เข้าสู่ระบบAs Fiona drove, she kept glancing at Roger through the rearview mirror. The hatred and anger she felt toward Xena burned even hotter now. Xena had lied to their entire family, and in the end, York Corporation had gone under because of it. The more Fiona thought about it, the more unforgivable it seemed.If Xena had just told them earlier that Felix couldn’t be trusted, Roger might never have ended up here. Even before the company went public, he had still been comfortably well-off.Thinking back on the way Xena had always flaunted it in front of her made Fiona feel sick. Xena had acted as if Felix were really her boyfriend and her future husband.When the truth was that Felix had only been using her blood to save his family.And somehow, she had still managed to turn that into a fantasy.So why had Felix divorced Miranda in the end?After going over it again and again in her mind, Fiona started to understand. Xena had loved Felix so obsessively. How could she not have interfere
Roger could only stare at Xena, completely speechless. Beside him, Fiona looked stunned too.“I’m telling you, I did nothing wrong. I, Xena Spencer, got where I am because of my own ability. If you couldn’t hold on to the company, that’s your failure. Don’t try to pin everything on me. I lost thirteen percent of the shares too.”For the first time, Fiona found Xena almost laughable.“Then why did you put on that whole show in our house? Why act like Mr. Gibson doted on you? Why make all of us believe you were going to become Mrs. Gibson?”There was no denying it. Fiona’s questions struck straight at the most fake and humiliating part of Xena’s life.Xena whipped her head around and glared at Fiona. A few seconds later, she let out a cold laugh.“Why? Because I liked it. Because I wanted to. What’s it to you?”“Oh, so everything between you and Mr. Gibson was just an act you staged yourself.” Fiona’s voice dripped with ridicule. “You acted so well you had everyone fooled. Even Mi
Miranda’s words echoed in her head.Felix had traded the one thing he had in endless supply for something she could never get back. Her youth. Her health. The best years of her life.So what exactly did she have to feel proud of?The admiring look on Xena’s face instantly hardened into resentment and bitterness.She stared at the six dazzling jewelry sets in front of her, but all they made her feel was cold.These were not gifts.They were payments.Payments Felix had made to her.They were the props she had used in her performance for Miranda all these years, the hollow medals of her own vanity.Just then, someone knocked on the door.Xena glanced at the time. It was late. Who would be coming to see her now?When she walked over to the security monitor in the living room and saw who was outside, she froze for a few seconds.Why was her father here?“Xena, I know you’re home. Open the door.” Roger’s irritated voice came through the intercom.Xena turned and ran upstairs.
“What? Why would he do this? How did the York family ever offend him?” Gloria was just as shocked, and she could hardly believe it.“I treated him like a future son-in-law, and all this time he was stabbing us in the back.” Roger’s chest heaved violently. All the respect and deference he had once shown Felix had now turned into nothing but anger and hatred.The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. Felix had helped him take the company public. Felix had helped him set up overseas investments. Looking back now, every step felt like part of a carefully laid trap. From beginning to end, it had all been Felix’s plan, just waiting for the day York Corporation finally collapsed.“How could it be Mr. Gibson? Wasn’t he with Xena...” Rage flashed through Gloria’s eyes. “Don’t tell me that little bitch Xena put him up to this.”Only then did Roger think of that daughter of his, the illegitimate one, the very person who had connected the York family to Felix in the first place.Ro
At the York house, Roger sat slumped on the couch, looking as if he had aged ten years overnight. His hair was a mess, his eyes were sunken, and a cigarette hung from his mouth. But beneath the exhaustion, his eyes still burned with anger and resentment.Gloria came downstairs from the second floor. Even now, she still couldn’t wrap her head around it. How had a company that seemed perfectly fine suddenly ended up on the verge of collapse?Roger was on the phone. The moment the call connected, he immediately dropped his pride and started pleading.“Hello? Roy, you finally picked up. Can you help me with some short-term bridge financing? Once my company gets back on its feet, I’ll pay you back right away.”“Mr. York, I’m really sorry, but I can’t help you.”“Roy, come on. For old times’ sake...”“Mr. York, I’m sorry.”And with that, the line went dead.Roger slammed his hand against the table with a bang and roared, “A bunch of ungrateful bastards. A few months ago, they were al
After Miranda came out of the lab, she went back to her office. Coco poked her head in. “Miranda, did you see Mr. Gibson earlier?”Miranda had just reached for her water when she paused. “He was here?”“Yeah. About half an hour ago, he went into the lab observation room. He stayed for more than twenty minutes, then left. You were probably all too busy to notice,” Coco said.Miranda really hadn’t noticed.But it made sense that Felix would be closely watching the progress of the experiment. The pressure he was carrying was coming from somewhere much bigger than himself.It was from the national level.There had been some encouraging progress today. Miranda checked the time. It was already three-thirty, and she still had to go to Zion’s lab for another meeting. She picked up her phone and sent Felix a message.“I have a meeting tonight. Do you have time to watch Mia?”His reply came quickly, as direct and efficient as always.“Focus on your work. I’ve got Mia.”Seeing that, Mir
Miranda turned to Susan. “Mom, it’s too stuffy in here. I’m taking Mia outside to play.”“The concert is about to start,” Susan reminded her.Miranda acted as if she hadn’t heard. Sienna grew annoyed and snapped, “Miranda, it’s already starting. Where are you taking Mia?”“Outside to play,” Miran
Miranda froze. She had no reason to explain herself to him, but she couldn’t let James’s name be tarnished.“We’re here for work, that’s all,” she answered coolly. She didn’t mention the awards ceremony tomorrow. There was no need to tell him.“You’re a mother. Act like one. Don’t set a bad exampl
Xena turned to Miranda with a faint smile. “Miranda, if you really want that necklace, I’ll let you have it. No hard feelings, okay?”Miranda looked slightly taken aback, her eyes meeting Xena’s with calm precision. There was a calculating glint behind that smile.“I don’t care for things I don’t
In the second photo, Mia was riding a little pony, beaming with a toothy grin and flashing a peace sign at Xena’s camera.The images hit Miranda like a punch to the chest. Her heart clenched so tightly she could barely breathe. She had been gone just one day, and Felix had already taken their daugh







