Lauren and I exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a laugh.She whispered to me, "Why is Ivanna so chatty now?"I couldn't help but laugh harder. Ivanna turned around to look at us. "Are you talking about me? Are you annoyed that I'm talking too much?"When we got in the car, I glanced outside. Oliver was standing at the doorway, looking on as we were leaving. The desolation in his eyes made me feel a twinge of pity.However, this was out of my hands. What he did had hurt Lauren, and I didn't want to interfere with Lauren's decision.It was a personal matter, and no third party could intervene. I had no idea how Oliver had spent the previous six months while Lauren was away. What went through his mind? Did he realize where he went wrong?I believed Lauren would never forgive him if he didn't realize his mistakes. Even if she forgave him, I wasn't sure if I could.Only I saw what happened before Lauren left. She had narrowly escaped death, and I could understand her pain.I call

Faced with everyone blaming her for her abrupt departure, Lauren responded with a calm smile, "Actually, leaving was a spontaneous decision. I just wanted to be carefree and wander for a while."She laughed. "So I truly followed my heart. I had no plans. I just wanted to get out there and see the world. I told no one, not even Chlo."Though she spoke lightly, only I knew what she was thinking when she left.I was convinced that her mindset at the time was one of living or dying based on her own choices, which was precisely what I had feared. Fortunately, she returned unharmed.Ivanna asked if Lauren encountered any dangers in the past six months."There are always challenges during a journey," she said with a sad smile. “There were many adventurous moments, including getting lost, crossing language barriers, entering desolate areas, and facing war. But sometimes, when you open up to things, fear disappears..."Oliver listened silently, occasionally serving her dishes but barely e

When we returned to Lauren's new home, she was instantly stunned by the spacious, bright, and luxurious surroundings. She turned around and hugged us both, choking up with emotion."Thank you! I finally have my own home." Her words made me suddenly feel sentimental and teary-eyed.I patted her back gently and said, "You can be at ease now. This is your world. You don’t need to think about anyone else while you’re here. We’ll both support you, no matter what decision you make."That night, Ivanna and I stayed by Lauren's side. We had a heartfelt conversation in that comfortable environment.We talked until dawn.In the morning, I watched them sleep peacefully, then sighed quietly and left. I needed to go to the hospital to see Trinity.My heart hurt when I saw Trinity. In just a few days, she had lost a lot of weight. Her eyes looked like they were bulging out of their sockets, and she seemed as though she had transformed into a different person.The lack of makeup revealed her t

I thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. Instead, I asked, "Where should we meet?"Matthew seemed surprised that I had agreed so quickly and eagerly provided the location.I headed straight to the location he mentioned, which turned out to be a club.As a precaution, I called Johnson again in the car to check on the current situation with Matthew.Since I had been busy with matters in Bourdamun, I hadn’t had time to pay attention to them these past few days.As I suspected, Matthew's call was related to the withdrawal of funds between him and Liora.Sure enough, Johnson informed me that the situation was still deadlocked. No one was willing to back down. Strangely, Liora had not signed a contract for Avalon Hills despite not moving forward with the withdrawal of funds.He said that he had followed my advice and was working on stabilizing other projects for Matthew.After ending the call with Johnson, I felt more confident. It seemed that Atticus's prediction was correct. Liora

Matthew's expression grew somber, revealing a mix of bitterness and deep-seated resentment.“We’re dealing with Liora here. Attempting to outmaneuver her, especially after she proposed withdrawing funds, will definitely be an uphill battle. Do you really believe there's any chance of success?" I bombarded Matthew with questions, strategically hitting his vulnerabilities to make him feel the weight of the situation.I also delved into his past ruthless tactics to secure Avalon Hills and the substantial financial investments he had made. "Have you ever thought about why Liora suggested withdrawing funds?" I questioned, adding another layer to his dilemma.My analysis of Liora's motives was rooted in Atticus’s speculations. He had lived with Liora for over a decade, and now he wanted to kick her out of his sphere of interests. That alone spoke volumes about Liora's strategic prowess.I looked at Matthew and continued, "She clearly intends to leverage Avalon Hills to negotiate with you