her: “I didn’t see anything.” “Maybe he saw wrong.” We sat in the living room, all silent. The muddy footprints just now, the silhouette, the mud on the grass blades, it was all too abnormal. But I couldn’t see anything. After a while, the atmosphere became more and more oppressive, and my sister couldn’t stand it anymore: “I’m going back to sleep.” I nodded: “Drink the milk first. Mom told me to watch over you two.” My sister walked to the kitchen somewhat helplessly. A minute later, she suddenly screamed. When I rushed over, I saw her hiding in a corner. There was half a glass of milk on the table. I frowned: “What happened?” Her voice was trembling: “The glass… moved…” 2 “What moved?” I was confused. My sister explained. She came over to pour milk just now. She intended to put the milk carton back in the fridge before drinking. But as soon as she put the milk away and turned around, she found that the glass of milk was only half full. And the position of the glass had been moved. My scalp tingled! Is there a fourth person in this house besides the three of us? I reached out to take the glass and examined it repeatedly. The glass had indeed been used. Milk residue hung on one side of the glass wall. I looked at my sister: “Besides this, did you feel anything else?” She thought for a moment: “No other feelings.” I examined the situation in front of me repeatedly, then poured a glass of milk for my sister myself. After she finished drinking, I comforted her: “Maybe you’re too tired today.” “Don’t think too much, go back to sleep.” She nodded and walked towards the bedroom upstairs. Halfway there, I reminded her: “Remember to lock the door.” She replied: “Okay.” I started checking the house. Strange things were happening to my sister. Could there be a pervert in this house? This situation wasn’t impossible. Many perverts were like this. They might hide in someone’s house, play pranks, or even assault directly. Thinking about it, I still didn’t feel at ease, so I went straight upstairs. I knocked on my sister’s door: “Wait before sleeping, let me check your room.” She opened the door and stood at the doorway, waiting for me to check. I looked under the bed and in the closet. Confirming no pervert was hiding inside, I breathed a sigh of relief: “Alright, lock the door and sleep this time.” She nodded and closed the door. I walked to the corner and suddenly heard my sister’s voice: “Who is it?” “Bro, is that you?” Confused, I walked back to her door. Her voice still came from inside the room: “Is that you? Bro.” I asked: “What’s wrong?” She said: “Didn’t you turn the door handle just now?” I froze. I had clearly walked to the stairway. How could I turn the door handle? I continued to ask: “You heard the sound of the door handle turning?” She admitted it frankly. To keep her from getting scared, I had to lie: “Nothing, I was checking if the door was closed tight.” She said “Oh” and went back to sleep. I walked back to the stairway and listened quietly to the sounds in the hallway. After a while, there wasn’t a single sound. I comforted myself: “Maybe the girl heard wrong.” Coming downstairs, I startled my brother. I frowned: “What’s wrong?” He was confused: “Why did you come down from upstairs?” “Didn’t you go to the bathroom just now?” I was completely dumbfounded. What’s going on? My brother just saw me go to the bathroom? I shook my head: “I just sent your sister upstairs.” His face became even uglier: “Then who was that just now?” This question made my scalp numb. I immediately picked up a kitchen knife from the kitchen and walked towards the bathroom step by step. I pushed open the bathroom door; it was empty. The steam from my sister’s shower hadn’t completely dissipated. I called out tentatively: “I see you!” “Stop hiding!” But there was no sound inside. Holding the knife, I mustered up courage to walk in. Everything was normal inside. I breathed a sigh of relief; my brother must have been hallucinating. But the moment I turned around, a chill rushed straight to my head! In the misty steam, a transparent human figure actually walked out of the bathroom door… 3 “Who’s there!” I exclaimed, but looking carefully, there was no one outside. I asked my brother: “Did you see anyone come out of the bathroom?” He shook his head blankly. I stood at the bathroom door, looking at the living room outside. If there was someone, I would definitely spot them. I used my phone’s flashlight to search around. Still didn’t find anyone. Anyone who studied physics knows. Even some seemingly transparent materials will refract light due to density. So even an invisible man should be detectable by light. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a trace outside. Did I see wrong? Rubbing my head, I planned to close the bathroom door. But the moment I turned my head, I was terrified again! On the bathroom mirror, unbeknownst to me, a crooked word had been written: DIE! Is this a joke my brother is playing on me? After all, he has liked writing on steamy mirrors since he was little. I immediately questioned him: “You didn’t go to the bathroom just now?” He shook his head: “I’ve been sitting here watching a movie.” I pretended to pick up his slippers and casually felt the inside. It was cold! He didn’t lie! Thinking it over, I felt it was better to call the police first. No matter what it was, even just a drunkard who broke in, for the family’s safety, I had to do this. I picked up the phone and dialed 911 immediately: “Police? I think someone entered my house.” “He’s hiding in my house, I’m not sure if there’s danger.” The operator crisply asked for my address. After hanging up, I seriously discussed the previous topic with my brother: “What did the silhouette you saw in the rain look like?” He thought for a moment, then frowned: “Just a shadow, a human shape made by the rain.” “Couldn’t see a person.” My heart pounded wildly. This was almost identical to the transparent figure I saw in the bathroom steam! I continued to ask: “Where was he?” He looked outside and pointed near the courtyard entrance: “Just where you enter the yard.” I looked out the window, then carefully recalled the timing of everything that just happened! Weird! Too weird! Less than a minute after my brother said there was a silhouette outside, my sister shouted from the bathroom. And I went to check the muddy footprints only two or three minutes after my brother spoke. From the yard to the entrance, although the distance is short. But adding opening the door and walking to the bathroom, it couldn’t be that fast. Most importantly, that person couldn’t be running! Because running makes a loud noise. But we heard nothing. This means there must be something extremely fast. A cat might do it. But the problem is, those muddy footprints were human footprints! And what we saw were all human shapes. While I was pondering, a scream suddenly came from upstairs. My brother and I ran up quickly. My sister’s door was actually open! When I rushed in, she was curled up in a corner. A long cut appeared on her wrist. It looked like her wrist was slit! I frowned: “What happened?” Looking at the empty space in the room with terrified eyes, her voice was hoarse: “There… there’s someone…” “Someone wants to kill me…” I immediately pulled her to the living room downstairs, found the first aid kit, and bandaged her up. At this moment, our door was knocked… 4 “Mr. Thorne?” “I’m an officer from the nearby precinct.” Hearing the voice outside, I felt a huge burden lifted! The police are finally here! With him here, I felt much more at ease. My sister also relaxed. When the officer came in, he looked around: “This is a vacation rental, right?” I nodded: “It used to be, now it’s private property.” The officer didn’t say anything, looked around, and then started asking what happened. I recounted everything I experienced. He nodded: “You did the right thing.” “Protecting your own safety is most important.” After speaking, he looked at my sister: “Little miss, tell me what happened in the room.” She thought for a moment: “I was sleeping in the room just now.” “Halfway through, I felt someone covering me with their hand.” “He seemed to want to strangle me.” “But I struggled constantly and escaped.” “When I ran, he grabbed my hand and slashed it hard with a knife.” She even showed the bandaged wound. I explained: “The cut is quite deep, he probably intended to slit my sister’s wrist.” The officer’s expression became serious: “It seems there really might be someone else in this house.” “Stay close to me, let’s check around.” The four of us walked around the house. The officer held his gun, ready for any criminal that might appear. But after searching, we found nothing. As if the criminal vanished into thin air. The officer was also confused. According to his experience, even if the person ran away, there should be traces. But there wasn’t a single trace in the house. The only place was the footprints on the lawn outside. The officer looked at me: “Think carefully, is there anywhere else to enter your sister’s room?” I shook my head: “That room can only be entered through the door or window.” “But both were locked. To enter from outside, one would have to break them.” But we checked just now, there were no signs of forced entry. But how did the door open? My sister said she didn’t open it. Then there’s only one possibility—the door was opened from the inside. But if the person was hiding in the room before, I would definitely have found something when I checked. Why can’t we find anything now? The officer looked at us, troubled: “It’s raining heavily now, and it’s over ten miles to the city.” “I came on a motorcycle, I can’t take you with me.” I thought for a moment: “The old caretaker of this property lives nearby.” “Can you go back and get a car?” “We’ll ask the old caretaker to come keep us company for a while.” The officer nodded: “Okay, I’ll wait here until the person you mentioned arrives.” I immediately found Grandpa Hu’s number in the phone book. Hearing it was my issue, Grandpa Hu didn’t hesitate and said he’d be there in ten minutes. I trusted Grandpa Hu absolutely. He watched the three of us grow up, and my parents treated him well. He always treated the three of us like his own grandchildren. In less than ten minutes, there was a knock at the door. Grandpa Hu came with his nephew. Grandpa Hu was even holding a pitchfork used for hay. The officer frowned: “Old man, even if there’s a criminal, don’t risk your life.” “It’s too dangerous.” Grandpa Hu nodded and sent the officer off. Once the officer left, Grandpa Hu’s nephew said mysteriously to Grandpa Hu: “Did they encounter that thing?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389042”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband died, but his voice didn’t. It started echoing in my head. As I checked our bank account, he was gloating. Heh. She’ll never guess I was reborn inside her own womb. She wants my money? Dream on. I already transferred the cash and the house to Claire! And I was smart enough to get a DNA test done with Claire’s kid. All she has to do is open my safe deposit box at the bank. The test will prove the kid is mine and entitle her to half my estate. Then, when Sophia is giving birth to me, I’ll find a way to make sure she dies in childbirth. The rest of the money will come right back to me! I’ll give it all to Claire, and our little family of three can finally be together! 1 When my husband, Marcus, died in an accident, I was so wracked with grief at the funeral that I collapsed. After being rushed to the hospital, the doctor wouldn’t let me leave. “You’re pregnant. Didn’t you know?” she asked gently. “This level of stress is dangerous. If you want to keep this baby, you need to stay here on bed rest. Your pregnancy is extremely unstable right now.” I clutched my stomach in shock. Before I could even process the news, my mother-in-law was grabbing my hand, her face streaked with tears. “Sophia, that baby is all we have left of our son. I’m begging you, you have to have this child.” “You just focus on giving birth,” she pleaded. “We’ll raise the baby for you. Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter, they’ll be the light of our lives. Please, Sophia. This is your mother asking you.” A storm of joy and sorrow washed over me. This was the last gift Marcus had left me. In a rush of emotion, I agreed. But raising a child alone is expensive. A week later, I was discharged. The first thing I did when I got home was check our bank accounts. My husband had earned a good salary for years; there should have been more than enough to raise our child. But when I saw the balance, I had to rub my eyes in disbelief. “How is there only three thousand dollars?” My hand trembled as I scoured Marcus’s phone, checking every app, every account. All told, it was less than five thousand. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I had no idea what had happened, when suddenly, I heard Marcus’s sly voice in my head. Heh. She’ll never guess I transferred the cash and the house to Claire! My body went rigid. Claire was with me for six years, never asking for money or a title. I couldn’t let her down. Thank god I got all my affairs in order. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace. The condo at The Crestwood is prime real estate. After buying it for her, there was just enough left over to give her a nice little nest egg. I slowly lowered my head, my gaze falling to my own stomach. The voice was coming from inside me. Could it be? Had he been reincarnated… in my womb? To test this insane theory, I spoke aloud, my words a deliberate probe. “Marcus made fifteen thousand a month, and I make ten. We should have had at least three hundred thousand in savings. For there to be this little… did he cheat on me?” ! How did she guess so fast? I was so careful! She never suspected a thing! My heart sank into a pit of ice. I had to accept the horrifying truth. My husband of six years had been cheating on me. Based on what he said, the affair started almost as soon as we were married. And I was actually planning on carrying his child to term. What a fool I’d been. Once I calmed down, it didn’t take long to find the digital breadcrumbs on his phone. The woman, Claire, was his mentee at work. She had even been to our house for dinner more than once. They had been carrying on right under my nose. And now, the bastard had been reborn inside me. The thought was so revolting I had to run to the bathroom and empty my stomach into the toilet. Ugh, morning sickness. But it doesn’t matter how sick she gets. She’ll have me. She’s always been so devoted to me. Rage and grief churned inside me. I grabbed my coat, my keys, and drove straight to The Crestwood. On the way, I called my lawyer and had him pull every single one of Marcus’s bank statements. He thought he had everything arranged for his little mistress? Whatever he arranged, I was going to tear it all down. 2 The closer I got to The Crestwood, the more agitated Marcus’s voice became. She’s broke. What is she doing here? Did she find out something? But I hid it so well! Stay calm, stay calm. Sophia’s not smart enough to figure this out. She can’t do anything. I slapped my stomach, hard, and slammed my foot on the gas. At the complex, I went straight to Claire Han’s apartment. When she opened the door and saw me, a flicker of panic crossed her face before being quickly suppressed. “Mrs. Kane? What… what are you doing here?” I ignored her, walking past her and taking in the apartment. It was easy to see she wasn’t spending her own money. From the expensive flooring to the designer furniture, everything was top-of-the-line. The sofa in the living room was the exact model I had wanted when we got married, the one Marcus had refused to buy, saying it was too extravagant. And here it was. In his mistress’s home. I started toward the master bedroom, but Claire grabbed my arm and steered me back to the living room. “Mrs. Kane…” she said, cautiously pouring me a glass of water. “I know you’re grieving. Maybe we could go for a walk? Get some fresh air?” Damn it, this is all my fault. If I could have just given Claire the status she deserved, she wouldn’t have to be so timid in front of this bitch. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I decided to cut the crap. “Claire, as I recall, your salary is about three thousand dollars a month. A place here costs a fortune.” “Did you buy this apartment yourself?” “Yes!” She was clearly lying through her teeth, so desperate to quell my suspicions that she rushed to get the deed before I could say another word. “See? It’s my house. My name is on the deed, Mrs. Kane.” I let out a cold laugh and slapped the document down on the coffee table. “Your name on the deed doesn’t mean you paid for it.” She froze, staring at me for a moment before a smirk spread across her face. “What’s this? Coming here to pick a fight? You’re a little late, aren’t you? Your husband is a pile of ash. Dead men tell no tales.” I watched her, my expression unreadable. “Claire, I remember the first time we met. You were just a girl from some small town in the mountains, so clueless you didn’t even know how to use an automatic faucet.” “Marcus took good care of you these past six years, didn’t he? Better than your own parents, I’d bet.” Sophia! You sharp-tongued bitch, what are you saying! Claire is just an innocent kid! Why does a bitter widow like you have to bully a young girl? My gaze grew colder, and Claire’s face flushed with anger. But she stuck to her story. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Stop making baseless accusations.” “Coming all the way here to harass me… don’t think I won’t call the police and have you arrested!” That’s right! Stick to that story! I’m dead now. She has no proof! I smiled. Those two traitors really were on the same wavelength. I pulled out the bank statements my lawyer had prepared, a detailed record of Marcus’s finances for the past six years. “You think I have no recourse just because you deny it? You keep saying this is your house. Then maybe you can explain this transfer of five hundred thousand dollars from Marcus’s account to the property developer?” Seeing the evidence in my hands, Claire finally broke. “Mrs. Kane, Marcus just felt sorry for me and my daughter! We had nowhere to live! He let us stay here, he said the house was ours! It was his dying wish! You can’t kick us out!” “And besides,” she added, “his parents know all about this.” What? Marcus’s parents knew he was cheating and approved of him buying a house for his mistress? “I’ll… I’ll call them right now! You have no right to make this decision!” 3 Less than half an hour later, Marcus’s parents arrived. They exchanged a look, and then, as if they’d planned it, they each grabbed one of my arms and started pulling me toward the door. “Sophia, we knew about this. Just drop it,” my father-in-law said. “Your only job right now is to take care of yourself and give our family a grandson. Don’t worry about anything else, you hear me?” my mother-in-law added. The absurdity of it all made me laugh. This family of self-righteous hypocrites was disgusting. “Let go of me, or I’m getting rid of this baby.” That made them release me. My mother-in-law adopted a patronizing tone. “Sophia, dear, we paid for this house. We just saw how hard it was for them, a mother and daughter all alone. Don’t overthink it.” “Marcus was Claire’s mentor. Isn’t it natural for him to help his mentee with her living situation?” I turned to Claire and gave her my ultimatum. “You have three days to return the five hundred thousand dollars for the house, plus the other eighty thousand he transferred to you over the years. Or I’ll see you in court.” His parents immediately jumped to her defense. “Sophia, you come back here! Our son gave her that house, it has nothing to do with you! What right do you have to take it back?” “Just because our son is dead, you think you can call the shots? Don’t think that baby in your belly makes you the queen!” My voice was calm as I delivered the final blow. “I have proof that Marcus was having an affair with Claire Han.” “Every penny Marcus spent on her was marital property. Do you think I can’t get it back?” “Claire,” I said, my eyes locking onto hers, “surely you know the basics. The law doesn’t protect mistresses.” Claire’s face was pale as she bit her lip, unable to say a word. I turned and walked away, leaving Marcus screaming in my head. I really underestimated this bitch! God damn it, just wait until I’m born! I’ll make you pay! Vile whore! I make good money, what’s wrong with supporting another woman? Every man cheats! You take back the house and make Claire and our daughter sleep on the street? You’re a monster! I ignored him and kept walking. As I got in my car, Marcus suddenly let out a sigh of relief. Good thing I already got that DNA test done with Claire’s kid. All she has to do is open my safe deposit box. The test will prove the kid is mine and entitle her to half my estate. Even if she takes the house and the money, Claire and our daughter will be fine. My hand froze on the ignition. The tears I had been holding back finally fell. No wonder his parents defended her. Her daughter was Marcus’s. And the cruelest joke of all? I’m a senior obstetrician at the local hospital. I was the one who delivered Claire’s daughter. Those two bastards deserved to burn in hell. 4 See? She’s crying. Still heartbroken over me. I knew she was just putting on a brave face. All this drama is just because she loves me too much. But it can’t be helped. The only person I’ll ever love is Claire. The way she looks at me with those innocent, adoring eyes… I can’t resist it. It’s a look Sophia could never learn. I wiped my tears away, my face twisting in disgust. Marcus’s nauseating monologue snapped me out of my grief. I drove home and immediately found our marriage certificate. Then, I said aloud, “Marcus was always so sneaky. I wonder what he might have hidden in a bank…” AHHHH! How did she guess again?! I left so little for Claire! Is she going to take it all? How can Sophia be so conniving? Claire, forget the house! Just go to the bank, get the DNA test from the safe deposit box! At least you can get half the estate for our daughter! I’ll find a way to get the rest back for you after I’m born! Hearing the panic in his voice, like an ant on a hot pan, lifted my spirits considerably. At the bank, I used Marcus’s death certificate and our marriage certificate to open his safe deposit box. I had prepared myself, but the sight of that DNA test result still stung. Sophia! You destroy that test and I swear to god I will kill you! The creature inside me was throwing a powerless tantrum. I deliberately held the paper near my belly… “If I tear this up, there will be no one left in the world who can prove the connection between Claire’s daughter and Marcus, right?” Nooo, that’s the only proof! Don’t tear it! I’ll kick you to death! I swear I’ll break your ribs! How pathetic. A fetus was threatening me? Right in front of him, I slowly tore the paper into tiny pieces. Then I took out a lighter and burned them to ash. “Don’t worry, Marcus,” I said calmly. “I won’t let your mistress get a single penny.” “And another thing. Why should a mistress and an illegitimate child get to live their lives out in the open?” What… what is she planning to do? Using Marcus’s work account, I forwarded proof of his affair with Claire to every single one of his colleagues. Then I went to the parent group for Claire’s daughter’s school and exposed her mother as a homewrecker. Soon, my phone was blowing up with calls from Claire. “Sophia, I know you hate me! Take it out on me, but my daughter is innocent! What kind of person hurts a child?” “You push me too far, and I swear I will drag you down with me!” My reply was ice-cold. “Your daughter’s private kindergarten costs over twenty thousand a year. My husband’s salary paid for that. You still think she’s innocent?” Claire treated her daughter like the most precious thing in the world. But did she know that when she was pregnant, I was pregnant too? Marcus had claimed to be child-free, that he hated kids. He threatened to divorce me unless I terminated the pregnancy. It turned out he just hated my child. Claire was screaming on the other end of the line. “Marcus gave me that money! It’s your own damn fault you couldn’t keep your man!” “How is my daughter supposed to show her face at school now?!” I scoffed. “You should have thought of that when you were sleeping with another woman’s husband.” “Claire, if you don’t return the money in three days, your daughter won’t just have trouble showing her face. Her only remaining legal guardian will be in jail.” Claire was hysterical, but Marcus had suddenly gone quiet. It’s fine. I pretended to be a loving husband to Sophia for years. She’ll definitely give birth to me. All I have to do is make sure she dies in childbirth, and all the assets will come back to me, the sole heir! Then I’ll arrange for Claire to adopt me, and our family can finally be together again! He must be out of options now. A small smile played on my lips as I drove to the hospital. I walked to the registration desk, my smile widening, and said the one sentence that would drive Marcus insane. “I’m here for an abortion.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389058”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

She was Seraphina Albright, the woman who traded a tenure track at The Claremont Institute—the kind of position people commit slow academic suicide for—to marry me. I was Ashton Cole, the man she’d chosen. The same hands that had snagged academia’s highest honors had made meals for me for three years. Everyone said she was madly in love with me. Until her research assistant, Jude Carver, formatted my core data right in front of my face. “What have you done?” My voice was a shaky whisper. He froze, utterly helpless, and Seraphina immediately stepped in front of him. “Jude didn’t mean to, Ash.” I stared at her hands—the hands that once held my victory trophy—now resting protectively on his shoulder. It was a searing, physical betrayal. Three years ago, my mother, gripping my hand tight from her sickbed, had rasped, “Ash, if you ever run into a wall, call her.” I took a ragged breath, the memory a ghost in the room, and pressed ‘Send’ on a message I’d drafted days ago. “Jude Carver, you are going to the inquiry board.” I spoke without raising my voice, yet the coldness made him flinch. He ducked behind Seraphina, plucking nervously at her sleeve. Seraphina frowned, easing me away from him. “Ash, stop it. You’re scaring him.” She turned, taking a seat at the main console, and started typing. I watched her back, my fists clenched tight enough to hurt. A few seconds later, she stopped. “Well?” I pressed. She stood, avoiding my eyes. “The data can’t be recovered.” The atmosphere in the lab instantly curdled into something toxic and heavy. I lunged forward, my punch aimed for Jude. Seraphina, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, caught my arm with impossible ease and flung me aside. I stumbled, crashing into a heavy lab bench. She looked at me then, her eyes as frigid and detached as if I were a stranger. I stayed frozen where I stood. It was the first time she had ever looked at me that way. The lab door swung open just as Dr. Warren Carmichael’s booming, cheerful voice cut through the tension. “Ash Cole! I pushed my board meeting just for this! You finished the beast your mother couldn’t tame in three years. Truly, the apple didn’t fall far!” I quickly rearranged my face, trying to salvage the last scraps of my dignity. “Dr. Carmichael, I’m sorry. We’ve had a major incident with Project Triton. The sea trial is off for today.” “What kind of incident? Do you need our resources?” Seeing the genuine concern on his face only amplified my shame. Before I could offer a professional explanation, Jude blurted out, “The core control module data is just… gone.” “What?!” Dr. Carmichael’s volume shot up. A specialist quickly checked the system and his voice was ice. “Professor Cole, there are zero trace logs of the neural core algorithm running in the system’s underlayer. Academic credibility isn’t built on hypothetical data.” I spun around, stunned, to look at Seraphina. She was the only one who had touched the console. She was the only one with the skill to cleanly erase every trace. I looked at the eyes I used to drown in, and my voice came out trembling, unrecognizable. “Seraphina, why?” Every single person’s gaze was fixed on the two of us. She sighed and walked toward me, reaching out to take my hand, but I jerked away. Her hand hung in the air for a moment before she dropped it naturally, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Ash, I know I’ve been distant lately. I understand you’re upset.” She turned to the Dean, her tone laced with professional regret. “Dr. Carmichael, Ash has been under an immense amount of pressure. I think he may be experiencing some cognitive dissonance. The data might have only existed in his proposals.” “Seraphina, you’re lying.” I shrieked the words. “Jude did the format, and you, afterwards, wiped every single operation log and trace.” Jude fearfully scrambled behind Seraphina. She instinctively shifted her body, creating a barrier. That tiny, subconscious gesture was like a dagger twisting in my heart. Her expression shifted to one of sheer annoyance before settling into familiar, patronizing resignation. “Ash, let’s go home and talk about this, okay? You need to rest.” Dr. Carmichael looked utterly defeated. “Professor Cole, I will report the events of today exactly as they occurred. You are suspended from all duties pending a full investigation.” He and the others filed out. The remaining lab members quietly collected their things, avoiding my gaze, and melted away. Finally, it was just the three of us. I watched her protective stance over Jude and was suddenly thrown back three years to an image: Seraphina, black dress, gold medal, proclaiming on the stage, “My future is with him.” Now, it was clear her future had a different co-star. Seraphina opened her mouth as if to say something. I looked into her eyes, but I cut her off first. “Seraphina, we need to get a divorce.” She stepped forward, gripping my wrist without asking. “Ash, you need to cool down. You are not thinking straight.” I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. “Stop this childishness. You are and always will be my husband.” She dragged me out, giving me no choice. Back at the house, the dining table was laid with all my favorite dishes. She served me meal, pushing the plate toward me, her demeanor eerily normal. “Eat something. You’ve lost weight.” “Seraphina,” I looked her straight in the eye. “Project Triton was my mother’s dying wish. It was my dream.” Her forks paused. She picked up a piece of asparagus and placed it on my plate. “The data is lost. With your ability, rebuilding it is only a matter of time.” Then came the knife. “But Jude just graduated. If this is pinned on him as a major accident, his life is over.” I couldn’t help the hysterical laughter that tore from my chest, and the tears that immediately followed. “His life is important, and mine isn’t? If the academic fraud is confirmed, my career is finished.” “I could go to prison, Sera. Have you thought about that?” Her expression faltered for just a split second. She reached out and gently wiped the tears from my cheek. “It won’t come to that. I will handle it. You are just exhausted. You need rest.” Watching her in complete, cold control made me feel overwhelmingly, impossibly weary. “I’m tired. I’m going up to rest.” My voice was flat, empty. She didn’t stop me. She only stood there, watching my back as I walked up the stairs, her gaze dark and complex. I don’t know how long I sat there before I heard the low thrum of her car starting downstairs. A half-hour later, a video came in on my phone from Jude Carver’s number. It was Seraphina, arms around him, soothing him, her expression a mask of gentle empathy. The video finished, and he instantly recalled it. A new message popped up right away. [Professor Cole, my apologies. Sent that to the wrong person.] I didn’t reply. I didn’t even look at it again. An hour later, I heard the door open and footsteps downstairs. Seraphina was back, quicker than I’d expected. As soon as she reached the stairs, her phone rang. She turned her back to me, her voice hushed. “What’s going on? Don’t panic, I’m on my way.” She hung up and immediately spun to leave. She stopped at the door, glancing back at me. “Something urgent came up at the lab. I have to go out.” “Don’t wait up.” I said nothing, just sat silently on the edge of the bed, watching her go. She didn’t return that night. My phone screen occasionally lit up. Picture after picture, short video after short video. Seraphina putting food on Jude’s plate in a restaurant. Jude leaning against her shoulder in the car. Under the harsh midnight light of the lab, the two of them bent side-by-side over a document, the space between them intimate and charged… Each time the screen glowed, it felt like a tiny blade slicing at an already numb heart. I thought I was past tears, but they silently began to fall again. The next afternoon, Jude showed up on my doorstep. I leaned against the doorframe, looking at him with utter indifference. My lack of reaction seemed to sting him. He tilted his chin up, a sneer forming. “Professor Cole, why the self-deception?” He curled his lip. “Whose heart Seraphina holds, who she held and comforted all night long—you still don’t get it?” “Clinging to a dead marriage—if you’re not exhausted, I am for you.” I watched him quietly until he was finished. Then I spoke, slowly. “Done? Then get out.” I slammed the front door with all my strength. Jude stared at the closed door, his eyes flashing with malice. “You’ll regret this, Ash Cole.” I looked down at the unanswered message thread on my phone, my fingers ice cold. Had my mother misremembered? Or had the contact simply vanished? Just as I prepared to try the number again, my Twitter feed erupted. #WestwoodWunderkindExposed: Academic Fraudster #ProjectTritonHead: The Professor and the Paramour #DidHeSleepHisWayToTheTop? I clicked through. My photos, my professional history, even my family background—all laid bare, paired with deeply inflammatory captions. A few comments defending me were swiftly buried beneath a torrent of insults and filth. The few brave souls who spoke up were quickly driven off. Then the School Oversight Office called. “Professor Cole, report to the school immediately for questioning.” I hung up and drove to the university. The lab’s soundproofing wasn’t great. As I reached the door, Seraphina’s voice drifted out. “Jude, I can overlook your childish impulses, but turning this into an online circus is too much.” “I’ve made arrangements. I’m sending you to the East Coast in three days. I will handle the university side. Go and finish your degree without worry.” “I’m not leaving.” “Sera, I was wrong. Just forgive me this once, okay? Please…” “Can you really bear for our baby to be born without a father?” I couldn’t stand it anymore. I shoved the door open violently. A flash of rare panic crossed Seraphina’s face. She instantly pushed Jude away and walked toward me. “Ash, wait, it’s not what you think…” My gaze dropped to her abdomen. No wonder she’d been inventing excuses to avoid me lately. She was pregnant. My voice was dead calm. “Misunderstand? Are you denying you’re carrying his child?” She looked like she’d been choked, frozen where she stood. I didn’t spare her another glance. I walked straight to my office area, scooped up my laptop, and turned to leave. I spent a full twenty-four hours in the Oversight Office before they released me. When I walked out, the online furor had vanished. As I descended the steps, a man in a baseball cap rushed at me. “Academic fraudster, you deserve to die!” A flash of steel. A fruit knife plunged into my abdomen. I clutched the wound, staggering back, my head hitting the ground with a sickening thud. When I next woke up, I was in the hospital. Seraphina was sitting by my bed, her eyes shadowed with dark circles, looking utterly exhausted. Seeing me awake, her lips parted, but no sound came out. My voice was raspy. “Just say it.” She was silent for a long time before speaking the difficult words. “The online news was already suppressed.” “But the video of your attack at the university gates was recorded, and it hit the trending list again. The public pressure is immense… The inquiry board hearing is in two days.” I barely registered anything but the words inquiry board hearing. I closed my eyes, saying nothing. “But don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” She urgently tried to take my hand, but I pulled it away. “I’m tired. I want to rest.” I cut her off, closing my eyes again. Her outstretched hand froze mid-air. After a long moment, she let it fall, adjusted my blanket, and then left the room. Confirming she was gone, I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the phone on my pillow. [Mr. Cole, my apologies. The data cannot be recovered. You may request an alternative condition.] The last shred of hope in my heart shattered. Two days later, Seraphina came to pick me up. She gently straightened my collar, her gaze soft. “Ash, it will be fine. I’ve handled everything. It’s just a formality.” I barely managed a quiet “Mhm” and didn’t look at her again. The steps leading up to the courthouse were endless. I stopped, turning my head to Seraphina at my side. “Seraphina, I’ll be fine, right?” She paused for a brief second, then gripped my hand. “Of course. Trust me.” I stood before the inquiry panel. I handled every question with composure. Until my research results were displayed on the screen, and the authorship read, chillingly, Jude Carver. The blood froze in my veins. The only person who knew the full scope of those results was Seraphina. I snapped my head toward the spectator entrance. Empty. Just before the judge’s gavel was about to drop, the door flew open. Seraphina rushed in, late. My eyes were locked onto her. Her phone vibrated. She looked down at the screen, and her face instantly changed. My heart seized up. Then, under my pleading, desperate gaze, she turned and walked away. The door clicked shut quietly. The last sound in my world vanished. It took me a moment to realize where I was. My voice was a desperate, dry sound. “I request an immediate recess.” Trembling, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I knew by heart. One ring, two rings… After the ninety-ninth ring, I finally gave up. Just then, a text message popped up. [Jude’s been kidnapped. It’s an emergency. I have to save him. Hold on, Ash, I’ll be right back.] Kidnapped? I stared at the words, and then a low laugh started in my throat. The laughter quickly turned into a violent cramp in my stomach. I doubled over, pressing my hands to the wound that hadn’t fully healed. So this was her ‘arrangement.’ She had abandoned me—again—for him. I looked down at the “alternative condition” text on my screen, edited a reply, and sent it back. When I stood on the panel again, my eyes were vacant. I stopped arguing. I stopped looking at anyone. I was ultimately sentenced to one year in prison. The next day, Seraphina came to visit. The look in her eyes held no guilt, only profound disappointment. “Ash, I never thought you’d sink this low—so malicious that you’d disregard a human life.” I froze, completely confused by her words. “I promised to send him away, but you still found someone to kidnap him. You are truly disappointing.” I weakly tried to explain. “It wasn’t me…” She cut me off, her voice sharp and cold. “Ash, the evidence is irrefutable. When you do wrong, you pay the price.” A few days later, a new sentencing document arrived. My one-year term was extended to five years. Two weeks passed before Eliza Holt appeared at the visitation window. “Mr. Cole. I am the person you contacted.” She passed me a file. “Your abilities fit our Institute’s requirements.” “If you join, your current identity will be erased. The world will no longer know an Ashton Cole.” I took the file, and my answer was instantaneous, requiring almost no thought. “I accept.” A week later, the news of my death from illness in prison spread. Sitting on the plane, I watched the coastal lights of San Valencia shrink to glittering pinpricks. Goodbye, Seraphina. Goodbye, my past.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389074”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The crown prince of the elite circle hates gold diggers the most. Unfortunately, I am one. Upon hearing this, I asked Liam Xie: “What would you do if someone approached you for money?” He answered casually: “Kill them.” Me: ? Wait, how are you such a criminal? That won’t work, I’m after the money. I packed up my valuables and fled overnight. [Not pestering you anymore, I’m leaving first, wish you find a good person who doesn’t covet your money soon.] Three days later, while I was bargaining with a clerk at a luxury resale shop, a black card was suddenly placed in front of me. The man’s eyes were red at the corners. “Baby, I’ll give you all my money, pester me for a lifetime, okay?” 1 “What are you looking at, baby?” Liam had a gathering today and came home almost at eleven. When he returned, the smell of alcohol lingered on him, making me frown. I drove him to the bathroom: “No kissing me until you’re clean!” He picked me up and walked into the bathroom. Steam rose, blurring the mirror. His hand reached for my nightgown: “Let’s wash together.” I refused: “No.” He insisted. Rip— The super expensive and super easy-to-tear nightgown Liam carefully selected was split in two. His Adam’s apple bobbed: “Baby…” I was expressionless: “I said no.” “I showered before you came back, washing twice is bad for the skin.” After speaking, I gathered the broken nightgown, pushed him away, and left the bathroom. Thoughtfully closed the door for him. “Don’t tear my nightgown next time!” It’s very expensive! It’s not like I don’t let him take it off properly, he just has to tear it. He tore three in a week. Prodigal! The sound of water in the bathroom was loud; it was obvious Liam was working overtime to shower. I lay on the bed bored, scrolling through my phone. A message popped up on WeChat. Chloe Lin: [Look at this] She sent a link. [Inventory of rich family gossip you don’t know!] I replied with a question mark first, then clicked open. Skimming through a bunch of gossip anecdotes about familiar names, true or false, my eyes stopped on a certain line. [Elite circle crown prince Liam Xie hates gold diggers the most, rumor has it he once…] Chloe happened to send me a screenshot, capturing this part. Chloe: [My treasure, real or fake?] Me: [Don’t know? Fake, right?] Chloe: [Many other things in this post I know are true, why don’t you test him?] I pondered, switched back to the post, just about to read the specific description, when a hot body pressed up from behind. “Baby, is the phone more fun than me?” With a guilty conscience, I quickly closed the gossip page: “What?” Liam turned my head, pinching my chin: “Dressing like this to seduce me, hmm?” The rising tail tone was extremely alluring. I said pitifully: “Sui didn’t.” While speaking, my fingertips brushed over his Adam’s apple. “But Sui had no choice, my mother is still in the hospital…” I closed my eyes, fantasizing myself as a fragile white flower, “Mr. Xie, as long as you give me fifty thousand, no, ten thousand is enough, Sui is yours tonight.” He bit my ear: “Tonight, please me.” 2 Couldn’t please him at all. I kicked him: “I’m tired.” He grabbed my ankle and put it on his shoulder. He protected my head: “Baby rest, I’ll do it.” Rest my ass!! In the end, I couldn’t even lift my hand. Liam held me and coaxed me for a long time. I was sleepy, let him carry me to wash up. Through half-closed eyes, I saw him plant a devout kiss on my forehead in the dim light. “Baby, I love you.” I don’t know how I thought of the role-play and the gossip I saw before. I asked him dazedly: “What would you do if a woman approached you for money?” He was looking for pajamas for me. Hearing this, he answered me: “Make them disappear from the world.” I was stunned, sleepiness faded a bit: “What?” Liam put the pajamas on me, answering casually: “Kill them.” After changing clothes, he kissed my lips with satisfaction: “Alright, baby sleep.” He pressed me against his chest and said goodnight. But I couldn’t sleep now. Bad news. I approached Liam for money. How is he a criminal? 3 I have a broken family. Gambling dad, stock-trading mom. I’m an only child. They were immersed in their own worlds since I was young, caring very little about me, their daughter. Fortunately, when I was young, their careers were flourishing. In a rich family, no matter how bad it is, the daughter won’t live too poorly. Unfortunately, starting from middle school, both of them collapsed and sold all assets. Only endless quarrels and abuses were left at home. I also turned from a rich girl to a poor student overnight. This poor student life lasted until college. Not that my family became rich again, but during a fight between them, no one noticed the cigarette butt on the floor, and knocked over a few bottles of wine. The fire swallowed them. The terrible family vanished overnight. Leaving only a buttload of debt pressing on my shoulders. High-interest loans, online loans, they borrowed everything they could. After overdue, debt collectors blocked the school gate, urging me like urging for life. And published my information by the way. That time was really torture. Couldn’t do part-time jobs, no place to earn money, I was almost driven to death by them. When preparing to commit suicide, I saw my face clearly in the mirror. Young, beautiful. The only property left to me by my parents. Except for the terrible parents, the world is beautiful. I want to live. No matter what, I want to live. To be honest, being with Liam initially was for money. If he had no money, I wouldn’t even look at him. Now Liam says he hates gold diggers. I am a gold digger. I secretly opened my eyes, he was asleep. I stroked his cheek, inch by inch. “Liam…” The person with closed eyes suddenly opened them, he grabbed my wrist: “Baby, didn’t you say you were tired? Still have strength?” He turned over and pressed on me. I quickly closed my eyes: “Tired tired, really tired!” 4 In the morning, after saying good morning to Liam, I drilled back into the quilt. He covered me with the quilt and chuckled: “Little pig.” Holding back sleepiness, I threw the pillow at him: “You have the nerve, why am I sleepy!” He is an energy monster, I am not. It’s eight in the morning now, I only slept after three last night!! Why doesn’t he reflect on himself! Liam kissed me: “It’s my fault, we’ll start earlier next time.” Me: ? Can’t this segment be canceled? Probably knowing he would make me angry, Liam rubbed my head and left quickly. I slept beautifully again until noon. Woke up and checked the phone, message bombardment. First replied to Liam’s message asking me to text him when I woke up, I switched back to the main page. Chloe sent me a bunch of messages. [Did you test him?] [Did you ask, what’s the result?] [Why don’t you reply to my message?] [???] [Where are you?] [Not pressed on bed while testing, right?] [Mm, okay, confirmed, indeed.] [Forget it, remember to reply when you see it tomorrow morning.] [Oh, you might not wake up tomorrow morning, remember to reply when you see it tomorrow noon.] Me: … A little bit speechless. Don’t want to talk to her for now. I replied: [1] Chloe is also a night owl, probably not awake now. After sending the message, I stroked my chin and thought. Tested, or rather not called testing at all. I asked openly. Liam also answered me honestly. He indeed hates gold diggers very much. I sighed. Doomed. If he knows I approached him for money, I’m doomed. For him, this matter is only a question of whether he wants to do it, not whether he can do it. Besides, I feel very guilty. It would be fine if he didn’t like me, anyway, this money is just a drop in the bucket for him, finding some fun to provide emotional value for himself is also good. But Liam likes me very much, and I only treated him as an ATM at first. How does that saying go? What’s the difference between sincerity mixed with falsehood and shit in rice? If it were me, I would hate it to death. Wouldn’t he take double revenge on me? The more I thought, the colder my heart got. Doomed. How about running? Run quickly. Before he discovers the problem, slip away. Decided! Have to take things when slipping. I got up to pack things. Keep the meaningful ones, keep the ones he specially gave me. Fortunately, Liam gave a lot of things. Bought casually, new products sent directly by brands were especially many. Picked and sorted things for a day. I sorted out a pile that could be sold second-hand. After packing the suitcase, I clapped my hands, waiting for Liam to come home.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389090”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I came from a poor background, but was vigorously pursued by the scion of a wealthy Shanghai family. After we got together, I found out that he had been live-streaming his pursuit of me online for fun. Next, he planned to live-stream our “home run” to his rich second-generation friends. Instead of getting angry, I actively agreed to spend the night with him. That night, standing in front of the hidden camera, I pretended to be drunk and said to him: “I have an even prettier side, do you want to see it?” “Julian.” Julian wasn’t him. It was his best buddy. 1 A week after I started dating Sean Song, a friend suddenly sent me a post. “Yvonne, why does this feel like it’s talking about you…” The post was titled “The Aloof Campus Belle, Nothing Special.” The blogger was a guy who made a bet with his bros on how long it would take to catch the campus belle. He live-streamed the entire pursuit process. Day 1, he said: “Honestly, I have zero interest in this kind of woman. Aloof just means not slutty enough. If it weren’t for winning the bet, I wouldn’t bother with her.” Day 10, he said: “She messaged me first, haha, what aloof campus belle, nothing special.” Day 30, he said: “Confession successful, easy win! Seeing her moved look, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter.” The attached picture was a pair of holding hands. I was too familiar with this hand. Even the mole on the joint was exactly the same as mine. I was sure this was posted by Sean. At the end of the post, some netizens jeered: “Catching her is nothing, show us the home run if you have the guts.” Sean replied confidently: “Just wait.” 2 Sean was a famous rich second generation in our school. Relying on his money, he had endless girlfriends. But I had no interaction with him. A month ago, he suddenly pursued me with great fanfare. Everyone said Young Master Song was serious this time. I was also deceived by his pretense of deep affection. Among them, my roommate Linda Lin contributed greatly. Like now— Linda returned to the dorm. Seeing me, she immediately showed an ambiguous smile: “Yvonne, Sean asked you out tomorrow, why didn’t you agree?” “Busy.” “Oh, what could be more important than your boyfriend?” She leaned close to me, saying attentively, “Sean likes you so much, you should be more enthusiastic, otherwise I’ll feel sorry for him.” “Feel sorry? Then you date him.” Linda was choked by my words. Don’t think I don’t know, she and Sean are in cahoots. In the post just now, I saw Linda’s ID. Stream Winding Forest: [Pursuing so seriously, I’m going to be jealous~] Sean: [Just chasing for fun, if I date you, what’s left for her?] Stream Winding Forest: [Haha, we’re all bros, what are you saying.] Sean: [Others are bros, you are the ancestor.] She and Sean interacted frequently; those who didn’t know would think they were flirting. Looking back on this month, Linda brainwashed me quite a bit. I didn’t want to talk to Linda, so I turned and went into the bathroom. The door wasn’t closed tightly. Soon, Linda’s voice complaining came: “Sean, your girlfriend has such a bad temper, who is she showing attitude to!” Sean’s voice rang out quickly: “She made you angry? Don’t worry, when I dump her, I’ll definitely vent for you.” 3 I knew Sean had a small clique. Inside were a group of playful rich second generations. Linda was the only girl among them. Every night, they would play games together. Sean never invited me. But I knew the room number. At night, I pretended to sleep but hid under the covers, entering the room invisibly. Inside was chattering. Someone asked: “Sean, you’ve caught her now, what do you plan to do next?” “Find a time to dump her.” Sean’s lazy voice came. “Yvonne is quite pretty, really willing to dump her?” “Her family is poor as hell, I don’t want to do charity.” “Pretty is enough, your family doesn’t lack money.” “What do you know, matching social status is still very important.” Linda suddenly spoke up. To prevent me from hearing, she hid behind the curtain, her voice very low. “Right, Julian?” She suddenly cued this person, her tone becoming fawning. The room instantly quieted down. Seemed everyone was waiting for this person’s instruction. “Mn, important.” An exceptionally pleasant voice sounded. Like electricity running through my scalp. Linda was happy: “That means, Julian, you won’t look for a girl like Yvonne?” After a moment’s pause. Julian said absent-mindedly: “Probably not.” 4 I had heard the name Julian before. He was different from ordinary rich second generations. His family not only had money but also power. Although the small clique was arrogant and domineering, they were quite respectful to Julian. Except for Sean. The two of them always competed with each other. Julian spoke very little. After a while, he excused himself as sleepy and went offline early. Once he left, Sean let out a dissatisfied “Damn.” “Why didn’t you say so earlier, if not for him, I wouldn’t have pursued Yvonne!” “What do you mean?” “Just because he said Yvonne looks okay, I, the young master, pursued Yvonne out of spite.” So, Julian was the fuse. Everyone in the room laughed: “You still hold a grudge?” “A year ago, the girl you liked only had eyes for Julian, and you remember it till now.” “Taking away my love, can I not remember?” “It wasn’t Julian’s fault.” Sean tsked: “Forget it, since I chased her, might as well sleep with her.” Others jeered: “With Yvonne like that, she’s probably boring in bed.” “I feel Yvonne won’t sleep with you.” “Questioning my charm?” Sean smiled contemptuously, “She loves me to death now! Just wait, the day of the home run, I’ll live-stream it for you!” After hearing this sentence, I exited the room. Interesting. I hooked the corner of my lips and sent a message to Sean. “Honey, I changed my mind. “Tomorrow, I want to go out with you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389106”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel