MasukCharlotte stayed quiet. Ethan had, in fact, revealed the true reason behind Nancy's despair. Yet even so, Nancy remained the victim, and Charlotte couldn't bring herself to blame her."Does that mean that kind people—those who genuinely want to do good for others—are destined to be wrong in this world?" she murmured.Ethan was silent for a moment. "Not wrong. It's just… human nature, life itself.""That scumbag…" Charlotte began, voice tight with anger."I've already dealt with him," Ethan interrupted.Seeing that Charlotte believed him, he picked up his bowl of porridge and started eating. He bore some responsibility for Nancy's ordeal, and those disgusting people had always repulsed him. Legal action or social condemnation would have been too gentle for them. He wasn't someone who played by the rules. If restitution was to be had, it had to be thorough—painful, even.Ethan had moved swiftly. He orchestrated a chain of misfortunes for the scumbag's family. The old saying "a son
But Nancy's boyfriend was insatiable. The more he demanded, the higher her expenses grew. Nancy, once the dutiful girl supplementing her family's income, gradually sank into debt after debt, entangled in a financial quagmire.Her burden became unbearable. One day, when a collection notice reached her boyfriend, he—afraid of trouble—simply broke up with her.Still clinging to hope, Nancy humbly begged for reconciliation, only to witness the unforgiving truth: her boyfriend had long moved on with a younger girl from the same university.He gleamed from head to toe in luxury, everything bought with Nancy's sweat and money. Even the gifts for the new girl were lavish beyond measure—things Nancy had never received.She had poured her heart into him, yet the most "valuable" gift he ever gave her was a ninety-cent discounted cake on her birthday. At the time, she had been moved to tears.When reality hit, Nancy felt utterly pitiful and even more foolish. Her hatred for the scumbag could
"Why should I care? We're colleagues. From now on… well, live and let live," Charlotte said."What if I refuse to 'live and let live'?"Ethan's words caught Charlotte off guard for a moment, and she immediately let out a bitter laugh. "Do you even know who's running Morrison Group now? Clarice is not in charge anymore—try it and see what happens.""Huh… still hate me as much as ever, I see."Not replying was already an answer, yet he stubbornly refused to let go.Ethan let out a sigh. "Still… there are some things I have to make clear to you.""No need. Let's just eat." Charlotte cut him off."You asked me for evidence before, didn't you? It's in that drawer over there. Found it through Nancy at the university."He lifted his chin, gesturing for her to go look for it herself.Charlotte hesitated for a few seconds, unwilling, yet she eventually obeyed and opened the drawer. Inside were several letters, along with bank transfer records under Ethan's name and proof of sponsorship
"If not that, what else?" Ethan slumped onto the sofa, almost collapsing into the cushions. Only when he leaned back against the soft fabric did he seem to release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I can't cook. Even getting takeout means walking to the door. Too much hassle.""Then why not have someone help? Don't you have money to hire someone?""I prefer not to."He said it matter-of-factly, but Charlotte caught the faint, almost imperceptible trace of… pride in his tone."Have your wounds been redressed?" Charlotte set down the fruit and some nutritional supplements she'd brought and moved closer to him."They have." Ethan's eyes were closed, his reply lazy."Did you do it yourself?""Mm."Charlotte fell silent. So many wounds, and he'd tended to them alone… She could almost imagine the grueling effort it must have taken."What do you feel like eating?" she asked."Nothing in particular. But…" Ethan's eyes suddenly opened, a crooked smile tugging at the corn
Charlotte was taken aback. She immediately called Ethan and headed straight for the Morrison family villa.But the villa had already been sealed off.Clarice's case was still under investigation. Once all the charges and compensation were settled, the property would be put up for auction.The household staff had long since been dismissed. There was no way Ethan could return home.Looking at the once-grand estate, now fallen into desolation, Charlotte couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of sorrow.Just then, Ethan returned her call."What do you want?"His voice was hoarse and weak, his condition clearly not good.Charlotte paused, then asked immediately, "Where are you right now?""What, need another favor from me?" Ethan let out a self-mocking chuckle, followed by a light cough. "I don't exactly have the strength to help you at the moment.""Ethan, you're seriously injured. You shouldn't have left the hospital early. Give me your address. I'm coming to see you."Her voice
Nick smiled faintly. "Solara Energy wants to leverage its proprietary technology to pry open the market quickly. But some markets can't be forced open with money alone. What we need is a more solid anchor.""You want to be that anchor?""We," Nick corrected, taking her hand. "Hunt Group and Morrison Group—our partnership has already begun."Khloe felt her heartbeat quicken.This vision was far grander than simple business competition and far closer to the kind of future she had always wanted.So everything they had done at the bidding conference… Nick had already planned far beyond that moment."But it'll take time," he continued. "And we'll need more allies."Khloe thought of Ralph. For expanding Morrison Group internationally and integrating projects, he would undoubtedly be one of them."Exactly." Nick's lips curved slightly. "Lucas holds a lot of international connections. He could be a good entry point."Realization dawned on Khloe. "So you weren't just teasing him tonigh
Winnie hadn't expected it. She struggled instinctively for a moment, but her strength quickly ebbed away, and she collapsed against him like a loose rag.Michael's kisses grew deeper, more insistent, yet gentler, more tender with each passing second.She was already lightly dressed, and by now her
A sly smile curved Winnie's lips. "Yeah, the Olson family really hasn't treated me well. I've never even worn a custom-made gown for myself. This dress Michael gave me… it's really beautiful. Don't you think so?"Winnie's voice rang out clearly and steadily.Rarely so calm, she didn't rush to clas
Khloe's gaze fell on the inky night beyond the window. "I agreed.""Good." Nick didn't ask why. He simply said, "As long as it's something you truly want to do, I support you. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait."Khloe felt a rush of warmth in her chest, and tears welled up in her eyes. Yet he
But Charlotte's offhand remark became the final straw that broke the camel's back. Ethan felt as if a knife had been driven straight into his heart."Charlotte, my mom treats me well! I lost my parents when I was young. If she hadn't given me everything, I wouldn't be living the life I have now. Sh







