LOGINClarissa had thought Annalise knew Aria, but it turned out she did not."Aria and I studied abroad at the same school. She suddenly dropped out later. We were friends, but we lost touch afterward."Annalise frowned slightly, puzzled. She could not recall anything clearly for the moment, yet she was certain she had heard the name Aria before."Well, I have noticed something off about the way Clifford looks at her. You should be more watchful. Keeping Aria by Clifford's side is absolutely dangerous."Clarrisa's movements as she ate slowed noticeably. She had suspected Aria before, but Aria had shown no signs of anything unusual.Now, images of the bruises she had once seen on Aria's body flashed through her mind, and the food in front of her no longer tasted good.Aria had a man.Could it really be Aria?She had people watching Clifford. Over the past few days, he would rather stay at his old apartment than come home. She was furious yet helpless. All of this was because Seraphi
Clarissa froze for a moment, then forced a smile that looked worse than crying."Annalise, I have no choice. I am being threatened. Seraphine has to die. I am begging you. You have to help me."She and Annalise had known each other for three years. They knew each other inside out. Annalise had only one goal—money.Clarissa knew exactly why Annalise had come back. Her reputation overseas was ruined. She could not survive there anymore, so she returned. And she loved Champselle Villa."Annalise, did you not say you wanted Champselle Villa? As long as you can get Seraphine killed, I will give you a villa there."Annalise narrowed her eyes and stared at her intently. She did not agree right away. Instead, she asked calmly, "What leverage does the other side have on you? It must be something you truly cannot resolve, or you would not dare bring this to me so openly."Clarissa's gaze flickered as she thought of the threat hanging over her. She did not even know who was threatening her.
Seraphine blinked, her cheeks flushing as she said, "You didn't use protection. Maybe I will get pregnant this month."Her voice grew softer toward the end. "When my mom and I went to the countryside, I was eight years old. We met an old woman who said I would have many children. She even said twins were possible."Elliott's hand swept quickly over her flat belly. He forced down the surge of joy in his chest and asked in a low voice, "Darling, really? If it is twins, they must be little princesses."Seraphine looked at him with a teasing glint. "Eli, are you doubting yourself?"Annoyed, Elliott reached out and pinched her rosy cheek, his voice deep. "My sweet pea, why does it feel like you're the one doubting me?"Every time he called her his sweet pea, Seraphine felt a different kind of possessiveness in it. He seemed especially attached to those two words. Sometimes, even in her dreams, she would hear a powerful voice calling her his sweet pea.Elliott held her tightly. "Sera,
Ralph looked at Skyler, amused. Frankly, these big guys working alongside him were all classic clueless men, especially Skyler. He was so simple-minded that he had actually asked that question.Ralph smirked teasingly. "Let me ask you, then. Why does your mother only dote on your younger brother but not you? You're at the age to get married and have kids, yet every month, all she asks from you is money—not a single question about your life."Skyler's lips twitched. "Are they really the same thing?""Why not?" Ralph laughed and explained, "What Mr. Johansen has now is love. He cherishes the woman he loves, and for the ones he doesn't, he keeps them away. What's so mind-boggling about that? I can't believe you asked such a stupid question."Skyler froze, stopping in his tracks. His tall silhouette blocked the sunset, stretching his strong frame. Even then, he couldn't understand what was so wrong about his so-called stupid question."Ralph, I think you came back to the country and l
Seraphine shook her head, but Clifford's words earlier still made her angry."Even without proof, I won't rule him out completely. Ever since losing my support, he's been regretting it and keeps pestering me," she said."The reason he tried to ruin me is simple—he wanted me to beg him. These past few years, I've been quietly supporting his career, but I've gradually pulled back…"Her voice trailed off as she saw Elliott's expression growing colder. Seeing his anger, she stopped speaking.Elliott hadn't expected Clifford to be so useless and had received so much quiet support from her behind the scenes. Even with all that assistance, he remained as foolish as ever. Maybe that was how his life was doomed to be."You're my husband, Eli. I'll only ever support you from now on. Though you're low-key with me, I bet you're not so low-key in front of others," she said, her eyes glinting with meaning.He paused. Why was the finger suddenly pointed at him?"Sera, I'm not some useless bast
Skyler was livid. "You son of a bitch! How dare you insult Mrs. Johansen? You'd be better off shutting that mouth of yours for good!"By then, Seraphine had escaped and stepped up beside Skyler. Everything happened too fast. Neither one of the three abductors expected anyone to be waiting here for them.Having abducted people twice, they were completely caught off guard this time by Seraphine's trap. Shock and fear gripped them.From the moment she was taken, she hadn't struggled. Instead, she sat quietly in the car, giving them the impression that she was too scared to move. That false sense of control let her slip free safely without them noticing.When Seraphine was a child, she most often heard from Andrea about how to protect herself. Andrea was incredibly talented and held multiple patents, making her a target for many things.Seraphine had even been kidnapped once as a child, but from Andrea's tone, she could tell that it had happened because Andrea had been betrayed by the







