로그인Over the past three years, Anna had never once asked where he was going.
Usually, Lucas volunteered the information himself.
This was the first time she had asked. For no clear reason, Lucas felt a flicker of panic.
Last night Curtis had a breakup fight with his girlfriend. We drank a lot together, and after we got drunk, I stayed over at his place. If you do not believe me, Curtis and the others can all vouch for me.
His sincere explanation only made Anna feel sick.
So the pure and innocent college boy she believed in was nothing more than part of a filthy group of friends.
As he spoke, he handed her his phone. I can call them right now.
No need. I did not sleep at all last night. I am exhausted. You should go.
Then do not be mad anymore.
Okay.
Oh right, I am having dinner with friends tonight. Do you want to come with me?
He knew Anna was always busy and rarely joined his gatherings. She usually turned him down.
Now, just the thought of his friends made her nauseous.
I am very tired. I am not going.
Then get some good rest. By the way, I have a gift for you in a few days.
…Okay.
Not long after, he left the house. Anna lifted the blanket and got out of bed.
This was her first time entering the guest bedroom.
Even though they had been together for three years, she always kept clear boundaries.
She had never checked his phone or gone through his belongings.
Perhaps he knew she respected boundaries. Some things were not even deliberately hidden.
Anna opened a drawer and found a property ownership certificate.
It was for the small house she rented. The owner name had already been changed to Lucas.
So this was the gift he had prepared for her.
Buying the house as compensation for sleeping with her?
Next to it was another phone.
What surprised her was that the lock screen wallpaper was a photo of her, and the password was even simpler. Her birthday.
You could not say this man did not love her. His private phone was filled with traces of her.
But you also could not say he loved her deeply.
When she opened the messages, aside from some New York rich kids, there were plenty of women.
I still think about that night on the yacht.
Lucas, when will you come see me again?
He had not replied to most of them. The most frequent messages came from a woman saved as Stell.
Anna tapped her profile picture. She looked somewhat similar to her.
Lucas, I miss you.
I am already in your city. After all this time, do you really not miss me at all?
Lucas, what your girlfriend cannot give you, I can.
Several photos followed, each more explicit than the last.
The final message was Lucas reply.
Ten tonight. Wait for me at the hotel.
Looking at the clear evidence of his cheating, Anna felt like she had fallen into an ice cellar.
The Lucas she thought was easy to control was actually indulgent and rotten in private.
At least she had not slept with him.
Wait.
Her back went cold as she thought of last night madness. Could that man also be…
Regret washed over her. She had been too impulsive. She needed to get checked.
Pulling herself together, Anna saved all the evidence.
No wonder Lucas went home every so often under the excuse of visiting family. Only now did she realize how colorful his life was once he returned.
Yachts, nightclubs, cars, private jets.
He was young and full of desire, but to be this depraved, while acting innocent in front of her, was disgusting.
That filthy bastard. Breaking up with him would be too merciful.
Anna decided to take her revenge properly.
He could have deceived anyone, but he chose the wrong woman.
She put the phone and the property certificate back and left.
Anna opened the contact labeled Grandpa. She deleted the message she had drafted about bringing her boyfriend home and typed instead.
The task is complete ahead of schedule. I will return next week.
She had originally planned to wait two more weeks, for him to finish graduation matters, and then return to New York together.
Now, there was no need.
Before leaving, she would prepare a grand gift for Lucas.
She called her assistant. Prepare a fake medical record for terminal stage cancer.
Anna, what are you planning to do?
Do not ask. Just do as I say.
Breaking up outright would only hurt him for a moment. She wanted him to suffer for a lifetime.
Since the day her mother died, she had learned that a woman tears were useless unless they became weapons.
Instead of drowning in heartbreak, she needed to find a better marriage candidate.
She quickly revived herself, cleaned up last night mess, tidied the room, and made herself a lavish dinner.
When night fell, her thoughts drifted back to last night encounter.
The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became of running into another man like Lucas.
She drove to the hospital.
At the same time, Lorenzo was having dinner with Lucas. They were discussing recent matters when the assistant hurried over and whispered something in his ear.
Lorenzo glanced at Lucas. I have something urgent to deal with.
Alright.
Lorenzo rushed to the hospital. Had he gone too far last night and hurt her?
When Anna arrived, only the on duty doctor was left. The female doctor spoke coolly.
Take off your pants. Lift one leg and lie down.
Suppressing her embarrassment, Anna complied. She had been untouched before. Even routine checkups had never been this detailed.
But she was afraid of infection and had no better option.
Seeing her stiff posture, the doctor pulled the curtain closed, put on gloves, and approached with a cotton swab.
Anna shut her eyes tightly, too nervous to look.
Before touching her, the doctor spoke.
Take it easy next time. There is tearing. I will apply some medicine. Be more careful in the future.
Anna face burned red. Thank you.
Before the doctor could continue, she received a call and hurried out.
Wait here. I need to check on a patient. I will be right back.
With that, she left Anna alone on the bed.
Not long after, Anna heard the door open.
She quickly closed her eyes.
Someone pulled the curtain aside. She spoke softly.
It hurts a lot right now. Please apply the medicine for me.
The cool ointment touched the wound, cold and sharp.
Anna shuddered, her brows knitting as a soft sound escaped her.
The movements immediately slowed. Holding back a sound, she asked.
Is the tearing serious? And is there anything abnormal? I am afraid of infection.
A familiar male voice suddenly sounded by her ear.
Do not worry. I am healthy. I do not have any diseases.
Anna eyes flew open.
The man holding the cotton swab, dressed in a suit, looked strangely familiar.
Her voice trembled.
It is you…
He looked down at her, a meaningful smile at the corner of his lips.
We meet again.
Anna acted as if she had not heard her, calmly taking out her clothes one by one and hanging them up.Lily grew more excited and kept talking.“All these years you did not come back. Did Dad ever ask about you even once? You have no place in his heart at all. Anna, your father, your room, your man. I took them all. If I were you, I would get out now and stop embarrassing yourself in the Whitmore family.”After hanging the last piece of clothing, Anna curved her lips into a faint smile.“Who is the embarrassing one here, Lily? Do you really think you are a true Whitmore family young lady?”Lily face changed.“What do you mean by that?”“Nothing much. I just want to remind you of one thing. No matter how people outside call your mother Mrs. Whitmore, it cannot change where she came from, and it certainly cannot change the fact that she knowingly became a mistress.”Anna walked toward Lily step by step. Years in the business world had given her a commanding presence.She was already tall
The man standing before her was tall and well built. She had verified it personally that night. Not only did he have an excellent physique, his stamina was nothing to scoff at either.With a face handsome enough to rival celebrities, he would draw attention even just as a boyfriend, let alone a husband.Unfortunately, he was not from the Caldwell family.Lucas uncle had to be at least forty, right?She had heard Lucas mention that uncle before. Eccentric temperament, disinterested in women, a lifelong bachelor, an old fashioned fossil.That was why Anna never connected this man with the Caldwell family uncle.“I am sorry. We are not suitable. What I said that night was just drunken nonsense. You would not take a drunk woman seriously, would you? Lastly, thank you for the painkillers.”Anna was beautiful. Since childhood, she had never lacked admirers.Rejecting men cleanly and efficiently was something she excelled at.She lifted her leg, about to leave, when someone suddenly grabbed
Lucas replayed the past few days in his mind. How she had hesitated to speak, how she cried in secret, how a woman who had always been independent and devoted to work suddenly treated him with such gentleness.So that was why she suddenly wanted to get married. She knew her time was running out and wanted to fulfill one last wish.What had he done?When she was vomiting blood, weak and in need of comfort, he had been with other women.Only then did Lucas think of the camera. He opened the footage and discovered that she had not gone to work for days.Anna had been clearing out her belongings, coughing up blood from time to time.Every time she bent over clutching her abdomen, swallowing painkillers in embarrassment, then curling up by the sofa wiping her tears alone.Her pain was physical. His was in his heart.He knew she had stomach problems, but he never imagined it was colon cancer.The New York golden boy who had always had everything within reach had never cried in his life. Tod
Over the next two days, Anna deliberately lingered near the teddy bear, casually dropping suggestive remarks from time to time. Sometimes she would suddenly cover her mouth and rush away, and when she returned, there would still be suspicious traces of blood at the corner of her lips.Every day, Anna received updates on Stell latest victories. No wonder she had not seen Lucas at all. He had been busy accompanying Stell.Escape rooms, skydiving, clubbing.Those were the games young people liked to play.She was only three years older than Lucas. She should have been a carefree young lady herself.But Anna was not like Lucas, the precious golden boy cherished by the Caldwell family.Her scumbag father, who favored his mistress and neglected his wife, stopped pretending the moment her mother died.He brought the mistress family home immediately. If it were not for her maternal grandfather influence, she would not have been sent abroad. She would have been kicked out of the Whitmore famil
“His uncle?” Anna tapped her fingers lightly against the leather wrapped steering wheel.“Yes. Lorenzo Caldwell is still unmarried. If you could marry him, you would have a real voice within the Caldwell family. Lucas is still young and has not taken control of the family yet. No one can say what the future holds.”The butler left the meaning unspoken. If the one who eventually took charge of the Caldwell family turned out to be Lorenzo, then even if Lily married Lucas, the family would never truly belong to that couple.If Lucas had not played his tricks, Anna would not have been this aggressive.But now, the corner of her lips curved upward. Even if Lorenzo were a reckless playboy, she would push him to the top.She had tried pursuing love. Since effort brought her nothing, she would grip power instead.In this world, only money never betrayed you.Only money and power earned respect.Lucas was still planning to keep her in Miami. What would his expression be if he saw her become hi
Anna jolted upright as if pulled back from the brink of death. The sudden movement tugged at her injury, making her hiss in pain.The indecent scenes from last night flooded her mind, and the vivid leading man stood right in front of her.He looked even more striking than he had through her drunken haze.If she did not know Lucas had no older brother, she would have almost assumed this tall, refined man was his brother.Why are you here? Anna was mortified.Once had been after drinking. This time, she was nearly half naked on an examination bed.She hurriedly pulled up her pants and stared at him with open wariness.Lorenzo stepped closer. Anna had just stood up when she dropped back down onto the bed.He leaned in, bracing his hands on either side of her, enclosing her completely within his space. At this distance, she could clearly smell the faint, cool scent of pine on him.His thin lips curved with amusement. If I did not come, I would not even know my girlfriend ran away.Anna ha







