جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 560

Being told to get out by a junior made Anne furious. “Bowen, how dare you speak to your aunt like that! Where’s your manners?“Robert, is this how you raised your children? Teaching them to have no respect for their elders? Is this your idea of discipline?”If word got out that a junior had disrespected her, where would her pride go? She had always cared about her image; there was no way she could swallow this humiliation.Robert let out a cold snort. “You came here uninvited and have been insulting my daughter nonstop. What? You’re allowed to spew nonsense, but we can’t fight back?“Anne, let me tell you, you have no leverage over me anymore. I’m not the same man who used to swallow his pride for peace.“Selena already called us. She and Ethan are in a proper relationship. How did that become two-timing in your mouth?”He paused and continued, “And that man you introduced? You know exactly what kind of trash he is. I held back only because we’re related, not wanting to embarrass you t

Selena’s heart was pounding as she rushed into Autumn’s apartment building and headed straight for the underground parking lot.The moment she spotted Autumn’s car parked there, she finally breathed a little easier.Still, remembering Keith’s instructions, she took the elevator upstairs to check if Autumn was home.When she reached the door, she rang the bell several times, but there was no response from inside.Her heart jumped to her throat.She quickly called Keith, who picked up almost immediately, as if he had been waiting for her call.“Mr. Sinclair, her car’s in the garage, but I’ve rung the bell a few times and no one’s answering. What should I do?”Keith’s tone tightened with worry. “There’s a spare key under the doormat. Take it and open the door. See if she’s sick or something.”Autumn often forgot her keys, so he’d left her a spare beneath the mat just in case he wasn’t home.“Alright.” Selena answered, keeping the call connected as she followed his instructions and retriev

In the damp, shadowy expanse of an abandoned factory, Autumn was tied to a chair, her face drained of color.She hadn’t eaten all night; her stomach churned and she felt bile rise, each dry heave leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.The air reeked of mold and rot, and with her chronic stomach condition, the nausea hit her even harder.“So you’re awake,” a fat thug said as he swaggered over, several burly men trailing behind him.They stared at Autumn with crude hunger; some of them even licked their lips.One of them rubbed his hands together and leered at the ringleader, “Where’d you find such a beauty, Joe? With skin like that, she’s going to be a lot of fun.”“We haven’t had a woman in ages. Time to get some fresh meat,” another sneered.They’d seen all kinds of women on the streets, but Autumn was a rare kind of beauty, so in their twisted minds, she was a prize to be abused.Another man edged forward, already fumbling with his belt. “Pretty thing, you’re gorgeous. Daddy’s gonna ta

Luna just wanted to get rid of the man as quickly as possible, so she handed over the money.If Julian saw her wrestling with strange men or found out she’d played a part in locking Autumn up, it would all be over.The man took the card and, without thinking, groped her hand; Luna flinched and pulled back in disgust.Sensing something was wrong, she sneered. “You lot can’t even handle one woman? Pathetic. Don’t tell me you let Autumn get away.“Let Autumn escape and you won’t see a cent from me.”If Autumn slipped away again, Luna was finished. Autumn had the Sinclair heir backing her.On the surface she couldn’t beat them, so Autumn had to be killed this time. If not, Luna would be the one to die.The man smiled coldly. “Relax. She’s tied up. Once our boss heals, he’ll deal with her.“You wanted her ruined and then killed, so we’re doing exactly what you asked.”Taking money to solve someone else’s mess had always been their motto; this was only a mishap.“That’ll do.” Luna nodded, a

When Autumn opened her eyes again, the air no longer smelled of mold.It reeked of disinfectant instead.Had she died?She remembered being tied up by those two men, beaten until she lost consciousness. Just before everything went dark, she thought she saw a familiar figure.She had tried to focus on that face, but the harder she tried, the blurrier it became.Then everything went black.When Selena saw her wake, she shot up from her chair. “Autumn, you’re finally awake. You scared us half to death.”They’d spent the whole night searching with no leads, worry eating away at her.Thankfully, Keith’s connections paid off. By noon, they’d traced a suspicious man who had been rushed to the hospital.Word was, he was a low-level thug who’d taken a beating hard enough to crack his skull—nothing unusual in his line of work.But given the timing, Keith refused to ignore it. He interrogated the man himself.By sheer luck, they’d gotten the truth, and the man finally confessed to where Autumn