Chapter 11

“You convinced Wendy to die?” I demanded coldly. “That’s right,” Frank admitted to it readily. “That idiot thought that she could threaten me with this secret and have me save her, but only dead people can keep secrets, just like your father… and you’ll soon join him.”He pulled the trigger. Bang!A gunshot echoed in the cramped basement. I shut my eyes instinctively, but the pain I expected never appeared. Instead, I heard a cry of pain. I opened my eyes and saw Frank cradling his wrist. The gun had fallen on the floor. Someone had appeared behind him at some point. It was a woman in a black trench coat and a baseball cap. In her hands was a dagger, and she used it to smack away Frank’s gun. “Who are you?!” Frank cried out in fear. The woman slowly looked up, revealing a strikingly beautiful face. When I saw her, I was stunned. She was the quiet woman who had sat beside me in the high-speed train. She had handed me a cup of warm water when my stomach was hurtin

Chapter 12

Frank was sentenced to death and would await his execution behind bars. The Stallone family and Quinn family were destroyed, and all the people related to this were brought to justice.Under the sweeping reforms I carried out, Larke Corporation got on track again. I crushed all those who once bullied me and looked down on me under my feet, but I found no joy in it. Whenever night fell and it was quiet, I would remember that night, my father’s cold corpse, and the bizarre smile Wendy had before she died. All that pain was etched into my bones like a brand that I could not get rid of. I started throwing myself into work so that I could numb the pain by being busy. One day, I ran into Cindy again at the foot of the company building. She was dressed in casual clothes and holding a cup of coffee. She leaned against her car, waiting for me. When the sun shone on her, it gave her a golden halo. “Officer Grant, what brought you here?” I was quite surprised. We never met ag

Chapter 13

I did not stay idle while Cindy was recovering. I worked with the police and traced clues before finally being able to take down the entire international criminal ring. Larke Corporation was free of suspicion, and its stock value kept climbing. I became a highly popular business heavyweight, but I did not lose myself in fame and power. I set up a charity fund instead to sponsor families who fell into poverty due to illnesses or trying to send their children to school. Through this method, I tried to make up for the regrets my father had and to remember all the hardships I faced. After Cindy recovered from her wounds, she proposed to me. There was no grand proposal nor an expensive diamond ring. All she could offer was a ring of grass she made by herself. It was just like the one Wendy gave me in the past. However, this one meant something else entirely. “Zidane, I know that you got your heart hurt before and no longer dare to believe in love, but I’m going to use my ent

Chapter 14

Our married life was peaceful and domestic. Even though Cindy was busy, whenever she was free, she would eat with me, go out on a stroll with me, and watch movies with me. We were just like any other regular couple. Our days were filled with the trivialities of life, as well as tender companionship. One year later, Cindy became pregnant. I was so happy that I picked her up and spun her around a few times, like a child. “I’m going to be a father!”She was pregnant for ten months, and the birth happened overnight. Cindy gave birth to a pair of twins, and I named them Nathan Larke and Anna Larke. I hoped that they would forever remember that their parents loved them and that their lives would be smooth sailing.The twins were beautiful and had all of Cindy’s and my best qualities. Nathan was like me. He was level-headed and mature. Anna was like Cindy. She was cheeky and cunning. As I watched them grow, I felt like my life was perfect. Under my leadership, Larke Corp

Chapter 15

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, my twins had to go to school. On that day, I received a letter from prison. It was from Frank. He said that he was about to be executed, and before he died, he wanted to see me. He had something to say to me. I hesitated for a bit, but I still went. After all, he did help me, even though he ended up on the wrong path in the end. In the inmate visitation room, I saw Frank wearing prison clothes. He had been shaved bald and looked much older. When he saw me, he gave a bitter smile. “You’re here, Mr. Zidane.”“Mr. Clement,” I greeted him. Frank sighed. “I know that you hate me. I hate myself too. If I hadn’t been so greedy and if I hadn’t been blinded by profit, perhaps I could still be by your side, just like before. “Maybe I could’ve watched you get married and have kids. But there are no what-ifs in the world.”He stopped talking for a bit. Then, he stared at me with a pleading look. “Mr. Zidane, I deserve to die, but I have a son

Chapter 16

I retired when I was seventy. After handing the corporation to Nathan, I went to travel around the world with Cindy. We went to many places, saw the aurora, climbed snowy mountains, and went deep into the sea. We kissed at the foot of Aifel Tower and watched the stars in the Zahara Desert. With each new place we went to, we would take plenty of pictures to record these beautiful moments. Cindy might be old, but she was still full of energy. She always held my hand, as if she was worried about me getting lost. “Slow down, old man. You don’t want to fall.”“You’re the one who should slow down, old bat. My legs are stronger than yours.”We teased each other but supported one another, just like two old trees intertwined. Even if the wind blew and rain poured on us, we would not be separated. One day, while we were taking a walk on the beach, we watched the sun set and dye the surface of the ocean gold. Suddenly, Cindy stopped walking and turned to me. “Zidane, do you ev