Chapter 11

He didn't even acknowledge me. Instead, he was urging the repairman to hurry up and fix the elevator. Unable to stand, I leaned against the elevator wall, hugging my knees. For some inexplicable reason, my nose started to sting. Ben wasn't like this before. The old Ben... was so much kinder."Are there no other companies hiring? Why did you have to join mine?"His voice came from above. It sounded like he was standing right in front of me."Because of my dad, no one else wants me," I replied, though it was something I wouldn't usually talk about. "Why did your dad come to me, calling you the daughter of a mistress and telling my brother not to hire you?"In the dark, I heard him say, in a calm, measured tone, everything my father and stepmother had said about me.-What kind of father would call his own daughter the child of a mistress when my mother was his legitimate wife?No, maybe in his heart, my mother really was the mistress. Even though she had married him first,

Chapter 12

"Alright, my name's Ben. If you like calling me that, I'll stick with Ben from now on. How does that sound?" I didn't respond. He was gently massaging my ankle, and I lowered my gaze to the top of his dark head. "So, you…" Had he remembered now? How much did he remember? And why now, of all times? I had a ton of questions in my head, but when I faced him, I found myself unable to speak. "When you slapped me earlier, I suddenly felt like the sensation was familiar. So, it triggered some memories." He knew exactly what I wanted to ask. "By the way, have you ever slapped me like that before?" "Of course not!" I glared at him, but then I was lost in his eyes, sparkling like stars. An unexpected memory surfaced from that stormy night when he had tackled me, and I instinctively slapped him across the face. There had been something about his eyes, a glimmer that hinted at something dangerous. I turned my head away. Besides that time, it seemed the only time I had s

Chapter 13

"Ben, give me your bank account number."In the end, I said that without even thinking. He paused for a moment. Then, without hesitation, he gave it to me. I wrote it down and quickly tapped a few things on my phone."I'm returning the 300 thousand to you. It's from your brother. I don't feel right keeping it. From now on, let's have no more ties—""So the money was the tie?" he suddenly interrupted me. Then, my phone started buzzing with message alerts. He was transferring money to me, each transaction for 300 thousand. As he continued, he asked, "And what about these? Is this enough? Do you need more? We have so many ties…" It wasn't until he got an alert about the transaction limit that he looked up. His eyes had a hint of red, almost manic, and there was a touch of desperation in his voice as he asked softly, "Is this enough for you to marry me?" I was speechless. Ben had that way about him—he could pull you down with him, making you feel an unbearable sadness,

Chapter 14

"You said that I was bugging you."It seemed like I was destined to never get what I wanted.But the person in front of me—he simply squatted down, gently and carefully wiping away my tears. "You think there's nothing I can do? Then let me show you what I can do, okay?" -My stepmother started calling me non-stop. My father did too. At first, they managed to keep some semblance of dignity as elders. But soon, my father began yelling at me. "What are you doing, Jennifer? Do you still see me as your father? Do you know what's happening to my company? It's all thanks to you! Because of you, I've lost a ton of partnerships! You'd better make Greene Incorporated stop. Do you hear me?!" -I ignored the insults, and before long, my once-high-and-mighty father began to beg. "Jennifer, I'm your dad. You wouldn't want to see me go bankrupt, would you? Your mom and I have already cleaned your room. Come back and stay for a few days, alright?" Later, I heard about the issues

Chapter 15

We walked up to a building where the inner curtains were drawn, but I guessed it was probably a tea room.Perry stopped in front of the door, signaling for me to go in.The cool air from the air conditioning was a relief after walking through the intense heat. Stepping inside, the chill swept over me, and I felt some comfort. But when my eyes met the elderly man's, my heart sank. He simply looked at me with a calm expression, yet I could already feel the weight of his gaze pressing down on me."Sit." He gestured to the side of the tea table. I lifted the hem of my dress, took a few steps, and was just about to sit when the door suddenly burst open. Ben rushed in, panting. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up. He walked over and pulled me behind him. "What are you going to do to her?" The moment the words left his mouth, I immediately imagined scenes of family infighting, rebellious teenagers running away, or elopements. The elderly man, sitting in the main chair, look

Chapter 16

"Then I launched an internal coup. Honestly, it was the first time I ever touched a gun, and the first time I saw someone die right in front of me. At first, I thought I was clever. I assumed those people, who prided themselves on wielding power through guns, were nothing more than paper tigers."But I was wrong. I was betrayed. Their leader caught me and tortured me. They thought I was dead, so they threw me into the river. I wasn't dead, but I was broken. My mind was shattered, and all I could recall of that time was a blur. They kicked me, called me a fool. "After who knows how many twists and turns, I somehow ended up back in the country. I was forced to work like an animal, thrown out of stores, beaten by punks. That time... it was probably too painful, so I still can't remember all of it. Until... until one person showed up." He tightened his grip on my hand, and his voice dropped, rougher now, filled with restraint. I could feel him fighting to hold something back. "She s