Category: English

At my boyfriend Ethan’s birthday party, I managed to snag two VIP tickets to Taylor’s concert. Our friends started cheering: “Ethan, didn’t you swear you’d propose to Sophia at this concert?” My heart fluttered as I looked at him expectantly. But he turned around and handed the tickets to Nina, sitting quietly in the corner. She was the girl next door he’d grown up with. He said indulgently: “Take them. Didn’t you spend a whole week crying about not being able to get tickets?” The private room fell silent instantly. The cheering stopped abruptly. Ethan didn’t even glance my way. He just kept comforting Nina: “Sophia and I have been together for years. We’ll have plenty of chances to see concerts. If you like it, take the tickets.” Watching him act so certain I’d be understanding, I smiled slightly. Since he didn’t want to go, I’d just take someone else. I kept my voice as steady as possible and reached out to Nina: “These tickets are registered under specific names. You can’t just transfer them. Give them back.” Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, as if she’d suffered some terrible injustice. She looked up at Ethan. “Ethan… I’m sorry, I didn’t know Sophia cared this much. I don’t deserve to go to such a nice concert anyway. My boyfriend wouldn’t want to come with me…” She held out the tickets, but tears suddenly fell onto the back of her hand. Before I could even touch the tickets, Ethan pushed Nina’s hand back. He turned to look at me, frowning slightly. “Sophia, what do you mean registered names? They’re not going to stop someone with valid tickets. You’re just being selfish. Nina and her boyfriend just got together. Their relationship is still unstable. We’re just helping her out. Don’t be petty. We’ll go next time, okay?” I stood there, frozen. To get these front-row VIP tickets, I’d recruited over a dozen coworkers to help me try. All because he’d promised to propose to me at this concert. Now, he was casually giving away my effort to someone else, and calling me petty? Our friends exchanged glances. The atmosphere was painfully awkward. Our closest friend pushed Ethan and said with exaggerated expressions: “Come on, they’re just tickets, Ethan. That’s not your focus today anyway! Didn’t you prepare the…” Before he could finish, Ethan stumbled from the push. Something slid out of his jacket pocket. A deep blue box fell onto the coffee table. The lid popped open, revealing a diamond ring. “Holy shit, a ring!” “Ethan, you’re finally making your move!” The atmosphere instantly reignited as our friends started cheering again. My heart skipped a beat. I looked at Ethan. But Ethan’s expression had gone rigid. Before he could say anything, Nina looked at the ring and suddenly burst into tears. “That’s so nice… Sophia is so lucky. Not like me. My boyfriend hasn’t given me a single gift. He even says I’m annoying… Will I ever meet someone who treats me well? Does everyone just get to bully me…” Watching her cry uncontrollably, Ethan’s eyes flashed with deep sympathy. He sighed, picked up the ring box, and suddenly grabbed Nina’s hand. “Stop crying. It’s not that big a deal.” Then he actually took out the engagement ring and slipped it onto Nina’s ring finger. “Wear this ring for a few days. It’ll bring you some good luck. Show your boyfriend that Nina has people who care about her.” Only after doing all this did he turn to explain to me: “Sophia, this ring might be a bit too small. I’ll get you a bigger one tomorrow. I’m just lending it to Nina today to cheer her up. You don’t mind, right?”

Our friends, who had been cheering moments ago, were now completely stunned. Nina showed a hint of smugness. I smiled wryly. “Fine. Whatever makes you happy.” With that, ignoring his surprised look, I turned and headed home. Five years. I’d lost count of how many times Ethan had put me in embarrassing situations for Nina’s sake. At 3 AM, Ethan came home. As the birthday boy, he naturally had to stay out with his friends until dawn. He stumbled into the bedroom and hugged me tightly from behind, reeking of alcohol. His voice was slurred but placating: “Sophia, still awake… I’m sorry. It was my birthday. Everyone was there, and Nina was crying like that. I couldn’t just embarrass her. I swear, first thing tomorrow morning I’ll take you to buy the biggest, shiniest diamond ring to make it up to you. From now on, I won’t care about anyone but you, okay?” I closed my eyes. I didn’t struggle or respond. I just listened to his breathing gradually even out, my heart like a completely dried-up well. The next morning, just after seven o’clock. A piercing phone ringtone shattered the bedroom’s silence. Ethan groggily pressed answer. Nina’s sobbing voice immediately came through. “Ethan, my boyfriend broke up with me! He dumped me! He said I came home too late from your birthday party last night. He said I have no shame… Ethan, I feel terrible. Now I have no one to go to tomorrow’s concert with… I feel like life isn’t worth living. I want to jump off the building…” Ethan, who’d been half-asleep, instantly jolted awake and sprang up from the bed. He hurriedly pulled on clothes while anxiously comforting her on the phone: “Nina, don’t do anything stupid! If no one will go to the concert with you, I’ll go with you! Where are you? I’m coming right now!” He hung up quickly and turned to grab his car keys. When he met my calm gaze, he paused briefly, but anxiety quickly took over. “Nina’s in trouble. Her boyfriend broke up with her because of last night. She’s having a breakdown right now. I need to be there for her.” I sat on the bed, watching him so flustered he’d buttoned his shirt wrong, and asked quietly: “What about what you promised me last night?” Ethan frowned, his tone carrying a hint of reproach: “Sophia, how can you worry about that at a time like this? This is life and death! We’ll buy the ring next time. Just be understanding.” With that, he rushed out without looking back. I watched the direction he’d left in and suddenly felt ridiculous. I immediately pulled out my phone and canceled his registration on the concert ticket. Then I posted the ticket code online. [Rare front-row VIP ticket, original price.] Less than a minute after posting, someone messaged me. I didn’t care who it was. I sold it immediately.

Up until the day of the concert, Ethan hadn’t come home once. He’d occasionally send a message or two on Snapchat, reporting his whereabouts. As if simply reporting them made him still a dutiful boyfriend. “Nina’s mood is still really low. I took her on a road trip to clear her head. Took her to an escape room today…” I didn’t reply to any of them. I was packing things for the concert. And cleaning out everything that belonged to me, planning to take it all with me. Five years of our relationship had seeped into every corner of this place. I’d thought discarding these things would hurt, but when I actually did it, I discovered that when your heart dies to a certain degree, you can’t feel pain anymore. That afternoon, as I was folding the last few pieces of clothing into my suitcase, Nina sent me a Snapchat message. No words, just three photos in succession. One showed Nina wearing an extremely luxurious wedding dress with a long train, wearing a tiara, smiling like a real bride. Another showed Ethan’s back as he bent down to adjust Nina’s dress train. The last was a photo of them together, Nina’s hand resting on Ethan’s arm, the engagement ring still on her ring finger. Half a minute later, Nina’s text came through. [Sophia, please don’t misunderstand. I’ve only met bad boys my whole life. No one’s ever really cherished me. Ethan took me to try on wedding dresses just to let me experience what it feels like to be a happy woman. Ethan’s also checking out dress styles for you in advance. This one is really beautiful. You’ll definitely look even better in it than me.] Looking at the words on the screen, my stomach churned. I didn’t reply to Nina. Instead, I called Ethan directly. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. In the background, I could faintly hear a sales associate saying “Sir, your wife is so beautiful.” “Hello, Sophia?” “You took Nina to try on wedding dresses?” I asked calmly. There was a second of silence on the other end, followed by an irritated sigh. “From your tone, are you interrogating me? You know I grew up with Nina. I’ve always treated her like a little sister. She just went through such a huge blow. She’s lost all faith in love. I took her to try on wedding dresses just to help her rebuild her confidence. Besides, I’m also checking out which stores have good styles for you.” Listening to this string of justifications, I actually laughed in anger. “Ethan, since you care about her so much, why don’t you go all the way and be her groom. Let’s break up.” His breathing caught sharply on the other end, followed by a low roar: “Sophia, you want to break up with me? Just because I went with Nina to try on a wedding dress? Are you serious? When did you become so unreasonable!” “Think whatever you want.” I didn’t want to hear another word from him. I hung up directly. Looking at the empty closet, I zipped up my suitcase. I’d spent five years figuring out that a man’s so-called “sibling affection” was just ambiguity and favoritism without boundaries. Now, I didn’t want it anymore.

On the evening of the concert, I’d just found my seat in the front row center. Before long, the empty seat beside me was filled as a tall figure sat down. The man wore a high-quality black shirt with the cuffs slightly rolled up. His profile showed sharp, handsome lines. Seeing me, he nodded politely, his voice deep and pleasant: “Hello, are you Miss Sophia? I’m the buyer from the resale platform.” I smiled at him: “Hello. Are you satisfied with the seat?” “Absolutely perfect.” The corner of his mouth curved into a slight smile. “Thank you for selling it at original price. I’ve been looking for this seat for a long time.” We exchanged brief pleasantries. The atmosphere wasn’t awkward at all. Just then, all the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed. The outer screens and the center stage screen lit up simultaneously. The pre-show warmup interaction began — the classic kiss cam game. The camera swept wildly through the audience. The big screen kept flashing couples’ surprised and shy faces. “Next, whoever the camera stops on, if you’re a couple, you have to kiss! If you’re not a couple, then give the person next to you a warm hug!” I was laughing and watching the fun when a dazzling spotlight fell on me and the man in the black shirt beside me. Our two faces instantly magnified on the big screen. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The man turned to look at me. Text appeared at the bottom of the screen: [Not a couple? Give each other a hug!] Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, a gentle smile flashed in the man’s eyes. He saved me from embarrassment. He turned openly and extended his arms toward me like a perfect gentleman. At that moment, outside the stadium at the ticket checkpoint. Ethan stood in front of the VIP entrance, touching the diamond necklace in his pocket. He was calculating how to coax me after the concert. “Ethan! Hurry, they’re checking tickets!” Nina excitedly pulled his arm. They walked to the gate. The security guard said coldly: “Please show your tickets for facial recognition entry.” Nina eagerly placed the ticket Ethan had given her on the scanner. “Beep — ” A harsh red alert sounded. [Identity mismatch. No purchase record found.] Nina froze and turned to look at Ethan with grievance: “Ethan, what’s going on?” Ethan frowned: “They must be checking strictly.” He took out his own ticket and placed it on the scanner. Another harsh red alert. The security guard looked at them expressionlessly: “You two, neither of you has ticket information under your names. Please step aside.” “That’s impossible. My girlfriend bought these as connected seats!” Ethan’s voice rose sharply in panic. The guard checked his device and looked up coldly: “Sir, the system shows the primary purchaser kept her own seat. Your companion registration was unbound by her one day ago.” Unbound? Ethan froze. The line behind them started complaining impatiently. Nina felt utterly humiliated. Her eyes instantly reddened. Amid a chorus of jeers, Ethan retreated from the crowd in complete embarrassment. He quickly pulled out his phone and pulled up my number through gritted teeth. Suddenly, thunderous cheers erupted from the giant broadcast screen on the plaza’s outer wall. Ethan instinctively looked up. On the screen, he saw my image, smiling as I embraced a handsome man beside me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393228”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Mom disappeared ten years ago, and Dad has hated me for ten years. He hates me for causing Mom’s disappearance. He hates my face that looks nothing like hers. So he adopted a girl who resembles Mom eighty percent, and spoiled her rotten. Dad took her traveling everywhere, brought her on parent-child variety shows, took her on talk shows, announcing to the whole world that she was the only daughter of the Foster family. Meanwhile, I wore ill-fitting clothes and lived in the servants’ quarters of the Foster house. He let her bully me, slander me, and push me–someone who couldn’t swim–into the artificial lake. He said this was what I deserved. I thought this was what I deserved too. Until my sixteenth birthday, when Mom came back. Three days from now would be my sixteenth birthday. Every year on this day, Dad would throw a birthday party for Sophia Foster. Every classmate except me had received Sophia Foster’s birthday invitation. “Chloe, don’t take it personally. Maybe the butler miscounted and missed one,” Sophia said, standing by my desk with an apologetic expression. I kept my head down, working through practice problems with a blank face, not even glancing at her. I’d experienced Sophia Foster’s endless little tricks for nearly ten years. I was used to it by now. “Sophia, why are you explaining anything to her?” A classmate who couldn’t stand watching stood up to defend Sophia. “You’re just too nice. That’s why she keeps bullying you.” “Exactly! She’s just a maid’s daughter who shamelessly lives at your house, freeloading off you. Mr. Foster even sponsors her education, but instead of being grateful, she steals from you! Only someone as kind as you would put up with it. If it were me, I’d have kicked her out long ago!” “She’s an ungrateful wretch!” “Sophia, she’s definitely jealous of you–jealous of your family background, your grades, your popularity.” “Better not invite her. Who knows what trouble she’ll cause? Don’t let her ruin your birthday.” “She lives at the Foster house anyway. Does she even need an invitation? When the master’s family has a birthday, she should be helping out with the other servants.” “Good point!” After they finished, Sophia finally spoke slowly. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly make Chloe do that. Any other day would be fine, but that day is Chloe’s birthday too.” She said ambiguously, “Chloe, I’m sorry. I originally wanted to invite you to cut the cake together, but Dad wouldn’t allow it. Who told you to do what you did back then? Can’t blame Dad for disliking you.” I threw my pen at her face. “Fuck off!” Ten years ago, Mom disappeared while picking up a birthday present she’d reserved for me. Whether she was alive or dead, no one knew. Dad frantically searched for Mom everywhere but couldn’t find her. I cried every day, wanting Mom. Mom had spoiled me into a little tyrant. In the past, I only had to cry a little and I’d get whatever I wanted. One day, the nanny couldn’t calm me down and carried me to Dad. Dad stared at me with hatred for a while, then kicked me away. “Fuck off!” “You have the nerve to cry!?” “If you hadn’t insisted on celebrating your birthday, why would Vivian have disappeared?” “Don’t let me see you again. Get out!” From that day on, I went from being the little princess Mom cherished to a burden everyone despised. Whether I could eat depended entirely on the nanny’s mood. Later, Dad adopted a girl from an orphanage who looked very much like Mom. He gave her my room, gave her my princess dresses, gave her my birthday, and gave her my identity too. When he took six-year-old her on parent-child variety shows, I was being abused at home by the nanny, eating spoiled food. The day he publicly announced that Sophia Foster was his only daughter, I realized I had lost my father.

After school, I went home with injuries. Sophia was extremely popular in class. The moment I snapped at her, a boy immediately stood up and pushed me down. When my forehead hit the corner of the desk, everyone watched me with eyes full of coldness and schadenfreude. From elementary school through high school, I’d never had a single friend. Sophia tirelessly led everyone in isolating me. I wasn’t afraid of being isolated. What I feared was that the teacher insisted my parent come to school on Monday. The boy’s parent came that very afternoon, fiercely defending their child. “My son was just being a good Samaritan. Everyone saw that she threw something at Sophia first.” “Oh my, son, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?” “Someone this emotionally unstable shouldn’t be allowed in school. Who knows what she’ll do next time?” Standing there with blood all over my face, I thought–if Mom were still here, she would defend me like this too. Instead of like Dad, who ignored my injuries completely. He checked whether Sophia’s face was hurt while telling me to get lost. “You knew Sophia has to film a show tomorrow, yet you still tried to hit her face.” “Chloe Foster, your mother was so kind. How could she give birth to such a malicious child? Sometimes I really doubt you’re even her daughter!” “Wasn’t it enough that you caused your mother’s disappearance? Now you want to hurt Sophia too?” I studied Dad’s face carefully. The disgust on his face–I’d been seeing it for ten years. Ten years ago, he wasn’t like this. When Mom was here, he loved me too. Though he always regretted that I didn’t resemble Mom, he still put tremendous effort into raising me. He named me Chloe, saying I was the Foster family’s most precious treasure. He bought me beautiful dresses and jewelry. On my fifth birthday, his gift to me was an estate. When a classmate pushed me in kindergarten, he was heartbroken. Not only did he make that family come apologize, he also found several coaches to teach me taekwondo. He told me that if someone bullied me, I must fight back, no matter who they were. He also told me that no matter what happened, Mom and Dad would always have my back. The person who once promised to always have my back was now demanding to know why I hurt his Sophia. “Go back to your room and reflect properly. Don’t come out without my permission!” From start to finish, Dad never once looked at the wound on my forehead. From start to finish, I never found the courage to relay the teacher’s message to Dad. He wouldn’t go to school for me. All these years, he’d only attended parent-teacher conferences for Sophia Foster.

After being locked up all night, my wound became infected. I wanted to go out and get the medicine kit. When I opened the door, I found the house set up with cameras, with several cameramen and a host surrounding Dad and Sophia Foster. The gentle, loving expression on Dad’s face was something I hadn’t seen in ten years. Host: “As the CEO of a publicly traded company, you must not have much time to spend with your daughter, right? How did you raise her so well?” Dad: “Sophia is naturally well-behaved. She’s my only daughter. No matter how busy I am, I make time to be with her.” Sophia hugged Dad’s arm and acted cute. “My dad is the best dad in the whole world! I just wish he had even more time to play with me! Dad, I haven’t traveled abroad yet this year!” Dad smiled helplessly but indulgently. “Alright, alright. After your birthday, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” I blinked, feeling completely numb inside. I’d seen scenes like this too many times. It didn’t hurt as much anymore. But inevitably, I still thought back to ten years ago. Ten years ago, when Mom was still here, I would hug Mom and act cute like that too, making all sorts of little requests. Mom would agree to any request I made. She had a jade necklace she’d worn for many years. When I said I liked it, she immediately took it off and put it on me. “Chloe, you must treasure this necklace. Grandma left it to Mom, and Mom has worn it for many years.” At the time, Mom stroked my head with sadness and nostalgia in her eyes that I didn’t understand. On the other side, the host suddenly mentioned Mom. “Does Sophia often think about her mother? Mrs. Foster was a very talented actress. I heard Sophia wants to take the arts exam and become an actress in the future. Is this because of her mother’s influence?” The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. Mom’s name was taboo around Dad. In the past, when people asked questions like this, Dad would have lost his temper long ago. But today was Sophia Foster’s first variety show appearance since growing up. Dad was paving the way for her entry into the entertainment industry. Sophia’s expression turned somber. “I’ve always missed Mom and wanted to see her. The reason I want to be an actress is because I want to become an excellent person like her.” She took out a necklace. “This necklace is a keepsake Mom left me. Whenever I’m sad, I take out the necklace and look at it, and I feel like Mom is still by my side.” Seeing that necklace, I froze, uncontrollable anger surging in my chest. That was the necklace Mom gave me! Over these ten years, Sophia Foster had taken everything from me. All I had left was that one necklace. I rushed forward and snatched the necklace back without caring about anything else. “Chloe Foster! Who said you could come out?” Dad’s face darkened. “Chloe? What’s wrong?” Sophia stood up, her face showing perfectly calibrated confusion. “Sophia Foster, when did you steal the necklace?” I checked the box where I kept the necklace every night before bed. Last night, the necklace was still safely in the box. During these years when no one cared about me, only by stroking this necklace could I keep myself alive. It represented that someone had once loved me. It represented that Mom had truly existed. “What? Steal?” Sophia’s expression was shocked and innocent. “Chloe Foster! Have you caused enough trouble? This is a live broadcast!” Dad’s face was ugly. “I don’t care about any live broadcast! This is the necklace my mom left me. Why should she take it? Hasn’t she taken enough of my things already?” “And! My mom isn’t dead! Sophia Foster, watch your mouth. This isn’t a keepsake!” “Mr. Foster, what’s going on?” The host looked at me hesitantly. Sophia panicked a little and looked to Dad for help. Dad’s eyes were cold. “A servant’s relative.” I clutched the necklace tightly, my whole body turning cold. Although Dad had long ago publicly announced that Sophia Foster was his only daughter, and Sophia always told people at school that I was the maid’s daughter. But this was the first time he personally said he didn’t want me. The panic on Sophia’s face disappeared completely, and she couldn’t help feeling triumphant. Taking advantage of my dazed state, she snatched the necklace away. “Chloe, you must be mistaken. This necklace isn’t yours.” “If it were anything else, I’d give it to you if you liked it, no matter how expensive. But this necklace is what my mom left me. I can’t give it to you.” The watching staff members looked at me with very subtle expressions, probably wondering why a maid’s daughter would suddenly go crazy and rush out to steal things from the master’s family. Someone said quietly, “What a schemer. She knows it’s being broadcast live and wants to gain notoriety.” I had no time to care what others said. I just wanted the necklace back. “Give it back! That was the last thing Mom left me. Give it back!” Sophia let me pull her, deliberately loosened her hand, and the necklace fell to the ground. The jade pendant shattered into several pieces. I staggered, my mind going blank. The last thing Mom left me was also gone. “Are you satisfied now? Get out!” Dad’s face was black, his eyes looking like he wanted to tear me apart. Sophia’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Chloe! You’ve gone too far!” Those staff members were also quietly condemning me. But I couldn’t hear anything anymore. I just quickly bent down to pick up the necklace. The fragments cut my fingers. My tears fell on the wounds–wet, hot, and painful.

I got cyberbullied. That day’s content was broadcast live, and everyone felt sorry for Sophia Foster and Dad, while I faced countless attacks and insults. Several classmates acted as informants online, claiming the Foster family sponsored my private school education, that Sophia was always tolerant of me at school, but I constantly bullied her. [Ungrateful wretch!] [See, you can’t just sponsor people randomly, or you’ll raise an ungrateful wretch who bullies your own child.] [That was jade, right? The Foster family’s things must be expensive. How does a maid’s daughter have the nerve to say her mom left it to her? If she could afford jade, why would her mom work as a maid at the Foster house?] [Feel so bad for Sophia. The keepsake her mom left was smashed like that. Make her pay for it!] [Sophia looks so much like her mom. I used to be a fan of Vivian. Seeing Sophia cry breaks my heart. If Vivian were still here, she’d be heartbroken too.] [Vivian loved her daughter so much. If she knew her daughter was being bullied like this… sigh.] Vivian was my mom. Seeing this comment, my heart ached dully. If Mom were still here, would she feel sorry for me? If Mom were still here… would she recognize me? Would she, like Dad, stand on Sophia Foster’s side too? After all, I was the one who caused her disappearance. After all, I don’t look even slightly like her. Sophia Foster’s birthday party–all the classmates came. They came to knock on my door, loudly mocking me outside, taking Sophia’s side. I was locked in my room. Dad’s orders. At the time, he wouldn’t even enter my room, lecturing me through the door. “Chloe Foster, how can you face your mother? That necklace was her most treasured possession! It was your grandmother’s keepsake!” “Do you hate your mother that much? Hate Sophia that much? Do you know how long Sophia prepared for this live broadcast?” “If your mother saw what you’ve become today, she’d regret giving birth to you!” After Dad left, Sophia came in with a key. “Chloe Foster, when you heard Dad personally call you a maid’s daughter, how did you feel?” “You’re so shameless, still refusing to leave the Foster house. You got your mom killed, and Dad hates you to death. He wishes you’d die soon–he just hasn’t said it out loud.” I ignored her, staring out the window on my own. It was very lively outside. The lawn by the artificial lake was decorated beautifully. Flowers, banners, balloons, champagne towers. Gift boxes in various colors covered the ground. The birthday cake was ten tiers high. That was the scene from my memories, the scene from my dreams. Ten years. Every year, I watched someone else take center stage on my birthday. Someone was calling Sophia to cut the cake. Sophia’s face darkened, angry at being ignored by me. “Chloe Foster! I’m talking to you!” “Why didn’t you die with your mother?” She snatched the jade fragments from my hand and threw them toward the artificial lake outside the window. I suddenly stood up. Without thinking, I climbed onto the window and jumped into the lake. A chorus of exclamations, screams, cold water flooding my ears and nose. Before losing consciousness, I seemed to hear Mom’s voice. I heard her calling my name: “Chloe! Mom is here!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393229”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I loved Gavin for ten years, only for him to announce his engagement to his mistress, Serena. On the day of their engagement, they locked me in the basement. Gavin even locked the iron door himself, coldly tossing out a single sentence through the metal: “Don’t let her out until the engagement party is over.” Curled up on the freezing floor, I listened to the cheers and applause drifting down from the banquet hall upstairs. My crippled right hand spasmed violently, the pain so intense it eventually went numb. When the door finally opened again, they dragged me out and threw me into the pouring rain. I staggered forward on numb legs, walking aimlessly through the storm. Until a man stopped in front of me, holding an umbrella over my head. Dominic handed me a marriage agreement. “Marry me. I can save your father, heal your hand, and help you take back everything that belongs to you.” I signed the contract. Later, when the bankrupt Gavin saw me again, he rushed toward me like a madman, demanding to know why. Dominic wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed me right in front of him. “Because now,” he said, his voice icy cold, “she’s my wife.”

Lila’s POV When Gavin announced his engagement to Serena, the whole city was stunned. The yacht party doubled as Hartwell Group’s annual couture show. It was the height of extravagance. Everyone envied Serena. She wasn’t just marrying the Hartwell heir. Tonight, she was also debuting as lead designer. Her gown, “First Love.” The dress of the century. Under the spotlight, Serena wore that gown with nine hundred and ninety-nine diamonds. She leaned into Gavin’s arms, smiling with an innocent, angelic look. Under the spotlight, Serena wore that gown embedded with nine hundred and ninety-nine diamonds. She nestled in Gavin’s arms, smiling with an innocent, angelic look. And I stood in the darkest corner of the ballroom, watching it all in silence. That “First Love” gown was something I’d stayed up countless nights to make. My right hand ached so much I couldn’t hold a fork. But I sewed every stitch. By hand. The hidden pattern on the hem was my mother’s favorite design from when she was alive. Gavin once said it was a signature that belonged only to me. But now, he’d put my work on another woman, making it a symbol of their love. “Miss Sterling.” Gavin’s chief assistant, Aaron, walked up to me and handed me a paper bag. “Mr. Hartwell said this is what you asked for.” I took the bag and opened it. Inside was an old fashion design notebook, my mother’s keepsake. And a check for fifty million dollars. “Mr. Hartwell also said that after tonight, you two have no relationship anymore.” Aaron’s eyes held a trace of haughty pity. “Mr. Hartwell hopes you won’t appear in front of Miss Vale anymore to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. After all, Miss Vale is now the chief designer of Hartwell Group.” I looked at that check and suddenly found it amusing. Three years. I’d been with Gavin for three years. I wasn’t just his mistress. I was also the “ghost designer” for his company’s design department. I’d drawn over a hundred designs for him, launched more than a dozen bestselling collections, and pushed Hartwell’s fashion empire to its peak. The price? Chronic overwork and mental stress had severely damaged the nerves in my right hand. My hand trembled just holding a pen now. I’d completely lost the possibility of becoming an independent designer. Everyone thought I loved Gavin so much that I was willing to be a mistress for money and status. Even Gavin thought so. He thought I couldn’t leave him. He thought that as long as he threw me a little reward, I’d be grateful. I pulled out that fifty-million-dollar check and, right in front of Aaron, tore it into pieces bit by bit. “Miss Sterling, what are you doing?” Aaron frowned, his tone carrying a warning. “Mr. Hartwell’s patience is limited. Don’t be willful.” “Keep this money for Miss Vale to buy candy.” I tossed the shredded paper into a nearby trash can and clutched my mother’s notebook tightly to my chest. “Tell Gavin that as he wished, we’ll never see each other again.” I turned and walked out of the ballroom without looking back. No breakdown, no tears. So calm it surprised even me. Outside the yacht, heavy rain began to fall. The cold rainwater pelted my body, yet I felt liberated. These three years, I’d endured Gavin’s mental torture just to keep my mother’s keepsake and pay for my imprisoned father’s medical treatment. He would violently take me in bed while coldly suppressing my career in daily life. “Lila, besides me, who else would want you?” “Your hand is already ruined. Without me providing you a team, you can’t even make a single piece of clothing.” “Be good and let Serena take credit for this season’s designs. She just returned. She needs this work more than you do.” He said the cruelest things in the gentlest tone. Destroying my confidence bit by bit, stripping away my pride. Turning me into worthless garbage that could only survive by clinging to him. But he didn’t know I’d never truly submitted. I was just waiting. Waiting to get my mother’s notebook. Waiting to save enough for my father’s medical bills. Now, my wait was over. I returned to the villa that had imprisoned me for three years. As quickly as possible, I packed up everything that belonged to me. Actually, there wasn’t much. Just a few old clothes and some worn books. As for all those designer bags, haute couture dresses, and expensive jewelry Gavin had given me, I didn’t take a single piece. I found a large cardboard box, packed everything into it, and left it on the living room table along with the villa key. When I left, I blocked and deleted every contact method related to Gavin from my phone. I left swiftly, without a trace of reluctance.

Lila’s POV The rain grew heavier. I dragged a cheap suitcase down the empty street. My clothes were soaked through, my body shaking from the cold, but I didn’t want to stop. I just wanted to get as far away from Gavin’s world as possible. Just then, a black Maybach slowly stopped beside me in the rain. The window lowered. Revealing a handsome face. The man wore a perfectly tailored black suit with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Behind those lenses, his eyes were deep, dark, and carried an irresistible sense of authority. Dominic Kane. Heir to New York’s most elite financial empire. Rumor had it he was a ruthless, unpredictable, heartless capitalist. I’d only met him once. It was at one of Gavin’s private cocktail parties. I attended as Gavin’s date but was left alone in a corner. Dominic saw this and handed me a glass of warm water, expressing concern. “Miss Sterling, in such heavy rain, where are you planning to go?” His voice was deep and pleasant, with a hint of leisure. I stopped and looked at him warily. “Mr. Kane, is there something you need?” The car door opened. A large black umbrella appeared over my head. Dominic’s assistant stood respectfully to the side. “Miss Sterling, Mr. Kane requests that you get in the car.” I didn’t move. I’d just escaped one cage. I didn’t want to jump into another abyss. Dominic seemed to see through my thoughts. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on my face through the rain. “Lila, your father had a sudden heart attack in prison. He’s being rushed to the hospital right now.” “Gavin has already cut off his medical payments.” “If you go now, you’ll only see his corpse.” My brain went blank with a buzzing sound. The suitcase slipped from my hand, crashing into a puddle and splashing muddy water. “What… what did you say?” My whole body trembled, my voice shaking. “Get in.” Dominic’s tone was serious. “I’ll take you to him.” Without any hesitation, I bent down and got into the car. The cabin was heated, filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance that inexplicably brought peace of mind. Dominic handed me a clean towel. “Dry yourself off.” I took the towel and hastily wiped the rain from my face. “Mr. Kane, why are you helping me?” I stared at him, trying to find answers in his expression. I didn’t believe in random acts of kindness in this world, especially not from someone like Dominic Kane. Dominic chuckled softly. He pulled out a document from the storage compartment beside him and placed it in front of me. “I need a wife. And you happen to be suitable for the position.” I froze, looking down at the document. “Marriage Agreement.” “Why me?” I couldn’t believe it. With Dominic’s status and position, he could find any type of woman he wanted. Why would he choose someone ordinary like me, someone Gavin had discarded? “Because you’re smart enough, and strong enough.” Dominic’s slender fingers lightly tapped his knee, his gaze deep as he looked at me. “More importantly, I’ve seen your real design drafts. Gavin is a blind fool who doesn’t know how to appreciate them, but I’m not.” He leaned forward slightly, moving closer to me. His warm breath fell on my ear, carrying a hint of temptation. “Lila, marry me. I can not only save your father but also help you take back everything that belongs to you. Including healing your right hand.” My heartbeat skipped a beat. My right hand. This was my deepest pain. I looked into Dominic’s beautiful eyes, knowing I had no other choice. I picked up the pen and signed my name on the agreement. “Alright, I agree.” Dominic looked at the name on the paper, his lips curving into a satisfied arc. “Mrs. Kane, pleasure doing business with you.”

Gavin’s POV My engagement party lasted until late into the night. I’d drunk quite a bit. My head hurt. Serena leaned against me weakly, wanting to return to the villa with me. “Gavin, can I stay with you tonight?” I rubbed my temples, and Lila’s face suddenly flashed through my mind. I gently pushed Serena away. “I’m too tired tonight. Go home and rest. I’ll come see you tomorrow.” Serena was somewhat reluctant but didn’t dare disobey me. She could only nod obediently. I got in the car and instructed the driver to return to the villa. The whole way, I thought about Lila. That woman actually didn’t make a scene tonight. Usually, if I so much as glanced at another woman, she’d question me with red-rimmed eyes. Tonight I announced my engagement to Serena in front of everyone, even put the wedding dress she’d stayed up nights making on Serena, yet she didn’t shed a single tear. She even tore up the fifty-million-dollar check I gave her. Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but sneer. She just wanted to get my attention. She was becoming more and more willful. I was certain that Lila was now crying in pain at the villa. When I returned, she would definitely kneel at my feet humbly like always, begging me not to abandon her. Thinking this, my mood suddenly improved. The car pulled into the villa driveway. I pushed open the door. The living room was pitch dark, and there was no figure in pajamas coming forward with warm milk. “Lila!” I frowned and turned on the lights. In the empty living room, only a huge cardboard box sat on the coffee table. I walked over and saw clearly what was inside. All the gifts I’d given her over these three years. Jewelry, watches, haute couture dresses… On top of the box lay the villa key. My pupils contracted sharply. I rushed upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door. The closet was empty, the vanity was empty, and her toiletries in the bathroom were gone too. Throughout the entire villa, there was no longer any trace of Lila. She’d left. Left decisively, without a hint of reluctance. I stood in the empty bedroom, a sudden irritation rising in my chest. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lila’s number. “Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service.” Not in service? She’d even canceled her number! I hurled my phone against the wall. The screen shattered instantly. “Fine, very good!” I laughed coldly in anger. “Lila, don’t you ever think about coming back!” I thought Lila was just acting out. I thought she needed me to survive. Her father’s hospital bills were piling up. Her right hand was useless. No other design firm would hire a cripple who couldn’t hold a pen. Only me. She had no choice but to come back and beg me. I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. I wanted to see just how stubborn this woman could be. Within three days, she would definitely come back begging. However, three days passed. I hadn’t heard a single thing about Lila. I sent people to check the hospital, only to be told that Lila’s father had been taken away three days ago. Where her father went, who took him. No one at the hospital knew. I sat behind my large desk, my expression terrifyingly dark. Aaron stood to the side, trembling nervously. “Find her! Bring her back to me!” I violently swept the documents off the desk like an enraged lion. “Even if you have to search all of New York, find her!” I absolutely would not allow my prey to escape my control.

Lila’s POV These three days, I’d been staying at Dominic’s private estate. The environment here was beautiful with excellent scenery. Dominic arranged the best room for me, the finest chef, and an entire medical team. He hadn’t lied to me. My father was transferred to a private hospital under Dominic’s name and received the best treatment. He was now out of danger. And I was being cared for like something fragile. Dominic made time to eat with me every day. Though he didn’t say much, his every action showed tremendous respect and restraint, giving me a long-lost sense of peace. During those three years by Gavin’s side, I lived in constant fear and anxiety every day. Afraid I’d do something wrong and upset him. Afraid he’d stop my father’s medication in a fit of rage. Now, I finally didn’t have to follow anyone’s orders anymore. Dominic even built me a top-tier private studio on the estate. The fabrics, sewing equipment, and pattern-making tools inside were even more complete than Hartwell Group’s design department. “Mr. Kane, thank you.” I stood in the studio, looking at those expensive silk fabrics, my eyes getting warm. Dominic leaned against the doorframe, one hand in his pocket, his gaze deep as he watched me. “Lila, have you forgotten we’re already married?” He walked over and reached out to gently wipe away the tears at the corner of my eye. The warmth of his fingertip was somewhat hot. “From now on, call me by my name.” I uncomfortably turned my head away and called softly, “Dominic.” Dominic chuckled lightly, seeming very pleased. “The doctor said your right hand’s condition is due to chronic overuse combined with excessive psychological stress causing neurological spasms. I’ve already contacted the nation’s top orthopedic and neurology experts. Next week they’ll fly here to consult on your case.” “Lila, trust me, you’ll get better. Your hand will still be able to draw the most beautiful designs in the world.” His voice was low and firm, carrying a convincing power. I looked at him and nodded hard. That afternoon, I went to the mall. I wanted to buy some daily necessities and a few sets of clothes for my father. Dominic wanted to send bodyguards with me, but I refused. I didn’t want to be monitored like a prisoner. However, I never expected to run into Serena at the mall. She was holding Gavin’s arm, browsing bags at a luxury boutique. Serena spotted me immediately. She tottered over in her heels, walking with an exaggerated sway, her face displaying a victor’s smugness. “Well, well, if it isn’t Lila? After Gavin kicked you out, you don’t even have money to buy clothes?” She looked over my simple casual outfit, her eyes full of disdain. I looked at her coldly without speaking, but my gaze fell on the ruby necklace around her neck. That was a necklace Gavin once gave me. When I left, I’d left it in the cardboard box. I never imagined Gavin would give it to Serena. How disgusting. “What are you looking at?” Serena noticed my gaze and deliberately touched the necklace at her neck. “This is the engagement gift Gavin gave me. Beautiful, isn’t it? Lila, you were with Gavin for three years, drawing all those designs for me, yet he wouldn’t give you anything. Now that I’m back, he gives me everything. You’re nothing but a clown, a cheap tool.” Her words stabbed into my heart like poisoned knives. If it were before, I might have endured it, but now, I didn’t need to endure anymore. I raised my left hand and slapped her hard across the face. The crisp sound of the slap was particularly loud in the quiet luxury boutique. Serena’s head snapped to the side. Covering her face, she stared at me in shock. “You… you dare hit me?” “I hit you. Do I need a reason?” I sneered and shook my somewhat numb hand. “Serena, stealing someone else’s work as your signature piece. Do you think your own work is that terrible?” “Lila!” A sinister, furious voice came from behind. Gavin quickly walked over and protectively pulled Serena behind him. He stared at me intently, his eyes cold as ice. “What are you freaking out about?” He grabbed my right wrist in one swift motion, his grip so tight it felt like he’d crush my bones. “Apologize to Serena!”

Lila’s POV Excruciating pain shot through my right wrist. That was my most vulnerable, most painful spot. The pain made me gasp, forcing my head back to meet Gavin’s fury-filled eyes. Three years. He was always like this. As long as Serena shed a single tear, he’d pin all the blame on me. I looked at this face I once loved deeply, now finding it only unfamiliar and repulsive. “Apologize?” I forced myself to endure the spasms in my right hand, laughing coldly, my gaze unflinchingly meeting his. “Gavin, impossible! I, Lila Sterling, will never apologize to a thief who only steals other people’s designs!” Gavin’s expression instantly darkened to the extreme. He tightened his grip even more, completely disregarding my trembling hand, glaring at me furiously. “Lila, do you think that leaving me means you can survive on your own? Do you believe that with just one word from me, your father won’t get a single pill in the hospital!” He was threatening me with my father again. This was his usual tactic, his most lethal way of controlling me. He thought that as long as he brought up my father, I’d immediately kneel on the ground and beg him like before. Unfortunately, he was wrong. I looked at his arrogant face and suddenly laughed. I laughed until tears almost came out. “Gavin, you still don’t know, do you?” I used my left hand to pry his fingers off one by one, my voice cold and emotionless. “My father has already been transferred. From now on, his life or death has nothing to do with you.” Gavin froze. He seemed unable to process what I’d said, but his grip instinctively loosened. “What did you say?” His brow furrowed. I saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. “I said, I’m no longer under your threats.” I yanked my right hand back and stepped away, creating distance between us. “Gavin, we’re completely finished. From now on, you and Serena can be together forever. Don’t ever appear in front of me again.” With that, I turned to leave. “Stop!” Gavin reached out sharply, trying to grab me again. Just as his hand was about to touch me, another large hand suddenly reached out from the side and firmly caught Gavin’s wrist. “Mr. Hartwell, manhandling a lady is hardly gentlemanly behavior.” A low, lazy voice sounded above my head. My whole body jolted as I looked up sharply. Dominic had appeared behind me at some point. He wore an impeccably tailored dark gray suit, his posture upright and bearing dignified. Dominic released Gavin’s hand and naturally pulled me into his embrace. Gavin stumbled back a step, his face iron-dark as he stared at Dominic. “Dominic Kane? What are you doing here?” Gavin’s gaze swept back and forth between Dominic and me, his eyes full of shock and suspicion. “Lila, what’s your relationship with him?” Dominic ignored Gavin’s interrogation. He looked down at me, his gaze falling on my slightly trembling right hand. His brow instantly furrowed. “What happened to your hand?” He pulled out a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket, cradled my right hand, and carefully wiped the spots Gavin had touched, as if I’d just touched something extremely filthy. “How can you use the hand you draw with to hit people?” Dominic’s voice was soft but carried indulgence and heartache. “Next time you encounter such idiots, just have the bodyguards handle it. Don’t dirty your hands.” Serena’s face instantly turned pale. Gavin trembled with rage. “Dominic Kane, what do you mean?” Gavin stared at the hand Dominic had around my waist, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lila is my woman. Stay away from her!” Dominic finished wiping my hand and casually tossed the handkerchief into a nearby trash can. He raised his head, looking at Gavin with contempt, as if he were nothing but a clown. “Mr. Hartwell may not have grasped the situation yet.” Dominic pulled me closer, his lips curving into a cold smile. “Lila is now my wife. I won’t allow you to touch her again.” Gavin stood frozen, as if struck by lightning, staring at me in disbelief. “Wife? Lila, you… you married him?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393230”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

“You’ll regret this. The hundredth time, you’ll truly regret it.” When I said those words, there was still a flicker of light left in my eyes. I was the orphan of the Moon’s Edge Pack’s bravest warrior. The fated mate of the Alpha heir. The most beloved sister of the Protector leader. I should have had the strongest foundation in this world. But then an omega named Jasmine appeared. And everything collapsed. The credit for saving them was stolen. She staged her own framing. Leo and Ethan—every time, they chose to believe Jasmine. My hair was cut off. I was humiliated in public. I counted in my heart. From one to ninety-nine. In the Darkmoon Forest, I lay in a pool of blood. No one looked back. The hundredth time. I died. When the truth finally came to light, when a strange she-wolf named Nera appeared before them with absolute dominance. It was already too late. Casey POV In the Dark Moon Forest, towering pines blocked out the sunlight, creating a solemn and sacred atmosphere. I placed the wildflowers I’d picked before the memorial altar where my parents’ ashes had been scattered, feeling warmth rise in my eyes. My parents were the Moon’s Edge Pack’s bravest warriors, both killed in battle during a Rogue attack. From that moment on, I vowed to carry on their legacy and become the strongest female warrior in the pack. I touched the acceptance letter in my pocket from North America’s top werewolf training camp, finally feeling a weight lift from my heart. “Dad, Mom, I did it. I’ll carry on your honor.” I whispered to the wind. I’d worked so hard to get into that elite-only training camp. But I had to keep it a secret from my brother and Ethan. When I got back to the Pack house, the living room, usually so quiet, felt unusually tense. My brother Leo, the pack’s border patrol leader, and my mate Ethan, heir to the Moon’s Edge Pack Alpha. Both sat on the couch with dark expressions. Meanwhile, Jasmin stood to the side with her hair cut into a jagged, uneven mess, sobbing pitifully. “Alpha, Leo, don’t blame Casey. I know she didn’t mean to cut my hair like this. It’s all my fault for making her angry.” Jasmin looked utterly aggrieved, tears streaming down her face as she made her accusation. Hearing this, the fury in Ethan’s deep eyes intensified. “You don’t need to make excuses for her. Leo and I know her spoiled temper better than anyone!” “I’ve been too lenient with her! Don’t worry, Jasmin, we’ll get you justice today.” Leo chimed in, then turned his cold gaze on me with a stern tone. “Casey, look at what you’ve done! Apologize to Jasmin right now!” Seeing the flash of triumph in Jasmin’s eyes as she lowered her head, I kept my face expressionless and said nothing. I’d been training near the Dark Moon Forest these past few days and hadn’t even seen Jasmin. How could I have cut her hair? This was just another one of her self-staged frame-ups. But I didn’t explain. Because I knew that no matter how clumsy the lie, as long as it came from Jasmin’s mouth, Leo and Ethan would believe it without question. Seeing my lack of response, Leo’s anger grew. “You’ve really become lawless! Ethan, hold her down!” I looked at them in disbelief. Before I could react, Ethan had already strode forward, clamping down on my arms and pinning me in place. And Leo picked up a pair of sharp scissors and mercilessly grabbed my waist-length hair, cutting it off with a “snip.” Watching the strands of black hair fall, my heart suddenly ached. I remembered when I was little, how Leo would clumsily braid my hair with a comb. I remembered at my eighteenth birthday Mating Ball, how Ethan had gently stroked my long hair. He had loved it. Since my parents’ sacrifice, they had been the only support in my world. Until that brutal Rogue attack a year ago, when I fought desperately to drag their wounded bodies to safety, only to collapse from exhaustion myself. When I woke up, this Omega named Jasmin had stolen credit for my actions and become their “savior.” After that, everything changed. They pampered Jasmin endlessly, and despite me being Ethan’s Mate, they trampled me underfoot for her sake time and time again. My waist-length hair was completely cut away. Ethan released his grip, and Leo threw down the scissors. They immediately turned to comfort the frightened Jasmin, taking her to the dining room. From beginning to end, they never looked at me again. I stared at the hair scattered on the floor and laughed bitterly. It didn’t matter. I was about to enter the training camp anyway. Short hair would actually be more practical and convenient for training. The next morning when I opened my door, I found Leo and Ethan waiting outside. “Casey, you need to stop throwing these tantrums. Jasmin is our savior. You need to treat her well.” Leo said coldly. Ethan echoed him. “You know you’re my Mate. I’m only good to her to repay a debt. Don’t be jealous over something so pointless.” I’d heard these words so many times over the past year that I was sick of them. “95.” The two exchanged glances and said in unison. “What 95?” I looked at them quietly, my voice as flat and lifeless as stagnant water. “Leo, Ethan, this is the 95th time you’ve hurt me for Jasmin’s sake. By the 100th time, you’ll regret it completely!”

Casey POV Their faces instantly darkened. Ethan frowned. “Casey, don’t make such ridiculous jokes.” “I’m not joking.” Ethan was about to press further when suddenly his expression changed. A faint Mind-link came through the air. It was Jasmin. “Ethan, Leo… I can’t take this humiliation anymore. Since Casey can’t stand having me here, I’m leaving the Pack right now…” Jasmin’s tearful voice rang out. Hearing this, both men instantly panicked. Without a word of explanation to me, they immediately turned and rushed out like madmen. Watching their hastily disappearing backs, I smiled self-deprecatingly, turned around, and went back to my room to calmly pack my things. I didn’t keep a single gift that Ethan and Leo had given me. I threw them all in the trash. That evening, Ethan and Leo returned with Jasmin. The moment they saw me, they both scowled and started scolding. “Casey! Why did you send people to trash Jasmin’s room? You drove her to the point of wanting to leave the territory! If we hadn’t caught up with her in time, she really would have left!” Looking at their righteous indignation, all I felt was deep exhaustion. I didn’t even bother asking how Jasmin had staged the scene this time. My silence was taken as admission in their eyes. Leo held back his anger and said coldly, “Jasmin’s room is uninhabitable because of what you did, so she needs to stay with us for a while. Since you caused this mess, give your room to Jasmin.” I glanced at him. Too tired to argue, I simply tossed the room key on the table. I was leaving soon anyway. It didn’t matter where I stayed. Then Ethan frowned and added, “Also, Jasmin is allergic to pollen, so I’m having the rose garden in your yard completely removed.” My heart stabbed with pain. That rose garden was my mother’s favorite flower when she was alive. She had tended it herself. It was the only memento she’d left me! I stared hard at Ethan, but all I saw in his eyes was favoritism toward Jasmin. Soon, several lower-ranking wolves came with tools and headed to the backyard. I stood by the window, numbly watching as those beautiful roses were uprooted and crushed into the soil. Eventually I moved alone into the guest room next door. Looking at the empty room, I felt strangely relieved. Good. The traces of Casey should have been cleared away anyway. Late at night, a knock on the door broke the silence. I opened it to find Jasmin. She wore a wolf fang necklace around her neck and showed it off to me with a smug expression. “Casey, look! Leo gave me this today. Don’t you think it’s beautiful?” My pupils constricted sharply. That necklace was the last memento my parents had left us! Leo had actually given it to some outsider Omega?! “Give it back! You don’t deserve to wear it!” I instinctively reached out to snatch the necklace back. Seeing me make a move, a triumphant smile appeared on Jasmin’s face. She deliberately took a step backward, then spread her arms and fell straight down the staircase. “Ahh!” Her scream immediately alarmed Leo and Ethan in the study. Both men rushed out. Seeing Jasmin lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs with blood covering her forehead, they paled in fear. “Jasmin!” Ethan raced downstairs and pulled her into his arms. Leo charged up and grabbed my wrist, demanding harshly, “I knew your obedience during the day was an act! The moment our backs are turned, you find ways to bully her! Casey, you’ve disappointed me so much!” Jasmin leaned against Ethan, breathing weakly. “Ethan, it hurts so much… I feel like I’m dying…” “Casey, use your healing power to save her now!” Ethan turned and roared at me. I possessed a rare healing ability among wolves, but each use consumed a great deal of my life force. I gritted my teeth and violently shook off Leo’s hand. “I won’t! She staged that fall herself!” The two men were furious. Leo snatched the necklace from Jasmin’s neck and held it high, his eyes blood-red as he threatened, “Casey, you won’t do it? Then I’ll smash this necklace as compensation to Jasmin!” Ethan released suffocating Alpha pressure and glared at me through clenched teeth. “If you dare let anything happen to her, I’ll reject you!” I looked at these two men I had once cared about most, threatening me with my parents’ memento for the sake of a lying she-wolf. My chest felt stuffed with grief that couldn’t be released, hurting so much I felt ready to explode. I stared at Leo, my voice choking. “So Mom and Dad’s memento… you really gave it to her?” Then I looked at Ethan, my eyes frighteningly red. “So in your heart, I’m not even worth as much as some outsider Omega?” Both men froze. Before they could speak, I snatched the necklace from Leo’s hand and said slowly, enunciating every word. “Remember this. This is the 96th time.”

Casey POV In the end, I walked over to Jasmin and placed my hand over her wound. Brilliant white light flared. I was forced to expend massive amounts of healing power until my vision blurred and I finally collapsed from exhaustion. The next day, I woke up in a hospital bed at the pack hospital. No one was by my side. I dragged my weakened body out of the hospital. Just as I reached the entrance, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Jasmin. “How does it feel to be falsely accused with no way to explain yourself? Casey, you can’t win against me!” “See? With just one word from me, Leo and Ethan won’t take your side. You must be so upset, right? Don’t worry, I’ve prepared a surprise for you. Make sure to check it out.” A surprise? Remembering all the tricks and frame-ups she’d orchestrated before, I sneered and put my phone away. As I was about to cross the street, a black SUV suddenly came racing toward me like it had gone mad! BANG! The violent impact sent me flying. Because I was too weak from overusing my healing power, I couldn’t call on my wolf in time. I crashed heavily to the ground. Blood blurred my vision. Pain tore through every part of my body. My consciousness grew hazy. Through the fog, I felt pack guards carrying me to an operating room. Voices clamored around me. “That Jasmin woman woke up yesterday and is perfectly fine, but she keeps saying this hurts and that hurts. Alpha Ethan called all the surgeons over to examine her! Now there’s not even a doctor available to operate on Casey! What are we supposed to do?” “Go ask quickly if they can spare one doctor for the surgery!” Ten minutes later, someone came running back, their tone full of helplessness. “They refused! They insist we send her to a human hospital, and they’ll cover the costs!” “A human hospital?! She’s so badly injured and her healing ability is suppressed. How can she possibly survive the trip to a human hospital?!” Chaotic arguing filled my ears, but I couldn’t make out anything clearly. In a daze, I seemed to see the past. Back then, when I got even a minor injury during training, Leo would worry endlessly. Ethan would stay by my side constantly, using his Alpha pheromones to comfort me. But that was all a long, long time ago. Now there was no one by my side. My eyelids felt heavy as lead. My will gradually faded. Before losing consciousness completely, “The… the 97th time…” When I woke again, I saw two faces full of guilt. Leo tucked the blanket around me, his tone apologetic. “Casey, I’m sorry. We didn’t know it was you who got into the accident.” Ethan brought over a cup of hot water to feed me. “You were fine when you left. How did you get hit?” Remembering the messages I’d received before the accident, I looked away, my voice hoarse. “Ask Jasmin.” The expressions on both Leo and Ethan’s faces froze, instantly turning dark. “Casey, why are you still trying to frame Jasmin? She’s a fragile Omega. How could she possibly plan something like this?” “Exactly! Jasmin is still lying in the hospital. How would she have time to hurt you!” Seeing their absolute certainty, I didn’t want to waste more words. “I’m tired. Get out.” The two men, who had more to say, finally held back after seeing my pale face. Leo and Ethan left the room one after the other. A few minutes later, my phone on the table rang. “Casey, this is the instructor from the werewolf training camp. Can you report on schedule in one week?” “Yes, I can leave anytime…” Before I finished speaking, the door was pushed open. Leo and Ethan walked in with furrowed brows, looking suspicious. “What do you mean ‘leave’? Where are you going?” I calmly hung up the phone. “I was asking about discharge. Why are you back?” Ethan was about to press further when a nurse burst in urgently. “Alpha Ethan, Leo, Miss Jasmin just threw up…” Watching them leave in a hurry, I smiled silently and bitterly.

Casey POV Over the next few days, Leo and Ethan rarely appeared. Even when they occasionally came by, they’d only sit for a moment before finding an excuse to leave. I knew they were constantly attending to Jasmin. Because every day, Jasmin sent me photos and videos. Leo would hunt game himself just to make her meat soup. Ethan bought her all kinds of gifts. Jewelry meant to please her filled half her hospital room. I never replied once. I left the hospital without telling anyone. As I reached the border of the territory, several Rogues with glowing green eyes suddenly leapt out from behind me. Because I’d overused my healing power earlier and my body hadn’t fully recovered, I couldn’t shift into wolf form at all. I struggled desperately but was knocked unconscious. I don’t know how long passed. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Jasmin, also tied up. When the Rogues weren’t paying attention, Jasmin looked over with an arrogant expression and whispered. “Good, you’re awake. These Rogues have already sent a message to Leo and Ethan saying you and I were both kidnapped. Casey, guess what? When they have to choose, who will matter most to them?” I looked coldly at Jasmin, wanting to ask why she kept repeating these boring games. In the end, I ignored her. A few minutes later, the car door opened. I was standing by a river with rushing currents. Several SUVs came speeding from the distance. After Leo and Ethan got out, Jasmin immediately put on a pitiful expression, tears streaming down her face. The Rogue leader immediately pressed his claws against mine and Jasmin’s throats. Leo’s face darkened. “Whatever conditions you want, name them and let them go!” The Rogue leader snorted coldly. “We want you to give up that eastern territory! And as an exchange, you can only take one person today! Choose!” I watched as both men’s faces turned extremely ugly. Leo was furious but didn’t dare provoke them rashly. He could only suppress his anger to negotiate. “Let them go, and we can discuss the other conditions!” “You can only take one! Choose quickly, or I’ll bite through their throats!” Jasmin cried even more heart-wrenchingly, struggling constantly. The Rogues removed her gag. “Leo, Ethan, save me! I’m so scared! I don’t want to die!” Watching this tearful performance, my expression remained calm throughout. Seeing they still wouldn’t agree, the Rogues even started a countdown. Both men looked conflicted, their eyes constantly shifting between Jasmin and me. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” By the count of “five,” when Jasmin and I were about to be pushed into the river, Jasmin let out a scream. Leo finally lost his composure and shouted, “Save Jasmin first! She saved our lives. Casey, trust me, I can definitely save you.” Ethan also stated his position. “Jasmin is just a fragile Omega. She can’t withstand this. Casey, you’re a warrior’s daughter. Don’t worry, we’ll come for you right away.” From the moment they hesitated, I’d already predicted this outcome. But hearing them say it out loud now, I felt the last thread of hope in my heart completely severed. I couldn’t help but laugh. After the choice was made, Jasmin was pulled back. And I was pushed off the high bridge. I watched Leo and Ethan run desperately toward Jasmin and closed my eyes in despair. The cold wind cut my skin like knives. There was no blood, but it still felt like being tortured. Dense pain invaded every corner of my body, making me wish for death. In an instant, many images flashed through my mind. Leo, holding me and crying when our parents died, swearing he would always protect me. Ethan, at the Mating Ball when we found out we were Mates. His eyes reddening as he promised to love me. This was how we parted ways. The icy river water dragged my body downward. I grew faint. My strength slipped away…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393231”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My younger sister Ella and I liked the same person for ten years. Ethan White said he liked gentle and considerate girls. Ella was a natural at acting cute. I couldn’t pull it off. Whenever the three of us were together, he only talked to Ella. I sat beside them like a telephone pole. On college graduation day, he and Ella got their marriage license. I left in a huff. Went abroad, got an MBA with a full scholarship. Hustled for four years building a startup. By year six, the company went public. Recently I heard Ethan White’s cash flow had dried up. He’s been begging people everywhere for investment, and posted on Instagram: “Meeting a major investor tomorrow, wish me luck!” Ella commented below: Honey, you’ve got this! You’re the best! I looked at the schedule my secretary sent for tomorrow. 9:30 AM, meeting with a small company CEO about financing. The name column read— Ethan White. My mom called begging me: “Jenna, Ethan White can barely hold on, you have to help.” “Help with what?” “His company’s in trouble, looking for investors everywhere. You studied abroad all those years, you must know people in this business, right? Help make a connection.” Mom said this casually, like she was asking what to cook for dinner. “I’ll see what I can do.” “Don’t just ‘see.’ Ella’s anxious. And you—over thirty and still not married, what’s the point of building such a big career? Look at your sister, what a great marriage she has.” “You’ve been drifting around abroad for six years, not even coming home for holidays. After Ella married Ethan, she’s been taking care of me and your father constantly. What have you ever done?” “But when Dad had surgery that year, I paid all the hospital bills.” “So what, you transferred money and that makes you great? Two hundred thousand to buy yourself peace of mind? Where were you when your sister stayed in the hospital room for seven days and nights? Abroad making your money!” I didn’t respond. “You know what, you’ve been competitive since you were little. Always comparing yourself to Ella. What did you end up with? Ella married a good man. And you? Over thirty, alone abroad, not even someone who cares about you.” I looked at Ethan White’s name on the schedule, my finger lightly swiping across the screen. “Mom, it’s almost midnight.” “Fine, fine, you’re busy. You’re always busy.” Mom’s voice lowered a bit. “Your sister wants you to help find out what kind of person the investor Ethan’s meeting tomorrow is, so he can prepare.” The investor is me. “Okay, I’ll ask around.” After hanging up, a Snapchat message popped up. Ella’s voice message. Thirty-six seconds. She always sent voice messages, never typed. “Jenna, Mom told you, right? Ethan’s under so much pressure lately, he can’t sleep every night. You’ve been abroad so long, you must know lots of people in investment, right? Help us ask around.” She paused. “Oh, what is it you do again? Internet or something? I can’t quite remember.” Thirty-six seconds and she couldn’t even remember what I do. The news coverage of the IPO included my full name. She wouldn’t search for it. The family group chat was buzzing too. Mom: [Ethan has an important meeting tomorrow, let’s all cheer him on, hope he secures the investment!] Dad responded with a thumbs up. Ella: [Honey’s the best! He can definitely do it!] Twenty-something messages scrolled by, not one related to me. Six years. I only read messages in this group, never replied. I used to try. The day I closed Series A funding, I sent: Got Series A. No one asked what Series A was. Ella replied: [Jenna, you’re still working on that little project? Keep it up.] After that I stopped posting. Secretary Amy’s call came through. “Miss Harris, tomorrow’s 9:30 client’s assistant called to confirm the time. Materials are ready, should I send them now?” “Just leave them on the desk.” “Okay. Also—the assistant seemed pretty anxious, asking if they could meet ten minutes earlier.” “Tell them to wait in the reception room when they arrive. Time stays the same.” “Understood, Miss Harris. Anything else we need to prepare?” “No preparation needed. Just follow the standard financing consultation procedure.”

“Jenna, why aren’t you replying to my messages?” At seven in the morning, Ella’s second voice message exploded into my phone. Forty-two seconds. “Jenna, Ethan didn’t sleep well again last night, I’m so worried for him. I know you’re busy, you have your own things to handle. But if Ethan can’t close this deal—we might have to mortgage the house. Our daughter’s kindergarten fees next semester—” Her voice choked up here. House, daughter, tuition. Each keyword precisely stabbing at the two words “family obligation.” Ten years. She used sweetness and cuteness on Ethan White, used misery and pressure on me. Sweet and miserable were her only two frequencies. I didn’t reply. On the drive to the office, my phone rang again. Caller ID: Claire Smith. College roommate, hadn’t been in touch for over four years. “Jenna? Long time no see! Heard you’re back in the country?” “Why’d you think to reach out?” “Ha, your sister mentioned you at a dinner party a few days ago—” “What did she say?” “She said you went abroad because of a broken heart. That you liked her husband Ethan White for ten years, couldn’t win him over, and left for abroad in a fit.” My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Everyone was feeling for you, how hard these years abroad must have been. Your sister even said you’re still not married, probably still can’t let go.” “Her eyes were red, weren’t they?” “How did you know? Yes! She said the person she feels most sorry for in this life is you. But she also said—she said you’ve been stubborn since childhood, competing with her over everything, even studying abroad was to prove you’re better than her. She said she actually feels bad for you.” Claire’s laugh was light. But every word was like a soft knife. Ella used the most pitiful posture to write my character for me—a pathetic older sister who failed at chasing a man, left abroad in a huff, worked desperately to prove herself, and still couldn’t get married in her thirties. Six years. Rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, market cap nearly ten billion, over five hundred employees globally. In her mouth, it all amounted to nothing more than “heartbroken woman who ran away and can’t get married.” “What else did she say?” “Said you cried at the airport that day, so heartbreaking—” “I cried at the airport?” “Yeah, she—” “Claire.” “Hm?” “My flight abroad was at 4 AM. I took a cab to the airport by myself. No one saw me off, no one knew what time I left.” Silence on the other end for two seconds. “Including Ella. She didn’t even know what day I departed, how would she know if I cried or not?” Claire went quiet. After a while she asked softly: “So these past few years—” “Pretty good. The company’s been busy.” “Your sister said you opened a small online shop abroad—” “Not a shop.” I didn’t explain further. “Claire, anything else? I’ve arrived at the office.” “Oh, okay, then let’s meet up sometime? Your sister said she’s always wanted to—” “No thanks. Busy lately.” I hung up. The car pulled into the underground garage. Engine off. She cried at the airport. She went abroad because of a broken heart. She still can’t let go. This narrative—how many people had Ella told? At how many dinner parties, with that red-eyed pitiful look, did she reduce my six years to a single sentence about running away? My phone vibrated. Family group chat. Ella: [Jenna’s been back in the country recently but won’t reach out to me. Is she still mad at me…] Mom: [That’s just how she is, don’t mind her. If she won’t help Ethan, forget it.] Dad: [Stop talking about it, the most important thing today is Ethan’s matter.] Every message defaulted to Ella’s version. I was the petty, grudge-holding, unmarriageable older sister. She was forever the kind yet heartbroken little sister. The elevator arrived. Amy stood at the corridor entrance. “Good morning, Miss Harris. Starlight Tech’s preliminary screening—the investment department added a few attachments, do you want to see them now?” “Bring them in.” “9:30 meeting time stays the same?” “Same.” “How should we approach it?” I walked into the office. “Follow the rules. Who he is doesn’t matter. The project speaks for itself.”

“Jenna, are you there?” 7:23 AM. Ethan White’s Snapchat message appeared on my phone. In six years, this was the first time he’d messaged me. Not to ask how I was. Not to say long time no see. To ask for help. “I’m meeting an investor this morning at 9:30, a company called Summit Holdings. You’ve been abroad so many years, do you know anyone there? Help me get some intel on what kind of person their CEO is.” I looked at this message. Ten seconds later, another one. “Ella said you did something with investment banking? Then you must understand this circle a bit. Help me ask around, this is really important to me.” Investment banking. That’s how Ella introduced me to him. He didn’t even know what I did. That “investor” was my company. That “CEO” was me. But he didn’t know. No one told him. Just like no one ever cared. I didn’t reply. Another message popped up. “Jenna? Did you see my message?” Then: “I know you might still care about what happened before. But that’s all in the past. Help me with this, for Ella’s sake.” Care about what happened before. He thought I wasn’t replying because I still resented him for marrying Ella. Not because I had over forty emails waiting to be processed first thing in the morning. He thought my world still revolved around him. I shut off my phone and walked into the company. By the time I sat at my desk, Amy had already organized the day’s schedule. “Miss Harris, I went through Starlight Tech’s due diligence attachments. The investment department has a finding.” “Go ahead.” “Their core product LINKER’s underlying conceptual framework highly matches the paper you published in the school journal in 2016. Keyword overlap exceeds seventy percent.” “I know.” “The investment department initially thought it was a related party project and specifically came to confirm with me. Your name isn’t in any of Starlight’s documents.” “Of course not.” Amy hesitated. “If we need to go through intellectual property procedures—” “We don’t.” “But Miss Harris—” “If a concept only stays in a notebook, it’s nothing. He at least took it and did something with it. Whether he succeeded is another matter.” Amy pressed her lips together. I finished flipping through his business plan. Four product lines, not one viable. Technical team configuration unbalanced. Customer acquisition cost model still using data from three years ago. My phone lit up again. Family group chat. Ella: [Honey’s already left! Everyone pray for him] Right after, she private messaged me: “Ethan said you didn’t reply to his message. Can you just help me this once? He’s really nervous.” Then an eight-second voice message: “Is your phone dead? Did you even see it or not?” I closed Snapchat. 8:50 AM. Amy poked her head through the door. “Miss Harris, Mr. White from Starlight Tech arrived at reception. He’s forty minutes early. Should we arrange for him to go to the meeting room?” “Arrange it. One glass of water.” “Okay.” She walked out two steps then turned back. “The receptionist said—after he arrived he made a phone call, not quietly.” “What did he say?” “He told whoever was on the phone: ‘Don’t worry, I’ve seen plenty of investment companies this size, today’s just going through the motions.’” Summit Holdings, last year’s assets under management: twenty-six billion. In his mouth, we were just going through the motions. “Amy.” “Yes.” “Notify him at 9:30 sharp. Not a minute earlier.”

“It’s 9:28, Miss Harris.” Amy gently reminded from outside the door. I closed the report I was halfway through reviewing. My phone lit up on the desk. Ella’s voice message. Fifteen seconds. “Ethan said he messaged you and you didn’t reply. Are you doing this on purpose? This meeting is really important for him today. If you won’t help, fine, but don’t drag him down.” A pause. Her tone switched frequencies. “I’m telling you, Jenna, if Ethan’s meeting falls through today, I’m telling Mom and Dad it’s because of you. You’re taking out your frustration about not getting married on us—when will you ever grow up?” Fifteen seconds to say all that without breathing. With outsiders she draws out every word coyly. With me every word stabs without gaps. Mom’s call came right after. “Jenna, are you fighting with Ella again?” “No.” “Then why won’t you help Ethan? It’s a ten-minute thing and you’re making excuses.” “Mom, I’m at work—” “What’s so important about that little company of yours? Ethan’s matter is serious business, can’t you tell what’s important?” “Mom—” “Don’t Mom me! I’m telling you, Jenna, if you won’t even help with this little thing, don’t come back to this house. You ran off after college graduation, you weren’t there when your dad had surgery, you didn’t come to your sister’s wedding. Six years. Have you done one thing for this family?” I leaned back in my chair. Outside the window the September sunlight was blindingly white. “You’ve been competitive since you were little, always comparing yourself to your sister. What for? You’ve worked yourself to death, what’s the point?” From far away on the other end—Ella’s voice: “Mom, stop, she has her reasons.” Mom sighed. “Fine, don’t help then. You never cared about this family anyway.” Beep— She hung up. I placed my phone on the desk. My fingertips felt nothing. Not pain, just gripped too tight. The day I rang the bell at the NYSE, I stood on the platform watching colorful confetti fall, hundreds of people applauding below. The lights were scorching. In that moment what I thought wasn’t about success. It was: if only Mom could see this. Later I sent that video to the family group chat. No one replied. Two hours later Ella sent: [Did you go traveling? Looks so fancy.] Then the group started discussing what color Ethan White’s new car was. “Miss Harris.” Amy’s voice came from the doorway. “It’s 9:30 sharp. Mr. White has been waiting in the meeting room for ten minutes. Should I bring him over now?” I opened my eyes. Sat up straight. Materials spread on the desk in front of me. Debt ratio, cash flow, product progress, thirty million in financing—every data point in my hands. “Bring him in.” Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Leather shoes hitting the floor with steady, confident rhythm. Amy’s voice arrived first: “Mr. White, this way please.” The door pushed open. Ethan White stood in the doorway. Sharp suit, business plan bound and held in his hands. A practiced smile on his lips, the standard expression for meeting unfamiliar investors. He looked up. His gaze swept across the office, across the floor-to-ceiling windows. Landed on my face. The smile disappeared. The document slipped an inch between his fingers. His lips moved, his voice like something was blocking it. “…Jenna? Jenna Harris?” I looked into his eyes. From this end of the desk to that end, less than two meters. Ten years ago when three people sat together, his gaze never lingered on me. “Mr. White, please sit.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393232”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

How rich can a person be? My Alpha husband Hector is very rich. The Dubois pack he leads is the wealthiest of all packs. In our five years of marriage, every time he goes out to accompany his childhood sweetheart Layla, he transfers a property to my name. After I had 99 properties under my name, Hector suddenly discovered I had changed. I didn’t cry or make a fuss, didn’t beg him not to go out. I just took the initiative to choose the best villa in Dubois pack and waited for him to sign the property transfer agreement. The man signed, the pen tip leaving sharp marks on the paper. For the first time, he showed a hint of hesitation, his voice low: “When I get back, I’ll take you to see the fireworks.” I obediently put away the agreement and softly answered: “Okay.” I just didn’t tell him that what he signed this time was our divorce agreement. I also made an appointment with a witch for 30 days later to help me dissolve the mate bond between Hector and me. After 30 days, I’ll be able to leave completely.

In the office, news of Layla’s return to Dubois pack was playing on TV. The man’s gaze remained locked on the news footage, those deep eyes reflecting Layla’s image. Even when he took the property transfer agreement I handed him, his slender fingers gripped the pen and signed without hesitation. Villa No. 1 in the western suburbs—a property in Dubois pack that money couldn’t buy. It wasn’t important in Hector’s heart. Just like me in his heart—equally unimportant. When the news ended, the man was in a good mood. He casually tossed the pen on the desk with a crisp sound, pushed the agreement toward me while joking carelessly: “I’ve transferred over sixty houses to you, right? You’re a little rich woman now.” The barely suppressed joy in his tone wasn’t to congratulate me. It was only because his beloved Layla had returned to the pack. I stood in front of his desk, my slender fingers smoothing the corners of the agreement, and nodded. “The western suburbs villa has an ocean view. I really like it.” I didn’t tell him this was actually the 100th property he’d transferred to me. Hector and I are fated mates. Back then, we fell in love at first sight. As an Alpha, Hector didn’t care at all that I was just an ordinary wolf. His love for me was generously passionate. At a moonlight ball once, we danced one dance after another. Afterward, we lay together on the lawn looking at the stars. Hector held my shoulder and told me “I love you” a hundred times. I smiled with narrowed eyes and made him a promise: “If you make me sad in the future, I’ll leave you after the hundredth time.” Under the moonlight, Hector kissed my eyes: “I swear I’ll make you happy. I’ll never give myself the chance to hurt you.” Hector broke his word. His love for me didn’t last long—only until the day Layla first returned to the country. It was our first wedding anniversary. I waited in the candlelight dinner Hector had personally prepared, happily waiting for him to come home. But all I got was a property transfer agreement and a cold apology. “Sorry Nora, I missed our anniversary. Will you forgive me?” I ignored the strong, unfamiliar perfume scent on him and hoarsely forgave him for the first time. What followed was the second time, the third time, the fourth time… It was through so many betrayals that I learned Hector had loved his childhood sweetheart Layla since they were young. But when Hector wanted to confess to Layla, she met and fell in love with her own fated mate. Layla followed her mate to another pack. Hector was heartbroken. It was under these circumstances that he met me. After that, we fell in love, got married, and everything seemed happy. Then Layla’s mate died, so Layla came back. And Hector chose without hesitation to go find Layla. In five years of marriage, he abandoned me countless times to accompany his childhood sweetheart. Eventually, he even started proactively giving me a house before going to find Layla. From the first house to the ninety-ninth. Every time, I forgave him. And now, it was exactly the hundredth time. Hector, after this time, I won’t need to forgive you anymore. Thinking this, I smiled with relief and looked at him calmly. Hector froze, and his deep blue eyes actually showed a trace of reluctance. Then with some hesitation, he said to me: “When I get back, I’ll take you to see the fireworks.” In the past, whenever he showed even a hint of softness, it would become my fantasy of trying to win him back. I would cry and beg, then despair. Because Hector would always pry my fingers away one by one and coldly leave two words: “Crazy.” Fortunately, I’d already been crazy ninety-nine times. And now, the hundred times were complete. I didn’t need to continue this self-deception anymore. Because in the stack of contracts I’d just handed him, I’d secretly hidden a divorce agreement. I also found a witch who could help dissolve the mate bond. The witch said she needed to prepare and would perform the dissolution in 30 days. Hector. Thirty days from now, we’ll have nothing to do with each other anymore.

Countdown: twenty-five days. In these five days, the man’s usually clean social media feed was unusually lively. During the day, they fed pigeons in the plaza. At night, they watched parade floats from the hotel observation deck at the amusement park. I didn’t miss a single step they took together. As for what he promised me, he’d probably forgotten long ago. I stood up to pack my luggage and had just spread a mess on the floor when I suddenly received a call from Connor, Hector’s Beta warrior. “Luna Nora, remember to come to the fireworks show at Moon Pool at eight o’clock.” “If anything goes wrong, Alpha Hector definitely won’t let me off.” In the eight years I’d been married to Hector, only his Beta called me Luna Nora. Because he was the only one who knew about my marriage relationship with Hector, and the only one who knew I was the Luna of Dubois pack. Thinking about it now, maybe Hector proposed keeping our marriage secret because he was afraid Layla would hear the news and refuse to date him. I didn’t want to make things difficult for Connor, so I agreed. But when I actually set out for Moon Pool, I was in a daze for a moment. Five years ago, when Hector and I had just gotten married, he gave me a secret fireworks show. Connor had quietly told me about it then too. Five years later, heading to the same place, my mood was completely different. When I arrived near Moon Pool, countless tourists had already gathered there. There were even many media outlets. I was puzzled, afraid I’d gotten it wrong, so I called Hector. The other end of the line was endless busy tones. I called again. I didn’t know what I was expecting. But no matter how many times I called, no one answered, and I never saw any trace of Hector. Looking at the time, it was almost eight o’clock. Someone in the crowd was already shouting: “The fireworks show is about to start!” “This is the fireworks show Alpha Hector prepared for his wife. We’re lucky to catch it.” I froze. In public, Hector’s image had always been unmarried. The wife they spoke of couldn’t possibly be me. It could only be someone else. I knew the best viewing spot for the fireworks was on the northernmost side of Moon Pool. Since I was already here, I might as well go look. At least the fireworks were innocent. But there were too many people. I was pushed to the very front by the crowd. I finally saw Hector. He was in the best position, deeply embracing Layla. The fireworks were already blooming gloriously in the night sky, one after another. I listened to the explosions going off beside my ears. I also heard Hector’s deep confession to Layla against the background of boiling crowds mixed with fireworks. A reporter held a microphone to Layla’s face and asked her: “Miss, what is your answer?” Hector gently held Layla’s shoulder, looking at her with anticipation all over his face. Layla shyly took the microphone and had just opened her mouth when my eyes met Hector’s. Hector’s whole body stiffened, and he involuntarily said: “Nora…” At that moment, the entire Moon Pool fell silent. Even the sound of fireworks became insignificant. Everyone was focused on what he’d said and on me, whom he was looking at. Layla narrowed those charming peach-blossom eyes, looked me up and down, raised an eyebrow, and asked Hector: “Darling, who is this?” Hector’s jawline tightened. He obviously hadn’t expected to run into me on this occasion. He awkwardly licked his lips, pondering how to salvage the situation. I smiled and, under everyone’s probing gazes, answered: “My name is Nora. I’m Hector’s…” Hector tensed up, trying to stop me, but what I said was: “Distant cousin.” As soon as the words fell, my fingers clutching my palm also relaxed slightly. “My mom asked me to help him check if his future partner is handsome. Did I scare you all?” Hector’s expression finally relaxed, and he nodded at me with satisfaction. He never wanted me to reveal my identity in public, and his mother naturally felt the same way. So every time I went out with his mother, she had me call her directly by name. This name I’d been calling for five years was the best excuse prepared for just this moment. The fireworks show had to continue, and no one paid attention to me anymore. The weather didn’t cooperate—it suddenly started pouring rain. Thunder and lightning flashed in the sky. Hector hastily dispersed the crowd and carefully escorted Layla to the car. Leaving me standing there alone. The rain was bone-chilling, yet I felt numb. Probably because these five years of marriage had long since made me accustomed to it.

I went home and took a hot shower. When I came out, I ran into Hector in the living room. He hesitated for a moment, then actually thanked me: “But thank you for helping me out of that situation.” “We… after all, our marriage is secret. If I’d said it right there, it would’ve been bad for Layla’s image.” “Later… I’ll find a chance to make our relationship public.” I didn’t remind him that we wouldn’t need to make our relationship public anymore. This marriage was coming to an end. It might as well never have existed. Better for both him and me. He suddenly remembered to care about me: “But how did you end up there?” I smiled and stared at him for a long time without speaking. Not until his eyes became evasive did I say: “Connor told me to go.” Only then did he remember that today’s fireworks show was originally what he’d promised me. But he’d been too sweet with Layla and had completely forgotten about it. “Sorry. Next week… no, next week won’t work. I have to handle a Rogue attack at the pack border. Next month then. I’ll definitely take you.” I shook my head. “We’ll see when the time comes.” Hector was satisfied with my understanding and gently hugged me. Never before had I felt a man’s embrace so cold. After that day, Hector did go on a business trip. Except he took Layla with him on the business trip. Outside of work, they had candlelight dinners together and visited the werewolf museum. They went to eat at the specialty seafood night market he’d never been willing to take me to. He’d told me: “I’m an Alpha after all. Going to eat that kind of thing—how undignified.” But in front of Layla, Hector had no status. He was just an ordinary man deeply in love with her. Countdown: three days. Hector finally came back. In the half month he’d been away on business, I hadn’t contacted him even once. Looking at the spotless villa, as if he’d suddenly discovered what I’d contributed over five years of marriage, he said to me: “Nora, you’ve worked hard.” After five years, I couldn’t remember the last time he’d called me that. “I was planning to take you to see fireworks the day after tomorrow, but fireworks are currently banned…” I could hear that he just didn’t want to take me to see fireworks anymore. Layla had probably said something to him. “Then forget it.” Hector froze, as if he hadn’t expected me to actually just let it go like that. “You… don’t mind?” If it were in the past, I would’ve already gone crazy accusing him. Why could he never keep the promises he made to me? But now, I no longer cared about those false promises of his. “It’s just fireworks. It’s fine not to see them.” Just like Hector—actually, I could do without him too. After a long silence, Hector spoke again. “Then the day after tomorrow, I’ll go with you to see that villa in the western suburbs.” “The flowers nearby are beautiful. We can admire them there.” I looked at my phone. The calendar told me that the day after tomorrow was Layla’s birthday. I only remembered because last year Hector had spent the entire day with Layla on that date. I’d felt unwell and went to the hospital, called him countless times, but he didn’t answer a single one. On such an important day, would he come see me? He was just putting me off. “That day, don’t you need to accompany Layla?” Hector’s expression stiffened for a moment. He said: “I’ve been with her so long. I should spend time with you too.” After saying this, he seemed to feel the words sounded too absurd and guiltily lowered his head. But I didn’t expose his lie. I just went along with him and played along. As it happened, that day was when I’d scheduled the witch to dissolve the mate bond. Very meaningful indeed.

Countdown: one day. These past two days, Hector hadn’t appeared. He’d been with Layla the whole time, probably to appease her. But every night, he’d share some trivial things with me. Entertainment gossip, stray cats he saw on the roadside, funny posts on social media. We were like an ordinary couple separated by distance, casually chatting about boring daily matters. But in five years of marriage, Hector and I had never shared anything about our daily lives. I didn’t understand why he was suddenly doing this, and I didn’t want to understand. In these three days, I’d been busy moving, packing my things bit by bit and shipping them to Ashclaw pack. I’d also negotiated rental contracts with a real estate agency to rent out all one hundred properties under my name. These actions eventually alerted him. That night, he called and asked me: “Connor said you’re moving things?” I answered casually: “Yeah, didn’t you say we were going to the western suburbs? I like it there.” Hector paused, then said to me: “If we set off fireworks hiding in the western suburbs, it should be fine.” I shook my head with a joking tone: “No need. Be careful or you’ll get arrested.” The man relaxed a bit. “Then tomorrow night, just wait for me directly in the western suburbs.” I hummed in acknowledgment. A message popped up on my phone—flight ticket purchase successful. But Hector seemed to suddenly sense something and repeated: “You must wait for me.” I promised him: “Okay.” But the next night, he still didn’t come. Connor apologetically told me that Hector had a meeting and would be a bit late. But on social media, Layla was admiring flowers in the park in the western suburbs, and Hector was right there with her. I glanced at the time. My flight would take off in four hours. I probably wouldn’t have the chance to tell him this news in person. Countdown: three hours. I lay on the bed. The witch was beside me preparing the ritual needed to dissolve the mate bond. Soon, the ritual began. Something seemed to be pulled from my body. Covered in cold sweat, while feeling the pain, I thought of Hector’s promise to me yesterday and couldn’t help laughing. If he knew this was the last time I’d wait for him to fulfill his promise, would he immediately come back to see me? On the ceiling, the villa’s luxurious chandelier cast light down on me. I looked at this room—this was his compensation for hurting me the hundredth time. Leaving here had meaning too. Countdown ended. The witch completed her ritual as promised. The witch revealed a smile: “Congratulations, Nora. The mate bond has been dissolved.” I closed my eyes and felt the invisible shackle inside me finally shatter. That vague pull, the pain, the uncontrollable sense of belonging—all dissipated. At this point, my marriage was completely over. I picked up my suitcase, ready to leave. The highway to the airport was a bit congested. I sat in the car and happened to look over to see Hector hurriedly driving toward the western suburbs. I lowered my head, realizing this brief passing would be forever. But Hector suddenly stopped his car and looked in my direction…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393233”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My husband Ethan Chase was sent undercover. No lavish wedding for me, no honeymoon either. When I had complications giving birth to our daughter, he was on a mission. Our daughter is seven now, and she’s only seen him in photos. “Vivian, I’m sorry. Being with me has made you suffer. Once this mission wraps up, I’ll come back and we’ll be together.” Every time we talked, I’d smile and say it was fine, that his safety mattered more. Until our daughter fell seriously ill, and I ran into him at the hospital with a pregnant woman for her prenatal checkup. “Mommy, look…” My daughter pointed at him excitedly. I immediately covered her mouth in panic. “Don’t call out! Your dad’s on a mission—it could put his life in danger!” My daughter looked at me with confusion written all over her face. “Mommy, what are you talking about?” “That’s my classmate’s dad. He picks her up from school every day.” “My classmate’s about to have a little brother. When are you going to give me a sister?” I forced myself to stay calm and dialed Ethan’s number. “Ethan, where are you? Our daughter’s sick.” Not far away, he glanced at his phone. He bent down to kiss the pregnant woman’s face, then frowned and walked to a corner to answer. He deliberately lowered his voice: “Vivian, I’m on a mission abroad. I have to hang up.” After ending the call, he stared at his phone, distracted. It took him a while before he took the prenatal test results and went to queue for registration. My eyes stung terribly. As if possessed, I carried my daughter and walked over. Charlotte Lane was sweet-looking, completely non-threatening. She was clearly someone who’d been well-protected all her life. When she learned my daughter was her son’s classmate, she brought me to a café next to the hospital. She ordered juice for the two children, then cheerfully pulled me into small talk. When she talked about Ethan, her eyes practically sparkled. “My husband and I have known each other for ten years. I was his first love. When we first got married, there was a misunderstanding, and in a fit of anger I ran off to Europe. He couldn’t find me and was depressed for quite a while. But seven years ago, he came to Europe to find me. We reconciled and had our first child.” Seven years ago. I turned my face away, afraid she’d see the tears welling in my eyes. That was when Ethan and I first met. I had just graduated high school when my family forced me to get married. After a huge fight with my parents, I ran away from home and met Ethan in an alley. He reeked of alcohol, lying on the ground vomiting blood. When he saw me, he stared for a long time before explaining he’d been injured on a mission. I believed him and took him to the hospital. Later we fell in love, and I followed him to this unfamiliar place. Until he went abroad on a mission, and I discovered I was pregnant. I endured the pregnancy and delivery all alone. Back then I didn’t know anything, not even how to properly recover postpartum. The landlord bullied me for being an outsider and threw me and my baby out in the middle of the night. I took a deep breath and forced a smile. “So… have you two always had a good relationship?” Charlotte took a sip of her milk tea and closed her eyes contentedly. “Very good. When I had our first, he was there for the entire delivery. He booked the best postpartum care center.” “Most people rest for a month after giving birth, but he insisted I take three full months.” “This time my morning sickness has been severe with the second baby, and he’s been so worried he’s lost a lot of weight too.” I gripped my straw so tightly I wanted to stab it into my flesh. Charlotte looked at me curiously. As if she’d discovered something exciting, she couldn’t contain herself. “No wonder we hit it off so well—haven’t you noticed we look a bit alike?” “Actually, I know that during the three years I was abroad, my husband found a substitute who resembled me.” “My husband said that woman was barely educated, completely on a different intellectual level from him.” “I’m pretty understanding about it. I just think of it as my husband finding a free prostitute.” The tip of the straw pierced under my nail, but I felt no pain. Charlotte didn’t notice my reaction and smiled at me smugly. “You have no idea how much my husband dotes on me. When he found out that woman was pregnant, I lost control and had someone run her over with a car. I heard she hemorrhaged badly.” “That woman reported it to the police, but my husband didn’t blame me at all. He took care of all the trouble for me.” “After I had our first baby, I had some postpartum depression. I had people harass that woman, calling her a homewrecker. Watching her carry her child around looking so helpless—it felt so satisfying.” “Oh, and my husband was even more ruthless. When the homewrecker was arguing with people, he and I just sat in a car across the street watching the show.” Late pregnancy, getting hit by a car, all alone with no one to turn to. I crawled to a nearby hospital by myself to beg for help. The day people called me a homewrecker, Ethan choked up on the phone for the first time, saying he was sorry. How ironic it seems now. My vision kept going black. I almost fainted from my seat. Charlotte finally noticed something was wrong and worriedly supported me. “Are you okay? We’ve been chatting so long—where’s your husband?” I opened my mouth, my throat tight. “He…” Just then, an indulgent yet helpless voice came from behind us. “Drinking milk tea behind my back again. Charlotte, you’re being naughty.”

The familiar voice exploded above my head. I mechanically turned around. The moment our eyes met, Ethan froze. I’d thought about going crazy, demanding to know why. But I had to consider my daughter’s feelings. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” I stood up, lowered my head, grabbed my daughter, and fled. That dark gaze followed me like a shadow, accompanied by Charlotte’s coquettish voice. “Come on, forgive me just this once.” “She’s our son’s classmate’s mom. Pretty pitiful—her daughter’s sick and her husband doesn’t even care.” When I got home, I locked myself in my room and cried for a long time. The doorbell rang in the evening. It was Ethan. “Mister, why are you here?” My daughter was curious. He frowned, seeming uncomfortable. I forced back my heartache and sent my daughter to her room to do homework. Once only the two of us remained in the living room, I finally had a chance to really look at him. He’d gotten thinner. He’d changed too. He didn’t drink the hawthorn tea I brought him, even though he used to love it. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I beat his chest with my fists, crying my heart out. “Why did you lie to me? You made our daughter into an illegitimate child!” “Do you have any idea how landlords kept kicking us out, how much contempt I endured with our daughter?” Back then I’d look for work during the day and sleep at the bank at night. On my first day of work, my finger got pierced by a machine. I didn’t cry. I just gently pulled my finger out and sat there in a daze. I kept telling myself to be strong, that everything would be fine when he came back. Now he was back, but as someone else’s husband. Ethan let me vent without saying a word. He just kept glancing at his phone. When I was too tired to hit him anymore, he helped me sit down, then quickly stepped back several paces. With a complicated expression, he pulled out a bank card. “Vivian, I’m sorry. From now on I’ll deposit child support in this card regularly.” “Just one condition—please don’t hurt Charlotte. She’s innocent.” I threw the bank card at his face like a madwoman. “She’s innocent—so I’m not? Our daughter’s not?” “I treated you as my husband. What did you treat me as? What did you treat our daughter as? Take your dirty money and get out!” His eyes turned red. Words came to his lips but he swallowed them back. After taking a phone call, he turned and left. He left in such a hurry that he trampled the flowers I’d planted in the yard. Those were flowers he and I had planted together seven years ago. “Come back! Explain yourself!” I wiped away my tears and chased after him. My daughter suddenly came out of her room, her face deathly pale, gasping for breath. Panicked, I picked up my daughter and screamed at his retreating back. “Ethan Chase! Our daughter’s having an asthma attack! Come back!” He acted like he hadn’t heard. Without any hesitation, he got in his car and left. I had no more tears left. No voice left to cry. I held my daughter and rushed to the roadside, flagging down a taxi to the hospital. “There are no beds available? Doctor, please, my daughter really can’t wait.” My daughter couldn’t breathe. She was starting to lose consciousness. Just like the past seven years, I numbly knelt and begged. But this time my daughter’s condition was extremely critical. The doctor told me expressionlessly to try another hospital. Just then, Charlotte appeared. “Vivian Adams?” She happened to be at this hospital waiting to give birth. After learning the situation, she immediately had Ethan help arrange for my daughter to be admitted. I felt a complicated mix of emotions. “Thank you…” “Don’t mention it. Your husband’s not around, so it’s only right we help you. Right, honey?” She kindly pulled me close and wiped the tears from my face. Ethan uncomfortably turned his head and pulled their son away. “Charlotte, I’ll take our son home first and bring back some toiletries for you.” The boy refused to leave. “Dad, I don’t want to go. I want to stay and wait for my classmate.” Ethan instinctively glanced in my direction and warned the boy in a low voice. “Don’t play with trashy people. They’ll be a bad influence on you!” He dragged the child away against his will. I trembled with rage. I wanted so badly to ask him why he said that about my daughter. They were both his children—why treat them so differently? But thinking of Charlotte’s kindness, I hesitated.

As soon as he left, Charlotte’s eyes suddenly reddened. “Vivian, he went to see that woman last night.” My heart skipped a beat. For some reason I felt guilty. She gave a bitter smile, her voice muffled. “Actually, after I got pregnant with the second baby, I was worried he couldn’t handle it, so I gave him permission to temporarily see that woman for relief.” “You know what he said?” Her nose turned red, looking pitiful. “He refused. He said women outside were dirty, that the time he didn’t use protection with that woman was because he was drunk.” “He wanted her to abort the child, but it was a life after all. I couldn’t bear it, so I told him to bring the child back to raise.” “He disagreed. He said he only recognized children I gave birth to. The homewrecker’s child had no right to appear before me.” I bit my lip hard until I tasted iron, forcing the tears back. So my daughter wasn’t someone he wanted. That’s why he could bear not coming back to see us even once in seven years. “Ouch, my stomach.” Charlotte suddenly clutched her belly and cried out in pain. I realized she was about to give birth and instinctively reached out to support her. Just as I was about to touch her, a strong force shoved me to the ground. Ethan had returned. He shielded her behind him. Then turned to face me, furious to the point of losing control. “Vivian Adams, did you ignore everything I said? If anything happens to Charlotte, I’ll kill you!” The back of my hand scraped against the concrete, the skin torn off. It burned with pain. I didn’t want to cry, but tears fell uncontrollably. “Is this what you think of me?” His gaze landed on my bleeding hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He seemed about to say something but stopped. Charlotte looked between us in confusion. “You two know each other?” He panicked. As if terrified I might say something to Charlotte. Before I could speak, he dragged me outside. “I’m worried about people with unclear backgrounds like her approaching you with ulterior motives.” I gave up resisting and laughed through my tears. “Right, someone from my social class doesn’t deserve to know you.” I must have been blind before. But then my daughter rushed out of the emergency room, crying and hitting him. “Bad man, let go of my mom!” “Let go!” Ethan winced in pain and instinctively pushed her away. Due to the momentum, my daughter screamed and tumbled down the stairwell. Ethan’s face changed. He quickly reached out to grab her but missed. “My child!” Everything happened too suddenly. I had no time to save her. Instead, Charlotte reacted in time and pulled my daughter back up. But the next second, her features contorted in pain. “Help! My water broke!” “What happened to you? All because you saved my daughter.” I panicked, feeling both grateful and guilty toward her. Despite her dazed consciousness from the pain, she still comforted me. “Vivian, don’t worry. We hit it off so well—saving your daughter was the right thing to do.” Ethan looked horrified and frantically carried her to the emergency room. The fetal position was abnormal. The situation was serious. This tough man actually knelt down. “Doctor, please save my wife. I’ll pay any amount.” The operating room doors closed. He remained kneeling in despair, praying. “Please God, let my wife deliver safely. I’ll trade my life if necessary.”

Passing medical staff couldn’t help but admire his devotion. My daughter and I felt like intruders, completely out of place. For a moment, everything felt so unreal. Was that Ethan who once only had eyes for me really just using me to pass the time? “Mommy, I feel awful!” My daughter’s painful cry woke me up. Her condition hadn’t stabilized. Her eyes rolled back and she started convulsing. Terrified and incoherent, I knelt before Ethan holding her. “The doctor said she needs surgery right away, but all of today’s surgeries are fully booked.” “Please save our daughter. I promise I’ll never appear in front of you again.” Charlotte had mentioned he was one of the hospital’s shareholders. He must have a way. My daughter was barely conscious in my arms, delirious with discomfort. “Mommy, Daddy, I feel awful…” Ethan softened. His hand moved toward her uncontrollably. Just then, the operating room doors opened. The doctor tiredly removed his mask and smiled: “Congratulations, mother and child are both safe.” He abruptly pulled his hand back and rushed over, pressing delicate kisses on her forehead. “Charlotte, you worked so hard. Two children are enough. We won’t have any more.” Charlotte weakly opened her eyes and couldn’t help complaining softly. “Isn’t it three? That woman gave you one too.” Ethan hesitated, then chuckled softly. “Only the ones you give birth to deserve my last name!” All color drained from my face. I could barely stand holding my daughter. He looked up at me, his expression gradually becoming complicated. After escorting Charlotte back to her room, he came after me. “Vivian, I’m sorry. I misunderstood you earlier.” He moved his gaze from my bleeding hand to my daughter. As if making a huge decision, he finally agreed to hold our daughter. “You’ve had it hard these years. I’ll arrange the surgery right now.” Tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t see his expression clearly, but I heard the tremor in his voice. Watching my daughter enter the operating room, I mechanically signed the consent form. When I looked up, I saw Ethan pushing Charlotte over. My nose stung. I couldn’t help wiping away tears. “Charlotte, why aren’t you resting? Why did you come here?” She completely dropped her previous gentleness, her smile dripping with mockery. “Vivian Adams, playing with you all this time has actually made me feel a bit sorry for you.” “My younger son was born with a severe blood disease. He needs a complete blood transfusion.” “Your daughter happens to be a match. All we needed was your signature on this surgery consent form!” She waved the form I’d just signed. I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cellar. I suddenly understood everything. I grabbed Ethan and screamed hysterically: “She’s your daughter too! How can you bear to do this?” He didn’t dare look me in the eye. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later.” Charlotte leisurely enjoyed watching my agony. “Do you understand now? You were never his weakness!” I was consumed with hatred. I looked at them and laughed coldly with meaning. “Someone as uneducated as me—did you think I’d be easy to manipulate?” “Why don’t you go inside and see who exactly was sent into the operating room?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “393234”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My wedding was in full swing when my bridesmaid and best friend, Autumn, seemed to have a problem with her eyes. She stepped on my gown, mumbled an apology, then tugged the torn dress and pulled us both down. The hall fell silent. Leaning close, Autumn spoke as if offering kind advice: “Selene, Harrison is busy with his company’s IPO. Love will only hinder his ambition. I hope you and Harrison won’t share a bed or even meet for the next ten years.” My makeup artist rushed to help me up. I looked calmly at Autumn. “What right do you have to say that?” She replied, “I’m Harrison’s business partner,” and pulled a document from her bag. “Sign this. After ten years, you can bear his children.” I turned to Harrison, who was coming off the stage. “Do you agree with this?” Just then, Autumn took a call and left. Harrison jogged after her, brushing past me. “Autumn joined the latest round of investment. Given her business sense, I believe she’s doing this for my good.” A moment later he added, “We’ll consummate our marriage in ten years.” 1. Divorce Announcement Hilarious. I scoffed. At this moment, a mix of humiliation and rage churned within me, but I fiercely suppressed it. Watching Harrison about to step out of the banquet hall doors, I grabbed the microphone from the emcee, facing everyone. “No need to consummate the marriage.” “Because I’m divorcing you!” Harrison’s hand, reaching for the door, paused. He turned, asking dismissively, “Are you sure?” “No regrets?” From his tone, it wasn’t hard to guess. He didn’t love me at all; he probably thought I was just being childish. So, all this time, only I took this relationship seriously, right? “Don’t worry. I won’t cling to you anymore.” “Now scram.” “I hope you stick to your word.” Harrison nodded, his reply utterly calm, then quickly chased after my best friend, his business partner. I was left speechless. I could only conclude that all my passion over the years had been utterly wasted. To win Harrison over initially, I secretly used the allowance my parents gave me as his startup capital. I shamelessly begged all my relatives to buy his unbranded, unverified products. To protect his pride, I never mentioned it to him. Perhaps in Harrison’s eyes, and in the eyes of his entire family, a young man from a humble background with no connections could build an empire by the age of thirty entirely through his own efforts. But they had no idea. With just one word from me, this promising, celebrated young entrepreneur could be utterly ruined. Without a shred of doubt! I walked to my dad’s table and threw my arms around his neck. “Dad, I’ve realized. I don’t want someone who doesn’t love me.” “I want to be your good girl.” My dad patted my arm, which was draped around his neck. “My dear, I’m so happy you’ve finally shown some sense.” Harrison’s father walked over from his table and handed me a card. “Here’s thirty thousand dollars. Consider it buying out your seven years of relationship with Harrison. Don’t you dare cling to our Harrison ever again.” I was amused. My dad wanted to stand up in anger, but I held him down firmly. “You think thirty thousand dollars can buy out all my effort and dedication, from his startup to now, over seven years?” Harrison’s father’s face darkened. “Thirty thousand dollars is enough to live very well in a small town. Young lady, don’t be too materialistic at your age.” Harrison’s mother also walked over, disdainfully eyeing my dad and me. “You, a gold-digger who loafs around all day, does nothing, and relies entirely on men, thirty thousand dollars probably isn’t enough for you, huh?” “What if we don’t give it to you?” “Ultimately, whether or not you have this thirty thousand dollars, I won’t allow you to cling to our Harrison anymore.” “Otherwise, I’ll report you to the police and have you arrested every time I see you, and your dad too!” I took the bank card, fiddling with it for a moment. “Since you’ve said all that, if I don’t take this money, I’ll feel like I’m losing out.” “Thanks, nice lady.” Harrison’s mother rolled her eyes so hard they almost disappeared into her head. But I continued unhurriedly. “However, thirty thousand dollars isn’t quite enough. My ambitions are huge. I want all of your family’s assets. Will you give them to me?” “Oh, don’t roll your eyes just yet. This time, you don’t need to give them to me; when the time is right, I’ll come and take them myself.” Harrison’s father burst into loud laughter. The relatives on the groom’s side all joined in, chuckling. Some were even more exaggerated, mimicking my tone and mannerisms, mocking me sarcastically. “Oh dear, anyone with a dream is amazing. Little lady, I support you.” “When you take over the Smith family assets, why don’t you start a live stream? I’ll send you donations.” Harrison’s father finished laughing, then scoffed arrogantly. “You’ve taken the money now, so save your big talk for outside. Today is our Smith family dinner; uninvited guests should kindly excuse themselves.” “Then just wait. Don’t come begging me to come back then.” I linked arms with my dad, and my relatives and I gradually left the banquet hall, reopening several tables at a more upscale hotel to celebrate my newfound single status. Luckily, Harrison and I hadn’t registered our marriage; we’d only held the wedding banquet. Otherwise, I’d have to go through a divorce now, what a hassle. 2. The Smith Family Crisis The day after the wedding was canceled, Harrison’s company descended into chaos. Harrison’s father’s office door, as one of the owners, was almost kicked down. It was packed with department managers and distributors. Smith Corp’s production lines, supply chain, sales channels, and customer base all experienced major fluctuations. Sales, especially overseas, were hit hard. The shipping company, with whom they had long-standing agreements, sent a message first thing in the morning. They demanded a price hike. Otherwise, they would refuse to carry Smith Corp’s cargo. Harrison’s father, too anxious to eat breakfast, personally rushed to the shipping company to negotiate the freight fees with the manager. He was fuming, but still had to plaster on a smile. “The freight fees were agreed upon before, why are you pulling this stunt just before loading? If you do this, the cost of the goods will go up, how are we supposed to sell them?” The moment Harrison’s father finished speaking, the shipping company manager replied, “That’s your problem, what does it have to do with me? Our shipping company is huge, we employ thousands of staff, we need to eat too, you know.” “With the current international situation so tough, increasing freight fees is just a matter of survival.” “Besides, if you think it’s too expensive, you can always find another company.” “Another…” Harrison’s father choked. Finding another shipping company just before loading? Where would he even find one? Harrison’s father wasn’t stupid. They had always worked with this company, and it had always been stable. This sudden move could only mean someone was pulling strings behind the scenes. Sure enough, as he was leaving, a carrier he had a good relationship with subtly warned him. “The Smith family must have offended someone big.” “This morning, our boss got a call, and then the price for your ship went up.” Harrison’s father fell into deep thought. Who did he offend? He was accustomed to smiling at everyone he met for business, how could he have offended anyone? The carrier saw he still hadn’t figured it out. He could only sigh and remind him. “Lien!” Harrison’s father was incredulous. “Selene Lien?” The carrier said nothing, turning to leave. Harrison’s father’s mind reeled. He suddenly remembered Selene’s words at the wedding yesterday. “I want all of your family’s assets. Will you give them to me?” When he first heard it, he hadn’t paid it any mind. He thought it was just big talk from a young girl, abandoned by his son, trying to save face. He never imagined she actually had the power. He felt completely disoriented. To get the goods shipped out and salvage some losses, he turned back, gritted his teeth, and signed the increased freight agreement with the shipping company. Then he jumped in his car, floored the accelerator, and drove straight to his son’s newly bought villa, pulling him out of bed. At that moment, Harrison and Autumn, after a night of passionate intimacy, were sweetly asleep. The sudden yank of the blanket startled Autumn, who screamed as she rolled off the bed, using it to shield her body. Harrison quickly blocked Autumn, looking at his father with utter bewilderment. “Dad, why didn’t you knock?” “Do you know what privacy is?!” Harrison’s father didn’t even glance at his son, only staring at Autumn’s head, which was peeking out from behind him. “You, you’re still protecting her!” “Why didn’t you protect Selene like that?!” Autumn, hearing this, looked plaintively at Harrison’s bare back. “Harrison.” Harrison snatched the blanket from his father, covering both himself and Autumn. “Dad, what are you talking about? You know I don’t love Selene, why are you saying this?” Harrison’s father anxiously slapped his thigh. “Son, we’ve lost a golden phoenix.” “Dad, what on earth are you talking about?” Harrison’s father recounted the series of events that morning, and the difficulties Smith Corp might face in the future. Autumn, listening, felt her pupils contract in shock. After a long moment, she murmured, “That’s impossible. I’ve known Selene for six years. Every time I saw her, she dressed so cheaply. In college, she even worked three part-time jobs.” “With that kind of background, how could she possibly…” Harrison nodded in agreement. He gently calmed his father’s exploding temper, then said he would call Selene to get to the bottom of it. At this moment, I was still sound asleep. The phone rang. Seeing Harrison’s name on the caller ID, I instantly perked up, quickly grabbed my phone, and sat up in bed. “Selene Lien, you really are something!” I leisurely admired my newly done manicure. “If you want to talk about the trouble Smith Corp is having, I can tell you this: I’m just engaging in healthy competition with you. It’s your lack of strength, your inferiority, who’s to blame?” “As for that shipping company…” “My apologies, that happens to be my family’s business.” “Yours?” “Mm-hmm.” “Selene, have you been reading too many romance novels? Do you really think you’re some rich heiress now? You can actually make up such nonsense?” “If you don’t believe me, fine, I’m hanging up.” Harrison choked, but reacted quickly. “No, wait, wait!” “Where are you? Let’s talk face to face.” 3. The Truth Revealed I sent him my location. Half an hour later, Harrison met me at the restaurant in the little villa. This villa in the suburbs was a coming-of-age gift my parents gave me when I was eighteen. I didn’t usually live there; I stayed at my parents’ house. I didn’t want him to meet me at my main residence, fearing he’d cling to me in the future. As for why I let him meet me here? Because I wanted to see his expression when he realized I was living better than he was. I sat at the dining table, elegantly sipping milk. Harrison was led in by the butler. He looked around the richly decorated room, then at me, who had once lived in a basement with him and packed cardboard boxes for a living, his eyes wide with shock. He would never in a million years have thought I’d be living in the most valuable hillside villa in this city. This property was worth over two hundred million dollars. The property management fees alone amounted to over three hundred thousand dollars. Plus, there were the nannies, butler, gardener, chef, and so on. The key was that even with money, it wasn’t guaranteed you could buy a place here. Because this area was home to renowned entrepreneurs, celebrities, directors, politicians, and the like, every prospective buyer underwent a strict vetting process. Although the Smith family had developed quite well in this city over the years and gained some fame, they were still insignificant compared to these figures. In simple terms, it was like the difference between a commoner family and an established aristocratic one. The Smith family was the commoner. Hearing footsteps approaching, I unhurriedly turned my head. “How do you want to talk?” Harrison’s focus was still on the connection between this villa and me. “Are you working as a housekeeper here?” “Or a taste-tester?” He stared at the breakfast in my hand, probably assuming a housekeeper wasn’t allowed to eat the owner’s food. But he absolutely refused to believe I was the owner of this villa. I found it quite amusing. “Want me to show you my property deed? Or my bank balance, which is longer than your ID number?” I pulled out my phone, opened my mobile banking balance, and held it up for him to see. Harrison laughed until tears came to his eyes. “Selene, you doctored a few pictures, rented a villa, and got a fake deed, and now you’re shamelessly claiming you’re rich?” “Hahahaha, you’re quite an actress. It’s a shame the film studios aren’t hiring you; it’s a waste of your talent.” I turned off my phone and continued eating breakfast. Let him think whatever he wanted. “So, you’re doing all this photo-editing and whatever else to prove you really have the financial power to bring down our Smith family, is that it?” “Selene, you’re truly a drama queen.” “Honestly, you should go to Hollywood. That’s where you belong.” I hadn’t intended to say much more to him, but if he was going to talk like that, congratulations, he had successfully provoked my competitive spirit. I calmly picked up my phone and called the shipping company. “Have the manager come over.” “I’ll text you the address.” Harrison watched me operate my phone, then, whether from hunger or exhaustion, he pulled out a chair and began eating the elegantly plated breakfast on the table. “Excuse me, sir, that’s not your breakfast!” The high-class nanny, who was playing the violin for entertainment, suddenly interjected. “It’s alright, let him eat. It’d be a waste otherwise.” I still had that much generosity. While waiting, Harrison’s father, mother, and Autumn also arrived. Harrison’s father had been quite confident letting Harrison come alone. But he suddenly remembered how yesterday, all those distributors, suppliers, and even the shipping company had warned him about offending a powerful figure.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “437420”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When my father pulled a faded photograph from his closet, I could hardly believe my eyes. The man in the tailored suit had gentle features, but his face looked exactly like mine. It all started with a bank statement I’d printed the day before. The teller slid the paper across the counter, and the numbers froze me: a monthly deposit of fifteen thousand dollars had been wired to an account for exactly eighteen years. The sender was a stranger named Richard Kensington. The first transfer was made the day I was born. I rushed home, threw the statement on the kitchen table, and demanded to know who Richard was. My father stared at the name in heavy silence before finally going to his room and retrieving that hidden photo. The real beginning was the night my mother died. While cleaning her room, I found an old, worn bankbook tucked deep under her mattress. My mother was a laid‑off garment worker living on a nine‑hundred‑dollar monthly pension. Yet the balance in that book was a staggering five hundred thousand. My dad sat in the corner, lighting a cigarette. His hands were steady. He simply said it was the money my mother had saved all her life, and I should keep it. But how could a woman earning nine hundred dollars a month save half a million? That impossible question finally had an answer the moment I saw the photograph. 1 I stared at the picture, my hands shaking uncontrollably. “Dad, what is this?” Arthur Bennett, the man I had called ‘Dad’ for eighteen years, leaned back in his chair. His eyes were rimmed with red. “You aren’t my biological daughter.” Those words felt like a dull, rusted knife. They didn’t slice quickly, but they dug incredibly deep. I opened my mouth, but my throat was completely sealed shut. He took a slow drag of his cigarette and kept going. “When your mother was young, she worked on the floor at the local textile mill. One day, a young executive came in to negotiate a contract. He was handsome, spoke well, and wore expensive clothes. Your mother was the most beautiful girl in that entire factory.” He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing heavily. “Eventually, she got pregnant with you. That man, Richard Kensington, promised he was going to take her away and give her a proper life.” “And then?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “And then his wife found out.” Arthur’s voice suddenly flooded with raw, toxic hatred. “Her name was Victoria Hastings. She came from massive real estate money. She brought six or seven hired thugs, stormed right onto the factory floor, and dragged your mother by her hair across the raw concrete. Right in front of hundreds of people.” My fingernails bit so hard into my palms they almost broke the skin. “The beating wasn’t enough for her. Victoria forced the factory management to fire your mother on the spot, screaming that she was a homewrecker trying to ruin a wealthy family. The factory owners were terrified of the Hastings family. They kicked her to the curb the very next morning.” “Where was Richard?” I asked, my chest tight. Arthur let out a dry, bitter laugh. “He fell to his knees in front of his wife and swore on his life he would never see your mother again.” “He did it right in front of her.” I closed my eyes, feeling a physical ache in my ribs. “Your mother was thrown out onto the street, heavily pregnant. The entire town branded her a slut. Nobody would give her the time of day.” His voice cracked, turning raspy. “I was just a security guard at the front gate back then. Just a simple, quiet guy who knew he’d probably never find a wife. She needed a place to survive, and we just made it work.” I opened my eyes, staring at his worn, calloused hands. “So you knew all along?” “I knew.” “And the fifteen grand a month? You knew about that too?” “Yes. Richard started wiring that money the minute you took your first breath. Your mother refused to spend a single dime of it on herself. When you got sick as a kid, or when your tuition was due, that’s what paid for it. She hoarded every other penny.” “Half a million dollars,” I whispered, my throat burning. Arthur slowly shook his head. “It was way more than that.” “What do you mean?” “Eighteen years, Nora. Fifteen grand a month. Do the math.” Fifteen thousand times twelve, times eighteen. That was over three point two million dollars. But the bankbook under her mattress only held five hundred thousand. There was nearly two point seven million dollars missing. “Where is the rest of the money?” Arthur stood up with a heavy sigh and rummaged through the back of the closet again. He pulled out a thick, brown manila envelope. My mother’s handwriting was on the front. It was shaky and uneven, but I recognized every single stroke. It read. “For Nora. Open immediately.” I tore the flap open. A sleek, embossed business card fell out into my palm. Thomas Wright. Wright and Associates. Senior Partner. On the back of the card, my mother had scribbled a message. “Nora, find him. He will tell you everything. I am so sorry for the life I gave you, but everything I did, I did to protect you.” I clutched the heavy cardstock, my mind spinning. My mother was a laid-off factory worker. She lived on a nine-hundred-dollar pension. How in the world did she know a senior partner at a corporate law firm? What exactly had she been doing behind our backs all these years? 2 I didn’t sleep a single wink that night. I sat on the floor of the tiny bedroom my mother had lived in for eighteen years, tearing through every possession she owned. Her closet held exactly four winter coats. Two of them were visibly patched. Her shoe rack held three pairs of shoes. Two worn-out canvas sneakers and one pair of cheap plastic sandals with the soles rubbed paper-thin. At the very bottom of her lowest dresser drawer, I found a massive stack of newspaper clippings. I pulled them out, examining them one by one under the dim desk lamp. Every single article was about Kensington Global. The oldest clipping was a tiny column from fifteen years ago. “Local Entrepreneur Richard Kensington Awarded State Business Excellence Ribbon.” In the middle of the stack was a half-page feature from seven years ago. “Kensington Global Expands into Healthcare Sector, Investing in Major Metropolitan Hospitals.” The most recent was a full-page glossy spread from two years ago. “Kensington Global Market Cap Breaks Billion-Dollar Mark. The Expanding Empire of Richard Kensington.” My mother had taken a red pen and highlighted critical sections in every single article. The margins were filled with her scribbled notes. I leaned in close to read the shaky handwriting. “2016. Real estate expansion too aggressive. Debt-to-equity ratio critical.” “2019. Brought in strategic investors. How much were his voting rights diluted? Check the annual corporate filings.” “2022. Tristan Kensington joins executive board. Three major development projects operate at a massive loss. Capital flow unaccounted for.” My fingertips traced the faded ink, a sudden chill raising the hairs on my arms. My mother. A woman who didn’t even finish high school. She had been actively analyzing the financial structure and corporate debt of a billion-dollar conglomerate. I grabbed my phone and typed “Richard Kensington” into the search bar. The screen instantly exploded with results. Richard Kensington, 52. Chairman and CEO of Kensington Global. Dominant in real estate, finance, and private healthcare. Estimated personal net worth. Nine hundred million dollars. Nine hundred million. I pulled up my own banking app. Available balance. One hundred and twelve dollars. That was everything I had saved from pulling double shifts at a local coffee shop all summer. I kept scrolling down the search results. A high-definition family portrait loaded on the screen. Richard was standing tall, his arm wrapped around an incredibly glamorous woman. Victoria. Her skin looked flawless, and massive emerald teardrops hung from her ears. Her smile was perfectly practiced, straight off the cover of a luxury magazine. Standing next to them was a young man in his mid-twenties. He was tall, lean, and carried a sharp, arrogant smirk that screamed generational wealth. Tristan Kensington, 26. Executive Vice President of Kensington Global. Columbia MBA graduate. Twenty-six years old. Vice President. Ivy League pedigree. Mansions and supercars. I was eighteen, slinging lattes for twelve bucks an hour. I zoomed in on the watch wrapped around Tristan’s wrist. It was a Patek Philippe Nautilus. Market value was easily a quarter of a million dollars. A quarter of a million. My mother hadn’t even owned a cheap gold chain her entire life. I locked my phone and tossed it onto the bed. I picked up the business card again. Thomas Wright. Wright and Associates. Financial District, 38th Floor. “Mom,” I whispered into the empty, quiet room. “What kind of game were you playing?” Early the next morning, I put on the nicest piece of clothing I owned. A white button-down shirt my mother had bought me on sale for fifteen bucks. Right as I reached for the front doorknob, Arthur called my name. “Nora.” “Yeah.” “Before your mother passed, she made me promise to tell you something.” I froze, my hand hovering over the brass knob. “She said, ‘Arthur, if Nora decides to go look for that man, do not stop her. But you make sure you tell her one thing. Do not beg him. Do not get on your knees. And do not ever let him look down on you.’” A sharp burn stung the back of my nose. I didn’t turn around. “I hear you.” 3 It took an hour and a half on the city bus to cross into the financial district. The Kensington Global headquarters towered at the end of the block. Forty-six stories of sleek, reflective glass. The morning sun hit the facade, making the building look like a golden blade piercing the sky. The revolving doors were spotless. The lobby was paved in imported marble. When I walked in, my worn canvas sneakers let out a pathetic, squeaking sound against the polished floor. The receptionist at the front desk looked up. Her eyes slowly dragged from the top of my head down to my cheap shoes. I will never forget that look as long as I live. She looked at me like I was a cockroach that had crawled through the front door. “Can I help you? Do you have an appointment?” “I need to see Richard Kensington.” The corner of her mouth twitched. It wasn’t a smile. It was the kind of exhausted smirk you give a crazy person. “Mr. Kensington does not accept walk-ins. What company are you representing?” “I’m his daughter.” The smirk froze on her face for exactly one second. Then her hand dropped to the intercom button on her desk. “Security. We have a girl in the lobby claiming to be the CEO’s daughter. Please remove her.” Two massive security guards appeared out of nowhere. They grabbed me by the arms, lifting my feet entirely off the floor, and dragged me toward the exit. “I am actually his daughter! Just let him see my face!” “We get three of you nutjobs a month,” one of the guards sneered, rolling his eyes. “Last one claimed she was his long-lost twin sister.” “Go home, kid. You don’t belong in a place like this.” They violently shoved me through the revolving doors. My foot caught the edge of the metal frame, and I crashed hard onto the concrete steps outside. The skin on my knee tore open. Hot blood immediately pooled and began trickling down my shin. But the physical pain was absolutely nothing compared to the suffocating humiliation burning in my chest. Right at that exact moment. A matte black Porsche Cayenne pulled up to the curb. The heavy door swung open, and a pair of Italian leather loafers stepped onto the pavement. It was Tristan Kensington. He looked even taller than in the photos. His posture was rigid, and his eyes were completely devoid of warmth. He was flanked by an assistant, a secretary, and a driver. He had a bigger entourage than a movie star. He glanced down at me bleeding on the ground, then turned his head toward the guards. “What is this?” “Mr. Kensington, just a crazy girl causing a scene. Claimed to be the Chairman’s daughter. We handled it.” Tristan let his heavy eyelids droop, looking down his nose at me. His lips curled into a cruel, mocking sneer. “Another gold digger looking for a payout?” He casually reached into his tailored jacket, pulled out a sleek money clip, and slid out a crisp hundred-dollar bill. He leaned over and dropped it on the concrete right in front of my face. “Buy some bandages. And don’t ever come back.” He stood up straight, casually adjusting his expensive cuffs, and looked at his secretary. “Make sure the front desk registers her face. If she shows up again, call the cops and have her arrested for trespassing.” The rhythmic clicking of his leather shoes echoed off the concrete as he walked away, never once looking back. I stayed on my knees. The wind blew past, lifting the edge of the hundred-dollar bill and flipping it onto the back of my hand. I stared at that piece of paper for a very long time. Then I stood up. The blood from my knee dripped steadily down my leg. One drop. Two drops. Staining my white canvas shoes. I didn’t run away. I walked down the street with my spine completely straight, step by deliberate step. I found a public restroom a block away, washed the blood off my leg, and slapped two cheap bandages over the wound. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the business card. Thomas Wright. Wright and Associates. Financial District, 38th Floor. I checked the building directory. It was a three-minute walk from the Kensington Global headquarters. Mom, did you seriously pick a law firm right next door to his empire? I pushed through the heavy glass doors of the firm. The receptionist looked up at me. Her expression was completely different from the one at the Kensington building. There was no disgust. No superiority. “How can I help you? Are you looking for someone?” “Thomas Wright.” “And your name?” “Nora. Nora Bennett.” She froze. She immediately snatched up the phone on her desk. “Mr. Wright. There is a Ms. Bennett here to see you. Yes. Nora Bennett. Right away.” When she hung up the phone, her entire demeanor shifted into absolute, terrifying respect. “Ms. Bennett. Mr. Wright is in the corner office at the end of the hall. He said to tell you…” She swallowed hard. “He said he has been waiting for you for a very long time.” 4 Thomas Wright’s office was massive. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves stacked with heavy legal texts. He stood up immediately when I walked in. He was in his late fifties, with silver hair and wire-rimmed glasses. The moment his eyes locked onto my face, they turned glassy with unshed tears. “You look… exactly like your mother.” I didn’t have the energy for small talk. “Mr. Wright, my mom told me to find you. She said you would tell me everything.” He nodded slowly. He walked over to a heavy steel safe bolted into the wall and punched in a code. He pulled out a thick, black archival box. Inside was a mountain of legal documents. He pulled the top file and laid it on his desk. It was an irrevocable trust agreement. Grantor. Margaret Bennett. Beneficiary. Nora Bennett. Establishment Date. March 15th, 2012. The signature at the bottom was my mother’s. It was meticulous and precise, vastly different from the shaky writing on the envelope. It looked like she had practiced that signature a thousand times. “Your mother walked into this office fifteen years ago,” Thomas said, his voice slow and heavy. “She was wearing a faded, cheap winter coat, clutching a plastic grocery bag. That bag was filled with cash. Exactly sixty thousand dollars.” “She sat exactly where you are sitting and said, ‘Mr. Wright, I need you to open a brokerage account for me. I want to buy stock.’” “I asked her what company she wanted to invest in.” “She looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Kensington Global.’” My fingertips went completely numb. “I was stunned. A woman wearing threadbare clothes, clutching a grocery bag of cash, wanting to dump her life savings into a company I assumed she knew nothing about?” “But then she pulled out a spiral notebook.” “It was filled with three years of Kensington Global’s financial data. Revenue streams, profit margins, debt ratios, executive board shifts, and horizontal industry analysis. It was more thoroughly researched than reports I get from Wall Street analysts.” “She looked at me and said something I will never forget.” Thomas took off his glasses and wiped them with a silk cloth. “She said, ‘Mr. Wright, I don’t know the first thing about the law. But I know one truth. I cannot leave my daughter’s fate in someone else’s hands.’” A hot tear spilled over my lashes and hit the polished mahogany desk. “For the next fifteen years,” Thomas said, opening a thick portfolio, “your mother took the vast majority of the allowance she received and pumped it straight into Kensington stock. In the early days, when the stock was cheap and the market cap was small, she bought huge blocks of it. When they went public and the price skyrocketed, she bought smaller fractions. But she never stopped.” He slid the final page of the report across the desk. Total Ownership Stake. 8.3%. Current Market Value. Twenty-Four Million Dollars. A blinding white flash exploded behind my eyes. My mother. Living on a nine-hundred-dollar pension. Wearing patched coats. Walking in shoes worn down to the pavement. A woman who never even bought herself a birthday cake. Over fifteen brutal years, operating entirely in the shadows where nobody bothered to look, she had systematically bought up eight percent of a billion-dollar empire. Tristan Kensington had thrown a hundred-dollar bill at me and told me to get lost. I currently held more voting shares in his company than he did. “There is one more thing.” Thomas reached into the very bottom of the black box and pulled out a heavy manila envelope. There was no writing on it. The flap was sealed with thick, red wax. “Your mother gave me strict instructions. This envelope was only to be opened after her death.” I broke the wax seal. I pulled out a few sheets of loose-leaf paper. It was handwritten. The writing was jagged and erratic. In several places, the blue ink had bled, warped by tears that had fallen onto the page. The title was written in bold letters. “My Death Record.” I read the first line. “Nora, if you are reading this, it means I failed to swap out my medication in time.” Every drop of blood in my body turned to ice. “Mr. Wright.” “How exactly did my mother die?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “437437”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My younger sister always claimed I stole her glamorous life. “If I had been the one to drop out of school and enter Hollywood back then, your Oscar would be mine right now.” I always just laughed it off, until we were both reborn and sent back to the exact day we had to make that fateful choice. This time, my sister chose to drop out, leaving me to stay in school. I lowered my head and sneered. Did she really think making it in Hollywood was that easy? 1 As an internationally acclaimed, Oscar-winning actress, I was surrounded by a small army of bodyguards and assistants. Every single item I wore cost six figures. The men chasing me ranged from Silicon Valley billionaires to the hottest pop stars. They swarmed around me, eager to please, just hoping I’d cast a glance their way. All of this made my younger sister, Chloe, seethe with jealousy. Every time I went home for the holidays, Chloe would stare at me with eyes full of grievance and resentment: “Maya, tell me the truth. If I had been the one to drop out and brave Hollywood back then, and you had stayed in school, would I be the Oscar-winner today?” When I didn’t answer, she continued, lost in her own delusion: “I definitely would have climbed higher than you. I was always much prettier than you back then.” Chloe was bitter. She had chosen to stay in school, but her grades were mediocre, and she only managed to get into a low-tier state college. Now, at twenty-nine, she was working as a mid-level admin at some corporate firm, not even clearing six thousand a month. And I? I had been worse than her at everything back then, but because I made the “right” choice and entered the entertainment industry, every movie I starred in became a massive hit. Resources poured in, and the industry practically forced the Oscar into my hands. Now, at thirty, thanks to top-tier dermatologists and trainers, I looked like I was in my early twenties. Meanwhile, at twenty-nine, Chloe’s face was already showing deep signs of exhaustion. The more Chloe spoke, the more agitated she became, completely unable to pull herself out of her fantasy. I, on the other hand, was genuinely exhausted, dozing off on the sofa. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the peace. The gas line in the house ruptured. A piece of shrapnel slammed into my head, and in an instant of blinding agony, I lost consciousness… 2 “Maya, Chloe, things are really bad. We just can’t afford to keep both of you in school anymore.” My mother wiped her tears, clutching the urn holding my father’s ashes. “Your dad is gone, and he left us with a mountain of debt. My salary barely covers rent. You two… you two need to figure out which one of you is going to drop out and get a job to help the family. I’m so sorry…” Before my mother could even finish, Chloe rushed forward: “Mom, I’ll drop out!” “Yesterday, a talent scout approached me and Maya on the street. He said he wanted to sign both of us! With how bad things are at home, I can’t just sit back and do nothing. Let Maya stay in school. I’ll go try my luck in Hollywood!” My mother let out a long, heavy sigh and didn’t say anything else. But my mind was racing. I suddenly realized what was happening. Chloe and I had been reborn! We had been thrown back to the exact day we had to make the choice that would define our lives! I was seventeen, a junior in high school. Chloe was sixteen, a sophomore. Our family had just declared bankruptcy, my father had taken his own life, and he had left us with an unmanageable mess. My mother couldn’t shoulder the burden alone. She needed one of us to drop out and work to support the family. In my past life, I was the one who volunteered. I gave up my spot as the valedictorian of my high school, signed with that talent agency, and worked myself to the bone to pay for Chloe’s education, eventually clawing my way up to become an Oscar-winning actress. But now, Chloe, having seen the glamorous future I built for myself, was desperate to hijack my life. I… happily agreed! In fact, I couldn’t wait. Did she really think Hollywood was an easy place to survive? She had no idea how much blood, sweat, and literal tears I shed on my way to the top. One wrong step, and you fall into an abyss you can never climb out of! She didn’t even realize how much I envied her pure, simple, normal high school life! 3 The next day, I went back to school, while Chloe was supposed to report to Apex Media. I opened my textbooks. All the knowledge I had accumulated by seventeen was still perfectly intact in my brain. I knew how to solve every problem; every concept was deeply ingrained in my memory. It was amazing. This feeling was incredible. I sat in a clean, bright classroom, laughing and chatting with my classmates, using my pen to finally fill the regrets I had carried in my past life. I didn’t have to wear heavy makeup at the crack of dawn. I didn’t have to waste my youth at seedy industry parties, enduring the leering, handsy behavior of producers old enough to be my father, just forcing a smile for a single chance to be on camera. After school, I hummed a tune as I walked home. The first thing I saw was Chloe sitting on the sofa, her makeup perfectly done, her luggage packed beside her. Just like in my past life, my mother signed the contract as her legal guardian. The agent collected the contract, transferred the signing bonus to my mother, and then shot a sidelong glance at Chloe. His eyes were full of calculation. My mother, remembering that I had an academic scholarship, gave the entire signing bonus to Chloe, telling her to take good care of herself out there. Seeing me walk in, Chloe looked incredibly smug: “Sister, this massive wave of wealth is finally coming my way. Even if you try to steal it from me now, it’s too late.” “I’ve officially signed with Apex. I’m moving into the apartment they provide. I’ll be going to auditions and casting calls. You’ll see me on TV soon.” I replied flatly, “Congratulations on getting exactly what you wanted.” Unsatisfied with my mild reaction, Chloe stood up, leaned close to my ear, and threw out a provocative whisper: “This time, the wealth, the Oscar, the fans, the billionaires chasing me… everything will be mine.” “Maya, we finally get to swap lives.” With that, Chloe held her head high and walked out the door without looking back, not a single trace of nostalgia in her eyes. My eyes were completely cold. Chloe still had no idea that the contract she just signed was a predatory trap designed to destroy her. 4 Apex Media’s signing bonus wasn’t easy money. If you didn’t generate a specific, massive amount of revenue within the first year, you were required to pay the company back tenfold as a penalty. In my past life, after I signed with Apex, they shelved me for six months, refusing to give me any auditions. Then, just as I was panicking and desperate, they suddenly threw me into a massive reality TV survival show. A hundred beautiful girls competing for five spots in a new pop group. My agent told me that I had to make the final group no matter what it took. I had to prove my value to the company, or I could pay the penalty and get out. You have to understand, the girls who made it past the initial cuts either had massive financial backers or were wealthy socialites themselves. Competing against a group like that, I was so stressed I developed a severe ring of cold sores around my mouth. I had to cake on foundation just to cover it up. That was when my agent “kindly” pointed out an alternative route. He brought me to a private dinner with Mr. Vance, the biggest sponsor of the reality show. My agent leaned in close, his voice sleazy and suggestive: “Maya, Mr. Vance loves pure, innocent girls like you. As long as you make him happy tonight, making the final group is nothing. He could even make you an A-list star…” That night, I endured the sickening dinner. When the moment was right, I secretly recorded a video of Mr. Vance sexually harassing another young actress. Then, I smashed a wine bottle on the table. I held the jagged glass to my own jugular, my other hand hovering over the “Send” button on my phone, glaring at them like a cornered, feral panther. I gambled my life, and I won. Mr. Vance didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. He laughed at my naive audacity, laughed at how out of my depth I was. With a wave of his hand, he gave me the opportunity I wanted, acting like he was placing a bet on a wild animal, eager to see how hard I would crash and burn later. I didn’t expect to actually seize that opportunity. I fought my way into the final group and had my first viral, nationwide performance. Now, all of that was falling squarely onto Chloe’s shoulders. I was very much looking forward to seeing how she handled it. 5 Six months passed, and I didn’t hear a single word from Chloe. It seemed that, just like me in my past life, she had been temporarily shelved. Meanwhile, I took first place in the midterms and qualified for the state academic decathlon. It wasn’t until the internet was suddenly flooded with aggressive marketing for the new reality show, Apex Girls, that I unexpectedly saw Chloe in the contestant lineup. The light in her eyes flickered wildly. She wore a pure, sweet smile, but her eyes were burning with raw, unbridled ambition. During the first round of solo evaluations, Chloe’s score was dead last. I calculated that this was right around the time her agent would step in and arrange the dinner with Mr. Vance. I called Chloe. The first time, she didn’t answer. The second time, the third time… It wasn’t until the eighth ring that Chloe finally picked up. “Chloe, listen to me. Do not go to that dinner…” Before I could finish, Chloe interrupted me, her voice dripping with irritation. “Maya, are you ever going to leave me alone?” “It’s just a dinner. You went to it in your past life, why can’t I go? Are you just jealous? Are you trying to make me miss my shot?” “You are so disgusting. You got to enjoy all the wealth and fame in your past life, and now that it’s my turn, you’re trying to sabotage me?!” “Mind your own business from now on. Stay out of my career!” Click. The line went dead. Chloe hung up on me. I sighed. Fine. I’ll respect her choices. I need to let go of my savior complex. 6 I threw myself entirely into preparing for the state finals, leaving no extra energy to keep up with Apex Girls. My mom even arranged for me to board at the school to save time. Occasionally, overhearing my classmates gossip, I learned that after Chloe’s disastrous solo performance, she seemingly experienced a miracle, skyrocketing from the bottom to the top three in the second episode. She eventually secured her debut, taking the highly coveted center position. She looked much more glamorous and successful than I had in my past life. After finishing the state finals, I walked out of the exam hall and immediately checked my phone for news about Chloe. The media’s intense focus gave her a massive surge in exposure, but soon after, paparazzi caught Chloe and Mr. Vance entering the same luxury hotel, one after the other. The show’s producers immediately issued a statement claiming the entire group had a scheduled appearance and were all staying at that hotel rehearsing that night. The other members of Apex Girls quickly came forward to publicly support Chloe. The scandal was temporarily suppressed. Watching all this unfold, I secretly lamented. I knew my worst fear had come true. By attaching herself to Mr. Vance, Chloe gained a fleeting moment of spectacular fame through a shortcut. But she was entirely unequipped to handle the second major hurdle that was fast approaching. After the Apex Girls national tour, they would have the opportunity to audition for the second female lead in Director Nolan’s highly anticipated historical drama. Director Nolan famously despised actors who relied on connections, and it was an open secret in the industry that he and Mr. Vance hated each other. When I debuted with the group back then, Mr. Vance publicly stated to the press that he didn’t see any potential in me. Following his lead, the reality show’s producers subtly shaded me, and the other group members made passive-aggressive comments about me in interviews. The goodwill I had just built up from my performances plummeted. At that time, the opportunity to audition for Director Nolan’s new project felt like my only lifeline. I stayed up for nights analyzing the script, visited film sets to observe seasoned actors, and completely immersed myself in the character. That was the only way I managed to impress Director Nolan during the audition and secure the role. But Chloe… could she seize this opportunity? 7 After the Apex Girls tour concluded, it was publicly announced that they would be auditioning for Director Nolan’s new drama, Spring’s Return. In front of the cameras, Chloe looked completely self-assured and radiant. She flipped her hair, looking like victory was already hers: “The second female lead? No, I’m auditioning for the lead role, Elara!” “I’ve read the script. Elara’s resilient, unyielding character, blooming even in adversity… it resonates with me so perfectly. It’s like the role was tailor-made for me. Director Nolan has great taste; he’ll definitely pick me!” The reporter had probably never encountered an actress this “authentically unpretentious.” His mouth visibly twitched. “So, you believe you have a natural talent for acting?” Chloe’s eyes narrowed playfully, and she gave a coy smile: “Well… why wouldn’t I?” Watching that interview, I genuinely couldn’t handle the secondhand embarrassment. I had to respect the reporter’s professional composure. A few days later, a hashtag exploded to the top of the trending page— #DirectorNolanCallsChloe’sActingDisgusting# My eye twitched. I clicked the hashtag, and a video clip of Chloe’s audition popped up. The scene involved the protagonist, Elara, intentionally leaping out of a hidden cellar to draw the assassins’ attention, sacrificing herself so her younger sister, hiding inside, could survive. When Chloe’s version of Elara jumped out, there wasn’t a trace of heroic sacrifice. Instead, she looked incredibly eager and impatient, as if she already knew about the miraculous plot armor waiting for her after being captured. Even the crucial line, “You monsters will burn in hell,” was delivered softly and weakly, sounding more like a coquettish pout. Director Nolan was furious. He threw a script at her, yelled “Disgusting!”, and told her to get out. After the hashtag blew up, Chloe posted a defensive, aggrieved statement: “If Elara hadn’t jumped out, the assassins would have taken the sister. Then the sister would have gotten all the future opportunities and plot armor, and the sister would have ended up on the throne. What would Elara have gotten?” “So the way I see it, Elara was just stealing her sister’s future. What’s there to be sad about? She was just making a calculated choice that benefited her.” “The real Elara is selfish. My interpretation was the accurate one! I have no idea why Director Nolan reacted that way…” Director Nolan, probably on the verge of a heart attack from her sheer audacity, posted a public response: [Chloe might be able to sing and dance, but she is absolutely unfit to be an actor. A good actor requires empathy and a strong moral core. She has neither. I don’t understand why just anyone thinks they can act these days.] Director Nolan carried immense weight in the film industry. That single statement effectively blacklisted Chloe from acting. Perhaps triggered by Chloe’s atrocious performance, after the first round of auditions, Director Nolan shook his head and sighed: “Actors today are too superficial. We need fresh blood.” He then announced a “Nationwide Search for the Female Lead” open casting call. On the day I saw the casting notice, I happened to be heading to the state academic finals. Coincidentally, the exam venue was less than five blocks from the audition location. After thinking about it, I decided to sign up. In my past life, the second female lead I played was gentle on the surface but ruthless and selfish underneath. The role sparked massive internet outrage, which ironically made me incredibly famous. Everyone said my performance was flawless, but no one knew that I was actually desperately in love with the protagonist, Elara. I saw myself in Elara. Playing the villain required me to dissect the script and meticulously craft my performance. But Elara? I wouldn’t even need to act. Because she was me. I didn’t need to perform her sacrifice. Because I understood exactly what Elara felt when she jumped out to protect her family. Every internal conflict, every hesitation—I had lived it. That kind of sacrifice, that kind of surrender… I had already experienced it once. In the script, when Elara reunites with her sister later, the sister’s first reaction isn’t relief that Elara is okay. Instead, she marvels at the luxury of the palace and says, her voice laced with jealousy, “Sister, if it were possible, I wish I had been the one who jumped out that day.” The chilling heartbreak of that moment, the eventual death of hope, the complete disillusionment with her sister… I resonated with it deeply. So this time, not driven by desperation or poverty, but purely to fulfill a regret from my past life, I submitted my name for the role of Elara. 8 Coming out of the state finals, most of the students around me were sighing and looking defeated. A few kids who wanted to compare answers were immediately shut down: “To compare answers, you have to actually have an answer first! We couldn’t even understand the questions! Where are we supposed to get answers from?!” “Exactly! Are these questions even designed for humans? I want to see how many brains the kids who win medals actually have!” “Whatever, forget it. The test is over, what’s the point of checking answers now? Let the teachers grade it. Let’s just go have some fun. I heard there’s an open casting call for a movie nearby, and a lot of celebrities are showing up. Let’s go check it out!” I nodded. “I’m actually heading there to audition. It’s on my way, let’s go together.” “You? You’re going to audition for the lead role?” My classmates’ jaws practically hit the floor. Someone immediately made a snide, jealous comment: “I don’t want to burst your bubble, Maya, but even though you’re pretty, you’re at best ‘high school pretty.’ You think you can be the lead in a movie? Keep dreaming.” I shrugged. “I’m just going to try. I have nothing to lose. I’m just doing it for fun.” Seeing the mocking looks on their faces, I figured they probably didn’t want to walk with me anyway, so I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked off alone. By the time I arrived, there was still half an hour before the auditions began. A casting assistant looked me up and down, then said dismissively: “Tsk, why aren’t you wearing any makeup? Are you just a high schooler?” As soon as he spoke, everyone in the waiting room turned to look at me. Most of their gazes were disdainful or contemptuous. Only one girl offered me her small makeup bag. I gave her a grateful look. Then, under the stunned gazes of everyone in the room, I transformed my face in under a minute. In my past life, constantly rushing between sets, speed-makeup was a basic survival skill. After logging my name, the assistant handed me a piece of paper. It was the scene I was supposed to perform. Unlike celebrity auditions, unknowns like me don’t get to see the full script outline; we only get a short excerpt. The scene I drew happened to be the exact same one Chloe had auditioned with. “Number 168, Maya Sterling!” I immediately stood up, smoothed out my clothes, and pushed open the door to the audition room. This was my first time seeing Director Nolan in this life. He looked exactly the same. He looked like an unkempt, grumpy old man, but his eyes were startlingly clear. Because they were so clear, they looked exceptionally bright. He was my mentor in my past life. He brought me into the industry, cast me in hit after hit, pushed me to the pinnacle of television awards, and then introduced me to the heavyweights of the film industry, helping me push for the Oscar. Back then, rumors about us flew everywhere. Some said he was my sugar daddy; others said I was his illegitimate daughter. The concept of “soulmates” was something they didn’t understand, and they didn’t believe in. That was until Director Nolan smashed a whiskey bottle in front of a camera, pointed at the broken glass on the floor, and smiled at the gossip reporters: “Eat it.” All the so-called “scandals” about me vanished overnight. The brightest jewel on that Oscar crown… I won it to give to him. But when I won the award, he was in the ICU. The day I won Best Actress happened to be the day he passed away. I could only place the jewel among his personal effects, letting it be buried with him. The day he took his last breath, his phone screen was playing my acceptance speech. They said that when Director Nolan left, he was smiling.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “437453”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel