Glenn's brain quickly processed the scene unfolding before him.‘Amber has met Sebastian?’‘This time, she accepted that old man?’From their interaction, Glenn could see that Amber accepted Sebastian, unlike before when her attitude towards Sebastian was similar to how she looked at Glenn at the beginning of their relationship: disgusted, even though the old man was extremely wealthy."You better keep your eyes off my woman, kid, or you'll lose the ability to see," Sebastian coldly threatened Glenn.Rufus nudged Glenn's arm to bring the young man back to his senses. "Sorry, Mr. Thornhill, my boss seems out of his mind again." Rufus tried to salvage the situation.Glenn complied and kept quiet, and both proceeded to enter the courtroom first."Wait," Sebastian requested, his voice cold and deep enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.Even Victor didn't dare to misbehave in front of his uncle; he stood there like a teenager experiencing puberty for the first time, awkwardly unsure
"What was that earlier?" Don asked from behind the wall, surprising Amber as she returned to the car where Sebastian was waiting.Earlier, she had excused herself to go to the restroom when, in fact, she had intended to give Glenn an ultimatum to stop bothering her from next on.After casting her line in the wrong waters, she finally caught a big fish, so she didn't want to miss this opportunity.Sebastian couldn't know she had been close to Glenn before because she didn't want to be suspected as a spy or related to Smith Corp. She knew the fate of those who dared to disturb Sebastian; she didn't want to be one of them.So when Don, Sebastian's trusted lawyer, caught her, she was truly flustered."W-what do you mean?" she stammered nervously, seeing Don grinning."Don't think you can fool me, you whore. Are you a spy for Smith Corp?" he threatened, immediately making Amber's heart feel like it was about to leap out of her chest."You're making things up! I don't know that man; he appr
"Where are you going?" Uncle asked as he saw Victor heading towards the garage, his Cuban cigar smoking between his black lips as he stared sharply at his nephew.Victor, who was initially confident, shrank back, "I... I'm going to settle things with the one who betrayed me, uncle," he replied.He wasn't sure if his uncle would let him act alone or would command him to lay low for now, as Vincent, his younger brother, suggested.He was so disappointed with Mr. Lucas and Hazel; he had never disturbed them, yet they betrayed and stabbed him in the back.When he lowered his guard precisely because he was near them, they seized the opportunity to attack him.Sebastian weighed his words for a moment, "I don't want you to do it half-heartedly; you'll only tarnish my name," he expressed.Victor appeared radiant, his confidence returning, "Of course, uncle, I will make you proud," Victor declared.The uncle didn't respond, only watching as Victor walked away. His nephew had been abandoned by
One day before the hearing, Sebastian and Don were seen picking up Judge Tris at her residence and taking her out for dinner to the outskirts of town, Acogedor, a small restaurant of Don's choice that was hidden and had no CCTV.One principle of Judge Tris was that she did not accept any form of bribery in the form of money or goods. But if it was just a conversation, she didn't mind. Because she didn't want to be bound by debts of gratitude that she couldn't repay.She enjoyed doing things her way; material possessions were not her life's goal. All she needed was entertainment, attention, and companionship. Things she didn't have because of her past habit of mixing reality with fantasies.All because of Arthur Smith, her obsession with the man she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried, even after decades, she still couldn't get rid of her feelings for Arthur. Only time had matured her; she only loved Arthur silently while continuing to live her life pursuing her beloved profess
"Your voice means nothing here," Sebastian dismissed Yvonne.With a gesture of his hand, he indicated that Yvonne should leave. Although Yvonne was upset, she didn't show it. She forcefully threw the files in her hand onto the floor."I won't stay silent if you mess up Smith Corp as well," she threatened.Sebastian's eyebrows rose; his daughter was being extremely rude. He had never disciplined her before; was that why she was disrespectful to him?"I can place you in one of the hospitality departments if you get fired from there," he mocked Yvonne, belittling her job."Do you think I'm upset about that?!" Yvonne retorted.There was no respect from her towards her Dad, who never stopped hurting her Mom.Sebastian's eyes narrowed, holding back the anger that was about to erupt. "You useless daughter! How dare you! Born a girl, you dare to work in such a small company and embarrass me!" Finally, Sebastian's anger erupted."Because I can't stand you! I can't stand your disgusting life! I
The Walsh family mansion.The sound of the bell rang as they were having dinner together, interrupted by the sound of knives, forks, and plates clashing could be heard as they were enjoying their steak."Do you have any promises, Lucas?" asked Miriam as she put a slice of irresistible grade-A steak with dripping juice into her mouth.Lucas thought for a moment before shaking his head."Do we still have leftover food, Adrian?" Miriam asked the head servant."Yes, ma'am," Adrian replied, standing stiffly to meet his employer's needs.Their servant opened the door for an uninvited guest while they continued their dinner. Adrian's voice was heard shooing the guest in; Lucas, Miriam, and Hazel furrowed their brows, hearing the commotion from the front door.Their curiosity was answered when the uninvited guest appeared in the dining room, clapping his hands and chuckling.Lucas Walsh glanced at his daughter and wife; simultaneously, they gripped their knives and forks."I wonder what it's
A call came in when Victor was speeding towards the Walsh family mansion. It was from Vincent; using hands-free mode, he answered the call from his brother."What?" he asked curtly, his eyes focused on the road ahead."Don't tell me you heard Uncle's suggestion," Vincent admonished.He had been about to enter their uncle's office when he overheard his uncle's instigation to his brother; he was the one who could see the smirk on their uncle's face after he hung up the phone.That was when he realised their uncle didn't really care about their fate. He even began to doubt their uncle's advice to stay quiet and follow their plan during tomorrow's hearing with the judge.Victor had caused enough trouble already; he couldn't add to the list of victims by killing someone tonight. That would be incredibly foolish.If Victor thought he could get away with it just because he believed their uncle would save him, then he had made a grave mistake. Vincent had to stop him before his brother acted
A convoy of police cars escorted Victor and Vincent Davis to the Blackstone Institute—the only prison in Eagertown, which is located on the city's outskirts.Victor covered his face with both hands while growling repeatedly. Beside him, Vincent leaned back in his seat, looking up.Their comfortable and carefree life from yesterday now felt like a mirage.The lifelong sentence haunted their minds since earlier. They felt like they wanted to die even before reaching the prison.The iron bars surrounding the police car seemed to depict their lives from now on.There is a clear boundary between them inside that moving metal box compared to the people out there."I swear, if you say 'I told you so,' I'll strangle you," muttered Victor in his frustration."Vent your frustrations elsewhere; I'm not interested," Vincent replied coldly to his brother.Victor's ears perked up at his brother's markedly different tone. He then realised what he was doing, using his brother as a punching bag for hi
As time passed, Glenn and Hazel enjoyed peaceful days while awaiting the birth of their baby. In the month of their baby’s due date, Glenn received the surprising news that Yvonne and Victor were getting married. “Glenn, hurry up!” Hazel hurriedly put on her earrings as they were almost late for Victor and Yvonne’s wedding ceremony. Glenn quickly grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and hugged Hazel from behind. Seeing Hazel with her big belly made him fall in love with her even more. “Not now,” Hazel grumbled, annoyed. The more Hazel was irritable, the more Glenn enjoyed teasing her. They stepped out of the house and got into the car. Glenn drove at a moderate speed, occasionally reaching for Hazel’s hand and kissing it gently. Hazel felt incredibly happy, showered with love from her husband. When they arrived at the church, the doors were almost closing as the ceremony was about to begin. Glenn and Hazel entered, accompanied by the quiet laughter of the attendees. They
“Mei!” Hazel immediately hugged her friend, whom she hadn't seen for months.Mr. Zhang’s daughter had decided to visit Hazel in Eagertown after the situation in Yuhan had stabilized. She brought a lot of gifts for Hazel, thinking Hazel would want to try some unique treats from Yuhan.“Sorry I came so late, I’ve been incredibly busy in Yuhan,” Mei said.“It’s okay. I know you had a lot to take care of.”They walked through the corridor and into the living room. Glenn, who had just come out of his office, joined them. They all sat comfortably on the sofa.“How does it feel to be expecting a baby?” Mei asked with a giggle.Hazel was due in four months. Time had flown by, and her belly was already showing significantly.“I feel ugly,” Hazel complained.“Ugly? You look so beautiful, Hazel. I’m even jealous of you,” Mei replied. “Being a mother is a privilege not every woman gets.”“I don’t know… I feel so emotionally unstable.” Hazel pouted.Glenn reached for Hazel’s shoulder and hugged he
The effects of the COVID-19 virus had completely vanished in Eagertown, and everyone had returned to their normal activities without worry. Glenn’s company had become more renowned, producing vaccines not only for COVID-19 but for other diseases as well. Glenn was very busy, but he always made time for Hazel.Glenn had just left the hospital after accompanying Hazel for a pregnancy checkup, when they happened to run into Beatrice. Apparently, Beatrice had just arrived there.“Mrs. Zimmerman, what are you doing here? Are you sick?” Hazel asked.“Oh, I’m not sick, Hazel. I have a meeting with some doctors here to discuss sending medical aid to remote areas in Latin America.” Beatrice chuckled softly.“You’re really busy,” commented Glenn. “Take care of your health, Mrs. Zimmerman.”Beatrice nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Glenn.”Then she continued, “Since I happened to run into you here, Glenn, there’s something I’d like to talk about. I need your help.”Glenn was momentarily tak
“Where’s Glenn?” Yvonne asked as she and Victor approached Hazel, who was already sitting and waiting at the café where they had arranged to meet.“He’s taking Sean and his grandmother to Ms. Eugene’s place.”Yvonne only nodded briefly, then took a seat. Victor immediately started flipping through the menu, feeling very hungry.“They’re going to stay there? It seems Eagertown isn’t suitable for Sean,” Victor commented.Hazel sighed softly. “It might be too noisy here.”“Some people just don’t feel comfortable living in the city, Hazel. It doesn’t mean they don’t like being with you.”“I know.” Hazel only nodded wearily.Hazel felt dizzy and her stomach was uneasy, but she forced herself to meet Yvonne and Victor because she wanted to discuss the charity. Yvonne was going to provide a report on the funds that had been allocated and where they had been sent, including to Ms. Eugene’s place.However, Hazel didn’t want to talk about that at all; she just wanted to lie down in bed.“Hazel?
The atmosphere there was busy, as everyone was hard at work building the town. Glenn got out of the car along with Sean and Grandma Mari. As Glenn expected, it seemed that Sean and the grandmother were immediately captivated. Both of them looked at Glenn.“This is a very nice place, Glenn,” praised Sean.From the crowd, Ms. Eugene emerged with a wide smile. She immediately greeted Glenn, Sean, and Grandma Mari.“This must be Sean and Grandma Mari,” nodded Ms. Eugene. “Mr. Glenn has called me, and I am really delighted if you want to stay here.”Grandma Mari agreed. “Of course. I feel at home already.”“You can look around if you like,” offered Ms. Eugene.Sean and the grandmother held hands, and they soon mingled with the people busy at work. Meanwhile, Glenn and Ms. Eugene watched over the bustling activity.“You’re very busy here?” asked Glenn.Ms. Eugene chuckled. “We got a lot of help from Mrs. Zimmerman’s charity and Miss Yvonne.”“Oh, really?”It turned out that the charity ment
A week after Mason's funeral, Beatrice visited Glenn's office. According to Mason's mandate, the company acquired by Glenn would still provide Beatrice with the remaining funds. It was no small amount since Glenn had bought Mason’s company at a fair price.Beatrice had signed the documents and handed them to Glenn. She looked very composed, though her heart had been broken twice after losing Mason forever.“It’s all done, Glenn. Thank you for your cooperation,” Beatrice said.“Once again, my deepest condolences, Mrs. Zimmerman.”A faint smile appeared on Beatrice’s lips. “What happened to Mason did break my heart. But in the end, he tried to be a good person, and I am still proud of him.”There was a light in Beatrice’s eyes, indicating she had come to terms with everything. Even when Mason returned, he was the Mason she had once known.“He will be remembered as a good man. I will make sure of that,” Glenn nodded.“Thank you, you are very kind.”“So, what are your plans moving forwa
Eleanor brought a cup of hot coffee, and though she had changed her clothes, her face still looked disheveled. She smiled sweetly as she placed the coffee on the table, then sat next to Mason. She tried to touch him, but Mason gently moved her hand to the sofa.“Once again, I’m sorry, Eleanor. But I can’t continue our relationship,” Mason said.“You’re going back to Beatrice, aren’t you?”“No. But we’ve made peace, and I know she doesn’t want me anymore.”“Then why? Why are you going back to her?” Eleanor asked, her eyes sad. “Stay here with me.”Mason gave a faint smile, his face looking sorrowful. He felt like the most despicable person in the world, having hurt both Beatrice and now Eleanor. They both deserved happiness, something Mason couldn’t offer.When Beatrice decided to keep their relationship as friends for now, Mason accepted it. He felt he had to be fair, which meant Eleanor also needed to find her own happiness.“You need to find your own happiness, Eleanor.” Mason kisse
Mason and Beatrice's arrival at Glenn's office caused quite a stir, as no one expected the former rival to show up there. Beatrice, looking calm, went to see Irina and Hazel, who happened to be in Glenn's office. Meanwhile, Mason headed straight for the elevator.Hazel, Irina, and Beatrice gathered in the meeting room. Irina and Hazel seemed eager to hear what had brought Beatrice and Mason together to Glenn’s office.“Did you make up?” Irina asked.Beatrice nodded. “As friends, I think. I can’t just accept Mason’s feelings, I don’t know… I don’t want to force myself.”“Yes, of course, Mrs. Zimmerman. Even though you're his wife, you have the right to find your own happiness. If it’s better to be friends, then that’s what you should do. But if your feelings say otherwise...” Hazel began, but Irina interrupted her.“No! Don’t go back to him. I can’t imagine it. Just stay friends, Beatrice,” Irina said firmly.Beatrice chuckled. “Yes, I’ll just follow wherever our story leads.”“He cam
The foggy memories slowly became clearer as Mason stepped onto the porch of the house he had long abandoned. Dark thoughts crept into his mind—if he knocked on the door, would he be welcomed? Or would everything be different?Mason took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell of the seemingly deserted house.Several minutes passed, and Mason continued to stand there, waiting. Finally, the front door opened, and Beatrice appeared. Despite looking older, her face was bright. She had found her own peace.However, the arrival of Mason seemed to shatter that peace instantly.“Mason?” Beatrice looked at him in disbelief.“I’d like to talk to you, Bea. May I? That is, if you’re willing.”Beatrice’s eyes remained fixed on Mason’s pitiful figure. Whatever had happened, something terrible must have hit Mason hard. Was this something Beatrice should celebrate?Regardless of Mason’s current troubles, maybe he had fought with Eleanor and decided to come back home.Beatrice’s ego raged inside her. A