The next afternoon, Gloria received a text message. Her friend told her that many strangers were looking for her.
Gloria panicked and said to herself, "Calm down. Take it easy. Patrick won't be able to find her." Gloria immediately called her friends in Hawaii and asked them not to reveal her whereabouts. Ellison was still living here, and Gloria could not drive him away. "Aren't you going to ask who I am?" On a sunny afternoon, Ellison stopped Gloria in the corner, who had been hiding from him. He said with certainty, "You are avoiding me." Gloria raised her head and said, "I'm not hiding from you. I'm doing this for your own good." "Actually, you're doing this for your own good. You're afraid of being in debt of love, and you don't want to owe anyone. Am I right?" Ellison said angrily. "Is there anything wrong with that?" Gloria glanced at Ellison indifferently. "Is it good for you if I lie to you?" "I actually hope you canClarissa froze, surprised that he knew not only that Luana was alive but also about her plan to settle in England with her.Recalling Luana's instructions, she quickly denied, "Luana passed away. How could she go to England with me?"Gehrmann, unfazed, replied, "Cline knows everything. No need to hide anymore."After a moment of shock, Clarissa asked him, "Even if he does, please don't tell Cline about our trip to England."Gehrmann's warm expression dimmed, and he fell silent, his gaze lingering on her luggage.Clarissa, noticing his stare, gave a faint smile and said, "Gehrmann, thanks for these three years. We might not meet again. I hope you find your true love and settle down."With that, she loaded her luggage into an SUV, waved goodbye to Gehrmann, and got into the car.Watching the car vanish from sight, Gehrmann felt a strange discomfort.No more meetings... He stood rooted to the spot, then took out his phone and called Cline.***When Clarissa arrived at the villa, Luana h
As their relationship deepened, Gehrmann embraced it without hesitation.A divorced woman?So long as she wasn't a Mrs. Moriarty, his family wouldn't care.Gehrmann snapped back to the present, stepped out of his car, and walked over to Clarissa.He snatched the cigarette from her hand, stubbed it out, and tossed it into a bin. "How many times must I tell you? Smoking's bad for you."Clarissa had thought that coming to see him in the daytime would irritate him, but to her surprise, the first thing he said was to tell her not to smoke.She'd planned a nonchalant "Let's break up," but now found herself hesitating.Gehrmann took her hand and led her toward the villa. "You're so eager to see me—craving my touch?"Clarissa's fleeting warmth faded at his remark. "No, I wanted to—"Before she could finish, he turned, hooked her chin, and kissed her deeply.The kiss left Clarissa breathless. She pinched his wa
There were moments of genuine warmth between them.Yet, Cline would occasionally fly into a rage and leave, only to treat Luana with cold indifference for extended periods.The reason eluded him, and he dared not inquire. Thus, their five-year relationship oscillated between harmony and discord.When Cline decided to terminate the agreement, Luana refused any compensation, even returning the money she had received.This act was her way of asserting that her time with him was never about financial gain.On the surface, Cline showed no reaction, but when he stumbled upon Luana's belongings at the mansion, he immediately had her called back.He intended for her to retrieve them, but she declined, decisively severing all contact.Cline was unsettled. He called repeatedly, only to be met with her deletion of his contact information. This left him in a daze.Later, under the mistaken belief that Luana had found a new sugar daddy, he
He tilted his head back and swallowed the red wine in one gulp. His Adam's apple rolled violently, and the wine tears on the glass slid into his palm, as if someone were silently weeping.Gehrmann watched Cline, the once-indifferent man who had crushed traitors' fingers with silver cufflinks, now clutching the wine bottle as if it were a lifebuoy in the water. He felt a lump in his chest.Just as he was about to persuade Cline again, Russell walked in, his leather shoes scraping the copper Moriarty family crest on the threshold."Mr. Moriarty, I've found the truth about Miss Hammond..." Russell, not expecting Gehrmann to be present, suddenly gripped the strap of his briefcase tightly, and his voice stopped abruptly.Cline tapped his empty wine glass with his finger, signaling him to continue. The blood on the bandage around his sleeve had already congealed into a dark brown color.Russell poured the materials from the Manila envelope onto the bar c
Clarissa realized, "Right, I'm the foreigner here. They'll just have to be accommodating."Luana slightly curled the corners of her mouth. "Clarissa, are you sure about this?"Seeing Luana's smile, Clarissa sat up straight and said earnestly, "What's there to hesitate about? I'm in. I just need a few days to sort out the nightclub business and... Gehrmann."Luana looked at Clarissa, who showed no sign of reluctance. It seemed Gehrmann was but a fleeting chapter in her life."I remember you mentioned wanting to break free from Gehrmann, but he wouldn't let you go," Luana said."That's true, but he doesn't love me. He's just used to having me around..." Clarissa's words carried a subtle weight.Gehrmann wasn't merely accustomed to her presence but to her performances in bed.Albert's past mockery of her as lifeless as a fish in bed had stung her deeply, driving her to transform over the past three years.Initially trained by Gehr
Luana muttered "freak" under her breath and took out her phone to call Clarissa.Before she could dial, the housekeeper's voice came from downstairs, "A Lady Clarissa is here to see you."Hearing Clarissa was here, Luana quickly put down her phone and went downstairs.Clarissa, in a black backless evening dress and carrying a luxury handbag, was sitting on the living room sofa, taking in the villa's surroundings.Seeing Luana descend the spiral staircase, she rose to meet her, but Luana reached her first."Slow down, or you might fall," Clarissa said as she steadied her, gently touching her short hair. "You used to have long hair. The short look suits you better and gives you more energy."Luana felt a touch of bitterness but didn't show it. "I was always sickly before. It's good to have more energy now."Clarissa smiled warmly. "That's what matters most."Luana smiled back. "Have you had breakfast, Clarissa?"Clarissa nodded. "Yes, I hav