Chapter: Chapter 127The logic was sound, the kind of reasoning that made it clear this was about competence as much as disrespect. People who could be fooled so easily, who made no effort to verify information before acting on it, who followed authority without questioning obviously suspicious circumstances, were liabilities in any organization."You are all fired," Julian finished, the declaration delivered with finality that made several people gasp.Referring to Clara and the other employees apart from Victor, his hand swept to encompass everyone who had actively participated in the harassment. His face showed no regret, no hesitation about ending multiple careers with a simple statement. They had made their choices, and now they would face the consequences."Please, Sir," Clara said, falling to her knees immediately. "I'm so sorry."Joined by the other employees who had insulted Emilia, they formed a line of begging figures that would have been pathetic if their earlier cruelty had not been so eviden
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 126"Who dares to insult my wife?" Alexander walked in closely behind them.His voice cut through the lobby like a blade, sharp and dangerous, carrying the kind of authority that made everyone freeze in place. At the same time, guards filed into the lobby and surrounded them, moving with military precision to secure every exit. The security personnel were clearly Alexander's people, wearing different uniforms from the institute's guards, faces set in grim lines that suggested they were prepared for violence if necessary.Alexander's presence transformed the atmosphere completely. Where Mason and Julian radiated protective fury, Alexander carried something colder, more controlled, but no less dangerous. His eyes had gone yellow, wolf visible just beneath the surface despite his perfectly tailored suit. His hands were clenched at his sides, jaw tight enough that the muscle jumped visibly beneath his skin."My Princes, Alpha Reed," Victor said, his voice carrying the kind of deference reserv
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 125Emilia and the other employees burst out in laughter at the unceremonious way Jessy hit the ground. The sound filled the lobby, genuine amusement mixed with the relief of tension finally breaking. Emilia's hand came up to cover her mouth, but her shoulders shook with mirth that could not be contained. The employees joined in, their earlier fear transforming into nervous laughter that suggested they were trying to distance themselves from their mistakes. Some pointed at Jessy sprawled on the floor, others exchanged glances that communicated shared embarrassment at having been fooled. The sound echoed off the marble floors and high ceilings, amplifying until it felt like the entire building was laughing.Peter had a hand pressed to his chest, trying to regain his composure but failing as fresh waves of laughter overtook him. Even Victor's stern expression had cracked slightly, one corner of his mouth twitching upward despite his obvious attempt to maintain professional dignity."Emilia
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 124"Victor, perfect timing," Clara exclaimed, quickly moving away from Emilia to where Victor now stood, her steps were unsteady, heels clicking erratically against the polished floor. Shock and fear still written on her face, her eyes remained wide and her breathing came in short gasps. She had no idea what had just happened, could not comprehend how Emilia had forced her to strike herself three times without touching her.As she reached Victor's side, her hand came up to cradle her now red cheek. The skin was inflamed, three distinct handprints visible where her palm had connected with force. Her fingers touched the tender flesh gingerly, wincing at even that gentle contact. Blood had dried at the corner of her mouth where her ring had cut into her lip during the final slap."These people walked in here disrespecting the CEO's sister," she whined, her voice taking on a plaintive quality designed to evoke sympathy.Pointing back toward Peter and Emilia, her other hand gestured wildly t
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 123"Do not touch either of us," Emilia warned. Her voice cut through the lobby with unmistakable authority, the tone shifting from patient to commanding in an instant. She had had enough of the rubbish all these ignorant persons had tried to pull, enough of being dismissed and insulted and physically manhandled. Her eyes had gone hard, jaw set in a line that suggested she was done being accommodating.But if it came down to any of them trying to physically harm either her or Peter, she was not going to sit back. The threat was implicit in her posture, in the way her body had shifted to a more defensive stance. Her feet planted wider, weight distributed evenly, preparing to move if necessary. "Yes, do not dare touch her," Peter said, moving to stand more directly in front of Emilia despite her being the one with supernatural abilities.His protective instinct overrode logic, driven by Alexander's orders to keep her safe at all costs. His own body had tensed, chest puffed out in an attem
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 122"Don't worry, Princess," Peter whispered, his voice barely audible even to Emilia's enhanced hearing. "I won't let anyone hurt you."Alexander had been explicit in his instructions when sending Peter to work here. 'Protect Emilia at all costs, but respect her desire for anonymity. Do not reveal who she was unless her life was in immediate danger.' Peter took those orders seriously, understanding that his boss's marriage depended on showing Emilia the respect of honoring her wishes even when it went against every protective instinct.The corner of Emilia's mouth twitched, suppressing the urge to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here stood Peter, a regular wold with little supernatural abilities, positioning himself between her and potential threats. His body was tense with determination, shoulders squared despite the security guards who outweighed him significantly. His hands had curled into fists at his sides, ready to fight if necessary.The thought brought warmth to her ches
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 55Clara's pov Morning light filtered through the curtains with an insistence that couldn't be ignored, pulling me from sleep that had been more like unconsciousness than actual rest, the kind of deep blackness that comes after emotional exhaustion and too much alcohol.I woke with a head that was surprisingly clear despite the amount of drinks I'd consumed the night before, my body apparently having processed the alcohol efficiently enough that I wasn't experiencing the pounding headache and nausea that should have accompanied that level of consumption.The clarity felt almost unnatural, like my system had decided that today required full mental capacity and had prioritized sobriety over the usual consequences of overindulgence, and I was grateful for it even as I lay there staring at the ceiling and trying to gather the motivation to face another day.This was day four already of Randy's absence, the number registering in my consciousness with a weight that accumulated with each passi
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-19
Chapter: Chapter 54Clara's pov The bank statement in my hand felt like it weighed more than paper should weigh, the numbers printed on it somehow carrying a physical heft that pressed down on my fingers, but looking at those numbers didn't change what I knew to be true about the man I'd been married to for five years."Randy would never do such a thing," I said, my voice coming out stronger than it had been all evening, cutting through the fog of alcohol and emotion with a clarity that surprised even me, because even drunk and devastated I knew with absolute certainty that Randy stealing money made no sense with who he actually was.The conviction in my words came from somewhere deep and instinctive, built on five years of observation even if I'd spent most of those years not paying proper attention, because some things you absorb through proximity even when you're not actively watching."For all our years of marriage he never asked for anything," I continued, reasoning through my tears even as they co
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-19
Chapter: Chapter 53Kyle's povThe sting on my cheek where Clara's hand had connected was sharp and unexpected, radiating outward from the point of impact with a heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room, I kept my hand pressed there while my mind raced to calculate how badly this situation was deteriorating and what I needed to do to salvage it.Fuck, how the heck did she find out about that, the thought went off in my head like an alarm bell, immediate and urgent, because the medication thing was supposed to be a secret that stayed buried, Randy was too much of a doormat to ever expose it and Clara was too wrapped up in me to ever question the story I'd given her.But somehow she'd learned the truth, and now she was looking at me with an expression that mixed hurt with anger with something that looked uncomfortably like clarity, like she was seeing me properly for the first time and didn't particularly like what she was seeing.I made sure to keep my face as neutral as possible despi
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-18
Chapter: Chapter 52Clara's pov The room seemed to tilt slightly around me, the alcohol making everything softer at the edges and slower to process than usual, but Selene's words cut through the fog with enough sharpness to register clearly despite my impaired state."Stop doing this to yourself, Clara," Selene said, her voice carrying that particular mix of exasperation and concern that suggested she was trying very hard to be patient with behavior she found frustrating, and she reached forward to drag the wine glass from my hand with more force than was strictly necessary.The glass left my fingers before I could decide whether to resist or let her have it, my reflexes too slowed by the alcohol to mount any effective defense, and I watched it go with a vague sense of loss that was probably disproportionate to losing access to more whiskey."Randy is a total scumbag who was only with you for your money," Selene continued, apparently deciding that the best way to help me was to disparage the man I'd spe
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-18
Chapter: Chapter 51Clara's povProfessor Daniel hadn't given me an answer to my question about Randy's forgiveness, had just looked at me with that carefully neutral expression and suggested gently that perhaps I should speak to a legal professional about the implications of the divorce papers before doing anything else, and I'd left his office feeling more unmoored than when I'd arrived.The drive home passed in a blur, the city streets moving past my windows like scenery in a film I wasn't fully watching, my hands performing the mechanical actions of driving while my mind was somewhere else entirely, somewhere dark and retrospective and uncomfortably honest.Throughout the drive home, guilt wrapped around me like a heavy cloth, pressing against my skin and making every breath feel slightly labored, and memories of how badly I'd treated Randy flipped through my mind with the relentless persistence of a slideshow that couldn't be paused or stopped.I saw myself signing the divorce papers without reading
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-17
Chapter: Chapter 50Clara's pov The name on the document seemed to pulse on the page, letters that were clear and unambiguous and completely inconsistent with everything I'd believed for years, and I stood there in Professor Daniel's office holding the papers with hands that had gone slightly numb from shock.Randy White.His name was right there at the top of the official NRMC submission, printed clearly beneath the title of the research project with all the official designations and institutional affiliations that marked it as legitimate documentation rather than something that could be questioned or disputed."No, this cannot be," I said, the words escaping on a breath that felt like it had been knocked out of me by something invisible and heavy, my eyes moving across the document and then back to the name again as if looking at it repeatedly might somehow change what it said.The disbelief wasn't just about the information itself, though that was staggering enough, it was about the implications that
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-02-17
Chapter: Chapter 138: New BeginningsDeborah's POV ***Two years later***I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting my graduation cap for what felt like the hundredth time. The tassel kept falling in my face no matter how many bobby pins I used to secure it."Stop fussing," Charlotte said from where she sat on my bed, already dressed in her own cap and gown from our graduation from college two years ago. "You look perfect.""I look like I'm wearing a very flat hat," I muttered, but I stopped touching it anyway.Today was the day. Graduation day. Not just any graduation either, but grad school graduation with honours. The gold cord around my neck marked me as someone who had achieved academic excellence.My phone buzzed with a text from Liam saying he was already at the venue with my mim rqcand the rest of our group."Ready?" Charlotte asked, standing and smoothing down her dress. She had taken the day off work to be here."As ready as I'll ever be," I said, grabbing my purse.The drive to the university auditorium
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-02
Chapter: Chapter 137: Moving ForwardDeborah's POV The sunlight streaming through my dorm room window felt warmer than it had in weeks, or maybe I was just finally able to appreciate it again. I stretched in my bed, feeling the pleasant ache of muscles that had been worked hard during my morning self-defense session with Liam.Over the next few weeks, things slowly started to feel normal again, or at least a new version of normal that I could live with. We resumed our last semester in college. I laughed more. That was the biggest change I noticed. Real laughter that came from deep in my belly and made my cheeks hurt. Not the polite, careful laughter I had been forcing in those first days after the hospital, but genuine joy at silly things like Charlotte tripping over her own feet or Liam making terrible puns that were so bad they circled back to being funny."You're smiling," Charlotte observed from where she sat cross-legged on her bed, textbooks spread around her in organized chaos."Am I?" I touched my face and real
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-02
Chapter: Chapter 136: Finding HimDeborah's POV My hands shook as I unfolded the letter, the paper crinkling softly in the quiet hospital room. Charlotte had moved closer, her presence a silent support, while my mother hovered on the other side of the bed looking worried.I read the first line, and my heart dropped.As I read the contents of the letter, tears dropped freely down my face, blurring the words until I had to blink several times to clear my vision enough to continue reading.The letter wasn't long. Maybe that made it worse somehow. All it said was how he loved me too much to keep putting me in harm's way and how it was best we separated because I was no longer safe with him.Each word felt like a knife cutting into my chest. I could picture him writing this, probably with tears in his own eyes, convincing himself he was doing the right thing. The noble thing. Protecting me by leaving me.But he was wrong. He was so completely, utterly wrong."That idiot," I whispered, then said it louder. "That complete i
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-01
Chapter: Chapter 135: The Weight of GuiltThe hospital hallway smelled like antiseptic and floor polish, sharp and chemical in a way that made Liam's eyes water if he breathed too deeply. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting everything in a harsh white glow that made everyone look slightly ill.While the police came to take statements and photograph evidence, Deborah and all those who had been injured were rushed to the hospital in a convoy of ambulances, their sirens wailing through the night like a chorus of grief.Liam had ridden in the ambulance with Deborah, holding her cold hand while the paramedics worked around him. Her face had been so pale, almost grey in the harsh ambulance lighting. Her breathing had been shallow and rapid, her pulse thready under his fingertips."Is she going to be okay?" he had asked the paramedic, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes."We're doing everything we can," she had replied, which wasn't really an answer at all.Now, hours later, Liam sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the I
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-01
Chapter: Chapter 134: When Violence Comes HomeDeborah smiled as she watched Emma play around the garden.The little girl was chasing butterflies through the rose bushes, her laughter carrying across the manicured lawn like music. Emma's dark hair bounced with each leap, and her small hands reached out, trying to catch the delicate insects that always managed to flutter just out of reach.It had easily been a couple of days since Liam brought her back to his family's home. Four days, to be exact. Four days of slowly piecing herself back together in this place that felt more like a fortress than a house, with its high walls and security cameras and armed guards stationed at every entrance.And though she still had a few nightmares about Noah and Alice and even sometimes Caleb, she knew she was getting better. The nightmares came less frequently now. Some nights, she even slept through until morning without waking up screaming.It was all thanks to Liam and Charlotte.She saw their effort in every small gesture. The way Liam never l
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-01
Chapter: Chapter 133: Aftermath Or NotLiam's POV Please be fine. Please be safe.The words circled around my mind like a prayer. I couldn't stop repeating, over and over until they lost all meaning and became just sounds, just desperate noise filling the silence of my own fear.My hands gripped the dashboard of the lead security vehicle so hard my knuckles had gone white. Every second felt like an hour. Every mile stretched out endlessly in front of us.We were tracking the location of the last call Alice had made. One of my father's tech people had traced it within minutes, pulling strings and accessing systems that probably weren't entirely legal, but I didn't care about that right now. All I cared about was finding Deborah.Alice had ordered takeout and had it delivered to an abandoned warehouse at the outskirts of town, which was a bit far from the college. Too far. The distance made my chest tight with anxiety. What if we were too late? What if something had already happened?While I prayed for Deborah's safety, ano
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-31
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