Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 191 - Chapitre 200

Jacklyn and Eugene had spent most of the day at the Lloyd family estate.It wasn't until Lydia had finished showing off her rare piece of coral that she finally got to the point. "This isn't the only reason I asked you here. There's another matter—one that involves Lloyd Group."As the maids quietly cleared the display, Lydia turned to Jacklyn. "Your ties to Ms. Lopez give us leverage. Use them to secure Lloyd Group's interests. If we take control of the Women's Association, the returns will far surpass what we're getting now."Jacklyn scoffed inwardly but played along smoothly. "Of course, Lydia. I'll do my part."Thanks to Jacklyn's cooperative attitude—and Lydia being in a surprisingly good mood—she got off easy this time. Lydia didn't give her a hard time.After all the running around, Jacklyn and Eugene finally returned to Lloyd Manor. Drained from the day's events, Jacklyn only managed a few tired words before retreating to her room and collapsing into bed.With the birthda

The river surged with choppy waves as the relentless drizzle pressed down, heavy and unyielding, like a weight on everyone's chest by the bridge.Rain streaked down Quentin's face. He stared at the shattered railing and the river below, its surface so dark that it looked almost black. It felt like something heavy was sitting on his chest, pressing down until he could barely breathe."M-Mr. Lloyd… What do we do now?"Back in the opulent banquet hall, Eugene's face was bloodless. He shook his head violently, jaw clenched tight."I told you to get Jackie moving, and you're standing here cracking jokes? Watch your mouth, or so help me, I'll end you!"Then came the blast of sirens through the phone, followed by the urgent shouts of rescue teams.The moment hit Eugene so hard, it was like lightning splitting his world open. He couldn't believe it. He refused to accept that any of it was real.Then, Quentin's voice came through the phone again, "Mr. Lloyd, Mrs. Lloyd…"The sounds comi

Eugene forced his head up, his eyes fixed on the inky black river. "Mom, Jackie—""Jackie? What's with Jackie?" Lydia cut him off sharply. "Do you even understand how serious this is? What about the future of Lloyd Group?"Just hearing that name made her temples throb. She already knew Eugene's reckless behavior had everything to do with Jacklyn.If Eugene hadn't kept getting in her way, Lydia would've kicked Jacklyn out of the Lloyd family years ago.Watching the anger rising in Emily's eyes, Lydia barked one final order, "Hurry up!"Eugene hung up and stood with effort, as if gravity had grown heavier. Though there was still no word about Jacklyn, he couldn't just abandon the entire Lloyd Group.After a brief internal struggle, he turned to Quentin, who was crouched nearby. "Stay here and keep waiting. Call me the moment you hear anything."Quentin nodded quickly.Eugene forced himself to return to the birthday celebration, though his thoughts were still out by the river.Wh

The clamor of the banquet hall drowned out Eugene's furious roar. Meanwhile, Penelope was frantically trying to explain everything to Emily.That was when he noticed the scattered chat logs on the other side of the floor."I'm pregnant, Jackie. Eugene's the baby's father."The text seemed to swell before his eyes, each word slicing into his nerves like a knife.Eugene had always thought that while Penelope could be a handful, at least she knew her place. There was no way she'd ever let Jacklyn find out about the things she'd been told to keep quiet.But now, for the first time, he realized Jacklyn had known everything all along. She'd been carrying that pain right beside him.And he couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for her, watching him and Penelope together, time and time again. It must've torn her apart.Eugene slowly rose to his feet. His fingers curled inward, the veins on the back of his hand bulging like twisted vines.As if sensing something was

Eugene's heart pounded wildly. That sliver of suspicion felt like the last straw he could cling to before going under.There was no time to lose. Without hesitation, he called Quentin and told him to dig into everyone Jacklyn had seen or spoken to lately. They couldn't afford to overlook a single lead.Eugene stood, his eyes settling on the black ball gown.The chances that Jacklyn died in that car crash were slim, especially if she'd been planning to leave him all along. He even started to wonder if the accident had just been another one of her ways to escape.…24 hours had passed since the car crash.Jacklyn had arrived at the mansion the night before. After ten grueling hours on the plane, her initial unease had settled into a stillness.She'd thought she'd feel triumphant when it was all over, but the rush of emotion she'd braced for never came. Instead, there was only hollowness.Liam had checked on her several times since then, always finding her either standing at the d