Noticing Gloria's suppressed emotions, Christine felt distressed. Gloria continued, "They humiliated me and made me crawl on the ground and bark like a dog, and they scolded me with filthy words, but it was nothing compared to what I had been through. In prison, I was stripped naked and thrown into a cage. The high-pressure water gun was aimed directly at my naked body. So what? Christine, I went through unbearable pain. Mica died. She died to protect me. I owe her so much. Therefore, I must live and fulfill her unrealized dream." Christine listened to Gloria's incoherent narrative and she vented years of grievances. She spilled out the secret hidden in her heart. Who was Mica? And what was her dream? Although Christine did not know the answers, she could guess that Gloria considered Mica more important than her own life. The sun went down, and the afterglow of the sunset shone into the ward. Christine stood up and glanced at the bed as Gloria was asleep. Christine d
Patrick looked angrily at Gloria, who was curled up in the quilt. His face was frighteningly cold. He cursed inwardly, 'Damn woman! She is indeed avoiding me!' Patrick looked at her curled body under the quilt and noticed that Gloria was shivering. "Our mate is weak. You should hold her and comfort her instead of scaring her," Leo said. "I didn't scare her!" Patrick responded to his wolf angrily. After Gloria hid under the quilt, she began to regret it. If Patrick wanted to punish her, it would be pointless to hide, even if she escaped to outer space. What was the point of hiding in the quilt? Patrick pulled the quilt. His voice became bone-chilling as he asked, "You hid from me." "No!" Gloria hurriedly said, "I didn't, Mr. Hammond." Patrick thought, 'It is a lie! 'She is avoiding me! 'But...' "What happened to your throat?" Patrick asked in confusion. "I was sick, and my throat hurt." Gloria lowered her eyelids, refusing to say more. "Are you afraid of m
"You and... Gloria?" Sean knew that the person lying on the bed was Gloria. He had recognized her the day he saw her in Fittro Club. But he could not believe that Patrick had pressed her down and kissed her. "Can't you see it yourself?" "It won't be!" Sean grabbed Patrick, who turned around and was about to enter the ward. "Patrick, don't tell me you have feelings for her?" Sean's words made Patrick halt his steps. He slowly turned around and stared at Sean with a threatening look in his eyes. "Her? Who are you talking about?" "Of course, it's Gloria." Sean felt his scalp tingle from Patrick's gaze. When Patrick returned to the ward, his body seemed to be covered in frost, and he looked extremely cold and indifferent. He glanced at Gloria coldly and said, "I asked Sean to get you some food. It's on the nightstand." Gloria stared at Patrick with her mouth slightly open. She felt as if a door opened in her sealed heart. "I kissed you. So, I should give you somethi
Christine's words reminded Lillian of what happened that day. Lillian's face turned pale, but she did not think that Gloria had helped her out of sincerity. "Christine, what you said is true, and Gloria did help me out. Even so, I did not ask her to act like a dog to curry favor with the customers. She did it for money. What does it have to do with me?" Christine was so mad, yet she laughed. She felt that Gloria's sacrifice was not worth it, because Lillian was an ungrateful person. Christine sighed, "It's a pity that Gloria paid a price to save a piece of trash who doesn't know how to be grateful." Lillian's face turned ashen. Lillian looked at Christine angrily and said, "Christine, how can you insult me like that? I am a waitress at Fittro Club. I worked and I got paid. I didn't want a dime by sacrificing my dignity like Gloria. I've nothing to be ashamed of. Why should I be humiliated?" Christine could not help but laugh. "Lillian, let me make it clear to you. If G
Christine was not clear about Patrick's attitude, so she only narrated this matter in a calm tone. At first, only Yuna, her customer, and Gloria knew what happened that day. Gloria would endure all the pain alone, and she did not leak any information. In fact, it was Yuna who told it as a joke to the others in Fittro Club. Therefore, Christine also heard of it. Sean's eyes widened in surprise. He said, "Although Yuna is not a werewolf, she is crueler than a beast." Patrick's face turned frosty. He nodded at Christine and said, "Bring Yuna here. I'll wait for you in Room 1." With that, he turned around and walked toward the elevator. Sean was a doctor of the Black Thorn Pack as well as Patrick's good friend. Now, Sean noticed that Patrick was suppressing his anger. Why did Patrick get mad when others bullied Gloria? Patrick and Sean didn't wait long before Christine brought Yuna and Ruby into Room 1. Yuna and Ruby didn't know why Patrick had called them over.
Almost everyone in Fittro Club knew Patrick, but few knew that he was the boss of Fittro Club. Fittro Club was just a small business. In such an atmosphere, Sean suddenly laughed loudly. He looked at Patrick and said, "My Moon Goddess! This is so interesting! Patrick, she asked you to follow the rules of Fittro Club. What are you going to do?" Patrick chuckled. "You're right." He looked at Ruby and said, "Unfortunately, I'm the rule in Fittro Club." Ruby didn't understand what he meant. Christine reminded her, "Fittro Club is under Mr. Hammond's name. So, Ruby, if you still want to have a job, listen to Mr. Hammond, and don't make him mad." Ruby's face turned paler. "Ruby, if Mr. Hammond vents his anger, you can still seek a job after leaving Fittro Club. Otherwise, the moment you stepped out of the Fittro Club, someone would pull you to the Shadow Forest. You should know what is in the depths of the Shadow Forest," Christine said lightly. Ruby trembled all over and
"Vanessa, what happened?" Lillian felt that the air was strange, but she did not know why. Thus, she pulled Vanessa and asked. Vanessa and Lillian were friends. Vanessa was a little hesitant. She wanted to remind Lillian, so she said after thinking for a while, "Lillian, in fact, Yuna..." "Vanessa. Room 3 needs to be cleaned." Suddenly, someone stood up and interrupted Vanessa. Everyone in the room stood up. They said, "Let's go, Vanessa. It's time to work." Lillian's expression changed in an instant. She stood up and questioned, "Annie, what do you mean? Why did you stop Vanessa from talking to me? Who are you to her?" The person who interrupted Vanessa was Annie. She was prettier than the call girls in the Public Relations Department. She had been working as a waitress for two years at Fittro Club. Annie stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Lillian. "Idiot, mind your own business." Annie's gaze was disdainful. She thought, 'Lillian always thinks that
"Alpha Mike, I didn't think that you would fall for a woman at the club. Before that, I thought you were not into women!" Mike's friend said with a smile. His words made others laugh, ignoring the humans among the waitresses in the room. Many customers in Fittro Club were werewolves. Although not every employee knew well about werewolves, they would get used to it as long as they worked in Fittro Club for a while. The werewolves didn't need to worry about their identity being revealed and attracting the hunter's attention. Gabbs was adjacent to the forest, so it was easy for them to hide. Moreover, the werewolves of Gabbs all had a legal identity in human society. The hunters would be in trouble if they killed them. Mike didn't care about the ridicule of others. He pulled Gloria and left room 2. He opened another door and pushed her into the room. "Mike, why did you bring me here?" Gloria asked doubtfully. This was room 6, an
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
Last time, it was her negligence that failed to keep Albion by her side. This time, she was determined to do everything in her power to protect Luana.Clarissa raised her hand and gently patted Luana's shoulder, hoping to offer some warmth.Time ticked by, and they remained in the same position until a man in a gray suit approached.Clarissa looked up at him, noticing his gaze fixed on Luana, and her tension grew.Before she could inquire about his identity, the man stepped forward and gently pushed Luana's head with his slender fingers."It's ten o'clock. It's time to go home..."Luana, recognizing Dorian's voice, didn't lift her head, her lifeless eyes fixed on the floor.Dorian frowned at her silence, then bent down slightly and spoke patiently, "Dorothy, come home with me."Luana raised her weary head and said, "I don't want to go home today..."She wanted to stay and support Clarissa, to quietly live for herself for