LOGINZoe Bennett’s eyes dropped to Claire’s stomach. “Are you sure you can manage this?”“The passage is pretty narrow. We’ll have to crawl the whole way.”“Claire, why don’t we just wait here for President Reid? I called Hal before I came down into the tunnel. They should be here any minute.”Claire reached out and gently wiped the dirt from Zoe’s nose. “It’s a good thing you’re here, Zoe.”Guilt flooded Zoe’s face. She gripped Claire’s hand tightly, eyes turning red. “This is all my fault. Claire, you suffered so much today because of me.”“If I had any real standing among the Weston disciples, they never would have dared to treat you like this.”“And today at Warren Weston’s place… you got dragged into this mess because of me. I’m not worthy of being your sister.”Claire smiled softly.“Alright. Since you care about me this much, from now on I’ll acknowledge you as my older sister.”Zoe’s eyes lit up. She pulled Claire into a tight hug. “Really?”“You said it yourself no taking it back!
Holly Quinn and Lily Marlowe went way back.It was Holly who had introduced Lily to the Weston family not long ago. Because Holly valued Lily’s connection to the Reid family more than anything else, she had pushed for the Westons to hand their legal work over to her.Holly was acting completely out of character today.But did any of that really have anything to do with Lily Marlowe?Lily met Warren Weston’s eyes without flinching and immediately stepped in to clear Holly’s name. “There must be some kind of misunderstanding about what happened earlier.”“Miss Quinn is probably just terrified.”“Either way, the priority is finding the person who is missing.”“I’m extremely worried about my aunt.”Warren Weston’s suspicions faded again.Miss Marlowe was a lawyer. How could she possibly be involved in anything illegal? Her frankness, her sincerity, and the genuine concern she showed for Mrs. Reid all seemed real.He was probably overthinking things.Warren’s voice turned sharp. “Men, pry
But in that moment, Lily was uneasy.Even now, she hadn't fully steadied herself. She never expected things to go this far.Holly is an idiot.The whole plan had been laid out perfectly. All Holly had to do was follow the steps, and Claire would have fallen into an abyss with no way out.*And she's made this mess instead. How could I have trusted her this much?*She was more trouble than she was worth.Lily was desperate to know what had actually happened. But she couldn't ask, not here. With everything this tangled, she had to find a way out.So she kept coaxing Holly along. "Shouldn't my aunt be getting her physical therapy next door?""What exactly happened between you two?""And why are you disheveled and covered in injuries? Who hurt you?""Miss Quinn, don't be afraid. I'm a lawyer. We're all here now, and so are your colleagues. No one will hurt you again."Warren looked at Holly too. "Attorney Marlowe is right. What exactly happened? Are you going to tell me?""And what's the s
The woman wept. "Under the middle row of cabinets.""Mrs. Reid really is down there...""I wouldn't dare lie to you."She truly wouldn't. The thought of being turned into a human pig terrified her. She did not want to die that way.She was also so cold that her whole body ached, and she was starting to regret ever getting involved. She'd meant to use this chance to get rid of Claire. Now she just wanted somebody, anybody, to come and end it.Otherwise I'll freeze to death in this cold. I really will...Drew finally found the basement entrance.Before he could go down, several people came running toward the courtyard gate. They took in the scene in the yard and gasped."Who are you? What are you doing here?""Help! Help! The warehouse is being robbed! Somebody's breaking in and stealing things!"The warehouse held a lot of valuables, so it was packed with high-tech equipment. The automatic anti-theft system had triggered the moment Claire's group stepped into the courtyard, which was w
The fake Eleanor had lost her grip on herself.Her reason was nearly burned away. Her clothes hung in shreds.Cole and Drew stood there perfectly composed, while she crawled up their legs like a snake."Help me...""I'm so hot, so hot.""Give it to me, I can't take it anymore..."Cole kept kicking her off in disgust.Drew had long since retreated to a safe distance.When the woman twisted herself up again and reached for Cole's belt, he'd had enough. He kicked her into the wall."Damn it!"He muttered the curse under his breath.So filthy.He kept slapping at his trouser leg, face dark. If he could have, he'd have scrubbed himself raw in a river.Claire: ...Ahem."Cole, wake her up."Though his stomach turned, Cole stepped forward, grabbed the fake Eleanor by the hair, and dragged her back.He had zero mercy and zero tenderness for any woman who pulled a stunt like this.At Claire's quiet nod, Drew stepped in and poured an entire pot of tea over the woman's head.She shrieked as the
Claire Bennett could only manage a bitter smile.In her heart she sighed: it seemed she was destined never to get along with her mother-in-law. And if the situation truly turned out that bad, it was unclear what choice Jonathan would make when caught in the middle. Claire could already imagine the explosive argument that would erupt between him and Eleanor. Then what? Mother and son would completely sever their relationship because of this.She shook her head, preferring to believe that Eleanor had only been used as a cover for the whole scheme. Perhaps she had not really been involved at all.But regardless of the truth, the most urgent task was to find the real Eleanor Reid.Cole shook his head. “The signal in this courtyard is blocked. Madam, please wait a moment I’m going out for a bit.”He slipped quickly through the door.Claire picked up her teacup and drank several mouthfuls in succession, trying to quell the simmering fire in her chest.Just then a series of loud *bang-bang*







