After secretly coveting Declan Thorne for three years, I finally lost my mind and kidnapped him, dragging him back to my apartment. I locked a silver chain around his ankle and told him he’d never leave me for the rest of his life. The first month, he would rather die than submit, coldly warning me to let him go. The second month, he slowly compromised, silently allowing me to sleep in the same bed as him. The third month, he started pushing his luck, aggressively interrogating me about why I was five minutes late coming home from work, and accusing me of messing around with other men. Looking at the man in front of me, his eyes rimmed red as he casually played with the silver chain, I completely broke down. Who the hell is the real psycho here?! 1 “You’re five minutes late again today.” Declan sat on the edge of the bed, staring at me coldly. “Riley, your company clocks out at 6:00 PM. Even with rush hour traffic, it only takes twenty minutes to get home. Yet you’ve been exactly five minutes late for three days in a row. Are you out messing around with some other guy?” He let out a dark chuckle, his thin lips curving into a dangerous smirk: “Or maybe I should be expecting a new ‘roommate’ to move in here soon?” I swallowed hard, staring nervously at the man lazily wrapping the silver chain around his fingers. He slowly leaned forward, his long legs bracketing my body. With one hand, he ripped off his loungewear shirt, exposing a beautifully sculpted, muscular chest. The faint red rimming his eyes carried a chilling, obsessive smile. “Did you forget what I said yesterday? For every minute you’re late, we add one more round.” He wrapped the silver chain securely around my ankle. “Maybe this chain suits you better than it suits me.” I stared at him in sheer terror. I opened my mouth to explain, but he forcefully crashed his lips down on mine, swallowing my words. I could only scream internally in pure, unadulterated panic. Who the f*ck is the real kidnapper here?! He used to be an untouchable, ice-cold CEO! 2 Two months ago, I committed the most felony-level act of my life. I kidnapped my boss, Declan Thorne. I had been crushing on him for three years. He was a senior at my college. After graduation, I hustled, networked, and practically begged my way into a job at his consulting firm. At first, I just wanted to be near him. I didn’t expect him to actually like me back. But the more I looked at him, the more I wanted him. So, I decided to confess my feelings. However, on the exact day I planned to do it, I caught him acting incredibly intimate with a beautiful woman. He was even holding a massive bouquet of red roses! My mission failed before it even began. A sudden, irrational surge of jealousy and anger hijacked my brain, birthng a bold, deeply twisted idea! I was going to kidnap him, take him home, and make him mine! So, feigning illness, I guilt-tripped him into driving me home. Using the excuse of “coming up for a quick glass of water,” I lured him into my apartment and managed to get him to chug a heavily spiked beer. Honestly, Declan was a notorious lightweight. I’d never seen a guy from the Midwest who couldn’t handle his liquor like that. An absolute disgrace to the Midwest. While he was knocked out cold, I practically dragged his dead weight into my bedroom and used a thin silver chain I had just bought online to secure him to the bedpost. Then, I stared at him, realizing my critical flaw. I really wanted to have my wicked way with him, but he was unconscious! It’s no fun playing a one-person game. I had to wait for him to wake up. An hour later, Declan’s eyelids fluttered, and he woke up. He looked down at the chain around his ankle and frowned deeply: “Riley, are you illegally holding me hostage?” Meeting those dark, bottomless eyes, the liquid courage I had earlier instantly evaporated into cold sweat. I forced myself to act tough and delivered my warning: “From now on, you’re never leaving me for the rest of your life! Don’t even think about escaping. This chain is made of titanium alloy. Even an elephant couldn’t break it, let alone you!” Declan looked at me with a deeply bizarre expression and threw a curveball: “You like me?” My face exploded in a fiery blush. I stammered defensively: “Y-yes! I’ve liked you for three years! It’s bad enough you don’t like me back, but you were actually going to be with another woman?! I will absolutely never allow that! “From now on, you will stay right here.” I recited the lines I had memorized from a cheesy psycho-thriller novel. “Your eyes will only look at me, your mind will only think of me, and your body belongs solely to me!” Declan stared at me coldly. “Impossible!” “I suggest you let me go immediately. I will never submit to this!” I threw out a few more hollow threats and then fled the bedroom in an absolute panic. Honestly, the second I walked out, I regretted it. This was illegal imprisonment! It was a felony! Plus, Declan was no pushover. He looked like an untouchable, refined elite, but rumor had it that when he was a teenager, he was caught in an attempted kidnapping in Europe and managed to fight off two armed men to escape. He was a black belt in Taekwondo and practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I had accidentally walked in on him changing in his office once. That beautifully shredded physique was definitely not just for show. And that stupid chain wasn’t titanium alloy. It was a cheap dog leash I bought off Amazon, barely as thick as my pinky. If he pulled hard enough, it would snap instantly. When that happened, he was definitely going to murder me! But God, I wanted him so badly! I gritted my teeth. If I was going down, I was going down in flames. I was fully committing to this psycho role! 3 For the first month, Declan did exactly what he said he would: he resisted to the death. Every time I entered the bedroom, he glared at me with eyes cold enough to freeze hell over. Every time I reached out to touch him, his terrifying stare scared my hand right back. A few times, I tried sneaking into the room late at night. But the moment I laid a hand on him, his eyes snapped open. In the moonlight, he looked like a predator silently waiting to ambush its prey. It scared the life out of me. I didn’t dare try it again. But strangely, he didn’t leave. He actually seemed to believe my ridiculous lie. That tiny, fragile chain was acting like a magical tether, keeping him perfectly confined to the spot. Fortunately, the chain was long enough for him to access the attached master bathroom, so it didn’t affect his basic needs. I figured if the hard way didn’t work, I’d try the soft way. Every day, I sat in his room and rambled on about my three-year secret crush. But he never engaged. Every time I told him how much I liked him, he would turn his head away, looking so disgusted he couldn’t even bear the sight of me. By the end of the month, I was finally losing hope. I decided to give up. You can’t force someone to love you. I figured I would just drive him home and then go turn myself in to the police. Deep down, I always knew someone like Declan would never fall for me. He was always the brightest star in the room, and I was just the dull, invisible background character. Falling for Declan Thorne was the easiest thing in the world. Back in college, I joined the performing arts club. We were supposed to perform at the winter gala. I had prepared a piano and violin duet with a guy from the club. But the day before the show, his girlfriend got insanely jealous and threatened to dump him if he shared a stage with me. Left without a partner at the last minute, I was a panicked, crying mess backstage. That was when Declan, who was just walking by, picked up the violin and said: “Play. I’ll accompany you.” The performance was a massive success. The moment the final note dropped, the auditorium erupted in thunderous applause. It was only later I found out Declan wasn’t even in our club. He was the Student Body President. He was literally just passing by, saw me crying pitifully, and decided to help me out. When I went to thank him later, he just gave a polite nod and walked away. To him, it was probably an insignificant blip in his life. But for me, from that day on, he was the only person I ever saw. When he graduated and started his consulting firm, I followed him right into it. But his attitude toward me had always been strictly professional and distant. Even now, when I had literally kidnapped him, he still refused to submit. I sighed heavily. I decided to sneak in tonight, touch his abs one last time to get my money’s worth, and then set him free. 4 I didn’t expect Declan to be awake this time. The moment my hand touched his chest, he grabbed my wrist with a crushing grip! Just as my soul was about to leave my body in terror, Declan opened his eyes. In the midnight silence, the only sounds were my hammering heartbeat and his hoarse voice. “Riley, are you sick in the head?” I don’t know if it was an illusion, but I thought I saw a flicker of helpless frustration in his eyes. I was too terrified to stutter out a single word. He sat up, rubbing his temples: “…Do you really want to sleep with me that badly?” I nodded frantically. Duh. Why else would I kidnap you?! Declan stared at me for a long, heavy moment. Finally, looking like a kidnapped prince who had tragically resigned himself to his fate, he sighed deeply: “Fine. From tonight on, you can move your stuff in here. “But let me be clear. We are only sleeping. Nothing else.” Happiness hit me like a freight train. I nodded so hard I almost gave myself whiplash. Only sleeping? Deal! We’re already in the same bed, how far away could ‘everything else’ really be?! Declan glanced at me, a hint of disdain in his eyes: “Go get your pillow.” From that night on, I finally got exactly what I wanted. I crawled into Declan’s bed, happily falling asleep every night with my hand resting on his chest. It felt like my dreams were painted pink. The only downside was that every morning when Declan woke up, he was bundled up tightly in the blankets, his face dark and brooding. I assumed his body had compromised, but his mind still felt deeply humiliated. … This bizarre domestic life continued for another month, but Declan started acting strange. At first, he had been cold and indifferent, ignoring everything I did. Now, he was monitoring what time I got off work. I still had no idea how the company was functioning perfectly normally without him. It was as if no one even realized the CEO was missing. In fact, the firm was expanding. We had recently hired a new batch of interns because we were short-staffed. The intern assigned to my team was a guy named Kieran Walsh. He was a 6’1″ college senior with a sharp jawline, a tiny mole on his nose, and incredibly long eyelashes that cast shadows when he looked down. He was a sweet talker, constantly calling me “Sister,” and he worked surprisingly hard. After hours, he would always pull up a chair next to my desk to ask me industry questions. I admit, I appreciate a handsome face. Even though my heart belonged entirely to Declan, what normal person could be cold to a guy like that? Because of him, I came home half an hour late for the first time. When I walked through the door, Declan’s face was darker than the night sky outside. When I brought him dinner, he grabbed my wrist, yanked me forcefully onto his lap, and buried his face in the crook of my neck. I thought he had finally opened up to me and was thrilled, but then he suddenly asked: “Why do you smell like men’s cologne?” I froze, suddenly remembering the faint, fresh scent Kieran wore. It was probably because he leaned in too close when I was teaching him how to use the massive office printer today. Did Declan have the nose of a bloodhound?! How could he smell that?! Seeing my silence, Declan let out a cold, sharp laugh. “You say you like me every single day, but you’re already bored of me in less than three months? Did you find some fresh meat outside? “I guess people really don’t cherish things once they finally get them. Riley, I see exactly who you are.” Wait, why did he sound like a bitter, neglected housewife?! I quickly tried to explain: “No, no, it’s nothing like that! We just got a new intern who’s super eager to learn, so I was showing him how the printer works.” “He doesn’t even know how to use a printer? Are Pinnacle Tech’s hiring standards this garbage now? Are we letting literal idiots into the building?” Declan’s expression darkened even further. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a sleek smartphone: “What’s his name? I’ll have HR fire him tomorrow.” My eyes widened in horror: “Hold on! Where did you get a phone?! Didn’t I confiscate it?!” If he had a phone this whole time, why didn’t he call the cops?! Declan froze. For half a second, his expression went completely blank. Then, he casually tossed the phone aside, pinned me forcefully onto the mattress, and started unbuttoning his own shirt. The warm lamplight cascaded over the subtle, honey-toned muscles of his back. My brain completely short-circuited. Intoxicated by the view, I immediately forgot all about the phone. Declan hovered over me, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. He grabbed my hands, pinned them above my head, and used the silver chain—which he had somehow effortlessly unclipped from his own ankle—to tie my wrists to the bedpost. He stared down at me, his voice dangerously low: “You were half an hour late coming home today. I have to punish you.” 5 After that night, Declan and I fell into this deeply ambiguous, messy relationship. He never explicitly defined what we were, so I never dared to ask. I was too afraid that the answer I got wouldn’t be the one I wanted. I was so used to chasing after him, and loving someone too much strips you of your courage. … I suppose being lucky in love meant I had to suffer at work. The next evening, I was packing up to leave when my team lead, Gary Snyder, casually leaned against my desk. I frowned slightly. Ever since Gary found out that my family had bought me a house in the city, fully paid off in cash, he had been targeting me. He came from a rural background, and buying a house in this city on a standard salary was nearly impossible, so he started aggressively hitting on me. Because he was technically my superior, I always tried to reject him politely. But he was like a leech I couldn’t shake off. “Riley, a new steakhouse just opened downtown. This is the perfect chance to bond with upper management. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?” I was incredibly annoyed, and I couldn’t hide the irritation on my face: “Sorry, I have plans tonight.” “What plans? Do you have a boyfriend?” I paused for a moment, then nodded: “Yes.” But Gary refused to back off. “Who are you trying to fool? I’ve never seen this mysterious boyfriend of yours. Are you just nervous about eating with your boss? Don’t worry, I’m actually very easygoing.” “Excuse me, I really have to go.” I couldn’t take it anymore and simply sidestepped him. Seeing me ignore him, Gary’s face instantly dropped. “Riley, what makes you think you can be so arrogant? So what if you bought a house? I could buy a house whenever I want. That garbage property you bought is out in the suburbs! I wouldn’t even look twice at it. If I buy, I’m buying downtown!” I ignored him and kept walking. But just as I reached the elevator, he grabbed my arm violently. He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with malicious, sleazy intent. “I still don’t even know where you got the money for that house. A girl like you, dropping a million in cash? “Did some sugar daddy buy it for you? Is that why you’re always rushing home right at 6:00 PM? To get on your knees for some old man?” I was furious and panicked. But he was a grown man, and I couldn’t physically fight him off. Just as I was about to curse him out, an arm shot out from behind me and violently shoved him backward! Kieran stepped forward, his face expressionless. He grabbed Gary’s wrist and demanded: “Apologize.” Gary was stunned at first, but then his face flushed dark red: “You’re just a f*cking intern! What does this have to do with you? I’ll have HR fire your ass!” “Apologize.” Kieran tightened his grip. Gary winced, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. After struggling for a few seconds, he finally muttered: “Sorry!” “Didn’t hear you. Louder.” “I’m sorry!” Kieran released him and sneered: “Seeing how confidently you run your mouth, I thought you were actually someone important. “If you’re so jealous of a woman buying a house, why don’t you go sell yourself to a sugar daddy? “Oh, wait.” He looked Gary up and down, letting out a mocking scoff. “Looking at you, you’d probably have to pay them just to look at you.” Gary’s lips trembled with rage. But standing at 5’6″, he looked like a terrified quail next to the 6’1″ Kieran. He didn’t dare swear, and he definitely couldn’t win a fight. With an ashen face, he finally turned and fled. I looked at Kieran: “Thank you so much.” The aggression and coldness in Kieran’s face vanished instantly, reverting back to the bright-eyed, cheerful intern. “Don’t worry about it. Trash like him only bullies people they think are weak. If he bothers you again, tell me. “Let me drive you home. We don’t want him ambushing you in the parking lot.” I thought about it and nodded. “My car’s a bit old, so don’t mind the mess.” Kieran drove a very battered, old Honda Civic. I buckled my seatbelt and couldn’t help but say: “Seriously, thank you for today. But Gary is incredibly petty. I’m worried he’s going to target you at work now.” A rebellious, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of Kieran’s mouth: “Do you think I care about him targeting me?” He steered the car with one hand. The watch on his wrist easily cost enough to buy ten of the Hondas we were sitting in. Honestly, the whole office had been whispering that he was some billionaire’s son slumming it for the summer. Poverty can be faked, but the effortless, relaxed aura of old money he carried was impossible to hide. Well, that was good. If he came from a powerful family, Gary couldn’t touch him. I breathed a sigh of relief. “But going home this early… are you really rushing back to see your boyfriend?” Kieran glanced at me. “…Actually, he’s not technically my boyfriend.” I had no idea how to describe my relationship with Declan. I couldn’t exactly say he was the man I illegally kidnapped and was now having a torrid affair with, could I? I just vaguely brushed it off: “He’s just a friend.” Kieran smiled. “Good. “I thought I didn’t have a chance anymore.” I wasn’t completely blind. I could sense Kieran’s interest in me. When he first joined as a management trainee, the veteran employees were afraid he would eventually steal their management spots, so they refused to train him and pawned him off on me. I had genuinely put a lot of effort into teaching him the ropes. Slowly, he became super clingy, finding a million excuses to come to my desk every day. Even my coworkers noticed and asked if he was pursuing me. But the only person I liked was Declan. No matter how handsome the younger guy was, I only appreciated him aesthetically. I waved my hand dismissively: “Pinnacle Tech strictly forbids office romances. Plus, we’re three years apart. Save your charm for the younger girls, don’t waste it on me.” Kieran just smiled and didn’t say a word. When we parked outside my building, before I could unbuckle my seatbelt, he leaned over. The familiar, faint scent of his fresh cologne drifted to my nose, mixed with a hint of spicy, rich tobacco. “Sister, your seatbelt is jammed.” Kieran’s knuckles were a bit calloused, probably from playing sports, not smooth and elegant like Declan’s fingers. But as his hands fumbled near the buckle, it created an incredibly charged, unspoken tension in the car. He was too close. I didn’t dare move a muscle. A few seconds later, he unbuckled the belt. “Aren’t you going to invite me up for a cup of tea, Sister?” His eyes carried an undisguised, intense anticipation. Maybe the heat in the car was just too much, but the flush on my face wouldn’t fade. I practically scrambled to open the door: “Not a good time today! Maybe next time. Thank you!” And I fled into the apartment building like I was running for my life. I had perfectly calculated my commute time today. But because of this little detour, I ended up being exactly five minutes late. I looked at Declan, who was currently staring down at me with an imperious glare. One minute equals one round. Good lord, with this man’s stamina, we wouldn’t sleep until dawn! My brain went into overdrive. I shoved him firmly in the chest and yelled: “Stop yelling at me! Do you have any idea that I got sexually harassed at work today?! “How do you even hire these people?! The company is full of absolute human garbage!” Declan’s movements stopped instantly. His brows knitted into a deep, furious frown. “Who harassed you?” I looked away. “Gary Snyder from Marketing. When I rejected him, he accused me of buying my house with sugar daddy money. He said the only reason I rush home at 6:00 PM is to get on my knees for some old man.” Declan rolled out of bed and grabbed his phone. A few seconds later, the call connected. His voice sent a literal shiver down my spine. “Is there someone named Gary Snyder in Marketing? “Yeah. Have him pack his desk and get out tomorrow morning. Contact all of our partnered firms. Any company that hires him will immediately lose our contracts.” He hung up the phone and turned around: “Why didn’t you tell me this kind of thing earlier?” I muttered, “What exactly are we to each other? What good would it do to tell you?” Declan fell silent. His expression turned slightly grim. I suddenly remembered what Kieran had asked me in the car today. I lowered my eyes. “Declan, what exactly are we? What is your endgame here?” He willingly played this kidnapping game with me. He had been intimately involved with me countless times. But he never once clarified what we actually were. Maybe it was because I was already in a bad mood, but my mind was an absolute mess. Maybe Declan was just bored and using me for entertainment. If he truly cared about me, he wouldn’t leave things so vague and undefined. Was I the one lacking courage because I loved him too much, or was there another reason? The reason being… he just didn’t like me. A bitter taste flooded my mouth. I picked up the silver chain he had long since unclipped and tossed it onto the bed. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. But if this feeling is mutual, I hope to see you here tomorrow when I get home from work. “If you don’t feel the same way… then just leave tomorrow.” With that, I turned and walked out the door, feeling incredibly pathetic. I didn’t want to have this conversation face-to-face. Just looking at him made my courage evaporate. I couldn’t bear to think about the fact that a man like Declan would never be short of women chasing him, many of them vastly more qualified than me. Why would he choose me? I couldn’t handle him rejecting me to my face. We didn’t speak another word to each other that night. The apartment was dead silent. Only the faint, metallic clinking of the silver chain could be heard from the bedroom occasionally. I didn’t sleep a wink. 6 The entire next day, my mind was completely checked out at work. As luck would have it, it was an incredibly busy day. My manager had us calling clients non-stop. My brain felt like mush, and it wasn’t until 6:00 PM that I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Dragging my exhausted body to my apartment door, I took a deep breath and unlocked it. I had wanted to stall and stay at the office longer, but every minute of delay was agonizingly stressful. Ultimately, I decided to just go home and face the music. Ripping off the band-aid was better than dragging out the pain. Besides, there was a small chance Declan actually did like me… During those countless nights of intimacy, he would whisper my name in my ear. At the very least, in those moments when we were locked together, peaking at the same time, I genuinely felt like he loved me. I squeezed my eyes shut and walked inside. The living room was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. The blood in my veins turned to ice. I took three massive strides and rushed into the bedroom. The bedroom was completely empty. Only a dull, silver chain lay resting on the mattress. The blankets were perfectly folded. The bedsheets were so smooth it looked like no one had ever slept there. The golden evening light filtered through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. I stood alone in the fragmented light and slowly pressed a hand over my heart. Strange. There was no physical wound, so why did it hurt this much? It felt like that stupid, sentimental organ had shattered itself from the inside, leaving nothing but cold, jagged pieces behind. Whatever, I told myself, my own voice echoing in my chaotic brain. I got to sleep with him for months. Technically, I’m the one who came out ahead. What more could I ask for? From the very beginning, we were never people who belonged in the same world. I reached out and picked up the silver chain. It had long since lost any trace of warmth. Holding it felt like gripping a block of ice.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422579”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

While shopping at a lingerie store, I noticed a very attractive guy staring intently at me. Knowing I love seafood, my mom had specially shipped me a jar of caviar from our hometown, claiming it was great for my health and digestion. I had been eating it for over a month. My weight hadn’t really changed, but my figure had noticeably… improved. My current clothes were getting so tight they were starting to hurt. Just as I was about to lose my temper at the guy for staring, he finally spoke. “Those aren’t breasts. You’re incubating tens of thousands of Yin Seeds in your chest.” 1 After logging the final piece of data for my lab experiment, I rubbed my chest, feeling a dull ache. It was definitely time to go buy some new bras. With graduation looming, I practically lived in the lab, so swamped I couldn’t even find time to shop for clothes. It’s actually a bit embarrassing to admit, but with the extreme stress of graduation, I’ve been binge-eating almost every day for the past month. Surprisingly, the weight was very cooperative—it all went exactly where you’d want it to go. My old clothes were starting to feel painfully tight across my chest. Could this be what they call a “second puberty”? I hadn’t done anything special, but the results were undeniable. Occasionally, while working in the lab, I would accidentally bump against the equipment, and it hurt like crazy. Whenever I gasped in pain, it drew the creepy, lingering stares of the younger guys in the lab. Today, I finally couldn’t take it anymore. As soon as I finished my work, I rushed to the nearest shopping mall. I needed to try some things on in person to figure out what size I actually needed now. To be honest, ever since I stopped growing in high school, I hadn’t bought bras in a physical store. I mostly just ordered them off Amazon. Going to a lingerie store after all these years made me feel a little shy. I pulled my jacket tight around me and walked into a relatively modest, youthful-looking lingerie boutique. To my surprise, the first person I saw was a ridiculously handsome male sales associate. Oh my god, I thought. Times really have changed. Are lingerie stores hiring male employees now? I couldn’t help but steal a few glances. Dressed entirely in black, he had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and incredibly long legs. He had the physique of a runway model. But his face was on a whole different level. He had a razor-sharp jawline, a perfectly sculpted nose, and a pair of dark, bottomless eyes that were incredibly captivating. He instantly reminded me of one of those dark, brooding anime characters—like a handsome guy with black cat ears. Was this the legendary “man who walked out of a comic book”? His vibe was so drastically different from normal people that just looking at him made me blush. Was it because I spent too much time surrounded by the awkward nerds in my lab? Being single since birth for this long meant that even looking at a lingerie salesman was making my imagination run wild… But—even if he was gorgeous, he didn’t need to follow me constantly! Seriously, there’s a line. I walked from the east side of the store all the way to the west, and this guy followed me the entire time. What was his problem? I finally couldn’t hold back and turned around to glare at him. But he was looking down, his eyes fixed directly on my chest, looking like he desperately wanted to say something but was holding back. My crush instantly evaporated. If he was just following me before, I could tolerate it. After all, retail workers have sales quotas to hit. But this blatant, undisguised staring? That was straight-up sexual harassment. I looked down at myself. It was a hot, sunny day, so I was just wearing a small camisole under my open jacket. It definitely looked a bit exaggerated. But still, as an experienced lingerie associate, he shouldn’t be this creepy! I pulled my jacket tightly closed, glaring at him, ready to explode. Before I could say a word, he spoke first. In a deep, low voice that only I could hear, he said: “Those aren’t breasts. You’re incubating tens of thousands of Yin Seeds in your chest.” 2 What the hell is a Yin Seed? I was perfectly healthy. Where would I get Yin Seeds from? Setting aside the fact that this completely defied human anatomy, just hearing the words “Yin Seed” gave me the creeps. I rolled my eyes at him. Considering he was good-looking, I decided to let it slide and just treat him like a crazy person. I stepped around him, planning to move to another section, but this guy actually doubled down. He leaned in slightly, took a highly exaggerated sniff, and looked at me with deep concern: “Lately… have you constantly smelled like raw fish?” I instinctively covered my chest, unable to hold back my anger any longer. “Are you out of your mind?!” To my surprise, he acted like he didn’t even hear me curse at him. He just kept asking: “Have you been eating caviar lately? Stop eating it immediately. If you keep eating it, it’s going to kill you.” ??? I was so angry I actually laughed. I decided to completely ignore him. I gave him an inch and he took a mile. Some people just don’t know when to quit. I marched straight over to the cashier to complain. “What is wrong with your store? Why do you have a male sales associate working in a lingerie shop? “I don’t care how handsome he is, do you understand that he’s sexually harassing customers?! Tell me how you’re going to handle this!” To my shock, the female cashier looked completely bewildered. She stared at me like I was a lunatic. “Miss, we don’t have any male employees working here. How can I help you today?” Heh. Birds of a feather. They were clearly covering for him, right? She couldn’t even come up with a decent lie. I turned around and pointed toward the east side of the store: “That guy right there! He’s not one of your employees—” !! There wasn’t a single person there. He had vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye! I quickly jogged over, pushing racks of clothes aside, looking everywhere. He must be hiding somewhere. There was no way he could have run off that fast. “That’s impossible. He was literally just standing right here.” Seeing me spinning around frantically, the cashier’s expression turned annoyed: “Ma’am, what exactly do you need? “I will repeat this one more time: we have never employed any male staff at this location. You can rest assured. “If you insist on making this claim, we can review the security footage.” Since she went that far, I had no choice but to awkwardly drop it. How bizarre. Was I under so much stress lately that I was hallucinating? After causing such a scene, I felt incredibly frustrated. I hastily bought a few bras that looked like they would fit and went to the register. Well, I definitely needed a much bigger size. On the walk back to my apartment, my mind was racing. The guy’s words clung to me like a physical weight, making me deeply uneasy. I had definitely sprayed perfume today. How could he smell the fishy scent on me? Also, we were total strangers. How did he know I was eating caviar? 3 As early as four or five days ago, when I was changing my clothes at home, I noticed a faint, raw fish smell on my body. It was even stronger when I took a shower. The entire bathroom smelled like someone had just gutted a fish and didn’t wash their hands properly. It was faint, but undeniably there. At first, I thought it was just a smell lingering from the lab. After all, my major often required dissecting frogs and things like that, so I didn’t think much of it. But lately, my experiments had mostly moved into the data analysis and wrap-up phase, yet the fishy smell was getting stronger. Especially when I changed my clothes, the smell on my bras was severe. After checking multiple times, I finally pinpointed that the smell was indeed coming from my chest. I couldn’t figure out why. I had to resort to spraying heavy perfume every day. Unless someone was deliberately trying to sniff me, it was almost undetectable from a normal social distance. Although that guy’s stare was incredibly creepy, he was standing several feet away from me at the time. How did he manage to smell it? If he just had an ultra-sensitive sense of smell, I could barely accept that explanation. But what about the caviar? Can a total stranger figure out your recent diet just from a scent? And he even warned me to stop eating it! It was way too creepy! Thinking about this, I quickly pulled a newly opened jar of caviar from my kitchen cabinet. Inside the small, bowl-sized jar lay perfectly round, translucent, ruby-red fish roe. They looked plump, juicy, and incredibly appetizing. The moment I opened it, a bizarrely enticing aroma wafted out. Just looking at it for a few seconds made my mouth water. The feeling of the roe bursting against my tongue was incredibly addictive. I almost wanted to scoop out two spoonfuls and mix it with some rice. But for some reason, the guy’s warning echoed in my ears. His voice had been dead serious. He wasn’t joking around. It felt like a bad omen. A sudden wave of nausea hit me. I held the spoon but couldn’t bring myself to dig in. I had no choice but to put the caviar away. 4 My mom had specially mailed this caviar to me a month ago. My hometown is a small fishing village in the South. My dad died when I was young, and my mom single-handedly kept our family afloat by fishing. Although we were poor, we never lacked fish, shrimp, or other seafood in our daily meals. When I was little, I used to sneak small fish and shrimp from my mom’s fishing nets to feed the stray cats and dogs. Whenever she caught me, a severe beating was inevitable. According to her logic, even if the small fish and shrimp couldn’t be sold, grinding them into fish paste for me to eat with bread was better than wasting them on animals. That homemade fish paste was incredibly fishy and bitter. Even though they both came from fish, it was worlds apart from actual caviar. Honestly, I had never tasted real caviar back then, but to a kid like me, it sounded like the most delicious thing on earth. Otherwise, why would my mom guard it so fiercely and refuse to let me have any? One day, on my way home from school, I found a beautiful, gentle little black cat. It was absolutely stunning. Though it was thin and frail, every movement was elegant, like a noble feline king. I brought it home, looking for something to feed it. To my surprise, it was an incredibly picky eater. It refused to eat the cheap fish and shrimp, instead staring intently under my mom’s bed. Was there some delicious fish hidden under there? I crawled over, reached my arm under the bed, and pulled something out. It was a jar of caviar! Caviar was incredibly expensive. My mom always hid it and never let me eat it. I had accidentally stumbled upon this jar thanks to the little cat. How could I possibly put it back? After struggling to open the jar, I dipped my finger in and tasted it. It was smooth, tender, sweet, and burst with flavor. The aftertaste was incredible. By the time I snapped out of my daze, the little black cat had sneakily eaten more than half the jar! As luck would have it, my mom walked in and caught us red-handed. She gave me the beating of a lifetime. From that day on, she never let me near caviar again. “It’s not the right time yet. Caviar is full of hormones; it’s not good for children’s bodies!” That was the excuse she gave me, but I didn’t buy it. I knew she just resented me for being a girl. Because of that, tasting caviar again became a lifelong obsession of mine. I remembered that incident vividly. Last month, my mom suddenly called me out of the blue. She asked about my living situation and how my graduation thesis was going. I told her the truth: I was under a lot of pressure and incredibly busy. To my surprise, she immediately mailed me three large jars of caviar. She said it was to nourish my stomach and improve my health, urging me to finish my thesis quickly so I could come home and visit her. I still remember the day I received the caviar. I mixed it with three massive bowls of rice and devoured it. It was so incredibly delicious! Maybe it was because I was finally fulfilling my childhood obsession? Regardless, from that day on, I ate caviar with almost every meal. I was completely addicted to it. But now, sitting alone in the quiet, thinking back on the whole situation, it felt incredibly strange. I hadn’t even mentioned caviar on the phone. Why did my mom suddenly send it to me? And how on earth did that random, creepy guy know about it? He said if I kept eating it, I would die. Was that true? Thinking about this, the guy’s face floated into my mind again. For some inexplicable reason, his face slowly began to merge with the image of the proud little black cat from my childhood. I must be losing my mind. 5 Ever since that guy pointed out the fishy smell and the caviar, I didn’t dare eat it anymore. But the withdrawal was agonizing. It felt like hundreds of tiny fish were inside my stomach, opening and closing their mouths, demanding to be fed caviar. If I didn’t eat caviar, I couldn’t stomach anything else. Not only did I have zero appetite, but forcing myself to eat made me nauseous. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The heavy, aching pain in my lower abdomen was worse than severe menstrual cramps. In my groggy, half-awake state, my chest started to ache again. My newly bought clothes suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. Mustering my courage, I gave my chest a slight squeeze, and a sharp pain shot straight to my heart. The texture was soft, but there were definitely tiny, granular things inside. The moment I touched them, it felt like they were swimming deeper inside me. It felt exactly like the little beanbags I used to play with as a kid, except the outer layer was much softer and smoother. “Those aren’t breasts. You’re incubating tens of thousands of Yin Seeds in your chest.” The guy’s voice echoed in my ears again. Comparing his words to what I was feeling, a cold sweat drenched my entire body. Should I go to the hospital tomorrow? But no matter how you looked at it, growing “Yin Seeds” inside your body didn’t sound like something modern science could explain or treat… Wrestling with these terrifying thoughts, I finally fell into a deep sleep in the early hours of the morning. I finally fell asleep, but I had an incredibly strange dream. In the dream, the beautiful little black cat appeared again. I pulled out the caviar my mom sent me and asked if it wanted some. Unlike its childhood self, it suddenly licked its paw and started speaking, warning me to never eat the caviar again. The next second, a mist rolled in and parted, revealing the handsome lingerie salesman. Seeing him again, I frantically asked him why I shouldn’t eat the caviar. The guy sighed softly and said that the caviar was used to cultivate Yin Seeds. I had been eating it for almost a month. Based on my condition, I was probably incubating tens of thousands of them by now. Listening to him made my scalp tingle. I desperately asked if there was a cure, explaining that my chest and lower abdomen were in agonizing pain. He gave a helpless smile. He explained that the caviar I had eaten previously had already spawned countless Yin Seeds. Now that their “nutrient source” had suddenly been cut off, they were swimming around, trying to drain the nutrients from my abdomen, which was causing the pain. His description matched my symptoms flawlessly. I didn’t dare doubt him anymore. With red, tearful eyes, I begged him to help me. He stammered, his face turning bright red. He turned back into the little black cat and pressed his paws in the air twice. Instantly, my chest felt warm and incredibly soothing. The pain vanished. I was just about to thank him, but the black cat’s silhouette slowly began to fade. He said he didn’t know exactly what kind of caviar this was, because his true physical body wasn’t here. “Go to the willow tree near your old house and find me. As quickly as possible. Do not delay!” His clear, urgent instructions rang in my ears. I wanted to ask for more details, but the dream abruptly ended there. When I woke up, the fishy smell on my body was noticeably fainter, and the swelling pain in my chest had subsided significantly. But the strangest thing was… when I was getting dressed, I found two red cat paw prints right on my chest! Could it be… that wasn’t just a dream? Was that guy actually the little black cat from all those years ago? At that moment, the guy’s warning echoed in my ears again, sending a shiver through my heart. I didn’t dare waste another second. I hurriedly briefed my lab partners on my current tasks, requested an emergency leave of absence from my advisor, and booked a ticket home. 6 I bought a ticket for the earliest high-speed train home, but to my shock, my mom didn’t seem to welcome me at all. I had to drag my heavy suitcase from the station to the house all by myself. Over the past four years of college, our old, single-story house had been completely renovated into a beautiful, multi-story modern home. Because of the renovation, I didn’t even have a key. I could only stand there and knock continuously. “I hear you! I hear you! Knocking like you’re trying to wake the dead!” My mom yanked the heavy door open, her face pulled into a long, unhappy scowl. “What are you doing home so early?” Her tone was full of displeasure. I assumed she was just being her usual harsh-spoken self and was probably worried about my graduation thesis. So I quickly tried to explain: “It’s fine, Mom, don’t worry. I’ve already talked to my advisor about my thesis—” “Whatever, whatever, I don’t understand any of that anyway. Before the baby is even born, you come running back, and now I have to feed you for an entire month for free.” She impatiently cut me off, swinging her elbow back and accidentally hitting me right in the chest. A sharp, piercing pain shot through me. I couldn’t help but cry out, but my attention was entirely caught by the second half of her sentence. “Before the baby is born?” What did she mean? Was my sister-in-law already pregnant? If I remembered correctly, my younger brother only got married at the end of last year. It had only been four or five months. Was it a shotgun wedding? But either way, what did my sister-in-law having a baby have to do with me? I wasn’t about to be her live-in nanny! The phrase “feed you for free” made my heart sting with bitterness. I had always known she favored boys over girls. Especially after my dad passed away, she pinned all her hopes for carrying on the family line on my brother, her precious only son. But I always thought I was a good, obedient daughter. I studied incredibly hard and got into a top-tier university. Didn’t I deserve even a little bit of her attention and care? While I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt a tickle on my chest. It was my mom. She was leaning in close, sniffing my chest! 7 Because I rushed home so frantically, I forgot to put on perfume today. The fishy smell might actually still be noticeable. I quickly covered my chest, my face burning with embarrassment: “Mom, um, well, the smell in the lab is a bit strong…” Hearing this, my mom finally lifted her head. She was smiling brightly, seemingly in a great mood. She waved her hand dismissively: “Ah, what are you talking about? I don’t smell anything fishy! Very good, very good. You’ve been nourishing yourself well!” Saying that, she suddenly leaned in closer and lowered her voice: “You’ve been eating the caviar on schedule, right?” The caviar again! Seeing my mom’s bizarre, creepy smile, that terrifying, ominous feeling surged in my chest once more. I forced myself to answer: “I actually got a bit sick of eating fish lately, so I’m taking a break from it for now.” To my absolute shock, the moment the words left my mouth, my mom’s entire demeanor flipped. The corners of her mouth dropped, her eyebrows twisted into a furious knot, and she looked like she wanted to eat me alive. “You stupid brat! That caviar is incredibly expensive and rare! How could you get sick of it?! Have you been eating it on schedule or not, you wretched girl?! “Wendy is about to give birth! If you don’t eat it, what are we going to do?!” My mom’s sudden, violent shift in attitude left me completely stunned, unsure of how to react. Just then, my brother walked out of a room, supporting his pregnant wife. My mom immediately rushed over to fawn over her daughter-in-law: “Oh, Wendy, you’re about to pop! Why are you walking around with that heavy belly just because Chloe came home for a quick visit?!” At that moment, I truly felt like Wendy was her biological daughter. My mom’s blatant favoritism made my eyes sting. Wendy rested her hand on my mom’s arm and smiled sweetly: “Mom! Where is Chloe going to sleep?” Hearing that, my feet glued to the floor. I stopped dragging my suitcase inside. What did she mean? Was there no bedroom for me in this massive house? I managed to force the words out: “Do I… not have a bedroom?” My mom’s face stiffened. Just as she was about to answer, my stomach let out a loud rumble. She latched onto the sound like a lifeline, eagerly using it as an excuse to change the subject. “Chloe, you must be starving! Let’s eat right now!” Seeing my mom rushing off to cook for me sparked a tiny glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe she did care. After all, what mother doesn’t love her own child? 8 It wasn’t until the food was served that I realized how naive I was. My mom had prepared six elaborate dishes, perfectly balancing meat and vegetables, packed with nutrition. But what she placed in front of me was a single, plain bowl of watery porridge mixed with some spinach and minced meat! “Chloe, I remember you were never a picky eater when you were little, and you have a small appetite. If this isn’t enough, just tell me. There’s more in the pot!” After saying that, without even glancing at me, she busied herself with serving premium cuts of meat and seafood to my brother and Wendy. I was definitely not a small eater! And I was definitely picky! The only reason I ate so little when I was a kid was because she never let me eat my fill! Furious and feeling incredibly wronged, I reached out with my chopsticks to grab some of the scrambled eggs with shrimp from the center platter. Before I could even touch it, Wendy let out a soft tsk. My mom immediately slapped my chopsticks away. “Eat your own food! Wendy is going through a difficult pregnancy. How dare you try to snatch food from a pregnant woman!” Wendy was pregnant, fine. But what about my brother, Leo? He was sitting there, stuffing his face, looking greasy and fat. He didn’t even spare a glance at his older sister! Looking at this “happy, loving family,” I swallowed my tears and took a bite of the plain porridge. Maybe I was just starving, but the porridge actually tasted incredibly delicious. It was strange. Because of the caviar withdrawal, I couldn’t stomach anything while I was at school. Did this plain porridge have some kind of magic in it? Maybe it was just the taste of home. But… could I even call this place my home anymore? 9 After a heated argument, my mom finally agreed to clear out a small guest room for me. The room was tiny, stuffy, and had terrible lighting, but I was just relieved to have a place to sleep. I don’t know if it was a psychological placebo effect, but I felt like the fishy smell on my body had genuinely vanished. Unless I bumped into something, the swelling and pain in my chest had also significantly decreased. Maybe everything was slowly getting better! I originally planned to wake up early the next morning and head to the river to find the little black cat. But my mom had errands to run, and my brother was going out drinking with his friends. That left me alone to look after Wendy. Looking at Wendy’s massive, swollen belly, I couldn’t find an excuse to leave. Figuring my symptoms were improving anyway, I decided to postpone finding the little black cat until tomorrow. Around lunchtime, because my mom wasn’t home and I didn’t know her “special recipe” for the plain porridge, and I still couldn’t stomach normal food, I had to cook two separate dishes just for Wendy. And even then, she complained about them. She went to the kitchen, pulled out a jar of caviar, and scooped a massive spoonful into her food. The moment I saw the caviar, my instinct was to stop her. But then I paused— Why did her chest look completely normal after eating caviar while pregnant? To be brutally honest, her chest was significantly smaller than mine. In fact… it was even smaller than many normal pregnant women. It looked like she wouldn’t be able to produce enough milk for the baby. Sensing my gaze, Wendy suddenly dropped her spoon, looked up, and shot me a highly sarcastic, condescending glare. Any urge I had to warn her died in my throat. I swallowed my words. Taking a closer look, the caviar she was eating seemed different from the jars my mom sent me. The fish roe was white, smaller, and looked dry and unappetizing. Just looking at it made me feel nauseous. I had no idea how she was forcing it down. But pregnant women do have weird cravings, I suppose. After I served her lunch and was cleaning the table, she suddenly called me into her bedroom. I put down the dishcloth, washed my hands, and walked in. The moment I pushed the door open, my eyes widened in horror. I was greeted by the sight of a massively swollen, purple-red belly, perfectly round like a basketball!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422578”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In Manhattan’s elite circles, Arthur Sterling was known as a ruthless force. Cold and eccentric, he treasured nothing—except for a rough, silver prayer bracelet on his wrist. Rumor had it that his true love had prayed for it step-by-step, kneeling at an ancient church in Europe just for him. Once, a top-tier actress accidentally brushed against it. The very next day, she vanished from the public eye, completely blacklisted. At a movie wrap party, I accidentally spilled red wine right onto Arthur’s wrist. In that moment, the entire room held its breath. Everyone thought my career was over. But to everyone’s surprise, he calmly pulled a few tissues and meticulously wiped every single silver bead. Without even looking up, he uttered three words: “It’s fine. Continue.” That very night, Arthur got his wish and tied a delicate gold anklet with a bell around my ankle. The crisp, melodic ringing echoed in the bedroom all night long. 01 At the wrap party celebrating our movie crossing the $300 million box office mark. “Did you guys hear? That A-list actress, Nicole, accidentally touched Mr. Sterling’s bracelet a couple of days ago, and immediately got dropped by all her major brand deals. I heard she’s facing tens of millions in breach-of-contract penalties now.” “They say it was a gift from Mrs. Sterling. I’m so jealous of that woman, being held in the palm of the hand by the head of such a top-tier dynasty.” Arthur, reverently referred to by the crowd as the “Heir,” was currently playing with his wine glass alone, his expression aloof. The director wiped cold sweat from his forehead. He had no idea why this VIP had suddenly graced them with his presence. Although the movie was a massive hit, this amount of money was pocket change to the Sterling family. “Mr. Sterling, is there anything specific you need us to do today?” Arthur’s long, elegant fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the table. His voice was lazy, and he didn’t even look up: “Nothing. You all carry on.” 02 “Mr. Sterling, I’m Sarah, the female lead in the movie. I want to toast to you, to thank you for this opportunity.” A blonde actress walked over, holding a wine glass, swaying with calculated allure with every step. A strong, overpowering perfume hit the air. Arthur frowned imperceptibly. He lit a cigarette, his deep eyes narrowing slightly. His gaze swept across the room and finally landed on me, sitting in the corner, for a few seconds. “Her perfume is too strong. You toast me instead.” Suddenly, I became the target of everyone’s scrutiny. Bracing myself, I poured a glass of wine and walked over with steady steps. “Mr. Sterling, a toast to you. Thank you for your generous investment in the production.” Arthur picked up his glass expressionlessly and downed it in one gulp. The director and producer breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging meaningful smiles. “Maya, you sit next to Mr. Sterling tonight. Make sure to take good care of him.” Before I could even refuse, I saw my manager, Monica, almost tearing up with excitement. She clearly thought I was about to soar up the social ladder and become royalty. I silently took a sip of my juice. I had debuted five years ago and was still a D-list celebrity without a single breakout role. The only thing going for me was my face, which the media had dubbed “stunningly breathtaking.” 03 I felt an unfriendly gaze continuously stabbing at me. I looked up and saw Sarah. Having lost face in front of everyone because of Arthur, she was clearly pinning the blame on me. I curled my lips into a small smile and ignored her. But she actively provoked me: “Maya, sitting so close to Mr. Sterling, how can you be so oblivious? Hurry up and pour the gentleman a drink.” I looked at the decanter on the table. Just as my fingers touched the glass, someone shoved me hard from behind. I lost my balance and lunged forward. In a panic, I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself, but ended up knocking over Arthur’s wine glass. The red liquid ran down the tablecloth, splashing directly onto his silver bracelet. 04 The entire room instantly fell dead silent. Everyone was waiting for Arthur’s thunderous rage. “Maya is finished. Even someone of Nicole’s status got blacklisted. Let alone a nobody like her.” “Are you betting Arthur kicks her out of New York, or completely erases her from the entertainment industry?” Arthur furrowed his brows. His assistant hurried over with tissues. Using his long fingers, Arthur slowly and methodically wiped each bead on the bracelet, as if it were the most precious antique in the world. Three minutes passed. Those three minutes felt longer than three years to everyone else in the VIP room. The director bravely tried to explain: “Mr. Sterling, Maya didn’t mean to, please…” Looking at the now-clean bracelet, Arthur finally showed a satisfied expression. “It’s fine. Continue.” Everyone: “???” Did they hear that right? Mr. Sterling actually let it slide? Because of Arthur’s unusual leniency, I earned a dozen more jealous glares. I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Because that bracelet on Arthur’s wrist… I was the one who gave it to him. 05 Halfway through the party, I went to the restroom. Right as I stepped out, Sarah blocked my path in the hallway. “Maya! I’m warning you, Mr. Sterling has a wife. If the mysterious Mrs. Sterling finds out you’re trying to seduce her husband, you won’t even know what hit you.” I looked blankly at Sarah as she bared her fangs at me. When she finished, I raised an eyebrow: “Mrs. Sterling?” “Of course. I had the privilege of meeting her once. She is countless times more beautiful than you. If trash like you dares to get close to Arthur, I’ll tell his wife and make you disappear for good.” She had finally gained a bit of fame from this movie and wanted to climb the social ladder through Arthur, but I ruined it for her. Naturally, she was furious. I looked playfully at the figure standing not far behind her. “Mr. Sterling, did you hear that? Sarah says she knows your wife?” Sarah looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She spun around stiffly: “Sir, I…” 06 When she turned around, she realized there was no one there. Furious, Sarah raised her hand to strike me: “Maya, how dare you play me!” I grabbed her wrist and flung it back. My eyes instantly went cold as I stepped toward her, forcing her back: “If you want to survive in this industry, stay away from me.” With that, I elegantly walked away in my heels. Midnight, the Sterling Estate. Arthur was leaning against the headboard, his gold-rimmed glasses tossed casually to the side. I instinctively tried to back out of the room, but his long arm pulled me into his embrace, and he locked the door behind us. “Maya, you know how much I treasure it. You got it dirty today. You have to pay me back.” He pulled me by the waist, not giving me a chance to breathe. Domineering and lingering. I tried to push him away, but he held me tighter. Finally, with flushed cheeks, I gave in: “How do I pay you back?” He took out a delicate gold anklet he had prepared long ago and tied it around my ankle. A thin red string with a delicate bell. Against my pale skin, it looked exceptionally beautiful. The sweet ringing of the bell echoed in the quiet bedroom all night long. 07 Early the next morning, I was woken up by my phone’s harsh ringtone. “Monica, what’s wrong?” As soon as I spoke, I was startled by my own raspy voice. Monica paused for a second on the other end before exploding: “You’re asking me what’s wrong?! Of all the people to seduce, you had to mess with Arthur Sterling! The whole internet is saying you’re trying to sleep your way to the top as his mistress. That audition I fought so hard to get you is gone. Your endorsement deal for next month is canceled. If you don’t explain this to me right now, you’re on your own!” Arthur, wearing a crisp bathrobe, walked out of the bathroom. Hearing the shouting, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Monica heard the movement on my end and screamed: “Who are you with right now?!” I wasn’t fully awake yet, so I blurted out: “Arthur.” I regretted it instantly and covered my mouth, trying to salvage the situation. Monica took desperate, deep breaths on the other end: “Maya Thorne!! You get your ass back to the agency immediately! Right now!!” 08 Forty minutes later, I arrived at the agency. The trending topics on social media were already blowing up: #MayaThorneHomewrecker #ThrowingHerselfAtMrSterling #SarahMillerSpeaksUpForMrsSterling #AreTheyBesties #MayaThorneHickey #OvernightAtTheMansionTruthUnknown Monica stood by the window, yelling at the PR department: “What is the meaning of Sarah’s tweet? She’s stepping on another artist from the same agency to climb the ladder. Are you guys going to do something about this?” The PR team, full of sly veterans, deflected: “The traffic is too high right now; we can’t suppress it. Monica, you’d better deal with Maya’s private image first.” I opened Sarah’s social media account. Her words were sharp: [Throwing yourself at someone when you know they have a family. The “innocent” persona is just a cover for despicable behavior. Seeing Mrs. Sterling look so haggard broke my heart.] She even tagged a few so-called elite socialite accounts. I sneered: “She’s really rushing to dig her own grave.” Monica slammed my laptop shut: “Explain to me what these marks on your neck are. And don’t tell me they’re mosquito bites. I heard you. Was that really Arthur Sterling? Did you actually become his mistress?” I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore. So I just told her the truth about my secret marriage to Arthur. Monica was dumbfounded, nearly spilling her coffee all over the floor. She reached out and felt my forehead: “You don’t have a fever, do you? Even if you’re desperate for a man, you don’t need to make up a story like this.” I rested my head on my hand and stared at her with a half-smile. After a long pause, Monica asked in a trembling voice: “Really?” Me: “Truer than gold.” 09 Monica paced frantically around the office, practically buzzing with excitement: “Oh my god, I knew your face was a VIP pass to the top! Arthur Sterling! If he lifts a single finger, you’ll have your pick of the best roles!” She was already visualizing me standing on the Oscars stage. “So you really were with him last night? These marks… he made them?” I calmly nodded. “Monica, haven’t you always complained about me not getting any media traffic? Now I have it.” “I wanted good traffic, not the kind where the entire internet wants you canceled!” “You used to say that in this industry, even infamy is better than obscurity.” “…” Monica suddenly calmed down: “You don’t want to go public?” “It’s a hassle.” Monica stared at me with a “I don’t believe you for a second” look. “To be honest, Monica, I made a bet with my dad. If I can’t win Best Actress on my own merit by the time I’m thirty, I have to go back and inherit his energy empire.” Monica: “…” That reason sounded incredibly obnoxious.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422577”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My mom worked as a live-in housekeeper for the Vance family. Mrs. Vance, Liam’s mother, was always on guard, treating me like a thief trying to steal her precious son. After starting college, I moved out of the Vance estate as fast as I could. I even got a boyfriend and flaunted our relationship daily on Instagram and Snapchat. But whenever I had to return to the Vance house, Liam would still put food on my plate, gently asking about my studies and my life. It was all so normal. Until the middle of the night, when the locked door to my room clicked open. He stood by my bed, a rope in his hand, staring at me in the dark for who knows how long… 01 Liam’s mom guarded against me like I was a thief. My dad and Liam’s dad grew up together in the same blue-collar neighborhood. Later, Liam’s dad made it big in business and became incredibly wealthy, while my dad struggled to make ends meet. When my dad got terminal cancer and passed away, the Vance family, out of pity for us—a widow and an orphan—offered my mom a job. To be honest, the Vance family truly saved us. My parents didn’t have much education. They had always worked factory jobs, leaving me in a rural town to be raised by my grandmother. My grandmother favored boys, so I didn’t have an easy childhood. When my dad got cancer, it drained almost all the meager savings our family had. Mr. Vance went back to his hometown to visit relatives, heard about our situation, and felt terrible. He told my mom to bring me and move into their home in the city. My mom became their live-in housekeeper, and I lived with her in the staff quarters. I was finally able to attend a good school in the city. I was just starting middle school then. 02 Liam was five years older than me, the picture of a gentle, sensible older brother. Moreover, he was the classic “perfect kid next door.” He ranked first in his high school class, was the student body president, and was adored by teachers and peers alike. Mr. and Mrs. Vance were incredibly proud of him. When I first arrived at their house, Liam played the role of a caring older brother perfectly. My backpack, textbooks, workbooks, and stationery—he took me to the bookstore to buy them all. When I first struggled to keep up with the city school curriculum, he patiently tutored me. Afraid I wouldn’t have friends or fit in, he would run over from the high school building during lunch break to bring me cookies and milk. His goal, of course, wasn’t just to give me snacks, but to show my classmates that I had someone looking out for me, making sure no one dared to bully me. He told everyone I was the daughter of his dad’s close friend. After moving in with my mom, even though we were living in someone else’s house, the Vance family’s mansion had staff quarters that were a hundred times better than our old run-down apartment. Plus, my mom could finally take care of me. Even though she wasn’t highly educated, seeing her knitting a sweater for me in our room after I finished my homework in the study made me incredibly happy. 03 But Mrs. Vance didn’t like me or my mom. I could see that clearly. Mrs. Vance would often subtly warn me when others weren’t around, saying Liam only saw me as a sister and telling me not to get any ideas. She emphasized that because Liam was so exceptional, his future girlfriend or wife would undoubtedly be an outstanding girl. Mrs. Vance said, “An outstanding girl doesn’t just need to be beautiful; she needs to have top grades, come from a good family, and be highly capable. Only someone like that is worthy of our Liam.” To be honest, I had no conflict of interest with Mrs. Vance, and I completely agreed with her. I thought she was right. Liam was truly exceptional. He was exactly like the male lead in a young adult novel: handsome, smart, with a great personality, gentle, always wearing crisp button-down shirts, and not overly talkative. So, he truly deserved to be with the most outstanding girl. 04 I attended a private high school, funded by Mr. Vance. It was close to home. Those who wanted to study abroad could join the International Baccalaureate program, and those who didn’t stayed in the regular track. My tuition was paid by Mr. Vance. Every time I saw him, I would bow deeply, thanking him for his immense help. I promised that I would make money in the future to repay him, and that I would never forget his kindness. The school often had assemblies and pep rallies where the whole student body gathered. The hosts were frequently two people: Liam, and a senior girl. That senior girl was beautiful, had great grades, and was as popular as Liam. Because of their striking looks and hosting skills, they were chosen to host school events and represent the school in competitions. Consequently, they were often seen together on campus. Everyone thought they were the golden couple. I thought so too. They were my idols. I hoped that one day I could be as amazing as them. 05 When I first arrived at the Vance home, Liam was a junior in high school. Besides tutoring me, guiding my academic path, and helping me with my weak subjects, he would take me out for fun during holidays. Once I had completely adapted to life at the Vance home and my new school, he flew overseas for college. He went to an Ivy League university. When he left, I was in eighth grade. Mrs. Vance was very reluctant to see him go. But I felt she also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking I wouldn’t be spending day and night cultivating feelings with her son anymore. Because every time Liam tutored me, Mrs. Vance would say she could hire a tutor, insisting we shouldn’t waste Liam’s time. Liam would respond in a very straightforward manner, asking why they should go through the trouble. He said helping me was his responsibility. When Liam wanted to take me out, Mrs. Vance would gently suggest she could take me, or have someone else take me. She argued that an older teenage boy and a younger girl wouldn’t have fun together anyway. Liam would reply, “We’re going to the arcade. Guys and girls of all ages can have fun there. Mom, do you want to come?” Liam simply didn’t understand his mother’s underlying message. When Mrs. Vance told me to keep my distance from Liam, I immediately agreed. 06 Liam’s grades were indeed excellent, and he was very sensible, making him highly likable. But I felt he had a flaw: once he decided on something, he had his own unshakeable logic, and no one could argue him out of it. Because he simply wouldn’t listen. I told him I would manage my own grades. He said helping me was his way of managing things. I told him to focus on his own life. He said taking care of me, his “little sister,” was a part of his life. When he wanted to take me out and I said I didn’t want to leave the house, he would strictly criticize me, saying teenagers shouldn’t stay cooped up at home all day ruining their health. His mom told him I had my own life and told him not to interfere too much. He replied that he had his own ideas and told his mom not to interfere too much. In short, after two years of living in constant anxiety, Mrs. Vance finally managed to separate Liam and me. The smile on her face became much more relaxed, and she was noticeably kinder when she looked at me. 07 Liam was very busy while studying abroad, usually coming home only once a year. I started high school and was also very busy. During his four years abroad, we had almost no contact. I transferred from the private middle school to a public high school and lived in the dorms, studying hard every day. When Liam came home, he would bring gifts for everyone. His manners were truly impeccable; the gifts he brought for each person perfectly suited their needs. Mr. and Mrs. Vance were incredibly satisfied with him, constantly saying that even though Liam was a son, he was as attentive as a daughter. Mr. Vance said that having a successful career, a happy family, and an accomplished son in this lifetime must be because he was kind and did good deeds, accumulating good karma, which brought him such good luck. Life passed uneventfully. Until Liam graduated from college and was preparing to return to the US to start his career. Mrs. Vance started getting nervous again. 08 During summer break, I moved back to the Vance house from school. Liam was due back in a little over ten days. Mrs. Vance said to me, “Chloe, Liam will be back soon. You’ve grown up now, so make sure you don’t cling to him like you did when you were little. Otherwise, your future sister-in-law might get jealous.” I immediately proved my loyalty: “Mrs. Vance, don’t worry. Once college starts, I’ll live in the dorms. I’ll work part-time jobs to make money during the semester and won’t have time to come home. I absolutely won’t get in the way of Liam finding a wife.” Mrs. Vance praised me for understanding the situation and gave me a red envelope with cash, telling me to buy whatever I needed. She added, “You know, you can look for a boyfriend while you’re in college, but make sure you keep your eyes open. College is where you find true feelings. It’s harder once you enter the real world. When you’re looking, make sure you consider the guy’s character and family background. If you find someone you like, you can also bring him to me so I can give you some advice.” I thanked her joyfully, went back to my room, and counted the money in the envelope. It was a thousand dollars. I secretly vowed that I would make money in the future and properly repay the Vance family. 09 During the summer break, Liam returned. As usual, he brought gifts for everyone. For me, it was a laptop. He said I would need it for college. The new smartphone in my pocket was a gift from Mr. Vance. Whenever Mrs. Vance saw Liam and me together, her eyes would scan us like radar, terrified we might develop feelings for each other. Mrs. Vance was really overthinking it. Firstly, I knew my place. Secondly, I wouldn’t bite the hand that fed me. It was impossible for me to seduce her son. Liam offered to take me on a graduation trip. He said, “Other kids get to go, why shouldn’t you? I’ll make sure you have it.” Although I was incredibly tempted, I knew that if I went on a trip with Liam, Mrs. Vance probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I said I was going to work part-time at McDonald’s. 10 But I didn’t go work at McDonald’s; I left the Vance house every day to read at the library. Liam was busy starting his own company. Sometimes I’d get up in the middle of the night for water and see him just getting home, looking a bit exhausted. I wanted to show I cared, but the best way to care for him was to stay away. So I silently locked my bedroom door. When college started, my mom helped me pack my bags. Liam, unusually, was home. He leaned against the doorframe, frowning, “The university isn’t far from here. There’s really no need for you to live in the dorms.” I said, “College will definitely be busy, and I want to work part-time to make my own money, so living at home wouldn’t be convenient. Liam, don’t worry, I’ll come back to visit often.” He nodded and patted my head, “Take good care of yourself. If you run into any problems you can’t solve, call me.” I nodded. Mrs. Vance immediately came out and swatted his hand away, “Your sister is grown up now, you need to maintain boundaries!” I smiled at both of them. 11 Going to college and living in the dorms was the first step. What would truly put them at ease was if I got a boyfriend. Then Mrs. Vance would be completely relieved. Then I’d save money, buy a house, and I wouldn’t have to visit their house often. Of course, I would still go back to see Mr. and Mrs. Vance, but having my own home meant I’d be independent, and they would be even more reassured. Liam drove me to the university. He helped me carry my luggage, make my bed, and buy necessities—he was the picture of a perfect older brother. We set up various student accounts and then went to the dining hall to eat. Liam moved the lean meat from his sweet and sour pork onto my plate and said, “You’re still young. Don’t date right away. Focus on your studies, understand?” I nodded quickly, saying, “Of course I know. Liam, you’re not getting any younger either. Hurry up and find a sister-in-law from a good family so Mr. and Mrs. Vance can stop worrying.” His brows furrowed deeply as he said, “Adult matters are none of your concern, kid.” After seeing Liam off, I began my college life. 12 I felt my first priority was to find a boyfriend. A month into the semester, a sophomore guy started pursuing me. His name was Ethan. He was a notorious playboy in his department and a wealthy heir. To date, he had cycled through at least ten girlfriends. We ate together, watched movies, went shopping. He gave me gifts, then confessed his feelings, and we got together. His confession was pretty smooth: he booked a candlelit dinner, brought a huge bouquet of roses, and gave me a beautiful snake-shaped necklace. I shyly accepted, then took a bunch of photos, uploaded them to Instagram and Snapchat, and officially announced I was dating. We also took a selfie together. While taking the photo, Ethan stole a kiss. I didn’t like it internally, but I still smiled for the picture. I rarely went back to the Vance house. My relationship with Ethan was known to everyone. He was already very popular, which brought a lot of attention to me as well. I thought about it and registered an account on TikTok, planning to make some money as an influencer. 13 Ethan was quite cooperative with me, so I started by showing off my boyfriend. I filmed our daily dates. I decided my account would focus on sharing college life and relationship experiences, aiming to eventually get sponsorships. Then I went online to see how similar accounts filmed their content, learned a few tricks, and got Ethan to film with me. I have to say, the results were incredibly good. Sometimes I shared long vlogs, from doing my makeup to the end of the date. Sometimes I shared short, 15-second clips. These might just be a single scenario, like him tapping my shoulder from behind and me turning around, or the popular “kissing trend” online, paired with catchy, upbeat music. I actually had two videos go viral in a short period. The long one was a bit funny; the short one was extremely atmospheric and aesthetic. Then, my followers across platforms surged by hundreds of thousands. I added an affiliate link to my bio, started taking sponsorships, and made six figures. Happiness came so suddenly; I was dizzy with joy. So when my mom called me back to the Vance house for dinner on the weekend, I went back excitedly, completely oblivious to the danger descending. 14 Because I had made money, I went to the mall and bought gifts for Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vance, and Liam, as well as for my mom. Even though they lacked nothing, it was about showing respect. Mrs. Vance smiled at me even more genuinely. She even said Ethan was the son of a major business tycoon, a very good young man, and told me to date him seriously. I nodded. As long as Ethan didn’t bring up breaking up, I wouldn’t either. My current online traffic relied on him. My mom pulled me into the kitchen and whispered, “Now that you’ve just started college, focus on your studies first. Wait until you find a good job before dating. Don’t mix up the order.” My mom’s biggest wish was for me to find a good job, preferably something stable with benefits or becoming a teacher. I told her I knew. My mom looked at me, hesitating, and finally said, “Don’t… don’t get too close to that guy. Make sure you don’t get pregnant right now. If you get pregnant and have an abortion, it’ll hurt your body a lot, and it’ll be harder to find a good marriage partner later. Having the baby is even more impossible. You need to get a good job and be able to support yourself first before considering other things.” She asked me again, “You guys haven’t gone all the way, have you?” I was so embarrassed. Even though she was my mom, I didn’t want to talk about this. I scratched my head and said, “Mom, I’m going out to help.” As soon as I turned around, I saw Liam with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the kitchen doorway, staring at me darkly. I didn’t know how much of the conversation he had heard. I felt even more humiliated and hurried out with my head down.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422576”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

A top-tier Manhattan billionaire gave a highly serious financial interview, but a whimsical painting hanging on his wall ended up going viral. When the reporter asked about it, he humbly replied, “My wife painted it.” That very night, a popular young actress painted on her livestream, acting coy: “Oh, he just blurts everything out! So embarrassing~” I was utterly confused. Wait, didn’t I paint that? 01 Grayson Pierce, the titan of the New York business world, was trending everywhere today. It all started with an interview. During an incredibly serious, high-stakes financial interview, the artwork hanging on the wall behind him was decidedly… unserious. It was a painting of a few water lilies. Crystal-clear dewdrops rolled along the edges of the round lily pads, looking incredibly lifelike and on the verge of falling. Normally, a masterpiece of such exquisite skill would be accompanied by a profound, classical poem. But this painting went the exact opposite route. It featured a rather humorous, modern limerick: [Let them be mad, I’ll stay glad. Stress won’t pay my doctor’s bill!] The cameraman was clearly captivated by this bizarre masterpiece, accidentally focusing the lens on the painting several times. The reporter was no exception. As the interview drew to a close, she gathered her courage to ask about it: “I noticed the painting on your wall is quite interesting. May I ask which master artist created this piece?” Grayson humbly replied, “My wife painted it.” The reporter immediately praised, “Your wife must be an incredible artist!” “No, she’s an actress.” The reporter was even more surprised. “Which actress?” “She won’t let me say.” A faint, doting smile played on the billionaire’s lips. “When she finally decides to give me an official title, I’ll tell you.” Just like that, Grayson Pierce’s “obsessed wife-guy” persona exploded across the internet. [Handsome, filthy rich, and obsessed with his wife. Please tell me, does this man have any flaws?] [Being married is his only flaw.] [I don’t recognize him. Who is this guy?] [He’s the current CEO of the Pierce Empire. He’s always been super low-profile. I don’t know why he’s suddenly flexing so hard.] [Blind guess: it’s for his wife. He’s probably investing in Hollywood just to protect her career, right?] [OMG! A romance novel coming to life!] [Am I the only one who wants to know who his wife is? She’s an actress!] [Is it Aubrey Sinclair? Isn’t she the ‘Princess of Manhattan’?] [Only her delusional fans believe she’s the ‘Princess of Manhattan’. Do you honestly think she could even get a word in with the real New York elite?] [I think it’s A-list actress Quinn. Haven’t the tabloids been saying she’s secretly married?] Watching the comments section name-drop every famous actress in Hollywood without ever mentioning me… I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Being a D-list nobody definitely had its perks. I was just about to text Grayson, warning him to watch his mouth in the future, when my manager, Harper, snatched my phone away. “The show is about to start. Get ready.” I pressed my lips together and abandoned the idea of contacting him. 02 The show I was about to go on was a live-streamed variety show. The concept was simple: The celebrity guests would make a gift live on set, choose a recipient, and then personally deliver it to their door. Because the live gift-delivery segment had produced so many iconic, unscripted moments, the show had skyrocketed to become the hottest live variety program of the year. Before the broadcast even started, nearly a million people were already waiting in the stream. Harper whispered to me from the sidelines: “I didn’t know Aubrey Sinclair was going to be here today. But don’t be afraid of her, and ignore whatever her toxic fans say. Let’s just do our job well today. Don’t start trouble, but don’t back down either, okay?” I nodded. She patted my shoulder. “You’ve got this.” The livestream quickly began. The camera swept across the guests as the host interviewed and introduced them one by one. When it was my turn, the tone of the live chat drastically changed. [Why does this show invite just anyone?] [Who is this girl? Just looking at her annoys me.] [It must be so hard for Aubrey to share a stage with someone like her.] Aubrey Sinclair actually spoke up to “defend” me: “Guys, don’t say that! Chloe and I are actually really good friends.” I looked at her, saying nothing. If I didn’t know her true colors, I really would have thought she was the sweet, kind-hearted angel her fans claimed she was. Aubrey hated me. More than once, she had subtly encouraged her fans to cyberbully me. All because a male actor she had a crush on publicly confessed his feelings for me. Whenever I thought about that, I felt incredibly wronged. I barely knew that actor, Ashton Cole. We had hardly exchanged a few sentences. Yet, on a talk show, he publicly declared I was his ideal type. That move not only made Aubrey hate me, but it also knocked over the vinegar jar at my house. Grayson pinned me to the bed, interrogating me about my history with Ashton. But what history was there? I racked my brain, trying desperately to recall and repeat every single mundane sentence I had ever spoken to the guy. Grayson remained unsatisfied, letting out a dark chuckle. “You remember it all so clearly, huh?” And then came round after round of absolute torment. I really didn’t want to endure another exhausting, back-breaking night like that, so I publicly stated that I didn’t like Ashton. But somehow, Aubrey seemed to hate me even more after that… I genuinely couldn’t understand her brain circuitry, so I just silently tried to stay away from her. But the live chat wouldn’t let me off the hook. [This woman is so rude! Aubrey is talking to her!] [I’m seriously going to cry from how frustrating she is!] [What is wrong with Ashton’s eyes? He ignores Aubrey for HER?] [This woman just knows how to seduce men. Look at that foxy face. Our Aubrey doesn’t have her manipulative schemes!] [Ahhhh! What a pity for my Ashton & Aubrey ship!] The show quickly transitioned into the gift-making segment. The camera focused on Aubrey. The host stood beside her, asking, “What is Aubrey going to give tonight?” “I’m going to give a painting.” “And who is it for?” Aubrey smiled shyly. “You’ll all find out in a bit~” She picked up her brush and dipped it in ink. With a few shallow strokes, a graceful, elegant water lily leaped onto the paper. The live chat instantly boiled over! [Wait, why does this water lily look familiar?] [Hint: One word. Pierce.] [Right?! Isn’t this the exact same one from the billionaire’s study?] [Oh my god! So Aubrey really is Mrs. Pierce!] Aubrey looked up innocently. “Hmm?” To help clear her confusion, the host directly pulled up the clip of Grayson’s interview and played it on the studio’s main screen. After watching it, Aubrey blushed deeply. “Oh my, why does he just blurt everything out? It’s just that our two families have intentions of an arranged marriage. Nothing specific has been finalized yet.” [HOLY SH*T! What did I just hear?] [Key takeaway: It’s not finalized yet, but the billionaire is already publicly calling her his wife!] [Our Aubrey is just too lovable.] [Billionaire Pierce is so impatient! He can’t wait to let the whole world know Aubrey is his wife!] [Hahahaha I’m officially shipping the Pierce x Sinclair CP starting today!] Aubrey spoke gracefully, “Please don’t laugh at us~” Then, whether intentionally or not, she added a few words beside the painting. [Why stress and make a fuss? It’s not worth the mental strain for us.] The Live Chat: [Those are the last two lines of the limerick!] [I’m 100% sure the painting in the billionaire’s study was done by Aubrey! And I’m sure Aubrey is going to give this painting to Billionaire Pierce later!] [Is she planning to give him a whole series?] [I don’t understand you lovebirds and your little inside jokes.] [So romantic!] [Is it because Billionaire Pierce publicly demanded a title, so Aubrey is planning to go public too?] Aubrey never gave a direct response to the chat’s speculations. I couldn’t help but ask, “Did you really gift the painting in Grayson Pierce’s study?” Aubrey raised her eyes to look at me. Her expression was haughty. “If I didn’t give it to him, did you?” [Exactly! This woman is so annoying, asking a question she already knows the answer to!] [Did the show invite her just to piss us off?] [Is the brain on her shoulders just for decoration?] I forced myself to hold back, but I just couldn’t swallow this insult. I nodded and admitted it. “Yes, I gave it to him.” The entire studio fell into a stunned uproar! 03 [This woman really just opens her mouth and spits out lies!] [Look at the expression on her face. Could she actually be telling the truth?] [Anyone can make up a lie. I could say I gifted it too.] [Right! This woman just loves to steal. First, she stole Ashton from Aubrey, and now she’s trying to steal Aubrey’s title as Mrs. Pierce!] [She’s so pathetic.] The live chat was furious. They even started universally spamming [Chloe Vance get out of Hollywood!] across the screen. Aubrey smiled faintly and looked at me. “Is it really from Chloe?” Her face displayed the perfect amount of confusion. “Then, does that mean you’re the ‘wife’ Brother Gray was talking about?” Even though this wasn’t the time to be jealous, I still felt a twinge of sourness at her calling him “Brother Gray.” That dog, Grayson Pierce! When did he get tangled up with Aubrey Sinclair?! I looked her straight in the eye. “I am.” She let out a light laugh. It was the kind of silvery, bell-like laugh her fans always praised, but to my ears, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “But I haven’t heard that Brother Gray is already married.” Her expression was innocent, yet seemingly wronged. “Where exactly did Chloe meet Brother Gray?” The chat was easily swayed by her rhythm. [Isn’t it obvious? She’s making it all up!] [Aubrey is such a pure, innocent cutie. I really don’t understand how someone with her personality survives in the entertainment industry!] [Guys, one calls him ‘Brother Gray’, the other calls him ‘Grayson Pierce’. The level of closeness is pretty obvious, right?] [Chloe is just a habitual homewrecker!] [The way she shamelessly admits it is so obnoxious!] [My heart aches for Aubrey!] Aubrey acted like a child who had finally found someone to back her up after being bullied. In a flash, her eyes reddened, and she even tried to soothe the chat: “Guys, please stop. Chloe definitely didn’t do it on purpose.” The live chat went even more insane. Like a sweeping machine gun, they blasted me from head to toe. The situation was spiraling out of control. The producers stepped in to maintain order, announcing a ten-minute break. The moment the cameras turned off, everyone in the studio rushed over to comfort Aubrey. My manager, Harper, pulled me into a corner. “What is going on?! How did you drag Grayson Pierce into this? We seriously cannot afford to mess with him. Let alone you, even the CEO of our agency wouldn’t dare lift his head to speak in front of him.” Bringing this up only made me feel more wronged. “I really am Grayson’s wife!” Harper stared at me, her jaw hitting the floor. I scrolled through my phone looking for evidence. My chat contact name for him was “Dog Man,” and his call log name was “Needy Hubby.” Neither of those proved his identity. Blame it on me being too cautious normally! Left with no other choice, I opened my hidden photo album. Inside was a digital scan of my marriage certificate with him. I zoomed in on the picture and showed it to Harper. “Do you believe me now?” Harper was completely paralyzed. She stood there, dumbfounded, for a full minute before finally squeezing out, “With a background this massive, why are you slumming it in Hollywood with me?” She made me laugh. “Then from now on, you’ll be rolling with me.” 04 The marriage certificate acted as a tranquilizer for Harper. She grabbed my hand to discuss a counter-strategy. Before we could figure out a plan, her phone rang. On the other end was the agency’s CEO, exploding with rage. “How are you managing your artists?! Chloe has no brain, but do you lack one too?! Do you not know who Grayson Pierce is? You just let her spout whatever nonsense she wants?!” “Boss, I—” “I don’t want to hear your excuses! I just want you to fix this! If this isn’t resolved by tomorrow morning, both of you can pack your bags and get the hell out!” He hung up. Harper and I looked at each other. Harper asked me, just to be absolutely sure, “You really are Mrs. Pierce, right?” “100% genuine.” Only then did she relax, and she shared her master plan with me. Originally, my idea was that as soon as the cameras turned back on, I would just slap the marriage certificate on the table. I wasn’t going to swallow this insult. But Harper thought that method wasn’t dramatic enough. And it wouldn’t completely crush Aubrey. She whispered her plan into my ear. I nodded in realization and slowly gave her a thumbs-up. The production team announced the countdown to go back live. Harper patted my shoulder. “The rest is all up to you.” The cameras rebooted, and the live chat was still furious. The number of concurrent viewers in the livestream had multiplied. That was when I found out “Aubrey’s beautiful tears” had made it to the top of Twitter’s trending page. Public opinion was completely one-sided. All the new viewers in the livestream were here to cancel me. I thought to myself, The more people, the better. A bigger audience makes exposing Aubrey’s true colors that much sweeter. “I apologize for losing my composure just now, and thank you all for your concern. My gift is finished; it’s a painting.” Aubrey displayed her water lily painting to the camera. The chat was filled with praise. [Aubrey is so emotionally stable!] [If I were her, I’d be furious for three days straight after being wronged like that!] [It’s just billionaire elite basics. Aubrey has taken emotional management classes since she was a kid.] [Not gonna lie, she paints really well!] Perhaps because there were so many people in the chat, voices of doubt began to slowly emerge. [Wait, does anyone else think the handwriting doesn’t look like the one in the billionaire’s study?] [The water lilies look a bit different too.] [Is the handwriting you use when you’re mad the same as when you’re happy?] [Please, haters, go read a book! You can’t step into the same river twice, and you can’t paint the exact same painting twice, OK?] The chat started arguing over the similarities of the painting. But the gift-making segment continued, and the camera quickly cut to me. I effortlessly picked up my brush. I recreated the exact painting from Grayson’s study onto the paper, right down to the exact lettering of the limerick. The chat went feral. [This woman is such a clout chaser!] [But wait… this painting actually looks way more like the original!] [Holy sh*t! Could that painting actually have been a gift from Chloe?] [Do you guys understand the difference between tracing and an original creation? She’s clearly just copying it!] [My heart aches for Aubrey, getting tangled up with a psycho like this.] [Does she have some kind of mental illness?] The host asked me at that moment, “Chloe, this painting is quite intriguing. Who are you planning to give it to?” I watched the expression on Aubrey’s face and deliberately said ambiguously: “I’m giving it to my Mr. Pierce.” 05 The expression on Aubrey’s face was instantly spectacular. She feigned composure. “Does Chloe really know Brother Gray? “If you’re actually involved with him, then I’ll call my family right now and tell them I refuse to go through with the arranged marriage.” She spoke with a mix of grievance and stubborn pride. “I don’t want a man who is two-timing.” [Ahhhhh no, don’t do it!] [Chloe is obviously just putting on a show for you, Aubrey! Don’t fall for it!] [Where did all the people who believed her go? Come out and explain how a D-lister like Chloe could ever meet a titan like Grayson Pierce?] [Exactly! Mrs. Pierce? Don’t make me laugh. If she really had Grayson backing her, would she be struggling this much in Hollywood?] [I heard someone stole her role recently and she didn’t even dare make a peep. And you’re telling me she’s Mrs. Pierce?] [She’s lying through her teeth!] [I suddenly really want to see Aubrey make that call and cancel the marriage. Billionaire Pierce loves her so much; if he loses his wife, he’ll definitely burn the city down for her!] [Upvote +10086. Chloe is gonna be screwed then.] I kept Harper’s “push and pull” principle in mind and said deliberately, “Huh? But he never told me he was going to have an arranged marriage. “The Pierce family shouldn’t really need to arrange marriages, right?” I mimicked her tone. “Are the Grayson you’re talking about and the Grayson I’m talking about really the same person?” [She makes a good point. Why would the Pierce family need an arranged marriage?] [It’s a power alliance between two ultra-wealthy families. You poor people wouldn’t understand.] [You fans are the ones who don’t understand. That’s the Pierce family!] [Everyone knows that marrying into the Pierce family is never a ‘power alliance’. It’s always considered marrying up!] [Then let’s hear Chloe explain how she hooked up with Grayson Pierce!] The host stepped in to take control of the situation. “Is it really the same person? Let’s look forward to the upcoming gift-delivery segment!” He looked around the set playfully. “Our guests can now call their intended recipients to confirm their location before heading out to deliver their gifts!” Aubrey offered graciously, “Since Chloe is in such a hurry, you can call first.” Instantly, every eye in the studio was glued to my phone. I didn’t flinch. Under the intense pressure, I dialed “Needy Hubby.” One ring, two rings… five rings later, there was still no answer. I mentally cursed my dog of a husband for dropping the ball at the most critical moment. After hanging up, I dialed his work number. This time, it rang until the automated voicemail picked up. Grayson still didn’t answer. Aubrey smiled at me. “No one answering? Let me try.” As she confidently dialed, I saw the live chat explode with mockery aimed at me. [Oh my god, this is too embarrassing!] [She even saved him as ‘Needy Hubby’. Who’s the needy one here?] [If you ask me, Chloe would have had better luck calling me. At least I would’ve picked up!] [Sis, drop the act. You’re digging your own grave.] Just as I was feeling lost and anxious, the screen suddenly lit up with an incoming call from “Needy Hubby.” I exclaimed excitedly, “He’s calling back!” Aubrey looked over, her expression anxious. I hastily pressed answer. From the other end of the line came Grayson’s deep, rich, and velvety voice: “Wife, did you miss me?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422575”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

“Mom, you should really marry someone else. I want the Oscar winner to be my new dad!” The entire internet agreed. The Oscar winner agreed. But her biological father definitely did not. He stormed onto the set of the reality show in a blind rage. My daughter, stubborn as a mule, pointed right at the movie star and told her dad: “Let me introduce you. This is Mom’s new husband, and my new dad!” 1 I am Hollywood’s most hated starlet—a true “love-to-hate” celebrity. My claim to fame? I only play the “Mean Girl” or the “Vengeful Other Woman.” Every villainous role I take is so convincing that people follow me on social media just to curse me out. My reputation is a permanent shade of “infamous.” People even say I’m not acting; they say I’m just being myself. Lately, there haven’t been any good villain scripts, so I decided to join a high-profile parenting reality show with my daughter. 2 When the camera crew arrived at our house to pick us up, my daughter was standing by the bed, shaking me awake: “Miss Sleeping Beauty, the crew is here. Please tell the bed to let go of your highness!” I didn’t even open my eyes. I just mumbled: “I can’t. Mom is too elite. I need five more minutes. Go pack the bags.” “What kind of person makes their kid pack for them? Which one of us is the parent here?” She sighed heavily but started tossing things into the suitcase anyway. “What are we bringing? Cleanser? Makeup? Clothes?” “Whatever you pick… I’ll wear,” I groaned into the pillow. 3 Half an hour later, I finally crawled out of bed. I opened my eyes only to see the production crew standing right there in my bedroom. The livestream was already rolling. [Hahaha, Serena’s bedhead is too real. She looks exactly like me on a Monday morning!] [Serena’s daughter is so cute, I’m dying…] [How can Serena be a mom? She’s making her kid do all the work. Unfit!] [Oh my god, the daughter is so pretty and sweet, I almost forgot I came here to hate-watch Serena.] I blinked stupidly. “Why didn’t anyone tell me we were live?” My daughter puffed out her cheeks and shot me a look: “I told you! But you were having a love affair with your mattress and wouldn’t even lift an eyelid. Who’s to blame?” Me: “…” This kid… she’s a total savage. 4 After washing up and loading the luggage, I followed my daughter into the production van. We headed to the first filming location. During the drive, the producer interviewed us: “Serena, what’s your daughter’s name?” “Just call her Tiga.” The producer paused. “Tiga? Like… the superhero?” My daughter rolled her eyes and said, “She thinks all boys love superheroes, so she named me Tiga so I’d be popular.” I rubbed her fuzzy hair and said with a straight face, “Trust me, honey. No man worth his salt doesn’t love a hero.” My daughter: “I’m literally done.” The live chat erupted. [Tiga! Hahahaha, I’m wheezing!] [Serena: I just want the boys to like my daughter, what’s wrong with that? Hahaha!] [What kind of girl is named Tiga? Look at her face, it’s just pure ‘done’!] [Serena is definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic.] The producer cleared his throat and asked, “And Tiga, where is your father?” My daughter’s face went cold. “Don’t mention him. Just thinking about him makes my blood boil!” 5 I announced I was married the moment I entered the industry, but I never revealed who my husband was. Over the years, everyone has been dying to know his identity. Fans, haters, even my colleagues. They were all curious how I got such top-tier roles despite being a “villainess.” My shows were always massive hits. No exceptions. They’d gossiped for years, but no one knew the truth. They didn’t know I was basically in a “ghost marriage.” I got pregnant after a drunken night with him right after we wed. He’d never helped with the kid. He’d drop by once in a while to see her, but mostly, it was just me and Tiga in our own world. No wonder she reacted like that. The crew was hoping for a scoop, but they weren’t going to get it from a four-year-old. 6 Star Babies was a new kind of show. Unlike standard family shows, it featured celebrities paired with kids. The director was creative. Aside from me and Tiga, who were actually related, the other groups were famous child stars paired with unmarried celebrities. And the biggest catch? They had signed the reigning Oscar winner, Elias Thorne. Who wouldn’t want to see a man like that playing “Daddy”? The hype was astronomical. When we arrived at the luxury villa for the shoot, one group was already there. Elias Thorne. And his partner, a five-year-old child star named Toby. The second Tiga saw Elias, she dropped her backpack and sprinted toward him. She leaned against the sofa next to him, cupping her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling. “I know you. You’re the movie star.” Elias looked at me, then back at Tiga, and smiled. “And how do you know me, little one?” “Ti—” I tried to stop her, but it was too late. “Because I want you to be my new dad!” Kill me now. I was one step too slow. This kid had been talking about “trading in” her dad for months. She’d decided Elias was the perfect candidate for a dad—and a husband for me. What I hadn’t told her was that Elias Thorne was my ex-boyfriend from college! The livestream went nuclear. [Did I hear that right? Tiga wants the Oscar winner to be her dad?] [Hahaha, this kid is a comedy goldmine!] [Tiga, honey, does your mom have a say in this?] 7 Elias was visibly stunned. Before he could respond, Tiga reached out and poked his arm. She turned to me: “Mom, he’s ripped.” My face turned a deep shade of scarlet. Then she touched his stomach and looked at me again: “Mom, he has a six-pack. He’s actually a catch. Can you please consider making him my dad?” “Tiga! Get your hands off the movie star!” I hissed. Elias looked like he hadn’t expected to be felt up by his ex’s daughter. Then, he spoke: “I can only be your dad if your mom agrees to marry me.” Me: “?” What the hell was Elias playing at? Before I could process it, Tiga screamed: “Mom! Let’s get remarried! I want Elias to be my new dad!” Honey, did you ask your actual father? She was literally trying to give her dad a “green hat” on national television. Are we going to survive the night? Technically, I wasn’t even divorced yet. 8 Tiga marched over to me on her little legs, looking incredibly serious. “Mom, I’m not kidding. Remarry him. “Look, he’s handsome, he’s talented. Sure, my ‘scumbag dad’ might be slightly better looking, but you’ve been looking at that face for years. You’re bored of it. “Just get a new husband and give me a new dad. It’s a win-win, right?” Danger! Danger! My sweet daughter… it’s one thing to call him “Scumbag Dad” at home, but on a livestream?! Do you want to get us canceled or just murdered? The chat was having a field day. [She really wants that upgrade! Hahaha!] [Honestly, Elias saying ‘I can only be your dad if your mom marries me’ is a wild thing to say. He’s into it!] [Tiga (Upgrade Edition): Mom, let’s go. We’re getting a new dad.] [Wait, did she call her dad a ‘scumbag’? Maybe he treats them badly.] [Who the hell did Serena marry?! Does anyone actually know?] I looked at Tiga, trying to be a parent: “Don’t call him that. He’s your father.” Tiga puffed out her chest. “Hmph. He’s a part-time dad. He’s fired.” 9 Ten minutes later, the third group arrived. Brianna Vance, a B-list actress known for having “connections.” And her partner, a four-year-old named Lily. Now that everyone was here, the director started the first segment. “You have to handle your own meals during the shoot. You’ll play a trivia game to win ingredients. First place gets 20 items, full spices, and snacks. Second gets 15 items and some spices. Third gets 10 items and almost no spices.” Each group was given a buzzer. The questions began. “In the cartoon Boonie Bears, what are the two monkeys named?” Buzz! “Bram and Briar!” “In Cocomelon, what is the baby’s name?” Buzz! “JJ!” It was a battlefield of cartoons. The kids were intense. “Final question: In the show Super Pig, what is the name of the pink princess pig?” Tiga’s eyes lit up. She went for the buzzer, but Toby was faster. Toby froze. He couldn’t remember. He scratched his head. “I think… Pinky?” Next second, Tiga screamed at the top of her lungs: “It’s Princess Penny, you amateur! “She’s the most beautiful pig in the world and the love of my hero’s life!” 10 She stood up, looking tiny but fierce, defending the honor of her “hero.” The room went dead silent. I was trying so hard not to laugh. Everyone was. Could we laugh? Was it rude? But she called a pig… a love of her life’s… “Hahahaha!” I was the first to break. Then the whole room exploded. The livestream was a wall of “LMAO.” [Hahaha, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at a kid, but she’s so serious about the pig!] [Tiga: My hero loves that pig, respect her!] [I can’t breathe! ‘Princess Penny is the love of his life’—Tiga is an icon.] Tiga looked around, confused. “Why are you laughing?” The director wiped his eyes. “We’re… we’re just impressed by your knowledge, Tiga. You won! Pfft…” The scores were tallied. Tiga got 8 right. Toby and Lily both got 6. The ranking: Tiga first, Toby second, Lily third. The rooms were assigned by rank. We got the penthouse on the fourth floor. Elias was on the third. Brianna was on the second. We went to unpack before lunch. 11 I didn’t need Tiga to help unpack, so she took her snacks and went to share them with the other kids. I was busy looking at a cookbook called 100 Easy Meals for Dummies when Tiga came back. “Mom, put the book down. We’re going.” She dragged me to the third floor. She knew I couldn’t cook, so she’d convinced Elias to cook for us too. I have to admit, the man could cook. Everything smelled amazing. BUT! “Tiga, stop calling him ‘New Dad’.” Tiga blinked her big eyes. “But Mom, he said yes. He’s my New Dad now. “I found you a husband who acts and cooks. You should be thanking me!” I choked on my water. Is this real life? A daughter replacing her father with her mother’s ex-boyfriend? This is a structural collapse of the mother-daughter dynamic. Then, I heard a low, melodic chuckle. I looked at Elias. “You agreed to this?” Elias: “To being her dad? It seems I have.” Me: “?” Is everyone insane? I blurted out: “Elias, did you forget you’re my ex?” “I didn’t forget. That’s why being her dad is so interesting.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422574”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I transmigrated into the female lead of an angst-filled romance novel. On the day I slit my wrists, my husband—the male lead—was bringing his childhood sweetheart back home from abroad. He sneered at me: “Didn’t you say that as long as you could marry me, you could endure anything? You can’t even handle this little thing?” The sweetheart chimed in: “I’m the one he loves. If you hadn’t used his mother’s life to blackmail him, he never would have been with you. It’s time to return him to his rightful owner.” And my mother-in-law, whose life I had saved, said coldly: “I’ll give you your money back. Can you please let my son go? A divorce is best for everyone.” I won’t divorce him. Because he’s going to die soon anyway. 1 When I woke up, I was lying in a bathtub. The water around me was stained crimson. My phone was on speaker, and a man’s angry voice blared from it: “I’m home, where are you again? Playing this game of life and death every day, is it really that fun?” I hung up, dialed 911, and when I woke up again, I was already in a hospital room. The doctor said, “If you had been brought in five minutes later, we couldn’t have saved you. Thankfully, your will to live was strong.” “Mhm, I know.” The female lead of this novel, Chloe Evans, had loved the male lead, Ethan Wright, hopelessly but unrequitedly. Under his long-term emotional abuse, she developed severe depression and strong suicidal tendencies. Tonight, Ethan hosted a welcome-home dinner for his childhood sweetheart, Maya. Triggered by this, Chloe felt she couldn’t hold on anymore and called him to come home. But he ignored her cry for help. Her life was originally meant to end today. But of course, I was here now. “Your phone kept ringing. The caller ID was ‘Husband.’ We notified your family, and he’s on his way.” “That doesn’t matter. How is the baby?” When Chloe attempted suicide, she was pregnant. “The fetal heartbeat stopped for a moment, but thankfully, the baby’s will to live is as strong as yours. The critical danger has passed for now. I’ll bring you the detailed report in a bit.” “Thank you.” A moment later, a man in a tailored suit pushed the door open. One glance at the bandages wrapped around my wrist, and his handsome brows knitted together: “Pulling this stunt again? Chloe, you threaten suicide every day. Why haven’t you just died already?” “You haven’t died yet, so I’m in no rush.” I looked at him calmly. “I’ll send you on your way first, Ethan.” In the original story, after Chloe died with their unborn child, Ethan suddenly seemed to realize he loved her. He was filled with regret. He put on a grand display of belated devotion. A year later, Ethan died of stomach cancer. One year isn’t that long; I can wait. Ethan had never heard such vicious words from Chloe’s mouth. He froze for a moment: “I just went to catch up with an old friend from college. Was all this really necessary?” His so-called “old friend” was his childhood sweetheart, Maya. But of course, I didn’t care about that. “The desire to kill someone is hard to hide. When you wish someone were dead, who you went to see, or what you did, doesn’t matter anymore.” Ethan shook his head in disbelief: “Chloe, are you insane? If you want to die so badly, don’t drag other people down with you.” “Watch your mouth! She’s suffering from clinical depression, and you’re casually telling her to die. How is this any different from attempted murder?” The doctor reprimanded him, then turned to me and spoke softly, “Here’s the report. The baby is fine. You two are tough; mother and child are both safe.” “You’re pregnant?” Ethan looked stunned, then coldly turned his face away. “I said I didn’t want a child right now. I used protection every time. Did you tamper with the condoms?” “The best form of protection is abstinence. Don’t you know that basic fact? Or are you saying I intentionally forced myself on you? If so, go call the cops. Press charges for marital rape.” Chloe was a gentle, quiet woman. This was the first time Ethan had faced such a sharp-tongued version of her. He was so angry he was trembling: “…You’re being completely unreasonable.” “Men who are bad with words make for boring arguments. Aside from your face, you have nothing going for you. You’re just annoying.” I pulled the blanket up to sleep, wondering what Chloe ever saw in him. Just then, Ethan’s phone rang. I could faintly hear Maya’s voice: “…Ethan, I’m drunk, I don’t know how to get to the hotel…” Ethan glanced at me: “It’s not convenient tonight.” “It’s convenient. Get out,” I interjected. Originally, Ethan was supposed to be with Maya tonight. While Chloe was left to listen to her own blood slowly draining away. “Are you done throwing this tantrum?” Ethan was always impatient when he spoke to me. “You’re really hard to please. When I clung to you, you found me repulsive. Now that I don’t want to see you, you stick around like glue. What, have you fallen in love with me?” Ethan glared at me fiercely and slammed the door as he left. Not long after, he dragged a reclining chair over, set it up next to me, and lay down in silence. 2 I stayed in the hospital for a while. Ethan stayed with me, keeping a cold, silent vigil. One day, I went to my therapy session. My attending psychiatrist, Dr. Miller, talked with me for a bit, then had me redo a full panel of neurological tests and psychological evaluations. He looked at my reports as if he were witnessing a medical miracle. “Your depression… it’s cured. The psychological assessments and test results are all perfectly healthy.” “When depression patients first develop symptoms, it’s often due to an excessive fixation on a specific goal. This leads to a narrowing of focus, an accumulation of frustration, which evolves into self-directed aggression and self-loathing. I used to love Ethan. I only saw him. When he didn’t love me back, I felt worthless. Now that I’ve let it go, my vitality naturally began flowing again.” Dr. Miller smiled and shook my hand: “Congratulations. And I say that as a friend.” Dr. Miller was the only person who genuinely cared about Chloe. He had witnessed how this pitiful woman had sunk so deep into the mire of love. All her sacrifices had sunk like stones in the ocean. Her most sincere emotions had earned her nothing but pain. “So, what’s your plan now? Divorce him?” “No.” I curled the corners of my lips. “He’s a CEO, after all.” When he dies, the company is mine. Why would I divorce him? 3 The day I went home, Ethan said he was busy and didn’t come to pick me up. Instead, I received a message from an unknown number. It was a photo of Ethan. He looked slightly intoxicated, smiling gently at the camera, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal his collarbones. Chloe had never seen him like this. I, on the other hand, felt nothing. I forwarded it to my lawyer and told him to file it away. The moment I stepped through the front door, I heard the lock click behind me. The person walking in wasn’t Ethan; it was his childhood sweetheart, Maya. “After all these years, his door code is still my birthday. Chloe, what makes you think you can compete with me?” She carried the arrogance of someone who knew she was favored, looking at me with disdain. “Does guarding his door make you happy?” Maya never expected me to fight back: “Chloe, if I hadn’t gone abroad to study five years ago, you wouldn’t even be in the picture. You saw it yourself; the moment I came back, Ethan couldn’t wait to see me. If you have any self-awareness left, you should pack your bags and leave.” I dropped two slices of lemon into a glass of warm water: “If I recall correctly, Ms. Maya, you went to New York, right? That’s not that far. A five-hour flight, tops. Why are you making it sound like you were separated by life and death and had to break up?” “Five years. 1800 days. 43,800 hours. He couldn’t even spare five hours to visit you in New York once, and you dare believe he loves you? Were you conned by him?” Maya froze for a second: “How could Ethan afford a plane ticket back then? If he had the money, would you have been able to use his mother’s medical bills to force him to marry you?” “So you know. The Ethan from five years ago was just a poor guy who couldn’t even afford a $300 plane ticket.” I swirled my glass and turned around. “Now that he’s the CEO of Wright Corporation, you tell me to get out. Heh, you’re basically committing armed robbery in broad daylight.” Just as I finished speaking, police sirens wailed outside. Maya frowned: “You called the cops?” I raised my glass to her: “When you’re being robbed, any normal person would call the cops. Just so you know.” As she was being taken away by the police, she was still screaming: “Let’s see what charges you can actually pin on me!” 4 “Home invasion and attempted robbery,” I reiterated to the police officer at the station. Maya was crying beautifully: “I just had a little emotional dispute with her…” “I don’t know her. She picked the lock and broke in. That’s a felony. From what I recall, the mandatory minimum is ten years.” “Chloe! I just went back to my boyfriend’s house! And you want to send me to prison?!” Hearing “ten years,” Maya lost control. I spoke slowly and deliberately: “First of all, he is my husband. Second, the house is under my name. Ms. Maya, didn’t you just get back from New York? You should know that in America, the moment you stepped through my door, under the Castle Doctrine, I could have shot you dead, and it would be self-defense.” “Chloe!” A man’s furious, low roar came from behind. “What are you doing?” In the past, whenever he got angry, Chloe would shrink back. She was always terrified of upsetting him. She would swallow her pride and try to keep the peace. I am not that kind of person. “This woman broke into my house.” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you suggest I do?” Ethan turned to the police officer: “This is my wife. She misunderstood my relationship with Ms. Maya here. It’s just a domestic dispute.” He had brought a team of lawyers with him, effectively muddying the waters. Watching the police sign the mediation forms, Maya shot me a disdainful glance, the smile of a victor playing on her lips. Walking out of the police station, Maya immediately clung to Ethan like a fragile bird: “Ethan, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to find your wife to explain the misunderstanding from the other day. I didn’t expect it to make her even angrier.” Ethan frowned: “Chloe, even if you’re jealous of her, there’s no need to be so vicious and ruin her life…” Slap! Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. Ethan was stunned: “You hit me?” “So what?” I said, casually examining my nails. “I hit you because I wanted to. Do I need to schedule an appointment?” Chloe had certainly been jealous of Maya. Jealous of this despicable woman, simply because she had his tenderness. I, on the other hand, do not possess such a saintly heart. “Do you know what you did wrong? Hm?” I pinched his jaw. “I don’t care how many flings you have. When you cheat, I’ve always turned a blind eye. But this stupid woman, who doesn’t even know her place, dared to parade herself in front of me—” “You can’t even keep your little mistress in line. Tell me, how useless are you?” Maya was shocked for a moment, her voice trembling: “What mistress?” She looked at Ethan, saw him staring fixedly at me, and snapped back to reality: “…How can you treat Ethan like this? You actually hit him! Do you have any class?” She raised her hand high, aiming for me. Ethan grabbed her wrist. Slap! Before Ethan could say anything, I slapped him hard across the face again. “Take a good look. This is the woman you’re cheating with. She’s trying to hit your wife. So you like them rough and uncultured? I respect your preferences, but please don’t let her out to embarrass you and disturb the peace.” I patted Ethan’s bruised and swollen face and slowly put my black leather gloves back on: “—Lest people say the CEO of Wright Corporation is such a useless piece of trash he can’t even cheat right, falling for a vulgar idiot.” Ignoring Maya’s crying and cursing, I gracefully picked up my purse and got into my car. On the way home, the paparazzi had already edited the photos and videos of the scene outside the police station into a juicy article. I bought them a spot on the trending list. That day, the internet exploded. #WrightCorpCEOCaughtCheatingBeatenByWife in the streets shot to number one. “Holy shit, this rich wife is a badass.” “When men cheat, most women either cry or post ‘we’ll cherish what we have.’ Very few just beat up the scumbag without a word.” “But she still lost. Look how fragile the mistress is acting.” “The person above me is disgusting. In rich families, marriages are often just business arrangements; they do whatever they want. This wife clearly doesn’t care. With her money and looks, do you think she can’t find a younger, better-looking guy?” “Fucking awesome… this guy is so pathetic.” … I went into the kitchen to cook. Not long after, Ethan walked in holding his phone. He held up the photos Maya had sent me: “Is this why?” “I don’t care about the details. You don’t need to explain to me.” I leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “I only have one rule: If she shows her face in front of me again, I’ll hit you again. My demands aren’t high. Just keep your people in check.” “When are you going to stop being so unreasonable?! I already told you, she and I are just…” “Shut up. I’m trying to eat, and you’re making me nauseous.” I took my plate and sat at the dining table. He followed and sat down across from me, but the space in front of him was empty. “Where’s mine?” Ethan glared at me angrily. He had a bad stomach. Chloe had spent a lot of time trying to nurse him back to health, changing the menu every meal to make it healthy and delicious. “I only made enough for myself.” I held my glass of milk, taking a satisfying sip. “Could you not sit in front of me? Your bruised face is ruining my appetite.” Ethan tossed his phone aside and slumped back in his chair, his face dark. Great. Throwing a temper tantrum, huh? I picked up my plate and went upstairs to watch a show. Downstairs, I heard the sound of pots and pans smashing. Ethan hated Chloe. Because Chloe had said: “As long as I can marry you, I can endure anything.” So he would often bring women home, making her listen to their all-night escapades from outside the door. She would cry and endure it, believing everything was her fault and this was her deserved punishment. On the surface, she had to maintain the dignity of Mrs. Wright, preserving a marriage riddled with holes. When he cheated, she didn’t dare interfere. If she showed the slightest hint of displeasure, it would draw his mockery: “Didn’t you say you could endure anything? If you can’t, then get out.” Now, I didn’t care at all. Instead, he was the one losing his mind. I turned the music up to the max, eating my hot meal and watching my show in my room. He couldn’t handle just this? This was only the beginning. 5 A few days later, Ethan’s secretary, Liam, called me: “Madam, Mr. Wright’s stomach is hurting. He asked you to come over.” “I’m at the spa. I don’t have time.” Rejected, Liam paused for a second: “He’s really in a lot of pain…” “If he’s sick, take him to a doctor. What do you need me for?” I could faintly hear Ethan’s voice through the receiver. Liam laughed nervously: “Mr. Wright says every time his stomach hurts, eating your porridge makes him feel better.” I hung up without hesitation. What did he think Chloe was? A chef or a miracle doctor? Before I even finished my facial, the spa manager came upstairs to tell me someone was waiting downstairs. “Who is it?” “He said his name is Liam, he’s your husband’s secretary. He looks very anxious.” “Anxious for what? Let him wait.” After my massage, I put on some light makeup and walked downstairs leisurely. Liam was standing there, looking miserable. As Ethan’s lapdog, Liam was an expert at reading the room. Since Ethan treated Chloe like dirt, he followed suit. Whenever he had to deliver something, he deliberately made things difficult. Once, while Ethan was fooling around with women in his office, Liam told Chloe outside: “Madam, a smart person knows when to back off. Mr. Wright is indeed hungry right now, but he doesn’t want your food. If you go in there and make a scene, it won’t do anyone any good. It’ll only make him hate you more.” Saying that, he threw Chloe’s carefully prepared bento box into the trash. “Alright, if there’s nothing else, Madam, please leave.” It was raining heavily that day. Chloe was distracted on her way back and got into a car accident. That was how she lost her first child. The Liam from back then was so arrogant; now he looked so pathetic. His clothes were covered in food stains, and there was even grease in his hair. “Well, Secretary Liam, what happened to you?” I asked, gracefully descending the gilded staircase. Seeing me, Liam’s eyes lit up: “I’m here to take you to the company.” “Did you take him to the doctor?” “Mr. Wright refused to go…” He glanced at me. “He’s in a very bad mood lately.” “What, he was in such a bad mood he threw food at your head? Aren’t you his most trusted confidant?” Liam pressed his lips together: “You used to take such good care of his diet, Madam. He won’t eat the takeout we order. We tried every restaurant nearby, and he said none of them tasted right. It’s already 2 PM, and Mr. Wright hasn’t eaten anything yet.” “Which place did you order from?” Looking at his confused expression, I held out my hand. “Give me your phone.” I ordered the exact same meal Liam had ordered, without changing a thing. When we arrived at the company, the food had just arrived. I carried it upstairs. As I pushed the door open, a project proposal came flying at me: “What is this garbage?!” I looked at the stormy atmosphere in the office: “Should I wait until you’re done yelling?” Seeing me, Ethan instinctively loosened his tie, turned his head away, and quieted down, staring blankly at his computer screen. The terrified subordinate shot me a grateful look: “Then I won’t disturb you, Mr. Wright, Madam.” “Get out,” Ethan said calmly. I placed the takeout on the desk, threw myself onto the sofa, and started playing on my phone. Ethan immediately noticed something was off: “Bought from outside?” “I was at the spa.” “I don’t like this stuff,” Ethan said, his face cold. “Outside food is dirty. It makes my stomach hurt.” “Then call someone else.” I looked around the room. “You have everything here—a bedroom, a private kitchen. There are plenty of people willing to cook for you.” Realizing what I was hinting at, Ethan walked over briskly and snatched my phone: “Are you still mad? Because of Maya, you’re not even going to feed me now?” I laughed. All this over just Maya? “You never seemed to like it before. Now that I don’t want to cook anymore, you’re begging for it. Are you going to eat it or not? If not, I’m taking it away.” Ethan glared at me fiercely, went back to his desk, and started eating in sullen silence. He frowned, forcing it down. Putting on a show for me. But I just watched coldly. When I took the trash out, Liam looked like he’d seen a ghost: “I’ll take that, I’ll take that…” The exact same meal. When I gave it to him, Ethan ate it. This was a situation he had never anticipated. I said lightly: “From now on, order him takeout every day at noon.” “This…” “Just tell him I ordered it.” The way Liam looked at me changed, filling with awe: “Even though Mr. Wright has had women around him all these years, I can tell you’re the only one in his heart.” I couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t give me that flattery. It’s not funny, it’s just gross.” Even at a time like this. Ethan only cared about whether Chloe made him food. He didn’t think about whether her wrist, where she slit it, hurt when she had to lift a heavy pan. That’s not what having someone in your heart looks like. Chloe had put him on too high a pedestal. He was used to looking past her, yet expected her to be there unconditionally. 6 Half a month later, it was Ethan’s mother’s birthday. He threw her a lavish banquet. I hadn’t planned on going, but hearing that many prominent figures in the city would be there, I decided to make an appearance. Seeing that old woman was bad enough. But standing next to her was Maya. Bad luck truly comes in pairs. Dressed like a modest, sweet girl, Maya was sitting in my seat. When she saw me, she stood up: “I’m sorry, Chloe. I was just catching up with Mrs. Wright. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.” “You just sit right there; we haven’t finished chatting. Don’t you like the house I’m living in right now? I’ll transfer the deed to your name tomorrow.” The old woman didn’t even glance at me, instead pulling Maya by the hand. She was wearing a bracelet. It wasn’t expensive, but it was an heirloom of the Wright family. Chloe had always wanted it. Ethan’s mother had said she’d get it over her dead body. Wearing that bracelet, Maya sat back down with a clear conscience: “Chloe, you see, Mrs. Wright asked me to sit here.” “Does taking other people’s things feel that good?” I pulled out a chair and sat down gracefully across from them. “Or do you just enjoy the feeling of constantly winning through competition? That’s a sign of low self-esteem. It means deep down, you despise yourself and can only find a sense of existence through this sick behavior—you should go see a psychiatrist.” I pulled out Dr. Miller’s business card and slid it across the table. Maya was stunned: “Chloe, I know you have a misunderstanding about me. But I was practically raised by Mrs. Wright, and Ethan and I grew up together. I just sat in your seat, and you tell me I’m sick. Isn’t that going too far?” “The internet says much worse things. They call you a homewrecker, a shameless bitch destroying another woman’s family. But you seem fine with it; you don’t even try to avoid suspicion. Do you enjoy the feeling of being despised by everyone?—That’s also a pathology. It means deep down, you agree with and cater to those opinions. You have a strong tendency for self-destruction. You need to see a psychiatrist.” Maya didn’t understand why I kept bringing it back to psychiatrists. It was completely different from her plan to anger me. Furious and embarrassed, she quickly glanced at the business card. Ethan’s mother tore the card up: “What homewrecker? Who’s the real homewrecker here? If it weren’t for you scheming to force Ethan to marry you, Maya would be my daughter-in-law. What right do you have to tell her what to do?” Her voice was very loud. People around us started looking over. I poured a glass of red wine, smiling slightly: “What scheming did I do, hm? Was it the kind of scheming where I spent a million dollars to save your life while you were lying in the ICU?” At the time, Chloe had been chasing Ethan for two years. Ethan was indifferent; there wasn’t much love, but they got along peacefully. When his mother got into an accident, Chloe didn’t hesitate to pull out the life-saving funds. But her condition was that Ethan had to marry her. As long as Ethan married her, the company would be his, and he wouldn’t have to pay back the money. Her original intention was to show them her sincerity. She ran around the hospital, tending to the old woman hand and foot until she was discharged. But because her kindness came with a condition. Ethan and his mother treated her like an enemy. Ethan’s mother treated her even worse, like she was cheap goods delivering herself to their door. Her son deserved better. She huffed: “It was just a million dollars! What’s the big deal? Ethan has money now. We’ll pay you back your million dollars, and you divorce him.” I swirled my wine glass: “What you owe me isn’t a million dollars. That million dollars, back then, bought your life. So if you really want to pretend none of this ever happened, sure—you die right now, and I’ll divorce him right now.” Ethan’s mother’s eyes went wide: “What did you say?! Say that again!!” I lazily lifted my eyelids: “You die right now, and I’ll divorce him right now. Which word didn’t you understand, hm?” Maya slammed the table and pointed at me: “Today is Mrs. Wright’s birthday! How dare you curse an elder like this! Do you have no upbringing?!” “Whether an elder deserves respect depends on the person. Normally ungrateful, using my love for Ethan to arrogantly make demands of me, I put up with it. But today, with so many people here, so many eyes watching, she actually tries to pimp for her son. Is this how an elder should act?” I casually raised my glass to the people around us. “I apologize for letting everyone see this family drama.” Some people were recording the whole thing on their phones. Perfect. I don’t mind buying another spot on the trending list to show everyone the true colors of this family. Before I could lower my glass, my wrist was grabbed. “Chloe, when are you going to fix this habit of going crazy every time you see Maya?!” Ethan hauled me up. “Apologize to my mother!” “Mom? She’s not my mom. My mom wouldn’t forbid me from coming home for Thanksgiving, leaving me to eat food that I’m allergic to, all by myself. “My mom wouldn’t refuse to even look at me after my miscarriage, calling you in the middle of the night to keep her company, saying that if I couldn’t have kids, you should find someone else. “My mom certainly wouldn’t scheme to find out how sick I was, when I was going to die, what relatives I had left, and who my house would go to. “And my mom passed away a long time ago; she wouldn’t be here celebrating a birthday. If my mom were alive, you, Ethan, wouldn’t have even been allowed through our door, let alone have your mother rise in status because of you.” “Listen to what she’s saying! Ah?! Since you don’t know how to discipline your wife, I’ll do it for you!” The woman surnamed Wright lunged forward with red eyes to slap me. It only took a few words to force this vulgar country bumpkin to reveal her true colors. Ethan yelled for someone to stop his mother. I tried to pull my hand away from Ethan’s grasp. But he wouldn’t let go. In his increasingly wet eyes, I smiled, prying his fingers open one by one: “Ms. Wright, I used to give you some face, out of respect for your son.” “Now, I don’t even want your son anymore. You don’t need to try so hard to act all high and mighty in front of me.” I left behind the furious Ms. Wright and Ethan, who stood frozen in place, and walked out of the banquet with a light step. If you draw a circle with a wet finger around an ant, it can’t smell its own pheromones and can never find its way out. It will just wander around inside that little circle. Chloe had trapped herself exactly like this, associating with a pack of ungrateful wolves. The best way not to lose a game is to leave the table. If there’s someone you hate in your life, make them roll out of your life. The world is so big; they aren’t worth it.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422573”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The “innocent” starlet posted a cryptic photo of a marriage certificate: “Some people are just bottom-feeders trying to reach for the stars.” Me: ? The billionaire titan of industry laughed as he looked at me: “This pretty boy Elias is supposed to be my competition?” He flipped his phone and posted a selfie that instantly nuked the trending charts: “Stop sending random nobodies to clout-chase my wife.” 1 “Serena Vance is married!” The moment I opened my eyes, I was blinded by a viral headline and a phone vibrating with a hundred missed calls from my manager. I was stunned. I didn’t understand what was happening. When did the news of my secret marriage leak? I scrolled through Twitter. A minute later, I was staring at a photo of a stunningly handsome man on my own profile, then looked at the real version—Silas Thorne—who was currently looking at me with a pouting, “wronged” expression. “I couldn’t stand them lying about you,” he muttered. “I won’t let every random nobody try to claim my wife.” Last night, several gossip accounts had gone viral with a photo of me and the reigning movie star, Elias Sterling, meeting at night. They started a massive campaign claiming I was the “other woman” in the relationship between Elias and the popular young actress, Mia Dupont. The truth was, Elias and I were just cast in the same upcoming film. He asked to meet to discuss the script. I went. We talked for fifteen minutes and went our separate ways. But in the hands of the tabloids, I was a homewrecker. To make matters worse, Mia Dupont, the “victim” and Elias’s girlfriend, had posted a statement. Mia Dupont V: “I trust Elias completely. We are stronger than ever, but I suppose we can’t stop people with… hidden agendas.” Elias replied underneath: “Thank you for your trust, baby.” Their interaction basically confirmed the rumor: I was the one trying to seduce Elias Sterling. Good lord. They were using me as a stepping stone for clout. Silas had woken up earlier than me. He’d seen the trends and countered by posting a selfie of his own gorgeous face on my account. My manager, Valerie Grant, called again. The second I picked up, I felt a powerful, muscular arm wrap around my waist. He bit my ear. “Stop it!” I hissed. The line went silent for a second, then Valerie’s voice erupted in a scream: “Did you just tell me to stop?! Serena, have you lost your mind? Have you seen the internet?!” “Sorry, Valerie, I wasn’t talking to you.” I glared at the man next to me, but he just buried his face in my chest and rubbed against me. “Wife, don’t be mad. I just didn’t want you to feel small.” His voice was husky and deep. My anger dissolved instantly. I hung up before Valerie could scream again. I stared at Silas. He was the most powerful man in the city, but right now, he was just a clingy husband. I was a “love-to-hate” actress. I only played the high-glamour villains, which meant I had an army of haters who thought I was just playing myself. Silas and I had been married for two years. He had offered to help my career a dozen times, but I always refused. I wanted to make it on my own. But now… I looked at the comments under the post he made. “Where did Serena rent this guy? How much per night? I want one.” “She’s never been seen with a guy before. This is a total fake. Who believes this?” “Serena’s PR team is so stupid. This is hilarious.” “He’s actually hot… probably photoshopped though.” “Who would be gross enough to help Serena Vance fake a marriage for money?” They could insult me all they wanted, but I wasn’t going to let them insult my husband. I grabbed my phone and started typing replies to the haters. “How many years did you pickle your mouth to get it that bitter?” “Did you fail the ‘Basic Decency’ test or were you just born that way?” “You look like someone who barks for a living.” Unsurprisingly, “Serena Vance Claps Back” hit the trending charts again. 2 The internet exploded. Valerie stormed into my apartment, radiating murderous energy. The moment she saw Silas Thorne, her anger vanished like a puff of smoke. “Hi. I’m Silas Thorne.” He looked better in person than in the photo. Valerie stared at him, her eyes practically turning into hearts. “H-hello… I’m Valerie, Serena’s manager. Here’s my card!” She turned to him with professional greed. “You have a face made for Hollywood! Mr. Thorne, have you considered acting? I could make you an A-lister in six months! No, three!” Silas gave her a cold, distant smile. “No, thank you.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Wife, I’m making breakfast.” Valerie finally looked at me. “Explain! Now! Since when are you married?!” “Two years.” “Two years?!” Valerie’s voice hit a high C. “Do you know how hard it is for a married actress to maintain a brand? Especially when your reputation is already… complicated!” “I know.” “And you just posted him? I’ve been your manager for so long and I find out via Twitter? You’ve hidden this so well, I’m almost impressed.” “It’s okay, Valerie. If you’d found out later, the secret would’ve been even older.” “Why did you start a war with the netizens?!” “They can come for me, but they can’t come for my husband.” Valerie pinched the bridge of her nose. Once she calmed down, she dropped the bomb. “Your engagement is higher than it’s ever been. The agency wants to cash in. They’re signing you and your ‘mystery husband’ for a couple’s reality show.” “No way!” Let the CEO of the Thorne Empire do a reality show? I wasn’t insane. “If you refuse, the agency will sue for breach of contract. Can you afford that payout?” I was about to argue when Silas walked out of the kitchen. “A reality show? Sure. Why not?” “I want to see what my wife’s ‘work’ actually looks like.” Valerie beamed. Before she left, she warned me: “Elias Sterling and Mia Dupont are also on the cast. They aren’t good people, and you’re as stubborn as a mule. Watch your back.” 3 The news that Silas and I were joining Elias and Mia on a reality show took over the headlines. The netizens were ruthless. “Oh look, the ‘Photoshop Man’ is going on TV. The director must be desperate. That photo was clearly filtered to death.” “If he actually looks like that, there’s no way he’s with Serena.” “Serena is pretty, I’ll give her that. Better than Mia, honestly.” “Pretty doesn’t matter when your personality is trash. She probably hired this guy to play the part.” I was worried about Silas being on camera. He just laughed. “Not many people in the public know what I look like. What? Is your husband not presentable?” I rolled my eyes. 4 Filming started three days later. The show was a livestream. The comments scrolled in real-time on a massive screen that all the guests could see. When the camera hit Silas, the chat went dead silent for a second, then moved so fast it was a blur. “Holy sh*t! He’s actually that handsome! Where did she find him?!” “He looks better than Elias… I think I’m switching teams.” “Serena, move over! Let me have him!” We sat on the sofa. Elias Sterling stood up and offered a hand to Silas. “Hi, I’m Elias Sterling.” Silas barely glanced at him. He gripped Elias’s hand, his lips curling into a sharp, predatory smile. “Silas Thorne.” Elias turned pale. He tried to pull his hand back, but it wouldn’t budge. I knew Silas was getting revenge for me. I felt a gaze boring into the side of my head. It was Mia Dupont. She walked over and whispered in my ear: “Where did you hire the fake? He’s hot, I’ll give you that… but money is power in this town. You’re dating an extra while I’m dating a king. Are you ready to fall off the A-list?” She pulled back with a sweet, camera-ready smile. “I’m so happy to be on this show with you, Serena! Let’s be besties, okay?” The chat loved it. “Mia is such a saint. She’s so nice even to a homewrecker.” “If I were Mia, I’d have scratched Serena’s eyes out. Mia is too kind for this industry.” Silas put an arm around my shoulder and looked at me. “Serena, when did your taste get so bad? Why would you ever let a random stray dog like that bother you?” I leaned into him. “Don’t say that. Dogs are loyal. Some people aren’t.” “My bad. You’re right.” Their little routine made Elias and Mia’s faces turn various shades of purple. 5 The other guests arrived: a teen idol named Leo and a pop star named Chloe. They were an official couple. The director announced: “The first challenge takes place in this luxury estate. This mansion was generously provided by Mia Dupont.” As we walked in, looking at the marble floors and gold accents, Chloe gasped. “Oh my god! This is incredible! Mia, are you a secret billionaire?” I stood in the foyer, looking at the familiar decor. I looked at Silas. One of the crew members walked over to a vase in the corner and gasped. “Is this… a Ming Dynasty vase?” The chat went wild. “I recognize that! That vase was sold at an elite auction to the CEO of the Vance Group for two million dollars! What is it doing in Mia’s house?” “Mia Dupont is a Vance? Incredible!” “So Mia is the real deal. Serena is just a fake.” The director asked Mia: “Mia, can you explain the vase? And this mansion?” Mia acted coy. “Well, I didn’t want to brag. This house belongs to my family. My father is the head of the Vance Group. I just use my mother’s surname for work.” She winked at the camera. “Please keep it a secret, guys!” Me: … She really went there. I tilted my head, mimicking her “innocent” look. “Is this really your house, Mia?” The chat attacked me instantly. “Serena is so jealous! She can’t stand that Mia is rich.” “Wait, Serena’s last name is Vance too. Is she related?” “Don’t be stupid. ‘Vance’ is a common name. She’s just a hater.” Mia looked at me, hurt. “Serena, if you have a problem with me, just say it. You don’t have to be so passive-aggressive.” Chloe added, “Yeah, Serena. Don’t be so bitter. If this wasn’t Mia’s house, how could we be filming here?” I felt Silas’s eyes narrow. I grabbed the hem of his sleeve and shook my head. Not yet. I wanted to see how far she’d go.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422572”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When I was five years old, my dad got called back to the office and told my older brother to take me home. Instead, my brother got into a fight with some other kids, leaving me completely alone, and I was kidnapped. Three years later, egged on by my brother, my parents adopted another girl. Seven years after that, the police finally brought me home. Due to severe, long-term malnutrition, I was painfully thin and frail. The adopted girl clung to my mother’s arm and whispered, “Why is she so dirty? She doesn’t look like your daughter at all.” From that day on, my parents couldn’t stand the sight of me. Ultimately, I was bullied to death by that adopted girl, and my parents chose to settle the case out of court. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing at the front gate of our yard, watching my brother being stuffed into a burlap sack. Since natural-born monsters get kidnapped, in this lifetime, I’ll pick out the brother I actually want. 1 When I opened my eyes, I was four years old again. My parents had taken my brother and me back to our rural hometown to sweep the ancestral tombs. And my brother and I ran straight into the human traffickers. In my past life, my brother was snatched first because he was playing right by the front gate. I hid in the firewood pile, remaining perfectly calm as I used my smartwatch to take a clear picture of the trafficker’s face. The moment they left, I immediately called 911 and then ran to the neighbors for help. Because I called the police so quickly, the traffickers were caught within five hours, and my brother was brought home safely. I saved his life, but when he got back, he shoved me hard. “You were right there in the yard! Why did you hide instead of saving me?!” My forehead smashed into the corner of a table, leaving a scar that stayed with me for the rest of my life. My parents brushed it off as kids just playing rough. I was too young to understand why my brother suddenly hated me. Then, when I was five, my parents’ company finally started making real money. They were too busy to pick me up from kindergarten, so they called my brother to get me. Instead, he ditched me at the school gate, glaring at me viciously. “Walk home by yourself. And don’t you dare snitch to Mom and Dad.” I nodded obediently, watching him excitedly round up his delinquent friends to go start a street fight. The very next second, a trafficker threw a sack over my head and dragged me away. I didn’t make it back home until I was twelve. By then, I realized there was no place left for me in that house. My brother had convinced my parents to adopt a girl named Chloe. He protected her fiercely. Chloe despised me from day one. “Where did this ugly little rat come from? You think you deserve to be my sister?” From that day on, I lived a life of relentless bullying at the hands of my own brother and Chloe. When I was eighteen, on the morning of my SATs, Chloe turned off my alarm clock, and my brother slipped sleeping pills into my drink. I missed the most important exam of my life. My parents immediately slapped me across the face. “If you can’t even manage your own schedule, what use are you?!” By the time I was twenty-four, my life was finally turning around. My small business was starting to boom. My brother and Chloe teamed up and bankrupted me overnight. So you see, why on earth would I save an animal like him? I’d be better off taking a nap. At least in my dreams, someone might choose to love me. Right now, I absolutely refuse to be stupid enough to make the same choice again. I remained hidden in the firewood pile, coldly powering off my smartwatch. Through the gaps in the wood, I watched Liam’s mouth get taped shut before he was tossed into a three-foot-tall burlap sack. The traffickers threw him in their van and sped off. I slowly crawled out of the firewood pile, washed my flawless little face until it was perfectly clean, and walked back inside the house. I took off the smartwatch, stood on my tiptoes, and placed it on the table. Then, I crawled into bed and fell fast asleep. Liam was kidnapped. What does that have to do with me? 2 “Penny, wake up. Where’s your brother? “Mrs. Miller next door said she saw you two playing together this afternoon. Where is he now?” Kids really are heavy sleepers. In my past life, from the moment I returned to this “home,” I never had a single good night’s sleep. It was rare to sleep this soundly. I rubbed my sleepy eyes, my face full of confusion. “What are Mommy and Daddy talking about? Liam said he was going up the mountain to find you guys this afternoon.” My mom shot a look at my dad, and both their faces instantly went pale. Not long after, I heard police sirens wailing in the distance, echoing through the village. Several people were whispering anxiously in the courtyard. Mrs. Miller shouted her answer to the police. “I don’t know! I saw the boy this afternoon, but I haven’t seen him since!” My mom frantically rubbed my head. “Penny, be a good girl. Go eat your dinner by yourself. Mommy and Daddy have to go out for a bit, okay?” I nodded obediently. My parents rushed out to talk to the police. I followed them for a few steps and stood in the courtyard. The police asked me a few simple questions, and I just gave them vague, childish answers. My mom was just sobbing hysterically. “Where is my Liam? Where is he?” They got no useful information. The police hurried off, beginning a massive search of the entire village. Unfortunately, it was too late. It had already been five hours since he was taken. Liam, you’d better stay alive. Whatever you do, don’t die. I stared deeply into the starry sky above the fields. Then I turned around and went inside to eat dinner. 3 The police investigation yielded nothing. Exhausted and broken, my parents took me back to the city. I was quiet, obedient, and well-behaved—infinitely more likable than my brother ever was. They seemed to gradually forget Liam even existed. From going to the police station once a month for updates, it eventually became once a year just to check in. I am now seven years old. A while ago, my mom actually had some free time and took me to an amusement park. But because her company was busy, she took a phone call and just walked away, almost getting me kidnapped again. Afterward, she suggested adopting a child to keep me company. Perfect. Since my demon spawn of a brother was successfully kidnapped, in this lifetime, I get to pick the exact brother I want. My parents took me to the largest orphanage in the city. Seeing my parents dripping in designer clothes, the orphanage director happily handed them a binder filled with profiles of the children available for adoption. My parents flipped through the pages, nodding constantly in satisfaction. The director had a staff member take me to the play area, then escorted my parents to meet the children they had selected. Once I was dropped off, the staff member had to leave to handle something else. The playground slides were fine for amusing a toddler. But for someone with the mental age of a twenty-something, it was painfully boring. I stretched my short little legs and started wandering around the orphanage grounds. As I walked past an outdoor equipment shed, I heard the sound of cursing coming from behind it. I peeked around the corner and saw a group of kids surrounding a boy, kicking and hitting him. A girl with her back to me had a particularly shrill, grating voice. “Beat him to death! Ever since he got here, every family that comes to adopt specifically asks for him! We never get a chance!” “Haha, what are you scared of? He got adopted last time and was sent back in a week.” “Exactly! He cursed his own biological parents to death! He’s a jinx!” I hid in a concealed corner. I couldn’t see the boy curled up on the ground. But I got a crystal-clear look at the girl leading the pack. She was a head shorter than me, a bit chubby, with a dark complexion. The kids beating the boy didn’t notice me spying at all, continuing to crowd around the girl excitedly. “Chloe, I heard a really rich family came today! We have to block him in here, or we’ll lose our chance again!” The girl they called “Chloe” looked young, but her expression was unusually vicious. She viciously kicked the boy on the ground in the stomach. “Don’t worry! This time, it has to be me!” My heart jolted. I stared dead at “Chloe’s” profile, recognizing her face perfectly. Chloe! It was actually her! 4 The memory of her framing me in my past life was still burned vividly into my mind. Since the moment I was reborn, I swore that in this lifetime, I would make her and Liam suffer a fate worse than death. But I never expected to run into her here. Seeing Chloe rear back to kick the boy again, I frantically rushed out. I kept my head down, refusing to look at her, acting like a panicked, lost child. “C-Chloe, a family is here to adopt! The director told me to come get you!” “They must be here to adopt me!” Chloe’s eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately bolted toward the main building. As she brushed past me, she slammed into my shoulder like a bear. Then she froze, staring dead at my wrist. “Where did you get that thing on your wrist?” I looked down at the smartwatch I had deliberately exposed, my face a mask of pure terror. For the kids in this orphanage, having a basic digital watch was a luxury. Where would they have ever seen a high-end smartwatch? But just because she had never seen one didn’t mean Chloe couldn’t tell it was expensive. I instantly started trembling and shrinking back, but Chloe and the other kids quickly pinned me down. “I-I-I… the lady who was looking for the director just gave it to me.” “Gave it to you? Impossible! She definitely told you to give it to me, and you tried to keep it for yourself!” “S-sorry, sorry! It was supposed to be for Chloe! I remembered wrong!” My voice shook perfectly. Satisfied, Chloe grabbed my wrist and violently yanked the smartwatch off. Then, like a gust of wind, she sprinted away. All I could smell was the sour, unwashed stench coming off her clothes. It was disgusting. Once the other kids scattered, I quickly rushed forward to help the boy who had been curled up on the ground protecting his head. I couldn’t tell exactly how old he was. His face was sallow, his body incredibly frail and thin. From his calves to his arms, all the way up to his forehead, he was covered in bruises of all sizes. “Are you okay, big brother?” I helped him up, my eyes turning a bit red. The boy actually panicked first. He stiffly patted my back, trying awkwardly to comfort me. “I’m not hurt.” Saying that, he hesitantly pulled his hand out of his jacket. In his tightly clenched fist were pieces of a crushed, stale piece of bread. “Little sister, I’ll give you something yummy if you smile, okay?” I let out a sudden, wet laugh. How could he be so painfully earnest? The bruises on his body were turning dark purple. His hair and clothes were covered in dirt. He was so thin his cheeks were hollow, and his cheekbones stuck out sharply. But even looking like that, his eyes were incredibly bright and clear. I carefully pinched a crumb of the crushed bread and placed it on my tongue. “It’s delicious.” Seeing that I liked it, the boy tried to shove the rest of the crumbs into my hand. I carefully cupped my hands and held it up to his face. “You eat some too.” “I’m not hungry.” He swallowed hard, but stubbornly shook his head. I had to practically trick and coax him into sharing the meager crumbs with me. I tugged on his sleeve. “Big brother, what’s your name?” “Kieran. I’m Kieran. I’m a jinx.” “No, Kieran is so nice. You’re not a jinx.” I looked at him with bright, shining eyes. “Kieran, do you want to eat yummy food every day and never get bullied again?” Kieran nodded earnestly. “I want to.” I grabbed his hand and started walking toward the front courtyard. “Then come with me.” Well-behaved. Honest. And he hated Chloe just as much as I did. He was the absolute perfect candidate to be my new brother. 5 When I got back to the play area, a crowd of people had already gathered. My mom saw me and immediately rushed over to hug me: “Penny, where did you go?! You scared Mommy half to death! “What happened? Why are your clothes and hair such a mess?” Because my mom rushed over, Kieran immediately let go of my hand. I looked back, and he had already vanished into the background. I sighed internally. He really was too well-behaved for his own good. I immediately turned on the waterworks. “Mommy—someone bullied me! She stole my watch, kicked me, and pulled my hair!” My mom looked at my “bird’s nest” hair, which I had deliberately messed up, complete with streaks of mud. The red marks on my wrist where the watch was yanked off were glaringly obvious. My dad instantly exploded in rage, his voice dangerously low as he glared at the orphanage director. “What the hell is going on here?! Is this how your orphanage raises children?!” “I-I-I… I have no idea what happened!” The director was trembling. The scene was pure chaos. My mom held me, trying to soothe me, while I pointed right at Chloe and sobbed out my grievances. “It was her! I saw her bullying someone else, and then she stole my watch! “All the other kids call her Chloe!” My mom shot an icy glare at Chloe, then looked back at the director. “Originally, I thought this child seemed quite nice. But looking at her now, she’s far from nice. She’s a complete nightmare! “The fact that your orphanage breeds children who terrorize the weak like this genuinely terrifies me!” Chloe, who had been holding a gift bag my mom bought for the kids, instantly panicked. “No! Sister, look closely! It wasn’t me!” I called out her name without hesitation, and she was literally wearing my smartwatch on her wrist. This was more than enough proof that we had crossed paths, and that Chloe was the culprit. No one was listening to her pathetic excuses now. My mom rubbed my head, her voice soft and comforting. “Penny, be a good girl. It’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy made a terrible mistake. “Mommy will find Penny a brand new playmate, okay?” I shook my head, wriggled out of my mom’s arms, spun around the room, and accurately grabbed the hem of Kieran’s shirt. “Mommy, I want this big brother.” I smiled and said, “He protected me just now. I like him.” “No! Sister, I’m your sister! Mommy already decided! I’m going to be your sister!” Seeing that my mom was about to nod in agreement, Chloe suddenly lunged out of the crowd, violently grabbing my wrist. Just as she was about to drag me to the ground, Kieran stepped in front of me, wrapping his arms fiercely around me. Before I hit the floor, he pulled me on top of him, acting as a human shield. No matter how furiously Chloe pulled at me and begged, Kieran kept me tightly protected in his arms. By the time the furious director finally dragged Chloe away, my parents were looking at her with absolute disgust. “Director Lee, if you let a child this unstable and aggressive continue unchecked, it’s going to severely impact your orphanage’s reputation in the future. “Our family has made our decision. We are adopting this little boy. “Also, after causing such a massive incident and terrifying my daughter like this, I expect you to give my family a proper explanation, Director Lee.” The director glared at Chloe, who was still screaming and crying, and awkwardly nodded in agreement. I quickly pulled Kieran up and checked to make sure he hadn’t hit his head. Once I was sure he was okay, I let out a long sigh of relief. Kieran awkwardly gripped the hem of his shirt. “I-I didn’t know you were… you were…” This kid was way too sincere. I leaned in close and whispered in Kieran’s ear. “Kieran, no one blames you. “Don’t worry, big brother. From now on, I’ll protect you. No one will ever dare bully you again.” Kieran looked even more nervous for a second. “Okay, I-I’ll protect you too.” 6 Kieran was three years older than me, and my parents were incredibly satisfied with him. We started going to school together. Because Kieran had grown up in the orphanage, his academic foundation was very weak. But he was incredibly smart. After the private tutors went over a concept once, he grasped it immediately. I didn’t hide the fact that I already knew everything being taught in school. I maintained an above-average grade point average, and occasionally, when the timing was right, I’d score first in the class. Kieran, growing up alongside me, definitely noticed that my way of thinking was different from a normal child’s. But he never asked me about it. When I was eleven, we moved. Over the years, thanks to my subtle “suggestions” about emerging market trends, my parents’ company caught the wave of new media and made an absolute fortune. When people get rich, they want to climb the social ladder, and my parents were no exception. As for Liam? They wanted to find him, but at the same time, they didn’t want to find him. It was exactly like how they treated me in my past life. A child who has been wandering the streets for over a decade would have a massive gap in education, worldview, and psychological development compared to normal kids. Especially compared to Kieran and me? Kieran and I had become visibly exceptional over the years. Not only were our grades stellar, but we were also top-tier in various extracurriculars. We gave them plenty to brag about, elevating the family’s status to a whole new level in elite social circles. If Liam came back, how would they choose? This was the dilemma my parents didn’t want to face, so they deliberately avoided it. 7 Time flowed by like water. When the police finally brought Liam back to our house, I was in my second semester of freshman year in college. I had just gotten home from the university lab when I realized the entire dynamic of the house had shifted. Liam was holding my mom, sobbing so loud it could shatter glass. My mom stood there stiffly, incredibly awkward. She didn’t hug him back, nor did she speak. Because Liam looked absolutely wretched. Due to years of severe malnutrition, he was sallow and emaciated, his cheeks completely hollowed out. He was barely 5’5″. He was wearing a mud-splattered construction uniform, and a battered hard hat sat on our expensive marble coffee table. When Chloe saw me walk in, she immediately rushed over, taking my coat from the maid. “Sister, you’re home.” I glanced at her but didn’t say a word. The year my family adopted Kieran, the orphanage was shut down. It was exposed that the orphanage had been neglecting the children long-term, even subjecting them to physical abuse. When the scandal broke that year, it caused a massive public outcry. With nowhere to go, Chloe was forced into illegal child labor. I didn’t even need to arrange it; her life became an absolute nightmare all on its own. So, when she turned eighteen, I “kindly” threw a few breadcrumbs her way. Hoping to turn the page on what happened at the orphanage, Chloe didn’t suspect a thing. She just assumed I felt guilty. Her ambitions were certainly not small. She constantly tried to suck up to my family, affectionately calling me “Sister” at every opportunity. I never rejected it, but I never explicitly accepted it either. I was just waiting for today. Sure enough, hearing Chloe call me “Sister,” Liam’s eyes went wide. He looked at my mom in absolute disbelief. “Mom, who is she? “Do you not love me anymore? Is that why you stopped looking for me all these years?” Liam cried so hard his tears and snot rubbed off on my mom’s designer dress. My mom shot a look at the maid, who immediately stepped forward and gently pulled Liam back. “Young Master Liam, Madam is very tired today. Now is not the time for this. Why don’t I take you upstairs to change into some clean clothes?” My mom smiled benevolently. “Liam, we can talk about everything later. Go upstairs first.” Chloe tried to keep talking, but I gave her a pointed look, and she obediently followed them upstairs. “Auntie, Sister Penny, I’ll go up and help my brother.” My mom let out a long sigh of relief and pulled me to sit down next to her. “Penny, your brother finally made it home. Why don’t you look happy?” I let out a dry, forced chuckle in my head. I’m not the one who’s unhappy. You’re the one who’s miserable and trying to project it onto me. But I had to keep up appearances. I lowered my eyes, forcing a strained smile. “Mom, I’m very happy my brother is back. “But Mom, what are you and Dad going to do about Kieran?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422571”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the subway to work, I overheard an old woman bragging to another older lady. “Girls these days are so easy,” she scoffed. “I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot tea when it’s their time of the month, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” Hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, I felt sick to my stomach. I silently took eight seconds to mourn for those eight poor “sisters.” I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of my boyfriend of three years. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I had become one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 1 Because my car was unexpectedly in the shop for maintenance, I took the subway that day so I wouldn’t be late for work. On the train, an old lady was loudly bragging to another older woman. “Girls these days are so easy. I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot tea when it’s their time of the month, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him, one after another. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” “Let me tell you, raising a son is all about strategy,” she continued. “Whenever my son doesn’t listen to me, I warn him, ‘I’m the one who got you all these women. If you don’t listen, I’ll stop helping you.’ He gets so scared he does whatever I say. I always tell him, every woman has the same parts anyway, so he’ll definitely find one he likes.” I was hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, and feeling physically sick. I mentally took eight seconds of silence for those eight poor girls. I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of Carter, my boyfriend of three years. The moment I stepped through the door, I was startled by the old lady standing in front of me. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I had become one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 2 As soon as I stepped into Carter’s house, his mother pulled out a pair of fuzzy slippers and insisted on putting them on my feet herself. “You must be Harper. You’re so beautiful.” I quickly took two steps back, dodging the old woman’s hands. Feigning calmness, I greeted her: “Hello, Mrs. Hayes.” Carter’s mother beamed instantly, looking extremely satisfied with me. The moment I sat down on the sofa, the old woman was bustling about, bringing me fruit and handing me a cup of milk tea. “I heard you young people love drinking this stuff. I thought the store-bought ones were unsanitary, so I looked up a tutorial online and made it myself. Try it quickly and see how it tastes.” I looked at the kind, amiable old lady in front of me, completely unable to reconcile her with the bitter, mean woman from the subway. I even started to doubt if I had seen the right person. Or maybe the old woman was just trying to show off in front of her friend and made it all up. After lunch, Carter’s mother pulled out a worn, dark-looking savings passbook and placed it in my hand. “Harper, there’s ten thousand dollars in here. I know your family has plenty of properties and you probably don’t care about one or two more, but the money in this passbook is my entire life savings. Now, I want you to take it and go buy a house with Carter so you two can get married.” I looked at the passbook placed in my hand, momentarily at a loss for words. First of all, the amount was too small; it wouldn’t even cover a fraction of a down payment. But if this passbook truly held her “coffin money,” as the old lady claimed, its weight far exceeded its monetary value. If it hadn’t been for that scene on the subway, I probably would have declined the money immediately, perhaps even comforting the old lady that she didn’t need to worry about a house because my family had it covered. But with that subway scene stuck in my head, something felt off. I don’t know if my silence dragged on too long, or if the old lady sensed my mood, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and tearfully pleaded: “Harper, I know it’s not a lot of money and it won’t buy a house. But you know Carter’s father passed away early. I’ve worked myself to the bone all these years just to put Carter through grad school. Even though he’s working as a software engineer at a Big Tech firm now, he’s only been there for two or three years, and his salary is still entry-level. It’s incredibly hard to buy a house in San Francisco on his own.” “How about this: you ask your parents to chip in a little first, so you guys can buy a house and get married. Don’t worry, once Carter starts making more money, I’ll have him pay your parents back.” Carter’s mother’s words sounded very considerate, but maybe I was just being sensitive. I felt like something about this whole situation stank. I looked at the old woman with feigned innocence. “Mrs. Hayes, whose names will be on the deed?” The old lady smiled and patted my hand. “Well, that goes without saying. It will obviously have both your names on it.” “Don’t worry, once you buy the house, I promise I won’t bother you two.” Those four words, “both your names,” sent a jolt through my body. First of all, the absolute worst fixer-upper in San Francisco starts at around a million dollars. Given how much my dad dotes on me, if I were getting married, he definitely wouldn’t buy a small starter home. A multi-million dollar property was the minimum. Coupled with the scene on the subway, I had my suspicions that whether it was Carter’s mother’s tears or this worn-out passbook, it was all a calculated trap set for me. 3 Although I was suspicious at Carter’s house, considering we had a three-year relationship, I still didn’t quite believe he was that kind of person. But from that day on, I started closely observing Carter’s schedule. For instance, I noticed that every time he came to my place, he smelled faintly of dampness, like he had just taken a shower. For instance, if he worked late and then came to my place, he generally had no interest in intimacy, acting exhausted. For instance, he frequently got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and would spend an hour in there scrolling on his phone. I had never scrutinized Carter’s schedule before. I believed in mutual respect and maintaining independent space in a relationship. But what if Carter was using that time to juggle other girlfriends? Finally, one night, while Carter was in the shower, I couldn’t resist checking his phone. His text messages were very clean, with my name pinned at the top. The other contacts were either coworkers or friends, some of whom I recognized or had even met. This gave me some comfort. The only anomaly was his chat history with his mother—it was completely empty. But they had seemed so close that day. What exactly were Carter and his mother talking about that required clearing the chat history? I was just about to put the phone down when I suddenly remembered an influencer sharing a story about discovering her husband’s infidelity by checking his phone’s location history. Relying on memory, I opened the location services settings on Carter’s phone, and looking at his daily movements, I grew even more confused. First, his location history only showed him at his place, my place, and his company on the days he came to see me. The rest of the time was completely blank. Did Carter not take his phone with him when he didn’t come to see me? Just then, Carter, still drying off with a towel, walked out of the bathroom. He looked at the phone in my hand, his expression completely unchanged. He walked over and hugged me, his face full of teasing. “Find anything interesting?” I tilted my chin up haughtily. “Who knows if you men are messing around out there? I’m just checking to be safe.” Carter pursed his lips and chuckled, reaching out to gently tap the bridge of my nose. “Be good, how could I ever betray you? I love you so much.” “Besides, my phone has never had a passcode. You can check it whenever you want.” That was true. Carter had never been secretive with his phone around me. Sometimes when I used his phone to make a call or track a package, he was always completely open. So much so that I had never had the urge to check his phone before. But how could those anomalies on his phone be explained? 4 Perhaps driven by a woman’s sixth sense, the next day after work, I went to Carter’s office. Right at 6:00 PM, I saw Carter walking out of his building. The moment I saw his figure, I froze. Because Carter had just texted me saying he had to work late. Given that he was at a major tech firm, I had never doubted his “working late” excuses. I dialed Carter’s number with trembling fingers. He declined it instantly. But what surprised me more wasn’t that Carter lied about working late, but that the Carter right in front of me didn’t even reach for his phone in his pocket. Right then, Carter sent me a text. “Baby, I’m in a meeting. I’ll call you back later.” I stared at the message, the fingers gripping my phone trembling. Because at this exact moment, the Carter right in front of my eyes was waving his hand to hail a cab. I swallowed hard in fear and pulled up my old chat history with Carter. First, on the days Carter came to see me, he would be very distant via text, often replying with short phrases like “mhm” or “okay.” But on the days he didn’t see me… He would be much more enthusiastic. He would tell me jokes, send me good songs, and be incredibly attentive. Although sometimes I felt his tone was a bit old-fashioned, I just chalked it up to him being a typical clueless tech bro. But wasn’t it a huge red flag that his communication style swung between two such extremes? My nerves were taut, like something was about to burst out. I quickly drove off, tailing Carter’s cab. The cab didn’t stop until it reached the entrance of a luxury apartment complex. As soon as he got out, a young woman rushed out of the complex gates. She clung to Carter like a koala bear and showered his cheeks with kisses. Carter affectionately ruffled her hair. The two looked exactly like a deeply in love couple. I watched the scene unfold before my eyes, my eyes red and wide. Just as I was sitting there, stunned and unsure of what to do, I received another text from Carter. “Baby, don’t forget to eat dinner tonight! You’re already beautiful enough, you don’t need to diet anymore.” 5 As soon as I got home, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up in disgust. If I didn’t realize by now that Carter and his mother were playing me, I’d be the biggest idiot in the world. If my guess was right, the person texting me all these years was Carter’s mother. Just thinking about the flirtatious things Carter supposedly said to me, actually being typed by his mother… I couldn’t help but throw up into the toilet again. This was even more sickening than Carter simply cheating. That night, Carter came to my place at 10:00 PM. He brought food cooked by his mother. Carter put a piece of shrimp in my bowl. “My mom knows you like shrimp, so she made this especially for you.” My fingers tightened around my chopsticks. “How did your mom know I like shrimp?” Carter stiffened for a second, but recovered his composure moments later. “Well, that goes without saying. I told her, of course. You’re a great daughter-in-law. Not only do I love you, but my mom absolutely adores you too.” I feigned a teasing tone. “Then you’d better hurry up and marry me. By the way, I talked to my dad about the house. He said there’s no problem on his end, but you know my background. All my friends get at least a hundred grand as a down payment contribution from the groom’s side. My dad said if your family can’t afford a hundred grand, you need to provide at least fifty grand, otherwise he won’t let me marry you.” Carter smiled calmly. “That’s no problem. You just take the deed to your current place, take out a home equity loan for fifty grand, and we’ll just go through the motions for your parents. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the interest.” My stomach churned, and I almost gagged in disgust. “What, you don’t trust me? My mom practically emptied her life savings for us. I know there’s a financial gap between our families, but I promise I’ll work hard and make money. I’ll never let your friends look down on you.” I pretended to be moved and buried my face in his chest. But where Carter couldn’t see, my fingernails nearly pierced my palms. I never thought Carter actually treated me like a complete idiot. 6 The next day, I went to find the girl Carter had met, Mia. After hearing my story, Mia’s face was full of disbelief, her body trembling. “But… I was going to marry him.” I closed my eyes tightly. “Me too…” Mia instantly burst into loud, sobbing tears. I don’t know how long it took, but Mia finally lifted her tear-streaked face. “Let’s… let’s compare our chat logs.” After we verified all our interactions with Carter, we both stood frozen in horror. We never expected that from the very beginning, Carter and his mother had premeditated everything. First, we both met Carter because we were bumped into by a delivery driver, and he “saved” us, which led to us exchanging numbers and chatting. Furthermore, from our daily interactions, all the chat conversations were identical. Even the day we went to meet his parents, I went in the morning, and Mia went in the afternoon. After comparing all the chat logs, Mia started crying hysterically. “I’m going to kill that piece of trash, Carter.” It wasn’t just Mia; even my worldview was shattered by what lay before us. I fought to control my trembling body and grabbed Mia. “It’s not worth getting our hands dirty for trash like him. Let’s gather evidence first. The law will make Carter and his mother pay.” 7 At the time, when Carter was hit relatively hard by the delivery driver, I was afraid the driver would deny it, so I kept his phone number. This actually made it convenient for us to find a witness. I called the delivery driver right then and there. “Hello, I have a package to send. Can you come pick it up?” When the delivery driver arrived at my place, I asked directly, “Do you know Carter?” The delivery driver turned around, wanting to leave. I threatened him: “If you dare leave, I’ll sue you for fraud. If Carter gets arrested, you’re an accomplice. You can leave if you don’t want to go to jail.” The delivery driver was spooked by me. He looked at me pitifully. “Ladies, you can’t blame me for getting scammed! How was I supposed to know you women were so gullible, believing those cliché romantic movie tropes?” My heart skipped a beat. “You women.” So Carter really did have eight girlfriends. I looked at the delivery driver coldly. “How many women have you hit for Carter in total?” The delivery driver shrank back. “I’ve hit about a dozen or so over time. That guy who ‘saved’ you paid me a hundred bucks an appearance each time.” Mia and I exchanged a glance. “Do you have the phone numbers of those girls?” The delivery driver shook his head in panic. “Why would I keep their numbers for something like this?” I lowered my head in thought for a moment. “Then do you know how many Carter actually succeeded with?” The delivery driver shook his head. “How would I know that? But I heard the guy mention a few times that once he got bored, he’d just break up with them. The success rate must be pretty high, otherwise he wouldn’t pull this stunt every few months.” Seeing that the delivery driver couldn’t offer much more, I pulled out a document and placed it in front of him. “Sign your name here. Don’t worry, I won’t sue you. I’ve recorded what you just told us. You just need to show up in court when the time comes. But if you dare tell Carter, I will sue you as an accomplice to fraud. We have plenty of money to fight a legal battle. Don’t believe me? Try it.” The delivery driver was indeed intimidated by me, pulling out a pen and quickly signing his name. He also apologized profusely, saying he shouldn’t have done something so immoral.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422570”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel