Kate watched over James for a full day and night before he woke up, and the first thing he saw were her eyes, swollen like walnuts from crying.


    “It’s okay, don’t cry. I’m fine.” He struggled to wipe away her tears.


    But Kate cried even harder.


    She copsed onto him, tears streaming endlessly. “You scared me to death… scared me to death…”


    James held her tightly, his gaze growing tender inch by inch.


    This scene fell under the eyes of Kate’s parents standing at the hospital room door, and both felt veryforted.


    Kate’s fatherughed heartily. “Look at this girl – got herself a man and forgot all about her dad. I was passed out for hours and she didn’t evene check on me!”


    Only then did Kate snap back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Kate’s mother gave her husband a reproachful look. “Our Kate is the most filial – she watched over you for two hours and only left when I got here. Don’t you dare wrongly use our daughter!”


    The hospital room was filled with family reunion and happiness.


    When Derek stumbled into the room, he was almost pained by this scene.


    “Kate, you have such a cruel heart!”


    Kate was startled. “Weren’t you locked up in prison? How did you get out?” Could he have escaped?


    Derekughed bitterly. The tax evasion case fell under local court jurisdiction – Cloud City had no authority over him!


    Though he would indeed be transferred to the local court soon.


    He’d gone through great lengths to get out, just to get answers from Kate.


    But Kate felt her attitude was already crystal clear. “Derek, don’t you know how many loopholes yourpany has? You didn’t just evade taxes – you also transferred state assets, cooked the books, embezzled public funds. That’s enough to bury you!”


    Derek stared at her intensely, asking painfully, “So you were already scheming against me…”


    Kate turned away coldly, only dropping one line. “Evil will get itseuppance.”


    Derek was transferred back to Mount City, and James also went back to handle some business.


    Kate went with him.


    Halfway through the dinner party, she felt dizzy and wanted to go outside for some fresh air to clear her head.


    But she was roughly covered with a bup sack.


    She cried out, then was knocked unconscious from outside the next second.


    ann <b>Evidence </b>


    92.7<b>% </b>


    Piercing pain.


    Kate was trapped in the sack as clubs beat her arms, waist, and legs. The confined space made her almost suffocate.


    When she was barely conscious from pain, she was finally let out.


    “Miss Ashley, take a look is this her?”


    Kate was dazed and groggy. As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard Ashley’s voice grinding with hatred. “It’s her alright. I’d recognize her even if she turned to ashes! Kate, I’ve finally got you in my hands!”


    Kate endured the pain and red at her. “Ashley, are you insane? This is kidnapping – it’s a crime! You’ll go to prison!”


    Ashleyughed maniacally.


    Prison? She wasn’t afraid! She stared at Kate miserably and said hatefully, “Derek and I were perfectly happy together. We got through all those years, and if you hadn’t butted in, I should have been the one to marry him!”


    Kate didn’t let her deflect<b>, </b>saying calmly, “You were the one who got the marriage license with him. I was the victim who got


    deceived.”


    Yes, Ashley had always thought Kate was just a pitiful little thing who got tricked.


    But during the month Kate disappeared, Ashley witnessed Derek going crazy for her, searching everywhere possible for her, even learning to drink heavily when he’d never touched alcohol before – ALL because of Kate!


    More importantly, Derek who used to only have eyes for her now ignored herpletely because of Kate!


    Derek had actually fallen in love with this woman!


    That was what she couldn’t tolerate most!


    Ashley ordered people to hang Kate over the cliff edge while she put herself in another rope, then called Derek in a panic.


    “Derek, Derek, I’ve been kidnapped! Come save me quickly!”


    “Yes, yes, the location is…”


    Ten minutester, Derek arrived.


    “Ashley… Kate!” His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the two people swaying precariously over the cliff edge. “How are you


    both here?!”


    Just as Kate was about to speak, Ashley interrupted through tears, “Save me quickly! Derek, Kate kidnapped me!”


    “Derek, Kate found out I’m pregnant with your child and got jealous and angry, so she brought me here to force you to choose


    between us!” <fna166> Latest content published on find?novel</fna166>


    Derek was stunned. Child? Who was pregnant?


    Ashley threw over an ultrasound report she’d prepared in her pocket.


    Derek picked it up and his pupils contracted sharply – calcting the dates, this really could be his child!


    His gaze toward Ashley immediately changed.


    <b>97.90 </b>


    “I didn’t. Derek Ashley nned the kidnapping. I didn’t.” In her terror. Kate’s words came out broken ant stuttszed.


    Bit Derek looked at her with obvious disappointment. “Ashley is already pregnant. Are you saying she’d risk both her life and the baby’s to frame you? What do you have that’s worth her going that far?”


    “Kate, if you’re going to make up excuses, can you at least make them believable?”


    With that, he strode forward decisively and cut the rope without hesitation, saving Ashley.


    Kate, who was tied to the same rope, immediately stared in horror with wide eyes.


    The next second, she plummeted like a bird with broken wings straight into the bottomless abyss.


    In the second before falling, she saw Derek holding Ashley tightly with relief in his voice. “Ashley, thank god you’re okay. Thank god our baby is okay. You scared me to death…”