جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 180

"Well, Mr. Atkinson was certainly impartial just now," someone in the crowd commented. They were clearly eager to stir the pot and deliberately draw attention to Stefan.Stefan's displeasure visibly intensified. He shot a cold glare in the direction of the speaker, causing them to shrink back several steps and blend into the crowd.He gripped the wheelchair's armrest tightly, his veins bulging.Pierce must have been aware of the situation. He knew he was in a safe position, so he dared to make grand claims about having Millie honor her wager.But since Pierce had made such a public statement, Stefan had no choice but to follow through. If he sided with Wanda now, he would damage the Leach family's credibility.With so many elite guests present, not to mention the millions of online viewers, the stakes were too high. Public opinion alone could do irreparable damage to him and his company.Despite knowing that this was a hole Millie had dug to make them suffer a loss, he had to con

Millie opened her mouth like she was about to say something. But in the end, she didn't manage to say anything. Instead, she leaned closer to Pierce and gently rested her head on his shoulder. She suddenly felt utterly exhausted and wanted to rest for a moment by leaning on him.Pierce instinctively straightened his back and sat stiffly, not daring to move an inch.Meanwhile, Wanda had regained consciousness in the lounge. Even so, her mind was still reeling. She sat frozen, staring intently at the chat log between herself and Aurora.She refused to believe that Millie was Aurora. Millie must have tricked her.Wanda contacted the organizers of the international design competition and sent them Millie's photo. She prayed fervently that they would say that Millie wasn't Aurora. That way, she could confront Millie and call her out for being a liar.Unfortunately for her, the response she got was: "Yes, that's Aurora!"The moment she read that text, her heart plummeted into a botto

Millie's mind went blank. She had never expected Wanda to reveal the traumatic experience that she dreaded more than anything."Wanda?" Stefan was equally stunned. He had never planned to let this incident come to light. It would tarnish Millie's reputation and also his own by extension because Millie had still been his girlfriend at that time.Wanda glanced back at him, giving him a reassuring look as if to say she knew what she was doing.Stefan clenched his fists but said nothing further.Wanda went on, "Everyone, this is the kind of family scandal one would usually keep private, but this concerns both my husband and my dignity. So, we have no choice but to address it. "In order to survive, Millie had surrendered herself to the kidnappers. There were so many men on that ship—who knows how many violated her?"She then paused for effect before continuing, "Tell me, how could someone so sullied and tainted marry Stefan? I got my chance after they broke up. What I did was dishono

"If you want a divorce, it'll be over my dead body," Pierce uttered every word deliberately in a hoarse voice.Millie was stunned to hear that Pierce didn't want to divorce her."Millie, you came into my life without warning as you pleased. Do you think you can leave just as easily? What do you take me for? "If I divorce you now, what kind of man would that make me? Do you want me to let you face those vile people alone? Do you think I'd let you stand up against Stefan and Wanda by yourself?"Do you realize what will happen if you leave the Atkinson family and lose my protection? Stefan and Wanda will crush you in an instant. Do you think you'll even have the chance to hold a press conference?"Pierce asked those questions in a husky voice that held a hint of anger.Millie's heart sank. Pierce was right—without him, she didn't stand a chance against them. In the next moment, she lowered her head, her spirit visibly deflating."Then what should I do? Let them drive me to my de

At the hospital, Wanda eventually regained consciousness after the anesthesia wore off. Her eyes welled with tears when she saw Stefan. She wanted to speak, but the pain in her throat was unbearable. No sound came out no matter how hard she tried.Her expression became one of panic as she frantically pointed at her throat. She was scared that she might never speak again."The doctor said that you haven't lost your ability to speak. You'll be able to talk again in a couple of days," Stefan plainly said.However, it was uncertain if she would ever regain her original voice after this—it was hard to tell at this point.Wanda let out a sigh of relief and grabbed her phone to type what she wanted to say.She wrote: "Pierce had gone overboard! How could he do this to me? He's a man—how can he stoop so low as to hold a grudge against a woman like me? You must avenge me!"But when Stefan read her words, his face remained emotionless. Instead, he coldly stared at her as he questioned, "