In the spacious CEOโs office, Dolly was still fuming with anger. I tried several times to get her to sit down and have some water, but she couldnโt calm down. She snapped at Miles, โWhat position does that woman, Rachel Cross, even hold in the company? Fire her immediately. Right now!โ Panicked, I quickly covered her mouth. โStop it, Dolly. Miles wouldnโt do that. Letโs not cause more trouble.โ Dolly shoved my hand away, her eyes red with frustration as she shouted, โShut up! What do you even know? Iโm protecting you, Eve! Just listen to me! "If your precious Miles can't protect you, then he's no better than Julian Moore. You'd be better off joining a convent and spending your life in solitude than ending up with a man like that."I was stunned. I had never seen Dolly like this before. In the eighteen years I had known her, she had always been hot-tempered and straightforward, never hesitating to fight or curse in front of me, but that was always directed at outsiders. S
As we waited, Miles sat beside us in silence, quietly handing us tissues. I didnโt know how to describe it.By the time Dolly and I had cried ourselves out, the floor in front of us was littered with crumpled tissues. Meanwhile, Miles, completely unbothered, was calmly opening a second packโrose-scented, no less. I mumbled, โThanksโฆโ Dolly was speechless.Miles looked at my swollen, tear-streaked face and sighed. โEve, rest here for a bit. I need to talk to Dolly alone in the next room, alright?โ I hesitated and glanced at Dolly. She hesitated even longer but still refused to nod. Milesโ tone grew firmer. โMiss Jones, if you donโt want to talk, I can have someone investigate instead. You should know that I can find out everything.โ Dolly wavered. Miles pressed on. โRather than letting me uncover something that may not even be the full truth, wouldnโt it be better if you told me yourself?โI know how much you care about Eve. That means your version of the story is the m
Before Rachel even sat down, she blurted out impatiently, โMr. Wynn, this entire mess is because of thatโฆ that lunatic attacking me! I demand an apology and compensation!โ Dolly shot up from her seat. โYou filthy liar! Say one more word of nonsense, and Iโll slap you to death!โ Rachel shrank back slightly, clearly aware of just how dangerous Dolly could get when she lost her temper. I quickly pulled Dolly back down into her seat. Her biggest flaw was her impulsiveness. Every time she had the moral high ground, she would end up losing it just because she was too aggressive, making people think she was the one in the wrong. Miles sat behind his desk, fingers interlocked, his expression cold and unreadable. His voice was equally frigid. โMs. Cross, apologize.โ Rachel froze. โMr. Wynn, Iโฆโ His gaze sharpened. โThe break room has surveillance cameras. You know exactly what you said to Miss White.โ Rachel was rendered speechless. Under the weight of his authority, she re
To be honest, if I werenโt so desperate to know the truth, I would have already left with Dolly.The round-faced girl smiled at me. โI get it. Oh, by the way, Miss White, my name is Sophie Lane. I work in HR, mostly running errands. You can just call me Sophie.โAs she spoke, she pulled out a large pouch. โIโve got all kinds of things in here. Letโs see what you need.โLike a magician, she started pulling out foundation, lipstick, powder puffsโeven a small bottle of peppermint oil for headaches.From our conversation, I learned that the commotion Rachel caused earlier had spread across the entire company in less than ten minutes.Sophie giggled. โMiss White, everyoneโs saying she got what she deserved. Some of my coworkers are even planning to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate.โI asked, โWas she really that bad?โSophie lowered her voice. โNot outright evil, but she always used her looks to bully the newbies. โFemale employees had to endure her stealing credit for their work, an
I scrolled through the comments, one after another, each one more vile and repulsive than the last."I thought Moore Group and White Corporation were merging through marriage but turns out he married a woman like this. She looks just like one of those prostitutes.""Damn, bro, sheโs got a great body. Pale skin, legs for days!""Tsk, I gotta admit, Iโm jealous of Mr. Moore. Bet sheโs wild in bed.""Wasnโt she supposed to be some rich heiress? Why does she have zero self-respect? Sheโs a disgrace to women.""So what if sheโs rich and pretty? Her private life is a complete mess. A friend of mine said the White familyโs princess is very openโshe goes to bars every night and picks up a bunch of guys to play with...""Dude, stop making up imaginary friends."Dizziness and sharp pain crashed over me, making it impossible to breathe.I dropped my phone, gasping for air.Now I finally understood what Rachel had been mocking me about.Three years ago, Julian took me to a business banquet. And a
Julian had no choice but to continue. โWe first met at the freshman welcome event. You asked for my number, then added me on WhatsApp. You asked me out a few timesโฆโ I interrupted him. โWere you dating Chloe at the time?โ His expression tensed. โEve, what are you trying to find out?โ I spoke evenly. โI just want to clear my thoughts. Chloe said I was the one who ruined your relationship. I want to know the truth.โ Julian looked doubtful, but after a moment, he patiently replied, โBack then, she and I were constantly fighting, almost every two weeks.โ I remained emotionless. โI see. And did I know you had a girlfriend at the time?โ He hesitated, confused by my detached tone. โEve, youโฆ Forget it. No, you didnโt know. But I never actually went on a date with you either.โ I nodded. โThank you.โ He frowned. โThank me for what?โ I replied, โFor at least knowing to keep your distance back then.โ Then I asked, โAnd after that? Did you break up?โ Julian exhaled. โAfter s
I sank into the dark depths of the sea.Miraculously, I didnโt feel cold.Instead, I felt warm like being cradled in my motherโs arms.The comfort was overwhelming, lulling me into a deep, dreamlike state. I didnโt want to open my eyes. I just wanted to sleep, right here, safe in this embrace.โฆ"Blood pressure is crashing! We canโt get a reading! Start a transfusionโ400 milliliters!""Defibrillator! Hurry! Clear!""Move! Prep for emergency surgery!""Eve, I was wrong! Eve, donโt do thisโฆ donโt scare me like this!""Eve! Wake up, please! Eveโฆ""Donโt hold me back! Eveโฆ!"So noisy.I just wanted to sleep.I tried to speak, but suddenly, a thick, metallic taste filled my mouth, and I coughed up a rush of blood."Sheโs vomiting bloodโ!"Vomiting blood?I wasnโt dead yet?I struggled to open my eyes.And somehow, I did.Blinding white fluorescent lights glared down at me. The air buzzed with frantic voices, overlapping in chaos."Eve, hold on."A voice cut through the noise, searing int
A kiss as light as a butterflyโs wing landed on my cheek.A kiss?That was supposed to be a kiss?Was he trying to fool a child?Annoyance bubbled up inside me.I fumed about it, fumed some more, and then just like that my eyes suddenly flew open.The man in front of me froze, completely stunned.Then, his expression shiftedโhis smile growing wider and brighter by the second.I pouted, still unhappy. โLiarโฆโHis laughter was soft, his eyes shining with a light I had never seen before.And then, just as I was about to complain further, he suddenly leaned down and captured my lips in a deep, lingering kiss.Now thatโthat was a real kiss.โฆI woke up one month after falling into a coma.And the first thing I saw was Miles.And thenโฆ he kissed me awake.It was a beautiful way to return to the world.I felt good. Reborn, almost.Dolly arrived within minutes, practically tripping over herself as she burst into the hospital room, wailing as she threw herself onto me.With my throat still raw
I let out a breath of relief. "Good. I guess Iโll stop taking baths from now on. Who knew something so relaxing could nearly kill me?"I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but neither Miles nor Joseph smiled.Forcing a small grin, I added, "Justโฆ donโt tell my brother, okay?"Miles gave a warm smile. "I wonโt."Joseph glanced at him, then said, "Iโve checked everythingโsheโs fine. Just be careful not to catch a cold."Miles walked him out.When he returned to the room, I was already sitting up against the headboard, my expression uneasy.The mattress dipped slightly beside me as Miles sat down. He looked at me gently. "Eve, whatโs wrong?"My voice was low. "Miles... I had a dream about Julian."Miles let out a quiet breath. "Thatโs normal. I was worried it might be something worse."I shook my head, a flicker of panic rising in my eyes. "But Iโve never dreamed about him since the memory loss. And this timeโฆ I saw the first time I met him."My hands trembled slightly. "I shouldnโt r
Warm water swirled gently around me, and the weight of exhaustion began to pull me under.Sleep crept in, soft and heavy....โEve, come on! I heard the campus heartthrobโs here today!โI looked up, my vision blurry.Where was I?Dollyโs face appeared in front of me, lit with excitement. โHurry! If weโre late, we wonโt get a good view. The clubโs short on people, so they brought in the heartthrob to help out. Come on, everyoneโs rushing over.โI reached out and grabbed her arm. โNo, Iโm not going.โShe gave me a puzzled look. โWhy not? Thatโs Julian Moore! Heโs literally the most popular guy on campus. Heโs good looking and comes from a wealthy family.โSomething caught in my throat. I wanted to speak but couldnโt get the words out.Dolly, getting impatient, tugged at my hand and started dragging me forward.There were people everywhere, too many to count.Eventually, we arrived at the small rehearsal theater.I looked around in confusion. There were crowds all around, but no one I re
But what did she say?Julianโs grip tightened around the charm, his fingers curling into it as pain filled his eyes...."Julian, I know thereโs nothing I can do for youโฆ Just keep this charm. They say the priest there is the real deal. Youโre not supposed to throw it away once itโs been blessed.""Julian, I donโt care if you ever become rich or powerful. I just want you to be safe."That foolish woman had clutched the charm in her hands, smiling at him with such innocence and blind faith....The knot dug into his palm, sharp enough to hurt. Julian opened his hand, then closed it tightly around it again.Chloe, who had been rambling on, finally noticed something was off.She caught sight of the charm in his hand and scoffed. "What is that? It looks so tacky."She reached over, trying to take a closer look.Julian quickly slipped it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.Chloeโs eyes narrowed. "Did she give you that?"He started the car, his voice flat. "No. I got it myself. Some p
Julian looked at me, confused.I took a deep breath. "Julian, stop. I know why you're apologizing. You're doing this for Chloeโs child, right? You just donโt want things to get ugly."He lowered his head, then gave a small nod. "Yes, thatโs part of it... but I reallyโฆ"I cut him off quickly. "Donโt. Goodbye, Mr. Moore."Without looking back, I turned and got into the car.Miles noticed something was off the moment he saw my face. "What did he say?"I steadied myself. "He wants to settle everything privately. He doesnโt want it to go to court."Miles glanced toward Julianโs lonely figure in the distance, his eyes flickering."You okay?" he asked.I shook my head. "Iโm fine."He paused, then handed me a tissue. "If it hurts, just cry."I looked at him, my eyes dry. "I canโt cry. But why do I still feel so awful?"His gaze softened. "Julian's pulling all this to protect his pride because of Chloeโs child, isnโt he?"I drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah. He apologized, but in the end, itโs still
Julian's expression darkened as he stared at me. "Evelyn, I thought you said you loved me? And yet here you are with Miles alreadyโwhat, were you two sneaking around while we were together?"Without thinking, I slapped him.He grabbed my wrist, sneering coldly. "Did I strike a nerve?"I laughed in anger. "I shouldnโt have let Miles in the car earlier. If I hadnโt, the one slapping you right now wouldโve been him."Julian let go of my hand and said coolly, "Enough nonsense. Evelyn, dragging this to court would just be a spectacle. After five years of marriage, I donโt want things to end like this."Was he trying to reconcile?I forced down my fury and asked, "What do you have in mind?"Julian hesitated, his gaze complicated. "Iโll return everything that belongs to you... just give me some time."I was stunned.I hadnโt expected Julian, who always seemed so tough, to willingly give up fighting and hand over what I deserved.I went quiet. "Alright. How much time do you need?"Julian tugged
Julian blurted out, โWhat?!โThen, snapping out of his shock, his face twisted with fury. โMiles Wynn, what the hell do you mean by that?!โMiles smiled, calm and unbothered. โNothing more than the truth.โJulianโs voice rose, livid. โTruth? This is nothing but one of your dirty tricks!โMiles raised a brow, pretending to be confused. โDirty? Hmm. Iโd actually call it a fresh idea.โJulianโs already dark expression grew stormier.Chloe stood beside him, jaw clenched, eyes locked on us with thinly veiled rage. Suddenly, she cut in sharply, โBut wasnโt it Miss White who transferred the 1.2 million to Elmwood?โDolly stepped forward without missing a beat. โThat money was loaned to Eve by me. Got a problem with that?โThat shut them both up.I felt a wave of satisfaction rise in my chest. But I also knew Julian wasnโt going to let this slide so easily.Sure enough, he turned to me, eyes cold. โEve, this is going to court anyway. You can spin the story however you want. Weโll see what the
The moment I saw that elegant, refined face, so striking it felt almost divine, every bit of the frustration Iโd buried surged to the surface.Without a second thought, I rushed into his arms. โMiles!โWarmth enveloped me, and the familiar clean scent of pine wrapped around my senses. My eyes stung instantly.Miles lowered his head, chuckling softly. โWhatโs wrong? You look like a little bunny with those red eyes.โFeeling embarrassed, I gave his chest a light smack. โWhy are you here?โHe studied my face carefully, then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. โI heard someone was picking on my darling, so I came running.โThat warmth spread through my chest, overflowing, making it hard to hold back tears.He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. โDonโt cry, silly girl.โThen he straightened and looked around the room.His gaze passed over Sarah and Dolly, finally landing on Julian.Julian instinctively straightened his back.He stepped forward, voice laced with sarcasm. โWhat brin
I turned to Sarah with an apologetic expression. โIโm sorry, Miss Care. It seems Iโm not in a position to work with your company until I sort out my personal matters.โSarah shook her head regretfully. โPlease donโt apologize. Our company is moving forward with expansion this year. Weโve already allocated the available investment slots. If you decide not to investโฆ weโll have to open the opportunity to others.โShe gave me a sympathetic look. โIโm sorry, Miss White. But once this window closes, there will be no further opportunity.โI offered a bitter smile and nodded. โI understand.โDolly was so angry, she could barely hold back a choked sob. โThat shameless bastardโฆ absolutely shameless!โI squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was time to go.Julian stepped in front of us, blocking the way. His expression was conflicted, and when he spoke, his voice was softer than Iโd ever heard it.โEve, maybe we can talk this through.โโJulian, youโฆ youโre still not done?โ Chloeโs voice r
The moment I heard those words, a rush of blood surged to my head.My ears rang, and that all-too-familiar wave of dizziness came crashing back.I barely registered Dolly's voice rising in fury. โJulian Moore, do you have no shame? You really dare say that was marital property?! Eve paid for it herself! Youโฆ you're absolutely disgusting!โI could barely stay on my feet, the world tilting around me.โDollyโฆ Iโฆโ I whispered weakly.She quickly caught me and helped me sit down.I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then looked up at Julian. And for a split second, though maybe it was the dizziness playing tricks on me, I thought I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes.Sarah noticed something was off and immediately stepped in. โMiss White, donโt worry. We can take this slowly.โI fought to calm my pounding heart and spoke, voice steady but cold. โWhat exactly is it that you want, Mr. Moore?โJulian hesitated for a moment, but soon the polished businessman returned to his