Nigel held out a hand to stop him. "Please behave yourself, Mr. Cedric."Cedric stopped walking and said, "Or what?"An SUV pulled up, and five men emerged, surrounding Nigel and his car. He was quickly overpowered. "Cedric, why the hell did you hit my car? You and Maia are divorced now, remember? She's not your wife anymore!"Cedric paid him no attention. With a half-smile, he opened the rear door and said, "Get out of the car."He spoke harshly to her, like he used to. She knew he was only nice to her for one night. The cold wind swept inside the car. Maia pursed her lips and decided not to drag Nigel into this. She took a deep breath and did as she was told. "Maia, stay in the car!"Nigel tried to push the bodyguards off him, but he was no match for so many trained individuals.With a gentle smile, Maia said, "It's okay, Nigel. I'll handle this. Please wait for me at the airport, okay?" She knew Nigel cared about her, but she did not want anything bad to happen to him. Someone a

"Yes."His cold answer broke her heart. ‘He keeps crushing your hopes, Maia. But you just had to ask, hoping for a better response. What for? You always get hurt,' she reminded herself. “I should’ve known you’d think the worst of me. Of course you’d think I was responsible for the kidnapping. You’ve never trusted me, so I shouldn't have expected otherwise." He shot her a fierce glare. "Listen. You can’t leave until you’ve proven you’re innocent.”"Do you have evidence that I'm behind the kidnapping, Cedric? Why should I listen to you?"He tossed a document onto her lap. "I'm the largest shareholder of Burgess Winery."Maia was shocked to see the title "Winery Reconstruction Plan.""You want to turn the winery into a resort?” She said anxiously, “It's the largest one owned by Burgess Winery. Do you have any idea what you're doing? You might not be able to gain anything from it!"It was a foolish plan that would hurt everyone. How could a shrewd businessman like Cedric have m

Susie frowned. "Ms. Maia, Mr. Cedric forbade me from giving you any devices.""Well, he didn't say I couldn't make a call, right? It's just one call, please, Susie," Maia pleaded. Susie glanced around and said, "Ms. Maia, it’s not that I don't want to help you, but this place is under surveillance. Mr. Cedric can watch your every move."Taken aback, Maia looked around her and saw surveillance cameras everywhere. She chuckled bitterly and murmured, "I guess the place is bugged, too, huh?"Susie sighed but didn't deny it. "Eat while the dinner's still warm, okay?"Maia was left alone in the dining hall but had lost her appetite. She squeezed the utensils in her hands tightly.She had no choice but to hope that Rita would be found soon. Still, something about all of this made her uneasy. There was more than meets the eye about Rita's kidnapping. She could only hope to leave the townhouse soon.Letting out a bitter chuckle, she finished her meal and headed upstairs. Maia curled

She finally said those words after loving him for so many years.He stopped without looking at her, and said, “So be it.”Her vision blurred as she fought back her tears. When he left, Maia finally broke down in sobs. She wanted to end their marriage on a good note, but she had been wrong. Since it was dark outside, she could only see her reflection in the panoramic window. She smiled bitterly. Her unwavering love for Cedric had just died and could never be revived.A while later, a thick plume of smoke crept in from outside the door. This alarmed her. Struggling to get up, she stumbled toward the door. When she exited her bedroom, she was shocked to find a fire raging downstairs. She stood frozen, unsure of what to do.‘The place is on fire! But how?’She started screaming, "Help!"With a hand covering her mouth and nose, she wanted to rush downstairs. However, the fire was fierce. Her legs went limp, and she fell on the second-floor corridor. ‘What can I do now? I have t

'This time, I'm going to make you regret it for the rest of your life!' she thought. "Stay close!" Cedric said as he rushed out with her.The window was their only chance. If they could make it through the living room, they would be able to escape to safety.Holding his hand, she kept pace with him and hurried into the living room. The fire was raging, but she felt no fear at this moment.The heat caused the chandelier to shatter and fall as they crossed the living room, making several loud sounds.At that very moment, Maia let go of his hand and shoved him away with all her strength. The chandelier crashed between them, sending flames everywhere and trapping her completely.In an instant, the fire surged. Shoved out of the window, Cedric turned and saw what was happening. "Maia!" He screamed like a madman. Cedric tried to charge back inside, but Baz and others held him back. "Don't do it, sir!""You can't save her! It's too late."The flames soared higher, forcing Maia