Semua Bab Casting off the Deadweight: Bab 1 - Bab 10

That night, Thea Storme held the ring she had just finished making.By chance, she overheard the helpers addressing her poor boyfriend, Leonard Falkner, respectfully."Mr. Falkner, are you really going to just stand there and watch Ms. Clara become a widow? Mr. Larkin Senior used to be a military commander. He isn't someone we can cross. Once Ms. Clara marries his grandson, it'll be too late!"The gentle look Leonard always wore was gone. What replaced it was a coldness Thea had never seen."I underestimated Clara. I thought marrying her sister would force her to give in. Didn't expect the little thing to have such a temper."Let's do this. The wedding goes on as planned. But before the ceremony, tie Thea up and hand her over to the Larkin family.""This whole thing and my identity stay secret. I'm going to use this chance to smooth out Clara's rough edges."In that instant, Thea felt like she had fallen into an icy abyss. The ring slipped from her fingers and shattered against

The system reported to its superiors about changing Thea's target.The weight in Thea's chest finally lifted a little.Upon returning home, she was met by Clara, who was running out with red-rimmed eyes.She shoved Thea aside violently. "Out of my way."Thea's back slammed against the edge of a table. Luckily, Leonard caught her quickly.His face darkened as he reached out to block Clara's path. "Apologize."Clara stared in disbelief. "Who does she think she is? Why should I apologize to her? Leonard, don't go too far."Leonard lifted Thea's shirt from the back to reveal a terrible bruise. His expression turned even colder as he threatened, "Don't push me to do worse."Clara trembled, and tears slid down her cheeks. She looked just like a scared little rabbit.Thea had always hoped someone in this family would stand behind her and back her up.But now that the moment had come, it felt so ridiculous.Could Leonard really do anything to Clara when he smelled exactly like her b

"Oh my god! 1.5 billion dollars? Who can just transfer that much cash on the spot?"Everyone at the dinner gasped in shock.Rowan wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.He answered a call, said a few words, then switched on the speaker.The voice Thea recognized came through clearly. "Mr. Falkner says he won't let Ms. Clara lose. The Falkner family will cover all of her stakes today."Every word hit everyone like a hammer."The Falkner family? You mean that Falkner family?""Who else could pull out 1.5 billion dollars? Mr. Falkner isn't like Thea's fiance. He's a true big shot!""Thea, you'd better give up. The Falkners don't just have money. They hold grudges. If you cross them, life will get rough."Thea's ears buzzed as she stared at Leonard.He just smiled like it didn't concern him while watching with genuine amusement as Clara's tears dissolved into a smile.He was staring at her as if she were a piece of prey.Thea felt the whole thing was ridiculous.She put down t

Leonard started, "Thea, I can explain—"Thea's hand shook violently from the force she'd used. Blood splattered across the back of her hand, but she didn't even notice. She reached out to press the nurse call button."We're done," she said coldly.Clara rushed over and grabbed her hand. "Thea, stop hurting him. I know you're jealous of me. You can't stand seeing anyone be nice to me. But you can't do this to Leonard. Even if he's going to be a live-in son-in-law, he's still your husband. How could you embarrass him like that?"A flicker of excitement flashed through her eyes. She pulled Thea's hand and slapped it against her own cheek. "Slap me instead. If you're angry, take it out on me. Just don't hurt Leonard."Thea could have easily broken free, but as she saw Leonard reaching out to help Clara up, her resolve hardened. She followed Clara's pull and slapped her hard.Clara let out a sharp scream, and her cheek immediately swelled.Leonard's features remained taut, yet instea

The moment Thea stepped into the wedding car, the system notified her that her target had officially shifted from Leonard to Dylan.An emptiness settled in her chest, as if something invisible had been stripped away. She instinctively placed a hand over her chest to steady her breath.Curious, she asked the system, "Will unbinding have a significant impact on Leonard?"Without hesitation, the system replied, "Definitely. Although you've helped heal his body and he won't return to that near-death state, his legs were repaired by the system. Now that he's been kicked out, the healing effect will be gone."If Leonard had truly loved Thea, if they had married like ordinary people, had children, and walked through life hand in hand, her first wish would have been to see his legs fully healed.She had planned this long ago.From the moment the Storme family pushed her away, she decided to be someone who dared to love and hate fiercely—to sacrifice for the one she truly loved.But she