로그인Elliott gazed deeply at Seraphine. She had said something no one else ever had.Everyone who knew him saw him as a merciless man who would stop at nothing to claim the title of heir. The entire Johansen family feared him, viewing him as nothing more than a threat.However, in a world ruled by deceit and power, mercy was a death sentence. Without cunning or strategy, one was doomed to die without even a trace.Now, his very name was enough to strike fear throughout Dirkane.Only Seraphine could feel his warmth. And yet, only Seraphine could sense the warmth beneath his cold exterior. Those hands the world saw as instruments of power and control were, to her, simply a source of comfort and safety.For a moment, it felt like something inside Elliott melted. The cold layers he had built around his heart were thawed by her gentle words, leaving a strange, tingling warmth.He couldn't help but smile. "You're the first person ever who told me that. No one has ever associated me with the
Seraphine glanced sideways at Elliott's striking profile before finally speaking the truth, "I suspect Clarissa. Before the accident, Chelsea called me, saying she'd discovered Clarissa's secret. She was hit before she could tell me what it was."She kept her words brief, but she knew the situation was anything but simple.Clarissa wasn't acting alone, and someone powerful was helping her. She couldn't take anyone down on her own, but there was one person she could use—Mitchell.Even if she uncovered the truth, Clarissa might still slip away unscathed. Therefore, Seraphine had set a trap, waiting for just the right moment for her to fall into it.Seraphine pursed her lips, a bitter thought flashing through her mind.The reason Clarissa wanted her dead was simple—fear. She feared Seraphine's revenge, but more than anything, she feared that Clifford would go back to her.In the meantime, Elliott had sent people to investigate. If everything had been arranged in advance, there would
Elliott's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. "I'm coming with you, Sera. My night is freed up anyway."Seeing the determination in his eyes, Seraphine looked at him and didn't know what to say. This was her problem, and she couldn't drag him into any potential danger.She shook her head. "You've already helped me more than enough, Eli. From here on, I want to handle things on my own. This is a conspiracy, and I can't let you get caught up in it."They were, after all, little more than acquaintances. He had done more for her than she could've asked."Seraphine," Elliott said her name, his gaze locking deeply onto hers. "I told you that so long as I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you. Tell me where you're going, and I'll go with you."His gaze was extremely magnetic at that moment, commanding and domineering. He took her hand and led her toward the car parked by the curb.Seraphine glanced at Elliott's tall, commanding figure. He was broad-shouldered and straight-backed,
Seraphine was bummed out. She stood up, pacing back and forth in the office, her gaze in deep thought. Suddenly, a question struck her—where was Chelsea's phone?She sank back into her office chair and grabbed a data cable to connect it to her phone. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as her eyes stayed fixed on the screen. Lines of code flashed past rapidly until she broke into a restricted system.A few minutes later, her phone was fully restored to its original settings. Even the deleted records reappeared. There it was—a message in her chat with Chelsea."Come to the intersection on Hope Avenue. I have something very important to tell you. You must come."Seraphine froze, a chill flashing through her sharp gaze. So, a message had been sent from her phone, yet she hadn't been the one who did it. Who had touched her device?She retraced the entire day in her mind. The message had been sent while she was at the grocery store. Her hand, gripping the mouse, began to tremble. A co
Clifford sat on the floor in anguish, staring at the doctors working to resuscitate Elaine.Stephen's phone call echoed in his mind, and for the first time, he truly understood what it meant to belong to a heartless, wealthy family.Behind all the status and glory was nothing but cold, ruthless cruelty. When faced with profit and power, what did family even matter? Even death was a privilege Chelsea was denied.Clifford sat there in a daze, as if the whole world had vanished and only he remained. He was trapped in a dimension of his own, shrouded in grief.Clarissa looked at his slumped, broken figure, frustration flashing across her face. She didn't interrupt his sorrow, instead staying by his side in silence.The Clifford before her was no longer the naive, foolish young man he once was. After years of surviving the power struggles of the wealthy elite, he had become frightening, even to himself.Back then, he used to work part-time jobs, saving up half a year's wages just to b
Clifford was stuck to his seat, motionless as he allowed Elaine to lash out at him. A single bead of tear slowly rolled down his cheek.Clarissa, on the other hand, was secretly thrilled. One could catch the hint of delight in her eyes if one paid attention. Thank goodness Chelsea was dead. Now, Seraphine would become the scapegoat for her crime!She squatted and held Elaine's shoulders, softly comforting her, "Don't do this to Cliff, Elaine. He's already tried his best."With a swift motion, Elaine delivered a backhand slap on Clarissa's face. Clarissa stared at Elaine, eyes wide in disbelief. "Elaine, why… Why did you hit me?"She was fuming on the inside, cursing, "Why is this old hag taking it out on me?"A scoff slipped from Elaine. "Don't forget we're the same kind of people, Clarissa. We steal another woman's man, knowing damn well what we do. You think I won't know what you're scheming inside?"She screamed, "Now, get out of my face! You two killed my daughter! You forc







