?Chapter 1140:


    Zoey’s eyelids lowered as if the weight of memory pressed them shut, and after a quiet pause, she spoke again. “When I lost my parents, I knew the hollow ache of grief all too well. That was why I couldn’t bear the thought of another family suffering the same pain. So, like a figure lifted from a fairy tale, I pulled the boy from the water. His father’s gratitude was immense, and when he heard my story, he took me in as his own. The boy himself treated me with kindness. It felt as though fortune had returned, as if my parents were blessing me from afar.”


    Her eyes flew open, fixing on Maia with startling rity. “You’ve pieced it together, haven’t you? That boy grew up to be none other than Kolton, the head of the Cooper family.”


    Words flowed before Maia could utter a response. “From then on, I lived as the youngest daughter of the Cooper family. I refused to squander such a gift of fate. I swore to repay Kolton and his father because gratitude, loyalty, and kindness were the values my father instilled in me. So, I studied tirelessly, surpassing every expectation ced before me. People called me talented, even destined, and some believed I would one day inherit the Cooper Group. Imagine that. Although not a drop of Cooper blood ran in me, my adoptive father never breathed a word about my past. Aside from Kolton, no one knew I was the daughter of a fisherman. He always said it made no difference, because… he saw what was in my heart when I looked at Kolton.”


    The chuckle that followed carried a hint of mischief. “By then, Kolton and I had already fallen in love. But in the eyes of the world, we were siblings, so we had no choice but to keep it hidden. We met in secret, whispering of a day when we could love one another in the open.”


    Zoey’s smile gradually faded. “Later, my adoptive father had an ident and fell into aa. The battle for Cooper Group’s control erupted like a storm, touching every corner of our world.”


    Her gaze settled on Maia as her voice dropped to a near whisper. “In the midst of it all… Kyle, Chris’ father, lost his life. It was by my hand, and only then did the conflict finally subside. The single shred of sce I carried was that my adoptive father eventually opened his eyes again.”


    A sharp denial burst from Maia. “No, Zoey. That cannot be true. If you were the one who killed Kyle, Rnd would not fight so hard to defend your innocence. And if you bore that guilt, how could Chris, Kyle’s only son, live without despising you?” Maia shook her head vehemently, her voice trembling unconsciously as she continued, “This isn’t the truth. At least not the part about the murder. It’s not true.”


    ?????????????? ????????????: g??????ν??????????????


    Maia’s words drifted across the hut, muffled by the thick timber walls and heavy curtains until they seemed to vanish into the wood itself.


    Outside, the night breeze brushed against the eaves, setting the wind chimes in motion. Their fragile notes rose and fell like echoes from a forgotten memory.


    No answer came.


    The stillness lingered, stretching longer with every passing second.


    Eventually, Zoey lowered her gaze. The kerosenemp on the table sputtered inside its ss, and the faint light caught on hershes, scattering shadows across her face. Most of her features sank into the darkness, unreachable by the weak glow of thentern.


    From Maia’s side of the room, Zoey’s expression remained unreadable. All she could register was the uneven rhythm of her own breathing, tangled with the rapid thud of her heart.


    It seemed impossible to Maia that Zoey could ever do such a thing. Yes, Zoey had always been merciless toward her enemies, but beneath that coldnessy a loyalty that never wavered. The Cooper family had saved her once, and Maia believed that Zoey would never repay that kindness with betrayal.


    .


    .


    .