Cassieughed wildly, twirling and dancing in front of Laura''s bed, her red wedding dress swirling around her. After finishing her dance, she pped her hands and called for the hypnotist to begin erasing the memories of Charles, Wesley, and Sheldon.


    The hypnotist approached Charles, locking eyes with him. But just as Cassie lowered her guard, the hypnotist suddenly turned, and in a sh, plunged a dagger straight into her chest.


    "Mr. Holden Senior, I''vee to save you," he dered.


    The moment the hypnotist spoke, Cassie froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You-how dare you betray me?"


    "That''s right, I did."


    With a swift motion, the hypnotist wiped their face, smearing away the disguise to reveal their true identity.


    "Adam, I sent you overseas! Why are you here?" Cassie gasped, staggering backward, clutching at the wound on her chest.


    "Mr. Holden Senior, Mr. Holden, I''m back." Adam Harris turned toward Charles, helping him up as the door burst open. A squad of well-trained men stormed inside, swiftly overpowering Cassie''s guards.


    Cassie screamed in fury. "Adam Harris! You''re nothing but my father''s stray dog! How dare you turn against me?"


    Adam nced at her with cold indifference. "Ms. Cassie, it''s time for you to wake up. Stop this madness.


    "Tell me, do you really love Wesley? Or have you just been using that excuse to justify your twisted desires?"


    "Adam, you''re back?" Charles, still weak, steadied himself with Adam''s support. Seeing Adam again filled him with relief. "Bring Lucy in."


    Momentster, Lucy was dragged into the room. Without hesitation, Adam stepped forward and kicked her hard in the stomach.


    "Save Laura," hemanded.


    "I can''t." Lucy whimpered, clutching her stomach, her tear-filled eyes pleading as she looked up at Adam. "Adam, I love you. Have you forgotten that night at the hotel?"


    "Lucy Maine! You think I''ve forgotten what you did?" Adam roared. "You and Cassie drugged me! You impersonated my wife and climbed into my bed! That night was the most humiliating moment of my life!"


    His anger erupted as he roared, "Because of your twisted schemes, my wife went into prematurebor!"


    "Daddy!" A soft, childlike voice rang out from the doorway.


    Adam turned to see his young son, Elijah, being led inside by his wife, Abigail Ashford. Behind them, a nanny cradled a newborn-Noah, just recently born. Abigail''s eyes were red with tears as she stepped forward. "Ms. Cassie, Adam and I have been nothing but loyal to the Holden family. Why did you have to do this to us?"


    She trembled with anger. "Adam and I were happy together. Why did you betray his trust? Why did you drug him? Why did you send this woman into his bed to impersonate me?


    "Ms. Cassie, how could you be so cruel?"


    "Abigail, enough!" Cassie clutched at her bleeding wound, ring venomously. "Adam is nothing but a worthless orphan my father took in! Without the Holden family, he wouldn''t be where he is today! His life belongs to us. He does what I tell him to do!"


    Cassie sneered. "Being desired by Lucy should be an honor for him! And you, Abigail, if you were smart, you''d step aside. Look at yourself—a mere vegetable vendor''s daughter. How could you everpare to Lucy?"


    "Enough," Adam growled.


    He stepped forward and grabbed Cassie by the throat, forcing a pill into her mouth.


    She choked, struggling against him, but he pressed down hard, making her swallow it.


    "From now on, I''m in control," Adam dered coldly. "Otherwise, Ms. Cassie, you might as well prepare to die."


    Her eyes widened in horror. "What did you just make me swallow? Adam, what did you do to me?"


    She wed at her throat, gagging, trying desperately to regurgitate the pill. But no matter how hard she tried, the pill remained lodged inside her.


    Adam ignored Cassie''s frantic struggle and turned to help Charles and Wesley to their feet. "Mr. Holden Senior, my life was given by you. But the moment Cassie schemed against me and betrayed Abigail, I no longer owed the Holden family anything."


    His eyes reddened with emotion. "Mr. Holden Senior, let me do onest thing for you, for Mr. Marcus, and for the Holden family."


    "Adam, don''t do anything reckless." Charles gripped Adam''s hands tightly. "You''re a good child. You and Abigail just weed your second child. Your life will only get better from here. Don''t act on impulse."


    "Mr. Holden Senior, forget all these unpleasant memories. I''ll take care of Cassie. I won''t let her cause trouble for you ever again."


    da


    Adam forced a bitter smile as he continued, "As for me, I''ve wronged Abigail. I no longer have the right to stay with her and our children. AlN ask, MD. Holden Senior, is that you let Elijah and Noah grow up alongside Mr. Marcus. Raise them as his most loyal subordinates and protectors.


    "If Abigail leaves me, at least she''ll still have a chance at a good life."


    Charles turned to Abigail. "Is that what you want too?"


    Her eyes were swollen from crying. She knelt before Charles, pulling Elijah in front of her while taking


    Noah from the nanny''s arms. "et


    Holden Senior, the Ashford family has always been indebted to you. I wanted to pretend I didn''t know about all of this. I wanted to forget it-but I can''t.


    "Elijah and Noah would have a better future under your guidance. Mr. Marcus will need trusted people at his side. No amount of trainingter in life canpare to bonds formed from childhood. I trust that


    t you will


    not mistreat my or Adam''s sons.


    "Mr. Holden Senior, I''m sorry."


    Tears fell as she knelt before Charles and bowed deeply. Then, without hesitation, she turned and left.


    "It''s done," Adam said firmly. "Mr. Holden Senior, Mr. Wesley-now, listen to my instructions."


    With that, Charles was escorted into a sterile white room-the very room Cassie had originally prepared for hypnosis.


    But this time, it was Adam who took control.


    Adam systematically erased the painful memories from Charles, Wesley, and Laura''s minds. He also removed any trace of his and Abigail''s existence, leaving only the most essential information intact.


    Compared to Cassie''s twisted and absurd maniptions, Adam believed it would


    be better for Laura and the Holden family to think she had fallen ill with a strange disease after childbirth.


    Once their memories were altered, Adam took Cassie and her people with him, disappearingpletely after.


    The first to awaken at Holden Residence was Sheldon. He only felt a dull headache at first, but his mind quickly regained rity, and he began methodically organizing household matters.


    Soon after, Charles and the others gradually woke up.


    They had all forgotten Cassie''s crimes. They had no memory of how Laura had


    truly fallen ill. All they knew was that Laura had developed a strange illness after


    childbirth.


    A lingering voice in their minds told them that Wesley must take Laura away to seek medical treatment. Only when she was fully healed could she reunite with


    Marcus.


    As for Charles, he took Elijah and Noah under his wing, raising them with meticulous care and grooming them into Marcus'' most trusted confidants. And Cassie no longer lived at Holden Residence thereafter.


    From that point on, she kept her distance from both Charles and Marcus.