LOGINIan raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t drunk last night. I was completely sober.“Sweetheart, I knew exactly what I was doing. I have been aware of my feelings for you for a long time. I just kept holding them back. But last night, when you hired those male escorts and leaned into that man’s arms, I could
Mia’s expression hardened. “Ian, what kind of thing is that to say? Who I date is none of your business.”“Fine.” Ian gave a short, cold laugh. “None of my business.”His face remained dark as he walked out. From that day on, he never returned to the Quinton estate.Mia did not see him for more than
Mia’s relationship with Ian had changed completely. Somewhere along the way, she had become the one doing the bullying.If she was upset, she would pinch or swat him without hesitation, and Ian would only grin and call her “Little Princess” or “Miss Trouble,” never once fighting back.Later, Mia was
By the time Ian was eighteen and in his senior year, his life was too busy with schoolwork to waste time picking on his stepsister. It had been a long time since he had teased Mia.The high school and middle school buildings were close to each other. That afternoon, he and a few classmates walked to
Lester was often away from home.In the beginning, whenever Mia was bullied by Ian, she would run to her mother, Sharon, in tears. But as a stepmother, Sharon felt she had no authority to discipline Ian. For the sake of keeping the household peaceful, she chose to turn a blind eye and never told Le
The first time Mia met Ian, she was only nine years old.Her mother, Sharon, held her hand and smiled brightly. “Say hello to your new brother.”The little girl tilted her head up at the tall boy in front of her, pressed her lips together, and obediently said, “Hi, brother.”The boy didn’t look the
Sean placed Charlotte gently on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her flushed face. “You’re tired. Get some rest. I’ll go check who it is.”He opened the door, and his expression instantly hardened. Zac was standing there.He had almost forgotten that Zac was also in town. “This is getting int
In truth, there were even more brutal details Sean hadn’t mentioned.Judy died from a brutal throat slashing, her death gruesome and violent. Her chronically ill father didn’t escape either. The mastermind behind it all had him killed as well. Even Gerald, the man used as a tool for murder, and his
Sean’s gentle expression faded as he ended the call with Charlotte.As soon as Sean hung up Charlotte’s call, another call came in. Luke was calling. Sean’s voice turned cold as he answered, “What is it?”Luke’s voice was tense, trembling slightly. “Sir, bad news. Our team just reported that Judy’s
After exchanging contact information, Matthew awkwardly used his left hand to open a food delivery app on his phone.His entire right hand was gone, wrapped in white gauze at the wrist. Struggling with his left hand, he swiped through the options, trying to pick a meal.Charlotte glanced over. “Let







