If there was no way to stop Irvin from regaining his memories, then the only option was to make sure that I disappeared for good.Although Grace had promised William she wouldn't harm me, she never actually intended to keep it. After all, she wouldn't do it with her own hands. There was no way for him to suspect her.Even if he did, she felt that by then, I would already be dead. He probably wouldn't go against the entire Hardwell family for my sake.Besides, she had also convinced him that she had saved his life once.…Unaware that Grace had uncovered the truth, Irvin was searching for information about me online. He had a feeling that he must have loved me deeply, as he was instinctively drawn to me even without any memory of me.But my attitude toward him told him that something unpleasant must have happened between us, something bad enough that I was ready to pretend as if I didn't know him.He was determined to find a way to win me back.To prevent Irvin from discoverin
William recalled that at the time of his accident, Cordelia and I had also been vacationing on the island.Although he didn't think it was possible, he instinctively asked anyway.I had assumed that William's intimidating presence on the way here was because he was angry at me for not answering his question.I never expected him to suddenly ask such a thing.Although I didn't know why, my first instinct was to admit that I had saved someone while I was on the island.But before I could say anything, his phone rang. It seemed like an urgent call. After answering it, he hurriedly told me he would send someone else to pick me up before leaving in his car.Feeling bad for troubling him when he was so busy, I sent him a message. I told him that he didn't need to send anyone and that I would call my own driver instead.William didn't reply to my text.Instead, Noah called. "Emi, there's an emergency at home. I have to leave for a while. Wait for me, I'll be right back." he said.W
I comforted Mr. Holland for a long time before he finally felt better and ate some oatmeal.When I got home that night, I pulled out Irvin's medical records and the reports of his treatment with various devices. I analyzed his responses to the treatment to plan the next steps. I wasn't sure how I felt about Irvin, so I chose to ignore it completely and focus solely on treating his legs.If his legs could recover and function properly again, we would be even. No matter what happened in the future, I would take it one step at a time.Things would work out eventually.By the time I finished comparing all the data and finalized the device frequency settings for Irvin's treatment the next day, it was already past 1:00 am.I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep immediately.Ever since my injuries from falling off the cliff, I needed sleeping pills to fall asleep every night. When I lost my memory, I thought my insomnia was due to the pain. But after my memories returned, I realized
Adolescence was already a time when emotions are most unstable, making it easy to act impulsively and engage in risky behaviors. Being treated that way by my own family, I walked into the ocean, one step at a time.I wanted to die.I wanted them to regret, to suffer, to have everyone condemn them for killing their own daughter over an adopted one.I was so foolish back then, thinking I could punish them with my death. I completely forgot that they needed to actually care about me to feel remorse and pain for losing me. If they didn't care, it wouldn't matter if I died a thousand times.Using my own death to punish others is the most foolish thing in the world. I came to that realization when I was on the brink of death. I struggled, trying to make my way back to shore, desperate to survive. But then, a huge wave dragged me under, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stand up. I didn't know how to swim back then.Just when I thought I was going to die, a tall young man do
"I'm sorry, babe. Do you not like sunflowers? I… I saw online that…" Irvin stammered.He had searched for information about me online and discovered that I loved sunflowers, so he secretly hid one to give me. But I ended up crying instead of taking it with joy. Snapping out of it, I forced a smile and accepted the flower. "I do love it. Thank you."He stared at me, unsure if I was truly happy or just pretending."But don't call me 'babe' anymore. We're divorced." I couldn't bear to hear him say it in the same affectionate tone as before. That genuine, affectionate tone would only make me feel bad for him.And I didn't want to feel that way.Irvin, who was already anxious, panicked at my words. He grabbed my hands and said, "Babe, I couldn't find anything about what happened between us, but I know that it must have been my fault if we got divorced. "I'll make sure to be good from now on and listen to everything you say. Please, just give me another chance."Irvin had always
Since Irvin had lost his memories, his behavior had regressed to that of his younger self.Although he had difficulty moving and had to avoid the Hardwells, he still prepared small surprises for me every time he came for treatment. Just like how he did when he was pursuing me.Just like when we were newlyweds.No matter how busy or exhausted he was, he always put in the effort to prepare something for me, whether it was a bouquet of flowers, a ticket to a movie I wanted to watch, or a dessert I loved.We were poor back then, and the things he gave me weren't worth much, but I was moved to tears every single time. After all, he was always thoughtful and affectionate. The eyes that were once cold and indifferent now burned with compassion and sincerity. Those naturally affectionate eyes gazed at me with so much love, as if I were his entire world.His one and only.That kind of love was irresistible, drawing me in.And I couldn't help but wonder, if none of it had happened, if
Grace had always wanted to stand at the pinnacle of power.The man beside her raised an eyebrow and suggested, "Then don't let her die. Force her into a dead-end and offer a hand, so she can be used by us."Grace chuckled but said nothing.Now that she had the picture she wanted, there was no need to continue watching. She withdrew her gaze and returned to the couch in the room.After taking a bottle of collagen, she finally looked at the man sitting across from her. "At the rate Irvin is recovering, he'll be fully healed in at most two to three weeks. Have you made all the preparations I asked for?" she asked."Of course! When have I ever failed to complete a task you gave me?" he replied confidently.Grace's lips curled into a smile. "Great."Seeing how she smiled so casually, completely without any hesitation or pain, the man couldn't help but comment. "Ms. Keller, you're ruthless indeed."Grace lowered her gaze and gently stroked her belly. She didn't respond.That night
Because of Agatha's favoritism and stubbornness, Magnus had been growing increasingly impatient with her. "I think I've made myself very clear," he said, leaving no room for further discussion."Magnus, you can't do this! You can't just forget about Tim so soon! How could you treat him this way? Let me tell you—"Before she could finish, Magnus cut her off with a stern shout. "Enough! This is not up for discussion. I don't want to hear another word about it. Just leave!"Magnus' authority was absolute in the Hardwell family. Once he made a decision, Agatha had no power to change it no matter what.Though unwilling and displeased, she had no choice but to leave.As soon as Grace returned home, she was informed about the argument between Magnus and Agatha. She immediately rushed to find Agatha.The moment Agatha saw Grace, tears streamed down her face.Upon hearing that the argument had been about Irvin's hypnosis, Grace finally told her the truth, that Irvin had been faking it.
William wasn't the type to repay a life-saving favor. So, for the past two years, Julianne had always wondered why he treated her so well and was especially attentive to her health.It was only after she returned to Claudeville that she finally understood.It turned out William had a sickly niece he cherished dearly—one whose survival depended on Julianne. Upon learning this, she suddenly felt she had the upper hand again.While she still couldn't figure William out entirely, she had come to understand him somewhat. She knew he would continue to tolerate her—for the sake of his sickly niece—as long as she didn't do anything out of line.To be clear, Julianne made my life difficult because she hated me. But as long as she didn't harm me, she knew no one would hold it against her. After all, William's niece needed her blood to live.The more she thought about this, the more pleased she became.I could see it plainly in her eyes. Her expression seemed to say that even after all thes
Seeing how determined I was, Emma didn't press any further.Just as we were about to leave in the car, another car pulled up beside ours. When I saw who stepped out of it, my eyes widened in shock.Emma saw them too and tugged at my sleeve in surprise. "Emilia, isn't that your ex-husband's brother and sister-in-law?"I was just about to say yes when Grace suddenly collapsed into Irvin's arms. He picked her up and rushed toward the hospital.Seeing this reminded me of how I had wished that Irvin would come and save me when I was drowning.I chuckled mockingly.Noticing something was off with me, Emma turned to me. "Emilia, what's wrong?"I withdrew my gaze. "Nothing."Then I told the driver to start driving.As the car drove out of the hospital, Emma stared at me. She hesitated at first, but then curiosity got the better of her "Emilia, looking at how you reacted to your ex-husband's brother… Is it true that he's actually not Timothy, but Irvin?" she asked.She had been with
Only after our car had driven far into the distance did William finally withdraw his gaze from Noah's car."Was Ms. Quill's assistant rescued?" he asked.Matthew immediately replied, "Yes, she's been taken to the hospital. She's out of danger."William hummed indifferently in response, then got into the car and left.…By the time I woke up in the hospital, night had already fallen.I was surprised to see Noah sitting at my bedside—surprised that I was still alive and that it was Noah who had come to save me.Seeing me awake, Noah stood up excitedly. "Emi, how are you feeling? I'll get the doctor!"I wanted to tell him I was fine, but my voice came out hoarse when I opened my mouth.Suddenly, I remembered something and quickly reached out to grab Noah before he could leave to call the doctor.Before I could even ask, he already knew what I was going to ask. "Your assistant's fine. She woke up even earlier than you," he said. Hearing that, I breathed a sigh of relief.Noah
Emma was also quite smart. Once she calmed down, she immediately understood what I meant. She wanted to say something, but I had already opened the car door and pushed her out.Seeing several people swimming toward us, I shoved her again, urging her to leave quickly.In the face of life and death, survival would become an instinct for everyone. So even though she didn't wish me harm or want to leave me behind, she swam away with tears in her eyes. Not long after she left, those so-called "rescuers" surrounded me.When they noticed someone had swum away, they exchanged hand signals underwater, planning to send some after her and others to capture me. Realizing this, I quickly pointed at myself, trying to tell them that I was the one they were looking for. Then I turned and swam in the opposite direction, hoping to lure them away and buy her more time to escape. But even though they understood my gesture, they didn't believe me. They still sent people after her.They were very
There was only one road from the airport to the city, and William's car was right behind ours.Matthew, who was driving, immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw our car suddenly accelerating at an alarming speed.He quickly said, "Mr. Ashford, something's wrong with Ms. Quill's car!"William, who was busy reading the documents, immediately looked up. His gaze darkened when he saw how recklessly the car in front was moving."Catch up with them!" he ordered. At that moment, his phone rang. It was Noah calling, and he sounded anxious on the other end. "Uncle Will, are you with Emi right now? I just heard that Madeleine is planning to kill her! "I don't know the exact plan, but I heard they're making a move on the way from the airport to the city. You need to be careful! I'm heading to the airport right now!"Noah's words made William's expression grow even darker. …While Emma was still processing the situation, I noticed something strange about the driver. If the
Just like that, we came back alive from the brink of death in an instant. It felt like we were in hell one moment and in heaven the next.Perhaps I was still too scared. So scared that even after the plane had stabilized for a while, I still couldn't find any strength in my body. I was still shaken by the fear and couldn't fully snap out of it.William was also holding me tightly the entire time, not letting go. The softness of my body in his arms stirred something in him that he couldn't describe. He instinctively didn't want to let go.It wasn't until a flight attendant knocked on the door to check on us that I finally returned to my senses.William also let go of me instantly. The sudden emptiness in his arms left him feeling rather hollow.He came to realize something, and his already deep gaze darkened even more, making it even harder to read.After the flight attendant tidied up the cabin and left, William, who had been perfectly fine and warm just moments ago, suddenly tur
The flight attendant knocked on the entrance to the suite to signal her arrival and served our meal. Then, she left swiftly.William and I were eating and discussing our AI chip factory when his face suddenly turned red. He couldn't say a word.The moment I saw that, I immediately realized what was happening and rushed over to him.I moved behind him, wrapped my arms around his abdomen, and clenched my fists. With my palm facing upward, I tightened my arms and pressed my left fist forcefully into his upper abdomen again and again, until he finally spat out the seed of a fruit.He had accidentally swallowed the seed while eating dried fruit, and it had gotten stuck in his throat.William stared at the seed he'd just coughed up, looking flustered. A man like him, who was so strong and composed, had choked while eating. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.Especially in front of me!William, who was usually composed no matter the circumstances, now had a face flushed wit
William handed me a glass of champagne and said, "I heard Grace gave you a hard time again at the airport lounge."I hummed in response, confirming it. At the mention of Grace, a thought struck me, and I turned to him. "Mr. Ashford, many of your company's products seem to compete directly with the Hardwells'."Although most of my focus had been on research, I did know a little about the business world. After all, I had a company myself. "Yes, why?" William raised an eyebrow at me."If you're planning to enter the mainland market, wouldn't the Hardwells be your biggest competitor?" I asked.Upon hearing that, William's dark eyes lit up with interest. "Are you trying to join forces with me against the Hardwells?"I knew that I couldn't hide my intentions from someone like William, so I answered honestly, "I'm just thinking ahead. I wanted to see if you had similar plans. If so, maybe we could work together in the future."Going against the Hardwells alone was definitely impossi
At the same time, the same video was also delivered to Noah's grandfather, Mr. Hull Senior."This is the woman Noah's interested in? He refused a marriage alliance with Ms. Charter because of her?" Mr. Hull Senior questioned incredulously.His butler, who had been by his side for decades, lowered his head respectfully and answered, "Yes."Mr. Hull Senior scoffed. "What kind of judgment does he have? It's no wonder he doesn't measure up to his uncle."Noah might be excellent, but at his age, William had already built up the Ashfords into the wealthiest family in Redwood. In terms of cunning or any other aspect, he was still far behind William.The loyal butler remained silent as he respectfully stood off to the side."If anyone else was still left in this family, I'd never even consider passing it to Noah!" Mr. Hull Senior exclaimed, pounding his cane hard against the floor.The Hulls had built their fortune from casinos. Their business had shady beginnings, which meant they also