Audrey walked very quickly, and Gloria found it difficult to keep up.
They kept walking and finally came to somewhere quiet. Gloria took a quick look around. She realized that Audrey had led her to the end of the corridor on the second floor. In front of her was a room with double doors. Audrey suddenly stopped in front of the doors. She smiled mockingly at Gloria and said, "Gloria, we're here." Gloria raised her head silently. She looked at the heavy doors in front of her. She realized that everything that had happened today was no coincidence. Her gaze quietly fell on Audrey's face. Her eyes were incomparably calm. The fear in her eyes disappeared. She couldn't escape, so she had to cooperate. This was what she had learned over the three years in prison. "It's annoying. Don't look at me like that!" Gloria stared at Audrey calmly. For some reason, it made Audrey mad. She glared at the people beside her and said, "Are you deafIn despair, Gloria closed her eyes and unclenched her fists. She looked at Audrey's face again and said word by word, "Ms. Hall, are you sure if I do what you say this time, you'll give me all the copies and promise not to tell anyone?" Audrey was about to continue mocking Gloria. She wanted to tell Gloria that she didn't get to call the shots and could only do as she was told. Yet Gloria opened her mouth again. "Ms. Hall, everyone has secrets. If you fool me again this time, I can assure you that I will kill you!" Gloria's gaze turned cold as she stared at Audrey without blinking. Audrey gasped. She could hardly take her eyes off that humble woman's face, even for a second! Audrey's heart beat rapidly, and she was filled with terror. She thought, 'This bitch, Gloria, she means it!' Audrey got her message from Gloria's unyielding gaze. Audrey was frightened by Gloria's glare and took a step back. Then she felt ashamed of hers
Through the crack in the door, Derrick saw the woman inside. It was Gloria, the person he had been looking for. He couldn't believe his eyes. Harry came over and asked, "Mr. Fisher, why don't you go inside?" Suddenly, Derrick used his hand to cover Harry's mouth with great strength. Harry looked up and saw Derrick's bloodshot eyes with killing intent. The next second, he followed Derrick's gaze and looked inside as well. Harry's eyes widened instantly. He was stunned. He thought, 'Gloria? Why is she here? What is she doing? I feel so humiliated and furious! I can barely lift my head! Gloria! How can you be so cheap?' Through the crack of the door, both Derrick and Harry saw the familiar figure. She was kneeling humbly on the ground and giving a middle-aged man a foot massage. Derrick saw the others inside. Their faces were so familiar. When he saw them grinning and laughing at Gloria wildly, he sud
Audrey still felt it was not enough. She continued, "Mr. Fisher, you should know who Patrick is, right? Back then, he sent Gloria to the werewolf prison himself. If you don't believe me, you can ask Mr. Carter. He is standing right next to you. Ask him whether those werewolves of the Silver Spring Pack still consider Gloria as one of them. "I remember that Alpha Alger himself told the Alpha of our pack that he did not consider Gloria as a member of the Silver Spring Pack." Audrey looked at Harry. Then she continued, "Well, we are outsiders, so it's natural that we don't believe her. But what about her family? Mr. Fisher, tell me, is she guilty?" Her words made Derrick's mind spin. He looked at Harry, and the latter looked away. Harry's reaction was self-explanatory. What Audrey said was true. Derrick was in a trance. He thought, 'I always thought Gloria was just a rogue with no one to turn to, and she had no choice but to be a call girl. I had no
Harry didn't notice Gloria's coldness. He felt embarrassed and didn't want to stay there any longer, so he turned around and hurried out. Audrey was complacent. She thought, 'Gloria, no one will compare me with you again, and you can no longer be arrogant! You'll rot here, and don't ever think of leaving!' Audrey kicked the box of money in front of Gloria and said in a mocking tone, "It's yours now." "The backup." Gloria reached out her hand, her eyes somewhat indifferent as she stared at Audrey. "I told you that if you fool me again, I will make you suffer." Gloria's expression freaked her out. Audrey was a little frightened, yet she refused to give in. "There aren't any. The only copy is on this phone. Look." As Audrey spoke, she took out the storage card from her phone and ordered the person beside her, "Get me a lighter." Then, she burned the storage card in front of Gloria and said, "Gloria, look carefully. I burned it. If anyo
Christine was worried about Gloria, so she went out searching for her. However, Gloria was nowhere to be found. She thought, 'How could she disappear in such a short time?' Christine thought that since Gloria had no friends, she might have returned to the dormitory. Therefore, she rushed to Gloria's dormitory. After she opened the door with the spare key, she found no one at home. She waited for a while, but Gloria did not come back. Christine was worried that Gloria still stayed in the previous place, so she rushed downstairs and headed back. She asked all the waiters, yet no one had seen Gloria. And she searched almost everywhere. She thought, 'Did she go back to Fittro Club?' Christine called Emily and didn't get the answer she expected. She checked the time. One and a half hours had passed since Gloria left. Christine panicked, and her thoughts ran wild. 'What Gloria just experienced was terrible. Will she d
In the driver's seat, Patrick looked both cold and anxious. He didn't know why he was so anxious when he found out that Gloria had been missing. He didn't know why he panicked when Christine said that Gloria might commit suicide. He had to find her! That was all Patrick was thinking. "Leo, can you sense where Gloria is?" Patrick asked his wolf for help. "I can only tell you that she is still alive." There was also anxiety in Leo's voice. He continued, "If you listen to me and let me mark her, I can find her now." "What about her scent? Can't you find her through her scent? I can shift," Patrick said anxiously. "The scent of her wolf is faint, so I can't locate her." Leo felt sorry. Patrick's car passed various roads. He didn't realize one thing. He was doing something stupid! It was like searching for a needle in a haystack! He was trying to find a person in this vast world! But he just did it! Every few
As the car drove, Gloria let go of her hand that was covering her lips. She felt the taste of rust, and she knew that it was blood. She leaned against the seat and thought, 'Whatever he wants to do, just let it be.' Anyway, no matter how much she struggled, it would be useless. In the car, Patrick called his guards through mind link, "Everyone return to Fittro Club." When the car stopped outside the club, Patrick didn't say anything else. He bent down, picked Gloria up, and strode towards the club. "Don't move. If you don't want me to repeat what I did to you in the car in front of everyone, you'd better be good. Don't make me mad. It won't do you any good." Patrick sensed Gloria's struggle and stopped her with an indifferent expression. Gloria was furious. Was Patrick always ignoring her will? However, after she glanced at the surroundings, she closed her eyes. She did not have the right to choose. So, she shut her eyes. Leonard and
Derrick had always been gentle and polite to others, but now he was screaming as if he had gone crazy. He was in agony, yet he laughed aloud. "Patrick, that's ridiculous. What makes you think you can ask me to do something you can't do?" Derrick looked at Patrick and said, "I will never admit that I would fall in love with such a woman!" Patrick ignored Derrick's insanity. He looked at Derrick and said, "In that case, stay away from her. You might be right, but I will use my way to express those words that I can't say." Derrick looked at Patrick like he was looking at a fool. Derrick laughed and said, "Patrick, you are so ridiculous. I'll be watching you and seeing what you will do. As for Gloria, I have already given up on her. I won't be anywhere near her again." Patrick turned around and left. "I hope you will keep your word." Ignoring the shards of glass all over the ground, Derrick raised his hand and pressed his chest. Only th
Cline released Luana with a hint of despair, staggering back a step.His bloodshot eyes locked onto hers as he asked, "Never at all?"Luana's lashes fluttered, her composure unwavering as she shook her head again.The smile on Cline's lips deepened with bitterness. "What about these, then?"He pulled out a letter he'd carried always, holding it before her. His voice cracked, his eyes red as he repeated, "What do these mean?"Luana's gaze fell on the perfectly preserved letter, and her expression froze—a chord struck deep within.She wondered when exactly she'd lost all hope in him.Her thoughts drifted back to that night when he held her close, their intimacy shattered by his cold words, "Don't delude yourself into thinking I'll love you."She'd felt like ice, realizing she was nothing to him but a vessel for his emotions. Yet now...Luana slowly lifted her eyes to Cline, his composure completely undone.Whe
Luana fought with all her might, her slender hands clawing at Cline's arms.Her nails bit through his skin, drawing blood, yet he held on relentlessly."Cline!" Luana roared in fury, finally dropping her Dorothy act and staring him down as Luana.Hearing his name from her lips, Cline's eyes reddened further. "You finally admit it..."Luana sneered. "So what if I do?"Cline froze, his bloodshot eyes slowly meeting hers.Her face was an icy mask, devoid of emotion, filled only with contempt.This cold Luana left him at a loss.As he opened his mouth to speak, Luana turned her head, her calm eyes reflecting Cline's pale face."Did you really mean it when you said you loved me?""Yes..." Cline's heart leaped at the chance to connect, and he nodded eagerly, about to confess a decade-old truth.But Luana cut him off, her voice ice-cold, "If you loved me, why wouldn't you wait until our contract ended before break
"Does it hurt?" Luana silently asked herself.Once, she had known pain—excruciating, soul-crushing agony that had left her curled on a cold floor, voiceless and desperate.It had been a pain that stripped away all hope in this man before her, eroding her very will to live. It had been so severe that even in her final moments, when she'd longed for a glimpse of him, he'd refused even a phone call.That pain was no mere physical wound. It was a despair that seeped into her very being.It was after enduring such torment that she had finally seen Cline for what he truly was—a man utterly ruthless toward her.Yet now, here he was, holding her and asking if she hurt. The irony was bitter, almost laughable.With a cold, expressionless face, she said, "The five minutes are up. Let me go."But Cline, who had finally held the person he'd obsessed over, had no intention of releasing her so easily.He held her tight and said, "
Cline held tight to her arm, as if he'd never let go unless Luana gave him a chance to speak.Luana, brows furrowed, sighed and relented, "Five minutes, right here."Cline's cold gaze shifted to Dorian, who shot him a glare before turning to Luana."Five minutes, then home," Dorian warned.Luana nodded meekly, "Okay."Only after Dorian strode into the villa did Luana turn to Cline, her voice cool and impatient."Well?"In Dorian's presence, Luana had been the picture of obedience, just as she used to be with him.Now, though, Cline saw a change in her—calm, distant, and edged with impatience.This new version of Luana only deepened the ache in his chest.He longed to reach out, to brush his fingers against her face, but as his hand rose, she flinched violently, stepping back as if struck.Luana stared at Cline's right hand, her pupils suddenly clouded with fear, as if the ghosts of past trauma had res
Luana nodded in agreement and turned toward the stairs.But after just two steps, she froze, her fingers brushing the banister.Slowly, she turned back, her voice hesitant. "Clarissa, I came back as Dorothy... What about Gehrmann?"Clarissa had guessed that Luana had returned as her sister Dorothy the moment she heard Dorian call her by that name.Clarissa's smile was warm, reassuring. "I won't say a word to him or Cline. Your secret's safe."Relief flickered in Luana's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, the word soft as a feather.As Luana walked away, Clarissa watched her retreating figure, worry knotting her brow."Is this luck or a curse?" she thought, "Leaving Cline only to be trapped by Dorian."At the car, Luana opened the passenger door and slid in."Home at ten seems early," she ventured, her tone tentative.Dorian glanced over, his indifference palpable. "Make it eight, then."Luana's lips twitched
Clarissa watched Luana's fingers tighten around the phone until her knuckles whitened. "When I first saw those messages flooding in, I tried luring him out myself—posed as you, planned to bring the cops. But instead of catching a creep, I got..."She trailed off, the memory of the man in the café still prickling her nerves.A man as cold and heartless as Cline—why would he cling to memories of Luana like this?"Anyway," she shrugged, "he never showed. Guess some ghosts stay buried."Luana's voice was a whisper. "These things... they should've been my fight. Not yours."Clarissa cut her off, "If it were me in this mess, you'd do the same. So quit with the thanks already."Luana nodded meekly, her lashes drooping as she glanced back at the phone screen.The mystery gnawed at her—Mr. Night's messages reeked of obsession, yet he hid in plain sight. Why?She couldn't fathom it, and frankly, didn't care
"I had no choice but to pull a dumb move—I seduced Gehrmann and took Naomi's spot as his bedwarmer," Clarissa said flatly, her voice echoing off the brick walls."I thought I could use him to get back at Cline. Turns out I was dumber than a bag of hammers—Gehrmann wouldn't lift a finger against Cline for any woman." She kicked at a pebble, watching it skitter into the shadows. "By the time I figured that out, he wouldn't let me walk away."Clarissa shifted her weight, catching Luana's profile in the dim light."But don't you worry, Luana. I ain't falling for Gehrmann's charm. This world's got exactly one good man left—Albion. And he's six feet under."So, I won't be that girl anymore—the one who pours her heart out for every little kindness, even when it's not worth it."Mentioning Albion again made Luana's eyes dim as if the light behind them had been switched off.She lowered her lashes, hiding the sorrow pooling th
Third Person's POVLuana tightly embraced Clarissa, hoping to alleviate her pain.Clarissa, however, patted her back with a smile and said, "It's alright. After finding out the truth, I was devastated for a while, but then I pulled myself together. I installed surveillance cameras and recorded every moment of their infidelity, which I sent to my lawyer."I won the lawsuit, but I couldn't get the house back. I could only recover the mortgage payments, the money I spent on him, and compensation for emotional distress..."However, what I didn't expect was that someone would expose Albert's bigamy online, ruining his reputation. His company fired him, and no other major firms would hire him. As far as I know, his current salary isn't even enough to cover the mortgage. Plus, his mother has cancer, which is why he keeps begging at my door."Clarissa's voice turned cold as she continued, "He thinks I'm still the naive woman I once was, that if he kneels a
Clarissa took a deep breath, opened the bedside table, and took out a marriage certificate, handing it to Luana."You two weren't entirely meant to miss each other. At least he kept his promise from when you were young and married you."Seeing the marriage certificate, Luana's eyes welled up.She reached out and slowly unfolded it...Name: LuanaName: AlbionBeside them was a composite photo of the two, dressed in white shirts, with a red background, their faces beaming with happiness.When Luana was eighteen, she had asked Albion, "When are you going to marry me?"Albion, engrossed in a book at the time, looked up and playfully tapped her nose with his pen, saying, "When I'm capable of giving you happiness."Luana pouted, dissatisfied, "But when will that be?"Albion held up his book and replied, "After I've mastered all this knowledge and become someone worthy, then I'll marry you."Luana rested her chin