Category: English

When rising starlet Scarlett Keen’s private social media account was hacked, over a hundred love letters went viral, rocketing to the top of the trending charts. She wrote: “The man I love is now someone else’s husband.” The internet collectively grieved for her. “She’s so devoted,” they said. “This tragic romance is making me cry.” Lying in bed, scrolling through my phone, I casually commented: “How can someone make falling for another woman’s husband sound so innocent?” I forgot to switch to my burner account. A minute later, my husband, Alexander Chera’s, phone call came through. “Scarlett didn’t do anything wrong. Your comment will cause her unnecessary trouble.” I froze for a moment, then suddenly, I laughed. It turned out, in this three-person relationship, the one who was always redundant was me, the wife. 1 The phone was still pressed against my ear. It finally dawned on me. The unrequited love story in Scarlett’s private account was about my husband of nearly three years, Alexander Chera. My mouth opened, I wanted to explain that it was just a casual comment. But the words that came out were: “How did you see it?” Silence for a few seconds on the other end. In those few seconds, I understood. The trending topic had tens of thousands of comments. For Alexander, who was on a business trip abroad, to spot my account among so many, it wasn’t because I was important. It was because the busy CEO was constantly following Scarlett’s every move. He had even scrolled through every single comment. “Olivia, delete the comment first, before someone with ill intentions makes a big deal out of it.” Alexander’s tone softened slightly. “I’ll handle things with Scarlett. You don’t need to worry about it.” I bit my lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know those love letters were for you.” I said calmly, “I’ll delete it.” He paused. He seemed to want to say something else, but in the end, he just grunted in agreement. The call ended. I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the screen for a few seconds. Alexander had always been gentle and polite with me. This was the first time he had ever called me out like this. I placed the phone face down on the nightstand and lay back down to finish my face mask. Fifteen minutes later, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. The person in the mirror looked normal, except for slightly red-rimmed eyes. I leaned in for a closer look. It was probably just the mask serum getting into my eyes. After washing my face, I reopened the trending topic. The captions were all variations of “A letter to A.” They chronicled Scarlett’s years-long infatuation with a man. I found my comment, clicked on it, and swiftly deleted it. When I backed out, the top trending topic had already changed. #Who is A?# I swiped it away and closed the app. My phone remained silent. I turned off the light and lay back in bed. In the darkness, I suddenly remembered something. My prenuptial agreement with Alexander, a three-year term. There were only two months left. 2 Three years ago, the Chera family faced a crisis. The stock price plummeted, and partners pulled out one after another. At that time, as the sole daughter of the Sterling family, I proposed a marriage alliance. Some said I was taking advantage of their misfortune. Others said the Sterling family was buying low. What no one knew was that I was in love with Alexander Chera. It had been seven years, since university. To avoid putting pressure on Alexander, I drafted an agreement: a three-year marriage term. Within three years, we would cooperate to handle family and public appearances. After three years, either party could propose a divorce, and the other must unconditionally agree. This marriage seemed to offer me no benefits. I asked for nothing, only the chance to be with him for three years. Later, I heard that he had been in a passionate relationship at the time. His parents had forcibly broken them up, pressuring him to marry me to “save the family.” For the past three years, Alexander had been good to me. Truly good. Considerate, gentle, fulfilling his husbandly duties. He would bring me late-night snacks after a long night of socializing. He would bring me gifts from his business trips. He never neglected a single holiday or anniversary. He would sit by my bedside when I was sick. Even in our intimate life, he was diligent. I thought he was slowly falling in love with me. Now I understand. He was just fulfilling his contractual obligations. As for feelings—that wasn’t part of the contract. I turned over, burying my face in the pillow. A moment later, the pillow was damp. 3 The next evening, Alexander returned from his business trip. I was waiting for him in the living room. Before he could embrace me, I pushed the agreement towards him. “What’s this?” He was clearly taken aback, sitting down beside me. “The prenuptial agreement.” “There are only two months left of the three-year term. But if you’re in a hurry, we can terminate it at any time.” He frowned. “Olivia, what is this about?” I looked up at him calmly. “I don’t care about you and Miss Keen. But I don’t want to occupy this position anymore. Before I proposed the marriage, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. I’m sorry, I have no interest in being the third party who breaks up a true love story.” Alexander’s expression faltered. He reached out to pull me closer, his voice softer than before. “She and I are completely over. She wrote those letters on her own. It has nothing to do with me.” I flinched back slightly, and his arm froze in mid-air. “Don’t overthink it,” he said, his hand finally landing on my shoulder, patting it reassuringly. “The three years aren’t up. You’re still Mrs. Chera.” I nodded. “Okay.” He looked at me for a few seconds, then stood up, saying he was going to take a shower. That evening, we had dinner together. After dinner, we cuddled in the media room and watched an old movie. During the end credits, we naturally shared an intimate moment. Afterwards, he carried me to the shower as usual and let me sleep with my head pillowed on his arm. I almost began to believe again that he loved me. I woke up in the middle of the night to find his side of the bed empty. I instinctively looked towards the balcony. The curtains weren’t fully drawn, leaving a small gap. Through it, I could see his silhouette, his back to me, holding his phone. I quietly got out of bed and walked to the door. “…I’ve already suppressed the trending topic.” His voice, low and hushed, drifted in from the balcony. “I don’t want this to affect the partnership between the Chera and Sterling families.” Silence for a few seconds. “Scarlett, we’re in the past.” I stood behind the curtain, clenching my fists. He listened for a moment more, then said, “Get some sleep.” The call ended. I thought he was coming back, but he dialed another number. “David, the company needs a global brand ambassador for the new season. Contact Scarlett’s agent. Agree to whatever terms they ask for.” I heard the click of a lighter. A flame flickered, and he lit a cigarette. Smoke billowed into the night. The glowing tip of the cigarette illuminated his profile for a moment before it faded back into darkness. When we first got married, he sometimes smelled of smoke. I would cough a little, and then I never saw him smoke again. I stood behind the curtain, watching him smoke one cigarette after another. My feet felt cold, and I realized I was standing barefoot on the floor. I tiptoed back to bed, lay down, and closed my eyes. 4 Over the weekend, Alexander had a gathering with friends. I was stuck in traffic and arrived later than planned. Just before I pushed open the private room door, their voices drifted through. “Alexander, if it weren’t for the Sterling family taking advantage of the situation back then, you and Scarlett would have been married by now, right?” “You two were so good together, and you were torn apart just like that.” “Exactly,” another voice chimed in. “Olivia Sterling’s move was pretty calculating. I heard when your family was in trouble, she was the first to jump in and propose a marriage. Who knows if her family was behind the whole thing?” “I’ve been wanting to say this for a while. You and Scarlett were so perfect together back then. And now she still can’t forget you, writing all those love letters. So devoted.” “Olivia Sterling, for the past three years, she’s basically just been picking up the scraps, right?” Some laughed, others agreed. Then I heard Alexander’s voice, his tone so flat it was almost cold. “It’s all in the past.” My hand froze on the doorknob. He didn’t deny it. He didn’t say Olivia wasn’t that kind of person. He didn’t say she hadn’t orchestrated anything. He didn’t say she was his wife. He didn’t even tell them to stop. A dismissive “it’s all in the past.” It drowned three years of our marriage, along with my dignity, in their ridicule. My nails dug into my palm, a dull ache. I had looked into Scarlett. When the Chera family was in trouble, she had quickly found a new benefactor. I couldn’t believe Alexander hadn’t found out what I had so easily discovered. Unless he trusted her completely. I suddenly remembered three years ago. When the Chera family was in crisis, my family had been against the marriage. They said the Chera family’s problems were too deep, and the Sterling family didn’t need to get involved. I was the one who sold all my properties, mortgaged my Sterling shares, and scraped together the money, transferring it to Alexander’s finance department as working capital. I didn’t tell anyone about this. Including him. I thought it was love. It turned out, in others’ mouths, it was called taking advantage. The laughter inside continued. I let go of the doorknob and took a step back. Before the tears could fall, I left the club.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396409”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sister and I were the last surviving twin Empaths in the world. She was born with a curse, her words bringing only harm; I was born with a blessing, capable of saving lives, but at a cost. Those I saved would suffer a corresponding backlash. In my previous life, a man named Vincent lavishly spent a fortune, pleading with me to save his son, Noah, who clung to life in the ICU. The boy awoke, but as a consequence, his eyes were permanently blinded. I thought Vincent would understand, having been forewarned of the repercussions. Instead, he crushed my toe bones and gouged out my eyes with a knife. “Why did you lie to me! It was your sister, Stella, who was the true bringer of blessings, you’re nothing but a walking curse!” he roared, his voice thick with fury. “You coveted the millions I promised, impersonated your sister, and caused my son’s eternal blindness!” Vincent ignored my desperate explanations. He pried open my jaw, ripped out my tongue by the roots, ensuring I could never speak again. Then, he imprisoned me in his basement, subjecting me to a year of unimaginable torment. On the day of his extravagant wedding to Stella, they deemed my cursed presence an ill omen and burned me alive. I died consumed by hatred. But then, I opened my eyes again. I was back. Back to the very day Vincent first showed up at my doorstep. This time, a sweet smile played on my lips as I stepped aside. “I’m a born curse. For saving lives, you should really go see my sister.” 1 Vincent froze for a moment, his brows furrowing tightly. His narrow eyes drilled into me, an unsettling intensity in their depths. He suddenly strode towards me, seizing my wrist in a crushing grip that sent a jolt of pain through me. “Skylar Bellweather, what game are you playing now! Don’t tell me you’re also…” Just then, my sister, Stella Bellweather, emerged slowly from behind me, taking her place behind Vincent. She lowered her head slightly, leaning intimately against his shoulder, a soft whine escaping her lips. “Oh, Vincent, I’ve missed you so much.” In my last life, Vincent had been a picture of agony, kneeling and weeping, begging me to save his son. My heart had softened, and I’d agreed. Stella, too, had always presented herself as fragile and helpless in front of me. If not for their combined cruelty, I would have died without ever knowing that the sister I’d worked so hard to support would betray me for the Arends family’s wealth! One glance was all it took. I understood. Vincent, Stella, and I… we had all been reborn. I remembered how Vincent, in his twisted punishment for my supposed curse blinding his son, had used pliers to rip out my tongue. Afterwards, fearing a new one might grow, he and Stella would take turns pouring scalding hot water down my throat every single day! The agonizing, soul-shattering pain was etched into my memory, clear as day, even after rebirth. Seeing their callous faces again, I yearned to tear them apart then and there. But before I could even react, Vincent’s face twisted into a snarl. He grabbed my arm, yanking me hard, and flung me onto the concrete in front of our shop. Vincent wrinkled his nose in disgust, his voice a cold blade. “Last life, it was my fault for believing your deceitful words, leading to Noah’s lifelong blindness. This time, I absolutely forbid you from uttering another cursed word!” Then, with a sickeningly sweet gesture, he gently took Stella’s hand. “This life, Noah will be saved by his new mother, the true bringer of blessings.” Stella showed not an ounce of guilt. Instead, she hugged Vincent, nodding vigorously, as if she truly were the gifted one. A shadow of sorrow flickered in my eyes. In my previous life, Vincent’s staunch belief that I was a curse, besides Stella’s manipulations, stemmed largely from the lead doctor’s statement: “Noah Arends has a very high chance of survival.” Because of that, Vincent was convinced Noah would have been perfectly fine without my intervention! That’s why he resented my “meddling” for causing his son’s permanent blindness! But on the day he begged me, I had explicitly told him that those saved would suffer a backlash. Now, Stella, a born curse herself, dared to stand beside Vincent with such an unblinking gaze, also convinced that the doctors would save Noah. I let out a humorless, chilling laugh. How foolish they were. Without my words, Noah would indeed live. But he would spend his entire life confined to a hospital bed, a living corpse, unable to speak or move. I remembered the boy I had saved in the last life, who, under Vincent and Stella’s insidious influence, believed I had deliberately harmed him. He, too, had joined in their torment. I took a deep breath. Let it go. The karma of villains wasn’t mine to interfere with. I was eager to see how Stella, without my intervention this time, would manage to awaken Vincent’s son! 2 My reputation as a life-saver, the “Skylar the Blessed,” spread far and wide in this town. Every day, people flocked to my door. Now, seeing me battered and bruised on the ground, they swarmed around, their faces etched with curiosity. Vincent loomed over me, then sharply stomped his foot down, grinding it onto my fingers. A searing, bone-deep pain shot through me, and I let out a cry of agony. Vincent pressed down harder, waiting until my screams grew louder, then curled his lips into a cold smirk. “That’s more like it. Since you’re a born curse, you should be making these unpleasant, wretched sounds!” “Why be so greedy, resorting to murder for wealth?!” he declared, righteous as a judge. Suddenly, he lifted his foot. I gasped for breath, but before I could even pull back my bloodied hand, Vincent kicked me hard in the chest. The blow was delivered with full force. I flew through the air like a ragdoll, my insides burning with fiery pain. A metallic taste of blood welled up in my throat. Some of the onlookers were my former clients, and they quickly rallied to my defense. “Who are you?! Why are you treating Skylar the Blessed like this? She’s helped so many of us!” “Exactly! Last month, my grandpa was at death’s door, but thanks to Miss Skylar, he not only recovered but is now lively enough to walk around!” “So who the hell are you, and why are you doing this to Skylar the Blessed? Explain yourselves, or we won’t let you get away with it!” Hearing their voices rise in my defense, a faint warmth bloomed in my chest. But Vincent just pointed at me, spewing venom. “You’ve all been deceived by this Skylar Bellweather! She’s no bringer of blessings; on the contrary, she’s a born curse, bringing nothing but harm!” The crowd erupted in murmurs, instinctively refuting him. “You’re talking nonsense! Everyone has seen Miss Skylar’s blessings with their own eyes, and we’ve personally experienced her good fortune! How could she be a curse?!” At that moment, Stella stepped forward, her voice laced with feigned hurt. “That’s me! I am the true bringer of blessings. All those things you prayed for, I was the one who made them happen!” She cast a sorrowful glance at me. “Sister, please stop this! I can’t bear to hide your secret any longer, nor can I let you continue down this path of mistakes!” Her eyes welled up, tears flowing at just the right moment, painting her as the perfect caring sister. She turned to the crowd. “If Skylar Bellweather truly brings blessings and can save lives, then why do those she saves often develop other physical ailments?” Stella’s words were like a stone dropped into calm water, sending ripples through the crowd. “Yeah, my grandpa, though he recovered, his speech isn’t as clear as before.” “Come to think of it, you’re right. Last year, my mom, with late-stage cancer, was saved by Miss Skylar’s words, but she’s been wheelchair-bound ever since.” “My dad also experienced a negative effect, but Miss Skylar did tell us beforehand, didn’t she, that those saved would pay a price?” Stella’s voice rang out, clear and forceful. “That’s because I am the true bringer of blessings; I’ve been praying for all of you behind the scenes!” She pointed a finger at me, her voice dripping with accusation. “But Skylar Bellweather has been usurping my place, basking in all your adoration!” “Your family members’ physical defects? Those are entirely due to her cursed words!” Vincent stepped forward then, embracing Stella, his voice firm. “I can vouch for it. Stella is the true bringer of blessings, the one who can intercede. Skylar Bellweather only curses. That’s why I’m treating her this way!” The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whom to believe, but the looks directed at me were now tinged with resentment. Just then, several stones whizzed through the air towards me. I couldn’t dodge them all, and one struck my forehead, immediately gushing blood. A shrill, piercing scream cut through the air. “Curse! You killed my grandfather! I demand retribution!” 3 A figure lunged at me, landing a punch on my body. I trembled with pain, collapsing onto the ground in agony. “It was her! She said she could cure my grandpa’s leg ailment, took a huge sum of money from him, and then, shortly after her ‘blessing,’ my grandpa died, bleeding from all seven orifices!” The man shrieked, tears streaming down his face. “It’s all this black-hearted curse’s fault for killing Grandpa, leaving him without even a coffin, still lying at home!” I snapped my head up, staring at the man who was furiously cursing me. A face utterly, completely unfamiliar! I had never seen him before. Why was he lying?! This question lingered for barely a second before Stella’s voice provided the answer. It was Stella’s doing! She feigned a look of shock and dismay. “Skylar, why didn’t you tell me about this?” she cried, her voice trembling. “Without my blessings, didn’t you know your cursed words would kill someone?!” I struggled to my feet, my body weak, and shouted back at the man, “I didn’t! I’m the true bringer of blessings, and I’ve never seen you before!” But my voice was instantly drowned out by the clamor of the crowd’s whispers and shouts. Vincent shot me a look of pure loathing. “Skylar Bellweather, you truly are disgusting. I was too lenient with you in the last life!” If before, the crowd had only been suspicious, this staged performance instantly solidified their belief that I was a born curse. They completely forgot how they had once begged me, now turning into ungrateful ingrates, hurling accusations and insults. “Bah! You black-hearted curse! Why didn’t your mother just strangle you at birth! To bring you into the world just to harm people!” “Exactly, exactly! And you still want to enjoy the reputation of a bringer of blessings? Do you even deserve it?!” “This makes me so angry! No wonder you always warned us about the price before saving anyone—it was your cursed words at work all along! And I actually thought you were kindly reminding us!” Saving a life, plucking someone from the grasp of death, going against fate itself—how could there be no backlash?! But they wouldn’t listen to my explanations, instead starting to hurl objects at me. Eggs, beer bottles, stones, rotten vegetables… I curled up on the ground, shielding my head, my body throbbing with pain from the impacts. I forced my eyes open, only to see Vincent and Stella’s triumphant, gloating smiles. Stella’s voice was loud and clear, full of arrogant mirth. “Skylar Bellweather, your cursed nature has been exposed! Let’s see who dares to ask you for help now!” As Stella’s confident words faded, another clear, pleasant voice rang out. “I will!” The next second, a slender, handsome young man stepped in front of me, shielding me from the barrage of objects. The crowd momentarily froze, their hands instinctively halting. I looked at this unexpected stranger. He was tall and carried an air of nobility, yet his clothes screamed only one word: humble. What was strange was that he bore a slight resemblance to Vincent. He turned to me, his gaze earnest. “Miss Bellweather, please, I beg you, save my mother!” He pulled a savings passbook from his pocket, pleading. “This is all the money I have. Please, pray for my mother. She was in a car accident and has been in a coma for months!” But before I could react, Vincent roared, “Atticus Arends, what the hell are you doing here, you bastard?!” Atticus? The name clicked in my mind. Vincent’s father, a notorious womanizer in his youth, had cheated on Vincent’s mother during her pregnancy, fathering a son with another woman. That son was Atticus Arends! Atticus’s gaze didn’t waver, fixed intently on me, his voice resolute. “Please, I beg you!” I swallowed the rising bitterness in my throat and asked him, my voice cold, “Did you hear everything that just happened?” Atticus nodded. I was a little surprised. “And you still come to me? Didn’t you hear them say I’m a curse, that I’ll bring harm?” Atticus’s face was stone-cold, but his eyes held an unwavering resolve. “You won’t. Grandpa said you’re a good person, and to only come to you in the direst of circumstances. You must be the Empath he spoke of.” Stella couldn’t resist sneering from the side. “Typical bastard! Can’t even understand common sense. If you want to kill your mom, go right ahead and find her!” Vincent, too, wore an expression of smug amusement. “I was just wondering how to get rid of your mother, that bitch. Perfect! I’d love to see how this curse kills your mom; it’ll bring me great joy!” To be honest, seeing the ungrateful faces of those I had once saved filled me with a profound chill. But Atticus, despite the mockery and scorn from everyone else, stood firm, unwavering in his belief in me. I took a deep breath, then nodded. “Alright, I agree to help you, but…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396425”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was raised to be utterly useless, so after graduation, my only choice was to follow my family’s arrangements and become a nanny. When my boyfriend, Collin Sterling, found out I was a nanny, he broke up with me in a rage that very night. He was stepping out of a luxury car with a prim and proper campus queen, their arms intertwined, just as I was stepping out in my apron to take out the trash. The campus queen saw me and immediately wrinkled her nose in disgust, taking two steps back. “Honey, look at her! She’s doing this just to gross me out! She’s clearly still not over you!” Collin kicked the trash bag out of my hands, his warning sharp and vicious. “Anna Hayes, stop clinging to me! If you mess up my contract signing with the Sterling Group, you couldn’t afford to pay me back even if you were a nanny for the rest of your life!” I cried all the way back to my employer’s house. My employer’s wife was even more frantic than I was, immediately calling her husband, who was in a meeting at the Sterling Group, to come home. It took both of them to finally calm me down. Collin Sterling would never have dreamed that, yes, I was a nanny, but my employers were my own brother and his wife. 1 The moment the trash bag was kicked open, a cascade of designer watches and handbags spilled out. The campus queen, Amelia Vance, paused for a moment, then clung to Collin’s arm, looking down her nose at me. “Tch! Just a bunch of junk. Only you would treasure such things!” Despite her words, Amelia’s gaze was glued to a limited-edition handbag on the ground, worth two hundred thousand dollars. She complained petulantly to Collin, “Honey, didn’t I tell you? Leaving her was the right decision. I was wondering why she’d willingly be a nanny. It seems like it’s a quick way to make money, huh?” “After all, how much can a nanny make? These things might be worth a little if she sells them secondhand! She must have stolen them from her employers!” I quickly waved my hands. “No, that’s not it!” “We have a rule in our family, no matter how poor we are, we can’t pick up trash!” “You shouldn’t pick them up either. My parents said that people who pick up trash will become poor!” I was trying to be helpful, but Amelia’s face instantly soured. “Who are you looking down on?!” “Collin inherited his family’s company right after graduation! He’s the youngest CEO right now!” “You couldn’t even afford a single toilet in the mansion he lives in, even if you were a nanny for your entire life!” I was shocked. A toilet that even my three-hundred-thousand-dollar monthly salary couldn’t buy? That must be really expensive. Although I knew Collin’s family had some money when we were dating, my family wasn’t bad either! But before I could tell him about my family, he had already broken up with me in a sudden, drastic manner. Amelia proudly puffed out her chest, snorting through her nose. “You’re a proper university graduate, after all. Is it that hard to find a decent job at your age? What future is there in being a lowly nanny?!” “While you’re on your knees scrubbing floors, I’m sitting on the sofa, sipping afternoon tea!” Though her words were harsh, I thought she had a point. I really was incompetent, unable to even find a proper job. I could only live off my brother and his wife at home… Collin saw me with my head bowed in silence, assumed I was feeling insecure, and his vanity was greatly satisfied. “Forget it, Amelia. Talking to her is like playing a piano to a cow. Here!” He handed me a business card condescendingly. “For the sake of our past relationship and being university classmates, don’t say I didn’t help you. My branch office is looking for a receptionist.” “Mention my name, and they can raise your salary to thirty-eight hundred. It’s definitely more respectable than being a nanny here!” “Collin, you’re too kind!” Amelia said, full of admiration, clinging to him. She then turned to me, her gaze condescending. “But I’m warning you, Collin will only help you this once. Don’t even think about clinging to him in the future!” I nodded, blushing. He was so nice, willing to find me a job. “Alright, alright! Let’s not waste time with her. Don’t forget we’re signing a contract with the Sterling Group today!” “Anna Hayes, stop clinging to me! If you mess up my contract with the Sterling Group, you couldn’t afford to pay me back even if you were a nanny for the rest of your life!” I scratched my head. The Sterling Group? Wasn’t that my family’s company? Collin, after the breakup, was a bit fierce, completely different from when we were dating. I had never been treated like this. Normally, I would have already been in tears. I’d probably be crying my eyes out at home, needing my brother and his wife to comfort me all day. This time, however, I managed to hold it in. My sister-in-law said I was a grown-up now and couldn’t cry at the drop of a hat. But I wasn’t born a crybaby. It was just that I had never really been wronged before. I was raised to be a sweet, quiet girl with a clumsy tongue. When I was bullied, I would just go home and cry under the covers. My parents were frustrated. “Our family runs one of the biggest companies in the country!” “Those other rich kids, their families are far less wealthy than ours, but they’re all arrogant and extravagant!” “And look at you, so meek. When people bully you, all you do is cry!” “Can’t you be a bit tougher? With our family’s background, what are you so afraid of?!” I would shrink my neck, unable to look up, but I never changed. Later, my sister-in-law couldn’t stand it anymore. She waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, let her be. Our family has money. You can just stay home and do nothing. Your brother and I will take care of you!” I was incredibly moved, but I was also afraid of being called a freeloader. So I insisted on doing something for my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law reluctantly let me be the nanny who takes out the trash. My job was basically to occasionally clear out out-of-season clothes, bags, and watches. I figured, with a salary and annual leave, it was a proper job, right? My sister-in-law paid me three hundred thousand a month, with three hundred and sixty-five days of annual leave. As for the work itself, my sister-in-law said that taking care of myself was more important than anything else. 2 When I had cleaned up the trash on the ground and returned home, Collin and Amelia were bowing and scraping to our housekeeper. “Ma’am, is Mr. Hayes home? We have an appointment to sign a contract today, the Sterling project…” The housekeeper told them to wait and turned to get them some water. Collin immediately rushed forward. “Oh, ma’am, please don’t bother! I’ll get it, I’ll get it! We can handle such small things ourselves!” He grabbed the water pitcher, his movements as eager as a waiter’s. Hearing footsteps, they thought my brother had returned. They quickly stood up and gave me a ninety-degree bow. “Mr. Hayes, you…” Our eyes met, and the smiles on their faces instantly froze. “What are you doing here?” Amelia asked, her eyebrows knitted. I scratched my head and answered honestly, “I’m the nanny here.” Amelia wanted to ask more, but the sound of clicking heels echoed from the stairs. It was my brother and sister-in-law coming down. My sister-in-law was poised and elegant, my brother exuded a natural authority, and I looked on with a fawning expression. Collin and Amelia immediately straightened up, their faces wrinkled with smiles. But my sister-in-law didn’t even glance at them. She turned to me with a stern face. “Did you throw out all that trash?” “Yes, yes, all of it!” I quickly replied, afraid she would get angry. My sister-in-law snorted coldly. “Good. You need to know your place!” “What’s for you and what’s not, you’d better figure it out!” I shrank back in fear, repeatedly saying I wouldn’t dare. Although my things weren’t the absolute top of the line, they were still big brands. But my sister-in-law said they were trash and didn’t belong in our house. Collin and Amelia had an “I knew it” expression on their faces. “Some nannies just get too big for their britches. It’s only because Mr. and Mrs. Hayes are so nice that they’re willing to give her a chance.” “Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, you should check carefully. Make sure nothing is missing from your house!” My brother and sister-in-law gave them a bewildered look. “You know her?” my brother asked. This made Collin ecstatic. After all, Mr. Hayes initiating a conversation was the beginning of building a relationship! “We were university classmates,” he said, avoiding the fact that we had dated. “Back then, she was known for being a bit slow in school! Not only was she not very bright, but she cried all the time, as if someone was bullying her!” Amelia covered her mouth and giggled. “That’s right.” “Collin even made a bet with the other guys, who could be the first to win her over. It turned out she was so easy!” “Just bring her breakfast and say a few encouraging words, and she’d be moved to tears.” Amelia got more and more carried away. “She should take a look at herself. A person who can only be a nanny after graduation, why would she think someone could genuinely like her! Hahaha…” “Enough! Where did you two come from?” my brother roared. The crystal chandelier in the living room trembled. “Maria, how many times have I told you? Don’t let just any riff-raff into the house.” Collin and Amelia were stunned, thinking my brother was annoyed by their chatter. They quickly changed the subject. “Oh, Mr. Hayes, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I’m Collin Sterling. I called your secretary before, about signing the contract, you see…” Collin rambled on with his introduction. But my brother’s gaze was fixed on me. I had my head bowed, twisting the hem of my apron. My eyes were already red, tears welling up, but I held them back, determined not to cry. My sister-in-law’s face instantly changed. “Maria, show them out!” Collin and Amelia were completely stunned. “Ah? Mrs. Hayes, what… what’s wrong? We haven’t even… the contract…” “Get out!” My sister-in-law’s anger was even more terrifying than my brother’s. I was so scared I ran back to my room. Collin and Amelia were dragged out, still not knowing how they had offended the Sterling Group. 3 They were right, actually. I really wasn’t very likable. In school, I was like an outcast, always alone and quiet, crying at the slightest provocation. So when Collin appeared, I truly thought I had seen the light. It wasn’t until today that I realized that the warmth I thought I had found was just a bet from the very beginning. There was a soft knock on the door. “Anna, don’t be sad,” my sister-in-law said gently, her voice incredibly soft. “I’ve already kicked them out. It’s all your brother’s fault! Where did he find those two? They’re not even worthy of setting foot in our house.” “Yes, yes, my fault. I’ll blacklist them immediately!” “Don’t listen to their nonsense. In my eyes, our Anna is kind and lovely, a hundred times better than those rich girls who only know how to spend money!” My nose stung, and tears almost fell. “Exactly,” my brother chimed in. “So what if my sister is introverted? So what if she’s not good with words? She has us! You could lie at home all day and eat until you’re a pig, and we’d still support you!” I giggled, and as soon as I opened the door, my sister-in-law hugged me, stroking my head. “Maria made your favorite little cakes. If we don’t go now, Max will eat them all!” In the middle of the night, I snuck out to retrieve the trash I had thrown away. Even though my sister-in-law said those things were beneath me, they had been with me for so long that I had grown attached. I figured she wouldn’t know if I hid them. But after searching for half an hour, they were all gone! Damn it, are the garbage collectors really that fast now? That night, I thought for a long time. My brother and sister-in-law were so good to me; I couldn’t really lie around at home for the rest of my life. After much consideration, I decided to go out and find a job, to toughen myself up a bit. My brother and sister-in-law couldn’t dissuade me and reluctantly agreed, on the condition that I first get used to working at our own company. The next morning, Maria packed my things with teary eyes. “If anyone bullies you out there, just run. If you can’t outrun them, call us. Don’t just hide and cry by yourself!” When the car was filled with bags of all sizes, my brother laughed in exasperation. “Are you going to work, or on a pilgrimage?” At the company, my brother personally handed me over to the HR manager. “Give her an easy job!” The manager nodded with a smile and then took me to the reception desk. The morning passed quickly. At lunchtime, I had just taken out the lunchbox Maria had prepared for me when the elevator doors opened. Amelia, clinging to Collin, walked towards me, holding a high-end gift box. But the handbag she was carrying… why did it look so familiar, like the one I had just thrown away last night? I squinted at it. They saw me and looked like they had just swallowed a fly. “Why are you here again?” She hid the bag behind her back, then said, “Oh.” “Did you offend Mrs. Hayes? She wanted to kick you out, but…” She looked at me mysteriously. “Mr. Hayes felt sorry for you? So he put you in the company?” “Anna Hayes, I didn’t realize you were so manipulative!” “No… I…” Oh, my clumsy tongue. I stammered for a while, unable to get the words out. Forget it, I’ll just eat. When I opened my lunchbox, a small Australian lobster lay on a bed of rice, next to Maria’s secret-recipe abalone and foie gras, with a small dish of black truffle sauce on the side. Amelia was stunned at first, then burst out laughing. “Anna Hayes, a nanny trying to pretend she’s rich!” “You can fool them, but you want to put on an act in front of us? Hahaha…” When she had laughed her fill, she lectured me in a patronizing tone. “You should be more down-to-earth. If you don’t have the life for it, don’t try to fake it. Be careful not to overdo it and get caught by Mrs. Hayes!” 4 Just then, a “ding!” sounded. The elevator doors opened again, and my brother strode out. Collin and Amelia’s eyes lit up. They immediately held up the gift box with a fawning expression. “Mr. Hayes, you don’t have to come down to get us!” “We can go up ourselves…” But my brother walked straight to me, took my chopsticks, and put a piece of food in his mouth. “Don’t eat it all, leave some for me!” I nodded with my cheeks puffed out. Because of what happened the other day, my sister-in-law had specifically told Maria not to prepare any food for my brother. He was now out looking for food, hungry. But he was also extremely busy, and only had a few bites before he had to go to another meeting. Collin and Amelia stood to the side, too surprised to say anything. Finally, Collin, not giving up, approached. “Mr. Hayes, about the contract…” My brother didn’t even turn his head. “We’ll talk about it later, later!” Amelia’s face was very unpleasant. “Don’t be so smug. You just got lucky this time!” My first day at work was actually quite nice. Everyone was very kind to me, constantly feeding me snacks. My mouth didn’t stop moving all day. When it was time to go home, I packed my things and prepared to wait for my brother at the entrance. Just as I stepped out of the main door, Amelia and Collin appeared again. They saw me standing in front of an electric scooter. “Yo! Didn’t Mr. Hayes even get you a car?” “It seems you’re not that important to him after all!” “As a classmate, let me give you some friendly advice. Being a mistress doesn’t end well!” I quickly waved my hands. “This isn’t my scooter! I’m waiting for someone…” “Waiting for what? Waiting for Mr. Hayes to pick you up? Hahaha, Anna Hayes, give you an inch and you take a mile!” The words had barely left her mouth when a car horn honked. My brother sat in the back seat, rolling down the window to look at me. “Get in! What are you waiting for?!” I slowly opened my brother’s car door and sat down beside him. In the rearview mirror, Amelia and Collin looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief. That night, Collin actually sent me a text. “Anna, are you asleep?” “I’ve been thinking for a long time, and I want to apologize for my immaturity back then.” “Seeing you these past few days has brought back all our memories.” “Even though it was just a bet back then, I really did… love you!” I quickly threw my phone under the bed. Sister-in-law! So scary, they made another bet! I thought ignoring his texts would be enough, but Collin actually chased me to the company. It was the same old routine, preparing breakfast for me, then saying sweetly, “You can do it today!” The old me might have fallen for it, but these past few days, my colleagues had told me, “When a scumbag comes back, it’s only for revenge!” So scared that as soon as he stepped into the company, I hid in the bathroom. He stayed for a day, I hid for a day! That day, I had just come out of the bathroom and found a crowd of people gathered at the reception desk, chattering away, as if watching some drama unfold. Amelia was pointing a finger at Collin’s nose, screaming at him. “Collin Sterling, you don’t really think this kept mistress and nanny, Anna Hayes, can save your family’s company, do you?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396410”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 It all started because the wolf-mother who raised me snagged a thread on Eleanor’s favorite dress – Eleanor, Benedict Thorne’s childhood sweetheart. In a fit of rage, Benedict summoned the butchers. They hacked off my wolf-mother’s four paws, then tossed her into a vat of sulfuric acid. I cradled her dying body, screaming at Benedict. “I told you I was raised by wolves! How is this any different from cutting off my own mother’s limbs?” But Benedict just stood there, a cold mask on his face, shielding Eleanor’s eyes as he looked at me. “You’re nothing but a stray my stepmother picked up from God knows where. Don’t try to fool me with your wild tales!” My wolf-mother, her body mangled and bloody, still struggled to inch towards me. I crawled to her, pulling her into my arms. “I stayed with the Thorne family to repay their kindness, for giving our pack a sanctuary. You chased after me for hundreds of miles, unwilling to let me go, but I never imagined it would lead to this.” That night, clutching my wolf-mother, I bowed deeply before Aunt Martha’s memorial tablet. “Aunt Martha, the Thorne family’s animal parks now span the continent. They no longer need my ability to command animals. I should have left long ago.” … Just as I was about to blow the bone flute hanging around my neck, she stirred, trying to stop me. Wolves repay kindness. The Thornes took in old, sick, and injured animals, giving the pack a home. I knew she didn’t want me to destroy the Thorne legacy unless absolutely necessary. The vet shook his head, looking at the bones, flesh melted and cracked by the concentrated sulfuric acid. “There’s nothing we can do.” “Doctor, she used to be the fastest wolf in the forest. To not reattach her limbs… isn’t that condemning her to death?” My sobs tore through me. My wolf-mother reached out a mangled limb, trying to wipe away my tears, then recoiled, realizing she had no paws. She curled into a pathetic ball of despair. I stayed by her side all night, eventually crying myself into a tormented sleep. A loud bang ripped through the quiet. The main door was kicked open. The butler dragged me, pulling me to my knees before the grand hall of the Thorne Estate. Eleanor lay limp on a plush chaise lounge, her face meticulously made up to look fragile and injured, barely clinging to life. I started to rise, but Benedict’s hand lashed out, delivering a brutal slap across my face. “Eleanor went to survey the wilderness and was bitten by these ungrateful beasts! Tell me, was it your doing?” He gestured to a nearby iron cage. Only then did I see it held several wolf pups. They were severely beaten, their fur torn, barely alive. Suppressing the throbbing pain and swelling on my face, I crawled towards the cage, intending to free them. But the butler yanked me back several feet. Benedict’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t care about the person injured because of you, but you rush to these animals’ aid! Bury them alive!” I dragged my body, struggling back to the cage. One of the pups wore a leg band I had personally fastened. I had delivered them myself in the forest. Their soft paws had rested in my palm, as if telling me not to worry. But their plaintive whimpers tightened a knot of bitter sorrow in my chest. I grit my teeth, glaring at Benedict. “They didn’t hurt Eleanor! They said they saw her being kidnapped, and they scared off the attackers, saving her!” Benedict paused, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Eleanor’s tears immediately began to fall in rivulets. She stepped forward, grasping Benedict’s hand. “It was definitely these animals that hurt me, Benedict. Why would I lie to you? She’s just trying to play her old tricks again. Who can understand what animals are saying?” “If she truly understood them, and yet allowed her venomous snake to bite you, wouldn’t that just prove she intended to harm you?” Benedict shot me an angry look, then ordered the entire cage to be moved to the back hill of the villa. Before, to find a cure for Benedict, I’d let that snake bite me countless times, only to find it was never venomous. And I couldn’t understand why an usually docile snake would suddenly attack Benedict. Before I could speak another word, Benedict lunged forward, his fingers tightening around my throat, as if to choke the life out of me. “Then how did I get poisoned? Selena Thorne, there’s a limit to how much you can lie! If Eleanor hadn’t brought the antidote, I would be dead.” I tore his hands away, arching my back and leaping onto the cage like a wolf, snarling, scaring everyone away. “Whoever dares touch them will have to step over my dead body!” 2 Benedict’s eyes widened at my feral posture, and his voice softened. “I truly don’t understand you. Why are you so fixated on these animals, even mimicking them?” A bitter ache bloomed in my chest. He used to love my affinity for animals, letting me keep all sorts of creatures in the villa, even complimenting me, saying I was as cute as a little wolf. But ever since he was bitten by that snake, all my animal companions were sent away, leaving only my wolf-mother by my side. And now he claims not to understand me. My eyes red, I kept them from approaching. Then, a sharp blow landed on my head. My vision went black, and I collapsed. When I woke again, a searing pain tore through my scalp. I clutched my head, rubbing it frantically. I heard a familiar, cold voice. “I told you to go easy. Why isn’t she awake yet?” The butler bowed apologetically, then, seeing me stir, quickly alerted Benedict. He took three long strides to the bed, paused just before sitting, and sneered, “Now you feel a headache, do you? You were so stubborn just now. Those animals are dead. Go apologize to Eleanor properly, and this whole thing will be over.” I grabbed the hem of his jacket, my voice trembling. “Benedict, why are you doing this to me?” A flash of indifference crossed Benedict’s eyes. He yanked his hand away. “Martha was a homewrecker who caused my mother’s death. You’re her illegitimate child, and you released a poisonous snake to bite me, hoping to seize my family’s fortune. What else do you expect me to do to you?” “I told you, if you just behave, I’ll let you live comfortably in the Thorne household. But you insist on defying me for these creatures, time and time again.” “Aunt Martha wasn’t a homewrecker! She and your father only met after your mother’s suicide, because of their shared love for animals –” With a crash, Benedict swept all the cups and dishes off the table, cutting me off. “Are you going to tell me your wild tale of being raised by wolves again? I must have been out of my mind to believe you before!” He slammed the door shut, his face etched with fury. Watching his retreating back, my heart turned to ash. Years ago, Aunt Martha, during a wilderness survey, stopped a hunter from shooting me. She approached me cautiously, only to discover I was a naked girl. I bared my teeth and growled at her, but she simply extended her hand. From that day on, she taught me to read, to walk upright, and used the Thorne family’s wealth to expand a vast wolf sanctuary. In return, I used my unique ability to communicate with animals to help her gather rare data, making the Thorne family a global leader in animal research, securing many patents. She brought me back to the Thorne Estate. Years later, Benedict and I fell in love. He held my hand and swore he would marry no one else. Until his childhood friend, Eleanor, returned from abroad. She brought several doctored photos, supposedly showing his father’s affair with Aunt Martha. Then, Benedict was suddenly poisoned. After that, he transformed, treating me like an enemy. Aunt Martha’s assistant, the only person I still trusted, entered the room, her face grim. “Ms. Thorne, I’ve investigated everything. You need to brace yourself.” The assistant handed me a stack of documents. One by one, the photographs made me nearly stumble! When we married, Benedict had sworn to me. The Thorne family would only send orphaned young and animals incapable of hunting to zoos for care, never exploiting them for dangerous performances. But the documents revealed that in recent years, the Thorne family had been constructing animal parks everywhere, claiming to champion animal welfare, yet capturing rare animals to expand their collections. The photos showed various animals crammed into tiny cages, unable to stand upright. Trainers forced tiger cubs to jump through flaming hoops with whips, and monkeys to hold their breath underwater. Cheetahs had their fangs and claws removed for photoshoots. Brown bears were restrained by steel chains, immobile, their bile extracted daily. Cheap, useless animals were euthanized. The valuable ones were sold at low prices to circuses. Many of the poor, powerful beasts in the photos were my childhood companions. I remembered the exhilarating freedom of running through the forest with them. Now, their eyes held nothing but terror. A forest fire had destroyed their habitat, leaving them severely injured. I had believed the Thorne animal park could be a safe haven, never imagining I was personally sending them to hell. The original wilderness sanctuary had also been developed into a hunting ground for the wealthy. Seeing them holding up animal heads, proudly displaying them for the camera, I finally couldn’t stomach it anymore and threw up. I had failed them… The assistant, worried, helped me. “Ms. Thorne! Protecting animals was Aunt Martha’s lifelong mission. Now, it’s up to you.” I clenched my jaw and nodded. I had to take my wolf-mother, blow the bone flute, and let the Thorne family reap what they sowed! My wolf-mother was locked away in a room. I limped to the door, only to see a trail of blood leading from the room to the back hill of the villa. A cold dread gripped me. I rushed there. Before I even left the main house, I heard Benedict’s voice from the room. “You want wolf fur? I’ll find you another. Why –” 3 Eleanor’s voice, sugar-sweet, oozed, “That old wolf dragged those buried pups back into the house, making a bloody mess everywhere! It scared me half to death when I stepped out! Of course, I had to let off some steam.” “Benedict, doesn’t this wolf-fur bikini look good on me?” Benedict’s voice grew thick with desire. “Little devil, you look best without anything on.” I violently kicked the door open. Eleanor, clad in a bikini made from my wolf-mother’s fur, the same color as her pelt, was swaying provocatively against Benedict’s waist. I lurched forward, maddened, intending to rip the fur from her, but then I froze, seeing the bone flute on her chest. My eyes burned crimson. I lunged, my hands clamping around her throat. “Eleanor! What’s that around your neck?” Eleanor choked, her veins bulging, unable to speak. Benedict seized the opportunity, pulling me away with a rough shove. “Selena Thorne, have you lost your mind? It’s just a dying old wolf! I’ll catch you another one, won’t I?” Around Eleanor’s neck was a bone flute, made from my wolf-mother’s bones. It was identical to mine. This flute could command animals. Years ago, my wolf-mother had intentionally twisted her tail, allowing me to fashion it. I had only ever told Benedict about it. Now, he had told Eleanor, and even allowed her to kill my wolf-mother. Eleanor, on the chaise, feigned gasping for breath, yet a faint smile played on her lips as she raised an eyebrow at me. Ignoring the human mannerisms I had painstakingly learned over the years, I reverted to instinct, falling to the floor with a mournful howl, my nails digging bloody gouges into the polished wood. Benedict recoiled in alarm. Eleanor, surprisingly, leaned closer, cupping my chin to examine my face. She suddenly turned to Benedict and said, “Oh dear, Selena is under a wolf’s curse. That’s why her behavior is so wolf-like.” Furious, I seized Eleanor’s wrist, attempting to snatch the bone flute from her neck. Benedict, who had been wavering, saw me redden Eleanor’s wrist and immediately ordered his men to restrain me. Eleanor winked at me. “This curse isn’t hard to break. I learned a lot from the tribal elders in the rainforest.” She had them force me into a darkened room. In the suffocating blackness, deafening gongs exploded in my ears. I shrieked, clutching my head in agony. A blinding light pierced my eyes, like a sharp sword thrust into my eyeballs. I was raised by wolves. For fifteen years, my hearing, sight, and smell were hundreds of times more acute than a normal person’s – just like a wolf’s. Benedict had always known this. He once pretended to be a ghost, screaming next to my ear, and that single sound caused my eardrums to bleed, landing me in the hospital for seven days. He had been so remorseful, slapping himself until his face swelled, weeping openly before me. But now, because of Eleanor’s baseless accusation of a wolf’s curse, he was doing this to me. My eyes burned so fiercely I couldn’t open them. I could only scream into the void. “Benedict Thorne, you know I can’t stand bright light or loud noises! Do you truly believe in a wolf’s curse?!” Amidst my panic, a cold voice echoed in my ear. “I don’t believe it. But you bruised Eleanor’s hand. This is your punishment.” The gongs crashed, one wave after another. The butler brutally forced my eyelids open, exposing me directly to the blinding light. Benedict caught my collapsing body, his lips pressed tight as he saw the blood flowing from my eyes and ears. “Take Mrs. Thorne to bed.” Then, he took Eleanor’s wrist, which I had reddened, gently massaging it and blowing on it. Benedict took Eleanor to the hospital to examine the scrapes on her neck. After Aunt Martha’s passing, Mr. Thorne had fallen into a deep depression. Barely recovered, he now hobbled in, leaning on his cane, trembling. Seeing my dreadful state, he faltered, then collapsed to his knees. “Selena, I have failed you, and your Aunt Martha. I raised such an unworthy son, Benedict!” “I know you have the ability to command animals, which is why they stayed peacefully in the sanctuary. And those wild creatures treated us kindly because of your commands, allowing us to collect experimental data, securing the Thorne family’s standing in the scientific and business worlds.” Seeing the old man kneeling before me, I drew a sharp breath, enduring the pain as I spoke. “Now that Aunt Martha is gone, and the pack harmed, I won’t stay here for anything.” “Selena, it’s all my fault. The Thorne family’s legacy can’t be destroyed by Benedict! I’ll disinherit Benedict and forbid anyone from helping him. Please, don’t leave. Help the Thorne family one more time, won’t you?” I coughed up a mouthful of blood, my fingers tracing the bone flute around my neck. “Eleanor has already made a bone flute from my wolf-mother’s blood and bones. Go beg her. After all… Benedict said she’s a hundred times better than me.” I no longer listened to his pleas. A faint smile touched my lips. I raised the bone flute, blowing with all my might. A resounding wolf howl pierced the sky. Mr. Thorne’s face went ashen. “It’s over, it’s all over…” Within minutes, muffled thuds shook the Thorne family gates. BANG—BANG! The next second, the gates burst open! Through a cloud of dust, a pack of wild wolves, standing taller than men, roared!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396411”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The famous movie star and I have been at odds since kindergarten. He’d wipe snot on my backpack; I’d crack him over the head. In high school, he’d tear up my love letters; I’d beat him into the school infirmary. By twenty-five, I dominated the acting world with my unique, unconventional style, while he became a Movie Emperor thanks to his looks and talent. On a variety show, I drew a challenge to get a celebrity friend to say, “Are you crazy?” I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Fine, I’d bother Adrian. As soon as the call connected, I blurted out, “Wire me two million for clothes, fast!” There was a two-second silence on the other end, then he slowly spoke: “How about I peel myself and let you wear me instead?” The entire audience gasped. My phone pinged with a bank transfer notification. “Account ending in 8975 received 10,000,000.00 from interbank transfer.” 1 It was a variety show game, requiring me to call a celebrity friend and, without revealing I was filming, prompt them to say a specific phrase. The phrase was decided by drawing lots. I opened the slip of paper, and my vision went dark. [Task: Are you crazy?] What an obscure phrase, as inexplicable as a listening comprehension test. “Oh, this is so hard! Director, please give my dear Clara a different task!” Elara unexpectedly leaned in, linking her arm through mine and shaking it. Little brat, always so dramatic. We’d known each other for less than half an hour, and she was already putting on a show of sisterly affection. I gave a tight, unsmiling refusal. “It’s fine, no need to change it.” [What’s with this Clara? Elara is clearly trying to help her, who is she giving attitude to?!] [Poor Elara, getting bullied even on a show.] [Total queen bee, I swear. Indifferent to other girls, but if it’s a guy, she’ll chat endlessly.] [I’ve been watching her for several episodes. She was laughing and talking with Liam. She’s definitely a guy-magnet!] [Elara, ignore her. You treat her as a good friend, and she treats you like a tool!] I lowered my head, ignoring the comments, and considered who to call. No decent person would say such a thing, except… But, if I failed the task, I’d have to team up with Elara!!! I sighed, glancing at the person on the screen, feigning interaction. “What are you all talking about? Clara and I are very close, I like Clara, and Clara is very good to me too!” Fine, fine. Being disgusted for one minute versus being disgusted for a whole day—I’ll still choose the former. The dial tone sounded, and the camera’s high-definition lens precisely captured my phone screen, showing Adrian Eldon’s contact name. [Hot-bod with a sharp tongue but poisonous.] Oh no, how could I have overlooked the contact name detail?! The entire room gave me complex looks, and I chuckled awkwardly. “Cough, cough, a result of a truth-or-dare gone wrong. Forgot to change it back.” The flashy ringtone played on and on. As expected, in ten more seconds, the call would fail. An awkward, eerie atmosphere filled the air. Elara patted my shoulder comfortingly. “It’s okay, Adrian had a late-night shoot yesterday. He’s probably sleeping now.” Oh, you know that too, do you? 2 [Hot-bod, I can only say, super accurate, hahaha!] [Can he balance a soda bottle on it?!! Clara, make him try!] [What are the fans of ‘Guy-Magnet Clara’ raving about?! That contact name is so disrespectful, it just goes to show, fans are just like their idol.] [Can’t friends have a good relationship? Besides, Clara explained it was for a dare, didn’t she?] [Ahhh, why is everyone’s attention getting sidetracked! The sweet spot is clearly Elara knowing Adrian’s schedule! And knowing he’s sleeping!!!] [They must be dating! I don’t care, they are dating!] [My friend’s relative is in the industry and says Adrian and Elara have been dating for a long time, just not public. Apparently, they even spent New Year’s together this year.] [Clara is completely shameless, calling him right in front of his girlfriend, even showing off such an ambiguous contact name. She’s desperate for attention!] [Brainless attention-seekers are like that…] Finally, the call connected. “Hello?” A man’s hoarse, tired voice echoed in the studio, accompanied by slightly heavy breathing, sending shivers down my spine. He was clearly lying in bed, in a lazy posture. I looked suspiciously at Elara, whose face was flushed with shyness… No way, are they really dating? Oh, my condolences for your taste. It’s like a stale pancake. Ugh, I’ll eat after this, with fried dough and crispy flatbread! Adrian sounded a bit impatient, his voice laced with annoyance. “Miss Clara, it’s 8 AM Beijing time, and I’ve only had two hours of sleep. I hope you truly have something important to say.” I snapped back to reality and delivered my carefully prepared line. “Can I borrow two million to buy clothes?” Curse me! Come on, curse me! His breathing hitched, and it took a moment for him to speak. “You can peel me and wear me.” … The hosts and guests exchanged knowing glances, and the comments section was either “hahahaha” or mocking me for making a fool of myself. I wasn’t giving up, so I took a deep breath and started to get abstract. “Even if you stood naked in front of me, I’d still rummage through your pants pockets and transfer money to myself with your phone.” “Sorry, I can’t bring myself to hurt a man, but your little money is mine!” 3 Adrian remained silent, only the rustling of fabric against skin could be heard. Now he had to curse, right?! However, after a fleeting, mocking hum, the call was ruthlessly disconnected, without any drawn-out goodbyes. The busy tone faded into the studio’s noisy atmosphere. The host, visibly awkward, tried to salvage the situation. “It seems Mr. Eldon is indeed a bit tired after his late-night shoot.” The comments section exploded again, like a frenzy. [Hmph, he doesn’t even want to deal with you, Clara. Have some self-awareness!] [This is too cute, Adrian really was sleeping! Maybe Elara was even lying in the same bed with him just two hours ago, sniffle sniffle.] [Clara, get lost! Playing the homewrecker. And our Elara even defended you earlier! People who stab others in the back deserve a bad end!] I was on the verge of tears. Adrian usually had a tongue so sharp it could knock himself out for three days. Why was he so unreliable when I needed him for something important?! The camera stubbornly remained aimed at my phone. I frowned, trying to exit the messaging app, when a text message popped up from the top of the screen. [Your UnionPay card ending in 8975 received a real-time interbank transfer of 10,000,000.00 on Sep 11, 08:13…] WHAT?! Tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, ONE HUNDRED MILLION?! Adrian must have been half-asleep and confused?! Such a large sum, it felt like he was sending me funeral money… The entire room erupted, everyone gasped, staring at the excessively long number, unable to recover for a long time. The host exclaimed. “This was transferred by Mr. Eldon, right?!” “No, no, it might be the studio sending my sal…” Before I could finish the word ‘salary,’ Adrian’s messages began to flood the chat interface. [Here’s your small sum of money.] [And I’m indeed not wearing clothes.] [Dare to video call me!] The next second, the video call ringtone blared through the studio… 4 My blood boiled and surged, my heart racing erratically. The urgent ringing was like a ticking time bomb, counting down to destruction. Damn Adrian, couldn’t he shake his brain clear before replying to messages?! Making us look like adulterers! [What’s going on?! Isn’t Adrian dating Elara?] [Are they having an affair behind Elara’s back?! Oh my god! Elara’s lips are pale, my heart aches…] [What a scumbag and a whore, utterly despicable!] [Excuse me, a famous entertainment paparazzi once followed Adrian Eldon for three months, 24/7, and found that besides filming during the day, he would secretly leave the set at midnight to play Plants vs. Zombies at an internet cafe.] [I’m telling you, a person like that would have trouble even dating, how could he be a cheater?! Elara’s fans, stop barking wildly.] [Hahaha, the sister above me is hilarious.] [Although I hate to admit it, Adrian truly has the aura of someone destined to be alone…] [Mr. Eldon’s fans are just low-key, not dead! Why are you slandering him as a scumbag here?] [What if some shameless person offered themselves up? How low can Clara be?] I held my phone, caught between a rock and a hard place. Finally, I forced out a strained smile and loudly addressed the other guests. “Mr. Eldon must have guessed we’re filming and called on purpose. Let’s all chat with him!” I’m sorry, my butt isn’t big enough to take this blame alone; everyone, please help me out… I raised my arm, holding the phone high, making sure the camera framed everyone present. Elara’s sullen expression finally turned into a charming smile. She smoothed her hair twice, pursed her lips, and pushed herself to the very front. Great, I’ve already drafted the PR statement. Firstly, by not hanging up the video call but answering it, I was being open and clear, with a clear conscience. Secondly, if they were truly dating, I’d buy a round of press releases about how I was wildly shipping them and actively playing matchmaker. If they weren’t dating, it would perfectly divert the criticism to the pretentious Elara and the suddenly exhibitionist Adrian. A perfect plan! Such a clever mind!!! 5 The soft morning light was gentle, revealing the clean, sharp muscle lines of the man’s forearm. Adrian Eldon lay on the bed, half his face buried in the soft duvet. His dark hair was slightly curly, his eyes tired, his lips cool and defined, his spine gently rising and falling with his breath. I let out a long sigh of relief. Good, good, he was wearing an old man’s black tank top. It wouldn’t escalate to an R-rated scene. The next instant, Adrian subtly froze, meeting the gaze of nearly ten people crammed onto the screen. “Mr. Eldon, good morning.” “Aren’t you tired? It looks like you haven’t rested well.” Elara’s eyes sparkled, her voice full of concern. Adrian’s brows unconsciously lowered, his jawline tightening. I quietly shrank my face to the corner of the viewfinder. Oh no, the last time he made that deadly expression was when he found out I’d swapped his beard cream for depilatory cream… Yet Elara seemed completely oblivious, her smile growing even brighter. Sister, please, pay attention! The sound from the receiver was amplified dozens of times through the studio speakers; I could even hear Adrian grinding his teeth. “Clara, do you think I’m blind enough not to see you?” “What, did you change careers to become a madam? Holding a debutante ball for me here?” “Do I need to completely strip naked and do a little dance to liven things up?” One after another, disgruntled questions rained down. The surrounding air was enveloped in silence, deadly quiet, and even the host was speechless, unable to interject. The only sound in the entire studio was the incessant white noise of various equipment running. Suddenly, Adrian unexpectedly flipped over and sat up. His dog-like eyes narrowed to slits, then he laughed freely and unrestrainedly, his voice becoming clear and bright. Like the smugness after a successful prank. “Just a cold joke, did everyone get scared by that?” “Mr. Eldon is too naughty, I was really scared just now!” Elara pouted, her cheeks puffed up in a mock-anger. Adrian’s lips twitched twice, then he pulled them back to reveal his canine teeth. His neatly groomed morning hair made him look harmless. “Oh, Miss Elara is here too, I just noticed you.” … What an exquisite display of face-changing. What an unexpectedly wholesome ending. I looked at Adrian, who was now primly chatting with the host, with solemn respect. I truly didn’t envy his money-making skills. Just moments ago, he was so angry he looked ready to kill; now, he was smiling like a sweet girl. No wonder he could swindle and trick so many fans! 6 [Who is with whom? I’m confused!] [By rights, shouldn’t he have seen Elara first?!] [Hahaha, only I think he knew Elara was on the show too, so he deliberately played a trick, using Clara’s WeChat call to show off.] [But then the first thing he saw was his “wife’s” face, a bit awkward! So he blurted out something to interact with Clara!] [CP fans, please don’t be so terrifying, okay?!] [No, are the fans shipping Elara and Adrian just paid trolls? Clara and Adrian clearly have more tension.] [Ahhh, agreed! Love might not be real, but money is! That’s ten million! Ten million!!!] [Who cares who’s with whom, I just want to see the shirtless man.] [Adrian Eldon’s nose bridge is so high, it can accommodate Clara’s wild ways and her delicate features…] [??! I read that three times before I understood! My face is pale!] [A good chef’s word is a meal! A national banquet!!!] [Huh? Weren’t you cursing just now? How did we get on the highway so fast?] [Netizens’ faces change like…] [Stop shipping, go check out the fresh hot search instead.] [Your Clara passes through a field of green without a single leaf clinging to her. Adrian giving her ten million might still struggle to win her over!] The public opinion shifted inexplicably. Netizens began to wonder why I was so unusually calm and unaffected by Adrian’s declaration of being shirtless. Eventually, they discovered that my private life involved either hiring male escorts or being on the way to hire them. Even a completely unethical manager of a commercial KTV released a secretly filmed video! The private room was dimly lit and atmospheric, and I was loudly complaining as I looked at the male escort’s profiles. “This look is a host? I’d believe it if you told me he was a dung beetle!” “Sitting next to me, I thought they were hiring me.” “And this one is even more impressive, looks like a paper doll my grandma made!” … Not a single passerby wasn’t laughing. Even more busybodies intercepted notorious Hong Kong media headlines as jokes— [Handsome young men tempt on a seductive night, Clara busy being a herbivore.] Disgusting, utterly disgusting!!! For several days in a row, the hot search remained a sensation. My agent cursed me out, then informed me that a dating show and a drama script involving one woman and multiple men had caught wind of the situation and approached us. Hmm, merely five, six, seven, or eight, huh? Being infamous is still fame; I’m not picky! However, on the 56th hour of happily waiting to reap the benefits of traffic, I was summoned by my elders back home overnight. The reason given: arranged marriage… 7 Their unanimous explanation was that the entertainment industry was too murky, and even a pure young girl like me had been contaminated. I absolutely had to find someone to settle down with quickly. Haha, what a fresh and unconventional excuse. But I wasn’t that opposed to it. The plots in novels where wealthy children run away for love, refusing to shoulder family responsibilities, were clearly written by authors whose brains were slammed by a door. Seriously, who would give up their family’s money, their future partner’s family’s money, and even more money created through joint ventures, all for love?!!! I had my family arrange for the four prospective male candidates to meet at the same café, on the same afternoon, at different times. A rotating banquet, much more efficient!!! … Leo Sterling, a fair-skinned, cheerful puppy who blushes easily?! Not bad, keep his card, bestow a perfumed pouch! Ethan Vance, quiet, refined, emotionally intelligent, and with beautiful hands?! Hehehe, keep his card! Caleb Moodie, humorous, arrogant husky with dimples?! Keep, keep, keep! Can’t I really have them all?! Then I’d have a lawful wife, beautiful concubines, and even an outside mistress!!! The sun was setting in the west, and the evening glow cast bright colored blocks through the glass onto the table corner. My Panama Geisha coffee was almost cold. Tsk, the fourth male guest was late~ If you don’t come soon, I’ll kick you out of my imperial harem! Idle hands make for idle minds, so I opened my phone, ready to verbally abuse Adrian for some fun. After all, he played a part in my happy single life being forced to end so soon. [Female lead literally does nothing but kicks your head.] [What’s with the casual talk about taking off clothes?] [Now look, I’m being dragged home for an arranged marriage!!!] [My grand plans! I hadn’t even had time to throw a stripping party at home!] [Is life going into the grave so soon?!] [The fourth one is too late, damn it!] [I have a hunch, this kind of man with no sense of time is definitely a rich, generous but bald kappa.] [No, I absolutely have to indulge myself tonight!] [I’m not returning that ten million, consider it your contribution to the city’s midnight entertainment industry.] [Though I never intended to return it anyway.] [Big breasts, deep abs, a V-line—black or white, tonight I’m getting them all! Thrilling!!!] [Oh no, they’re here, I can hear the footsteps, sounds so slimy!] The door was pushed open from outside by a server. The heavy sandalwood scent of the corridor mixed with a cool breeze rushed in. I turned my head to look back; overly long legs were perfectly encased in trousers, and a crisp black leather jacket exuded excellent quality. He raised his hand and waved his phone at me. The sapphire embedded in the bezel of the sports mechanical watch on his wrist, which cost over a million, refracted tiny specks of light. Young, handsome, and rich. He glanced playfully at the chat window, full of messages. His tone was lazy and gentle. “Using my money to find excitement?” “Why don’t you bring your fiancé, me, and we’ll have even more excitement together?” WHAT?! 8 The hazy pink sunset softened the chilly autumn air. Looking downstairs, a river winding through the city shimmered with light. A beautiful moment. Of course, this required ignoring the man opposite me, who was ordering scones, croissants, and soufflés as if no one else existed… Dude, have you been starved for three days and just released?! Can someone tell me why my sworn enemy is on the arranged marriage list?! “You’re just here to make up the numbers for an arranged marriage, not to freeload, are you?” I couldn’t help but speak when Adrian took his third bite of cream. “Who said I was making up the numbers?” I was speechless. “Wow, don’t tell me it’s because you secretly like me?” Adrian’s gaze subtly swept over me, then he gave a faint smile. “Anyway, we’re both getting married. We’re childhood friends, a match made in heaven. Isn’t that much better than strangers?” Oh, you are such a…! In kindergarten, he secretly wiped snot on my backpack. In elementary school, he played hairdresser and shaved my head bald. In middle school, he showed off his basketball skills and hit me, sending me to the hospital. In high school, he secretly burned the love letters handsome boys sent me. Every single one a capital offense, too many to list… A stack of documents was tossed in front of me, timely quelling the anger that was on the verge of erupting. Adrian raised an eyebrow, leaning lazily back in his chair. “Take a look first.” I patiently lowered my eyes to read the contents. Medical reports, studio financial statements, personal asset settlements, prenuptial agreement… “For the first part, I suggest you focus on the eight infectious diseases. All negative.” Adrian took a sip of water, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee. “As for the rest, I assume you’re only interested in how much money you’ll get. Those are on the last page of the prenuptial agreement.” !!! [On the basis of equality, voluntariness, and fairness, through friendly negotiation, Party A (Adrian Eldon) voluntarily gifts the following assets to Party B (Clara Moodie): 1. Several properties. 2. Several vehicles. … In the event of emotional breakdown, 70% of Party A’s assets shall belong to Party B after divorce.] Oh no, this is truly tempting. A person can’t just throw away money for dignity, right? But why does it subtly feel like a trap? I cleared my throat, feigning reserve. “May I ask, what do you want?” “So many people are captivated by your looks, like Elara last time. If she could marry you, even without a dowry, she’d be overjoyed.” “Why go to all this trouble with me?” Adrian pressed his left hand to his brow bone, looking out the window. “For peace and quiet. We can do our own thing; you can freely spend my money at bars.” His tone deepened, an unrestrained smile spreading in his eyes. “As for that Elara, I’m looking for a wife, not genuine charity.” “The disparity in looks between her and me would only make me feel I was being taken advantage of.” Your old narcissistic self is truly twenty-five years unchanged. “So, what do you think?” Adrian slowly offered a pen. “Sign now, and your promised money will be in your account tonight.” Oh, you’re being redundant! Sign! Must sign!! Sign immediately!!! 9 Autumn rain fell in fine threads, moistening the flagstone street, reflecting the honeyed glow of the streetlights. My hand was held tightly, and I was enveloped in his coat, still warm with his scent, warming my limbs. I gritted my teeth, “You’re overacting.” Adrian, smiling, held an umbrella and nodded as he said goodbye to my parents. “How can we fool everyone if we don’t act realistically?” On the third day of our friendly cooperation, Adrian wasted no time taking me to meet both sets of parents. He acted like a steadfast man who would marry no one but me. It wasn’t until my parents’ Bentley disappeared around the corner that I could finally pull my hand free. My palm was damp with sweat, impossible to tell whose it was. “We have a purely financial relationship; all this touching is inappropriate.” Adrian’s smile vanished. “You have a purely financial relationship with male escorts too, but weren’t you happily groping their abs?” Is that even the same?! A sharp pang of pain, my eyebrows and eyes scrunched together. “What’s wrong?” I retorted grumpily, “You’re annoying me.” Adrian’s dark eyes swept over me, and he spoke softly. “Stomach pain isn’t a sickness, but it can be deadly when it flares up.” … Did you plant a surveillance device on me?! Seeing my suspicion, Adrian looked knowing. “You’re usually too lazy to walk even a step, and your weight loss relies solely on starving yourself. Even a cat ate more than you did at the dinner table just now. It would be a miracle if you weren’t feeling unwell.” Hmph, you think everyone’s like you, eating sweets every day without cavities or gaining weight? It’s hard for us actresses, okay!!! Adrian inexplicably sighed, his voice soft and alluring. “Feel in your coat pocket.” ??? Men’s coat pockets are deep; I fumbled around for a while before finding a small porcelain bottle—[Gastric Soothe]. I looked at Adrian in surprise, and he raised an eyebrow triumphantly. “It’s magic~”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396412”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Sent to prison by my husband for two years, I changed my name and moved abroad upon release. Seven years later, we met again at my brother’s tombstone. Our eyes met. He paused, his hand still on the polished stone. A complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes: shock, wild joy, guilt… “Hanna, I’ve looked for you for years. I thought you… were gone too.” “Where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you ever contact me?” Seeing my silence, he quickly dabbed at the corner of his eye. “You’re deliberately avoiding me, still resentful about what happened back then, aren’t you? I had my reasons.” I wondered how he, after causing my brother’s death, sleeping with his woman, and pushing me to the brink of survival, could possibly have the audacity to speak such words in front of my brother. But love and hate were too much of a luxury. To me, he was nothing anymore. 1 Old acquaintances reunited, my heart unruffled. Ben turned and walked away. I bent down, gently placing the pristine white chrysanthemums I held before my brother’s tombstone. In the photograph, my brother’s smile was warm, his eyes clear, forever frozen at twenty-five. If he were still here, he’d surely be at the airport to pick me up today. Just like when we were younger, he’d ruffle my hair. “Little one, why the long face?” No, if he were here, he wouldn’t have allowed me to be bullied into leaving the country. I crouched, my fingertips tracing my brother’s eyebrows and eyes on the tombstone. “Brother, I have good news to tell you…” Before I could finish, Ben returned, presenting me with a heavy bag. “I promised you years ago that I’d make you a handmade gift for every birthday.” “I couldn’t find you all these years, so I saved them all up.” Tiny earrings, an embroidered hat, a soft cashmere scarf… It was clear he had put thought into them. But I remained unmoved. His hand hung in mid-air, a hint of awkwardness and disappointment on his face. “Don’t you like them? I’ll have someone prepare something else. Shall we have lunch together?” “No, I have other things to do.” He was about to press further, but his phone rang. “Honey, when are you coming back?” “It’s our seven-year wedding anniversary today; I’ve already booked the restaurant…” His finger paused, brushing away a yellow leaf carried by the wind. Brother, this is the man you fought so hard to protect. You were wrong about him. And so was I. My throat suddenly felt itchy, and I couldn’t help but cough twice. “Honey, where are you? Whose voice is that next to you?” Ben hung up without a word, pulling a mask from his coat pocket and offering it to me. “You’re allergic to cold air; you always cough in autumn. Remember to wear a mask.” I turned my head, avoiding him. “I’ve been fine for a long time.” After bidding farewell to my brother, I turned and walked away. Ben quickly followed. I didn’t understand why, seven years ago, he warned me never to appear before him again. Now, he clung to me like a persistent shadow. A row of shared bicycles was parked at the cemetery entrance. Scan the QR code, unlock. Before I could pedal away, Ben’s luxury car pulled up smoothly beside me. “Hanna, are you still alone all these years?” In the autumn sun, his eyes held a hint of cautious hope. I nodded, offering no further explanation. I had returned this time solely to tell my brother in person that I was getting married. Such joy, I was too stingy to share with anyone but him. “Hanna, don’t try to be strong alone out there. If you have any difficulties, remember to find me.” “My number is still the same, it hasn’t changed. I was just afraid you wouldn’t find me if you wanted to contact me.” I couldn’t help but tug at the corner of my lips. I couldn’t believe that the person who had personally severed all ties, wishing me dead, now stood there playing the part of a deeply devoted and regretful lover. “No, I’m not interested in getting entangled with a married man.” I pushed hard on the pedal, and the bicycle carried me away along the long path paved with golden ginkgo leaves. The wheels crunched over the fallen leaves, rustling softly. This path, I used to know so well. As a child, my brother and I loved to come here for morning runs and bike rides. He always called me his shadow, but he’d slow down every time to wait for me. He loved to ruffle my hair, watching me stomp my feet. He’d say even when we were old and grey, the two of us siblings would walk this path, leaning on each other, basking in the sun. But now, I was two years older than him. 2 I cycled all the way back to the old apartment complex where my brother used to live. Since my brother’s accident, the place had been empty. Opening the rusty security door, a stale smell wafted out. A framed photo of the four of us hung in the living room, covered in dust. My brother and I relied on each other from childhood. Ben entered our lives when I was sixteen. He said my brother had saved him from the river, giving him a second life. From then on, he would be my brother’s best friend. Chloe and I seemed to be at odds from birth, often arguing fiercely over small things. Until our senior year graduation trip, when a mudslide occurred at the resort. Classmates were picked up by their parents, but my brother was away on a business trip, too far to reach us. The rushing mud and sand instantly engulfed the hotel. I was trapped under a collapsed beam, quietly awaiting death’s arrival. Ben, however, ignored all danger, battling against the flow, digging with his bare hands from dawn until dusk. “Hanna, don’t be scared, I’m here!” He carried me, walking through the night. It wasn’t until he delivered me to the hospital that I noticed he had lost both of his shoes. His feet were covered in crisscrossing, whitened, blistered wounds. His fingernails were broken, his hands bloody. “Fool, why are you crying? As long as you’re okay, it’s worth it even if I’m crippled!” In that moment, he was my knight in shining armor. On New Year’s Eve, the three of us were making dumplings when a dishevelled Chloe showed up at our door. She was my brother’s teacher’s daughter. Her family had gone bankrupt, and she was hiding from creditors. My kind brother gritted his teeth and took on everything. He quit his beloved job to go into business, drank until his stomach bled, and narrowly escaped death several times. In two years, my brother lost thirty pounds, paid off Chloe’s debts, and won her heart. We raised our glasses to celebrate, vowing to love each other forever, never to be separated. As I stood lost in thought, the sound of a key in the lock echoed from outside. The door opened, and Chloe and Ben stood abruptly there. I had forgotten that we each used to have a key to this place. “Ben said you were back, so we figured you’d be here.” “You didn’t even tell us you were coming back, so we could pick you up.” She stepped forward, reaching for my hand, but I avoided her. “This place isn’t fit for living. Come back with us. The housekeeper is on leave, so there’s a spare room.” I lowered my gaze. My current partner’s family lived in this city. I had only come back to see my brother; later, I was to meet my future in-laws, whom I had never met. I held out my hand to them, “The key!” This house was bought by my brother and was in my name. It had nothing to do with either of them. Ben’s gaze swept complexly over the photograph in my hand. “Hanna, if Aaron were here, I’m sure he’d want to see the three of us doing well.” Chloe turned her face away, not daring to look directly at the photograph. Ben walked straight in, took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up the broom from behind the door. “Chloe, you go open the windows and let some air in.” It momentarily transported me back many years. Back then, the four of us often gathered here. My brother cooked, Chloe helped, Ben did housework. I was busy directing everyone. Laughter used to echo in this small house, but now only silence remained. I wiped the table clean and carefully placed my brother’s portrait upon it. In the photo, my brother smiled so gently. I hadn’t imagined the reunion of the four of us would take this form. Chloe suddenly rushed forward, slamming the portrait face down onto the table. “What good is it to display this?” Seeing her panicked expression, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Turns out, she too felt guilty, too ashamed to face my brother’s clear eyes. “Hanna, Chloe is just worried about you. After all, someone died here.” “You two know best how my brother died, don’t you?” The broom clattered from Ben’s hand, hitting the floor. The room was deadly silent, save for the sound of the wind outside the window. The year after my brother married, all of us changed. 3 My brother’s company grew busier and busier; he often didn’t come home for days. Until the day my brother secured angel investment, he was so happy he invited us out for a big dinner. Halfway through the meal, he received a call from Ben, who was absent. “Aaron, I’m in trouble. They’ve got me cornered at the bar.” My brother didn’t say a word. He put down his chopsticks and rushed out. He left, and never returned whole. To protect Ben, my brother was brutally struck in the back of the head with a bottle. When Chloe and I rushed to the hospital, what we saw was my brother, his intellect regressed to that of a five-year-old child. He had forgotten everything, remembering only me, his sister. My world had collapsed. I endured the grief to care for my brother, yet cruelly rejected Chloe. “When brother was well, he loved you most. He certainly wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your life for him.” “I’ll make the decision for him; you two should divorce!” Chloe clutched my brother’s hands tightly, crying as if her heart would break. “I won’t leave Aaron, not even if I die.” She chose to stay, without hesitation. I renounced my inheritance rights to my brother’s company, giving everything to Chloe. Ben was overcome with self-reproach, holed up in his room, drinking himself into oblivion. Until Chloe kicked open his door and slapped him hard. “If you want to be worthy of Aaron, then take good care of his company and this home.” From that day on, Ben seemed like a changed man. He joined my brother’s company and took on the heavy burden of caring for us. At that time, I was immersed in immense grief and uncertainty about the future. Ben’s companionship and support became my only lifeline. He and I got a marriage certificate, vowing at my brother’s bedside to care for me for the rest of my life, on his behalf. Ben’s phone rang, interrupting my recollections. As if eager to shed the shackles of old memories, Chloe became unusually talkative. “Don’t blame Ben; he’s now the owner of a listed company, very busy.” She ran a hand through her hair, deliberately exposing a large diamond necklace on her neck. “This was for my birthday last month. He specially bought it for me at an auction in France.” Ben hung up the phone. “What were you two chatting about?” Chloe, coy and intimate, clasped his hand. “I was saying that your neck looks bare, Hanna. I’ll find a few necklaces I haven’t worn and give them to you.” My tone was flat, devoid of emotion. “No need. I find them dirty.” Chloe’s face instantly turned extremely ugly. “What do you mean?” I looked up, staring straight at her. “What do I mean? Don’t you know in your heart?” If not for that accident, my brother would be flourishing now. My brother’s regression to childhood was a pain I couldn’t overcome. But life had to go on, and in the quiet of the night, I would secretly feel grateful. Grateful that my brother had left me two family members who were closer than blood. The night before I left for college, Ben promised me again and again that he would take good care of my brother. In my despair, like clutching at a life raft, I believed him. Initially, he was indeed impeccable. He seemed to want to give me all the love my brother couldn’t. Every half month, he would fly to my city, afraid I would be neglected. Knowing I was afraid of thunderstorms, he would drive hundreds of miles every rainy day just to wait below my dorm building. “Hanna, when the first snow falls, we’ll have our wedding. I want to make you the most beautiful bride in the world.” Southern City was warm all year round, but that winter was exceptionally cold. The weather forecast predicted a once-in-fifty-year first snowfall on Christmas Day. I secretly bought a ticket home, wanting to surprise them. But when I opened the door, what I saw was… My emaciated brother, chained. And before him, two naked, entwined bodies.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396413”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 I, a comatose woman, am the girlfriend of a serial killer. My boyfriend, Ismael, adores me. Because I’m always asleep, I’m not like the ninety-nine other “playthings” who tried to pry into his secrets. The last poor soul who ventured into the basement looking for clues ended up, that very night, a slurry of bone and flesh, flushed down the sewer with caustic acid. Every night, Ismael would pant as he pressed down on me, whispering, “I miss you so much, darling. Please, wake up soon, won’t you?” I was terrified, nearly clenching every muscle in my body. I had to be the perfect, unwavering vegetative state. His methods of dismemberment were horrifying enough; applied to me, it would be far worse. I’ve been trapped in this nightmare game for two years now. Playing dead is my only way to survive. Until one day, a new caretaker arrived. When no one was around, she leaned in and whispered: “Stop pretending. I know you’ve been awake this whole time.” … Jessica, the new caretaker, clamped her fingers like an iron vise onto my inner thigh. “Talk!” I didn’t react, the heart monitor’s steady “beep-beep” the only sound. “The system panel shows your brainwave activity is as high as 180. You’re not a vegetable at all.” Jessica tightened her grip, her nails practically digging into my flesh. “Don’t think you can fool the system! The previous ninety-nine players died. Do you really think you can survive until the end?” “I’m a player too.” “I have a mission.” “If I expose you, I get ten thousand points.” “Then I can trade for a ticket out of this horror game!” She leaned closer to my ear, her voice laced with suppressed madness. I kept my eyes shut, my breathing rate unchanged. Jessica recoiled half a step, releasing her hand with a disgusted look. “What an actress.” “You coward, what kind of woman survives by playing dead?!” She pulled a silver needle from her white coat pocket. “System item.” “Ten times the pain, no marks left behind.” She raised the needle, aiming to stab my fingertip. “Brother’s home!” The heavy security door was suddenly flung open. Jessica’s hand twitched violently, the silver needle missing its mark, embedding itself in the bedsheet. She quickly retrieved the needle, her face transforming into a mask of subservience, and retreated to the side of the bed. A strong metallic scent of blood permeated the room first. Ismael stepped over the threshold. He wore a pristine white shirt, its hem stained dark brown with dried blood. He held a pink birthday cake box in his hand, still dripping crimson. Ismael walked to my bedside, tossing the cake box onto the nightstand. The box fell open, and a human head rolled out. Its dull, grey eyes stared wide, red veins and bits of flesh still attached to the neck. “Look, darling.” Ismael sat down, reaching out to caress my bloodless cheek. His fingertips were rough, calloused from years of gripping a knife. “This is the head of that nosy neighbor who wanted to call the authorities.” “He said he’d report my basement secrets to the Security Bureau.” “And bring people to shut down my home.” Ismael let out a laugh, his voice a charming magnet, yet utterly chilling. “I made him watch his own body get ground into mince in the meat grinder.” I kept my eyes closed, showing no reaction to the head so close to me. Jessica, in the corner, clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a dry heave. “Ugh!” Ismael’s hand, stroking my cheek, stilled. He slowly turned his head to look at Jessica. “New here?” Jessica’s face was ashen, her legs trembling, and she dropped to her knees with a thud. “J-Ismael… Mr. Ismael…” “No manners.” Ismael raised his hand. A silver gleam flashed from his sleeve. A sharp surgical knife pierced Jessica’s left shoulder. The sheer force sent her flying backward, pinning her firmly against the white wall. A scream tore through the room’s dead silence. Ismael didn’t even glance at her, turning his attention back to me. With his blood-stained hand, he picked up his phone and opened a video. He held the screen close to my face. The video featured the screeching sound of a chainsaw cutting through bone, accompanied by a man’s desperate screams. “Listen to that sound, darling. Isn’t it beautiful?” “Do you know? That neighbor was still begging for mercy before he died.” “He said he had a wife and children.” “But what does that have to do with me?” “My world is only you.” “Anyone who tries to disturb us, they have to die.” I lay still, my eyeballs motionless beneath my eyelids. Jessica couldn’t pull out the knife, blood staining half the wall red. “System! Why can’t you just confirm the mission success! I clearly know she’s faking it!” She frantically called out to the system in her mind. I couldn’t see the system panel, but I could imagine her despair. Ismael put away his phone, wiping the blood from his hand on my hospital gown. “Pretty, isn’t it?” I was as quiet as a corpse. Ismael’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes glazed with obsession. “Such a good girl.” “You’ll never betray me, will you?” He stood up, walked to Jessica, and yanked out the surgical knife. Blood spurted out. Jessica collapsed to the floor, clutching her wound, her eyes filled with terror and resentment. Ismael patted the bloodied blade against Jessica’s face. “Don’t think I don’t know the tricks of you so-called ‘players’.” “Trying to find clues from me?” “You don’t even qualify to be made into a specimen.” “I don’t care who put you here as a caretaker.” “If you don’t take care of her properly, next time this knife will be in your brain.” 2 Jessica spent three days recovering from her wound. During those three days, she didn’t dare lay a hand on me again. She merely sat on the chair beside my bed, muttering nervously under her breath. “Points… repurchase… items…” She was exchanging things. I lay quietly, my breathing maintaining a constant twelve breaths per minute. Ismael was not home. A series of murders had recently gripped the city, and the Security Bureau was cracking down hard, leaving him with many “loose ends” to tie up. Jessica stood up. In her hand was a syringe filled with a pink liquid. “Truth serum mixed with a waking agent.” She walked to my bedside, looking down at me. “This is top-tier stuff I got for five hundred points.” “Inject this, and even a dead person could sit up and recite pi.” She expelled the air from the syringe, and a pungent chemical smell wafted out. “Go on, inject it. Once you do, you’ll be free.” She roughly yanked my arm, plunging the needle firmly into my vein. The cold liquid pushed into my bloodstream. Jessica released my arm and stepped back two paces, a fanatical smile spreading across her face. She pulled out a miniature camera and aimed it at my face. “Tell me! Are you faking it?” “What is your true identity?!” The liquid flowed through my bloodstream, burning like fire. Nerve endings began to twitch wildly, muscles involuntarily spasming. A powerful urge to confess everything surged through my brain. Jessica brought the camera closer to my mouth. “Speak! Say it to the camera!” My Adam’s apple bobbed once. “Ugh!” I abruptly turned my head, a mouthful of bile and stomach acid spewing out, landing squarely on her designer sneakers. Jessica froze. “Impossible! How could a system-issued medicine fail?” “Speak! Who are you?!” She grew frantic, reaching out to grab my shoulders and shaking me hard. I unconsciously opened my mouth. “Bleargh!” More vomit gushed out, splashing over half her pants. Jessica shrieked, jumping back. “Damn it! My limited edition sneakers!” She lifted her foot, ready to kick my stomach with full force. “Stop.” A chilling, icy voice came from the bedroom doorway. Ismael stood there, a blood-dripping fire axe in his hand. He looked at the vomit on the floor, then at the mess on Jessica’s shoes. His brows were furrowed tightly. “What is this?” He pointed the axe at the foul-smelling puddle. Jessica froze, quickly retracting her foot and hiding the camera behind her back. “J-Ismael… Mr. Ismael, this is… I was feeding the patient… nutrient liquid.” “Nutrient liquid?” Ismael walked closer, his leather shoes making suffocating tapping sounds on the floor. “Why does it smell like an emetic to me?” He came to my bedside and reached out to touch my forehead. No fever. “Darling threw up?” I remained with my eyes tightly shut, a smear of grime on my lips, completely unresponsive. Ismael turned his head, staring intently at Jessica’s shoe. A glint on Jessica’s shoe surface—the camera lens wasn’t hidden well, it was exposed. “What’s that?” Jessica’s face instantly went pale, cold sweat soaking her back. “Th-this… this is…” Ismael swung the axe, splitting Jessica’s shoelace and the camera clean through. Parts and fragmented bone flew everywhere. “Ah—!” Jessica clutched her bleeding foot, rolling wildly on the floor. “I hate these sneaky things the most.” Ismael dropped the axe to the floor with a dull thud. “Drag her out. Chop off this hand.” “Since she dared to point such a thing at her, this hand is useless anyway.” The basement door opened, and Jessica was dragged away by Ismael’s several vicious dogs. Her screams turned into desperate whimpers, finally cut off by the heavy, soundproof door. Ismael filled a basin with warm water and fetched a clean towel. His movements were exquisitely gentle as he carefully wiped the grime from my lips. “Darling, don’t eat anything others give you from now on.” “It’s dirty.” 3 Jessica didn’t die. She spent three thousand points to acquire “Limb Regeneration Liquid.” The next day, she reappeared in the living room, her hands perfectly intact. Her face, however, was paler, and her gaze upon me was like that of someone looking at a corpse destined for dissection. Ismael didn’t show much surprise. In this horror game world, where strange things were commonplace, limb regeneration was just another “player privilege.” As long as that privilege didn’t threaten him, he would tolerate it. He even seemed to find it an amusing circus act. “Your medicine, though, it’s better than any hospital’s specialty drug.” Ismael sat on the sofa, twirling a delicate surgical knife in his hand. Jessica knelt on the floor, trembling all over. “I… I have an ancestral secret recipe.” “If it’s a secret recipe, then hand it over.” Ismael said casually, the knife tip scratching a shrill white mark on the glass coffee table. Jessica gritted her teeth, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes. “This medicine… requires a human heart as an activator.” “And it absolutely must be… the brain of someone in a deep sleep!” She suddenly looked up, her finger pointing directly at me, lying on the sickbed. “Mr. Ismael, she never wakes up; she’s the perfect activator!” “Just take her brain, and I can brew an omniscient, omnipotent elixir for you!” She dropped the pretense, going straight for my life. Omniscient and omnipotent. This was the ultimate pursuit of all the major bosses in horror games. Ismael’s hand stilled. The knife tip embedded itself in a crack in the coffee table. He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over my lifeless face. I lay quietly, the heart monitor’s waveform as steady as stagnant water. “Omniscient and omnipotent?” Ismael pulled out the surgical knife, blowing away tiny fragments from its edge. “I just want her to stay with me forever. What do I need omniscience and omnipotence for?” “Knowing too many secrets, watching this world rot, that’s a kind of torment too.” He stood up and walked to my bedside. Jessica, still unwilling to give up, shouted loudly. “Mr. Ismael! This comatose patient is just a waste of expensive medical resources! Why not…” “Silence.” Ismael cut her off. He stretched out his hands and brutally choked my neck. His grip was immense, instantly cutting off my breath. Oxygen was forcibly deprived, and my lungs began to protest instinctively. But I still maintained the perfect role of a comatose patient. No struggle, no frown, not even a tremor of my eyelids. The heart monitor began to emit a piercing alarm. The waveform on the screen became extremely erratic. Ismael stared intently at my face, watching my complexion change from pale to crimson, then to a terrifying purplish-blue. One minute. Two minutes. Just a second before I was about to completely suffocate and go into shock, Ismael released his grip. Fresh air rushed back into my lungs, but I still didn’t gasp for breath, relying only on the ventilator’s assistance to slowly recover. Ismael was utterly satisfied with this reaction. “She is my girlfriend, my exclusive possession.” “Whether or not to kill her depends on my mood.” He turned around, looking down at Jessica. “You want to kill her?” Jessica’s body trembled violently, and she lowered her head, not daring to speak. “Plenty of people want to kill her.” Ismael smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Last month, that guy who called himself a high-level player also wanted to kill her, saying she was an obstacle to clearing the game.” “Later, that player was skinned alive by me and made into a living room rug.” Ismael walked to Jessica, patting her cheek with the rust-stained back of the knife. “Want to try?” Jessica’s system panel flashed wildly. She slumped to the floor, drenched in cold sweat. “I… I wouldn’t dare.” Ismael snorted coldly, retracting the surgical knife. “There’s a gathering at the Red Moon Club tonight. Bosses from all major districts will be there.” “Clean her up.” “Put her in that black evening gown.” “After all, it’ll be her last public appearance.” The last sentence was spoken softly. But I heard it clearly. Ismael was going to kill me? Jessica heard it too. The fear in her eyes instantly vanished, replaced by fervent greed. She scrambled up, walked to my bed, and yanked off the blanket. Her nails dug into my flesh again, feigning to adjust my clothes. This time, she lowered her voice and laughed. “Did you hear that, you useless thing?” “Tonight is your death knell.” “Your brain, it’s mine for the taking.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396414”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My wife told me to take our car to the dealership for maintenance. Shortly after I got home, the police called. They said I’d hit and killed someone while having sex in the car and was wanted for hit-and-run. I rushed to the scene and was horrified. My car was by the road with a damaged bumper and shattered windshield. Three bodies lay nearby, including a two-year-old. Witnesses accused me of speeding into a family, fleeing with a disheveled woman, and mocking the victim. Dealership cameras showed no sign of me, but roadside footage supposedly proved my guilt. My wife Lisa slapped me, calling me disgusting. I was called a murderer. My parents were killed by the victims’ relatives. In prison, I was beaten to death by inmates. I died confused—I’d properly dropped off the car and never driven on that road. When I opened my eyes, I was back on the day I was supposed to take the car in. 1. “Darling, there’s a problem with a company project that needs handling. Can you take the car to the 4S dealership for maintenance by yourself later?” Lisa had just taken a call and was rushing out the door. Such a familiar scene made me realize I had been reborn. In my previous life, after agreeing to Lisa, I drove to the dealership alone. But as soon as I got home, I received a call from a service representative. “Mr. Edwards, your appointment time has passed, and you haven’t arrived. Should I cancel and reschedule for you?” I was puzzled. I had clearly handed him the keys myself moments ago. The service representative on the other end was also surprised. “Mr. Edwards, you didn’t even come to our dealership today. How could you have given me the keys?” Before I could figure out what was going on, the police called, saying I had killed someone. The dealership’s surveillance hadn’t captured my entry or exit, but the city’s roadside cameras clearly recorded my arrogant behavior and the hit-and-run. In the end, I was wrongly accused of being a malicious murderer, meeting a terrible end. Lisa saw me looking down, silent, and knelt in front of me. “Are you upset? Your face looks so bad.” Her voice was gentle, as if coaxing a child. Looking at her unwavering gentleness after ten years, my heart sank. After marrying Lisa, our relationship had always been good. To make the company bigger and stronger, I overworked myself and once fainted. The doctor advised me to rest for a while and recuperate. So, I handed the company over to Lisa to manage, while I retreated to the background. But why, when we’d agreed to get the car serviced together, did she suddenly have something come up? And then such an unbelievable incident occurred. Was it a coincidence, or…? Suppressing the doubt in my heart, I slowly spoke. “No, I just feel a little unwell. Maybe we should reschedule the car maintenance?” Lisa immediately placed her hand on my forehead, concerned, wanting to take me to the hospital. I refused, saying it was probably just a chill from last night, and I’d be fine after some rest. She led me back to the bedroom and lay me down. “You sleep a bit more. If you’re really not feeling well, call me, and we’ll go to the hospital.” “As for the car maintenance, you can just cancel the appointment online later.” Throughout, I observed her reactions and expressions, but couldn’t find anything amiss. The more normal she seemed, the more confused and lost I felt. After Lisa left, I went to the underground parking garage. Seeing the car parked there, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. This car was a gift from Lisa last month for our tenth wedding anniversary. But I didn’t go out often, so I drove it very little. Yet, I never imagined that the one rare time I drove it, my whole family would meet such a terrible end. In this life, no matter who wants to harm me, as long as I don’t touch the car, surely nothing bad will happen. 2. Thinking this, I took the car keys and went back inside. After a quick meal, I lay on the bed, replaying all the events of my past life. Before I could even sort through my thoughts, the phone rang abruptly. Seeing the number ending in 911, my heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Steeling myself, I answered. “Mr. Ethan Edwards, correct? Your car has struck and killed three people and you’re wanted for hit-and-run. Please surrender immediately and cooperate with the investigation.” The police officer’s stern words sent a chill down my spine. “Ho… how could that be?” “Officer, are you mistaken? My car is safely parked in the garage, and I haven’t driven it out today at all.” The officer, hearing my words, thought I was trying to evade responsibility, and his tone grew even colder. “The vehicle involved in the accident is registered in your name. After an incident, you have a responsibility and obligation to cooperate with the investigation. As for whether you were driving, the officers on site will investigate.” I hung up and ran to the garage. The sight that met my eyes made my heart pound. The spot where the car should have been was now empty. Both sets of car keys were still in my hand. Why was the car gone? Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone and immediately called my cousin, Marcus. “When did Lisa arrive at the company today, and when did she leave?” “She got there at 10 AM this morning and has been in a design meeting ever since. I heard she hasn’t even eaten, hasn’t left at all.” Lisa had left home at 9:30 AM. She would have arrived at the company around 10 AM. The accident, according to the police, was half an hour ago. Marcus is my cousin, and our company’s head of security. He wouldn’t lie to me. If it wasn’t her who drove the car, then who was it? Seeing my silence, Marcus lowered his voice to advise me. “Cousin, do you really need to keep such a close eye on Lisa?” “Don’t be so paranoid. From what I’ve seen, she’s very virtuous and always talks about you. You wouldn’t believe how many people envy you…” But at this moment, I couldn’t listen to any of it. “It’s nothing, just asking.” Looking at the disconnected call, I felt a pang of frustration. I needed to calm down as much as possible right now. No panic. Panic leads to confusion, and confusion leads to falling into traps others have set for me. Remembering the police officer’s words, he only said my car hit people, not that it was definitely me. In this life, I hadn’t even left the house. Perhaps things would take a different turn. I quickly hailed a taxi and rushed to the accident scene. The result, just like in my previous life. As soon as I arrived, I saw the exact same horrific scene as before. Someone in the crowd of onlookers recognized me. “That’s him, Officer, that’s him! He was speeding incredibly fast, plowing directly into that family of three, without even slowing down.” “Yes, we knocked on the window for a long time before he and a woman, both disheveled, got out of the driver’s seat. They were practically on top of each other, who knows what they were doing!” “After getting out, he didn’t call the police or an ambulance. He actually picked up his phone and asked a lawyer on a live stream how many years he’d get. When he heard the lawyer say seven years at most, he even laughed.” “What’s even worse, that poor child, decapitated. He actually said the child had a hard head for breaking his car’s windshield.” Facing the same accusations, I silently steadied myself. In my previous life, seeing this scene caused me to panic, leading to utter confusion later on. 3. The police officer, seeing my arrival, walked over and asked if I was the car owner. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, his tone became noticeably displeased. “Please tell us what happened, and cooperate with the investigation.” I answered seriously. “I don’t know, because I wasn’t the one driving.” But that simple statement ignited the crowd’s fury. “What do you mean it wasn’t you? I witnessed the whole thing, it was you who got out of the car. Don’t think I don’t recognize you just because you changed clothes.” “With so many pairs of eyes watching, you still want to argue? You’re truly unrepentant.” “This kind of person, who thinks driving a luxury car and having a bit of money makes them above the law, I think he intentionally murdered them out of spite. He must be arrested and sentenced to death!” By this time, Lisa, having received the news, also rushed over. Though her face was bewildered by everyone’s accusations, she still tried to defend me. “Are you mistaken? My husband has a lot of driving experience and drives very steadily. How could he intentionally hit someone?” Her words were immediately countered. “With so many pairs of eyes watching, how could we be wrong? Not only does he look the same, even his voice is identical!” A loud-mouthed woman in the crowd sneered at Lisa. “You’re his wife?” “Then watch the video I recorded, and then decide if you want to defend him.” With that, she showed the footage on her phone to everyone. In the video, despite people frantically pounding on the window, I slowly got out of the car, adjusting my clothes and saying impatiently, “What are you doing? Do you know how expensive this car is? Can you afford to pay if you break it?” “It’s just hitting a few people, what’s the big deal? My family has money, and my insurance is high, it’s not like we can’t afford to compensate.” “Good dogs don’t block the road. It’s their fault for getting in my way, they deserve to die!” “Even in death, they had to damage my car window. How unlucky!” After my outburst, I quickly pulled the woman who got out with me into my arms. “Sweetheart, that wasn’t satisfying at all. How about we find another place to continue?” In the video, the woman bashfully rubbed against my chest. “Mr. Edwards, playing such a high-stakes game? Is this what you meant by seeking thrills?” “This is nothing. I have bigger games, do you want to play?” By the time the footage and the surrounding people reacted from their shock, I had already left with the woman in a taxi. The video ended there. Lisa’s eyes were red with fury. She had lost all reason. She slapped me hard across the face. “Ethan Edwards, are you even human?!” “How could you do something so disgusting and deranged?” She had put all her strength into that slap, but the pain resonated in my heart. It was the same in my previous life. Her initial defense turned into fury. She didn’t even ask what was going on with me, instead joining everyone in branding me a murderer. The onlookers, who hadn’t known the full story, now pointed fingers and cursed at me. “Why don’t you just die? No remorse for killing people, and then saying such things!” “Not only vicious but shameless! Married and still messing around with other women. I bet the two of them were doing something in the car that caused it to lose control and hit people.” “He’s worse than an animal! How does such a person deserve to live? I want to beat him to death just looking at him!” They grew more and more agitated. Some even clenched their fists, ready to charge. The police, fearing the situation would spiral out of control, had already set up a cordon. The officer spoke to me sternly. “We’ve already reviewed the roadside surveillance footage, and the images are largely consistent with what the public has reported.” “All the evidence now points to you. So please cooperate honestly and provide contact information for the other person in the car, to facilitate further investigation.” 4. Needless to say, even if I asked the police to extract fingerprints from the car now, it would surely be futile. The party trying to frame me must have prepared thoroughly. In this moment, I felt like I was back in my previous life. That despair of being unable to defend myself enveloped me deeply. I stood up and said with unusual firmness. “I was at home the entire time and didn’t leave. I also don’t know the woman in the footage.” “Officer, you should investigate this thoroughly. My arrest isn’t the issue, but the real culprit will go free, and the family of three who died will not rest in peace.” Hearing this, the officer looked at me as if I were an unrepentant criminal. “There are so many witnesses and material evidence, including the dashcam in your car, all clearly recording you.” “In such a short time, do you think someone could fake this?” “If the perpetrator isn’t you, then who is it? Or do you have an identical twin?” Yes, I wanted to know too, who was it? If I had an identical twin, this situation could be easily explained. But I was absolutely certain that I was an only child. In fact, after my mother nearly died giving birth to me, my father had a vasectomy, so it was impossible for me to have even an illegitimate child who looked exactly like me. Then who was impersonating me, and even mimicking my voice? This question, even now, I couldn’t understand. Seeing me shake my head helplessly, the surrounding crowd started cursing again. “The evidence is so clear, and he’s still trying to argue his way out of it. I think he’s just like those ancient villains, a walking beast.” “I wonder what kind of parents raised such a son. If I were his parents and knew he was like this, I’d have smothered him at birth!” “Exactly! Parents who raise such a son probably aren’t good people themselves. If I knew who they were, I’d spit at them in the street to vent my anger.” “Officer, hurry up and arrest him. And investigate thoroughly, maybe he took some illegal drugs when he fled, otherwise how could he be so shameless? In time, it might metabolize.” … The police, seeing several people about to charge past the cordon to attack me, had no choice but to take me to the police station. I knew by now that this incident must have spread online. Even netizens had probably dug up information on me and my parents, preparing to show up at their door to ‘deliver justice.’ In my previous life, after I was taken away, my parents were besieged at home. They suffered various assaults and verbal abuses. One day, when they went out, they were run over and killed by the victims’ family. And I didn’t fare much better during my detention. My cellmates heard about my case. Though criminals themselves, they transformed into righteous avengers, beating me to death. I didn’t want to live this life over again only to meet the same end. This time, I had to protect my parents and clear my name. My mind raced, fragments of memories from both lives flashing. There must be something I overlooked before. Just as the officer was about to put handcuffs on me, I urgently called out. “I know who the real perpetrator is!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396415”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On my wedding day, I discovered my fiancé had another fiancée. She burst into the chapel, dressed in a wedding gown, and viciously pulled Joshua Thorne to her, planting a kiss on his lips. “If you don’t leave with me today, you’ll never see me again!” In that instant, I distinctly caught the flash of panic in Joshua’s eyes. Yet, he merely smiled, lifted a hand, and had her escorted out of the chapel. “Miss Vance, our engagement was just a prearranged family alliance, there was never any affection between us.” But that night, Jasmine Vance truly vanished. Some said they saw her jump into the river. Joshua then, like a madman, joined the rescue team, dredging the entire river. He searched for ten days. I waited for him for ten days outside the registry office, where we were supposed to be married. What I received instead was news of him jumping into the river, a presumed act of devotion. Through blurry tears, I remembered the young man whose eyes were once only for me, and how he had firmly vowed: “If I, Joshua Thorne, ever cheat, may I be struck by lightning and never find peace.” … The hospital room door was ajar. Joshua sat by the bed, his back to the door, staring blankly. Only when I blocked his line of sight did he look up, bewildered. “Who are you?” Joshua had amnesia. I froze. His expression at that moment was like looking at a complete stranger. The accusations I had intended to hurl simply wouldn’t come out. After a long silence, I forced a bitter smile. “I’m your newlywed wife, Iris Miller.” He frowned slightly, as if struggling to recall something, but quickly shook his head. “I don’t know you.” Those three words landed, pressing down on my heart with a heavy, aching weight. After a while, he lowered his gaze, a faint curve on his lips. “My fiancée, her name is Jasmine Vance.” I instinctively took a step back. As the cold wall pressed against my back, I knew clearly this wasn’t a hallucination. My chest felt as if it were pierced by needles, a dense, agonizing pain spreading through it. He looked up at me, his gaze calm, almost cruel in its indifference. “Do you need anything else?” I’m not usually good with words. Unsure how to explain, I could only flee in shame. I ran out of the hospital, then stopped, suddenly remembering the cake I was carrying. I thought, I should at least give it to Joshua. Joshua had suffered amnesia once before. We were skiing, and a runaway skier behind us tripped us, sending us tumbling down the mountain. To cushion my fall, Joshua, disregarding his own danger, wrapped his arms around me. He hit a tree. When he opened his eyes then, he also didn’t remember me, just like now. It was only after tasting a cake I’d made that his memories returned. He said, “Your dessert is the most familiar taste to me. One bite brought back everything between us.” Looking at the cake in my hands, my resolve grew. But before I reached the door, I heard voices from inside. “You clearly haven’t lost your memory, why are you pretending?” My breath hitched. I froze. Joshua’s voice drifted out, nonchalant: “Jasmine’s last regret was not marrying me. I don’t want her to have any regrets.” His brother sighed, then asked, “What about Iris? Are you just abandoning her?” Joshua was silent for a long time. So long that I thought he wouldn’t answer, until he slowly spoke. “After a few weeks, I’ll tell her I’ve regained my memory, then we’ll get our marriage certificate and settle down.” I covered my mouth, afraid to cry out loud. Tears splashed onto my hand, but they burned my heart. I don’t know how I walked out of the hospital. When I came to, I was sitting on a park bench, half the cake already eaten. Tears fell onto the cream, but I didn’t notice. I just felt that perhaps today’s sugar was too little, making it bitter. By the time I returned to the bakery, it was almost ten. A car was parked in front of the shop. As I opened the door, Joshua’s mother, Mrs. Thorne, stepped out of the car. She waved her hand dismissively, buying all the desserts in the shop, her face full of arrogance. “I’m about to have a grandchild, so I’m giving you a big order, to share in the good fortune.” Seeing my confused look, she scoffed and handed me a pregnancy test result. “Jasmine Vance isn’t dead; she just hid away.” “Only this way can my son truly know who he loves.” She swept her gaze over me with disdain, covering her mouth with a light laugh. I clutched the paper, my fingertips white. “When did this happen?” “Probably two months before your wedding? Joshua attended a banquet, got drunk, and then took Jasmine to bed.” “Afterwards, when he found out Jasmine was pregnant, he cried and laughed, insisting on transferring his entire inheritance to this unborn child.” Mrs. Thorne’s voice was like a stone disturbing calm waters, sending ripples through my memory. All the illogical fragments of memory surged forth. I remembered that day, Joshua hadn’t come home all night. When he returned, he spent three hours in the bathroom, scrubbing his skin raw before he finally emerged. Afterward, he just held me, refusing to say a word. It was also after that, he suddenly developed a strong interest in baby stores. I had even specifically told him that I wasn’t interested in marriage or children, and marrying him was my biggest compromise. He had laughed then, promising me, “Having you is enough. I don’t want children either.” A wave of hurt surged through me. I numbly put away the paper. But Mrs. Thorne was relentless. “My son was only infatuated with you for a change of pace. Who would genuinely like a dessert shop owner with no college degree?” Yes, our meeting was just an accident. That day, Joshua, suffering from low blood sugar, happened to collapse outside my dessert shop. The first thing he did when he woke up was kneel, earnestly pleading, “I have no home. Can you take me in for a while?” Looking at him, covered in mud, his cheeks hollowed by hunger, I remembered my past self. I too had no family. My father, who murdered my mother for insurance, was sentenced to death. All my relatives considered me a bad omen, leaving me with no money to finish high school. I had to drop out and work. I couldn’t stand by and watch someone else fall into the same pain I had experienced, so I kept him by my side. To repay me, Joshua helped me in the dessert shop by day and found odd jobs at night to help with expenses. Our small rented room became a refuge where we saved each other. On my twenty-eighth birthday, Joshua disappeared. Birthday candles were lit and extinguished, and I thought he had left, never to return. Until noon on the seventh day, he appeared at the shop, covered in blood, and laughing as he pressed a diamond ring into my hand. He wiped away the tears from my eyes, his breath weak. “Don’t cry. Happy birthday.” It was then I learned that to earn money, he had taken a long-haul delivery job. On his way back, he’d been in a car accident. Others urged him to go to the hospital, but he refused each time, intent only on delivering the gift to me. After he was out of danger, he told me he wanted to marry me. After much hesitation, I still refused him. Because I couldn’t face marriage; I couldn’t forgive my father’s past sins. Joshua wasn’t angry. He worked even harder, determined to prove his love for me. This relationship continued until his parents found him. The dessert shop was swarming with reporters. Mrs. Thorne, initially joyful, erupted in a public tirade when she realized Joshua was dating a woman with no high school diploma, calling me a vulgar temptress who had seduced her son. Gossip spread throughout the city. Joshua threatened to take his own life if his parents didn’t remove the video. To clear my name, he literally prostrated himself, bowing and kneeling around the city, again and again. He said he wanted everyone to know that he, Joshua Thorne, was the one who had first pursued Iris Miller. That night, I cried as I applied medicine to his knees. I finally agreed to his proposal, once more. But now, the young man whose eyes were once only for me was gone. Mrs. Thorne handed me a contract. “I’ll give you a week to break it off cleanly with my son. In return, I’ll invest in you to open a bigger dessert shop abroad, securing your future for three generations.” The paper stung my eyes. I remembered Joshua’s words from long ago: “If I ever change my mind, you won’t have to do a thing. I’ll end myself.” “And please, don’t hesitate. Leave me immediately, go somewhere I’ll never find you.” The pen hovered for a long time before finally falling. Something else, it seemed, also broke with that final stroke. With three days left until I was to leave, I stood on the rooftop of our rented apartment building. Joshua and I had come to this rooftop many times. He once said that when he had money, he would buy me a house with a large balcony so we could watch the stars from home. The wind picked up, as if trying to scatter all my emotions. I walked two more steps towards the railing. Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind me. “Girl, don’t do it!” I turned around and instantly froze. Unbeknownst to me, the rooftop was now filled with tenants and the landlord. And the firefighters, sensing my turn, hastily stopped their advance. I was about to explain, but the crowd automatically parted, creating a path. Joshua emerged from behind them. He was in a hospital gown, his hair disheveled, sweat constantly beading on his forehead, as if he had rushed straight from the hospital. With every step he took, my heart pounded violently. But he said nothing. The concerned crowd pushed him forward. He then extended a hand towards me. “Come here.” The firefighters, taking advantage of my momentary shock, tackled me to the ground. Only after witnessing me return home, with no intention of “jumping,” did the crowd gradually disperse. Inside, Joshua looked down at me, his expression indifferent. “Is it interesting, imitating someone else with your life?” The hand I’d reached out to pour him water froze in mid-air. Was he saying I was imitating Jasmine’s suicide? I shook my head, wanting to deny it, but he gave me no opportunity. “Even if you send more people to tell me you’re my wife, it’s useless.” “I haven’t lost my memory. My only wife is Jasmine Vance. Even if she’s no longer alive, it’s not your place to be my wife.” Every word he spoke cut like a dagger, piercing my heart, leaving me breathless with pain. I couldn’t even distinguish whether this was his true inner thought, or a lie to maintain his feigned amnesia. “I just wanted some air on the rooftop,” I argued. He merely forced a smile, scoffing. “Do you think I’d believe that?” He left, in a hurry. When the door slammed shut, I noticed the boiling water had overflowed the teacup, scalding my fingertips red, yet I felt no pain. Only three days left. Three days, and then I could leave. I numbly kept reassuring myself. The next morning, news of Jasmine Vance being found spread like wildfire. Every small forum was debating whether the Thorne heir would choose the well-matched socialite or me, the ordinary dessert shop owner. The comments were uniformly abusive towards me. I lost interest, preparing to turn off my phone. Joshua’s call came through just then. His tone was excited, completely opposite to yesterday’s distant attitude, giving me a sense of unreality. “Iris, I remember now. I remember everything.” I stared at the screen blankly, saying nothing. “Come to the hospital quickly, I have a surprise for you!” Looking at the suitcase by my feet, I paused for two seconds. “Okay,” I agreed. The hospital corridor was packed with reporters. Jasmine stood among them, chatting animatedly. “Miss Vance, what do you think about Mr. Thorne jumping into the river for you, and only recognizing you as his wife after his amnesia?” Jasmine’s eyes curved, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural red. “Joshua just realized his true feelings.” “Then do you think Mr. Thorne, now that his memory is restored, will choose you or Miss Miller?” Jasmine happened to see me passing by and subtly glanced at me. “I believe Joshua will choose me, someone of his standing, not an uneducated person.” The word “uneducated” was heavily emphasized, drawing laughter from those around. My heart sank, and I quickened my pace into the hospital room. Joshua’s eyes lit up when he saw me enter, and he reached out his hand. But I remained rooted to the spot. His smile froze. Perhaps he also heard the interview, as he sighed. “Don’t mind her, Jasmine can be a little blunt sometimes.” I stared at him with a forced smile. “Are you telling me not to mind someone who ruined my wedding, tried to steal my husband, and insulted me in front of everyone?” “Or are you saying that someone who publicly called me uneducated has no ill will towards me?” He opened his mouth but couldn’t find any words of defense. I didn’t want to waste too much time, so I walked over and stood at the foot of the bed. “So, what’s the surprise?” The smile returned to his face. “The doctor says I can be discharged tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll go get our marriage certificate!” He didn’t know that during those seven days I waited for him outside the registry office, I had thought countless times. As long as he came, as long as we got our certificate, no matter what he had done before, I would forgive him. But he didn’t come. And tomorrow afternoon was my flight departure time. I didn’t answer him, instead asking a question that had been weighing on my heart for a long time. “Joshua Thorne, do you want children?” He paused, then shook his head, denying it. “You don’t want them, and I don’t want them either.” Seeing his resolute expression now, I suddenly laughed. The old me would have been utterly swept away by his sweet talk. “Let’s break up. Let’s just pretend that wedding never happened.” He shot up in bed. “You don’t want me anymore?” he asked, his voice tearful. “I didn’t mean to disown you a few days ago. You can blame me, curse me, but don’t break up, please?” The water glass on the bedside table shattered as he knocked it over. He picked up a shard of glass and held it to his throat. “If you break up with me, I won’t live.” A trickle of blood oozed from the cut. The door burst open. Jasmine, her face ashen, rushed in. She frantically tried to throw herself in front of Joshua, but tripped on the broken glass shards. Blood seeped from beneath her. Jasmine looked up, her face streaked with tears, her voice trembling uncontrollably. “Sister, even if you don’t like me, why would you push me? Do you know I’m pregnant with Joshua’s child… It hurts so much…” Reporters swarmed in, creating a chaotic scene. Joshua’s pupils constricted, then he screamed frantically, “Call a doctor, quickly!” Jasmine was carried away. The hospital room fell silent as her cries faded into the distance. I grabbed Joshua’s sleeve, unwilling to let him leave, and demanded, “Did you believe her? Did you think I pushed her?” Seeing the disappointment in his eyes, my numb heart stung for another moment. He still left. The empty room lingered with his final words. “I’ll come to the dessert shop tomorrow afternoon. We need to talk properly.” But Joshua, the dessert shop had already been sold. And perhaps, we had no tomorrow. The next afternoon, I packed my luggage and looked back at the dessert shop one last time from across the street. A familiar Maybach blocked my view. Joshua stepped out of the car, his posture stiffening as he saw the empty storefront. After a long moment, he turned, grabbing his secretary’s collar, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable. “Where’s Iris?” The secretary tried to conceal the truth, but stammered only when Joshua’s fist was about to strike. “Miss Miller is going abroad. She should be on her way to the airport now.” I saw him kneeling on the ground, his eyes red, like an abandoned dog. Soon, he got up again, frantically pulling the driver out and starting the car himself, speeding towards the airport. My ride-share car arrived just then. After getting in, my phone suddenly vibrated a few times. It was a message from Jasmine. [Do you believe I can make Joshua give up looking for you?] At this point, I believed everything. My heart no longer hurt. Sure enough, the car in front made a series of sudden stops, infuriating the driver who cursed under his breath. Soon, a Maybach sped past in the opposite lane. In that fleeting glimpse, I saw Joshua in the car, his lips pressed tightly, his fingers anxiously tapping the steering wheel.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396416”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My online boyfriend was incredibly clingy. His most hated person, without exception, was my boss. Because our boss was old-fashioned, rigid, and unsympathetic, I often had to work overtime. Then, one day, we were finally going to meet in person. The person sitting at our agreed-upon table number 13 was, to my horror, my boss. 1 “Babe, it’s been half an hour since we chatted, and I miss you already. Wanna game tonight?” My online boyfriend sent this message just as my boss walked into the office, both hands cupping his phone, typing furiously. My boss’s hair was meticulously combed, his suit jacket buttoned all the way to the top. He wore expensive, yet extremely old-fashioned, leather shoes and clutched a square briefcase under his arm. How to describe it? He dressed even more conservatively than my own father. All the department colleagues sat stiffly, pretending to be utterly swamped with work. I didn’t have time to check my phone, and my online boyfriend must have gotten impatient, as my phone chimed several times in quick succession. My boss’s long fingers clattered on his phone, and without even looking up, he called the manager into his office. He left us with the image of a busy, corporate elite. The manager frantically called out to me, “Hazel, the proposal! Hand it over, quickly, quickly!” “Please put in a good word for me,” I said, hands clasped together, watching devoutly as the manager entered that ominous door. A moment later, a roar erupted from within the office, “Whose garbage proposal is this? Redo it!” I pulled out my phone expressionlessly and replied to my online boyfriend. “Overtime tonight, can’t game with you. Boss is deliberately being difficult.” Soon after, the manager emerged from the office, his face a picture of misery. Simultaneously, my phone rang. “Your boss is completely insane, isn’t he?” “Making employees work overtime only shows his incompetence! I curse him to go bald eventually!” “I’m so mad.jpg” My fingers flew, a blur of motion as I quickly typed to appease him. “Don’t be mad, sweetie.” “Good boy?” “Don’t be angry, please.” I wanted to keep coaxing him, but a colleague next to me suddenly nudged my side. I belatedly realized the office atmosphere had gone quiet. I quickly put down my phone and looked up, meeting my boss’s stern face. “Your name is… Hazel…? You’re quite pretty.” My face flushed, but then he adjusted his antique black-rimmed glasses, and his tone shifted, cold and harsh, as he roared: “Pretty face, but no brains, huh? The proposal is that bad, are you a pig? And you dare to slack off and play on your phone during work hours?” …So, you playing on your phone is work, but me playing on my phone is slacking off, right? “Revise it and bring it to me yourself. I’ll personally review it!” Once my boss left, my face crumpled. The world where my colleagues left freely, and I stayed to work overtime, had come to pass. Oh no, and that workaholic boss inside. My online boyfriend sent a voice message: “Babe, I’ll wait up for you while you work overtime. I can’t sleep without hearing your voice, you know~” Me: “Though I hate for you to stay up, if you sleep, you’re a dog. You must stay with me.” Online boyfriend: “Understood. Your boss is truly despicable. The forecast says rain tonight. I’m so worried, Babe, should I come pick you up?” Me: “How can the meeting date chosen by fate be changed so casually? Don’t worry, I’ll crawl home even if it’s raining knives to coax you to sleep.” Online boyfriend: “Love you so much, Babe. Tomorrow, when we meet, I’m going to kiss you to death.” My face turned crimson, and even working overtime felt energized. 2 Finally, I finished my work. Outside, as predicted, it was pouring rain. I grabbed my umbrella and was about to head downstairs when, of all the cursed luck, I ran into my boss, also leaving. “Your name is…? Why are you only just leaving? I’ll give you a ride.” Damn it, weren’t you the one who made me work overtime? Don’t act so innocent! I forced a laugh: “Sir, my name is Hazel. You don’t need to bother; I can go by myself.” “Get in. I’m in a hurry.” My face fell as I followed him. The atmosphere in the car was dead. My boss brought up the proposal, and I sat stiffly, reporting on it the whole way, feeling utterly miserable. What a terrible nightmare. I swore I would never get in his car again. Not even if it killed me. After my shower, I called my online boyfriend. His soft, drawn-out voice immediately came through. “Babe~ I missed you so much.” “Just got home. Are you outside? I hear rain.” “It’s because you’re working overtime, can’t chat with you. I don’t want to go home, so lonely~” I chuckled, “Good boy.” He cautiously asked, “Babe, are you in a bad mood?” I huffed with annoyance, “My boss called me a pig.” He suppressed a laugh and said, “Bosses often like to insult, don’t they? My little piggy~” I was instantly cured by that “little piggy.” In my boyfriend’s words, I was a soft, bouncy, pink-bubbled cute little pig, unlike the hard-nosed wild boar my boss’s cold, harsh words made me out to be. I giggled, “Oh, darling, what would I do without you!” My boyfriend was very excited: “I wouldn’t leave you for anything, Babe. We’ll be together forever! We’re meeting tomorrow, I’m so nervous. How do you want me to dress?” I blurted out, “Just don’t be old-fashioned.” Boyfriend: “Understood.” 3 The next day, before noon, I whispered a word to my manager and snuck out to meet my online boyfriend. Thirteen was my lucky number, so we agreed to meet on the 13th of this month, at 1 PM, at Table 13 of the Cafe 13 on Lucky Lane. I arrived early and went to the restroom to reapply lipstick. I happened to encounter a man styling his hair. Our eyes met in the mirror, and we both froze. I was shocked to realize that this handsome man, dressed in trendy clothes, with a stylish haircut and no glasses, was my rigid boss! He gave his familiar scowl, glanced at his wristwatch, and his voice, as stiff and sharp as ever, spoke: “Your name is…? Leaving during work hours? That’s double pay deduction!” You bastard… My name is Hazel! My good mood for meeting my online boyfriend immediately vanished by half. So much so that when I arrived at Table 13 for our date, I didn’t notice that my boyfriend’s back was exactly like my boss’s. I just walked over, and when I saw my boss’s face, the shock was so immense that my head buzzed, and I nearly lost my footing. Unwilling to give up, I saw the red rose, our secret signal, on his right. That’s when the last shred of hope died. He, too, showed a surprised expression. My mouth moved faster than my brain, and I smoothed over the situation flawlessly. “Sir, I just wanted to let you know that the reason I’m here during work hours is because a colleague asked me to help buy coffee beans. I was simply being helpful.” My boss kept looking at his wristwatch, curtly dismissing me: “Salary still deducted. Say one more word, and it’s another hundred off.” I shut up and turned to leave. Walking out of the cafe, my mind was in turmoil. All I could think was: My online boyfriend is actually that old-fashioned, rigid Mu Baldry, who stares and scolds me?! Utterly absurd. I tried to find common ground between the two, but found none. My online boyfriend spoke softly, was clingy and playful, and always smiled. Whereas Rory Baldry was rigid, old-fashioned, never smiled, and spoke harshly like a stone from a latrine, with his unchanging middle-parted hairstyle and traditional suit. It was hard to imagine him saying things like “Babe, I’m going to kiss you to death” with that demeanor. The funniest part was that I’d taken a double pay deduction to come meet him! Even funnier, my original leave request was rejected by Rory Baldry because he was picky about my proposal. Just as I felt like spitting blood, a terrifying thought suddenly struck me: Did he recognize me? In my anxiety, Rory Baldry suddenly sent me a voice chat request. I quickly hung up, but he sent another message. “Babe, where are you? I’ve been waiting so hard for you, but don’t rush. Take your time. I’ll wait for however long it takes.” “Waiting patiently for you.jpg” “Opponent is typing—” The word “Babe” burned me, and faster than my mind could react, I instantly clicked “delete friend.” Then I regretted it. I should have at least said goodbye, since we had been so genuine for so long. The street was bustling with traffic, but as I walked through it, the world felt too quiet. Staring at my darkened phone screen, I really wanted to cry. I was heartbroken. 4 The heartbroken feeling intensified when I returned to the office to work on the proposal. My mind was consumed by him calling me a useless pig who couldn’t even make a decent proposal, yet had the nerve to play on my phone – but he wasn’t even working at the time, was he? Now, in hindsight, I was certain he had been bombarding me, and only me, with messages from the moment he entered the office building. It was infuriating. Yet, a wave of longing still washed over me. After all, when we were dating, he had eyes only for me; I could feel it through the phone line. We met in a game. He was terrible but loved to play. Once, I saved him, and the next day, we were paired up again, and I carried him to victory. He worshipped me, following me everywhere, shamelessly becoming my apprentice. Later, when I learned he had grown up an orphan, I felt even more pity for him, always trying to cheer him up. One of the reasons I worked so hard was to help him save money to marry me. My imagined online boyfriend: grew up in an orphanage, struggled alone, unloved. The reality: after his father passed away, he inherited several companies and a large fortune. He was adopted by his father’s comrade, the wealthiest man in our city. I quit! Whoever wants to do this garbage proposal can do it. The next day, I arrived at work with dark circles under my eyes. As soon as I arrived, I heard a thunderbolt of news: “Snap to it, he’s here.” I instinctively shivered, wide awake: “Doesn’t he only come once a week?” As I said it, I slid back to my desk, pretending to be busy on my computer. Rory Baldry’s black-rimmed glasses flashed, and he seemed to glance in my direction. A daring thought suddenly struck me. He couldn’t have figured me out, could he? I should have deleted him earlier. Isn’t this just giving myself away? No, no, he’s so old-fashioned, he’s not that smart about these things, I tried to comfort myself. Turns out I was wrong. The manager tapped my shoulder: “He’s calling for you.” Then he gave me a look that said, good luck. I clutched the new proposal, nervously knocking on the door. I hoped he really just wanted to talk about the proposal. 5 After a terse “Come in,” I pushed open the door, bravely offering the document: “This is according to your feedback…” He cut me off, a shrewd glint behind his glasses: “Tell me again, why were you there yesterday?” “Huh?” What did I say yesterday? “Oh, I went to buy coffee beans, for a colleague.” “Which colleague?” “Alice.” I’ll have to warn Alice later, even if it means buying her breakfast for two weeks. His long fingers tapped his thigh, “I told you to work on the proposal. You had spare time to buy coffee beans for the materials department, which you have nothing to do with?” I was caught off guard. “Do you play games?” The topic changed too quickly. I answered loudly, “No.” “Not even Candy Crush? I heard all the company employees play it.” Damn it. “Candy Crush, occasionally.” He suddenly revealed a playful smile on his perpetually expressionless face: “Did I ask what game it was just now? You answered so readily.” I gasped and leaned back a little, loudly declaring my loyalty: “Good employees who work diligently don’t waste time on boring things like games.” “Call that person in.” I whispered, “Alice.” He nodded: “Right, and you stay.” Okay. The same question. Alice glanced at me, then began to recite our pre-arranged story: “I’m new to the company, and I sprained my ankle, didn’t dare tell department colleagues. Hazel is kind, so she helped me buy it.” “Do you play games?” “Huh? What games? Poker, Candy Crush — those I play.” “What about shooter games?” “No, I don’t play those. Mr. Baldry, why do you ask?” “Are you in an online relationship?” Pfft— I couldn’t hold back a mouthful of tea, spitting it onto my boss’s suit pants. I quickly grabbed some tissues and knelt down to wipe it. “I’m so sorry, I have a loose tongue.” Then both of us paused simultaneously. “Loose tongue” was almost my catchphrase, which I politely added after mocking an opposing team in-game. I’m so used to talking smack, what do I do? He must have figured it out, right? Maybe I should just resign. “Did you learn that phrase from a colleague?” Rory Baldry gave me an out. I pecked like a chicken: “Yes, yes, yes, colleagues say it all the time, I picked it up.” Rory Baldry said to Alice: “You can go out now.” Alice left, utterly confused, just as she arrived. “I haven’t finished answering the questions. What does it all mean?” Rory Baldry pulled out his phone: “For Candy Crush lives, add me.” 6 I confidently and openly displayed my main account’s QR code. He opened my main account’s profile picture and looked at it for a while, his expression unreadable. I also opened his, and saw the familiar blank avatar with a tiny period in the middle. For a moment, I was shocked that he was using his main account for an online relationship. Didn’t he even bother with an alias? “Leave the proposal, you can go now.” Rory Baldry returned to his businesslike tone, looking down at the documents, exuding an air of aloofness. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking I should keep my distance from him from now on, lest I expose myself. I even planned to transfer to a department on the farthest floor from him. But when I got back to my cubicle, my butt hadn’t even settled into the chair before the manager tapped my shoulder. “He said the proposal is no good. He wants you to pack your things and move to his office to work. He’ll supervise you personally. You can come down when it’s done.” Me: ????? The manager gravely clasped my hand and said, “Take care.” My other colleagues collectively pulled candles from their drawers and silently lit one for me. Well, they were true colleagues; they actively helped me pack my things, swiftly dismantling my computer and moving it to my boss’s office. …If it weren’t for your desperately suppressed laughter, I might have actually been touched. When I returned to my boss’s office, I nearly gasped at the sight inside. Rory Baldry was emerging from the lounge, and in that short time, he had changed into an outfit eight hundred miles away from his usual attire: this year’s most fashionable leather shoes, a perfectly tailored silver-gray slim-fit suit, the top three buttons of his shirt undone revealing his sexy, long neck, even his hair had changed from a middle part to a charming slick-back, and his glasses had vanished. He was incredibly handsome, wasn’t he? Just as handsome as he was on our meeting day! At that moment, he was struggling to untie a knot in his necktie, his face flushed red. Our eyes met. His ears visibly reddened. “Hazel, do I look alright dressed like this?” Faced with such a handsome man’s shy question, my first reaction was that he actually remembered my name. My second reaction was, old dog, new tricks – he actually cares about his appearance? Was there anything more startling than this? I cautiously asked, “Are you…?” “Don’t… don’t you all dislike how I usually dress, saying I look like a headmaster? I want to make some changes. Can you give me your opinion? Is this okay?” I gave him a thumbs up. “We like whatever you wear, sir. But of course, this look is even better.” He seemed rather dissatisfied with my answer, his lips pursed into a thin line: “Hazel, come over here and help me with my tie.” “Coming right up!” I quickly put down my documents and trotted over. The knot was tight, and we had our heads close together, working on it for a while. I hadn’t noticed before, but his Adam’s apple was so sensual, and the clean scent of him was incredibly pleasant. I was dizzy from the strong, mature masculine scent, and his solid chest, half-exposed, was simply captivating. Damn it, this man should button his shirt all the way to the top. “Finally, it’s done.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked up slightly and met his intense gaze, and my heart immediately skipped a beat. “Hazel, you’ll temporarily be my secretary.” Our company was just one of his many companies; he only came once a week, and didn’t bring his executive assistant or secretary. I asked cautiously, “Why?” “Because of you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “396401”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel