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
After the meeting ended, Charlotte returned to her office to organize some case files.Not long after, there was a knock on the door.A second later, it opened and Scott appeared in the doorway.“Miss Riley, do you have a moment?” he asked.Charlotte nodded. “Please, come in.”Scott stepped inside.
Vivian’s face went pale in an instant.“Is it the Jaspers?” she cried. “Are they here to kill me?”Before she could get another word out, one of the men outside smashed through the windshield with brute force.“Miss Xander, I’ll hold them off—run!” Patrick shouted, then charged out of the car and th
Sean hurried over to Charlotte, his face full of concern. “Lottie, are you alright?”He had also gone to the police station earlier to check on the progress of Jodie’s case. From the officers, he had learned that Charlotte had just been there.He had rushed out immediately, searching for her on the
In the grand living room on the first floor of the Jasper family estate, Lilian finally broke into a long-overdue smile upon hearing that Jodie had returned home safely.“It’s good she’s back. That’s all that matters,” she said, her voice filled with relief.James’s tense expression eased a little a







