"Do you know who she is? She's Sidney from the Preston family! You can't afford to tangle with her, so scram—"
Zander let out a cold laugh, and the others joined in. "What a coincidence, she's exactly who we're looking for."
Amid their eerie laughter, the man immediately abandoned Sidney, pushing through the crowd to flee.
But he had barely taken two steps when a man in a black mask yanked him back.
With a judo throw, the black-masked man sent him crashing to the ground, rendering him unconscious on the spot.
Zander turned to Cline, "Sir, what shall we do with her?"
Cline lowered his head, massaging his right hand that was oozing blood, as hatred surged within him.
He was the cause of Luana's fatal injury, and now Sidney and Runa, who had humiliated her, deserved no less.
He narrowed his eyes, his voice icy, "First, give her a hundred slaps, then..."
He paused, his tone turning vicious, "Throw her into 'Nightfall'
Gath traced the belt marks on her cheek with his fingertip in a mocking tone, "Came to see you... You've been doing so 'well' after leaving the Titlington family."Eva avoided his touch and coldly said, "You've seen enough, now go. I need to rest."Gath suddenly gripped her chin with a force that made her wince, "Eva, you're getting bold, huh? Speaking to me like that."Eva winced, but Gath let go as suddenly as he had grabbed her. She looked up and caught him avoiding her gaze."Gath, I'm hungry. Could you get me something to eat?" Eva softened her voice."Who do you think you are to order me around?" Gath raised an eyebrow."Someone you've been with. Does that count?" Eva fired back.Gath fell silent for a moment, then got up and left the ward.Eva watched him leave, her smile fading, her eyes cold and filled with loathing.'Gath, if you ever fall for me, I'll make you pay for all the pain you've caused!'No soo
Clarissa had dreamed countless times that Luana was doing well in another world, much better than in the real one.She thought it was better that Luana didn't come back.After all, everyone must die eventually. Luana had just taken an earlier step.When her life ended, she would also go to that world to find Luana.Just as Luana had said in her dream, she would build a house there, waiting to welcome Albion and Clarissa when their lives in this world came to an end.Then, like after leaving the orphanage, the three of them would live in the same house, loving and taking care of each other.This way, the regrets they left in this life could be mended in another world...Clarissa came to her senses and looked at the letter Luana had left her, softly responding, "Alright..."She would live this life to the fullest and then find Luana in another world. She wanted to be sisters with Luana forever, never parting.Just as Clari
Calvert managed a calm smile, "Don't worry. I'm just fulfilling my promise to take care of you. But I have to manage the Coburn Group, so I won't be able to look after you in person. I can only support you financially."He lowered his eyes, filled with guilt, "I should have taken care of you both as soon as I returned to the Coburn Group, but my amnesia made you both suffer for five years..."Clarissa pushed the folder back, "I can't accept these. I can earn money myself."Calvert insisted, "Take it. Consider it compensation for my regrets over the years." With that, he got up and left."Where are you going?" Clarissa called out.Calvert turned back, his smile making her uneasy, "To visit her.""Albion, I'm the only family you have left. Don't do anything foolish," Clarissa's voice was choked with emotion.Calvert waved his hand without turning around and walked away.He bought a bunch of flower and went to the cemetery. In the
Cline's face stiffened instantly. The body he had been barely holding together suddenly collapsed.Yes, Luana loved Albion, not him. What right did he have to stay here?He remembered how Luana had repeatedly asked him not to mess with her in the past...Since she despised him so much, if he didn't let Aibion be alone with her for a while, she would only hate him more.Thinking this, Cline slowly stood up and walked away without looking back.Calvert watched Cline's figure disappear, then turned back. He gently traced Luana's photo on the tombstone."Luana, forgive me for not telling him the truth—that you actually loved him... I just wanted to punish him for being so cruel to you... But please, don't blame me, okay?"With that, he kissed the tombstone one last time."Luana, I've passed the Coburn Group to my cousin and given all my personal assets to Clarissa. I... can come to stay with you now."Calvert took out
She quickly lowered her eyelashes, blocking out that scorching gaze.The man stared at her for a while, and upon noticing the flutter of her lashes, he confirmed she was truly awake.He straightened up, said nothing, and turned to leave, soon returning with an elderly man.The old man had golden hair and blue eyes, his head full of white hair. Dressed in a white suit, he looked spirited and elegant.The man led the elderly gentleman in, raised his slender finger, pointed at Luana on the bed, and asked with a frown, "George, how did she wake up?"George?Luana was taken aback. Eva had mentioned that Cline had contacted a renowned international heart specialist for her, and that expert was named George. Could this be him?George didn't respond to the man's question. Instead, he activated the medical equipment and began a full-body examination of Luana.His expression was focused, his eyes filled with disbelief.His reactio
He set down the mirror, leaned back in the armchair, and propped his leg up, speaking with interest, "Luana, you're quite intriguing."Luana was taken aback. This man knew her name, indicating he knew her, yet she had no recollection of him. Who on earth was he?The man leaned forward slightly, his deep black eyes fixed intently on Luana's face. "Listen carefully, I am—"He paused, then his thin lips parted again. His clear voice reached Luana's ears, "Dorian Lamont."Dorian, Dorian... Luana searched her memory for this name but found nothing.She stared into his eyes, filled with confusion, eager to understand more.However, the man had no more to say. He rose and left the room.Shortly after he exited, a blonde, blue-eyed female caregiver entered.While assisting Luana in wiping her body, she chattered about something akin to a miracle, then left after cleaning up, without elaborating further.Once alone, Luana g
Dorian spoke slowly, "I respected her last wish. When you were sent to be cremated, I replaced you and transplanted her heart into your body. George said even with a new heart, you might not survive, but you did... Only... you survived, and she took your place, lying forever in the cold cemetery..."His eyes dimmed as he spoke, his entire being shrouded in sorrow.Luana was utterly confused, blinking to signal Dorian to continue.But Dorian fell silent. His gaze shifted to her heart area, a hint of regret surfacing in his eyes."Have you ever deeply loved someone?" he abruptly changed the subject, posing a strange question.This caused Luana to fall silent, her expression turning somber.She might have once, but when Cline let Runa answer her call on the day of her death, she had given up on that feeling entirely..."Was it the man named Albion?" Dorian asked further.Luana was startled, surprised that Dorian knew about Albion.
When Luana heard the mechanical female voice again, she felt a wave of despair. Her tears flowed even more fiercely.She wanted to get up and rush back to them immediately, but she couldn't move at all...Dorian, seeing the urgency and despair in Luana's eyes, couldn't help and said, "You've been in a coma for two years. Maybe they've changed their phone numbers."His words kindled a flicker of hope in Luana. Yes, after being unconscious for so long, many things must have changed, and changing phone numbers was entirely possible.She forced herself to sit up, clinging to this hope, and asked Dorian again, "How... much longer... until I recover?"Dorian, casually playing with his phone, replied indifferently, "I'm not a doctor. How would I know?"Luana was taken aback by his words, tightly pursed her lips, and stopped bothering him.Dorian sat for a while, finding it dull, and got up to leave.That night, Luana's dreams were no
He didn't blame her. He only hated himself for not cherishing her while she was still by his side.Clenching the letter in his hand, he stumbled and slowly turned to leave.His once-proud figure now seemed frail, as if a gust of wind could knock him down."Cline…" Just as he leaned on the car door, preparing to leave, her familiar, tranquil voice called out to him.Hearing his name, he turned slowly, his gaze locking onto her slender, fragile figure under the streetlight.This was the person he'd missed for three years. Just her soft voice was enough to make him want to run to her and hold her tight.But reality was a cold shower, dousing his fervor.He took a step forward, but she retreated three steps, panic in her eyes, as if he were a monster."Don't come closer," she said calmly, her voice clear and unrippled."I've said all I need to. Please don't disturb me again."Cline had hoped she'd called him ba
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